Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 207 A Growing Tendency
Jinyong City.

Jinyong City can be traced back to the Hundred-Foot Tower built by Cao Pi during the Cao Wei period. Later, after Cao Rui succeeded to the throne, he expanded it into a military fortress, forming a small city.

When Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty moved south, he initially stationed himself in this city.

This city is of great strategic significance, as it was one of the four original towns in Henan during the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Later, as Luoyang expanded, Jinyong City also added two smaller cities, expanding into three interconnected cities within a city: A, B, and C.

Upon returning from Erzhu Rong's residence, Li Shuang's three thousand cavalry had already entered the city.

The city was surrounded by a moat, and ancient water was diverted into the city to form the Green Water Pool, which also contained a pavilion. The entire city occupied the highest point in Luoyang, and the buildings within were magnificent. In addition to serving as a military fortress, it also preserved a large number of palaces, villas, waterside pavilions, temples and other buildings, and was also an imperial retreat.

This wasn't Li Shuang's first time here, but this time the experience was completely different.

This city no longer has a master.

"My lord, you're back. What did Erzhu Rong promise you?"

Hou Jing waited patiently until Li Shuang returned, and he couldn't wait to ask her.

Inside the palace, there were dozens of palace maids and eunuchs from the Luoyang Imperial Palace, but at this moment, their eyes were vacant, and they were quite worried about the future.

Li Shuang waved his hand, dismissing the palace maids and eunuchs.

"My second brother told me that he would let me live in Jinyong City."

"That's it?"

Hou Jing curled his lip and said with dissatisfaction:

"He occupies the entire inner city himself, and gives the lord such a small city as Jinyong City. That's too stingy."

Li Shuang smiled and said:

"So what do you want?"

"Luoyang is such a big city, it should be divided in half!"

Li Shuang looked at Hou Jing and found that Hou Jing's way of thinking was sometimes quite similar to Erzhu Rong's.

"Second Brother has no time for that right now. He's busy preparing for Yuan Ziyou to appoint him as the Heavenly Pillar General!"

"General Tianzhu?" Hou Jing asked, somewhat puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"The so-called Heavenly Pillar General means the pillar that supports the sky, upholding the country and the state of the Great Wei."

After listening, Hou Jing smacked his lips and complained:

"As expected, he's stingy, even his nickname is stingy."

Li Shuang glanced at Hou Jing and asked:

"If it were you, what nickname would you choose?"

Hou Jing thought for a moment and said:
“Recently, I studied with Mr. Han and learned a passage that says the four directions of heaven and earth are called Yu, and the past and present are called Zhou. Why not call him the Great General of the Universe!”

Upon hearing this, Li Shuang placed her hand on Hou Jing's body.

"Wan Jing, you truly have the universe in your heart!"

Hou Jing was stunned, watching Li Shuang leave, and murmured:

"What's wrong? How can the Heavenly Pillar General be as majestic and imposing as the Cosmic General!"

……

The city gates were already locked, but the three smaller towns within Jinyong City remained connected.

Li Shuang walked up the city wall of Jinyong City and looked at the Luoyang Imperial Palace in the distance, which was still brightly lit.

Unfortunately, the neighborhoods in the city have lost their former vibrancy and are now dark and devoid of any light.

After watching for a while, a woman draped in a black robe emerged from the darkness.

"You shouldn't have come!"

The woman took off her straw hat, revealing her face.

Hu Xuanhui looked haggard and had lost a lot of weight.

As times changed, Hu Xuanhui no longer possessed the graceful and elegant demeanor of a wealthy socialite; all that remained was a sense of melancholy.

"The Duke of Tang has quite the methods!"

Hu Xuanhui's words carried a hint of sarcasm, but Li Shuang didn't care.

"What do you mean?" "No matter who is in charge in Luoyang, the Duke of Tang is always an honored guest! Now, Erzhu Rong has even given you Jinyong City to live in. It seems that the Duke of Tang is enjoying even greater prestige in the new dynasty."

Li Shuang smiled and said it again.

"You shouldn't have come!"

This time, however, there was a hint of emotion in it, as if it were a sense of regret.

Hu Xuanhui looked at Li Shuang with a complicated expression as he listened to him speak.

"You barely escaped with your life, what's the point of staying in Luoyang? Why not go to Henan and find Qingzun? It's not too late to leave now."

"I won't leave!"

Hu Xuanhui's voice was firm.

"Fine, do as you please!"

Li Shuang waved his hand, dismissing him. Seeing this, Hu Xuanhui, though he had a lot to say, left without saying a word.

Han Ling emerged from the city tower behind Li Shuang, watched Hu Xuanhui's departing figure, and sighed:
"What an incredibly intelligent woman!"

Hu Xuanhui wanted revenge, and getting Li Shuang's help was the fastest way. With Li Shenggui also on the side, if the two of them joined forces, they might be able to turn the tide in Luoyang.

But Li Shuang's attitude had already told Hu Xuanhui that he would not do that.

"Although the branches of this big tree in Luoyang have been cut down, the remaining vines are still there. If you are not careful, you may trip over it."

Han Ling listened to Li Shuang's words, his expression serious, and asked:

"Does Erzhurong understand this principle?"

“My second brother has already decided to move the capital, how could he not know this?”

Han Ling shook his head upon hearing this.

"Even if Erzhu Rong wanted to move the capital, it probably wouldn't be possible for the time being!"

This is a very simple principle: Luoyang's strategic location is something that cannot be controlled by human will.

Luoyang has the geographical advantage of being in the center of the country and is the main hub of the Central Plains' water transport. As the capital, it has a huge economic advantage that Jinyang cannot match.

Since Erzhu Rong could not change this, he had to keep Luoyang City in order to have a large amount of resources.

It is foreseeable that Erzhu Rong established his hegemonic government in Jinyang City, dominating the politics and military affairs of the Northern Wei Dynasty, but Luoyang remained the economic center of the Northern Wei.

Li Shuang glanced at Han Ling and smiled:

"indeed so!"

"Then what should I do?"

"Store up grain, build high walls, and delay declaring yourself king!"

Upon hearing Li Shuang's words, Han Ling's eyes lit up. In the darkness, Han Ling looked at the much younger man before him and felt a deep sense of admiration.

"My lord is wise!"
-
Hu Xuanhui left Jinyong City and went to Chanxu Temple outside the city.

Yuan Luo waited in the temple and, upon seeing Hu Xuanhui, anxiously asked him what was wrong.

"how?"

Although Yuan Luo's lineage was treated favorably by Erzhu Rong, and his father, Yuan Ji, the Prince of Jiangyang, was even appointed as the Governor of Sizhou and Grand Tutor by Erzhu Rong, Yuan Luo and the remaining members of the Yuan clan in Luoyang were extremely angry.

The Celestial Dragons, with their pride, would never allow a Qihu person to climb over them and trample them underfoot.
Hu Xuanhui shook his head, but Yuan Luo was unwilling to give up.

Did you tell him the conditions of your promise?

"He didn't even let me speak!"

Yuan Luo was startled and somewhat worried.

"Would he inform on us to Erzhu Rong?"

Hu Xuanhui smiled, looking at the somewhat panicked Yuan Luo, and said:
"Since he didn't tell me to say it, why would he tell on me?"

"So what exactly is his plan?"

Hu Xuanhui said leisurely:

"It's obvious he doesn't want to know anything!"

……

(End of this chapter)