Chapter 180 |
aopps. Look, whos missing? ME! Anyways. I have finished processing my graduation requirements and academic responsibilities. Now is freetime and so.....
Tan-xiangsheng's expression said it all.
It was as if King Yue was thrown high into the sky and then plunged into a bottomless abyss. A cold feeling rose from the depths of his heart and spread throughout his body.
The blood that had been boiling just moments ago instantly turned cold.
King Yue refused to accept the reality before him. Just when he thought he saw the dawn, someone slammed the window shut and told him it was all fake.
No one could accept this.
King Yue unconsciously tightened his grip on Tan-xiangsheng's shoulder. Tan-xiangsheng felt the pain and forcefully shook off his hand. "First, let them retreat. Close the city gates, quickly!"
It wasn't that they wanted to retreat, but the overwhelming army forced them to retreat and seek another way out.
King Yue gritted his teeth hard. He wasn't willing to give up just like that.
Tan-xiangsheng thought for a moment and agreed with King Yue. They couldn't stay trapped in Hanzhou; otherwise, they would likely be besieged to death here. Now was their only chance.
As they spoke, the people below also realized something was wrong.
"Is someone coming?"
"Our people? Or... the imperial forces?"
This same question was circulating not only among King Yue's troops but also among the soldiers sent by the court.
At the start of the battle, although they knew King Yue had a backup plan, they didn't expect his forces to be this overwhelming. The general had already sent a plea for help to the court. They had held on until now, fighting with every ounce of strength, just to stall King Yue until reinforcements arrived.
Fighting for so long against an enemy with far superior numbers, they were on the brink of collapse. If the court didn't send help soon, King Yue might very well break through the encirclement today.
"General, we've detected signs of a large force moving not far from here."
The man addressed as the general abruptly grabbed the sword at his side. "Are they our people or His Highness King Yue's?"
As his words fell, everyone around him held their breath. Many times before, after hearing similar reports, King Yue's forces had grown stronger. From being able to crush the enemy to being evenly matched, to being overpowered, it had taken less than a month.
They hoped desperately for a different answer this time.
"General, this time it's the imperial army!" The young soldier couldn't hide his excitement.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.
They looked at the general, but he didn't show any sign of relaxation. His brow was deeply furrowed.
"General?"
"Don't let your guard down. Confirm their identity carefully."
"Yes, sir!"
The general's words brought them back to their senses. They remembered what had happened not long ago when King Yue's men disguised themselves as the imperial army to approach them. If not for the general's timely reaction, they might have already fallen to the enemy's blades.
Gu Huai led his men closer, and the crowd saw the high-raised banner—it was the symbol of Da Huan.
"The Emperor's reinforcements have arrived!"
Gu Huai's arrival completely turned the tide of the battle.
The enemy collapsed like a mountain falling, and the dark clouds that had hung over Hanzhou finally dispersed that day.
Before the New Year, the court received news that the rebel had been executed.
King Yue, trying to flee under the cover of his confidants, was quickly pursued and captured by Gu Huai's men before they could get far.
In this battle, Gu Huai once again rendered great service.
As one of the main commanders, Gu Huai rode at the front when returning to the capital.
The citizens of the capital lined the streets to welcome them. They had already learned from the public reports that King Yue had been defeated. King Yue, Tan-xiangsheng, and others were confined in prison carts, attracting countless rotten eggs and leaves.
King Yue stared blankly at everything before him. Having barely escaped the capital, he was now returning in the most humiliating manner. The contrast was too great for him to bear, and he didn't know what expression to show.
A rotten egg hit his head with a "bang," breaking and releasing a nauseating stench.
At first, King Yue would frown in displeasure, but now, facing all this, he no longer showed any extra expression.
Along the way, all he heard were voices of contempt towards him.
The soldiers responsible for escorting King Yue and the others back to the capital were the five thousand troops Gu Huai had brought from Subei. The initial troops sent by the court to Hanzhou remained there temporarily to handle follow-up matters.
When a meritorious official returns to the capital, the court sends special officials to greet them. If the merit is significant enough, the Emperor might personally go to greet them.
This time, having achieved major victories twice and capturing King Yue, the court had to show great respect to Gu Huai both emotionally and rationally.
On the day Gu Huai and his men returned, Shen Yu and Shang Junlin donned plain clothes and left the palace.
In the teahouses and restaurants, everyone was discussing King Yue. This time, Shen Yu and Shang Junlin did not choose Yingxing House but opted for another teahouse. They reserved a private room on the second floor by the window, allowing them to observe the activities outside.
They chose a location that Gu Huai and his men would inevitably pass by when entering the capital.
Shen Yu poured tea for himself and pushed a cup towards Shang Junlin. "The tea here is quite good, Your Majesty. Please try it."
This teahouse had been recommended by Jiang Huaiqing in his letters. For a long period, Shang Junlin had been too busy with state affairs to leave the palace. Today, finding some free time, he accepted Shen Yu's invitation to go out together.
Shang Junlin took a sip of the tea. "I still prefer Ah Yu's tea-making skills."
Shen Yu had many talents, and tea-making was one he had practiced in both his lifetimes. In his previous life, alone, he enjoyed making tea for himself. In this life, with Shang Junlin, he made tea for him as well.
Having become accustomed to Shen Yu's tea, Shang Junlin found it hard to accept tea made by anyone else.
Shen Yu glanced at the sky; there was still time. He called for the attendant to bring the tea set.
