The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 174 Chu Ge
"In October of the winter of the first year of Tongguang, Wang Yanzhang's army was defeated and the Tang army was about to arrive. The emperor placed the national treasure in his bedroom, but it was soon stolen by his attendants. He summoned Huangfu Lin and said to him, "We have been enemies for generations. You can kill me and don't let me fall into the hands of our enemies." Lin refused. The emperor said, "You can't bear it and will sell me out!" Lin raised a knife to commit suicide, but the emperor held back and cried. As a last resort, he stabbed the emperor in the corridor of the Jianguo Tower, and Lin committed suicide immediately." - Annals of the Five Dynasties.

The moon hangs high in the west, and its silver light fills the sky.

The spring nights in Henan are as dead silent as a grave. The swollen remains of muddy water plants float down the Luo River, covering most of the river surface, and covering this cold night with layers of ghost miasma. Occasionally, a low roar of rat mouth and canine teeth makes people feel desolate.

"What a smell! Bitter, astringent, and smelly."

"Are you blind?"

"Damn, there are still fingers."

"None of the more than 1,000 generals sent out from Luoyang survived, and Han Jian was chopped into pieces. The right wing of the Guangsheng Army, which was transferred from the capital to Shanzhou for defense, also had a hard time fighting. They were not good at riding and could not use the horse lance well, so they were chopped like straw men by the barbarians. The Queen Mother's brother Zhang Xian was even captured. Alas, what a battle this was!"

"It's so funny. You don't want to be an infantry soldier, but want to learn horse fighting. Can you learn it by just practicing? You can call yourself a cavalry just because you ride a horse? Guangsheng Army deserves this defeat. Anyway, I won't be a cavalry soldier no matter how much reward you give me. I know my own weight."

"When heroes compete for supremacy, it is a feast for a few people. For us... Hey, all the villagers who served in the army with me are dead. One of my two brothers died in the battle against Wei and was buried in the Qi River. The other was cast under the Tongguan Tower. It's very tragic. I don't know how long I can live. They always talk about rewards. As soon as my eldest brother died, my eldest sister-in-law, that bitch, abandoned my niece and took the money he earned from his life and ran away with a wild man. Haha."

"I'll help you divide up the whole family of that bitch sooner or later!"

The soldiers were talking at once, while Niu Cunjie stopped his horse at the river bank, staring at the still image without moving.

After twenty years of military service, from being a soldier in Qingzhou to being the governor of Heyang, his life has undergone tremendous changes, but is he satisfied?

The parents are gone, and the son wants to take care of them but they are no longer around. The childhood sweetheart left his wife to another man. The partners who fought together since childhood, you became a general and I became a soldier, disappeared. In the middle of the night, I suddenly dreamed of my youth, and cried in my dream, my makeup was stained with tears; I gained wealth, but also lost too much.

Has the ideal of "selecting a wise leader to settle troubled times" been obscured?

Is the ambition of "swearing to wipe out the Huns at all costs" still burning?

After ten years, my self-warning of “seeking wealth and honor, but not losing loyalty and filial piety” has been shaken.

It has been ten years, and I can’t even remember how many people I have killed, but there is still no sign of peace in the world.

Some of the friends who accompanied him returned to Qingzhou in despair, some became suspicious murderers, some spent their days in debauchery, and some were eaten. He himself became a thief who was condemned by everyone and became a murderer who brought disaster to the people...

Niu Cunjie was very confused.

I don't know what I'm busy with.

Is it wrong to serve His Majesty? Is His Majesty a liar who deceives the world and steals his reputation?

He was very tired. He didn't know what he wanted, he had lost his goal, and he had no motivation to move forward. All he did now was to numbly continue to follow his late father's will - "fight to bring order to the chaos", but it was becoming increasingly difficult to convince himself.

The war is becoming increasingly brutal.

Corpses floated one after another in the Luo River.

