Chapter 99, Chapter 10: Overthrowing the Divine Capital
In June of the ninth year of Jianxing, Zhao's army launched a fierce attack on Luoyang, but failed to capture it after twenty days. Liu Jun stationed his troops at Jinyong City, divided his forces to cut off roads such as Mangban and Heyang, and ordered Ji Dan to deploy his troops on both sides of the Gu River to confront Shi Le.
Shi Le dared not be negligent and personally led 20,000 troops to garrison the city gates. Ji Dan crossed the river to attack. In the midst of the battle, Liu Jun personally led the Youzhou cavalry to circle around to the rear of Shi Le's army, while Liu Yin led the lynx battalion out from Qingcheng Palace, forming an encirclement.
Liu Jun led by example, and his men were all loyal to him. In addition, Shi Le and Shi Hu were quite harsh in governing the people, and even frequently used wounded soldiers and the elderly and weak as military rations, which made them notorious. Naturally, they were not as popular as Liu Jun, who was strict in governing the army and was the legitimate ruler of the court. Therefore, many people risked their lives to secretly inform the Jin army and donate grain and fodder.
The two armies remained deadlocked until August. That year, there was a severe drought, and the northern border was almost barren. The various barbarian tribes had no pasture and did not usually store grain, so they soon ran out of food. Shi Le had no choice but to temporarily order his men to plunder the fortified villages of the powerful families.
In comparison, Liu Jun had been cultivating land for more than ten years, building water conservancy projects and granaries, and with Liangzhou as his backing, although he was also short of food supplies, he would never have resorted to burning, killing, and looting.
As a result, many of the powerful clans that had previously been hesitant and indecisive completely turned to Liu Jun, contributing manpower and supplies. Some even sent their elite warriors to launch a fire attack on the Zhao army.
Finally, on the Double Ninth Festival, Shi Le looked in the mirror and saw white hair at his temples. He sighed and ordered his troops to withdraw.
As the army set off, Shi Le couldn't help but send someone to inquire about Liu Jun's movements.
"Your Majesty, I heard that he went to climb Mount Mang today with his relatives and Wen Qiao."
Shi Le remained silent, then said calmly, "Only today do I understand Cao Mengde's lament."
Only after confirming that Shi Le had returned to Dingxiang did Liu Jun feel temporarily relieved and begin to discuss the post-war arrangements with Wen Qiao.
During this trip with the army, Wen Qiao witnessed firsthand the extent of Liu Jun's diligence. Although Liu Jun was known for his generosity, rewarding those who killed enemies and rendered meritorious service with at least a hundred acres of fertile land, or even a title and privilege for their wives and children, his subordinates were often busy from morning till night with little rest. As for slacking off, that was out of the question. Promotions and salaries depended entirely on merit. For example, as soon as the great battle ended, Liu Jun had his subordinates running around like headless chickens:
Some began to purge spies, stabilize public sentiment, repair city walls, and bury the remains.
Some were responsible for comforting the dead, settling the wounded, rewarding the survivors, and bestowing honors upon those who had rendered meritorious service. Although Luoyang was captured in this battle, the losses were undeniably heavy. Nearly half of the veterans trained over the years were lost. The army needed to be continuously expanded and its training intensified, otherwise, it would be stretched thin in the next battle against a powerful enemy.
Some went to the fields and villages to count the population, measure the land, encourage farming and sericulture, and promote the restoration of farmland and markets.
At the same time, a literary talent like Wen Qiao also had to help Liu Jun submit a memorial to the court to report the victory. The memorial was revised several times, with every word carefully considered. It was hard to tell whether he was a petty person or a pure gentleman. Despite being one of the Three Dukes and a close confidant of the emperor, he was more cautious in his manners than a lowly official.
For a time, everyone in the entire shogunate walked with a swagger, wishing they could grow wings.
As a result, in just two months, Luoyang was back to normal, and if it weren't for the scorched earth hidden under the new bricks, it would be almost impossible to see any trace of the fierce battle.
The imperial court's response was slow to arrive, but congratulatory gifts from all the prefectures and counties had arrived, and almost all the regional officials unanimously requested the emperor to move the capital to Luoyang.
