Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 413 There is strength in numbers

After the court assembly in the first month of the lunar calendar, the Luoyang court changed the era name to Datong in order to demonstrate the new dynasty's spirit.

In the first month of the first year of Datong (535), Li Shuang, the King of Qin, did not stay in Luoyang for long. Instead, he set off from Luoyang with 5,000 soldiers and more than 400 ships, heading north along the waterway. He passed through Hulao Pass, arrived at Ji County, and then turned into Yongji Canal to enter Hebei. His final destination was Youzhou.

The shipbuilding industry in the Northern Dynasties was not as advanced as that in the Southern Dynasties, lacking top-notch shipbuilding craftsmen and shipbuilding techniques.

Apart from a few main ships, Li Shuang's fleet consisted of small boats.

Even so, this fleet still caused a great shock to the people of Hebei.

Li Shuang rose from Bingzhou, established himself in Guanzhong, and became a powerful figure in the north, but he was largely unknown to the aristocratic families and common people of Hebei.

Unlike the Northern Wei, which used Hebei as its base, Li Shuang's stronghold was in Guanzhong, making him more of an outsider to the people of Hebei.

Previously, Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai led two armies of the Six Garrisons into Hebei. Afterwards, Gao Ang occupied Weizhou. The aristocratic families in Hebei were dissatisfied, but they still managed to save face.

Ang Gao was a legitimate member of the Bohai Gao clan, and Gao Huan claimed to be from the Bohai Gao clan, which was acceptable to the aristocratic families of Hebei. Although Yuwen Tai was not from a Hebei aristocratic family, he lived in a remote area and was responsible for protecting Youyan and defending against the northern barbarians, so the aristocratic families of Hebei treated him as a gatekeeper.

Now, Li Shuang has officially entered Hebei with a powerful army, and the impact on the Hebei aristocratic families is unimaginable.

The aristocratic families of Hebei suddenly realized that Li Shuang was getting closer and closer to them, but they were unable to take effective measures to deal with it.

After the fleet arrived in Weizhou, Li Shuang led several hundred cavalrymen ashore and entered Yuancheng, the capital of Weizhou.

Gao Ang actually governed Weizhou, while his nominal territory as a general was the two provinces of Yan and Ji in Henan.

Gao Ang was not in Yuancheng at the time. Last winter, he was ordered to lead his troops south to join forces with Murong Shaozong to quell the rebellion of refugees between Qing and Ji.

After entering Yuancheng, Li Shuang examined the household registration records in the prefecture.

After the opening of this section of the Yongji Canal in Weizhou, it attracted a large number of people to gather, and the population gradually increased, with more than 30,000 households in the entire prefecture.

Gao Ang settled everyone down, established villages and built canals around the prefectural and county towns, registered households and brought the people under his administration, and did a very good job.

For Li Shuang, Hebei was not conquered, but rather absorbed in the name of the imperial court in Luoyang. The situation in Hebei was also far more complex than that in Henan, which had been ravaged by war for many years. Therefore, Li Shuang's first priority was not to suppress the powerful families and seize land, but to win the hearts and minds of the people.

After the Rebellion of the Six Garrisons, Hebei suffered greatly from the war. The aristocratic families gathered large numbers of refugees and hid their household registrations, using fortified villages as their centers.

Why were ordinary people willing to follow these powerful and wealthy families?
Firstly, the external enemies were too brutal, such as the Erzhu clan and the Six Garrisons; secondly, many powerful families were closely connected with the common people through blood ties and regional ties; and thirdly, the powerful families collected less taxes than the Luoyang court, thus providing a way for the common people to survive.

When the imperial court in Luoyang acted inhumanely, the powerful and wealthy families in Hebei were more humane.

Under such circumstances, Li Shuang's forceful suppression of the aristocratic families in Hebei will only alienate the people of Hebei.

What is public opinion?
It's water!

More accurately, it is a piece of land that can prevent flooding and provide sufficient water for agricultural irrigation.

Li Shuang's ability to provide such a piece of land for the people of Hebei will win their hearts.

