Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 357 This is all for the sake of the Great Wei's empire!

Even in late summer, the heat is still intense.

A fleet of ships sailed south from Jinyang down the Fen River and arrived in Guanzhong.

After ruling Jinyang for more than half a year, Li Shuang returned to his loyal Chang'an.

Li Shuang did not want to return to Chang'an so soon, but the changing situation forced him to do so.

Yuwen Luosheng is dead, reportedly killed by the Hu people who resented his weak stance towards Li Shuang. These Hu people harbored grudges against Li Shuang and hoped to use Yuwen Luosheng's power for revenge. However, after a trip to Chang'an, Yuwen Luosheng became a staunch advocate of peace, causing many of his Hu people to harbor resentment.

After Yuwen Luosheng's death, Heba Yue quelled the rebellion in Xia Prefecture, killed the assassin who had tried to kill Yuwen Luosheng, and avenged him. Afterwards, Heba Yue, in the name of a senior figure in Wuchuan and Yuwen Luosheng's avenger, annexed Yuwen Luosheng's territory and followers, becoming the de facto Grand Commander of Lingxia.

Upon receiving this news, the Erzhu clan of Luoyang, in order to win over this ally, conferred the title of King of Xia upon Heba Yue in the name of the imperial court.

The Yuwen clan naturally harbored resentment, but even with their grievances, there was nothing they could do. Yuwen Tai couldn't possibly go to Tongwan City himself to reclaim Yuwen Luosheng's territory and troops. Even if Yuwen Dao and Yuwen Hu went, they would be mere juniors in front of Heba Yue and wouldn't gain the slightest advantage.

Heba Yue handled the matter quite well, and outsiders could not find any fault with it. As for Yuwen Luosheng's retainers, many of them were originally from Wuchuan. With Yuwen Luosheng dead, it was normal for them to submit to Heba Yue. Heba Yue did not make things difficult for the few die-hard Yuwen clan members, and those who wanted to leave were allowed to go.

Before Li Shuang returned to Chang'an, Heba Yue stabilized the situation in Xia Prefecture as quickly as possible, leaving no room for others to interfere.

The only controversial figure is this King Xia.

In the Qin Prince's mansion, Heba Yue's messenger, after a long wait, finally met Li Shuang, who had returned from Jinyang.

The waterway was smooth and comfortable. Li Shuang, returning from a long journey, was dressed casually, exuding a sense of languor.

"Old Kou, it's you!"

The envoy sent by Heba Yue was Kou Luo. He was also a senior figure in Wuchuan, and after the situation in the north became chaotic, he made the same choice as Sun Teng, Sima Ziru and other officials in Huai Shuo Town.

He went south to join Erzhu Rong!
However, Kou Luo was not Sun Teng or Sima Ziru. Not to mention the entire Northern Region, even among the people of Wuchuan, he was not particularly outstanding. The brilliance of the Heba brothers, Yuwen Tai, and others was too dazzling. Kou Luo was of a higher generation, but some of the younger generation had already surpassed him.

"King Qin!"

Kou Luo and Li Shuang were old acquaintances, having both worked in Jinyang back in the day.

Li Shuang casually took out a bowl of mung bean soup from the ice chest next to him, and ordered someone to bring Kou Luo a bowl as well.

"Thank you, King Qin!"

Unlike Li Shuang, Kou Luo seemed very reserved when he took the ice bowl from the maid. He watched Li Shuang finish the ice bowl in no time, but he didn't touch the spoon.

"Unfortunately, Duke Yuwen was assassinated and died at the hands of villains. Duke Heba was appointed to a critical mission and quelled the rebellion in Xia Prefecture. He temporarily took charge of the affairs inside and outside Tongwan City and helped Prince Qin stabilize the north. Who would have thought that Erzhu Shilong, under the guise of the court, would bestow upon Duke Heba the title of Prince of Xia? Duke Heba did not want to accept it, fearing that it would give him a reputation for disrespecting the court. However, if he accepted it, he feared that Prince Qin would misunderstand. Therefore, he specially ordered me to come and ask Prince Qin to make a decision."

