Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1315 The Fall of Ye City: A Lament for the Yuan Clan

The last line of defense for Ye City finally crumbled in the autumn rains of August.

Yuan Shang sat in the palace that once symbolized the hegemony of Ji Province, his fingertips tracing the cold armrests of the dragon throne. The auspicious clouds carved on the back of the throne had long been blackened by the flames of war. He had almost drained the troops from all the surrounding counties, relying on the deep moats, high walls, granaries, and armories built by the Yuan family over two generations, managing to hold out against Ma Chao's iron hooves for eight months. But now, the sounds of battle outside the palace gates grew ever closer, even the bronze cranes on the corners of the palace trembled—this city, which bore the glory of the Yuan family, had finally succumbed.

The once bustling city of Ye has long since lost all its former glory. Nine out of ten shops on Zhuque Avenue are empty, and the mansions of wealthy families are mostly ruins. Those with connections bribed the garrison commander three months ago and fled to the rear with their families and valuables. The remaining commoners were forcibly conscripted as laborers, moving stones, transporting logs, and filling the moat. In the blood and fire of repeated sieges, many were either pierced by stray arrows or collapsed from exhaustion at the foot of the city walls, without even a proper grave. Now, the streets and alleys are overgrown with weeds, and occasionally a few stray dogs can be seen running by with bones in their mouths. The entire city is as silent as a giant tomb.

“Heh…” Yuan Shang suddenly chuckled softly, his gaze sweeping over the “Three Dukes” and “Generals” below the steps. These people had been his right-hand men when he ascended the throne, but now they were all pale-faced and their eyes darted around. He looked at Feng Ji, Xu You, Wang Yun, Gao Gan, and Wang Zhao—these trusted confidants who remained by his side. Whatever their plans, at least they hadn’t run away with their valuables like the others.

"My lord, it will be too late if we don't leave now!" Xu You took half a step forward, the mud stains on his robe falling off in a flurry. "Pingyuan County still has troops. If we avoid their sharp edge for now, we may have a chance to rise again in the future!"

Feng Ji also chimed in, "Yes, my lord, as long as we're alive, we can always rebuild! General Han Meng is still holding the west gate, we can break through tonight!"

Yuan Shang didn't look at them, but instead looked at Wang Yun, who had remained silent. The old minister had his eyes downcast, twirling his white beard with his fingers, as if everything before him was irrelevant, and he seemed to be plotting something.

“No need.” Yuan Shang suddenly stood up, the wide sleeves of his dragon robe sweeping across the table, causing the wine cup on it to fall to the ground with a clatter and roll far away. He walked to the palace gate, looking at the thick smoke rising from the city wall in the distance, and said in an unusually calm voice: “Pass on my order to tell Han Meng that if they want to retreat, let them retreat. There is no need to hold out to the death.”

He turned around, looked at the crowd below, and suddenly smiled: "If you want to leave, then leave. I'm not leaving."

"My lord!" Xu You stamped his foot anxiously.

“Now that I’ve declared myself emperor, I can’t just run away like a stray dog, can I?” Yuan Shang raised his hand to interrupt him, a hint of relief on his face. “After fighting to this point, where can we retreat to? Pingyuan County? In three months, Ma Chao’s iron cavalry will still be able to cross over there. At worst, I’ll just go to see my father in the afterlife.”

He suddenly burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the empty hall, tinged with madness: "It's alright, it's alright... My brother and I fought for the position of heir apparent for half our lives, fighting to the death, but in the end, I sat on this dragon throne and got to experience being an emperor. So I didn't lose to him."

"I heard that Yuan Tan has already surrendered to Cao Ang?" He suddenly stopped laughing and looked south. "Well, at least he's alive, which means he's left a descendant for the Yuan family."

The sounds of battle outside the city grew closer, and the shouts of "Lay down and you will not be killed!" from the Xiliang army could even be heard. Yuan Shang straightened his dragon robe, sat back on the dragon throne, closed his eyes, and seemed to be listening to the music of Ye City in its heyday. The crowd below exchanged glances. Finally, Xu You sighed and quietly withdrew with a few trusted confidants; Wang Yun took one last look at Yuan Shang and shook his head before leaving; only Gao Gan, Wang Zhao, and a few other former generals from Hebei silently drew their swords and stood guard on either side of the palace gate.

