After dawn, Guo Ziyi had already learned that Li Siye led the army to withdraw from Lingbao, and he naturally would not be fooled with the experience of the past, so he only sent a few teams of scouts to investigate, and the scouts reported to him after they returned, indicating that the Hexi army had indeed retreated to Shaanxi County.

Guo Ziyi decided to train the army and wait and see what happens, there were too many factions of the Tang army stationed in Tongguan, and if he really wanted to go out to fight Li Siye, the whole army would inevitably be annihilated. He did not hide the truth, but took the initiative to show the emperor the powerful relationship in front of him, and once again reiterated the importance of Tongguan. In fact, there is one meaning in all the words. If you don't want to move and flee Chang'an again, then don't listen to the wrong rumors, as long as the army stationed in Tongguan is still there, keeping Guanzhong is equivalent to keeping the Tang Dynasty.

Li Heng's mentality was completely different from that of Li Longji at the beginning, and the emperor was blindly confident, believing that the army of the Tang Dynasty had the ability to quickly quell the rebellion, which led to the riot operation.

And now Li Heng since the defeat of Yecheng, Li Siye's sudden rebellion has directly brought the strength of the Tang army to a low point, and he now believes from the mentality that the strength and state of the Tang army are in the stage of shrinking defense.

But in order to prevent Guo Ziyi from forming complete control over the Guanzhong and even Tongguan garrisons, he first issued a holy decree to reward Guo Ziyi's sons and add official positions, and then ordered the crown prince Li Yu to go to Tongguan as the generalissimo of the world's soldiers and horses to boost morale instead of him, and then issued a holy decree to make Yu Chaoen and Cheng Yuanzhen the deputy marshals of the world's soldiers and horses.

In this way, it seems that power is concentrated in the hands of the generalissimo alone, but the crown prince Li Yu only went to Tongguan to inspect and did not stay for long, and he was recalled to Chang'an by the emperor after inspiring the soldiers. At this time, Tongguan completely became a troika, Yu Chaoen, Cheng Yuanzhen, and Guo Ziyi each controlled a third of the army, and they were equal and did not control each other. In order to make their movements easier, Li Heng ordered them to make major decisions, and the three of them must sign a military order at the same time, and if the three disagreed, the conflict was handed over to Chang'an, and the prince made a decision.

In fact, Yu Chaoen and Cheng Yuanzhen are both cronies of the eunuch Li Fuguo, which shows that the power of Tongguan is actually in the hands of Li Fuguo.

……

At this time, a news that was unfavorable to Li Siye reached Chang'an, and Li Mi, a generation of strategists who had retired halfway, walked out of the Hengshan Taoist Temple and prepared to return to Chang'an along Wuguan Road to start his reverse journey to save the Tang Dynasty.

Before leaving the Taoist temple, Zuo Gong, a Taoist chief near the palace, visited Li Mi and asked a profound question: "Since the rebellion, the imperial court has always struggled, and the loyal and righteous people have been repeatedly hit hard in doing loyal things, but the rebellious thieves are rampant and can always get a way out, is this the injustice of heaven?" ”

Li Mi bluntly retorted: "What's the matter with this Heavenly Dao? When a loyal person does what is righteous, he will naturally be bound by morality and fall into a disadvantage for a while. Not only do they want to save the people, but they also want to uphold the existing morality. And when a traitor commits unrighteous deeds, he naturally ignores morality and is unscrupulous for a while. However, the people of the world are determined, and those who are willing to uphold morality account for the majority after all, and although the traitor can be rampant for a while, he cannot be rampant forever. ”

"I see," the Taoist chief was silent for a moment, and then suddenly asked, "But if there is such a person, when he is bound by morality, he can ignore morality, but when morality is useful to him, he jumps in again." How to break such repeated horizontal jumps, so that morality has become a tool in his hands? ”

Li Mi thought for a long time, but he didn't think of a way to crack it, and said hesitantly: "Justice is in the hearts of the people, although this kind of person succeeds for a while, he will be scolded by future generations." ”

After he said this, he trekked thousands of miles into Chang'an, with only one boy by his side, wearing a Taoist robe, a dust, and nothing on his body.

After Li Mi entered Chang'an, the emperor hurriedly sent someone to welcome him into the Daming Palace, the day was a hot afternoon in June, Li Heng was lying on the sickbed, the palace maids held the palace fan and fanned hard to drive away the heat for him, and the eunuch's mellow counselor's voice sounded outside the door: "Hengshan white-clothed Taoist Li Mi see Your Majesty." ”

When Li Heng heard Li Mi's return, he immediately turned over and sat up from the bed, his face showed excitement, and even the pain was half gone.

