Chapter Seventy-Two: The Reinforcements Are Blocked
Chang’an City, Xingqing Palace.
Yang Guozhong, who was currently engrossed in a confidential discussion with Emperor Li Longji and Wei Jiansu, turned his gaze toward the window as thunder rumbled closer, its sound echoing through the palace. The sun had vanished, casting the gardens into shadow. A strong wind swept through, causing the flowers and trees in the palace grounds to sway wildly.
Li Longji paused mid-sentence, a vague sense of foreboding stirring within him. He signaled silently to Gao Lishi, who stood quietly nearby, to assist him to the window.
The gloomy weather seemed to affect Yang Guozhong and Wei Jiansu as well; both felt inexplicably uneasy and followed the emperor to the window.
“A heavy rain is coming,” Li Longji said, his tone tinged with emotion as he gazed out at the darkening sky, where storm clouds churned furiously in the wind. “I wonder if it’s raining at Tongguan.”
“The rain must be coming from the east,” Yang Guozhong murmured, staring at the dense clouds in the southeast. “Tongguan must already be seeing rain—perhaps a torrential downpour.”
“Tongguan must be in the midst of a storm,” Li Longji echoed, his voice filled with concern. “If it’s raining there, the battle will be much harder to fight.”
Yang Guozhong pondered the ominous sky for a moment before turning to the emperor, whose expression had grown somber. “Your Majesty, I believe the rain at Tongguan is a blessing! If the downpour continues, the rebel army’s attack will surely be delayed. Assaulting a city in heavy rain is a grave mistake; this works in favor of our defenders at Tongguan. Truly, Heaven is aiding us. I hope the rain lasts as long as possible—ideally until tomorrow.”
Li Longji glanced at Yang Guozhong, who was brimming with confidence, and hesitated to speak.
Wei Jiansu, observing the emperor’s demeanor, hesitated but finally spoke carefully, “Your Majesty, I feel that if Tongguan is also caught in a heavy rain, it may not be a good thing. Our greatest advantage lies in our archers, and in such weather, their effectiveness will be greatly diminished.”
“Why do you say so, Minister Wei?” Yang Guozhong was startled, staring at Wei Jiansu in surprise.
Li Longji, hands clasped behind his back, turned to Yang Guozhong. “Guozhong, Minister Wei is likely correct. If Tongguan is swept by heavy rain, it may bring serious complications to the battle. I’ve led troops myself; I know how difficult it is to fight in wind and rain. The power of arrows is greatly reduced, which is a distinct disadvantage for our defenders. If the rebels are attacking the city right now, our troops will struggle, especially given the enemy’s overwhelming numbers.”
Seeing the emperor agree, Wei Jiansu immediately added, “Your Majesty, I also believe the rain will severely hinder our reinforcements. Marching through wind and rain will slow our soldiers considerably. If the downpour persists, the arrival of support will be delayed. Should the rebels take advantage of the rain to continue their assault, our defenders at Tongguan will be at a grave disadvantage.”
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Wei Jiansu’s words struck a chord in Yang Guozhong’s heart, filling him with anxiety. He quickly bowed and addressed Li Longji, “Your Majesty, I hope you will send orders to General Chen and to Dou Hua and Zhang Jian, instructing them not to let the rain delay their march. They must press on through the storm and reach Tongguan as quickly as possible, lest the city be lost.”
“Indeed, you are right!” Li Longji nodded, then turned to Gao Lishi, who stood behind him. “Lishi, convey my orders at once: Chen Xuanli, Dou Hua, and Zhang Jian must accelerate their march. No matter the wind and rain, they must not stop. Dou Hua and Zhang Jian’s forces must reach Tongguan before nightfall—failure will not be tolerated!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Gao Lishi replied, bowing before hurrying away to deliver the emperor’s command, ensuring that the orders would reach Chen Xuanli, Dou Hua, and Zhang Jian without delay.
A deafening crash resounded—lightning split the dark sky, startling those in the hall. Yang Guozhong and Wei Jiansu hurried to support Li Longji.
