Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 240 Siege of Jinyang
Yang Zhong looked at Gao Anagong who was tied up in front of him with a smile, and then looked at Li Mu beside him, "You say, if all the generals in Qi were like this, it would be great."

Li Mu had a stern face and didn't smile.

Gao Anagong's face turned red, and he didn't dare to refute.

Yang Zhong thought about it, and went forward to help him up, then took his hand and said, "I am not accusing the general of being incompetent. I just think that the general knows how to deal with things and how to reason. He does not let the people in the city suffer for his own false reputation. This is something that a villain like Liu Taozi cannot compare to. How many people have he forced to death for his own false reputation?"

"If all the generals of the Pseudo-Qi could be as kind-hearted as you, wouldn't the people of the world suffer less?"

Gao Anagong hurriedly saluted, "Duke!"

Yang Zhong smiled and asked someone to untie him, then asked, "Who is guarding Yangqu City right now?"

"The Duke of Huiguo is Duguzhi, the Third Secretary of Yitong!"

Yang Zhong frowned and looked at the generals standing beside him. Li Mu said in a muffled voice, "Dugu Zhi is Dugu Yongye."

"His original name was Liu Shiji. Later, when his mother remarried, he took the surname Dugu and was given the name Yongye. His Xianbei name was Duguzhi."

"This man is quite good at fighting. He used to be stationed in Jinyang and later in Luozhou. I have fought with him before. He is very difficult to deal with and is very good at defense."

Yang Zhong nodded and narrowed his eyes again.

"Since he's good at defense, let's force him to come out and fight."

"Li Mu, you lead your men to Jinyang to cross the river, and only need to leave 800 men for me."

"General Gao, please find a trusted person to go to Yangqu and write a letter to Duguzhi, saying that you have secured this place and the enemy has bypassed you and headed south."

"only!!"

Jinyang.

He Shikai was holding a document and reading it in a low voice.

Gao Zhan sat in the upper seat, his eyes full of burning anger.

"Killed Erzhumin, defeated the coalition forces of Wang Jie and the Turkic Kutou, and captured more than 10,000 people."

He Shikai's voice became weaker and weaker, as if the winner was not from Qi. He hurriedly finished reading the battle report, and then secretly glanced at Gao Zhan.

Sure enough, Zhanlan's face had become extremely ugly.

“Win again”

"What do people say outside?"

Just as He Shikai was about to speak, Gao Zhan said, "I want to hear the truth!!"

He Shikai had no choice but to say, "They all say that Liu Taozi defeated a Turkic army of 100,000 with only a few thousand men, and that he is the best general of the moment. On both sides of the river, a large number of warriors from all over the country led their families to Hengshuo to join Liu Taozi."

"Many of the former noble generals no longer dared to slander him to his face. They just said that although he was a brave general, he had a bad character."

"People in Cheng'an, Dingzhou, Liyang and other places took to the streets to celebrate."

"Several old officials took the lead in asking for a reward for him."

Gao Zhan's face was gloomy, and the next moment, he suddenly laughed, "See, I was right, wasn't I?"

"This Liu Taozi values ​​fame and fortune the most. If we encourage him a little, he will lead his army to fight the enemy! Isn't this a good thing?"

"Whether it's Yang Zhong or the Turks, they are not easy to deal with. He fought the enemy head-on, and I don't know how many of his elite troops are left! Moreover, the granaries in various border areas are empty, and the farmland is being persecuted, so the people can't farm. Hahahaha, Liu Taozi won the battle, but in reality, he was defeated the most thoroughly!"

"He has squandered all his family fortune. His army is weak, there is no food or fodder, and the people are starving. Once Yang Zhong is defeated, I will send someone to summon him back to Yecheng to receive a reward."

"If he doesn't dare to come back, I will send Duan Shao to attack him!"

Gao Zhan quickly adjusted his mentality and comforted himself based on the principle of not losing out.

At this moment, He Shikai slowly took out the second and third documents.

The smile on Gao Zhan's face also slowly disappeared.

He Shikai actually wanted to hide the news and simply not report it to Gao Zhan, but such a big event could not be concealed, so he could only play the bad guy.

"Your Majesty, after Liu Taozi defeated the Turks, he marched into Yanzhou and Anzhou in the name of pursuing the Turks."

"Yanzhou? Anzhou??"

"He is starting a rebellion! Rebellion!!"

He Shikai said, "Pingyang King Gao Yan reported that the defeated Turkic soldiers had fled to these places, killing and looting everywhere, so he asked Anxi General Liu Taozi to send troops there."

