Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 466 There are two suns in the sky
"Boom, boom, boom..."

On the 29th day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year of the Xiantong reign, amidst the national mourning atmosphere of bells and drums resounding and 30,000 pounding blows, Emperor Xiantong, Li Cui, who had ruled the country for eleven years, passed away at Zhaoti Temple at the age of thirty-seven.

Almost simultaneously with the sound of bells and drums, hurried footsteps echoed within the Han Prince's Mansion in Chang'an.

Dozens of officials flocked into the martial arts training ground next to the east hall of the Prince of Han's mansion, where they saw Liu Jilong practicing his strength and building up his body by holding various weapons.

"Your Highness!"

Gao Jinda's voice came over, and Liu Jilong looked over in surprise, after all, it was only the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), and Gao Jinda and the others had appeared quite early.

But when he saw Wang Shi, Zheng Tian, ​​Cui Shu, Han Zhengke and others behind Gao Jinda, he realized that something had happened.

"Something happened in Kanto?"

The only thing that could cause Gao Jinda and his men such panic around the Han army was the Tang Dynasty to the east.

"Your Highness, the Emperor has passed away..."

Gao Jinda bowed deeply, and a group of officials behind him also bowed in unison.

Upon hearing this, Liu Jilong's pupils still contracted, even though he was prepared.

"Tell me more carefully."

He took the coarse cloth from Zhao Ying and wiped his sweat, while Gao Jinda handed him the military intelligence he had just copied and gave him a brief account of the palace coup that had occurred at Dongji Zhaodaiji Temple the previous day.

Since the letter paper that carrier pigeons can carry is not large, even if written in small characters, it can only contain about a hundred words. Therefore, Zhang Ying, who was far away in Dongji, almost picked out the most important things to explain clearly.

Upon learning that Li Cui had died of illness and that the Tang Dynasty was about to be divided into two courts due to the internal strife in the Northern Commandery, Liu Jilong knew that the world was about to descend into chaos.

However, what he cared more about was whether he could use this so-called righteous cause to quickly end the situation of division in the world.

"Your Highness, now that our army has made contact with the Crown Prince, we should seize this opportunity to advance eastward and enthrone a new emperor!"

"Your Highness, I second that proposal..."

Gao Jinda put forward his own views, which were nothing more than the means of using the emperor to command the disobedient.

With Liu Jilong's current strength, as long as he can support an emperor, regardless of whether that emperor is legitimate or not, he can make that emperor legitimate.

However, the current situation is slightly unfavorable, mainly because the Shaanxi-Guo region is blocking the way between Chang'an and Luoyang, and this area is not easy to attack.

Even if the Han army possessed firearms, it would still take time to conquer the more than 700 li journey and the numerous passes and cities along the way. If Li Yi were to be quickly captured by Qi Yuanjian and his men during this period, it would be disastrous.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong looked at Zhao Ying standing next to him: "Send a message by carrier pigeon to tell Husi Guang to muster all the cavalry in the army, carry half a month's worth of military rations, and immediately leave Tangzhou and head north to Dengfeng."

"The cavalry and infantry will set off later. The imperial edict and the fish tally will be delivered to Tangzhou by fast horse in a few days, so that he can send out his troops first."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Zhao Ying agreed without hesitation and immediately arranged for someone to carry out the order.

Seeing his reaction, Zheng Tian couldn't help but step forward and bow: "Your Highness, why not send a large army eastward to capture Shaanxi and Guo, and then advance on Luoyang?"

Zheng Tian was somewhat flustered by concern, but Liu Jilong remained calm because he could tell from the military report sent by Zhang Ying that Li Yi and Lu Yan's group were still on guard against him.

This is not surprising, after all, Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun lived closer to Dengfeng, only a few dozen miles away.

Even if I send Husi Guang with infantry and cavalry north now, it will still be about 300 li away.

By the time Hu Siguang arrives, it is estimated that Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun will have already supported Li Yi as emperor.

Even so, Liu Jilong did not think there was no hope, since Shaanxi and Hebei were clearly close to Qi Yuanjian and his two companions.

When Li Yi ascended the throne and declared himself emperor, Qi Yuanjian and the other two would certainly support him and then begin to rally support to fight against Li Yi.

As long as they dare to raise an army, I can easily take sides and conquer Shaanxi, Guo, and Hezhong.

At that time, all the prefectures and counties between Luoyang and Chang'an will belong to him, and the Tang court will be able to do whatever it wants under his nose, and he will not need to serve the emperor at all.

After all, the imperial court is in turmoil, and the situation in the various towns, prefectures and counties below will definitely be even more chaotic. All I need to do is send troops out in all directions.

"To attack Hezhong and Shanguo without imperial decree is, after all, a crime of treason."

