Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 308 He's not that kind of person

The Tuyuhun were originally a branch of the Xianbei people, belonging to the Murong clan. They migrated south from the Yin Mountains during the Yongjia era and then gradually settled in what is now the Qinghai region.

The previous Tuyuhun king, Fulianchou, established Fusi City, which became the main base of the Tuyuhun tribe.

After Fulianchou's death, Tuyuhun experienced a period of considerable chaos, which intensified after Heluozhen died in battle in Qinzhou.

Kualü, son of Fulianchou, and Fofu, son of Heluozhen, engaged in a fierce power struggle for the leadership of Tuyuhun.

Inside the large tent, Kualü had prepared a banquet and warmly welcomed the envoy from Qin Prefecture.

Hou Jing!

Although Kualü was the son of Fulianchou, according to the customs of nomadic tribes, he should have been the best candidate for the throne of Tuyuhun.

However, he was outshone by Murong Fufu, who was not only the heir to the throne of Tuyuhun, but also the General of Ningxi, Protector of the Qiang, Governor of Xiqin and Hezhou, and King of Henan in Southern Liang.

With the support of the Southern Liang, Kua Lü was at a disadvantage in every aspect when facing Fo Fu.

Therefore, Murong Kualü urgently needed the support of the newly rising King of Qin in Guanzhong.

"I toast the envoy!"

At the banquet, dancers performed, displaying their graceful movements. Hou Jing watched with a smile and, upon hearing Kua Lü's words, returned the toast.

After praising Lü Jing and finishing his drink, he put down his cup and asked:

"What brings the King of Qin to send an envoy?"

Hearing Kua Lü say this, Hou Jing became serious and cupped his hands in greeting:
"After my king pacified Qinzhou, he was concerned for the well-being of the people and hoped for peace and harmony among the surrounding regions, so that the various tribes would not engage in warfare. Therefore, he specially sent me here to establish a peace treaty with Tuyuhun."

Upon hearing this, Kua Lü's heart skipped a beat.

The throne of Tuyuhun was in dispute at this time, or rather, there was a one-sided refusal of Kualü to accept it.

After Hou Mochenyue's death, Kualü's hopeful external support was gone.

The newly arrived King of Qin can either make a peace treaty with him or with Fufu.

Hou Mochen Yue is dead. In theory, Li Shuang has avenged Murong Heluo Zhen.

Once this treaty is signed, it can certainly be further developed into an alliance.

Kualu forced a smile to hide his nervousness and asked:

"I wonder with whom the King of Qin intends to conclude this peace treaty?"

Kualu worried that once Fofu and Li Shuang finalized the peace treaty, he would be completely isolated.

Hou Jing embraced the dancer who was pouring him wine, seemingly oblivious, and teased her as he spoke:

"What are you saying, Chief? Whoever is the king of Tuyuhun, my king will naturally make a treaty with him!"

Kua Lü sighed, trying to gather his emotions, but saw that Hou Jing wasn't even looking at him. Instead, he was having more and more fun with the dancers.

Kualu coughed and waved his hand, dismissing the dancers from the tent.

Hou Jing's mood was spoiled, and he complained:

"What does the chief mean by this?"

"To be honest, Your Excellency, it is truly a misfortune for our family!"

Kualu sighed and said:

"After my father died, the throne passed to Heluozhen. He ignored my advice and colluded with the Liang people to oppose the King of Qin. As a result, he was defeated and killed. After his death, the throne should have been inherited by me. However, I could not bear to compete with my nephew, so I withdrew from Fusi City and grazed my livestock here. Who knew that Fofu, like his father, would act willfully and collude with the Liang people. I fear that the Tuyuhun tribe will be implicated by him, and I also fear that it will ruin the King of Qin's heartfelt love for his people."

Kua Lü's expression was very sincere, but Hou Jing showed little reaction upon hearing it.

"Chief, there is no need to worry. My king and the Liang people have already made peace."

Kua Lü was taken aback, somewhat confused.

"But I heard that not long ago, the King of Qin and the Emperor of Liang fought a fierce battle over the Han and Liang regions, and now they've made up?"

Hou Jing waved his hand and said:

"That was before. Now that Erzhu Rong is powerful, our army and Liang's army have made peace and are working together to deal with Erzhu Rong."

Upon hearing this, Kualu's expression changed, and he clapped his hands.

Soon, his men brought in two chests filled with treasure.

Hou Jing glanced at it, waved his hand, and said:

“No, no, my king often teaches us ministers that we should be impartial and not accept bribes indiscriminately.”

Kua Lü was displeased upon hearing this.

"What are you saying, envoy? Everyone knows that you have served the King of Qin since his early years and have made great contributions. Now that you have come from afar, how can my humble gifts be considered bribes?"

"Now that you say that, I feel relieved. What about my king?"

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, the tribute has already been prepared."

Hou Jing nodded and said:

"In fact, with your reputation, talent, and bloodline, you should be the king of Tuyuhun. How did you let Fofu occupy Fusi City?"

