Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 202 Demons and Monsters

Wuchuan, South Parade Ground.

"General Yao!"

Zhang Heizu bowed his head and saluted, then looked at Changsun Gong who was beside Yao Xiong.

Yao Xiong cleared his throat and said, "This is Lord Changsun, the commander of Cheng'an."

He added: "The blue lion that the general has was given by him."

Zhang Heizu then bowed to him again, "Greetings, Lord Changsun."

Zhangsun Jiaye was a little surprised, "Are you also from Cheng'an? Why have I never seen you before?"

"He is also from Cheng'an, but he has never worked in the county government, so you don't know him. Anyway, most of us here are from Cheng'an. There are at least 40 or 50 officials and officers in Cheng'an, and then there are the people from Boling and Wuchuan."

Changsun Jiaye was not surprised by this. It was normal to promote one's fellow villager.

Yao Xiong introduced him again: "His name is Zhang Heizu, and he has made some contributions."

Zhang Heizu then led the two men towards the training ground. On the way, Yao Xiong was still explaining to Changsun Gong beside him, "Before I left, they were training well, but I haven't been back for a long time, I don't know what they are like now."

When the two men walked into the parade ground, the auxiliary soldiers in the ground stood neatly in their respective positions. They formed a huge square formation in the military organization so that they could go out from the three gates at any time.

I saw them all standing straight, armed with sharp weapons, with ferocious faces and solemn formation.

Yao Xiong looked at them blankly, rubbed his eyes, walked closer and looked at them.

It really is those auxiliary soldiers!!
He looked at Zhang Heizu in astonishment. Before he could say anything, Changsun Jiaye nodded repeatedly, "Not bad, the formation is neat, the fighting spirit is high, and the training is good."

Yao Xiong knew what kind of people these people were in the past. He pursed his lips and said, "Black feet? You trained them?"

"It's the credit of the generals and soldiers."

"That's amazing! How come I didn't realize you had this ability before!"

"Can auxiliary soldiers be trained like this?"

Zhang Heizu said: "General, although they are familiar with the formation, they are not elite yet. They have never seen blood, and they are not strong. They are better than county soldiers, but much worse than border soldiers."

Yao Xiong shook his head, "No, no, it's already amazing to be able to practice to this level!"

He looked at his eldest grandson Jiaye seriously and said, "When I trained them, I trained them for several days but still couldn't make them distinguish left from right."

Changsun Jiaye laughed and said, "It's the same when I was a soldier. I was afraid and couldn't do my job well."

"Yes! Yes! That's what the general told me!"

Yao Xiong looked at Zhang Heizu and nodded with satisfaction. "Your martial arts are not outstanding, but you are good at training soldiers. This Lord Changsun has experienced many battles. The general plans to let him help train the auxiliary soldiers. Don't be arrogant. Ask him for advice and learn from him!"

"only."

Changsun Jiaye hurriedly shook his head, "I dare not, I dare not, this old man is not someone who can train soldiers."

"Don't be modest, Lord Changsun!"

After Zhang Heizu asked sincerely, Changsun finally spoke about his thoughts.

"There is nothing much to train in this army now. What it lacks is only experience."

"There's no need to keep them in the training grounds all the time. They can go out and see blood as needed, even if it's just to beat up some petty bandits."

"Lord Changsun, this is a frontier fortress. There are soldiers everywhere. How could any little bandit dare to run here?"

"Then let them do patrols and guarding. You can't train real elite troops in the training grounds."

Yao Xiong stood quietly aside, watching them chatting.

Zhang Heizu arranged a place for Changsun Jiaye to live. He limped away from here. Zhang Heizu then came to Yao Xiong and said, "General Yao, I went to the government office today and they said that the general is not in Wuchuan. Where is the general?"

"I am the Auxiliary General! Just tell me if you have anything to say!"

"The food and fodder given to us by the imperial court is based on the deployment of county soldiers. They can't withstand such training. The food in the auxiliary barracks is beginning to run short. General Yao, can you distribute some more?"

"General E has gone to Jinhe to check on the enemy situation and will be back tomorrow."

The wind was blowing so hard that the weeds on the ground began to tremble.

Liu Taozi stood on a high slope, looking at the Jin River in the distance, and then looking at the Zhou camp further away.

