"Although this time is dangerous, I think the biggest gain is not only to save Yan Zhenqing and other tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians from danger. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 The bigger gain is that I inspected the defenses of the counties and counties on the south bank along the way, and brought the news of the imperial court, which made the soldiers and civilians in the city on the south bank firm their belief in defending the city and resisting the enemy. And we also know clearly that the rebels are preparing to cross the river to attack the south. That's what I think is the most rewarding thing. Wang Yuan took a sip of tea and said in a deep voice.

Gao Xianzhi nodded and said, "This is very true. I estimated that Yan Zhuang was the generalissimo of the southern expedition, and his 50,000 soldiers and horses were probably originally used to cross the river to attack in the south. It was only because you turned the world upside down in the hinterland that I was sent to encircle and suppress you. It's a pity that stealing chickens and rice did not succeed, not only did not succeed in encirclement and suppression, but exposed the purpose of their upcoming southern expedition. ”

Wang Yuan nodded and said, "The hero sees the same thing, and I think so too." But I wonder where the 50,000 soldiers and horses were mobilized. Seeing that the equipment of the 50,000 soldiers and horses is very complete, it is not like a newly recruited soldier and horse, is it possible that the rebels will transfer all the Luoyang forbidden army as the main force of the southern expedition? This is probably unlikely. An Lushan is the capital of Luoyang, how can Luoyang be empty? Could it be that when we calculated the strength of the rebels, we actually omitted so many soldiers and horses? ”

Gao Xianzhi smiled and said, "You don't know, these 50,000 troops were transferred from Chang'an. A month ago, the rebels mobilized 100,000 soldiers and horses from Chang'an to march eastward, and I received the news that I led the army to intercept it, but it was a step too late, and they arrived at Tongguan half a day early. ”

"It's Chang'an's soldiers and horses that are being mobilized? Doesn't that mean that there are only 100,000 troops left in Chang'an City? Wang Yuan said in astonishment.

Gao Xianzhi nodded, "That's true." At that time, I judged that the reason why these 100,000 soldiers and horses were transferred away was probably to attack the southern state capital in the south. So I was ready to order an attack on Chang'an to contain the 100,000 soldiers and horses and turn back to the rescue. But I didn't. ”

Wang Yuan smiled: "This looks like a good opportunity to attack the city." Why did my brother stand still? ”

Gao Xianzhi muttered, "I was almost about to do it, but I dispelled the idea after I found out the situation. I sent people to infiltrate Chang'an City, and I got the news that most of the 100,000 soldiers and horses taken away by Yan Zhuang were old and weak soldiers and new soldiers, and the 100,000 soldiers and horses left behind to defend the city were all elite. Moreover, Shi Siming has already begun to enter the army in the city in a big way, and tens of thousands of recruits have been recruited in just a few days. In this case, the siege is not certain. So I have decided to abandon my plans to siege the city and wait for you to come back and decide the matter together. You don't think I'm delaying the plane. ”

Wang Yuan shook his head and smiled: "How could I think so." In other words, I would never rush into it. In fact, I didn't plan to attack Chang'an City directly, otherwise how could I have left the army behind. Brother did the right thing, in my opinion, even if there are 100,000 soldiers and horses in Chang'an City, Chang'an City, which has strong city defenses, cannot be captured overnight. Our troops and horses are limited, and perhaps there will be a chance to storm Chang'an at this time, but there will definitely be a large number of casualties. After the capture, they are unable to go any further, and they will inevitably fall into a difficult situation. ”

Gao Xianzhi smiled: "I'm relieved that you can think so, I'm also worried that you will blame me for delaying the fighter." But in my opinion, this is not an opportunity. On the contrary, it may cause huge losses due to dizziness. ”

