Chapter 3 Reconstruction of the Tang Dynasty: the fading wolf smoke

After regaining Chang'an, Guo Ziyi took advantage of the victory and sent his troops eastward, and regained Tongguan, Huayin (now Huaxian, Shaanxi), and Hongnong (now north of Lingbao City, Henan). An Qingxu was shocked to hear that Chang'an had fallen, and immediately mobilized all the troops in Luoyang, and ordered Yan Zhuang to lead them to quickly reinforce Shan County and prepare to defend the Luoyang gate.After Yan Zhuang arrived in Shan County, he joined forces with Zhang Tongru and others who had fled here, with a total of 150,000 troops on foot and cavalry. On October 15th in the second year of Zhide, Li Chu, king of Guangping, led the Tang and Hui coalition forces to Quwo (now Quwo Town, Sanmenxia City).Guo Ziyi personally acted as a forward, led his troops to advance, and encountered the Yan army in Xindian (southwest of today's Sanmenxia City).The two armies immediately started a fierce battle. Since the Yan army was deployed on the mountain and had the advantage of condescending, the Tang army gradually became exhausted and began to retreat.Yan Jun swooped down the mountain, ready to deal a fatal blow to Tang Jun.

At this critical moment, Yan Jun suddenly found yellow dust rolling up behind him. As soon as more than a dozen arrows were shot out of the billowing dust, the soldiers of the Yan Army looked at each other in amazement. They knew that the most feared opponent was coming. The Huihe cavalry is coming! It turned out that when the Yan army rushed down from the mountain, the Huihe Corps had already circled around the foot of the mountain and launched a surprise attack on the Yan army from behind.The officers and soldiers of the Yan army, who were attacked from the front and back, no longer wanted to fight, and fled one after another.Guo Ziyi returned to the army to counterattack, and attacked back and forth with the Huihe Corps, killing the Yan army with corpses all over the field.After this battle, the 150,000 Yan troops died or fled, and there are very few left.Yan Zhuang, Zhang Tongru and others had no choice but to abandon Shan County and flee back to Luoyang with the remnants.

Seeing Yan Zhuang who survived the battle, An Qingxu knew that the situation was over, so he fled Luoyang with Yan Zhuang and others in the middle of the night on the 16th, and fled to Hebei. On October 18, the second year of Zhide, Tokyo was restored. After Guangping Wang Li Chu led his army into the city, he was worried about how to fulfill his promise, so the people of Luoyang presented 10,000 pieces of Luojin that had been prepared.Surprised and delighted, Li Chu hurriedly delivered Luo Jin to the Huihe people, finally avoiding a looting. On the 21st, Guo Ziyi divided his troops and conquered Heyang (now Mengzhou City, Henan Province) and Hanoi (now Qinyang City, Henan Province).On the same day, one of An Qingxu's fleeing teams fell behind.He came to Guo Ziyi's barracks and surrendered to the Tang Dynasty with an expression of abandoning the dark and turning to the bright.This person is Yan Zhuang.Just one month later, Yan Zhuang transformed into the Secretary of Agriculture of the Tang Dynasty.

What does it mean to be a gentleman who knows current affairs? Yan Zhuang is. Rebel when it's time to rebel, and surrender when it's time to surrender; kill regicide when it's time to rebel, and betray when it's time to betray.Therefore, Yan Zhuang can always turn bad luck into good fortune, and bring good luck to death.This is the law of survival in troubled times.In the next 150 years of Tang Dynasty history, of course there were not no people who stayed the same, but "junjie" like Yan Zhuang was everywhere. On October 23, the second year of Zhide, Tang Suzong Li Heng finally returned to Chang'an after a year and four months away.

The people went out of the city one after another to greet them. They lined up twenty miles away from the city gate. Everyone danced and shouted long live. After Suzong Liheng's Luanjia entered the Daming Palace, Yushitai immediately gathered those civil and military officials who had surrendered to the Yan Dynasty together, and ordered them to take off their hats, shoes and socks, stand barefoot in front of the Hanyuan Hall, beat their chests and bow their heads to the emperor. plead guilty.Surrounding them were groups of heavily armed soldiers.At the same time, the civil and military officials who followed Suzong back to Chang'an from Fengxiang were also ordered to watch in front of the Hanyuan Hall and receive on-site education on "being ashamed of endangering the motherland and betraying the people".

On October 25, more than 300 traitorous officials headed by Chen Xilie were also escorted back to Chang'an from Luoyang.Yu Shitai still ordered them to show the public in front of Hanyuan Hall just like the descended officials in Xijing, but they were imprisoned in Dali Prison and Jingzhao Prison respectively. On the 28th, Suzong, in line with the principle of "learn from the past to avoid the future, cure the disease and save the patient", visited Danfeng Gate in person and issued an imperial edict, announcing: "All gentry and common people who are paid by bandits and used by bandits will be verified by the three law departments respectively. Among them, anyone who is captured in battle or has other special reasons, as long as he surrenders to the government, he will be pardoned."

