Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 765: Don’t Worry About Your Life When Doing Great Things

"Fang Qing hugged the heroic daughter of a general from behind and whispered in her ear: Young lady, you don't want your father to die under the knife of the Tibetan bandits, do you? If you obey me, I will send reinforcements to rescue your father, how about that?
I won’t force you. If it’s too late, the person you rescue may not be alive.

Hearing this, He Hong, who was born in the Nine Zhaowu clans, completely softened, turned around and put her red lips forward for Fang Qing to kiss..."

Emperor Li Qi was reading the pornographic book written by Xiao Yingshi with great interest and found it very interesting.

There is no explicit description in it, because women don’t matter at all, and it is not what Xiao Yingshi wants to express at all.

The protagonist Fang Qing's despicable and shameless political manipulations to "get women" are never the same and are very interesting to watch.

This is where Xiao Yingshi slanders Fang Qing, implying that he came to power in an illegitimate way, and using his affair with women to imply that Fang Qing usurped power.

For example, in this scene, Fang Qing could have just robbed her, but he had to use a "strategy". First, he sent He Hong's father to attack the Tibetans, but the army went deep into the Tibetans and was surrounded. Later, he used this to threaten the beauty to surrender.

If he doesn't sleep with her, no reinforcements will be sent, or they will be sent when the battle situation becomes critical.

In fact, with Fang Qing's power in the book, he only needs to say hello to General He, and the other party will naturally offer his daughter to him. It's not a big deal. But it's meaningless. Isn't the purpose of a legend to see something strange?

Li Qi was thoughtful about this.

For the rich and powerful, women are just embellishments and foils. With Fang Qing's status, there is no woman he can't get.

What Li Qi felt from this book was the splendor of political manipulation and Xiao Yingshi's political talent.

"No wonder Fang Qing didn't mind it and entrusted Xiao Yingshi with such an important task, it's because talented people are hard to come by.

Fang Qing is open-minded, does not care about trivial matters, and appoints people based on their merits. No wonder he has built such a great foundation.

Even if Taizong were to come back to life, there would be nothing he could do.”

Li Qi put down the book in his hand and talked to himself for a while, then he felt sad.

The current situation is already a top-level high-end game, no longer an initial elimination match where one can dominate a place with just military force. All the chess players and chess pieces in the game are outstanding.

Even Xiao Yingshi, who wrote the pornographic book, was no ordinary person. It would be extremely difficult for the Li family to regain power and recreate the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

Times have changed, people's hearts have changed, and there is no going back.

Li Qi's heart had long been in suspense, otherwise he wouldn't have spent all day reading novels and legends. For a puppet emperor, the less government affairs he manages, the safer he is.

He wants to live a good life and doesn't want to kill himself.

Since there is no hope of reviving the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and Fang Qing has an organized way of doing things, then just wait and see, and don't think about anything else.

Li Wei's fate is a lesson for us.

"Your Majesty, the emperor requests an audience."

Just as Li Qi continued to read the book "Records of Hunting for Beauties in the Western Regions", Huo Xianming walked in at an inopportune time and reported in a low voice.

Li Qi glanced at the eunuch who had already defected to Fang Qing. In fact, the other party was a spy who was monitoring him, so he could not be hit or scolded.

He felt a little annoyed, and waved his hand gently, saying, "I understand. I'll go right away."

Li Qi hid the book, walked out of the wing room and came to the main hall of Wang Zhongsi's house, only to see Fang Chongyong already waiting there, but he didn't know whether he had just arrived or had been waiting for a long time.

"You can handle military affairs on your own. I will not interfere."

As soon as they met, Li Qi spoke to show that he had no intention of power.

The protagonist Fang Qing in that book did things by any means necessary, which had left Li Qi with some psychological trauma. He felt somewhat guilty when he started to explain.

In fact, Fang Zhongyong is not as despicable and shameless as the protagonist in the book. At least his personal ethics are well-known, and his dirty political operations are another matter.

Fang Chongyong looked at Li Qi with some confusion, and then told Li Qi everything about Li Baoyu.

He pointed to Xin beside him and continued, "This is Xin Yunjing's eldest son. He has been in the Hexi Army for many years. He is the one who came to deliver the message."

After listening to the long and winding explanation, Li Qi finally understood.

It turned out to be an internal fight among the Hedong Army!

As the Tibetan army was approaching, the brothers Li Baoyu and Li Baozhen did not want to surrender to the imperial court. However, Xin Yunjing and the five brothers of the Lun family in the Chishui army wanted to borrow the power of the imperial court in Bianzhou to pacify Hexi and drive out the Tibetans.

Now, Xin Yunjing's faction is about to make trouble! Sending the eldest son Xin to contact Bianzhou for support is also a basic operation and not worth making a fuss about.

As for Li Baoyu's surrender to Tubo, if Li Baoyu killed Xin Yunjing in return, this would be the excuse to frame him.

The protagonist Fang Qing in that pornographic book used this trick and sent the father and brother of the girl he wanted to get into jail, on the grounds that they were secretly communicating with Tubo.

