Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 343 Regicide, Regicide, and Regicide
Jiankang.

It was already dark, but within the city, flickering lights could still be seen.

The city planning of Jiankang is completely different from that of the north. Their alleys are not planned in a tic-tac-toe shape, but are stacked up one after another in an endless stream, with only high fire-proof walls in the middle to distinguish them. These high walls do not have a unified standard, and their heights, widths and lengths are different.

Here, you can see truly quiet alleys between these endless courtyards. If you are an outsider, it would be difficult to walk out of these alleys.

Outside a mansion in the east of the city, several warriors poked their heads out from the courtyard wall and looked around cautiously.

In the courtyard, warriors holding torches, in teams of five, were patrolling back and forth between the pavilions.

In the innermost room, you can vaguely see the light of fire.

There were more than ten people sitting in the narrow study.

They were very close, almost touching each other, and a few of them groaned in displeasure. For the gentlemen, this environment was still a little too small.

Liu Shizhi sat in the upper seat, and everyone else was facing him, except for an old scholar with a handsome appearance, who was sitting on his left, facing everyone.

Liu Shizhi looked at the people in front of him.

"Emperor Wen believed that Chen Xu could accomplish great things, so he made him the crown prince and asked us to assist him wholeheartedly."

"However, Chen Xu's behavior has really failed the Emperor Wen's trust!"

"After he came to power, he no longer cared about the people's livelihood, and indulged in war. He only wanted to send troops to fight against the northerners to show his power!"

"He summoned soldiers from all over the country, mobilized countless food and fodder, and insisted on sending troops despite the opposition of his ministers and the abnormal celestial phenomena."

"The current situation is very clear. Wu Mingche has destroyed the army and died at the hands of the enemy. Tens of thousands of veteran soldiers have been killed or wounded, and less than 40% of the soldiers have escaped!"

"He also refused to allow Huang Fachu and Xu Du to return, forcing them to continue fighting the northerners. He also confiscated many innocent people for no reason, attempting to use their property as military expenses. How is his brutality any different from that of the northerners?!"

Liu Shizhi became more and more excited as he spoke, and when he talked about the war on the front line, he couldn't help but turn red in the eyes.

Chen Xu came to power through legitimate procedures, and Liu Shizhi had already decided to accept his fate. However, Chen Xu, who had been a captive in the north for many years, could not get along with these ministers either in terms of ideas or personality.

Especially those ministers who followed Chen Qian to turn the situation around and stabilize the Southern Kingdom, they could not bear to see Chen Xu wasting their efforts like this.

Of course, there are also some ambitious and speculative people among them.

Liu Shizhi said angrily: "The only solution now is to let the former crown prince take the throne, and we will temporarily manage the government, withdraw the army, govern the local area, and appease the people."

When Zhongju sat among the ministers, he was worried.

He had no intention of rebelling at all.

But all his close friends were involved in this matter, and Zhongju was dragged into it. Now that they have talked about it to this extent, what can he do?
Knowing the truth and not reporting it is also a capital crime.

Are you going to betray your friend?

Wang Xian said hurriedly, "Lord Liu, the crown prince is the legitimate son of Emperor Wen. According to etiquette, he should have inherited the throne. It was only because he was young that Emperor Wen was worried about foreign enemies, so he let Chen Xu inherit the throne. After Chen Xu inherited the throne, he refused to allow the crown prince to return to his fiefdom, imprisoned him in the city, sent soldiers to watch him, and even wanted to kill him!"

"As former ministers of Emperor Wen, how can we watch the Crown Prince die in his hands?"

"Raising the banner and supporting the crown prince right now is a righteous act!"

The rest of the people responded one after another.

Liu Shizhi also laughed. He looked at the man next to him with some awe in his eyes.

"Everyone, we are able to invite General Chunyu to participate in this great event today, which means that the event has already been a success!"

The handsome old man sitting on this side is called Chunyu Liang.

This old general with a refined face is a military leader in the country who can surpass Wu Mingche.

