Chapter 64 July 3

Chapter 64 July 3

Chapter 64 March

When the war was fierce, it seemed that every day passed slowly.

But once peace comes, the days pass by without people having time to savor them.

Zhang Fang left.

Most of the Jizhou troops also withdrew.

They have to leave. Spring ploughing is approaching and they are the strong laborers in the family. Without them, Hebei's agricultural production will certainly be greatly affected this year.

Many Luoyang residents retreated with the Jizhou soldiers, their faces numb and sighing.

But there was nothing they could do, because their husbands, brothers, and sons had already defected before the war. A total of 20,000 soldiers from the Central Army surrendered in Yecheng, and there were only over 10,000 left. The King of Chengdu ordered that all of these 10,000 people be brought back to Yecheng. If their families were willing to follow, they would be given food and provisions.

Nearly 30,000 central army soldiers who originally belonged to Sima Yi in Luoyang City also split up.

Although Sima Yi died at the hands of Zhang Fang, his death was so tragic that it made people very angry.

There were rumors in the capital that Sima Yue, the King of Donghai, had colluded with Zhang Fang to kill someone with a borrowed knife. Many of the imperial guards were very disappointed, even angry, and simply surrendered to Sima Ying.

Sima Ying appointed General Fenwu Shi Chao to stay behind in Luoyang, and reorganized the eight or nine thousand imperial guards who had surrendered, together with the forty thousand soldiers from Jizhou, a total of about fifty thousand people, and stationed them inside and outside the twelve gates of Luoyang to watch over the city for him.

Sima Yue gathered the remaining 20,000 central troops.

All the hereditary soldiers from Sizhou and male men from various counties who were conscripted before the war were dismissed, and they also had to go home to do farm work.

In February and March, Sima Ying submitted a petition to depose Queen Yang Xianrong and imprison her in Jinyong City; he also requested to depose Crown Prince Sima Tan (son of Sima Xia and grandson of Sima Yan) and make him King of Qinghe, and the emperor agreed to all of his requests.

The refugee armies in Yangzhou and Xuzhou were pacified.

Shi Bing and Feng Yun were both killed, and their troops were destroyed. Chen Min, who made the greatest contribution, was appointed as the Prime Minister of Guangling (Guangling State had been abolished, so he was actually the governor), and took his troops and private soldiers to participate in the suppression of the rebellion. Zhou Qi (Yixing Zhou clan) and He Xun (Shanyin He clan), who made great contributions, did not receive any rewards, and after disbanding their troops, they returned to their respective families.

Shi Bing and Feng Yun can both be considered factions derived from Zhang Chang's refugee army. As for Zhang Chang himself, he was defeated by Liu Hong and Tao Kan, his main force was annihilated, and he fled everywhere, in a state of panic.

At this point, throughout the Jin Dynasty, except for Shu where fierce fighting was still going on, no refugee leader could succeed and all were wiped out.

This shabby house is far from being torn down by a kick.

On the first day of March, outside the Dongyang Gate, drums and music sounded, and there was a forest of ceremonial guards.

As the biggest winner of this war, King Sima Ying of Chengdu came to Luoyang in person with a large number of followers.

Sima Yue and all the officials went out of the city several miles to greet them, and then went straight into the palace.

The wind and clouds were stirred up once again.

……

"Quick! Quick! Get dressed and mobilize the entire army!" It was already the third day. Mi Huang, who had a house in the city, came to the military camp early in the morning and said anxiously.

He Lun, Wang Bing and Shao Xun were all present and looked at him in confusion.

"It's not a war." Mi Huang said awkwardly, and then added: "The emperor held a banquet at the foot of Mangshan Mountain to entertain the soldiers and civilians in Luoyang."

"I'm afraid it's a great feast for the soldiers in Hebei." He Lun curled his lips in disdain.

This guy doesn't seem to respect the emperor very much.

"Will the imperial guards be dispatched?" Wang Bing asked.

"Of course, they are the main force." Mi Huang said.

