Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 339 I'm actually this strong
Jinzhou.

Pingyang County.

"Pingyang City is different from what it used to be!"

Riding a horse and gazing into the distance, Li Shuang looked at Pingyang City, which had been successively expanded and reinforced by Gao Huan and Murong Shaozong, standing majestically east of the Fen River.

Pingyang Prefecture encompasses the fertile lands of Hedong and serves as a southern shield for Taiyuan. Erzhu Rong devoted considerable effort to its development during his reign.

After its expansion, Pingyang City was undoubtedly a major town in southwest Taiyuan.

Whether it was Gao Huan or Murong Shaozong, they were both excellent at governing the army and managing the people.

The city's strong defenses were secondary; the fertile fields outside the city were the biggest factor that allowed this important town to stand tall in Hedong.

Hou Jing, standing nearby, said:

"Your Majesty, after Erzhu Zhao withdrew Murong Shaozong's elite troops, Murong Shaozong dared not leave the city. However, the city is well-supplied with food and supplies, and it will take us a great deal of effort to take it down."

Seeing Li Shuang's expression, Hou Jing suggested:
"This Murong Shaozong is loyal to the Erzhu clan and is difficult to deal with. Why don't I take this opportunity to plunder the area outside Pingyang City?"

Li Shuang rebuked:

"It's all our own stuff, why are you copying it!"

Hou Jing chuckled upon hearing this.

"But if we launch a direct attack, we might get bogged down here. If Erzhu Zhao comes to our aid, things will get complicated."

Hou Jing knew how powerful Murong Shaozong was, and his idea was undoubtedly to take advantage of the fact that Erzhu's main force was still in Luoyang and break through the city as soon as possible.

"Those people from the Erzhu clan are scoundrels, but they're ruthless when it comes to fighting!"

The sons of the Erzhu clan, such as Erzhu Zhao and Erzhu Dulu, were inherently cruel, but their military abilities were outstanding. Hou Jing had also spent time in Jinyang, so he was naturally aware of their capabilities.

Taiyuan was also the home ground of the Erzhu clan, and they could quickly support Pingyang along the Fen River.

Once a stalemate occurs, it becomes difficult to fight.

Li Shuang smiled and said:
"Don't worry, the Erzhu clan's foundation will be dismantled by themselves, even if no one else touches it."

Hou Jing was stunned and didn't react.

"Your Majesty, what should we do?"

"Let's invite all the old brothers from all the counties of Pingyang Prefecture to come and have a drink!"

……

Pingyang City.

"Governor, they've left!"

Murong Shaozong watched the troop of cavalry that had been lingering outside the city disappear into the distance, and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Governor, who are they, and why are they here?"

Wang Xiong's words were full of doubt, but Murong Shaozong said:
"To lead hundreds of cavalry here, yet the people of the various counties act as if they didn't see them—who else could do that? Even Hou Jing couldn't!"

Murong Shaozong's words made Wang Xiong's expression change, and he said:
"Then...then he is...the King of Qin?"

Murong Shaozong nodded.

Wang Xiong quickly realized what was happening and said:
"If that's the case, then what about the powerful and influential families in the various counties of the prefecture?"

Murong Shaozong sighed:

"Given the current situation, people's hearts are yearning for change, and how can you or I possibly alter that?"

Wang Xiong listened and asked:
"Then what should I do?"

Murong Shaozong did not answer, but then heard an urgent report.

"Why are you so panicked?"

Wang Xiong shouted, but then he heard the messenger say:

"Our spies in Taiyuan have reported that Erzhu Tianguang has led his army south!"

……

Luoyang.

The former imperial palace of the Yuan clan has now become a playground for Erzhu clan generals.

The three generals, Erzhu Dulu, Erzhu Yusheng, and Erzhu Zhongyuan, who were stationed in their respective regions, have now led their troops to Luoyang.

There's only one reason for this!
Fighting for the Erzhu family's property!

Erzhu Zhao naturally knew that these three people were not easy to deal with, but relying on his reputation for avenging Erzhu Rong, he still gritted his teeth and attended the family meeting.

The main hall was solemn, but the Erzhu people, according to their own customs, decorated it as a meeting place for tribal meetings.

