The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 374 Chess Player (I)

After Emperors Zhu and Wen were brought to Luoyang by Xiao Yan, according to common practice, the imperial guards were stationed in a military camp near the Xuanwu Gate in Yaoyi City, so as to be close to the center of power and ensure direct control over the palace.

Apart from other things, according to the Daliang custom, when Zhu Wen visited Luoyang every year, the accompanying guards and personal troops would be stationed in Yaoyi City to protect the imperial palace.

But this time after Xiao Yan arrived in Luoyang, both the imperial guards and the personal guards were stationed outside the Jianchun Gate in the east city, only a few miles away from the Prince Song's Palace. It was set up next to the Yangqu Canal, which was convenient for communication and could be said to be protecting the palace from afar.

The reason why the general camp was placed so close, in the opinion of Niu Cunjie and others, was perhaps because Xiao Yan knew that he did not have a deep foundation in the imperial guards, and that the military titles were also complicated and the composition was too general, so it would be easier to deter if it was closer to the Song Palace.

The military camp is divided into two wings, left and right. The left wing and the right wing are different.

Because Xiao Yan had previously served as the third in command of the Imperial Guards, and had led the Longxiang Army and other cavalry from the Imperial Guards to fight several tough battles in Hebei, he has always been considered to have a closer connection with Xiao Yan. Especially this time, Xiao Yan equipped the entire army with nearly 20,000 horses, and the Imperial Guards accounted for nearly 70% of them. Therefore, all the soldiers and horses of the four Imperial Guards, Shenwei, Gongchen, Zhuosheng, and Luoyan, were stationed in the left wing, and the remaining three imperial guards, Shenwu, Longwu, and Longhu, were in the right wing.

The Right Wing Imperial Guards are the ones that Niu Cunjie, Yuan Xiangxian, He Gui and other Imperial Guards generals are most involved in. They are also the three armies that the Underworld Emperor has infiltrated and controlled in recent years.

On the night of April, a mutiny broke out and Xiao Yan came to power. During the whole night before and after, the imperial guards did not have time to enter the city to serve the Underworld Emperor. Although they were not purged by Xiao Yan afterwards, the generals at all levels could not help but feel panic and anxiety, especially when they saw Xiao Yan occasionally inserting some generals from Hebei into the imperial guards. This made the panic and anxiety even worse. Finally, after being instigated by Niu Cunjie and Yuan Xiangxian and other superiors, all the panic naturally turned into resentment.

After the mutiny, the party of Emperor Ming was completely destroyed, and the status of the Imperial Guards plummeted. The Hebei peasants who came from the bitter cold land of the Northern Frontier just followed Xiao Yan and became the personal soldiers of the King of Song, who had a higher status than the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Guards.

The so-called Song Wang's personal army not only received more rewards than the imperial guards, but also had the best weapons and equipment. The imperial guards only had a 40% or even less than 50% armor rate, but the damn Dingbadu and Guide Army, two mud-legged troops, were given everything good, and the armor rate soared to a terrifying 80%! And they were all good armor and equipment!
God has mercy on them, the imperial guards are fine, although they don't have enough armor, at least most of them are iron armor. Imagine the feudal lords, whose armor rate is only 10% to 20%, and most of them are leather armor. If they were to face Dingbadu and Guide's army, they would either be beaten to pieces or go home to burn incense and pray to Buddha.

The imperial guards naturally saw the discord between Chang'an and the imperial court this time, and with Niu Cunjie secretly sending people to make contacts, the resentment was naturally brought out.

All the generals and soldiers in the army have always had a chain of contempt. Although the number of the Imperial Guards is small, they have always been elite. Most of them privately look down on the Imperial Guards who are responsible for defending Bianliang. Although the Imperial Guards are numerous, their equipment is far inferior to that of the Imperial Guards. However, even so, there are still vassal troops who are inferior to them. Therefore, the Imperial Guards have always been dissatisfied with the Imperial Guards. But the latter are nominally the royal army after all, so it is acceptable in terms of face.

Unexpectedly, Ding Badu and the Guide Army suddenly appeared and even firmly grasped the vast majority of military resources. The private dissatisfaction of the imperial army was understandable. Soldiers of this era did not have much ambition for their country. It was natural for them to serve as soldiers and eat food. Unruly nature was deeply rooted for a hundred years. As long as there was someone leading from above, the people below could easily be instigated to make trouble.

