Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 922 In the Name of Cleansing the Emperor's Side
Two days later, Chenliu City had been completely transformed.

Twenty thousand Wu soldiers took over the defense, their iron armor gleaming in the sun and their banners fluttering in the wind; the original Song troops, after surrendering, filed out of the city and split into several large camps of surrendered soldiers, which were set up in the countryside according to the terrain.

The outer moat had not yet been closed, but smoke was already rising from the camp, and the breath of 100,000 men condensed into a white mist in the early morning.

These 100,000 surrendered soldiers were nothing more than a hastily assembled motley crew: imperial guards from the capital, soldiers from regional military commands, and able-bodied men captured from the streets, all dressed in different armor and speaking different accents.

Su Chen spread out the roster in the central command tent, and with a stroke of his vermilion brush, marked off 40,000.

“The elderly, the sick, and those whose homes are in Chenliu should all be dismissed on the spot.”

Once the military order was issued, thirty pay points were set up that afternoon. Each payee received a bushel of white rice, five hundred copper coins, a travel permit, and a wooden plaque bearing the seal of the Wu army that read "Returning Home, Exempt from Corvée Labor." The laid-off soldiers lined up in long queues; some wept and knelt on the ground after receiving their money, while others, with their elderly and children in tow, immediately returned to their hometowns.

The Song army camp outside Chenliu City was suddenly emptied of many tents; the remaining 60,000 were all able-bodied and elite soldiers.

Su Chen then ordered the quartermaster to recreate the "surrender register," dividing the soldiers into five armies—front, rear, left, right, and center—based on their place of origin, length of service, and martial arts skills. Each army consisted of 12,000 men and used the old Song army designation, but instead displayed the Wu army's red flag.

Cao Bin was appointed "General of Guiyi" and given a golden tiger tally, commanding the entire army.

On the day of the flag presentation before departure, Su Chen said to Cao Bin, "When we arrive at the city of Bianjing, the East City Tower will be handed over to General Cao. The Imperial Guards will fight against the Imperial Guards, and our former comrades will serve their respective masters. You will be responsible for supervising the battle."

Cao Bin accepted the order and personally went to the training ground that day to supervise the training. He beat the drum three times, and the surrendered soldiers lined up in formation, their spear tips pointing to the sky. Their roars shook down the crows. This was Su Chenxin's new appointment of him. He still needed to perform well to consolidate his position in the Wu Kingdom's military.

At the same time, ten courier teams carrying Su Chen's handwritten proclamation rushed through the night to the thirty-seven counties under the jurisdiction of Kaifeng Prefecture, as well as more than ten fortified cities in the Central Plains that were still in the hands of the Song court.

The proclamation, written in red ink on yellow silk, begins: "The Song dynasty has lost its virtue, and war has raged for four years; the Wu ruler, acting on the mandate of Heaven, punishes the guilty and brings peace to the people. Those who open the city gates to surrender will not be harmed in the slightest; those who stubbornly defend their city will be burned to ashes on the day the city falls."

At the end of the proclamation, a line of small regular script was added: "Officials and generals in various places who wish to surrender their cities may use this proclamation as a guarantee to protect their clans."

Wherever the courier passed, even in the dead of night when the city gates were tightly closed, the sound of hooves could be heard as swift as a sudden downpour; and before dawn, the guards on the city walls were already whispering about every word in the proclamation.

"Zhao Guangyi murdered his brother to seize the throne. On the night of the Candle Shadow and Axe Sound, blood splattered in the Forbidden Court. He forged an imperial edict to establish himself as emperor, deceiving heaven and the people. Now, I, Su Chen, on behalf of the eldest prince Zhao Dezhao, under the pretext of 'purging the emperor's inner circle,' lead a righteous army northward to punish only the culprits and leave the rest unpunished."

The common people gathered around to read, while the officials remained silent; the banner that had originally proclaimed "loyalty to the emperor" suddenly became heavy in the wind.

