Jinting Han people

Meanwhile, inside the palace, negotiations between the imperial court and the Western Expeditionary Army were nearing their end.

Sima Yi's desperate attempt to save the dynasty ultimately failed. Although he didn't give up hope after Zhang Fang burned Luoyang, he personally launched a counter-offensive, hoping to regroup his army. However, morale was shattered, the tide had turned, and he was overwhelmed by refugees and routed soldiers. Sima Yi was powerless; he only managed to kill a few men before being struck by a stray arrow from behind. It was his men from the Changshan army who fought desperately to save him, carving a bloody path through the chaos and allowing him to fight his way back to the palace.

After this battle, Sima Yi lost too much blood and fell into a coma halfway through the journey. The other units also suffered heavy casualties.

The refugees began their assault from the south, and the most severe losses were naturally suffered by the various royal armies located in the south. The armies of princes such as Sima Yang (Prince of Xiyang), Sima Shi (Prince of Pengcheng), Sima Rui (Prince of Langya), and Sima You (Prince of Runan) were almost entirely captured. Only a few princes, including Sima Yue (Prince of Donghai), Sima Lue (Prince of Gaomi), Sima Mo (Prince of Pingchang), and Sima Fan (Prince of Xiangyang), managed to escape back to Luoyang with a few thousand men.

Sima Yi's main force in the central region also suffered countless casualties. Apart from Shangguan Si's troops in the rear, the troops of Song Hong, Miao Yuan, Wang Hu, Liu You, and others who fought on the front lines were almost completely wiped out while covering Sima Yi's retreat. At that time, many of the elite troops that Sima Yi had drawn from the north and south actually withdrew, such as Zhang Shi, Gou Chun, and Zu Yue. Although they had lost most of their soldiers, their officer corps remained largely intact.

The northern imperial guards suffered the least losses, but seeing the situation was dire, a considerable number fled north, their whereabouts unknown. Some officers, like Man Fen, even surrendered directly to Zhang Fang. Although Zu Ti, He Pan, Gou Xi, and others chose to return to the palace, only a small number returned, no more than five thousand men.

In addition, tens of thousands of refugees poured into the palace. The imperial guards were unable to stop them and, fearing a mutiny, dared not expel them. They could only settle them in the Cai Ren Ba Fang area after closing the palace gates. These refugees entered almost empty-handed and were starving.

But for the people in the palace, the most despairing thing was not the current defeat, but the desperate situation of being surrounded on all sides.

As the saying goes, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Even renowned generals, who have fought countless battles, are ultimately human and often make mistakes. For example, Emperor Gaozu of Han was defeated at Pengcheng, and Cao Cao was thwarted at the Battle of Red Cliffs. As long as they could regroup and not fundamentally damage their forces, they could always start over. But now, Luoyang is almost completely cut off from the outside world. What's the point of persisting?

Therefore, after Zhang Fang sent people to the palace to negotiate, none of the officials in the court resisted; some were even overjoyed. After all, in their view, Zhang Fang treated the people so cruelly and dared to burn Luoyang without any regard for the consequences. Who knew that he wouldn't depose the emperor and harm the officials like Dong Zhuo did back then?
Now that Zhang Fang was willing to maintain at least a semblance of decorum, and given that Sima Yi, the regent, was unconscious, the nobles naturally understood the situation and would not refuse. After a brief discussion, they immediately recommended Sima Yue, the Minister of Works, and Wang Rong, the Minister of Education, to take charge of the overall situation and negotiate with the Western Expeditionary Army.

The representative sent by Zhang Fang was none other than Zhi Fu, the deputy commander of this battle. Among the generals of the Western Army, it was he who was ordered to occupy Hulao Pass and later return to burn Luoyang. His visit to the palace was entirely undisguised; he immediately presented the court with a series of extremely demanding conditions:
First, remove Sima Yi, the regent, from all his official posts, reduce him to a commoner, and execute him on the spot;

Second, he deposed Empress Yang Xianrong and had the corpse of Duke Yang Xuanzhi of Xingjin exhumed and whipped.

