Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 292 From now on, he'll be my older brother.
Luoyang.

Xianyang Hall.

Early in the morning, Erzhu Shilong led a group of officials who had submitted to the Erzhu clan into the main hall of Luoyang, for one purpose only: to obtain a legitimate reason for the Erzhu clan to attack Guanzhong.

Yuan Ziyou looked at the memorial sent by Erzhu Shilong with a troubled expression.

"Does General Tianzhu really intend to do this?"

To wage war, one must have a legitimate reason for doing so.

Erzhu Rong needed to obtain this name from the imperial court.

Erzhu Shilong cupped his hands and said:
"Da Ye Shuang was originally a humble villager from the mountains. General Tianzhu, seeing his bravery, took a liking to his talent and, without careful consideration, became sworn brothers with him. However, this man's wicked nature remained unchanged. When he was in Hedong, he secretly allied with the bandit Liu Lisheng, causing chaos in the prefectures and counties, and massacring the villagers. Recently, he occupied Guanzhong, and his scourge has only intensified. He has altered the old system of the court, killed meritorious officials of generations, stirred up the delusions of the Han people, and stirred up the hearts of the barbarians, causing turmoil in Guanzhong and unrest in Longyou. Today, General Tianzhu wishes to eliminate this great traitor to secure the country. I urge Your Majesty not to hesitate and to issue an edict immediately, stripping Da Ye Shuang of all his official titles and ranks, declaring him a traitor to the country, so as to appease the people of the land."

Yuan Ziyou and Erzhu Shilong both hoped to see Erzhu Rong and Li Shuang fight.

On this point, the two were in agreement, but their goals differed. Erzhu Shilong hoped that after Erzhu Rong and Li Shuang clashed, the Erzhu clan would advance into Guanzhong and completely annihilate Li Shuang and his forces. Yuan Ziyou, on the other hand, hoped that both sides would be severely weakened, or at least that the stalemate would delay Erzhu Rong's plot to usurp the throne.

But Erzhu Shilong's memorial completely placed Li Shuang on the opposite side of the court. If Yuan Ziyou really issued such an edict, he would have no room for maneuver.

Of course, in truth, Yuan Ziyou also wanted to do this. Although he hated Erzhu Rong, he had no good feelings towards Li Shuang either.

If Erzhu Rong were to press on and lead an army of over 100,000 into Guanzhong, reach Chang'an, and nearly kill Li Shuang, Yuan Ziyou would not hesitate to issue this decree.

The problem is, the war hasn't even started yet!
What if Erzhu Rong can't win?
Yuan Ziyou glanced at Erzhu Shilong, then slowly looked up from him toward the outside of the hall.

"The King of Qin has rendered meritorious service to the court and is also from a distinguished family. If this is the case, I fear it will discourage the people of the world!"

Upon hearing this, Erzhu Shilong sarcastically remarked:

"What kind of prestigious family does Da Ye Shuang come from? I know his background all too well. He's just a country bumpkin who, even in his humble beginnings, ran rampant in the village, causing chaos and disorder. As for his minor achievements, they're not worth mentioning!"

Just then, Xi Yi came out.

"Rongzong, is this General Tianzhu's intention?"

Xi Yi was a confidant of Erzhu Rong, and like Erzhu Shilong, he was sent by Erzhu Rong to supervise Yuan Ziyou.

Even when facing Xi Yi, Erzhu Shilong dared not underestimate him, as Xi Yi was also someone who could directly connect with Erzhu Rong.

"Although General Tianzhu did not say it explicitly, we should be the first to quell the rebellion for the court."

Erzhu Shilong's idea was to settle this matter first and deal with the rest later; he wanted to first put Li Shuang on the pillar of shame.

Just then, Xi Yi stepped forward and whispered in Erzhu Shilong's ear:
"Rongzong, if something goes wrong with what you're doing, how will you explain it to General Tianzhu? Aren't you afraid of angering Da Yeshuang?"

Erzhu Shilong looked at Xi Yi and asked:

What do you mean?

"You and I both know who Da Ye Shuang is. If he can't be the King of Qin of Wei, why can't he be the King of Qin of Liang?"

Upon hearing this, Erzhu Shilong was not worried at all; in fact, he even showed a hint of joy on his face.

"That's not right!"

"What's so good about it? If the Liang people march north again and become as uncontrollable as Yuan Hao, what will we do? If we escape again then, will General Tianzhu spare us like he did last time?"

The two whispered to each other in the Xianyang Palace, showing no respect whatsoever as subjects.

Yuan Ziyou did not blame them. Seeing that the two had finished speaking, he then spoke:

"I know of your intention to rid the country of traitors, but the situation of the Prince of Qin is still unclear. Therefore, I will issue an imperial edict summoning the Prince of Qin to the capital. If he does not come, the General of the Heavenly Pillar will be able to attack him in a just and proper manner."

Erzhu Shilong did not object immediately upon hearing this.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Yuan Ziyou sighed and said:
"I only hope that General Tianzhu can make peace with the Prince of Qin. If there is any discord, and the Liang people take advantage of it, it may not be a blessing for the country!"

