Never in Chen Shichangâs wildest dreams had he thought that Lou Jing would manage to gain control of the Jinzhou Army. All these years, the Chunde Emperor had been systematically shaving down the Lou familyâs power and influence, and after the old AnguoGongpassed on, Lou Jing had never set foot in Jinzhou. How had he managed to obtain the Jinzhou Armyâs trust and loyalty?
âShizi, why are you here?â Chen Shichang asked, forcing himself to remain calm. âSince General Zhennan is here now, this old man can also be at ease. The Capital is currently under martial law, and thereâs a vassal king making trouble. I would invite the General to protect the Capital and the Emperor; doing so would also protect the Lou Clan.â
Lou Jing raised his eyebrows. This old coot was still doing his best to fight and struggle even though death was at his door. His words had been carefully chosen to warn him that if he tried anything funny, the Lou family in the Capital would be one of the first to fall. âLord Right Minister, what you say makes sense. We have marched forth to the Capital to aid the Emperor, and I respectfully request that you open the city gates at once,â he said in a resonant voice.
The soldiers standing guard on the city wall didnât quite understand what was going on. To them, Lou Jing seemed like he was really here to help, so they asked the Right Minister, âLord Chen, do we open the city gates?â
Chen Shichang was so exasperated that he felt his vision going black. âWhat gates did you want to open? Do you not have eyes? Canât you see that these are just a bunch of traitors here to make trouble?â he snapped.
The city gates definitely could not be opened. Chen Shichang caught hold of a silver-tongued civil official and made him engage in a verbal duel with Lou Jing, then ordered people to go to the AnguoGongresidence to arrest Lou Jingâs family members. He himself left the city gates in a hurry.
When the guards at the base of the city wall saw the originally confident Right Minister come down all pale and shaking, they were completely confused and went forward to clarify what was happening. âMy Lord, the Jinzhou Army is here, and the safety of the CapitalâŚâ they began.
âQuick!â Chen Shichang barked. He raised his head sharply, and the men saw that the Right Ministerâs eyes had a wild, desperate look in them. âNotify the soldiers outside the city! Theyâre to march to the Capital at once. No matter what, no matter how, they are to kill Lou Jing and take control of the Jinzhou Army!â
The soldiers of the Jinzhou Army were ferocious and courageous. They had been the Chen familyâs trump card, but now, this trump card had been used against them, and Chen Shichang was at a loss as to what to do. MinWangâs army would also appear on the horizon any minute now, and the Capital would be besieged on all sides when that happened. Chen Shichang realised only now that he had long been caught in Xiao Chengjunâs intricate machinations like a fly in a spiderâs carefully spun web. He could only struggle helplessly in vain as his fearsome predator advanced toward him step by menacing step.
The army had surrounded the city, and the atmosphere in the Capital became very tense. The officials in the Capital barged into the AnguoGongmansion and arrested every last person there on the basis that the AnguoGongShizihad committed treason.
Lou Jing hadnât given the order to attack the city. He was waiting. He was only a General, and he could not send his army forth without a righteous cause. When Xiao Chengjun arrived with his army, the Right Minister would certainly try to force the Emperor to abdicate on pain of death, and at that moment, he could legitimately be said to be coming to the Emperorâs rescue.
Also, their road to the Capital had been much too smooth. Lou Jingâs sixth sense had been well honed by his years on the battlefield, and it told him that the Right Minister still had some hidden trump card. Otherwise, he wouldnât look so confident.
Lou Jianyu was so frightened that heâd turned deathly pale. He was trussed up like a leaf-wrapped dumpling and forced up the city walls. The civil official who had been engaging with Lou Jing took out an Imperial decree and read it out in a carrying voice. âThe AnguoGong Shizi, Lou Jing, has committed treason, and it is ordered that he is to commit suicide in front of his armyâŚâ he said.
The soldiers assembled below the city wall were all filled with righteous anger on hearing this. âBullshit! We are here to save the Emperor! On what basis are you asking our General to commit suicide?!â Li Cheng shouted.
âI strongly urgeShizi yeto cease and desist. If your clan was exterminated to the ninth degree, wouldnât that be a real pity?â the official said. As he spoke, the trussed up Lou Jianyu was dangled down from the city walls, where he swayed like a pendulum in the wind.
