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

Chapter 515 Leading a Million Troops to West Lake (Part 1)

The sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

The hustle and bustle of Yangzhou quickly subsided after the Lantern Festival, like a candle flame that had burned out, leaving only wax dripping and a faint smell of gunpowder in the air. A light frost fell in the latter half of the night, and as dawn broke, the bluestone streets were covered with a slippery, cold layer, and the eaves tiles held up a few specks of unmelted white.

Deep within the palace walls, a solitary lamp burned all night.

Li Xingyun's eyes were bloodshot, and his face showed the exhaustion of not having slept all night, but his expression was quite clear. In the distance, the sky was turning a pale white, outlining the undulating contours of Yangzhou. This city, embraced by the Huai and Yangtze Rivers, was particularly beautiful in the gradually brightening light.

Footsteps sounded behind him.

Zhang Zifan stood there, which made his face look somewhat pale.

"Are you really going?" Zhang Zifan's voice was hesitant. "The situation in Yangzhou is delicate right now, and there are many eyes and ears outside the palace. It would be risky to travel at this time. Besides..." He paused, as if choosing his words, "My affairs with them are really not something that Brother Li should trouble himself with."

Li Xingyun shook his head. “I know you are in turmoil, but now that I know the two masters are outside the city, it is only right and proper that I pay them a visit in person. This is the proper courtesy that your brother should show to his elders.”

He paused for a moment, lowering his voice slightly: "Besides, you are aware of the current situation. Shangrao's due date is in the next few days, but a storm is brewing in the city. I have some personal matters concerning my life and fortune that I would like to entrust to someone trustworthy and capable of helping me. This visit is also to ask for your help."

Zhang Zifan remained silent for a moment, then finally stopped hesitating and slowly nodded: "Okay."

The two said no more, changed into inconspicuous clothes that had been prepared beforehand, skillfully avoided the palace guards, and quietly left through the side gate of the palace.

They avoided the main street, walking briskly through the still-sleeping alleyways. The morning mist dampened the hem of their clothes.

Zhang Zifan led the way, silent and reserved. Li Xingyun followed behind, sensing the bewilderment emanating from his friend. Having mistaken a traitor for his father for over a decade, the truth finally revealed, his birth parents now close yet in a precarious situation—this kind of torment was truly unbearable for most.

They walked quickly, each lost in their own thoughts, without exchanging a word.

The terrain gradually rises in the east of the city, and the houses are densely packed. Zhang Zifan stopped in front of a very ordinary courtyard. The courtyard wall was gray and dusty, the lintel was low, the walls were black and white, and the door was tightly closed. It was no different from the houses on the left and right, except that on an unlit lantern hanging under the eaves, a very faint Tai Chi pattern could be seen.

Zhang Zifan stepped forward and gently knocked on the door in a specific rhythm.

A moment later, the door creaked open a crack. Xu Huan's face appeared behind the door. She was not wearing a Taoist crown, but simply had her hair tied up in a bun. When she saw Zhang Zifan, her gaze softened slightly, and then her eyes fell on Li Xingyun behind him, and she was slightly taken aback.

But she simply opened the door quickly, stepped aside, and whispered, "Come in quickly."

Li Xingyun nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "I apologize for disturbing you, Master."

The courtyard looked even quieter than the outside, with a few withered bamboo stalks leaning against the corner of the wall and the ground swept clean.

The main room was lit by a dim yellow light. The curtain was lifted, and Zhang Xuanling walked out. He was wearing a worn Taoist robe, his hair was neatly combed, and his eyes were clear and calm. When he saw Zhang Zifan, his eyes flickered for a moment, but in the end he only nodded slightly and did not say anything more.

As for seeing Li Xingyun, he didn't seem too surprised. He simply cupped his hands and said, "The presence of the King himself makes this humble abode shine."

“Master Zhang,” Li Xingyun returned the greeting, “I apologize for my impolite visit and hope you will forgive any rudeness.”

"Your Majesty is too kind," Zhang Xuanling said, stepping aside. "Please come inside to talk."

