The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 78: Fairy in the Rainy Night
On June 15, the cavalry generals Helian Weihuan, Ma Quanzheng, and Kang Lingzhong led 2,000 cavalrymen to the south bank of the Luo River, intending to attack Dali County.

Xie Jun, the general of Tongzhou, hated the brutality of his soldiers, so he led his troops to flee to Luoshui on the day of the rebellion. When he saw the king's army, he joined forces with Helian Weihuan, and the number of infantry, cavalry, armored soldiers and auxiliary troops reached 5,000, claiming to be 20,000.

The rebel army must have felt the pressure and made up their minds early - either flee or fight.

On June 17, Helian Weihuan and Xie Jun suddenly crossed the Luo River with 5,000 men to provoke the rebel army.

Shi Cong, who was left behind to defend the rebel army, saw that the king's cavalry was large, so he recruited civilians to dig trenches and build chevaux de frise outside the city, intending to close the city and defend it. But in this day and age, if you don't dare to fight in the field, what kind of governor is it? As a result, the soldiers naturally despised him and surrounded him to ridicule and mock him. Shi Cong spent all his family wealth to reward people and barely saved his life, but no one took him seriously.

Shi Cong simply changed into casual clothes and escaped at night.

This is not counting.

The rebel army then appointed Deputy Envoy Fei Zhongkang as their leader, but he also knew that leaving the city would bring him no benefits, so he earnestly explained the pros and cons to everyone, but the soldiers were too lazy to listen to his nonsense and started to make a fuss as they rushed into Ba's mansion. Fei Zhongkang fled on horseback.

On the 18th, the rebel army led ten generals including Qin Xiong to fight.

Helian Weihuan inherited the fighting style of the Jin people. He personally ambushed in the bushes, captured 200 cavalrymen, and killed them. Then he hung heads on his horse, held two short spears and rushed into the marching army, stabbing seven people to death, wiped the blood from his face, and left with a laugh. The cavalrymen who followed him also made a noise, standing on horseback from a distance and urinating at the rioters.

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At night, a midsummer thunderstorm swept through Chang'an, hitting the banana leaves and making them droop. The lotus in the pond was fragrant, and green fireflies were flying all over the sky. However, the servants had no time to appreciate the moonlight in the lotus pond, and they just stood there with their heads down in silence.

Ximen Zhong, who had been sleeping for many days, sat up from the couch and looked around with his blind eyes. After a pause, he groped for the furniture with his hands and walked into the courtyard step by step. The heavy rain poured down on his head. The servants were all horrified when they saw him, and no one dared to come forward.

"Bang!" Lightning exploded, illuminating the old man's skinny body.

"It's a sign from God." Ximen Chong then sat down beside the stone table.

"Father, what are you doing!" The moment he saw him, Ximen Qi rushed over, knelt in front of him, held his feet, and burst into tears: "Father..."

All the civil and military officials who arrived understood.

Compared to the loss of voice of Ximen Yuanyuan, the general of Baoguo Army, Li Yanzhen's eyes were red, and most of the other fake sons and generals were also sighing secretly. Thinking of the once majestic military appearance, they were all filled with sighs.

"What do you look like? Stand still, I have something to say." The old man put on a military posture.

Ximen Qi nodded, stood up, lowered his head and stood silently, letting the heavy rain wash the back of his neck.

Among them, Ximen Qi, Ximen Yuanyuan, and Li Yanzhen stood in the first row, which also showed the status of the three. Apart from the old man, they were the leaders of the gang. The second row was Ximen Wuji, Ximen Xi, Ximen Huan, Li Sizhou and others. Their qualifications were not as good as the three in front of them, but they were also quite trusted by the old man. The other generals and disciples stood under the eaves of the corridor and looked at the scene in the rain. They were not qualified to be caught in the rain.

The old man looked dazed as he scanned his confidants one by one, especially Ximen Xi and Ximen Wuji.

"Xi'er, Wuji." The old man shouted.

"Please speak, Junrong."

"Father, Wuji is here!"

