Chapter Sixty-Five Branch

  The flowers are bright, the moon is dimly shrouded in a thin mist, tonight is a good time to go to your lover's side.

  Walk barefoot on the fragrant steps, holding golden thread shoes in hand.

  The south bank of the painting hall is seen, and people tremble with fear at a glance.

  It's hard for me to come out, and I'm afraid you'll be too willful and pamper me.

  At dawn, Liang Xiao got out of bed, and with a refreshed body and mind, she watched her quietly dressing up, her slender waist wrapped in a silk sash, and recited this poem "Bodhisattva Mantra" (which seems to describe the romantic affair between the Last Ruler of Southern Tang and his concubine), truly feeling a sense of accomplishment.

  Who would have thought that she was slightly moved, but seemed to think of something again, and with a sorrowful heart, she burst into tears.

  She hastily hugged him, comforting him, it seemed that he was too abrupt. Although this poem is beautiful and has been passed down for centuries, using such a romantic phrase on a woman who has just met, especially one as talented and beautiful as her, is somewhat too revealing and frivolous, easily making people think that she is hinting at a clandestine meeting, and his good intentions have fallen flat.

  In the warm room, she couldn't help but savor the aftertaste of last night's lesson. He truly adored Xie Wanru, whose icy beauty shone like moonlight. The faint tears still lingered on her face, and after being teased mercilessly, her cheeks flushed, her skin glistened with dewy sweat, and she was overcome with shame, displaying an utterly captivating demeanor.

  Although Liang Xiao had promised to keep her chastity before marriage, she was actually very flexible when it came to other things. Xie Wen took advantage of Liang Xiao's naivety about the pleasures between men and women, using his clever words to deceive and cheat her.

  So when she went out, her face was flushed with shame and anger, as well as some other indescribable emotions.

  Xie Yuan's heart was in a mess, the sky and earth lost their color, and he didn't know how he ended up sleeping in that person's arms. Once again, he was lightly touched by the same person, still in a state of wakefulness, like a dream, several times feeling ashamed and resentful, wanting to faint, but being manipulated by his strange methods, making him do some shameful things... That almost unbearable memory, that indescribable feeling, almost dying... His heart was filled with helplessness and melancholy. After barely getting through the short yet seemingly endless journey, he saw a familiar figure, and the emotions that had been pent up for so long burst out uncontrollably, crying loudly as if the sky was falling apart.

  It wasn't until later that I found out she was a lady-in-waiting from Xin Feng, with the title of "First Lady" and many suitors. It's strange that someone like her would be so unlucky in love. Apparently, it was all because of rumors. A woman who has been by the emperor's side for so long is bound to have some rumors circulating about her. Although the emperor favors Yang Guifei, he also has unclear relationships with other women, including the Yang sisters. Xie Wan entered the palace not long ago, but she quickly gained favor and became a center of gossip. After all, as an adopted daughter, there's only so much that can be expected from her in terms of adhering to the traditions and customs of the Li Tang imperial family. As a result, many people admired and flattered her, but few dared to express their love openly. Nobody wanted to risk their own career and reputation by guessing the emperor's thoughts incorrectly.

  Slept in a comfortable bed, got up at noon to ask about things. The night was uneventful, but the generals couldn't help but show signs of redness and swelling on their faces, clearly the aftermath of being bitten by insects outdoors all night. But Liang Xiao savored the warmth and tenderness, feeling great and didn't mind anymore.

  Even the various eye movements of those courtiers and attendants, from the familiar winking and nodding, to the infatuated admiration and sighs of acquaintances, to the contemptuous disdain and disregard of strangers, all give one a sense of accomplishment.

  "It's really hard on the barbarian" Yang Taizhen held a brush to copy new words, her slender eyebrows slightly frowned with a different meaning and charm "It's good phrases, but unfortunately it's too rash and abrupt..."

  "Some trivial matters are inevitable, and when the maids asked about it, they just shed tears without speaking."

  "This Desperate Liang Mozi"

  "Just... Princess" "How come?"

  "Slave... Slave saw Xie Gongzhu, seems like Yuan Hong hasn't lost yet", "Oh, this Rong Yu..."

  On the other hand, it was a meaningful and smiling gaze. "This Ruo Ye ah, is indeed a wonderful person, sent to the door to spend a night, but surprisingly, not a single hair was harmed."

  "Isn't it just this gentleman who spent a whole night singing with a beautiful woman?"

  "Haha, it's really outrageous"

  "It's hard to believe that this notorious Liang Bopi, who was said to be able to squeeze oil out of dead people, has changed his ways and is now surnamed Liu."

