The Child Emperor
Chapter 281: Disorderly Army

Luoyang was centrally located, attracting merchants and travelers from all directions. It was a city built on wealth. The prefect of Henan had a penchant for profit, and naturally, his subordinates and even common soldiers followed his lead without any attempt to hide it.

Thousands of soldiers had already “triumphed” and returned to the city, jubilantly presenting the heads they had collected, boasting about their spoils. The bandits who had come to loot had failed miserably, losing not only their lives but also the gold and silver they carried.

When Han Ruzi led his contingent of over two thousand men to the Luoyang military camp, he witnessed this scene. He couldn’t even find a responsible officer; only a few clerks were quietly recording military achievements. Many soldiers fought over the heads right in front of them, as the credit for the kill would go to whoever held the head at the last moment.

The battle outside the city had been fierce, but not many had died. Most of the bandits fled as soon as they saw the situation turning against them. This led to a fierce struggle among the Luoyang soldiers for the heads of the dead, resulting in brawls.

The soldiers of the Chu army accompanying the Emperor were all indignant but remained silent.

Han Ruzi ordered his men to line up in several rows outside the camp so that everyone could see the disgraceful behavior inside.

The soldiers in the camp noticed the troops outside, but no officer came out to deal with them. They didn’t recognize the Emperor, assuming these were friendly forces seeking temporary lodging. They glanced over briefly before resuming their squabbles.

Han Ruzi turned to his soldiers, who included a thousand elite troops from the capital and nearly two thousand gathered from Hangu Pass. After this battle, their trust and loyalty towards the Emperor had greatly increased.

“Look, a disorderly army is so vulnerable!” Han Ruzi shouted.

The soldiers watched the disgraceful scene in the camp and also looked at the Emperor himself.

Han Ruzi signaled to his guards and soldiers, taking only a hundred men to charge into the camp.

Prince Donghai stayed outside, feeling an inexplicable sense of relief, as if an invisible rope had suddenly been untied.

He glanced around and saw Fan Zhuangshan, still panting heavily with bloodstains not yet dry on his body, gripping his recovered long axe. Like many soldiers, he watched the Emperor charge into the camp.

Prince Donghai sighed internally. The rope was gone, but a net had appeared around him. It seemed loose but was actually tighter, leaving him no escape. He could only look into the camp, watching the Emperor’s banner and thinking that soon, there would be no place for him in the world.

The Emperor’s banners were numerous, and being cavalry, they somewhat intimidated the soldiers in the camp. However, the soldiers had heard that the Emperor was drinking and celebrating with the prefect of Henan, and according to custom, such festivities wouldn’t end in less than four or five hours. So, no one expected the Emperor to appear in person. They just made way for the group and quickly resumed their fighting.

Soon, the Emperor and his guards returned the same way, followed by a man with his hands tied and a rope around his neck, being dragged by a cavalryman. The man cursed continuously, “Who dares to capture me? Do you know who I am? The prefect of Henan is my uncle, even the Emperor can’t touch me!”

The soldiers in the camp finally realized that these men were troublemakers. Most of them dropped what they were holding and picked up their weapons, surrounding the group to block their way.

The guards drew their swords, and the soldiers leveled their spears, moving at full speed back to the camp gate to reunite with their comrades outside.

The distance was short, but the captive was already gasping for breath. He struggled and looked back at his followers, feeling reassured. He shouted, “Despicable scoundrels, attacking the camp! Who is your general? Fan Zhuangshan, is it you? Let’s go to the prefect of Henan and the Emperor to settle this!”

Fan Zhuangshan dismounted, holding his long axe, and approached the Emperor. He coldly said, “His Majesty is right here. General Huang, if you have something to say, go ahead.”

General Huang was shocked, still unwilling to believe it. He looked the young Emperor up and down, “Impossible, the Emperor is in the prefect’s mansion drinking with my uncle.”

Prince Donghai knew it was time for him to step forward. He rode up to General Huang, pointing to a banner behind the Emperor. “It’s one thing for ordinary soldiers not to recognize it, but you, too, fail to recognize the Emperor’s dragon banner?”

General Huang had never seen the dragon banner before, but he knew that no one other than the Emperor was entitled to possess so many golden flags.

He hesitated, then felt a surge of fear. Suddenly, he said, “Are you Prince Donghai? I saw you when I came to the Capital with my uncle.”

“I am Prince Donghai,” Prince Donghai replied, though he did not remember this man.

General Huang’s knees went soft, and he finally knelt. An Emperor acknowledged by Prince Donghai could not be a fake. Thinking about his actions earlier, he broke into a cold sweat. “Your Majesty, forgive me. I was blind and did not recognize you. I truly didn’t know…”

“Are you the commander of these soldiers?” Han Ruzi asked.

“Yes, yes. I am the Marshal of Henan Prefecture. I was just on my way to the prefect’s mansion to greet Your Majesty, but I was delayed by some matters.” General Huang kept kowtowing. Though called a general, he held no official military rank. As the Marshal, he was the highest military officer in Henan Prefecture. He had not attended the banquet because he was waiting for his soldiers to present him with gifts, which mattered more to him than anything else.

“How did General Fan convey my orders outside the city?” Han Ruzi asked.

General Huang only kowtowed, not daring to utter a single word.

