After daybreak, Guo Ziyi had learned that Li Siye had led his army to withdraw from Lingbao. He had learned from the past and would not be fooled. He only sent a few teams of scouts to investigate. When the scouts came back, they reported to him, indicating that the Hexi Army had indeed retreated to Shaanxi County.
Guo Ziyi decided to reorganize the army and wait and see what happens. The Tang army stationed in Tongguan was too mixed with factions. If he really wanted to go out to fight with Li Siye, the entire army would be wiped out. He did not hide the truth, but took the initiative to report to the emperor to show the powerful relationship at hand.
, and once again reiterated the importance of Tongguan. In fact, all the words reveal one meaning. Emperor, if you don't want to move and escape Chang'an again, then don't listen to wrong rumors. As long as the troops stationed in Tongguan are still there, protecting Guanzhong is equivalent to protecting Guanzhong.
The Tang Dynasty.
Li Heng's mentality was completely different from that of Li Longji. The emperor was blindly confident and believed that the Tang army had the ability to quickly put down the rebellion, which led to the cunning operation.
But now, since Li Heng's defeat in Yecheng, Li Siye's sudden rebellion has brought the Tang Army's strength directly to a low point. He now believes from a mental point of view that the Tang Army's strength and status are in the contraction and defense stage.
However, in order to prevent Guo Ziyi from completely controlling the garrison in Guanzhong and even Tongguan, he first issued an imperial decree to confer official positions on several of Guo Ziyi's sons, and then ordered Prince Li Yu to go to Tongguan as the general marshal of the world's soldiers and horses to boost morale on his behalf.
Immediately afterwards, another imperial edict was issued, naming both Yu Chaoen and Cheng Yuanzhen as deputy marshals of the world's military forces.
In this way, power seems to be concentrated in the hands of the generalissimo. However, Prince Li Yu only went to Tongguan for inspection and did not stay permanently. After he inspired the soldiers, he was recalled to Chang'an by the emperor. Now Tongguan was completely transformed into a troika.
Chaoen, Cheng Yuanzhen, and Guo Ziyi each control one-third of the army, and they are equals and do not rule each other. In order to facilitate their movement, Li Heng ordered them to make major decisions. The three of them must sign military orders at the same time. If the three of them disagree, they will
The conflict was handed over to Chang'an for decision-making by the prince.
In fact, both Yu Chaoen and Cheng Yuanzhen were close associates of the eunuch Li Fuguo. This shows that the power of Tongguan was actually in the hands of Li Fuguo. This complicated relationship between the characters made Guo Ziyi deeply embarrassed.
…
At this time, unfavorable news for Li Siye reached Chang'an. Li Mi, a counselor who had retired halfway, walked out of Hengshan Taoist Temple and followed Wuguan Road to return to Chang'an to start his journey to save the Tang Dynasty.
Before leaving the Taoist temple, Zuo Gong, a Taoist priest near the temple, visited Li Mi and asked a profound question: "Since the rebellion, the court has always been in trouble. Loyal people have been severely punished for their loyal deeds, and rebels and thieves have always suffered heavy losses.
But you can always find a way out if you act recklessly. Isn't this unfair?"
Li Mi bluntly retorted: "What does it have to do with the law of heaven? Loyal people who do loyal things will naturally be bound by morality and are temporarily put at a disadvantage. They not only want to save the people, but also maintain existing morality. And traitors do unrighteousness.
Naturally, people ignore moral principles and act recklessly for a while. But people in the world are determined that those who are willing to uphold morality will eventually make up the majority. Although traitors can be rampant for a while, they cannot be rampant forever."
"So that's it," the Taoist priest was silent for a moment and suddenly asked: "But if there is such a person, he can ignore morality when he is bound by morality, but when morality is useful to him, he jumps in again. He jumps in this way repeatedly.
, makes morality become a tool in his hands, how to break it?"
Li Mi thought for a long time, but he couldn't think of a solution. He said hesitantly: "Justice is in the heart of the people. Even if such a person succeeds for a while, he will be reviled by future generations."
After he said these words, he walked thousands of miles into Chang'an, with only a boy beside him, wearing a Taoist robe, a whisk, and nothing.
After Li Mi entered Chang'an, the emperor quickly sent people to welcome him into the Daming Palace. It was a hot afternoon in June. Li Heng was lying on the hospital bed. The palace maids held palace fans and fanned him hard to drive away the heat. There was a sound outside the door.
The eunuch's counselor's smooth voice said: "Li Mi, a white-robed Taoist from Hengshan, comes to see Your Majesty."
When Li Heng heard that Li Mi had returned, he immediately turned over and sat up on the bed, with excitement on his face, and even his pain was relieved by half.
Just as he was about to stay and put on his boots, Li Mi had already arrived in front of him, bowed and crossed his hands and said, "I'm here to see you, Your Majesty."
Li Heng's voice was a little choked, and he was sitting upright and almost shed tears with excitement: "Chang Yuan, I have been waiting for you day and night, and finally you are here. Now the country is in danger again. I hope Chang Yuan can help."
