Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 468 Adding the King of Han (A long chapter of 10,000 words)
"I was indeed misled by the three traitors, and now I know..."

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month of the eleventh year of Xiantong, Li Changyan staged a mutiny in Yanshi, killing the three traitors Qi Yuanjian, Yang Xuanjie, and Yang Xuanji, and presenting their heads to the court.

Yang Fuguang was wounded and rescued by Yang Fugong, who then took Emperor Qianning, Li Ting, eastward to Sishui Pass.

On the tenth day, while Li Changyan surrendered to Liu Jilong, he also sent someone to persuade Li Changfu to surrender to Liu Jilong and send the heads of the three traitors to the Dengfeng court.

In his memorial, Li Changyan spoke sincerely, making no mention of his conspiracy with Qi Yuanjian and the others, only admitting that his brothers had been deceived by Qi Yuanjian and the other two.

Whether they were deceived or actively conspired is not important; what matters is that the three traitors were killed and the brothers Li Changyan and Li Changfu surrendered to Liu Jilong.

Inside the Dengfeng County government office, upon hearing Li Changyan's memorial, Xiao Gou bowed to Li Yi and said:

"Your Majesty, Yique Pass and Dagu Pass have been breached by Governor Kang, and the entire territory of Ruzhou has also been recovered by Gao Bohai."

"The imperial court now has 20,000 troops in Dengfeng and Gaocheng, and Shaanxi, Guo, Hezhong and other places have already submitted memorials to surrender."

"I believe that we should return to Luoyang immediately to stabilize the country."

After Xiao Gou finished speaking, an official in the hall said, "The most important thing right now is to bury the late emperor and decide on his temple name and posthumous title."

Upon hearing this, the officials in the yamen nodded in agreement. After all, Li Cui had been dead for twelve days, and although his body had been placed in a coffin, he had not yet been buried.

The chaotic situation also made it difficult to determine a posthumous title and temple name for Li Cui.

Although Yang Fugong and Yang Fuguang have fled east and taken Li Ting with them, Liu Jilong's dispatch of troops signifies that the overall situation is settled. Therefore, it is time to return to Luoyang to finalize the emperor's temple name and posthumous title.

"It would be better to decide on His Majesty's temple name and posthumous title after we return to Luoyang."

Xiao Gou took the initiative to speak, while looking at Husi Guang: "Governor Husi, has the King of Hanzhong submitted a memorial?"

Xiao Gou's words drew everyone's attention to Hu Siguang.

Although Husi Guang rarely speaks, he now controls the entire court. Without his permission, this group of people cannot even walk the streets, let alone return to Luoyang.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Husi Guang said unhurriedly, "Your Highness has not yet submitted a memorial to the court, but since Hezhong and Shanguo have already surrendered, the Guanzhong troops will soon enter Luoyang, so there is no need to rush."

Without Liu Jilong's memorial, Husi Guang would never have allowed this group of people to move around freely.

Upon hearing this, the officials inside the yamen couldn't help but look displeased. Just then, Pi Rixiu strode into the courtyard and bowed outside the main hall, saying:

"Your Majesty, Gao Bohai and Kang Shijun have submitted a memorial."

"Go in!" Lu Yan couldn't help but speak when he heard Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun continue to present their memorials.

Upon seeing this, Pi Rixiu entered the hall and presented two memorials, the contents of which were almost identical.

Upon learning that Liu Jilong had dispatched troops, Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun both began to withdraw their troops, citing the reason that "the national situation has stabilized somewhat, but the rear is in turmoil."

Gao Pian has already withdrawn from Ruzhou. Kang Chengxun is taking the same route as Gao Pian, clearly both preparing to retreat to avoid a sudden attack by Liu Jilong.

Before Gao Pian left, he had already sent Wang Zhongren to escort Qin Zongquan and his more than thirty generals who were stubbornly resisting to Dengfeng, while Kang Chengxun sent three thousand shi of grain to the court.

Upon hearing the news, the faces of Lu Yan, Liu Zhan, and other court officials turned completely somber.

Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun's actions undoubtedly showed that they dared not confront Liu Jilong.

The current situation is completely different from that at the end of the Han Dynasty. After all, Dong Zhuo was not very powerful when he entered Luoyang. He was only able to confront Ding Yuan after he incorporated the troops of He Jin and He Miao.

Later, he used a scheme to eliminate Ding Yuan. Although Dong Zhuo had already seized control of the court, his own strength was not absolute.

But now Liu Jilong's army is advancing eastward, and the towns and prefectures such as Zhongwu, Xuanwu, and Yicheng have been devastated. They can't even supply food and can only rely on their soldiers to plunder villagers to get food for fighting.

In this situation, attempting to confront Liu Jilong in the Central Plains would undoubtedly be asking for trouble.

