Inside Ganlu Hall, Li Shimin's unusually calm reaction to Li Longji's spectacular political self-destruction brought a wave of relief to the Zhenguan ministers.
As long as the Emperor wasn't throwing furniture or screaming, they could still reason with him.
And frankly, the Zhenguan reign was only in its fourth year. If the Emperor popped a blood vessel and dropped dead from pure rage while watching his future descendant... well, no one wanted to think about that possibility.
Wei Zheng was the first to speak, offering a respectful nod toward the screen.
"The lands of Yan, Zhao, Qi, and Lu have always produced men of exceptional loyalty and courage."
Wei Zheng clearly couldn't hold back his disgust toward Li Longji's conduct any longer.
"The state relies upon loyal men," Wei Zheng said, his voice firm.
"Yet treacherous officials fabricate charges and destroy them."
"The ruler above does not examine clearly. The people below lose their hearts."
"And so the fate of the nation ends up resting on the chests of righteous men alone."
Hou Junji sighed heavily and shook his head.
"Why was Li Longji in such a hurry? He could have imprisoned An Sishun pending investigation. Better yet, he could have dragged him to Tongguan pass and forced him to publicly denounce An Lushan."
The seasoned general tapped his scabbard lightly.
"Executing three supreme commanders right before a major battle does nothing except break the hearts of your loyalists, delight the rebels, and destroy the morale of anyone still willing to fight for you. Now how can you fight that kind of battle?"
Li Shimin let out a short chuckle and leaned back into his chair, looking almost relaxed.
Li Longji once went against the entire court to personally guarantee An Lushan's loyalty," the Emperor said dryly. "What you are witnessing now is simply the irrational lashing out of a man consumed by shame. Shame that curdled into rage. Rage at An Lushan for stabbing him in the back. Rage at himself for being humiliated so utterly."
Li Shimin casually lifted his teacup and took a slow sip.
"Geshu Han is going to lose. And because of that, Chang'an will fall."
He placed the cup down gently.
All these righteous men, bleeding and dying for the empire. How inspiring. Still doesn't cancel out the catastrophic stupidity of this Li Longji, but inspiring nonetheless. Damn it."
Zhangsun Wuji blinked in confusion. Earlier broadcasts had already revealed that Li Longji would eventually flee to Chengdu, but the military situation still didn't make sense to him.
"But General Geshu Han manages to hold the line for half a year..."
"He only holds it for half a year," Li Jing interrupted sharply, his eyes fixed on the map.
Li Shimin nodded.
"If Geshu Han locks down Tongguan pass and simply plays defense, the Tang wins a war of attrition. But unfortunately, my 'good brilliant descendant' did not execute loyal commanders merely to sit behind walls."
Li Shimin's gaze turned cold.
"He slaughtered them because he wants a fast victory to save face."
Li Longji is not going to let Geshu Han sit behind Tongguan Pass, calmly holding the line and chatting peacefully with An Lushan. He is going to force him to march out and die."
[Lightscreen]
[Only in the bitterest cold does the pine show its strength. Only in desperate times does integrity reveal itself. One by one, their names are etched into the annals of history.
When An Lushan breached the eastern capital of Luoyang, the first thing he encountered was three walls of iron will.
Li Cheng, the Deputy Defender of the Eastern Capital. Facing a rebel horde of over a hundred thousand, he didn't blink. He liquidated his entire family fortune to hire local militia and fortify the city. But the rebel tide was too massive, and the hastily assembled militia routed. Li Cheng and a handful of loyalists fought viciously in the streets until the very last second. He died for the state
Lu Yi, the Imperial Censor of the Eastern Capital. Knowing the city was doomed, he quietly sent away his wife and children. Then he changed into his finest official robes, walked into the Censorate office, sat upright behind his desk, and waited for the rebels to arrive. He died for the state.
Jiang Qing, the Inspecting Judge of the Eastern Capital. Facing the rebel army, he stood beside Lu Yi and refused to bow. He died for the state.
