Chapter Ten: Li Longji Makes the Final Decision

“Your Majesty, they are slandering me with baseless accusations, openly defaming your humble servant!” At last, Yang Guozhong could no longer restrain himself. He stepped forward and, in front of Li Longji’s furious gaze, upbraided Chen Xuanli and Xiao Hua: “Your Majesty, General Chen and Minister Xiao have long harbored resentment against me. They are merely seizing upon the defeat at Tongguan to settle personal vendettas under the guise of public duty, seeking my destruction rather than serving the state! I insisted upon sending Geshu Han to lead the army into battle only because our recent victories in the north had left the rebels demoralized and on the verge of abandoning Luoyang to retreat to Fanyang. I hoped to seize this critical moment and quell the rebellion in one decisive stroke!”

“Your Majesty, my every thought and action has been for the good of the realm and your imperial interests—never for personal gain! Yet Geshu Han delayed time and again, gathering troops and refusing to fight for reasons he dared not confess, perhaps even aspiring to become another An Lushan himself. Thus, he missed the best opportunity to strike, giving the rebels ample time to fortify their defenses! When he finally did move, he fought with timidity and indecision, resulting in twenty thousand imperial troops being routed by a mere handful of rebels. This is Geshu Han’s failure, not mine! Your Majesty should hold Geshu Han and his officers accountable for this, not me! If I am at fault, it is only by error in judgment. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth!”

Yang Guozhong’s impassioned and righteous words stunned the assembly. Even the Emperor, Li Longji, whose resolve had wavered, was visibly taken aback and quickly convinced by Yang Guozhong’s argument—he had always believed Yang’s motives were thus.

Noting the Emperor’s expression returning to normal, Yang Guozhong felt a measure of relief. Before the other ministers could react, he pressed on: “Your Majesty, my son is but seventeen and has never served in the military. How could he possibly command troops to relieve Tongguan? Would that not be treating matters of state and war as a child’s game? If the loss of Tongguan resulted from my son’s inexperience, who would bear that responsibility? Your Majesty, I support dispatching a great army to relieve the pass and ensure its safety. My counsel to send Geshu Han out to battle has now proved mistaken; I am guilty and shall submit myself to your judgment after the crisis has passed. What matters most now is how to save Tongguan and secure the capital’s safety; all else may be discussed later!”

A storm of anger brewed within Yang Guozhong; he swore never to forgive Chen Xuanli and Xiao Hua. Yet he lacked the confidence to denounce them further, aware that the Emperor was likely displeased with his ill-conceived advice—evident from the change in Li Longji’s countenance after hearing Chen Xuanli and Xiao Hua’s accusations. Yang Guozhong understood the Emperor well. Thus, he offered a grand speech, then yielded a step, admitting partial fault and giving both the Emperor and himself a way out—just as the Emperor preferred.

However, Chen Xuanli misunderstood Yang Guozhong’s words, taking his concession as a sign of guilt, and immediately accused him again: “Your Majesty, Minister Xiao speaks rightly. Lord Yang is the chief culprit behind this disaster! Had he not repeatedly pressed Marshal Geshu to march out and fight, but instead allowed the marshal to defend the pass as he counseled, wearing down the rebels, the enemy could never have taken Tongguan! To restore the army’s morale, I urge Your Majesty to punish Lord Yang severely and immediately send reinforcements to Tongguan!”

Xiao Hua and several other officials also stepped forward, criticizing Yang Guozhong for abusing his power and bringing harm to the nation, urging the Emperor to mete out severe punishment.

Wei Fangjin now spoke in Yang Guozhong’s defense, countering Chen Xuanli by asserting that Yang’s intentions were patriotic—to end the rebellion swiftly by seizing the favorable moment with a decisive offensive. The fault lay with Geshu Han’s poor leadership, and he should bear the blame.

Yang Guozhong seized the moment to redirect blame onto Geshu Han, insisting that his original advice was well-intentioned—to restore peace to the realm at the earliest opportunity—but Geshu Han’s incompetence had caused the debacle. “Your Majesty, I believe Geshu Han should be executed, and other inept commanders punished, to restore the army’s morale! Otherwise, our troops will lose all heart and Tongguan can never be held!”

As the two factions quarreled fiercely before the throne, Li Longji’s expression grew darker, his graying brows knit in a frown, fingers gripping the arms of the dragon throne with veins standing out. Gao Lishi, standing at his side, grew anxious, sensing the Emperor’s anger nearing its breaking point, yet powerless to intervene.

To see, in this moment of emergency, the court torn by mutual recrimination instead of focusing on how to relieve Tongguan—his own father most of all, intent on using this crisis to destroy Geshu Han—filled Yang Xi with bitter disappointment and sorrow. He longed to rush forward and rebuke his father and the others aloud.

