Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 465 What a loyal subject!

After the grand court assembly in the Taiji Hall concluded, the officials and nobles who had been confined in the Taicheng for many months finally left the city with their families.

However, what awaited them was an unknown path.

Inside the Xianyang Palace, Xiao Yan sat on his throne, just as he had not long ago sat in the Taiji Palace, remaining silent.

Only after Li Shuang arrived and the officials withdrew did Xiao Yan slowly stand up.

This emperor of the Great Liang Dynasty, over seventy years old, was agile and exuded an inexplicable aura of power. Looking at Li Shuang, he said:

"King Qin!"

"Chen is here!"

Upon hearing Li Shuang's reply, Xiao Yan chuckled and said:
"Does that unfilial son not dare to come himself?"

When Xiao Yan went north, his son Xiao Gang became the ruler of Jiankang. But that wasn't enough. Xiao Gang needed a legitimate edict from Xiao Yan authorizing him to take charge of the government, in order to silence his brothers and win the hearts of the officials and common people of Jiankang.

However, Xiao Gang himself dared not come.

"Your Highness is benevolent and filial, and cannot bear to part with Your Majesty, so you sent me here. I hope Your Majesty will understand."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan let out a cold laugh.

"Does that mean it's okay for me to be inconsiderate?"

Xiao Yan was, after all, the ruler of the Southern Dynasty for decades. He may seem peaceful, but it would be strange if he could really swallow this insult.

His gaze was quite sharp as he looked at Li Shuang and asked:
"The King of Qin arrived at Jiankang with five thousand cavalry and led hundreds of thousands of troops north. His military exploits are renowned and will be recorded in history. The King of Qin's power shook the world and won the hearts of the people of Jiangdong. The officials gained fame and the people benefited, but did these fools know what kind of situation they would soon face?"

Xiao Yan was never a foolish ruler.

It will be a success!

This harmonious scene in Jiankang City is only temporary.

Xiao Yan was well aware of the price to pay.

Xiao Yan handed the prepared edict to Li Shuang and asked:

"Whether or not this edict exists, the chaos in Daliang was inevitable. The King of Qin has usurped fame, yet he brings calamity upon the people. Is he at peace with himself?"

Li Shuang, holding the imperial edict in his hand, replied:

"Does Your Majesty believe that the people of Great Liang will be at peace even if I were not here?"

"If it weren't for the King of Qin, I wouldn't have died, and the Great Liang would not have fallen into chaos."

This sentence was Xiao Yan's last act of strength.

Li Shuang sighed and said:
"But Your Majesty will grow old and die one day. When Your Majesty is too old to protect the people of Great Liang, the chaos will only be greater than it is now!"

Li Shuang's words were like a knife, piercing Xiao Yan's heart.

"Your Majesty uses political maneuvering to control the officials and ministers, and indulges them to appease their hearts, allowing the common people and slaves to live in peace and retreat to temples. It seems that everyone is at peace, but in reality, under this guise of peace, those who are cunning and flattering have risen up to bewitch people, causing the laws to be unclear and military discipline to be lax. Now, the generals in the Great Liang court are all old. After they pass away, will there still be any soldiers in the Great Liang army who know how to fight?"

Xiao Yan remained silent, and Li Shuang continued:

"There will be no external enemies. After a hundred years, in the Great Liang Kingdom, powerful families will forever hold the highest positions, while the common people and slaves will forever be reduced to dust. The spirit of ordinary people will be worn away by this peaceful and prosperous era. Generals, ministers, and commoners will know nothing of war, be content with wealth and poverty, find joy in suffering, and look forward to the next life. Is this the prosperous era in Your Majesty's heart?"

Xiao Yan wanted to say, isn't this kind of world a good thing?

But the words stuck in his throat.

In the empty palace, the emperor of Great Liang remained silent for a long time, seemingly bewildered and unwilling, yet unable to find a good excuse.

It wasn't that Xiao Yan didn't know how to refute, but with Li Shuang present, any arguments he could come up with seemed weak and powerless.

