Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 400 I Can't Take This Injustice Anymore

The news of the Northern Army from Luoyang and Yuzhou marching south to attack Southern Liang has not yet been made public, but Southern Liang has already received the news.

The mobilization of tens of thousands of troops and the corresponding requisition of provisions could not be hidden from the eyes and ears of the Southern Liang.

In order to prepare for this battle, Nanliang also began to mobilize a large amount of resources to the Hefei and Shouyang front.

Both sides were making preparations in full swing, but in private, the correspondence between Jiankang and Chang'an became more and more frequent.

Summer has passed and autumn has arrived; letters from Jiankang have once again reached Changle Palace.

However, at this moment, the Chang Le Palace was bustling with activity.

Chang Le Palace was originally an expansion of a large, unclaimed manor located west of the Chan River.

After taking over the manor, Li Shuang first used it as a garrison, a bridgehead to protect the east of Chang'an.

By utilizing the orchards, fields, and animal pens near the manor, the supply of food and fodder could be reduced. Furthermore, because the manor was located west of the Chan River and connected to the Wei River, the supply of food and fodder was convenient, and more than a thousand soldiers were stationed there.

As Li Shuang conquered all directions and eliminated the dangers near Guanzhong one by one, the manor, which had been incorporated into the Chang'an Forbidden Garden, was expanded into a palace.

Furthermore, with the opening of the canal, which led directly to Changle Palace, the palace's role as a bridgehead to the east of Chang'an became increasingly prominent, and the garrison increased from one thousand to three thousand men.

Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, powerful families have expanded across provinces and counties, annexing land and turning their manors into "Shangri-Las." Even the next-ranking powerful families had numerous fortified villages and thousands of tenant farmers.

Outside the manor, barbarians ravaged the land, and the people suffered greatly; inside the manor, one could indulge in romance and pleasure.

The reason why powerful and wealthy families can do this is that their manors themselves encompass a considerable amount of production activities.

Powerful families built fortified villages in the center of their estates as their gathering places. They cultivated fertile fields around the fortified villages, dug ponds, planted mulberry trees and raised silkworms, built orchards, raised livestock, and even engaged in mining and smelting.

In this way, the manor can be self-sufficient without having to trade with the outside world.

The same is true of Chang Le Palace, which was originally a large manor.

In fact, after the canal was opened, even more land was reclaimed around it, amounting to nearly 800 hectares.

The palace was surrounded by the Chan River, and an artificial pond was dug to the north of the palace. In addition, there were orchards such as peach orchards, vineyards, and pear orchards. Nearby, there was a Flying Dragon Stable, which housed thousands of horses.

In late summer and early autumn, the maids in Chang Le Palace, led by the two princesses Dugu Ru and Erzhu Ying'e, began to busy themselves picking fresh grapes in the vineyards near Chang Le Palace, washing them, and then setting them on the ground in preparation for making new wine.

Dugu Ru and Erzhu Ying'e both came from the north and were skilled in various life skills. Even after becoming the princesses of the Qin Prince's mansion, they often led their maids in raising silkworms and spinning and weaving, serving as role models for women in Guanzhong.

In contrast, Yuan Mingyue was much less familiar with these things.

As the younger sister of the current emperor of Northern Wei, Yuan Mingyue suffered greatly from a young age in the Ye You Ting (a place for confined women) due to her father's rebellion. But even at her worst, she was still in Luoyang, and Luoyang before the Rebellion of the Six Garrisons and the Heyin Incident.

It's true that Yuan Mingyue suffered a lot of cold treatment from a young age, but it's also true that she didn't learn many life skills.

Yuan Mingyue felt complicated whenever she watched Dugu Ru and Erzhu Ying'e busy at work.

Li Shuang highly approves of this.

Guanzhong, as Li Shuang's stronghold, has accumulated some wealth over the years, but it is far from being wealthy.

Practicing frugality and focusing on reserves are already policies that Li Shuang is implementing.

Yuan Mingyue liked to wear jade ornaments and silk dresses, but for this reason, she also gave up gold and jade and wore plain clothes.

Even in a simple cloth dress, Yuan Mingyue's stunning beauty could not be concealed.

Inside the palace, while Dugu Ru, Erzhu Ying'e, and others were busy outside, Yuan Mingyue found Li Shuang.

Li Shuang was reading the letter that had been sent from Jiankang. Upon seeing Yuan Mingyue, he nodded, gesturing for her to come closer.

"Your Majesty!"

Yuan Mingyue waited, and saw Li Shuang finish reading it, a smile appearing on his face. Yuan Mingyue found this strange and asked:
"Your Majesty, what is making you laugh?"

“The Lord Liang wrote a letter saying that I came from the mountains and did not understand the profound Buddhist teachings, and also subtly pointed out that I was a bandit.”

Upon hearing this, Yuan Mingyue's expression changed.

For Yuan Mingyue, such a statement was undoubtedly an insult. Yuan Mingyue had suffered countless cold treatments since childhood, yet she was still the granddaughter of Emperor Xiaowen, Yuan Hong, and a princess of the Yuan clan.

The Yuan family was originally the head of all the surnames in the world, and the Yuan family members valued the system that they had built from scratch.

