My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 274 Yuan Ziyou and Erzhu Rong

September 8th.

The weather was fine and sunny, with not a cloud in the sky, and the sky was a clear, bright blue.

The temperature in Luoyang has started to drop slowly; it's not too hot, but it's not too cold either, and the occasional gentle breeze makes it feel very comfortable.

Yuan Ziyou personally led all the officials to welcome Erzhu Rong's carriage outside Xuanyang Gate. Music began to play even before Erzhu Rong's carriage got close.

however……

Erzhu Rong did not get off the carriage in advance, but stopped in front of Yuan Ziyou, standing on the carriage and looking down at Yuan Ziyou. The two stared at each other for a moment.

Erzhu Rong then stepped down from the carriage with a smile, "Your subject greets Your Majesty!"

"Prime Minister, please rise. You are a meritorious official of the Great Wei, who quelled the bandits in Hebei and restored the stability of our Great Wei. With you leading troops to defend against the enemy, I can sleep soundly in Luoyang."

"Your Majesty is too kind. I am a guilty man. Luoyang was besieged by the rebel army, and I failed to come to your rescue immediately. This is a grave sin, how dare I claim any merit?"

As he spoke, Erzhu Rong began to scan the crowd, “I have heard that General Chariot and Cavalry, with three thousand men, defeated three hundred thousand! He fought valiantly against the enemy, protecting Luoyang and His Majesty!”

Yuan Ziyou did not issue an edict to remove the word "fake" before "General of Chariots and Cavalry" Gao Yu.

However, in Luoyang, everyone still respectfully calls him General of Chariots and Cavalry, and everyone knows that... in the Battle of Luoyang, Gao Yu must at least obtain the position of General of Chariots and Cavalry.

Ignoring Yuan Ziyou's smiling face, Erzhu Rong walked straight up to Gao Yu.

"Hahaha, General of Chariots and Cavalry, you are indeed a peerless warrior. You have protected Luoyang and His Majesty with utmost care. You are a meritorious official of the Great Wei! I bow to you!"

Erzhu Rong bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Prime Minister..."

Gao Yu was about to stop him, but Erzhu Rong stopped him and then took his arm very affectionately.

"Since His Majesty has led all the officials to welcome a meritorious official, then... General of Chariots and Cavalry, you should accompany me. Would you do me the honor?"

"Your Excellency is too kind. I dare not refuse Your Excellency's invitation."

Erzhu Rong laughed heartily, still refusing to let go, "Come! General, please come with me!"

As he spoke, he walked into Luoyang City, deliberately ignoring Yuan Ziyou behind him.

The officials and ministers all had different expressions, and no one uttered a sound, all looking at the emperor.

Yuan Ziyou, however, still wore a smile. "Let's go back to the palace."

The grand procession traveled north from Tongtuo Street to the palace, eventually arriving at the Taiji Hall.

Gao Yu dared not be careless. He knew very well that Yuan Ziyou and Erzhu Rong would definitely clash in the Taiji Hall, and he could not avoid it. He could only wait and see.

Erzhu Rong had just made great contributions, and Yuan Ziyou had also established his prestige. The two were bound to have a confrontation in order to suppress each other.

Yuan Ziyou sat on the throne of the emperor and received the audience of all the officials.

After bowing respectfully, Erzhu Rong immediately proclaimed, "Thanks to Your Majesty's blessing, I have quelled the rebellion in Hebei and captured the rebel leader Ge Rong and his princes alive. I have ordered them to be brought to the outskirts of Luoyang. I request Your Majesty to behead Ge Rong and the three princes captured by the General of Chariots and Cavalry as a warning to others and to reassure the people!"

Yuan Ziyou spoke up, "The bandit leader Ge Rong deserves no pity for dying, but I have heard that his subordinate, Yuyang Prince Yuwen Luosheng, is probably not guilty enough to warrant death."

"When the late emperor was in power, Po Liuhanbaling, Wei Kegu and others gathered people in the Six Garrisons to plot a rebellion. Among the Six Garrisons, only Huai Shuo and Wu Chuan held their cities and resisted the rebels even when the imperial army could not provide adequate assistance. This is enough to show their loyalty."

"Furthermore, Yuwen Luosheng conspired with the General of Chariots and Cavalry to kill the rebel leader Wei Kegu, which dampened the morale of the rebel army. This was a great achievement. However, at that time, the court was controlled by treacherous officials, and people like Yuwen Luosheng and the General of Chariots and Cavalry who had made contributions did not receive a great reward."

"As for what happened afterward, his submission to the traitors was due to the circumstances. Yuwen Luosheng is indeed guilty, but he has rendered meritorious service beforehand. I think... his merits and demerits should offset each other, and perhaps his life can be spared. What does the Prime Minister think?"

