Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 719 Endless routine
Since the beginning of spring, the situation in Hebei and Luoyang has been unpredictable like a violent storm. People from all walks of life have taken turns to appear on the stage, one after another, making it hard to keep up.

The world situation is like a huge chessboard. Every moment when the chess pieces fall affects the fate of countless people.

First, An Shouzhong died at the hands of Li Huaiguang and the Konghe Army, and then the Konghe Army was destroyed by Li Baochen, and its remnants defected to Fang Qing.

Then there was trouble in Guanzhong, and Li Baochen had to retreat to Luoyang and return to Guanzhong to quell the rebellion.

The Bianzhou army took the opportunity to kill people in all directions and captured Luoyang. Then Shi Siming popped up again and used despicable means to deal with Li Guiren.

Finally, he was defeated by Fang Chongyong at Baimadu.

During this wave of upheavals in Luoyang and Hebei, many military leaders died or surrendered, and even Shi Siming was captured by Liu Longxian. Shi Chaoqing, the only one left in Youzhou, was in a state of panic as he faced the main force of the Bianzhou army approaching Youzhou.

The world situation changes every month and is in a state of severe shock.

However, at this critical moment, what was General Baochen doing when he retreated back to Guanzhong from Luoyang?

What is the current situation in Guanzhong?

The answer is simple and clear: Li Baochen was fighting with Wei Jian so hard that he had no energy to care about Hebei's affairs!

Let’s go back a few months.

Late that night, the north wind howled like ghosts and wolves. The people in Chang'an had already fallen asleep, reminiscing about the glory of the Tang Dynasty in their dreams.

Even if the years are bad, life still has to go on and people will always get used to suffering. In fact, the people's endurance is much stronger than those in power think.

But at this moment, the candlelight in the Purple Palace of the Daming Palace in Chang'an flickered, reflecting Wei Jian's slightly pale face. He stood outside the imperial study, holding a secret letter tightly in his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly.

The content of the secret letter made him shudder: Li Baochen had led a large army from Luoyang and would arrive in Chang'an soon.

Wei Jian took a deep breath and tried to calm his inner panic.

He knew that Li Baochen's return to the capital was not a good thing. As the military commander of the Chang'an court, Li Baochen had a large number of troops and was very powerful. He no longer took Emperor Li Wan seriously.

This time he led his troops back to Beijing, obviously targeting Wei Jian and the forces in the court that opposed him.

As for the "unspeakable" incident, Wei Jian knew it all. He and Li Baochen not only had a power struggle, but also a personal grudge, so there was no room for reconciliation.

"Can't delay any longer..."

Wei Jian whispered something, then pushed open the door of the imperial study and walked in quickly.

It’s not that he doesn’t have any plans, but distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.

Who could have thought that now that the situation in Luoyang was unstable, Li Baochen would dare to lead his troops back to Chang'an, which made Wei Jian's deployment fail.

Wei Jian complained in his heart that Li Baoyu was slow in action.

In the imperial study, Emperor Li Wan was sitting at the desk, holding a book in his hands, his brows furrowed. Seeing Wei Jian hurried in, he hurriedly hid the book behind him and asked in a panic, "Mr. Wei, it's so late, what urgent matter have you come here to see me for?"

Wei Jian bowed and said in a heavy tone, "Your Majesty, I have something important to report."

Seeing that the other party did not make trouble, Li Wan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and motioned Wei Jian to sit down: "Tell me, what made Wei Xianggong so flustered?"

Wei Jian did not sit down, but stepped forward and handed the secret letter in his hand to Li Wan, saying: "Your Majesty, Li Baochen has led the army from Luoyang and will arrive in Chang'an soon."

Li Wan took the secret letter, quickly glanced through it, and his face became a little strange: "Marshal Li...why did he suddenly return to Beijing? I didn't summon him back to Beijing!"

He looked a little flustered, but in fact he felt nothing at all. A puppet is a puppet. Does Li Baochen have any motive to deal with him?

No, right? Absolutely no, right?
Li Wan knew that Wei Jian did have a problem with Li Baochen, but did this have anything to do with him as a puppet emperor?
In fact, seeing these two people fighting each other, Li Wan almost laughed out loud.

Wei Jian sighed and whispered, "Your Majesty, Li Baochen's return to the capital this time is obviously aimed at me and the forces in the court that oppose him. He has a large army and has long disregarded Your Majesty. I'm afraid that his return to the capital this time will be detrimental to Your Majesty!"

Li Wan felt nothing when she heard this, and was too weak to complain about it.

But he still tried to pretend to be extremely frightened. His hand trembled slightly as he clenched the letter. He asked hesitantly, "Then... then what should I do? Lord Wei, do you have any good ideas? Could it be that Li Baochen, the villain, wants to kill the king?"

The corners of his mouth twitched as he forced himself to suppress a smile, and he looked uglier than crying.