The first to stop were the troops from Chenzhou. Commander Liu Guangzuo, who commanded 5,000 soldiers, had already assembled his troops and was ready to depart when his deputy whispered, "Even the Crown Prince has sided with the Wu army. Who are we still fighting for?" Liu Guangzuo pondered for a long time before whipping his whip and returning to camp.

Next came the garrison troops from Yingchuan and other routes. They had already reached Zhongmu, but upon hearing the proclamation, they simply set up camp on the spot, claiming that "the rain was heavy and the roads were slippery," and refused to advance any further.

The Shandong militia, who came from afar, were even more direct—they disarmed themselves outside Fengqiu City, turned their white "Loyal to the King" flags upside down, wrote the words "Observe and Wait" in large characters, and planted them at the camp gate.

Discussions rose and fell in the camp: "Cao Bin has surrendered with 100,000 men. If we send our small force, we'll just be throwing our lives away."

"Zhao Guangyi's rise to power was illegitimate, and now he's getting his comeuppance. It's not worth sacrificing your life for him."

“If the Crown Prince truly ascends the throne, we will be considered meritorious officials who helped him rise to power. If we rush forward now, we will be seen as traitors.”

The phrase "Let him pay it back himself" became the most resounding excuse.

Thus, the official road leading to Bianjing (Kaifeng) was suddenly shrouded in silence overnight, a stark contrast to the deafening clamor of drums and horns. Grain carts turned back, banners were unfurled, and even the patrol officers who had been guarding the Yellow River ferry quietly withdrew their posts.

The proclamation caused a stir in the Central Plains.

Bianjing, the capital city that was usually bustling with activity and filled with music and revelry, suddenly seemed to be gripped by an invisible giant hand.

News of Wu Jun's breakout from Chenliu spread like wildfire, reaching the inner city from the outer city walls and then penetrating the winding alleys, echoing throughout the streets. Chenliu is only a hundred li from Bianjing, a distance that a light cavalry could cover in a day; now the vanguard has reached Chigang, twenty li outside the city, and the rear guard can complete the encirclement by noon tomorrow.

The 100,000-strong garrison of Chenliu, which had been expected to achieve great things, dispersed like the receding tide. The court's peace envoys also failed to respond, and all hopes were shattered. Just moments before, nobles and gentry firmly believed that "the country is forever secure," but suddenly news came that Cao Bin of Chenliu had surrendered with a large army. Many wealthy families, noble clans, and other powerful figures in the city did not have time to evacuate.

So, the commotion of hiring carts, harnessing horses, bundling chests, and carrying cabinets echoed from the west of the city all the way to the east. But when the servants rushed to the city gate, they found the drawbridge hanging high, the iron gate tightly shut, and the guards with grim faces, who blocked their escape route with a single sentence: "By imperial decree, the city is sealed off."

In their panic, some slumped on the threshold, some gritted their teeth, and some turned back to their homes, stuffing silver notes into the stove and burying jewels in the flower cellar, hoping they would not be found when the city fell.

"What should we do? Wu's army has really come and is already outside the city."

"We don't even have time to flee the famine, will the Wu army massacre the city?"

The old man selling steamed buns banged his chopping board loudly: "What's the rush! The Wu army's banner is 'Purge the Emperor's inner circle,' not 'Purge our common people.' On the day Chenliu was opened to the enemy, they distributed food and silver to the surrendered soldiers and released the old and weak to go home. This shows their benevolence and righteousness."

The storyteller in the teahouse lowered his voice and chimed in, "The eldest prince is in the army. If we really want to take action against the common people, he won't agree first." The news spread by word of mouth, like warm tea, slightly smoothing out the wrinkles in his heart.

However, "no massacre of the city" did not mean "no war." As dusk approached, twelve urgent chimes of the bell and drum tower of the imperial city rang out, making the roof tiles vibrate.

The Imperial Guards' iron boots clashed across the Imperial Street, their sword sheaths striking their shields with a powerful clang, signaling the start of their alert.

The neighborhood chief knocked on the door knockers of each household and shouted, "The curfew is being moved up earlier; anyone who dares to walk at night will be executed." This was to prevent rebels from causing trouble at night.

