Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 174 Gaowang Happy City

"Get up."

Lu Yao felt a little tired.

He walked towards the city, and Liu Taozi followed behind him. Yao Xiong looked at Tian Zilie in astonishment. Tian Zilie shook his head at him, then stepped forward to greet the people brought by Lu Yao and greeted them warmly.

Lu Yao followed Liu Taozi on the way to the government office and seemed to want to say something but stopped himself several times.

The two returned to the government office, and Lu Yao said, "I want to discuss this with you alone."

Liu Taozi asked everyone else to leave and sat alone in the house with Lu Yao.

This time, Liu Taozi finally sat on the side seat.

Lu Yao sighed, "The Grand Prime Minister has ascended to the throne of the Emperor."

Liu Taozi asked, "Is Lord Lu dissatisfied with this?"

Lu Yao was shocked. "When did I ever say I was dissatisfied?!"

"Then why sigh?"

"I sigh because of you!"

"Zhizhi! When you first took office, do you remember what I told you?"

"Remember, I often read and studied the military strategy given by Mr. Lu."

"You have learned well! They have begun to resettle the people on their own, appointing officials to govern privately, reclaiming wasteland and diverting water, and building village walls. What do you want to do next, General? Are you going to rebel?!"

Lu Yao is a very generous person, but at this moment, he really couldn't help it.

"Zhizhi!! It was me who recommended you to be an official. According to the law, if you violate the law, I will be punished as well!! Why would Zhizhi want to harm me?!"

"Your Majesty asked you to open up farmland, not to appoint officials privately."

"Your Majesty knows everything."

Liu Taozi interrupted Lu Yao.

"What did you say? Your Majesty knows?"

Lu Yao's eyes widened. Liu Taozi said seriously, "His Majesty knows, and he agrees."

Lu Yao was completely speechless now, and he remained silent for a long time.

"Then you also know why I came here?"

"I will escort you to Yubi City."

Hearing Liu Taozi say this in person, the veins on Lu Yao's forehead jumped again.

However, things have come to this point and there is nothing he can do to change it.

Lu Yao said softly, "Zhizhi, it's okay if you don't listen to me about other things. I can tolerate it, but this mission is of great importance and must not be underestimated. Wei Xiaokuan is a bad guy. When you go with me this time, there is only one thing, you must not provoke Wei Xiaokuan. I'm not asking you to bow your head and be a good person. If they want to humiliate us, you can certainly take action, but don't go too far!"

"Everything must be done according to my orders. If I don't allow you to do anything, you can't do anything!"

"If you agree, I will take you on the road. If you don't agree, I will never take you with me even if I risk my life to disobey the king's order."

Lu Yao's face was very serious.

Liu Taozi slowly lowered her head, "Yes."

Lu Yao breathed a sigh of relief. "Zhizhi, it's not that I don't trust you, but this time, the matter is of great importance. You should go and prepare. There is no time to delay. We must set off as soon as possible."

"His Majesty has ordered that you do not need to bring too many people. Just bring more than ten good fighters. That will be enough."

Lu Yao stayed in the office to rest, but Liu Taozi came out.

Yao Xiong and others were waiting outside the door. When they saw Liu Taozi coming out, Yao Xiong hurried forward and said, "Brother, what does Magistrate Lu mean? Why did he say he wanted to rebel right away?"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Tian Zili hurried over, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked at Liu Taozi, "Brother, I have arranged all the entourage, and we are having a meal and wine in Nancheng now."

Liu Taozi signaled everyone to follow her, and they went to the villa together.

After taking a seat, Liu Taozi began to speak.

"I have to go out with Mr. Lu to do some work."

"Where are you going, brother?"

"Fake Zhou."

"what??"

Everyone exclaimed, and Yao Xiong couldn't help but ask, "Brother, are you going to attack the Pseudo-Zhou?"

"It's a diplomatic mission."

"On a diplomatic mission? Why would you let your brother go? Your brother doesn't like to talk, so Tian Zili should go!"

Tian Zili glanced at Yao Xiong and suddenly asked, "Are you trying to do this to harm my brother?"

Everyone started discussing, and the scene was quite lively.

Liu Taozi said calmly: "Don't worry too much."

He looked at Tian Zili and said, "After I leave, you will be in charge of Wuchuan's internal affairs for the time being. If you encounter any important matters, go to Lord Lou."

Tian Zili stood up suddenly and bowed deeply to Liu Taozi, "Brother, why don't you let Cui Jun take care of it? I will go with you. Brother, you are not good at socializing, so maybe I can be of some use if you take me with you."

