[Romantic Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty Court] [68] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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Chapter Sixty-Eight: Li Mo Inscribes a Poem on Brocade Socks; Gao Qing Cuts Out His Tongue to Die in the Lonely City.
The three brothers, Li Guinian, Li Pengnian, and Li Henian, served as musicians in Emperor Xuanzong's palace. Not only were they well-paid, but they also gained the emperor's favor for their exquisite composition of the "Weizhou" melody.
During the Kaiyuan era, the three brothers built a grand mansion in Luoyang, comparable in size and grandeur to the residences of dukes and marquises. Emperor Xuanzong bestowed upon it the name Tongyuanli. Guinian was deeply grateful for the emperor's kindness; however, because An Lushan also loved music, he had all the musicians from the Pear Garden and the Li brothers arrested and taken to the Luoyang palace to await their summons. One day, Guinian insulted An Lushan in the palace, knowing he was doomed; unexpectedly, Li Zhu'er rescued him from prison, allowing the three brothers to escape the city. Li Guinian begged for food along the way, wandering in the Jiangnan region. Whenever he saw a beautiful scene and scholars enjoying banquets, he would hold his pipa and sing a song called "Liangzhou." Those who heard his song couldn't help but cover their faces and shed tears. Upon learning that he was a musician in the palace, they gave him some money and rice. At that time, there was a poet named Du Fu who gave Li Guinian a poem: "Often seen at the residence of Prince Qi, heard many times before the hall of Cui Jiu; it is indeed a beautiful scene in Jiangnan, and I meet you again in the season of falling flowers."
The scholars of Jiangnan felt sorry for him, so they gathered some money and asked him to teach them the pipa; Li Guinian and his two brothers had no choice but to settle down in Jiangnan for the time being.
Now, let's talk about Yang Guifei. On the day she hastily hanged herself under the pear tree in the Buddhist hall at Mawei Post Station, she left behind a brocade stocking. When the emperor passed by, a maid named Wang Ma went to clean the Buddhist hall and found the brocade stocking, which she treasured as a precious gem. This Granny Wang originally ran a small wine shop at the foot of Mawei Slope to make a living. Ever since she found the brocade stocking, residents from near and far learned of it and came to her shop to buy drinks and, moreover, to see the stocking. Granny Wang charged customers for both the wine and the stocking, and her business suddenly boomed. At that time, there was a scholar named Li Mo who was stranded at the foot of Mawei Slope because he was stopped by soldiers. He heard that Granny Wang's tavern had hidden Yang Guifei's brocade stocking, so he also came to see it. Li Mo was a wealthy young man, and he was dressed very neatly. When Granny Wang saw him, she quickly brought out a brocade box and gave it to Li Mo to look at. As soon as Li Mo opened the box, he was greeted by a wonderful fragrance; when he held it in his hand, he felt its smooth and soft texture. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Wonderful!" He saw that the stocking was embroidered with clouds and phoenixes all around; when he turned the stocking over, he saw the words "Respectfully presented by your subject Li Linfu" embroidered on the sole. Li Mo held the stockings in his hands, turning them over and over, reluctant to put them down. Just then, a Daoist nun walked by, praising them, "What fragrant and alluring stockings!" Li Mo replied, "Look at the intricate brocade pattern, the exquisite craftsmanship, the lingering luster, the undiminished fragrance—truly not of this world!" He then asked the tavern owner for a brush and inkstone, and inscribed a poem on the wall: "Look at the thin, fragrant lining, like a celestial cloud, light and soft; once in the golden palace, her small steps went unnoticed. Today, by the tavern, she casually unfolds them. Only the stitches and needle marks remain, all piling up a heartbreaking lament. What a pity for a peerless beauty, a peerless injustice! Only her eternal fragrance remains, passed down through the ages!"
The Daoist nun took the brocade stockings ... She looked at it closely, sighing, and said, "I think of Empress Taizhen, a peerless beauty, whose charm has faded; though this stocking remains today, the beauty is gone forever, how lamentable!" With that, she picked up her brush and, following Li Mo's words, wrote: "Look at the emerald green and red hooks, the leaves and flowers still so exquisite; but the twin beauties are gone, only a lone phoenix remains. A life wasted, how endless is the sorrow? The broken dream of Mawei, a beauty that could topple kingdoms, what use is a phantom now! Do not
dwell on the remnants of the past, but believe that fleeting glory fades with the morning breeze."
