xymnovel Chapter 36 The Dragon Throne Will Change Hands in April
Chapter 36 The Dragon Throne Will Change Hands in April
With the water source problem solved, there were no more obstacles to city construction. Only a few days were needed to handle the detailed work, much like applying makeup to a natural beauty, which enhanced her appearance.
Gao Xingzhou returned to the city and sent a message to Yang Hongxin, agreeing to meet him with his son a month later.
Gao Huaide felt as if he had been doused with cold water; his joy of victory vanished. The thought of being separated from his younger brother made him wish that the completion of Qingjian City could be postponed even further.
However, as the days went by, the fortifications became more and more impressive.
Between the moat and the city wall, a low wall called the Sheep and Horse Wall was built on the slope, which served as both a barrier to the enemy and an ambush site.
The town government was built within the city, along with various buildings such as barracks, armories, and granaries. Roads were leveled to facilitate troop movement.
The doorway was fitted with a heavy wooden door leaf, reinforced with sheet metal, and an iron gate was installed in the doorway, with a winch controlling its raising and lowering.
The city walls were fortified with battlements to observe enemy movements and to fire upon them, and even a watchtower over ten zhang high was erected.
From the platform, one can see all the activity within a radius of more than ten miles.
At this moment, Gao Huaide stood on this high platform, looking around.
The great river flows from north to south, as if it were forcibly bent by the immense force of a god, suddenly twisting eastward, and then turning back northward, forming a wondrous Tai Chi shape.
The west bank of the Yellow River belonged to Qin, and the east bank belonged to Jin. The Yellow River was the yin of Yin, and the loess was the yang of Yang. Yin and Yang were in harmony, which is the so-called "Qin-Jin alliance".
"Young master, if it snows, the rivers will freeze over and the black and white will be clearly distinguished, making it look even more like a yin-yang symbol."
Lu Qian was afraid of heights, but despite his legs feeling weak, he still managed to explain, "Speaking of snow, the scenery in the North is truly unique. Although this place is also considered the North, it's not like the grasslands, where for several months of the year it's all covered in white."
Gao Huaide was born in Zhengding. At the age of five, he followed his father to Zhenwu Army in Shuozhou. He learned to ride horses on the vast and boundless green grasslands and was also captivated by the magnificent snow-covered landscape after the first snowfall.
It was also at that time that he learned about the enemy his father was guarding against: the Khitan, the northern overlords.
"Every autumn when the horses are fat, the Khitans would march south to plunder and steal livestock and valuables to get through the winter. The flat plains could not stop these bandits."
Gao Huaide recalled his father's words and looked into the distance.
The three strategic locations of Qingjian, Hengshan, and Fangqu, once fortified, could block the Dingnan army and gain an advantage in the northwest corner.
Looking across the land, the Taihang Mountains stretch northward, intersecting with the east-west Yanshan Mountains, protecting the Hedong and Youyan regions. The area north of these two mountain ranges is known as the "back of the mountains," a place of strategic importance with numerous passes, all of which are hotly contested by military strategists.
Our ancestors built the Great Wall here to defend against foreign tribes, which was truly a visionary act.
"That land is called the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, which is related to the rise and fall of the Chinese and the barbarian states." (Note 1)
……
As the construction of Qingjian City came to an end, Li Congke's tearful outburst won over the government troops, turning defeat into victory in a desperate attempt to survive. He then led his army eastward, advancing with unstoppable momentum.
March 17th, Bingchen day.
Wang Sitong and Yao Yanchou fled back to Chang'an, but Liu Suiyong, the deputy governor of Xijing, refused to let them in. The two continued their journey to Tongguan.
March 20th, Jiwei day.
When Fengxiang's army arrived in Chang'an, Liu Suiyong surrendered the city and distributed the wealth of the residents of Jingzhao to reward the army. Wang Sitong's family fortune and prostitutes were all seized by Yin Hui.
On that day, Wang Jing, the commander of the western infantry, and others returned to the capital from the front lines, bringing news of the defeat.
"On the fifteenth of this month, the army attacked Fengxiang. On the sixteenth, Yin Hui, the commander of the right wing of the Yanwei Army, led his army into the city from the east, and Yang Siquan, the commander of the right Yulin Army, led his army into the city from the west. Zhang Qianzhao's army south of the mountain collapsed."