Yan Heita stood next to Liu Taozi. He was actually not too short, but when standing next to Liu Taozi, he looked a little too petite.

"General, that's it."

"Ok?"

Liu Taozi didn't hear clearly, so she lowered her body slightly and tilted her head.

It was too windy.

Yan Heita shouted, "General!! That's the enemy's front camp!! There are less than a thousand soldiers!! They started building it a few days ago!!"

"Is it the elite?"

"Yes!!"

"Have you ever fought?"

"No!! But they are great riders and very alert!"

Tian Zili stepped forward slightly and said, "Brother, don't act rashly."

"They are deliberately provoking!"

"They built a camp outside our city in order to attract us to attack, but destroying this camp will not be of any use to us, but will only undermine the agreement between the two countries."

“When the time comes, the Zhou people will use this as an excuse. There are many people in the country who want to deal with you.”

Yan Heita glanced at Tian Zili, and then said to Liu Taozi: "General!! I don't know about these major events, but what I do know is that if we allow the enemy to build a large camp and arrow tower outside the city, then we will have no choice but to give up Jinhe. The people we send out will not be able to enter the city, and the people in the city will not be able to leave!"

"Although Jinhe is strong, it is too far from the garrison town and too close to the main force of the Zhou army. We cannot allow the Zhou army to set up camp here!"

Tian Zili shook his head and stroked his beard. "I think the gains and losses of a city or a pass are not that important. Jinhe is new, and there are no dangerous cities around it to rely on. The risk is too great and it is not worth investing too much energy. It is better to give it to the Zhou people and strengthen the defense line around Bai Ma."

Liu Taozi didn't say anything. He raised his head and looked further away.

"If there is a Golden River, you can take Shiben and fertile fields in the north, and Liangu in the south, and return to the truth."

Tian Zili smiled bitterly, "But how can we defend it?"

Liu Taozi looked around and suddenly asked, "What is the name of this high slope?"

Yan Heita was stunned, "General, there is no one here without a name."

“The terrain here is good.”

Liu Taozi looked around and then looked into the distance.

The two men under his command were a little confused at this moment, not knowing why the general suddenly said this.

Liu Taozi asked: "Zili, if we want to build a high wall and a stronghold here within ten days, how many civilians will it take?"

"At least 60,000 civilians are needed."

Tian Zili hurriedly said, "General, we have no shortage of laborers at the border, and we also have stones and wood for repairs. But we are too close to the Zhou people, and the laborers haven't gotten close yet. The enemy's scouts will find us, and then they will attack with a large army, and I'm afraid we will suffer heavy losses."

"The enemy's main force is in Guizhen and Yongfeng. It takes one day to send the message there, two days to send people to inquire in the capital, one day for the capital to discuss the results, two days to send them back, two days to organize the troops, and one day to come here. This is assuming that they can handle it as quickly as possible."

"As long as we are fast enough, we can repair the city walls and ravines before they send out their troops."

Tian Zili asked, "What if the enemy general does not report to the emperor and directly decides to send troops?"

"Then be prepared to fight back."

"It just so happens that the border soldiers haven't had any military achievements for a long time."

Liu Taozi looked at the worried Tian Zili and explained, "General Hulu told me that the person who stayed behind in Yongfeng was a man called Yuwen Qianwei. He had never fought in a war, but was entrusted with the important task because of Yuwen Hu. A year ago, General Hulu attacked the surrounding garrisons, and this man hid in the city and dared not come out. The man who went back to the city was Xue Yusheng, a member of the Yitong Sansi, who was also a close confidant of Yuwen Hu. When General Hulu came before, he abandoned the city and fled."

"Yuwen Hu not only did not kill him, but also promoted him."

Tian Zili's lips trembled.

It's true that everyone is the same.

If that's the case, then it's a good thing that they're attacking.

The Zhou people's small army was quite elite, but Tian Zilie felt that Yao Xiong would chop off their heads if such a bunch of people led them into battle.

Who are these people who occupy the top positions?

With this comparison, it seems that our Majesty is actually quite good.

Gao Yan rode his horse on the official road, gazing calmly into the distance. Several counselors followed him and were discussing many important matters.

Gao Guiyan was also walking in the front.

He whispered about what happened in Yecheng.

After Prince Changguang was captured, Gao Guiyan was the only minister who went to Yecheng, which was when Liu Taozi was in Cheng'an.

