Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 237 The Rebellion of the Eight Kings
The first shot that broke the deadlock came from Chang'an.

Li Zhi, with the power of the legitimate court, took the lead in breaking the balance with a decree.

The content of the decree was as balanced as ever, leaving no room for faults. At the same time, it hit Li Tai's weak spot, with great lethality.

In the name of regent of the imperial court, he mobilized the armies of the governors and princes across the country and marched north to rescue Li Shimin.

This was the policy he set on the first day of the court meeting. It not only occupied the absolute moral high ground, but also cut off the military support that Li Tai relied on the most.

As long as they could get one or two governors to defect from Li Tai's camp, it would be a profit.

Even if those illegitimate princes were completely loyal and wanted to follow Li Tai, they would have lost the righteousness and the support of the people, and would have been blamed for regicide and civil war.

Li Tai has no legitimate reason to fight, so as long as the war drags on, he will definitely lose.

…………

"Ah? Our military is clearly stronger than Li Zhi's. Why are you so cowardly, Brother Four? Why don't you just march into Chang'an and seize the throne?
"I'm so hot after all this march, fan me faster!"

In the palace of Prince Wei in Luoyang, Prince Li You of Qi was sitting on a seat in full military uniform, with his horse and sword in hand. Even in the middle of autumn, he was still drinking herbal tea and urging his maid to fan him.

Li Tai felt the slight chill of the wind blowing through him, his thick forehead twitching, and he listened patiently to the visitor's nonsense.

It's just a waste of time and breath to talk to this idiot whose brain is full of muscles about "the teacher has a legitimate reason" and "he who wins the hearts of the people wins the world, and he who loses the hearts of the people will go to heaven" and so on.

If Li You hadn't been so stupid, he wouldn't have been the first to respond to Li Tai and lead his army all the way from Qizhou to Luoyang.

The fourth brother Li Tai and the fifth brother Li You have a long history of py trading.

The specific content of the transaction is that Li Tai talks and Li You does the work——

Li Tai only needed to move his lips and praise Li You a few words.

For example, the five sons are heroes that appear once in a thousand years. If they were born in the chaotic times at the end of the Sui Dynasty, they would have established great achievements like Xiang Yu, Liu Bei, Fuchai and Fu Jian.

Li You did the dirty work for him without knowing what was going on, and took advantage of the situation countless times.

This also led to the Li Xiaogong case, the Realgar regicide case, the Jiucheng Palace case... all the way to the Liaodong rumor case in collusion with Zhang Liang.

He was involved in every conspiracy of Li Tai.

This time, when he heard that he could rebel against him, Li You immediately responded with pleasure.

Making achievements and conquering the world are secondary.

Li You's main motive was simply to "rebel against his father."

Because during the autumn hunt last year, he was kicked to the dead Li Yuanji as a stepson, which led to him having a lot of resentment towards his biological father Li Shimin.

As long as it can bring disaster to Old Li, Li You will do anything.

"Why haven't the others come yet? Prince Ji Li Shen's fiefdom is not far from here, isn't it much closer than Qizhou? Where are they?"

Li You continued to speak in a loud and careless voice.

Considering that Li Zhi possessed the most powerful resource, the "imperial court", Li Tai knew that he was no match for his ninth brother in a protracted war.

Therefore, he planned to make good use of his greatest advantage at present——

That is, he indirectly controlled more troops (through the other seven princes) than Li Zhi did.

Gather all the troops in Luoyang and take Li Zhi away in one wave.

Do not give the other side the opportunity to use the court's civil service system to mobilize national strength and develop.

This military adventure is not only feasible, but also very possible.

Because Luoyang is not far from Chang'an, before the cold winter comes, they can rely on the big river (that is, the Yellow River) to transport goods westward.

As long as the eight kings gathered their strength and worked hard, (Li Tai believed) he could still take advantage of Li Zhi's powerful position to quickly break through the two eastern gate barriers of Hangu Pass and Tongguan and knock on the gate of the capital.

However, the army was not united in strength and was hesitant and marching in a scattered manner.

Except for the fool Li You, the other six half-brothers all stood him up, and not even a cook had arrived in Luoyang yet.

Some said they were delayed on the road, some said they were still hiding in the Governor's Office due to poor logistics, and some said that the troops had not been fully recruited and most of the soldiers were still scattered in various Zhechoufu.

Whether it is true or false, there is a reason for it.

