Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 521 Sweeping Away Luo
"They really are good at enduring hardship; no wonder they can't achieve anything."

On October 16, the day after Liu Jilong received the abdication edict, he learned from Zhao Ying that Doulu Zhuo had held a banquet for his officials the previous night.

He naturally dismissed this with disdain, even finding it utterly ridiculous.

He had considered that Doulu Zhuo and his men might arrange for someone to assassinate him when he appeared, and he had also considered that they might gather their servants to cause trouble. However, as time went on, he really lost interest in Doulu Zhuo's hesitant approach.

With such indecisive personalities, it's no wonder that people like Doulu Zhuo and Zhang Zhifang were wiped out by Huang Chao's men.

Assassinations are best done as quickly as possible, as exemplified by Lan Jing's assassination of Gao Cheng and Yuan Ziyou's assassination of Erzhu Rong.

This kind of assassination, which is carried out immediately after the idea is conceived, is undoubtedly the assassination with the highest success rate.

Other assassinations, the longer they are planned, the easier it is for them to be leaked, which is foolish.

"This group is far too slow. We must deal with them before the new dynasty takes effect, in order to prevent further entanglement."

Liu Jilong glanced at Zhao Ying, signaling him to find a way to force Doulu Zhuo and his group to take a risk.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ying quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have already investigated and found out that Doulu Zhu has ordered people to open up a small path in the southern mountains to bypass Yique Pass."

"Furthermore, according to their letters and the correspondence of their servants, they had connections with Song Zhen, the deputy commander of the Second Battalion of the Second Army of the Eastern Province of Shannan."

"Song Zhen?" Liu Jilong felt the name sounded familiar, but Zhao Ying simply explained;

"This man was a former general from the Kansai region who surrendered to our army. He later performed well in battle and was promoted to the rank of deputy general to garrison Dengzhou."

"Besides Song Zhen, Zhang Chengfan, the deputy commander of the Third Battalion of the First Army of Jiangnan West Circuit, also corresponded with Pei Che. It seems that they relied on these two people."

As the Jianghuai army expanded by 120,000, many generals were promoted, including Ge Congzhou, Zhang Guiba, Zhang Chengfan, and Song Zhen.

Liu Jilong didn't know what benefits Doulu Zhuo and Pei Che had given them, but since they were involved in this matter, it gave Liu Jilong the opportunity to be implicated.

"Keep a close eye on them, see who has close ties with them, and see how many people can be implicated."

"Yes!"

At Liu Jilong's command, Zhao Ying respectfully agreed and offered, "If Your Majesty permits, I would like to use the Prince of Longxi's departure from the city to lure these people into a rebellion ahead of time..."

Zhao Ying revealed his plan, which was simply to release information in advance that Li Yi would go out of the city to inspect the progress of Shangyang Palace, in order to test whether Doulu Zhuo and others had the courage to kidnap Li Yi and head south.

This matter had little impact on Liu Jilong, so he simply nodded and said, "As long as Li Yi's safety is protected, you can decide the rest."

"Your subject will remember!"

Zhao Ying nodded in agreement, and seeing that Liu Jilong had no further instructions, he carefully withdrew from the main hall.

The following day, news spread throughout Ziwei City that Li Yi was going to Shangyang Palace on the fifth day of the eleventh lunar month, and it quickly reached Doulu Zhuo's knowledge.

He remained calm and collected, simply requesting a three-day leave from the Southern Office and quietly went into hiding.

If Zhang Zhifang and Pei Che hadn't come to him, he probably wouldn't have decided whether to take action.

"His Majesty went out of the city to inspect Shangyang Palace on the fifth day of the eleventh lunar month. This is the best opportunity for us. I wonder what Brother Xizhen is waiting for?"

Pei Che could hardly contain his emotions, and Zhang Zhifang next to him also looked at Doulu Zhuo with a grim expression.

Faced with their gazes, Doulu Zhuo merely frowned and said, "I just feel that this news is a bit too sudden."

"What's so sudden?" Pei Che couldn't help but ask.
"Your Majesty was already fed up with Liu Jilong's interference. He was very eager when he abdicated. Now that Liu Jilong has finally accepted the abdication, Zhang Ying has even reduced the number of guards around Your Majesty by more than half. It is clear that Liu Jilong no longer values ​​Your Majesty."

"If we can seize this opportunity to rescue His Majesty and eliminate Liu Jilong, this traitor, then the world will be in chaos, and who will care about His Majesty then?"

"Using the methods we had previously arranged, once the north was pacified, we would have already led His Majesty into Lingnan."

