Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 118 Emperor Gaozu of the Great Han Dynasty

Diancheng.

To be precise, it is north of Diancheng.

"interesting."

Yang Feng stood atop a mountain, looking down at the battlefield.

This war is somewhat different from the original historical events...

They've already cheated to this extent, of course they can't be the same anymore.

Historically, when Shi Le besieged Diancheng, Han Ju, the prefect of Leping, sought help from Liu Kun. Liu Kun sent Ji Dan, who had just led some of the remaining people from Daibei away from the Tuoba group, to lead troops to rescue the city, while he himself led the follow-up troops to Shouyang. As a result, Ji Dan was defeated, and Han Ju had no choice but to abandon the city and flee. Immediately afterwards, Li Hong, the chief administrator of Bingzhou who was left to guard Jinyang, surrendered to Shi Le. Liu Kun had no way to advance or retreat, so he could only go north to seek refuge with the Xianbei Duan clan, who were still theoretically still subjects of Jin. Later, he was killed by the Duan clan.

This battle can be considered the last battle fought by the Han people in the north within the old Western Jin system.

What followed was the chaos of the Five Barbarian Tribes.

The Han people could only become vassals of the Five Barbarian Tribes, and the remaining powerful clans in various places fought alongside the foreign tribes.

Then came Ran Min.

However, his time was too short, and his influence was limited to only a small part of Hebei.

And now...

"The Emperor's Sword".

Yang Feng looked at the strange red light on the chaotic battlefield.

That was Liu Kun in the midst of battle.

The Crimson Sword that Liu Bang used to slay the snake in his hand has now become a red light sword, or rather, it carries a red sword aura. With each swing, it sends countless severed limbs flying around him. However, because there are too many enemies around him, he is still surrounded.

Meanwhile, the lower-ranking generals on the battlefield were engaged in fierce battles.

Only Liu Kun was being besieged by the miscellaneous soldiers. Although he had the Crimson Sky Sword in his hand, dealing with these soldiers was almost a one-sided massacre.

but……

"This thing won't last long!"

Yang Feng watched as the red sword light gradually weakened as the slaughter continued.

Shi Le was clearly using the miscellaneous soldiers to deliberately wear down Liu Kun, or rather, the Crimson Sky Sword in his hand. Although the miscellaneous soldiers could be killed at will, it would still take a toll on his strength. Moreover, these miscellaneous soldiers were not incapable of harming Liu Kun; he was only powerful because of the Crimson Sky Sword, not because of his own strength.

"immortal……"

Li Yi said cautiously.

"Call me Emperor Taizu Gao".

Yang Feng said.

Li Yi was stunned for a moment.

"Emperor Gaozu of Han?"

He said instinctively.

"What do you say?"

Yang Feng said.

Since the purpose of this visit is to retrieve the Crimson Sky Sword, it is only natural that the visitor should act as Liu Bang.

Emperor Gaozu of the Great Han Dynasty has arrived!
"This servant kowtows to the Great Ancestor Emperor Gao. This servant reports to the Great Ancestor Emperor Gao that a precious sword like the Crimson Sky Sword, though it can be used with ancestral sword techniques to make it extremely powerful, is ultimately dependent on the user. If the user is weak, the sword will not last long. There is more than one such sword. Many high-ranking families rely on ancestral treasures, and it is these ancestral treasures that make them high-ranking families. However, after being wealthy and powerful for a long time, these high-ranking families believe that the world is at peace, and they all indulge in pleasure, advocate empty talk, and even take things like Five-Stone Powder, and they are all weak and frail."

Although Governor Liu was not as good as them, he was only slightly better.

He also became famous for his writing.

Otherwise, it would have allowed the barbarians to run rampant far beyond what they thought.

Li Yi said.

Therefore, the power of this thing is still tied to its own combat strength.

The stronger the weapon itself, the stronger the sword.

But the Wei-Jin style...

These swords have probably never suffered such injustice since they were created.

