Chapter 328 Heroic Sons and Daughters
The families of Li Ying and Gao Xianzhi came to see them off respectively.

Li Heng saw Yang Yuhuan, went forward and hugged her, whispering in her ear: "Don't resist if you encounter anything, run away if you are in danger. Tongguan is more than a hundred miles away from Chang'an. Shi Shouyi will escort you to Tongguan."

"I know." Yang Yuhuan replied in a low voice.

Li Ying said, "You are a good horseman. I have also asked Shi Shouyi to prepare a good horse."

Yang Yuhuan said, "My dear, don't worry, just go."

Li Heng said, "Take care of yourself in the capital. I will come to pick you up after I have sorted out the chaos in the front and stabilized the defense line of Tongguan."

Yang Yuhuan said: "I will wait for you."

Li Ying said, "It's a deal."

Yang Yuhuan said: "See you later."

"Yeah." Li Heng pinched Yang Yuhuan's face, turned and left.

But after he took two steps, Yang Yuhuan suddenly ran up and hugged him from behind.

Li Heng grabbed Yang Yuhuan's hand and asked, "What's wrong?"

Yang Yuhuan said: "I just want to hug my husband again."

Li Ying said, "Write anytime."

"Yes." Yang Yuhuan responded.

Gao Xianzhi's wife Zhou saw Yang Yuhuan like this and said with a smile: "The princess really loves His Highness deeply."

Yang Yuhuan let go of Li Heng and said to Zhou: "Madam, you treated General Gao the same way."

Upon hearing this, Zhou punched Gao Xianzhi.

Li Ying and Gao Xianzhi smiled at each other, mounted their horses and set off.

Yang Yuhuan looked at Li Heng's back and thought to herself, "My dear, you have finally come to this day. My dear, you are only one step away from the final step. You only have one last worry left. I will help you solve this worry."

……

Li Heng and Gao Xianzhi led their troops to Tongguan.

At this time, An Lushan was preparing to take Tongguan, but as soon as he arrived at Tongguan, he saw Li Heng on the city wall and the Helong soldiers who had completed the change of guard.

An Lushan took stock and decided not to advance rashly, so he ordered his troops to retreat and only let Cui Qianyou station his troops in Shan County to wait for the opportunity.

Li Lin, who was standing by, saw An Lushan withdraw his troops and hurriedly said, "Eighteenth brother, why don't you take advantage of the rebels' retreat to chase them down?"

Li Heng glanced at Li Lin and said, "Our army has come a long way, and the soldiers are exhausted. The enemy retreated in an orderly manner. If we go out to chase them now, will we send our soldiers to their deaths?"

Li Lin heard Li Heng's unkind words and said, "I am both your elder brother and the military supervisor. Can't I make a suggestion?"

"Of course." Li Heng nodded, "But I'm the head coach, I reject your suggestion."

After that, he led the Helong soldiers back to the lobby to discuss military affairs.

Li Lin, Geshu Han and Wang Sili stood there in a daze.

Li Lin glanced at Geshu Han and Wang Sili and said, "What are you standing there for? Follow me!"

Geshu Han said: "Your Highness, General Wang and I are both in white clothes and cannot enter the hall to discuss matters."

Therefore, to serve the country in white means to be deprived of all positions, and to be given certain rights when necessary, so as to make up for one's crime and make meritorious contributions.

The only one who can give them the right is the head coach.

Li Lin had no choice but to follow into the lobby alone.

In the lobby, Li Heng asked, "What's the situation on other fronts?" Li Heng asked this every time. It's not that he didn't know the specific situation, but he needed someone to come out and tell the situation to others.

Gao Xianzhi said: "The military report has just been delivered. The Shuofang Army has already entered Yunzhong and is fighting against the rebel general Gao Xiuyan. In Hebei, some prefectures and counties have raised the banner of fighting against the rebellion and called on the counties in Hebei to respond."

"Where's Jiang Huai?" Li Ying asked.

Gao Xianzhi said: "Li Sui is resisting in Suiyang."

Li Heng nodded and said, "Tongguan is easy to defend but difficult to attack. We are more than capable of defending the pass, but we still need to wait for the right time to go out and fight."

Li Lin on the side said: "If we wait any longer, the food and grass will be out of stock. Eighteenth brother, you should find a chance to fight."

Li Ying said: "Thank you, Brother Sixteen, for reminding me."

……

Hebei.