Judging from their current stance, it seems they intend not only to abandon Ruzhou, which is almost entirely lost, but also to abandon Chen, Xu, and Cai prefectures, and retreat entirely to Huainan.

With them gone, Liu Jilong was truly left without anyone to contend with.

"Your Majesty, the situation has stabilized, and it is only right for Gao Bohai and Governor Kang to withdraw to their posts."

When Husiguang learned that Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun had withdrawn their troops, he breathed a sigh of relief and took the initiative to bow, saying, "Now we only need to wait for the King of Hanzhong to advance eastward to accept the surrender of Shaanxi, Guo and Hezhong, and the court can return to Luoyang."

“That’s very good…” Li Yi’s smile was very forced, with a hint of bitterness.

He thought that once he became emperor, he would no longer have to be mindful of others' opinions.

In retrospect, this was not as good as when he was the crown prince and the King of Wei, at least then his life was not in danger.

"Is there anything else you gentlemen wish to discuss?"

Husiguang took the initiative to speak, and at this moment Liu Zhan took the initiative to bow and said, "Your Majesty, I was previously the military governor of Zhongwu, Xuanwu, and Yicheng. Now that the situation has stabilized somewhat, I request permission to return to Xuanwu so that the court can quell the Huang bandits."

“So…” Li Yi was about to say something, but Husi Guang suddenly interrupted him:

"There is no need to worry about this. The King of Hanzhong has only been advancing eastward for a little over ten days, and the towns of Xuanwu, Zhongwu, and Yicheng have been defeated. The Yellow bandits will definitely not advance westward."

"Even if the Yellow Rebels advance westward, the King of Hanzhong will have troops to quell them."

"Right now, all we need to do is wait for the King of Hanzhong to march east to Luoyang and escort the imperial court back to Luoyang!"

Husi Guang didn't really understand what politics was, but he knew that Liu Zhan had a very good reputation in the Central Plains.

Even if the three towns are in ruins, if Liu Zhan is allowed to return, he might just become a rival.

For this reason, Husi Guang could not possibly allow Liu Zhan to return to the Three Towns. Liu Zhan, having been refused, could only remain silent and dared not openly confront Husi Guang.

Seeing that the situation was not going well, Yang Gongqing stepped forward and raised his voice, saying, "His Majesty is tired, everyone please step down."

"We take our leave..."

Seeing Yang Gongqing step forward, the officials could only suppress their discomfort, respectfully bow to Li Yi, and then leave the yamen.

Husiguang watched them leave, then looked at Li Yi, the fourteen-year-old emperor.

Li Yi's eyes darted away, and seeing this, Hu Siguang looked at Yang Gongqing: "The King of Han will soon advance eastward, and His Majesty's safety must be guaranteed to prevent villains from harming His Majesty."

“Yes…” Yang Gongqing nodded quickly, then helped Li Yi up and led him back to the inner courtyard.

Seeing them leave, Husiguang walked out of the yamen.

At the same time, the two armies left Ruzhou one after another, and after leaving Ruzhou, they headed in two different directions, Shenzhou and Yangzhou respectively.

"Sorry..."

It was the dead of winter in the twelfth lunar month, but no snow fell in the Central Plains; it was just dry and cold.

Gao Pian led 100,000 soldiers and civilians south, searching for and capturing people in Xuzhou, Caizhou and other places along the way, and taking them all south.

However, after the army entered Caizhou, it was difficult to find a single person in the vast city.

Ruyang County, which was formerly the seat of Caizhou, was found to have only about 30 households and 120 people after a large-scale search by the army.

"The Qin traitors, like dogs and rats..."

On the way south, Gao Qin cursed loudly, his eyes also fixed on Gao Pian ahead. He shook the reins and caught up, saying, "Father, it will probably be difficult for the three prefectures of Zhongwu to recover in a hundred years."

"This is the nature of war," Gao Pian replied calmly, adding:

"But this is also good. The population of the three prefectures is dwindling and all industries need to be rebuilt. Even if Liu Muzhi is good at governing, it will still take several years to achieve this."

"Taking this opportunity to train our troops and then quell the rebellion in Jiangnan when the time is right is what our army will do next."

The devastation of the Central Plains gave Gao Pian even more confidence in his idea of ​​ruling from across the river.

The biggest difference between the North and the South is simply the amount of population and arable land.

Today, many populous provinces in the Central Plains have declined, and farmland has been abandoned. In contrast, no major wars have broken out in the Jiangnan region.

Once Liu Jilong begins to annex the northern military governorships, he can then legitimately begin to annex the southern military governorships.

Composing himself, Gao Pian flicked the reins and continued his horse calmly southward.

Kang Chengxun, who lived more than a hundred miles away, was in the same situation.

