Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 297 Only Your Majesty could subdue such a brave general.

Outside Hedong City.

Erzhu Zhao sat on a mound, tending to his wounds.

He took a sip of the medicinal wine, spat it onto his wound, felt a sharp pain, then chewed up the herbs, applied them to the wound, and bandaged it with a cloth.

Erzhu Zhao was not a novice soldier new to the battlefield, but a seasoned veteran. Erzhu Zhao was rough and brave, but not frivolous, and his handling of battles was sometimes quite meticulous.

However, this battle with Xue Xiuyi still ignited his anger.

Erzhu Zhao stretched out his sleeves to cover his hairy arms, stood up, and said:

"That old bastard Xue Xiuyi, he's so old, yet he still tries to go to the battlefield. I'll teach him a lesson."

When Erzhu Zhao met Xue Xiuyi not long ago, he actually looked down on him. After all, although Xue Xiuyi had a reputation for martial arts and was well-connected in the Hedong area, and was deeply respected by the local heroes, he was already over fifty years old.

Xue Xiuyi initially feigned weakness, and Erzhu Zhao, unprepared for the old man's presence, was about to persuade him to surrender when Xue Xiuyi and his men charged out, brandishing their horse-slaying swords.

Good heavens, that horse-slaying saber had a blade that was three feet long. When it came down, Erzhu Zhaoxin was taken aback.

In this encounter, Erzhu Zhao suffered some losses, but not much; the important thing was that he lost face.

A rider galloped up, and Erzhu Zhao, seeing him, asked before he could dismount:

Where is Xue Xiuyi?

"He led his men to retreat into the Xue family's fortified village, and even declared that if they dared to challenge him, we should come and fight them!"

Upon hearing this, Erzhu Zhao's anger intensified.

"That old bastard, he took advantage of the situation and then hid in his turtle shell."

"So, are we still going to fight or not?"

"What are you hitting me for!"

Erzhu Zhao looked somewhat angry.

Fortified villages are typically easy to defend and difficult to attack. If Erzhu Zhao were to attack them, he would lose face if he failed, and even if he succeeded, he would suffer losses and gain little advantage.

"Let's go straight to Hedong City!"

Erzhu Zhao's subordinates reminded him:
"There is a garrison of soldiers in Hedong City. Scouts report that they are all heavily armored, and Pei Qingsun is stationed there as well. I'm afraid we can't take it!"

"Who said we were going to attack Hedong City?"

Erzhu Zhao smiled disdainfully and said:
"Heavy armored soldiers can outrun cavalry. We'll destroy all the houses, warehouses, ferry crossings, and boats outside Hedong City. I want to see if the troops inside Hedong City will come to their rescue!"

Erzhu Zhao was furious, but soon, military intelligence from the direction of Jinzhou made him temporarily halt his advance.

Wang Xiang, a close attendant of Erzhu Rong, arrived hastily with a dozen or so riders. Erzhu Zhao was surprised to see this.

"But something has happened in Baibi City?"

Wang Xiang nodded and said:

"It has rained for several days in Baibi, making the roads muddy and difficult to attack. General Tianzhu has decided to withdraw his troops and has specially sent me to inform the Duke of Yingchuan not to go any further, lest he be ambushed."

Erzhu Zhao nodded in agreement. If Erzhu Rong were to retreat, the local powerful clans who had originally surrendered to them might turn against them, even wanting to capture Erzhu Zhao and use him as a token of their allegiance to Chang'an.

Erzhu Zhao was naturally aware of this risk.

"I understand, I'll withdraw my troops immediately!"

Wang Xiang instructed:
"General Tianzhu also said that those powerful clans who have submitted to us should not be disturbed, even if they turn against us."

Erzhu Zhao was somewhat puzzled and said:
"If Ohno Sō takes this opportunity to head north, they might even lend a hand. They're all opportunists; why keep them around if we don't get rid of them now?"

Wang Xiang did not offer much explanation, but simply said:

"This is the will of General Tianzhu!"

Erzhu Zhao listened and no longer objected.

"promise!"
-
Southern Yuzhou.

Li Shenggui returned from Jiankang in high spirits.

Han Ling looked at Li Shengui with a sense of helplessness.

Li Shenggui is sometimes really unreliable. He had told Li Shenggui to go and come back quickly so as not to delay the military operation, but he was a month late.

Don't ask, the answer is just one sentence.

"Jiankang is such a wonderful place!"

Originally, there were two great cities in the world. Luoyang had undergone many changes and was no longer as prosperous as it once was, but Jiankang remained the capital of the Jiangnan region with a population of one million.

"Jiankang is a good place, what a pity!"

Han Ling's words puzzled Li Shengui, who asked:
"Sir, what's the pity?"

"It's a pity that it's like a paper flower, unable to withstand the wind and rain!"

Li Shengui didn't understand Han Ling's words, but he didn't pay much attention to them, simply saying:
"I did not see Emperor Liang on this trip."