What's worse, some people, such as King Wu Li Ke, directly wrote "read but not replied" to Li Tai's urgent letter.

Li You didn't think much about the six brothers' behavior of standing him up.

The innocent Lao Wu felt that the slow march of the others only made him more brave and heroic, and that he was a natural born leader.

Of course, the fifth son is not good enough, but the fourth son’s political sense is still very good.

Li Tai was not so naive. He realized that the political offensive launched by Li Zhi had indeed greatly shaken the already fragile unity of his side.

After all, the other six brothers did not participate in Li Tai's conspiracy.

They were invited by Li Tai because the price offered by Fourth Brother was really good.

Those who love money are given money, those who love literature are given antiques, those who love being an official are given important positions, and those who love land are given fertile land.

Cater to their preferences and get what they need.

Secondly, the six of them believed Li Tai’s words at first.

They were ready to unite around their fourth brother to purge the emperor's court, punch the rebellious minister Li Ming, and kick the evildoer Li Zhi.

It can not only win political benefits, but also leave a good reputation of "loyalty to the emperor, patriotism, and restoring order."

Isn't it wonderful to gain both fame and fortune?

However, the rumor about the new version of the ship proposed by Li Zhi made the other six brothers suspicious of Li Tai's motives.

They were afraid that the situation would be turned upside down and turn from a win-win situation into a lose-lose situation, so they decided to wait and see for a while.

What's worse, people like Wu Wang Li Ke, who "read the message but didn't reply", might have been secretly contacting Li Zhi's side and were ready to abandon the light and join the dark side at any time.

"If they don't come, then you come. Doesn't this show that you, the King of Qi, are good at commanding the army?" Li Tai said with a half smile.

Li You naturally didn't hear the sarcasm in the words, and proudly challenged to fight:

"No need to wait for them, what does that brat Li Zhi know about marching and fighting?
"With just a flick of my finger, the Qizhou army will be able to break through Tongguan and attack Chang'an.

"Old Nine is too arrogant. I am going to pull him off the throne, take off his crown, and slap him in the face."

In his impression, Li Zhi is still that timid, sissy, cowardly and incompetent kid.

Oh my, you are so awesome... Li Tai looked meaningfully at the empty head on Li You's shoulder, and echoed half-heartedly:
"It has to be Goro."

"So, Old Four." Li You stood up from his seat, walked to Li Tai, and patted his shoulder without hesitation:

"Since I have made great contributions, I should get half of this world, right?"

Although this guy is not smart, he is also very bad.

Li Tai raised his eyebrows, then curled his lips:
"sure, no problem.

"Fifth brother, with your upcoming role, not to mention the world, even the sky can be entrusted to you to manage."

Li You didn't understand what it meant, and his eyes lit up:
"Really?"

"Really." Li Tai also patted his shoulder.

…………

late at night.

Tongguan is brightly lit with torches.

This pass is located near the Yellow River ferry in the north and the mountains in the south. It controls the key post road between Chang'an and Luoyang and is the eastern gate of Guanzhong.

In other words, if Li Tai and other eight rebel kings wanted to attack Chang'an, Tongguan was the only way they could pass through.

It was late at night and everyone was asleep, but the guards on duty did not dare to slack off at all and stared intently towards the east.

You can deceive your superiors, but don’t deceive yourself, or you won’t even notice the enemy’s arrow flying towards your head.

The autumn wind blew, and the air seemed to carry the sounds of horse hooves and wheel ruts.

The defenders were startled and pricked up their ears to listen.

It wasn't an illusion, there was indeed the sound of horse hooves coming from the east!
The defenders immediately became alert and were about to report when they discovered something strange.

The sound of horse hooves was sparse, and it didn't sound like a large force was coming for a night attack.

More like a pedestrian in a hurry.

But in the middle of the night, which blind pedestrian would dare to trespass into a military stronghold?
The guard opened his eyes wide, trying to peer into the pitch-black darkness.

A silhouette slowly stepped into the range of torchlight.

It is a luxurious carriage, and there is only one.

"Who is it!" the guard shouted condescendingly.

Unexpectedly, the driver was quite tough:
"How dare you! How dare you be rude to His Royal Highness!"

This arrogant attitude, coupled with the carriage that looked very unusual at first glance, made the guards feel suspicious.

"Please get out of the car and be inspected."

His attitude softened noticeably.

The driver was too lazy to argue with him and took out a golden letter of clearance.

