Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 411 Women will only affect the speed at which I draw my sword
At the end of the sixth year of the Zhongdatong era of the Southern Liang Dynasty, the two wars between the Northern and Southern Dynasties caused by the change of control of Bashu were temporarily coming to an end, and the troops of both sides had disengaged.

After Hebasheng fled south, Hou Jing took over the military power in Yuzhou, and generally maintained the territory that Hebasheng had expanded when he left.

From Xuanhu in the north to Guangling in the south, from Xincai in the east to Rangxian in the west, and from Runan to Nanyang, the land of several prefectures that the Southern Liang had seized during the internal strife of the Northern Wei Dynasty changed hands again.

The Huaihe River basin has now returned to the state it was in back then, with the Southern Liang and Northern Wei separated by the Huai River, each using Xinyang and Guangling as their respective bases, and neither side could gain the upper hand.

After Xiao Yi was ordered to retreat from the Bashu region, he stationed a 3,000-strong army in the newly captured Fuling County, while the rest of his troops returned to Jiangling.

This indicates that the Southern Liang's war against Bashu had no follow-up plans. As he expected, Xiao Yi was recalled to Jiankang.

However, Wang Sizheng, who was stationed in Jiangzhou, was not happy about the victory in the defense of Jiangzhou. Instead, he accelerated the construction of infrastructure to prepare for the next attack on Bashu by the Liang army.

At the turn of the year, Li Shuang once again set off from Chang'an and arrived in Luoyang to attend the grand court assembly in Luoyang during the first month of the lunar calendar.

After a long absence, the appearance of Luoyang has changed again since Li Shuang left.

The inner city of Luoyang has been completely transformed, a far cry from the bleak state it was in during the reign of the Erzhu clan. The government offices and residences that had been destroyed have all been rebuilt. The pastures that the Erzhu clan used for raising horses have also been moved outside the city. Every twenty steps along the streets between the neighborhoods, trees have been planted for people to rest and cool off.

Compared to the inner city where members of the imperial family, nobles, and meritorious officials resided, the outer city was not as meticulously constructed.

The construction of the outer city was quite rudimentary. Centered around the East and West Markets of Luoyang, a large population gathered in the neighborhoods surrounding the markets, creating a bustling atmosphere. Unlike the grand and magnificent mansions of the nobles in the inner city, the neighborhoods of the outer city were mostly inhabited by commoners who did not pursue luxury and prioritized practicality in their homes.

The neighborhoods surrounding the two cities were crowded and somewhat chaotic.

However, the population is concentrated around the two cities, while the more distant areas are uninhabited.

After Li Shuang arrived in Luoyang, he led his army to garrison Jinyong City. Compared to six months ago, the palaces in Jinyong City had all been completed, and the city's flying towers and covered walkways were quite exquisite.

The Golden Palace on the floating island has been fitted with glazed tiles and looks even more magnificent than the imperial palace.

Hu Sichun was one of the first people to enter Jinyong City after Li Shuang entered Luoyang.

Standing before Li Shuang, Hu Sichun recounted the latest situation in Luoyang. Although Hu Sichun spoke without a trace of expression or arrogance, the numbers he presented were the best form of boasting.

"Your Majesty, the population of Luoyang has now reached 300,000, the Yongjia granary has stored 2 million shi of grain, and the imperial treasury has more than 100,000 bolts of silk of various colors. In addition, more than 100 foreigners from more than 10 countries have come to the capital to pay homage, and they are all staying in the Sifang Pavilion."

After the Heyin Incident, Luoyang was a city where you could hardly see anyone during the day.

During Yuan Ziyou's rule, Luoyang's population rebounded. However, with the death of Erzhu Rong and the arrival of Erzhu Zhao in Luoyang, the population declined again.

When Li Shuang entered Luoyang, the city's population was only 100,000, but in just over a year, it grew back to 300,000.

Although it is far from the Luoyang of its peak, it is enough to show that the capital has shaken off the shadow of war and is moving forward.

It's important to know that Luoyang now has twice the population of Chang'an.

Hu Sichun was in charge of the reconstruction project of Luoyang City, and such a remarkable achievement was made in a short period of time, which shows his ability.

"Fashou, you've worked hard!"

Hu Sichun lowered his head and cupped his hands, saying:
"For the country, for the king, this is what I should do."

During their conversation, Hu Sichun cleverly avoided mentioning the Emperor Yuan Baoju, who was currently in the palace, and tried to get closer to Li Shuang by pledging allegiance to him directly.

Hu Sichun then introduced the dredging status of the Gushui River and Yangqu Canal around Luoyang City.

The city of Luoyang mainly relied on the Luo River and the Gu River for its water supply, as well as the Qianjin Canal, Yang Canal, Changfen Canal, and Yanluo Canal, which were built on these two rivers.

Two water conservancy projects were affected during the war: Qianjinhe Dam and Yanluo Dam.