"Even if we cannot establish ourselves in Lingnan, we can flee to the southern barbarians or Champa. If all else fails, we can go to Southeast Asia!"

In recent days, Pei Che has thought through all their options, and even the Southern Barbarians, who were once their mortal enemies, have now become their lifeline.

For this reason, Zhang Zhifang couldn't help but express his approval of his words, while Doulu Zhuo remained hesitant.

"There are still more than ten days left. I'll consider it..."

Doulu Zhuo's words displeased Pei Che and Zhang Zhifang, and the two stood up one after the other, looking at Doulu Zhuo with furrowed brows.

"Five days. We'll give Brother Xizhen a maximum of five days. After five days, regardless of whether Brother Xizhen agrees or not, we will take action!"

Pei Che left a message and then took Zhang Zhifang away from Doulu Zhuo's residence.

Watching them leave, Doulu Zhuo still felt something was wrong, even thinking that this was a message Liu Jilong had released to mislead them, but he also knew that everyone really couldn't wait any longer.

If they were to actually see Liu Jilong ascend the throne and establish a new dynasty, treating the Tang Dynasty as a bygone era, these former officials would probably die of anger on the spot.

Thinking of this, Doulu Zhu summoned two servants and instructed them: "Send men to travel around the eastern capital and Luoyang city to see if there are any signs of troop movements in the various units."

"Yes!"

The two agreed, and then, as Doulu Zhuo instructed, they each led their men to gather information inside and outside Luoyang.

Five days passed by as Doulu Zhuo made careful preparations. When he learned that the Han army had not made any changes and was still in the same arrangement as before, his anxiety gradually subsided.

He didn't alert anyone, but simply ordered his servants to bribe the night watchmen and some elderly people who swept the streets, so that they could pass the message on to Pei Che, Zhang Zhifang and others.

【However, we will send our servants out of the city first, prepare weapons and armor, and seize Your Majesty when you leave the city, thus eliminating the traitor to the nation. We can then restore the Tang Dynasty and preserve Emperor Taizong's legacy.】

"it is good!"

Inside Chengfu Lane, when Pei Che, sitting in his study, saw the message sent by Doulu Zhuo, he couldn't help but exclaim "Good!"

The head steward of the household, standing in the study, couldn't help but cast a curious glance at him, and Pei Che, sensing this, asked him:
"How many servants are there in the mansion, and how many of them are strong enough to wield an archer?"

"Reporting to the Vice Minister, there are a total of 265 servants in the mansion, of whom 142 are skilled archers and guards, and 30 are proficient in archery and horsemanship."

The steward respectfully explained the situation in the manor, and Pei Che nodded in satisfaction.

Officials in the imperial court were normally allowed to keep servants. Those below the third rank could only keep a few dozen servants, while those above the third rank could keep a hundred or so. This was in order to avoid being impeached for extravagance and overstepping their bounds.

However, since the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty, the social atmosphere has changed drastically. The court no longer cared about such trivial matters. Therefore, how many servants an official could keep depended entirely on the strength of his household and the prestige of his clan.

Pei Che came from a prominent family, so keeping more than two hundred servants was nothing to him. Even if his salary couldn't support them, if he used the wealth accumulated by the Pei family, he could support more than two thousand servants, let alone more than two hundred.

"Have all the family's farmland, houses, villas, and forests been sold?"

Pei Che asked the steward, who replied without hesitation, "The world has just been pacified, and many wealthy families have died in the war, leaving the poor far outnumbered."

"The more than 30,000 mu of farmland in Mengzhou has not yet been sold off, but the more than 800 mu of fertile land around Luoyang and the three villas outside the city have already been sold off."

"Currently, the mansion has a total of 176,000 coins and silk, while the ironworks outside the city have a hundred sets of armor, three hundred pieces of military equipment, and thirty fine horses."

"Good!" Upon hearing what the steward said, Pei Che couldn't help but stand up and applaud, then gave the order;

“They sold the land and forests of Mengzhou cheaply, and all the money and silk they obtained were sent south to Lingnan via the Grand Canal.”

"Send forty-two servants to escort the young lady and 100,000 coins and silk southward. Order that the remaining coins and silk be distributed to the servants who are capable of fighting, and have them send twenty men out of the city every day to get used to the armor and weapons in advance."

"The rest will be distributed?" The steward gasped upon hearing this. If the more than 70,000 coins and silk were distributed equally among the hundred servants, each of them would receive more than 700 strings of cash.

This amount of money would take an ordinary servant more than ten years to accumulate, even for a seventh-rank official.

