Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 239
Yecheng.

Pengcheng Palace.

The woman hugged her son, who would never speak again, and cried heartbreakingly.

Gao Yu stood at the door with a gloomy face. He didn't dare to stay here any longer. After hesitating for a moment, he turned around and left. He returned to the study. There were soldiers walking back and forth everywhere in the mansion. These soldiers had fierce looks and were fully armed. They almost occupied the entire mansion.

Gao Yu was sitting in the study, with soldiers guarding outside the door.

Even though he was sitting here, he could still hear the crying coming from outside, which lingered and kept ringing in his ears. Gao Yin closed his eyes and said nothing.

There were rapid footsteps outside the door.

The next moment, someone pushed open the door.

Gao Rui walked into the room in a panic. Gao Yun was sitting in the upper seat. The room was a little dim, and Gao Yun's face was completely dull. He just sat there, not saying a word, with a frown on his face.

"Who is it?"

"Wei Xiaokuan or Gao Guiyan?"

"Or Cui Ang and the others?"

Gao Yun offended many people, and even more people wanted to kill him.

Gao Yu did not answer. Gao Rui slowly sat down beside him. He opened his mouth, but sighed again, his face full of guilt. "I just wanted to spur Prince Feng Yi on."

"If I knew that was the last time I would see you, I would never do that"

Thinking of his own preaching and sarcasm just now, Gao Rui immediately became restless and fell into deep depression and self-blame.

"It's not Wei Xiaokuan, nor Gao Guiyan, nor anyone else."

Gao Yu said, "This is a fight between brothers."

Gao Rui stood up suddenly, walked quickly to the door, looked outside secretly, and returned to Gao Yu's side again. He frowned and said solemnly: "King Pengcheng, don't speak nonsense."

"He wanted to kill me before, but Liu Taozi found out and sent someone to inform Gao Changgong, saving my life."

"This is Yecheng. Even if it's Wei Xiaokuan, can he allow so many powerful crossbows to enter Yecheng silently?"

"He even appeared outside the government office with great precision, without being discovered by the soldiers in the city."

“No one can do it except him.”

"Arun saved me from death."

Gao Rui slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

At this moment, Gao Rui's mind was a little confused. After the emperor ascended the throne, he inexplicably began to alienate the ministers who supported him to the throne. Has it really reached the point where he has to kill them?
They both fell silent for a long time.

Gao Rui slowly looked at him and asked, "What does King Pengcheng want to do?"

Gao Yu suddenly looked up at Gao Rui.

"The Emperor never changes."

"At first I thought that the crown prince was still young, and if we supported him to take the throne, it would definitely cause chaos in the world. But I never thought that the harm caused by Prince Changguang would be greater than that of a young lord taking the throne."

"The emperor lacks virtue and is not capable of governing the world."

"I want to depose him, what do you think, Shangshu Ling?"

Gao Rui's eyes widened. The next moment, he jumped up as if he had been electrocuted, and shook his head hurriedly. "It is still unclear who did it, and it is not easy to depose and enthrone. Your Majesty is smart. The one who caused the unrest in the country was He Shikai, who instigated him. As long as He Shikai is killed, the world will be in great order. As a minister, how can I talk about deposing and enthroneing?"

Gao Yu looked at him dimly, and Gao Rui sat down again. "If King Pengcheng doesn't trust me, he can kill me right now. I'm not afraid of death, but as a minister, if I depose my king, I'm afraid that the Great Qi will fall apart immediately, and the locals will no longer fear the court. The power of the emperor will be gone. The Pseudo-Zhou is still fighting with us. I heard that Yuwen Hu is hoarding a large amount of food and grass."

"No matter how many ideas you have, you should first repel the Pseudo-Zhou and then discuss."

"Otherwise, we will become the sinners who destroy the country."

Gao Yu smiled and said, "Those who raped the emperor's sister-in-law, murdered loyal officials, and promoted treacherous officials are not sinners, but those who want to correct these things are sinners?"

Gao Rui was speechless for a moment, and then he answered seriously: "The reason why a loyal person is loyal is because he can distinguish right from wrong, right?"

Gao Yu didn't say anything more. "Okay, you go back first. I'm frightened and need to rest for a while."

Gao Rui stood up and said, "Your Majesty is the pillar of the world. No matter what you want to do, please don't put yourself in danger."