The room was simply furnished, and a faint herbal fragrance filled the air. Li Xingyun didn't engage in much small talk and went straight to the point: "I've come today to visit you two seniors. Zifan and I are like brothers, so his elders are my elders as well."

Xu Huan silently poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of Li Xingyun, but her gaze involuntarily drifted to Zhang Zifan beside her. Her eyes held too many unspeakable emotions, but more of them were concern and affection.

Li Xingyun continued, "Secondly, I've also heard that Li Siyuan is here. May I see him?"

The atmosphere in the main room froze instantly. Xu Huan looked at Zhang Xuanling, who remained silent for a moment before sighing softly, "That person is in the side room."

He paused, then added, “His Majesty spared his life and entrusted him to my disposal, but this villain’s crimes are so grave that even death could not atone for them. I am at a loss as to how to deal with him, and I do need the opinions of the King and Fan’er.”

The "Your Majesty" that Zhang Xuanling mentioned was naturally Xiao Yan, but Li Xingyun simply nodded, indicating for Zhang Xuanling to lead the way.

The door to the side room was ajar, and when it was pushed open, it stirred up fine dust that danced in the dim light filtering through the window paper. The room was simply furnished with a bed, a table, and a stool, but it was neatly arranged. A figure was curled up in the corner of the bed, wrapped in a fairly thick quilt, with only a disheveled head of gray hair showing.

Upon hearing the door open, the figure trembled violently and slowly raised its head.

Li Xingyun almost couldn't recognize that it was Li Siyuan immediately.

The once renowned and famous ruler of Shanxi, and even the whole country, the absolute head of the Tongwen Academy, is now emaciated, with deeply sunken cheeks, loose, sallow skin covered with deep wrinkles.

His lips were cracked and trembling slightly. His gaze swept timidly over the people at the door, and when he saw Zhang Zifan's figure, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he subconsciously curled up backward, as if he wanted to crawl into the wall.

“…It is…it is you…” Li Siyuan did not recognize Li Xingyun at first, and only managed to speak after a while.

Li Xingyun stepped into the room and stood a few steps away from the bed, but simply looked down at him indifferently.

Zhang Zifan followed behind him, his face paling. His gaze fell on Li Siyuan's miserable appearance, his expression complex and indescribable. Xu Huan and Zhang Xuanling stood at the doorway, one calm and the other worried, observing the situation inside.

"Li Siyuan," Li Xingyun began, "do you know your crime?"

Li Siyuan, being exceptionally clever, knew without a second thought what Li Xingyun was asking. He had no intention of arguing, but immediately rolled off the bed and prostrated himself before Li Xingyun and Zhang Zifan: "I know my crime, I know my crime. This humble subject deserves to die... I beg the Emperor for mercy, Fan'er, Fan'er... please spare your godfather for the sake of our past relationship..."

Zhang Zifan remained silent, only slightly turning his body to the side.

"Past relationships?" Seeing Zhang Zifan's reaction, Li Xingyun's voice was deep. "When you stole someone's child, took a life, deceived the world and stole a reputation, manipulating the word 'relationships' as if it were nothing, did you ever think about this day?"

"This humble subject was foolish, it was all because this humble subject was bewitched back then..." Li Siyuan raised his head, but he couldn't figure out Li Xingyun's intentions for this trip. However, he still gritted his teeth and said, "But this humble subject is willing to atone for his sins. Your Majesty, this humble subject... this humble subject is still useful!"

At this point, as if grasping at a last straw, his voice suddenly became urgent:

"Your Majesty, you have never personally witnessed the battles, so you have no idea how terrifying Xiao Yan is. His ability to conquer Jiangbei is not solely due to military might. He is a man of deep cunning and keen insight into human nature, habitually using benevolence as a facade while acting with ruthless efficiency. Hebei, the Central Plains, and Shu are all firmly under his control, and Jiangnan... Jiangnan has absolutely no chance of victory, Your Majesty. Moreover, although he is nominally Your Majesty's elder brother, as the saying goes, 'There cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two rulers in a country.' How could he possibly tolerate Your Majesty..."

