The Emperor Reigns Them All

Chapter 188 The City of Golden Armor

Li Ye was a little taken aback. He didn’t expect Zhang Yunhe to have such a proposal that, to let the Junior Priestess be his guard as well. This arrangement seemed a bit too much.

However, he immediately understood that the Penglai Taoist sect had no choice, bowing down to him was the only way out.

However, at this moment, Li Ye was still not sure whether Penglai had given up the idea of supporting the shackles, and still continue to keep their thousand-year tradition. That was to support a feudal prince to fight for the world. If Penglai had decided to do so, then Penglai Taoist sect’s thousands of disciples would become Li Ye’s appendages and helping hands.

At the moment, the Penglai Taoist sect must express a certain attitude and sent the Senior Priestess here. Junior Priestess and Senior Priestess had to cooperate, at least then they could protect themselves, and not worry too much about Li Ye harming them. By doing so, Penglai would not incur any losses. If they sent ordinary disciples to come over, the Black Office would probably pick them off. On the contrary, the bellipotent Junior Priestess and Senior Priestess would be a great help to Li Ye. Li Ye just might appreciate the kindness of Penglai.

Thinking about this, Li Ye smiled and said, “Since Penglai has shown such love, it would be disrespectful of me to decline.”

Zhang Yunhe was overjoyed and added, “Since Your Highness agrees, then this matter is settled.”

October approached in a flash.

On this afternoon, Li Ye was taking care of the usual political affairs in the hall when Song Jiao suddenly rushed in. She handed him the latest report and added, “Huang Chao has been spreading reports to warn every vassal state that his heart was still with Guanzhong. And that he had no intention to attack any of the states, cities and towns. He reminded them to guard their own fortresses and not to come out of the city to battle. The Rebellion Army was now headed towards Henan, their next target was likely to be Ruzhou and then threaten Luoyang.

Li Ye took and report and read it for a while before placing it down, then he muttered, “Heading up north this time, the Rebellion Army have changed their usual behavior of reaping towns and states. All they’re doing this time is fight off the strong and some soldiers. The officials from each state and town have long put their offerings outside the city, piled up like a mountain, for the Rebellion Army to enjoy at will. When Huang Chao saw the offerings, he indeed did not attack the cities, towns or states. However, this also means that the heart of the Central Plains basically has given up their defense.”

Song Jiao then said coldly, “The imperial court set up the vassal state in the Central Plains to serve as a barrier to defend Guanzhong. Now that the soldiers are all staying in the vassal state, it has all been done in vain”

Li Ye put his hand on the desk and tapped his fingers on the table. He mused and added, “In the past few years, the Central Plains have been in battle chaos for some years now, add to that the fact the vassal states had not protected its citizens, thus many having skipped town. Now they’ve been threatened by Huang Chao, the usual obedient servants to the imperial court have lost faith due to the fact that the imperial court has been unfair in their rewards and punishments. Moreover, the evil governors are ruling the state and busy fighting for their own profits, even the most patriotic vassal states have lost faith in the imperial court.”

“The Rebellion Army have grown in numbers after many battles against them. After Gao Pian was schemed by Huang Chao and lost his main force, Huang Chao’s power has been unstoppable. Many of the exiles have joined Rebellion Army. Now there are nearly a million of them. At times like this, who is willing to listening to the imperial? Who has the ability to resist the Rebellion Army?”

Song Jiao ground her teeth and added, “A while ago, Huang Chao attacked Xiangyang and was defeated by the hosting commissioner Liu Jurong. The casualty rate was around seventy or eighty percent, and that was the perfect opportunity to pursue victory. But Liu Jurong said ‘When the country is in a capricious state and war is breaking everywhere, then any man can be entitled. But when there’s a moments peace, then their titles would be stripped, sometimes even punished. So it’s better to let the rebels go. Perhaps we might have the chance to render merits in the future’. It’s not that there aren’t any great leaders in the imperial land, but they’re all like Liu Jurong, who has lost faith and loyalty to the imperial court!”

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Li Wei shook his head and sighed. “And there are countless more examples like that in the years that Huang Chao has been on the rise. If everyone were united, Huang Chao would’ve been destroyed countless times.”

As he said that, Li Ye’s eyes sharpened and added, “Make the recruiting call for a hundred thousand new soldiers to form Pinglu’s new army. All the Jianghu cultivators in the Pinglu territory can be recruited for the army to serve the country and ready them for battle!”

