Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 325 I think he's right

Luoyang.

With the Tianzhu General's Mansion burned down, Erzhu Rong had nowhere to live and could only temporarily camp on the ruins.

After the Erzhu clan generals returned to their camp, they learned of Yuan Ziyou's assassination attempt and were furious, vowing to depose Yuan Ziyou.

Inside the large tent, Erzhu Rong, who was lying on a soft couch and leaning against a table, was surprisingly calm.

The inner armor that had blocked that blow not long ago was now hanging on the rack. Erzhu Rong, dressed in loose clothing, remained oblivious to the clamor surrounding him about deposing and installing emperors.

At this moment, there are only two things that matter most to him.

Where did Li Shuang go, and what became of his Erzhu clan members?

In a way, this can actually be considered a matter.

After Yuan Tianmu led the Imperial Guards to restore order in Luoyang, Erzhu Rong issued a proclamation to the people of Luoyang.

Anyone who can provide information about Erzhu Puti and others will be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces and promoted three ranks!
However, despite the generous reward, there has been no news in the vast sea of ​​people.

The arrival of Erzhu Shilong finally caused a change in Erzhu Rong's expression.

"how?"

Erzhu Rong wanted to lead his troops to pursue Li Shuang, but he didn't know how much supplies had been lost in the chaos, or whether he could mobilize enough manpower and resources. Therefore, he entrusted Erzhu Shilong, the garrison commander of Luoyang, with the task.

However, the news that Erzhu Shilong brought back was not good.

"General Tianzhu, after His Majesty was placed under house arrest, the commanders of the Imperial Guards in Luoyang and the nobles who remained in Luoyang have expressed their grievances."

Erzhu Rong frowned, and the man beside him angrily said:

"What Your Majesty? Yuan Ziyou plotted to assassinate General Tianzhu in broad daylight. What complaints do they have? I think these people are probably in cahoots with Yuan Ziyou. They should all be arrested."

To be precise, although Yuan Ziyou was not capable of turning the tide in this chaotic world, he was at least not a foolish ruler.

Over the years, Yuan Ziyou has rectified wrongful convictions, treated his subordinates with courtesy, provided disaster relief and rescued the people, restored rites and music, and abolished the various malpractices that Empress Hu had implemented since taking control of the government. He has a very good reputation among the people of Luoyang.

Within the circle that Erzhu Rong had drawn for him, Yuan Ziyou maximized his initiative.

Who exactly is dissatisfied?

Faced with the pressure from Erzhu Rong, Erzhu Shilong honestly said:
“Yuan Yu and Yang Jin led the way, along with a large number of officials from prominent families.”

How are they dissatisfied?

"They say His Majesty was frightened and, in his panic, mistook General Tianzhu for Da Yeshuang, which is understandable. As the supreme ruler of the capital, His Majesty should be sitting in the palace, how could he be going in and out of the military camp like this?"

"Well said!"

Erzhu Rong's somewhat sarcastic remark led everyone in the tent to believe that he was about to take action and purge all of Yuan Ziyou's followers.

But Erzhurong simply took him away without a second thought.

"Tell them that Luoyang is in chaos, and the city is full of Da Yeshuang's accomplices. For His Majesty's safety, I have no choice but to do this. I hope you officials will understand."

Erzhu Rong is not the same Erzhu Rong of the past. He cannot, as before, slaughter all the nobles and officials in Luoyang. Otherwise, Luoyang would become a mere shell, which is not what Erzhu Rong wants.

At least for now, the nobles in Luoyang haven't crossed his bottom line, so Erzhu Rong won't kill them.

Keeping them alive is more useful than killing them.

"Your Majesty's madness is caused by Da Yeshuang's rebellion. Only by capturing Da Yeshuang can His Majesty's heart be appeased. Tell those people that His Majesty will not be able to return to the palace until Da Yeshuang is captured. If Da Yeshuang escapes, they will not be able to escape punishment."

Yuan Ziyou's actions in the Taiji Hall—first taking sides, then betraying them—made Erzhu Rong wary of him. Especially now, Erzhu Rong only felt at ease with Yuan Ziyou by his side.

Yuan Ziyou assassinated Erzhu Rong, but Erzhu Rong didn't harbor much resentment towards Yuan Ziyou. What Erzhu Rong hated most, and cared about most, was the escaped Li Shuang.

“Tell those who complain that by the latest, gather the horses I need. I will personally lead the troops to capture Ōno Sō.”

"promise!"

Erzhu Shilong cupped his hands in agreement, then asked softly:

"General Tianzhu, if you leave, who will seek out Bodhi and the others?"

Erzhu Rong looked at Erzhu Shilong, unsure how to respond.

Erzhu Shilong advised:

"General Tianzhu, while Da Yeshuang is indeed hateful, there's no need for you to personally pursue him. He's with remnants of his army, without supplies, and won't last long. Send a few brave generals, and we can capture him sooner or later. The situation in Luoyang is unstable right now; it's more important for General Tianzhu to remain in Luoyang. I'm more worried about..."

