Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 347 That Realm of All Things Flourishing

The Three Hundred Li Sparrow and Rat Valley was like a road to death. Erzhu Zhao and his men went through countless hardships to escape.

Back in the heart of Taiyuan, the situation was now rather murky and unclear.

When Erzhu Zhao marched south, he took 60,000 troops with him, drawing away most of the northern soldiers from Taiyuan. Now, this huge military vacuum has backfired.

Upon hearing of Erzhu Zhao's disastrous defeat in Pingyang, powerful Han Chinese families from several counties in Taiyuan led their local communities in immediate rebellion.

They held their ground in the county town and no longer obeyed the orders of Erzhu.

Under normal circumstances, Erzhu Zhao could have easily pacified the area with a thousand cavalry.

In Erzhu's stronghold, these Han Chinese magnates didn't even have fortified villages, so they had no means of resistance.

But now, Erzhu Zhao has not only lost the ability to pacify the region, but he doesn't even have the courage to resist.

Erzhu Zhao's only hope was to return to Jinyang City as soon as possible, so that he might have a chance to make a comeback.

However, not to mention the other northerners, even the Qihu soldiers of Erzhu Zhao's own tribe are now dejected and have lost their will to fight.

Outside Pingyang City, in the Sparrow and Rat Valley, the word "slaughter" would not be an exaggeration.

Of the 60,000 northerners, who knows how many died!

There were rebels in front and pursuers behind.

Not to mention whether they could return to Jinyang City, even if they did, no one knew how long they could hold out.

Around Erzhu Zhao, a group of generals sat in a circle. After hastily eating some cheese and dried meat, they began to discuss their future plans.

A significant number of people felt that given the current situation, they should head south to Luoyang and join forces with Erzhu Shilong.

Besides Jinyang, Luoyang was also an important town within the Erzhu clan's sphere of influence, and the location of the imperial court, possessing a large amount of money and grain.

With money and provisions, they could muster troops to resist. Moreover, most of Erzhu's elite cavalry remained in Luoyang, and Erzhu Zhao's relatives still commanded hundreds of thousands of troops!
However, Erzhu Zhao still had some resistance to such behavior.

His conflict with Erzhu Shilong was well-known. If he won this time, Erzhu Zhao would naturally be able to march south to Luoyang in glory, reclaim the family property that his relatives had seized, and become the true head of the Erzhu clan.

But now that he has lost and is surrendering in a sorry state, Erzhu Shilong's attitude is something Erzhu Zhao can easily imagine.

Erzhu Zhao cannot bear this injustice!

"I don't understand why everyone is saying that Fu Jian was defeated at the Fei River, as if Taiyuan is destined to be a place of great misfortune for us northerners. In the fourth year of Zheng Guang, our Erzhu clan raised an army in Beixiurong, quelled the various rebels in Bingsi, occupied Taiyuan, and then marched south, overthrowing the tyranny of the people of Luoyang and restoring the glory of the northerners. The scene of everyone working together and singing the song of the Changle is still vivid in my mind. It has not been ten years, and this is the place where we northerners will be buried? In any case, as long as we return to Jinyang, everything will be alright."

Erzhu Zhao's impassioned words echoed in everyone's ears, but the crowd showed little reaction.

"Lord Yingchuan, even if we return to Jinyang, how long can we hold out?"

If this core issue isn't resolved, no matter how well Erzhu Zhao speaks, no one will buy it.

"Dayeshuang has won, but how many troops can he muster to continue his northward march? Jinyang is a fortified city, and its inhabitants are all loyal and righteous men devoted to our Erzhu clan. Dayeshuang will find it difficult to capture the city without mobilizing 50,000 troops. It will take nearly a month for the armies from Guanzhong and Hedong to enter Taiyuan. By then, our Erzhu clan's reinforcements will have already arrived."

Erzhu Zhao's words softened the expressions on everyone's faces.

Just then, hundreds of cavalrymen arrived from not far away, and the already frightened crowd tensed up.

After recognizing the enemy's banner, Erzhu Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and reassured them:

"Don't worry, everyone, it's my good brother He Liuhun!"

Gao Huan, leading his cavalry, looked at Erzhu Zhao's troops. At this moment, Wei Jing, standing beside him, said:
"He Liuhun, why are there still so many people?"

Erzhu Zhao was defeated, but he still had several thousand soldiers around him, far exceeding the number of Gao Huan's troops.

Gao Huan had not expected that Erzhu Zhao had so many trusted confidants around him.

At this moment, Wei Jing whispered:

"Should we still take action?"

“Adapt to the situation!”

Although Erzhu Zhao's several thousand soldiers were defeated, Gao Huan dared not underestimate them. He knew Erzhu Zhao well; if forced into a corner, the fighting power this guy could unleash was not to be underestimated.

Moreover, with several thousand cavalrymen right in Erzhu Zhao's comfort zone, he could unleash his full fighting potential.

Gao Huan gave the order, and Wei Jing reassured his troops.

