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Chapter 1367: Slaying the Dragon at Mawei Slope

After Han Xiu took over the attack on Chang'an from the Luoyang army, he naturally began to harass the city of Chang'an relentlessly. Unfortunately, Wuwei Prince Suning had been fighting slowly and had no intention of leading the army out of the city to fight them. Naturally, Han Xiu and his 200,000 troops felt like a tiger trying to eat the sky but couldn't find where to start.

While the defense of Chang'an was in full swing, a large group of Tang Xuanzong Li Longji's troops had already fled to Maweipo on the west side of Chang'an, and this extremely busy transportation station was destined to become Li Longji's burial place.

In the fifteenth year of Tianbao in the Yuan Dynasty (756), in order to avoid the Anshi Rebellion rebels, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, fled from Chang'an and took refuge in Yizhou.

When they arrived at Mawei Slope on the west side of Chang'an, the imperial guards who were escorting Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, to escape suddenly mutinied, forcing Emperor Xuanzong to order the killing of Yang Guifei, one of the four great beauties of China. This is known in history as the Mawei Mutiny.

Bai Juyi wrote in "Song of Everlasting Sorrow": "In the mud at the foot of Mawei Slope, there is no trace of the place where the beautiful woman died."

The death of Yang Guifei made the place name Maweipo a household name.

Maweipo is located next to Lijiaopo Village, west of Xingping City, SX Province today.

Xingping City is about 50 kilometers west of Xi'an City and was known as Jincheng County in the Tang Dynasty.

More than 10 kilometers west of Xingping, there is a sloping area with high terrain in the north and low terrain in the south.

During the Taiyuan period of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the imperial court commissioned a general named Mawei to build a city here, so it was called "Mawei Slope".

In the Tang Dynasty, Maweipo was not only a place name, but also a post station that provided accommodation and food for passing officials and messengers. Therefore, Maweipo was also called "Maweiyi".

Since Maweiyi is located west of Chang'an and is a must-pass place on the Silk Road west of Chang'an, it is not only a place where officials rest their horses, but also a place where many Western Region merchants gather, making it one of the most lively and busiest post stations in Guanzhong.

In other words, from the geographical location of Mawei Slope, it has two special points: one is that it is close to the west side of Chang'an and is located on the must-pass land of the Silk Road; the other is that it used to be a large post station with a large number of carriages and horses, and it was extremely bustling.

It is precisely because of these two characteristics that Mawei Slope became special and became a potential factor in the outbreak of the Mawei Mutiny.

In June of the first year of Tianbao (713 AD) in this life, rebel troops of Empress Kaiyuan of Luoyang broke through Tongguan.

Tongguan is the main gateway in and out of Guanzhong. Once it is lost, the entire Guanzhong Plain will be indefensible.

Immediately afterwards, Chang'an City became extremely chaotic. The people were worried about their own safety and fled in droves, which naturally exacerbated the panic and chaos in Chang'an City.

By June 12, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, was completely confused. He planned to hold court to discuss matters, but less than one-tenth or one-twelfth of the officials came to court that day. The rest of the officials had already fled the city with their families.

Faced with this situation of total collapse, Wuwei Prince Suning proposed to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, to seek refuge in Yizhou, but he received strong support from a number of meritorious officials.

There are two reasons for this: first, Yizhou is easy to defend and difficult to attack, which is conducive to defense; second, the Tang Dynasty has deployed heavy troops in Yizhou, which was originally intended to defend against the chaos caused by Tubo next door, but now it is used as a safe haven by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji.

So, in the early morning of June 13th, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, along with all the nobles in the court and all the princes and grandchildren of the Li family, fled hastily from the Yanqiu Gate of the palace city under the protection of the imperial guards led by the chief military commander Lu Sian and the deputy general Lu Lingfeng, and then began a thrilling escape journey.

It can be seen that the entire escape process was extremely hasty and chaotic. The decision was not made until the evening of the 12th, and they set off in a hurry in the early morning of the 13th, so that they did not even have time to prepare all the food and supplies for the people accompanying them.

And the most fatal thing is that this time Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, took away all the elite troops. While protecting the safety of the fugitives, it also increased the consumption of supplies by the army and the fugitives.

It can be imagined that the imperial guards who accompanied tens of thousands of people fleeing while completely hungry were very resentful.

Everyone was very hungry, tired and scared.

Not only did they have nothing to eat or drink, but they also had to leave their homes and flee to Yizhou with an uncertain future. Therefore, the imperial guards felt disgusted and suspicious about the decision to go to Yizhou.

However, although the imperial guards had always suppressed their complaints, they still had to face a very serious problem along the way, which was hunger.

Because Emperor Xuanzong of Tang fled in a hurry, no food was prepared and most people traveled on an empty stomach.

