The Emperor Reigns Them All

Chapter 227 Proclaim Himself Emperor

Zhu Wen, Wang Jian, and Li Maozhen raised their cups, and drank together.

Putting down his cup, Li Ye suddenly felt a bit strange. The world was full of coincidences. In the future, Zhu Wen would establish the Liang Empire in the Central Plains, Li Maozhen would become a feudal prince in Fengxiang, and Wang Jian would proclaim himself emperor in Sichuan. But now, they were all gathered together. With all their future achievements, the people here today, would be in charge of half of the country.

If Li Keyong had turned up as well, then all the most famous heroes in the late Tang Empire, who rose in the process of the settlement of the Huang Chao Uprising, were all here.

Of course, Li Keyong would not meet with Li Ye. He was now drinking alone, in the military camp.

The camp was ablaze with lights. Li Keyong was not alone, as Monk Huiming was there, as well. However, Huiming did not drink wine, so Li Keyong felt even more depressed.

“I’ve heard that Zhu Wen, Wang Jian, and Song Wentong are all at Prince An’s Manor, drinking wine. Why don’t you go?” Huiming suddenly said.

As soon as Huiming mentioned Li Ye, Li Keyong was furious. He said angrily, “But for Li Ye’s sinister plot against me, how could my Yanmen Army lose the achievement of the recapture of the capital? I wish to kill him, so how could I drink with him?!”

Huiming said calmly,” A wise man submits to fate. Prince An occupied Tongguan, killed Huang Chao, and recaptured the capital, so he will have greater power in the future. If you can’t make friends with him and let go of the enmity, I’m afraid that your future road will be very difficult.”

Li Keyong’s eyes twitched, he was furious, but it was true.

After a long time, he sighed and felt distressed. “It’s clear that Li Ye is going to oppose me. Even if I’m willing to curry favor with him, he will be very cold to me. It will only be an insult to myself, so what is the point?”

He felt very wronged, even as he said this.

“In this case, I can help you to lessen your worries,” Huiming said calmly.

Li Keyong was happy. “What’s your plan?”

Huiming said faintly, “Certainly, to ally with someone, who has a common enemy with us.”

Li Keyong was stunned for a while. “Under these circumstances, who else will go against Prince An?”

Huiming replied, “Tian Lingzi has sent a messenger. He would like to support you, to contend against His Highness Prince An.”

The banquet in Prince An’s Manor lasted into the night, and the four of them talked happily. No matter what had happened before, at the moment, they were like close friends and having a good drink of wine together. Fortunately, they had high cultivation, so they did not have to worry about getting drunk.

In the end, Wang Jian and Li Maozhen stood up, and said to Li Ye with cupped fists, “Thank you for your hospitality. It’s getting late. We’ll leave first.”

Li Ye nodded. He could let them stay overnight in Prince An’s Manor, but Li Maozhen had mentioned that they would be returning to Fengxiang tomorrow, so they had to go back to the army barracks tonight. They came to Chang’an with the sole intention of visiting Li Ye.

Li Ye felt odd that they were in such a hurry. But they were unwilling to say anymore, so he did not ask, either.

Li Ye had thought that he could take this opportunity to kill Zhu Wen, Wang Jian, and Li Maozhen.

After all, he still had the memories from his past life, so he knew that the Tang Empire fell apart, because of them. And with his current cultivation in the Spiritual Master Realm, it was easy to kill them.

However, in troubled times, even if he killed Zhu Wen and Wang Jian, there would be other people present. The fact that a feudal prince could take up his own place, was due to the current situation. Killing people would not solve the problem.

“Let’s have one last drink.”

Someone proposed.

So the four people raised their cups at the same time.

They raised their cups in the air, but they suddenly stopped. No one proposed a toast. A toast was always needed for the last cup of wine.

“Why not propose a toast for the competitive world, and for our drinking hour?”

Li Maozhen suddenly said.

“Good! Propose a toast for the competitive world and for our drinking hour!”

The four of them looked at each other, laughing. They drank their last cups of wine to friendship.

This remark was actually very odd. As the ministers of the Tang Empire, how could they say that the Tang Empire was a competitive world?

...

That day, Zhu Wen, Wang Jian, and Li Maozhen left the Prince An’s Manor, one after the other.

The next day, Li Maozhen and Wang Jian set out to return to Fengxiang.

After arriving at Fengxiang, they went straight to see the Fengxiang commissioner, Li Changyan. This was Li Changyan’s military order.

Li Changyan was waiting for them in the study.

Wang Jian and Li Maozhen took off their knives, and met him in the house.

“I commend you two for fighting in the battlefield and making great achievements for Fengxiang. You don’t have to be so courteous. Please have a seat.” With a cordial smile, Li Changyan supported Wang Jian and Li Maozhen, and sat down on the main seat.

As soon as he sat down, Li Changyan stopped smiling and looked solemn instead. His eyes shone at Wang Jian and Li Maozhen. He said slowly, “Do you know why I called you back so urgently?”

Looking at each other, Wang Jian and Li Maozhen said at the same time, “Please tell us.”

Li Changyan’s eyes were as deep as if there were countless swords inside. He stared at Wang Jian and Li Maozhen. “His Majesty’s carriage will soon arrive at Fengxiang!”

When Li Yan returned to Chang’an from Sichuan, he had to go through Fengxiang.

Wang Jian and Li Maozhen suddenly understood what he meant, and instantly had solemn looks on their faces, when they met Li Changyan’s eyes.

“This is Fengxiang’s chance. This is my chance, as well as your chance.”

Li Changyan didn’t say it clearly, but it made no difference when he said these words. He stared at Wang Jian and Li Maozhen, as if he would kill them immediately, once they made any sudden moves. “I have always treated you well. In front of people, you’re my subordinates, but in private, we are like brothers. Are you willing to help me fulfill my grand ambition?”

