Chapter 371: The South Completely Taken

When the news that Western Liang was approaching the Yangtze River and the Western Liang King's "Notice to Pacify the People" reached Jiangnan, the last bit of luck of the officials and scholar-gentry in various prefectures and counties was shattered.

The role of the Cui Family in this cannot be underestimated. One most fundamental sentence could make these heads of families defect.

"Da Qian's energy is exhausted, joining Western Liang is the correct choice! The Western Liang King does not treat everyone harshly like the Beijiang Ming King. As long as everyone joins, you will still sit on your current status and money!"

These people had no loyalty to the country. As long as the fire didn't burn them, it didn't matter who was in charge of the world.

Added to the fact that Western Liang was coming aggressively, there wasn't much time left for them to think.

So after weighing it, these large and small families all opened their cities to welcome the Western Liang King's army.

Prosperous and wealthy cities like Yangzhou, Suzhou, and Hangzhou almost didn't fire a single arrow before changing their banners.

The Western Liang vanguard troops, under the "guidance" of the Jiangnan scholar-gentry, successfully took over the city defense and government treasury.

Huge wealth, mountains of grain and rice, countless craftsman household rosters, intact government-run workshops, and private factories all fell into the hands of Western Liang.

Only sporadic Imperial Court loyalists or local powerful clans tried to resist, but they couldn't change the overall situation.

At the same time, the envoys sent by Si Wushuang, carrying generous gifts and Wei Wenlie's personal letter, arrived in Luoyang.

At this time, Luoyang was already panicked.

The news of the defeat in Jianghuai and the change of banners in Jiangnan came one after another, and everyone in the city, from the garrison to the scholar-gentry and wealthy merchants, was in danger.

The Western Liang envoy secretly met with the Luoyang garrison and several key figures in the residence of a great Luoyang clan that had married into the Cui Clan.

At the same time, Murong Ke's large army moved east, and the vanguard even appeared a hundred miles southeast of Luoyang, with rangers and scouts reaching the foot of the city.

Beset by troubles from both inside and outside, the Luoyang garrison and several great clan leaders went through a night of fierce arguing and weighing.

Finally, at dawn, they opened the Luoyang city gate.

Western Liang entered the heart of the Central Plains without a drop of blood.

Although some loyal people cried bitterly or hanged themselves, the overall situation was set.

Jingcheng, Imperial Palace.

The moment Wei Xi Yuan saw the secret report, he only felt that his eyes went black. His body swayed, and he fell backward.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" The eunuchs and palace maids beside him were scared out of their wits and fell into a mess.

Lu Wenchang was outside the hall, and upon hearing the news, he rushed in, calling out repeatedly, and urgently ordered the imperial physician to be summoned.

When Wei Xi Yuan woke up slowly, he immediately grabbed Lu Wenchang's sleeve tightly, his voice still trembling: "Jiang... Jianghuai is gone? Jiangnan... is also gone? Luoyang... is also lost?"

Lu Wenchang nodded with difficulty, unable to say a word.

Wei Xi Yuan laughed miserably, tears sliding from the corners of his eyes, "This country... this country... is finished... all finished..."

By the end, he was incoherent, falling into a semi-comatose state, only repeating "finished".

The defeated Forbidden Army fled back to the capital. Western Liang did not pursue, but it was more like it was intentional, because it affected the morale of all the Forbidden Army.

Now Da Qian only had 300,000 soldiers at Tongguan and 170,000 Forbidden Army. The number was indeed not small, but having lost Jiangnan, Luoyang, and other places, where would this huge grain and fodder come from??

After the imperial physician took his pulse, he shook his head at Lu Wenchang and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty is anxious and angry, worried and fearful, and has damaged his heart pulse. He needs to rest quietly, and must not be stimulated again..."

Lu Wenchang exited the bedroom thoughtfully. In the usually solemn Imperial City, officials were rushing in a hurry, whispering to each other, all with undisguised fear on their faces.