He was just about to get down and put on his boots, when Li Mi had already come to the front and bowed his hands and said, "The mountain people see Your Majesty." ”

Li Heng's voice was a little choked, and he sat upright and almost shed tears excitedly: "Changyuan, I have been looking forward to it day and night, and I have finally looked forward to you, and now Sheji has entered a situation of danger again, I hope Changyuan can help me save Datang Sheji." ”

Li Mi sat cross-legged in front of Li Heng and said eloquently: "Your Majesty, please rest assured, my Tang Dynasty has been thriving for a hundred years, even if it falls into a trough due to rebellion, but there is a prosperous era created by Taizong Gaozong and Emperor Taishang, the people's hearts are still there, the people's hearts are available, and although the rebellious ministers are rampant for a while, they will eventually be defeated." His Majesty's previous decision to send Guo Ziyi to Tongguan to garrison was wise, no matter how the situation in the Central Plains changed, how Li Siye lured the enemy, and the defenders of the Tongguan defense line must remember not to be taken lightly, this is the last lifeline of Datang Sheji. ”

Li Heng asked with a sad brow: "How long will this situation last, when will I be able to put down the rebellion after the social crisis has reached this point?" ”

"Now our army is weak, although Li Siye is strong, but most of his subordinates are soldiers in the northwest of Hexi'an, they are homesick, if they can't go back for a long time, the army will inevitably be separated. As long as Your Majesty holds on to Guanzhong, he will not be able to return to Hexi. Li Mi said happily: "The minister has a strategy, which can quickly end the rebellion and temporarily stabilize the world." ”

"Oh, come quickly."

Li Mi waved the dust and said: "Recruit Shi Siming, temporarily appoint him as Henan Yin, and concurrently serve as the envoy of Hebei Jiedu, so that he will go south to attack Li Siye." made Li Guangbi go out of the mountain and re-serve as the envoy of the Hedong Festival, as long as he firmly held the land of the Three Jins, so that Shi Siming could not enter the east of the river. Lu Jiong, Zhang Xun and others were ordered to hold Xiangyang Suiyang, and Ji Guangchen to guard Zheng Cai, so that Li Siye could not go south. In this way, the Central Plains will become a dueling ground for the two of them, and whoever survives will be greatly injured. As long as the Sanjin Pass is in hand, the Central Plains can be taken at any time, and the rebellion will also be quelled. Therefore, persuasion is the most important thing, if His Majesty does not give up, Li Mi is willing to go to Hebei in person, and persuade Shi Siming to return to the Tang Dynasty with a three-inch tongue. ”

Li Heng shook his head regretfully and hesitantly: "You are my brainchild, how can I let you get into danger." I have already sent an envoy to Youzhou, and I think news will come soon. ”

Li Mi nodded worriedly, perhaps he had lost the best time to return, not only because the emperor was sick, but also because the current Li Heng no longer had the original humility and wisdom, and his thoughts had been partially solidified.

If he didn't believe it, he dared to guarantee that he would never use Li Guangbi.

……

In terms of time, it was the envoys sent by the imperial court who left first, but Yan Zhuang and Cen Shen and others sent by Li Siye arrived first. They traveled along the canal by boat and on fast horses day and night, and finally arrived in Youzhou, the center of Fanyang.

Shi Siming heard in the mansion that Li Siye had sent someone to visit, and the lobbyist was Yan Zhuang and Cen Shen who had cheated him last time, so he couldn't help laughing angrily: "He still dares to come!" Lone is going to dismantle him in eight pieces and put him in prison for me! ”

His close adviser Yu Wenkuan persuaded from the side: "Since the two of them are here, why don't you ask about the intention of coming, if it is not good for the king, it is not too late to kill them." ”

Shi Siming pondered carefully, then waved his hand and beckoned: "Call them in." ”

After Cen Shen and Yan Zhuang entered the door, they knelt down on one knee and crossed their hands with the gift of meeting the prince: "Cen Shen and Yan Zhuang see the King of the Great Sage Zhou." ”

Shi Siming was very proud and proud: "How did you learn so well this time, could it be that you are afraid that I will take your life?" ”

Counselor Cen stood up and said with a smile: "I'm not so much afraid as awe, but to be honest, the prestige of King Zhou is only declared in the Central Plains, and it is not recognized by the imperial court, which is suspected of being self-congratulatory." ”

"Really?" Shi Siming deliberately provoked: "If I want to return to the imperial court at this moment, the emperor will be overjoyed, and it is not a problem to ask for a king, I want the entire Central Plains, and the emperor will agree." ”

"Now that the Central Plains are not in the hands of the imperial court, of course the emperor will agree. But I think what the king needs most should be Hedong. The three Jin Dynasty occupy all the geography, the east out of the cloud can take the Youyan, the south to Puzhou to cross the river can take the Guanzhong, the east of the river can be stable. If the king of Zhou wants to submit to the imperial court, I suggest that you ask the imperial court for Hedong, otherwise it will only be empty joy, and once the imperial court regains its strength, it will still raise its feet and kick you away like a traitor. ”

Shi Siming's expression froze, and he asked coldly: "Li Siye sent you here for peace talks, what can he give me?" ”