Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 326 What a fine set of the Six Arts of a Gentleman!

The autumn wind was chilly, and the scenery of Luoyang carried a sense of desolation.

In the afternoon, having received the news, Erzhu Rong led dozens of attendants out of the inner city and arrived at the outer city, passing by Shuangnu Temple.

The Shuangnü Temple was built with funds from Hu Hou and Hu Xuanhui to enshrine the spirit tablet of their father, Hu Guozhen. The two sisters were extremely powerful back then, so naturally the location where the temple was built was also excellent.

Shuangnv Temple was built on the west side of Biyong, adjacent to a series of important facilities of the Northern Wei Dynasty such as Lingtai, Mingtang, Biyong, and Taixue, which can be described as being in a prime location.

When Empress Hu and Emperor Yuan Yi successively came to power, the Shuangnu Temple was a thriving place of worship, attracting many high-ranking officials and nobles who tried to curry favor with it by offering them gifts. But now, however, it is deserted, with moss growing on the outside of the halls and terraces, and has not been maintained for a long time.

Erzhu Rong was originally a follower of Yuan Yi and had also visited before.

The temple gate holds some memories of the past.

However, these memories had long since faded into obscurity as the might of General Tianzhu reached its peak. After only a fleeting glance, Erzhu Rong led his attendants to the Biyong.

Biyong was originally a university established by the Zhou emperor. The campus was circular, surrounded by a pond, and there was a bridge outside the front gate.

Throughout history, dynasties have established the Biyong (Imperial Academy) as a place to honor Confucianism, conduct ceremonies, and perform rituals such as village drinking ceremonies, archery competitions, and sacrifices.

The Biyong of the Northern Wei Dynasty was built on the site of the Han and Wei dynasties, located south of the inner city and north of the Luo River, with supporting institutions such as the Imperial Academy and the Quanxueli (a school for promoting learning) built around it.

Biyong is important, but it usually goes unnoticed. Even in times of war, no one would actively attack it.

Therefore, Erzhu Rong thought of hiding Erzhu Puti and others here instead of in the Tianzhu General's Mansion.

As it turns out, Erzhu Rong's thinking was correct, and the now-destroyed Tianzhu General's Mansion is the best proof of that.

What Erzhu Rong didn't expect was that Li Shuang had been eyeing him for a long time, and what he didn't expect was that after kidnapping Erzhu Puti, Li Shuang would take advantage of the chaos to bring him back.

Outside the Biyong, when Erzhu Rong arrived, Erzhu Shilong had just arrived with several squads of imperial guards.

Now that the entire Luoyang is under Erzhu Rong's control, he arrived in haste with his men. Seeing that Erzhu Shilong had arrived first, he asked:

"how?"

"I sent someone in quietly, and found only a group of imperial students inside. General Tianzhu, the situation is still unclear. Why don't you wait for me to go in and check first, and then you can go in?"

Erzhu Rong was getting impatient. It had been so long already; Erzhu Puti and the others might not have eaten for days and wouldn't last much longer. He couldn't tolerate such a slow pace any longer.

"Da Ye Shuang fled in panic, and Yuan Ziyou was also placed under house arrest. They're just a bunch of imperial students, what can they do? You stay outside and keep watch, don't let anyone sneak in. I'll take two cavalry squads in."

"promise!"

With that, Erzhu Rong led dozens of attendants and two squads of armored soldiers across the bridge and into the Biyong.

Erzhu Rong was no stranger to the Biyong Hall; he had visited it before. However, back then he was a member of the Northern Wei Sinicization group, but now he was a leading figure opposing Sinicization.

After he rode his horse across the bridge, he waved his hand, and his attendants began searching the buildings of the Biyong.

The soldiers beside Erzhu Rong then captured more than a dozen imperial students from the house and dragged them to Erzhu Rong.

Erzhu Rong pointed his whip, and a student from the Imperial Academy was dragged out. The student was timid and looked extremely frightened.

"A group of people from Guanzhong came here with several horse-drawn carriages a couple of days ago. Where are they now?"

“Those guys have official documents and badges, and they even have knives. How dare we interfere in their affairs? It has nothing to do with us!”

"You're here guarding this place, and you still say it has nothing to do with you?"

"It really has nothing to do with us. A few days ago, a group of thugs broke in and arrested many people. The guards here were all killed. We were temporarily assigned here afterwards, and we really don't know anything about it!"

"Why did you fail to report the notices posted by General Tianzhu in the city?"

“It’s a miscarriage of justice! Those people were extremely vicious. We’ve all been locked up in the side hall for the past few days. We vaguely remember hearing a great commotion in the inner city the morning before yesterday, and then there was no sound outside. We hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for two days and were about to starve to death when we mustered up our courage, broke free of our ropes, and escaped. But we found that there was no one outside. After we got free, we ate and drank some water and rice, and soon the officials arrived.”

