Chapter 52: Flowing Fire (II)
On June 13th, the 15th year of Tianbao, just as dawn broke, the gates of Xingqing Palace swung open. Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty, accompanied by his concubine Yang Yuhuan, Crown Prince Li Heng, Prime Minister Yang Guozhong, and other royal relatives and high officials, fled through Mingde Gate in luxurious carriages and fine horses, heading southwest.
At that time, many of the imperial descendants in the Ten Princes’ Residences and Hundred Grandsons’ Courtyard, along with ordinary citizens of Chang’an, were still asleep. Due to the emperor’s hasty departure, there was no time to inform them, so most of these descendants were left behind in Chang’an to fend for themselves. Once the rebels captured Chang’an, their fate would be obvious.
Since the Tang emperor was on an inspection tour to Shu, he could not bring too many troops. Nevertheless, there were still over a hundred carriages loaded with gold, jade, paintings, and precious valuables, forming a long and imposing convoy. The entire procession was guarded by the Left and Right Dragon and Military Forces and the Six Commanders of the Eastern Palace, totaling more than 20,000 men. Along the way, the flags fluttered, presenting a truly imperial grandeur….
From sunrise to noon, and from noon to sunset, the Tang emperor spent the entire day in his carriage. Normally, an inspection tour should be a joyous experience, but Emperor Li Longji, the main figure of this western tour to Shu, felt no joy at all. By now, even ordinary people in Chang’an must have realized that such tours were nothing but a pretext to cover up shame!
From the moment he decided to flee Chang’an, he had felt a deep sense of powerlessness, and that feeling grew stronger by the day. When An Lushan first rose in rebellion, Yang Guozhong assured him that the rebels were acting hastily, lacked popular support, and would collapse within three months. Now, nearly a year later, the rebels grew stronger with each battle, capturing the Eastern Capital and Tongguan, and were on the verge of attacking Chang’an!
Why were the Tang army’s forces so weak? Why were the border generals he favored either rebellious or cowardly? An Lushan was like this, Gao Xianzhi was like this, Feng Changqing was like this, and Geshu Han was still the same….
He had dedicated his life to restoring the territory of the Tang Dynasty as it was under Emperor Taizong and reviving the dynasty, yet what he achieved after all his efforts was a shattered country and chaos in the Central Plains! What had he done wrong? Why did heaven punish him so severely?
“Your Majesty, here’s some rice porridge!”
Yang Yuhuan pulled out a food box from the lining of the carriage adorned with auspicious cloud patterns and gently handed it to Li Longji. “When we set off this morning, I carefully instructed the palace chefs, saying you enjoy goji berry rice porridge, and asked them to prepare a large portion. I poured all of it into this box—it’s still warm.”
Li Longji, deep in thought, saw Yang Yuhuan offering the porridge and shook his head with a wry smile. “Yuhuan, you’re so thoughtful. But I wonder how many more times I’ll be able to drink this porridge?”
With that, Li Longji picked up a spoon and, with trembling hands, scooped up some of the porridge and brought it to his mouth.
Only those who have experienced hardship can truly appreciate sweetness. Yet he had lived a life of luxury, and only now, in adversity, was he feeling hardship—so what chance did he have to savor sweetness again?
“Your Majesty, please don’t worry too much. You are the emperor, blessed by heaven. I believe that in just a few days, the imperial forces will defeat the rebels. Then, won’t you be able to return to Chang’an?”
Yang Yuhuan gently patted Li Longji’s arm, soothingly speaking. No matter what others thought, in her eyes, Li Longji was always first and foremost a husband, and only secondarily an emperor.
“You always know how to make me happy!”
Li Longji affectionately tickled the tip of Yang Yuhuan’s nose and sighed. “Time reveals true character. I will remember your loyalty. Once I quell the rebellion and return to Chang’an, I will surely make you my empress!”
Li Longji clenched his fist firmly, making this promise.
He had never appointed an empress, not even during those years when he only had a few concubines. If this had happened in the past, Yang Yuhuan would have been overjoyed, but now, with things as they were, she had long become indifferent to such things.