Erzhu Shilong hesitated, then Erzhu Rong asked:

"What are you afraid of?"

"If Ono Sō is using Bodhi and the others as bargaining chips, that's fine. But I'm afraid Ono Sō will just dump Bodhi and the others in some forgotten corner of Luoyang. If that happens, in less than three days, Bodhi and the others will probably..."

Erzhu Rong felt a pang of anxiety upon hearing this.

"Ohno Sō, where exactly did you hide them?!"

……

Husi Chun led three thousand imperial guards from Luoyang City, on the orders of Erzhu Rong, to pursue Li Shuang and search for the whereabouts of Erzhu Puti and others.

Clearly, Husichun considered finding Erzhu Puti and the others as his primary task.

Although Husichun led three thousand imperial guards, most of them were infantry, with only his personal guards on horseback, making their march slow. Even after Husichun learned that Li Shuang had abandoned a large amount of baggage, including some armor and weapons, in order to speed up the journey, he dared not pursue them.

Just kidding, that's someone who can wield a sword and spear, and fight his way out of the Taiji Palace and into Luoyang.

Husichun dared not go up and invite such bad luck.

As the sun shone brightly in the sky, Husi Chun, parched with thirst, found a village outside the city and a well.

Watching the servants bring water from the well, Husi Chun squatted on the ground and couldn't help but complain:

"It seems that Ohno Sō didn't bring the Crown Prince and the others with him either. Where are they?"

"Da Ye Shuang is a bandit and outlaw, so hiding a few people isn't difficult for him."

Husichun nodded after hearing the servant's words and took a sip of well water.

"This could go wrong, and the young master and the others might be exposed. Luoyang is a huge pit now, and it's actually better for us to be outside the city."

"My lord, if we keep dragging this out, what if General Tianzhu blames us?"

Husi Chun put down the ladle in his hand, looked at the servant, and scolded:
"You don't know anything. Even General Tianzhu couldn't take down Da Yeshuang. How could I possibly take down Da Yeshuang? All we need to do is report Da Yeshuang's movements back to Luoyang City in a timely manner."

Just then, the scouts sent out by Husichun returned, bringing the latest intelligence from the front lines.

"My lord, Ohno Sou has led his troops to Yiyang!"

"Yiyang?" Husichun was taken aback. "I heard that Erzhu Yangdu has already occupied Yiyang. Why did Daye Shuang go to Yiyang instead of Xin'an?"

Gao Ang was stationed at Xin'an, and Hebasheng, with four times his strength, was unable to take it. Husi Chun had thought that Li Shuang would lead his remaining troops to Xin'an and attack from both sides with Gao Ang, and perhaps they could break through Hebasheng's camp.

Husichun looked around at his entourage and asked:

Do you know what the situation is like in Yiyang?

"I heard that after Erzhu Yangdu joined forces with Hebasheng, he followed General Tianzhu's orders and gave most of his troops to Hebasheng. Fearing that his own forces would be insufficient, he borrowed some soldiers from Hebasheng." ...

Yiyang.

As the western gateway to Luoyang, Yiyang was once the founding capital of the State of Han during the Warring States period. Its strategic location has remained extremely important from the Qin and Han dynasties to the present day.

Erzhu Yangdu was very excited to learn that Li Shuang was leading more than 3,000 cavalrymen toward Yiyang.

His troops were not as numerous as those under Hebasheng's command, but they were twice the size of Li Shuang's.

Although many of them were local state and county soldiers, Li Shuang's cavalry had also come from afar. How much horsepower and combat strength did they have left?
If Li Shuang can be captured, Erzhu Yangdu will have accomplished a great feat. From now on, his status within the Erzhu clan will rise dramatically, rivaling that of Erzhu Shilong and Erzhu Zhao.

"General of Chariots and Cavalry!"

Dugu Xin led his troops to the top of the city wall, stood behind Erzhu Yangdu, and bowed.

"You came just in time!"

In the distance, smoke and dust rose.

Li Shuang, with his remaining troops, had already reached the outskirts of Yiyang City.

Erzhu Yangdu saw this scene, especially the appearance of their group, and laughed.

"Ohno Sou has fallen so low; he must be captured!"

The fact that they were able to reach Yiyang City so quickly indicates that Li Shuang and his group traveled day and night. This must have taken a tremendous toll on their physical strength.

If a real fight breaks out, what's there to be afraid of?

This is sure!

Li Shuang rode his horse to the foot of the city wall, looked at the people on the wall, and shouted:
"Is that Erzhu Yangdu on the city wall?"

"Exactly!"

"Since we are old friends, why not open the city gates and have a chat?"

Erzhu Yangdu laughed loudly, looking at Li Shuang below the city, and said:
"Although we had some past ties when we were in Jinyang, you are now a thief and I am a soldier. I am acting on His Majesty's orders and under the command of General Tianzhu to wipe out this traitor. How can I let you into the city?"