However, compared to Gao Pian, Kang Chengxun's situation was much worse.

"I will never forget your kindness, Your Excellency."

On the official road, seeing that they had already left the territory of Ruzhou, the generals of the various towns bid farewell to Kang Chengxun. Among them were Zeng Yuanyu, the military governor of Ganhua Army, as well as Li Keyong, who had come south from Datong, and the generals of the three towns in Hebei.

Faced with the departure of the five men, Kang Chengxun, who had failed to win them over, could only nod and say, "I am old and frail; I do not know how many more years I can govern Huainan."

"This farewell today may be the last time we meet. Take care, everyone..."

"Take care, my lord." Upon seeing this, Zeng Yuanyu, Li Keyong, and others bowed to the court and then led their troops away from his ranks.

After they left, Kang Chengxun looked at the generals of the former Xuanwu, Yanhai, Yicheng, Pinglu and other towns.

"Are you planning to bring your families to Huainan with me, or return to this town?"

The eight generals looked at each other in bewilderment. In the end, some chose to stay, while others chose to return to their town and seek refuge with the incumbent military governor, or perhaps harbored other thoughts.

As they each led their troops away, Kang Chengxun's army was reduced to only about eight thousand men, and his laborers numbered no more than ten thousand.

If it weren't for the fact that Huainan was under his control, and that there was still a possibility of recruiting soldiers again, Kang Chengxun would probably have considered returning directly to the imperial court.

"Let's go..."

Shaking the reins, Kang Chengxun finally led his more than 8,000 soldiers on the journey back to Huainan.

The two armies split up and headed south, while Liu Jilong's troops began to advance eastward from Guanzhong and Tangzhou.

On the fourteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, An Pohu and Wang Chongrong accepted the surrender of six prefectures and two towns, including Hezhong and Shanguo, with more than 40,000 soldiers surrendering and 50,000 Han troops entering the two towns.

On the 17th, upon learning that Gao Pian had gone south, Liu Jilong, who was on his fast eastward journey, also issued several military orders.

He ordered Wang Jian to lead his army eastward to occupy Caizhou, Ruzhou, Xuzhou, and Chenzhou, and ordered Li Changyan and Li Changfu to accompany him to Luoyang. At the same time, he ordered Husiguang to bring the court back to Luoyang.

Subsequently, Liu Jilong ordered An Pohu to go north and jointly garrison Hezhong Town with Wang Zhongren. He also ordered An Pohu to advance eastward and summoned Liu Tong, the military governor of Heyang, to the capital.

Liu Jilong's meaning was very clear: he wanted to take over the three towns of Heyang, Hezhong, and Zhongwu in one fell swoop.

Three towns and fourteen prefectures—this was the appetizer for Liu Jilong's eastward advance.

The troops in Heyang had long been exhausted, and Liu Tong had no power to stop the Han army from advancing eastward.

Therefore, after An Pohu led his army north through Mengjin Pass, Liu Tong surrendered two prefectures and went south to join the imperial court.

The maps and records of the three towns and fourteen prefectures and states were sent to Luoyang, and Husi Guang would personally lead his troops to escort the imperial court back to Luoyang.

The once relatively intact Ziwei City was almost entirely looted by the people of Luoyang in less than half a month.

The wall bricks were taken away, and the tiles and wooden beams were also taken without exception.

If it weren't for Husi Guang's timely dispatch of troops, the three main halls would probably have been reduced to ruins.

"This is Luoyang?"

As the dust settled west of Luoyang, the boundless cavalry almost completely filled the plains more than ten miles west of the city.

Having learned of the recapture of Shaanxi, Guo, Hezhong, and Luoyang, Liu Jilong was sitting on horseback, gazing at the sizable city of Luoyang in the distance.

"Luoyang has a flat terrain with no less than a million acres of arable land, and it also has the Luo River, the Yi River and countless tributaries. It truly deserves to be called an ancient capital."

"Unfortunately, it lacks depth. Although it is convenient to control Guandong and Hebei, it is insufficient for Guanxi and Longyou."

Thirty-seven-year-old Li Cui was already a skeleton in a tomb, while Liu Jilong remained spirited and outstanding.

Dressed in a round-necked robe, he was tall and agile, while the tens of thousands of elite cavalry behind him constantly demonstrated the strength of the Kansai region.

"Let's go into the city and see what this imperial court is like!"

With a flick of the reins, Liu Jilong led tens of thousands of elite cavalry toward Luoyang, while at the same time, a group of imperial officials were slowly moving toward Luoyang.

After a short while, the procession, about a mile ahead, stopped and adopted a welcoming posture.

Husi Guang led 5,000 cavalry and infantry in formation ten miles outside the city, and led Li Yi and the officials out of the city to welcome Liu Jilong.