At the beginning of November, when Guangping Wang Li Chu and Guo Ziyi returned to Chang'an from Luoyang, Emperor Suzong said to Guo Ziyi with emotion: "My country will be rebuilt by you!" (Volume 220) A few days later, Emperor Suzong granted Huihe Prince Ye Hu the title of Sikong and King Zhongyi, and promised him again that from now on, the Tang Dynasty would give Huihe 20,000 bolts of silk every year. From this moment until the Tang Wuzong period, this expenditure will be included in the central financial budget of the Tang Dynasty every year, becoming a debt-like financial burden.Not only that, in the first year of Zong Baoying in the Tang Dynasty (762 AD), Huihe sent troops again to help the Tang army recover Luoyang, which was occupied by Shi Chaoyi. The Tang Dynasty also made an agreement with Huihe to buy tens of thousands to one hundred thousand horses from Huihe every year. Forty horses of silk were paid, and sick and weak horses were paid at the same price.This is the "silk horse trade" between Tang and Huihe.

Silk horse trade actually existed long before the Anshi Rebellion, but at first it was a mutually beneficial economic and trade activity.Since the Anshi Rebellion, this trade activity is no longer an equal deal.Because the Tang Dynasty used large quantities of high-value silk to buy back low-quality horses from Huihe. This is not so much trade as it is Tangtang Khan paying tribute to the former vassal state. This so-called silk horse trade has burdened successive Tang governments since the middle Tang Dynasty with heavy economic burdens and huge fiscal deficits.Huihe almost used the method of dumping to send a large number of bad horses to the Tang Dynasty every year, but the silk imported from the Tang Dynasty to Huihe was still not worth the price of those bad horses, so it had to default on it repeatedly. ("New Book of Tang·Shihuo Zhiyi")

By the first year of Emperor Dezong's Jianzhong (AD 780), the amount of silk owed by the Tang Dynasty had reached 1.8 million horses.It was not until the second year of Emperor Xianzong Yuanhe (807 A.D.) that the Tang Dynasty paid off the debts accumulated over the years at one time, but after that Huihe sent a large number of low-quality horses, and the Tang Dynasty had to continue to owe debts.It was not until the second year of Wuzong Huichang (842 A.D.) that the Tang Dynasty took advantage of the weakening of Uighur (renamed Uighur) to send troops to destroy it, and this historical debt with a mark of humiliation was written off.

At the beginning of December, the Supreme Emperor Li Longji returned to Guanzhong from Chengdu and arrived in Xianyang. Suzong Li Heng took the royal guard of carriages and horses and went to Wangxian Palace to pick him up in person. Before entering the palace, Li Heng deliberately took off the emperor's yellow robe and put on an ordinary purple robe.Xuanzong was resting in the south building of Wangxian Palace at that time. As soon as Li Heng got downstairs, he dismounted immediately, jogged forward with small steps, and kowtowed in front of the building.Xuanzong hurried downstairs, helped Li Heng up with his own hands, stroked his face, and couldn't help crying.Li Heng also held the emperor's feet, weeping endlessly.

