Chapter 349: The whole world is shocked, Luoyang persuades

In the twelfth month of the sixteenth year of Daye, King Song Que of Wu defeated the northern coalition forces on the banks of Luo River. The Zhou emperor fled, most of the 20,000 Turkic cavalry were lost, and the Khan was captured alive by the Wu army. The world was in an uproar.

This war was destined to go down in history and determine the future direction of the world. Wu’s victory represented the failure of the counterattack in the north. The elite troops in Guanlong were lost and could no longer be resisted. The gates to the north were wide open, making it impossible to stop Wu’s northern expedition.

The whole city of Chang’an was in mourning, and every household was in mourning.

The majestic imperial city no longer had its former grandeur, like the afterglow of a setting sun, the sun was setting in the west and was coming to an end. The palace maids and eunuchs were all very cautious, not daring to even breathe. In recent days, many eunuchs and palace maids in the palace had been beaten to death.

After Emperor Yu Wenzhi escaped from Luoyang, he locked himself up in the imperial city and refused to see any outside officials. He did not show up despite the turmoil in the court and the panic among the people. Some court officials repeatedly accepted advice from Yu Wenzhi, but were dragged out by Yu Wenzhi and beaten to death outside the Taiji Hall.

Since then, no one wanted to speak out directly and give advice, and those who had connections were already thinking about contacting the State of Wu and leaving a way out.

In the luxurious hall, Yu Wenzhi leaned on the dragon throne. His dragon robe was crooked, his hair crown was crooked, and he looked extremely haggard. “Chengdu, do you think I was wrong? If I had not led the army in person and stayed in Chang’an, perhaps my uncle would not have died, and the coalition army would not have been defeated so miserably?”

Yuwen Chengdu sighed and consoled him, “Your Majesty, the Great Zhou and the Wu Kingdom will have a war sooner or later. Even the Turkic Khan was defeated by the Wu Kingdom. This war was not our fault. It was just that the Wu Kingdom was too powerful.”

“Your Majesty, there are no soldiers in Chang’an City who can fight. We cannot defend Guanzhong.” At the end, his mouth was full of bitterness.

These days, he and Yuwen Huaji were living a life of drunkenness and debauchery here, and they might have had the idea of ​​escaping from reality. The Yuwen clan lost miserably, and except for the two of them who escaped by chance, Yuwen was killed by Song Que, and Yuwen Zhiji, Yuwen Wudi and others were all killed in the army and their whereabouts were unknown.

What’s even more terrifying is that in the Battle of Hanzhong, they lost nearly 100,000 troops, and in the Battle of Luoyang, they lost another 60,000 to 70,000. Now there are less than 20,000 troops in Chang’an. How can they defend such a huge city?

Not to mention the huge impact that the successive failures have had on morale, the Yuwen clan is now in an unprecedented state of weakness.

Yu Wenzhi smiled bleakly, “I finally understand Yang Guang’s thoughts now. I am a sinner of the Great Zhou. Chengdu, when Song Que attacks, you can use my head to exchange for a promotion. For this reason, our Yuwen family can still be saved.”

“Big brother!”

Yu Wenzhi shook his head and said in a deep voice, “You don’t need to persuade me anymore. It’s all worth it to sacrifice me and save the family.”

“Wei Chen obeys!”

……

Hedong, Jinyang.

Li Yuan, the leader of the Li family, was in a rage. He glared with eyes wide open, as if he wanted to eat someone. “Rebellious son, why are you the only one who came back? Where are your elder brother and the others?”

How could he not be angry when his eldest son and the fourth son, whom he valued, disappeared on the battlefield and only the second son came back?

Li Shimin knelt on the ground, lowered his head and said, “Father, the Wu army is fierce and I got separated from them. My elder brother, as a general of the army, cannot escape, and I cannot save them. Please punish me, father.”

Seeing Li Shimin’s humble attitude, Li Yuan’s anger subsided a lot, and he couldn’t help asking about the details of the battle, “Stand up, it’s not your fault, how did you lose?”

Li Shimin stood up and recounted everything that happened before and after the war.

After listening to this, Li Yuan slumped in his chair, looking much older, and muttered to himself, “The Wu army is so powerful, it seems we have no chance at all.”

Back then, the Li clan had the support of Buddhism and controlled Hedong, and were very powerful. If Yang Guang had not let the Yuwen clan into Guanzhong, they might have already entered Chang’an and proclaimed themselves emperors.

It’s a pity that the situation has deteriorated step by step. They are still the same as when they started out. They have been compressed in Hedong and find it difficult to expand. Liang Shidu and Liu Wuzhou next to them have the support of the Turks and are not easy to deal with. A single move can affect the overall situation.

Think about it, it’s only been a few years.

As for the Song clan, they occupied the prime land of Bashu from the very beginning and had a grand master to rely on. If the Li clan had had a grand master, they would not have ended up in such a situation.

