To the north is the roar of the Yellow River, to the south is the Qinling Mountains, to the east is the raging banditry, and to the west is the great trust of the country. No one can empathize with how much pressure Ge Shuhan is under.
He had lost count of how many attacks he had repelled in succession, but because he did not dare to leave the city to pursue them, he was unable to launch an annihilating offensive against the rebels. The enemy force continued as if it would never end.
Fortunately, the situation in Hebei is improving now. If we stick to it, the rebels will be the first to fail. Ge Shuhan was ready for a protracted war. He also took his good friend Cao Buzhe from Chang'an to Tongguan to take care of him.
Diet and daily life.
In mid-October, when the weather got colder and colder, taking advantage of a break in the rebel offensive, Cao Buzhe heated hot water and asked Ge Shuhan to take off his armor and wash away the blood all over his body.
"Look at you, you're so dirty."
"Now that I've washed myself, can I fight with you on the bed tonight?"
"Old man, please wash your mouth first."
Ge Shuhan leaned in the bath bucket, sighed comfortably, rubbed his forehead, took Cao Buzhe's hand, and said, "Go get me a bag of wine."
"Stop drinking, you haven't drunk enough?!"
"You know I love you, just because I love the shaochun wine you brewed. Bring it quickly."
"That's because I put ecstasy in the wine. Myrrh will kill you." Cao Buzhe cursed.
Previously in Longyou, Ge Shuhan had already reduced his drinking due to physical discomfort, but after arriving at Tongguan, he drank more and more. But she scolded him, and she knew that Ge Shuhan had been upset recently, so she had to go get him some wine.
Ge Shuhan continued to soak for a while, and suddenly he heard the drums beating loudly at the top of the city, and the soldiers shouted "enemy attack" again.
He stood up from the hot water with his tall body, and just as he was about to step out of the tub, he suddenly felt dizzy, and then his vision went dark and he fell heavily to the ground.
"Boom!"
I don't know how long it took for him to wake up slowly. He struggled with his eyelids for a long time before he opened his eyes. He wanted to move but couldn't. He could only weakly curse, "Eating dog intestines, the ghost is on the bed."
His eyes were shaking slightly all the time, and he couldn't see anything clearly. Cao Buzhe's crying sound came to his ears, and he thought that this evil woman would cry for him.
"Stop arguing, you go out...how is the offensive?" He opened his mouth, feeling that his tongue was weak.
"Which offensive is Commander Jie asking about? You have been in a coma for five days, and Madam Cao has been hanging on you with soup."
"I can't move."
Ge Shuhan was still confused, so he heard someone say, "The doctor said you have had a stroke." He was stunned, feeling sad and relieved at the same time, sad that his lifelong hero had ended up paralyzed.
The people around him kept comforting him, saying that he would be fine if he could be raised, but he was too lazy to listen and said: "I'll send you a memorial and ask the saint to choose another good general."
I thought that this illness would relieve me of the heavy burden on my shoulders, but I didn't expect that the decree from Chang'an asked him to continue to serve as commander and put down the rebellion.
Ge Shuhan was paralyzed in bed and could no longer manage affairs, so he had to entrust military and political affairs to Tian Liangqiu.
The name Tian Liangqiu has not appeared in any merit books of the Longyou Army before, whether it is Shibao City or the battle to regain Hequ. The reason why Ge Shuhan asked him to temporarily replace him is because Tian Liangqiu is a saint.
Although the people sent to keep an eye on the movements of the 200,000-strong army did not have the name of supervising the army, they actually had the capacity to supervise the army.
On the other hand, Ge Shuhan was not convinced about Tian Liangqiu's talents, and asked Yan Zhenqing to take charge of logistics, Wang Sili to command the cavalry, and Li Chengguang to command the infantry, deliberately letting them compete with Tian Liangqiu for power.
