Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 345 Uncle loves you all.
A large army gathered in Pingyang City.

Thanks to the expansion efforts of Gao Huan and Murong Shaozong, the city's area has increased significantly, making this important town large enough to accommodate over 20,000 soldiers, 8,000 warhorses, and a large amount of supplies.

Of the 20,000 troops, in addition to 1,000 elite cavalry and 3,000 garrison soldiers transferred from Guanzhong, the rest of the troops were Zhechong garrison soldiers from Hedong, state and county soldiers from Jinzhou, and the retainers of powerful local clans in Pingyang.

Hedong was wealthy, and although the Zhechongfu soldiers were local troops, they were well-equipped. In addition, military supplies from Guanzhong could be transported to Hedong by water. About 50% of them were armored, and the ratio of infantry to cavalry in the army was 5 to 1.

The troops in Jinzhou were similar. As an important town in the southwest of Taiyuan, Erzhu Rong left enough military equipment in the city to equip the garrison of Pingyang.

As for the local militia led by the powerful clans of Pingyang, their equipment was somewhat inferior.

The composition of the northern peoples was complex, primarily Xianbei, but also including Han Chinese, Tiele people, Xiongnu people, and other ethnic groups. Erzhu Rong, a Qihu leader, was a northern leader who practiced a northern-centric ideology and had a rather complex attitude towards the Han Chinese.

To be precise, if you are a Han Chinese from the northern region, he will treat you with great courtesy, but if you are a Han Chinese from outside the northern region, sorry, we're not acquainted.

I am not familiar with the powerful Han Chinese families in Pingyang.

In particular, Li Shuang had previously served as the governor of Jinzhou and had a good relationship with the powerful clans of Pingyang.

Over the years, Erzhu Rong used the troops of the Six Garrisons to suppress the local areas. He both won over and suppressed the powerful clans of Pingyang, so much so that the strength of these Han Chinese powerful clans in Pingyang had declined significantly compared to when Li Shuang was the governor.

However, Li Shuang did not regard them as the main force.

The real main force consisted of a thousand elite cavalry and three thousand soldiers from Guanzhong.

These thousand elite cavalrymen were all highly skilled, both men and horses fully armored. As for the three thousand soldiers, they were the best soldiers from the six military prefectures in Guanzhong. They were all heavily armored, equipped with long-handled swords, skilled in bows and crossbows, and adept at using weapons such as hammers, maces, sickles, and spears.

After occupying Pingyang County, Li Shuang did not have time to reorganize the local army before Erzhu Zhao arrived with his troops in a menacing manner.

However, compared to Erzhu Zhao's 60,000-strong army, most of the troops gathered in Pingyang now belong to the Fubing system, and the small number of new recruits do not affect the overall combat strength.

Houmo Chenchong, along with a thousand cavalrymen, captured Erzhu Fulugui and brought him back, bound him, and presented him to Li Shuang.

"Isn't this Fuli Gui? Don't lie on the ground, it's cold!"

When Li Shuang saw Erzhu Fulugui tied up and thrown on the ground, he quickly untied the ropes and helped him up.

Erzhu Fulugui's face was ashen. He glanced at Houmo Chenchong beside him, still feeling lingering fear.

The Northerners refused to be Sinicized and continued to follow their old traditions, wanting to replicate the glory of the Northerners during the time of the Tuoba clan in Pingcheng. They always prided themselves on their martial prowess, and of course, in the environment of the North, martial prowess was indispensable.

After witnessing firsthand how Houmochen Chong fought, Erzhu Fulu Guizhen finally understood what true martial prowess was.

Good heavens! Led by a dozen or so riders, they took advantage of his disorganized formation as he led his troops out of the valley and charged straight at him, capturing him. Erzhu Fulu Gui's personal guards tried to rescue him, but each one was cut down; moreover, their horses couldn't catch up.

Such bravery is rare in this world!
Erzhu Fulugui looked at the enthusiastic Li Shuang and called out.

"King Qin..."

"Why call me King of Qin? That's too formal. Call me Third Uncle!"

Erzhu Fulugui felt somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this, but looking at the enthusiastic Li Shuang, he still addressed him respectfully:
"Uncle Three!"

"That's more like it, let's each do our own thing."

Erzhu Fulu Gui glanced at Houmo Chenchong again, who stood there like a door god with his eyes wide open, and Erzhu Fulu Gui felt even more afraid.

However, Erzhu Fulugui was putting on a brave face, not wanting to show weakness in front of Li Shuang.

"Third Uncle, your general is truly remarkable. I wonder how many other generals of such caliber are there in the army?"

After Erzhu Fulugui finished speaking, Li Shuang did some calculations and came up with a number that surprised Erzhu Fulugui.

"Only a few hundred!"

"Several hundred?"

Erzhu Fulugui was completely stunned. Hundreds of them—how could they possibly fight them?
"Look at you, when has your third uncle ever lied to you?"

"Third Uncle is right!"

