Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 179 Wind and Sand
The wind howled, sweeping up the yellow sand and beating the passers-by.

The flying sand dyed the whole world yellow. Yao Xiong couldn't help squinting his eyes. He had to cover his face with cloth and looked at Tian Zili beside him.

"Are you sure you're coming back today?"

"Today."

"Why did you choose this time? The yellow sand is blocking the sun. Couldn't you have come a few days earlier, brother?"

Tian Zili said calmly: "You can tell this to your brother when he arrives."

Yao Xiong laughed, "I don't dare."

Several dark shadows vaguely appeared in the wind and sand.

They tore through the endless wind and sand, and the horse's hooves landed heavily on the ground, steadily and powerfully, carrying its invincible master, through the wind and sand.

The horses under the crotch of Tian Zili and others all neighed at this moment, as if they were waiting for the arrival of their "old friends" and were extremely excited.

The pedestrians walked through the wind and sand and slowly came to Tian Zili and others.

Tian Zili and others jumped off their horses and walked quickly forward.

"Greetings, my lord!!"

"Get up and mount your horse."

Liu Taozi spoke.

Everyone hurriedly got on their horses. Yao Xiong rode forward, pushed Kou Liu, who was staying beside Liu Taozi, out, and rode beside him. Kou Liu glanced at him, shook his head, and said nothing.

"Brother, you are finally here!"

"During the time you were away, I suffered a lot. As soon as you left, those soldiers who were originally well-behaved immediately became disobedient. My inspection team was attacked three times. And that White Horse Guard Commander! He openly disobeyed the general's orders and directly allowed his subordinates to go out and plunder, and even plundered his own family members."

Tian Zili glared at Yao Xiong, "What nonsense are you talking about?!"

Yao Xiong shrugged and stopped talking. Tian Zili then said, "Don't worry, brother. Nothing serious has happened."

"Most of the border soldiers are arrogant. Without you, they are difficult to control and simply don't obey us. Fortunately, with the help of the king, there is no major chaos."

Only after Taozi left could Tian Zili and others see the true faces of these border soldiers.

These people who usually greeted them with smiles and got along with them very friendly, began to test the bottom line of Tian Zili and others little by little on the third day after Liu Taozi left, and indulged them little by little, with a trend of returning to the past.

Tian Zili also thought of many ways to deal with this, using Liu Taozi's method to severely suppress those who were not kind and promote those who were friendly, but it was of no use.

The same method, when carried out by Tian Zili and others, was far from satisfactory.

They colluded with each other, bent the law for personal gain, and even openly resisted. Yao Xiong suffered several attacks.

Tian Zili couldn't understand their train of thought. They acted as if Liu Taozi would never come back after leaving this time, and they didn't think about the consequences at all.

Of course, this is also a major characteristic of border soldiers. Is he still a border soldier if he thinks about the consequences of his actions?

Therefore, Tian Zilie chose the most effective way, which was to ask King Lou to come out for help.

Tian Zili couldn't help but sigh: "This time, if it weren't for King Lou, I'm afraid it would be bad."

"It was only after my brother left that we saw clearly how arrogant these people were."

"Brother is the only one who can tame these wild horses with reins. We cannot do it and we disappoint you."

Tian Zili lowered his head.

Liu Taozi's expression remained calm. "No problem. How can I correct a bad habit I've accumulated over many years in just a few days?"

Yao Xiong spoke again, "Brother, the court also sent a general to guard the city. We have learned our lesson this time and dare not deal with it alone, so we went to find King Lou in advance."

"Lord Lou has captured General Zhen and is now imprisoned in his palace."

"Oh?"

This was something Liu Taozi had never thought of. "General Zhen?"

"Yes, his surname is Liu, and he is a Xiongnu. I heard that he is the son of some great nobleman, but he is not worth mentioning and is extremely incompetent!"

Tian Zili said dimly, "The reason for our incompetence is that we have encountered the King of Dong'an. If we were to face him, I'm afraid something terrible would happen."

Tian Zili was quite impressed with Lou Rui at this moment, "It is thanks to Prince Dong'an that I was able to keep my family business this time."

