roccoschili Chapter 913: Kill first and tell later
Chapter 913: Kill first and tell later
The agarwood in the Changsheng Palace was burning brightly. Li Longji was leaning on a soft couch covered with white fox fur. The silver hair on his temples was gently combed by a palace maid with a red gold comb, and his eyelids were half drooped.
"Your Majesty, Geshu Han's memorial has arrived." Gao Lishi walked in with a gilded tray, his steps very light, but Li Longji still frowned.
"Military business again?"
"The imperial concubine just said she felt upset, can't she be left alone for a while?"
Yang Yuhuan, who was beside the couch, was using a silver hairpin to pick up the pearl powder from the perfume powder box. Upon hearing this, she turned and smiled, her golden hairpins jingling at her temples: "Don't be upset, sir. Military and national affairs are more important."
"But General Geshu is guarding Tongguan. I guess there's good news?"
Gao Lishi didn't dare to respond, but just held the memorial higher.
Li Longji took it impatiently and engraved the four words "hold Tongguan firmly" on it.
He read it carelessly at first, but the more he read, the more his brows furrowed. In the end, he simply sat up straight and slammed the memorial on the low table in front of the couch.
"Good boy Geshu Han!" His voice suddenly rose, scaring the palace maid who was fanning herself next to him so much that her hand trembled and the fan handle fell to the ground.
"Two hundred thousand troops are stationed at Tongguan, with food and fodder piled high as mountains, and he actually says he wants to 'hold on'? An Lushan has already reached Tongguan, the last barrier of Chang'an. Is he going to watch helplessly as the rebels cross the Yellow River?"
Yang Yuhuan quickly put down her silver hairpin and reached out to touch his chest: "Saint, please calm down. Perhaps General Geshu is in trouble? He has been fighting in Hexi for many years and has always been loyal and brave..."
"Loyal and brave?" Li Longji suddenly shook her hand off. The wide sleeves of his dragon robe swept over the teacup on the low table, and the celadon fragments splashed all over the floor. "He is a Hu person! An Lushan is also a Hu person! Do you think I can't see that? These two Jie slaves have colluded to humiliate me!"
Gao Lishi knelt hurriedly, not caring about the pain from his knees knocking against the broken porcelain pieces. "Your Majesty, please calm down. General Geshu and An Lushan have always been at odds. They even fought over a position at Huaqing Pool. They would never collude..."
"Shut up!" Li Longji kicked the low table, causing it to fall over. "How dare you, an old man, speak for him?"
"Before An Lushan rebelled, didn't you also say he was loyal to his master?"
"Now Geshu Han has his own army, using my food and fodder to recuperate. What is he waiting for? Waiting for An Lushan to reach Chang'an, and then he'll emerge as the new hero who 'cleared the court'?"
He became angrier as he spoke. He grabbed the jade ruyi on the table and smashed it to the ground. The fine Hetian jade immediately shattered into several pieces.
The palace maids and eunuchs in the hall all knelt on the ground, not daring to even breathe.
"Saint," Gao Lishi said, lying on the ground, his voice trembling, "General Geshu suffered a stroke last year and is now paralyzed on one side of his body. Now he can't even ride a horse. Let him lead the troops into battle..."
"Stroke?" Li Longji sneered and stepped on the broken jade. "I think he's been calculating too much and his brain has become confused!"
"Back then, when he was in Shibao City, he demolished three hundred Tibetan beacon towers in one night. How come he didn't suffer a stroke then?"
"Now we ask him to go out and fight the enemy, but he's become a sickly person? I think he's afraid of An Lushan! Two barbarians, one dares to rebel, the other dares to be afraid of fighting. This is rubbing the face of our Tang Dynasty!"
He suddenly remembered something, turned around and pointed at Yang Yuhuan, his tone fierce: "Do you still remember? When An Lushan adopted you as his adoptive mother, you danced in the Huaqing Pool, wagging your tail like a dog and begging for mercy!"
"At that time, I praised him for his honesty and integrity, but now I think he was just mocking my blindness!"
"Now Geshu Han is at it again, using 'holding firm' as a pretext. Does he want the whole world to laugh at me? I, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, actually have to rely on a barbarian for safety."
Yang Yuhuan's eyes were red, tears welling up in them: "Saint, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have..."
"It has nothing to do with you!" Li Longji interrupted her, but his tone softened. He reached out and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "It's because I don't know people well."
"But things are different now. I want to show the world that I am still the Son of Heaven who can command all nations to come and pay tribute to me!"
He turned sharply towards the palace gate and shouted, "Where's Wang Sili? Let him get in!"
Wang Sili was waiting outside the palace. Upon hearing the summons, he quickly lifted the curtain and rushed in. As soon as his knees touched the ground, he was startled by Li Longji's angry shout: "Wang Sili! Tell me a message for Geshu Han——"
Li Longji walked up to him and stared down at him, the gold thread on his dragon robe casting bright and dark shadows on his face. "Tell him, I don't care if he has a stroke or is possessed by evil spirits, he must lead the troops out of Tongguan within three days!"
