The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 353 Tian Heng
A well-dressed army, riding in luxurious chariots and on magnificent Yan and Zhao horses, escorted a series of large carts loaded with weapons, armor, and provisions through Chenqiao, heading towards Bianliang along the Bianhua Avenue.

The army commanders were Tian Heng and Shi Shenxiao, seventh-generation descendants of the Tian family.

The army looked very spirited. The main forces, including the Left and Right Mountain and River Army and the Rear Army, were all being mobilized.

The soldiers walked briskly and chatted happily, but they were prone to emotional outbursts.

One moment he's serious and aloof, the next he's laughing and joking.

He brandished his knife, slashing at his superior: "Come here, I have something to teach you a lesson!"

They all had dark faces; they didn't want to get involved, nor could they.

Those who led the charge were either sons of senators or notorious killers known for their "fierceness and belligerence in the military."

We're all just trying to get by; it's not worth arguing over such trivial matters!

Tian Heng walked lazily ahead. Only when he was truly fed up with the noise did he manage to utter a few words: "Behave yourselves!"

The soldiers chattered amongst themselves, then loudly asked, "Tian Heng, could you elect me to be the head of your marriage counselor for a couple of days?"

"No."

"When will you recommend me to reside in Yecheng Palace and serve as a military governor?"

"Don't even think about it in this lifetime."

"I'll marry your aunt..."

"Alas, even kings and generals have some guts. If you don't believe me, look at them. Apart from He Jintao, Tian Hanluo Shile, who among them isn't a descendant of the rebel leader?"

"Tian Heng, your families have controlled Weibo for over a hundred years. Shouldn't it be a change of power? The commander-in-chief takes turns. This year it's my turn, let me have my turn! I want to be the commander-in-chief next year!"

Immediately, a chorus of "Wow!" erupted: "He'll be the general! He'll be the general!"

Shi Shenxiao reined in his horse and shouted, "What are you doing! If we miss a military opportunity, who can take the blame?"

The soldiers glared at him, cursing, "You son of a bitch, you've traveled hundreds of miles in just a few days, treating us common folk like servants! If I weren't some damned King Wu, I'd be sitting in a brothel listening to some tune, who are you to tell me what to do?"

Faces stared at Tian Heng and his group, pointing and gesturing: "What pacification of the Central Plains! This is retribution for the bewildered Emperor and the Min Emperor! How difficult it was for the previous emperors to establish and maintain their empires! What happened to the bewildered Emperor? General Kang Chengxun conquered the Southern Barbarians and quelled Pang Xun; he should have been a high-ranking general and prime minister long ago."

"When Emperor Xianzong was in power, he encountered such a person. He didn't even have time to sleep. He summoned him to the Penglai Palace with his hair down and asked him what kind of revival strategy he had."

"What did the Emperor do? The prime ministers sent him to Lingnan to serve as the prefectural magistrate. Is this the kind of thing a holy dynasty would do to torment an old minister like this?"

"The life of Princess Wei was so luxurious that her daily expenses amounted to hundreds of pounds of gold. In the entire history of China, there was no one like her. A treacherous minister seized the position of prime minister, causing chaos throughout the country. The censor who impeached him was exiled. The advice of the various governors was ignored. Is this how they treat the country?"

"The people of the Central Plains have rebelled against the tyrant; this is all the sin of that tyrant and his cronies. The emperor stripped him of his temple name, and I'm overjoyed! Now he wants us to quell the rebellion? I think we'll be done with a couple of arrows on the battlefield. You bastard, if you know what's good for you, you might still be wearing that damned official rank. But if you lose your mind, I'll purge you on the battlefield first!"

He launched into a tirade, leaving Shi Shenxiao utterly bewildered. Why bother, why bother seeking this fame and fortune!

After a while of chaos, the soldiers finally dispersed, pulling and tugging at each other, saying, "That's enough, stop arguing, let's keep things peaceful."

"For the sake of Weibo, we still have to fight this battle. Otherwise, what if the Emperor turns around and attacks us? Let's disperse, everyone disperse."

"Once Bianliang is pacified, let the Emperor send a million strings of cash as a reward to Ye City so we can enjoy it."

