Jinting Han people

After enduring a day and a night of hardship, at noon on the day of Jiazi in the twelfth lunar month, Sima Jiong finally received news of the recapture of the palace. However, his exhausted nerves showed little improvement at this moment.

Ge Yu reported the latest battle situation: "Grand Marshal, although the palace has been recovered, the rebels have taken His Majesty and the Empress out of the palace and moved to the East Palace. It may be difficult to capture them in such a short time."

After a day and night of bloody fighting, the attacking Qi army suffered heavy casualties. A rough estimate suggests that the Grand Marshal's forces had lost approximately four hundred men and wounded over seven hundred in the struggle for the palace, meaning that over a thousand men were no longer combat-ready. In contrast, the Imperial Guards left behind fewer than four hundred corpses and wounded soldiers in the palace, making the ratio of casualties close to three to one.

Now, Sima Yi has taken the lead over the Grand Marshal's office, moving into the Eastern Palace with the Imperial Guards, unifying the Crown Prince's guards, and replenishing the army with fresh troops. This has brought considerable difficulties to Sima Jiong. Firstly, the disparity in troop strength between the two sides has been further narrowed. Secondly, the Eastern Palace is not like the Imperial Palace; the Grand Marshal's office does not control the passageways and cannot directly attack it.

Thus, the situation in Luoyang seemed to be heading towards a stalemate. The Qi King's army had surrounded the Eastern Palace, but couldn't afford a major assault with heavy casualties. Meanwhile, the Eastern Palace's imperial guards and garrison commanders, wanting to break out, seemed unable to lift their heads under the Qi King's rain of arrows. Neither side seemed to have a good way to turn the tide.

More noteworthy is that Sima Jiong had previously ordered the outer troops to enter the city and participate in suppressing the rebels. However, the coup had already lasted for a day and a night, and the messenger had vanished without a trace, causing him considerable anxiety.

Therefore, upon hearing Ge Yu's report, Sima Jiong did not pay attention to the Eastern Palace, but instead asked the outer army, "What exactly happened at Xuanwu Field? Has He Xu replied yet?"

Ge Yu said, "We have sent people to inquire again, but there is still no news."

The absence of news is the biggest news. Although it was not explicitly stated, both men understood that the foreign troops' reluctance to enter the city under such circumstances undoubtedly indicated an attitude: they wanted to sit back and watch the outcome unfold.

Sima Jiong rubbed his increasingly heavy eye sockets, staring blankly at his desk. After thinking for a while, he finally came to his senses and asked, "What about Gou Xi in Henan? His 20,000 men were all transferred from Xuchang by me. They should be trustworthy, right?"

Ge Yu said, "General Gou has sent a message back saying that the Western Army is less than fifty miles away from him. He will have to withdraw and will probably need to make some arrangements, which will take about two to three days."

This was good news. Sima Jiong breathed a sigh of relief, leaned back, and said, "Good. If Gou Xi can withdraw and help me quell the rebellion, I will appoint him as a duke!"

At this moment, Ge Yu asked, "Grand Marshal, what should we do now? Should we intensify our attack on the Eastern Palace?"

Sima Jiong pressed his right hand in the air and smiled at Ge Yu, instructing, "Take it slow. Some things can't be rushed. You have to be patient."

"We can't take the Eastern Palace, but the King of Changsha and his men can't get out either. Nearly 20,000 people are gathered inside the Eastern Palace. How much food is there for them to squander?"

According to past practice, the grain for the Eastern Palace was purchased every ten days, enough to feed the more than 7,000 people inside. Now, with 20,000 people surrounding the Eastern Palace, even the most optimistic estimate is that the grain will only last for four or five days at most. If the Qi King's army can hold out and keep them within the Eastern Palace, preventing them from breaking out, and wait a few days until their grain is exhausted and they are too weak from hunger, then they can wait for Gou Xi to withdraw. At that time, they can then charge in and victory will be assured.
Sima Jiong then stood up again and ordered, "There's no need for any more trouble. Ge Yu, go and inform Lu Xiu, Wei Yi, and Han Tai to bring all the troops in the mansion over there and surround the Eastern Palace so that the Prince of Changsha will have no way to escape!"

"At the same time, send a letter to the Crown Prince, informing His Majesty that the Prince of Changsha and the Prince of Chengdu are in cahoots and plotting a rebellion; they are by no means loyal subjects! As long as those princes and ministers who have been coerced can still turn the tide and perform meritorious service, I will not hold them accountable for their past actions!"

"For those guards who are unwilling to fight, those who are willing to lay down their weapons will be given a way out. As long as they escape from the Eastern Palace, they can be allowed to return to their hometowns. On the contrary, those who stubbornly resist within the palace will be executed without mercy after the battle!"

After receiving the order, Ge Yu hesitated slightly and asked, "Grand Marshal, how many people should be left in the mansion in this way?"

