The strength of the Anxi Army not only made Li Heng uneasy, but even everyone around Gu Qing seemed to notice it.

Everyone was asking Gu Qing and speculating on what Gu Qing wanted to do next. Today, the Anxi Army entered Chang'an City and controlled the defense of Chang'an City. In everyone's eyes, Gu Qing was only one step away from the throne of Xingqing Palace. As long as Gu Qing was willing, he could easily take this step.

Open the palace gate, walk into the palace, find the chair that everyone dreamed of for thousands of years, and finally sit on it, announce to the public that Li Heng has been in a wrong position, and then find a Emperor of Tang Dynasty to be foolish and unruly, leading to the turmoil in the world, etc., and finally replace Li Tang.

This step is not far away. As long as Gu Qing reveals such an idea, countless Anxi soldiers will fight their lives to help him do it.

"Everyone is asking me if I want to be an emperor. Do you just distrust me so much?" Gu Qing smiled bitterly and said, "Didn't anyone find that I am actually a loyal minister of the Tang Dynasty. Is it all my work to quell the rebellion and welcome the emperor to the emperor? Isn't this a loyal minister enough?"

Li Shierniang gave him a blank look and said, "Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao have done everything you did. Do some people say they are loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty?"

Gu Qing pondered for a moment and said, "I don't want to be an emperor, but if the person who became an emperor was too stupid and did something that would be sorry to the people, I will help him correct it."

"What if he doesn't want to be corrected by you?"

Gu Qing smiled: "He will be willing, hold the knife around his neck, and I promise he will be the sage emperor who has left his name in history."

Li Shierniang sighed and said, "I understand what you are going to do. The rebellion is about to be quelled, but the path you are walking is getting more and more dangerous. Gu Qing, you must be careful."

Gu Qing blinked and smiled, "If I have no choice but to go to the forefront of the future, my nephew will just run away. Can I still run away if I can't beat me? At that time, I will rely on Aunt Li to help me escape."

Li Shierniang laughed: "I don't know who I am so slick about. Your parents are both serious people. Why are you not like them at all?"

He dragged Gu Qing into the house. There were many servants and maids in the house. The yard had been cleaned up. The servants stood in the yard and saluted respectfully to Gu Qing and Li Shierniang.

Gu Qing took a deep breath, the familiar smell of home.

Li Shierniang pointed to his subordinates and said to him: "I bought some servants and maids in the West Market yesterday. I don't know if they match your wishes. If you think these servants and maids are rude, I will buy you some Kunlun slaves and Silla maids tomorrow. The rebellion has not been put down, and the north is still under the control of An Thief. They cut off the road in the north. The prices of Kunlun slaves and Silla maids in Chang'an have increased a lot. If you are not in a hurry, you can wait."

Gu Qing smiled and said, "No need, I still like local servants. The exotic flavours have a strong smell and can't speak human language, so they are annoying to watch."

Li Shierniang gave him a blank look and said, "When foreigners come to the Tang Dynasty, most of them can still speak some human words."

"You can speak human language, but you still do something money-filled. You don't know how many bananas you feed, but you feel that you are persecuting them. The beasts are suitable for catching them and mining. There is no need to serve people, and they are not worthy."

Li Shierniang was a little confused when she heard this. Gu Qing looked around at the servants and said with a smile: "It's better for us Tang people, we know the best and know how to be grateful. If you treat them well, they will treat you twice as well. This is the normal human thinking... Let me ask, there are no foreign money among you, right?"

A brave servant bowed and smiled and said, "You are too worried. Our family is from the Tang Dynasty. We servants hate the money from foreign countries. The Kunlun slaves and Silla maids bought by wealthy families are also hard-working. It is not their turn to serve the nobles, because they are afraid that they will dirty their bodies."

"That's good, it's all gone, do whatever you should do." Gu Qing waved his hand.

