Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 251: The Three Generals of Da Qi

The southern camp outside Jinyang.

The camp covers a huge area and stretches endlessly. In terms of scale, it seems to be comparable to the distant Jinyang City.

There were three gullies in total, making the road to the north of the camp impassable. Soldiers holding powerful crossbows began to patrol along the gullies, staring into the distance with leisurely steps.

The knights began to patrol along the outermost fence, in teams of ten, and reported to the checkpoints along the way to see if the area was safe.

The inside of the tent was divided into several different areas with wood, and if ordinary cavalry rushed in, they might not be able to find the correct direction.

In the very center, the main camp stands.

The main general's flag was stood in the middle, and the area around it was very wide.

Duan Shao sat on a high platform directly opposite the general's flag. Strong winds blew, and the general's flag rustled. Duan Shao held his forehead with one hand, frowned, and looked straight ahead.

Below him, on both sides stood generals.

Dugu Yongye, who escaped from Sizhou, also stood here, standing in the front position, and beside him were all the noble generals from Jinyang.

Young and old, regardless of ethnicity, standing here, they all belong to the core force of Da Qi and the military nobles.

Looking from left to right, there are corrupt officials who eat military rations, villains who rob women, cruel and murderous villains, and treacherous villains. But these guys are covered with scars and look ferocious. They are also the founders of this dynasty and the guarantee of the martial virtue of the Northern Qi Dynasty.

At this moment, they were all ready to go and looked towards the entrance with great interest.

The next moment, a burly man walked into the camp surrounded by eight elite soldiers.

Seeing him appear, everyone grasped the hilt of their swords and bared their teeth.

The eight soldiers walked in front, behind, and on the left and right of Liu Taozi.

Liu Taozi was only wearing military uniform without any armor, with Gao Wang Sword hanging on his waist. He strode forward, but these fully armed soldiers seemed a little uneasy facing him.

Especially the two people walking in front of him, their steps began to become disordered.

Fortunately, when they reached the door, they quickly made way and stayed there, allowing Liu Taozi to go in alone.

Liu Taozi strode towards the nobles in front of him.

The two people standing in the front recognized Liu Taozi. They were the brother and nephew of Liu Honghui who was executed by Gao Yan.

Because of Liu Taozi, two of the four brothers are dead.

When they saw Liu Taozi, their eyes couldn't help but turn red, and the old man and the young man tried to stop Liu Taozi ferociously.

Liu Taozi just rushed forward without slowing down at all. Just when the two were about to collide, the two men retreated. They took a few steps back and let Liu Taozi pass by them.

Liu Huiyan gripped his sword tightly, his hands shaking, but he did not dare to chop towards Liu Taozi.

The further you go in, the more enemies you will find.

Liu Taozi ignored these angry guys and walked all the way to Duan Shao.

"Meet the king."

Liu Taozi is here to meet you.

Duan Shao frowned and hummed, his face looking extremely conflicted.

Duan Shao was not just a military commander, and he was not completely unfamiliar with state affairs. At this moment, all the nobles gathered around him, all obeying him. This really made Duan Shao feel uneasy, and he couldn't make a decision. Should he oppose Gao Yun or join Gao Yun?

It was certainly not a good thing for Duan Shao that the government fell into the hands of an outsider clan member who was not from the Lou family. However, Gao Zhan had only been in power for a year, but he was already notorious for his evil deeds. Even Duan Shao could not stand Gao Zhan's behavior towards He Shikai.

Duan Shao put aside the affairs of state for the moment and re-examined the young man in front of him.

Liu Taozhi actually had such a son
Duan Shao asked softly, "Did you capture Yongfeng?"

"Yes."

Duan Shao murmured, "Over the years, Yongfeng's role has become increasingly important, and its coverage has exceeded Wuchuan. If it weren't for you, Wuchuan would probably be in the hands of the Zhou people now."

"You have captured Yongfeng, which is good. The border will be peaceful. It will be impossible for the enemy to attack Jinyang directly."

"I heard that you also defeated Yang Zhong. That's right. Yang Zhong is the general with the most tactical reserves in the world. He can use different tricks every time, and each one is good. It will be good for you to fight with people like him more often."