Gao Yin did not answer him.

After Gao Rui left, several soldiers pushed carts into the yard. The soldiers hurriedly notified Gao Yun. Gao Yun walked into the yard, and the soldiers laid out the bodies on the carriage in front of Gao Yun.

Gao Yin looked at the corpses one by one.

Finally, he stopped in front of a person, looked him up and down at his figure and appearance, and nodded slowly.

"That's it. Take him with you."

Soon, Gao Yun left the office again. This time, the number of knights and armored soldiers in front and behind him had reached a terrifying level. They were so powerful that the entire street was filled with his guards, making it impossible to get through.

They made their way to the prison in the north of the city.

Many serious criminals were imprisoned here, and the soldiers here had long been replaced by Gao Yun's men. Gao Yun did not go in, but was pushed out of here by the soldiers.

Lu Qubing blocked the blinding light with his hands and staggered out. Gao Yin looked to the side and the soldiers immediately dragged the corpse into the cell.

Gao Yun motioned Lu Qubing to get in the car and then left the prison.

Lu Qubing sat in the carriage in confusion, completely unable to understand the current situation.

The carriage set off slowly.

"Your Majesty?"

Lu Qubing spoke cautiously.

Gao Yu suddenly sighed, "What a pity, you are the best county magistrate since the establishment of Cheng'an."

Lu Qubing said sternly, "Did the king come here to kill me on orders?"

"I'm going to let you go."

"You can go back to Liu Taozi."

Lu Qubing looked at him hesitantly, "My lord, are you going to let me go?"

"I have the ambition to help the world, but unfortunately, I don't have the ability to do so. No matter how much I do, he can destroy it all with just one order."

"I don't know how to lead troops in battle."

Lu Qubing was somewhat stunned. Gao Yu continued, "I hope Liu Taozi can help me do something after defeating the Zhou people."

Lu Qubing came back to his senses and asked uncertainly, "Your Majesty, are you going to rebel?"

Gao Yu pursed his lips and wanted to say something, but suddenly, his whole body relaxed.

He nodded.

"Yes, I want to rebel."

"I will gather the people in Yecheng and prepare for the uprising. When the emperor returns to Yecheng, that will be the day for me to take action."

"But I can't accomplish great things by myself. I hope Liu Taozi can help me achieve great things."

Lu Qubing sneered, "Your Majesty, do you also want to promise the position of Prime Minister?"

"No, the Grand Chancellor is mine."

"He can be a great general."

Lu Qubing frowned and said nothing more.

Gao Yu said: "I am an incompetent person with no courage. When Gao Yang wanted to rape my mother and beat her to death, I did not dare to do it. I also wanted to thank him for the reward he gave me."

"Later, Gao Zhan sent people to kill me, but I didn't dare to fight back and continued to serve him as an official."

"I wanted to achieve fame and rule the world, but in the end, I failed to accomplish anything. I was not loyal, filial, benevolent, and respectful. The superiors were mean, and the country could not prosper even with good ministers."

"I'm going to do something that I should have done a long time ago. It doesn't matter whether Liu Taozi helps me or not. In short, you have to tell him not to be as timid as me. If he has the opportunity, he must do it and not miss it."

Lu Qubing said slowly: "He never retreats."

"What is the king going to do?"

"Although the king has prestige, he is not close to the king. Although the ministers respect him, they cannot be said to follow him. The king has never led an army. The army in Yecheng is not under the king's control. If the king wants to start a rebellion, it will be more difficult than Gao Guiyan."

Gao Yu continued, "There are many people in the court who are dissatisfied with Gao Zhan. I will gather them all together. I cannot deal with him alone, but if we gather a group of people, we will be able to get rid of him."

Lu Qubing looked at him again, still feeling a little uneasy.

This wise king is not the type to do big things, but if Taozi helps, there may still be some chance. I have to go to Taozi as soon as possible! !

Sizhou, Sandui City.

"My king, drink some wine!"

Gao Anagong poured Gao Ji another full glass of wine.

Inside the government office, soldiers holding spears stood at several exits in front and back, while a group of women gathered inside the house.

The women gathered in a corner in fear, and some of them were crying so hard that they could not stand up.

