Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 457 The Swallows That Once graced the halls of the Wang and Xie families

With Li Shuang's five thousand cavalrymen all arriving in Jiankang City, the chaotic order was restored to peace.

Inside the palace, Xiao Yan and a group of imperial relatives and high-ranking officials waited anxiously.

Li Shuang did not besiege the city; he was still able to send spies from within the capital to investigate the situation in Jiankang.

However, the news reported back by the scouts surprised the emperor and his officials in the capital.

Jiankang City did not become chaotic. On the contrary, in the two weeks since Li Shuang entered Jiankang, after the initial chaos, the order in the city was better than before.

What did the King of Qin do?

When someone asked the people who were sent out to investigate, they received only one answer.

"The King of Qin dispatched his generals to take over Stone City, Zhi City, Xizhou City, and Dongfu City, retaining the same personnel and merely reiterating the laws, nothing more!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan and the assembled officials were all somewhat embarrassed.

In other words, Li Shuang did nothing at all; he simply continued to use the officials and generals of the old Southern Liang dynasty, yet there was no unrest in Jiankang.

The security situation has improved a lot!
Upon hearing this, Xiao Gang angrily said:

"The people of Jiankang have long enjoyed the Emperor's favor. Are there no righteous men who would fight to the death against the northern barbarians to repay the Emperor's kindness?"

Xiao Gang's angry voice echoed throughout the palace, and the ministers shared the same thought.

Those who went out to investigate hesitated to speak.

This sight made Xiao Gang even more irritated, and he asked:
"Just tell me what you have to say!"

"The King of Qin arrested all the members of the royal family, nobles, and their sons who had not managed to escape from the city. He publicly announced their crimes in front of the Vermilion Bird Gate and had them all executed. The people passing by all applauded and cheered at this sight."

Since the Rebellion of the Six Garrisons, the Northern Wei Dynasty has been embroiled in internal strife.

As a result, the pressure on the border defenses of Nanliang was greatly reduced.

However, Xiao Yan did not therefore prepare his army for a northern expedition. The older he got, the less he wanted to wage war or take any major actions.

Guided by the principle of achieving great things with minimal expenditure, the Southern Liang Dynasty gradually eroded the territory of the Northern Wei by supporting members of the imperial family and generals who fled south.

This was undoubtedly a success.

However, it was precisely because of this success that the royal family and officials of the Southern Liang Dynasty fell into a false sense of peace and prosperity.

Domestically, Emperor Xiao Yan was lenient towards members of the imperial family and high-ranking officials. Even someone like Xiao Zhengde, who committed murder and robbery in his own capital, was granted a high position, let alone others.

Corruption was rampant among officials, and members of the imperial family and sons of high-ranking officials acted recklessly. To evade taxes, ordinary people turned to monasteries.

Xiao Yan, the highest authority in Southern Liang, turned a blind eye to all of this, and the officials dared not offer any advice, for it would be futile.

Until the Northern Dynasties were unified again under Li Shuang, the entire region, from Sichuan and Chongqing to the Jianghuai region and now Jiankang, fell to the Northern Dynasties.

The northern cavalry marched south, shattering the illusion of peace and prosperity held by the Southern Liang royal family and nobles in the Wu region.

If it were just a matter of not having fought on the battlefield, it wouldn't be enough to make everyone in the palace feel so disheartened.

But Li Shuang's actions were clearly a slap in the face to all the nobles in the palace.

The entire hall was deathly silent, everyone waiting for Xiao Yan to speak.

Sitting on the throne, Xiao Yan's expression was inscrutable. After a long while, he asked:
"Now, outside of Taicheng, which government office in Jiankang is acting on orders from?"

"Your Majesty, this is the imperial seal bestowed upon the Prince of Qin of Great Liang by Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan fell silent again, feeling as if he had trapped himself in a cocoon.

At that moment, the guards of the Grand Marshal's Gate requested an audience outside the palace.

