Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 366 My heart is so open and clear.
Hengzhou.

Luoyang was once the largest city in the world, with a population of 700,000, but it gradually declined amidst the flames of war.

The same applies to Luoyang, and also to Pingcheng, the former capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Unlike Luoyang, which suffered external blows, Pingcheng was destined to decline after the Northern Wei moved its capital. Even without the attack from the Six Garrisons, it would be difficult to restore its former glory.

After Erzhu Rong took control of Jinyang, Pingcheng remained an important town north of Taiyuan, but it no longer held the political status of the former capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

The increasingly weakened imperial court in Luoyang could no longer provide Pingcheng with support, either materially or spiritually.

However, after Erzhu Rong established his hegemony, the decline of Pingcheng came to a halt.

Until the Rouran people moved south again.

The immense threat made it difficult for the northerners surrounding Pingcheng and the Hu people outside to maintain their original status quo, forcing them to make choices.

After Yuwentai took command in Pingcheng, he won over the Dai people and the troops of the Six Garrisons as his armed forces. With the help of the Hebei aristocratic families and the two victories over the Rouran army, he successfully brought the Hu tribes, who had been wavering, back to his side.

Yuwen Tai's position became increasingly secure, and his power and influence grew stronger.

Standing atop the city walls of Pingcheng, the outer city walls of my memory have now been replaced by farms, animal pens, and barracks.

The city was brought under control after chaos, and Yuwen Tai deserves much credit for this, yet he felt no joy whatsoever.

Since Yuwen Luo's death, Yuwen Tai has been keeping a close eye on the situation in Guanzhong.

Within a few months, Li Shuang captured Heba Yue, defeated Yujiulü Anagui, and brought all of Lingxia Yunshuo under his command. He also recruited a number of tribal leaders and brought them under his wing.

But Yuwen Tai was not happy at all.

"Heavenly Khan... Heavenly Khan!"

Yuwen Tai murmured softly, but neither of his two trusted confidants, Yuwen Hu and Cui Xian, spoke.

They naturally understood what Yuwentai was worried about.

Li Shuang placed them in Pingcheng to unify the forces of the north and resist the Rouran. But now, with the Rouran on the verge of splitting into two, their value has diminished considerably.

However, despite the worries, there was no good solution.

Just then, one of Yuwen Tai's retainers hurriedly came up and handed a note to Yuwen Hu.

Yuwen Hu glanced at it, stepped forward, and said:

"Uncle, the result is in. The one who ultimately married the Rouran princess was Ashina Tumen of the Turks!"

"Turks?"

Yuwentai didn't know much about this tribe. The reason was that the Turks were far away in Jinshan, more than a thousand miles away, and information about this tribe was scarce.

However, Yuwen Tai found this result quite interesting.

Anagui fled to Juyanze, near the Western Regions.

The fact that the Turks dared to marry this Rouran princess from Li Shuang clearly shows that they were not so loyal to or convinced of the Rouran's loyalty.

"He is not one to remain subservient to others for long!"

After Yuwen Tai finished speaking, Cui Xian stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"The King of Qin did not agree to become the Heavenly Khan, but he did not object either. After the Rouran ruler fled west, no tribe north of the Six Garrisons could rival the King of Qin. The north will have at least one or two years of peace. Now that things are as they are, has the Grand Commander decided what to do?"

Yuwen Tai remained silent for a long time before finally speaking:

"Today we must reward our soldiers; let's drink first!"

This question is neither something a subject should say to his lord, nor something a lord should say to his subjects.

Cui Xian watched Yuwen Tai's departing figure, shook his head, and felt somewhat helpless!

……

A banquet is the best way to reward soldiers, and even the cold-faced Yuwen Tai was quite happy at the banquet.

However, Yuwen Tai, who is usually not drunk, was quite drunk today.

There was no other reason than that Yuwen Tai didn't really know what to do about Cui Xian's problem. He could only rely on alcohol and get drunk to get rid of it.

The next day, when Yuwentai woke up from his drunken stupor, it was just beginning to get light.

Yuwen Tai, who had never been so drunk before, felt his mouth was dry and he wanted to drink water!
Unlike ordinary people, Yuwen Tai, who fought his way out of Wuchuan, was very careful and never arranged servants around him, only guards outside the house.

Yuwen Tai got up from the bed, wanting to find water. He reached for the water vat, scooped up a ladle of water, and just took a sip.

"Black Otter, alcohol should be consumed in moderation!"

The sound was like a bolt from the blue, and Yuwentai almost dropped the water ladle in his hand.

who is it?

Yuwen Tai was shocked, yet the voice seemed familiar. He vaguely had the answer in his heart, but it also felt somewhat impossible.

Hesitating for a moment, Yuwen Tai looked toward the source of the sound and saw a man sitting by the window, smiling at him.

Li Shuang!

Is he here? Why is he here? How is he able to be here?
A flood of questions welled up inside him, tinged with even a hint of fear, but Yuwen Tai did not reveal his true feelings, and continued to bow with his hands clasped:

"King Qin!"

"sit!"

Yuwentai did not refuse and sat down opposite Li Shuang.

