Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 377 I desperately want to be emperor

Outside Luoyang City, at the camp of the Qin King's army.

"Get in!"

At a shout, Erzhu Shilong and Erzhu Dulu were bound by Li Shuang's armored soldiers and led into the main tent.

The tent was dark, but sunlight shone through the skylight at the top, giving the tent a sliver of light.

Through this light, Erzhu Shilong and Erzhu Dulu, who were kneeling on the ground, saw Li Shuang.

At this moment, Li Shuang sat upright behind the table, with Murong Shaozong standing beside him, looking back at them.

As soon as Erzhudulu entered the main tent, all his strength seemed to drain away. Normally, Erzhudulu was cruel, greedy, and utterly wicked, but in this life-or-death situation, all he wanted was to survive!

"Third Uncle, spare me!"

Unlike Erzhu Dulu, Erzhu Shilong showed no intention of begging for mercy at this moment and shouted.

"Erzhudulu, why are you crying? Now that things have come to this, do you still expect Dayeshuang to spare us?"

After Erzhu Shilong's defeat, he intended to flee to Southern Liang with his remaining troops, but they were intercepted by Li Shuang's army and his entire army was wiped out.

The two of them were also brought over.

Li Shuang waved his hand, and Murong Shaozong walked over and used his sword to remove the ropes binding Erzhu Shilong.

Erzhu Shilong was untied, stood up, stretched his muscles and bones to improve his blood circulation, and then looked at Li Shuang.

"What do you want?"

Li Shuang smiled and said:
"I will not spare your lives."

Upon hearing this, Erzhudulu cried even louder.

"However one dies is still up to me."

Li Shuang looked at Erzhu Shilong and said:

"You know, among the Erzhu clan, I quite admire you compared to the others."

“The victor is king and the loser is a bandit. Today, my Erzhu clan has been defeated and is about to be destroyed. I appreciate the King of Qin’s kindness.”

Erzhu Shilong, usually cunning and treacherous, felt a sense of gratitude at this moment. After all, such dignity was extremely rare for the Erzhu clan at this point.

"What does the King of Qin want me to do?"

Li Shuang stood up, waved his hand, and the armored soldiers dragged Erzhu Dulu, who was crying uncontrollably, out.

"All the maps and documents of the Erzhu family's private property in Hebei, Henan, Luoyang and other places have fallen into my hands, but the seal that represents the identity of the head of the Erzhu family is nowhere to be found."

Erzhu Shilong was taken aback when he heard this. But he quickly understood.

The Erzhu clan was destroyed, but its legacy remained enormous.

Putting aside other factors, the Qihu cavalry who surrendered in battle constituted a formidable force. The Qihu were not a large clan, but they were led by the Erzhu clan. With this seal of authority, they could rightfully control them.

In addition, the Erzhu clan possessed considerable private property in various regions. Before losing Shanxi and Hebei, the Erzhu clan also controlled iron mines and workshops in Bingzhou, Dingzhou, and Yinzhou.

Furthermore, when Erzhu Rong was the King of Taiyuan, the imperial court granted 200,000 households as the capital of Taiyuan.

The major prefectures of Hebei, including Changle in Jizhou, Nanzhao in Xiangzhou, Boling in Dingzhou, Fuyang in Cangzhou, Liaoxi in Pingzhou, Shanggu in Yanzhou, and Yuyang in Youzhou, were all fiefdoms of Erzhu Rong.

If Li Shuang wants to control the legacy left by the Erzhu clan, then having this contract seal will make things much easier. At least, it will be very convenient internally.

After all, who says a son-in-law can't inherit family property!

Having figured all this out, Erzhu Shilong stopped struggling.

This seal, representing the head of the Erzhu clan, had been in the hands of Erzhu Shilong since Erzhu Rong's death. It was briefly taken away by Erzhu Zhao, but returned to Erzhu Shilong's hands after Erzhu Zhao lost Taiyuan.

"I fled in haste and buried it under the ancient tree at Wulin Pavilion Inn."

Li Shuang walked forward slowly and nodded.

"Then you can go without worry!"

Erzhu Shilong watched as Li Shuang walked up to him. Several years had passed, but Li Shuang still looked young. If he remembered correctly, Li Shuang was only twenty-six years old.

Back then, the Erzhu clan moved south from Beixiurong and once controlled most of the Northern Wei's territory. After their rise to power, they were destroyed in just over ten years.

Now, it's Li Shuang's turn to stand outside Luoyang.

Erzhu Shilong was filled with complex emotions, even a hint of fear of death. In the end, he looked at Li Shuang and said only one sentence.

"Be careful of those powerful clans; they are much more difficult to deal with than my Erzhu clan."

"I understand!"

After Erzhu Shilong finished speaking, he stepped out of the tent, all the courage he had gathered dissipating the moment he was bathed in sunlight again. His legs trembled uncontrollably, and he knew what he was about to face, but Erzhu Shilong gritted his teeth, straightened his body, and walked halfway there. Under the gaze of the Qihu people, he smiled and said:

"I am deeply grateful for the Khan's grace!"