Of all the Erzhu people present, only four were seated at this moment.

As soon as Erzhu Zhao entered the hall, he saw Erzhu Shilong entertaining the three generals of the Erzhu clan with great hospitality.

When Erzhu Zhao arrived, the expressions of Erzhu Dulu and the others changed, and their smiles turned into cold ones.

Only Erzhu Shilong still wore a smile.

However, in Erzhu Zhao's eyes, this smiling face was somewhat like a smiling tiger.

"Erzhu Yusheng, why are you in Luoyang instead of staying in Yinzhou?"

After Erzhu Zhao sat down, Erzhu Shilong's seemingly casual question seemed to ignite a spark, and Erzhu Yusheng sneered:
"Yinzhou is impoverished. My troops wanted to go to Xiangzhou to ask for some provisions, but I never expected that we couldn't even enter Yecheng. I wonder whose power He Liuhun is relying on? That's why I have no choice but to come to Luoyang to ask for some provisions!"

It's clear that Erzhu Yusheng is very angry.

Erzhu Zhao, with a cold face, said bluntly:

"Having He Liuhun stationed in Ye City was originally General Tianzhu's wish before his death."

Erzhu Yusheng angrily said:

"General Tianzhu appointed Gao Huan to oversee Ye City, but this was in preparation for moving the capital. Now that General Tianzhu is dead, would you rather hand over the prosperous Xiangzhou to an outsider than give it to me?"

Erzhu Yusheng's roar plunged the family meeting, which had barely begun to discuss anything, into a freezing point.

Erzhu Shilong acted as a lubricant, reassuringly saying:
"No, no, that's not the case. Tumo isn't that kind of person. Now that everyone is here, Tumo is stationed in Jinyang and has avenged General Tianzhu. Naturally, he is the head of the Erzhu clan. However, Tumo still needs to give everyone a clear answer on how the world should be divided."

Erzhu Shilong acknowledged Erzhu Zhao's position as head of the family. However, Erzhu Dulu was very dissatisfied with this statement.

"How did he avenge General Tianzhu? Yuan Ziyou is dead, but Da Yeshuang is still alive. If you're so capable, go find Da Yeshuang and take revenge. What kind of ability is it to seek revenge on a weakling?"

Of the four people present, including Erzhu Shilong, all were of a higher generation than Zhu Zhao.

Erzhu Shilong was obese and treacherous; Erzhu Yusheng was lean and irritable; Erzhu Dulu was greedy and cruel; and Erzhu Zhongyuan was domineering and lustful.

Although these individuals each had their own personality flaws, they were undoubtedly all military experts. Even Erzhu Shilong, the most cowardly of them all, had once led several thousand Qihu cavalrymen all the way out of Luoyang.

In the vast city of Luoyang, with tens of thousands of imperial guards, no one could stop him. So much so that after Erzhu Shilong broke out of Luoyang and fled to Hanoi, he looked at his blood-stained face reflected in the water and realized something.

I'm so strong!

Previously, Erzhu Shilong was at the bottom of the pack among the powerful figures from the north in Jinyang, lacking any confidence. However, after crushing the newbies in the Luoyang beginner area, Erzhu Shilong discovered that he was terrifyingly strong.

Erzhu Zhao snorted coldly, showing no appreciation whatsoever, and said:

"Erzhu Shilong, you've been in Luoyang for so long, and you didn't even notice before the assassination of General Tianzhu. Now you still have the audacity to want to divide the world. I haven't even questioned you yet!"

Erzhu Zhao stared at Erzhu Shilong as if he wanted to tear him apart.

Erzhu Zhao knew these relatives well and knew that the most difficult person to deal with in this meeting was not the three people with cold and hostile expressions, but Erzhu Shilong with a smile on his face.

Upon hearing this, Erzhu Shilong's face turned completely pale.

Seeing that Erzhu Shilong remained silent, Erzhu Zhao took control of the meeting.

"And the three of you, when General Tianzhu was alive, you were put in charge of a region, but what about now?"

"How is it now?"

Erzhu Zhao clapped his hands, took out the memorial he had prepared beforehand, and threw it on the ground. "Look at it yourselves!"