"The troops led by Husiguang will arrive in Dengfeng in three days at the latest, and Gao Qianli and Kang Jingci are in the vicinity of Dengfeng."

"If the two of them support His Majesty, His Majesty's safety can naturally be guaranteed."

"Even if the two rebelled, with the imperial court's more than three thousand troops, it would not be difficult to hold Dengfeng for three days."

"Three days later, once Husi Guang arrives in Dengfeng, if the situation in Guandong gets out of control, Husi Guang can lead the army to escort His Majesty back to Chang'an."

"If the situation stabilizes, Your Majesty will only need to issue an edict, and our army can directly pass through Shaanxi and Guo and recapture Luoyang."

Liu Jilong's words came easily, but Zheng Tian was somewhat anxious:
"The brothers Li Changfu of Shanguo and Hezhong are both close to the three traitors of the Northern Division. If they were to join forces with the three traitors, then Your Majesty..."

Seeing his reaction, Liu Jilong interrupted him again, reassuring him, "With Husi Guang leading troops, Your Majesty need not worry about your safety in the short term."

"If the Shaanxi and Guo dare to rebel, I will mobilize my troops and conquer them within twenty days!"

The terrain of Shaanxi and Guo is complex and difficult to attack. Twenty days is the fastest Liu Jilong could think of to enter Luoyang.

After all, it's a journey of over 500 li, and it would take the army ten days just to travel that distance, not to mention the time needed to attack cities along the way.

Zheng Tian was not a fool. Hearing Liu Jilong say this, he gradually calmed down.

After calming down, he immediately guessed Liu Jilong's intention.

It was simply a matter of waiting for two emperors to coexist, and then sending troops to support Li Yi and eliminate the regional military governors who supported the emperor installed by Qi Yuanjian.

After understanding Liu Jilong's thoughts, Zheng Tian knew that the Tang Dynasty's reign probably only had a few years left.

Although he had guessed these things long ago after Wang Shi's hints, he still couldn't help but feel dazed when he actually faced them.

"An imperial edict summoned Mr. Yishan to Chang'an to temporarily serve as the Minister of Personnel."

Liu Jilong looked at Gao Jinda, then at Cui Shu: "Transfer all the elite cavalry and infantry from Guanzhong and other places to Huayin, and send people to verify whether the grain and fodder in Tongzhou, Huayin and other places are as sufficient as recorded."

"Your subject obeys the order." Cui Shu bowed and acknowledged the order, not daring to be negligent.

With the issuance of several military orders, the officials all knew that the eastward expedition was imminent. Some were worried, while others were all smiles and delighted.

At Liu Jilong's signal, they left the Prince of Han's residence one after another, and Liu Jilong waited patiently after they left.

While he waited, the winds of change were just beginning to stir in Luoyang.

On the 30th day of the eleventh lunar month, Crown Prince Li Yi, under the advice of his ministers, ascended the throne outside Yanshi City, changed the era name to Qianfu, and then set off south to Dengfeng County.

Meanwhile, Qi Yuanjian and others who were heading north to Mengjin Pass also selected Li Ting, the nine-year-old Prince of Liang, from among Li Cui's sons to be emperor, and changed the era name to Qianning.

Suddenly, two "suns" appeared in the not-so-large Donggi region.

Legally speaking, Li Yi undoubtedly has a greater right to rule, after all, he was the crown prince before and was granted the power of regent by Li Cui, which is reasonable no matter how you look at it.

In comparison, Li Ting, who was quite mediocre during the Xiantong era, did not seem like the person who could inherit the throne.

After the two men ascended the throne, they immediately issued imperial edicts to all the provinces. Qi Yuanjian drafted the will in advance and then filled in Li Ting's name later, so that Li Ting would appear to have the will, imperial edict, imperial seal and other objects to prove his legitimacy.

Meanwhile, Li Yi, who lost the imperial seal, was not suffocated by the loss of the seal and the imperial edict. Instead, under Xiao Gou's manipulation, he forged the imperial seal and the imperial edict based on the imprints of past imperial edicts.

Forging seals is quite difficult, but for the military governors of various towns, the authenticity is often not important; what matters is who can get Li Yi to help them.

If we're really being strict, then since Emperor Dezong, very few emperors have had a clean record on this path.

Even the recently deceased Li Cui could not have ascended the throne without the help of Wang Zongshi, Qi Yuanjian, and others.

For this reason, most of the regional military governors chose to remain silent when faced with the conflict between the two emperors in Luoyang.

However, this silence was soon broken by the proclamation issued by the Qianning court.

Emperor Qianning, Li Ting, was controlled by Qi Yuanjian and others. On the second day of the twelfth lunar month, he issued a proclamation accusing Li Yi of colluding with Liu Jilong to plot a coup.

