The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 135
Chapter 135
The cold estate in the western suburbs of Luoyang was named the Wuyan Palace. It was once a royal imperial villa, but by now, it had long since fallen into ruin and decay. Within the palace grounds, desolate smoke rose from rampant weeds, and spiderwebs formed dusty nets over everything.
Pitiful was the Han Emperor, Liu Tong. Having been propped up as a puppet emperor since the age of seven, he had not known a single day of peace in his life. Previously, under the tyrannical terror of Xing Xun, he had spent his days trembling in constant fear. Now, forced to abdicate the throne, he had been transferred to this cold palace. Knowing full well that Xing Xun only spared his life as a mere front to placate the world and would sooner or later deal him a fatal blow, he and the few remaining close attendants by his side spent their days in absolute terror, surrounded by clouds of sorrow and a fog of misery. Not long after arriving here, he fell bedridden with illness, and from where would medical treatment or medicine even come? It was nothing more than leaving him to run his course and survive or die on his own.
In the blink of an eye, the first month of the following year arrived. The weather was freezing cold and the ground was iced over. Liu Tong had been imprisoned here for several months already, and his illness had left him reduced to mere skin and bones, completely cut off from any news of the outside world. On this day, as he and his close attendant Song Qing shed tears facing one another, a sudden burst of chaotic shouting and clamor echoed from outside the hall, interspersed with the clashing sounds of blades and halberds. Believing that Xing Xun had sent people to assassinate him, he began to shake violently with fright. The close attendant Song Qing hoisted him onto his back to flee toward the rear garden. Before they could cover more than a few paces, the sounds of pursuit reached them from behind. The two stumbled and crashed to the ground. Just as they closed their eyes to await the slaughter of cold blades, they heard a voice shout out: "Your Majesty, do not fear! We have come to rescue Your Majesty from this cage!"
Liu Tong opened his eyes and recognized the newcomers as the Left Metropolitan Marquis, Wang Ba, and the Chief Chancellor, Dong Cheng.
When Xing Xun usurped the throne and proclaimed himself emperor late last year, his butcher's blade fell heavily across the capital. Wang Ba felt furious but dared not speak out, forced to follow the masses in bowing his head and declaring himself a subject. Later, upon learning that the deposed Emperor was imprisoned within the Wuyan Palace with only two or three close attendants remaining, his life hanging by a thread, his heart grew increasingly despondent. He had always shared a close friendship with the Chief Chancellor, Dong Cheng. A few days ago, he received a secret invitation from Dong Cheng. When the two met, Dong Cheng claimed he had caught wind that Xing Xun intended to murder the deposed Emperor within days. Overwhelmed by streaming tears, he begged Wang Ba to rescue the deposed Emperor to preserve the flickering glimmer of the Han dynasty. Wang Ba thus made up his mind, quietly sending his family away beforehand in secret. Today, leading dozens of guards loyal to him, he stormed into the cold palace, slaughtered the guards on duty, and came to rescue the imperial carriage.
Wang Ba and Dong Cheng knelt upon the ground and bowed, saying, "The old rebel Xing Xun acts against heaven and defies the natural order, drawing the wrath of both gods and men! Having learned that the old rebel intends to harm Your Majesty, we seized this opportunity to fight our way inside and rescue Your Majesty from this cage. We can first head toward the lands of Yong to seek refuge with the imperial clan, and then issue a call to arms to summon the lords of the realm to come to the defense of the sovereign and protect the territory of our Han dynasty!"
Liu Tong was a youth of a mere ten years of age; at this moment, his limbs were weak and numb, rendering him entirely incapable of walking, let alone harboring any resolutions of his own. Hoisted onto Wang Ba's back, he was carried out of the cold palace. Seeing a dozen or more corpses of the palace guards who had watched over him sprawled haphazardly across the ground, the pungent stench of blood striking his nose, he realized that Wang Ba and Dong Cheng were indeed loyal subjects of the Han dynasty acting to protect him, and his mind finally settled slightly.
To their misfortune, before they could even cover the distance of an arrow's flight, pursuing forces arrived from the direction of Luoyang. It turned out that word of the escape had leaked out, and Xu Jian, the Attendant Chancellor of the Northern Palace Guards, was personally leading two hundred pursuers in hot pursuit.
