Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 322 Ohno Sawa won't do anything to me.
into the night.

Tianzhu General's Mansion.

The tranquil night was shattered by a series of footsteps. Inside and outside Erzhu Rong's bedroom, Erzhu Shilong was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet.

However, the servants guarding outside Erzhu Rong's bedroom refused to let him in.

Until an impatient voice also came from inside the room!
Who's making noise outside?

"It is I, Erzhu Shilong!"

"come in!"

Upon hearing this, the servants outside finally let them through. Erzhu Shilong quickly opened the door, ran forward a few steps, and lay down on the edge of Erzhu Rong's bed.

"General Tianzhu, something terrible has happened! Bodhi and the others have been captured by Da Yeshuang's men."

Erzhu Rong was only wearing a thin garment, his thick hair sticking out. His drowsy mind was instantly awakened by these words.

It was as if a force surged from his chest to the top of his head, and Erzhu Rong, who had been calm, suddenly became enraged.

He grabbed Erzhu Shilong by the collar and shouted:

"What did you say!"

Seeing Erzhu Rong's ferocious face, Erzhu Shilong was also terrified. Erzhu Rong had never been so enraged before!

Among these young members of the Erzhu clan were not only Erzhu Rong's eldest son, Erzhu Puti, but also other descendants whom Erzhu Rong had high hopes for.

Otherwise, Erzhu Rong wouldn't have taken this opportunity to bring Luoyang with him.

Aside from Erzhu Rong, almost no one of his generation had long expected to spend time in Luoyang during its heyday and had seen the world. Although he retained some northern habits, he also knew how formidable the Luoyang way of doing things was.

Erzhu Zhao was undoubtedly a capable commander, but he lacked understanding of reason.

Even if Erzhu Rong wanted to change things, it was too late. His only hope lay with the next generation of the Erzhu clan.

Erzhu Shilong was frightened by Erzhu Rong's appearance, but he quickly calmed down.

What am I afraid of!
The one who should be scared is Ohno Sawa!
"General Tianzhu, after the incident, I personally led men to Biyong. None of the guards we sent survived. Da Yeshuang's men are truly ruthless!"

Biyong was a university, the highest-level institution of learning in the Northern Wei Dynasty.

In his rage, Erzhu Rong lost his reason.

"Ohno Sou, you dare to betray me! Gather the army, I'm going to wipe him out!"

Upon hearing this, Erzhu Shilong quickly advised:
"General Tianzhu, please calm down! If you continue like this, I'm afraid Da Yeshuang will chop off the heads of my Erzhu clan members one by one and throw them outside the city!"

"He dares!"

After Erzhu Rong finished shouting, he calmed down.

He really dares!

As his anger subsided, Erzhu Rong regained his senses and felt some regret.

"I thought that with war about to break out, I hid Bodhi and the others in Biyong outside the city to avoid them being affected. I didn't expect that we would still fall into Ono So's trap. That bastard Ono So must have been planning this for a long time."

Erzhu Rong released Erzhu Shilong's hand, and the other party breathed a sigh of relief and asked:
"What should we do now that they're in Ono Sou's hands?"

Erzhu Rong listened, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled.

Erzhu Shilong felt a little flustered when he saw Erzhu Rong's smile.

"General Tianzhu!"

Erzhu Rong got up from the bed, and Erzhu Shilong was beside him, draping an outer garment over his shoulders and carefully attending to him from behind.

"Does Da Ye Shuang think that just because he captured Bodhi and more than thirty of my Erzhu clan members, I will be wary of him?"

Erzhu Rong exuded a coldness and determination that made Erzhu Shilong feel both unfamiliar and afraid.

"General Tianzhu, Bodhi and the others are the future of our Erzhu clan!"

Erzhu Rong didn't speak. He walked to the basin, washed his face, and looked up. His face in the bronze mirror was even more resolute and cold.

