Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 356 Is My Sword Not Effective?

Yecheng.

A letter from the King of Qin was sent to cities in various prefectures, counties, and cities throughout Hebei. When the major powers in Hebei saw the letter, they all had a somewhat inexplicable feeling.

I want to refute it, but I have no reason to refute it. I want others to stand up and resist first, but no one stands up and resists.

For a time, the entire Hebei province fell into a brief period of calm because of this letter from the King of Qin.

The bright moon hung high in the sky. In the governor's mansion, Gao Huan returned to his residence. Lou Zhaojun was tidying up her belongings in her room. Knowing that Gao Huan had returned, she ignored him completely.

"Zhaojun!"

Gao Huan wanted to hug Lou Zhaojun, but she pushed him away.

"Zhaojun, are you angry?"

"You are now a descendant of the Gao family of Bohai, no longer that lowly soldier guarding the city gate in Huai Shuo Town. How can you still have the mind to pay attention to a rough woman from the north like me?"

Lou Zhaojun was very angry!

After Gao Huan entered Ye City, he had more women around him, many of whom were from prestigious families.

Lou Zhaojun was angry, but she also knew that this was Gao Huan's way of winning over local forces in Hebei. Even though she knew it clearly, she couldn't help but feel resentful.

Gao Huan smiled, gently nudged Lou Zhaojun's shoulder, and said:

"Zhaojun, don't you know me? You're the only one in my heart!"

Lou Zhaojun felt much better after hearing this.

"Why hasn't Gao Qian been contacting you lately?"

Gao Huan spent more time with Gao Qian than with the other women outside.

Lou Zhaojun did not have a good impression of Gao Qian. He seemed polite and respectful, but when he looked at them, a group of northerners, he always had a condescending attitude.

Upon hearing this, Gao Huan looked at Lou Zhaojun again and felt somewhat uneasy.

As Gao Huan entered Ye City, established himself, and began to cooperate with the powerful clans of Hebei, expanding his influence to provinces and prefectures such as Ji, Yin, and Ying, conflicts gradually emerged.

The soldiers under his command and the Han Chinese aristocratic families in Hebei were unable to integrate and were even hostile to each other.

Now, there are already signs of confrontation.

Gao Huan had no choice but to appease both sides.

The Six Garrisons, with the Huai Shuo people at their core, were the weapon in his hand and the most direct factor enabling him to establish a foothold in Hebei. However, Gao Huan could not abandon the Han Chinese aristocratic families either. Without them, Gao Huan's power would not have extended to the various prefectures and counties, or even to the prefectures and counties he currently controlled.

One is a knife, the other is money and provisions!

This is no longer the era when the troops of the Six Garrisons ravaged Hebei and robbed people of money and grain with knives.

If Gao Huan wants to continue cultivating his influence in Ye City, he has no choice but to resolve these conflicts, or at least postpone them.

Why do you care about him?

Gao Huan smiled, which drew Lou Zhaojun's attention.

“He Liuhun, recently Lou Zhao, Dou Tai and even Wei Jing have come to see me, saying that you are getting too close to those Han people, and there are some complaints.”

Gao Huan felt a pang of anxiety, not expecting that the conflict would begin in his own household.

But Lou Zhaojun changed the subject.

“How can my husband establish himself in Hebei without associating with those Han people?”

When Gao Huan faced Lou Zhaojun, his initial wariness eased slightly, and his gaze softened.

“But Gao Qian is different. He places the Gao family of Bohai above my husband. He has a personal grudge against the Cui family of Boling, but he wants to use my husband to settle it. It seems like he's fighting for territory, but in reality, he wants to elevate himself. My husband, you must be wary of this man!”

Lou Zhaojun pointed out a key point.

Who can represent the Gao family of Bohai?

If one cannot control the Bohai Gao clan, or is even hampered by them, then how useful is the identity of the Bohai Gao clan?
Gao Huan listened and laughed:
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Gao Qian has been settled down lately."

Lou Zhaojun was somewhat puzzled and said:
"Why?"

"Da Ye Shuang's Qin King's teachings have arrived, how could he not be at ease?"

Lou Zhaojun, upon hearing this, sneered:
"I thought these Han Chinese aristocratic families were so great, so disobedient, but their knives weren't sharp enough!"

Gao Huan shook his head and said:

"Then you've underestimated them, and you've also underestimated Ohno Sou."

……

Pingcheng.

Yuwen Tai summoned Cui Xian, handed him the Qin King's teachings, and asked:
"What do you think, sir?"

Cui Xian already knew about this matter, but he was still somewhat surprised after reading the teachings.

It wasn't the wording that surprised me, but rather the unspoken meaning conveyed in the teachings.

I call the shots in the whole of Hebei!
"Back then, Erzhu Rong defeated Ge Rong's army of 200,000 with only 7,000 cavalry, and thus gained control of Hebei. Now, where can the King of Qin find another Ge Rong?"

