Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 314 Let’s start tomorrow
Suizhou, Hanyang.

Everything inside and outside the city was draped in white, and the people entering and leaving the city were all wearing mourning clothes.

There were a lot of ashes on the road and signs of burning everywhere.

This was the case all the way to the entrance of the government office. Both inside and outside the office were in mourning. The officials were also wearing mourning clothes, looking sad, and did not talk to each other.

At the innermost part of the government office, a mourning hall was set up.

I saw a man kneeling in front of the mourning hall, crying loudly.

Suizhou Governor Yang Jian stood aside, his face filled with indescribable grief and anger, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, his chest heaving as he tried hard to suppress his anger.

"Duke!! This is all my fault!!"

The person who was kneeling on the ground and crying raised his head and let out a long howl.

And this person was Zheng Daoqian who had disappeared for a long time.

Zheng Daoqian was wearing mourning clothes, with tears constantly falling from his eyes. He just kept crying and kowtowed repeatedly towards the spirit tablet in front of him, unwilling to get up.

Yang Jian walked up slowly and helped him up.

"Mr. Zheng."

Zheng Daoqian cried as he looked at Yang Jian. He immediately knelt down and said, "The city was lost, but I was not able to die with the Duke. I am a coward. I deserve to die."

Yang Jian hurriedly helped him up again and said seriously: "Duke Zheng is a civil servant. When the city fell, the warriors fled everywhere. How can you blame Duke Zheng for not fighting the enemy?"

"Besides, this place is so far away from Lingzhou. The fact that Lord Zheng came all the way here is enough to prove his loyalty."

"I think if my father knew, he would definitely not blame you again."

Zheng Daoqian stopped crying, took a few steps back, looked at Yang Jian again, and saluted, "I was originally a surrendered minister of the Pseudo-Qi. At the beginning, the Duke did not regard me as a mean person, but valued me very much and allowed me to follow him."

"The Duke is no longer here."

“Although the world is vast, there is no place for me to stand.”

"I came back this time to say goodbye to you."

"Please take good care of yourself"

As Zheng Daoqian was talking, Yang Jian pursed his lips and suddenly asked, "If you want to find a place, I can arrange it for you and send someone to take care of you in your old age."

"However, when my father passed away, I was panicked and at a loss. Is there anything you want to teach me?"

Upon hearing the question, Zheng Daoqian immediately said: "Excuse me for being frank, the reason why we were defeated was not because the enemy was too strong, nor was it because the soldiers were unwilling to fight, but because there were villains in the country who were causing trouble."

"Today, this villain still holds great power."

"He eliminated many people who were not in his favor, and his position became more and more stable."

"You are still very young. Even if you can inherit the title, you will not be able to take revenge for the time being."

"The best way at the moment is to observe mourning. You can write to the imperial court and request to observe mourning for Duke Sui for three years."

"That villain in the court has always been hypocritical and vicious. If he knew that you were going to observe mourning, he would think that you were afraid of him. Then, he would deal with the rest of the people and would not keep an eye on you anymore."

A gleam of light flashed in Yang Jian's eyes, and he asked again: "But what should we do in the future?"

"Do I have to observe mourning forever?"

Zheng Daoqian looked up and asked, "Why are you so anxious?"

"You are only in your twenties, but that villain doesn't have many years left. His sons are as stupid as pigs and dogs, and they are totally incapable of suppressing the situation in the country."

"As long as he's not targeting you, you can free up your hands to contact many talented people in the country, improve your status, increase your reputation, and when the time is right, you may be able to do great things."

Yang Jian immediately took a few steps back and saluted Zheng Daoqian.

"Mr. Zheng, my father has passed away and I am still young. I don't have anyone to rely on. Please stay by my side and give me advice."

"I will treat you like my father did, and I will never treat you unfairly."

"Oh, get up, get up."

Zheng Daoqian hurriedly helped Yang Jian up, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "I am just a surrendered minister."

"Please, Lord Zheng, please stay."

"I sigh."

"Greetings, my lord."

Yang Jian's serious face finally showed some gentleness. He looked into the distance and said, "My father died in the war. There is no reason to take revenge. If I want to take revenge, I should take revenge on Liu Taozi."

