Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 293 The Wu Chuan Huai Shuo Family
Lingzhou.

Bogulü Town, a former important town of the Northern Wei Dynasty, was originally the "Guocheng" of the Helian clan. Now, it has become the base camp of Heba Yue.

The Yellow River brings a hundred harms, but it enriches the Yi region.

Lingzhou is where Xitao is located.

Outside the city, the sound of horses galloping hurriedly could be heard. Many Hu cavalrymen, having heard the order of Governor Heba Yue, had already gathered towards Huile County.

When the Han people in Pule County saw these Hu cavalry, most of them would walk around them, not wanting to provoke them. And when these Hu cavalry saw these original refugees, they did not oppress them.

There's no other reason than that Heba Yue's prestige was enough to intimidate everyone!

However, it is only limited to the western part of Lingzhou.

Erzhu Rong ordered an attack on Guanzhong, and Heba Yue was the most enthusiastic to respond to this.

Unlike Jingzhou, where Hebasheng was located, Hebayue was surrounded by land that could be expanded; all he lacked was an opportunity.

"how?"

Zhao Gui looked at Heba Yue as he walked in, a hint of anticipation on his face.

Heba Yue waited for news from Qin Prefecture, but all he received was Hou Mochen Yue's excuse that it was not advisable to send troops.

Heba Yue sensed Zhao Gui's expectation and shook his head.

"Houmo Chenyue refuses to send troops!"

"Why?"

For them, the ideal scenario would be to join forces with Houmo Chenyue, march south together, attack Yuan, Qi, Jing, and Bin prefectures, occupy the southwest of Guanzhong, and then gradually make their move.

They might wait for the outcome to be decided on the east bank of the river, or they might digest the land they had acquired.

However, what is the best solution for Heba Yue and others may not be the best solution for Hou Mochen Yue.

Heba Yue handed Hou Mochen Yue's reply to Zhao Gui, who read it and was very dissatisfied.

"The words in this letter are clearly a pretext. Why would Houmo Chenyue do this?"

"He is probably worried that I will take over his territory while he is going down Longshan."

Zhao Gui was clearly furious upon hearing this.

"What kind of time is this? He's still holding onto this suspicion. If all else fails, our two sides should join forces and attack Yuanzhou first!"

Hearing this, Heba Yue did not blame Zhao Gui for making the decision for him, but instead said:
"I'm afraid it's not that simple!"

"What do you mean by 'Adou Ni'?"

Zhao Gui was puzzled. Since Hou Mo and Chen Yue were afraid that they would resort to underhanded tactics, why didn't the two families join forces and leave together?
"If we go together, who will own the land and the population we capture?"

Heba Yue's words silenced Zhao Gui. It wasn't that Zhao Gui was unaware of the other party's character; on the contrary, he knew it all too well, which is why he kept quiet.

"If we don't take action at such a good opportunity, I'm afraid Hou Mochenyue's side has more than just disagreements about how to use troops."

"What else?"

Heba Yue said:

"Ohno Sou has been around in the North for so many years, he didn't do it for nothing. His reputation is still intact, so others don't dare to make a move against him!"

Zhao Gui listened without much feeling. He had left Wuchuan early on and gone to Zhongshan, where he had little contact with Li Shuang.

"Then what should we do? Even with Yuwen Luosheng included, our forces probably won't be able to make it on their own!"

Heba Yue felt a pang of regret, but he already had a contingency plan in mind.

"Since we can't eat the big fish, we can eat the small fish and shrimp around here first."

"You mean Cao Ni?"

"It's not just him!"

Heba Yue was full of ambition, and said:

"Regardless of what happens in Hedong, we will first occupy the entire Lingzhou and remove Cao Ni as a thorn in our side. In that case, no one in or outside Lingzhou will be able to oppose us."

……

Xia Prefecture, Tongwan City.

Within Tongwan City, there is a fairly large area of ​​pastoral tents for herders to live in.

This wasn't something that only appeared after Yuwen Luosheng arrived; when Helian Bobo built the city, there was already a designated area for herders to live in.

Of course, you can say this is to adapt to the local customs of Xiazhou, or you can say that Huxia didn't have enough money and resources to build the urban area.

Tongwan City has strong city walls, but there are not many buildings inside the city walls.

Especially after the fall of the Xia dynasty, the Northern Wei destroyed its ancestral temples and palaces, leaving even fewer buildings in the city.

Yuwen Hu rode a fine horse and arrived at the pasture area without any hindrance.

At this moment, Yuwen Luosheng was reorganizing his troops.

Yuwen Luosheng, an appointed governor, did not have the financial resources to provide housing for all his soldiers.

Some of the soldiers from the Six Garrisons and a considerable number of the Hu tribes who had surrendered set up tents in the pastoral area as their residences.

The distant city still stood tall, and the soldiers in the pastoral camp quickly assembled under Yuwen Luosheng's orders.

Although these soldiers lived in Tongwan City, they maintained nomadic customs, especially the advantages of nomadic peoples who transitioned from civilians to soldiers.