An Lushan, aware that his own forces were stretched thin across the empire, attempted psychological warfare. He ordered his subordinate Duan Ziguang to pack the severed heads of Li Cheng, Lu Yi, and Jiang Qing into wooden boxes and parade them throughout Hebei in order to terrorize the local population into submission.
It backfired spectacularly.
When the three heads arrived in Pingyuan Commandery, the local Prefect, a man named Yan Zhenqing, didn't cower. He cleanly and efficiently executed the rebel envoy, Duan Ziguang, on the spot.
With his own hands, Yan Zhenqing carefully washed the blood and dirt from the heads of the three martyrs. Unable to recover their bodies from rebel territory, he crafted straw bodies, dressed them in official robes, attached the severed heads, and personally arranged a solemn burial with full honors.
Then Yan Zhenqing raised the banner of righteous resistance.
The news swept across Hebei like an earthquake. Loyalists, militias, and furious citizens flooded into Pingyuan, unanimously supporting Yan Zhenqing as commander of the anti-rebel alliance.]
Inside the Chengdu prefectural headquarters, the atmosphere became heavy with reverence.
Liu Bei lowered his eyes slightly.
"This Tang Dynasty... does not lack men willing to die for their country."
Watching the three martyrs of Luoyang stirred painful memories within him. He thought of Zhang Ni fighting to the death, Zhuge Zhan and Zhuge Shang falling on the battlefield, and his own grandson Liu Chen slaughtering his family before dying in the ancestral temple rather than surrender the state.
To possess descendants and ministers such as these... what an honor for the Han.
Zhang Fei, however, snorted coldly.
"Sure, they have loyalists. But what's the point when being a decent man in this era is basically a death sentence?"
He jabbed a finger toward the screen.
"Li Longji kills the loyal generals. The rebels kill the loyal ministers. In this glorious Tang Dynasty, there isn't even room for good men to survive."
A wave of grim agreement spread through the Shu-Han officials.
Being a loyal minister was already difficult.
Being a loyal minister under Li Longji was practically suicide.
Fa Zheng, who normally had a sarcastic remark ready for every situation, stared ahead in silence for a moment.
"A man like Wang Zhongsi..." he muttered quietly. "Unmatched military merit, command over massive armies, even treated as the Emperor's adopted son... and all of it erased by a single sentence. What a waste."
Off to the side, Zhuge Liang silently lifted his brush and copied down the opening lines of the narration onto a bamboo slip.
'Only in the bitterest cold does the pine show its strength. Only in desperate times does integrity reveal itself. One by one, their names are etched into the annals of history.'
The words were simple, yet they carried immense weight. For once, Kongming felt genuine literary curiosity.
He wondered whether he would ever have the opportunity to read the complete poem from which the lines originated.
[Lightscreen]
[While the three loyal officials were dying for the state in Luoyang, someone else in Hebei had already begun making preparations.
Yan Zhenqing had an elder brother whose spine was equally forged from iron: Yan Gaoqing, the Prefect of Changshan.
Originally, Yan Zhenqing had served as an Imperial Censor in the capital, but after impeaching the corrupt Chancellor Yang Guozhong, he was politically exiled. Yang Guozhong, hoping for a convenient "accidental" death, deliberately tossed Yan Zhenqing straight into An Lushan's jurisdiction, borrowing a blade to do his dirty work.
After arriving in Hebei, Yan Zhenqing quickly met with his brother. It took them very little time to conclude that An Lushan was preparing for rebellion.
But complaining to the capital was useless. If you submitted a report to Emperor saying An Lushan was rebelling, Li Longji would literally tie you up and ship you to An Lushan as a gift to prove his trust.
So, Yan Zhenqing played the long game. In Pingyuan, he threw massive, wild parties. He went boating, drank heavily, and played drinking games, projecting the image of a useless, broken scholar to put An Lushan at ease. Meanwhile, in the shadows, he was frantically stockpiling grain, repairing city walls, and secretly recruiting local toughs and righteous militias.
