Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 544 Be Honest

Jiangling.

"Ohno is cool! Ohno is cool!"

Inside the room, Prince Xiangdong, Xiao Yi, roared, venting his fear and dissatisfaction.

With the abdication ceremony in the north approaching, Xiao Yi, beset by internal and external troubles, felt a great threat.

Compared to the enemy who was right next door, every move in Luoyang was more nerve-wracking for Xiao Yi.

The reason is simple: if Xiao Yan had appeared at the abdication ceremony along with Yuan Baoju, the legitimacy of the Lanling Xiao clan would have been questioned, and even led to its collapse.

This is extremely disadvantageous for Xiao Yi.

The threat even surpasses that of his current major enemies, Xiao Yu and Xiao Cha.

Zhou Hongzheng strode in. As Xiao Yi's strategist, he could already guess Xiao Yi's thoughts upon seeing the messy state of the room.

"Your Majesty!"

Xiao Yi composed himself, not wanting to concern himself with the disturbances in the distance, and asked:

"How are my two nephews?"

Jiangling has been the most important place in Jingxiang since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

Xiao Yi, who was stationed here, had the strongest army among the Xiao clan lords of Jing and Xiang, with a force of 50,000.

"The two brothers did not have any estrangement. Xiao Yu came first, and Xiao Cha came later. There was no fighting between them."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi let out a cold laugh.

"As expected of the son of Crown Prince Zhaoming, such brotherly affection is rare among the Xiao family."

Zhou Hongzheng was very embarrassed after hearing this.

He understood perfectly why Xiao Yi was speaking so recklessly these days.
anxiety!

Xiao Yi was unable to subdue Xiao Lun, Xiao Yu, and even Xiao Xu and Xiao Gang in a short period of time.

But time waits for no one!

Now, in the Northern Dynasty, Li Shuang is almost at the final step of the process.

Moreover, he walked very steadily.

In Chang'an, the city's defenses stabilized the Hu people, and the use of barbarian tribes to control other barbarian tribes not only brought peace to the border regions but also provided a large number of Hu cavalry that could be mobilized for conquest.

He went to Luoyang, dismissed the nobles and aristocratic families who opposed him, and transferred them to Liaodong and Yinan, replacing them with his own military officers.

Now, having arrived in Jinyang, they have settled tens of thousands of Ji Hu people from Fenzhou and Hengzhou. Some have been registered as ordinary citizens and settled in Hengshuo, some have been transferred to Liaodong and Yinan, and some have been directly conscripted into soldiers to garrison Mayi, Pingcheng, and other places.

These three things are difficult for even an ordinary monarch to accomplish.

But Li Shuang not only did all of them, but she also accomplished them all in a very short time.

Zhou Hongzheng was both impressed and amazed.

This king's methods and prestige were unmatched by ordinary people.

As Zhou Hong was thinking, his gaze fell on Xiao Yi again.

The person opposite him was walking quickly and steadily, and Xiao Yi felt not only anxious but also a hint of jealousy.

During the Three Kingdoms period, once Shu Han fell, the demise of Eastern Wu began its countdown.

During the Five Barbarian Invasions, northerners migrated south, and centuries of development propelled the Southern Dynasties' economy to unprecedented heights.

The Southern Liang was not comparable to the Eastern Wu of that time, whether in terms of economy, military, territory, population, or cohesion.

Even amidst the flames of war, when the Southern Liang lost the lands of Bashu and Jianghuai, it still possessed considerable strength and, relying on its navy and advantageous terrain, was not without the power to fight.

The problem is that the Southern Liang Dynasty is currently divided.

Do the princes of the Xiao clan know that only by uniting can they avoid being defeated one by one by Li Shuang?

They definitely know.

They certainly can't do it.

If they could have done that, Li Shuang wouldn't have been able to capture Jiankang and bring Emperor Liang back to Luoyang. Xiao Yi, seeing Zhou Hongzheng deep in thought, assumed he was trying to find a way to deal with the crisis and couldn't help but ask:
"Does Duke Zhou have a good plan?"

