The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 360 Entering Bianzhou

Beneath the ruined city of Bianliang, many military camps have been built.

Each city gate was guarded by a fortified village.

Men and women from Bian, dressed in tattered clothes and emaciated, huddled on the city walls and below, being ordered around by soldiers to do chores such as repairing walls, digging ditches, washing clothes, burning corpses, and cleaning.

Local people also transported timber and stone from afar. This was necessary for the construction project, and also for the army and the city's firewood needs.

The population of Liangdi is prosperous.

The plague, floods, and subsequent famine of the year before last, along with the collapse of Zhu Dalang's rule, caused widespread chaos and created countless refugees.

After the battle, the number of dead was countless, but even more survived.

King Wu sincerely tried to win over the people, and the soldiers and civilians gradually came from all directions to join him. They set up tents around Bianliang, and within a few days, tens of thousands of them had gathered.

The reserves accumulated in Bianliang have been completely plundered by the Zhu traitor.

The Holy Dynasty possesses sagacious virtue, and its restoration brings a new spirit. Unable to bear watching these people starve and die of disease, and also fearing trouble, the Prince of Wu and his advisors devised this work-for-relief program. Military rations were certainly insufficient, but supplies continued to arrive from various places. The imperial court, though not wealthy, could still afford two vinegar cakes a day.

Besides, there are also major towns like Qi and Wei that can help!

Let the Sage invite Wang Shifan to a feast, haha. This guy didn't contribute much during the Jingnan Campaign!

With so many refugees taking action, Bianliang City regained its vitality within a few days.

Flags bearing the names of Wende and Changsheng lined both sides of the main streets and alleys. Inside and outside the city, stalls selling pancakes and porridge set up, steaming hot food rising and billowing. Soldiers and officers lazily sat or stood, legs crossed, shouting to the busy Bian people: "Selling some gas! Today we have steamed millet, boiled soybeans, and salted vegetables! Come and eat when the time comes, according to the pacification proclamation. Those former warriors, behave yourselves! If you look good to me, I'll even give you and your family a meal. Anyway, it's the Emperor's money! Keeping your life isn't easy, so be a good man."

The commotion of the marketplace drifted into a shed where a group of Xingguo soldiers were feasting. Hearing the cacophony outside, a dazed colonel staggered out, rolled his hands into tubes, held them up to his eyes, craned his neck to examine them for a while, and nodded with satisfaction: "What's all this fuss about? I thought they were up to something again! These bastards haven't really bothered the rebels much. I'm in charge here; we can't afford too many deaths here in a day."

His subordinates laughed, "What does it matter? The Bian dogs are all cowards who only listen to force and never to be coaxed. All they ever think about is rebellion. If we don't teach these bastards a lesson, they'll think we're weak and helpless! In my opinion, we should pick some of the bad ones and kill them every day."

"After being transferred back from the West Sea, aside from the hard-fought battle at Wuguan, the rewards for this great achievement are practically free for us. Let's be a little more generous. Come on, let's go back and have some drinks!"

The colonel adjusted his belt, and before he could speak, he saw rows of flags rushing down the street.

Large groups of ministers and generals, fully dressed and in formal attire, roared off toward Fengqiu Gate.

"Could it be that the Sage has arrived?" The colonel rubbed his eyes.

The soldiers looked closely and found that the King of Wu was also there. They immediately jumped up and down in panic: "It's over! We forgot the rumors that the Sage had arrived in Bianliang. It's true! Judging from this, he's probably about to enter the city. Stop drinking! Get ready in case we're inspected later."

The crowd dispersed hastily.

Outside Fengqiu Gate, drums and music resounded, and the imperial canopy fluttered in the breeze.

A column of white flags appeared in the distance on the spring plains. The lead rider rested his hand on his horse's back; his face and cheeks were now covered with a long, untrimmed beard. He had also removed his headband, turban, and forehead band. With his hair disheveled and his clothes fluttering, he looked relaxed, as if he were about to ride through the capital.

"Haha." The sage looked at Bianliang City and laughed to those around him, "We are unlucky. Look at the King of Wu, who traveled a thousand miles to reinforce Jiewu Pass, organized a coalition army, and easily captured Bianliang. I was worried that the King of Wu would be unable to control the situation..."

