Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 176 Take action
The wind blew, ruffling Wei Xiaokuan's sleeves.

Wei Xiaokuan actually found a big tree, sat down and admired the scenery in the distance.

"Isn't this place different from Qi?"

"Although there are a lot of bad things, here, soldiers cannot kill people at will, and officials dare not bully the people without reason. Of course, it's not to say that there are no such things. Since I took office, many people have come from Qi State."

"They say the situation over there is getting worse every year, and it makes me angry when I hear that."

"I have provided good accommodation for all those who came here, and none of them have starved to death so far."

"what do you think?"

Liu Taozi stood beside him. Even in the strong wind, he stood still, one hand on the sword, looking solemnly into the distance.

"It's really good."

Wei Xiaokuan spoke up, "I actually like you very much. They sent people to tell me about you, and I paid close attention to it. I think you are quite similar to me."

"We all want to make life better for the people."

"Look at this tree. I had someone plant it. At the beginning, the government stipulated that an earthen watchtower should be set up every mile on the official road to mark the distance. This thing would break when it rained, and when it broke, the people had to be sent to repair it. I ordered the planting of locust trees to replace the earthen watchtowers. This way, we can avoid the trouble of repairing the roads and provide a place for pedestrians to rest. Don't blame me. I am old and I like to brag about my achievements."

"Zhizhi, you have done a great job in Wuchuan, settling the people and conquering the temples. Very good, very good. I have reported all these to His Majesty."

"The laborers who participated in the corvée in the Great Zhou didn't have a very good life. And there are also many temples here."

"I won't say empty words like Jian did. I'll tell you the truth. In fact, there is no difference between our two countries. There are a lot of bad things in the court, bullying and tyranny. Hey, our Duke of Jin has a lot of people. He protects people. Those people committed crimes in his name, and he thinks it is a face-saving thing for himself. He does not punish them, but rewards them. Don't you think it's weird?"

"At present, these ghosts in the guise of dukes are causing chaos in various parts of the Great Zhou. Fortunately, my place is still peaceful and no one dares to come and die."

Wei Xiaokuan said a few words with a smile, then suddenly looked at Liu Taozi.

“I know.”

"Why don't you come to my place? People like you won't live long in Qi. Our place isn't that good either, but at least I'm here. Come and help me, and we can work together to govern the world. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the world has been in tatters for hundreds of years of war. Don't look at me staying in Yubi City and unable to leave. I'm still very healthy, and I can live another 20 or 30 years without any problems. How about you come and help me?"

The little old man sat under the tree. In the sunset, his face became more kind and gentle. He was waiting for Liu Taozi's answer.

Liu Taozi also looked into the distance.

"There is no shortage of such people in the Great Zhou."

"We are in great need of it over there."

"Besides, what the general wants may not be exactly the same as what I want."

Wei Xiaokuan felt a little disappointed. He looked into the distance again and sighed, "What a pity, what a pity."

The two stayed together for a long time, neither speaking.

Wei Xiaokuan finally stood up, looked at Liu Taozi in front of him with a smile, and patted his shoulder, "Well, then you can go back to your Wuchuan and wait for me to come to your door!"

"only."

Liu Taozi replied, and Wei Xiaokuan waved towards the distance, calling a soldier and asking him to send Liu Taozi back.

After Liu Taozi left, several warriors came out from both sides, holding long swords and standing beside Wei Xiaokuan. Wei Xiaokuan changed his clothes, and his face was no longer gentle and kind. He was like a sharp blade just out of its sheath, and his eyes were much sharper than Yang Jian's. He looked at the warriors and said, "Let's go!"

Wei Xiaokuan led them and strode towards the tent.

When he walked into the main tent, Doctor Yin was talking to his attendants. Seeing Wei Xiaokuan rushing in, he looked a little unhappy, but he held back.

"Governor!"

"This great event was able to be accomplished. I think the Qi people really want to return the two of us. They just want to ask for something. I just need to negotiate with them again."

Wei Xiaokuan sat aside, raised his head, and looked at Yin Gongzheng solemnly.

"The accompanying Wuyi General Liu Taozi is extraordinary. We cannot let him go back alive."

"what?!"

