The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 346 Destroying Liang (Part 1)

As the sun sets, the villagers in the village on the cliff begin to descend the mountain.

Along the riverbank, where the water shimmered and sparkled, women and children rolled up their trousers and cast nets into the water.

The old man and woman, with kudzu vines wrapped around their heads more than a dozen times, gathered firewood from all around.

"I wonder when Sanlang will be able to return..."

"Stop reading! If you're taken to war, how will you survive?"

"What about the wife? Is she going to be a widow and ruin someone else's child? ... I think, once things are peaceful, can we find a proper family to settle her off? We're going to die sooner or later anyway, why should we drag her down with us?"

"Who will we send them to...? We've captured almost all the men in the surrounding villages."

"Mom, we have food! I caught a fish!"

A newly dug grave stands on the desolate plain. Several women, covered in dirt, stand around, leaning on hoes.

The deceased was a middle-aged official and the leader of this village. He led them to escape here last year and died last night.

Several women dug a deep pit and piled up a high mound of earth. Among them, the official's son did the least work. He was young and not very strong, but he was not idle. While the women were digging the pit, he and his sister found some planks to make a tombstone.

But as for how the epitaph should be written, the brother and sister and the people present just looked at each other in silence.

In the end, the son had no choice but to carve the words "Tomb of Master Zhang Fei" crookedly on the wooden board.

Having a grave, a tombstone, and a monument, even though a religious ceremony is still lacking, is already a great blessing for the deceased in this day and age.

The younger sister hugged the wooden tombstone and planted it on the grave.

From behind, all you can see is his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

The people were busy gathering food and burying the dead when they suddenly heard the faint sound of horses' hooves coming from afar.

Everyone stirred and looked around.

Just when I thought I had misheard, the rumbling sound came clearly from afar and grew closer.

An old man suddenly stood up, waved, and shouted, "Go up the mountain!!"

The field was instantly thrown into chaos.

The official's son rushed forward and pulled up his sister, who was still clinging to the tombstone.

The crowd scrambled up the mountain along the path in a chaotic manner.

The rumbling sound grew louder and clearer.

Judging by their sheer numbers, it must be a force of at least ten thousand cavalry! In such chaotic times, a large contingent galloping by at dusk…

Everyone's face changed color and they trembled with fear.

Before they had all entered the woods, the incredibly fast warhorses were already nearby. The soldiers on horseback clung to their horses' necks, neighing and barking.

Those who were slow on their feet and didn't make it into the woods immediately collapsed to the ground.

The official's son turned pale and held his sister tightly, covering her mouth.

If I had known, I shouldn't have gone down the mountain!
Dust billowed on the main road as cavalry units came one after another.

Small groups of rangers rushed into the woods in twos and threes, and soon disappeared into the mountains and fields.

The younger sister trembled in her brother's arms, while the brother, with his eyes closed, murmured a prayer: "Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and ancestors, there is nothing here, it is not worth your coming in..."

"Damn it!" A cacophony of voices erupted from afar: "What a damn bastard! Back when I was attacking Tokyo with the Emperor, we were scouting through here. I remember there were a few lively villages here, and we even treated the locals to a meal of yellow wine and pork leg. Now, where is the whole place?"

"Who did this! They burned this place down!"

More people dismounted and began searching.

"These few sets of tattered leather armor and the mule hoof prints all over the ground—judging by the style, they belong to Quan Zhong's Crane Control Army!"

"Your Majesty, it's Zhu Dalang's men! Henan is under the jurisdiction of the Bianliang Military Prefecture, their own territory, and yet they're attacking our people!"

"How are they different from the Jin army, the Cai army, the Chao army, and the Xuanzhou troops?"

"Report! To the King of Wu, a group of Bian people have been captured! Bring them here!"

"There are still a few of their strongholds on that white cliff. Should we attack and capture them?"

Amid the commotion, many civilians who had been working nearby were arrested and driven by the knights to the middle of the road: "Traitors! Kneel down!"

Everyone lowered their eyes and hands, stuck out their buttocks, and silently knelt down.

The official's son and sister were brought back by knights and thrown to the ground: "Your Majesty, there is a young woman! Her youth is comparable to Your Majesty's, I will offer her to the King of Wu!"

The younger sister, her face flushed, struggled desperately, her shoes slipping off her feet and revealing her dirty, delicate toes kicking wildly in the air. Rain-drenched, misty eyes met King Wu's observing gaze, and both were instantly filled with fear and grievance.