His father was General Guanglie of the Former Liang Kingdom. Later, he followed Xiao Yi to fight as a commoner. His life experience was legendary. He helped Wang Sengbian defeat the barbarians of Jingxiang, followed him to quell Hou Jing's rebellion, fought against Zhou and Qi, and took Wu Mingche to defeat Hua Jiao. He had his own old generals. Compared with domestic generals, he was more like a domestic prince. Therefore, he was also greatly feared. He was constantly dismissed and enthroned from his official position.

He is the kind of ruthless person whom the imperial court dares not kill, reuse, or not promote.

He sat there with a harmless smile on his face, looking no different from the scholars around him.

But just sitting here makes most people feel at ease.

Liu Shizhi said seriously: "When Emperor Wen was still alive, he valued the old general very much and never neglected him. But now Chen Xu, who has just taken office, dismissed the old general with a ridiculous excuse and replaced him with the incompetent Wu Mingche."

Hearing this, the smile on Chunyu Liang's face froze, then quickly returned to normal.

"The general's men are now ready!"

Liu Shizhi looked at him and said, "General, please speak."

Chun Yuliang nodded and looked at everyone, "It's like this, my subordinates are ready and can take action at any time."

Wang Xian was overjoyed, "Great! Great!"

"General!"

"When do we start?!"

Chunyu Liang picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip.

"Now."

"Whoosh~~~"

The arrow broke through the window and hit Wang Xian's neck. Wang Xian's head drooped down and he fell to the ground with his head tilted.

Everyone was horrified and screamed.

Only then did they see that the window was already full of figures, and bright arrows were flashing in the moonlight.

"嗖~嗖~嗖~~"

Arrows kept flying around. The ministers screamed and tried to escape, but were shot through the body one by one and fell to the ground.

Liu Shizhi was frightened by this sudden change. He looked at the bodies of the people in disbelief. It was obvious that just a moment ago, he was still full of ambition and high aspirations.

Chunyu Liang drank the hot tea, or maybe the tea was too hot, so he blew on it gently a few times, and then ate a few more bites of the corpses in front of him with relish.

The shadowy figure broke in and began to clean up the bodies on the ground, beheading them.

Liu Shizhi looked at Chunyu Liang beside him blankly.

"Why is this?"

Chunyu Liang put down the teacup and slowly stood up.

Only when he stood up could we see his fierce side. He was really tall, and despite his age, he looked much more muscular than Liu Shizhi.

He stretched his body, looked at Liu Shizhi beside him, reached out his hand, grabbed him, pulled him up, and gently placed him in front of him. Then he drew the sword from his waist and prepared to kill Liu Shizhi with an expressionless face.

In front of Chunyu Liang, Liu Shizhi was like a toy, completely unable to resist.

He just opened his mouth again and asked, "Why?"

"Do you know why I didn't join Wang Lin but joined Emperor Wu?"

Liu Shizhi did not answer.

Chunyu Liang did not seem to expect any answer from him. He said calmly, "It's because he has too many people like you around him. Scholars think they know everything because they have read some books. They want to get involved in wars and military affairs, no matter whether they understand it or not. They just say nonsense."

"Why bother?"

Chunyu Liang slowly pushed the sword in his hand into Liu Shizhi's body without torturing him too much.

"There is one more thing. General Wu is not an incompetent person."

Chun Yuliang whispered as he slowly pulled out his sword. Liu Shizhi was no longer breathing. He gently wiped the sword and looked at the shadows around him. "Take their heads and let's go back and tell His Majesty."

The sky is still gloomy.

Chunyu Liang led everyone out of this place, walked around the corners, passed through several alleys, and pushed open the door of an ordinary mansion.

Inside the door, there were soldiers standing everywhere.

Almost at the moment Chunyu Liang pushed open the door, the soldiers' crossbows were aimed at him.

Several dark shadows behind Chunyu Liang wanted to stop them, but Chunyu Liang glared at them and then led them all the way inside.

When they reached the innermost house, Chen Xu stood under the flying dragon corner of the beam, with his hands behind his back, admiring the moonlight in the sky.

"His Majesty!!"

Chunyu Liang paid his respects and the warriors placed the head aside.

Only then did Chen Xu turn around and look at this rather intimidating old general.

Wu Mingche is the sharp knife in his hand, Huang Fachi is his shield, and Xu Du is his flag.

