Thief Emperor

Chapter 1142 Massacre of the City
The heavy snow continued for two more days, turning the entire city of Jinling into a thick blanket of white. Fortunately, the Jinling government mobilized its officials and the people to quickly clear the main roads.

Amidst the heavy snow, General Deng Yang of Jinling, along with his deputy Xue Gui, led their wives and children into the palace.

Yesterday, His Majesty the Emperor hosted a banquet in Jinling City, where he shared drinks with officers of the rank of Captain and above in the Jinling Army, and they strengthened their bonds.

Today, His Majesty the Emperor, together with His Majesty the Empress, has invited Deng Yang and Xue Gui, along with their families, to a banquet at the palace.

After the two families entered the palace, they split into two groups. Deng Yang and Xue Gui's wife led their daughters to dine with Empress Xue.

The two of them, each leading their son, went to dine with His Majesty the Emperor.

As the banquet was about to begin, Xue Gui and Deng Yang's sons stepped forward to kowtow to His Majesty the Emperor. Emperor Li looked at Deng Yang's sons and said with emotion, "More than twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye. You have now established your own families and have many children and grandchildren."

Deng Yang lowered his head and said, "This is all thanks to Your Majesty's blessing. Otherwise, I'm afraid it would be a luxury for me to even find a wife in my entire life."

The emperor waved his hand, then looked at his sons and said with a smile, "Are they all married? Where are they working?"

"Your Majesty, my three sons are all married. The youngest is still unemployed, while the eldest and second eldest are in the Jinling Army. The eldest is a captain, and the second is a brigade commander."

The emperor looked at the sons of the Deng family and said with a smile, "When I return to Luoyang next year, I will take them with me. They can serve in the Imperial Guard."

Deng Yang bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, my whole family is moving to Luoyang, but my eldest son wants to stay in Jinling."

After saying this, he gave his eldest son a look, and his eldest son Deng Can immediately stepped forward, knelt before His Majesty the Emperor, and bowed his head, saying, "Your Majesty, although my father is the General of Jinling, I joined the Jinling Army as a common soldier and have been in the Jinling Army for almost three years. My position as a captain is not due to my father's influence."

"I have been in Jinling for a long time and wish to continue serving in the Jinling army."

He kowtowed and said, "My meager merits are all earned by myself, and will continue to be so in the future. Please allow me to remain in the Jinling army."

Selecting the sons of trusted confidants to join one's personal guard was a common practice among emperors throughout history, because, in terms of motivation, this group was undoubtedly the most loyal to the emperor, almost without exception.

After all, their interests were intertwined, and they had no reason to oppose His Majesty the Emperor.

If anyone dared to lay a finger on His Majesty the Emperor, they would rush forward and chop that person into pieces.

Therefore, after Deng Yang entered Luoyang, his son should naturally have entered the Imperial Guard.

As for Deng Can... he should be one of the more principled second-generation rich kids.

In the early years of the founding of the dynasty, the founding heroes around the emperor, even if they were unknown at the beginning, had been following the emperor for so many years and had more or less acquired some heroic spirit.

Moreover, Deng Yang's early years were also hard-fought and fought his way up.

A hero's son may not necessarily be a hero, but among his many sons, there will certainly be one or two who inherit his father's heroic spirit.

Therefore, the second generation in a country, especially the second generation that is put forward to do things, are often the ones with real skills and abilities.

The fact that Deng Can dared to speak of his achievements in front of the emperor suggests that these achievements were likely indeed hard-earned and could withstand scrutiny from the Nine Departments.

Of course, His Majesty the Emperor wasn't so bored as to take this so seriously.

If we're really being serious, the world isn't lacking in capable people; what's truly scarce is the opportunity to showcase those abilities. These second-generation rich kids have a much lower chance of getting such opportunities than the average person.

The emperor narrowed his eyes and looked at Deng Yang, who bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, I am from Jiangdong."

"Sooner or later, we will all return to our roots."

He lowered his head and said, "My son is staying in Jiangdong as if he were the eldest son who would guard the family business. When I retire, I will return to my homeland and be buried here."

"As for my son's job, I want him to earn it himself in Jinling. If he can earn it, that's his ability; if he can't, then he can just be the eldest son guarding the family."

The emperor glanced at him and said in a daze, "You little rascal, you've become cunning too."

Deng Yang will remain in the position of General of Jinling for more than two years. If nothing unexpected happens, the next General of Jinling will be Xue Gui, and Xue Gui, who will be appointed two or three years later, can be said to have been trained by Deng Yang.

At that point, how could I not take care of my old boss's son?

In addition, Deng Yang has been in Nanjing for many years and his prestige in the army is not low. His son, based solely on his local achievements, will be able to reach a high position in the future.

