Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 240 No, let's move the capital.

Xiazhou.

Yuwen Luosheng stood on the city wall, stroking the uneven surface of Tongwan City's walls, his whole body trembling with excitement.

From the time the uprising in the Six Garrisons until now, six or seven years have passed. Today, he has finally become the governor of a prefecture, in charge of the administration of a region.

"With this city, we can support an army of fifty thousand!"

Yuwen Luosheng was full of ambition and high spirits. However, his words received no response.

He glanced back at his younger brother, Yuwen Tai, whose face remained calm.

"Black Otter, what are you thinking about?"

Yuwen Tai did not answer, but only sighed and uttered a single word.

"Disaster!"

Yuwen Luosheng didn't understand and asked in return:
"what for?"

"Ever since I entered Tongwan City, I have been thinking about how to break this deadlock, but I have not been able to find a way out."

Yuwen Luosheng patted Yuwen Tai on the shoulder and smiled:
"What's the point of breaking the deadlock? Why are you thinking so much? Why don't you go find a few women? My Yuwen clan has been wandering for many years, and we've only just begun to govern the military and political affairs of a single province!"

Yuwen Tai shook his head and said:
“Heba Yue, Heba Sheng, Houmo Chenyue, and even Gao Huan, they all received the Six Garrisons Army from the Erzhu clan, just like us. But the Erzhu clan occupies the rich Hebei region, yet they have driven us all to this impoverished place. Brother, have you ever wondered why?”

Yuwen Luosheng had naturally considered this, and said:

"It's all to keep Ohno Sō in check!"

Yuwentai smiled wryly.

"Yes, in order to govern a prefecture, even knowing that there are many obstacles ahead, the Huai Shuo and Wu Chuan factions still came. But is Da Ye Shuang so easy to control?"

Yuwen Tai's words immediately calmed the usually arrogant and ambitious Yuwen Luosheng, who asked:

"Tell me your thoughts?"

When his elder brother asked, Yuwen Tai answered without hesitation:

“Tongwan City is a fortified city, and Xiazhou is a vast territory. As you said, it is more than enough to support 50,000 men. However, there is Suqin Mingda to the west, Liu Lisheng to the east, Yu Jin and Huli Jin to the north, and Cao Ni, who is at odds with us, to the south. Even if we have 50,000 men, we still need to be cautious in the face of this situation. Moreover, we only have a little over 3,000 men in our own forces.”

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Luosheng's expression gradually darkened.

"But the Hu people outside Guanzhong don't get along with Da Yeshuang, and many of them are quite hostile towards him! Can't we take this opportunity to win their hearts and minds?"

Yuwen Tai nodded and said:
“That’s a possibility, but have you considered why they hate Da Yeshuang? It’s because they were driven out of Guanzhong by him and harbor resentment. They can’t defeat Da Yeshuang, so what can we do if we win them over? Besides, the troops of Tujing and Lishi have already been subdued, and even the governor of Jinzhou can’t mobilize them. They can only obey orders from Chang’an and can cut off the route from Tongwan City to Jinyang at any time. What can we do then?”

Yuwen Tai's two questions plunged Yuwen Luosheng into a low mood.

"If we do nothing, I'm afraid General Tianzhu won't spare us!"

Yuwentai answered very decisively.

“If my brother is unwilling to offend the Erzhu clan and submits to Daye Shuang, then we can only wait.”

"wait?"

"Once Heba Yue and Houmochen Yue take Lingzhou, we can rely on the old friendship between the Yuwen and Heba clans and unite as one to gain a foothold. Then, when Erzhu Rong and Li Shuang turn against each other, we might be able to break the deadlock!"

What if we can't wait?

Yuwen Tai did not answer, but simply picked up the Dragon Sparrow Sword that he had inherited from Wei Kegu and stared at its crimson blade.

After a long while, he looked up at the azure sky, and sighed with a hint of helplessness.

"Why did Heaven bring such a person into this world!"
-
Jinyang. Erzhu Rong fiddled with the beads in his hand, waiting patiently.

Outside, one could hear Erzhu Shilong's shouts after being flogged.

Beside Erzhu Rong stood his trusted confidant Xi Yi, who had just returned from Yuan Ziyou's place.

Erzhu Shilong was being punished by Erzhu Rong for fleeing Hulao Pass without permission. Xi Yi thought Erzhu Rong was just putting on an act, but who knew he was really punishing him without any pretense? Erzhu Shilong was in so much pain that he almost fainted.

"General Tianzhu, why don't we just let it go?"

Xi Yi tried to persuade him, but Erzhu Rong did not respond. It wasn't until his servant Wang Xiang brought him a stack of documents that Erzhu Rong finally sat up.

After reading these documents, Erzhu Rong slammed his fist on the table.

"Give him ten more lashes!"

Xi Yi knew that the contents of this document must have angered Erzhu Rong, and he also knew that the contents must be related to Li Shuang.

Nowadays, apart from the King of Qin in Guanzhong, no one can stir Erzhu Rong's emotions like this.

As you can see, Yuan Ziyou, the emperor of the Great Wei whom Erzhu Rong personally supported, has been hiding in Shangdang for over a month after fleeing Luoyang. Yuan Hao in Luoyang is at the height of his power, and Yuan Ziyou has repeatedly requested Erzhu Rong to send troops to quell the rebellion, but Erzhu Rong has completely ignored him.

Xi Yi tentatively asked:
"General Tianzhu, what has upset you so much?"

Xi Yi was a confidant of Erzhu Rong, and he did not hide it from him.

"I assigned over 15,000 elite troops from six garrisons to the Wuchuan and Huaishuo factions, appointing them as governors of the surrounding prefectures, all to force my third brother to submit, but he completely ignored me!"

"I'm afraid the King of Qin won't be able to appreciate General Tianzhu's good intentions!"

Xi Yi advised, and then said:
"General Tianzhu, do not harm your health because of this."

Erzhu Rong waved his hand and said:
"Recently, he also set up some kind of tributary state, and won over the Hu tribes such as Hedouling, Huli, Shedi, Yujiulü, and Poluhan, tricking their leaders into accepting his position as governor. Tell me, isn't this going against me?"

Xi Yi said:
"This King of Qin may harbor rebellious intentions. General Tianzhu should take precautions. Perhaps we should first march south to pacify Chen Qingzhi, and then deal with him later!"

Erzhu Rong glanced at Xi Yi, and his gaze made Xi Yi somewhat afraid.

"You've been in Luoyang for so long, and you've become very close to Yuan Ziyou, even speaking up for him!"

Fear gripped Xi Yi, and he immediately knelt down.

"General Tianzhu, please forgive me. All my glory and wealth come from you, and I would never dare to have any other thoughts. Now that Yuan Hao has seized Luoyang and Henan is responding, if you do not quell this rebellion as soon as possible, my ambition for hegemony may be lost!"

After Xi Yi said this, Erzhu Rong's attitude softened considerably, but he still complained.

"Not to mention the unruly troops of the six garrisons around Jinyang, my third brother has now sent 10,000 troops from Hedong to garrison Baibi City under the pretext of preventing bandits. How can I go south?"

Erzhu Rong looked at Xi Yi and questioned him:

Do you believe in his character, or in his methods?

Xi Yi was speechless after being questioned by Erzhu Rong, and stammered.

"This this……"

Erzhu Rong was getting impatient and said:

"If all else fails, tell Yuan Ziyou to move the capital to Jinyang, or Pingcheng will also be fine!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)