Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 213 Inheriting a Cause, Inheriting a Disease

The two knights stood on a high slope, looking at the Jinhe City in the distance.

The warhorse was chewing something in its mouth without stopping for a moment. The weeds on the ground began to turn yellow, and in the distance, flocks of sheep could be seen grazing on the weeds.

Han Qinhu secretly glanced at the general beside him.

The general was tall and strong, with a long beautiful beard and a majestic appearance. Han Qinhu lacked a lot of bravery when he was beside him. He looked like a child who was not experienced in the world and was still wet behind the ears.

Han Qinhu looked into the distance again, and could only vaguely see the tall city wall. Apart from that, he could not see anything clearly.

"Sui Guogong, what are we looking at?"

The man standing next to Han Qinhu with unparalleled aura was none other than Suiguogong Yang Zhong.

Even when Yang Zhong was standing there, he had an invincible demeanor that made people dare not look down on him.

He whispered, "Strong enemy."

Han Qinhu scratched his head, looking puzzled, "Duke, what kind of enemy can you see standing here?"

"Inside the city, smoke rises, outside the city, herds of cattle and sheep gather."

"Wei Xiaokuan is right. Liu Taozi is indeed a powerful enemy of the Great Zhou and must be eliminated as soon as possible."

Han Qinhu immediately realized and nodded, "Indeed, it was not like this when I left. If I give him more time, I'm afraid it will be difficult to break through."

He pursed his lips and looked at Yang Zhong helplessly, "Duke, there is no order from Duke Jin. What should I do?"

Yang Zhong had been planning an attack since the first day he arrived at the border. His destination was Wuchuan. He wanted to hold a sacrifice in his ancestral land and then march into Jinyang.

Everything is ready, except for some problems in the temple.

Yuwen Hu did not agree with the attack. His advisers all felt that the Qi Dynasty was too difficult to defeat and Hulugu was not easy to deal with. Moreover, they had just agreed to live in peace with them, and it was not a good idea to attack them before a year had passed.

Yuwen Hu himself was also hesitant, jumping back and forth between fighting and not fighting.

Today an edict was issued to form an alliance with the Turks, and tomorrow someone was sent to take it back.

There was a huge uproar in the government, and no decision has been made yet.

Hearing Han Qinhu's words, Yang Zhong frowned, his eyes full of murderous intent, "Now is the best time to attack. Liu Taozi's foundation is unstable, his elite troops are insufficient, and his reputation outside the Great Wall is not well-known."

"If we wait until winter to send out troops, then we will have to wait until next winter. Will we send troops to fight him or he will send troops to fight us?!"

"Those incompetent people in the government actually said that they had to recruit 100,000 elite soldiers to attack the Pseudo-Qi. Can the outcome of the war be determined by the number of people?!"

"What's the point of talking about a mere Huluguang?!"

Han Qinhu pursed his lips and didn't dare to respond. If someone else had said this, Han Qinhu would definitely spit in his face, but since it was said by Yang Zhong, he didn't dare to say anything more.

"You continue to lead the troops here and keep an eye on their troop movements at all times."

Yang Zhong opened his mouth and gave orders.

"only!!"

"Does the Duke want to return to his true self?"

"I will report to the court again. Ten thousand men, I only need ten thousand infantry and cavalry, ten thousand men can take Jinyang. We can't wait any longer. If we wait any longer, the border towns will be in danger!"

Yang Zhong had completely lost his patience and led the knights away in a hurry. Han Qinhu saw him off and looked at the city in the distance again.

Elite soldiers and brave generals, but a mediocre leader.

Why is it not the same on the Pseudo-Qi side?

September, the second year of Huangjian.

Jinyang Palace.

Gao Guiyan, wearing his official robe, walked quickly up the steps.

There were armored soldiers on both sides, looking solemnly ahead.

Gao Guiyan just walked along the way, his steps were hurried, his brows were furrowed, and he looked a little dazed.

When he broke into the inner hall, it was extremely dark, just like when Emperor Wenxuan was there.

He continued to walk quickly, and after a long time, he finally saw several busy imperial physicians, who were surrounded by armored soldiers and were sweating profusely from their busy work.

Seeing Gao Guiyan coming, everyone stood up and saluted, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Gao Guiyan looked at Gao Yan who was lying on the bed. Gao Yan had his eyes closed, his body was thin, and he was lying on the bed, motionless.

Then a man came forward and sighed, "My king, I can't do anything. I can't do anything."

Gao Guiyan looked at the man in front of him. He had a handsome appearance and was completely different from the other doctors. He was much taller than them. Standing here, he stood out like a crane among chickens. "Mr. Xu, is there no other way?"