Liu Jilong slowly approached, and as he raised his hand, whistles sounded continuously behind him, and tens of thousands of elite cavalrymen reined in their horses and formed ranks.

He led Zhang Yanhui, Luo Yin, Lu Guimeng, Li Gunshi, Zhao Ying, and others, along with over a hundred cavalrymen, closer and closer. At this time, many musicians who had accompanied him from Luoyang also began to play.

The song "The Elephant King's March" began to play, accompanied by the beating of hundreds of large drums on the city wall of Luoyang in the distance, like the music of a triumphant return.

Liu Jilong approached the procession of officials from Luoyang, and Li Yi was helped down from the large carriage.

At this moment, he came to welcome Liu Jilong dressed in the casual attire of a Tang Dynasty emperor.

This was the first time many officials in Luoyang had seen Liu Jilong. Seeing his extraordinary appearance and the composure and elegance with which he dismounted, they couldn't help but confirm all the rumors about Liu Jilong that had circulated in the past.

Many veteran officials even envied Feng Ao, who resigned from his post early and went west.

If Feng Ao hadn't had the advantage of being close to the source, someone like Liu Jilong wouldn't have become his son-in-law, and the Feng family of Bohai wouldn't have reached new heights.

"Your subject Liu Jilong pays his respects to Your Majesty..."

Liu Jilong stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Li Yi.

Li Yi had heard various stories about Liu Jilong since he was a child, and he thought they were all exaggerations. However, after seeing Liu Jilong with his own eyes, he realized that those rumors were too conservative.

"King of Hanzhong, rise..."

Fourteen-year-old Li Yi had indeed never seen anything like it. In his eyes, Liu Jilong was exceptionally outstanding, and the seemingly endless cavalry behind him further demonstrated the strength behind him.

That's why he's currently stumbling around a bit, while Liu Jilong nodded and looked at Husiguang:
"There's no need for such a grand welcome. Let's send His Majesty and the officials back to the Qian Yuan Palace first. I'll be there shortly."

"Yes!" Husi Guang respectfully replied, and then led Li Yi and the officials to Luoyang City.

As Liu Jilong watched them leave, he turned his gaze to Luo Yin, Lu Guimeng, and the others behind him.

How prosperous was Luoyang before, and how is it now?

Faced with this question, the two shook their heads and sighed. Luo Yin said first: "Although Luoyang has experienced a lot of turmoil before, it has long since returned to peace after decades. Two to three hundred thousand people live here in peace, and a million acres of farmland are lush and green."

"Now that we've come this far, there's no sign of life outside the city, and even inside the city, there probably aren't many people."

Seeing him say that, Lu Guimeng continued, "Even though Luoyang couldn't compare to cities like Chang'an, Chengdu, and Jiangdu, it was still one of the top ten major cities."

"Now that it is in ruins, it will be difficult to restore it without years of hard work."

If it were any other city, Lu Guimeng certainly wouldn't dare say that he could recover it after several years of hard work, but Luoyang is different.

Liu Jilong's decision not to welcome Li Yi to Chang'an indicates that the imperial court will continue to exist in Luoyang.

As long as the imperial court is in Luoyang, it won't be difficult for the city to regain its former glory.

Liu Jilong was aware of this, so after the two spoke, he said to them and Zhang Yanhui, "This time, three thousand officials are heading east, which is enough to govern eighteen prefectures and states."

“All prefectures shall register and record the land, and all land occupied by officials shall be measured in order to collect taxes in the future.”

"Anyone who dares to obstruct the rebellion shall be beheaded as the ringleader, and his relatives for three generations shall be exiled to Anxi to guard the border."

"Yes..." Luo Yin and the others respectfully replied. Seeing this, Liu Jilong turned back, mounted his horse, and looked at the many abandoned farmlands, sighing and shaking his head.

After Luo Yin and the others mounted their horses, Liu Jilong then directed his troops to enter the camp that Husi Guang had arranged in advance, and led five hundred elite cavalry into Luoyang City.

When he entered Luoyang, he was unaware of the situation. However, as he rode his horse up the city wall, he immediately saw the chaos south of the Luo River and the prosperity north of the city.

"Officials lived in the north of the city, while common people lived in the south, hence the north was rich and the south was poor."

Liu Jilong didn't look at it much; he only needed to get the general idea, and Zhao Ying would help him find out the details.

Where is Zhang Situ?

After Liu Jilong stepped down from the city wall, he immediately inquired about Zhang Huaishen's residence. Zhao Ying had already found out, so she bowed and said, "He lives in the east of Ziwei City. Situ is slightly unwell. Governor Husi has already sent a military doctor to examine him. He will recover if he takes his medicine properly."

"Good!" Hearing that Zhang Yichao was alright, Liu Jilong finally felt relieved.

