Inside the Xuan Shi Hall, incense smoke curled upwards. Dressed in a black dragon robe, Liu Bingyi held a roll of bright yellow silk in his hand and wore a deep, unfathomable smile.
Although the Huo family appeared to have fallen from grace, Huo Guang's influence remained deeply entrenched in the provinces and the military. 'Killing someone is easy, but destroying their spirit is difficult,' thought Liu Bingyi. A large-scale purge of Huo family confidants would only provoke them into taking desperate measures. What he wanted was to shatter the Huo family at the height of their power.
"Issue my decree!" Liu Bingyi's clear voice echoed throughout the hall. 'General Huo Guang served two dynasties with unparalleled achievements. Although he has passed away, I still cherish his memory. I hereby bestow upon the Huo family ten thousand taels of gold and a thousand bolts of silk, appoint Huo Yu as Grand Marshal and grant the rank of Imperial Guard to all his sons aged sixteen and above!"
These words sent shockwaves through the court.
[System 3.0 notification: Special Strategy Activated: "Praise to Death: Cooking Oil on a Raging Fire".
Strategy Analysis: Granting the enemy honour and power beyond their capacity to bear, thereby inducing their inherent arrogance and completely alienating them from public opinion.
Current Huo Family Arrogance Value: 85% (at the critical point of 'not knowing their own limitations').
When the imperial edict arrived at the Huo residence, Huo Yu was drowning his sorrows in alcohol. Upon hearing the news of the additional honour, he was first stunned, then began to laugh wildly.
'That brat Liu Bingyi is still afraid of our Huo family in the end! So what if he cut out my tongue? This world still depends on our Huo family!"
Little did he know that every ounce of gold bestowed as a reward was a coffin nail forged by Liu Bingyi, and every ounce of power granted was pushing the Huo family towards the abyss.
While bestowing rewards, Liu Bingyi also issued a deceptive secret edict to the Prefect of Jingzhao: 'The Huo family are meritorious officials of the state. If they have committed minor offences, appease them as much as possible and avoid offending the senior officials."
This edict effectively gave the Huo family members a 'get-out-of-jail-free card' and allowed them to run rampant in Chang'an.
In less than three days, Huo family servants had crippled three veterans in a fight over a mill in the north of the city. Huo Yu's nephew also rode recklessly along Zhuque Street, crushing several poor people's vegetable stalls under his hooves and publicly humiliating an elderly scholar from a poor family.
'Get out of the way! This Chang'an belongs to the Huo family! What does it matter if I trample a few of your rotten heads?' Huo family members lashed out with their whips in the street, spraying blood.
[System 3.0 Real-Time Monitoring: Public Sentiment Deviance Statistics]
The hatred value of the lower classes: Rising to 92% (a tsunami of anger is brewing). Disappointment among impoverished scholars: 88% (They began to hope for a just and righteous official).
Meanwhile, Liu Bingyi was sitting in a side hall, holding the 'Record of the Crimes of the Huo Family', which had been presented to him by his shadow guard, Jin.
'In the past three days, Your Majesty, members of the Huo family have killed two commoners and abducted four women. The people are whispering that you are being held hostage by the Huo family and that they dare not speak out.'
Liu Bingyi gently put down the paper, his eyes unmoved. 'Not enough, still not enough. Send them another batch of fine horses bestowed by the Emperor, so they can run faster and jump higher. Tell the families of the victims to file a complaint with the Emperor. I will wait for them in the main hall.' Seven days later, Liu Bingyi made another astonishing move. Not only did he not punish the Huo family, he also bestowed further honours upon them.
'Mindful of the hard work of the Huo family, I hereby grant its members the special privilege of not removing their swords when entering or leaving the palace and of not having to bow to me. Furthermore, I bestow upon Huo Yu the privilege of not announcing his name when he bows and of not hastening his arrival in court.'"
Even the most cautious old servant of the Huo family was unsettled by this series of actions. It surpassed the treatment given to Xiao He and Cao Can in the past and was tantamount to pushing the Huo family to the brink of ruin.
However, faced with such rampant greed, Huo Yu chose to succumb and began building gardens in his residence modelled on the imperial palace. Drunk, he boasted, 'Your Majesty is young; this empire will sooner or later belong to the Huo family.'
