Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 327 It's Time to Switch Sides
Luoyang, military camp.

As dusk fell, Yuan Ziyou stood in his tent, staring blankly at the leftover food on the table.

The food on the table was the same as yesterday's, except for a half-eaten flatbread and a bowl of water.

For the emperor, such a meal was definitely a humiliation.

But Yuan Ziyou had no time to care about any of that at the moment.

The Qihu people outside hadn't brought him any food all day, and instead of being angry, he was filled with sorrow.

Is Erzhu Rong about to assassinate the emperor?

Yuan Ziyou was filled with fear. Inside the large tent, he was like a frightened bird, not daring to move an inch.

Yuan Ziyou was already frightened in the Taiji Hall. After the assassination attempt failed, his already weak body became even weaker, and his cheeks became gaunt.

At some point, the sounds of fighting broke out in the military camp. But when Yuan Ziyou heard the noise, he curled up and huddled in one spot, wanting to bury his head in the sand and not wanting to think about what was happening outside.

Shouts rang out right in front of his military tent.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

A familiar voice rang out, and Prince Yuan Yu of Linhuai lifted the tent flap, followed by Yang Jin, Li Yu, and others.

"We are late, Your Majesty, you have been frightened!"

Yuan Ziyou was so hungry that he almost thought he was hallucinating.

But a biting wind blew in from outside the tent, finally waking Yuan Ziyou from the cold.

"You...why are you here?"

Yuan Yu was extremely excited, almost shouting it out.

"Your Majesty, Erzhu Rong is dead!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ziyou froze, asking incredulously:

"What did you say?"

"Erzhu Rong is dead! He went to the Imperial Academy today and was surrounded and killed by the students!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ziyou's previously thin and dull face suddenly broke into a smile!
An unstoppable smile!

Yuan Ziyou's stomach rumbled, and he picked up the flatbread in front of him and ate it with cold water, enjoying it immensely as if the food in front of him were the most delicious delicacies.

Lu Rou, Yuan Yu's son-in-law, was not far from his father-in-law. Seeing Yuan Ziyou like this, he couldn't help but sigh.

If the emperor is like this, can the Great Wei dynasty truly be revitalized?

After Yuan Ziyou finished eating, his body felt weak, but his rationality quickly returned.

"Li Yu!"

"Chen is here!"

"I hereby appoint you as General of the Army and order you to succeed Erzhu Shilong and take control of the Imperial Guards."

"promise!"

"Yang Kan!"

"Chen is here!"

"Quickly draft an imperial edict and send it to Hebasheng of Xin'an, Sima Ziru of Beizhongcheng, and Husichun of Boting, informing them that Erzhu Rong is dead and ordering them to return to court!"

"promise!"

"Yang Jin!"

"The old minister is here!"

"I hereby appoint you as General of Chariots and Cavalry. You shall immediately lead the army to Hulao Pass, guard the pass, and strictly prohibit Erzhu Dulu and Erzhu Yusheng from entering the pass."

"promise!"

Yuan Ziyou already had a contingency plan in place for the assassination of Erzhu Rong. Now, the situation in Luoyang was somewhat different, but Yuan Ziyou still issued orders according to the established framework.

Having finished explaining everything in one breath, Yuan Ziyou stood up and looked at Yuan Yu.

"Prince of Linhuai, lead a group of righteous men to escort me back to the palace, and then summon all the officials to reassure the people."

"promise!"

Under the terrifying pressure from Erzhu Rong, Yuan Ziyou had no choice but to commit assassination.

If Erzhu Rong is killed, then the power of the court will inevitably return to his hands.

This was the idea of ​​Yuan Ziyou and his court officials!

Therefore, Yuan Ziyou wanted to take the other path that Wang Yun had not chosen.

After killing Dong Zhuo, he chose to pardon his Liangzhou followers.

As for whether Wang Yun's situation back then was the same as the situation now, Yuan Ziyou didn't care.

Regardless of whether this road is passable or not, he has no choice but to continue, because it is the only road he can take.

……

North Midtown.

As a key hub guarding the Yellow River pontoon bridge and connecting the north and south of Luoyang, Beizhongcheng held a very important position.

Erzhu Rong's decision to have Sima Ziru guard the area demonstrates his trust in Sima Ziru.

Sima Ziru was a descendant of Sima Mo, the Prince of Nanyang in the Western Jin Dynasty. He entered officialdom as a provincial official in Huai Shuo Town. Later, after the Rebellion of the Six Garrisons, seeing that the situation was not good, Sima Ziru and Sun Teng and others went south to join Erzhu Rong.

It can be said that Sima Ziru had a keen eye for talent, choosing to side with Erzhu Rong long before Erzhu Rong rose to power.

After the Heyin Incident, Sima Ziru was enfeoffed as the Viscount of Pingyao County and became one of the most powerful figures in the Huai Shuo faction.