The three men took the memorials from their respective jurisdictions, but Erzhu Zhao did not give them a chance to explain, and said directly:
"The Cui family of Qinghe, led by Cui Zuchi, has rebelled with over 100,000 people from Qing and Xu regions. The Gao brothers of the Bohai Gao family have killed the governor of Jizhou and seized Xindu. The Lu family of Fanyang, led by Lu Wenwei and Liu Lingzhu, have lured Hou Yuan out of the city and seized Youzhou. The Prince of Runan, Yuan Yue, is also expanding his territory northward with the support of the Liang people. You are only concerned with coming to Luoyang, and you can't even manage your own territories properly. How dare you come here to divide the world!"

After Erzhu Zhao finished speaking, he thought he had taken the initiative, but to his surprise, Erzhu Shilong sneered.

"Tumoguang is talking about us, but what about yourself?"

"I?"

Erzhu Zhao frowned slightly, but then Erzhu Shilong took out a secret letter from his sleeve and handed it to Erzhu Zhao.

The other person took it and looked at it, his face full of anger, and asked:
"Erzhu Tianguang dares to march south and attack Jinyang? Impossible! I'm at Yanmen..."

Erzhu Shilong sarcastically remarked:
"Tumo, you were far too careless. Do you think that Yuan Tianmu is no longer a threat now that all his elite troops have been wiped out? The reason Erzhu Tianguang was able to march south so quickly is because Yuan Tianmu bribed the Yanmen garrison commander. Now, Erzhu Tianguang is probably heading to Jinyang. Your younger brother Erzhu Zhihu, who is left in Jinyang, is no match for Erzhu Tianguang!"

Erzhu Zhao roared angrily:

"That old scoundrel Yuan Tianmu, I should have killed him long ago!"

After venting his anger, Erzhu Zhao looked at Erzhu Shilong with the gaze of a wild beast and asked:

"Since you already knew, why are you only telling me now?"

Erzhu Shilong no longer felt the same fear as before.

“I only received it today, how could I have told you earlier? Besides…”

Erzhu Zhao didn't believe a word Erzhu Shilong said and questioned him:

"what for?"

“The King of Shangdang is the sworn brother of General Tianzhu, and Erzhu Tianguang is the most promising junior of General Tianzhu. Even if they occupy Jinyang, it is only a family matter of the Erzhu family.”

A single family matter cornered Erzhu Zhao.

Having lost Jinyang, Erzhu Zhao was no less destitute than a stray dog.

If Erzhu Zhaoneng could occupy Jinyang, why couldn't Erzhu Tianguang?
As long as Jinyang City doesn't fall into Li Shuang's hands, the Erzhu clan members present can simply watch Erzhu Zhao make a fool of himself without even saying a word of comfort.

Erzhu Zhao, with a cold face, had no choice but to compromise in exchange for the support of his relatives.

"Erzhu Shilong, Luoyang and the Emperor are both yours!"

"Erzhu Yusheng, Yinzhou, Yingzhou, and Youzhou are all yours."

"Erzhudulu, all the prefectures in Henan belong to you."

"Erzhu Zhongyuan, the Three Qi and Ji Provinces are yours."

Erzhu Zhao had no choice but to divide the territory, but Erzhu Yusheng shouted:
"What about Xiangzhou and Dingzhou? Why did you give us such chaotic places?"

Erzhu Zhao listened and coldly said:
"If you're so capable, go ask Gao Huan and Chilie Yanqing for it!"

After Erzhu Zhao finished speaking, Erzhu Shilong chuckled.

"Whether they're in chaos or not isn't really a big deal; they're just a bunch of rioters, easily dealt with by a thousand cavalry. The real issue is, how should we divide up the ten thousand-plus armored cavalry left behind by General Tianzhu?"

This is actually the family property that the Erzhu clan members care about most.

Erzhu Zhao's face was so cold it could kill; in his heart, he naturally wanted to bring all ten thousand cavalry back to Jinyang.

But the members of the Erzhu clan didn't think so. Erzhu Dulu laughed and said:

"When General Tianzhu was alive, he said that you could only take three thousand cavalry. Taking them all back would be superfluous. Whether you can retake Jinyang does not depend on these cavalry, but on the will of the troops in the six garrisons outside Jinyang. If they support you, you will be able to retake Jinyang."