Li Shuang clapped his hands, and people began bringing in breakfast from outside.

Although this place is a military camp, it is not in the wild, so there is plenty of food available.

Mutton soup, cheese, flatbread, chicken soup...

Soon, a table of breakfast was set up between the two of them. Li Shuang picked up a flatbread and began to eat.

Seeing this, Yuwen Tai suppressed his unease and began to eat as well.

"Has Black Otter heard about the people's desire to make me the Heavenly Khan?"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Tai said softly:
"I heard it!"

What does Black Otter think?

Li Shuang continued eating, seemingly asking a very simple question, as if they were having a casual chat.

Yuwen Tai, however, dared not be careless. After thinking for a while, he said:
"The Rouran ruler Anagui has been ungrateful and has betrayed the court for a long time, gathering his followers to wreak havoc. Now that the Prince of Qin has defeated him, this achievement is worthy of being recorded in history. The name of the Heavenly Khan is naturally well-deserved. However, the matter of his ascension to the throne should be postponed."

"Why?"

"The Tuyuhun of the Hehuang region, the Goguryeo of Liaodong, the Rouran who fled west, and the Tiele tribes in the north have not yet submitted. It is easy to gain their name, but difficult to gain their reality. If the King of Qin wishes to occupy the throne, I fear he will only waste his energy and give the Erzhu clan an opportunity to take advantage of him."

Li Shuang nodded and said:

"That's what I think too."

Yuwentai breathed a sigh of relief, and just as he was about to catch his breath, Li Shuang spoke up again.

"The most important matter in the world today is to eliminate the Erzhu clan. However, the four directions are in turmoil and the borders are unstable. I fear that Yujiulütahan is not enough to deter the Khitan, Shiwei, Mohe and other tribes, while Goguryeo is powerful and must be guarded against!"

After speaking, Li Shuang looked at Yuwen Tai and said:
"I intend to appoint Black Otter as the Grand Administrator of the Northeast Circuit, overseeing the military and political affairs of the five prefectures of You, Yan, and An, and to move his garrison to Fanyang. What do you think?"

Li Shuang finished speaking casually, but Yuwen Tai was deeply shocked.

However, Yuwen Tai ultimately did not ask what to do about Hengzhou. He glanced at the rather lavish breakfast on the table, his face somber, and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, saying:
"promise!"
-
Yecheng.

"Have you heard about He Liuhun?"

Sima Ziru hurriedly found Gao Huan, and saw Sun Teng standing next to Gao Huan, saying something!
Gao Huan, however, was somewhat impatient.

There was no other reason than that Gao Huan had already heard the same news from many people through different channels.

From initial shock and unease, Gao Huan has now become somewhat numb to it.

Yuwentai's relocation of the town from Pingcheng to Fanyang was indeed a major event that shook Hebei.

"That's exactly what Long Que is saying!"

Upon hearing this, Sima Ziru still could not suppress the restlessness in his heart. He squeezed past Sun Teng and forcefully inserted himself into the conversation, saying something that Gao Huan had heard countless times before.

"Da Ye Shuang rode alone into Yuwen Tai's military camp and stripped him of his military command!"

Sima Ziru naturally knew what this implied. But the more she knew, the more indignant and powerless she felt.

"How...how could he..."

Gao Huan teased him, asking:

"how?"

Sima Ziru held back for a long time, not daring to utter a curse, and said:
"—Unreasonable!"

Sima Ziru was greatly surprised by this, and felt a sense of déjà vu, like a rabbit being killed after its hunt is over.

"The northern lands have just been stabilized, and Da Yeshuang has already driven those Wuchuan people out of Pingcheng. Will we Huai Shuo people suffer the same fate in the future?"

Compared to Sima Ziru's unease, Gao Huan appeared much calmer. This was because he had obtained more detailed information from various sources and knew more, so he had long since passed the initial shock.

"There's no need to worry. Yuwen Tai has left Pingcheng, but Pingcheng is still under the control of Dugu Xin, who comes from Wuchuan, and his nephew Yuwen Dao is also assisting him. Now Yuwen Tai has lost Hengzhou, but his power is even greater than before."

Previously, Yuwen Tai was the Grand Commander, overseeing the prefectures of Heng, Shuo, You, and Yan, but his main responsibility was military affairs. He had no jurisdiction over local government affairs.

Now, this Northeast Circuit Grand Secretariat has granted Yuwen Tai the power to handle both military and political affairs.

As Gao Huan spoke, a look of worry appeared on his face.

"However, his arrival in Fanyang is indeed a cause for concern!"

"Why?"

Gao Huan looked at the two pairs of big eyes staring at him and asked:
"Is Pingcheng closer to Yecheng, or is Fanyang closer to Yecheng?"

Sima Ziru and Sun Teng, standing to the side, both became somewhat serious. Neither of them were fools, and they quickly understood Gao Huan's meaning.

The current situation in Hebei can be divided into three main factions.

Those who support Yecheng, those who support Pingcheng, and those who are allied with Jinyang.

Originally, Yuwentai had the support of powerful clans such as the Lu family of Fanyang and the Cui family of Boling in Pingcheng, but it would ultimately take a lot of effort for Yuwentai to intervene in the affairs of Hebei.