Therefore, in recent days, the Left Wing Forbidden Army has been idle in training, and some officers and soldiers have been involved in drinking and gambling from time to time, making the situation extremely chaotic.

The only thing that made people feel strange was that the Hebei generals who were inserted by Xiao Yan were not restrained. Even when they saw some imperial guards gathered together for a secret discussion, they never scolded or asked any questions.

In this way, everyone thought that King Song Xiao Yan acted like this in order to maintain the morale of the army. Obviously, he did not want the imperial guards to escape his control due to excessive suppression.

Humph, now you know the advantages of my Imperial Guards?
late!

As the prohibition became more and more relaxed, the Left Wing Guards had completely lost their discipline, and some generals even dared to openly host banquets for their soldiers, claiming that they were inviting the soldiers to have fun and relax, but they were just taking advantage of Xiao Yan's indulgence to act domineeringly.

Until this evening, there was a banquet held by middle and senior generals in the left wing. The host was the commander of the Zuolonghu Army under Niu Cunjie, also known as Pan Qige. He was a trusted military officer around Niu Cunjie. Although his power was not great, he was quite important. Therefore, he was also a prominent figure at the banquet.

"The Right Wing Guards are all cowards with no balls."

An officer laughed drunkenly, and then lowered his voice a little: "Seventh Brother, if the King of Song is gone this time, our Left Dragon and Tiger Army will have to move into the Imperial Guard Division, right? Why do those cowards in the Imperial Guard ride on our heads?"

Many people around laughed and agreed, looking very happy.

Brother Pan Qi was a yamen officer, but he was actually sitting in the main seat. He just raised his hand and pressed it slightly, saying nonchalantly: "The imperial guards are useless, they are hesitant and can't see the situation clearly. Now that the Luoyang incident is over, the generals in the court will definitely make changes. They naturally have a plan in mind as to who will be promoted and who will be demoted."

As he spoke, he burped and said, "We, the Left Dragon and Tiger Army, have always been under the command of General Niu and are loyal to him. If we don't rise to the top this time, how can we build momentum for General Niu in the court?"

Everyone was having a great time, and their spirits were even higher. As they toasted each other, there were even some curses directed at Xiao Yan from time to time.

However, while they were drinking, they suddenly heard a commotion outside the camp, and many soldiers were shouting, "What a big fire! Look! That's... the direction of Prince Song's palace!"

Actually, the right wing has been much more restrained in the past two days. Brother Pan Qi took the lead in suppressing the soldiers under his command from making any commotion, and only had a few drinks in private with some good generals. His idea was to win over the hearts of the people on behalf of Marshal Niu.

Hearing the commotion at this time, Brother Pan Qi was naturally very unhappy. Although he was running around on behalf of Niu Cunjie this time, it only showed that he was good at hanging out and understood people's calculations, but it did not mean that he was a mediocre person.

It is said that the most feared thing in the army is night fright. Especially at this critical juncture, all the guards will be sent to Chang'an tomorrow. If something unexpected happens in the imperial guards, wouldn't it affect the important matters of the higher-ups?
So Brother Pan Qi immediately slammed the table and called someone in to question him.

But a guard ran in quickly, with a look of surprise on his face: "Generals, there is a big fire in the Prince Song's mansion!"

Unexpectedly, when Brother Pan Qi heard these words, he was shocked. Not only him, but several drunken imperial guards at the banquet sobered up instantly. They stood up one by one, but they only looked at Brother Pan Qi before rushing out of the tent together.

At that moment, the camp was in chaos, with many people crowded to the west, looking towards the city, shouting and talking. At the same time, everyone finally saw that there was indeed a fire in the direction of Jianchun Gate in Luoyang. The fire was so big that half of the sky was faintly red.

"Damn it..." Pan Qige was stunned and muttered subconsciously: "What the hell happened?"

Seeing him like this, the generals around him who had been arranged by Niu Cunjie and others to rebel became even more panicked.

Could it be that the higher-ups have already gone so crazy? How come no one informed the imperial guards? What on earth were the commanders and princes thinking? Would they stage another Bianliang mutiny in Luoyang?
Just as some generals who had hurried out of the tents were asking Pan Qige questions, someone suddenly cried out in surprise. Everyone looked in that direction, but were horrified to find that a big fire had broken out in the direction of the White Horse Temple in the east, accompanied by the sound of fighting. It was clear that no less than a hundred thousand people were fighting!

