By the end of the first lunar month, perhaps because the under-the-table deals had been settled, external troops began to march into Luoyang in batches.
The first to arrive were the troops from Jizhou, led by Hao Chang, numbering over four thousand.
They entered the city through the Jianchun Gate.
At that time, Shao Xun was just receiving a batch of equipment and supplies.
As soon as he returned to the military camp, he heard a rather unfunny joke: the commander of the Youzhou cavalry had gone out of the city and encountered the Jizhou troops entering the city.
Hao Chang's four thousand men immediately scattered on the spot...
Shao Xun was dumbfounded upon hearing this.
When the commander of the Ye troops, Qian Xiu, heard about this, he was deeply ashamed and immediately ordered his troops to station near the city gates and not cause any trouble.
Clearly, this order would make the Jizhou troops complain bitterly, but it was good news for the people of Luoyang.
Compared to the Ye troops, the western troops led by Zhang Fang had no such scruples.
They swarmed into the city through the Ximing Gate, looting and pillaging.
The cries and screams could be heard far and wide.
Sima Yue, the Prince of Donghai, was extremely nervous.
On one hand, he sent someone to request an imperial edict to order the western troops to stop looting and withdraw from Luoyang.
On the other hand, he summoned the generals of the imperial guards to discuss countermeasures.
After much deliberation, the final decision was to hold their ground, block the main roads, and prevent the rampaging western troops from storming the core areas of Luoyang and the imperial palace.
As for other areas, they were left to fend for themselves.
Sima Yue had no choice, as the imperial guards were not very obedient to him.
While the imperial guards were hard to command, the troops of the Donghai Kingdom were more compliant.
On the 26th day of the first lunar month, Mi Huang, He Lun, Wang Bing, and Shao Xun, the four main military officers, were called to the Minister of Works' residence.
Wang Dao, Dai Yuan, Liu Qia, and other advisors were present, along with imperial guard generals like Gou Xi, Pan Tao, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and Yu Ai, the Vice Minister of Personnel.
"The incident with Hao Chang has become a laughingstock in the army. Many say the external troops are nothing special and regret their earlier decisions," Liu Qia said without looking around, speaking confidently.
Shao Xun quietly observed this left advisor of the Prince's staff.
Liu Qia had failed in his bid to become the Commandant of Donghai and must have been quite frustrated.
In truth, Sima Yue still trusted Liu Qia.
Otherwise, given his family background, Liu Qia would never have entered officialdom without using his electoral rights.
"This is not a good thing," Wang Dao frowned.
"The imperial guards, seeing how easily the external troops crumble, might regret their previous victories. Who is guarding Sima Yi now?"
"The Seven Guards of the Imperial Army."
"That's not ideal. It's better to replace them with our own people," Wang Dao said, pausing to glance at Mi Huang.
"General Mi, perhaps you could lead your troops to take over the Jinyong City. If things go south, kill Sima Yi immediately to cut off any thoughts the imperial guards might have."
The room buzzed with discussion.
If the imperial guards had a change of heart, they might indeed storm Jinyong City and release Sima Yi.
But what would that mean for the Minister of Works? What about the several imperial guard generals who had already switched sides?
Sima Yue immediately grew tense.
If Sima Yi regained the support of the imperial guards, he was as good as dead.
His breathing became uneven, and he felt uncomfortable sitting there.
"Minister, do not worry," Pan Tao, one of the three outsiders present, gently stroked his beard and smiled calmly.
"Killing Sima Yi need not dirty your hands. I observe that Zhang Fang is cruel and bloodthirsty, and he deeply hates Sima Yi. If we hand Sima Yi over to him, he will surely meet a gruesome end."
Sima Yue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, forcing a smile.
"Vice Minister Pan makes a good point. Why don't we send someone to Jinyong City to order Sima Yi to be handed over to Zhang Fang's camp?"
"No," Pan Tao shook his head.
"We must let Zhang Fang take him by force. That way, your reputation remains intact."
"Yangzhong, you are indeed thoughtful," Sima Yue's smile widened.
He called a servant over, whispered some instructions, and the servant hurried off, clearly to deliver the message.
"Zhang Fang, a beast who feasts on human flesh, can actually..."
Sima Yue shook his head and sighed, unwilling to say more, as if mentioning Zhang Fang would dirty his mouth.
Shao Xun, sitting behind Mi Huang, couldn't help but glance at Pan Tao again.
This unremarkable old man was truly ruthless, casually devising such a scheme to kill with a borrowed knife, all without batting an eye, and considering every detail.
Was he a poisonous strategist like Jia Xu? Perhaps he would soon join the Minister's staff, as being a court official wasn't very appealing—there was no hierarchy between advisors and officials.
Some even gave up being governors to join the staff of a prince.
"After dealing with Sima Yi, let's talk about the situation in Luoyang," Sima Yue said, rubbing his forehead with a tone of helplessness.
"The Ye troops are manageable, only looting outside the city. But the western troops are entering the city, looting the inner city and killing officials and civilians. We can't let this continue."
What would happen if they let it continue? Sima Yue's authority would be undermined.
He was currently trying to take over Sima Yi's legacy and couldn't afford too much "negative news."
Reputation was still important.