Erzhu Shilong arrived with a large group of menacing people, but Yuan Ziyou dismissed them with just a few words.

After leaving Xianyang Palace and returning to Jiulong Palace, Yuan Ziyou, who had been holding back laughter the whole way, finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Erzhu Rong and Daye Shuang have finally started fighting!"

……

Jinyang.

Before the war even started, Erzhu Rong could hear nothing but the complaints of his wife, Princess Beixiang.

"Look, the wedding invitations have already been sent here, and who knows how they'll spread outside! Out of nowhere, your brother's becoming your father-in-law! Listen to that, isn't it great!"

Li Shuang was slapping him in the face, and Erzhu Rong knew it.

Princess Beixiang had been nagging Erzhu Rong for several days, but Erzhu Rong didn't react much, only scolding her and saying:
"A woman's view!"

Normally, Princess Beixiang would have let it go, but now, she was relentless.

"You're just after that little bit of salt, don't you think everyone in Jinyang knows that?"

Erzhu Rong was really angry when he heard this.

"Would I do this for such a small amount of salt?"

Faced with Erzhu Rong's anger, Princess Beixiang did not back down, but instead stood her ground.

"No matter how much you argue, that's what everyone else thinks!"

Princess Beixiang's words suddenly deflated Erzhu Rong's anger.

When Erzhu Rong suddenly ordered an attack on Guanzhong, everyone had to know why.
Northerners don't care about grand principles, the situation, or the big picture; they only think that Erzhu Rong and Li Shuang fought because they didn't share the spoils equally.

This was especially true of the soldiers from the Six Garrisons outside Jinyang City. Erzhu Rong knew that no matter how he explained, it would be useless.

Upon seeing this, Princess Beixiang softened her tone.

"Tianbao, I know how hard you've been, but your elder brother advised you before, and I'm advising you now as well, because I'm worried you'll fall into the trap set by the people of Luoyang!"

Erzhu Rong suddenly laughed and said:
"I know exactly what those people in Luoyang are thinking, but so what?"

Erzhu Rong knew that Yuan Ziyou wanted to play the victim, but he didn't force him, even though he could have. This was because Erzhu Rong also needed the court to reserve this space in preparation for future battles.

Mobilizing troops and procuring supplies is not something that can be done in a short time.

"What's done is done, and the military order has been given; there's no way to change it. I want to see who, in this world, is superior in the art of war—me or that Da Ye Shuang!"
-
Qinzhou.

The news that Erzhu Rong was going to wage war in Guanzhong did not initially reach Qin Prefecture.

It was only after Guanzhong mobilized a large number of troops that Houmo Chenyue learned of the situation.

Heba Yue's side had even better access to information than he did.

Soon after, Houmo Chenyue received a letter from Lingzhou.

Heba Yue invited him to join him in advancing into Guanzhong!
Among the northern governors under Erzhu Rong, Houmochen Yue was the most powerful, with more than 10,000 soldiers.

Of these 10,000 men, apart from his own troops and the soldiers from the six garrisons given by Erzhu Rong, the majority were Han and non-Han soldiers from the Qin Prefecture region.

The elite troops of Longyou were renowned throughout the land.

Hou Mochenyue's power expanded rapidly, but the factions under his command were also quite diverse.

Simply put, he can't decide everything on his own. Especially when it comes to sending troops into battle, he must reach a consensus with his subordinates.

Hou Mochen Yue dared not make this decision on his own, so he summoned all his generals, including Li Bi, to discuss the matter.

Inside the room, Li Bi remained silent.

The others were all very excited when they heard that they were going to attack Guanzhong.

"Heaven has eyes! We have endured humiliation and disgrace all this time, just to wait for this day!"

"Oh, Oh, Oh, you've finally met your match!" "Finally, someone's going to teach Oh, Oh! General Tenju a lesson!"

……

Unlike those who were celebrating their success, Hou Mochenyue calmly looked at Li Bi.

His most important deputy and also his most prestigious general.

"Jinghe, what do you think?"

Li Bi had remained silent until Hou Mochen Yue asked, at which point he finally spoke.

"Did General Tianzhu order the governor to cooperate with him in advancing into Guanzhong?"

Hou Mochenyue shook her head.

Seeing this, Li Bi felt reassured and sighed:

"I'm afraid that while it's easy to descend Longshan, it will be difficult to return."

Hou Mochen Yue was somewhat displeased upon hearing this and asked:

"What do you mean by this?"

Li Bi stood up, looked at the group of generals in the room, and said:
"If we are to mobilize troops, where should we begin?"

Upon hearing Li Bi's question, the person inside the room casually replied:

"There are so many routes to advance: east to Qizhou, south to Liangzhou, or even to attack Jingzhou. Which one can't we go?"

Upon hearing this reply, Li Bi was not displeased that someone was contradicting him; instead, he nodded in agreement.

"I'm not asking about the route of the march, but about the method of advancing!"

