An Lushan, who broke free from his anger, warmly welcomed Shi Siming's return to the team, took his hand and said, "You can come back, what else is there to worry about?" ”

Afterwards, Shi Siming, who had palpitations, said to his subordinates: "If I had come out to see An Lushan earlier, I am afraid that I would have been beheaded with my brother Xie." ”

It was with Shi Siming's extreme understanding of An Lushan's temperament and temperament that he was able to escape this bloody killing. An Lushan relied on Shi Siming a lot, so he tried his best to win him over, but he was always on guard against him.

However, Fan Yang's soldiers still smelled a strange breath, because since August, An Lushan has changed and become exceptionally good!

The food has improved, and there is everything to eat and drink; Life has improved, and in addition to the timely and full payment of military salaries, bonuses are also paid from time to time.

A person who is inexplicably good to you, either a conscience discovery, or a bad intention, often the latter is the majority, because everything has to be repaid, and the flowers in front of you are just an overdraft for the future, but the vast majority of people realize that it is too late!

It happened that An Lushan's official stationed in the capital returned to Fanyang from Chang'an. His arrival undoubtedly lit the fuse that connected the powerful explosive pack!

An Lushan immediately called up the generals to discuss the matter. These generals would not have imagined that from the moment they stepped into the tent, the trajectory of their lives, along with the course of history, would deviate from the original track.

An Lushan raised the holy decree high above his head, and said sonorously: "Now I have received a secret decree from the emperor, so that this marshal will lead his troops into the court to crusade against the traitor Yang Guozhong. Rise to war as soon as possible. ”

The venue was so quiet that you could hear your heartbeat. The generals looked at each other in astonishment, but no one dared to say a word.

Although it is difficult to distinguish between the truth and the falsehood of the so-called holy decree. But there is no doubt that this decree is like a sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of the generals, and the slightest mistake will lead to the fall of the head.

Early in the morning of the ninth day of November. In the military field of Fanyang Outer Colonel, the flags and sails were displayed, the drums were like thunder, the war horses were neighing, and there were many sergeants. The 150,000-strong army that was ready to go was about to deal a fatal blow to the Tang Empire, which had been peaceful for a long time.

This is a multi-ethnic army composed of different ethnic groups such as Han, Tongluo, Xi, Khitan, and Murwei, and it is also an elite division that has been baptized by war for a long time.

An Lushan pulled out his saber vigorously. A ray of morning glow shone on the sharp blade, shining with a terrifying cold light. He raised his saber high above his head and shouted, "Kill Yang Guozhong." Qingjun side! ”

The "Qing monarch's side" is a common political trick used in military rebellions. As early as more than 700 years ago, when Liu Bi, the king of Wu of the Western Han Empire, and others launched the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion, they carried the banner of "Qing Jun Side Punishment Chao Mistake". With the last vestiges of illusion, Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty sent his mentor and the initiator of the policy of cutting the feudal domain to Huangquan Road. Chao Cuo's death not only did not extinguish the flames of the rebellion, but made the rebels see the weakness of the imperial court. Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty fully understood at this time that the "Qingjun side" was nothing more than an excuse for the "Qingjun".

An Lushan's "Qingjun side" can undoubtedly confuse the people to a large extent. Win allies and supporters to the greatest extent, because the traitorous minister Yang Guozhong has already caused public resentment to boil.

An Lushan ordered Jia Xun, the deputy envoy of Fanyang Jiedu, to guard Fanyang, and Lu Zhizhi, the deputy envoy of Pinglu Jiedu, to guard Pinglu. The two stayed behind to receive grain and grass. The Datong army made Gao Xiuyan guard Datong. Pin down the Hedong Army.

An Lushan, who embarked on the road to the south, felt a deep uneasiness about the uncertain future. Although he made careful preparations and careful arrangements for this rebellion. But he also knew that the road ahead would never be smooth, and he would never turn back from the moment he took the first step.

A hidden worry has been lingering in An Lushan's heart, he has not been the envoy of Hedong Jiedu for a long time, so he can't control Hedong Town like Fanyang and Pinglu.

At this critical moment of life and death, the troops under Hedong Town were seriously divided. The Datong Army made Gao Xiuyan and other generals firmly stand on the side of An Lushan, but more generals fell into hesitation or simply stood on the opposite side of An Lushan.

In order to relieve the worries after going south, An Lushan sent the generals He Qianqian and Gao Miao to lead 20 Xi cavalry to gallop to Taiyuan Mansion, the seat of the Jiedu Embassy in Hedong.

In the eastern part of the river, where the mountains are dense and the mountains are meandering, a precious impact plain is formed on both sides of the Fen River. Taiyuan is a pearl on this plain. Beijing Taiyuan, Xijing, Chang'an, and Tokyo Luoyang are known as the three major capitals of the Tang Empire.