Song Jiao looked stern; she obeyed the command and left.

The Hanyuan Palace in Chang’an.

Li Yan sat high behind the emperor table, coldly overlooking the people in the hall. He threw the memorials to the ground, splattering everywhere. The emperor table was also tipped over, Tian Lingzi, Lu Yan and others were lying on their stomachs and did not dare to move.

Not knowing how much the time went by before the rage dissipated on Li Yan’s face. With horror traced over every inch of his flesh, he said while trembling, “From the first year of Qianfu to the first year of Guangming, it has been seven years! The great Tang Empire cannot handle a few peasant rebels? Now the thieving rebels have grown to over a million and taken over Luoyang... What to do? What to do! Last time Huang Chao requested to be recruited as a commissioner, which I acquiesced. Who was the one that disagreed? Who?”

The people did not dare to speak out.

“Soldier! Have Lu Yan and beheaded! This useless adviser has ruined my people and my country, I will kill you and all of your family!” Li Yan suddenly roared violently.

“Your Majesty, I’ve been wronged, I’m innocent!” Lu Yan cried and while been dragged out.

“Your Majesty...” Tian Lingzi was interrupted by Li Yan when he tried to talk. “Shut up! You are also good-for-nothing! I have already told you to let my Brother Ye return to preside over the whole situation, but you didn’t listen to me! Now, even the East Capital, Luoyang has been breached! How long can I still stay in Chang’an?!”

“Your Majesty...” Tian Lingzi’s face turned red. Since he knew that the situation got out of hand, sophistry was useless. He must pay the price if he wanted to keep his own stature. He grounded his teeth and decided to take the hard pill, then he suddenly added loudly, “Please allow me to head the Regal Guards. I will rush to guard Tongguan! Your Majesty, please rest assured that although the rebels have breached the East Capital, but as long as Tongguan still belongs to Your Majesty, I will surely hold it for you. I will not let the rebels in even if it means I die on the top of the wall!”

“Well, you’d better put your money where your mouth is!” Li Yan stared at Tian Lingzi with red eyes. “Now, I am appointing you general commander of all the military, leading the 500,000 soldiers of Regal Guards and Bo Ye Guards to guard Tongguan! Remember that if it is breached, you won’t have to come back!”

“Thank you for your gratitude, Your Majesty!”

In the Manor of Emperor’s Son-in-law.

Just as he entered the door wearing a sullen face, Wu Yuxuan met the Duchess of Li Wu You rushing out. He was stunned and asked, “Where are you going?”

Wu You was in a hurry, and followed by a team of attendants, she answered, “Your Majesty had ordered that the Regal Guards help defend Tongguan and I want to go too...”

“Nonsense! Get back!” Wu Yuxuan was furious and screamed at once.

“Father... We are well provided with food, clothing and riches. Now the country is in trouble, how can we not be patriotic and offer our lives to the country that has given us everything!”

Wu Yuxuan was now angry with laughter. “Serve the country? How do you want to serve?”

He took a deep breath and added, “You think that sending the Regal Guards to fight will guarantee victory? Well, let me show you what the Regal Guards are really like! Come with me!”

Wu Yuxuan took Wu You to the streets. The two men’s cultivation were above average, so it didn’t take them long to traverse the surrounding areas with their speed. Wu You’s patriotic heart and the warm expression on her face has gradually dissipated, and replaced by strong indignation and despair.

Everywhere on the streets, lots of childes in gorgeous clothes were giving gold, silver and jewelry to the small tradesmen and porters. When they had accepted the gold, the childes would then give them the Regal Guards’ attire, including corslets, swords and waist cards. And then the childes asked them to change into the Regal Guards’ attire.

Finally, when Wu Yuxuan took Wu You to the Regal Guards’ camp, he saw the impostors go into the camp.

Wu Yuxuan stood on the roof, and said coldly, “Now you see it clearly, what kind of battle power do such the Regal Guards have?”

Wu You’s hands and feet were cold, not knowing if it were from anger or fear. Her teeth kept trembling.

“Most of the Regal Guards are officials and rich men. Their purpose in recruiting troops is to obtain the convenience brought by the status of the Regal Guards. They have no training at all. Apart from being arrogant and pretentious, they’re good for nothing! How would this kind of army fair on the battlefield?”

Wu Yuxuan answered with a heavy expression, “No more than 10,000 Regal Guards have any fighting capacity, but there are more than one million Rebellion soldiers!”