I will save the Tang Dynasty."
Li Mi sat cross-legged in front of Li Heng and talked eloquently: "Your Majesty, please rest assured that our Tang Dynasty has been prospering for hundreds of years. Even if it fell to the bottom due to the rebellion, the prosperous age created by Taizong, Gaozong and the Supreme Emperor still has people's hearts and minds.
, although the rebellious ministers were rampant for a while, they would eventually be defeated. His Majesty’s previous decision to send Guo Ziyi to Tongguan to garrison was a wise one. No matter how the situation in the Central Plains changes and how Li Siye lures the enemy, the defenders of the Tongguan defense line must remember not to leave lightly. This is the Tang Dynasty.
The last lifeline of Sheji.”
Li Heng asked with a frown: "How long will this situation last? The crisis of the country is at this point. When can I put down the rebellion?"
"Now our military strength is weak. Although Li Siye is strong, most of his subordinates are soldiers from the northwest court of Anxi, Hexi. They are very homesick. If they cannot go back for a long time, their military morale will inevitably be scattered. As long as your majesty holds on to Guanzhong, he will not be able to return to Hexi." Li Mi
He said happily: "I have a plan that can quickly end the rebellion and temporarily stabilize the world."
"Oh, come quickly."
Li Bi waved his whisk and said: "Send Shi Siming to surrender, temporarily appoint him as the Yin of Henan, and concurrently as the military governor of Hebei, so that he can go south to attack Li Siye. Let Li Guangbi come out of the mountain and resume his duties as the military governor of Hedong. As long as he holds on to the three Jin areas, Shi Siming
They could not enter Hedong. They ordered Lu Jiong, Zhang Xun and others to guard Suiyang, Xiangyang, and Ji Guangchen to guard Zheng Cai, so that Li Siye could not go south. In this way, the Central Plains would become a duel ground for the two of them. No matter who survived, his vitality would be severely damaged. As long as
The Three Jin Guanzhong is in hand, and the Central Plains can be taken at any time, and the rebellion will be put down. Therefore, persuading surrender is the top priority. If His Majesty does not give up, Li Bi is willing to go to Hebei in person and persuade Shi Siming to surrender to the Great Empire with his unshakable tongue.
Don.”
Li Heng shook his head regretfully and hesitantly: "You are my think tank, how can I let you get into danger. I have sent envoys to Youzhou, and I believe there will be news soon."
Li Mi nodded worriedly. Perhaps he had lost the best opportunity to return, not only because the emperor was ill, but also because Li Heng no longer had the original humility and his thoughts had been partially solidified.
If you don’t believe it, he can guarantee that he will never appoint Li Guangbi.
…
In terms of time, it was the envoys sent by the imperial court who set off first, but Yan Zhuang, Cen Shen and others sent by Li Siye arrived later. They traveled by boat along the canal and rode fast horses day and night, and finally took the lead.
Arrive at Youzhou, the center of Fanyang.
When Shi Siming heard in his mansion that Li Siye had sent someone to visit him, and that the lobbyists were Yan Zhuang and Cen Shen, who had tricked him last time, he couldn't help laughing angrily: "He still dares to come! I want to cut him into pieces, and I'll lock him up."
In jail!"
Yu Wenkuan, his close adviser, advised from the side: "Since the two of them are here, why don't they ask why they are here. If it is not good for the king, it will not be too late to kill them."
Shi Siming thought carefully and made sense, so he waved his hand and called: "Tell them to come in."
After entering the door, Cen Shen and Yan Zhuang knelt down on one knee and crossed their hands as if meeting the prince: "Cen Shen, Yan Zhuang meets the Great Sage King Zhou."
Shi Siming was very proud and proud: "How did you learn to be so obedient this time? Is it possible that you are afraid that I will take your life?"
Chief Cen stood up and smiled and said: "I am not so much afraid as I am in awe, but to be honest, the reputation of the King of Zhou is only spread in the Central Plains and is not recognized by the court. This seems to be a self-pleasure."
"Really?" Shi Siming said intentionally: "If I want to submit to the imperial court at this moment, the emperor will definitely be overjoyed. Asking for a title of king is not a problem. If I want the entire Central Plains, the emperor will agree."
"Now that the Central Plains is no longer in the hands of the imperial court, of course the emperor will agree. But I think what the king needs most is Hedong. The three Jin Dynasties occupy the entire geographical area. If you go out of Yunzhong to the east, you can get Youyan. If you go south to Puzhou and cross the river, you can get Guanzhong. If you get the Central Plains of Hedong
Only then can we have stability. If the King of Zhou wants to surrender to the imperial court, I suggest you ask for Hedong from the imperial court. Otherwise, it is just empty-headed joy. Once the imperial court regains its strength, it will still kick you away as a traitor."
Shi Siming looked stern and asked coldly: "Li Siye sent you here for peace talks, what can he give me?"