Taiyuan is "the shoulder of the world, the foundation of Hedong". There is not only the danger of Taihang, but also the solidity of the Yellow River. One hundred and thirty-seven years ago, Li Yuan, the founder of the Tang Empire, raised troops here to compete for the world and won the Central Plains.

"The commander will enter the archery (i.e., the archer)!" The rich voice came into the vicissitudes of Taiyuan City.

The heavy gates slowly opened, making a dull sound.

Yin Yang Guanghui, the deputy of Beijing, went out of the city to greet him in person, because he had no idea that the more than 20 cavalry in this area would abduct him under the watchful eyes of thousands of Taiyuan defenders.

Unconsciously, danger was approaching Yang Guanghui step by step, but at this time, he was completely unaware of it.

In front of everyone's eyes, He Qianqian and Gao Miao actually robbed Yang Guanghui!

When the stunned soldiers went out of the city to chase after them, He Qianqian, Gao Miao and others had already disappeared in the billowing smoke and dust.

Although this long-distance military attack was a miracle effect, it was also costly, because it would undoubtedly prematurely reveal the intention of the mutiny.

The defenders of Taiyuan hurriedly reported the news of An Lushan's rebellion to the capital. At this time, Li Longji still stubbornly believed that this must be a deliberate slander by people who were at odds with An Lushan, because the overwhelming information about An Lushan's rebellion over the years had caused Li Longji to lose the necessary vigilance and sufficient vigilance.

Just when Li Longji mistakenly thought that this was another false alarm, An Lushan, who was sitting in the car, went all the way south surrounded by 150,000 elite troops, with thousands of miles of smoke and dust, and the noise shook the ground.

The officials and civilians of Hebei had lived peacefully in the light of peace for more than a hundred years, so this sudden rebellion made them feel uneasy and unprepared. In many counties, the weapons and armor in their arsenals had been rusted with age, so the warriors were forced to take up wooden sticks to meet the enemy.

When An Lushan led his army to Boling County (now Dingzhou City, Hebei), he saw Yang Guanghui tied up with five flowers. An Lushan impassionedly accused Yang Guanghui of clinging to the traitorous minister Yang Guozhong. Bringing disaster to the country deserves death.

These words were obviously said by An Lushan to his soldiers. The drama of "only opposing treachery and not opposing the emperor" has to continue to be performed!

The hapless Yang Guanghui became the first high-ranking official of the empire to fall under An Lushan's butcher's knife. With the death of Yang Guanghui, the potential threat to Fan Yang from the leaderless town of Hedong was lifted.

Nevertheless. An Lushan still led the army to Changshan County in a hurry. Changshan County is backed by the majestic Taihang Mountain and faces the flat plain. The Taihang Mountains, which stretch across the river, separates Hedong from Hebei. The narrow Jingcheng Road, which shuttles between the mountains and mountains of Taihang, has become a transportation hub connecting the two geographical regions.

Jingcheng Road is connected to the Tumen Pass in the jurisdiction of Changshan County in the east (located on the North Jingcheng Mountain in Jingcheng County, Hebei Province), and the Guguan in the jurisdiction of Taiyuan Prefecture in the west (the old pass in the east ninety miles of Pingding County, Shanxi). As early as the Warring States Period, Tumen, a military stronghold, was known as "one of the nine fortresses in the world". During the Warring States Period, the famous general Wang Jian of the Qin State attacked the Zhao State, the famous Han Xin of the Western Han Dynasty marched into the Zhao land, and the Northern Wei Empire crusaded against the Later Yan Dynasty from here.

Only by firmly controlling the Tumen Pass in his own hands can An Lushan rest assured that he can go south to chase the Central Plains and compete for the world. Only by controlling Changshan County can we "choke the throat of fate".

An Lushan's heart finally fell at that moment. Changshan Taishou Yan Gaoqing and Changshan Changshi Yuan Luqian were waiting for An Lushan's arrival on the roadside as usual. It seems that An Lushan is still the Hebei Provincial Envoy of the Tang Empire.

An Lushan, who was overjoyed, immediately gave Yan Gaoqing a purple robe and Shi Luqian a scarlet robe. The Tang Dynasty had strict regulations on the color of official uniforms, and only officials above the third rank could wear purple official uniforms. Only officials above the fifth rank can wear crimson official uniforms. That's how the saying "red and purple" comes from.

An Lushan left his adopted son Li Qincuo to lead 7,000 soldiers to garrison the military stronghold of Tumen, and then continued to gallop south.

Looking at An Lushan in the distance, Yan Gaoqing pointed to the clothes rewarded by An Lushan and said meaningfully to Yuan Luqian: "Does Your Excellency really want to wear the clothes he rewarded?" ”

Yuan Luqian naturally knew the deep meaning of Yan Gaoqing's words. An incident that made An Lushan's heart flutter was brewing.