Now that Yuwen Tai's base of operations has moved to Fanyang, with the support of the Lu clan of Fanyang and the Cui clan of Boling, Yecheng will inevitably face even greater pressure.

Sima Ziru and Sun Teng were shocked by Li Shuang's move. They suddenly realized that instead of worrying about whether Li Shuang would discard them after they were done with them, they should worry about what would happen to the Wuchuan people next.
"He Liuhun is right. So how should we respond?"

Gao Huan sighed and said:

"It would be best if we could keep to ourselves and not interfere with each other!"

Just as Gao Huan finished speaking, Wei Jing rushed in from outside.

"He Liuhun, that Gao Qian is here again, and he looks very angry!"

Gao Huan was displeased, but had no choice but to deal with it, and asked:
Do you know what it is?

"I heard that his caravan, which was going to Goguryeo to collect ginseng, was robbed just after passing Yingzhou."

"Who did this?"

"I heard that Liu Liang, a general under Yuwentai, went there specifically to ambush them."

Upon hearing this, Gao Huan's expression changed slightly, and he coldly said:
"So sharp, Yuwen Black Otter!"

……

Gao Huan walked through the Zhuanjun Cave in Ye City, holding a tinderbox, and slowly moved forward in the darkness.

The Zhuanjun Cave below the Three Platforms of Ye City is remote and complex, with many forks in the road and multiple destinations. After Gao Huan arrived in Ye City, he put a lot of effort into finding it.

After all, this is a means of rapid relocation in critical moments.

After Gao Huan secretly left Ye City without telling anyone, he met someone.

Liu Lingzhu!
The two met at a farm outside Ye City, with no one else around.

Given Gao Huan's cautious nature, he didn't even bring a single attendant with him.

Liu Lingzhu was the same.

"It's been quite a while since I've seen the Duke of Yan!"

This was clearly not the first time Gao Huan had met Liu Lingzhu; the two were quite familiar with each other in private.

"Congratulations, He Liuhun! News from Pingcheng indicates that the King of Qin intends to appoint He Liuhun as the Grand Chancellor of Hebei Province!"

Gao Huan was not surprised when he heard this.

He also knew what Liu Lingzhu knew.

Gao Huan showed no emotional reaction to this.

Upon seeing this, Liu Lingzhu stroked his beard.

"It seems He Liuhun has also planted spies around the King of Qin!"

"I came here because of old friendships! If the Duke of Yan wants to see me for this matter, then please allow me to take my leave!"

"Wait a minute!"

"Anything else?"

Liu Lingzhu reached out to stop him:

"You, me, and Ohno Sawa all know that the most precious thing in this world is not gold, silver, jewels, or fine silks, but intelligence!"

Gao Huan smiled and asked:

"so what?"

"Do you know what Ohno Sora said about you and Yuwen Tai?"

Gao Huan, who was about to leave, stopped and turned to look at Liu Lingzhu, saying:
"how?"

"Da Ye Shuang said that you and Yuwen Tai are both heroes of the world. The reason you are smarter than Yuwen Tai is that you seem to be unguarded with everyone, but in fact you are extremely cautious. The people around you are all loyal and reliable. You don't need to tighten the reins like Yuwen Tai to control your subordinates. Therefore, he was able to relieve Yuwen Tai of his military power and let him move to Fanyang, but he could not relieve you of your military power."

Gao Huan felt conflicted after hearing this.

"What is your intention in telling me all this?"

"Da Yeshuang has pacified Lingxia and Hengshuo, and there is no longer any threat to the north of Guanzhong. If we defeat the Erzhu clan in Luoyang, then apart from Xiao Yan, I'm afraid no one in the world can rival him!"

Gao Huan frowned, unsure for a moment whether Liu Lingzhu was a bait thrown out by Li Shuang.

Liu Lingzhu noticed Gao Huan's doubts, took out a letter from his sleeve, and handed it to him.

Gao Huan took it and his expression changed drastically.

When did you get involved with the Liang people?

"He Liuhun, just tell me if you want to become the King of Bohai, unify Hebei, and achieve hegemony!"

Gao Huan looked at Liu Lingzhu and was almost about to agree, but at the last moment, he resisted the enormous temptation.

"I, He Liuhun, have received the King of Qin's favor and am stationed in Ye City. I have absolutely no intention of betraying him!"

Just then, a burst of laughter came from outside.

Hou Jing walked in carrying an axe and laughed:

"He Liuhun, you are indeed a loyal minister just like me!"

Gao Huan quickly adapted to this sudden change.

Liu Lingzhu, who was standing to the side, also laughed, as if what he had just said was just a dream.

"He Liuhun, I apologize for what I said earlier."

"It's alright, it's alright!"

Hou Jing tossed aside the carefully selected axe, put his arm around Gao Huan's shoulder, and said:

"We're brothers. If you really agree, how can I bring myself to do it?"

Gao Huan also laughed heartily and said:
"In our hearts, there are only two words: loyalty and righteousness. That's all there is to it!"

Outside, a group of axemen retreated, and inside, a joyful atmosphere filled the room.

……

(End of this chapter)