The city walls of the Capital were tens of feet high, and Lou Jianyu started shaking from head to foot when he saw how far he was from the ground. âYou bloody bastard!â he shouted at Lou Jing. âLook what youâve done now!â
Lou Jing narrowed his eyes.
The officials in theShangshuâs office were still attending to their work when soldiers surrounded them and locked them in the room with a huge metal padlock.
âWhat is the meaning of this?!â the Minister of Rites Yao Zhu asked angrily.
âMy Lords, please donât make a fuss. There are traitorous soldiers attacking the Capital, and it is safest for all of you to remain in theShangshuâs office,â the guards said, laughing coldly. They completely ignored the scholars who were banging at the door and yelling to be let out.
âWhereâs the Left Minister?â Chen Shichangâs eldest son asked, looking around urgently. Everyone looked startled. They suddenly realised that they hadnât seen Yang Youting at all!
At this very moment, Yang Youting was in the interior chamber of the Panlong Palace, drafting the Emperorâs edict that appointed his heir.
â⌠the First Prince Xiao Chengjun is filial, kind and of high morals. I herebyâŚâ the Chunde Emperor said, stopping to pant heavily. He couldnât say more than a few words before becoming breathless.
Yang Youting was writing down the Chunde Emperorâs Imperial edict word by word on bright yellow brocade. On hearing this, he couldnât help tightening his grip around the brush handle. âYour Majesty, are you intending to appoint a regent?â he said.
The Emperor had previously appointed the Imperial grandson as the Crown Prince, but he was still much too young to assume the responsibilities of government. A regent had to act in his stead until he grew up. Based on what the Chunde Emperor was saying, it seemed that he was going to appoint Xiao Chengjun as Xiao Qiruiâs regent. This wasnât the outcome that anyone in the Empire would be happy with; Xiao Chengjun was a deposed Imperial Prince, and for him to act in the real Emperorâs stead whilst the latter was still a child was highly inappropriate. The Imperial Court could never be stable with such an arrangement.
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Madam Chen was wearing a plain green dress, and she had an ugly expression on her face. She looked coldly at Empress Ji, who was sitting on the main seat. âEmpressniangniang, why have you summonedChenqiehere?â she asked. She was fully apprised of the situation outside the palace. The Chen family had been forced into a corner, and ordinarily, they should have marched soldiers into the Imperial Palace and forced the Emperor to abdicate by now, but the Third Prince was still trapped in the Panlong Palace, so they couldnât do anything. She had been nearly beside herself with worry that Ji Zhuo would harm her son.
âThe Emperor has issued his edict. The Empress and Imperial Princes are summoned for an audience,â Huai Zhong said, a look of grief on his face as he called them in. âThe Emperor has heard that Madam Chen is here, and he has given permission for her to go in as well.â
Ji Zhuo got to his feet and motioned Xiao Chengjin to follow him. They kept a good distance away from Madam Chen and her son.
Yang Youtingâs face was grave as he held the edict in his hands. He didnât open it, and simply sat quietly by the side.
âZhenhas decided to restore the First Prince Xiao Chengjunâs position as Crown Prince. You will all assist him wholeheartedly when he takes the throne after my passingâŚâ the Chunde Emperor said. He looked very well now all of a sudden. His cheeks were rosy, and his speech was smooth.
âYour Majesty!â Madam Chen said, shocked. She gaped at the Emperor and seemed to be unable to close her mouth. âYour Majesty, youâve already named the Imperial grandson as your successor. How could you restore the First Prince to his original position as Crown Prince?â
Madam Chen was used to behaving inappropriately around the Chunde Emperor. She had even commented briefly about important matters in the Imperial Court in the past, which concubines of thehougongwere not allowed to do. She had forgotten about that rule in the heat of the moment, and the words seemed torn from her mouth. If the Emperor made Xiao Chengjun his successor again, then his actions in leading an army to the Capital would really be seen as just and righteous. He could even attack the Capital without any repercussions. On the other hand, her Chen family would really be branded as traitors after this.
The Chunde Emperor looked at the woman heâd loved for nearly twenty years. He gestured for everyone to leave, saying that he wanted to say a few words to Madam Chen privately.
The Yulin troops in the Capital had gathered swiftly in the Imperial Palace, and the guards stationed in the outskirts of the Capital, which were around 2,000 in number, were also rapidly converging upon the palace.
Chen Shichang was like an agitated, trapped animal. He simply couldnât sit still anymore.