Judging from the expression on his own minister's face, they were probably ready to take action.

Thinking of this, the head of the household swallowed hard, and said with a hint of panic, "I will make the arrangements right away."

"Go!" Pei Che waved his hand, ordering the steward to leave the study.

Before long, the steward organized guards to escort Pei Che's family south. To appease everyone, he gave each person fifty strings of cash as a resettlement allowance and promised that they could return to Luoyang once they were escorted to Guangzhou.

The following day, after they escorted Pei Che's family south, the steward and Pei Che gathered the remaining servants and placed more than 70,000 strings of cash in the courtyard.

More than 70,000 strings of well-preserved copper coins and a small amount of silver were laid out before them, exuding a unique aura that made one's breath heavy.

When Pei Che ordered everyone to line up and carry boxes of copper coins and silver home, the heavy breathing of all the servants instantly stopped.

Those who were chosen as household servants in those days were not fools. Seeing so much money and silk being distributed in the mansion, they immediately knew that it was a settlement allowance.

They were naturally afraid, but people die for wealth and birds die for food. Seven hundred strings of cash was an amount they could only earn by working as servants for thirty or forty years without eating or drinking.

With this money, the family could buy dozens of acres of fertile land and several capable oxen, turning themselves from poor to rich in one fell swoop.

While they were still hesitating, the money had already been divided up, and Pei Che even burned their indentures. Then he addressed the crowd:
“Your contracts have all been burned. Those who wish to follow may stay, and those who do not wish may take their money and silk and leave.”

"I am deeply grateful for your protection in this life, and I have no way to repay you. I can only offer you this money and silk so that you can enjoy your old age in peace after returning to your hometown."

Pei Che didn't make any demands, but the servants could guess what he wanted to do.

After his explanation, none of the servants left. Perhaps they were afraid that Pei Che would change his mind, or perhaps they were afraid that Pei Che had an ambush outside. In any case, they all stayed.

Seeing that they had all stayed, Pei Che nodded and said, "In that case, I will give you five days to settle in. After five days, please come to the River Villa for a gathering."

"Shenyuan, on behalf of the world, thanks you all..."

Pei Che bowed deeply to everyone, and everyone returned the bow. Then, under the arrangement of the steward, they left the city.

This practice was not limited to a single household, but extended to dozens or even hundreds of households, resulting in a significant increase in the number of people leaving the city through the city gates.

The spies Zhao Ying had planted in Luoyang quickly informed Zhao Ying of this matter, and Zhao Ying hurriedly told Liu Jilong about it.

“Each official’s residence sent servants out of the city, and most of them were strong and skilled in archery and horsemanship.”

"If my prediction is correct, this is the first move by Doulu Zhuo and his men. They are clearly planning to kidnap the Prince of Longxi on the fifth day of the month."

"Now, as long as we follow the steps, we can wipe out this group of people in one fell swoop."

"But before that, Your Majesty, please do not appear before your ministers, lest some villains plot against you."

Inside the study of the imperial palace, Zhao Ying respectfully reported the intelligence she had gathered to Liu Jilong, and carefully reminded Liu Jilong not to show himself and take risks at this time.

Faced with the reminder, Liu Jilong, who was playing chess with Jing Xiang at the moment, did not respond immediately. Instead, he instructed Zhao Ying without turning his head: "Find out how many people they have dispatched. Under no circumstances should the Prince of Longxi be injured."

"Your subject will remember!" Zhao Ying hurriedly replied, and then, seeing that Liu Jilong had not given any further instructions, he rose and slowly withdrew from the study.

After he left, Jing Xiang, who was playing chess with Liu Jilong, couldn't help but say, "After this matter is dealt with, we can start planning the ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven and establishing the nation."

"The Southern Court has sent over several reign titles, namely Kaiping, Qianyou, Qiande, and Kaibao. Your Majesty is requested to choose one."

Jingxiang asked tentatively, and Liu Jilong found it strange, but he didn't have many requirements regarding the reign title.

Personally, he preferred the reign titles of Emperor Wu of Han (Liu Che), Emperor Guangwu of Zhao (Zhao Kuangyin), Emperor Hongwu of Zhu Yuanzhang, and Emperor Yongle, which was used by many people.

However, Liu Che's Tianhan was already a thing of the past, and he could not use it, so he could only choose one of the other three.

Therefore, after Jingxiang inquired, Liu Jilong took the initiative to say, "I have thought of a few reign titles myself, you can choose one for me."

What do you think of the reign titles Jianlong, Hongwu, and Yongle?