Li Conghou was greatly alarmed and said to his regents, "I ascended the throne at a young age and entrusted the government to my ministers. There was originally no discord between my brothers. You gentlemen have informed me of your important plans, and I alone cannot disobey you. Now that things have come to this, how can we avert disaster?"
In his panic, the new emperor forgot his initial high spirits about reducing the power of the vassal states and immediately wanted to abdicate: "I should go to Fengxiang with my attendants to welcome my brother to rule the country; it is more reasonable for me to return to my vassal state."
The two prime ministers, Zhu Hongzhao and Feng Yun, could not respond.
Kang Yicheng, who was appointed Grand Commandant and concurrently Attendant-in-Ordinary, and in charge of the Six Armies and Guards, was, after all, a military general. He strongly advocated reorganizing the army and fighting again, and submitted a memorial stating: "The Western army was routed due to the miscalculation of its commander. Your Majesty still has many soldiers and armor. I request to personally go to Guanzhong to bolster their morale and seize their strategic points."
He had previously been unwilling to become a leader, but now he has changed his mind and become more proactive.
The personal guards left by Li Siyuan were the last line of defense for protecting the capital and Li Conghou. Unfortunately, the new emperor was only known for his respect for scholars and had no experience in commanding troops. Faced with this crisis for the first time, he could only trust Kang Yicheng and entrust him with military power.
March 22nd, Xin You day.
Kang Yicheng repeatedly petitioned for permission to proceed, and finally received His Majesty's approval.
Li Conghou also knew the principle that the emperor would not starve his soldiers, so he personally visited the Left Treasury and distributed gold and silk to the soldiers.
The Left Treasury was the emperor's inner treasury. In contrast to the Right Treasury, which stored rare items such as gold, jade, jewels, copper, iron, bone, and horn, the Left Treasury stored money, silk, miscellaneous items, and taxes levied throughout the country.
Li Conghou summoned the guards and subordinates, and kindly comforted them, saying, "You have fought countless battles alongside the previous dynasty. How can you not be heartbroken by what has happened today! Now, the entire treasury will be used to distribute these gifts. You must strive to fulfill your duties!"
He then distributed silver, silk, and money to the various armies. At that time, the emperor's mausoleum was being prepared, and this further distribution emptied the imperial treasury.
The soldiers, still not satisfied, shouldered the reward and proclaimed along the road, "When we reach Fengxiang, we'll ask for another reward."
Such was his arrogance and fearlessness.
During the ceremony to reward the troops, Zhu Hongshi, the commander of the Imperial Guard Cavalry, and Kang Yicheng discussed the advantages and disadvantages of using troops in the treasury.
Zhu Hongshi believed that the soldiers lacked fighting spirit and advocated for a firm defense of Luoyang. He suggested that they first secure the city gates and then gradually make advances, which he considered the most secure strategy.
Kang Yicheng, harboring an old grudge against him, angrily retorted, "Is Hong Shi plotting a rebellion?!"
Zhu Hongshi, relying on the power of his elder brother, the Privy Councilor Zhu Hongzhao, and who was not inferior to Kang Yicheng, retorted: "You want to use your imperial guards to welcome the surrender of the Western forces as your own merit, but you are plotting a rebellion. Who else do you think is rebelling?" (Note 2)
"nonsense!"
Kang Yicheng's thoughts were exposed, and he argued angrily, his voice growing increasingly harsh. The two accused each other of harboring evil intentions and being traitors, and they began to debate in front of the emperor.
Li Conghou was unable to distinguish right from wrong and was heavily reliant on Kang Yicheng. In his confusion, he issued an order to execute Zhu Hongshi immediately, which further fueled the anger of the soldiers.
On that day, the Fengxiang army marched to Zhaoying, with its vanguard reaching Lingkou. Yao Yanchou fought valiantly and escaped, while Wang Sitong was captured and sent to the front lines.
Li Congke said to his attendants, "Si Tong's plan may have gone awry, but he has done his best in serving others, which is commendable."
When Wang Sitong arrived, Li Congke rebuked him, saying, "These treacherous ministers have ruined our country and harmed our own flesh and blood. This is not my fault, brother. I raised an army in Qishan only to kill one or two treacherous ministers. Why are you so two-faced and have misled me in so many ways? Can you escape your punishment today?"
