Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 231 The world is about to descend into chaos again.
Yecheng.

The wind and rain were fierce, and the city was desolate.

There was no scene of singing and feasting in the Bronze Sparrow Terrace.

After Ge Rong's defeat, the troops of the Six Garrisons surrendered to Erzhu Rong. In order to prevent these people from continuing to cause trouble in Hebei, Erzhu Rong planned to escort them to Jinyang for safekeeping.

At this moment, to prevent any unrest, Erzhu Rong dispatched a large number of elite troops to guard the more than 200,000 soldiers scattered around Ye City.

Yuan Tianmu led his troops to Xiangzhou to meet with Erzhu Rong.

Inside the room, only a few candles were lit.

On the short table in front of Erzhu Rong were three memorials.

Yuan Tianmu entered the room. Erzhu Rong looked tired, but a smile still appeared on his face.

Upon seeing Yuan Tianmu, Erzhu Rong's first words were:

"Brother, the world is at peace!"

The chaos in the Northern Wei Dynasty originated from the Six Garrisons.

Now, all the soldiers of the Six Garrisons have been captured by Erzhu Rong.

Especially at the last moment, Erzhu Rong led only two thousand cavalrymen into the enemy ranks and captured Ge Rong.

Unrivaled in bravery!

Yuan Tianmu was not as optimistic as Erzhu Rong, but at this moment, he did not want to spoil Erzhu Rong's mood.

"Tianbao, what's the deal with these three memorials on the table?"

Yuan Tianmu knew that Erzhu Rong had deliberately placed it here to let him know. Sure enough, Erzhu Rong's next words were—

Brother, you might want to take a look!

Yuan Tianmu picked up the first memorial.

The memorial ordered Yuan Tianmu to lead troops to Shandong to quell Xing Gao's rebellion.

After the Six Garrisons rebelled in Hebei, a large number of refugees from Hebei poured into Shandong. Later, these refugees from Hebei also rebelled locally and did the same things as the soldiers of the Six Garrisons.

Erzhu Rong didn't take Xing Gao seriously. Xing Gao's rebel army couldn't even defeat the troops of the Six Garrisons, so their fighting strength was questionable. Erzhu Rong didn't even plan to take action himself, sending Yuan Tianmu instead.

"I am naturally delighted to receive a share of the war merits bestowed upon me by Tianbao."

Yuan Tianmu smiled as he finished speaking, then picked up the second portion. After just one glance, he couldn't help but frown.

The second memorial was to confer upon Li Shengui the title of Prince of Chenliu and to summon him to the capital.

"Tianbao, isn't this matter being handled too hastily?"

Erzhu Rong's actions clearly indicated his intention to strip Li Shengui of his military power and seize control of Henan.

Before the Rebellion of the Six Garrisons, the Northern Wei and Southern Liang could barely maintain a boundary across the Huai River and compete for territory.

Following the Heyin Incident, a large number of Northern Wei officials and generals who were originally on the front lines surrendered to Southern Liang, causing the border between the two countries to shift significantly northward. The territory in Henan controlled by Northern Wei, namely the two prefectures of Yan and Yu, shrank considerably.

"Didn't my elder brother write that we should be wary of internal troubles? This is just me taking precautions. If Li Shengui is willing to come, I'll guarantee him a lifetime of wealth and honor. If he doesn't come, it's the perfect opportunity to send troops and wipe him out!"

Erzhu Rong's words were full of confidence, and Yuan Tianmu, seeing this, did not say much! The Jinyang soldiers were stronger than the Six Garrisons soldiers, the Six Garrisons soldiers were stronger than the Hebei soldiers, and the Hebei soldiers were stronger than the Henan soldiers. This difference in combat strength made Yuan Tianmu worry about chaos, but he did not think there would be much chaos.

Until he picked up the third memorial, looked at its contents, his eyes suddenly widened, and he unconsciously read it aloud in fits and starts.

