"Open the gates!"

The Tang soldiers on the city tower shouted to the city.

In front of the city tower, the three hundred silver spear filial piety army rode horses in a neat line, looking quite imposing. Fang Chongyong rode on his horse, at the front of the team, looking at the majestic pass in front of him, which was uncommon in the Western Regions, and couldn't help but be amazed in his heart.

Soon, the gate of the city pass was opened, and the city gate, which was sandwiched between two mountains and less than 100 meters wide, finally "opened its mouth" and revealed the scenery on the other side of the gate.

It was a deep valley road with twists and turns, and there was no end in sight. There are stone mountains on both sides, which are not tall and straight, but there are few trees, and it can even be said that there is no grass.

Any army that crosses such a valley road must be careful and careful.

Li Qiyun introduced to Fang Chongyong beside him:

"This is the iron gate pass of the western gateway of Yanqi Town, which is under the management of Yanqi guarding. If there is no customs clearance document on weekdays, the person who passes the customs without permission will be imprisoned for one year. On weekdays, customs clearance paperwork is quite difficult to handle, and almost all businessmen do business.

As long as there are hundreds of sharp soldiers to defend this place, the enemy west of Yanqi Town will not be able to pass. ”

There was a bit of pride in his words.

The valley where the Tiemen Pass is located was originally unrelated, and it was only after the Tang Dynasty that this Xiongguan was built. As a Datang bureaucrat, it is human nature to be proud in my heart.

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, there was no such unit as "Yanqi Guarding and Capture" in the official establishment of the Tang Army. However, Yanqi Town unified the defenders scattered in various beacon towers and passes into Yanqi Guard. It can also be regarded as "adapting measures to local conditions".

This is a local army belonging to the Anxi Metropolitan Protectorate, and it will not participate in the transfer on weekdays, and it is two completely different systems from the Anxi Army. This is where the complexity of the Tang military system lies.

Fang Chongyong now has to hurry up to prevent Gao Xianzhi from leading his troops to the battle, he doesn't have so much energy to manage the government affairs of the four towns of Anxi, otherwise, many things in Yanqi Town are worth investigating and studying.

Thinking of Li Qiyun's words, Fang Chongyong sighed lightly and said: "The solidity of the country is not in danger in Germany. A small iron gate can not block the surging public opinion. ”

He was obviously dissatisfied with Gao Xianzhi's blind conquest without regard for his head, and he was dissatisfied in his heart.

Li Qiyun didn't know why Fang Chongyong said this, so he had to nod lightly, noncommittal.

In Fang Chongyong's view, the "heavenly soldiers" of the Tang Dynasty went all the way to the west, and the people of the oasis cities everywhere went out of the city to greet them, winning food and supporting Wang Shi's westward expansion, which was just wishful thinking on the part of some people.

In fact, Yanqi and Qiuzi both experienced the process of friendship to friendship with Datang back then.

That's right, at first it was accepting and very friendly, but then it turned around. The reasons for this are not good or evil, but only related to conflicts of interest.

The Tang Dynasty's involvement in Yanqi and Qiuzi was due to the need to navigate the Western Regions. These two places were very important, even indispensable, for the expansion of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions.

And the ordinary policy of restraint can no longer meet the military and political deployment of the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions. Therefore, it is imperative to organize households and people like Gao Changguo.

But Datang thinks so, but King Yanqi and King Qiuzi don't think so!

If these two lands were divided into the Tang Dynasty, then they would also be reduced from royal families to local households, in other words, they would lose all their current authority.

Who can bear this?

So the conflict between you and me is inevitable, and King Yanqi and King Qiuzi also introduced Western Turkic forces to help the fist, of course, they still can't stop the Tang Army's iron cavalry.

People in this era saw the Tang Army coming from the east, and they saw the Tang Army unconvinced.

However, Fang Chongyong's eyes had already seen that the Tang army had returned to Guanzhong from the northwest, and the power of the Tang Dynasty was shrinking in the Western Regions.

At that time, will anyone want to make a comeback?

I guess there will still be.

Gaochang State was already called Xizhou, and the imperial court sent the assassin to manage it, just like the five states of Hexi. But why is Yanqi Town named after the "town"?

Because although Juntian has been implemented here to a certain extent, most of them are still military tuns, and everything is basically under military management.

Since it is under military control, it means that it is not so safe here, and once the Tang Army shrinks its sphere of influence in the Western Regions, then Yanqi is not very safe.

Even if there are no Tibetan people to do things, there will be local powers slowly rising here.

It took a lot of effort for the Central Plains regime to control this place, but it was easy to lose it.

What else can I do now as an ambassador of the Western Regions?

In what capacity and in what position do you do things?

Fang Chongyong has been thinking about these issues along the way.

"Those who know me say I'm worried, and those who don't know me say what I want!"

Fang Chongyong suddenly muttered to himself, something inexplicable to outsiders.

"Jieshuai, you don't have to worry about it. At that time, if Gao Xianzhi doesn't listen to the order and takes away his military power, what else is there to worry about? ”

He Changqi leaned over to Fang Chongyong and whispered.

"It's not Gao Xianzhi's business, it's useless to talk about it."

