Chapter 6 Chapter 5 Shouting in the Drizzle——Yuanhe ZTE

The cold rain, pattering, fell from late autumn to early winter.The entire Daming Palace was soaked in white mist.The poet tells us, "The cold rain is not to be heard".But what I want to tell you about the late Tang Dynasty starts from a carved window in the rain. In front of the window, a five or six-year-old child, with his small hands on his cheeks, silently listened to the rain falling on the mandarin duck tiles in front of the steps.One sound, two sounds, thousands of sounds... The deep palace years seem to have just begun.Little Li Chun (Tang Xianzong) certainly didn't know that at that time, Chang'an's royal spirit and Hebei's heroic spirit were meeting in the sky of history.When cold and warm meet, clouds cause rain.In the cloudy sky, the icy frontal rain drifted down, bringing the endless rainy season in the late Tang Dynasty, from Li He's Chongyi to Han Yu's Tianjie, to Li She's rivers and lakes, all the way down to Li Shangyin's West Window.

Yugou Luomu separated the raging "Four Kings and Two Emperors Rebellion" tens of thousands of miles away-our children still don't know anything about the country outside the rain curtain. Suddenly, a burst of chaotic footsteps broke the tranquility of the deep palace.Xiao Li Chun turned his head in surprise, and saw several eunuchs rushing in panting: something is wrong, Jingyuan soldiers have entered the palace from Danfeng Gate!Take Your Highness away quickly.Before he understood what happened, he had already been memorized.A group of people ran northward in a panic.Behind them, the rioting Jingyuan soldiers were sweeping across the gloomy Daming Palace under the wind and rain.More than a hundred eunuchs surrounded grandfather Tang Dezong (played by Li Shi) in a panic.Shu Wang and Li Yi led the way.Li Chun's father, Prince Li Song (Tang Shunzong), held a long sword and stood in the rear at the end of the fleeing crowd.On the bumpy back, the child saw the killing, robbery, hustle and bustle, betrayal in the whirling wind and rain... A crazy and divided world emerged completely from behind the layers of curtains and reflected in the child's dark eyes.

When the exiled people fled to Xianyang, the night fell.The nightmarish darkness reminds me of that sentence: "There is nothing more frightening than a lonely and helpless cry, in the empty night in the rain".Eyelids are getting heavy.At some point, Li Chun had fallen asleep on the eunuch's shoulder. At that moment, Tang Dezong couldn't sleep.In the long night of tossing and turning, he savored the feeling of loneliness alone: ​​Hebei rebelled; Pinglu, Huaixi and Hebei echoed each other; The army had abandoned him—the family had never been so alone in two hundred years.Even if Tongguan fell, when Tang Xuanzong (Li Longji) was in exile, Xianyang Road was crowded with fathers and elders who came after hearing the news, holding rice with mixed wheat beans in their hands, and vying to offer it.

Today, the emperor escaped from Chang'an in embarrassment under the eyes of the people that were colder than Dongyu. For the sake of temporary peace, Tang Dezong endured the humiliation, and issued a "Criminal Edict" to bear all the mistakes.Since then, some say, he "has never really recovered from his initial defeat".Many years have passed, and Li Chun still remembers the hunchbacked figure of his grandfather facing the deep twilight, which always makes him feel secretly in his heart that "it is unbearable to be in the deep palace, and the twilight is beyond the curtain".

I still remember one time, my grandfather picked up Li Chun, put him on his lap, and asked jokingly: whose son are you, sitting in my arms? In the deep glazed hall, a clear and lingering child's voice sounded: I am the third emperor! In an instant, a bud of joy sprouted from the withered heart, and it bloomed on the frowning face: I am the emperor, and my son is the second emperor. Isn't this urchin in front of me the third emperor of the dynasty?A child who is still childish has already realized so strongly that he is the master of the world.Tang Dezong looked at the child in his arms thoughtfully: Will this childish child on his knee be the next legend of the family?

His father (Tang Daizong Li Yu), grandfather (Tang Suzong Li Heng) and great-grandfather (Tang Xuanzong Li Longji) left him to clean up a broken country.But the repeated failures have killed Tang Dezong's ambition and time.In his dying years, he is like a mirror in his heart, and he won't have too much time left for himself. In a blink of an eye, another year has passed. The Daming Palace perched high on the Longshou Plain is so cold and gloomy in the cold winter, and it doesn't feel the spring of Yuanri.The white-haired Tang Dezong raised his eyes dully, and numbly looked at the clan kings who entered the palace to celebrate the new year for him.When he moved his gaze over the long queue, he found that the seat belonging to the prince was empty.

At this time, the old man seemed to remember that Prince Li Song had suffered a stroke last September and had been bedridden for a long time, and he hadn't come to see him for a long time.Unknowingly, two lines of turbid tears fell down... A few days later, news came out from the palace: Under the huge stimulus, Tang Dezong couldn't afford to fall ill.The emperor is sick, and the prince is also sick.Chang'an seemed to be terminally ill.After more than 20 days, the old emperor who had been in power for more than 20 years died.Daming Palace ushered in a treacherous moment. Suddenly, the eunuchs summoned Hanlin scholars Zheng Yu and Wei Cigong to the Jinluan Hall to draft the will.Suddenly someone among them threw out a shocking sentence: It has not yet been determined who will be the emperor.

Wei Cigong immediately said tit-for-tat: The prince succeeds to the throne, even if he can't afford to be sick, he should establish the prince's eldest son, Li Chun, the king of Guangling. The eunuchs couldn't think of any reason to object to Wei Cigong's statement for a while.But no one knows whether the prince is still alive at this time.While waiting anxiously, Prince Li Song, who had suffered a stroke and was bedridden for a long time, finally appeared in front of the world with his purple clothes and hemp shoes, leaning on crutches, through the Nine Immortals Gate shrouded in clouds and mist.Shaking hearts gradually calmed down.A few days later, Li Song, who was seriously ill with wind disease, ascended the throne with the reign name Yongzhen.

However, Li Song, who suffered from apoplexy, could only lie forever behind a low curtain.He asked Niu Zhaorong and eunuch Li Zhongyan to hand over the political affairs to the Hanlin Academy.Hanlin scholars Wang Shuwen and Wang Yu will make decisions on military and state affairs on his behalf.Beside them, there are Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi, Cheng Yi and others.Later, people called them "two kings and eight Sima".In this way, the lingering sick emperor brought a group of little people to the court, setting off a so-called "Yongzhen Reform" political change. In the early Tang Dynasty, the three central provinces were separated: Zhongshu Province drafted an edict according to the holy will, sent it to the next province for review, and finally paid it to Shangshu Province for execution.Over the past 100 years, this model of power checks and balances has become empty name.The chief official of the Shangshu Province, Shangshuling, has been vacant for a long time, and the deputy servant She and the six ministers have also gradually become empty titles, and the status of the Shangshu Province has gradually declined.In order to simplify the procedure, the two steps of the draft edict of Zhongshu Province and the review of Menxia Province are often combined into one, and the heads of the two provinces are combined into Zhongshu Menxia Zhengshitang.In this way, the outer dynasty model evolved into the Zhengshitang under the Zhili Zhongshu Gate of the Six Departments of Shangshu Province.Seeing that the spirit of "separation of powers and checks and balances" of the system of three provinces and six ministries was in danger of being lost, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang transformed the Academy of Imperial Academy, which supported literati, into a new institution of draft edicts, replacing the original Zhongshu Province; Shangshu Province, to achieve new checks and balances.As for the power of review, part of it fell into the hands of the privy envoys who acted as eunuchs.