The respectful old general in front of him was a bit like a hound that had just been tamed from a wolf. He had served the new dynasty for a long time, but both sides still maintained a tacit understanding. The old general would make some small mistakes from time to time, such as being a few days late when returning to the army, losing small items rewarded by the emperor, or being late for court. The emperor would also dismiss and promote him from time to time, and the relationship went back and forth like this.

Chen Xu looked at those heads again, and suddenly felt complicated.

"I thought that since I ascended the throne as the Crown Prince, no one would want to cause trouble anymore."

Chunyu Liang raised his head, his face calm, "Your Majesty, Emperor Wen was diligent in governing and weak, these people had long hoped to support the young emperor and help him build his career, but your sudden ascension to the throne interrupted their plans."

"Some things, even if they are just fantasies, will make people lose their minds because of their destruction. This has nothing to do with your majesty sending troops to the north. Even if you don't send troops to the north, they will find a reason that convinces them to do it."

"They surrounded the former crown prince and promised him many things in the future, so rebellion was inevitable."

Chen Xu smiled and said, "Mr. Chunyu, please stand up and come closer."

Chunyu Liang was not afraid at all. He walked to Chen Xu's side in just a few steps. The warriors in the distance were a little surprised.

Chen Xu asked: "What do you think we should do about the Northern Expedition?"

"continue."

"Want to continue?"

"I have lost many soldiers and most of my food and fodder. Do you want to continue?"

"continue."

Chunyu Liang pointed at the heads in the distance and said, "These heads are still worth some money. There are more than 20 officials involved in this case, and hundreds of people are implicated."

"Your Majesty can pardon those who are still useful and kill those who are not. These people have accumulated wealth for many years. Even if their families are confiscated and their families are exterminated, a lot of military expenses can still be raised."

"Although Wu Mingche is gone, Huang Fachi is still here."

"Huang Fate's talent is not inferior to Wu Mingche's. I even think he is stronger. It's just that he acts calmly and is never as impatient and impulsive as Wu Mingche."

"He is more than capable of dealing with Liu Taozi. Besides, Liu Taozi's family business is in the north after all, and he can't stay in the south for too long. Once others know that Liu Taozi is not here, all kinds of things will definitely happen in his lair."

"Liu Taozi is bluffing, trying to scare Your Majesty so that he won't dare to go north again. He won't be able to hold out for long."

Chen Xu said slowly: "Wu Mingche said the same thing at the beginning."

Chun Yuliang's eyes finally showed some sadness, "General Wu's prediction was correct. The only mistake he made was to underestimate what he was best at."

"Most generals are like this. Wang Lin was proficient in water warfare and best at fire attack, but in the end he was defeated in the field he was best at. Wu Mingche was good at water attack, but in the end he was also defeated by water attack."

"People who lead troops in battle tend to overestimate their own strengths and think they can't be defeated in the areas they excel in. Once they have such thoughts, they are not far from defeat."

Chen Xu suddenly asked, "If I ask Chunyu Gong to lead his soldiers to reinforce, can we defeat Liu Taozi?"

"We can't defeat him. Liu Taozi's men are all cavalry. If we go deep into the enemy's territory, he can attack us from behind. If we chase him, he can sneak past us. We don't have enough cavalry to stop him."

A hint of bitterness appeared on Chen Xu's face.

The cavalry again.

If we can get Lianghuai, if we can get a stable horse farm
Looking at the helpless emperor, Chunyu Liang said again: "But this does not affect our victory."

"Your Majesty sent troops to obtain Lianghuai, not to defeat Liu Taozi. These two things can be viewed separately."

"oh??"

This was the first time Chen Xu heard such a statement.

Chun Yuliang continued, "Huang Fachu actually knew this, but he was a little too cautious. If Wu Mingche was still alive, even if they had suffered a great defeat, the two of them, one attacking and one defending, would definitely be able to capture Lianghuai."

"What if you go there?"

"If I go, I will divide my troops into two groups, marching from the east and west, and only capture the most critical cities, and then divide the troops to garrison them."

