Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 324 This World Is Mine
Inside the Taiji Hall, with Yuan Yu leading troops to reinforce them, Yuan Ziyou instantly gained confidence.

Yuan Yu was initially taken aback when he finished speaking.

But then, Yuan Yu and Yuan Ziyou exchanged a glance and instantly understood.

At that moment, Yuan Yu raised his blood-stained longsword and gave orders to his soldiers.

"By imperial decree, follow me to slay the traitor Da Yeshuang!"

The soldiers Yuan Yu brought were mostly his retainers, as well as servants of nobles loyal to the Yuan clan, totaling only a few hundred men.

In terms of combat strength, they are far inferior to the two sides currently engaged in combat.

However, there are only two thousand people inside and outside the Taiji Hall now. The addition of this force is enough to disrupt the situation.

Li Shuang, covered in blood and wielding a long spear, ignored Yuan Ziyou and Yuan Yu, heading straight for Erzhu Rong.

The armored soldiers gathered around Li Shuang cleared the way, and the distance of a dozen steps took a considerable amount of time to traverse.

A hundred Qihu warriors gathered around him, forming a tight formation.

Erzhu Rong stood in the center of the formation, holding a precious sword inlaid with jewels. As Li Shuang drew closer, his heart grew increasingly uneasy.

The sounds of fierce fighting filled the solemn Taiji Hall, but Erzhu Rong's gaze was fixed on Li Shuang.

The other party was like a sharp blade, piercing straight at him.

The armored soldiers guarding Erzhu Rong were defeated and forced to retreat under the attack of Li Shuang and his men.

Li Shuang's troops worked together seamlessly, using long spears to clear the way, heavy hammers to injure, and finally finishing off the enemy with short blades.

With clean and swift movements, he peeled away the armored soldiers guarding Erzhu Rong's side layer by layer, like an onion.

In a daze, Erzhu Rong felt somewhat incredulous.

Logically speaking, the Qihu soldiers around him and Li Shuang's Han soldiers were of similar strength, so why did the battle turn out to be one-sided?

Erzhu Rong subconsciously glanced at the precious sword in his hand, then looked up at the spear in Li Shuang's hand, and suddenly understood.

The precious and sharp sword in his hand had not been stained with blood for a long time.

The spear in Li Shuang's hand was far less valuable than his precious sword, but it was often used on the battlefield, and the marks left on the spear from the battlefield were clearly visible.

He was General Tianzhu, and it had been several years since he had personally led his troops to the battlefield. The Qihu warriors around him were wholeheartedly protecting him, treating him as someone to be protected, rather than attacking under Li Shuang's leadership like the opposing side.

The effectiveness of soldiers led by a brave general and soldiers led by a mediocre general, even if they are the same batch of soldiers, will be different on the battlefield.

Erzhu Rong thought of this and felt it was somewhat absurd.

Seeing Li Shuang and his men charging towards them, he felt as if he were witnessing a young wolf king replacing an old one and taking control of the pack on the grasslands.

As they drew nearer, only a few steps away, Li Shuang, his armor stained with blood, raised his spear towards the spotless Erzhu Rong and laughed:

"Erzhu Rong, you've gotten old!"

This sound was like a thunderclap, striking Erzhu Rong's mind and exploding!
Then, a sense of fear arose in Erzhu Rong's heart!
Erzhu Rong knew that this was not an empty boast.

That's why fear arises!
Yuan Ziyou had been watching the show the whole time, and even after ordering Yuan Yu to express his opinion, he did not take action immediately.

Firstly, they were afraid they couldn't win, and secondly, they wanted to conserve their strength.

But seeing this scene, Yuan Ziyou finally panicked.

He was afraid that if Erzhu Rong lost here, would Li Shuang spare him?

"The traitor Da Yeshuang is valiant and brave. General Tianzhu should temporarily avoid his sharp edge and mobilize the Imperial Guards to surround and kill him!"

Just as Yuan Ziyou finished speaking, a long sword flew over and grazed past his temple.

In that instant, Yuan Ziyou felt that death was very close to him.

Those around Yuan Ziyou were stunned. Yuan Yu was the first to react and roared.

"Escort!"

Inside the main hall, Li Shuang, holding a long spear, his body bent and his blood-stained face slightly tilted, looked at Yuan Ziyou.

"Your Majesty, I have failed! I deserve to die!"

Li Shuang exuded an aura that terrified Yuan Ziyou. He wanted to reprimand him, but the words stuck in his throat and he said nothing.

At this moment, Erzhu Rong also realized that the palace guards were useless, but their numbers were still considerable!
The emperor has already declared his support, so what is there to hesitate about?

At that moment, Erzhu Rong issued the order.

"Protect His Majesty, break through the encirclement, mobilize the Imperial Guards, and capture Da Ye Shuang!"

……

Tianzhu General's Mansion.

Erzhu Shilong swallowed hard, looking at the small town engulfed in flames and the pervasive stench of blood, a scene resembling the ruins of the apocalypse. He touched his sweaty forehead.

"This was done by three thousand people?"