Doctor Yin was stunned. He quickly said, "This is a big deal. The Duke of Jin wants to bring his mother back. How dare you murder the envoy of Qi?"

"I know it's a big deal, but this Liu Taozi is no small matter. It's a matter of great importance."

"General Wu Yi? Rank seven!!"

"In the Duke's Mansion, he's not even as good as the gatekeeper!"

"What's so serious about this?!"

Doctor Yin said hurriedly: "Governor! Don't be reckless! The current matter is to welcome back the mother of Jin. If you kill the envoy without authorization and fail to accomplish your mission, it will be considered as unfilial to the Duke of Jin! This is a huge crime! No matter who dares to do this, he will be severely punished!"

"Governor, you should know your identity. Duke Jin has never blamed you and values ​​you very much."

Wei Xiaokuan had a stern face, frowned, and looked very solemn.

After Dugu Xin was killed, Dugu Xin's close associates became thorns in the eyes of the Duke of Jin, including Dugu Xin's old brother Wei Xiaokuan and of course his son-in-law Yang Jian.
Doctor Yin continued, "I have sent someone to report the matter to the Duke of Jin. If the general can accomplish this, it will be a great achievement. The Duke of Jin will certainly not forget it."

"But if the general wants to ruin this, I'm afraid that even a humble person like me cannot allow it."

Wei Xiaokuan said: "I don't mean to stop the event of welcoming back the Queen Mother of Jin."

"Liu Taozi has been in Wuchuan, pacifying the people, punishing the tyrants, and rectifying the border troops. He has become the confidant of Qi Lord Gao Yan. Although he is still young, he has already done many great things. He will definitely be used in the future. If we cannot get rid of him in time, he will definitely become a major threat to our Great Zhou."

"Governor! Rank seven! Rank seven! Only rank seven!"

Doctor Yin couldn't hold it in any longer. He paced back and forth, becoming a little irritable. "Does Qi lack people who can fight? Who among them can't fight? I can't even count on my hands the number of people who were crowned kings based on their military merits! He's just a minor seventh rank. No matter how powerful he is, he's just on par with those people. What's the point of killing him?"

"If you kill him now, Qi will have an excuse to kill the mother of Jin directly or humiliate her. Then, outsiders will say that the Duke of Jin is unfilial and deliberately forced the enemy to harm his own mother. What do you want to do?!"

"Do you want to avenge Dugu Xin?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire tent suddenly became dead silent.

Doctor Yin seemed to realize that he had said too much, so he immediately shut his mouth and stood there in a daze.

The armored soldiers around had different expressions. The warriors who followed Wei Xiaokuan in had already slowly placed their hands on the hilt of their swords.

The atmosphere became increasingly solemn.

Wei Xiaokuan suddenly spoke up, "Hold these people back and tell them not to leave in a hurry."

"I will send a fast horse to deliver the message to the Duke of Jin and ask for his consent."

"It is impossible for Duke Jin to agree to this."

"Then wait for Duke Jin to personally refuse."

"You just need to hold them back. Don't negotiate so quickly."

Doctor Yin had a stern face. Since Wei Xiaokuan had said so, what could he refute? He could only nod and say, "Okay, let's do as the general said. I'll go and hold him back."

"However, you must not take action without the Duke's consent."

"Don't worry, doctor. I won't do anything."

Wei Xiaokuan looked at the warriors beside him and ordered, "Also, send a letter to the doctor in charge of the meeting to inform him that Liu Taozi, who had killed the second branch of the Cui family, has come here."

Wei Xiaokuan did not avoid Doctor Yin in front of him. He said, "If Duke Jin agrees, we can use the younger generation of the Cui family to assassinate him and then show our attitude of punishing him so as not to affect the major event."

Doctor Yin looked at him coldly and did not answer, but he felt extremely uneasy.

This general has always been a man who acts very quickly.

"Strange"

After walking out of the big tent, Lu Yao returned to the villa where he was temporarily resting.

Walking into the tent, Lu Yao frowned, looking confused, and talked to himself.

"You were clearly talking very well yesterday, why did you change your mind today?"

"They don't want to welcome us again?" Liu Taozi asked.

Lu Yao shook his head, "That's not the case."

