Everyone was shocked. Why were there cavalrymen suddenly coming?
Sun Bangyuan was greatly surprised. How could he, as the military commissioner, not know about this?
Although the power to mobilize troops nominally rests with the central government, the Northwest is different. Since Wang Wenzheng's reforms, the power to mobilize and command troops in the Northwest has been greatly enhanced, and the power of the military commissioner is greater than that of military commissioners in other places.
It is possible to deploy troops.
Sun Bangyuan immediately said, "I request Your Majesty to return to the city for the time being, and leave this matter to me."
"No need. I summoned you all here precisely to await that cavalry."
Upon hearing the emperor's words, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
In the firelight, the emperor's sharply defined face gradually turned cold.
Sun Bangyuan continued, "Your Majesty, we are foolish and ignorant."
"My dear ministers will understand soon enough."
Yao Pingzhong marched swiftly; he had no reason not to, for the emperor's order to him was extremely urgent.
It has to be as fast as possible!
These thousand elite cavalrymen were the cream of the crop among the elite troops of Yongxing Army. They were burning through Zhao Huan's money every day and were a strong force selected by Yao Pingzhong after the Northern Expedition.
These people had fought alongside the emperor against the Jin army, and could be said to have shared life and death with the emperor.
Upon hearing that they were to travel south to welcome the emperor, everyone was incredibly excited.
Before long, Yao Pingzhong arrived with his men.
"Your subject Yao Pingzhong kowtows to the Holy Emperor!"
The thousand cavalrymen all dismounted, their hard iron armor gleaming coldly in the moonlight, and each of them wore a resolute and composed expression.
They were clearly soldiers who had crawled out of piles of corpses; the aura emanating from these thousand soldiers was no less than that of ten thousand Xiang Army soldiers.
"I kowtow to the Holy Emperor!"
The shouts of a thousand people at the same time were so powerful that they made Li Yanjing and the others' ears go numb.
Zhao Huan tightened the reins in his hand and said loudly, "My good sons, since we parted in Hedong, I have thought of you day and night, hoping that one day I can fight alongside you again and protect the peace of our Great Song!"
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Great Song Dynasty!"
It was as if they had returned to the battlefield, the scene of charging together that day was still vivid in their minds, and everyone was filled with heroic spirit.
Such momentum deeply shocked Li Yanjing and the others.
At that moment, Li Yanjing suddenly realized that the emperor's status in the army far exceeded his imagination.
After everyone finished shouting, Sun Bangyuan said, "Your Majesty's order is foolish and I do not know why Commander Yao has been summoned."
Zhao Huan said, "A traitor who colluded with the Dangxiang people has appeared in Chang'an. I had no choice but to send Yao Pingzhong here. Minister Sun, you don't need to worry!"
The emperor's words shocked everyone.
Has a traitor emerged in Chang'an who is secretly colluding with the Dangxiang?
This is a huge deal!
A ruler's word is law; the emperor's word is as weighty as the heavens.
But now the emperor has suddenly concluded that there is a traitor, and this matter can't be kept quiet.
Sun Bangyuan immediately dismounted and knelt on the ground, as did the others.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! I deserve to die a thousand deaths!"
The emperor said, "I know that Minister Sun is loyal to the emperor and the country."
"Your Majesty, if a traitor has truly emerged in Chang'an, then I am guilty!"
"Minister Sun, this traitor is not a matter for you to decide; you are innocent!"
Sun Bangyuan was slightly surprised. He was already the military commissioner of Yongxing Military Circuit, in charge of military and civil affairs. Who was there that he couldn't manage?
Unless it is...
He couldn't touch high-ranking officials like the Transport Commissioner, the Judicial Commissioner, or the Prefect of the Capital Region, who were directly dispatched by the imperial court.
Could it really be...?
Sun Bangyuan suddenly looked up at his colleague beside him.
Who exactly is the emperor?
Unbeknownst to Sun Bangyuan, Li Yanjing's face had turned pale and she was covered in cold sweat.
He finally understood why the emperor had summoned them all out of the city in the dead of night.
Zhao Huan looked at Li Yanjing and smiled, "Am I right, my dear minister Li?"
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty's wisdom is as vast as the sea, I dare not speak presumptuously."
"Oh, knowing that I am as wise as the sea, you still dare to secretly collude with the Tangut barbarians, you really make me proud!"
Li Yanjing was so frightened that she almost crawled on the ground, not caring how dirty the ground was.
"Your Majesty, please see the truth! I have been wronged!"
"Innocent? Save those words for when you're in jail! Guards, seize Li Yanjing!"
Sun Bangyuan finally understood why the emperor had come out in the middle of the night. It turned out that he had summoned his personal guards, who had risked their lives for him, to lure out the traitor and capture him!
"Your Majesty, I am innocent! My loyalty to Your Majesty is as clear as day!"
Zhao Huan pointed his long sword at Li Yanjing and roared, "You stay quietly to the side and I will make you submit!"
Then he said to Shangguan Qing, "Minister Shangguan, if it were before I ascended the throne, it would be fine. But I have been on the throne for almost two years now, and you, as the Commissioner of the Judicial Office of Yongxing Army Road, have not impeached or submitted a single memorial that should have been submitted. On the contrary, you often interfere in matters that you should not be involved in. Do you think I do not know this?"
Shangguan Qing was terrified and covered in dust, but he said in a firm voice, "Your Majesty, I am loyal to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty thinks I am disloyal, I am willing to smash my head against that big tree and die!"
"Ha, threatening me! Guards! Help Shangguan Xiansi out!"
Xie Dahai immediately stepped forward. He was familiar with the matter; Cai Jing was the one who had run him over and killed.
He grabbed Shangguan Qing by the neck like a chick, and dragged him to the big tree that Shangguan Qing pointed to, ignoring his struggles. He then pressed Shangguan Qing's head down and slammed it against the tree.
With a bang...
The impact caused Shangguan Qing to scream in pain.
Zhao Huan said, "Bring him here."
Xie Dahai then brought Shangguan Qing back over.
The emperor, mounted on his horse, looked majestic and resolute in the firelight, his sharply defined face gleaming.
His voice was as cold as ice: "Shangguan Qing, don't rush to cry foul. Once we're in prison, I'll make you admit your innocence! Guards, seize Shangguan Qing!"
The others were too frightened to utter a sound. Although they had not colluded with the Tangut rebels, judging from the emperor's demeanor, he was about to carry out a major purge in the capital.
The emperor said, "Gentlemen, follow me into Chang'an to capture the remaining rebels!"
When the emperor and his entourage arrived at the city gate of Chang'an and entered the city, a dark figure suddenly rushed towards them. Immediately, soldiers rushed forward and surrounded the emperor.
Sun Bangyuan shouted loudly, "Protect the Emperor! Quickly, protect the Emperor!"
Zhao Huan said, "Make way, all of you!"
"Your Majesty, this man must be a traitor who intends to assassinate you."
"I said, all of you, get out of the way!"
Sun Bangyuan then said, "Make way, everyone."
The dark figure was dressed in a black robe, like a ghost in the night, and wore a ferocious Qilin mask.
He presented a scroll and then quickly left.
No one knew where he went; he was incredibly fast and quickly disappeared into the night.
Zhao Huan opened the scroll, handed it to Sun Bangyuan and Lü Xian, and said, "I want to see these people before dawn!"
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will take care of it immediately!"
P.S.: Sakura-chan, I'm here on behalf of everyone to ask you to come back. QQ Group:
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