Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 460 Bah, scumbag
Taicheng.

As time went on, the officials and nobles in the capital became increasingly anxious.

Their original hope was to hold the city and wait for the army that was attacking Bashu to return and force Li Shuang to retreat.

But the army that was conquering Bashu did not return; instead, they received news that the prefectures of Huaidong had surrendered and that warships from Pengcheng had sailed to Jiankang.

Li Shuang did not besiege the city, therefore, Taicheng's connection with the outside world was not severed.

The people in Taicheng were quite clear about the situation in Jiankang City.

Li Shuang has essentially taken control of Jiankang City and the major towns upstream and downstream, extending from Wancheng in the west to Guangling in the east. This section of the Yangtze River is now under his control. Apart from Hefei, there are few other prefectures and counties in the Jianghuai region that remain loyal to the Southern Liang.

While Li Shuang was stationed in Jiankang, he continued to seize territory from Southern Liang in the name of the Prince of Qin of Liang. At the same time, he sent Hou Jing to search the mansions of high-ranking officials in Jiankang, searching for evidence of their crimes and those of their sons, and then making it public.

This made everyone in the capital, from the officials to the nobles, feel insecure.

The ministers and officials were anxious, and Emperor Xiao Yan was even more anxious.

More than a month has passed since he issued the edict to come to the aid of the emperor, and none of the Southern Liang imperial family members in the various towns have made any move.

"Yuanju, why do you think this is?"

Inside the Xianyang Palace, Xiao Yan looked at his trusted old minister Liu Jin, who seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

"What is there that cannot be said now!"

Xiao Yan's words made Liu Jin sigh.

"Your Majesty, the princes are probably refraining from taking action because they are vying for control of the 100,000-strong army."

Liu Jin's speculation startled Xiao Yan slightly, but he quickly recovered and could only smile wryly.

Of the important towns in the Jianghuai region, all the members of the Southern Liang imperial family who were stationed there had already surrendered. The only one who had not surrendered was Xiao Fan, the commander of the army in Hefei.

He was the son of Xiao Hui, the ninth brother of Xiao Yan.

Of course, even if Xiao Fan wanted to vote, there was nothing he could do.

The army in Hefei was divided into two groups: the Jiankang Imperial Guard led by Wei Can and the White-Robed Army led by Chen Zhao.

Neither of these two forces could be commanded by Xiao Fan. Wei Can and Chen Zhao didn't want to join, and Xiao Fan had no choice.

The important towns upstream of Jiankang were all guarded by Xiao Yan and his brothers' descendants.

Xiao Yan's fifth son, Xiao Xu, was stationed in Jiujiang; his sixth son, Xiao Lun, was stationed in Xiangyang; his seventh son, Xiao Yi, was stationed in Jiangling; and his eighth son, Xiao Ji, was sent to conquer Bashu.

Although the Southern Liang dynasty appointed members of the imperial clan to command local military forces, Emperor Xiao Yan was not unaware of the dangers of doing so.

Therefore, every so often, Xiao Yan would summon members of the imperial clan from various regions back to the capital, either to stay in the capital or to be transferred to other posts.

For example, Xiao Xu, the fifth son, was transferred from Xiangyang to Jiujiang.

Originally, there wasn't much of a problem with this system, but things changed after Jiankang fell.

The imperial clansmen who held military power in various regions did not immediately want to rush to the capital to defend the emperor, but rather wanted to consolidate their own territories and expand their holdings.

Xiao Xu, Xiao Lun, Xiao Yi, and Xiao Ji were all qualified to compete for the throne.

Aside from Xiao Yan's sons, Xiao Yan's grandchildren and the descendants of his other brothers, as long as they were in the town, might all have the same idea.

The Jiankang Imperial Guards under Xiao Ji's command were highly sought after.

Whoever controls this army will be the undisputed leader among the princes of the Xiao clan.

How many of the imperial family members and high-ranking officials in the capital were fools?

Many people had already guessed what was going on when they saw that reinforcements had not arrived for a long time.

Xiao Yan, however, couldn't figure it out for a moment.

Now that Liu Jin has revealed the truth, what can Xiao Yan do but smile bitterly?

"Yuanju, given this situation, what should we do?"

