Chapter 16 2. Seizing the Emperor

Everyone claims to defend the emperor, but the emperor looks like a weasel to everyone.Li Maozhen's escort failed, but Zhu Quanzhong's escort succeeded.The emperor was very helpless and unable to protect himself. Whoever snatches the emperor is number one in the world. To deal with the emperor, you first need to deal with Li Maozhen. Because Li Maozhen and Zhu Quanzhong had the same idea, they both hijacked the emperor to their own territory. At this time, Zhu Quanzhong played a second card with the banner of "welcome the emperor to move the capital to Luoyang". The reason was that Chang'an had been dilapidated for a long time and it was not suitable to stay in a dangerous place for a long time.Li Maozhen's banner is "Welcome the Son of Heaven to Fengxiang Palace", for the same reason, each gets 100 points.The competition between Zhu Quanzhong and Li Maozhen entered the next stage, a competition of strength.

Grab the emperor and test your speed. This time Li Maozhen moved faster than last time. Not only did Zhu Quanzhong have Cui Yin as an internal response in the court, but Li Maozhen also cultivated his own strength in the court. Hearing that Zhu Quanzhong, at the instigation of Cui Yin, led an army of 70,000 people to meet him in the river. The capital was in chaos. The emperor immediately became a polished commander again. Do you still remember the three thousand soldiers and horses that Li Maozhen left in the capital?The leader is Li Maozhen's godson Li Jiyun.Under Li Maozhen's secret instruction, Li Jiyun, together with the courtier Han Quanhui, ransacked the palace treasury, packed several carts with the prince's family and sent them to Fengxiang.Emperor Zhaozong refused to leave Chang'an, so Li Jiyun and Han Quanhui set fire to the palace and forced the emperor to move to Li Maozhen's feudal town.When Zhu Quanzhong was attacking the river, Li Maozhen was the first to succeed, and his godson acted as an internal response, and took the emperor hostage to Fengxiang.Li Maozhen scored another 100 points, and Zhu Quanzhong scored zero points.

There is no emperor in Chang'an City, and there are no ministers around the emperor.The direct consequence is that there are multiple parties in politics, and they are not subordinate to each other, which means that everyone wants to have the final say. Li Maozhen shot faster than Zhu Quanzhong expected, Zhu Quanzhong didn't know what to do for a while. Seeing Zhu Quanzhong's hesitation, Cui Yin immediately became anxious and urged Zhu Quanzhong to go to Fengxiang to pick up the emperor again and again.Zhu Quanzhong said: "If I march into Fengxiang, I will get the reputation of intimidating and intimidating the Lord; if I retreat here, I will feel deeply uneasy that I can't serve the country." .Cui Yin saw that it was difficult to fight alone, so he simply united two hundred and sixty-three officials and implored Zhu Quanzhong to be on the side of the Qing emperor, and marched to meet the emperor.Only then did Zhu Quanzhong find a suitable step, and the army pointed directly at Fengxiang to attack Li Maozhen.

Li Maozhen is not a vegetarian either. She has been in Longyou for many years, has experienced few wars, has abundant reserves, strong soldiers and horses, and is not comparable to ordinary small towns. Pass the trick, test the force. Zhu Quanzhong is going to attack Li Maozhen, and Li Maozhen will definitely not sit still.Li Maozhen is actively preparing for the battle.But the emperor stood on the same side as Li Maozhen this time.Some people may ask, since the emperor left Beijing anyway, is it not the same where he moved to?In fact, it is not the case. The emperors of the Tang Dynasty were used to running to Xishu, and their legs and feet ran smoothly. Although Fengxiang is not Xishu, it is in the west after all.Now that Zhu Quanzhong wanted the emperor to go to Luoyang in the east, the emperor was very unhappy, very reluctant, confused and depressed.