Later, Xuanzong ordered someone to fetch the yellow robe and put it on Li Heng himself.Li Heng prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly to resign.Xuanzong said: "God's will and people's hearts belong to you. It is your filial piety to let me spend my old age in peace!" Li Heng couldn't refuse, so he reluctantly put on the yellow robe. Since there is still a distance from Chang'an, both father and son must stay here overnight, so who will live in the main hall and who will live in the side hall has become a difficult problem.The father and son were humble again.Xuanzong said: "The main hall is the seat of the emperor, and you must live in it." Li Heng firmly disagreed, and finally helped Xuanzong climb the main hall and sit on the imperial couch, so Xuanzong did not let him go.When passing on the meal later, Li Heng personally tasted every dish, and ordered someone to pass it to the emperor when he found it delicious. The next day, driving back to Beijing, Li Heng personally arranged the saddle and reins for Xuanzong, helped Xuanzong mount the horse, and then led the horse for Xuanzong himself.After a few steps, Xuanzong stopped him quickly.Only then did Li Heng get on his mount and lead the way for Xuanzong.But along the way, they did not dare to take the Chidao (Queen's Avenue), but always kept aside. Seeing that his son was still so benevolent and filial after he became emperor, Xuanzong was very moved, and said to his left and right: "I have been the emperor for fifty years, and I am not considered honorable; now I am the father of the emperor, which is truly honorable! "(Volume 220: "I have been the son of heaven for fifty years, but I have not been noble; now I am the father of the son of heaven, but I am noble!") Is this true? of course not.This was for his son. After returning to Chang'an, Xuanzong immediately moved into Xingqing Palace (Xingqingfang located outside the imperial city, which was expanded from Li Longji's mansion before he ascended the throne, called "Nannei").Suzong Li Heng repeatedly put on the form, declaring that he would return to live in the East Palace, and asked the emperor to move to Daming Palace.Of course, his proposals were rejected by Xuanzong one by one in the end. The scene where the father and son reunite after parting is really touching.Especially Sujong Lee Hyung's performance, every word and deed is perfect. Of course, first of all we have to admit that after a life-and-death parting, when any father and son reunite, there may be such a tear-jerking scene, so we cannot completely deny Li Heng's sincerity. But at the same time, it is not difficult to find that Li Heng's words and deeds are too exaggerated and sensational, so that they are full of "performance".It is especially worth noting that Li Heng's performance has always been around "the title of emperor".Whether it's "clothes in purple robes", "ju Piandian", or "avoiding the road", "returning to the East Palace", they always and everywhere express that they don't want to be the emperor. In fact, the more Li Heng said that he didn't want it, the more he proved that he really wanted it; the more beautiful his superficial writing was, the more he proved that he was very guilty. This is called wanting to cover up, and it is also called three hundred taels of silver here. There is a saying that knowing a son is like a father.Of course Xuanzong knew exactly what Li Heng wanted, so he always cooperated with Li Heng tacitly.Li Heng wore a purple robe, so he personally put on a yellow robe for Li Heng; Li Heng led the horse and held the bridle to avoid the road, and he emphasized that he was the father of the emperor, and all honors are due to the emperor; Li Heng kept saying that he would give up the Daming Palace , he insisted on living in Xingqing Palace.All of these are actually Xuanzong's recognition of Li Heng's status as the emperor and the legitimacy of his power, and they have been repeatedly recognized. To put it bluntly, this is what Li Heng wants. Only when Xuanzong repeatedly ratified it again and again, could Li Heng's unjust position as the Son of Heaven be rectified and consolidated again and again. After An Qingxu fled Luoyang in a hurry, he ran to Yejun (now Anyang City, Henan Province) in one breath.At that time, there were less than 300 cavalry and less than 1,000 infantry around him.An Qingxu was very frustrated, he felt that the game was about to end.In particular, the confidant's Yan Zhuang descended to Tang, which made him feel like a sword piercing his heart. However, to An Qingxu's good fortune, Cai Xide, Tian Chengsi and other generals returned with their troops after a few days, and their strength quickly recovered.Soon, An Qingxu urgently recruited a group of people from various counties in Hebei, and the number of troops quickly increased to 60,000, and the voice of the army revived.Subsequently, An Qingxu changed Ye County to Ancheng Mansion, and at the same time changed the Yuan to "Tiancheng". After doing all this, An Qingxu's depression and fear for the past few days were gradually replaced by the determination to make a comeback. Since I still have capital, I can continue playing! However, An Qingxu couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine when he thought that Fan Yang, his old nest, was in Shi Siming's hands. In troubled times, people's hearts are unpredictable. Although Shi Siming is his father's most trusted and trusted right-hand man, will Shi Siming change his flag and surrender to the Tang Dynasty like Yan Zhuang when the Tang army is aggressively counterattacking and the Yan army is retreating steadily? It's possible, very likely! The more An Qingxu thought about it, the more he felt that Shi Siming was unreliable. To this end, An Qingxu thought of a way.He found the newly appointed Prime Minister Ashina Chengqing and Prince An Shouzhong, and ordered them to go to Fanyang to recruit Shi Siming's army to test him.An Qingxu told them: If Shi Siming is still loyal to the Yan Dynasty and is willing to hand over the army, that would be the best; if he has a different intention, find a way to kill him to avoid future troubles! An Qingxu's