Qianjinyu was a reservoir in Luoyang City, serving functions such as flood control, waterlogging prevention, and providing domestic water for the inner city and the imperial city.

The Yanluo Dam diverted the Luo River, forming the Yanluo Canal, which served as a waterway for transporting grain to Luoyang City.

After winter set in, Hu Sichun recruited river workers and conscripted laborers to repair and reinforce the two dams. At the same time, he was sending people to dredge the waterways.

"In that case, we might not have enough manpower!"

Hu Sichun, standing nearby, listened to Li Shuang's words and said:

"Although it's a bit difficult, it's still manageable. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."

Hu Sichun was very attentive, his main point being that he would never trouble the King of Qin with any difficulties. There was a reason for his attentiveness.

Now that Hebasheng is no longer in Luoyang, Hou Jing has gone to Guangling City, and Changsun Zhi is in poor health, who will be the next governor of Luoyang?
What Hu Sichun wanted to obtain was the position of the garrison commander of Luoyang.

"The Yongji Canal will be opened soon. Since you are short of manpower, I will have some transferred from Hebei to you."

"Your Majesty, I thank you greatly!"

As a Tiele person, Husichun could not be said to be indifferent to the suffering of the Xianbei people, but he was unmoved. In the end, those Xianbei prisoners of war were not northerners, and Husichun had no reason to care.

Hu Sichun was not an impatient person; he could have waited. In the meantime, he could have won over the King of Qin with his merits and hard work.

At that moment, Lu Rou, carrying a military intelligence report, requested an audience outside.

Lu Rou, holding the documents from Fanyang, greeted Li Shuang in the palace.

"Your Majesty!"

Lu Rou's attitude towards Hu Sichun was completely different; she basically acted as if she didn't see him.

"What's the matter?"

"A report from Fanyang: General Yuwen Tai has won a great victory in his campaign against the Khitan, gaining 4,000 captives, 50,000 cattle and sheep, 3,000 warhorses, and expanding the territory by 100 li."

Upon hearing this, Li Shuang was somewhat surprised. With so many spoils of war, where had Yuwen Tai gone?

Compared to the Rouran in the west and the Goguryeo in the east, the Khitan were relatively easy prey. However, the biggest obstacle to conquering north and east from Fanyang was never the enemy's military strength, but rather the harsh weather and difficult logistics.

These obstacles, which would be a huge difficulty for armies in other regions, were merely a nuisance to Yuwentai's Wuchuan troops and the Six Garrisons.

The army of the Six Garrisons was one of the best armies of its time, with very strong overall capabilities.

This assessment refers not only to the fighting strength of the Six Garrisons, but also to their resilience.

They were nomadic by nature, having fought their way from the Six Garrisons to Hebei. They had endured all kinds of hardships, and the suffering caused by the harsh weather and difficult logistics was just part of their daily experience back then.

The elite troops of Guanzhong might not necessarily outperform the troops of the Six Garrisons in the northern battlefields such as Liaodong.

"A memorial was submitted to the Emperor, who then bestowed upon Yuwen Tai the title of Duke of Yan."

"promise!"

Hu Sichun, who was standing nearby, was somewhat moved by Li Shuang's words.

The people of the Six Garrisons were northerners, but not all northerners were from the Six Garrisons. Hu Sichun and other nobles who were originally northerners took completely different paths after the Six Garrisons Rebellion compared to Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai. While the soldiers of the Six Garrisons, after being relocated to Hebei, rebelled again, Hu Sichun and other northerners quickly joined Erzhu Rong. Subsequently, both groups reunited under Erzhu Rong's command, but remained distinct.

In this southward campaign, Hebasheng captured several counties, and the northern soldiers who had made contributions were promoted to higher ranks and given additional fiefs as appropriate.

Even Hu Sichun, who was stationed in Luoyang, gained a hundred households because of this war, which was better than nothing.

Hu Sichun knew that in the Northern Dynasty today, among the ranks of merit, nobility, and official positions, the most valuable was still the rank of merit.

Husichun also held the title of Duke of the County, possessing his own fief and retinue. However, what he desired more was to join the Tian Ce Mansion like Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai, become a "General of the Army," and become one of Li Shuang's "own people."

After Li Shuang finished speaking, he looked at Hu Sichun, who was somewhat dazed, and said:

"Fa Shou, how is it?"

Hu Sichun quickly recovered and regained her composure, saying:
"Your Majesty is wise!"
-
Yecheng.

"He Liuhun, have you heard? Yuwen Heita has been granted the title of Duke of Yan."

Early in the morning, Gao Huan's brother-in-law, Wei Jing, brought news that was somewhat disappointing to Gao Huan, but which he already knew.

Gao Huan rolled her eyes at her brother-in-law, somewhat impatiently, and said:

"You came all this way to see me just to say this?"

Yuwen Tai was granted the title of Duke, and his soldiers were also granted titles, which made Wei Jing somewhat tempted.

