Chapter Six: All Is Ready

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“Behind me stands the Son of Heaven of the Han—let me see who dares make a move!” Fu Hu’s thunderous shout silenced the scene instantly. The general, eyes fixed on the token in Fu Hu’s hand, seemed incredulous.

He stepped forward, rubbing his eyes, scrutinizing the token carefully.

It was exquisite Hetian jade, smooth and lustrous as water, intricately carved with layers of dragon patterns, with the two grand characters “Son of Heaven” boldly engraved at its center.

For a moment, the general felt the world spin; sweat soaked through his undergarments as cold fear gripped him. Falling to his knees, he shouted, “Your servant pays respects to His Majesty the Son of Heaven!”

In that instant, all he wished was for the emperor before him to spare his life.

Nearby soldiers and the gathered commoners, seeing the general kneel, each followed suit, bowing respectfully: “We pay respects to His Majesty the Son of Heaven!”

Behind Liu Xie, the Qi family stood in deep shock. Old Master Qi knelt, overwhelmed with emotion, crying out, “Long live the Emperor!”

Feeling the worship surrounding him, Liu Xie felt a flicker of nervousness.

At that moment, the sound of armored boots approached—an elite force of imperial guards arrived, led by Gai Xun, the Prefect of Jingzhao and defender of Chang’an.

Following Gai Xun were two generals clad in military attire—less heavy armor, more leather gear, typical of the Northwestern frontier troops. Liu Xie’s eyes flickered with recognition.

“Your servant Gai Xun pays respects to His Majesty the Son of Heaven!”

“Your servant Ma Teng pays respects to His Majesty the Son of Heaven!”

“Your servant Han Sui pays respects to His Majesty the Son of Heaven!”

As expected, Liu Xie smiled approvingly at Gai Xun, pleased with how well he had secured the allegiance of Ma Teng and Han Sui from Xiliang.

“Your servant Gai Xun commands the five Chang’an commandants’ forces, totaling thirty thousand troops, currently on standby outside the city—awaiting Your Majesty’s orders!” Gai Xun reported.

Hearing “five commandants,” a gleam of joy crossed Liu Xie’s eyes. These five commandants had been established by Gai Xun upon request to Emperor Ling of Han to suppress the Liangzhou rebels, recruiting ten thousand soldiers. He had petitioned for the appointment of Shisun Rui as Yinghao Commandant, Wei Jie as Pod Enemy Commandant, Du Kai as Wei Lu Commandant, Yang Ru as Bird Strike Commandant, and the fifth Jun as Qingkou Commandant.

All five were renowned, elite troops personally trained and elevated by Gai Xun.

“Your servant Ma Teng commands forty thousand elite cavalry from Liangzhou, also on standby outside the city, awaiting Your Majesty’s orders!” said one broad-nosed, high-foreheaded general in armor.

“Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!” Liu Xie exclaimed thrice, unable to conceal his delight.

Suddenly his expression darkened. Pointing at a kneeling figure by the city gate, he inquired sharply, “Whose subordinate is this?”

The city gate commander’s face instantly turned pale, sweat dripping like beads onto the ground.

Gai Xun glanced at the pale-faced guard and said gravely, “This is Li Shan, the city gate lieutenant.”

Liu Xie turned to lock eyes with Li Shan. “Who ordered you?”

Though young, Liu Xie’s sovereign aura rendered Li Shan powerless on the ground. “It was the Chen family of Chang’an who commanded me! The Chen family and the Qi family of Luoyang have long-standing grudges—it’s not my doing! I beg Your Majesty for mercy!”

“I care not if you are general or soldier! In my eyes, military law is supreme!”

Looking at Li Shan, bawling and begging, Liu Xie’s gaze was icy. He asked coldly, “When military officers collude with powerful families, what does military law prescribe?”

Gai Xun responded firmly, “Execution without pardon!”

“Then follow military law!” Liu Xie declared, casting a glance at Li Shan.