Liu Jin didn't give the answer, because it wasn't something he could say; he simply said:

"The King of Qin has stationed several thousand cavalry in Jiankang, opened the treasury extensively, recruited brave men, and trained a navy. Now, his army probably exceeds twenty thousand, not to mention the reinforcements from the Central Plains. We originally thought that the King of Qin was an isolated force and would not be able to hold out for long. But now it seems that we were very wrong. Behind the King of Qin is the entire Central Plains, Guanzhong, and the northern lands. After this battle, the Jianghuai region may no longer belong to the country."

Yanagi's words were actually quite clear.

However, Xiao Yan still couldn't accept it.

……

Hou Jing walked into Li Shuang's room with a listless expression, which Li Shuang found rather strange.

"Wan Jing, why do you look like this?"

Hou Jing sighed and said:

"A useless thing!" Huh?
What do these mean?
Li Shuang looked at Hou Jing and asked:
"Are you bored?"

"I have followed Your Majesty in battle for more than ten years, but now that I have arrived in Jiankang, I feel that I no longer have that same joy."

Li Shuang understood.

Having spent too much time in Hell Mode, I no longer find it challenging to dominate newbies in Easy Mode.

The key point is that the loot in Easy Mode is much richer than in Hell Mode.

“It’s not just you, He Liuhun and Black Otter are also finding it difficult to adapt.”

"What about that?"

Li Shuang smiled and asked:

"Wan Jing, what do you think is the most valuable thing in Jiankang?"

Hou Jing was taken aback, then thought for a moment.

Food, weapons, wealth, and beautiful women—it seems like everything is available here.

"Your Majesty, please enlighten me!"

“Craftsmen, warships, and a navy are the foundation of the Liang Kingdom’s existence, and they are what we lack. If we move these to the Central Plains, the Southern Dynasty will no longer be able to compete with us. In addition, we can acquire foreign merchants, nautical charts, and ships, which will allow us to reach overseas countries and manage our affairs.”

Hou Jing was shocked upon hearing this.

"Your Majesty is indeed Your Majesty; your thoughts and considerations far surpass those of your subjects."

Hou Jing's interest was immediately piqued, and just as he was about to say something, Xiao Zhengde's voice rang out from outside.

"I wish to see the King of Qin. Who are you to dare block my way!"

Hou Jing listened and said:

"Your Majesty, this boy isn't acting like a dutiful son outside the Grand Marshal's gate. Could it be that he knows I've seized Danyang City and has come specifically to settle scores?"

"Let him in!"

Xiao Zhengde burst into the room, and contrary to Hou Jing's expectations, he immediately questioned:
"King Qin, we have made a pact: I will help you enter Jiankang, and you will help me ascend the throne. Is that right?"

"That's natural!"

"But how come I heard that the King of Qin has already promised to make Xiao Cha the crown prince and move to Jiankang?"

Xiao Cha was the third son of Crown Prince Zhaoming. Originally, the throne should have belonged to Xiao Tong's lineage, but Xiao Yan instead appointed Xiao Gang as crown prince. Out of guilt and to appease him, Xiao Yan placed Xiao Cha in Kuaiji.

Kuaiji was a major metropolis of the Southern Liang Dynasty, a place of great cultural and intellectual activity and abundant resources. Crucially, it was very close to Jiankang (Nanjing).

“Absolutely not!” Li Shuang looked at Xiao Zhengde. “In my heart, there is only one Crown Prince, and that is His Highness!”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhengde's expression softened slightly, but he still hesitated before saying:
"Does the King of Qin dare to swear an oath?"

"If I wish to replace Xiao Zhengde with Xiao Cha as the crown prince, may Heaven punish me!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhengde apologized and left happily.

Hou Jing, who was behind him, spat.

"Your Majesty, why did this man make such a vow? It would be better to kill him."

Li Shuang sighed softly and said:
"No need!"

As he spoke, Li Shuang took out a box, picked out a letter from a pile of letters inside, and handed it to Hou Jing.

"Wan Jing, you personally deliver this letter to Prince Xiao Xu of Luling."

"What do you mean, my king?"

"Tell him that in my heart he is the true emperor of Liang, and that he should never forget the old friendship between us!"

Hou Jing was taken aback and asked in return:
"Your Majesty, did you say the same thing to Xiao Cha?"

What do you mean?

Hou Jing glanced at the letter in the box and said:

"Your Majesty, isn't what you're doing a bit inappropriate? What if they all arrive in Jiankang? Will the throne still be divided into dozens... dozens of portions?"

Li Shuang put his hands behind his back and said leisurely:

"I endured humiliation and disgrace only for the sake of the common people, and I made the mistake that every king makes!"

……

(End of this chapter)