Yuwen Luosheng was somewhat surprised by Yuwen Hu's arrival, and he asked:
"Sabao, why are you here instead of in Guangwu? Is there something wrong with Black Otter?"

"When Fourth Uncle heard that Third Uncle was going to send troops to attack Shedigan, he was a little worried and wanted to tell Third Uncle to be cautious."

Where is the Black Otter?

"I was ordered by Erzhu Zhao to lead my troops to Jinzhou."

"Black Otter is really something. He went to Jinzhou, but how can Dongxia Prefecture do without you? He even made you come all the way here."

"Fourth Uncle is also worried about Third Uncle!"

Yuwen Luosheng smiled and said:
"Black Otter is overthinking it. I am acting on the orders of General Tianzhu, and I have the authority to do as I see fit. What is there to worry about?"

Yuwen Hu cupped his hands and said:

"This is exactly what Fourth Uncle is worried about. She Digan is the governor of the Jimi Prefecture under Da Yeshuang. If we fail to defeat him, we will lose face. If we do defeat him, we will offend Da Yeshuang."

Yuwen Luosheng waved his hand and said:

"No need to worry, General Tianzhu will handle Ono Sou. So what if he offends him?"

Yuwen Luosheng spoke loudly, and after he finished speaking, he addressed the nearby Hu tribe:
"What do you say?"

Hu Bing, who was nearby, laughed and said:
"The governor is right. If we can't do anything to Da Yeshuang, can't General Tianzhu do anything to him?"

Upon hearing this and seeing the scene, Yuwen Hu didn't say much. However, he didn't leave immediately but continued to follow Yuwen Luosheng.

As evening approached, Yuwen Luosheng finished arranging affairs in the city, then led Yuwen Hu to the city wall. Looking at the lakes and marshes outside the city, which were tinged with a golden hue in the twilight, a look of relief appeared on his face.

"Sabao, you've grown up."

Yuwen Hu was a descendant of the Yuwen clan who was carefully cultivated by Yuwen Tai. He was a disciple who was brought out from Jinyang City at great expense.

"Third Uncle, I still think Fourth Uncle's concerns are valid."

Yuwen Luosheng breathed a sigh of relief and said:

"Black Otter's concerns are certainly valid!"

Yuwen Hu was taken aback, but then he saw Yuwen Luosheng turn his head with a smile on his face.

"Just because it's not the right path doesn't mean we can walk it!"

Yuwen Luosheng's words carried a hint of sadness.

"Just like back then, we had to kill Wei Kegu to have a way to survive. Today, I am not unaware of the risks involved, but I have no choice but to do it."

Yuwen Hu remained silent, but then Yuwen Luosheng continued:
“Neither Heba Yue nor I have a choice. We are not Houmo Chenyue, but as Erzhu Rong’s direct subordinates, we occupied Qinzhou early on and have a lot of money and grain in our hands. We can’t just watch the situation now. We must fight for it bit by bit in this impoverished place. If we stop, not only will the people we have gathered under our command scatter, but the Erzhu clan will not just stand by and watch.”

Yuwen Luosheng placed his hand on Yuwen Hu's shoulder and said:
"You went to Chang'an and broadened your horizons, which makes your third uncle very relieved. After you return, take good care of Dongxia Prefecture. At this time, don't let things get too tense with those Huai Shuo people. My Yuwen clan will still need you in the future!"
-
Jinzhou.

Erzhu Rong appointed Erzhu Zhao as the General of the Vanguard Army, stationed in Pingyang County, to reorganize the troops and manage military supplies.

After Gao Huan expanded Pingyang County, the city could be garrisoned by tens of thousands of troops.

Erzhu Zhao did not reside within the city; instead, he and his soldiers had long ago moved into the military camp outside the city, leaving the city's houses for the arriving troops from Jinyang. Inside the main tent, looking at Yuwen Tai leading his troops, Erzhu Zhao coldly said:
"I sent you the order to mobilize troops a long time ago, why are you so late?"

"The road was treacherous, which is why we arrived so late."

Erzhu Zhao has never been friendly to the Wuchuan faction, and he is not good at hiding his emotions.

However, Erzhu Zhao didn't harbor much ill will towards Yuwen Tai; rather, he held him in contempt. Erzhu Zhao teased:

"I heard that Yuan Xiu married his own younger sister to you?"

Yuwen Tai nodded and said:
"Exactly!"

"I heard that woman is quite a formidable character. You didn't arrive so late because of her, did you?"

The generals in the tent all laughed when they heard this.

"The general will not dare!"

Yuwentai remained expressionless and stern, while Erzhu Zhao waved his hand in response.

"This is boring, my generals. Let's go hunting outside the camp."

"promise!"

Erzhu Zhao left Yuwen Tai alone, clearly intending to neglect him. Yuwen Tai remained in the tent for a long time, calming his emotions, before stepping out and encountering Gao Huan.

"Isn't that a black otter?"

Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai were not familiar with each other, so their "chance encounter" here was clearly not a coincidence.

Yuwen Tai was very respectful and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:
"Copper Di Bo!"

"No need for that. We both started from the Six Garrisons and are now governors of a prefecture. From now on, just call me He Liuhun!"

