Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 296 Ohno Sou's Decline is Fully Exposed

Hedong City.

Xue Xiuyi stood outside the ferry crossing, gazing at the boats coming and going on the opposite bank of the Yellow River, pondering in his mind.

A chubby boy walked towards them, and Xue Xiuyi grabbed him as soon as he saw him.

What are you doing?

Yang Yin came from the ferry, intending to organize people to transport the salt from Hedong City across the river, but was stopped by Xue Xiuyi.

"You're a smart kid, think of something for me!"

Yang Yin looked at Xue Xiuyi, who was quite old but still had a fiery temper, with curiosity and asked:

"Is there something you don't understand, General?"

"Erzhu Rong has besieged Baibi City for more than twenty days. I have heard how bad the fighting is, but there is still no movement from Chang'an. What is Your Majesty thinking?"

Yang Yin listened and smiled.

"Just for this?"

Xue Xiuyi nodded, but then heard Yang Yin say:
"His Majesty has dispatched two men from Chang'an: Yang Kan to guard Baibi, and Wei Xiaokuan to garrison Anyi. If these two places are not lost, no matter how imposing Erzhu Rong is with his army of hundreds of thousands, it will be of no use. As for the rest, we can take a good look."

"what for?"

"Why don't you tell me, Your Majesty, send a general from Hedong to guard Anyi?"

Yang Yin uttered these words, and Xue Xiuyi felt offended upon hearing them.

Who are you trying to imply?

Watching Yang Yin walk away, Xue Xiuyi couldn't help but shout:
"What's wrong with Hedong? It's much better than your Hongnong. Gao Ang is still in Shancheng!"

However, just as Xue Xiuyi finished shouting, Chen Shuangchi ran over.

"Old Xue, I heard from the brothers up ahead that Erzhu Zhao is here."

Upon hearing this, Xue Xiuyi swallowed back all the resentment he had felt earlier, and almost choked.

"Why did he come here?"

"Erzhu Zhao led three thousand cavalrymen south to plunder on the orders of Erzhu Rong. Along the way, many powerful clans submitted to him. Erzhu Zhao attacked Anyi but suffered a setback at the hands of Wei Xiaokuan. Seeing that there was no more advantage to be gained there, he fled to Hedong City!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Xiuyi's temper flared.

"That little bastard from the Hu tribe, he's got too big for his britches! I'm going to teach him a lesson and shut him up!"

Xue Xiuyi roared and said:
"Guards, bring me my horse-slaying sword!"

……

Bei'an Prefecture.

Yuwen Luosheng attacked Beian Prefecture for two reasons: first, to respond to Erzhu Rong, and second, because the area was wealthy.

Compared to Xia Prefecture, Beian Prefecture is much smaller in area. The reason it was established as a separate prefecture is because this region contains an important resource—salt lakes.

As the governor and the commander of the Jimi Prefecture, She Digan settled his tribe here and lived a very comfortable life relying on the salt lakes within his territory.

The salt lakes of Bei'an Prefecture are not as large as those in Hedong, but they are a very important and scarce resource on the plateau north of Guanzhong.

The nearby nomadic tribes, whose whereabouts are unpredictable and who live by following the water and grass, will definitely come to buy salt if they are short of it.

Shedigan amassed considerable wealth through the sale of salt, which enriched the Shedi tribe. He equipped the tribe's warriors with superior weapons and armor, and even recruited many other tribes to serve him, making his army strong and well-equipped.

Yuwen Luosheng led his troops out of Tongwan City and came to Beian Prefecture. Shedi Gan fought him three times, but neither side could gain the upper hand.

"Damn it, a bunch of reckless idiots!"

Shedigan threw his helmet on the ground and rushed into the tent, eager to drink water, only to find that the water vat was already empty.

He grabbed the wine jug and poured the wine into his mouth. After drinking to his heart's content, he threw the jug aside and wiped his mouth.

Shedigan's generals followed, all looking disheveled.

They encountered Yuwen Luosheng and fought several times, but the Shedi tribe did not win.

The fact that they, with superior numbers and equipment, could still lose to the Xiazhou army, which was outnumbered and outgunned, speaks volumes.

Shedi Gan was furious looking at his subordinates and cursed:
"You all boast about your martial prowess all the time, but when you encounter Yuwen Luosheng, you all become cowards!"

Most of Shedigan's followers were from the Shedi tribe, with a few being warriors from other tribes who came to serve him.

“Governor, it’s not our fault. Those Xiazhou soldiers are all reckless. We can’t beat them! Fortunately, Yuwen Tai from Dongxia Prefecture has been summoned to Jinzhou. If the two brothers had joined forces, we probably would have been defeated long ago.”

Shedigan knew that what his subordinates said was right, but he still couldn't swallow his anger.

"Someone, bring all the money jars!"

Everyone was quite surprised to hear this.