The group continued to move forward, the wind and sand gradually subsided, and the villages in the distance gradually appeared.

In the past, this place was a desolate and empty wasteland. It was hard to find any prey along the way. But now, this empty land is dotted with some villages and towns.

Although those villages and towns are all khaki, the same color as the ground and the sky, they are filled with something and are no longer empty.

Tian Zili also hurriedly spoke up, "The civilians from each garrison have been arranged inside and outside the town, and ten households, one hundred households, and one thousand households have been set up to manage them."

"However, these thousand households are basically useless."

"During this period of time, a large number of refugees have come to us, many of whom are from outside the Great Wall. There are too many people to handle them all. Fortunately, when Lord Wei learned about it, he sent many scattered officials to help."

"At present, 33 villages and towns have been established around Wuchuan. This is indeed much better than the previous management method. High walls and barricades have been set up along these villages and towns. Wuchuan no longer needs to rely solely on the city for defense. The defense range has been increased, and it is easier to catch bandits coming in and out."

Yao Xiong had been waiting for Tian Zili to finish speaking.

When Tian Zili finished speaking, Yao Xiong quickly spoke up, "Let's not talk about the boring things here. Brother, I heard that you went to Yubi City alone this time and captured Wei Xiaokuan alive. Is that true?"

Liu Taozi did not answer.

Kou Liu couldn't help but say, "They caught a doctor! If they had caught Wei Xiaokuan, brother would have returned holding the emperor's staff."

"Then why not catch him?"

Chu Jiande laughed and scolded: "You are such a good Qiehu. The lord didn't punish you for not managing the border troops, but you are here to punish the lord?!"

Everyone laughed.

Tian Zili's face also showed a lot of joy. "Brother, this great event has spread all over the border. A general came in person to read out your deeds, saying that you have helped to enhance the prestige of the country and that the whole country should celebrate together. He also rewarded you with wine and water!"

"Oh?"

"Someone sent by His Majesty?"

"Yes, I heard that people from all over the country were sent to celebrate with good wine."

Chu Jiande said, "Your Majesty wanted to send an envoy before, but he didn't dare to announce it because he was afraid that the arrogant soldiers and generals would not obey him and think that he was cowardly and afraid of the false Zhou."

"Before I set out, I also heard many people criticizing this matter and felt it was inappropriate."

"This time, the lord has captured the enemy doctor alive. Your Majesty will naturally spread the news everywhere to let everyone know that you are not afraid of being an enemy of the Pseudo-Zhou Dynasty."

After everyone talked for a while, Kou Liu suddenly asked, "Where are Cui Jun, Hei Zu, Tu Xi Jun and the others? Why didn't they come to greet us?"

"Cui Gang is in the city, he has a lot of things to do and can't get away. Zhang Heizu is in Huaishuo, arresting a few important criminals. Tu Xiyue and the others are escorting the prisoners."

Tian Zili said again: "Brother, the king told me to tell you that when you come back, you must go to him first and meet him."

"Ah."

"You guys go back to Wuchuan first. Xiong, take a few people with me to see Lord Lou."

"only!!"

Liu Taozi led Yao Xiong towards Zhaoyuan City, while Tian Zilie and others continued towards Wuchuan.

It was quiet outside Zhaoyuan City.

Several soldiers were walking back and forth. There were no officials at the city gate. When footsteps were heard in the wind and sand, the soldiers quickly raised their spears and shouted, "Stop!"

Liu Taozi walked out of the wind and sand and looked at the soldiers in front of him.

The soldiers were horrified and quickly knelt on the ground.

"General!!"

Liu Taozi ignored them and led the riders behind him and rushed directly into the city.

Only after Liu Taozi rushed over did the soldiers stand up, their eyes full of fear, "General Mandrill is back!"

"Quick, tell the brothers!"

"You can't go out anymore!"

Liu Taozi came all the way to the provincial government office. The servants in the government office knew Liu Taozi and took him to meet Lou Rui with a friendly look on their faces.

"Good nephew!!"

"Bah, bah."

