After following Liu Ziqiu in the southern and northern wars for many years, Zhang Liang knew that Liu Ziqiu was powerful. As long as Liu Ziqiu is still in the capital, no matter how many tricks Li Shimin has in his hands, Zhang Liang will not dare to act rashly. He is also skeptical of Li Shimin's words. However, after the army took over the defense of the capital, Zhang Liang also had a lot of convenience, and he could access the records of the recent entry and exit of the capital at the city gate. Because he is a general and has a sufficient rank, he can see the records that should be very top secret, and find the record of Liu Ziqiu and his party going west.

At this point, Zhang Liang was completely relieved. Although he doesn't believe that Liu Ziqiu will go and never return as Li Shimin said, Zhang Liang understands Liu Ziqiu's character and knows that he is a person who values love and righteousness. As long as Liu Ziqiu's wife and children are in his hands, even if Liu Ziqiu comes back from shackles, he can negotiate many conditions with Liu Ziqiu, even if Liu Ziqiu publicly announces his abdication, presumably Liu Ziqiu will not hesitate. Moreover, Liu Ziqiu is a person who keeps his promises, and he will definitely abdicate if he agrees to abdicate. On the other hand, he can also add a clause to ensure his own safety in the conditions, so that he can have no fear.

After being convinced of this, Zhang Liang began to take real action. He first arranged the 3,000 elite cavalry that he could directly mobilize outside the Xuanwu Gate. This arrangement was somewhat unconventional, as the cavalry was suitable for field warfare and was usually stationed outside the city. Unless the city is surrounded by enemies, it will be forced to retreat into the city. However, cavalry was not a suitable type of army for siege, and no one could have imagined that he would use these cavalry to attack the palace, so it did not attract attention. Who knows, Li Shimin has already promised that the palace door will be automatically opened at that time. Therefore, these cavalry will not attack the city, but can directly rush into it from the palace gate. Even though there are a few guards in the palace, how can they resist the iron cavalry galloping across the palace?

Immediately afterwards, he sent 1,000 men and horses from Li Yuanji's department to garrison the south gate of Luoyang. Li Yuan's family is in the northwest, and letting Li Yuanji guard the south gate is not easy to arouse the suspicion of others. As everyone knows, as early as a few years ago, Li Yuan quietly gathered the outlaws he recruited to the south. And Zhang Liang's manor is in the southern suburbs, where his 3,000 private soldiers were already there. With Li Yuanji stationed at the south gate, whether it was the outlaws recruited by Li Yuan or the private soldiers raised by Zhang Liang, they didn't have to make much effort to infiltrate Luoyang City.

So far, Li Yuan and his gang have gathered more than 10,000 soldiers and horses in Luoyang City. In addition, Li Yuan also has a chess piece buried in the Luoyang Palace, that is, Li Cheng, the former head of the Inner Palace.

…

After Liu Ziqiu ascended the throne, he directly abolished many cruel and inhumane punishments, including palace punishments, and also decided not to recruit eunuchs. Of course, the original eunuchs in the palace followed their own wishes, and those who were willing to leave the palace and return home were given coils and land, and those who were willing to stay in the palace could also continue to serve as miscellaneous servants. Because of their physical disabilities, eunuchs are neither male nor female, and they will inevitably be ridiculed after leaving the palace. Therefore, most of the eunuchs were willing to remain in the palace. This is nothing, with the current strength of the Han Dynasty, it doesn't matter if you raise a few eunuchs for nothing.

However, Liu Ziqiu no longer recruited eunuchs, and some of the miscellaneous duties in the palace that were originally undertaken by eunuchs were also replaced by palace maids. In the past, most of the palace ladies chose delicate Han women, and it was difficult to bear some heavy body labor. However, the Han Dynasty is now different, and the actual control area has expanded to the entire Mobei and Western Regions, where there are many women who are burly and not inferior to men. These alien women were elected to the palace to replace the work that would have been performed by eunuchs. And Liu Ziqiu also stipulated that these women do not need to stay in the palace for a lifetime, and they can usually be rotated after five years. At that time, in addition to the monthly money and rewards received in the palace, the royal family will also issue a large amount of severance pay. With this money, they can live a prosperous life when they return to Mobei or the Western Regions. Therefore, these women are not worried about getting married, and often just after being selected to enter the palace, many families come to the door to ask for marriage. In this way, the status of eunuchs in the palace became dispensable.

Not only that, but in the past, some eunuchs who had positions or were older could also support their subordinates to do this and that. Now, if Liu Ziqiu does not recruit new eunuchs, they will have no one available. Therefore, many eunuchs were eating white food in the palace, but they were also complaining, and they were unwilling to take the plate out of the palace. Li Cheng took advantage of this and soon recruited more than 1,000 eunuchs.

However, the Han Imperial Palace has undergone many changes from the previous dynasty, and the eunuchs can only live in the front hall, and cannot enter and leave the harem casually. Especially after the sun sets, they are not allowed to step into the harem for half a step. Therefore, although Li Cheng's chess piece is important, he can only make trouble in the front, and if he really wants to rush into the harem to control Liu Ziqiu's wife and children, he must also rely on Zhang Liang's new force.