Just then, a roar that shook the entire battlefield suddenly rang out. The next moment, all the soldiers who were besieging Liu Kun hurriedly fled. Amidst the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, only the obviously exhausted Liu Kun and the Crimson Sky Sword in his hand, which had faded to almost transparent red, remained.

"Shi, Shi Hu, Shi Le's nephew, his top general, is said to have a great fondness for eating young women."

Li Yi watched in fear as a monster approached Liu Kun.

It can only be described as a monster.

This guy was practically a monster from Resident Evil, not only enormous in size but also blood-red in color. He was dragging a clearly bronze-cast humanoid figure, though it only had one leg, which he used as a handle. This weapon, obviously from a fictional story, had actually appeared. But to put it bluntly, it was just a strangely shaped giant club, only incredibly heavy. He dragged it behind him, constantly sweeping over the corpses and wounded soldiers on the ground, accompanied by the screams of the wounded. Probably annoyed by the screams, Shi Hu reached out and grabbed a wounded soldier trying to crawl to the side. Amid the latter's terrified screams, he suddenly bit down on his neck, tearing off half of it in an instant. He then spat it aside, lifted the corpse, opened his mouth, drank the gushing blood, and after having his fill, simply tossed the corpse aside.

He then roared and charged toward Liu Kun.

The latter gripped the Crimson Sky Sword with both hands, silently watching the rapidly approaching monster.

In the blink of an eye, Shi Hu arrived.

The one-legged bronze figure in his hand crashed down on his head amidst a roar.

Liu Kun's Crimson Sky Sword met the one-legged bronze figure.

The sword's edge had vanished, but the Crimson Sky Sword's light suddenly surged.

Immediately following, the Crimson Sky Sword, which was as slender as a blade of grass compared to the one-legged bronze man, burst forth with red light upon impact. The one-legged bronze man was directly blasted away, but Shi Hu revealed a ferocious smile. He quickly retreated, then leaped up, raising the one-legged bronze man with both hands and slamming him down again. Liu Kun had no choice but to quickly turn around and escape...

"He was no longer able to cut this thing off, no wonder Shi Hu had to use it."

Yang Feng said.

Indeed, if it cannot cut through Shi Hu's one-legged bronze figure, then the Crimson Sky Sword is no different from an ordinary sword.

This was a tactic devised by Shi Le: to wear down Liu Kun with a large number of miscellaneous soldiers, weaken the Chixiao Sword to the maximum extent, and then bring in Shi Hu, the most powerful soldier on his side. The latter used his giant one-legged bronze figure to withstand the Chixiao Sword, and the battle eventually became a one-on-one duel between the two. But as Li Yi said, what could Liu Kun, a poet famous for his literature, use to fight Shi Hu one-on-one?

Just then, Liu Kun, who was fleeing, suddenly stopped.

The next moment he turned around abruptly, ignoring the stone tiger that was about to catch up, and leaped to the side of a boulder.

At the same time, the ground where he was standing suddenly collapsed, and then a huge abyss appeared.

The monster was hiding underground.

At this moment, Shi Hu had already reached Liu Kun and smashed down the one-legged bronze figure in his hand.

Liu Kun, leaning against the boulder, hastily raised the Crimson Sky Sword in his hand, but it reverted to its original form at the moment of impact, becoming an ancient-looking bronze sword. It then flew out of his hand and fell into the pile of corpses.

"The Emperor's Sword is nothing special!"

Shi Hu sneered.

He then lifted up the one-legged bronze figure.

Liu Kun, too weak to rise, looked helplessly at the sky above. This loyal subject, who had endured nearly ten years of solitude in the north, silently awaited his death...

"The red fruit falls in the strong wind, the abundant blossoms wither in the autumn. The narrow road overturns the canopy, the startled chariot breaks its axle. How could the steel, tempered a hundred times, turn into the softness of silk."

A voice suddenly rang out.

Shi Hu and Liu Kun turned around in surprise at the same time, looking at Yang Feng standing among the corpses.

"The Emperor's Sword is indeed the Emperor's Sword, but unfortunately, the person behind it is not the Emperor."