"I will file a petition to the imperial court to observe mourning for my father."

"In addition, I will also file a petition with the imperial court, hoping that I will not be allowed to inherit the title of Duke for the time being. I will inherit the title after I kill Liu Taozi and avenge my father."

Zheng Daoqian trembled all over and looked at the young man.

This solemn-looking young man possesses an indescribable aura.

When he started talking, his speed was neither fast nor slow, always maintaining a consistent rhythm, and he had the ability to convince people.

Zheng Daoqian narrowed his eyes.

This person may become the lord's great enemy in the future.

After making arrangements for all the people who came to mourn his father, Yang Jian immediately returned to his study and began writing many memorials.

The knights carried these documents and rushed towards Chang'an.

Changan.

Qigong Mansion.

Yuwen Xian sat on the upper seat with three young men sitting next to him.

These three people are Gao Jiong, Han Qinhu and He Ruobi.

After returning from the front line, Yuwen Xian listened to Gao Jiong's advice and recruited many talented and wise men to help him.

Among the people he recruited, Han Qinhu and He Ruobi were the most outstanding.

There was a huge map in front of Yuwen Xian. At this moment, he was talking to the three young men. "Liu Taozi sent Gao Changgong to Lingzhou and set up a military office, letting Huluxian serve as the general of the office."

"Gao Changgong and Huluxian are both brave and good at fighting. They are not easy to deal with."

"However, now that General Wei is stationed in Xiazhou, Gao Changgong and Huluxian dare not go south easily."

"General Wei had just arrived in Xiazhou when he began to gather people to fight back. Previously in Yanzhou, he successfully captured the enemy's grain convoy."

"This is to warn Gao Changgong, to let him know that if his army leaves the city easily and goes to other places, General Wei will definitely attack his rear and even other cities."

The others nodded, and Yuwen Xian said, "Therefore, as long as Xiazhou is not lost, Gao Changgong will not dare to send troops easily."

"This is a good opportunity for us."

"Many people in the court think that we should send troops to drive Liu Taozi back, but I think we should still send troops from Luoshui. Liu Taozi has taken over the north of the river. If we can cut off the Qi people's food supply channel, or even take over all the Qi land south of the river, then Liu Taozi will face multi-faceted attacks, and we will no longer fall into the current exhausted situation, and our national strength will be greatly improved."

"The only person I want to capture now is Dugu Yongye."

"Dugu Yongye's reputation is not as great as those other generals, but he is indeed good at defense. He is stationed in Jinyong City. Unless we besiege it with a large army for a year or two, we will not be able to take it down."

Yuwen Xian looked at the others and asked, "What do you think?"

Gao Jiong said slowly: "If we can't take down Dugu Yongye, we can ask the Pseudo-Qi court to take him down for us."

"For example, find a way to transfer him away. It doesn't matter where he goes. As long as he leaves Jinyong City, it will be a good opportunity for us."

He Ruobi immediately replied: "Impossible."

He Ruobi looked arrogant. Even though he had just lost his father, he was not too sad and was still as domineering as before.

"Dugu Yongye has been staying in Jinyong City for many years. To put it bluntly, everyone from top to bottom is his people, just like Liu Taozi in the frontier. He is the ruler of Heluo, and his orders from the imperial court cannot reach Jinyong City at all."

"I heard that when the Duke followed the Duke to attack Jinyang, they transferred Dugu Yongye out and put him in charge of the defense. As a result, many rebellions and civil unrest occurred in Heluo."

"In the end, there was no other choice but to transfer him back."

"Dugu Yongye is the local emperor in Heluo, how could he be willing to leave? It is impossible. Unless we take Jinyang, Yecheng, and Pingcheng, Dugu Yongye will stay in Jinyong City."

"And I think even if those three cities are taken, Dugu Yongye's place will not be taken down."

"The city is tall, the reserves are rich, the soldiers are elite, and the people are united. Duke Qi should not think about taking Heluo. Think of something else."

With these words, He Ruobi belittled Yuwen Xian and severely criticized his strategic ideas.

Gao Jiong's face changed immediately and he was about to scold him, but Yuwen Xian started laughing.

"What you said makes sense."