People in Henan Prefecture sold their children.

Cries and shouts from Bian, Song, Cao, Pu, and Hua were heard from villages and markets one after another. One by one, men and women were taken away from their dilapidated houses, holes in the ground, and fields. Cart after cart of soldiers were taken back to Bianliang as salted corpses. Groups of deserters were taken back to the barracks and had their faces burned with irons. The warriors who dared to make noises were shot dead at the gate, with huge holes in their chests and blood gushing out. In serious cases, their torsos were dismantled and piled up at the roadside for public display.

He was in his forties, but he wanted to have a good cry.

What I care about is the people of the world, but what I do is the troubled times. I have had the urge to leave His Majesty countless times, but I can never make up my mind. A usurper who seeks revenge on his emperor, a devil who brings disaster to the world, should be condemned by the whole world. But because he has done me a favor, I have been reluctant to rebel and have been his lackey for a long time. What kind of person am I...

A few old tears.

Sliding down sadly.

Painful spasms ran through my intestines.

"Let's go." Niu Cunjie said softly.

The soldiers were in an uproar again.

"Damn Wang Yanzhang. He was told not to pull Li Sheng's beard, but he forced it! Now he has lost many soldiers and horses, and we have to clean up the mess. Crazy dog slave, fuck his sisters!"

"General. The imperial court cannot invade Tong and Pu with 150,000 troops, and our army only has 17,000. Moreover, the thief Li has captured cities and territories and has been through many battles. He is very arrogant. Please defend and do not fight him."

"Yes. Wait until the sage Zhu... conquers Qi and Wei, and eliminates the worries of the pillow and the side, then gather troops and attack Qin from three directions."

"It is better to gather troops and protect ourselves and sit back and watch the battle. We did not rebel, did not seek rewards, and did not collaborate with the enemy. We are worthy of the saint's reward. Don't follow him and lose your life. When the situation changes and the saint's defeat is inevitable, we will change the situation and follow An Lushan's death. I will follow Zhao, Wei, Yan, Qi, Cangheshuo and become independent."

"Stop talking." Niu Cunjie sighed.

We have to admit that ambitious people are beginning to emerge in large numbers.

Why do we know loyal ministers in times of turmoil? Because when a country is in chaos, thieves will appear. When the country is weak, the central authority will be weakened, and evil spirits will spring up like mushrooms after rain. This was the case during the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Jin Dynasty, the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and the Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties were no exception.

The army marched towards the border of Shang and Guo and disappeared into the beautiful night.

******
The Guardian Hall.

In the dark palace, the Queen of Heaven was lying on the couch with her hands supporting her face and temples, legs crossed in an elegant posture of a fairy. A white curtain of beads hung down, covering her face. An oil lamp was swaying, and the slightly flickering yellow light was reflected on her pale face.

"Tattoo."

Wang Yanzhang, Dai Siyuan, Zhu Xi, Huangfu Lin and Xia Qiu, who were barefoot and head down, took small and quick steps and followed the two eunuchs, Li Yi, the Palace Order and Jiang Xuanhui, the Imperial Envoy, respectfully as they were led in.

"General Zuo Yu Lin leads the defense envoy of Ruzhou Jinshangjundu, Saint Yan Zhang, and wishes you eternal happiness and eternal love."

All five of them bowed down.

"Wang Qing." The voice was as gentle as ever.

"The Queen!" Wang Yanzhang trembled and crawled there, his forehead almost touching the floor. Although he had seen her true appearance many times, the Queen was still the wife of Wei Guo in the Western Tang Dynasty at that time, and now she has been revered as the Second Saint. Especially in the solemn Jiade Hall built in the style of the Han Dynasty, the royal majesty is fully displayed and guarded so that it cannot be offended. Wang was breathing rapidly and his head was dizzy.

"Give Lord Wang a seat." The Queen Mother's next words of grace made Wang so happy that he almost fainted.