In the future, when important positions in the imperial court become vacant, as long as Deng Can's position and experience are sufficient, the court will naturally give him priority.

This is the reason why having connections in the imperial court makes it easier to become an official.

Many obstacles have already been cleared by the older generation. As long as one's abilities are not too bad and no major mistakes are made, one's career in officialdom will be smooth sailing.

However, the upper limit won't be particularly high.

After all, the path paved by one's parents will inevitably lead to a destination lower than their own. To climb higher, one must rely on their own abilities and circumstances.

After the emperor chuckled and scolded Deng Yang, he said, "Also, we're both from Xuanzhou, now Qingyang Prefecture. When did you become a Jiangdong person?"

Deng Yang smiled and said, "I've been in Jinling for too long, I've gotten used to saying it."

The emperor waved his hand and said calmly, "Then it will be as you wish."

"Then, I'll let your eldest son stay in Jinling." "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The emperor then looked at Xue Gui.

Xue Gui had only been in Jinling for half a year. His wife and children had arrived in Jinling with the emperor's entourage. When the emperor looked at him, Xue Gui coughed and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, my sons are still quite young."

"Let them serve the court again in a few years."

The emperor glared at him and laughed as he scolded, "What a disgrace!"

Just as he was about to speak, the Grand Eunuch Gu Chang walked in cautiously and bowed to the Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, the Duke of Ying requests an audience."

The emperor nodded and said, "Have someone bring in another table and prepare wine and dishes for the Duke of England as well."

When the emperor invites you to dinner, it's impossible to have just one table. At this time, meals are served separately. Li Yun has his own table, while Xue Gui and Deng Yang each have their own table and sit on either side of him.

Gu Chang responded and went to invite the Duke of England.

Deng Yang heard the emperor's words and was about to get up and lead his family to give up the seat of honor, but the emperor pressed his hand down and said with a smile, "You sit down."

"Xue Gui, step back."

Xue Gui stood up with a smile: "Okay."

After saying that, he and his family moved to the back and made room for the Duke of England.

The reason for this arrangement was not because Deng Yang held a high position, but because Xue Gui was Li Yun's nephew, making him family.

In this situation, it's natural to ask your own family members to stand up and give up their seats.

Duke Liu Bo of Yingguo quickly entered the main hall. After bowing to the emperor, he took out a document from his robes and said, "Your Majesty, an urgent report has been sent from the Northwest by the Nine Departments."

The emperor gave Gu Chang a wink, and Gu Chang immediately understood. He took the document and handed it to Li Yun. As Li Yun unfolded it, he said, "Please sit down. We'll serve you some wine and dishes in a bit."

At this moment, Deng Yang and Xue Gui bowed to Liu Bo, both addressing him as Duke of Ying.

Liu Bo smiled and returned the greeting with a cupped hand, then looked at the two of them before sitting down in the empty seat.

His Majesty the Emperor unfolded the document, glanced at it, and was stunned.

He looked at it several times before silently closing his eyes. After a few breaths, he opened his eyes, his gaze becoming very complicated.

The document contained very little information.

After receiving his orders, King Li Zheng of Qin did not delay and immediately led his troops north. After arriving in Shuofang, he launched a fierce attack for several days before finally capturing the city.

After the city fell, the King of Qin ordered a massacre of its inhabitants.

In this battle, the Chang'an army lost more than 400 men, annihilated more than 3,000 enemy soldiers, and massacred nearly 10,000 people after breaching the city.

The emperor closed the document and looked at Liu Bo.

Liu Bo was also watching Li Yun's expression. Seeing Li Yun looking at him, he remained silent for a moment before speaking, "Your Majesty, the Northwest has repeatedly rebelled, so we have no choice but to take drastic measures. I believe that although the Prince of Qin's actions are somewhat inappropriate, these swift and decisive methods will surely be effective."

"In fact, the war in the Northwest might be quelled quickly because of this."

His Majesty the Emperor was silent for a moment, then nodded, and then shook his head, saying, "There are advantages and disadvantages."

Li Yun had used heavy-handed tactics on the battlefield, but the most outrageous thing he did was to massacre the soldiers of the Shuofang Army.

They have never massacred civilians.

This time, however, the King of Qin did indeed massacre the city.

Although the local people of Lingzhou were mostly of different ethnicities and not Han Chinese, this was the first time since the Jiangdong Army and the Tang Army were formed.

Li Yun's feelings were complicated at this moment.

He couldn't be sure if it was because he had been too soft-hearted all these years, or because of his son...

Too cruel and violent.

After a long silence, until wine and dishes were placed on the table in front of Liu Bo, the emperor finally came to his senses and patted his hand.

"Eat, eat."

The three of them exchanged a glance and then lowered their heads.

"Yes."

(End of this chapter)