People in the early Tang Dynasty: I compete with Wu Zhao for the throne

Chapter 1654 Where is the Queen? Where did the Queen go?

In the Dayi Hall, candles were dimly burning.

Li Dan sat behind the desk, reading memorials from various states and counties across the country.

Two months ago, the memorials from the 300 states in the world, except for those west of Hangu Pass, including Guanzhong, Longyou, Jiannan, Anxi, and Changfan, were no longer sent to Luoyang.

As the war was about to begin, the memorials sent in by the prefectures and counties east of Hangu Pass contained many perfunctory words.

Suddenly, a steady sound of footsteps was heard outside the hall.

Li Dan stood up skillfully and bowed: "Meet the Queen Mother."

"Emperor!" Empress Wu nodded calmly, walked to the side of the desk, glanced at the memorial that Li Dan was reading, and said indifferently: "Read less of these useless things in the future."

"Yes!" Li Dan bowed without any hesitation. At the moment of bowing, his eyes were gloomy. After he stood up, his expression was calm.

"Yes!" Empress Wu turned around, looked towards the palace door, and said softly, "I came here today to tell you something. Pei Yan was found to have conspired with Prince Peng to rebel yesterday. For the sake of government, I have beheaded him today."

Li Dan raised his head in astonishment and looked at Empress Wu in disbelief: "Prime Minister Pei...Prime Minister Pei is dead?"

Empress Wu glanced at Li Dan, and Li Dan quickly calmed down his panic.

Empress Wu sneered, she knew her son too well.

Pei Yan finally recognized him as the emperor.

In order to appease Pei Yan, Empress Wu even gave him the title of regent.

In the early days of Li Dan's accession to the throne, Empress Wu still allowed him to sit in the Qianyang Palace for a few days. At that time, Pei Yan and his people were still trying hard to help Li Dan seize power.

The relationship between the two sides was much closer than Empress Wu had imagined.

Even when Pei Yan was dying, he still tried to let Li Dan come back to rule the country.

"The traitor King Peng has already reached Xishi Pass, which is only 160 miles away from Luoyang. Didn't anyone tell you?" Empress Wu raised her eyes and looked around the entire Dayi Hall.

Li Dan was suddenly stunned.

Empress Wu waved her hand and said, "Everyone go out, let's get another group of people."

"Yes!" More than a dozen figures walked out from the shadows in the hall, all bowed silently, and then quickly left the Dayi Hall.

Soon, another group of people walked in from outside, bowed silently, and then walked into the shadows.

Li Dan watched all this with indifference, but his fists were clenched tightly.

Unconsciously, he felt a sharp pain in his palm. Instantly, Li Dan loosened his hand and his expression gradually calmed down. He raised his head and looked at Empress Wu, and said softly, "My mother just said that Uncle Wang is only 160 miles away from Luoyang?"

"It's that traitor." Empress Wu turned around and looked at Li Dan. Her pupils shrank slightly inadvertently, and a sharp light flashed in her eyes.

Li Dan lowered his head and smiled silently. In an instant, the smile faded. He asked softly, "Uncle Wang is so close to Luoyang, when can he come over?"

"He can't come." Empress Wu's eyes turned completely cold. She looked straight at Li Dan and said, "Pei Shaoye will make him perish completely under Mount Xiao."

"That's right." Li Dan nodded gently and said, "Duke Jiang and Chongzhao disappeared without a trace in Yangzhou, and Prime Minister Pei was executed. If Uncle Wang also died under Mount Yao, then the three ministers who were left by my father to assist my brother would all be dead."

A regent is not a regent minister.

Pei Yan used his regents to suppress the central government, while Li Xuan and Pei Xingjian fought in the east and west respectively, ready to support the central government at any time.

Empress Wu also sat in the palace.

The emperor is in control of everything.

This is Li Zhi's most perfect layout.

But, in the end, it was just a joke.

Empress Wu narrowed her eyes and looked at Li Dan, saying, "Have you read Chengqi's letter to you many times?"