"I am only here to escort the envoys. You and Cui Gang should stay and focus on Wuchuan's affairs."

Tian Zili wanted to say something else, his face was complicated, but Yao Xiong laughed, "Brother is right, why are you going to meet the Zhou people? This is not what you scholars should do."

He looked at Liu Taozi, "Brother, when do we set out? I will select the people now."

"You stay too."

"Brother!"

Yao Xiong immediately knelt down in front of Liu Taozi and said, "Brother, I may be useless, but this time we are deep in the enemy's territory. How can you not have me in this time of danger? Even if I am useless, I can still block an arrow for you!"

Liu Taozi said calmly: "Zili has to take charge of government affairs, and we have to leave someone brave enough to help him suppress the fierce soldiers."

Yao Xiong was stunned. At this moment, he also became conflicted with Yao Xiong. His brother believed in him and thought he was brave, so he let him stay in Wuchuan. This was naturally a good thing, but when he thought of his brother going alone, he became particularly worried.

Liu Taozi looked at everyone and said, "Liu, Jiande, Heita, the three of you follow me."

"Liu, summon ten more warriors who are good at riding, shooting and running."

Kou Liu, Chu Jiande, and Yan Heita stood up and saluted Liu Taozi. Kou Liu replied, "I'll go find him right away."

Yao Xiong stood up and looked at the three of them, indignant. "Old Kou is my brother, so it's okay, but Mr. Chu can't even ride a horse steadily and doesn't know how to kill the enemy. The short mute is a mute who can't talk and only knows a little bit about archery. How can he follow me?"

"Xiong, don't say too much!"

Tian Zili frowned, already showing some momentum of being in charge. He looked at Liu Taozi and bowed again, "Brother, you can go out without worrying about anything here. I will definitely take good care of our family business."

Cui Gang and others also stood up.

Liu Taozi nodded and looked at Yao Xiong, "You are the most reckless and have the habit of bullying others. After I leave, you have to listen to Zili."

He looked at Zi Li again, "If you don't obey, you will be punished by military law. Don't ask me."

Everyone was ready. Many of them had never left Liu Taozi. Liu Taozi suddenly left and went to such a dangerous place, which made them extremely worried.

Lu Yao was very anxious and set off the next day, without even giving Lou Rui a chance to meet him.

When Liu Taozi led everyone out, Tian Zilie, Yao Xiong and others followed them reluctantly and saw them off for a long time. They only stayed where they were when Liu Taozi ordered them to go back.

Looking at the expressions of those people, Lu Yao couldn't help but sigh.

"There is a group of loyal people under Zhizhi's command."

"Not bad."

Lu Yao nodded and was about to say something, but he found that there was an extremely ugly person among the entourage who was staring at him.

Lu Yao seemed to remember this person, as if he had followed Liu Taozi in Cheng'an, but he couldn't remember who he was.

Chu Jiande looked at Lu Yao for a long time, and suddenly asked, "Does Mr. Lu feel itchy from time to time?"

"Well, there are some. You."

"Are you always sweating a lot?"

"right"

"Do you feel your eyesight is getting worse?"

Lu Yao was a little nervous when asked, and Qian Zhubu couldn't help but asked, "My dear father-in-law, is there something wrong with my master?"

Chu Jiande smiled and said, "Excuse me! Excuse me! I was just asking casually." Liu Taozi said, "If you see anything, tell me the truth. Lord Lu won't blame you."

Chu Jiande then said, "I just saw that Mr. Lu's upper limbs were fat and he was sweating profusely, so I made some guesses. If what I just asked is true, then Mr. Lu should be more careful. From now on, he should not eat sweets. In addition, he should eat two meals a day, eat more during the two meals, and go riding and practicing sword after eating. Maybe he can get better."

Lu Yao was silent for a moment, then bowed his head towards Chu Jiande and said, "Thank you, doctor. I will pay attention to this in the future."

Chu Jiande didn't say anything more.

They quickened their pace and hurried towards the unknown Yubi City.

Liu Taozi and the others were fine. Traveling was not a chore for them. Even for Chu Jiande, it was nothing. He had suffered more. But for Lu Yao, it was a bit unbearable. Traveling so quickly that Lu Yao felt dizzy.

If they wanted to go directly to Yubi, it would be much closer to start from Yecheng than from the border. However, Lu Yao chose to go to Wuchuan first, not only for Liu Taozi and Lou Rui, but he also had a mission to check the situation in the border counties for the current emperor.