In this way, the status of Hanlin scholars who please the emperor with poetry and prose is highlighted.Hanlin Bachelor is not an official position, but just a temporary errand.From the low-ranking school secretary to the high-ranking six ministers, they can all serve as Hanlin bachelors.However, they are regarded as "private individuals of the emperor", keeping a certain distance from the prime minister's political affairs hall, and their status is noble and detached.After the Jingshi Incident, Tang Dezong fled to Fengtian and left his ministers in Chang'an.Lu Zhi, a Hanlin scholar next to the emperor, became the de facto prime minister.His outstanding performance earned Hanlin scholars the title of "Neixiang".Hanlin scholars often accompany the emperor, freely instilling their views into the emperor, and can use the choice of words and tone of voice when drafting edicts to fine-tune the main purpose and subtly influence the political situation.

Now, Wang Shuwen plays the role of Lu Zhi.He decides political affairs by himself, and even Prime Minister Wei Zhiyi dares to obey orders.In the days of spring breeze, Wang Shuwen and his friends talked about wine, pointed out the country, and compared themselves with Yi Yin, Zhou Gong, Guan Zhong, and Zhuge Liang. But the scholar-officials and eunuchs cast cold gazes.This made Wang Shuwen uneasy.Apart from Li Song's trust, Er Wang Ba Sima has nothing.They lack enough contacts in Chang'an, and their temperament is so extreme.Their eternal innovation is destined to be short-lived.After seeing this clearly, the opponents of Yongzhen's innovation gathered around Ju Wenzhen, the eunuch leader, and began to plan a conspiracy to draw salary from the bottom.They want to replace Li Song with a more suitable candidate, so that Er Wang Ba Sima will become a rootless weed and catkins in the wind. The scholar-bureaucrats and eunuchs all thought of Li Chun, the eldest son of Li Song. Wang Shuwen doesn't like the heroic Li Chun.But he didn't have any excuse to stop it.With a swipe of his pen, Zheng Yu, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, wrote down the words "Establish a family to grow".The emperor on the sickbed couldn't speak, he could only nod his head.In this way, Li Chun was pushed to the forefront of history under the eyes of everyone. Compared with his incompetent grandfather and sickly father, Li Chunfeng grew up to be as godly as jade, giving people an impression of vitality.After the ceremony for appointing the crown prince was over, the ministers who left the Xuanzheng Hall were beaming and congratulated each other.Only Wang Shuwen looked worried.He had a premonition that his so-called "Yongzhen Revolution" would be wiped out in Li Chun's hands.When Wang Shuwen put his hands behind his back and recited Du Fu's poem "Death before leaving the teacher will make the hero burst into tears", he heard contemptuous laughter in his ears. Lu Zhi, Wang Shuwen's henchman, was the prince's attendant.Taking advantage of the opportunity of lecturing, he tried to test Li Chun by insinuating.Unexpectedly, a cold sentence hit her face: "Your Majesty ordered Mr. to explain the scriptures to the widow, why preempt other things!" Looking at the back of Lu Zhi leaving in embarrassment, a contemptuous smile appeared on the corner of Li Chun's mouth. In autumn, a Zen edict promulgated in the name of Li Song was suddenly announced.Li Chun replaced his father.This coup was called "Yongzhen Neizen" in history.Another chariot was used to forcibly carry Li Song, who was dying, from Daming Palace into Xingqing Palace.Just like Tang Xuanzong did back then.The specious scene in the familiar scene, we have the illusion of confusion in the overlapping and interlacing of history. Xingqing Palace will be the last resting place of the Supreme Emperor.Aphasic patients can only accept all this silently. The sunshine on the first day of the first lunar month of the first year of the Yuanhe year illuminated the colorful gardens and emerald greens of the Daming Palace, and also illuminated the myriad scenes of the New Year's Day court meeting. Time flies, the third son on the grandfather's lap will now accept the first New Year's greetings from civil and military officials as the first son.His Majesty Yujiedan, a dark figure of dancing worship.In front of the vigorous Li Chun, there seemed to be a magnificent scene of "the sun and the moon are as beautiful as the sky, and the rivers and rivers are as beautiful as the earth". In the middle of the night when many copper pots leaked, Li Chun lit the silver candles, opened the memoirs of the emperors of all ages, and looked for the past time of Fengri Qingyan and Lu Yan Mingjing in the pages of Zhenguan and Kaiyuan stories... The sound of rain at night seemed to be far away from him.Before I knew it, the night rain seemed to have stopped.A ray of dawn quietly appeared in the sky.The singing of dawn rang out in Daming Palace one after another.There are no chickens in the palace, and every morning there are special people imitating the golden rooster to announce the dawn.Amidst the high pitched and clear cries of the rooster man, spring comes early again.Our protagonist looks for scenes of prosperity in Tang Taizong (Li Shimin) and Tang Xuanzong's memoirs because he has long been tired of the lingering winter of "full sky, cold rain and falling rain". At this time, news came from