Chapter 445: Hanzhong's surprise change

Fengzhou is located in the northwest of Liangzhou, sandwiched between Gyeonggi Province and Longyou Province. To the north is one of the four most famous passes entering Guanzhong, Dasan Pass, and its strategic location is extremely important.

At the same time, Fengzhou is also the starting point of Zhongnan Mountain. The area is filled with mountains and steep cliffs, making it extremely difficult to walk.

That afternoon, an army of more than 40,000 people marched rapidly among the mountains and ridges. Gao Xianzhi walked in the middle of the team. He was silent all the way and seemed to be worried. He had just received a letter from King Li Yu of Shu, willing to make his daughter Wu Niang the main concubine. Now Wu Niang is in Nanzheng County. It is said that she has agreed. Now he is asked to discuss the specific marriage and consort.

Gao Xianzhi read this letter no less than ten times. Based on his understanding of his daughter, he knew that his daughter didn't care about the concubine at all. He had only one person in his heart and would never agree to the marriage of the King of Shu. It was probably because his daughter was forced to do something against her will.

There is a problem here. How could my daughter be in Nanzheng? She didn't call her over at all. Gao Xianzhi suspected that Wu Niang had been tricked into Nanzheng, but he had no definite evidence.

Gao Xianzhi was worried not because of his daughter, but because of the recent changes in the situation. Li Yu in Chang'an passed away and Li Longji fled to Hanzhong. In this way, he faced two lords, whether to be loyal to Li Longji or the King of Shu.

Logically, they are father and son, and they should be one of the father and son. No matter who is loyal to them, it is the same. But Gao Xianzhi knew that the father and son only had the name of father and son, but without the relationship between father and son, and there was no need tolerate two tigers in one mountain. Sooner or later, the two of them would have a fire. This is why King Shu Li Yu was eager to marry his daughter, and he did not hesitate to depose the princess and made his daughter the official concubine.

If it were a few months ago, Gao Xianzhi would probably be moved. Being the Princess of Shu is also a good destination for his daughter. But now he doesn't think so anymore. Being the Princess of Shu is likely to cause trouble, and instead harm his daughter. Judging from the fact that all the generals under his command are willing to be loyal to Li Longji, Gao Xianzhi is not optimistic about the prospects of the King of Shu.

At this time, Gao Xianzhi's war horse sniffed twice, looking a little tired. Gao Xianzhi looked at the sky. It was already dusk, with dark clouds and gloomy weather, as if it was going to rain. There were no towns in front of him, and it happened to be a wide canyon. He ordered: "The army will camp on the spot and leave tomorrow dawn."

The army was exhausted from leaving, so they set up camp tents in the valleys, fetched water and drank horses, and buried pots to make rice.

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As night fell, the valley was particularly quiet, and from time to time, the sound of night owls crowing from branches came from the branches. The army of three thousand people laid nearly a hundred large tents, and did not erect camps, but set up whistles around. Gao Xianzhi couldn't sleep at night. He walked out of the tent. The dark clouds in the sky had become thinner. A bright moonlight was bright and dark. He had no direction to walk, and he was thinking in his heart. He was worried about the situation of the court and his destiny. Seeing that the battle for the throne had evolved into a melee between princes. In this melee, everyone needs to have their own seat, and where will Gao Xianzhi go?

At first he believed that the King of Shu was a wise lord who could rely on. The King of Shu was wise and wise, and had great ambitions. They talked and strengthened his determination to be loyal to the King of Shu. However, as time passed, some of the King of Shu began to be exposed, and his life began to become extravagant.

Completely lost in pleasure and debauchery, and completely lost the enterprising spirit of the beginning. Of course, as a royal prince, the King of Shu was a little extravagant life, but Gao Xianzhi was very disgusted with it. The King of Shu did not share the limited military expenditure with the soldiers, not to motivate the soldiers, but to build palaces and collect beautiful women. There were thousands of palace maids and eunuchs in the palace in Chengdu alone. Not only that, the King of Shu also brought his extravagant style into the military camp. His concubines could travel through the military camp without restraint. They occupied the soldiers' horse racing training ground just to satisfy their occasional horse riding interest, which aroused great indignation among the officers and soldiers.

All of these made Gao Xianzhi extremely dissatisfied. This was definitely not a capable monarch. If he became an emperor in the future, it would be a disaster for the Tang Dynasty. Gao Xianzhi began to reflect on him. Judging from the fact that he forced Wu Niang to marry him this time, he should have used the most despicable means. Gao Xianzhi was depressed and couldn't help but sigh to the sky. How should he face his daughter when he went to Nanzheng?

At this time, he heard a sound of horse hooves in the darkness, and then a patrol soldier shouted, "Who is it?"

"Please tell you Gao Dashi and say that his old master is here."

Gao Xianzhi was shocked. Who was his old master? Could it be?

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Gao Xianzhi was shocked and walked quickly to the people. In the night, there were only dozens of figures, all riding horses. At the front, there seemed to be an old man with a hunched body. Gao Xianzhi had no doubts anymore and immediately stepped forward and asked, "I am Gao Xianzhi, and the person who came is the emperor."