An Lushan's rebellion and the sage's order to kill Gao Xianzhi made him feel that General Hu was beginning to be distrusted, and he always felt like a light on his back recently.
In this way, he not only has to worry about the immediate war, but also makes arrangements for the aftermath.
He is old and sick, has many children and grandchildren, and countless generals. He himself can die, but he must give a proper explanation to everyone under his wings.
So, after his symptoms improved a little, he asked Yan Zhenqing to meet him alone.
"What does Mr. Yan think of the situation?"
Yan Zhenqing said: "Not long ago, good news came from Hebei. Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi have recaptured Jingcheng, Hejian, Xindu, and Zhaojun. They are currently preparing to attack Fanyang. In addition, the rebels' eastern strategy has been completely contained. Yong
In the battle of Qiu, the officers and soldiers killed more than ten thousand thieves. They were surrounded on all sides, and Anlu Mountain was at the end of its rope."
"Maybe the rebellion can be put down before the New Year?"
"Even if it's not before the Chinese New Year, it should be within two months. The morale of the rebels and... Luoyang's food reserves will not last long."
Ge Shuhan couldn't sit up, so he turned his neck and asked, "Then, what is Mr. Yan still worried about?"
Although Yan Zhenqing was tired, he always maintained a determined look, with only a hint of worry deep in his eyes. He did not answer when he heard this, but shook his head to show that he was not worried.
"But it has something to do with Xue Bai?" Ge Shuhan asked, "Is Mr. Yan afraid that he will be implicated by this son-in-law?"
His tongue was weak, but he persisted in pointing out the situation faced by Yan Zhenqing, and continued: "I heard that the saint appointed Helan Jinming, the governor of Beihai, as the envoy to Hebei, and the governor of Dongping, and he succeeded King Wu Li Zhi as the envoy to Henan.
He just refuses to talk about Xue Bai's achievements in quelling the rebellion, and seems to want to escort him back to Chang'an?"
"Suppressing the rebellion is the most important thing, so why worry about your personal future?"
"To be honest, Mr. Yan, I'm very worried." Ge Shuhan murmured, "I've been thinking recently, what will happen when the rebellion is put down?"
Huangfu Weiming and Wang Zhongsi, the two governors of Longyou, have learned from the past. He has always tried to avoid matters involving the crown prince, but as the saint gets older, this matter cannot be avoided. As a minister, once he is involved in the future,
Thinking about it, it is difficult to refuse to get close to the East Palace, unless sycophants like Yang Guozhong only care about the scenery in front of them and are willing to suppress the prince for the saint.
But two years ago, Brother Shuhan was not careful and let Li Xiu come under the curtain. He thought that Li Linfu's son had nothing to do with the East Palace. When King Qing became the prince, he suddenly discovered that Xue Bai was the leader of the prince's party, and Li Xiu was Xue Bai's
Yan Zhenqing was Xue Bai's father-in-law. At that time, there were countless people among the Longyou generals who were attracted by Li Xiu. In addition to Wang Nannan and Li Sheng, there were also Wang Sili, Li Guangbi, Li Feiyuanli, etc.
At this point, it was no longer possible for Geshuhan to be alone, especially after the rebellion, the saint became more and more suspicious of the general and did not allow him to be ambiguous anymore. And even if he resigned due to illness after suppressing the rebellion, these things would still be left to his descendants.
The department will be responsible for it in the future.
In other words, the situation he faced was actually the same as that of Yan Zhenqing, so he really wanted to hear Yan Zhenqing's views on Xue Bai's incident.
Or, he wanted to know whether Xue Bai had contacted Yan Zhenqing?
But Yan Zhenqing let out a long sigh and said: "National affairs are the most important thing. What should we think about after putting down the rebellion? It is better for the commander-in-chief to relax and rest."
Seeing that Yan Zhenqing was still so calm at this juncture, Ge Shuhan thought about it and summoned his general Wang Sili after meeting Yan Zhenqing.
"How is your relationship with Xue Bai?"