The soldier obviously did not recognize the eldest prince's appearance, and this document was the main evidence to identify his identity.

His attitude immediately became respectful, and he did not dare to ask the noble inside to get off the car to verify his identity. He quickly opened the door and respectfully escorted the magnificent carriage through the customs, heading west towards Chang'an.

…………

a few days later.

After the Secretary of the Central Secretariat Cen Wenben committed suicide like a dog, the second big news came from Luoyang: Prince of Qi Li You rebelled!
As a vanguard of Li Tai's anti-imperialist and anti-feudal group, he suddenly fled Luoyang, which was controlled by Li Tai, overnight and headed towards the capital Chang'an.

However, because Li You rebelled against Li Tai, he surrendered to Li Zhi and the imperial court in the capital.

So we cannot simply say that he has gone "the other way". In a sense, he should be considered "the right way".

Li You was the first prince to respond to Li Tai's uprising, without a doubt.

Therefore, the news of his feud with Li Tai undoubtedly gave another blow to the current shaky domestic situation.

Soon, the specific details of the King of Qi's rebellion spread along the highway to all the major states and counties in the Central Plains.

After Li You arrived in Luoyang, he heard rumors that Li Zhi was deeply exposing Li Tai's anti-imperialist and anti-feudal conspiracy.

He was shocked and suddenly realized his mistake. He didn't even care about the army and immediately drove overnight from Luoyang to Chang'an.

Before the people arrived in Chang'an, the news had already spread all over the country.

So when Li You's carriage finally arrived at the gate of Chang'an.

The guards at the city gates were waiting in full force as if they were facing a great enemy, and the general who was in charge of the gate guards was personally on the front line.

The news that Li You defected and arrived in Beijing almost came with the news that he himself arrived in Chang'an.

However, after Li Zhi learned about this, he was indifferent to it.

An important prince came to surrender, but Li Zhi, who was well versed in filial piety and brotherhood, did not seize this excellent opportunity to stage a "barefoot welcoming Xu" drama, which set off a new climax in the public opinion war.

But I feel that there is something fishy about this matter.

"Is he really the King of Qi? With my fifth brother's reckless hunting temperament, he could ride a horse from Qizhou to Chang'an without stopping, but he would never come here in a carriage."

In the martial Tang Dynasty, both men and women were proud to ride horses. Only the elderly and a certain King Wei who did not want to reveal his name had to ride in a carriage.

The fact that Li You was riding in a car when he passed through Tongguan does not stand up to scrutiny.

Therefore, not only did he not play the old trick of brotherly love and respect, he also forbade other people in the court to go to greet him, and handled the whole process in a cold manner.

At the gate of Chang'an city.

"Your Highness, please get out of the car and identify yourself." The general ordered politely but coldly.

The driver immediately started yelling:

"Hey, hey, hey! Your Highness is so majestic, how can you be disrespectful to him?"

The general didn't indulge him and directly pulled out an imperial decree from his bosom:
"This is an order from the imperial court, given by His Royal Highness the Regent himself."

The local court is so rude... The driver grumbled and moved aside.

The head of the prison guards lowered his head and walked to the front of the car, kneeling on one knee:
"Your Highness, Prince Qi, please."

There was no movement.

The general looked at the driver.

The driver was also completely at a loss, shaking his head in confusion:
"I saw His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi get on the car with my own eyes, and he never got off the car during the entire journey."

The general frowned, then stood up, walked to the car window and knocked gently:
"Your Highness, I am sorry for the inconvenience."

Then he opened the car door.

The King of Qi was sitting crookedly in the carriage, his head drooping to one side, his eyes wide open, blood dripping from his mouth, and he was no longer alive.

…………

Almost on the same day that the King of Qi was found dead outside the city gate of Chang'an, the news of his death spread throughout the country.

The versions of the rumor became more and more bizarre, and the location of the story changed from outside Chang'an Gate to inside Taiji Palace.

Then a very logical rumor came into being -

Li You was poisoned to death by Li Zhi!
Li Zhi's call for the kings to come to Beijing to discuss important matters was false, but his intention was to take the opportunity to eliminate the kings; his dispatch of troops to rescue Your Majesty was false, but his intention was to usurp the throne!

As we all know, in Datang without Datang Telecom, communications would have high latency.

However, rumors about Li You's death spread out of Chang'an in a short period of time and spread to all counties in the Central Plains.

Especially the prefectures and counties where the other six princes and governors are located.