Upon seeing this, Li Shuang sighed:

"No offense, Uncle, but you should stay away from that fat man Erzhu Shilong. Do you think you can get along with him? Look at those northerners. What progress have they made over the years? After becoming rich, all they know is to play with women, buy silk, and raise fine horses. They've completely forgotten their original aspirations. Is that good? That's not good!"

Erzhu Fulugui was taken aback and muttered to himself:

"But I've heard that those Hu women, silk, and fine horses all come from Guanzhong?"

The scene was somewhat awkward, but Li Shuang waved his hand and said:
“That’s not important. What Uncle San is talking about is our original aspiration.”

"Original intention?"

Li Shuang nodded, pulled Erzhu Fulugui to sit down beside him, and said:
"The Erzhu clan's rule is now as precarious as a pile of eggs!"

Erzhu Fulu Gui looked at Li Shuang and thought to himself, "Isn't it you who made Erzhu's empire so precarious?"
"Don't look at me like that, Uncle. Think about it, can Pingyang compare to Hebei?"

After Li Shuang finished speaking, Erzhu Fulugui fell silent.

“Now Liu Lingzhu, Lu Wenwei, Gao Qian, Gao Shen, Feng Longzhi and others have gathered in Hebei, occupying prefectures and counties, and their power is immense. Erzhu Zhao finally defeated Erzhu Tianguang and secured his position as the head of the family. Instead of going to Hebei, he comes to compete with me for Pingyang. Isn’t he losing the big picture for the small?”

The Luoyang court and the Jinyang hegemony could collect large amounts of grain, fodder, money, and cloth from the Central Plains every year. In comparison, Pingyang County, though wealthy, was too small in scale.

Erzhu Fulugui knew this was true, but he looked at Li Shuang and asked:
"Does Third Uncle want to..."

"What are you talking about? When has your third uncle ever really fought with you juniors? Every time it's those good-for-nothings like Erzhu Zhao who come to cause trouble. I've always advocated for peace."

Erzhu Fulugui nodded and said:
"If that's the case, Third Uncle, can you let me go back and explain things to Erzhu Zhao?"

"What do you mean by 'let go'? You can come and go as you please here, Uncle!"

Erzhu Fulu listened with skepticism until he saw that no one was stopping him, and then he believed it.

Hou Mochen Chong walked up to Li Shuang and complained.

"Your Majesty, they've all been captured, why release them? Even if you release them, Erzhu Zhao won't easily withdraw his troops!"

Li Shuang watched Erzhu Fulu Gui ride away on horseback, a smile appearing on his face.

“Ah Chong, you must trust Er Zhu’s level of education.”

……

"He's scared!"

Upon hearing the news that Erzhu Fulu had brought back from Pingyang City, Erzhu Zhao jumped up and came to this conclusion that delighted him.

"Ohno Sawamura is scared!"

Erzhu Fulugui stared at Erzhu Zhao's delighted face and asked, puzzled:

Why does Tumo think this way?

Erzhu Zhao paced back and forth in the main tent, extremely excited, and said:
"What's wrong with Hokuto, Oono Sawa?"

He said that after northerners became rich and powerful, all they knew was how to play with women, buy silk, and raise fine horses, completely forgetting their original aspirations!

Erzhu Zhao immediately grasped the key point and said:

"That's it!"

Erzhu Fulugui was even more puzzled after hearing this, and said: "I think Da Yeshuang is quite right. In recent years, many people have become lazy. Some people don't even want to ride horses anymore. When they go out, they only want to ride in carriages and wear silk. They are almost like those people in Luoyang."

"You do not understand!"

Erzhu Zhao, with an air of superiority, said in a deep voice:

“Before Da Yeshuang joined my Erzhu clan, my uncle told me to keep an eye on this ruthless bandit. Later, after he joined the Erzhu clan and became sworn brothers with my uncle, I got closer and saw him even more clearly. This fellow is wicked and does all sorts of evil; no one knows his character better than me!”

Erzhu Fulu listened, but still didn't understand.

"But I still don't understand, how do you know Ohno Sō is scared and doesn't want to fight anymore?"

Erzhu Zhao, however, appeared confident and explained:

"Based on my observations of Ohno Sō over the years, this person has one important quality!"

"what?"

"Usually, the things he slanders about others are things he has done himself."

Erzhu Fulu listened and suddenly understood.

"Tumo, do you mean that the person Ohno Sou was talking about, who played around with women, bought silk, raised fine horses, and forgot his original intentions, was actually himself!"

Erzhu Zhao nodded, and said with great sorrow:
"I'm afraid so, he's fallen from grace!"

Erzhu Zhao mourned for Da Ye Shuang's downfall for a few seconds, then said smugly:
"Think about it, he's only in his early twenties and he's already the King of Qin, with power no different from an emperor. How many temptations must he be facing! You just said that many of us northerners are like those people from Luoyang. How can a Han Chinese like him not fall into depravity?"

Erzhu Fulugui listened and nodded.

"No wonder he even took Xiao Erzhu as a concubine; it seems he has truly become a lustful glutton!"

Erzhu Zhao looked at Erzhu Fulu Gui, wanting to curse but unable to, his good mood from before completely ruined by Erzhu Fulu Gui's words.