Gao Zhan was so angry that he couldn't speak at this moment. His eyes were flashing with ferocity and his whole body was shaking with anger. He Shikai saw that his eyes were bloodshot and he was on the verge of an outburst.

Gao Zhan's head was buzzing and his headache was splitting, almost exploding.

He Shikai hurriedly advised, "Your Majesty! Don't worry, Liu Taozi is just being clever. If he seizes Dongyan, Beiyan, An and other states, will those who support him in the court continue to support him? But he is taking advantage of the war to attack these places. Besides, these places are guarded by generals, and he may not be able to take them down easily!!"

Gao Zhan gradually regained his composure. He said, "Prince Pingyang is truly the pillar of the world. He is indeed my good brother."

"Send someone to reward him immediately. Give him cloth, brocade clothes, a precious sword, and a good car. And send him a pot of fine wine. Didn't the Gaoche people send tribute wine before? Give him a pot of wine."

Gao Zhan looked at He Shikai dimly, and He Shikai trembled all over, "Wei!!!"

"Is there any news from Yecheng?"

"Gao Yu, is he okay?"

"No news yet, but it will be in the next few days."

"Oh, Liu Taozi, Liu Taozi, how could there be such a villain in the country? I will kill him sooner or later."

Gao Zhan gritted his teeth, but his words became unclear. He Shikai hurriedly found some medicine. Gao Zhan took some and then went to sleep.

He Shikai walked out of the hall and couldn't help wiping the sweat from his forehead.

When he returned to his mansion, many of his confidants rushed forward to greet him. He Shikai then stretched out his body, changing his previous curled up and wretched appearance. He looked around and asked, "Still haven't found it?"

"No, I've looked everywhere, but I can't find them at all."

He Shikai allowed the servants to change his clothes and strode into the inner room.

His confidants followed him and they all walked into the house.

He Shikai turned his head and looked at the people in front of him, "You have followed me for a long time, so I spared your lives. If I find out that there are other outsiders who know about those two people, I may not die, but you will definitely die."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

The two people that He Shikai was referring to were the two traitors sent by Wei Xiaokuan.

He Shikai wanted to use them, but he didn't expect that before he could accomplish anything, he would be troubled to such an extent. On the day Lu Qubing reported him, the two men ran away.

He Shikai didn't know where they got the news from, nor did he know how they escaped. He Shikai even sent people to look for them.

Realizing that he couldn't find the item, He Shikai stopped pestering and went straight to the palace.

Then, Lu Qubing reported himself.

In that situation, how could He Shikai dare to tell Gao Zhan the truth? The person was gone. If he believed him, it would be fine, but what if he didn't? ?

After leaving Yecheng, He Shikai did not forget to look for those two people. Mainly because he was afraid that they would fall into the hands of others, or even the emperor, which would be disadvantageous to him. Unfortunately, they have not been caught until now.

He Shikai was sitting in the upper seat at this moment, looking at the people in front of him, and he was suddenly filled with worry.

Compared with the emperor's self-consolation, He Shikai could not calm down. He was only a little clever, and had no great ability either in government affairs or strategy. However, he was extremely sensitive to changes in the situation and was good at observation.

The situation in the world gradually began to become a little wrong. Liu Taozi's reputation was growing. This time, he sent troops to Yan, An, and Shikai believed that the people sent by the emperor would absolutely not be able to stop Liu Taozi. If Liu Taozi took these places, the entire north would almost be connected by Liu Taozi, and the horse-producing and iron-producing cavalry would have a foothold.

More and more ministers in the temple became close to Liu Taozi.

We have to find a solution. We can't go on like this.

"Mr. Zheng."

He looked at the people in front of him, and then only Zheng Daoqian was left.

There were only two people left in the room, and he slowly said, "There is something I want you to do."

"And the Lord, please give your orders."

"I want to send a letter to General Anxi and have a good talk with him. The country is in chaos right now and we are facing foreign enemies. If we can't make peace and continue to fight, it will be detrimental to the world."

"I am willing to persuade His Majesty to forgive General Anxi's past rudeness and find a way to make peace between the two of them."

"You are the most eloquent among my subordinates. How about you go to Liu Taozi and talk to him about this matter in person?"

He Shikai's face looked a little anxious, "Do you think this can succeed?"

Zheng Daoqian was confused at the moment. He asked suspiciously: "What does He Gong mean? Do you want to confuse him temporarily and then take action?" "No, no, no."

He Shikai shook his head, "I really want to make peace with General Liu."