Liu Jilong took the initiative to ask, but Jingxiang shook his head and said, "Jianlong has the same name as His Majesty, so we need to avoid using it. It might not be appropriate."

“Hongwu, I have never seen this meaning in the book, but it should be derived from Hong Dawu’s martial prowess.”

"Now that the world has just been settled, the people need to rest and recuperate. Taking Hongwu as our leader would probably cause misunderstandings among the people."

"While the Yongle reign title is good, it was previously used by Zhang Chonghua of the Former Liang dynasty. If Your Majesty wishes to use it, you will likely need to persuade the officials."

As soon as Jing Xiang spoke, he rejected all three reign titles that Liu Jilong had thought of, which made Liu Jilong somewhat depressed.

He truly didn't know that the reign title Yongle was so sought after that someone had already used it.

Seeing Liu Jilong's attitude, Jing Xiang seemed to realize that he had been too harsh, so he tentatively asked:
"How about we make a slight modification and change it to Jianyan, Hongxian, or Yongli?"

After Jing Xiang said this, Liu Jilong's face darkened even more.

In Jing Xiang's view, there was no problem with the three reign titles, but in Liu Jilong's mind, it was not so.

He had heard of these three reign titles and even knew who the emperors represented by them were.

However, this is not Jing Xiang's fault. After all, there were too many emperors in later generations, and the better reign titles in the Book of Changes had long been used. Except for a few people, Liu Jilong felt uncomfortable using other people's reign titles.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong waved his hand and said, "Although I take Hongwu, I do not do so for grand martial arts, but rather to govern the world with Hongwu and pacify the four directions with Wu."

"You shall send someone to tell the Southern Court that the reign title of the Great Han Dynasty shall be Hongwu, and instruct them to inform all prefectures and counties in all directions to change the reign title of the following year to Hongwu."

“Yes…” Hearing that Liu Jilong insisted on choosing Hongwu, Jing Xiang had no choice but to nod and agree.

After finishing the game of chess, Jingxiang hurriedly went to the South Office, where he indeed suffered a setback.

Clearly, the officials were somewhat dissatisfied with the reign title Hongwu, but since Liu Jilong had already decided on it, they had no choice but to accept it and send messengers to various prefectures and provinces to avoid the mistake of using the Qianfu reign title again the following year.

Two hours later, countless fast horses galloped out of the gates of Luoyang, a sight that made Doulu Zhuo and others with ulterior motives very uneasy.

However, after learning that the fast horse was only going out of the city to deliver the new dynasty's reign title, they gradually felt relieved and transferred their servants to the outside of the city one after another, and prepared to kidnap Li Yi and head south on the fifth day of the eleventh lunar month.

Over the next few days, the city of Luoyang appeared unchanged, but the number of able-bodied men entering and leaving the city increased significantly.

Li Yi was unaware of this matter. At this moment, he felt relieved, and even his rest and meals tasted better.

As the fifth day of the eleventh lunar month approached, the emperor's carriage was ready outside Ziwei City, with more than five hundred cavalry and infantrymen in armor serving as his escort as he left the city.

Li Yi sat in the carriage, amidst the laughter of women, clearly having a great time.

Zhao Ying and Zhang Ying exchanged glances and nodded, then led their entourage slowly out of the city through Xuanhui Gate. Meanwhile, in the Southern Office of the Imperial City, countless eyes witnessed Li Yi boarding the carriage and heading out of the city.

"Let's leave the city."

Upon receiving the news, officials such as Doulu Zhuo and Pei Che began to leave the city.

Two hours later, as the cold wind fluttered the banners, the Shangyang Palace outside Luoyang City began to take shape.

"Your Highness, we have arrived at Shangyang Palace."

Ximen Jun then spoke to Li Yi inside the carriage, reminding him that the flirtatious chatter inside the carriage suddenly stopped and fell silent.

The doors of the grand carriage, pulled by six horses, were opened, and Li Yi, looking even more energetic than he had a few months ago, stepped down from the carriage, followed by two beautiful concubines.

Li Yi looked up and saw a five-zhang-high platform rising on the plain, with a three-zhang-high rammed earth wall standing on it.

On and around the high platform, there were countless laborers, mostly dressed in the same style of padded jackets and cloth shoes. They must have been given these by the government, otherwise, given their circumstances, they certainly wouldn't have been willing to buy these padded jackets and cloth shoes.

"Your Highness, the Shangyang Palace is only in its initial stages now. Once the city walls are covered with bricks, it will surely be a hundred times more magnificent than it is now."

"Ah."

