After a banquet, He Jin changed clothes with the help of a maid, washed his face with warm water, then headed toward the imperial palace under the escort of over a hundred armored soldiers.
He had not used to bring so many armored soldiers when going out. A dozen or so guards had been enough. After all, Luoyang was the capital of the realm. It would be an exaggeration to say no one picked up lost goods and doors went unbarred at night, but few had truly dared to commit crimes.
But now, Emperor Liu Hong had ordered elite troops from every province and commandery to enter Luoyang and defend it. After tens of thousands of visiting troops had stationed themselves in Luoyang, the soldiers were dazzled by the city's glittering pleasures. Coupled with lax discipline, many formed bands to plunder the wealth of rich households. If anyone dared resist, they were slaughtered along with the rest, their heads piled into small mounds of skulls to terrorize others.
The mixed Hu troops from the borderlands in particular ran utterly wild. Street murders for money and the abduction of women happened one after another without end.
Some ministers could not stand it and memorialized the Emperor, asking him to properly rein them in. Liu Hong sent He Jin and Deng Sheng to handle the matter, but neither had any good solution. This was precisely the time to rely on the many visiting armies. If they harshly suppressed the disorderly soldiers and unsettled all the armies, how could they unite their hearts to defend the city?
After discussing it, He Jin and Deng Sheng could only seize several dozen of the most rampant mixed Hu soldiers and behead them. They hung their bloody heads before the camps of every army, which at least made the forces straighten up and no longer dare behave so wantonly.
Yet while they did not dare act openly, there were always those who acted in the shadows. Some soldiers broke into civilian homes at night, murdering and brutalizing the people, leaving everyone in a state of panic.
He Jin had no way to deal with this. First, the soldiers committing the crimes could not be caught at all. Second, rumors had actually arisen in the city, claiming that He Jin wished to kill every visiting soldier, and that the visiting armies would be better off uniting first to kill He Jin and the other high-ranking nobles. Then Luoyang's prosperity could be shared among all the armies.
This rumor frightened He Jin greatly. He immediately abandoned his plans to continue rectifying military discipline and no longer went out casually, fearing he might be forcibly killed in the street. Even when he did go out, he had to bring over a hundred fully armed soldiers.
Sitting in his carriage, He Jin surveyed the streets on either side. There were few pedestrians, and every trade was withering. Clearly, the city's people had been terrified by the disorderly troops and were cowering at home, afraid to venture outside.
He Jin let out a low sigh. Still seated in his carriage, he entered the imperial palace and, under the guidance of a palace eunuch, arrived at a side hall.
Inside, Liu Hong drank with a deeply furrowed brow. Seated to either side of him were Clan Chief Liu Yan and a valiant young man with long arms.
"He Jin, you have come. Sit," Liu Hong said, raising his eyes.
He Jin took his seat and said, "Your Majesty, I have come this time to request battle. Sima Sun Jian is willing to lead five thousand troops out of the city to engage the Moth Bandits and sound out their situation."
Liu Hong shook his head. "Denied."
He Jin froze. Liu Yan, seated beside him, gave a helpless smile. "I too have come to request battle from His Majesty."
He pointed to the valiant young man. "This is Liu Bei, courtesy name Xuande, a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan and a kinsman of the Han imperial house. He once studied under Lord Lu and now serves under Gongsun Zan."
He Jin examined Liu Bei. He was not very old, only in his twenties, yet his expression was resolute and his gaze steady, making a favorable impression.
Facing Liu Hong, Liu Yan said, "Your Majesty, defending the city cannot mean merely holding fast. We must periodically leave the city to battle the enemy. Otherwise, morale within the city will only sink lower and lower, and Luoyang will become impossible to preserve. Xuande is brave and skilled in battle. Let him lead an army out to fight and raise the troops' spirits."
Liu Hong still shook his head.
