Chapter 347 Recovering Luoyang
At the same time, Gao Xianzhi led his troops to attack Mount Xiao, with sword and shield soldiers in the front, followed by archers. They faced the rebels' rolling stones and arrows and shot at them.

While commanding the front battlefield, Cui Qianyou sent An Zhongshun to lead light cavalry to march south from the north of Mount Xiao to prepare to attack the flank of the government army.

But An Zhongshun led 3,000 light cavalry to the bank of the Yellow River and met Ma Lin who had been waiting there.

Ma Lin led the heavy cavalry to attack, and An Zhongshun's light cavalry was unable to defeat them and retreated in defeat.

Ma Lin took advantage of the situation to go around the rebels' right wing, rushed into the rebel formation, and charged back and forth.

At this time, Li Siye had arrived at the rear of the rebels, formed a battle array and swooped down on the rebels with his cavalry.

Li Guiren immediately ordered the rebels to use the Modao formation to block the charge of Li Siye's cavalry by chopping the horses' legs.

The government troops had a slight advantage, and the rebels were gradually losing.

At this time, the messenger who had gone back to Luoyang for help from the rebels returned.

The rebel messenger told Cui Qianyou that An Lushan abandoned Luoyang and fled.

It turned out that when the government troops left Tongguan, An Lushan's general Yin Ziqi was also attacking Yongqiu.

Yongqiu City was broken and could not withstand the offensive of the rebels, so Zhang Xun led his men to retreat to Suiyang.

Xu Yuan, the prefect of Suiyang, had served in the army in Hexi and Beiting, and was also a key figure in the defense of Suiyang. He joined forces with Zhang Xun to resist the rebels.

But this time, they are no longer alone.

Because Li Heng also sent Lai Zhen to support them.

Lai Zhen was Xu Yuan's old superior and his official position was higher than Zhang Xun's. Therefore, after Lai Zhen led his troops to arrive, both of them took Lai Zhen as the commander-in-chief and jointly guarded Sui Yang.

Yin Ziqi's army was unable to capture Suiyang for a while, and the Tongguan army had already rushed to Shanzhou. An Lushan knew that the mountains in Luoyang could not stop the government army's pace, so he fled early.

When Cui Qianyou learned that An Lushan had escaped, he became mentally devastated and also ran away.

Li Guiren, who didn't understand what was going on, saw Cui Qianyou running away, so he ran away too.

The chief and deputy commanders fled one after another, and the Xiaoshan rebels were leaderless and quickly defeated.

Gao Xianzhi captured Mount Xiao in Shanzhou and ordered Li Siye to pursue the rebels, while he led his men to Luoyang City.

At this time, it was March 754, , nine months after the fall of Luoyang, and the government army recaptured Luoyang.

When the people of Luoyang learned that the government troops had entered the city, they lined the streets to welcome them.

Unlike in history, this time, no one robbed them again, and they welcomed a truly righteous army.

Gao Xianzhi ordered his men to count the spoils and return all the things that the rebels had snatched from the people that could be returned.

The news of the conquest of Luoyang was spread back to Chang'an and announced to the whole world, shocking the whole country.

Years ago, under the lobbying of Li Mi, officials in the court submitted a petition to Li Longji requesting that Wu Huifei be appointed as the empress and Li You as the crown prince.

Only three months had passed when Luoyang was recovered and officials in the court began to submit petitions, asking Li Longji to abdicate in favor of Crown Prince Li Heng.

In Taiji Palace.

Li Longji was planting vegetables in a yellow robe in the vegetable garden, while Gao Lishi was standing on the roadside holding a large stack of memorials.

While weeding the vegetables, Li Longji said to Gao Lishi, "What are you doing with those pieces of waste paper? Why don't you weed with me?"

Gao Lishi hesitated, wanting to let go but not daring to.

"Are these memorials for me to see? They are for the Crown Prince!" Li Longji said, and he stood up and walked to Gao Lishi, knocking all the memorials in Gao Lishi's hand to the ground.

