Chapter 21 Chapter 21

"Your Majesty, Pindao is willing to go north to meet Lord Zheng." The young Taoist Du Guangting immediately asked Li Yan for orders. Seeing that the emperor hesitated a little, he added, "Pindao has long heard that Mr. Zheng is fair and honest, and has a heart for the world, so he has never had the chance to visit him. I implore Your Majesty to grant this opportunity to welcome the heroes on behalf of the emperor, and fulfill the long-cherished wish of the poor." "Okay, I will follow you." Li Xuan said to Li Jie again, "Jie, I want you to go with Du Daochang, what do you think?"

"Your brother obeys the order!" Li Jie and Du Guangting waited quietly on Lutou Mountain, waiting for Zheng Tian's arrival.Tanma has already reported that Zheng Tian will be here at noon today, and this is the only way to Chengdu.The Naluojiang County at the eastern foot of Lutou reaches the Wenjiang River, and the clear Mianyang River flows quietly at the western foot.The meandering mountains are like a natural barrier separating the rivers on both sides, making this the gateway to the northern part of Shudu.Li Jie has read "Three Kingdoms", and he is familiar with the famous Mianzhu Pass in history.At that time, Sima Zhao ordered Deng Ai, the general who conquered the west, and other five forces to attack Shu. Zhuge Zhan, the son of Kongming, guarded this pass and fought a life-and-death battle with Deng Ai, but he was outnumbered and died on the battlefield.This battle also became the last battle of the Shu Han regime. From then on, the foundation created by Emperor Zhaolie and Marquis Xinlao I of Wuxiang was finally wiped out...

"My lord, what are you thinking?" Du Guangting interrupted Li Jie's meditation.Li Jie let out a long sigh, looked around the green hills in the distance and the peaceful river valleys on both sides, and said with emotion: "I was thinking, if Zhuge Siyuan had three-point wisdom of his father Kong Ming at that time, he would stick to the danger and wait for Jiang Wei's army to come back for help." , Deng Ai is bound to face the enemy, and the Shu Han will not perish so quickly..." "My lord knows the ancient times well and understands the art of war well, which is admirable. It's just..."

"Just what?" "Mencius said, the right time is not as good as the right place, and the right place is not as good as the harmony of people. Although it is the best strategy to plan a soldier by relying on danger, the master loses his morality, the people's hearts are betrayed, and the country's ruin is only a matter of time. How can one general be able to control it? Lutou Mountain is dangerous. False, but the dangerous pass has never been able to withstand the hearts of the people. My lord, this place was breached by the Wei army hundreds of years ago. If the Lord of Chengdu loses the popular support, this pass will definitely be trampled by iron cavalry..."

Li Jie nodded: "The people of the world are the foundation. Emperor Taizong said that the king is like a boat, and the people are like water. Water can carry a boat, and it can also overturn it. Sir, may I ask what the people of the world want?" "Forgive me for speaking bluntly. Huang Chao raised an army with a few people and ran across the Central Plains for several years. He seized the capital and pretended to be an emperor. He really has the hearts of the people. The prince came to Chengdu from Chang'an, and the people were suffering and displaced along the way. The land of abundance is like this, the Central Plains There are even more wars and chaos, and the common people are devastated! Long live Luan moved to Shu, could it be that the Huang family did it alone? It is really..."

"Sir, don't worry, just keep talking." Du Guangting pondered for a moment, and finally did not point it out. In other words, he said: "Your Majesty, Huang Chao has now sent troops to slaughter the people of Chang'an. He has lost popular support. As far as I can see, it will not be far to regain Chang'an. But if you want to revive the Tang Dynasty, you must The road is long and long!" "It is said that Huang Chao is also a man who is proficient in writing and ink, and is good at riding and shooting. It is a pity that after repeated trials and failures, he raised his troops to respond to Xianzhi. When my father was in power, he was indeed extravagant, and many talents were not available to me. It's a pity." After hearing this, Guang Ting felt warm in his heart, but smiled and replied: "My lord, there are a lot of test cases, but if they are all like Huang Chao's deeds, the world is full of wars, how can the people be peaceful? The court does nothing, It’s not all the fault of the emperor. As long as you have the world in mind, you will surely have a day of accomplishment! To be honest, Pindao also took the Nine Classics Examination and Wan Yan Ke, but it’s a pity that his talents are poor and his name is lost..."