There was a woman lying on the ground, her chest cut open, revealing a horrific wound. She lay on the ground, no longer making a sound.

Gao Anagong's face was filled with guilt. "My king, please don't be angry. It's my fault for finding such a person to serve you. Please don't pay attention to her disrespect. I will replace her right away."

Gao Ji took a sip of wine, his face full of displeasure, "Who are these people you are looking for?"

"When I was in Yecheng, no one dared to spill wine on me!"

"My king, it's all my fault."

Gao Ji became more and more angry. He threw the wine cup to the ground. The women in the distance started crying again. Gao Ji said angrily, "And Hui Luo! Who the hell is he?"

"You were lucky enough to win a few battles with my father, but now you dare to take advantage of your age. It's been such a long time, and you haven't come to Sizhou yet. You want me to guard this shabby place myself!"

"Send someone to urge him again! Don't look at him as a king. If he angers me, I will tell my mother and let him release the horses!"

Gao Anahong's mouth twitched, and he put away his disdainful look. He lowered his head and said, "That's right. This time Luo relied on his status to look down on the king and deliberately neglected him!"

"However, this man has fought in many battles and is as famous as the famous generals in the court. Moreover, he has a great grudge against Liu Taozi. Your Majesty sent him here to guard against Liu Taozi."

"Okay, no need to say more, let's change some people!"

Gao Anagong waved towards the soldiers in the distance, and soon, they were the only two left in the room. Gao Anagong poured wine for Gao Ji again to calm him down.

The king's mood was quite unstable, and he acted on his own accord. After Gao Changgong left, he never returned to Luoyang, and he had already exceeded the stipulated deadline by a month.

I'm afraid something big is going to happen.

Isn't he afraid of being held accountable by the government?

Gao Anagong was able to make some excuses for him at first, but now he has no reason to explain.

Hui Luo is really going too far!
Gao Ji looked towards the door again, waiting for a new round of beauties to arrive.

But the next person who broke in was not the beauty Gao Ji was expecting, but a scout covered in blood.

The scout knelt before the two men, panic in his eyes.

“My king! This is bad! My king!!”

"Yang Zhong is coming to kill us!!"

"Yang Zhong's army is crossing the river!!"

At this moment, Gao Ji still looked dazed, but Gao Anagong was so scared that he spilled the wine on Gao Ji.

Gao Ji looked at him angrily, "Do you want to die too?!"

Gao Anagong ignored him. He looked at the scout in front of him and said, "Yang Zhong is crossing the river? How is this possible? Why is Yang Zhong here?"

The scout started crying, "It's true, Duguba Gan on the other side ran away, and the soldiers fled in all directions. I also ran back with great difficulty."

Gao Anagong's face turned pale, his lips trembling, "Where are we in the many garrisons in Beishan and Beixi? There are nearly 10,000 people over there, why don't they report it?"

"Where's Liu Taozi?! Why didn't he stop Yang Zhong?!"

Gao Anagong was in a panic for a moment, but Gao Ji still stared at him and drunkenly cursed: "You spilled the wine on me!!"

Gao Anagong's scalp was numb, so he quickly asked someone to bring cold water, forced Gao Ji to wipe his face, and helped him vomit several times. After a long time, Gao Ji finally woke up slowly.

"My lord! Yang Zhong is attacking us!"

"They are crossing the river now! Please lead your troops to repel them immediately!"

Gao Anagong once again told Gao Ji what had happened. This time, Gao Ji finally ignored the stains on his clothes. He staggered to his feet, his eyes full of fear.

"Yang, Yang Zhong?"

"Okay, okay, I'll leave the city right now to ask for help. Gao Anagong! You stay in the city and don't let Yang Zhong break into it!"

Gao Ji was about to walk out when Gao Anago hurriedly grabbed him and said, "Your Majesty!"

Gao Anagong was even more afraid than Gao Ji. "Your Majesty, you can't leave. If you leave, the city will fall. If this city falls, Yang Zhong will be able to attack all the way to Yangqu City. After Yangqu City, it will be Jinyang!!"

"Your Majesty is in Jinyang!!"

"I'll go to Yangqu and bring reinforcements! Let me go!!"

"let me go!!"

Gao Ji was unable to pry Gao Anagong's hands open, so he drew his sword in anger and was about to kill Gao Anagong in front of him.