……

The Chengyang County Duke's Mansion.

"Have you heard? Before Erzhu Shilong died, he appeared quite righteous and awe-inspiring!"

Jia Xianzheng came to Hu Sichun and recounted the scene he hadn't witnessed, but described it vividly.

After hearing this, Hu Sichun couldn't help but sneer:
"That brat Erzhu Shilong, what's he pretending for? Everyone knows who he is!"

Hu Sichun's words were harsh, but Jia Xianzheng agreed with them.

"What do you think the King of Qin is thinking? Why is he delaying entering the city after winning the battle?"

After defeating the Erzhu clan, Li Shuang did not lead his army into the city. He merely declared military discipline, forbidding killing, theft, rape, and plunder. In addition, he sent people to seal up the treasury in Luoyang to maintain order.

"The King of Qin has won, but the royal family, officials, and even common people in Luoyang are all worried and fear that another Erzhu Rong will emerge." Hu Sichun looked at Jia Xianzheng, "Those Xianbei surrendered soldiers are not easy to deal with either."

"Shall we go and pay them a visit?"

Jia Xianzheng was somewhat unsure, so he pulled Hu Sichun aside, only to hear him say:
"I need to go see him, but I have to time it right."

Just then, a report came from outside.

Hu Sichun's father, Hu Sidun, arrived.

Hustun was from Shuozhou. As soon as he entered, Husichun could tell that he looked unfriendly.

Of course, Hu Sichun also knew the reason.

There was no other reason than that after Husichun seized Jinyong City, he joined forces with Jia Xianzheng to conduct a large-scale search and capture of the Erzhu clan in the city, slaughtering them all and hanging their heads on the trees in front of their own mansion.

"Father!"

"You and Erzhu swore brotherhood, how can you now hang their heads at your doorstep? Isn't that a betrayal of heaven and earth?!"

Faced with the old man's questioning, Jia Xianzheng stood by, clearly watching the spectacle with amusement.

Hu Sichun helped Hu Sidun up and advised him:

"Father, we can talk about it later."

Huston, however, was very stubborn and said:
"What can't be said in front of others!"

Hu Sichun, pressed for answers, said somewhat impatiently:

"If I don't hang their heads on my door, it won't be long before our heads are being hung on our door too!"

Huston looked at his son and remained silent.

But soon, a sound came from outside, making Hu Sichun and Jia Xianzheng unable to sit still.

"My lord, Prince Yuan Baoju of Nanyang has led dozens of members of the imperial clan and high-ranking officials to the city to welcome Prince Qin!" Hu Sichun jumped up immediately, angrily shouting:

"Where did this kid come from?!"

Jia Xianzheng lost interest in watching the spectacle and hurriedly ran out of the house. Hu Sichun was also in a hurry to leave, but before leaving, she gave a perfunctory reply.

"Father, let's talk about it later!"

Watching Hu Sichun and Jia Xianzheng's retreating figures, Hu Sichun sighed and said:
"I'm really getting old!"
-
The appearance of the Yuanbaoju was like a catfish, revitalizing the entire Luoyang fishpond.

Originally, Li Shuang was outside the city, and since he didn't move, neither did the people inside the city.

But now that the Yuanbao torch has been lit, the crowd in the city can no longer contain themselves and has followed suit.

Before Yuan Baoju left the city, he only had a few dozen people with him, but after leaving the city, he gradually gathered several hundred people around him.

The large group of people traveled several miles outside the city and arrived at the camp.

The camp gates opened, and Li Shuang, dressed in royal robes, led a group of generals to stand before Yuan Baoju and his entourage.

At this moment, Hu Sichun, Jia Xianzheng and others also arrived, but they were panting heavily and out of breath.

Hu Sichun glanced at He Basheng standing next to Li Shuang and cursed inwardly.

Hebasheng immediately betrayed Li Shuang and now stands beside him, while Husichun stands opposite him.

This is the difference!
"The Erzhu clan has been tyrannical and has caused havoc for a long time. Now, the King of Qin has raised a righteous army to quell this chaos, bring peace to the world, and restore the state. However, the false emperor has died suddenly, and the state is without a ruler. We request that the King of Qin take charge of the government and bring order to the world."

Holding the seal of the Northern Wei emperor, Yuan Baoju spoke eloquently. At this moment, Yuan Baoju stood in the absolute center position!
He felt like he'd never been so cool in his entire life! After this incident, he could finally move to a bigger house.

"I rose from humble beginnings, a man of the mountains and fields. At a time when the nation was in peril, I rose up with righteous troops to punish the poor and stubborn. Now that the matter is accomplished, I should retire and await the arrival of loyal and virtuous ministers. How dare I claim credit for my achievements and assume the reins of government?"

After Li Shuang finished speaking, while Yuan Baoju was still considering his words, Hu Sichun suddenly ran out and immediately cupped his hands in greeting, saying:

"The King of Qin is greatly mistaken!"

