Live History Broadcast: Opening Ceremony Spoilers - Our Ancestor Was Enraged

Chapter 60 The Mawei Slope Mutiny

Lin Ke stretched, and a plaintive sobbing sound came from behind her.

She turned her head and patted her chest with lingering fear, thinking it was some kind of mystical event.

It turned out that Yang Yuhuan had woken up at some point. She wiped away her tears and sat on the sofa at Lin Ke's prompting.

Yang Yuhuan's eyes were vacant, her heart filled with confusion and helplessness.

Throughout her life, she seemed to be constantly pushed along by fate. Whether she was the Princess Consort of Shou or Consort Yang, she never possessed the rights she desired.

But now, where does her future lie?

……

Lin Ke's live stream continues.

"At this time, the generals were starving and freezing, and deeply worried about their wives and children left in Chang'an. Now they were going further and further away, and they didn't know when it would end. Their emotions were escalating. Chen Xuanli, who remained silent, knew that if this was allowed to continue, it might eventually lead to a mutiny."

"But how to quell the soldiers' resentment?" He thought of one person—Yang Guozhong.

"At the time, everyone knew that Yang Guozhong had brought trouble upon himself, and Chen Xuanli was eager to kill him. Moreover, Yang Guozhong's previous misdeeds had already alienated the generals."

"Since that's the case, why not let the soldiers kill him to vent their anger and rid the country of a scourge?"

"But Chen Xuanli was merely a general with no real power, so his actions did not constitute treason. Therefore, he decided to seek support from Crown Prince Li Heng."

"Therefore, Chen Xuanli approached Li Heng's trusted eunuch, Li Fuguo, and expressed his desire to kill Yang Guozhong, requesting that he inform Crown Prince Li Heng of this idea."

What are Li Heng's thoughts on this?

Crown Prince Li Heng: Naiyizute!

"You must know that when Li Linfu used various schemes to frame Crown Prince Li Heng, Yang Guozhong was his henchman. Li Heng hated him to the core."

"Now that Li Heng has gone to Shu with Li Longji, that's Yang family territory. Whether he can keep his position as crown prince is another matter. Now that Chen Xuanli has made his intentions clear, he'd love to kill Yang Guozhong."

"However, Li Heng was habitually cautious, so the Zizhi Tongjian records: '[The Crown Prince's decision was undecided]'"

"The true meaning of 'unresolved' is not disagreement, but rather not opposing it. Since there's no opposition, it means there's agreement," Chen Xuanli thought, feeling reassured.

He gathered all the commanders together and said, “The world is in chaos, and the court and the people are in turmoil. If it weren’t for Yang Guozhong… how could the people’s resentment be so intense? Why not kill him to appease the people?”

"After Chen Xuanli had mobilized the troops, the soldiers were filled with righteous indignation and shouted in unison: 'Kill Yang Guozhong!'"

"When the body is extremely thirsty and the mind faces despair, people trapped in such an environment often don't think about how to solve the problem, but rather about the culprit that caused it."

"With just a slight prompting from Chen Xuanli, the soldiers immediately turned their anger towards Yang Guozhong."

"Just then, Yang Guozhong returned and was surrounded by more than twenty Tibetan envoys demanding food. These men had also been sent to the Tang Dynasty, but when the emperor fled, they followed him."

Before Yang Guozhong could answer, someone from the Imperial Guard shouted, "Guozhong is plotting a rebellion with the barbarians!" Immediately afterward, an arrow flew towards Yang Guozhong and embedded itself in his saddle.

"Seeing that the situation was unfavorable to him, Yang Guozhong tried to run to the emperor for protection, but the soldiers would not let him go and quickly beheaded him."

Hearing the commotion, the Imperial Censor Wei Fangjin, who had come to investigate, saw the scene and shouted: "How dare you treat the Prime Minister like this?"

"By this time, the soldiers were in a bloodthirsty frenzy, caring nothing for rank; they killed anyone they could. Even the other prime minister, Wei Jiansu, was not spared. Fortunately, he had a good character and reputation, and those who knew him stopped them, saying, 'Don't harm Prime Minister Wei.'"

"At this time, Emperor Xuanzong heard the commotion outside and ordered someone to inquire, only to learn that Yang Guozhong was plotting a rebellion, but he knew in his heart that this was impossible."

"Because Yang Guozhong was very unpopular both inside and outside the court, many people wanted him dead. In order to save his life, he had to hold onto Emperor Xuanzong tightly, so how could he possibly participate in a rebellion?"

"But since things had come to this, Emperor Xuanzong could only patiently appease the soldiers. Leaning on his cane, he walked out of the post station and said to the soldiers surrounding Mawei Slope, 'Actually, I've wanted to kill him for a long time. Thank you. Now that Yang Guozhong is dead, everyone, return to your ranks!'"

The soldiers remained motionless. Emperor Xuanzong was still unaware of the gravity of the situation. Only after Gao Lishi went down to inquire did the soldiers report: "The enemy is still alive."

Chen Xuanli continued, "Yang Guozhong is plotting a rebellion; it is unwise for the Imperial Concubine to serve him. I hope Your Majesty will make a swift decision."

Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty: ...

Upon hearing this, Li Longji knew that the situation was no longer under his control. He turned and fled back to the post station. He couldn't understand how he, who had been a powerful emperor just a few years ago, had fallen to such a state, being threatened by soldiers and unable even to protect Yang Yuhuan.

Seeing that the emperor remained silent for a long time, Wei Jiansu's son immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Now that the anger of the people is difficult to defy, Your Majesty should make a decision as soon as possible."

"However, Li Longji still muttered to himself, as if deceiving himself, 'How could the Imperial Concubine, living deep within the palace, possibly know that Yang Guozhong is plotting a rebellion?'"

"The understanding Gao Lishi beside him immediately pointed out: 'The soldiers have already killed Yang Guozhong, and with the Imperial Concubine serving His Majesty, how can they possibly have peace? Only with the soldiers around can His Majesty be safe.'"

"That's very insightful. The person who fought his way out of the Tanglong Coup and became emperor wasn't just a lovelorn romantic; he was a politician."

"During the dynasty's golden age, he could bestow upon Yang Yuhuan unparalleled favor. Now that Chang'an has fallen and the emperor has fled, he cannot choose love over power, much less sacrifice his life and political future for Yang Yuhuan."

Perhaps Yang Yuhuan also knew she was about to die, and said to Li Longji in farewell: "...I have failed the emperor's grace, but I have no regrets in dying."

"This is what Bai Juyi wrote in 'Song of Everlasting Regret': 'The six armies refused to advance, what could be done? The beautiful concubine died before the horse… The emperor covered his face, unable to save her, turning back to see tears of blood streaming down his face.'"