Dugu Yongye couldn't stand it anymore when he heard Duan Shao start talking like an elder. He quickly reminded him, "King Jinyang..."

Duan Shao then frowned and looked serious again.

"Why did General Liu rebel?"

"Your Majesty, King Pengcheng has no intention of rebellion. Your Majesty is seriously ill and unable to govern the country. There are also ministers who are good at divination. They think that the current celestial phenomena are unusual. Your Majesty should be promoted to the position of the Supreme Emperor and the Crown Prince should inherit the throne."

Dugu Yongye immediately retorted: "Prince Pengcheng appointed himself as the Prime Minister and controlled the government. Isn't this considered treason?!"

"Where is your majesty?!"

Dugu Yongye took a step forward, and the nobles came closer.

Liu Taozi's expression remained unchanged. He just looked at Duan Shao and continued, "Your Majesty listened to He Shikai's words and drove the generals out of Jinyang, leaving Jinyang wide open and almost being conquered by Yang Zhong. If the king had not come back to help in time, Jinyang would have been taken by him long ago."

"Now Yang Zhong has retreated, but the people who escaped from the Zhou people said that the Zhou people are transporting money and food to several towns on the front line. The soldiers from various places have begun to gather, and the troops in the south have begun to move north."

"The Zhou people will definitely make a big move next year. If Yang Zhong comes again next year, it won't be 10,000 people, but maybe 100,000 or 200,000."

"Your Majesty knows neither military nor human nature."

"It is said that King Pengcheng controls the government, but he was appointed in a time of crisis for the sake of the country. King Pengcheng killed He Shikai, and the current emperor has been shouting all day long that he wants to avenge He Shikai and kill the generals who made mistakes."

"I failed to stop Yang Zhong from attacking Jinyang, so I will be executed. Your Majesty led the elite troops away from Jinyang, leaving Jinyang empty. I wonder if he will also be held accountable?"

He looked at the many generals around him, "And all of you, some were defeated by Yang Zhong, some failed to detect Yang Zhong's attack and were unable to rescue him, and some did not dare to pursue him, allowing Yang Zhong to burn, kill and plunder everywhere."

He asked slowly: "Should we all be punished?"

Duan Shao was stunned for a moment and didn't say anything.

Dugu Yongye's face darkened, and he also did not dare to respond. In terms of dereliction of duty, he was obviously the most guilty, but he had no way to defend himself.

Liu Taozi continued, "Even if you are not held accountable now, when your majesty comes to Jinyang again next year and commands you generals to fight a bloody battle with Yang Zhong's 200,000 troops, do you think you can defeat Yang Zhong?"

Duan Shao quickly interrupted him, "There's no need to talk about the future. I'm only concerned about the present."

"Whether it is because the King of Pengcheng is in control of the government or because Your Majesty has failed to live up to his moral principles, it is not something a wise minister should do."

Liu Taozi nodded, "That's right. King Pengcheng occupied Yecheng, won over the ministers and foreign generals, controlled the government, and pacified the local people. He was overstepping his authority."

He looked at Duan Shao and asked, "Why don't you raise an army, Your Majesty?"

"Your Majesty, you have the most elite Jinyang army, with many noble and brave generals. You can kill me first, then attack Hulugu, defeat Jinyang, kill Gao Changgong, and finally attack Yecheng, capture the King of Pengcheng, and kill all the participants. Then, you can rescue His Majesty. In this way, Your Majesty will have pacified the world."

"It will probably take half a year to finish all these things, right?"

"It's just right. After Your Majesty brings His Majesty out of Yecheng, you can lead your soldiers to fight against Yang Zhong's army without stopping!"

"Who is the king? The most famous general of Da Qi! Who are all of you here? You are the foundation of Da Qi! Why hesitate?!"

Liu Taozi's voice became louder and louder.

He looked at the brave generals around him fiercely, walked up to Dugu Yongye, grabbed the hilt of his sword, stared at him, and almost touched his forehead with his, "Come on, draw your sword and kill me!" Dugu Yongye's eyes trembled, he took a step back suddenly, and distanced himself from Liu Taozi.

For a moment, the hot tent became silent.

Most of the brave generals are not human, but even if they are not human, they still know a little about the situation.