He looked at Liu Taozi, "They agreed, but I think something is wrong. Although we argued yesterday, many things were discussed very quickly, from the reception to the joint market, but today, Yin Gongzheng has been hesitant and hesitant. He is not as confident as he was yesterday. After a whole day of politics today, he couldn't even discuss the return of the criminals."

"And this person suddenly became a little polite, not daring to argue with me anymore, as if he was deliberately delaying."

Listening to Lu Yao's words, Liu Taozi slowly said: "They are waiting for orders."

Lu Yao nodded, "It seems so."

"But yesterday, that person was still in charge and didn't need orders. But today he needs them?"

Lu Yao raised his head suddenly, "What do you mean?"

"Then Yin Gong came here to take charge of welcoming his mother on behalf of Yuwen Hu. That's why he dared to make his own decision yesterday and discussed the matter directly. But he hesitated today. It means that someone has filed a petition again and needs to be decided by the court."

"Could it be that he is waiting for Yuwen Hu to make a judgment on the outcome of yesterday's discussion?"

"It doesn't seem like that. If you want to decide the outcome of the negotiation, you don't have to send them one a day. You can send them all together after the negotiation is completed, and then let Yuwen Hu make the decision. Why would you ask for a ruling right after the negotiation begins?"

"That makes sense. What they are going to decide is..."

"Wei Xiaokuan came to me yesterday and asked me to surrender, but I refused again."

"Perhaps Wei Xiaokuan was unwilling to continue and sent someone to write to Yuwen Hu, asking for a ruling, in order to kill us."

Lu Yao was horrified.

"How is this possible? Yuwen Hu was already worried about Wei Xiaokuan. Wei Xiaokuan suggested taking action against us. Isn't this harming Yuwen Hu? Would he dare to submit such a petition?"

"I think Wei Xiaokuan is a very courageous man with a strong character. He might not dare to do so."

Lu Yao's face turned pale, and he shook his head, "Yuwen Hu will never agree to this, it's impossible, Wei Xiaokuan will never dare to disobey the general's order."

Liu Taozi said calmly: "Mr. Lu, don't be afraid."

"Come with me."

Liu Taozi brought Lu Yao out of the big tent, Kou Liu and others hurried forward. Liu Taozi looked at Kou Liu and said nothing, but the moment their eyes met, Kou Liu clenched the bow in his hand. He looked at the rest of the people and pursed his lips. Everyone came to their senses and dispersed.

Lu Yao quickly grabbed Liu Taozi's hand, "Zhizhi!! It's just your guess! Don't do anything rash!!"

Liu Taozi replied: "Don't worry, Mr. Lu. You can find out if this is the case by just asking."

He continued to move forward, and Lu Yao couldn't stop him at all.

Soon, two knights stood in front of Liu Taozi, "General, what do you want?"

"My envoy has an important matter to see General Wei. Please send someone to inform him and ask him to come quickly."

The warrior smiled and saluted them back, "I hope the general will forgive me. The governor has important matters to attend to and cannot come during this period of time."

Liu Taozi nodded and suddenly pounced forward. The knight was knocked off his horse by Liu Taozi. Liu Taozi quickly got on the enemy's horse, took a step forward, bent down, and grabbed the stunned Lu Yao, just like grabbing a child, lifted him up and put him on the horse's back. The next moment, Liu Taozi galloped away on his horse.

The other knight was stunned at this moment.

Seeing Liu Taozi rushing out, he started yelling.

"Whoosh~~"

Yan Heita raised his hand and shot an arrow, and the knight fell off his horse immediately.

Kou Liu and others drew their swords, Kou Liu grabbed the horse, and the rest of the people ran as fast as they could, following Liu Taozi.

Lu Yao was being held under Liu Taozi's armpit at the moment. He watched Liu Taozi riding his horse and charging towards the innermost part. Along the way, some knights rushed up shouting. Liu Taozi, holding a long sword, fought back one by one. One knight after another fell to the ground with screams. The sound of gongs had already been heard in the distance, and the urgent alarm made the whole camp noisy.

Lu Yao's mind was blank as he watched Liu Taozi holding him and chopping melons and vegetables. Blood was splattering everywhere, some of it even on his face. He became completely stiff.