"That's absolutely right. We don't fight for free. If you think about it, we've contributed a lot of troops and money to the Sage!"

Shi Shenxiao was furious.

Once outside the town, the military formation would fall into disarray and could easily spiral out of control.

If the King of Wu had seen this, wouldn't the court have believed even more that Weibo could be pacified?

Tian Heng ignored him, he was used to it! He just hummed a tune, looked around, and occasionally inquired about the military situation: "How much longer until we reach Bianliang?"

"almost."

"Any traces of the Bian army?"

"There's no human hair left; I guess they're all huddled inside their tortoise shells."

Where is the King of Wu?

"It is Liangwangtai, located in the southeastern suburbs of Bianliang. I don't know where it is now."

"Take your time, no rush," Tian Heng instructed.

Before long, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly rang out, rolling in. Tian Heng's expression changed, and he looked in the direction of the sound.

Soon after, questions and answers were heard from ahead.

"Who are you!"

"Zhang Yanquan, General of the Eagle-Soaring Army, is appointed to the Imperial Guard! This is my official seal and the King's decree!"

"Remove his armor and let him in."

"Who dares to disarm me!"

Upon hearing this, Tian Heng knew that something was amiss. He exchanged glances with Shi Shenxiao and the others, and together they urged their horses forward, saying, "No need to remove my clothes, I am Tian Heng!"

Seeing the officers emerge together, the soldiers made way for them.

As the crowd parted, a troop of cavalrymen wearing helmets and white robes came into view, their lances pounding the ground. The red turbans tied behind their helmets, inscribed with "Civil and Military Prosperity" and "Prosperity of the Nation," clearly indicated their military status and the majesty of the Holy Tang Dynasty's army.

The spearheads glowed red in the setting sun, causing some Wei soldiers who were looking up to observe to feel a chill and silently look away.

Tian Heng's expression also looked rather unpleasant.

Their appearance seemed even more repulsive than that of the Bian army. "Lord Tian, ​​this is Zhang Yanquan's seal and the letter from the King of Wu." The officer handed over the official badge and the sealed container.

Tian Heng took it and examined it.

"Commander Tian, ​​gentlemen, the King of Wu has already set up camps at Liangwangtai and Shahai. His Majesty has ordered your troops to speed up their march and coordinate with the operation." Upon seeing this, Zhang Yanquan dismounted and clasped his hands in greeting.

Tian Heng came to his senses.

After thinking for a moment, he dismounted and returned the greeting: "Yes, sir."

After saying that, his eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he turned around, raised his hand and shouted: "The whole army, be on high alert! Anyone who stirs up trouble again knows how the Tian family manages the army! Meet at the desert before dawn, cut off the water canal in the north, and cut off the water supply to Bianliang."

Bianliang (Kaifeng) boasts a complex network of waterways. However, the city's prosperity meant that its water supply alone was insufficient. Several stone canals outside the city connected to it, serving as the city's main water source. If those canals were cut off, we'd see what the people of Bianliang would drink.

"Yes, sir!" the officers relayed the order.

The warriors at the front peered at the cavalry, then one by one they moved back, reorganized their formation, and finally said in unison, "We respectfully obey your command!"

"Perform well." Zhang Yanquan surveyed the Wei army and smiled at Tian Heng, "The Emperor has already gone east and will soon inspect Bianliang to oversee the suppression of the rebels. All those who have rendered meritorious service, whether in the central or foreign armies, will be rewarded handsomely. If you miss this opportunity, who knows when you will be able to bring glory to your family again!"

Even a sage has arrived? A look of apprehension flashed in Tian Heng's eyes, and his face immediately fell.

The generals looked at each other in bewilderment.

I initially thought it would be a perfunctory military operation, like a spring outing…

Pacing is definitely not an option anymore.

Regardless of the prestige of the imperial court, its army was at least strong and well-equipped, far exceeding the psychological expectations of the feudal lords.

No matter how angry the Wei army was, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and continue on their way.

But his mood remained stable, albeit depressed. He passed through a village and looted everything on the spot.

…………

On the fifth day of the third month of the first year of Guanghua, in Bianliang, spring was still in its early stages.