Cui Xian's words were cryptic, but a sense of distrust was evident between the lines.

Cui Xian had already figured it out, otherwise he wouldn't have chosen Yuwen Tai.

After Li Shuang occupied Jinyang, he did not expand further in the face of the complex situation in Hebei. The apparent reason was that he was not strong enough, but the deeper reason was that he could not satisfy the appetites of various forces in Hebei.

Jinyang was the stronghold of the Erzhu clan and the location of the northerners' power base.

After Li Shuang defeated Erzhu Zhao's 60,000-strong army, he did not have enough manpower to fill the void left by the collapse of order.

He needs time to consolidate his territory, but he also wants to control Hebei. There is only one way.

Hebei needs to be fragmented enough to form a series of mutually restraining forces, so that it can be controlled.

Li Yuanzhong's army in Yinzhou, Gao Huan's army in Yecheng, Yuwen Tai's army in Pingcheng, Chi Lieyanqing and Hou Yuan's army in Dingzhou, and even the major clans in Hebei were all fragmented.

But the aristocratic families of Hebei were not fools; they knew that if things continued this way, they would eventually become powerless against Li Shuang.

They quickly banded together, forming a force centered around Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai.

The Cui clan of Boling chose Yuwentai because they had a grudge against the Gao clan of Bohai. Gao Huan, who now controls Ye City, is also from the Gao clan of Bohai. Gao Huan and Gao Qian are in their honeymoon period, so they have a choice and naturally will not go south.

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Tai simply smiled and said:

"Sir, you really don't understand our King of Qin at all."

Cui Xian was taken aback, and listened to Yuwen Tai say:

"He's done more than one thing to take advantage without giving anything in return. Do you think that the Jin Yang army is still far away, and that 'immediately annihilate' is just empty talk?"

……

The Gao clan of Bohai occupied Jizhou, while the Cui clan of Boling occupied a large area of land between Yingzhou and Dingzhou. Both sides used the pretext of eliminating the Erzhu clan to expand their forces to the surrounding areas.

However, expansion has its limits. After their territories came to meet, and due to past grudges, they clashed frequently.

After the Qin King's teachings were introduced, they temporarily put aside their disputes.

They forbid fighting each other, but they didn't say we can't fight people from the Erzhu clan!
Dingzhou.

When I got up early, the fog was very thick.

A group of militiamen traversed the forest, their purpose being to build a large animal pen behind the forest.

The muddy roads were uncomfortable, and the damp air was even more unpleasant, but none of these discomforts affected the actions of this local militia.

This animal pen was where Erzhu Yusheng stored his grain.

After Erzhu Yu's death, the animal pen was taken over by Chilie Yanqing.

As you get closer, you can see beyond the woods and into the animal pen by the water's edge. Inside, there are rows of houses, surrounded only by a wooden fence, which is not very sturdy. The smell of livestock is very strong and can be smelled from a distance.

At the height of the Erzhu clan's power, no one dared to lay a finger on them.

Therefore, while the Erzhu clan levied exorbitant taxes, they did not extensively build cities or strengthen their defenses. They understood that only the Erzhu clan could attack others; others could not attack them.

But now, the situation has changed. These properties, which have lost the protection of the powerful Erzhu clan, have become targets.

Just as these local militiamen were about to move, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the animal pen.

"and many more!"

The militia leader immediately shouted, ordering everyone to remain hidden in the bushes.

A hundred-man cavalry unit quickly approached the animal pen, alerting the guards watching over it.

However, the two did not fight. Instead, they talked in the Northern language outside the animal pen.

Soon after, the Qihu soldiers in the animal pen came out and completed the handover in front of the hundred riders.

Inside the large animal pen, a flag was quickly raised.

As the sun rose, the village soldiers, who had been lingering in the bushes for a while, inevitably became a little restless.

"Big brother, are we still fighting?"

"What are you hitting me for!"

The militia leader gazed at the Three Stars Banner fluttering in the wind and murmured:
"The world is about to change!"

……

Fanyang.

"What did you say?"

Lu Wenwei looked at his troops with disbelief on his face.

"My lord, it's true! Overnight, all the cities in Dingzhou controlled by the Erzhu clan have been transformed with the Three Stars Banner!"

Lu Wenwei was shocked upon hearing this, but he quickly calmed down and considered the impact of the changing situation.

Dingzhou has over two thousand cavalrymen from the Erzhu clan.

If this cavalry force were to surrender to Jinyang, it would be enough to influence the situation in Hebei.

Just then, a report came from outside the mansion.

Liu Lingzhu has arrived!
"Let him in!"

Upon seeing Liu Lingzhu, Lu Wenwei immediately asked:

"Do you know about what happened in Dingzhou?"