On the other side of the Yangqu Canal, across the river, the left wing guards were also alarmed. Countless people walked out of their tents, looking around, and were also shouting in panic.

At this time, there was a continuous sound of horse hooves outside the two camps, and then immediately at the same time, a series of voices with internal power were heard giving orders over and over again. The tone of voice made it possible to tell that those people were Ye Bushou, who served as the minions of Tiance Mansion. "There are traitors who instigated the rebellion, first burned the Song Palace, then attacked the White Horse Temple, and wanted to take the emperor to the west! The general has personally led the troops to quell the rebellion, and the rebel army is nothing to be afraid of! On the left and right wings, all the generals from Dingba and Guide armies, leave the camp immediately and submit to the general's command! The rest of you, as long as you are loyal to the general, stay in the camp and defend yourself, and don't make a fuss. If you disobey the order, the general will execute you after the rebellion is settled! ”

There was no telling how many Ye Bushou were galloping on horseback outside the camp. As these loud shouts spread like thunder to the entire Yangqu camp, the left and right sides, which had been in commotion just now, suddenly became quiet.

After Ye Bushou repeated the order three times, they went away one after another. No one knew whether they were heading west or east, but they eventually disappeared into the night.

Pan Qige and the generals of the imperial guards gathered beside him were still in shock, but they soon heard a commotion in the camp. At a glance, they saw that the generals from Hebei were riding horses in twos and threes with their personal soldiers, wearing armor and holding swords, and they rushed out of the camp. It was obvious that they were really going to help King Song to quell the rebellion.

These hundreds of Hebei soldiers left, and at the same time, they did not forget to order the imperial guards: "All of you stay in the camp honestly. When the traitors are killed, the general will reward you handsomely! Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be killed without mercy by the Tiance Mansion!"

At this time, soldiers such as the Imperial Guards saw with their own eyes how brave the Hebei soldiers were. In order not to waste any time, they rode their horses directly to break open the camp gate and went straight in. Each of them held a lance or a spear, and they were heavily armored. They rode their horses at full speed, and it seemed as if they had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

As people from Hebei left one after another, the left wing was fine, with the guards still occasionally hearing the generals' orders to restrain them. However, on the right wing, the imperial guards were still for a moment, and then suddenly there was a loud noise.

Naturally, there were also officers in the imperial guards who were unaware of the inside story, such as the lower-level officers like the captain or the ten generals. At this time, they could only look at each other in confusion, while the middle and higher-level officers just looked at Pan Qige, who was slightly excited and trembling all over.

Under Niu Cunjie's orders, Pan Qige contacted the imperial guards in the camp. He had a wide network of contacts, and the Hebei generals left in the camp by Xiao Yan did nothing. The people he was responsible for contacting all knew more or less that some important figures in the court were joining forces with General Yang in Chang'an to prepare for a mutiny.

Wealth and power are right before their eyes.

Although this change happened suddenly, the troops have not yet left Luoyang, and it is not known whether Captain Yang has led a large army to the east, the incident is now in front of everyone. Even the generals of Hebei at all levels who were responsible for intimidating the imperial guards on behalf of the King of Song have been transferred. Doesn't this show that the situation is so serious that even the King of Song is at a loss?
However, whether or not to take this step requires someone to take responsibility and make the decision.

After all, even if generals of the Imperial Guards such as Niu Cunjie had planned ahead, and there were many people in the Imperial Guards who knew about it and had intentions, the incident happened suddenly, and they had no orders from their superiors.

As long as they take this step, they will be able to face off against the world-famous Admiral Tian Ce!

And seeing that the officers and soldiers in the right wing camps were in unrest, the imperial guards were already dissatisfied because they missed the Bian Jing mutiny and were being ridden on the neck by the Hebei soldiers. At this time, they were either crazy, agitated, or panicked. Without the restraint of their generals, they were almost like a riotous army. It could be said that the arrow was on the string.

"Eating dog intestines!"

Pan Qi Ge finally cursed loudly, made up his mind, and said with a slightly ferocious look: "There will be no unrest in the city, it must be that the higher-ups have taken the initiative! The generals and the princes in the court do not have strong troops. If we wait until King Song quells the rebellion, we will also be implicated! King Song does not have a large army this time, so what is the use of his great ability? It is better to start a rebellion and fight for great wealth!"