It was late at night, but Sima Ziru was still awake. The incident in the Taiji Hall the other day had signaled another falling out between Li Shuang and Erzhu Rong. Although Beizhong City wasn't the focus of their conflict, Sima Ziru dared not be careless.

Contrary to Yuan Ziyou's expectations, Sima Ziru had dispatched his own spies throughout the city. He learned of Erzhu Rong's assassination even earlier than Yuan Ziyou.

"General Tianzhu is dead?"

“I was in Erzhu Shilong’s army at the time and saw the body of General Tianzhu with my own eyes. Those Qihu people had already gone mad. I managed to seize a horse so that I could return to report to my lord.”

After Sima Ziru learned of this news, he asked three times in a row, and only after his spies answered three times did he finally believe it.

Sima Ziru was still somewhat dazed. If it weren't for the informants in front of him, he would almost think that someone was plotting against him.

After calming down, Sima Ziru did not feel sorry for General Tianzhu's premature departure from the people of Wei. Instead, he pondered the future situation and the choices he should make.

"With General Tianzhu dead, Erzhu Shilong is probably no match for His Majesty and the officials in Luoyang. His Majesty's edict summoning me to court may arrive in just a few hours!"

"Does the lord intend to go to court?"

When questioned by the subordinate who had informed him, Sima Ziru leaned against the table, pondered for a while, and shook his head.

"If I go, the Erzhu clan, especially that fool Erzhu Zhao, will definitely think that I am in cahoots with His Majesty. Although General Tianzhu is dead, the Erzhu clan still has hundreds of thousands of troops outside. His Majesty and the officials in Luoyang are no match for them. I cannot go!"

At this moment, Sima Ziru had already chosen her team.

He still chose to stand on Erzhu's side.

Sima Ziru was well aware of his own importance and the power of the Erzhu clan.

At the very least, before the Erzhu clan's rule completely collapses, he cannot openly side with Yuan Ziyou. Otherwise, the fragments of the collapsing Erzhu clan's empire will crush him.

"But as you say, His Majesty's edict has arrived. What should you do, my lord? Refuse to accept it?"

Sima Ziru did not want to openly offend Yuan Ziyou; he had a deeper concern.

"Even if I don't want to accept the edict, the death of General Tianzhu has caused unrest among the people. There's no doubt that someone in Beizhong City might want to accept it."

Sima Ziru came to a conclusion.

"I can't stay in North Central City any longer, or I'm afraid I'll be harmed!" "Then what should we do, head north?"

A glint of light flashed in Sima Ziru's eyes, and in an instant, he arrived at the most ideal solution.

"No, head south to meet Erzhu Shilong!"

Sima Ziru's confidants did not understand their lord's actions, thinking it was like walking into a trap, but he explained:
"Erzhu Shilong still has three or four thousand Jinyang cavalry under General Tianzhu behind him. He must be feeling dejected and has lost his composure. If we go south to meet him, he will be grateful."

Sima Ziru was about to muster his troops to head south when he suddenly stopped, thinking of someone.

"I would like to trouble you to go to Xiangzhou again and make sure to tell He Liuhun about the current situation in Luoyang so that he can make preparations as soon as possible!"

……

Baiting.

The fast horse from Luoyang arrived at Baiting and found Husi Chun there.

Just like Sima Ziru, Husi Chun was also incredulous when he heard the news of Erzhu Rong's death.

After confirming the matter several times, Husichun looked at Yuan Ziyou's messenger and finally believed it.

Of course, he had no choice but to believe it.

After all, it was unusual for Yuan Ziyou's envoy to be able to arrive here. If Erzhu Rong hadn't died, Husi Chun wouldn't have been able to guess any other reason.

Yuan Ziyou wouldn't go to such great lengths just to trick him into going back.

"My lord, what should we do? Should we go to court?"

When asked by his subordinates, Husichun nodded.

"Enter the court!"

Husichun had no choice; of the three thousand soldiers under his command, apart from his own troops, the vast majority were imperial guards.

With Erzhu Rong's death, people's hearts are divided, and these imperial guards will certainly no longer obey his command.

As Husichun had expected, the messenger sent by Yuan Ziyou did not stop at delivering the imperial edict to Husichun, but instead spread the news to the grassroots level.

Before long, the Imperial Guard officers who had been obedient gathered around and asked Husichun for his opinion.

Husichun dared not have any objections!

Only after learning that Husichun was preparing to go to the capital did they return home satisfied.

Hu Sichun clearly saw that the officers and soldiers had drawn their sharpened knives halfway out and then put them back in.

After seeing off the officers and soldiers, Husichun's subordinates returned and asked:
"My lord, are you really planning to go to court?"

"Neither in nor out!"

Husichun's retainers were somewhat stunned by his words, and they only heard Husichun say:
"With General Tianzhu dead, Luoyang has become a hotbed of trouble. I have some connections with Prince Yuan Yue of Runan, so I should go and seek refuge with him first, and then get away from Luoyang!"

