Chapter 59: Seeking an Audience with Yang Yuhuan at Huaqing Palace

In his memorial to the imperial court, Yang Xi explicitly stated that it was currently inadvisable to engage in continuous military operations.

The soldiers needed rest and regrouping, gunpowder reserves required replenishment, and other supplies needed to be restocked. Moreover, there was another crucial factor: having achieved several consecutive victories, Yang Xi had developed a psychological fear of failure. His personal prestige had soared to unprecedented heights, and after so many successes, he found himself plagued by the anxiety of potentially losing everything he had gained. He feared that a single careless defeat would instantly erase all his previous accomplishments, stripping him not only of his hard-earned fame but also of the strategic advantage he had secured against the enemy. Therefore, he preferred to proceed with caution.

Yang Xi acknowledged that, apart from the advantage of firearms, the hundred-thousand-strong force under his command—largely consisting of the Tongguan garrison—still fell short of the rebels in terms of overall combat effectiveness. After all, the vast majority of his men were newly recruited soldiers who had undergone only a few months of systematic training, whereas the rebel forces were predominantly seasoned frontier veterans renowned for their combat prowess. Furthermore, a confrontation between two armies could not be won through weapon superiority alone. As a commander, he himself was far inferior in tactical strategy to lifelong warriors who had spent their entire lives galloping and fighting on horseback, such as Cui Qianyou, An Qingxu, and An Lushan. Consequently, he had to advance steadily and strike surely.

According to historical records, the An Lushan Rebellion lasted for over a decade, yet less than a year had passed since the outbreak of the insurrection. Yang Xi was in no rush. He believed that suppressing the rebellion in the coming year or the year after would already be an extraordinary feat, completely altering history. Driven by this mindset, he felt no urgency to launch immediate attacks or recapture more cities; instead, he preferred to take things step by step, prioritizing stability over speed.

However, reading between the lines of the imperial edict dispatched from the court, Yang Xi sensed the Emperor's intention for him to press the advantage, recover more lost territory, and even retake Luoyang before the end of the year. Deeply concerned that the Emperor might issue a mandatory order to that effect, he resolved to travel to the capital in person to clarify the situation. Additionally, a confidential letter from his father, Yang Guozhong, urged him to return to the capital once and find a way, in his capacity as the Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces, to secure greater benefits for the Yang family from the Emperor.

At the same time, Emperor Li Longji wished to bestow personal commendation upon him in person.

Presently, Guo Xi—the son of Guo Ziyi—had traveled thousands of miles to Shanzhou to find him, petitioning him to persuade Yang Guozhong and Li Longji to approve Guo Ziyi's proposal to lead an army on an offensive against Fanyang. Weighing all these various factors, Yang Xi decided that once his military affairs were properly settled, he would accompany Guo Xi to Chang'an to meet the Emperor and clearly articulate these intentions to both Emperor Li Longji and his father, Yang Guozhong.

Yang Xi knew that in terms of commanding capability, he could not match Cui Qianyou, whose importance to the rebel army far exceeded Yang Xi's own importance to his forces. Once he departed Shanzhou, even if the rebels attempted an assault, the multitude of capable and battle-tested generals under his command would certainly ensure nothing went amiss. As long as he clearly defined each general's duties and established a clear division of labor to prevent internal strife, everything would be secure.

Furthermore, the current rebel forces possessed virtually no capability to mount a counteroffensive. Even Cui Qianyou had become a frightened bird; upon hearing that Shanzhou had been ambushed by their army and that his vanguard had rapidly disintegrated, he had not dared to lead his forces back for a rescue, fleeing instead toward the direction of Luoyang.

The special operations detachment led by Li Han had been ordered to pursue and kill Cui Qianyou, but they had not succeeded. After launching several assaults on Cui Qianyou's troops, they ultimately returned empty-handed without accomplishing the assassination. Nevertheless, they had still achieved tangible results: during the second surprise raid, they managed to wound Cui Qianyou with an arrow.

Although the force led by Cui Qianyou numbered five thousand men, while Li Han's special operations detachment consisted of little more than a hundred soldiers, managing to shoot and wound Cui Qianyou was already an extraordinary feat. Having suffered two consecutive attacks, Cui Qianyou grew even more cautious and vigilant, prompting the special operations detachment to conclude their mission.

The wounded Cui Qianyou had no idea who had launched the surprise attack against him, yet he was already convinced that the hundred-thousand-strong garrison in Shanzhou had been virtually annihilated. After halting his march for a few days to rendezvous with the several thousand soldiers who had fled in rout from Shanzhou, he rapidly retreated toward Luoyang.

The rebel forces had even abandoned several smaller counties bordering Shanzhou, pulling back directly by nearly a hundred li and contracting their defensive perimeter out of fear of a surprise attack by government forces.

