As Yu Huatian, Ma Teng, and others conversed nearby, Emperor Ling, Liu Hong, began to frown.
Han Sui? Bian Zhang? Though their names sounded unfamiliar, their faces seemed somewhat recognizable. And that Ma Teng! If he recalled correctly, wasn't this lad a descendant of General Fubo, Ma Yuan? How had he become entangled with Ye Feng and his group? Could it be that the hidden noble families behind Ye Feng were actually located within Liang Province? That made sense! Judging by the appearance of his soldiers, they didn't seem like men who had never seen battle. And to cultivate soldiers while having them participate in actual combat? Was there any place more suitable than Liang Province?
Thinking of the frequent rebellions that had erupted in Liang Province over the years, the Emperor's expression turned grim. After all, at what cost had the Han court suppressed those inexplicable uprisings? Soldiers had fallen, renowned generals had perished, and the expenditure of money and supplies had reached tens of billions. And the result? Whether the Qiang and Hu rebellions were quelled was unknown, but instead, armies with excellent armor and weaponry had emerged. Did he even need to ask what this meant?
"Damn it!" "This is too much!" The thought that the Han dynasty had spent tens of billions on provisions and funds, only to help Ye Feng train so many elites, made the Emperor feel like spitting blood. He had previously thought Ye Feng had no power in Liang Province! No wonder the scouts had been wandering in You Province and other areas for so long without finding their training grounds. So, it was all here! How could they possibly find it? Ye Feng and his subordinates must have been laughing their heads off at the scouts searching in vain. It was simply, simply…
"Your Majesty~!"
Just as the Emperor was struggling to suppress his anger, Yu Huatian's voice suddenly reached his ears. "The three generals are paying their respects to you, Your Majesty. Would you like to acknowledge them first?"
"Ah?" "Yes, yes, yes…" The Emperor, snapping back to reality, felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. Looking at the three men bowing before him, he quickly stepped forward to support them. "Generals, please rise quickly! There is no need for such formalities between sovereign and subject. We will be relying on all of you in the future!"
"Your Majesty is too kind!" Faced with Emperor Liu Hong's overtures, Ma Teng and the others couldn't help but smile. They had no choice! Ye Feng had ordered them to obey this fellow. Perhaps he didn't know it yet! But once he met Ye Feng and decided to deal with them later?
"Your Majesty~!" Perhaps considering the arduous days ahead, Han Sui was the first to step forward and curry favor. "You must have had a tiring journey. Why don't we enter the city first?"
"Indeed!" Ma Teng, also regaining his composure, quickly chimed in. "We've already had someone prepare the palace, and you can move in immediately upon arrival!" As he spoke, Ma Teng gestured to the somewhat dazed Emperor before him. "Your Majesty, please go first!"
"Ah?" "This…" The Emperor, who had been prepared to be treated coldly, was unaccustomed to the enthusiasm shown by Ma Teng and the others. What was going on? Were they… trying to please him? Why? Although he hadn't clearly heard their specific positions, they were undoubtedly important figures in that army. What benefit would they gain from flattering a deposed emperor like himself? Did they want promotions? He wouldn't mind issuing an imperial decree, but the key was that Ye Feng and his associates recognized them! Otherwise, any official position he granted would be worthless in Ye Feng's eyes, wouldn't it?
Of course! Despite his mind still being somewhat bewildered, the Emperor did not stand there foolishly. In his experience, this was a minor affair! What was the big deal about some troops? He had seen them before! When he inspected the Five Garrisons of the Northern Army back then, didn't tens of thousands of soldiers salute him? This was…
The Emperor, who had intended to comfort himself, was completely taken aback by the scene that unfolded next. As Ma Teng, leading the way, slightly gestured, an army stretching as far as the eye could see knelt down on one knee simultaneously, their voices echoing in unison: "We pay our respects to Your Majesty!" "We pay our respects…" "We…"
Listening to the wave after wave of shouts, Emperor Liu Hong felt his head begin to throb. Who could endure this? Even though he had experienced the salutes of the Northern Army's Five Garrisons, could they compare to these people? Listen! Listen to their perfectly synchronized voices, how beautiful it was! If, if these people truly belonged to him, how wonderful it would be! With such an elite force, what fear would the Yellow Turban rebels pose? They would be crushed in an instant. It was a pity that these formidable troops all had a common master… Ye Feng!
Thinking of this, the Emperor, who had been momentarily filled with enthusiasm, instantly calmed down. Waving his hand, he signaled for everyone to rise and, as if casually, asked, "General Ma, General Han, how many troops are stationed here?"
"Heh heh…" Hearing the Emperor's question, a proud smile involuntarily spread across Ma Teng's face. At this moment, he had completely forgotten his initial awkwardness upon seeing these troops, and he calmly introduced, "Reporting to Your Majesty, there are eighty thousand infantry and twenty thousand cavalry here, a total of one hundred thousand troops!"