"Ohno Sō must die. For this, I will not hesitate to kill my own son as a hostage!"

Erzhu Shilong took two steps back, looked at Erzhu Rong who had turned around, and immediately knelt down in front of him, his face filled with tears!

Erzhu Shilong was truly panicked!
"Tianbao, no way, they are all..."

Seeing Erzhu Shilong's weak appearance, Erzhu Rong shouted.

"Why are you crying? Do you think my heart doesn't ache?"

Erzhu Shilong raised his head and looked at Erzhu Rong, only to hear him say:

"Even if I'm in pain, I'll make Ohno feel even more pain!"

At this moment, Erzhu Rong was like a ferocious beast, reverting to his old habits and possessing the instinct to hunt.

"The Imperial Guards in Luoyang are of little use, and I'm not confident that the cavalry I brought will be able to take down Daye Shuang!"

"Then let Yang Du lead troops to reinforce us?"

"In that case, we have played right into Da Ye Shuang's plan. Er Zhu Yangdu must lead his troops to firmly control Da Ye Shuang's return route. In this way, no matter how much trouble Da Ye Shuang causes, he will only be a bird in a cage."

Erzhu Rong's cavalry was not incapable of attacking cities, but rather unnecessary and a pure waste of manpower.

It should be noted that after Erzhu Rong came to Luoyang, he expropriated several neighborhoods around the Tianzhu General's Mansion, demolished and repaired the walls, and built a small city. However, this city was not even in the same league as Jinyong City.

If Erzhu Rong attacks first, it will most likely turn into a disadvantageous situation. If things go wrong, Li Shuang's cavalry might break out of Jinyong City and launch a counterattack.

"Ono Sō already knows about Hengshuo's military situation and that we are going to take action against him. He is moving faster than I expected. For now, the only option is to stall!"

"drag?"

Erzhu Shilong was somewhat confused, and Erzhu Rong said:
"Given the current situation in Luoyang, whoever moves troops first will be the loser. I have already ordered Erzhu Dulu and Erzhu Yusheng to lead troops to Luoyang. In ten days at the shortest, and no more than twenty days at the longest, once the main army arrives in Luoyang, Da Yeshuang will have no way to escape!"

Erzhu Shilong nodded slightly upon hearing this, thinking to himself that Erzhu Rong's plan was truly meticulous.

"Tell Erzhu Yangdu and Hebasheng to capture Xin'an and Yiyang as soon as possible, and then order Sima Ziru to control the banks of the Yellow River. If any soldier or boat from Guanzhong reaches Luoyang, I will hold them accountable!"

"promise!"

……

Jinyong City.

Amidst the night fires, Hulü Guang remained awake, keeping a close eye on the movements outside Jinyong City.

But until dawn, not a single person or horse arrived, and the area outside the city remained very calm.

Li Shuang yawned, got up to prepare breakfast, and saw Huli Guang walking over with dark circles under his eyes.

"Ah Guang, you're not asleep?"

Although Hulü Guang was well-versed in military strategy and had excellent tactics, he was still a young man with an unstable temperament.

"Your Majesty, I have been keeping a close eye on the movements outside the city. I think Erzhu Rong must know that Erzhu Puti is in our hands, but he has neither sent troops to attack nor sent anyone to negotiate. What is he planning?"

Li Shuang smiled and quickly headed towards the kitchen.

"He knows he can't win a fight; he knows he can't win a negotiation!"

The kitchen was already filled with the aroma of cooking.

The flatbread was baked, the meat broth was cooked, and the army cooks were kneading dough to make noodles.

Li Shuang took a piece of flatbread and started eating.

Hulü Guang was hungry, but her curiosity and thirst for knowledge overcame this hunger.

"Should we strike first?"

“I have four thousand cavalrymen stationed in Jinyong City, which gives me a geographical advantage. Erzhu Rong has five thousand cavalrymen, with the support of the Luoyang Imperial Guards, which gives him the advantage in terms of popular support. In the current situation, whoever makes the first move will have a smaller chance of winning.”

