Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 352 Alley

Jiankang, Wuyi Lane, Prince's Mansion.

"Liu Yu's implementation of the land reform is aimed at our Langya Wang clan. Today, he is angry and resentful, and even some of the old Northern Army members are dissatisfied. Now that Liu Yu's old injuries have relapsed and he is unable to manage affairs, what are you waiting for, brother?"

Wang Mi's cousin, Wang Chen, secretly returned to the palace from Kuaiji.

"What do you want to do?" Wang Mi, as the governor of Yangzhou and the head of the Imperial Secretariat, was in fact the head of all officials.

"Of course it's to rid the country of traitors! Liu Yu is just a poor man from a humble background. What right does he have to wield power? The former governor of Jingzhou, Wang Sui, was innocent, yet he was arbitrarily executed, which has damaged public support. You, my brother, have established a good reputation at a young age and have been given such a high position. How can you not be in danger!"

Wang Chen's eyes burned with fervor.

Wang Mi's high regard for Liu Yu did not equate to the Langya Wang clan's closeness to him.

Wang Chen, in particular, was arrogant and talented, but he was unable to enter the court as an official, which he always resented.

Upon entering Jiankang, Liu Yu first destroyed the Langya Wang clan, then the Prince of Zhangwu and the Prince of Wuling, acting even more aggressively than Wang Dun and Su Jun had done in the past, which had already caused panic among other powerful families.

"Don't you dare harm my entire clan! Ji Nu is a fierce tiger. My Wang clan is weak and powerless. How can we be his match?" Wang Mi had long been terrified by Liu Yu's ruthless decisiveness.

They dared to eliminate even the prestigious Taiyuan Wang clan, so what difference would it make if they eliminated the Langya Wang clan as well?

“Brother, you are mistaken. Who said I am weak and alone?” Wang Chen smiled mysteriously and clapped his hands lightly.

Footsteps sounded from outside. The door was opened, and two people entered together. The one in the lead, his face streaked with tears, knelt down directly before Wang Mi, crying, "Brother Wang, save me!"

Upon seeing this person, Wang Mi was immediately startled and stood up from the soft couch. "Maoyuan?"

The visitor was Huan Yin, the eldest grandson of Huan Chong. He was talented from a young age and was as famous as Wang Mi and Taiyuan Wang Sui. Huan Xuan was very fond of him.

Standing next to him was Luo Bing, a general from the Northern Army.

The Langya Wang clan had an estate in Shanyin and were old acquaintances with the Luo clan, a prominent family in Shanyin. Wang Chen had known Luo Bing for a long time.

"Liu Yu's ambition is far beyond that of Su Junzuyue and his ilk. Now that the Wang clan of Taiyuan has been wiped out, the next one will surely be the Wang clan of Langya. Don't forget that it was my brother who snatched the imperial seal from the emperor and presented it to Emperor Wudao."

Huan Yin burst into tears.

After Huan Xuan's death, the remaining members of the Huan clan were given the posthumous title of "Emperor Wudao".

Wang Mi's seizure of the imperial seal and his offering to Chu is an indelible stain, offending not only the Sima clan but also the Northern Army generals who supported the Jin dynasty.

In fact, when Liu Yu entered Jiankang, the generals of the Northern Army had suggested eliminating Wang Mi. However, Liu Yu, out of consideration for their past relationship, suppressed the suggestion and instead promoted Wang Mi to the position of Governor of Yangzhou and concurrently appointed him as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Liu Yu is now seriously ill and may pass away at any time.

It's hard to guarantee that his successor won't bring up past grievances.

"Even if Liu Yu recovers from his injuries and secures his throne, do you think he will let my Langya Wang clan go? Now that he is seriously ill, it is the perfect opportunity to strike. How can we hesitate?"

Wang Chen flung open the door to the side room, where a large group of over three hundred men, each carrying a long sword, stood in the corridor. They were all elite warriors trained by the Langya Wang clan.

Everyone knelt down on one knee, "Please give the order, Situ!"

