Chapter 65 The Sky: The Bones of Nobles Trampled on the Heavenly Street

Chapter 65: The Heavenly Display: "The Bones of Aristocrats Trampled on Heaven’s Streets"

The figures on the heavenly display remained as silhouettes, their sleeves billowing wildly as if caught by the sweeping winds of the wilderness, transforming into flickering flames.

Within the flames lay a yellowed scroll of handwritten words, revealing seven large characters still strikingly clear.

...

[Emperor Yong’an’s vision was far ahead of her era. Though born into nobility, she was determined to uproot the aristocracy. While this might seem normal in later eras with widespread education and the promotion of communism, in her time, it was a radical departure.]

[Even Jiang Ding, the strategist who had remained in hiding for nearly three years under Yong'an's orders, couldn't help but double-check with her at this moment. "Do you truly mean for this phrase to be taken literally, not as an exaggeration? The 'bones' in 'the bones of nobles trampled under heaven's streets'—are they real bones?"]

[Yong'an flipped the question back to her: "How do you assess the Jin Dynasty's situation over these past two years?"]

[With Yong'an mediating, 300,000 undocumented households released in Yangzhou formed a distinct settlement belt, establishing a supply route stretching north and south through the region.]

[Thanks to her unwavering decisions, the Jin Dynasty sent troops to Luoyang, securing this gateway targeted by Former Qin.]

[With Huan Xuan, whom she incited, carrying out massacres in the southeast, the nobility within the Jin Dynasty were terrified, their actions much more cautious than in earlier years.]

[With a new cohort of scholars entering the court through examinations, she finally had loyal officials she could rely on. The old officials who had relied on family connections to secure their positions now worried whether their positions might be stripped overnight under Yong'an and Huan Xuan's ruthless methods. The stale, oppressive atmosphere in the court was abruptly shattered.]

[Though officially under Huan Xuan's command, the Beifu Army had been subverted from within, with Yong'an forging her own loyal faction. Combined with Fu Yan's remnants from Former Qin and new recruits from Luoyang, anyone who still saw her as merely a crisis-appointed regent was truly blind.]

[Through earlier examinations, she had also gained a special group of female aides at her side who followed her to Luoyang for training.]

[But was this enough for her?]

The audience below the heavenly display already knew the answer.

From Wang Shen'ai's bold leap past the screen’s careful plotting and covert planning, straight to killing the emperor and seizing power, to the screen's decree that Emperor Yong'an would ascend the throne—the answer was clear.

She was not satisfied!

Far from satisfied.

Under the varied gazes of the crowd, the heavenly display echoed:

[Far from satisfied!]

[To her first loyal follower, she replied, "In these three years, both you and I have come far. We are no longer caged birds but eagles in flight. Now, looking down, can you truly say this is a situation worth being satisfied with?"]

[Rigid class barriers, the elite’s excesses taken for granted while the poor freeze to death on the streets—these will not change with mere piecemeal reforms. When the nation's strength must still be spent on power struggles and divided military suppression, there will never be a day when the northern campaign succeeds and the realm is unified.]

[Even if one could temporarily ascend the throne and issue commands like Emperor Wu of Han, directing capable ministers and generals to march into the northern wastes and project the Central Plains’ might, erasing Northern Wei and Later Yan, the toll on the people's livelihood would still be unbearable for this era!]

[There is only one way to minimize the losses of ending the chaos and and ensure future policies can be implemented—]

[Destroy to rebuild.]

[If a chance to break the stalemate does not arise naturally, then she would take it upon herself to make the rupture absolute!]

[This was also her best opportunity.]

[Shu had only recently declared independence. Though Qiao Zong had taken the title of Prince of Chengdu, dividing power among his allies would take time. Given the Di people's prior behavior, they would not cross borders to attack unless they truly reaped far more grain from that fertile land than they could consume, fueling their greed.]

[Given the current circumstances, they could not achieve this.]

[Northern Wei was still entangled with the remnants of Later Yan. The backlash from Tuo Bagui's massacre of Yan troops was severe, and with every member of the Murong clan rushing to claim the throne, after Mu Rongbao's downfall, the Yan resistance against Tuo Bagui had even split into two.]

[One remained the historically recognized Later Yan, where Mu Rongsheng, Mu Rongbao's eldest son, crushed internal revolts and ascended the throne in Longcheng.]

[The other was the so-called Southern Yan, established by Mu Rongbao's uncle, Mu Rongde, in the Qingzhou and Yanzhou regions.]

[Unless Tuo Bagui could eliminate these two threats, he had no chance of launching an attack against the Jin Dynasty in the south at this time.]