Third, the current Crown Prince Sima Tan was removed, and General Sima Ying was appointed as the Crown Prince.
Fourth, Sima Yong, the Prince of Hejian, was granted the Nine Bestowments, the title of Imperial Envoy, the title of Grand Chancellor, the title of Grand General, and the title of Governor of Yongzhou;
Fifth, Liu Xian, the Grand Commandant, was dismissed and reduced to a commoner. His brother was chosen as the heir apparent to the Duke of Anle.

Sixth, the brothers Huangfu Zhong and Huangfu Shang, who were appointed governors of Qin Prefecture, were dismissed and their three clans were exterminated. Zhang Fu was then appointed governor of Qin Prefecture.
7. Zhang Gui, the governor of Liangzhou, was dismissed and replaced by Zhang Fang.

8. The Henan Provincial Administration was abolished, and Sima Xiao, the Prince of Fanyang, was reinstated as the General Who Guards the East.
9. Li Han was posthumously granted the title of Commandant of the Capital Region and Duke of Mianchi;
10. Man Fen was appointed Commandant of the Capital Region, and Wang Yan was appointed Commandant of the Central Army.
Eleventh, all titles and honors bestowed upon Sima Yi since he came to power are hereby revoked and will not be retroactively recognized.
12. All Imperial Guards soldiers who participated in Sima Yi's battles and their families were to be demoted to slaves and relocated to Guanzhong.

In addition, there were a series of internal rewards and honors from the Western Expeditionary Army, which will not be detailed here.

In conclusion, even though the court officials were mentally prepared, they still couldn't help but feel alarmed when Zhi Fu listed the above conditions one by one in the Ministry of Personnel.

Because this request involves too many people and would offend too many people.

After Sima Yi entered the capital to attack Zhao, he first served as regent with the Prince of Qi for two years, and then as regent alone for one year. During these three years, he achieved numerous military exploits and won the hearts of the people. He was not only benevolent in court but also had a large following in the provinces. However, the demands made by the Prince of Hejian not only elevated his own status but also almost completely wiped out Sima Yi's faction! This was unacceptable!

It should be understood that whether Sima Yi attacked Sima Lun or executed Sima Jiong, they were merely eliminating the ringleaders. As for his followers, the primary approach was appeasement, which barely maintained the stability of the court. Even so, this still forced the emergence of the Restoration Army in the Jiangnan region. If Sima Yong had followed his approach, wouldn't he have incited the entire Central Plains to revolt?
If this were truly the case, Sima Yong could not guarantee the long-term stability of the state; instead, he would cause the empire to fall apart. Anyone who agreed to his conditions would be an accomplice to evil! Once Sima Yong fell from power, who could guarantee they wouldn't be purged? In this sense, agreeing or disagreeing with these conditions was merely a matter of dying sooner or later.

Considering this, most of the others dared not agree. Especially Situ Wang Rong, who at the beginning of the meeting had half-closed his eyes, feigning a dazed state, as if he hadn't fully woken up. When Zhi Fu finished reading the conditions and wanted to ask for his opinion, this surviving member of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove began shaking his head and stammering for a long time before finally saying, "What are you saying? I don't understand."

So someone wrote these conditions down on a piece of paper and let the old man read them himself. Wang Rong squinted, pretending to look him up and down, and still said, "Oh dear, I'm old, my eyesight is failing, I can't see clearly!"

Without waiting for others to comment, he continued, "Alas, I trust Sikong. This matter should be decided by you, the successors!"

So everyone turned their attention to the King of the East Sea, hoping that this leader of the royal family could set an example.

Sima Yue naturally dared not agree. His current position was undoubtedly due to Sima Yi's support. If he agreed, he would surely be condemned by the world as ungrateful, not to mention that it involved deposing the empress and offending Zhang Gui.