As Yang Feng spoke, he picked up the Crimson Sky Sword and was admiring it with great interest. Then, he shook the sword, and it instantly became fully charged, turning back into a dazzling blood red, with a blood-red sword light appearing in an instant...

"Shall we try again?"

Yang Feng looked at Shi Hu and said. The latter turned and ran without hesitation.

"I'm not afraid of the barbarians' ferocity, I'm afraid of their intelligence!"

Yang Feng sighed with emotion.

It was obvious that Shi Hu knew the true power of the Crimson Sky Sword.

But it was no use; Yang Feng appeared in front of him the next moment.

Shi Hu was startled. A crimson sword light instantly appeared before him. He instinctively raised the one-legged bronze figure in his hand, but as the crimson light flashed, the sword light, meant to pierce the figure, reached his chest, though it didn't penetrate his body. It merely sliced ​​his right rib as he dodged. Before he could react, Yang Feng appeared to his right, slashing upwards with the Crimson Sky Sword. The one-legged bronze figure tried to defend at the last moment, but it was also severed in an instant. Shi Hu had already released the figure the instant it defended, and simultaneously leaped backward. The Crimson Sky Sword light that had severed the figure almost grazed his nose.

At the same time, the ground beneath Yang Feng's feet trembled, and without the slightest hesitation, he cleaved open a spatial rift.

The moment he stepped in, the monster emerged from the ground.

But Yang Feng had already moved aside.

The sword light of the Crimson Sky Sword in his hand surged, and with a backward swing, the monster's body, which had already leaped out, was split in two in mid-air and fell to the ground amidst the stone tiger's mournful howl. Yang Feng cleaved open a spatial rift again without looking back, but he reappeared in mid-air.

And beneath his feet was the stone tiger that had just landed.

The latter never expected that he would teleport above his head and was still howling at his monster.

Yang Feng's Crimson Sky Sword slashed down from mid-air and landed instantly.

Shi Hu's body was split in two, starting from the top of his head, as the sword light struck down.

"This is the Emperor's Sword."

Yang Feng stood beside him, now split in two, and sneered.

At this moment, the entire battlefield was silent, and everyone was staring at him in astonishment.

The next moment, the enemy troops began to flee without hesitation...

"May I ask who you are?"

Amidst the shouts of pursuit, Liu Kun, helped up by his subordinates, bowed to Yang Feng.

"Bring me the scabbard!"

Yang Feng said.

"This is a family heirloom; I hope you will not take it from someone else."

Liu Kun said cautiously.

“I am your ancestor, you bunch of good-for-nothings who can’t even protect the Han dynasty’s empire, yet you still have the nerve to hold onto your ancestor’s possessions. Bring me the scabbard, today I will personally take back the sword I once wore.”

Yang Feng shouted.

"Although you have saved me, how can one impersonate one's ancestors? I am a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan of the Han Dynasty. Are you perhaps Prince Jing of Zhongshan of the Han Dynasty?"

Liu Kun said with a hint of dissatisfaction.

The next moment, he was kicked to the ground by Yang Feng.

“I told you, this is my old sword.”

Yang Feng placed the Crimson Sky Sword against his neck and said.

As he spoke, he removed the scabbard from Liu Kun's waist and then sheathed the Chixiao Sword.

"I am the Great Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty. I know from the heavens that the Five Barbarian Tribes are causing chaos in the world. Therefore, I asked the Jade Emperor to descend to the mortal realm to save the people and restore the Han Dynasty. The Cao and Sima families usurped the throne one after another. They failed to obey the will of Heaven above and failed to protect the people below, causing chaos in the world, suffering to the people, and turning the Central Plains into a place of carnage. Their crimes deserve to be exterminated. Therefore, from this day forward, the Great Han Dynasty will be re-established."

I have no intention of forcing you. You may choose for yourselves: those who wish to serve Jin, come first; those who wish to serve Han, come later.

Yang Feng turned around and shouted at the generals and soldiers who had gathered.

"But the Xiongnu also called themselves Han."

"A general said cautiously."

It's obvious they're not stupid; whoever steps forward would be the fool.