Li Shuang, riding a horse below the city walls, smiled and said:
"Erzhu Rong is tyrannical, holding the emperor hostage and causing chaos in Luoyang. On that day, in the Taiji Hall, Erzhu Rong even dared to threaten His Majesty with a sword. I was ordered by His Majesty to return to Chang'an to mobilize troops to defend the king. Yang Du, although you are a member of the Erzhu clan, you have always been a man of great principles. Now you should turn against the Qing and join us in this righteous cause! Otherwise, you shall be executed. I have said all I have to say; do not say I did not warn you!"

Erzhu Yang heard this and laughed loudly:

"King of Qin, even if you are eloquent, I cannot let you go today."

Erzhu Yangdu turned around and looked at Dugu Xin.

"Listen to my orders, gather the archers, and after we capture and kill Ōye Sō, I will recommend you for credit!"

Dugu Xin remained unmoved and cupped his hands in greeting:
"This humble general believes that what the King of Qin said makes great sense. Erzhu Rong is tyrannical, slaughtering officials and ravaging the people. His harm is even greater than that of Dong Zhuo. He is called the General of the Heavenly Pillar, but in reality, he is a traitor to the country. Now the King of Qin claims to be acting on the Emperor's orders, but we do not know whether this is true or not. How can we mobilize troops to shoot him without any explanation?"

Erzhu Yangdu was furious upon hearing this.

"Dugu Ruyuan, what are you trying to do, rebel?"

However, neither Dugu Xin nor the soldiers behind him stood motionless, like statues, staring at him, which made Erzhu Yangdu feel somewhat intimidated.

"Help! Help!"

Erzhu Yangdu shouted instinctively, but who would obey his orders and come to his rescue?

The city gates slowly opened, and Li Shuang, who had been galloping for a day and a night, led more than three thousand cavalrymen into Yiyang City.
-
Erzhu Rong was furious when he learned that Li Shuang had led his troops into Yiyang City.

Erzhu Rong must control both key towns, Xin'an and Yiyang, at the intersection of the western Henan passage in order to trap Li Shuang and his cavalry.

Now that a hole has been found, Erzhu Rong's net has been broken, and the battle on Hebasheng's side is no longer meaningful.

"How could Hebasheng not know that all his men had been bribed by Da Yeshuang!"

Erzhu Rong's anger was palpable, and Yuan Tianmu, standing nearby, advised him:

"Tianbao, at this time, we must not be too harsh on Hebasheng!"

Upon hearing Yuan Tianmu's words, Erzhu Rong sneered.

"Should I thank him?!"

“Dugu Xin and his troops are not under Hebasheng's control. Erzhu Yangdu's request for Dugu Xin from Hebasheng was not Hebasheng's intention, but rather his own cleverness in trying to gain merit.” At this point, Yuan Tianmu whispered, “Besides, the situation is uncertain now. Hebasheng has 20,000 men under his command. If he's worried about being punished, what if…”

Yuan Tianmu didn't finish his sentence, but Erzhu Rong already understood.

In order to more easily control the soldiers of the Six Garrisons, he pretended to turn a blind eye to the factions and cliques among them, and even encouraged them to establish their own factions within the garrisons.

In particular, Erzhu Rong went to great lengths to counterbalance a valiant general like Hebasheng.

Now, they're reaping the bitter fruit.

Seeing that Erzhu Rong's emotions had stabilized, Yuan Tianmu said:

“Since he has already escaped, let it go. The best course of action now is to deploy troops to search for him in Luoyang. I am worried that, if what Erzhu Shilong said is true, Bodhi and the others will not be able to hold out for long.”

Erzhu Rong's anger subsided, but his fear and anxiety rose in his heart.

Time was running out, and the imperial guards in the city had spread out to search, but there was still no news of Erzhu Puti and the others.

According to the message from Husichun, Li Shuang did not bring them with her.

Erzhu Rong thought of this and murmured:

"Could it be that Bodhi and the others are not in Luoyang?"

Yuan Tianmu shook his head and said:
"It's unlikely. If Bodhi and the others were really sent out of the city, there would be a reason for them to leave without a trace. They should still be inside the city."

Erzhu Rong tried to guess where Li Shuang was hiding the person using Li Shuang's way of thinking, but to no avail.

Erzhu Rong was somewhat indignant and said:
“We have been sworn brothers with him for many years. He has learned our skills, but we have not learned any of his tricks.”

Just then, Erzhu Shilong ran in, a smile on his face.

"General Tianzhu, there's news of Bodhi and the others."

"where?"

"Right in Biyong, after Da Yeshuang captured Bodhi and the others, he took advantage of our inattention and moved them back."

Upon hearing this, Erzhu Rong suddenly understood and burst into laughter.

"Ohno Sō, you really are a thief, you know how to hide!"

Yuan Tianmu asked:
"Where did you get this news?"

"The nun from Shuangnv Temple came to report today that two days ago, a group of people from Guanzhong passed by the temple with several carriages on their way to Biyong. Today, she passed by Biyong and found that the carriages had been abandoned in an alley. She found this suspicious and came to report it."

Erzhu Rong, deeply loving his son, immediately said:
"Prepare the horses, I'm going to Biyong to investigate!"

……

(End of this chapter)