gnovel Chapter 50 Bianliang: A Twenty-Year-Old Paradise of Gentle Comfort
Chapter 50 Bianliang: A Twenty-Year-Old Paradise of Gentle Comfort
In the early morning, the charcoal fire in the red clay brazier still emitted residual warmth, and several pieces of clothing were draped in layers on the bamboo cover.
At the bottom is a jacket and an embroidered shawl.
The beizi is an upper garment with a straight collar, front opening, and close-fitting narrow sleeves. Because the front opening is open to reveal the inner garment, it is called "buzhijin".
The shawl is over ten feet long and narrow, and when draped over the shoulders, it flows gracefully in the wind, and can also keep you warm in winter.
Above it was a ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and a bodice.
During a century of turmoil, flamboyant and extravagant clothing styles were gradually abandoned, replaced by a pursuit of simple and rational beauty. When people lived in peace and prosperity, aesthetics became diverse and open; conversely, they became more restrained and conservative, especially evident in women's clothing.
The skirt was several feet long, with a ribbon about a foot below the knee to tighten it for easy walking. The waistline was much more conservative than in the Tang Dynasty, dropping directly from the chest to the waist.
The blouse was tied around the outside of the waist of the ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) to keep warm and support the curves of the chest. During the Xuanhe era, scholars and commoners competed to make it in a light yellow color, calling it "waist-covering yellow".
At the very top is a pale pink floral bodice, a style that has changed from the strapless, half-exposed bodice popular in the Tang Dynasty to one that covers the breasts completely. However, imagining its owner shyly unbuttoning it still evokes a sense of longing.
The brazier steamed and ironed the underwear, giving it a wonderful, misty floral fragrance.
Compared to the neatly folded women's clothes, several men's robes were scattered haphazardly on the ground.
A burly, strong, muscular, naked man rolled over and got up.
Having developed habits during his years in the military, Gao Xingzhou was not overly obsessed with last night's romantic encounter. However, he had to admit that this woman truly lived up to her name, a real beauty among women.
Wang was startled awake. She pulled up half of the brocade quilt to cover her body and asked in a soft voice, "It's not yet dawn, where is the general going?"
Gao Xingzhou carefully examined the beauty's face. She was naturally beautiful and delicate, with well-proportioned and flawless features. She was pleasing to the eye from both afar and up close.
As he dressed, he said, "The city will remain unsettled for a few more days, so you should stay home to avoid being seen and causing trouble. I'll leave a personal guard named Fu'an; if you need anything, have him take care of it."
Hua Jianxiu softly agreed, and she couldn't help but shrink deeper into the quilt. Suddenly, she felt her whole body become warm. It turned out that Gao Xingzhou had moved closer to the brazier, added a few pieces of charcoal, and made the fire burn even brighter.
"It's October and winter is here. I'm from Yanyun and don't feel the cold, so I didn't pay much attention to it. Please don't be offended, my lady."
After a pause, he introduced himself: "My surname is Gao, my given name is Xingzhou, and my courtesy name is Shangzhi."
The doors and windows were tightly shut, so no cold air could get in. Hua Jianxiu wasn't actually cold, but Gao Xingzhou's departure made her uneasy. Now that she had become a spoils of war, she had no choice but to rely entirely on the man she had been intimate with the previous night.
"Gao Xingzhou".
Hanamiya silently recited his name once and memorized it.
……
As Gao Xingzhou had predicted, the situation in Bianliang City had been turbulent for several days.
Upon entering the city yesterday, Li Cunxu learned that the Liang ruler Zhu Youzhen had committed suicide. He ordered a search and said he would not be at ease until he found the body.
Shortly afterward, someone brought a severed head as a tribute.
When the Tang army arrived suddenly, Zhu Youzhen summoned back his cousin Zhu Youhui. Together with Zhu Youliang, Zhu Youneng, and Zhu Youhui, who had previously failed in their rebellion and were imprisoned in the capital, as well as the emperor's younger brother, Prince He Zhu Youyong, and Prince Jian Zhu Youhui, they were all killed.
As the city was about to fall, Zhu Youzhen summoned Huangfu Lin, the commander of the Crane Control Army, to the corridor of Jianguo Tower and ordered him to kill Huangfu Lin to prevent him from falling into the hands of his sworn enemy and suffering humiliation.
Huangfu Lin dared not obey the imperial edict, and Zhu Youzhen angrily said, "You can't bear to do it, are you going to sell me out?"
Unable to defend himself, Huangfu Lin attempted suicide to prove his resolve, but Zhu Youzhen stopped him: "I will die with you!"
He then murdered his ruler and then committed suicide; the two died together.
Upon confirming the truth of Liang Zhu's death, Li Cunxu was greatly relieved and selected a woman to enjoy a night of pleasure.
On that day, Li Cunxu also received a special person.