"Liu Taozi can't attack the city, nor can he last long. But we can take it slow, steady and advance step by step. As long as we can defend those key cities, Liu Taozi will have no chance and can only flee back to Guangzhou with his men."

"Once Liu Taozi withdraws, the entire Lianghuai will be ours."

"As for how to make him evacuate, how to garrison, and how to capture the city, these will need to be discussed and decided with Huang Fate after we arrive."

Chunyu Liang talked about his strategy and Chen Xu listened very seriously.

Chen Xu pondered for a moment, and seemed to have some plans in mind, but he didn't know what he remembered, and he sighed again.

"General Huang is currently fighting with Liu Taozi around Lujiang. Don't rush to discuss this when they send troops to reinforce him."

He suddenly turned his head and looked at a large mansion opposite him, and his expression suddenly became cold.

"General, I am a little too tired. You should go back first."

"We'll talk about the rest another day."

Chunyu Liang bowed his head and was about to turn around and leave, but suddenly stopped and said, "Your Majesty, a thief who is unworthy of his position has no choice but to die. There is no need to blame yourself."

Chen Xu did not answer, and Chunyu Liang disappeared in the distance.

At this moment, a carriage hurried out from a mansion in the distance, and many soldiers followed it on foot. The footsteps could be heard from a long distance away.

Chen Xu stood here, listening to the sound of carriages and the collision of armors of soldiers in the distance.

And the mansion opposite.

It is the residence of the former Crown Prince, King of Linhai, Chen Bochong.

Chen Bochong sat in the carriage with a confused look on his face, looking at the soldiers around him. These soldiers who were responsible for taking care of him suddenly changed their expressions.

He said he would take me back to my fiefdom.

Chen Bozong didn't quite understand. He popped his head out and his chubby face turned red from the cold.

"Uncle Wang, aren't Zhou Jun and the others going together?"

The officer was riding a black warhorse and following beside him. Hearing Chen Bochong's question, the officer lowered his head and looked at him.

"They have already left and are waiting for the king in his fiefdom."

"Why are we traveling in the dark?"

"We need to reach the fiefdom as soon as possible."

"So, is my fiefdom nice? Is there anything fun in it?"

The officer kept a sullen face and did not answer the question.

Chen Bozong retracted his head into the car again, looking forward to the new scenery on his fiefdom, and found it difficult to fall asleep.

Chen Xu just watched as the sounds of the carriage and the soldiers gradually disappeared.

He slowly raised his head and looked up into the air.

"Brother."

"Don't blame me."

"I had to do it."

"As for the rest of my nephews, I will definitely take good care of them. As long as they don't rebel, I will definitely not treat them unfairly."

He bowed gently towards the moonlight.

Chen Xu returned to the palace that night, as if he had never been out.

On the next day, the government immediately announced the names of the rebels, and many of them were arrested that night. Some were caught by the soldiers while they were still asleep and thrown into cells.

I don't know what kind of mentality Liu Shizhi had. He insisted on asking all the participants to sign their names. There was no need for investigation and interrogation. They just arrested people based on the list of names provided by Liu Shizhi. It was very efficient. They caught everyone they wanted.

The rebellion didn't even have any impact; it simply collapsed overnight.

The emperor was furious and issued an edict to punish these rebels, confiscating their property and exterminating their clans.

At the same time, those who were involved in the marriage were arrested. The voices of those who opposed sending troops in the country came to an abrupt end. Liu Shizhi took the lead in opposing sending troops. Liu Shizhi rebelled. Opposing sending troops was equivalent to being an accomplice of the rebellion.
Through this rebellion, Chen Xu successfully eliminated the last force left by Chen Qian and completely controlled the government and the country.

At the same time, bad news came from the local area.

On the way back to his fiefdom, King Chen Bochong of Linhai was suddenly encountered by robbers and was killed.

Only twelve years old.

ps: He also issued an order to demote Bo Mao to the title of Marquis of Wenma and to place him in a separate residence. King Ancheng sent thieves to invite him on the road and killed him in his carriage. ——Zizhi Tongjian

Oh, I'm so busy with things at home that I really don't have the energy. Tomorrow my family member is discharged from the hospital, and I can focus on writing. Please give me one day.

(End of this chapter)