Chapter 24: The Situation Improves

After the series of sieges were repelled, the rebel forces retreated to Shan County. In the following period, Yang Xi continuously dispatched scouts to monitor the rebels' movements. Everyone had anticipated that the rebels would continue to find ways to assault the city, exerting greater pressure on the defenders of Tong Pass and seeking any opportunity to breach the walls. Surprisingly, however, once the rebels withdrew to Shan County, they took no further action. Cui Qianyou, the commander of the rebel forces, showed no intention of launching an offensive against Tong Pass; the garrison in Shan County merely engaged in the same training routines as the defenders of Tong Pass.

The rebels' lack of urgency baffled the generals at Tong Pass, but subsequent reports from the imperial court clarified why the rebels had adopted a defensive posture. During the time the rebels were attacking Tong Pass, the war in the north had also intensified.

The newly appointed Jiedushi (Military Governor) of Shuofang, Guo Ziyi, led his troops east from Jingxing and achieved a succession of victories upon encountering the rebels. Commanding his Left Army Commissioner Li Guangbi, Right Army Commissioner Gao Jun, Left Vanguard Commissioner Pugu Huaien, and Right Vanguard Commissioner Hun Shizhi, Guo Ziyi defeated the Zhenwu Army under An Lushan's Datong Army Commissioner, Gao Xiuyan, and subsequently seized the Jingbian Army in the wake of his victory. The battle at Jingbian Army, which annihilated seven thousand rebel soldiers, shocked An Lushan. Guo Ziyi then captured Yunzhong and Mayi, opening the Dongling Pass and clearing the path for further eastward advancement.

At this time, Changshan had fallen, and its governor, Yan Gaoqing, had been captured and executed by An Lushan. Li Guangbi, the newly appointed Jiedushi of Hedong recommended by Guo Ziyi, marched east from Jingxing and recaptured Changshan. The rebel general Shi Siming, attempting to retake the city, abandoned the siege of Raoyang and rushed toward Changshan. The two sides stalemated near Changshan for over forty days; unable to hold out, Li Guangbi sent an urgent plea to Guo Ziyi. Guo Ziyi led his forces to rescue Changshan, uniting with Li Guangbi’s troops to form a force of over one hundred thousand. In the Battle of Jiumen, they decisively defeated the rebels. The Right Vanguard Commissioner Hun Shizhi’s son, General Hun Jian, shot and killed Li Lijie, a major commander under Shi Siming. Shi Siming fled with his remnants toward Zhaojun. Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi pursued them relentlessly and subsequently captured Zhaojun.

To alleviate the pressure on Tong Pass, Guo Ziyi had suggested to the imperial court that they gather a large force to attack Fanyang in the north, aiming to strike at the rebels' heart and sever their supply lines. However, Emperor Li Longji, paralyzed by fear for the safety of Chang'an, refused the request. Li Longji ordered Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi to instead march toward Chang'an and Luoyang to protect the capital, a command the two generals had no choice but to accept.

After capturing Zhaojun, the forces of Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi surrounded Boling. Unable to take it, they retreated to Hengyang to prepare to reinforce the capital. Upon hearing that Tong Pass had held and the rebels had retreated, they did not rush south but instead halted to rest and reorganize. The court then appointed Li Guangbi as the Administrator of Fanyang and Jiedushi of Hebei, ordering him to retreat to Changshan with Guo Ziyi. Shi Siming gathered tens of thousands of stragglers to pursue them. An Lushan ordered Cai Xide to lead twenty thousand men and Niu Tingjie to mobilize tens of thousands more from Fanyang and other commanderies to rescue Shi Siming, but they were defeated by Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi.

With the postal roads to Yuyang nearly severed, the morale of the rebel troops stationed there plummeted. An Lushan even considered abandoning Luoyang and retreating to Fanyang. However, after the victory at Lingbao, he saw a glimmer of hope for capturing Chang'an and committed the bulk of his forces, preparing to seize the capital after taking Tong Pass. Yet, his opportunistic attack following the victory at Lingbao failed, and tens of thousands of his soldiers perished beneath the walls of Tong Pass.

According to intelligence, over one hundred thousand soldiers were now garrisoned at Tong Pass, commanded by the marshal Yang Xi, the youngest son of Yang Guozhong. The defeat at the foot of Tong Pass had disheartened An Qingxu and Cui Qianyou, and An Lushan himself was deeply shaken; after receiving An Qingxu's report, his resolve began to waver once more.

At this time, the Tang forces in the north maintained their momentum, spurred on by the turnaround at Tong Pass. Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi continued their eastward push, actively seeking a decisive battle with the main rebel force. They hoped to recover the eastern capital of Luoyang or strike directly at Fanyang. The imperial court, however, rejected their plan to attack Fanyang, ordering them instead to head southeast toward Luoyang and Chang'an. The forces under Yan Zhenqing, upon hearing of the successive victories of Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi, also launched an offensive, intending to link up with them.