Zhao Cun swept his gaze across the kneeling people and immediately ordered loudly, "These rebels who have paid taxes and performed corvée labor for the Zhu family, kill them!"

With a whoosh, a large group of knights raised their lances.

King Wu then realized what was happening and shouted, "You mustn't kill him!"

Zhao Cun glanced at him, crossed his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, these are all unrepentant scoundrels. If we don't kill them, are we just waiting for their descendants to rebel endlessly?"

“I say we must not kill them.” King Wu met Zhao Cun’s gaze: “The flowers, trees, livestock and cattle of Bianzhou are also working for the Zhu family and their sons to fight for the rebels. Should all the trees in Bianliang be cut down and all the livestock in Bianliang be killed after we capture Bianliang?”

“Humans and animals are different.” Zhao Cunyou refused to give up.

"They're the same." King Wu swept his gaze over the kneeling people, urine streaming down their faces. They were no different from cattle or horses.

In his previous life, the King of Wu thought that the people of the Central Plains were hateful.

However, he now understands that all conflicts in this world are based on social status, not on ethnicity, surname, or clan.

The emperor should be more concerned with how to unite the lowly class.

Moreover, the Book of Han states that a prosperous people and a strong nation lead to peace and prosperity. If the Tang Dynasty was powerful but its people were not wealthy or content, what was the point of such power and revival?
In its quest for restoration, it resorted to any means necessary, treating the people like straw dogs and not human beings. What was the point of the empire's prosperity?
Is it merely to preserve the rule of my Li family? Such a rule is bound to be short-lived.

Everyone is a human being, and no one can be killed or oppressed without cause.

"Where are you all from?" King Wu dismounted and asked in front of the crowd. "From Shou'an."

"Yique".

Luoyang.

Zhengzhou.

…………

Why did you come here?

"While we were planting in the fields, government troops suddenly entered the village, seized people, and took them away to fight."

.........

"I am Li Jingshen, the Prince of Wu of the Holy Tang Dynasty. The Holy Tang army is a righteous force." The Prince of Wu waved his hand: "You may leave. Wait until the traitor Zhu is captured before returning to your hometown. In this day and age, it's not easy to survive, so don't lose it again!"

"Thank you, King Wu! Thank you, King Wu!" The crowd hurriedly kowtowed and scattered like birds and beasts.

The name "King of Wu"... Li Jingshen's three words clearly entered the ears of the official's son. He looked at his sister and then secretly spied on the King of Wu.

With their parents gone, how will the two siblings, an orphan and a brother, survive?
His eyes darted around a few times, and he gritted his teeth: "Your Majesty, can my brother and I stay?"

"You're really going to talk back!" Zhao Cun cursed, pointing his knife at the enemy: "Get lost!"

The younger sister was so frightened that she trembled and quickly tried to pull her older brother away.

"General Zhao, you wouldn't be afraid of having two more young men and women among us, would you?" King Wu smiled and said, "Then let them stay and serve as my attendants."

Zhao Cundao sheathed his sword and laughed heartily, "Your Majesty, what are you saying! These matters are ultimately decided by Your Majesty!"

With a thud, the two knights had already grabbed the brother and sister and brought them to a spot not far from the King of Wu.

Minister Yuan Xie of the Prince's Palace quickly went to help the two up.

The younger sister dusted herself off, ignoring Yuan Xie, and ran barefoot towards the King of Wu, looking at him with her red eyes.

The King of Wu patted her head, and his anger dissipated. He smiled bitterly at his brother and said, "Why are you doing this? I'm already overwhelmed with troubles, how can I possibly care about the two of you?"

"Your Majesty, my name is Song Fujin." The younger sister pursed her lips and stretched out her right hand to King Wu, holding a small fish in her tiny hand.

“I don’t eat fish.” King Wu grinned, revealing his missing teeth, and shook his head. “You two go with Yuan Xie for now. I have other things to do.”

The younger sister nodded obediently and walked to stand next to Yuan Xie.

King Wu looked around, his gaze lingering briefly on Zhao Cun. He wanted to say something about what had just happened, but realizing he couldn't afford to offend the Zhao family, he swallowed his words. He was outnumbered and outmatched; King Wu would never risk making enemies of the Zhao family and their circle because of Zhao Cun.

What can I, Li Jingshen, do? Of course, I choose to forgive you.