Wang Yuan nodded and said, "You and I always have the same thoughts. In fact, as things stand, I don't think it's a good time to attack. Compared with the siege of the city and the reconquest of the lost territory, I was more worried about the internal affairs of the imperial court. You must know that this winter is bound to be a difficult winter, this year is a year of great drought, a year of war, the people's money and materials are exhausted, the first task of this winter is to let the people survive this harsh winter. If this is not done well, it will be difficult for the people to survive in the harsh winter. If the matter of resettlement and relief is not properly resolved, I am afraid that there will be civil strife. Counterinsurgency is not only to conquer cities and regain lost territory, but also to settle the people's minds without turmoil is also a guarantee for the success of counterinsurgency. ”

Gao Xianzhi nodded and said, "What Brother Xian said is very true, and it coincides with what Brother Yu thinks. It is better not to attack the city than to attack it with no certainty. Internal affairs are the guarantee of counterinsurgency, and this winter is a harsh winter, and the settlement and stability of millions of people in Shu are the top priorities. It is better for our army to trap Chang'an City, and the rebels will inevitably consume a lot of grain and grass materials in the city, but they will not be replenished. Perhaps next year, when the spring flowers bloom, the siege will be the best time. ”

Wang Yuan said with a smile: "Since you think so too, I think we have set this strategy, and there is no need to rush to attack the city." Only trap them, first stabilize the internal affairs. ”

Gao Xianzhi looked at Wang Yuan and said, "Although you and I think so, I have to tell you that some people are afraid that they can't wait." I was about to tell you one thing, a month ago, His Majesty came from Chengdu with a holy decree, which complained about our delay in attacking Chang'an, and asked us to seize the opportunity to capture Chang'an City as soon as possible. ”

Wang Yuan frowned and said in astonishment: "Are you saying that Your Majesty has come to urge us to capture Chang'an again?" ”

Gao Xianzhi nodded slowly: "Exactly." ”

Wang Yuan's brows twisted into a pimple, and he said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty has repeatedly promised not to interfere in military affairs, how can you do this?" What the hell does Your Majesty think. ”

Gao Xianzhi sighed lightly: "Although the words of His Majesty's will are very gentle, there is some dissatisfaction between the lines. The holy decree said that since the rebels had transferred 100,000 troops from Chang'an, Chang'an's troops were empty, and it was a good opportunity to attack the city. His Majesty asked us why we hadn't taken the opportunity to attack the city. Moreover, when you left the army and went to Pingyuan City to rescue Yan Zhenqing, Your Majesty was obviously not very happy. His Majesty's holy decree mentions a few words, saying that 'the commander did not think of recovering the lost territory, but instead gave up his army to save a city, and risked his life alone. ’”

Wang Yuan's brows twisted into a pimple, and he was silent.

Gao Xianzhi said in a low voice: "I wrote an explanation of the letter to tell Your Majesty that the time is not ripe to attack the city, and I told Your Majesty the original intention and significance of your rescue of Plains City." His Majesty's reply, however, said that he had consulted the courtiers and generals, and that the courtiers had said that the opportunity to recover Chang'an had come, and that there was an intention in their words to reprimand us for deceiving military affairs. He also said that when you went to rescue Plains City, some people in the army objected, but you insisted on going your own way, instead reprimanding those who raised objections, ignoring the opinions of the generals in the army. ”

Wang Yuan slowly put the teacup in his hand on the small table, and said after a while: "It seems that someone is blowing our wind in His Majesty's ear." can say such things, nine times out of ten, Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi said something. Otherwise, how would Your Majesty know the situation of whether to rescue the plains or not that day? ”

Gao Xianzhi nodded and said, "It's good that you understand, I might as well tell you about it again." Because of Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi's meritorious service in sticking to Shuofang, His Majesty has issued an order to confer Li Guangbi's household department secretary and Shuofang Jiedu envoy. He was awarded the post of General Guo Ziyi Yulin, the right attendant of the Ministry of War and the envoy of Hedong Jiedu. ordered the two of them to go to the two roads of Hedong and Longyou to regroup their troops and horses. Ordered us to return the 20,000 Hexi and Longyou Army remnants they brought to the two. I heard that His Majesty wants the two of them to gather troops and horses to attack the hinterland of An Lushan from the upper road, and wants us to attack the front line of Chang'an, and drag the rebels to prevent them from retreating to rescue. ”

