Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 235 Thousands of troops avoid white robes

Xingyang.

A battle had just ended, and the Liang army had captured this fortified city.

Chen Qingzhi stood on the city wall, gazing at the distant Guangwu Mountain.

Back then, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, and Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, confronted each other at Guangwu Mountain.

Now, Chen Qingzhi stands here, filled with emotion.

Yuan Hao slowly walked over, looking at the somewhat thin general, wanting to speak, but not knowing what to say.

Chen Qingzhi noticed someone behind him, turned around and saw Yuan Hao, and respectfully bowed.

"Your Majesty!"

Yuan Hao helped Chen Qingzhi up and said:

"General, there's no need for that. I've come to ask you when we will march on Luoyang."

Chen Qingzhi's White Robe Army numbered only seven thousand, but their fighting prowess was exceptional, and Yuan Hao still held them in awe.

"We still need to wait!"

After Chen Qingzhi finished speaking, Yuan Hao immediately asked, with a hint of urgency.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Waiting for a war!"

Yuan Hao was somewhat puzzled and asked:

"I did not see the general as a warmonger. Was the Battle of Xingyang not enough to satisfy the general?"

"Xingyang is poorly defended, and the soldiers in the city have no will to fight, so it can be taken in one battle. But if our army leaves now and attacks Hulao, we will be cut off from our retreat by Yuan Tianmu and Erzhu Zhao's troops at any time."

After listening to Chen Qingzhi's explanation, Yuan Hao came up with an idea.

"What if I send Yuan Ziyong and Pei Yan to guard key locations and stop them?"

Li Shengui's arrival caused many generals in Henan to defect, bringing with him over ten thousand troops.

Chen Qingzhi shook his head at Yuan Hao's idea. This general, who couldn't even draw a bow, had a keen insight into the situation on the battlefield.

"The army in Henan is weak and no match for those valiant cavalry from the north. Moreover, the Central Plains are a well-connected region, making it difficult to block our way. We have been able to get here because of the people's dissatisfaction and hatred towards the tyranny of the Erzhu clan. If we are defeated, it will only affect the situation in Henan."

"What about that?"

"Xingyang City has a large reserve of supplies and is located in a strategic location. They will definitely come to seize it. Setting up the battlefield here is the best choice."

Yuan Hao listened and nodded slightly.

"The general is right!"

Seeing that Yuan Hao was still somewhat impatient, Chen Qingzhi cupped his hands and said:
"Your Majesty, if we win this war, Luoyang will be yours for the taking."
-
Three thousand cavalrymen were stationed along the Yellow River.

Yuan Tianmu and Erzhu Zhao's troops were urgently recalled from Shandong to block Chen Qingzhi's White Robe Army, hinder the Liang army's advance, and prevent them from entering Luoyang.

But when they were about to reach Xingyang, they learned that Xingyang had already been captured by Chen Qingzhi.

At this moment, Erzhu Shilong and Wang Bi, the governor of Jingzhou, were leading troops from Luoyang to block Hulao Pass.

Despite the critical situation, Yuan Tianmu did not immediately advance his troops, but Erzhu Zhao was different.

"Your Majesty, what are you waiting for? Chen Qingzhi is in Xingyang City. If we let him continue like this, our Erzhu clan will become a laughing stock of the world!"

The Erzhu clan relied on military force to intimidate the world. If the world were to know that the Erzhu clan's military strength was nothing special, then everyone would harbor rebellious intentions.

Although Erzhu Zhao was not very intelligent, he knew the basics of hunting.

If you are surrounded by a large number of jackals in a hunting ground, the others will attack you as a group if you don't kill the leader first.

“Our army is small in number, and Chen Qingzhi’s White Robe Army plus the Henan Army are far stronger than us. We must be careful!” Erzhu Zhao said dismissively in the face of Yuan Tianmu’s questioning.

"So what if they have more people? The Six Garrisons still have more than 200,000 men, but they were still defeated by my Erzhu clan's 7,000 cavalry. Not to mention the Henan army and the Liang army."

After saying this, Erzhu Zhao patted his chest and added:

"If this were in the south, I wouldn't be able to guarantee defeating these seven thousand Liang soldiers, but this is the north. What are these mere Liang soldiers compared to us?"

"But you've forgotten that Xingyang is a fortified city, and the Liang army is extremely skilled at defending cities. If Chen Qingzhi holds firm, what can we do?"

Erzhu Zhao listened and laughed:

"Wouldn't that be even better? Some people have been boasting about how 'thousands of troops would avoid the white-robed general.' If Chen Qingzhi hides in the city and doesn't dare to come out, let's see who else dares to act recklessly!"

Famous teachers and generals should not be too arrogant, as thousands of troops will avoid the white robes!
This nursery rhyme is a blatant slap in the face to Erzhu!
Erzhu Zhao was a boorish man, but his military expertise was considerable. Yuan Tianmu, upon hearing this, had to admit that what he said made sense.

Chen Qingzhi will not defend the city. If he does, the Liang army's momentum along the way will be lost.

In this way, the situation will actually stabilize.

To some extent, Liang Jun and his allies were seeking war at this moment.

Having figured this out, Yuan Tianmu no longer hesitated and issued the order.

"Our army has been advancing rapidly. After a proper three-day rest, we will then attack Xingyang."
-
Jinyang.

Looking at the imperial edict from Guanzhong bestowing the title of king upon Li Shuang by the Southern Liang emperor, Erzhu Rong couldn't help but recall a passage he had read in historical records.

Han Xin impersonates the King of Qi!
Erzhu Rong naturally knew how Emperor Gaozu of Han had acted.

A true man who can subdue the feudal lords is a true king; why should he be a mere pretender?
He wanted to say the same words that Emperor Gaozu of Han had said to the envoy sent by Li Shuang, but the words remained unspoken.

King of Qin!

If this title of king is granted, it would mean that the entire Guanzhong region has been handed over to Li Shuang.

Li Shuang already has real power; if the title is also given to him, who will be able to control him in the future?
It wasn't until the moment of truth that Erzhu Rong realized what a hero Emperor Gaozu of Han was!
Erzhu Rong couldn't help but ask himself, if Emperor Gaozu of Han could deal with Han Xin, could he deal with Li Shuang?

He hesitated, and even then, he was reluctant to give up the title.

Finally, he managed to squeeze out a sentence.

“I understand my third brother’s loyalty to the court.”

Seeing that Erzhu Rong was so uncooperative, the envoy added another sentence.

“General Tianzhu is right. My lord said that if anyone is to be the King of Qin, it should be the one facing south. It should be the one for His Majesty and General Tianzhu.”

The envoy's words were almost explicit, and Erzhu Rong's expression turned very unpleasant. None of the officials present dared to say anything more.

They had never seen Erzhu Rong in such dire straits.

Erzhu Rong laughed, but it wasn't a murderous laugh; rather, it seemed like he was trying to soothe him.

"I understand my third brother's thoughts, but the country is not yet stable and the island barbarians are rampant. I must report to the court and ask His Majesty to make a decision!"

After the envoy left, Erzhu Rong sighed softly.

"What a pity I don't have Zhang Liang or Chen Ping by my side!"

These words displeased the officials in the room, but they dared not say anything more.

In the end, only Murong Shaozong remained.

"Now that things have come to this, why doesn't General Tianzhu give it to this Prince of Qin?"

With a hint of reluctance and sorrow, Erzhu Rong sighed:
"If we give it away, wouldn't Guanzhong truly belong to him?"

……

(End of this chapter)