Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 193 I Will Protect the Land of Great Qi
Qizhou.

Xiao Zan was pale and was helped up by He Douling Bu Fan.

"How could Your Majesty do this?"

Li Shuang looked at Xiao Zan with great surprise, only to see him trembling and extremely weak.

"I was wounded by an arrow, and I am truly sorry to the Duke. I am ashamed that I was unable to expand the territory for the Duke."

"Please don't say that. His Majesty has devoted himself to the cause of the Great Qi's empire and its people. From now on, leave them to me!"

Li Shuang offered further words of comfort before saying:

"Your Majesty, please rest. I have specially invited the best physician to examine you."

Xiao Zan nodded and withdrew, leaving He Douling Bufan alone to wait.

"You've done a good job these past few months."

Upon hearing Li Shuang's words, Hedoulingbufan's expression softened, and he cupped his hands in greeting:

"Ashamed!"

What is the situation in Longxi?

The Longxi region has a complex situation and a very large geographical area, broadly encompassing Qinzhou, Liangzhou, Hezhou, Liangzhou, Yuanzhou and other regions.

This region is located on an important passage of the Silk Road, connecting the East and the West.

Hedoulingbufan glanced at Li Shuang, unsure how to begin. Finally, at Li Shuang's prompting, he spoke:

"Since the Duke quelled the rebellion, many Hu tribes have left Guanzhong and fled to Longxi. They are quite hostile to the Duke. They are scattered among the prefectures and counties, spreading rumors and causing considerable panic. Many tribes have also attached themselves to Tuyuhun. As a result, Tuyuhun's strength has greatly increased."

"Tuyuhun?"

After submitting to the Northern Wei, Tuyuhun remained subservient, paying tribute annually. However, since the Rebellion of the Six Garrisons, Tuyuhun's ambitions had grown, and they began to expand outwards.

Several years ago, Tuyuhun annexed the land of Yifu tribe, which was known as the "King of Qinghai".

The Yifu clan has always been loyal to the Northern Wei Dynasty. The clan is known for its beautiful women and has a long history of intermarrying with the Northern Wei royal family.

Yuan Mingyue's brother, Yuan Baoju, married a woman from the Yifu clan.

Given the actions of the Tuyuhun, the Northern Wei court naturally wanted to intervene, since the Yifu clan had deep connections within the court. However, they couldn't quell the rebellions of Hu Chen and Mo Zhe Niansheng, let alone the Tuyuhun, which was far away in Qinghai.

"Is the current leader of Tuyuhun Fulianchou?"

Hedoulingbufan nodded and said:
"That's right, it's him! Several years ago, he was the one who led troops to rescue Liangzhou."

When Mo Zhe Niansheng rebelled, Yu Puti, the commander of the Liangzhou banners, also prepared to rise up in response and imprisoned the governor Song Ying. Previously, Song Ying had sensed something was amiss and secretly sought help from the Tuyuhun.

Fu Lianchou was the one who led the troops to the rescue at that time.

However, after defeating Yu Puti, Fu Lianchou did not take the opportunity to occupy Liangzhou.

The expansion of the Tuyuhun was always cautious, because the local forces in the Longxi region were very powerful. While continuously annexing surrounding small tribes, the Tuyuhun also maintained stable relations with the forces in Longxi and other areas.

The attitude of the nomadic tribes in Longxi and other areas towards Li Shuang was not important. As long as the Silk Road remained open, it would be a boon to Guanzhong.

Li Shuang looked at Hedoulingbufan and said:

"How about you lead your tribe to migrate to Yuanzhou?"

Li Shuang had already captured Gaoping, but most of Yuanzhou was still under autonomous control. Hedoulingbufan understood that Li Shuang wanted to balance the power in Yuanzhou.

However, the situation in that area was complex, and how much land Hedoulingbufan could acquire depended entirely on his own abilities.

Seeing that Hedoulingbufan hesitated, Li Shuang said:

"If you are unwilling, you may stay in Guanzhong. I will appoint you as a military advisor in the Xingtai government. However, the people of your tribe must participate in the household registration."

Li Shuang gave Hedoulingbufan two choices.

Staying in Guanzhong is certainly better than going to Yuanzhou, but he wouldn't be able to keep his own troops. After thinking it over, Hedouling Bufan finally said:

"Lord Xie, I am willing to go to Yuanzhou!"

Li Shuang nodded, and after He Douling Bufan left, Liu Sixia came in.

Since Li Shuang set off on his campaign, Liu Sixia, as the army's medical officer, had been by his side. "How are you?"

Liu Sixia said:
"Xiao Zan's injuries were not serious, but he was depressed because of years of worry and fear, which is why he has not fully recovered and needs to rest for a while."

Li Shuang chuckled softly.

"I thought Xiao Zan and that kid He Douling Bu Fan were playing tricks together, but I didn't expect he was really sick."

Li Shuang didn't seem to care much and found a seat.

He looked at Liu Sixia; after spending so many days together, their relationship had grown closer.

Li Shuang was somewhat curious about her sister-in-law. It was strange that she was still single at her age, and Li Shuang hadn't heard of her having any romantic relationships with anyone. Instead, she seemed like a workaholic, completely focused on her career.

"I have something to tell you!"

After listening, Liu Sixia's expression turned serious.

"But have the people of my tribe committed a mistake?"

The people of Liu Sixia's tribe are skilled in all kinds of crafts and are rare talents.

"No, they participated in the construction of Chang'an and did a good job."

After Li Shuang finished speaking, Liu Sixia visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're not getting any younger, and I'm planning to arrange a marriage for you. Among my generals, who do you think would be the most suitable for you?"

Liu Sixia's expression changed, and she cupped her hands in greeting, saying:
"Thank you for your kind offer, Duke, but I do not wish to get married at the moment!"

"Why? Didn't you find any of them appealing?"

Li Shuang pressed for an answer, sounding somewhat aggressive.

Liu Sixia blushed, and under Li Shuang's gaze, she finally spoke up.

"I don't like men!"

"Ok?"

Li Shuang's expression was quite surprised.

Throughout history, homosexuality has never disappeared, and there have been instances of high-ranking officials keeping male prostitutes.

However, there are very few records of women disliking men.

Li Shuang stood up, a mocking expression on his face, and walked to Liu Sixia's side, saying:
"You don't actually like women, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Sixia's face turned even redder. Without saying a word, she ran out.

Not long after, Yu Jiulu Qingyu arrived. She stood with her hands on her hips, looking like she was about to settle scores with Li Shuang.

"Did you bully Asi?"

"No!"

"Then why was she secretly crying after she came back?"

"I just want to find her a marriage partner."

After Li Shuang finished speaking, Yu Jiulu Qingyu roughly understood what had happened and said:
"With Asi's figure and looks, if she wanted to get married, it wouldn't be difficult at all. Why are you worrying about it?"

"I know she doesn't like men."

Yu Jiulu Qingyu couldn't help but curse:

"What do you know? Asi has a unique fragrance and outstanding looks. She's never been coveted by you filthy men since she was little. Unlike Aru, she's not as tough and has suffered a lot. If I hadn't been there to protect her, she would have almost fallen victim to your filthy men. Gradually, she's developed a fear of men. It's a psychological problem!"

Li Shuang wiped the spittle from his face and said:

"Is that so?"

……

(End of this chapter)