Xu Zhicai shook his head and said, "I have no other choice."

He looked at the emperor beside him sadly, "Your Majesty was already ill, and you accidentally rode your horse. After falling off, your condition worsened. There is no way to save you."

At this moment, Gao Yan suddenly let out a groan.

Everyone was shocked. Gao Guiyan looked at Gao Yan who slowly opened his eyes, waved at them, and asked everyone to go out first.

After everyone left, Gao Guiyan knelt down in front of Gao Yan and asked, "Your Majesty, are you okay?"

Gao Yan opened his eyes with a ferocious look.

"It's you!!"

"It was you who said that the nobles wanted to hold the Prince of Jinan hostage for rebellion!! It was you who said that the Prince of Jinan wanted to provoke a war between Jinyang and Yecheng!! It was you who said that he should be allowed to die of illness!!"

"You've been hanging out with Gao Zhan for a long time! This is all your fault! It's you guys!!"

Gao Guiyan looked at him blankly, and then defended himself desperately: "Your Majesty! I have no intention of doing anything wrong. I am only following your orders."

Listening to Gao Guiyan's crying, Gao Yan's face gradually calmed down. He remained silent and stopped talking.

The hall was quiet.

Gao Yan suddenly asked, "Who will inherit the throne, Prince Changguang or the Crown Prince?!"

"Of course he is the prince!!"

Gao Guiyan said without hesitation: "Your Majesty is still strong, don't worry about this matter, there are so many wise ministers assisting the prince, he will definitely be safe."

Gao Yan didn't say anything. He looked up at the sky blankly, and a strange ringing sound came from his chest.

He breathed hard, "I can't hold on any longer."

"If the prince ascends the throne, there will be a war in the country. Regardless of victory or defeat, it will be detrimental to the country."

Gao Guiyan lowered his head and did not answer.

"Ping Qin Wang"

"My decree orders Prince Changguang to come to Jinyang and inherit the throne."

"His Majesty!"

Gao Guiyan looked at him in astonishment. Gao Yan tremblingly took out a letter from the bedside and handed it to him.

"This is my own handwriting. Please give it to Ah Zhan for me."

"I have many trusted followers in the court. Find a way to save their lives for me."

"Liu Qi is really someone who can be promoted. Tell Ah Zhan not to seek revenge."

"With Yu in the court and Mingyue outside, the enemy is true, and with the Prince of Pingyuan in charge of Jinyang, the country will be safe."

Gao Yan was speaking, but he opened his mouth again. This time, a strange noise came out of his mouth. He breathed hard and looked at Gao Guiyan beside him, his eyes full of pleading.

Gao Guiyan solemnly put away the letter and bowed deeply to Gao Yan.

"I understand."

Gao Yan suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, his face turned red, and he turned around to look at the other side.

"Wait a minute, I'll come find you."

"I will cut off your head again."

Gao Yan grinned.

"Hahaha~~~"

The next moment, the laughter stopped abruptly.

Gao Yan lay calmly, looking at the vast empty space in the distance. There was no fear or panic in his eyes. Gao Guiyan could even see some expectation and pride in his eyes.

Gao Guiyan trembled and slowly used his hand to feel the emperor's breath.

"His Majesty!!!"

The wailing sound started from the inner hall, then gradually spread outside the palace, and slowly enveloped the entire palace. In the end, the entire city was plunged into wailing.

Not long after, Gao Guiyan led many knights and galloped towards Yecheng.

Yecheng, inside the palace.

Gao Zhan sat in the upper seat, eating and drinking, swaying.

Zu Ting was playing the instrument with all his might, while He Shikai was dancing gracefully.

Zu Ting played the piano very well, and He Shikai danced well too.

Gao Zhan couldn't help but applaud, "Come on, give us a reward! Give each of us 100 pieces of cloth!"

Zu Ting hurriedly put down his musical instrument and thanked the king, but He Shikai was stunned. He looked at Gao Zhan in disbelief, his eyes full of resentment.

The same reward as mine?
Gao Zhan picked up the wine cup and started eating again. Zu Ting sat back in his original seat, while He Shikai sat next to Gao Zhan, wiping his tears.

Gao Zhan reacted then and wiped away his tears with a smile, "Oh, I forgot, I forgot. Zu Ting was just sitting there, but you were jumping around. How can you give him a normal reward? Reward him fifty more pieces!" He Shikai laughed then and looked at Gao Zhan with tenderness. He slowly took his hand and tickled it a few times.

Zu Ting shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of wine. He really couldn't compete in this area.

Just when Gao Zhan was coaxing his confidants, suddenly some soldiers rushed into the house. Seeing the soldiers rushing in, everyone stopped drinking, and the music and the beauty's gasps suddenly stopped.

