Ye Qinghuan only pondered for two seconds before decisively abandoning that absurd idea. What a joke! She was the dignified Empress—how could she possibly bow and scrape to Lin Ming, a treacherous minister?
For several days in a row, she ordered Wei Zhongxiang’s Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guards to closely monitor the movements of the Black Cavalry and the Lin family’s private army. She even went so far as to issue an imperial decree to mobilize 50,000 imperial troops and station them at a fortress not far from the Black Cavalry.
But before any news of rebellion came, Ye Qinghuan received a memorial from Heyu—Lin Ming was coming back!
“He’s really returning without saying a word?”
Inside the imperial study, Ye Qinghuan widened her eyes in disbelief, “When did he become so obedient?”
Lin Ming was cunning and devious, using any means to achieve his ends. How could he submit so easily this time?
She didn’t believe it at all.
So she sent several more groups to verify the truth.
Two days later, news arrived: the Duke Commander’s convoy had reached Chang’an!
“So fast? Looks like it’s true!” Ye Qinghuan was overjoyed—this time, she had won!
The imperial authority had finally triumphed over the powerful minister! With this, Lin Ming’s prestige in the court would surely take a significant hit!
“Prepare a banquet in the palace. I want to receive his party properly.”
Still, she had to keep up appearances. To calm the hearts of the people, Ye Qinghuan planned to personally receive them.
But the one who arrived was only Li Qiushui.
“Qiushui? Why are you alone? Where is the Duke Commander?” Ye Qinghuan’s brows rose sharply.
“Reporting to Your Majesty! The Duke Commander… he’s ill and resting at his residence. He asked me to deliver his apology.”
Li Qiushui lowered her head, not daring to meet Ye Qinghuan’s eyes.
Sensing something was off, Ye Qinghuan frowned, “What’s going on with you lately? Why haven’t you been reporting Lin Ming’s situation to me? Have you been bribed by him?”
“Your Majesty, you’ve wronged me!” Li Qiushui panicked, stammering, “It’s not that I haven’t been diligent. It’s just… I don’t know why, but every time I see Lin Ming lately, I… I…”
“You what?” Ye Qinghuan asked curiously.
“I end up behaving improperly!” Li Qiushui looked utterly embarrassed, her cheeks flushed bright red. “I’m already a married woman—if this gets out, wouldn’t I become the laughingstock of all Chang’an?”
“Such as?”
“Like sitting on his lap… and acting coquettish uncontrollably.”
Ye Qinghuan nodded knowingly and said softly, “Understandable. You were far away in Heyu, just the two of you, a man and a woman. It’s human nature to have some improper thoughts.”
“No, Your Majesty, it’s not like that!” Li Qiushui blushed furiously, still trying to explain.
But Ye Qinghuan only smiled and said, “I get it, I get it.”
“Back to the point—this illness of the Duke Commander, is it real or feigned?”
Li Qiushui mumbled, “I think something’s fishy. But he’s only pretending to be sick and staying home—it doesn’t seem to be affecting us directly.”
“I’m asking you—there are rumors in Chang’an that Lin Ming went on a killing spree in Heyu. Are they true? Could the locals be exaggerating?”
Ye Qinghuan’s eyes were sharp.
“I wouldn’t dare hide it. Lin Ming in the eight prefectures of Heyu… it was a massacre!” Li Qiushui immediately became animated.
“In just one month, he executed over 3,000 local tyrants and nearly 10,000 officials and their relatives. Some rebellious soldiers were even buried alive on his orders—over 5,000 people were executed in total!”
She trembled as she spoke, “Outside Luoyang, the corpses piled into mountains, rivers of blood! The local people called him the Butcher of Men!”
Ye Qinghuan gasped.
It turned out the information she had was still too conservative.
Li Qiushui took the chance to say, “Now that he’s back in the capital, there will definitely be many memorials impeaching him. Perhaps this is a great opportunity to bring down the Lin family!”
Ye Qinghuan hesitated, “Don’t rush into this. Let’s wait and observe for a few days.”
After all, Lin Ming had cleaned up a mess for her. His methods may have been brutal, but the result was effective. To discard him now like a worn-out tool… Ye Qinghuan felt a bit uneasy about it.
Besides… the Butcher of Men…
Just thinking of that name made Ye Qinghuan a little uneasy. If that man became her husband, would she dare let him sleep beside her bed?
“First, issue an edict to reclaim the Sword of Imperial Authority and the royal token from Lin Ming. As for his merits and faults, the court will decide.”
Ye Qinghuan glanced at the pile of memorials on her desk—every one of them impeaching Lin Ming—and said, “I won’t read these. Toss them in the latrine. I’m frugal by nature—no need to waste them.”
She thought everything would unfold according to her plan.
But what happened next was something the Empress could never have expected.
…
Five days later…
An urgent report arrived from Chang’an—400 kilometers in haste!
Heyu had rebelled!
“In the eight prefectures of Heyu, three have already risen! The disaster victims have stormed local governments, killed the officials, and stirred up massive uprisings! The other five prefectures are also on the verge of rebellion!”
“Of the three regional governors near Heyu—one was mutinied and killed, one declared rebellion, and one was overrun by refugees!”
In the court, Empress Ye Qinghuan received the military report like a thunderclap—chilled to her spine.