âMinWangâs army is less than 500liaway,â the messenger soldier said. He had a hopeless look on his face.
âXiao Chengjun⌠you bloody f*cking bastard, Xiao ChengjunâŚâ Chen Shichang swore. His eyes were bloodshot, and he had only just realised that everything that had happened in the Imperial Court ever since Xiao Chengjun left the Capital had all been part of his plan.
First, it was Lou Jing asking for military might in Jiangzhou. Then it was Empress Ji deliberately allowing ChenGuifeito grab hold of the Phoenix Seal so that she would make a grave mistake, which provided a reason for her Head Eunuch Luo Ji to be interrogated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. That vile Shen Lian had seen through their earlier âcooperationâ and figured out that Chen Shichang had actually just made use of him to do his dirty work. He had therefore set his heart on getting revenge, and theyâd completely burned their bridges as a result.
Chen Shichang knew the time wasnât ripe to set his plan in motion, but if he didnât do anything, he would have been thrown in jail in short order. In any event, he had thought that Xiao Chengjun wouldnât have enough time to consolidate his power and influence in Minzhou, so he had nothing to worry about even if he carried out his scheme a little earlier. He had never expected that Lingnan, Jiangzhou, Minzhou, Yuezhou and even Jinzhou were all under Xiao Chengjunâs control!
âMinWanghad already started scheming long before we did, Iâm afraid,â the Minister of Defence Sun Liang said unsympathetically.
âIt hasnât ended yet! Not by a long shot!â Chen Shichang said, throwing the teacup in his hands onto the floor. It shattered with a small tinkling sound. He found it impossible to accept that he had actually lost to a youth who had not even come of age!
Outside the city, Lou Jing and the civil official were still at an impasse. Lou Jing sat casually on his horse and didnât seem to have any intention of saving his father no matter what vulgarities the civil official and Lou Jianyu hurled at him.
âReporting to the General, a large company of Tartar soldiers has appeared fiftylinorth of the city. Theyâre riding to the Capital as we speak!â a soldier said, coming forward post-haste to make this report. âTheyâre probably no more than twentyliaway now.â
It wasnât just the Jinzhou Army that was stunned; the soldiers on the city wall were also dumbstruck. The Tartars were the Empireâs mortal enemies, and theyâd actually managed to get this close to the Capital?!
The corners of Lou Jingâs mouth lifted in a sardonic smile. This Chen family even dared to collude with the Tartars in their schemes! They had really gone too far this time. He raised his head and said loudly, âThe Right Minister Chen Shichang has colluded with the Tartars to cause chaos in the Empire. He is a traitor who has committed treason! If you do not open the city gates immediately, you will be considered treasonous traitors as well!â
A cloud of dust appeared on the horizon. It was obvious that a vast number of riders were making their way towards them. When the guards on the city wall saw this, they were so shocked that they loosened their grip on the rope dangling Lou Jianyu from the city wall and nearly caused him to plunge to the ground. Lou Jianyu screamed shrilly in fright.
âGet in formation!â Lou Jing said. He didnât bother with the fellows on the city wall any more. He raised a hand, gave orders, and the Jinzhou Army behind him moved swiftly and smoothly into battle formation. The archers positioned themselves right at the front, the infantry spearmen stood just behind them, and the cavalry spread out into a strange pattern.
The Tartars lived in the Great Desert, and they had strong soldiers and fast horses. Their skills at horseback archery were unparalleled in this world. They roared loud battle cries as they charged toward the Jinzhou Army.
âPull me up, quick!â Lou Jianyu yelled in fright. Heâd been dangling over the side of the wall forever. The Tartars had loosed a whole cloud of arrows, and he was intensely worried that a stray arrow would either find its way into his body or cut the rope that he was dangling from.
The guards on the city wall were also panicking now. They hauled Lou Jianyu up quickly and clumsily, then held their breaths in fear as they watched the fierce battle rage below the city walls.
There were now so many arrows in the sky that they looked like dark thunderclouds. The arrows shot by the Jinzhou Army sped toward the galloping Tartar horsemen. The first row of Tartar cavalry gave a strange shout and reined in their horses sharply, but the ones behind charged forward regardless.
