48. The One Who Punishes the Traitor (3)
48. The One Who Punishes the Traitor (3)
The Governor of Henan, Yang Yi, was a very meticulous person.
Unlike the General of Chariots and Cavalry Dong Min, who was lax, or his subordinates Li Meng and Wang Fang, who showed a lack of military discipline, he was never like that.
Lee Seong-hwi would stage a rebellion.
Even if not now, he would eventually stage a rebellion, waiting for the perfect opportunity. Yang Yi received reports without fail every single day from the watchers he had placed around Lee Seong-hwi.
"The Emperor is coming to Luoyang. It is not impossible that he is involved with Lee Seong-hwi."
"But Governor of Henan-nim, Lee Seong-hwi has not met anyone recently. The letters he sent to Chang'an were all just regards sent to the Minister of Education Wang Yun."
Yang Yi even thoroughly inspected the letters Lee Seong-hwi sent, exercising his meticulousness.
He read all the contents.
However, they were simply asking after someone's well-being; there was nothing of substance. He suspected there might be hidden messages, but there was absolutely nothing of the sort.
"Strange... It's too quiet. To think there isn't a single piece of dirt to dig up, does this make any sense?"
Yang Yi stood up from his seat.
He paced back and forth as if feeling anxious, wearing an expression of deep contemplation.
That traitor would definitely stage a rebellion.
The reason that bastard came to the Dong Zhuo army was to stage a rebellion. The reason the Emperor was coming was surely for that as well. Yang Yi muttered as if he were certain.
"Did the General of Chariots and Cavalry not say that Lee Seong-hwi had given up and sworn loyalty to the court? The atmosphere was that he had given up because there was no chance of winning."
"That is just the General of Chariots and Cavalry's thought! Nothing is set in stone! What I am certain of is that Lee Seong-hwi will eventually stage a rebellion!"
What exactly is he so sure about?
Yang Yi's subordinate was skeptical of his behavior, as he spoke with such certainty. No matter how much they dug, nothing ever came up. Because of this, the subordinates showed signs of being exhausted by Yang Yi's behavior.
'Isn't he just doing this because he's jealous of Lee Seong-hwi, who is on a fast track to success?'
'Why is this bastard, who is from the same hometown as the Chancellor, so petty? He should be satisfied with having snatched up the position of Governor of Henan.'
Within the Dong Zhuo army, Lee Seong-hwi's position was not bad. No, it could even be considered good.
The Xiliang soldiers saw Lee Seong-hwi, who had fought against Sun Jian, the Tiger of Jiangdong, as an excellent general. The soldiers who had fought against the barbarians in Xiliang liked Lee Seong-hwi, who fought bravely on the battlefield, more than Yang Yi, who only used his head to flatter others.
"Was there no contact from the Minister of the Imperial Guard?"
"Yes, that is correct."
The Emperor's lifespan was not long either.
A young girl had fallen into a serious, critical illness.
According to the Imperial Physician, the condition was so severe that one had to be prepared for the worst.
Not only the Imperial Physician Ji Ben, but all the medical officials of the Imperial Medical Bureau spoke with one voice that the Emperor was in critical condition, and Dong Zhuo asserted that the Emperor would surely die within a few days.
So, the Emperor sent a request to Dong Zhuo, saying he wanted to return to the Luoyang Imperial Palace, where he was born and raised, before he died. Dong Zhuo accepted it because he thought he would be called a petty, small-minded person if he refused the young Emperor's last request.
"When did they say the Emperor is coming?"
"Probably within this week. Since they are bringing an Emperor who is critically ill, I don't think the procession will arrive that quickly."
"Hmm."
The Emperor is coming at a time like this...
Of course, there was nothing particularly unusual happening in Luoyang.
No unusual signs were detected from the Lu Bu army warriors scattered throughout Sili Province, and the same went for Lee Seong-hwi, who was presumed to be the focal point.
'But something is uneasy. Something keeps bothering me. What on earth is it? What on earth is... shaking my heart like this...?'
He was missing something.
Having risen from a frontier official to a central government post by reading the room, he trusted his instinctive intuition. He felt it was strange that his intuition was sending out warnings.