After speaking, Husi Chun paused, then gave instructions to several trusted confidants:

"Furthermore, you should ride north to Jinyang and quickly inform Erzhu Zhao of the current situation."

……

Xin'an.

Hebasheng led an army of 20,000 to attack Xin'an. He fought a battle with Gao Ang, but the outcome was inconclusive. Then came news that Dugu Xin had led his troops to defect to Li Shuang.

With Erzhu Yang dead and Xin'an falling to the enemy, there was no point in Hebasheng attacking Xin'an again.

He then led his troops in retreat, breaking the encirclement.

These past few days, Hebasheng has been very worried, fearing that Erzhu Rong will punish him.

What Hebasheng didn't expect was that he would receive news of Erzhu Rong's death and that Yuan Ziyou wanted him to come to court.

"Is Erzhu Rong really dead?"

Lu Rou nodded and said:

"Exactly!"

Compared to Sima Ziru and Husi Chun, Yuan Ziyou valued Hebasheng more and sent a high-ranking envoy.

Lu Rou, Yuan Yu's son-in-law!
Hebasheng is a fierce general of his time, and few in the world can rival him in battle. Now, he commands an army of 20,000.

After the Heyin Incident, the bigwigs of the Huai Shuo faction were only granted the titles of County Earl and County Viscount, but Hebasheng was granted the title of County Duke, receiving the same treatment as Erzhu Tianguang, a core member of the Erzhu clan who was favored by Erzhu Rong.

Of course, this treatment was earned by Hebasheng through his military achievements, not because his surname was Erzhu.

This further demonstrates Hebasheng's capabilities.

However, Lu Rou did not expect that this general under Erzhu Rong would not have to spend much time persuading him to surrender. After learning that Erzhu Rong was dead, he immediately agreed to go to the court and chose to be loyal.

This made Lu Rou feel like she had come for nothing, that anyone could have done it, and that she felt no sense of accomplishment whatsoever.

"In that case, I await your presence, Your Excellency!"

After Lu Rou left, Nianxian hurriedly asked:

"Po Hu, General Tianzhu has just been assassinated. Why did you agree so quickly?"

Hebasheng smiled and said:
"You yourself said that Erzhu Rong is already dead. If we don't serve Luoyang now, when will we?"

Nianxian shook his head and said:

"The Erzhu clan still has over 100,000 troops. Do you think they will give up so easily?"

Hebasheng looked at Nianxian and asked:
"What does this have to do with us?"

Hebasheng's words startled Nianxian.

"Dugu Ruyuan has surrendered to Da Yeshuang, and I don't blame him for doing so. Now that we've gone to Luoyang, Yuan Ziyou will surely give us an important position. What we northerners lack, Yuan Ziyou can provide. After that, we'll decide what to do next. As long as we have troops in hand, why should we be afraid of not having a place to go?"
-
Inside the Xianyang Palace, Yuan Ziyou returned to his throne.

At this moment, Yuan Ziyou finally felt like an emperor.

However, Yuan Ziyou's relief was short-lived, as changes in the situation in Luoyang caused him to worry again.

The messenger he sent did not find Sima Ziru. When he learned of Sima Ziru's whereabouts, Yuan Ziyou was surprised to find that he had already been with Erzhu Shilong.

Yuan Ziyou tried to recruit Erzhu Shilong into the palace, but Erzhu Shilong did not obey.

Upon learning this news, Yuan Ziyou hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should take action against Erzhu Shilong and mobilize the Imperial Guards to surround and kill him and his Qihu soldiers.
Yuan Ziyou had taken control of the situation in Luoyang and gained the loyalty of two generals from outside the Erzhu clan, but the situation he faced remained complex.

Erzhu Rong is dead, but Li Shuang is still alive!

"What do you think I should do with Erzhu Rong?"

Inside the main hall, Yuan Ziyou looked at the trusted confidants who had helped him regain control of Luoyang and asked them a question.

Erzhu Rong died, but Yuan Ziyou didn't kill him with his own hands. Moreover, Yuan Ziyou's ascension to the throne was inextricably linked to Erzhu Rong.

Determining the nature of Erzhu Rong is the most urgent task.

This involves the future relationship between Yuan Ziyou and Erzhu!

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent. They knew the gravity of the situation, but the thought of the bullying they had suffered over the years made their hearts feel as if they were being choked by a heavy stone.

Finally, Prince Yuan Yu of Linhuai stepped forward.

"Erzhu Rong is guilty, but the guilt lies solely with Erzhu Rong!"

Yuan Ziyou frowned and said:
"Prince of Linhuai, didn't you understand what I meant?"

Yuan Yu's gaze was firm, and he cupped his hands in greeting:

"The Prince of Qin has been away from Luoyang for many days. Your Majesty also publicly attempted to assassinate Erzhu Rong that day. Who can be kept in the dark about the origins of the black-clad assassins who blocked Erzhu Shilong in the Biyong? If Erzhu Rong is innocent, is Your Majesty wrong?"

……

(End of this chapter)