The Jinzhou Army was very familiar with fighting Tartars. The latterâs courage even in the face of imminent death was nothing new to the Jinzhou soldiers, and the archers didnât stop loosing arrow after arrow at them. The spearmen then quickly charged forward with their shields held in front of them, and the archers retreated behind the cavalry. When the Tartar cavalry advanced upon them, they rushed swiftly into the fray, cutting off the horsesâ hooves. Other foot soldiers took the opportunity to cut down the Tartars who had fallen off the horses with their swords. Their teamwork was impeccable.
This formation was invented by the old AnguoGongspecifically to deal with the Tartarsâ cavalry formations. The old Grandpa Lou had called this strategy âWrapping The Dumplingâ.
The Tartars didnât have the advantage of numbers, and relied on their soldiersâ and horsesâ superior strength in battle. Nearly all of them rode on horses. In contrast, the Empire lacked good warhorses, and it was difficult for them to initiate attacks, so they simply opted to defend their territory. They had many infantrymen, so they used them to cut down the horses and men by working in tandem. This was called âMincing the Dumpling Stuffingâ.
When the rest of the Tartars attacked, the scattered Jinzhou cavalry would suddenly form a tight circle and surround them so they couldnât escape. The infantrymen would then charge in and cut all of the remaining Tartars down. This was how the dumpling was wrapped.
This sounded very easy in theory, but using this battle formation in practice required the commanding officer to have an extremely high level of skill. The infantry and cavalry all had to be deployed perfectly and work together seamlessly. If not done well, the losses to the Jinzhou Army would be massive; it was much easier for a man on a horse to cut down someone who was on foot than the other way around.
For a while, the area outside the Capital was filled with the cries of war.
Lou Jing had moved the Jinzhou Army on an urgent basis, and he had not brought much in the way of food, supplies or weapons along with him. They had travelled light, bringing only the bare necessities. He also had not marched the entire Jinzhou Army to the Capital; Jinzhou was a border province and he could not leave it completely unguarded against the Tartar threat even if he was doing something as important as fighting for the throne. If the Tartars took advantage of their internal strife and attacked, their Empire was done for. As such, the Jinzhou troops that had marched with him to the Capital only numbered around 8,000. These 8,000 men were facing at least 3,000 Tartar horsemen, which werenât very good odds.
The Jinzhou Army that had intended to attack the Capital now became the protectors of the Capital. The city gates absolutely could not be opened now.
Ji Zhuo stood on the jade steps of the Panlong Palace, watching the crimson sun sink slowly below the western horizon. The peaceful atmosphere within the internal palace was broken by some noise from the outer palace.
The Yulin Troops were presently doing battle in the outer palace. It was incredibly troublesome that the Chen family had managed to hide their power within the Capital so well.
âFather Empress,â Xiao Chengjin said softly. He walked over to stand next to him. Ever since he was a little boy, he felt a deep sense of security just by being next to his Father Empress. It was so even during dire times like the present.
âDoes Xiao Chengjun really not intend to take any concubines?â Ji Zhuo suddenly asked.
Xiao Chengjin pressed his lips together. âMy Imperial Brotherâs mind is made up. I cannot persuade him otherwise either,â he said.
Empress Ji was silent for a moment. He then sighed. He had understood Xiao Chengjunâs intentions in having the Emperor appoint the Imperial grandson as the Crown Prince, and he had always taught Xiao Chengjun to treat his male Empress with love and respect, but he hadnât thought that heâd be the victim of his own success. âForget itâŚâ he said.
Before he could finish his sentence, a sharp scream sounded from inside the Panlong Palace. The two of them immediately turned and ran toward the Emperorâs chambers.
The scream had come from the inner chamber. The Third Prince, who had originally been sitting in the outer chamber had run into the inner chamber as well, and what he saw shocked him so badly that heâd screamed in fright.
Inside the inner chamber, the Chunde Emperorâs eyes were red with anger, and he seemed to have lost his mind. His hands were wrapped tightly around Madam Chenâs neck, and Madam Chen had already turned blue from the lack of air. The whites of her eyes were showing, and her face was full of fear as she scrabbled desperately at the Emperorâs hands.
âFather Emperor!â Xiao Chengduo shouted, rushing forward. He tried to pull the hands strangling his motherâs neck away, but the Chunde Emperor was using every last bit of strength he had, and all of Xiao Chengduoâs efforts were in vain.
