Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 751: The Escaped Emperor (End of this Volume)

Li Yu stood on the top of Xiangyang City and looked at Fancheng on the other side of the Han River. At this moment, Fancheng Town, which had no walls (in the Tang Dynasty, because there was no need for defense, the outer wall of Fancheng was demolished and it became a ferry town), had become the place where the Bianzhou army was stationed.

He thought that the general named Kang was very powerful, so he jumped out as a wild monster! As a result, this guy, whose name Li Lu didn't even remember, was hung on the city wall by the Bianzhou army in the blink of an eye!
If you know you can't swim, can't you just stay on the shore? Do you have to go into the river to show your swimming ability?
Li Lu cursed the man in his heart for being so stupid, and then he saw the flags of the Bianzhou army waving on the other side of the Han River, and he felt disgusted again.

At this moment Yu Qi went up to the top of the city wall to ask for instructions on something. He had been appointed as "Prime Minister" by Li Lu, but at this point, how much power this official still had was a matter of opinion.

"Mr. Yu, what is the military situation?"

When Li Lu saw Yu Qi coming, he asked in a deep voice, his face looking a little ugly, and he couldn't even force out a polite smile.

"Your Majesty, it will take more than a month for the Bianzhou army to capture Xiangyang. There is a lot of food stored in the city. As long as there is no internal support, the Bianzhou army will not be able to attack."

Yu Qi reported to Li Lu in a serious manner, crossing his arms and bowing.

That's right, Li Lu and the Jingxiang court are now really on the verge of death. However, that is for Fang Qing!
To Yu Qi, the other party was still a huge monster, and trying to kill him was no different from crushing an ant!
In fact, he also knew that being the prime minister now was simply a pitfall, but he had no choice but to do so.

As for those who could run, most of them had already run away when the Bianzhou army attacked them. Yu Qi could not run away because he was targeted by Li Lu.

"There is food in the city, but is there enough food for fire? The Bianzhou army has already begun to block the river, can the ships from outside still come in?"

Li Lu asked back with an unhappy look on his face, a typical example of someone looking for trouble and venting his fear and dissatisfaction.

"Your Majesty, these are all problems, but the Bianzhou army cannot enter Xiangyang City for the time being."

Yu Qi explained patiently.

In fact, he knew Li Lu very well. This man grew up in the palace and was unaware of the sufferings of the people and did not understand the changes in people's hearts.

Li Lu understood all the general principles, he just couldn't handle the changes in the situation.

In Yu Qi's opinion, the capture of Xiangyang City would happen this month, so there was no need to consider what would happen in the future.

Without a strong army at home and strong support outside, people's hearts will change over time. People have emotions, not puppets at the mercy of others.

Li Lu was actually still paying attention to trivial matters like having rice but no firewood.

Yu Qi didn't know whether to say that the other person was smart or laugh at him for being stupid.

However, just as Yu Qi was about to report the business, a soldier guarding the city took an arrow with a piece of letter tied to it, handed it to Li Lu with both hands, and then retreated without saying a word.

After reading it silently, Li Lu glanced at Yu Qi, then handed the letter to him and sighed.

Xiangyang was surrounded, but the city was too big to be trapped. By opening the water gate at night, one or two small boats could go out to investigate the news.

However, the external situation is also very bad now.

The letter said that Li Guangbi had led his troops out of Jiangling and headed north, conquering Changlin (Jingmen), Lexiang and other places along the way, and the local defenders surrendered without a fight.

Now the armies from the north and south are about to meet in Jiangling. What's the point of resisting, you who claim to be the emperor?

The facts were ironclad, and the words were merciless! This letter was like a knife, stabbing directly into Li Yu's heart.

For a moment, Yu Qi didn't know how to comfort Li Lu.

It's too awful.

"Your Majesty, why don't we break out tonight, head west along the Han River, and enter Shu from Hanzhong."

Yu Qi suggested in a low voice.

After entering Shu, can Li Lu take control of the political power?

No, even if he could continue to be the emperor, he would just be a puppet.

The current Jiedushi of Jiannan is Yan Wu, the son of Yan Tingzhi. No one knows how he got to that position, but it may be that Shu has already formed its own system with a set of rules that run smoothly.

I'm afraid that Yan Wu, the governor, may not have absolute authority.

"I, do I really want to leave Xiangyang?"

Li Yu sighed and asked, he really didn't want to leave. Of course, he didn't want to die even more!

"Your Majesty must leave Xiangyang, and not only must you leave, but you must leave alone with a small group of people. If your Majesty does not leave, your entire family will not be safe. If your Majesty leaves, you can guarantee the safety of your offspring.

Your Majesty, please think twice."

Yu Qi bowed to Li Lu with a serious expression. The serious matter he wanted to talk about today was to persuade Li Lu to abandon Xiangyang and escape to Shu.

At least you can save your life.