"Come to think of it, what hatred do I have against him? My two younger brothers committed crimes, so isn't it normal for them to be killed?"

"Your Majesty, the same is true here. Your Majesty still attaches great importance to General Liu's father. Why can't they make peace?"

"This fight is of no benefit to us at all. The only ones who benefit are the Zhou people."

Zheng Daoqian felt like laughing.

He didn't understand whether He Shikai had been infected with some disease by the royal family. Things had come to this point, with both sides eyeing each other covetously. At this time, you asked if reconciliation was possible? ?
Zheng Daoqian immediately objected, "I don't think it will work. Liu Cangtou is a vicious person and the most hateful person."

"shut up!"

"How dare you humiliate General Anxi with your pale head?!"

He Shikai reprimanded righteously.

"I will never humiliate you like this again!"

Zheng Daoqian pursed his lips and said, "I know my crime, but I just think it can't be done."

"What if I can convince the emperor to give him food and fodder? Make him the governor of six states? Give him the title of king?"

Zheng Daoqian was confused and had no idea what was going on.

Just as He Shikai was about to ask, the servant interrupted them.

"Master!!"

"Master!!"

The servant rushed into the house, his face horrified.

"The palace has sent knights! You are asked to go to the palace immediately!"

He Shikai was shocked. Could there be something wrong with the emperor's health?
He didn't dare to delay, nor did he bother to say anything to Zheng Daoqian. He quickly changed his clothes and left the courtyard in a hurry again.

Zheng Daoqian watched him leave in astonishment and couldn't help but curse: "A bunch of lunatics."

When He Shikai returned to Jinyang Palace, Gao Zhan was walking out wearing armor. His face was solemn and he looked extremely majestic. He Shikai didn't know what to say for a moment. Gao Zhan motioned for him to follow him and led the army quickly to the city wall.

The two sat in the carriage, Gao Zhan's face was grim, "Dugu Zhi just sent someone to say that Yang Zhong's army is invading, and now it is only thirty miles away from Jinyang."

"Thirty miles?!"

He Shikai's voice became sharp.

Gao Zhan glanced at him and said disdainfully: "What are you afraid of?!"

"How many people can Yang Zhong bring to fight here? Jinyang is tall and strong."

Under the protection of many soldiers, Gao Zhan led He Shikai to the city wall.

Outside the city of Jinyang, one could see the Zhou army setting up camp. They completely ignored the Jinyang soldiers in the city and were openly cutting down trees and building siege equipment outside.

Seeing this scene, Gao Zhan cursed angrily, "Duguzhi is incompetent!"

"They were defeated so quickly!! And Gao Ji! Gao Anagong! Hui Luo!! You bastards! You bastards!!"

He Shikai whispered, "Your Majesty, Hui Luo is dead."

"Yes! It's because he died of illness on the road that the current situation has come about! Why did he die at this time instead of earlier?!"

At this moment, several generals quickly ran to the emperor's side and knelt down to apologize.

These generals all reeked of alcohol; it was obvious that they had just come out of a life of debauchery.

Gao Zhan glared at them and wanted to say something else, but held back.

"Who is willing to defeat the enemy outside the city for me?"

Murong Sanzang stood up hurriedly and said, "Your Majesty, we don't know the enemy's situation yet. Governor Dugu said that the enemy's troops are still crossing the river from Sandui City. It is not suitable to go out and fight here now. We should hold on."

"If the armies in various places knew that Yang Zhong was coming to kill us, they would definitely send troops to rescue us."

"General Anxi can cut off their retreat, so that Yang Zhong will not dare not retreat."

"Anxi."

Gao Zhan was stunned for a moment, and he looked at the army in the distance again.

The Zhou people built camps everywhere. It seemed that cavalrymen were crossing the river. Dust was rolling in the distance, and the enemy's momentum was very strong.

Although the army was obviously exhausted, its morale was greatly boosted at this moment because it had successfully reached the enemy emperor. When the army completes certain impossible conditions and reaches the last step, it often shows extremely outrageous combat effectiveness, just like the ancient Deng Ai army that took a detour to the city of Chengdu.

At this moment, Yang Zhong's army crossed mountains and rivers, broke through strongholds, and fought all the way to the city of Jinyang. His army gradually gained some momentum, and they shouted loudly to kill the enemy. The generals in the city were all afraid.

Gao Zhan looked at it for a moment, and then quickly issued an imperial decree.

"Shi Kai, gather the palace guards and have them escort me and my family back to Yecheng immediately!"

