Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 259 I admire honest people the most

Wei Fang led the Southern Liang army to withdraw from Nanzheng, and a group of Northern Wei surrendered troops rebelled again. Hou Jing's army quickly occupied Hanzhong.

Inside the house, prominent figures from Hanzhong and other places were waiting.

A man with uneven legs and a somewhat sleazy appearance walked in.

Unlike the group of people who were filled with trepidation, Hou Jing's face was full of smiles.

"Our army was able to enter Hanzhong smoothly thanks to the loyalty and righteousness of you all."

"This is the duty that we, the subjects of Wei, must fulfill!"

Hou Jing listened and nodded slightly, saying:
"In that case, it's time to get down to business!"

Yuan Shouli stood in the crowd, not understanding. The city had been entered, the treasury sealed, and the Liang army driven away. What important business was there left?
Hou Jing waved his hand and said:

"Coupon!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shouli's expression changed drastically, and he stepped forward.

"We have defected and come here to welcome the general. Isn't that enough to prove our loyalty?"

Hou Jing listened, but didn't seem to care, and slowly said:

"Recently, I learned a story in my book called 'Playing the Yu in a Crowd.' Who knows which of these many people is the real Mr. Nan Guo?"

As he spoke, Hou Jing's expression changed, and his whole body was filled with a murderous aura.

The man who had just been smiling in a somewhat lewd manner now appeared rather frightening. Yuan Shouli took a step back, only to hear him say:

"Those with coupons live, those without coupons are exterminated!"

Hearing this, Yuan Shouli couldn't help but feel a chill. Standing at the very front, he looked exactly like a brave warrior shielding everyone from the wind and snow.

"General, the situation has arisen in a hurry, and we haven't had time to buy anything. Does the general intend to kill everyone here?"

Upon hearing this, Hou Jing sarcastically remarked:

"Why don't you turn around and take a look first?"

Yuan Shouli was taken aback and turned around. He saw that most of the people in the room had taken out an iron certificate and were kneeling on the ground.

Yuan Shouli's face turned extremely pale at this moment.

"You...you...how..."

Hou Jing waved his hand and said:

“Drag out all those who are not qualified to play the yu (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument), behead them, and confiscate their property.”

"promise!"

Hou Jing's armored soldiers moved swiftly, dragging out all those without tickets from the room, ignoring their cries and pleas for mercy. Soon, there was no more sound outside.

Then, Hou Jing looked at Yuan Shouli.

"How do you say that?"

Yuan Shouli was parched and didn't know how to respond.

At that moment, Yang Qianyun stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:
"General, annihilating the entire clan is probably not the right thing to do!"

Yuan Shouli felt somewhat relieved after hearing this.

Hou Jing asked:

"What's wrong with it?"

“Yuan Shouli is a member of the imperial family of the Great Wei Dynasty and is related to many people present by marriage. If his clan is exterminated, the loyal ministers and righteous men present will inevitably be implicated.”

Hou Jing then said:

"In your opinion, what should be done?"

“Yuan Shouli is not disloyal to the Great Wei, but is simply dull-witted by nature. May we vouch for him and submit a memorial to Chang'an, requesting the Prince of Qin to make a decision?”

Yuan Shouli was excited, but then Yang Qianyun added another sentence.

"If you really have to kill, killing his whole family would be enough!"

"..."

Hou Jing sighed upon hearing this.

"This is a difficult situation. If he escapes when I report to the emperor, how will I explain it to His Majesty?"

Yang Qianyun gave Yuan Shouli a wink, and the other man understood instantly.

"I'm willing to guarantee this with my entire fortune!" "In that case, let this man stay by my side for now!"

……

After everyone left, only Hou Jing and Yuan Shouli remained in the room, staring at each other.

"General, is there anything else you require?"

"Wei Fang is currently holding Yangping Pass, with more than 4,000 elite troops under his command. If the Shu troops come to our aid, Hanzhong may very well be lost again."