Wang Ba and Dong Cheng protected Liu Tong as they fled westward along wild trails. They had covered only several dozen li when the pursuing forces caught up from behind. Though the guards accompanying Wang Ba fought to the death to resist, they were ultimately outnumbered and cornered in the desolate wilderness. Seeing that there was no path for escape left, Xu Jian raised his blade and advanced with a terrifying, murderous aura. Wang Ba showed no fear, shielding the loudly weeping Liu Tong behind his back as he furiously berated Xu Jian for willingly acting as a lapdog, weeping as he added, "The four-hundred-year empire of our Han dynasty is actually perishing like this at the hands of an old rebel! Though my life ends here today, it can be considered the fulfillment of the devotion of a solitary subject!"
While Wang Ba was weeping, Dong Cheng wore an anxious expression, glancing left and right as if waiting for someone to arrive.
Xu Jian could not care less about any of it. Raising his blade, he charged forward, grabbing Wang Ba by the collar. Just as he raised his blade to bring it down, a wild-goose-feather arrow suddenly shot through the air from behind, striking Xu Jian squarely in the center of his back. Xu Jian collapsed to the ground and died on the spot.
Wang Ba had believed his life would end here today, yet he suddenly encountered an unexpected turn of events. He saw a troop of soldiers charging out from a diagonal direction, displaying no flags or banners. The man leading them was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, wearing a red-tassled helmet and clad in an eight-treasure camel-dragon armor. Mounted upon a vigorous warhorse, his face was as smooth as carved jade, and his bearing was exceptionally striking and heroic as he galloped furiously toward this direction. Wang Ba could not help but stare in blank astonishment.
The Southern Palace Guards who had pursued alongside Xu Jian saw their leader shot dead, and with such a troop of soldiers charging out from the flank, they resisted for a brief moment before scattering and fleeing one after another.
The man dismounted his horse and strode rapidly toward Wang Ba and Dong Cheng.
Having escaped death by a hair's breadth, Wang Ba still found it difficult to believe, nor did he recognize this individual, his mind suspended in doubt. He saw the young general approach, performing a kneeling salutation toward Liu Tong, who was still slumped paralyzed upon the ground, as he spoke: "Your subject, Liu Yan of Langya, has arrived late to rescue the imperial carriage! Causing Your Majesty to suffer such fright is a crime deserving of ten thousand deaths!"
Wang Ba had never imagined in his wildest dreams that the King of Langya, Liu Yan, would descend from the heavens like a divine being to rescue their entire group from jeopardy.
He hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects.
Liu Yan spoke: "The Left Metropolitan Marquis is a defensive pillar of the Han dynasty. Though I reside remotely in Langya, I have long since heard of your renown. Please do not humble me. Originally, I merely wished to live out my days in quiet safety, yet Xing Xun acts against heaven and defies the natural order, causing the resentment of the people to boil over. Furthermore, I learned that Your Majesty was imprisoned within a cold palace, which filled me with genuine grief and indignation. As a descendant of the Han imperial house, how could I stand by and watch with indifference! Seizing this opportunity, I came to rescue the imperial carriage. Heaven has eyes to allow us to cross paths like this here!"
Wang Ba was overjoyed. Over on the other side, Dong Cheng also rose to pay his respects to Liu Yan. The group hurriedly entered into a consultation.
Liu Yan pondered for a moment before speaking: "The old rebel has garrisoned troops remaining in Luoyang. Knowing that Your Majesty has escaped, they will bound to pursue us further. This place is not suitable for a long stay; it is better to set out on the road with me swiftly, first taking refuge in Langya before formulating further grand plans."
Wang Ba and Dong Cheng agreed without exception. Hoisting Liu Tong once more, the party hurriedly departed toward the east. They disguised their appearances along the way to evade pursuing forces, sleeping in the dew and dining on the wind, taking circuitous routes and altering their course, enduring no shortage of immense hardships.
Liu Tong had already been sick for a long time, and coupled with the immense fright he had suffered, his illness grew exceedingly grave after setting out on the road.
On this day, they finally reached Yangdu, which was only a journey of a few days from Langya. Early in the morning, Liu Yan, Wang Ba, and Dong Cheng were waiting outside the room for Liu Tong to rise and set out on the road. After waiting for a long time without him emerging, they entered the chambers, only to discover that the young Emperor had stopped breathing and passed away at some unknown point during the night.
The crowd was struck with horror, staring at one another in blank dismay before breaking into loud, anguished weeping.
The Magistrate of Yangdu, Liang Ji, whose ancestors since his grandfather's generation had been loyal subjects of the Han dynasty, also rushed over upon hearing the news to join the mourning.