Li Mo watched the nun inscribe the stocking on the wall while playing with it in his hand. Suddenly, an old man walked by and said, “Alas, sir, why are you looking at it! I think of Emperor Tianbao, who, because of his infatuation with his concubine, indulged in pleasure day and night, ruining the court. This led to war and widespread suffering. I am nearing the end of my life, and I have suffered this turmoil; seeing this brocade stocking today fills me with such hatred!” As he spoke, he snatched the brush from the nun’s hand and wrote a poem on the wall: “Thinking back to that day, a newly cut piece, clinging to the red lotus blooming on the ground. Six fragrant panels covering her, the emperor loved her first. Alas! Excessive joy brought disaster, and countless people suffered. Today, the matter is over, the people are dead, and only this thing remains. I suddenly see the fragrant stocking and grieve deeply, recalling the calamities, tears streaming down my face!”
After the old man finished writing, he threw down the brush and sighed to himself. Wang Mama, standing to the side, said, "Oh dear, why is this gentleman so angry at seeing the brocade stockings? Is he unwilling to pay for it?" The old man, hearing this, jumped up and shouted, "What do you mean, 'pay for it'?!" Wang Mama sneered, "So you're just a village old man, you don't even know what a payment is." Hearing that he was a village old man, the old man roared, shouting, "What village old man? I've seen His Majesty before, but I've never seen an old harlot like you!" Hearing him call her an old harlot, Wang Mama's eyes widened, veins bulging, and she rushed forward, grabbing the old man by the collar, ready to fight. Li Mo quickly intervened, saying, "It's a small matter, no need to argue. Let me settle the payment for you." Saying this, he pulled the old man along and invited the nun to join them for drinks. Li Mo asked his name, and the old man said he was Guo Congjin, originally an old man from Fufeng, who had served His Majesty a meal when His Majesty stayed at the Fengyi Palace. Now, on my way to visit a friend at Mount Hua, I passed by Mawei Slope and, feeling weary from the journey, decided to stop and buy three cups of wine. The Daoist nun said she was the abbess of the Jinling Nuzhen Temple. They drank together. Then, Wang Mama came to ask for the brocade stockings back. The Daoist nun said, "Mama, I believe that the Goddess Taizhen was a reincarnation of a deity; I wish to ask that you gladly part with these stockings so that I may take them to the Jinling Nuzhen Temple to offer to the immortal. I wonder if you would allow it?" Wang Mama laughed and said, "I have no children, and my livelihood for the rest of my life depends on these stockings. I really cannot comply." Li Mo then said, "How about I offer a high price to buy them?" Wang Mama did not answer, but Guo Congjin stopped her, saying, "What use is such a tainted object?"
As everyone was talking, suddenly a middle-aged woman, followed by a girl of sixteen or seventeen, carrying a pipa, entered the tavern, greeted the guests with a deep bow, sat down, and began to play the pipa with a loud, clear sound. She opened her delicate voice and sang: "Alas! Thinking of my concubine, I, the emperor, broke her deep vows and betrayed her boundless kindness; I tore apart the pair of lovebirds! What vow of eternal love? Little did I know she would be struck by a demon halfway through her journey."
After singing a section, she played a short interlude on the pipa, then continued: "The enemy's pressure is overwhelming, the emperor hastily hastened his departure! Three thousand imperial guards were mustered, and we set off from Yanqiu, causing quite a stir. We had barely reached the first stop when we arrived at Mawei Post Station. Suddenly, a thunderous shout erupted, and we were surrounded like an iron barrel, surrounded by swords and spears. The ruthless commander, displaying his mighty power, relentlessly pressured my disgraced emperor until his breath failed. I was thrown into a panic. I hate Chen Yuanli! He didn't urge the carriages and horses to move, but instead stubbornly held back his words for a while..." A cacophony of slander. Amidst the chaos of spears and halberds, one after another, they pounced, forcing a life to be lost in an instant of terror. How could it not hurt, brother! How could it not hurt, brother! I am left all alone and forlorn. I am filled with regret now, ashamed and weeping, unable to save her beautiful face, I am utterly helpless. I should have let her go; if I had offered myself to defend her then, she might not have dared to offend the king. Even if she had, what difference would it make? In the netherworld, we would have been together forever. Now, though I am unharmed, what glory is left in my life? Only endless tears and a thousand sorrows remain. My beloved concubine! In heaven and on earth, how can this hatred be repaid!