Fang Chongyong shook his head and said, he had already ridden into the door hole of the iron gate. This pass is very "thick", and the doorway is tens of meters long. In terms of the productivity conditions of the Western Regions, the establishment of this iron gate gate can be said to have cost a lot of money.

That's not just a casual play in the Western Regions and go home!

Yanqi Town is the first stop since leaving Xizhou, and the local water resources are very abundant, which is a bridgehead into the Western Regions. To some extent, the strategic position is even higher than that of Qiuzi City, which has no danger to defend.

"The farther west, the weaker Datang's power becomes. You all have to be cautious in your words and deeds, Bai Xiaode, the tenth general of the Anxi Army, is from the old royal family of Qiuzi. In the Anxi army, there are not a few people like him. It is necessary to know the truth that illness comes from the mouth, and disaster comes from the mouth.

If it's not good for unity, don't say it. ”

Fang Chongyong admonished He Changqi and said.

"Please rest assured, when you arrive at Qiuzi, the last general will sew up his mouth."

He Changqi grinned.

Fang Chongyong sighed helplessly. He Changqi promised well now, but it may not be possible to encounter any situation when the time comes.

……

Summer is coming, and it is very hot in Chang'an City. Passers-by are sweating and sluggish.

The narrow East and West markets are baked like a steamer, so that everyone who does business in it feels like a red-shelled lobster has been steamed.

Chang'an is hot, and Xingqing Palace naturally can't be cool. So at this moment, where is the Tang Dynasty Son of Heaven to escape the summer?

Could it be in the Huaqing Palace, which is full of hot springs?

That, of course, is impossible.

Although the conditions of Huaqing Palace are good, it has always been a place to escape the cold in winter. When the weather is cold, the area around the hot spring pool is as warm as spring.

You can escape the cold here, but you can't escape the heat, to be precise, Huaqing Palace is hotter in summer, and Brother Ji, who is already over the age of sixties, of course, can't go to Huaqing Palace to endure this sourness.

When you're young, you can experience the summer hot springs.

So where the hell did Brother Kei go?

The answer is that under the escort of a group of Shence troops and eunuchs, he came to Huangyu, which is less than dozens of miles south of Chang'an City, and lived in Cuiwei Palace on the mountain to enjoy the cool summer!

Huangyu is a mountain range, less than eight kilometers long, with dense trees and mountain springs located in it.

Not to mention the beautiful scenery, it is also very cool in summer.

Specifically, when the Taihe Palace was expanded in the twenty-first year of Zhenguan, Taizong used the people who had been organized before to expand the Taihe Palace, and after the expansion of the Taihe Palace, "by the way" built a summer Cuiwei Palace here as Taizong's summer palace.

As soon as Brother Ji lived in Cuiwei Palace, I don't know if it was because Taizong also worked here in the summer, as soon as he came here, he felt very cool and comfortable, wonderful, so he simply didn't leave.

He ordered someone to call a group of musicians and dancers from the pear orchard to come over, play the music of the Western Regions every night, dance the dance of orchids, and live happily like a fairy.

However, among the powerful and powerful, not everyone feels as happy and comfortable as Brother Kei. There are also some people who are unpleasant to eat, restless, and so restless that they want to roar and howl.

In the Yongwang Mansion in Jingyang County, near Chang'an, the young Yongwang Li Lan walked around the study, like an ant on a hot pot.

Recently, something has happened in Chang'an City that is very unfavorable to him!

Gao Lishi was ordered by Brother Ji to investigate the rebellion of the Khitan prisoners some time ago. At the beginning, Fang Youde told that he was erected by the Khitans, and that Li Qiwu, a assassin from the clan, had committed suicide by taking poison in advance after he broke the city.

This situation is very unreasonable, because Li Qiwu was forced to be this "puppet emperor", and there should be a lot of "grievances" in his heart.

According to normal people's thinking, shouldn't Li Qiwu keep a mouth and plead in front of Brother Ji to let Brother Ji spare his family?

What's the use of committing suicide early?

Of course, the clue has been broken by this point. Li Qiwu committed suicide and his family was exiled, which can be regarded as a foregone conclusion. This matter always feels like there is a black hand behind it, organizing those scattered forces, and the mysterious "military advisor" has not been caught.

However, Li Lan learned from Gao Shang that now Gao Lishi is slowly investigating the clues under the water, and he is pointing to the crown prince Li Heng on the surface.

"It's all you! At the beginning, you said that you had a chance to do it! The results are good now! What do you want this king to do? ”

Li Lan couldn't help but roar at Gao Shang.

"At that time, the slave had already persuaded Yelu to stop the river dam, and during the heavy rain, the water attacked Jingyang County, and hit the Zhengguo Canal to create chaos. As a result, he couldn't restrain those Khitan slaves, he couldn't do anything, and the slaves couldn't do it themselves, right?

At that time, the slave was able to take advantage of the chaos to poison Li Qiwu and leave clues pointing to the prince, but it was not easy for Fang Youde to be caught.

It is really chilling that His Highness is now accusing slaves like this. ”

Gao Shang pretended to shake his head with a sad face and said.