Li Yi was not interested, after all, he knew that his final destination was Longxi, so he was not interested in Shangyang Palace, his temporary residence.

If Zhang Ying hadn't asked him to leave the palace, he wouldn't have wanted to leave the warm palace in this freezing weather and come to see the unfinished Shangyang Palace in the cold wind.

"I've already seen Shangyang Palace. I wonder when I'll be able to return?"

Li Yi asked a question, but Zhang Ying and Zhao Ying rode up from the front and bowed to Li Yi from horseback.

"Your Highness has only seen the outside; you have not yet thoroughly examined the palace inside. Please, Your Highness, proceed to the palace."

Seeing that it was Zhang Ying who came to persuade him, Li Yi, though unwilling, nodded nonetheless:

"If that's the case, then I'll go and take a look."

He and the others walked towards Shangyang Palace. It was only a distance of about three hundred steps. The group did not walk fast, and there were only a dozen or so guards at the city gate.

Upon arriving at the city gate, Zhang Ying instructed Ximen Junsui and Yang Gongqing to take Li Yi to see the situation inside Shangyang Palace. Afterwards, she and Zhao Ying stayed where they were.

The two looked down from the high platform, where thousands of laborers were leveling the road in front of the palace, seemingly to build a flat square.

Amidst this bustling scene, Zhang Ying and Zhao Ying rested their hands on the hilts of the swords at their waists. Meanwhile, many of the thousands of laborers left the area by carrying soil and pushing carts.

After many twists and turns, they finally met a large group of farmers at the foot of Xiong'er Mountain, west of Shangyang Palace.

These farmers, with their bulging coats, were all around twenty or thirty years old.

Not far away were oxen and thatched huts for storing farm tools or for resting, while the farmers were driving the oxen to turn the soil, their eyes constantly looking around, as if waiting for something.

Seeing more than ten laborers pushing a cart approaching, they all turned their gazes toward them. These laborers then went to one of the thatched huts on either side of the official road.

Upon entering the hut, Zhang Zhi, clad in armor, stood up from his chair, and the leading laborer quickly bowed and said:

"His Majesty alighted from the carriage outside Shangyang Palace and is now walking into the palace."

"There are five hundred soldiers in Shangyang Palace, and there are also five hundred soldiers who escorted His Majesty here, and they are well-armored."

Upon learning of this, Zhang Zhifang frowned slightly, but did not back down. Instead, he turned and instructed another general dressed in armor:
"The entire army should be covered in thick coats, so that their armor is not visible. Follow His Majesty's carriage closely, and only make your move after you hear the bugle call from the city."

"Yes!" the general replied without hesitation, and soon people began running between the various thatched huts on both sides of the official road.

After their journey ended, hundreds of people with bulging coats boarded oxcarts that had been prepared beforehand and headed towards Luoyang.

Apart from the seating area, the oxcart was filled with various dried meats and preserved fruits for camouflage.

Hundreds of people may seem like a lot, but when they are dispersed and mixed in with the people heading to Luoyang, they are spaced out and don't look particularly noticeable.

As these hundreds of people set off, dozens of familiar officials who had just come out of the city gathered on the second floor of a tavern in the market outside Xuanhui Gate.

Doulu Zhu, who had changed into plain clothes, looked at everyone and then said, "His Majesty has already left the city. Now we just need to wait for the carriage to return before we can make our move here."

"Isn't this too dangerous?" Pei Che, also dressed in plain clothes, frowned as he looked at him, then glanced furtively at the gloomy weather outside the window.

"The Xuanhui Sect members are only about two hundred paces away from here. If we cannot rescue His Majesty immediately, we will probably all be left here."

Pei Che's words were also something that everyone was worried about, after all, they did not expect that Doulu Zhuo would choose to kidnap the emperor so close to the imperial city.

"The success or failure of this matter hinges on this. I have already made arrangements for the backup plan. Luoyang will surely be in chaos soon."

Doulu Zhu spoke with absolute certainty, and the ministers, having no doubts, could only wait quietly.

The markets outside Luoyang were not as regulated as those inside the city. The tavern where Doulu Zhuo and his group hid was actually a tavern located on the side street.

Li Yi's carriage will definitely pass by here later, and they can rescue Li Yi from here and take the small road south to the East Mountain Road.

Thinking of this, everyone became nervous. On the first floor of the tavern below them, dozens of diners were eating with their heads down, but their movements were slow, and their eyes were always fixed on the outside of the tavern.

There are seven or eight similar taverns along the street, but most of them are not much different from this one.

