Chapter 49
Since ancient times, emperors have been known for having many brothers, wives, children, and concubines. Under the butcher's knife of the rebels, they all had a share, no wonder the old emperor was overwhelmed with grief. The previous emperor Ruizong's branch was suppressed by Wu Zetian, so there were not many people in this generation. This Emperor Xuanzong also had four brothers and dozens of children, as well as the legendary three thousand beauties in the harem. Although some of them may have never been seen or touched in their lifetime, it's still a heavy loss, and it's natural to be heartbroken. I was filled with the poor farmer's schadenfreude and malicious humor, secretly thinking about it.
Looking around, the crown prince and Wei Xiang were already sobbing uncontrollably. The young ones behind them, including Xiao Bai and the other siblings, also had tears streaming down their faces. Unfortunately, I was stuck on the right side with this group of officials who were covering their faces and crying, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't squeeze out a single tear. To make matters worse, I had to pretend to be grief-stricken, which felt incredibly awkward. Next to me, there was a little maid who kept tugging on my sleeve, wiping her nose from one side to the other, sniffling and sobbing, and ruining my newly changed clothes for the third time, leaving many people in awe. I deeply regretted not bringing Wei's second son over as well, he could have covered for me. The pain of holding back was unbearable, and my face twitched with the effort, but somehow it seemed to work.
When emotions reached a boiling point, with a heavy heart and streaming tears, he immediately tore off his robe to make a mourning banner, wrote a sacrificial address, and issued an edict confessing his guilt. The words were sharp as knives, every sentence dripping with blood, one sentence spoken, one strip of cloth torn, several times in the middle because of crying too much, he fainted and was hastily supported by the imperial relatives and officials to recover, still ignoring his exhausted heart and hoarse voice, he continued to read out loud. All who heard it shed tears, the wailing grew louder. Finally, with great difficulty, he finished.
He then ordered all the generals and officials to gather together, saying: "I have been old and weak in recent years, and I have appointed the wrong prime minister, which has led to the rebellion of the Hu people. The situation is very critical, and I had no choice but to flee far away from the enemy's edge. You all hastily followed me, without even having time to bid farewell to your parents, wives, and children. We have traveled a long distance, and I am deeply grieved by your hardships. All of this is my fault. Now that we are facing the enemy's punishment, I feel ashamed and guilty towards our ancestors and the gods of the land." He seemed as if he was about to fall over, and wanted to bow to the crowd. Just then, he was hastily pulled back by the crowd, who shouted in unison: "The ancestral temple and the gods of the land are more important!" "Your Majesty must protect your dragon body!" Even I cried out in alarm: "Your Majesty, you must not do this!"
The old emperor just ignored him and said, "Now I will go west into Shu, the road is blocked and long, can't help but be more troubled. I have lost virtue, should bear hardships, now willing to take my family and officials, personally going west, fortune and misfortune, safety and danger, listen to heaven's orders. You all don't need to follow me, can return east." At this point the crowd erupted, amidst the surging cries of grief and shouting voices, they repeatedly exhorted in hoarse voices "The bandit is cruel and tyrannical, what does it have to do with Your Majesty?" "If Your Majesty is like this, how will we officials take care of ourselves?"
At that moment, all the surrounding generals who saw this scene could not help but feel sad and moved. The passionate appeals and voices of Chen's emotions were endless. Even I, who felt that the scene in front of me was a bit familiar, couldn't help but quickly lead the way to kneel down and express my loyalty: "We will follow you, and die without hesitation."
But what I admire even more is the skill of Wen Zhe, a scholar from Hongwen Academy, and some other officials who can turn rotten things into magical ones. The fact that they were being chased and escaped desperately was transformed in their mouths, with vivid descriptions, flying saliva, and eloquent speeches. They spoke with great passion and excitement, sometimes with tears streaming down their faces, sometimes with gritted teeth, making themselves out to be loyal and righteous officials who are rarely seen in heaven or on earth. If I hadn't known the inside story beforehand, I would have thought that this escape was actually a brilliant move by the emperor, and I would have been amazed and impressed by the high level of shamelessness that people can achieve.
Still he did not respond, and instead had people push out cart after cart of goods onto the courtyard, which when opened revealed rolls and rolls of brightly colored fabrics. I was taken aback, and he said again, "We have received tribute from Shu, to assist you on your journey. When you return to see your parents and the elders of Chang'an, please give them my regards. Take care of yourself, do not worry about me!" At this point, tears were streaming down his face. All of us soldiers, including myself, were so moved that we wept, and pledged to fight to the death. Only after our sincere devotion had been expressed did he finally calm down, having cried for a long time, and left behind only one sentence: "Go or stay, listen to me!" He then got up and summoned us inside, and ordered people to distribute the tribute goods.
Originally, due to the emperor's sudden departure and the fact that Shu Road is mountainous and far away, news transmission was delayed. As a result, the 1 million dan of spring silk from Chengdu Prefecture in Xichuan Circuit were still transported as usual. Along the way, because of the great chaos in Guanzhong, the postal road was scattered and abandoned, and the escorts had not received accurate information, so they naturally did not dare to slack off and continued to head east until they ran into us.