At this point of difference, Zhaozong and Li Maozhen's positions reached an unprecedented consensus.So Li Maozhen borrowed the emperor's will and asked Li Keyong of Jinyang, Wang Jian of Shuchuan, and Yang Xingmi of Yangzhou to send troops to copy Zhu Quanzhong's queen.Li Ke sent people to repeatedly attack Zhu Quanzhong, Lu Zeci and other states.However, Zhu Quanzhong's generals were really brave, Li Keyong suffered repeated setbacks, and the more he fought, the smaller his territory became.Yang Xingmi wanted to take advantage of Zhu Quanzhong's absence, but he was not far away, and he couldn't even attack Suzhou for a long time, so he had to return to his army.Wang Jian in Sichuan was even more cunning. On the surface, he was on good terms with Zhu Quanzhong and Li Maozhen, but he secretly sent people to attack Li Maozhen's southern counties, taking the opportunity to expand his territory.

A battle for the emperor is about to break out. In October of the first year of Emperor Zhaozong's restoration (AD 901), Zhu Quanzhong sent troops from Bianliang to Tunza River, threatening Chang'an and Fengxiang. This battle lasted for a long time, and it didn't end until the first month of the third year of Tianfu. Zhu Quanzhong's army arrived in Huazhou.Tonghua Jiedushi Han Jian has been attached to Li Maozhen for these years.When Han Jian saw Zhu Quanzhong approaching menacingly, his chubby face twitched a few times, unable to bear the fear, Han Jian surrendered the city to the Bian army.Han Jian, who once called for the wind and rain and made waves in the capital, was just a small shrimp in front of Zhu Quanzhong, and he bowed his head obediently.Han Jian has no other abilities, but he is very good at managing money and managing the economy.Huazhou used to be full of merchants and prosperous.Han Jian collected heavy taxes and accumulated huge wealth.This time the Bian army occupied Huazhou, and Han Jian's 30,000 taels of silver and 90,000 copper coins all fell into Zhu Quanzhong's pocket.Money and food were what was fought in the war, and Zhu Quanzhong made a windfall, and he was immediately full of energy.

After unplugging Han Jian without much effort, Zhu Quanzhong entered Chang'an City. This is the first time Zhu Quanzhong has returned to Chang'an after being away from Chang'an for more than ten years. Zhu Quanzhong had a lot of emotion. When he left Chang'an that year, Zhu Quanzhong had only 800 soldiers, so it can be said that he went to Xuanwu alone to clean up the mess. Now coming to Chang'an again, Zhu Quanzhong is already the most powerful fan in the world. Zhu Quanzhong discussed with the civil and military officials, and won the support of the officials, so he marched into Fengxiang with confidence.Zhu Quanzhong played steadily and steadily, step by step.Li Maozhen dispatched General Fu Daozhao to fight against them.How could Fu Daozhao be Zhu Quanzhong's opponent.Zhu Quanzhong rushed all the way to the city of Fengxiang.Li Maozhen lay on the top of the wall and shouted to Zhu Quanzhong: "King Dongping, the emperor came to me to escape the disaster. It's not that I want to be unreasonable to the emperor, let alone kidnap the emperor. You must have been deceived by treacherous people. They urged you to send troops here." So, it was a misunderstanding."

"Han Quanhui's traitor hijacked the Son of Heaven, and I came here on behalf of the people of the world to crusade against the rebellious officials and traitors, and clean up the king's side. If you, King Qi, did not participate in Han Quanhui's conspiracy, why bother to make these meaningless explanations?" Zhu Quanzhong Holding the saddle bridge in hand, he replied loudly. "King Dongping, it's not that I'm protecting anyone. The emperor is willing to be with me, and it's very safe. Don't worry about it!" Li Maozhen responded to Zhu Quanzhong neither soft nor hard.

At this time, an eunuch poked his head out from the top of the city wall and shouted loudly: "Zhu Quanzhong accepts the order!" Zhu Quanzhong was stunned, and did not move immediately.The eunuch on the city read aloud: "Zhu Aiqing is loyal to the country, and I know it in my heart. I live in Fengxiang temporarily, and I will return to Beijing soon. I ask Zhu Aiqing to stop and return to the town. Let each one stay safe and not fight." Zhu Quanzhong saw the eunuch in the city. Shaking the imperial decree of the yellow silk, although he couldn't tell whether it was true or false, he had to dismount and kowtow to receive the decree.If they continue to garrison troops under Fengxiang City and stand in a stalemate, it will be tantamount to resisting the order and not obeying it.Zhu Quanzhong had no choice but to take the strategy of delaying his troops and temporarily withdraw from Fengxiang.