Although he was eager to see Zhang Yichao, Ziwei City was clearly more important; he still needed to finalize many things, so he couldn't delay. He spurred his horse and hurried towards Ziwei City, and soon they came upon the somewhat dilapidated city.

The palace gates of Ziwei City had been completely demolished, and the main gate was nowhere to be found.

"How is this going?"

Liu Jilong questioned the Han soldiers at the palace gate, and the captain quickly bowed and explained, "In the three days since the three traitors withdrew from Luoyang, the people of Luoyang have been fighting over bricks, tiles and timber for the palace, which has led to its current state of disrepair."

"It's alright, we can just fix it." Upon hearing that it was taken by the people, Liu Jilong did not blame them.

Ultimately, if the Tang Dynasty hadn't levied such heavy taxes and levies, coupled with constant rebellions throughout the land, the lives of ordinary people wouldn't have been so miserable.

Anyway, all the valuable things in the palace had been moved away by Li Cui's men, and now they've been moved back. There's no need to chase after the other worthless things.

He stepped into Ziwei City and saw that the palaces on both sides were in disarray, with only the Qianyuan Hall in front of him still intact.

The steps to Qianyuan Hall are very high, but compared to the path Liu Jilong had taken, it was the easiest one he had ever walked.

Given this situation, it is only a matter of time before the world is unified.

As Liu Jilong walked up the steps, the Han army captains and brigade commanders at the door immediately shouted their salutes.

"Enter—Liu Jilong, the Defense Commissioner of Guanzhong Circuits, General of the Cavalry, Grand Master of the Palace, Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, Governor of Chang'an, Pillar of State, and Prince of Hanzhong!!"

The officials in the hall were nervous, and Liu Jilong also stepped into the hall.

During the Tang Dynasty, the decision to remove boots depended on the level of the court assembly. For grand court assemblies and important festival assemblies, boots had to be removed.

However, although today's occasion is solemn, it is still a regular court session, so there is no need to remove boots.

Liu Jilong walked into the hall, and the officials on the left and right glanced at him discreetly, but could only see his feet.

If one were to look upwards further, making any large movements would likely attract the attention of the Han soldiers inside the palace.

Although they wore imperial guard armor, they were all Han soldiers from Guanzhong.

Liu Jilong walked down to the foot of the golden platform and respectfully bowed to Li Yi on the platform, saying, "Your subject Liu Jilong greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live a long and prosperous life!"

"King of Hanzhong, please rise..."

Standing beside Li Yi was Yang Gongqing, who naturally dared not be negligent. He quickly gestured for Liu Jilong to rise and said:

"The King of Hanzhong has rendered meritorious service in defending the emperor. He is hereby granted the title of Grand General of the Three Offices, Left and Right Divine Martial, Feathered Forest, and Dragon Martial Armies. He is a meritorious official who has devoted himself to saving the nation and upholding justice. He is appointed as the Chancellor and Commander-in-Chief of the military campaigns in Henan, Hedong, Shannan East, Shannan West, Jiannan, Guanzhong, and Longyou. He is hereby promoted to King of Han."

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness..."

Liu Jilong breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that most of the cases were ones he had already explained, except for the addition of the Prince of Han and some minor officials. Fortunately, no farce of being granted the Nine Bestowments or being appointed as the Chief Minister of the State was caused.

Thinking this, he slowly stood up, and at this moment, Xiao Gou, who had long been acquainted with Liu Jilong, also stepped forward, holding a tablet and bowing, saying:
"Your Majesty, after several days of discussion, the officials wish to posthumously honor the late Emperor as Emperor Ruiwen Zhaosheng Gonghui Xiao, with the temple name Yizong. We humbly request Your Majesty's wise decision..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi was momentarily at a loss for words. With Liu Jilong present, he was even more unsure how to respond and could only look at Liu Jilong: "What does the Prince of Han think?"

Emperor Yizong of Tang, Li Cui, even when considering his historical achievements, can be considered an embellishment, let alone the Li Cui of today.

After all, Li Cui instigated the war in Longyou, which led to the loss of Guanzhong and Bashu, and subsequently triggered the Huang Chao Rebellion. He was hardly worthy of the temple name "Yi" (meaning gentle and virtuous, and whose words and deeds were always in accordance with the law).

"Your Majesty, the officials believe that the Prince of Han was a trusted minister of the late Emperor, who helped the Tang Dynasty recover the Hexi Corridor, as well as Xili, Anxi, and Beiting. Your Majesty has made contributions to these recoveries, therefore this suggestion is made..."

Xiao Gou forced himself to explain, and the angle was something Liu Jilong hadn't expected.

If we only consider Li Cui's original achievements, then it would be good enough if he wasn't awarded the titles of "Ling" or "Xi".

