The siege of Tai Chi Palace was just the result, but the process had been brewing for a long time.

It's been a long time, how long?

Probably, it started from the time when Li Longji favored Anlu Mountain and the extravagant night banquet at Huacalyx Tower, where the king beat the drums and the ministers played wildly. In the 14th year of Tianbao, when Du Fu passed through Fengxian County, he wrote the poem "The wine and meat smell of Zhumen" that has been passed down for thousands of years.

"The road is frozen to death" begins when Li Longji abandons the people in the capital and flees to Shu in panic before the rebels capture Chang'an.

The foundation of the Tang Dynasty was riddled with holes and was on the verge of crumbling from these beginnings.

Gu Qing just pushed gently on the wall of this old and dangerous building.

The betrayal of the people, the choice of history, the evaluation of justice and evil is too thin, God just replaced an incompetent person.

After the Anxi Army entered the city, the nine gates of Chang'an City were closed. When the common people and merchants on the streets did not know what was happening, the officials and Wuhou urged people to go home quickly. The streets in the city were all cleared, and no one was allowed to go out.

In the Taiji Palace, in the Bell and Drum Towers, bursts of rushing bells rang, and the bells rang leisurely in the sky above Chang'an City. The courtiers who were doing errands at the government offices or resting at home hurriedly put on their court clothes and prepared to enter the palace to meet the king.

However, as soon as he left the house, he was stopped by the soldiers of the Anxi Army who had been waiting for him.

The officers and soldiers of the Anxi Army were very polite, saluted politely, and then told the courtiers with a smile that there were remnants of the rebels in the city and were causing turmoil. Prince Gu had ordered the entire city to be closed and no one was allowed to go out, in order to investigate the lurking remnants.

We will catch them all in one fell swoop. Please rest assured and wait for the news in your mansion.

Of course the courtiers didn't believe it. How could the rapid ringing of the bells from the Bell and Drum Tower of Taiji Palace be just the sound produced by a few remnants of the rebels?

However, although the Anxi Army soldiers blocking the door saluted and spoke politely, their firm expressions told the courtiers that you'd better be obedient and stay at home and don't cause trouble, otherwise you will soon become the trouble we want to cause.

The courtiers understood the polite but cryptic warning and looked up at the sky in shock.

Gu Qing finally took action.

The city of Chang'an, which had been depressed for a long time, finally faced an inevitable and huge change.

The sky is blue and the breeze is blowing. It is a good weather. It is suitable to do anything in such weather. But in Chang'an today, the emperor and his ministers are fighting each other, and the two masters are competing for glory. Everything will be finalized.

Has the national destiny of the Tang Dynasty, which lasted for more than a hundred years, come to an end today?

The expressions of the courtiers who stayed in the mansion varied. Some were gloating about the misfortune, some were ecstatic, and some were crying bitterly. They were all loyal and traitorous, and they looked very wonderful against the blue sky and white clouds.

All the streets in Chang'an City were quickly cleared. The officials and Wuhou of Jingzhao Prefecture raised their iron rulers and roared loudly along the streets, sternly ordering all common people and merchants to return home immediately, otherwise they would be punished for treason.

The officers and soldiers of the Anxi Army were stationed at various street intersections, and fences were set up at each street intersection to prevent horses from passing through.

Bursts of rapid and orderly footsteps gradually spread from the city gate to the street. The people hid in their homes and watched in shock through the window lattice as groups of armored soldiers passed by in a hurry on the street. They were converging towards the Chengtian Gate of Taiji Palace.

.

"The weather is going to change!" A common man squatted under the window of his home and said to his wife and children tremblingly.

"Is the weather going to change? Are the soldiers of the Anxi Army passing by our house?" My wife said softly, but there was no fear in her expression, just a bit of leisurely watching the excitement.

The husband was obviously not at ease, and nodded: "Yes, they are the soldiers of the Anxi Army under the command of Prince Gu. They are currently rushing towards Taiji Palace. I am afraid that today... Well, I have heard that Prince Gu is disobedient."

I thought it was a rumor, but I didn’t expect..."

Seeing her husband's expression of regret and disappointment, the wife couldn't help but smile: "How worried are you? What does the affairs of the big shots have to do with you?"

The husband twitched his lips: "You can't say that, after all, we are also asking for a living under the emperor's feet..."

The wife hummed: "Even if Prince Gu overthrows the one in the palace, what then? Does he stop us from asking for a living? After Chang'an City was recovered, although the Anxi Army took control of the city defense, they never took advantage of the people and treated us lightly.

Wu Guilin, if you ask me, there would be nothing wrong with Prince Gu becoming the emperor..."

The husband said unhappily: "I know a lot about women. After all, we are the people of the Tang Dynasty..."

The wife sneered and said: "The people are the people. There is no dynasty. If the emperor changes, the people will not be able to survive. If Prince Gu becomes the emperor, he must be a promising emperor, a compassionate person, and treat the people

It won’t be too bad.”

"How do you know he has mercy?"

"Last year, there were so many refugees gathering outside the city. Which official in the court asked? It was Prince Gu alone who was helping them. Those poor people would have turned into thieves long ago if they had not been rescued by Prince Gu and the Anxi Army.

He rushed into the city and killed everyone he saw. Not only did King Gu help them, he also distributed land and grain to them and settled them properly. Based on this alone, King Gu was not a bad person. He became the emperor and treated the people

No harm."

The wife's expression suddenly became a little sarcastic, and she said: "Look at the Supreme Emperor in the palace. When the rebels just captured Tongguan, before the generals reached Chang'an City, he hurriedly abandoned the people in the city and fled alone.