The old man looked back at Ximen Qi, and then patted the backs of their hands: "Qi'er is well-versed in history and the present, and has the ability to remember ten lines at a glance and never forget them. He is quite intelligent. I have decided to let him take you with him. I hope he will do his best and be loyal to the king, and have no other ambitions."

"Don't worry, father. Wuji will follow your instructions." Ximen Wuji said through gritting his teeth.

Ximen Xi, who was standing next to him, did not say anything. Everyone looked at him. Ximen Xi had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "I will definitely not let you down."

The old man was relieved and swore in front of so many people. He was not afraid that the other party would go back on his word.

This confirmed Ximen Qi's leadership position among his disciples.

"Prince Qin, Yan Zhen, Jun Shi, Ke Liang, and Li Yun." The old man called five more people.

The five of them stepped forward together, bowed and promised: "I will be here!"

"Si Zhou, you are honest and sincere, do not love power, and are brave. You are a role model for the royal family, so I am relieved to hand over the Yaowu Army to you. Jun Shi, you followed my brother to fight Huang Chao, defeat Zhu Mei, and protect the late emperor. Your contribution is invaluable. Yan Zhen, you are taciturn and very brave, and you are my brother."

"Li Keliang, Li Yun, you were still children when the Chaos broke out and were thrown into the Sixteenth Prince's residence. I picked you up and brought you up. You have been with me through thick and thin over the years and have made great contributions."

"The saint has made many changes, and perhaps he can help prolong the protection of the ancestral temple. Since you are men of the royal family, you will serve the saint in the future. You must help with all your heart, so that the Shatuo dare not look down on the court, and the vassal states dare not challenge the throne lightly. Although the country is in danger, it will not perish. Only then can I rest assured in the underworld."

"Military appearance--" Five people bowed down together.

Li Sizhou was in tears, Li Yun, Li Keliang and Li Junshi were choked with sobs and unable to speak, and the usually withdrawn Li Yanzhen also had red eyes.

After arranging these royal children, the old man called Ximen Qi over and said, "First, you must attack the Jin merchants. Otherwise, the canal transportation will be blocked by the Bian people, and the court will be locked in Guanzhong, with no hope of recovering Bashu. Secondly, the emperor's foundation is already secure. As long as he doesn't deal with you, you must not have any other intentions. The Ximen family is handed over to you, so you must tread carefully."

Ximen Qi was already out of breath: "Son—remember this!"

The old man asked Ximen Qi to help him back to the bedroom.

"There are...some things I can't say." The old man just lay on the bamboo mat and looked at the ceiling, and said in a low voice: "I think Ximen Xi and his men don't obey you. When I die, you banish them from the capital and send them to the vassal states to supervise the army. If they refuse to take up the post, trick them into the mansion and kill them."

Ximen Qi wiped his nose and asked, "What if you don't come?"

"The saint will help you. Although he hates eunuchs like me, not all relatives and court officials are good believers. As long as you don't rebel and show your loyalty, he will support you. Keep the military power if you can, don't force it."

"Also, if there are warriors harboring rebellious intentions, even the slightest hint, their entire clan will be exterminated..." The old man's voice suddenly became smaller.

The only sound left in my ears was Ximen Qi's intermittent crying.

There was a rumble of thunder and the lights in the room flickered.

The old man's eyes gradually became dull, and scenes flashed through his mind. The former emperor was in disgrace in Western Shu, and was unhappy in Chengdu. Everyone tried to cheer him up in various ways all day long.

Zhu Mei and Li Changfu's cavalry were chasing them relentlessly. His eldest brother Ximen Kuangfan led the troops to cover the late emperor. He held the late emperor in his arms, pulled him by the hand, and ran breathlessly with a group of princes and grandchildren.

The fierce battle at Longwei Pond was fierce.

The second brother, Ximen Sigong, was critically ill and entrusted the family to him in tears.

Besieged Yang Fugong's residence.

Liu Xianyuan shot and killed the cavalry general of the Qi army with one arrow.

Li Yanzhen was holding the bloody head of the court official.

