Taiheiki

Chapter 277 Bargaining

"We must send an envoy out of the city to invite him in to discuss state affairs!" Dou Wu said. "However, judging from the Emperor's current state, we cannot delay, so this person must be able to prove our sincerity!"

"I am willing to go!" Dou Ji felt a surge of warmth in his chest and stepped forward, saying, "Let me go!"

"You?" Dou Wu looked at his son with suspicion and shook his head: "How can a junior like you shoulder such a heavy responsibility!"

"I think my younger brother is quite good!" the Empress Dowager said. "In the end, people like Wei Cong are not easily persuaded by eloquence. My younger brother's status is what it is. The fact that he can leave the city as an envoy proves our sincerity!"

"That's right!" Dou Ji suddenly had a bright idea and shouted, "Wei Cong can also detain me in the army and use me as a hostage to enter the city!"

"Hostage?" Dou Wu looked at his youngest son in surprise. He hadn't expected that his son, who was usually so extravagant and dissolute, would actually volunteer to be a hostage in exchange for Wei Cong's entry into the city. He felt a surge of relief: "Good, it's good that you have this idea! Remember, just tell Wei Cong the truth about the Emperor, and don't say anything unnecessary, so as not to cause any unnecessary trouble!"

Outside Luoyang City, at Biyong, the headquarters of Wei Cong.

"What? Dou Wu has sent another envoy from the city? Is it Marquis Dou Ji of Weiyang?" Wei Cong was taken aback. "Are you sure the person's identity is genuine?"

"I've already had Zhang Wen confirm it!" Fifth Deng said, "It is indeed the real person!"

"It seems the situation inside the city is worse than we anticipated!" Wei Cong laughed. "Otherwise, Dou Wu wouldn't have let his precious son leave the city!"

Congratulations, Marquis Wei!

Congratulations, Marquis Wei!

"The Marquis of Wei's great undertaking is about to be completed; this is truly a cause for celebration!"

Wei Cong raised his right hand, and the cacophony of congratulations around him subsided: "Then let him in! Let me see what this most favored Marquis of Weiyang looks like!"

As the Marquis of Weiyang entered the gate, Wei Cong heard a low gasp. He knew perfectly well why. This noble young man was in the transitional stage between adolescence and youth, with fair skin, a gentle face, and large, thick-lashed eyes—a kind of beauty that both men and women found attractive.

"Young Dou Ji pays his respects to Marquis Wei!"

"Marquis of Weiyang, there's no need for such formalities!" Wei Cong waved his hand, gesturing for Dou Ji to sit down on the cushion beside the low table to his right: "I didn't expect the General to have your father, the Marquis, come here. May I ask what brings you here?"

"My father sent me here to convey a message to Marquis Wei!" Dou Ji didn't beat around the bush and went straight to what he had prepared before leaving the city: "The Emperor is seriously ill and doesn't have much time left. The Emperor has no heir, and the country cannot be without a ruler for a day. My father and the Empress Dowager wish to invite Marquis Wei into the city to discuss the matter of establishing a new emperor!"

As soon as Dou Ji finished speaking, a huge uproar erupted in the room. The most hot-tempered of them all, Fifth Deng, was the first to jump up, pointing at Dou Ji and saying, "How could the Emperor suddenly fall seriously ill? It must be your Dou family who did this! And your father and the Empress Dowager invited my lord into the city; they were clearly trying to trick him into coming here to harm him!"

"Yes, how could the emperor suddenly become seriously ill?"

"Yes, my lord, do not fall for Dou's treacherous scheme!"

Wei Cong raised his right hand and pressed it down slightly to stop his subordinates from scolding him. Looking at Dou Ji, who was already pale with fright, he asked, "Marquis of Weiyang, you said that the Emperor has fallen seriously ill. When did he get sick? What are the symptoms? What is the diagnosis from the imperial physicians? Also, at his age, how could he suddenly be so ill that he doesn't have much time left?"

Dou Ji took a deep breath and, following Dou Wu's instructions, answered word by word: "The Emperor secretly fled the palace a few days ago and hid in a secluded place. He contracted this illness while fleeing the palace, so we don't know when he got it. As for the symptoms, he vomited and had diarrhea, had a high fever, and was unconscious all day. Of course, the imperial physicians were consulted, but they couldn't do anything. There are many similar cases in Luoyang right now. I heard it's because of a lack of clean water. Many people drank unclean water and then got this disease. It's all like this: first diarrhea, thirst, and constant cravings for water, which makes the diarrhea worse, then fever, and then death within a few days!"