Under such circumstances, Yang Xi had no reason to worry about Shanzhou falling victim to a rebel assault. Consequently, he dispatched all members of the elite special training unit once again, assigning them to carry out missions east of Shanzhou.

Having thoroughly arranged all military matters, and having ordered Gao Shi and Pang Zhong to take primary charge of the military affairs in Shanzhou, with Wang Sili, Tian Liangqiu, and Lü Chongben assisting them to ensure absolute safety, Yang Xi set out on the journey to Chang'an alongside the anxious Guo Xi.

Traveling by rapid posthorses through the relay stations, they reached Chang'an in a mere two days. However, just as they were about to arrive, Yang Xi received word that the Emperor, accompanied by Imperial Consort Yang Yuhuan, had traveled to the Huaqing Palace to bathe in the hot springs, and commanded Yang Xi to report to the Emperor there.

Naturally obeying the imperial decree, Yang Xi proceeded to the Huaqing Palace in the company of Guo Xi.

To his surprise, however, his father, Yang Guozhong, had not accompanied the imperial carriage to the Huaqing Palace; instead, he had been left behind in Chang'an to manage state affairs on behalf of the Emperor.

Upon reaching the Huaqing Palace, Yang Xi did not immediately seek an audience with the Emperor. Instead, he penned a letter and instructed his personal guards to deliver it at top speed directly into the hands of Yang Guozhong in Chang'an, earnestly pleading with his father to come to the Huaqing Palace no matter what, as he had matters of utmost urgency to report to the Emperor. He wished to confer with his father and carefully deliberate the situation before addressing the Sovereign, believing that such preparation would yield a much better outcome.

Yang Xi trusted that upon receiving his letter, Yang Guozhong would undoubtedly hasten to the Huaqing Palace.

In truth, the distance between the Huaqing Palace and Chang'an was not substantial—a journey taking a little over half an hour by modern automobile, and less than half a day by fast horse, making round trips quite convenient.

Since Yang Guozhong had not yet arrived and the matters he needed to discuss could not be immediately laid before Li Longji, Yang Xi lingered slightly on the road, arriving at the Huaqing Palace only as dusk began to fall.

Upon his arrival, Yang Xi was informed that the Emperor, exhausted from the journey, wished to rest early and would receive reports concerning any matters the following morning.

Advanced in years, Li Longji was utterly worn out by the carriage ride; after taking a bath, he was overcome with drowsiness and longed for an early sleep. With Yang Guozhong present in the capital to handle state affairs, the Emperor harbored no fears of unexpected developments. Furthermore, now that Shanzhou had been recovered, Yang Xi's return did not entail any crises requiring immediate imperial decrees. There was no harm in granting an audience at early dawn the next day.

This arrangement suited Yang Xi's intentions perfectly. He immediately instructed Guo Xi to turn in early, recover his vigor, and accompany him to an audience with the Emperor at the break of dawn to clarify the situation. Guo Xi had traveled nearly two thousand miles to reach Yang Xi under Guo Ziyi's orders, and had subsequently ridden at breakneck speed to the capital alongside Yang Xi without pausing to rest. Having long since been exhausted, he readily accepted the suggestion upon hearing Yang Xi's arrangements. After bathing and changing his clothes at the post station, he immediately retired to rest.

Yang Xi also exchanged courteous farewells with Guo Xi, reassuring him not to worry, to rest well, and to give careful thought to how he should present his petition during the audience on the morrow.

Having departed from Shanzhou together and journeyed in haste through Tongguan, the two men had not had much opportunity for conversation while riding. However, during their rest breaks, they had shared extensive discussions and developed a rather favorable impression of each other.

While Yang Xi was quite affable, Guo Xi was comparatively reserved; after all, Yang Xi held a unique status and an official rank arguably superior to that of Guo's own father, occupying the post of Deputy Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces. Should Guo Ziyi's troops arrive near Shanzhou, they would likewise be subject to Yang Xi's command.

Through several days of companionship, the two men discovered that their personalities were quite compatible. It was only regrettable that too many real-world factors intervened; otherwise, they might well have become close friends. Yang Xi considered Guo Xi a person worth befriending and hoped that a personal bond would eventually blossom between them.

After exchanging goodnights with Guo Xi, Yang Xi did not retire to rest. He still had unfinished business to attend to, for he requested an audience with a specific individual.

None other than Yang Yuhuan, who had accompanied Li Longji to the Huaqing Palace!

The influence this woman wielded over Li Longji was extraordinary. Yang Xi wholeheartedly agreed with his father Yang Guozhong's strategy: if one wished to accomplish any endeavor, the wisest course was to first petition Yang Yuhuan and enlist her aid. Should she prove willing to lend her assistance, the effort would yield twice the result with half the work.