Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 171 My Family

"Kill! Kill him! Now!! Send someone!!"

The crutch in Empress Dowager Lou's hand was pressed against Gao Yan's chest. Her face turned red, her whole body was trembling, and her saliva was flying.

Inside the palace, the ladies-in-waiting knelt on the ground with their heads down, not saying a word.

Gao Yan's face was solemn. He slowly grabbed the crutch that was supporting him, and carefully bent down to put it down.

"Mother, there are many doubts about this matter. We should investigate it thoroughly first. Besides, this involves my cousin."

"Lou Rui?! Bastard! This bastard!!"

Empress Dowager Lou became even more angry, "For the sake of money, he even ignored his grandfather's spirit tablet?!"

"Kill him! Capture him too! Beat him with a hundred sticks! Beat him with two hundred sticks!!!"

"Mother, my cousin is not a greedy person. This matter is of great importance. Please don't listen to the nonsense of those nobles."

Gao Yan took out a memorial from his bosom and said seriously, "This is a memorial submitted by my cousin. He said that his uncle came to him in a dream at night and told him that he would not rest in peace after his death, and asked him to come and see him."

"My cousin led his men to the Tianle Temple and discovered that these foreign monks had robbed women and committed adultery in front of my uncle's spirit. They even colluded with the Pseudo-Zhou and used those spirit tablets to cast spells, trying to curse and kill the nobles of the Great Qi. My cousin was furious, so he slaughtered the rebels, seized their spoils, distributed them to the people, secured the border, and set up new spirit tablets to place the spirit tablets of many ancestors."

At this moment, Empress Dowager Lou burst into laughter, and her laughter was extremely creepy.

She stared with bloodshot eyes, "His nonsense can fool others, but how can it fool me? What dream? It's obvious that he is jealous of the reward from Tianle Temple, colluding with Liu Taozi, disregarding the ancestral spirits, and facing them with swords. If you still regard me as your mother, give the order now!"

Gao Yan looked at his mother calmly and shook his head slowly.

"No."

Empress Dowager Lou shouted angrily: "If you don't agree, don't think about anything important. Although I am old, I can still make some decisions on the major issues in the world!"

Gao Yan bowed to her and said, "Mother, if you insist on punishing them, then punish me first."

"My life was given by my mother. I will do whatever my mother wants me to do."

"Since my mother is unwilling to help me, I will resign my official title and return home to reflect on my actions."

Gao Yan took off the official seal from his waist, put it aside, and turned to leave.

Lou Zhaojun watched Gao Yan walk out with big strides and suddenly shouted, "Stop!!"

Gao Yan stopped and looked at his mother again.

Lou Zhaojun could no longer control her emotions and almost burst into tears. "What a sin! I have six sons, but none of them is a good person. Cheng is dissolute, Yang is tyrannical, and Yu died young. Do you want to leave me now?"

"Aren't your ancestors enshrined in Tianle Temple? We are your family. Are you and Lou Rui just going to watch outsiders bully us?"

"You damn thing, I would rather have you died in my belly than give birth to you!!"

Seeing Lou Zhaojun's sad look, Gao Yan immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the ground with his head. He kowtowed several times in a row. His head hit the ground heavily and blood splattered everywhere, but Gao Yan seemed to feel no pain at all!

Lou Zhaojun quickly pulled him up, "Do you want to die in front of me too?!"

Gao Yan said, "Mother, it's not that I don't value our ancestors. It's because I value them that I don't allow these people to harm our ancestors' spirits. You don't believe my cousin, so could it be that the things he confiscated are also fake? Is he colluding with the Pseudo-Zhou?"

"Mother, these people are causing chaos on the border. There are millions of monks and nuns in our country today. How many people are needed to support these millions of people? They don't do farming, don't pay taxes, don't join the army, and just sit back and enjoy the people's respect. They occupy land and give out money. Mother, do you know what the interest rate is for the money they give out? One penny is paid, and ten pennies are returned the next month. The next month, a hundred pennies, a thousand pennies, ten thousand pennies!!"

"These insects, these fools, are ruining my country."

