Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 465 The End of Xiantong (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"Sorry..."

On the 27th, outside Yanshi County, beside the rolling Luo River, a camp of nearly 10,000 people setting up tents attracted much attention.

At this moment, the soldiers, officials, and many wealthy families accompanying the army in the camp were all filled with anxiety.

Half an hour ago, the fast horses from Yique Pass intercepted them in Yanshi County.

Unexpectedly, Yique Pass, which was originally reported to be on the verge of falling, was recaptured in less than four hours.

This should have been a cause for celebration, but the emperor's failure to return to Luoyang caused unease among nearly ten thousand soldiers, civilians, and wealthy households outside Yanshi County.

While they felt uneasy, a number of officials of the fifth rank or above had already gathered in the temple, which served as the center of the camp.

The officials all looked rather grim, with Lu Yan, Xiao Gou, Liu Zhan, and others constantly glancing back and forth inside the temple.

The Shence Army surrounded the temple in layers, and hundreds of Shence soldiers patrolled the side hall where Li Cui lived.

Li Yi and Li Meiling were arranged to rest in the Heavenly King Hall, while the other princes were placed in other side halls.

After being assigned to the Heavenly King Hall, Li Yi and Li Meiling immediately wanted to visit Li Cui in the side hall, but their attempts to go there were repeatedly blocked by people sent by Qi Yuanjian and others.

Inside the side hall, Li Cui was breathing weakly, his head covered in sweat, which almost soaked his bedding and pillow.

Qi Yuanjian, Yang Xuanji, and Yang Xuanjie stood at the door of the side room. Qi Yuanjian glanced into the room at Li Cui's condition, then frowned and said:
"Given His Majesty's current condition, I'm afraid the situation is not optimistic..."

"They've only traveled about thirty miles from Luoyang, yet they've fallen so seriously ill." Yang Xuanjie frowned deeply.

In response, Yang Xuanji whispered, "If His Majesty is in trouble, then the successor to the throne..."

As soon as he finished speaking, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, followed by a commotion.

"With the Regent here, who dares to obstruct him?!"

The three frowned upon hearing the sound, realizing that the other person had arrived, and then walked outside.

As they walked out of the side hall, they saw Yang Gongqing leading over a hundred Right Shence Army soldiers, closely guarding Li Yi and Li Meiling as they approached the side hall.

"His Majesty needs to rest and recuperate. What are you all trying to do?!"

Yang Xuanjie raised his voice and sternly rebuked Yang Gongqing and the others, but Yang Gongqing sneered, "His Majesty has never stopped the Regent, let alone the Princess."

"If you have no ulterior motives, then let the Regent and the Princess enter the palace first, and see if His Majesty's health is truly good!"

Yang Gongqing's words were impeccable, but Qi Yuanjian and the others did not want Li Yi to meet the emperor.

"His Majesty's decree is here; let's see who dares to disobey!!"

Qi Yuanjian took the imperial edict from Yang Xuanji with both hands and showed it to everyone.

Faced with his trickery, Yang Gongqing sneered and said, "His Majesty is seriously ill. You can draft the imperial edict yourselves. Do you think I don't know?"

"Yang Gongqing?!" Yang Xuanjie looked at Yang Gongqing with a cold face and raised his voice, "Don't make a fuss outside the Supreme Hall!"

"If Your Majesty is sober, why doesn't you rebuke me?!"

Yang Gongqing quickly seized upon the problems exposed by Yang Xuanjie and others, and then ordered the Right Shence Army: "I am here by imperial decree to enter the palace. Anyone who dares to resist will be killed on the spot!"

"You bastard!" Seeing that he was really about to make a move, Yang Xuanjie shouted at his men, "Whoever dares to step forward, kill him!"

The situation inside the compound was tense, but neither side had decided to completely break off relations, so the situation remained deadlocked for the time being.

When the news reached the mountain gate, the officials of the Southern Court, who had been observing, immediately turned their attention to Lu Yan and his two companions.

Among the troops accompanying the emperor are a thousand Dongji soldiers who have just arrived.

The troops in the Eastern Capital were controlled by the Southern Army. Although their numbers were not as large as the Left and Right Shence Armies, they were enough to keep the two in check.

Thinking of this, Lu Yan spoke first: "The situation is critical right now, and the Qin bandits have been defeated. We should return to Luoyang first."

"That's true, but without an imperial decree, who would dare to break camp without authorization?" Liu Zhan retorted.

His question stumped everyone, but Xiao Gou replied, "Given the state of the nation, only an elder can succeed to the throne and stabilize the situation."

"The Right Shence Army has only two thousand men, while the Left Shence Army has three thousand men."

"If the Left Shence Army gains power, it will inevitably lead to turmoil in the country. Therefore, we should send troops to support the Right Shence Army now!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Zhan and Lu Yan looked at each other in bewilderment.