"What's the matter?"

"The King of Qin ordered twenty carts of charcoal, firewood, salt, and medicinal herbs to be sent as a tribute to His Majesty."

Li Shuang seized Shouyang under the guise of peace negotiations, took Nanqiao Prefecture by a roundabout route, secretly crossed Caishiji, and even used the imperial seal bestowed upon him to command Jiankang, yet none of these actions allowed Xiao Yan to breach the defenses.

However, this action caused Xiao Yan to break down his defenses.

"Ohno Sou, you bandit!"

"...His Majesty didn't accept it?"

The messenger who returned from the Grand Marshal's Gate reported back, and Li Shuang spoke leisurely.

Xiao Zhengde, who was standing nearby, listened and said disdainfully:

"If you don't want to take it, then don't. There are over 100,000 people in Taicheng. Let's see how long they can hold out."

Xiao Zhengde's words drew a rebuke from Li Shuang.

"Your Highness is destined to inherit the throne; how can you do this?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhengde's expression changed, and he asked, somewhat puzzled:

What does the King of Qin mean?

Although Xiao Zhengde was pleased that Li Shuang addressed him as His Highness, he was puzzled by Li Shuang's words.

"It is our fault that Your Majesty refuses to accept them. As the successor of the Great Liang, Your Highness should take these charcoal, salt, and medicines to the Grand Marshal's gate and request His Majesty to accept them, so as to demonstrate loyalty and filial piety to the people."

"But His Majesty still refuses to accept it?"

"Then His Highness cried, from morning till night."

Xiao Zhengde looked at Li Shuang with a hint of suspicion.

"That old man is as hard-hearted as iron. I could cry myself to death and he wouldn't budge. What should I do?"

"Your Highness, rest assured, as long as you do these things well, it will only take a few days. At that time, Your Highness's succession to the throne will be even more legitimate."

"But if I leave, who will guard Danyang City?"

Li Shuang waved his hand, signaling Hou Jing to come over.

Xiao Zhengde saw an ugly man with one leg shorter than the other walk over, with a simple and honest smile on his face.

"This is Hou Jing, a general in our army. How about letting him take charge of Danyang City for Your Highness for a few days?"

Hou Jing scratched his head and asked:
"Can I...can I?"

Xiao Zhengde looked at Hou Jing with some disdain.

"Then let it be!"

After Xiao Zhengde left, Hou Jing walked up to Li Shuang, chuckled, and said:
"Your Majesty is truly brilliant; you've managed to transfer this fool away."

"Wan Jing, you must take advantage of Xiao Zhengde's absence to quickly gain control of Danyang City."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have entrusted everything to you."

Hou Jing confidently assured him, and then asked:
"Your Majesty, we have already taken control of the major branch cities of Jiankang outside of Taicheng. When shall we begin our raid?"

Li Shuang shook his head and said:

"Wan Jing, you've been with me for so many years, how come you're still like this? Don't keep talking about robbery, making us look like bandits."

Hou Jing scratched his head, feeling somewhat guilty.

"Your Majesty knows me well; I have always been honest."

"This is Jiankang, a more prosperous capital than Luoyang was back then. Just think, what was Luoyang like after Erzhu Rong massacred two thousand officials in Heyin? Overnight, everyone fled."

Hou Jing recalled the past, his expression changed, and he said:
"Then what should I do?"

"Now that Dongfu City, Shitou City, and Xizhou City are all under our control, and once Danyang City is also in our hands, the troops outside Taicheng will be entirely in our hands. We should quickly take stock of the money, grain, and weapons in the city, gather the warships along the river, and then recruit the strong and brave men in Jiankang City to form a large army for our use."

As he spoke, Li Shuang looked at Hou Jing and asked:
"Where do you think my Tian Ce Mansion branch should be located?"

Hou Jing listened and his expression showed understanding.

"Your Majesty, what do you think of Wuyi Lane?"

……

(End of this chapter)