Before his death, Li Cui left a will and entrusted his sons to the Shence Army, thus preserving the imperial bloodline.

Li Ting summoned all the provinces to attack Li Yi, regarding Li Yi as a usurper and treacherous official, but made no mention of attacking Liu Jilong.

After the proclamation was issued, Li Changfu of Hezhong and Li Changyan of Shaanxi responded. Although some generals in Heyang responded, Liu Tong, the military governor of Heyang, did not. Therefore, only a few generals led their troops to Mengjin to defend the emperor.

In a short time, the number of troops from the regional military commands responding to Li Ting alone reached 50,000, while the troops from other towns, which were much farther away from Mengjin, had not yet received the news.

Li Yi, who had just settled down in Dengfeng, learned of Qi Yuanjian and his group's actions and was understandably flustered.

"Now that the three traitors have enthroned the Third Prince, and he also has troops from Shaanxi, Guo, and Hezhong to assist him, what should I do?"

Inside the Dengfeng County government office, more than ten officials of the third rank or above stood in the office, while Li Yi, dressed in casual clothes, looked worried and spoke anxiously.

Faced with his words, Liu Zhan and the others all looked at Lu Yan, since the task of winning over Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun had been entrusted to him.

In response, Lu Yan frowned and bowed to Li Yi: "Your Majesty, I sent envoys to Gao Qianli and Kang Jingci, but for some reason, Gao Qianli suddenly broke camp and headed south yesterday, leaving the envoys empty-handed."

"In addition, after capturing Gaocheng County, Kang Jingci immediately retreated twenty li to the south, and is now forty li away from the imperial court, where he set up camp."

"According to the information I have received, the messengers sent by the three traitors arrived a day earlier than the messengers sent by the imperial court."

"The two are currently acting as if they are not taking sides..."

Just as Lu Yan finished speaking, before anyone else could speak, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the yamen.

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a fourth-rank official walk in, looking travel-worn, which made them worry.

"Your subject, Bian Xian, Principal of the Ministry of Rites, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Bian Xian, you've returned now, did you perhaps find Gao Pian?"

Bian Xian was an official promoted by Lu Yan and was also the official sent to find Gao Pian.

Upon seeing him return, Lu Yan naturally had to ask him questions.

When Bian Xian saw Lu Yan asking, he immediately replied, "Your Majesty, I caught up with the troops of the Prince of Bohai in Longxing County. The Prince of Bohai's 40,000 troops were encamped in Longxing. Upon hearing that Your Majesty was moving to Dengfeng, they immediately broke camp and began their northward march."

"At present, the Prince of Bohai has dispatched Wang Zhongren, the military governor of Hunan, to lead two thousand elite cavalry northward. They are only thirty miles away from here, and the Prince of Bohai is on his way."

"Alright!" Upon hearing this, Li Yi couldn't help but stand up, and the anxiety he had felt over the past few days vanished instantly.

At the same time, Yang Gongqing and Zhang Ying in the hall couldn't help but frown, but quickly relaxed their brows.

Besides them, the other ministers also frowned, wondering why Gao Pian had decided to break camp and head south.

"Your Majesty, I would like to ask Steward Bian whether the Prince of Bohai has stated his reasons for heading south."

Suddenly, Pi Rixiu, who was a junior official, took the initiative to question Bian Xian. Upon seeing this, Bian Xian replied, "The three traitors sent envoys to falsely convey an imperial edict to the Prince of Bohai, demanding that he lead his troops south to return to Huainan."

"The Prince of Bohai was unaware of this; he only saw the imperial edict, which is why he led his army south."

Bian Xian's explanation wasn't problematic, but the officials still had some doubts. However, due to the difficult situation and the fact that they couldn't afford to offend Gao Pian at the moment, they all held back.

"Your Majesty, I believe this is inappropriate!"

Yang Gongqing's sudden appearance put the officials in the yamen on high alert.

Although Yang Gongqing had contributed to the enthronement, he was, after all, a eunuch from the Northern Bureau.

If it weren't for these eunuchs from the Northern Division, the situation wouldn't have deteriorated to this extent.

"I believe that although Gao Bohai is loyal to the late emperor, he has first obeyed the orders of the three traitors, so we must be wary of him."

"Your Majesty may order Gao Bohai's troops to garrison at Shaoshi Mountain. Shaoshi Mountain is only a dozen miles from Dengfeng, and this force is an elite cavalry unit. If anything happens, they can arrive immediately."

"It is not too late to summon Gao Bohai to Dengfeng after he arrives."

Yang Gongqing did not raise any obstacles, and his request for Gao Pian to station his troops at Shaoshi Mountain was not an excessive request.

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal..."

“Your Majesty, what Privy Councilor Yang said makes sense.”

