A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 87 Star Decree
The wind and rain were dark and gloomy.

Li Guang, the Minister of the Imperial Guard, was ashen-faced. "Marquis of Champion!"

The sudden change at Weiyang Palace.

Li Guang couldn't possibly have been unaware that it was likely the Crown Prince's influence. But this was, after all, Chang'an, guarded by 50,000 Southern Army soldiers, his proud imperial guards.

But at this moment, Huo Qubing tore away all the pretense.

Everyone knows that Li Guang was a man who loved his soldiers like his own children.

His military style was also different from that of most generals in the world. He never marched or stationed troops according to established rules. There was no need for night watchmen or patrols, and even his main tent rarely used documents.

He did the opposite of what was expected of a general leading troops, and he kept everything simple, which reduced the burden on his soldiers. As a result, the soldiers were happy to follow him in battle and were willing to fight to the death for him.

On this rainy and snowy spring night, he made sure the palace guards and southern soldiers went to sleep early so they could spend the night peacefully.

So much so that he didn't even know where Huo Qubing and the elite cavalry of the Northern Army entered the city, or when they entered, and he only realized after the Weiyang Palace had been breached.

For a general, to allow someone to easily enter the camp and then into the main tent, even if it is empty, is a great disgrace.

However, when Li Guang called out Huo Qubing's name, the guards behind him immediately fell into chaos. A person's name is like a tree's shadow. In the Battle of Mobei, he twice won the most merits in the entire army. He was called the Champion Marquis. Let them fight the Champion Marquis.

Furthermore, although the imperial guards all belonged to the Southern Army, different imperial guards had different military orders. Even though Li Guang was the Minister of the Imperial Guards and the leader of the Southern Army, he could not command all the imperial guards to obey his orders.

During the Qin and Han dynasties, a great deal of arrangements were made within the imperial guards, but the purpose was not to make the imperial guards completely loyal to the emperor, but rather to prevent the imperial guards from developing their own will.

In their daily lives, the Imperial Guards are trained not to strive for military merit, but to not move around recklessly!

"By order of the Crown Prince, guards, lay down your weapons!" Huo Qubing, being astute as ever, bypassed Li Guang and issued the Crown Prince's order to the Imperial Guards almost without thinking.

The struggles within the imperial family are beyond the understanding of ordinary soldiers. Only a few know that in the present Han Dynasty, three emperors—the emperor, empress, and crown prince—share the reins of government. As for who actually has the final say, most soldiers don't know, but they can't go wrong by following the orders given to them first!

When the soldiers laid down their weapons, Li Guang panicked, but it was too late. The situation had already turned against them, and the imperial guards in the area surrendered without resistance. Even the imperial guards who rushed to the scene after hearing the news also gave up their resistance.

"Minister of the Imperial Guard, military affairs must be handled with utmost seriousness!" Huo Qubing said calmly.

He hadn't read many military books, but he knew that strict discipline, detailed scouts, and concise documentation were essential for commanding large forces. He also knew that a small force should be well-organized, with clear and detailed scouts, and that a small force should be well-managed. He believed that strict discipline in attack would allow the enemy to see his movements and thus be unable to achieve anything, while simple discipline in defense would allow the enemy to exploit his weaknesses and attack him. He believed that a large force with simple discipline would be easily defeated because its members would not work together effectively, while a small force with strict discipline would be constrained and lead to its own defeat.

Li Guang's "unique" methods of leading troops were simply playing with the lives of his soldiers!

Zhao Ponu stepped forward to remove Li Guang's armor and tie him up. Li Guang tried to resist, but then saw several crossbows aimed at him.

Li Guang was hung on the gate of Weiyang Palace.

Li Gan, the Grand Master of Ceremonies who led a large army from Fu'ang Gate, was horrified when he saw this scene.

"Champion Marquis!"

Li Gan's roar echoed through the sky.

A son will die for his father's honor. The Li family of Longxi has been generals of Qin and Han for generations. They would rather die than suffer humiliation.