News kept coming that some officials had fled south with their families, but in reality, they were fleeing west or north, and news of instability came from some prefectures and counties.

Even Yan Chonggu, that old fox, had claimed illness and stayed in bed at home a month ago. I fear he had already gone north early!

"The momentum is gone..."

Lu Wenchang sighed. Now he had to find a new boat for himself and his family.

Western Liang was quite good, having accepted so many families, I think they wouldn't refuse his Lu family!

In stark contrast to the despair of the capital, Luoyang at this moment was decorated with lanterns and colored streamers, gongs and drums were beating, and it was filled with joy.

Officials, scholar-gentry representatives, and powerful clan leaders from Jianghuai, Jiangnan, Luoyang, and other places who had surrendered and defected were queuing up outside the residence, waiting to see the Western Liang King and present gifts to show their loyalty.

The main hall had been decorated magnificently. Wei Wenlie sat high in the upper seat, wearing a brand-new king's robe, wearing a golden crown, and was full of ambition.

Below were the civil and military officials of Western Liang and a group of Cui Family members and Jiangnan clan representatives.

"Congratulations to Your Highness! Congratulations to Your Highness!"

"Your Highness's divine might is heaven-sent, taking the southeast without a drop of blood, saving the people from fire and water, this is the destination of the Mandate of Heaven!"

Everyone was singing the gift list, all of which were things of great value.

"Haha, good! Give seats!"

Wei Wenlie waved his hand and laughed heartily.

Gold, silver, pearls, jade, antiques, calligraphy, paintings, rare medicinal herbs, beautiful maids, singing boys... dazzling, piled up like a mountain.

Wei Wenlie didn't refuse anyone, his laughter continued, and he gave promises of rewards.

Murong Ke stood up, "Report to Your Highness! This subordinate and others have initially counted that this eastward expedition has seized more than 5 million shi of grain and fodder, no less than 10 million taels of gold and silver, and countless materials 'donated' by the treasuries of various prefectures and counties and scholar-gentry families.

Nearly 100,000 surrendered soldiers and civilians have been received, all of which can be reorganized. The government granaries in Jianghuai, Jiangnan, Luoyang, and other places are full, the markets are prosperous, and craftsmen are gathered. Our army's money, grain, and soldiers will have no worries from now on!"

"Good! Very good!"

Wei Wenlie was even happier, as if the world was already in his pocket, "All generals have worked hard! All have heavy rewards! Mr. Cui and all the sages of Jiangnan, you have helped with all your might, and your merits are indispensable! This King will definitely not treat you thinly!"

The hall once again rang with flattery and praise, and everyone's faces were filled with excited red light, as if they had already seen the merits of following the dragon and the glory and wealth within reach.

Only Si Wushuang sat quietly in the side seat, playing with a celadon teacup in his hand, his eyes scanning the living beings in the hall coldly.

He saw the undisguised ambition and pride in Wei Wenlie's eyes, saw the greed of the generals for wealth, saw the hidden calculation and alienation in the depths of the Jiangnan scholar-gentry's eyes, and also saw the subtle competition and estrangement between the newly surrendered officials.

These people were just grass on the wall. Those who cheered at the banquet today, if the situation changed in the future, they might be the first to waver.

The current Western Liang was extremely "fat and bloated", seemingly very strong, but in reality, the interior had already begun to rot.

But Si Wushuang did not intend to remind Wei Wenlie, because his purpose was only to play a game of chess with Jiang Jinshi, and not to sincerely assist him.

If he were the master himself, this matter could not be like this, and he would inevitably suppress the scholar-gentry.

Born into the scholar-gentry, he understood the core of the scholar-gentry best; it would not be an exaggeration to call these people parasites.

But he was now a minister, and he was wearing the hat of the new head of the Si family, so how could he help Wei Wenlie suppress the scholar-gentry?! ===== CHAPTER 372 =====