"Sir, I have appointed you to take full responsibility and ensure that all matters related to the return of the Hedong Army are properly handled."

Li Qi put on a solemn face and gave the other party Chongyong an order.

Che Guangqian next to him showed a bitter smile.

If Li Qi was just pretending here, why did they come here to waste time! Isn't the military situation urgent? Doesn't Xin know that there is no emperor here at all, and everything is decided by Fang Zhongyong?

"Your Majesty, it is not a pity to do great things. Please let your majesty and I go to Xinfeng Posthouse and go to the camp to take over the Hedong Army!"

Fang Zhongyong saluted Li Qi with his arms crossed.

What?
Li Qi thought he had misheard. He looked embarrassed and asked in a low voice: "Sir, do you need me to intervene in this matter? I... can't be of any use."

"Your Majesty, the country is in ruins, the mountains and rivers have changed, and people's hearts are no longer the same.

I, a humble official, am going to take over the Hedong Army camp. Will the generals in the camp surrender to our Fang Qing or submit to Your Majesty?
It is difficult for Fang to convince the crowd if he comes forward. Your Majesty, please go into the camp alone with me to show your trust and entrustment.

In this way, people's hearts can be settled. If we miss this opportunity, it will not be so easy to take over the Hedong Army Camp smoothly! "

Hearing this, Li Qi felt sick and his face suddenly turned pale.

Brother, you are the boss, you are brave, you are unstoppable, but I am just a puppet!

Don't you know what kind of person I am? I can't even kill a chicken!
Li Qi was screaming and shouting wildly in his heart, but he didn't dare to say a word.

"Your Majesty, sir, I will go and call up the troops now. Gather five thousand elite cavalry to support you five miles behind you to ensure that nothing goes wrong!"

Che Guangqian clasped her fists and bowed to Li Qi.

"This……"

Li Qi hesitated for a moment, mainly because he felt that Fang Zhongyong was too aggressive. Fang Qing in that pornographic book only messed around with girls, and at most suffered kidney failure.

But in reality, why does Fang Qing always risk his life? Can't he indulge in women for a while instead of focusing all his energy on military affairs?

"Official, can you bring more people?"

Li Qi asked hesitantly.

“Your Majesty, too many people will cause trouble.

In a camp where a mutiny had just occurred, no matter what the situation was, the people's morale was extremely fragile and vigilant, and the camp could easily explode.

We entered the camp alone, which was a sign of our absolute trust in the Hedong Army. When they saw our sincerity, they knew they would never be liquidated and would be able to return to the court smoothly.

If we exchange hearts for hearts, having too many people will make the Hedong Army soldiers think we are on guard against them, which is not a good thing.

Your Majesty, if something happens at that time, I will do my best to protect Your Majesty.

If the rebel soldiers want to kill people, they will kill me first!

This concerns the lives of tens of thousands of Hedong soldiers, and the grand plan of recovering Hexi and inflicting a heavy blow to Tubo. Your Majesty, please think twice!
Don't hesitate, or things will change!" Fang Zhongyong knelt down and bowed to Li Qi.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to cut off one of my arms to show my loyalty! Please leave now!"

Seeing that Li Qi didn't say anything, Xin, who was standing by, rolled up his sleeves, drew his sword and was about to chop off his forearm!
It was held down by the quick-eyed and quick-handed Che Guangqian.

Looking around at everyone, Li Qi nodded helplessly and had to give in.

Things have come to this point, Fang Qing has even knelt down. If he still refuses to go to the Hedong Army camp... it is hard to say whether some earth-shattering disaster will happen in the future.

The powerful official's kneeling was not in vain.

Li Qi was a self-aware man, otherwise he would not be alive today. Seeing that the soldiers in the army were united, he could not refute, so he had to follow Fang Zhongyong to the stable and climb on the horse.

"Your Majesty, Xinfeng Posthouse is right beside the official road, more than a hundred miles away from Zheng County, and a fast horse can reach it in less than a day.

Now it’s a race against time!”

Fang Chongyong explained.

Because according to Xin, the troops directly controlled by Xin Yunjing and the five brothers of the Lun family only accounted for one-third of the troops of the Chishui Army. Even if not everyone listened to Li Baoyu, there would be a large number of neutral people.

It is hard to say which side these people will side with after Li Baoyu's downfall.

Li Qi's flag can then serve as a step, allowing those neutral factions to come down the steps.

Otherwise, even if Xin Yunjing killed Li Baoyu, how would it end? With his prestige, it would be difficult to convince others to nominate him as the leader!

Before he set off on his horse, Li Qi felt his calves trembling. Che Guangqian's troops would support him five miles away... but it was still a bit far. It was just psychological comfort.

He glanced at Fang Zhongyong, but found that the other party had a calm expression and seemed quite confident.

Li Qi calmed down instantly.

He was a puppet emperor with no future to speak of. The only hope was that he would become a wealthy man in the future and his descendants would serve as officials in the new court. That would be a happy ending for everyone.

