Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 175 The King Meets the King

The road leading to Yubi City is rugged, and there is black soil all around. Even the scattered weeds have disappeared. The ashes have merged with the earth, and no grass grows.

Lu Yao no longer sat in the carriage. He mounted his horse and moved forward slowly surrounded by many knights.

"Right now, the Pseudo-Zhou is not at peace."

“They need peace, too.”

Lu Yao looked at Liu Taozi who was standing aside. "Do you know the Duke of Jin from the Pseudo-Zhou Dynasty?"

"I don't know."

Lu Yao smiled and nodded, "Yes, this matter of the Pseudo-Zhou is not allowed to be discussed privately in Da Qi. I will tell you about it, but don't let others know about it."

"only."

"Back then, Yuwen Tai and King Gao were fighting for supremacy, one in the west and one in the east, splitting Wei into two. King Gao died, and then the young King Gao succeeded to the throne. Soon the young King Gao was killed by the cook, and Emperor Wenxuan succeeded to the throne. Yuwen Tai thought he had no strong enemy, so he led his troops to invade, but was defeated by Emperor Wenxuan, shouting: Is King Gao still here?"

"Well, when he first ascended the throne, Emperor Wenxuan was not like he was later. He was brave in battle, invincible, and feared by all enemies."

"As for Yuwen Tai, four years ago, he was seriously ill. Before he passed away, he felt that his children were too young, so he asked his nephew Yuwen Hu to assist in government affairs."

"Yuwen Hu first forced his emperor to abdicate to Yuwen Tai's son Yuwen Jue, changing Wei to Zhou, and then took control of the government. Generals Zhao Gui and Dugu Xin refused to obey him and were killed by him. He then poisoned Yuwen Jue and established Yuwen Yu as the Heavenly King."

"This year, Yuwen Hu took action again. He poisoned Yuwen Yu's food, killed him, and established Yuwen Yong as the new emperor."

"At this moment, within the Pseudo-Zhou Dynasty, the little emperor's words do not count, but the words of Yuwen Hu, the Duke of Jin, count the most."

Before Liu Taozi could say anything, Chu Jiande said, "I've heard that the Pseudo-Zhou Dynasty was in chaos, but I never thought it would get to this extent, killing several emperors in a row. No wonder you said they also need a peaceful life."

Lu Yao nodded, "Yes, and what's more, when Prince Gao went to war, he captured Yuwen Hu's mother alive."

"Your Majesty has instructed that Yuwen Hu's mother can be returned to us so that we can live in harmony with the Pseudo-Zhou Dynasty. That's why I said there would be no risk in this trip. Yuwen Hu's biological mother is here, and we are here to discuss the matter of returning her. If he dares to attack us again, it would be against the ethics and morality of the world. He has never been so crazy as to do this."

Kou Liu seemed to remember something, pursed his lips and looked away.

It seems that although this man killed the king, he is still not as good as our Emperor Wenxuan.

Lu Yao wanted to continue speaking, but a cloud of dust was raised in the distance, and a group of knights came running towards them. They were fully armed, and the leader was holding a large flag, full of murderous intent.

Lu Yao immediately ordered: "Stop, don't conflict with them!"

Liu Taozi gave the order and everyone stopped. The knights rushed straight towards them. The distance between the two sides was getting closer and closer, and they did not hide the malice in their eyes at all.

Lu Yao's face was calm, as if he hadn't noticed the oncoming army at all.

Liu Taozi slowly drew out his sword.

"Shua~~"

The knights seemed to have received a military order. They raised their bows, loaded arrows, and then drew their bows.

At this moment, the opponent's knight who was rushing in the front hurriedly reined in his horse and shouted loudly. The knights behind him immediately separated and no longer charged head-on. Instead, they passed by Lu Yao and others on both sides and quickly surrounded them.

Lu Yao hurriedly said, "Don't show your weakness! Put away your weapons! Put away your weapons!"

Liu Taozi remained unmoved and just looked at the leading knight fiercely.

The knight examined Liu Taozi for a moment, then looked at Lu Yao, "I heard that the envoy from Qi was coming, so I was ordered to come and greet him."

"If you came with good intentions, why are you pointing your bows and arrows at us?"

Lu Yao frowned, "If I am ordered to come and greet you, how can I disrupt the festival?"

"Could it be that this is the etiquette of the Zhou people?"

