Tibet

After being locked up in the cave for ten days, Li Huan ate well, slept well, and gained a few pounds.

Since the morning, Li Huan had been craning his neck to look at the entrance of the cave, waiting anxiously for the meal. He himself didn’t know what was going on. Although the meal was very rough, he liked it very much. Every time he finished eating, he would feel a sense of joy. The ecstasy made him appreciate the taste after eating the marrow, and he longed for the food every day.

At this time, footsteps sounded, and the old man who brought him food came. He was the big man with a beard and bad words. However, Li Huan found that he was just a fierce appearance, but he was not a bad person. He also knew that his surname was Wang and he was from Neixiang County. .

"It's time to eat!" The big man with a beard said in a venomous voice as always, without a good look on his face.

Li Huan didn't care about his expression. He stepped forward to pick up the bowl and ate. He ate most of it in one go. He finally felt something was wrong. It wasn't as delicious as the previous few days.

"Brother Wang, why does it taste wrong?" he asked timidly.

"What's wrong? We have the same meat and vegetables, which one do you want to choose?" the man with a beard said fiercely, glaring at him with eyes as big as bells.

Although he was afraid, Li Huan still said bravely: "It does taste different."

The big man with a beard scratched his head and said: "Maybe there is a new chef! The previous chef liked to use asparagus roots to cook soup, and we all like it, but this new chef doesn't."

"No wonder the taste is different. What is asparagus root?"

"A kind of herbal medicine from Funiu Mountain has good analgesic effect. It is used to treat headaches or women's pain during childbirth. If you are not sick, you will feel comfortable if you take it. The only disadvantage is that it is easy to become addicted if you take it. If you don't take it, you will feel uncomfortable all over."

"Yes! Yes! This is the feeling. Brother Wang, do you still have this kind of dragon root?"

"I'll look for it. It may be available in the pharmacy, but it's not soup, it's pills. Do you really want it? That stuff is addictive, so forget it!"

"Yes! I want it! Brother Wang, I beg you, give me the pills, I have a terrible headache." Li Huan felt a splitting headache. He couldn't help but kneel on the ground, clasped his hands and begged.

"You look nothing like a prince! You look like a sick man."

The bearded man shook his head and left.

Li Huan felt as uncomfortable as crawling ants all over his body, and he was so anxious that he wanted to rush out.

Just when he was about to die in pain, the big man with a beard came back, holding a pill in his hand, about the size of a pigeon egg. He squatted in front of Li Huan and said: "This is Longxudan. You have to think clearly about eating something." It’s not big, and you’ll get over it in a few days, but if you eat this stuff, you’ll really become addicted.”

"Give it to me quickly!" Li Huan was already very weak-willed. At this time, he didn't think about anything else and just wanted to take medicine.

The bearded man handed it to him, "Chew it and swallow it."

Li Huan grabbed the medicine, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it and swallowed it. He leaned against the stone wall and gasped. His body began to feel more and more comfortable. It was as if all the pores in his body were opened and he felt extremely comfortable. Squint your eyes and enjoy the moment.

The big man with a beard carefully observed him and evaluated him, and it was almost done.

In the middle of the night, Li Huan was suddenly awakened by a cry of death. He saw a blazing fire outside the cave entrance and the cry of death was so loud that he was so frightened that he hid under the bed and did not dare to move.

After a while, the shouts of killing gradually stopped, and there was a burst of rapid footsteps.

Someone asked loudly: "Where is His Royal Highness King Xiang?"

Li Huan crawled out and said tremblingly: "I'm here!"

Several generals of the Tang Army came forward and knelt down on one knee to salute, "My humble duty is Pei Xiu, General Ying Yanglang of the Jianghan Army. I have been ordered to come to rescue His Highness. All the bandits outside have been wiped out. Please come back to Xiangyang with us!"

"ah!"

Li Huan was surprised and happy that someone finally came to save him. He suddenly remembered something and said quickly: "There is a big man with a beard. You must not kill him."

Pei Xiu waved his hand, "Come up!"

The soldiers escorted a tall man with a beard, who was tied up and looked depressed.

"He said he was treating His Highness, so we didn't kill him. It was up to His Highness to decide."

Li Huanke focused on revenge, and he quickly stepped forward and asked, "Brother Wang, do you still have Longxu Pills?"

