knife

Chapter 314 Since things are already in chaos, let's make them even more chaotic.

(I've been too busy with work lately and haven't had time to write. I'll post one chapter for now, and I'll pay you back the other one when I'm less busy!)

The extent of the damage in Luoyang and the number of deaths were not within Li Tai's considerations.

As long as He Zudao is driven out of Luoyang, and Luoyang remains under our control, that is enough.

Luoyang's geographical location is what it is.

No matter how great the loss, it can be well recovered given enough time.

Of course, Li Tai was also more concerned about whether news of his capture had spread.

If the crown prince of a country, the future emperor of Qin, had such an experience, it would be a stain on his reputation for life, and might even affect whether he could sit on the throne.

Zhang Quanyi did a good job in this regard.

Everything was kept completely secret, and not even a whisper came out from He Zudao's side.

It is evident that Zhang Quanyi's considerations were thorough, and the price he paid for them must have been enormous.

But what is a little money compared to one's reputation?

He Zudao's general Feng Congwen's head has been cut off and is now hanging at the top of the Five Phoenix Tower, the same place where Kou Zhong's head was hung a few days ago.

People only knew that Feng Congwen had submitted to He Zudao after the Battle of Hedong, and naturally they were unaware of all the other events that had occurred in Luoyang.

Therefore, the imperial army also unceremoniously claimed credit for Feng Congwen's death.

They killed Feng Congwen, a notorious thief.

At the same time, Li Tai also ordered that the body of Yang Jian from Hongnong, who died in Luoyang, be collected and sent to Hongnong in a grand manner.

This is an insult, but more importantly, it is a warning.

No matter how the Yang family of Hongnong reacts, they have no choice but to swallow this insult.

The subsequent actions of Crown Prince Li Tai in Luoyang were in line with the composure and propriety expected of a seasoned bureaucrat. Luoyang, which had suffered heavy losses, slowly began to recover some vitality from its shock.

Regardless, Zhang Quanyi managed to protect the Taoguangyuan area in the north of the city from looting, and in the later stages of the war, those with even a little bit of connections fled there.

The existence of this safe zone allowed Luoyang to retain some seeds of recovery, preventing it from becoming completely impoverished and destitute.

Li Tai ordered the granaries to be opened and grain distributed to relieve the people. He also ordered the recruitment of able-bodied men to rebuild the army, posted recruitment notices, and launched a large-scale recruitment drive to fill government positions. Luoyang, having suffered this calamity, was desperately short of officials; many had been killed by He Zudao's men or Zhang Quanyi's men. The Crown Prince and Zhang Quanyi naturally wouldn't let such a golden opportunity pass, and a large number of their own people were placed in positions of power, thus gaining complete control of Luoyang.

Although Luoyang's strength was greatly reduced after this battle, it was actually a good thing for Li Tai and Zhang Quanyi, because they now truly controlled Luoyang.

It wasn't like this before.

Even with Kou Dayin in charge, most of Luoyang was still in the hands of powerful and wealthy families.

Now, all of these people are dead.

If you really look at the details, Zhang Quanyi and his men have actually become stronger.

Therefore, both Li Tai and Zhang Quanyi appeared dignified and solemn in public, with expressions of deep sorrow, but in private, they were extremely excited.

What truly belongs to you is the best.

However, this excitement did not last long. A secret letter from Luoyang poured cold water over their heads, leaving them feeling utterly disheartened.

The emperor is dead.

This news stunned Li Tai and Zhang Quanyi alike.

A country cannot be without a ruler for even a day; Li Tai must return immediately.

Otherwise, as time goes on, who knows what changes might occur?

The secret message was delivered by Wu De using the highest-level channel of the Black Ice Guard.

It should be noted that Li Anmin had more than one son, Li Tai.

More importantly, apart from Li Tai, the rest were either underage or mediocre and useless.

But wouldn't such a successor to the throne be more in line with the wishes of Grand Secretary Wei Zhengdao?

Li Tai was unsure.

"General Zhang, you must accompany me back to Chang'an!" Li Tai said. "With General Zhang guarding Luoyang, there should be no danger!"

No matter how important Luoyang is, how could it be more important than Chang'an?
"Your Highness, time is of the essence!" Compared to Li Tai, Zhang Quanyi appeared much calmer, considering far more issues in a short period. "You must return to Chang'an as quickly as possible. If you are escorted by a large army, the journey will be slow and attract more attention. Therefore, the best course of action is for you to immediately travel light and return to Chang'an as soon as possible."

"Chang'an is full of the Grand Secretary's confidants. If I return alone, what if the Grand Secretary has other intentions? Wouldn't I be like a lamb entering a tiger's den?" "Your Highness is overthinking it!" Zhang Quanyi shook his head and said, "As long as you openly appear in Chang'an, the Grand Secretary will have no chance to do anything else. You have been the Crown Prince for many years, and His Majesty's death was too bizarre and too sudden. If it were said out loud, I'm afraid no one would believe it. At this time, he needs you to come out and vouch for him. If he dares to depose the emperor at this time, it will immediately confirm that he did something he couldn't bear to say to His Majesty. Your Highness, in this way, the Wei family will become the target of everyone's hatred and become people whom everyone can kill. The shrewd and calculating Prime Minister Wei would not do such a bad thing."