The soldier saluted, "Your Majesty! King Ping Qin has led his men to Ye City and is heading here."

"Ping Qin Wang??"

Gao Zhan stood up suddenly and looked at He Shikai with surprise, "Is His Majesty dead?"

He Shikai's eyes widened, "My King, you, I..."

Gao Zhan looked around and waved his hand, "Are there any outsiders here?!"

Hearing Gao Zhan's question, everyone stood up and saluted, "Your Majesty!!"

He Shikai gritted his teeth and answered simply: "That's probably it!"

At this moment, Zheng Daoqian, who was standing in the crowd, was stunned and looked at the scene in a daze.

Gao Zhan asked someone to bring him some water so that he could sober up. Then he opened the door and went to greet Gao Guiyan in person.

Gao Zhan led everyone to wait in front of his mansion. After waiting for a long time, he finally saw Gao Guiyan leading everyone on horseback. Gao Guiyan jumped off the horse, almost falling in front of Gao Zhan. Gao Zhan hurriedly helped him up, "Uncle! Why are you so anxious?"

Gao Guiyan had tears in his eyes, "His Majesty has passed away!"

"what?!"

Gao Zhan was horrified, his eyes widened, and he staggered suddenly. If He Shikai hadn't supported him, he would have almost fallen to the ground.

He asked in disbelief: "You, what did you say?"

Gao Guiyan cried and said, "It's true, His Majesty has passed away."

Gao Zhan burst into tears, "Your Majesty!!"

The next moment, Gao Guiyan and Gao Zhan hugged each other and cried together, their cries were loud and painful.

After crying for an unknown amount of time, Gao Guiyan hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, His Majesty has issued an edict, asking you to inherit the throne. Please go to Yecheng as soon as possible to preside over the important affairs!"

"it is good!"

Gao Guiyan turned around and looked at He Shikai, "You stay here and take care of the affairs in the mansion!"

After saying that, he hurriedly got into the car and left Yecheng in a hurry with Gao Guiyan.

At this moment, they were moving at full speed. Gao Zhan did not bother to inform the people in Yecheng about this matter, and he did not even have time to discuss the imperial edict with his subordinates. He did not consider whether it was true or not, and he got on the car and set off directly.

The key at the moment is to get to Jinyang first.

Sitting in the car, Gao Zhan talked to Gao Guiyan about the more specific situation.

After learning the contents of the imperial edict, he also received the letter written to him by Gao Yan.

In front of Gao Guiyan, Gao Zhan was still very loyal. He held the letter and did not forget to wipe away his tears several times.

The content of the letter was very simple, just telling him what to do.

At the end, Gao Yan left a plea.

"I should treat my wife and children well, and not follow the example of the past."

The country is given to you, but don't learn from me, just ignore my wife and children.

Gao Zhan calmly put away the letter and ignored it. He looked at Gao Guiyan at the side and asked, "Uncle, who is stationed in Jinyang now?"

"Outside the city is Bingzhou Governor Hulugu, and inside the city is General Duan Shao."

Gao Zhan immediately breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appeared on his face, but when he realized something was wrong, he quickly put it away.

"Let's not rush into the city. Please send someone to ask Hulu Mingyue to come and greet us. I have something important to tell him."

"it is good."

It was just getting dark.

The city of Ye gradually came alive, with smoke rising from various places and noise being heard.

Inside the palace, Empress Dowager Lou was consulting several witches.

Empress Dowager Lou looked much better than before. Several witches knelt beside her, listened to her questions and gave answers.

While they were chatting, Lou Rui pushed aside the soldiers and quickly rushed into the hall.

Lou Rui had a stern face and pale lips, looking a little terrified. He walked quickly to the Queen Mother and knelt down.

"aunt."

Empress Dowager Lou recognized his trembling voice and immediately became alert.

"What happened??"

Lou Rui closed his eyes and tears flowed uncontrollably.

"His Majesty passed away."

Empress Dowager Lou was stunned. She seemed a little bit unbelievable about what she heard. She asked again: "What did you say?"

"His Majesty passed away."

Several witches were so frightened that they immediately collapsed on the ground and began to sob. Empress Dowager Lou sat there in a daze, not moving an inch, as if her soul had been sucked out of her.

Of the six sons, four were gone.

She didn't cry or faint. She just sat there, thinking quietly without saying a word.

I don't know how long the silence lasted. Even the witch didn't dare to cry anymore. Lou Zhaojun asked hoarsely, "Who will inherit?"

"Prince Changguang."

"What about others?"

"I have gone to Yecheng."

Empress Dowager Lou fell silent again.

