Chapter 65

Good Mountain suffered a great defeat, the rebel forces' vitality was severely wounded, Shi Siming fled in disarray back to Fanyang, and in a short time could no longer advance south. Guo Ziyi took the opportunity to recover several important strongholds in Hebei, and the entire northern battlefield began to develop in a direction favorable to the Tang army.

At the same time, another Tang army commander, Li Guangbi, likewise won a great victory at Taiyuan, successfully pinning An Lushan's main force in the Shanxi region.

The simultaneous victory on both eastern and western fronts created excellent conditions for the Tang army to recover the two capitals.

The new emperor Li Heng, who was in Lingwu, immediately issued the order for a general attack.

Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi's two armies split into two columns, mightily marching toward the Western Capital Chang'an and the Eastern Capital Luoyang to launch the final counteroffensive.

As Guo Ziyi's personal guard commander, Wang Ce personally witnessed how this Tang Dynasty military god planned strategies and won victories from afar.

First, in a decisive field battle, they completely crushed the rebel main force left in Guanzhong; afterward, the great army arrived at the walls of Chang'an.

The rebels inside Chang'an were already frightened birds; their commander was killed, reinforcements cut off, after a brief resistance they chose to open the gates and surrender.

In the second year of the Zhide era, winter.

After being occupied by the rebels for over a year, the Tang Dynasty's Western Capital Chang'an was finally restored.

When Guo Ziyi led the great army into this city that had endured great hardships, the townspeople lining the streets surged forward, kneeling on the ground, weeping uncontrollably, and shouting "Long live the royal army!"

Wang Ce rode on horseback behind Guo Ziyi, looking at the city before him, scarred yet filled with the joy of survival after catastrophe, his heart filled with myriad emotions.

In this past year, he had seen too much death, too much blood, and too many farewells.

After the army entered the city, the first task was to purge the remaining rebels, pacify the populace, and restore order.

Guo Ziyi governed his troops with strict discipline; after entering the city, he established three regulations for his subordinates, strictly forbidding harassment of the people and looting of property, with violators to be executed immediately without pardon.

Soon, the chaotic Chang'an regained its former tranquility.

Several days later, Emperor Li Heng's imperial procession, under the protection of tens of thousands of troops, arrived at Chang'an from Lingwu.

This new emperor, who had ascended the throne amid war, finally returned to the palace once ruled by his forefathers.

Immediately thereafter, he sent people to welcome back the Retired Emperor Li Longji, who was far away in Shu Region.

The two emperors, father and son, completed the transfer of power in this recently restored Huangcheng.

That day, Wang Hui (Wang Xiu), as a meritorious official who accompanied the procession, also stood among the officials' ranks and witnessed this historic moment.

Li Longji wore a simple Daoist robe, his hair white as frost. When he saw his son Li Heng, dressed in an imposing dragon robe and seated on the dragon throne of the Taihe Hall, his eyes were filled with complex emotion.

He stepped forward and performed the courtesy of a subject to his son.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

He even dared not refer to himself as 'I'.

Li Heng hurriedly descended from the dragon throne, helped his father to his feet, tears in his eyes.

"Father Emperor, what are you doing! You are the Retired Emperor, my father as a subject! I cannot bear your great courtesy!"

Father and son, heads together, wept bitterly.

The surrounding civil and military officials also burst into tears.

Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) coldly observed all this: a forced-abdication Retired Emperor and a new emperor who had ascended the throne amid chaos; between them, pure filial feeling could never exist again.

He further strengthened his resolve to "not take sides, not seek credit".

After the father-son recognition scene, it was time to award merits to the rebels' suppressors.

A grand court assembly was held in the Taihe Hall.

Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi, and the other chief commanders of the rebellion's suppression were naturally granted as many titles and rewards as possible, being ennobled as princes with stipends of ten thousand households, enjoying the highest honor a subject could attain.

The remaining officers also received various ennoblements and rewards.

Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) stood at the end of the civil officials' line, feeling somewhat nervous.