The knight laughed and saluted casually towards Lu Yao. "It was just that the noise was a little too loud. I didn't expect it to scare the envoy. Don't blame me, don't blame me. Please follow us to the big tent outside the city!"

"Your country showed great momentum in the face of the envoys who came with good intentions. It doesn't look like you are desperate on the battlefield at all."

Lu Yao said sarcastically.

The knight ignored him and just waved his hand. The knights behind him made way for him. He motioned Lu Yao to follow him and led the way ahead.

Lu Yao and his group walked among the knights.

The armor and weapons of these Zhou knights seemed to be no different from those of the Qi people, but at this moment, they looked at Lu Yao and others with extremely fierce eyes, as if they were about to pounce on them and kill them the next moment.

Lu Yao whispered to Liu Taozi, "It's just a verbal dispute. They wouldn't dare to fight if we didn't really fight."

Liu Taozi still didn't reply.

Lu Yao's face was grim. This was what he was afraid of! !
Wei Xiaokuan had no intention of letting the people of Qi enter Yubi City. Even if they were envoys, he would not allow them to come in. This seemed to have become his obsession.

Never let a single Qi person enter Yubi City.

Lu Yao and the others could only gaze at the majestic city from afar. No matter who they were, when they saw Yubi City, they could not help but sigh at the ingenuity of heaven. What kind of power was needed to create such a terrain? What kind of power was needed to destroy such a city? ?
For any general, just seeing this towering city from afar would inevitably make him feel a little despair.

With knights guarding them along the way, they arrived at the temporary camp built by Wei Xiaokuan outside the city.

Everyone got off their horses. Lu Yao, accompanied by Qian Zhubu, strode towards the tent, and Liu Taozi and others followed behind him.

There were even more Zhou soldiers in the camp, and there were soldiers standing almost everywhere that could be seen with the naked eye.

These soldiers were tall and had angry eyes, demonstrating the bravery of the Great Zhou.

A man walked towards me quickly.

The man had a unique goatee and a slightly gloomy face, but at this moment he forced a smile, which made him look even more hypocritical and untrustworthy.

Lu Yao was stunned. This man was too young and obviously not Wei Xiaokuan.

When the two parties met, the man bowed and took the initiative to reveal his identity.

"I am the official sent by Duke Jin, the Minister of State, Duke Yin, to meet Lord Bu Liugu."

"It turns out to be Doctor Yin. I have heard of you for a long time."

Lu Yao returned the gift very kindly.

There were two people standing next to each other.

The one on the left is an older man with a nice beard, elegant and easy-going. The one on the right is a young man, tall and with a strange appearance.

Doctor Yin introduced: "This is Wei Gong, the governor of Xunzhou, and this is Yang Gong, the general."

"Wei Xiaokuan pays respect to Mr. Lu."

"Yang Jian pays respect to Lord Lu."

Lu Yao returned the greeting with a smile, but a look of surprise flashed across Liu Taozi's face at this moment. He looked at the elegant Wei Xiaokuan, and then looked deeply at the young man.

Wei Xiaokuan and Yang Jian also looked at Liu Taozi at this moment.

Wei Xiaokuan still had a faint smile on his face, and he looked at Liu Taozi with a very intimate look.

Yang Jian's eyes were much colder.

Liu Taozi and Yang Jian stared at each other. Suddenly, a cold wind blew, blowing up fallen leaves, making them fly around and fall to the ground. The atmosphere instantly became much more solemn.

Lu Yao turned to look at Liu Taozi and introduced him, "This is General Wuyi Liu Jun."

"Hahaha, Liu Zhizhi and I are old acquaintances. He really likes the food in my house."

Wei Xiaokuan said with a smile at this moment.

Lu Yao was stunned for a moment, but soon calmed down, "General, you are joking. Liu Jun has never left Da Qi. How could he have eaten your food?"

Wei Xiaokuan said nothing more.

Doctor Yin was also a little confused at the moment, but he still smiled and took Lu Yao's hand, and the two walked towards the main tent together.

Wei Xiaokuan followed closely behind him, with Yang Jian and Liu Taozi walking on both sides of him respectively.

Only then did Wei Xiaokuan have the opportunity to talk to Liu Taozi.

"Zhizhi, now that it's like this, does it count as me personally inviting you to submit to the Great Zhou?"

"Didn't you say that if you want me to surrender, I have to ask you to do it in person? Is that the case now?"

"Not counting."