Behind the tavern, in the courtyard, hundreds of strong men in armor were crouching and guarding the place, each breathing heavily and extremely tense.

Despite it being the dead of winter, many people still had beads of sweat on their foreheads.

They clearly knew that today's events were fraught with peril, but they had already received money from the head of the family, enough to ensure their families and descendants would have no worries about food and drink for decades. This was the reason why they did it despite knowing it was impossible.

Meanwhile, Li Yi, who was inside Shangyang Palace, toured the palace and came out with great satisfaction.

Upon meeting Zhang Ying and Zhao Ying, he couldn't help but comment, "Although it's not as good as Ziwei City, it's not inferior to Yuanbi City, the East City, and the West City."

"I'm glad Your Highness is satisfied. However, please change your clothes and stay in Shangyang Palace for a while longer."

Zhao Ying bowed respectfully. Even if Li Yi was slow to react, he could tell something was wrong and looked at Zhang Ying with fear.

Although Zhang Ying looked down on Li Yi and even wanted to get rid of him, Liu Jilong had given orders not to let Li Yi get hurt, so he could only calmly say:
“Thieves attempted to kidnap Your Highness, and the advisors were all concerned for Your Highness’s safety.”

"Good!" Upon hearing Zhang Ying's words, Li Yi breathed a sigh of relief and guessed that the group that tried to kidnap him was probably the same group behind Wei Zhaodu back then.

Thinking of this, he obediently led the two concubines to change their clothes, while Zhao Ying also found three men of similar build to them.

As they changed clothes, Zhao Ying dispatched over a hundred soldiers to protect the palace where Li Yi was resting, and then led Zhang Ying and the three disguised men out of Shangyang Palace.

Under the protection of soldiers, the three successfully boarded the large carriage and rested inside.

"Let's head back to the palace!"

Zhao Ying turned his horse around, gave instructions to more than four hundred cavalry and infantrymen, and then led his troops toward Xuanhui Gate of the Luoyang Imperial City.

When Zhang Zhifang, who was mingling among the common people in the distance, saw "Li Yi" board the imperial carriage and head towards the capital under the protection of the procession, he immediately quickened his pace.

After several years of peace, the population around Luoyang has recovered to 200,000.

Tens of thousands of people enter and leave Luoyang every day, and hundreds or even thousands of people often travel on the official roads, so these few hundred people were not conspicuous after they were scattered.

At least in Zhang Zhifang's view, the Han army had no reason to discover him.

However, to Zhao Ying, Zhang Zhifang and his group's methods were full of loopholes.

Needless to say, even Zhang Ying noticed the group's presence and couldn't help but scoff, "A bunch of chickens and dogs."

"They have a backup plan in the market outside Xuanhui Gate, so caution is advised."

Zhao Ying reminded Zhang Ying, and Zhang Ying also slightly composed herself. The two of them silently led several hundred Han cavalry and infantrymen toward the civilian market a few miles away.

Before long, the procession of more than 400 people crossed the archway of the market and walked under the archway into the main street of the market.

"coming!"

Pei Che, who had been keeping a close watch, spotted the Han army returning immediately and looked nervously at Doulu Zhuo sitting in a chair.

Doulu Zhuo was uneasy, but he still tried to remain calm: "The main street in the market is three hundred paces long. When His Majesty's carriage arrives in front of the tavern, I will have someone sound the horn and start the attack."

His words won the approval of the crowd, and countless people on the street retreated to both sides of the street after the arrival of the Han army.

The main street of the market, which was ten zhang wide, became somewhat narrow after more than four hundred cavalry and infantrymen and their large chariots entered.

They weren't moving fast; the distance from the archway to where Doulu Zhuo and his men were lying in ambush was only about 150 steps, but it took them a full half-cup of tea time to walk there.

While the officials were on edge, a commotion arose at the city gate, which was then suddenly closed, and the Han army troops that had been marching came to a halt.

"Blow the horn!!"

Doulu Zhuo gripped the hem of his cloth robe tightly and suddenly spoke in a raised voice.

Upon seeing this, the servants who had been waiting for a long time immediately opened the window, took out the bull horn, and blew it.

"Uuuuuu——"

"kill!!"

In an instant, many servants wearing thick coats rushed out from several taverns and alleys. They were armed with sharp weapons and wore masks. They surrounded the four hundred infantrymen from all sides to restrict the cavalry's charge.

"Protect His Highness!!"

"Dismount and form ranks!"

"Run-"

Zhao Ying and Zhang Ying spoke sternly, and the cavalry and infantry dismounted and formed ranks.