Liu Taozi rode his horse into the big tent. Doctor Yin's face was full of fear and he was about to escape. Liu Taozi rode his horse forward, knocked away the two warriors who were blocking him, pounced down, knocked Doctor Yin to the ground, then grabbed his neck and lifted him up.

Doctor Yin was terrified at this moment.

"What are you guys going to do?!"

Liu Taozi stared at him intently, "How dare you send people to kill us? Do you think I'm easy to bully?! Today you betrayed us and wanted to kill us. Even if I die, I will take you with me!"

Yin Gongzheng's eyes widened, "Misunderstanding!! Misunderstanding!! How dare you send someone to kill the envoy!"

"Misunderstanding?! Weren't those knights sent by you? If I hadn't discovered them in advance, they would have been shot to death!"

Yin Gong was stunned for a moment, and then he suddenly thought of something. The next moment, he flew into a rage, "Emissary! You misunderstood! That was not someone I sent!!"

"Who sent that?!"

Kou Liu and others rushed into the tent at this moment, and the roar of the army was heard outside.

Yin Gongzheng listened to the noise outside, his face pale, "General!! It really wasn't me, this is all Wei Xiaokuan's conspiracy! He is forcing you to kill me, and wants to get rid of both of us!! If you kill me now, you will fall into his trap!! "

"General, take me out with you, and I'll order those people to let you go, how about that?"

"I don't believe you! Let's die here together today!!"

Yin Gongzheng quickly looked at Lu Yao, "Lu Gong! Speak up! You know the truth! This matter concerns Duke Jin's mother, how dare I murder the envoy? It's really Wei Xiaokuan!"

Lu Yao looked at Liu Taozi, "It shouldn't be him. He takes this matter very seriously."

Liu Taozi snorted coldly, "Then you can escort us out. When it's safe, I will let you go. Otherwise, we will die here together!"

"Even if the general doesn't tell me, I will still protect your safety! This matter is extremely important, and Wei Xiaokuan actually dared to act on his own! I will never forgive him! I just want all the envoys to know that this is definitely not my intention, let alone the intention of the Duke of Jin! The Duke of Jin is determined to bring his mother back! "

"go!"

Liu Taozi then let go of his hand, pushed Yin Gongzheng and walked out of the tent.

Outside, the knights had already surrounded the place tightly. They raised their bows and crossbows and aimed them at Liu Taozi and others. In the next moment, they would be able to shoot them into hedgehogs.

Duke Yin looked at the knights in front of him with a face full of anger, "Who told you to attack the envoy?! Don't you want to live anymore?! Do you want to disobey the order of Duke Jin?!"

The knights remained unmoved and just looked at Yin Gongzheng coldly, not caring about his threats at all.

Yin Gongzheng's eyes widened and his whole body began to tremble with anger.

"Get out of the way!! Everyone, get out of the way!!"

Shouts were heard from the crowd, and the knights made way. Then, Wei Xiaokuan, wearing armor, rushed out on horseback. Looking at the scene in front of him, he was stunned. "Doctor Yin? General Liu? What's going on?"

Yin Gongzheng pursed his lips and said, "Wei Governor, the envoys from Qi want to go out and take a look. I want to go out with them. Please make way."

Just as Wei Xiaokuan was about to speak, a knight at the side stepped forward and said angrily, "General! They killed our people!"

Wei Xiaokuan slowly looked at Liu Taozi, his face full of disbelief.

"Zhizhi, after you arrived, I treated you with courtesy. Why did you kill my people? These people are all from the lower class."

A deep sadness then appeared on his face again, and he was unable to speak.

"General Wei, why do you have to do this? You are allowed to send people to kill me, but I am not allowed to kill them?"

"I didn't believe it just now, but now I do. These knights don't listen to Duke Jin at all. They only listen to you. Only you can order them to kill people."

Wei Xiaokuan slowly narrowed his eyes, looked at Liu Taozi, and then at Doctor Yin.

At this moment, someone suddenly grabbed his arm.

Yang Jian had walked here at some point. He looked at Wei Xiaokuan and shook his head gently.

"If the memorial had not been sent, it might still be possible, but now, the memorial has been sent to the imperial court. If they all die here, the governor will surely die as well."

(End of this chapter)