"Oh? Sir, you also failed?" Li Jie said, "Can you tell me your story, sir?" "My lord laughed at me. Guang Ting loved poetry and books, and favored classics and history since he was a child. He had made a great wish to benefit the people of the Tang Dynasty. It's a pity that his talent is not enough, so he couldn't be named on the gold list." "Then what happened next?" "Later, I had the honor to visit Master Pan several times to talk about the anguish of failing. The Master once said to me that if you want to save all people from suffering, the imperial examination is not the only way. This sentence touched me a lot, and it also made me lucky to become acquainted with Taoism. Later, when I traveled around Luoyang and visited Wangwu Mountain, the "Polar Land of Taoism", I saw many relics of Sima Chengzhen, a "White Cloud Taoist", and suddenly realized that joining Taoism can also save time and save the world. So, I Then he went to Tiantai Mountain to learn Taoism, got advice from many famous teachers, and decided to reorganize Taoist classics. Then he traveled all over the world and visited Taoist temples, hoping to complete a book that collected the ancient and modern achievements of Taoism. After arriving in Chengdu, he happened to know that the Son of Heaven was lucky , Master Pan also followed, and then thanked Master again. Thanks to Master for his love, he recommended me to the Son of Heaven by mistake, and because of this, he was destined to meet the prince."

"That's how it is. In the future, I hope you will give me your advice." "Don't dare, my lord, but I have something to ask, and I know everything I can say, and I can say everything." After finishing speaking, the two fell into a deep silence again.Li Jie unconsciously looked towards the mountain road to the north. He hoped to see Zheng Tian earlier and hear what happened in the capital these months from his mouth.Since leaving the capital, Li Jie has been concerned about the new situation in the capital every day, and he feels sad when he thinks of the people in Chang'an being ravaged.

But he said that after Zheng Tian separated from the emperor, he returned to Fengxiang to kill the envoy, kill the blood alliance, repair the city, and connect the towns.Cheng Zongchu of Jingyuan and Qiu Gongyu of Tianxiong all formed alliances with Zheng Tian successively.In the second year of Guangming (881 A.D.), a piece of proclamation was sent directly to Chang'an with a fast horse, and even to the hands of the feudal towns all over the world.The sentence in the call-to-action "every pillow is waiting for the dawn, often weeping blood to forget the meal. I swear to be with the righteous and loyal ministers, and cut the foxes and dogs together. Closely accept the order and join the armies. The emperor personally controlled the six divisions and left Sanshu Shuang Ge Wan Team, Iron Horse Thousands..." The heroic words are still soul-stirring in retrospect.

After that, all the Taoists who were still waiting to see were stirred up, and each ruled the king's teacher.In March of the first year of Tang Zhonghe (881 A.D.), Zheng Tian, ​​commander of the military camps on all sides of the capital, led his troops to defeat Huangchao Prime Minister Shangrang at Longweipo.In this battle, Zheng Tian's name shocked Huang Chao and Chang'an.It was like a shot of stimulant injected into the blood of all the feudal towns who were preparing to counterattack Chang'an. For a while, soldiers and horses were deployed everywhere, forming a siege of Chang'an.However, the victory dazzled the minds of some generals of the feudal town. In early April, Tang Hongfu and Cheng Zongchu, who had made great achievements in the First Battle of Longweipi, ignored Zheng Tian's repeated advice and led a large army to besiege Xianyang, and then marched into Chang'an.The scheming Huang Chao had expected that the Tang army would be eager for success, so he decisively abandoned Chang'an City and led the army to retreat that night, stationed troops on Bashang, and waited for an opportunity to fight back.Afterwards, several groups of Tang troops entered Chang'an. In order to fight for merit, Tang soldiers even broke into the mansions and houses, looting gold, silk and prostitutes.When Huang Chao learned of the situation in the city, he immediately decided to lead troops to counterattack.The main force of Daqi returned to Chang'an from various gates separately, and started street fighting.The officers and soldiers were caught off guard, carrying the looted property on their backs, making it difficult to move under heavy loads, and nine out of ten died.Among the rebellious army, Cheng Zongchu and Tang Hongfu were killed by the rebel army one after another, and the rest of the generals collected the remnants and fled in embarrassment.

