Blood sedge

Chapter 1175 Everyone is doing their own thing
"Sir, do you want me to send someone to bring Zhang Xiong back?"

"No need!"

"But if we allow him to continue to act like this, Luoyang City will be in big trouble!"

"He came here with a purpose. Even if he poked a big hole in the sky, General Wang would still try to protect him."

In the morning, in the side hall of Luoyang General's Mansion.

A short, fat, dark-faced man, about forty years old, was standing in the room with a long robe in his hands and a sad face. While carefully helping his master wash and change clothes, he kept talking about his dissatisfaction with Zhang Xiong.

This man's name is Hu Jin. He is not only the chief steward of the general's mansion, but also a close confidant of the current Luoyang general Guo Xian.

Compared to the short, fat, and plain-looking Hu Jin, Guo Xian, with his sharp features, thick eyebrows, and big eyes, is much more handsome. Although he is over fifty years old, he is not as greasy and pot-bellied as other officials. On the contrary, he has broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and a straight posture. He is neither as sturdy as a military officer nor as thin as a civil servant. He maintains a decent figure, and exudes a gentle and scholarly air in his every move.

Although Guo Xian was appointed General of Luoyang and a subject of Mongolia, he was actually a genuine Han Chinese.

In recent years, with the growth and development of Mongolian forces, more and more Han people have defected and surrendered, and the military, civilians, officials and businessmen have been pervasive. Many people have become successful by relying on their real talents or the art of currying favor with powerful people, and even hold important positions.

For these people, although they are Han people, their hearts have long belonged to Mongolia.

Among them, the Guo family is the most typical, with three generations of ancestors and grandchildren devoting themselves to the Mongolian cause and making great contributions. In the current generation, Guo Xian's cousin Guo Kan has performed the best. At the age of thirty, he has become a general of a thousand households in the Mongol Western Expedition Army and is one of the most trusted generals of Hulagu, the Mongol Western Expedition Marshal.

In terms of literary and military strategy, Guo Xian was not even one-tenth as good as Guo Kan. His ability to infiltrate the Mongolian officialdom was largely dependent on the merits of his ancestors and the special status of Guo Kan's cousin.

Although he was mediocre in talent, Guo Xian also had his own plans and ambitions. He knew that although Guo Kan was brave, he was only a warrior and was not good at power struggles. Moreover, the danger of leading the army to the west was unpredictable, and he might die on the battlefield one day. If Guo Kan had any accident, he would definitely lose his position.

Furthermore, Guo Kan was far away on the Western Expedition, busy with military affairs and with poor postal services, so he was unable to learn about what was happening in the Mongolian court. Guo Xian, who was intent on rising in the officialdom, naturally could not rely on him.

Therefore, after Guo Xian rose to prominence in the Mongolian court with his relationship with Guo Kan, he immediately thought about changing his allegiance and looking for another backer. At first, his ideal candidate was Hule, but Hule was rich and powerful, and there were many talented people around him. Guo Xian's ability was not good enough for him.

What's more, both Hulagu and Xulagu were princes commanding thousands of troops. Hulagu had made outstanding contributions in the Western Expedition, and Hulagu also had brilliant results in the Southern Expedition. The two of them were secretly competing with each other, and the generals under their command were not convinced of each other. Guo Kan was Hulagu's trusted general. How could Guo Xian, as his cousin, possibly gain the trust of Hulagu's faction?

After careful consideration, Guo Xian had to shift his target and surrender to Ariq Boke, another brother of the Mongol Khan, who had stayed in Karakorum without much military achievement but was unwilling to be mediocre and secretly ambitious. Guo Xian joined his camp as he wished and was soon appreciated by Ariq Boke.

To this day, Guo Xian is able to sit on the position of General of Luoyang thanks to Alibugha's behind-the-scenes support.

When Guo Xian, with disheveled hair, carefully wiped the water droplets off his face in front of the bronze mirror, the alert Hu Jin hurried forward, skillfully and deftly opened his robe and gently draped it over him, then took the handkerchief in his hand and led Guo Xian to sit down at the table filled with breakfast.

After Guo Xian calmed his mind and started to eat, Hu Jin walked slowly and softly around behind him, took out a jade comb from his bosom, and combed his hair.

"We finally got rid of Yan Wuji, the plague god, a while ago, and now another Zhang Xiong has jumped out to cause trouble everywhere. It really makes us restless." Guo Xian complained in a low voice while putting the pastry into his mouth. "Sui Zuo was the general of the Jingbei camp. He was killed in Dengzhou. The person who killed him was Jin Fuyu from Jingjiang Prefecture of the Song Dynasty. This matter has no place for our Luoyang General's Mansion to take care of! Although the court has issued orders to all states and prefectures to severely deter the underworld forces in the areas under their jurisdiction, everyone knows that less trouble is worse than more trouble, and they are just pretending to be together tacitly. Sui Zuo is dead, so what does it have to do with us in Luoyang? Zhang Xiong is ignorant of his own limitations. He has offended all the underworld forces in the Luoyang area. Who will clean up the mess? How can the higher-ups understand the difficulties and life and death of us local officials?"

"Yes! Since you took office, Luoyang City has been unprecedentedly peaceful. In the past two years, the Xianwang Mansion has been plagued by disasters, but you have managed to deal with them one by one by staying the same, seeking benefits and avoiding harm. It has never alarmed the court, nor has it affected taxation. Officials follow their own ways, and the people follow their own ways. Everyone keeps to themselves and does not interfere with each other. This is good." Hu Jin echoed, "The most hateful thing is that Zhang Xiong cannot understand your good intentions and likes to act on his own. Since he came to Luoyang City, he has not done anything that makes people happy."

