Chu Qiao's guess was finally confirmed. The Meishan Imperial Mausoleum, which had been silent for ten years, finally caused a turmoil in Bian Tang overnight. The turmoil came without any warning, like a pot of cold water that was suddenly heated to boiling point. The people in the water had not yet reacted before they were cooked.
By the time they reached the Handan River, the war had already expanded. After several cavalry troops passed through, the city was destroyed, homes were burned, the once fertile fields turned into rotten black ashes, and silks and satins floated in the mud and yellow soup. Common people who died in the war can be seen everywhere on both sides of the road. The prosperity was destroyed in an instant, and the pungent stench of blood and flesh was emitted in the summer night.
Prince Luo raised an army in Meishan. The people who did not want to become traitors dragged their families eastward. However, when they arrived at Handan River, they found that the commander of Handan River Pass was Xu Su, the cousin of Prince Luo's concubine. The water crossing to the east was firmly blocked, and the Bian Tang soldiers west of Handan Pass were unable to take care of each other. They were defeated by King Yu Luo in the Battle of Hongcheng, and half of the Bian Tang territory was in jeopardy.
Chu Qiao and others' journey was delayed. People gathered in the area of Handan River. It was midsummer and diseases were prevalent. Within half a month, plague broke out in the city. The wealthy families all closed their doors and sent out large numbers of servants to guard and patrol the place. The inns and taverns were all closed, and it was impossible to buy a grain of rice. Chu Qiao and the others had to go to the suburbs. Fortunately, they had made preparations for the long journey and had prepared food and tents.
As the days passed, all kinds of rumors came one after another. Even though Ping'an and others ventured into the city to investigate, they could not find out any useful information.
There were various rumors. Some said that Li Ce had already organized 800,000 elite cavalrymen in the east and was marching towards the Handan River. Some people also said that Prince Luo defeated the Nanhuai Army in Junshan a few days ago, and Jiangzhe, Philadelphia, Nanwang, Anxi County, and Xizhao Mountain areas fell one after another. Most of the imperial army was killed or wounded, and the rest all surrendered. Within five days, Prince Luo’s army will enter Handan River. Others said that the wealthy families in the southwest donated money and grain in unison to respond to the uprising of Prince Luo, and under the banner of the tyranny of the emperor, they sent their family soldiers to join the Meishan army, and the number of Prince Luo's troops was close to one million. There are even more absurd claims that Li Ce was no longer in Tangjing at this time, but had hidden in Daxia with his concubines, and that Donghai Huaisong was helping him build a ship, so he was about to escape to the sea.
People in the area around the Handan River were in panic. Although the rumors were not entirely true, King Luo's army was getting closer to the Handan River day by day.
Because there are fewer and fewer refugees in recent days, this means that King Luo's encirclement is getting closer and closer, and he is about to join forces with the army of Handan River.
Seven days later, the army of Prince Luo finally arrived at Qibaipo, which was only eighty miles away from Handan River, but unexpectedly stopped. It did not make any move to meet with General Xu Su, the defender of Handan River. Handan River also did not clearly express its loyalty to Prince Luo.
The war suddenly became stalemate.
At this moment, the Empire's Xishuo Army noticed something unusual. General Xu Su is a great general of the empire. He once followed General Murong in his early years. If he is willing to stick to the righteousness and stand on the side of Li Ce, then the chances of Bian Tang's orthodoxy will greatly increase.
Just like that, after another four days of waiting and watching, the leader of the Xishuo Army, Lu Bingkuan, led his 30,000 troops to Qibaipo and engaged in a fierce battle with the Luo Wang army. Although the battle was brutal and the Xishuo army suffered heavy casualties, they bravely broke through King Luo's defense line and rushed to General Xu Su's camp on Handan River. Their intention was self-evident: they wanted to defend the Bian Tang imperial capital together with the Handan River army.
However, at this moment, the Handan River Massacre, which shocked the entire Simon continent, began without any warning.
Xu Su killed all 13,000 soldiers under Lu Bingkuan overnight, and the blood even dyed the Handan River red. Even thirty miles downstream, one could see the red river water, with corpses piled up almost into a high embankment.
