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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 200 Luoyang
After Yuwen Huaji escaped, he was only briefly flustered. Seeing that there were no pursuers, he quickly returned to his indulgent ways, taking the water route and continuing his lavish lifestyle aboard Yang Guang's Dragon Boat.
This left many of those who supported Yuwen Huaji feeling disappointed; this Chancellor was as extravagant, if not more so, than Yang Guang.
When it came to state affairs, he showed no basic attitude at all. He would sit in the south-facing position like the emperor, yet whenever anyone reported anything to him, he remained silent.
Such silence was clearly not the wisdom and depth of a ruler but rather simple and pure foolishness. After meetings, he would immediately summon Tang Fengyi, Zhang Kai, and a group of Confidants to discuss matters raised by the Officials. Only after others provided ideas would he command someone to draft the relevant Edicts.
People couldn't help but feel frustrated; during their long march, they encountered urgent situations. As their leader, lacking the courage to make decisions in critical moments was unacceptable.
But even worse things followed. When they reached a point where the waterway was cut off, most of the transport vehicles for their supplies and treasures were gone. Yuwen Huaji, unwilling to part with his treasures, ordered the forced conscription of plow oxen, slow horses, and donkeys.
They managed to gather two thousand carts, but instead of using them for transporting supplies and armor, they were specifically designated for carrying treasures and beautiful women.
Armor and Military Equipment were left for the Imperial Guards and Heroic Fruits to carry themselves. The morale among the troops was low; while Yuwen Huaji was sensitive to danger, he still couldn't bear to part with his treasures and beauties.
Thus, he ordered that soldiers be allowed to loot freely to maintain their morale. However, the key issue was that while they were willing to loot, they still had to carry any Gold and Silver Treasures themselves—something they could hardly manage.
In the Jiangdu Palace, the new leaders—Duke Wen of the State, Grand Minister of Ceremonies, Minister of Rites, and Sima Dekan—began to connect with one another again.
...
In Luoyang, after the emperor's death, officials left behind in the Eastern Capital, such as Duan Da and Wang Shichong, had already proclaimed Zhao Wang Yang Gao as emperor and changed the era name to Huang Tai.
They posthumously honored the previous emperor as the Ming Emperor, with the temple name of Great Ancestor, respecting his mother, Empress Xiao, as Empress Dowager. They appointed Duan Da as a Councilor and acting Minister of Civil Affairs, while Wang Shichong became the Left General of the Left Wing Guards, and Yuan Wendu was named as the Minister of Internal Affairs.
At this moment, no one paid attention to the emperor sitting above them; everyone frowned and expressed their opinions. The presence of both Li Mi and Zhai Rang was already enough to trouble them, but now with Yuwen Huaji arriving too, it only added to their distress.
The Deputy Minister of Rites, Gai Cong, spoke up: "We still have not avenged our great grievance against the Ming Emperor. Our military strength is insufficient; if we can pardon both Li Mi and Zhai Rang, commanding them to attack Yuwen Huaji, they will mutually destroy each other. Then we will have an opportunity."
When Yuwen Huaji was defeated, Li Mi would undoubtedly be exhausted as well. Moreover, his soldiers were tempted by our titles and rewards, making it easy to sow discord among them. At that time, both Li Mi and Zhai Rang could be easily captured, allowing us to recreate the glory of the Sui Dynasty.
The others found this reasoning sound, so they sent people to persuade Li Mi and Zhai Rang. They directly offered Li Mi rewards, promoting him to Grand Marshal, Minister of Rites, Southeast Circuit General, and Duke of Wei, claiming that once Yuwen Huaji was subdued, Li Mi would be allowed to enter the Eastern Capital to assist in governance.
Zhai Rang received a similar message, but he paid no attention and remained silently stationed outside Luoyang City.
However, after some consideration, Li Mi agreed. After all, Yuwen Huaji was already behind him; refusing would leave him vulnerable on both fronts.
Thus, Li Mi redirected his forces to confront Yuwen Huaji at Liang. Yuwen Huaji was merely passing through and intended to seize some grain and horses along the way.
Unexpectedly, Li Mi abandoned the Eastern Capital to confront him. Yuwen Huaji rode forward and said, "Li Gong, let us speak. I have killed that tyrant; is this not what you have long desired? Why do you come to obstruct our path?"
At this moment, Li Mi could no longer care about past grievances. He needed to take control of the Eastern Capital to realize his ambitions and could not afford to oppose the Sui Dynasty. Therefore, he pointed at Yuwen Huaji and scolded him without mercy: "You are merely a slave of the Xiongnu from the broken Ye family. Your father and brothers have received great favor from the Sui Dynasty, living in wealth for generations, with even a princess as your wife.
The sovereign has lost virtue; instead of advising against death, you took advantage of rebellion to kill your lord with your own hands and slaughtered his descendants as well. You supported illegitimate royal offspring while monopolizing power, plotting treason against the throne, insulting consorts, and harming the innocent. You do not emulate Zhuge Zhan's loyalty but instead commit treacherous acts like Huo Yu.
What you are doing cannot be tolerated by heaven and earth. I truly do not know how you can continue living in this world. If you return to me quickly, you may still preserve your descendants!"
These words left Yuwen Huaji furious and embarrassed. If it were someone else speaking, it might not matter; but when you Li Mi rebelled, my family was still a loyal minister!
Yuwen Huaji lowered his head in shame while thinking of retorts but found none that could match Li Mi's eloquence and spirit, which only fueled his anger.
Just as Li Mi was preparing for a response, Yuwen Huaji finally looked up, glaring fiercely as he waved his whip and shouted: "I am talking about killing here; why must you recite a set of bookish phrases!"
Li Mi laughed heartily and no longer bothered to insult him further; instead, he said to his generals: "Yuwen Huaji is foolish enough to dare commit regicide; I could easily resolve this with just a stick—he is certainly no better than a dog."
As Li Mi had predicted, with just a little strategy applied, he had already begun to push Yuwen Huaji back relentlessly.
At this moment, Zhai Rang met with the envoy of Wang Shichong. After receiving numerous treasures, he nodded in agreement.
Once the envoy left, Wei Zheng and Xu Shijie stepped forward from one side: "It is finally time to reclaim Luoyang."
Zhai Rang shook his head: "Even at this point, Wang Shichong still has the mind to seize power."
Everyone burst into laughter, but within Luoyang City, a sudden military coup began. Wang Shichong, with a serious expression, ordered: "Since we have been fighting against Li Mi's Wagang Army, we have killed countless of their family members. If we become his subordinates, we will likely end up without a burial place!"
The Luoyang Seven Nobles welcomed Li Mi, except for Wang Shichong. Given the current situation, it was essential to unite all possible forces to maintain a long wait for the right opportunity.
However, as the main general advocating for war, Wang Shichong had deep-seated enmity with Li Mi. He knew very well that he would never be a match for Li Mi in political struggles, so he could not allow Li Mi to take control of Luoyang.
Wang Shichong's subordinates were all in agreement; they had fought fiercely for several years and could not simply unite as one.
Taking advantage of Li Mi's battle with Yuwen Huaji and bribing the greedy and foolish Zhai Rang, Wang Shichong boldly raised his troops to eliminate Duan Da, Lu Chu, Zhao Changwen, Guo Wenyi, and others.
Meanwhile, Zhai Rang was preparing his troops for battle. Not far from Luoyang City, Li Jing, Qin Shubao, and Luo Yi took a detour to observe the imposing city with keen eyes.
……………
(End of Chapter)
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