Gao Yan sent out many people, all of whom carried the emperor's staff and traveled everywhere.

They thoroughly investigated the local situation and severely punished local villains.

Wherever Lu Yao arrived at a place, he would check the local farmland and see their harvest. However, he would not meet and greet the officials, nor would it take him much time.

When they arrived in Jinzhou, Lu Yao finally slowed down and made preparations to officially go to Yubi.

The group stopped in the wilderness. The road was rugged and looking into the distance, there was no sign of human habitation.

This place is different from Wuchuan. The terrain is undulating. If someone hides here, it will be difficult to find him. Kou Liu led people to explore the surroundings. Liu Taozi, wearing military uniform and frowning, stood beside Lu Yao's carriage, looking around.

This place is particularly desolate. Years of war have destroyed everything. Even the ground seems to have been plowed, and there is no green to be seen.

Liu Taozi suddenly raised his head and looked at the bird flying back and forth in the air. A fierce look flashed in his eyes, "Heita, shoot it down!"

Yan Heita hurriedly picked up his bow and aimed at the flying birds.

As he drew his bow and shot, two flying birds were shot down one after another, and the rest were frightened and changed their original flying direction.

Yan Heita rushed out on his horse and soon brought the two letters to Liu Taozi.

"General, it's tied to the bird's leg."

Sure enough, those birds that kept flying over the heads of Liu Taozi and others were all carrier pigeons.

Liu Taozi picked up the letter, opened it and looked at it for a moment. The words on it were like scribbles, not any kind of language at all, more like some kind of marks.

"looking at what?"

Lu Yao suddenly poked his head out of the car and asked in confusion.

Liu Taozi handed the letter to Lu Yao, who read it for a moment and then smiled bitterly, "The thief army, the thief army's nest is ahead. It's normal for the birds to return to their nests."

"Wei Xiaokuan is the best at using this kind of trick. When we see you, you all must be careful with your words and don't be fooled by him."

"Well, also, don't be intimidated by him. He might tell you some secrets to scare you. Don't be fooled by him. In my Great Qi territory, it is not the turn of the Zhou people to act recklessly!"

Lu Yao gave a few instructions and went back.

Liu Taozi put away the letter and continued to stare at her surroundings.

The pigeon flapped its wings, drawing a graceful arc in the air.

It flew over the mountains, over the city walls, and passed through arrows. After flying for who knows how long, it finally slowed down and began to slowly fall.

This is a large camp, with warriors patrolling back and forth inside and outside. These warriors are dressed the same, but their appearances are different. Some look like Hu people, some look like Han people, and there are also quite a few who look like Xianbei people.

The camp was surrounded by high walls, making it difficult to see what was going on inside.

The dove slowly flew down, and someone raised his hand high. The person was wearing clothes from the Western Regions, and the dove flew into the palm of his hand.

The man smiled as he watched the pigeon pecking at the food. He took the letter away, then caught the pigeon and put it into a cage nearby.

Inside the tent, there were countless pigeon cages and hundreds of people were busying around, some were feeding the pigeons, some were releasing the pigeons, and some were catching the pigeons.

The entire tent reeked of bird shit, and there was not a single clean spot on the ground.

The man hurried to the door with the letter and handed it to a warrior.

The warrior rode on his horse and rushed towards the nearby city with many letters.

Yubi City.

The city of Yubi has deep trenches on three sides and a wall on one side. The terrain is abrupt and naturally steep.

The city wall stood like a mountain. The city was built very cleverly, intertwining with the local valleys, forming an impenetrable barrier.

This barrier has blocked many attacks for the Great Zhou, and King Gao never forgot it.
Inside the city, government offices.

Officials walked quickly in the corridor, holding the latest intelligence in their hands, turning corners all the time. The decoration inside the office was extremely elegant, with all kinds of exquisite carvings, which were in no way inferior to the mansions of the big families in Da Qi.

The official walked all the way to the innermost lobby, where he was stopped by soldiers on both sides.

"I'll tell the general about the news."

"The general is meeting with a distinguished guest and is waiting here."

"only."

Inside the lobby, an elegant and easy-going old man sat at the upper seat. He looked to be around fifty years old, which was considered old in this era.

He was wearing a scribe's robe, had a slightly gray beard, and a ruddy complexion. He looked like an old doctor who was familiar with the Five Classics.

Opposite him sat two young men.