He immediately began to lecture Zhi Fu on profound principles: "The administration of the court concerns matters of heaven and earth. It must follow the will of heaven and the wishes of the people. Otherwise, there can be no long-term stability. Similarly, promotions and demotions must also follow the laws of the country, rather than abusing punishments and executing innocent people."

Zhi Fu, however, had no patience to listen to any of this. He drew his sword and publicly interrogated Sima Yue, asking, "Which of these individuals were executed without cause? Are you going to tell our marshal?"

Sima Yue dared not discuss it further and quickly bowed, saying, "It's just a discussion, a discussion. Why must you be so formal, General? Give us some time, and we will certainly give Marshal Zhang a satisfactory answer." In Zhang Fang's view, he had now won a great victory and had no shortage of time. So, after receiving Zhi Fu's report, he waved his hand and agreed to the matter, asking Sima Yue to give a reply within five days.

Of course, he wasn't entirely heartless; the numerous conditions he set out at once were primarily intended to establish his authority within the court. Therefore, when he sent a second message to the palace, he subtly hinted to Sima Yue and others that some conditions could be conceded. This strategy of first praising and then criticizing ensured that at least most of the conditions could be met.

Indeed, upon learning that Zhang Fang was willing to compromise, Sima Yue and the others breathed a sigh of relief. After further discussions with Zhi Fu, they cancelled some of the clauses that would have offended people, such as deposing the empress, whipping Yang Xuanzhi's corpse, and dismissing Zhang Gui. As for Zhang Fang's original demands for official appointments and promises, as well as the relocation of people and the deposition of emperors, they were all basically approved.

However, when Sima Yue was preparing to finalize the new terms and then discuss the matter with Zhang Fang, his advisor Pan Tao suggested, "The current negotiations concern the fate of the emperor and the state. If we make the decision ourselves, we will surely be criticized by the world. We should first ask the emperor and empress for their opinions, and only hand it over to Zhang Fang after they agree. Otherwise, the world will still say that Sima Yue has no respect for the emperor!"

Upon hearing this, Sima Yue seemed to awaken from a dream and repeatedly agreed. He then instructed Pei Dun to polish these clauses and write them into a memorial to meet with the Empress and inquire about Yang Xianrong's opinion.

Since the second day of the Battle of Xilei, Yang Xianrong had remained in Hanzhang Palace. Before the defeat at Xilei, she had been anxious and unable to sleep. But after witnessing the fire in Luoyang, she had become somewhat calmer. When Sima Yue visited, she held the memorial and asked, "What does the Minister of Works think of these things?"

The empress's expression was too calm, which made Sima Yue uneasy. He carefully said, "It is all because we are incompetent that we have encountered such a disaster. Zhang Fang's army is outside, and there is not much food in the city. We are truly at our wits' end."

The implication was that she had no choice but to agree. But to show his unwavering loyalty, Sima Yue immediately added, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, we have fought to the death. If Zhang Fang insists on going further and deposing Your Highness from the position of Empress, we will simply perish together with him."

With Yang Xianrong's intelligence, how could she not see through such sweet talk? She found it somewhat amusing, yet also deeply disgusted, but in the end, she could only sigh and say, "Then I'll trouble you, Sikong."

Having said that, she threw the memorial in her hand onto the table and ignored it. Then she tossed the imperial seal aside, gesturing for the Prince of Donghai and the others to take it themselves, before leaving the palace alone and walking north to the palace road to clear her mind.

Is all of this still related to her? After descending the stone steps, Yang Xianrong looked back at the magnificent palace, but felt increasingly lonely and sorrowful.

From the perspective of the Luoyang Imperial Palace, even amidst the unprecedented chaos of the past century, the interior remained largely unaffected. After all, everything was protected by high walls; no matter how raging the fires outside the city had been, they could not reach the palace. Aside from the increased number of ragged soldiers and refugees within the palace, the waterways along the palace paths still flowed gently, plum blossoms exuded fragrance in the pavilions, and the bamboo groves of the Western Garden rustled in the wind like rain.