"For now, clean the bedroom where the Emperor will stay. If the Imperial Palace is a mess, what would that make of my face as the one managing Luoyang?"
"Yes, I will instruct the palace servants to do so."
The troops guarding Luoyang were perfect.
Although the General of Chariots and Cavalry Dong Min and his subordinates Li Meng and Wang Fang showed sloppy behavior, the soldiers under their command were composed of swift elites.
The Governor of Henan was a position that could only command the guards overseeing public order, but thanks to the consideration of the Minister of the Imperial Guard Li Ru, he was granted the special privilege of wielding military power in place of Dong Min in the event of an urgent situation.
'Dong Min is not a person to be trusted. If a rebellion occurs in Luoyang, I have the authority as the Governor of Henan to suppress the rebellion.'
No matter how you stage a rebellion, I will mobilize all the military power of Luoyang and trample you thoroughly before you can raise an army.
Yang Yi watched Lee Seong-hwi thoroughly.
He opened his eyes wide like a person obsessed, saying that he would definitely stage a rebellion. At that baseless obsession, the subordinates shook their heads, saying the Governor of Henan had gone crazy.
Jia Xu had become much busier these days.
She had met a man she liked recently.
She always walked around in outfits like a lewd, wanton woman, so the perception that she was a loose woman was strong, but Jia Xu was famous for being very picky about choosing men.
Such a Jia Xu gave Lee Seong-hwi a passing grade.
Of course, it wasn't a 100 out of 100, but she evaluated it as a level that could be given a passing grade.
"General, please make a decision quickly. The uprising for the Emperor's restoration will begin soon."
Jia Xu said.
To that, the Colonel Zhang Xiu showed a wavering appearance, saying he still could not make a decision.
"H-however, does my Uncle-nim know about this fact?"
"Your Uncle-nim is a person overflowing with loyalty to the Chancellor. Even if I were to explain it one by one, there is no way he would listen."
"Then...!"
"It would be good if you could wipe out the Emperor's group as they are, but the momentum is immense as the court officials and the military officers who follow him are all joining in. Would you be able to oppose them all, General?"
That wasn't the case.
At Jia Xu's sharp point, Zhang Xiu lost his words. Soon after, he showed signs of hesitation again at Jia Xu's persuasion.
"The General of Henan will stand on the Chancellor's side, and you, General, will stand on the Emperor's side. Since it is clear that whichever side wins will be profitable, won't you enjoy wealth and glory by rising to a high rank regardless of whether the rebellion fails or succeeds?"
The Emperor's supporting forces were truly immense.
Jia Xu spoke with exaggeration as if inflating the truth, scared Zhang Xiu more than necessary, and then told him to wait for the right moment while straddling the fence between the Emperor and Dong Zhuo.
In chaotic times, what is important is surviving.
Jia Xu explained that changing one's lord for survival was absolutely not a shameful thing.
"Who would be left in the Zhang family besides the General of Henan and you, General? You must make a decision someday. You and I are from the same Muwi Army, are we not! If you, General, succeed, I will also succeed accordingly, and have I ever given you unfavorable advice until now?"
The General of Chariots and Cavalry Dong Min and his faction held drinking parties every day and showed lazy behavior.
If it had been before, he would have accepted Jia Xu's words as an absurd joke. However, every time he saw the pathetic appearance of Dong Min and his faction spending time with alcohol and women in Luoyang, the anxiety in his heart only grew heavier.
"If I were to join... what position would fall to me?"
"I do not know the details, but wouldn't the position of a lord be a sure thing? Even Lu Bu, who killed her foster father, rose to the position of a lord, so it is impossible that you, General, who will join the cause in Luoyang, would not become a lord."
"Th-that's right... Me, a lord, me...! If my contribution is recognized, at least the rank of General of the Rectified would fall to me."
"This Jia Xu guarantees that it will surely be so."
"Hahaha! Yes, me, a lord! Even if my Uncle-nim joins the Dong Zhuo army, I just need to ask the Emperor for a pardon. Not only that, my Uncle-nim will also be on the fast track to success with me."
Zhang Xiu was a person who cherished his family terribly.