"Zhang Xiong is a soldier, how can he understand the ways of the government? No matter how great the principles are, it is impossible to reason with a warrior who shouts and kills all day long." When Zhang Xiong was mentioned, Guo Xian suddenly felt a headache and was very upset. "Since it is impossible to reason with him, why don't you find a reason to send him back to Mobei?" Hu Jin suggested carefully, "so that he won't cause trouble in Luoyang City and cause trouble for you."

"That's easy to say! Do you know how much effort General Wang put into placing Zhang Xiong in Luoyang?" Guo Xian shook his head at Hu Jin's suggestion. "Luoyang is located in the Central Plains, well connected, prosperous, and has a thriving economy. Over the years, it has not only been a strategic fortress for General Wang to attack the Song Dynasty from the south, but also an inexhaustible money bag for his Wanggu tribe. Little do you know that General Wang is in a high position at a young age, and it is not just because of his ancestors' influence."

"Your Excellency is right! It is precisely because Luoyang City is so important that I have always been thinking about this place." Hu Jin quickly changed his words, "If Wang Xutong had not died by accident, I would not have found the opportunity to recommend you to come here to take charge."

The "little prince" mentioned by Hu Jin was none other than Ariq Böke, the younger brother of Great Khan Mongke.

"As long as we hold on to Luoyang City, it's like holding on to a mountain of gold. How could General Wang be willing to give it up to others?" Guo Xian sneered, "If General Wang hadn't made great contributions to pacifying Dali this time, and Prince Hu Lie spoke for him, I'm afraid he wouldn't have had a chance to make a comeback. You know, General Wang's original plan was not to place a lieutenant general, but to find someone to replace me and take back the power of the Luoyang General's Mansion in one fell swoop. If it weren't for the little prince's efforts to mediate, maybe you and I would have gone to the northern frontier to herd sheep now."

"The young prince has always respected you and never been alienated from you. This is really rare!"

"Because of this, I must firmly guard this hard-won Luoyang City for the young prince, and I would rather die than regret it!" Guo Xian said solemnly, "Since I took office, I have always adhered to the policy of appeasement, and tried not to interfere in the rights and wrongs of these people in the martial arts world. As long as they do not affect the overall stability of Luoyang City, I can turn a blind eye and tolerate and avoid them if I can, so as not to offend the big and small sects in the city. In the past two years, I have been reminding myself all the time that I must not follow in Wang Xutong's footsteps. My death is a small matter, but if I fail the trust and heavy trust of the young prince, I will not rest in peace even in the underworld."

Hu Jin sighed and said indignantly, "It's a pity that Zhang Xiong, a stubborn man, showed up and ruined all the favors you have accumulated over the years. He went to Danfeng Garden and made a scene today, which will definitely cause a feud with the Xianwang Mansion. I really don't understand why General Wang, who has been smart all his life, would use such a stubborn and reckless man."

"First, Zhang Xiong is loyal enough to Commander Wang and will not be easily bribed. Second, he is stubborn enough. Although he acts rashly, he is much more courageous than ordinary people. Otherwise, he would not dare to go to the Xianwang Mansion openly to seize someone, especially the 'lifeline' of the Xianwang Mansion."

"My lord, what you mean is..."

"Perhaps... Commander-in-Chief Wang wanted chaos. He was the one behind the scenes who instigated Zhang Xiong to make enemies all over the city, in order to cause trouble for the General's Mansion, preferably a big trouble that cannot be handled. Anyway, I am the General of Luoyang, and I will definitely be punished before Zhang Xiong in the end." Guo Xian speculated, "If I am dismissed from office and stripped of my title, Commander-in-Chief Wang will be proud, and the little prince will be disappointed."

Hu Jin pondered for a moment and proposed to Guo Xian again: "Since you have already figured out the interests involved, why don't you let the young prince report this to the Khan? I believe the Khan will be able to see clearly and will not let them do whatever they want!"

Hearing this, Guo Xian slowly put down his chopsticks, turned around and looked at Hu Jin, who was speaking with certainty, and asked with a hint of meaning, "Behind Zhang Xiong is General Wang, and behind General Wang is Prince Hu Lie. Because of some trivial matters in Luoyang City, you let the little prince who has done nothing to sue the famous Prince Hu Lie in front of the Khan, and you also implicated General Wang, who the Khan trusts very much. What do you think the result will be?"

"This……"

Hu Jin was terrified by Guo Xian's sharp eyes. His lips and teeth couldn't help but tremble slightly. He answered with a stiff face: "We... We just reported the truth..."

"So what? Does the truth matter? Do you want the Khan to punish General Wang? Or do you want to punish Prince Hulie?"

"This……"

"You know, even if hundreds of thousands of people from Luoyang were tied together, they would still be no match for Prince Hulie and General Wang in the Khan's heart. What's more, the Khan hates people who stir up trouble the most, especially those who stir up trouble between the brothers." Guo Xian still stared at Hu Jin, saying word by word, "Once someone offends the majesty of heaven, many people will die. The Khan has been a soldier for half his life and has massacred countless cities, so he would not care about a small city like Luoyang. The young prince is of noble status, and at most he will be scolded. As for you and me..."

Although Guo Xian did not continue speaking, it was enough to cause beads of sweat the size of beans to flow down Hu Jin's cheeks, and the clothes on his back were soaked with sweat without him noticing.

Wherever there are people, there are rivers and lakes, and where there are rivers and lakes, there are fights.

This was true for the Song Dynasty and also for Mongolia.

……