At this time, Li Heng came in and saluted Li Longji. Li Longji said, "The Eastern Capital has been recovered, and the people are celebrating. Why are you here instead of accepting the congratulations from the world?"

Li Heng said respectfully, "Isn't your father happy that you have recovered the Eastern Capital?"

Li Longji was startled, and said with a half-smile, "I didn't expect the prince to have such talent."

"This is just the beginning." Li Heng bent down to pick up the memorials on the ground. "Whatever father can do, I can do. What father wants, I can do. What father cannot do, I will still do. I will let father see the splendid mountains and rivers of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Longji was speechless and looked at Li Heng who was picking up the music sheet.

After a long silence, Li Longji asked, "When does the prince plan to inherit the throne?"

"Your Majesty, your words are too humiliating. Who will inherit the throne is up to your will." After picking up the memorials, Li Heng held them in his arms and said, "These memorials are not counted. Your Majesty, don't pay attention to them."

Li Longji sighed, sat on the fence of the vegetable garden, and said, "How can I ignore it? These are the opinions of the people. I believe in Taoism and believe in following the trend. The fact that you can recover from your incurable disease shows that you are destined by heaven. Now the people want you to follow the destiny, so I will naturally not go against the trend. If I had known that you have such talent, I should have let you succeed the throne of the crown prince after deposing Li Ying."

Li Heng smiled but did not answer.

Li Longji said, "You don't believe it?"

Li Ying said, "I don't really believe it."

Li Longji asked, "When did we, father and son, become so suspicious of each other?"

Li Heng sat down next to Li Longji, looking at the weeds in the vegetable garden, as if responding to Li Longji's words, or as if talking to himself, he said: "After being king and subject, can we still be father and son? Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs, how can a father kill his own son?"

Li Longji's eyes were red, he lowered his head, and was speechless.

At this time, Concubine Wu Huifei came over with Li You.

The nine-year-old Li You came to Li Longji and bowed respectfully, saying, "Grandson greets you, old man!"

Then, pay your respects to Li Ying.

Li Longji looked at Li You and said, "Why don't you pay respects to Grandpa first?"

Li You replied: "Auntie is a saint, so we should pay respect to him first. Moreover, my grandfather said that the Tang Dynasty should rule the world with loyalty and filial piety, and we should respect the elderly as well as the elderly of others, so we should pay respect to Auntie first."

Li Longji smiled when he heard this, asked Li You to leave first, and then turned to Li Heng and said, "Didn't you make a choice?"

Li Ying said: "I hope it can be, the so-called self-cultivation, family management, governance of the country, and peace in the world. If it is difficult to manage the family, how can we govern the country and bring peace to the world?"

Li Longji nodded and said, "You will be an excellent emperor. I am relieved to hand over the Tang Dynasty to you."

Li Ying said, "I don't dare."

Li Longji smiled bitterly and said, "Since you became regent, Concubine Mei has not come to see me. I wonder where she has gone?"

Li Ying said, "She wanted to become a Taoist nun, and I agreed."

Li Longji said: "I thought she would go to find Li Heng."

Li Ying said: "She is not that stupid. She has long seen what kind of person Li Heng is. Many people are not stupid, but they are forced to pretend to be stupid."

Li Longji sighed and said, "I have always been too clever for my own good."

Historically, after Li Longji's power was completely taken away by Li Heng, he began to persuade Li Heng that Li Jingzhong was not a good person and that Zhang Liangdi should be guarded against. However, Li Heng not only did not listen, but instead let Li Jingzhong scare Li Longji.

From this we can see that Li Longji was actually always very smart, and his stupidity in his later years was not due to stupidity.

Having said this, Li Heng was not in a position to say more. He still had to go back to handle government affairs. After repeatedly declining the position and completely completing the transfer of power, Li Heng stepped back.

(End of this chapter)