Insufficient balance

  After the chaos, when the remnants were rounded up and counted, it was estimated that several hundred people had died or gone missing. Among those killed were not only Yang's loyal followers such as Zheng Ang, Zhang Jian, and others, but also old officials who were not on good terms with Yang Guozhong, such as Wei Fang, who was hacked to death by the rioting soldiers when he came out to try to stop them. Even the upright and honest official, Left Assistant Director of the Imperial Secretariat Wei Zhen, would have lost his life if he had encountered us that day.

  There are still some people whose whereabouts are unknown, including Guifei's sister, the Huanguo Lady. After inquiring with many people, someone from the vanguard finally spoke up and said that they had seen her before. It turned out that she had sensed something was amiss and had slipped away quickly before the mutiny occurred, fleeing to the front lines. Although the mutiny has been put down, there are still many soldiers who harbor discontent towards Yang's family. They don't trust anyone else to find her, so they insist that I go personally. I have no way to resist the soft words of a beauty, and what's more, an emperor is watching me silently.

  I led the way in pursuit for over ten miles, tracking down their trail, and found a large group of angry people, including men, women, old and young, who were chasing after Madame Yu's party from Chen Cang County, wanting to beat up County Magistrate Xue Jingxian and his followers. When they saw the arrival of the government troops, instead of running away, they cheered and tried to intercept them to ask questions.

  I wouldn't be so polite, I charged forward, scaring them away, not wanting to make a scene, just using the scabbard to slap them, managing to disperse the crowd, and then grabbed Yu Guo's wife, who had been strangled half to death, and a pair of crying children, and pulled them out, although apart from Yang Tai Zhen, I didn't have any good feelings towards this family.

  With only half a breath left, she still asked us if we were government troops or rebels. I simply replied that we were both, and as a result, she was shocked and choked on her own blood, dying instantly. Having no choice, I had to capture the remaining leader, Xue Jingxian, and bring him back to turn him in. However, those villagers suddenly returned, begging us not to take away this small official, saying that he was kind and loving towards them...

  That little couple was so scared that they only cried and didn't stop, after being brought back to the palace by me and my subordinates, one holding each of them, they still wouldn't speak. Yang Taizhen was anxious and made those imperial physicians busy, but it was all in vain. It was I who understood the folk remedy from childhood, without regard for their dignity, and gave each of them a slap on the ear to wake them up.

  After all the above, I rose from a fake school lieutenant to the Left Jinwuwei Zhonglang General, as the deputy of Longwu General Chen Xuanyu, in charge of the right wing of the Imperial Guard, and was promoted four ranks within a few days, adding to the previous promotion. As a military officer in the Imperial Guard, I am not ordinary, and can be called an anomaly.

  However, I also have some numbers in my mind. This time it was mainly the mutiny of the Sixth Army, and Chen Xuanli could not restrain his subordinates, which made him untrustworthy. Therefore, he found someone who had won the hearts of the soldiers and solved the mutiny with merit - me - to share power and govern together. Even the imperial guards who accompanied the emperor were replaced by soldiers I brought back.

  Moreover, after the emperor issued an edict not to pursue the matter, it was only aimed at the soldiers. The great generals of the Imperial Guard, such as Chen Xuanli, the Right Dragon-Tiger Great General, were suspected of inciting from behind and could not escape being held accountable for dereliction of duty. So after a few days, he was given an empty title of Deputy Commander-in-Chief and sent to Hexi to gather remnants with more than ten old subordinates. I also specially saw him off with courtesy.

  Then I, who had just been promoted two ranks to become the Zhonglang General of the Left Golden Guard, naturally took over as deputy commander-in-chief and managed the affairs of the army on campaign.

  With these people, and also being lucky enough to have eaten away several small-scale pursuers along the way, they also gathered many scattered soldiers one after another, accumulating a considerable-sized troop. Some new subordinates were promoted and appointed, according to their closeness or distance from me, those who followed me on the run naturally took priority. The old emperor seemed to have acquiesced in this matter as well.

  I, who didn't have much of a hierarchical concept, also got along with those half-baked subordinates, becoming thick as thieves. Although some people criticized me for not distinguishing between superior and inferior, losing the dignity and demeanor of an official, my response was: "As long as these brats listen obediently on the battlefield, what's the use of having a dignified demeanor in daily life?" (I couldn't help but pick up some rough language from hanging out with those soldiers) I sent them back.

  During this period, I desperately sought excuses to ask my subordinates about the military common sense of this era. As a result, I not only gained a humble reputation for being close to the troops but also gradually clarified the military system and institutions at that time, as well as some events before and after the Anshi Rebellion.