However, if Liu Jilong is considered a subject of the Tang Dynasty, then Li Cui not only escaped the blame for losing Guanzhong and Sichuan, but also gained the merit of recovering the Western Regions.

Even with the rebellions of Huang Chao, Wang Xianzhi, Pang Xun, and others, Emperor Yizong was still worthy of being called an emperor.

Liu Jilong didn't intend to argue about these things, and looked directly at Li Yi, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe what the officials have said is true."

Li Yi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and then said, "In that case, let's do as Prime Minister Xiao says."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yan stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, a few days ago Yang Fugong and Yang Fuguang submitted a memorial requesting surrender."

"Your Majesty, the two Yangs are both accomplices of the three traitors, and they must not be tolerated!"

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

Faced with Yang Fugong and Yang Fuguang's surrender offer, the officials were outraged and had no intention of accepting the surrender.

When Li Yi saw the officials who were indignant, he didn't know what to say for a moment.

At this moment, it was Liu Jilong who took the initiative to speak up: "There cannot be two suns in the sky. Now that the two have surrendered, we can make them open up to the world and expose the ugliness of the three traitors, so as to cleanse His Majesty of his filth."

Liu Jilong did not harbor much ill will towards Yang Fuguang and Yang Fugong; for political purposes, killing the three traitors was sufficient for him.

If they were allowed to take Li Ting around freely, it would put Liu Jilong in a rather difficult position.

"May I ask, Your Majesty, what should be done with these two traitors?"

Pi Rixiu mustered his courage and asked Liu Jilong a question, but Liu Jilong glanced at the officials and they all lowered their heads.

Seeing their state, Liu Jilong said, "All those implicated shall have their property confiscated and be exiled to the Western Regions!"

The eunuchs of the Northern Division were quite wealthy, and most of their land was annexed by officials who were driven back to Luoyang.

Without the identification of the eunuchs from the Northern Bureau, many lands would likely have been embezzled by these officials without any clear explanation.

If Yang Fuguang and Yang Fugong were allowed to return to Luoyang, and the other eunuchs of the Northern Division were allowed to step forward and identify the land, which would be confiscated, it would be very helpful in restoring production in Luoyang.

"May I ask, King Han, what should be done with the King of Liang?"

Pi Rixiu questioned Liu Jilong again, which made Liu Jilong realize what was going on.

So this group was planning to test my attitude towards the court little by little. If I used the method of eliminating them completely, it would prove my character, and the officials in Luoyang would definitely feel insecure.

However, since I have decided to move eastward, and I do not yet have the strength to completely take over the reins of governing the world from the powerful clans, it is better to adopt a conciliatory attitude for now.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong finally spoke up, saying, "The Prince of Liang is only nine years old. What crime has a child committed?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Jilong looked at Li Yi and bowed, asking, "What crime does Your Majesty believe the King of Liang has committed?"

King Li Ting of Liang was indeed innocent. Let alone a nine-year-old child like him, even if it were fourteen-year-old Li Yi, how could he possibly control his own life?

Thinking of this, Li Yi couldn't help but recall the memories of playing with his brothers, Li Ting and the others, and said emotionally, "Third brother is innocent..."

"That may be true, but the King of Liang has still overstepped his bounds. He may be spared the death penalty, but he cannot escape punishment!"

Several senior officials in the hall spoke up, and Lu Yan also took the initiative to bow and say, "Your Majesty, I believe that the Prince of Liang should be deposed and exiled to Qianzhong!"

Lu Yan's actions were undoubtedly an imitation of Guo Ziyi's recapture of Chang'an and Emperor Daizong of Tang's deposition of the Tibetans and elevation of the imperial clansman Li Chenghong to commoner status.

Lu Yan failed to grasp that Emperor Daizong of Tang and Li Chenghong were only distant relatives, while Li Ting was a brother who had grown up with Li Yi.

Li Yi hesitated for a moment, but Liu Jilong, seeing this, simply decided: "The child is innocent. We can strip him of his title, grant him an honor, and protect his wealth and status."

Upon hearing Liu Jilong speak, Li Yi, who had been hesitating, immediately nodded and said, "What the King of Han said makes sense. If that is the case, then strip him of his title and grant him the honor of Senior Light Cavalry Commandant."

The position of Shangqingche Duwei was a fourth-rank honorary title. Although it was not as prestigious as that of a prince, the treatment was not bad, at least much better than that of Li Chenghong, who was exiled and died.

Thinking of this, Li Yi couldn't help but look at Lu Yan with dissatisfaction, while Lu Yan felt a jolt in his heart as he felt the gaze.

If it were Li Cui who had given his advice, Li Cui would definitely have agreed, so Lu Yan thought Li Yi would also agree.

