Chapter 60 Corpses Exposed in Imperial Tomb for Three Months, No Wonder Chen Liangyu Went Mad

Xie Wenjun hurriedly disembarked from the carriage outside Chengtian Gate and quickly walked towards Chongzheng Hall.

She was greeted by Eunuch Sun, who served Emperor Xuanyuan.

At that time, Xie Yuan sat on the dragon throne in the Golden Palace, and changed the era name to Zhenyuan. The Ministry of Works expedited the repair of the Southern Palace, and Emperor Xuanyuan moved there, becoming the Retired Emperor.

Xie Wenjun asked, "Has the envoy from Dongyin arrived yet?"

Eunuch Sun said, “Your Highness, the envoy from Dongyin arrived at the post station a few days ago. The Dongtian River has breached its banks, causing a disaster. Linxia and Li'an have been hit by plagues. His Majesty has no time to deal with them right now. Since Marquis Xuanping and the General have not given any orders, no one dares to receive them.”

Now, Chen Luan has inherited the title of Marquis of Xuanping.

When Chen Liangyu led troops to quell the rebellion in Nanzhou, Emperor Xuanyuan appointed her as a second-rank General of Chariots and Cavalry. After Xie Yuan ascended the throne, he promoted her to General of the Flying Cavalry, bringing her rank to the first rank. Among military generals, the rank of General of the Flying Cavalry was the highest, so sometimes the word "Great" was added to show respect, and she was called the Great General of the Flying Cavalry.

Xie Wenjun hurried through the front hall of the palace, "How did Marquis Wu'an die?"

Eunuch Sun said, "Flash flood. August is the flood season, which has already passed, but a sudden heavy rain caused a flash flood. Marquis Wu'an was evacuating the people. Dongyin found Marquis Wu'an's body first, dragged it back, and hung it on the city tower... to expose the body."

Xie Wenjun paused, "Where is the General right now?"

Grandpa Sun sighed with regret, saying, "She stays in the mausoleum all day long, never going home, guarding the graves of her parents and elder brother."

Xie Wenjun lowered his eyelids, a hint of pain disappearing from his eyes. He then asked, "How many people from Dongyin were captured?"

Eunuch Sun said, "They didn't go into details. There were so many that it was impossible to count them all. There were probably 170,000 to 180,000. The military report stated 170,000."

Xie Wenjun pondered for a moment, "Did Dongyin send so many people to attack Zhudong?"

Eunuch Sun said, "No. This is quite strange. After the flood in September, the water level of the Tianqian River remained high. This year, winter came exceptionally early, with heavy snow falling as soon as winter began, and the temperature plummeted. The Tianqian River froze several feet deep, allowing thousands of troops to cross it as if walking on flat ground. After the general led his troops across the Tianqian River, broke through the Dongyin border defenses, retrieved the body of Marquis Wu'an, and then captured three key border cities of Dongyin, driving straight into the heartland to capture the Crown Prince of Dongyin, who was mobilizing troops in Diqiu City."

"Did you kill him?"

Eunuch Sun said, "The Crown Prince of Dongyin is not on the list of those executed by the General, but it's hard to say whether he's still alive. I heard he's locked in a water dungeon. Whether he's alive or dead, only the General himself knows. Anyone who goes to ask now would be showing a lack of common sense."

September floods.

However, by the time Chen Liangyu retrieved Chen Linjun's body, it was already December.

"The corpse was left exposed for three months; no wonder Chen Liangyu went mad."

As Xie Wenjun approached the Chongzheng Hall, she heard ministers shouting inside. She was momentarily distracted and didn't recognize who it was.

Chen Linjun mobilized troops from Suzhou and Wuzhou in the northern border region and rushed to Zhuodong via the Shuofang trade route to recapture the lost cities from Dongyin. In September, the autumn flood season on the Tianqian River had already passed. Chen Linjun encountered a small group of Dongyin troops in the middle reaches, dealt with them casually, and was about to return to camp when he glanced at the sky in the twilight. He bent down, pinched a handful of mud from the bank, and crushed it between his fingertips. "It seems there will be a great flood today."