“How can this be?! Hasn’t Heyu been stable for over half a month? Lin Ming slaughtered so many people there, and nothing happened then—why has it suddenly fallen into chaos now?”
She could hardly believe the report.
The civil and military officials were even more panicked, completely lost.
“Your Majesty! The chaos in Heyu is spreading, and nearby provinces are also showing signs of rebellion!”
“Currently, the Empire’s main forces are stationed at the northern borders to defend against the Rong and Di tribes. We can’t afford to redeploy them for suppression!”
Ye Qinghuan tried to stay calm, “How many people have rebelled in Heyu?”
“At least several hundred thousand!” the Deputy Minister of War said, his face pale.
Ye Qinghuan gasped again, “Hundreds of thousands rising in Central Plains—if they sweep westward, they could seize Chang’an and take our heads! If they go north, they might collude with foreign enemies. Our 200,000 border troops could be annihilated! If they go south, they could strike Jiangnan and destroy our canal system—crippling the Empire’s economy!”
She understood clearly—it was now a matter of life and death!
“Issue an edict to order Old General Fei to mobilize troops from Guanzhong and cooperate with the local garrison in Heyu to quickly suppress the rebellion.”
Old General Fei was a veteran of four reigns, had served multiple emperors, and led the imperial guards for over twenty years. In Ye Qinghuan’s eyes, he was a true pillar of the state.
Only he could turn the tide now.
But the six noble clans exchanged looks.
“Your Majesty, although Old General Fei is virtuous and respected, isn’t he too old?”
“Also, he’s served in Chang’an for years and hasn’t seen combat in a long time. Shouldn’t we choose a more experienced field general?”
“Please reconsider, Your Majesty!”
Ye Qinghuan raised an eyebrow—she knew their intentions.
But Ye Qinghuan had long been wary of the six noble clans’ power. How could she let them hold military command?
“You worry too much. Old General Fei submitted a memorial himself, stating he’s not old yet—and he swore on a military pledge: if he fails to quell the rebellion within half a month, he’ll commit suicide to atone! I trust him!”
Ye Qinghuan looked around, her voice commanding, silencing all opposition.
In the second year of Zhenming, June—
Empress Ye Qinghuan appointed Old General Fei Yi as Marshal of Guanzhong and Central Plains Suppression Commander, gathering 50,000 troops from Guanzhong and 30,000 from Heyu—80,000 in total—to suppress the rebellion in Central Plains.
They thought 80,000 regular troops would easily defeat a rabble of untrained refugees.
But when Ye Qinghuan received the military report in July, she sat disheveled in the imperial study—wailing uncontrollably.
“Your Majesty! What happened?!” Li Qiushui’s face turned pale. It was her first time seeing the Empress cry.
Since ascending the throne, the resilient Empress had always remained composed through any hardship.
“Old General Fei fell into an ambush—killed by arrows. The entire 80,000-strong army… my 80,000 imperial troops… completely wiped out!”
Ye Qinghuan wept uncontrollably.
“The refugee army—hundreds of thousands strong—has already begun marching toward Chang’an. The regional governors along the way, seeing our army defeated, are standing by and doing nothing. It’s over… it’s all over!”
“I regret everything!”
“What?! The whole army is dead?!”
Li Qiushui was struck as if by thunder, her mind buzzing.
That army had been the main defense of Guanzhong. Their annihilation meant the gates of Guanzhong lay wide open, and Chang’an was defenseless.
Chang’an had only 100,000 imperial guards left. If even the 80,000 elite troops had fallen, how could they possibly hold off a refugee army several times their size?
She could already imagine what kind of desperate situation Ye Qinghuan was about to face.
Chang’an would fall. The Son of Heaven would flee.
The Empress’s prestige would collapse!
From that moment on, the six noble clans, the regional governors, and the northern barbarian tribes—none would take Ye Qinghuan seriously ever again.
Even Wei Zhongxiang, that powerful eunuch, might now dare to manipulate the throne with rebellious ambition.
Looking at the Empress’s pale and pitiful face, Li Qiushui couldn’t help but shed tears as well.
“Your Majesty, if there’s truly no other way, let’s flee south to the prosperous Jiangnan. We can call upon the nation’s armies to restore the capital!”
Ye Qinghuan’s lips trembled, “Is this the only choice? Must I truly become a useless ruler—forever nailed to the pillar of shame in history?”
Li Qiushui fell silent.
At that moment, the two of them could only look at each other in grief, with nothing more to say.
After a long while, Ye Qinghuan lowered her gaze. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught sight of a memorial on the imperial desk:
“To Her Majesty the Empress—I risk death to recommend the Duke Commander Lin Ming to once again lead a campaign in Heyu. The rebellion can be swiftly suppressed!”
Ye Qinghuan’s eyelashes fluttered.
Lin Ming? He wasn’t even a military general. Who would dare risk their life to recommend him? And even claim he could swiftly suppress the rebellion?
With three parts curiosity, six parts helplessness, and one part desperation, she opened the memorial.
It had been submitted by Sima Ying, the Eastern Capital’s Regional Commander stationed in Luoyang—a high-ranking official in Heyu.
“Lin Ming, in Heyu, killed countless people. The locals regard him with awe and call him the Butcher of Men!”
“But to them, Lord Lin is not just a butcher or executioner—he is the Prison Suppressing King, who subdues all wild beasts!”