"Commander, what are you trying to do?"

Shedi Gan was very defiant and said:
"Spread the money!"

Everyone listened, not understanding what She Di meant, but then they heard him say:

"Yuwen Luosheng is only after my meager possessions. I'll divide them up and not give them to him. Tell the tribal chiefs around here that anyone who sides with me will receive ten jars each."

"Governor, shouldn't we reconsider? If the situation turns against us, and we relocate elsewhere, we'll still need this money to survive. Now that it's all been divided, we'll have no way out!"

She Di cursed:
"What do you mean by a way out!"

Shedi Gan showed off his belt and said...

"This is the best way out!"

Seeing this, no one said anything more. She Digan gritted his teeth, a fierce look on his face.

"I'm afraid that while I, She Di Qianqiu, can afford to play this game, Yuwen Luosheng can't!"
-
A cold wind blows bleakly beneath the walls of Baibi City.

The military camps, stretching for dozens of miles, were filled with a chilling atmosphere.

Gao Huan emerged from the tent and gave instructions to those around him.

Be careful lately.

"promise!"

Those who were closest to Erzhu Rong could feel that his temper had been getting worse lately.

Baibi City remained unconquered, with hundreds of thousands of troops stuck there. Even though Erzhu Zhao's side was making good progress, it did little to improve the overall situation.

Gao Huan could actually guess some of what Erzhu Rong was thinking.

Erzhu Rong exerted a great deal of effort but could not shake Baibi City in the slightest. Instead, he lost a large number of soldiers. For the Erzhu clan, which had always demonstrated its strength to the world, this could be considered a defeat.

Military factors were secondary; Erzhu Rong's inner conflict was more important.

Since Erzhu Rong marched south, Li Shuang has remained in Chang'an and has not moved. If he were to withdraw his troops now, it would be tantamount to telling others that Erzhu Rong could not even subdue Li Shuang, let alone his subordinates.

This was hard for Erzhu Rong, who valued heroism, to accept.

If this continues, things will likely get out of hand.

Gao Huan gave the orders, but then the sound of warhorses galloping could be heard outside the tent. Erzhu Rong's personal cavalryman, Wang Xiang, was riding towards the central army tent.

Gao Huan's military tent was not far from Erzhu Rong's central army camp, so he could quickly learn of any movements there.

"What happened?"

Gao Huan glanced at his brother-in-law, Wei Jing, who was also confused, but quickly came up with a response.

"I'll send spies to investigate right away—no, I'll go myself!"

Wei Jing was a veteran, skilled at reconnaissance and even more adept at understanding his own men's situation. He returned shortly afterward. He seemed to have been running too fast, as he was slightly out of breath.

"Oh Ye is cool... Oh Ye is cool..."

Seeing his brother-in-law struggling to breathe, Gao Huan patted his back to help him catch his breath.

"What happened to Ohno Sō? Did he personally lead reinforcements?"

At first, Gao Huan thought that Prime Minister Wang was in such a hurry because he had important military intelligence, but Wei Jing waved his hand and said:
"Ohno Sawato didn't come, but he sent a letter!"

"Deliver a message?"

Wei Jing nodded and said:

"It is said that Da Ye Shuang in Chang'an heard about the battle situation in Bai Bi City and specially sent a letter to General Tianzhu."

Gao Huan frowned upon hearing this.

Do you know what the letter said?

"I don't know. I stayed outside the tent for a while and all I knew was that General Tianzhu was very angry after reading the letter."

As he spoke, Wei Jing added with concern:
"He Liuhun, you'd better watch out."

No matter how careful I am, how could I possibly avoid seeing Erzhu Rong?
As he was internally complaining, he heard the voices of the armored soldiers beside Erzhu Rong.

"Lord Tongdi, General Tianzhu requests to see you!"

"Thank you for your trouble, I'll be right there!"

Before leaving, Gao Huan leaned close to his brother-in-law and whispered, "..."
"I want to see Erzhu Rong. What do you want to say?"

Wei Jing was taken aback and asked in return:
Why are you asking me this?

"I've noticed that every time my sister gets furious and calls you into her room, you always manage to leave unscathed. What's your secret?"

Wei Jing was somewhat embarrassed and said:

"The main methods I used on your sister, you can't use on Erzhu Rong. But you can still use other methods."

"What means?"

"Hold your breath, lift your heels off the ground, and do not speak unless necessary. If you do speak, go along with what others say and do not offer any of your own opinions."

Gao Huan nodded after listening.

Gao Huan's military tent was close to Erzhu Rong's, so he arrived earlier. However, when he entered the tent, he found that there were already quite a few people inside.

Murong Shaozong, in particular, seemed to have arrived the earliest and stood closest to Erzhu Rong.

After Gao Huan arrived, Yuwen Tai also arrived not long after.