Yuan Mingyue was furious.

"How can you, as the Lord of Liang, do such a thing!"

Li Shuang was startled by Yuan Mingyue's attitude. He looked at her and saw that her delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed and her cheeks were slightly puffed out. Having been married for many years, Li Shuang naturally knew she was angry. He pulled her into his arms, stroked her back, and comforted her:

"So what if I came from the mountains? So what if I was a bandit? What am I afraid of what others will say?"

"No, I can suffer injustice, but how can my husband suffer injustice?"

Seeing Yuan Mingyue like this, Li Shuang laughed and said:
"So what do you want to do? Write a letter and curse back?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Mingyue became somewhat timid.

"How can I, a mere woman, get involved? If people find out, it will be a disgrace to my husband!"

Li Shuang's movements quickened, and Yuan Mingyue's face turned slightly flushed.

"That's it, it doesn't matter if I suffer some injustice!"

……

night.

Yuan Mingyue lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, and got up in the darkness of the night.

"Somebody come!"

Yuan Mingyue's personal maid, Xiao Yuan, who had been asleep, woke up groggily upon hearing the noise and asked:

"Your Highness, why aren't you asleep yet? It's so late."

"I can't sleep!"

Xiao Yuan rubbed her eyes and asked:

"Shall I speak with the Princess?"

Once these words were spoken, Yuan Mingyue began to talk non-stop.

"I'm still angry. My husband has really suffered a great injustice!"

Xiao Yuan was taken aback, thinking to herself, who would dare to make the King angry?
"What injustice has Your Majesty suffered?"

"The Liang ruler wrote a letter, humiliating my husband by saying he was just a country bumpkin from humble origins, of lowly status, and unworthy to govern Guanzhong. I was furious when I heard that. My husband didn't say anything on the surface, but I don't know how heartbroken he must be!"

Xiao Yuan, young and petite, asked:
"What does the princess wish to do?"

Yuan Mingyue's hair was a little messy as she said:

"I did everything I could during the day, but I feel like I didn't do enough!"

Xiao Yuan was confused and didn't understand what he meant.

"What else can the princess do?"

Yuan Mingyue thought for a moment, made up her mind, and said:

"Fetch paper and ink. I need to write a letter to the Empress, asking her to find noble ladies to enrich my husband's household."

Xiao Yuan scratched her head and asked:
"Your Highness, shouldn't you ask the King and Princess Dugu before you do this?"

Yuan Mingyue thought about it and realized that the affairs of the inner palace were not something she could decide alone. She couldn't help but sigh.

“My husband is good in every way, except that he always likes to suffer in silence.”
-
Jiankang.

"Prince!"

Xiao Gang returned to Jiankang from Shouyang and reported to Xiao Yan on the war preparations at the front.

As they approached the palace, Zhu Yi whispered a reminder to him.

Xiao Gang was also very curious. Zhu Yi had always been at odds with him, so why was he whispering to him now?
"Lord Zhu, what is it?"

Zhu Yi, standing beside Xiao Gang, whispered:

"The envoy sent to Guanzhong has returned. After the Crown Prince meets His Majesty, it would be best to be cautious!"

Xiao Gang was puzzled. What was there to be cautious about? But Zhu Yi, after saying this, kept his distance from Xiao Gang. Other court officials had also arrived. The crowd waited outside the hall, and after Xiao Yan's summons, they entered the palace.

Emperor Xiao Yan had cultivated himself for many years and always maintained his dignity in front of his ministers.

But at this moment, he covered his head with his hands, leaned against the imperial desk, and did not show his face.

Inside the palace, the envoy from Guanzhong stood quietly to one side, looking at Crown Prince Xiao Gang with a plea for help, while the eunuchs remained silent.

Crown Prince Xiao Gang led the officials of Southern Liang in bowing.

"See Your Majesty!"

Xiao Yan remained silent, and everyone sensed something was amiss, but dared not say anything more.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the palace became tense.

After a long while, Xiao Yan raised his head, his aged face and slightly reddened eyes, and angrily said before the assembled officials:

"You brat, you have insulted me far too much!"

Xiao Gang was startled. He had only been away from Jiankang for a short time, so why was Xiao Yan, who was always extremely well-mannered, acting like this?
It's important to understand that shouting "Dae Ye Shuang" in the Northern Dynasty isn't necessarily an insult, but shouting it in the Southern Dynasty is definitely an insult!
The Southern Liang dynasty always considered itself the legitimate dynasty and held the northern nomadic peoples in contempt and disdain. To refer to a Han Chinese by the surname of a nomad was an insult!

"Your Majesty, calm down!"

The ministers proceeded according to procedure, but Xiao Yan grew even angrier, saying:
"Calm down! How can we calm down? This wild brat is utterly ignorant of manners and extremely arrogant!"

Listening to this, Xiao Gang finally understood the meaning of Zhu Yi's reminder earlier.

"Xiao Gang!"

"My son is here!"

"How is the situation in the Jianghuai region?"

"Your Majesty, the provisions and supplies are ready, and the army is prepared for battle!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan said:

"Very well, this battle will teach that brat Ohno a lesson!"