"Murong De?" Liu Bobo narrowed his eyes, a thoughtful glint passing through them.

Wasn't this the man he had helped flee across the Yellow River earlier?

So, in the heavenly display's timeline, he too became an emperor.

A soldier beside him caught his murmur and quickly asked, "Should we kill him, then, to report to His Majesty?"

Hadn't the heavenly display said it? Every member of the Murong clan dared to claim the throne. From the names mentioned—Murong Chong, Murong Chui, Murong Bao, Murong De—it was indeed true. These people really had an obsession with ascending the throne...

If he were brought across the river and still harbored his family's instincts, suddenly deciding he wanted to be emperor, the emperor’s wrath might extend to those who had helped him. That wouldn't do!

Best to eliminate him now.

Liu Bobo immediately set his jaw. "This is not something we should discuss. Leave it to His Majesty to decide."

As he spoke, he made a silent resolution. His subordinates must never learn that he was not only of Xiongnu descent but also bore a surname mentioned by the heavenly display—Helian, the very same Helian Bobo who had betrayed Yao Xing and murdered his father-in-law.

Otherwise, while His Majesty might be tolerant, these soldiers who swallowed the screen’s words whole might very well ensure he lost his head in his sleep!

What a mess...

...

[Yao Xing of Former Qin, having been crushed in defeat at Luoyang and Xin'an, had no immediate chance of invading again. With Yao Xu as a hostage, Yong'an held leverage, forcing Yao Xing to at least secure his rule before he could disregard his uncle's life and attack the Jin Dynasty.]

[Moreover, Yong'an herself was not in Jiankang at the time. The scholars she deemed worth protecting had all been sent to accompany the emperor... So, was there any better moment to act than now?]

[There was only one thing left to consider.]

[Sometimes, there was a reason the common folk were called ignorant. When uprisings truly erupted, the greatest sufferers were often the common people, swept up in the turmoil and forced to lose their homes. This was especially true when rebellions spiraled into disorder. Sun Tai and Sun En's forces had only been active for less than three years—could they control the uprising in time?]

[Sun Tai himself had once tasted the bitter consequences of his own side's disorder, but while he might have been a gifted preacher, his talent for military command was lacking. With Sun En and Jiang Ding, could they control this growing revolutionary army?]

[She needed another shield to block the potentially uncontrollable tide.]

[But for Ding Jiang, her concerns might have lain elsewhere.]

[She asked her future emperor, her current beacon: If this grand endeavor ultimately failed to achieve its intended effect, or if the destruction far exceeded her expectations, would she regret it?]

["No." This answer left Yong'an's lips without hesitation. Over the past three years, she had made mistakes, suffered failures, but she had always swiftly proposed new measures, never allowing setbacks to defeat her. This time would be no different.]

[Yet the answer to another question was even more startling.]

[Ding Jiang asked: If, in the future, people learned that the revolutionary army had followed her orders from the very beginning—that the spear and shield clashing against each other had been orchestrated by her, that the revolutionary army's submission to become the true imperial force had long been part of her plan—would it not damage her reputation?]

[It would make the planned "winning of public support" seem like nothing more than political theater.]

[Yong'an's response was later proven by subsequent events.]

[She said, "Why should I worry about that? Not only will I not worry—when the time is right, I will personally tell them. Just as I will personally teach the world how to launch an uprising."]

[Raising the banner against tyranny and a decadent era could not be done as Sun Tai had attempted before. His methods only exhausted the people's will to resist time and again. It had to be done her way.]

[There are military provisions. There are regulations for the army. There are clear slogans and beliefs. And there must be a premeditated backdrop for the uprising, a smooth path leading straight to the capital.]

[This is what you call a legitimate rebellion, not a treasonous revolt.]

[If one day in the future, the new dynasty she seeks to foster reaches this point, let it follow her playbook.]

[However, to be serious, if the capital were in the north rather than Jiankang, some strategies would need adjustment—don’t just copy-paste this plan.]

[With this one statement, it is enough to completely distinguish Yong'an from the emperors who came before her.]

"Your Majesty..."

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Even Wang Shen'ai, who prided herself on having thick skin—otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to lie so brazenly before defecting—now felt the need to step away for a moment.

The stares around her felt like they were burning her up.

According to the celestial screen, she never wanted to be emperor but rather a leader of her time, yet she had been pushed step by step to the highest position. Yet the others treated her like a saint.

The most fervent of these gazes undoubtedly came from Liu Yiming.