But he restrained himself, waiting for a brief lull in the uproar before stepping forward. Raising his voice to silence the chamber, he declared, “Your Majesty, I believe that now is not the time to debate who is to blame. In the matter of Tongguan’s defeat, who is guilty, who has merits, who erred by accident—Your Majesty will discern in due time. What must be decided now is how to relieve Tongguan!”

“To dispatch troops immediately to relieve Tongguan and ensure its security—not to bicker over blame in the court—is the imperative before us. All else can be settled once the rebel army is repelled! Your Majesty, sending reinforcements to Tongguan is a matter of utmost urgency and brooks no delay! Once again, I petition: allow me to lead the relief force to Tongguan! I will surely save the pass from peril!”

Having silenced the court with his resolute tone, Yang Xi spoke again: “Your Majesty, grant me a few thousand men and double the number of horses. By using a two-horse relay system, I can travel at maximum speed to relieve Tongguan! I guarantee I will reach the pass before dawn tomorrow! Only grant me full authority over all military matters at Tongguan, and I will not fail in my mission to hold the rebels outside its walls, or else submit to whatever punishment Your Majesty decrees!”

The two-horse relay was a tactic Mongol cavalry would later use to conquer the world, allowing for rapid movement by alternating mounts without rest. Rarely used before the Mongols, but Yang Xi knew desperate times called for unconventional measures, and he hoped to prove his worth by proposing it.

He could scarcely believe his own boldness, daring to speak so brashly before the Emperor and the assembled court. Perhaps it was a sense of tragic resolve that spurred him on—he refused to let precious time be wasted in fruitless argument!

Yang Guozhong, watching the Emperor closely, felt a chill of foreboding. He sensed Li Longji’s silent dissatisfaction, perhaps even the intent to punish him. A desperate resolve overcame him, and for once he did not argue or object. Instead, he stepped forward to stand beside Yang Xi and declared in a loud voice, “Your Majesty, I support my son’s request. I beg you to entrust him with command of the relief force and full authority over Tongguan’s defenses!”

Li Longji, who had been listening to the heated debate with furrowed brows, was keenly aware of the court’s growing anger toward Yang Guozhong. The defeat at Tongguan had rekindled old resentments, and he himself was tempted to punish Yang as a sacrifice to appease the ministers’ fury.

But at that moment, Yang Xi stepped forward and volunteered.

Seeing Yang Guozhong offer no further objection, even supporting his son, the Emperor’s heart eased. In his uncertainty, he made a swift decision before anyone else could speak for or against it: “Very well. Since Lord Yang requests it, I grant you and your fourth son’s petition. Yang Xi is hereby appointed Commander of the Tongguan forces, leading three thousand men and six thousand horses, advancing in two-horse relays to relieve the pass! I shall soon dispatch more generals and reinforcements to follow!”

This decision stunned the court. Even Chen Xuanli, who had hoped to vent his anger, was taken aback; he had not expected the Emperor to actually entrust this mission to a seventeen-year-old youth.

It seemed almost as if the Emperor were treating the affairs of state as a child’s game!

Yet he was equally impressed by Yang Xi’s proposal of the two-horse relay—a method that, under the circumstances, was the swiftest means of relief. In that instant, he found himself seeing Yang Guozhong’s youngest son in a new light.

No one immediately voiced support or opposition.

Yang Xi’s plan to relieve Tongguan left many in the court astonished.

Tongguan lay about two hundred and fifty li from Chang’an—a distance that even at a hard gallop would take four or five hours to cover, and no horse could sustain full speed for so long without collapsing. Relay stations were set up at intervals precisely so horses could be changed and couriers could ride with all speed, covering as much as six hundred li in a day if needed.

Using such relays, a message could reach Tongguan in half a day—if the riders could endure it. But the number of relay horses was limited; a relief force of several thousand could not be so easily supplied.

An army’s daily march was typically only a few dozen li; even light cavalry would be swift at a hundred. But with two-horse relays or mid-journey remounting, the speed could be doubled, and the two hundred and fifty li to Tongguan might be covered in five or six hours.

That Yang Xi could propose such a solution marked him as more than a mere scholar’s son—he possessed real ability. His other words impressed the ministers all the more; what he said was beyond the reckoning of ordinary men, far above Yang Guozhong’s own capabilities.

As the assembly fell into uncertain silence, Yang Xi stepped forward, bowed deeply, and proclaimed: “Yes, Your Majesty! I accept your command and will lead the relief force to Tongguan, holding the rebels at bay outside the pass! I only ask that Your Majesty grant me a few further requests!”