Murong Sanzang was stunned. He hurriedly stood in front of Gao Zhan and said, "Your Majesty, you cannot leave!"

"You are in the city with a large army, so Yang Zhong will not be able to break through the city. But if you lead the troops to leave, Yang Zhong will definitely send troops to pursue you!"

Gao Zhan sneered, "You want me to stay here and wait for death?! Want me to wait for reinforcements from somewhere?"

"Duguzhi has been defeated, Gao Anagong is nowhere to be found, do you want me to count on General Anxi to come to the rescue?!"

"Step aside!!"

Mo Rong Sanzang said hurriedly: "Your Majesty, King Pingyuan and General Hulu have not been away for long. If they know the situation here, they will definitely come back to rescue!"

Gao Zhan became even more uneasy after hearing this. He pointed at Murong Sanzang and said, "I know that you used to be Emperor Xiao Zhao's groom, and stayed by his side all day. When he was going to fight against foreign invaders, you were his vanguard, and you were so brave and unstoppable that he valued you!"

"How come now that I have ascended the throne, you don't even have the courage to go out of the city to fight?"

"Do you think I am not as close to you as Emperor Xiao Zhao?"

Murong Sanzang's face flushed red, and he stood up tremblingly, "Your Majesty! I am devoted to the country and loyal. Heaven and earth can bear witness to my loyalty!"

"I will lead the troops to defeat Yang Zhong for Your Majesty right now!!!"

"Someone is coming!!"

Murong Sanzang led the soldiers and turned to walk out of the city. Seeing him walk down, Gao Zhan hurriedly looked at He Shikai who was standing aside, "What are you still standing there for?! While Murong Sanzang is fighting with the enemy, let's leave first!!"

"only!!"

Murong Sanzang immediately led two thousand elite troops from Jinyang, left the city, and headed straight for Yang Zhong's camp.

Yang Zhong was a little stunned at this moment. He did not expect that there would be a young man who dared to come out to fight. But Yang Zhong was not panicked. His army was in high morale. The two sides started fighting immediately. Murong Sanzang rushed to the front, attacking left and right, and no one could stop him.

Holding a lance in hand, he killed one knight after another, and was getting closer and closer to Yang Zhong's general flag.

Li Mu rushed out from the side and fought with Murong Sanzang. Murong Sanzang fought with a completely fearless style and managed to repel Li Mu. When he charged again, Yang Zhong stabbed him in the chest. Murong Sanzang was knocked down by Yang Zhong and fell into the crowd.

Just as Murong Sanzang was fighting hard against the enemy, the south gate of Jinyang was slowly opened.

Gao Zhan, dressed in military uniform and riding a horse, quickly fled from Jinyang City surrounded by many knights.

They had just left the city and walked down the hill.

"Whoosh~~"

"Whoosh~~~"

"Whoosh~~~"

Arrows flew from both sides, and the knights around Gao Zhan fell to the ground one after another. Then they saw General Zhou leading the knights to charge out from the west. Gao Zhan was horrified and led the rest of the people to flee to the south.

He Shikai rode on a horse, holding the reins tightly, his eyes filled with fear, following behind Gao Zhan. Arrows kept flying over his head. He Shikai was so frightened that he lost his voice and was completely unable to speak.

The imperial guards had no one in command and were suddenly attacked. The situation was extremely chaotic and Gao Zhan escaped with only a hundred people.

"Chase!!!"

ps: In the third year of Heqing, the Zhou army and the Turks arrived in Bingzhou. Wu Cheng was in military uniform and was about to use the palace ladies to avoid them, but Rui knelt on his horse to persuade him to stop. ——"Book of Northern Qi·Biography of Gao Rui"

Laolang really didn't expect that Gao Zhan could be whitewashed? ? Some friends said that I wrote Gao Zhan badly. Let me put it this way. Anyway, I have always been based on historical records. In the year of the Qi-Zhou war, Gao Yu was killed by fully armed thieves who suddenly appeared in his own home. Gao Yan followed closely and died of illness. According to historical records, he was poisoned by Gao Zhan. Gao Xiaoyu was killed by drinking poisoned wine directly. Gao Yanzong was beaten for this matter. Gao Guiyan was killed, Gao Rui was alienated, Cui Jishu was dismissed, Gao Shaode was killed, Gao Bainian was killed, and Lou Rui was dismissed. Moreover, these almost all happened in the same year, before and after the same war. It's not that I deliberately wrote him like this, but he himself was not a good person. The complete loss of hope for Northern Qi started from him.

(End of this chapter)