Jinting Han people

Taking the empress hostage was not actually Bian Cui's intention.

Since Sima Yi came to power, Li Han and Feng Sun, along with other supporters of the Prince of Hejian, had been exchanging letters and discussing how to seize Luoyang for nearly half a year, during which time they came up with several strategies.

From the outset, Li Han's plan was to emulate the old strategy of overthrowing the Qi dynasty. First, he would incite public opinion in Luoyang, criticizing Sima Yi's misrule. Then, when Sima Yi's regime was on the verge of collapse, he would launch a military campaign to overthrow him. Although it was a cliché, since it had successfully brought about Sima Jiong's downfall, he might as well try it again.

However, this strategy quickly became obsolete. The reason was simple: public opinion requires a sufficient opposition to be stirred up, but after Sima Yi followed Liu Xian's advice and allowed a large number of famous scholars from Luoyang to leave for the north, the scholars who remained in Luoyang were clearly insufficient in strength and could no longer achieve the same effect as when they overthrew Qi.

When the propaganda war failed, Li Han changed tactics, attempting to use the pretext of avenging the King of Qi to contact the remnants of the King's faction within the city and launch a military coup. However, Liu Xian had reorganized the Imperial Guards, appointing many new officers. Despite Feng Sun's best efforts, he only managed to win over Bian Cui and a few hundred remnants of the Qi army in Luoyang. This was far from sufficient to launch a military coup within the city.

Then came the assassination plot. Assassinating a regent of Sima Yi's stature, surrounded by numerous guards, would be extremely difficult. However, after the chaos in Jingzhou, Sima Yi's decision to send Liu Hong to lead an army south weakened his power in Luoyang. Li Han believed that under these circumstances, assassination might be a viable means to try and dismantle the Changsha King's faction.

If Sima Yi could be killed, the Changsha King's faction would be dismantled once and for all. However, if that failed, Feng Sun could use the opportunity to disrupt the situation, creating an illusion of imminent collapse, and then rally the princes and nobles within the city. At that point, Li Han could lead his army in a coordinated attack from within and without, still achieving victory.

Unexpectedly, after his assassination attempt, Sima Yi made a swift decision to appoint Liu Xian as regent. Liu Xian, without giving them a chance, immediately declared martial law to prevent the situation from escalating and thwarted their attempts to coordinate.

At this point, Bian Cui and the others were somewhat at a loss. Then came the news that Liu Xian was going to lead his army to fight Li Han in a decisive battle, which only fueled Feng Sun and the others' despair. They had absolutely no confidence that Li Han could defeat Liu Xian on the battlefield.

Fortunately, they then discovered that the palace's defenses had been significantly weakened due to the troop mobilization. Even a few hundred soldiers could move freely within the palace. This overjoyed them; if they could seize the emperor and take him out of the city at this moment, wouldn't they be able to instantly turn the tide and put the King of Changsha to death?

However, after careful consideration, Feng Sun concluded that forcing the emperor out of the city was unrealistic. Firstly, the emperor was obese, making it difficult to conceal his movements; secondly, he was simple-minded and unlikely to be persuaded to cooperate; and thirdly, as the emperor, he still had some guards, no matter how few. In contrast, the empress was petite, well-educated, and renowned for her virtue, and she had few guards, making her a far better target.

This led to the operation that night, in which Feng Sun and Bian Cui went to Tingfeng Temple, kidnapped the Empress, and succeeded in one fell swoop.

After placing the Empress into a bamboo basket, the group, carrying lanterns and torches, made no attempt to conceal their movements and headed straight for Qianqiu Gate. They soon encountered patrolling palace guards. The mobilization of hundreds of people in the palace late at night was clearly unusual, and the guards immediately stopped Bian Cui and her entourage, asking them why they were there.

Fortunately, Bian Cui, as the Grand Secretary, had made prior preparations. He showed the palace guards a forged letter and a self-drafted edict, claiming it was a new military order issued by Lord Liu at the front: the situation at the front was urgent, and supplies were insufficient, so he ordered Bian Cui to transport a batch of provisions, armor, and weapons from the palace and armory overnight to the troops at the front. The hundreds of men around Bian Cui were all temporary assistants assigned to him.

Military intelligence cannot be delayed, and although it is rare to handle matters in the middle of the night, it is understandable. Bian Cui then showed the palace guards the several large bamboo baskets they were carrying, which were filled with the armor of the Imperial Guards. The palace guards no longer suspected anything. They were too lazy to check all the bamboo baskets, so they waved and let them go.

After leaving the palace, Bian Cui and Feng Sun both breathed a sigh of relief; they had passed the first hurdle. However, they dared not rest and continued towards Xiyang Gate, the second hurdle. They needed to trick the city gate into opening during curfew. Their previous excuse was no longer valid; they dared not actually go to the armory to requisition supplies—it would take too much time and easily expose their plan.