"Heba Yue is appointed Governor of Lingzhou... Yuwen Luosheng is appointed Governor of Xiazhou... Heba Sheng is appointed Governor of Jingzhou... Gao Huan is appointed Governor of Jinzhou..."

Yuan Tianmu looked at Erzhu Rong in disbelief and asked:
"Tianbao, what are you planning to do by placing these elite troops and generals around Guanzhong and by my third brother's side?"

Yuan Tianmu's reaction was somewhat beyond Erzhu Rong's expectations, but he was not angry. Instead, he explained:
"Brother, you misunderstood!"

Erzhu Rong's words did not bring Yuan Tianmu any comfort; instead, they left him with a complicated expression.

Erzhu Rong sensed the awkward atmosphere in the room and said, "I once said that I admire Emperor Gaozu of Han, but what I dislike most is his slaughter of meritorious officials. The reason I placed these elite troops and generals around Guanzhong is to have them restrain my third brother, and also to have my third brother restrain them. In this way, when the world is at peace, we can enjoy wealth and honor in peace."

Erzhu Rong spoke his mind, and Yuan Tianmu couldn't help but ask:

"What if my third brother is unwilling?"

Erzhu Rong smiled, his voice immediately becoming much more subdued.

"Why would he refuse? Unless he's also eyeing that chair in Luoyang!"

At this moment, Erzhu Rong was displaying a side of himself that Yuan Tianmu had never seen before.

Yuan Tianmu was thinking quickly, trying to find an adjective to describe Erzhu Rong's current state.

I racked my brains, but still found nothing.

In the midst of the wind and rain, the window was suddenly blown open, and the lights inside flickered, casting an eerie glow on Erzhu Rong's face.

Yuan Tianmu had a sudden inspiration.

overlord!

Having figured out Erzhu Rong's current state, Yuan Tianmu wasn't particularly happy; instead, he felt somewhat frustrated.

He understood that from then on, there was an insurmountable chasm between him and Erzhu Rong!
The distinction between ruler and subject!

"General Tianzhu, rest assured, I will inform the Duke of Tang about this!"

Erzhu Rong seemed oblivious to the change in Yuan Tianmu's form of address, and laughed:
"Big brother, talk to third brother first. As long as third brother doesn't object, I'll be at ease!"
-
Changan.

Under the grape trellis, Li Shuang was sitting in a grand chair enjoying the cool air.

Beside him, Hou Jing held the letter sent by Yuan Tianmu and cursed loudly.

"What does Erzhu Rong mean by this? He sent men to surround us."

Hou Jing was somewhat indignant.

Li Shuang, however, said leisurely:
"Isn't it obvious? After my second brother pacified Ge Rong, he submitted three memorials in succession, one each concerning the Three Qi, Henan, and Guanzhong, in order to demonstrate to the world his ambition and ability to pacify the world."

Hou Jing, upon hearing this, complained:

"Erzhu Rong occupied Hebei and wanted to take Sanqi and Henan. All the good places were occupied by the Erzhu clan, but he enfeoffed his meritorious generals and soldiers in the poor and chaotic places around Guanzhong. He was really stingy."

As he spoke, Hou Jing, seeing that Li Shuang did not move, leaned closer and whispered:
"My lord, why don't we join forces with the Duke of Chenliu, march on Luoyang, replace the emperor, and then destroy the Erzhu clan?"

Li Shuang gently waved the fan in his hand and asked:

Why do this?

Hou Jing was taken aback and couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"My lord's question has stumped me."

Li Shuang smiled.

"If I were to launch a military campaign now, wouldn't I be telling the world that what I care about is that chair in Luoyang?"

The autumn wind rose, blowing down the yellow leaves in the courtyard.

With a report, a servant brought the latest news from Luoyang.

"My lord, Ge Rong has been taken to Luoyang for public display and will be beheaded soon!"

Li Shuang opened his eyes and said slowly:

"Just watch, the world is about to descend into chaos again!"

……

(End of this chapter)