Eagles and vultures circled around the Handan River all day long. At night, there were terrible screams and cries. The ferocious birds and beasts bit the gradually rotting corpses, like a terrible nightmare.
Three days later, Prince Luo, who finally believed Xu Su's sincerity in surrendering, led an army of 150,000 into the Handan River camp. And on the next day, with the support of the soldiers, he put on the yellow robe, kowtowed to his ancestors, ascended the throne, and took the title Jingheng.
Two days later, 200,000 troops from Meishan arrived at Handan River. Together with Xu Su's 180,000 defenders at Handan River, the force of King Luo had reached nearly 600,000.
As a result, a ridiculous situation emerged in Bian Tang where two emperors coexisted and ruled the country separately.
Ten days later, it seemed that the Tang Emperor Li Ce, who could no longer endure such a great humiliation, finally issued a document of conquest with fierce words. He led 90,000 central troops, 110,000 southeastern troops, and 200,000 wolf soldiers in person, and rushed to the Handan River with the force of a flood.
The war is about to break out.
On the ninth day of the eighth month, King Luo went up to Chaoyang Terrace to offer sacrifices to his ancestors, burning incense and offering sacrifices with flags. Afterwards, he led his own army and 150,000 Meishan troops across the river, leaving 50,000 Meishan troops and Xu Su to guard the Handan River. However, Li Ce's army retreated to the camp and dared not engage in battle. For five consecutive days, there were only a few battles involving hundreds of people. It would be more accurate to say that it was a group fight among the people rather than a military battle. For a time, Li Ce's name became a laughing stock in Bian Tang. The fact that the Emperor of Tang was afraid of King Luo and hid in his camp, not daring to go out into the battle, spread throughout the world.
However, just when everyone thought that Li Ce was about to lose his kingdom, Chu Qiao suddenly ordered Meixiang to pack her bags and prepare to go to Beijing.
Meixiang didn't understand what he meant and asked directly.
Chu Qiao looked at Xu Su's camp in the east, her eyes becoming a little dazed. She recalled the night when the Xishuo army was massacred en masse, with screams ringing in her ears all night long.
"This battle is about to end."
On August 17, the Tang army finally shook off its previous decadence and marched out in unison, engaging in a fierce battle between Yu Hulinyuan and Luo Wang's army.
The soldiers fought bravely and the war lasted for a day and a night without either side giving in. They all knew that this was a battle for imperial power. The winner would be rich and have a bright future, while the loser would have his entire family executed without a single person left alive.
Just when the battle was at a critical moment, General Xu Su suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
The army of King Luo cheered loudly, but before their laughter died down, Xu Su's army suddenly came towards the rear of King Luo's army with sabers raised!
On August 20th, King Luo's army was defeated, with more than 40,000 people killed and the rest surrendered.
Under the protection of two thousand iron-blooded guards, Prince Luo fled all the way to the Handan River, but found that all his 50,000 soldiers had been killed. The Handan River is surging and there is no boat to cross. With nowhere else to go, King Luo drew his sword and committed suicide by the bank of the Han River.
At this point, Emperor Jingheng, who had been on the throne for only eleven days, sadly left the political map of Bian Tang, and everything disappeared into thin air, as if he had never appeared.
On August 21, the Great Emperor's army pursued the remnants of King Luo and killed more than 300 large families in the southwest along the way. The women were forced to serve as official prostitutes, and any man whose body was longer than a horse whip was beheaded. Almost overnight, the entire southwestern clan was uprooted, and wherever the strong wind passed, there was desolation and chaos.
On August 27, the Tang Emperor returned to the capital. General Xu Su, who had made great contributions in suppressing the rebellion, continued to lead his troops to suppress the rebels. The blood flowed all the way from Meishan in the southwest to the entire territory of Bian Tang.
On the fourth day of September, the emperor issued an edict to divide half of the materials confiscated from the southwestern clans and distribute them equally to the provinces and counties that had been persecuted in the war, and to reduce taxes in the southwest for five years to allow the southwest to recuperate. In an instant, Li Ce's reputation reached its peak. The people who had lost their homes and relatives in the war suddenly knew that they could still survive. They were all grateful and thanked the emperor for his grace.