…

Listening to Li Shimin's words about the arrival of people from all walks of life, Li Yuan nodded lightly and said, "For this day, the old man has been waiting for sixteen years, and he really doesn't want to wait any longer!" Let's be tonight! ”

It was night, the sky was overcast, and the four fields were dark. At the third watch, a fire suddenly appeared in the direction of the palace. The fire became more and more intense, and gradually became a prairie fire.

Zhang Liang had already dressed up neatly, and when he saw the fire in the palace, he couldn't help shouting: "Sons, go into the palace with a certain person to put out the fire!" ”

It was said that it was fighting fires, but the army did not bring a bucket of water, and all the sabers in their hands were bright. The war horses neighed and came straight to the Xuanwu Gate. Sure enough, the Xuanwu Gate had already been opened. It turned out that the guards guarding the palace gate were provided by the eunuchs for their daily meals. The eunuchs added some crotons to tonight's meal, causing the guards to have stomach troubles and run to the latrine repeatedly. Moreover, there were also many masters among the eunuchs, and they took the opportunity to take the Xuanwu Gate.

The palace gate was wide open, and Zhang Liang led the army into it.

Liu Sigen was reading at night in the East Palace, when he heard the noise outside, and hurriedly got up to watch.

A guard had already rushed over and shouted: "Oh no, Zhang Liang rebelled, and he was killing people indiscriminately in the palace!" ”

At this time, there was already a great chaos in the palace, with cries, screams, and fights one after another, and in a hurry, it was impossible for the palace guards to organize an effective counterattack. Liu Sigen immediately made a decision, pulled out the obstacle knife he carried with him, and said in a deep voice: "Come with so!" ”

He didn't plan to block the rebels' attack on his own, but kept in mind Liu Ziqiu's instructions and took care of several aunts and younger siblings. In the harem, except for Hua Yun, the other aunts are powerless, and although those younger siblings have also practiced martial arts since childhood, they are young after all, and they have never been in battle. In the chaos of the army, the sword and gun have no eyes, and if he hurts any of them, he feels that he can't explain to his father, and it will make him feel guilty for life. Therefore, Liu Sigen's idea is very clear, he wants to take his aunt and younger siblings to Luoyang West Mountain.

It used to be the place where Liu Ziqiu and Gao Xiu'er hid from the pursuers, and after Liu Ziqiu ascended the throne, he had led his wife and children to revisit the hometown several times, and secretly built a cave in the mountain, where some food and cold things were stored. The location of this cave, Liu Ziqiu did not tell Gao Xiu'er, Hua Yun and Liu Sigen until he left Luoyang for the West Sea this time. Liu Ziqiu's intention is obvious, if he encounters chaos in the future, he can use this cave to hide for a while. At that time, Liu Sigen also thought that Liu Ziqiu was worried about the sky, and the Han Dynasty was like the sky, what chaos could happen? But I don't want to, I need this shelter so soon.

Liu Sigen took more than a dozen personal guards, and as soon as he retreated into the harem, he bumped into Hua Yun and rushed towards him with a gun.

With such a big movement outside, Hua Yun and the others were naturally awakened by the shouting and killing sound outside. Hua Yun was killed from the sea of blood in the corpse mountain, so he was naturally not afraid at all, but Xie Muyu and the others had never experienced this kind of scene, and they were all discolored. There are also a few young children, who are crying non-stop. Of course, Hua Yun also knew that at this time, they had to protect the cave they had withdrawn to on the West Mountain, and maybe there would be a glimmer of life. However, the enemy had already attacked outside the palace gate, and if the enemy's offensive was not blocked, it would be impossible for Xie Muyu and the others to escape.

Seeing Liu Sigen coming, Hua Yun couldn't help but be overjoyed, and said repeatedly: "Gen'er, you take your aunt and younger siblings to go first, and I will come later." ”

Liu Sigen naturally understood what Hua Yun meant, and couldn't help but put the knife across his chest, and said loudly: "Auntie, you go first, the child will be broken here!" ”

Hua Yun still wanted to rush to stay, but saw Liu Sigen put the knife on his neck, and said in a deep voice: "Auntie, it's too late." If the aunt doesn't leave, the child will kill himself in front of the aunt! ”

Seeing this scene, Hua Yun had no choice but to stomp her feet fiercely, turn around and run back to the palace.

After a while, hundreds of female guards hurried to Liu Sigen and said in unison: "The eldest prince, Concubine Yun ordered me to come and help the eldest prince." ”

In the early years, when Liu Ziqiu established the women's guards, the number was nearly 10,000, and the world was peaceful over the years, and the number of women's guards was also reduced year by year, and now there are less than 500 people left, almost all of whom were sent by Huayun. Thinking that there were only more than 20 female guards left around Hua Yun, Liu Sigen couldn't help but become anxious, but at this time he had no choice but to accept this fact. At this time, some guards retreated into the harem one after another, and with these female guards, they barely gathered a thousand people. In fact, there were thousands of guards in the palace, but they were caught off guard and it was difficult to gather for a while. However, each of these guards was loyal to their duties, although they did not respond to each other, and did not even change their clothes and armor, they hurried into battle. It was the desperate struggle of these guards that greatly hindered Zhang Liang's offensive. However, the casualties of the guards were also extremely heavy, and almost none of them remained. Soon, Zhang Liang's army advanced outside the palace gate of the harem.