Just as Qi State had Gao Changgong, Zhou State also had Yuwen Xian.

Yuwen Xian was very young but very brave. He made rapid progress in every battle and grew step by step into a top-notch general.

In addition, he is humble, kind, capable of appointing the right people to the right positions, and generous and magnanimous. Of course, he is also handsome, but perhaps slightly less handsome than Gao Changgong.

Yuwen Xian looked at He Ruobi and asked, "Where do you think we should march from?"

"It's impossible to advance from anywhere now."

"We have to wait for an opportunity to restore the country's strength." He Ruobi had the face of a rough warrior, but he was not the kind of axe-wielding ruffian who 'enjoyed fighting'. He was a general who was strong both in single combat and in commanding. He had read a lot of books, but his appearance and temperament made it easy to hide these.

Han Qinhu was much more honest. He had gone through several tough battles and had been defeated by Liu Taozi many times. The young man had learned humility and silence.

Just as several people were discussing military matters, a scout walked in quickly and interrupted them.

"Lord!"

"Duke Wei is here to pay his respects."

Yuwen Xian was stunned, "Oh? Dou Luo came suddenly?"

"Let him in."

Soon, the scout led another young man into the place.

This young man looks somewhat similar to Yuwen Xian, but his temperament is completely different. He looks a bit like a knight-errant.

He walked here in a swagger, looking around, and there was no sign of any etiquette.

He walked all the way to Yuwen Xian, and then looked at the other three people here in astonishment.

"Brother, why did you recruit so many people again?"

"If these people were useful, would we have been defeated by the enemy so many times in a row?"

As soon as the young man opened his mouth, the three of them frowned.

Yuwen Xian quickly reprimanded him, "Azhi, don't be rude!"

The young man was Yuwen Xian's younger brother, Yuwen Zhi.

Among Yuwen Tai's thirteen sons, Yuwen Zhi was the sixth.

However, just as Gao Changgong had Gao Yanzong by his side, Yuwen Xian also had Yuwen Zhi by his side.

Yuwen Zhi was courageous, but he was a little too domineering and looked down on others.

Yuwenzhi sat down directly, without looking at the others, but only looked at his elder brother, and said seriously: "Fifth brother, Fourth brother asked me to come to you to ask about the situation."

"After returning from the front, you haven't visited Fourth Brother once. Why is that?"

The fourth son of the Yuwen family is the current emperor Yuwen Yong.

Yuwen Xian was stunned, not knowing how to answer.

After experiencing this great battle, Yuwen Xian gained more and more trust from Yuwen Hu. Yuwen Hu planned to let him be the commander-in-chief to be in charge of the next battle with the Qi people. It can be said that he valued him very much.

Yuwen Xian knew his brother's situation, but he also knew the current situation.

He had no way to help his brother get rid of Yuwen Hu, so he could only protect himself and his brother from being harmed and deal with the great enemy Liu Taozi first.

Yuwen Xian didn't dare to meet his brother too often.

He was worried that such a thing would be bad for both parties and would harm himself as well as his brother.

But he couldn't say it clearly.

Gao Jiong suddenly said, "Duke Wei, Duke Qi is now in an important position and has been discussing with us day and night about the campaign against the Qi people, so he has not been able to meet Your Majesty in time."

"Please go back and tell His Majesty that once the important matter here is resolved, the Duke of Qi will naturally come to see His Majesty."

"Shut up!"

Yuwen Zhi was very rude. He stared at Gao Jiong and asked, "Who do you think you are?"

"I'm talking to my brother about family matters, so why would you have the right to speak?"

Gao Jiong slowly lowered his head, but Yuwen Xian was furious.

"Who allowed you to scold my subordinates like this?!"

Yuwen Zhi was also angry. He stood up and said, "You hang out with these people all day long and only know how to protect yourself. Are you still my father's son?!"

Yuwen Xian had a stern face and said nothing.

Yuwen Zhi cursed a few more times in a low voice, glared at everyone angrily, then turned and left.

After Yuwen Zhi left, Yuwen Xian looked at Gao Jiong and said, "I was afraid that guy would say something even more outrageous, so I didn't argue with him. I apologize to you on his behalf."

