Chapter 537: Hedong Storm (9)

"General Zhao, please 'escort' our Prince of Taiyuan back to the city. Guard him closely, attend to him well, and let no slip occur!" Li Shaoyou then looked at Zhao Kuangyin, and without ceremony, directly ordered: "The pacification and control of the Regent's Office and the city's yabing guards will be your responsibility!"

"Yes!"

Zhao Kuangyin was ever capable, and knew the matter had only just begun—the subsequent suppression and control was what truly mattered. Without a word of waste, he beckoned Han Lingkun, "escorted" Liu Chong out, and with the imperial army, sped swiftly toward Jinyang city.

Li Shaoyou then looked to Zheng Qian and Li Wanchao, and bowed to the two: "Are the two of you well? Risking death to attend the banquet, I am beyond grateful and admiring!"

"No harm done!"

Noticing the wounds on Li Wanchao's body, he asked: "How are Governor Li's injuries?"

"Merely some flesh wounds, hardly worth mentioning!" Li Wanchao's beard twitched, the wounds on his body as insignificant as if he had merely been bitten by a mosquito.

Seeing this, Li Shaoyou could not help but clap his hands and say: "The old general is a true stalwart! No wonder, before I departed the north, His Majesty said that Li Wanchao is loyal and fearless, a hero of the army, worthy of great trust!"

Hearing this, a flash of brightness passed through Li Wanchao's eyes, his face wearing a pleased expression as he clasped his hands: "At present, the Prince of Taiyuan has been taken. What should we do next, I await the Commandery Duke's command!"

Li Shaoyou immediately said: "The Jinyang yabing guards are stationed both inside and outside the city. Now that the prince has been captured first, the situation is under control. They may be pacified gradually, but we must not be careless. The two of you return to your own camps, lead your men on alert, prepare against unforeseen unrest, and suppress it at any moment!"

"Yes!"

Zheng and Li departed swiftly as well. Li Shaoyou followed behind them out the door, looked at the dense corpses inside and outside Yongli Post, smelled the stench of blood in the air, closed his eyes and savored the moment, then let out a long breath, as if a great weight had been lifted.

Quickly steadying his mind, Li Shaoyou beckoned his subordinates and ordered: "Mount up, to the military camp!"

Light cavalry galloped, hooves beating urgently, and Li Shaoyou's party rode off into the night, vanishing into the darkness, leaving only the blood-stained Yongli Post behind. Suppressing violence and quelling rebellion had always been inseparable from slaughter and death.

The disturbance at Yongli Post could hardly have gone unnoticed by the Hedong yabing guards inside and outside Jinyang. But the sounds of killing subsided quickly, and not knowing the situation, with no one in charge at any level, and further restrained by those planted by the court, under these many factors, they almost sat and watched the commotion at Yongli Post die down.

And those who could have taken the lead were mostly hesitant. In recent days, rumors had surged, and Liu Chong's movements were clearly problematic. Though fools were many in the world, when it came to matters of life and limb, even without direction or foresight, it was always safer to be cautious.

Since the Three Dynasties, military governor rebellions had been endless, but for the Great Han, none had occurred since Li Shouzhen of Hezhong. Moreover, people's livelihoods had gradually stabilized, the nation grew increasingly prosperous, and rebelling to win a place in the world was no longer as easy a decision as it once had been.

The Hedong troops outside Jinyang city were mainly divided into two forces. The yabing guards that had been watching had long since been divided and dissolved by Li Shaoyou. The remaining force, three thousand troops camped east of the city, was commanded by General Zhang Yuanhui—and it was precisely this army that Li Shaoyou was after.

Arriving before the camp, he directly revealed his identity. Zhang Yuanhui, upon hearing the report, received him with fear and suspicion. Inside the tent, Li Shaoyou walked with his hands behind his back, strolling lazily, looking around as if observing the layout of the military tent.

Zhang Yuanhui sat at the commander's desk, his expression deep, staring at a roll of yellow silk spread on the table—an edict bearing the imperial seal of the Son of Heaven, proof that Liu Chengyou had entrusted Li Shaoyou with full authority over Hedong affairs.

"General Zhang, you've sat for so long—have you made your decision?" After a moment, Li Shaoyou finally spoke: "Is submitting to the court truly so difficult?"

"This general would not dare!" Zhang Yuanhui, somewhat dazed, immediately snapped back to attention and replied.

Glancing at Li Shaoyou's back, Zhang Yuanhui could not help but ask: "Commandery Duke, may I ask how the court intends to deal with me and my men?"

"The ordinary soldiers will naturally be selected according to the orders issued by the Bureau of Military Affairs!" Li Shaoyou said directly: "But talents like General Zhang naturally deserve promotion and advancement. His Majesty and the court never mistreat men of ability!"

