The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 327 Li Luoluo

A large troop of fast horses galloped along the main street outside Jinyang Palace.

The road was paved with bluestone, and the horses' hooves thundered on it. The knights surrounded several thin figures, who were none other than the young commanders Li Luoluo and Li Kening, who now controlled all the remaining forces of the four towns.

Li Luoluo sat on her horse, surveying the magnificent city street with her eyes fixed straight ahead, surrounded only by the Shatuo guards on watch.

Everything was quiet.

Looking further ahead, the palaces stood under the bright sun, yet seemed even more desolate.

Li Luo silently walked into the passageway and stopped in an elegant yet eerie hall.

Outside the palace, there were layers upon layers of troops from various Shatuo Turkic tribes.

Upon seeing Li Luoluo, the officer in charge raised his hand, and everyone bowed respectfully: "Young Marshal!"

At that time and in that place, no one was more powerful than Li Luoluo. Everyone had to act according to his mood, including Lao Wang and Ya Zi!
He imprisoned Li Keyong here, but he still lived in the Jinyang Palace, the most prominent place in Beijing in terms of power and status.

However, all the palace gates were blocked.

The eunuchs, servants, and maids who once served Li Keyong have also been dismissed.

The windows were also nailed shut to prevent Li Keyong from having any last thoughts.

And so many warriors were assigned.

Li Keyong's fate was similar to that of Li Yuan, Li Longji, and King Wuling of Zhao.

Li Dalang had no other intentions towards him. He joined forces with Li Kening to overthrow him only to save his career, but he would not allow Li Dalang any freedom!

Li Dalang dismounted, and dozens of his followers also jumped down.

The sound of leather boots clattering filled the air as the group stepped onto the palace path and ascended the steps.

"Young Marshal!" Several Uyghur servants in colorful robes ran out of the hall to greet him.

Li Dalang, his face dark, looked up and surveyed the palace, then asked, "How is the lord?"

A servant bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty eats and sleeps as usual, and does nothing but read and cultivate himself... But sometimes he locks himself in his room and doesn't move for several days in a row, and doesn't see anyone."

"My old man—he's been in seclusion for deep thought, it's an old habit of his." Li Dalang raised his hand to stop his report, shook his head and said, "King Li is King Li. Now he's transcended, but I still have to risk my life for the Shatuo and the four military prefectures! The taste of power is hard to describe!"

After saying that, he tossed his head and strode inside.

Inside the palace, the servants that Li Dalang had assigned to attend to him knelt on either side.

Although his father was deprived of his freedom, Li Dalang was not stingy with any provisions, and dutifully served King Li. Who could have imagined that not long ago, if Li Keyong hadn't made concessions, the father and son would have almost turned Taiyuan Prefecture into a second Hongnong!
Li Dalang walked through the palace passage, turning and twisting inside, and finally arrived at a separate courtyard behind the palace.

Inside the courtyard walls, the lotus flowers in the pond are almost gone.

Li Dalang gazed at his reflection in the lotus pond, removed his armor and weapons, tossed them to his attendants, straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and knelt down: "Greetings, Your Excellency! I wonder where your father's heart finds peace? Your son bows in gratitude!"

"Bang, bang, bang." She swiftly grabbed the ground three times.

As I stood up, I saw Li Keyong, dressed in white, with his long, flowing hair parted in the middle, standing by the railing of the waterside pavilion, quietly watching the sunlight reflecting off the pond and the fish.

"My lord?" Li Dalang called out again.

Li Keyong turned around, sat down, and said, "Whether I'm at ease or not depends entirely on your fighting outside. I haven't heard any smoke or fire, so I'll just wait. What are you doing here?"

Li Luoluo sat down at the table opposite him and pointed north: "Damn it, Liu Rengong is gathering troops in Daizhou, preparing to march south into Fanshi and the surrounding area. I'm afraid I'll have to lead my troops out of the capital and fight this bastard a few more times! If we can repel the Yan people and recapture Pingcheng, the situation will still be manageable. If I die, I can only hope that my son will preserve the fortunes of my family and the military government!"

Li Keyong smiled slightly.

The eldest daughter is intelligent and strong-willed, while the second daughter is lively and clever.

Erlang is cunning and resourceful, while Dalang is ambitious, fierce, and warlike.

He knew his children's nature perfectly.

Originally, it was thought that father and son were one, and that Li Dalang would still rely on Li Keyong to conquer all sides, to charge into battle, and to do the most dangerous things. Unexpectedly, Dalang was no longer willing to be subordinate to others for even a moment longer!
Was he waiting for an opportunity to rebel?

When Li Kening and Li Dalang entered the city, reports surfaced that the imperial army was merely observing and waiting, while most of the tribal troops had rebelled. King Li and Liu Daoxun exchanged opinions and decided to peacefully relinquish power and abdicate. As long as they could defeat the Yan people, at least Dalang wouldn't let the Four Garrisons' cause collapse like this! It was truly difficult for a one-armed, one-eyed general with tarnished prestige to command the overall situation!

Why did it both happen to him and his son, leaving them crippled and the Yan people to benefit, making Emperor Li a laughingstock?

Now, King Li only hopes that his eldest son can lead the demoralized and weakened Jin army to victory...

King Li looked at his son's still-childish face and remained silent.

He himself had suffered many losses at the hands of the Yan people, though he had also won quite a few... not to mention Emperor Li, who was always looking for an opportunity. The future of the war was far from optimistic. He might even have to abandon this place and return to Jin Town, Shenwu Village...