Although Erzhu Dulu's attitude was not good, he revealed the key to whether Erzhu Zhao could recapture Jinyang, demonstrating his considerable military expertise.

Erzhu Zhao gritted his teeth and finally said:

"Three thousand it is!"

……

After Erzhu Zhao left, a group of Erzhu clan members gathered behind Erzhu Shilong and asked:
"Can Erzhu Zhao recapture Jinyang?"

Erzhu Shilong smiled and said:
"It's better if we can't take it back. Erzhu Tianguang is much easier to talk to than Zhu Zhao."

"What about the Jinyang cavalry who remained here?"

“I’ll keep 3,500 here. Du Lu will give 2,000 to deal with the Liang people, Yi Dingzhong will give 1,000 to the Qingxu rebels, and the rest will be given to Uncle Yusheng to take back to Hebei.”

Erzhu Yusheng was somewhat dissatisfied and said:

"Why should I only get five hundred?"

"Chilie Yanqing and Hou Yuan also have more than 1,700 cavalry. Add your 500, and that's enough to quell the rebellion in Youzhou!"

……

After leaving the palace, Erzhu Zhao did not immediately go to the military camp, but instead headed north to recapture Jinyang.

Before this, Erzhu Zhao went to see Sima Ziru.

Sima Ziru thought Erzhu Zhao had come to interrogate him, so he said:
"Lord Yingchuan, I've heard about what happened. They've gone too far."

Erzhu Zhao, however, had a cold expression and said:
“Erzhudul is right. Most of the families of these 10,000 Jinyang cavalry are in Jinyang. Even if I take them all back, it may not be of any use. The key is still the troops from the six garrisons outside Jinyang!”

Upon hearing this, Sima Ziru asked:
"Why did the Duke of Yingchuan seek me out?"

"You are from Huai Shuo, go to Ye City for me and ask He Liuhun to send troops to help me!"

Sima Ziru was somewhat troubled and said:

"With Hebei in turmoil and Xiangzhou plagued by bandits, He Liuhun might not be able to send reinforcements!"

“I know He Liuhun’s difficulties. Tell him that as long as he helps me take back Jinyang, I can give him all the soldiers from the Six Garrisons outside Jinyang!”

Sima Ziru was startled, not expecting Erzhu Zhao to offer such a large reward.

"Once this is accomplished, I will appoint you as the governor of Jianzhou!"

Sima Ziru's heart stirred, and he cupped his hands and said:
"Then let me try!"

After finding Sima Ziru, Erzhu Zhao found another person.

Erzhu Yusheng!

Erzhu Yusheng was still wary of Erzhu Zhao, but he was very dissatisfied at the moment and decided to meet Erzhu Zhao anyway.

To everyone's surprise, Erzhu Zhao's very first words infuriated Erzhu Yu.

"I've heard about it. Why did Erzhu Shilong only give you five hundred cavalry?"

"What exactly are you trying to say, kid?"

"If you're willing to help me, I'll appoint you as the governor of Sizhou after it's done. Also, I'll give you Yuan Tianmu's manor in Sizhou!"

Erzhu Yusheng looked at Erzhu Zhao and smiled. It seemed that this younger member of the Erzhu clan, who was once known for his roughness and bravery, had improved.

……

Outside Jinyang City, crowds thronged.

The first thing Yuan Tianmu did after helping Erzhu Tianguang enter Jinyang was to execute all of Erzhu Zhao's followers.

Blood flowed all over the ground, but Yuan Tianmu's expression remained unchanged.

"The younger brother of Erzhu Zhao, the Prince of Shangdang, is among them. Would you really do this?"

"Once you've taken this path, there's no turning back. Erzhu Zhao won't let us off the hook!"

"What about that?"

Yuan Tianmu looked at the short man in front of him, who had served Erzhu Rong since childhood, Li Bi's younger brother, Li Biao.

"Go to Pingyang and tell Murong Shaozong to submit to Jinyang and pledge allegiance to Erzhu Tianguang. As long as the road to Pingyang is open, we will be invincible!"

……

(End of this chapter)