Chapter 20: The Masterful Pen (IV)

A Lun Can was stirred!
In one’s life, how many choices are made under immense pressure?
Xuzhou was in peril, and it could very well threaten the safety of Luoyang. As An Lushan’s adopted son, he knew well his adoptive father’s temper and nature. An Lushan was naturally suspicious; perhaps due to his own experiences, he distrusted generals who held military power—this naturally applied to his so-called adopted sons as well.
If he failed to send troops to rescue Xuzhou when it was besieged, it might cause An Lushan to harbor resentment, which would be extremely troublesome.
He had also heard about the rebellion led by the Yan family. Yan Gaoqing and Yan Zhenqing were both fifth-generation descendants of Yan Shigu, and their ancestors were quite renowned. His father, Yan Yuansun, had served as the governor of Haozhou and was once An Lushan’s subordinate. Thus, the two brothers should have been part of An Lushan’s core forces.
Who would have thought that these very men would rise up in Changshan when An Lushan led his army southward toward Guanzhong, striking a severe blow to his forces!
Heh, having trouble at home is never easy to deal with!
“What’s the situation in Hebei now?”
A Lun Can still harbored a last shred of doubt. If something was serious enough to make An Lushan halt his military campaigns and send General Shi Siming back to Hebei to suppress the rebellion, it must have been a dire situation.
“Reporting to the general, Yan Gaoqing and his son Yan Jiming raised a rebellion in Changshan. At that time, General Li Qincou was stationed there. On the night of the 22nd, those men sent envoys, military advisors, and county officials with food, wine, and entertainers to ‘comfort’ him. General Li, unsuspecting, drank until he was drunk and was then killed by them. After killing General Li Qincou, they weren’t satisfied and captured all the military officers from Youzhou. Generals Gao Miao and He Qiannian sensed something was wrong and tried to flee at night, but they were captured by the Yan family and imprisoned in the dungeon. Not long ago, Yan Gaoqing sent envoys with General Li’s head and those two generals to Chang’an, offering them to that foolish emperor.”
The messenger spoke with tears in his eyes, as if grieving for a loved one. Even the usually cold-hearted A Lun Can was moved.
Who would have thought that such a frail scholar could possess such courage? In a time when the whole country was drunk, he resolutely cut down An Lushan’s right-hand men, delaying An Lushan’s advance. If their identities and positions were set aside, A Lun Can couldn’t help but want to applaud him.

Hearing this news, A Lun Can felt no anger at all; on the contrary, he even felt a hint of satisfaction. Li Qinchou was also a subordinate of General An, and his bravery and decisiveness had won General An’s high regard. Yet he had a terrible temper and couldn’t tolerate any dissent, always getting on bad terms with A Lun Can. His execution after getting drunk was self-inflicted; A Lun Can wouldn’t feel sorry for him at all—instead, he found it satisfying!

Perhaps immersed in the joy over Li Qinchou’s execution, A Lun Can, in a moment of impulsiveness, didn’t think about how a mere messenger could know such detailed information.

Sometimes, once people reach a dead end, they will go to the end without hesitation, even if it means hitting a wall and refusing to look back.

“General Shi Siming has already led his troops into Hebei Road, but since seventeen counties in the entire region have joined the rebel Yan, General Shi cannot yet defeat them,” the messenger said calmly, occasionally glancing up at A Lun Can.

By now, A Lun Can had no doubts left. He waved his hand and said, “Enough! I know everything! Pass my orders—immediately assemble troops in the city’s training ground. I’m sending troops to Xuzhou to relieve the siege!”……

Life is sometimes like climbing a mountain; one never knows where they will end up until the very last moment.

The winding mountain paths are intricate. When mist rises, looking around reveals lush green grass and dense forests, creating a hazy atmosphere that makes one breathe deeply and enjoy the view.

With more temptations, more responsibilities, more choices…

Li Kuo gazed at the gourd-shaped valley and sighed deeply.

It wasn’t easy for him to take this path. Leading troops to seize cities captured by rebels might not be considered outright defiance, but it still left a stain on his reputation. If someone tried to stir up suspicion, it was possible the emperor might become doubtful.

Human hearts are the most unpredictable things. Sometimes, even though you haven’t done something, others will assume you have. Excessive explanations only deepen suspicion, so it’s better to let things take their course.

In the end, there was only one reason that drove Li Kuo to decide to seize the city—Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing had retreated to Tongguan.

The battle for Luoyang completely shattered the confidence of the Tang court. Sixty thousand mercenaries from Luoyang and fifty thousand border troops were effortlessly defeated by An Lushan, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of the Tang military system. Most importantly, the rebels were now on the rise, advancing straight toward Tongguan.

To provoke the Tang court to the extreme, An Lushan even sent Cui Qianyou with twenty thousand cavalry to Tongguan as a vanguard.