Distributed downwards, according to official rank, everyone has some. Those who were injured received an additional piece, and all were overjoyed. Among my subordinates, there are also those who know their stuff, and they say that this Shu brocade is a famous product known throughout the land. On the market, it's already priceless, and it's specially supplied to the imperial family as tribute silk. The quality is even more exceptional, with each piece being a considerable amount of money.
The general, who had been hanging on for half a day, finally received his first batch of income. After counting the tributes under his name, he found that there were as many as 300 pieces. He was overjoyed and felt like he had made a fortune. As he stroked the fine and delicate patterns, his feverish brain gradually calmed down, and he couldn't help but think about the past and present. He praised the emperor for being extremely wise, thinking that although the old emperor's actions had some political flavor, they were not at all pretentious. The emperor had moved people with emotions, explained things with reason, and demonstrated his power at the right moment, which was very timely in stopping the danger of people's hearts becoming disheartened. He had stabilized people's minds and made the soldiers willing to die for him without any dissenting voices. At least, everyone agreed on marching west into Shu, and even if there were any disagreements, no one dared to speak out against it. Because the military's attitude towards those who had privately become unstable due to the rebels' cruelty and tactics was like pulling the plug from a boiling pot, everyone knew that without the protection of the army, they would be in danger on their way back, and whether they could survive or not was still a question.
And having been by his side for a long time, I also have some feelings about Tang Xuanzong, who created one of the five great prosperous ages of the Chinese nation. Reflecting on myself, this journey has been really smooth sailing.
A few days ago, I impulsively beheaded the guerrilla army and then reported to the old emperor, bringing the crown prince as a witness to boost morale. After presenting the report, I received a surprisingly lenient response: "No need to worry, you handle it, no further discussion is needed." This was also a signal, as the audience in the vast area has been occupied by rebels. Perhaps considering the existence of this lone army, at least it can shift the attention of those who are determined to pursue the rebel army.
Perhaps for me, these unstable factors are also the case for that emperor. To know that the An Lushan Rebellion is still fresh in mind, although it is said that there will be no pursuit of responsibility and rewards will be given to those who have made contributions to the country, but this is just a superficial statement. A generation of kings being coerced in such a way, regardless of how good their temperament is, is also a humiliation. Whether it is the dignity of the imperial family or the majesty of the emperor, there must be an explanation. The departure of Chen Xuanli from the capital to Hexi is probably part of this explanation.
Furthermore, although it is said that a king has no joking words, as a famous king, he would not regret afterwards and must take revenge, but somehow in his heart, he would not feel comfortable. Especially when those who participated in the coup are still alive and well in front of him.
Ordinary followers who followed and attached themselves can be ignored, but those who secretly stirred up the leaders and followers still remaining in the army are a thorn in people's hearts. However, since there was an agreement beforehand, although the Emperor had his own plans, he wouldn't do something that would humiliate himself. On the other hand, although they are unreliable, for the time being, we have to rely on these people.
But I am different, (although my appearance is an accident) as an outsider, I have my own team and do not have much of a relationship with various parties, relatively unbiased. It's easy to take in anyone without worrying about causing irreparable suspicion and turmoil. Moreover, as an outside parachuted leader, those old-timers are all high-ranking officials who may not be convinced or obedient. To maintain my authority and position, I must suppress and deal with the backlash, while also having a strong team to appoint new people and promote trusted individuals. At the same time, it's inevitable to produce conflicts and contradictions with existing powers. As long as I guide them properly, I can achieve an unexpected effect and purpose. That's why, all along, those above me have been tolerant, ignoring, permitting, or even indulging my seemingly reckless behavior.
His Majesty the Emperor was sensitive and timely to perceive this subtle situation and change, and with a title of "Dragon General" he brought me in, and with all sorts of seemingly enviable and even unreasonable favors, there were people who envied and naturally resented, under the circumstances where everything was connected, I was driven to automatically reject those unreliable northern generals, and very naturally completed the weeding and insecticidal work for His Majesty. Of course, all the resentment and estrangement that arose from this also came to me, and had nothing to do with His Majesty the Emperor.
Of course, he also got rid of some flowers and grasses raised by the crown prince, but others are not ordinary people, with good cultivation and ability to endure, never intending to settle accounts with you, always praising and protecting, giving what is needed, very enthusiastic.
So, I've been busy all day, but most of it was for the sake of others to get rid of weeds and pests. The Northern Army's Five Tigers were just a bonus, stuck in between as an unlucky egg. Because this is a special time, in times of chaos, severe punishment is necessary, once things settle down and there are no external threats, I won't be able to find excuses to deal with them so easily. Therefore, Yuwen and the others also realized this, contrary to their usual behavior, they carefully tucked their tails and behaved humbly, keeping a low profile, not giving me any excuse. Originally, it would have passed like this, but they were unlucky, two of them died in battle, and the other three all became cripples, watching helplessly as I took away their last bit of land.
For a moment, I thought it was over, but then the Huangmen summoned us generals to enter and discuss matters. Only then did I realize that there was still an inner court behind. We entered in a line, and the simple grand hall was filled with civil and military officials gathered together. Even those guys who were usually left out because of their connections to Yang's party were present, it must be something big happening.