When the eunuch, with a shrill voice, called out a name, Wang Hui's heart leapt.

"Proclaim, Wang Ce, personal guard commander under Guo Ziyi, come forward to receive your title!"

As the words fell, a young general clad in silver armor, tall and slender, stepped forward from the ranks of the military officers.

Compared to a year ago, he had grown taller, darker, and thinner; seeing that figure, Wang Hui's eyes instantly welled up.

One year had passed.

Throughout this year, he had constantly worried about his son's safety.

"Subject, Wang Ce, I kowtow to Your Majesty, to the Retired Emperor, long live the emperor ten thousand times ten thousand!" Wang Ce knelt on one knee, his voice booming.

On the dragon throne, Li Heng looked down at this young general, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

He had already seen the battle report of the Good Mountain campaign; his impression of this general, who possessed both wisdom and courage, was extremely deep.

"Wang Ce, you have repeatedly achieved extraordinary merits in this suppression of the rebellion, especially at the Battle of Good Mountain, where with a clever plan you annihilated the enemy's elite, securing a great victory for our army and earning notable military achievement. I am greatly pleased!"

Today I appoint you as a fourth-rank Cloud Banner General, bestowing one thousand taels of gold and a mansion! I hope you will continue to serve the Tang Dynasty with loyalty and diligence!

"Subject, I thank Your Majesty for your great favor!" Wang Ce kowtowed again.

A proper fourth-rank Cloud Banner General!

This is also extremely rare in Tang Dynasty history.

And Wang Ce, after expressing his thanks, slowly rose to his feet.

His gaze swept past the crowd and precisely fell upon the end of the civil officials' line, where his father, who was also looking at him, stood.

Their four eyes met.

No words were spoken.

Yet father and son each understood everything from the other's eyes.

In Wang Ce's eyes there was the joy of reunion, the pride of having achieved merit, and also a hint of relief at 'not having disappointed your expectations'.

In Wang Hui's eyes there was gratification, pride, and above all a deep affection and concern that only a father could understand.

After the court assembly ended, Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) did not go home right away, but waited quietly at the palace gate.

Soon, Wang Ce emerged from inside.

He took off that heavy armor and donned a brand-new fourth-rank military official's robe, with wide red sleeves and a gold belt, making him look even more heroic and extraordinary.

"Father." Wang Ce walked up to Wang Hui and made a deep bow.

"Get up." Wang Hui helped him up, examined him carefully, his hands on his arms and shoulders, patting and squeezing.

"You've become thinner, but also stronger." Wang Hui's voice carried a barely perceptible tremor.

"I have been unfilial, causing you worry." Wang Ce lowered his head, like a child who has done wrong.

"Just come back, just come back." Wang Hui patted his back, "Come on, let's go home. Your mother and brothers are still in River South waiting for your news. I'll write a letter right away to tell them you've returned safely."

"Mm." Wang Ce nodded heavily.

Father and son walked side by side along the streets of Everlasting Peace.

He knew that, for his service in the imperial entourage, he had been symbolically promoted one grade, from a fifth-rank Court Attendant to a fourth-rank Remonstrant Officer. Although he remained a powerless official of the pure stream, his rank had risen, and he was also marked with the label of Emperor Xuanzong.

Upon returning to the mansion newly granted by the emperor, Wang Hui immediately had the servants prepare the most lavish banquet to welcome and cleanse his son.

Father and son sat at the table, silent opposite each other. After a long while, Wang Hui finally spoke:

"What have you experienced this past year?"

Wang Ce fell silent for a moment, then he recounted, slowly, his experience from leaving the troop, to seeking refuge with Zhang Xun, then to the bloody battle at Osprey Sunny Side, finally breaking through to find Guo Ziyi, and his subsequent campaigns south and north under Guo Ziyi's command.

The meal lasted into the deep night, and father and son both drank heavily.

Wang Ce poured out all his experiences and emotions from the past year.

And Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) listened quietly, knowing that his son no longer needed his protection.