After the funeral rites were observed, the group entered into a discussion and unanimously elected Liu Yan to succeed the throne.
Liu Yan initially refused to accept, claiming he lacked the virtue to occupy such a revered position. Wang Ba, Dong Cheng, Liang Ji, and the others knelt on the ground one after another, pleading bitterly and repeatedly, until Liu Yan finally offered his reluctant assent.
They immediately established Langya as the temporary secondary capital, performed sacrifices to Imperial Heaven, set up the imperial departments and ministries, and issued imperial edicts to announce the matter to the entire realm.
As the news spread, the grand administrators of nearby regions such as Muping, Donglai, and Xiami rushed over to pledge their allegiance one after another. Within the court of Luoyang, taking advantage of the fact that Xing Xun had raised his army and had not yet returned, the Grand Historian Dou Wu and the Grand Officer Deng Xun, totaling more than twenty individuals, successively fled to Langya to support and uphold Liu Yan as emperor.
For a time, the small court established in Langya was viewed by the world as the true orthodox lineage of the Han dynasty, while Luoyang was reduced to a rebel capital.
On this day, the gathered ministers met with Liu Yan to discuss the matter of launching a campaign against Xing Xun.
Wang Ba, Dou Wu, and the others vehemently advocated that they should take advantage of the fact that Xing Xun was currently engaged in a massive war with Wei Shao to dispatch troops as early as possible to reclaim Luoyang.
As they spoke to the point of intense emotion, tears streamed down every face.
Liu Yan offered his verbal assent, placating the crowd.
Once everyone had departed, he kept Dong Cheng behind to ask, "What insights does Minister have?"
Since two years ago, Dong Cheng had secretly become a death-sworn agent of Liu Yan.
He spoke: "Wang Ba and Dou Wu are merely flexing their tongues. Although Your Majesty currently enjoys the allegiance of various grand administrators, those are all small, isolated forces that cannot be put to great use. The military strength available in Your Majesty's hands is truly limited. Even if we reclaim Luoyang, if Xing Xun should turn his army back, how will we withstand them? Your Majesty must not listen to them!"
Liu Yan fell into a brief abstraction before asking, "This war between Xing Xun and Wei Shao—how does Minister view the outcome?"
At the end of last year, after Xing Xun suffered his two defeats, he secured the military assistance of Lezheng Gong. At the start of the year, taking advantage of the freezing over of the Yellow River, the allied forces crossed the river in a massive surge.
At that time, the two sides engaged in a great battle at Gaotang. Wei Shao, assessing the situation, withdrew his defensive line back to Muye, subsequently launching a counteroffensive and utilizing the pincer defensive line he had previously constructed to suppress the allied forces' aggressive onslaught.
Following that, the weather turned atrocious, encountering a raging blizzard and snowstorm the likes of which had not been seen in decades. Countless soldiers and warhorses of both sides froze to death, temporarily halting face-to-face engagements. Both forces constructed their respective encampments at Muye, where they were currently locked in a stalemate.
Dong Cheng pondered for a moment before speaking: "The old rebel originally held the advantage in military numbers, pitting fifty thousand against thirty thousand. Now, he has furthermore invited Lezheng Gong to join forces in battle, causing his fangs to grow exceedingly sharp, and his grand army has furthermore crossed the Yellow River. In my view, Wei Shao does not possess much chance of victory. What worries me is that if this beast should return in triumphant victory, he will bound to lead his massive army to attack Your Majesty. Given Your Majesty's current strength, I fear it will be difficult to withstand."
Liu Yan fell into a silent contemplation. Suddenly, he asked, "On Yuan Zhe's side, is there any news?"
Not long after Liu Yan ascended the throne, he had dispatched an emissary to Qingzhou to meet with Yuan Zhe.
Yuan Zhe had offered no reply up until now.
Just as Dong Cheng was about to shake his head, Liu Shan suddenly strode into the room, holding a letter cylinder in both hands as he knelt and announced that Yuan Zhe's envoy had arrived and was currently waiting outside the hall for an imperial audience.
Liu Yan took the letter and scanned through it in great haste.
Yuan Zhe stated in the letter that generations of the Yuan family had received profound imperial favor and had always despaired over lacking a channel to repay it. Now that the Han dynasty had given rise to another emperor of restoration, he was filled with a joy that brought tears to his eyes, willing to lead the two hundred thousand troops under his command to pledge their service, submitting to imperial direction to restore the state.