Therefore, in order to solve the problem of food, the large group of people had to march westward along the route of the county town and the post station.

As can be seen from the map, if you go west from Chang'an, you will pass through Xianyang County, Jincheng County, and Maweiyi.

If these counties and post stations could provide supplies, the emotions of the imperial guards would be appeased, so Li Longji had no choice but to stop at the prosperous Mawei Slope.

Of course, staying at Mawei Slope was a very dangerous thing, but it was also the helpless choice of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji. He began to flee in the early morning of June 13th. By Chenshi (9 am), the large group of people had arrived at Wangxianyi near Xianyang County.

Before arriving at Wangxian Posthouse, Xuanzong sent the eunuch Wang Luoqing ahead to the posthouse to inform local officials to prepare food for the reception.

But just as they were looking forward to a feast, they were met with complete disappointment.

As soon as they entered the post station, they found that all the officials had fled. Even the eunuch Wang Luoqing who had reported the news in advance was nowhere to be found. The entire post station was empty, with no food or drink left.

The Old Book of Tang records: "When he arrived at Xianyang Post Station, he stopped there. Officials were frightened and scattered, and there was no food left. The emperor rested under a tree at the palace gate and did not eat at noon."

In other words, by noon on the 13th, even Emperor Xuanzong of Tang himself had no food to eat, let alone the other imperial guards.

In desperation, everyone could only continue on their journey with empty stomachs, pinning their hopes on the next resting place, which was the post station in Jincheng County, also known as the Mawei Slope that has gone down in history.

That night, the large group of people finally arrived in Jincheng County despite hunger and fatigue, but when they entered the post station, they were still met with disappointment and despair.

"Old Book of Tang" records: There were no lights in the post station, and people slept on each other's pillows, and it was impossible to tell the difference between the rich and the poor.

This means that the situation at the post station in Jincheng County was even worse. Not only had all the people fled and there was nothing to eat, but there wasn't even a light in the post station, and it was pitch black.

In such a chaotic situation, who cared about status? Who cared whether he was the emperor or the imperial concubine? So, everyone endured hunger and crowded onto the floor of the inn, sleeping in a mess for the whole night.

At this moment, the emperor's majesty was completely lost, and the imperial guards looked down upon the fleeing emperor more and more. There was only one emotion in their hearts, that is, the anxiety and resentment that was gradually growing due to hunger and fatigue.

……

The marching commander-in-chief Lu Sian and the deputy general Lu Lingfeng were both having splitting headaches trying to appease the imperial guards. However, primitive emotions such as hunger, panic and fatigue were still spreading. Lu Sian and Lu Lingfeng's face would eventually be exhausted.

After a period of chaos and noise, the night at Mawei Slope slowly returned to a state of tranquility, and everyone was suppressing a raging fire in their hearts.

At this time, Maweiyi had been besieged by the Jinyiwei who suddenly appeared. In the dark night, the Jinyiwei, with many horses, were like devils from hell, quietly watching Maweiyi who was falling asleep in front of them.

Jinyiwei Commander Liao Kai shouted in a voice without any joy or sadness, "Great Zhou Jinyiwei, listen to my orders! The false emperor Li Longji is before us. Follow me and exterminate all the rebels for Her Majesty the Empress."

“Kill! Kill! Kill…” “Kill…”

……

The sleeping imperial guards were suddenly awakened by the sounds in the dark, followed by shouts and screams that made the imperial guards panic. The imperial guards, who were unaware of the situation in the dark, started fighting each other, and soon the panic turned them into the most primitive beasts.

"Gao Lishi! Gao Lishi." Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, who was awakened, shouted in panic.

Gao Lishi, in a panic, ran to Li Longji's temporary palace and said, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. We have been attacked by the Luoyang rebels, and our imperial guard camp has been destroyed."

"What? Did the Luoyang rebels capture Chang'an so quickly?" As expected, Gao Lishi's report frightened Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji. The first thing he thought of was that the Chang'an defender Su Ning was not worthy of being reused.

"Huh? I don't know! Your Majesty, the ones who attacked us this time were the mysterious Jinyiwei. Perhaps they bypassed Chang'an and attacked us."

Tang Xuanzong Li Longji was naturally too lazy to think about this problem at this time. Instead, he panicked and wanted to escape from this dangerous place. "Quick! Call Lu Sian and Lu Lingfeng, and escort me away from Mawei Slope."

"Yes! Your Majesty."

You have to know that these 200,000 Jinyiwei are all strong troops like wolves and tigers. Their sudden appearance caught the Tang Dynasty Imperial Guards off guard. The Tang Dynasty Imperial Guards were unable to organize a proper defense line due to the explosion of their camp.

Soon, the chief marcher Lu Sian and the deputy general Lu Lingfeng were all killed in battle. Tens of thousands of Tang Dynasty imperial guards and court nobles were slaughtered by the Jinyiwei soldiers. Even the princes and grandchildren of the Li Tang royal family were not spared.