But this was merely an appearance. No matter how solid the foundation stones were, they could not prevent Luoyang from collapsing, because they could not conceal the smell of carbon ash floating in the air. Whenever the wind blew in from outside the palace, it would immediately bring a large amount of ash, and even if people covered their noses, they would still cough incessantly.

Unbeknownst to her, Yang Xianrong had returned to Tingfeng Temple. She climbed to the top floor and gazed out over the city. It was easy to see that the once bustling outskirts of Luoyang had been reduced to scorched earth; almost no intact buildings remained. Along the city walls lay only charred ruins and trees. Countless refugees were scavenging the land like ants, then, in the places where they had once lived, they were hastily constructing makeshift shelters from withered branches, leaves, and furs. Their expressions were blank; they seemed utterly lost, unsure of where to go next.

Amidst the vast number of refugees, one could see some Western Army soldiers passing by. They were conscripting able-bodied men from among the refugees, tying them together by the waist with ropes, and then ordering them to dig a pit on the outskirts of the city, a pit several tens of feet square.

The open space beside these large pits was piled high with corpses, like small mountains. Ahead, oxcarts and packhorses crisscrossed, as if the corpses had been transported from the western fortress. Each time a corpse was unloaded, a designated person would approach, strip the dead body naked, and then throw it into the pit. The belts, boots, armor, swords, and other items that had been removed were then piled up and examined and selected by the Westerners, who had gathered like vultures.

Seeing this scene, Yang Xianrong subconsciously covered her mouth and nose, as if what was drifting from afar was not only charcoal ash, but also the stench of corpses from the piles of bodies and the tunnels.

This is truly hell on earth! A single thought immediately connected her to her current predicament and the memorial Sima Yue had submitted, making her feel somewhat ridiculous. She lowered her hand again, muttering to herself, "What difference is there between me and them? We're all just fish to be slaughtered. Who knows, I might even end up being eaten by someone else!"

She then recalled Liu Xian's words to her on Mount Mang, and she realized even more how difficult it was to live. To endure a hundred or a thousand times more suffering in the hope of something good happening—was it really worth it? Or perhaps, the good thing that fate was referring to was simply impossible, merely a cruel trick of destiny.

Even the person who spoke those words to him has vanished from the world. After all this happened, is he still alive? Or has he taken the imperial edict, abandoned all the grudges in Luoyang, and gone far away to Guanzhong?

The cold wind on the balcony was like a knife, but Yang Xianrong was completely oblivious. She leaned gently against the railing, trying to picture the future in her mind, and predictably failed. She could imagine a thousand unfortunate encounters that would end abruptly, but she couldn't imagine a future where she could achieve happiness.

Then a thought crept into her mind and took over all her thoughts. She looked at the stone steps below the pavilion and thought silently: Rather than live and suffer humiliation, it would be better to choose to die with dignity before everything happens... Perhaps an empress who dares to commit suicide will leave a good name in history.

In fact, this was not just her idea; many people, both inside and outside Luoyang, ended their lives in such despair.

The Queen stared at the stones below the pavilion, letting the darkness of night envelop her. Though unsure if she had the courage, she had made up her mind: when all was quiet, she would leap down and quietly end her life. She came very close to that moment, but was interrupted by an unexpected noise.

At dawn, after a commotion of inexplicable cause, a door opened, and a group of people drifted in like frost flowers. They laughed loudly, as if they had just won a bet. Then they began to sing a military song, not a Jin Dynasty military song, but a homesick tune popular in the army during the Han Dynasty. The melody was cheerful and short, as if they had just won a battle and were eager to return home to see their wives and children. The lyrics were:
"Wheat planted in high fields will never yield ears of grain. How can a man far from home not grow weary and worn?"

They sang it three times, the melody rising higher and higher, its sound audible throughout Luoyang and beyond. (End of Chapter)