This man, named Zhou Za, was not a wise minister or famous general, but a favored musician who was captured by the Liang during the Battle of Huliupi.
Li Cunxu often thought of him, and when he finally paid him a visit, he was delighted to receive him and bestowed upon him gifts of money and silk. Zhou Za then spoke of the kindness shown to him by Chen Jun, the Liang Dynasty's Director of the Imperial Music Bureau, and tearfully recommended him for the position of prefect, which Li Cunxu granted.
Li Siyuan rescued Fan Yanguang, a subordinate who had been arrested and imprisoned at Yimen after delivering a message.
Fan Yanguang was arrested and flogged hundreds of times, but despite being threatened with a sword, he never revealed his crimes. He was imprisoned for six months, during which time he was protected by the prison guards and no longer interrogated, thus saving his life.
When the Tang army arrived in Biancheng, the jailers removed his shackles and released him. Li Siyuan ordered him to pay homage to the emperor by the roadside. Taking advantage of Li Cunxu's good mood, he immediately appointed him as Grand Master of the Palace and Acting Minister of Works, thus beginning his meteoric rise to prominence. But that is another story.
The first day of conquering the Liang Kingdom thus came to an end.
The tenth day of the tenth lunar month, Gengchen day.
The officials of Liang Kingdom once again stood in the court awaiting their punishment. Li Cunxu ascended the Yuande Hall and issued an edict pardoning all the officials.
October 11th, Xin Si day.
An imperial edict ordered Wang Zan to collect the body of the Liang emperor, bury it in a Buddhist temple, lacquer his head, and seal it in a box to be stored at the Taishe Temple.
Li Keyong's oath of three arrows has now been completed, with two and a half tasks accomplished.
October 12th, Renwu day.
Duan Ning's 50,000 cavalry and infantry crossed the river from Huazhou to reinforce the city, with Du Yanqiu, the commander of the various armies, as the vanguard.
When the army arrived at Fengqiu, they encountered Li Congke. Du Yanqiu surrendered first, and Duan Ning immediately disarmed himself and led his generals to the capital to await punishment and beg for death.
Li Cunxu issued an edict bestowing upon each soldier a brocade robe, an imperial horse, and gold coins. The imperial carriage then proceeded to the northern suburbs outside the city to comfort and reward the surrendered troops, and to allow them to return to their respective camps.
Once Duan Ning surrendered, he moved freely among the high officials, arrogant and shameless. The former officials of Liang all wanted to gnash their faces and tear out his heart.
With this, the situation in Bianliang was no longer in danger of reversal. Li Cunxu sent envoys to proclaim the decrees to all the garrisons and announced the annihilation of Liang to the Wu and Shu kingdoms, thus demonstrating his power.
In the following days, the fate of the former officials of Liang was decided.
October 16th, Bingxu day.
The imperial edict demoted two chancellors and the co-prime minister to registrar of Laizhou and Dengzhou respectively; all Hanlin scholars to military commanders of Junzhou, Fangzhou, Huaizhou, and Yizhou; the scholar of Chongzheng to registrar of Mizhou and Anzhou; and the vice censor-in-chief to registrar of Suizhou.
Because his family had received the favor of the Tang Dynasty, he served the Liang Dynasty and became prominent.
The surrendered generals Duan Ning and Du Yanqiu submitted a memorial stating: "The key figures of the false Liang dynasty, Zhao Yan, Zhao Hu, Zhang Xiyi, Zhang Hanlun, Zhang Hanjie, Zhang Hanrong, Zhu Gui, and others, have assisted in establishing a tyrannical regime, incurred the wrath of others, usurped power and authority, and corrupted the people. The holy government is in need of reform, and the ringleaders should be executed."
Li Cunxu granted the imperial edict.
Zhu Wen appointed two strategists, Jing Xiang and Li Zhen, to assist him in overthrowing the Tang dynasty. The Khitan man, Sala Abo, betrayed his brother and mother, and was executed along with his entire clan in the marketplace. All other civil and military officials were spared.
Sala Abohan, whose given name was Yelü Lage, was the half-brother of Yelü Abaoji, the Khitan Khan. He served as the Great King of the Northern Court and was highly respected.
Lige had launched three rebellions against Abaoji, causing significant losses to the Khitan. After being pardoned, he sought refuge with Li Cunxu, who was younger than him, and became his adoptive father—a step down two generations from Li Keyong and Yelü Abaoji in terms of their relationship.
After the Jin army suffered a defeat at the Battle of Huliupi, Lage switched allegiance to the Liang Kingdom. Li Cunxu resented his fickleness and he eventually met his death.
The entire group, including their wives and children, numbering in the hundreds, were beheaded under the Bian Bridge.
Li Cunxu then issued an edict posthumously demoting Zhu Wen and Zhu Youzhen to commoners and destroying their ancestral temples and ancestral tablets.
October 17th, Dinghai day.