Zuo Zang Curry, the saint pulled his sleeve and laughed, not acting like an emperor.

The saint's face turned red from the scolding at the Yanying Hall meeting.

In the bedroom, the saint held his hand and advised him to take good care of his illness.

——Ximen Zhongsui said nothing, his skinny arms hanging down on the edge of the bed.

Three doctors came to the bed.

After repeatedly checking the breath and touching the neck pulse, the three exchanged glances and nodded at the same time, then turned around together: "The meritorious official who protected the country and pacified the rebellion, the Purple Gold Guanglu Doctor, the Marquis of Chencang with a fief of 300 households, the military commander of the ten armies and twelve guards, rode a crane to Lingshan and ascended to heaven."

The waiters gradually knelt down.

The sound of dense footsteps rang out, and Li Sizhou and others strode in.

Junrong has stopped breathing.

In the dead silence, the two young children that the old man had picked up on the roadside and adopted burst into tears, their little hands scratching his belly, "Father, Ximen Chongsui, what's wrong with you? Get up!"

The maid handed over the white cloth that had been prepared in advance with both hands.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Ximen Qi, Ximen Yuanyuan, Li Yanzhen and Li Sizhou stepped forward to cover the body of the Ten Army Father whom they respected and feared.

At dawn, the thunderstorm had just stopped and the sage had just gotten up when Lady Nangong Chongyan of Handan County hurried into the bedroom.

"Last night at 2:00 pm, the Imperial Household Attendant, the Hero Who Protected the Country and Suppressed the Rebellion, the Purple Gold Doctor, the Marquis of Chencang, and the Military Supervisor of the Ten Armies and Twelve Guards, Ximen Chongsui... passed away at the age of sixty-one."

When the serving palace maids heard this, they couldn't help but cheer for joy.

Old thief!

Good death, good death!
A few eunuchs were so sad about the death of the rabbit that they gathered together and shed tears.

The saint is combing his hair.

Hearing this, he slowly placed his hand on the wooden platform.

When the old swineherd was around, we had quarreled and made a fuss, we had hated and cried, but now... I felt as if a mountain had fallen from my heart, yet at the same time, I felt a little indescribable.

"Change your clothes for me."

The maid opened the wardrobe and asked, "Warrior, court, official, and daily clothing, everyone wants to change--"

Nangong Chongyan knew what the saint was thinking, and continued, "The emperor mourns and attends the funeral, wearing a white cape and a single garment, and everyone should change to plain clothes."

After saying this, he walked up to the saint and while combing his hair, he asked, "Now that the old thief has passed away, do we want to hold a funeral according to the rites of a king or a prince?"

The saint nodded: "Of course."

As a person, he was sincerely happy. As an emperor, he would not be emotional. When a person dies, the past grievances and entanglements are not worth mentioning. What is important is to deal with the aftermath - give the face that should be given and do the things that should be done. This is politics and the rule of the times.

So Nangong Chongyan sat down behind the desk and took down a note of the orders that were about to be issued to various departments.

"Three sacrificial articles and one epitaph written by the Academy of Scholars."

"The Ministry of Works made a stele and a tower, as well as warrior figurines, painted female figurines, golden lotus lantern figurines, stone statues, stone qilins, and stone elephants."

"The Privy Councillor and Lingxiao Shinto Envoy Zhao Ruxin was ordered to draw Shinto pictures and compose Shinto texts."

"Send the Imperial Academy to draft an edict, suspend court for two days, and prohibit killing animals in games on the day of the funeral."

All etiquette is the same as that of a prime minister.

The old man's fake subordinates should be able to rest assured. If they still think that the saint is planning to deal with them, then they have something wrong with their brains.

It would be better to finish the funeral as soon as possible so that he could rescue his two sisters-in-law who were trapped in the devil's den - Meng Cairen and Zheng Zhaoyi.

My brother's wife was raped and beaten by a warrior, and was tormented until she cried and screamed. How could I, as his younger brother, just sit there and watch?

I hope my two sisters-in-law can endure the humiliation for the time being and not commit suicide.

(End of this chapter)