Li Qi and Li Shaorong left the official road with their own soldiers and entered the camp among the woods by the river. As they approached the camp, the resting soldiers stood up. A rough general, who was about thirty years old, came up to them and said, "Your Highness, how is the situation ahead?" ”

This person's name is An Xianqi, the third son of An Jinquan, a veteran of the Jin army, and he is also a descendant of the Jin army.

"Ah, fortunately, the rebels have been fighting in Bianliang, and the situation in Luodu is quite stable. Li Zhongshu, you also know, my father sent him over, ready to take over our army. Because there were a lot of ordinary soldiers around, Li Qi didn't tell him the truth. Now his situation is still very dangerous, and if the news of the emperor's death reaches the army, these soldiers will be frightened and will not cause a mutiny.

So he also gossiped with the soldiers around him for a while, as he did on weekdays, and then said with a smile: "Tomorrow, we will set off after the fifth watch, and everyone will rest early!" ”

An Xianqi also smiled and said: "As long as we can rush back to Luoyang in time, we will be satisfied." ”

Li Jiqi called An Xianqi and Li Shaorong together, and continued to walk forward, only his personal general Kang Tai and a few pro-soldiers accompanied him from afar. Walking under a big tree, Li Jiqi stopped, turned around and said to An Xianqi: "General An, there was a mutiny in Luoyang City, Your Majesty was unfortunately killed, and now Li Siyuan's rebels have entered Luoyang. ”

An Xianqi was shocked when he heard this: "Ah! Then Li Siyuan wants to be the emperor?! ”

"Hmph, as long as a certain family is alive, he wants to be on the throne, but it's not so easy!" Li Qi said coldly, "I'm afraid that I'm going to become a thorn in his side now, and the situation is not good...... Block the news first, we occupy the name of righteousness, and I don't think he will dare to act rashly! ”

"The prince must not be in danger and return to Luoyang!" An Xianqi said.

Li Qi said: "Don't worry, I won't go to Luoyang!" ”

"Then what are the prince's plans?"

"Now Li Siyuan's rebel army is strong, we can only temporarily avoid the edge, you first lead the army with Kang Tai and Yuan Ren to occupy Tongguan first, block Li Siyuan's troops in the pass, and not let them enter the pass. I need to return to Jinyang with General Li and General Ren first! Li Jiqi said that Jinyang is the nest of the Li family, and there are still many subordinates who are loyal to the king of Jin, and he wants to try his best to control the entire Hedong first.

Now the matter is urgent, and he must return to Jinyang in advance before Li Siyuan reacts.

An Xianqi frowned after hearing this and said, "Your Highness, is this war really unavoidable?" ”

Li Qi sighed and said, "I estimate that the army of people has pounced now, but it is not necessarily. Li Siyuan's purpose is nothing more than to prevent me from returning to Luoyang and Jinyang! The current Luoyang is to invite me back, and I will not go over, but Jinyang is the foundation of our Jin army, and it is still necessary to keep it if it can be kept. ”

Li Shaorong said: "I estimate that Li Siyuan will send Li Congke's cavalry to rush to the river quickly to prevent the prince from returning to Jinyang." However, Li Shaoqi was born as a personal general of His Majesty in the past, and if the prince sent a reliable person to lobby him, perhaps he would lead his troops to stop Li Congke's cavalry and prevent him from easily entering the river. ”

"King Yong has a cowardly personality, has lived in Jinyang for a long time, and has no experience in commanding troops, so I am afraid that he will not be able to hold the river. Current events have evolved like this, we have lost the opportunity and the general trend, and now the plan can only be to protect Guanzhong and Hedong first. Only by holding the pass, stabilizing the situation, and waiting for the enemy's momentum to wear off before making progress, only in this way can we accomplish the final goal of revitalizing the ancestral family business. Li Qi said with emotion, Li Cunmiao because of the reason for the rebellion of Li Keyong's uncle Li Kening after his death, he has been keeping several of his brothers in captivity like pigs, and beware of the tragedy of fratricidal again.

It is conceivable that as long as the news reaches Hezhong Province, his young uncle will definitely abandon the city and leave.

Li Shaorong frowned and said: "I also have some friendship with that Li Shaoqi, but it's really not good, I will go to Mengzhou to persuade the other party to ......."

"No, these stranded troops still need you and Ren Yuan to lead together...... I'll go to the river with hundreds of light horses, and I'll see you when the time comes! Li Qi said helplessly.

"The crown prince is now the key to maintaining people's hearts, and he must not be in danger!" Li Shaorong stopped.

Li Qi thought for a while but still insisted: "I must return before the news of His Majesty's death reaches Jinyang, so as to stabilize the situation in Taiyuan and northern Jin." Rest assured, I think that my grandfather only took more than 100 people to hide in Shatuo Moraine, and he can still make a comeback. It's really not possible, let's also flee to the Western Regions to seek refuge from the old tribe and the Zhaowu tribe who moved inward. Now that the situation is turbulent, it may be difficult to find a safe place! ”

The three of them couldn't discuss any good way, so Li Qi asked Li Shaorong to continue to Chang'an and control the army with Ren Yuan. This pass was originally Liangdi, and it was only a few years to join the Jin army, and the guards and officials in various places were extremely unreliable, and if they could not stabilize the army, it was very likely that they would rebel everywhere.

On 6 April, Li Qi led 5,000 infantry troops to Tongguan.

Tongguan is located at the confluence of Weishui and the Yellow River, at the entrance of an important passage between Guanzhong and Luoyang, and is named because it is located on the west bank of Tongshui. Today's Tongguan is not the original ancient pass, but the new Guancheng built in the Tang Dynasty. Because it is located at the throat of Guanzhong with Hedong and the Central Plains, and is the gateway to the eastern part of Guanzhong, the strategic location is extremely important. Before the location of Shanhaiguan in the Ming Dynasty was highlighted, it has been famous for being the first pass in the world.

Although the current situation is not optimistic, it finally firmly occupies Tongguan, and Li Qi is slightly relieved that Li Qi's troops have crossed this natural danger without Li Siyuan.

After arriving at Tongguan, Li Qi did not enter the Guancheng, but climbed the hill southeast of Guancheng with An Xianqi, Kang Tai and Yuan Ren, and after discussing the specific defense plan with them, he took more than 500 light horsemen who could be pieced together, crossed the Yellow River directly from Fengling, and rushed to Jinyang.

After Li Siyuan led a large army into Luoyang, he quelled the rebellion in the capital and stabilized the situation. In addition, he ordered his son-in-law Shi Jingtang to lead an army into Hangu Pass, Shaanzhou, to prevent the crown prince Li Jiqi from leading the army of Shu to return to Luoyang, and at the same time sent people to contact Zhang Yun, the envoy of Jiannan Jiedu in Shu, and Meng Zhixiang, the envoy of Dongchuan Jiedu, so that they could prevent the prince from returning to Shu.

After stabilizing the situation in Luoyang and entering the Great Neixing Holy Palace in the name of the prison state, Li Siyuan sent the cavalry general, his righteous son, the cavalry general Li Congke, to lead 3,000 cavalry troops to the river to prevent the crown prince Li Jiqi from returning to Jinyang.

He delayed the past few days in Luoyang, but left Li Qi with a chance to be on the line......