Li Longji's laughter came from the darkness, "Yes, Gao Aiqing, it's me!"

'I?'

Gao Xianzhi was a little confused. Didn’t the emperor abdicate? Why did he call himself me again? Without thinking carefully, he hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down on one knee and said, “I will meet Gao Xianzhi, please see His Majesty the emperor!”

The person who came was Li Longji. He came from Baogu Road. He was originally going to Nanzheng, but when he heard that Gao Xianzhi was in Fengzhou, he turned around and came to Fengzhou. He happened to meet Gao Xianzhi halfway. Li Longji smiled and said, "Gaoqing, I am a little thirsty. I will ask you for a glass of water first."

"Abide by the order! Please go to the minister's tent."

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Li Longji came to Gao Xianzhi not to make a temporary decision. As early as his body gradually recovered, he began to consider gathering military power in the world. First, his three sons, Shu, Jing, and Wu, and secondly, the three powerful brigades of Longyou, Shuofang and Jiannan. Li Longji knew better than anyone else that if he wanted to regain control of the world, holding military power was the most important thing. Only by holding military power could he compete with Li Yu and Li Qing'an.

With a light sound, a ball of flame lit up in Gao Xianzhi's hand. He lit an oil lamp, a halo expanded, illuminating the entire big tent. Gao Xianzhi added a lambskin to the seat and smiled and said, "This is my tent, which is a bit simple. Please sit down by the emperor."

Li Longji looked at the tent and saw that there was only a military blanket, a box for documents and a small table for handling official documents. He had nothing but that. Li Longji nodded secretly and heard that Gao Xianzhi could share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers. When he saw him today, it was true. Li Longji didn't say much, so he sat down at the small table. At this time, a personal soldier of Gao Xianzhi brought a cup of tea, and the guard next to him checked it, and placed it on the small table.

Li Longji picked up the teacup and took a sip, then slowly said: "Aiqing Gao, I am here to save your life."

Gao Xianzhi didn't know what Li Longji meant, so she stood aside and didn't dare to say anything. Li Longji glanced at him and sneered, "You are going to Nanzheng!"

"Yes! I received a letter from the King of Shu and was going to Nanzheng."

"That's right, so you can't go to Nanzheng in the end."

After pausing, Li Longji asked again: "How many troops have you brought?"

Gao Xianzhi heard Li Longji say it very brokenly, and he made people confused. He quickly responded: "Report to the emperor, I have brought three thousand troops."

"Three thousand troops? It's OK, maybe you can escape from the siege when you fight to the death."

Gao Xianzhi understood a little now, and he said in surprise: "The emperor means that there is something in front of him..."

Li Longji nodded slowly, "As you guessed, the King of Shu deployed 20,000 troops in Tianqin Canyon 150 miles ahead, just waiting for you to go. Did he think he really asked you to go to Nanzheng County?"

Gao Xianzhi was stunned. He knew about Tianqin Canyon. It was located on the only way to Nanzheng, about fifty miles away from Nanzheng County. It was a canyon that was extremely conducive to ambushing halfway. According to his march plan, he would arrive at Tianqin Gorge at noon tomorrow. According to Li Longji's intention, the King of Shu would ambush him in Tianqin Gorge. Gao Xianzhi was a little unbelievable. Will the King of Shu ambush him?

Li Longji saw the doubt in Gao Xianzhi's eyes, and then said slowly: "Shisanlang is my son. I know who he is. He has one thing on the surface and another on the back. I think you should have learned it. Maybe he didn't have the intention to kill you when he wrote a letter to ask you to go to Nanzheng, but now it's different, because a big incident happened the day before yesterday, enough to make him murderous intent on you. Gao Aiqing, do you know what it is?"

"The news of me is blocked, I don't know what happened?"

Li Longji smiled and said, "Because Brother Shuhan's army has defected to me."

"Ah!" Gao Xianzhi shouted in a low voice. Ge Shuhan actually defected to Li Longji. If he said so, the King of Shu must have known.

He now believed what Li Longji said. If Ge Shuhan really surrendered to Li Longji, it would not be surprising that the King of Shu would kill him. For a moment, Gao Xianzhi was in a mess and he didn't know what to do.

At this time, Li Longji looked at him and said, "Aiqing Gao, are you willing to defect to me?"

Gao Xianzhi lowered his head, sweat was already soaked on his forehead, and he didn't know what to do? He never thought of seeking refuge in Li Longji, he had never separated Li Longji and his son. In his heart, supporting the King of Shu is supporting Li Longji, but now, the father and son have already had a fight with each other, but he has not thought about his own side.

Li Longji's eyes looked through people, as if he had seen through Gao Xianzhi's heart. His more than 40 years of imperial career made him proficient in the art of controlling people. He looked at him, explored him, and tried him three times. This was his usual trick. He had been observing Gao Xianzhi for a long time. He saw Gao Xianzhi's dissatisfaction with the King of Shu. Gao Xianzhi was strict in governing the army and shared the joys and sorrows with the soldiers. The King of Shu was arrogant and extravagant and lustful in his military camp and did whatever he wanted. They were not the same person. From Gao Xianzhi's unwillingness to marry his daughter to the King of Shu, he knew that he was dissatisfied with the King of Shu.