Previously there were 100,000 households, and now another 100,000 have been added, bringing the total number of households in the Central Plains to 200,000, with the majority located in Hebei.

Li Shuang's trip was aimed at consolidating his base of influence in Hebei.

In chaotic times, many things are often easier to accomplish than in times of peace. The opening of the Yongji Canal was a preparation for Li Shuang to consolidate his power base.

Along the Yongji Canal, there are many old canals that have been opened in various dynasties. Now, they have been connected to form a waterway that runs through Hebei Province.

This waterway not only provided convenience for grain transport, but also provided irrigation water for the people along the route.

Most of the new fiefdoms granted to Li Shuang were located around the Yongji Canal.

After Li Shuang stayed in Weizhou for ten days, Gao Huan arrived.

Not only did he come, but Lou Zhaojun and their eldest son Gao Cheng also came.

Gao Cheng was fourteen or fifteen years old, and his looks could be summed up in one word: handsome!

He had red lips and white teeth, and possessed a delicate, feminine beauty, like a young girl.

Li Shuang looked at Gao Cheng and sighed with emotion.

"This must be Cheng'er. He's grown up so much! Back in Huai Shuo Town, he was just a little kid."

"Quickly, greet the King!"

Lou Zhaojun cherished this son, treating him like a work of art. However, precisely because of Lou Zhaojun, Gao Cheng did not seem like a scion of a Han Chinese aristocratic family, but rather like the descendant of a meritorious northern official.

Gao Cheng mustered his courage and sized up the King of Qin, who was said to have known him since childhood, before respectfully bowing.

"I've met the king!"

Li Shuang laughed heartily, casually took a piece of jade from his person, and handed it to Gao Cheng.

Lou Zhaojun was overjoyed and said:
"Cheng'er, why don't you thank the King!"

Gao Cheng had never suffered a loss since childhood, and under Lou Zhaojun's arrogance, he developed a bold and unrestrained style.

He was dressed in fine clothes and rode a spirited horse, and had a penchant for extravagance; he was a true noble

Gao Cheng smiled as he accepted the valuable jade pendant from Li Shuang.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Lou Zhaojun brought Gao Cheng to see Li Shuang, naturally so that Gao Cheng could become familiar to Li Shuang and prepare for the future.

After the two left, Li Shuang looked at Gao Huan and asked:
"He Liuhun, don't you have a younger son, Gao Yang? Why didn't you bring him along?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Huan's smile gradually faded, and he replied evasively:

"Yang'er is still young, it's inconvenient to bring her out."

Gao Cheng and Gao Yang were both Gao Huan's legitimate sons, but they were treated very differently.

Gao Huan was also very worried about this.

Seeing this, Li Shuang didn't say much, just smiled slightly and took out the document submitted by Gao Huan regarding the recovery of Liaodong.

"He Liuhun, you put a lot of effort into your strategy for recovering Liaodong."

Liaodong was the territory of the Yan state since the pre-Qin period, and it remained an important border defense area during the Qin and Han dynasties.

At the end of the Han Dynasty, Sima Yi conquered Liaodong, destroyed the Gongsun clan, massacred Xiangping, and relocated 40,000 households to the interior, which led to a sharp decline in the power of the Han people in Liaodong.

After the chaos of the Western Jin Dynasty and the Five Barbarian Invasions, Liaodong was occupied by the Xianbei Murong tribe.

When the Northern Wei Dynasty rose to power, it joined forces with Goguryeo to destroy the Murong clan. Afterwards, the two sides used the Liaoze Marsh as their border.

Liaodong had been under the control of Goguryeo for over a hundred years.

Gao Huan felt uneasy after hearing Li Shuang's words.

He did put in a lot of effort.

The Northern Wei and Goguryeo were separated by the Liaoze River, and there was close trade between the two sides.

Whether you take the Lulong Road or the Northern Ancient Road to enter Liaodong, or go from Shandong to Beisha City via the Bohai Sea waterway, the routes are already well-established.