After hearing Erzhu Zhao's analysis, Erzhu Fulugui's confidence, which had been shattered by Houmo Chenchong, returned, but he still had some doubts.

“But the soldiers in Pingyang City don’t seem incapable of fighting. Their armor and weapons are all new, and their warhorses are well-maintained.”

Erzhu Zhao shook his head and said:
"Ohno is a master of deception. Even if, as you say, the commander has no fighting spirit, it's useless no matter how capable the soldiers are."

"Then what should we do?"

"Go to Pingyang again and tell Da Yeshuang that as long as he is willing to give up Pingyang, I will cease hostilities and make peace with him!"

……

After Erzhu Fulu left, Sima Ziru entered the main tent and, upon seeing Erzhu Zhao, his first words were:

"This battle needs to be delayed!"

Erzhu Zhao asked with some doubt:

"what for?"

Sima Ziru said:
"Those people were frightened by Hou Mochen Chong's actions and were thinking of returning home."

Erzhu Zhao smiled and said:
"That's it?"

Sima Ziru shook his head. Although he intended to side with Gao Huan, he was still in Erzhu Zhao's army and had brought troops to participate, so his interests were not entirely aligned with Gao Huan's.

"Not only that, but the morale of the soldiers in the Six Garrisons has also been low lately!"

The troops from the Six Garrisons made up a considerable proportion of Erzhu Zhao's army.

Although they were all from the north, the interests of the soldiers in the six garrisons below and the northern nobles in the middle and upper ranks were not aligned.

What Erzhu Zhao was able to persuade about those soldiers from the Six Garrisons was simply to let them plunder after capturing Pingyang. But the joy of plundering was nothing compared to the fear of death.

"And what happened to those people?"

"They were also afraid that they couldn't beat Da Yeshuang. Back then, at Hulao Pass, their tens of thousands of men were all wiped out by Da Yeshuang."

Erzhu Zhao listened but didn't pay much attention.

"What's so special about that? Didn't we take down Ge Rong's 200,000 men with just a few thousand cavalry back then?"

Erzhu Zhao was full of confidence at this moment and said:
"Tell them not to be afraid, I will definitely defeat Ohno Sou in this battle!"

Sima Ziru looked at Erzhu Zhao and really wanted to pinch her own face to see if she was dreaming.

Where did Erzhu Zhao get the audacity to make such a boast?
Even when Erzhu Rong was in power, he couldn't say for sure that they would win!

Seeing that Sima Zi seemed to have doubts, Erzhu Zhao reassured him:
"Those were the days, and now is now. Today's Ohno Sora is not the same Ohno Sora of yesteryear!"

Sima Ziru looked at Erzhu Zhao with a puzzled expression and asked:
"What is the difference?"

Erzhu Zhao then repeated his theory to Sima Ziru, leaving Sima Ziru feeling somewhat dizzy and confused.

After speaking, Erzhu Zhao looked at Sima Ziru and asked:
"how do you feel?"

Sima Ziru hesitated, but seeing Erzhu Zhao's expectant look, he could only go along with him and say:
"What Lord Yingchuan said is not without reason. Throughout history, there have been many monarchs who were initially wise but later became wicked, losing their kingdoms after indulging in pleasure. Take that young master Xiaobai, for example. He was originally a hegemon of the world, but his death was quite tragic."

Erzhu Zhao listened and thought it made a lot of sense, but there was one thing he didn't understand.

"Who is Young Master Xiaobai?"

"..."

Sima Ziru adjusted her mindset and said:
"Lord Yingchuan, to be on the safe side, let's hold off and observe the situation. At the very least, we need to stabilize morale!"

"how long?"

"Those people need to be appeased, and the soldiers of the Six Garrisons also need to be persuaded. It will take at least half a month!"

Erzhu Zhao frowned upon hearing this.

"These 60,000 troops consume so much food every day. If we drag this out and wait until the food runs out, not only will the situation in Hebei become unmanageable, but will Erzhu Shilong and his men just stand by and watch?"

Seeing that Sima Ziru was still hesitating, Erzhu Zhao said:

"Listen to me, don't I know those Dai people and the Six Garrisons soldiers? They never learn from their mistakes. Go tell them that anyone who dares to cause trouble for me now, I'll kill them!"

With that, Erzhu Zhao gave the order.

"The entire army shall accelerate its march and head straight for the walls of Pingyang!"

Erzhu Zhao's prestige, or rather his brutal personality, still held considerable sway over the northern people, from top to bottom.

At his command, the entire army, without a moment's hesitation, quickened their pace and marched toward Pingyang City.

The faster the army marched and the more obedient it became to Erzhu Zhao's orders, the more uneasy Sima Ziru felt.

Sima Ziru stood at the bow of the boat, the sunlight blinding him, and he unconsciously raised his sleeve to shield his eyes. As the fleet passed through the valley, the view suddenly opened up, and the fertile fields of prosperous Pingyang were right before him. In a daze, Sima Ziru had a feeling that the great building was about to collapse.

……

(End of this chapter)