This melody was sung with every word choked with emotion, tears streaming down his face; it moved all the drinkers in the tavern to stop drinking and weep. When Li Mo looked at the girl, he saw that she had a pair of thin, bony feet, light green trousers with loose legs, and a peach-red jacket; she was slender with a small waist.
Her hair was styled in a loose bun, covering her forehead, which accentuated her round face and fashionable eyebrows. Li Mo looked the girl up and down, and a feeling of pity welled up in his heart. After she finished singing, he slapped the table and exclaimed, "What poignant and beautiful lyrics!" The middle-aged woman greeted each of the patrons with a deep bow, saying, "Poor thing, my daughter and I are all alone. Please, gentlemen, spare a few coins." But when she begged the patrons, not a single one was willing to give her any money. The woman walked up to Li Mo with a sorrowful expression and tears in her eyes. Li Mo casually took out a handful of loose silver from his pocket, estimated to be about three taels. The woman happily accepted the silver and then called her daughter over to greet him. Li Mo asked the mother and daughter to sit down and inquired about their origins. The woman replied that Liang's daughter, Ziyun, was originally the wife and child of a scholar in the capital. However, due to An Lushan's rebellion, her husband fled with his wife and child, arriving in Chengdu where he fell seriously ill and died in an inn. All their travel expenses were used for medicine and burial. Now, hearing that the capital has been pacified, she and her daughter are adrift, which is unbearable. Thousands of miles from home, they long to return but have no money. Fortunately, recently in Chengdu, the tune of "The Emperor's Lament for His Consort" has become popular, and her daughter has set it to music on her pipa and is singing it along the way. Upon hearing the woman's story, Li Mo felt even more pity for her and was moved by a sense of chivalry. He then said to the woman, “A young lady should value her reputation. A proper scholar’s wife and daughter should not be out in public singing for a living. It just so happens that I am also going to the capital. I will take care of your and your daughter’s travel expenses. Miss Ziyun, you no longer need to sing for money.” These words filled the mother and daughter with gratitude. The woman immediately prostrated herself in thanks, and even Miss Ziyun, holding her pipa, covered half her face, revealing only one eye, secretly glancing at Li Mo with boundless gratitude. Li Mo paid for the wine and socks, stood up, and led the mother and daughter out of the tavern, heading towards the main road of Chang’an.
Now, let’s talk about the song of the Emperor’s Lament for His Consort. It was originally composed by a lyricist from Chengdu; because of its poignant lyrics, it was passed down and sung by everyone, from the common people to the common folk.
Emperor Xuanzong, the retired emperor, built a temple for Yang Guifei next to his Chengdu palace. He also commissioned skilled craftsmen to carve a lifelike statue of the concubine out of sandalwood. On this day, a group of palace maids, led by Gao Lishi, with banners and canopies, accompanied by music, brought the statue of Yang Guifei to the palace. Emperor Xuanzong was already waiting on the steps. The palace maids carried the wooden statue to the emperor, supporting it and slightly bowing its head, and loudly announced, "Empress Yang greets Your Majesty.
" Gao Lishi, standing beside him, also loudly proclaimed, "Rise, my dear minister." Emperor Xuanzong, seeing that the statue of Yang Guifei seemed so lifelike, couldn't help but shed tears. He called out, “My lady, my lady! We have been separated for so long. I long to tell you my grievances, my harrowing experiences, and my deepest sorrows. My lady, my lady! Why do you not turn around, come closer, and smile?” As he spoke, he reached out and touched the face of the wooden statue, sighing, “Ah!
