Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 96: Wind Rises in Luoyang
Luoshui Palace.

This unfinished palace had a large gap in the northwest wall. Construction was halted due to the Six Garrisons Rebellion before it could be completed.

Now, it is occupied by the camp of the imperial guards.

The main hall of the palace has been completed.

The rain was falling gently. Li Shengui was wearing armor and guarding in front of the palace. His armor was soaked.

Yuan Mingyue held an umbrella and a food box in her hand and walked to Li Shengui.

"General, the spring water is a little cold. The Queen Mother is worried that you will be sick, so she specially asked me to bring you ginger soup to dispel the cold!"

"Thank you very much for your kindness, Your Majesty. However, I am afraid I cannot accept your offer due to my duties."

Li Shengui refused. Hu Xianzhen, who was in a palace not far away, watched the scene through the curtain. She bit her lip, lowered the curtain, and cursed inwardly:
Don't know what is good and what is bad!

Behind her, Hu Xuanhui was holding a fan and fanning herself gently. Looking at his sister, he smiled slightly.

"Sister, I noticed that you are taking special care of this Wuwei General!"

Hu Xianzhen turned around and looked at her sister, feeling a little annoyed.

"Why did you come with me? Are you here to watch over me for Yuan Yi?"

"How dare I? I'm just a woman, how could I know so many things? If others didn't know, they would think I was being held hostage by my sister!"

Hu Xian really has complicated feelings towards her sister.

On the one hand, her husband deposed her and imprisoned her in the palace for several years, but on the other hand, this sister was the person in the world who was closest to her and understood her best.

"If one day, you were asked to choose between me and your husband, who would you choose?"

"Of course it's you!"

Hu Xuanhui said without hesitation.

"Really?"

Hu Xuanhui nodded and became serious.

"If such a day really comes, can't you spare his life?"

Hu Xianzhen was silent. To be honest, during the years she was imprisoned, Yuan Yi hadn't done anything to her.

What Hu Xian really hated was the deceased eunuch Liu Teng.

"I'm afraid that even if I'm willing to forgive, others won't be willing!"

Hu Xianzhen said slowly, having been in the power cage of Luoyang for so long, how could she not know that this power struggle is not so easy to be forgiven.

After hearing this, Hu Xuanhui loosened the fan in his hand.

"Then give him some respect!"

"you……"

Hu Xianzhen looked at her sister, and she was also looking at her. They looked at each other, as if they had a thousand words to say, but they said nothing.
-
Loyalty Arch.

Cao Ni brought twenty carts of millet, rice, clothing, medicinal materials, coal, fresh fish, meat and other supplies to the gate of the town with a happy look on his face.

"Thank you, Lord Yunzhong, for introducing me to this business. Should I put the bill on the palace's account?"

"It's natural!"

Li Shuang spoke.

The palace was remote and housed imperial guards, so all the needed supplies were collected and delivered by Cao Ni from shops in the small market of Luoyang, with a large flow of goods every day.

"Then let's do as we agreed. After we settle the bill, Yun Zhongbo and I will split the profits 50-50."

Li Shuang smiled, looked around, and asked:

"How's the matter I asked you to inquire about?"

Cao Ni came closer and whispered:
"I've already found out. It's in the music studio. I recognize his lover."
-
Hussar General's Mansion.

"General, how could you so easily agree to let King Jiangyang hand over the military power of Sizhou!"

Just after the court session, a large number of Yuan Yi's followers gathered in the palace, with the eunuch Jia Can and the Left Guard General Hou Gang being the most aggressive. At the court session today, the long-absent Prime Minister Yuan Yong contacted a large number of royal family members and court officials, accusing Yuan Yi of failing to distinguish between public and private affairs during his years in power, appointing corrupt officials, and causing chaos throughout the country.

The Rouran invasion to the south, the Six Garrisons Rebellion, and the Yuan Faseng Rebellion were all blamed on Yuan Yi.

Some people even accused Yuan Yi's father, King Jiangyang Yuan Ji, of selling official positions and titles, raping and looting.

Public opinion was overwhelming, and Yuan Yi, in a panic, surrendered the military power of Sizhou.

"what can I do?"

Facing the crowd, Yuan Yi was very angry.

"Given the situation today, will they stop if I don't hand over my military power?"

"What's more, Sizhou doesn't have many soldiers left. Yuan Shen took a group when he left, and Xiao Baoyin took another group when he left. It's okay to hand them over!"

Hou Gang was born in a poor family and was good at cooking. He served as the imperial eunuch and experienced two capitals, three emperors and two empresses in the Northern Wei Dynasty. Later, he was recommended by Qinghe Prince Yuan Yi as the General of Chariots and Cavalry.

After the death of Qinghe Prince Yuan Yi, Hou Gang defected to Yuan Yi. Like Jia Can, he was already on Yuan Yi's train and couldn't get off.

"General, haven't you come to your senses yet? The Queen Mother and His Majesty went to Luoshui and visited Yuan Yong, and this happened after they came back. Now they just want the military power outside Luoyang. It won't be long before they attack us!"

"Impossible! My wife went with him. If anything happened, she wouldn't have failed to tell me!"

"I'm afraid Madam Hu has also been placed under house arrest!" Hou Gang said, and then advised, "If we don't pull ourselves together, we'll probably end up on the chopping block sooner or later!"

"Everyone, please be at ease. This won't be the end of it!"
-
In the music.

In the darkness, Hou Jing grabbed the rope, jumped out of the inner wall, and rushed into the carriage that had been waiting on the roadside.

As soon as Hou Jing got on the car and saw Cao Ni, he smiled.

"A eunuch, he's really good at playing around!"

Cao Ni in the carriage said:
"Eunuchs are the ones who play more extravagantly. You don't know that there are many people like them in the palace."

As a Palace Attendant, Cao Ni was obviously more knowledgeable than Hou Jing.

Li Shuang was standing by and asked:
"How's it going?"

"Don't worry, my lord. It was done cleanly and neatly. But I don't understand. What can be done by killing such a eunuch?"

Li Shuang smiled.

“Dead people are sometimes more useful than living people!”
-
Late at night, General Hou Gang of the Left Guard knocked on the door of the General of the Cavalry's mansion again.

Yuan Yi was very impatient as he was sleeping with his concubine in his arms. He just put on a piece of clothing on the bed and went to see Hou Gang.

Hou Gang walked in a panic, almost crawling into the house.

He lay beside Yuan Yi, full of fear.

"News came in an hour ago: Jia Can was killed!"

"What did you say!"

Yuan Yiwu calmed down and opened his eyes, only to hear Hou Gang say in fear:
"Jia Can was killed. I'm afraid I'll be next, and then the general!"

Yuan Yi calmed down, and his words seemed to be in embarrassment, but it was more like he was looking for an excuse to make Hou Gang convince him.

"What we did back then was to purge the emperor's court and stop the adultery. But what we are doing now is treason. Even if we have military power, how many of the imperial guards in Luoyang City are willing to obey our orders?"

Yuan Yi hit the point.

Although the imperial guards in Luoyang City had poor combat effectiveness, most of them were descendants of old Xianbei people, and their duty was to protect the emperor.

As long as the emperor and the court were in power, their salaries would continue to be paid. It made no difference to them whether Empress Hu or Yuan Yi was in power.

But rebellion and treason are completely different.

Hou Gang did not disappoint him.

"So what if they refuse to obey? We can at least gather seven or eight thousand willing men, open the armory, and take out the armor and weapons. As long as we control the emperor, we can do whatever we say."

Yuan Yi said with a cold face:
"Then do it!"

(End of this chapter)