Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 387 The Importance of Participation in Suppressing the Rebellion

Huan Tai Fang.

As night fell, the gates of Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai's residence slowly opened, and dozens of retainers emerged, led by their respective lords.

The two groups met and were a little embarrassed.

"Isn't this He Liuhun? Where are you going so late?"

"Where else can we go? To quell the rebellion! Black Otter, what about you?"

"Me too, I've come out to quell the unrest!"

"Isn't this a coincidence?"

Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai exchanged a smile, as if they were old men taking a stroll and greeting each other.

This harmonious atmosphere was broken when Hou Jing arrived.

"What are you doing, dragging your feet like that!"

Hou Jing complained somewhat, and led the two awkward men and their retainers out of Huantaifang.

Today, the army in Luoyang consists of the Imperial Guards guarding the Imperial City, the Northern Army stationed in various government offices south of the Imperial Palace, and the army loyal to the King of Qin and their families distributed in Jinyong City and its surrounding buildings.

Huantaifang is located between the Imperial Palace and Jinyong City, with the inner city wall to the north and the passage from Jinyong City to the Imperial Palace to the south.

Hou Jing led the group out of Huantaifang and arrived at a small armory near Jinyong City.

The equipment of the Imperial Guards in the palace was entirely ceremonial, beautiful but impractical, or rather, useless.

The equipment of the Northern Army in each prefecture was for maintaining order. It was practical but could only deal with ordinary bandits or rioters, such as the Xianbei prisoners of war and refugee soldiers who had become river workers.

The real heavy weapons in Luoyang are all under the control of Jinyong City.

Hou Jing produced the tiger tally of the Supreme General, and the armored soldiers guarding the armory made way for him.

The armory wasn't large, but it still had five storage rooms.

Hou Jing led his men and opened only the first warehouse.

The equipment in the warehouse was all military-grade, including armor, bows, shields, and swords, enough to equip three hundred soldiers.

“Each person carries a bow, wears armor underneath, has sixty arrows, and a short knife.”

As Hou Jing spoke, Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai waved their hands, and their respective troops began preparations.

After Hou Jing finished speaking, he began to say:

"The key to this quelling of the rebellion lies in the difficulty of distinguishing between friend and foe, and in acting in accordance with the circumstances."

Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai exchanged a glance and said:
"But we don't know how either!"

"..."

Faced with the two gentle, kind, respectful, frugal, and modest people, Hou Jing felt no emotion whatsoever; instead, he wanted to laugh.

Why are you pretending!
The Six Garrisons rose up, and their troops wreaked havoc all the way from the north to Hebei. You two weren't even part of it, were you?

However, Hou Jing couldn't reveal his secrets when facing these two people.

"His Majesty has entrusted the safety of Luoyang to us. How can we allow the rebels to succeed? The affairs of the state are in difficulty, and we still need to rely on you all."

Upon hearing this, Gao Huan sighed:
"In that case, I have no choice but to give it a try!"

Yuwentai followed behind, echoing:
"Since He Liuhun has said so, it would be inappropriate for me to refuse again."

Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai's troops were all top-notch soldiers, their efficiency and quality going without saying. As they spoke, everyone was fully equipped.

Hou Jing, with a beaming smile, saw everyone off. Before leaving, he didn't forget to give them some instructions.

"He Liuhun, Black Otter, don't forget to go with the flow!"

……

The palace!

"What's going on? Have the rebels stormed into Luoyang?"

As usual, after enjoying himself in the Nine Dragons Palace, Yuan Baoju planned to go to sleep.

But in a daze, the noise around the palace was as loud as daytime.

The eunuch rushed in, knelt down, and lowered his head as he looked at Yuan Baoju, who was rising from the bed with a beautiful woman on either side of him.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards have reported that the rebels in the city are gaining momentum and are running rampant in all the neighborhoods."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Baoju's heart tightened.

"Have they attacked the capital?"

Not yet!

Upon receiving this news, Yuan Baoju felt somewhat relieved and then asked:

Who is on guard duty at the palace tonight?

"Your Majesty, it is Yuan Xin, the Prince of Guangling."

"Summon him immediately; I want to know the specifics."

After thinking for a moment, Yuan Baoju said again:
"Order my personal guards to protect the Empress and the princes, and bring them to the Nine Dragon Palace!"

"His Majesty has only five hundred guards. Sending them might cause trouble for the Nine Dragon Palace!"

"Enough with the talk!"

After being reprimanded, the attendant lowered his head and went to convey Yuan Baoju's imperial edict.

Not long after Yuan Baoju issued his order, a commotion broke out outside the Nine Dragons Palace.

The Nine Dragons Palace is built on a peninsula embraced by the Lingzhi Pond, the Bihai Qu Pond, and the Nine Dragons Pond, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Yuan Baoju, wearing only a single garment, walked out of the main hall and looked around. A group of imperial guards holding torches had already gathered at the edge of the three pools.