Then Bian Cui produced a second imperial edict, claiming that the front lines were already engaged in battle and that the troops were stretched thin. Therefore, the court ordered all city guards to immediately assemble at Xuanwu Square and head to the front lines to fight the next morning. As for the defense of the city gates, they were to be handled by the palace guards under Bian Cui's command.

This trick fooled the city guards; after all, who would have thought that this group claiming to be changing shifts were actually planning to escape? The city guards, still preoccupied with their worries about the situation at the front, handed over the city's defenses to Bian Cui after about half an hour and headed north.

Bian Cui and his men forced themselves to remain calm. Once the city guards at Xiyang Gate had all left, they dared not delay. While observing their surroundings, they began to raise the gate. In the quiet night, the sound of the gate opening was particularly jarring, waking many from their sleep. But Bian Cui and his men couldn't care less. He could only urge his men to act faster and faster to avoid causing any further trouble.

The moment the gates rose filled them with dread, but thankfully, silence returned once they were fully extended, as if the noise had been nothing more than a trivial illusion. Bian Cui and his men, relieved, seized the opportunity and fled the city like they were escaping hell, then ran westward for several miles. Only when they had passed the western suburbs, leaving Luoyang behind and with no pursuers in sight, did they finally relax and slow their pace.

Bian Cui, panting heavily, walked to the bamboo basket containing the Empress, opened the lid, and saw that she was still unconscious inside. He couldn't help but laugh triumphantly. He said to Feng Sun, "No matter how badly Sima Yi is injured, with the Empress in our hands, he is doomed!"

Feng Sun, having calmed himself down, praised Bian Cui, saying, "This is all thanks to your excellent strategy. Once we defeat Liu Xian, I will definitely submit a memorial to the Grand Commandant to commend you for your achievements!"

Upon hearing this, Bian Cui revealed a look of dejection. He sighed and said, "How hateful! On this day last year, I was unable to perform meritorious service for the Grand Marshal. What meaning would it be if I were to achieve even greater merit in the future?"

Bian Cui's words were genuine, but Feng Sun's expression couldn't help but change slightly upon hearing them. After all, the Prince of Hejian had played a significant role in the death of the Prince of Qi, and this man was so loyal to the Prince of Qi. After the Prince of Changsha was overthrown, would he seize the opportunity to harm the Prince of Hejian in the future? He had to consider this question.

Seeing that Feng Sun did not respond, Bian Cui also sensed something was wrong. He glanced at Feng Sun, and the two fell silent, unconsciously growing somewhat distant.

After a moment of silence, Feng Sun changed the subject, saying, "Let's meet up with Chief Secretary Li as soon as possible. Time is of the essence, and we don't want to be overtaken on the way."

So the group resumed their journey. About an hour had passed since they had taken the Empress hostage. The moon was full and bright, and the Yi River shimmered with a silvery light. Even though their torches and lanterns had been extinguished, they could still see the path. The guards were mostly in high spirits; they had overcome the most difficult obstacles. If they simply took a few more detours, even if someone in Luoyang noticed something amiss, they would be unable to track them anymore.

They passed through another pine forest, but still nothing happened. The fully armed palace guards were now somewhat tired, unable to maintain their high level of concentration, walking unsteadily in the moonlight. Only Bian Cui walked beside the Empress, one hand on the ring-pommel sword at his waist, watching his step to avoid tripping over unnoticed stones. Reaching a relatively flat plain, he casually looked up ahead. Just then, he saw what appeared to be a light among the reeds of the Yi River in the distance. Strange, Bian Cui thought, but didn't suspect anything. It appeared right in front of them, the surroundings remained quiet, and he was surrounded by hundreds of palace guards. Were there boatmen living there? Or hunters? He pondered as he walked.

But then, a voice suddenly came from the moonlit night, very low yet very clear: "Stop."

As soon as he finished speaking, figures leaped out of the reeds. They appeared not only from the front but also from behind, and before Bian Cui, Feng Sun, and their group could react, they surrounded them in a crescent shape.

This change was beyond Bian Cui's expectations. He shouted, "Protect Her Majesty the Empress!" Before he finished speaking, he had already drawn his sword. He didn't know how many people the enemy had, but he was still thinking about how to win.

But under the moonlight, that calm voice appeared again, steadily overpowering Bian Cui's voice. He said, "Everyone, do not make any rash moves!"

It was Liu Xian. He stepped out of the shadows of the reeds into the moonlight, his face showing pity. He slowly said, "Lord Bian, I never expected it to be you. I knew you were dissatisfied with the General of the Cavalry, but I never imagined that you would take the Empress hostage and defect to the Prince of Hejian in order to avenge the Prince of Qi! This is probably not a wise move."

At this time, Liu Xian led over a thousand soldiers from the Songzi Camp, who had been lying in ambush on this only route out of the city. Accompanying him were the Empress's father, Yang Xuanzhi, and Liu You, a confidant of Sima Yi and a Gentleman Attendant of the Cavalry.