It is a statue carved from sandalwood.” Emperor Xuanzong muttered to himself. Gao Lishi knelt beside him and reported, “The imperial carriage is ready. Your Majesty, please mount your horse and escort the Empress to the temple.” Emperor Xuanzong decreed, “The horse shall be on the left, the carriage on the right. I will ride alongside the Empress.” The princes shouted in unison, “Yes, Your Majesty!” Emperor Xuanzong walked out of the palace, Gao Lishi helped him onto the horse, and a procession of golden parasols and fans escorted the carriage and horses, leading them straight into the temple. The temple was magnificent and resplendent, with a throne in the center adorned with embroidered curtains and brocade canopies; on either side stood pairs of clay statues of palace maids and eunuchs. Palace maids helped the wooden statue of Consort Yang to its seat. Emperor Xuanzong personally burned incense and offered wine, then ordered the palace maids and eunuchs, led by Gao Lishi, to temporarily leave the hall. Xuanzong took a chair and sat facing the wooden statue of Consort Yang, weeping and lamenting. As darkness fell, Gao Lishi went in several times to plead with the emperor, but the pitiful Xuanzong, still captivated by the lifelike image of Consort Yang, refused to leave. Later, the palace maids and eunuchs all entered the hall to kneel and beg; Xuanzong looked at the palace maids, lowered the shrine curtain, and then walked out of the hall, turning back again and again. Even as he left, he turned back to the statue and said, "Tonight, I will tell my beloved Consort my endless sorrow in her dreams." These words brought tears to the eyes of all the palace maids and eunuchs around him. Thus, the song "The Emperor's Lament for His Consort" was composed and sung outside.
After spending some time in Chengdu, Emperor Xuanzong received a memorial from Guo Ziyi, reporting that An Lushan had been assassinated in Luoyang, his rebellious son An Qingxu was in exile, Luoyang had been recovered, and the empire was at peace. Guo Ziyi requested the Emperor's return to the capital. Upon reading this memorial, Emperor Xuanzong was overjoyed. It turned out that An Lushan's advisors were Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang, his confidants were Sun Xiaozhe and Li Zhuer, and his general was his second son, An Qingxu. At the beginning of An Lushan's rebellion, leading an army of 200,000, marching sixty li a day, directly attacking Tongguan, the vanguard was none other than his second son, Qingxu.
An Qingxu was not only brave and skilled in battle but also resourceful; three days before his uprising, he summoned his soldiers, held a grand banquet, and meticulously studied a map, drawing detailed diagrams of the mountains and rivers from Yanzhou to Luoyang. He then distributed this map to his soldiers, rewarded them with gold and silk, and issued orders that no one should be late, or face execution. An Lushan, however, led his generals and a hundred or so horsemen to the north of the city to offer sacrifices at their ancestors' graves. When they reached Yanzhou, an old man blocked An Lushan's path, advising him against betraying his sovereign. An Lushan ordered Yan Zhuang to politely dismiss the old man, explaining that he was concerned for the nation's peril, not harboring any personal ambition to seize power. He rewarded the old man with countless riches and sent him back to his hometown.
From then on, he decreed that anyone who dared to dissuade him would have their entire family exterminated. An Lushan's fourth son, Qingzong, was a prince consort in the capital. Emperor Xuanzong ordered the imperial guards to search for and arrest Qingzong's entire family, sending them to be beheaded outside the western city walls.
Princess Rongyi was also executed. The emperor issued an edict severely reprimanding An Lushan for his disloyalty and injustice, allowing him to reform and come to the capital to plead guilty. An Lushan's reply was extremely arrogant. He simultaneously dispatched his generals Gao Miao and Zang Jun with barbarian troops to invade Taiyuan; and ordered Zhang Xiancheng to defend Dingzhou. For over ten years, An Lushan plotted his rebellion. Whenever a barbarian surrendered, he won them over with kindness; he generously rewarded learned scholars. Therefore, he was intimately familiar with the situation among the barbarians. When he raised his army, he released captured barbarians to serve as warriors, thus inspiring them to fight to the death and making them invincible.