Goguryeo did not only interact with the Northern Wei, but also sent envoys to the Southern Liang to pay tribute.

The sea route from Liaodong to Jiankang was already opened during the Three Kingdoms period.

After Gao Huan entered Hebei, he partnered with Gao Qian and others to trade with Goguryeo. Through this opportunity, he learned a great deal of intelligence about Goguryeo.

However, Gao Huan presented this strategy for recovering Liaodong not for the purpose of recovering Liaodong, but to give his subordinates an explanation.

Gao Huan was stationed in Ye City, with no room for expansion in the surrounding area. If his ten thousand-plus troops from the six garrisons wanted to advance, who could they possibly fight?
To the east are Gao Ang and Gao Qian, to the north are Li Yuanzhong and Yuwen Tai, to the west is Yu Jin, and to the south are Hou Jing, Hu Sichun, Jia Xianzheng, and Jia Xiandu.

We can't take them down.

He presented the document, but Li Shuang refused. Gao Huan then had an excuse: it wasn't that he wasn't working hard enough, but that his superiors weren't giving him a chance. This was a way to divert the resentment of the soldiers in the six garrisons below.

Li Shuang agreed, which was even better. If they were to attack Goguryeo, the situation in Hebei would inevitably change, giving Gao Huan an opportunity to advance.

"What do you think, Your Majesty?"

"Liaodong was originally Chinese territory, but it was seized by Goguryeo. It is only right that we recover it. Goguryeo was originally a vassal state of the Han Dynasty. Taking advantage of the chaos in China, they invaded and occupied the Han Dynasty's Xuantu and Lelang prefectures. Their troops reached Liaoze and they wanted to subjugate the Donghu. Their disloyalty is obvious. In the long run, they will surely become a great threat to China."

Gao Huan's heart skipped a beat. Li Shuang had just agreed like that?
"However, the state is not at peace and the world is not yet at peace. To launch an attack on Liaodong would inevitably be costly and wasteful. Moreover, if the attack fails, it would only cause unnecessary suffering to the people and alert Goguryeo, which would be counterproductive."

Gao Huan was in a state of great anxiety, wondering whether to fight or not.
Li Shuang provided the answer.

"We won't fight!"

……

Inside the room, Lou Zhaojun looked at the jade in Gao Cheng's hand with great delight, unaware that Gao Huan had entered the room.

“Cheng’er, listen to your mother. Staying in Ye City is not a long-term solution. You must go to Luoyang, enter the Imperial Academy, study the classics for a few years, then follow the King of Qin, make military achievements, and obtain a title. Only then will you have a bright future.”

Lou Zhaojun had already planned out the future for her eldest son.

Although she, like most northerners, disliked the Han Chinese ways and raised a son who was more like a Xianbei, the current situation was beyond her control.

Luoyang was restored, though it no longer possessed its former prosperity, but so were the constraints it had faced. In a sense, the Northern Wei Dynasty no longer needed to adopt Sinicization.

Gao Cheng had no complaints about the arrangements his mother had made for him. On the contrary, after staying in Ye City for a long time, Gao Cheng still longed for life in Luoyang.

However, when he looked up, he saw Gao Huan standing at the door, looking somewhat lost and dejected.

"Father, what are you doing standing outside?"

Gao Huan sighed, walked into the house, and said to the mother and daughter:

"Ohno Sawa wanted me to go north with him."

Lou Zhaojun was somewhat puzzled and said:
"Why?"

"Da Ye Shuang wants to attack Goguryeo and recover Liaodong. He appointed me as the Liaodong Expeditionary Ambassador and said that if I can recover Liaodong, I can be enfeoffed as a Prince and given the title of Pillar of State."

Lou Zhaojun listened and replied:

"Isn't this great?"

"Well done—"

Gao Huan barely managed to suppress his anger and refrain from uttering a curse.

Lou Zhaojun gave Gao Cheng a look, signaling him to leave first. After Gao Cheng closed the door, Lou Zhaojun shouted again.

