Chapter 3894 On the brink
The pattering rain could not disperse the blood flowing on the city wall, nor could it cover the gradually brightening morning light. The densely packed rebels under the Chongming sect, led by more than 5,000 "Woye Town private soldiers", launched wave after wave of offensives. Like the tide, they climbed up and charged towards the city without fear of death.
Li Siwen was already covered in blood, and the Bailian Hengdao in his hand had been curled. He stood majestically on the top of the city. He had killed countless rebels and his arms were already numb. However, the rebels below the city still attacked desperately, and the solid The defenses began to loosen.
The army led by Donggong Liu also fought to the death. Even though the number of defenders at the top of the city was decreasing little by little, gaps gradually appeared in the rigorous defense line. They immediately filled the gaps regardless of their own safety and hacked and killed the rebels.
On top of the city, blood was flowing under the feet of the defenders. The corpses of both the enemy and ourselves filled almost every place. The battle was extremely brutal.
……
In the command post of Tai Chi Palace, Li Jing, who had not slept all night, did not feel sleepy and tired. His waist was still straight and his steps were still steady and strong. However, his eyes were already red, whether from being smoked by lamp oil or feeling sorry for his soldiers.
When the news came that Chongming Gate had been attacked by "private soldiers from Woye Town", he did not feel the slightest bit of relief and pride in "predicting the enemy's opportunity". Instead, he fell into a deep sense of powerlessness.
No matter how "Military God" came to the world, it would be impossible to summon hundreds of thousands of heavenly soldiers and generals at the snap of a finger. Facing the rebels who had an absolute advantage in numbers, he commanded the Sixth Army of the East Palace to rush back and forth, causing the gap in the strength of the two sides to collapse. The disadvantages are minimized as much as possible, but the huge gap cannot be made up by excellent command art.
In the face of absolute power, any tricks are useless, even Li Jing, who has never been defeated in his life and has great military achievements...
Once the Chongming Gate is breached, the entire East Palace will fall in an instant, and it is impossible for him to divide his troops to continue reinforcements. At that time, the rebels will swarm into the East Palace, launch an offensive from the high wall between the East Palace and Taiji Palace, and unite with the rebels at the Chengtian Gate in front. This makes Taiji Palace vulnerable to enemies on both sides.
Changsun Wuji was really crazy. Sending "private soldiers from Woye Town" into the city to participate in the siege was no longer just about breaking the boat. It could be called "living for death", because once Fang Jun noticed that the camp outside Jinguang Gate was empty. , use the main force to attack, it is very likely that the mob stationed outside Jinguang Gate will be defeated, and they will enter Chang'an City in one fell swoop. When the time comes to invade Yanshoufang, the Guanlong rebels will have no choice but to accept the bitter consequences of complete defeat.
However, now that Chang'an City is besieged by rebels on three sides, and the Xuanwu Gate, the only exit from Taiji Palace, is blocked by Zhang Shigui, where can the news get out?
He clearly saw the biggest flaw of the rebels but was helpless, which made Li Jing very helpless...
As a commander, you must have full confidence in your soldiers, but you must also prepare for the worst-case scenario.
……
The Nei Zhongmen was established as the residence of the prince. Xiao Yu, Cen Wenwen, Ma Zhou, Li Daozong, Liu Jie and other ministers gathered here and constantly persuaded the prince to abandon the Nei Zhongmen and withdraw from the Taiji Palace.
Xiao Yu stroked his beard and said worriedly: "The rebels are now too strong, especially the Yuwen family's private army of Woye Town who have entered the city to participate in the siege. The two lines of defense of Taiji Palace and East Palace are in danger. If any one of them is breached, it will lead to The collapse of the entire defense line, The defeat has been decided and it will be difficult to recover. I and Cen Zhongshu have taken turns lobbying Zhang Shigui before. Although they have never given an accurate answer, his determination has been shaken. If the prince leads the palace family members to retreat, he will definitely let go of the city gate. "< br>
What he said was that he actually didn't know what he was talking about.
Everyone in the government and the public knew that Zhang Shigui was extremely loyal to His Majesty. Even though he might have some sympathy for the Crown Prince, it would be extremely difficult for him to completely betray His Majesty's edict.
But now it is not a question of whether Zhang Shigui will let go of the Xuanwu Sect, but that Li Chengqian has made up his mind to live and die with the Taiji Palace, and would rather die than withdraw from the Taiji Palace, which is troublesome.
Regardless of the inheritance of the empire, the orthodoxy of the country, as well as the future prospects and personal interests of many officials in the East Palace, the prince will never be allowed to die in the Taiji Palace.
Li Daozong also said: "The current situation is critical. If the front line of Chengtianmen is breached and the rebels advance into Taiji Palace, it will be too late to retreat! Please also consider the country, the country, the country, and the inheritance of the empire. Don't be impulsive and incur any consequences." Regret for the ages.”