"What about that?"

"Erzhu Yangdu's army has not returned; they must have joined forces with Hebasheng and been ordered to block our retreat. I suspect Erzhu Rong is now planning to bring in outside troops to Luoyang and completely starve us out!"

Upon hearing this, Hulü Guang became somewhat anxious.

"Erzhu Dulu's army is currently at Huatai City, and will arrive in Luoyang in ten days if things go smoothly. Your Majesty, we cannot wait any longer. No matter what, we must fight!"

Li Shuang picked up the bowl, took a slow sip, and said:
"Ah Guang, you're in such a hurry again!"

"Your Majesty, the sooner we launch our attack, the greater our chances of victory!"

"That's not necessarily true!" Li Shuang gripped the bowl in his hand. "If Erzhu Rong wants to remain calm, then we'll be in chaos!"

"chaos?"

Upon hearing this, Hulü Guang felt there was little hope. "It seems Erzhu Rong doesn't even care about his son anymore, what else could he possibly care about?"

Li Shuang glanced in the direction of the Eastern Imperial Palace and chuckled.

"The palace gates are about to open!"

……

Xianyang Hall.

"His Majesty!"

When Li Yu and Yang Kan, two ministers trusted by Yuan Ziyou, appeared before him, Yuan Ziyou thought it was a hallucination.

He pinched his cheek and felt the pain. Yuan Ziyou, who had been sitting listlessly on the throne, showed joy and quickly got down.

"Ziwen, Shiye, what brings you here?"

Since Xi Yi's incident, Erzhu Rong has tightened his control over the palace, and Yuan Ziyou's confidants are usually not allowed to enter.

"Your Majesty, Luoyang is about to descend into chaos!"

Li Yu's words stirred Yuan Ziyou's thoughts again.

"Are Erzhu Rong and Da Ye Shuang finally going to make their move?"

Li Yu nodded.

"Erzhu Yangdu led 20,000 troops from the north bank across the river. Instead of entering the city, he detoured westward, presumably to block Li Shuang's return route."

"What about Ohno Sora?"

“He kidnapped Erzhu Puti and more than thirty of Erzhu’s disciples.”

While Yuan Ziyou was deep in thought, Yang Kan cupped his hands and said:

"With Erzhu Shilong absent, the Imperial Guards are lax, allowing us to enter the palace. Your Majesty, this is a golden opportunity; we must act!"

"Move, how do you move?"

Yuan Ziyou looked at Yang Kan, who clearly didn't have many ideas.

"When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured. If they are both severely wounded, Your Majesty can seize the opportunity to take control of Luoyang and revitalize the nation!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ziyou felt reassured and said:
"The most urgent task is to take control of the Forbidden City. Have Yang Jin replace the captain left behind by Erzhu Rong, and keep the palace gates tightly closed so that their men can't get in again."

"promise!"

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion arose outside Xianyang Palace.

"What is the matter?"

A eunuch scrambled into the hall, his face filled with panic, and said:
"Your Majesty, the King of Qin has led his troops into the city!"

Yuan Ziyou was startled and blurted out.

"What is Ohno Sawa doing?!"

Li Yu and Yang Kan exchanged a glance, then, seeing the flustered Yuan Ziyou, cupped their hands and said:

"Your Majesty, there's no need for that. The King of Qin would not harm Your Majesty!"

Yuan Ziyou felt uneasy upon hearing this, but he still forced himself to remain calm.

"Yes, I am the emperor, the King of Qin will not do anything to me! Tell our people not to move for now, and wait and see."

……

Tianzhu General's Mansion.

"What did you say?"

Erzhu Rong looked at the panting Erzhu Shilong, and heard him say:
"Desperate, Ono has dared to lead troops into the palace and place His Majesty under house arrest."

After listening, Erzhu Rong paced back and forth in the room.