  Among the courtiers, there were naturally some who were jealous and resentful, known for their scandalous behavior in Chang'an's pleasure quarters. They had already sensed something was amiss with Ah-Man, and now that they saw her before them, unharmed, they couldn't help but feel a little surprised. Although their faces were full of malicious intent and sarcastic remarks, when it came to this person who was said to be greedy for wealth and lustful, they also had some unusual thoughts and evaluations. Little did they know that although this Mr. Liang hadn't laid a hand on her, he had already collected the interest in advance, tenfold.

  Another small episode occurred, where Liang Xiao interrogated the little eunuch who was tied up last night, and it turned out that he was doing it for Xie Yuan, pretending to be Yang Taijun's words. It can't help but make one feel astonished at Xie Yuan's charm, which even a castrated man who has already cleansed his body cannot escape.

  "She's already mine, what other thoughts do you have about her that you can't reveal to me?" The little eunuch named Guo'er fell into his hands and resigned himself to death, his face full of suspicion and stubbornness, but he just gritted his teeth and remained silent.

  Unfortunately, this didn't deter him. He was merely using the excuse of being implicated in Xie Yuan's danger to intimidate and threaten him fiercely. As a result, he found out that the reason was that he had been relatively close to Xie Yuan in his daily life, and had received kindness and care from him, which had left a deep impression on his mind. Although Xie Yuan might not have noticed it, his subconscious fear was probably due to this, causing him to harbor sisterly feelings and a desire to protect Xie Yuan. Seeing that he had fallen into the hands of the "bandits", and being too low in status, without understanding the situation, he made a scene. Knowing that he would not come out well if he fell into the hands of the notorious Mr. Liang, he begged for a quick death so as not to implicate others.

  Unexpectedly, Liang Xiao immediately untied him and personally helped him up. Just now, with a pleased expression, he told him that someone of such low status didn't need to be bothered with, no matter how many were eliminated. However, touched by his sincere intention to protect, he could consider acknowledging him as a younger brother in front of Xie Yuan.

  He was so frightened that he was on the verge of tears, after all, he was still a young eunuch who wasn't completely fearless. In the end, he tearfully vowed to take good care of Xie Yunyin, which made Liang Xiao secretly laugh with amusement, thinking that another loyal dog with potential had been born.

  The rest of the days spent in Hanzhong, Liang Xiao was not bored. During the day, he arranged his troops, took Wei's subordinates to discuss military books, practiced marching and arraying, familiarized himself with military strategies and key points, and incidentally organized and managed the refugees, providing them with sufficient supplies and expenses. He selected the strong and skilled ones among them and incorporated them into the army. The king of Hanzhong also cooperated very well, offering all the necessary equipment, armor, and even contributing from his own treasury.

  He also selected some fierce and brave veteran soldiers from the army to fill in the vacancies. Although Cheng Shiliu's brothers fought bravely, they suffered heavy casualties after several battles. After all, it was a shameful thing for thousands of troops to be defeated by a single cavalryman, so the fewer such incidents, the better.

  By the seventh day, news arrived that Gao Lishi had returned, accompanied by Cui Yuan, the deputy military governor of Jiannan Circuit and the secretary general of Shu Commandery, as well as the soldiers from the large camp directly under the command of Jiannan Circuit.

  The elite troops under the direct command of the Jiedushi were indeed strong and powerful, with three large camps stationed outside the city. Under the old emperor's inspection, they shone like snow, their spears and swords aligned in perfect formation. Their spirit and demeanor were vastly different from those of the Hanzhong Wang's local troops who had grown complacent after years of peace. Only on the battlefield could such a sharp and unified fighting spirit be forged, tempered by the experience of killing enemies and seeing bloodshed. The emperor was deeply comforted, and with a wave of his hand, he encouraged them to remain loyal and virtuous ministers.

