Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 305: A Honest Surrender

Yecheng.

Inside Hu Gao's mansion.

Gao Yuanhai sat in the upper seat, with a beauty in each arm, and a pile of drinks in front of him.

At this moment, Gao Yuanhai was surrounded by many great monks.

These great monks were old and young, of all ages and races, and there were even a few masters from India.

There were more than thirty of these people surrounding the hall.

They were all big in stature, broad in waist, fat in head and big in ears. They looked particularly kind when they smiled. They were wearing all kinds of robes, each one more luxurious than the other. The house was emitting a golden light and was full of preciousness.

Gao Yuanhai looked at everyone, stroked his beard a few times, and said proudly: "Among the royal family members, I am the most intelligent."

"All the major affairs of Yecheng today are managed by me. How can the world not prosper?"

The masters nodded one after another.

Gao Yuanhai let go of the two beauties in his arms and asked them to pour wine for him.

He looked at everyone seriously and said, "I have called you all here today for some very important matters."

The masters immediately became serious and looked at Gao Yuanhai solemnly.

Gao Yuanhai sighed, chanted a Buddhist ritual, raised his hands, and said sadly: "Today, the world is plagued by disasters, the people are suffering, and foreign generals are causing chaos, which has caused the world to be in a state of depression. I intend to change this situation, so I invite you to come and discuss important matters."

The chefs were a little flustered at the moment.

Indeed, since these masters could appear in Gao Yuanhai's mansion, they must be the heads of various temples. In this world, it is not easy to be a monk. If you want to be a formal monk, you have to pass the examination of classics. Several Buddhist classics have also been officially listed as having the same status as the Five Classics in the Han Dynasty. To do such a great thing, you must at least be familiar with all the classics.

Therefore, most of those present here are familiar with the classics, and are experts in both Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.

It is one thing to know the classics and be able to debate them, and it is another to use the classics to govern the country.

Although these people usually talk incessantly and have their own ideas about everything in the world, they are still very clear about how capable they are.

Hearing Gao Yuanhai's high-pitched opening, they immediately became sober.

They are different from Gao Yuanhai. None of them have relatives who are emperors. Most of them have worked hard to get to their current positions, so they are not that stupid.

They looked at each other. If Gao Yuanhai wanted them to help deal with the general, they would have to run away together tomorrow.

Gao Yuanhai suddenly said, "I think that this happened because the etiquette and laws are not in accordance with the Way of Heaven!"

The masters were stunned and frowned.

Gao Yuanhai said seriously: "At present, there are too many people in Da Qi who kill, eat meat, love wine, and lust, so many evil obstacles have arisen, leading to the current situation."

"I would like to file a petition with the imperial court, requesting that no blood be used in future sacrifices, and only vegetarian food be used in sacrifices to ancestors."

"The slaughtering industry is banned, the wine-selling industry is banned, and promiscuity is banned!"

Gao Yuanhai looked at the masters again, "What do you think?"

The masters looked at the meat in front of them, and then looked at the beauty who was pouring wine for Gao Yuanhai.

They were silent for a moment.

Speaking of which, this is not the first time Gao Yuanhai has put forward these ideas.

When Gao Yan first came to power, he wrote a letter requesting that no blood should be used in ancestor sacrifices. Gao Yan then dismissed him as the general and sent him back to Yecheng. He then served Gao Zhan and after Gao Zhan came to power, he again made the same request.

Later, after the young emperor came to power, he directly advised the young emperor to ban slaughtering and drinking.

Gao Yuanhai is such a Buddhist.

He couldn't bear to see anyone killing, and he hated others drinking and loving beautiful women.

As for himself, he "indulged in drinking and had many concubines", eating meat with big mouthfuls and drinking wine in huge bowls.

This is the royal family king who truly has the style of the Great Qi.

The masters were a little confused at the moment, but they quickly reacted and expressed their support for Gao Yuanhai's behavior.

