The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 53 Messenger

Chapter 53 Messenger
As dusk approached, the surrounding fields were shrouded in darkness.

Along the official road, one could often see starving corpses, their remains gnawed away and reduced to white bones.

When the scattered refugees saw two armored soldiers on three horses galloping towards them, they fled into the ravines and forests as if avoiding snakes and scorpions.

Xiao Yi and Fan Si swept past, as fast as birds in flight.

at last.

In the distance, the outline of a majestic city lies shrouded in snow and mist, with a few wisps of smoke occasionally appearing, indicating that life still exists on this land.

Chanzhou stretches across the Yellow River from north to south, with cities on both banks. The prefectural seat is sometimes in the north and sometimes in the south. Currently, Wang Yin and Li Hongwei are stationed in the southern city.

The city walls were majestic, with numerous battle towers and imposing watchtowers. The banners on the city walls fluttered in the wind and snow, and the cold glint of the guards' armor was faintly visible. The defenses were far more stringent than those in the prefectures and counties along the way.

Outside the city, however, the houses were sparse, dilapidated, and desolate, with only rows of camps and watchtowers exuding a chilling atmosphere.

Xiao Yi reined in his horse and observed the city gate inspection. Although the city gate was not closed, the guards seemed to be on guard.

"Fan Si, find a safe inn outside the city to stay in."

"What about you, Captain?"

“I will enter the city alone and meet you here tomorrow. If you do not hear from me by noon, you must immediately go north to Yedu to find Tieya and tell him that there has been a change in Chanzhou and to find a way to rescue me.”

Fan Si's expression hardened, and he clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Yes, Commander! Be careful in everything you do."

Xiao Yi nodded, handed him the reins of the extra horses, and rode into the city.

At the city gate, the guards checked the identification token and respectfully allowed passage.

"May I ask where the residence of Commander Wang Jie, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, is located?"

Just as the guard was about to answer, he suddenly pointed outside the city and said, "The young general is here. Captain, go with him."

More than ten riders galloped up, led by a young man in his twenties. He was tall and straight, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. He wore fine scale armor and a brocade robe, and was full of vigor.

"Uu——"

The young general rode to the city gate, reined in his horse with one hand, and raised his hooves, barely missing the gate guards. His skill was clearly superb.

"Hey, you soldier, what are you pointing at me for? Is there a messenger from the capital?"

"The young general is truly amazing! This deputy commander of the Imperial Guard has a letter to deliver to the commander."

"Haha... It's the same if the letter is sent to me. It's from Wang Chengxun, the second son of the Marshal's family."

Xiao Yi also clasped his hands in greeting, introduced himself, and said, "This letter is important and must be delivered to the commander personally."

Looking at him, one could see that Wang Chengxun's eyes were bright and his expression was unrestrained and proud.

Having just heard that "another courier has arrived in the capital," Xiao Yi looked towards Wang Chengxun's group and indeed saw a knight covered in snow and mud on his boots. This man was dressed as an imperial guard, and his armor was stained with blood.

Xiao Yi couldn't help but think of Shi Dechong's confession, that the talisman had been tricked away by an imperial guard.

"Come with me, I'll take you to see your grandfather... Giddy up!"

Wang Chengxun did not wait for him to mount his horse, but drove straight into the city at a fast speed, yet with ease, without bumping into any pedestrians on the road.

Xiao Yi spurred his horse and gave chase.

The streets of Chanzhou were wide, and there weren't many pedestrians, but the people seemed relatively calm. Most of the shops near the city gates were open, and the taverns were filled with the noise of soldiers.

Overall, there was a tense yet orderly atmosphere, and Wang Yin's methods of governing the city were evident in the details.

After running for about 15 minutes, a government office came into view. The gate was heavily guarded, and more than a dozen soldiers stood in full armor, their hands on their swords, exuding the fierce aura of battle-hardened veterans.

"Erlang."

"Where is my father? Imperial Guards are here."

"The commander is discussing important matters with his eldest son in his study and is probably unable to receive guests."

Wang Chengxun casually tossed aside the riding whip, turned to look at Xiao Yi, and praised with a smile, "Your riding skills are truly superb."

"Don't dare to take it seriously."

"Grandpa is busy. You should go to the side room to rest and have something to eat."