Gao Yan's face suddenly became ferocious, blood slowly flowed from his forehead, covering his heroic face. Gao Yan's eyes became fierce, his whole body trembled slightly, tears and blood flowed together.

Looking at her son's appearance, Lou Zhaojun was shocked.

Her pupils slowly dilated, and the image of another person vaguely appeared in front of her eyes.

The same bloody face, the same ferocious look, and the same trembling.

"Mother, I am defeated, I am defeated, my Han army!! These insects, these idiots!! My country!!"

"It's hopeless! It's hopeless! I'm going to kill them! I'm going to slaughter them! I'm going to set them on fire, I'm going to crush their intestines."

Lou Zhaojun suddenly woke up and grabbed her son's hand, "Act! Act!"

She took out a silk cloth tremblingly and wiped the blood off Gao Yan's face, then called a female official to come and help.

Being held by Lou Zhaojun like this, Gao Yan's crazy look slowly calmed down.

He looked at Lou Zhaojun again, his eyes clear.

"Mother, can't handle it"

"Okay, no problem, no problem. Yan, how are you doing lately?"

Gao Yan was in a trance for a moment, "I'm fine, just a little tired."

"Mother, Liu Taozi is not an outsider."

"Oh?"

"He is Liu Taozhi's son, my grandfather's slave, Liu Taozhi"

"what?!"

Lou Zhaojun's eyes widened. "That man is Taozhi's son? How come he is a small garrison commander at the frontier? Is this how you treat a meritorious man? You let him be a seventh-rank official?"

"Mother, a seventh rank official is not a petty official."

"What is that?! Among the other nobles, whose offspring is of the seventh rank?! Who didn't start from the fourth or third rank? But the old man in this family was with your grandfather when you were not even born! How dare you humiliate him like this?!"

Gao Yan was a little confused. He slowly said, "I never looked down on him. I have promoted him three times in a row."

Lou Zhaojun became even angrier, "He only has a seventh-grade rank after giving birth to three children in a row?! Then what grade was he in the past?!"

"My mother, this is not my fault. It was Lord Liu who was unwilling to indulge his son, fearing that he would be spoiled. He made his son hide his identity and work as a small county official. I later learned about this, so I promoted him all the way. Lord Liu also dissuaded me, saying that his son was useless and could not be promoted. His promotion was all due to his merits. Lord Liu not only did not help him, but also suppressed him."

Lou Zhaojun was a little surprised, and then she nodded, "I understand, I understand. No wonder Lou Rui thinks so highly of him, and no wonder you have always wanted to protect him. I understand."

She then said, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Taozhi is an old man, and he has been doing his best over the years. To be honest, I was the one who arranged his marriage. It's a pity that his wife died young. If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known that he had a son."

"As expected of Taozhi, look at how brave and capable this kid is. I should have done the same as him and sent all of you to serve as county officials!!"

Gao Yan lowered his head and dared not speak.

Lou Zhaojun's expression eased a lot, "Since they are family, then let it go."

"However, we cannot tolerate Lou Rui too much. How about this? Send someone to beat him with ten military sticks! Just say it was my order!"

"only!!!"

Gao Yan stood up again, "Mother."

"What else?"

"Your Majesty is young, and many nobles in various places are lawless. The pseudo-Zhou Turks are ready to make trouble. Even in the south, it is not very peaceful."

"Although the nobles respect me, they are not afraid of me."

“Although my brothers love me, they are not afraid of me.”

"Mother, for the sake of the country, can we do something big now?"

Lou Zhaojun was stunned for a long time, "Why are you so anxious? Your Majesty has been on the throne for less than a year."

"Mother, I am just the Prime Minister, so I may have some inconveniences in my actions. It is not out of selfishness, but for the sake of the world."

Lou Zhaojun was silent for a long time. She raised her head, looked at the wound on Gao Yan's forehead, and sighed helplessly, "Well, well, what do you want me to do?"

"Please ask mother to come forward and inform His Majesty of the important matter, and then issue an edict to depose and enthrone the emperor."

"Go out now, I'll think about it."

"only!!"

"what!!"

"It hurts so much!"

"aunt!!"

Lou Rui was pressed to the ground. Officials stood on both sides with their heads down, listening to Lou Rui's screams.