Wei Jian pondered for a moment, then said slowly, word by word: "Your Majesty, there are Li Baochen's followers in Chang'an City, and there are also many followers in the imperial guards. If we confront him head-on, I'm afraid it will be difficult to win. For now, the only option is to temporarily leave Chang'an and seek refuge in Taiyuan."

As for Li Baochen leading his troops back to Chang'an, it is better not to mention it.

Li Baoyu really can't achieve anything great!
Wei Jian cursed in his heart.

"Taiyuan?" Li Wan was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No! I am the Son of Heaven, how can I easily leave the capital? If I leave Chang'an, how will the people of the world view me? Wouldn't Li Baochen become even more unscrupulous?"

It is impossible to leave. Now the people of Chang'an give Li Wanya the title of "Clay Emperor". Since he is made of clay, what is there to leave?

Li Wan avoided the question and spoke many nice words, but in the end, he just didn't move.

He was not in a hurry, but Wei Jian was very anxious.

Wei Jian took another step forward, almost coming face to face with Li Wan.

He pleaded in a somewhat inappropriate manner: "Your Majesty, the situation is critical now. Li Baochen has led his army back to the capital. If we don't make plans early, I'm afraid we won't even have a chance to leave! Taiyuan is the territory of Li Baoyu, the governor of Hedong. He is loyal to Your Majesty and will do his best to protect Your Majesty. As long as we get to Taiyuan, we can regroup and unite with the local vassal states to jointly fight against Li Baochen!"

Wei Jian himself didn't believe this, but it didn't matter. What was important was that both he and Li Wan needed a way out, and a fig leaf was very important.

Li Wan was still hesitant: "But...if I leave Chang'an, wouldn't I be handing over the country to Li Baochen? How can I be worthy of my ancestors?"

Seeing that Li Wan was so stubborn, Wei Jian decided to just stop pretending.

Wei Jian roared at Li Wan:
"Your Majesty! The country is important, but your life is more important! If your Majesty stays in Chang'an, Li Baochen will force your Majesty to hand over power in the name of 'clearing the court', and even...even to your detriment! By then, what use will the country be?
If Your Majesty does not want to leave, you might as well issue an edict of abdication now. If Your Majesty is not fit to be the emperor, there are plenty of people who can take the position!"

Li Wan was shocked by Wei Jian's words, and his face turned even paler. He lowered his head, remained silent for a long time, and finally spoke slowly: "Wei Xianggong, you are right... I can't just sit there and wait for death. However, if I leave Chang'an, Li Baochen will definitely send people to hunt me down. How can we get to Taiyuan safely?"

Li Wan was bitter. Wei Jian had no military power, but that was in contrast to Li Baochen. He did not have enough troops to fight against Li Baochen, but Wei Jian still had enough money to kill him. He killed Li Wan and made Li Wan's brother the emperor, pushing the responsibility onto Li Baochen.

What else can I do? This is the world we live in now! To be honest, Li Wan really couldn't resist this move.

Wei Jian was relieved to see Li Wan finally give in. He quickly tried to smooth things over for himself, saying, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I have made all the arrangements. Tonight at midnight, we will go through the secret passage of the imperial palace, through the Xuanwu Gate, and head straight to Taiyuan. Li Baoyu has sent people to meet us outside the city. As long as we leave Chang'an, Li Baochen will not be able to do anything to us."

In fact, Li Baoyu did not send anyone to pick him up, but at this critical juncture, it didn’t matter whether there was any help or not. What mattered was that Li Wan must leave Chang’an!

Li Wan nodded, a look of determination flashed in his eyes: "Okay, I'll do as Wei Qing said. I will leave Chang'an with you tonight."

Wei Jian bowed and said firmly, "Your Majesty is wise. I will make arrangements right away to ensure everything goes well."

After leaving the Daming Palace, Wei Jian did not return home directly, but went to the Daxingshan Temple in Chang'an.

He walked to the door of the deepest Zen room as if no one was around. The guards and maids on duty stepped aside consciously to let Wei Jian in.

"Alang, has the emperor agreed to leave Chang'an?" Princess Taihua asked nervously. She also knew that Li Baochen was going to lead his troops back to Chang'an. She knew what the result would be, but it would definitely not end well for her.

"We'll set off at noon tomorrow."

Wei Jian stepped forward, held Princess Taihua's hand, and spoke softly.

Hearing this, Princess Taihua finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Wei Jian looked entangled and said, "Your Majesty doesn't trust me and wants to use the child as a hostage, so..."

"Is this really necessary?"

Princess Taihua asked with a resentful look on her face. She was unhappy but had no way out.

Wei Jian sighed and nodded heavily.

"When we get to Taiyuan, I will officially marry the princess and will not humiliate you."

Wei Jian held Princess Taihua in his arms and comforted her.

"Then let's do as Alang says."