After a fight, the flag of the Great Qi Army flew again from the top of Chang'an City.Because the citizens of Chang'an had previously welcomed the Tang army, Huang Chao was extremely angry about this, and ordered the massacre.All of a sudden, the blood of millions of capitals flowed into rivers... In a battle, the city of Chang'an was won and then lost.Due to the consumption of continuous wars, Fengxiang's supplies were insufficient, and Li Changyan, the marching commander, led the Xingping army to attack Fengxiang because he thought the reward was insufficient, and Zheng Tian was arrested.In desperation, Zheng Tian could only agree to express Li Changyan's Fengxiang stay, and then he was escorted to Chengdu in shame... What a sense of mission it was when we bid farewell to the emperor and shouldered the important task of revitalizing the Tang Dynasty.How heroic it was when he beheaded the envoy of Qi and contacted all Taoists without thinking about retreating... Thinking of the ups and downs he had experienced these days, Zheng Tian was filled with emotion.But now, bouncing on the plank road to Shu, he felt both guilty for the emperor and regretful for the failure.After a few days of travel and dust, it seemed like a lifetime away, and his temples turned gray overnight.In front is Lutou Pass. After crossing this mountain, Yimapingchuan leads directly to Chengdu, where the emperor is waiting for him.Zheng Tian felt bitter, and he had no face to face the emperor who had placed high hopes on him.However, he did not expect that the longevity king Li Jie and Du Guangting were here to welcome him, which made him flattered. Along the way, Li Jie asked about the battle situation on the front line, but Zheng Tian only answered a few words politely.In fact, why didn't he have no place to pour out his words, why didn't he want to share his worries and plans for the future?But maybe, he felt that now was not the time.He didn't know that King Shou had gradually joined the government. In his eyes, it was the emperor's grace for the prince to greet him as a sinner for a thousand years.Chengdu is known as the Land of Abundance, and he is not worried that the emperor will suffer in life here, but he can feel that the emperor's heart is always thinking about the situation on the front line.Seeing the emperor, how should he face and explain?More importantly, Zheng Tian seemed to feel that his official career was about to come to an end, and perhaps the conversation at the back of Chengdu was his last opportunity to express his prediction of the future direction of the war situation.Therefore, while he was vaguely responding to Li Jie's question, he repeatedly organized words in his mind, and when he was about to meet the emperor, he would tell his whole plan. The Jiedu government office is now the emperor's palace.Like a child who made a mistake, Zheng Tian knelt quietly in front of the temporary imperial study, waiting for the emperor to summon him. With a sound of "squeak", the door opened, and a maid came out from the inside, with a worried expression on her face: "Master Zheng, the emperor announces your audience." Zheng Tian couldn't wait to stand up and brush the dust off his body. "My lord, you have to persuade me, the emperor hasn't eaten for two days." The maid stepped aside after saying this.Zheng Tian felt sore in his heart.He lifted up his robe, walked into the study lightly, knelt down and kowtowed from a distance: "The guilty minister Zheng Tian has seen my emperor, long live long live!" Li Xuan got up hurriedly, walked around to the case and supported Zheng Tian with both hands. It took a long time to say a word: "You have suffered." Then he ordered to watch the seats.Zheng Tian choked with sobs, and sat down cautiously. "I already know about Feng Xiang, and I don't blame you." "I have failed His Majesty's great trust, and I deserve death!" Li Xuan waved his hand: "Victory and defeat are commonplace in military affairs. It is not your fault that Chang'an won and lost again. It is actually Cheng Zongchu, Tang Hongfu, etc. who were greedy for meritorious deeds and messed up the plan of restoring the country. They are all to blame for their deaths! As for the Fengxiang mutiny, it is not your fault." In the past, I did not listen to political affairs and delayed state affairs. If I had listened to Aiqing's words early, I would not have been displaced today. Now that you have come to Chengdu, you will stay by my side. received." Although Zheng Tian was greedy for fame and fame in the past, he also wished that he could give up his power for a while and fight against the eunuchs in the palace.However, after this disaster, he knew that the military and political power in Chengdu had already fallen into the hands of brothers