When An Lushan finally launched his rebellion and marched south, he left two trusted commanders, Li Qincou and Gao Miao, with 5000 troops to secure his rear in Changshan.
Yan Gaoqing, the Prefect of Changshan, put on an Oscar-worthy performance of absolute sycophancy. He threw a lavish banquet for Li Qincou, got him blindingly drunk, and then chopped his head off. Using Li Qincou's forged seal, he lured Gao Miao into a trap and captured him alive. As a bonus, An Lushan's right-hand man, He Qiannian, happened to be passing through on his way back from Luoyang. Yan Gaoqing bagged him too
In a single night, Changshan Commandery was liberated.
Yan Gaoqing immediately dispatched his son, Yan Quanming, to deliver the incredible news to Chang'an. The payload: the captured rebel generals and Li Qincou's severed head.
But then came the fatal plot twist. An assistant who had helped Yan Gaoqing plan the resistance, a man named Zhang Tongyou, dropped to his knees weeping, begging to join the escort to the capital.
Zhang Tongyou's logic was simple: His own brother had defected to An Lushan. If the rebellion failed, his entire family would be exterminated by association. He needed to go to Chang'an to personally claim some merit and secure a pardon. Yan Gaoqing, being a reasonable man, agreed.
Yan Quanming and Zhang Tongyou set off. However, the direct southern routes were completely swarming with rebels, forcing them to take a detour west through Hedong to reach Chang'an.
This brought them right to the doorstep of Wang Chengye, the Mayor of Taiyuan.
Wang Chengye welcomed the victorious convoy with open arms, threw them a feast, and meticulously pumped them for every single detail about the tactical situation in Hebei.
Then, he offered a seemingly generous proposal: 'The road to Chang'an is dangerous, and the frontlines are chaotic. You boys are exhausted, why don't I forward this glorious report to the Emperor on your behalf?'
Yan Quanming, worried about his father holding the frontline back home, agreed and immediately turned around to ride back to Changshan.
The moment Yan Quanming disappeared from sight, Wang Chengye executed Gao Miao and He Qiannian. He then sat down and drafted a brilliantly eloquent report detailing the liberation of Changshan, the defense of Hebei, and the capture of the enemy commanders.
There was just one minor edit. He completely erased Yan Gaoqing's name from the document and replaced it with his own. For good measure, he heavily praised Zhang Tongyou's contributions.
The result? The Emperor promoted Wang Chengye from Mayor of Taiyuan to Supreme General of the Yulin Imperial Guard. Zhang Tongyou was given a cushy official post in Chang'an.
Meanwhile, An Lushan received two pieces of devastating news at the frontline: Yan Gaoqing had taken Changshan, and Yan Zhenqing had taken Pingyuan.
Furious that his supply lines were cut, An Lushan parked his main army in front of Tongguan pass and immediately dispatched his deadliest general, Shi Siming, back to Hebei to crush the anti-rebel alliance.
Shi Siming's first target was Changshan. Outnumbered and outgunned, Yan Gaoqing desperately sent distress signals to the nearest Tang garrison: Taiyuan, commanded by the newly promoted Wang Chengye.
Wang Chengye, having just stolen all of Yan Gaoqing's military credit, actively wanted him dead to cover up the paper trail.
Yan Gaoqing held the walls of Changshan in a bloody siege for eight grueling days. He fought until the last arrow was fired and the last soldier fell. Wang Chengye's reinforcements never arrived.
Changshan fell. Yan Gaoqing and his entire family were bound in chains and shipped to Luoyang to await An Lushan's wrath.]
Li Shimin's calm finally shattered.
He was no longer furious at Li Longji alone. What disgusted him now was the rot festering throughout the Tang bureaucracy.
"What in the world has my Great Tang become?!" Li Shimin hissed, his voice dropping an octave into something cold and lethal. "This Wang Chengye... he deserves death by a thousand cuts!"
The fact that the Emperor delivered the sentence with such a quiet, flat tone indicated just how astronomically bad his mood had become.