Lou Rui came out of the house drunk and couldn't help spitting, cursing: "This is the bad thing about the border. When you open your mouth you have to eat a mouthful of sand!"

He grabbed Liu Taozi's hand, hurried into the house, closed the door, and brushed off the dust on his body in disgust. "When I was young, this place was not like this. It's only been a few years!"

After patting it several times without success, Lou Rui simply took off his coat and asked someone to bring a new one.

He led Liu Taozi to sit down. The room still smelled of alcohol and women.

Lou Rui wiped the corner of his mouth and looked at Liu Taozi with a smile.

"What a great thing my nephew has done!"

"Hahaha, you kidnapped the doctor sent by Yuwen Hu in front of Wei Xiaokuan?"

"here you go!"

"Come, come and have some wine!"

Lou Rui personally poured wine for Liu Taozi.

"I heard about this incident and I couldn't sleep for three days. I felt so relieved!"

"I will wait for you to capture Wei Xiaokuan for me. I will submit a petition to make you a prince!"

"Your Majesty, you are too kind."

"I haven't congratulated the king yet on being named a prince."

Lou Rui waved his hand, "What's there to say? If it weren't for... Forget it, this title is nothing. The main thing is that there is no real reward."

Having said that, Lou Rui suddenly became alert.

"Oh, nephew, there is one thing I don't know if Zili has told you. His Majesty sent a young boy here."

"I heard that he was Liu Gui's son."

"Yes, he is Liu Gui's most useless son. He has never fought in a war, has no military merits, no qualifications, nothing, an incompetent waste, but he was sent here to be a town general, to suppress you and to insert himself into my side."

"What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

"Your Majesty does not trust the King and me."

Lou Rui was stunned, and the look he gave Liu Taozi became a little different, "Knowing this, you are really not shy."

"You can't say these things in front of outsiders."

"only."

Lou Rui pursed his lips and continued, "It's not that His Majesty doesn't trust you or me, it's just that we are too close. His Majesty can be at ease with the power in his hands at the border, but the counselors around him will not be at ease."

"This kid is just used as a scout. If one day the government thinks it's time to change people, they will have a ready-made excuse. They can say I imprisoned the general, or you have made him irrelevant."

"Alas, I was just about to contribute to the country, but these villains have even thought of my escape route. Winter is approaching. When winter comes, Your Majesty will definitely come in person to attack the Xi people."

Lou Rui sighed, "After this battle, I'm afraid I'll have to leave."

"I don't know what position your majesty will give me, and I don't know which fool will replace me."

"My dear nephew, this is a good opportunity that you must not miss. Following His Majesty on the expedition is the best chance to gain military merit. I am afraid that I cannot go on the expedition and must stay behind. His Majesty will not come alone. Those who come with him are all capable and good at fighting. They will share the military power with you. It is impossible for all the border troops to be handed over to you. His Majesty loves you so much, so the Wuchuan troops should still be handed over to you to command."

"Although you are smart, you are too young. You have never experienced such a big thing. I will tell you what to do."

"Please give your orders, my king."

Lou Rui stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Don't think about going straight to the tent and taking the first place. The first place belongs to your majesty. Don't think about killing too many enemies. Killing too many will not be of much use."

Lou Rui stood up, walked quickly to the side, searched inside for a long time, and then came back here with a map. He spread out the map and knocked on a place.

"If His Majesty orders the troops to be dispatched, don't worry about anything else and just bring your men here. Don't move around or go anywhere. It doesn't matter if you don't kill anyone. Just stay here!"

Liu Taozi looked in the direction he pointed.

The direction that Lou Rui pointed to was very far away from Wuchuan, but rather close to Anzhou. It was sandwiched between the Rushui River and the Suotou River, and was currently under the control of the Xi people.

Liu Taozi pondered for a moment, "Lou Gong wants me to block the exit?"

"Hahaha, smart!"

"The areas where the Xi people are stationed now used to belong to us, but now they are occupied by them. However, they dare not get too close to the Turks. Your Majesty wants to go to war, and all the garrisons near the Xi people will naturally go north. However, the Xi people dare not go north because this is the territory of the Turks. The only thing they can do is to flee back to their hometown. This is the best escape route."