Erzhu Rong waved his hand, signaling the soldiers to release their grip, and asked:

"What about the people they brought?"

“We do not know, but if he is still alive, he should be in the temple where our late master is enshrined.”

The student pointed in a direction, but Erzhu Rong didn't actually need him to point it out; he already knew where the palace was!
Upon hearing this, Erzhu Rong hurriedly led his men over, opened the tightly closed temple door, and found Erzhu Puti and the others inside.

However, they were not in good condition at the moment. Clearly, they had not eaten for several days and were physically weak.

This is clearly a kidnapper's tactic: to control the hostages, they only give them a small amount of water and rice each day to prevent them from escaping.

"Damn it, Ohno Sou!"

Erzhu Rong rushed into the hall, picked up Erzhu Puti, and lifted the cloth from his mouth. He was delirious and still had a fever, saying:
"Father!"

"Bodhi, don't worry, your father is here, everything is alright. Your father will definitely avenge you, and kill Da Ye Shuang sooner or later!"

"The people who kidnapped us weren't Uncle San's men, they were a bunch of Imperial Academy students!"

Erzhu Rong was greatly alarmed upon hearing this.

In an instant, a thunderbolt exploded in Erzhu Rong's heart.

This is a trap!
……

Outside the Biyong Hall, Erzhu Shilong looked up at the sky. The sun was gradually setting in the west, and it was getting late.

There was still no news from inside, and Erzhu Shilong was somewhat uneasy.

"Get up, brothers, and come in with me."

After Erzhu Shilong finished speaking, the generals around him became somewhat worried.

"General Tianzhu ordered us to wait here. Military orders are absolute. If we rashly barge in, what will happen..."

Before the general could finish speaking, he was slapped by Erzhu Shilong.

"I will take responsibility for General Tianzhu's culpability. Go and call the brothers."

The Erzhu clan's army is currently short of horses. The soldiers Erzhu Shilong brought, apart from himself and a few generals, and two cavalry units brought in by Erzhu Rong, were all deserters.

I'm resting right now!

Only after Erzhu Shilong issued his summons did they reluctantly gather around him.

Just then, a sharp-eyed person beside Erzhu Shilong suddenly pointed to the water and exclaimed:

There's movement in the water!

A large group of black-clad assassins, each holding a bamboo tube, slowly emerged from the water plants and crawled toward the shore, making Erzhu Shilong and his men's scalps tingle.

"careful!"

Erzhu Shilong's men were shouting, but the two groups of armored soldiers on the other side, who were talking to the students, remained completely silent and could not hear them at all.

"Too far!"

Erzhu Shilong also realized that this was a trap, drew his sword, and shouted.

"Brothers, follow me and charge in to rescue General Tianzhu!"

……

Realizing the danger, Erzhu Rong hesitated and was not decisive.

Inside the temple, Erzhu Puti and his group were weak and drowsy, and Erzhu Rong was unable to take them all out.

Should we abandon these people and rush out, or stay here and wait for reinforcements?

Erzhu Rong was undecided! However, his hunting instincts remained, and he immediately said:
"Prime Minister Wang, go outside and bring those two cavalry units here!"

Erzhu Shilong's troops are just outside Biyong. As long as those two cavalry units are brought here, they should be able to hold out until Erzhu Shilong's reinforcements arrive.

"promise!"

Wang Xiang, accompanied by two attendants, emerged from the palace gate with swords drawn, only to be met with a barrage of arrows.

Several students from the Imperial Academy stood outside the palace, holding longbows. After firing an arrow, they were about to take another arrow from their quiver.

These students from the Imperial Academy had never been on the battlefield or killed anyone, yet their archery skills were remarkably accurate.

Wang Xiang reacted quickly and dodged, but two of his attendants were shot.

Erzhu Rong noticed the commotion, came out, and saw the imperial students outside. He suddenly laughed.

"What a fine set of the Six Arts of a Gentleman! Your skills are so refined, why do you choose to imitate the actions of assassins?"

Upon seeing Erzhu Rong and feeling the imposing aura emanating from him, the imperial students who had blocked Erzhu Rong's path were somewhat afraid, their voices trembling.

"To rid the country of traitors is the proper course of action, just like that of Jing and Nie!"

Erzhu Rong scoffed at these words.

"During the reign of Emperor Ming, Empress Hu held power, the country was in chaos, and bandits were rampant in all directions. I led the army to pacify the six garrisons, cleansed the court of its corruption, and stabilized the nation. How can I be considered a bandit?"

Erzhu Rong wanted to persuade them because he was concerned about Erzhu Puti and the others behind him.

"I know your talents. If you lay down your bows and arrows, I will forgive you and even recommend you for official positions in the court."

His words did have an effect; some of the students who were blocking his way wavered.

"He's just a northerner, what does he know about the affairs of the country? This chaos is caused by northerners. If we are lured by this traitor, how can we face His Majesty!"

