Call of the Heroes of Chaos in Another World

Chapter 2554 The Generals Return to Court, and the Situation in the Imperial Court

At the end of the seventh year of the Yuan Dynasty, the north wind of the twelfth lunar month ultimately failed to suppress the increasingly jubilant atmosphere in Tianjing City.

The emperor's decree, which brought universal celebration and lifted the curfew, transformed into the vibrant atmosphere of the city, filled with the sounds of music and laughter.

The main imperial roads, such as Zhuque Avenue, had already been swept clean. Shops and buildings along the way were decorated with lanterns and colorful ribbons, and new signs with auspicious patterns fluttered in the wind.

The taverns and teahouses were packed. The storyteller struck the gavel and began to recount tales of the past dynasties, now recounting "His Majesty's divine might defeats the barbarians," "General Xue's three arrows subdue the barbarian capital," and "Marshal Li's surprise attack on Guangyang."

Outside the Linde Hall, dusk was approaching but not yet falling, and the palace lanterns were not yet fully lit. The civil and military officials who had arrived earlier waited outside the hall as usual, and were roughly gathered in several groups according to their rank.

Under the influence of the festive atmosphere of the New Year's Eve gathering, the court officials were no longer as solemn and silent as they were at court.

In particular, many generals or local officials who were leading troops in the field rarely returned to the capital.

Many generals and officials met as acquaintances, exchanging pleasantries and greetings, creating a relaxed and bustling atmosphere unique to the period leading up to the festival.

The most lively place was among the military officers. A group of generals dressed in crimson or dark scarlet official robes, yet unable to conceal their fierce demeanor, were gathered together, their voices booming like thunder.

"Uncle Bao, haha, it's been several years since we last met." A ruddy-faced, burly general laughed and patted Qin Qiong on the shoulder. It was none other than the Purple-Faced Heavenly King, Xiong Kuohai.

Xiong Kuohai had a very loud voice, which attracted the attention of many civil and military officials around him.

On this day, Qin Qiong, a military general, did not wear armor but instead wore his official robes. He smiled and returned the greeting, congratulating Qin Qiong, "Brother Kuohai, you flatter me. I heard that you had three sons this year. Congratulations!"

Both of them were among the earliest generals to follow Wang Yu, and can be considered among the earliest loyalists.

However, in recent years, Xiong Kuohai has fought in various battles, participating in the wars against Yan and Song, while Qin Qiong has been following Su Dingfang to fight against the Great Wu Dynasty. They have been separated by vast distances and have not seen each other for many years.

However, the two had a very close friendship, and even though they now live in different towns, they still remain friendly when they meet.

Beside him, Xue Rengui, with his calm and composed demeanor, was surrounded by several Black Rider generals.

Xue Rengui once led the Black Cavalry for a period of time. Although he has now left office, many Black Cavalry generals are still willing to get close to him.

The Black Cavalry generals were found throughout the army. Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Qu A and others all had experience with the Black Cavalry. There were countless low-ranking officers or junior generals in the army who came from the Black Cavalry.

However, Xue Rengui is currently the only one among the top military officers in the Han Dynasty.

On the other side, Li Jing was surrounded by several more refined-looking generals or military officials, and he was talking in hushed tones with the tall and taciturn Bai Qi.

Bai Qi, like him, now commands one of the eight major field armies of the Han Dynasty.

Although Bai Qi is only acting as a general in place of the Grand General and his current rank is still low, he can still be considered a semi-top-level military official.

However, as long as he achieves some more merits, it's only a matter of time before he becomes his equal.

In addition, this person was a relative of the Imperial Noble Consort, and many generals were willing to be close to him.

Of course, Li Jing dared not show any preference on this issue. It was one thing for civil officials and relatives of the empress to be on his side, but if military generals who were not relatives of the empress took sides, it would not be good for him or the people he was on.

It's just that Li Jing admired Bai Qi more.

Although Bai Qi was rather taciturn, he enjoyed chatting with Li Jing. When he first joined the army, he served under Li Jing and Xue Rengui. Not far away, Cheng Yaojin was complaining to his brother-in-law, Pei Yuanqing.

"Yuanqing, do you think His Majesty will have enough wine for this year's banquet? Let's not have it run out like last time, where we barely got a taste of it before it was all gone!"

Before Pei Yuanqing could answer, Pei Cuiyun glared at him and said, "Zhijie, stop talking nonsense. What kind of occasion is this?"

However, a smile was hidden in his eyes as he spoke.

During grand banquets in the palace, a separate banquet is held in the side hall specifically for the female members of the household. However, Pei Cuicui, being both a member of the household and a general, could attend any of the banquet halls.

Wang Yu was always lenient and never demanding when it came to such trivial matters.

On the civil officials' side, the atmosphere was relatively reserved, but undercurrents were also surging.

Around Zhuge Liang and Wang Pu, early strategists such as Gao Jiong, Kuai Tong, Yao Guangxiao, and Wang Yingkan either nodded to them or came over to greet them in person.

Many of these people were not in the same faction as Zhuge Liang in the imperial court.

If three of the six ministers dared to stand together, and one of them included Gao Jiong, the Minister of Personnel who was the head of the six ministries, then that would be a sure way for the ministers to bring disaster upon themselves.

These individuals simply share some common ground on certain issues.

In contrast, Guan Zhong was surrounded mainly by later civil officials and old ministers.

Liu Xiankai, Liu Chongjing, Zhuge Qian, Zhuge Qiu, Yang Xiu, and others were all happy to gather around Guan Zhong.

Besides these, there were also a group of Legalist ministers, represented by Shen Buhai.

Of course, among the civil officials, besides these two major factions, there are also other smaller factions, large and small.

People like Xun Yu and Xun You, who came from Wei, formed their own faction and led other people from Wei to talk to each other directly, and even took them to greet Xue Rengui and Li Jing.

On both the military and political fronts, the Wei faction had fully taken shape, which was the source of their confidence in the imperial court.

Regardless of which faction they belong to, they can only keep their distance from them. They may not be able to help the other side succeed, but they certainly have the ability to ruin their plans.

Wang Zhi, Ji Dan, and others from Wudi, and Xing Tian, ​​Wen Zhong, and others from Qiandi, also formed their own small groups.

Amidst the hustle and bustle and the complexities of human relationships, the high-pitched and drawn-out announcement from the Grand Eunuch rang out, "The time has come; all officials, enter the hall..."

In an instant, all the civil and military officials composed themselves, straightened their clothes, and filed into the brightly lit Linde Hall in the order that had been rehearsed long ago. The hall seemed to swallow up all sounds and was about to be filled with laughter and joy.

"At today's celebratory banquet, all of you need not stand on ceremony, please take your seats!" Wang Yu, dressed only in casual clothes, waved his hand casually before the civil and military officials could even bow.

"Today is the New Year's banquet. Regardless of the strictness between the emperor and his subjects, and forgetting the toil of official documents, let us celebrate with you all the great Han Dynasty's victory in pacifying the northern barbarians, defeating the eastern barbarians, repelling Jiang Qian in the south, and expanding our territory in the west!"

"This is the result of the soldiers' bravery, the assistance of all the ministers present, and the unity of the people!"

"I, the Emperor, pay my respects to all of you, and also to all the blood-soaked sons and hardworking commoners of my Great Han!" As the ministers took their seats, Wang Yu rose first, holding a full cup of wine, and addressed the civil and military officials in the hall in a loud voice.

The emperor personally raised his cup in a toast, and everyone in the hall, regardless of their own thoughts, was filled with fervor, shouting in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Han Dynasty!"