Kolo's attitude was very low-key.

Of course, this is not only his attitude, but also Heba Yue's attitude.

After annexing Yuwen Luosheng's territory and troops, Heba Yue's strength increased significantly. In fact, at this moment when Li Shuang and Erzhu were in a standoff, he could be sold for a higher price.

"Heba Yue was originally the Grand Commander, in charge of the affairs of Lingxia Prefecture. Now that the rebellion has been quelled, why should he refuse the imperial reward? He even specially invited you to Chang'an."

Kou Luo breathed a sigh of relief at Li Shuang's attitude, but Li Shuang suddenly changed the subject.

"How about this, if he's really worried, he should come to Chang'an too!"

Kolo's body stiffened.

Li Shuang walked up to him, patted him on the shoulder, and said:

“Lingxia is remote, and many things for the royal ceremony are difficult to procure. Coming to Chang'an is a good opportunity to take them back. In this way, it will prevent people from gossiping that Heba Yue is disrespectful to the court.”

Kou Luo looked at Li Shuang, opened his mouth, but finally lowered his head and cupped his hands in greeting:
"I will immediately convey the King of Qin's intentions to Lord Heba!"

……

After Koro left, the once clear sky suddenly became overcast with dark clouds.

The autumn wind swept in, dispelling the summer heat, and the originally sweltering weather suddenly turned somewhat chilly.

Li Shuang arrived at the women's quarters where Liu Sixia lived, where she was organizing books.

Inside the house, charcoal was set up, and a pot of soup was bubbling away in an iron pot.

Liu Sixia looked at Li Shuang, who hurriedly walked in. Having not seen him for a long time, she smiled and said:
"Just returned to Chang'an, what brings you here?"

"I ate some cold food during the day, but I suddenly caught a cold, so I came here to have a hot drink."

Liu Sixia's room seemed to have never changed, except for the ever-growing pile of books.

This woman, once she had money, never thought of buying herself gold and silver jewelry or dresses; instead, she spent it all on herbs and books.

"You have such a keen sense of smell."

Liu Sixia stood up, walked to the iron pot where the soup was being cooked, and picked up a spoon.

Steam rose from the table, and sweat beaded on Liu Sixia's slender, fair neck, with strands of hair clinging to it. She brushed it away slightly and deftly served Li Shuang a bowl of hot soup.

Liu Sixia is skilled in cooking and even more knowledgeable in pharmacology; the soups she cooks can be considered medicinal cuisine. Li Shuang drank a bowl and felt comfortable.

Would you like another bowl?

“Another bowl please!”

Liu Sixia served Li Shuang another bowl, just like a wife serving rice to her husband, without any sense of incongruity.

Li Shuang was drinking when Liu Sixia sat down beside him and asked:

"You just got back to Chang'an, and you're going out again?"

Li Shuang stopped drinking her soup, looked at Liu Sixia, and asked:
"How did you know?"

“Every time you go out to fight, you should go to the cemetery outside the city to see the people who died in battle.”

Upon hearing this, Li Shuang chuckled softly:
"You are so thoughtful. In this mansion, whether it is Aru, Yuan Mingyue, or the two Erzhus, none of them are as thoughtful as you."

Liu Sixia felt a sense of joy upon hearing this.

She knew that ordinary bandits and rebels were not Li Shuang's responsibility; Li Bi, Hou Jing, and others could handle those matters.

Currently, there are very few people or forces around Guanzhong that Li Shuang can take action against.

Liu Sixia didn't care who it was, she just instructed:

"It is autumn and winter, and we must be fully prepared before going out to fight."

"Don't worry, this battle may not be necessary. We'll see if he knows what's good for him."

Liu Sixia was puzzled. She looked at Li Shuang with her beautiful eyes and had already forgotten her worries. They gazed at each other for a long time.

……
-
Tongwan City.

Heba Yue looked at the letter Kou Luo sent back from Chang'an. After reading it, he fell silent, which puzzled the generals around him.

Zhao Gui asked:
"Your Majesty, what did Koro say?"