After Liu Yan finished reading, his gaze shifted slightly, and he passed the letter over to Dong Cheng.
Having finished reading, Dong Cheng was first filled with wild joy, followed immediately by worry, as he spoke: "Your Majesty, for Yuan Zhe to come and pledge his service, I fear he harbors separate designs. Your Majesty cannot afford not to guard against him."
Liu Yan walked to the window, looking out toward the far distance. Viewed from behind, his figure appeared indifferent and completely motionless.
Yet his two hands grasping the window lattice gradually tightened, tightening more and more. His knuckles turned white, and his blue veins bulged prominently.
Much like his heart at this moment, which had given rise to a tempestuous storm of staggering waves.
After Yuan Zhe was defeated by Xing Xun the year before last, his reputation was dragged through the mud, and he had been lying low to nurture his strength ever since.
But even so, a starved camel was still larger than a horse. His current strength remained something that no matter how painstakingly Liu Yan managed his own affairs, he was still far from being able to match.
Now that Yuan Zhe had accepted his persuasion and was willing to come to seek alliance, he would bound to harbor separate designs; Liu Yan was naturally clear about this in his heart.
But what did it matter?
Among the so many people currently gathering around him to uphold him as emperor, which one of them did not harbor their own individual designs?
Whether it was to gamble for a reputation of eternal loyalty and heroism, or for wealth and high position, there was certainly no shortage of opportunists who trimmed their sails to the wind and clung to whatever power was available.
He urgently needed Yuan Zhe, just as Yuan Zhe currently needed to borrow his identity to regain his prestige.
Since that was the case, why should he not use him?
As for who would ultimately emerge victorious in the end, that would depend on each individual's capability.
For the sake of this day, he had already endured and waited for a very long time.
He would absolutely not let go of an opportunity that, once missed, might perhaps never descend a second time in his entire life.
The hatred of family and state, the humiliation of having his wife taken from him, and that heartless face of the beloved woman—which would surface from the depths of his heart whenever he found it impossible to fall asleep through the long nights—telling him that the past could no longer be pursued, seemed at this exact moment to transform altogether into a ball of blazing fire, starting to burn from the depths of his heart, burning until his blood coursed furiously through his veins and his soul was nearly reduced to ash.
"Draft an imperial edict, investing Yuan Zhe as the Grand Minister over the Masses and the Grand General, granting him the golden seal and purple ribbon, and bidding him to swiftly come to the defense of the sovereign."
He turned around slowly, speaking in a thoroughly calm tone.
...
Upon the desolate plains of Muye, the northern wind howled and heavy snow fluttered through the air. The banners pitched atop the military tents were blown by the ferocious wind until they shook precariously, looking as if they would break free and fly away at any given moment.
Right within this area located a mere seventy li from Zhaoge, there had once been legends of white banners and golden battle-axes, and red birds hovering over houses.
Yet today, the ground was frozen and the air was freezing cold.
As far as the eye could see, everything that entered the sight was covered in pristine white snow.
This was a freezing, bitter winter the likes of which had rarely been encountered in decades.
Although the season had already transitioned into spring, entering the second month, the weather showed not the slightest inkling of turning warm.
The atrocious weather caused the progress of the military campaign to suffer a severe impediment.
Every day, news of soldiers and warhorses freezing to death was reported upward.
The number of individuals suffering from frostbite was furthermore beyond count.
Such a state of affairs left Wei Shao unable to smoothly organize a face-to-face confrontation against the allied forces of Xing Xun and Lezheng Gong.
The problem plaguing him similarly plagued Xing Xun and Lezheng Gong.
Therefore, following that previous great battle at Gaotang, the two sides had not engaged in any large-scale face-to-face warfare.
They had merely fought several intermittent, minor skirmishes that broke out by chance.
Neither side would easily take the initiative to launch an offensive again, yet neither was willing to retreat just like this.
At present, separated by the old course of the Yellow River, they pitched their respective camps and looked out at one another from afar, waiting for the weather to improve, and also waiting for an opportunity where they could deliver a fatal blow to the opponent.
Such a stalemate had already persisted for more than half a month.
...
By the hour of the Rooster, the sky began to grow dark.
Wei Shao's boots stepped upon the accumulated snow that reached as high as his shins, producing crunching sounds and leaving behind deep footprints one after another in the snowy ground.