The ministers were all talking in a hurry, and Li Chengqian was also a little upset.
Originally, Fang Jun had set fire to the rebels' supplies, and the entire war situation had been tilted towards the East Palace. Who knew that the situation would change due to negligence, and Changsun Wuji risked his life to reverse the situation, causing the Taiji Palace to collapse in an instant?
He did not want to retreat, and would rather die in Taiji Palace than retreat to Hexi, which would lead to two imperial courts within the empire and one outside, completely establishing the pattern of civil strife. No matter who wins in the end, the elites of the empire will be lost in every battle. , consuming the vitality of the empire.
But if he doesn't withdraw, how can he cope with the ministers in front of him who have always been loyal to him and support him with all their strength? How can he cope with his wife and children?
When the ministers saw Li Chengqian's expression change and silence, they knew that His Highness had committed the same indecision and soft-heartedness as before...
Ma Zhou admonished: "Your Highness clearly knows that although the Taiji Palace is in danger at the moment, even if the rebels occupy this place, they may not be able to completely control the government. Don't forget that there are hundreds of thousands of British soldiers stationed to pass the customs and wait for danger. How can you Can the rebels be allowed to completely occupy the center? We might as well withdraw from Taiji Palace temporarily and stay in Youtun. In the Wei camp, we will wait and see what the British Duke will do. If the British Duke cares about the country and cannot bear the empire to fall into civil war, he will definitely send troops to the capital to resist the rebellion. If the British Duke only cares about His Majesty's imperial edict and insists on going his own way, then we will accompany His Highness. Fight back, even if you die under Chang'an City, you will have no regrets!"
This remark was immediately approved by everyone.
Even if Taiji Palace fell, the situation has not reached the final stage. We have to see how Li Ji plans to deal with the rebellion, right?
If Li Ji only cared about deposing the East Palace and eventually colluded with the rebels, then it would not be too late for everyone in the East Palace to come back and fight to the death. Is it really not easy to die for the country?
But if the prince withdraws from the Taiji Palace, separates himself from the rebels inside and outside, fights against each other, and prepares to withdraw to Hexi at any time, this will put Li Ji on the stage to influence the situation of the world. He will tacitly allow the rebels to contribute to the Taiji Palace and cause the prince to withdraw to Will Hexi cause the empire to split and fall into civil war, or will he take action to exterminate the rebels, eliminate the mutiny, and restore peace to the empire?
After all, regardless of whether Li Ji had the imperial edict in hand, sitting back and watching the rebels wreak havoc on Chang'an and eventually overthrowing the East Palace and deposing the prince was definitely not tolerated by orthodoxy. If it came to that point, he would not even dare to make His Majesty Li Er's imperial edict public to the public - - Is it possible for the world to know that His Majesty Li Er connived with the rebels to dedicate Tai Chi Palace, destroy Chang'an City, and single-handedly drove the prince to a dead end?
It is a characteristic of Chinese culture to keep taboos from respected people. Li Ji could only swallow the bitter pill himself, and even be reviled by history books for eternity... But is Li Ji such a person who can endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens?
Everyone agrees that Li Ji would probably not do that.
Therefore, the prince's withdrawal from the Tai Chi Palace backhand forced Li Ji to a point where he had to make a choice, which can be said to be both offensive and defensive.
Li Chengqian was undecided, but the faint cries of the concubines coming from the back hall made him feel like a knife. After weighing for a long time, he sighed, covered his face with his hands and said: "Since I was established as a prince, I have been working hard and studying hard. Question: I respect the etiquette in everything I say and do, and dare not slack off in the slightest. However, for more than ten years, I have never been able to get the approval of my father. This stupid talent cannot be ignored. I am sincerely afraid. Today, with the rebels raging, the Chao Gang destroyed, and the country in turmoil, my father may have also... As a human son, if my father is still thinking about Yi Chu when he is dying, how can I dare to be greedy for the throne? I die to thank the world and my father. However, when things come to an end, I find that even if I die, I will not be able to fulfill my wish. I will be lonely and ashamed..."
Hiding his face and crying.
All the officials and ministers of the East Palace looked at each other with sadness in their hearts.
He was the eldest son at birth. From the day His Majesty Li Er usurped the throne, he was appointed Crown Prince by Jin Dian. He was granted the title of Crown Prince at a young age and received the most systematic imperial education. He was treated as a Crown Prince by everyone in the court and outside the palace. I am respectful and have high hopes.
However, His Majesty Li Er was picky about him in every possible way, and found it difficult to look at him. From time to time, he would have the desire to save money, which made him frightened and worried about gains and losses... Not everyone can bear this sin. After so many years, the prince has not grown crooked, nor has he been around. It is extremely rare to have any psychological problems. (End of chapter)