Seeing the crowd's confusion, Li Bi explained:
"With just over ten thousand men, it's impossible for us to conquer Guanzhong. At most, we can only obtain one or two prefectures. And then what?"

Li Bi looked at everyone, and no one knew how to respond.

That would naturally be after Erzhu Rong conquered Guanzhong!
However, everyone only dared to think these words in their hearts and did not dare to say them aloud.

"Da Ye Shuang resides in Chang'an, commanding 7,000 elite cavalry. In the Guanzhong Plain, which is surrounded by four strategic passes, do Bai Bi City and Tong Pass really need so many cavalry to be stationed?"

Everyone instinctively shook their heads.

Li Bi smiled and said:
"If these cavalry aren't transferred to the front lines, then who are they being kept around to deal with?"

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing this.

“Heba Yue himself still has a big problem to solve. If he joins forces with us and marches into Guanzhong, what if Cao Ni and Huli Jin stab him in the back?”

Upon hearing this, everyone fell into deep thought.

"If he withdraws, what should we do?"

As he spoke, Li Bi looked at Houmo Chenyue and advised:
“Heba Yue is also a man of military knowledge. I’m afraid he’ll trick us into coming down from Longshan and then come up here first.”

Hou Mochenyue's expression turned serious, and suspicion arose in his heart. He naturally didn't trust Heba Yue that much.

Li Bi's words left Hou Mochen Yue with a sense of unease and uncertainty.

These days, who can you trust?
"So, what should we do?"

When faced with Hou Mochenyue's question, Li Bi only answered with one word.

"Wait!"

Houmochen Yue still remembered what Erzhu Rong had told him before sending him to Qinzhou.

Do not descend Longshan unless absolutely necessary!

At this moment, Erzhu Rong had no military orders, and Houmo Chenyue's actions were actually insignificant.

He looked at the other generals in the room and asked:
"What do you think?"

Everyone was eager to deal with Da Ye Shuang, but when it came to dealing with Da Ye Shuang themselves, everyone hesitated.

"General Li is right. That Da Yeshuang is treacherous and cunning. Why should we be the first to stick our necks out? Let others try first, and we'll see what happens later!"

"That's right, now that General Tianzhu has captured Baibi City, it's not too late for us to launch our own attack!"
-
Changan.

Li Shuang was fishing by the pond, sitting on a stool.

Hou Jing sat on the ground to the side and said:
"My lord, I've heard that Heba Yue has been quite active lately, planning something with Yuwen Luosheng. Do you think they might be planning to take this opportunity to head south?"

"will not!"

Li Shuang said with certainty.

Hou Jing asked:

"Why are you so sure, my lord?"

"Neither Xia Prefecture nor Ling Prefecture are wealthy places; they cannot afford to lose! They will only mobilize troops if they have at least a 50% chance of success."

Hou Jing understood immediately.

"So they want to swallow Cao Ni up!"

"A letter has arrived from Qin Prefecture. Heba Yue wanted to invite Houmo Chenyue to join the campaign, but Houmo Chenyue ultimately refused. As a result, the two of them alone can only deal with Cao Ni."

Hou Jing laughed and said:

"I don't think Hou Mochen Yue is such a loyal person. He's probably not taking any action because he's worried that Heba Yue will take the opportunity to raid his base!"

Li Shuang nodded. At that moment, his fishing rod stirred. With a gentle pull, he saw no fish on the hook, but instead, water plants.

Hou Jingdao:
"Your Majesty, the fish aren't biting. Should we send troops to Hedong to support Lao Yang? He only has 10,000 soldiers at his disposal. If Erzhu Rong marches south, I'm afraid Lao Yang won't be able to handle it."

Li Shuang, however, said:
"The fish won't stay unhooked forever!"

Just then, an urgent military report arrived.

"Your Majesty, Hebasheng, the governor of Jingzhou, has mobilized his troops and is heading towards Wuguan!"

Li Shuang didn't react, but Hou Jing was somewhat surprised.

"Why did this brat jump out first? What does he want? My lord, I'll lead the troops to Wuguan!"

Li Shuang didn't care and said:

"No need, someone will take care of him!"
-
Southern Yuzhou.

Li Shenggui was overjoyed as he looked at the wedding invitation in his hand.

"My sworn brother has finally come to his senses. After all, how could Erzhu Rong, a mere Qihu, be worthy of being someone's elder brother like me!"

Han Ling could tell that Li Shengui was very bothered by this matter.

"King of Chenliu, your chance has come!"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"We are stuck here, unable to move forward or backward, and with no way to go north or south. At this time, Erzhu Rong has mobilized his troops, and that scoundrel Hebasheng has followed. He wants to attack Wuguan, so we can take advantage of the situation and strike him from behind. If we succeed, we will be able to enter Guanzhong."

Li Shengui was somewhat worried and said:
"Can we take it down?"

Han Ling smiled and said:

"This matter requires the Prince of Chenliu to personally travel to Jiankang!"

……

(End of this chapter)