"The King of Chengdu is here to show off his power." Shao Xun said, "I heard that the King of Hejian, Sima Yong, submitted a petition requesting that the King of Chengdu be made the Crown Prince and the Commander-in-Chief of all military forces at home and abroad, and the Emperor granted his approval. He is so proud of himself that he wants everyone to see how powerful he is."

"Young Master is right." Mi Huang gave a bitter smile and said, "On the third day of March, the people go out to the rivers and ponds to drink, so the venue is set near the Qili River and the old Jingu Garden. The emperor's concubines, civil and military officials, ladies of state, and soldiers of the imperial guards must all be present. Even the people of Luoyang who are willing to go can also attend the meeting."

"You bastard Sima Ying, do you really want to embarrass Sikong?" He Lun's face looked a little ugly.

"Don't think too much, just assemble the team quickly." Mi Huang ordered.

"Yes." The generals responded one after another.

"You lead the training team to escort the princess. Nothing must happen to her." Mi Huang held Shao Xun and whispered.

"promise."

******
The platform was built yesterday.

Sima Ying, surrounded by many generals, climbed to a high place to look far into the distance.

Luoyang is the center of the world.

It has been the capital since the Han and Wei dynasties, and the capital of the Ming Dynasty was also located here. It was the place Sima Ying longed for.

He knew he still needed to be patient as the time was not yet ripe.

If he comes to Luoyang now, he will end up like Sima Lun, Sima Jiong and Sima Yi. He is not that stupid.

But he also knew that as long as he eliminated two or three more princes and won a few wars, he would become the final winner and could enter Luoyang without any risk and ascend the throne to become emperor.

"Dong dong dong..."

The drums were deafening.

Looking down from the sky, one can see dark blocks slowly crawling on the ground. They are the tens of thousands of soldiers gathered in Luoyang.

On both sides of the jade-belt-like Qili River, there were large groups of people scattered here and there. They were the nobles, officials, and scholars and ladies of Luoyang.

The most prominent part of the canopy in the middle is majestic, magnificent and extremely luxurious. That is where the emperor resides.

Most of the most powerful and influential people in the world gather here.

"Woooooooo..."

The sound of the trumpet awakens the earth.

The sound of horse hooves gradually became more frequent, occasionally mixed with the sound of arrows breaking through the air and arrogant laughter.

How could a place where warriors gather be without these fighting scenes?
"Haha, the prey has been released, and the boys are fighting for it." Sima Ying laughed and said, "Uncle, why don't you go down and try your luck?"

Having said this, he didn't care whether Sima Yue agreed or not, and directly asked someone to bring a horn bow, lead the horse, and prepare to ride and hunt.

Sima Yue's face did not look very good. Unlike Sima Ying, he was not good at this. If he was outdone by others, he would surely be laughed at.

Just as he was about to refuse, Sima Ying glared at him, not giving him a chance to refuse, and pulled him down from the platform by the hand. Sima Yue had no choice but to ask someone to bring him a horn bow, climb on his horse, and head to the center of the arena.

The rest of the princes, officials, and generals did not move and continued to stay on the platform.

What does the rivalry between the two kings have to do with them?

A new wave of horse hoofbeats soon sounded on the green grass.

Sima Ying had indeed practiced it.

Perhaps in the eyes of warriors, his archery skills are nothing special, but doesn't this mean he has someone to compare himself with?

The soldiers released a lot of wild animals such as deer, rabbits, and foxes. Sima Ying rode his horse at full speed, fired three arrows in a row, and soon hit a gray hare.

"The Crown Prince is mighty!"

"The Crown Prince is mighty!"

The knights following him cheered loudly.

Sima Yue's face became increasingly ugly.

He shot several arrows, but all of them missed, and he didn't catch any prey. Moreover, after riding for a while, he felt out of breath, and then the blood rushed up, and his head was a little dizzy, so he had to stop.

Sima Ying turned her head and glanced at him, becoming even more proud.

Another hare appeared in front of me. In panic, it rushed left and right in a zigzag route.

Sima Ying laughed loudly and rode his horse to chase after him.

