Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 434 The Incident at Hebei
April 13th, on the south bank of the Yellow River.

The sky was dark and murky, with waves crashing into the sky. Moisture, carrying the earthy smell, swept over the north of Luoyang, casting an ominous gray fog over the outskirts of Heyin.

Erzhu Rong rode a huge black horse with golden eyes, and the horse's tack was extremely luxurious. However, he himself wore a tattered and old-fashioned suit of armor that was even covered in rust.

But this is a treasure passed down by Yujiulü, the guardian deity of the Qihu tribe and the symbol of the Qihu chieftain, who wears it on important occasions.

Surrounded by his generals, Erzhu Rong reined in his horse on the high slope and coldly gazed at the princes and officials slowly approaching from the direction of Luoyang in the distance—the long, dark procession looked just like a swarm of ants moving house.

"Is the altar ready?" After a long while, he suddenly asked in a deep voice.

"Your Excellency, everything is ready," replied the high shaman of the Qihu tribe.

Although the Northern Wei Dynasty had become Sinicized and embraced Buddhism in recent years, it still fundamentally adhered to the shamanistic beliefs of the Xianbei tribes.

Therefore, it is normal for a shaman to be in charge of the sacrificial ceremony. However, it is inappropriate for the chief shaman of the Qihu tribe to overstep his bounds and perform this task.

But today, Erzhu Rong is the most powerful, and he can make whoever he wants responsible take charge.

"How confident are you?" Erzhu Rong asked the great shaman again.

"Rest assured." The high shaman presented a bronze sword with both hands. "Your Majesty will surely have your wish fulfilled."

"Alright." Erzhu Rong took the sword, examined the mysterious patterns on its blade, and said coldly, "If it fails, I'll sacrifice you to the heavens."

“Yes,” the high shaman replied calmly.

~~
An hour later, the sky brightened.

The sun, crimson as blood, was obscured by dark clouds. More than two thousand princes and ministers of Luoyang had already lined up before the altar at Heyin. Even the seventy- and eighty-year-old members of the imperial family, supported by their children and grandchildren, stood shakily at the front of the procession.

There's no way around it; today is the grand day of the new emperor's ascension to the throne. Moreover, Erzhu Rong has made it clear beforehand that anyone who doesn't come is disrespecting the emperor, and they shouldn't blame me for making trouble for them afterward.

So everything that should have come and everything that shouldn't have come came, all in perfect unison, like never before.

Seven elderly men, each holding a black felt, stood before the princes. They were representatives of the seven imperial clans, who had protected the Tuoba clan's regime since their ancestors.

They will join the new ruler in offering sacrifices to Heaven, representing the various Xianbei tribes in swearing eternal loyalty to the new ruler.

The Empress Dowager, who had already become a nun, and the young emperor, who was about to step down from his post, were also waiting in a simple reed shed next to the altar. The shed was very rudimentary, forming a stark contrast to the magnificent new imperial tent opposite.

The atmosphere at the scene was very somber, with only the wind blowing from the Yellow River causing the banners to flutter.

Because all around them were fully armed Qihu cavalry. They were all on horseback, looking down at these usually high and mighty figures with the same indifferent gaze one would give a corpse.

At dawn, the mournful sound of horns rang out, and the Qihu soldiers began to beat their saddles with their curved swords, emitting howling cries.

"Why aren't you hurrying to welcome His Majesty?!" Erzhu Rong's nephew, Erzhu Zhao, shouted at the princes and officials.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome your presence!" Upon hearing this, the princes and officials quickly bowed and knelt towards the direction of the imperial tent.

However, when the curtain was lifted, it was Erzhu Rong sitting on the Hu bed that the Qihu soldiers carried out.

The courtiers all looked behind Erzhu Rong, but only saw his group of subordinates; the new emperor was nowhere to be seen.