Upon seeing this, Li Shuang cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I await your return north!"

……

As Li Shuang walked out of the main hall, Xiao Gang hurriedly came over.

"King Qin, how is he?"

Li Shuang handed the imperial edict to Xiao Gang, who opened it, glanced at it, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I have some important matters to discuss with the King of Qin."

"Shall we go to His Highness's East Palace?"

Xiao Gang nodded and returned to his residence with Li Shuang.

Having not returned to the Eastern Palace for several months, Xiao Gang was stunned the moment he entered.

Xiao Gang discovered that his tens of thousands of books, valuables, and even palace maids had disappeared, leaving only an empty shell of the Eastern Palace, with the roof tiles and beams almost completely dismantled.

"King Qin, why is this?"

"It must be that scoundrel Xiao Zhengde who embezzled His Highness's property."

Xiao Gang had no time to think about these things; he had more important matters on his mind.

"King Qin, if we just let those nobles go home like this, what if they escape?"

"Those who are meant to leave cannot be kept, and those who are meant to stay cannot be driven away by Your Highness."

“But I’m afraid that these nobles will go to my brothers and harbor rebellious intentions, going down the river and heading straight for Jiankang.”

After listening, Li Shuang nodded and said:
"Even though Your Highness now holds the title of Regent, governing the various vassal kings of the Great Liang will likely still present many challenges. This matter is indeed worrying."

"What about that?"

"Your Highness may follow the example of the Han dynasty and enfeoff members of the imperial clan to various regions."

"Enfeoffing members of the imperial family?"

Xiao Gang instinctively wanted to object, but Li Shuang advised him:
"Your Highness, the important cities of Jingzhou and Xiangyang, such as Xiangyang, Jiangling, and Yingcheng, are all in the hands of your brothers and nephews. Do you think that a single imperial edict can make them relinquish their lands and armies?"

Xiao Gang shook his head, knowing it was impossible. In the past few months, these members of the imperial clan had dismissed the officials sent by the court, installed their own cronies, and taken control of the army and finances, effectively turning the prefectures and counties into warlord states.

"In that case, what is there to regret in Your Highness granting them the lands they already possess? If they accept these fiefdoms and then raise an army again, they will become the target of everyone's hatred. As long as Your Highness controls Jiangdong and Lingnan and holds the key to Shicheng, you will not have to worry about your brothers conspiring against you."

Xiao Gang listened and nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with the statement.

Li Shuang said:
"Your Highness should now be fighting for those 100,000 troops. I have heard that in the past few months, Xiao Ji and Xiao Yi have been at a disadvantage in battle, and their men and horses are running out of food. Many of their troops have defected to Jiangling. Jiangling is an important town. If Xiao Yi gets these 100,000 troops, no one in Jingzhou and Xiangyang will be able to stop him. At that time, Xiao Yi will annex Xiangyang in the north and swallow Lingnan in the south. With the accumulation of Lingnan over the past hundred years, he can raise an army and march eastward. Your Highness will definitely not be able to stop him."

Xiao Gang's heart clenched, and he asked:

"What about that?"

"Of these 100,000 troops, 70,000 are combat soldiers and 30,000 are supply soldiers. Most of the combat soldiers come from Jiangdong and Jianghuai. Your Highness can win over these combat soldiers and distribute the rest of the troops to Xiao Yi, Xiao Lun, Xiao Xu, Xiao Ji, and the other members of the imperial clan who are stationed in various towns. Xiao Lun and Xiao Xu will surely be wary of Xiao Yi swallowing up Xiao Ji's 100,000 troops and will obey Your Highness's orders. If Xiao Yi does not comply, it will surely provoke a general attack."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Gang finally felt relieved and said:
"We owe it all to the King of Qin!"

As he spoke, Xiao Gang asked another question.

When will the King of Qin set off to return north?

It seems that Xiao Gang is even more anxious than Li Shuang.

……

(End of this chapter)