"Ben Wang...... Nor is this king saying that yours is not.

Alas, no one thought that that old thing was in Jingyang's Shence Army at that time! ”

Li Lan blamed himself very remorsefully, he knew that this was the case, he was in Jingyang County, and there were some means that could be used!

Seeing the other party's remorseful appearance, a trace of disdain flashed on the noble and handsome face, and quickly disappeared, not being noticed by Li Lan.

Why didn't anyone think about it? Isn't my Gao a human being?

Gao Shang scolded Li Lan in his heart for being a stupid pig.

What did he say when he set off for Pizhou? Didn't he say that the saint would definitely leave Chang'an and finally avoid trouble in Fang Youde's Shence army?

But what did this idiot Li Lan do?

He didn't dare to do anything, and he didn't dare to take advantage of the emptiness of the Shence Army's strength to gamble! Refuse to mess things up!

An Lushan is a stupid pig, the Khitan slave is a stupid pig, the Chang'an sage is a stupid pig, and even this Yongwang is a stupid pig!

I read poetry and books a lot, I was full of strategy, and I didn't have a chance to get ahead, because I had a bad background, so I had to endure it temporarily, and I was even plotted to be a eunuch!

There are countless heroic hatreds in noble hearts.

But he didn't dare to show it, because whether it was Li Luan, Brother Ji, or even Gao Lishi, they could pinch him to death at will!

"Your Highness, for the sake of the present, it is better to respond to everything without change. The matter of the Khitan slave rebellion does not need to do anything more to cover up the traces.

Of course, in order to attract the attention of the saint, the slave will go to report to the saint, saying that you found out that the prince planned to set fire to Shaoshan in Cuiwei Palace, and you are hesitating to report it. ”

Gao Shang said with a cold light in his eyes.

Isn't Colliers investigating the case last time, so let's do something more tricky to distract Colliers!

Now that the Son of Heaven is taking refuge in Cuiwei Palace, if there are rumors that the prince wants to burn the mountain, this Chang'an City should be more lively, right?

As for whether this is true or not, is that important?

Noble felt that it was not important.

Because the "duty" of King Yong is to "keep an eye on" the crown prince. The more these princes attacked the crown prince, the happier the Son of Heaven became.

The truth of the facts themselves is not important anymore.

"Uh, why didn't this king go directly to the saint to sue the prince?"

Li Lan asked a little confused.

Hearing this, Gao Shang was so angry that he was about to go crazy, and he suppressed his anger and explained:

"The prince thinks about the Son of Heaven, this is a normal thought. His Royal Highness knew that the prince wanted to burn the mountain and burn the saint to death in Cuiwei Palace, and finally hesitated to denounce it, which is human nature.

After the slave has gone to report once, His Highness will report again, this is the process that should be followed. ”

"That's right! Sure enough, you are still thoughtful!

Hehe, this time Li Xuan will shed his skin if he doesn't die! ”

Li Lan said with a sneer.

Gao Shang immediately chimed in: "Your Highness is wise, isn't that so! ”

He said this on his lips, but in his heart he didn't think so.

The saint will not change the crown prince again, not in any case. Li Jing is set up as a target, so he is a unique large shield. Without Li Xuan, the saint still needs a prince to block the crowd in the court.

Not to mention that Li Xuan didn't plan to burn Brother Ji at all. Even if there were, as long as there was no substantive action, it would be impossible for Ji Ge to move him.

For this kind of chasing after the wind and shadows, what Ji Ge wants to see is just the prince and many princes in a hurry, not those rights and wrongs.

Li Lan couldn't even think about this, and scolding him for being a stupid pig was really insulting a pig!

Gao Shang thought secretly in his heart.

Of course, it's because Li Lan is a fool that he is easy to manipulate! If you change to a prince, you won't have much room to operate.

Is the ultimate goal of the noble one trying to push Li Lan to the throne? Do you want him to dominate the world as a eunuch?

No, no, no, neither.

For Gao Shang, no matter how important things are, they are not as important as the things in his lower body. When the noble and poor people fell under the fence of Ling Huchao's family to study, he couldn't control his lower body and stole Ling Huchao's concubine, enlarged the other party's belly and gave birth to a daughter.

Now Brother Kei has cut the root of his life, which is tantamount to taking away the happiest part of his life.

In the future, even if the emperor is let noble, what can he do?

So he doesn't care about what he can get at all, in his noble heart, Brother Ji is unhappy, the Tang Dynasty collapses, and the clan is running away like wild dogs, which is his greatest happiness.

"Then you can go quickly.

By the way, tell the saint about the goodness of this king, and don't describe this king as a beast who wants his father to die soon. ”

Li Lan instructed with a tangled face.

Hearing this, Gao Shang almost didn't laugh out loud.

He held back the disdain in his heart, and saluted Li Lan with his hands crossed: "Please rest assured, Your Highness, these slaves know what to do." Although it is a pity that An Lushan died, His Royal Highness still has many opportunities in the future, and he must not give up until the last moment! ”

"When this king inherits the unification, he will definitely be rewarded by high-ranking officials!"

Li Lan clenched his noble hand tightly and choked up and promised.

(End of chapter)