As the princes and officials watched in astonishment, the folding chair was placed steadily on the altar. Erzhu Rong, imposing and arrogant, sat cross-legged, his handsome face filled with undisguised mockery. This deeply humiliated the assembled princes, but none dared to be the first to speak out at this moment…

"General Erzhu, where is the new emperor?!" someone asked loudly.

"Did I give you permission to speak?" Erzhu Rong's face immediately turned grim. He reached out and grabbed the talkative general from a distance, and without saying a word, crushed his neck in one swift motion.

When Erzhu Rong killed people without explanation, the officials were terrified and no one dared to say another word. They all obediently shrank their necks.

Even more humiliation was yet to come. Erzhu Rong said in a booming voice, "Many people may be seeing me for the first time, but I believe that during this period, they have all heard of my great name."

As he spoke, he raised his voice and said, "I, Erzhu Rong, a mere Qihu, have now marched straight down to Luoyang as if it were an empty land. Do you know why?"

"Because General Erzhu has restored order and established a new emperor, he has won the hearts of the people. As the saying goes, when the time is right, heaven and earth will lend their strength..." The ministers' reply was very skillful, both praising Erzhu Rong and subtly reminding him not to act recklessly, otherwise he would inevitably face the fate of "a hero who is not free when his luck turns".

"Alright, then how did the court lose the people's support?" Erzhu Rong wasn't about to be led by the nose, so he asked on his own.

"Of course it's because too many treacherous officials are acting against the natural order and causing chaos in the world," someone said, panting heavily.

"Who are those treacherous officials?" Erzhu Rong pressed.

"Zheng Yan, Xu He, Li Shengui..." the ministers replied.

"Is there anything else?" Erzhu Rong asked again.

"Oh right, there's also Yuan Cha and his brother Yuan Zhao." The princes and dukes quickly added, "Basically, all the bad things in the world can be traced back to these five people."

"And what about you? Does it have absolutely nothing to do with you?" Erzhu Rong retorted with a cold laugh.

"This..." The princes and nobles felt a chill run down their spines. So this fellow really was after them. They quickly cast 'everything can be discussed, don't say anything too absolute' glances, hoping he would be lenient with his words.

Erzhu Rong ignored him and angrily rebuked him, "Zheng Yan's male favorites of the Empress Dowager are guilty, but you are equally guilty!"
Empress Dowager Hu, who was in the reed shed, turned ashen-faced upon hearing this. This was hardly a request for her to abdicate; it was tantamount to a public execution.

But she had already been severely punished by Erzhu Shilong, so she didn't dare to utter a sound and could only listen obediently.

The courtiers were also in a bad mood, as Erzhu Rong's insults became increasingly vulgar:
"You all deserve to die for bringing the once mighty Great Wei to this state!"

"If you hadn't oppressed us so much, how could the Six Garrisons have rebelled? The people of Hebei are already starving, and you still want to squeeze them dry. How can the people not revolt?!" Erzhu Rong continued angrily, rebuking the princes and dukes:

"Even wolves on the grasslands, when starving, know to protect their cubs. You vultures, however, peck at the bones of your own people, sucking out even the marrow!"

Erzhu Rong grew increasingly angry as he spoke, and stood up abruptly from his couch, pointing at the assembled officials and shouting:

"You have hollowed out the land of the Great Wei! You have gnawed away at the very foundation of the Tuoba clan's state! You are the greatest scourge of the world. Only by killing you all can we appease public anger, stabilize the state, and revive the Great Wei!"

The courtiers tensed up upon hearing this. But even now, no one believed he could actually kill them all. They thought it was just a bluff.

But Erzhu Rong said resolutely, "Today, the new emperor ascends the throne. I, Erzhu Rong, will offer your heads as a sacrifice to the heavens to bring about the rebirth of the Great Wei!"

After saying this, he raised his hand, and two thousand Qihu cavalrymen simultaneously drew their scimitars, the cold light so bright that the assembled officials could not open their eyes.

(End of this chapter)