When Bian Cui saw Liu Xian, his teeth were clenched so tightly they were grinding. Seeing this, how could he not know he had fallen into a trap? Therefore, his blood boiled, and he angrily rebuked, "A scholar dies for one who understands him! How can you, who have unjustly murdered Prince Qi, not be punished?! I was merely acting on behalf of Heaven, seeking justice for His Highness!"

Faced with such accusations, Liu Xian couldn't help but close his eyes slightly. He didn't want to bring up the rights and wrongs of the matter, but simply sighed and said, "What a righteous man! As long as you put down your sword now and hand over Her Majesty the Empress to me, I will plead with the General of the Cavalry to spare your life, how about it?"

"Stop with the sweet talk!" Bian Cui glanced around. Since Liu Xian appeared, Feng Sun's face had turned deathly pale, and the surrounding soldiers also wore expressions of fear. He immediately knew that he had no chance of winning. But he still wanted to fight to the death, at least to cause Liu Xian some trouble. He saw the unconscious Empress beside him, and a flash of inspiration struck him. He lifted the Empress out of the bamboo basket with one hand, then held a knife to Yang Xianrong's neck and said sharply:

"Liu Xian, get out of my way! Otherwise, if I kill the Empress, you won't be able to bear the consequences."

This was indeed a tricky situation for Liu Xian. He hadn't anticipated that Bian Cui might actually target Yang Xianrong. After all, if Yang Xianrong were killed, the King of Changsha and the King of Hejian would both lose in terms of public opinion, which would only benefit the King of Chengdu in Hebei.

Yang Xuanzhi, standing to the side, was visibly shaken. He hadn't seen his beloved daughter in a long time, and seeing Yang Xianrong facing a life-or-death situation, he quickly advised, "My lord, don't be anxious. Let's talk things over."

Liu Xian naturally couldn't let Bian Cui leave, so he could only continue the stalemate, saying calmly, "Lord Bian, Her Majesty the Empress is of noble birth, how can she be left in his hands? If you can let Her Majesty go, I'll guarantee with my life that you'll not only be safe, but I'll also promote you by one rank. What do you say?"

As he said this, Liu Xian glanced at the soldiers around Bian Cui, his intention being to imply to them that as long as they could rescue the Empress, they would not only be blameless but also meritorious.

The rebels were thrown into turmoil, and their gazes toward Bian Cui changed. Bian Cui became extremely nervous, and he tightened his grip on the Empress's left hand, causing her pain and finally waking her from her unconsciousness.

Empress Yang Xianrong was unaware of what was happening. Seeing soldiers all around her, she grew increasingly terrified. Without any apparent reason, she saw Bian Cui's left arm and instinctively bit down, causing Bian Cui to wince in pain. In a moment of desperation, he struck the Empress's shoulder with the hilt of his sword, making Empress Yang Xianrong cry out in pain, which finally made her release her grip.

But at this moment, Bian Cui knew he had no way out. He threw Yang Xianrong to the ground, then raised his cleaver and said to Yang Xianrong, "Your Highness, blame the world for being so cruel!"

The blade in his hand was as white and gleaming as snow, making the Empress dizzy. She stared blankly at the blade above her head, not knowing what was about to happen, but her body trembled instinctively with fear, making it difficult for her to move. At this moment, she heard a familiar call and was shocked to find her father in the crowd, looking at her anxiously, his eyes red as if he was about to cry.

Was she going to die? This thought flashed through the Queen's mind like a fleeting shadow, making it hard for her to breathe. For a moment, it seemed as if the whole world had stopped.

After a while, Yang Xianrong realized that the world had resumed its flow, but the blade had not yet fallen. When she looked up again, she saw that Bian Cui's blade was on the ground, and he was clutching his own neck, unable to speak. When he collapsed to the ground, the Empress saw the arrowhead in Bian Cui's neck and back, and she finally realized that he had been shot dead at the last second.

With Bian Cui dead, the rest of the people naturally surrendered without resistance.

Liu Xian praised Mao Bao, saying, "Good lad, your archery skills really saved my life!"

Mao Bao's hands trembled slightly, and he said with a wry smile, still shaken, "Lord, please spare me. I will never dare to shoot such a deadly arrow again."

During the conversation, Yang Xuanzhi rushed to the Empress's side, embraced his dazed daughter tightly, and repeatedly apologized, "Acha, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, Father is here. It's all Father's fault, it's all Father's fault..."

Yang Xianrong remained in a daze for a long time, finally snapping out of her near-death experience. Before her eyes reappeared her father's worried face. She wanted to say something, but before she could think of anything, the pent-up grievances of the past few years could no longer be suppressed. Forgetting all decorum and the presence of so many people around her, she burst into tears in her father's arms, sobbing like a child… (End of Chapter)