"Damn it, could this be cholera? The symptoms match up! But then again, most gastrointestinal infectious diseases are similar in this respect. If this is true, then the emperor's life is indeed nearing its end. Dehydration leading to internal organ necrosis was incurable in ancient times. After all, there were no antibiotics or intravenous fluids to directly replenish fluids in ancient times; drinking water alone was simply not enough." Wei Cong became increasingly uneasy as he listened. He still believed the truthfulness of Dou Ji's words for a simple reason—there were just too many details involved. When there are too many details in a lie, it's easy to slip up. Besides, the Dou family would definitely try to conceal the emperor's escape from the palace, as it would greatly damage their legitimacy. But Dou Ji admitted it in front of Wei Cong's generals. Even if Dou Wu wanted to lie, he wouldn't fabricate such a lie.

"Your father and the Empress Dowager want me to enter the city, but I'm worried about being plotted against and killed. How about this: I can enter the city, but I'll bring five thousand men with me to protect me!"

“My father already said when I left the city that he would allow Marquis Wei to bring 1,500 men into the city, no more than that. If you are not at ease, you can leave me in the camp as a hostage!”

Wei Cong's demand for 5,000 men into the city was an outrageous exorbitant amount. After all, the city might not even have 5,000 elite troops capable of field battles. Agreeing to that would be tantamount to handing Luoyang over to Wei Cong. If Dou Wu actually agreed, Wei Cong would suspect a trap. With 1,500 men, even with a trap, survival wouldn't be an issue. As for leaving Dou Ji as a hostage, that was better than nothing.

If he refused to enter the city and simply watched the emperor die, it would be tantamount to forfeiting his chance to speak on the matter of establishing a new emperor. Of course, he could use force to storm Luoyang and kill the Dou clan, but that would also mean the curtain of chaos had been raised earlier than in history. After all, there were at least a million members of the Liu clan in the thirteen provinces of the Han Dynasty. With the emperor dead and without an heir, and the empress dowager gone, it meant that every member of the Liu clan automatically had the right to claim the throne. Wei Cong didn't know who the final winner would be in this Han Dynasty version of the succession war, but the common people would definitely be the biggest losers.

"Alright, I promise you, I will lead the troops into the city tomorrow!" Wei Cong waved his hand to stop his subordinates from advising him: "All of you, stop talking. Wu Deng, you will come into the city with me tomorrow. Wen Sheng, you will be in charge of the army while I am in Luoyang City. I will definitely leave the city the next day. If I have not left the city by noon the next day, you shall order an attack on the city!"

"Here!"

—————————————————— Luoyang City, Pingcheng Gate.

The city gates were wide open, and the glint of swords and the defensive machinery could be vaguely seen on the city walls. Archers were hiding on every crenellation and arrow slit. The drawbridge had been lowered over the dry moat.

"You bastards!" Fifth Deng cursed, glaring fiercely at Dou Ji and Hu Teng. He then said to Wei Cong, "My lord, I am not afraid of death, but this is clearly a trap. Let me into the city, and you wait outside!"

"Fifth Deng, there are some things you can't do for me!" Wei Cong smiled. "Besides, I think Dou Wu is also afraid, since I can take the opportunity to rush in and seize the city gate!"

"I think this is a good idea!" Fifth Deng laughed. "Let's do it this way! Seize the city gate, then rush into the city, exterminate the entire Dou family, and seize the emperor!"

"And then?" Wei Cong asked, "If the emperor is really on his last breath, as they say, what will happen? Who will enthrone a new emperor? You, me, or someone else? We've fought so hard to get to this point, and we've finally seen a glimmer of hope for success. We're not here to start all over again!"

Just as everyone was observing the city gate, a dozen or so knights approached them. The leader bowed to Wei Cong and said, "I am Dou Jing, the Commandant of the City Gate, here to welcome Lord Wei!"

"Thank you for your trouble!" Wei Cong cupped his hands in greeting. "My guards, a total of 1,500 men, are also entering the city with me. You should know that by now!"

"The General has already given the order!" Dou Jing said with a smile, "Please!"

Wei Cong rode the white elephant into the city. This wasn't out of vanity; according to the agreement, he could only bring a maximum of 1,500 men into the city, but the agreement didn't specify how many livestock to bring. Since cavalry wasn't very useful in Luoyang, in addition to 500 spearmen and 700 crossbowmen, he was accompanied by 20 war elephants and barbarian infantry accompanying them. When Dou Jing saw these enormous beasts walk onto the drawbridge, his expression was extremely grim, but he still didn't object.

