Chapter Nine: Dispatching Troops to Luoyang

The next morning, Liu Xie rose early, the displeasure from the previous day already vanished, as if nothing had happened the night before.

With the assistance of several palace maids, he dressed comfortably and stretched with satisfaction.

“How decadent…” Liu Xie murmured.

At that moment, he noticed the jade pendant he had casually tossed onto a nearby table upon returning last night. It was the token given to him by Gongsun Yu yesterday, a symbol to find her, as she had explained.

The jade pendant felt warm and smooth in his hand, devoid of any chill. It was milky white and exquisitely small, engraved with the traditional character “Yu” on its surface.

Thinking back to last night, Liu Xie couldn’t help but recall Gongsun Yu’s tender, captivating eyes.

Lost in his reverie, his thoughts were interrupted by a palace attendant’s report.

“Your Majesty! General Gai has delivered your armor. Allow me to assist you in putting it on.” Outside the door, two attendants stood respectfully, each carrying plates of dazzling golden armor.

“Bring it in, then.” Liu Xie glanced curiously at the armor, wondering what the official imperial armor of a Han emperor would look like.

Though the armor appeared bulky and the process complex, the two skilled attendants had it on him within minutes.

The armor was entirely black, bordered with gold. The chest and shoulder plates were wrought iron cast with dragon head patterns, fitting perfectly and snugly. Seeing his reflection, Liu Xie admired the heroic bearing he projected and smiled with satisfaction.

“Your Majesty, it’s getting late. We should set out.” Fu Hu said with a smile.

“Let’s go,” Liu Xie replied, grabbing the token from the table and tucking it into his chest before stepping outside.

Outside Chang’an city, seventy thousand troops had already assembled. Gai Xun, Ma Teng, and Han Sui stood at the forefront, quietly awaiting Liu Xie’s arrival.

The seventy thousand soldiers stood silently beyond the city walls. As the elite forces of the Han, each soldier was battle-hardened, and a solemn, deadly aura permeated the entire fortified city.

Finally, surrounded by numerous officials and guards of Chang’an, Liu Xie appeared before the three generals.

“His Majesty has arrived!” Han Sui whispered. The three then briskly approached Liu Xie.

“Your servant greets Your Majesty!”

“Please, no need for formalities!” Liu Xie smiled, helping the three to their feet.

“Your Majesty, the seventy thousand elite troops of the Great Han have assembled at the city’s edge. Please inspect them!” Gai Xun reported gravely.

Liu Xie nodded with satisfaction, then said with seriousness, “Gai Xun, Ma Teng, Han Sui!”

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

Liu Xie then slowly ascended the prepared platform. Looking down at the dense mass of tens of thousands of soldiers, he took a deep breath to steady himself. Truth be told, whether in this life or the last, this was the first time Liu Xie had faced so many people; it was impossible not to feel nervous.

“Is he really the Son of Heaven? He looks about as old as the kids from my village!”

Below, a tall, sturdy soldier clad in black armor stared curiously at Liu Xie on the wall. A thinner soldier beside him nudged him with an elbow.

“Er Niu! Keep your voice down! That’s the Son of Heaven! How dare you compare him to the kids from your village! Do you want to lose your life?”

Er Niu said nothing but chuckled, his eyes fixed intently on Liu Xie above.

…

“Soldiers, you have served long and have not seen home for a while, haven’t you?” Liu Xie took a deep breath and asked loudly, “Do you miss your homes?”

At first, only a few voices responded, “Yes,” but soon the replies swelled into a wave, overwhelming and thunderous.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!…”

Liu Xie waved a hand to quiet the troops before continuing, “I know! Each of you was born of loving parents! While you serve in the army, are you willing to see your fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters suffer at home?”

“The wealthy families, the aristocrats, with their illustrious lineage, have oppressed you for generations! Are you willing to endure this?”

“The traitor Dong, abusing power, disrupting the court, preying on the people, has plunged the realm into chaos, stirring the people’s grievances. This pains me deeply!”

“Will you watch silently as Dong the traitor and the aristocrats oppress your families?”

“I command you to rise! Overthrow them with your own hands! Restore the glorious era of the Great Han!”

The tens of thousands of soldiers below grew more and more impassioned, their faces flushed with fervor as they gazed at Liu Xie.

“Soldiers! You represent the sharpest edge of the Great Han’s strength!” Liu Xie raised his voice, making an effort to sound robust and confident.

“I believe each of you standing here is my sharpest sword! In this battle, I will march alongside you all!”

His voice echoed across the city walls, each word piercing the hearts of everyone present.

“Why should a man not wield his sword and reclaim the fifty borderlands of Guanshan!” At these words, even Gai Xun, Ma Teng, and Han Sui’s eyes grew fiery.

Which soldier did not dream of pacifying the realm and steering the course of history?

“Soldiers! Hear my order! Take Luoyang! Eliminate the traitors!” Liu Xie bellowed.

“Take Luoyang! Eliminate the traitors! Take Luoyang! Eliminate the traitors!” The roar of tens of thousands of soldiers was deafening, their soaring morale almost tangible, shooting straight to the heavens!

Below the city walls, Er Niu looked at Liu Xie with admiration, his voice filled with awe: “I will be Your Majesty’s personal guard one day!”

“Keep dreaming! Have you forgotten who you are?” the thin soldier mocked, clearly not believing him.

“I will!”

…

Sensing the surge of morale, Gai Xun glanced at Ma Teng and Han Sui. The two no longer showed the previous disdain toward Liu Xie; now only fervor and respect remained.

He then looked at Liu Xie, standing proudly on the platform with hands behind his back, and sighed, “Your Majesty is truly a dragon among men! We can only hope to keep pace with you.”

Unaware of the intense thoughts Ma Teng and Han Sui harbored below, Liu Xie nodded in satisfaction at the roused troops, then descended the platform and instructed the three generals, “Very well, the rest is up to you.”

“As Your Majesty commands!” Gai Xun replied.

Liu Xie waved off their thanks. Leading an army into battle was not his strength; that speech nearly cost him his life. Clearly, he had much to improve upon.

Watching the troops depart in orderly formation under Gai Xun and the others’ command, Liu Xie’s heart swelled. Gazing toward the distant horizon, his eyes hardened with resolve—Luoyang must be taken at all costs.

He trusted the abilities of Gai Xun, Ma Teng, and Han Sui, whose military talents were highly praised in historical records.

The late Han era was indeed a time teeming with great generals.

Looking at the horse Fu Hu brought over, with its simple saddle and cloth stirrups, Liu Xie was momentarily stunned.

“Why are the saddle and stirrups so plain? Will I stay mounted properly?”

“Your Majesty may be unaccustomed to riding. Normally, with ten days to two weeks of training, anyone can ride proficiently,” Fu Hu replied with a smile.

Ten days to two weeks? That’s terribly inefficient… I must find a way to improve saddles and stirrups later, Liu Xie thought.

With Fu Hu’s help, Liu Xie finally managed to mount. This was a gentle mare; with a spirited steed, he would never have made it on.

The first thing after taking Luoyang would be to improve saddles and stirrups! Liu Xie vowed silently.

“Your Majesty! The army is ready!”

Gai Xun rode up, leading Han Sui and Ma Teng to report.

Liu Xie nodded, glanced once more at the city of Chang’an behind him, then shouted without looking back,

“Advance!”

But before the army could march far, scouts came with news.

“Your Majesty, a force of nearly ten thousand claims they wish to surrender!”

Liu Xie was puzzled. “Who commands them?”

“Apparently, it’s the Attendant Minister Fu Wan.”