Yuan Shouli listened and said:
"The general's troops are the elite of Qin and Long, while the Shu troops are weak. What is there to fear?"

"That's true, but I have to be careful. If the Shu troops arrive and those opportunists in Hanzhong side with the other side again, I'll have no choice but to suffer in silence."

"What do you mean, general?"

“Wei Fang is shrewd, and I am not stupid either. I intend to take this opportunity to lead my troops around Micang Mountain and block Jinniu Road.”

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shouli couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt.

Why did you tell me such a confidential matter, General?

Hou Jing replied naturally:
You have to come with me!

"Why?"

Hou Jing sighed and said:

"In this world, it's not easy to find an honest person like you!"

"..."
-
Yangping Pass.

The situation in Hanzhong was turbulent, and seeing Hou Jing's actions after entering Nanzheng, Wei Fang was immediately somewhat relieved.

Fortunately, he got out early; otherwise, if he had been stuck in that pit, he would have been covered in mud by the time he tried to pull his leg out.

Hou Jing led 3,000 Hu soldiers and is now stationed in Nanzheng, while Li Yuan led 2,000 Fu soldiers and is now stationed in Xiabian. The number of the enemy's core forces is about the same as that of the Southern Liang army.

If Chengdu reinforcements arrive in time, Wei Fang may well be able to retake Hanzhong.

All that's left is to wait and see.

However, during the stalemate, Yangping Pass received news of a defeat.

"General, the Chengdu army has been defeated!"

The defeated soldiers who rushed from the upper reaches of the Han River brought the latest news to the garrison at Yangping Pass.

When Wei Fangchu learned of this news, he was somewhat taken aback.

"How did you lose?"

"Hou Jing led three thousand troops, pretending to move to Dingjun Mountain. In reality, after arriving at Dingjun Mountain, the entire army detoured to Micang Mountain and, with the help of the local Di people, blocked the Jinniu Road. The troops from Chengdu were caught off guard."

Wei Fang frowned, but then he heard the scout say:

"Not only that, Hou Jing also captured the commander-in-chief, the third prince Xiao Gang!"

Despite his worry, Wei Fang remained calm after the Chengdu reinforcements were defeated by Hou Jing. Upon hearing that Xiao Gang had been captured, Wei Fang felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

Xiao Gang was the younger brother of Crown Prince Xiao Tong, and was in charge of military affairs in Jing, Yi, Southern Liang, Northern Liang, and Eastern Liang provinces. He was Wei Fang's nominal superior.

"Why did he come here instead of staying in Chengdu?"

Wang Sengbian quickly stepped forward to help Wei Fang up, but heard him ask:

"My mind is in turmoil. If Yizhou falls into Li Shuang's hands, how can we face the Emperor?"

"will not!"

Wang Sengbian's resolute tone put Wei at ease.

"Why?"

"Li Shuang is stationed in Guanzhong, with less than 30,000 core troops. In addition, the troops from Hedong, Hongnong, and Luozhou, as well as the newly surrendered Liang-Han troops, are all prefecture and county troops, which have not yet been reorganized and are of mixed quality. They are better suited for defending the territory than for attacking. The distance between Chang'an and Chengdu is more than a thousand miles. If Li Shuang were to use all the troops in Guanzhong to launch a campaign, would he be willing to entrust his rear to these newly surrendered Liang-Han powerful families?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Fang's expression softened slightly, and he nodded gently. Wang Sengbian continued:
"Moreover, the northern troops of Ling, Xia, and Qin prefectures all have old grudges against Li Shuang. If they take advantage of his southward march to Chengdu to advance into Guanzhong and attack Chang'an, Li Shuang will surely be worried!"

Wei Fang breathed a sigh of relief and said:

"Things have come to this point, and the situation is beyond our control. We should retreat to Yizhou and await the Emperor's decision!"

……

(End of this chapter)