"The general under Ohno Sou, Hou Mochen Chong, is not old, but he's like a madman."

Erzhu Shilong snorted coldly and said disdainfully:
"I'd like to see just how crazy he really is!"

Erzhu Shilong had confidence because of the five thousand Jinyang armored cavalry that Erzhu Rong had brought, four thousand of whom were behind him at this moment.

When Erzhu Shilong led his cavalry to the front line, intending to stop the enemy's offensive and annihilate them, he finally encountered Houmochen Chong.

Erzhu Shilong finally understood why Houmo Chenchong, at such a young age, was able to become a Grand General with the same honors as the generals under Li Shuang.

Hou Mochen Chong rode his warhorse like a demon across the battlefield.

They attacked from the direction of the Shangdang Prince's Mansion, but now all the soldiers of the Shangdang Prince's Mansion have fallen to the ground, and those who still tried to escape have been shot dead by Hou Mochen Chong.

Seeing the scene on the battlefield, Erzhu Shilong momentarily forgot to send reinforcements. He only came to his senses when he saw that Yuan Tianmu's troops had been almost completely wiped out.

Seeing this scene, Erzhu Shilong didn't know how to give orders.
But Hou Mochen Chong had already noticed the commotion.

From a great distance, Houmo Chenchong led his cavalry to charge over.

Iron horses and long spears, night flames and demons; blood stains the capital, killing intent soars to the sky!
The once incredibly luxurious mansion in Luoyang was now stained with blood by the soaring killing intent, and burned to pieces under the flames.

Upon seeing this terrifying scene, Erzhu Shilong momentarily forgot his boastful words and blurted out unconsciously.

"Stop him, stop him quickly!"

But how could they possibly stop them!

Houmochen Chong led the charge, and in just one exchange, he killed several of Erzhu's generals.

The clean and efficient manner sent chills down Erzhu Shilong's spine.

Seeing the general who had just been chatting and laughing with him now fall silently from his horse, without a sound, Erzhu Shilong froze.

What frightened Erzhu Shilong even more was that Houmochen Chong was getting closer and closer to him.

He knew that his martial arts skills were not much better than those who had fallen from their horses, and if he were to encounter Hou Mochen Chong, he probably wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

Erzhu Shilong drew the sword from his waist, and at that moment, he remembered the words of his elder, Bei Xiurong Qihu, from his childhood.

A true man is born between heaven and earth; he should be a hero!

It is better to die by sword than to wag one's tail and beg for mercy from the enemy.

A surge of intense emotion welled up within him, and at that moment, Erzhu Shilong decided to follow the will of his heart!
"charge!"

At this moment, all four thousand cavalrymen were thrown into battle.

The scene was extremely chaotic, with both sides locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle, temporarily halting Hou Mochen Chong's charge.

Upon seeing this, Erzhu Shilong turned his horse around and quietly fled the battlefield with dozens of his personal guards.
-
At dawn, the city of Luoyang, which had experienced a night of chaos, bloodshed, and clamor, showed no signs of calming down.

The small town that was once built around General Tianzhu is still burning in flames, with fire reaching into the sky.

No one put out the fire, and no one dared to approach. Hou Mochen Chong fought all night, leading the remaining cavalry to the palace to provide support.

At this time, the main gate of the Taiji Hall had already been burned down.

The square in front of the palace was littered with the corpses of armored soldiers and warhorses. Li Shuang was leading the remaining troops in retreat, while more and more imperial guards were pouring in from all directions.

Having fought all night, Hou Mochen Chong showed no signs of fatigue; on the contrary, he became increasingly excited and his fighting spirit was at its peak.

"Your Majesty, I have already defeated Erzhu Rong's cavalry, burned down his general's mansion, and reduced the money, grain, and livestock in the mansion to ashes."

"well-done!"

Li Shuang nodded, glanced at the corpses of his own soldiers in the square, and gave the order.

"Tell the brothers to retreat immediately!"

"promise!

Erzhu Rong's cavalry, which he had left behind, had been defeated. It was impossible for him to organize troops in a short time to launch a pincer attack with Erzhu Yangdu's army.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Shuang led the remaining cavalrymen away on horseback!

……

Watching the large group of cavalry depart outside the hall, Erzhu Rong walked to the steps in front of the Taiji Hall and sat down heavily.

For some reason, Erzhu Rong breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Li Shuang leave.

Last night, at the most critical moment, Erzhu Rong almost walked on the edge of life and death.

If Yuan Ziyou hadn't chosen to stand by his side at the crucial moment and mobilized the Imperial Guards, the outcome of this battle would have been uncertain.

Erzhu Rong chuckled self-deprecatingly.

He was truly getting old. Having spent so much time in the Ba Mansion in Jinyang, he had grown accustomed to being a commanding General Tianzhu. Yet, he now felt a sense of heaviness and disgust towards the armor that had accompanied him through a night of battle, stained with blood.

However, Erzhu Rong did not lose his vigilance.

Seeing the increasing number of imperial guards in the square, Erzhu Rong immediately looked at the person he trusted most beside him.