On the ninth day of the ninth month, Chu Qiao, Ping An and others set out again, crossed the Handan River by boat and headed for Tangjing.
Bian Tang is still Bian Tang, the sky is blue, the clouds are white, and the fragrant breeze is still the same, but those soldiers who died on the battlefield can no longer see it.
On the fifteenth day of September, the moon outside the window was round, like a piece of fine jade. Countless fireflies were flying among the sycamore trees outside the hall, flashing a faint blue light and circling gently back and forth.
The entire palace was cold and quiet, with pure white curtains hung everywhere. Pale candles replaced the palace lanterns of the past, emitting a bright halo of light.
She followed the guards, walking slowly. The Jinwu Palace was still as big as before, but without the endless singing and dancing and beautiful women, this majestic palace suddenly seemed so empty.
The arrow patterns on the cuffs brushed against the lapels on both sides, making a rustling sound. The night was too quiet. A crow flew over the head. When he looked up, he could only see the beast squatting on the high eaves. The vast twilight spread like mist, and the smell of incense was curling under the gloomy pines and cypresses. Chu Qiao looked up and faintly heard the monks chanting scriptures, as if they were coming from the other side of the sky, making people feel empty inside.
Mi Heju has not changed at all. There are still many parasol trees, a lotus pond at night, and the sound of cicadas getting louder and louder. The faint moonlight filtered through the white cotton window paper, but the windows on the west side were wide open. A moist wind blew in from outside, bringing with it damp water vapor, and the bluish-white curtains in the hall fluttered. A worn wind chime hung in front of the window, occasionally making a tinkling sound, still clear and crisp, like a song breaking ice.
Li Ce was sitting between the blue and white tents, with a small ebony table, two small cushions, a green jade pot, and two white wine cups.
The green gauze curtains fluttered in the wind, sweeping across the empty and silent hall from time to time. Li Ce had dishevelled black hair and was wearing a dark purple brocade robe embroidered with turquoise cloud patterns that swirled and intertwined in layers, and was finely sewn with royal stitches. His face was as white as jade, and he sat there quietly in the moonlight, like a still painting.
Chu Qiao stood at the door, holding onto the green pillar, and for a moment she didn't know how to move forward.
The night wind blew up the gauze curtains. Li Ce turned his head in the moonlight. His face was clear and his eyes were slightly narrowed. He still had that foxy smile. He smiled at her gently and said, "You're here."
The voice was very calm, but it made Chu Qiao feel sad. She looked at him and felt that he was still the same as when she left, smiling, naughty and playful, but able to see through everything.
The years passed quickly, and so many things happened one after another, so fast that she couldn't recover. Looking at him at this moment, she felt vaguely a little strange, but also a little distressed.
Chu Qiao walked forward, squatted beside Li Ce, pursed her lips, and her eyes were sore.
Li Ce smiled and ruffled her hair, still messing up her neat bun as usual, and said with a smile: "Why are you looking so sad? I'm not dead."
The more he smiled like this, the sadder Chu Qiao felt. She forced a smile, nodded and said, "I'm glad you're okay."
The window was half open, and the last pool of clear lotus flowers could be vaguely seen outside.
Li Ce lowered his head and quietly felt the intricate patterns on the edge of the wine cup: "He was a traitor and could not be buried in the imperial mausoleum. I buried him on Luofu Mountain."
A breeze blew in, and the wind chimes on the window made a series of sounds. Looking up, I saw that the bells were carved with intricate and delicate patterns, and the corners were decorated with hollow acacia flower patterns and painted with fine gold powder. Even after years of wind and sun, the colors were still bright.
Li Ce drank a cup of wine, his eyes were calm, and he said in a light tone: "Fu'er is also buried there." He raised his head, his mouth was light and his expression was hazy, but his eyes were slightly bright like the morning light, "We can't live together, but we can die together. It's worth his last battle."
The hall finally became quiet. Chu Qiao sat beside Li Ce and drank cup after cup with him quietly. She didn't sit in the seat opposite because she knew that it was not reserved for her.
Under the lonely lamp and bright moon, he is waiting for someone who will never come again.