Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 204 Abandoning the Country and Fleeing, Revealing His Ugly Demeanor (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
—A great earthquake struck Kyushu!
An Lushan was indeed far too clever. He perfectly exploited Li Longji's various unpopular actions to cloak himself in a sanctified image.

Since the Gu family was unwilling to comply with him, he would take advantage of their influence.

Li Longji's actions are evident here.

This gave An Lushan a natural excuse, and coupled with his previous continuous sacrifices to the Gu family for many days, these measures finally garnered him considerable support.

Of course, some of them were looking to take shortcuts.

After all, An Lushan's momentum is indeed extremely strong at present.

But the majority of them were still ordinary people who believed in the Gu family and accepted how the emperor treated the Gu family.

This is actually a double-edged sword.

If Li Longji were to give the Gu family important positions under these circumstances, these people could easily be turned against him.

But An Lushan knew Li Longji all too well what kind of person he was.

It's impossible for him to admit his mistake to the world; he's convinced that Li Longji will never admit it.

In addition, An Lushan had made thorough preparations.

He didn't expect these people to help him conquer many cities. The core of his trip was to seize every opportunity and cooperate with the Tibetans to take over the entire Guanzhong Plain.

As long as the entire central government of the Tang Dynasty is abolished.

Then he would have nothing to fear.

These people are not elites; they can only be used to create momentum for him.

However, for An Lushan now...

That alone is enough!

The situation has completely descended into chaos.

September of the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era.

An Lushan led his elite cavalry down the Hebei Road, then sped south along the flat post road on the west side of the Yongji Canal, heading straight for the gentler section of the lower Yellow River.

They intended to force their way across the Yellow River and directly seize Guanzhong.

This move is extremely risky.

Today, Fanyang's development far surpasses its original historical level, and it even receives supplies from Goguryeo and Baekje.

The problem is that this move stretched the supply lines too far.

In particular, they abandoned the land of Hebei.

This is a huge opening, which could very well cut off their supply lines and leave them completely isolated.

But how could An Lushan not have considered these things?

The people he had gathered came in handy at this time, and he was not stingy with his rewards, all to set an example for the whole of Hebei.

Just as some choose to resist him, others will choose to help him for their own benefit.

Especially given the huge blow the Gu family has suffered!
The situation in Hebei province instantly became turbulent.

This gave An Lushan an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

It is worth mentioning that Gu Yi did not have the Gu family of Julu take the lead in resisting An Lushan, nor did he stop other forces that wanted to resist An Lushan.

From a broader perspective, this move certainly appears somewhat selfish.

After all, this is a great opportunity.

Moreover, given the Gu family's prestige in Hebei, once they rise up, they will certainly be able to gather the strength of the entire Hebei province to deliver a fatal blow to An Lushan.

But what benefit would this bring to the Gu family?

If An Lushan were defeated—

The Tang Dynasty quickly reorganized its troops, and the Tibetan Empire was no longer able to advance into Guanzhong. At that time, the emperor was still the senile and incompetent Li Longji, who was already in his twilight years.

Given this situation, will the Gu family regain his trust?

The answer is obviously no!

Given Li Longji's current character, after a brief period of peace and joy, he will immediately become aware of the Gu family's growing influence in Hebei Province.

Even this unauthorized military action will be a thorn in his side.

At that time, Gu will not only fail to gain favor, but will also incur his deep suspicion and resentment.

This is human nature, and no one can escape it.

Gu was not a saint.

The Tang Dynasty of today is not the same as the Han Dynasty of yesteryear, which could entrust the entire country to the Gu family.

Gu Xi was able to carry the heavy burden of the Han Dynasty on his own, Gu Chen was able to give up the throne in front of him, including Gu Kang, Gu Yan and others, and even the original Gu Xiao.

The entire Gu family was deeply bound to the Han Dynasty.

And what about the Tang Dynasty today?
Although the Gu family held a very prominent position in the Tang Dynasty, frankly speaking, all of this was based on the premise that the Gu family already had sufficient influence.

Don't forget, at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, it relied on the banner of the Gu family!
Gu Yu guarded the borders for the sake of the entire nation.

Gu Quan followed Li Shimin out of seclusion for the sake of peace and stability, and later cut his face to help him.

Gu Jing was entrusted with the care of the young emperor and the protection of the nation, becoming a pillar of the state for three dynasties.

All of these things actually complement each other.

Since Li Longji had already abandoned the Gu family, he had to bear the consequences.

Gu Yi couldn't go too far with everything.