She remembered how ashamed she’d been to speak to the Emperor about her life in Jingkou. But now... all her doubts and fears had vanished by that journey to Jingkou and had since turned to dust.

She wasn’t book-smart and didn’t know whether the Emperor’s preemptive move might bring unforeseen consequences. But she could declare with certainty that with these words, people like her would stand firmly by the Emperor’s side.

...

She was not alone. The people of Jiankang were gaping in shock.

Who had ever heard of such a thing? An emperor personally orchestrating an uprising, marching the rebels straight to the capital, smashing the old order with the most resolute and radical means.

Not only that, but she also had no intention of concealing her actions. She intended to use this meticulously planned uprising as a model to show the people what path to take if they truly wished to rise against tyranny.

No lectures—just action.

At the time, Yong'an surely couldn’t have been certain of success, yet she still chose to unleash this beast barreling toward Jiankang.

The sky was overcast, and winter snow had arrived.

This year, Jiankang’s walls had been fortified, keeping most of the biting wind out. But perhaps what really warmed them at this moment was the words on the celestial screen!

[If one day in the future, the new dynasty she seeks to foster reaches this point, let it follow her playbook.]

This was Yong'an’s answer.

They had never lived in a time entirely free of turmoil, nor did they know what the so-called ancient sage-kings were truly like. But they understood one truth:

"An emperor who doesn’t fear rebellion has to be a good one!"

"That’s our Emperor."

"I wonder how things are in Luoyang. Probably only our Emperor would personally go to the front lines to lead the charge..."

On the celestial screen, there were no voices of the masses—only the wind howling over shadowy figures on the plains.

Yet it seemed as though the voices beneath the screen had merged with those above it.

...

In this interplay between the celestial screen and reality, Yong'an’s blurry image came into focus, becoming ever clearer. Meanwhile, her adversaries, Yao Xing and Tuo Bagui, had nothing to smile about.

For the northern tribes, as long as their leaders failed to meet their expectations, they could rise up at the first chance—whether for profit or their own demands.

Even the Qin Emperor Fu Jian couldn’t control such a patchwork army of rival tribes.

Thus, as successors, both Tuo Bagui and Yao Xing would inevitably stamp out any rebellion within their domains.

Yet the celestial screen claimed that Yong'an could allow this freedom—if it was done right and for the right reasons. Though not her intention, it inadvertently aligned with some northerners’ aspirations.

They had yet another thing to worry about!

Meanwhile, the screen’s retelling of this uprising grew increasingly thrilling.

[As the third year of Yuanxi drew to a close, the strategist, entrusted once more with his lord’s reply, returned to Yizhou. He sought out Sun En and Sun Tai, relayed all the details, and spoke of the plans for the coming year.]

[Building an overseas paradise for the former rebels to recuperate was no longer their primary goal.]

[The next step—they would take Jiankang by storm!]

"Uncle! Quit slapping me—your hand’s just fine!"

Sun En gritted his teeth, his mouth twisting as he spat the words.

Sun Tai couldn’t help but rub his hands against his robe, then slapped himself twice to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

"Is this real?"

The him up on that screen actually had such a glorious moment—leading troops to attack Jiankang!

If before, he had been blind to Strategist Zhang’s worth, jumping into a rebellion and losing an arm in the process, making him a joke with no victories to his name except capturing Kuaiji and killing Wang Ningzhi—then this "exemplary uprising" would surely be remembered like the saying, "Do kings and lords have divine right?"

How many in this world could be as fortunate as him?

Even before the celestial screen continued, he could already imagine how unstoppable he’d feel.

Wait a minute—speaking of luck...

He glanced sideways and saw Sun En shoot him, his flaky uncle, a glare before turning back to the celestial screen, his face lit up with nerves and thrill.

He had to admit—when it came to luck, Sun En might’ve out-lucked him.

He had sent his nephew to Jiankang to scout things out and, if possible, locate Yong'an. Yet Sun En had accomplished far more than expected.

First, he sneaked into Yong'an’s guard tryouts, earned a private meeting with the Emperor because of a single remark, and fit right in with the guards. Then, on his way back after revealing his identity to arrange for reinforcements, he ran into Wang Ningzhi’s troops suppressing bandits—effortlessly walking away with a whole squad of soldiers and a trophy head.

Life’s not fair! How did all the good fortune land on this kid?

Was there magic in his "Lingxiu" nickname?

Then the screen added—

[Sun Tai’s previous injuries were severe. Even if he could return to the battlefield now, he’d do better as backup, holding the rear. Thus, the true commander of this campaign would be Sun En.]

"Me?" Sun En jabbed a finger at his own chest, face full of shock.