Erzhu Rong turned to look at Yuan Ziyou, sneered, and asked in return.

"Does His Majesty mean that as long as one has rendered meritorious service, even treason and rebellion will not be considered crimes?"

Yuan Ziyou's momentum weakened, but he still gritted his teeth and insisted, "When did I ever say that treason is not a crime? The crime of treason deserves to be punished, but Yuwen Luosheng is not the ringleader and has made merits before, yet he has not received any reward from the court. It is the court that owes him something, so I have spared his life in consideration."

Yuan Ziyou actually knew very well.

He was in the wrong, and in the past, he wouldn't have had the confidence to forcibly protect Yuwen Luosheng.

But times have changed.

He is the emperor, and the emperor doesn't reason with you, so what?
Even if you lack confidence, you must still be assertive!
Erzhu Rong chuckled lightly, "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, the ruler of all under Heaven. If Your Majesty wishes to pardon his crimes, why would I say anything more? However..."

Yuan Ziyou felt a tightness in his chest, a sense of unease creeping in. He didn't know what tricks Erzhu Rong had up his sleeve.

"Has Your Majesty considered how many people have been displaced and reduced to piles of bones by the bandits in Hebei and Shandong over the past few years?" "And how many soldiers who fought for the country have died at the hands of these bandits? How do you intend to answer to the people of Hebei, and to your soldiers?"

"Moreover, on the way here, I learned something unexpectedly while interrogating the bandit leader Ge Rong."

"Yuwen Luosheng advised him to forcibly conscript the captured people of Sizhou and Xiangzhou to attack the fortified villages of powerful clans in Hebei, hoping to force them to submit. What a vicious scheme this is! How does Your Majesty intend to explain this to the dead people?"

This statement came out.

Yuan Ziyou's expression changed drastically.

He remained silent for a long time without saying a word.

Erzhu Rong's every word revolved around the 'common people,' yet... there was more to his words than met the eye; what he truly wanted to say was not about the common people at all.

When Yuwen Luosheng proposed this plan to Ge Rong, it harmed the interests of the powerful families in Hebei. Most of the powerful families in Hebei suffered heavy losses in the face of Ge Rong's actions.

In fact, Erzhu Rong was threatening him.

If Yuan Ziyou forcibly spares Yuwen Luosheng's life, he will spread the news.

that……

What Yuan Ziyou lost was the support of the entire Hebei aristocratic family.

As far as the emperor is concerned.

No matter how many civilians die, in their eyes it's just a number.

But if he loses the support of powerful clans, it's hard to say whether he can still hold onto the throne.

The previous statement that Erzhu Rong was unpopular did not mean that the people did not respect him, but rather that he had killed too many nobles and offended powerful families in Heyin.

But right now, Yuan Ziyou is determined to protect Yuwen Luosheng, who is causing huge financial losses for powerful clans.

How is he any different from Erzhu Rong?
Erzhu Rong, at least, had a strong and well-equipped army and controlled Shanxi as his base.

What did Yuan Ziyou have?
The title of emperor is merely an empty name.

"Your Majesty, we humbly request instructions on how to deal with Yuwen Luosheng."

Gao Yu remained silent.

The Heba brothers and other people from Wuchuan remained silent.

He had originally intended to plead for Yuwen Luosheng, but after Erzhu Rong said those words, Yuwen Luosheng was certain to die.

He was destined to become a victim of the struggle between Erzhu Rong and Yuan Ziyou.

The biggest difference between him and Gao Yu is that...

Gao Yu and Erzhu Rong were old friends, and Gao Yu was the first to join the Erzhu clan. He was exceptionally brave and had relatives by marriage.

Yuwen Luosheng?

He's just a prisoner.

"His Majesty?"

Erzhu Rong urged him again, inwardly sneering.

What Yuan Ziyou knew, Erzhu Rong also knew; what Yuan Ziyou didn't know, Erzhu Rong also knew!

Erzhu Rong even knew that when Wuchuan broke out of the siege, the Yuwen family had saved the lives of everyone in Wuchuan, and Yuwen Luosheng was known for his virtue and was highly respected in Ge Rong's army.

How can we keep someone like that around?

He couldn't actually harm Gao Yu, but that didn't mean he couldn't use Yuwen Luosheng as a warning to others.

Yuan Ziyou gritted his teeth and said, "It was my oversight that I was unaware of such a thing... If that is the case, then it is as the Prime Minister said."

"He was executed along with the bandit leader Ge Rong, and his head was displayed to the public as a warning to others!"

Erzhu Rong was overjoyed and cupped his hands in greeting once more.

"Your Majesty! Wise!"

(End of this chapter)