Heba Yue's hand, which was holding the letter, fell to his sides. He raised his head and said:

"Ono Sō wants me to go to Chang'an!"

A simple sentence seemed to stir up a huge wave. The generals present each had their own thoughts, and one of them said:
"Your Majesty, you mustn't go!"

Heba Yue certainly didn't want to go to Chang'an.

He has already absorbed Yuwen Luosheng's troops and is now stationed in Tongwan City, but he still needs time to develop his power.

To the north was the Hulu tribe, to the south the Shedi tribe, and to the east the various tribes of Hexi and the Shanhu.

In Heba Yue's view, these were all forces that could be annexed.

The reason Heba Yue sent Kou Luo to Chang'an, adopting a humble attitude, was that he didn't want Li Shuang to focus his attention on him.

For Heba Yue, the ideal situation would be for Li Shuang and Erzhu to be entangled with each other, leaving them no energy to deal with him here, so that he could benefit from both sides in the rear.

If Li Shuang is defeated, Heba Yue will take advantage of the situation to march south and seize Chang'an; if the Erzhu clan is defeated, Heba Yue will unite the Lingxia tribes and establish a separatist regime.

"If I do not go, what will happen if Ōno Sō raises an army?"

Everyone fell silent. No one could answer the question. Finally, it was Lei Shao, one of Heba Yue's underlings, who spoke:
"At worst, we'll fight. We fought our way out of the North, and now that we've come this far, what is there to fear?"

The people of Wuchuan were not afraid of war; in fact, they longed for it. Upon hearing this, Zhao Gui quickly waved his hand and said:
"Things may not have come to this!"

Heba Yue looked at Zhao Gui and asked:
"How to say it?"

Zhao Gui explained:
"After Da Yeshuang occupied Jinyang, he ordered He Liuhun and Hei Ta to guard Yecheng and Pingcheng respectively, and also pacified the powerful families in Hebei. Your Majesty, just think about it, Da Yeshuang seems to be very powerful, but his foundation is not solid."

Heba Yue nodded and said:
"indeed so!"

“Every day, the Erzhu clan wants to retake Taiyuan. Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai are not willing to be subservient to others. The powerful families in Hebei will not stand by and watch another General Tianzhu ride on their heads. Doesn't Da Ye Shuang know the stakes involved?”

As Zhao Gui spoke, he looked at the group of men under Heba Yue's command.

"What can we gain by lightly waging war and wasting money and provisions in this Lingxia land? If we win, we will only gain some remote and desolate lands. If we lose, will Gao Huan, Yuwen Tai, and the others still listen to us? Moreover, Your Majesty's elder brother, Heba Yun, is under the command of the Prince of Chenliu and is guarding the Lianghan land for Da Yeshuang. With this favor, Da Yeshuang will not break ties with us."

As Zhao Gui spoke, Heba Yue's worries gradually lessened, and he asked:
"How should we respond?"

“You should send an envoy with generous gifts to Chang’an to present to Da Ye Shuang in order to appease him. At the same time, Your Majesty can write a letter to Aju Ni and ask him to ask the King of Chenliu to mediate.”

"Alright, let's leave it at that!"

……

Nanzheng.

"Sir, what do you think we should do about this?"

Han Ling looked at the letter in Li Shengui's hand and asked:

"How did you end up with the letter that Heba Yue wrote to Heba Yun?"

Li Shenggui smiled, a simple and honest smile appearing on his face.

"After Zhu Yi wrote to me last time, I thought about it for a long time and finally understood a principle."

Han Ling was puzzled and asked:

What is the reason for this?

"Don't accept letters that you shouldn't receive!"

Han Ling opened his mouth, and Li Shengui, holding the letter, said:
"Therefore, I have dispatched my own men to several post stations outside Nanzheng to intercept letters I do not wish to see. Sir, imagine if Heba Yun had seen this letter first and had indeed come to beg me as Heba Yue said, what should I have done?"

Han Ling heard this and asked:
"What are the Prince of Chenliu's plans?"