Wherever he passed, he would occasionally cause cries of surprise, from the officials' families and the people of Luoyang who were almost hit.

"Haha, what a joy!" When Sima Ying saw those dignified and elegant men and women fleeing in all directions like frightened foxes and rabbits, he felt extremely happy, just as happy as when he captured his concubines in his mansion.

The hare gradually slowed down.

Sima Ying drew his horn bow and took careful aim.

"Swoosh!" The arrow was as fast as lightning and chased after him.

Clearly audible sighs were heard one after another, but it missed!
Sima Ying was so furious that he saw dozens of figures in front of him, but he did not slow down his horse. It seemed that he wanted to just charge straight ahead to vent his anger.

"Clang!" The crisp sound of a knife being drawn out of its sheath was heard.

Sima Ying was startled and subconsciously reined in his horse.

The horse neighed in pain, raised its front hooves high, turned around twice on the spot, and finally stopped.

Sima Ying looked back and saw a golden-armored officer stroking the hilt of his sword, looking at him coldly.

There was a carriage parked behind the officer, and a graceful woman was looking at Sima Ying who was riding a horse towards them with a pale face.

Sima Ying's followers arrived one after another, and when they saw someone actually drawing a knife against the Crown Prince, they drew their bows and swords and started cursing.

"How dare you draw your sword against me, you thief!"

"Brother Crown Prince is in front of you. Why don't you kneel down and wait for your punishment?"

"If you offend the Crown Prince, you will be exterminated along with your entire clan."

Shao Xun looked at them expressionlessly.

Who bumped into whom? They are really confusing right and wrong.

Concubine Pei walked forward slowly, pressed her soft hand on the back of Shao Xun's hand, slowly pushed the knife into the sheath, then bowed and said, "Excuse me, Crown Prince."

"It's my aunt." Sima Ying looked closely. Wasn't this beautiful woman Sima Yue's wife, Pei? He had seen her several times before, and now he saw her again. She seemed to have a bit more charm, which made him feel itchy.

The sound of horse hooves was heard, and the eunuch Meng Jiu rushed over breathlessly.

He first glanced at Shao Xun with a cold gaze, then leaned close to Sima Ying's ear and whispered a few words.

When Sima Ying heard this, he immediately became interested.

He stared at Shao Xun for a long time, stroking his chin with his hand, and said with a smile: "So it was you who killed Meng Chao. To be honest, Meng Chao is not bad, not incompetent. Since you can kill him, you must have some skills. Oh, I heard that it was you who captured Sima Yi in the palace. Tsk tsk, why don't you come down to hunt today?"

"I have a duty to fulfill and dare not leave without permission." Shao Xun replied in a deep voice.

Concubine Pei subconsciously smoothed her hair that fell to her ears and lowered her eyes to the ground.

"If you go hunt some prey now and come back, I will forgive you for your crime of collision. How about that?" Sima Ying looked at Shao Xun with interest and said.

Shao Xun looked at Concubine Pei.

Concubine Pei nodded slightly.

Shao Xun looked at Chen Yougen again. Chen Yougen understood and led a horse over. Then he said in embarrassment: "Sima, I didn't bring a horn bow..."

Shao Xun was stunned.

Sima Ying's expression remained unchanged as he continued to look at him.

"Take my bow." An old man in brocade robe behind Sima Ying took out a horn bow and said loudly.

Meng Jiu glared at him.

The man's expression suddenly became gloomy. After looking at Meng Jiu for a moment, he turned his head away and stopped talking.

Sima Ying chuckled twice.

The knight behind him also sneered.

Concubine Pei was full of worry, biting her lips tightly. Just as she was about to step forward to speak, she saw Shao Xun climb onto his horse and said, "Why do you need a bow to hunt? Bring me a spear!"

Chen Yougen didn't understand what he meant, but he still waved his hand, and two soldiers from the training team came over, one in front and one behind, carrying a horse lance.

Shao Xun held the spear in his hand, weighed it, and said, "Wait a moment, my dear brother."

After saying this, he rode out on his horse.

(End of this chapter)