After all, the fact that the Gu family "did not involve imperial power" is the biggest reason why they have been able to continue to thrive to this day.

At least for now, Gu Yi cannot let him die in his hands.

Of course, there will be some hot-blooded members of the Gu family who clamor to fight for the sake of the entire nation, but ultimately they are not enough to represent the entire Gu family.

And it was precisely because of Gu Quan's actions in the past.

Even if these people leave home, they will still choose to live in anonymity.

Gu Yi was helpless about all of this, but for the sake of the entire family, he could only continue to wait.

October of the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era.

—Geshu Han, the military governor of Hexi and Longyou, died on the front lines.

His pressure had indeed reached its limit.

Driven by enormous profits, Tibet has gone all out this time, with all the elite troops from its various noble tribes participating in an unprecedentedly fierce offensive.

Geshuhan was already suffering from a serious illness.

Under such immense pressure, this renowned general finally succumbed to exhaustion and collapsed on the battlefield while defending against the enemy.

The situation collapsed instantly!

The importance of Geshu Han's command in the western frontier is self-evident. It can be said that no one else could have stabilized the precarious situation in Longyou in such a short time.

This is not only about personal talent and experience, but also rooted in the systemic problems of the Tang Dynasty.

Since Li Longji handed over all military, political, and financial power in the border regions to the military governors, these border troops have essentially become his private army.

The sudden death of Geshuhan dealt an unimaginable blow to morale and destroyed the command system.

In just over a month!

The Tibetan army had already broken through the Longyou defense line and was advancing directly towards the Dazhen Pass, a key fortress in Longshan. The heart of Guanzhong was in imminent danger.

In a panic, Li Longji had no choice but to mobilize troops from all over the country to defend against the Tibetans.

At this point, Emperor Xuanzong was indeed far from wise.

A strong sense of crisis led him to almost desperate measures – not content with mobilizing troops from various sources, he turned his attention to the navy in Minnesota!
In his eyes, this fleet, built at great expense, was the most elite force in the Tang Dynasty.

With Guanzhong in dire need of attention, how could we possibly not use it?

Therefore, despite the vehement objections of his ministers, he insisted on mobilizing the navy to head north.

The chain reaction of this decision was immediate. The pirates, who had not yet gained power, took advantage of the situation and launched a sudden attack, instantly cutting off maritime trade in Mingzhou!
Even Gu Yi hadn't expected Li Longji to make such a decision. In the end, Gu Yi underestimated the extreme fear and folly inherent in this aging emperor when faced with a life-or-death threat.

He possessed not a trace of the wisdom and pride of an emperor.

This had a tremendous impact on the entire Tang Dynasty.

With maritime trade flourishing and subject to the supervision of the imperial court, it now accounts for 40% of the Tang Dynasty's tax revenue.

This may not seem like an extremely surprising number at first glance.

But don't forget what era this is.

The Tang Dynasty at that time was not like modern times; it was still based on agriculture. However, the nearly 40% of maritime trade tax revenue was itself irrefutable evidence of a subtle change in productivity.

The sheer number of industries involved far exceeded the expectations of the entire imperial court.

And don't forget that although Mingzhou was only a port, it was a vital passage between the river and the sea, and was the lifeline of the Tang Dynasty's maritime trade!
From the moment the flames of war suddenly rose in Mingzhou—

This calamity of war, which was originally confined to the Northwest, swept across the entire Jiangnan region like a raging tide in an instant!
This is a classic case of one wrong step leading to another.

Even when Gu Jing was developing maritime trade, he had to proceed cautiously and steadily, let alone Li Longji.
And the most important thing is——

Don't forget, this is a time of great chaos in the world!

Countless affected people, fueled by various rumors and the instigation of others, will unreservedly vent their dissatisfaction with the court and Li Longji.

The situation is completely out of control!

Luoyang, deep within the imperial palace.

In the dim light, priceless porcelain shards were scattered everywhere, their broken surfaces reflecting a cold and sharp glint of light.

According to Li Longji himself, he was emulating the style of "Lord Zhongwu Gu Xiao" from the past.

Gu Xiao has fought wars his whole life, and finally the world is unified. He should enjoy himself. Gu Xiao has ruled the country his whole life, and finally a prosperous era has arrived. He should enjoy all the blessings of the world.

What was once so magnificent now seems so ironic.

The news of the turmoil in Jiangnan completely shattered Li Longji's hopes.

He knew perfectly well what this meant.

Everything is out of control.

This emperor, who proclaimed himself the greatest emperor of all time, had utterly destroyed the Tang Dynasty.

If one cannot defy fate.

