Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 475 Be extra careful
It was late at night at the Liang County Duke's residence.

Inside the room, the lights flickered. Hou Jing, wearing only a thin robe, sat cross-legged on one side, looking at Gao Huan, who had come uninvited, with great impatience on his face, while his other leg was shaking.

"He Liuhun, why aren't you home with your wife this late at night? What are you doing here?"

Gao Huan blushed, seemingly unaware of Hou Jing's current state, and smiled.

"Wan Jing, I miss you."

Gao Huan is over forty years old, but his demeanor and bearing are still as impressive as those of young people. In particular, his handsome face shows almost no signs of aging, and he has gained a maturity that young people do not possess.

In contrast, Hou Jing hasn't changed much either.

"I don't know if it's because I'm getting old, but when I close my eyes, I think of the time we were in Chulechuan. Back then, all you wanted was to find a wife."

Upon hearing this, Hou Jing seemed to have grasped something and immediately jumped up.

"He Liuhun, you're threatening me!"

As he spoke, Hou Jing paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. Finally, he stopped and shouted:

"Fine, fine, I'll just pretend I don't have a brother like you. You can leave now!"

Gao Huan remained motionless, still sitting in his original seat, and his impatient demeanor only fueled his aura.

"Wan Jing, you're getting impatient."

Hou Jing was even more excited upon hearing this.

Am I in a hurry?

"You're in a hurry!"

Just then, a woman's voice rang out from outside, and Yuan Jili walked in carrying a bowl of hangover soup.

"Who's in a hurry?"

When Gao Huan saw the women enter, he stood up and bowed.

"Princess!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Jili couldn't hide her smile.

"How could I possibly accept such a grand gesture from the Duke of Wei?"

"It is truly unfair for a princess to take care of such a rough man as Wan Jing. My brother is a rough man, and I hope the princess will forgive him if he has ever been negligent in any way."

Even though Yuan Jili knew Gao Huan was just being polite, she was still delighted to hear it. She immediately became even more attentive.

"This hangover soup won't be good if it gets cold, so you should drink it as soon as possible, Lord Wei. I'll go prepare some wine and food so that you and your husband can have a few more drinks."

"Okay, go down!"

Hou Jing urged Yuan Jili to leave quickly. Hearing this urging, Yuan Jili glared at Hou Jing, but then smiled at Gao Huan.

"Lord Wei, I shall take my leave now."

"Good work!"

Seeing Yuan Jili close the door and leave, Gao Huan leisurely sat down, took a sip of the hangover soup, and smiled:
"What excellent craftsmanship!"

"Go back after you finish drinking. Does your He Liuhun mansion lack a bowl of hangover soup from me?"

"Wan Jing, where were we?" Gao Huan scratched his head. "Right, you need to find a wife."

As he spoke, Gao Huan put down the bowl in his hand and asked softly:
"How is Princess Chang Le doing? Is she still causing trouble at her residence in Yongkang Lane?"

Upon hearing this, Hou Jing immediately lost his composure and shouted:

"Hmph, you think a few women can threaten me! He Liuhun, do you think everyone is as afraid of their wives as you?"

"Wan Jing, what are you saying? How did this become me threatening you?"

Gao Huan's smile widened, and he said again:
"That concubine in His Majesty's palace..."

Before Gao Huan could finish speaking, Hou Jing's unyielding expression immediately changed, and he rushed over with a fawning smile on his face.

“He Liuhun, we’re brothers. If you need anything, just say so. Why come all the way here so late at night? How could I not care about your business and not help you? Would I even be human?”

Gao Huan patted Hou Jing's hand and smiled.

"Wan Jing, I knew you were loyal."

Hou Jing, with a forced smile, sat down next to Gao Huan and asked, "What is it?"

"A case has recently occurred in Bohai..."

Before Gao Huan could finish speaking, Hou Jing, with an eager expression, refused.

"It can't be done!"

"You even include Prince Liang..."

"We're brothers, I'll help you no matter how difficult it is."

Hou Jing grasped Gao Huan's hand and earnestly advised him:
"If Your Majesty intends to conquer Goguryeo and subdue Liaodong, you must first pacify Hebei. You, He Liuhun, are unaware of this, so why are you getting involved?"

Gao Huan sighed and said:

“As a member of the Gao clan of Bohai, stationed in Ye City, and also the Grand Administrator of Hebei Province, even if I don’t want to get involved, others will still pull me in.”

Hou Jing, upon hearing this, complained:

"I told you long ago, these aristocratic families are no good. Look at Yuwen Tai, he never gets involved. So, what do you suggest we do now?"

Gao Huan smiled, looked at Hou Jing, and said:
"Didn't you just say that?!"

"What did I say?" Hou Jing looked at Gao Huan's smiling face and suddenly realized, "Yuwen Tai!"

……

"Black Otter, how are you?"

Yuwen Tai's wife, Lady Yuan, opened her eyes in the darkness and saw Yuwen Tai suddenly sit up straight, looking at her with concern.

"For some reason, I felt a chill."

"Why does it feel cold in this summer?"

"I don't know either. It feels like I'm being watched by hundreds of Huai Shuo people."

After Yuwen Tai finished speaking, he got up from the bed and could no longer fall asleep.

"My lady, you should go to sleep first. I have things to attend to!"

As the Duke of Yan and the Grand Administrator of the Northeast Circuit, Yuwen Tai had the power to establish his own government.

Yuwen Tai, who was just over thirty, was in his prime. However, unlike Gao Huan, most of his subordinates were his juniors whom he had cultivated over the years.

For example, Yuwen Hu and Yuwen Dao were both members of the Yuwen family.

For example, Yuchi Jiong and Helan Xiang were both Yuwen Tai's nephews.

They were all young men in their twenties, full of energy, and it was common for them to study military intelligence all night long. Yuwen Tai could see the lights on in the staff's quarters from afar. When he went over to take a look, he saw Yuwen Hu studying a map of Liaodong's terrain and planning how to attack Liaodong.

Yuwen Tai coughed, and only then did Yuwen Hu notice Yuwen Tai standing under the eaves in a thin robe. He stood up and bowed, saying:

"uncle!"

"No need to be polite!"

Yuwen Tai entered the room, glanced at the map, and immediately knew where Yuwen Hu's research had progressed. Unconcerned about the military prowess of these younger generation from Wuchuan, Yuwen Tai looked at Yuwen Hu and asked:
"Did the King of Qin say anything when he summoned you to Jinyong City today?"

Yuwen Hu honestly replied:
"The King of Qin tested his nephew's military and political skills."

Yuwen Tai became interested and asked:

"how?"

"In terms of military strategy, the King of Qin gave my nephew a passable evaluation; in terms of governance, my nephew received a very good evaluation."

Yuwen Tai was well aware of the level of his juniors, and upon hearing this, he was even somewhat satisfied, saying:

"So, very good!"

Yuwen Tai looked at Yuwen Hu and asked with concern:
"When it comes to fighting, we Wuchuan people have never been afraid of anyone. But Luoyang is not like the Six Garrisons. Just being good at fighting is not enough. We need to be more careful so as not to be outmaneuvered by the Huai Shuo people."

"Those old fogies?"

"Don't underestimate those old fogies. I, your uncle, am only able to avoid falling into their trap by constantly being on guard. You are still far from being able to do so!"

……

(End of this chapter)