Jinting Han people

Chapter 246 Tuoba Luguan
When they first arrived in Shengle, Lu Quyang and his party were not received by Tuoba Yilu.

The reason was simple. The envoy in charge of the reception replied: The wedding in the capital has not yet ended, and he will be summoned after it is over.

This reason was legitimate, so Lu Quyang didn't say much and could only wait patiently.

But these few days of waiting made Lu Quyang quite uneasy, because he knew that the soldiers of Niyang were fighting in blood, and he didn't know how many people would die with every passing day. Time is life, so how could he waste time waiting?

But they had something to ask of someone after all, and no matter how ambiguous and delaying Tuoba Yilu's attitude was, they did not dare to leave without permission, and could only repeatedly express their desire to see him.

Finally, on the fourth day, the envoy who was hosting the event finally sent a letter saying that the Great Chanyu was willing to summon the envoy from Jin.

The venue for the summons was the royal court within Shengle City. While it was called a royal court, it was actually just a large hall, similar to any wealthy household in Guanzhong. Inside, there were copper incense burners and lamp trees, common in Han China, surrounded by silk screens embroidered with phoenixes and phoenixes. The only difference was the presence of statues of Buddhas like Vaisravana and Mahadeva, likely purchased from merchants in the Western Regions.

What Lü Quyang hadn't expected was that Tuoba Yilu wasn't the only one meeting them. A weathered old man sat at the head of the table, a sign of exceptional status. Tuoba Yilu, the Western Lord, sat next to him, along with two others. While their demeanors differed, their postures revealed them to be seasoned warriors. It was obvious that these individuals were among the most influential figures in the kingdom.

Behind each of these nobles, there were two people standing, guarding them on both sides with knives. However, judging from their arrogant eyes, they were not just guards, but probably had other identities.

When Lü Quyang and Feng Yu sat down, the group was chatting and laughing in Xianbei. Lü Quyang, standing at a distance, listened for a moment and realized they were simply bragging about their hunting dogs.

However, thanks to this conversation, he was able to distinguish the identities of these people.

The person sitting at the chief seat was Tuoba Luguan, the current Great Khan of Tuoba Xianbei. The two people sitting next to Tuoba Yilu were Tuoba Yiyi, the Lord of the Central Region, and Yuwen Xunniyan, the leader of Yuwen Xianbei.

At this time, the conversation was coming to an end. Tuoba Luguan glanced at Lu Quyang and Feng Yu and said with a smile:
"Having said that, a good hound isn't judged by talent, but by loyalty."

"There are several good hounds right in front of us. They are looking at us eagerly, hoping that we will be kind enough to save their master!"

Hearing such insulting words, Lü Quyang's face flushed crimson and his fists clenched, but he couldn't lash out, so he gritted his teeth, causing veins to bulge and a ferocious expression on his face. Feng Yu, standing beside him, didn't understand Xianbei language and was somewhat baffled, but he guessed that the words were not kind, so he joined Lü Quyang in glaring at him.

Unfortunately, the reserve of the weak is always seen as humorous by the strong. Tuoba Yilu, who was standing by, saw this and said with a smile in Chinese: "My master was just joking with his family, don't take it seriously."

Then he added, "I wonder what the Jin envoy's purpose is? My master is here now, so you can talk to him directly if you have anything to say."

Hearing this, Feng Yu glanced at his companions, then at Tuoba Luguan, and immediately took out the silk from his chest, stood up, bowed, and said loudly:
"Your humble servant, Feng Yu, is here to deliver a letter to the Great Chanyu, under the orders of His Highness the Prince of Liang, the General of the Western Expedition."

Then he handed over the white silk written by Li Han with both hands and made a gesture for Tuoba Luguan to look at it.

But Tuoba Luguan remained unmoved. He glanced at him from a distance, without even giving any instructions to the guards beside him. After he whispered something, the guards beside him stood up and took a few steps forward, looking at Feng Yu with an arrogant sidelong glance and said, "Please come and read it yourself!"

Feng Yu had no choice but to unfold the white silk and read aloud. An interpreter stood beside him, translating each sentence Feng Yu read. Li Han's letter was indeed humble and respectful, promising to plunder Guanzhong if the Tuoba Xianbei came to his aid. He also stated that Qi Wannian was exhausted and that if the Xianbei cavalry attacked from Shuofang to relieve Niyang, Qi Wannian would be killed without a burial place. If Qi Wannian were allowed to capture Niyang and then Guanzhong, Shuofang would become his allegiance, and the Tuoba Xianbei would be in turmoil.

After Feng Yu finished reading, he lowered his hands and waited for the Great Chanyu's reply. However, he saw that Tuoba Luguan was still sitting there, with his eyes closed, as if he was dozing, as if he had not heard anything.