Huo Qubing also saw him, smiled coldly, and led only three thousand elite cavalry to meet Li Gan's army of ten thousand.

Just then, from the direction of Changle Palace, Cheng Bushi, the Palace Commandant and Minister of the Palace Guards, led 5,000 guards of Changle Palace. At the same time, chariots and crossbows appeared one after another, blocking Li Gan from the front and the back, together with Huo Qubing.

"By order of the Empress, soldiers of the Imperial Guard, lay down your weapons!" Cheng Bushi's powerful voice echoed throughout the long street.

If Li Guang was the strongest arrow of the Han Dynasty, then Cheng Bushi was its strongest shield. Both were generals serving three dynasties, but Li Guang fought on despite repeated defeats, while Cheng Bushi guarded the border and fought against the Xiongnu for decades without ever suffering a defeat.

He relied on military management methods that were completely opposite to those of Li Guang, which were "effective and resulted in strict military discipline".

However, under the military merit system of the Han Dynasty, those who captured the enemy first were not granted the title of Marquis.

There were many Han generals like Cheng Bushi, but none of them complained about fate like Li Guang and the Li family of Longxi.

"By order of the Crown Prince, soldiers of the Imperial Guard, lay down your weapons!"

"By order of the Empress, soldiers, lay down your weapons!"

"..."

The imperial decrees of the Empress's Palace and the Crown Prince's Palace echoed over Chang'an, and the already misty drizzle seemed to be dispersed at this moment.

"Ding-a-ling!"

"Boom!"

The iron spears struck the bluestone ground, immediately producing a crisp sound. One sound was followed by two, three, four... The Southern Army soldiers received the orders from the two emperors.

No matter how much Li Gan shouted and cursed, he couldn't change the fact that Xun Zhi and Gao Bushi rushed forward.

Li Gan has been captured!

It was hung above the gate of Weiyang Palace along with Li Guang.

Huo Qubing held Cheng Bushi in high esteem and bowed, saying, "Old General."

"Champion Marquis." Cheng Bushi returned the greeting with a cupped hand. Looking at the young and resolute face of the peerless general under the firelight, a trace of sadness flashed in his eyes. In the pitch-black night, no one could notice it. He spoke in a calm tone, "The guards of Chang Le Palace, the carriages and horses of the Central Stables, and I will be under the command of the Champion Marquis."

This is the first major change in Chang'an since the execution of the Lü clan. Even Empress Wei cannot compete for the position of Marquis of Champion and ruler of Chang'an.

"Thank you very much, General," Huo Qubing said.

Dealing with smart people is so easy, unlike those two father and son on the wall.

The guards of Changle Palace and the carriages and horses of the central stables were under the control of Huo Qubing, and the chariots were still very useful in the city's streets and alleys.

"Ok?"

At the end of the long street, the sound of galloping horses could be heard again; it was Han Shuo leading the Southern Army soldiers from Luocheng Gate.

Huo Qubing greeted him warmly, "Grand Master of Ceremonies, how have you been?"

Han looked at Huo Qubing's troops, then at himself, and out of the corner of his eye he saw two people on the gate of Weiyang Palace. Was this Chang'an City or the Northern Army camp?
A third person was hung on the gate of Weiyang Palace.

Three men in one play.

Li Gan was cursing Han Shuo for arriving late. Han Shuo was cursing Li Guang and Li Gan, father and son, for being good-for-nothings. He said that even if they had tens of thousands of pigs, they couldn't have lost so quickly. Li Guang was cursing Li Gan and Han Shuo for guarding the north and south of Chang'an City like two stone lions, unable to defend anything!
Even cursing requires good physique. As dawn broke, Han Shuo, who had been fighting two opponents at once, gradually fell silent and looked towards the horizon.

I was taken aback when I saw Venus streak across the daytime sky.

Historical records state: "In the second year of the Yuan Shou era, in the first month of spring, Venus appeared in the Qin region. A falling star was like an imperial edict, signifying a change of dynasty, and the crown prince would ascend the throne!"

(End of this chapter)