suspicion was correct, Shi Siming had indeed developed a different mind and was ready to descend to Tang Dynasty. When An Qingxu fled Luoyang in a hurry, Shi Siming's confidantes urged him to rebel against Yan and return to Tang.They said: "Now that the Tang Dynasty is being rebuilt, An Qingxu is just a dewdrop on a leaf, which will disappear in an instant! Why does the general perish with him?" Shi Siming felt that the staff's words were reasonable. Right now, Tang Jun's soldiers are sharp and invincible. If they continue to resist, they can only play with An Qingxu in the end.Instead of this, it is better to return to Tang temporarily, preserve strength, and wait for time to change. More importantly, surrendering to the Tang Dynasty was nothing more than changing the colors and names of a few flags, and there was no shortage of territory and strength; A polished commander may even move his head at any time! Therefore, Shi Siming quickly made a decision. When Ashina Chengqing and An Shouzhong arrived at the city of Youzhou with 5,000 elite cavalry, Shi Siming immediately went out of the city to "greet" him with tens of thousands of soldiers and horses.When the distance between the two armies was about one mile, they all reined in unanimously. The wilderness outside Youzhou City suddenly fell into silence. It was an eerie stillness. After a while, Shi Siming suddenly flew out of a horse from the formation, galloped to the front of Ashina Chengqing's formation, and shouted loudly: "Mr. Zhisheng, dare not go forward to meet him. Please temporarily disarm your troops to reassure everyone." Ashina Chengqing and An Shouzhong immediately looked at each other in blank dismay. Disarm?What does Shi Siming want to do?Could it be that he really wants to rebel?However, when you step on someone else's ground, tens of thousands of horses stand in front of you, and you can't do it if you don't unload it... Unload it, just unload it, forgive your surname Shi and you can't turn the sky! Ashina Chengqing and An Shouzhong had no choice but to order the troops to unload their weapons, and then walked into Youzhou City with bare hands. Shi Siming immediately held a banquet to welcome them.The good wine and wine quickly washed away their dusty faces and their full of wariness.Meanwhile, another purge is quietly underway.Shi Siming ordered his subordinates to tell the soldiers from Yecheng: Those who want to go home will be given money, and those who are willing to stay will be rewarded. A disarmed soldier is like a tiger whose teeth have been pulled out.Although these 5,000 cavalry were the elite of Ashina Chengqing and An Shouzhong, but at this moment, they had become fish on Shi Siming's chopping board, and they had no choice but the two routes above. As a result, an army evaporated silently like this - those who wanted to go home left, and more people stayed, and were incorporated into Shi Siming's barracks that day. Ashina Chengqing and An Shouzhong, who were full of food and drink, slept in the post all night, and woke up the next day as Shi Siming's prisoners. On December 22, the second year of Zhide, Fan Yang's envoy arrived in Chang'an and presented a surrender form to Tang Suzong Li Heng.The form stated that Shi Siming was willing to lead 13 counties under his jurisdiction, 80,000 soldiers, and Gao Xiuyan, the envoy of Hedong Jiedu of the Yan Dynasty, to surrender to the imperial court. Suzong was overjoyed, and immediately named Shi Siming as King Guiyi and Fan Yang Jiedu envoy, and appointed all his seven sons as senior officials.At the same time, Emperor Suzong gave Shi Siming an order to crusade against An Qingxu. With the return of Shi Siming, Tang Suzong Li Heng was delighted to find that the flames of war that once enveloped most of the empire had gradually disappeared, and the day when Haiyan and Heqing seemed to be coming soon... At the end of the second year of Germany, Suzong Li Heng did two major things: one was to execute and punish a group of rebels who surrendered to the Yan Dynasty when the two capitals fell; minister. Regarding the handling of rebellious ministers, Suzong's court finally decided to "convict with the sixth class" according to the severity of the circumstances after a heated discussion.Specifically: the first-class felony beheaded in the downtown area;Among them, the former Henan Yin Daxixun and other 18 people were convicted of first-class felony and beheaded under Duliu in the southwest of Chang'an; seven people including former prime minister Chen Xilie were convicted of second-class crime and sentenced to death in Dali Prison. In terms of meritorious officials, Li Chu, the king of Guangping, was promoted to the king of Chu (in May of the following year, he was established as the prince, and later renamed Li Yu), Guo Ziyi was promoted to Situ, and Li Guangbi was promoted to Sikong; Rewards such as advancement, nobility, and food addition.In addition, Zhang Liangdi was promoted to concubine Shu (was established as queen in March of the following year), and the other nine princes of Suzong were also promoted to nobles, such as Nanyang king Li Xi was promoted to Zhao king, Xincheng king Li Zhi was promoted to Peng king, Li Lai, king of Yingchuan, was crowned king of Yan in Jin Dynasty. Finally, it is worth mentioning those martyrs who died heroically and died heroically in the counter-insurgency war.Suzong's court made a list, such as Yan Gaoqing, Yuan Luqian, Zhang Jieran, etc., were all regarded as meritorious officials. There is no disagreement about the vast majority of the martyrs on the list.However, one of them caused great controversy in the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty.Those who support him think that he has made outstanding achievements and is worthy of being famous in history.Those who demote him think that he is guilty. The crime is very simple, only two words: cannibalism. To this day, there are still many lawsuits about the merits and crimes of this character, and it is difficult to reach a conclusion.And the focus of the lawsuit is still those two words: cannibalism. This person who has been in contention through the ages is Zhang Xun.