Li Siyuan became increasingly agitated as he spoke, even exhibiting a somewhat irrational reaction, waving his hands:
"Now, the old Liang Dynasty forces, the northern barbarian tribes, the secret arts of Raojiang... all have bowed down to him. He... he can crush everything with a wave of his hand. You and I... in his eyes, we are all ants, ants, do you understand? So he will definitely come, his army will soon march south. Three hundred thousand? No, five hundred thousand, one million! Rolling in! This Yangzhou city, this Jiangnan... will be reduced to dust in an instant, just like Yunzhou, just like Yehuling! Everyone will die! Hahahaha..."

Seeing Li Xingyun's indifferent expression and Zhang Zifan's ugly face, Li Siyuan immediately crawled forward half a step:
"But I have a way... I'm willing to offer a plan! Your Majesty may not know, but in Hedong, I still have some deeply hidden assassins who only recognize my command. They might be able to... might be able to pass on messages, or even... might even be able to create some trouble in the Central Plains! And... there's also the Northern Desert! Although Yelü Lage was defeated, there must still be remnants who do not submit to Xiao Yan's rule. Their leader once received my favor. If Your Majesty allows it, I can try to contact them and bring them in as external aid, which might be able to restrain the forces in the Central Plains! If these two strategies succeed, they will surely be able to temporarily alleviate the crisis!" He finished speaking breathlessly, then looked at Li Xingyun with hope, his fingers digging tightly into the ground, and occasionally glanced at Zhang Zifan with an expectant look on his face.

"enough!"

A thunderous shout made Li Siyuan's face turn pale instantly. Zhang Xuanling strode into the room, and the anger that had been building up between his brows for many years suddenly erupted, making people afraid to look him in the eye.

"Li Siyuan!" Zhang Xuanling pointed at Li Siyuan and roared, "Even on the verge of death, you still dare to bark and rave here, trying to use your filthy heart to judge His Majesty's virtue and sow discord. Do you really think I can't kill you?"

Xu Huan, who followed closely behind, also had a frosty expression and said coldly, "Li Siyuan, your so-called schemes are nothing but adding fuel to the fire and courting death! His Majesty is not Zhu Wen. If he truly wanted to exterminate everyone, how could you have survived until today? The King and His Majesty are blood relatives. This time, he sent my husband and me to return Miss Lu, which was already out of consideration for our brotherhood and gave the King a choice! Stop judging others by your own standards and trying to drag the King into an abyss of no return!"

As she spoke, a sliver of her gaze remained fixed on Zhang Zifan.

Zhang Zifan's face was grim, his gaze lowered and fixed on Li Siyuan, who was crawling on the ground. His eyes were extremely complex, filled with hatred and disgust, but also seemed to contain a hint of pain that he could not completely let go of.

Upon realizing this, Li Siyuan suddenly turned to Zhang Zifan and tearfully pleaded:
"Fan'er... for the sake of the more than ten years of relationship between us, your godfather knows that he has committed grave sins and dares not ask for your forgiveness. I only ask that you... in the past... your godfather also taught you with great care, imparting martial arts and knowledge to you, and also..." His words choked with emotion, as if filled with endless regret and sorrow, trying to touch the last bit of tenderness in Zhang Zifan's heart.

Zhang Zifan turned his head away, his hands clenched into fists in his sleeves, his knuckles white, and his shoulders trembling slightly.

Seeing this, Xu Huan stepped forward, subtly protecting her son behind her, and her gaze towards Li Siyuan became even colder than a knife.

Zhang Xuanling suppressed his anger and turned to Li Xingyun, his tone softening: "Your Majesty, this villain's words are utterly absurd; do not believe them. Though I am a recluse, I know the general trend of the world: it is vast and unstoppable; those who follow it prosper, and those who oppose it perish. Your Majesty has established your rule over the Central Plains and unified the North; the nation's strength is far greater than before. If you are determined to conquer the South, concentrating the strength of the Central Plains, Hebei, Hedong, and Sichuan, and mobilizing over 200,000 elite soldiers, advancing by land and water, this is no empty threat. At that time… even though Jiangnan is vast, I fear you will find it difficult to find a pure land."