“General Gai, obey the order!”

“At your command!” Gai Xun stepped forward to carry out the command.

“Seize and investigate all families in Chang’an connected to this matter. If any ties are found, exterminate three generations and confiscate all property!” Liu Xie’s words fell like a thunderclap, plunging Chang’an into terror.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Moreover, from today the city of Chang’an is sealed—entry permitted, exit forbidden! Gai Xun, you are responsible for city defense patrols! Leaking news of my presence in Chang’an is strictly forbidden! Should any leaks occur, I will hold you accountable!”

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Gai Xun’s heart tightened at these words, and he bowed deeply.

On this first meeting, Liu Xie had impressed upon everyone present the image of a stern, law-abiding sovereign—an act directed especially at Ma Teng and Han Sui, a show of authority to the newcomers.

It was also a gesture of gratitude to the Qi family for their recent hospitality, a soothing balm for the tense situation.

Most importantly, however… Liu Xie was cash-strapped. The treasury was under Dong Zhuo’s control. The thirty thousand troops under Gai Xun, the forty thousand Xiliang cavalry, and the forces of Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun all required substantial funds and supplies.

Although the Han military system was initially based on conscription—men serving two years as regular soldiers—the chaos of the late Han era had shifted toward recruitment-based forces.

Hence, maintaining armies demanded vast sums of money and provisions, explaining why only powerful noble families could raise private armies.

Liu Xie’s move was a masterstroke, accomplishing multiple goals at once.

He had been pondering how to strike at Chang’an’s aristocracy, and here Li Shan had unwittingly delivered a precious gift.

Gazing upon the bustling city of Chang’an, Liu Xie’s imperial aura seemed to crystallize.

“My eternal legacy begins now!”

As it turned out, the so-called noble families were powerless against the might of the throne.

Upon Liu Xie’s order, the Chen, Wang, Li, and Gongsun clans of Chang’an were thoroughly searched by thirty thousand government troops within a day. Thousands were killed, turning the city into a river of blood overnight.

Panic engulfed Chang’an; all feared any connection to the four great families.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, Huangfu Song led his personal Hundred Cavalry Battalion ambushing Li Jue’s camp in a nearby forest.

Huangfu Song and Li Jue had been pursuing each other day and night for days, now resting at the foot of a mountain.

Huangfu Song and Li Jue each commanded 7,500 troops, searching for the “rebels” in a chase with only a few miles between them.

While both armies rested, Huangfu Song quietly left his camp with his Hundred Cavalry Battalion and approached Li Jue’s camp, a few miles behind.

“General, night is falling! Shall we strike now?” asked a Hundred Cavalry soldier beside Huangfu Song.

Huangfu Song glanced at the darkening sky and then at the flickering fires in Li Jue’s camp. “Wait a little longer,” he said gravely.

After some time, darkness fully descended. Huangfu Song whispered, “Brothers! Remember how I taught you to shout?”

“Remember!” the Hundred Cavalry soldiers responded.

“Good! Mount up!”

“Charge!”

In an instant, a hundred black horses thundered forward, carrying a hundred cavalrymen into Li Jue’s camp.

As they charged, they shouted, “We are Huangfu General’s Hundred Cavalry Battalion, acting under imperial orders! Unrelated personnel keep away!”

Suddenly, fires erupted throughout the camp—planted incendiaries ignited by hidden agents, sowing chaos.

The soldiers, initially ready to resist, were thrown into confusion by the shouts and conflagrations, scrambling to extinguish the flames.

Huangfu Song led his cavalry straight to the largest tent at the camp’s center. Inside, Li Jue, preparing for sleep, heard the commotion and rose, sword in hand, to investigate.

Before he could grasp his sword, dozens of cavalrymen surrounded the tent, while Huangfu Song and a dozen others charged inside.

Caught off guard by Huangfu Song’s sudden assault, Li Jue froze.

Seizing the moment, Huangfu Song swiftly struck off his head.

