Chapter 526: The Frightened Bird

As Princess Zhao and his son, more than 300 ministers and family members evacuated, the situation in Chang'an City began to suddenly become tense. Chang'an County and Wannian County implemented curfews one after another. As soon as the sky was dark, the rumbling drums in Chang'an City began to sound. This was the sound of closing the gates. After three hundred drums, all the gates in Chang'an will be closed. The army began to clean up the streets and prevent people from going out.

The tension in Chang'an also affected every family. Almost all Chang'an people realized that Li Qing'an's return would change the Tang Dynasty. They all felt the tension of the situation. It was just dark and every household was closed. Businessmen in the east and west cities also closed shops, restaurants and inns, brothels, and other entertainment venues also stopped picking up customers.

The streets and alleys were deserted, with only wild dogs quietly appearing in the darkness. From time to time, you could hear the sound of horse hooves of cavalry running by, and the sound of soldiers running by foot boots.

Just after the hour of the Hai Dynasty, Chang'an County had an unusual movement. A large number of troops gathered in Taipingfang, Chang'an County. At this time, Taipingfang was already crowded with black troops, cavalry, infantry, and crossbowmen, all of whom were fully armed and murderous. All the news exits in Taipingfang were blocked. The people were not allowed to leave the house, and even pigeons were not allowed to fly. Not only were there special people hunting, but who dared to release pigeons, the army would immediately smash the door and rush in to catch people.

This is no longer a simple curfew. This tense atmosphere is a precursor to war, and a war is indeed about to break out here.

There have been 15,000 troops, 10,000 Niuwei and 5,000 Yulin Army in Taipingfang, led by General Nan Jiyun and Changsun Quanxu. They will capture the imperial city tonight.

The Imperial City was the concentration of government agencies of the Tang Dynasty. The Sixth Department of Shangshu, and the major warehouses that store various materials were all in the Imperial City. Those who store raw materials were the supervisors, military weapons that store weapons and armor, Zuozang warehouses that store property and money, Taicang and Sinong Temple warehouses that stockpile grain and grass, etc. It can be said that the imperial city concentrated nearly half of the national treasures in the world, especially the food in Taicang and Sinong Temple warehouses is as much as three million stones, which has extremely important strategic value.

At present, the imperial city is controlled by the Yulin Army, which is loyal to Li Heng. It has few troops, only 3,000. However, according to the agreement reached by Li Qing'an and Li Heng, the troops of both sides of the national treasury shall not be used, otherwise the Treaty of Partition and Reign of Zhuque Street will be invalidated immediately.

It was precisely because of this treaty that since Li Heng ascended the throne, he did not dare to act rashly and privately handed over the treasury supplies to the Guanzhong army. Every morning, soldiers from Qianniu Guards would come to check the inventory of materials. Each piece of materials would be collected clearly, and the Qianniu Guards would randomly check and review it.

Although Li Heng was quite annoyed by Qianniuwei's review, he had no choice but tolerated Qianniuwei's strict supervision in order to win Li Qing'an's support.

But with the sudden tension in the current situation, Li Qing'an and Li Heng would turn against each other at any time, and the partition agreement signed by the two would be invalidated at any time. In order to prevent Li Heng from moving away the materials in the imperial city, Li Qing'an issued an order two days ago to take action in advance and seize the imperial city. This was also his third important action after he withdrew his family and occupied Tongguan.

The operation was fully commanded by Nan Jiyun. The reason why the attack point was placed in Taipingfang was because the northeast corner of Taipingfang was opposite the Hanguang Gate in the Imperial City.

The army has gradually gathered. At this moment, Nan Jiyun was riding on a horse, holding a bow in one hand, waiting for news from the spies. He once again led his soldiers to inspect the major warehouses of the imperial city this afternoon. There were no signs of Li Heng moving the supplies. However, this afternoon, there were signs of large-scale mobilization of the Guanzhong army, and Li Heng should have taken action. If it were not tonight, then tomorrow during the day, the Guanzhong army would definitely move all kinds of supplies in the imperial city.

Time passed little by little, Nan Jiyun's lips gradually clenched, and the horizontal knife in his waist was also sweating. At this moment, a highlight appeared above the imperial city, and the "bang!" exploded. This was a signal of action sent by the scout who sneaked into the imperial city.

Nan Jiyun immediately ordered: "Destroy the wall!"

In the northeast corner of Taipingfang, thousands of Niu Guard soldiers were ready. When Nan Jiyun's order came, thousands of Niu Guard soldiers rushed under the wall and began to push the wall together.

The wall is about three meters high, basically made of soil and bricks. The wall has a history of more than 100 years and is a bit dilapidated and old. With the efforts of the soldiers of the Qianniu Guard, the wall begins to shake and fall.

"one two three!"