Go, in comparison, who cares about the common people at heart, and who only cares about his own survival and enjoyment, can't you understand?"

The husband was silent. He wanted to defend the Supreme Emperor, but he didn't know where to start. The facts were in front of him, and it was indeed irrefutable.

After a long time, the husband couldn't help but said: "But, after all, Prince Gu is treason..."

The wife sighed and said: "It is up to the princes in the court to decide whether to rebel or not. How did our Tang Dynasty come about? Our great ancestor was the Duke of Tang in the Sui Dynasty. He also rebelled when he raised troops in Jinyang. What happened next?

More than a hundred years have passed, but has anyone ever said that he was a rebel?"

The husband was anxious: "Don't talk nonsense. What kind of rebels are you talking about? How could our great ancestor be a traitor? He was violent and unkind. Of course our great ancestor would overthrow him..."

The wife smiled: "Yes, that's it. What about today?"

The husband was speechless and speechless.

The wife bent over and looked out the window again. On the street outside the window, there were still countless soldiers of the Anxi Army hurriedly passing by. The armor on their bodies made a neat clanking sound. The sound carried an indestructible momentum, which was frightening.

The wife knelt down again and snorted: "No matter who is the emperor, as long as he is good to our people, we will recognize him as the emperor. If Prince Gu is unkind and unjust, someone will naturally come to overthrow him. It's that simple.

.”

The husband was unconvinced and said: "What a woman thinks! How stupid she is."

The wife raised her eyebrows, quickly grabbed his ear, and twisted it half a circle mercilessly. The husband cried out in pain.

"Have you lost face? There is a woman on the left and a woman on the right. How did you get your children without a woman? You bastard, you don't know good and evil. At the beginning of this year, Prince Gu made a petition to the emperor, asking him to be exempted from being raped by the rebels.

The people in the occupied cities and villages were required to pay corvee taxes for a year, and Chang'an was also one of the cities exempted from the corvee tax. You also benefited from the benefits of Prince Gu. Why are you not grateful? Instead, I am a woman, a wolf-hearted person!

"

"Okay, I was wrong. Prince Gu is a good man. I regard him as the emperor. Let go, let go quickly!"

Outside the window, Anxi Army officers and soldiers were still passing by the street in an endless stream.

At the same time, all the common people and merchants in Chang'an City were talking about Gu Qing in fear or excitement, and about the world-famous troops and horses under Gu Qing's command.

Iron hooves stepped on the bluestone, and the situation in the country changed color.

…………

Chang'an City, Wubenfang.

The Imperial College is located to the west of Wubenfang. The officers and soldiers of the Anxi Army cleared all the streets in Chang'an City, and Wubenfang was no exception.

Gu Qing's order was sent to the army, and the generals of the Anxi Army first took control of the government offices and institutions in the city. These places must be controlled by them, and the Imperial College was also one of the key officials and prisons controlled.

Taking a look at the military might of the Anxi Army, other courtiers in the government offices were very obedient. No matter how much they objected to the Anxi Army's actions, this was the moment when the Anxi Army was at its peak and murderous. No one with a little discernment would do so.

Choose to confront the Anxi Army at this time.

Only the Imperial College is different.

In addition to the teaching doctors, the rest of the Imperial Academy were passionate young people who had read the books of sages. Most of them were loyal to Li Tang and reacted particularly violently to Gu Qing's rebellion.

"The rebels are unfaithful and unjust, and they dare to lead the troops to attack the palace in broad daylight. How can we, the scholars, who have been blessed by the emperor's grace for so long, avoid disaster and remain indifferent? Even if we are not defeated, we should still rise up and resist!" a Taixuan student said.

He cried out in grief and anger on the table.

More than a hundred Tai students below raised their fists in the air and responded.

"Let's go to Tai Chi Palace to fight against the rebels for the emperor!"

"The nobles of the imperial dynasty must die for the emperor today!"

"The Tang Dynasty is so unfortunate. After An Lushan, Gu Qing rebelled again. The sky has no eyes and the traitors are in power!"

More than a hundred imperial students became more and more sad and angry as they talked. Many people gathered in the Imperial College and cried bitterly.

However, only a few people cried bitterly.

After the war, there were still more than 800 imperial students enrolled in the Imperial College. Those who cried bitterly were only a few poor students. The remaining 600 to 700 imperial students stood far away under the pillars and watched quietly.

The students looked excited and had no interest in participating. There was even a hint of ridicule in their eyes.

The students from poor families roared hard for a long time, and gradually felt that they were weak and weak. Looking around, they saw that most of the students were just watching from a distance, and the students from poor families couldn't help but get angry.

"Are you just watching the fun? The rebels are forcing the palace and the country is about to fall. Why don't you do something with us?"

The pointed Taisheng lazily stretched out his little finger to pick out his ears and said: "I heard it, you were so loud, we all heard it, all you fellow students, just go, I will cheer for you at the Imperial College."

"

The poor student said angrily: "It is only because of insensitive people like you in the Tang Dynasty that we were taken advantage of by the rebels!"

"Everyone has his or her own ambitions and should not be forced to do so. We came to the Imperial College to study and gain fame, not to fight in battle."

The poor student stamped his feet and said angrily: "We have different paths, so don't work together!"

After saying that, the students from poor families walked together towards the gate of the Imperial College. Outside the gate, there were many swords and halberds of Anxi Army soldiers, but they were fearless. At this moment, they felt that they had transformed into heroes and sacrificed their lives for the country and the dynasty.

After the poor students left, the six to seven hundred imperial students who stayed in the Imperial College remained indifferent, with indifferent expressions.

These people are all descendants of aristocratic families.
To be continued...