Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 446 What makes you think you can do this?

Chengdu.

Under the sycamore tree, wisps of incense smoke curl.

As Han Ling grew older, he came to prefer quiet.

But there are always people who disturb this peace and quiet.

"Sir, something terrible has happened!"

Li Shengui rushed over, his clothes disheveled, which puzzled Han Ling, who asked:

"King of Chenliu, where did you come from?"

"I just came from..."

Li Shengui waved his hand, ignoring the matter, and quietly walked to Han Ling's side, whispering:

"Sir, I have heard that the King wishes to make peace with the Liang Kingdom and cede territory from Ba in exchange for the Liang army withdrawing its troops."

In the sunlight, Han Ling closed one of his open eyes and said:

"Did the King of Chenliu hear this from a former official of Liang?"

"Absolutely. After hearing that, I lost all interest in watching the dance and came straight here."

Han Ling lay back in the armchair, rocking slightly, and chuckled:
"Rest assured, Prince of Chenliu!"

"How can I be at ease with that? If Ba is to be given to Liang, wouldn't they just come to us next time they want to fight?"

“I mean, the king will never give up Ba.”

"Why?"

As Li Shengui was puzzled, he heard Han Ling ask:
Has the King told you about this?

Li Shenggui shook his head, still looking puzzled.

"That's right. If Your Majesty truly intends to cede Ba, why not first consult with the King of Chenliu so that he can prepare?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shenggui immediately perked up, his face beaming with confidence.

"Sir, you are right. The king didn't even tell me. How could this be true!"

Han Ling waved his hand and said:

"Your Majesty, please go and enjoy the dance and music without worry!"

After Han Ling finished speaking, he thought Li Shenggui had left, but to his surprise, the other party was lying on his armchair with a big smile on his face.

"Does the Prince of Chenliu have anything else to say?"

"Sir, what do you think His Majesty desires?"

Han Ling was somewhat surprised. He sat up, looked at Li Shenggui, and said:

"I do not know what Your Majesty means, but there is one thing I do know."

"What's the matter?"

"For Your Majesty, the Kingdom of Liang is a piece of prime meat."

Li Shenggui scratched his head and asked:

"The Liang army is at its strongest; what do you mean by meat waiting to be slaughtered?"

Han Ling laughed heartily, his face displaying a joy that Li Shengui had never seen before.

"Xiao Yan was a man of great talent and ambition, and could have been a wise ruler for all time, but unfortunately he forgot one important thing."

"What's the matter?"

"The good and evil of emperors are different from those of ordinary people!"

……

Shangcai.

A bonfire blazed on the banks of the Huai River.

Li Shuang led his generals to the riverbank, where they saw fishing lights twinkling as fishermen were returning home.

Li Shuang then ordered his soldiers to stop the fishing boats and buy a whole boatload of fish. Immediately, they set up camp on the shore and had the cooks prepare the food.

Seeing this, Gao Huan, Yuwen Tai, and the others felt somewhat listless.

There's nothing wrong with that; I've been eating too much lately, and I'm feeling a bit nauseous.

The old tree has gnarled roots and sprawling branches.

The group sat around the campfire.

They looked at Li Shuang, wondering why he, who was also from the north, was so comfortable.

But it wasn't until Li Shuang's chef brought out the prepared dishes that the two of them understood.

"He Liuhun, Black Otter, why is this?"

When asked, Gao Huan cupped his hands and replied:

"Your Majesty, the fish soup prepared by my cook had a strong fishy smell, but this fish soup is surprisingly delicious."

Li Shuang listened and laughed:
"The world is not lacking in good ingredients, but rather in skilled cooks."

Li Shuang picked up the grilled fish in her hand, took a bite, and found the fish to be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Sprinkled with pepper, it had a unique flavor.

While everyone was eating, Li Shuang suddenly said:

"The same principle applies to governing a country. I am fortunate to have such excellent chefs as you."

Upon hearing this, Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai could no longer remain seated. Together with the others, they stood up, cupped their hands, and said:

"I don't dare!"

At this moment, Hou Jing asked:
"Your Majesty says we are cooks, then what is fish?"