Thinking of what his second son had just said, he felt a chill in his heart. That was Martial Honored Bi Xuan, the number one master on the grassland, and he actually died at the hands of the other party. If you do the math, almost all of the world’s three great masters have fallen at the hands of the Song clan.

Nowadays, there are only two grand masters in the world, and both of them are from the Song family. How can we fight them?
Li Yuan thought for a long time before he came up with a way out. “Now we can only rely on your sister.”

His meaning was very clear. He wanted to give his daughter to the State of Wu to show closeness and submission. Among the Li family, Li Xiuning was the most suitable one.

Li Shimin was shocked and said quickly, “Dad, my sister is already engaged!”

Li Yuan’s eyes flashed coldly, and he said in a deep voice, “But they haven’t gotten married yet? The future of the Li family can only rely on her. You should understand what is more important. If this marriage can be successful, my Li family can still be saved. If not, alas…”

Hearing this, Li Shimin lowered his head, his face full of struggle. He didn’t want to do this, but there was no other way now, so he could only resort to this last resort.

……

The gates of Luoyang were breached and the Wu army marched into the city.

Su Ming had already stepped into Luoyang. Looking at the empty streets and the desolate city, he sighed in his heart. He had seen similar scenes many times before. The current life-and-death battle was to avoid future battles.

Conquering the world is not a matter of killing one or two leading figures. In order to pass through the customs quickly, death is an indispensable thing. It represents the cleansing of power, the replacement of classes, and the exchange of the old with the new.

The Former Sui Dynasty inherited the Northern Zhou Dynasty and was born with deficiencies. The Tang Dynasty was founded on the foundation of the Guanlong aristocracy, and many of its problems were brought from the womb. It took the Zhenguan Reign and the Kaiyuan Prosperity, and the governance of several generations of emperors, to push the Tang Dynasty to its peak, but it eventually declined.

The Wu Kingdom established by Song Que could not avoid this problem. The change of dynasties cannot be changed by human power. It is the trajectory and trend of history. In a sense, the Wu Kingdom established by Song Que would be a higher level of the Tang Dynasty, and ultimately it could not avoid the ending of the Tang Dynasty. But as long as it is better than the original novel, it is enough.

Unconsciously, Su Ming’s thoughts flew and he arrived outside the Luoyang Imperial City, which was also the end of his journey.

When you step into the imperial city, you will see palace maids and eunuchs fleeing in panic everywhere. They are hiding everywhere with their bags of wealth on their backs, and even trying to bribe the guards to leave. Everyone knows that the newly established State of Zheng is about to perish.

It has to be said that the imperial city of Luoyang is much grander and more luxurious than the imperial palace in Yangzhou. It is worthy of being Yang Guang’s old nest, but now it has become a bargain for them.

Su Ming’s mouth curled up slightly, and he was in a very happy mood. He had to say that Brother Guangzi left behind quite a lot of legacy. Then, his eyes flashed, and his spiritual power emanated, spreading across the imperial city like a giant net.

Found you!
In a hall in the harem, Wang Shichong was having fun with his concubines. The air was filled with lewdness, and he was living a life of drunkenness and dreams. Suddenly, the palace gate opened, and a gust of wind blew in, clearing the air in the room. Wang Shichong, who was sitting on the throne, was surrounded by women. His once fair and elegant face became pale and his eye sockets were sunken. At this moment, he felt an unusual breath.

Su Ming came in front of him, and wherever he passed, the palace maids, eunuchs and concubines fell into a daze and ignored him.

“Wang Shichong.”

Wang Shichong was shocked. He was a high-ranking member of the Daming Zun Sect and had good knowledge of martial arts, but he did not see what means the other party used. When he saw Su Ming’s handsome face and elegant and natural temperament, he had some guesses in his mind.

“Are you Su Ming?”

“good.”

Wang Shichong’s guess was confirmed, and his heart tightened. Facing such an enemy, it was impossible not to be nervous. He pushed the concubines beside him away, stood up and stared at the other party, “Are you here to kill me?”

Su Ming shook his head, came to the throne behind him, sat down leisurely, and looked down at the other party. “I won’t kill you, and Song Que won’t kill you either, but the premise is that you can give us what we want.”

Wang Shichong was puzzled, “What do you want? Luoyang should have been taken by you. I really don’t know what else I can give you.”

Su Ming gave him a meaningful look and said in a deep voice, “I want the martial arts of the Great Ming Sect.”

Wang Shichong’s eyelids twitched and his heart was beating wildly. Not many people in the world knew about the Great Ming Sect. Why did he know all this? For a moment, he even had the intention to kill him, but when he thought of the other party’s identity, he gave up.

I could only force a smile and pretend to be confused, “What is the Great Ming Zun Sect? Is this martial art very powerful?”

The Great Ming Zun Sect is located in the territory of Huihe. The Huihe Great Ming Zun Sect originated from Persia and is led by Dazun, Shanmu and Wumingzi. It is divided into two major systems, the Ming system and the An system. The Ming system is headed by Shanmu and Wumingzi, who are responsible for promoting religion; the An system is headed by Yuanzi and the five types of demons, who are responsible for eradicating dissidents and are the executioners within the sect.

