Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 316 Perhaps it's time to issue a self-reproach edict?

Luoyang.

In the late summer of the fourth year of Yong'an, General Erzhu Rong, who was stationed in Jinyang, led 5,000 cavalry south, once again bringing great shock to Luoyang, the capital of Northern Wei.

With black flags obscuring the sun, and rows upon rows of armored Qihu cavalrymen appearing outside Luoyang once again, they still stirred the deep-seated fear in the hearts of everyone in Luoyang.

Taiji Hall!
This main hall, which was only used by the Luoyang court for major events, has now been reopened with the arrival of Erzhu Rong.

Yuan Ziyou, along with all the court officials, waited in the main hall for Erzhu Rong's arrival!

It was noon, and the officials and nobles of Luoyang, who had been waiting all morning, stood in the palace without daring to utter a single complaint.

These nobles, who had only eaten some rice and water at dawn, were already starving, pale, and sweating profusely by this time.

The older ones are getting unsteady on their feet and are just barely holding on.

Yuan Ziyou was extremely anxious; he had no idea how things would ultimately turn out.

He was like a puppet, intending to lure Erzhu Rong, the puppeteer who was manipulating him, into the trap, only to find that Erzhu Rong not only entered the trap but also broke it.

Yuan Ziyou has no idea what to do, or even what the situation is like outside of Luoyang.

Whether it was Erzhu Shilong or Xi Yi, these people who were usually extremely obsequious to him, or even secretly planned to pledge allegiance, all concealed their intentions and turned themselves into obedient puppets as the armored cavalry outside the city arrived like a dark cloud obscuring the sun.

No one dared to do anything out of line at this time.

Even Yuan Ziyou, who sat on the throne, was the same.

Yuan Ziyou was in a daze, his mind wandering aimlessly. Unbeknownst to him, a sound came from outside the hall.

That wasn't the announcement from the eunuchs outside the palace, nor was it the sound of drums beating loudly; rather, it was the sound of two horses neighing one after the other.

Then, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves resounded.

Outside the Taiji Hall, the horses' hooves shattered all the intrigue and majesty.

Inside the palace, everyone's spirits lifted.

Erzhu Rong, dressed in armor and guarded by more than a hundred armored soldiers, stepped into the palace.

Beneath the helmet was a cold, stern face covered with a thick beard.

Many nobles in the palace had seen this face, but in their memory, it was a humble face full of smiles.

Now, however, there was only an oppressive aura about that face that made them feel unfamiliar and fearful.

Upon seeing Erzhu Rong arrive, Yuan Ziyou stood up from his throne, forcing a smile onto his face, which had been numb for a long time.

"General Tianzhu, you must be tired from your journey!"

Erzhu Rong ignored him and walked directly to Yuan Ziyou's throne.

The armored soldiers behind him drove away the eunuchs, palace maids, and guards around Yuan Ziyou.

Only Yuan Ziyou remained, facing Erzhu Rong's army head-on.

Erzhu Rong, his face cold, looked at the seemingly weak-looking king before him and asked:
"I've heard that His Majesty intends to assassinate me?"

The sound echoed throughout the palace, stirring up a huge commotion in the once silent hall.

Among the assembled officials, someone stepped forward and rebuked them:
"Erzhu Rong, what are you trying to do? Are you going to assassinate the emperor right here in the Taiji Palace?!"

Erzhu Rong didn't even turn around, he just said:

"I would never dare to commit regicide!"

The courtier was unsteady on his feet. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, a Qihu soldier standing next to Erzhu Rong came over and stabbed him in the body.

With a sob, the loyal courtier collapsed and was quickly dragged away by the attendants on either side.

Apart from that pool of blood, almost no other traces were left.

The hall was deathly silent, as if nothing had just happened.

Erzhu Rong looked at Yuan Ziyou and said:
"As the Grand General of the Heavenly Pillar, I dare not kill the emperor, but I will certainly kill a rebellious minister. Your Majesty, what do you think?"

Yuan Ziyou clenched his hands so tightly that he almost ground his teeth to powder. In the end, he gave in to Erzhu Rong, who was heavily guarded.

"General Tianzhu is right!"

Yuan Ziyou's words completely chilled the hearts of the courtiers in the palace who still had some passion.

"Your Majesty, you have not yet answered me!"

Yuan Ziyou slapped his thigh and said:

"It's a misunderstanding! General Tianzhu is a pillar of the nation; how could I possibly have such intentions!"

Erzhu Rong looked at Yuan Ziyou and said:
"Does Your Majesty mean that the Prince of Qin's memorial was all nonsense?"

"Yes, all of them! Ohno Sō has always been eager to stir up trouble and deliberately sow discord between me and General Tianzhu! All these rumors are fabricated by Ohno Sō."

Yuan Ziyou was extremely adept at making excuses, and had even lost all imperial dignity, appearing unusually fearful and obsequious in front of Erzhu Rong.