To speak disrespectfully, the emperor was of an age where his days might be numbered. What was most important now was to spend every day with him, rather than worrying about competing for his favor.
She hadn’t realized it while staying in the palace, but once she went outside, she saw that the once vigorous emperor had grown so old.
“Where are we?”
Li Longji lifted the bright yellow curtain and looked outside. It was already dusk, with dim light. Looking out the window, he saw nothing but vast deserts, filling him with a sense of desolation.
“Your Majesty, we have arrived at Xiyi Bridge, within the territory of Xianyang.”
General Chen Xuanli, the commander of the imperial guards, rode up quickly and bowed in response. He was the overall commander of the troops protecting the emperor, leading not only over ten thousand elite imperial guards but also more than six thousand soldiers from the Eastern Palace Guard. Although their numbers were not comparable to those of the border troops, each of them was a highly skilled warrior loyal to the emperor to the core.
“Oh, we’ve reached Xiwai Bridge.”
Li Longji let out a soft sigh and waved at Chen Xuanli, saying, “Continue moving forward. It’s best to find an inn before nightfall.”
This simple place name evoked many memories in the Tang emperor’s mind. Back in the early years of the Zhenguan era, Khan Jiali, taking advantage of the Tang Dynasty’s weak state after its founding, joined forces with Khan Tulie and led two hundred thousand cavalry troops to the Wei River.
Emperor Taizong rode alone to Wei Bridge to negotiate with Khan Jiali, ultimately preventing war.
Yet history was not always kind. Who would have thought that a hundred years later, he would have to flee under the pretext of an inspection tour to Shu!
Li Longji lowered the curtain and fell silent.
A gloomy sunset burned across the sky, casting a desolate glow over the Wei River in the Tang Dynasty…
After resting at Bianqiao Inn for one night, the six armies set out again at dawn, heading west along the imperial roads.
For some reason, the further west they went across the Wei River and beyond Bianqiao, the more desolate the landscape became. At first, there were still many merchant caravans on the roads, but after leaving Bianqiao, they became increasingly rare. Could it be that even merchants had fled to Longyou and Shu to avoid the impending war?
Li Longji had not slept well the previous night. Living in the palace all his life had made him delicate, and he couldn’t tolerate the wind at night. Although the innkeeper at Bianqiao Inn provided him with the most luxurious room in the inn upon learning of the emperor’s arrival, such a place still seemed like a humble hut in the emperor’s eyes.
“Yuhuan, bring some plums. I’m a bit thirsty.”
Li Longji smiled and nodded slightly at Yang Yuhuan, who understood immediately. She took out a jade plate from a wooden box, picked up a plum, and placed it in the emperor’s mouth.
Li Longji bit down, accidentally taking Yang Yuhuan’s jade finger into his mouth.
“Your Majesty is so mischievous, just like a child!”
Yang Yuhuan glared at Li Longji resentfully and pulled her finger out of his mouth.
“Hmm, aside from Yuhuan, I doubt anyone else in all of Tang would dare say such things!” Li Longji said proudly, lifting his head and speaking softly. Whenever he chatted with Yuhuan, he felt a sense of relief and comfort that he could never find with other women.
“Sigh!”
Just as the emperor and empress were enjoying a rare moment of tenderness together, the carriage suddenly stopped, causing Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan to lurch forward.
“What happened?”
Struggling to get up, Li Longji angrily lifted the curtain and demanded an explanation.
General Chen Xuanli of the Longwu Army immediately stepped to the side of the carriage and said, “Your Majesty, there is a group of villagers ahead. They have blocked the imperial carriage and are begging you to return to Chang’an immediately to calm the people’s fears.”
Li Longji smiled bitterly and shook his head. “I have failed my people. But at this point, what other choice do I have but to flee to Shu for refuge?”
Chen Xuanli lowered his head in silence.
Note 1: Mawei Slope: located west of present-day Xingping City, about 68 kilometers from the center of Xi’an.