Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 331 As long as Ohno Sō doesn't make things difficult for me
Shaanxi City.

Erzhu Zhao marched south in great fanfare, which alarmed Yuan Ziyou in Luoyang, who sent messengers to find Li Shuang.

The delegation sent by Luoyang was quite large, led by Prince Yuan Baoju of Nanyang, and consisted of more than a hundred people, including Lu Rou and his wife, Lady Yuan.

However, upon arriving in Shancheng, Yuan Baoju and the others learned that Li Shuang had already returned to Chang'an from Tongguan.

Why is the King of Qin in such a hurry to return to Chang'an?

Yuan Baoju found his brother-in-law's actions somewhat incomprehensible.

Not long ago, he was still clamoring for an explanation for his father-in-law. Yuan Baoju had also read that memorial; logically speaking, if Li Shuang truly wanted an explanation, he should have returned to Shancheng from Tongguan, not gone back to Chang'an!
Unfortunately, no one in Shancheng could answer Yuan Baoju's question!
Although Yuan Mingyue was the Princess Consort of Qin, her brother was never an important member of the Qin Prince's Mansion in Chang'an. Therefore, although the people of Shancheng treated him with courtesy, no one told him the truth.

It wasn't until Lu Rou inquired for a long time that Yuan Baoju learned the details of the matter.

"Xiao Zan is seriously ill, and the King of Qin rushed back to Chang'an for this very reason."

"Xiao Zan?"

Upon hearing Lu Rou's words, Yuan Baoju couldn't immediately recall who this person was.
"He is Xiao Baoyin's nephew, the Qi Emperor installed by the Prince of Qin!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Baoju remembered something and became even more puzzled.

"He is seriously ill, why is the King of Qin in such a hurry to return?"

Yuan Baoju's words conveyed only one meaning: Is this prince of the Southern Dynasty, and from the previous dynasty at that, really worth Li Shuang's attention?
Lu Rou looked at the idiot in front of her and really didn't want to talk to him anymore, but she had no choice because Yuan Baoju's status was there, and he was her superior.

"Although Xiao Zan was a prince of the former Qi dynasty, he still holds sway over the heart of the current Liang emperor. Even though the former Qi dynasty is gone, its name still has some value. When Xiao Baoyin was defeated and killed, those who followed him switched their allegiance to Xiao Zan. Although their numbers were small, they were full of talented individuals."

"A talented person?"

Yuan Baoju listened with some disdain, but then Lu Rou said:

"Among this group are those skilled in naval warfare; such people are rare in the Great Wei."

Yuan Baoju didn't care much about this.

“What use is being proficient in naval warfare in our Great Wei? Chen Qingzhi’s White Robe Army is also proficient in naval warfare, but they were almost wiped out by Erzhu Rong’s Qihu cavalry.”

As he spoke, he asked:

"What should we do? His Majesty instructed me to see the Prince of Qin and ask him to send reinforcements. At the very least, we should get the troops in Shancheng to move forward a bit; maybe that will intimidate Erzhu Zhao."

Lu Rou cupped her hands and said:
"The King of Qin has gone to Chang'an, so naturally we should go to Chang'an as well. We must see the King of Qin in order to fulfill His Majesty's entrustment."

Yuan Baoju thought for a moment and said:

"That's it!"

……

Changan.

In the bright and clean room, Xiao Zan lay on his sickbed, his face pale and bloodless.

Before the sickbed, more than a hundred retainers knelt, their faces now somber, not uttering a single word.

Until Li Shuang arrived.

Li Shuang, dressed in all black and looking travel-worn, entered the house, rushed to the bedside, grasped Xiao Zan's hand, and whispered a sigh of relief.

"His Majesty!"

Xiao Zan looked at Li Shuang's travel-worn appearance and said:
"The Central Plains are in turmoil, and I have truly troubled Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, what are you saying? Even if the sky were to fall, I would still come here!"

A tear rolled down Xiao Zan's parched cheeks. His lips were dry, but he mustered his strength and grasped Li Shuang's hand.

"I have two things I would like to ask of Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, please speak!"

"When Xiao Yan usurped the Qi throne and established the Liang dynasty, many members of the Xiao clan of Lanling joined him. Only my uncle Xiao Baoyin and I went north to join the Wei. The people in our household have followed us for many years and are all loyal and righteous men. We hope Your Majesty will take care of them."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do it."

As he spoke, Xiao Zan sat up with Li Shuang's help.

A servant brought over an exquisite box containing a jade seal.

Xiao Zan, barely holding on, presented the jade seal to Li Shuang and said:

"The Great Qi has come to an end, and its destiny is nearing its end. We hope that Your Majesty will uphold the old ways, cultivate new ambitions, and one day raise your arms to cleanse the land of filth, drive out the barbarians, and restore our Han homeland!"

This jade seal was not the Imperial Seal of the State, but Xiao Zan treated it with great seriousness.

Upon seeing this, all the former ministers of Qi in the room bowed their heads, waiting for Li Shuang to accept the jade seal.

