Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 160 Desperate Situation
"General Liu, do you understand?"

"understood."

Liu Taozi nodded and said:
"Prince Shunyang is raising an army to rebel."

Heba Cheng and others lowered their heads, their hands shaking, pretending they heard nothing.

Xu Biejia was also stunned for a moment, then said with a smile: "What a serious crime!"

He shook his head, "General, my king is closest to the prime minister. They can talk about anything and are close friends. Even if we don't mention this, my king is an old man who followed the Emperor Shenwu to start an army. How could he do something like a rebellion?"

He said earnestly: "The general has just arrived and may not know much about border affairs."

"You see, it's like this. The governor of this frontier often holds the title of commander-in-chief of all military forces. Why? Is it to guard against foreign enemies? Not entirely, it is also to guard against border soldiers."

"When the soldiers here are violent, the governor can support the border troops. The imperial court will distribute their food, wages and supplies on time, which is a good income. And the local people have to pay some tribute to protect themselves, which is also a good income."

"As long as the officials of the prefectures and counties meet the deadline, they can control the rebellious border soldiers. Once they have achieved political achievements, they can move up the career ladder."

"If there is a shortage in the granary, we can also report it to the higher authorities and say that it was done by the border soldiers."

"The people in this frontier are mostly vicious and lawless. When border soldiers come from time to time, they will be more afraid and will obey the orders of the government more."

"Also, you see, many of the officials at the border are our own people. Why? It's because of the chaos. It's too chaotic, so those greedy Han people dare not come. Whether it's the superiors, the subordinates, or the people around us, they all have to rely on us!"

"There are many people involved here, including those in Shuozhou, Hengzhou, and even all the surrounding areas bordering foreign invaders. Most of them follow this rule."

"Since Emperor Wenxiang, those Han people have rushed in and occupied all the official positions. The only place we can take a breath is the border. General, do you want to help those Han people take away all these positions?"

"When you were in the Central Plains, you killed those Han people mercilessly. We here applauded and thought that the general was a pillar of the country."

"But what's wrong with the general now? Why would he attack his own family?"

"Those people you executed were all our own family members."

Xu Biejia became more and more excited as he spoke. He held Liu Taozi's hand and said solemnly: "My king is here to save the general!!"

"If you continue like this, you will probably offend all the nobles, officials, and soldiers from all over the border. By then, will there be any chance for you to survive as a general?"

"These people are different from the Han ethnic group. Can the general fight against them alone?"

Liu Taozi just looked at him calmly. Heba Cheng had already started wiping his sweat and was looking at the two people in front of him at a loss.

Xu Biejia said quietly, "Yesterday, my king suddenly received a letter from Yecheng, saying that Cui Jishu suddenly submitted a memorial, saying that he wanted to rectify the people in the border areas and set up military farms to alleviate the shortage of money and food. I'm afraid this was also planned by Lord Liu, right?"

"How much food can be produced from these poor places on the border? In the end, not only will we not be able to produce much food, but the government will also reduce the military rations that should be distributed. This will do us more harm than good."

"General, please wake up as soon as possible and don't do such foolish things again."

Liu Taozi didn't say anything and continued to sit there.

Xu Biejia stood up slowly. "That's all I have to say. I shouldn't have said this. It's just because my king loves you and treats you as his own junior, so I came here to give you some advice."

"I will go back first. General, you can gather your staff tonight to discuss this matter. The general is a smart man and will not choose the wrong path."

He bowed slightly to Liu Taozi, then looked at Heba Cheng, took something out of his sleeve and threw it to Heba Cheng.

"General Heba, this is a letter from your uncle to my king. Please take a look at it."

Xu Biejia turned and left with a loud laugh, his laughter was extremely unbridled.

Everyone watched the other party leave, and then looked at Liu Taozi. Heba Cheng opened the letter blankly at this moment, and after reading it for a moment, his face changed drastically.

Heba Cheng's face turned pale. He suddenly raised his head and looked at Liu Taozi.

"what did you say?"

"If I continue to delay government affairs, I will let the king deal with it. It has nothing to do with me. Please do not be partial."