  That night, an urgent military report arrived from Shannan Road. However, due to the extraordinary circumstances, the messenger lacked the corresponding postal relay, official seal, and authentication, and was detained outside the city in a state of anxiety. Coincidentally, this Mr. Liang was ingeniously practicing his nighttime battle tactics and mistook the messenger for a spy, interrogating him severely. Upon learning of the situation, he immediately reported it to the old emperor. The emperor summoned all officials and announced

  However, history has produced a branch. The first report of the victory in Shangzhou, also known as "The Report of the Great Victory of the Military and Civilians of Shangzhou Jointly Defeating the Bandits and Occupying Luoyi City"

  The defeated bandit army that had been repelled at the Dasanguan Pass was originally fleeing westward after being pursued by the imperial troops, but they were short on food and supplies. They invaded Huanghua County and Liangquan County to plunder for provisions. However, since both counties were small and had received orders to clear the fields and fortify their defenses, most of the residents had fled, and the bandits' gains were limited. In the north, when they reached the borders of Shangzhou Prefecture, which had not yet fallen, the officials of Luonan County and Anye County fled in succession upon hearing the news, and the original prefect of Shangzhou, along with his subordinates, also abandoned the city and fled upon learning of the bandits' approach. Only the prefectural administrator, Yu Jingting, remained behind to defend the prefecture, raising a flag at the government office within the city walls of Luoyang and issuing fake orders to gather the able-bodied men from the various counties to prepare for battle.

  In the rebel army, there was a wicked tradition that after suffering a major defeat, they would find a place to vent their anger and loot, in order to restore morale and make up for losses. This was called "washing the city". Shangzhou was an upper-class prefecture with nearly 170,000 mouths to feed, and it was a rich and prosperous area. The rebel army arrived at the city and found that it was unguarded, so they entered the city and scattered to loot and pillage. They underestimated the importance of defense and did not expect that after a single cannon shot, all the gates would suddenly close, and ambush troops would rise up from all sides.

  Although many houses and properties were lost, the rebels scattered in all directions, fighting separately, but ultimately failed to gain a decisive victory. Many of them were killed by the citizens' clubs, sticks, bricks, stones, and rolling logs in the streets and alleys. The war horses charged forward, but were blocked by various street barricades, and many were trapped and killed. If it weren't for the commander seeing that the situation was unfavorable and ordering his troops to set fire to the houses, many of the rebels would have continued fighting. However, due to the fires, they had to turn back to save their homes, and only then did they scatter in all directions, fleeing out of the city. Only three-tenths of the people and horses escaped, while the rest were trapped inside the city. The commander was also hit by a stray arrow during the pursuit and was escorted away by his troops like a lost dog.

  The remnants of the defeated army, upon hearing that the Emperor had already moved west to Hanzhong, sent a messenger to report their great victory. The envoy presented flags and armor, only then did they learn that the troops who had dispersed from Guanzhong on that night were actually the rebel general Ashina Chengqing, who led the Yanbei Fan army known as the "Wolf Riders", under the command of An Lushan.

  It was just this iron cavalry that had no match in the field, but it was obvious that there was not much advantage in the high walls and fortifications of the alley battle. The loss of soldiers and generals, the capture of military flags, equipment, and supplies were countless.

  It was also coincidental that this group of people were originally responsible for pursuing and eliminating the remnants of the defeated army, waiting for an opportunity to advance and conquer the southern regions. They suddenly received an order to pursue and capture the troops led by Xiong Lei, who had retreated to the Ailao River. They dispatched a light cavalry unit with orders to track down and search for clues, pursuing them all the way to Mei Ridge, where they were shocked to see the devastating scene of the entire army being annihilated. At dawn, they encountered strong enemies and requested reinforcements. They gathered over 10,000 scattered cavalrymen and horses, and Ashina Chengqing also dispatched many Anshi-recruited river pirates and foreign experts as vanguard scouts. The entire unit galloped at full speed, managing to avoid the enemy's reconnaissance troops until they reached the foot of Daxiaoguan Pass, where they suddenly launched a surprise attack.

  This report of victory also has the meaning of seeking help, and after a fierce battle, this city will be left in ruins, with military and civilian casualties that will not be small. At the imperial court meeting, the old emperor asked his attendants about the matter, all of whom said that an edict should be issued to reward Yu Jingting, the Sima of Shangzhou, for his meritorious service in pacifying the people and defending the border, and temporarily appoint him as the Cishi of Shangzhou with concurrent appointment as the Fanghai General. Immediately, 5,000 troops were dispatched from the Jian Nan Jiedu Shi, led by Song Yunjie, the Zuo Xiang Ma Jun Du Zhi of the Jian Nan Jiedu Shi, to provide emergency assistance to Shangzhou under the cover of night.

  Another piece of news was brought by the envoy from Shangzhou, who came with the merchant, about the Pacification Army.

  Fictional history is too hard. Especially when the plot is not on the historical track, but has to be interspersed with real things in history. The cat's learning also came to an end for the time being. In the previous chapter, the cat was really criticized miserably, so please everyone, close your eyes and pretend that Chapter 64 does not exist, skip it directly and read on.