Jia Xu, armed with meticulousness and cunning, used that very affection to drag Zhang Xiu into the cause.
You have family members to support.
Are you going to stay on the Dong Zhuo army, which is already a sinking ship, and let everyone drown?
Jia Xu explained the reasons why Zhang Xiu should join the Emperor's army point by point, and properly stimulated Zhang Xiu, who had the ambition to protect his family and succeed with his uncle Zhang Ji.
"My Uncle-nim is the person who raised me since I was young. I can never betray him. This is not betraying my Uncle-nim. I am just joining the Emperor to save my Uncle-nim, and if the Dong Zhuo army looks favorable, I just need to help my Uncle-nim and suppress the Emperor's rebellion...!"
Zhang Xiu muttered with a determined expression.
At the sight of Zhang Xiu, who had effectively been won over, Jia Xu smiled inwardly and began preparing to switch lords.
'Cute Xingyang Commandant-nim, if this sister has done this much, the rest is something you should figure out yourself, right? I will be looking forward to seeing what kind of capabilities you will show in this rebellion as the new lord of this Jia Xu...'
Jia Xu gave a sly smile.
She had no intention of serving Dong Zhuo, and she had even less intention of serving Zhang Ji and Zhang Xiu.
A person who believes in her talent.
And a person who can raise her to a higher position.
She was like the incarnation of greed.
Hiding dark ambition within her allure and sexiness, she played with men as she pleased and made them her prey.
Zhang Xiu was the same.
On the outside, she acted as if she were offering brilliant strategies for his sake, but she was only thinking of using Zhang Xiu as a tool to show off her own achievements.
Now the Emperor is coming to Luoyang!
Hearing that news, Lee Seong-hwi clenched both his fists and prepared for the uprising.
He would enter Luoyang leading the cavalry.
Before the Dong Zhuo army could gather and form a defensive line, he would break through the Imperial Palace and plunge a sword into the body of Dong Zhuo, who was soaked in the thought of receiving the abdication.
The plan was relatively simple.
There is no good in it being messy and difficult. A simple and efficient plan can be called the most excellent plan.
'I have already kept in mind the city gates to break through. They are places managed by guys who were close to me when I was the Gate Guard Colonel. The idiot, to not know that. If he had investigated me thoroughly, he should have known at least that much.'
He had never shared the plan with them.
But he was certain they would surely join him.
It was because they were like family, having gone to Bing Province together to meet Lu Bu, and having gathered together to chat and laugh boisterously.
'On the outside, they are loyal to Dong Zhuo, but on the inside, there are many who have a lot of dissatisfaction with Dong Zhuo. That is what fear politics is. If you are crushed by strong power, you will bow down, but a backlash against violence and fear will arise in your heart.'
A human cannot be a beast.
Unlike beasts, it is because 'reason' and 'emotion' exist.
I believe in the power of Luoyang.
If it were Luoyang, which was the capital of the Han Dynasty, I believed it would have the potential to push the evil tyrant Dong Zhuo off a cliff.
Luoyang will rise again.
Although it succumbed to violence, it will drive out the tyrant by uniting with the Emperor as the justification.
"Commandant-nim."
A subordinate approached.
He delivered the news that had been passed down from above.
"It is a message that His Majesty the Emperor will arrive in one week. Xingyang is not the road His Majesty will pass through, so it might not matter, but it is said that Hongnong Commandery and other regions have entered a state of emergency."
"It would be a disaster if a bandit group were to attack the Emperor's procession. It would also be a matter of being greatly disgraced in the world."
"Yes, so they say a lot of soldiers are being mobilized. From local officials to military officers, they are said to be fully occupied with the preparations, such as maintaining the roads and driving out the bandit groups that have settled in the surroundings."
"I suppose so."
He nodded at the subordinate's words.
The subordinate who delivered the report did not know, but Lee Seong-hwi, apart from maintaining a poker face, was trembling with his fists because he could not handle the boiling hatred and anger.
It has finally come, the decisive battle is one week away.
As soon as the Emperor, who came to Luoyang with illness as an excuse, calls for Dong Zhuo under the pretext of abdication, all the Righteous Army crying out for the eradication of the Dong Zhuo army will rise like a swarm of bees.