Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 271 Success Will Surely Include Me
Changan.

The summer breeze, carrying a scorching heat, swept across the land, adding a touch of restlessness to the bustling crowds of Chang'an.

In the back garden of the Qin Prince's mansion, Li Shuang was enjoying the cool air by the pond when she heard Hou Jing's footsteps approaching.

"Your Majesty!"

Hou Jing's voice carried a hint of excitement and agitation.

"The fight started!"

Li Shuang lay swaying in the armchair, listening to Hou Jing's words, and asked:
"How is it?"

"Erzhu Rong has divided his troops!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shuang smiled.

"So it's finally come to this!"

Erzhu Rong led an army of over 100,000, which was more than the combined forces of Chen Qingzhi's Liang army and Yuan Hao's army.

Even now, with Li Shengui bringing reinforcements, the disparity in troop strength between the two sides remains enormous.

Since they couldn't capture Beizhong City, they had no choice but to bypass it, cross the Yellow River at a ferry crossing on the lower reaches, and then launch a flanking attack on the Luoyang area.

However, this was somewhat of a loss of face for Erzhu Rong, who was always able to break through enemy lines head-on and was invincible.

"Who did my second brother send?"

"The Prince of Shangdang was the commander-in-chief, and Murong Shaozong was the deputy commander-in-chief. They marched south to attack Hulao Pass."

"In that case, Yuan Hao is likely to be defeated."

Hou Jing listened and said:

"That shouldn't be the case. The King of Shangdang has been defeated by Chen Qingzhi twice. It should be a stalemate for some time."

After all, strategic maneuvering takes time, and crossing the Yellow River southward to attack the passes guarded by Yuan Hao's army also requires some effort.

"Murong Shaozong is no easy opponent!"

Hou Jing, somewhat unconvinced, said:

"Is Murong Shaozong really that powerful?"

Li Shuang smiled without saying a word. Hou Jing, seeing this, said:

"In that case, should we remind the Prince of Chenliu?"

"It's alright, Mr. Han is in Luoyang and will make his own decision."

"What about us?"

Li Shuang said:
"No need to rush, success doesn't have to be achieved by me!"

……

Outside the Prince of Qin's residence, the sound of a carriage could be heard, and several palace servants led a three-year-old child down from the carriage.

Liu Sixia, accompanied by several female officials from the palace, waited outside and took the child from their arms.

Several palace servants looked at the child with reluctance and longing on their faces, but they had no choice but to take out a box in front of Liu Sixia.

"This is the royal document that proves the child's identity, along with a token. Please keep it safe!"

Holding the child in her arms, Liu Sixia looked at the contents of the document and showed a slight expression of surprise.

However, she quickly composed herself and nodded slightly.

"Thank you!"

Liu Sixia didn't understand Li Shuang's purpose in traveling all the way from Luoyang to find this child, nor did she understand why she was asked to raise him.

However, Liu Sixia did not refuse.

A series of drumbeats sounded in my ears.

On the drill ground not far away, the soldiers were training.

The twelve detachments of soldiers from the twelve military prefectures of Guanzhong had now completed a round of guard duty in Chang'an.

The fighting force is complete!

Liu Sixia greeted several palace servants, then carried the child into the Prince of Qin's residence.

……

The summer winds continued to blow, but unlike the orderly city of Chang'an, bandits were rampant in Luoyang.

In Zhongyifang, Li Shengui found Han Ling.

Li Shengui was covered in sweat after running all the way from the inner city.

In contrast, Han Ling appeared much more relaxed sitting under the tree enjoying the shade.

"Sir, rumors are circulating that Yuan Tianmu is leading a large army to attack Baimajin. How will this battle end?"

"Defeat is inevitable!" Han Ling said with certainty!
Upon hearing this, Li Shengui didn't ask Han Ling why he said that, but instinctively replied:

"What are we doing here? Let's go!"

Han Ling listened, waved his fan, and said:
"Don't rush. Yuan Tianmu wants to take a roundabout approach to attack Luoyang, which will take some time."