In fact, Wang Sili and Xue Bai had never met, but as soon as he heard this question, he immediately took a few steps forward to Ge Shuhan's bed and whispered: "Although I don't know Xue Bai, I feel for him
Unfair.”
"Why?"
"An Lushan's heart has long been known to everyone on the road. The saint stubbornly refused to remonstrate, indulged his trust, and led to rebellion. However, he said that it was because Xue Bai forced Anlu Mountain to rebel. How foolish is it? The saint has long lost the wisdom in his prime.
Now sitting on the dragon throne is a sleepy old fool!"
"Shut up, you are too presumptuous."
Ge Shuhan stopped Wang Sili. After a while, he asked again: "Did you put your fingerprint on Li Xiu's blood letter?"
"Does Commander Ji know about it?" Wang Sili's eyes changed, and he quickly apologized and said, "If this happens, please Commander Ji, please kill me so as not to implicate Commander Ji."
"Aren't you afraid of death?"
"The last general followed Wang Jieshuai when he was thirteen years old. From Shuofang to Longyou, I saw him being wronged and suffered. Now I see the rebels attacking the eastern capital. I finally understand that if the saint does not abdicate, I will inevitably avoid Wang Jieshuai sooner or later.
,Xue Bai’s fate.”
When Ge Shuhan heard this, he stopped yelling. At this point in the situation, Wang Sili was no longer the only one who was ready to take action. He couldn't stop yelling. No wonder Wang Sili was like this. The saint's ignorance was indeed obvious to all. The original halo of wisdom and martial prowess had been shattered.
Prestige plummeted.
The human heart is like a raging torrent that no one can stop. It is already difficult not to be buried in it.
"Since Commander Jie knows everything, I have long wanted to advise you." Wang Sili thought for a while and then said something even more treacherous, "The rebellion is about to be put down, and Commander Ji will command an army of 200,000 people and sit down.
Tongguan, have you ever thought about... planning for your descendants and the world?"
Needless to say, the meaning is very simple. No one knows what else a foolish, willful, and jealous emperor will do. It is better to use the current military strength to support the crown prince. From now on, even if he becomes an official, he can enjoy wealth and wealth in peace.
Children and grandchildren have no worries.
It's very simple, and the benefits are huge.
But Ge Shuhan lay there motionless, as if he didn't hear anything.
When Wang Sili saw that he was silent, he was overjoyed, because he knew that his brother Shu Han had already considered the matter, and said: "When the rebellion is put down, the saint must take back the military power of the commander. If he is determined to help the country, the commander should make preparations early.
...How about asking Yang Guozhong to be executed?"
"No."
"An Lushan raised his army in the name of 'Qingjun side'. Yang Guozhong is unshirkable in this rebellion. This traitor is unpopular. If he is killed, the public will rejoice. The saint will no longer be surrounded by traitors, so he will naturally not be poor.
The extravagance is extreme. All the officials also know that they are loyal and loyal to the country, so they will definitely support the East Palace."
Ge Shuhan had suffered a stroke and couldn't move, otherwise he would have to kick Wang Sili and said, "In this case, I am treason. What's the difference between me and An Lushan?"
"Anlushan is ambitious and rebellious. Commander Jie is acting out of loyalty and to preserve the country. How can they be compared?" Wang Sili said: "I only need to bring thirty cavalry back to Chang'an. In less than two days, Yang Guozhong can be hijacked to Tongguan and beheaded.
Showing it to the public to boost the morale of the army. This is my unauthorized action and has nothing to do with the military commander."
Ge Shuhan had no choice but to reveal his real concerns and said: "You don't understand the saint. If you do this, you won't be able to suppress the saint. You will only anger him, and the consequences will be disastrous."
There are many generals like Tian Liangqiu in Tongguan who have been appointed by saints. Once they ask Yang Guozhong to be punished, they will definitely alert the enemy and raise the saint's vigilance. It should be noted that the saint is already suspicious of him.