"Don't dare!"

"I am about to see the Duke of Yingchuan. Is he in his tent?"

"The Duke of Yingchuan has gone hunting with his men!"

Gao Huan nodded and said:

"In that case, Black Otter, would you mind coming to my tent for a chat?"

"Is this disturbing?"

"It doesn't matter!"

……

Inside the large tent, wine and food had already been prepared.

Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai sat down; there was no one else in the tent.

The two started drinking, and gradually got quite drunk.

Taking advantage of his drunken state, Gao Huan looked at Yuwen Tai and laughed:

"The more I look at Black Otter, the happier I feel. May I call you my worthy brother?"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Tai stood up and said:

"When I met He Liuhun, I felt a sense of kinship with him. Now that I have been so kind to you, I would like to address you as my brother!"

Gao Huan was handsome, and Yuwen Tai was strong. The two addressed each other as "brother" in the tent, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

"My dear brother, I am overjoyed. Please sit down, there is no need for such formalities."

Gao Huan watched as Yuwentai sat down, put down his wine cup, and his voice became deeper.

"Since the Six Garrisons, the world has been in turmoil. Fortunately, thanks to the divine might of General Tianzhu, the north and south were pacified, the country was restored, and the land was at peace. Unexpectedly, Daye Shuang has caused trouble in Guanzhong. General Tianzhu has sent troops to punish him. May I ask, my worthy brother, what do you think of this battle?"

Yuwentai glanced at Gao Huan and said:
"I believe the greatest scourge in the world today is that wild and unrestrained man!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Huan was momentarily stunned, but he quickly calmed down, narrowed his eyes, and looked at the virtuous brother he had mentioned.

"What my brother says is absolutely right!"

Yuwentai then said:
"That Da Yeshuang occupied Guanzhong, slaughtered the nobles of the court, instigated conflicts between the Han and non-Han peoples, bullied the northerners, and oppressed the common people. He has committed countless atrocities. Even if General Tianzhu does not raise an army this time, Heaven itself will not tolerate it!"

“Brother’s words truly resonate with me. I’ve known that scoundrel Da Ye Shuang since we were little. Back when he came to Huai Shuo Town, he almost died at the hands of Po Liu Han Kong Que. If it weren’t for us loyal and brave men, he wouldn’t be enjoying his current glory. It’s laughable that Da Ye Shuang is narrow-minded and short-sighted. He becomes arrogant once he gets his way, and now he dares to disobey the court’s orders and disrespect the emperor’s will. It is truly a sign that Heaven wants to destroy him.”

As he spoke, Gao Huan stood up and grasped Yuwen Tai's hand.

“Brother, let us join forces and serve under General Tianzhu to fight against Da Yeshuang. Once Guanzhong is pacified and the world is at peace, the people of Wuchuan and Huaishuo will no longer be oppressed by Da Yeshuang. Wouldn’t that be wonderful!”

"You're absolutely right, brother!"

……

Yuwen Tai stumbled out of the main tent, Gao Huan calling after him:

"Brother, should I send someone to help you back?"

"Don't worry, my friend, it's nothing!"

After Yuwentai had walked away, Wei Jing approached and asked:

"He Liuhun, how did things go with this kid?"

"That kid doesn't tell a single truth!"

As he spoke, Gao Huan wiped his hand, which he had just shaken with Yuwen Tai, and snorted coldly:

"People from Wuchuan!"

……

Inside the main tent, upon seeing Yuwen Tai return, his newlywed wife, Lady Yuan, was relieved of her worries.

"Husband, why did you drink so much?"

Yuwen Tai showed no signs of drunkenness at this moment, and simply gave the order:

"Bring me some water, I need to wash my hands!"

Following his instructions, Yuan brought Yuwentai a basin of water.

Yuwen Tai looked at the clear water in the basin, sneered, and showed a hint of disdain.

"A Huai Shuo person!"
-
Outside Jinyang City, the 100,000-strong army stood solemnly.

At the front of the battle, Erzhu Rong looked at Yuan Tianmu and Erzhu Tianguang and gave them instructions:

"With me gone, Jinyang City is in your hands!"

"General Tianzhu, rest assured!"

Erzhu Rong nodded.

Although both men were pacifists towards Guanzhong, Erzhu Rong knew that they would stand by his side in crucial moments.

Only by handing over Jinyang City to them can Erzhu Rong feel at ease.

Looking up at Jinyang City, Erzhu Rong no longer hesitated and gave the order to Murong Shaozong beside him:
"The army shall set out and arrive at White Horse City within ten days. Any delay will result in certain execution."

"promise!"

……

Changan.

On Li Shuang's desk were two letters from Jinzhou, and he was tapping on them.

Gao Ang rushed over and said:
"Did the king summon me?"

"The Jinyang army is about to move!"

"Should we send reinforcements to Hedong?"

Li Shuang said:
"You will lead an army to garrison Shaanxi City."

"Shaanxi City?"

Li Shuang smiled and said:
"We can't let the people in Luoyang have too much free time!"

……

(End of this chapter)