The bearded man nodded, "There are still some in the pharmacy!"

Li Huan breathed a sigh of relief, "Bring them all with you, and you will follow me from now on!"

"Thank you, Your Highness, for not killing me!"

Li Huan's aide Liu Xun was also in Xiangyang at this time. He and Li Huan were rescued at the same time, but since he was rescued, he kept silent.

Liu Xun was placed under house arrest in a courtyard. That afternoon, Li Ye came to the small courtyard.

The reason why Li Ye valued Liu Xun was not because he was Li Huan's staff, but because he was Li Ye's classmate at Taixue. In the ninth year of Tianbao, Liu Xun studied at Taixue for two years, and he happened to live in the same courtyard as Li Ye. However, he only lived there for two months before Liu Xun graduated and took the place of his father as a teaching assistant at Chang'an County School.

For the sake of his former classmates, Li Ye was ready to help Liu Xun.

Liu Xun was walking in the yard. If he felt something, he looked back and was stunned, "Li Ye!"

"Brother Liu, I haven't seen you for many years!"

"Why is the general in Xiangyang?"

Liu Xun was surprised. Li Ye should be in Anxi!

Li Ye smiled lightly and said: "I have always been in Xiangyang, otherwise how could my father have a foothold in Xiangyang?"

Liu Xun's mind flashed, and he gritted his teeth and said, "It turns out to be you. I knew that there were problems in Hongjin Village, and it was all arranged by you!"

Li Ye knew that Liu Xun was extremely smart and could not hide some things from him, so he did not deny him and asked with a smile: "How did you know it was me? Where is the flaw?"

"Hmph! There is such a new flag, and the red scarf tied on the head is also new. I shouted to kill all night, but there was not a single body in sight, and there was no blood on the ground. It's really indestructible!"

Li Ye chuckled, "The hasty preparation made Brother Liu laugh."

"How could the dignified envoy of Anxi do such a despicable thing?"

"Am I mean?"

Li Ye said calmly: "Compared to the emperor trying to kill us father and son, I'm much better off. At least Li Huan and Brother Liu are still alive, and most of Li Huan's men are not dead. I'm already very tolerant."

Liu Xun was speechless for a moment, and Li Ye added: "For the sake of our classmates, I picked up your wife, children, and father. They should arrive in the next two days."

Liu Xun was shocked, "How did you do it?"

"I asked a master to imitate your handwriting and wrote a letter to your father, telling him that Chang'an is more dangerous. You served as the chief historian in Xiangzhou and asked them to come to Xiangyang, and they came."

"Are you going to threaten me with my family?"

Li Ye did not deny it. He nodded, "I originally had this plan for you to persuade Li Huan to become a free prince, but now it seems that it is not necessary. Brother Liu, you are a smart man. If you are willing Please serve me and I will appoint you as the governor of Xiangzhou to help my father. If you are unwilling, don’t force me. After your family is reunited, you can go wherever you want.”

Liu Xun squinted his eyes and said: "I am loyal to you, don't I be loyal to the Tang Dynasty?"

"No!"

Li Ye shook his head decisively, "Being loyal to me means being loyal to the Tang Dynasty, but you should know that if the emperor has murderous intentions against me, then I will not have any illusions about revenge against him, otherwise I will die without a burial place."

Liu Xun sighed in his heart, "Let me think about it!"

"Brother Liu, feel free to think about it. No matter what you decide, I will respect your decision for the sake of my classmates."

After saying that, Li Ye turned and left.

In Luoyang Palace, the golden drums were beating together, and the drum music was noisy. An Lushan wore the emperor's crown on his head and a nine-piece dragon robe. With the support of four strong eunuchs, he sat on the emperor's dragon couch.

Below, hundreds of officials prostrate themselves on the ground and shouted long live.

An Lushan was so satisfied that he finally waited for the day when he would ascend the throne as emperor.

Not only are people surnamed Li, but half of them are surnamed An.

An Lushan claimed to be Emperor Xiongwu, named the country Yan, changed the Yuan Dynasty to the first year of Shengwu, established An Qingxu as the prince, Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang as the left and right prime ministers, and at the same time announced a general amnesty for the world.

This day was the fifteenth day of May in the fourteenth year of Tianbao. An Lushan ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor in Luoyang.