Chapter 49: Long Howl (9)

Zhou Wucui’s words were like a basin of ice water in the scorching heat, completely waking Li Kuo up!
Indeed, ever since Da Chui was killed by Ashina Baxie’s treacherous scheme, he had never recovered. After retreating to Mi County, he locked himself in his room, refusing to see or speak to anyone. How could he avenge Da Chui or the Tang Dynasty under such circumstances?
This chaos in the Central Plains was no longer just a matter of personal grudges—it was a deep-seated national tragedy!
“Brother Dou, prepare a horse for me!”
Li Kuo took a deep breath, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and ordered firmly.
“Oh, Commander, you’ve finally come to your senses! That’s great, truly great!”
Dou Qing, who was waiting outside the county office, rushed in at the call. Holding a bowl of hot noodle soup, he urged earnestly, “I’ve reheated this soup for you three times—it’s still warm. Hurry up and eat it while it’s hot. Only by eating enough can you have the strength to avenge Brother Da Chui!”……
On Zhuque Street in Chang’an, a group of Imperial Guards was speeding by, knocking over many stalls along the road.
Vendors selling fruits and vegetables kept poking the backs of the Imperial Guards and cursing at them. If looks could kill, those guards would have died dozens of times already. These damned soldiers, who never did any proper work, relied on their status to act arrogantly and take every advantage they could.
But no matter how much they cursed, life had to go on. Take An Lushan, that barbarian, who rose in rebellion in Fanyang. When the news first spread, the whole of Chang’an was in shock. But as time passed, the outrage gradually faded, didn’t it?
In Hebei, Hedong, Luoyang, and Tongguan, the rebels advanced like a runaway train, while the imperial troops crumbled like mud shaped into pottery—losing nearly half of the country before even fighting a real battle.
But what did it matter to them? Though refugees from Shaanxi and the capital region occasionally brought news of rebels massacring towns, most people just laughed it off.
Massacres? What a joke! Did An Lushan plan to slaughter all the people of the Tang Dynasty so he could become an emperor with no real power? Did his Great Yan Dynasty not need people to serve in the army and expand its territory? Did it not need stable tax revenue?
In every dynasty, weren’t the aristocrats and imperial relatives dependent on ordinary people like them for support? If that was the case, why should they worry? They would still enlist in the army, pay taxes and grain taxes as usual. Throughout the year, they wouldn’t starve or become overly rich. Who cares who becomes emperor?

With such thoughts, the vendors shook their heads with bitter smiles, picked up the scattered fruits and vegetables, and started calling out again. “Vegetables for sale! Fresh and high-quality vegetables! Fruits for sale! Plump and juicy fruits!”… “Report! Report!” A soldier from the Imperial Guard rushed outside the Huaye Zhenghui Tower in Xingqing Palace, holding a military message and trying to burst in. “Stop!” A young eunuch glared at the reckless soldier and sneered, “Don’t you have eyes? This is the Huaye Zhenghui Tower—can you just barge in whenever you want?” Only then did the soldier realize his rudeness. He quickly bowed to the eunuch and said, “I was reckless. Please convey my message to the emperor—there’s urgent military news I must report.” “Oh, urgent news? How urgent? How many more provinces and counties have been lost in Henan? Or has Yan Gaoqing recaptured a few towns in Changshan County of Hebei? These trivial matters kept being reported—even I’m annoyed by it.” The eunuch sneered and raised an eyebrow, “I’m not unreasonable, but the emperor and the imperial concubine are taking a nap inside. Do you really want to lose your head by barging in like this?” The soldier instinctively touched his neck and smiled brightly, “Thank you for your advice. But it’s truly urgent. Please convey my message for me.” “Oh, why are you so stubborn? I’ve already told you the emperor and the concubine are resting. Can you bear the responsibility of disturbing their rest?” Seeing the soldier’s stubbornness, the eunuch angrily struck him on the head with his staff. “How about this? Give me the report first. I’ll deliver it to the emperor once he wakes up.” “But…” Though the soldier didn’t know exactly what was in the report, the tension along the way made him realize it must be serious. If he handed it to that eunuch, who might neglect it, he might end up as a criminal. “No? Fine, if not, forget it. I’m really causing trouble for nothing, and they still don’t appreciate it!” The eunuch waved his staff and glared at the soldier before turning to leave. “Wait! Please don’t go. I’ll give you the report, but you must show it to the emperor right after he wakes up!” Unable to resist, the soldier finally gave in and handed the report to the eunuch.

The little eunuch twisted the corners of his mouth, snatched the urgent military report from the Yulin Army soldiers, and said, “Why not have done this earlier? Enough, I still need to go upstairs and wait nearby. You may go now!”
Yang Yuhuan tightened the sash around her chest, sat up, and looked through the sheer curtain. She saw a little eunuch hesitantly pacing back and forth, so she waved for him to come over.
That little eunuch was the one who had taken the urgent military report from the Yulin Army soldiers. Seeing the Imperial Concubine waving at him, he hurried over.
“What’s the matter?”
Yang Yuhuan asked softly, leaning lazily against a pillow.
“Reporting to the Imperial Concubine, it’s nothing serious. It’s just a report from the Yulin Army that they want to present to Your Majesty. As you know, there have been many reports these days, all under the pretext of urgent military matters. It’s possible there’s really nothing important.”
The little eunuch replied respectfully with his head bowed.
“When was this report delivered?”
Yang Yuhuan yawned slightly and pressed further.
“It was delivered this afternoon. I feared it might disturb Your Majesty and your rest, so I held it back.”
The little eunuch bowed slightly and answered sincerely.
“A report from this afternoon? So it’s already been an hour and a half?” Yang Yuhuan frowned slightly. “Give me the report, and then leave.”
“As ordered!”
The little eunuch bowed and handed the report to Yang Yuhuan before retreating from the bedroom.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”
Yang Yuhuan gently patted Li Longji’s body and whispered in his ear.
“Hm? What is it, Yuhuan?”
Li Longji slowly opened his eyes and saw his beloved concubine Yuhuan before him. He smiled, a rare sight these days. He had been extremely troubled by the rebels’ rapid advance on the Eastern Capital. Most of the reports coming from the front lines described how fierce the rebels were and asked the court to send more reinforcements.
Hmph! If he really had enough troops, why would he worry so much over a mere An Lushan? Even the most skillful cook can’t cook without ingredients!
“This is a report delivered by the Yulin Army this afternoon. Wang Fu held it back, fearing it might disturb your lunch break.”
Yang Yuhuan handed the report to Li Longji and explained softly.
“Oh? Is that so?”
Li Longji rubbed his eyes, yawned, opened the envelope, and began to read slowly.
At first, he appeared calm, only showing a hint of fatigue. But as he read on, his brows furrowed. By the end, he threw the report onto the bed and started coughing loudly.
“It infuriates me! It truly infuriates me!”
Li Longji’s chest heaved violently, and his face turned red with anger.
“Your Majesty, why are you so angry?”

Yang Yuhuan’s expression stiffened as she asked in a low voice.
“Very well, very well! Yuhuan, come and take a look too.”
Li Longji collapsed onto the imperial bed like a deflated raft, waving his hands repeatedly.
Yang Yuhuan usually didn’t like to read reports, only occasionally reading one or two at Li Longji’s request. Now, seeing him so angry, she grew curious and picked up the report, reading it word by word.