Downstream of the Tianqian River, there are two sizable villages with over a thousand households. Chen Linjun estimated their location and led several hundred cavalrymen on horseback downstream to evacuate them.

Sure enough, it started raining shortly after we set off.

The rain didn't gradually transition from a light drizzle to a downpour; instead, a thick, torrential curtain of rain lashed down violently, causing the ground and mountains to tremble and roar. Water splashed everywhere, converging into rushing rivers on both sides of the mountains before flowing into the Tianqian River.

The riverbed quickly filled with mud mixed with dead branches, and the water level continued to rise, already above the horses' calves.

Jinghe shouted, "Young Marshal, don't go! It's too dangerous!"

Bei Yong stationed troops on the border, harassing them from time to time, but did not launch a general offensive. Chen Linjun figured that this was to wait for him and Dong Yin to be weakened before taking advantage of the situation. He left Jing Ming in the northern border to command the garrison of the three prefectures and deal with Bei Yong, and only took the not-so-clever Jing He with him.

Jinghe stopped Chen Linjun's horse. "Young Marshal, I'll go! You go back first!"

Chen Linjun said, "If you stop me again, I'll be even slower."

Half of the houses in the village were submerged in the floodwaters. The villagers had no choice but to climb onto the rooftops and trees to survive. In the distance, they saw hundreds of armored men riding horses through the water and excitedly waved their arms and shouted.

"It's the Eagle Head Army..."

"The Eagle Head Army, it's the Eagle Head Army from the north!"

"There's hope! There's hope..."

After swimming through the sewage to rescue the people, the soldiers split into two groups. One group escorted the villagers to higher ground, while Chen Linjun led the other group to the more distant village. Suddenly, a muffled roar came from somewhere, and the water flowing down the mountain instantly became turbulent, with a huge torrent carrying mud, sand, and rocks rushing towards the village.

It's a mudslide!

Chen Linjun immediately issued the military order: "Withdraw!"

Mud and boulders rolled down.

The warhorses neighed in fright, but they had no time to escape and were swept into the raging river by the floodwaters.

They also watched as another village was completely buried underground.

A village vanished in the blink of an eye, as if it had never existed.

After the flash flood, Dongyin once again rallied its troops.

King Qi suppressed the urgent military situation regarding the eastward advance and refused to send troops to reinforce the city. Four cities were lost.

After Xie Yuan's army captured Yongdu, Chen Liangyu used the Lancang Sword to kill the Prince of Qi. Before the new emperor's enthronement ceremony, he immediately mobilized troops and launched a surprise attack on Zhuodong.

The Eastern Yin soldiers dragged Chen Linjun's corpse to the front lines to provoke her, trying to distract her. She retained a rationality that was almost devoid of humanity, and judged the enemy's troop deployment, formation, and reinforcements without the slightest error.

Therefore, the battle to expel the enemy, which Xie Yuan had prepared to mobilize the entire nation for, lasted only forty-three days.

Chen Liangyu recovered all the lost territory.

Celebrating with friends from all corners of the world.

In the midst of this celebration of "loyalty, courage, and brilliant military strategy," Chen Linjun's death seemed to be forgotten by everyone. As a result, everyone overlooked the fact that when a person's emotions have been accumulating for too long, once they find a small outlet, they will turn into an uncontrollable tsunami and landslide.

In December, iron horses tread on icy rivers.

Chen Liangyu breached the border defenses of Dongyin, retrieved Chen Linjun's body, occupied three cities, captured 170,000 Dongyin soldiers, and executed more than 130 Dongyin generals and officers in front of Chen Linjun's coffin.