Feng Yu was so anxious that he couldn't help but break etiquette and shouted, "Great Chanyu, the Wannian of Qi is a disaster for both countries! Our soldiers are fighting a bloody battle at the risk of their lives. If you don't move, the situation will deteriorate. If a disaster occurs, it will be too late for you to regret it! Please send reinforcements as soon as possible!"

When the guards on both sides heard his shout, they immediately rushed forward, forced him to kneel on the ground, and even drew their sharp knives to threaten him.

Feng Yu was stunned by this scene and was speechless for a moment. Lü Quyang, who was standing beside him, could no longer hold back and finally scolded him, "Is humiliating guests like this the way the Great Chanyu treats you?"

Upon hearing this, Tuoba Luguan finally opened his eyes and looked directly at Lü Quyang. The Great Chanyu's gaze was like a towering mountain, imbued with an undeniable heaviness, a quality gleaming from the years. It easily shattered the carefully disguised facade of ordinary people, revealing their true nature.

He waved his hand slightly, telling everyone to let go of Feng Yu. He then muttered something to the translator, who turned and scolded Lu Quyang and his group, "You guys acted on your own initiative, using the name of the King of Liang to come here and defraud me. Why should I respect you? You even want to intimidate me and ask me to borrow troops? Do you think I'm a fool?"

This statement directly exposed Lu Quyang and the others' purpose, leaving them stunned, wondering where they had gone wrong. Could it be that he had noticed something wrong with the seal? That couldn't be right? The other party hadn't even looked at the silk, so how could he know there was a problem?

The Great Chanyu sneered, pinching his nails as he spoke slowly, "Do you think I'm senile? That vicious queen is in power in Luoyang now, right? I heard she's monopolizing power and won't give anything away. If she needed help, why would she send a bunch of you minions? The people she sends must be hers. If you don't dare use her name, you'll be giving yourself away."

"Not to mention the current situation in Guanzhong. Don't I know? Baba Che has already reported that the Luoyang court actually has many troops, but they are reluctant to use them due to concerns. You must be from Niyang. Seeing that your master is about to be surrounded and killed and has nowhere else to go, you come to me to beg for food? I am not your master's master, so don't look for the wrong person."

When Lu Quyang heard this, he was completely disheartened. It turned out that Tuoba Xianbei had been watching the battle in Guanzhong coldly and was very aware of the situation and development. His previous idea of borrowing troops by pulling up the flag of the Western Expedition Army was simply unrealistic.

The Tuoba Xianbei saw that the Jin dynasty had sufficient resources on its side, but was unwilling to use them for political reasons. So why should they get involved in this mess? Qi was a powerful force, and the first casualties would undoubtedly be the Jin dynasty, not the Tuoba Xianbei. There was no need for them to rush.

But Lu Quyang still did not give up easily, he still tried to persuade:
"But in the long run, this is disadvantageous to the Great Chanyu. As the saying goes, 'When the lips are gone, the teeth are cold,' and it's important to prepare for a rainy day. The Great Chanyu should understand this. Exterminating Qi Wannian will benefit the Great Chanyu in every way, so why not do it?"

Tuoba Luguan tapped the floor with his fingers, but didn't answer. Instead, he glanced at the guard beside him. The guard understood and stepped forward, saying, "You are joking, envoy. Everything has its pros and cons. How can there be a hundred pros and no cons? I only need to point out one con, and you should give up."

"Our country has just concluded several wars, and right now our people need a break. If we send troops to deal with your country's crisis, where will our people's livelihood be?"

This was indeed a valid point, and Lü Quyang was momentarily speechless. Throughout history, war has been the most exhausting of human energy, not just for farmers but also for nomadic herders. The Tuoba Xianbei had just conquered the Yuwen tribes in the east and crossed the desert north, and their horses had become thin. Now was the time to fatten them up, and they should not continue to attack from all sides.

But how could he face returning to Guanzhong if that were the case? Lü Quyang lamented, feeling completely helpless. He gradually lost his resolve, thinking to himself, if he were to return like this, he might as well die right there and then.

Fortunately, Tuoba Yilu was not like Tuoba Luguan. As the son of Tuoba Shamo Khan, he still had a good impression of the Jin people, so he said something to ease the atmosphere: "I remember you, you are the follower of Liu Xian. It seems that you should be a Di people, not a Han Chinese. Why do you work for the Jin Dynasty?"

Lu Quyang could tell that this sentence was meant to ease the atmosphere, but it was also an interrogation. The last chance to ask for help lay in these one or two sentences.

He thought for a moment and replied, "I'm not working for the Jin Dynasty. I just want to save people."