Zhu Quanzhong's withdrawal from Fengxiang did not mean that Zhu Quanzhong would give up this operation. He turned to use troops against Li Maozhen's outlying state capitals.After several hard battles, they captured Fenzhou, Sanyuan, Mogu, Fengzhou, Longzhou, Xianyang and other places one after another, and defeated Li Keyong and Li Maoxun's troops who came to rescue Li Maozhen.It was only then that Li Maozhen realized that bringing the emperor onto his own territory would be a red flag.What's the use of thinking about it at this time, it's too late, only fighting to survive.

In May of the second year of Tianfu, Li Maozhen sent General Fu Daozhao to send troops to fight Zhu Quanzhong in Guo County.Zhu Quanzhong's subordinate Kang Huaiying led the cavalry to defeat Fu Daozhao.In June, seeing Fu Daozhao's defeat, Li Maozhen simply went to battle in person, and fought a vicious battle with Zhu Quanzhong from morning to noon.In the end, Li Maozhen was also defeated, losing tens of thousands of soldiers and hundreds of generals. Fu Daozhao was captured by Zhu Quanzhong and surrendered to Zhu Quanzhong.From then on, Li Maozhen stood firm and did not dare to fight. Li Maozhen planned to hold a stalemate with Zhu Quanzhong, forcing Zhu Quanzhong to retreat after running out of food and grass.The two sides remained deadlocked until September.Zhu Quanzhong felt that this was not an option. Li Maozhen could not be defeated in a short time, so it was better for the class teacher to go back to the river to rest.Cui Yin saw that Zhu Quanzhong was going to back off, so he rushed to the front enemy from Huazhou to continue to mobilize Zhu Quanzhong.Zhu Quanzhong hosted a banquet in honor of Cui Yin. Cui Yin was impassioned and persuaded Zhu Quanzhong: "The emperor is in trouble, and he was wronged by treacherous evil, so that he has been away from Beijing for many years. Now, the public is serving as the teacher of King Qin, and he must go all out to punish the treacherous. Re-creating the merits of returning to heaven, the great achievements of the world, the hope of Li Shu, and the hope of inside and outside. Otherwise, we will all be sinners through the ages, and there will be no place to die." Zhu Quanzhong was also infected, and said loudly: "Come, let's drink more." Cui Xu grabbed the wooden board in the hand of the attendant and beat the rhythm himself, adding to the fun of the banquet. At the same time, he danced and sang and danced.Zhu Quanzhong knew in his heart that the reason why Cui Yin tried so hard to persuade himself to welcome the king was mainly because he wanted to seize more power and at the same time attack his political opponent Li Maozhen.If Zhu Quanzhong's class teacher returns to Bian, Li Maozhen and Han Quanhui are likely to wipe out Cui Yin's party. Zhu Quanzhong murmured for a while: "It is my duty to welcome the king, but there is really no good way for Li Maozhen to stay out of the wall." At this time, Gao Jichang, the commander of the personal soldiers, and Liu Zhijun, the commander of Zuo Kaidao, walked out of the train and said, "Li Maozhen is at the end of his rope. We can lure him to fight. We must not miss this opportunity." "Well, soldiers are valuable, and it's a good thing to win by odds. But this trip must be a disaster, so let's find another strategy." Zhu Quanzhong hesitated. Gao Jichang's cavalryman Ma Jing said angrily: "Your Majesty, you don't have to worry. We have been treated so favorably, and now is the time to die in service of Your Majesty." Zhu Quanzhong stood up and said: "Strong man! I will add another rank to your brothers. You go, I will take care of your wives and children!" The next day, Zhu Quanzhong ordered the soldiers and horses of the battalions to prepare, the people were full of food, the horses added fodder, the flags and drums were silenced, and they hid behind the camp walls and waited for orders.Ma Jing led a hundred cavalry in disguise to escape, and came to Li Maozhen's Fengxiang City to feign surrender.Ma Jing told Li Maozhen: "Now Zhu Quanzhong can't supply food and grass, and the troops are short of food. The main force of the Chinese army has withdrawn to the river, leaving only tens of thousands