Yuan Baoju didn't need to guess; he knew exactly who they were.

Currently, among the imperial guards of Luoyang, only a few senior figures, such as Prince Yuan Xin of Guangling, still control a small number of elite troops.

"Gathering troops without prior notice, Yuan Xin, what is he planning to do?"

……

When Yuan Baoju's personal guards arrived at the palace where Yifushi resided, news arrived that Yuan Xin's troops had surrounded the Nine Dragons Palace.

When everyone was at a loss, Yifu said:

"Come with me to the Nine Dragons Palace!"

Yuan Baoju's five hundred personal guards were all his own men, many of whom were guards from his palace when he was the Prince of Nanyang. They still respected Yifu.

While they admired him, they hesitated to attack the imperial guards of Prince Yuan Xin of Guangling, given the uncertain situation.

Yi Fushi immediately drew a knife and, in front of everyone, said:

"Given the current situation, as long as His Majesty is alive, we are alive; but if His Majesty were to fall, how could we possibly survive?"

Yi Fu's words strengthened everyone's resolve, and they followed her back to the Nine Dragons Palace.

Outside the long bridge on the peninsula, there was not the tense atmosphere that everyone had imagined.

Yuan Xin was very respectful to Yi Fu Shi. When she saw Yi Fu Shi arrive with her entourage, she immediately went to greet her and bowed.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Yi Fushi, however, gave a stern shout to the respectful Yuan Xin before him.

"Why did the Prince of Guangling lead his troops into Your Majesty's bedchamber without your summons?"

Prince Yuan Xin of Guangling was not a descendant of Emperor Xiaowen, but rather the son of Yuan Yu, Emperor Xiaowen's younger brother, making him of a very high generation.

He was rough around the edges, but had a knack for business. Furthermore, Yuan Xin was one of the few members of the imperial clan in Luoyang who commanded troops under his own command.

Empress Yifu's beauty is well-known, but Yuanxin has never seen such a sharp side of this seemingly delicate woman.

"Your Majesty, please do not misunderstand. I am here on the orders of the Prince of Qin to protect Your Majesty, Your Majesty, and the princes!"

Upon hearing the words "King of Qin," Lady Yifu's heart, which had been clenched with anxiety, finally relaxed. Yet, at this moment, she remained extremely cautious.

"What proof do you have?" After listening, Yuan Xin took out a document from his sleeve and handed it to Yi Fushi.

The document states that if chaos breaks out in Luoyang, Yuan Xin can take over the military power in the Forbidden City, control the Imperial Guards, and protect the safety of the Emperor and Empress.

Seeing the Qin King's seal finally affixed, Yifu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Someone is coming!"

At Yuan Xin's shout, his guards brought over a dozen imperial guard officers bound.

"Your Majesty, these people were Yuan Yue's traitors who were hiding in the Imperial Guards. I have captured them."

Yi Fu looked at them, then at Yuan Xin with a beaming smile, her heart filled with complex emotions.

When did Li Shuang and Prince Yuan Xin of Guangling become so close? No outsiders noticed beforehand.

At that moment, one of the people captured by Yuan Xin spoke up and cursed:
"Yuan Xin, you are unworthy of being a direct descendant of Emperor Xianwen. Now you actually help Da Yeshuang to seize the throne of my Great Wei!"

"shut up!"

Yuan Xin gave a sharp shout.

However, at this moment, he did not exhibit the hysteria one would expect from a traitor whose shameful deeds have been exposed; instead, he was righteous and indignant.

"Where were you when the Erzhu clan wreaked havoc? Did you have the same arrogance under the Qihu people's butcher's knife? Now the King of Qin has exterminated the Erzhu clan, established the empire, honored the Son of Heaven, and returned the capital to its former glory, freeing the people from the suffering of war. Yet you colluded with the Liang people and even claimed to be returning the Great Wei's lands. You are not worthy of such a title!"

Yuan Xin's words silenced everyone, leaving them bowing their heads in disbelief.

"Since the disaster at Heyin, the northerners have been rampant, and Emperor Xiaowen's legacy has almost been overthrown. Only the Prince of Qin succeeded him, ensuring that the Wei dynasty was not broken. Such a great achievement deserves our support."

The group lowered their heads and remained silent.

Just then, someone broke free and cursed:
"Yuan Xin, you're using your position to settle personal scores, you..."

Yuan Xin quickly covered his mouth with the cloth again, looking disheveled, and scolded him:
"I told you to keep your hands covered, now take them away!"

Yuan Xin and Yi Fushi then ordered their soldiers to take them away and proceeded to the Nine Dragons Palace.

"Queen!"

"What's the matter?"

Yuan Xin's words echoed in Yi Fu's ears, filling her with respect for this member of the royal family.

"Your Majesty, from now on, just tell me what trendy fruits and vegetables you would like to eat!"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Yifu couldn't help but ask:

What does the Prince of Guangling mean?

