Wuzhou City, Earl's Mansion.
Ever since Batel, the son of the last Khan of the Turkic Khaganate and the leader of the Guli tribe, a remnant of the Turkic tribe, secretly visited Liu Ziyu, the Earl of Wuyi, Liu Ziyu, who used to indulge in wine and women every day, seemed to have become a different person and actually began to organize his troops and train in military affairs.
This day, in late May of the first year of the Zhaowu reign of the Tang Dynasty, was almost half a month after the Wusun Xiaowan Rebellion in the Western Regions.
Inside the Earl's study, Liu Ziyu repeatedly looked through the secret letter that Tebar had sent him. It not only told Liu Ziyu about how Marquis Anxi Lan Yu had fallen into a trap and sent troops to Wusun;
He also informed Liu Ziyu of the upcoming Arab invasion of the Tang Dynasty and instructed him to prepare for the uprising, leading the Tang generals of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun to join forces with the Arab army to overthrow the newly established Tang Dynasty.
Due to geographical reasons, Liu Ziyu learned of this news even earlier than Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, who was far away in Jinling City, received the urgent message from the Western Regions.
At this moment, Liu Ziyu was full of ambition, and his heart was filled with excitement.
He was very familiar with this feeling. The last time was when Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin raised an army, and his adoptive father Liu Xinwu promised him the title of the new emperor's brother-in-law. He was also filled with excitement and enthusiasm.
snort!
Inside the study, Liu Ziyu sneered to himself, saying, "Chen Huai'an, if you are heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless. You, surnamed Chen, are fit to be the founding emperor, so why can't I, surnamed Liu?"
"If you have someone to blame, blame yourself!"
"I, Liu Ziyu, have always treated you with the utmost sincerity, but alas, the utmost sincerity is wasted on a ditch. Since you won't give me what I deserve, don't blame me for taking it myself!"
"Report—"
"Reporting to the Vice General, a special envoy from Governor-General Su Chen of Liangjiang requests an audience!"
Suddenly, the voice of the commander of the household's personal guards came from outside the study.
Inside the study, the alert Liu Ziyu immediately put away the secret letter in his hand—a letter that could have propelled him to the pinnacle of power in the dynasty, or wiped out his entire clan—and locked it in a drawer.
Then he instructed, "Please summon Lord Su's special envoy!"
"Yes, Vice General!"
Soon, a middle-aged man dressed in a long gown and dressed as a secretary hurriedly entered Liu Ziyu's study and bowed to him with his hands clasped in greeting.
"This humble servant, He Shuguang, pays his respects to Your Excellency!"
"No need for formalities, please take a seat!"
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two men, already acquainted, cut to the chase without further ado: "My lord, my master sent me to pay his respects after hearing rumors in court."
"The Marquis's initiative to import porcelain and tea from Jiangnan into the Western Regions seems to have already alerted the current emperor. Furthermore, Duke Chang Yuchun of Wei is practically ready to expose this secret in court!"
"My master means that Your Excellency should come up with a solution as soon as possible, and the relevant accounts and personnel should be destroyed if necessary."
"Otherwise, if the investigation team sent by the Emperor secretly gathers evidence, things will get really troublesome!"
"What?"
Upon hearing what He Shuguang, the special envoy of Su Chen, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, said, Liu Ziyu, who was holding a teacup and sipping tea, couldn't help but tremble and spill the hot tea.
He disregarded the scalding tea and hurriedly asked, "Master He, is this news true?"
He paused, then asked, "Why haven't I received even a whisper of this?"
Faced with Liu Ziyu's questioning, He Shuguang nodded solemnly and said, "My lord, this news is absolutely true. It was sent back from the palace overnight by my master's informant in the court."
"My lord, you should also know that my master has cultivated connections in the court for many years;"
After a pause, He Shuguang added, "As for why the Marquis hasn't received any news, I suspect it's because the Emperor hasn't made a final decision yet."
"When the Emperor issues the decree, the Marquis will naturally receive word of it."
"But if we wait until the Emperor's decree arrives before making a decision, it may be too late!"
After listening to He Shuguang's words, Liu Ziyu's shrewd eyes darted around, but he couldn't make up his mind for a long time.
Finally, he waved his hand and said with a smile, "Master He, you must be tired from the journey. Please come to my residence and rest for a while. This matter is of great importance, and I need to consider it carefully before making a decision!"
Seeing Liu Ziyu's indecisiveness, He Shuguang, as the special envoy, could only shake his head helplessly and finally got up to take his leave with reluctance.
As a special envoy, all he could do was convey his master Su Chen's words to Marquis Liu Ziyu of Wuyi, nothing more.
After He Shuguang left, Liu Ziyu fell into deep thought in the study.