Forget about killing Hulug or all the participants. Even if it was to kill Liu Taozi, I dare not even think about the consequences.

If Liu Taozi died here today, Yang Zhong would be happy to take back many important border towns tomorrow, and also get tens of thousands of elite border soldiers. Next time, he would not take a detour, but send troops directly from Shuozhou. Jinyang would not be able to serve as a military fortress, and everyone could think about whether to move the capital to the south.

Except for a few young men who still had fierce looks on their faces, most of the others had calmed down.

Their original purpose was not to purge the court, and Liu Taozi did not lie. The Zhou people were bound to launch a large-scale attack. Instead of having a major civil war at this time, they might as well surrender to the Pseudo-Zhou as soon as possible.

Their goal was to gain the attention of the new court. No matter who was in power, the nobles would still be nobles, and their status could not change. They must not be replaced by the group of Han generals represented by Liu Taozi.

Liu Taozi looked at the silent crowd and then looked at Duan Shao.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has ascended the throne, and King Pengcheng is in charge of major affairs. This is all temporary, and the purpose is to resolve the current crisis. Your Majesty should consider the country. King Pengcheng sent an envoy earlier, hoping that Your Majesty would continue to stay in Jinyang and take charge of Bingzhou's defense."

Duan Shao was somewhat tempted.

Liu Taozi looked at Dugu Yongye who was standing aside again, "Generals, I really don't know what you are worried about."

"The Pseudo-Zhou is ready to make a move. Isn't this the best opportunity for us to make achievements?"

"Wei Xiaokuan spread rumors that King Pengcheng wanted to get rid of the generals. King Pengcheng was not crazy. The enemy was about to attack in large numbers. Who would kill his own generals?"

"We are wasting our time here. We should spend more time training our army. The pseudo-Zhou people took advantage of our mischief and got some benefits by chance. They are so arrogant that they want to destroy us with their large army and the Turks!!"

"I really have to say that these people are wishful thinking. The best fighters in the world are all from the Six Towns like us!!"

"They are a bunch of people from the Western Hu, do they still want to defeat us?! Next year, 200,000 Zhou people will be buried in the territory of Qi. Let them see the power of Huaishuo people!!"

“That’s the truth!!”

As soon as Liu Taozi finished speaking, a general couldn't help but echo him. After he shouted, he hurriedly looked around and found that no one followed suit, so he shut up again.

Liu Taozi looked at everyone and said, "No matter what happens in the court, we are still ourselves. King Pengcheng needs us to stand up even more!"

"What do you think? Do you want to kill me or go to Yecheng to meet the prince?!"

The brave generals immediately started chatting and whispering something. Duan Shao looked at everyone and then at Liu Taozi.

Duan Shao stood up slowly, and everyone fell silent immediately.

"Let them enter Jinyang. I will go to Yecheng to pay a visit to King Pengcheng first."

The knights set out one after another, and the camp became busy. The soldiers began to dismantle the tents and prepare to evacuate.

Duan Shao rode a warhorse and walked in the front, while Liu Taozi and other nobles followed beside him.

Duan Shao no longer asked about state affairs at this moment, but only asked about the situations of the recent battles. Liu Taozi did not hide anything nor exaggerate his achievements. He told the story of these battles truthfully. Many brave generals followed behind them and listened to his story.

After learning about the battles Liu Taozi had experienced, Duan Shao praised him repeatedly, "A double-wing attack is not easy to control. This is the tactic that Hulugu is best at. When attacking, he likes to hide the light cavalry with the heavy cavalry. Have you learned it from him?"

"He told me some of them when I came to Jinyang before, but I'm not very proficient in using them."

"You used it very well, especially when facing the Turks. This tactic is the most effective. However, it can only be used on a small scale. If a large army fights, it will not only test you, but also the generals under your command. At that time, the best tactics are always the simplest tactics. Whoever can execute the tactics will win, and those who use risky tactics will fail."

Duan Shao likes to give instructions as a person with experience. His speech is not very fast, but slow, with a strong flavor of an elder.

But whether it was Liu Taozi or the generals behind them, they all bowed their heads and listened to Duan Shao's preaching, and no one dared to refute.

