Chapter 17: Autumn

In September of the second year of Changyuan, the autumn colors were already very deep. The rice in the fields had been harvested, leaving large areas of the valley piles with green and regenerated seedlings, which added a little life color to the season when thousands of trees withered.

Located in Luoyang, the eastern capital along the Yellow River, there are many deciduous trees in the city. When the year is withered, the deciduous leaves are naturally drifting, and the atmosphere is a bit desolate.

Fortunately, Luoyang is the economic and cultural center in the eastern part of the empire. Merchants from all over the country gathered goods and moved in a row, with migrants and poets coming and going. The population was quite dense, and the lively atmosphere almost made people forget the desolation of autumn.

In the city, there is also a royal palace built during the Wu Zetian period. It is as high as 294 feet (more than 80 meters), which is extremely spectacular and can be regarded as a miracle of this era.

Although the political center has shifted westward since the Zhongzong Dynasty after Wu Zetian's death, Chang'an gradually restored its central position. After the Hedong King reformed the canal transportation system, Chang'an's materials became increasingly abundant, and Luoyang gradually withdrew from the peak of politics, becoming a place where those who lost power and were depressed in the central power lived in a daze, but it did not affect its prosperity.

The prosperity of the economy has made people feel free to eat and wear, and those knowledgeable literati have written countless chapters here, which is an ancient capital with connotation and romance.

After a fierce power struggle in Chang'an at the end of the Jingyun year came to an end, although there was no prison for Daxing, there were many civil and military officials who were demoted from Chang'an. Luoyang became a place where they felt sad for spring and autumn. These gentry with high cultural cultivation also added a lot of cultural atmosphere to this ancient capital.

Former Prime Minister Yao Chong was one of them. He was demoted to Luoyang as the prefect for several years. Because he had been talking to Li Longji many times during the Jingyun period and was in power, he naturally could not stay in the center anymore.

He was pretty good. Former Imperial General Zhang Wei was driven out of the capital during the power competition, and even an official was given, so he was directly allowed to make a living.

Zhang Wei was originally a hero in the world before, but because he was appreciated by Li Longji, he was promoted to the capital to become an imperial guard general. Now that he has nothing to do, he continues to do his job and run around the world.

But this could not starve him to death. Zhang Wei had good appeal and organizational skills. He soon worked at Luoyang Wharf. He participated in the docks organizing coolies who load and load goods, car rental and horse rental businesses, and some things like collecting and lending that were on the edge of the law, such as collecting and lending.

In addition, Yao Chong, the prefect of Luoyang, was a bureaucrat of the princelings before, so he naturally took good care of old people like Zhang Wei, which allowed him to make a prosperous life in Luoyang City.

Zhang Wei is not from a very good background and is very different from those in the officialdom. In comparison, he has no worries. Thinking of the friendship between Li Longji and him, he is very loyal.

After Li Longji escaped from Chang'an, he came forward to protect him in secret. Otherwise, those who had been emperors would have no place to stay...

If you dare to hide someone like Li Longji, you really have to betray the crime of killing the genocide. Most people really don’t have the courage and ability.

Now Li Longji has become a person in the Zhang family's account room. He is not very good at seeing people on weekdays. There are also Jiang Jiao, Gao Lishi, Wang Ju, Liu Youqiu and other close friends. In addition to those who have basically no other way out to go to the dark side with Li Longji, there are also eunuch Gao Lishi who is full of hatred for the Taiping Party and want to take revenge.

Of course, everyone will not abandon Li Longji, a person with a background and status.

When Li Longji fled, he led three or four hundred people from the Eastern Palace Guard, and the commander was his slave Wang Maozhong.

This guy is a Korean man and has no way in the Tang Dynasty. Li Longji respects him very much and is also the one who follows Ding Sanlang.

At that time, after Zhang Wei secretly responded to Li Longji and others, he thought that the number of guards was too large and easy to be exposed, so he asked Wang Maozhong to take the people elsewhere.

It just so happened that Zhang Wei's brother got the official mining certificate outside Luoyang City and was preparing to recruit strong men to mine. Isn't this just happening?

Those of Yao Chong in the yamen knew it was Zhang Wei's younger brother, so who would cause trouble for him had long turned a blind eye.

So the Eastern Palace Guard took off his armor and put his weapons away and threw them into the mine in batches, pretending to be a coolie to conceal his identity.

Fortunately, the mine is located in remote and sparsely populated mountains, and its safety is actually good.

In addition, Wang Maozhong has been instilling in the soldiers that he will make a comeback, and he will suffer a little while, just wait for his success in the future. In addition, the army is already organized and controlled, and it seems that it has disappeared from the world for a while.

Only the former emperor Li Longji fell into the plain, hiding in the dilapidated tent all day long to survive. If he hadn't been young, he still had fighting spirit in his heart and was used to being generous and generous in food and food, how could the emperor who could tolerate such a life?

After two years of sleeping on firewood and tasting gall, the opportunity finally came. The old party in the capital reported that Princess Taiping was suffering from a terminal illness and had not seen the court officials for many days.

While the Taiping Princess's policy of Huaru played a role in stabilizing the situation, it also left many hidden dangers. For example, those who were sure to have a relationship with Li Longji were not liquidated. Just like urging daily use, it was obvious that Li Longji's old party was still in the official position...