"Then just support the crown prince."
"No."
"The commander-in-chief should keep cutting off, but he will suffer chaos instead!"
"Shut up, this is absolutely not allowed, don't let me hear you mention it again!"
Wang Sili thought to himself that if Xue Bai was in Chang'an, he might be able to give the prince a push, but the saint might have been wary of this, so he couldn't wait to take Xue Bai into custody regardless of the situation in Hebei and Henan.
He thought for a while and said: "If Yang Guozhong is not eliminated for the time being, we can kill An Sishun first."
"An Sishun?"
The topic suddenly moved to An Sishun's head, but Ge Shuhan began to think deeply.
He has always had a personal grudge with An Sishun, so let's not mention it for now.
In the past, he and An Sishun were both under the command of Wang Zhongsi, and later they were appointed as the military envoys of Longyou and Hexi respectively. They were still of equal strength until An Sishun concurrently served as the military envoy of Shuofang. The Shuofang army was truly elite and had great combat power.
Not inferior to Longyou Army.
After An Lushan's rebellion, the saint ordered An Sishun to return to the court and serve as Minister of War. At the same time, he divided Shuofang's army into two, and one part was led by Guo Ziyi to attack Hebei eastward.
As for the other part, according to secrets, they are now preparing to move south from Lingwu to support the defense of Guanzhong.
So, why did the saint secretly mobilize Shuo's army to defend Chang'an after Ge Shuhan had led an army of 200,000 to defend Tongguan?
The answer is obvious, it must be to check and balance his brother Shu Han.
The reason why the saint transferred An Sishun back to the court was not necessarily because he thought An Sishun was colluding with An Lushan, but because he wanted to test his loyalty before deciding whether to use him to lead Shuofang's army.
Wang Sili is the son of Shuofang Army General Wang Qianwei. He has grown up in Shuofang since he was a child. The news about An Sishun and Shuofang Army was given to him by his old friend. He knew the matter very well and said: "Commander Jie Ruo."
If we don't get rid of An Sishun, we might be harmed by An Sishun."
"I have always disliked An Sishun, do you know why?" Ge Shuhan said slowly: "He has obviously had a good relationship with An Lushan since he was a child, but he deliberately pretends to be at odds; he also obviously respects his own troops and secretly orders Hexi
The ministries forced the imperial court to keep him in office; he forced Albuis to rebel and wooed Li Guangbi, but when the critical moment came, he did not dare to raise troops together with An Lushan..."
After counting An Sishun's major crimes, Ge Shuhan remembered something and asked: "Did Shi Chaoying escape?"
"Yes." Wang Sili said, "I was self-defeating. I didn't expect that she would escape."
"Where is the letter between An Sishun and An Lushan? Can it still be found?"
Wang Sili thought for a while and responded: "I can get it back."
The Saint did not fully trust An Sishun, so it would be a safer way to accuse An Sishun of colluding with An Lushan and use the Saint's help to eliminate a threat first than to directly kill Yang Guozhong.
~~
Chang'an.
Yang Guozhong walked out of Xingqing Palace with a very serious look on his face. He called over Jinwu Guards and said, "Do you know where An Sishun's mansion is?"
"Know."
"Go get him!"
That day, An Sishun was playing with his grandson at home. He was extremely surprised when he saw Jin Wuwei crashing into the door.
He did not expect that he would be detained and thought that the crisis had been resolved.
Since An Lushan was preparing to rebel, he had written in advance to remind the court that An Lushan would rebel. After the order to depose Shuofang Jiedushi arrived, he resigned without hesitation and returned to Chang'an to show his loyalty.
When the rebels conquered Luoyang, the saint was furious and executed An Qingzong, the eldest son of An Lushan who settled in Chang'an. However, An Sishun was not involved, which shows that the saint had believed him at that time.