"My son, I obey!"

Xiao Yan's anger subsided, and he said again:
"That brat Da Ye is merely trying to slow down our army's advance; how can I grant him his wish? Issue the order to reinforce Jiangling with 30,000 troops, and instruct Xiao Yi to launch a campaign against Shu after the autumn harvest!"

Xiao Gang was startled, but it was too late to stop him.

Jiangling, located in the rear, is a vital town in Jingzhou and Xiangyang, garrisoned by 10,000 elite troops. Now, with the addition of these 30,000 soldiers, Xiao Gang's younger brother, Xiao Yi, truly holds immense power!
If Xiao Yi fails to achieve any results in this battle, that's fine. But if he conquers cities and territories, even if he takes Jiangzhou, his prestige will surely soar!

This will have a significant impact on Xiao Gang's position as crown prince.

Xiao Gang thought for a moment and advised:

"Your Majesty, is it too risky to wage war on two fronts? If we suffer any losses, it may be difficult to achieve a complete victory."

Although Xiao Yan was furious, he had already planned ahead and said:

"One defense and one offense are just right, there's no need to worry!"

Seeing that Xiao Yan had made up his mind, the others had no objections and began to discuss the specific details.

The heavy military workload had left Xiao Gang somewhat exhausted, but his strong curiosity still compelled him to secretly summon the envoy sent by Xiao Yan to Guanzhong and inquire about him.

Why is His Majesty so furious?

The envoy's expression was also somewhat unpleasant, but since Xiao Gang had asked, he couldn't hide it from him now that he was there.

The crown prince is, after all, the future emperor!

"Your Majesty and the King of Qin have corresponded frequently. Every time Your Majesty sends a letter, the King of Qin responds calmly, but his replies infuriate Your Majesty."

Xiao Gang was puzzled and said:

What did His Majesty say?

"Your Majesty said that the Prince of Qin came from a humble background and was a mountain king in his early years, so he was ignorant of etiquette and could not understand the profound Buddhist teachings!"

Xiao Gang's expression changed.

This is clearly an insult!

Whether in the Northern or Southern Dynasties, there was no shortage of prominent and aristocratic families.

The Northern Dynasties had Cui, Lu, Wang, and Zheng, while the Southern Dynasties also had Wang, Xie, Yuan, and Xiao.

In this day and age, you'd be embarrassed to go out if you didn't say you were related to a prominent family.

Xiao Gang grew up in this kind of environment. The Lanling Xiao clan was also a royal family of the Southern Dynasty, with a status equal to that of the Wang and Xie families. If it were Xiao Gang himself, he certainly wouldn't be able to bear being spoken to like that.

"What about the King of Qin?"

"The King of Qin is unharmed!"

Xiao Gang frowned, thinking the envoy was just making excuses for him, but to his surprise, the other party was telling the truth.

"The King of Qin was not angry at all; in fact, he burst out laughing on the spot!"

"laugh?"

The envoy nodded and said:
Even the generals and officials around the King of Qin were laughing.

After listening, Xiao Gang understood somewhat.

Xiao Yan wanted to criticize Li Shuang, but found himself unable to find an effective way to attack. He said Li Shuang came from humble beginnings and was a mountain bandit, but the man simply didn't care.

Xiao Gang was curious about the atmosphere in Guanzhong.

However, he was more curious about what Li Shuang had said to Xiao Yan that made him so angry.

"The King of Qin said, Jiankang is just like Luoyang in the past. What the ruler likes, the people will do even more. The people build a lot of temples, which wastes taxes. People are becoming monks and nuns, which leads to a sharp decrease in the population. Officials are corrupt, extravagant and tyrannical. The king occupies the position but does not fulfill his duties. As a result, rewards are not enough to reward good and punishments are not enough to stop evil!"

Xiao Gang listened and nodded unconsciously.

But soon, he noticed that the messenger's expression had become even stranger.

"Why are you like this?"

The messenger hesitated, but eventually spoke.

"The King of Qin also said that if Your Majesty is truly determined to live a life of seclusion, you should abdicate and become a monk at Tongtai Temple."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Gang became furious.

"You brat, how dare you speak like this!"

Isn't this blatant attempt to sow discord between him and his father, Xiao Yan?
If things go wrong, it could lead people to believe that he was secretly colluding with Li Shuang and trying to force Xiao Yan to abdicate.

Thinking of this, and recalling Xiao Yan's expression in the palace that day, Xiao Gang felt a cold sweat pour down his back.

"What did your Majesty say?"

The envoy shook his head and sighed:

"How could I possibly know Your Majesty's intentions?"

……

It was late at night, and Xiao Yan couldn't sleep on his bed!

"Somebody come!"

The eunuch approached and bowed, saying:

"His Majesty!"

"Bring me pen and ink; I wish to reply to that brat, Da Ye!"

The eunuch glanced at the sky and said:
"Your Majesty, it is late. You have to inspect the troops at the drill ground tomorrow. You should rest and recuperate!"

"Since I ascended the throne, I have never suffered such a humiliating disgrace! I cannot bear this injustice for even a moment longer!"

……

(End of this chapter)