Even now, he still clings to a sliver of hope.
First, Liu Ziyu believed that he had distanced himself sufficiently from the "tea-horse smuggling case," and that everything was handled by the generals guarding the cities under his command, and that he had not directly participated in it.
Secondly, Liu Ziyu was waiting for the right opportunity, waiting for the day when Batel led the iron cavalry of the Arab Empire on its eastward expedition to clash with the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions. If he were to lose his composure now, wouldn't all his efforts and forbearance during this period have been in vain?
Finally, Liu Ziyu also suspected that this might be a trap carefully set for him by Su Chen, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, with the aim of making him voluntarily expose himself to Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an.
After all, the alliance between the Youyun military group led by Liu Ziyu and the Jiangnan civil officials group led by Su Chen and Jiang Ning, the governors of Liangjiang and Lianghu, was based on the premise of profit.
Last month, during the smuggling operation that Su Chen personally participated in, the goods and silver were all confiscated by Marquis Lan Yu of Anxi. Su Chen had a lot of complaints about this, always believing that Liu Ziyu was secretly colluding with Lan Yu to embezzle the share of the profits that rightfully belonged to them.
More than 100,000 taels of silver! Anyone who saw that would be tempted!
Based on all of the above, Liu Ziyu, who was in a crisis of trust, did not quite trust the message brought by Su Chenlai, the Governor-General of Liangjiang. Instead, he sent his own men to Nanjing to investigate the situation.
Several days later.
Inside the Imperial Study in Nanjing's Imperial City.
Liu Xinwu, the Prince of Zhao of the Tang Dynasty, who should have been enjoying his retirement in his fiefdom, was summoned to the capital city by an imperial edict from Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, to meet the emperor.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, got straight to the point, saying, "Prince Zhao, after several discussions with the civil and military officials of the court over the past few days, the Ministry of War has issued an order for the military commanders of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun to be collectively transferred to the Liaodong front. The transfer order will be issued to the various prefectures of Youyun soon."
"King Zhao, it's not that I'm disrespecting you, but the Earl of Wuyi, Liu Ziyu, has been doing things in the Youyun region under your name that are utterly outrageous and reprehensible to both Heaven and man."
"It's not that I haven't given him opportunities; it's just that Liu Ziyu is far too arrogant and complacent, and what he's doing is already affecting the foundation of the Tang Dynasty."
"I must make an example of him to deter others!"
Wow!
Upon hearing Chen Huai'an's words, Prince Zhao Liu Xinwu, who was leisurely sipping tea in the imperial study, suddenly froze, as if he had been electrocuted.
The smile on his face froze.
However, Liu Xinwu still asked with a glimmer of hope, "Your Majesty, is there absolutely no room for maneuver in this matter?"
Um!
Chen Huai'an nodded without hesitation, then took out a memorial from the drawer of the desk in front of him and handed it to Prince Zhao, Liu Xinwu, saying, "Prince Zhao, please take a look at this first!"
Liu Xinwu took the memorial from Chen Huai'an with some skepticism. This memorial contained all the evidence of crimes committed by Lu Jiang, the Marquis of Zhongyong, who had been secretly inspecting the country for him, over a period of more than three months. It was all the evidence he had gathered regarding the first "Tea Horse Case" in the Tang Dynasty.
In this lengthy memorial of over ten thousand words, the section mentioning Liu Ziyu, the adopted son of Prince Zhao Liu Xinwu and Earl of Wuyi, accounts for one-third of the entire text.
As Liu Xinwu read the contents of the secret report, his usually kind and gentle face, resembling that of Maitreya Buddha, grew increasingly solemn. He felt heartbroken and indignant at the actions of his adopted son, Liu Ziyu, on whom he had placed such high hopes.
Finally, after reading the contents of the memorial, when he returned it to Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, he simply said, "Your Majesty, a country has its laws, and a family has its rules."
"Regarding the court's handling of Liu Ziyu, this rebellious son, I have nothing to say!"
As he spoke, Liu Xinwu struggled to his feet and addressed Chen Huai'an, saying, "Your Majesty, if the Ministry of War's order to transfer the generals of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun to the Liaodong front encounters obstacles in its implementation..."
"Your Majesty, I am willing to personally travel to the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun to deliver the imperial decree. These proud and fierce generals from Youyun will still give this old man some face!"
Um!
Upon hearing his father-in-law's words, Chen Huai'an simply nodded, neither agreeing nor refusing.
Eh—
In the end, Zhao Wang Liu Xinwu could only sigh, bid farewell to Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an who was sitting, and then hunched over as he prepared to leave the imperial study.
Yes, for an old man who is over sixty years old and has personally created the civil and military officials of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, to witness and even personally destroy the Youyun Group he built with his own hands, and to destroy the "empire" he has poured most of his life's blood into, is a feeling that is hard to describe!