On the day when Anqing Zong was beheaded in front of everyone, the saint also decreed that Princess Rongyi should be killed. But now that Li Cong has become the prince and has some power, he actually goes against the cowardice of the past and fights for disobedience.
Shengyi also wanted to protect his adopted daughter. This incident made the relationship between the saint and the prince tense. For this reason, there was a secret turmoil in Chang'an City. The saint even secretly mobilized Shuofang's army to enter the court and considered recruiting An Sishun.
He never expected that what was waiting for him was not a letter of appointment, but a pair of iron shackles...
"Right Prime Minister?!"
When Yang Guozhong's figure appeared in the dark cell, An Sishun stood up from the thatch and asked, "What's going on?!"
"The letter you secretly sent to An Lushan was found." Yang Guozhong casually threw the letter into the prison, "Oh, I got it from outside Tongguan Pass."
"This is frame-up, such a simple trick, how can the right prime minister not see it?!"
"It's not important." Yang Guozhong said, "I'm here today to see you off. I also want to ask you if you have any last words."
"What do you mean? Do you really dare to kill me?"
"It's not me who wants to kill you, but the saint who wants to kill you."
An Sishun shook his head and laughed, not believing it at all.
"Your right minister knows that I went into the palace not long ago to discuss the situation in Guanzhong with the saint, and discussed that Ge Shuhan might have falsely made prophecies, and made a report in the East Palace to accuse Chengyu of his grave sin. Now Ge Shuhan is the first to file a lawsuit against the evil people, hoping to frame me falsely.
How can a saint believe it?"
He became angry and shouted: "Ge Shuhan is the one who wants to rebel! How dare he wrong me?! How dare he wrong me?!"
Hearing the familiar charge, Yang Guozhong also smiled and waved for people to bring the tables, seat cushions, wine and food, and drank and talked with An Sishun through the fence.
This move made An Sishun feel chilled. He was silent for a long time, drinking wine with his eyes thinking.
"I only remember two people who were able to get out of this death row. Unfortunately, you are not Xue Bai." Yang Guozhong said: "Don't think too much. No matter whether you recruit or not, you will definitely die."
"Why?"
"You chose the wrong path. You have military power, but you only know how to show your loyalty to the saint. Did Gao Xianzhi die because of his disloyalty? I don't understand this. If you don't die, who will die?"
An Sishun was stunned for a moment, then sluggish for a moment, and suddenly woke up.
It wasn't until he was imprisoned that he understood from Yang Guozhong's words why he was in trouble.
Ever since An Lushan rebelled and Gao Xianzhi abandoned Luoyang, the sage had been worried that he could no longer trust these Hu generals as before. However, the sage looked around and saw that only Hu generals could be used, so he could only hold on.
The nose continues to use them.
Even not only Hu generals, but also anyone who might threaten the emperor's status will be suspected. After all, as early as the fifth year of Tianbao, the crime of "falsely claiming prophecies" has not been eliminated.
It is impossible to eliminate suspicion, and it is useless to express loyalty. Instead, we must raise troops to rebel like An Lushan, or support our troops and respect ourselves like Ge Shuhan, so that we can protect ourselves.
"No."
An Sishun shook his head violently and said, "A saint would never be like this. He has always been broad-minded and tolerant. He is definitely not like this. The saint I know is definitely not like this."
Yang Guozhong didn't answer, he just drank. He was not about to die, so there was no need to explain these questions thoroughly.
The reason why he came has his own purpose.
"For the sake of this feast of wine and meat, tell me, who can be trusted among the Shuofang army in Lingwu now?"
An Sishun shook his head and murmured: "If the saint doesn't even believe in me, who can he believe in?"
Yang Guozhong said: "Of course it's me."
"Ha?" An Sishun laughed angrily, looked at the empty and dark cell, and said: "I am a dying person, why do you have to show off? Your so-called loyalty is different from An Lushan and Ge Shuhan.
What’s the difference?”