Wang Mi plopped back onto the soft couch, his face filled with despair. Today, Wang Chen hadn't come to discuss anything; he had come to kidnap him and take him down a path of no return.

"If Minister Situ does not agree, I will commit suicide to atone for my sins!"

With a clang, Luo Bing drew the long sword from her waist and held it to her neck.

We have an inside man, and we have outside help.

"You've determined that General Chariot and Cavalry is seriously ill?" Wang Mi has been by Liu Yu's side for a long time and knows best the temperament of a tiger, which is not just about ferocity.

Luo Bing said with certainty, "He hasn't left the manor or shown his face for nearly two months, and rumors are flying around in the army!"

Wang Chen said, "This is the last chance for the Langya Wang clan. If it's successful, my brother can become the reincarnation of Wang Dao and serve for fifty years. The Langya Wang clan will then hold the reins of power over the world!"

Power is so tempting that countless people flock to it.

But Wang Mi still didn't budge. "The General of Chariots and Cavalry is easy to deal with, but what about the General of Flying Cavalry?"

The biggest obstacle to taking action was not Liu Yu, but Liu Daogui, who held military power outside the capital.

Now that the Western and Northern Prefectures are both in his hands, he can advance down the river and attack from both the east and west, and Jiankang can be captured in ten days.

Liu Daogui's reputation in the Northern Army was no less than that of Liu Yu, and he was even more popular than Liu Yu. Everyone in the army had benefited from his kindness.

Wang Chen said, “Brother, don’t forget that Jiangzhou and Nanyuzhou are blocking our way, and there is also the General Pingnan in the south, who can march north at any time. As long as we control the court and His Majesty, we can command the world. Liu Yu and Liu Daogui are both traitors, and everyone can rise up and kill them!”

"A treacherous villain?" Wang Mi broke out in a cold sweat.

This rebellion was no small matter, as even demon bandits were drawn into it.

"After this is accomplished, Liu Yi will take the Western Prefecture, He Wuji will take the Northern Prefecture, Lu Xun will establish a separatist regime in Lingnan, and our Langya Wang clan will enter the court, seize power, and restore the past!"

The meat had already been divided up.

These days, there's no shortage of ambitious people.

Wang Mi suddenly laughed loudly, "It seems that Fifth Brother has already made arrangements. Since that's the case, we can't hesitate any longer. Everyone, please go ahead. I'll change into my military uniform, bid farewell to my wife, and we'll raise an army tonight!"

"Brother is wise!"

Wang Chen was overjoyed; this was exactly what he had been waiting for.

This mutiny would have been impossible without Wang Mi at the forefront.

However, Huan Yin gave Luo Bing a wink, and Luo Bing understood. Instead of leaving, she led her men to stay in the mansion.

Wang Mi went to the back room.

The crowd waited for two hours, but he still did not come out.

They sent someone to invite him, but he was nowhere to be found in the mansion.

"Oh no, my brother must have gone to inform on us!" Huan Yin's face turned ashen.

Luo Bing said urgently, "They must still be in the city. I'll take men and chase after them!"

Wang Chen stopped him, saying, "He intends to escape. You won't find him. Don't worry, he won't betray the Langya Wang clan. He must have been terrified by Liu Yu and dared not rebel, so he fled for his life."

Huan Yin was deflated. "Without my brother, we are nameless and without status. Perhaps... we should endure for a while?"

If the name is not correct, the words will not be proper; if the words are not proper, things will not be accomplished.

Without Wang Mi, the Minister of Works and the Grand Secretary, to raise the banner, there would be no appeal.

Wang Chen gritted his teeth and said, "The arrow is on the string and must be released. Liu Yu is seriously ill, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Even without your help, brother, we must get rid of Liu Yu first. After that, the Northern Army will be leaderless, and then we will ask you to come out of retirement to stabilize the court!"

Across from the Prince's Mansion, a group of people were also gathered at the Xie Mansion.

Amidst the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments, a beautiful woman gracefully approached, her body partially obscured by a light veil, attracting the attention of everyone present, except for Xie Hun, who seemed preoccupied.