Lou Rui suddenly said, "Aunt, there is something I don't know how to say."

"Go ahead."

"In the past, for His Majesty, Liu Taozi and I were rude to Prince Changguang. Now, I have my aunt's protection, but I am afraid that Liu Taozi will be punished. He has made great contributions. If he is punished for something like this, it would be a pity."

"I understand. Prepare the carriage."

"I won't let Prince Changguang do anything to him."

Lou Zhaojun said softly, and Lou Rui then hurried out to prepare, but Lou Zhaojun still sat in her original position and couldn't get up for a long time.

Jinyang Palace, Chongde Hall.

Gao Zhan stood at the head of the ministers, knelt before the emperor's spirit tablet, and cried loudly.

The many ministers behind him were not important ministers, but veteran ministers.

Standing at the front was an old man who was using a walking stick. He could barely stand and his eyes were blurry.

This man had a big frame, and even when he was bending over, he was stronger than the others. He was the father of Hulugu and Huluxian, and the old minister of the Great Qi, Hulugu Jin.

Hulu Jin was no longer able to fight in the battlefield. He usually just lay at home. He had to take a car to go out, and he could not get up without someone's support. But even so, Gao Zhan still called him over to attend the funeral of the late emperor.

Looking at Gao Zhan who was crying loudly, Hulu Jin was supported by someone and walked forward slowly, "Your Majesty, the country cannot be without a king for a day. Please follow the decree of His Majesty, inherit the throne, and ascend the throne as emperor."

Gao Zhan quickly stood up and looked at him in disbelief.

"There is a crown prince now, how can I inherit the throne?"

"The prince is wise, and I am willing to assist him in governing the country. Please don't say such things again."

Hulu Jin said again: "The prince is still young and cannot rule the country. Besides, His Majesty has issued an edict for you to inherit the throne. How can you disobey His Majesty's edict?"

"It's not that I'm resisting your majesty's order, it's just that I don't have any talent, and I'm afraid I'll disappoint your majesty's high hopes."

At this time, all the ministers hurried forward and bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty!! Please consider the country and ascend the throne as ordered!!"

Looking at the people kneeling down, Gao Zhan then looked at Lou Zhaojun who was not far away.

Lou Zhaojun was also here, but she stood in the distance, looking at her son's spirit tablet, unwilling to get closer to see him. Lou Zhaojun did not speak, but Lou Rui walked forward with the imperial edict in his hand and began to read it.

This decree was issued by the Queen Mother, agreeing that Prince Changguang would inherit the throne and ascend the throne as emperor.

In this way, with the support of all parties, Gao Zhan successfully ascended the throne.

On the day of his accession to the throne, Gao Zhan rewarded his ministers.

Gao Guiyan, Prince of Pingqin, was appointed as Taifu, Gao Rui, Prince of Zhaojun, was appointed as Shangshu Ling, Wei Can was appointed as Taibao, Duan Shao was appointed as Da Sima, Lou Rui was appointed as Sikong, Gao Yan was appointed as Taizai, Gao Yu was appointed as Taishi and Recorder of Shangshu, Gao Ji, Prince of Boling, was appointed as Taiwei, Gao Qian, Prince of Rencheng, was appointed as Shangshu Zuo Pushe, Hulugu was appointed as You Pushe, and Crown Prince Gao Bainian was granted the title of Prince of Leling.

When facing Gao Yan's old subordinates, he was not stingy at all. Instead, he increased the rewards to show his generosity and benevolence.

Special permission was granted to General Anxi Liu Taozi to lead the envoys and be promoted to Governor of Hengzhou and Commander-in-Chief of the military and political affairs of the three states.

At night, the lights in the other hall were bright. Under the vigilance of the imperial guards outside, Gao Zhan drank wine with big gulps. He felt relaxed all over. There was nothing to worry about anymore.

He was happily drinking, and suddenly pulled Zu Ting beside him, pointed to a large empty space in the distance, and asked:
"Who is that woman walking down from the sky?"

"Help me catch her!"

ps: Wu Cheng (Gao Zhan) indulged in alcohol and sex too much, and was in a trance. He once had an attack of illness. He said that he first saw a five-colored object in the sky. When it got closer, it turned into a beautiful woman, standing several feet above the ground. After a while, it turned into Guanyin. Zhicai said: This is caused by excessive sexual desire and great weakness. He immediately prescribed a decoction. After taking one dose, he felt that it was a little farther away. He took another dose, and it turned into a five-colored object again. After several doses of decoction, the disease was cured. Every time the emperor attacked, he sent cavalry to chase it. - "Book of Northern Qi·Biography of Xu Zhicai"

(End of this chapter)