Li Jue’s low guard was understandable—the camp’s central tent was heavily guarded, and no one expected an attack to break through directly to the heart of the camp.

Li Jue died never understanding why Huangfu Song killed him. Thus, this fierce general, who had wreaked havoc on the Han court after Dong Zhuo’s fall, met a swift end.

Historical records note that after Dong Zhuo’s death, Li Jue controlled Chang’an and the emperor but ultimately perished in a power struggle with Guo Si and others. His downfall was due to valor without wisdom—unable to foresee his comrades’ betrayal.

“Rebel Li Jue, accomplice of the Dong traitor, holding the emperor to command ministers! By imperial decree: annihilate the Dong traitor and revive the Great Han!” Huangfu Song proclaimed, carrying Li Jue’s head from the tent.

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The soldiers rushing to quell the fires froze in place, staring at Li Jue’s severed head in Huangfu Song’s hand. Their eyes met, uncertain of what to do next.

“All troops, obey the order! Break camp and march! Join me and the vanguard to return to Luoyang!”

…

A similar scene unfolded at Guo Si’s camp in Yinping Ford, where Zhu Jun beheaded Guo Si and completed the absorption of his forces.

Meanwhile, in Luoyang, Dong Zhuo grew restless and sleepless, as Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun began their counterattack.

…

Three days later, when Gai Xun presented the confiscation lists and seizure records to Liu Xie, the young emperor glanced over the densely packed names, tossed the list aside, and didn’t even glance at the seizure records.

Looking at the Chang’an officials standing beside him and Gai Xun, Liu Xie said, “One-third of the confiscated goods shall be added to the treasury, one-third allocated as military funds, and the final third used to aid disaster refugees who moved from Luoyang to Chang’an.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” the officials responded in unison.

“Generals Gai, Ma, and Han, remain. The others may withdraw,” Liu Xie gestured.

“Understood, we take our leave!” The others, recognizing the hint, promptly withdrew.

Ma Teng and Han Sui looked at Liu Xie with puzzled expressions, but Gai Xun, knowing Liu Xie’s plans, showed excitement in his eyes.

Could it be that matters in Luoyang were settled?

Liu Xie spoke calmly, “Gai Xun, Han Sui, Ma Teng, listen well!”

“At your command!” the three replied in unison.

“I appoint Ma Teng as left vanguard, Han Sui as right vanguard, and Gai Xun as central vanguard! I shall personally lead the campaign to Luoyang!”

Liu Xie’s declaration stunned the three. Gai Xun’s eyes shone with excitement—it seemed Dong Zhuo’s downfall was near!

Ma Teng and Han Sui, however, wore expressions of shock mixed with doubt and unease.

Were they to assault Luoyang head-on with just seventy thousand troops?

Gai Xun, who had recruited them, had not disclosed Liu Xie’s full plan nor sufficient intelligence on Luoyang. All they knew was that Dong Zhuo commanded a force of one hundred thousand entrenched in Luoyang.

No wonder they felt unsettled.

But the order stood. Ma Teng could not help but ask, “Your Majesty, with only seventy thousand troops, how can we hope to contend with Dong Zhuo?”

Liu Xie paused slightly, then glanced at Gai Xun, who apparently had not shared the plan with Ma Teng and Han Sui.

Liu Xie smiled. “Generals, if I were unprepared, would I so rashly raise troops against Dong Zhuo?”

Seeing their lingering doubts, Liu Xie’s gaze grew confident. “I have long devised a perfect strategy. All is ready; we only await my command.”

Seeing Liu Xie’s certainty, Ma Teng and Han Sui exchanged a glance and finally nodded.

“When do we march?” Gai Xun’s excitement was palpable—he could hardly contain his anticipation of restoring the Great Han.

“Tomorrow at dawn! Let the troops rest well tonight and prepare to march on Luoyang!” Liu Xie declared firmly.

“This empire is mine; no one shall seize it from me!”