Shao Xun and Mi Huang entered the city through the Jianchun Gate in the east.
Since the Jizhou troops had shifted to a defensive stance, the situation in the eastern part of the city had eased slightly.
As a result, the Jianchun Gate was opened for one or two hours each day to allow soldiers to go out and gather firewood—without firewood, cooking would be impossible, and they would have to resort to tearing down houses.
Such is the nature of war.
Attacking the enemy's firewood gatherers has always been a crucial tactic.
"Commander, have the enemy forces attacked the Jianchun Gate again after October?" Shao Xun asked softly as they were being inspected at the gate.
The guards at the gate, likely from the Seven Guards of the Imperial Army, conducted a thorough inspection.
Even though Mi Huang held an official seal, they still made him wait for a while before allowing him to enter.
As for Shao Xun, he didn’t even have an official document.
In fact, he wasn’t sure if such identity documents even existed in this era.
In the end, he had to enter the city as Mi Huang’s attendant.
"There have been one or two attempts," Mi Huang replied after some thought.
"I heard about it from others. The enemy forces weren’t large—just a few thousand infantry and cavalry. They were all repelled by our troops."
Shao Xun nodded.
It seemed the enemy wasn’t seriously attacking.
A few thousand troops were likely just probing.
"The ones who came to probe were the Yamen Army, and the fighting was quite fierce," Mi Huang added.
Shao Xun fell silent.
These were likely the former Luoyang Imperial Guards who had defected to Sima Ying.
There had been over twenty thousand of them, but it was unclear how many remained now.
He had heard that during the recent battle at the Jianchun Gate, when the Ye troops were in disarray, it was these defected guards who launched a determined countercharge, preventing the imperial forces from claiming more heads.
Now, they were the ones harassing the imperial troops, engaging in a war of attrition.
The ones dying were the elite Luoyang Imperial Guards.
If this continued, they might all be wiped out.
From a broader historical perspective, the destruction of the Luoyang Imperial Guards, numbering over a hundred thousand infantry and cavalry, was a catastrophe.
After their fall, even though Sima Yue, who held power, made every effort to rebuild the Luoyang Imperial Guards, there were few veterans left.
The "second generation" of the Imperial Guards was merely a shadow of its former self.
From then on, the military system in the north began to restructure, with various factions emerging.
What started as a chaotic struggle gradually evolved into a more organized and effective fighting force.
The south also began a painful military reconstruction, transitioning from a ragtag group to something resembling a proper army.
However, this process was a disaster for the common people.
Some armies, though weak in combat, were exceptionally skilled at plundering and oppressing the populace.
Shao Xun could see the historical trajectory, but he couldn’t stop it.
At the very least, the fall of the Luoyang Imperial Guards was inevitable—they were already down to a few thousand men, with both sides combined totaling no more than forty thousand.
After entering the city through the Jianchun Gate, Shao Xun and Mi Huang turned north, heading toward the imperial road inside the Dongyang Gate.
After passing another checkpoint, they were finally allowed to proceed west.
The imperial road inside the Dongyang Gate was the main east-west axis of Luoyang, leading directly to the Changhe Gate of the palace.
This street had seen fierce battles between the factions of Sima Jiong and Sima Yi, leaving it littered with casualties.
It was also home to many high-ranking officials and nobles.
For example, to the southwest of the Dongyang Gate was the former residence of Xun Xu, the ex-Minister of Works.
The Xun family was a prominent noble family in Henan.
Several of Xun Xu’s sons held high positions, and one of his daughters had married Sima Yan, the Prince of Wu, giving birth to Sima Ye (later Emperor Min of Jin).
To the north of Xun Xu’s residence was the former home of Shi Chong, the ex-Palace Attendant.
The estate was vast and beautifully constructed, though it was unclear who owned it now.
Outside the Dongyang Gate was the outer imperial road, about two miles from the city, where the former residences of the rulers of Wu and Shu were located, connected to the horse market.
In short, this imperial road was extraordinary, home to many high-ranking officials and nobles, far superior to the outer imperial road near the Kaiyang Gate where Shao Xun had previously been stationed.
The people living here were of a higher social class.
After walking west for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, they arrived at the Minister of Works’ residence.
"Commander Mi," the guards at the gate saluted as soon as they saw him from a distance.
Mi Huang acknowledged them with a nod, and Shao Xun returned the salute.
"Is the lord at home?" Mi Huang asked.
"He is currently in the residence, holding a meeting," the guard replied.
"Who is he meeting with?"
The guard didn’t answer.
Mi Huang’s face showed a hint of displeasure, but he said nothing.
Shao Xun observed silently.
Mi Huang was usually quite polite to him, but that was due to the bond they had formed through shared battles and life-and-death struggles.
Mi Huang’s demeanor toward others might not be the same.
This was a good opportunity to see another side of Mi Huang’s personality and how he handled himself in different situations.
"Please inform the lord that Commander Mi and Commander Shao have arrived and have urgent matters to discuss," Mi Huang said.
"Yes, sir," a guard quickly went inside to deliver the message.
Mi Huang and Shao Xun waited patiently.
Soon, a servant came out to greet them and led them inside.
Shao Xun looked closely and realized it was Pei Sixteen.
He suddenly thought of the Princess Consort and wondered if he would get to see her this time.
Then he chided himself—what was wrong with him? Why was he always thinking about someone else’s wife? But the Princess Consort was his great benefactor and his most important backer.