Another voice came from Chongzheng Hall: "Most of those more than one hundred Dongyin generals are not from humble backgrounds. They are the sons of the major Dongyin families who, seeing the army conquer Zhudong, sent their sons to gain military merit."

Having their military achievements recorded will greatly benefit their future promotion in the court.

Unexpectedly, his attempt to steal credit backfired and cost him his life.

The palace eunuch went to announce Xie Wenjun's arrival, and Xie Wenjun entered Chongzheng Hall.

All six ministers were present. In addition, the Censor-in-Chief Jiang Xiantang and the Prefect of Yong'an Cheng Lingdian also stood in the hall.

Upon seeing Xie Wenjun, they all bowed and greeted her, "Princess."

"Greetings, Princess."

"Greetings, Your Highness."

The title of "Princess" sounds prestigious, but historically she has never had the right to enter the Chongzheng Hall to discuss matters with court officials. There is a reason why the six ministers, the censor-in-chief, and the prefect of Yong'an are all so respectful to Xie Wenjun.

Emperor Zhenyuan Xie Yuan personally led the expedition from Linxia, ​​while Xie Wenjun stayed in Linxia to collect military funds and provisions, ensuring the army's rear was secure. This was one aspect of his efforts.

The second point is that Lu Pinghou Heng Ji Nan was imprisoned and troops in the southern border were mobilized.

The compilation of the "Records of Ten Thousand Officials" mentioned "meritorious service in following the emperor, bringing blessings to one's descendants," and the granting of land and official positions, so that the descendants of officials in the court would all receive the emperor's favor, was the third measure.

The fourth point is that the Agricultural and Sericultural Bureau was re-established, and the late Crown Prince and Zhang Diancheng personally inspected the fields in the countryside to curb the trend of officials and gentry encroaching on the people's land, thus safeguarding the foundation of the country.

...

The ministers standing in the hall at this moment were all people who had received the "Record of Ten Thousand Officials".

Xie Wenjun had just returned from inspecting the fields in Zhongwu City, where Zhang Diancheng had been assassinated.

After Lin Zhong, the former commander of the Imperial Guards, conspired with Prince Qi to rebel and was executed, the Lin family of Zhongwu City was doomed. When Xie Wenjun inspected the fields, he dealt with the remaining members of the Lin family.

From then on, there were no more aristocratic families in Zhongwu City.

Upon her return to the palace after her inspection of the fields, she found that most of the agricultural and sericulture bureaus in Da Lin had been re-established, and she ordered that all petitions and complaints from the agricultural and sericulture bureaus be personally adjudicated by the eldest princess.

This relieved Xie Yuan of his heaviest worry.

Xie Wenjun greeted him, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Xie Yuan said, "Jiangning, you must be tired from your journey. Please have a seat for the Princess."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xie Wenjun sat down on the soft stool and asked, "What does the envoy from Dongyin seek?"

Jiang Xiantang, the Imperial Censor, said, “Your Highness, the Eastern Yin has sent an envoy to our court to discuss the return of the three border cities occupied by the Grand General, and the release of the Eastern Yin Crown Prince and the prisoners of war. The terms are all negotiable. His Majesty has ordered Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, Li Hezhang, to handle this matter.”

Xie Wenjun said coldly, "Return the cities and prisoners of war? What bargaining chips does Dongyin use to negotiate?"

They simply wanted to exchange a letter of surrender for gold and silver.

"What did the General say?"

Jiang Xiantang said, "The General said, 'We will not return it.'"

Xie Wenjun said, "Then go and tell Li Hezhang that we won't return it."

"Not paying it back?"

"I won't pay!"

Prefect Cheng Lingdian of Yong'an Prefecture said, "The city will not be returned, but... the prisoners of war and the Crown Prince of Dongyin will not be returned either?"

Jiang Xiantang said, "The person was thrown into the water dungeon by Chen Liangyu for so long. Even if Dongyin takes the person back, what will he be?"