Liu Zhan hoped to get an answer from Lu Yan, but Lu Yan was unwilling to offend Bei Siqi Yuanjian and the others, and remained silent.

After a while, Liu Zhan became impatient and said first, "Given the current situation, the only way to stabilize things is to let the Regent continue to serve."

"First, have the troops from the Eastern Capital surround the mountain gate to put pressure on the Left Shence Army, and then await His Majesty's decree."

"Alright!" Xiao Gou readily agreed, and then began to dispatch Wei Zhuang and Pi Rixiu to mobilize a thousand soldiers from the Eastern Capital.

Shortly after their operation began, the Shence Army on lookout duty relayed the news to the side hall courtyard, and both sides received the information.

Yang Gongqing's face lit up with joy, while Qi Yuanjian and the other two looked gloomy and extremely ugly.

Now the situation is three thousand against three thousand, and Yang Gongqing has some strategy. In a real battle, they may not be a match for him.

Thinking of this, Qi Yuanjian temporarily suppressed his temper, and then quietly instructed Yang Xuanjie beside him:

"The current situation is unfavorable to us. If we can mobilize troops from Shaanxi, Guo, Yique Pass and other places to come to our aid, we can control the situation."

Yang Xuanjie frowned upon hearing this and couldn't help but ask, "What if Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun interfere?"

Qi Yuanjian, having experience in supporting Li Cui, quickly replied upon hearing his concerns:
"It takes at most a day to travel from Yique to here, but it will take Gao Pian and his group at least three days."

"By the time they arrive here, we will have already made the decision."

"You should immediately send a fast horse to mobilize troops. Once the troops arrive, we will let them into the side hall, where we will hide a hundred axemen. We will kill Yang Gongqing first, and then enthrone the young prince."

“Alright!” Yang Xuanjie nodded in agreement, and then began to send people to try to leave the temple.

At the same time, Yang Gongqing saw Qi Yuanjian and Yang Xuanjie whispering to each other and immediately knew that they were plotting something.

Many families in the Northern Division had excellent relations with the generals of the outer towns, and Shaanxi and Guo were mainly on good terms with Yang Xuanjie's family, so Yang Gongqing did not think much of it and immediately looked at Li Yi and Li Meiling.

"Your Highness, these three traitors are surely trying to lure reinforcements in order to defeat our army."

"I believe that a decision should be made immediately. I can bring in the three hundred brave men that the King of Hanzhong has stationed in Luoyang for his audience."

"The warriors under the command of the King of Hanzhong are brave and fierce; three hundred warriors can hold off three thousand Shence Army soldiers."

"As long as Your Highness gives the order, I will immediately request reinforcements to bring these three traitors to justice!"

Yang Gongqing's words made Li Yi hesitate, but Li Meiling nodded without hesitation: "Father is in a critical situation, we cannot delay."

Seeing that his elder sister had said so, Li Yi immediately bowed to Yang Gongqing and said, "I will trouble the lieutenant with this matter."

"Good!" Upon seeing this, Yang Gongqing immediately led his men to slowly withdraw from the side hall. Qi Yuanjian and Yang Xuanjie sent men to follow him after seeing him leave.

Yang Gongqing sent men to protect the Heavenly King Hall, and then dispatched Ximen Jixuan's adopted son, Ximen Junsui, to the camp to find Zhang Ying, the envoy from Hanzhong.

When Ximen Jun arrived at the camp, the three hundred Han soldiers, though dressed in battle robes, were tall and disciplined, and did not disturb those around them.

After he explained his purpose, a brigade commander quickly led him into Zhang Ying's tent.

Zhang Ying was only seventeen years old. His father was Zhang Chang, the current governor of Longyou, and he had just graduated from Linzhou University less than half a year ago.

He had an ordinary appearance, but his skin was dark, and he looked very mature and experienced, more like a young man in his mid-twenties.

"Greetings, Envoy!"

Ximen Jun realized that he needed outside help, so he adopted a very humble attitude.

"But what happened to Shodai-ji Temple?"

Zhang Ying put down the military treatise in his hand and gestured for Ximen Junsui to sit down, but Ximen Junsui had no intention of resting at the moment and quickly said:
"Imperial decree from the Regent: Three hundred brave warriors from the Hanzhong Imperial Secretariat are to be dispatched to the Heavenly King Hall of Zhaoti Temple!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ying immediately realized the seriousness of the situation and looked at the brigade commander who had escorted Ximen Junsui: "Order the entire army to don their armor!"

"This subordinate obeys!" The brigade commander replied without hesitation, his voice tinged with excitement.

After the military order was given, Zhang Ying immediately stood up and asked Ximen Junsui, "How many men do you have, and how many men do they have?"