Gao Jiong shook his head calmly. He looked in the direction where Yuwen Xian left. "My lord, the Duke of Wei is so reckless and talking nonsense. I'm afraid that he will cause chaos sooner or later."

Yuwen Xian sighed and didn't respond.

After Yuwen Zhi left Yuwen Xian's mansion, he quickly got into the car, his eyes full of anger.

Yuwen Hu killed several of their brothers in a row, but Yuwen Xian was so flattering to him that he even became a favorite general under Yuwen Hu. What is this?
Why can he command the army, but I can't?

What ability does Yuwen Xian have? He is just a villain!

Yuwen Zhi kept cursing in his heart. The carriage finally stopped outside the gate of the palace, and he walked into the palace on foot.

In the Zhengwu Hall of the Imperial Palace, the young Emperor Yuwen Yong was wrestling with several guards.

I saw him wearing short clothes, fighting hard with the guards.

Yuwen Yong turned sideways, hooked his foot, and threw the guard heavily to the ground.

The people around shouted and clapped.

Yuwen Yong smiled, helped the fallen guard up, and gave him some rewards.

When he found Yuwen Zhidao coming, Yuwen Yong walked forward with a smile. The eunuch beside him brought him a piece of cloth, which he hung around his neck.

"Why are you here, kid?"

"You also want to fight with me?"

"But, but."

Yuwenzhi shook his head, looked around, and whispered, “Yuwenxian can’t say.”

Yuwen Yong's face changed, "Who asked you to ask him?"

Yuwen Zhi was a little confused. "Didn't my brother say that he hadn't seen him for many days and missed him a lot?"

Yuwen Yong took a deep breath, and without caring, he asked again, "Did you go to his mansion?"

"Yes, brother, you don't know that Yuwen Xian is now in the limelight. Yuwen Hu is particularly fond of him. He has given him a large courtyard and many elite soldiers. He also said that he would lead the army. He is very thoughtful. It is said that he even wants to adopt Yuwen Xian as his own son!"

Yuwen Yong just looked into the distance without saying a word.

Yuwen Zhi continued, "I went to his house today, but he didn't even look at me. He even said that if I went there again, he would ask Yuwen Hu to deal with me!"

Yuwen Yong raised his eyebrows and looked at his brother, "Did he really say that?"

"He didn't say it explicitly, but that's what he meant!"

Yuwen Yong smiled and said, "He also has his own difficulties."

Yuwen Yong turned around and was about to take the written test again, but Yuwen Zhi grabbed his hand and said, "Brother, we can't delay any longer!"

"When are we going to start?!"

Yuwen Yong looked at his younger brother with complicated eyes.

When Yuwen Yong first came to power, he trusted his younger brother, but his younger brother wanted to be close to Yuwen Hu and always stayed in Yuwen Hu's house and never went out.

It was not until later that Yuwen Xian gained the favor of Yuwen Hu and was treated better than him that Yuwen Zhi gave up his principles and stood on his side again, always saying dangerous words and constantly urging him to take action.

If Yuwen Yong didn't know the kind of person his younger brother was, he would have mistakenly thought that this was a spy sent by Yuwen Hu.

"tomorrow."

"What??"

"We'll do it tomorrow."

Yuwen Zhi, who had been urging people to take action, suddenly became a little panicked when he heard the exact time. He felt uneasy and his eyes were dull.

"We only have one chance."

"Tomorrow, you have to come to the palace early."

"I've already arranged everything."

Yuwenzhi shuddered and looked at the emperor, "Brother, what should I do?"

"You don't have to do anything. Just go into the palace tomorrow like you are doing now, carrying your sword. I will tell you the rest tomorrow."

Yuwenzhi took a deep breath and said, "Okay, okay, I will listen to you, brother."

Yuwen Yong smiled and patted his shoulder. "See you tomorrow, go and get busy. I still want to play for a while."

"Play??"

"Brother, but tomorrow"

"It's okay. Go back and have a good sleep. If you drink, don't drink too much."

After giving his instructions to his younger brother, Yuwen Yong turned around and continued playing games with the guards. Only Yuwen Zhi was left standing there in amazement.

ps: I have to find a Chinese doctor to treat this tenosynovitis
(End of this chapter)