This reminded Liu Xinwu of a saying: "I watched him build a tall building, I watched him entertain guests, and I watched his building collapse!"
"King Zhao—"
Suddenly, just as Prince Zhao, Liu Xinwu, was about to leave, his body hunched over, preparing to step over the threshold of the imperial study, the voice of Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Huai'an, came from behind him.
He said calmly, "Shujun is pregnant. In three months, you will become a grandfather!"
Buzz!
The next moment, Liu Xinwu, who had already stepped one foot over the threshold of the Imperial Study, suddenly froze in place, still in that stepping-over position.
A moment later, his previously somewhat hunched posture straightened instantly, and he left the imperial study with a hearty laugh.
The hearty, unrestrained laughter echoed for a long time in the vast palace.
......
Wuzhou City, Earl's Mansion.
Liu Ziyu, the Marquis of Wuyi of the Tang Dynasty and the chief military commander of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, finally noticed some clues, and an ominous premonition began to rise in his heart.
Not only Liu Ziyu, but the other military generals of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun also keenly sensed the approaching danger and began to feel uneasy and anxious.
The cause was that the Ministry of War suddenly ordered the mobilization of troops from six prefectures, including Youzhou, Zhuozhou, and Yingzhou, to Jizhou. The order stated that the troops from these prefectures were to be transferred to Liaodong for rotational warfare.
For the generals of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, who were already sensitive to the situation, the troop redeployment and rotation of troops in other locations was not good news.
The moment the Ministry of War issued the order, Liu Ziyu, who was stationed at his headquarters in Wuzhou City, received the news.
His first thought was that the imperial court was about to take action against the generals of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, first transferring them away from their respective bases, and then dealing with them one by one.
Liu Ziyu immediately sent someone to the Prince of Zhao's residence to seek answers from his adoptive father, Liu Xinwu.
However, it was discovered that Zhao Wang Liu Xinwu was not in his fiefdom of Changshan County at all. It was said that he had been summoned back to the capital city by imperial decree to meet the emperor.
Upon learning this news, Liu Ziyu began to feel uneasy, vaguely sensing that the emperor was really going to target the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun.
However, Liu Ziyu had not yet figured out how the emperor would deal with them.
Could it be that the smuggling case has really been exposed, and the Emperor has obtained relevant evidence?
Only now did Liu Ziyu begin to believe the truth of the news that the Governor-General of Liangjiang, Su Chen, had sent to inform him. He immediately began to secretly order the destruction of all physical evidence and witnesses.
Liu Ziyu fantasized that as long as the emperor couldn't find any evidence, he wouldn't be able to convict him. He only needed to stall until the Arab Empire in the outer regions launched an eastern expedition against the Tang Dynasty. At that time, he could cooperate with Batel from the inside and outside, and he wouldn't have to worry about seeing Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an's expression anymore.
Meanwhile, Liu Ziyu hurriedly sent his trusted confidants to the Western Regions in an attempt to obtain the exact time of the Arab Empire's eastward expedition from Batel.
The 30th day of the fifth month in the first year of the Zhaowu reign of the Tang Dynasty.
Liu Ziyu, the Marquis of Wuyi of the Tang Dynasty, who was anxiously waiting for news from Batel while stationed in Wuzhou City, finally received news that the 800,000-strong army of the Arab Empire had crossed the Pamir Plateau and was heading straight for the Tang Anxi Iron Cavalry stationed in Chigu City, the capital of the Wusun Kingdom.
Soon after, Batel will personally assume the role of the vanguard general of the Arab Empire's eastern expedition, leading a portion of the Arab army to bypass the Western Regions and directly attack the northern desert, with Liu Ziyu in Wuzhou City to prepare for their arrival.
At the same time, the Ministry of War of the Tang Dynasty also issued an order, instructing the generals of the remaining Youyun prefectures, including Wuzhou, to leave behind the necessary garrison troops and lead their respective armies to Jizhou to assemble and prepare for rotational warfare in the Liaodong region.
Looking at the military order from the Ministry of War on his desk, Liu Ziyu sneered, "Chen Huai'an, I knew you were planning to use the generals of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun as a scapegoat to establish your authority in the Tang Dynasty."
"Unfortunately, you were always a step too late!"
With that, Liu Ziyu stood up, tore the Ministry of War's transfer order to shreds, and grinned maliciously, saying, "This rebellion, you, Chen Huai'an, can start, and so can I, Liu Ziyu!"
"From this day forward, I, the general, am no longer some worthless Earl of Wuzhou of your Great Tang Dynasty. I will become the founding emperor who will establish a kingdom, ultimately conquering the entire land!"
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