Unexpectedly, Li Yi, who is usually timid and submissive, had such a strong opinion when faced with this issue.

Lu Yan couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, and Liu Jilong also spoke to Li Yi:

"Your Majesty, recently Zhang Huaishen, the Grand Protector of Anxi and Duke of Shouchang, has pacified the kingdoms of Khotan and Zhongyun and brought them back to the Tang Dynasty. I have submitted a memorial to the throne to promote him to the title of Prince of Jiaohe and to promote Grand Minister Zhang Yichao to the title of Prince of Dunhuang."

Seeing that Liu Jilong had just spoken up for him, Li Yi returned the favor by nodding and saying, "If that's the case, then we'll do as the King of Han says."

"On behalf of the two of us, I express my gratitude to Your Majesty..." Liu Jilong bowed and continued:
"Your Majesty, I request that Xiao Ye, the Prefect of Jiangling, be appointed Minister of Rites, and Chen Jingchong, the Military Governor of Shannan West Circuit, be appointed Prefect of Jiangling."

When Liu Jilong suddenly turned his gaze to Jiangling, many officials subtly clenched their official tablets.

If Jiangling falls into Liu Jilong's hands, he will be able to avoid the most difficult-to-attack areas of Zigui and Yiling, and his navy will be able to break through the treacherous Kuimen and enter the relatively calm Dongting Lake region.

At that time, as long as Liu Jilong builds a navy, he can rely on Jiangling to seize the Yangtze River.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the situation in Jiangling is complex. Only with Prime Minister Xiao in charge can we ensure peace and tranquility. This matter should be put on hold for the time being."

A fourth-rank official stepped forward. Husiguang glanced at him, but Liu Jilong remained unmoved.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately looked at Liu Jilong, Xiao Gou, Lu Yan, Liu Zhan, and others, but Xiao Gou and Lu Yan dared not refute Liu Jilong. Only Liu Zhan took the initiative to speak:
"Your Majesty, Zhongwu, Hezhong, and Heyang are in dire need of rebuilding. It would be better to wait until the three towns are mostly settled before sending Minister Xiao north."

Li Yi was still undecided and could only look to Liu Jilong.

Liu Jilong did not make a strong demand, but instead bowed respectfully to Li Yi: "What you gentlemen have said is all reasonable. The court should focus on governing the three towns first, rather than Jiangling."

Liu Jilong never intended to recapture Jiangling now. Not to mention that Geng Ming was not fully prepared, the number of officials was also extremely insufficient.

The population of Jiangling region is at least 600,000 to 700,000. Although there are still many reserve officials in Longyou who have not been transferred, these are all prepared by Liu Jilong for Xuanwu Town.

He brought up the matter of Jiangling mainly to see how many officials with backbone the court still had.

Now that we've figured it out, things will be much easier from here on out.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong looked at Yang Gongqing, who understood and said, "Court adjourned..."

"Tens of millions of years old!"

Seeing that Yang Gongqing had spoken, the officials could only be thankful that Liu Jilong had relented, and then respectfully saw Li Yi off.

Li Yi was led away from Qianyuan Hall by Yang Gongqing, while Liu Jilong, as the first to enter the class, walked out of Qianyuan Hall and left Ziwei City under the protection of Zhao Ying and others.

The officials who subsequently left Qianyuan Hall gradually gathered at the entrance, watching Liu Jilong's departing figure, a sense of unease creeping into their hearts.

"Your Highness, those old bastards refuted you so vehemently today, aren't you going to deal with them?"

"If you give the order, I will kill those people in the court who oppose you, twist their heads off, and use them as polo balls!"

Husiguang jogged after him, shouting and cursing viciously, but Liu Jilong chuckled and said, "Let them go? How could that be?"

He looked at Zhao Ying and instructed her, "Among officials, few have a clean record, especially that Lu Yan."

“I have heard that Lu Yan accepted bribes, sold official positions, and amassed a fortune of several million.”

"Send someone to investigate. If you can follow the clues, that would be even better."

"Yes!" Zhao Ying nodded in agreement, but Hu Siguang said, "Your Highness, why don't we just take action directly? Why bother with all this investigation?"

"Without rules, nothing can be accomplished," Liu Jilong reminded him, explaining:
“If we arrest people arbitrarily without evidence, this trend will definitely spread from top to bottom, and in the end, it will be the people who suffer.”

"Find the evidence and convince them. I don't believe they're that clean."

After they finished speaking, they left the palace. Liu Jilong then instructed Husi Guang:

"You can leave the palace matters to Yang Gongqing. Tomorrow, you will lead elite cavalry to Wulao Pass to persuade Yang Fuguang and Yang Fugong to surrender."

"If they can persuade the group of escaped eunuchs to identify the farmland in Luoyang, or to identify all the officials in the court who are colluding with them, then I can consider not exiling them to the Western Regions."