With the Wang family of Taiyuan gone, the Xie family of Chenjun rose in status.

However, Liu Yu's policy of cutting off the land inevitably shook the Xie family's fields and manors. "Enough, step back." Xie Hun clapped his hands.

The music stopped abruptly, and the dancers swayed their hips as they slowly retreated.

Xie Hun cut to the chase, "Wang Chen is courting death. Doesn't he even know who Ji Nu is?"

In terms of official rank, Liu Yu, as General of Chariots and Cavalry, was still below Xie Hun; in terms of family background, he was far inferior.
After the Battle of Xiangcheng, without the cooperation of the Xie family, Liu Yu and Liu Daogui would not have been able to occupy Jiangbei so easily.

Therefore, Xie Hunchang considered himself a meritorious official and privately addressed Liu Yu by his childhood name.

Xi Sengshi said, "Xile sent a secret letter yesterday, telling us not to act rashly. We should wait until he has trained a large army before we eliminate the traitors and restore the court!"

Xi Le is Liu Yi's courtesy name, and it goes without saying who the "traitor to the country" is.

"Wang Chen doesn't even know who he is or what time it is. Liu Yu dared to kill even a Grand General, let alone someone from the Langya Wang clan? How can important matters of the court be entrusted to him? Fortunately, His Majesty and the Prince of Langya were not involved."

Xie Hun's wife was Princess Jinling of Emperor Xiaowu. As the son-in-law of the Sima family, he was naturally close to the Sima family.

His father, Xie Yan, was a close confidant of Sima Daozi, and his uncle, Xie Zhong, was a close friend of Sima Daozi.

The reason he initially assisted Liu Yu and Liu Daogui was to work together to deal with Huan Xuan.

Now that Huan Chu has been destroyed, Liu Yu has become their biggest obstacle.

"I have observed that the General of Chariots and Cavalry has always been as fierce as a tiger and as cunning as a wolf in his military campaigns. This time, he has suddenly claimed to be ill and has not left the capital, yet he has not allowed the General of the Flying Cavalry to come to the court to take charge of affairs. There must be a trick involved!"

The Xi family produced many strategists, and Xi Sengshi inherited the family's strengths, becoming almost Xie Hun's chief strategist.

If Liu Yu had truly reached the point of being bedridden, Liu Daogui, who was stationed in Jingzhou and Xiangyang, would certainly not have remained inactive.

This is a very simple principle.

Xie Hun's face darkened. "Could it be... that this is a feint by Ji Nu to uproot all those in the court who oppose him?"

Xi Sengshi picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. "Eight or nine out of ten!"

"Ji Nu is treacherous and cunning, far surpassing Su Junzu in his time!" Xie Hun's words always carried a hint of arrogance from a high-ranking family.

Xi Sengshi said, "Therefore, we should be patient and wait for the right opportunity!"

But just then, a sound like muffled thunder suddenly rang out outside.

At first, I didn't think much of it, but the sound grew louder as it approached, and it was clearly the sound of armored soldiers shaking as they marched.

Several people peeked out of the attic window and saw that Wuyi Lane was crowded with armored soldiers, with spears and halberds like a forest and iron armor like a mountain, surrounding both the Wang and Xie families.

Every soldier exuded a murderous aura, as if they were on a battlefield.

An aura of malevolence filled the sky.

The two leading generals were none other than Liu Yu's henchmen, Meng Longfu and Kuai En.

With a "crack," the wine glass in Xie Hun's hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, his arrogance vanishing completely.

The Northern Army not only besieged the Prince's Mansion, but also the Xie Mansion. Xie Hun had been interacting frequently with Sima Dewen, Liu Yi, He Wuji and others during this time.

There is no airtight wall in the world.

They were already known for their high-profile and flamboyant behavior, but now that they were surrounded by the Northern Army, they finally remembered that Liu Yu's hands were stained not only with the blood of the Sima family, but also with the blood of the Wang family of Taiyuan...

Those who act ambivalently under his command are no different from those who seek revenge against a tiger.

