Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 437 We're all brothers
Hou Jing's camp was located on the west bank of the Wo River.

"Wan Jing, I've brought all our old brothers with me."

Jia Xiandu's voice arrived before he did.

Hou Jing walked out of the tent and saw Jia Xiandu waiting outside, with more than a dozen generals beside him.

Hou Jing recognized these people; they were people who had risen to power during the Six Garrisons Rebellion and were also beneficiaries of the Erzhu clan's downfall.

"I've been waiting for you brothers."

Hou Jing, with a smile on his face, warmly and politely welcomed everyone into his tent.

Wang Wei was writing documents in the main tent when he saw so many people enter, and he was clearly startled. Seeing that Hou Jing did not ask him to leave, Wang Wei remained silent and continued to stay.

“My brothers are all pillars of the nation and the backbone of the country. I am very grateful to you for coming here today to help me defeat Chen Qingzhi.”

Jia Xiandu waved his hand and said:
"Wan Jing, why do you have to be like this? We've all come from the North, braving dangers together. Now that you're in trouble, are we just going to stand by and watch in Luoyang?"

Upon hearing this, Hou Jing's not-so-handsome face twitched a few times.

"My heart is warmed by the kindness of my brothers."

“We’re all brothers, this is our duty. Besides, we’ve long had our eyes on Chen Qingzhi.”

After Jia Xiandu finished speaking, people around him echoed his words.

"Back then, Chen Qingzhi took advantage of the chaos in the Great Wei Dynasty to lead the White Robe Army northward, stormed into Luoyang, and gained great fame. We have come here precisely to curb his arrogance."

Then, the group started chatting.

Chen Qingzhi went north to Luoyang and supported Yuan Hao as emperor, but was later defeated by Erzhu Rong and fled back to the Southern Liang Dynasty.

Although Chen Qingzhi was defeated, he escaped rather than being captured and killed.

For many northern generals today, Chen Qingzhi remains a worthy target to pursue.

If Chen Qingzhi were captured and killed, all the northern generals present who had participated in the battle could boast about it.

The character that Erzhu Rong couldn't handle back then, I've dealt with.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you brothers!"

"Wan Jing, there's no need to see me off. We'll meet again tomorrow!"

“I have prepared the tents for all my brothers. If there is anything wrong, please feel free to speak up.”

"We have no reason to worry about Wan Jing's work."

After a warm welcome, Hou Jing saw everyone out of the tent.

After the tent flap closed, Hou Jing's friendly smile vanished, and he spat out a spit.

"Damn it, a bunch of filthy beggars!"

After finishing the paperwork, Wang Wei stood up, walked to Hou Jing's side, and said:
"General, it seems they're all here to seize territory."

Hou Jing's face showed disdain, and he said:
“These filthy beggars were originally hiding in Luoyang, enjoying themselves and watching the excitement, but now that they smelled blood, they've all come running here.”

"Then what should we do? Should we find some excuse to get rid of them?"

"Since we're already here, I can't rush them. Besides, I'm not sure about Chen Qingzhi either. Let them try to go ahead."

Upon hearing this, Wang Wei smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:

"The General is wise!"

……

Jia Xiandu and others were originally in Luoyang and had no intention of participating in this battle.

Over the past year, natural disasters and war have ravaged the land of Henan.

However, Hou Jing's offensive grew increasingly fierce, almost completely wiping out all the prefectures and counties north of the Huai River in Southern Liang. Seeing Hou Jing gaining more and more advantage and expanding his territory, Jia Xiandu and other northerners could no longer resist joining the fray.

Compared to the generals and soldiers of the Southern Dynasty who had not experienced the Six Garrisons Rebellion, Hou Jing and his northern generals were quite adapted to the current situation.

Why did the Six Garrisons rebel back then?

It's just that the Six Garrisons are located in harsh environments, and the Rouran people plunder them, yet the Luoyang court doesn't care about their lives at all!
Even if Henan is in a bad state now, can it be worse than the area where the Six Towns are located?
As soon as Jia Xiandu and his men entered Hou Jing's camp, they felt a familiar scent.

Jia Xiandu waited for a long time in the camp that Hou Jing had prepared for him, and finally Jia Xianzheng returned to the camp.

After the two met and chatted for a while, Jia Xianzheng couldn't help but complain.

"Why did you come all the way here to get involved when your brother isn't even in Luoyang?"

Although Jia Xiandu and his men came to seize territory, it was not an easy territory to seize.

Natural disasters compounded by human error led to widespread epidemics, food shortages, and starvation across many prefectures and counties, turning the city into a living hell. In contrast, Luoyang city enjoyed abundant food and clothing, and there was no fear of freezing to death.

Jia Xiandu sighed:

"You don't know how difficult it is to stay in Luoyang if you're not there."

Jia Xianzheng followed Hebasheng south and has been on the front lines for the past few years, never returning home. Hearing his elder brother's words, he couldn't help but ask:

"Is that old scoundrel Hu Sichun targeting you?"

Jia Xiandu shook his head and sighed:

“Husichun is easy to deal with, but after Da Yeshuang went to Hebei, he recruited many people from Hebei aristocratic families to Luoyang. This group of people gathered together and are causing trouble for us northerners everywhere.”

After listening, Jia Xianzheng clenched his fists, somewhat angry, and asked:
"Didn't Hu Sichun have a solution?"

After Hebasheng left, Husichun became the nominal leader of the Northern People.

After hearing this, Jia Xiandu snorted coldly.

“Hu Sichun has long since kowtowed to Ono Sō and is no longer on our side.”

Jia Xianzheng quickly understood and said:

"Brother, are you saying that the way those aristocratic nobles and officials are dealing with us northerners was at the behest of Ōno Sō?"

"Even without authorization, Ohno Sō was just watching from the sidelines."

Jia Xiandu looked at his brothers with worry in his eyes.

"Guanzhong, Lingxia, Bingsi, Bashu and other places are all Da Yeshuang's territory. Qi, Qing, Xu and Wei provinces are also under the control of Da Yeshuang's generals. We are not Da Yeshuang's direct subordinates, so our situation is awkward. When the military strength of the various military prefectures in the Central Plains becomes complete, we will be even more disliked."

Jia Xianzheng asked:
"What do you mean, elder brother?"

"Last year, Guanzhong suffered a severe drought, and Da Yeshuang is currently preoccupied with his own problems, unable to attend to Henan for the time being. Now that the war situation is clear, we should seize the opportunity to attack cities and territories, and reclaim all the former lands of the Great Wei. Once Da Yeshuang recovers, he will be powerless against us!"

Jia Xianzheng listened and nodded slightly, saying:

"Having captured more than ten counties of Liang, we northerners can stand more firmly in the imperial court in Luoyang in the future."

Jia Xiandu smiled, seemingly amused by his younger brother's naivety.

"The Jianghuai region is a vital passage between the north and south. If we can occupy it, we can advance and retreat at will. In the future, will we not only be able to stand more firmly in the Luoyang court, but also be able to stand firmly in the Jiankang court?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Xianzheng was shocked, but he quickly calmed down and asked:
"Brother, could it be that you're with Hebasheng...?"

Jia Xiandu smiled and said:

“Hebasheng is a smart man. When things get to that point, we don’t need to tell him he would come.”

……

(End of this chapter)