Wang Yuan was stunned: "When did this happen? ”

Gao Xianzhi said: "Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi have arrived in Longyou Hexi Ten days ago, and now they have settled in Lingzhou. I had to return the 20,000 soldiers and horses to them, because they were the ones that belonged to them. ”

Wang Yuan said coldly: "The soldiers and horses that belong to them? So what am I, the generalissimo of the conquest and counterinsurgency? Shall they not be under my control? Those 20,000 soldiers and horses were raised by me strongly, and instead of contributing to my attack on Chang'an, they were easily taken away? Brother, you shouldn't agree to this. ”

Gao Xianzhi frowned and said, "I also know that you will definitely be unhappy after you know it, but I think, why make it unhappy for the sake of these 20,000 soldiers and horses?" This matter is requested by His Majesty's decree, if it is not allowed, wouldn't it refute His Majesty's face and cause a storm in the city? ”

Wang Yuan sneered: "He asked Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi to lead another army to quell the rebellion, how did he give me face?" The troops led by these two men are not under the command of me, the generalissimo of the soldiers and horses, where will they take me? Did Your Majesty take my feelings into account when making these decisions? ”

Gao Xianzhi whispered comfortingly: "Brother Xian, Your Majesty may have deliberately appointed Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi to reorganize our troops and horses because we have not attacked Chang'an for a long time, and the intention is naturally to express our dissatisfaction and stimulate us to hurry up and recover the lost territory." Your Majesty has not decreed that these two men are not subject to our control. ”

Wang Yuan looked at Gao Xianzhi and sighed, "Brother, don't you understand?" Your Majesty's move is actually to start anew. At the beginning, Fang Xuan and Li Mao wanted to rebuild the forbidden army, and now Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi have re-drawn troops and horses, which shows one thing, that is, His Majesty's distrust of us. He felt that we were not faithful to him, so he kept trying to find ways to build up troops against us for various reasons. It was already obvious that he was distrustful of us all along. ”

Gao Xianzhi looked at Wang Yuan and said, "Brother Xian, do you really not know Your Majesty's thoughts?" But what if you know Your Majesty's thoughts? Will you go back to Chengdu and reason with Your Majesty because of this? If Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi can lead the eastward march in Hexi and Longyou, this may not be a bad thing. On the front line of Chang'an, we put great pressure on the rebels, and if they can really break through the defenses in the east and break into the hinterland of the rebels, it may not be a bad thing. Aren't you and I all aiming to quell the rebellion? But to quell the rebellion is what you and I want. We don't have to worry about this with Your Majesty. Since His Majesty is already suspicious, why should we argue about this matter? At this moment, if there is a storm in the city, is it beneficial to the overall situation? If you can't get the results you want, will you leave everything behind? ”

Wang Yuan took in the cold air and slowly calmed down. His heart was full of anger and helplessness, but when he calmed down and thought about it, since Xuanzong knew that this move would definitely cause his anger, but he still did it, it could only show one thing, that is, Xuanzong was determined to do this. Even if I go back to Chengdu to reason with him, I don't necessarily have a good result. On the contrary, the act of asking the teacher to ask for guilt will give people a sense of aggressiveness. Xuanzong is not a fool, after he fought back and killed Fang Xuan last time, it was impossible for a scheming emperor to make a second mistake. That is to say, if he dares to do so, if he is either ready to deal with his own counterattack, or he is determined not to compromise with himself again.

Then in this case, if you go back to Chengdu to reason with him in a fit of anger, you may fall into his arms. It is impossible for him to be angry and not do anything, so it is very likely that Xuanzong will push the boat and exempt himself as the generalissimo. Do you have to give away everything you have worked so hard to build? And once you lose the right to fight, what will happen to you? It's not hard to imagine. Either he will be hard with Xuanzong, and directly tear his face to force the palace to act, which is of course as easy as a snap. However, the consequences of this move are unimaginable, and if the rebels are not destroyed, if they do this again, not only will the world be in chaos, but they will also be coerced by the Son of Heaven to make the princes blame. The rest of the road will be difficult on your own. Do you want to follow the path of An Lushan? Directly pull the flag and rebel? That was something Wang Yuan would never want to do, unless it was a last resort.