Tang Xuanzong Li Longji, with his hair disheveled and his last underwear on, looked at Liao Kai in horror, "I... I am the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. What are you traitors trying to do?"

"Hmph! Li Longji, I am Liao Kai, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Now, I am ordered by Her Majesty the Empress of the Great Zhou to send you, the fake emperor Li Longji, to the Western Paradise." However, Liao Kai, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, looked down upon this emperor, and Mawei Slope was destined to become his place to slay the dragon.

As expected, Liao Kai's words further intensified Tang Xuanzong Li Longji's panic, "What? My aunt actually wants to kill me?"

Liao Kai expressionlessly chopped off Li Longji's head with his saber. "Li Longji, let's wait until your next life to sort out all your doubts!"

"what……"

Liao Kai, who had grabbed Li Longji's bloody head, turned to look at the Jinyiwei army in front of him and shouted, "Jinyiwei soldiers, long live Her Majesty the Queen."

"Long live Her Majesty!" As expected, the 200,000 Jinyiwei army shouted in unison. Her Majesty's reputation was destined to be unprecedented.

"Long live Her Majesty the Queen!"

……

In the end, all that remained of the scorched earth Mawei Slope were the shouts of 200,000 Jinyiwei and smoke of war. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, was also wiped out along with all the members of the Li royal family, and the whole world knew that the empress in Luoyang had killed all the members of the Li royal family.

However, when the news of the Battle of Mawei Slope reached Luoyang, Empress Kaiyuan was not as surprised as everyone expected. Instead, she was so frightened by the news that she fainted.

In the Empress's bedroom in the Luoyang Palace, the palace maids and imperial physicians were frantically calling out to the unconscious Empress, "Your Majesty? Your Majesty?"

"Cough cough cough... Where am I?" Empress Kaiyuan, who had slowly woken up, opened her eyes, then looked weakly at her personal maid beside her and asked.

However, the personal maid smiled self-righteously and said, "Your Majesty, you suddenly fainted from surprise and are now in your bedroom."

Unfortunately, these words directly irritated the grieving Empress Kaiyuan. "Surprise? Who told you I was surprised?"

"Ah? Your Majesty..." As expected, the palace maid realized her own stupidity with horror.

"Someone is coming."

"Your Majesty, the general is here."

"Drag this stupid bitch down and chop her up."

"Yes! Your Majesty."

"Ah... Your Majesty, please spare this servant..."

After the foolish maid's voice quickly faded away, Empress Kaiyuan finally pulled herself together and looked at the Prime Minister beside her and asked, "Prime Minister Xue, what exactly is going on at Mawei Slope?"

"Your Majesty, Commander Liao Kai of the Imperial Guards led 200,000 Imperial Guards to wipe out the false emperor's fleeing troops. 30,000 Imperial Guards, court nobles, and the emperor's sons and grandsons were all slaughtered by the Imperial Guards."

"What about Lu... Lu Lingfeng?" The heartbroken Empress Kaiyuan thought of her illegitimate son again.

"Lu Lingfeng has died in battle."

The Kaiyuan Empress suddenly felt dizzy again and shouted angrily. She wanted to chop off Liao Kai, the commander of the Jinyiwei, "Ah... Where is Liao Kai? Let this damn Liao Kai come back to see me."

"Your Majesty..." However, the Prime Minister of the Great Zhou showed a constipated expression and was hesitant to speak.

"What? Mr. Xue, did that damn Liao Kai also die in battle?"

"Your Majesty, Liao Kai and the 200,000 Jinyiwei disappeared after the Battle of Mawei Slope."

The prime minister's explanation made Empress Kaiyuan have a bad guess, "What? Disappeared? What does this mean?"

"Your Majesty, Liao Kai and 200,000 Jinyiwei disappeared without a trace overnight. No one knows where they went." Prime Minister Xue explained to Empress Kaiyuan while suppressing his inner turmoil.

Empress Kaiyuan soon understood the hidden meaning behind Xue Xianggong's words. Liao Kai and the Jinyiwei were not loyal to her personal army. "What? Could it be that Liao Kai and the 200,000 Jinyiwei have been plotting against me all along?"

"Huh? It seems to be true at the moment! Now the news that the false emperor and his sons and grandsons were slaughtered by the Jinyiwei has spread throughout the world. Now the people of the world are boiling with resentment, and they all regard us in Luoyang as cruel and ruthless rebels. Even the commander of Chang'an, Wuwei Prince Suning, and the garrison have gone completely crazy. Han Xiu's 200,000-man army has suddenly fallen into a state of retreat."

"Puff..." Empress Kaiyuan, who understood the situation, vomited blood again in anger and fainted.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

……

(End of this chapter)