Seeing the critical situation, Emperor Xuanzong opened the Left Treasury to recruit soldiers on a large scale, appointing Chang Qing as the military governor of Fanyang and Pinglu, Guo Ziyi as the deputy military governor of Shuofang and the Right General of the Feathered Forest Guard, Wang Chengye as the prefect of Taiyuan and the Minister of the Imperial Guard, Zhang Jieran as the prefect of Bianzhou and the General of the Golden Guard, Cheng Qianli as the chief administrator of Luzhou, and Prince Rong as the marshal, with Gao Xianzhi as the deputy marshal, launching a four-pronged attack to suppress the rebellion. An Lushan's army reached Julu City, where he halted, saying that "Lu" was his name, and changed course to advance via Shahe. They cut down trees from the mountain, strung them together with long ropes, and threw them into the river. Overnight, the water and trees froze, forming a natural floating bridge. They then crossed the river and attacked Lingchang County. Three days later, they captured Chenliu and Xingyang. At Yingzi Valley, they encountered General Shouyu, killing hundreds of men. A stray arrow struck An Lushan's carriage; he dared not advance further and sneaked in from the south of the valley. Shouyu's soldiers, exhausted of arrows, were defeated, and General Shouyu jumped into the river and committed suicide. Feng Changqing's army was defeated, losing the eastern capital. Changqing fled to Shanzhou, where the garrison commander Li Cheng was killed. The Imperial Censor Lu Yi and the Governor of Henan, Da Xixun, both surrendered to An Lushan. At this time, Gao Xianzhi, who was stationed in Shanzhou, upon hearing of Changqing's defeat, abandoned his armor and fled to Hedong at night. Prefect Yan Gaoqing of Changshan killed Li Qincou, a general under An Lushan, and captured Gao Miao and He Qiannian alive. However, at this time, the six prefectures of Zhao, Julu, Guangping, Qinghe, Hejian, and Jingcheng were all occupied by An Lushan.
Yan Gaoqing was truly one of the most loyal and righteous men of the Tang Dynasty: he was originally recognized and promoted by An Lushan to be the prefect of Changshan. When An Lushan raised his army in rebellion, Yan Gaoqing and his chief secretary Yuan Lüqian went out to greet him on the roadside. An Lushan bestowed a purple robe upon Gaoqing and a red robe upon Lüqian, ordering him and his adopted son Li Qincou to lead 7,000 troops to garrison at Tumen.
Gaoqing withdrew, pointed to the robes he had been given, and said to Lüqian, "Why are you and I wearing these?" Lüqian was greatly enlightened and secretly conspired with Jia Shen, the magistrate of Zhengding, and Zhang Tongyou, the magistrate of Neiqiu, to kill the rebels. Gao Qing feigned illness and refused to serve the rebels; he secretly sent his eldest son, Quanming, to travel around and, in alliance with Wang Chengye, the Prefect of Taiyuan, to act as an inside agent, so that Jia Xun, the Deputy Military Governor of Pinglu, could attack Youzhou. However, spies had already informed An Lushan, who then killed Jia Xun.
Gao Qing, along with the recluses Quan Huan and Guo Zhongyong, devised a plan. Meanwhile, Gao Qing, along with his fifth-generation ancestor Zhen Qing, secretly raised assassins in Pingyuan. The garrison commander Li Cheng was killed by rebel soldiers. An Lushan sent Duan Ziguang to cut off Li Cheng's head and display it to the various prefectures. Upon arriving in Pingyuan, Zhen Qing ordered assassins to kill Ziguang and sent his nephew Lu Ti to Changshan to arrange a date for raising troops and cutting off the rebels' northern route. Gao Qing was overjoyed and, feigning an order from An Lushan, summoned Li Qincou back to Changshan for a meeting. Qincou returned to the city that night, but Gao Qing, citing the need to keep the city gates closed at night, ordered him to stay at an inn outside the city. He then had Lü Qian, along with military advisor Feng Qian and local strongman Zhai Wande, entertain Qincou at the inn. Drunk, they killed Qincou and the rebel general Pan Weishen. A large army surrounded the inn, and Qincou, leading several hundred men, was killed by Lü Qian's troops, their bodies thrown into the Hutuo River. Lu Qian presented Qin Cou's head to Yan Gaoqing, who was both overjoyed and wept. A few days earlier, Lu Shan had sent his general Gao Yao to Fanyang to recruit soldiers, but Gao Yao had not returned. Yan Gaoqing then ordered Cui Anshi, the magistrate of Gaocheng, to devise a plan to kill Gao Miao. Gao Miao arrived in Pucheng and stayed at an inn with Qian Wande. Cui Anshi, under the pretext of delivering wine to the inn, secretly ambushed warriors there. When Anshi shouted, "Where are the warriors!" Gao Miao was immediately captured. Lu Shan's general He Qiannian, who came from Zhao Prefecture, was also captured by Qian Wande. Gaoqing then ordered his son Quanming to send Qin Cou's head and the two traitorous generals to Taiyuan. Wang Chengye, wanting to claim the credit, generously gave Quanming gold and silk, ordering him to return to Changshan. He also secretly ordered the assassin Zhai Qiao to wait on the way and kill Quanming. Seeing Wang Chengye's treacherous behavior, Zhai Qiao felt indignant and went to see Quan Ming to inform him of Wang Chengye's plot. Emperor Xuanzong, seeing Wang Chengye's merit, promoted him to Grand General. Later, due to Yuan Lüqian's memorial, it was discovered that all the credit belonged to Gao Qing, so Gao Qing was appointed Minister of the Imperial Guard and concurrently Vice Censor-in-Chief, while Yuan Lüqian was appointed Prefect of Changshan. Gao Qing devised a plan, sending over a hundred vanguard cavalrymen with straw tied to their horses' tails, galloping back and forth through the woods; from afar, the dust clouded the sky, and messengers spread the word that the imperial army of 200,000 was marching south. Zhang Xiancheng, a general under An Lushan, was besieging Raoyang when he saw Yan's army approaching and abandoned his armor to flee. In a single day, they recaptured Zhao Prefecture, Julu, Guangping, and the area around Hejian.