If most of the troops were deployed to surround the Eastern Palace, the Grand Marshal's residence would be virtually empty. As the head of the entire army, Sima Jiong's own safety was also a factor that had to be considered.

Sima Jiong waved his hand dismissively and laughed, "I originally wanted to fight alongside you all, but I'm just too exhausted right now and need to rest for a while. How about this, you leave five hundred men to guard me, and I'll join you all after I've rested!"

Ge Yu then realized with a start that Sima Jiong's eyes were bloodshot. Although the Prince of Qi was still young and strong, his shoulders were too weak to bear the weight of the entire empire. Even issuing orders and waiting for the results in his residence was a tremendous ordeal for him. Under these circumstances, it was already quite remarkable that he had managed to hold on until now and take a break.

Thinking of this, Ge Yu immediately bowed and said, "I will obey your command. I will go and deliver the order now."

In an instant, all the soldiers in the Grand Marshal's mansion were mobilized. Previously, Dong Ai had taken more than 10,000 men to surround the Eastern Palace. Ge Yu then issued an order that, except for He Kan leading 500 guards to protect the Grand Marshal's mansion, all the other soldiers in the mansion were transferred away.

At the same time, they set up roadblocks on the streets surrounding the East Palace, requisitioned all the surrounding houses, and expelled all the people inside. At this time, the heavy snow had not yet melted, and the cold wind was blowing. In the freezing snow, the people were shivering, but dared not resist, and for a time they became refugees.

However, this effectively surrounded the Eastern Palace with the Qi army completely. Anyone who tried to peek out from inside the palace was immediately met with a hail of arrows by the Qi soldiers. In just half a day, the walls of the Eastern Palace were densely covered with arrows, resembling a field of gray pine needles.

In the afternoon, Ge Yu and the others attached pine resin and dry grass to the arrows, lit them, and shot them in. There were many dead trees along the walls of the East Palace. After the flaming arrows flew in, the wind fanned the flames, and the flames immediately soared into the air. The flames spread into the palace buildings and continued uncontrollably.

By evening, the thick smoke billowed like waves. Not only the palace soldiers, but also the princes and officials who had been summoned rushed to fight the fire. Everyone was dizzy and their faces were blackened by the smoke. Even the Qi soldiers watching from outside the palace sighed in despair.

Fortunately, the snow, which had subsided for half a day, started falling again around dusk. A waterway also ran through the East Palace, connecting it to the valley outside the city, which could be used for emergency firefighting. After working for most of the day, the fire was finally extinguished.

Although the fire did not cause significant damage to the Eastern Palace's garrison, its impact on the morale of both sides was evident. The Qi King's army generally believed they had formed a four-sided encirclement, trapping them like turtles in a jar. Meanwhile, the imperial guards of the Eastern Palace began to panic, fearing that another fire would suffocate their entire army from the smoke and flames. It was at this moment that Zu Ti realized it was time for him to intervene.

According to the previously agreed-upon strategy, Zu Ti, Ji Shao, and Huangfu Shang immediately requested permission from Sima Jiong to take command of Jinyong City in the northwest corner. They claimed that if the army suffered setbacks at the front, they could retreat to Jinyong City to hold it and await reinforcements from outside. With reinforcements from within and without, they would still have a chance to launch a counterattack. Sima Jiong found their reasoning sound and agreed to their request.

However, since they weren't directly involved in the battle, Sima Jiong didn't allocate many men. Zu Ti only had about a hundred men, just enough to guard the city gates. This didn't disappoint Zu Ti, as the plan was for him to wait in Jinyong City for two days until Liu Xian's Shanggu Camp arrived to replace the city's defenses, before launching a surprise attack on Sima Jiong.

But what happened next was unexpected. The fall of the armory had a huge impact, putting the defense of the Eastern Palace at a significant disadvantage. Moreover, they received news that Gou Xi was leading his troops eastward and would most likely arrive in Luoyang the next day.

Zu Ti then discussed with Huangfu Shang, saying, "The Qi army has surrounded the Eastern Palace, but the King of Qi is still in his residence. This is a golden opportunity. If we do not act now, we will have no chance to make a contribution once Gou Xi returns."

Huangfu Shang hesitated and asked, "But we only have a hundred or so men. We can't carry weapons when we want to meet the King of Qi. What can we do?"

Zu Ti laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? Nobody is paying attention to us right now. We can just set fire to the Grand Marshal's mansion and shout that our army has suffered a great defeat. How could they possibly be on guard?"

"When the time comes, we'll lead armored soldiers under the pretense of rescuing King Qi, but in reality, we'll kidnap him and deliver him before the Emperor. Wouldn't that be a great achievement within our grasp?"

Huangfu Shang was still somewhat hesitant, but this time, his reason was different: "Isn't this going too far? What will others say about us in the future?"

Zu Ti sneered, "Is being a person something you do for others to see? It's something you do for yourself. We've already betrayed our master this time, so what's a little more bad reputation to us?"