Liu Lingzhu didn't hide anything, nodded, and said:

"When Chilie Yanqing surrendered, I was in Lu Nu!"

Lu Wenwei found this utterly absurd.

"Li Shuang has a blood feud with the Erzhu clan and has killed so many northerners. How can they surrender?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Lingzhu laughed, waved his sleeve, and pointed at Lu Wenwei.

“You don’t understand the Northerners at all. Li Shuang didn’t use the title of King of Qin, but rather his status as the son-in-law of Erzhu, to recruit these people.”

Does it make a difference?

"The King of Qin is a stranger to them, but Erzhu's son-in-law is someone they can trust."

Although Lu Wenwei was puzzled, Liu Lingzhu did not offer any further explanation.

After Erzhu Yu's death, Chilie Yanqing and his gang were left isolated.

When Erzhu Rong was alive, they had offended the powerful clans of Hebei. Now that the Erzhu clan was in decline, Lu Wenwei and his group originally wanted to slowly wear them down, but unexpectedly, the situation suddenly changed.

After surrendering to Li Shuang, Dingzhou and Bingzhou were connected.

A dead piece has become a living piece!

What exactly does Li Shuang want?

Lu Wenwei wanted his old buddy, who had just returned from Jinyang, to tell him the truth, and the other party did not disappoint him, saying:
"The situation in Hebei at this point does not require any major changes."

What is the current situation in Hebei?
Lu Wenwei thought for a moment and said that if he had to describe it, the current situation in Hebei was somewhat similar to that of the Zhao state before it annexed the Zhongshan state during the Warring States period.

The states of Yan and Zhao are located in the north and south, respectively, while the state of Zhongshan lies between the two.

The difference is that Gao Huan, who now controls Ye City, is far less powerful than the King of Zhao back then, and Yuwen Tai, who is stationed in Ping City, is not the King of Yan back then either.

Both sides were weak enough, and it was absolutely impossible for the old subordinates of the Erzhu clan, such as Chilie Yanqing, to make peace with the aristocratic families of Hebei.

All parties check and balance each other, and no single party can dominate.

The greatest common denominator that the various forces in Hebei can reach now is to destroy the Erzhu clan, and this is exactly what Li Shuang wants.

What might be the most advantageous situation for Li Shuang is not necessarily the case for the aristocratic families of Hebei.

After Lu Wenwei understood this, he looked at Liu Lingzhu and said:
"Are we just going to let it go like this?"

"What else can we do?"

Lu Wenwei could not compare the man in front of him to the ambitious man who had told him before that he wanted to annex Hebei and seize the world.

The only difference between the two was that one of them went to Jinyang!

"Have you forgotten what I told you before? To advance into Hebei, occupy Luoyang, and control the Central Plains, even if the situation is unfavorable, we can retreat to Youyan, make an alliance with Rouran, and that would not be a bad thing for Murong Chui."

Liu Lingzhu sighed and said:
"Is the current situation still permissible to allow for such a course of action?"

"Can……"

Liu Lingzhu was actually somewhat unwilling, but no matter how unwilling she was, there was nothing she could do.

"Don't you understand? If Da Yeshuang wants Hebei to be in chaos, then it can't be stable; if he wants Hebei to quell the conflict, then it can't be in chaos! He just wants to tell everyone that he calls the shots in Hebei!"

Liu Lingzhu's words left Lu Wenwei speechless.

"If you want to test how sharp Ohno Sawa's sword is, I won't stop you!"

……

Jinyang.

"Your Majesty, the situation in Hebei has been settled!"

Hou Jing came to Li Shuang's side and handed over the fish tally that allowed him to control the troops in Yanqing.

However, Li Shuang didn't even glance at it.

Li Shuang knew that these northerners controlled their troops not through fish tallies, but through their own prestige.

Would Gao Huan, Yuwen Tai, Hebasheng, and their ilk be unable to mobilize their troops simply because they lack military tallies?
Obviously impossible!
"After Chilie Yanqing surrendered, the fighting in Yingzhou, Dingzhou and other places also subsided. The situation in Hebei should be temporarily stable and there will be no major changes."

Li Shuang nodded, feeling reassured, and said:
"In this way, we can deal with the Erzhu clan in Luoyang!"

Hou Jing stood beside Li Shuang, deep in thought, when hurried footsteps sounded outside the pavilion.

Following the sound of footsteps came a report.

"Your Majesty, an urgent report from Chang'an!"

Li Shuang's expression changed and he waved his hand.

Hou Jing went out, took the document, and handed it to Li Shuang.

Li Shuang opened it and, upon seeing it, her face contorted with anger. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up.

Upon seeing this, Hou Jing felt a chill run down his spine and asked in a soft voice:

"Your Majesty, what is the matter?"

Li Shuang's face was ashen, and every word she uttered seemed to be brewing a storm.

"Yuwen Luosheng is dead!"

……