With the northern front tightening and the war in the south proving unfavorable, the rebels' sense of crisis grew. Zhang Xun, the former magistrate of Qinghe appointed by the court as the Vice Censor-in-Chief, led his commanders Xu Yuan, Lei Wanchun, and Nan Jiyun to defend the strategic hub of Yongqiu on the Suiyang Canal. With only a few thousand men, they held off tens of thousands of rebels, not only preventing them from gaining ground but also inflicting tens of thousands of casualties through surprise attacks and resolute defense. This forced the rebels to hesitate in their advance.

The court subsequently appointed Prince of Guo, Li Ju, as the Governor of Chenli and Qiao Commandery and Jiedushi of Henan, placing him in command of the Jiedushi of Lingnan, He Luguang; the Jiedushi of Qianzhong, Zhao Guozhen; and the Jiedushi of Nanyang, Lu Jiong, with over one hundred thousand troops to resist the rebel advance. When the rebels massed a large force to besiege Nanyang, Li Ju led his troops to break the siege, forcing the rebels to retreat.

The court then appointed the Prince of Wu, Li Zhi, as the Governor of Chenli and Jiedushi of Henan; the Prince of Yong, Li Lin, as the Jiedushi of Shannan; and the Prince of Ying, Li Ju, as the Jiedushi of Jiannan. They tasked the Deputy Commissioners and Administrators of Jiangling and Shujun, Yuan Wei and Cui Yuan, with overseeing military affairs and calling upon loyalist reinforcements to combat the rebels. The forces under Vice Censor-in-Chief Cheng Qianli and Jiedushi of Linhuai, Helan Jinming, also posed significant threats to the rebels.

Unable to make progress in the north and facing setbacks in the south, the rebels suffered a massive blow to their morale after failing to take Tong Pass following the victory at Lingbao. An Qingxu, Cui Qianyou, Tian Chengsi, and Tian Zhenzhen had all lost confidence in the prospect of taking Tong Pass. They advised retreating to Luoyang or returning to Fanyang to avoid the brunt of the government forces. With so many subordinates offering the same advice, An Lushan’s resolve wavered further.

Yet, having declared himself emperor in Luoyang, An Lushan was deeply unwilling to surrender everything he had gained and retreat to Fanyang. He still harbored dreams of taking Chang'an. However, the one hundred thousand troops at Tong Pass were not mere decorations. More than half a year of siege had yielded no results, and even the victory at Lingbao, which had decimated two hundred thousand Tang troops, had not fundamentally altered the situation. Taking Chang'an now seemed like an impossible task.

An Lushan found it difficult to make a final decision, leaving the various rebel units in a state of hesitation. Ultimately, Cui Qianyou’s forces remained stationed in Shan County, caught in a dilemma between advancing and retreating.

The continuous stream of reports from the imperial court left Yang Xi quite exhilarated. It was not only the progress of the war that excited him, but the fact that these reports mentioned many famous historical figures: the brilliant generals Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi, who would play pivotal roles in suppressing the An Lushan Rebellion; the great minister and master calligrapher Yan Zhenqing; the renowned generals Pugu Huaien and the father-son duo Hun Shizhi and Hun Jian; and the almost mythical minister Zhang Xun. He knew he would surely have the opportunity to interact with these people, perhaps even forming deep connections with them. He was particularly eager to meet Yan Zhenqing, whom he held in high esteem.

Yang Xi remembered how, as a child, he had been forced by his calligraphy-loving father to practice with a brush, copying the Yan style from tablets like the Duobao Pagoda Stele and the Yan Qinli Stele. Even after his transmigration, his own calligraphy retained the style of the Yan school. His father in his previous life had held Yan Zhenqing in high regard and often spoke with admiration of the heroic deeds of Yan Zhenqing and his brother Yan Gaoqing, which had directly influenced Yang Xi. In his heart, Yan Zhenqing held a higher status even than Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi, despite the latter's greater military contributions to the suppression of the rebellion.

"Haha, it seems the rebels are truly incapable of attacking Tong Pass again. We can focus on training our troops with peace of mind!" After organizing the reports sent by the court, Yang Xi reached this conclusion during a military conference.

The generals all echoed his sentiment, and some took the opportunity to shower Yang Xi with praise. Ignoring the compliments from Tian Liangqiu and the others, Yang Xi said to the generals with a mysterious air: "Gentlemen, the business for today is concluded. However, I would like to keep you all for a while longer. I have something novel to show you, and I believe that once you see it, you will certainly be fond of it!"

"What kind of novel thing is it?" someone immediately asked out of curiosity.