Princess Taihua sighed, closed her eyes and leaned against the bed. She had been weak since giving birth and had not recovered. She didn't know how many bumps she would have to go through on the way to Taiyuan.

Sure enough, is this the price of betrayal? Thinking of Li Baochen, Princess Taihua felt a little guilty.

To be fair, Li Baochen is not a bad person, he is just an ordinary person.

There is the ordinary person's temper, the ordinary person's arrogance, and the ordinary person's compassion, mercy and anger.

Although not much.

However, Princess Taihua had been accustomed to seeing outstanding people since she was a child, and she had no feelings for a soldier like Li Baochen. Their political marriage was like chewing wax.

In fact, she didn't want to cuckold Li Baochen, but at that time, Li Baochen was cultivating immortality and had no interest in women! Princess Taihua had no children. How could a woman survive in this era without relying on her children?
The reason for finding Wei Jian was actually very simple: the two knew each other in their early years and were acquaintances among acquaintances, having known each other for decades.

If you really want to find a man to "borrow sperm", you must find someone you know.

“I’m leaving, there are still many things to arrange, and I don’t have time to accompany you.

Someone will take you out of the city tomorrow. From now on, don't leave Daxingshan Temple. There are still many of Li Baochen's followers in the city, so it's not very safe."

Wei Jian said to Princess Taihua with a serious expression.

"I will follow Alang's arrangements in everything."

Princess Taihua nodded slightly, closed her eyes and didn't say much.

Although she felt that Wei Jian's attitude was a bit strange.

Wei Jian turned and left. When he pushed the door open, he looked back at Princess Taihua, then left silently without any reluctance.

……

Time passed quickly, and after a few hours, it was midnight in the blink of an eye.

There is no such job as "night watchman" in Chang'an nowadays. At this moment, the city is silent, and the lights of thousands of houses have long been a thing of the past. Only the sound of wind sweeping through the leaves and whistling through the streets can be heard.

Like ghosts howling!

In the Zichen Hall of the Daming Palace, Wei Jian and several of his confidants quietly came to the outside of the imperial study. Li Wan had changed into casual clothes, a coarse linen shirt, and his face was very calm.

Only his slightly trembling hands betrayed his inner nervousness at the moment.

It would be a lie to say I'm not nervous.

Because if he didn't run, Li Baochen would not do anything to him at all. But if he ran, he would be caught again and his life would be in danger.

"Your Majesty, everything has been arranged. Let's set off now." Wei Jian said in a low voice.

Li Wan nodded, followed Wei Jian and his party, quietly passed through the secret passage of the palace, and came to a remote forest outside the city.

There had been people waiting in the woods for a long time, but there was no carriage, only horses.

If you are trying to escape and still want to take a carriage, that would be tantamount to seeking death.

"Your Majesty, please mount the horse." Wei Jian helped Li Wan onto the horse, and then he also climbed onto the horse.

Li Wan looked back at Chang'an, feeling melancholy and not knowing what to say. All he could say turned into a long sigh.

The journey is not easy. If they take the normal route to Puzhou, they will most likely be caught by Li Baochen!

The only way to avoid Li Baochen's troops and reach Taiyuan is to go north, go through Yanzhou (Yan'an), and then turn east.

A day later, everyone arrived at Huayuan County (Yaozhou District, Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province) north of Chang'an and rested outside the city.

Along the way, Li Wan remained silent, his eyes full of worry.

Seeing this, Wei Jian whispered to comfort him, "Your Majesty, don't worry. Li Baoyu has been waiting in Taiyuan for a long time. As long as we get to Taiyuan, we can regroup, attack Li Baochen, and recapture Chang'an."

Li Wan sighed and whispered, "Prince Wei, I just feel that... as the Son of Heaven, I have to flee the capital in such a miserable way. I am really ashamed of my ancestors."

Wei Jian was being polite, and Li Wan was also being polite.

Li Wan just can't run now. If he could run, he would have ridden his horse back to Chang'an long ago!

So what if he went to Taiyuan? Would he no longer be a puppet if he went to Taiyuan?

Li Wan felt bitter, but he was helpless facing Wei Jian, the man-eating wolf.

Wei Jian shook his head and said firmly, "Your Majesty, those who accomplish great things do not care about trivial matters. Li Baochen is now authoritarian and domineering, and everyone in the world knows his wolfish ambitions. Your Majesty left Chang'an this time precisely to restore peace to the world in the future. If our ancestors are still alive, they will understand your Majesty's painstaking efforts."

Upon hearing this, Li Wan showed gratitude on his face and sighed, "Mr. Wei, I feel much more at ease with you by my side."

Of course, I would feel more at ease if you were not here.

Li Wan silently complained in her heart.

Wei Jian smiled slightly and whispered, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my best to assist Your Majesty in reviving the Tang Dynasty."

(End of this chapter)