Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 468 My heart belongs to only His Majesty

More than 300,000 people accompanied Li Shuang on his northward journey. However, not all of them reached Luoyang. Instead, they were settled in various prefectures and counties in Henan Province as the fleet sailed north.

Li Shuang planned to settle most of the most important craftsmen in Chang'an and Luoyang, and a small number in Guangzhou.

Guangzhou was separated from Qingzhou by the Northern Wei Dynasty. It governed three prefectures: Donglai, Changguang, and Dongmou. Across the Bohai Sea was Goguryeo.

The craftsmen were stationed here to build warships, and then a naval general was appointed to train the navy. Once the time was right, the army could cross the sea and attack Bisha City directly, in order to coordinate with the land advance.

Starting from Jiankang, the once mighty procession had dwindled to 30,000 by the time it reached Luoyang.

The difference this time was that the welcoming procession in Luoyang was enormous.

Emperor Yuan Baoju was different from usual; he went thirty miles outside the city to greet Li Shuang.

There's no other reason than a sense of crisis.

Li Shuang now had two emperors under his control. Yuan Baoju was quite concerned about this, because Li Shuang hadn't offered any explanation.

The Northern Wei royal family behind Yuan Baoju were also quite worried about this, wondering what Li Shuang would do.
More importantly, the Yuan clan members and noble families in Luoyang were well aware that Yuan Baoju, apart from being young, could not compare to Xiao Yan in any other way.

Even though Xiao Yan wasn't emperor, he was also a writer, military strategist, calligrapher, eminent monk, and Confucian scholar...

If Yuan Baoju hadn't become emperor, then there would have been no more.

"King Qin!"

As the mighty army arrived, Yuan Baoju rushed over from a great distance.

"His Majesty!"

As soon as Li Shuang dismounted, Yuan Baoju grabbed his hand.

"King Qin, this southward expedition has achieved great success, accomplishing an unprecedented feat in a century. I am truly delighted."

As he spoke, Yuan Baoju glanced back and asked:

"Where is Lord Liang?"

"The Liang ruler is old and did not come with me this time."

Yuan Baoju sighed slightly, somewhat regretfully.

"It's a pity I can't meet the Emperor Liang, so that the people of the world can know who the true Son of Heaven is!"

Li Shuang glanced at Yuan Baoju and noticed that he was dressed more flamboyantly than usual, with a shiny appearance.

Yuan Baoju held Li Shuang's hand tightly, never letting go.

"King of Qin, ride with me in the same carriage!"

"I dare not!"

Despite Li Shuang's words, Yuan Baoju still pulled him into the car.

The emperor's carriage was drawn by six horses, and its interior was much larger than that of ordinary princes and nobles, allowing one to walk freely within it.

Once inside the carriage, Yuan Baoju was no longer the same as before; instead, he looked aggrieved, his big eyes staring at Li Shuang.

"King Qin, why did you bring that old man to Luoyang?"

"For the sake of all living beings!"

Li Shuang's words left Yuan Baoju speechless. However, Yuan Baoju had been in the underworld for many years and was not someone who could be easily dealt with.

"King of Qin, if you were to choose an emperor, would you choose him or me?"

"Of course it's Your Majesty. My relationship with Xiao Yan was merely a charade, while my friendship with Your Majesty is one that has lasted for many years and is priceless!"

Hearing Li Shuang's words, Yuan Baoju felt much better. He sat up straight, regained his previous composure, and said:

"I like what you said, King Qin. For your sake, I will allow this Lord Liang to come and pay his respects to me often. I will be magnanimous."

"I'm afraid that won't work!"

Yuan Baoju's expression changed again, and with a hint of suspicion, he asked:
"Why?"

"When I returned to the capital, I consulted a high shaman for divination. Does Your Majesty know what the outcome will be?"

Yuan Baoju's heart tightened, and he became somewhat nervous. He asked:
"how?"

"Two dragons cannot meet!" Li Shuang's voice lowered, threateningly saying:

"On the day the two dragons meet, Your Majesty may suffer calamity, which will be passed down to your descendants."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Baoju shrank back, genuinely frightened, and quickly waved his hands, saying:
"Then I'll refuse to see him. It's not that I absolutely need to see him."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

……

Jinyong City.

"The Ganquan Palace, which Your Majesty ordered me to oversee, is already under construction and will be completed in less than two months."

Hu Sichun's complexion was paler than usual, but she remained quite respectful as she stood beside Li Shuang.

Despite being the prime minister, he had little presence in the public eye.

"I heard that Fa Shou was seriously ill. Is he feeling better now?"

Hu Sichun became even more respectful upon hearing this.

"To be honest, Your Majesty, I thought I would never see Your Majesty again in this life. Fortunately, I received medicine from the witch doctor in the snowy region and eventually recovered."

Li Shuang nodded and said:

"Now that all is well, it is time to rest and recuperate. Prime Minister, you must take care of your health. The nation still needs your continued efforts. I have heard that your son, Husi Zheng, is well-versed in rites and music. I brought back 100,000 volumes of books from the south, and I am about to study and refine rites and music. I will need his help!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Sichun's pale face flushed red, and she exclaimed with delight:

"On behalf of my son, I thank Your Majesty!"

Watching Hu Sichun walk shakily out of Jinyong Palace, Li Shuang waved his hand, and a servant came out to help Hu Sichun leave.

Li Shuang climbed the Hundred-Foot Tower, and the scenery of Luoyang City was much more prosperous than before.

The neighborhoods surrounding Jinyong City have become more densely populated with houses compared to before.

The garrison camp and Yongjia granary outside the city have also been completed.

Compared to Chang'an, Luoyang has a huge advantage: convenient water transportation.

The opening of the Yongji Canal further amplified this advantage. It even made it possible to transport large numbers of troops between Luoyang and Youzhou.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the stairwell as Xiao Yan, supported by Xiao Bing, walked up.

“When Ziyun entered Luoyang and returned to Jiankang, he said that the officials and scholars of the Central Plains were superior to those of Jiangdong, but I did not believe it. Today, after seeing it, I can confirm that it was not an empty statement.”

When Chen Qingzhi entered Luoyang, he couldn't help but admire the excellent Sinicization efforts of the Northern Wei Dynasty. After returning to Jiankang, he advised against underestimating the people of the North.

Of course, such remarks were not accepted by the officials of Jiankang.

Now that Xiao Yan has come in person, he has to admit that it is indeed the case.

“The Yuan clan originated in the north and lived among the northern barbarians. They also made contributions to China and should not be underestimated.”

This was Xiao Yan's first meeting with Li Shuang since their parting in Jiankang. He had worried that his enemy, Xiao Bing, would take the opportunity to kill him. However, in recent days, Xiao Bing had been quite polite and had not been disrespectful at all.

Although Xiao Yan could see the hatred in Xiao Bing's eyes, Xiao Bing remained calm.

Xiao Bing's actions could only be due to Li Shuang.

At that moment, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel admiration for Li Shuang.

"What does the King of Qin want from me? Does he want me to go and pay my respects to that Yuan Emperor?"

Emperor Wu of Liang (Xiao Yan) had only one word for Yuan Baoju: disdain. But when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.

"Although the Yuan family has contributed to the state, they have long been influenced by the barbarian nature. Your Majesty, as the supreme ruler, how can you go to pay homage to them? I have already ordered the construction of Ganquan Palace. Once it is completed, Your Majesty can move in, just like in the Taicheng Palace."

Xiao Yan was aware of his situation, but it sounded comforting.

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Majesty!"

……

(End of this chapter)