This move seemed careless but was actually extremely ruthless.

Cui Qianyou commanded only cavalry, making it almost impossible to capture Tongguan. Yet their presence blocked the path to Chang’an, leaving the troops sent to aid the emperor helpless. In other words, as long as Cui Qianyou’s forces remained outside Tongguan, they could achieve significant strategic advantages even without firing a single arrow. With such a formidable army guarding Tongguan, Gao Feng and the others dared not open the city gates to let in the rescue forces.

For the local troops sent to aid the emperor to enter Tongguan, they first had to defeat Cui Qianyou’s forces. But these troops were not under unified command, making it difficult for them to coordinate their actions, let alone fight together on the battlefield.

Moreover, most of the rescue forces were local militia with mediocre combat skills, while Cui Qianyou’s troops, though not An Lushan’s elite, were experienced veterans. As the saying goes, one experienced soldier is worth a whole squad of novices—a somewhat exaggerated claim, but not entirely unfounded.

If the various Tang generals, acting on their own, were defeated by Cui Qianyou, it would be a tremendous humiliation.

This was why Li Kuo chose not to enter Tongguan—not out of fear, but because it was impossible. Sometimes, events change faster than one’s plans, especially in times of war.

Everyone knew the critical importance of Tongguan. If it fell, Chang’an would be exposed, leaving the Tang court defenseless. Gao Xianzhi, after gathering his remaining troops and recruiting tens of thousands of cavalry, stationed them in Shaanxi as a final line of defense. That was one thing, but the emperor, believing the slanderous words of Yang Guozhong, sent the eunuch Bian Lingcheng to Tongguan as an inspector to oversee the battles.

Inspect the battles? Ha! An eunuch overseeing combat? Essentially, it showed the emperor’s distrust toward Gao and Feng—his inability to trust them completely. An Lushan’s rebellion had left the emperor deeply skeptical of his generals, and even loyal officers like Gao and Feng couldn’t earn his full trust.

Under normal circumstances, this might not matter, but now it was a matter of life and death. Losing Tongguan meant the downfall of the dynasty. How could such a situation allow for effective warfare with discord between the emperor and his generals?

As for Bian Lingcheng, Li Kuo had dealt with him before in Anxi. On the surface, he seemed gentle and respectful, but he was actually a treacherous scoundrel who killed silently behind the scenes.

As the emperor’s mouthpiece and eyes and ears, his loyalty to the royal family was unquestionable. Yet this could also lead him to overreact and restrict Gao and Feng’s ability to act freely.

Now, all he could do was try to seize some cities from the rebels to provide support for the imperial forces’ counterattack. There was Yan Gaoqing in Hebei and Yan Zhenqing in Shandong—didn’t they do the same?
In times of crisis, extraordinary measures are needed. Although this approach might seem like raising an army to rule for oneself, once he made the choice, he would carry it through without hesitation, ignoring others’ objections.
“General Li, when the rebels reach here, please let me take the lead!”
Lin Erlang pointed at the valley entrance not far away and resolutely bowed. That night, every woman, child, and elder in the village was killed by those barbarians—a grievance too great to bear. Blood debts must be paid in blood. He wanted to keep his promise, a man’s promise.
Li Kuo waved his hand and said, “Erlang, don’t worry. I have my plans. Just follow the army’s orders when the time comes.”
He didn’t outright reject Lin Erlang but gave him hope. Li Kuo had always respected such men who were determined to serve their country. But to truly serve the country, sheer passion wasn’t enough; wisdom and strategy were necessary to go further.
“Mm.”
Though Lin Erlang was displeased, Li Kuo had saved his life and taken him in when he had nowhere else to go, so he couldn’t say too much.
“It’s getting dark!”
Li Kuo looked up at the gradually darkening sky and sighed softly.
Winters came early and lasted long. Dark clouds covered the city as night approached. Snowflakes began to fall from the sky, and the dim light reflected on them, creating a mottled, glass-like world. Was it really going to be dark already?…
After hastily assembling more than three thousand cavalrymen, A Lun Can left the city eagerly, leading his troops toward Xuzhou. From sunrise to dusk, the cavalry rode nonstop without a moment’s rest. Xuzhou wasn’t far from Tangzhou—only about 150 li in a straight line. A Lun Can planned to reach the outskirts of Xuzhou overnight before resting, so he didn’t order his soldiers to set up camp even at night.
Fortunately, since the army was made up of cavalry, marching at night wasn’t too difficult. However, the rugged mountain roads were challenging, so A Lun Can ordered his soldiers to light torches for illumination. These barbarian soldiers, having grown up on horseback, were highly skilled riders, able to control their horses with one hand effortlessly.
With one torch per soldier, the army racing through the narrow mountain paths resembled a dragon of fire.