Once everyone had arrived, Erzhu Rong took out the letter and said:

“Ohno Sou sent me a letter from Chang’an. Do you know what he said in the letter?”

Seeing this, no one dared to say a word.

"Ohno didn't mention anything else in his letter, he just greeted me!"

Erzhu Rong's emotions seemed about to explode. He slammed the letter on the table and roared.

Greetings!

The sound was like a thunderclap, startling everyone. They all lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at Erzhu Rong.

Then, Erzhu Rong looked at the several Erzhu clan generals beside him and asked:
"What do you suggest we do?"

These people stammered and couldn't say anything. Erzhu Rong grew impatient and looked at Murong Shaozong, asking:
"Shaozong, what do you think we should do?"

Upon hearing this, Murong Shaozong took a deep breath and waited a moment before speaking his mind.

"I believe that after nearly a month of being besieging Baibi City, our soldiers have suffered heavy casualties and are exhausted, while the enemy's city remains secure. If this continues, I fear that rebellions will break out in various places. It would be better to withdraw our troops back to Jinyang and make further plans."

The tent was quiet. Gao Huan listened to Murong Shaozong's words and couldn't help but feel a little admiration.

What a warrior!
Erzhu Rong, however, was somewhat bewildered. Upon hearing this, he laughed loudly for a while, then looked at Murong Shaozong and said:

"If you're afraid of dying, then go back to Jinyang!"

Upon hearing this, Murong Shaozong's face turned deathly pale, and he froze on the spot, unable to utter a single word.

Erzhu Rong then turned his gaze to Gao Huan and asked:
"He Liuhun, what do you have to say?"

Gao Huan actually shared the same opinion as Murong Shaozong.

We've been besieging it for almost a month now, and if we can't take it down, we just can't take it down. What else can we do?
However, the example of Murong Shaozong made Gao Huan quite cautious.

"Da Ye Shuang is extremely arrogant, and his day of defeat is not far away. I hope that General Tianzhu will temporarily quell his thunderous anger, wield his whip with vigor, and appease the soldiers and wait for the right opportunity."

"You also want to withdraw your troops?"

Hearing Erzhu Rong's suppressed voice, which sounded like he had swallowed a wild beast, Gao Huan immediately said:

"That's not what I meant. I think we should continue fighting!"

Erzhu Rong's expression softened considerably upon hearing this, and he asked:
What timing are you referring to?

"The governor of Qin Prefecture, Hou Mochen Yue, is in charge of guarding the Longxi region for the imperial court. His subordinates are all loyal and righteous men. We should order him to descend the Longshan Mountains and directly attack Qi Prefecture. We should then take advantage of the situation to advance our army. In this way, the destruction of Daye Shuang will be imminent!"

Gao Huan's words were essentially meaningless.

If Li Shuang were to lead his army to Hedong, leaving Guanzhong vulnerable, Gao Huan's strategy would be effective. At this moment, Li Shuang's main force is still in Chang'an; what use would Hou Mochen Yue's army be if he led it down the Longshan Mountains?

Erzhu Rong listened without comment, but did not press Gao Huan further.

Gao Huan breathed a sigh of relief and stepped back, keeping himself out of Erzhu Rong's sight, not wanting Erzhu Rong to notice him anymore.

Erzhu Rong then looked at several of his generals, but did not ask them any questions. Instead, he asked Yuwen Tai, who was at the back.

"Black Otter, what do you say?"

Gao Huan was delighted to hear Erzhu Rong's question.

Yuwen Tai first cupped his hands and said:

"How can a lowly subordinate like myself speak up in front of such a group of generals?"

Gao Huan thought to himself with a sneer, "This kid seems honest, but he's actually quite cunning."

"It's alright, tell me!"

Yuwen Tai said:

"Hedong is prosperous, and half of Daye Shuang's wealth comes from Hedong. Now that General Tianzhu has stationed his troops here, many people in Hedong have submitted to him. Once Anyi City is under the control of the salt lake and it is returned to the court, Daye Shuang's decline will become apparent."

Erzhu Rong listened and said:
"My mind is made up. I will not return to Jinyang until I have conquered Baibi. Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai, the task of attacking Baibi is entrusted to you!"

"..."

After discussing the military situation, Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai came out, breathing in the fresh air, which relieved the oppressive atmosphere they had felt in the tent.

Murong Shaozong also came out after them. Usually humble and polite, he seemed to have lost his soul at this moment. He passed between Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai and bumped into both of them.

Gao Huan wanted to curse, but when he saw that it was Murong Shaozong, he shut his mouth and watched him walk away.

Just then, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and thunder rumbled in the winter air.

Large raindrops fell and landed on Gao Huan's cheeks.

Just as a torrential downpour was about to begin, Gao Huan looked at Yuwen Tai, who seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief, and said meaningfully:
"We are so lucky!"

……

(End of this chapter)