Heba Cheng stood up tremblingly and bowed deeply to Liu Taozi, "General, I cannot agree to this matter. Please forgive me."

Looking at the extremely uneasy Heba Cheng, Liu Taozi didn't say much.

Heba Cheng bowed to Liu Taozi again, turned around and ran out of the office in a hurry.

Now, the garrison commanders sitting here became even more uneasy. These people were all newly promoted by Liu Taozi. However, at the moment, they were also confused, shocked and frightened, and unable to speak.

Liu Taozi didn't make things difficult for them. He waved his hand and let them all go out.

After they left in a hurry, Yao Xiong and others walked in.

Most of the people brought by Liu Taozi were placed in other positions and were not qualified to attend the King's Banquet.

Yao Xiong walked in in shock and glanced at the door again, "Brother, what happened? I saw General Heba looked terrified, and he rushed out of the office without answering."

Tian Zili vaguely guessed something, "Brother, did the Shunyang King say anything?"

Liu Taozi waved and asked them to sit down.

Everyone took their seats one after another.

Looking at the people in front of him, Liu Taozi said, "Prince Shunyang is unwilling to reorganize the border troops, nor is he willing to cultivate land."

"Why?"

"Officials, money, fame, and the like."

Cui Gang frowned and said worriedly: "It's bad. Prince Shunyang is very senior and very close to the Prime Minister. He is brave and has made many military achievements. Everyone on the border respects him."

Yao Xiong asked, "We are not under his control, so what can we do if we don't listen to him?"

Tian Zili replied: "He can do a lot. He can divide the border generals and make them stay away from us. He can prevent you from going out on patrol. He can also make up charges and force the prime minister to punish my brother."

A fierce light suddenly flashed in Yao Xiong's eyes, "Brother, he is in the garrison now!"

"No!"

"No!"

Tian Zili and Cui Gang spoke almost at the same time.

Tian Zili said: "He brought more than a thousand people with him this time, and they are all stationed around him. The soldiers in the garrison will never dare to attack him. We are no match for him with only a few hundred of our personal soldiers."

Cui Gang added: "Besides, even if it really works, the other party is a county prince. If a county prince is held hostage, even the prime minister cannot protect him. He can only be beheaded as a warning to the public, otherwise those county princes will be dissatisfied."

For a moment, everyone fell silent. The atmosphere was eerily gloomy.

The minions frowned, looking uneasy.

Kou Liu whispered, "How about just bow your head and give in temporarily?"

Tian Zili said: "You change your mind every day. This is not only a loss for my brother, but also for the Prime Minister. If you bow your head, where will the Prime Minister be?"

Chu Jiande laughed strangely, "This damned bastard, he can't lower his head, and he can raise his head. He can't find anyone, and he can't beat him. So what's the point of staying here? I think he might as well resign his official title and return to Qing!"

Yao Xiong sneered, "How can we let that old dog get away with it so easily? I think it would be better to let the traitor sneak into his house and take off his head, and then we can go to the pseudo-government overnight."

Liu Taozi looked at him slowly, and Yao Xiong did not say anything further.

Cui Gang seemed not to have heard what Yao Xiong said. He pondered for a moment and said, "In fact, whether it is the reorganization of the border troops or the cultivation of land, it is what the Prime Minister wants to see."

"In recent years, the border troops have been ravaging the local areas, and corvée labor has been frequent. This place has been constantly sucking the blood of the country. The young and strong people in the local area are getting fewer and fewer. In addition, the cost of transporting grain from the Central Plains to various places is extremely high. Often, more than half of it is lost before it arrives. Not to mention that there are people like King Shunyang who want to get their hands on all this grain."

"But I don't think the Prime Minister will give a direct order. The nobles are extremely important to the Prime Minister."

"With the Prime Minister on our side, we can come up with some solutions, even if it's just secretly helping us."

Tian Zili stood up suddenly, "Brother, we can increase the chances of victory for the Prime Minister!!"

"The reason why the Prime Minister sent you here is to rectify the border. What you are doing now is what the Prime Minister is happy to see. The reason why he has not issued a clear order is probably because he is worried that the impact will be too great and will cause resistance from the nobles."