Wu You was about to cry in desperation. “If that is the case, how to guard Tongguan, and how to guard Chang’an? Who can save the Tang Empire?”

Wu Yuxuan sighed, not saying anything, and returned with Wu You.

The military situation was urgent, and Tian Lingzi did not dare to delay. In a few days, he took the Regal Guards, Bo Ye Guards and others and rushed to Tongguan.

Tian Lingzi was a eunuch without any ability to command and the army was dispatched in such a rush that he had not prepared food and supplies. The soldiers were only carrying enough rations for three days. Thus, no matter how the officer urged the troops, they marched slowly without any fighting spirit. Only 5000 Regal cavalry led by commander Zhang Chengfan head the charge towards Tongguan.

Bo Ye Guards and the others, marched with the Regal Guards. With incomplete corslets, they were very jealous of the Regal Guards in bright armor and riding tall horses.

They marched for many days, and in this afternoon, when they just arrived in Huazhou, Tian Lingzi got a report from a scout saying that there was a large army coming towards them. Tian Lingzi was shocked and thought to himself, “Has the Rebellion Army already been here?”

It was not the Rebellion Army but the defeated army of Zhang Chengfan. He brought back shocking news, “The Rebellion Army has taken Tongguan and is headed here. Lieutenant should return to Chang’an quickly!”

Tian Lingzi’s face changed greatly, without caring about anything else, he pulled on the reins and turned his horse around immediately.

Hearing that the Rebellion Army were coming for the kill, The Regal Guards, Bo Ye Guards and others suddenly panicked. They threw their helmets, abandoned their armor and ran for their lives. They had collapsed before even seeing the Rebellion Army’s shadow.

Tian Lingzi fled back to Chang’an and quickly entered the palace to find Li Yan, He slammed his knees on the floor before Li Yan and burst into tears. “Your Majesty, I am incompetent, Tongguan has been breached before I even got there!”

Li Yan was terrified, he stepped back and fell down on the ground as though he had lost his soul. He then added, “How could this be...”

Tian Lingzi knelt before Li Yan and hurriedly advised, “Your Majesty, there are more than a million of them, and they kill people without even batting an eye. Chang’an is no longer safe to stay. Your Majesty, please go towards the west to Sichuan!”

“What?” Li Yan had not come to his senses yet.

Tian Lingzi eagerly said, “I have called for five thousand Regal Guards to protect you. Your Majesty, best be on your way as quickly as possible!”

Li Yan got up with shock, and then shouted, “Go, go now!”

Outside Chang’an City, at both ends of the Wei Bridge, the Regal Guards, the Bo Ye Guards and the Fengxiang Guards had become a mess without any hint of formation. The Bo Ye Guards and the Fengxiang Guards actually started fighting the Regal Guards in the chaos. They actually started robbing the Regal Guards’ clothing. Some were yelling, “In Chang’an, you live in ease and comfort but you’re incapable of doing anything else. We’ve been through hell and back either defending the frontiers or fighting the Rebellion Army with blood. Yet, we’re still bearing the cold and starvation. How in the world is this fair?”

Wu You’s face was pale when she saw this scene on the city walls, and she added, “That’s the Wei Bridge, the place where the Turkish and the Great Tang had killed a white horse and signed the alliance of the Wei River. It’s also a hint that the Great Tang defended against the Turkish, and took over the grasslands. Now the army of Tang is actually killing and robbing each other, how is this possible?”

“Why are you looking around? Come with father. Your Majesty is heading out of the city to the west. We must catch up to him!” Wu Yuxuan took Wu You and left.

“I’m not leaving. Being a disciple of the Imperial Clan, I should face the fate with my people!” Wu You struggled.

“This is what the Prince An wants!”

“Brother Ye?”

“Prince An had sent people here to let me take you away no matter what. It seems that he had already prognosticated today’s scene...” Wu Yuxuan pointed to the cultivators of the Black Office under the wall, and then added, “Those people are sent by the Prince An, and he said that you know them!”

Wu You couldn’t speak at all. Before she got on the horse, she asked the head cultivator of the Black Office, “Why didn’t Brother Ye come? When will he lead the army to eliminate the Rebellion Army?”

The navy robed bladesman clasped his fist in his hand and answered, “Your Highness said he will come.”

A few days later, Huang Chao took over Chang’an, smashed and arrested the Imperial Clan disciples, and moved into the Imperial Palace with his family. Soon he claimed himself the emperor of Qi Empire, changed the reign title, and anointed a hundred officials.

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