Tian Lingzi and Chen Jingxuan.If he sent troops to Beijing to regain Chang'an, he would naturally have the right to get rid of this hated eunuch in the name of the Qing emperor and the emperor.However, now that he is wearing the body of a sin, how can he be worthy of being an example for all officials?Along the way, he had already thought about his destination.There are constant disputes in the Central Plains, and the government is intriguing, but this Xichuan can be regarded as a peaceful paradise.It would be better to take this opportunity to stay in Xichuan, hang a false title and stop interfering with the government.Thinking of this, he replied: "Your Majesty, the most important thing right now is to wipe out the yellow thieves as soon as possible, and the troops return to Beijing. The ministers lost troops and generals, and could not bear the heavy responsibility. I also hope that the emperor will use good ministers and generals to restore the country." "Qing is the pillar of my Great Tang Dynasty. Besides you, who else can be the commander-in-chief of the world's soldiers and horses?" "Your Majesty heard that Prime Minister Wang Duo has repeatedly asked for orders to conquer the yellow bandits. Considering his loyalty to the Lord, His Majesty should order him to command the three armies." "Why, you also recommended Wang Duo?" Li Yan hesitated, "Did you forget that when he raised the army in the past, he was conceited, he didn't listen to the advice of his colleagues, made his own opinions, misused mediocre talents, and made him lose his armor and abandon his armor." , has become the laughingstock of the soldiers. A few days ago, he recommended himself to me, and Kong Huawen, Zhang Yuchuan, and Wei Zhao were several people to protect him. I was hesitating... At the beginning, he and you argued against each other, and they once competed for victory in the Golden Palace. Your face is red and your ears are red, not only do you not hold grudges, why do you recommend him as the first one next to me?" "Your Majesty, it's common for courtiers to have different opinions. Although they insist on their own opinions, they are all for the sake of the country. How can a husband stick to the past when he is facing a major event? If your majesty wants to regain Chang'an now, you must set three examples for the world and confer the title of king." Conquering great power, you can combine three benefits to one!" "Which three examples?" "First, promulgate the world and depose Gao Qianli. It is not a day or two for Gao Qianli to support himself. The more tolerant your majesty is to him, the more he will make progress. The appointment of the king is just an opportunity to publicize the world. Second, appoint the virtuous, So as not to be led by eunuchs. Forgive me for your boldness. All dynasties and dynasties where eunuchs command troops will surely leave behind disasters. Although Yang Jianjun of the loyal military army is well-led and loyal, he cannot be a commander after all. Third, Wang Xiang was defeated earlier , Your Majesty re-appoints the past, and if this move spreads, the soldiers will be rejoiced and convinced by His Majesty's sage, and will fight the enemy bravely." "It sounds reasonable. But after all, Wang Duo is a scholar. He can handle soldiers, but he still needs some who can fight the enemy..." "I recommend two more people. One, Yang Fuguang..." "Oh? You just said that eunuchs cannot be entrusted with important tasks..." "It is inevitable that the soldiers of the world must not be used, but Yang Jianjun has been fighting in the Central Plains for many years, and he has contributed a lot to restraining the main force of the Yellow Thieves. I heard that the enemy's internal soldiers are not united, and the Yellow Thieves are getting farther and farther away. Rewards and punishments are unclear. After a long time, the soldiers will be rebellious. Yang Jianjun has the right way to attack the enemy, and he has the right way to surrender to the enemy. If Song Wei and others hadn't obstructed him, he would have surrendered to Wang Xianzhi. Your Majesty can let Yang Jianjun take the opportunity to recover the enemy generals and use them for me , which will hasten the disintegration of the enemy army." "It makes sense, who is the second person you recommend?" "Shatuo Li Guochang and his son!" "Shatuo? These alien races have never known how to repay their kindness, and have repeatedly raised troops to harass the country. It is really hard for me to tolerate." "Your Majesty can just let him make amends! You know, these iron cavalry of Shatuo are Huang Chao's nemesis. Right now, regaining Chang'an is a major national plan, and the emperor should appoint talents in an eclectic manner." "Okay... I will depend on you."