"I rose from humble beginnings, received the title and mandate from the previous dynasty, and held the banner and wielded the axe. I served in various important posts, but ultimately failed to achieve any significant results to repay the special favor I received."
Wang Sitong's reply was sincere and frank: "It is not that I do not know that currying favor with the powerful brings great fortune, while helping the weak and rescuing the vulnerable brings swift disaster, but I fear that after I close my eyes, I will have no face to meet the late emperor in the afterlife."
Mentioning Li Siyuan stirred up Li Congke's thoughts, and he changed his expression, saying, "Let's rest for a while."
He then ordered him to be taken away and imprisoned, and that they would try to persuade him again once he changed his mind.
That night, Li Congke got completely drunk.
March 24th, Guihai day.
The imperial court appointed Kang Yicheng as the chief commander of the Fengxiang campaign and reassigned Wang Sitong as the deputy commander.
An Congjin was appointed Military Governor of Hue and Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard Cavalry.
An imperial edict ordered the forty commanders of the Left and Right Feathered Forest Guards to be renamed the Strict Guards, and the Left and Right Dragon Martial and Divine Martial Armies to be renamed the Respectful Saints, in order to replenish the losses of the Imperial Guards and reorganize the army to prepare for the battle against Li Congke.
However, Li Conghou was unaware that Wang Sitong, who had been demoted to a deputy position, was no longer alive at this time.
Seeing that Li Congke was nostalgic and intended to reinstate Wang Sitong, Yang Siquan and others were ashamed to see him. They repeatedly petitioned Liu Yanlang, saying, "Sitong should not be kept, lest we lose the hearts of the people."
When Li Congke raised his army, he had five associates: Han Zhaoyin, the judge of the military governor; Li Zhuanmei, the chief secretary; Song Shenqian, the general; Fang Gao, the guest general; and Liu Yanlang, the clerk. All of them were his trusted followers.
Yin Hui, who had acquired Wang Sitong's property and concubines, also strongly urged him to be killed.
While the Prince of Lu was drunk, Liu Yanlang killed Wang Sitong and his son without waiting for an answer.
When Li Congke sobered up, he summoned Wang Sitong, only to be informed by his attendants that Wang had already been executed. He then angrily rebuked Liu Yanlang, lamenting and sighing for days, but it was too late to undo the damage.
On that day, the Fengxiang army arrived at Huazhou. Yao Yanchou attempted to escape by following the river, but was captured by the soldiers and handed over to them, and imprisoned.
March 25th, Jiazi day.
Fengxiang Army, Wenxiang.
A report came from Shanzhou that the Prince of Lu had arrived at Tongguan and killed Wang Sitong, the commander of the western front.
March 26th, Yichou day.
Fengxiang Army, Lingbao.
An Yanwei, the military governor of Hezhong, surrendered and awaited punishment. Li Congke pardoned him and sent him back to his post.
In the capital, Kang Yicheng reported that the rewards were insufficient, and the soldiers were unwilling to go on the expedition.
As a matter of course, the Imperial Guards received an annual salary of twenty to thirty strings of cash, with additional rewards during festivals. The annual cost for each soldier was about fifty strings of cash, and the cost for the personal guard cavalry was double that.
Whenever a campaign is launched, the necessary funds must be provided: funds for departure, funds for shoes and socks, funds for settling down, and funds to save lives.
Li Conghou's treasury was already empty, so he could only make empty promises, declaring to the soldiers of the western expeditionary force that upon the pacification of Fengxiang, each of them would be rewarded with two hundred thousand coins, temporarily supplemented by palace clothing and playthings.
An imperial edict was issued appointing An Congjin, the commander of the Imperial Guards Cavalry, as the inspector of the capital to maintain order and security.
However, Li Conghou was unaware that An Congjin had already secretly received the letter from the Prince of Lu and had secretly revealed his intentions.
Kang Sili, the military governor of Shanzhou, originally intended to hold the city and wait for Kang Yicheng. Unexpectedly, the five hundred cavalrymen of the Pengsheng Army who were helping to defend Shanzhou surrendered to Li Congke and served as the vanguard to the city, calling out to recruit their comrades on the city walls.
"The 100,000 Imperial Guards have already been submitted to the new emperor. What are you few doing here? You've only brought ruin to the entire city!"