Ye City is a good place, but these Huai Shuo people have stayed in Ye City for years, and their titles have never been promoted.

It's impossible for the people of Huai Shuo not to be envious when they see Yuwen Tai and his group of Wuchuan people being promoted to high positions.

Gao Huan, however, advised:

"Don't just look at Yuwentai, think about what happened to the Wuchuan people who followed the Heba brothers."

Wei Jing's face turned pale.

Most of the troops who followed Heba Yue were killed, those who followed Heba Yun were incorporated into the army of Li Shengui, the Prince of Chenliu, and those who followed Heba Sheng have now fled to the Southern Liang Dynasty. In short, none of them are doing too well.

Wei Jing leaned closer to Gao Huan, a hint of curiosity in his eyes, and asked:
"He Liuhun, do you think the He Ba brothers really rebelled, or is Da Yeshuang just using this as an excuse to deal with them?"

Gao Huan was also uncertain about this.

He knew that Wei Jing and the others also had doubts about this.

If Li Shuang can treat the Heba clan this way today, why can't he treat them the same way tomorrow?

This question is equally damaging to all northerners.

Gao Huan comforted him, saying:
"Don't worry, if Ohno Sō were to make a move against us, he wouldn't use such a lame excuse. Now is not the time to discard a dog after the rabbit is caught."

Upon hearing this, Wei Jing felt somewhat relieved and then said:

"Hey He Liuhun, you need to pull yourself together! Stop hanging out with You Niang, Han Zhihui, and Zheng Dache all day long. Find a way to lead the brothers forward!"

Gao Huan felt somewhat irritated upon hearing this.

In Hebei, he took a different path from Yuwentai. Using his identity as a member of the Bohai Gao clan, he maintained close relationships with many prominent families in Hebei, cultivated excellent interpersonal relationships, and lived a very comfortable life.

Yuwen Tai took a completely different approach, emphasizing that no amount of good connections could compare to the effectiveness of taking matters into one's own hands.

In comparison, the Huai Shuo people under Gao Huan's command did not have as much room for improvement as the Wu Chuan people under Yuwen Tai's command.

If Gao Huan could truly control the provinces of Xiang, Wei, Cang, Ying, and Ji, then even if he couldn't make his subordinates advance so quickly, he would still have enough land and money to feed them.

But that's not the case. Gao Huan could only fully control Xiangzhou, and the best he could do was to make his soldiers live a little better than Yuwentai's soldiers.

As a result, seeing the Wuchuan people making progress, the Huai Shuo people under Gao Huan's command naturally harbored resentment.

"I know, but what can I do?"

Gao Huan felt a little aggrieved looking at Wei Jing, who was complaining.

"I will submit a memorial to the court, requesting that you also go and attack the Khitan. Are you willing?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Jing's expression changed. The question wasn't whether they could win or not, but rather, what good would it do if they did win?
Separated by Yuwentai, and located in the north where it's freezing cold, could they really stay there, or what?
The predicament faced by Gao Huan and others is very real.

Ye City was wealthy, but there was no room for expansion in the surrounding area. To the east, west, north, and south were either people of the King of Qin or people loyal to the King of Qin.

To make progress, you need somewhere to go!
“That’s true. I heard that after Hebasheng fled, Hou Jing went to Guangling City. Why don’t we go to Henan and think of a way?”

The relationship between Zheng Dache and Gao Huan has evolved from its initial clandestine interactions to its current formal initiation.

Zheng Dache's family had a bad reputation, but she was still from the Xingyang Zheng clan and was originally the wife of Prince Yuan Ti of Guangping. After she married into the family, she was merely a concubine of Gao Huan, a county duke. It could be said that this was a compromise and a way for the Xingyang Zheng clan to win her over.

Gao Huan looked at Wei Jing and wondered if he had gone mad with jealousy at the progress of those Wuchuan people.

The main force of Ye City was the Six Garrisons Army, which had always been at odds with the aristocratic families of the Central Plains.

Women like Lou Zhaojun and Gao Loujin, who came from the north, naturally couldn't possibly be a match for a noblewoman like Zheng Dache.

Even with the approval of Luoyang, the Zheng family of Xingyang would still be indispensable for the southward journey.

Would Lou Zhaojun and Gao Loujin be willing to accept this?
"Did you ask my older sister that question?"

Gao Huan asked softly, and Wei Jing's expression changed again, becoming firm.

"Hmph, woman!"

Wei Jing's face flushed red. He waved his hand and said:

"A true man strives for success and honor. If she dares to stand in my way, I'll divorce her!"

"..."

Gao Huan was startled by Wei Jing's unwavering demeanor. If even the usually honest and money-minded Wei Jing had become like this, who knew what those people outside were like!

It seems that the promotions and titles bestowed upon those people from Wuchuan had a significant impact on the Huai Shuo people.

Gao Huan said in a deep voice:
"We need to think of a solution!"

……

(End of this chapter)