nycdaug Chapter 120 Chang'an Secret Report
Chapter 120 Chang'an Secret Report
In a moment of crisis, Guo Ziyi performed a somersault and rushed towards Li Mao.
Li Mao, quick-witted as ever, with Guo Ziyi acting as a human shield, lifted the cloak behind Guo Ziyi.
He swung his cloak, making a whooshing sound, like a rapidly spinning fan.
He forcefully knocked the hidden arrow from the air to the ground, making a "clanging" metallic sound!
At the same time, a commotion arose not far away.
A soldier reported: "Your Highness Prince Shou, the assassin has committed suicide."
It appears to be a remnant of An Lushan's forces, attempting a final struggle.
"so close……"
Guo Ziyi was panting heavily, his face beaming with the joy of surviving a calamity.
Li Mao looked at him, his feelings somewhat complicated.
The reason I treated Guo Ziyi so well was because I knew he was a famous general of the Tang Dynasty who helped Emperor Suzong of Tang, Li Heng, win countless battles and even quell the An Lushan Rebellion.
But Guo Ziyi? He firmly believed that Guo Ziyi had shown him great favor and even risked his life to save him. Indeed, he was a renowned and valiant general in history, loyal and courageous, truly admirable!
Thinking this, Li Mao patted Guo Ziyi's shoulder heavily: "Ziyi, this battle owes a great debt to you. When we return to the capital in triumph, I will definitely ask my father to bestow upon you the title of Grand General!"
"Your Highness flatters me." Guo Ziyi never sought credit and was always humble.
"Although we have won the Battle of Luoyang, we cannot let our guard down. Next, we must appease the people and restore order to Luoyang," Li Mao said, changing the subject.
When An Lushan led his private army to invade the Tang Dynasty, he massacred the people, leaving the land devastated and the people suffering. Now that Luoyang has been recovered, the first priority is to appease the people, understand their grievances, and awaken their sense of belonging to the Tang Dynasty.
"Your Highness is wise." Guo Ziyi nodded.
Now that the war has temporarily ended, Li Mao and Guo Ziyi have been guarding Luoyang for a few days.
With Li Mao in power, the people of Luoyang were filled with gratitude towards the Tang Dynasty for sending troops to rescue them. Even a few scholars who were dissatisfied with the Tang imperial power, soldiers, and officials began to write works praising Prince Shou.
Li Mao was not originally interested in these literati and scholars.
Living in a time of war, he led his troops into battle, relying on force, not knowledge.
But one day, he suddenly heard a familiar name.
"This man's surname was Du, and his given name was Zimei. He came from a northern aristocratic family. Unfortunately, his family later fell into decline, and he was frustrated in his attempts to pass the imperial examinations. After An Lushan rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, he was forced to wander in Luoyang. His 'Three Officials' and 'Three Separations' are truly worth reading a hundred times, and one cannot bear to put them down!"
This series of essential high school Chinese language questions really got Li Mao's DNA working.
Du Zimei is none other than Du Fu, who dominates primary and secondary school Chinese textbooks!
Li Mao was inevitably a little excited and stepped forward to ask where Du Zimei was so he could go see her.
However, the moment he appeared, the scholars who had been talking so loudly just moments before fell silent. They all kept their eyes downcast, not uttering a word, only looking at Li Mao with slight embarrassment.
"Please don't be nervous," Li Mao quickly said. "I also admire Du Zimei's poems and want to meet this literary giant who can be called a hidden gem. I have no other intentions."
He knew that as a member of the royal family, he was seen as high and mighty by others.
After the An Lushan Rebellion began, Du Fu became increasingly impoverished and wrote many works criticizing the country and the imperial family. After the war, these literati sympathized with each other and feared that betraying Du Fu would lead to Li Mao taking action against him.
Seeing Li Mao's sincerity, the scholars finally told him where Du Fu was.
He also reminded him: "Mr. Zimei is proud and aloof, but his loyalty to the Tang Dynasty and his respect for the imperial family are evident to heaven and earth. If he says anything offensive... please forgive him, Prince Shou."
Li Mao certainly knew.
He went to see Du Fu not for any other reason than because of Du Fu's offense!
Not only that, he also planned to offend his father, Emperor Li Longji, with Du Fu's help!
That night, Li Mao and Du Fu had a very pleasant conversation.
When drinking with a bosom friend, a thousand cups are not enough. The two drank until they were slightly tipsy, and neither of them was willing to suggest ending the meal.
As for the content of their conversations, they mostly consisted of treasonous remarks such as "the emperor is incompetent" and "the country is doomed." Li Mao trusted Du Fu's character greatly and made no secret of his dislike for Li Longji in front of him.
It wasn't until Guo Ziyi came to discuss matters with Li Mao that the two reluctantly parted ways.
Before leaving, Li Mao said to Du Fu, "I suggest you write 'The Three Great Rites Odes.' Remember to work hard and finish it as soon as possible. When that happens, I will help you secure a good future and make sure that your talent is not wasted!"
After saying this, he and Guo Ziyi left under the cover of night.
Guo Ziyi came to Li Mao to discuss leaving Luoyang.
“Your Highness, we have been away from Yinshan for nearly two months now. Although Jingqing has been reporting that he is safe, I am still not completely at ease. After all, Yinshan is not our territory, and the Tang army stationed there will definitely hinder us at every turn.”
"Everything in Luoyang is back on track now, and even scholars and literati have time to compose and write. Given this, it would take us ten days to arrive even at our fastest pace. If we don't set off soon..."
Li Mao understood Guo Ziyi's meaning, which was exactly what he wanted.
The two hit it off immediately and agreed to set off for Yinshan three days later to assist Li Jingqing.
Three days later, Li Mao and Guo Ziyi led their troops out as scheduled, leaving only a small number of people to guard Luoyang.
Li Mao instructed, "You must defend Luoyang to the death and not lose it again. When I return to Chang'an, I will request official positions for you in Luoyang, and then I will bring your wives, children, and elderly parents here to live and work in peace!"
The soldiers who remained behind cheered in unison, their morale soaring.
On the other side, Du Fu also presented the "Three Great Rites Odes" as promised, stating that he was not presenting the text for official position, but for the hope that one day he could reunite with Li Mao in Chang'an and drink a thousand cups of wine again.
The two men spurred their horses and set off, followed closely by cavalry and infantry.
Stepping out of Luoyang city gates for a few miles, I felt a sense of vastness and boundless freedom, and my mood was excellent.
The soldiers couldn't help but sing songs, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
"Ziyi, we're not walking too slowly, are we?" Li Mao looked into the distance and then at Guo Ziyi beside him, who was in a hurry to go back and help Li Jingqing.
Guo Ziyi was also infected by the rare relaxed mood and laughed, "That's natural."
Compared to the previous relentless work day and night, fighting one battle after another, now it can be described as stealing a moment of leisure amidst the busyness.
"stop!"
Suddenly, Li Mao's expression turned serious.
He made a gesture, and the army instantly stopped in their tracks.
Immediately afterwards, Li Mao raised his arm and let out a whistle.
As he moved and looked up, everyone saw a white-headed, black-bodied gyrfalcon fly through the air, responding to the whistle, and slowly land on Li Mao's arm.
A delicate sheepskin scroll was tied to the leg of the gyrfalcon.
This is the ultimate method for urgently transmitting secret messages from Chang'an, and it is generally not used.
Unless... something happened in Chang'an!