Gao Guiyan paid a visit to the Queen Mother in Yecheng and conveyed Her Majesty's goodwill.

And when he left, he took the King of Jinan with him.

Now, Gao Guiyan walked beside Gao Yan again. He described the situation in Yecheng, "The Queen Mother is quite wary of me, and Lou Rui is the same. They are unwilling to meet me."

"The Queen Mother said: I will never let Prince Changguang leave me alone."

The ministers listened to his story, and Wang Xi frowned. "Your Majesty, we can't be too tough when we return to the court this time. Although the Prince of Dong'an is greedy for money, he is a man of his word. He is following the Queen Mother's order, and it is definitely not possible to force him to retreat through orders and troops." Gao Yan nodded gently, "I know."

"Later, please do not act rashly. I will go into the city and pay my respects to the Queen Mother."

Wang Xi was a little worried. "Your Majesty, why don't you let me go into the city first to meet the Queen Mother and convince her, and then you can lead people into the city."

"No need."

"Can the Queen Mother and Prince Dong'an still plot to murder me?"

Gao Yan asked back.

No one dared to advise him anymore.

While the ministers were discussing countermeasures, Gao Guiyan nodded slightly towards Gao Yan.

Then, he grinned and made a pinching gesture, signaling him to be at ease.

Gao Yan once again looked at the looming Yecheng in the distance. He did not feel at ease, but felt his heart became even more depressed and inexplicably irritated.

Xian'an held the reins tightly, stepped forward quickly, and said, "Your Majesty, if you want to go into the city alone, you must first send someone to report this to the Queen Mother, and then it will not be too late to go in and pay your respects."

Wang Xi also caught up and nodded, "Yes, there are still many followers of Prince Changguang in the city, we must be on guard."

"Someone must meet the Queen Mother, inform her in person, and then go out of the city to inform her, and then Your Majesty can enter the city."

Yang Yin, with one eye empty, rode forward and said, "They are right. If the Prime Minister enters the city alone, I'm afraid he will be killed by us."

Gao Yang laughed loudly, "What a waste to chop it off, it's like digging his face!"

Gao Yan looked at them angrily and suddenly stopped his horse.

"I'm going into the city alone! Who can kill me?!"

Wang Xi was horrified. He glanced at Xian'an, only to find that Xian'an was also panicked. Xian'an quickly lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, that's not what I meant! I just..."

"I'm not talking about you!"

"It's Yang Dadu!!"

Xian'an was stunned. "Your Majesty, who?"

Gao Yan looked to the side, and suddenly realized what was happening. His face suddenly turned pale, and fear flashed across his eyes. He looked around in panic. Gao Guiyan quickly drew his sword, stood in front of him, and looked around vigilantly, "Your Majesty! Is there anything wrong?"

"No problem."

"Continue to go."

They moved forward again. The ministers were silent at this moment, looking at each other, at a loss as to what to do.

Gao Guiyan closely guarded Gao Yan.

Gao Yan suddenly said, "Later, I will send someone in to report to the Queen Mother."

"only!!"

"Your Majesty, you have been very busy recently. In my opinion, you should take a rest for a while. I heard that there is a famous doctor in Yecheng who can treat you."

Wang Xi was particularly worried about Gao Yan's situation.

Gao Yan used to be just hot-tempered, but lately, he's been acting weird.

Especially after Gao Guiyan brought King Jinan back to Jinyang from Yecheng, the situation became more serious.

He often talked to himself, sometimes he was frightened, sometimes he was angry.

This made his confidants very worried.

Gao Yan nodded, "Okay."

Xian'an breathed a sigh of relief, "Your Majesty, let me go into the city to pay my respects to the Queen Mother."

"Yes, yes, let him go, let him go tell the Queen Mother, where is my son?!"

"what!!!"

Gao Yan suddenly roared and drew his sword fiercely.

Gao Guiyan and the others were horrified, "Your Majesty!!"

"There are evil spirits! There are ghosts!! Can't you see?! They are all around! There are evil spirits!!"

Gao Yan shouted, and the surrounding knights began to make noise.

"Get out!! Get out of here!! I want to bring order to the world!! I have made great contributions to the country!!"

Xian'an looked at the frightened Gao Yan and said hurriedly, "Your Majesty! The army is here! How dare the evil spirit get close?"