The most commendable thing is the sect’s signature martial arts, the Sutra of Wisdom, which is the source of all things. This unique martial art is also the most advanced one besides the four great books. In the original novel, Shi Zhixuan also wants to plot against it.

The Great Ming Sect is also suspected to be the source of the later Ming Cult, but the current Great Ming Sect has few members and is just a secret sect, unlike the Ming Cult which has a large number of members.

“The Sutra of Wisdom at the Source of Controlling All Dharmas” adheres to the Brahma idea that “all supernatural powers are sufficient within oneself”. Through spiritual practice, one can naturally possess various mysterious changes. It is also the root method to open up one’s own wisdom and control thousands of Dharmas.

In the original novel, Xu Kaishan used it to turn the virtual into the real, transforming air and water into a solid wall for attack or defense, while Yang Xuyan created the Black Hand Magic Skill. These were all used in battle, but they abandoned the wonderful use of increasing wisdom and spiritual perception.

Just like the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth, using the opponent’s force to counter attack is only an external means. The most important thing is to develop and stimulate your own potential and enter a higher realm.

“Are you going to play dumb in front of me? Xu Kaishan, the last generation of the Great Ming Sect, is still in Luoyang City, right? Do you want me to find him? I don’t want your lives, and I don’t want to destroy the sect. I just want to control the Root of All Dharmas, the Wisdom Sutra.”

Now, Wang Shichong could no longer pretend to be ignorant. People had exposed his past, so there was no point in quibbling.

Wang Shichong’s eyes turned, and he actually wanted to win over Su Ming as his backer. “The Root of All Laws is the supreme martial art of our Great Ming Sect. Only two or three people in each generation can learn it. If you want to learn this martial art, you can join our Great Ming Sect. I am willing to worship you as the Great Master.”

“Great Venerable? If I become the Great Venerable, what will happen to Xu Kaishan?” Su Ming added, “The people you sent out have been captured by us. Going out to sea is a good idea, but it’s a pity that you can’t go out.”

“what?”

Hearing this, Wang Shichong could no longer remain calm, “Senior, please show mercy, I am willing to hand over my martial arts.” He was not afraid of death, but he was afraid of the destruction of the Ming Zun Sect and the loss of its heritage.

With his weak spot being grasped, he had no choice but to obey.

Then, Su Ming asked Wang Shichong to recite the Scripture of the Origin of Controlling All Laws, repeating it several times, and then let him go after confirming that it was correct. After that, he sat on the throne to comprehend martial arts, while Wang Shichong kicked out the others and waited on the side.

At this time, the majestic imperial palace was in chaos. The palace maids and eunuchs fled in all directions. The Wu army had already entered Luoyang City. Song Que led Kou Zhong and others straight to the palace.

At the last moment, Xu Kaishan came to this hall to discuss matters with Wang Shichong, but he suddenly saw Su Ming. He was about to take action, but saw Wang Shichong shaking his head at him desperately, so he gave up.

The only way out for the Great Ming Sect now is to surrender and confess. In front of Su Ming, he feels that all his secrets are exposed.

……

Seven days later, Song Que held a banquet for his ministers in Taiji Hall, among whom were Wang Shichong and other surrendered ministers.

At the banquet, the beautiful palace maids danced with their waists and their skirts fluttering, which was a beautiful sight.

Civil officials and military generals toasted each other and were in high spirits.

Ever since the Wu army marched north to attack Jinyong City, they have been on edge. But now, the northern coalition has been defeated and Luoyang City has been captured. It can be said that the situation is very good.

“Everyone, you all have made great contributions to the present status of Wu State. I would like to offer a toast to you all.” Song Que raised his glass as he spoke.

In the hall, the court officials stood up, saluted, and drank the wine in their cups.

Just as the atmosphere at the banquet was gradually getting more heated, a man stood up and said, “Your Majesty, I have something to report.”

Song Que waved his hand and said, “Today’s banquet is to reward you all for your contributions. We will not discuss state affairs. Minister Pei, please withdraw and we will discuss this later.”

Pei Ju took out a memorial from his sleeve calmly, “Your Majesty, what I am reporting is of great importance, please allow me to do so.”

For a moment, everyone else in the hall felt that something was unusual and put down their wine glasses. Some smart people had already realized something and couldn’t help showing annoyance.

“Since Minister Pei insists, let’s talk.”

“Since the tyrant Yang Guang of the former Sui Dynasty conquered Goguryeo three times, the country has been in chaos, the people have been living in misery, and the land of Kyushu has been in flames. Fortunately, the king started his army in Lingnan, pacified Bashu, unified Chu, and unified the south, and peace has finally come. Luoyang is a thousand-year-old capital, where the king’s aura resides.”

“I beg Your Majesty to enter the Imperial City, ascend the throne, and take charge of the sacred artifacts of the state.”

(End of this chapter)