Strategically speaking, what Gao Xianzhi said was good. If Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi can really hold on to the northern front, it may be helpful for counterinsurgency. If you care too much about the gains and losses of power, you will inevitably be seen by people including Gao Xianzhi as only caring about power and not about the overall situation of counterinsurgency. Although it will not discredit him, it will cause great damage to his reputation.

After thinking about it for a long time, Wang Yuan decided to swallow this evil breath. Since everyone can see that this time it is His Majesty's inauthenticity, then this loss may not be a loss. Suffering this loss is not necessarily a bad thing. His strength has not been compromised, and he will earn more sympathy points, which may be a strategy to retreat. Moreover, before he figured out the real reason why Xuanzong insisted on doing this, it was unwise to act rashly. Xuanzong waited for himself to be mad, but he didn't go mad, which may be a better way to deal with it.

"My brother is right, I really don't have to be angry about this. In any case, counterinsurgency is our first priority, and as long as it is beneficial to counterinsurgency, why should I care about it. Let him do whatever His Majesty wants, and I will be worthy of my heart. Thank you brother for your teachings. Wang Yuan sighed.

Gao Xianzhi sighed and said, "Brother Xian, it's best if you think like this. I'm not just as angry and disappointed as you are. But as you said, we are worthy of our hearts, and we are loyal for the sake of the people of the world, not for the sake of any one person. He is unkind, and we cannot be unjust. The current situation cannot be chaotic, and some people cannot see the overall situation clearly, so we cannot follow the confusion. Besides, Your Majesty's move will not harm our army. ”

Wang Yuan said with a smile: "My brother understands righteousness, and I am very grateful." Brother, I think I will leave for Chengdu in the next two days, and I still need my brother to continue to work hard here. ”

Gao Xianzhi was stunned and said, "Why do you still want to go back to Chengdu Theory?" What you just said was in vain? ”

Wang Yuan smiled: "Brother, don't worry, I didn't go back for this matter." I won't say a word about it. Don't forget what we just said, I will go back to arrange for the people to spend the winter, and in addition, Prince Feng and Yan Taishou will also be sent to Chengdu, I want to personally explain to Your Majesty the rescue of Pingyuan City and the inspection of the counties and governors on the south bank of the Yellow River. Our plan not to attack Chang'an for the time being must also be explained clearly to the imperial court. I don't want to get misunderstood, and then the city will be full of storms. These things need to be taken care of, and I can't help but go back to Chengdu. ”

Gao Xianzhi nodded and said, "That's right, you are Xiangguo, and you really need to arrange some things." But you have to promise me that you will never quarrel with Your Majesty over the matter of Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi. ”

Wang Yuan smiled and said: "Brother, don't worry, what kind of person are you and me, I don't care if I say don't care." It's just that I'm leaving the army again, and I'm going to have to worry about my brother again. ”

Gao Xianzhi waved his hand and said, "My brother, what are you talking about?" It's all a matter of duty. ”

The two talked and talked under the lonely lamp of the big tent, and they didn't know how time passed. It wasn't until I heard the fourth watch drum beating in the camp that I realized that the night was dark. Gao Xianzhi did not go in with Wang Yuan to sleep, and under Wang Yuan's eyes, he stepped back to the tent in the autumn frost in the middle of the night to rest.

……

On the morning of the next day, Wang Yuan, under the guidance of Gao Xianzhi, inspected the large army camp. Gao Xianzhi chose to station the camp of the army on both sides of the Ba River in the east of Chang'an, forming a large camp with a radius of five or six miles along both sides of the Ba River, and the front camp was only five miles away from the east gate of Chang'an. The camp here is unique and has the effect of blocking the passage to the east of Chang'an, and the military camp has included all the three bridges on the Bahe River, and the passage to the east of Chang'an has been completely cut off.

