Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 216 You're Unworthy

Luoyang.

Lingyun Terrace, Fengliang Temple.

Located to the west of the Nine Dragons Hall, Lingyun Terrace was a place where the Northern Wei royal family could escape the summer heat. It contained an ice well to store ice bricks for the royal family to cool off in the summer.

Yuan Ziyou had accompanied Yuan Xu to this place many times before, but now, his feelings were different.

He became the master of this place!

After Erzhu Rong left, Yuan Ziyou immediately began to win over the powerful officials and nobles in Luoyang.

Yuan Ziyou understood that Erzhu Rong wouldn't have much time left for him. Although he wasn't skilled in military affairs, after watching Erzhu Rong lead his army to break through Beizhong City in half a day, he realized that no one in Luoyang was Erzhu Rong's match.

Erzhu Rong wanted to pacify Hebei, Shandong, and Henan. Once these three regions were pacified, his next step would definitely be to follow the old path of Cao Wei and force him to abdicate.

Before that day arrives, no one knows how long it will be, but Yuan Ziyou feels the danger of a knife being held to his neck every day.

Fengliangguan was built by master craftsmen and is ingeniously designed. It is connected to the ice well and has a special house design. Once the ventilation is opened, the temperature inside the house can drop, making it feel like being in an air-conditioned room.

At this time, the summer heat was not yet intense. Yuan Ziyou came here not to escape the heat, but because Lingyun Terrace was built at a high place to prevent the Erzhu clan from spying on him.

"Ziwen, do you still not trust me?"

In order to eliminate Yuan Ziyou's supporters and leave him without any help, Erzhu Rong deliberately killed two of Yuan Ziyou's brothers, but Yuan Ziyou's sisters were still alive.

Yuan Ziyou's younger sister, Princess Fengting Yuan Jiyao, then married the man before her.

Li Yu was born into the Li family of Longxi, specifically the branch of the Li clan, which included the position of Minister of Works.

Li Yu was the grandson of Li Chong, and of noble birth, belonging to the top tier even among the elite in Luoyang. However, unlike ordinary scions of noble families, he was fond of chivalry and loved to associate with people from the martial arts world.

Erzhu Rong killed two thousand officials, and the Li family of Longxi also suffered a heavy blow, with many of their members dying in Heyin.

Even so, Li Yu, as Yuan Ziyou's brother-in-law, could not trust Yuan Ziyou.

"How can Your Majesty expect me to believe you?"

There was not a trace of trust in Yuan Ziyou in Li Yu's words.

To some extent, if it weren't for Yuan Ziyou, Erzhu Rong wouldn't have been able to so easily march south and enter Luoyang.

Before the Heyin Incident, the Northern Wei Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, but Luoyang was not greatly affected. Now, however, Luoyang is in ruins, and the foundation of the Northern Wei Dynasty has been completely destroyed.

"I was truly deceived by that barbarian Erzhu Rong. If I had known Erzhu Rong would do this, I would rather die than go south with him."

Yuan Ziyou was telling the truth.

As the son of Prince Pengcheng, Yuan Xie, he was the most likely candidate to compete for the throne after Yuan Xu's death. Yuan Ziyou wanted to be emperor, but certainly not the kind of emperor he was now.

Looking at the sincere and earnest Yuan Ziyou, Li Yu sighed:
"What's the use of Your Majesty saying all this now? The nobles and officials of Luoyang have been robbed, and the weapons, money and grain have all been taken by the northerners. Even if we are willing to kill the traitors, we are powerless to reverse the situation."

What Li Yu said was true.

They have no men, no money, no food, no weapons or armor; how can they possibly contend with Erzhu Rong?

When Yuan Ziyou heard Li Yu say this, he was not discouraged at all, but rather very happy.

Erzhu Rong killed so many people, how could the powerful clans let it go? At least, he could hear the deep hatred in Li Yu's words.

Yuan Ziyou knew nothing about military affairs, but Li Yu did. In recent days, Yuan Ziyou had come up with several plans, and now he urgently needed Li Yu to help him demonstrate their feasibility.

