Chapter 110: The Fall of Emperor Yongchang

When Li Yanhe returned to his tent to rest, he was utterly exhausted. He collapsed into a chair and quickly fell asleep without even realizing it.

With eyes half-closed, Li Yanhe dozed off in a haze, when suddenly a battle report was heard outside: "The barbarians are counterattacking."

At the instant he heard the news, Li Yanhe’s eyes snapped open, showing no sign that he had been asleep moments before.

He immediately stepped out of the tent and saw Emperor Yongchang emerging from his own tent. Silently, Li Yanhe positioned himself behind the emperor.

Emperor Yongchang gazed towards the barbarians who were eyeing them like predators. A faintly mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he declared, “Today, I shall make them understand that our Great Yong Dynasty is sacred and inviolable.”

Having spoken, the emperor mounted his horse first. Soldiers following closely behind also mounted theirs. Drawing his sword, Emperor Yongchang shouted loudly, “Brave sons of the Great Yong Dynasty, today we shall utterly annihilate the southern barbarians!”

As his voice rang out, the soldiers behind him roared in unison, “Great Yong will prevail! Exterminate the barbarians! Charge!”

Li Yanhe rode behind Emperor Yongchang, and soon the vast grasslands became a hellish battlefield, filled with cries and the sounds of slaughter amid the lush green plains.

At that moment, Emperor Yongchang’s horse suddenly went out of control, throwing him violently to the ground. In the blink of an eye, soldiers of the southern barbarians surged forward. Unable to evade, the emperor was slashed by one of their blades.

Without hesitation, Li Yanhe leapt from his horse. As he landed, his eyes shone with deadly resolve. He swiftly cut the throat of the attacker, blood splattering across his face.

Wiping the blood away, Li Yanhe stared coldly at the fallen foe. Supporting the emperor, who clutched his shoulder, Li Yanhe retreated toward the Great Yong soldiers.

The southern barbarians, outmatched, chose to withdraw. Emperor Yongchang, severely wounded and as the commanding general, did not pursue the enemy.

Li Yanhe escorted the emperor back to the camp. The emperor ordered the medics to dress his wounds and then coolly instructed Li Yanhe, “Investigate this for me. Find out what happened to my horse.”

Hearing this, Li Yanhe glanced at the soldiers behind him before stepping out of the tent.

Emperor Yongchang, a survivor of the skirmish, looked pale and grim, rubbing his temples as he leaned against his chair.

His injuries were severe. When the southern soldiers saw the emperor fall, they had relentlessly attacked him.

Squinting, Emperor Yongchang read the message Li Zheng had sent. A sardonic smile touched his lips as he murmured, “My sons have grown up.”

As he spoke to himself, a loyal guard placed a horseshoe nail before him. Under the dim candlelight, the emperor studied it carefully.

After a long moment, he suddenly stood up in fury and coldly ordered the guards outside, “Summon Prince Shengxuan to see me.”

When Li Yanhe entered the tent, Emperor Yongchang hurled the horseshoe nail at him, striking his head and causing it to bleed.

Kneeling, Li Yanhe was commanded by the emperor, “Explain this to me.”

Frowning upon seeing the nail, Li Yanhe asked, “What would Your Majesty have me explain?”

Without waiting for a reply, he clapped his hands. Soldiers standing guard then carried in a large box.

Blood from Li Yanhe’s forehead blurred his vision. He wiped it away and looked up at the emperor, “Would you like to see for yourself?”

Emperor Yongchang pushed him aside and opened the box, revealing an entire shipment of substandard horseshoe nails. His face darkened instantly.

He strode out of the tent toward the military supplies depot, where he found that all these nails had come from the capital.

Squinting, he asked Li Yanhe, “Find out how many warhorses have been fitted with these inferior nails!”

Overcome with anger, his wounds reopened. When his attendant tried to support him, the emperor shoved him away.

That night, the light in Emperor Yongchang’s tent burned brightly as he waited anxiously for the final report.

Though his wounds were rebandaged, his complexion was pale. No one knew how deeply enraged he was.

Soon, a report was delivered. The emperor turned to Li Yanhe: “How many warhorses have used these defective nails?”

Li Yanhe glanced at the emperor and opened his mouth but remained silent. The emperor urged, “Speak freely.”

Bowing, Li Yanhe explained, “These nails came with the first batch of supplies. The initial nails were good quality, but the later ones were inferior. Over half of our warhorses have these poor-quality nails. Your Majesty’s horse happened to be shod with them. Due to the recent prolonged campaigns, problems with the nails have surfaced.”