As long as the real date of Li You's death is omitted, the rumor immediately becomes plausible and people cannot help but believe it.

Then, a few more days passed.

The armies of the six kings appeared in an orderly manner on the outskirts of Luoyang to be inspected by King Wei Li Tai.

As for Li You's Qizhou Army, it was directly under the command of Li Tai.

Li Tai sat in his chariot, inspecting his loyal soldiers, while his six half brothers followed closely behind him on horseback.

"I'm glad you guys can come."

Li Tai said cheerfully.

Wu Wang Li Ke, who was secretly in contact with Li Zhi, was following the carriage the closest at this time. When he heard Li Tai talking to him, he immediately lowered his head in shame and said with gritted teeth:

"I didn't expect that my ninth brother would be so cruel and ruthless that he could kill his brother..."

He had a feeling of surviving a disaster.

If it weren't for Li You, the unlucky guy with great mobility, who stepped on the landmine for him, he might have been the one who died in Taiji Palace for no apparent reason...

The six princes were originally waiting and speculating between Li Tai and Li Zhi.

After Li You joined the game, he no longer sat on the fence.

Damn it, don’t worry about whether following Li Tai is reliable or not, following Li Zhi will definitely be fatal!

I didn't expect that Li Zhi, who usually looks like a decent person, was actually holding back on something big!
"Alas... I never expected that my ninth brother would be like a cuckoo possessed, as cruel and ruthless as Qin II Hu Hai, it's really... Alas."

Li Tai was heartbroken and could hardly hide the smile on his face.

"Brothers fighting each other is certainly a cause for hesitation.

"But the King of Jin usurped public power and killed his father and brother, which is infuriating to both humans and gods. If he takes control of the government, the Tang Dynasty will be like the tyrannical Qin and Sui dynasties, and the world will be in danger!"

Li Tai walked in front like a flock of geese, looking around at his six half-brothers, waving his fan to the west:
"Fortunately, I have all of you brothers, just like Liu Xuande got Crouching Dragon and Phoenix. There is hope for recovering Chang'an, retaking Guanzhong, and pacifying the world!

"Western Expedition!"

…………

In the fifteenth year of Zhenguan, winter arrived.

The fragile peace between the two sides was completely torn apart.

The imperial army led by Li Zhi and the coalition forces of the seven princes headed by Li Tai had their first direct conflict at the old Hangu Pass.

From then on, a civil war sweeping across the heartland of the Tang Dynasty officially began.

It is known in history as the Second Rebellion of the Eight Kings.

…………

At this moment, in the northeast corner of the Tang Dynasty.

The border between Youzhou and Pingzhou.

A dusty cavalry team galloped from the south, raising a cloud of dust along the way.

The team is quite large and its personnel composition is quite complex.

There were the tall and strong imperial guards, the garrison guards in full helmet and armor, the military marquises who only wore half armor and looked a little sloppy, and the private soldiers with a variety of armor.

Although the uniforms and insignia vary, the soldiers' formation is very strict, as if they were one.

Because they have a common coach.

This commander does not need any title. His name alone is enough to shock the Chinese nation and stop the children of the Hu people from crying at night.

Li Jing.

The deputy general who assists him will also shine in the future.

Su Dingfang.

These soldiers safely surrounded Li Ming's family, as well as the family of Cui Mingan of the Boling Cui family, in the center of the team.

"worn out……"

Li Ming sat in front of Chang Sun Yan, rubbing his buttocks, looking tired.

The journey from Chang'an to Liaodong was three or four thousand miles, and Li Ming's butt was almost cracked by the bumps.

He originally wanted to rest up in his hometown of Youzhou and change to a more comfortable carriage.

Unexpectedly, his fellow villagers from Youzhou also caused trouble, forcing him to flee in a hurry and sit on horseback for several days.

"Don't worry, Brother Ming, we'll be there soon. Look, the border of Pingzhou is ahead!" Chang Sun Yan comforted, pointing ahead.

Li Mingsheng nodded helplessly and said "oh" listlessly. He didn't have the strength to make any other sound.

Just like a marathon, the last 100 meters are the most difficult.

However, when he finally raised his heavy head and looked forward in the direction of Chang Sun Yan's finger.

He immediately frowned in confusion.

He looked at Yang, Li Ling, and several others, and saw the same question in each other's eyes.

"What the hell, where are you guys doing? Is this still Liaodong?

"Is this still the Tang Dynasty?!"

(End of this chapter)