"The imperial family has a Qilin!" the attendant said with his hands clasped in a smile.

The Wu King's vanguard had already been deployed. Upon seeing the sacred banner, they spurred their horses forward, waving and shouting from afar, "We've taken it! We've taken it! This Central Plains belongs to us, to the Holy Tang!"

"I can do it all, I can do it all!" The sage straightened his hair and smiled listlessly.

Despite his listless appearance, he pulled on the reins and galloped forward. All the officers and ministers of any rank and status followed closely behind. Troops on and around the city walls waved their flags and shouted, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Where is the valiant army?" The sage looked around.

"Here we come!" The city gates swung open, and a large group of soldiers in blue uniforms jogged out and lined up along the bridge. Then they straightened their backs and turned their heads to look at the city.

Where is Mo Lijun?

On and below the hillsides, the Turkic soldiers dismounted, removed their hats, and raised their hands, shouting, "We are here!"

A thunderous cheer crashed against the walls of Bianliang City. Behind them, Yuan Zheng and his ilk, the Bian soldiers captured at the Yi River, were being escorted here. In front of them, Liu Chengzhi and his Bian soldiers, along with the common people kneeling along the Fengqiu Gate, were all trembling with fear, their faces ashen.

The sage slowly reduced his horse's weight, a smile on his face.

Looking at the unfamiliar and majestic city of Bianliang, I felt only pride.

Contending for supremacy? You, the Zhu family, are not worthy of this title.

The sage casually pointed to a general: "Hang Zhu Dalang's head on the Fengqiu Gate and throw his body out onto the main street to be exposed."

"Here!"

The head of the injured man, with his eyes open, rose high into the air.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects." The King of Wu stepped through the crowd and bowed deeply: "I have temporarily mismanaged the military and political affairs of Bianliang, and I beg punishment!"

"Get up." The emperor sat firmly on his horse and encouraged him, "I have seen outside the city and gained a glimpse of the whole picture. You have done very well. I am too busy rewarding you to mention any fault."

The King of Wu's demeanor had become even more profound. His former timidity and introversion seemed to be gone forever.

War, chaos, and power are indeed the things that can most effectively transform people.

Thinking of this, the sage remembered King Liang.

I wonder how that kid is doing in the Western Sea with Wu Xiong.

"Regarding the overall situation of the various armies, I have failed in my command and dare not fail to apologize," the King of Wu said earnestly.

"I will handle this matter myself."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." King Wu rose and stood respectfully to the side, adding, "The rebel officials and their families have been imprisoned in places such as Gaoyang Palace."

"Wait for the arrival of the officials, and then handle the matter according to the established procedures." The emperor found Prince Mei, Xiao Xiu, and the others in the crowd, and comforted them one by one.

The defense of the two fronts was something that caused him a lot of anxiety at the time.

Fortunately, the candidates he selected after careful consideration, such as Wang Zimei and Wang Congxun, did not disappoint him.

He met with the generals at Fengqiu Gate for more than half an hour, and then changed his clothes.

"Your Majesty..." King Wu was about to say something, but the Emperor ignored him and rode into the city alone. A large group of guards and attendants followed, keeping a distance of ten paces.

Countless soldiers behind him simply watched him walk into the passageway.

The streets were quiet, flags fluttered, and only the crisp sound of horses' hooves could be heard. The battle of Pingliang had come to an end. What the future held, the sage did not wish to ponder at this moment.

They walked all the way to Bian Palace, entered Chongming Gate, and stood beneath the bright red Yuande Hall. The Emperor dismounted, climbed a few steps, sat down heavily, and gazed at the sun-drenched square in front of the hall.

Can we just end the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period?

The retinue stood in a circle.

"Your Majesty," Zhang Hui said, strolling into the crowd with a smile, "I will dance for Your Majesty."

"Why the sudden urge to dance?" The sage rested his chin on his hand, pondered the meaning for a moment, and nodded: "Go ahead and dance."