It was precisely because Liu Bei was brave that he did not wish to send him into battle. It had not been easy to find a talented commander surnamed Liu. Would it not be a pity if he died at the hands of the Yellow Turban Army?
He was still counting on Liu Bei to protect him while he fled after the city fell!
"The false god among the Moth Bandits truly possesses demon arts, beyond the power of men to withstand. Sending our forces outside the city to fight would be nothing but sending them to their deaths," Liu Hong said. "Better to hold the city tightly. Luoyang's walls are high and thick. Even if that false god's demon arts are astonishing, he may not necessarily be able to breach them."
Liu Yan said helplessly, "But if we do that, morale will inevitably fall..."
"And would it not fall if we left the city and suffered defeat?" Liu Hong snapped in displeasure. "I fear it would fall even further. Then defending the city would become still harder."
Liu Yan and He Jin looked at each other, speechless.
That was indeed true. If they sent a powerful army out to fight the Yellow Turban Army and it was defeated, would the troops still have the confidence to defend the city?
"Then..."
Liu Yan hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. Leaving the city to fight is no good; holding the city damages morale; and there will be no more reinforcements from outside. Can we only wait to die in Luoyang?
Liu Hong had thought of the same thing. He drank two cups of wine in succession with bitter resentment, then rose and paced the hall with his hands behind his back. He Jin and Liu Yan could only sigh, while Liu Bei's brow was tightly knit.
Suddenly, Liu Hong stopped. His eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands. "I have it!"
The three were stunned and looked up at the somewhat delighted Liu Hong. Liu Hong said excitedly, "He Jin, Clan Chief, why don't we seek peace with the Moth Bandits?"
The three stood dumbfounded.
Seek peace?
The enemy was already at the city gates, and now he wanted peace? Was this not a joke?
But Liu Hong said, "Luoyang's walls are high and thick, and tens of thousands of soldiers loyal to Great Han guard it. Even if the Moth Bandits can take it, they will likely suffer grievous casualties. They may not be willing to force an assault.
"If I take the initiative to seek peace, it may well suit their wishes. Besides, if the Moth Bandits agree to withdraw their troops back to Ji Province, I am willing to divide the realm equally with that false god!"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became, his eyes shining. "I can yield Ji, Yan, Qing, Xu, You, and Yang Provinces to them, and let them establish their so-called Great Peace Yellow Heaven!
"If that is still not enough, Yu Province can be given to them as well! The eastern half of the realm, with more than half its population, will all be theirs. That will be enough for them to enjoy!"
When his words fell, He Jin was somewhat moved.
Such generous terms—gained without losing a single soldier—gave the Moth Bandits a considerable chance of accepting.
The only problem was that once the Moth Bandits gained several of the richest provinces in the realm, their strength would grow enormously. If they raised troops again to attack the Han Court, the Han Court would still perish in the end.
Still, surviving for as long as they could was better than having Luoyang breached now and dying at the enemy's hands.
Liu Yan, however, kept a stiff face. "Your Majesty, you must not! This is an act that will ruin the state! The court officials will not agree to your idea either."
Liu Hong walked to Liu Yan's side, grasped his arm, and said earnestly, "Clan Chief! Uncle! I have no other choice! Besides, saying we will give the eastern half of the realm to the Moth Bandits is merely empty words. Once they withdraw, we can naturally order the provinces to resist their invasion.
"The urgent matter is to hold Luoyang first. If Luoyang is lost, everything else is empty talk."
Liu Yan thought little of Liu Hong's "strategy." How could the Moth Bandits be so foolish as to withdraw merely because he made a string of baseless promises? But seeing the plea on Liu Hong's face, Liu Yan softened. With a sigh, he said, "I am willing to enter the rebel camp on Your Majesty's behalf and discuss this matter."
As Clan Chief, he held high rank and great authority, and he was the person the Emperor trusted most. He was the most suitable choice for an envoy.
"Then I leave everything to you, Uncle!"