"I think so. Now it's you who's here, not me. So, when are you free? I'm a little bored staying here. How about you come to visit me when you're free?"

"I'm in Wuchuan, General, you can come to my house anytime."

"well."

Wei Xiaokuan spoke softly, but his eyes were no longer as casual as before, and became sharper.

"General Liu has done many great things, which is really admirable. Doctor Yin still has to discuss with Mr. Lu for a long time. General, are you willing to walk around with me?"

"I have been ordered to protect Lord Lu here, and I cannot leave."

Wei Xiaokuan shook his head. "If we want to kill people, even if you can kill a hundred or a thousand, can you still protect Lord Lu?" "You should know that this matter is related to the birth mother of Duke Jin, so we will not do anything."

"The duty lies."

Wei Xiaokuan looked at Yang Jian on the side and said, "Ha, Jian, what do you think of this fake Qi hero? Is he not inferior to the talents in my Great Zhou?"

Yang Jian then looked at Liu Taozi and said calmly, "It's really extraordinary."

Wei Xiaokuan yawned and said, "I am old, old, and not as good as before. I will go back to rest. You guys stay here and watch."

He glanced at Liu Taozi and said, "I'll come to see you again in the evening."

"When the time comes, I'll prepare some drinks and we can discuss important matters in detail!"

Wei Xiaokuan left immediately, and only Yang Jian and Liu Taozi were left outside the big tent.

The two men slowly looked at each other. They were both about the same age and had the same arrogant look on their faces.

"General Wei has told me about you many times."

"He admired you very much, but not your bravery or fighting skills. He just told me that you care about the people, which is extraordinary."

Yang Jian continued, "Everyone in the world pursues their own ambitions, and only a few can think about the world."

Liu Taozi said nothing, just looked at the big tent in front of him.

Yang Jian suddenly said, "There is just one thing I don't quite understand."

"What's the matter?"

"If you really care about the world, why would you help the Pseudo-Qi and try to fight against our Great Zhou?"

Yang Jian suddenly took a step forward, his expression solemn, his eyes flashing and particularly sharp.

"Like that fake Qi, using the power of a tyrant, the ability of a fierce general, and the suffering of the common people, it strengthened its military and made it temporarily strong!"

"But I have seen that in the territory of the pseudo-Qi, upright people have no chance to stand out, innocent people are living in hell, nobles are arrogant, and kill innocent people! The ministers are greedy, and rob and plunder! They occupy the most fertile land and have the most people, but the national strength is getting weaker day by day. This is not something that can be solved by wise ministers and good ministers. Even a wise king is probably powerless. This is a terminal disease with no cure!"

"Although our Great Zhou has experienced ups and downs, the people have no worries. Among the farmers, there are many Xianbei people, and among the warriors, there are many brave Han people. The treasury is getting richer, the farmland is getting wider, and the taxes are light. The people are all grateful for your kindness!"

“It’s obvious!”

"Heaven's will is with me. In the Great Zhou, Governor Wei thinks that the general's many actions are to love the people, but I don't think so. What the general has done is to encourage banditry and go against heaven. I don't know how many people will die because of the general. You may be kind for a while, but there will be endless troubles in the future."

"If the general loves the people, why don't you follow the trend and surrender to the Great Zhou? You and I can be colleagues. I am willing to report to His Majesty and seek a high title for the general so that he can show his talents. I will treat him as my brother."

"General, why don't you abandon the dark and join the light, and obey the will of heaven?"

Yang Jian was very close to Liu Taozi at this moment. He did not avoid Liu Taozi's gaze with his sharp eyes. He was so determined.

Liu Taozi met his gaze and said softly, "People in the countryside really don't know what destiny is. When they see injustice, they do it."

Yang Jian shook his head, "Seeing injustice on the road is what the low-ranking knights of the previous dynasty do. They are not real men, nor heroes."

"A true hero should take the world as his responsibility!!"

Liu Taozi was very calm, "Let's leave the important task of taking care of the world to you true heroes."

"I have things to do."

Yang Jian was a little disappointed and was about to speak when an angry shout suddenly came from inside the tent.

The two men rushed into the tent at the same time, one on the left and one on the right, with their hands on swords.

Then Lu Yao stood up, his face flushed, and he was extremely angry. "If Doctor Yin says so, then there is really nothing to say. I will go back now!!"

"Okay, sorry I can't see you off!!"