Zhang Hui looked at no one, her face cold and aloof. She reached out and removed her hair crown, letting her beautiful hair fall freely down to her waist. Having been tied up for so long, her hair was slightly curly, like black waves. A few strands of hair fell in front of her face, softening her usually wooden expression.

Her eyes were glistening with tears, and the blush on her cheeks only added to her sickly and pitiful air.

She stretched her body and looked at the saint with a smile on his lips.

Looking up at the sky, with hands outstretched, the ten fingers deftly gather, pinch, and pluck.

"The little butterfly of Shanglin tries to accompany the Han emperor. It flies to the south city, but accidentally lands on the pomegranate skirt, where the flowers bloom tenderly all over the tree... It doesn't know the way when it goes out, and is ashamed to ask the stranger on the street..." The fairy flies sideways, shyly covering half of her face.

She tiptoed and spun around, her large sleeves covering her face.

The spring sun shone down from behind onto the Yuande Hall, bathing everyone in its light. One attendant was dashing, another was beautiful, and yet another was leisurely.

In the crowd, Wang Yanzhang glanced at Huangfu Lin discreetly.

The two exchanged glances, conveying only one meaning: We're all part of your game too?
"Your Majesty, I have a worry," General Cui Wuci whispered in his ear.

"speak."

"I have just calculated that, including the prisoners of the King of Wu, the prisoners of the Yi River, and the prisoners captured by the various armies marching towards Bianliang along the Luoyang line, the number of prisoners in Bianliang is no less than 50,000. After these people are brought to Bianliang, I am afraid that they will cause trouble and conspire with the remnants of the rebel army in Songzhou and Caozhou to rebel."

Cui Wuci paused, then said in an even lower voice, "This isn't just my concern; all the military officers in the Imperial Guard are thinking the same thing. Most of the generals in the Imperial Guards and Palace Guards also..."

The sage looked up at him.

“It is my fault to speak out of turn.” Cui Wuci stepped back: “I was just saying something.”

Wang Zimei, with her keen hearing, caught a few words and frowned.

Such a large number of Bian troops would indeed pose a security problem.

The surrender wasn't out of loyalty, but because they were about to die. There are so many potential rebellions to be quelled in the future; if they lose a few more times, who knows what will happen? Maybe nothing will happen, or maybe the events of Fengtian will repeat themselves.

Moreover, if all of them were incorporated, the factional power within the Central Army would undoubtedly be unbalanced. The Bian clique alone could rival the combined influence of several factions in the court, including Chengde, Weibo, and Jingxiang. How could this be allowed?

Thinking of this, Prince Mei added, saying gravely, "This is indeed a source of calamity that Your Majesty should be worried about."

“I understand,” the sage nodded.

The goal of incorporation is to adopt Tang-style culture, not Liang-style culture.

Close military officers flocked to him, offering advice and suggestions.

"I've been thinking about this matter for a while now," the sage said. "Once all the prisoners have arrived, we should first identify the local militia, disband the conscripted men, and send them back to their hometowns. The rest, those who shouldn't be sent into the army—"

"Where were the prisoners of war from Bianliang placed?" the sage asked.

“Outside the south city,” Zhao Cun replied, “Qi Yanshu and the others are keeping watch there.”

“When the time is right—” A wicked thought arose, and after pondering for a long time, the sage lowered his voice and said, “Then, under the pretext of distributing rewards, summon him to the training ground and kill one out of three.”

"Why not kill them all?" Xiao Xiu roared. "These rebels have killed so many members of the Zhao family!"

"Watch your attitude when you present your report." Prince Mei glared at him.

"It's not that we won't kill, it's that we'll kill them slowly." The Sage patted Xiao Xiu on the shoulder, his voice heavy with emotion: "Kill flexibly, kill strategically. Let the Bian and Yan armies strike first, eliminating the worst, most wicked, and most irredeemable, leaving those who can be reformed. Only then can loyalty from the beginning inspire loyalty from the rest—"

"Finally, we will achieve shared loyalty!" Zhang Yanquan raised his fist in response.

"Loyalty! Sincerity!" All the ministers solemnly declared.

Wang Yanzhang, Huangfu Lin, Shui Wusheng, and the others, who had been sidelined, looked at each other in bewilderment, not knowing what had happened, and could only join in the shouting.