After listening to Zhang Quanyi's analysis, Li Taifang finally felt a little relieved.

"Moreover, Your Highness, if I go to Chang'an, I will only become an appendage of the Minister of War, and I will no longer have any autonomy. With the death of Minister Kou, the Minister of War has actually become the sole ruler. In Luoyang, I can still be Your Highness's protector, but if I go to Chang'an, I will be powerless. Therefore, the current plan is for me to remain in Luoyang as Your Highness's backup plan, while Your Highness should enter Chang'an as quickly as possible, ascend the throne, and then plan for the future after you have a title and position."

Li Tai reached out and grasped Zhang Quanyi's hand. "General Zhang, I know your loyalty. As long as I successfully ascend the throne, I will certainly not treat you unfairly!"

Zhang Quanyi bowed and said, "Your Highness, I am willing to serve you forever, even at the cost of my life. I will have Quanli accompany you to Chang'an, so that he can not only protect your safety along the way, but also guard the palace for you after Your Highness ascends the throne."

"Okay, okay!" Li Tai nodded repeatedly.

The new army that the Qin Dynasty had been forging over several years was nominally commanded by Crown Prince Li Tai, but in reality, it was controlled by Wei Yi and Zhang Quanyi. One was the eldest son of the Wei family, and the other was a confidant of Kou Zhong.

Between the two, Li Tai actually trusted Zhang Quanyi more.

Unlike Wei Yi, Zhang Quanyi, although backed by Kou Zhong, came from a poor background and suffered a lot in his childhood.

Now that Kou Zhong is dead, Zhang Quanyi has effectively lost his biggest backer. The Crown Prince has become the best ally he can rely on. As long as the Crown Prince ascends the throne, Zhang Quanyi will definitely have power in his hands.

Therefore, Li Tai's first reaction was to ask Zhang Quanyi to accompany him to Chang'an.

But after Zhang Quanyi's explanation, Li Tai realized what was going on and returned to Chang'an. Zhang Quanyi didn't have much say in front of Wei Zhengdao, but his words carried more weight because he commanded troops outside the city.

If one does not want to become a vassal or puppet of the Wei clan, having Zhang Quanyi provide support in Luoyang would be a better option.

Young Li Tai was different from his father; he wanted to make a comeback.

In times of great strife and chaos, there is a crisis, but it may also be an opportunity.

Compared to those ambitious guys, Li Tai is at least far superior to them in terms of righteousness and starting point.

Moreover, there were many forces that did not want the Qin Dynasty to fall, such as the Wei clan and Zhang Quanyi.

In the countryside, the Qin Dynasty, which had ruled for hundreds of years, naturally had a large number of supporters. If managed well, it might not be impossible to rebuild the world and restore its glory.

When Li Anmin died, Li Tai didn't feel much grief. Over the years, his father had been obsessed with alchemy and drugs, neglecting state affairs. All Li Tai heard and saw was anger at his father's incompetence. People like Kou Zhong often spoke ill of him, which made Li Tai lack love and respect for his father. He subconsciously believed that his father was partly responsible for the Qin Dynasty's current state.

And I am bound to be stronger than my father.

As long as I rise to power.

So now that his father has passed away, deep down he feels a faint sense of anticipation.

The time has finally come for me to show my true colors.

With only a hundred or so guards with him, Li Tai hurriedly embarked on his journey home.

On the city wall of Luoyang, Zhang Quanyi watched as Li Tai and his group disappeared from his sight.

He appeared confident in front of Li Tai, but now his face was full of worry.

The already crumbling Qin Dynasty was dealt another fatal blow by the death of its emperor.

Even if the young crown prince returns to Chang'an and assumes the throne, it is unlikely that he will achieve anything significant.

At this moment, the troops of the Zhu family of Hanchuan and the Qi family of Chenjun are heading towards Luoyang under the banner of aiding Luoyang and eliminating He Zudao.

If Zhang Quanyi didn't care about his troops, then Linghu Ye, who came from the east of the river, was truly terrifying.

Linghu Ye has a very big appetite.

From Hedong, the army split into two routes. One route, personally led by Linghu Ye, left Yuncheng with its forces aimed directly at Chang'an. The other route, led by Li Guohua, headed for Luoyang.

This person actually intends to seize these two strategically important locations in one fell swoop.

Looking back at Luoyang, the situation that had finally stabilized was likely to reignite the flames of war in just a few days.

Is there really any hope for this world?

In Chang'an, Li Dachui grinned as he looked at Zhang Qingyun and Wu De, saying, "The world is already chaotic enough, so let's make it even more chaotic. Wei Zhengdao's reputation is still pretty good, but once the story of how the emperor died gets out, half of his reputation will be ruined. Qingyun, you handle this matter. Anyway, we didn't lie; he really did kill the emperor, didn't he?"

Zhang Qingyun smiled and nodded: "That's easy."

Zhang Qingyun currently hosts tea parties, poetry gatherings, flower shows, and the like. She has a vast network of connections, making it easy for her to spread such news and for people to believe that these things are true.

"As for Li Tai, there's no need for him to return to Chang'an. I'll see him off! Of course, the final blame will fall on Wei Zhengdao and the others. Wu De, you'll be in charge of framing him!"

"understand!"

(End of this chapter)