“Your Majesty, the rain is about to begin. You should rest inside,” Yang Guozhong said softly.
“Very well, let us go in,” Li Longji nodded, signaling Yang Guozhong and Wei Jiansu to assist him.
As they escorted the emperor inside, Yang Guozhong whispered, “Your Majesty, as long as Chen Xuanli’s forces reach Tongguan swiftly, we need not fear the rebels, even if they number in the tens of thousands. The additional thirty thousand troops are nearly assembled; I have given strict orders for them to depart before nightfall, aiming to reach Tongguan by tomorrow night.”
“Let us hope Tongguan remains safe,” Li Longji sighed gently, saying nothing more.
Another bolt of lightning flashed, followed by thunder that shook the heavens. In the courtyard, the sound of heavy raindrops striking the earth echoed, growing ever more persistent.
As thunder and lightning intensified, the storm clouds churned more violently. When the wind finally ceased, a torrential rain poured from the sky.
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The storm began in the direction of Tongguan, to the east. The rain band moved from Tongguan toward Chang’an, covering a vast area. It had been pouring in Tongguan for some time before the rain finally reached Chang’an.
The reinforcements marching swiftly toward Tongguan were caught in the downpour along the way. Dou Hua and Zhang Jian’s forces, anxious and desperate, did not pause for the rain, pressing on through wind and storm. Chen Xuanli, however, was not as eager to aid as Dou Hua and Zhang Jian. He had his own calculations, hoping to arrive at Tongguan only after both the defenders and rebels were exhausted from battle, so he could claim the spoils for himself.
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If it played out as he hoped, the salvation of Tongguan would be entirely his achievement. No matter what Yang Xi or Geshu Han accomplished at the front lines, it would count for little, since they had suffered defeat and nearly lost Tongguan. He would be the hero, the one who led the reinforcements to save the city and rescue the fate of the Tang Dynasty—while the others would be mere cowards.
Chen Xuanli had no direct conflict with Yang Guozhong at first. But after nearly all of Tongguan’s two hundred thousand troops were wiped out and the city—the gateway to Chang’an—stood on the brink of disaster, the dissatisfaction he had long harbored toward Yang Guozhong flared uncontrollably, prompting him to openly confront Yang Guozhong in the palace and demand the emperor hold him accountable. He realized that the rift between himself and Yang Guozhong had now become irreparable; from now on, he could not remain uninvolved. He hoped to use the battle of Tongguan to further weaken Yang Guozhong’s influence, perhaps even have the court punish him.
He understood that to achieve this, he could not let the credit for defending Tongguan fall entirely to Yang Xi. He needed to claim the glory for himself, ensuring most of the merit was attributed to him. That way, his influence in court would rise sharply; he would become the savior of the Tang Dynasty in its hour of peril, and perhaps even gain the power to challenge Yang Guozhong.
With these ambitions in mind, when he saw the weather suddenly turn—lightning, thunder, and fierce winds—he immediately ordered his troops to seek shelter from the storm.
At first, the strong winds made it difficult for soldiers marching against the gale; then the torrential rain blurred their vision. Chen Xuanli, feeling justified, took refuge at a postal station to wait out the storm.
He believed the rebels would not dare attack the city in such extreme weather, and would surely wait for the rain to stop before launching their assault.
He was aware of the earlier battle developments. He knew Yang Xi had used clever strategies to delay the rebels at Han Tongguan for an entire night and morning, and the enemy didn’t reach Sui Tongguan until past noon. The rebels would need time to assemble before attacking Sui Tongguan; if they hesitated, it was likely they wouldn’t launch their assault before the storm began.
With this reasoning, Chen Xuanli felt no urgency. While sheltering at the postal station, he even ordered the staff to warm some wine and prepare hot dishes for him. The exhausting march had depleted his strength; he needed rest and nourishment.
Only when he received the emperor’s urgent order, delivered by a fast rider from the postal station, did he hastily command his troops to press forward through the rain.
Neither Dou Hua, Zhang Jian, nor Chen Xuanli realized that the battle at Tongguan was now raging fiercely, with both sides fighting desperately.
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