Chapter 2: Crown Prince Li Hen's Opposition

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  Ge Shuhan had heard that Yang Kai would plead for them in front of the Emperor, pardoning the crimes of these generals who were directly related to the defeat of Lingbao Army. But unexpectedly, Yang Kai had already pleaded for them from the start and even asked for rewards for them before the Emperor rewarded him. How could he not be surprised?

  Yang Guozhong was also surprised, he had originally planned to take advantage of today's court meeting to propose to the emperor that Chen Xuanli, Geshu Han, Wang Silie, and others who were dissatisfied with him be held accountable for intentionally delaying the rescue efforts. He did not expect Yang Hui to take a step ahead and request amnesty for them, and even ask the emperor to reward them.

  How could his own son be like this? Such a big matter, and he didn't even discuss it with his father before making a decision.

  However, just as he was secretly criticizing him, Yang Jie cast a meaningful glance at him. This made Yang Guozhong even more puzzled, but he also knew that Yang Jie had an ulterior motive, so he didn't say anything.

  When Yang Jue said this, Li Longji was also slightly surprised, but he was also quite happy. Yang Jue's heart was not narrow-minded and did not kick others when they were down as he had expected.

  But he still frowned and said: "Yang Hui, you should know that Geshu Han and his generals suffered a disastrous defeat in Lingbao. Of the 200,000 troops who retreated, only 8,000 returned. Countless Chinese sons lost their lives on the banks of the Yellow River. Their crimes are unforgivable. Even if they made contributions in the later defense battle of Tongguan, their merits can never outweigh their crimes and must be punished!

  When Li Longji said these words, Ge Shuhan, who was standing beside him, could no longer bear it and knelt down in front of the hall, ready to plead guilty. But Yang Hui rushed forward and spoke out before him, "Your Majesty, after I went to Tongguan, I also understood the general situation of the defeat at Lingbao! Although General Ge Shu and other generals have a great responsibility, the main reason is that Supervisor-in-Chief Bian Liancheng interfered too much in military affairs, did not respect General Ge Shu and other generals' suggestions. It was precisely because Bian Liancheng fled after the battle began that the army's morale collapsed, and everyone scrambled to escape, ultimately leading to the defeat at Lingbao!"

  Yang Hui explained with a resolute expression: "It was precisely because I understood these things that, after Bian Lingcheng escaped back to Tongguan City, I beheaded him in public to serve as a warning and to boost morale with his head! Your Majesty, the root of the defeat at Lingbao is none other than Bian Lingcheng. Bian Lingcheng does not understand military affairs and even dared to point fingers at Geshu's deployment. At the start of the battle, he fled in fear, causing the army's morale to collapse..."

  "Others should be held accountable, but they should be allowed to continue serving and redeem themselves. If they achieve outstanding military successes, like Wang Silie and Pang Zhong, they should be given certain rewards to boost morale and encourage them to fight better! After the defeat at Tongguan Pass, General Geshu actively responded, made strict arrangements, and did not compromise even when threatened by Huo Bao's rebellion. He continued to command from the city wall during subsequent battles and supported my decisions against opposition. Otherwise, Tongguan City would have fallen long ago! I implore Your Majesty to consider General Geshu and other generals' bravery in fighting the enemy."

  Yang's words shocked the officials in the hall, and after he finished speaking, surprisingly no one immediately stood up to express their support or opposition.

  "Hmm, what Yang Xia'ai said is also reasonable!" Li Longji nodded in agreement, but didn't immediately announce anything. Instead, he said tactfully: "As for how to deal with Ge Shuhan and the generals at Tongguan, I still need to consider it carefully before making a decision. However, Yang Xia'ai's reward will not be reduced, I will also think about it carefully and announce it soon!"

  Li Longji said, gesturing to Yang Hui and other officials not to speak, and continued: "My dear ministers, Tongguan has been defended under the command of General Yang. With Tongguan secure, there is no need to worry about the safety of Chang'an. However, the rebel army has yet to be defeated, and Cui Gan's tens of thousands of troops have retreated to Shanzhou. The eastern capital, Luoyang, is still in the hands of An Lushan's rebels. I do not wish to see the people suffer under the rebels' tyranny any longer. The rebellion must be put down as soon as possible! Today at court, I want to hear your wise strategies for quickly quelling the rebellion!"

  As soon as Li Longji said this, Yang Hui had a bad premonition in his heart. It is likely that Li Longji did not learn from the defeat of Lingbao and planned to send troops out of Tongguan for battle. Some ministers also had such thoughts.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, as soon as Emperor Li Longji's voice fell, a certain Yang Hui, a minister whose name was unknown, stood up and remonstrated with great passion: "Your Majesty, now that the rebel army is weak, after suffering heavy losses in front of Tongguan City, they can only retreat to defend Shan Prefecture and Luoyang. The postal roads between Luoyang and Fanyang have been cut off at many places, and the armies from various regions are arriving one after another to rescue the emperor. I think we should seize this great opportunity to wipe out the rebel army in Henan Province and not let them return to their old nest in Fanyang!"

  "Your Majesty, I object!" As soon as the unknown minister's voice fell, Yang Gui immediately stood up to oppose.

  "The victory at Tongguan was merely a narrow escape, taking advantage of the rebels' unclear situation. We utilized the treacherous terrain of Tongguan and were aided by heaven with a storm to achieve victory; otherwise, there would have been no way to repel the rebels!" Yang Hui exclaimed triumphantly!

  "At present, the military strength near Tongguan is still overwhelmingly dominated by the rebels. The road out of Tongguan is extremely narrow and prone to ambushes by the rebels. The Battle of Lingbao is a lesson to be learned! In the midst of the emperor's and ministers' astonishment, Yang said solemnly, 'Your Majesty, I believe that what the garrison at Tongguan should do now is still to defend the pass, strictly prevent the rebels from attacking the city, strengthen military training, and rapidly enhance the combat effectiveness of the Tongguan garrison. It's not about taking the initiative to go out of the pass and fight! If we force the nearly disorganized Tongguan garrison to go out of the pass and fight, the disastrous situation at Lingbao may still occur! Your Majesty, now is not the time for hasty actions. The rebels are powerful, but they are far away from their old nest in Fanyang. What they fear most is a standoff with our army. They want to quickly defeat us and occupy Chang'an to control the world. We absolutely cannot do as the rebels wish and go out of the pass to fight. Instead, we should defend Tongguan!"

  "Your Majesty, I disagree with General Yang's proposal!" Crown Prince Li Hen stepped forward, openly opposing Yang Hui's suggestion: "The current situation is completely different from a few days ago. The rebel army was defeated at Tongguan City and had to retreat to Shanzhou. An Lushan has the intention of withdrawing troops from Luoyang. Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi, Yan Zhenqing and other generals have achieved successive victories. Our army has already learned a lesson from the defeat at Lingbao, no matter who leads the army, similar mistakes cannot be made again! As long as we are careful, it is impossible to be ambushed by the rebels!"

  Li Hen said, "Your Majesty, General Yang is young and has never commanded a large army. He can rely on some small tricks to achieve success in defending the pass, but commanding a large army requires a general who has been through many battles. Otherwise, it's hard to make quick decisions! Your Majesty, I think General Yang's mission is already complete, and future battles should be led by another general, or else the consequences will be unpredictable!"

  Li Heng's request not only surprised Li Longji, but also the other officials in the hall, including Geshu Han, who had been silent all along, and Yang Guozhong, Wei Jiansu, and Wei Fangjin were all shocked. Yang Hui was even more surprised. He did not expect that this middle-aged Crown Prince would propose to Li Longji to relieve him of his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and appoint someone else!