Li Shierniang accompanied Gu Qing into the front hall and sat down, asking, "I heard that Li Guangbi has become your general?"

"Yes, when the rebels first occupied Chang'an, Uncle Li was ordered to fight, but his soldiers were too weak and had to hide in the Qinling Mountains after heavy casualties. Later, he led 8,000 remaining soldiers to join me. Before Tongguan attacking and defending, I sent him to defend Luoyang City."

Li Shierniang sneered: "That guy brags about how powerful he is all day long, saying that he is so amazing to lead troops to fight, but he was still hid in the Qinling Mountains in shame. Next time I see him, how should I humiliate it to be satisfied."

"Now Uncle Li is guarding Luoyang, with nearly 20,000 soldiers under his command. After the rebels fled from Chang'an, they will cross the Yellow River to the north. Luoyang is a must-pass place. With Uncle Li's ability, the rebels are afraid that they will fall into Luoyang again. Aunt Li wants to humiliate him, but this time it may not work. I can foresee that he will return to Chang'an with his military achievements."

Li Shierniang curled her lips: "Then I won't humiliate him. It's said that this rebellion has hurt too many people. Most of my friends in Chang'an used to hide out, and I don't know when they will meet again."

"After peace in the world, old friends will eventually meet again. On the day when Aunt Li and old friends gather together, my nephew still wants to see Aunt Li's sword dance posture."

"That day, I would like to dance swords and congratulate Taiping."

…………

Gyeongju City.

A memorial was delivered to Li Heng.

There was not only a memorial before Li Heng, but also Feng Changqing.

Feng Changqing knelt in front of Li Heng and bowed his head and said ashamed. The apology posture had been maintained for a long time, but Li Heng seemed to have not seen him. After turning on the memorial, Li Heng glanced a few times, then changed color and threw the memorial hard on the ground, shouting angrily: "Gu Qing bullies people too much! bullies people too much!"

Li Mi, who was next to him, hurriedly picked up the memorial, opened it and looked at it, his face also became a little unpleasant.

Li Heng pointed at him and said angrily: "Do you see clearly what is written on it? It's okay to welcome me and I'll still have to welcome the Supreme Emperor back to Chang'an. What do he want to do? It's obvious that he is threatening me. Such a minister should be killed more than An Lushan!"

Then Li Heng pointed to Feng Changqing and said angrily: "Welcome me back to Chang'an, but not let Shuofang army enter the city. The two armies almost fought outside Chang'an City. Gu Qing's Anxi Army has completely taken over the garrison and palace guards of Chang'an City. Chang'an City is full of his people. If I return to Chang'an, wouldn't I be under his control? Is the emperor still the emperor? I am just the second Emperor Xian of Han!"

Li Mi frowned and pondered, and said slowly: "Your Majesty, Gu Qing's memorial is very respectful. Even if you let the Hanlin Bachelor, you can't find any disrespect. How should your Majesty respond to your intention?"

Li Heng said angrily: "Of course I won't go back to Chang'an! Go back to be Gu Qing's puppet? Haha, when did my Tang royal family become so unbearable?"

Li Mi smiled bitterly and said, "So, Your Majesty means, don't you go back to Chang'an?"

"yes!"

"Your Majesty, Chang'an has been recovered by the Anxi Army. Now all the subjects in the world are looking at Your Majesty. If Your Majesty does not return to the capital, how will the subjects think of Your Majesty?"

Li Heng opened his eyes wide, pointed to the memorial in his hand, and said, "Do you mean to ask me to go back as a puppet? If I go back to Chang'an, it will become a decoration from now on. The military and political power in the court are all in Gu Qing's hands. What am I?"

Li Mi whispered: "Your Majesty, Gu Qing's memorial also said that he will send someone to welcome the Supreme Emperor from Shu..."

Li Heng was stunned for a while and understood what he meant.