“We have two thousand men, and another thousand from the Southern Army are coming to our aid. They have three thousand men, but the troops around Luoyang are all friendly with them. If we can’t take Zhaoti Temple quickly, we’ll probably be besieged by all the other towns.”

Ximen Jun quickly replied, but Zhang Ying walked to the side, took the dagger from the shelf, and said calmly, "One day is enough!"

"Hurry up!"

"Armor, bows and arrows, long and short weapons, all equipped!"

"Assemble at the camp gate in fifteen minutes!"

"Beep--"

As the Han army began to move, Zhang Ying was fully armored in less than a quarter of an hour and led Ximen Jun out of the tent.

At this moment, outside the camp gate, three hundred heavily armed Han soldiers formed a square formation, resembling an iron wall.

"set off!"

The army began to transform into long snakes, following Zhang Ying and the other two towards Zhaodai Temple, which was not far away.

Ximen Jun then used Li Yi's edict to clear the way, but even so, he was still blocked at the mountain gate by Liu Zhan, Lu Yan, and Xiao Gou with their troops.

"Deputy Envoy Ximen, what is your intention?"

At the mountain gate, Liu Zhan and his two companions became nervous when they saw that the three hundred guards of the Jinzouyuan were wearing armor and had followed Ximen Junsui there.

Upon seeing this, Ximen Jun stepped forward, holding up Li Yi's edict, and said: "Imperial Edict of the Regent: Qi Yuanjian, Yang Xuanjie, and Yang Xuanji of the Northern Army have taken His Majesty hostage and intend to rebel. The troops of the Hanzhong Imperial Secretariat are hereby dispatched to Zhaoti Temple to quell the rebellion!"

"The troops of the Eastern Capital are to guard the mountain gate strictly and not let a single traitor escape!"

Ximen Jun, being young and fearless, directly stated their purpose.

Zhang Ying frowned upon hearing this, but said nothing, while Lu Yan and the other two remained undecided.

However, after some thought, they realized that the Southern Court had already placed a heavy bet on Li Yi. If it wasn't Li Yi who succeeded in the end, but someone else, then the three of them would likely face retaliation from Yang Xuanjie and his group.

Thinking of this, Liu Zhan raised his hand first, and the soldiers of Dongji behind him immediately made way. Ximen Jun then led Zhang Ying and three hundred others to rush towards the Heavenly King Hall of Zhaodai Temple.

Before long, when they arrived at the Heavenly King Hall, they only saw Li Yi, Yang Gongqing, and Li Meiling.

"Zhang Lang, I can only rely on you now!"

Upon seeing Zhang Ying, Yang Gongqing immediately approached and introduced her, saying, "This is the Regent, and this is Princess Tongchang."

"Zhang Ying, the messenger, pays respects to the Regent and the Princess!"

Zhang Ying bowed without hesitation, while Li Yi stepped forward to help him up, then looked at Yang Gongqing and asked, "Is that enough?"

"That's enough to defeat the enemy!" Yang Gongqing was very confident, after all, he had witnessed the power of the Han army.

Three hundred Han soldiers plus two thousand Right Shence soldiers were enough to defeat three thousand Left Shence soldiers.

"Where is His Majesty now?" Zhang Ying asked Yang Gongqing. Yang Gongqing did not hesitate and replied directly, "His Majesty fell seriously ill when he arrived in Yanshi, so he is resting here."

"When they arrived in Yanshi, His Majesty was already delirious, and now he is being held hostage by the three traitors."

"As long as you send troops to rescue His Majesty, you will surely be remembered for your great service!"

Yang Gongqing made the promise, but Zhang Ying didn't care at all. He only knew that his prince had asked him to help Yang Gongqing at a critical moment, and now was clearly that critical moment.

"Regent, what should be done?"

Zhang Ying looked at Li Yi, but Li Yi was indecisive and couldn't make up his mind.

Seeing this, Yang Gongqing immediately said, "Lead the troops and charge in!"

“Alright!” Zhang Ying agreed without hesitation, but Li Yi then asked, “What if the three traitors harm His Majesty?”

Li Yi was worried that his father was alright, but he was even more worried that something had happened to him, so he still couldn't make up his mind.

Seeing this, Yang Gongqing became anxious, thinking that Li Yi was not capable of being of great use. After all, if Qi Yuanjian and the others really became desperate and turned their swords against Li Cui, then Li Yi, as the Crown Prince Regent, could legally and legitimately ascend the throne.

"Your Highness, hesitation will only lead to more chaos. The only way to give His Majesty a chance to survive is to immediately mobilize troops!"

Li Yi was undecided, but Li Meiling, who was standing next to him, said, "Father would never refuse me entry into the palace."

These seemingly unrelated words solidified Li Yi's resolve.