Wang Jian and Li Maozhen stood up together and bowed. “We pledge allegiance to you to the death. We will never flinch from any difficulty or danger!”

“Good!” Li Changyan nodded heavily. He stood up and supported them up. He looked delighted and excited. “With your help, I will definitely fulfill my grand ambition.”

When Wang Jian and Li Maozhen went out of the commissioner’s mansion, their palms were cold.

Hundreds of armored soldiers and dozens of masters were hidden around the house where Li Changyan had received them. Li Changyan did not ask them to leave, until Wang Jian and Li Maozhen left.

If Wang Jian and Li Maozhen did not promise to assist him, they would be two dead bodies now.

...

Prince An’s Manor, Chang’an.

Li Ye sat silently behind the table, and Song Jiao stood in the house with a fierce look on her face. Her voice was full of murderous intent. “After Wang Jian and Li Maozhen returned to Fengxiang, they went straight to meet Li Changyan. The Fengxiang Army should have returned to the army barracks, but they turned to head southwest outside the city. What Li Changyan intends to do, is obvious.”

Li Ye drummed his fingers on the table, and his face darkened. “Li Changyan is going to hijack His Majesty. He wants to take control of the emperor, so he can order the feudal princes around. Now, the world is in chaos and Huang Chao is dead, but the rebels are sprouting like mushrooms everywhere. At this time, it’s not surprising that Li Changyan will have this idea. The Regal Guards have 100,000 troops, how dare he do that?”

Song Jiao said, “Fengxiang is Li Changyan’s territory. He can set up an ambush, pretend to receive His Majesty, and launch a sudden attack, so Li Changyan will very likely succeed even though the Regal Guards will escort His Majesty. After all, His Majesty cannot be surrounded by 100,000 people. Moreover, although there are 100,000 people in the Regal Guards, most of them are recruits, so they can’t compare with the experienced and elite Fengxiang soldiers.”

Li Ye nodded and remained silent again.

Song Jiao said coldly, “Once His Majesty is held hostage, Li Changyan will deal with you first because you are the youth of the Imperial Clan and the Grand Prince of the empire. Li Changyan will not sleep well until he gets rid of you. What’s more, Li Keyong is eyeing us covetously, so the situation of the Pinglu Army is not secure.”

“Besides, the world is in chaos, and everyone wants to fulfill their grand ambitions. You are also the first obstacle that those ambitious commissioners must clear. In everyone’s view, you are not only Li Yan’s brother and his most trusted minister, but also the pillar of the Tang Empire. Only when you are brought down, will everyone have a chance!”

Li Ye smiled helplessly. What he always thought was that, when the world was in chaos and the Tang Empire collapsed, he would take advantage of the situation to compete for hegemony, take over the country, and become the emperor. In the end, he would be able to become an immortal with the identity of True Dragon. It was no exaggeration to call him a speculator. But now, he was a loyal minister of the Tang Empire, in the eyes of the world.

The general trend of the world pushed people forward, like a torrent to somewhere they were not aware of.

However, Li Ye was decisive. He had no time to hesitate, because Li Yan would soon arrive at Fengxiang. He said to the trusted guards outside the door, “Ask Shangguan Qingcheng to see me.”

“Yes!”

Song Jiao was stunned and looked puzzled. “You did not pass the message to His Majesty? Once His Majesty hears the news, Li Changyan won’t succeed because there are 100,000 soldiers on the side of His Majesty, even though the Regal Guards are useless.”

Li Ye looked at Song Jiao, his gaze as deep as an abyss. He slowly said, “And then?”

“What?”

“If His Majesty doesn’t enter Fengxiang, he can’t go back to Chang’an, then he has to return to Chengdu. In other words, the Fengxiang Army won’t attack the Regal Guards, and Li Changyan won’t hijack His Majesty, but His Majesty will go back to Chengdu because of my warning. Have you ever thought about what might happen next?” Li Ye asked seriously.

Song Jiao could not help following Li Ye’s train of thought. “The Fengxiang Army will not take action, and Li Changyan did not show his disloyalty, so they do not have proof of his disloyalty. You must come up with a reason for the rebellion of the Fengxiang Army and make His Majesty return to Chengdu, while you take charge of Chang’an...”

Speaking of this, Song Jiao opened her small mouth wide. “With the Pinglu Army on your side, you control Chang’an, so you are as secure as Mount Tai. The great achievements of your occupying Tongguan, killing Huang Chao, and recapturing Chang’an, will make all the people in awe of you. You have great power, so don’t let His Majesty come back to Chang’an... You’re the youth of the Imperial Clan of the Tang Empire as well. Do you want to proclaim yourself emperor?!”

Li Ye sneered. “The struggle for the throne of the Tang Empire has always been bloody. During the An-Shi Disturbances, Emperor Xuanzong went to Chengdu, but the Heir Prince went to Lingzhou. While Emperor Xuanzong was still alive, the Heir Prince proclaimed himself emperor, claiming to inherit the throne, and called himself Emperor Suzong. For the overall situation of the pacification, even Emperor Xuanzong, who was in Chengdu, was forced to admit it.”

“Now, Huang Chao has been killed, but the rebels have not been pacified yet. They are still besieging Chenzhou and causing chaos in the Central Plains. I’m the youth of the Imperial Clan, bearing the blood of the Tang Empire. This time, I have made great achievements, so I became arrogant. I want to let His Majesty stay in Chengdu for the sake of pacifying rebels and the bad motives of the vassal states. It will not be so incredible that I take charge of national affairs or proclaim myself emperor with the support of 100,000 Pinglu soldiers!”

Song Jiao’s beautiful face instantly became pale and bloodless. She covered her mouth, so as not to cry out in surprise.