Seeing that Yang Gongqing's suggestion was worthwhile, the ministers all expressed their second opinion.

Upon seeing this, Li Yi immediately nodded and said, "In that case, let's do as the Privy Councilor says."

Seeing that Li Yi agreed, Yang Gongqing was not in a hurry. He simply returned the greeting respectfully and then returned to his seat.

"Now that Gao Bohai has arrived, the rebel army has come with no less than 50,000 troops to support him. Can Gao Bohai defeat them?"

When Li Yi inquired about the three ministers, Liu Zhan, seeing that Li Yi had taken the initiative to ask, reassured him and replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, Gao Bohai has 40,000 troops under his command, which is enough to repel the 50,000 troops behind the three traitors."

"That's very good." Li Yi breathed a sigh of relief, and for a moment he didn't know what to say next.

The scene suddenly fell silent, and the ministers all kept their eyes down, lost in thought.

After all, the current imperial court is short of money and food, with only less than three thousand men from the Eastern Capital, the Shence Army, and Zhang Ying's forces.

With Gao Pian's support, the court could at least obtain money and grain from Huainan and Hunan. If Luoyang could be recaptured, money and grain from Jiangnan could be secured.

As for the present situation, with no money and no food, they cannot do anything they want.

Therefore, after a short while, Lu Yan and the others had no choice but to bow and take their leave.

After they left, Yang Gongqing approached Zhang Ying and asked, "Has the Prince of Han sent back any news yet?"

"Your Highness has made arrangements, there's no need to worry," Zhang Ying reassured Yang Gongqing, even adding a reminder:

"Privy Councilor, do not forget that His Highness still has 280,000 troops. As long as His Highness sends troops, whether it is Gao Qianli, the three traitors, or Kang Chengxun, they are nothing but chickens and dogs."

"I will never forget the might of the King of Han," Yang Gongqing quickly replied.

Seeing his reaction, Zhang Ying seized the opportunity to ask, "How much money and food do you have left in the army?"

"This..." Yang Gongqing hesitated for a moment, but still said, "A considerable amount of money and silk, two hundred thousand strings of cash."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ying replied without hesitation, "If Gao Pian were to come, I would be no match for him."

"With only my two hundred or so brothers, I'm afraid it would be difficult to protect you if something serious happened."

"Taking this opportunity, let us allocate the Imperial Academy and your family's wealth to recruit two thousand soldiers in Dengfeng. Training will begin today."

"If there is a shortage of armor, the craftsmen accompanying the emperor can be ordered to make it, or armor can be transferred from the Shence Army."

"With only those two thousand men under your command, I'm afraid they won't be of much use in any real situation."

Zhang Ying's words made Yang Gongqing somewhat embarrassed, but he also knew that what Zhang Ying said was true.

Although the Shence Army members looked tall and mighty, they were actually all show and no substance.

This can be seen from the fact that Zhang Ying dared to charge at the 500 Shence Army soldiers with only 300 Han soldiers, and crushed the 500 Shence Army soldiers in less than half a cup of tea.

"Very well, I will allocate 50,000 strings of cash!"

Yang Gongqing was very reluctant, but he still allocated 50,000 strings of cash.

Seeing this, Zhang Ying was satisfied and said, "Privy Councilor, rest assured, His Highness must have already made arrangements. It's just that we are not in Luoyang now, and the carrier pigeons in Chang'an cannot find their way to Dengfeng, so we have no news."

"I hope so..." Yang Gongqing didn't know what else to say, so he just sighed and then talked to Zhang Ying about the details of recruiting soldiers.

While they were exchanging ideas, Kang Chengxun, who had withdrawn his troops to the southern part of Gaocheng County, was facing a dilemma.

"boom!!"

More than 20 miles southeast of Gaocheng County, a camp on the plain between Jishan and Xiongshan Mountains is eye-catching. The camp is built along the Ying River and is quite large. In addition to more than 20,000 soldiers from various towns, there are also 30,000 civilian laborers accompanying the army.

The camp of over 50,000 people almost filled the entire plain, and could cut off the main route south from Dengfeng at any time.

When the sounds of smashing and looting came, the atmosphere in the camp became extremely tense.

Kang Chengxun's tent was already surrounded by Li Keyong's Crow Army, and outside the Crow Army were troops from Hedong, Heyang, Hezhong, Xuanwu, Huainan, and Ganhua.

The officers and captains of each town nervously looked towards the command tent, while simultaneously keeping watch on the other garrison troops on their left and right.

"Damn it, this has an imperial edict and the seal of the emperor, how could it be fake?!"

"The late emperor was originally enthroned by Qi, the Privy Councilor, and others. How could he possibly be a fraud now?!"