However, Erzhu Rong remained unmoved, and instead said:

"I don't think so!"

As soon as these words fell, a man covered in blood and wounds was dragged into the palace.

Long trails of blood were splattered all over the ground, and the horrific wounds on the man's body gave everyone goosebumps.

Yuan Ziyou and the other officials did not recognize who this person was.
But when he was dragged closer and Erzhu Rong's Qihu soldiers grabbed his hair and forcibly lifted his head, Yuan Ziyou saw his face clearly, and the fear in his heart reached its peak.

Xi Yi!

Yuan Ziyou took two steps back, tripped over the throne behind him, and plopped down on the wide and thick throne.

Erzhu Rong bowed and said:

"This fiend fears nothing more than peace and quiet, wantonly stirring up trouble and sowing discord between His Majesty and me. He even secretly plotted to assassinate me. His crimes are unforgivable!"

Xi Yi was beaten so badly he couldn't speak, and Yuan Ziyou's mind went blank.

Yuan Ziyou could no longer hear what Erzhu Rong said next; his eyes were fixed on Erzhu Rong and his armored soldiers.

Xi Yi has already been captured by Erzhu Rong, so will he be next?
Yuan Ziyou watched Erzhu Rong's movements, fearing that he would draw his sword and kill him at any moment.

Until all the nobles in the palace seemed to have heard something frightening and stood up one after another.

Yuan Ziyou's hearing seemed to have returned at that moment.

Outside the palace, footsteps thundered.

More than a hundred armored soldiers escorted a young man into the palace. Unlike Erzhu Rong's rugged appearance with a full beard, this man was handsome.

Sitting on the throne, Yuan Ziyou could not see his face clearly, but he still knew his identity.

In this world, there is only one person who receives the same treatment as Erzhu Rong in this Taiji Hall!
Li Shuang!

"His Majesty!"

Under the protection of over a hundred Han soldiers, Li Shuang, like Erzhu Rong, went directly to the throne and bowed.

The two men each brought over a hundred armored soldiers from the palace, who, having already reached an understanding, stood on opposite sides, clearly separated from each other.

Fortunately, this Taiji Hall is the main hall, and it is spacious enough to accommodate so many people.

Neither Yuan Ziyou nor the court officials, nor even Xi Yi who was lying on the ground, knew what had happened to make these two people, who were eager to fight to the death, appear in the Taiji Hall at the same time.

However, there is no doubt that the Taiji Hall has now become their stage.

Whether it was Yuan Ziyou or the officials of the court, they all became supporting characters on the stage.

"Your Majesty shouldn't have done that!" Li Shuang said slowly after bowing, looking quite heartbroken, leaving Yuan Ziyou completely at a loss for words.
Yuan Ziyou looked at Erzhu Rong in despair, hoping to get some help from him.

Even if you want me to cooperate, at least give me some hints!

Keerzhurong seemed completely oblivious, not even bothering to respond.

Yuan Ziyou could only sit on the throne, completely becoming a puppet, at Li Shuang's mercy.

"Your Majesty was not the direct descendant of the late Emperor, and your virtue is meager and your conduct flawed. Since ascending the throne, you have favored treacherous officials and appointed villains like Xi Yi, which has led to your divine heart being clouded, the channels of communication being blocked, and ultimately resulted in a corrupt court and a decline in the prosperity of the empire. People like Xi Yi have seized power, bringing disaster to the country and its people. For their own selfish gain, they have sown discord between Your Majesty and your ministers. Your Majesty has been unable to control them, indulging in your wickedness and reckless actions. Your ministers and General Tianzhu are deeply saddened by this, and we have come to the capital to defend the Emperor and cleanse the court of these corrupt officials."

No sooner had Li Shuang finished speaking than Erzhu Rong, without waiting for anyone's reaction, continued:

"What the King of Qin said is exactly what Heaven and the people desire. I hope Your Majesty will wake up as soon as possible, eliminate evil and adopt righteousness, and win back the hearts of loyal ministers and righteous men. The restoration of the Yuan dynasty's state is now within our grasp!"

After Erzhu Rong finished speaking, Li Shuang continued.

"Now that foreign barbarians are rampant and islanders are eyeing the imperial throne, the people are suffering, and the nation is in grave danger. Now that the treacherous officials have been eliminated and the court has been restored to order, Your Majesty should issue an edict of self-reproach to set the record straight and reassure the people."

Yuan Ziyou sat on the throne, his lips twitching involuntarily.

He finally understood why Erzhu Rong wasn't responding to him; it turned out he didn't need to cooperate at all, all he needed to do was nod.

Erzhu Rong and Daye Shuang, you've gone too far!

Every time something goes wrong, I have to take the blame!

Do you really think I'm easy to fool?
Don't you all know that a common man's anger can cause blood to splatter five steps away?
Yuan Ziyou suddenly stood up, looking at Li Shuang and Erzhu Rong as if he wanted to devour them.

