My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 195 The storm is coming
When Xi Yi left the palace, his head was buzzing.

He never expected that the young emperor would actually issue an edict to "purge the court of corrupt officials".

The earnest words he just spoke to them didn't seem fake. They all knew the young emperor Yuan Xu's personality very well; someone with such an impatient temperament couldn't have acted out such a feeling.

The young Emperor Yuanxu had a very unpleasant falling out with Empress Dowager Hu over ordering Erzhu Rong to send troops eastward to quell a rebellion.

Even the young emperor's roar of vowing to kill the two traitors, Zheng Yan and Xu He, was widely circulated and not exactly a secret.

Those who hold official positions in Luoyang all know this...

With refugees and rebel armies roaming the country, and bandits rising up everywhere, the power struggle between the emperor and empress dowager in the Luoyang court had reached a fever pitch. After the young emperor shouted that he would execute two of Empress Dowager Hu's confidants, the two sides had essentially broken off relations and reached a point of no return.

In this situation.

The young emperor Yuan Xu had no time to test Er Zhu Rong, a powerful foreign minister who had now openly pledged allegiance to him.
Although Xi Yi left the palace under the cover of night, how could every move inside the palace be kept from Xu He, the palace general who controlled all the halls? Soon, someone relayed the news that Yuan Ziyou and Xi Yi had entered Xianyang Hall one after the other and then left to Xu He and Zheng Yan.

Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a glance, dismissed their attendants, and whispered among themselves.

“Yuan Ziyou is His Majesty’s ‘advisor’ who advises him, and Xi Yi is Erzhu Rong’s liaison in Luoyang who communicates with His Majesty. What is His Majesty’s intention in entering the palace late at night?”

"His Majesty recently dismissed the guards I replaced, and the men I sent over seemed to vaguely hear His Majesty repeatedly saying that someone wanted to harm him."

"Could it be... that he sensed something?"

After frowning and pondering for a moment, Xu He voiced his speculation, "Could it be that Yuan Ziyou advised His Majesty to allow Erzhu Rong to lead troops eastward under the pretext of suppressing the rebellion, but in reality, to lead troops southward straight to Luoyang?"

Zheng Yan's expression changed drastically. "That makes perfect sense, it's highly likely!"

Wang Zunye and his comrades didn't take them seriously at all. They were skilled in managing the Imperial Guard and had already cultivated a group of trusted confidants.

The imperial guards who were originally on good terms with Erzhu Rong had long been transferred to Xi Yi's side by them using their authority.

Even if Wang Zunye succeeds as the Palace General, it is unlikely that he will be able to command the Imperial Guards in the short term.

Kerzhurong is different...

He had served under Yuan Yi for a long time and was regarded as a confidant by Yuan Yi. Moreover, Erzhu Rong was very good at winning people's hearts, and there were quite a few people in the Imperial Guard who obeyed him.

Xu He betrayed Yuan Yi at the most critical moment because he felt that Yuan Yi had neglected him and favored Erzhu Rong too much. He took the opportunity to switch sides and join Empress Dowager Hu.

If Erzhu Rong were to bring his elite troops to cooperate with his old friends in the Imperial Guard, that would be a disaster!
At present, the young emperor Yuan Xu has no way to command the army in Luoyang, so he can only seek help from outside. Erzhu Rong is the young emperor's father-in-law, so he will definitely come to help.

The main thing is.

The cavalry could travel from Jinyang to Luoyang in just three to five days at breakneck speed. Even if the two men received the news, they would have no time to take any precautions.

Xu He immediately gritted his teeth, his face turning fierce, "We can't wait any longer, we must do it this way!"

Zheng Yan hesitated, then advised, "Let's see what Xi Yi does..."

the other side.

Back at his residence, Xi Yi had already instructed his servants to prepare a fast horse and changed his clothes.

But as he was about to leave, he hesitated for a moment.

"No, this matter is of great importance. Zheng Yan and Xu He will surely find out that I left the palace after meeting His Majesty. If I leave the city tonight, it will definitely arouse their suspicion."

"Luoyang's defenses are strong, and there are nearly ten thousand soldiers in the city who are ready to fight. Even if Tianbao has His Majesty's edict, he will probably find it difficult to enter the city without bloodshed."