"If there are enough people supporting him, the Prime Minister will take action immediately!"

Tian Zili hurriedly looked at Liu Taozi, "Brother, I will go to Sizhou now, first to find Lanling King, then to Dingzhou to find Ande King, then to Cheng'an to find Lu County Magistrate, and finally to Yecheng to find Lou Taishou, Cui Gong and others."

"King Shunyang uses his power to bully others, so we should find some people who can be on the same level as him to fight him!"

Cui Gang also stood up in a hurry, "I can go to my father's place. He has many good friends in the court. They are all important officials. If they can support the Prime Minister, things may not be impossible!" Tian Zili nodded, "Yes, the Prime Minister is not short of close friends who support him. If more people are willing to write to him, the Prime Minister will have no worries!"

"Brother, please send me and Cui Jun together!"

The two men talked loudly, and their passion suddenly dispersed the previous depression. The whole room seemed to become hot. Yao Xiong also stood up quickly, "Brother, there are also these soldiers on the border. For them, wandering outside and bullying the people is only a minority, and it is not necessary. But eating is a must, and not a single meal can be missed. Rectifying the border and starting farming will allow them to have food to eat!! "

"I have been traveling around these days and have made friends with many generals. I will go find them and ask them to support this great cause so that the soldiers can have enough food to eat!!"

Chu Jiande stood up and laughed. "Even Yao Xiong said he was working for the Lord. How could I just sit there and do nothing? I will go with Yao Xiong. Wizards from all over the place respect me. If I go with Yao Xiong, I will be able to convince these soldiers better."

Potala Ku and other generals also stood up. "Agan, we, more than a hundred people, are willing to serve you. Even if you want us to kill the King of Shunyang, we will not hesitate! ”

Seeing everyone standing up, Kou Liu was stunned. He stood up hurriedly and opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

His face flushed, but he didn't dare to hesitate, "Brother."

"I-I-I don't know what to do. Just follow my brother's orders!!"

Liu Taozi raised her head slightly and looked at the people standing up in front of her.

"You look bigger when you stand up?"

"Everyone, sit down!"

"only!!!"

Everyone spoke at once and sat down together.

Liu Taozi's eyes swept over the people in front of him one by one, and he looked at Tian Zili and Cui Gang.

"You two should go together, first to Sizhou, and meet Lanling King. Tell him the truth, tell him the current situation here, and then tell him what the nobles on the frontier think. Ask Lanling King to tell his relatives, and write to the Prime Minister together to resolve this matter."

"Go to Dingzhou to see King Ande. You don't need to tell him too much about the current situation. Just tell him that King Shunyang and others are raising bandits and neglecting the country. They are humiliating us. Let him write a letter to the Prime Minister, requesting to reorganize the border troops and set up military farms."

"First, tell Mr. Lu of Cheng'an the truth, and then tell him that I am going to fight to the death with Prince Shunyang."

"Lord Lou, just tell him that if he can replace Prince Shunyang and come here as the governor, he will be very rich."

"Mr. Cui, just tell me the truth. This is a matter of state, Mr. Cui will make the decision."

Liu Taozi gave instructions one by one, and Tian Zili and Cui Gang listened very carefully.

Tian Zili said, "Don't worry, brother. I know how to talk to these people!"

"The most important thing is that you two stop arguing and work together. You can still accomplish something."

The two men looked at each other and then saluted Liu Taozi.

"only."

Liu Taozi then looked at the rest of the people and said, "Zhang Heizu, you lead thirty people to protect the two of them as they go to various places. Protect them carefully and be careful of thieves who might try to murder them."

"only!!"

"Yao Xiong, take Lord Chu with you to various garrisons, towns, and passes. They may not know much, but they will definitely know after having enough food. When the time comes, you should listen to Lord Chu and stop talking nonsense!"

"Don't worry, brother!!"

"Ku, you should be ready to go out at any time."

"only!!"

"Liu, find some people and sneak into Zhaoyuan County to keep an eye on what's going on in the county."

"only!!"

Looking at the people who were full of fighting spirit, Liu Taozi slowly said: "This is a major event, and it is of great importance. If you can't succeed, you will only die. If you are afraid, leave quickly."