But Fang Qing's future was bright. If Fang Qing wasn't afraid, what was there for him, a puppet emperor, to be afraid of?
"Your Majesty, let's go.

The filth of the past is not worth boasting about, but the unbridled thoughts of today are limitless. The spring breeze is blowing, and the horse's hooves are galloping. I can see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day!

Your Majesty, we are not going there to persuade them to surrender.

"I will take Your Majesty with me to inspect the military appearance of the Hedong Army! You are the emperor, who dares to act rashly?"

Fang Chongyong gave Li Qi a thumbs up, took the emperor's flag from Che Guangqian and hung it on the saddle, then rode his horse onto the official road and headed west, leaving behind a heroic back.

Damn it, I’m going to give it my all!
Li Qi gritted his teeth, whipped the horsewhip hard, and followed Fang Chongyong's back.

……

Xinfeng Posthouse was very large. Although it was not as large as Shangyuan Posthouse in Bianzhou, it was one of the main posthouses east of Chang'an during the Kaiyuan period.

That night, Li Baoyu was looking at a map in a guest room, his brows furrowed. He felt a little uneasy tonight, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

"Brother, I just went for a checkup, nothing happened."

Li Baozhen pushed the door open and walked in, clasping his fists and bowing to Li Baoyu.

"If the Tibetans go through Jingchuan, they will bypass Fengxiang Prefecture and go directly to Chang'an."

Li Baoyu sighed, saying that the Tubo army commander could think of what he could think of. At that time, their situation was not very good.

After all, it was impossible for Li Baochen's troops to cooperate with them and attack the Tibetans together.

The Guanzhong Basin was a big colander, and there was no longer any obstacle that could stop the Tibetans.

"Brother, we should deal with Xin Yunjing first. As for Fang Qing, we should send someone to explain the situation."

Li Baozhen said in a deep voice.

The wishful thinking of Li Baoyu and his brothers was to hold the Chishui Army in their hands and then return to Hexi. With the Tibetans by their side and the Chishui Army in their hands, they could have the best of both worlds.

Even if there is a change of dynasty, the new court will not be able to do anything to them.

Therefore, Fang Qing's request to hand over the military power of the Chishui Army was unacceptable to the An family of Liangzhou. After all, losing some floating wealth would be fine, but if the coffin was lost, the foundation of a hundred years of struggle would be burned to ashes.

The occupation of Hexi by the Tibetans had already dealt a heavy blow, and after losing the Chishui Army, it would be very difficult for the An family of Liangzhou to gain a foothold in Hexi.

This is not because the Li Baoyu brothers are being pretentious, but because they have vital interests that are closely related and cannot be given up.

"General, Yuan Zai from Bianzhou wants to see you!"

Suddenly, a personal soldier came in and reported in a low voice.

Li Baoyu was overjoyed, as if he had found a pillow just in time for his sleepiness. He was worrying about how to contact the court in Bianzhou, and then Yuan Zai arrived.

"Please!"

Li Baoyu put the map away and sat up straight.

After a while, Yuan Zai was brought in by his personal guards.

"Marshal Li Jie, the emperor asked me to ask you what the Hedong Army is planning. Now that the Tibetans have reached Weizhou, do you still want to continue to play dumb?"

As soon as they met, Yuan Zai started to blame him.

The faces of the brothers Li Baoyu and Li Baozhen turned pale and blue, and they were speechless for a moment.

"Mr. Yuan, this matter... needs to be discussed in the long run. The Hedong Army is not under the control of the two of us brothers. There are still objections in the army."

Li Baozhen smiled awkwardly, ordered his personal soldiers to serve wine to Yuan Zai, and asked him to sit down and talk.

"You two, I don't want to say anything more. Look at where the Tibetan army has already fought. Is this the time to hesitate?"

Yuan Zai sighed and looked at Li Baoyu and the others and asked back.

At this moment, there was a noisy sound outside, and this sound... sounded a little wrong.

There was the clang of swords being unsheathed, the thud of weapons penetrating flesh, as well as suppressed groans, painful groans, and the thud of tables and chairs falling to the ground.

From far to near!

Li Baoyu and Li Baozhen stood up suddenly, grabbed the swords beside them, and looked towards the door vigilantly.

"General! General! The camp is blown up! The rebel army is attacking the post station!"

A personal soldier ran in hurriedly, panting and shouting.

"Insurrection? Who rebelled?"

Li Baozhen stepped forward and grabbed the collar of his personal soldier and asked.

"I don't know. They didn't raise any flags! But they seem to be coming from the east!"

Before the personal soldier could finish his words, several arrows were shot from a distance. One of them hit him in the neck, and the others were deflected by Li Baoyu and others with their swords.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Yuan Zai hurriedly squatted down and crawled under the bed.

There were footsteps of a large group of people outside the door, gradually approaching this side. Li Baoyu and Li Baozhen held their swords tightly in their hands, their hearts sinking little by little.

(End of this chapter)