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongchang furiously threw the memorial on the table to the ground, his rage so intense that he coughed up blood.

Supporting his chest, he demanded, “Anything else?”

Li Yanhe continued, “The grain supplies are moldy, and the clothing and medicinal herbs are insufficient, grossly inconsistent with inventory records.”

“Based on our consumption rates, there’s only one explanation: small stones were mixed in with the grain.”

Li Yanhe clapped his hands, and soldiers brought in bags of millet.

The grain contained numerous stones. Seeing this, Emperor Yongchang asked, “If we continue fighting here, how long can these supplies last?”

Li Yanhe exhaled deeply, “Father, if it weren’t for Miao Miao’s factory regularly providing cattle, sheep, and clothing, we wouldn’t have lasted this long.”

The emperor slammed his palm on the table and ordered, “Fetch the officer responsible for the supplies.”

Li Yanhe glanced at the emperor and replied, “I’ve already sent for General Qian, who is waiting outside. Shall I bring her in now?”

Emperor Yongchang waved his hand. Li Yanhe summoned General Qian, who knelt before the emperor, saying, “Your Majesty, all these storerooms were sealed. When we inspected the supplies with officials from the capital, we weighed everything.”

“The border has always dealt with the capital this way. We only open bags to inspect contents visually; we don’t conduct thorough checks.”

“If there were no issues on the surface, we would never overturn every bag, given the vast amounts we receive daily.”

Hearing this, the emperor looked at Qian Zhongliang and asked, “Did you not conduct a full inspection?”

Qian Zhongliang answered, “Your Majesty, we always weigh the goods first. After weighing, the grain is approved. During inspection, we only open bags to check for obvious defects.”

“Stones in grain are common, and we never measure how much stone is mixed in.”

“Only today, upon detailed examination, did we discover an unusual increase in stones. We have never received supplies like this from the capital before.”

After Qian’s report, Emperor Yongchang looked at Li Yanhe and ordered, “Continue the investigation.”

Turning to Qian Zhongliang, he declared, “You have been negligent. Take him away and deliver thirty lashes with the military baton. Demote him to lieutenant.”

Then to Li Yanhe, he said, “You may withdraw.”

As Li Yanhe left the emperor’s tent, he let out a heavy sigh, gazing up at the sky. After a long moment, his trembling ceased.

Step by step, he returned to his own tent, washed his face with icy cold water from the grassland, and shivered, feeling the biting chill.

He thought silently, “Fortunately, Lin Miaomiao hasn’t established any ironworks here, nor has she transported grain to this place.”

Burying his face in the basin, he felt the deep cold seep into his bones.

Earlier, while inspecting the supplies, he had felt a chill run through him. He feared this matter might be connected to Lin Miaomiao.

Whatever the cause, any issue involving supply tampering was a grave offense.

Having campaigned for many years, Li Yanhe had never witnessed supplies being compromised.

Because guarding the border was a critical duty, such incidents never occurred with shipments from the capital.

Even minor discrepancies or stones in grain were unheard of. Li Yanhe had suspected someone was using Lin Miaomiao to frame him.

But now he realized these conspirators had grown bold, exploiting the emperor’s absence from the capital to tamper openly with military supplies.

Emperor Yongchang instructed the shadow guards behind him, “Send word to Li Zheng. I want to know as soon as possible who has embezzled military funds.”

After speaking, he struggled to stand but suddenly coughed up blood.

The white-clad attendant was alarmed and shouted for the imperial physician. That night, the camp was brightly lit and filled with anxious vigilance.

The emperor had fallen gravely ill.

Li Yanhe knelt before him and said, “Father, you cannot remain here in this condition.”

Emperor Yongchang waved him off, saying, “The southern barbarians have been pushed back. Should they attempt a return, they will need to ally with other tribes. We have not lost this battle.”

He drew a deep breath and told Li Yanhe, “This winter, have the walls rebuilt to prevent the barbarians’ return.”

Regarding supplies, he assured, “Do not worry. I will send your uncle Yuan Sihan here.”

He took another heavy breath and pointed toward the horizon.

There lay the edge of the grasslands and the border of the Eastern Sang Kingdom, a minor state.

He instructed Li Yanhe to pursue the barbarians to Eastern Sang.

Li Yanhe nodded respectfully, “Yes, Father.”

Emperor Yongchang patted his shoulder and said, “When you return victorious, that shall be the day of your wedding.”