If you don’t go back to Chang'an, will the Supreme Emperor reply? If you don’t say hello, you will be emperor in Lingzhou. Do you know how much resentment the Supreme Emperor has towards you? If the Supreme Emperor returns to Chang'an, he will be supported by the Anxi Army. If he issues an order to abolish you, he will ascend the throne again, do you think there is this possibility?

Seeing Li Heng's expression gradually realize, Li Mi sighed: "Your Majesty, Gu Qing is a plan to openly plot. His intention and ambition are in front of you. If you don't follow his wishes, he doesn't mind supporting another emperor. I'm sorry to say frankly that if you talk about the prestige of the people, the Supreme Emperor is much higher than your Majesty. If the Supreme Emperor ascends the throne again, no one in the world will object."

This is the truth. Although Li Longji did a lot of stupid things in his later years, his prestige among the people is still very high. After all, he personally created the emperor of the Kaiyuan prosperous era. He was also a talented and powerful person when he was young. Until now, countless subjects still remember Li Longji's goodness.

Compared with his father, Li Heng is really too weak.

Finally, I escaped from my father and wanted to lead the Shuofang Army to do some achievements, but the Shuofang Army was obviously not as popular as the Anxi Army. Guanzhong and Henan were recovered. It can be said that most of it was the contribution of the Anxi Army. No one remembered what the Shuofang Army did. What the people in the world circulated were the great achievements of the Anxi Army.

The failure of Shuofang Army's outstanding performance means that Li Heng did not show any outstanding performance. In addition to the hasty holding of the throne ceremony in Lingzhou, what else has he done to be mentioned?

The prestige is not as good as the father. If the father is welcomed back to Chang'an, he will declare that he, the emperor, is in a bad position, what can Li Heng do? He has no strength to resist. The Shuofang Army that he can control is vulnerable to the Anxi Army. The soldiers of the Anxi Army teach him how to be a human being in minutes.

"Can't my father see Gu Qing's wolf ambition? Is he willing to go back to Chang'an and be Gu Qing's puppet?" Li Heng asked gritted his teeth.

Li Mi smiled bitterly and said, "Of course the Supreme Emperor is unwilling, but he will take the minority of the two. I forgive me for saying frankly. With my understanding of the Supreme Emperor, he cares more about the throne. When he visited Shu, he lost the throne inexplicably. I believe that the Supreme Emperor is still quite jealous. Now that he has Gu Qing's support, it is a good opportunity for the Supreme Emperor to regain the throne."

"Even if he is a puppet of a powerful minister, he doesn't mind?"

"Your Majesty, the Supreme Emperor has experienced countless storms in his life. For him, as long as the throne is in hand, everything has a chance. Gu Qing's compliment is only at present. With the Supreme Emperor's skills, if he returns to Chang'an and ascends the throne again, he will definitely have a way to check and balance Gu Qing and slowly remove Gu Qing's power. In the eyes of the Supreme Emperor, Gu Qing is just one of the great storms he has experienced in his life. The storms will eventually pass."

Li Heng's face gradually turned red, his teeth clenched, and he said with a gloomy expression: "I...can't lose the position of the emperor, otherwise I will die without a place to bury me."

Li Mi sighed, pointed to the memorial in his hand and said, "So, please ask, how should Your Majesty respond to Gu Qing's memorial?"

Li Heng stared into his eyes and said, "What do you mean is to let me go back to Chang'an?"

Li Mi whispered: "Your Majesty, we have no choice."

"I... can't go to Chang'an, I'll go to Luoyang to take charge of the government."

Li Mi sighed: "Your Majesty, Luoyang City... is also in Gu Qing's hands."

Li Heng was shocked all over, and then he slapped the table and said angrily: "Do I have to be a puppet? I'm fighting with him!"

"Your Majesty, we can't fight..." Li Mi said dejectedly.

Li Heng struggled and said, "If I write a letter to my father and join forces with him, the father and son will be in harmony with the outside world. If I and my father don't go to Chang'an, what can Gu Qing do to me?"