Li Shuang accepted the jade seal, but Xiao Zan was still extremely weak. However, forcing himself to speak, he addressed the assembled officials:
"As subjects of Qi, from this day forward, you shall serve the King of Qin as your master. If you harbor any disloyal thoughts, Heaven will not protect you!"

All the officials in the room kowtowed and said:

"We, your subjects, will serve the King of Qin with all our might. If we harbor any disloyalty, may Heaven not protect us!"

Upon seeing this scene, Xiao Zan breathed a sigh of relief, his body went limp, and he collapsed onto the sickbed.

Li Shuang caught him, but Xiao Zan waved his hand, signaling all the servants in the room to leave.

Only the two of them remained in the quiet room. Xiao Zan, with a worried expression, said:

"Your Majesty, I am dying, but there is one more thing I wish to tell you!"

"Your Majesty, please speak!"

"That Mr. Han Ling by Your Majesty's side has a deep grudge against my Xiao family. Your Majesty should be wary of him even if you employ him. Princess Dugu and Lady Liu, the Attendant-in-Ordinary, once served in the north and also have a past relationship with him..."

As Xiao Zan spoke, he gripped Li Shuang's hand tightly and reminded her:

"The omen of the golden knife is not to be ignored!"

"This king knows!"

Li Shuang only said these few words, and Xiao Zan breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing them.

"It was I who was being noisy!"

At this moment, Xiao Zan was extremely weak. Having settled his affairs, he did not become calm. Li Shuang saw an indelible resentment in his eyes.

Of course, this resentment wasn't directed at him.

"Xiao Yan... Xiao Yan... I wish I could see your empire crumble!"

Xiao Zan let out a shout, and then breathed his last.

Li Shuang gently shook her head and lightly stroked his face, closing his eyes.

In the empty room, only Xiao Zan remained. Li Shuang walked out and addressed the group waiting outside:

"Funeral Announcement!"

……

Nanzheng.

Beneath the old tree, leaves drifted down.

Han Ling was under a tree, practicing the Five Animal Frolics, slowly swinging his arms.

Li Shenggui had just woken up, wearing his pajamas and yawning as he came out.

Seeing that Han Ling in the courtyard had just finished a set of punches, he asked:
"Sir, I heard that Xiao Zan is dead. Are you aware of this?"

"Of course!"

Han Ling wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and replied.

“I heard that he couldn’t let go of his hatred for Xiao Yan before he died. Although he was a posthumous child, he was raised by Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yan treated him well. After he rebelled, Xiao Yan still treated his children and birth mother well. What deep hatred could he not resolve?”

As Li Shenggui spoke, he sat down at the stone table to the side, and without any hesitation, brewed a cup of the medicinal tea that Han Ling had prepared. This kind of thing seemed to happen quite often, and Han Ling was used to it, so he specially prepared another cup for him.

Li Shenggui took a sip and drank it down in one gulp.

"tasty!"

Han Ling walked over to Li Shengui, poured himself a cup, and said:
"Some hatreds cannot be understood by those who are not involved. Even if outsiders think they can be resolved, how can the person involved let go?"

Li Shengui finished his tea, still not understanding the meaning behind Han Ling's words, but he didn't care and asked:

"Does the gentleman also have enemies?"

Han Ling nodded and said:

"nature!"

Li Shengui smiled and joked:
"Then why don't we see you, sir, like Xiao Zan, constantly cursing and swearing?"

Han Ling shook his head and sighed:

"What's the use of cursing? Can cursing kill your enemy? If you're like him all day, with resentment bubbling in your heart and hatred overflowing outwards, how can you ever witness the collapse of your enemy's empire?"

Li Shengui listened to Han Ling's seemingly meaningful words as if they were nothing more than a passing breeze, paying them no heed. He smiled slightly and said:
"Sir, I'm going to listen to music today, so I'll have to trouble you with things here."

Han Ling frowned upon hearing this, somewhat unwilling.

"King Chenliu, you've studied for so long, why do you leave everything to me? I'm not made of iron!"

"Sir, you're not right to say that."

"what for?"

"Sir, you have enemies, but I don't. Listening to music is more important."

"..."
-
Wild King.

Erzhu Zhao led his army south and finally arrived at Yewang.

Looking at the coffin containing Erzhu Rong's body in the mourning hall, Erzhu Zhao leaned against the coffin and wept uncontrollably as soon as he entered.

The women watching from the sidelines couldn't help but start crying as well.

The atmosphere inside was tense, and everyone felt bad, especially Erzhu Shilong, who sighed inwardly when he saw Erzhu Zhao's exhausted appearance.

Although everyone knew why Erzhu Zhao led his army south, his current expression didn't seem fake.

Princess Beixiang, with a sorrowful expression, approached and offered words of comfort:
“Tumo, your uncle knows your heart, and he can rest in peace.”

"aunt!"

After Erzhu Zhao finished crying, he wiped away his tears, stood up, stood in the center of the room, and demanded:
"Where is that treacherous minister Wang?!"