Along the Tongji Canal, groups of two or three cavalrymen were washing their horses.

King Wu stepped on the green grass, gazing at the shimmering, golden surface of the river: "Is this the canal that scoundrel Yang Guang dug?"

“Exactly.” Yuan Xie, who had just returned from his mission to Chenzhou, replied with a smile: “In the first year of the Daye era, Emperor Yang issued an edict to mobilize a million men and women from various prefectures in Henan to divert water from the Banzhu Ferry in Xingyang to the Huai River. The waterway stretched for thousands of miles, along the Bian, Song, Su, and Si rivers, directly to the Huai River. Hundreds of thousands of people died before the project was completed.”

"He's truly a tyrant like Jie and Zhou," said the King of Wu. "No one has ever been more ruthless in his extravagant construction projects and cruelty to the people than him."

"Your Majesty's insight is profound." Yuan Xie nodded, stroking his beard, and said, "However, Emperor Yang's projects include the Guangji Canal connecting Youzhou and the Central Plains, and the Tongji Canal connecting the Central Plains and Jiangnan, with Bianliang as the center, and connecting the Ji, Ru, Huai, and Si rivers. With the capital in Bianliang, the waterways can collect taxes from various regions. With low transport costs, ships can travel for thousands of miles, gathering from all directions, enough to support an army of 500,000 in the capital, thus controlling the empire through finance."

The King of Wu looked surprised and said with delight, "That is indeed good! When the sage arrives, I will definitely bring you along to speak with him, and you can present the benefits to him in person."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Xie frowned and quickly said, "Your Majesty, you mustn't."

"Why?"

"Relocating the capital is a complicated matter," Yuan Xie said vaguely.

"I will go and say it myself."

"A prudent approach." Just as Yuan Xie was about to offer some advice, the King of Wu, having lost interest in the topic, smiled and said in the evening breeze, "I never expected that this military expedition would have such a promising future."

"It's all thanks to Your Majesty's bravery," Gao Gang flattered from the side.

"Yes, I never expected it to turn into a battle for the beam."

"This is Bianliang, which the sage has longed for!"

"Your Highness will be the first to enter, thus gaining this great achievement!"

The generals also started discussing it amongst themselves.

Zhao Cun pointed to the majestic Bianliang city under the setting sun: "Not only Zhu Dalang, but also Ge ​​Congzhou of Yuncheng, Yuan Xiangxian of Yanzhou, and Xuzhou, Caizhou, Chenzhou... etc., occupied Bianliang, and then launched large-scale military campaigns to eliminate the remaining rebels and restore order to the world."

"Excellent!" King Wu nodded vigorously and laughed again: "Haha, I never expected that the operation originally intended to relieve the siege of Wuguan would become a battle to realize the sage's great ambition and establish our rule over the Central Plains!"

"Where are the Wei army and the Yicheng army?" he suddenly asked.

"I went to follow up, but there's still no response. Judging from the last time we contacted each other, it should arrive in a day or two at the latest."

"Is the Zhongwu Army still undergoing reorganization?"

"Yes."

"You bastard!" King Wu raised his voice and cursed angrily.

To this day, the Zhongwu Army remains on the sidelines. This deeply displeases the King of Wu, who finds it almost unbearable: "Don't they know that when the Zhu traitor falls, his followers scatter? I truly don't understand what doubts they still have!"

"If we do this, who will protect them when the sage arrives?"

The generals simply stared intently at Bianliang City.

"Enough!" King Wu calmed himself down. "Send another letter of surrender to the city for another day, and wait another day. If it still doesn't work, then we'll take action."

The generals did not object.

Qi Yanshu raised one point: "Once we begin the siege, if we fail to capture the city with overwhelming force, and are observed by the surrounding bandits, we may be caught in a pincer attack by Ge Yuan's reinforcements from the east and Niu Cunjie's army from Songzhou. At that time, I urge Your Majesty to carefully consider how to attack. There are many ways to attack a city, but personally surrendering is the worst option. Moreover, our forces are limited, and we cannot afford to suffer too many casualties."

"I understand," King Wu said, clenching his fist tightly.

(End of this chapter)