The army advanced slowly, and just as it approached Jinyang City, it was stopped by a cavalry.

The cavalry were also from Jinyang, and they were flying the flag of Hulugu.

Duan Shao immediately stopped preaching. Soon, he saw Hulugu leading a team of knights rushing over and coming in front of Duan Shao without slowing down.

Liu Taozi met Hulugu again. Hulugu just glanced at Liu Taozi and then looked directly at Duan Shao.

He asked loudly: "General Duan! Why are you stationed in Jinyang instead of pursuing the enemy? Yang Zhong burned, killed and looted along the way, and he seemed to be walking very comfortably. Don't you even have the courage to pursue him?!"

Hulugu's face flushed and his eyes were a little angry.

Hulugu walked faster, and when he returned to defend, Yang Zhong had already gone far away. From Duan Shao's position, he could have successfully returned to defend and pursue, but Duan Shao chose to stay outside Jinyang and did not mobilize his troops.

Looking at Hulugu's angry face, Duan Shao just chuckled without refutation or explanation.

Most of the generals who came with Duan Shao did not participate.

Duan Shao is a very famous person, and Hulugu is also quite famous. When these two people quarrel, the rest of the people basically have no chance to speak.

"When Yang Zhong retreated, the situation here was still unclear, so how could General Duan dare to abandon the affairs of the court and lead his troops to pursue him? General Hulu, there is no need to be angry."

Liu Taozi spoke slowly.

Hulugu looked at him again, his expression even more irritable, "And you, how did you let Yang Zhong come to Jinyang? And how did you let him escape? Ten thousand people beat you dizzy, if there were a hundred thousand people, wouldn't you have to lead his horse?!"

Hulugu was usually very serious and didn't like to talk to people, but once he got angry, he became arrogant and scolded anyone who came to him.
Duan Shao spoke up at this moment, "Yang Zhong has already retreated, there is no point in saying more, let's enter the city first."

Hulugu said no more, and several people walked towards Jinyang together. Gao Changgong led the troops to guard the city gate to welcome everyone's arrival, and Tian Zilie followed him.

When Liu Taozi went to Duan Shao, Tian Zilie had already met Hulugu and Gao Changgong.

Gao Changgong, wearing a mask, greeted Duan Shao, then looked at Liu Taozi.

Liu Taozi couldn't see Gao Changgong's expression behind the mask, but still nodded at him.

The generals entered Jinyang City again, and the army had to stay outside the city.

Inside the government office.

Duan Shao sat in the upper seat, while Hulugu and Liu Taozi sat on both sides.

The three famous generals of Northern Qi occupied the top positions, and the rest could only sit below them.

"Lanling Wang once served as the governor of Sizhou. Sizhou is experiencing war again. I think we can let him lead the troops to Sizhou to pacify the people and kill the bandits."

Liu Taozi looked at King Lanling who was sitting next to him and stated her proposal.

Duan Shao nodded and said, "Yes, General Dugu has experience in repelling the Zhou people many times, so we can deploy defenses in the Heluo area."

"General Huluxian can take charge of Yanzhou!"

The three military leaders arranged the garrison issues in various places in private without waiting for the imperial order. After Yang Zhong left, he left behind a ruin. There were thieves and soldiers everywhere, and they all needed military leaders to come forward to solve the problems.

Of course, they didn't have to give orders themselves. All of this had to be submitted to the emperor and approved by the emperor. However, before submitting the report, several military leaders had to reach a consensus.

The generals looked at the three people sitting there with some envy.

Duan Shao has the greatest reputation, Hulugu has the strongest ambition, and Liu Taozi has unlimited potential.

At this moment, many military leaders suddenly had different thoughts.

The living environment of military leaders has always been that small fish surround big fish and survive in groups to resist suppression from all sides.

Although Duan Shao and Huluguang are powerful, they don't seem to have much left for their followers. Their power is already saturated.
On the contrary, the youngest Liu Taozi, who controls many border states, has only a few followers. There are many vacancies and good positions. He can easily take out seven or eight positions of town generals, as well as county lieutenants, Sima, Changshi, and even generals under the generals of the guards. Moreover, following him, he can go out to collect money at any time, which is conducive to snowballing.
(End of this chapter)