'Master, the fish has taken the bait.' The shadow guard, 'Fire', appeared behind Liu Bingyi.
Liu Bingyi stood up and walked slowly to the window to look at the myriad lights of Chang'an. His voice was as cold as a knife.
'Has the "paper" from Zhang Anshi been distributed?'
'It has.' Newspapers recording the Huo family's crimes have spread throughout the streets and alleys of Chang'an. Scholars from humble backgrounds have also written a petition in blood and are kneeling outside the Xuan Shi Hall.'
Liu Bingyi pushed open the door. Outside, there were layers upon layers of pleading voices.
'Your Majesty! Kill the traitor Huo and restore justice to the Han dynasty!'
'Your Majesty! If the Huo family is not eliminated, it will be an injustice to Heaven!'
Liu Bingyi turned his head and looked at the brightly lit Huo mansion, revealing a cruel smile.
'General, I have already bestowed the highest honour upon the Huo family, but the people of the Han Dynasty will not accept it.'
[System 3.0 Settlement: [Praise to Death] Phase Perfectly Achieved.
The chill of winter had barely faded from Chang'an when rumours of the Emperor's 'indulgence in hunting' began to quietly spread through the streets and alleys. On the eve of the Huo family's downfall, Liu Bingyi appeared to become infatuated with the vast forests of the Shanglin Garden. Not only did he suspend court for three consecutive days, he also allocated a large sum from the imperial treasury to purchase a large number of fine horses. He spent his days leading a group of officers from humble backgrounds in the pursuit of foxes and rabbits in the royal forest.
A Huo family assassin, observing from the shadows, reported coldly to the palace: 'His Majesty is truly hopeless. Every day, besides hunting, he drinks with those rough men. He has even taken all the beautiful dancers sent by the General's Mansion, wasting his days in his tent.'
The gates of the Shanglin Garden were tightly shut and declared "Royal Forbidden Land; trespassers shall die".
However, deep within the dense forest, in open areas concealed by thick foliage, a different scene unfolded. Liu Bingyi dismounted, casually tossing his ornately decorated hunting bow to his attendant. His eyes were clear and icy, showing no trace of drowsiness from his hangover.
"Lei Zhen, have the five thousand elite cavalry assembled?"
Lei Zhen knelt on one knee, his voice laced with suppressed fervour. 'Your Majesty, according to your special training manual, the five thousand "Imperial Guard Dragon Riders" have completed their hellish drills and are all equipped with high-quality steel horseshoes and double stirrups developed by the Shadow Guard.'
[System 3.0 Notification: Parade Mode Activated]
Target detected: Imperial Guard Dragon Riders (elite).
Current status: Equipped with 'Era-Changing Stirrups', 'Lightweight Composite Bow' and 'Cold-Forged Black Iron Armour'.
Combat strength assessment: One thousand Imperial Guard Dragon Riders could decisively defeat five thousand Xiongnu Royal Court cavalry in a direct confrontation.
Liu Bingyi stepped into the basin at the edge of the dense forest.
This once desolate wilderness, now teeming with birds and beasts, was filled with 5,000 cavalrymen clad in black armour and veils. Their warhorses were also covered in semi-transparent, corrosion- and rust-resistant soft armour created by the 'Water' Division's Shadow Guards using a special coating.
Most terrifyingly, the five thousand men stood there utterly silent, save for the occasional snort.
'This is my first grand gift to the Huo family and the Xiongnu Chanyu,' said Liu Bingyi slowly, walking through the formation. With each step, his 'Top Commander Aura' expanded outwards.
The soldiers could feel an intense surge of power coursing through their bodies from their feet — the blood connection between commander and soldier. Suddenly, Liu Bingyi drew his iron sword and pointed it at the distant hillside.
'Drill begins! Target: illusory enemy camp!'
With his command, the previously still 'steel torrent' erupted instantly.
This was no longer traditional Han Dynasty mounted archery harassment. With the aid of stirrups on both sides of the saddle, the cavalry could free both their hands completely. Even during a full-speed charge, they could shoot with both hands, or even stand on the stirrups and deliver powerful blows.
Five thousand cavalrymen tore the simulated camp on the hillside to shreds like giant black shears. With his eyes closed, Liu Bingyi used the 'God's-eye view' system to precisely see the running trajectory of each horse and the slashing angle of each longsword.