Jiannan: Liu Pi besieged Dongchuan Jiedu envoy Li Kang in Zizhou! Liu Pi?It's Liu Pi again!Regrets, old and new, came to my heart all at once.The boiling plasma was about to spurt out from the mouth, nostrils, and even the eyes, and Li Chun's fist smashed on the imperial case bitterly.He clearly remembered that last year, Liu Pi sneaked into Chang'an and moved up and down, trying to make Xichuan Jiedu envoy Wei Gao concurrently lead Dongchuan and Shannan Xidao's Jiedu envoys. At that time, the two kings and eight Sima were bossing around and pointing the country in the court hall.If they say that a certain person can be a certain official, it will only take a day or two, and it will definitely come true.This made Wang Shuwen's court like a market day and night, and those who wanted something were like crucian carp crossing the river.In order to see Wang Shuwen, countless people have to pay 1,000 yuan to stay in the bakery and wine shop in the lodging workshop.Liu Pi also got involved in it.After seeing Wang Shuwen, this arrogant scholar said sarcastically: Taiwei (Wei Gao) let me tell you, if Wei is allowed to control Sanchuan (Xichuan, Dongchuan and Shannan West Road, collectively known as "Sanchuan"), then Wei will help with death; if not... Liu Pi paused, and said threateningly: We will repay in other ways. Wang Shuwen has always had his eyes high above his head and no one in his eyes, so he was furious when he heard this kind of blatant blackmail.Seeing that the situation was not good, Liu Pi ran away first when he heard the wind, and fled back to Xichuan in a panic. Soon, Wei Gao died.Chang'an received a document from the generals of Xichuan: they want to support Liu Pi to take over as Jiedu envoy.Li Chun, who had just ascended the throne, didn't care.In his impression, Liu Pi is just an idiot scholar, who is not qualified to succeed Wei Gao who has been in Xichuan for 21 years.Therefore, he hastily appointed Prime Minister Yuan Zi as Jiedu envoy, and at the same time recruited Liu Pi to return to Chang'an.Unexpectedly, the will of the new emperor became a piece of waste paper in Liu Pi's hands.Yuan Zi, who was going south, was blocked by him outside the pass, neither entering nor retreating. At this time, Li Chun suddenly received a secret report from Longxi that a mountain man named Luo Lingze sneaked out of Chang'an and appeared mysteriously in Qinzhou.It is said that this Luo Ling claimed to have the edict of the Supreme Emperor, calling on the soldiers of Longxi to launch a mutiny on the day of Li Chun's grandfather's burial, to depose Li Chun and welcome his father back to the throne.For a while, Chang'an was in a state of treachery.In such a jittery atmosphere, Li Chun had no choice but to swallow his anger, and changed Liu Pi to be the governor of Xichuan.But the greedy Liu Bi was so eager to look at Shu, he sent another memorial, asking the court for Dongchuan and Shannan West Road.Li Chun couldn't bear it anymore and refused.Before the first month passed, Liu Pi brazenly sent troops to Dongchuan. There are no more embroidered tents and purple curtains to shield the children who listened to the rain from the overwhelming cold. But Li Chun didn't want to bear it any longer. A few days later, Li Chun suddenly announced that from the 16th of that month onwards, he would not be in charge of politics for the time being, and would go to Xingqing Palace to serve his seriously ill father.On the eighteenth day of the first lunar month, an edict told the world: "The old illness of the Supreme Emperor is reconciled."In my impression, there has never been an edict to announce the illness.This unusual approach seems to be paving the way for an elaborate death.Some people say that the Supreme Emperor is long gone.The edict to report his illness yesterday was originally to cover up the truth of his death. Who knows?The clouds in the palace are heavy and the smoke is deep, hiding many hidden secrets that outsiders cannot know.Later, a notebook novel "Xin Ping Shangxian" was widely circulated.The protagonist, Xin Fair, was lucky enough to set foot in Chang'an Palace by chance.In a strange late night, he witnessed how the emperor ascended to heaven after a mysterious military solution and became a god.Many years later, some people still deduce the truth from the scales and claws revealed by this fantasy text, and speculate how a transitional emperor died in the Xianning Hall of Xingqing Palace without any trace.It was as quiet and ordinary as after dying of a long illness. It was a night that people will never forget.Xianning Palace was as quiet as water.On the half-worn golden dragon brass candlestick, the arm-thick oil candle suddenly exploded two or three times, and the flowers flickered.Waves of light and shadow rippled endlessly on the plain white walls.As the lights flickered, the silence returned.Li Song's sick body seemed unable to withstand any moisture or chill in the wind.Therefore, the curtain that fell quietly blocked the wind and the light.In the hall of Zhonghe, there is only the remaining night, the night with dissolving power.From the darkness, I sensed an indescribable commotion—behind the heavy curtain, there seemed to be countless spiritual creatures playing, peeping, vibrating, and whispering.When the hustle and bustle gradually subsided until it was gone, Li Song on the sickbed suddenly realized that he had entered a strange