Chapter 151: I, Murong Yanchao, Am Wronged

At the southern camp of the Han army, Gao Xingzhou led the senior generals of the army and personally welcomed Liu Zhiyuan into the camp. Walking several li along the way, listening to the "Long live!" cheers along the route, Liu Zhiyuan's heart was intoxicated—regardless of how much loyalty and affection the soldiers truly held for him as Emperor, at least this awe-inspiring scene put him in good spirits.

The pleasure of being Emperor was roughly this—even the fatigue of days of marching seemed to dissipate considerably, and his steps grew lighter. To put his mind at ease, Liu Zhiyuan summoned Gao Xingzhou to his side, walking side by side with a kindly expression, to show closeness and regard. And Gao Xingzhou, knowing full well how to read the situation, spoke with humble respect and conducted himself with deferential propriety.

Toward Liu Zhiyuan's arrival, Gao Xingzhou's feelings were rather complicated—both relieved and uneasy. These two months of commanding troops had exhausted him in body and mind; dragging his failing frame through military affairs was truly no small burden. Fortunately, Liu Zhiyuan's attitude somewhat eased his mind.

In the central camp, a massive imperial tent had long since been erected by order, containing not only a council chamber that could hold dozens of people, but also quarters for governance, martial practice, sleeping, and lavatory needs—fully equipped and complete in function. At this time, the Han army lacked no resources when it came to engineering works; they had gained plenty of experience building stockades and ramparts.

"Minister Gao and all you soldiers have worked hard!" Seated in the tent after entering, Liu Zhiyuan looked around the circle and spoke to the dozen or so frontline officers who had come to pay homage, in a tone of encouragement.

Gao Xingzhou stepped forward and said in an ashamed tone: "Your subjects were merely doing their duty. Leading the army to campaign, we were thwarted beneath the city walls, unable to breach them, unable to capture the rebels and defeat the enemy—instead we have troubled Your Majesty to come in person. This is your subjects' crime. As commander, I bear the greatest guilt!"

With these words, Gao Xingzhou's posture had been lowered to the extreme, and hearing this, the other generals likewise stepped forward in unison and knelt: "Your subordinates are guilty—please punish us, Your Majesty!"

Murong Yanchao was also among those begging for punishment; in such circumstances, he dared not stand apart.

"All ministers, rise." Liu Zhiyuan naturally offered kind consolation: "Defeating Du Chongwei and trapping the rebel in an isolated city are all due to the merits of you soldiers—what crime is there? In my view, from the commanders down, you are not guilty but meritorious. The Great Han has just been established, the situation is turbulent, and thus the rebel rose in disorder, holding the city in revolt. The Great Han's rivers and mountains still require all of you to uphold them together......"

"Your subordinates are ashamed!" With Liu Zhiyuan speaking thus, the generals showed even greater deference.

Between sovereign and generals, there was extraordinary harmony. The Emperor's attitude truly mattered—with these words of lenient consolation, much of the oppressive, tense atmosphere that had prevailed since the army halted was dispelled.

In fact, the disturbances in the court at the Eastern Capital could not possibly be kept entirely from the army. Many generals had previously harbored worries, fearing that after Liu Zhiyuan arrived, he would find someone to punish. But this time, their minds were set at ease—the top military chiefs were reassured, and the soldiers below were reassured as well.

"However——" Liu Zhiyuan made another turn, his face stern enough to frighten, and said coldly: "The campaign at Yedu has indeed dragged on too long, letting the rebel Du linger on for so much time. It's time for a conclusion. I have personally led the great army here precisely to completely annihilate the rebels at Yedu!"

At these words, the assembled officers immediately voiced their assent in unison—the Son of Heaven had come to the front lines to supervise the campaign, morale was reinvigorated, and they would surely give their all to breach the city and capture the rebels for Your Majesty.

"The imperial army that came from the north must be settled into quarters as quickly as possible—don't let anything go wrong!" After consoling them, Liu Zhiyuan gave his orders.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty." Gao Xingzhou guaranteed: "All camps have long since made proper preparations."

"With Minister Gao handling matters, I am naturally at ease."

Citing the fatigue of travel, there was not much further discussion, and the officers who had come to welcome the Emperor were sent back to their posts. The most important matter at hand was still the billeting of the imperial army from the north and the adjustment of defensive arrangements—these all required Gao Xingzhou, the frontline commander, to personally participate in the coordination.

After the council dispersed, Liu Zhiyuan summoned Murong Yanchao alone to the imperial tent for questioning. The man arrived with light, brisk steps.

Of all the frontline generals, Murong Yanchao was likely the only one with the most relaxed mindset regarding the Emperor's personal arrival—even somewhat delighted, feeling as though his backing had arrived.

Ushered into the tent, upon seeing Liu Zhiyuan, Murong Yanchao immediately prostrated himself: "Your subject-brother pays respects to His Majesty."

Somewhat to Murong Yanchao's surprise, Liu Zhiyuan did not respond. He looked up to see Liu Zhiyuan seated, staring at him coldly, his dark face frozen over—completely lacking the amiable expression he had shown before the assembled generals.

Puzzled, Murong Yanchao straightened up and called out softly: "Big Brother?"

"You—still call me His Majesty." Liu Zhiyuan finally spoke, his voice flat.

At these words, Murong Yanchao's heart seized up, the easy smile at the corners of his mouth freezing solid. He looked up at Liu Zhiyuan, saw that he was truly not joking, and with his dark face turning solemn, stepped back, clasped his hands, and said in a muffled voice: "His...... His Majesty."