  Firstly, the defeat of that famous general Geshu Han was not due to external factors but internal ones. Under his command were many talented generals and a large number of soldiers. Relying on the strategic location of Tongguan Pass, where "the moat is as high as the sky", they fought steadily and captured many enemy troops, achieving great merits every day. However, he had a poor relationship with the powerful minister Yang Guozhong at that time, looked down upon eunuchs, and was also dismissive of the imperial envoys sent by the court, which led to resentment from many people. It was just because his military achievements were flourishing and he held significant power that no one dared to take action against him.

  At that time, Vice Envoy Wang Silie secretly told Han: "An Lushan is rebelling, using the name of executing Yang Guozhong. If you leave 30,000 soldiers to guard the pass and lead your elite troops back to Chang'an to clear the emperor's side, this would also be a secret plan like that of the Han dynasty's suppression of the Seven Kingdoms." He was hinting at the affair of Han's execution of Chu Yuanzhang. Han shook his head and said: "If we follow your words, it would be me rebelling, not An Lushan rebelling!" However, this conversation was not kept secret and was leaked out, spreading rumors everywhere.

  At that time, there was also the Minister of Revenue An Sishun, who was of the same clan as An Lushan. Previously, he had memorialized that An Lushan would surely rebel, and therefore was spared from punishment. This man had once served as the military governor of Shuofang Circuit, and during his term, there were some frictions with Ge Shuhan. At this time, someone obtained a letter from bandits and presented it to the emperor. The letter implicated An Sishun as an internal responder, which made Emperor Xuanzong fearful. Moreover, because Ge Shuhan had submitted a memorial detailing seven crimes of An Sishun's, without regard for whether they were true or false, he was immediately ordered to be put to death.

  An Sushun was a key arm of Yang Guozhong, and he desperately wanted to rescue him. However, he was unable to do so, and upon hearing that Wang Shilie was secretly plotting against him, his anxiety increased. He then used the pretext of recruiting soldiers for the Imperial Army to gather 10,000 troops at the strategic location of Bashang, with his trusted general Du Qianyun in command. Under the guise of preparing to defend against bandits, he was actually guarding against the possibility that Geshu Han might suddenly turn against him, or that Yang Guozhong might take Wang's suggestion and send troops to purge the palace. As a result, all the soldiers in the capital were deployed under his command.

  Ge Shuhan also knew Guo's private intentions, and he petitioned to have the army stationed at Tongguan, and lured Gao Yun into discussing matters, then beheaded him as a warning. In the end, no one dared to speak out. It was only about Ge Shu's tyrannical behavior that rumors began to spread wildly in the market.

  Yang Guozhong became even more resentful and urged Han to lead the troops out of the pass to attack the rebels. Han presented a memorial stating: "Lu Shi is a rebel, but he has not yet won over the people's hearts; we should treat him with caution and wait for a while. Within a few months, the bandits' power will collapse, and they can be captured with one beat of the drum." Emperor Xuanzong somewhat agreed with this assessment. However, Yang Guozhong repeatedly spoke against Han, saying that he was delaying and not advancing, missing the opportunity to defeat the enemy, and that the rebel army could not be pacified soon.

  Xuanzong then sent envoys to the four directions, to investigate the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. A middle-ranking envoy was ordered to return and report that the rebel general Cui Gan, had less than 4,000 soldiers in Shanxi, who were all weak and unprepared. It should be attacked immediately without delay. This probably has something to do with Guo Ziyi's advice. As a result, Xuanzong suspected Geshu Han's motives for staying put and not taking action, urging him to send out troops.

  Gao Shuhan again presented a memorial, saying: "Lu Shan has been using troops for a long time, how could he not be prepared? I think he is a weak general luring me, if I go to attack, it would fall into the enemy's plan. Moreover, the bandit army has come from afar, and their advantage lies in quick battles, while our official army occupies strategic positions, and our advantage lies in firm defense. In the end, there will be a time to destroy the enemy, why must we hastily seek quick results? Now that the various armies are being recruited, many have not yet gathered, it would be better to calm down and wait for the enemy to change before sending out troops again." This memorial reached the Tang court, and also had Hebei's Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi jointly present a memorial, also requesting to lead their own army, to take Beiyang in the north, to attack the enemy's lair, to make the enemy internally collapse, and for the Tongguan great army to firmly guard against the enemy, not lightly sending out troops. Guo and Li's views were even more appropriate. However, this alliance of military leaders was precisely what those in high positions feared most.

  Xuanzong repeatedly read the two memorials, with a hesitant intention. Yang Guozhong alone spoke up and said: "Han has an army of 200,000, not to mention that it is not numerous, even if he cannot retake Luoyang, he should retake Chang'an. Is it possible that 4,500 bandits are feared like snakes and scorpions? If we don't go out today, and don't fight tomorrow, the army will be exhausted and the treasury depleted, waiting for the enemy to weaken. I'm afraid that the enemy's power will grow stronger every day, and the government army will become weaker." This speech again stirred Xuanzong, who sent messengers three times a day to urge Han to come out of the pass.