The masters supported him one by one, and did not forget to praise Gao Yuanhai's kind heart. Gao Yuanhai laughed loudly and drank a lot of wine. The two beauties who were pinching him screamed.

Gao Yuanhai looked at the masters in front of him with a proud look on his face.

Just as the masters were boasting about their robes to each other and began to enjoy the food and drinks, the Datong of Zhaoxuan Temple stood up, approached Gao Yuanhai and sat next to him.

This great ruler was called Fayuan. He was not very old, but he was one of Gao Yuanhai's close friends. He helped him control Zhaoxuan Temple and command all the religious affairs in the world.

There was nothing special about this monk, and his understanding of Buddhism was not profound. The only surprising thing was his excellent appearance.

He looked at the people celebrating, then at Gao Yuanhai, and whispered, "My lord, now is not the time to perform these Buddhist rituals. Yecheng is in danger, and we must be on guard!"

Gao Yuanhai took a sip of wine and said, "I know!"

"How did Hu Changren die? Did he fall to death? Oh, there were many people who died from falling in Da Qi. I know what happened."

"Your Majesty is leading everyone to flee to Jinyang, intending to leave Yecheng to the general."

Gao Yuanhai said with a smile.

Fa Yuan was stunned. He quickly asked, "Since you know everything, why do you still want to stay in Yecheng? We should leave together!"

"What do you know?"

"What good place can Jinyang be? Do they really think they can escape from the sea of ​​suffering by going to Jinyang? Duan Shao is a loyal minister who is willing to fight with Liu Taozi for His Majesty? Bullshit!"

Gao Yuanhai said disdainfully: "They have walked into a trap. They lost Yecheng and their reputation. They are living in Jinyang in fear and fear. They may be sold out any day."

"It's better to stay in Yecheng!"

Fa Yuan was puzzled, "What should we do if the general's troops arrive?"

Gao Yuanhai slammed the wine cup heavily on the table and glanced at him, "What are you afraid of?!"

"I surrender!"

He said righteously: "The general has not yet been able to pacify the world, can he still kill those who surrender? When the time comes, I will rush out to hold his horse. If he doesn't want me, I will find a temple to become a monk! Why not?"

Fa Yuan was stunned, he didn’t know why Gao Yuanhai could say such humble words in such a tone.

Looking at his confused subordinate Gao Yuanhai, he took another sip of wine and said dimly, "It's not easy to be alive."

"At first I thought I had seen through the world and all the sufferings, so I petitioned Emperor Wenxuan to go to the mountains to practice Buddhism."

"I have been practicing in the mountains for two years, you know? During these two years, I strictly followed the etiquette and studied hard all day long. For two whole years, I was so thin that I couldn't even pick up firewood. When I saw the country girls, I couldn't even walk. When I saw meat, I wanted to cut off my own flesh and eat it!!"

“Then I understood.”

“Life is short, take advantage of the moment.”

"Why make it hard on yourself? Just do something that makes you happy and wait for a good death while you live."

Fa Yuan was still in shock and speechless.

He asked in disbelief: "Then why did you accuse the general of treason? Why did you propose to attack him?"

"You don't understand? I'm putting pressure on Hu Changren, hoping he'll pay me some compensation. I'm not stupid. What if he asks me to attack the general? You see, the general has destroyed a lot of my property, but what about Hu Changren? He ate most of what I was supposed to eat. If I don't let him spit it out, can I still be considered a human being?"

"Once he dies this time, what he took will return to me."

Gao Yuanhai looked around and whispered to the man, "I have hidden all the things in various places. Even if I become a commoner in the future, it will be enough for me."

At this moment, some soldiers suddenly rushed in.

"My Lord! King Huashan is outside the city gate!"

Gao Yuanhai jumped up in shock, "King Huashan? How many soldiers did he bring?"

"Well, several hundred."

"It is said that Jizhou was under siege, and he led his people to seek refuge there."

"what??"

Gao Yuanhai was stunned.

"Why is he running?"

"Isn't he Gao Yu's biological brother?"

