Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 261 I kept the lights off

Jinzhou.

"Disgusting! Disgusting!"

Gao Huan smiled gently at Erzhu Zhao, listening to his constant complaints.

"He, Daisuke, makes people work for him without paying them, and even makes them pay him extra! I couldn't do that!"

As Erzhu Zhao spoke, he spat a few more times.

"Disgusting, so disgusting!"

Erzhu Rong reorganized the defenses of Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and other places, dealt with the troops of the Six Garrisons, and supervised troublemakers in the area such as Li Huibo and Li Yi. He then officially marched south to recapture Luoyang.

Before heading south, he sent Erzhu Zhao with his troops to Pingyang.

Gao Huan, accompanied by several core members of the Huai Shuo faction, welcomed Er Zhu Zhao.

Inside the room, the atmosphere for the banquet was excellent. Erzhu Zhao drank too much and began his daily routine.

Eat, sleep, and curse Da Ye Shuang!

"Did you know that Hou Gujing, a kid under Da Yeshuang's command, got incredibly lucky and captured the third prince of Liang? Da Yeshuang was so proud of himself that he asked for 200,000 bolts of brocade."

Gao Huan said:
Two hundred thousand horses?

Erzhu Zhao nodded and said:
"Da Ye Shuang asked for the finest brocade. I inquired and found out that only a few thousand bolts of that stuff are produced in Jiangdong each year, exclusively for the Liang royal family. Da Ye Shuang asked for 200,000 bolts. Tell me, when they refused, he even installed some kind of Qi emperor in Hanzhong, just to annoy the Liang people."

Gao Huan listened and said:

"So the recent close ties between Guanzhong and Nanyang are for this reason?"

"Hebasheng was in Jingzhou. Because of this matter, he specially sent an envoy to Jinyang to tell General Tianzhu."

Upon hearing Erzhu Zhao's words, Gao Huan understood that the pieces Erzhu Rong had placed in Guanzhong were beginning to take effect.

Erzhu Rong would not simply give away the troops of the Wuchuan, Huaishuo and other factions to the Six Garrisons and let them go to remote places, eventually losing control of them.

In fact, the descendants of the people Erzhu Rong sent out were all in Jinyang. If they showed any signs of disloyalty, Erzhu Rong could easily control them.

"Tumo, what brings you here, General Tianzhu?"

Erzhu Zhao blushed and did not hide anything from the group of Huai Shuo military generals, such as Dou Tai, Wei Jing, and Duan Rong.

"General Tianzhu sent me here to check on the progress of the reconstruction of Pingyang County and the situation in Xia Prefecture."

Having been in Jinzhou for so long, Gao Huan was naturally well aware of the situation in Xiazhou.

Yuwen Luosheng occupied Tongwan City and became the governor of Xia Prefecture, but his situation was not good. It was only after Heba Yue occupied Ling Prefecture that Yuwen Luosheng's strategic situation improved somewhat.

Tongwan City was built by the Hu Xia dynasty, and the surrounding land was relatively fertile, with enough land inside and outside the city to support 50,000 people. However, surrounding forces continued to encroach on Xia Prefecture's land and disobeyed Yuwen Luosheng's orders.

Of course, Erzhu Rong wouldn't care about Yuwen Luosheng's strategic situation. In fact, it would be Erzhu Rong who would be uneasy if Yuwen Luosheng really pacified the surrounding Hu tribes and made them obey Tongwan City's orders.

What Erzhu Rong was really concerned about was that the connection between Jinyang and Tongwan City could be severed at any time.

Gao Huan, understanding Erzhu Rong's concerns, asked:

"What are General Tianzhu's plans?"

"The garrison troops of Tujing and Lishi have always disobeyed orders. General Tianzhu plans to re-establish Dongxia Prefecture and open up the passage between Jinzhou, Dongxia Prefecture and Xia Prefecture."

Gao Huan nodded and asked:
"Who is this governor?"

Erzhu Zhao uttered a name that surprised Gao Huan.