"Brother, you are hereby ordered by me to take command of all the Imperial Guards!"

Yuan Tianmu was in no better condition than Erzhu Rong at the moment. He glanced at Yuan Ziyou, who was standing not far from Erzhu Rong with a pale face, and simply gave him a word of advice.

"Tianbao, be careful!"

In this fierce battle, both Erzhu Rong and Li Shuang suffered heavy losses. On his side, the losses were even greater.

Erzhu Rong was left with only a small number of guards.

The morning light was faint, and the sunlight on the horizon was both dazzling and cold.

Erzhu Rong sat on the steps, laboriously removed his outer armor, threw it all on the ground, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then, Erzhu Shilong and Husichun, who had learned of the news, rushed over.

Erzhu Shilong, his face contorted with tears, ran up, his obese body trembling, to express the grievances in his heart.

"General Tianzhu, I thought I'd never see you again. How are you?"

Seeing Erzhu Shilong's appearance, Erzhu Rong remained unmoved and instead asked:

"How are my four thousand cavalry?"

Erzhu Shilong stopped crying and said:
"Houmochen Chong is fierce, I—"

Before Erzhu Shilong could finish speaking, Erzhu Rong kicked him to the ground.

Erzhu Rong roared, his expression suggesting he wanted to kill Erzhu Shilong.

"Where have my four thousand Qihu warriors gone?"

Erzhu Shilong hurriedly ran back and hugged Erzhu Rong's leg.

"General Tianzhu, rest assured, my Qihu warriors were scattered by Houmo Chenchong last night, but they were not completely wiped out. I had already gathered more than two thousand men before I came here. It's just that the money, food and warhorses in the mansion were burned."

Hearing that the person was still alive, Erzhu Rong breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the loss of money, provisions, and warhorses pained Erzhu Rong, it wasn't to the point that he wanted to kill Erzhu Shilong.

The Qihu warriors were the foundation of the Erzhu clan's rule, but their numbers were too small. If all four thousand cavalry were lost, the Erzhu clan's rule would be unstable.

"Take your men and treat the wounded soldiers."

"promise!"

After Erzhu Shilong left, Erzhu Rong looked at Husi Chun and said:
"You must have had a hard night. Did you find any trace of the child?"

“General Tianzhu, that Da Yeshuang is treacherous. He did not bring the prince back to the city at all. I have asked everyone in Jinyong City, but no one knows the prince’s whereabouts.”

Erzhu Rong's expression changed, his face showing some worry, and his doubts deepened.

"Where exactly did Ohno Sou hide Bodhi and the others?"

Erzhu Rong temporarily calmed his unease, looked at Husi Chun, and instructed:

"Fa Shou, take three thousand Imperial Guards and search along the direction where Da Ye Shuang withdrew his troops. See if there are any clues."

"promise!"

After Husichun also withdrew, Yuan Ziyou was helped up.

Erzhu Rong finally noticed the emperor, but after a night of wind and rain, the emperor's face was now very pale.

Clearly, he was frightened.

Yuan Ziyou was, after all, a peaceful emperor who had never been on the battlefield.

Although he was adept at navigating the political intrigues of Luoyang, this was his first time personally experiencing battle and living on the brink of life and death.

At this moment, it's all very uncertain!

"Your Majesty, the traitor Ono Sō has fled with his remaining troops. I have already deployed a large army and will surely capture him and bring him back to Luoyang, where he will be beheaded and his head displayed to the public!"

Yuan Ziyou nodded slightly after hearing this.

"I fear that Da Yeshuang is cunning and will eventually escape. If he escapes back to Guanzhong, he will wage war every year, and the world will likely be in turmoil from then on."

"Your Majesty need not worry. Da Yeshuang cannot escape. Even if he does, the Rouran have already retreated. I have ordered Heba Yue to lead his army south to attack Guanzhong. Once the situation in Luoyang is stable, I will also return to Jinyang to personally suppress the rebels in Guanzhong!"

"Thank you for your trouble, General Tianzhu!"

Yuan Ziyou twisted his ankle and fell. Erzhu Rong instinctively reached out to help him up. Yuan Ziyou grabbed Erzhu Rong's hand with one hand, but a dagger flew out from the sleeve of his other hand and was caught by him.

After waiting for many days, Yuan Ziyou gripped the dagger and stabbed Erzhu Rong.

"Erzhu Rong, Da Yeshuang is right. You're old. It's time to return the empire to me!"

At this moment, Yuan Ziyou's face was contorted with rage, filled with the satisfaction of revenge.

Erzhu Rong laughed.

"I am old, but I am not old enough to let my guard down at this time."

The joy of that moment of success made Yuan Ziyou forget everything and reveal his truest thoughts.

But at this moment, he tried to stab deeper with the dagger in his hand, but he couldn't stab it down no matter what he did.

Erzhu Rong kicked the weakened Yuan Ziyou away, ripped open his clothes, revealing the inner armor underneath.

"The traitor Ohno Sō has committed an act of insubordination, and His Majesty is alarmed and behaving erratically. Guards, keep a close eye on His Majesty."

……

(End of this chapter)