"I……"

For a moment, the words Li Lu wanted to say were stuck in his throat. Looking at Yu Qi's face, he was unable to utter a single word.

If it were someone else, he would have slapped him in the face.

But Li Lu still knew what was good for him. Yu Qi's suggestion was pragmatic, and at least his intention was good.

"Your Majesty, the Bianzhou army has not yet sealed off Xiangyang. But if Li Guangbi's troops arrive, his army will have naval forces, and the number of warships will be so large that they can block out the sun.

By then, even a fish will have a hard time swimming out of Xiangyang. How will Your Majesty escape?"

Yu Qi asked back.

He was not being polite at all when he said this and almost hit Li Lu in the face with a brick.

Che Guangqian doesn't have many warships now, so the blockade is not tight. When Li Guangbi's men arrive, Xiangyang will really become a dead end. If you don't run away now, are you ready to "sacrifice your life for justice"?
Yu Qi believed that Yan Zhenqing sacrificed his life for justice, but he did not believe that Li Lu would rather die than surrender for the sake of the dignity of the Li Tang clan.

As for the nonsense that one could still survive after surrendering, Yu Qi didn't believe it.

If he were Fang Qing, he would kill Li Lu first if he had the chance.

"When do you think it would be best to leave, Mr. Yu?"

Li Lu asked in a low voice, obviously convinced by Yu Qi.

"Leave tonight, quietly, alone, Your Majesty, without any entourage.

I will take the boat and take Your Majesty away. If there are too many people, we won’t be able to leave.”

Yu Qi said with a serious face.

Li Yu looked again and again, trying to tell whether Yu Qi was loyal or treacherous. This suggestion was extremely risky and could be said to be a step that would change one's fate.

Life or death, you have to choose one. If you choose the right one, you may not live, but if you choose the wrong one, you will die.

However, words cannot be written on the face, and Li Lu gritted his teeth, and finally the desire to survive prevailed.

"Okay, tonight at midnight, at the Shuimen ferry west of Xiangyang. I will come alone, without eunuchs."

Li Lu nodded.

He was very worried that Yu Qi would row his boat into the Bianzhou military camp and use him as a stepping stone for promotion.

But Li Lu felt that Yu Qi's plan was very feasible.

He travelled light, without eunuchs, and wore coarse linen clothes to hide his identity.

In this way, it would be easy for the two of them to disguise themselves as small merchants and servants who had been robbed, and it would not be difficult for them to sneak into Shu.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will escort Your Majesty out of Xiangyang City at the risk of my life."

Yu Qi said with a serious face.

That night, Li Lu arrived at the ferry near the water gate in the west of the city at midnight as promised. He saw Yu Qi, who was wearing coarse cloth and had a black face, waiting there for a long time.

The night is so quiet!
"My dear Lord Yu, can I trust you?"

Li Lu stepped one foot onto the boat and suddenly stopped. He stared at Yu Qi who was holding the oar and asked.

At this moment, my steps seem to weigh a thousand pounds!
"Your Majesty, I will do my best to escort you to Shu.

As for the future, Your Majesty, you have to take care of yourself. The Shu region is not peaceful, and Yan Wu may not be as loyal as I am. I am limited in my ability, and can only do this. Now it is just a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. If Your Majesty trusts me, please get on board.

If you don't believe me, I'm afraid I will have to leave Xiangyang alone."

Yu Qi also put away the smile on his face and spoke very seriously.

He gave two options: either we go together, or I go alone.

In short, it is absolutely impossible to stay with you in Xiangyang and wait for the whole family to die after the city is captured.

Li Lu thought for a few seconds, said nothing, and got on the boat directly.

Yu Qi was indeed a loyal minister. This small boat, which could only accommodate a few people, passed through the water gate west of Xiangyang, then headed directly west and disappeared into the night.

The next day, the news of the emperor's disappearance spread throughout Xiangyang. Without a leader, the eunuch Bai Zhizhen was pushed out by the Xiangyang garrison to go to Fancheng on the other side of the river to negotiate with Che Guangqian.

They agreed that as long as the Bianzhou army did not massacre the city, did not purge their defending generals, and did not plunder the city, they would be willing to open the gates of Xiangyang and surrender.

Upon learning of Li Lu's disappearance, Che Guangqian was furious and almost beheaded Bai Zhizhen who came to negotiate.

Who could have thought that at this critical moment, Li Lu actually ran away!

Why didn’t Che Guangqian believe that Li Lu was missing?

Because disappearance means death, and death must mean being killed by someone, and the person who killed him will definitely come to the Bianzhou military camp to claim the reward.

Everyone looked at a loss, which meant that Li Lu could only have run away and could not have disappeared for any other reason.

Since Li Yu had fled, there was no need to fight for Xiangyang City. Che Guangqian had no choice but to accept the surrender of the Xiangyang defenders and took over Xiangyang with his troops.