As they spoke, the officials all looked at Xie Yuan, who was also looking at Xie Wenjun, seemingly puzzled.

When two countries fight to the death, once the war ends and there is room for negotiation, the stronger country will consciously leave some room for maneuver in exchange for a brief period of peace.

Back then, the war with Bei Yong lasted for sixteen years. After Bei Yong surrendered, they signed a treaty promising never to offend them again, paid compensation in gold and silver, and returned the prisoners they could to Bei Yong as a favor.

"She said she wouldn't pay it back, and she has her reasons."

Xie Wenjun was getting restless. She got up, took a couple of steps, and bowed to Xie Yuan again, indicating that she was preparing to leave.

“Brother, she is not a person who is unreasonable or acts impulsively. If she says she will not return it, there must be a reason. We should find out the reason first.”

Xie Yuan nodded in approval.

Cheng Lingdian said, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but the General has been in a very bad mood lately. His Majesty is understanding and has not allowed anyone to offend him. The General only said that he would not return the item, but he did not say why, and no one dares to ask."

Xie Wenjun said, "I will go see her."

Marquis Xuanping and his wife, along with Marquis Wu'an Chen Linjun, were all buried in the imperial mausoleum.

The entrance to the imperial mausoleum is a five-arched stone bridge modeled after the Golden Water Bridge in the imperial palace. After the carriage crosses the bridge, it goes along a high red wall and soon arrives at a tall gate.

Xie Wenjun lifted the curtain from inside the sedan chair and looked up.

Behind that tall gate lies the burial place of Empress Huixian and the late Crown Prince Xie Yu.

Passing through the mausoleum's pillars leads to the spirit path, flanked by twelve pairs of stone beasts guarding the tomb.

The carriage continued to bump along for a while before stopping in front of an underground palace.

The day we met again was another bright and beautiful spring day.

In February, orioles fly and grasses grow tall, peach blossoms float on flowing water.

Chen Liangyu was shrouded in a cold desolation, like an unyielding winter ice.

After Xie Yuan ascended the throne, Xie Wenjun returned to Yongdu. The Ministry of Rites posthumously honored Xie Yu with the title of Crown Prince Yizhang, and she personally oversaw Xie Yu's funeral. However, Chen Liangyu had already led troops to aid Zhuo Dong by then, so the two did not meet.

She is planting trees.

Chen Liangyu rarely wore white, but today she was dressed in plain white, with a turned-down collar and narrow sleeves, the sleeves rolled up above her forearms. At her feet were piles of excavated soil and ginkgo seedlings. A row of them had already been erected in front of her.

She then planted a sapling in the deep pit she had dug, and shoveled soil into the pit, one shovelful at a time.

Xie Wenjun called out, "Ali."

Chen Liangyu turned her head, looking somewhat haggard, but otherwise there was no difference from her usual appearance.

It remained as uneventful as ever.

Where does it mean they have a "bad temper"?

"You're back. Are you tired?" She greeted Xie Wenjun in the most ordinary tone possible.

However, Xie Wenjun noticed the pain in his eyes first.

Xie Wenjun didn't want to pretend with her that everyone was nice and everything was peaceful. She walked closer, brushed the dust off her white clothes, tidied her disheveled hair, then took her hand, palm facing herself, and wiped the dirt from between her fingers.

As her fingertips brushed against her temples and palms, Chen Liangyu swayed slightly.

She was like a lone tree ravaged by a storm; if another gust of wind swept by, or if a passerby gave her an unintentional push, her seemingly gnarled trunk would collapse with a crash.

Chen Liangyu leaned forward and rushed forward to hug Xie Wenjun tightly.

She couldn't say a word, and tears streamed down her face.

The imperial tombs are desolate and quiet.

After Chen Liangyu had cried out all the pain of the past few days, she heard Xie Wenjun whisper in her ear, "Let's go home."

"good."

Author's note: There might be some sweet moments in the next chapter.

Thank you for reading this far!