Pingyuan prefect Yan Zhenqing recruited brave warriors and captured An Lushan's confidant Duan Ziguang when he came to show the heads of Li Wei and Lu Yi. He then beheaded them and announced the suppression of the rebellion.

Changshan Prefect Yan Gaoqing was also actively planning.

Yan Gaoqing originally pretended to surrender. On the one hand, he contacted Taiyuan Yin Wang Chengye to explain his intention of false surrender in the hope of gaining Wang Chengye's support. On the other hand, he secretly contacted Jia Xun, the garrison commander of Fanyang, to seize Youzhou and prepare to take over An Lushan's hometown.

But Fan Yang was An Lushan's old nest after all, and the rebels were closely monitoring it. The plan was leaked and Jia Xun was killed.

When Yan Gaoqing failed to save his family, he summoned the rebel general Li Qincou who was guarding Jingxingkou to discuss matters in the name of An Lushan. He then executed Li Qincou and ordered his sons Yan Quanming, Jia Shen and Zhai Wande to take the head to Chang'an to present it as a tribute, thus raising the banner of suppressing rebellion.

Zhang Tongyou, Zhang Tongru's younger brother, cried and begged Yan Gaoqing: "My elder brother Zhang Tongru was taken hostage by the rebels and became a rebel general. I beg to go to Beijing with you to save the lives of my whole family."

Yan Gaoqing also pretended to surrender first, and he could empathize with Zhang Tongyou, so he agreed.

Yan Quanming, Zhang Tongyou and others took Li Qincou's head and went from Changshan through Jingxingkou to Taiyuan.

When they arrived in Taiyuan, Zhang Tongyou wanted to attach himself to Wang Chengye, who was more powerful. Coincidentally, Wang Chengye was greedy for merit, so the two of them joined forces to kidnap Yan Quanming, sent their own people to present Li Qincou's head, and slandered Yan Gaoqing.

Yan Gaoqing was unaware that not only his credit had been embezzled but he had also been reported. He was preparing for war, intending to work with Yan Zhenqing to cut off An Lushan's connection with the rear.

An Lushan had been planning how to break through Tongguan, but after receiving the news from Hebei, he immediately gave up the full-scale attack on Tongguan, and asked Cai Xide to lead 10,000 troops to return for support, and Shi Siming to come down from the north to attack Changshan from both sides.

Only eight days after Changshan Prefect Yan Gaoqing raised his army to suppress the rebellion, the armies of Shi Siming and Cai Xide had already arrived outside the city. Yan Gaoqing was unable to defeat them and asked for help from Taiyuan Yin Wang Chengye. However, Wang Chengye had just taken advantage of Yan Gaoqing's contribution and was eager for Yan Gaoqing to die, so he kept his troops in place.

Yan Gaoqing fought hard day and night, and ran out of arrows and food. Finally, he and his deputy Yuan Luqing were captured alive and escorted to Luoyang.

When they arrived in Luoyang, An Lushan questioned Yan Gaoqing: "You were originally a Lu Cao in Fanyang. I promoted you step by step, first promoted you to a judge, and then promoted you to a prefect two years later. How have I wronged you? Why did you rebel against me?"

Yan Gaoqing angrily scolded: "You were originally a shepherd slave who stole sheep. The emperor was so kind and favored you that he promoted you to the governor of three towns step by step. How did the emperor let you down? Why did you rebel against the Tang Dynasty?"

An Lushan was furious, but could not utter a word.

Yan Gaoqing continued, "I have been a minister of the Tang Dynasty for generations. My fame, honor and wealth were all given by the Tang Dynasty. How can I follow you to rebel against the Tang Dynasty? I fight against the enemy for my country and I wish I could kill you. How can I be called a rebel? You dog, I am in your hands today. Why don't you kill me quickly!"

An Lushan was so angry that he was shaking all over and gasped, "Come here, come here, quickly cut off his tongue!"

The guards on both sides stepped forward and cut off Yan Gaoqing's tongue.

Yan Gaoqing was in great pain, but he just stared at An Lushan and sneered.

An Lushan could no longer bear it, so he drew his long sword, chopped off Yan Gaoqing's head, and said, "Hang it at the gate of the army for everyone to see!"

Then, he turned to Yan Zhuang and said, "In Chang'an, they should also take action."

Yan Zhuang said: "Prince Shou has cut off all roads leading to Chang'an. They can only rely on themselves."

An Lushan nodded and closed his eyes in thought.

(End of this chapter)