Inside the tent, roars continued. Two guards from Hezhong and Heyang were throwing tantrums, while Li Keyong and Zeng Yuanyu stood to Kang Chengxun's left and right, their hands on their sword hilts, ready to lash out at any moment.

The generals of the other towns remained silent, clearly unwilling to get involved in the internal strife in Luoyang.

Kang Chengxun sat in the main seat, with two imperial edicts placed in front of him, which gave him a great headache.

The two imperial edicts appear almost identical on the surface, but their contents are completely different.

These two imperial edicts were delivered by envoys sent by Li Yi and Li Ting, representing the two different courts.

The former ordered himself to stay in Gaocheng and be ready to defend the emperor at any time, while the latter ordered Kang Chengxun to quickly head north to quell Li Yi's rebellion.

After much hesitation, Kang Chengxun finally chose to lead his troops to retreat twenty miles south to prevent those who were inclined to side with him from threatening Dengfeng.

Although the army has retreated, infighting continues. Two military commanders from Heyang and Hezhong both demanded to lead troops north to quell Li Yi's rebellion. If Kang Chengxun hadn't ordered Zeng Yuanyu's troops to stop them, they probably would have already left the camp and marched towards Dengfeng.

Even so, Kang Chengxun knew he had to make a decision, since opportunists were never well-liked.

Although he was 61 years old, no one will easily give up power, let alone someone of his high position and great power.

He has long since missed the best opportunity to defeat Li Yi.

Liu Jilong has troops stationed in Tangzhou. If he wants to move troops north, he can reach Dengfeng in six or seven days at most.

Gao Pian should also be able to think of this, so he probably won't choose Qi Yuanjian and the others.

Once he could confirm Gao Pian's support for Li Yi, he could then subdue the generals in the army who were on good terms with Yang Xuanjie and Yang Fuguang, and advance north to support Li Yi.

"Beep--"

"Who blew the whistle?!"

Suddenly, a whistle blew, and Kang Chengxun quickly stood up, questioning the whistle with a hint of nervousness.

However, when he looked over, he saw that all the generals had stood up, and now they were holding swords to guard their left and right.

Clearly, the whistle wasn't pre-arranged, so there's only one possibility left...

At that moment, the sound of horses' hooves rang out outside the tent, followed by shouts from outside.

"There are signs of cavalry to the south!!"

"Cavalry?" The people in the tent looked at each other, and all their eyes turned to Li Keyong.

Li Keyong frowned: "My cavalry are all in the camp."

Seeing Li Keyong say this, some of the generals cautiously asked, "Could it be that Huang the bandit is feinting and coming this way to attack?"

"Impossible. Even if the Yellow bandits were to attack, they should have gone through Zhengzhou, not Xuzhou."

"Who is that?"

"Damn it, why don't we just send someone to find out what happened with the Tang cavalry?!"

At the prompting of several generals, Kang Chengxun looked at Li Keyong and said, "Li Lang, send out your cavalry and see whose cavalry is to the south!"

"Yes!" Li Keyong looked at Kang Junli at the entrance of the tent, and Kang Junli understood and walked out of the tent.

Seeing that Li Keyong had made the arrangements, Kang Chengxun sat back down, and the generals in the tent also withdrew their hands and sat down one after another.

Even after they sat down, they remained tense, as if they were ready to make a move at any moment.

Two quarters of an hour passed quickly, and the time changed from noon to afternoon. The atmosphere inside the tent gradually became somewhat restless.

Fortunately, the sound of horses' hooves rang out again, and this time before they could look outside, Kang Junli walked into the tent with a nervous expression and quickly bowed: "We have discovered cavalry under the command of the King of Hanzhong in the south, numbering no less than two thousand!"

"What did you say?!"

"How could they have arrived so quickly!"

"Damn it, which scoundrel tipped us off?!"

As soon as Kang Junli finished speaking, curses began to circulate inside the tent, but many of these curses revealed a sense of unease.

Upon hearing the news, Li Keyong couldn't help but swallow hard.

The memory of being utterly crushed by Liu Jilong resurfaced, and even though he was now leading troops independently, that memory still made him feel suffocated.

"Are you sure these are cavalrymen under the command of Liu Muzhi, the King of Hanzhong?"

"That's right!"

Upon hearing this, Kang Chengxun knew that his time to head north had come, so he immediately looked at Li Keyong:
"Li Lang, send someone to inquire where Liu Muzhi's army is headed. If it is to support the crown prince, then our army will follow them north!"

"Yes!" Li Keyong readily agreed, while also glancing at the generals of Hezhong and Heyang who had previously clamored to quell Li Yi's rebellion.

The two of them fell silent, since no one knew how many troops Liu Jilong had sent; perhaps these two thousand cavalrymen were just the vanguard.