of wounded, sick, old and disabled soldiers guarding the camp. Dead end, here to surrender." Li Maozhen believed it was true, and ordered all troops to gather, open the city gates and rush to Zhu Quanzhong's camp.After the Fengxiang army rushed into the Bian army camp, Zhu Quanzhong gave an order, and the ambush army rose everywhere, and immediately cut and surrounded the Fengxiang army, and the shouts of killing resounded through the sky.In addition, Zhu Quanzhong also sent his nephew Zhu Youlun's cavalry who had just arrived to rush directly to the gate of Fengxiang City and cut off the return route of Fengxiang army.Under the attack of the Bian army, the Fengxiang army was in chaos, the command failed, they ran blindly, and even trampled on each other. Tens of thousands of people were killed by Zhu Quanzhong, and the whole army was wiped out.In this battle, Li Maozhen lost all his elite, and sat in a sad city, moaning and sighing all day long. At the time when Zhu Quanzhong was fighting Li Maozhen, Wang Jian of Shuchuan, under the banner of rescuing Li Maozhen, sent people to attack Qinlongzhou County in the south of Li Maozhen.Infighting also broke out in Fengxiang City.Li Maozhen's deployment hated Han Quanhui and others so much that he gritted his teeth, resenting Han Quanhui's traitor for attracting Zhu Quanzhong, which led to the loss of life, continuous war, and casualties of father and son.Li Maozhen's subordinates wanted to repair Han Quanhui. Zhu Quanzhong won three games in a row and scored 300 points, while Li Maozhen scored zero points. The emperor saw that Li Maozhen's defeat was imminent, and he had no other power to rely on. After weighing the pros and cons repeatedly, Li Ye decided to reconcile with Zhu Quanzhong.Zhaozong brought Li Maozhen and others to discuss countermeasures.Li Maozhen was already disheartened at this time, knowing that the situation was over.Put forward two requests, one is to ask the emperor to marry Princess Pingyuan to his son; the other is to ask the emperor to kill Han Quanhui and others to apologize to the world.Zhaozong's mind became active at this moment, and he readily agreed to Li Maozhen's request. He understood that after getting through this difficulty first, since his daughter can be married off, he can take it back later, which is better than losing his life.As for Han Quanhui, it would be perfect to play the role of a scapegoat. There are plenty of such people who can be found at any time. Zhaozong ordered, but Zhaozong did not actually order, Han Quanhui and more than 30 people had already been arrested and executed for the crime of "separating the monarch and his ministers, creating unjust cases, and intimidating the lord".Han Quanhui was ruined this time, he regretted his intestines and regretted his stomach, but his head fell off, no matter how regretful he was, it was useless. The emperor sent someone to Zhu Quanzhong's camp with Han Quanhui's head and his own letter, expressing his intention of surrender and reconciliation to Zhu Quanzhong. After obtaining Zhu Quanzhong's promise to protect him, the emperor went out of the city and came to Zhu Quanzhong's camp.What follows is naturally a complicated and hilarious false procedural drama.Although this kind of drama is false, it is indeed indispensable. It has been performed over and over again in the history of thousands of years, and I have never heard of any protagonist who finds it troublesome. Emperor Zhaozong has been on the throne for many years, but this is the first time Zhu Quanzhong has seen him.Zhu Quanzhong waited at the gate of the gate.Why do you just serve the crime?This is one of the very hypocritical and important procedural rituals in feudal society.When you see the emperor, you have to humble yourself. Starting a war is to make the world miserable, which is a crime.So make a gesture.Zhu Quanzhong watched the emperor walking with the support of the crowd from a distance.The emperor was of medium build, a little thin, and looked very haggard, but there was still an innate heroic spirit between his browbones. Zhu Quanzhong knelt down on the ground and shouted loudly: "The guilty minister Zhu Quanzhong, the rescue came late, and