The officials of Liang were greatly shocked by the execution of the wicked clan and once again stood in the Chongyuan Hall to await punishment. An imperial edict ordered them to return to their posts.
Upon hearing that his clan would be punished for surrendering the city, Wang Zan, who had rendered meritorious service, was overcome with fear and anxiety. He bid farewell to his wife and prostrated himself on the ground, begging for death.
Li Cunxu rose from his weary state and said, "My family and yours are related by marriage, but we are merely subjects serving different masters. What crime have you committed?"
He was still appointed Prefect of Kaifeng, and later promoted to Military Governor of Xuanwu Army.
Wang Zan was the son of Wang Chongying, the former military governor of Hezhong. Wang Chongrong and Wang Chongying were both meritorious officials in suppressing Huang Chao, along with Li Keyong. Wang Zan's adopted son, Wang Ke, married Li Keyong's daughter. Despite having previously led troops to fight against Li Cunxu on the river, he was still treated leniently.
However, he fell ill from worry and died in less than a month.
Upon receiving the imperial edict, dozens of military governors either went to the capital in person or submitted memorials to await punishment.
Yuan Xiangxian, the military governor of Guide Army in Songzhou, was the first to arrive at the capital, bringing with him hundreds of thousands of precious goods to bribe Lady Liu, powerful officials, court entertainers, and eunuchs. Within ten days, he was praised throughout the country and beyond, and received extraordinary favor.
October 19th, Ji Chou day.
An imperial edict was issued ordering that the military governors, inspectors, defenders, militia commanders, prefects, and generals of the false court should not be changed. Those officers and soldiers who defected to the false court would not be questioned.
October 20th, Gengyin day.
Pingzhangshi Doulu Ge came to Bianliang from Weizhou.
The Doulu clan originated from the Murong clan of the Northern Dynasties and was a prominent family during the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Previously, Li Cunxu appointed Guo Chongtao, the Privy Councilor, to temporarily act as the head of the Central Secretariat, but this was merely a pretext to tarnish Doulu's reputation and was just a figurehead.
October 24th, Jiawu day.
Guo Chongtao was appointed as the Grand Councilor and concurrently served as the Military Governor of Chengde. Few Privy Councilors held the same position as Military Governors, and from then on, Guo Chongtao's power both inside and outside the capital increased significantly.
October 26th, Bing Shen day.
The title of Li Shaoqin was bestowed upon Duan Ning, the acting governor of Huazhou, and the title of Li Shaoqian was bestowed upon Du Yanqiu, the prefect of Huizhou. Their official positions remained unchanged.
October 27th, Dingyou day.
He bestowed upon the officials two thousand bolts of silk and two million coins, and upon the officials in charge of specific duties one thousand bolts of silk and one million coins.
Zhang Zongshi, the governor of the western capital of Liang and the prefect of Henan, came to the court and presented thousands of coins and horses. He also restored the old name Zhang Quanyi that Emperor Xizong of Tang had bestowed upon him.
Li Cunxu intended to desecrate the tomb of Zhu Wen, the founding emperor of the Later Liang dynasty, and burn the coffin and corpse. Zhang Quanyi petitioned, saying, "Although Zhu Wen is a deep enemy of the country, he is already dead, and there is no further punishment. Slaughtering his family is enough to avenge him. I beg you to spare him the burning and chopping to preserve the emperor's grace."
Li Cunxu agreed, but only leveled the gatehouse and removed the trees that had been sealed off.
October 28th, Wuxu day.
Li Siyuan, a meritorious official who devoted himself to the country and helped the nation, was appointed as the military governor of Tianping Army, the Grand Master of the Palace, the Grand Tutor, the Grand Chancellor, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Han and Tibetan Cavalry, the Marquis of Longxi, the Grand Chancellor, and the Grand Master of the Palace. He was also granted the title of Duke of the Founding State and his fief was increased. All other titles remained unchanged.
The emperor appointed Li Jiji, the eldest son of the emperor, who held the titles of Grand Master of the Palace, Grand Tutor, Governor of the Northern Capital, Commissioner of Xingsheng Palace, and Judge of the Six Armies and Guards, as Grand Commandant and Chancellor, and appointed Governor of the Eastern Capital.
October 29th, the day of Ji Hai.
A banquet was held for meritorious officials at Chongyuan Hall, and all the former generals of the Liang dynasty were present.
When Li Cunxu was drunk, he said to Li Siyuan, "Today's guests are all my formidable enemies from the other day. Now that we are all together, it is all thanks to your efforts."
Liang generals Huo Yanwei and Dai Siyuan all knelt and kowtowed before the emperor. They were then given imperial robes and wine vessels, and the gathering ended in high spirits.
……
The process of eliminating Liang and dealing with various matters took more than twenty days. Gao Xingzhou was immersed in a gentle and loving environment, enjoying himself immensely day and night.