They killed the heads of local rebel officials and sent them to Changshan. From then on, the military prestige of the Gao brothers greatly increased.
An Lushan was terrified and ordered Shi Siming and others to lead the Pinglu troops across the river to attack Changshan. At this time, Yan Gaoqing remained in the city, sending troops out in all directions. The city's forces were weak, and the enemy's siege was relentless. Gaoqing had no choice but to send someone to Hedong to request help from Wang Chengye. Wang Chengye, harboring a past grudge for stealing his credit, refused to send troops. Gaoqing supervised the battle day and night, personally leading the defense, fighting fiercely for six days and nights until his arrows and food ran out; the city fell. Gaoqing, along with his sons and nephews, continued fighting in the streets, their faces covered in blood, their swords broken, and they were captured and sent to the enemy camp. Yuan Lüqian was also captured at the same time. The enemy general urged Gaoqing to surrender, but Gaoqing raised his head and refused. They then took Gaoqing's youngest son, Jiming, and brought him before Gaoqing, pressing a sharp blade to Jiming's neck, shouting, "If Gaoqing surrenders, I will pardon your son!" Gaoqing closed his eyes and did not answer.
Enraged, the enemy general killed Gao Qing's young son, Ji Ming, and his nephew, Lu Ti. Gao Qing was imprisoned and sent to Fanyang.
An Lushan, upon seeing this, slammed his fist on the table in fury, saying, "I appointed you as governor; what have I done to wrong you that you would betray me like this?" Gao Qing glared and cursed, "You were originally a shepherd's slave in Yingzhou!
The Emperor's benevolence has made you extremely wealthy and powerful; what have I done to wrong you that you would betray the Emperor like this?
Yan Gaoqing's family has served the Tang Dynasty for generations, upholding loyalty and righteousness. I regret not being able to kill you, a traitor, to appease the Emperor! How could I possibly rebel with you?" An Lushan hastily covered his ears with his hands, ordered his guards to drag Gao Qing out of the palace, tie him to a pillar of the Tianjin Bridge, and cut him into pieces with a knife, forcing Gao Qing to eat his own flesh. Gao Qing ate and cursed, and the guards cut off his tongue with a hook, but he still roared wildly before dying. He was sixty-five years old at the time. Yuan Lüqian was also mutilated by warriors, losing his hands and feet. He Qiannian, his younger brother, happened to be nearby. Lüqian chewed his tongue, spitting the blood in He Qiannian's face. Enraged, He Qiannian slashed Lüqian's body with a knife until he died. In a short time, Gao Qing's close relatives and relatives were all captured and killed by Lu Shan, their corpses strewn everywhere, yet no one came to collect them. All the counties and prefectures that Gao Qing had recovered during his lifetime now surrendered to Lu Shan.