Li Dan bowed slightly and said, "If General Pei is unfortunately defeated by Uncle Wang, my son will at least not have to worry about Chengqi's death."

Empress Wu looked at Li Dan deeply. It was obvious that Li Dan wanted to say something else in the last sentence, but in the end, he changed his words.

Empress Wu was also silent after hearing this. After a moment, she finally said, "Don't worry, there are people watching over Chang'an. If Prince Peng dies in Mount Xiao, someone will take Chang'an in the first place and protect Chongzhao."

"Thank you, mother." Li Dan bowed calmly. As he lowered his head, he said softly, "That being said, please be prepared for General Pei to be defeated by Uncle Wang."

Empress Wu was stunned for a moment, then her expression turned indifferent: "Your Majesty, please read the memorial carefully."

"Yes!" Li Dan nodded. Seeing Empress Wu walking out, he quickly bowed and said, "Have a nice day, mother!"

……

Watching the black skirt disappear in front of the palace gate, Li Dan's expression became restrained and full of indifference.

After he sat back at the desk, he lowered his head and looked at the memorial in front of him, but for a long time, he did not turn a page.

In silence, a bowl of soup was placed on the table.

Li Dan subconsciously raised his head and saw a beautiful maid standing beside him. She bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this is the lotus seed soup sent by the Imperial Kitchen Bureau."

"The Imperial Kitchen?" Li Dan looked up and asked in confusion, "My mother had someone send it."

"I don't know." The maid bowed, then gently stepped away, but at the moment of stepping away, she still glanced at the lotus seed soup lightly.

Li Dan shook his head slightly, glanced outside the hall, and drank the lotus seed soup in one gulp.

After sitting for a while, Li Dan stood up and walked towards the Zhuangjing Hall next to him.

The maids in the palace walked out from the darkness and followed.

After Li Dan disappeared in the Dayi Hall, the maid walked out of the darkness alone.

She nodded slightly to the old eunuch Xu Lu standing in the corner of the hall, and then disappeared into the Dayi Hall. Xu Lu stood in the corner of the Dayi Hall and did not follow Li Dan to the Zhuangjing Hall.

He stood with his hands respectfully and his eyes were sad.

"Where is the queen, where is the queen, where has the queen gone?" Li Dan's angry roar rang out in Zhuangjing Hall. He even tried to break out of Zhuangjing Hall, but was quickly stopped.

Then, there was a loud "crackling" sound, and countless things were smashed to pieces.

The queen is missing.

Li Dan didn't know that when Empress Wu sent people to look for Wei, they were seen by Empress Dou, who started making a fuss for no apparent reason.

Empress Wu happened to come over, and the two queens in front and behind were taken away, and Li Chongfu was also taken away.

Xu Lu turned slightly, looked in the direction of Huiyou Palace, and lowered his head heavily.

A restless night.

Twilight.

Huiyou Palace.

Empress Wu opened her eyes tiredly and lay on the bed. She had to admit that she was old.

A burst of hurried footsteps was heard outside, but then disappeared.

He didn't disappear, he just carefully left the temple.

Empress Wu propped herself up on the imperial couch and sat up, looking outside and asked, "What's wrong?"

Shangguan Wan'er and Qiu Huan walked in at the same time and saluted with solemn expressions.

Qiu Huan glanced at Shangguan Wan'er.
Shangguan Wan'er stepped forward and handed over a memorial, saying with a serious face, "Empress, urgent news from Hulao Pass."

Empress Wu was stunned, and had a bad feeling in her heart. She took the memorial and took a look at it, and her face changed drastically in an instant.

"Call all the ministers to court!"

"Here!"

……

In the Qianyang Palace, Empress Wu sat on the imperial couch, threw the memorial to the ground with an angry look on her face, and said through gritted teeth: "What did Su Xiaoxiang do? With 15,000 men, he just lost Hulao Pass. Do we still need to defend Luoyang and the imperial palace?"

Fan Lubing stood in front of the hall with a serious look.