Li Shuang smiled slightly, pointed to the ground, and said:
“All the countries under heaven are fish.” Li Shuang sat on a broken tree by the river, holding a branch that had been eaten and was now just half a fish bone, as if he already considered the world as his own.

"The countries of the world are like fish swimming in water. Fish have different kinds, and the methods of cooking them are also different."

Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai felt a chill in their hearts and slowly sat down.

Of all those present, only Hou Jing spoke up, saying:
"If Your Majesty speaks thus, what kind of fish is Goguryeo?"

Li Shuang smiled and answered readily:

"Crucian carp!"

"Why?"

"The meat is delicious and fresh, but it has many bones. If it is not carefully cooked and eaten, you will prick yourself."

After listening, everyone seemed to be deep in thought. Hou Jing then said:

"What about the Tuyuhun?"

"herring!"

"Why?"

"The meat is fatty and thick, and one can enjoy it to one's heart's content, but it would be better to release it into the Western Sea and raise it to be left to one's descendants."

Li Shuang spoke slowly, but as the river breeze blew, his words carried an air of domineering arrogance.

At this point, someone else asked:

"What about Gaochang?"

"Wuchang fish, though small, is plump and delicious."

……

As they talked, Gao Huan couldn't help but ask a question:

"What does Your Majesty think of the Liang Kingdom?"

Li Shuang smiled and said something that greatly surprised Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai.

"A fish that doesn't know it's a fish."

Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent.

These words carry a great deal of meaning.

Everyone looked at Li Shuang. As dusk approached, the Southern Dynasty, separated from Li Shuang by a river, seemed to be reduced to its last rays under the sunlight.

Li Shuang wore a faint smile, as if he could command a million soldiers and march south to Jiangdong with a mere wave of his hand.

Why are you?
What makes you think you can do something that no one has been able to do in the past three hundred years?
Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai were unwilling to accept this, but they were horrified to discover that deep down, they were simply unwilling to accept it, not disbelieving.

Li Shuang, however, raised his glass and said something.

"Gentlemen, let us drink this cup to our hearts' content today, and not leave until we are drunk."

As night fell, Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai looked at Li Shuang and both sighed inwardly.

Silence is shed; all else is contained in the wine in the cup.

……

Gao Huan had drunk a lot of wine and was vaguely waking up, but he sensed something was wrong. However, seeing Hou Jing beside him, he felt relieved and murmured:

"where is this?"

Hou Jing, with a smile on his face, whispered in Gao Huan's ear:
"In the carriage!"

Upon hearing Hou Jing's words, Gao Huan assumed they were about to return to the city and said:

"Wake me up when we get to Shangcai City!"

After Gao Huan finished speaking, Hou Jing laughed.

"He Liuhun is still half asleep. We're going to Shouyang."

Hou Jing's words were more effective than any hangover remedy; Gao Huan suddenly awoke with a start and said:

What is the purpose of going to Shouyang?

"What else can we do? Of course, we'll use peace talks as a pretext to seize the city!"

"..."

Gao Huan sat up abruptly, opened the window, and saw that in the darkness, the Liang army camp on Mount Bagong was faintly visible in the distance, with lights flickering.

They had already crossed the Huai River.

Gao Huan returned to the carriage, closed the window, and, suppressing his voice, asked:
"How many people did you bring with you?"

"How many people can we bring for peace talks? Just you, me, and a dozen or so attendants!"

"You think you can take Shouyang City with just a dozen or so people? Do you even know how big Shouyang City is?!"

Hou Jing smiled, waved his hand, and said:

"How could I not know? Don't worry, He Liuhun, there are more than 800 spies in the city."

"..."

I'm so worried, this isn't enough!
Gao Huan steadied himself and said:
"We didn't discuss capturing the city beforehand!"

"Look at what you're saying. If I had told you beforehand, would you have come?"

I didn't come here by myself!
Gao Huan silently screamed, looking at Hou Jing at this moment, with only four words in his heart.

I met the wrong person!

I was wondering why Ohno Sawa was treating me to dinner for no reason!
……

(End of this chapter)