Gao Yuanhai frowned and looked around, unable to make up his mind for a moment. He would have believed it if Gao Ji had run away, but why would Gao Ning run away? Are you afraid that your own brother will kill you?
"Someone, prepare the carriage!"

"I'm going out of town to welcome them!"

outside the city.

Gao Yuanhai secretly looked at his carriage, where the surrender document was already prepared. If the other party came to test or persuade him to surrender under Gao Yu's order, Gao Yuanhai would not hesitate.

If you can’t win, you can’t win, no matter how damn strong the city is.

The city was deserted, and the army had almost all dispersed, unable to hold out.

Anyway, I have money, so it doesn’t matter if I become a penniless person.

The two sides met formally outside the city.

Huashan King Gao Ning, as Gao Yun's younger brother, looks very similar to Gao Yun, to the point where he can almost serve as a stand-in.

Same face, same eyes.

But Gao Yuanhai could tell the difference between the two of them at a glance. There was always some indifference in Gao Xun's eyes, which made people dare not be rude to him easily. However, there was some fear in Gao Ning's eyes, and his eyeballs kept moving around. He didn't look like a very reliable person.

Gao Yuanhai got out of the car with a smile and walked in front of him. Just as he was about to salute, Gao Ning hurriedly got out of the car and avoided his salute.

"King Huashan!"

"It's Gao, Minister Gao."

"me."

Gao Ning was trembling and couldn't utter a complete sentence. Gao Yuanhai was a little stunned. He hadn't seen Gao Ning for many years. He remembered that although he was weak in the past, he wasn't to this extent.

Gao Yuanhai did not urge him, but waited for him to finish. Gao Ning said intermittently: "I lost Jizhou, which is a heinous crime. I am willing to accept the punishment."

"What are you talking about? King Huashan came to Yecheng to pay homage to His Majesty. How could he have lost a city?"

"Come with me."

Gao Yuanhai smiled and led the other party into the city. Gao Ning's face finally looked much better. He explained helplessly: "The general's army is powerful. He conquered several states in succession. The officials were not spared. They said that the general massacred people in the city, leaving no one alive, and even used human flesh as military rations."

Gao Yuanhai looked at his expression and asked hesitantly, "Maybe these are all rumors?"

"The general is merciful?"

Gao Ning shook his head. "I don't know, but that's what they all said."

"Don't trust what people say."

"The King of Pengcheng is also beside the general. How can he allow the general to do such a thing?"

"Ah? Is my brother with the general?"

"what??"

Gao Yuanhai looked the guy up and down, making sure he wasn't kidding him, and then slowly asked, "King Pengcheng has been in the Northern Road Office for a long time, right?"

Gao Ning was confused. "What Beidao Xingtai?"

"Your Majesty."

Gao Yuanhai was speechless. He had experienced the feeling of the great monks and was silent for a long time. Then he asked, "Does the King of Huashan really not know?"

"I don't know much about what's going on outside. I usually stay inside the house."

Looking at Gao Ning mumbling in a low voice, Gao Yuanhai felt even more complicated. Is this really a member of our royal family? ?

The son of Emperor Shenwu? ?
Gao Yuanhai settled Gao Ning in the city and let him rest, then went to interrogate the officials who came with him.

Only then did he determine that Gao Ning was not sent by Gao Yun to gather information. He was just like that. According to an official, this man's wife had been committing adultery with a young man for many years, and he was unable to stop it.
Gao Yuanhai didn't want to bother with this mess anymore, so he turned around and went back to his "own" residence.

The sky gradually darkened.

Gao Yuanhai was sitting in the study, sorting out many documents. These documents were all about some things left by Hu Changren. Gao Ning had already arrived, so Kou Liu and others would be arriving soon. These things had to be destroyed as soon as possible, and he had to destroy them personally.

Gao Yuanhai ordered people to bring braziers and burn them one by one.

Watching the document twisting in the brazier and turning into a pitch-black mass, he felt relieved.