"You can't say that. You say you're saving people, but in the eyes of your fellow tribesmen in Guanzhong, I'm afraid that's not murder. You're a Hu, not a Han. Why are you being treated differently?"

This sentence stumped Lu Quyang. He had indeed never reflected on his behavior from this perspective. After Tuoba Yilu pointed it out to him, he realized for the first time that his behavior was illogical in the eyes of others. Even Feng Yu, who was traveling with him, looked at him in this way.

But having followed Liu Xian for so long, Lü Quyang soon got the answer. He replied in Xianbei: "That's not the case."

"Oh?" Several distinguished people present showed interest, wanting to see how he would answer.

"I'm not partial, I simply treat everyone equally. Traveling back and forth with Lord Liu throughout Guanzhong, I've long known that whether Han or Hu, we're all essentially the same people. While their languages and customs may differ, and the hardships they face may be different, their thoughts, desires, and aspirations are all the same."

"Farmers want more harvests, hunters want more prey, herders want more livestock, merchants want more gold and silver. These ideas may seem different, but the essence is the same: everyone just wants to live better than before. Everyone wants to have hope, and everyone wants to live in a world with hope."

“The world is divided into a hopeful part and a hopeless part. In a world of hope, people will have more friends, more family, more strength, more perseverance, more smiles, and more trust.”

"In a world without hope, people will have fewer and fewer friends and family. Even if they have a fortune, they don't know where to put it. Even if they have thousands of acres of fertile land, they can't cultivate it with peace of mind. People can't trust anyone, dare not express their true feelings, and even suspect that others' smiles are a sign of deception."

"In Guanzhong, I often hear people from the Jin say that the Hu people are born inferior and unworthy of hope, while the Hu people say that the Jin people are born without freedom and unworthy of hope. But in reality, this mutual contempt is the same. The so-called distinction between the Hu and Han is nonsense."

"I simply choose to believe in the hopeful side. I believe that if the Great Chanyu can send reinforcements, the beautiful seedlings will continue to flourish."

At this point, everyone present understood. What Lu Quyang meant was that he had met someone who could bring hope to the world, and this person was in Niyang City.

Tuoba Yilu clapped his hands and laughed, "You said it very well. Heroes are probably the ones who can bring hope to the world. But as far as I know, Qi Wannian is also an unprecedented hero in the hearts of the Guanlong Hu people. In your opinion, can't Qi Wannian bring hope?"

Hearing that the other party had softened his stance, Lu Quyang was overjoyed and replied:

"Although Qi Wannian was a man of great talent and strategy, he harbored a narrow-minded outlook, capable of oppressing the people but failing to govern them. Just look at how he starved tens of thousands of Han people to death in Chang'an. He was only a hero on Cao Cao's level. Such a person, with a narrow vision and unable to bring peace to the people of the world, is doomed to failure."

"Hahaha..." Tuoba Yilu couldn't help but laugh as he recalled his first encounter with Liu Xian. "Liu Xian has such ability, why can't he defeat Qi Wannian on his own?"

Tuoba Yiyi, who had been silent for a long time, also spoke up: "But after hearing what he said, I really want to see what he can do."

Although they didn't say it explicitly, both of them had already expressed their willingness to agree to provide support.

"Make friends with heroes..." Tuoba Luguan lowered his head and pondered for a moment. He touched his knee and said, "I can send reinforcements, but at most 10,000 cavalry. If there really is such a hero, these 10,000 cavalry will be enough."

This number made Lu Quyang somewhat delighted, yet also somewhat disappointed, as it fell far short of his initial expectations. However, he also knew that at a crucial moment in a battle, any small contribution could make a crucial difference. Ten thousand cavalrymen was already a significant factor, and he quickly saluted and expressed his gratitude.

Tuoba Luguan looked around and said, "There are tens of thousands of cavalrymen who need to be led. Yilu, Yiyi, who do you think should go this time?"

Before Tuoba Yilu and Tuoba Yiyi could say anything, Yuwenxun Niyan bowed and said, "If you don't mind, my son-in-law is willing to go."

His identity was sensitive. He was the son-in-law of the Great Chanyu, and previously he was the most difficult enemy of Tuoba Xianbei. As soon as he said this, several people turned their eyes to him.

Yuwenxun Niyan remained calm, knowing this was a good opportunity to gain trust and establish a firm foothold among the Tuoba Xianbei. He continued to agree, "I have never been to Guanzhong and don't know the heroes of the world. Now I have this opportunity to share your worries, my Lord. I hope you will agree."

Tuoba Luguan looked at him for a moment, then nodded slowly and said, "That's good. It's a good opportunity for the world to know what kind of son-in-law I have chosen."

(End of this chapter)