Fan Zhuangshan took a deep breath, then vented his anger about the soldiers not responding outside the city. He shouted, “The entire Luoyang garrison was ordered to leave the city and engage the enemy. Those who delayed would be punished; those who did not leave would be executed!”

“I left the city, I left the city…” General Huang kept defending himself, unable to believe the Emperor was serious.

The soldiers in the camp fell silent, realizing they were not competing for merit but facing punishment. Some, noticing they still held weapons, quickly discarded them. The rest soon followed, and the camp was filled with the noise of weapons hitting the ground. No one wanted to fight anymore.

Receiving a signal from the Emperor, Fan Zhuangshan gripped his axe with both hands and strode forward.

General Huang cried out, “It wasn’t me! It was the Prefect of Henan who ordered us not to leave the city!”

Han Ruzi raised his hand, signaling Fan Zhuangshan to pause. He then said, “The entire Luoyang garrison is guilty. As the commander, you are guilty of a Capital offense. We are the Emperor of Great Chu, and you are a general of Great Chu. Disobeying the imperial decree to follow a civil official’s orders adds to your crimes, making them unforgivable.”

“Your Majesty, spare…”

Fan Zhuangshan, receiving another signal, raised his axe with both hands and brought it down forcefully. Though the axe had lost its edge, under his immense strength, it cut cleanly as if slicing through vegetables. General Huang’s head fell to the ground, and the axe struck the earth, sparking.

The head rolled, and the soldiers in the camp retreated on their knees, none daring to touch it.

Prince Donghai raised his horsewhip and was the first to shout, “Long live the Emperor!” The soldiers outside the camp immediately echoed, shouting “Long live” three times, each time louder than the last.

This was the Emperor they desired. Even if he could not immediately reward them, he would never let their merits be stolen by others.

When the cheers subsided, Han Ruzi addressed the prostrate soldiers, “Second-in-command, come forth.”

A general crawled out, only kowtowing. Fan Zhuangshan had to command him twice to state his name, but the general could not speak.

“This is Vice Marshal Hao Ming,” Fan Zhuangshan answered on his behalf.

“Hao Ming, you will temporarily assume the position of Marshal of Henan Prefecture. Within fifteen minutes, lead the entire Luoyang army out of the city to assist in the battle at Ao Granary. Redeem yourselves through your actions.”

Hao Ming had not expected to have the chance to replace the Prefect’s relative. He finally managed to squeeze out a “Yes” and scrambled back to the troops, ordering everyone to find horses immediately. Those who could not find weapons mounted their horses empty-handed.

In less than a quarter of an hour, more than three thousand soldiers mounted and left the camp. The Luoyang army had never moved so swiftly before.

Han Ruzi wasn’t idle either. He ordered Fan Zhuanshan to leave behind over a thousand injured and weak soldiers to guard Luoyang, especially the main gate. “Before I return, no one is allowed to enter or leave.”

Fan Zhuanshan wanted to accompany the Emperor to Ao Granary but did not dare to speak up. Han Ruzi saw his concern and added, “The rebels are not yet defeated, and the battle is not over. Luoyang is a crucial city. If it falls, the entire region east of the passes will be shaken. I rely on you, General, to hold this city for me.”

Fan Zhuanshan knelt and accepted the order without further words.

Though it was said they would leave the city within fifteen minutes, the three thousand Luoyang soldiers spent time reorganizing outside the city. They set off for Ao Granary at dawn, with the Emperor leading over fifteen hundred men following behind.

Luoyang was full of hills, and the roads were uneven, stretching endlessly. Prince Donghai felt as though his legs were chafed raw, his head was heavy, and his eyes could barely stay open. When he looked at Han Ruzi beside him, the Emperor didn’t appear energetic but showed no obvious signs of fatigue.

Shortly after dawn, the entire army took a brief rest. Prince Donghai couldn’t help but ask, “Your Majesty, where do you get such energy? Only these veteran soldiers can keep up.”

Han Ruzi’s army was a hastily assembled group. Along the way, their quality varied greatly. The troops from both the Southern and Northern armies had been marching for days with little rest and had fought a battle in between. Yet, since the Emperor did not dismount, they did not dismount either, their physical strength being the greatest. The soldiers from Hangu Pass had joined later, with most staying in Luoyang, but those who remained could keep up. However, the over three thousand Luoyang soldiers, busy seeking merit the previous night with no time to rest, were visibly fatigued. They dared not show it in front of the Emperor.

“If the Emperor is lazy, the entire Great Chu will become lazy,” Han Ruzi replied casually. He knew where his energy came from: a debt of gratitude to Meng E for teaching him internal martial arts, which he had diligently practiced, even while riding and marching, often silently performing various breathing exercises.

But it was Meng E who had disappeared with the Imperial Seal, leaving Han Ruzi puzzled.

Han Ruzi led the guards through the ranks, urging the Luoyang army to continue. He even charged to the front to lead them himself. For this long-idle army, constant prodding was necessary.

By mid-morning, Han Ruzi led nearly five thousand men and horses to see Ao Granary.

Ao Granary was not on fire, which gave Han Ruzi some relief. However, outside the city, the battle was raging fiercely. From afar, it was clear that the Chu army was at a disadvantage. Shang-guan Sheng had supposedly only taken six to seven thousand veteran rebel soldiers, but the number of troops fighting for him on the battlefield was far greater.

“How long can Your Majesty’s luck hold?” Prince Donghai worried that the Emperor might once again recklessly join the battle.

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