"Didn't An Lushan want a decisive battle? I'll give him a quick death! Have Geshu Han bring back his head and hang it on the Suzaku Gate for public display!"
Wang Sili kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, Tongguan is strategically located and is easy to defend but difficult to attack. An Lushan's cavalry cannot fully deploy outside the pass. If we rush into battle rashly..."
"You dare teach me how to command troops?" Li Longji kicked him on the shoulder. Wang Sili immediately fell to the ground and hit the incense burner next to him. The gilded incense burner made a clanging sound. "When I ascended the throne, you were still wearing open-crotch pants!"
"Back then, I personally led the expedition against Tubo and annihilated them at Qinghai Lake. Why would I need a young boy like you to teach me?"
He gasped and pointed outside the palace: "An Lushan is a Hu person, and Geshu Han is also a Hu person!"
"I insist on letting them fight to see who is the true Tang man! If Geshu Han dares to disobey my order, you will bring him back! I want to ask him personally, receiving a salary from the Tang Dynasty and living in a mansion I gave him, has his conscience been eaten by a dog?"
Gao Lishi quickly advised, "Sage, Wang Sili is General Geshu's deputy general. Let him deliver the imperial edict. You must give him some respect..."
"Dignity?" Li Longji sneered, "When An Lushan reaches Chang'an, you, I, and everyone in this palace will have no choice but to seek dignity in the underworld!"
He bent down, grabbed the memorial from the ground, and slammed it hard on Wang Sili's face. "Get out now! Ride as fast as you can, day and night! Tell Geshu Han that if he wins, I'll make him the Prince of Xiping and cast a golden statue for him! If he loses, or dares not to send troops..."
He paused, his voice icy, "I will exterminate his entire clan and show everyone in the Hexi Corridor what happens to those who betray me!"
Wang Sili covered his face, which was hurt by the blow, and kowtowed while rolling and crawling: "Your Majesty...Your Majesty obeys your command!"
"Get out!" Li Longji waved his hands as if to drive away something dirty.
As Wang Sili staggered out, he ran into Yang Guozhong coming from the corridor with several eunuchs.
Seeing his expression, Yang Guozhong's eyes flashed, and he hurried into the hall to pay his respects. "Your Majesty, I just came from the Ministry of War. I heard that Geshu Han has a memorial?"
Li Longji's anger subsided when he saw him, and he sat back on the couch: "Guozhong has arrived at the perfect time. What do you think? Should Geshu Han send troops?"
Yang Guozhong wore a smile, but glanced at the broken porcelain pieces on the ground. "Your Majesty is wise. General Geshu has been guarding Tongguan for a long time, and his troops are strong. Now is the right time to go to war."
"An Lushan may seem powerful, but he's actually a spent force. As long as General Geshu comes out of the pass, we can definitely wipe out this bandit in one fell swoop."
He took a few steps closer and lowered his voice: "Besides, Geshu Han is in command of a large number of troops in Tongguan. Over time, it is inevitable that people will become suspicious."
"The saint allowed him to fight because he trusted him and gave him a chance to show his loyalty. It was a win-win situation."
These words resonated with Li Longji. He stroked his graying beard and nodded slowly, "You're right. I gave him a chance, but it's up to him whether he wants it or not."
Yang Yuhuan then took another cup of sour plum soup and said softly, "Your Majesty, please don't get yourself sick from anger. Uncle Yang is right. General Geshu will surely understand your painstaking efforts."
Li Longji took the jade cup and took a sip. The cool sweet and sour taste slid down his throat, and the anger in his heart seemed to subside a little.
He gazed at the azure sky outside the palace and murmured, "When Emperor Taizong pacified the Turks, he relied not on a strong defense but on cavalry! I cannot let future generations say that I couldn't even deal with An Lushan..."
He suddenly raised his voice and said to Gao Lishi, "Send an order to Bian Lingcheng, asking him to supervise the army! I want to see Geshu Han's troops go out with my own eyes!"
Gao Lishi was stunned. "Bian Lingcheng is a eunuch. Although he is the military supervisor, he still interfered. I'm afraid General Geshu will be dissatisfied..."
"Dissatisfied?" Li Longji placed the jade cup heavily on the table. "If he dares to be dissatisfied, he must be guilty! Have Bian Lingcheng keep an eye on him. If he hesitates even a little, he will be executed first and reported later!"
The setting sun shone through the windows of the Changsheng Palace, stretching Li Longji's shadow very long, and the white hair on his temples shone brightly in the golden light.
He looked at the crooked pomegranate tree outside the window, with several heavy fruits hanging on the tree, just like when he planted it with his own hands.
He was full of energy and vigor at that time, but now, he just felt a tightness in his chest, as if something was blocking him and he couldn't breathe.
"Go tell the imperial concubine to have a banquet at Hua'e Xianghui Tower tonight and have the students from the opera theater perform 'Nichang Yuyi Qu'."
He said to Gao Lishi, with a hint of fatigue in his tone, "When the news of Geshu Han's victory arrives, I will celebrate with her."