As a close confidant of Niu Cunjie, Pan Qige's knowledge was not shallow. However, even though he was well aware that things would change if he made a move, he could not afford to think too much at this critical juncture. If the superiors failed, there would be nothing to say, and he would just have to wait for King Song to kill him.

But he was more afraid that if the mutiny succeeded, he would miss out on this great fortune. The imperial guards in Bian Jing lost the opportunity that night, so how could he let it go tonight?

Haven't you heard that wealth and honor can only be found through risk?
As he was speaking, Brother Pan Qi saw that the right wing camps were all clamoring, and he immediately raised his arms and shouted: "The thief Xiao is manipulating the affairs of the court with the two emperors. He is the traitor. The princes and generals in the court have already raised their troops to fight against him! We are here to protect the imperial guards, eat military pay and be loyal to the emperor. We should obey the imperial edict to kill the thief Xiao and restore the emperor to his position!"

The troops he had contacted in advance had been ready to move for a long time, and this time they were even more enthusiastic. They all raised their arms and shouted. In the firelight, countless ferocious faces could be seen. Even some soldiers who did not want to cause trouble were mixed in, but at this moment they were overwhelmed by this generosity and passion.

At this time, Brother Pan Qi accepted the decision and naturally became the person in charge of this meeting. He immediately gave an order: "All camps should put on their armor and gather their troops! The White Horse Temple is the residence of the retired emperor. Since the generals have sent troops to attack, we must help. The Right Dragon Army will lead its troops eastward to the White Horse Temple! And the rest of the army, follow me into the city and join the generals, besiege the Song Palace, approach the imperial city, and hold the emperor hostage!"

All the generals were immediately excited and cheered, but some calmer ones pointed at the left wing camp on the other side and asked, "What about the imperial guards?"

Brother Pan Qi rolled his eyes and sneered: "Why bother with them? If they want to stay, they can stay. If they want to plunder, they can plunder. As long as they don't interfere with us, we don't need to pay attention to them! But if they dare to interfere and fight for wealth, they will be killed without mercy! Don't worry about them, go and gather troops quickly!"

The people on the left and right immediately dispersed with a roar, and the entire right wing was filled with shouts and neighs of horses. Countless soldiers were ordered to leave the camp by their superiors, and some who were unwilling to obey were forcibly included. In short, at least 60% to 70% of the more than 10,000 imperial guards were gathered together. Brother Pan Qi still wanted to assemble the troops, but many anxious ones had already rushed out of the camp. In a word, these soldiers were not stupid after all, and they tried their best to wear good armor and hold good swords to fight for this great wealth.

Looking down from a high place at this moment, you can see dozens of camps on the right bank of Yangqu. They are all ablaze with fire. Thousands of soldiers are gathering in armor, and some soldiers are riding horses and rushing towards Luoyang City. The torches stretch like dragons, just like the night scene in Bianjing.

In the left wing camp where the imperial guards were stationed, there was also unrest at the moment. There were sounds of clamor coming from all directions, and the generals could not suppress them no matter how hard they tried. It was clear that many people wanted to join in the chaos.

But inside and outside the main tent of the left wing, it was quiet at the moment, even unspeakably quiet. The soldiers on duty outside were all brave men, with strong backs and armor and holding spears. They were obviously as elite as the Night Guards of Tiance Mansion.

Inside the big tent, countless high-ranking generals of the imperial guards prostrated themselves on the ground, bowing silently towards the main seat; no one dared to look up.

Xiao Yan, dressed in military uniform, stood at the entrance of the tent with a sword in hand, looking up at the opposite bank with empty eyes, his face calm and motionless.

The surrendered minister was still sitting lazily on the commander's seat, holding his face with his right hand and looking at him, with a gentle smile on his lips and infinite tenderness in his charming eyes.

Her eyes could not accommodate the figure beside her, only that person.

The entire camp was shouting, and the dark sky pressed down on the man's head, as if it was going to swallow him whole.

But she knew that not only could the sky not overwhelm him, but the sharp and proud aura that naturally emanated from him would instead poke a huge hole in the sky.

Only a man like this is worth her risking everything on.

(End of this chapter)