The next moment, a smack to the forehead. "It’s you, so deal with it! What’s there to doubt? You doubting the Emperor’s call?"

Sun En: "...No, sir."

It just proved that only the right leader could hand you a shot like this.

[When the elite troops from Yizhou, a coastal region, landed in Kuaiji, they had no time to lament their return to their homeland before realizing a stark truth—launching an assault on Jiankang with their unconventional troops was entirely possible!]

[Here, there had once been sprawling estates, linked together and clustered like small citadels across the Jiangnan countryside. To advance from the coast to Jiankang, these obstacles had to be dismantled, but the private soldiers garrisoned in each fortified manor would inflict casualties and slow their progress.]

[But now, things were different.]

[Those private soldiers had been dispatched north, and those estates had been reduced to ashes or confiscated entirely.]

[The revolutionary army swept forward unhindered, capturing several cities in quick succession. Coincidentally, Huan Xuan was then at the border of Jing and Guang provinces, embroiled in a dispute over jurisdiction that greatly benefited him. By the time he received word and rushed back to Yangzhou, it was already far too late.]

[He never expected that Liu Laozhi, who had previously been swayed by Yong'an to side with him, had months earlier received a new letter and resolved to serve Yong'an instead. At this critical moment, Liu Laozhi withdrew all Beifu Army forces to Jingkou, ostensibly awaiting the emperor’s decree before acting—yet in truth, he was creating a decisive breach for the revolutionaries.]

[The newly appointed officials across the provinces and commanderies, some appointed by the emperor and others by Huan Xuan, were unwilling to shoulder responsibility when the enemy attacked. This led to an even more ludicrous spectacle: at least six counties were left without officials before the rebel army even arrived.]

[The common folk knew nothing of preserving the Jin Dynasty. Enraptured by the rallying cry of "Overthrow tyranny, restore our homes," they surrendered their cities outright, with many even joining the revolutionary ranks.]

[Of course, these new recruits were not deployed toward Jiankang but were instead redirected by Ding Jiang to the rear, tasked with intercepting Huan Xuan’s northward advance—ensuring the vanguard’s unchecked aggression wouldn’t disrupt Yong'an’s plans.]

[Meanwhile, the vanguard led by Sun En had already massed their troops before the walls of Jiankang.]

[It was the fifth month of Yuanxi Year Four. A mere month had passed since Sun En and his men set out from Yizhou—a testament to the principle that speed is paramount in warfare.]

[Sima Dewen was ripped from his dreams by the deafening alarms in the city. In that moment, he made a decision to save his own life—one that would likely leave Yong'an dumbfounded.]

[Remember what Yong'an had done before?]

[Back then, to resist Sima Daozi and await Huan Xuan’s reinforcements, Yong'an had once fled with Emperor Sima Dezong to Stone City, where the then-Prince of Langya, Sima Dewen, was also present.]

[He believed Stone City was safer than Jiankang. As long as there were no enemy collaborators within, he wouldn’t be easily captured. Once the Empress Dowager or Huan Xuan realized the situation, he would be saved!]

[And so, on the night after news of the attack arrived, Sima Dewen gathered his retinue and personal guards, escaping through a side gate before the court officials could react. He fled Jiankang for Stone City—only to be intercepted midway by the strategist, Noble Lady Zhang.]

[By now, the strategist was no longer the reckless Noble Lady Zhang who had once rashly assassinated a ruler, nor the novice who frequently sought Yong'an’s guidance.]

[Still dazed, Sima Dewen couldn’t comprehend why he was seeing Noble Lady Zhang among the rebels before being dragged to the forefront to demand Jiankang’s gates be opened.]

[Wang Gong, the last to besiege Jiankang, had been easily persuaded to withdraw. But these rebels, who had bided their time in Yizhou for three years, would not be so easily swayed.]

[With their greatest bargaining chip in hand, they stormed Jiankang like a pack of ravenous tigers, yet maintained strict discipline in securing the city’s gates.]

[Sun En charged ahead, breaking into a city still heavy with drunken stupor.]

The Jiankang shown at the start of the celestial screen was tranquil and serene.

All its decadence lay hidden beneath a veneer of prosperity.

It was a city of towering Buddhist pagodas, with dense clusters of Jiangnan dwellings nestled within walls embraced by winding rivers.

But now, those walls were smeared with blood. A great fire had erupted from the imperial palace, first engulfing the mansions of the highborn elites clustered at its feet.

The revolutionaries’ objective was clear: follow orders, and first eliminate these illustrious aristocrats!

The celestial screen flashed a single, chilling command:

[Kill.]