The soldiers of the Imperial Guard rushed out to greet him, and Kang Sili could not stop them, so he had no choice but to leave the city and surrender.
March 28th, Dingmao year.
When the Fengxiang army arrived in Shanzhou, it was less than 300 li from Luoyang.
Li Congke ordered the widespread distribution of proclamations, informing all civil and military officials and commoners in the capital not to have any worries or doubts, except that the families of Zhu Hongzhao and Feng Yun would not be pardoned.
Kang Yicheng finally led his army westward. When the imperial guards reached Xin'an, morale plummeted. Soldiers, numbering in the hundreds, disarmed themselves and rushed to Shanzhou to welcome the Prince of Lu.
When Kang Yicheng arrived at Ganhao, which was Shihao Village where Du Fu had spent the night, he had only a few dozen men left under his command. On the way, he encountered a dozen or so scouts from the Prince of Lu, and he took off his sword and bow as tokens of surrender and went to the army gate to ask for surrender.
March 29th, Wuchen day.
Upon hearing that Kang Yicheng's army had been defeated and tens of thousands of imperial guards had defected to the new ruler, Li Conghou was alarmed and at a loss for what to do. He then ordered Zhu Hongzhao, the Privy Councilor, Chancellor, and concurrently Grand Chancellor, to devise a plan.
"Your Majesty's urgent summons is my fault."
Zhu Hongzhao misunderstood the situation. At that time, General Mu Yanhui was at his residence. His daughter was Zhu Hongzhao's daughter-in-law. Mu Yanhui said that they should quickly welcome the Prince of Lu so as not to bring disaster to the whole clan.
However, Li Congke made it clear that there would be no pardon. While Zhu Hongzhao was still hesitating, the imperial envoy arrived. Zhu Hongzhao immediately drew his sword, cried loudly, and tried to commit suicide, but his family stopped him.
The Chinese envoy pressed him relentlessly, and Zhu Hongzhao, having reached a dead end, cried out, "Have we really come to this?!"
He threw himself into the well and died.
Feng Yun, the Minister of Revenue, Minister of Finance, and Salt and Iron Transport Commissioner, who held immense financial power, was murdered by An Congjin, the newly appointed Inspector of the Capital, and his head was sent to the Prince of Lu. His mother had recently died, and the bodies of mother and son were abandoned on the roadside; his wife and children were also killed.
With three regents and two prime ministers dead, and the commander of the imperial guards surrendering to the enemy, Li Conghou pondered the situation. Luoyang was difficult to defend, and Hedong was too far away. His only option was to flee to Weizhou.
The situation was urgent, and there was no time to wait for the Hanlin Academy to draft an edict. The emperor picked up his pen and wrote a letter, urgently summoning Meng Hanqiong, the Grand Master of the Palace, General of the Cavalry, and trusted eunuch, and ordering him to enter Yedu first as the vanguard.
Unable to hide, Meng Hanqiong summoned all his concubines to bid them farewell, intending to kill them with his own hands. Knowing his intentions, they all fled in panic, and Meng Hanqiong rode alone to Mianchi to visit Li Congke.
That evening, the emperor, who had been on the throne for less than half a year, left through the Yuanwu Gate accompanied only by a hundred personal cavalrymen.
Murong Qian, the commander of the Crane Control Command, was formerly a military officer in the princely residence, responsible for guarding the north gate of the imperial city.
Li Conghou led fifty horsemen ahead and conveyed an oral message to him: "I will soon visit Weizhou to plan for restoration. If you have horses, lead them and follow me."
Murong Qian readily agreed: "My life and death are in the hands of everyone."
Who would have thought that as soon as the emperor left the capital, Murong Qian immediately shut his gates and refused to leave, facing betrayal and abandonment from his followers, such was his situation in the face of danger.
With April approaching and summer just around the corner, the dragon throne in the imperial palace is about to change hands.
-----------------
Place Name Comparison
Zhaoying: present-day Lintong District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province
Lingkou: present-day Lingkou Town, Luonan County, Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province
Wenxiang: Located in the northeast of Wenxiang Village, Yangping Town, Lingbao City, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province, within the Yellow River channel. It was merged and abolished as a county in 1954.
Shanzhou: present-day Shanzhou District, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province
Xin'an: present-day Xin'an County, Luoyang City, Henan Province