Chapter 56: Flowing Fire (6)
With the death of the Imperial Concubine and the entire Yang family exterminated, after a night as terrifying as a nightmare, Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty still mounted his horse with Gao Lishi’s assistance at dawn the next day.
Perhaps to vent their anger, the carriages had all been destroyed during the mutiny of the imperial guards the previous day. Who would have thought that one day Li Longji would have to flee west in such a humiliating manner?
It was fate! It was fate!
With the nation ruined and his family destroyed, his reign as emperor had been a complete failure. In this state, how could he face his ancestors in the afterlife with any dignity?
Traveling west from Mawei Post, the army stopped again on a wind-sheltered plain.
Li Longji frowned slightly and looked into the distance.
Hundreds of commoners had gathered ahead, blocking the only dirt road through which the army could proceed.
To reach Shu, they must head west, cross the Qinling Mountains, and take the Shu Road via Hanzhong—this route was essential.
“Your Majesty, please do not go west! The palaces and halls in Chang’an are your residence; the imperial tombs of past dynasties are the resting places of your ancestors; the people of Chang’an are your loyal subjects. Now, you want to abandon us? If you do, you will lose everyone’s hearts!”
Li Longji fastened the reins to the gold-inlaid saddle, lost in thought, hesitant.
The commoners’ words made sense. People’s loyalty was fragile. If he stubbornly insisted on fleeing west, might it lead to the collapse of morale and the downfall of the kingdom?
Now that the Imperial Concubine was dead and the Yang family had been wiped out, if he lost the people’s support too, recovering lost territories and quelling rebellions would become utterly hopeless.
But above all, he wanted to survive. Only after experiencing last night’s mutiny did he realize that living was more important than anything else.
Li Longji coughed lightly and ordered Gao Lishi beside him, “Yuan Yi, issue an order for the crown prince to stay and comfort and persuade the elders and commoners on my behalf!”
Without further hesitation, Li Longji led the group out of the crowd and spurred his horse forward.
Watching the group gradually disappear, the commoners’ hearts grew cold. If the emperor had been their pillar, and now that pillar had collapsed, how could they not feel sorrow?
“We must keep the crown prince! Now that Your Majesty has left, we must hold him back!”
Someone in the crowd suddenly spoke up, and the villagers immediately became agitated. They rushed to the prince Li Heng’s horse, urging him, “Your Highness, since the emperor refuses to stay, let us follow you! Let us all work together to help you reclaim our lands and restore peace to our Great Tang! Let us march eastward to fight the rebels, take back the two capitals, and drive those barbarians out of our land!”
“Yes, we swear to follow you to the death to reclaim our lands and drive those barbarians out of Great Tang!”
“Yes, drive them out, drive them out!”
The common people raised their hoes and sickles in response.
“Your Highness, think about it—if you insist on accompanying the emperor to Western Shu, you will surely lose the people’s support. Those who lose the people’s support lose the realm. You must not make such a mistake! An Lushan was able to win battles time and again because of his boldness, but his rebellion was an act of treason, putting him at a moral disadvantage. If you go to the front lines to fight the enemy, you can surely demoralize the rebels, who will eventually collapse due to their own faults.”
Li Fuguo appeared behind Li Heng at some point, giving him solemn advice. Li Heng was like raw jade that needed to be carved and guided, and Li Fuguo was willing to be that guide.
Before long, thousands of people gathered around the prince.
Li Heng was momentarily at a loss. Although he had already eliminated the Yang family, removing the biggest obstacle to his ascension, his father was still the emperor of Great Tang. If he obeyed public opinion and stayed, what would his father think? What would the people think?
After all, words could be more deadly than weapons. Even as the heir to the throne, one could be ruined by being labeled unfilial and disloyal!
“Dear fellow villagers, it’s not that I don’t want to join you in fighting the enemy in the north. But the emperor is already old, and traveling to Shu at such an advanced age is extremely risky. As his subject, how can I not stay by his side to show my filial duty? Please go back, everyone! Please go back!”