Most importantly, she was a very intelligent woman.
Although she didn’t involve herself in politics, she always found ways to shield him from harm.
Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be able to see her this time.
The three of them walked silently along a quiet, elegant path.
Suddenly, Pei Sixteen spoke in a barely audible voice, "Advisor Wang came to visit. He suggested that Liu Qia be appointed as the Commandant of the Donghai Kingdom. The Princess Consort said, 'Advisor Liu has not yet made any contributions. How can he be appointed to such an important position?' And that was the end of it."
After saying this, Pei Sixteen fell silent, as if nothing had happened.
Mi Huang and Shao Xun exchanged glances, both feeling relieved.
That Wang Dao fellow was really going too far.
When had he gotten involved with Liu Qia? And Liu Qia, what was he thinking? What kind of family background did he have that Wang Dao would actually value him? He was probably being used as a pawn.
Shao Xun also sensed something unusual.
He wasn’t entirely sure about Wang Dao’s personality, but based on the general history he knew and the current situation, he could make some educated guesses.
Historically, Wang Dao and Sima Rui were allies.
They had gone to Xiapi together and then crossed the river to the south, establishing the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
When they were in Xiapi, who was the dominant figure between Wang and Sima? If he could figure that out, many things would become clear.
From a historical perspective, Shao Xun believed that Wang Dao was likely the dominant figure.
He had chosen Sima Rui, first because they had a good relationship, and second, perhaps because Sima Rui’s personality was easy to manipulate.
"Commander..."
Shao Xun called softly.
"What is it?"
"Do you know what kind of person Prince Rui of Langya is?"
"He is humble and yielding."
That made sense! Shao Xun suddenly understood something.
Wang Dao wasn’t targeting him or Mi Huang.
Could he be targeting the Pei family? He probably saw both Shao Xun and Mi Huang as small-time followers of the Pei family.
Thinking of the rumors that Pei Dun wanted to become the Governor of Xuzhou, Shao Xun felt a heavy weight in his heart.
Could there be more than just Wang Dao? The Wang family of Langya was a large clan, with many other members.
Did they all have their own missions? Perhaps Wang Dao had just been assigned to Xuzhou, while other family members were working toward their own goals?
There wasn’t enough information to be sure, but Shao Xun was satisfied with his deductions.
This was the advantage of being a time traveler.
If he were a native of this era, unaware of Wang Dao’s later alliance with Sima Rui in Xuzhou, he would be completely in the dark.
Unfortunately, his historical knowledge was limited.
Aside from knowing that Wang Dao had helped establish the Eastern Jin Dynasty, he only knew about Wang Dun, who had rebelled.
Where had Wang Dun gone? Did he have ambitions to become a provincial governor or military commander? No one could answer that for him.
What a pity.
The three of them continued walking in silence and soon arrived outside Sima Yue’s study.
Pei Sixteen went in to announce their arrival, and they were granted permission to enter.
"Greetings, my lord."
"Greetings, Minister of Works."
Mi Huang and Shao Xun bowed respectfully.
"Sit," Sima Yue instructed, and a servant brought over cushions for them to kneel on.
This wasn’t Shao Xun’s first time seeing Sima Yue, but it was the first time he had observed him up close.
Judging from his figure behind the desk, he was likely of average height.
He had a long face, slightly thin, with prominent cheekbones.
His forehead had faint wrinkles, and his eyes showed signs of fatigue.
His lips were tightly pressed together, as if he was angry with someone.
His beard was well-groomed, indicating that he cared about his appearance.
Overall, he seemed like a restless, exhausted middle-aged man on the verge of collapse.
But Shao Xun quickly dismissed that thought.
Sima Yue was far from being down and out.
His current appearance was likely the result of prolonged stress.
As for what he was planning, Shao Xun, as a time traveler, had some idea.
He didn’t know the historical details, but he knew that Sima Yue was one of the victors of the War of the Eight Princes.
Considering Mi Huang’s hints and the current situation inside and outside Luoyang, Shao Xun couldn’t help but think: You’re playing quite the game! Are you about to make your move? No wonder you’re so stressed.
Caution had always been Sima Yue’s style.
Taking the initiative wasn’t something he was used to, especially when the risks were so high.
One misstep, and his entire family could be wiped out.
He probably hadn’t been sleeping well lately.
There was another person in the study, not very tall, with a plump figure and well-maintained appearance.
His eyes were sharp, with a hint of scrutiny, but not overly aggressive.
Unlike Mi Huang and Shao Xun, who sat upright, he was relaxed, kneeling comfortably, showing considerable confidence even after Mi Huang and Shao Xun entered.
This was Wang Dao, whom Shao Xun had met before.
Today’s meeting was going to be quite intense.
To be honest, Shao Xun preferred direct, face-to-face combat over these political machinations.
He knew his strengths and weaknesses.
As the Art of War said, "Play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses."
Engaging in mind games with powerful families wasn’t wise.
His talents lay in wielding a blade, not in political intrigue.
Also, the Princess Consort wasn’t here, which was a bit disappointing...
"I’ve called you here today because there is a matter of life and death that needs to be addressed," Sima Yue said after finishing his official duties, speaking in a calm and measured tone.
Mi Huang and Shao Xun immediately straightened up, ready to listen.
Wang Dao also adjusted his posture slightly.
The main event was about to begin.
(End of Chapter)