Li Mi said in a deep voice: "Gu Qing will choose one of the many princes of the Supreme Emperor and welcome him back to Chang'an. Finally, he supported the prince ascended the throne and conquered you who was inappropriate in the new emperor. The result may be more miserable than you who returned to Chang'an..."

Li Mi said helplessly: "Gu Qing's memorial has really blocked our way. And Your Majesty has no reason to declare Gu Qing's crime to the subjects of the world. We all know that Gu Qing has a bad ambition, but the subjects and people all over the world only know that Gu Qing recovered Guanzhong and Henan, and he looked like a slanderous loyal minister and welcomed the emperor to the capital with respect, which made people not be able to find any mistakes."

Li Heng sat back in dismay and said dejectedly: "Can I really have no choice but to do anything to him? I can only go back to Chang'an to be Emperor Xian of Han?"

Li Mi smiled: "It's not entirely true. Your Majesty is the emperor after all. He has occupied the orthodox and righteousness. No matter how arrogant the powerful ministers are, he still cares about the etiquette of the monarch and ministers. The Anxi Army recaptured Chang'an and immediately sent a memorial to His Majesty a respectful request to return the capital, indicating that Gu Qing did not want to be emperor himself and would not do anything to him. After His Majesty returns to Chang'an, Gu Qing will not be rude to His Majesty, because there are so many eyes staring at him in the court."

"Your Majesty, the Supreme Emperor has the ability to slowly check and balance Gu Qing. Your Majesty is the emperor and you must have more skills. Your Majesty is the king and Gu Qing is the minister. No matter how powerful the minister is, the emperor always has a way to deal with him. How can Your Majesty choose between protecting himself and taking risks?"

After analyzing the pros and cons, Li Heng pondered for a long time.

After a while, Li Heng said in a deep voice: "If I return to Chang'an, how should I check and balance Gu Qing? Does Li Qing have a solution?"

Li Mi whispered: "I think... First of all, the defense of Chang'an City has been taken over by the Anxi Army, but our bottom line is that the palace guards must use Shuofang Army to withdraw the Anxi Army from the palace. Your Majesty is at least safe in the palace."

Li Heng nodded and agreed.

Li Mi said again: "Secondly, Gu Qing held heavy troops in his hand and controlled the court. No one in Chang'an City could balance him, but what about the north? The rebel An Qingxu Shi Siming still controlled a large area of ​​land and city north of the Yellow River. Including those who stayed in the city, An Qingxu had at least 100,000 troops. The rebels were defeated again and again in Guanzhong. An Qingxu Shi Siming had no intention of surrendering. If Your Majesty sent a secret envoy to contact the rebels..."

Li Heng immediately understood: "What do you mean is to let An Qingxu and Shi Siming check and balance Gu Qing?"

"Not only that, as far as I know, there are Xian Yu Zhongtong, the governor of Jiannandao, Geshuhan, Hexi governor, Geshuhan, and Geshuhan, who have been ill for a long time. The general under his command took over their posts. They are Shu Army and Hexi Army, not Anxi Army. After His Majesty returns to the capital, he will definitely order Xian Yu Zhongtong and Qu Huan to return to their respective vassal states and get them out of the Anxi Army's ranks..."

Li Heng's eyes became brighter and brighter: "Checking and balance, differentiation, Li Qing has a good method."

Li Mi smiled again and said, "There are also generals under the Anxi Army, Chang Zhong, Chen Tian, ​​Li Siye, Liu Hongbo, etc., all of Gu Qing's left and right arms. After His Majesty returns to Chang'an, he will naturally reward the heroes of the rebellion. These generals have made great achievements and must be entrusted with important tasks. If they are asked to serve in the Shuofang Army or the Hexi Army..."

Li Heng became happier and happier: "The people around Gu Qing were transferred and divided by me. What is left of him? Haha!"
Chapter completed!