"Thank you, Saint!" Soon a monk brought a cushion, and Wang Yanzhang straightened his back and knelt carefully.

"Let Huangfu Lin and the others take their seats." The Queen Mother said again. "I am terrified." Huangfu Lin blushed.

The Queen of Heaven saved his life.

That was during the Battle of Doumen Pass. Zhu Wen ordered him to be executed for his inability to investigate the enemy. He survived because Empress Tian followed him. Huangfu Lin had already made up his mind to repay Empress Tian and her son with his life. But he did not expect that he would be captured by Li Ze before he could repay the favor. He returned in such a shameful way...

It's not just him.

Wen was cruel and brutal, and he was like a tiger with a bridle. Whenever he got angry, he killed people like slaughtering pigs and dogs, regardless of their status or number.

Later, when the siege of Qingzhou failed, the Bian army drove more than 100,000 men and women to carry wood and stones to build mountains and fill trenches day and night, and the screams of injustice echoed for ten miles. When the city was captured, all the people of Bochangyi were slaughtered, and the Qinghe River was cut off.

When it is a small fire, people like Jing Xiang will try to persuade it. When it is a big rage, no one dares to say anything. Hui alone can melt iron and stone into flowing water. There are countless people who live under its protection. Therefore, it is very popular with people, and people in the market say: "If you can control jackals and tigers like the latter, you are also a wise man."

"Wang Qing is also a brave general, but he also defeated Lord Tang miserably. Tell me, how did you lose?" The Queen Mother calmed down and asked.

“Uh…” Wang Yanzhang hesitated, as if there were ants crawling on his body.

"Go ahead, I'm fine. I can control my emotions." The queen made a self-consciously lighthearted joke.

"I am guilty!" Wang Yanzhang said bitterly, "It's not that the weapons are not strong and sharp, nor that the battle formation is not reasonable. The morale of the army is low and they are afraid of the Tang Lord. They all think it is fate. They shouted that they lost before the battle even started. Saying this may be an attempt to shirk responsibility, but it is also a fact that the morale is so low."

The imperial guards were fine, but the confidence of the state soldiers and vassal towns in non-core areas in Daliang was rapidly declining. If Zhu Wen could not open up the situation in the east and kill a few fat monkeys to deter the four directions, the situation would continue to deteriorate; the mutiny of the Yicheng Army and the request for reward was a signal.

In addition, Juyangchuan was defeated by Li Ni in the field battle, which was the first time in the history of the two sides' war. This showed that he began to have the ability to take the initiative to attack and defeat the enemy head-on. Preparations must be made for a large-scale war on the western front. There must be a permanent commander on the western front to manage the troops in Hezhong, Shaanxi, Guo, Henan Prefecture, and Heyang. It can no longer be like now, with each area divided and acting independently.

But do we dare to delegate this power?

Daliang's power is growing day by day, and Zhu Wen's prestige continues to rise, which is good, but the problem is that this will not go smoothly. If this commander of the Western Route, who commands nearly 100,000 infantry and cavalry, rebels, at the least, he will turn against Li Ni, or at worst, he will counterattack Bianliang and repeat the story of Shi Siming. What can you do?

Ugh!
"When will you return from your journey to the west? I'm afraid the path is too steep to climb." The Queen of Heaven said softly, her expression even more dejected. The disaster of the Chi clan is imminent. Marrying such a pig-dog man is a matter of time and fate.

"It is rumored among the people that the Tang Lord threatened to abduct me and imprison me in Chang'an. Did he say that?" She asked about Huangfu Lin again.

Huangfulin was suffocated.

I am deeply concerned about the Queen’s mental health.

She asked this question probably because she felt that His Majesty, the emperor, would not have much time left, and even the fate of her mother and son could not be predicted. At that time, there was great chaos, and with the status of the empress and her charming figure and face, she might be "wandering in the streets", or be "eaten" by others and become a meal on the plate, or be sold, and being beaten to death in the military camp was the most common ending.