"Ten, ten thousand?!" Although he had long known that there would be a significant number of troops here, one hundred thousand still exceeded Liu Hong's expectations. These were not the cannon fodder of the Yellow Turban rebels or the allied forces defending the capital! If they were deployed, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they could take on a hundred enemies, or at least one against ten! And there were one hundred thousand here?! This…
Swallowing hard, Emperor Liu Hong still couldn't suppress the desire in his heart. "General Ma, since there are one hundred thousand troops here, why don't we directly exterminate the Yellow Turbans and capture Luoyang?" "Don't worry!" "As long as we can eliminate the Yellow Turban rebels, I, I am willing to share the rule of the world with Ye, with the King of You Province, and we shall not interfere with each other!" "How about it?"
"Heh heh…" Hearing the Emperor's proposal, it wasn't just Ma Teng, but even Yu Huatian couldn't help but chuckle. "Your Majesty, to put it bluntly, is your world yours to command?"
"How, how can it not be?!" Facing Yu Huatian's calm tone, the Emperor said with dwindling confidence, "Before, before I did not have enough troops."
"Is that so?" Yu Huatian smiled noncommittally and casually pointed at the army beside him. "Then how can you guarantee that these soldiers, in your hands, won't be bought off by those people?" "This…" "And how can you guarantee that once they control these soldiers, they will still obediently listen to you?" "I…" "You can't guarantee it!"
Despite standing before the current Son of Heaven, Yu Huatian spoke without restraint. "Besides the small area of your imperial palace, you can't even control Luoyang city!" "If it weren't for the rifts between those noble families, you probably wouldn't even be able to keep your throne, would you?" "The fact that you are still alive under these circumstances is due to my lord showing mercy!"
"Actually…" At this point, Yu Huatian paused, a slight curve forming at the corner of his mouth. "I don't agree with my lord keeping you alive!" "Because compared to the First Prince, you are clearly a more restless individual!" "It's a pity!" "My lord remembers past favors and even now still intends to help the Han dynasty!" "But whether you can seize this opportunity depends on yourself!"
"…" Listening to Yu Huatian's almost reprimanding words, Emperor Liu Hong's face turned beet red. Humiliation! Utter humiliation! How had he, the dignified Son of Heaven of the Han dynasty, ever been so insulted by a mere eunuch? But after the humiliation, Liu Hong sadly realized that he could do nothing. Or rather, although Yu Huatian's tone was unpleasant, the meaning behind his words was entirely accurate. He was truly alive now because Ye Feng had shown mercy! After all, if one wanted to control a puppet, a child would definitely be more suitable than an adult. But he was unwilling! Why! He, Liu Hong, was the Son of Heaven of the Han dynasty, a descendant of Emperor Wu! Ye Feng, who had appeared out of nowhere, why did so many people support him?
Of course! Although Liu Hong's heart was now filled with indignation, his mind became exceptionally clear. "Eunuch, you are correct!" Turning to bow deeply to Yu Huatian, Emperor Liu Hong let out a long sigh. "It was I who was reckless!" "How about this…" "Everyone, pretend I never said those words. Let's enter the city first!"
"That would be excellent~!" Seeing the Emperor's change in demeanor, Yu Huatian and Ma Teng exchanged glances, their eyes holding a lingering smile. That's more like it! If Ye Feng only wanted a puppet emperor, he could have directly put the First Prince Liu Bian on the throne. Why was Liu Hong kept alive? As mentioned before! Ye Feng was loyal only to the Han people as a race, not to the so-called Han dynasty. The reason for keeping Liu Hong alive was that, frankly, Liu Hong was quite capable. To be able to contend with those noble families for so long, and for the Han dynasty to maintain superficial peace during his reign, was undoubtedly a sign of ability. And now, this was exactly what Ye Feng needed! He didn't want the Yellow Turban rebels and the Han dynasty to fight to the death, nor did he want the Sili region to become desolate. Ye Feng was confident he could achieve a temporary peace! But what about civil administration? Apologies! Even his stronghold in You Province was still in disarray, how could he focus his attention here? Therefore, someone was needed to govern here! Chen Gong? No! Although Chen Gong's military insight and abilities were not bad, his governance of internal affairs was somewhat lacking. Most importantly, if Liu Hong were killed and the First Prince Liu Bian installed, Chen Gong alone might not be able to maintain order. If the young emperor were then instigated, wouldn't they have to break ties? That wouldn't do! If Chen Gong couldn't suppress the situation, the Sili region might fall into chaos again. In contrast, the Emperor, who understood priorities, was more suitable than the young emperor. First, he knew his predicament and what he needed. Second, he inherently possessed the ability and habitually sought to control the noble families. At that time, Chen Gong and Ma Teng, and others, only needed to firmly stand by the Emperor's side. And as long as the Emperor could control the imperial court, the surrounding livelihood would naturally develop. What a perfect tool!