'Not enough,' he thought. 'Increase the speed by another thirty percent!' The [High-Efficiency Adrenaline] module in the system was instantly activated, forming a halo.
At that moment, it seemed as if the roar of a dragon could truly be heard above Shanglin Garden.
As night fell, Liu Bingyi returned once more to the camp filled with the scent of perfume.
The Huo family's dancers performed gracefully at the banquet, but no one noticed that the 'foolish emperor' seated at the head of the table was not playing with a golden cup, but an arrowhead covered in yellow sand and bearing the insignia of the Xiongnu Chanyu.
The shadow guard, 'Jin', appeared silently behind the screen.
'Your Majesty, Huo Yu hosted a banquet for three lieutenant generals of the Northern Army tonight, attempting to consolidate military power through rewards. He even boasted after drinking that, if you continue 'hunting' in the Shanglin Garden, Chang'an will soon have a new master.'
Upon hearing this, Liu Bingyi's lips curled into a cruel smile. He casually picked up a glistening grape, popped it into his mouth and gave a vague laugh.
'Let him go and win them over. I've trained these five thousand dragon riders — wouldn't it be a waste if they didn't have a good whetstone?'
He stood up and walked to the tent flap. He could see the brightly lit city of Chang'an in the distance. Behind him, five thousand Imperial Guard dragon riders were silently polishing their blades in the darkness of the forest.
'Jin, give that piece of paper to Zhang Anshi. Tell him the stage is ready. New Year's Day is the day after tomorrow, and I'm going to invite the Huo family to a blood-red fireworks display at Shanglin Garden.'
[System 3.0 Settlement: [Hidden Dragon in the Abyss] Mission Stage Achieved.
The atmosphere inside the Xuan Shi Hall plummeted to freezing. In the centre of the hall, a weary envoy knelt, wrapped in a sheepskin coat worn smooth by wind and sand. He held aloft a bloodstained urgent report.
'Your Majesty,' he began, 'the Xiongnu Chanyu, Huyandi, has amassed 100,000 cavalry and is passing through Shoujiang City. The Western Regions are terrified. The Wusun Kunmi requests that the Han Dynasty send troops to support them; otherwise, all thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions will surrender to the Xiongnu!'
Liu Bingyi, seated on the dragon throne, trembled slightly. The golden cup in his hand fell to the ground with a jarring clatter.
'One hundred thousand... one hundred thousand iron cavalry?' His face pale, Liu Bingyi looked pleadingly at Huo Guang below the steps. 'General, what should we do? I've only just hunted a few rabbits in my Shanglin Garden. Are the Xiongnu already coming to take my head?'
Huo Guang stood with his hands behind his back, a hint of undisguised contempt flashing in his eyes. Seeing Liu Bingyi in such a hopeless state, the last vestige of doubt in Huo Guang's heart vanished.
'Your Majesty, do not panic.' Huo Guang's voice was calm, yet it carried an air of domineering control. 'The Xiongnu are but a minor ailment. This old minister only needs to mobilise the Huo family's veteran troops, along with the Northern Army, and we will surely repel them. However, this troop deployment requires military tallies and access to the imperial treasury, and it will be extremely costly. What does Your Majesty think?"
"Here! All for the general!' Liu Bingyi interrupted him urgently, almost stumbling as he pulled the military tally from his robes. 'As long as Chang'an can be protected, I will grant your request!'
Just as Huo Guang smugly accepted the tally and turned to leave, the fear in Liu Bingyi's eyes vanished, replaced by a sense of calm and purpose.
[System 3.0: Holographic War Simulation Mode – Activated]
A command entered his mind and his previously empty consciousness was instantly filled with a vast, dynamic, 3D map. Gone was the basic sheepskin map of the Han Dynasty; in its place was a [Full-Domain Topographic Map], combining modern remote sensing and system detection technology.
[System monitoring]
Enemy coordinates: The main force of the Xiongnu is located at Longju Mountain (around 45°N).
Climate forecast: Heavy snow and crosswinds are expected in the northern desert in three days.
Supply Line Analysis: The Xiongnu rely on sheep for logistics and have high mobility but weak defences.