Xiao Yi said, "The matter is urgent. May I ask the young general to inform him?"

“Alright.” Wang Chengxun was unusually decisive. He led him to a side hall and said, “Wait here for a moment.”

Having said that, he quickly stepped inside and personally announced the arrival.

Xiao Yi didn't have to wait long. Wang Chengxun came over with someone, but it wasn't Wang Yin.

This man was nearly thirty years old, with outstanding demeanor and a short mustache that added to his composed appearance.

“This is my elder brother, Chenghui.”

"Deputy Commander Xiao came from Kaifeng. I wonder who sent him?"

Wang Chenghui's gaze was sharp and scrutinizing, and his voice was clear and authoritative.

Xiao Yi clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I was sent by the Imperial Uncle Li Ye and entrusted by General Cao."

"What's the matter?"

"This matter involves the lives of the entire Wang family."

Wang Chenghui's expression immediately turned serious.

"Brother," Wang Chengxun asked with a smile, "did I guess right?"

Wang Chenghui did not answer, but solemnly bowed to Xiao Yi and said, "Commander Xiao, please."

"it is good."

After passing through several courtyards, we arrived at a quiet and elegant courtyard.

Wang Chenghui climbed the steps and respectfully said from outside the door, "Father, the person has been brought."

“What time is it? Brother, why are you still so concerned about etiquette?”

Without waiting for a response from the study, Wang Chengxun strode forward and pushed the door open.

Xiao Yi followed him inside and saw a man sitting behind a large table. He was about fifty years old, with a face that was sharply defined, as if carved by a knife and axe. His tiger-like eyes shone brightly when they opened and closed, exuding an imposing aura. However, a large scar on his lip was shocking to behold.

"Grandpa, he brought Cao Wei's letter."

"Where is the letter?" Xiao Yi presented the letter.

Wang Yin took the letter, tore open the envelope, and his gaze swept over it like lightning. His face showed no emotion, except for a barely perceptible twitch of the muscles in his cheek.

Finally, he placed the letter on the table, raised his heavy gaze, looked at Xiao Yi, and spoke. His voice was hoarse, and his tone sounded somewhat eerie due to the old injury on his lips.

"Where does the 'misfortune' mentioned in the letter come from?"

Xiao Yi got straight to the point, took out the secret edict, and said, "Reporting to the Commander, this is a secret edict that Li Ye ordered me to deliver to Li Hongwei."

Wang Chenghui took it first, carefully examined the material of the silk and the seal mark, and only after confirming that everything was correct did he place it on Wang Yin's desk.

Wang Yin narrowed his eyes slightly, like a tiger feigning sleep, and remained silent for a long time.

This reaction was beyond Xiao Yi's expectations. He had thought that this fifth-generation warrior would fly into a rage upon seeing the emperor's edict to execute him, but he was just stunned.

It can't be that I have presbyopia and couldn't see clearly.

Wang Chenghui, who was standing to the side, saw the contents of the secret edict. His face turned ashen and his hands trembled slightly. When he spoke, his voice was very restrained, but it still carried a hint of scrutiny.

"Commander Xiao, I have a question that I may ask. Why did Li Ye send you here when you are so young?"

“I am the adopted son of Prime Minister Li Gongsong. Later, I was reduced to a slave in the Shi family. When the Shi family suffered a change, Li Ye ordered me to come and gain the trust of Marshal Wang.”

Wang Yin finally shifted his gaze from the secret edict to Xiao Yi, and sighed, "At such a young age, he has already experienced so much turmoil. This is a true reflection of the chaotic world where you kill me and I kill you."

Xiao Yi was about to reply.

Wang Chengxun spoke first.

“Father, what’s the use of sighing and acting like a woman now? When Li Ye sent you and Li Hongwei to Chanzhou one after another, I said he had ulterior motives. My brother thought it wouldn’t come to this. Has my words come true today?”

Wang Chenghui sighed, "We know he harbors evil intentions, but how can we know he's insane and deranged?"

“It’s time to make a decision.” Wang Chengxun suddenly raised his voice and said, “The court is in the hands of treacherous officials, and the young emperor is ignorant and has destroyed his own defenses. In this world, how can we let him wait to be executed? Father is in charge of the elite imperial guards, and the troops in Chanzhou are well-trained and well-supplied. We should immediately muster our troops, march south, and strike at Kaifeng to cleanse the court of corrupt officials and restore order to the dynasty.”

