Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 264 Who is the Emperor Doesn't Matter

Hanoi.

Outside the northern city, a large army was assembled.

Having unified the troops of the six garrisons, Erzhu Rong was undoubtedly the true leader of the northerners at this moment. Not counting the troops under the command of the governors of the outer prefectures who obeyed the orders of the Jinyang Bafu, the army that Erzhu Rong could directly command alone numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

The fighting strength of the Six Garrisons was incomparable to that of ordinary prefectural and county troops.

Houmochen Yue, Heba Yue, Yuwen Luosheng, Gao Huan, Heba Sheng and others were also governors of a prefecture. The number of soldiers under their command ranged from tens of thousands to several thousand. However, apart from their core troops and the troops from the six garrisons given by Erzhu Rong, the rest were all prefectural and county troops, and their combat strength varied greatly.

When Erzhu Rong went south, he met with Yuan Ziyou, who was in Shangdang. After arriving in Hanoi, he encountered Yuan Tianmu.

Before returning to Beizhong City, Erzhu Rong's mindset had changed.

Unlike the excitement he felt when he came to Luoyang to deliver horses to the Tianlong people in his youth, and unlike the unease he felt before launching the Heyin Incident, Erzhu Rong now looked solemn and felt even more somber when he saw the northern city again.

This North Central City, or more precisely, this North Central City garrisoned by Chen Qingzhi and his nearly ten thousand Liang soldiers, finally made Erzhu Rong understand the purpose of Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei, Yuan Hong, in establishing this North Central City.

This city lies across the north bank of the Yellow River, protecting the Yellow River pontoon bridge. Boats lined the river, blocking the southward passage. Looking at the sturdy city defenses, even Erzhu Rong, who led tens of thousands of troops south, could only sigh at the river and felt extremely troubled.

Judging from previous battle reports, Chen Qingzhi's white-robed army was skilled in infantry and cavalry warfare. Now it seems that they have also mastered the Liang army's signature skills of naval warfare and city defense.

After inspecting the battlefield, Erzhu Rong returned to his tent without saying a word.

Or maybe we should just move the capital!
Erzhu Rong, who revealed this idea, was met with strong opposition from a group of people led by Yuan Ziyou.

Of course, Erzhu Rong didn't care about these people.

However, there was one person Erzhu Rong still cared about.

Yuan Tianmu!
"Tianbao, are you really planning to move the capital?"

Yuan Tianmu rushed over, but Erzhu Rong was no longer the same person he had been before.

Now that he has absorbed the power of the Six Garrisons, his confidence has soared. Most importantly, when he went south, he saw Yuan Ziyou and his entourage, which made Erzhu Rong wary.

"To capture Beizhong City, we will inevitably suffer heavy losses. Luoyang is currently impoverished and depleted. What good would it do to take it?"

"But if we don't take Luoyang and let Yuan Hao occupy it, wouldn't that just make the Liang people happy?"

"The land of Henan has already been devoured by the Liang army, and there is not much territory left. It is fine to give it up. As long as we still have Hebei and the land of Sanqi, we will have no external worries."

Hearing Erzhu Rong say this, Yuan Tianmu understood.

Erzhu Rong planned to implement a strategic retreat, emulating the Tuoba clan of the past by establishing his capital in Pingcheng, controlling the Hebei region from a distance, and consolidating his already gained victories.

Yuan Tianmu said:

"Tianbao, the situation is different now than when the Tuoba clan established their capital in Pingcheng. Can Jinyang alone control Hebei?"

Erzhu Rong waved his hand dismissively and said:
"The people of Hebei are easy to subdue!"

"But the money and grain from Hebei won't be so easy to transport to Jinyang!"

Yuan Tianmu's reminder caused Erzhu Rong's expression to change.

"Hebei is now a populous region with numerous powerful families, and the situation is complex; it's not what it used to be. If we abandon Luoyang, the easiest place to gather money and provisions from Hebei and the Three Qi regions is Ye City! At that time, will you personally oversee Ye City or will His Majesty go there? Moreover, if we wait until Yuan Hao has established a firm foothold in Luoyang and the people are at peace, Emperor Liang, far away in Jiankang, will send reinforcements north, and Ye City will be easily besieged. If you don't station a large number of troops there, you'll have to lead hundreds of thousands of soldiers back and forth."

As he spoke, Yuan Tianmu advised:

"This North Central City will be attacked sooner or later. As long as it remains in the hands of the Liang army, even if you move the capital to Jinyang, you will not have peace."

Erzhu Rong hesitated, partly because he sensed that Yuan Ziyou was different after this trip south. He was now surrounded by a group of ministers from aristocratic families!

Erzhu Rong was not only worried that the North Central City would be a tough nut to crack, but he was also worried that if he succeeded, it would just benefit Yuan Ziyou.

But Erzhu Rong had to consider Yuan Tianmu's words.

After years of development, Hebei today is no longer the Hebei of the Five Barbarian Invasions; it is now economically prosperous. Even though the Six Garrisons ravaged the land, its foundation remains, and its economic potential far surpasses that of other regions.

The soldiers of Jinyang were superior to those of Hebei, yet Jinyang could not serve as the de facto center of Hebei.

The Taihang Mountains allowed Jinyang to maintain a suppressive stance over Hebei, but they also restricted transportation.

"Is Tianbao worried about His Majesty?"

Erzhu Rong merely smiled at Yuan Tianmu's words.

In fact, Yuan Ziyou's performance was only a minor factor. Erzhu Rong minded, but that was all.

Seeing this, Yuan Tianmu tentatively asked:

"Is Tianbao worried about his third brother?"

Erzhu Rong's smile froze, and he sighed deeply:

"Brother, I can't help but worry!"

As Erzhu Rong spoke, he took a stack of documents from the table and handed them to Yuan Tianmu.

"He established military garrisons in Guanzhong, drove out nobles, seized their lands, and even recruited Hu tribes, allowing them to run rampant—this was already wrong. Now, he has established military commands in various places, rendering the prefectures and counties established by the court virtually useless, and the officials dispatched by the court are full of complaints. Local strongmen have gathered local militias and, in the name of the military commands, wreak havoc in their respective areas. Isn't such behavior a betrayal of the court?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tianmu asked:
"Is my third brother really going to betray the court? Does Tianbao have any way to stop him?"

When Yuan Tianmu asked this question, Erzhu Rong was stunned. He had been the General of the Heavenly Pillar for so long and was used to speaking official language to his subordinates. When asked this question for the first time, he really couldn't answer it.

Yuan Tianmu smiled.

"Has Tianbao forgotten? Third Brother has received the title of Prince of Qin from three different imperial courts!"

Erzhu Rong's indifferent expression, which he had been using when speaking official jargon, vanished, replaced by a look of anger.

"Of course I know that no matter who the emperor is, his position as King of Qin is secure."

Even if he was unwilling, Erzhu Rong had to admit that Guanzhong had slipped out of his control.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Tianmu said again:

"That is why Tianbao was even more determined to recapture Luoyang."

"Why?"

"My third brother only sent Hou Jing, yet he defeated Wei Fang, a famous general of the Southern Liang, and captured Xiao Gang. If Tianbao hesitates to advance here, wouldn't the world think that you are afraid of Chen Qingzhi and are no match for the Liang people? We must be careful about the hearts of the northerners!"

Heroic spirit!
A necessary condition for the recapture of the six garrisons.

You led an army of over 100,000 south, took a quick look around, and then went back. What do you think those surrendered soldiers from the Six Garrisons will think?
Upon hearing this, Erzhu Rong's expression finally changed.

"Then fight!"

……

(End of this chapter)