"Loyal and dedicated men forget themselves outside, and loyal ministers work tirelessly inside. I hope..." Huangfu Lin comforted incoherently.

"Did he say that?" the Queen asked again.

"No." Under the pressure of the Queen's cold tone, Huangfu Lin hurriedly shook his head like a rattle. He didn't know how to express it, but Daliang's military strength was still strong, and Li Ni's deterrence should not have risen to this point anyway.

Even the Queen Mother began to pay attention to the rumor that "Li Ni had threatened her physically", and the general public's fear of Li Ni coming to the Central Plains to kill her became unstoppable.

People’s opinions don’t matter?
Apart from hereditary military families, soldiers came from the common people.

The common people are pessimistic about your Majesty's future. Will the elderly, women, and children still be willing to let their sons, husbands, and fathers join the army? The conscription work will gradually become difficult!
"As long as we give Lord Tang a crushing defeat, everything will be fine." Feeling the Queen Mother's haggardness, Wang Yanzhang felt bad and soothed her.

It's difficult... The Queen Mother closed her eyes and said slowly, "The army in Cangzhou was in chaos, Zuo Jie was appointed as the commander, and the governor Lu Yanwei fled to Bian. Dong Chang was afraid of being punished, so he gave up the title of King of Yue. Li Zhen and Jing Xiang sent people to Yecheng to plot a mutiny, kill Tian Xide, and support the ambitious Huangfu Jian. When the plot failed, the government army exterminated Huangfu Jian's entire clan."

Five thunderstorms hit the top.

Wang Yanzhang, Huangfu Lin and others were stunned on the spot for a moment.

Just recently.

The Henghai Army planned to kill Lu Yanwei, the King of Bohai appointed by Zhu Wen, but failed, so they appointed Zuo Jie as the commander-in-chief and drew a clear line between themselves and the Pseudo-Liang Army.

The princes who received the news were all frightened.

The wind has changed, and attaching beams has become a crime.

Even the Zhao family of Chenzhou, who were extremely loyal to Zhu Wen, began to find excuses to shirk their responsibilities. Who knows if a "loyal minister" will emerge in the town one day.

The rebellion of Liu Hai and Yuan Qingji in Xuzhou intensified, and the rebel army grew to tens of thousands of people, and defeated the punitive army sent by Zhu Wen several times, and marched into the hinterland of Songzhou, clamoring to burn down Zhu Wen's lair. At present, the rebel army has been granted the title of Guide Army by Li Ni, and Yuan Qingji is the Jiedushi of Guide Army.

People are singing the song of Chu on all sides.

The Queen didn't know what Zhu Wen's mental state was like, but she was close to going crazy. When she thought about the Zhang family being buried with this villain and her brother Axian who was captured by the Tang Lord in Juyangchuan, she was heartbroken and in so much pain that she couldn't breathe.

At this moment, a beautiful, fragile and lonely soul is trembling and choking, and a withered and desperate heart is turning into ashes and bleeding.

"Everyone has to die, so why should we hate death?" After a long while, the expressionless Queen Mother said something meaningful: "Husband and wife are one body, and since they are in power, why should we pity the widow? But looking at the rise and fall of generations, orphans all wish that they would never be born into an imperial family again in their lifetime."

As soon as the words were spoken, the Garter Hall fell silent.

Wang Yanzhang pondered for a long time but still couldn't figure out what it meant.

Huangfu Lin, on the other hand, responded, "A gentleman must repay a favor."

There was no response from the Queen Mother, and Jiang Xuanhui was confused. But when the warrior suddenly mentioned repaying a favor, he thought it necessary to pay attention to it for His Majesty: "Repay to whom?"

"Benefactor."

"Which benefactor?"

"Whoever has done me a favor is my benefactor."

"How to repay?"

"die."

(End of this chapter)