Chapter 88

General Yang Yi, the commander of the Anyang County troops, had been living in fear and trepidation these past few days. Everything had been going smoothly until the Western Qin army arrived at the city gates but did not launch an attack. Instead, they plundered Anyang County and extorted countless gold and silver from the county magistrate Cheng Pingzhi before retreating, leaving Anyang City unscathed. Of course, this could not be reported to the imperial court as such. In the memorial, with County Magistrate Cheng Pingzhi as the leader and Yang Yi as the defending general, they led the entire army in strict defense. The entire city of Anyang, with all its people, was ready for battle. The strong bandits of Western Qin, seeing no opportunity to exploit, had to retreat in disappointment. Along with the memorial, a list of those who deserved commendation was also submitted.

Of course, there were no lack of wise people in the court, but everyone had to play along. In the Anyang County troops, there were quite a few sons of high-ranking officials serving, and even if they knew the truth, they would still unanimously agree with the memorial.

At this critical moment when the Western Border Army was completely annihilated, the mere fact that they had defended Anyang City would become exceptionally significant. With this achievement as a foundation, it would provide a good basis for future transfers to better positions.

However, what made Cheng Pingzhi and Yang Yi extremely uneasy was that after the memorial reached the emperor, there was no response. The news that followed from the capital city shocked them even more.

Especially for Yang Yi, it was as if he had lost a parent. Crown Prince Min Ruocheng had fallen, and even more fatal was that Left Chancellor Yang Yihuo, who had strongly supported the crown prince, had angered the emperor and was forced to resign and return to his hometown.

For Cheng Pingzhi, it was not so bad. Although he held a position, he had not explicitly supported any prince politically. However, under the influence of Left Chancellor Yang Yihuo, his actions were somewhat biased towards the second prince, Min Ruoying. The fall of the crown prince and the rise of the second prince might even be a good thing for him. What shocked him was the real reason for the annihilation of the Western Border Army, which was transmitted from the capital.

This was a document marked as top secret, personally signed by the second prince, and only issued to the county magistrates, not even Yang Yi knew the details.

After the shock, came anger. The crown prince's actions not only betrayed Left Chancellor Yang Yihuo but also put him in a difficult position. If Anyang County were to fall, he, as the county magistrate, would be held responsible. Filled with righteous indignation, he wrote a memorial demanding severe punishment for Crown Prince Min Ruocheng, but after some thought, he decided to hold it back. It turned out that this matter also had no follow-up.

It seemed that the old emperor's health was failing, and his paternal love made him reluctant to punish his son. This was a common human sentiment, but thinking about the fate of Left Chancellor Yang Yihuo and the 60,000 soldiers of the Western Border Army, Cheng Pingzhi could not help but feel a sense of sorrow.

But that was all. At this critical moment, any out-of-line behavior would invite suspicion. Cheng Pingzhi adopted a steady approach and began the orderly work of disaster relief.

This was his first time in office, but there were many local officials in Anyang County who had served for over twenty years, and they were well-versed in such matters, which saved him a lot of trouble.

Compared to Cheng Pingzhi's calmness, Yang Yi was far from composed. Although he was related to Left Chancellor Yang Yihuo, the relationship was distant, and it was uncertain whether Yang Yihuo even remembered him. However, in the past, he had always boasted about this connection, and now, trying to distance himself was impossible.

Every time he thought about this, he felt a deep hatred. "You old bastard, Yang Yihuo, weren't you just asking for it? The crown prince did something so outrageous, and you still tried to protect him. You're just asking for death. It's not just you who will die, but you will also drag a lot of innocent people down with you!"

Yang Yi naturally considered himself one of the innocent. At this moment, he forgot that his smooth career over the years had relied on the great reputation of Left Chancellor Yang Yihuo. If he claimed to be a relative of the left chancellor, who would dare to ask Yang Yihuo? Even if it were investigated, there would be some distant connections.

Past glory had now become a fatal burden. "Thirty years on this side of the river, thirty years on the other side. The ancients were not wrong!"

Yang Yi could sense the changes around him. First, his deputy, Suxian, who used to bow humbly and smile when he saw him, now walked with his head held high and chest puffed out, addressing him as "Brother Yang" instead of "General Yang." This small change in title represented a loss of respect.

Suxian's change made Yang Yi feel the coldness of the world, but the changes in others' attitudes towards him made him feel panic, especially from Cheng Pingzhi.

Last night, Cheng Pingzhi called Suxian to discuss the defense of Anyang County and the suppression of bandits. After a major upheaval, bandits would inevitably rise, and such matters requiring the mobilization of county troops should have involved him, the chief officer. The meaning behind this was clear.

Today, when he went to the county magistrate's office to requisition the May salary, the grain official, who usually smiled and gave him an extra ten percent to curry favor, now put on an official face and only gave him eighty percent of the salary. He claimed that the county magistrate said that during this difficult time, the county troops should share the hardships with the people.

"Ha!" Yang Yi spat in his heart. "They just see that my days are numbered and want to kick me while I'm down."

In the political arena, it was normal to flatter the powerful and belittle the weak, and Yang Yi had done this himself. But when it happened to him, it was extremely uncomfortable.

Even minor officials who were previously insignificant now dared to mistreat him, showing how dire his situation had become. In recent days, Yang Yi was even reluctant to go to the camp. Among the county troops, many of the commanding officers had backgrounds and received information faster than the county magistrate. Their faces changed even more quickly.

He walked dejectedly down the street, leading his horse home. It seemed he needed to send his family away first and quickly transfer the wealth he had accumulated over the years. Otherwise, when the second prince changed his attitude, he would surely suffer. He dared not run away, but could he resign first? This would show that he was reasonable and might win some favor.

Over the years, apart from being somewhat greedy, he had not done any evil deeds. He did not think anyone would want his life. With these worst-case scenarios in mind, Yang Yi sighed deeply.

"General, General, the lady has asked you to return home quickly," a family member, drenched in sweat, ran up to him from a distance.

"What's the matter at home? Why are you in such a hurry?" Yang Yi growled, dissatisfied. He was still the commander of the county troops and a prominent figure in the county. The family member's behavior had already attracted the attention of passersby.

"General, someone from the capital has come, it's the Imperial Guard!" The family member lowered his voice, but could not hide the tremor in it.

Yang Yi's legs went weak, almost causing him to fall. The Imperial Guard! Why would the Imperial Guard come from the capital? Apart from his distant relationship with Yang Yihuo, he had never done anything to deserve such a visit.

His first reaction was to flee. But where to? His wife and children were still at home. Was he going to push them into the fire? Going to Cheng Pingzhi for help was useless; his attitude towards him in recent days was already clear.

He gritted his teeth, straightened his body, and threw the reins to the family member. With his hands behind his back, he tried to suppress his inner panic and walked step by step towards home.

Whether he faced it or avoided it, it was still a matter of life and death. What else could he do?

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