Kualu sighed:
“I am also troubled by this. Some old guys in the capital still cling to old traditions and always believe that the Liang Kingdom in the south is the rightful ruler of the world. Whoever the Liang Kingdom supports is the one destined by Heaven.”

Over the years since its establishment, Tuyuhun's relationship with the Southern Dynasties has generally been much better than that with the Northern Dynasties.

Before his death, Fu Jian, the last ruler to unify the Northern Dynasties, was forced by Yao Chang to hand over the Imperial Seal of the State. Fu Jian, however, said that the Mandate of Heaven belonged to Jin and that the Imperial Seal had already been sent to Jin.

Regardless of whether it's true or not, the idea that the Mandate of Heaven was in Jin still had a certain base among the Hu people.

Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty implemented Sinicization reforms, vying with the Southern Dynasties for the Mandate of Heaven. However, after only twenty years, the Northern Wei Dynasty was already close to collapse.

The Battle of Zhongli, with the Northern Wei boasting a million-strong army, ended in a dismal defeat, reminiscent of the Battle of Fei River.

This gave those pro-Liang factions in Tuyuhun even more to say.

Hou Jing listened, waved his hand, and said:
"How many years has it been? How can there still be such stubborn old people? In my opinion, some old traditions are better off gone! With the leader's prestige, he can completely establish his own faction."

"Start your own business?"

"Our leader is fully capable of leading the people to a new era of glory. To distinguish ourselves from those stubborn fools in Fushi City, I think we should call ourselves the New Tuyuhun!"

Kualü listened and murmured:

"The New Tuyuhun?"

Just then, Hou Jing clapped his hands, and his men brought in a box.

Hou Jing personally brought the box to Kualü. Kualü's guards tried to stop him, but Hou Jing scolded them.

"Do not be disrespectful to the envoy!"

Kua Lü was curious about what was in the box, but then he heard Hou Jing say:
"This was prepared by my king for the Khan of Tuyuhun!"

Khan!

Kualü listened to these words and watched as Hou Jing opened the box. When the crown inside appeared before his eyes, his eyes widened in surprise.

Looking at the pure gold crown before him, Khalil's heart was filled with ambition and desire.

Looking at Hou Jing's smiling face so close to him, Kua Lü suppressed his excitement.

"Envoy, what is the meaning of the King of Qin's words?"

Hou Jing smiled, looking at Kua Lü in front of him, his voice like a tickle, scratching at Kua Lü's already stirred heart.

"The king said that Tuyuhun should have a Khan, and as a Khan, one should naturally have a token worthy of the name of Khan."

"So who exactly is the Khan in the King of Qin's heart?"

"My king says, whoever can bring peace to this land, prevent the Qiang and Hu tribes from causing trouble, ensure smooth trade routes, allow merchants from the Western Regions to travel freely without worry, and ensure the smooth flow of goods, will be the Khan!"

Kua Lü smiled, leaned in, and almost kissed Hou Jing.

"Please convey to the King of Qin that I, the new Khan of Tuyuhun, will not disappoint him."

"In that case, I would like to offer my congratulations to the Khan!"
-
Hou Jing left Kualü's grazing land with the tribute and the two boxes of wealth. Before he had gone far, he was surrounded by a cavalry force of about a thousand men.

Hou Jing did not panic. He had over a hundred men on his side, and when they realized the enemy was approaching, they were already armored. Hou Jing was not afraid of fighting at all.

"Is he an envoy of the King of Qin?" "Indeed!"

"We are the guards of the King of Tuyuhun, and my king wishes to see the envoy!"

"So they found them after all!"

Hou Jing smiled and followed him into the nearby camp.

Inside the makeshift tent, Fofu was already waiting, with several elderly men dressed in brocade robes beside him.

They looked like the elders of a tribe.

The young Fofu had a small mustache and a face somewhat similar to Kualü's. However, unlike Kualü's bravery, he had a refined and scholarly air about him. He showed no anger towards Hou Jing, who had just returned from Kualü's side, and instead bowed respectfully.

Hou Jing asked with slight surprise:
"What is the meaning of this, Your Majesty?"

"The late King died in battle in Qin Prefecture, which I deeply regret, but I am too weak to avenge him. Now the King of Qin has raised an army to Qin Prefecture to eliminate the villain Hou Mochen Yue, for which I am extremely grateful."

Upon hearing this, Hou Jing immediately waved his hand and said:
"Your Majesty has misunderstood. Houmo Chenyue was not eliminated by Your Majesty, but was killed by villains on his way to Lingzhou. Your Majesty was very sorry to hear about it."

Upon hearing this, Buddha remained silent. An elder from the council of elders beside him spoke loudly:
"What brings you here, envoy?"

"My king sent me here to bring a token to the Khan of Tuyuhun!"

After Hou Jing finished speaking, the other members of the elders began to rebuke him:
"Where did my Tuyuhun get a Khan?"

"Why should the King of Qin send a Khan's token to our Tuyuhun?"

"Does the King of Qin intend to interfere in our internal affairs?"

……

Hou Jing seemed not to hear the rebukes, and instead picked at his ear.

Seeing this, Buddha spoke again and asked:

Where is this keepsake?