The autumn rain pattered against the glazed tiles of the palace roof, like the drumbeats of a funeral procession. This city, which had held out for eight months, was finally about to meet its end.

Ju Yi was covered in blood, the bloodstains on his armor dripping down the seams of the plates, leaving a trail of scarlet footprints on the palace path. He had just returned from fighting his way back from the city wall, his battle robe ripped open by a sword, revealing a bleeding wound inside, but he didn't bother to bandage it, rushing towards the imperial city like a madman—just as he reached the palace gate, he bumped into Xu You and Wang Yun coming out one after the other, both of them pale and silent like two stone statues.

"Xu You! Wang Yun!" Ju Yi's roar, laced with blood and foam, made the copper bells in the corridor jingle. "Where is His Majesty?!"

Xu You stopped, his eye twitching slightly, his voice hoarse: "General Juyi, what's happening outside...?"

"How is it?" Ju Yi clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. "Ye City has fallen! The vanguard of the Xiliang army is almost at the palace walls. If we don't leave now, no one will survive! Where is His Majesty? Quickly, bring him out. I will lead the Vanguard Battalion to cover the rear. I will fight to the death to protect him and help him break out!"

Wang Yun suddenly raised his head, a flicker of panicked hope in his eyes, and took two steps forward: "Your Majesty... His Majesty is not going to leave, saying he will live and die with the nation. General Ju Yi, you are brave and skilled in battle, and the Vanguard Camp is unstoppable. Why don't you... why don't you protect us and help us break through? West Gate! General Han Meng is still holding the West Gate. We can go through there and escape to Youzhou! Second Prince Yuan Xi is still there. Once we get to Youzhou, we can support Second Prince to succeed to the throne, and we can still preserve the Yuan family's foundation. Your wealth and honor will not be lacking either..."

Having said that, he disregarded the bloodstains all over Ju Yi's body and reached out to grab the other's arm. Ju Yi suddenly shook him off, the force of which caused Wang Yun to stagger back several steps, almost falling down the steps.

"Shameless treacherous minister!" Ju Yi's roar shook the palace roof, dust falling from it. His sword clattered as it was drawn, its cold light aimed directly at Wang Yun's throat. "It was you who instigated His Majesty to hastily declare himself emperor, which led to the condemnation of the entire nation! Now, at this critical juncture, you dare to abandon His Majesty and flee for your life? Believe me or not, I will execute you right now to appease the world!"

Wang Yun was terrified, scrambling backward and stammering, "General, spare me! General, spare me!"

"Enough." Xu You sighed from the side, stepped forward and pressed down on Ju Yi's sword sheath. "Killing one more person now is just adding another corpse. What good will it do? If you truly want to protect your master, why don't you go in and persuade His Majesty again? Perhaps there is still room for maneuver."

Ju Yi's chest heaved violently, and drops of blood from his sword fell to the ground, mingling with the bloodstains on the palace bricks. He glared at Wang Yun, then abruptly sheathed his sword and charged towards the main hall, the clanging of armor particularly jarring in the empty palace courtyard.

Xu You watched his retreating figure, then glanced at Wang Yun, who was sprawled on the ground. He snorted coldly and turned to walk towards the side door—there were carriages and horses he had prepared long ago. He didn't care whether Yuan Shang lived or died; preserving his own life was the most important thing.

Wang Yun stared in the direction the two had left, then suddenly screamed, "They've gone mad! They've all gone mad!" After shouting, he didn't care about his dignity and stumbled and crawled towards his mansion, as if a vengeful ghost was chasing him.

Inside the hall, Yuan Shang remained seated on the dragon throne, listening to the fading clamor outside, when he suddenly chuckled softly. The wind outside, carrying the stench of blood, swept in, billowing his wide dragon robe like a flag about to fall.

On either side of the main hall, Gao Gan and Wang Zhao still stood solemnly with their hands on their sword hilts, the bloodstains on their armor already half-dried. Seeing Ju Yi burst in covered in blood, the two stepped forward simultaneously, Gao Gan's voice filled with barely concealed urgency: "General Ju!"

Ju Yi grabbed his arm and said urgently, "Why don't you two protect His Majesty and break through first?"