Li Shengui felt uneasy after hearing this and said:
“I’m just afraid that if Erzhu Rong gets really ruthless, no one in Luoyang will be able to stop him.”

Han Ling, somewhat surprised by Li Shengui's assessment of Erzhu Rong, laughed and said:

"That's true, but even if we capture Luoyang, Erzhu Rong might not be the winner."

"How to say it?"

"The loss of people's hearts cannot be made up for in a short time. It takes ten years of nurturing and education to regain them. The more Erzhu Rong wins, the more fragile his Erzhu clan's rule becomes."

Li Shengui listened, shook his head, and said:

"He kills whenever he wants, does whatever he wants, isn't he the winner? A few days ago, he even beat up Prince Yuan Baoju of Nanyang, which really slapped the face of the Wei royal family!"

Han Lingdao:
"To bully the powerful with the lowly—there is no greater way than this. When have you ever seen your lord do such a thing?"

Li Shen Track:

"That's true. My sworn brother has always been greedy for money, sometimes even honest. However, some of the things he's done are even more excessive than Zhu Rong's. Why doesn't he listen to your advice, sir?"

"I don't need to persuade him. Guanzhong is a strategically important place. Even if he and Erzhu Rong were doing the same thing, he would spend much less money. Besides, Chang'an has been established, and the hearts of the people have turned back to it."

Han Ling spoke leisurely, unconsciously waving his fan around.

Seeing Han Ling in this state, Li Shengui felt relieved. However, he still had some worries.

"My concern is that my sworn brother is too honest. Erzhu Rong, that Qihu man, isn't as loyal as I am. What if Erzhu Rong decides to kill him?"

"Don't worry, our lord will not give Erzhu Rong that opportunity."

"How to say it?"

Han Ling stroked his beard and asked:

"Erzhu Rong is about to attack. How is Yuan Hao deploying his troops?"

"He dispatched Pei Yan to defend the south bank of the Yellow River and Yuan Ziyong to guard Hulao Pass. He also wanted to ask me for Heba Yun and my thousand-piece set, but I did not give them to him!"

Han Ling nodded after Li Shengui said that.

"First, secure your escape route. This way, no matter how the situation changes, you'll have room to advance or retreat."
-
Luoyang, Xianyang Palace.

Yuan Hao sat on the throne, but he always felt the palace beneath him shaking.

He dispatched troops to guard the area around Luoyang tightly, but he still felt that he could not stop Erzhu Rong's army of hundreds of thousands.

"What do you think?"

The ministers remained silent.

In fact, the officials in the court had already received a promise from another Wei emperor on the north bank of the Yellow River during their long standoff.

Only the ringleaders will be punished; the rest will be spared!
Of course, Yuan Ziyou was not a man of absolute authority, and the ministers were not entirely sure how credible his words were.

Yuan Ziyou also has to listen to Erzhu Rong!

Whether Erzhu Rong will be purged in the future is anyone's guess.

But in the halls of power today, those officials who have received promises are much more secure than Yuan Hao.

Prince Yuan Yu of Linhuai stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:
"Your Majesty, the nation is in peril. If we can persuade the Prince of Qin in Guanzhong to send troops to defend the king, the people's hearts can be at peace."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Hao felt a surge of irritation.

The situation isn't too bad right now; the two sides are still deadlocked, but if this continues, no one can say for sure what will happen.
After all, whether Yuan Ziyong can stop Yuan Tianmu is still uncertain.

"If he is willing to come, I have nothing to worry about!"

Just then, an anxious voice came from outside the hall.

"The King of Qin has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Hao trembled all over.

"General Peng Le, the commander of the Qin King's cavalry, has arrived in Shan City with a thousand cavalry."

"Really?"

"Your Majesty, but what banner are they flying..."

"how?"

"Their banner was 'To restore the Wei dynasty and swear to kill the traitor Yuan Hao.'"

"..."

(End of this chapter)