A short while later, he looked at Erzhu Shilong and asked:
"What about Jinyong City?"

"Ono Sou only brought a thousand cavalry with him; the rest of his men are still in Kinyong Castle."

Erzhu Rong clenched his fist and said:
“Yuan Ziyou is not important, but the identity of the emperor cannot be lost.”

Erzhu Shilong nodded and said:

"That's right. Ohno Sō has control of the emperor. If he issues edicts arbitrarily, it will be disadvantageous for us!"

"Reorganize the troops; no matter what, we must take back this emperor!"

"promise!"

Just as the entire General Tianzhu's mansion and the surrounding camps were in an uproar, Yuan Tianmu arrived!
"Having a banquet?"

Yuan Tianmu brought the latest news from the palace.

"His Majesty is hosting a banquet in the palace and invites you to attend."

As soon as Yuan Tianmu finished speaking, Erzhu Shilong and the others tried to dissuade him:

"General Tianzhu, Da Yeshuang has stormed the palace and placed His Majesty under house arrest. This must be a trap set by Da Yeshuang under the guise of His Majesty's orders. You mustn't go!"

Erzhu Rong fell silent for a long time before looking at Yuan Tianmu and asking:
What exactly does Ohno Sawa mean?

"It seems he wants to use Yuan Ziyou and Bodhi to exchange for a way back to Guanzhong!"

After Yuan Tianmu finished speaking, the room became even quieter.

Erzhu Shilong and his group, who had always been clamoring for Li Shuang's life, also fell silent.

It wasn't that they couldn't bear to part with Yuan Ziyou, but rather with the younger generation like Erzhu Puti.

Erzhu Rong burst into laughter, and after laughing, he said:
"Ohno Sawamura is still scared!"

Yuan Tianmu seized the opportunity to advise:
"Tianbao, let him go back to Guanzhong. Fighting to the death will only result in mutual destruction, which is not good for anyone. Why bother?"

Erzhu Rong snorted coldly and said:
"If we miss such an opportunity, once he returns to Guanzhong, it will be much more difficult to capture and kill him than it can be done with just an emperor and a few dozen men."

As he spoke, Erzhu Rong looked at Erzhu Shilong and gave the order:
"Gather a thousand cavalry and follow me into the palace. Erzhu Shilong, you stay here and await my orders."

"promise!"

……

The Prince of Linhuai's Mansion.

"How is it?"

Prince Yuan Yu of Linhuai sat by the pond, listening to the hurried sounds outside the mansion. After a long wait, his son-in-law Lu Rou finally returned.

"Erzhu Rong has entered the palace for a banquet!"

Yuan Yu's breathing became somewhat heavy, and he forgot to cast the bait in his hand.

"How many men did he bring with him?"

"Just like the King of Qin, a thousand cavalry!"

Yuan Yu was somewhat taken aback upon hearing this. After thinking for a long time, he couldn't help but smile.

"Erzhu Rong really cares about this heroic spirit that the northerners talk about!"

"Your Majesty, before the King of Qin entered the palace, many nobles in the inner city heard the news and fled outside the city with their families. Now the inner city is in chaos, and the outer city is not far behind. What should we do?"

Yuan Yu remained unmoved, sighed, and said:
"The world has already become like this; where can we escape to?"

Yuan Yu stood up, his true colors shining through as a veteran minister of the Yuan clan.

"Summon the troops and heed my command!"

Lu Rou stood to the side, her mind filled with complex emotions, and bowed respectfully.

"Your Majesty!"

Yuan Yu threw all the bait in his hand into the pond, and in an instant, the fish in the pond rushed to the surface.

"With treacherous officials disrupting the court and the government in disarray, the emperor is treated like a plaything. What do we, the princes of the Yuan clan, have to fear now?"

Yuan Yu turned around and glanced at his son-in-law.

"I'd rather die for the sake of the nation!"

……

(End of this chapter)