He looked at Zhang Ying, Yang Gongqing, and Ximen Junsui, then nodded and said, "Okay!"

Upon seeing this, the three immediately bowed to him in return, and then began to mobilize their troops. Three hundred Han soldiers escorted Li Yi and Li Meiling toward the side hall.

The two Shence Army soldiers, swords drawn, faced each other, one advancing and the other retreating.

When the two sides arrived at the courtyard outside the side hall of Zhaoti Temple, Qi Yuanjian and his two companions saw the three hundred Han soldiers in the formation.

"Yang Gongqing, you actually colluded with foreign vassals to force His Majesty to abdicate?!"

Qi Yuanjian immediately assumed a moral high ground, but Yang Gongqing didn't buy it at all and shouted, "His Majesty has long been held hostage by you traitors. I am acting on the orders of the Regent and requesting the troops and garrisons of Guanzhong. How can you call this a coup?"

"You..." Qi Yuanjian wanted to say something, but Yang Xuanji quickly stepped forward and lowered his voice:
"Liu Jilong's soldiers are all brave and fierce. If Yang Gongqing leads them into the palace, we will be finished."

Yang Xuanji's words calmed down Qi Yuanjian, who was initially furious. He said calmly, "His Majesty is only recovering from a serious illness and is unable to move or speak. How dare you say that the three of us are holding His Majesty hostage?"

"If you don't believe me, you can go into the palace and see His Majesty yourself. I just hope that you can remain so calm when His Majesty reprimands you!"

Qi Yuanjian's words made Li Yi, who had just made up his mind, worry again. Seeing this, Li Meiling said, "I wish to enter the palace to check if His Majesty is in good health!"

"Alright!" Qi Yuanjian reluctantly agreed. What he really wanted was to let Yang Gongqing enter the hall, and then he ordered the executioners to kill Yang Gongqing.

Once Yang Gongqing is dead, he doesn't believe that this young Ximen Junsui can cause any more trouble.

Things had gone awry, but if he could control Li Meiling, he might be able to bring the situation under control.

Seeing that Qi Yuanjian agreed, Li Meiling prepared to enter the hall, but Zhang Ying said, "Why must Your Highness enter the hall?"

"Our army currently has the upper hand; all we need to do is break into the palace!"

Zhang Ying had not forgotten the history he had learned at Linzhou University, such as how Erzhu Rong, Tuoba Tao, and Gao Cheng died; he knew it all too well.

If Li Meiling were to enter the palace, given Li Yi's indecisive demeanor as he had just witnessed, he would likely lose his composure once Li Meiling was taken hostage.

In Zhang Ying's view, there was no need to weigh the pros and cons now; all he had to do was lead his troops into the palace, and everything would be settled.

"That's right, Your Highness, we should just charge into the palace!"

Yang Gongqing also realized what was going on; who knew what kind of schemes Qi Yuanjian, that treacherous man, would devise in the palace?

Thinking this, Yang Gongqing, without waiting for Li Meiling to make a decision, immediately drew his sword and shouted, "Charge into the palace and rescue His Majesty!!"

"Beep--"

Zhang Ying decisively blew the whistle, and 50 of the 300 Han soldiers left behind to protect Li Yi and the others, while the remaining 250 immediately dispersed into groups and began to fight the enemy in formation.

The once spacious courtyard was suddenly filled with more than two hundred people, which, together with the more than three hundred people originally stationed there, made it crowded.

Because the courtyard was too small to form a battle formation, the Han army was not only proficient in large formations, but also in small formations.

Two spearmen were in front, flanked by hopping soldiers wielding blunt weapons. Behind them were three archers and two crossbowmen, specifically tasked with frontal assaults. Further back were two squad leaders and deputy squad leaders responsible for overseeing the battle.

"kill!!"

"Uh-"

The Han army's eight-step face-shooting technique was invincible. As soon as the two sides clashed, dozens of Shence Army soldiers fell with arrows in their faces, and Qi Yuanjian was also almost hit by a stray arrow.

"Damn it! Yang Xuanjie has taken over the Heavenly King Palace?!"

Qi Yuanjian's words revealed his true intentions.

Upon seeing the Han army, he immediately dispatched Yang Xuanjie to surround the Heavenly King's Palace. If they could capture the prince from there and escape, and with the imperial seal and edict in their hands, they could easily enthrone the young prince as the new emperor.

Even if the emperor is rescued by Li Yi and his men, they can break through the siege and then lead Yang Fuguang's several thousand troops to quell Li Yi's rebellion.

"Privy Councilor! We can't hold out!"

"What did you say, you bastard?!"

Qi Yuanjian did not expect that the two sides had only been fighting for less than half a cup of tea's time when more than 300 Zuo Shence soldiers could not hold on.