At this juncture, Liu Jun's decision is of paramount importance. From Jiangdong to Guanzhong, from Youyan to Bashu, almost everyone is watching to see how this young general will choose.
Chang'an, Xuanshi Hall.
"Sikong's talent and strategy are extraordinary. He pacified three prefectures (Liang, Yong, and Yu), and his influence spread like wildfire, with the Di and Qiang peoples all submitting. Now he has conquered the capital, destroyed the enemy, and established unparalleled merit. Your Majesty should reward him accordingly, so that scholars will come to join him and soldiers will fight to the death."
"Sikong Jue is merely a Duke of the Commandery, no different from Wang Dun and Pu Hong. I humbly request Your Majesty to bestow upon him a higher title."
"If the Minister of Works cannot oversee the affairs of the Secretariat, how can he command the respect of the people?"
After this battle, Liu Jun's prestige in the court was almost at its peak. Regardless of whether they were his followers before, they all jumped out to express their loyalty, fearing that they would be inferior to him and displease this new favorite.
Sima Ye sat upright on it, smiling but not speaking, it was unclear whether he was listening or not.
Suddenly someone spoke up: "Your Majesty, some people have said that the Minister of Works is like the civil official of Wei and the military official of Wei. If he is allowed to go out into the world, he will surely become a disaster. If this continues, I'm afraid there will be another ruler in Luoyang!"
Upon closer inspection, everyone realized it was Xin Bin. This man had previously served as a secretary in the Secretariat, and it was only through Liu Jun's patronage that he was able to serve the emperor. His sudden attack made people wonder about the emperor's attitude.
"Cao Cao? I think the Minister of Works is loyal and sincere, and his heart is with the royal family. He should be given more honors and summoned back to the capital," Du Dan said leisurely.
"But what if the Minister of Works does not obey the imperial edict, or obeys the edict but then returns to Luoyang?" the head of the Wei clan of Jingzhao asked immediately.
Du Dan smiled and said, "Then he is disloyal to the court and has rebellious intentions towards the emperor."
Upon hearing this, Liu Jun's faction immediately launched a counterattack, and the court was in an uproar.
Sima Ye coughed lightly, and everyone only paused for a moment before starting to argue amongst themselves again. He couldn't help but glance helplessly at Bi Gong beside him.
Bi Gong understood and shouted loudly, "How dare you gentlemen behave so improperly before the Emperor!"
His shout finally reminded everyone of Sima Ye on the jade steps, and they all bowed and stood at attention.
Sima Ye said slowly, "I and Sikong have been friends since childhood, and we are of one mind. There has never been the slightest suspicion or estrangement between us. If anyone tries to sow discord or slander us with malicious words, I will not tolerate it."
"After the Yongjia era, Luoyang was shrouded in turmoil, Emperor Huai perished, and the land was plunged into chaos and turmoil. Therefore, the capture of Liu Yao and the destruction of the Hu and Zhao kingdoms are unprecedented events in our dynasty for decades. Not only should we reward the soldiers handsomely, but we should also offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth and comfort our ancestors." Sima Ye looked at Du Dan. "In my opinion, not only should we not recall the Minister of Works to the capital, but I should personally go to the front lines to reward the troops and choose an auspicious day to offer sacrifices at the ancestral temple in Luoyang. As for whether we should return the capital to Luoyang or continue to make Chang'an the capital, we need to discuss this with the Minister of Works before making a decision."
There was complete silence. Whether it was the powerful northern clans behind Liu Jun or the poor families with military merits, or the gentry from Guanzhong and Hedong behind Du Dan, no one could be sure of the emperor's intentions. In the end, Du Dan vaguely said, "Luoyang is a place of battle on all sides, surrounded by wolves and eyeing us with covetous eyes. How can the emperor, with his ten thousand chariots, easily take such a dangerous place?"
"Sikong led his troops in several bloody battles, and I merely went to the ancestral temple to fulfill my duties as emperor. How dare I speak of taking risks?" Sima Ye rarely acted so decisively. "Moreover, with Liu Lang here, how could he allow me to be put in danger?"
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