By the time the Empress and JingWangran in, Madam Chenâs neck had been broken. The Third Princeâs whole body was limp as he cradled his motherâs corpse on the ground. The Chunde Emperor glared unblinkingly at the mother-and-son pair, then rasped, âTraitor! Why did you treatZhenthis way⌠pfftâŚâ Before he could finish speaking, a spray of blood emitted from his lips, and he collapsed onto the bed.
By the time the Imperial Physician arrived, the Emperorâs soul had already left for the West Heavens.
âThe Emperor has passed awayâŚâ Huai Zhong cried in grief, his voice echoing hollowly in the inner chamber.
Night had fallen, but the chaos in the Capital had only just begun.
The Tartars were very hardy. Wave after wave of them charged at Lou Jingâs men. Lou Jing had no choice but to first subdue these Tartars before entering the Capital; if the Tartars managed to attack the Capital, things would get really messy.
At this moment, the sound of galloping hooves came from the south of the city. MinWangâs army had finally arrived.
Lou Jing slashed strongly at a Tartar soldier, sending him flying. Fresh blood spattered onto Lou Jingâs face, but he didnât have time to wipe it off before he had to spin around to block a huge sword that had tried to catch him unawares. He jabbed out sharply with his silver spear, running the wielder of the huge sword through.
âSecond Uncle!â Lou Jing called out happily.
âThere are actually Tartars here!â Xu Che said, sniffing contemptuously. He spun his spear and slashed aside two horsemen who had come forward to attack, forcing them to fall off their horses. âLeave this area to me. You help MinWangconquer the Capital!â
âWill do!â Lou Jing said. He stopped fighting immediately and rushed forward to the centre of MinWangâs army with the Youyun Sixteen. Well, to be more exact, he rushed toward MinWang Dianxia, who was presently dressed in his battle armour.
Xiao Chengjunâs armour was a pale blue colour like hisQinwangrobes, and it glowed softly in the moonlight. That glowing armour illuminated Xiao Chengjunâs handsome face and made it look even more solemn than usual.
Lou Jing had never seen Xiao Chengjun in armour before. He felt a sense of amazement on seeing this sight, and he couldnât wait to get close to his husband. âChengjun!â he shouted.
The soldiers in front of them were attacking the city, and the booming sounds of the battering ram pounding on the city gates filled their ears. Nobody was paying attention to MinWangat all, and even Lou Jingâs shout was buried amidst the noise.
However, Xiao Chengjun miraculously heard Lou Jingâs call. He turned, and when he saw Lou Jing, his lips curved into a slight smile. When Lou Jing came near, he reached out and gently wiped the blood off Lou Jingâs face. âAre you hurt?â he asked.
âNo,â Lou Jing said, grabbing hold of that hand and nuzzling it lovingly.
They were in public, and there wasnât much Xiao Chengjun could say. He simply pinched Lou Jingâs palm back affectionately.
MinWangâs army had around 50,000 men. Exterminating the remaining Tartars was not a problem at all.
âKABOOM!â The city gates broke, and the army shouted loud battle cries as they charged into the Capital and made quick work of the soldiers who were guarding the city.
âDo not harm the commoners!â Xiao Chengjun commanded. He ordered the main force of the army to remain outside, whilst he himself entered the Capital with 5,000 elite troops through the Zhenyang Gate and made straight for the Imperial Palace.
The clang of naked steel and the sound of men dying continued in the external palace. Even Yang Youting, who had lived through the turbulent fall of the previous dynasty, couldnât help breaking out in cold sweat. The civil officials who had been locked into theShangshuâs office were even more anxious.
The battle had reached the inner palace now. Ji Zhuo stood on the jade steps of the Panlong Palace, watching the silver steel of swords flash and the red blood of the fallen run like a river. Shortly after, a large group of men and their horses charged through the palace gates and subdued them all.
âMinWangis here to rescue the Emperor!â the 5,000 elite soldiers roared.
Ji Zhuo didnât move, remaining exactly where he was. He waited for the sounds of battle to die down. Xiao Chengjunâs deep, resonant voice sounded from outside the door. âErchenXiao Chengjun has arrived to guard the Emperor!Erchenapologises for his tardiness!â he said.
âChenGeneral Zhengnan Xu Che has arrived to guard the Emperor!Chenapologises for his tardiness!â
âChenGeneral Zhennan Lou Jing has arrived to guard the Emperor!Chenapologises for his tardiness!â
Ji Zhuo raised a hand slowly. âOpen the door,â he said.