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The army was at the gates, and Li Jue showed no signs of retreat, personally leading his troops into battle. Outside the camp, fierce fighting erupted, with the clash of swords and the cries of battle echoing through the air, blood staining the earth and smoke filling the sky. However, Guo Si's forces were no match for Li Jue's, suffering consecutive defeats and ultimately forced to retreat temporarily.
After the battle, Li Jue coldly wiped the blood from his blade and returned to his tent, ordering the Emperor and Consort Fu to be moved to Maiwu for imprisonment. He assigned his nephew Li Xian to oversee the royal carriage, cutting off all communication between the inner palace and the outside world, even restricting their daily rations. The atmosphere within Maiwu was oppressive, a chill permeating everywhere. The attendants and eunuchs received only meager food each day, their faces gaunt and their clothing thin as they endured the torment of hunger and cold.
One day, Emperor Xian sat in a humble tent, observing the withered faces of his attendants with a mix of sorrow and anger. After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke softly to a nearby servant: "Go to Li Jue and request some rice and beef bones as gifts for those around me, to alleviate their suffering."
The servant took his leave and soon conveyed Emperor Xian's request to Li Jue. Upon hearing it, Li Jue's expression darkened; he abruptly smashed his wine cup onto the ground and shouted angrily, "Food has already been sent morning and night; do they dare ask for more? Is this a deliberate provocation?"
He stood up and pointed towards the kitchen below. "Send them rotten meat and moldy grain; let them eat their fill!"
Before long, the servant brought forth these foul-smelling provisions before Emperor Xian. The air was thick with the stench of decay, causing everyone to cover their noses in distress. Looking at the inedible food before him, Emperor Xian slammed his hand on the table in fury, his voice filled with indignation: "The traitor Li Jue dares to insult me thus, treating me like a prisoner! How can he act so recklessly in this world?"
Seeing this, Yang Biao, one of the attendants, quickly knelt on the ground, pleading earnestly: "Your Majesty, Li Jue is ruthless by nature; we must not provoke him directly. The situation has reached this point; I implore Your Majesty to endure this humiliation for now. If we preserve our strength, there will be a chance for us to rise again!"
Emperor Xian listened but felt a surge of anger within him; ultimately, he sat down weakly. He lowered his head, hands clasped in his sleeves as his body trembled slightly. Silent tears fell from his eyes, soaking his cuffs. He gazed out at the darkening sky beyond the tent, filled with bitterness and helplessness yet found himself at a loss for words.
Inside Maiwu, the air was thick with tension as the attendants wore worried expressions. Suddenly, a guard rushed in hastily and knelt down to report: "Your Majesty, there is an army outside the fort—swords and spears gleaming in the sun, drums thundering like an earthquake—advancing towards us!"
Hearing this news made Emperor Xian's heart tighten as he quickly asked: "Who comes?"
The guard replied with his head bowed: "It is General Guo Si's army."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xian felt even heavier in heart. He sighed softly: "Guo Si is no loyal subject; he likely has ulterior motives." As he spoke, shouts from outside grew louder like thunderclaps that sent waves of panic through everyone.
***
Outside the fort, Li Jue donned armor himself and led his troops into battle. Standing atop his warhorse, he pointed toward Guo Si and shouted loudly: "Guo Yaduo! I have treated you well; why do you seek to harm me?"
Guo Si reined in his horse and coldly replied: "You are a traitorous minister; you deserve death! How could I possibly spare you?"
Li Jue's eyes widened in anger as he retorted loudly: "I am protecting the Emperor here; how can I be called a rebel?"
Guo Si sneered, shaking his spear, pointing it directly at Li Jue. "You have imprisoned the Emperor here and cut off his supplies. Is this not an act of kidnapping?"
Li Jue snorted coldly, drawing his sword and shouting sternly, "Enough with the nonsense! Today, let us rely on our own abilities, without any soldiers. We shall see who can defeat the other in battle! The victor will take the Emperor away!"
"Very well!" Guo Si replied, urging his horse forward. As their steeds crossed paths, spear met sword, and the flames of battle ignited.
The two engaged in fierce combat at the front lines, their weapons clashing and sparks flying. Guo Si's spear struck with the swiftness of the wind, each thrust aimed to kill, while Li Jue met him with powerful strikes from his sword, displaying incredible strength. After ten exchanges, neither could gain the upper hand. The surrounding soldiers watched intently, none daring to intervene.