"The saint still believes in me, that's enough."
"That's because you are useless." An Sishun spat.
Yang Guozhong was thick-skinned and didn't bother to argue with him, saying: "If you don't want to help me, that's fine. But your generals and staff, don't you want to help them too?"
An Sishun didn't answer, just drank and ate meat.
But as he ate, the taste was still bland in his mouth. He shook his head and sighed: "You know? The edict calling me back to the pilgrimage has arrived at Shuofang, and the envoy from Anlu Mountain inviting me to raise troops has also arrived. If I make
Different choices, making the king and splitting the earth are still uncertain."
Having said this, he does not expect Yang Guozhong to reverse the case for him.
But in retrospect, the reason why he did not dare to raise troops at that time was because he felt that most of Shuofang's soldiers were loyal to the imperial court.
At that time, Guo Ziyi found him in private and had a heart-to-heart talk with him, saying that if he rebelled, everyone would meet at war, and the past kindness would be wiped out. Guo Ziyi would never show mercy when meeting on the battlefield. And if he was willing to be loyal to the court,
Although he has resigned as the governor of Shuofang this time, he will always be the commander-in-chief in the hearts of their soldiers.
An Sishun had a premonition that he could not control the rebellion of Shuofang's army, so he decided to return to the court. At that time, he thought that the saint would honor him, and he had enough reasons.
"A saint shouldn't kill me!"
"Yeah?"
"I relinquished my military power and returned to the court, identifying An Lushan as a loyal minister of the court! Geshuhan relied on his military strength to persecute the saint. He was so domineering, but the saint still relied on him. The emperor's prestige was bound to fall again. In the future, the generals of the vassal town will
If everyone follows suit, then the country will lose its generals!"
"That's enough, you dare to criticize Chengyu?!"
"When a man is about to die, why shouldn't I dare?! An Lushan's rebellion is not terrible. What I am afraid of is that the saint's cowardice will be seen by the world. From then on, the imperial power will be gone, and the country will fall apart..."
"An Sishun!" Yang Guozhong threw the wine bottle in his hand and shouted, "You are indeed rebellious."
"Hahahaha, am I rebellious?"
An Sishun seemed to have heard the funniest joke and couldn't stop laughing.
But after laughing for a long time, he realized that like the hateful Ge Shuhan, he was actually not a great loyal minister.
He had a close relationship with An Lushan since he was a child, but later both of them had military power. Because they were afraid of the saint's suspicion, they pretended to be at odds in order to keep their futures.
An Lushan offended Prince Li Heng, and with Li Linfu's instructions, he planned to raise troops to prevent Li Heng from ascending the throne a hundred years after the saint. An Lushan also knew about this. But his approach was deliberately opposite to An Lushan.
He made good friends with Li Heng privately. For example, when Li Heng's confidant Du Hongjian was demoted to Shuofang, he promoted Du Hongjian several times and promoted him to the position of judge in Jiedu within a few years. He also indeed gave instructions to the chiefs of Hexi tribes.
He mutilated himself in order to stay in office, and because he admired Li Guangbi, he forced him to become his son-in-law.
All these are just things that generals in border towns often do. How can there be any loyalty or disloyalty, or whether someone is wronged or not? It's just a matter of whether there is a chance.
Just as Xue Bai's poem at that time stated, "The Duke of Zhou was afraid of the day of rumors, but Wang Mang was humble and did not usurp the throne. Xiangshi died that year, who knows the truth in his life?"
It's just that this time he was not as good as others and lost to Ge Shuhan in one move.
But he believed that Ge Shuhan, Li Longji, and even the entire Tang Dynasty must pay the price for his death.
The next day, An Sishun was pulled out of Duliu Shu Prison and dragged to the execution ground. Before being cut in half, he shouted at Xingqing Palace.
"Unjustly accused!"
"Unjustly accused!"
…
"puff."
With one slash of his sword, another famous general fell.