What happened?

"No need to ask, Zhu Yi is really ruthless. He asked for the price of a house in Wuyi Lane. How could I possibly afford that? But I did see Xiao Gang."

Han Ling frowned, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"What does he want from you?"

"He thanked me for escorting him back to Nanliang and treated me to a lavish meal. The reason I came back so late was because of him. Every day he dragged me to various places in Jiankang City for banquets and to meet all sorts of shady people."

"That's it?"

"That's not possible!"

Li Shenggui patted his chest and said:
"How could I fail to accomplish what my sworn brother and the master entrusted to me? Xiao Gang said that to thank me for saving his life, he agreed to help us seize Jingzhou."

Han Ling listened and laughed:
"King of Chenliu, you really are honest!"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Xiao Gang is just a prince, and because of his defeat in battle, he is currently being ostracized in Jiankang. Does he have the ability to sway the Liang court's decision to send troops to attack Jingzhou?"

"So he lied to me?"

Han Ling shook his head and said:

"The Crown Prince Xiao Tong of Liang embarrassed Xiao Gang and caused him to lose prestige. Now, this change is probably because Xiao Yan has come up with a plan to secretly help Xiao Gang and restore his prestige. Xiao Yan cannot see you, but he wants to use your reputation to do things for him and his son."

Li Shengui clicked his tongue, realized what was happening, and said:
"No wonder he made me meet so many people; these people from Jiankang are really cunning!"

Han Ling smiled upon hearing this.

"No matter what, as long as Xiangyang is willing to send troops, we have a chance of winning. Hebasheng has recently been blocked at Wuguan and cannot advance."

Li Shenggui was somewhat worried after hearing this.

"I'm just worried that Heba Yun is under my command, and he might not be willing to fight against his brothers."

Han Ling smiled slightly and said:
"Only the King of Chenliu could subdue such a brave general!"

……

That night, Heba Yun was drinking in his room when he heard the door creak open.

Heba Yun was on guard, but upon seeing the person who had arrived, he instantly broke into a smile.

"Your Majesty!"

"No need for that, we're all brothers!"

Li Shenggui waved to Hebayun, gesturing for him to sit down. Li Shenggui didn't stand on ceremony, took a bowl from the side, poured himself a cup of wine, and sat down next to Hebayun.

After drinking a few glasses of wine, Li Shengui looked at Heba Yun and said:
"Ajuni, I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you down!"

Upon hearing this, Heba Yun's expression changed drastically. "What does Your Majesty mean?"

Li Shenggui spoke slowly, with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"My trip to Jiankang this time was to sort out relations with the Liang Kingdom. As you know, we are currently hiding here and are being suppressed by the Erzhu clan. We are already living a very uncomfortable life. If we anger the Liang people, I'm afraid we won't be able to stay here and will become stray dogs."

"Your Majesty's difficulties are well known to your subordinates."

"But the Liang people are not easy to deal with either. I suffered a lot of cold looks when I went to Liang this time, and I barely managed to get this temporary place to stay for my brothers."

Although Heba Yun was currently under Li Shengui's command, he was still a northerner from Wuchuan Town and naturally disliked the Liang people. Hearing Li Shengui's words, Heba Yun scoffed:
"These Liang people are only able to be so arrogant because they are taking advantage of the internal strife in the Great Wei!"

Li Shengui took a few more sips of wine and sighed:
"If it were merely a matter of humbly submitting and pretending to be a subject of a inferior state in front of the Liang people, that would be fine. But the Liang people have set their sights on the land of Sanjing."

Upon hearing this, Heba Yun stood up and angrily said:

"The Liang people have occupied vast swathes of land in Wei, almost pushing the border to the Yellow River, and they are still not satisfied. They even have their eyes on Jingzhou, which was once the stronghold of the Hu people?"

Putting aside other considerations, the three Heba brothers shared a very deep brotherly bond. After all, they had all fought their way up from the north, and on the battlefield, they had entrusted each other with life and death—a bond that was unmatched by ordinary people.

Seeing Heba Yun so agitated, Li Shenggui pulled him back.

"I know you're indignant. This land of Jingzhou is our Wei territory, but now the Liang people have their eyes on it. What can we do? Xiangyang is sending 100,000 troops to attack Jingzhou. We can't stop them!"

Heba Yun listened in silence, but then Li Shengui continued:
"Although Hebasheng is currently attacking Wuguan, I don't blame him; they each serve their own masters! Hebasheng is a hero of his generation, and I don't want to see him lose cities and territories, ultimately falling to the Liang people. Here's what we'll do: you write a letter to Hebasheng, informing him of this matter so he can make preparations in advance. There's not much more I can do to help!"

Heba Yun was deeply moved upon hearing this and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:

"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your great kindness!"

……

Wuguan.

For several days, Hebasheng launched a fierce attack on the pass.