After saying this, Li Heng wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, gritted his teeth, and pulled on the reins, ready to ride westward to catch up with Li Longji ahead.
“Your Highness, you must not do this! This concerns the fate of the nation. Please think carefully before acting!”
Prince Jianning Li Tao, seeing Li Heng’s cowardice and hesitation, grew angry and frustrated. He quickly joined the eunuchs Li Fuguo and Yu Chaoyen to block the prince’s horse, urging him, “Your Highness, fighting the enemy in the north is crucial for the fate of our ancestors and the nation. You must not neglect your greater duty for lesser filial piety.”
Yu Chaoyen also said, “Your Highness, the young prince is right. Now that the barbarians have rebelled and invaded the two capitals, the Central Plains are in dire straits. If Your Highness does not step forward to save the common people from this disaster, I fear no one else will.” He, along with Li Fuguo, Chen Xuanli, and others, had carefully planned this rebellion to pave the way for the prince. How could the prince now back down? Wouldn’t that push everyone into greater danger? At this point, success was non-negotiable—there was no choice left for the prince! Even for the sake of these loyal followers, Li Heng had to turn his horse northward and proclaim himself emperor!
“Your Highness, following His Majesty to Shu Province may seem to avoid immediate danger, but it will only bring endless troubles in the future. Just imagine—if the rebels take advantage of the situation to burn the supply routes and cut off communication between Shu and Hanzhong, then the vast regions of Guanzhong and the Central Plains would be handed over to the traitor An Lushan. Once people’s hearts are scattered, they can never be united again. This is indeed a time of life and death. If you fail to act now, chaos will ensue. Going against the will of the people will only invite resentment. Please reconsider.”
Li Fuguo also stepped forward with his hands behind his back and advised Li Heng, “Although the rebels are currently strong, their acts of burning, killing, and looting have lost them the support of the people. Your Highness is the heir to the throne and the legitimate successor. If you rise up and call for help, millions of people will respond. Then, with the troops you gather, you can march northward, recall Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi from Hebei, and surround An Lushan’s forces. Within half a year, the rebels will surely be defeated.”
Li Fuguo’s reasoning was sound, and Li Heng felt greatly relieved, considering staying behind.
Suddenly, Li Chu, the eldest grandson and Prince of Guangping, led six generals to kneel on the ground and pleaded, “Your Highness, please prioritize the greater good and recover the two capitals to turn the tide. After that, you can clean the dust from the Daming Palace and then welcome the emperor back to Chang’an with a grand procession—wouldn’t that be a great act of filial piety? Success or failure depends on this move. Please do not hesitate; make a decision soon, otherwise, if you lose the people’s support, everything will be lost!”
“Please make a decision soon, do not hesitate!”
“Please make a decision soon, do not hesitate!”
“Please make a decision soon, do not hesitate!”
Li Heng was greatly frightened by the pressure from these generals and almost fell off his horse. After finally calming down, he sighed deeply and said, “Now that the traitor An Lushan is slaughtering the people in the Central Plains, I cannot bear to see the people of the Tang Dynasty suffer. I am willing to go north with you all to fight against the rebels!”
Upon hearing these words, both the generals of the Eastern Palace and the common people around them wept bitterly and bowed their heads, saying, “Long live Your Highness! We swear to follow you to the death, to achieve great feats on your behalf, and to drive An Lushan out of the Central Plains!”
At that moment, Li Hen’s blood also boiled with passion. He seemed to see himself ascending the throne, with all officials bowing before him. He seemed to see the armies of the Tang Dynasty, under his command, defeating the rebels one after another, reclaiming lost territories, and forcing An Lushan to hang himself.
He seemed to see the Tang Dynasty thriving once again under his rule, becoming the most prosperous empire in the world.
They had waited for this opportunity for twenty years—was it finally here?
Li Hen held the reins with one hand and gazed far to the east.
He could see the sun but not Chang’an.
That was something only cowards would say. He, Li Hen, would lead his people north to confront An Lushan head-on!