He looked up and saw that on the chaotic battlefield, the Left Shence Army was being slaughtered by the Han army like pigs and dogs.

Upon seeing this, Qi Yuanjian immediately looked at Yang Xuanji: "Go! Take the imperial seal and the imperial edict, let's break through first!" "Okay!" Yang Xuanji was also quite frightened, and he rushed into the hall. However, when he arrived at the room where Li Cui was lying, he found that Tian Yun, the eunuch who was taking care of Li Cui, had disappeared, and the imperial seal and the imperial edict on the table were also gone.

"Asshole!!"

Even if Yang Xuanji was stupid, he knew what had happened. He glanced at Li Cui on the bed and saw that Li Cui was staring at him with wide eyes, sweat pouring out like drenched saliva, looking very painful.

“You…”

Li Cui wanted to say something, but all he could hear were the sounds of clashing weapons and shouts of battle. Seeing his state, Yang Xuanji quickly left the room and found Qi Yuanjian, who was holding the line.

"Damn it! That bastard Tian Yun, that son of a bitch, took the imperial seal and the imperial edict with him!"

"What did you say?!"

Qi Yuanjian was almost driven mad. After planning for so long, he was outsmarted by a guy who seemed harmless all the time.

"withdraw!!"

Seeing that the Han army was too brave and the Left Shence Army could no longer hold them off, Qi Yuanjian had no choice but to prepare for a breakout and retreat.

Upon seeing this, Yang Xuanji panicked and said, "But the imperial edict and the imperial seal are gone..."

"I also have a sealed imperial edict!" Qi Yuanjian's words immediately calmed Yang Xuanji down.

Under Qi Yuanjian's military orders, the Left Shence Army began to retreat in panic, while the Han army pursued and attacked fiercely.

Seeing that the Shence Army had begun to retreat, Zhang Ying immediately withdrew from the front line, grabbed Li Yi's hand and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty is in the palace, please go in quickly!"

Li Yi was pulled by Zhang Ying into the palace, and soon they arrived at the room where Li Cui was lying.

Li Cui was drenched in sweat. He thought he was seeing Yang Gongqing and Li Yi, but when they got closer, an unfamiliar face appeared in front of him.

He looked at Li Yi, opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word, as if something was blocking his throat.

"Aye!"

Li Meiling walked in and saw Li Cui lying on the couch, unable to speak.

She immediately knelt before the bed, and looking at Li Cui's pained expression, she couldn't help but lower her head and shed tears.

Seeing this, Li Yi could only kneel before the bed, hold Li Cui's hand, and not know what to say.

The two of them lowered their heads and sobbed for a long time. The shouts of killing outside the courtyard gradually subsided until they were completely silent.

However, Yang Gongqing did not appear for a long time, which made Zhang Ying, who was standing in the hall, frown.

Two brigade commanders entered the hall. Upon seeing this, Zhang Ying led them to a corner of the side room, her gaze fixed on Li Cui and his two sons.

"Zhang Lang, thirty-seven brothers were wounded, five brothers died in battle, eighty-seven bandits were killed, and one hundred and seventy-two bandits were captured."

"These Shence Army soldiers are all showy but their weapons are all impressive-looking, but they're all just wooden hammers covered in iron."

Another brigade commander picked up a golden mace the size of a baby's head and said this, while tossing the mace into the air, where it floated lightly.

If this golden gourd hammer were a solid iron hammer, it would weigh at least thirty pounds, but since it's made of iron sheet wrapped around wood, it only weighs six or seven pounds.

They said the Shence Army was all show and no substance, and they were absolutely right.

The weakness of the Shence Army was something even Zhang Ying herself had not anticipated.

Although the battles fought by the various towns in the Central Plains in Longxi and Longdong were devastating, they at least managed to dodge and coordinate with the Han army's eight-step-range shooting.

But with the Shence Army, this group of people seemed to only attack in groups like scattered soldiers, or retreat like a receding tide.

Even the temporary Shence Army, which was considered a burden by the local garrison troops in Longxi and Longdong, was far more powerful than this so-called elite Shence Army.

"Most of these people are just scions of the various families in the Northern Division who are using others to collect salaries without working. They are not as good as the group of scapegoats who were given a simple six-month training in Chang'an and then sent to Longxi and Longdong."

Zhang Ying realized what was happening, and at that moment, Yang Gongqing, who had been missing for a long time, also hurriedly entered the hall.

Seeing this, Zhang Ying raised his hand to comfort the two, then walked towards Yang Gongqing, and together they walked to Li Cui and his two sons.

To their surprise, Yang Gongqing knelt down and bowed his head, saying, "Your Majesty, I am incompetent. I allowed the three traitors to kidnap the prince and break through to the north."

"what?!"

"What's going on? Didn't the Heavenly King's Palace have five hundred soldiers stationed there?"