After all, the empire was falling apart, central authority was eroding, and local power was being seized by powerful families.
He still needed their support.
Yes, the aristocratic officials in Luoyang might seem weak, easily subdued by a single soldier, but they were merely representatives of powerful families from various regions.
Their true strength lay in their local bases—manors, vast lands, and thousands of private soldiers.
That was their real capital.
If a new survey of population and land were conducted now, it was unclear how many independent farmers would remain.
Even tax collection relied on their goodwill, and the accounts they showed were likely fake, just for show.
Sima Yue knew very well whose support he needed.
"Why not promote Zhang Fang? Once he's had his fill, he'll naturally leave," Dai Yuan suggested.
Wang Dao remained expressionless but nodded slightly.
He actually despised Zhang Fang, who had no sense of propriety, killing and looting at will, using human flesh as military rations, and defiling the women of officials and nobles.
But there was no other choice.
Zhang Fang commanded fifty thousand troops, and the imperial guard generals were hard to control.
The only option was to "placate" him.
"Why not make it clear to Zhang Fang that if he withdraws from Luoyang, he'll be promoted to Right General and Governor of Fengyi?" Liu Qia suggested.
"Agreed," Sima Yue nodded, adding, "But first, he must kill Sima Yi, then withdraw from Luoyang, and only then will he be promoted."
No one objected.
Shao Xun was amazed.
So, commanding fifty thousand troops meant the court would hold its nose and placate you.
I only have five hundred troops, and the court won't even bother to placate me.
How realistic.
"Minister, this might not be enough," Gou Xi suddenly said.
"I am willing to lead my troops westward and array them on the Imperial Street. When Zhang Fang sees this, he might take the hint and withdraw to the outskirts."
Sima Yue was overjoyed.
Gou Xi was the first imperial guard general to defect to his side, which was significant.
Now he was taking the initiative to shoulder responsibility and share his lord's burden.
How could Sima Yue not be pleased? He had already decided that in the future, during the disputes with Sima Ying and Sima Yong, he would secure a high position for Gou Xi no matter what.
Gou Xi was skilled in military strategy, had a record of victories, and had over thirty years of experience in officialdom.
His qualifications were more than sufficient, making him the perfect figurehead.
Using Gou Xi's situation as an example, Sima Yue could show the imperial guard generals that following him led to promotions, while opposing him brought no benefits.
"Very well," Sima Yue stood up and said repeatedly, "It's settled. The matter with Zhang Fang must be handled quickly, without delay."
"Yes," Gou Xi responded.
Shao Xun felt a twinge of envy.
The Luoyang central army originated from the Cao Wei period, with five battalions, central barracks, and imperial guards.
During the Western Jin, it became the left and right guards, front, rear, left, and right armies, and the cavalry army, collectively known as the Seven Guards.
Additionally, the Sima family rose to power through military forces outside the city, so the Western Jin also established the Yamen Army, stationed near Luoyang.
Together, they formed the Luoyang central army.
In the Cao Wei period, the commander of the imperial guards was called the "Leader."
In the Jin dynasty, it was initially called the Leader, then changed to the Northern Army Commander, then back to Leader, and now it was called the Northern Army Commander again.
The guard positions from the Cao Wei period gradually became honorary titles, such as Pei Chuo being posthumously awarded the title of Longshui Commandant after his death.
What could Gou Xi become? Northern Army Commander? Could Sima Yue elevate him to that position?
If it happened, he would be used as a figurehead.
What a fortunate fate.
But Shao Xun wasn't particularly envious.
The court could make Gou Xi the Northern Army Commander, but it could also strip him of the position.
After all, it wasn't his own army.
If they wanted him out, he had to go.
In a way, Gou Xi was even less secure than a local strongman who brought his own troops.
Someone who brought five hundred servants to serve as soldiers, appointing himself as a battalion commander with his own people, could do as he pleased.
How wonderful.
"We also need to negotiate with the imperial guards," Sima Yue added.
"Even if they're unwilling to drive out Zhang Fang, they should at least keep an eye on the Ye troops. Dai Yuan, you handle this."
"Yes," Dai Yuan stood and responded.
"Mi Huang," Sima Yue turned to Mi Huang, "Hurry up with the training. In critical moments, it's our own people we can rely on."
"Yes," Mi Huang responded.
He was a bit flustered and instinctively glanced at Shao Xun.
Yesterday, the young master had told him the truth: the upper army was one thing, but the lower army wouldn't be ready for field battles for at least a year.
Mi Huang felt a headache coming on.
The lower army had recruited over two hundred new soldiers.
Of the original seven hundred, at least two hundred had joined later, not to mention a bunch of teenagers.
It would take a year to whip them into shape—if you didn't want them to collapse at the first sign of trouble.
As for the upper army, the nine hundred Donghai troops were passable, but the thousand or so Luoyang city folk were a joke.
Mi Huang was even considering breaking ties with He Lun, purging the bad elements, and recruiting new soldiers and deserters.
Otherwise, if the Minister decided to mobilize troops this year, would their three thousand men join the fight?
If they did, they would only cause chaos.
If they didn't, it would be hard to justify.
Either way, it was a tough situation.
Mi Huang's gaze flickered toward He Lun, uncertain.
(End of Chapter)