Liu Bingyi's consciousness has transformed into a pair of 'God's hands', rapidly tracing patterns on the map.
'Jin, pass down the order: the military tally that Huo Guang took is fake. The real Northern Army Tiger Tally is in Chang Hui's hands. First, send those 100,000 Xiongnu cavalry deep into the southern desert. I want to use the 'siege where the enemy leaves an opening' strategy."
In his mind, he simulated thousands of battle scenarios, with the system precisely calculating the trajectory of every cavalry charge, the elevation at the ambush point and the stamina consumption of the warhorses in the snow.
'The general thinks he's mobilising troops, but every unit he moves will unknowingly fall into my preordained trap.'
'Master, the Xiongnu envoy sent to Huo's residence has been intercepted.' Shadow Guard 'Water' emerged from the shadows, holding a poisoned letter.
Liu Bingyi sneered. Huo Guang was indeed playing with fire. On the one hand, he appeared to be fighting for the country; on the other, he was secretly colluding with the Xiongnu in order to use them to eliminate his newly formed 'Imperial Guards' cavalry. Then he would quell the chaos himself and establish 'unparalleled merit'.
'Use their scheme against them.' Liu Bingyi's slender fingers tapped lightly on the desk. 'Change the secret letter and send it back. Tell the Chanyu that the main force of the Han army is "drinking and making merry" in the Shanglin Garden and that Chang'an's defences are weak. This will lure him into a deep and isolated ambush in Shuofang.'
His gaze locked onto a spot on the simulation map — Mount Langjuxu.
'The Grand Marshal and the General of Chariots and Cavalry failed to accomplish these achievements, but with the blessing of this system, I will personally complete them.'
At that moment, the bells of Chang Le Palace rang.
Liu Bingyi stood up, shedding his feigned madness. His 'top commander aura' was released without reservation and the entire Xuan Shi Hall seemed to be shrouded in the invisible might of a dragon, the air growing heavier still.
'Huo Guang, Huo Guang, you desire this vast empire? Then I will bestow upon you a victory of utter annihilation.'
The snowstorm in Chang'an intensified. During this bleak winter, a ghostly green fire blazed fiercely in a secluded room at the back of the General's Mansion.
Huo Guang's wife, Huo Xian, stared intently at an exquisite lacquered wooden box in her hands. Huo Guang's deception of Liu Bingyi's feigned weakness in court had inflated the Huo family's arrogance to an extreme degree. However, the cunning Huo Xian had sensed that Xu Pingjun, a former marketplace vendor, now held a firm position in the Empress's Palace — the ultimate humiliation for Huo Chengjun, the eldest Huo daughter.
'Chengjun is already a Jieyu, yet she still has to pay her respects to that lowly woman who sells pancakes every day?' Huo Xian's nails dug deeply into her palms and her face contorted with rage. 'As long as Xu Pingjun lives, my Huo family's daughters can only be concubines, and my Huo family's bloodline cannot inherit the throne!'
Beside her, a strange man in a black robe spoke in a hoarse voice, 'Madam, this medicine is called "Qianji Yin". It is colorless and odorless and dissolves instantly in water. After ingestion, the internal organs will rupture within three days. Even the most skilled in the palace..." Even the most experienced imperial physicians would only be able to diagnose it as 'postpartum weakness and a ruptured heart meridian'.
"Good." A ruthless glint flashed in Huo Xian's eyes. "The Grand General is busy with the 'war' against the Xiongnu and has no time to attend to the harem. Taking advantage of the chaos surrounding His Majesty's personal campaign, I will ensure that Xu Pingjun never sees the spring blossoms next year.'
Unbeknownst to her, the moment she closed the wooden box, a piercing roar erupted in Liu Bingyi's mind at the military camp a hundred miles away.
Liu Bingyi jolted awake from his cot, his undergarments instantly soaked with cold sweat.
[System 2.0 Emergency Warning! Highest Level Life Threat Detected!]
Target: Empress Xu Pingjun of the Han dynasty.
Source of threat: the Huo family is plotting to poison her with a poison called the 'Tethering Mechanism'.
Effect countdown: 72 hours.
Current status: The host is 450 kilometres from Chang'an and conventional rescue methods are unavailable.
'Damn it!' Liu Bingyi slammed his fist onto the simple wooden table, shattering it instantly. He had expected the Huo family to act first in court, but he had underestimated the ruthlessness of the women in the inner quarters.
