Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 168 This is not a mutiny

The battle at the front has been won.

Erzhu Rong quelled Yuan Shen's detachment of troops in Hanoi.

Li Shuang further thwarted Yuan Shen's main force at Hulao Pass.

But the victory came too quickly, and the officials and nobles in Luoyang became uneasy.

Inside the Xianyang Palace, Prime Minister Yuan Yong and others were indignant.

When they pushed Li Shuang forward, they didn't believe he would win; they simply wanted to give Empress Hu and the Emperor an explanation.

Look, we'll give Li Shuang whatever armor, weapons, and warhorses he wants in Luoyang. If he can't win, there's nothing we can do.

What these people didn't expect was that Li Shuang not only completed the task, but also exceeded the target.

"Does Li Shuang still respect the imperial court when he deals with the rebel army in the six garrisons on his own?"

After the Six Garrisons rebels were defeated, 50,000 to 60,000 troops surrendered.

Li Shuang selected over a hundred brave men of centurion rank and above to serve as his personal guards, and also selected a thousand elite soldiers from the Six Garrisons. The rest were dismissed.

Empress Hu and Yuan Xu also felt uneasy. Li Shuang had made such great contributions, and now he was recruiting and accepting defectors without the imperial decree. It was feared that he would be difficult to control from now on.

"What do you suggest we do?"

Although the ministers were all cursing, they didn't have any decent ideas.

After all, those were three thousand fully armed cavalrymen who had just won a battle.

What if they storm the walls of Luoyang?

The imperial court would lose face.

Although no one had a clear idea, everyone was now determined not to let Li Shuang enter Luoyang City.

However, only one person expressed a different opinion.

Prince Yuan Ziyou of Changle stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"I believe that Li Shuang should be richly rewarded, and His Majesty should personally commend him in the Taiji Hall."

"what for?"

Yuan Yong looked at Yuan Ziyou, puzzled by his intentions. Yuan Ziyou smiled and said:
"Your Majesty may order Li Shuang to leave his troops at Hulao Pass and return to Luoyang to receive his reward!"

Although Yuan Ziyou did not explain it clearly, everyone present understood.

Li Shuang is back, so what happens then is still up to them!
Yuan Xu sensed something was amiss and asked in return:
"What if he doesn't come back? Besides, Erzhu Rong and Li Shengui are currently scattered around Luoyang. If Li Shuang is captured, what will happen to them?"

When Yuan Xu uttered the word "capture," everyone present changed their expressions.

Yuan Ziyou didn't say it so bluntly. Even if he really had this idea, he couldn't just say it out loud!
Yuan Ziyou hurriedly said:

"Your Majesty has misunderstood. I believe that we should reward the meritorious soldiers handsomely. As for Li Shuang's release of the rebels, we can discuss it again when he returns. Erzhu Rong and Li Shengui are both meritorious in suppressing the rebellion and should also be rewarded."

The longer Yuan Ziyou served under Yuan Xu, the more cautious he became. He was never allowed to propose any ideas himself.

Otherwise, they might become the scapegoat for Yuan Xu.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Xu looked at Yuan Ziyou, seemingly understanding the implications as well. He was dissatisfied, but then he heard an urgent report.

"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, the Duke of Tang has dispatched troops and is heading towards Luoyang."

This sound startled all the officials and ministers in the court.

Empress Hu stood up and asked:
Why did Li Shuang suddenly send troops to Luoyang?

"The Duke of Tang raised a banner, saying that the imperial court had cut off the food supply to Hulao Pass, and the soldiers had no food or clothing, so they came to Luoyang City to seek food. They are now less than thirty miles away from Luoyang."

Empress Hu was furious upon hearing this, but having nowhere to vent her anger, she ultimately took it out on the court officials.

"You've done a good job!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yong's veins bulged, and he thought to himself:

"That traitorous scoundrel!"
-

Hanoi. Erzhu Rong looked at the two young men from the Yuwen family before him and finally decided to take Yuwen Luosheng and Yuwen Tai in as his own.

Before accepting the gift, Erzhu Rong asked Yuwen Luosheng a question.

"Why didn't you just go and join my third brother, who is closer to you? Why did you come all the way to Hanoi to join me?"

Yuwen Luosheng seemed not to have expected Erzhu Rong to ask such a question, and for a moment he did not know how to answer.

Yuwen Tai stood beside Yuwen Luosheng, cupped his hands, and said:
"Reporting to the General of Chariots and Cavalry, in our panic, we only thought of fleeing north. After we escaped the battlefield and returned to Hebei, we heard that there was a shortage of food at Hulao Pass, so we dared not go south to disturb them!"

Erzhu Rong glanced at the dark-skinned man and nodded slightly.

"Then you may stay!"

Gao Huan watched this scene from the side. With his shrewdness, he could naturally guess Yuwen Luosheng's thoughts.

Li Shuang recruited only the strongest and most capable men, breaking up the various factions, large and small, within the original Six Garrisons and bringing them back under his command.

Yuwen Luosheng was afraid that if he surrendered to Li Shuang, he would lose his troops.

Gao Huan was secretly pleased with this.

The forces under Erzhu Rong, from the Huai Shuo and Wu Chuan factions, cooperated with each other but also guarded against one another.

Heba Yue now has another competitor from the same faction.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the tent, and a scout brought the latest military intelligence.

"General of Chariots and Cavalry, Duke Tang's army has marched into Luoyang!"

Gao Huan said from the side:
"After the Duke of Tang's great victory at Hulao Pass, Luoyang was cut off from supplies. The officials in Luoyang thought they could use this to control the Duke of Tang, but they didn't expect that the Duke of Tang would directly dismiss a group of surrendered troops and head towards Luoyang!"

Why did Gao Huan repeat what Erzhu Rong already knew?
He was reminding Erzhu Rong that after this battle, Li Shuang's reputation had surpassed Erzhu Rong's!
After listening, Erzhu Rong's expression changed several times, and he finally laughed:
"A man should be like this!"
-

"Promoted to the title of Duke of Tang, with a fief of eight thousand households, and given the title of General Who Conquers the West, and the honorary title of Grand Master of the Golden Purple Light. A date will be chosen for him to lead his army to attack the rebel Xiao Baoyin?"

Li Shuang sat in his command seat, listening to Hou Jing read the imperial edict that had come from Luoyang.

His generals were somewhat dissatisfied.

"We have rendered such a great service, and the court first cut off our supplies, and now they only give us such a small reward, and they still want us to fight Xiao Baoyin?"

Li Shuang stood up, put his hands behind his back, and sighed:

"There are treacherous officials in the court!"

Inside this large tent, besides Gao Ang, Yang Kan, and other former generals of Li Shuang, there were also Peng Le, Xue Guyan, and other surrendered generals from the Six Garrisons rebel army.

But whether they were former generals or surrendered generals, they had no affection for this court whatsoever.

"Your subjects are ready to obey your commands, my lord!"

Li Shuang looked at Hou Jing and asked:

"What did the imperial edict say at the end?"

"Three days later, in the Taiji Hall, His Majesty will reward the Lord and the meritorious officials who have made outstanding contributions. He has summoned us there and specifically instructed us not to wear armor!"

Li Shuang chuckled softly and looked at the group of generals in the tent.

"Do you all know what to do?"

"Sir, you understand!"

"I want to tell you all this, this is not a mutiny!"

"Sir, you understand!"

The generals, who had excitedly gone to make preparations, left the main tent. Hou Jing approached and said:

"My lord, what should we do if His Majesty and his officials plot a rebellion?"

"Our unwavering loyalty shines as brightly as the sun and moon!"

……

(End of this chapter)