These servants, armed with daggers and clubs, poured into the streets from the taverns and alleys, frightening the civilians who scattered in all directions, while the Han soldiers formed ranks to protect themselves.

"kill!!"

"boom……"

Spears and clubs clashed repeatedly, and daggers slashed at the Han army's armor. Although they could not break through the defenses, they did cause the Han army to make some mistakes.

At this moment, windows on the second floor of the building across the street opened one after another, and countless crossbows shot towards the Han army. Doulu Zhu shouted hurriedly, "Don't hurt His Majesty!!"

Upon seeing this, the Han army's slingers, who served as reinforcements from the rear of the battle line, launched a fierce attack against the group of assassins on the second floor.

With the Han army's skill in shooting from eight paces away, these assassins, who were not protected by armor, were continuously shot to death in the private room on the second floor.

"Beep--"

A piercing whistle rang out, and Doulu Zhuo's expression changed drastically: "Rescue His Majesty first, don't get entangled with them!!"

At his prompting, the assassins gradually approached the chariot, and the Han army, like weaklings, was easily broken through.

"drive!!"

Two assassins rushed onto the large carriage, shook the reins, and tried to break through the encirclement under the cover of the surrounding assassins.

However, with the Han army pressing in from all sides, they eventually had no choice but to abandon the large carriage and pull out "Li Yi," who was dressed in ordinary clothes.

"Protect His Majesty!!"

Upon seeing the figure dressed in the emperor's everyday clothes appear, Doulu Zhu immediately gave instructions and then looked at the officials behind him: "Let's go!"

At his command, everyone left through the small courtyard behind the tavern, while the Han army continued to fight the assassins left behind to cover their retreat.

With over a hundred assassins covering their exit from the marketplace, Pei Che finally had time to ask, "Why did the Han army close the city gates?!"

Upon hearing this, Doulu Zhuo's eyes lit up: "It seems the traitor has been eliminated!"

Before Pei Che could process the news, he saw the crowd rushing out of the city and also saw the figure surrounded by assassins.

"His Majesty!"

Pei Che excitedly stepped forward, only to see that the man looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old. He had just shaved his beard clean, and his expression was one of fear and disarray. There was even a wet patch between his legs, and he looked extremely timid.

"Who are you?!"

Pei Che was stunned for a moment, and Doulu Zhu, who had caught up, also realized what was happening and loudly questioned the man's identity.

"Drive, drive, drive..."

As they questioned each other, dust rose in the distance, and the sound of horses' hooves pressed down on everyone's hearts like muffled thunder.

Several thousand elite cavalrymen arrived carrying the banners of the Han Dynasty and soon completely surrounded the market outside Xuanhui Gate.

The assassins surrounding Doulu Zhuo and his men formed ranks, but compared to the thousands of elite cavalry, they were like small boats on the sea, too weak to be noticed.

Under their watchful eyes, one of the elite cavalrymen shook the reins and stepped out. Even from dozens of paces away, it was still clear that this person had an outstanding appearance.

"Zhang Yanhui, the Left General of the Imperial Guard, has been waiting here for Minister Doulu for a long time, by order of His Majesty!"

Zhang Yanhui introduced himself and even directly stated Doulu Zhuo's name and official position, which caused Doulu Zhuo and the others' expressions to change drastically.

"The traitor Liu Jilong knew all along that I was going to raise an army?!"

Doulu Zhuo's face was grim. He felt like a peddler putting on a show, while Liu Jilong was just a spectator watching the spectacle.

In response to Doulu Zhu's question, Zhang Yanhui chuckled and said, "In the entire city of Luoyang, how many people don't know what you're thinking?"

"Do you really think that the people you've won over are all planning to rebel with you?"

"If His Majesty had not failed to issue the decree, your heads would already be hanging high beneath the city gates!"

"But it's not too late now. Your heads should fall into my hands and bring me military merit!"

As soon as Zhang Yanhui finished speaking, he turned his horse around and returned to the formation, his figure gradually disappearing.

"Uuuuuu——"

As the bugle sounded, thousands of elite cavalrymen raised their lances and shook their reins to urge their horses forward.

Amidst the thunderous sound of horses' hooves, Doulu Zhuo and his men, numbering only about two hundred, drew their decorative swords from their waists.

"The plan failed; it was fate!"

"A true man serves his country today! Even in the afterlife, he can still show his loyalty to Emperor Taizong! Kill him!!"

Doulu Zhuo and his men shouted for battle in a spirit of bravery, but when the Han army's iron cavalry rolled in, they were like mantises trying to stop a cartwheel, leaving no sound before being swallowed up by the dust.