The young emperor's edicts might not necessarily be effective against the imperial guards within the city.

Think of this.

Xi Yi picked up his pen again and wrote a letter in his own hand, detailing the current situation in Luoyang. He then sat quietly until dawn. He went to the palace to stand guard as usual, but sent his trusted confidant north out of the city to deliver the letter.

Zheng Yan and Xu He learned that Xi Yi had returned to the palace to stand guard.

The doubts in their hearts were somewhat dispelled.

………………

"Sister-in-law, I heard that you once gifted a horse to the prince?"

The sky was cloudless, and the ground was covered with lush green grass.

Seemingly aware that an army was about to be mobilized, Erzhu Rong unusually allowed everyone to take their families on a trip.

Erzhu Yuechan had not yet married Gao Yu, but she already considered herself a member of the Gao family. She left Erzhu Zhao's group early on and ran over to Gao Loujin and Lou Zhaojun's side.

Lou Zhaojun smiled and nodded, "My husband and I met because of that horse. Later, my husband gave that horse to Erlang. It died in battle when Erlang first went north to fight against the Rouran. Erlang even gave it a name, Sa Lu Zi, right?"

"Really?" Erzhu Yuechan was taken aback at first, then pouted jealously and muttered, "Erlang is so biased. I gave him a fine horse, but he refused to name it."

Upon seeing this scene, Gao Loujin couldn't help but smile and exclaim, "So alike, so very alike! Yuechan looks exactly like Zhaojun back then."

Lou Zhaojun couldn't help but laugh. The Gao brothers' looks were just so outrageous that people would be eager to throw themselves at them. She could foresee that Erzhu Yuechan would become a huge asset to Gao Yu's career.

She held Erzhu Yuechan's hand and smiled, "You'll be able to marry Erlang in a few months, why rush things?"

Thinking of this, Erzhu Yuechan blushed, and her slight dissatisfaction quickly vanished.

I could marry Erlang, what more could I ask for?

The two were already engaged. After Liu Lingzhu looked at their birth dates and times, he calculated that the auspicious date would be in September of this year. They just had to wait patiently.

September, there are still six months to go.

Erzhu Yuechan couldn't help but sigh again. Lou Zhaojun seemed to see her own reflection in this anxious and uncertain look.

At the front of the queue.

Gao Yu was riding the horse that Erzhu Yuechan had given him. It was jet black, but had white hair on its hooves, as if it were treading on the clouds.

"Did Tianguang and Zhongyuan not come this time?"

“I asked Wan Ren, and it seems that the two of them have already led their troops out.”

"Mayi, Jingxing?"

Gao Huan immediately guessed where the two men had gone.

Gao Yu nodded.

As early as last year, the imperial court had already appointed Erzhu Rong as the governor-general of six prefectures—Fen, Bing, Si, Yun, Heng, and Guang—and to oversee military affairs related to the northern expedition. In other words…

Erzhu Rong could have ordered his troops to occupy Mayi and Jingxing long ago.

However, to avoid arousing suspicion from the court, he did not take any action at the time.

Now, the sudden further action suggests that they are truly prepared to march east to quell the rebellion.

Gao Huan laughed and said, "Still calling yourself Wanren? In another six months you will be marrying Yuechan."

"got used to."

Gao Yu smiled.

The person who once called you brother suddenly became your father-in-law.

Although giving myself a beautiful daughter as a wife wouldn't be a bad deal, it's hard to change the way I address her all of a sudden.

Get married.

Gao Yu never imagined that she would be getting married soon.

Amidst these reflections, every night a young woman's image would appear in my mind, her face indistinct, yet she would keep repeating herself.

"My home is in Mount Tai, so don't go to the wrong place."

Oh shit.

I'm such a beast, always eyeing my brother's woman.

Although Yang Changchu was not Yang Kan's daughter, she was his younger sister.

Based on her age, she seems to be about the same age as Erzhu Yuechan?

According to the customs of Han Chinese aristocratic families, she might already be married and is now a wife.

A married woman.

hiss.

Just now.

A rapid sound of horses' hooves startled Gao Yu awake.

Erzhu Rong's personal guards arrived on horseback before the two.

"He Liuhun, Mo Heduo, the Grand Commander has ordered you two to come and discuss important matters with him. Do not fail to comply!"

(End of this chapter)