"Lord Wei!" Dou Jing said, "The Emperor is in the Deyang Palace, and the Grand General, the Minister of Works, and the Empress Dowager are also there. Please follow me!"

"Deyang Palace?" Wei Cong frowned. "If I remember correctly, it should be in the Southern Palace, right?"

“That’s right!” Dou Jing laughed. “I didn’t expect that Marquis Wei’s team was so clear about the situation in the palace!”

"Hehe!" Wei Cong chuckled twice. "As far as I know, Deyang Palace is separated from the outer pavilion area by a palace wall, and the pavilion area is also surrounded by a city wall. In other words, Deyang Palace is separated from here by two city walls. If I enter the palace, the guards certainly won't be able to follow me in. If I enter the palace and you close the gates behind me, wouldn't I be completely at your mercy?"

"This—" Dou Jing was stunned for a moment before forcing a smile and said, "Lord Wei, you are overthinking it. The General and the Empress Dowager have no intention of harming you. Besides, isn't the Marquis of Weiyang still a hostage in your army?"

"Overthinking?" Wei Cong laughed. "Do you know? I've been through so much hardship these past few years, and the only reason I've survived and risen through the ranks is because I think one step ahead of others. Otherwise, the grass on my grave would probably be as tall as you. Perhaps the General and the Empress Dowager have no intention of harming me, but who can guarantee that there aren't others in Luoyang who want to harm me? As for the Marquis of Weiyang, my head carries far more weight than his!"

"Then, what are you going to do?"

"It's simple. Either let me bring my guards into the palace!" Wei Cong drew a circle with his right hand: "I will never leave these loyal guards; or ask the Empress Dowager and the General to move the Emperor out of Deyang Palace and put him anywhere, it doesn't matter. Otherwise, forget it!"

"I understand! Please wait a moment while I convey your message to the Empress Dowager and the Grand General!" Dou Jing smiled wryly. He was certain of one thing: this man before him was far beyond his control. Since that was the case, he decided to leave it to those with the authority to decide.
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"Absurd! He should bring troops into the palace, or the Emperor and I should go out of the palace to see him! Who does he think he is?" Empress Dowager Dou angrily swept the precious objects on the table to the ground: "If it weren't for today, his entire family should be exterminated just for those words!"

Dou Jing was already numb. He knelt on the ground, pressing his face against the ground, trying his best to make himself invisible: "Anyway, I have no say in anything. Both sides are older than me, so I might as well do nothing and just be a mouthpiece."

"It seems Wei Cong really values ​​his life!" Dou Wu sighed. "He's unwilling to take any risks at all. I really don't know how he won so many battles! A-Jing, you just met him. What did you think of him?"

"What do you think of this person?" Dou Jing gave a wry smile. Even though he was Dou Wu's nephew, he didn't know what to say for a moment. After a while, his thoughts cleared up, and he replied, "I can't say for sure what kind of person Marquis Wei is. After all, I only said a few words, so it shouldn't be taken seriously. But his soldiers are indeed well-armored, and those twenty war elephants are indeed behemoths. Their legs are several times thicker than my waist!"

"What? He also brought twenty war elephants into the city? How did you let him in?" the Empress Dowager asked anxiously.

"Your Majesty, the agreement only states that the number of people shall not exceed 1,500, but it does not mention the number of livestock!"

"Fool, don't you know how to adapt to changing circumstances?" Empress Dowager Dou was almost driven mad with anger. She picked up the jade ruyi in front of her and smashed it hard against Dou Jing's forehead. Dou Jing did not expect that Empress Dowager Dou would actually do it herself. He groaned and fell to the ground.

"Ah Jing, Ah Jing!" Startled, Dou Wu quickly helped Dou Jing up. After catching his breath, he breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around, about to say a few words to his daughter, when Empress Dowager Dou stood up, flicked her sleeves, and walked out: "I don't care anymore, I'm not leaving the palace!"

Watching his daughter's departing figure, Dou Wu couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Fine, I'll leave her with me. Anyway, I won't be a general for much longer. After this, I'll go back to my hometown to study. I don't care about my bad reputation."

Wei Cong was somewhat surprised to learn that Dou Wu had accepted his rather impolite request. He led his guards to the General's Mansion, instructing Fifth Deng to command the guards and control the mansion, while he led Nie Sheng, Lu Ping, and others towards the inner hall.

(End of this chapter)