Ji Shao, standing to the side, remained calm and composed. He grabbed Huangfu Shang and gently advised, "It's nothing serious. With the country in this state, there are no loyal ministers or treacherous ministers left. They're just begging for their lives."

Ji Shaode was highly respected, and his words immediately calmed Huangfu Shang, allowing Zu Ti's plan to be approved.

Time was of the essence, and Zu Ti showed no mercy. He gave a shout outside Jinyong City, and immediately a hundred or so wandering knights and outlaws sprang forth from the surrounding streets and alleys. Most of these men were orphans from Luoyang, and had followed him in robbing and pillaging in the West Market for over ten years; their loyalty was beyond question. On the battlefield, they might not be of much use, but when it came to scaling walls, killing, and arson, they were unparalleled.

Zu Ti instructed Wang Chang, who was in charge, "You are to set fire to the four corners of the Grand Marshal's mansion now. Do not hesitate. When the fire gets big, you must hide back immediately and do not let anyone see you."

At this point, he punched Wang Chang in the chest and laughed, "After this is done, how about each of you brothers gets a new purple silk robe?"

The righteous followers laughed heartily, then obeyed the order and disappeared into the shadows of the streets and alleys. Zu Ti, on the other hand, returned to Jinyong City, summoned his subordinates, and stopped in front of the city gate to rest with his eyes closed.

Seeing his calm and composed demeanor, Huangfu Shang was truly impressed. He thought to himself: "Back when I quelled Qi Wannian's rebellion, I was a seasoned warrior, experiencing both great defeats and triumphs, yet even I couldn't help feeling uneasy in such a critical moment. But this man before me, I've never heard of any meritorious deeds, yet he remains as unmoved as a mountain—it's truly unbelievable!"

Zu Ti certainly wouldn't be uneasy about this; in fact, it was the mundane, idle life that would make him feel depressed and uneasy. On the contrary, the bigger the task Zu Ti had to accomplish, the more excited and calmed he would become, because Zu Ti had longed for this day for far too long.

For most people, happiness is simply living a comfortable life, but for Zu Ti, it's not like that. He possesses extraordinary emotions and perceptions, and the monotony of daily life is destroying his talents. He craves novelty, adventure, and even pain. He seems born for a chaotic world; only constant turmoil can make him feel alive and still exist.

Therefore, even though he was Sima Jiong's subordinate, and Sima Jiong treated Zu Ti quite well, Zu Ti felt no affection for this prince. In Zu Ti's view, the prince was far too weak. In this chaotic world, the more power a weak person wielded, the more torment and burden they became. Rather than letting this prince live in constant fear, sending him to a swift death might even be an act of mercy.

Zu Ti didn't even bother to think about such benevolence; his heart, pounding wildly in his chest, was only concerned with the future of the world. The thought of turning the tide of the war made his blood seem to burn.

After estimating that the time was about right, Zu Ti opened his eyes, his gaze so intense that those around him felt as if they had been burned. He uttered a single word: "Go!" The others, as if under a powerful spell, instinctively followed him.

At the same time, the previously dim sky once again became exceptionally bright. Flames erupted from the four corners of the Grand Marshal's mansion, repeatedly lashing against the windows, and thick smoke billowed from the window cracks and roof. The crackling and popping sounds seemed to be audible to Zu Ti and his entourage even from a great distance.

Unfortunately, Zu Ti's ambitions could not be realized. This was not because his plan was not thorough enough, but because the fire spread too quickly.

They hadn't walked for a quarter of an hour when they saw that the area in front of the Grand Marshal's mansion was completely engulfed in flames, making it impossible to enter. Moreover, the fire spread unchecked, reaching the streets on both sides. As if blessed by the fire god, the flames, provoked again and again by ignorant humans, finally lost their patience, and the Luoyang fire spiraled out of control. That night, the flames blazed brightly, illuminating the entire Luoshui and Mangshan areas as if it were daytime, their intense heat seeming to plunge one into the deepest hell.

After that night, nearly a quarter of the pavilions and mansions built on shrubs and trees in Luoyang were burned down. The northwest corner of Luoyang was almost completely reduced to rubble. Only a few buildings, such as the imperial palace and Jinyong City, constructed of earth and stone, survived the devastation.

Under the escort of his subordinates, Sima Jiong fled the Grand Marshal's residence in a panic and moved to the imperial palace. With such a terrible fire, the Qi army could not continue the siege. Their morale was thrown into chaos. They turned back to ensure Sima Jiong's safety while rushing to the west of the city to fight the fire. Thus, the siege of the Eastern Palace was lifted without a fight.

But the cost was horrific. After the fire, hundreds of Luoyang residents perished in their homes, their bodies reduced to charred remains, and thousands were displaced. Since Dong Zhuo's burning of Luoyang, there had never been such a devastating scene. (End of Chapter)