Besides, people had no affection for the Sima family; they only called themselves Jin subjects out of habit. At least before there was Emperor Min of Jin, but now he's practically a toilet lid maker. As for Sima Rui in the south, he lacked the ability to reclaim the north. In fact, Sima Rui hadn't yet declared himself emperor at this time; he was merely the military governor of Yangzhou and other regions. Historically, it's said that Song Zhe, the governor of Hongnong who fled north, brought Emperor Min's edict of surrender, ordering him to take charge of all affairs, which is why he called himself the King of Jin.

He became emperor after the death of Emperor Min of Jin.

Theoretically, at this time he and Liu Kun were still at the same level.

Liu Kun was the governor of Bingzhou.

The problem is that at this time, the Liu family of the Xiongnu also called themselves Han.

Actually, there is another one: the Cheng Han people of the Di people in Sichuan also called themselves Han.

If Yang Feng does one more, that makes three.

Three Han Chinese.

"Wouldn't it be fine if we just killed them all?"

Yang Feng said.

The generals looked at each other in bewilderment.

He makes a lot of sense.

"This humble official, Ji Dan, acting as the Chancellor of the State, pays his respects to Emperor Gaozu of the Northern Wei Dynasty."

The leading general immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

Then the other generals all knelt down in obeisance.

Liu Kun, standing behind Yang Feng, was still bewildered. He probably guessed that this might not be the real Emperor Taizu Gao, as the demeanor didn't match. If he admitted it, he would be acknowledging a likely fake ancestor. He wasn't like Ji Dan and his ilk, who didn't care whether this Emperor Taizu Gao was real or fake, as long as he could fight. Ji Dan had previously been a vassal of the Tuoba tribe...

Of course, the Tuoba tribe were Jin subjects.

Tuoba Yilu ruled the northern Dai region as the Prince of Dai, a title conferred by Emperor Min of Jin.

Ji Dan was related to Wei Cao, who was considered a founding hero of the Northern Wei Dynasty, by marriage. Both were powerful figures in the Daibei region. They served as ministers of vassal states appointed by the Jin Dynasty emperor to assist Tuoba Yilu. However, after Tuoba Yilu's death, the Tuoba tribe was in turmoil. Ji Dan led 30,000 people, including Han Chinese and Wuhuan, who were remnants of the Daibei people, south to seek refuge with Liu Kun. Historically, he fled back to Dai County after his defeat, but he was soon destroyed by Shi Le. However, the Tuoba tribe recognized him, and the Northern Wei Dynasty regarded him as a former official of the Tuoba clan.

But Liu Kun also knew at this moment that if he didn't acknowledge the ancestor, he probably wouldn't live past today. Even a fake ancestor could be used to clean house.

Yang Feng turned and looked at him.

Ji Dan and the others also looked at him with expectant eyes.

Liu Kun...

"Your unworthy descendant Kun pays his respects to Emperor Taizu Gao".

He knelt down and said.

He lived five hundred years after Emperor Taizu Gao.

"Get up and immediately summon the garrison commanders of your respective regions. I will lead you to first destroy the Jie Hu, and then wipe out those usurpers and rebels."

Yang Feng said.

At this moment, Li Yi and the others finally arrived here.

Yang Feng abandoned them on the hilltop, and they had to walk to get there.

Immediately afterwards, Han Ju, the prefect of Leping who had been trapped, led the soldiers and civilians out of the city. They, of course, did not hesitate to pay homage to Emperor Gaozu of the Great Han Dynasty. Previously, Shi Le had only besieged the city without attacking, which was to lure Liu Kun to come to the rescue and then defeat or even kill Liu Kun in open battle.

With Liu Kun's death, the powerful local strongmen of Bingzhou basically surrendered to him.

Yang Feng then entered Diancheng.

This small town was the temporary palace of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty.

This place is actually Xiyang, but it's located southwest of modern Xiyang. Because it's built on a hillside, those burrowing monsters can't destroy the city walls, since they can only burrow into the soil, not into the rocks.

(End of this chapter)