"Ziwen, I intend to summon Li Shenggui, the Duke of Chenliu, to the capital to defend the emperor. What do you think?"

Li Shengui came from the Dunqiu branch of the Longxi Li clan. His branch was descended from Li Fangshu, the prefect of Jiyin during the Liu Song dynasty. After the failure of the Yuanjia Northern Expedition of the Liu Song dynasty, he surrendered to the Northern Wei dynasty during the southern expedition of the Wei army.

The rise of the Li clan of Dunqiu was due to Li Fangshu and his descendants becoming relatives of the Northern Wei dynasty.

Yuan Ziyou had no choice. Regardless of what had happened before, among the generals outside Luoyang who held military power, only Li Shengui was someone he could win over and entice.

Li Yu shook his head. "Li Shengui is no match for Erzhu Rong!"

Li Yu didn't think it through and immediately rejected it.

Yuan Ziyou's face darkened, and he said:
"Is Erzhu Rong really that powerful, with no one in the world who can rival him?"

Upon seeing this, Li Yu sighed:

"Erzhu Rong's army is strong. The fact that he can train such an army shows that his military strategy is extraordinary. There are few who can rival him in our dynasty. However, he is not invincible."

Yuan Ziyou was delighted, but then he remembered who Li Yu was talking about, and his face darkened.

Li Yu noticed the change in Yuan Ziyou's expression, but continued talking.

"The most formidable forces in Luoyang today are located in Jinyong City, Beizhong City, and the Shangdang Prince's Mansion. Among these three forces, the three thousand cavalry in Jinyong City are the most elite. If Li Shuang and Erzhu Rong were to become enemies, I do not know who would win, but they would be able to put up a fight. Your Majesty might as well acknowledge that he is from the Longxi Li clan and include his branch in the list of ancestral homes to win him over."

Yuan Ziyou's face was gloomy. After a long while, he muttered:

"impossible!"

Li Yu frowned. He was aware of the feud between Yuan Ziyou and Li Shuang, but Yuan Ziyou was willing to win over even Li Shenggui, so why couldn't he win him over?
"Why?"

"He won't help me!"

Li Yu remained noncommittal.

Li Shuang was not well-liked by the Tianlong people of Luoyang, but he was even less so by the Xianbei Tianlong people. Li Yu and his group of Tianlong people did not treat him particularly badly.

Especially after Erzhu Rong massacred two thousand officials, Li Shuang's actions seemed even less significant in comparison!

Before he could finish speaking, a woman in a green silk dress rushed in.

"Erzhu Shilong is here!"

The woman was Princess Shouyang, Yuan Juli, the younger sister of Yuan Ziyou, who was still unmarried!

She had been keeping watch outside, and when she saw Erzhu Shilong arrive, she hurriedly sent word.

Prince Yuan Xie of Pengcheng was a famous handsome man, and most of his children inherited his good looks.

Yuan Ziyou was elegant and intelligent, and Yuan Juli was also beautiful.

Erzhu Shilong walked excitedly into Fengliang Temple and greeted Li Yu when he saw him there.

"Your Majesty, I have a greeting to you. The Duke of Dongping is also here!"

Erzhu Shilong was timid but ruthless. After entering Luoyang, he longed to become a Celestial Dragon. However, even now, the Celestial Dragons of Luoyang still looked down on him.

What brings you here?

Erzhu Shilong chuckled and cupped his hands in greeting:
"Your Majesty, I have come here to request to marry Princess Shouyang!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ziyou's face darkened, and Yuan Juli's face immediately fell.

Yuan Ziyou wanted to refuse, but Erzhu Shilong now controlled the palace guards, so he couldn't openly say that you were not good enough for him.

Li Yu said:
Princess Shouyang is already betrothed!

Erzhu Shilong was taken aback, then laughed:

"Lord Dongping, please don't deceive me. I've never heard that Princess Shouyang is betrothed to someone. Who is that person?"

"Duke Li Shuang of Tang!"

As soon as Li Yu uttered his words of acting first and reporting later, the entire palace fell silent. Yuan Ziyou stared at Li Yu with an inscrutable expression.

……

(End of this chapter)