Li Yi, Li Meiling, and Zhang Ying couldn't help but question him, and Li Cui on the bed suddenly became breathless and wide-eyed upon hearing this.

Seeing this, Yang Gongqing had no choice but to explain to Zhang Ying, "That scoundrel Yang Xuanjie divided his troops to launch a surprise attack on the Heavenly King's Palace. After sending fire arrows to force the princes out, he abducted them and headed north."

"The Dongji troops guarding the mountain gate tried to stop them, but they were still broken through and are now fleeing towards Mengjin Pass."

"I have already ordered my troops to pursue them. Now, only Dong Ji and your three hundred soldiers, Zhang Lang, remain here."

As the two were talking, Li Cui, who was breathing rapidly on the bed, heard Yang Gongqing address Zhang Ying as "Zhang Lang" and heard that this so-called Zhang Lang had three hundred soldiers. He quickly realized Zhang Ying's identity.

"Liu Jilong..."

A blurry figure seemed to be walking towards Li Cui, and when it reached him, Li Cui's heaving chest suddenly calmed down.

“Aye!!”

Seeing Li Cui suddenly widen his eyes and stop breathing, Li Meiling quickly called out to him, while Li Yi was also frightened and turned pale.

Zhang Ying and Yang Gongqing rushed over and saw Li Cui's condition. Two brigade commanders who were not far away hurried forward, but were stopped by Zhang Ying.

Yang Gongqing rushed to the bedside without regard for anything else, crying out "Everyone!" But everyone could tell that there was some sincerity in his cries.

"Zhang Lang, why are you stopping us? Didn't we study cardiopulmonary diseases at the academy...?"

"His death would be good for Your Highness!"

Faced with the two confused classmates, Zhang Ying lowered her voice and spoke, and the two immediately shut their mouths.

Soon, cries of agony emanated from Zhaoti Temple, and at the same time, the sounds of bells and drums resounded continuously within the temple.

In an instant, the expressions of everyone in the previously chaotic military and civilian camp outside Zhaoti Temple changed drastically.

The sound of bells and drums striking incessantly is a sign of the sage's passing...

"Supreme!"

"Supreme One!!"

In an instant, cries and wails filled the camp, but Qi Yuanjian and his men, who had abducted several princes and were heading north to Mengjin, dared not linger and wished they had eight legs.

Qi Yuanjian and Yang Xuanji rode up and caught up. When they saw the two carriages behind Yang Xuanjie, they couldn't help but ask, "Are they all here?"

"No, the situation was too chaotic at the time, and Prince Pu is nowhere to be found, but the other six princes are all here."

Yang Xuanjie's words relieved the two of them. Then Qi Yuanjian hurriedly said, "Fortunately, I had already drafted a will. Now, as long as we go to Mengjin and support a prince, we can summon troops from Shaanxi, Guo, Hezhong, Heyang and other places to attack Li Yi."

Yang Xuanjie frowned upon hearing this: "After all, he is the regent..."

"But he is cooperating with Liu Jilong, and everyone knows that Liu Jilong seized the Five Paths. We can use this to our advantage!"

Qi Yuanjian's words provided Yang Xuanjie with a new idea. Yang Xuanjie nodded in agreement: "Liu Jilong is not easy to deal with. We must quickly win over the three towns in Hebei and the three towns in Hedong and Heshuo!"

“Of course!” Qi Yuanjian nodded, and said, “Many of Kang Chengxun’s generals have ties to your family. If we can send someone to persuade them, our chances of returning to Luoyang will be much greater.”

“Alright!” Yang Xuanjie readily agreed, and then headed north to retreat towards Mengjin Pass.

Three hours later, Yang Xuanjie led more than two thousand remaining troops to Mengjin Pass. Ximen Jun, who was pursuing them, shouted at them outside the pass, calling them traitors, but Yang Xuanjie and his men refused to open the gate.

Left with no other choice, Ximen Jun had to withdraw his troops and return to Yanshi, where the area outside Zhaoti Temple was already covered in white mourning clothes.

Emperor Xiantong, Li Cui, died at Zhaoti Temple at the age of thirty-seven. All seven of his sons were captured, leaving only the fourteen-year-old Crown Prince Li Yi, who was serving as regent, still there.

Inside the Heavenly King's Hall, the assembled officials looked grim, as many bloodstains had not yet been cleaned up.

Lu Yan and his two companions stood before the officials. When they saw Li Yi appear under the protection of Yang Gongqing and Zhang Ying, the three of them quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty!"

Li Yi was startled: "What are you three doing?"

Seeing this, Lu Yan hurriedly said, "When the late Emperor was still alive, he appointed Your Highness as Crown Prince, and later appointed you as Regent, entrusting all state affairs to Your Highness."