Although the people in the city were worried, they were somewhat relieved to hear that Wu's army would not indiscriminately kill innocent people or harass them. However, the panic on the eve of a major battle was still unavoidable.

The majestic Forbidden City, its roof ridges gleaming like blood in the setting sun, and its glazed tiles reflecting layers of dark red.

When Zhao Guangyi received the news, he was reviewing urgent memorials in the Chuigong Hall. The eunuch staggered in, crawled a few steps on his knees, and knelt on the ground, his voice trembling: "Chenliu has fallen, 100,000 troops have surrendered to Wu, and the Crown Prince... the Crown Prince is the vanguard of the Wu army." These few words struck him like a heavy hammer blow to the chest.

The vermilion brush in Zhao Guangyi's hand snapped with a "crack," splattering ink onto the dragon desk like a pool of black blood. He swayed, only managing to stay upright by grabbing the edge of the desk.

The incense in the bronze censer in the hall was thick with smoke, but it couldn't suppress the chill that swept over you.

"Zhao Dezhao! Cao Bin!" The emperor's voice was hoarse, suddenly rising in pitch: "How dare they betray me like this!" The roar echoed through the palace beams, the sound like a beast's roar. Several prime ministers, the privy councilors, and the three commissioners looked solemn, not daring to utter a sound.

Zhao Pu cupped his hands and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I suspect that the Crown Prince may have been kidnapped by Su Chen, who is using his name to sow discord among our people. The surrender of the Chenliu troops without bloodshed is a vicious scheme of counter-espionage. Now that the morale of the army has wavered, it is best to remain calm." His voice was steady, but he could not hide the cold sweat on his temples.

Zhao Guangyi's chest heaved as he glanced at the assembled officials, as if grasping at a last straw: "What do you all think we should do?"

A deathly silence fell over the hall. After a long while, Li Chongju, the Deputy Privy Councilor, said, “Your Majesty, the vanguard of the Wu army is only twenty li from the city, and the main force will surround it tomorrow. If we open the East Water Gate tonight and escort it with 20,000 Imperial Guards, we can march straight to Luoyang on light cavalry; then we can go west to Tongguan, and Chang'an will be within reach in a day or two. Although Bianjing is rich, it is ultimately a dead end. Only by preserving our strength can we plan for the future.”

The words "Move the capital!" rolled like thunder across the jade steps.

Zhao Guangyi's ears were ringing, and the image of ten years of management in Bianjing floated before his eyes—red eaves and green tiles, mansions reaching the clouds; the Grand Canal connecting all directions, merchants thronging the streets; the various garrisons, the Imperial City Guard, the East and West Prefectures, the Three Military Offices and the Imperial Guards, all intertwined, all connected to him alone. Abandoning the city would be tantamount to severing his roots completely.

He murmured, "Move the capital overnight?" His voice trembled, as if he were asking himself.

Zhao Pu bowed again: "Your Majesty, the palaces in Luoyang still stand, and the treasury is not yet depleted; Chang'an is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and can serve as a base for a resurgence. In the past, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang fled to Shu in haste, which allowed the Tang dynasty to last for another hundred years. In times of emergency, we must act expediently and prioritize the ancestral temples and the state."

"But I am not Emperor Xuanzong!" Zhao Guangyi slammed his fist on the table, making the teacup jump. "I have been in Bianjing for ten years, and my favor has not been established for long, nor has my authority been consolidated. If we move west, the imperial guards along the way will all be newly appointed by me, and the old merits will not be attached to me. How can the people of Luoyang and Chang'an be willing to submit so easily? If there is a mutiny along the way, and we suffer another disaster like the Mawei Incident, how will I face my ancestors!"

At this point, his voice choked, and his eyes became bloodshot.

Suddenly, the evening drum sounded outside the palace, its seven deep beats sounding like an urgent command, a farewell. The flickering lamplight cast the emperor's solitary shadow on the golden pillar, thin and swaying.

Zhao Pu dared not say another word, and the other ministers also remained silent. In the vast Chui Gong Hall, only the sound of the wind whistling through the windows made the "Chenliu Urgent Report" on the imperial desk rustle as if it would be torn apart at any moment.