The knots that plagued An Lushan are now all gone. The increasingly optimistic battlefield situation drove away the uneasiness buried deep in his heart.

An Lushan suddenly felt that this iron stream seemed to represent the trend of history, "Those who follow me are prosperous." Death to those who oppose me". Therefore, surrendering in An Lushan's heart is the only choice for the opponent.

On 15 November, conclusive military intelligence was placed in front of Li Longji, forcing him to accept this harsh reality that he could not accept for a while.

"Life is rare for seventy years". The twilight Li Longji had already reached the time to enjoy the joy of family, but what he didn't expect was that he had to face the most severe test in the last stage of his life.

Li Longji, who was worried, immediately summoned the prime minister to the Huaqing Palace to discuss countermeasures. According to historical records, Yang Guozhong was "full of color" after hearing about An Lushan's rebellion, because he felt that he could finally raise his eyebrows in front of Li Longji.

At this time, he was still too optimistic about the situation, because he felt that those soldiers would not follow An Lushan with all their hearts, so this rebellion would be "decided without blood". But what he never expected was that his life had begun to enter the countdown from this moment.

Li Longji was also immersed in the unrealistic illusion that the rebellion could be quickly quelled, since the founding of the country. All military rebellions, no matter how vigorous they may have been initially, are ultimately short-lived.

Due to such a major event in the empire, Li Longji had to leave the Huaqing Palace, which was unusually warm due to the hot springs, and return to Chang'an City, which was somewhat cold and bleak.

At this time, Li Longji was always wrapped in a lingering anger, because he felt that An Lushan, who had always been favored, should not betray him.

Li Longji not only gave An Lushan supreme glory, but also took care of his children and grandchildren in every way. An Lushan's sons have jumped from the despised children of the Hu people to the powerful "second generation of officials". The names of An Lushan's eleven sons were all given by Li Longji himself. His sons were born with an aura of privilege. Three of his sons have even risen to the rank of senior minister. An Qingzong served as the imperial servant, An Qingxu served as Hongluqing, and An Qingchang served as the secretary and supervisor.

An Lushan's eldest son, An Qingzong, has been left in Chang'an as a hostage. After Li Longji returned to Chang'an, he immediately killed An Qingzong. An Qingzong's wife, Lord Rongyi, was given to commit suicide. The political marriage lasted only five months before ending in this sad fashion.

The poor lord of Rongyi has no right to chase his own happiness, or even to decide his own life and death. Because he was implicated by his father-in-law An Lushan, whom he had never met, and because he was implicated by his husband An Qingzong, who had no feelings, Lord Rongyi ended his young life with great reluctance but helplessness and became a political martyr.

Li Longji did nothing but vent the anger in his heart. This will only provoke An Lushan's deeper hatred for Li Longji and the Tang Empire.

Li Longji also dismissed An Lushan's cousin An Sishun Shuo Fang Jiedu from his post as envoy. Although An Sishun and An Lushan are nominally cousins, in fact the two are not related by blood. An Sishun's sinicization is deeper, so the idea of loyalty is more ingrained in his heart. He had played An Lushan many times before to plot a rebellion, but he was still inevitably implicated, because Li Longji no longer trusted him, but it would not be difficult for him!

Li Longji appointed Guo Ziyi, the military envoy of Tiande, the Taishou of Jiuyuan and the envoy of Shuofang Jiedu, the right soldier and horse envoy, to replace An Sishun as the envoy of Shuofang Jiedu. An Sishun entered Beijing to serve as the head of the household. An Sishun's younger brother An Yuanzhen entered Beijing as a servant. The brothers An Sishun and An Yuanzhen did not expect that they would walk into death step by step from the moment they set off for the capital, because an important big man was bent on putting them to death.

In view of the unfavorable situation of the rapid fall of Hebei, Li Longji mainly carried out military deployment in two directions. One was in the Hedong (present-day Shanxi region) area. One is the Henan region (the area south of the Yellow River in present-day Henan and Shandong provinces).

In order to fill the power vacuum that appeared in the Hedong region after Yang Guanghui's death, Li Longji appointed Wang Chengye, the general of the Right Yulin Army, as Taiyuan Yin, and Cheng Qianli, the general of the Right Jinwu, as the head of Shangdang County, and also ordered Guo Ziyi to lead the Shuofang army to garrison Hedong. Li Longji built a three-point and one-line defense system of Wang Chengye, Guo Ziyi and Cheng Qianli in Hedong.

In fact, the rebels were mainly defensive in Hedong, so there was basically no fierce fighting in the Hedong area. Hebei and Henan are the focus of the rebel offensive. (To be continued......)