"Now that the late emperor has passed away, the country cannot be without a ruler for even a day. Moreover, the three traitors have kidnapped the prince and taken him to Mengjin Pass, the Qin traitors have fled into the Funiu Mountains, and the Huang traitors are causing trouble in Henan."

"I believe that Your Majesty should quickly ascend the throne, and then dispatch troops to quell the rebels and rescue the imperial relatives."

"Your Majesty, I second that proposal." Liu Zhan and Xiao Gou bowed one after the other, but Xiao Gou glanced at Zhang Ying more than once.

He sighed inwardly. He hadn't expected that Liu Jilong had sent three hundred men to rebuild the Jinzou Academy with this in mind.

What was even more unexpected was that the idea actually succeeded...

Now Liu Jilong has undoubtedly won the right to support the new emperor, while Qi Yuanjian and others have foolishly kidnapped the prince and taken him north, clearly intending to establish a new emperor.

If that's really the case, then Liu Jilong would have an excuse to send troops.

"Your Majesty, bandits are now rising up everywhere. In particular, Yang Fugong of Yique Pass and his thousands of troops, as well as Li Changyan of Shaanxi and Guo and Li Changfu of Hezhong, are suspected of colluding with the rebels. I request that troops from Guanzhong be transferred to Luoyang to quell the rebellion."

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!!"

As soon as Yang Gongqing finished speaking, countless shouts of "Stop!" rang out in the hall.

Although Li Yi was young and did not understand the current situation, he knew that Liu Jilong controlled six provinces and summoned him to Luoyang, which was tantamount to repeating the difficulty of Dong Zhuo entering the capital at the end of the Han Dynasty.

However, Li Yi did not dare to object directly, so he turned his attention to Lu Yan and the other two.

Lu Yan glanced at Zhang Ying discreetly. He dared not offend Liu Jilong, so he could only remain silent.

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhan and Xiao Gou immediately objected and offered their own opinions.

"Your Majesty, the King of Hanzhong is too far from Luoyang, while Shan and Guo are near the court."

"I believe that we should summon Kang Jingci and Gao Qianli to Luoyang to quell the rebellion!"

"Your Majesty, I feel the same way."

The two men naturally dared not say anything bad about Liu Jilong, but they cleverly used the distance to refute the suggestion to summon Liu Jilong to Luoyang, while proposing other solutions.

Upon hearing this, Li Yi immediately nodded and said, "This matter will be handled by the three of you."

Upon seeing this, Lu Yan immediately spoke up again: "Your Majesty, the court currently has only about three thousand troops, while the three traitors have more than two thousand troops, and they also have Shaanxi, Guo, Hezhong and Heyang as external support."

"I believe that the court should move to Xuanyuan Pass or Dengfeng County at the moment to avoid being attacked from both sides by the rebel army."

"I second that suggestion." Liu Zhan fully agreed with Lu Yan's suggestion. After all, Heyang, Hezhong, and Shanguo were too close to Yanshi, making it impossible to return directly to Luoyang. Moreover, Luoyang was guarded by two thousand Dongji soldiers, so there was no need to worry.

The immediate priority should be to retreat south, away from the three towns, while waiting for Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun to come north to support the imperial court.

"Your Majesty, the most urgent task is for Your Majesty to ascend the throne first, and at the same time announce the three traitors to the world and mobilize troops to quell them!"

Liu Zhan added to Lu Yan's points, and Li Yi nodded in agreement, saying, "This matter will also be entrusted to the three of you."

Upon seeing this, Yang Gongqing frowned and, disregarding his impatience, said directly to Li Yi, "Your Majesty, now that the three traitors have marched north, I request to be appointed as the Privy Councilor and to appoint Ximen Junsui as the Lieutenant of the Shence Army, in charge of the Left and Right Shence Armies."

Yang Gongqing's somewhat hasty actions caused many officials in the hall to frown, but Li Yi thought that without Yang Gongqing, he might not have been able to sit in his current position, and he had just offended Yang Gongqing, so he nodded and said, "That's very good."

As he finished speaking, he looked at Zhang Ying and said, "Zhang Jin has rendered meritorious service in protecting the emperor, and is now being promoted to General of the Imperial Guards."

"Your Majesty's great favor moves me to tears..."

Zhang Ying spoke well, but his unchanging expression kept Li Yi feeling uneasy.

"In that case, I will now have the necessary items prepared for my enthronement, and I will take the throne here tomorrow!"

"it is good……"

After Liu Zhan made a suggestion and it was approved by everyone, he immediately dispatched the Ministry of Rites, the Court of State Ceremonies, and other government offices in the Southern Court to handle the matter.

The ascension to the throne must be done quickly, and the imperial edict and decree must be issued as soon as possible.

"This matter..."