Yuan Xin smiled and slowly said:
"The King of Qin has said that from now on, the royal orchards and gardens in Luoyang will be managed by me. I'm thinking that once this matter is settled, I'll go to Chang'an to consult with the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Jia Sixie. He is a great sage, and I've long wanted to learn from him! After I return, I will manage these businesses well, and then the fruits and vegetables in the imperial palace and the mansions of the princes in Luoyang will all be produced by my orchards and gardens..."

"..."

Lady Yifu stopped, and the imperial guards following behind her also halted at a distance. Looking at Yuan Xin's retreating figure, she couldn't help but ask:

"King of Guangling, why do you side with the King of Qin? Is it just for these orchards and gardens?"

When asked about Empress Yifu, Yuan Xin didn't turn around, but simply said something. There was a hint of regret in her voice.

"I am simply on the side that will win."

Yuan Xin stood in front of Yi Fushi without turning his head, showing no respect whatsoever as a subject.

However, under the moonlight, the figure of this Yuan clan prince appeared somewhat lonely, just like the once illustrious Yuan dynasty.

Yuan Xin didn't have to answer this question, but he still added one.

"The Yuan family will also be among them!"

……

"How is it?"

Hou Jing, dressed in armor, arrived at the front line.

At this moment, his soldiers had already surrounded the rebels who had not had time to react and trapped them in the neighborhood.

Upon seeing Hou Jing arrive, the group of armored soldiers separated into ranks, and his strategist Wang Wei came over to explain the specific situation.

"General, the rebels have been surrounded by us, but they are still putting up a stubborn resistance, wielding short knives, wooden clubs and other sharp weapons, and throwing stones at our troops from time to time. They are utterly despicable."

Hou Jing nodded upon hearing this and said:
"These traitors are already guilty of unforgivable crimes for their rebellion, and now they are resisting the royal army, which is utterly despicable."

As he spoke, Hou Jing turned to the soldiers behind him and gave them instructions:

"Bring up the crossbows and oil bombs."

In the darkness, a massive crossbow, as large as a beast and requiring several oxen to pull, was brought forward and aimed at the gate of the neighborhood.

As the crossbow was installed and loaded, a loud bang was heard, and the giant crossbow bolt, covered in iron, shot through the air.

Although each neighborhood in Luoyang is an independent unit, it is not an independent small city. It can defend against bandits, but it can never stop a pure city-breaking crossbow.

The arrow struck the gate of the neighborhood, shattering it and breaking most of the walls in the process.

Hou Jing then waved his hand, and a group of soldiers threw oil bombs into the neighborhood from all sides, and a huge fire broke out, engulfing the entire neighborhood in an instant.

As the fire grew larger, the group that had colluded with Yuan Yue could no longer stay in the neighborhood and rushed out, shouting that they wanted to surrender.

However, all that awaited them was a hail of arrows.

……

Prime Minister's House.

"What happened to you?"

The group of men that Hu Sichun sent out suffered heavy losses. Hu Sichun was quite surprised and immediately suspected that He Basheng was behind it.
But soon, his subordinates gave a negative answer.

"Prime Minister, we have encountered real traitors. They are incredibly powerful, and we fought them with all our might to reach this point."

"Impossible. These people can't even afford weapons and armor, how could they possibly have the money to recruit highly skilled warriors?"

Seeing that Hu Sichun did not believe him, his subordinates then recounted the details of what had happened.

“When we were working for the Prime Minister, we happened to run into these traitors. They were ruthless and well-equipped. We suffered a great loss as soon as we encountered them.”

Hu Sichun sensed something was wrong and asked:

You're saying their weapons are better than yours?

Everyone nodded and said:

“That’s right, they all carry horn bows, and they shoot quickly and accurately. In my opinion, the strength of these Yuan clan members should not be underestimated. We’ve only encountered a small group, and we’re already finding it so difficult to deal with them. If the main force arrives, Luoyang City might change hands.”

Upon hearing this, Hu Sichun was startled and murmured:
"Did I make the wrong move?"

Can Yuan Yue and his men really conquer Luoyang?
"Quickly, go and keep an eye on what's going on outside. If anything happens, report back immediately."

Hu Sichun looked at his subordinates and asked again:
"If things aren't going well, why didn't you come back sooner?"

"Just as we were about to retreat, we encountered a second group of rebels. They were just as ruthless as the previous group."

"..."

……

Sunlight shone on Luoyang, and the city, which had been bustling all night, returned to tranquility.

Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai returned to Huantai Fang with their respective troops, and they happened to run into each other again.

However, both sides were now bruised and battered, suffering numerous injuries.

Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai reunited. Gao Huan looked at the people behind Yuwen Tai and said:
"Black Otter, how did the quelling of the rebellion go last night?"

"It's alright, what about you?"

"It's alright!"

They looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"It's all for the sake of quelling the rebellion!"

……

(End of this chapter)