Lu Yao turned and left. Liu Taozi quickly followed him. They walked towards the camp gate. When Lu Yao came out, the anger on his face had disappeared. He asked in a low voice: "Has anyone chased us out?"

"Have."

"Then keep going and ignore it."

They continued to move forward, but someone chased them out and hurriedly blocked their way. The man looked helpless and said, "Mr. Lu! Don't blame me, don't blame me!"

"My doctor is not being rude to you, but how can you ask for the city?"

"We can talk some more!"

"What else is there to talk about? Doesn't the Duke of Jin want to welcome his mother back at all?"

"Please go to the other courtyard to rest first. My doctor will come later. This is a very important matter."

The man apologized again and again, and Lu Yao finally calmed down and followed him to the villa.

Lu Yao led Liu Taozi into the tent, quickly grabbed his hand, looked around, and whispered, "What did Wei Xiaokuan and Yang Jian tell you?"

"You want me to surrender."

"Don't be fooled by them. Wei Xiaokuan has always been like this. He sends people to win over everyone he sees and brags about who is under his rule!"

"Oh, he is just fooling you youngsters! If this fake Zhou is really as good as he says, why has he been in Yubi City all this time without getting a promotion?"

"In order to keep him here, Yuwen Hu fabricated a state called Xunzhou, using the jade disk as a state, and made him a governor here. Knowing this, we must not be deceived by them."

"I know."

Lu Yao looked outside again, "You also have to keep an eye on the people we brought with us. Wei Xiaokuan has always been good at sowing discord and bribery. Don't doubt them, and don't indulge them. You have to appease them. If someone defected during this mission, His Majesty would never let us go."

"I know."

At this moment, outside the tent, soldiers had already come to entertain Liu Taozi's men.

"Everyone, come with me and have something good. We have prepared wine and food, and you don't have to stay here."

Kou Liu stared at the other person, slowly untied the water bag from his waist, drank it all, then took out a dry biscuit and started eating it in front of the other person.

The clerk was helpless and just shook his head, "Why would you eat these if you were the one who invited me to eat them? Your widowed mother is back home. If she knew that you were eating these, how could she feel at ease?"

Kou Liu trembled all over and looked at the man suddenly.

"You'd better leave here as soon as possible. Otherwise, if I kill you, won't your mother at home cry?"

The clerk smiled, turned and left.

Kou Liu looked around and said, "Don't have any private contact with these people, and don't pay attention to their words. They are just pretending."

"only!!"

They waited outside for a long time, and when it gradually darkened, a man suddenly came here in a hurry.

The person who came was Wei Xiaokuan. He was wearing a simple linen shirt and looked like a completely different person. When he arrived here, he was quickly blocked by Kou Liu and others.

"Hey, why are you stopping me? I'm here to see your general. Let Liu Taozi come out immediately!"

Kou Liu sent someone in to report, but he still stood guard at the door.

Soon, Lu Yao led Liu Taozi out.

Seeing Wei Xiaokuan dressed like this, Lu Yao was stunned for a moment, "General Wei, what do you want me to do?"

"I want to go out for a walk with General Liu and have a chat. I wonder if Mr. Lu agrees?"

"The general is in Xunzhou, and General Wuyi is in Wuchuan. They are not next to each other, so what is there to talk about?"

"If Mr. Lu doesn't allow it, then forget it, forget it."

Lu Yao pursed her lips and looked at Liu Taozi beside her, "General Wei wants to talk to you, so just follow him and don't go too far."

Lu Yao pinched his arm.

Liu Taozi nodded and followed Wei Xiaokuan out of here.

Wei Xiaokuan led Liu Taozi along the road and said happily, "You came at the right time. If you were later, I'm afraid there would be nowhere to go. It's the busiest time now."

The two men walked out of the big tent. It was extremely lively outside. Knights were coming and going. When they saw Wei Xiaokuan and Liu Taozi, they all bowed to greet them.

They walked to a high slope.

Wei Xiaokuan put his hands on his hips and looked into the distance, "Zhizhi, take a look, what's going on over there?"

The direction Wei Xiaokuan pointed to was Yubi City.

Liu Taozi looked in the direction he pointed, and saw endless golden wheat fields on both sides of the city. People were harvesting, and the wheat was piled up on both sides of the road. Some people were pushing carts and transporting it to a distance.

“It’s a really good harvest.”

“Hahahaha, I knew it!!”

"You are the first person to go to the wheat fields instead of the city walls!"

(End of this chapter)