Facing the Buddha, Hou Jing became much more respectful and said:

"Kuai Lü has detained him!"

"Detained them?"

Hou Jing nodded and said:

"I came here not only on the orders of my king to deliver this token, but also to go to Fusi City to finalize a peace treaty with Tuyuhun. However, I have not yet arrived. On the way, I met Kualü, who said that it is best to talk to him about the Tuyuhun matter."

Buddha frowned, and the elders around him exerted their strength once again.

"The king of Tuyuhun is here. By what right does Kualü have the authority to decide whether to wage war or make peace?"

This time, Hou Jing did not ignore the old men's words, but instead said:
"That's what I asked too, but Kualü said he wanted to establish a new Tuyuhun, and from then on, he would decide everything in this place!"

Upon hearing this, Buddha couldn't help but curse:

"Insanity!"

This angry shout caused all the elders to kneel down.

Buddha looked at Hou Jing and asked directly:

"Has the King of Qin also recognized this new Khan of Tuyuhun?"

“My king cares for all the people and is unwilling to wage war, nor does he like to pry into other people’s affairs. My king said that whoever can keep the Qiang and Hu from causing trouble, and ensure that trade routes are open, allowing merchants from the Western Regions to travel freely and goods to flow smoothly, will be the Khan.”

Upon hearing this, Buddha Fu hurriedly said:

"I can also prevent the Qiang and Hu people from causing trouble, and I can also ensure the smooth flow of trade routes."

Hou Jing listened and said:

"Your forces are numerous and powerful, and you reside in Fusi City. However, your army is not as capable as Kua Lü's. In the trade routes, to subdue those Qiang and Hu tribes and small kingdoms in the Western Regions, reputation is more important than a sword."

Buddha asked:

"If I can resolve these issues, will the King of Qin recognize me as Khan?"

Hou Jing smiled but did not answer.

After Hou Jing left, the elders all advised him:

"My lord, we must not fall for Ohno Sō's treacherous scheme! This is clearly an attempt to incite chaos within our tribe!"

Buddha, however, remained cold and questioned:
"Was it Da Yeshuang who forced Kuo Lüjian to accept this new Tuyuhun? Was Da Yeshuang also forcing him to take the Khan's token?"

After that remark, all the elders were speechless.

Only one person stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"My lord, I will go to Kualü and make him hand over this token, what do you say?"

“Prince Yong’an, it would be best if my uncle were willing to hand it over.”

……

Prince Yong'an was of the same generation as Fu Lianchou and belonged to the royal family of Tuyuhun, where he enjoyed great prestige.

When he came to see Khalil, Khalil was all smiles.

But Prince Yong'an remained silent with a cold face, simply sitting opposite Kualü and asking:
"Are you planning to build a new Tuyuhun?"

"Uncle Ren, others may not know, but don't you know? My elder brother died in battle, and according to the rules, I should succeed to the throne!"

Prince Yong'an was still looking at him, and asked again.

"Are you planning to build a new Tuyuhun?"

Kua Lü still did not answer, but only said:

"Uncle Ren, after all these years, don't you still know me? Whenever any of the uncles in Fusi City have any problems, it's always been me who solves them!"

"Are you planning to build a new Tuyuhun?"

Prince Yong'an coldly questioned him, and Kua Lü angrily replied:

"Yes, why can that brat sit on this throne, but I can't!"

Prince Yong'an stood up and approached Kualü step by step, which made Kualü somewhat fearful.

"Why build a new Tuyuhun? Wouldn't it be better to just be the king of Tuyuhun directly?"

Kua Lü was taken aback upon hearing this.

"Uncle Ren, what do you mean?"

Prince Yong'an sighed:

"The world has changed. Relying solely on Liang is no longer secure. Houmo Chenyue is already a formidable enemy for us, yet he didn't last two months under Da Yeshuang. Da Yeshuang has enormous ambitions. If we allow him to sow discord, I'm afraid our Tuyuhun will eventually be devoured by him. Fofu is too weak; he's probably no match for Da Yeshuang."

"Will Uncle Ren help me?"

Prince Yong'an nodded and said:
“I will help, but not now. No matter what you say, many people in Fusi City still support Fofu. You must hand over that crown to me, or Tuyuhun will be thrown into chaos in an instant. If a real fight breaks out, you may not be a match for him. It will be disadvantageous for everyone except Da Yeshuang.”

Kua Lü gritted his teeth, looked at the aged yet calm face of the Prince of Yong'an, and finally took out the crown.

But seeing the Prince of Yong'an take the crown away, Kualu felt endless anger and jealousy.

The Khan's Crown and the city of Fusi will be mine sooner or later!

……

Standing by the roadside, Prince Yong'an looked at Hou Jing, who was waiting, and smiled:
"Hou Jing, this time I'm really going to swallow my pride!"

"Thank you for your trouble, Prince Yong'an!"

"There is no need to mention hardship. It is just that I do not understand why the King of Qin would go through all this trouble and have me hand over this crown to the Buddha."

Hou Jing smiled and said:
"I, the King, don't like to meddle in other people's family affairs!"

……

(End of this chapter)