A glimmer of hope flashed in Gao Gan's eyes, and his Adam's apple bobbed: "General Ju, it's good that you've come... How many soldiers does the Vanguard Camp have left?"

“Less than eight hundred,” Ju Yi said in a deep voice, “but that’s enough to protect His Majesty and break through!”

Wang Zhao shook his head, his voice hoarse: "It's no use. His Majesty is determined to die. We can't persuade him to change his mind."

"We must persuade them even if we can't!" Ju Yi shook off the high-ranking official's hand and strode into the hall. "Come with me!"

Pushing open the heavy palace doors, Yuan Shang was seen sitting calmly on the dragon throne, dressed in a dragon robe. The candlelight in the palace illuminated his pale face, giving him an eerie tranquility. Seeing Ju Yi rush in, he slowly raised his head, his eyes devoid of any spirit, and said indifferently, "General Ju, you've arrived."

Ju Yi knelt down with a thud on the cold gold bricks, the clanging of armor echoing in the hall: "Your Majesty! This is not the final moment yet! Although Ye City has fallen, the west gate is still in Han Meng's hands, the brothers of the Vanguard Camp can still fight, and I will risk my life to protect you and get out—how can you be willing to accept this..."

Yuan Shang sighed softly, raised his hand to interrupt him, his voice as light as the wind: "There's no need. Let it be." He looked at the caisson ceiling of the palace, where the sun, moon and stars were once painted, but now it was covered with a layer of dust. "I'm tired too, after more than a year."

He suddenly smiled, looked at Ju Yi, and there was a hint of youthful bewilderment in his eyes: "Tell me, if we hadn't fought for the position of heir back then, wouldn't things have been better?"

The shouts of the Xiliang army breaching the palace gates echoed from outside, growing ever closer. Ju Yi crawled two steps, grabbed Yuan Shang's robe, and cried out in a choked voice, "Your Majesty! Run! If you survive, there will always be a day to turn the tide!"

Yuan Shang slowly drew the dagger from his waist, pressed it against his heart, and looked calmly at Ju Yi: "I am the emperor, I cannot be captured. General Ju, you should take Gao Gan and Wang Zhao and leave. Every one of them who can leave is a good one."

The dagger flashed coldly and pierced the surface an inch. Yuan Shang swayed, but remained seated. He took one last look at the empty hall and whispered, "Father, your son... has come to join you."

Ju Yi's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared, but Gao Gan and Wang Zhao held him down firmly. The palace doors were smashed open with a bang, and soldiers of the Xiliang army poured in. The torchlight illuminated the figure on the dragon throne that was gradually losing its warmth.

Ju Yi suddenly broke free from the two men, drew his sword, and charged towards the enemy army, his roar echoing throughout the hall: "Yuan family sons, fight to the death!"

Gao Gan and Wang Zhao exchanged a glance, then drew their swords and followed. The gleam of their blades flashed in the candlelight, reflecting their resolute faces. The sounds of fighting, the clashing of weapons, and the dying cries outside the palace mingled together, bringing this imperial city to a bloody close.

Wang Yun drove the carriage, the curtains fluttering in the wind. He leaned half his body out and anxiously shouted towards the city gate, "General Han! Open the city gate quickly!" In the back seat, his family members huddled together, their faces filled with panic.

Han Meng stood atop the city wall, sword in hand. Upon seeing Wang Yun, his brow furrowed sharply. As the carriage drew near, he demanded in a stern voice, "Minister Wang, where is His Majesty?"

Wang Yun hurriedly jumped down from the carriage, his robes covered in dust, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty insists on not leaving. General Han, things are urgent, let's escape first! We can save our lives and make a comeback later!"

"Bullshit!" Han Meng's expression changed drastically, and anger blazed in his eyes. "His Majesty is still in the palace, and you, as the Minister of Works, do not think of protecting your master, but instead think of escaping for your life?!" Before he finished speaking, he had already drawn his sword. With a flash of cold light, the long sword accurately pierced Wang Yun's chest.

Wang Yun stared wide-eyed at the sword blade pressed against his chest in disbelief. His lips trembled slightly, but he coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed limply before his horse. His family members in the back of the carriage screamed, but Han Meng ignored them, shouting at the soldiers on the city wall, "Close the gate! Defend this gate to the death! Anyone who disobeys will be punished!"