With the last shout of the soldiers, a wall of more than 100 feet finally collapsed, dust flew, and 15,000 troops rushed towards the imperial city like a flood that broke into a dam.

The dull sound of collapse and the slight trembling of the ground woke the entire Taipingfang people, and also alarmed the Hanguang Gate defenders more than 20 meters away. There were more than 200 defenders in Hanguang Gate, most of whom lived on the high gate tower. At this time, many defenders were already asleep, but the sound of the collapse of the wall alarmed them. The soldiers ran to the city tower and looked down. The situation in front of them shocked them. The overwhelming army had rushed to the city tower, crowding the entire street in black, and hundreds of soldiers were rushing towards the city gate with thick wooden hammers.

"Boom!" A muffled sound, like a muffled thunder on the ground, the silent night was broken by the sound of the door knocking. The soldiers in the entire imperial city woke up from their dreams. They looked at each other, not knowing what had happened.

The vermilion Hanguang gate was about three meters high and was wrapped in iron sheet. The gate was very thick, but the gate was not particularly protected. It was only a wooden strip that was eight feet long and two inches thick. The strip could not withstand a critical blow and broke suddenly. The gate opened and 15,000 troops rushed into the imperial city like a tide.

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The impact of Hanguang Gate did not reach the Daming Palace. Li Heng was awakened by a rush of slap in the door. Some eunuchs reported in panic: "Your Majesty, something happened!"

At this time, Li Heng was already a little bit of a soldier. He was so scared that he turned over and sat up from the bed, and asked in a trembling voice: "What's going on... is the matter?"

"Nan Jiyun and Changsun Quanxu led 15,000 troops to occupy the imperial city."

Li Heng was shocked. His first reaction was that the palace coup had changed. He jumped up and circled on the ground, panicking like an ant on a hot pan, and said anxiously: "Where is my clothes? Where is my boots? Put them on me quickly!"

Queen Zhang, who was sleeping with him, was still calm. She quickly whispered: "Your Majesty, don't be anxious, it's not the Daming Palace, it's the Imperial City!"

"Imperial City?"

Li Heng calmed down suddenly, and he asked anxiously: "Didn't Qianniu Wei attack Tai Chi Palace or Daming Palace?"

"No, they only occupied the imperial city and did not attack the palace city."

Li Heng breathed a sigh of relief, sat on the bed, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said to Queen Zhang: "I'm scared to death, thanks to the Queen's calmness."

Queen Zhang also put on her clothes and stood up. She ordered the palace maid to light up the lamp and said to Li Heng: "Your Majesty, I guess Li Qing'an wants to seize the kuobin, so they occupy the imperial city."

Li Heng took a breath of air, and then he realized, yes! That must be true. In fact, Li Qingan overestimated him. He just ordered the Li clan to lead 60,000 troops into Hanzhong this afternoon, and only 20,000 Jinwu Guards were left by his side, and he had no ability to move the treasury.

"Go and summon Wang Gong to meet him!"

Li Heng thought that the national treasury was seized by Li Qing'an, and he couldn't help but panic. At this time, Li Fuguo also received the news and hurried over. He said at the door: "Your Majesty, you are an old slave."

"Come in!"

Li Fuguo entered the inner bedroom and said anxiously to Li Heng: "Your Majesty, don't call Wang Gong!"

Li Heng was stunned and asked, "Why?"

"The current situation is very unfavorable to Your Majesty. We only have 20,000 Jinwu Guards. We should try to let them know as little as possible, otherwise it will cause panic. If they leak the news, Qianniu Guards will attack us immediately."

"But I know the stock of the warehouse."

"Your Majesty, I know, go and recall the eunuchs who proclaimed the eunuch."

Li Heng suddenly woke up and said quickly: "Call the people back quickly, don't call Wang Gong to meet him."

Li Fuguo took out a note from his side and said to Li Heng: "This is the newspaper I just received. Please check it out."

This is actually a memorial submitted by the Ministry of Revenue three days ago. Regarding the inventory counting situation, the memorial was detained by Li Fuguo. He didn't want Li Heng to know the truth, but now he knows that he can't hide it anymore.

At this time, Li Heng was flustered and did not notice that the date of the memorial had been changed. He hurriedly browsed it. He found that the food was 3.5 million stones, the money was 5.3 million stags, the silk was 12 million pieces, the Anxi silver dollar was 1.7 million, and there were countless other gold, silver and wealth. This was just the memorial of the Ministry of Revenue, and other military supplies, and there was no more here.

Li Heng felt blood in his heart. So much money and food were seized by Qianniuwei. He suddenly frowned and asked, "I remember a few days ago, didn't you tell me that there was not much money and food in the warehouse? How could there be so much?"