'System, activate "Consciousness Projection"! Activate 'Shadow Guard Supreme Privilege'!"
[Warning: The host is currently in a critical period of leading the imperial army. Activating long-distance intervention will consume 90% of mental energy, potentially causing the host to fall into a coma during the upcoming confrontation on the battlefield. Continue?'
'Enough nonsense! What use is this vast empire if I can't save Pingjun?' Liu Bingyi's eyes flashed with golden light, revealing the rage of an emperor and the fury of a husband.
He took a deep breath and his pupils turned completely purple-gold. Amidst the gasps of his guards, his body entered a strange state of suspended animation. At the same time, his consciousness instantly descended upon the body of 'Shui', the Shadow Guard of Chang'an, through System 3.0's 'Dragon Soul Connection'.
Chang'an, Jiaofang Palace.
It was the dead of night. Xu Pingjun sat under the lamp, meticulously sewing knee pads for Liu Bingyi. She was unaware that death had already crept into her bedchamber.
A palace maid, bribed by Huo Xian, trembled as she poured a pinch of powder into Xu Pingjun's nightly bird's nest porridge.
'Your Highness, the porridge is warm. Please drink it while it's hot..." The maid's voice trembled with barely suppressed sobs.
Just as Xu Pingjun picked up the jade bowl, a faint dripping sound filled the air. 'Drip.'
Upon contact with some unseen force, the once-transparent bird's nest porridge instantly transformed into a jet-black poison.
The bird's nest porridge, which was once transparent, instantly transformed into a jet-black poison upon contact with some unseen force, emitting a nauseating, fishy stench.
"Ah!" Xu Pingjun screamed. The jade bowl fell to the ground and corroded a smoking black hole in the expensive Persian carpet.
'Who?' The maid who had poisoned the porridge screamed as she tried to escape, but found herself pinned to the spot by a terrifying pressure.
The shadow guard 'Shui' emerged from the shadows. His voice was no longer cold and mechanical, but carried the chilling imperial authority of Liu Bingyi himself.
'Pingjun, don't be afraid. I'm here.'
'Your Majesty?' Xu Pingjun looked at the Shadow Guard, who radiated murderous intent, and recognised her husband in his eyes.
'Arrest her. Don't let her die,' Liu Bingyi ordered coldly through the shadow guard. 'Shui, trace the poison back to the Huo residence and bring me the man in black who concocted it. Remember, I want him alive. I want him to taste what he concocted himself.'
At the same time, in the system's virtual space, Liu Bingyi activated Citywide Manhunt Mode.
All secret agents connected to Huo Xian were exposed under the system's infrared scan. Not only did he have to rescue Xu Pingjun, he also had to use this opportunity to root out the spies that the Huo family had planted in the harem.
"Huo Xian, since you want to play with poison, I'll show you what a real 'poisonous feather' looks like."
He instructed his shadow guard to retrieve a 'Truth Pill' produced by the system from his robes. Originally intended for interrogating spies, he would now use it to expose the General's Mansion's final pretence.
An hour later, the door to the secret chamber of the Huo Mansion was shattered by a powerful surge of water pressure.
Huo Xian sat up with a scream, having had a sweet dream. He saw the black-robed poison master thrown at his feet like a dead dog, his bones crushed by the shadow guard.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass in the General's Mansion!' Huo Xian screamed.
The shadow guard, Water, didn't speak, but slowly walked towards Huo Xian, conjuring a constantly spinning water blade. Through the shadow guard's eyes, Liu Bingyi's cold gaze met the poisonous woman's.
"Since you find this medicine effective, keep it and consume it slowly."
The shadow guard flicked his wrist and the box of poison, which had been intended for the palace, was swept away by the flowing water and poured down Huo Xian's throat.
"Ugh! Ugh!" Huo Xian scratched his neck in agony, his eyes filled with terror.
Meanwhile, a hundred miles away, in a military tent, Liu Bingyi suddenly opened his eyes and spat out a mouthful of blood; his spiritual energy was almost completely depleted. However, his gaze was colder than ever before.
'Send word to Chang Hui: advance the plan. Within three days, I want news of the Huo family's complete collapse deep in the desert."