Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 527 He and I are innocent.

With the spring breeze of March, Dugu Xin set off from Chang'an, traveled along the Wuguan Road, and arrived in Nanyang.

The rain fell gently, soaking the earth.

Before Dugu Xin stood a city steeped in history, swallowed by the rain.

Wancheng!

During the Qin Dynasty, Wancheng was one of the most important iron-smelting centers in the country, holding an extremely important strategic position. It was through Nanyang that Emperor Gaozu of Han took the Wuguan Pass to enter Guanzhong, thus completing the great feat of destroying the Qin Dynasty before Xiang Yu.

During the Han Dynasty, Wancheng's iron smelting and commerce flourished, making it a major city comparable to Handan and Linzi. Emperor Guangwu of Han also rose to power in Nanyang. At that time, Wancheng was known as the Southern Capital.

At the end of the Han Dynasty, Cao Cao fought a major battle with Zhang Xiu here, and his son Cao Ang, nephew Cao Anmin, and beloved general Dian Wei also died in Wancheng.

Today, Wancheng's former glory has completely vanished.

During the Yongjia Rebellion and the Five Barbarian Invasions, Wancheng was repeatedly ravaged by war and reduced to ruins.

Even though the Northern Wei dynasty once restored the city, it could never compare to the Han dynasty.

This once-great city has gradually degenerated into a military fortress over time, and its status and functions have been largely taken over by Rang County next door.

Dugu Xin led his troops into the city, only to learn some news.

The envoy of Xiao Lun, the Prince of Shaoling, has arrived!
This undoubtedly surprised Dugu Xin.

Not long ago, Xiao Lun was still acting as if he couldn't bear to see his loved ones suffer while his enemies rejoice. How come he changed his attitude so quickly and is now taking the initiative to contact his "enemies"?

After Dugu Xin met with the envoy of Shaoling King Xiao Lun, he finally understood why Xiao Lun's attitude had changed so drastically.

After the Battle of Dangyang, seeing that Xiao Lun had no reaction, Xiao Yi became even more emboldened and ordered Wang Sengbian to continue his northward advance, which was almost at Yicheng.

If Yicheng falls, the gateway to Xiangyang will be wide open, and they will have to face Xiao Yi's army directly.

Even though Xiao Lun was made of clay, he still lost his temper under Xiao Yi's aggressive military force.

Therefore, Xiao Lun adopted Liu Zhongli's suggestion, made contact with the north, and at the same time transferred Lan Qin's army back from Weixing County to garrison Yicheng.

Upon hearing this, Dugu Xin put aside his important duties and immediately gave the envoy a grand reception.

At that moment, Dugu Xin declared that the gates of Nanyang would always be open to Xiao Lun's envoys.

If needed, he could immediately send the messenger to Chang'an to see the King of Qin.

However, the envoy hesitated, not because he didn't want to go, but because he didn't have that much authority.

Immediately, the messenger returned to Xiangyang at full speed.

Wancheng is two or three hundred li away from Xiangyang. The envoy returned to Xiangyang from Wancheng in two days and told Xiao Lun about the situation.

Upon learning this, Xiao Lun still had doubts and immediately summoned Liu Zhongli and the others.

"Does Master Liu believe Dugu Xin's words to be credible?"

Faced with Xiao Lun's hesitation, Liu Zhongli quickly gave an answer.

"Believable!"

"Why?"

"Nanyang is in ruins, and the barbarians of Jingzhou have all submitted to our Great Liang. Even if Dugu Xin wanted to use trickery, he wouldn't have enough resources."

Xiao Lun nodded, then asked:
"What about that?"

"Your Majesty can send an envoy with generous gifts to Chang'an to pay a visit to the Prince of Wuling and obtain his assistance in striving for peace as soon as possible. In this way, Your Majesty can recall the elite troops stationed in Xinye and other places to deter the Prince of Xiangdong. If the Prince of Xiangdong stops his actions, then Xiangyang will be at peace."

"Okay, that's settled!"

……

Changle Palace.

"Your Majesty!"