Unlike Heba Yue, Heba Sheng has far more leverage.

At one point, Hebasheng even wanted to personally don armor and go into battle to fight Daxi Wu, but his subordinates stopped him.

Hebasheng was a famous and fierce man in the north, always the first to charge into battle, and his reputation was unparalleled.

However, Hebasheng is now a commander-in-chief and it is not appropriate for him to do this again.

Ever since he suffered a setback at the city gate that day, Hebasheng had been holding back his anger, determined to take the pass and teach Daxi Wu a lesson.

The Northern army was not good at attacking cities, but that's relative.

Erzhu Rong was unable to capture Beizhong City, which was defended by Chen Qingzhi, not only because Chen Qingzhi and his White Robe Army were powerful, but also because Beizhong City was a strategic pass in northern Luoyang, built by Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei, Yuan Hong.

The city's own conditions are what they are!

If Chen Qingzhi and his White Robe Army were to defend a small earthen fortress in the northern border, they would not be able to withstand the repeated attacks of Erzhu Rong's army.

Wuguan Pass is treacherous, yet Chang'an hasn't invested many resources in it. Da Xi Wu can't, like Yang Kan in Baibi City, have an inexhaustible supply of arrows.

Hebasheng attacked Wuguan for many days, and the defending army of Wuguan was already weak.

It's not just physical, but also mental; morale is declining.

"Daxi Wu, didn't you say you were of the Chinese lineage, that you were so great? Why don't you dare come out and see this barbarian from the Tiele tribe?"

Hebasheng sent men with shields to shout outside Wuguan Pass, while he watched from behind.

"It seems the time is almost right. One or two more attacks and we'll be able to take Wuguan!"

Hebasheng was optimistic, but Nianxian beside him said:
"Even if we take Wuguan, there's Shangluo City next. After that, there's Lantian Pass. If the generals guarding these passes are all like Daxi Wu, how long will it take us to fight?"

Hebasheng, however, was not worried and said:

"If General Tianzhu wins in Hedong, will the garrison commander of Luozhou still be so stubborn? When we enter Guanzhong, we will be the ones to achieve the greatest merit!"

Nianxian asked:

"What if things don't go well over there?"

Hebasheng listened without paying any attention and said:

"We have brought our troops here, and we can now give an account to General Tianzhu."

Just then, a scout that Hebasheng had arranged to be stationed on the Guanzhong side rode over and brought back the latest military intelligence.

"My lord, troops have been dispatched from Lantian Pass!"

Hebasheng frowned and asked:

"Which army are you from? Do you even know who their commander is?"

"They must be the garrison troops of Balang, and their commander is Xue Guyan!"

Hebasheng was not afraid when he heard this.

Firstly, Shangyu is only 600 li in size, so Hebasheng still has time. Secondly, even if Xue Guyan really arrives, Hebasheng has the strength to fight him.

Nianxian's words, however, caused Hebasheng to feel a little worried.

"We've been besieging Wuguan for so long, and there's been no movement from Guanzhong. Now they've suddenly sent troops. Could it be that there's been a victory or defeat on the Hedong side?"

Upon hearing this, Hebasheng's expression turned serious. If that were truly the case, then there was no point in him remaining here.

But if they were to retreat now, they would lose their prestige.

After all, taking Wuguan Pass was just around the corner.

Hebasheng hesitated for a day or two before receiving a letter from Jingzhou.

"Po Hu, the letter sent by Qi Mi Tou was delivered by A Juni."

Hebasheng took the letter, opened it, and asked:
"What else did Qi Mitou say?"

"He said that Liang people were making strange moves, and things were not peaceful on Li Shengui's side either."

Hebasheng finished reading the letter in his hand, held it tightly, and took a deep breath.

“My brother said that the Liang people want to take advantage of Li Shengui’s orders to march north and attack Jingzhou.”

Upon hearing this, Nianxian felt a pang of panic and instinctively asked:

"how many people?"

"They say the Liang army is going to send 100,000 men!"

Nianxian was startled, but then he saw Hebasheng walking slowly in the tent, still as calm and composed as a mountain.

“We can’t fight any longer at Wuguan. We have to take our brothers back to Rang County. The troops under Qi Mitou’s command are not enough to stop the Liang people.”

"Even with us, we still can't stop them!" Nianxian said. "Let's ask Luoyang for reinforcements!"

Hebasheng shook his head and said:
"Where would Luoyang get reinforcements now? Even if they did, they wouldn't send them!"

"Then what should we do?"

Unlike Nianxian, Hebasheng's face was now filled with joy, not worry.

"God help me too!"

Upon hearing this, Nianxian was stunned and began to wonder if Hebasheng was talking nonsense due to excessive pressure.

"What does 'breaking the Hu' mean?"

Hebasheng explained:

"Jingzhou is no good place to stay. Since we can't go to Chang'an, it's time to go back to Luoyang!"

……

(End of this chapter)