HLnovel Chapter 171 Shi Siming, Yan Gaoqing, Guo Ziyi
Chapter 171 Shi Siming, Yan Gaoqing, Guo Ziyi
Today's special guest is the skinny guy from the "fat and skinny duo" who caused such a stir in the Tang Dynasty.
I don't need to say more, you've probably already guessed it.
Xiao Si wondered to himself: Huh? Could this skinny guy be Shi Siming?
Xiao Si: "Hello, could you be General Shi Siming, who is famous throughout Tang history?"
Shi Siming: "It is indeed I, young friend. What advice do you have for me?"
Xiao Si: "I have long admired your name, General. It is my great honor to meet you today. You are originally a Turk, yet you were able to achieve great military exploits in the Tang Dynasty. You are truly a hero."
Shi Siming: "Haha, young friend, you flatter me. I have been brave since childhood and am fluent in the languages of the six barbarian tribes. I am naturally willing to serve the court."
Xiao Si: "General, you once captured Changshan and seized Prefect Yan Gaoqing. You also besieged Li Guangbi in Taiyuan. You are truly awe-inspiring."
Zi'an was taken aback: "Yan Gaoqing?"
When An Lushan met Yan Gaoqing, An Lushan pointed at Yan Gaoqing with a displeased expression and said:
"Hey kid, I promoted you from a nobody in the Fanyang Household Department to a judge, made you the Grand Master of Ceremonies and Grand Master of the Palace, and even made you the acting governor of Changshan! I've been so good to you, how come you turn your back on me and betray me?"
Yan Gaoqing's eyes widened, and he retorted righteously and sternly:
"Hmph, my family are die-hard fans of the Tang Dynasty, loyal to the core. It's your business to promote me, but do you expect me to rebel with you? You're a slave from the Shepherd Jie tribe, you only got to where you are today by stealing the emperor's favor. The emperor treats you so well, yet you want to rebel against him. You have a terrible conscience!"
Upon hearing this, An Lushan turned green with rage and immediately ordered Yan Gaoqing to be tied to a pillar of the Tianjin Bridge, where a "live barbecue and meat-eating" spectacle would begin.
Even with his tongue cut out, Yan Gaoqing kept cursing and wailing, while the traitors laughed uproariously.
"Let's see if you can keep spitting!"
Poor Yan Gaoqing was brutally murdered while muttering these incoherent curses.
Even more cruelly, on the same day, his youngest son Yan Dan, his nephew Yan Xu, and Yuan Lüqian all had their hands and feet chopped off.
When Yuan Lüqian saw He Qiannian's younger brother, he was so angry that he spat out a mouthful of blood, and was then tortured even more severely.
Passersby who witnessed this scene were moved to tears.
In that turbulent era, Yan Gaoqing died a heroic death, and his head was mercilessly hung in the street, as if as a final mockery of the hero.
However, fate always has its unexpected twists and turns.
A man named Zhang Cou, who had collected Yan Gaoqing's hair, bravely took this relic to see the then-retired emperor.
This action was like lighting a lamp in the silent night.
That very night, Emperor Suzong had a dream in which he saw Yan Gaoqing's unyielding face.
Upon waking, he was deeply moved by the dream and decided to hold a solemn ceremony for Yan Gaoqing.
Zhang Cou, this unsung hero, returned the hair to Cui, the wife of Yan Gaoqing.
Cui took the hair, her mind filled with doubt...
Subsequently, Yan Gaoqing's son, Yan Quanming, filled with endless longing for his father, bought his father's body, intending to let him rest in peace.
He learned from the executioner that Yan Gaoqing had one leg cut off before his death and was buried with his friend Yuan Lüqian.
Guided by the executioner, Yan Quanming found his father's crippled leg and finally buried Yan Gaoqing in Fengqiyuan, Chang'an, to be with Yuan Lüqian.
Yan Jiming, a descendant of this loyal martyr, was eventually laid to rest in the same tomb as Lu Ti.
Their story is like an epic poem that never ends, passed down through generations.
Shi Siming: "Hmph, those are all things of the past. I once surrendered to the Tang Dynasty and was granted the title of Prince of Guiyi and Military Governor of Fanyang. But later, I had the power to do so. Who wouldn't want to have supreme power? So I chose to establish myself as king and set up the Great Yan."
It's also difficult to judge Xiao Si:
"I know that the general declared himself king, changed the era name to Shuntian, and captured Bianzhou and Luoyang. He was truly a hero of his time. However, the general was ultimately defeated by Li Guangbi and was murdered by his eldest son Shi Chaoyi and his generals. It is truly a pity."
After the interview, Zi'an and Xiao Si decided to enjoy Chengdu's skewers.
While chewing on skewers, Xiao Si excitedly asked Zi An:
"Hey, Brother Zian, have you heard of Li Guangbi? That guy was really awesome when he quelled the An Lushan Rebellion!"