space—without borders or signs.The only thing that can be done is to listen to the footsteps of Lulu approaching from a distance.He tried in vain to see the terror looming upon him in the unfathomable darkness.The ferocious face continued to approach, oppressing him all the time, suffocating him, making him truly feel that he had to accept an ending he had never imagined before dying.Li Song howled with the last of his strength, his voice as thin as a gossamer lingered and dissipated in the deep palace... At this time, he remembered that he had been speechless for a long time. There was no sound, only the night bell of the divine drum in Xingqing Palace suddenly rang. The death of his father relieved Li Chun of his worries in Chang'an.No one can use the Supreme Emperor to threaten him anymore. However, "the difficulty of the road to Shu is more difficult than going to the blue sky." The princes of the Manchu Dynasty still had many concerns about the use of troops in Xichuan.In the memory of the minister, the past is like yesterday.The lessons learned from Tang Dezong's crusade against the vassals and towns, which triggered the "two emperors and four kings" rebellion, made them fearful.Could it be that Li Chun also wants to hide in Chang'an's glazed deep palace like his grandfather, and turn a blind eye to the blatant provocations of the feudal town? Among the compromise arguments in the court, only Prime Minister Du Huangshang stepped forward and said loudly: "To get rid of crazy and stupid scholars is like picking up mustard ears!" The drums are heard at night, and the flags move at dawn.Under the leadership of General Gao Chongwen, the Shence Army took the 100-step and 10-fold ladder stone stack, and went south to Bashu... At this time, a yin and yang family was telling Liu Pi that the Five Blessings (Tianjin) came to Xishu and brought him A great blessing.Liu Pi firmly believed in the Yin Yang family's words.He sent people to build a Wufu Tower overnight to commemorate this grand event.When the legendary Five Blessings came, Gao Chongwen entered Chengdu.Seeing that the general situation was over, Liu Pi led dozens of horsemen to rush westward to Tubo.However, the iron cavalry sent by Gao Chongwen pursued them all the way, and finally caught up with them by the Yangtze River.In desperation, Liu Pi jumped into the river.Several pursuers immediately jumped into the water and captured Liu Pi alive in the surging white waves. When the Shence sergeant tied him to the prison van, the stupid scholar asked naively, "Why?" Almost at the same time, Yang Huilin of the Xia Sui Army declared on the table that the generals in the army forced him to take over as Jiedushi; at the same time, he refused to send the newly appointed Jiedushi outside the country.This is just a copy of the Liu Pi Rebellion.Without hesitation, Li Chun ordered the Hedong and Tiande armies to attack Yang Huilin together.The popular Xia Suijun quickly sent Yang Huilin's head to Chang'an. The rebellious Jiedu envoys suddenly realized that the days when they could say "no" to Chang'an might be coming to an end.You can see that "the heaven and the earth welcome the wind and rain", Li Chun is standing proudly on the jade wall of the Daming Palace, waiting for them to return to Chang'an for an audience. According to the old practice, every few years, Jiedu envoys would return to Chang'an to report local customs and political affairs to the emperor and prime minister.As arrogant as An Lushan, he has also been to the pilgrimage many times, and he was questioned by Prime Minister Li Linfu in cold sweat in the cold winter.But in recent decades, the self-respecting Jiedu envoys worried that the imperial court would take the opportunity to keep them in Chang'an, or send them to unfamiliar towns.Over the years, these powerful feudal commanders refused to return to Chang'an to meet the emperor for various reasons. "The world of mortals blocks Chang'an Mo, and the king of fragrant grass and sun Mu do not return." The neglected Dijing spent a long and cold time. When it comes to the ethos of not entering the court, one cannot fail to mention Tian Chengsi.Among the heroes in Hebei, there is probably no one who can stand shoulder to shoulder with him. The story of Tian Chengsi starts from a cold winter with heavy snow many years ago.At that time, An Lushan was still the most prestigious general in the Tang Dynasty.He braved the rain and snow to inspect the armies and came to Tian Chengsi's camp.What surprised An Lushan was that the huge camp was silent, as if there was no one there.But when he came to the big tent of the Chinese army, he took out the list in his hand and started counting soldiers, but was surprised to find that there were quite a few soldiers in the battalion.The quietness of the camp is the most important thing in the march.Seeing Tian Chengsi governing the army so strictly, An Lushan had to look at him with admiration. When An Lushan started a rebellion, Tian Chengsi acted as his vanguard, entered Luoyang, broke through Nanyang, and entered Xiangyang, sweeping up and down the river non-stop.After An Lushan was murdered, Tian Chengsi surrendered to Chang'an in frustration.But as soon as he heard that Shi Siming was making a comeback, he set up the banner of rebellion again, hung up the striker, and went to Luoyang and Suiyang again. He was still the most powerful fighter in the rebel