"No!"

Wang Chenghui immediately interrupted, turning to Wang Yin, his tone urgent yet calm.

“Father, Kaifeng is a fortified city with deep moats. Although Li Ye and Su Fengji are mediocre, they hold the capital and command a large army. To raise an army rashly would be treason. At that time, the warlords of the world will stand by and watch, and we will be left alone outside the city. We will be unable to advance and conquer the city, and we will have nowhere to retreat. This will bring disaster to our entire family.”

Wang Yin did not answer, his eyes filled with thought.

Wang Chenghui quickly turned to Xiao Yi and said, "Marshal Cao sent you here, presumably hoping that my father can contact Marshal Guo of Yedu?"

“That’s right.” Xiao Yi replied in a deep voice: “General Cao said that Li Hongwei is hesitant and indecisive. If the commander-in-chief can control the situation in Chanzhou, please send an elite force to rescue the families of the people. He can then take the opportunity to kill Liu Jirong and go north to join Commander-in-Chief Guo in making great achievements.”

After saying that, he glanced at Wang Chengxun, guessing that this Wang Erlang probably still had some tricks up his sleeve.

really.

"Opportunity knocks but once," Wang Chengxun said resolutely. "Eliminating treacherous officials and quelling chaos can be accomplished in an instant. How can you allow your brother to slowly make connections and plan at your own pace?"

"Guo Wei has a strong army and powerful horses. It is a safe and sound approach to contact him to work together on this great undertaking."

"Then who will be in charge? Who will be in charge? Hesitation will only lead to chaos. Grandfather, you must strike first and take control of the situation!"

"Foolish! Without a foolproof plan, how can we lightly start a war and put our family in danger?"

"To succeed, one must grasp the ever-changing situation; how can one expect perfection in everything? I have prepared something for Father; brother, please take a look before making any decisions."

After saying that, Wang Chengxun took out a small cloth bag from his pocket and slapped it on the table.

Xiao Yi's gaze sharpened, and he thought to himself, "Just as I thought."

The item that Nie Wenjin, Liu Zhu, and others had been searching for was indeed in Wang Chengxun's hands.

With a shake of the cloth bag, a brass military tally fell out first. Following the Tang Dynasty's taboo against using the name "Li Hu," it was made in the shape of a fish, about half the length of a palm. It was split in two on the table, with twelve fine teeth engraved at the joint, arranged in a neat and orderly manner, fitting together perfectly. The right tally was inscribed with "Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards," and the left tally with "Made in the Ninth Year of Tianfu." Both the general's tally and the emperor's tally were present, demonstrating Shi Hongzhao's arrogance.

Then a bronze seal fell to the ground. It was cast with a beast on a knob, with a hole in its mouth and a red ribbon tied to it. The seal face was engraved with the five characters "Seal of the Privy Council" in nine-fold seal script. There were traces of dark red ink left on the edge of the seal face.

"Ding."

A soft sound, like the clanging of swords and the thunder of horses, seemed to hold the power of the army in this small space.

Wang Chengxun smiled, turned his head, and looked intently at Xiao Yi.

"Chief Xiao, the Emperor, forced by treacherous officials, sent you with a secret edict, military tally, and seal of office to deliver to his father, ordering him to raise troops in the capital, purge the court of corrupt officials, and save the Emperor from his dire straits. Is that right?!"

Xiao Yi and Wang Chengxun looked at each other and saw the passionate spirit and fighting spirit of a young man.

For a moment, he really wondered if he had changed the course of history, and the throne might not have belonged to Guo Wei, but might have been given to Wang Yin instead.

"enough!"

Wang Yin let out a low roar, which was like a thunderclap.

His eyes flashed with cold light. He stood up, took two steps forward, raised his hand, and slapped his second son hard across the face.

"Snapped!"

"Grandpa?"

"That ignorant fool."

"Does Father not know that the emperor should be chosen by the strongest and most powerful army? Is it not a matter of birthright?"

"Snapped!"

Wang Yin slapped him again with his backhand.

The study was deathly silent.

After a moment, Wang Yin spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Da Lang."