He had just received the news that Hulao Pass had been lost last night and that Wang Fangyi had moved south from Hebei along the eastern foot of Taihang Mountain and attacked Hulao Pass at night. Just as Hulao Pass was trying its best to cope with the situation, Li Duozuo suddenly rushed in from the eastern slope of Mang Mountain and directly broke into the weakest point of the Hulao Pass defenders, and broke into Hulao Pass in one fell swoop.

After that, Guanmen Pass and Hulao Pass were lost.

Under the cover of night, Su Xiaoxiang was forced to retreat before he even figured out what was going on.

Seeing that no one in the hall came forward, Fan Lubing thought for a moment, then stepped forward and said, "Queen, please calm down. In my opinion, it is best to send people to support General Su and guard Gongyi and Yanshi to prevent the enemy from advancing. Then send people to cut off the connection between Hulao Pass and Hebei from behind, attack from both sides, capture Hulao Pass, and annihilate the enemy at Hulao Pass."

Empress Wu breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and said, "What Mr. Fan said is absolutely right. Mr. Sun, you should go there and draw 5,000 elite troops from Luoyang to support Gongyi. At the same time, you should lead the army to guard Gongyi and prevent the thief Wang from entering."

"I obey your order." General Sun Renshi of the Right Guard stood up with a solemn expression.

Among the ministers, Wu Sansi had a flash of doubt but did not say much.

"By the way, where is General Li Zhishi of the Left Guard now?" Empress Wu turned sideways and looked at the Minister of Revenue Cen Changqian.

Cen Changqian stood up and saluted, saying, "General Li is currently escorting the autumn grain to Luoyang. He will arrive in Zhengzhou in seven days."

"Tell him to put down the grain and grass immediately, lead the army north, and attack Hulao Pass from behind. Send an order to the Imperial Censor Wei Yuanzhong to go north from Yangzhou immediately to take charge of the transportation of autumn grain." Empress Wu pondered for a moment and said, "Tell Wei Yuanzhong to be careful and don't let anyone intercept the grain and grass, otherwise Luoyang will be in trouble."

"Yes!" Cen Changqian bowed and then returned to the train.

"As for Luoyang," Empress Wu raised her head and said, "Immediately order Li Xiaoyi, the Duke of Liang, to guard Luoyang.

"Think carefully, you can take 5,000 elite soldiers and go to Mianchi with General Ma Jingchen of the Left Tunwei Army and Pei Shaoye. You must stop King Peng in Mianchi."

"Yes!" Wu Sansi bowed solemnly.

Empress Wu waved her hand and said, "Everyone, get busy. All sixteen guards in Luoyang will be mobilized and ready to be dispatched at any time."

"Here!"

……

"Aunt!" Wu Sansi stood alone in Qianyang Palace, bowed and looked at Empress Wu: "Aunt, why did you send Master Sun Ren to guard Gongyi?"

Empress Wu sat on the imperial couch and shook her head wearily, "You don't understand. Although General Sun worked with Prince Peng, he was ultimately loyal to the late emperor. Wang Fangyi's demotion was a joint decision made by me and the late emperor. Moreover, no one in the court could defend the city better than General Sun... Besides, there is also Su Xiaoxiang on the front line."

"Yes!" Wu Sansi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Empress Wu leaned forward slightly, looked at Wu Sansi, and said seriously, "Sansi, be careful of King Peng. He has been half-fighting and half-resting at Xishi Pass these days. Maybe he is waiting for something to happen at Hulao Pass... Now that something has happened at Hulao Pass, he might rush out immediately and tell Pei Shaoye that his plan will soon come to fruition."

"Don't worry, aunt. General Pei will never let Prince Peng pass through Mianchi." Wu Sansi bowed solemnly, then turned around and left solemnly.

Empress Wu looked at Wu Sansi's back with a stern expression.

Now Empress Wu finally saw through Li Xuan's tactics and used the prepared tactics to attack the unprepared.

He had been resting in Xishi Pass for so long just to suddenly break out of Xishi Pass.

The loss of Hulao Pass was the most shocking thing to people.

Maybe he has already come out.

Think twice, for everything you have now.

You have to risk your life!
(End of this chapter)