He had just returned from inspecting the terrain along the old course of the Yellow River. Approaching the stockade gates, and borrowing the final remaining sliver of daylight, he looked from afar to see a soldier leaning straight against a corner of the camp's palisade wall, clutching a spear tightly in his hand, completely motionless.
Upon his helmet and shoulders, a dense layer of snow had accumulated.
Wei Shao halted his steps.
Lei Yan ran over with swift paces.
Upon returning, his expression was heavy as he spoke in a low voice: "He is already dead."
Wei Shao fixed his gaze upon that soldier who had passed away while standing upright. After a moment of silence, he turned and entered the stockade gates.
He entered the central command tent. Just as he removed his helmet and heavy cloak covered in accumulated snow, he heard a burst of footsteps outside the tent. Gongsun Yang and Wei Quan had arrived.
Gongsun Yang's coughing had grown severe once again recently.
Fearing that he might be unable to endure the bitter cold, Wei Shao had specially commanded that the warming charcoal provided to his military tent be doubled.
Seeing him enter, before any words could be spoken, he let out a few more coughs first. Wei Shao thus spoke: "The weather is bitterly cold. If Mister has matters to discuss, simply dispatch someone to deliver a word, and I can go to Mister's tent myself."
Gongsun Yang waved his hand and spoke: "A piece of news arrived during the day. The deposed Emperor has passed away. Liu Yan has been supported and upheld by Wang Ba, Dong Cheng, and the others to ascend the throne as emperor. Yuan Zhe has pledged his service and been invested as the Grand Minister over the Masses."
Wei Shao sat upright behind the desk, his figure unmoving, yet his pair of eyes narrowed slightly for a brief instant.
Wei Quan spoke: "Reason dictates that with Liu Yan ascending the throne and securing the assistance of Yuan Zhe's two hundred thousand troops, he ought to take this opportunity to dispatch forces to occupy Luoyang; that would be the logical course of action. However, the scouts report back that he has made no movement whatsoever, appearing to have no intention of attacking and capturing Luoyang."
Wei Shao spoke indifferently: "What is there to be puzzled about. If Liu Yan were to dispatch troops to attack Luoyang at this time, Xing Xun would bound to turn his army back to save himself. Would that not present me with an opportunity to exploit? What he is imagining is nothing more than allowing me and Xing Xun, along with Lezheng Gong, to first suffer mutual destruction, so that he may later reap the spoils of the bystander's profit."
Wei Quan spoke: "What My Lord says is reasonable. Although the weather is bitterly cold at present, once the blizzard and snowstorm cease, we can commence battle. It is estimated to be no later than the end of the month at the most. The likes of Liu Yan and Yuan Zhe are not worth fearing; My Lord ought to first exert your full strength to confront the allied forces of Xing Xun and Lezheng Gong."
Wei Shao rose from his seat, pacing back and forth within the central command tent for a moment before stopping and asking, "Regarding the current state of confrontation, what insights do Mister and Chief Secretary have?"
Gongsun Yang and Wei Quan exchanged a glance before speaking: "Xing Xun enjoys the assistance of Lezheng Gong, so their numbers currently far exceed ours, and their soldiers are arrogant while their generals are proud. This layout of engagement is furthermore not a matter of seizing a city, so launching a brute force assault is absolutely not the superior strategy."
Wei Shao pondered before speaking: "What Mister thinks happens to coincide exactly with my own thoughts. Today, I went to the old course of the Yellow River and climbed high to look out at the opposing enemy camp from afar. Although the military tents of Xing Xun and Lezheng Gong's two armies are densely packed across the wilderness, their strongholds are clearly demarcated, separated by a dividing barrier in the middle. Furthermore, news from the scouts indicates that several days ago, an incident of brawling between the soldiers of the two armies even broke out..."
He came to a halt. Striding rapidly to the front of the desk, he picked up a chopstick and dipped it into the wine vessel, using the wine to draw a line across the surface of the desk, before severing it into two halves from the center.
"Since Xing Xun can unite with Lezheng Gong, I shall ensure that the two of them alienate one another!"
Wei Quan clapped his hands and laughed, saying, "My Lord is wise! The Military Strategist and I came to meet My Lord precisely for this matter. We have heard that Lezheng Gong has acquired a strategist named Zhu Zeng, who is highly regarded by him. This individual, however, was previously an advisor under Xing Xun's command. There is a great deal of maneuvering that can be done with this Zhu Zeng!"