Zi'an nodded as she dipped her finger in the spicy sauce:
"Absolutely. Li Guangbi utterly defeated the An Lushan rebels and was one of the leading heroes in quelling that great rebellion. He was extremely intelligent, a skilled commander, and always came up with ingenious strategies to win against overwhelming odds. Together with Guo Ziyi, they were known as 'Li Guo'."
Little Si's eyes lit up:
"Yes, yes, I heard that he was praised to the skies, saying that 'since the beginning of the difficulties, only Guangbi has been able to lead troops and manage the army with composure and strategic thinking, making him the best among generals.'"
Zi'an nodded vigorously.
"That's right, that's right. He made great contributions to quelling that rebellion. It's a pity that his military treatises, such as 'The Laws of Generals,' 'Secret Strategies for Commanding the Army,' and 'The Military Records of Li Linhuai,' have all been lost."
Xiao Si looked regretful:
"What a pity. How did he get promoted?"
As Zi'an wiped the grease from her lips, she recalled:
"In the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era (755), An Lushan began to cause trouble, so Emperor Xuanzong ordered generals such as Feng Changqing, Gao Xianzhi, and Geshu Han to guard Tongguan, while also ordering the newly appointed Shuofang military governor Guo Ziyi to 'withdraw troops from Hexi'. Later, Emperor Xuanzong issued an edict seeking talented individuals, and Guo Ziyi recommended Li Guangbi, saying that he was capable of undertaking important responsibilities. Thus, in the first month of the fifteenth year of the Tianbao era (756), Emperor Xuanzong appointed Li Guangbi as the prefect of Yunzhong, concurrently holding the position of censor-in-chief, and made him the deputy military governor of Hedong, in charge of the affairs of the Hedong military governor. In the second month, he was transferred to the position of prefect of Weijun and inspector of Hebei..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Si's eyes lit up: "Wow, this promotion speed is faster than eating barbecue! Let me tell you a conversation between Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi."
"Okay, let's talk while we eat."
Li Guangbi: Since I took office as the Hebei Inspector, I have been working hard to quell the rebellion. On that occasion, I led 5,000 Shuofang troops to join forces with Guo Ziyi's troops and marched eastward to Jingxing, successfully recovering Changshan County.
Guo Ziyi: Brother Guangbi is truly brave and unparalleled. The Battle of Changshan made the rebel army tremble with fear.
Li Guangbi: It was thanks to the surrender of the Changshan militia that I was able to pay tribute to the fallen, release the prisoners, and treat their families well, which stabilized the situation.
Guo Ziyi: Brother Guangbi, you truly have the hearts of the people. I heard that when the traitor Shi Siming besieged Raoyang, you treated the surrendered general Shi Siyi kindly and even adopted his strategy, successfully defending the city.
Li Guangbi: That's right. I also divided my troops into four groups, using powerful crossbows to resist the rebels and threaten their flanks, forcing Shi Siming to retreat. Later, we also ambushed 5,000 rebel reinforcements and almost wiped them out.
Guo Ziyi: This is truly gratifying!
Li Guangbi: Later, Shi Siming cut off our supply lines, but I sent troops to transport fodder back to Changshan City and successfully repelled the rebels. Later, after you recovered Yunzhong, the Tang court ordered us to join forces at Jingxing.
Guo Ziyi: Yes, we defeated the rebel army at the south of the Nine Gates. Shi Siming fled to Zhao County, Li Lijie was killed, and Cai Xide fled to Julu. We took advantage of the victory to recover more than ten counties and besieged Zhao County.
Li Guangbi: I remember that in March I was appointed as the Chief Administrator of the Fanyang Grand General's Office and the Military Governor of Hebei. Later, Shi Siming entered Boling and killed officials who had surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, which led to the six prefectures turning to us.
Guo Ziyi: Yes, at that time you seized the opportunity to launch a rapid attack on Zhao County, and the garrison surrendered within a day. However, the Tang army looted when they entered the city, and it was thanks to you returning the valuables to the people at the gate that you won the joy of the soldiers and civilians in the city.
Li Guangbi: But we also failed to capture Boling and later withdrew to Changshan. Shi Siming reinforced the rebels, and you adopted a defensive strategy in Hengyang, keeping the rebels busy.
Guo Ziyi: Yes, later we defeated the rebels at Jiashan, beheading tens of thousands and capturing thousands alive. Shi Siming fled to Boling, and you besieged the city, greatly boosting our military morale. More than ten prefectures in Hebei submitted to the Tang Dynasty, and the rebel stronghold of Fanyang Prefecture was cut off from the outside world. The situation in Hebei changed drastically.
Zi'an understood, but a strange chill rose in her heart.
He concluded: "It all seems too smooth, as if someone is manipulating everything behind the scenes."
Xiao Si nodded: "Yes, I've noticed that too. If they work together, can they really quell the rebellion and restore peace to the Tang Dynasty? Or is all of this just the beginning of a bigger conspiracy?"