army.When Shi Siming also died at the hands of his son, the scheming Tian Chengsi finally understood that the general situation was over.In the face of Wang Shi who is approaching step by step, Shi Chaoyi, who is sitting in a sad city, is helpless.Encouraged by Tian Chengsi's eloquent tongue, he decided to break out of the siege and go northward, returning to Youzhou, Anshi's hometown.Before leaving, Shi Chaoyi tightly held Tian Chengsi's hand, entrusting him with life and death.Just after he set foot on the road of escape in desolation and panic, Tian Chengsi, who was crying and impassioned just now, set up a banner at the top of Mozhou city. The traitor transformed himself and became the envoy of Weibo Jiedu in the Tang Dynasty. He occupied the six prefectures of Weibo in Hebei Province. "Wei Bo Yajun.But all of this still couldn't satisfy his desire.As soon as Xue Song, the governor of the adjacent Zhaoyi Festival, died, Tian Chengsi suddenly captured Zhaoyi's prime minister and the four prefectures of Wei.The unbearable Tang Daizong finally issued an edict to crusade against Wei Bo. When the conquering army was like a dark cloud, Tian Chengsi, who was like a wolf like a jackal, showed the cunning of a fox.He pretended to show Chang'an, claiming that he was willing to return to the imperial court and give up the hegemony he had worked so hard in Hebei for many years.Just as the emperor was hesitating, Tian Chengsi had secretly started to disintegrate the army besieging him... After nearly a year of conquest, Chang'an was exhausted.Seeing that the time had come, Tian Chengsi went to the court twice to ask for apology.Seeing that his master had done nothing, the Tang Emperor had no choice but to issue an edict to pardon Tian Chengsi.When the conquering army receded like a tide.Tian Chengsi seemed to have forgotten the matter of entering the court and never mentioned it again.Only a few months later, he extended his greedy hands to Bianzhou and Songzhou again.When Chang'an, who came back to his senses, was angry, Tian Chengsi repeated his old tricks, and once again sent a letter of apology.Tang Daizong, who had been fooled many times, had no choice but to swallow this breath resentfully, and issued an edict in a serious manner, dispensing permission for Tian Chengsi not to go to the pilgrimage to see him. The poet Lang Shiyuan once commented on the three famous generals at that time jokingly: Guo Ziyi didn't know how to appreciate the guqin; Ma Lin didn't know how to drink tea;Jiedu envoys may not understand qin and tea.But the cunning Tian Chengsi played with Emperor Chang'an in the palm of his hand, and they all saw it.Like Tian Chengsi, they fell in love with the feeling of not returning to Chang'an. The news that the rebellions in Xia and Shu were wiped out has spread all over the north and south of the river, and also spread to the south of the Yangtze River.The Zhenhai Festival made Li Qi feel confused, and he didn't know what to do for a while.In the past twenty years, his official career has been tossed in the fat West of Zhejiang.A few years ago, Li Qi also served as a well-known fat vacancies as a salt and iron envoy.The countless money he had amassed gave him some ambition.But the misty rain in the south of the Yangtze River weakened Li Qi's courage and blunted his judgment.After hesitating again and again, Li Qi imitated Tian Chengsi, put on a show, went to Chang'an, and asked to come to the pilgrimage to see him.As soon as the form was issued, Li Chun immediately recruited Li Qi to return to Beijing to serve as Zuo Servant. Pu She is the deputy of Shangshu Province.Before Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty ascended the throne, he served as Minister of the Book.Thereafter, this position is always vacant.Pu She became the highest official of Shangshu Province.In the early Tang Dynasty, Pu She held the same power as Zhong Shu Ling and Shi Zhong, and Zuo Pu She was the prime minister.The famous Fang Xuanling served as Zuo Pushe for 20 years.However, time flies.Pushe and Shizhong have gradually evolved into empty titles with no power or power.According to legend, Wang Zhixing, Xuzhou's Jiedu envoy, took the title of servant and returned to Beijing after leaving town.Some of his relatives begged him to recommend himself to the Ministry of Officials.Unable to refuse again and again, Wang Zhixing had no choice but to write a letter and hand it to the Minister of the Ministry of Officials.A few days later, things actually took shape.Wang Zhixing also laughed at himself and said: I don't know that being a servant is also useful. At the thought of saying goodbye to the charming Jiangnan, Li Qi felt a faint pain in his heart.On the pretext of being sick, he postponed his trip again and again, trying to let the matter of entering the pilgrimage be settled.But Chang'an suddenly announced the edict to recruit him into the court.There is no room for maneuver anymore.Li Chun's tough attitude made Li Qi startled, and felt that Chang'an's actions were more than auspicious.In October of the second year of Yuanhe, Li Qi suddenly sent 3,000 people to attack Xuanzhou, wanting to give it a go.But the soldiers all know that under Chang'an's arrangements, the encirclement of western Zhejiang has already taken shape.No one wants to be buried for an indecisive Jiedushi.Three thousand powerful soldiers raised fire and clamored, and killed