The two soldiers in charge of the execution were stunned at this moment.

They were hinted by the Prime Minister, and they didn't try hard.
At this moment, the state government was extremely lively. The officials gathered around, all with their heads down, not daring to look up.

Lou Rui's lower garment was forcibly taken off, and he was lying naked on the ground. Two soldiers from Yecheng were swinging wooden sticks and hitting Lou Rui fiercely.

Lou Rui screamed for a long time, seemingly having been beaten unconscious.

The soldiers put away their sticks, looked at each other, and left in a hurry. After they left, a guard rushed forward and helped Lou Rui up. Lou Rui hung his head, suddenly opened his eyes slightly, and asked in a low voice: "Are you gone?"

The two guards nodded, and Lou Rui quickly put on his pants and looked at the people around him.

"Everyone go back! Everyone go back!"

"Zhizhi! Come with me in!!"

Everyone looked at Liu Taozi with some envy. Liu Taozi was standing among the many officials. Whether it was his figure, his clothing, or his standing posture, he was out of place. At this moment, he was holding a small dagger in his arms. Hearing Lou Rui's call, he followed Lou Rui into the mansion.

The officials who remained outside were immediately in an uproar.

"I told you, Liu Taozi is Dugu Taozi! He overturned the temple dedicated to the Lou family, and the Empress Dowager gave him gifts!!"

Some officials shouted, their eyes twisted with jealousy.

Someone shook his head, "No, what is Dugu Taozi? It should be Gao Taozi. Just because the surname is Dugu, can it overthrow the ancestors of the Lou family? This surname must be Gao!!"

"It's so hateful. We didn't do anything, but we were scolded by the angel. And Liu Taozi even got a reward? It's really unfair."

The officials started chatting, but they became more and more wary of Liu Taozi.

What the hell is this person? The Empress Dowager, who could beat her own son to death when she was angry, was so polite to Liu Taozi? ?
Wei Jiong frowned and fell into deep thought. Suddenly, someone walked up to him. It was the governor Yiluohao.

Yiluohao glanced in the direction of the backyard and then looked at Wei Jiong.

"Sir, I wonder if you are still friends with General Liu?"

"There is no friendship."

"Hahaha, stop hiding it. You just arrived in Wuchuan and Wuchuan did such a big thing. Moreover, you sent people to deliver wood several times afterwards. Was that the wood you originally planned to use to build the new courtyard?"

Wei Jiong's face was calm, "We really don't have much friendship, I just want to help him."

Yiluohao said again: "I am not questioning you. Lord Wei, we have been colleagues for many years and have a good relationship. If you know the inside story, why don't you tell us? Why do you make us the bad guys?"

"We admire General Liu and want to make friends with him. Do you think we can build a bridge? We were forced to do what King Shunyang did. If we can get along with the general, wouldn't it be beneficial to all of us?"

Wei Jiong hesitated for a moment, "I'll talk to General Liu."

"Thank you, Lord Wei. I can't go to your place at will. Please don't leave in a hurry today. I will find some friends later. It's rare for us to get together. How about we have a good chat?"

While they were chatting, Lou Rui and Liu Taozi also sat in the house.

Lou Rui stared at Liu Taozi in front of him with a sharp look.

"peach!"

"Tell me the truth, who are you?!"

"Han people."

"fart!!"

Lou Rui shouted, "Is your last name Lou or Gao?"

"Last name: Liu."

Lou Rui couldn't sit still anymore. He stood up and paced back and forth, his face flushed. He looked at the dagger in Liu Taozi's arms again.

The scabbard of that dagger was in the shape of an ox horn and was decorated with many jewels. It was a gift from Emperor Shenwu to the Empress Dowager. But today, the soldier who came to execute him gave the dagger to Liu Taozi and also conveyed the Empress Dowager's decree: telling him to do his work carefully or something like that.

He actually acts like an elder.

Lou Rui raised his head, stared at Liu Taozi's face, paced back and forth, and after looking for a long time, he suddenly reached out and grabbed Liu Taozi's hand.

"You are my uncle's illegitimate son?"

For the first time, a complicated look appeared on Liu Taozi's face.