Gao Yan seemed not to have heard anything. The warhorse under him became restless because of his master's strange behavior and moved randomly. Wang Xi was quick-witted and quickly jumped off the horse and grabbed the reins.

Gao Guiyan was also shocked when he saw Gao Yan in such a state. He quickly blocked Gao Yan with his sword and waved it around a few times, "Gao Guiyan is here! Who dares to harm my master?!"

Gao Yan finally calmed down.

He gasped for breath and looked at Wang Xi beside him.

"go back."

"Let's go back to Jinyang."

Wang Xi and many of his other confidants had no energy to think about the affairs of Yecheng at this moment. When they were about to arrive at Yecheng, the army chose to return, and Gao Yan left Yecheng as if he was escaping.

Lou Rui, who was guarding Yecheng and thinking about how to face Gao Yan, was confused when he learned that Gao Yan had left again and had no idea what was going on.

Jinyang Palace.

A bonfire was burning on the ground.

There were more than a dozen people standing outside the campfire. They were wearing strange masks, strange clothes, and holding various musical instruments.

Jumping back and forth around the campfire with strange steps.

They were agile, chanting spells and constantly increasing their speed. As they jumped faster and faster, even the bonfire burned more fiercely.

Gao Yan held Hulugu's hand tightly, and with his support, he walked towards the campfire.

When he approached the campfire, the wizards dipped branches in water, began to surround Gao Yan, and kept pretending to whip Gao Yan with the branches, splashing water everywhere.

After a long time, the wizards finally stopped and the leader said firmly: "Your Majesty, those little evil spirits have been driven away by us. They will not come near again."

Several confidants in the distance looked at this place worriedly, and their eyes were full of despair.

There were also a few people with gleams in their eyes.

Gao Yan looked at these people one by one and then looked around him.

The headless Yan Zixian was looking for his head on the ground, Gao Yang was drinking wine, and Yang Yin was laughing.

Gao Yan looked at the wizard and said, "Indeed, I can no longer see them."

He looked at the ministers and said, "Send someone to inform the Queen Mother that I am not feeling well and cannot go to Yecheng. I need to recuperate in Jinyang."

Wang Xi and Xian'an looked at each other, and suddenly their eyes lit up.

Wang Xi stepped forward and looked at His Majesty excitedly, "Your Majesty, could it be that you are..."

Gao Yan pursed his lips and nodded gently, "Well, don't ask too much, just go and tell me."

Hulugu seemed relieved at this moment, "I'm glad your Majesty is alright."

Yan Zixian stepped forward and said, "Grand Prime Minister, please be kind and let Hulugu return my head to me."

Gao Yan looked at Huluguang and said, "I am fine. I am sorry to trouble you during these days."

"General, last time I mentioned the matter of Liu Taozi and your second daughter, have you made a decision now?"

Yang Yin sneered and said, "You killed the last prince, and you still want to protect your own prince? Hulugu and Liu Taozi are related to your prince, so what? He will also die miserably!"

Hulugu did not hesitate this time. He nodded quickly and said, "It is my honor to have such a good son-in-law. I agree, but my daughter is still young and cannot leave home. Now we can only make an engagement first."

Gao Yang laughed loudly, "Look, this reckless man thinks you can't accomplish anything and will die sooner or later. He is just trying to delay it!"

Gao Yan nodded, "Okay, it's great that the General said so."

"Then let's get engaged."

Hulugu suddenly said, "Your Majesty, when General Liu talked to me on horseback earlier, he asked nothing else but about the military affairs of the frontier."

"And this time, as soon as he arrived in Wuchuan, he sent out civilians. Before the enemy could react, he built a fortress outside the Jin River, overlooking the area and connecting the Jin River with the various garrisons!"

"I wonder how angry those generals of the Pseudo-Zhou must be right now!"

"I think even Wei Xiaokuan has to adjust his strategy slightly. Hahahaha, it is a blessing for the country to have such a brave general!"

"Your Majesty has been overworked recently. It would be better for you to take a few days off and not be too anxious. There are many virtuous people in the country. The country of Great Qi will surely be well governed in your Majesty's hands!"

Hulugu bowed to him and then turned and left.

Gao Yan trembled, and his expression gradually became resolute. He looked around again.

The hall was quiet.

"I have many brave generals... I am not afraid of you evil spirits."

(End of this chapter)