Jiedushi Yamen. A curtain wrapped Li Qi into a ball, lowered him down the city wall, and sent him back to Chang'an, where he had never wanted to go back. After Li Qi and his son were cut in half in Chang'an's Duliu, Yu Di, the governor of Shannan Dongdao, also panicked.Speaking of his misdeeds, almost no one knows, no one knows.Yu Di once openly hijacked people who were exiled by the court; he also surrounded official houses with soldiers and forced marriages; That means, a notorious Jiedu envoy like Yu Di of Xiangyang.When Yu Di proposed to the royal family for his son, Li Chun immediately hinted that he would go to the court to thank him.After hearing this message, the domineering Jiedu envoy hurriedly set off, bowed his head on his shoulders, and rushed back to Chang'an. A completely different era has arrived. Huainan and Jingnan Jiedu envoys have embarked on the long journey back to Chang'an.Zhang Maozhao, the envoy of the Yiwu Festival, also began to pack his bags.This is like thunder in Hebei.Unlike Shu, Xia, and Wu, the towns in Hebei with their rebellious traditions never succumbed to the pressure of Chang'an.Envoys from neighboring Hebei feudal towns came one after another, persuading Zhang Maozhao not to show weakness to Chang'an.But Zhang Maozhao's intention to go has been determined-in just a few months, Chang'an has replaced dozens of feudal governors in a dizzying manner.Just as Bai Juyi said in his appearance, for a time, the Jiedu envoys "running on the road, afraid of being too busy to take orders." "The horse treads on the sand and sings to startle the geese", and brought back the Jiedu envoys who had not returned for many years.Chang'an's colorful buildings and green locust trees in Chang'an are gradually approaching and approaching in the sound of trampling hooves... Jiedu envoys who have not seen the emperor's hometown for many years were surprised to find that among the frosty leaves and autumn clouds, the Liupi Village after the storm There is a hint of spring in the city. Only the powerful Lulong, Chengde and Wei Bo in the three towns of Hebei remained the same, watching the changes in Chang'an with cold eyes. Deep in the clouds and smoke of the Daming Palace, the Emperor Chang'an was also waiting for an opportunity to wrestle with Hebei again.In the fourth year of Yuanhe, an opportunity appeared in Chengde. Zhang Zhongzhi, the first Jiedu envoy of the Chengde Army, was a Xiren adopted by a Han general.Zhang Zhongzhi was in the court of Chang'an when Yuyang raised troops in Anlu Mountain.After hearing the news, he sneaked back to Hebei alone for thousands of miles.An Lushan happily adopted him as his adopted son.This fearless Xi Ren took eighteen brave cavalry, went hundreds of miles deep into the east of the river, broke into Taiyuan with a high city and deep pools, and robbed Yin Yang Guanghui of Taiyuan in full view.More than ten thousand pursuers clamored behind him, chasing him relentlessly.But they were frightened by this Xiren's bravery, no one dared to approach half a step, and watched Zhang Zhongzhi and his eighteen riders go away, leaving them a heroic legend. Like Tian Chengsi, Zhang Zhongzhi rebelled and surrendered, surrendered and rebelled during the Anshi Rebellion, capricious.After Shi Siming died, he chose to surrender again.Tang Daizong gave him a new name. Zhang Zhongzhi, a reckless hero who came and went like the wind among thousands of troops, became Li Baochen, the military governor of the Chengde Army, and the aggressive heroism of the year began to gradually fade away.Every day he curled up in a separate room filled with silver plates, golden pots, red books and vermilion grass, and on the altar, slowly decaying.The days of the has-been hero are numbered.Li Baochen drank the nectar offered by the magician, hoping to pray for longevity.Three days later, he swallowed his last breath with difficulty after being dumbfounded by the wine. Before he died, Li Baochen wanted to leave Chengde Jiedu envoy to his son Li Weiyue, but Tang Dezong refused.The war between Chang'an and Hebei resumed.Li Weiyue, who was born in Jiedu Yamen, only knows how to favor and trust Wang Tanu in the mansion.For a time, there were complaints in the army.When the general Wang Wujun entered Hengzhou, Li Weiyue cried and cried, and let a lieutenant drag him out of the inner hall, and hang him to death outside the gate with a three-foot white drill. Wang Wujun who killed Li Weiyue was from the Khitan Nudu tribe.During the Kaiyuan period, his father's generation moved from the vast grassland to Jizhou City in Hebei.The 15-year-old Wang Wujun is as famous as the general Zhang Xiaozhong for his riding and archery skills.When he was over sixty years old, he could still shoot a bow and arrow, and he could shoot ninety-five chickens and rabbits in one day.The onlookers were all shocked.Wang Wujun's son, Wang Shizhen, once followed his father in the southern and northern wars.After his father passed away, he took over Jingjie logically.Now, Wang Shizhen is also dead.His son Wang Chengzong wanted to follow the custom of succession from father to son. This time, Li Chun was unwilling to admit the Hebei story: Chengde Jiedu envoy Wang Shizhen died of illness, Lulong's Liu Ji and Weibo's Tian Ji'an were also old and sick, and the days are numbered—this may be Chang'an once again let The best time for Hebei to surrender.However, there was a voice