"Yes!"

Liu Jilong could allow the imperial court to remain in Luoyang, but only if the city was populated by his own people.

If officials like Lu Yan had accumulated as much wealth as rumored, then Liu Jilong wouldn't have to worry about money and supplies for the foreseeable future.

With that thought in mind, he mounted his horse and, guided by Zhao Ying, leisurely made his way to Zhang Yichao's residence.

Half an hour later, when Liu Jilong dismounted, the Zhang family mansion was already surrounded by the Han army. Zhang Yanhui walked up and knocked on the door knocker with practiced ease.

Before long, the gate opened, and Zhang Huaicheng helped Zhang Yichao appear behind it, followed by dozens of members of the Zhang clan.

"See..."

"Why must Hexi do this!"

Liu Jilong walked forward with a smile, as if bathed in a spring breeze.

Looking at Liu Jilong, Zhang Huaicheng finally understood why his uncle had remembered Liu Jilong for so many years.

You can easily remember someone you've only seen once, even if you haven't seen them for many years.

"Father, this is the decree His Highness obtained for you!"

Zhang Yanhui did not forget to take out the imperial edict that he had prepared beforehand and handed it to Zhang Yichao with both hands.

Zhang Yichao had no intention of looking at him; he simply sized Liu Jilong up and down, his eyes almost overflowing with satisfaction.

"More than a decade has passed, and Mu Zhi is still full of vigor, while I am old and frail."

Zhang Yichao joked about himself, and Liu Jilong chuckled and bowed to Zhang Yichao: "Hexi, what I said will soon come true. You will have to see that day."

Zhang Yichao was stunned for a moment after hearing this, but quickly realized what Liu Jilong was talking about. He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. In the end, he could only shake his head and say, "I'm getting old..."

Liu Jilong understood his meaning but did not agree with him. Instead, he retorted, "The people of Hexi still miss you."

"It's not just them, but many young men in the army also want to see you in person."

In Hexi, because Liu Jilong and Zhang Huaishen consolidated this hard-won peace, Zhang Yichao's status was unparalleled in the eyes of most Hexi people.

He was the first person to successfully resist the Tibetans, and Liu Jilong and Zhang Huaishen were his successors.

In Longxi, Liu Jilong was more revered, while in Hexi, Zhang Yichao was more revered, and in the Western Regions, Zhang Huaishen was more revered.

The flames of the Guiyi Army eventually burned the entire Northwest region.

"Your Highness, Father is not well. Let's talk inside."

Zhang Huaicheng considered himself a very confident person, but upon seeing Liu Jilong, he couldn't help but feel somewhat inferior.

He spoke cautiously, while Liu Jilong nodded confidently and generously, helping Zhang Yichao walk into the courtyard.

Before long, they arrived at the main hall, and Zhang Yichao's arrangement of the courtyard seemed to continue the practical approach he had taken in Shazhou.

Despite its apparent status as a second-rank official, it was actually inferior to the residence of a fourth-rank official.

"Hexi remains the same as always."

Liu Jilong and Zhang Yichao sat in the main seats, surveying the room before finally offering their comments.

This comment made Zhang Yichao laugh, because it meant that he was still himself and had not been corrupted by the years in Chang'an and Luoyang.

"I am very pleased that you can say that..."

After he finished speaking, he stopped talking and stared intently at Liu Jilong with a smile on his lips.

The more he looked, the more regretful he felt. He thought that if he had chosen to support Liu Jilong back then, although internal strife would definitely have broken out in the Guiyi Army in Hexi, with Liu Jilong and Zhang Huaishen's abilities, plus his own help, it should have been quelled quickly.

With the help of the five prefectures in Hexi, the two of them, one in the east and one in the west, could advance together and perhaps recover Longxi even faster.

"Back then, I lacked the courage, otherwise you wouldn't have had to wait until you're this old..."

Zhang Yichao suddenly spoke up, and Liu Jilong was slightly taken aback, but then smiled and said, "I am already very satisfied to have reached this point at such a young age."

His words were not at all polite; after all, he had prepared many of the means to unify the world, and now it was only a matter of time.

Zhang Yichao had clearly anticipated this, so in response to Liu Jilong's explanation, he nodded and said:
"The world has been in turmoil for too many years, and the people have longed for peace for too long. Can five years really bring them peace?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jilong laughed heartily and then said, "Why five years? Three years is enough!"

“Okay…” Zhang Yichao nodded, his gaze seemingly already seeing the world three years from now, and the scene of the people enjoying peace and prosperity.

Thinking of these scenes, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up, and he seemed to become more energetic.

"Then I will endure for another three years and wait until the world is peaceful and prosperous before I leave."

(End of this chapter)