There was chaos in the house. Gao Ji finally ran out, called his trusted men, and ran towards the city gate without taking anything.

Gao Anagong chased to the gate of the government office. Seeing Gao Ji had already escaped, he was so frightened that he didn't know what to do. The soldier hurriedly asked: "General! What should we do?!"

Gao Anagong gritted his teeth and looked at the silent city. For a moment he didn't know what to do.

Gao Ji can abandon the city, but if he does, he will die.

At this moment, he actually felt a little regretful in his heart. If Gao Changgong were still alive.
He took a deep breath, but didn't dare to think about it anymore. He looked around and said, "Call the troops immediately! Drive the civilians to help defend the city!"

“Don’t be afraid!”

"Yang Zhong led the elite of the Zhou people but still failed to capture Liu Taozi's city. Now he has come from afar, and Sandui City has been reinforced six times. Can he still capture it easily?!"

"Get ready quickly!"

Gao Anagong immediately prepared for defense. He was both afraid and a little expectant at the same time.

Gao Anagong was actually not the first generation of generals founding the country. The first generation of generals founding the country was his father Gao Shigui. Because he was tall and had good skills in riding and archery, he was kept in front of Gao Huan's tent. He served as Kuzhi, which was actually a guard, responsible for gatekeeping. Later, he served as Wuwei General, who was also a gatekeeper, but he led troops to guard the gate.

He had never participated in a major battle, but when he came to Sizhou, Liu Taozi's reputation became more and more famous.

He thwarted Yang Zhong's attacks several times and forced Yang Zhong to retreat in the Battle of Shiben. In the past, many generals looked down on him, thinking that Liu Taozi fought against incompetent people and was not a real general. It was not until he officially fought with Yang Zhong that everyone recognized him.

Seeing Liu Taozi's growing fame, Gao Anagong actually felt a little jealous. At this moment, Yang Zhong was leading his troops here. If he could stop him, would he also be as famous as Liu Taozi?
Besides, he had also heard about Liu Taozi's tactics to stop Yang Zhong. It would not be difficult to drive the people to defend the city for him!
Gao Anagong started to deploy city defenses as soon as he said it, with a different kind of expectation.

Less than half an hour after Gao Ji left, Yang Zhong's army had already appeared under the city.

Yang Zhong didn't have many soldiers at the moment.

He fought his way forward and successively broke through more than 20 garrisons in Fen area. He was unstoppable and won battle after battle.

Liu Taozi's fierce attack did not teach the enemy a lesson. The defensive strength at these checkpoints was really hard to describe. Yang Zhong felt like he was bullying a child when he beat them.

When he saw the soldiers and civilians running back and forth in the city in front of him, he frowned.

Several battles in Beishuo gave him a new perspective on the people living in the city walls.

But after just observing for a moment, Yang Zhong put away his vigilance. The constant crying sounds on the city wall were completely different from those in Beishuo.

The next moment, he began to order an attack on the city.

When the soldiers began to test the city with large shields and ladders, the defense of Sandui City collapsed.

The defenders on the city wall collided with each other. Some wanted to escape, while others were knocked off the wall. There was chaos. The next moment, Yang Zhong personally led his troops to attack.

Gao Anagong was standing on the city wall, imagining himself defeating Yang Zhong and becoming famous in history. The next moment, he saw Zhou soldiers appear on the city wall in the distance. He didn't even react to how the other side climbed up the city.

Gao Anagong felt cold all over.

"Fight them back! Fight them back!!"

The soldiers began to swarm towards the west wall, but they were stuck together. More and more Zhou people came and drove them from both sides. The Qi soldiers were trapped on the wall, bumping into each other and falling to the ground.

Gao Anagong looked at the Zhou people approaching him and immediately dropped the sword in his hand.

"Will you surrender!!!"

ps: Zhou Yangzhong captured more than 20 cities from Qi. The Qi people defended the pass at Xingling, but Zhong defeated them. ——Zizhi Tongjian

It was snowing heavily and the wind was cold, so the Qi people gathered their best troops and marched out with drums beating. The Turks retreated to the west mountain and refused to fight, which frightened everyone. My father led 700 people to fight on foot, and 14 or 15 died. In the end, he returned to the capital. The Qi people did not dare to press on. - "Northern History"

(End of this chapter)