the Holy One was frightened. He deserves death." The emperor waved his hand to signal Zhu Quanzhong to stand up, and said calmly: "Zhu Aiqing's heart is for the country, and my love is for me. Soldiers are murderous weapons, and the virtuous use them as a last resort. I forgive you for the crime of raising troops." Zhu Quanzhong knelt on the ground and refused to get up. He kowtowed again and again to apologize, wept bitterly, and asked the emperor whether he was safe or not. The emperor also hid his face and wept, and kept saying: "Anzong Temple, the establishment of the community, all depends on Aiqing." As Zhaozong spoke, he untied the jade belt around his waist and gave it to Zhu Quanzhong, and granted Zhu Quanzhong the King of Liang.Although they are all kings, the meaning of changing from Dongping King to Liang King is very different. Liang's land is much larger than Dongping, and Zhu Quanzhong was promoted again.Zhu Quanzhong knelt down and kowtowed to thank him again.Zhu Quanzhong applied to lead the emperor for ten miles.Zhu Quanzhong rode his horse in front, and the emperor rode behind him. The team marched slowly for ten miles. After arriving in Chang'an, in the evening, the emperor hosted a banquet in honor of the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs.Drinking again, who wants to drink!After eating and drinking indiscriminately, each with their own confidantes, the banquet dissipated. Seeing that everyone dispersed one after another, Emperor Zhaozong left Zhu Quanzhong alone and wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with Zhu Quanzhong.When the emperor raised his leg to take a step, he tripped suddenly. It turned out that the emperor's shoelace was untied and was stepped on by another foot.Zhaozong motioned Zhu Quanzhong to help him tie his shoelaces.Zhu Quanzhong looked at the emperor out of the corner of his eye, and saw that the emperor had no expression on his face and dignified eyes.Zhu Quanzhong did not dare to disobey his orders.I had to bend down and tie the shoelaces carefully for the emperor.Standing under the emperor's knees, Zhu Quanzhong felt the coercion he had never experienced before. It seemed that the imperial power of the Tang Dynasty, which had been condensed for hundreds of years on this thin emperor, enveloped Zhu Quanzhong all at once, making Zhu Quanzhong a little breathless.While tying his shoelaces, Zhu Quanzhong thought, "What the hell is the emperor going to do with me? Will he use this to plot against me?" Zhu Quanzhong is cunning, he doesn't trust anyone easily, and he is especially suspicious in a complicated environment.Thinking of this, Zhu Quanzhong was already sweating profusely, as if a knife had been put on his neck. After Zhu Quanzhong helped the emperor tie his shoelaces, he stood up, staggered deliberately and said, "Your Majesty, I drank too much wine today, so I can't chat with you. I will leave first." Before the emperor could answer, Zhu Quanzhong turned around quickly Leaving was almost like escaping back to the handsome mansion where he was staying.After Zhu Quanzhong returned to his residence, he couldn't be calm for a long time, and he muttered silently: "The emperor, indeed the emperor, is different from ordinary people." Zhu Quanzhong ordered his nephew Zhu Youlun to lead troops to station in Chang'an, responsible for guarding the emperor's safety, and then moved east to Luoyang in the coming day.The reason why Zhu Quanzhong entrusted Zhu Youlun with the task of putting the emperor under house arrest was because Zhu Youlun was outstanding among Zhu Quanzhong's nephews and nephews. He was not only superb in martial arts, but also skilled in handling things.Although the emperor was reluctant, but in the case of preserving the dignity of the royal family, he had no choice but to compromise.Zhu Quanzhong's strategic goal of "one stone, three birds" was fully realized: the emperor was placed under his own supervision, Fengxiang towns were included in the jurisdiction, and Li Keyong was beaten to the ground and dared not go south. The power of Zhu Quanzhong shook the world. The political situation in the world began to be controlled and designed by Zhu Quanzhong.