After that, Gao Huan led a dozen or so riders to Erzhu Zhao, and upon meeting him, they gave each other a big hug.

"Tumo!"

"He Liuhun!"

"I knew you'd be alright. I was so worried about you these past few days."

"You mere Ohno Sou can't do anything to me!"

After Erzhu Zhao finished speaking, he looked at the hundreds of riders behind Gao Huan and said:
"He Liuhun, come with me to Jinyang. Once we stop Da Yeshuang this time, I will make you a king and share wealth and honor with you."

Upon hearing this, Gao Huan's face suddenly fell.

"Tumo, don't you know yet? Jinyang has fallen!"

Upon hearing this, Erzhu Zhao's expression changed drastically, and the people behind him also stood up.

"Jinyang's defenses are strong; how could it have fallen?"

"Yuwen Tai colluded with Liu Lisheng and took advantage of the city's unpreparedness to seize Jinyang City. After I found out, I dared not stay in Jinyang any longer and fled with several hundred cavalry."

Upon hearing this, Erzhu Zhao said:
"hateful!"

Gao Huan quickly advised:

"Tumo, going to Jinyang City now is like walking into a trap. You should take your men and head south immediately!"

At this moment, Erzhu Zhao no longer cared about his grievances; escaping for his life was the priority.

"He Liuhun, come south with me!"

Gao Huan said:
“My brothers are still in Daling and don’t know about this. I need to tell them so I can rescue them too.”

Erzhu Zhao was deeply moved upon hearing this.

"He Liuhun, you're truly a loyal friend!"

"I, He Liuhun, would rather abandon my wife and children than my brothers!"

After Gao Huan and Erzhu Zhao struck a pose, they watched as Erzhu Zhao led his men south.

Wei Jing walked up to Gao Huan and saw him straightening his clothes.

"He Liuhun, you've tricked this guy away, what should we do now?"

"I'll tidy my clothes, prepare provisions, and gather the troops from the six nearby garrisons to welcome the royal army. I must make sure that the first person the King of Qin sees upon entering Taiyuan is me!"

"But how is the situation in Jinyang?"

Gao Huan smiled and said:
Let them fight it out!

……

Hengzhou Army Camp.

"Black Otter, Erzhu Zhao has been defeated."

Dugu Xin rushed into Yuwentai's tent, but Yuwentai had already received the news. However, Yuwentai showed no interest in the battle situation at the front, and instead asked:

Where is Gao Huan?

“When I went to see him today, his camp was still there, but no one was there anymore. I heard that he went south yesterday.”

Yuwen Tai paced back and forth in the main tent, thinking to himself that Gao Huan must have received the news earlier than him, otherwise there wouldn't have been such a commotion.

"Gao Huan seized the initiative!"

Yuwen Tai's tone carried a hint of frustration. Upon hearing this, Dugu Xin asked:
What does "Black Otter" mean?

Yuwentai did not answer, but only said:
"Jinyang is still under the control of the Erzhu clan. At this time, if we cannot make great contributions, how can we establish ourselves?"

Dugu Xin nodded and said:
"Does Black Otter mean we should seize Jinyang?"

Yuwen Tai nodded and said:
"Many of the three thousand soldiers I brought were taken by Erzhu Zhao. He wants to seize Jinyang, but he is short of troops. I have sent someone to find the Dai people who followed me south and are still in Jinyang. You will come with me to see them."

After listening, Dugu Xin understood.

Yuwen Tai acted swiftly, quickly summoning all the Dai people remaining in Jinyang. To his surprise, the number of people who came was even greater than he had anticipated.

Pingcheng was the former capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty and a gathering place for nobles and meritorious officials from the Dai people. Before the Heyin Incident, although the noble families of the Dai people in Pingcheng were not as powerful as those in Luoyang, they were still among the most elite of the northerners.

After Erzhu Rong established his hegemony in Jinyang, Pingcheng remained an important town in the northern border. The nobles of the Dai people were replaced by Erzhu Rong, and they changed their allegiance from Luoyang to Jinyang.

Yuwen Tai seized Pingcheng, and these nobles of Dai dared not speak out against it.

But at this moment, they had all heard rumors and heard Yuwen Tai's summons, and those who were willing to come came.

"This is Dugu Xin, an envoy of the King of Qin."

Upon hearing Yuwen Tai's words, the nobles and officials of the Dai people disregarded the identity of the Prince of Qin's envoy and instead began to cultivate a relationship with him.

"Master Dugu, I have long admired your name!"

Dugu Xin was quite famous in the north, largely because he was handsome.

Seeing that the crowd did not object to his identity as the King of Qin's envoy, Yuwen Tai then said:
"Erzhu Zhao suffered a major defeat at Pingyang, with his 60,000-strong army suffering heavy casualties. Taiyuan could change hands in an instant. At this critical moment, if we do not achieve merit, we may not be able to protect ourselves."

Upon hearing this, everyone cupped their hands and said:

"I am willing to obey the Grand Commander's orders."