Because once liquidation is made, things will be complicated and it is difficult to avoid innocent involvement.

For example, in order to eliminate dissidents during the Wu Zetian Dynasty, there were many innocent people who were injured.

This is a great opportunity, and Li Longji is absolutely unwilling to let go. It would be better to gamble hard to make him continue to live like this.

A coup was deployed in a intensive manner under the instigation of several confidants.

Once everyone thought, there was no need to move the place. Isn’t it the best place in Luoyang?

Their analysis shows that there are two main reasons for choosing Luoyang: First, not choosing local prefectures and counties that are easy to cause trouble. This is to learn from the lessons of Xu Jingye's failure in the rebellion during the Wu Ze Dynasty. Local cities with weak defenses are easy to control, but are not conducive to development.

After raising the banner, others may not listen to you. Although Li Longji promoted many people when he was in power, there were former princeling officials in the local area, when he was in trouble, he had to care about his wealth, his wife, children, and his elders. It is difficult for others to rebel with their heads under the Nanlou.

Luoyang is different. Although it is not a capital, it has the status of a subordinate capital. As long as it occupys Luoyang, it can be self-proclaimed as the central government, and its momentum and status cannot be compared.

Secondly, the reason for not choosing Chang'an is too simple. Chang'an is under the eyes of the Taiping Party, and now there are people from theirs everywhere, so it is difficult to start, and it is almost impossible to even get in.

After a series of arrangements, Li Longji acted very quickly, which was in line with his usual style. Now, he only seeks speed but not stability.

Such as persuading family members such as Cui Riyong to participate in major events, they risked the leak of the news.

The most risky thing was that he took the initiative to meet with Yao Chong, the governor of Luoyang, and asked Yao Chong to plan a major event together...

This is extremely dangerous.

Although Yao Chong was very good at the old princely officials who were demoted to Luoyang on weekdays and often provided convenience, he did not directly interact with Li Longji. He didn't even know where Li Longji was before, so of course he wouldn't check it.

If Yao Chong was just thinking about his old love and did not want to help Li Longji get things done, he would sell him... It was not that there was no such possibility.

But Li Longji's courage is still there, so he dares to take this risk, because without Yao Chong's participation, it is unlikely to seize Luoyang when he thinks about it.

After the two met secretly, Li Longji was very surprised. He did not persuade Yao Chong at all. He knelt down in front of him and called His Majesty in tears, and the camp's attitude was clear at a glance.

Li Longji was very surprised because Yao Chong was a very kind person on weekdays and had basically never seen him get thicker than others. He was indifferent to others. He was so calm and uncontested. The so-called friendship between gentlemen is as light as water, but a gentleman is too indifferent to seeking stability in everything. It is difficult to complicate with them in conspiracies.

In fact, Yao Chong was indifferent outside and wanted to do some achievements in his heart. Otherwise, how could he remember to study and seek fame after middle age, and how did he get to the position of prime minister?

Now that Li Longji comes to the door, it is obvious that he has only two choices: either sell Li Longji and hand over it, otherwise he will die even if he doesn't die. If he doesn't sell him, he will have to go on the same boat with him. There is no hope. Once he becomes more favored, he will have no chance to realize his political ambitions?

Yao Chong changed his usual steady and elegant attitude, and his eyes were filled with tears: After His Majesty left the capital, he was in charge of the temple and his power was all over the woman.Now that Taiping resigns, King Fen is incompetent and incompetent, he doesn’t know who will fall behind in the country. The country is in danger and the country is in danger!

Li Longji hurriedly supported Yao Chong and said: Although King Fen is the descendant of Emperor Gaozong and Emperor Dasheng, Jiye has been passed down for two generations in the hands of Emperor Zhongzong and his father. Only my father’s official heir is qualified to inherit the throne!King Fen is already a branch, and it is not in line with the ancestral system, so he is undoubtedly a false emperor. Moreover, it was done by Princess Taiping's dictatorship. When should the rule of the Li family be decided by the woman?When this opportunity of heaven's punishment of peace, I took advantage of the situation to regain power. I wanted to rely on Yao Gong Ah... As long as I proclaimed emperor in Luoyang and showed all kinds of illegal laws in the world, I could regain control of the country. I ordered the troops and horses of the world to go to Beijing to fight against rebellion and restore my Li Tang's foundation!

Yao Chong immediately bowed: For Your Majesty to uphold justice and clarify the world, the old minister is willing to be the driving force.

Without further ado, since this is the case, we will first choose a secret place to be the center of the front enemy, first take the Eastern Capital, and then make a big plan.Li Longji was full of energy and his confidence recovered from his body in an instant.

Yao Chong wiped away his tears and said seriously: Where does Your Majesty live, there must be a secret place.

Li Longji pondered for a moment: It was in Zhang Wei's place, but it was too remote. Major events are not conducive to quick decisions at present. How about it in Yao Xianggong's mansion?

That's good. Although people in the mansion are not careful to hide their secrets, now there are no leaders in the court. Luoyang is far away from Beijing, so there is no need to worry about the news leaking out temporarily. Soldiers are very fast.

Li Longji immediately said: Then tonight I will go to Yao's Mansion with all the dukes and transfer the East Palace Guard into the city.Xianggong Yao found a way to let Wang Maozhong and the others enter the city smoothly, and to transport clothes, armor and weapons, and never let the defenders inspect it.