"In the art of war, winning hearts and minds is the best strategy, while attacking cities is the worst. Since we cannot sow discord between the brothers Xiao Yu and Xiao Cha, we should try to sow discord among their subordinates."

"You mean?"

"The Du family of Jingzhao is now mostly under Xiao Cha's command, stationed in Jiangxia. Du Zhe has a past relationship with Your Majesty. If we can get him to come to our side, we can cut off one of Xiao Cha's arms."

Xiao Yi listened and nodded.

"A brilliant plan by the Duke of Zhou!"

Zhou Hongzheng repeatedly said he dared not, but in his heart he was not as obedient as he appeared on the surface.

Xiao Yi is indeed the strongest among the princes of the Xiao clan, but his shortcomings are also obvious: he is stubborn and jealous!
After being outmaneuvered by Xiao Lun during the Battle of Xiangyang, Xiao Yi, seeking momentary gratification, attacked Xiangyang, plundered the prefectures and counties, and even severed his brotherly relationship with Xiao Lun, incurring Xiao Lun's deep hatred. As a result, the situation in Xiangyang has changed drastically, but Xiao Yi is powerless to intervene.

Furthermore, Xiao Yi transferred Wang Sengbian, who had performed outstandingly in the Battle of Xiangyang, to a remote area in Jingnan to oversee a region. This was ostensibly a promotion, but everyone could see that it was actually a demotion in disguise.

With Wang Sengbian as an example, Xiao Yi's generals dared not act on their own initiative like Wang Sengbian, seeking instructions on everything, which led to missed opportunities. Despite having a numerical advantage, Jiangxia could not be captured after a long siege.

Nowadays, we have no choice but to "take shortcuts"!
Zhou Hongzheng felt somewhat disappointed.

In chaotic times, deceit, treachery, and the struggle for power and profit are all base actions.

Xiao Yi, or rather the princes of the Xiao clan, had stayed in the "golden age" carefully crafted by Emperor Liang for too long, and none of them had truly adapted to this chaotic world.
-
Xiangyang.

"Your Majesty, Dugu Xin and Duan Shao have led their troops south and, with the cooperation of Liu Zhongli, have already occupied Fancheng."

The urgent announcement did not wake Xiao Lun.

Inside the palace, the music continued, and the dancers' graceful movements were breathtaking. Xiao Lun embraced the dancers on either side, and he was only impatient with the warning announcement.

"So what if we lose it? It's just Fancheng. Can they cross the Han River? Can they defeat my navy?"

"But Your Majesty..."

"go out!"

Xiao Lun was already numb, indulging in wine and women to make him feel happy.

The country lost vast amounts of land, and the villages and towns surrounding Xiangyang were also destroyed in the war, resulting in heavy losses for the army.

Even though Xiao Lun managed to defend Xiangyang, he was still very troubled by the mess of reduced taxes, abandoned villages, soldiers needing compensation, and starving people crying for food.

In the past, if Xiao Lun were faced with this situation, he could ask Jiankang for money and support.

But now, he can only give up.

However, Xiao Jian's assassination attempt in Luoyang made it impossible for Xiao Lun to even back down.

Even if he wanted to just let things slide, he could still sense that people weren't really there for him.

Xiao Lun dismissed the soldier who came to report, still gazing at the beauty before him.

But as he watched, a tear suddenly rolled down his cheek.

"Sun Hao back then was nothing special!"

……

"Generals, Liu Zhongli has already persuaded Lan Qin to surrender."

Dugu Xin and Duan Shao exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of a smile in each other's eyes.

With Lanqin surrendering, the navy in Xiangyang will no longer be a threat.

Duan Shao glanced at Dugu Xin and asked:
"General, after the matter is accomplished, are we really going to welcome Xiao Cha to Xiangyang?"

Dugu Xin nodded and said:
"nature!"

In the night wind of Fancheng, the lights of the naval port on the opposite bank flickered, carrying a sense of desolation.

Dugu Xin added another sentence.

"As long as he dares to come!"

……

(End of this chapter)