Zhang Hui, dancing gracefully, suddenly lost all attention.

"What are you doing?" The sage smiled helplessly, beckoned to Zhang Hui who was standing there awkwardly, and told her to sit down next to him. After they held hands and intertwined their fingers, he used his other hand to beckon to Wang Yanzhang and the others: "What are you standing there for? Come here!"

The sound of the clappers rustling filled the air as the officials made way for Wang Yanzhang and his entourage.

"In terms of understanding the rebels, you are the best..." The sage wanted to put on an act, but this was indeed a hidden danger. After considering it one last time, he said, "After all the prisoners have been captured, the able-bodied men of the militia will be released. As for the remaining warriors, who is loyal and who is not, who is good and who is bad, I entrust the Heavenly Immortal Lord and you all to judge for yourselves."

As he spoke, he turned and pinched Zhang Hui's ear and cheek, whispering, "You'll be the host then."

Zhang Hui cast a mournful glance my way.

The sage paused for a moment, touched his chin with difficulty, and finally hardened his heart: "There's no other way."

I will not allow you to have more influence than me in the Bian Army.

I cannot tolerate the possibility that the Bian army might still be united, or that the newly surrendered rebels might still be able to attach themselves to you or align themselves with you.

These bastards are desperate to kill me, to slaughter my clan, and to destroy my country. They've caused a lot of resentment everywhere. How could I possibly accept their surrender as if nothing happened and continue to feed and reward them handsomely?

"Better to sacrifice a fellow Daoist than myself, so I have no choice but to wrong the Heavenly Empress."

I took you in back then, now it's time for you to repay me!

You're a smart woman, so I'm sure you were already mentally prepared, right?

Lost in these thoughts, the sage raised his head with high hopes and saw that the Empress's eyes were full of tears.

The woman still stubbornly stood tall. But the pleading in her eyes was impossible to hide. How could I possibly do something like Cao Hua's massacre of the Yun soldiers?

Except for the most heinous, why not exile and separate the rest?

"That's not enough." The sage pulled her aside, gripping her shoulders. "Listen to me."

The diva still shook her head.

"These are the very beasts that bring disaster to the country and its people, so what's wrong with killing them?"

Shake his head.

"Think about those murderers in Tongzhou. After Zhu Wen was killed, how did the Bianliang garrison treat you?"

Shake his head.

"This is an order."

This time, she stopped shaking her head; tears simply streamed down her face, gathering at her delicate chin before flowing into her chest…

The sage looked at her expressionlessly, then abruptly flung his hand away, coldly saying, "It's settled then! I don't have time for nonsense! If you don't agree, I'll have Zhu Jin lead Yan Zhang and the others to do it myself. I hate these people; I wish I could devour them alive. If it were up to my old habits, I would have already slaughtered them all with a spear! Who has the patience to talk to them about saintly virtues and benevolence? Let's go!"

A pair of cold, jade-like hands grabbed him.

Zhang Hui lowered her head, tears streaming down her face, suppressing all her emotions: "If doing this can make you feel better, if it can truly help you... then I'm willing to dance for you."

What a fine pair of pants! The sage smiled: "Zhenniang, do a good job! You know my feelings for you."

"Let's go, let's take a look around Zhu Wen's palace." After playing with her hair for a while, the emperor turned around, climbed the steps, and strode away.

The ministers followed suit in a great uproar.

They climbed several dozen steps up, and Zhang Hui still stood quietly below the palace, her eyes closed, saying nothing. Her long eyelashes were wet with tears and hung down, sticking to her eyes, revealing only weakness and pity in this moment.

Huangfu Lin, Hao Zuo, Shui Wusheng, Yang Gui, and others stood by her side. This place was originally their territory and stronghold. But now, the "ruler and his ministers" seemed incredibly lonely.

"Empress Dowager," Wang Yanzhang whispered, "we mustn't escape from Zhu Wen only to..."

Zhang Hui opened her eyes, bit her lip tightly, looked up and sighed deeply: "He wouldn't, he's different."

Wang Yanzhang was startled.

What has bewitched your heart?
(End of this chapter)