"Yuwentai!"
-
Tongwan City. Yuwen Luosheng looked at Yuwen Tai in front of him, a look of relief on his face.

"Black Otter, you are now the governor of a prefecture!"

At a young age, Yuwen Tai displayed his talent in Xia Prefecture and was noticed by Erzhu Rong in Jinyang, who sent him to Dongxia Prefecture to serve as its governor.

Erzhu Rong also specially gave Yuwen Tai 1,600 soldiers as the capital to start his career.

Apart from the descendants of the Erzhu clan, very few people of other surnames receive such treatment.

But behind this protection lies a path that is not always smooth sailing.

In Yuwen Luosheng's view, the situation in Dongxia Prefecture was complicated, and being the governor was not an easy job.

Because the challenge was so tough, Erzhu Rong was willing to invest so much.

Erzhu Rong dispatched Heba Yue, Yuwen Luosheng, and Houmochen Yue to manage the three prefectures of Ling, Xia, and Qin. However, the local forces were complex, and many tribes obeyed the orders of Chang'an, making their situation very difficult.

Putting everything else aside, Liu Lisheng is extremely difficult to deal with, and he happens to be hiding in the mountains, so there's nothing you can do about him.

The Six Garrisons, a line of northerners, were best known for their cavalry warfare, but in the Lüliang Mountains, they not only failed to achieve their intended effect, but were also severely hampered.

The mountain barbarians under Liu Lisheng's command were actually quite adept at fighting in the mountains.

Yuwen Tai went to Dongxia Prefecture, and he might have to face Liu Lisheng.

"Black Otter, be careful in everything you do. If you encounter any difficulties, be sure to tell your brother, and I will send troops to help you!"

Yuwen Tai shook his head, but had a different opinion.

"The situation in Dongxia Prefecture may seem complicated, but it is actually quite simple to sort out."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Luosheng was intrigued and asked:

"how?"

"When Da Ye Shuang was in Hedong, he had already surveyed all the tribes in Dongxia Prefecture. The powerful ones had long been eliminated. The troops of Lishi and Tujing garrisons, though seemingly unruly, were actually tamable. As for Liu Lisheng, with careful precautions, there was no major problem. By pacifying the troops of the two garrisons and blocking Liu Lisheng, Dongxia Prefecture could be stabilized."

As he spoke, Yuwen Tai looked at Yuwen Luosheng and said:
“Brother, it is this place that I am worried about.”

"Tongwan City is now stable, and the tribes that were unwilling to submit to Chang'an have all pledged allegiance. What is there to worry about?"

"That's why I'm worried. Cao Ni occupies Licheng County, north of Lingzhou, She Digan occupies Beianzhou, Huli Jin has long resided in Woye Town, Po Liu Han has long lived in the Hexi region, and He Douling Bu Fan is in Yuanzhou. The situation is clear: those tribes that deeply hate Daye Shuang and those who have pledged allegiance to Daye Shuang are at odds in Lingzhou, Xiazhou, and other places. My brother is at the forefront; if he is not careful, there may be a disaster that could destroy the whole nest!"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Luosheng's expression turned solemn.

He was, after all, an outsider, and his core followers consisted only of the retainers of the Yuwen clan and the soldiers from the six garrisons given to him by Erzhu Rong, totaling only three thousand men. Yet now, in a short period of time, his army had swelled to ten thousand men.

The situation has become clear, which is actually disadvantageous; he no longer has much room to maneuver.

Thinking of this, Yuwen Luosheng asked:
"What about that?"

Yuwen Tai said:

“Unless absolutely necessary, elder brother, do not leave Tongwan City lightly. Consult with Heba Yue on all matters. Only by standing with the Heba clan can the Yuwen clan gain a foothold here. The same applies to the opposite.”

"I understand!"

Watching Yuwen Tai leave with dozens of riders, Yuwen Luosheng couldn't help but sigh:
"The only one who can bring prosperity to the Yuwen clan is probably the Black Otter!"

……

(End of this chapter)