"Forget it, forget it. At the beginning, the Prime Minister said that you were one of his family members. I thought that you were related to the Prime Minister by marriage, and your last name might be Bu Liugu. Now it seems that you are definitely related to me!"

"My aunt is so indulgent and cares so much about her own family. If you don't want to tell me, I won't force you, but I got beaten for nothing. If you had told me earlier, why would I have to write a letter?"

Listening to Lou Rui's complaints, Liu Taozi slowly took out the dagger and handed it to him.

"Let Lord Lou suffer, and I am willing to offer this precious sword."

Lou Rui took a step back, "Take it back! Take it back! If I take this, I will be punished with ten military sticks!"

Liu Taozi took back the dagger, and Lou Rui touched his hips. "Fortunately, I have the Prime Minister to protect me. Zhizhi, even if the Empress Dowager dotes on you, you can't do this anymore. Even if you want to kill me, you have to tell me first. How can you just do it on your own?"

"Wouldn't it be better if I was prepared?"

"Zhizhi, remember this from now on. No matter what you want to do or what you want to rob, tell me first. I am not an unreasonable person. At least let me be prepared. Otherwise, won't I be killed by you?"

"only."

Liu Taozi saluted.

Lou Rui then sat down with a calm expression. He licked his lips and said, "You have gained a lot this time, right?"

"A large amount of arable land, tenants, farm tools, money, food, everything."

"I used them all to settle the border towns."

"As for the treasures such as gold, jewelry, calligraphy and paintings, they have all been delivered. No one has kept them privately."

"I know you won't hide it. I'm not doubting you. I just want to say"

Lou Rui narrowed his eyes. "Killing one is killing, killing a hundred is killing. As the ancients said: Cut the grass and uproot it."

"Can't I take these ten military sticks for nothing?"

Liu Taozi nodded and said, "I'll do it right away."

Lou Rui then laughed, "Okay, okay, Zhizhi is a considerate person. We are settling the civilians in this frontier now. This is when they need farmland and food the most. Are we also thinking about the people?"

"Is such that."

"Then Zhizhi, go ahead and do it. Remember to send someone to keep me informed of the situation. Well, let Zili come. He is a capable man and can be used. I was injured this time and will have to recuperate in the mansion. I can't take care of the things outside."

"Go! Go! Don't delay the important matter!"

When Liu Taozi walked out from the backyard, the soldiers on both sides were afraid and gave way, not daring to stop him. Liu Taozi walked all the way to the door. As soon as he walked out of the provincial government office, someone quickly stood in front of him.

This person was none other than the prefect Wei Jiong.

Liu Taozi bowed slowly towards him and said, "Thank you for the gift of wood."

"No problem, no problem. My current mansion is enough. There is no need to rush to build a new one. You can use it to let the laborers build houses or something."

Wei Jiong suddenly lowered his voice as he spoke, "Several governors of Shuozhou want to host a banquet to entertain you. Let me invite you."

Liu Taozi frowned.

Wei Jiong continued, "When the angel came this time, they were all very excited and thought you would definitely die. But the angel not only did not ask for punishment, but also brought gifts from the Empress Dowager. They were very frightened and dared not provoke you again. This time they want to apologize to the general!"

"Although these people are greedy by nature, they are in charge of local government affairs after all. If the general wants to govern the border, he cannot avoid these people. If the general is not afraid of Lord Lou, he can go and meet them. Even if he does not associate with them, it is better to listen to what they want to say."

Liu Taozi nodded and said, "Thank you, Lord Wei. I will go with you."

"well!"

Wei Jiong immediately looked towards the distance and waved his hand. Someone drove a carriage over, but Liu Taozi rode on the Green Lion. Wei Jiong had no choice but to get into the carriage himself and head towards the south of the city.

When they arrived at the mansion, several prefects came forward with smiles on their faces and bowed to greet them. Their faces were very friendly and their eyes were full of smiles.

Yiluohao said loudly: "General, we have already prepared the banquet, please take a seat!"

Liu Taozi strode forward and sat down on the upper seat in front of several prefects.

Yiluohao's mouth trembled.

You really are not fucking polite at all.

(End of this chapter)