Wei Zheng couldn't hold back either. "Short-sighted cowards prioritizing their own political careers while loyal men weep blood and die for the state! Compared to parasites like Wang Chengye, even open villains like Yang Guozhong look almost tolerable!"
Li Shimin silently gave Wei Zheng a rare moment of approval. 'When this old man isn't directing his attacks at me, he's actually rather pleasant.'
Zhangsun Wuji quickly tried steering the conversation back toward strategy before the Emperor's temper exploded again.
He studied the map beside the screen carefully.
"The plains of Hebei are far too open. Terrible terrain against rebel cavalry. However, Pingyuan borders the sea and lake regions. Cavalry maneuverability is heavily restricted there. Combined with Yan Zhenqing's preparations, the city should not fall easily."
Hou Junji immediately leaned forward and traced a line across the map.
Once the rebel momentum stalls, we mass our available forces and strike... Weizhou! It's the perfect choke point. It connects Hebei to the north and Henan to the south. It is the absolute lifeline for the rebel army."
Zhangsun Wuji nodded, though concern still lingered on his face.
"Would matters truly unfold that smoothly?"
Li Shimin answered without hesitation.
"Hebei has been thoroughly ravaged. Hedong is heavily garrisoned. Tongguan pass is a geographical nightmare to assault. And there are no major military governors stationed in the southeast."
The Emperor knew the exact psychological profile of nomadic-style armies. "The rebels will inevitably push south to loot. They flock to wealth like starving wolves, but they fear hard sieges like tigers."
"Why sit outside Tongguan pass baking in the sun when the southern grain hubs are completely unprotected?"
Zhangsun Wuji slowly pieced the strategy together.
"In that case... if we seize Weizhou while launching pressure from Tongguan pass..."
"Tongguan pass will fall," Li Shimin said flatly.
The certainty in his tone left no room for argument.
Zhangsun Wuji briefly froze. He met the Emperor's eyes and found no trace of anger or mockery there.
Only complete certainty that Li Longji would somehow ruin a perfectly good military advantage.
Zhangsun Wuji slowly closed his mouth.
Li Jing traced the map thoughtfully with his fingers.
"Li Longji should not have fled to Chengdu. He should have withdrawn into the Longyou corridor and rallied the veterans of the Anxi armies. Chang'an lacks strong natural defenses and could have been retaken later. Chengdu is secure, yes, but launching a counteroffensive from Chengdu is a logistical nightmare."
Li Jing could not help feeling a trace of historical irony.
Back in the day, Chancellor Zhuge Liang practically lived in Hanzhong just to squeeze out enough logistics to threaten Guanzhong. Yet this Li Longji managed to sprint down into Shu with the frictionless ease of a greased pig.
Over in Chengdu, Liu Bei stared at the screen in bewilderment.
"Damn it, are you blind?! The empire is literally burning to the ground, and these commanders are still playing politics and stealing military merit?!"
Kongming waved his fan slowly, his expression grim. "My Lord, we have the benefit of knowing this rebellion drags on for eight years. The men living through it do not."
"From Wang Chengye's perspective, the rebel supply lines in Hebei are severed, local loyalist militias are rising up, and the main rebel army is bashing its head against the impenetrable walls of Tongguan pass. To him, the rebels are already dead men walking."
Fa Zheng let out a cold laugh.
"And since the war is 'already won,' parasites like Wang Chengye decide it's the perfect time to start aggressively looting the credit. They refuse to contribute to the fight, but they are desperate to reap the rewards. This is exactly how empires rot from the inside out."
Liu Bei's eyes darkened with realization. He remembered the arrogant lords and ministers sitting safely inside Chang'an after Dong Zhuo's death.
There had been a fleeting window to restore the Han, but instead, they devoured each other in petty power struggles.
Zhang Fei spat on the ground, his face twisted in pure disgust.
"Every single one of these bureaucrats," he growled, "deserves to be buried alive under a collapsing mud wall!"