Hearing this, Zhang Yuanhui relaxed entirely, and bowed to Li Shaoyou: "This general obeys the Son of Heaven's decree! Whatever the Commandery Duke commands, please speak plainly!"

"Nothing else!" Li Shaoyou raised his head and said: "Keep your soldiers in check, and wait for Chief Inspector Zhao of the Palace Command to select troops!"

"Yes!"

At the guest house in Jinyang city, since dusk, Chancellor Fan Zhi had been dressed in full attire, seated at his desk, quietly sipping tea, until this imperial army officer named Han Lingkun came to call on him.

Staring at Han Lingkun, though he had anticipated it in his heart, Fan Zhi still could not hold it in for once, and asked with some loss of composure, in a hurried voice: "How goes the situation?"

"Chief Inspector Zhao has already led troops to 'escort' the Prince of Taiyuan back to the city and his residence!" Han Lingkun's single sentence made Fan Zhi breathe a sigh of relief.

"This general has been ordered to escort the Chancellor to the Regent's Office, to take charge of the overall situation and handle the aftermath!"

"Let's go, to the prince's residence!"

Inside the prince's residence, Zhao Kuangyin had already dealt with matters with swift decisiveness—any guards who refused to submit and attempted to resist were cut down directly. By the time Fan Zhi arrived, the military governor's subordinates had gathered together at Zheng Gong's invitation.

On the way, Han Lingkun had already narrated everything he knew to Fan Zhi. Entering the hall, the crowd hurriedly paid their respects. With Liu Chong taken down, in terms of status, aside from Li Shaoyou who had yet to appear formally, Fan Zhi ranked highest—and moreover, he held the post of "Hedong Inspector."

Scanning the room, Fan Zhi, with a grave face and stern voice, said directly: "Why are you all gathered here? There is no great matter in the city. No need for everyone to be tense—return to your homes and rest, and report to your offices as usual tomorrow!"

"Yes!" Though they exchanged glances of confusion, they answered in unison.

With one sentence, he sent the Jinyang officials who had been summoned in the night back home. But the effect was obvious—the originally tense atmosphere immediately dissipated greatly.

In truth, as long as the army did not descend into chaos, there was no great matter, and everything could be handled with composure.

Among the Jinyang troops in the city, after Li Chan was executed, Deputy Chief Commander of the Cavalry and Infantry Chen Guangyu held the highest military rank. And this man stood properly in the hall, with the appearance of an obedient and submissive subject, not moving a step, as if simply waiting for Fan Zhi's orders.

As for Liu Chong's civil and military subordinates, Fan Zhi had a mental picture of them as well. His arrival in Jinyang was not merely as an outsider—he had made some preparations.

Looking at Chen Guangyu, Fan Zhi also ordered: "General Chen, the city's troops must not fall into chaos. Please make a personal circuit, inspect the four quarters of the city, transmit the military governor's orders, reassure the troops, and have all officers and men hold their posts—no one may leave their post or camp without orders from above!"

Then he looked at Zhao Kuangyin and gave him a subtle wink: "Chief Inspector Zhao, you will have a hard night tonight. Go with General Chen and assist him in maintaining order in the army!"

"Yes!" The two answered in unison.

"Han Lingkun!" Before leaving, Zhao Kuangyin called out.

"Here!"

"Take your men, guard the prince's residence, and protect the Prince of Taiyuan's family and Chancellor Fan!" Zhao Kuangyin ordered sternly.

After these simple arrangements, Fan Zhi ordered people to bring out the registers concerning Hedong from the residence for his inspection. He knew clearly in his heart that the reclamation of regional military power formally began with Hedong, and a series of matters awaited afterward. He needed to understand from the records what the situation was like in the various prefectures of Hedong.

The departing Hedong officials mostly discussed among themselves in hushed tones. They had not seen the Prince of Taiyuan, the guards had become court imperial troops, and the one in charge had become Chancellor Fan Zhi—this was what Fan Zhi called "no great matter." Though most harbored doubts, they all obediently obeyed orders and returned home, not even daring to linger.

Zheng Gong and Zhao Hua remained behind and went together to prepare the registers and files Fan Zhi wished to see. As they walked, Zhao Hua could not help but sigh: "The court's methods are formidable indeed—silently and without a sound, they subdued the prince. But we, his vassal ministers, know not what fate awaits us!"

"Brother Zhao, rest easy!" Zheng Gong chuckled, comforting him: "The court clearly has no intention of expanding the matter. We need only keep to ourselves, and we shall have nothing to worry about!"

"Brother Zheng has rendered great merit to the court this time—there will surely be rewards and promotions. Let me offer my congratulations in advance!" Hearing this, Zhao Hua said somberly.

Zhao Hua was neither blind nor foolish, unlike the others. With the situation having developed to this point, weighing everything before and after, he could see things clearly enough.