He sighed softly and continued, “Your Majesty, although I am not well-versed in military affairs, I have read a few history books. Since ancient times, the North and South have been divided. If the Southern Dynasty wanted to maintain its partial peace, it had to rely on three major strategic advantages: First, the Yangtze River, a natural barrier that guarded Jingzhou and Xiangyang, providing complete river defense; second, the Huai River, a strategically advantageous location that served as a bulwark, allowing for both advance and retreat; and third, the upper reaches of Sichuan and Chongqing, which provided ample supplies for both soldiers and food, serving as a strong support. In the past, the Eastern Jin Dynasty relied on it and was able to resist the Northern Dynasty for a hundred years; the Southern Song Dynasty also relied on it to prolong its reign for a time.”

"But what is the situation now? The important cities of Jingzhou and Xiangyang, Xiangyang and Jiangling, have long since fallen into the hands of the Central Plains. The land of abundance in Sichuan and Chongqing has also been completely subjugated. As for the Huai River..."

Zhang Xuanling shook his head. "Many of the important towns in Huainan have already fallen, and the Northern Dynasty's army has long since reached the Huai River. Although the ruler is powerful in Yangzhou, two of the three forces have been lost, and the Huai River is hardly intact. The Northern Dynasty's navy can sail down from Jingzhou and Xiangyang and directly attack Nanjing; their infantry and cavalry can also sweep in from Huaibei and conquer the Jianghuai Plain... The advantages of the terrain are now entirely in the north."

He concluded in a deep voice, “Your Majesty is not a bloodthirsty ruler. The Shu emperor Wang Jian, the Jin emperor Guo Chongtao, and Empress Dowager Cao, among others, were all treated well and enjoyed wealth and honor after surrendering. This is clear proof. If Your Majesty can understand the will of Heaven and the people, and adapt to the times, thus sparing the people of Jiangnan from the calamity of war, this would be a great merit. At that time, Your Majesty, being benevolent, will surely protect the emperor, empress, and members of the imperial family, bestowing upon them titles and allowing them to live out their remaining years in peace. Wouldn't this be far better than… stubbornly resisting, only to turn the land of the Six Dynasties into scorched earth, ultimately… leading to your own death and the destruction of your country, becoming a laughingstock for the world?”

Zhang Xuanling's words were earnest and profound, citing historical facts and analyzing the pros and cons. Surprisingly, they were not a traditional moral lecture, but a calm statement of facts to Li Xingyun. The room fell silent for a moment, with only the faint sound of Li Siyuan's heavy breathing audible.

Li Xingyun listened in silence, his face hidden in the shadows before the morning light fully illuminated, making his expression unreadable.

Zhang Zifan lowered his eyelids, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. Xu Huan's gaze hardly left him, her eyes filled with worry and heartache, yet she forced herself to remain silent.

After a long while, Li Xingyun slowly raised his head and fixed his gaze on Zhang Xuanling and his wife: "I am enlightened by what you two seniors have said. Jiangnan is no match for the North. I know the general trend, so how can I let the people suffer and increase casualties?"

Before Zhang Xuanling and Xu Huan could exchange surprised glances, Li Xingyun's voice deepened, "Therefore, I have come today with another request, which I hope you two will grant."

"Please speak, Your Majesty," Zhang Xuanling said hastily.

"My wife's due date in Shangrao is in the next few days."

Xu Huan was slightly taken aback, then immediately replied in a gentle tone, "Your Majesty, rest assured, Her Majesty is blessed with good fortune and will surely give birth safely."

Li Xingyun shook his head, his gaze still fixed on Xu Huan and Zhang Xuanling's faces: "That's not what I meant. Yangzhou City is fraught with danger, and chaos could erupt at any moment. I am caught in the middle, and I fear I cannot guarantee her safety. My junior sister, Lin Xuan, also does not wish to leave alone. I implore you two seniors, out of consideration for... Zifan's affection, to find a way to protect them both and help them leave this place to seek refuge at the Celestial Master's Mansion. This is the only way Xingyun, as her husband and brother, can think of to ensure their safety."