In addition, there are a large number of houses and courtyards in the military camp, which are the annexes and mansions of the Tang nobles who stood on both sides of the Bahe River outside the city. Originally, these mansions were luxurious and spacious, arranged along the banks of the Ba River, forming the scale of a small town on both sides of the Ba River. Because of these mansion courtyards, the army's supplies and equipment also have a suitable place to be stored, and there is no need to stack them in the open air. At the same time, a large number of soldiers also have a place to stay, and they can also protect themselves from the wind and cold in the harsh winter. For Wang Yuan, if the army finally had to spend the winter on the outskirts of Chang'an, the camp would definitely be able to survive the harsh winter of Chang'an with a little transformation.

When riding a horse through the Baqiao, Wang Yuan Lema watched the scenery on both sides of the Baqiao at the head of the bridge, and couldn't help sighing. He is not lamenting the continuous grandeur of the camp, but lamenting the changes in the vicissitudes of life. I remember that when I first came to Baqiao, I was invited to attend a spring party of Mrs. Qiu Guo in the East Garden on the west bank of Baqiao. It was at that party that he met the three sisters of the Yang family, who were still ignorant and did not come out of the confusion of crossing. It was at the party that his new compilation of "Qingping Le" and an ancient style "Wind at the Bottom of the Sleeve" were sung and became famous in Chang'an. It was also at that party that he met the lady of the country who had caused him endless trouble, so that he was finally forced to kill her himself. It was also at that party that he met Mrs. Qin Guo, and gradually became happy with each other, and benefited himself a lot.

All in all, this place is of extraordinary significance to Wang Yuan, and it also evokes memories that Wang Yuan has not touched for a long time. However, at this moment, the two sides of the Baqiao in front of him have long been unrecognizable. The water of Baqiao is still flowing in a tumultuous manner, but the scene on both sides of the river has changed greatly.

The scene of the willow waves like flowers in the embankment is no longer there, and the willow trees on both sides of the bank have almost all been cut down and turned into a bare piece. These willow trees were all used as wooden fences for the camp and even firewood for fires, and they were also cut down cleanly in order not to obstruct the view. Without the shade of trees, the courtyards and pavilions on the banks of the river look abrupt and ugly, without the slightest sense of beauty.

Of course, this is not entirely the 'credit' of the Shence Army, as early as when the rebels captured Chang'an, it had already been ruined by the rebels. Since then, the two sides of the Baqiao Bridge are no longer the grand scenery of Chang'an, but the epitome of iron hooves trampling. In the past year, only the Baqiao Bridge and the flowing water under the bridge have remained silently witnessing the great changes brought by this chaos to this small area.

The vicissitudes of life, it turns out that there is no need for a hundred years and thousands of years of change. Under the brutal trampling of war, everything can be changed in just one year. War is brutal, and the only way to restore these beautiful things is to end it. Maybe time will heal the scars left by the war on the earth, and maybe one day, this place will still be what I think it is. Wang Yuan sighed for a long time, and finally rode his horse slowly down the bridge and headed towards the front camp in the west.

The front camp of the army, which is five miles away from Chang'an, is magnificent. The tall camp gate is flanked by civil and engineering camp walls. Dozens of tall arrow towers stood along the front of the camp. On the flat and open ground in front of the camp, the war horses were full of smoke and dust, and countless siege equipment stood in the front camp and were ready to be launched at any time. The horse infantry was busy but not chaotic, the dragon spirit was fierce, and the morale was high.

Wang Yuan and others rode horses to arrive at two miles outside the east gate of Chang'an, Chang'an City stands majestically under the autumn sun, and the soldiers above the city wall can be seen in the distance. Countless people were driven to carry bags of sand and mud up the city, reinforcing the already strong and tall walls without limit. There are many arrow towers above the city wall, just like Tallinn, and many arrow towers are under construction. Countless trenches and traps were dug into the ground beneath the walls, and the sharp piles inside were so dense that they could be seen clearly from a distance.

The Chang'an City in front of him is no longer the city in Wang Yuan's impression at all, the entire Chang'an City has completely abandoned the magnificent and magnificent momentum, and is completely armed to the teeth, like a big porcupine with thorny skin and thick teeth, which is daunting.