Just as he was about to reach out to take the document again, he saw something moving in the shadows.

Gao Yuanhai was startled and quickly stepped back. When he looked again, he saw the thing walking out from the shadows.

That's a person.

He wore a scary mask, had a huge body and extremely long hands.

Gao Yuanhai recognized the other person's identity at a glance.

He quickly stepped back a few steps, with a sincere smile on his face, "It's Mr. Liu!"

Liu Taozhi was stunned for a moment. He really hated this name.

"I wonder what Mr. Liu wants to visit you so late at night?"

Gao Yuanhai distanced himself again and said seriously, "If you are here for the general's matter, Mr. Liu, don't worry at all. I know the big picture."

Liu Taozhi looked at him coldly and was silent for a long time. "If you want to defend the city, I can help you."

"I have received great favor from the Emperor Shenwu, and I will never do anything rebellious."

Gao Yuanhai nodded, smiling, "Of course, of course. Everyone in the world knows that Lord Liu is a loyal minister. Lord Liu is loyal and brave, especially the general."

Liu Taozhi had already started to breathe heavily. She took a few steps forward and almost strangled Gao Yuanhai's neck with her hands.

"I never joked!"

Gao Yuanhai became even more frightened. I have already made my attitude clear, why are you still being so aggressive?
He lowered his head quickly, "Mr. Liu, what I said at Hu Changren's house was just to force Hu Changren. I definitely didn't mean to be rude to you. I know right from wrong. Please forgive me, Mr. Liu!"

"I'm not here for this!"

"Your Majesty suspected that I was disloyal and left me in Yecheng."

Gao Yuanhai hurriedly cursed: "It's all because of those villains! Is there anyone in the world who is more loyal than Liu Gong? Let's not talk about anything else, just talk about the general..."

"Don't mention that guy!"

"only!"

Gao Yuanhai pointed at the case and said, "Old Grandpa, I really want to join the general. I didn't touch any documents in the local government offices. What I just burned were just some letters between Hu Changren and me. If you don't believe me, you can go and have a look. I dare not confront the general. I only hope to follow the general and revitalize the country."

Before Gao Yuanhai could finish his words, Liu Taozhi suddenly turned around and walked into the shadows.

Gao Yuanhai didn't even dare to look over there and retreated all the way to the door.

"Old man?"

He called out softly a few times and only breathed a sigh of relief after making sure the other person had left.

Then he became angry again.

This family is really going too far.

I have already expressed my willingness to surrender, yet you are still bullying me!

But what can we do in the current situation?

He didn't dare to stay in this room to work anymore, so he immediately changed rooms, moved his things in, and then continued to burn them.

After doing all this, Gao Yuanhai no longer cared about anything else and began to practice Buddhism with peace of mind, waiting for the general's army to arrive in Yecheng.

At the same time, Gao Jie led his troops and arrived at Qingdu first.

Gao Jie had only more than 3,000 soldiers, but it was more than enough to deal with the county soldiers. When the bandits went to capture Dingzhou, he went to Qingdu Yin first, and it took only three days for him to arrive outside Yecheng.

Gao Jie stood in the distance, looking at the distant Yecheng.

As a member of the royal family of the Great Qi Dynasty, he knew very well that his actions constituted treason.

If the general's past behavior could be explained by other statements, then this time it really could not be explained. His army captured cities and appointed his own people to official positions. This was pure rebellion no matter how you looked at it. It was just that the flag had not been raised.

And the city in the distance is also included in the plan.

But Gao Jie did not have the slightest hesitation or sadness in his heart.

He had thought about this day coming a long time ago.

Instead of waiting for those bandits from the west to rush into Yecheng and massacre the entire Gao family, it is better for me to come first, clean up the house, and kill all those in the clan who are not worthy of being human.

Gao Jie took a deep breath and raised the Gaowang Sword given to him by the general.

"The whole army obeys the order!!"

"Capture Ye City!!"

(End of this chapter)