If Li Lu was alive, they would just send him and his family on their way. However, Li Lu fled, but his family did not, so it was not convenient to do anything to these people.

Che Guangqian, who had not completed his mission, had no choice but to write a letter to explain the situation and ordered someone to send it to Bianzhou at an emergency speed of 500 miles, asking Fang Chongyong to make the decision on the matter.

……

After being captured, Yan Zhenqing was not tortured, but the journey was hard, and he took a boat all the way to Bianzhou. Although he was not tortured or hungry or cold along the way, when Fang Chongyong saw him in the Bianzhou government office, he felt that this man had lost all his energy and spirit.

Those sharp eyes now look a little cloudy.

I don’t know if it’s because of his age. Fang Zhongyong just felt that the world-famous “literary leader” in front of him was just an ordinary old man.

"What the hell are you doing? How did you torture Mr. Yan like this?"

Fang Chongyong looked dissatisfied and scolded the two warriors beside Yan Zhenqing.

"Fang Qing, stop pretending. Don't you think this is hypocritical?"

Yan Zhenqing looked up at Fang Chongyong and said in a calm tone.

When his rhetoric was exposed, Fang Zhongyong smiled awkwardly, then waved to the soldiers around him. They filed out, and only he and Yan Zhenqing were left in the study.

“Fang Qing, Yan has to admit now that you win.

This world will be yours sooner or later, and now you can laugh heartily with satisfaction.

But Yan will not do anything for you."

Yan Zhenqing spoke slowly, his tone flat, with a kind of tiredness that was as sad as a dead heart.

He is tired.

Yan Zhenqing was like a paperhanger, constantly papering up the tattered walls. But Fang Qing kept tearing down his house.

Now, the house has been almost demolished. Even if Fang Qing lets him go, then what... will he find another prince, another piece of land, and then develop it again?

It's too late, too late, it's too late.

"Mr. Yan, shouldn't you stab Fang now?"

Fang Chongyong asked doubtfully.

There was something wrong with Yan Zhenqing's condition.

In Fang Zhongyong's opinion, the other party's hatred of evil should have exploded long ago. He, a powerful official in the Bianzhou court, was the greatest "evil" in Yan Zhenqing's eyes.

"Even if Fang Qing isn't here, there are still Zhang Qing and Wang Qing... Can Yan kill them all?"

Yan Zhenqing asked back.

On the way back, he recalled many things in the past. Li Yu was indeed not the type to restore order. Perhaps none of the princes of Li Tang could bear such a heavy responsibility.

What people fear most is that there is no hope.

Yan Zhenqing now completely saw no hope, so he became depressed.

"Someone is coming!"

Fang Chongyong shouted.

Da Congming pushed the door open, saluted and asked, "What's the matter, sir?"

"Arrange a courtyard for Mr. Yan to live in in Bianzhou. Just an ordinary one will do."

Fang Chongyong was no longer interested in continuing the conversation with Yan Zhenqing.

Some people are still alive, but they are almost dead. There is no hope in life, and the ideals in their hearts have been completely shattered.

It may be a bit of an exaggeration to say that we should live one day at a time, but the actual situation is not much different from this.

A person with high emotional intelligence has no desires or demands, while a person with low emotional intelligence has a dead heart.

Yan Zhenqing stood up without saying a word. Just as he reached the door of the study, he turned around, looked at Fang Zhongyong and asked, "Fang Qing, do you think you really won? A hundred years later, do you know how the history books will write about you?"

"I don't know. Anyway, there will be great scholars to debate for me when the time comes."

Fang Zhongyong spread his hands and said innocently.

"Then you can take care of yourself."

Yan Zhenqing said something harsh, which was not sure whether it could be called cruel or not, and strode out of the study.

"Alas, you haven't even thanked me for not killing you.

A gentleman deceives others with his own methods, and you still say that you are not bullying an honest man like me."

After Yan Zhenqing left, Fang Chongyong complained to himself.

In fact, the only thing Yan Zhenqing couldn't accept was that Fang Chongyong was not of Li Tang blood and had no intention of rebuilding the Tang Dynasty. Apart from this, he still admired this official very much.

If Fang Chongyong could claim to be a descendant of the Li Tang Dynasty, even if it was forged, he would be willing to sacrifice his entire family and cling to Fang Chongyong's thigh.

To put it bluntly, it's simply because people have different ideas and cannot work together.

Yan Zhenqing knew exactly what kind of person Fang Chongyong was. That was why he dared to speak to him so arrogantly, without any intention of being humble or giving in.

Some literati have such virtues.

"Just tell me if you have anything to say."

Fang Chongyong saw Dacongming standing outside the door with a letter and scolded him with a little dissatisfaction.

"Your Majesty, the Tibetans have just captured Liangzhou. Gao Xianzhi has sent someone to ask for help. The person is in the lobby of the government office."

Da Congming reported in a low voice.

(End of this volume)

(End of this chapter)