Hu Sichun's shout startled everyone present.

Yuan Baoju stared wide-eyed at Hu Sichun, thinking to himself:
Where did this come from?!
But then Hu Sichun said:
"The Erzhu clan has brought disaster to the nation. Now, there are northern barbarians causing chaos outside, and young children and weak people needing to be cared for inside. At this time, only the King of Qin can secure the nation. How can you, for the sake of your own reputation, bear to see the people suffer and the nation be insecure!"

Hebasheng looked at Husichun, his eyes lit up, and he thought to himself:
What a bold artist!

Li Shuang shook his head and said:

"No, no!"

As soon as Li Shuang finished speaking, Jia Xianzheng ran out, knelt down immediately, tears welling in his eyes, his expression agitated.

"If the King of Qin does not respond, what will become of the people? I will not rise until the King of Qin gives his answer!"

As Jia Xianzheng knelt down, the others followed suit, shouting:

"We will not rise until the King of Qin agrees!"

Throughout the entire process, Yuan Baoju was the slowest to react. Everyone else knelt down, but he remained standing.

There's no other reason than that he was the only one who followed the script; everyone else was trying to steal the spotlight!

Damn it, wasn't it agreed that they would decline three times and offer their resignations three times? How come it's progressing so fast!

That's it for one day. How will the wages for the next few days be calculated?
Is it possible to exchange the house?
As Yuan Baoju muttered to himself, Li Shuang's gaze fell upon him, and he felt a pang of anxiety, so he knelt down along with the others.

Looking at this scene, Li Shuang said leisurely:

"Therefore, I have no choice but to accept it!"

……

Inside the large tent, Yuan Baoju followed Li Shuang closely, step by step.

“Brother-in-law, this is not my fault. We originally agreed to decline three times, but Hu Sichun and Jia Xianzheng messed it up.”

Li Shuang ignored Yuan Baoju and was playing with the jade seal that had been sent to his tent, symbolizing the power of the Northern Wei emperor.

Li Shuang didn't care about Yuan Baoju, but he kept rambling on and on.

"Brother-in-law, look, I've taken care of things for you. What about the house we agreed on?"

Li Shuang sat back down in his seat, looked at Yuan Baoju, and asked:

"I heard Yuwentai gave you a gift?"

Yuan Baoju was taken aback, not understanding why Li Shuang suddenly brought this up, but he had no intention of hiding it, and honestly replied:
"Yes, they gave away quite a lot!"

Li Shuang listened and asked:
"What did he ask you to do?"

Yuan Baoju was also somewhat puzzled, but simply said:
"He didn't ask me to do anything. You know, most people give gifts to ask for favors, but his money seems to come out of the wind. Isn't he stupid?"

Li Shuang smiled and asked:

"Then who else is such a fool?"

"And that Gao Huan, he also gave me money, but he didn't want anything in return."

"That's really clever!"

With that, Li Shuang handed the seal to Yuan Baoju.

Yuan Baoju, holding the seal, was stunned, but then heard Li Shuang say:

"You often complain that I don't give you a big house, and that the house you live in is remote and inconvenient. Now, I'm going to give you a house. Do you dare to live there?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Baoju was overjoyed and said:
"Who doesn't like living in a big house? Brother-in-law, as long as you provide it, I'm willing to live there!"

Li Shuang looked at the Yuanbaoju and slowly said:
"North of Tongtuo Street and east of Jinyong City, there is an extremely luxurious mansion. What do you think?"

"North of Tongtuo Street and east of Jinyong City, where is there a grand mansion?"

Yuan Baoju muttered to himself, then suddenly remembered something, his face turned pale, and his voice trembled.

"Sister...brother-in-law...you...you mean...let me..."

As he spoke, Yuan Baoju pointed to the jade seal in his hand, and then to himself.

Li Shuang smiled and asked:

"You don't want to?"

Yuan Baoju suddenly knelt down, hugged Li Shuang's leg, and said:

“Brother-in-law, as long as I become emperor, I will do whatever you say and never disobey you. Even if it's just for a few years, no, even a few months, I'm willing.”

"Get up, get up!"

Li Shuang took a piece of paper out of his sleeve, handed it to Yuan Baoju, and said:

"You lack virtue and prestige, yet you aspire to inherit the throne. You should bestow favors upon the imperial clan. Include the Yuan family members on this list in the imperial genealogy and show them kindness!"

"I'll do whatever my brother-in-law says!"

Yuan Baoju glanced at the list quickly.

"Yuan Jiye, that name sounds unfamiliar. Which clan is he from?"

"He is the son of Emperor Xiaoming!"

Yuan Baoju was taken aback, muttering to himself:

Wasn't Yuan Xu's son missing after being killed along with Empress Hu?
However, Yuan Baoju didn't pay much attention to it. He put the list into his sleeve and happily walked out of the tent with the imperial seal in his hand.

……

(End of this chapter)