"We are willing to die for our lord!!"

It was already dark.

The dim starlight falls on the dark sky. There are not many stars, and they are not bright, just as bleak as the earth.

The South Parade Grounds were filled with soldiers.

The soldiers held torches and illuminated the surroundings. The entire parade ground was brightly lit, much brighter than any other place in the city.

The cold wind blew and the torches flickered.

Heba Cheng lowered his head and shivered in the cold wind.

"My dear, I really have something to report to the king."

Xu Biejia yawned as he stood in front of Heba Cheng, his face full of fatigue. "Your Majesty has been traveling for a whole day and is already fast asleep."

"If you want to see me, you have to wait until daybreak."

"Besides, how can it be possible for you to come here alone to ask for an audience?"

"You have to bring General Liu with you. What do people here call him? Liu Xiao, right? You have to bring Liu Xiao with you."

"You are also a general, a fourth-rank official, commanding the Hengshuo border troops. If we only talk about official rank, you are not much lower than my king. Why are you following a Han Chinese to do such despicable things?"

"They didn't spare anyone with the surname Lou, Bu Liugu, or even He Lai, and they only killed our countrymen. Do you know how many people have died in the past few days? Do you think they have no relatives?"

"Just because I have an uncle who is a bodyguard, I can kill people without restraint? Do I not have to obey the laws of my Great Qi?!"

Xu Biejia's voice suddenly became louder. Heba Cheng's face turned pale, but he dared not speak.

"How about bringing General Liu with you and coming back to pay your respects?"

“He didn’t listen to me”

"You are his direct superior, how can you not listen? I heard that he has a law enforcement record, and disobeying his orders is a serious crime."

Xu Biejia secretly looked at Heba Cheng's face and suddenly sighed, "Well, well, the general is also one of our family members. Even for the sake of the Grand Protector, I shouldn't embarrass the general."

"How about this, the general writes a letter to the king, stating that Liu Taozi acted on his own initiative, slaughtered the countrymen, sent troops without permission, and held the general hostage. You should not be afraid of Liu Taozi, because our king is here. After you finish writing, follow us. This place is not your office, so why should you be afraid?"

"If you can do this, then the general will be one of our own. The king will definitely not treat the general unfairly. I heard that Youzhou is vacant for a governor position. What do you think?"

Heba Cheng slowly raised his head and looked at Xu Biejia in front of him, his lips trembling.

Under the other party's expectant gaze, he said, "I know I was wrong. I will move out of Wuchuan tomorrow and will never help Liu Taozi again, let alone interfere in many affairs. I only ask the king to meet with me and let me explain clearly, and I will do it."

Xu Biejia was furious, "What on earth are you afraid of?!"

"What's so scary about a mere Liu Taozi? Do you think he still has the heart to seek revenge against you?!"

"In front of my king, he is nothing but a penny-pincher! Die with him! A lowly slave with a pale head, actually let a fourth-rank commander like you scare him into a coward!!"

"You still have a chance now. Otherwise, the things you have allowed Liu Taozi to do will be enough to cost you your life!!!"

At this moment, the knights on Heba Cheng's left and right turned red in the face and glared at Beijia.

Heba Cheng clenched his fists tightly and looked at the other person straight.

At this moment, heavy footsteps and the sound of armor colliding slowly came from behind.

Xu Biejia suddenly raised his head and looked at the shadow in front of him vigilantly.

"Who?!"

Liu Taozi's tall figure slowly walked out from the shadows.

"A young slave with a pale head for one penny."

ps: Gui (Liu Gui) and Aocao (Gao Aocao) were sitting together. When they heard that many laborers working on the river had drowned, Gui said: "One man with a penny will die with him!" Aocao was furious and drew his sword to kill Gui. ——"Zizhi Tongjian"

During the time of Emperor Gaozu, there were dozens of cangtou (cangtou slaves) such as Chen Shanti, Gai Fengle, and Liu Taozhi, all of whom drove around in remote places and were treated with great favor. ——"Book of Northern Qi, Volume 50"

(End of this chapter)