Erzhu Zhao wanted to inherit the Erzhu clan, and to do so, he had to avenge Erzhu Rong!
In addition, he needed to solidify his status as the first heir of the Erzhu clan.

Before arriving here, Erzhu Zhao had already heard about Wang Xiang's matter. Clearly, his words contradicted what Erzhu Zhao intended to do.

Yuan Tianmu stood aside without saying a word. Seeing this, Princess Beixiang said:

"Prime Minister Wang left that night with the envoy sent by the King of Qin!"

"He really is a traitor. If he had no ulterior motives, why would he run away!"

Upon hearing that the Prime Minister had fled, Erzhu Zhao was not particularly angry. As he had said, he had achieved the effect he desired.

Once it is proven that Wang Xiang is hiding something and is spreading rumors to mislead the public, then his words will naturally become unbelievable.

At least, that was the case within the Erzhu clan.

Erzhu Zhao stood in the center of the room, in the absolute center position, issuing orders, and no one dared to object.

"General Tianzhu is renowned throughout the land and has rendered great service to the world. Yet he has suffered this calamity, and the court has not offered any explanation. This is truly outrageous! I intend to travel south to Luoyang to ask His Majesty whether this matter is related to him. What do you all think?"

Erzhu Zhao looked at the group of Erzhu clan members in the room, and finally fixed his gaze on Erzhu Shilong.

Most of the more than 10,000 Jinyang cavalry left by Erzhu Rong were in the hands of Erzhu Zhao, while the rest were under the command of Erzhu Shilong.

However, Erzhu Shilong was not a general who could charge into battle, and the Qihu cavalry followed him mostly because of the prevailing circumstances.

Erzhu Zhao was confident that he could seize military power from Erzhu Shilong.

In this way, he consolidated military power.

With this Qihu cavalry in hand, Erzhu Zhao would be the de facto head of the Erzhu clan.

Under Erzhu Zhao's watchful gaze, Erzhu Shilong felt considerable pressure.

But at this point, he couldn't very well say no.

"As it should be!"

Upon seeing this, Erzhu Zhao nodded and said:

"The grudge against General Tianzhu lies in Luoyang, and also in Chang'an. After questioning His Majesty, we should..."

Before Erzhu Zhao could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Princess Beixiang.

This aunt, who had treated Erzhu Zhao very well, had never openly opposed him since he went south. On the contrary, she had always gone along with him. But at this moment, she forcefully interrupted him.

"It's getting late. It wasn't easy for Tumo to get here. We should rest first and discuss it later."

Princess Beixiang was Erzhu Rong's wife, and everyone, including Erzhu Zhao, was obliged to obey her.

……

"Tumo, what are you going to do?"

Princess Beixiang, accompanied by Yuan Tianmu, led Erzhu Zhao to a side room and asked a question.

“Aunt, of course I want to avenge my uncle. How Bodhi was captured, how my uncle went to Biyong, and how more than thirty members of my Erzhu clan died in Luoyang—how can these things be unrelated to Da Ye Shuang?”

Princess Beixiang, upon hearing this, said:

"Even if there is a connection, it wasn't the King of Qin who carried out the assassination. He had already left Luoyang when your uncle was assassinated. Why are you trying to pin this on him?"

Erzhu Zhao was clearly unconvinced, but he didn't dare to lose his temper with Princess Beixiang. Instead, he looked at Yuan Tianmu.

"Yuan Tianmu, my uncle is dead. Are you plotting against me and trying to bewitch my aunt?"

Yuan Tianmu turned pale with anger at Erzhu Zhao's merciless questioning.

Upon seeing this, Princess Beixiang said:

"Tumo, how dare you speak to your uncle like that!"

After being reprimanded by Princess Beixiang, Erzhu Zhao dared not utter a sound, but stared at Yuan Tianmu with unfriendly eyes.

Princess Beixiang was also somewhat weary, and said earnestly:
“Tumo, your uncle is dead, and I support you in inheriting the Erzhu clan.”

Princess Beixiang's words warmed Erzhu Zhao's heart, but her next words hurt him.

"But you can't make baseless accusations. When your uncle was alive, he couldn't even break through Bai Bi and take Guanzhong directly. Your prestige is far inferior to your uncle's. How can you be a match for the King of Qin? Besides, Xiao Erzhu is still in Chang'an. Have you really thought about her if you really break ties with the King of Qin?"

Erzhu Zhao clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and asked:

"Then, in your opinion, Aunt, what should be done?"

“If you want revenge, I won’t stop you, but you must distinguish between what’s important and what’s not. You can let it go if you’ve offended those people in Luoyang, but you must not offend the King of Qin at this time. If you want to sit in Jinyang and control the foundation left by your uncle, you must understand that your greatest enemy is not in Guanzhong, but in the Central Plains.”

Upon hearing this, Erzhu Zhao understood that Princess Beixiang's words were not without reason, and immediately said:

"Okay, as long as Ohno Sō doesn't make things difficult for me, I won't make things difficult for him either!"

……

(End of this chapter)