"Now that we have reached Yique, Luoyang is in sight." King Wu adjusted his belt and looked around at everyone: "The court has already issued edicts to all the garrisons to jointly punish the Zhu traitor, but there has been no response yet. My army is attacking Bianliang alone, and the chances of victory are not great. I think we should go and urge the Weibo, Zhongwu, and Yicheng armies to join us."

The generals were speechless.

"What's the military situation in the Central Plains right now?" At this crucial moment, the King of Wu realized he had forgotten something again.

"Zhu Dalang's main force is concentrated at Tongguan." Qi Yanshu replied straightforwardly, "The troops left to guard Bianliang are estimated to be over ten thousand. However, Bianliang is a large city with a large population. They can also conscript civilians to defend the city. If they attack the city, they will inevitably have to fight to the death against more than ten thousand people."

"I, the King, have assumed the post of Regent and will lead the campaign against the rebels." Upon hearing this, the King of Wu looked at his generals and said in a deep voice, "You are all veteran generals. You should know that the attack on the city must be kept secret as quickly as possible, so as not to give the enemy any room to react. Last time, I received a report that Zhu Dalang has been besieging Tongguan day and night and has already entered the fortified city. Marquis Changshan is seriously injured, the fortified city is ravaged by plague, the soldiers are angry and in disarray, and the Emperor's return date is unknown. The situation is very dangerous. I do not intend to delay and want to advance tonight."

"King Wu is wise." That was the consensus they had reached, and none of the generals had any objections.

"Thank you!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Xie, the Grand Master of the Eastern Pavilion, stepped forward.

"The Zhongwu Army killed their commander and surrendered, sending the widows and daughters of Zhao Chang and his brothers, including Lady Cai, Lady Lin, and Lady Zhao, to the court. This shows they have lost all courage in the face of the Holy Tang Dynasty. Now the Central Plains are in chaos, the rule of Bianliang is collapsing, and I am already on my way to attack Bianliang. As long as I receive the letter, the Zhongwu Army should cooperate in sending troops. Go to Chenzhou and make promises about official positions and so on. Within the bounds of the system, you can do as you see fit."

The mention of the Lin family, the Cai family, and Consort Zhao would make the King of Wu extremely embarrassed.

On one occasion, when they went to pay homage to the emperor, the mother and her five daughters actually sat together on the same bed next to the emperor, sharing the same husband!
The youngest janitor, Zhao Meng, is probably not even as old as him.

What a tragedy!
"Here!"

"Gao Gang! In recent years, Weibo has maintained a very close relationship with the imperial court. The Yicheng army is weak and has not been in rebellion against Zhu Wen for long. They are also afraid of being purged by Zhu Dalang. I estimate that they can be mobilized. Go to Huazhou first, and then go to Yecheng to visit Commander Tian and the other government officials. Try to persuade the Yicheng army and Weibo to send troops and block the Yellow River to prevent the Bian people from fleeing north."

"Here!"

"The art of begging for a beautiful face".

"The end will be here."

"I received an imperial edict last time that there are still a few Bian troops guarding the grain transport route in Luoyang. You are to take two thousand cavalry and four thousand horses and go to Luoyang immediately to scout out where their grain transport warehouses are located and where their garrison is situated. Give me a full account of the situation later, and wipe them out in one fell swoop!"

"Here!"

King Wu pondered for a moment, stroking his chin: "I remember Wang Shifan was also a loyal minister?"

Someone couldn't hold back and let out a suppressed laugh.

“Well…” a minister said, “He does have some loyalty, but Qingzhou is far away, and there are the towns of Yan and Yun in between, so we can’t take care of him for the time being.”

"Very well." King Wu thought for a moment, then asked, "What if the Bian army from Songzhou, Yanzhou, Yunzhou, and other places comes to help defend Bianliang out of a sense of impending doom?"

“If it were a matter of mutual dependence, we would have followed Zhu Dalang long ago.” Zhao Cun sneered, “Anyone with ambition is always thinking of themselves. Expecting them to risk the territory they have worked so hard to acquire for Zhu Dalang’s sake is not their style.”

So what if he comes?
Fuck you!

After a moment's thought, and confirming that nothing had been overlooked, the King of Wu mounted his horse, flicked his yellow robe, and declared, "Let's go! We'll take Tokyo!"

Mother, look!

Your son is fighting for your position outside!

My son and I will one day be able to hold our heads high and stand tall. These days of humiliation and compromise will not last much longer!
…………

The fierce battle at Tongguan had reached a point where it resembled two half-dead people struggling to survive.

(End of this chapter)