At the same time, Zhang Zhifang, who was leading the rearguard, also saw that the Han army's iron cavalry had pacified Doulu Zhuo and others and were beginning to approach the civilian market.

At this moment, the city was surrounded by elite Han cavalry from all directions, making the thousand-odd assassins seem particularly ridiculous under the hooves of these thousands of elite cavalry.

Lacking long spears and lances, they were no match for the elite cavalry that outnumbered them several times over, relying solely on their clubs.

Shouts of killing echoed throughout the city as Zhao Ying, Zhang Ying, and others, along with infantry and cavalry, relentlessly slaughtered all the assassins in the streets and alleys.

Aside from a hundred or so survivors, the rest were reduced to corpses, their blood staining the streets outside Xuanhui Gate.

Zhang Yanhui rode in on horseback, followed by more than ten drum carts.

However, the military drums on these drum carts have all disappeared, replaced by three thick pillars on each cart.

The bodies of dozens of officials, including Doulu Zhuo, Pei Che, Zhang Zhifang, and Cui Hang, who had already died, were hung on pillars and colliding with the carriage in the air, dripping blood.

Xuanhui Gate slowly opened at this moment, and Zhang Yanhui led the dozen or so drum carts and the corpses of dozens of officials through the Xuanhui Gate passageway and into the Imperial City's main street.

Hundreds of officials had gathered at the entrances of the government offices on both sides of the street.

The civilian market outside Xuanhui Gate was only about a mile away from the various government offices of the imperial city, so the loud shouts of battle could not escape their notice.

Although they had already guessed, many officials still couldn't help but feel a chill when they saw Zhang Yanhui leading thousands of elite cavalry into the imperial city and parking the carts with corpses hanging on them in front of the various government offices.

Zhang Yanhui turned his horse around and raised his voice to the officials around him: "The traitors Doulu Zhuo, Zhang Zhifang, Pei Che, Cui Hang and forty-nine others led an attack on the carriage of the Prince of Longxi. They have now been executed."

"By order of His Majesty, I have led troops to arrest the officials who colluded with him in the rebellion. Anyone who disobeys will be executed on the spot!"

As soon as he finished speaking, many officials turned even paler, but they still clung to a sliver of hope.

Under their watchful eyes, Zhang Yanhui took out a booklet from the side pocket of the saddle, and all the elite cavalrymen dismounted and prepared.

"Left Vice Minister Li Pu, Assistant Minister Li Tiao, Heir Apparent Prince Li Zhen, Gentleman of the Palace Zhang She, Imperial Academy Doctor Wang..."

"This is a false accusation!! How could a loyal subject like myself participate in a rebellion!"

"Absurd! I have never met with that traitor Doulu!"

"Um..."

Countless officials stood before the yamen, their fingers trembling as they tried to argue with Zhang Yanhui, but before they could speak, the swarming Imperial Guards on the left clenched their fists, their throats gurgling.

At this moment, the names Zhang Yanhui called out were like a call to arms. As soon as someone was called, soldiers from the Left Guard of the Imperial Guard would come to arrest them.

They completely ignored the officials' cries of injustice and coldly arrested all those whose names were mentioned.

If anyone tried to resist, a soldier would snatch the scepter and strike their face, causing them to vomit blood and have their teeth and flesh fall out.

Because of their brutal methods, whenever they grabbed someone from the crowd, the faces of the surrounding officials would turn pale.

Even officials from Longyou and Guanzhong dared not make a sound at this moment. They all stood still with their heads down, only able to watch out of the corner of their eyes as the group of officials who had been talking to them just moments before were forcibly dragged away by the Left Guard of the Imperial Guard.

The official robes that symbolized their status were torn to shreds, the scepter was carelessly thrown on the ground, and the turbans and crowns were scattered all over the place.

They not only arrested officials outside the capital, but also took away officials who were on duty in the Southern Palace.

Thousands of soldiers from the Left Guard of the Imperial Guards took all the offending officials away in pairs. In the end, due to a shortage of manpower, the Right Guard of the Imperial Guards was even transferred in.

This farce lasted from afternoon until dusk. Even as the evening drums sounded, the soldiers of the Imperial Guards on both the left and right sides continued to arrest officials in the imperial city.

As darkness fell, the soldiers of the Jinwu Guard and the Shenwu and Longwu armies within the city raised their torches and moved through the streets and alleys.

Even the evening drumbeats of Luoyang couldn't drown out the sound of their footsteps as they arrested corrupt officials...

(End of this chapter)