  Ge Shuhan was at a loss for what to do, so he wept loudly in front of his western troops and led them eastward.

  The great army marched to the west of Lingbao, and saw that the enemy had already set up camp in front, leaning against the mountain to the south and controlling the river to the north, occupying a strategic position. Han ordered Wang Silie to lead 50,000 soldiers as the vanguard. Another general, Pang Zhong, led 100,000 soldiers to respond, while he himself led 30,000 soldiers to climb to the high ground on the north bank of the river, raise flags and beat drums, pretending to be assisting. The enemy general Cui Qianyou, with a group of weak soldiers numbering around 10,000, came forward to challenge them. They were scattered in groups of three or five, like stars in the sky, sometimes gathering and sometimes dispersing, sometimes advancing and sometimes retreating. When the government army saw that their formation was not neat and they had no military discipline at all, they couldn't help but burst out laughing. Crying first and then laughing are both meaningless. At this point, Han ordered his troops to advance together, and as soon as they reached the enemy's camp, Qianyou immediately retreated with his flag.

  King Si-li led the army to pursue, and Pang Zhong continued to advance. Gradually, they entered a narrow pass, with steep cliffs on both sides, and their hearts were racing with fear. Just as they were observing, they heard the sound of cannons firing in succession, and the mountainside flags were raised, with wooden blocks and stones being thrown down together. Many government soldiers were injured and bleeding, and casualties mounted. Si-li hastily ordered a retreat, but Pang Zhong's rear army continued to advance, causing chaos as they retreated and advanced at the same time. Cui Dianyu was indeed formidable, and he circled around from the south of the mountain to attack Geshu Han's army from the north. Han was on a high hill, looking out into the distance, and saw that Si-li and Pang Zhong's armies had not retreated. The enemy soldiers were approaching with drums beating, and he knew that the vanguard had failed. He quickly used dozens of felt-covered carts as vanguards, leading his army down from the high hill to intercept Cui Dianyu's path.

  Qianyou saw the Han army in front of him, holding a felt cart, not suitable for shooting arrows. In the end, he used a grass cart to resist, taking advantage of the wind to set fire. Look at the official's idea! Felt is an object that ignites fire, once ignited, where can it be extinguished? Moreover, the enemy army was on the upper wind, and the Han army was against the reverse wind. The wind was fierce and the fire was raging, the smoke and flames flew high, and in a short time, the sky turned dark like an eclipse. The Han army's eyes were blinded by the smoke, and they fought each other, until they suddenly woke up, only to be attacked by the enemy army, the formation was greatly chaotic, and the corpses and blood were blurred. Half of them abandoned their armor and entered the mountain, and half threw away their spears and surrendered to the river.

  Han led over a hundred cavalrymen, rushing west into the pass. Outside the pass were three trenches, two zhang wide and one zhang deep, specifically to prevent bandit troops from charging through. As the government army retreated in succession, it was already dusk, and in the darkness, they couldn't tell high from low, and more than half fell into the trenches. After a short while, they were filled up, and the later-arriving defeated soldiers trampled over the corpses as if on flat ground. Han inspected his troops and found that only over 8,000 men remained, and he couldn't help but wail loudly. Suddenly, Huo Baoyi rushed in to report: "The bandit army will arrive at the foot of the pass!"

  Geshu Han hastily said: "Now the army is defeated and isolated, unable to fight again, I can only go to Guanzhong Station, gather scattered soldiers, and come back to defend the pass. You stay here to resist the enemy, wait for me to return and cooperate in defense." After finishing speaking, he set off immediately.

  Gui Ren stayed on the mountain pass and actually sent a messenger to Qianyou, willing to surrender Geshu Han. Qianyou then advanced and stationed troops below the pass, waiting specifically for Gui Ren to come out.

  Gui Ren led over 100 cavalrymen to Guanzhong Station, entered and told Geshu Han: "The enemy army has arrived, please mount your horse!" Geshu Han mounted his horse and came out of the station. Gui Ren led the crowd in bowing their heads and said: "You led 200,000 troops on an expedition, one battle was completely defeated, what face do you have to see the Emperor again? Moreover, haven't you heard the story of Gao Xianzhi's treatment of Chang Qing? Now for your sake, there is only one strategy to go east, which can still save yourself."

  Geshu Han sighed: "As a great general, how can I surrender to the enemy?" Saying this, he wanted to get off his horse. Gui Ren ordered the cavalrymen to tie Geshu Han's feet under the horse's belly and took him away by force.

  The remaining troops were unwilling to surrender and were also tied up, driven out of the pass, and went to surrender to Qianyou. History will change, but the more it changes, the harder it becomes to go down. After all, the protagonist is human, not a god. Sometimes history also has a corrective effect.