in Li Chun's ear, constantly reminding him: To the north of the great river, tigers occupy dragons and pans. Xichuan's Liu Pi is a crazy scholar, Xia Sui's Yang Huilin is a border town rogue, and Li Qi is just a mediocre person in Jiangnan.In front of Chang'an's dragon halberd and tiger banners, they were alone and weak.But the heroes of Hebei are full of confidence.From Tian Chengsi to Tian Ji'an, Wei Bo, the leader of the three generations of the Tian family.Counting from Wang Wujun to Cheng Dejun, Wang Chengzong is also the third generation; in Lulong, Liu Ji also took over the position of Jiedushi from his father-for half a century, the real rulers of Hebei were several families that married each other .They shared weal and woe, aided each other, and fought against Chang'an.Not to mention that behind them, there are entangled tooth soldiers and bearded beards. When the myth of the dragon and the tiger is far away from the royal family of Li Tang, do they still have the power to subdue the tiger and subdue the dragon in Hebei? Another news came from Huaixi, far away from Hebei: Jiedu made Wu Shaocheng very ill.Li Jiang, a Hanlin scholar, told Li Chun that this is an opportunity that can be grasped. Huaihe River is close to Luoyang, the capital city in the east, and Bianzhou, an important town along the canal, in the northwest, across the Huaihe River in the southeast, and Hanshui River in the southwest from Xiangzhou.The arrogant soldiers here have always been a confidant of Chang'an. The Huaixi separatist regime can be traced back to Li Zhongchen.His real name is Dong Qin, and he was also born in Biancheng, Hebei.Relying on the martial arts of the three armies, the young Dong Qin stood out from the tents of Zhang Shougui and An Lushan.After the chaos in Anshi, Dong Qin did not follow and support Anlu Mountain.The feat of attacking Yuyang, the home of the rebels, made him the most terrifying opponent in the eyes of the rebels.A few years later, he was besieged in Bianzhou and had to surrender to Shi Siming.This is only temporary.The hero Dong Qin quickly broke through the camp and returned to the banner of Datang.Emperor Chang'an happily gave him a new name: Li Zhongchen. Li Zhongchen, the envoy of Huaixi Jiedu, appeared in all subsequent anti-insurgency wars.He was invincible, and for a while, the scenery was unparalleled.However, Ruanrou Township has become Li Zhongchen's hero grave.In the night full of temptation, he sneaked into the bed curtains of his subordinates again and again, indulging in the beautiful bodies of other people's wives and daughters.Li Zhongchen, who was bloody and out of breath, didn't see it, and stared at pairs of blood-red eyes in the darkness.Until one day, his nephew Li Xilie drove him out of Caizhou—the obscene and lustful physical games started Li Zhongchen's depraved journey. Chang'an took in the homeless Li Zhongchen.But he didn't like Chang'an.In Zige Danlou, there is no Jianghu feeling and grassy atmosphere that he is familiar with.Li Zhongchen can only live in Jinfen Jinghua. The change of Jingshi overturned Chang'an's comfortable life overnight.After Tang Dezong fled Fengtian, Zhu Xi from Hebei was surrounded by Daming Palace.The gloomy Li Zhongchen was both surprised and happy, and his eyes widened: The situation is rising again, is the chaotic world of heroes coming again?This time, Li Zhongchen never looked back—the name given to him by the emperor became the biggest irony in his life. Li Xiyeol, Li Zhongchen's nephew, had a similar life trajectory as Li Zhongchen.When he led Huaixi's elite soldiers into Suizhou, the people in the city "had tax quail clothes and enjoyed themselves, pots of milk and cranes greeted him" to welcome this hero who ended the 19-year separatist rule of Jing and Xiang.At that time, who would have thought that the heroes of counter-insurgency would soon transform into new rebels.The envoys from Hebei rushed to Xiangyang with the letter of appellation, and respectfully bowed and danced to Li Xilie, who called himself Emperor Chu.Instigated by them, Li Xilie's troops came to Bianqu and fiercely strangled Chang'an's throat.Tang Dezong, who was fighting fiercely with Hebei, fell into the dilemma of fighting on two fronts. The imperial illusion was just a short-lived epiphyllum last night, and it will soon wither.Li Xilie was poisoned to death, and the Huaixi General Chen Xianqi who poisoned him died later in the hands of Wu Shaocheng. Wu Shaocheng was from Youzhou, and his father was the Marquis of Yu, the capital of Wei Bo Jiedushi.They are inextricably linked with the three towns in Hebei.When he was a teenager, Wu Shaocheng traveled to Jingnan and was left behind as the general of Yamen.When Li Xilie was loyal to Chang'an, Wu Shaocheng was his most powerful general.In the future, it will be him who will turn Huaixi into the most dangerous enemy in Chang'an. Twenty years passed with the flick of a finger, and Wu Shaocheng became old. Li Jiang told the emperor: The day Wu Shaocheng died was when Huaixi was taken back.Before that, don't break with Hebei. 听了李绛的一席话后，李纯勉强同意王承宗接任成德军节度使。不过，他还是不愿意放弃削弱这个藩镇的企图。长安酝酿了一个分而治之的计划：从成德管辖的六州中，分割德、棣二州，交王士真的女婿薛昌朝。剩下四个州归王承宗。 潜伏长安的耳目快马加鞭，以最快速度将消息传回河北。获悉此事后，魏博节度使田季安立刻派人赶到王承宗处。在他的挑拨下，本来已经打算交出两州的王承宗开始怀疑薛昌朝勾结长安，来钳制自己。当河北三镇紧锣密鼓地布置人马，破坏分割成德军的计划时，长安却一无所知。怀揣密旨的使者正慢悠悠地走在去往河北的路上。到了魏州后，一场盛大的酒筵在等待着他。云鬟绿，蜡烛红，长安来使在氤氲的酒香中沉沉醉去。旖旎时分，王承宗的数百铁骑正如风一般，杀进德州，绑架了毫不知情的薛昌朝。