"Gather troops, seize Jinyang, take control of the treasury, and pacify the people in preparation for the Qin King's army!"

"promise!"

……

"Wan Jing, something bad has happened! Yuwen Tai has led a group of men, claiming to be under orders from the King of Qin, and is attacking Jinyang City."

Hou Jing was having dinner with a group of soldiers from the six garrisons when he heard the news. He immediately stood up, threw his bowl to the ground, and said angrily:

"Damn it, trying to steal the credit at this time!"

"He Liuhun has gone south to gather the brothers, what should we do?"

Given the situation, Hou Jing remained calm.

"If those Wuchuan people attack Jinyang City, we Huaishuo people will fight back too!"

"Then how should we fight?"

Hou Jingdao:
"Yuwen Tai and his men have drawn most of the Jinyang garrison. Taking advantage of the chaos, we'll enter the city through the south gate. Tell the brothers: do not touch the Jinyang treasury, the residences of the non-local generals, or the homes of the common people. Anyone who dares to harbor any ill intentions will have their entire family killed!"

None of the soldiers stationed in the six garrisons questioned Hou Jing's orders. They had no intention of taking advantage of the chaos; their hope was that by following Gao Huan and Hou Jing, they wouldn't have to stay in Taiyuan anymore and could join the Fubing system, or at least be dispatched to various prefectures and counties, instead of being trapped in Jinyang.

Therefore, a perfectly intact Jinyang city is naturally important.

"So what will we do after we enter the city? We can't possibly compete with Yuwentai for who can occupy the Prime Minister's residence first, can we?"

Hou Jing's face turned cold, carrying a hint of murderous intent, and he said:
“That’s right, we want to seize the Prime Minister’s residence. This city no longer belongs to the Erzhu family, so there’s no need to keep any more of their people.”

As he spoke, Hou Jing pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve, on which names were written in dense patterns.

"Find some brothers familiar with the terrain of Jinyang City and the Erzhu clan, and together with the assassins I brought, go through the list one by one. If you encounter people from Yuwentai's side, don't make things difficult for them as long as they don't make a move."

The men around Hou Jing took the list, glanced at it, and were shocked.

"These people are all... Does the King of Qin know about them?"

Hou Jing glanced at everyone and said:
“My king naturally doesn’t know this. If he arrives in Jinyang and sees these people, he will surely pardon them.”

"So what are we doing here?"

Hou Jing sneered and said:
"That's the only way to prevent them from seeing the King!"

The crowd was somewhat confused, but Hou Jing had no time to explain.

"Do as I say. I'll take all the blame and won't implicate you."
-
Li Shuang led his troops into the Taiyuan area, accompanied by Yuan Tianmu and Princess Beixiang.

After news of Erzhu Zhao's major defeat spread, Taiyuan fell into some chaos, but Gao Huan led his cavalry to gather the troops of the six garrisons and stabilize the situation.

After the news spread that Erzhu Zhao had not returned to Jinyang but instead led his troops south to Luoyang, even the forces that were originally loyal to the Erzhu clan surrendered.

Inside the main tent, Princess Beixiang found Li Shuang, her expression complex, and said:
"Tianba, Erzhu Zhao deserves to die, but the others are innocent. Can you spare their lives?"

Yuan Tianmu stood aside without saying a word. To be honest, this matter was very sensitive, and he couldn't say much.
The more pathetic Erzhu Zhao was when he and Erzhu Tianguang were vying for the position of clan leader, the more triumphant he was when he led his 60,000-strong northern army south.

But this sense of pride wasn't due to Erzhu Zhao's popularity. The stronger Erzhu Zhao's military power, the less popular Li Shuang became.

Taiyuan was originally the Taiyuan of the Erzhu clan. Under the vines of Erzhu's power, a vast network was woven, and its internal complexity was no less than that of Luoyang in its heyday.

So, if Li Shuang wants to control Taiyuan, can he still keep those people around?
Princess Beixiang's eyes were filled with tears, a hint of resentment in them. Li Shuang, of course, wouldn't argue with her about saving face.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. As long as they are willing to repent to me, I will not kill them."

Princess Beixiang felt somewhat relieved after hearing this.

Just then, Gao Huan walked in.

Seeing this scene, he really wanted to turn around and leave, but at this moment, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go forward.

"King Qin, Jinyang City has been pacified."

Princess Beixiang, upon hearing this, pressed for an answer:

"Are the Naerzhu clan members all well?"

Gao Huan paused, glanced at Li Shuang, and then said:
"At that time, the city was in chaos, bandits were rampant, and many people died. The exact situation is still unknown."

Princess Beixiang became even more flustered upon hearing this. Yuan Tianmu spoke up at the right moment and calmed Princess Beixiang down.

Gao Huan remained in the main tent. After the two left, Li Shuang asked him:
Where is Erzhu Zhao?

"They have already left Shangdang and arrived in Hanoi."

"You run really fast!"

Li Shuang smiled, looked at Gao Huan, and said:
"All troops, accelerate your march and head towards Jinyang!"

……

(End of this chapter)