At that moment, an elder rode up, it was Grand Commandant Yang Biao. He raised both hands and shouted loudly, "Generals, cease this fighting! Do not bring shame upon the court any further!"
Hearing his voice, Guo Si and Li Jue reined in their horses and halted their combat, casting unfriendly glances at Yang Biao. Yang Biao rode between them and spoke solemnly, "Old Man has summoned officials to discuss matters. Both of you are pillars of the court; if you fight today out of personal grievances, it will bring ridicule upon us all. How will we explain this to His Majesty?"
Li Jue and Guo Si exchanged glances for a moment before snorting in unison. They turned their horses around and led their troops back to their camps. However, the anger and suspicion burning within them only grew fiercer.
Yang Biao contacted bureaucrats within the court, gathering over sixty officials together. Their brows were furrowed with worry and anxiety. Yang Biao stood up and spoke gravely: "Li Jue and Guo Si are like fire and water, fighting endlessly while the Emperor is trapped and the state is shaken. If we do not find a way to mediate peace, our world may never know tranquility again."
Zhu Jun nodded in agreement: "This matter is urgent. We are willing to risk our lives to persuade them to cease hostilities. If we fail, we shall have no regrets in death!"
The officials responded affirmatively and soon set off in groups towards Guo Si's camp to discuss this critical issue.
***
Inside Guo Si's tent, candlelight flickered as the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder. Guo Si sat within, his gaze stern as he surveyed the visiting officials. His tone was devoid of warmth: "You all come here late at night for what purpose?"
Yang Biao stepped forward and clasped his hands respectfully. "General Guo, we are all subjects of the court. We have come here for the sake of the nation's greater good. The Emperor is trapped and the people are suffering; if we do not stop fighting now, the world will descend into chaos!"
Guo Si sneered again, playing with his sword at his waist as he spoke mockingly: "Grand Commandant Yang speaks too heavily. Li Jue has taken the Emperor hostage at Maiwu; everyone knows this. If he can kidnap the Emperor, why can’t I take hostage of the officials?"
The officials gasped in shock at his words; Zhu Jun glared furiously at him and said sternly: "What does General mean by this? If all officials are captured, who will govern the realm?"
Yang Biao's expression darkened as he coldly replied, "To abduct the Son of Heaven is already a crime against heaven. General, do you not realize that the people of the world will ultimately turn against you?"
Upon hearing this, Guo Si's face fell. He drew his sword, Pei Jian, with a fierce shout, "You scholars do not recognize the times and dare to mock me here! Today, I will use your blood to appease my anger, Yang Biao!"
The cold light of the sword glinted as Guo Si advanced step by step towards Yang Biao. The officials were filled with terror and scattered in all directions. Yet Yang Biao stood his ground, his gaze unwavering and fearless. He shouted, "Guo Si, if you dare to kill me, you will be opposing the entire court! Even if you have a hundred thousand soldiers, you cannot escape punishment!"
As the blade drew near, General of the Household Yang Mi rushed in, kneeling before Guo Si and pleading with a voice choked with emotion, "General, Yang the Grand Commandant is a pillar of the nation. You cannot ruin great matters out of momentary anger! Please calm your wrath!"
Guo Si's fury surged within him; though he held his sword high, he hesitated to strike. Finally, in a fit of rage, he sheathed his sword and declared, "For Yang Mi's sake today, I will spare his life!"
He then waved his hand and ordered, "Arrest all these scholars and take them to the camp. No one is to be released without my command!"
The officials had no choice but to comply and were taken away to be imprisoned in the rear camp. Yang Biao and Zhu Jun remained in the main tent. Faced with such a situation, Yang Biao was heartbroken and wept bitterly. Turning to Zhu Jun, his voice choked with emotion, he said, "As ministers of the state, we cannot save our lord; we truly fail heaven and earth and are unworthy of being human!"
Zhu Jun bowed his head in silence, his eyes filled with sorrow. The two embraced and wept together, their cries heart-wrenching. Overcome by grief and anger, Yang Biao suddenly collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.
Not long after, Zhu Jun also fell ill from worry and soon passed away beside his writing desk.
***
From then on, Li Jue and Guo Si fought daily, their hatred intensifying as the battles raged on without end. The city was littered with corpses; the common people were displaced, and countless families were reduced to nothing amidst the flames of war. Chang'an, once a thriving capital of prosperity, now seemed to have descended into an endless hell.
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