In order to let his nephew take office as the Dushi Envoy, Li Fuguo deliberately concealed the truth about the money and grain from Li Heng. At this time, he had a solution. He stomped his feet and said, "Your Majesty, I heard what Fang Guan said, and I was deceived by him."

Fang Guan was secretly given poisoned wine by Li Heng this afternoon, and there was no evidence of his death. Li Heng believed Li Fuguo's words and stopped pursuing him, and then said worriedly: "Now Li Qing'an has taken action everywhere. I am very worried that he will know the news that he will lead his army south tomorrow, so that we know that our troops are empty and will attack the Ming Palace. I want to leave Chang'an overnight."

According to Li Heng's original plan, he first sent his son to lead his army to Hanzhong, and then waited for the troops from Henan and Hedong roads to return to Guanzhong, and then followed the brigade south. However, he never expected that Wang Sili would betray him at the most critical moment, occupy Tongguan, cut off the withdrawal of the Central Plains army, and completely disrupt his plan.

In the morning, Linghu Fei meant to go in two steps, sending people to negotiate with Li Qing'an, and then they quietly retreated south within three days. But tonight, Qian Niuwei occupied the imperial city, which made Li Heng panic again. He felt that he could not stay for a moment.

Before Li Fuguo could answer, Queen Zhang next to him suddenly interrupted. She understood what Li Heng meant and left the ministers and ran away quietly. This was not possible. Many ministers were persuaded by her hard work.

"Have your Majesty forgotten one of the most important things?"

Li Heng looked back at her in surprise, "What's the matter?"

"Your Majesty left behind Wang Gong and other ministers and went to Chengdu in the future. What if the ministers there did not support Your Majesty? Wouldn't Your Majesty become a lonely man?"

Queen Zhang's words suddenly reminded Li Heng that there is a very possibility. If the ministers there support King Rong, or Shiliulang and Shibalang, then he will be in trouble.

"What should I do according to the Queen's wishes?"

"I mean to inform everyone to go together."

"no!"

Li Fuguo rejected Queen Zhang's proposal on the spot, "If someone has a strange intention and tells the Anxi Army, then we will be all done."

Li Heng was silent. He gently pinched his forehead and considered a complete plan. After a while, he said to Li Fuguodao: "Let's do this! I and the queen go first, we will wait in Hanzhong. You will inform all the officials for me at dawn. If you are willing to go with me, come to Hanzhong to meet up quickly. I will take them to Chengdu together."

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In Yong County, Fengxiang Prefecture, Li Qing'an's 100,000 Anxi army had already been stationed in Guanzhong, and the soldiers were directed to Li Heng's Guanzhong army, but Li Qing'an was not in a hurry to launch troops to attack. He needed to wait for the time to be ripe.

In the early morning, Li Qing'an got up early and waited for news from Chang'an. Yesterday he received information that his wife, children and more than 300 ministers had retreated to Wugong County. Wang Sili lived up to his expectations and occupied Tongguan and intercepted Li Heng's 100,000 troops from Henan and Hedong Road to retreat westward. Now there is only Li Heng's 80,000 troops in Guanzhong area, and the time is ripe.

Although the time was ripe, Li Qingan still had no plans to send troops. Killing Li Heng was easy for him. However, it would be difficult to create another emperor who was resisted by the world and criticized by the world. Li Qingan thought about it for a long time, and he felt that it would be more useful to keep Li Heng than to kill him.

If Li Heng worked hard like Li Yu and was brave enough to attack the royal family to reverse land annexation, then Li Qing'an would kill such a person without hesitation, while Li Heng was different. He was detrimental to his virtues, and was boycotted by all officials, and was boycotted by all counties in the world. Moreover, this person valued eunuchs and acquiesced to land annexation, he was like a cancer. Such a cancer would not be used to harm Li Longji, but wanted to kill him. Isn't he too stupid?

If you kill him, the people in the world will have no object of hatred. So will the prefectures and counties in the world be loyal to themselves or to Li Longjili's new emperor?

Politics is actually very simple. To put it bluntly, it is to maximize profits. The difference between politicians and politicians is that their vision is different. A longer vision is called a politician, and a shorter vision is called a politician.

It was after repeated consideration and weighing, that Li Qing'an finally made a decision, ordering the Anxi defenders in Ziwu Valley to withdraw and give up a way for Li Hengnan, and at the same time ordered Nan Jiyun to occupy the imperial city.

Just then, a burst of rapid running sounds came from outside, and a personal soldier came to report: "General, Chang'an is in a hurry!"

"Pick it in!"

The personal soldiers entered the tent and handed a red pigeon letter on it, indicating that the situation was urgent. Li Qing'an opened the letter tube and shook a roll of paper from it. He saw a sentence on it: 'Li Heng had fled to Hanzhong last night, and the situation in Chang'an was in chaos.'
Chapter completed!