After much internal struggle, a dazed Li Keyong finally asked in a low voice, "Brother, what are the prospects?"

Li Luoluo shrugged, raised her teacup, and said calmly, "Observing the way of Heaven, acting in accordance with Heaven's will, and simply striving in the right direction..."

“Observe the way of Heaven, act in accordance with Heaven…” Li Keyong was stunned, once again filled with remorse, his heart pounding.

After a long while, Li Keyong gently closed his eyes: "My eldest son would never act as a filial son for no reason... What use would he have for me?"

Li Dalang showed no remorse whatsoever. He poured Li Keyong a bowl of tea and said with a smile, "Our army has suffered a series of defeats, and the morale of the generals and soldiers has plummeted. This battle, in which I lead the army to resist Liu Rengong, is truly a matter of life and death. How can we not feel the chill of the Yi River? I can handle the tribal army myself. If anyone doesn't give their all, we'll deal with them! It's just that the adopted sons and your foster sons still need your guidance and support... I may have been disobedient, but at this time, my son and I cannot afford to be angry."

Li Keyong looked at the thick-skinned old man, speechless, feeling both sorrow and joy.

Tragically, he was the one sitting opposite me, while I was the one locked up here…

The good news is that he might have a son who can clean up the mess and take over the reins. His eldest son is ambitious and resolute, capable of commanding an army. His second son is cunning and resourceful, exceptionally intelligent. If they can be brotherly and respectful, dragging down the emperor and waiting to seize the throne, there is hope…

Dalang was certain that he wouldn't refuse this request...

"Cough cough..." Li Keyong coughed violently several times, spitting out a handful of blood. After a long pause, his expression shifted, and he said hoarsely, "Daizhou is the last line of defense for Beijing against Yan. If it were me, I would just block the Yan people at Shiling Pass instead of engaging in battle. The Yan people are not like us; they have a lot of internal strife, and none of their soldiers or officers are human... As long as we remain calm and wait for them to go mad, we might be able to break through again..."

"Also, be careful of Chen Xiong! He is an old general under Wang Chongrong, and also half of my uncle's brother. His grandson is the Prince of Lu, and now he holds the imperial staff in Hezhong. Our relationship is not what it used to be!"

As he muttered to himself, Li Keyong's one eye suddenly widened, staring intently at Li Dalang: "Dalang, there's one more thing. Be extremely wary of Goujiaozhen's sneak attacks. Keep men on standby, ready to stab us in the back at any moment! That beast, when he strikes, he takes lives!"

“I know my brother-in-law’s style like the back of my hand. If you don’t give him a chance, he can only watch helplessly. In the Battle of Tongzhou, if the lord hadn’t been so indecisive and courted death, how could my brother-in-law have achieved such results?” Thinking of this, Li Dalang became angry.

Where did the adults' brains go?
Li Keyong's face turned pale and then red, but he couldn't lash out. He could only grit his teeth and say, "Also, Zhu Dalang invited us to Chang'an, asking us to attack Shangjun and enter the pass from the north of Jingzhao. He led the main force to launch a fierce attack on Wuguan..."

Li Dalang interrupted calmly: "He's lying to you."

Why did he lie to me?

"Because you're easy to fool."

Li Keyong kept a straight face and didn't say anything.

"I don't believe him! In my heart, what Zhu Dalang said is no different from that bastard father of his." Li Dalang ignored his temper and cursed him for a while. After cursing Zhu Dalang, he smiled slightly, stood up and bowed: "Sir, please live your life in peace. This family business is handed over to your son! The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for three days from now. At that time, your son will personally escort you to the military headquarters and the training ground, so that all the officials and soldiers, both Han and non-Han, can see how we, father and son, are united in protecting our cause!"

“I will go, but—” Li Keyong rubbed his forehead: “…there is a condition.”

"What are your orders, sir?"

"What are your orders, sir?"

"Your sister..." Li Keyong said softly, "Your eldest sister was born when I was serving in the Datong Army. Her mother, on her deathbed, entrusted me with protecting her... I once interrogated Guo Chongtao after his return from his mission, and he said she had gone mad... Now she is alone in the prison, with no one to care for her. Just thinking about it makes me miserable. You must find a way to bring your eldest sister back. I think even though that dog-footed emperor hates me to the bone, he won't be reluctant to let her go. He has three thousand beauties; he won't lack your sister. That way, when we meet again in the afterlife, I will not have failed my deceased wife."

Li Dalang frowned and coldly questioned, "This is the sin of the lord! There are many of us sisters, and who hasn't been harmed by the lord to this extent! The emperor's family, all the civil and military officials, not one of them doesn't hate my father and me to death. How could they spare my sister's life!"

"Not dead, not dead..." King Li's restraint vanished, and he kept repeating, "I know a little about this dog-footed emperor. He's not the kind of heartless emperor who would kill his wife for the sake of righteousness. He hates me, but not to the point of hating everything I do. He's definitely still alive, still alive..."

Li Dalang just glared at him fiercely.

After a long silence, Li Dalang suddenly turned around and strode away, saying, "Indeed, the son pays for the father's sins! I committed a grave sin in my past life, and now I've been reborn into this family! Just wait and see... Uncle Guo, in my name, send letters to the Zhao and Wei families sue for peace. From this day forward, the soldiers of Hedong will not cross the Taihang Mountains!"

"What about Chang'an?"

"Let's talk again."

(End of this chapter)