If Liu Jilong really sends troops, then Li Yi becoming the legitimate ruler is a foregone conclusion.

Thinking of this, many people expressed their support to Kang Chengxun.

"My lord, when the late emperor was on the throne, he appointed the Prince of Wei as crown prince, and later appointed him as regent. In addition, the late emperor is seriously ill. Why should the regent need to mobilize troops?"

"In my humble opinion, Qi Yuanjian and his accomplices are merely trying to confuse the public, and their crimes deserve to be punished!"

"The general seconded the proposal!"

"My lord, we should immediately head north and support the crown prince!"

"That's right, it's only thirty or forty miles. If we set off now at a fast pace, we can still arrive before dark!"

"I second the motion..."

The generals, who had initially remained silent and neutral, have now expressed their opinions one after another, making Kang Chengxun the one who needs to be appeased.

"It's not too late to decide on this matter after we get news from the south. There's no need to be nervous."

Seeing Kang Chengxun's actions, the others stopped urging him on, and the Han army's advance far exceeded everyone's expectations.

The cavalry, which normally take two quarters of an hour to travel to and from the camp, returned to the headquarters in less than half an hour, bringing news of the Han army.

"My lord, the commander of the Hanzhong army is Husi Guang, the military governor of Shannan East Circuit. The two thousand cavalrymen are just the vanguard. They are heading north to Dengfeng to support the crown prince!"

Kang Junli's words drew the attention of countless generals in the tent to Kang Chengxun, who immediately slammed his hand on the table and ordered the army to break camp and march north towards Gaocheng.

"Your subordinate obeys!" the crowd raised their voices in response, while Kang Chengxun looked at Li Keyong and Zeng Yuanyu:
"Li Lang and Zeng Lang, you two lead the elite cavalry ahead and set off first. You must show His Majesty my sincerity!"

Zeng Yuanyu fought alongside Kang Chengxun for five years, and Li Keyong was also highly regarded by Kang Chengxun. He was confident in choosing these two men.

"The last general takes command!"

Zeng Yuanyu and Li Keyong agreed without hesitation and then began to mobilize their cavalry.

As they mobilized their cavalry, dust rose in the south. Husi Guang personally led two thousand elite cavalry ahead, and they were now speeding northward from east of the Ying River.

During this time, he looked towards Kang Chengxun's camp, worried that Kang Chengxun would go mad and attack him, but in the end, this did not happen.

He went north first, and it wasn't until half an hour later that Zeng Yuanyu and Li Keyong led less than four thousand cavalrymen out of the camp to go north.

An hour later, Kang Chengxun led more than 20,000 troops and 30,000 laborers to break camp and head north. Both the laborers and soldiers ran all the way, and the horse-drawn carts pulling armor and grain kept bumping along.

As time passed, two hours later, Husiguang crossed Gaocheng County and could see Dengfeng County at the foot of Mount Taishi in the north.

"Beep--"

As soon as the whistle blew, the Shence Army soldiers on the outskirts of Dengfeng County immediately set off the alarm bells and continued to blow the whistles.

Li Yi, who was taking a nap, was startled awake, and Lu Yan and others also gathered at the Dengfeng County Government Office.

"What happened?!"

After Lu Yan and his group entered the Dengfeng County Government Office, they immediately looked at Yang Gongqing, who was in charge of the Shence Army.

Yang Gongqing quickly reassured everyone: "Smoke and dust have appeared in the south, which may indicate the presence of troops. I have already dispatched Lieutenant Ximen to investigate."

Upon hearing this explanation, Li Yi, who had just arrived at the yamen, couldn't help but feel nervous.

Not just him, but everyone became tense.

Although Kang Chengxun should be in the south, his attitude is currently ambiguous, and no one knows which side he is truly loyal to.

Everyone waited anxiously, while Ximen Jun and Zhang Ying arrived at the south gate of Dengfeng County.

As they watched the smoke and dust grow ever closer, a sense of tension inevitably crept over them.

As the smoke and dust drew closer, and the approaching troops gradually came into view, Zhang Ying immediately recognized who they were.

Without the slightest doubt, he immediately looked at Ximen Junsui and said, "Order the city gates to be opened!"

"Open the city gates?" Ximen Junsui was taken aback. He had naturally seen the Han army banners in the distance, but he found it very strange.

It took them two days to travel south to Dengfeng, and today is only the third day since they arrived. How could Liu Jilong's troops have arrived in Dengfeng so quickly?

"That's right, open the door!"

Zhang Ying looked out of the city again; only he knew how terrifying the Han cavalry's rapid march was.

A journey of three hundred li can definitely be completed in less than three days by walking quickly.

"Open the city gate!"