"Cheng'er, don't eavesdrop outside, or I'll break your legs!"

There was a clanging and banging noise outside. Only after Gao Cheng had run far away did Lou Zhaojun ask:

"Is there a reason for this?"

Gao Huan sat on the bed, sighing.

There was a sense of helplessness in this lament.

"Ohno Sō has a clearer understanding of the situation in Liaodong than I do."

Although Gao Huan's presentation of this document was intended as a way of shirking responsibility, the strategy within it was feasible.

The scouts sent by Gao Huan returned and said that Liaoze was a natural barrier. Goguryeo built cities on the edge of Liaoze as early warning. At the same time, they also built cities such as Xuantu, Gaimu, Hengshan, and Xincheng north of Liaodong City as a bulwark for the northern part of Liaodong City.

Gao Huan's spies only reached Liaodong City, but they also heard that further south on the passage to Pyongyang, the capital of Goguryeo, there was an even more treacherous mountain city called Anshi City.

Gao Huan's strategy was to first send an elite force to launch a surprise attack on Gaemuju Castle to the north of Goguryeo, eliminating Goguryeo's northern defenses, and then have the main force cross the Liaoze River to attack Liaodong City.

With the fall of Liaodong City, Liaodong was largely secured.

Then send troops north to recapture Buyeo City and south to attack Anshi City. In this way, a great victory can be achieved.

Goguryeo's defenses would be pinned down at the old capital, Wandu Mountain Fortress.

Gao Huan learned that Liaodong City and Gaimu City were now two separate entities within Goguryeo, and they were deeply hostile towards each other for the position of Daede-ro. Goguryeo's main army was engaged in military operations against Baekje and Silla along the Pyongyang line, the capital.

By exploiting a time difference and taking advantage of the distrust between the two units on the Liaodong front, a swift and decisive victory is possible.

After hearing Gao Huan's explanation, Lou Zhaojun asked:
"What did the King of Qin say?"

He said I was oversimplifying things.

Lou Zhaojun blinked. Although she didn't understand military affairs, she knew something from her husband's expression.

Li Shuang is right!
"Da Ye Shuang said that after winter arrives in Liaodong, the water dries up and the grass gets cold. Northerners can adapt, but the troops from the Central Plains cannot stay for long. Therefore, the best time to attack is from June to September. Goguryeo has been operating in Liaodong for more than a hundred years and is deeply rooted. To conquer Liaodong within a few months, it would take more than 100,000 troops."

Lou Zhaojun, seeing Gao Huan's appearance, teased him:
"Is the King of Qin wrong?"

Gao Huan gritted his teeth and said:
"He's absolutely right!"

Lou Zhaojun had rarely seen Gao Huan like this before, and asked:

"Then why do you look like this?"

Gao Huan stood up and said angrily:
"Where in Hebei can you find an army of 100,000 now!"

In Hebei today, Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai have the most troops, exceeding ten thousand. Including the troops from the prefectures and counties, the total number is no more than fifty or sixty thousand.

Among them, the capable soldiers, including those from the Six Garrisons, Yinzhou, and Dingzhou, numbered only about 30,000.

Lou Zhaojun finally understood something after hearing this.

"Could it be that the King of Qin wants you to do this?"

Gao Huan nodded and sighed:
"Da Yesao didn't want to conquer Liaodong, but rather used the pretext of conquering Liaodong to seize territory in Hebei. And I was the one he pushed to the front."

Seeing his state, Lou Zhaojun comforted him:

"He Liuhun, you can rest assured, things haven't come to this yet."

Gao Huan looked at Lou Zhaojun and asked:

"Do you have a way to avoid this task?"

"No, not at all! Could you refuse the things the King of Qin asked you to do?"

Lou Zhaojun looked at Gao Huan very seriously, a solemn expression on her face.

"Instead of you taking on the burden alone, why don't you bring Yuwentai along to take on the burden together?"

"..."

Gao Huan looked at his wife and realized that what she said made a lot of sense.

……

(End of this chapter)