"Do you know your crime?" Liu Zhiyuan asked.

"What crime does your subject have!" Murong Yanchao tilted his head slightly, stiffening his neck, and retorted bluntly.

"What crime?" Seeing this attitude—practically a provocation of his authority—Liu Zhiyuan exploded outright, slamming the table hard: "The crime of treating the army lightly! The crime of undermining the army! The crime of slandering the army! Do you need me to count them out one by one for you?"

Liu Zhiyuan's outburst startled Murong Yanchao, who then grimaced with his dark face and even spoke back somewhat: "I did everything according to your instructions!"

Hearing this, Liu Zhiyuan's anger grew even greater. He stood up, walked before him, pointed outward, and roared: "Did I tell you to be lax and violate discipline, to act recklessly? Did I tell you to defy restraint and resent your commanding general? Did I tell you to sow discord and stir up trouble?"

"You won't even obey military orders—what more do you want?" Liu Zhiyuan stared coldly at Murong Yanchao: "You've served in the army for years—don't you know the rules of the military? Stubborn and self-willed, self-righteous, arrogant and conceited!"

"First you attacked on your own initiative, causing defeat and nearly affecting the court's overall plan to suppress the rebellion. I admonished you repeatedly to observe the way of a general, yet you still did not restrain or reform yourself, and instead brought the military situation to peril and shook the soldiers' morale!"

"Every single one of these—which is not a capital crime? Hm?" Liu Zhiyuan's spittle nearly sprayed onto Murong Yanchao's face.

Murong Yanchao was somewhat stunned, and a surge of grievance rose from his chest as he said: "Then please, Your Majesty, cut off my head and punish me!"

"Do you think I don't dare?" Liu Zhiyuan shouted back at him with an even louder voice, glaring.

After locking eyes with Liu Zhiyuan for a moment, Murong Yanchao finally caved and looked away. Liu Zhiyuan had always been imposing and fearsome, and he had always been in awe of this big brother—let alone now that big brother had become Emperor.

"That Gao Xingzhou camps his heavy troops beneath the city walls, dawdling without fighting, only building those fortifications—I only feared he harbors treacherous intentions......" Murong Yanchao said with his head lowered, somewhat aggrieved: "I was also thinking of the Great Han's rivers and mountains."

"Go on then, tell me—what treacherous intentions could Gao Xingzhou have?" Liu Zhiyuan said mockingly.

At this, Murong Yanchao raised his head and said urgently: "Gao Xingzhou and Du Chongwei are related by marriage—he married his daughter to him. Fighting that way, he's clearly looking after his private interests. Your Majesty must be on guard."

Back then, it was on this basis that Murong Yanchao had suspected Gao Xingzhou and repeatedly clashed and argued with him. In this era, once one fought one's way to a certain position, anyone might have some kinship with anyone else—even if the two sides were fighting each other to the death on the battlefield, it wasn't anything too rare.

"Do you think I don't know?" Liu Zhiyuan launched into another round of scolding: "If I suspected him over this matter, would I have entrusted the punitive expedition army to him? Hm?"

"Besides, can't you use your head?" Grabbing Murong Yanchao's chest armor in one motion, Liu Zhiyuan stared at him, practically squeezing the words out from his throat: "Even if he had treacherous intentions, you would confront him to his face?"

"If you provoked Gao Xingzhou into rebellion, you would be a sinner of the Great Han!" Murong Yanchao was shoved hard by Liu Zhiyuan, stumbling back several steps, unable to steady himself, and sat down directly on the ground.

"If I were Gao Xingzhou, I would certainly kill you to uphold military law!"

Hearing Liu Zhiyuan's "heartfelt" words, Murong Yanchao's expression instead gradually relaxed. He nimbly stood up, brushed the dust off his backside, and sidled up: "I'm your brother—he wouldn't dare kill me."

Seeing Murong Yanchao like this, Liu Zhiyuan had the urge to slap him across the face, his anger flaring: "You still have the face to bring that up? Before the army, you ruined not just your own reputation, but my face as well. To protect you, I've already borne the infamy of favoring kin and disregarding military discipline!"

"I sent you to supervise the army, not to disrupt it! The battle at Yedu has dragged on until now—you must bear the primary blame!" Liu Zhiyuan said coldly.

Standing there dumbfounded, Murong Yanchao opened his mouth, and finally squeezed out a sentence in a aggrieved tone: "Your subject admits his crime. Big Brother, please calm your anger."

Taking a deep breath, Liu Zhiyuan calmed his mood, sat back down in his seat, and instructed: "Tomorrow, before the assembled generals, you will offer an apology to Gao Xingzhou."

"I......" At this, Murong Yanchao immediately had something to say.

"Hm?" Liu Zhiyuan only gave a light hum.

Cowed by his authority, his expression shifting through a series of changes, Murong Yanchao lowered his head and answered: "Yes!"

"I am weary. You may withdraw."

After Murong Yanchao withdrew, Liu Zhiyuan shook his head and sighed—though having given Murong Yanchao that scolding, his mood had actually improved considerably.

"Where's the Prince of Zhou? Why haven't I seen him at all?" Taking a sip of hot tea, Liu Zhiyuan suddenly asked.

A palace eunuch hurried off to inquire, and soon returned to report: "Reporting to Your Majesty, His Highness the Prince of Zhou has gone to inspect the fortifications and observe the enemy's situation."

"Oh. He is rather......" At this, Liu Zhiyuan's thoughts grew somewhat complicated.