After a long period of mental preparation, Yuan Ziyou said righteously:

"I was wrong!"

……

Yanzhou.

"Master, it's all taken care of!"

Liu Lingzhu looked at the pursuers who had just been cleared from the ground, and wondered what was going on.

This is his secret stronghold, which he has been operating for a long time. How did Erzhu Rong's men find out about it and catch up with him so quickly?

It shouldn’t be!

A bad feeling suddenly arose in Liu Lingzhu's heart.

Erzhu Rong couldn't possibly know, but he might not be able to hide it from Li Shuang.

Is it...

Impossible! In this day and age, what person or thing could make those two put aside their competitive spirit and join hands?
Li Shuang even sold him out!

Could it be that Emperor Liang suddenly became ambitious and wanted to follow the example of Liu Yu and launch a northern expedition to conquer the Central Plains?
Liu Lingzhu shook his head, quickly dismissing the idea.

Even if Emperor Liang had the intention, it wouldn't be possible to gather provisions, supplies, soldiers, and armor so quickly.

Such a large-scale Northern Expedition would inevitably leave traces; it was impossible for it to have been carried out silently.

"Master, Master..."

His disciple rushed into the stronghold, his face ashen.

"how!"

"The Rouran have moved south!"

Liu Lingzhu jumped to his feet and asked:

"What is the scale?"

"Big entrance!"

Upon hearing these two words, Liu Lingzhu's expression changed, and he asked:

"How many troops?"

"The Rouran ruler, Yujiulü Anagui, led 100,000 cavalry south, having already passed Wuchuan and Huaishuo, plundering countless plunderers. His army's advance is aimed directly at Hengshuo and the two prefectures, and the vanguard of cavalry has already reached beyond Pingcheng and Yunzhong."

What has been the imperial court's reaction?

"I haven't heard of it yet!"

Liu Lingzhu murmured:

"In Heng and Shuo prefectures, Erzhu Tianguang, Yuwen Taihe, Yu Jin, and Huli Jin have always governed independently. If this continues, they will surely be unable to resist and will likely be defeated one by one by the Rouran. Could it be that they really..."

Liu Lingzhu's face turned pale. He now understood that he had indeed been sold out as a bargaining chip in Li Shuang's negotiations with Erzhu Rong.

"That brat Anagui is truly hateful!"

Liu Lingzhu cursed aloud, then felt genuine regret.

He jumped back too early!

……

Nine Dragon Hall.

"What happened?"

After the court session, Yuan Ziyou waited. He had no idea what was going on, nor did he know why Erzhu Rong and Li Shuang had entered Luoyang together.

Until Erzhu Shilong arrived!

At this moment, Yuan Ziyou completely lost the reserve that he usually had when dealing with Erzhu Shilong, which was unique to a Celestial Dragon. When he saw him coming, he took his hand.

"Rongzong, how is he?"

Erzhu Shilong had clearly been reprimanded by Erzhu Rong, and his face was quite unpleasant.

"General Tianzhu gave Jinyong City and the area west of Luoyang City to Daye Shuang. Now Daye Shuang's four thousand cavalry are stationed in Jinyong City, and Gao Yang has five thousand troops in Xin'an City. Our Erzhu clan's troops control the area east of Beizhong City and Luoyang City."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ziyou became anxious and asked:

"I'm asking why the two of them suddenly made peace?"

Erzhu Shilong said with a sigh:
"The Rouran have already marched south. Anagui, leading 100,000 cavalry from various tribes in the northern deserts and western regions, is ambitious and has declared that he will avenge the previous humiliation and wipe out Hengshuo!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ziyou felt completely exhausted and asked a question without thinking.

"What should I do?"

Yuan Ziyou was visibly panicked and filled with fear for the future. He didn't even know if he would open his eyes again in the Luoyang Imperial Palace, or in some cold, dark corner, where he would eventually die of a sudden illness!

Erzhu Shilong glanced at Yuan Ziyou and said something.

"I have come here to inform Your Majesty that General Tianzhu and Prince Qin have decided to appoint Erzhu Tianguang as the Grand Commander of the Northern Expedition and General of the Northern Expedition, Yu Jin as the Deputy Grand Commander of the Northern Expedition, and Yuwen Tai and Huli Jin as the governors of Heng and Shuo prefectures. They will unite Heng and Shuo to jointly resist the Rouran. The various troops that originally came to Luoyang have also been ordered to return to their garrisons."

After Erzhu Shilong finished speaking, an ugly smile appeared on his weak and fat face.

"Your Majesty can rest assured, Luoyang can be saved!"

Erzhu Shilong took the imperial edict and presented it to Yuan Ziyou, waiting for him to affix his seal. Upon seeing this, Yuan Ziyou sneered.

"Emperor Rongzong, should I be happy?"

Erzhu Shilong replied.

"If Your Majesty has anyone to blame, blame Yujiulü Anagui for being too arrogant!"

……

(End of this chapter)