Li Shengui rolled his eyes and said:

"I just didn't know how to get here to see you, sir!"

Li Shenggui displayed an arrogant attitude, as if he were saying, "If I knew what to do, why would I be here looking for you?"

Han Ling, somewhat helpless, took the letter, glanced at it, and asked:

"If Heba Yun really comes to ask for help, will the King of Chenliu mediate?"

Li Shen Track:

"We must at least give Heba Yun some face!"

Han Ling smiled, looked at Li Shengui, and said:

"So, does the King of Chenliu intend to distance himself from Your Majesty?"

Li Shenggui clenched his fist, and Han Ling subconsciously touched the face that Li Shenggui had once slapped, feeling somewhat panicked.

"King of Chenliu, what do you intend to do?"

Li Shenggui realized what was happening, loosened his fist, and laughed heartily.

"I don't know why, but every time you try to scare me, I have the urge to hit you."

Han Ling subtly shifted his position slightly away from Li Shengui and said:
"I'm not trying to scare the Prince of Chenliu!"

Li Shengui listened quietly without making any unnecessary movements, which relieved Han Ling, who then continued:

"King of Chenliu, consider this: if Your Majesty leads your army east out of Tongguan Pass, marches into Luoyang, and engages in a great battle with the Erzhu clan, while Heba Yue leads his army south to seize Chang'an, what would happen then?"

"Perhaps Kagawa would not do that?"

Whether he does it or not is not important; it's enough that he has the ability to do it!

Han Ling's expression was quite serious, even carrying a hint of murderous intent.

"With Yuwen Luo dead, Heba Yue's only way out is to go to Chang'an and become a wealthy Xia King."

As he spoke, Han Ling looked at Li Shengui and asked:

"Does the Prince of Chenliu want to write a letter to mediate, perhaps intending to join forces with Heba Yue to seize Chang'an?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shengui nodded and said:

"I was right after all; I shouldn't have accepted that letter!"

……

Changan.

"Your Majesty, is it that the King of Xia was not respectful enough?"

"Extremely respectful!"

"Your Majesty, is it that the tribute that the King of Xia presented to Chang'an was not generous enough?"

"Quite generous!"

"Your Majesty, does the King of Xia condone his subordinates provoking trouble on the border?"

"That's not true!"

Koro was puzzled and said:

"Then why did Your Majesty appoint Li Bi as general to conquer Lingzhou?"

Li Shuang ate a roasted lamb leg made from yellow sheep from Xiazhou, wiped his mouth, and stood up.

"Old Kou, actually I don't want to raise an army either, but the ministers won't allow it!"

"If you are dissatisfied with the tribute, I can write to the King of Xia and ask him to prepare more tribute!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shuang rebuked:

"Old Kou, what are you saying? Do you think I'm the kind of person who's obsessed with money?"

Koro wanted to say yes, but shook his head.

"Why is that?"

"I heard that when Heba Yue ascended the platform during the coronation ceremony, he stepped forward with his left foot first?"

"what?"

Kou Luo was puzzled, but he saw Li Shuang looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, with a look of compassion for the world.

"Since Emperor Xiaowen reformed the system, our dynasty has changed old customs and followed ancient laws, placing the right side in high esteem. This is the great tradition of our Great Wei Dynasty that will last for thousands of years."

As she spoke, Li Shuang looked at Kou Luo with a pained expression.

"Heba Yue stepped forward with his left foot first during the ceremony of becoming king. What kind of thing is this! At the very least, he is disrespecting the laws of the country and being negligent and careless. At worst, he seems to want to violate the legal system of our Great Wei since Emperor Xiaowen and has the intention to rebel!"

"..."

Li Shuang sighed and said:

"After the incident, I tried my best to suppress it, but my subjects wouldn't allow it! They all petitioned to rectify the state and capture Heba Yue, this traitor, and I couldn't go against their wishes!"

Kou Luo watched as Li Shuang sat down to gnaw on a lamb leg after finishing his speech, and cursed inwardly:

Ohno Sou, you son of a bitch!
……

(End of this chapter)