Seeing through Gao Xianzhi's unsteady mind, Li Longji used the second step of Gao Xianzhi, that is, to test. He knew the reason and told him about his feelings, which made Gao Xianzhi fall into a dilemma, and he achieved his goal. At least he had already made Gao Xianzhi have a 50% intention to surrender to him.

The next step is his starting point, but it is not now. Li Longji knew that the canal had not been repaired yet, so he naturally would not come, so he gave Gao Xianzhi another bet of weight.

"Gao Aiqing, I will say a few more words to you. Emperor Li Yu is my eldest grandson. Although I am deeply dissatisfied with him, I still recognize his throne. After all, he is my designated successor. Unfortunately, he died young and is his son who succeeded the throne. But I don't admit it. Without my recognition, no one can claim to be emperor. Therefore, the current emperor of the Tang Dynasty is not Li Shi, but me. Now I am still the emperor of the Tang Empire. But I am very weak now, no one supports it, and there is no time to announce it to the people of the world. If Gao Aiqing supports me, I will give you the merit of supporting you. In the future, Longyou, Jiannan and Anxi will be selected by you. I will actually enthrone your ten thousand households and make you a true king of a different surname. This is my promise to you."

Gao Xianzhi nodded silently, "Please let your majesty think about it."

"good!"

Li Longji stood up slowly and said, "I give you time to consider it, but I want to remind you again that there are 20,000 ambushers in Tianqin Gorge, so you can do it yourself."

After saying that, Li Longji walked out staggeringly. His guard wanted to help him, but he was thrown away by him. "I can leave by myself!"

Gao Xianzhi did not go to see Li Longji off. He was still sitting in the tent motionless, like a statue of a meditator. After a while, a drizzle woke him from his meditation. It seemed that it was raining outside.

Gao Xianzhi felt a chill. He put on a piece of clothing and walked out of the tent. It was indeed raining outside, and it was misty.

This night rain in the deep valley makes people feel sad. Gao Xianzhi couldn't help but think of the past. He was eighteen years old that year, with a high spirit, and he was full of energy. He rode his horse and rode in the Anxi desert. The distant mountains were covered with snow and the grasslands were covered with white clouds. Thirty years have passed in this flash. Now he is nearly fifty years old. Can the martyr still have ambitions?

He remembered the promise Li Longji gave him, "If you help me, you should make the merit of support and be given the title of 10,000 households."

Gao Xianzhi felt passionate in his heart. He would rather not have ten thousand households. He just wanted to return to Anxi and make up for the years he had lost.

Just when Gao Xianzhi was in a state of peace, suddenly, a rapid horn sound came from the front and rear of the camp at almost the same time, "Woo~!'

The sound of the horn echoed in the rain, which was an alarm about the enemy. Gao Xianzhi was shocked. This was a canyon, and there was a sound of the horn in front and behind, which meant that they were surrounded.

He shouted: "Order all the soldiers to get on their horses and throw away the baggage!"

The camp was in chaos, and the soldiers didn't care about packing their luggage. They hurriedly put on their armor and turned over the horse. Gao Xianzhi also got on the horse, holding a long spear, and stared nervously at the situation outside the camp. In the rain and fog, he felt a large number of troops surrounding him, but did not attack them. Who could this be?

The personal captain came forward to report: "The general is surrounded by a large army in front and behind, with a total of 50,000 or 60,000 people."

At this time, a shout came from outside the camp: "Gao Damashu, Your Majesty the Emperor, please see you."

Gao Xianzhi suddenly realized that this was Geshuhan's army. It seemed that Geshuhan's army was already nearby with Li Longji's arrival.

Gao Xianzhi sighed, and Li Longji's aggressive offensive made him have no choice. He urged his horse to walk outside the camp, and saw that there were troops standing densely outside the camp, holding a rosin torch in his hands, burning in the fine rain and fog, shining the night like day.

Between a team of cavalry, an old man with a hunched back was Li Longji who had just left Gao Xianzhi camp. He was wearing a straw raincoat and a hat. His face was filled with a smug smile under the reflection of the fire. He had seen it and tested it. Now was the time for him to start.

When he saw Gao Xianzhi coming, he smiled and said, "Gaoqing, have you considered it?"

Gao Xianzhi turned over and dismounted, walked quickly to Li Longji and knelt down. He finally made up his mind and said loudly: "My dear Gao Xianzhi, I am willing to go through fire and water for Your Majesty, and I will never refuse!"

Li Longji quickly ordered someone to help Gao Xianzhi up. He laughed so happily. For several years, he had never been as comfortable as he was now. Now that Ge Shuhan and Gao Xianzhi have surrendered to him, God finally gave him a chance again.

"Gao Aiqing, go back and order troops as soon as possible. We will meet in Nanzheng."
To be continued...