He might become the second Emperor Yang of Sui, causing a rising dynasty to perish in his own hands.

As for defying fate?

Li Longji couldn't help but smile bitterly, his smile full of self-mockery.

He didn't have that kind of courage.

Li Longji had considered leading an expedition in person more than once, but this idea was always suppressed by fear.

He had lost every ounce of courage!
"Report——!"

Just then, urgent shouts came from outside the palace, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Yang has sent an urgent message!"

Upon hearing this, Li Longji's expression changed instantly, and even his body began to tremble. His bloodshot eyes stared stiffly out of the palace.

Could it be another report of defeat?

Or is it that the enemy is already about to attack?
Countless thoughts made him tremble uncontrollably, and he didn't even have the courage to read the letter himself. He could only have the eunuch read it aloud.

Fortunately, it wasn't a defeat.

But the news wasn't much better.

In his letter, Yang Guozhong explained the advantages and disadvantages of the situation to him and advised him to leave Luoyang and move to the dangerous places of Sichuan to temporarily avoid the enemy's advance and plan for the future.

Upon hearing the eunuch's slightly trembling voice, Li Longji's expression froze instantly.

Abandoning Guanzhong and fleeing to Shu?
He knew full well what this meant.

Even if he were to regroup one day, lead the royal army to quell the rebellion, and return to Chang'an, the loss of the people's hearts in Guanzhong and the condemnation of history would forever be indelible marks of shame on his imperial career!

In the past, he would have preferred to die rather than make this choice.

The same applies to him now.

My first reaction was that I felt humiliated and somewhat angry.

But in just the next instant, he calmed down again.

Besides this, did he have any other options?
Even Geshu Han is dead. Can the generals he temporarily sent really stop the Tibetan army?

And as long as the Tibetan army crosses Longshan.

Then the entire Guanzhong Plain would be flat and open, with no more dangerous places to defend.

Even if we can temporarily ignore the west, what about An Lushan?

What about the chaotic army in Jiangnan?

"It would be better to temporarily avoid the natural defenses of Sichuan, reorganize the army, and plan our next move later!"

The next moment, a thought arose in Li Longji's mind and he couldn't shake it off no matter what.

That's how people are.

When he is in danger, he will always grab onto everything uncontrollably, even if he knows that doing so will come at a great cost.

He would even find excuses for himself.

Li Longji is like that now.

"The natural barrier of Shu is so formidable that neither An Lushan's cavalry nor the barbarians of Tibet could cross Jiange."

"As long as we defend Jian Ge, I will have the opportunity to regroup and prepare for battle."

"The might of our Great Tang Dynasty remains undiminished."

"With my abilities, I will surely be able to lead the army to recreate the glory of Emperor Taizong in the past!"

Li Longji kept reminding himself of this.

In that instant, he seemed to have made a decision.

The next day, at the Marquis of Champion's residence.

"Brother!" Gu Hui strode in with a brisk pace, his face radiating an unusual light. "There's news from the palace!"

"His Majesty is determined to personally lead the expedition, vowing to cleanse the world and wipe out the bandits!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Yi's heart sank.

He gazed silently toward the palace, his eyes deep and solemn.

Has he really become so muddle-headed?

In the original history, Li Longji only escaped Chang'an when Tongguan Pass fell.

Although the current situation is indeed much worse than in the original history.

But surely an emperor shouldn't be this despicable?
Gu Yi, controlling Gu Xuan, let out a barely audible sigh, then turned his gaze to the still invigorated Gu Hui and calmly asked, "Do you believe it?"

"What do you mean by that, brother?" Gu Hui's excitement froze instantly, a hint of surprise and confusion flashing in his eyes. "Your Majesty... would Your Majesty joke about such a matter of national importance?"

Gu Yi didn't explain further, simply waving Gu Hui away. He then summoned Gu Xuan's personal guard, his gaze sharp, and said clearly, "Go to the East Palace immediately and ask His Highness the Crown Prince—"

"History is clear: has there ever been an emperor who abandoned his country and fled?"

"I will report to the Crown Prince again—"

"The nation is in grave danger, Your Highness, please make a swift decision!"

He didn't need to say anything more; he was quite certain that Li Heng would make a choice.

This is something he has to do.

When it comes to matters of imperial power, the Li family must make the decision themselves, while the Gu family will always only be dealing with the entire land of China!
(P.S.: I'm begging for monthly votes, please support me, brothers! Just a heads up, Qidian only charges every 200 words, but the historical content in this book is almost entirely free, and some people might not see it if it's posted in the author's notes.)
(End of this chapter)