"I was just speaking casually. Ah Yu need not trouble himself," Shang Junlin said, hastily pressing Shen Yu's hand.
"It's no trouble. I actually prefer drinking tea I've made myself," Shen Yu replied sincerely. He genuinely enjoyed making tea for himself, a habit he continued even in the palace.
Seeing Shen Yu's interest, Shang Junlin had Meng-gonggong select several fine tea sets and send them to Yuzhang Palace.
Shen Yu's movements were fluid and graceful, his light blue robe swaying with his actions. His eyes were focused intently on the white porcelain tea cup in his hand.
Shang Junlin's gaze was fixed on Shen Yu, unable to look away.
Worried that Shen Yu might be hungry, Shang Junlin ordered an assortment of snacks, all of which were sweet, as Shen Yu preferred.
Shang Junlin took a piece of pastry and held it to Shen Yu's lips. Shen Yu took a bite, and the faint aroma of tea spread in his mouth. He was surprised. "Is there tea in this pastry?"
It had the fragrance of tea but without the bitterness, instead, it tasted sweet, leaving a lingering flavor.
"A special method is used to retain the tea's aroma in the pastry while filtering out the bitterness. It’s a famous specialty dessert here," Shang Junlin explained.
As the sun gradually set, more and more people gathered on the street. Shen Yu and Shang Junlin's chosen spot provided an excellent view, allowing them to see everything below.
"Are they almost here?" Shen Yu put down his teacup and looked outside.
Just as he spoke, the sound of hooves could be heard in the distance. Shen Yu leaned forward, looking in the direction of the sound.
Armored soldiers marched in unison towards them, and the citizens stood to the side of the road, making way for them.
Shen Yu could hear the murmurs and cheers from below, the people rejoicing in Da Huan's victory and shouting for the brave soldiers.
Shen Yu couldn't help but smile, then sat back down.
Gu Huai and his men moved quickly and arrived below the teahouse in no time. Shen Yu saw Gu Huai sitting tall on his horse.
Gu Huai now appeared even more resolute than before, his eyes more akin to those in Shen Yu's memories. Shen Yu couldn't help but wonder what Gu Huai had experienced in his previous life before they met.
Shen Yu's gaze lingered on Gu Huai a bit too long. Shang Junlin, displeased, grabbed his chin and noticed the sadness in Shen Yu's eyes.
"What are you thinking about, Ah Yu?" Shang Junlin's grip tightened, his voice tinged with an edge he hadn't realized was there.
Shen Yu snapped out of his memories, feeling a slight pain in his chin.
"Your Majesty, you're hurting me."
Shang Junlin, as if waking from a dream, released Shen Yu's chin. Unsurprisingly, there were two glaring red marks left behind.
"Does it hurt?" The hostility in Shang Junlin's heart dissipated instantly. He carefully lifted Shen Yu's chin, gently touching it with his fingertip.
Shen Yu shook his head and caught sight of the disheveled King Yue in the prison cart.
"This time, Your Majesty will deal with King Yue. No one will dare to claim that the late emperor had decreed otherwise, right?"
As if sensing something, the person in the prison cart looked up in their direction, then quickly averted his gaze as if burned.
"King Yue's rebellion is a matter of public record; they won't dare to interfere."
Having seen what he wanted, Shen Yu felt satisfied.
With the capture of King Yue, Shang Junlin had many tasks to address. After packing some snacks, he and Shen Yu left the teahouse and returned to the palace.
Habits are indeed powerful. Shen Yu, who had spent over a decade accustomed to being alone, had within a year grown used to the presence of another person by his side.
After spending some time with Shen Yu in Yuzhang Palace, Shang Junlin went to meet Gu Huai and the others.
Following a brief period to wash up, Gu Huai needed to enter the palace to see the emperor. Accompanying him were several other generals who had come to the capital with him—some brought from Subei, others incorporated along the way, and some dispatched to Hanzhou.
King Yue and his co-conspirators were imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's dungeons.
Given the gravity of King Yue’s rebellion, even the existence of an edict from the late emperor wouldn’t prompt anyone in the court to plead on his behalf.
Rebellion was a grave crime, and no one would risk their lives or their family’s future by interceding. Such a crime would leave a legacy of infamy.
The palace hosted a small welcoming banquet for Gu Huai and his entourage, attended by the high-ranking ministers. During the banquet, Shang Junlin bestowed rewards on those who had rendered meritorious service.
Gu Huai was promoted to the rank of a second-rank general, a position higher than his previous one.
This time, no one raised any objections.
"I command you to apprehend the remaining rebels with all possible speed," Shang Junlin ordered, issuing a new task along with the rewards.
"Your servant obeys!" Gu Huai replied.
After receiving his orders, Gu Huai returned to his seat. Throughout the evening, many ministers approached him, attempting to establish connections. They could see from Shang Junlin’s attitude that this newly-promoted general had a promising future.
Given the emperor’s favor, Gu Huai's prospects were undoubtedly bright. Moreover, he was currently unaffiliated with any of the existing court factions, making this the ideal time for others to win him over to their side.
After the banquet ended, Shang Junlin did not immediately return to Yuzhang Palace but instead went to the imperial study.
The leader of the Hidden Dragon Guard appeared silently in the study.
"I need to know everything about Gu Huai, down to the smallest detail," Shang Junlin commanded.
He could not ignore the expression in Shen Yu's eyes earlier that day.
