Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 447 This person is kind-hearted
Shouyang City was the most important town in both the north and south.

This important town was located on a major route from Henan to Jiangdong, and it was a large city.

When Gao Huan first met him, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

True Hero Castle!

Looking around, the outer city wall of Shouyang City is over three zhang high, and a moat over five zhang wide has been dug outside the outer city wall. From a distance, it looks like a giant beast hidden in the embrace of mountains and rivers.

Gao Huan had never been here before, but he was familiar with the situation in this important town.

Shouyang City originated from Shouchun Yi during the Spring and Autumn Period. It prospered due to the construction of the Shaopi irrigation project by Sun Shu'ao, the prime minister of Chu. After Bai Qi destroyed Ying, the Chu royal family moved east, and this city became the capital of the Chu state in its later period.

At the end of the Han Dynasty, Yuan Shu also occupied this city and then declared himself emperor.

At this time, the outer city wall of Shouyang City had a circumference of more than 30 li and four gates. Three branch cities were built on the high points on the east, west and north sides of the outer city wall to serve as early warning and delay enemy troops. Two inner cities were also built in the outer city wall, namely Jincheng in the northwest corner and Xiangguo City in the southeast corner.

Jincheng was built during the Cao Wei period, while Xiangguo City was built during Liu Yu's Northern Expedition. The specifications of the walls of these two inner cities were much higher than those of the outer city.

After the Yuanjia Northern Expedition failed, Tuoba Tao led an army of hundreds of thousands south, an unstoppable force.

At that time, Liu Shuo, the Prince of Nanping of the Liu Song dynasty, who was the garrison commander of Shouyang City, saw that the enemy outnumbered him and abandoned the defense of the outer city, retreating his troops and civilians into the inner city.

Despite the loss of the main force of the Liu Song army, the Northern Wei army was unable to breach this isolated city and eventually retreated, thus preserving Shouyang City, demonstrating the city's formidable defenses.

Subsequently, the Northern Wei and Southern Liang dynasties fought fiercely for this city, with the scale of the armies mobilized in the war usually reaching hundreds of thousands.

How could eight hundred men possibly take over such a city?

Thinking of this, and recalling the appearance of the giant city he had witnessed, Gao Huan felt uneasy. He looked at Hou Jing, who was riding beside him on horseback, and asked:
"Wan Jing, are you really going to seize the city?"

Hou Jing was actually a little hesitant, but he still braced himself and said:
"It's not me, it's us!"

"..."

Hou Jing added a sentence afterward, saying:
"If things don't work out, we can still try to find a way! The King said that if we succeed this time, you will at least become the Duke of Wei."

Upon hearing this, Gao Huan's anxiety vanished.

It's best to play it by ear!

The two rode their horses to the north of Shouyang City. There, at the north gate, someone was already waiting, but it wasn't Xiao Yuanming, the current leader of Shouyang City, but his deputy, Pei Zhigao.

Pei Zhigao was the nephew of Pei Sui, a famous general of the Southern Liang Dynasty, and was nearly sixty years old.

After Chen Qingzhi fell seriously ill, he was unable to command the army at the front and was brought back to Jiankang. Xiao Yan then sent Pei Zhigao to temporarily take over Chen Qingzhi's position.

"I've met you two."

Pei Zhigao was polite and courteous to Gao Huan and Hou Jing, but he was somewhat distant from them.

Simply put, I don't think much of it.

Gao Huan was alright, and Pei Zhigao at least showed some respect, but Hou Jing didn't even glance at him.

Hou Jing, upon seeing this, became arrogant and haughty.

"We have been ordered to come here to discuss the peace treaty. Where is Xiao Yuanming?"

Xiao Yuanming was Xiao Yan's nephew and was deeply loved and trusted by Xiao Yan.

During the Southern Liang Dynasty, members of the imperial clan were appointed as military commanders in local areas, and Pei Zhigao was theoretically under the command of Xiao Yuanming.

In this peace talks, Xiao Yuanming was the chief envoy, while Pei Zhigao, who actually did the work, was the deputy.

"There's no need for you two to rush. Let's go into the city and rest for a day, and we'll talk again tomorrow."

At midday, Gao Huan and Hou Jing exchanged a glance, both seeing a different meaning in each other's eyes.

Entering the barbican from the north gate and then the outer city, one could have gone directly to Jincheng, but Pei Zhigao deliberately led the two on a detour, passing through the prisoner-of-war camp.

The entire 30,000-strong Northern Army was wiped out, and the more than 100,000 refugee troops who followed them south were also quelled by the Southern Liang.

Those who managed to escape from the Northern army and the leaders of the refugee army were now imprisoned in a prisoner-of-war camp. The others were reduced to slavery.

Outside the camp, along the road, were the flags and drums of the Northern Army.

Pei Zhigao originally intended to give the two a hard time, but after seeing them, they remained unmoved and even chatted and laughed. "He Liuhun, look at that fellow, isn't he that guy from the old Chilie family? Back in Jinyang, he even competed with us for the Kucha girl, how come he's fighting with dogs for food now?"

"Really!" Gao Huan exclaimed in surprise, then asked in return, "Aren't you a general? Don't you know he's in your army?"

"How would I know? They're all Jia Xianzheng's men. Besides, I don't usually see these small fry."

Pei Zhigao frowned, completely baffled. As fellow northerners who had fought side by side, how could he have no compassion whatsoever?

Hou Jing looked at him, and he saw Hou Jing, but he turned his head away, wanting to bury his head in the ground.

Hou Jing felt strangely uncomfortable. Looking at Pei Zhigao beside him, he said:

"No, I'm too soft-hearted to see this."

Pei Zhigao smiled, thinking to himself, "So they've finally taken the bait?"

"The General is the deputy envoy sent by the King of Qin. We will obey any orders he gives!"

“That old bastard from the Chilie family was at odds with us back then, but since he was ruthless, we can’t be unjust!”

"General, you are magnanimous. I will have him released."

Hou Jing waved his hand and said:

"That's not necessary!"

Pei Zhigao, puzzled, asked:

"What does the Supreme General mean?"

“Give him another bowl of dog food, I’m afraid one bowl won’t be enough for him.”

"..."

Pei Zhigao was speechless for a moment, but Hou Jing looked at Gao Huan and asked:

"He Liuhun, what do you think?"

"This is not right!"

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhigao breathed a sigh of relief; at least there were still normal people among them.

Gao Huan, however, was very serious and said:
“He has a big appetite, one bowl isn’t enough, we have to send him two bowls.”

Hou Jing listened, nodded, and said:
"He Liuhun is very thoughtful. Please do us the honor of sending it to him!"

"..."

After Pei Zhigao escorted the two men to his temporary residence in Jincheng, he didn't want to spend another moment with these two uncouth people.

"General, what should we do?"

“Our elite troops are out in broad daylight, which should be enough to deter these two traitors. Isn’t it said that the people of Wuchuan and Huaishuo don’t get along? Let those people from Wuchuan keep an eye on them.”

"promise!"

……

Gao Huan ordered the dozen or so men accompanying him to stand guard around the courtyard. He frowned, a question lingering in his mind. After entering the house, he finally asked it.

"Has Liang Jun already discovered our scheme and is deliberately feigning weakness to mislead us with some weak soldiers?"

Hou Jing was also somewhat confused and said:
"It's hard to say. These Wuchuan people have always been unreliable. They might expose us. The Liang army has an ambush, and their troops should be hidden in the Prime Minister's City."

Gao Huan nodded and said:

"Wan Jing, we must be careful and not let the Wu Chuan people drag us down."

“He Liuhun is right.”

……

(End of this chapter)