"This is just a request I'm making. If it's really difficult, there's no need to force me." After saying this, Li Xingyun bowed deeply to Zhang Xuanling and his wife.

Xu Huan quickly offered a gesture of support: "Your Majesty, you must not! This is a matter that my wife and I cannot shirk! Even if we are shattered to pieces, we will do everything in our power to protect Your Majesty and Miss Lu!"

She looked at Zhang Xuanling, who nodded emphatically: "We will not fail the king's trust. We will make plans immediately to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Upon hearing this, Li Xingyun bowed deeply again: "In that case, thank you both, seniors!"

At this moment, Zhang Zifan raised his head, his brows furrowed: "Brother Li, even if the Empress and Miss Lu can leave safely, what about the King of Wu and the entire Wu royal family? They are currently surrounded by Xu Wen and Zhang Hao under the guise of 'protection,' but in reality, they are heavily guarded and besieged in the King of Wu's residence. The generals leading the troops, Zhong Taizhang, Mi Zhicheng, and others, are all Xu and Zhang's trusted henchmen, exceptionally brave and fierce, and completely obedient to Xu and Zhang. Once there is any change in the city, they will be the first to be affected and will surely suffer..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear: King Wu and his group would be the best hostages and sacrifices for Xu Wen and his associates.

Zhang Zifan looked at Li Xingyun, then quickly glanced at the direction of the bed, where Li Siyuan was pricking up his ears, a glint of something unfathomable flashing in his cloudy eyes.

Li Xingyun and the others understood and left the room, returning to the main hall.

Xu Huan pondered for a moment, then spoke:

"The Wu King's palace is heavily guarded, and a direct assault would be no easy task, and might even cost them their lives. Perhaps... we could wait for an opportunity. I could use the believers in the Taoist temples within the city to create some chaos elsewhere in the city at a crucial moment, drawing the attention of some of the guards. At the same time..."

She looked at Zhang Zifan, "Perhaps we need an inside-outside coordinated effort, selecting elite experts to sneak in quietly under cover of darkness when security is slightly lax, acting swiftly and decisively to escort the Prince of Wu and the main members of the royal family out before Xu and Zhang can react. However, this method is extremely risky, requiring favorable timing and location, and meticulous planning. The slightest mistake could lead to utter ruin. I have also heard of the renowned names of Zhong Taizhang and others; not only are they famous throughout the Jianghuai region, but they are also among the top masters in the martial arts world..."

Li Xingyun listened in silence, offering no comment. Rescuing the Wu royal family was a complex and extremely difficult undertaking; failure would have unimaginable consequences, and Shangrao could not be allowed to find out. Therefore, he was truly in a state of turmoil and unable to make a decision immediately.

Therefore, he could only turn his gaze back to Zhang Xuanling and his wife, and bow deeply: "Then... I will entrust the two of them, Shangrao, to you two seniors when the time is right. I will not thank you enough for this great kindness."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, even if my husband and I are shattered to pieces, we will protect the two young ladies." Zhang Xuanling solemnly promised again.

With the matter settled, Li Xingyun and Zhang Zifan did not linger. They took their leave, and Zhang Xuanling and his wife saw them off at the courtyard gate.

The courtyard returned to silence.

In the side room, Li Siyuan slowly relaxed his tense body, slumped onto the bed, stared at the ceiling, his eyes blank, lost in thought.

Xu Huan walked to the spot where Zhang Zifan had just stood and sighed softly.

Zhang Xuanling stroked his long beard, gazing in the direction Li Xingyun had left, his eyes deep, murmuring to himself, as if asking someone else, or perhaps himself: "A glimmer of hope..."

Outside the courtyard, the outline of Yangzhou city gradually became clear under the rising sun, while at the northern horizon, thick clouds seemed to be slowly gathering.

(End of this chapter)