The two young men sat on either side, and the look they gave each other was not one of disgust, but it was definitely not one of closeness either.

The man sitting on the right was a little older, had a goatee, and looked rather gloomy. "Provincial Governor Wei, the Duke of Jin thinks there is something wrong with this matter!"

"The two countries have been at war for a long time and have no exchanges. Suddenly, the people of Qi sent an envoy, saying that they want to live in harmony and start trade. This must be a trick. Please be careful, Governor."

At this moment, the young man sitting opposite him spoke up, "Sir Governor, Your Majesty is not worried about the Qi people's deception. Your Majesty is very worried about the imperial aunt and the mother of the Duke of Jin. If you can get the Qi people to send her back, it would be a good opportunity to make friends with them."

He looked at the person opposite him, "Duke Jin has been separated from his mother for many years. Even we cannot bear to see them separated, let alone Your Majesty?"

This young man is different from that gloomy man.

This young man was extremely young, probably less than twenty years old, with a prominent forehead, a long jaw, and an extraordinary appearance. His eyes were extremely sharp, making people dare not humiliate him easily. He possessed a calmness and heaviness that did not belong to his age.

When he opened his mouth like this, even the man with a goatee opposite him didn't dare to say anything. He just kept a stern face, which looked even more frightening.

The elegant and easy-going man sitting in the upper seat, Wei Xiaokuan, looked kind and unmoved. He smiled and said:

"What the general said makes sense."

The young man with a strange appearance stood up quickly and said, "The governor called me Naloyan."

Wei Xiaokuan glanced at the goatee again and said, "Mr. Yin is right. This Eastern bandit has been fighting with us for a long time, and now he wants to negotiate. Maybe he really has some evil intentions. How about this, Mr. Yin, please stay and receive the envoys from Qi State for me. I will accompany them. How about that?"

Yin Gong hesitated for a moment, stood up and said, "In that case, I would like to thank Governor Wei very much."

The young man also bowed to Wei Xiaokuan and said, "Then I will go back and report first!"

"Why are you in such a hurry to leave, General? Why don't you stay?"

The young man was stunned and looked at Wei Xiaokuan in confusion.

Wei Xiaokuan stroked his beard and said, "Among the envoys who came this time, there is a young man who is quite good. As a hero, we should meet him. The general is still young and has never met the heroes of the Eastern Bandits. This is a good opportunity."

The young man was stunned for a moment and looked at Yin Gong again.

Yin Gong said in a low voice: "Since the governor has spoken, you should stay and take a look. Just think of it as a gain of knowledge, which may be useful in the future."

Only then did the young man agree.

Wei Xiaokuan stood up and saw the two off with a smile. He accompanied them all the way to the door.

Duke Yin bowed first, then said goodbye and left.

After he left, the young man was about to leave, but Wei Xiaokuan grabbed his arm. Wei Xiaokuan's eyes became particularly sharp, and the young man in front of him was a little flustered at this moment.

"Governor?"

"Yang Jian, who told you to go out at this time?!"

"His Majesty has just inherited the throne, and he needs someone to walk around for him."

This young man, Yang Jian, quickly calmed down and answered seriously.

Wei Xiaokuan was a little angry, "Do you still need to come and go? After this matter is over, I will send someone to send you back. You are not allowed to go anywhere. Find an excuse, anything is fine, just stay at home and don't go out!!"

Yang Jian was silent for a moment and saluted again.

"only."

ps: Emperor Wu ascended the throne and was promoted to Zuo Xiaogongbo. He was sent out as the governor of Suizhou and promoted to the rank of general. After returning from the expedition, he encountered the empress dowager who had been ill for three years. He stayed by her side day and night, and was known as a pure filial son. When Yuwen Hu was in power, he was particularly jealous of Emperor Gaozu and tried to kill him many times. Generals Hou Fu and Hou Shou helped him escape. ——"Book of Sui·Emperor Records"

So he ordered Yin Gongzheng, the official of the Ministry of Personnel, to come to Yubi to discuss with Xiaokuan in detail. Xiaokuan then set up a tent in the suburbs and ordered Gongzheng to meet the envoy and discuss the intention of the royal family in the east. The envoy was very pleased. At that time, the Hu people in Fenzhou captured people from Guandong. Xiaokuan released them back to the east and wrote a letter to explain the court's desire to improve relations with neighbors. Then he sent the imperial aunt and the mother with gifts. ——"Northern History·Biography 52"

(End of this chapter)