"Has Xiao Lun's envoy come to see you?"

Xiao Ji listened to Li Shuang's words without any concealment. "Yes, Xiangyang wants to reach a peace agreement as soon as possible."

"What do you think?"

"I think it's acceptable!"

"Why?"

Xiao Ji expressed his opinion, saying:

"Making peace with Xiao Lun will ensure the safety of Nanyang and Nanzheng, which is the first benefit; after this incident, Xiao Lun and Xiao Yi have broken off relations, so they will rely on Your Majesty even more, which is the second benefit; Nanyang is in ruins, and if it can recuperate for a few years, it can focus on military and civil affairs and wait for the right opportunity. Once the food and supplies are sufficient, it can seize Xiangyang, which is the third benefit."

Perhaps influenced by Xiao Yan, all of Xiao Yan's sons were exceptionally talented and accomplished in literature.

Xiao Ji was also exceptionally talented in governing the people and managing state affairs.

However, each of Xiao Yan's sons had their own shortcomings.

Like Xiao Ji, who was like Xiang Yu in ancient times, he treated his subordinates with great courtesy, but when it came to distributing the spoils, he was reluctant to part with them.

Li Shuang listened and asked:
"Anymore?"

Xiao Ji was taken aback, not understanding what Li Shuang meant, and listened as he asked:

"If we make peace with Xiao Lun, he will transfer the troops north of the Han River to the south. What will Xiao Yi think when he sees this?"

Xiao Ji thought for a moment and said:
"They should back down. Xiao Lun's army is not weak, and he still has hundreds of warships. Once war really breaks out, the Xiangyang navy can sail south along the Han River and plunder the prefectures and counties east of Jiangling. What benefit would that bring to Xiao Yi? It would be better for everyone if they stopped at the right time."

Li Shuang listened and asked:
"When Xiao Yi was fighting you, did he ever think about stopping at the right time?"

Xiao Ji was stunned when he heard this.

Li Shuang smiled and said:
“Tell Xiao Lun that if he wants to make peace, he must cede the three counties east of Nanzheng and send a hostage to Chang'an to form an alliance with Xiao Cha, the Prince of Yueyang.”

Xiao Ji cupped his hands and said:
"I understand!"

Li Shuang looked at Xiao Ji and said again:
"Also, tell Xiao Yi about this."

After hearing this, Xiao Ji's face turned pale, and he quickly explained:
"Your Majesty, I have absolutely no dealings with this villain Xiao Yi. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth!"

Li Shuang was not interested in Xiao Ji's assurances.

“Your subordinate, Yue Fengye, has been bribed by Xiao Yi; he is his spy. If you let him know, Xiao Yi will also know.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ji's face turned even paler than before.

He watched Li Shuang walk away calmly, and for a moment, Xiao Ji felt a chill run through his body.

The departing figure seemed like a heavy mountain, pressing down on Xiao Ji and making it hard for him to breathe.

……

Jiangling.

"Your Majesty, Wang Sengbian reports that the troops in Yicheng are increasing in number, and it seems that they have been transferred back from the north of the Han River."

The intelligence coming from the front lines foreshadowed the difficulty of the battle, and there was another hidden meaning behind Wang Sengbian's military intelligence report.

With his troops alone, it was clearly not enough to attack Yicheng, which was now under the command of Lan Qin. Xiao Yi needed to decide what to do.

"Your Majesty, things have come to this point, let's make peace with the Prince of Shaoling!"

Despite the advice of his ministers, Xiao Yi remained dismissive.

"Do you know why the military strength in Yicheng is increasing?"

Everyone shook their heads, puzzled, but Xiao Yi said:
"Xiao Lun secretly made peace with Da Yeshuang and even wanted to send a hostage to Chang'an, which is how we got to the current situation."

A murmur arose among the crowd, but then Xiao Yi spoke:
"Tell Xiao Lun that I have raised an army to eliminate the treacherous minister Liu Zhongli by his side. As long as he is willing to hand over Liu Zhongli, I will immediately withdraw my troops!"

……

(End of this chapter)