等长安使者酒意褪尽，来到德州城时，却再觅不到薛昌朝的踪影…… 心高气傲的李纯拍案而起，命宦官吐突承璀率领神策军兵发成德，讨伐王承宗。一直躲在幕后煽风点火的田季安也气势汹汹地站到了台前，对帐下的诸将说道：二十五年来，长安的王师从没有越过黄河，杀进河北；今天，成德一旦被长安征服，魏博将唇亡齿寒。How to do it? 被煽动起来的河北诸将高声喊到：“愿借骑五千，以除君忧！” 听了这话，田季安兴奋地振臂高呼：“壮哉！兵决出，格沮者斩！” 当“山河重起旧烟尘”时，战局却象是二十年多前的往事重演。大半年中，吐突承璀帐下的将领屡战屡败，士气低迷得一如那年深秋的湿雨寒烟。就在李纯一筹莫展的时候，驿马从淮西为他带来另外一个让人沮丧的消息：吴少诚死了。接到家奴暗中通风报信后，吴少诚的结义兄弟吴少阳神不知、鬼不觉地潜回蔡州，夺取了权力。 在蹲兽吐出的缕缕碧穗中，沮丧的天子陷入了长时间的反思：河北用兵，长安已无力在淮西再掀波澜。一个绝好的机会就这样与他擦肩而过。年轻的天子为自己的年轻付出了代价。战事胶着之际，王承宗派人到长安上表请罪。借着这个台阶，李纯悻悻然下旨洗雪王承宗的罪名，把德、棣二州也还给了他。历时九个月的大征伐征调诸道兵马二十余万，耗军费七百余万缗。干戈之后，尘埃落定。李纯什么也没有得到。 在众人眼中，此时的李纯，仿佛就是祖父的翻版。他们不晓得，年轻的天子蛰伏在大明宫的重重绣帐后面，细心倾听窗外的阑风长雨。他相信，机会还会有的。 李纯没有等太长时间：魏博节度使田季安疯了。 疯癫的田季安变成了一个嗜血的妖魔，对身边的人亮出了雪白的牙齿。杀戮、不断的杀戮。死亡每天都在魏州发生，而他自己也在癫狂状态中一步步走向死亡。一时之间，阴森恐怖的末日气氛笼罩着魏博六州。万不得已之下，田季安的夫人元氏秘密地召集魏博诸将，把癫狂的田季安强行迁出了节度使牙门。十一岁的田怀谏被推上了副大使之位。幼稚的孩子、无知的妇人，就象当年成德的李惟岳一样，把繁琐的军政事务都托付给了身边的家僮。 魏博牙兵的骄横跋扈天下闻名，以致当时流传着一句谚语：“长安天子，魏博牙军”，就是说魏博牙军目空一切，惟我独尊，几乎可以和长安天子相匹。成德的骄兵悍将不愿受几个家僮的摆布，魏博牙军就更不肯俯首听命了。哗变的牙兵呼啸而来，把牙内兵马使田兴拥进了节度厅。 数日后，李纯意外地收到了魏州飞马献来的六州地图。刚刚接掌魏博的田兴用这个举动宣布：魏博归顺长安。兴奋的李纯立即同意田兴为节度使，赐名田弘正。大臣裴度带着一百五十万缗前往河北，犒赏牙军，还免除了魏博六州赋税徭役一年，大赦囚犯。感激涕零的魏博人奔走相告，高声欢呼：“归天子乃如是耶！” 魏博回归，改变了长安的被动。李纯可以又一次踌躇满志地面对遍地枭雄。 这时候，淮西在五年内第二次传来了节度使死亡的消息。所谓“时来天地皆同力，运去英雄不自由”，曾被错过的机会又一次摆在了李纯面前。 这几年来吴少阳阴聚了大批亡命之徒，还不时袭击毗邻的寿州，大肆掠夺茶山。他一直在为淮西与长安的最后决战作准备。吴少阳之子吴元济偷偷地隐匿父亲病故的消息，掩耳盗铃地上奏朝廷，称父亲卧病，命自己代领军务。早已获悉真相的李纯根本不理会吴元济自说自话的把戏，派出专使奔赴蔡州吊祭。恼羞成怒的吴元济立刻发兵，四处屠城掠地，烧杀劫掠，前锋进逼东畿洛阳。他以为自己张牙舞爪的姿态足以吓倒李纯。But he was wrong. 四方倾动烟尘起，汴渠两岸战旗如云。长安天子要将割据一方的枭雄们再一次拖上血雨腥风的战场。 马蹄声在千万条奔赴淮西战场的大道上铮铮响起，象一场滂沱暴雨，横扫过苍茫大地。十六道大军将淮西重重围住。河北的田弘正也派儿子田布将兵三千，南下助战。淮西没有多少骏马。从吴少诚开始，他们就练兵乘骡，号称“骡子军”。骡军的铁甲上，绘制了很多雷公星文的图案，妄想借神鬼之力，挡住嘶风啸月的万千龙驹。驴马杂交的古怪牲畜扯着脖颈，歇斯底里地嗷嗷乱叫，可它们什么也挡不住。在那一刻，凝固成昭陵浮雕的六骏复活了。它们昂首扬蹄，迎风长嘶，宣告一个属于骏马的时代又将来到。 多少淮西士卒被铁骑狂奔形成的洪流席卷，湮没在血海中。副将赵昌时疯狂地挣扎着，想逃离这恐怖的阿修罗场。突然，眼前一黑，他翻身从骡背上重重地摔了下来。等到赵昌时悠悠醒转时，发现自己深埋在层层累累的断肢残骸中。战场一片沉寂，已经是四更天时分了。深秋季节，正是黎明前夜色最浓的时刻。朦胧间，赵昌时仿佛听见有人在点名，就象那些阳光和煦的清晨，吴元济检阅早操，依照惯例点数出操的士卒。似曾相识的声音叫某一个人，就听到这个人的应答声。赵昌时很专注，想听什么时候会点到自己。可点了一千多人，也没听见他的名字……赵昌时在剧痛中又一次昏厥过去。 不知什么时候，天光大亮了。在白晃晃的日光中，恢复了点气力的赵昌时摇摇晃晃地，从一片狼藉的死尸堆里站了起来。端详着张张熟悉的凝固脸孔，他感到一阵悲痛袭来：昨日还鲜活一具具身躯早已经停止了呼吸。突然，一个惊骇的念头在脑海中闪了一下：极目所见的死者，不正是黑夜里被点名的人！ 那深邃声音来自不可知的阴间，一个又一个地，点数着淮西人的名字……下一个，会是吴元济么？ 环顾四方，可以救他的人，一个是成德的王承宗；另一个也许是平卢节度使李师道。 高句丽李氏盘踞平卢已经有很多、很多年了。平卢是盛唐时九大藩镇之一，节度使由安禄山兼任。安史乱起后，长安命原副使吕知晦为新的节度使。可他屈膝拜倒在安禄山脚下。这时候，平卢军中一个名叫刘客奴的人砍下吕知晦的头颅，率平卢军奔袭叛军老巢范阳。但高句丽人王玄志却卑鄙地鸩杀了英雄刘客奴。 在叛军如潮的攻势下，平卢军狼狈地登上苇筏，渡海南下。李怀玉也跟着表哥侯希逸，辗转来到青州和郓州。 让年轻的李怀玉名扬天下的，是一场赛马会。那时候，平叛的唐军大营中，有几千回纥铁骑。他们是朝廷向可汗借来对抗安禄山、史思明的幽州突骑的。这些回纥人倚仗自己有功，横行无忌。唐军将士忍气吞声很久了。一天，战事闲暇，营地里举行赛马。回纥人自恃是马背上的民族，欣然上马，狂妄地宣称：落后的骑士要挨揍。这时候，从唐军一边跃出年轻气盛的李怀玉。在激昂的鼓点中，李怀玉风驰电掣、匹马当先，把回纥人远远地抛在身后。一到终点，他翻身下马，揪过回纥人，抡起手掌，一阵猛批，打得那个回纥人屎尿流离，狼狈地逃回毡帐。只有李怀玉，洋洋得意地站在马前，接受将士的欢呼。 不久，平卢军中流言蜚语，传说李怀玉会接替表兄执掌平卢。恼怒的侯希逸立即将他囚禁起来。侯希逸忘了，当年如果不是李怀玉杀死王玄志之子，他又怎能顺利主掌平卢军？ 在狱里，睡梦中的李怀玉突然听见一个声音在他头顶响起：“李怀玉，汝富贵时至。” 环视四周，人影无无，铁窗外的天空一片漆黑。李怀玉摇了摇头，翻身睡去。朦胧间，那个神秘的声音又一次传来：“墙上青鸟鸹噪，就是富贵到来的时候。” 李怀玉睁开眼，依然没有看见说话的人。当一抹天光照亮了四野，他突然看见十多只体大如雀的青鸟正落在高墙上。不一会，就听见三军山呼海啸的声音远远传来。撵走侯希逸的士卒打碎牢锁，救出李怀玉，把他推上了平卢节度使的位子。后来，天子赐给他新的名字，叫李正己。 李正己死前，将位子传给了儿子李纳，李纳又传给了儿子李师古。 病痛禁锢了李师古的身体，可没有禁锢他的思想。多年来，他一直在为平卢军中高句丽人的式微而担心。临终前，李师古将心腹高沐、李公度召到病榻前，询问他们谁可以接任节度使。两人犹豫了许久，没有回答。这本就不须回答的问题。除了同母异父的兄弟李师道，李师古别无子弟可以托付。垂死多此一问，不过是他最后一次宣泄心中的焦躁。 李师古深知，锦衣玉食的弟弟是一个不折不扣的纨绔，整日与婢女厮混后堂。早几年，李师古命他出镇密州，希望他能深入底层，了解民间疾苦，衣食所出。密州归来后，李师道周身依然透出暗晦的气息。高句丽李氏的命运，难道就要交给这样一个无知无能的小儿？阴沉气氛在平卢节度使牙门四周回旋，如同来自远方的诅咒。李师古多么希望，高墙上会再次传来青鸟的啼声，告诉他未来的命运会是什么样。可窗外一片寂静，如在井底。 李师道的心，就是那口阴暗的枯井，在等待这个家族投井自尽。堕落井底前，他的兄长在黑暗里闭上眼睛。 接到淮西求救的书函后，李师道和王承宗数次上表，请求李纯赦免吴元济。可表文如石沉沧海，再没有激起什么动静。吴元济慌了，王承宗沉默了，怯懦的李师道却开始酝酿一个阴谋。 一批又一批獐头鼠目的亡命之徒悄悄地离开郓州，鬼鬼祟祟地潜入漆黑的夜幕中。 几天后，河阴漕院突然火光冲天。贮藏于此的三十多万缗匹钱帛、二万馀斛谷子化做熊熊烈焰，照亮了半个天空。从这里往南数百里，襄州佛寺中的军储也在一夕之间，被数十名刺客奸人盗焚。此时，李师道派出的凶徒已经偷偷地流窜入关。唐高祖（李渊）的献陵寝宫和永巷被焚烧的消息传到长安。就在亡命之徒烹牛飨士，要在下一个黑夜潜入洛阳的宫阙纵火时，有人告发了他们。穷凶极恶的歹徒门从长夏门杀出血路，望山而遁。可最恐怖的时刻还没有到来。 元和十年六月初三，天光曦微。力主用兵淮西的宰相武元衡和往常一样，出了府邸，翻身上马，朝大明宫走去。就在出靖安坊东门的那一刻，长箭破空，迎面射来。错愕之间，道旁的树影中蹿出几名刺客，舞动木棓，狠狠地砸在武元衡的左腿上……闻讯赶来的金吾军举起火炬，只照见宰相的尸身，正横在一片触目惊心的血泊里。刺客割下了他的头颅，杳杳无踪。夜漏未尽，目睹惨状的早行路人惊骇万分，厉声狂喊：贼人把宰相给杀了！ 声音一直传到大明宫建福门外的侍漏院。听到噩耗，等待上朝的百官纷纷猜测，到底哪位宰相遭此劫数。须臾，晨光中蹒跚走来武元衡的马，马背上空无一人。 几乎同时，另一位大臣裴度也在通化坊遇刺。那时的长安风行扬州传来的氈帽。今晨梳洗后，裴度戴上广陵师昨日刚赠的一顶。才出坊门，贼人就一刀砍在毡帽上，裴度跌下马来。刺客还以为裴度已死，趋马掠回来寻找头颅。跟在裴度身后的仆人王义慌忙用身体挡住主人。刺客上前又是一刀。王义举起臂膀一格挡，当场被砍翻。如果没有厚实的氈帽和奋不顾身的义仆，裴度就会是第二个武元衡。 天明时分，李纯的玉辇刚到紫宸门，就遇到匍匐路上的几个大臣。乍闻噩耗，如遭雷殛的李纯半天都没说出一句话来。平定刘闢时的宰相杜黄裳去世多年了；接替杜黄裳的李吉甫也在去年病故。与藩镇的争斗中，武元衡是他最得力的大臣。谁能想到，刺客竟然在长安公然行凶。早朝被取消了。当几个宰相走进森森延英殿，只看到一个泪流满面的天子。金樽玉馔摆满了案几，可什么也没动过。伤心的李纯已在御床上恸哭了很久，再也哭不出声音了。泪水流淌进嘴里，苦涩的咸味，引爆了每一粒味蕾。 心乱如麻的天子需要一个冷静的空间，来理一理思绪。 千门九陌的长安湮没在一片恐慌之中。诸坊对经过坊门的人无不严加盘查。宰相出入，金吾骑士都张弦露刃，如临大敌。没有金吾骑士护卫的大臣们不到天光大亮，谁也不敢出门上朝。有时候，李纯御殿多时，大臣竟然还不能到齐。一场谋杀，使长安和千里之外的淮西战场近若咫尺。刺客嚣张地在金吾卫和长安的府、县衙门留下了纸条。纸上赫然写着八个字：“毋急捕我，我先杀汝”。 我仿佛听见李师道正藏在某个阴暗角落里狞笑。他以为，卑鄙的伎俩得逞了。 可他失望了。李纯很快下旨，拜刚刚伤愈的裴度为宰相，奔赴淮西。当时还默默无闻的李愬也动身离开了长安，悄悄地出现在战场上——李纯要告诉黑暗中藏头露尾的对手，刺杀和纵火，不过是他们的垂死挣扎。 李愬出身将门。曾祖父和祖父都是陇右的裨将。他的父亲，就是从朱泚手中收复长安的平西郡王李晟。李愬从小就慈孝过人。父亲下世后，十五个兄弟中，唯有他与兄长李宪坚持要按儒教的礼制，庐墓三年。唐德宗特意下诏，劝止李愬守墓。可隔天他又不见踪影。最后，人们在李晟的坟前找到了回来守墓的李愬。丁忧期满后，李愬等兄弟九人同日拜官。李愿、李听等都成为独当一面的节度使。可在兄弟中，唯有李愬精于骑射，有父亲当年“万人敌”的风采。可惜，直到出征淮西前，他也只是在长安任太子詹事这一闲职。 现在，就让我们和李愬一起，走进元和十一年十月十五日的风雪中去。 九千大军在这个滴水成冰的寒日里，突然接到了东进的将令。对计划茫然无知的将领们纷纷赶到中军，探问出兵的方向。可李愬只是简单地重复了指令。冒着漫天风雪，大军东行了六十里。在张柴村休整时，李愬才向麾下众将士宣布：今夜自己要杀入蔡州、生擒吴元济！诸将相顾失色，监军的宦官当场就哭出声来。谁也不敢相信，区区九千人能攻破三十年来从未被攻破的蔡州。 李愬没有动摇，从俘获的淮西将领那里，他探听到一个很重要的讯息：此时的蔡州城，不过是一座空巢。 夜半时分，雪更大了。你看“三千世界雪花中”，只有一支孤零零的军队艰难地跋涉在陌生的路途。旌旗在如刀的北风中破裂。不断有人马抵挡不住严寒，倒毙在长路上。没有倒下的人则带着有去无回的悲壮心情，继续前行。疾行七十里后，他们在将近四鼓的时分来到了蔡州城下。此时，城下池中的鹅鸭受惊嘎嘎地叫了起来，掩盖了行军之声。守城的老弱戍卒依然在梦中。三十多年来，从没有王师曾到过蔡州。他们也许听到了鹅鸭夜惊的喧闹，含糊不清地嘟哝了一句，翻身又睡了过去。 在报晓的鸡声陆续响起的时候，下了一夜的雪突然停了。第一抹晨曦照亮了蔡州城头刚刚插上的旌旗。 是谁又穿上白衣绿衫锦半臂、戴着红罗抹额？在风中吟唱着诗人刘禹锡的新诗：