"Hui, Hui Tuo, what should we do? Could it be that Ji Nu is going to wipe us all out?" Xie Hun's face turned deathly pale.

Xi Sengshi was also terrified, but he was not at a loss. "We have not done anything wrong, so we must not panic."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a scream echoed from the Prince's mansion.

Those elite Northern Army soldiers entered the mansion with their swords drawn, killing anyone they saw. The royal guards and retainers in the mansion were slaughtered like cattle and sheep in front of them.

Some armored soldiers also attempted to resist.

But compared to these elite troops of the Northern Army, they were like three-year-old children.

With a long sword in his left hand and a short axe in his right, Meng Longfu charged into the crowd, blood splattering everywhere.

In the blink of an eye, the Prince's mansion was awash in blood, filled with wails and cries.

Wang Chen, Huan Yin, Luo Bing, and others were dragged out like dead dogs, along with Wang Mi's three sons, Wang Guan, Wang Qiu, and Wang Xiu, and their families, who were forced to sit in the streets.

Before long, oxcarts entered the alley and dragged away the families of Wang Chen, Huan Yin, Luo Bing, and Wang Mi.

The body was also lifted onto an oxcart, covered with a felt blanket, and the soldiers brought clean water and quickly washed away the bloodstains and pieces of flesh from the palace and the streets.

Before leaving, Kuai En pounded on the Xie family mansion gate three times.

Xie Hun and Xi Sengshi were terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat, fearing that these killing gods would storm into the mansion and cause the Xie family to suffer the same fate as the Wang family.

It was only an hour and a half, and it was as if nothing had happened.

The Prince's mansion was spotless; if it weren't for the pungent smell of blood, Xie Hun would have thought he was hallucinating.

The two looked at each other and saw fear in each other's eyes.

Without a doubt, Liu Yu was making an example of someone to scare others.

This also shows that Liu Yu must have known about Xie Hun and Liu Yi's dealings...

The oxcart, dripping with blood, slowly drove away. People came and went on the street, unaware of what had happened. Wuyi Lane returned to calm, but the two felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, a chill rising from their hearts.

“How can someone like Su Jun and Zu Yue be compared to the General of Chariots and Cavalry? In my opinion, he is comparable to Cao Cao!” Xi Sengshi completely changed his mind.

If one only knows how to march and fight, they are not difficult to deal with. Liu Laozhi was no less capable. He was defeated by Murong Chui on the battlefield, but he was manipulated to death by others in terms of political intrigue.

Even earlier were Zu Ti, Tao Kan, Zhou Qi, and others, who had made great military achievements, but were ultimately kicked out by several powerful families.

Liu Yu, however, was quite different from them. Since taking control of Jiankang, every step he took was incredibly precise, leading him step by step to the pinnacle of power.

In the past three hundred years, only Emperor Wu of Wei could be compared to such a figure, but Emperor Wu of Wei was far inferior in military strategy.

"My Xie family..." Xie Hun was still in a state of shock.

He, a scion of a high-ranking family, had never witnessed the bloodshed and cruelty that had just taken place in the Prince's mansion.
Xi Sengshi said, "It should be fine. If the General of Chariots and Cavalry wanted to wipe them all out, he would have done so long ago."

Cousin Xie Dan said, "General Cheqi is mindful of the Xie family's past relationship. His brothers have the potential to become dragons and tigers. Yishou must not be stubborn and refuse to see the truth, otherwise he will surely bring about the extermination of the Xie family."

"Starting tomorrow, the Xie family will close its doors to visitors, and no member of the clan is allowed to go out!" Xie Hun was truly afraid.

His so-called political maneuvering was like that of a three-year-old child in front of Liu Yu.

Liu Yu first implemented the land reform, forcing these aristocratic families to oppose him. Then he feigned illness and stayed away from home, allowing the demons and monsters in Jiankang City to expose themselves. Then he suddenly struck and wiped them all out.

From then on, who would dare to make excuses or delays regarding the land acquisition?

(End of this chapter)