This shout solidified the resolve of all the students.

His Majesty?

Could it be Yuan Ziyou?
Erzhu Rong thought about it and decided it was impossible. If Yuan Ziyou really had the patience to set up such a elaborate scheme, he wouldn't have openly attempted to assassinate him in the first place.

Moreover, it's impossible for him to join forces with Li Shuang!

These imperial students were probably just pawns on the surface. Apart from their accurate archery, they were mediocre in other skills, and their bodies were thin and weak. They didn't look like they had ever been in a fight.

Seeing the way these imperial students acted, Erzhu Rong showed no mercy and issued an order.

"Since you are all so stubborn and unyielding, I have no choice but to exterminate you!"

Led by Wang Xiang, Erzhu Rong's attendants rushed out.

The arrows flew, causing injury to the attendants, but Erzhu Rong's servants had served him for a long time and, through observation and experience, cooperated seamlessly.

They charged quickly, dodging the arrows, and within a dozen breaths, they were already close.

As Erzhu Rong had predicted, these imperial students were skilled archers, but had no other strengths. After losing several attendants, these students were also swiftly and decisively killed.

However, after eliminating these roadblocks, the situation did not improve. More students from the Imperial Academy seemed to have planned ahead and surged over. Even more surprisingly, some of them arrived in carriages.

Bows, arrows, and chariots were all prepared by the Imperial Academy for the students to use in their daily practice of skills. They were incomparable to the military equipment in the army, but at this time, they were extremely important.

Especially those carriages, which had not undergone military modifications, were so powerful that Erzhu Rong's men could not stop them when they charged forward under the command of these imperial students!
Erzhu Rong was quite annoyed by this and cursed inwardly.

These damned Six Arts of the Gentleman!

"Erzhu Rong, you barbarian, when you murdered the late emperor, forced the empress dowager to her death, slaughtered the officials, and plunged the world into chaos, did you know this day would come!"

The group of imperial students were aggressive, but they did not attack Erzhu Rong immediately. Instead, they strategically surrounded the rear guard and wounded the warhorses brought by Erzhu Rong and his men.

Only then did they take action against Erzhu Rong and his men.

In the chaos, an arrow struck Erzhu Rong. Wang Xiang rushed forward, sword in hand, and helped Erzhu Rong up, saying:
"My lord, I will carry you out of here."

Upon seeing this formation, Erzhu Rong suddenly sensed something and burst into laughter.

"It seems I am destined to die here today. No wonder!"

"Your Majesty!"

Erzhu Rong looked at the Prime Minister and instructed:

"If you manage to escape, go to Guanzhong and tell Li Shuang one thing!"

"My lord, please give your orders!"

Erzhu Rong was somewhat unwilling, but he still spoke up.

"The world is in his hands!"

Erzhu Rong shoved Wang Xiang aside, and several more arrows came flying, all of which hit Erzhu Rong.

He coughed up blood and died on the spot!
"Lord!"

……

Erzhu Shilong wanted to lead troops to reinforce, but was blocked.

The black-clad assassins hidden beneath the water were swift and fearless, and after a surprise attack, they killed most of the two cavalry squads.

Then, a chaotic battle ensued.

When Erzhu Shilong arrived with his troops, the assassins had already dealt with the cavalry. These assassins weren't part of the same group as the imperial students; although the students had helped, they were far less agile than the assassins. Their mission was simple: to block reinforcements!

At this time, outside the Biyong, the Qihu reinforcements summoned by Erzhu Shilong also arrived.

Erzhu Shilong finally managed to kill all the assassins, but then a group of imperial students gathered around.

Normally, Erzhu Shilong looked down on these students, but at this moment, he was shocked.

Because on a royal carriage lay Erzhu Rong's corpse!

"The traitor Erzhu Rong is dead! You remaining traitors, surrender now!"

Erzhu Shilong's head buzzed, and he seemed to lose his breath for a moment.

impossible!
Erzhu Shilong felt a surge of anger and roared.

"Kill them all and avenge General Tianzhu!"

To the surprise of the students, the soldiers behind Erzhu Shilong responded to the shout.
-
Twin Temple!
At night, a large number of Qihu soldiers rushed in and killed everyone they saw without saying a word.

Hu Xuanhui seemed not to hear the commotion outside.

After she finished chanting the sutra, she slowly got up, walked to her sister's memorial tablet, and lit an incense stick.

The gate opened, and a gust of night wind blew in. Following them came a dozen or so Qihu soldiers, speaking in a northern dialect, their voices filled with shouts of battle and curses.

Hu Xuanhui ignored this, blocked it with his sleeve, and waited until the incense was burning brightly before entering the memorial tablet of Empress Hu.

The autumn air was chilling, and the night wind carried a hint of blood. Behind him were fierce soldiers, but Hu Xuanhui smiled leisurely.

"Er Zhu, it's over!"

……

(End of this chapter)