"If you can block this place, then it won't be you chasing the Xi people, but the Xi people will actively run into you."

"Besides, you don't even need to fight them. You just need to send troops to the side. They will be frightened and won't care about the baggage. They will just leave their belongings and run away. By then, you will definitely gain the most."

Liu Taozi was not surprised at all.

Lou Rui explained, "My dear nephew, I am not instructing you to grab more supplies and give them to me."

"This expedition to the frontier is different from fighting in the Central Plains. They don't have cities. Once they find the enemy attacking, they will scatter and flee. Cattle and horses have long legs. This is called a thief with feet."

"Killing their Khan is not important. They can always elect another one. If that doesn't work, they can just merge with the rest of the tribe. Killing their people is not easy. At most, they can just leave their things behind and run away. How long will it take you to chase them?"

"Even if they catch up, what does it matter? The army is out there, and it consumes a lot of food and supplies every day. Is it worth it to exchange these things for the lives of those people?"

"The most important thing is to rob them of their things. Taking away their cattle, sheep and horses will cut off their food supply and break their legs. From then on, they will never be able to recover. Even if they merge again or elect new leaders, they will not be able to produce livestock out of thin air."

"Only if we recover more than we lost, can we be considered victorious in this expedition to the frontier."

"Otherwise, even if we kill the enemy's Khan and burn down their camp, it will be useless and will be considered a failure. Do you understand?"

Liu Taozi nodded gently, "Got it."

Lou Rui laughed, "Of course, if you have gained a lot and give me some, I won't refuse. I will just regard it as your kindness."

"only."

Lou Rui also carefully explained a lot of things, all about this expedition. As an important official, or even a local official, Lou Rui was absolutely unqualified. He was greedy and indulged his subordinates. But as a general, he had been fighting on the battlefield with his elders since he was over ten years old. He was extremely outstanding in both tactical means and strategic vision.

When Liu Taozi was about to leave, Lou Rui grabbed his hand again.

“I know.”

"I have fought for many years. I thought I was old enough to rot on the ground. But when I met you, I felt that I was superficial and missed a lot. After today, it will not be convenient for us to have too much contact. I will wait until Your Majesty comes to see you again."

"You are a man who can achieve great things, so just focus on doing your job."

"Maybe we can meet again in the court in the future."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Liu Taozi walked out of the provincial government office. The wind and sand outside were still bad.

War destroys people and the earth.

Trees were uprooted and used as weapons to kill people and break into cities, the vegetation on the ground was burned and dug into gullies and slopes, and the roots were dug out and swallowed by the exiles, cattle, sheep and horses.

The bored border soldiers, armed with sharp weapons, shot and killed all the prey that could be found around them.

Finally, the strong wind, carrying the yellow sand, began its revenge.

The whole world was covered with a layer of yellow gauze. The doors everywhere creaked in the strong wind. After walking a few steps, I saw someone lying on the road, curled up into a ball, unable to move.

The sheep cried out in fear, as if something was hitting the door of the sheepfold.

The entire city was empty. Apart from those who had already fallen asleep, no one else could be seen.

Liu Taozi braved the strong wind and headed towards Wuchuan little by little.

Yao Xiong covered his face with cloth again and didn't dare to speak. In this environment, he would swallow sand if he opened his mouth.

It is hard to believe that just a few decades ago, this place was a large pasture with lush green grass, and Gaoche shepherds drove cattle and sheep, singing Chi-Le songs softly.

They arrived at the city of Wuchuan.

Some soldiers roughly pulled people and pressed them to the ground. Those people struggled, and the soldiers raised their swords high.

Liu Taozi suddenly appeared.

The soldiers were horrified and quickly put away their swords. Tu Xiyue quickly stepped forward and said, "General!!"

Liu Taozi looked at the people kneeling on the ground and asked, "Who are these people?"

"These resettled civilians tried to escape back home, but were caught and will be beheaded according to the law."

Liu Taozi was silent for a moment, looked up and looked at the wind and sand in the sky.

"Enough people have died."

"Let it go."

(End of this chapter)