At that time, there was still a brave general defending the city named Zhang Xun, the magistrate of Zhenyuan. Yang Wanshi, the prefect of Qiao County, surrendered to Lu Shan and forced Zhang Xun to become his chief secretary, ordering him to raise an army to support him. Zhang Xun then led his troops, weeping at the shrine of Emperor Xuanyuan; he raised an army of two thousand to fight the rebels. By then, the areas of Songzhou and Caozhou had all surrendered to Lu Shan, who proclaimed himself Emperor Xiongwu and changed the dynasty name to Yan. Linghu Chao, the magistrate of Yongqiu, was leading troops under An Lushan. When the city fell, the officers and soldiers of Huaiyang were bound in the courtyard and about to be executed. Suddenly, news arrived that an army was approaching from outside the city. Linghu Chao rushed out to investigate. The prisoners in Huaiyang rebelled, freed the officers and soldiers, killed the guards, and welcomed Jia Ben, the magistrate of Shanfu, and Zhang Xun into the city. Zhang Xun then slaughtered Linghu Chao's wife and children, hanging their bodies high on the city wall. Unable to return to the city and witnessing the murder of his wife and children, Linghu Chao was filled with grief and rage, and launched a desperate attack on Huaiyang. Jia Ben was the first to lead the attack. The two brave generals fought for three hours. Jia Ben, weakened, gradually became exhausted and hastily retreated back into the city. Seeing the enemy's fierce advance, the soldiers fled for their lives into Huaiyang City, their numbers overwhelming the city gates. Jia Ben, unable to stop them, reined in his horse and stood at the city gate, shouting, "Soldiers, slow down!
" But his horse, pushed by the crowd, lost its footing and tumbled to the ground. Jia Ben's right leg was trapped under the horse's belly, and he was trampled into the mud.
Seeing his soldiers unable to hold on, and the enemy charging like tigers, Zhang Xun roared, brandishing his broadsword, and galloped down from the city wall. He rode swiftly, his blade flashing, heads falling to the ground. Seeing Zhang Xun's divine swordsmanship, the enemy dared not pursue and retreated. The soldiers inside the city, seeing their commander's victory, were emboldened and charged out of the city again. Zhang Xun led the way, kicking up clouds of dust as he pursued the enemy for over thirty li. Zhang Xun himself was wounded by a spear, blood streaming down his armor.
But he showed no fear, continuing to charge forward on horseback, killing with the ferocity of a pestle. His soldiers, seeing this, cried out, "General, you are a god!" This battle outside Huaiyang City turned defeat into victory, and Zhang Xun's fame spread far and wide. Guo Ziyi then appointed Zhang Xun as the Military Commissioner of Yanzhou, stationed in Huaiyang.
After this major defeat, Linghu Chao mobilized 40,000 troops to besiege the city again. The soldiers in the city were terrified. Zhang Xun instructed his generals not to panic. "The enemy knows the city's strengths and weaknesses; they underestimate us. Now, we can surprise them and make them flee. If we fight them by force, we will surely be defeated." The generals praised the general's insightful advice. Zhang Xun then sent a thousand men to shout from the city walls, while another dozen small teams went out of the city and ambushed in the surrounding wilderness. Drums beat in the east, shouts rang out in the west, and banners bearing the character "Zhang" flew in all directions. The enemy soldiers, seeing this, grew suspicious; just as they were about to retreat, the city gates opened, and a force charged out, led by a general named Zhang Xun. He brandished a large sword, killing anyone he saw; those who came near him were already dead, dozens felled. The shouts shook the mountains, and the enemy soldiers abandoned their armor and fled, not daring to linger. Zhang Xun pursued them for forty li before sounding the retreat. The next day, Linghu Chao, relying on his superior numbers, attacked the city again, deploying four hundred hundred-foot siege ladders. Zhang Xun ordered his soldiers to hastily build wooden palisades on the city walls, as high as the ladders; he then ordered hundreds of archers to climb the palisades, their arrowheads tied with dry grass, soaked in oil, and set ablaze. They unleashed a barrage of arrows. The siege ladders caught fire instantly, and in a fierce roar, hundreds of ladders were burned to the ground. Soldiers climbing the ladders were either burned to death or fell to their deaths. Seeing the enemy in disarray, Zhang Xun, at the sound of drums, led a thousand warriors in a swift charge, achieving another complete victory and forcing the enemy to retreat from the city.
Zhang Xun held the city for sixty days, engaging in hundreds of battles, large and small. The soldiers within the city slept in their armor, fought wounded but remained valiant, their spirits incredibly high. Linghu Chao's soldiers suffered hundreds, even thousands, killed by Zhang Xun every day. Of his forty thousand men, some fled, some died. To find out what happens next, please read the next chapter.

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[Romantic Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty Court] [68] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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