Seeing Zhang Ying's certainty, Ximen Jun immediately sent men to open the city gates, and the cavalrymen in the distance quickened their pace.

After a short while, the banners bearing the characters "Liu" and "Han" were within reach. Without hesitation, Husi Guang led his army into Dengfeng City.

As he rushed in, Zhang Ying hurriedly led Ximen Junsui off the horse path and to the city gate.

"Commander Huss!"

"Zhang Dalang?"

Zhang Ying shouted at Husi Guang on horseback. Husi Guang also saw Zhang Ying's familiar face. After all, the territory governed by the Han army was not large in the past, and he often went to Zhang Chang's house, so he was naturally familiar with Zhang Ying.

"Where are Gao Qianli's troops?"

Husiguang looked to the left and right, trying to spot Gao Pian's flag on the city wall of Dengfeng County.

After all, in his view, Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun were closer to Dengfeng than he was, and should have arrived faster than him.

He had been puzzled when he saw Kang Chengxun appear in the south, and now that he hadn't seen Gao Pian's banners, he naturally found it strange.

Seeing this, Zhang Ying instructed Hu Siguang: "Qi Yuanjian of the Northern Division is supporting a puppet and has issued an imperial edict to Gao Pian and his men to withdraw their troops, but Gao Pian has already dispatched cavalry northward, and they will probably arrive either today or tomorrow."

"So, we're the only troops left in the city?" Upon hearing this, Husiguang dismounted, his eyes gleaming.

"Yes!" Zhang Ying nodded in response, and then introduced Ximen Junsui and the situation in Dengfeng City to Husiguang.

Upon seeing this, Hu Siguang immediately said, "I will lead two thousand elite cavalry first, followed by Gao Huai with five thousand cavalry and infantry, and Ma Yi with ten thousand infantry is on his way."

"What's the situation in the north? Have you received any news?"

Husi Guang was unaware of the situation around Luoyang; he only received news from Chang'an before leading his troops north.

Seeing this, Zhang Ying explained to Hu Siguang: "Now, Qi Yuanjian, Yang Xuanjie, and Yang Xuanji in the north are supporting the King of Liang as emperor in Mengjin and falsely issuing imperial edicts to various towns."

"Troops from Shaanxi, Guo, and Hezhong responded. Yang Fuguang occupied Luoyang and Yique Pass, Dagu Pass, and Sishui Pass. Only Xuanyuan Pass was in our hands, but Xuanyuan Pass was only guarded by a thousand Shence Army soldiers."

"The number of troops responding to them is no less than fifty thousand..."

"They're nothing but chickens and dogs!" Husiguang interrupted Zhang Ying, but Zhang Ying didn't say anything. After all, Husiguang had followed Liu Jilong in defeating countless so-called elite troops in Longxi and Longdong.

Upon learning that the person before him was Husi Guang, Ximen Jun immediately shut his mouth. After all, Husi Guang, An Pohu, Chen Jingchong, Geng Ming, Zhang Wu, and others were all very famous generals under Liu Jilong.

Moreover, he also heard that another 15,000 troops would arrive successively, which meant that their safety was guaranteed.

Yang Gongqing had told him several days ago that the collapse of the court was only a matter of time, and that only by submitting to Liu Jilong could he have a better future.

Ximen Jun, who was only in his early twenties, naturally agreed, after all, he knew his own abilities and that he wouldn't get along well in the Northern Division.

He was content as long as he could retain his wealth and status.

"Beep--"

The Han army's cavalry were still advancing into the city when a whistle sounded from the city wall. Zhang Ying and Ximen Jun quickly looked over.

Upon seeing this, Husiguang said, "It is Kang Chengxun's troops. When they saw us heading north, they sent cavalry north to protect His Majesty."

"Let them camp outside the city; they won't be able to cause any trouble. Now, take me to see His Majesty."

"Yes!" Zhang Ying nodded quickly, while Husi Guang looked at the two generals behind him: "Leave five hundred men to take care of the horses and feed them, and the rest of you go up the city wall and control the city gate."

"Your subordinates obey!" The two lieutenants responded, and then Husiguang looked at Zhang Ying, who quickly took on the responsibility of leading the way.

Before long, the three appeared outside the county government office, which was guarded by more than 800 soldiers from the Eastern Capital.

When they saw Zhang Ying and Ximen Junsui arrive with dozens of Han soldiers and Husi Guang, they let them pass without hesitation because they did not recognize Husi Guang.

Husiguang swaggered in with Zhang Ying and Ximen Junsui and entered the county government office, walking into the courtyard outside the main hall.

Upon seeing them, Lu Yan and the others immediately inquired, "Why is there an alarm bell? Is enemy force attacking?"

Among the crowd, only Xiao Gou stared wide-eyed at Husi Guang as if he had seen a ghost.