Suddenly, Yang Gongqing spoke with a dark face: "The Imperial Seal and the Imperial Edict have been looted by the three traitors."

Yang Gongqing was unaware that Tian Yun had taken the imperial seal; he attributed the seal's disappearance to Qi Yuanjian and others.

"No imperial seal?!"

Liu Zhan and the other two looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

An imperial edict can be made even if one is missing, but how is a jade seal made?

Without the imperial seal, Li Yi's reign as emperor was never legitimate.

Thinking of this, Xiao Gou replied without hesitation, "Leave this matter to me..."

Although no one knew what Xiao Gou was going to do, they could roughly guess his thoughts.

"In that case, let's adjourn the court."

Li Yi was exhausted. He had experienced too much today, especially the scene of his father dying in front of him, which he still hadn't gotten over.

All he wants now is to rest.

"We take our leave..."

Liu Zhan and his two companions led the officials to take their leave, while Yang Gongqing arranged for Ximen Junsui to escort Li Yi to rest, while he himself stayed behind to look at Zhang Ying with a face full of apology.

"Zhang Lang, I never expected this either. I thought I could get the King of Hanzhong to enter Luoyang, but now it seems..."

“It’s alright!” Zhang Ying interrupted him. Although he was still young, he was very superstitious about Liu Jilong, so he said confidently, “If Your Highness wants to enter Luoyang, you can do so easily.”

"I have already sent a carrier pigeon back to Chang'an to report what happened here, and I believe Your Highness will respond soon."

"Until then, let's lie low for now and see what tricks they have up their sleeves."

"Okay." Yang Gongqing breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Zhang Ying say that.

Now that Li Cui is dead, the Tang Dynasty will inevitably face a period of disintegration.

Under such circumstances, he had to consider his own interests, and choosing Liu Jilong was a result of his careful consideration. After all, he already had Liu Jilong's label on him, and moreover, in his opinion, Liu Jilong was the best person to compete for the Central Plains.

As he thought this, Zhang Ying turned and left the Heavenly King Hall, while Yang Gongqing began to arrange various matters that the court would need to prepare for after the enthronement ceremony the next day, when it would head south.

After half a day of chaos due to the war, Yanshi County returned to peace. At this time, Yang Fuguang, who was more than 60 miles away, also received a letter from a fast horse requesting help.

Upon learning that his father and Yang Gongqing were still locked in a standoff, Yang Fuguang immediately ordered his troops to march north.

Just as the troops were being deployed, they received new news.

"Yang Gongqing actually colluded with Liu Jilong to cause trouble?!"

Looking at the newly arrived letter, Yang Fuguang looked at Yang Fugong without hesitation and immediately ordered, "Brother, send men to take Zhang Huaiding, Zhang Huaiquan, and all the Zhang family members in the army under control!"

“Alright!” Yang Fugong agreed, then continued, “Now that the Imperial Seal and the Imperial Edict are not in our hands, and we only have the prince, how can we turn defeat into victory?”

"It would be better to persuade Father and Uncle to reconcile with Yang Gongqing. At worst, they can simply retire."

“It’s not that easy.” Yang Fuguang shook his head, his expression conflicted. “Yang Gongqing wants to kill us all right now. The only way to survive is to fight him.”

"If it weren't for Liu Jilong, Father wouldn't have lost..."

Yang Fuguang gritted his teeth, but Yang Fugong, who had fought against the Han army, said with apprehension, "If the court invites Liu Jilong into Luoyang, I'm afraid that Hezhong and Shaanxi will not be able to hold out."

“They won’t!” Yang Fuguang said confidently. “They know perfectly well what the consequences would be if they brought Liu Jilong into Luoyang.”

"At least until they've exhausted all other options, they certainly won't lead Liu Jilong into Luoyang."

"Before that, we need to find a way to win over Gao Qianli and Kang Jingci."

Thinking of this, Yang Fuguang looked at Yang Fugong and said, "Send people to find Gao Qianli and Kang Jingci separately and tell them that Li Yi colluded with Liu Jilong to plot the assassination of the emperor."

"His Majesty is too ill to move. We can only wait for Father and the others to protect the princes from disaster and choose a wise ruler from among them."

"As long as we are fast enough, we can persuade Gao Qianli and Kang Jingci to head north before they realize what's happening, and then it will be difficult for them to get off the ship."

"Even if they discover the truth, they will have no choice but to join us in besieging Li Yi and supporting the new emperor's return to Luoyang."

Yang Fuguang's words made Yang Fugong's eyes light up. After hearing this, he immediately left the yamen and sent out countless fast horses to deliver the message to various places.

For a time, the area around Luoyang was teeming with fast horses, while the carrier pigeons released by Zhang Ying, along with other birds of prey, were trying to carry intelligence to Guanzhong...

(End of this chapter)