Liu Zhan also noticed his expression, so he looked at Husi Guang and raised his voice to question him: "Who is this general? Does he have a rank of third grade or higher?!"

“Husi Guang, the military governor of Shannan East Circuit, the prefect of Dengzhou, the Grand Master of the Silver Seal and the General of the Cloud Banner, should be of the third rank.”

As Husiguang spoke lightly, everyone's expression changed, and they all glared angrily at Zhang Ying and Ximen Junsui.

Ignoring their grim expressions, Husiguang walked directly into the hall and saw Li Yi, who was only fourteen years old.

Facing Li Yi, who was only fourteen years old and seemed somewhat timid and weak, Husi Guang inwardly scoffed, but on the surface he still bowed and said, "Your subject Husi Guang has come to protect Your Majesty on the orders of the King of Han."

"Rise..."

Seeing how imposing Husiguang was and how little respect he seemed to have for him, Li Yi couldn't help but feel uneasy. He gestured to Husiguang to rise in a very low voice.

"Thank you, Your Majesty..."

Husiguang slowly rose to his feet, then looked at Lu Yan and the dozen or so officials whose expressions were uncertain, and then spoke:

"I will personally lead two thousand cavalrymen to garrison in the city. In the next few days, another fifteen thousand troops will enter the city and garrison there, bringing money and provisions. You need not worry about not having food and salary."

"Upon hearing of the three traitors usurping power, the King of Han is furious and has likely begun to reorganize his troops to quell the rebellious officials in Shaanxi, Guo, and Hezhong!"

Husiguang's words were like a heavy hammer blow, striking Lu Yan and the others squarely in the chest, leaving them unsure whether to be happy or upset.

They thought they could rely on Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun, but in the end they had to rely on Liu Jilong.

Seeing that they remained silent, Husi Guang immediately turned around and continued to bow to Li Yi: "Your Majesty, rest assured, you will soon be able to return to Luoyang, and even Chang'an."

"Anyone in the world who dares to disobey His Majesty, the King of Han will surely lead his subjects to quell their rebellion!"

Even though Li Yi was young, he knew at this moment that he seemed to have become a puppet in the hands of others.

He was somewhat annoyed, but his timid nature prevented him from showing it, and he could only nod awkwardly.

While the dozen or so ministers inside the palace were feeling awkward, Zeng Yuanyu and Li Keyong's cavalry also arrived outside Dengfeng County.

They practically watched as the Han cavalry entered Dengfeng and the city gates were finally closed.

"By imperial decree, you who have come from afar are requested to set up camp outside. Supplies and provisions will arrive soon!"

On the city gate, Li Keyong, a Han general, called out to Zeng Yuanyu below the city.

Although the two men were somewhat prepared, they were still quite angry and had no choice but to turn their horses around and lead their troops back to Gaocheng County, which was about 12 or 13 miles to the south.

At the same time, Wang Zhongren's two thousand cavalrymen arrived at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain and encountered Bian Xian, who had been waiting there for a long time.

Upon learning that the imperial court had ordered them to camp at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain, Wang Chongren showed displeasure, ignored Bian Xian, and led his cavalry towards Dengfeng.

But when they appeared at the foot of Dengfeng City, looking at the familiar banners fluttering on the city walls, Wang Zhongren couldn't help but rub his eyes.

"what happened?!"

Wang Zhongren suddenly turned around, pointed his riding whip at the Han army banners on the top of Dengfeng City, and angrily questioned, "Why are Liu Jilong's banners here!"

"This...this...this official...this official is also unaware."

Bian Xian, who had just caught up, was also completely bewildered. He clearly remembered that when he left the city in the afternoon, there were no Han army flags on the city wall. How come there were so many flags after only three hours?
"By imperial decree, all troops sent to defend the emperor are to be stationed outside the city and await further orders!"

Suddenly, a sound came from the city wall. Wang Zhongren looked over and saw that the Han army officers were shouting at them. There were also Han soldiers, no less than three or four hundred, between the battlements.

If this place weren't clearly in the Central Plains, Wang Zhongren might have even doubted that he had returned to the Three Rivers region.

Upon seeing the Han army, he thought of Zhang Lin, Lin Ruzhen, and the captured Sun Gaoxun, and his anger flared.

However, he did not know how many Han soldiers had come, so he could only swallow his anger and ordered his men, "Send out fast horses to inform King Gao of the situation here."

"Yes!" The men on either side responded, but Wang Zhongren could only suppress his anger and grit his teeth, saying, "Withdraw!"

Under his orders, the Bohai Navy, which had rushed to the scene, had no choice but to turn their horses around and retreat to Shaoshi Mountain, where the imperial court had ordered them to stay...

(End of this chapter)