Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 354: Why Die? Why Live?

Gwangju.

The room was pitch black. Wang Lin fumbled to sit up, put on his clothes, and slowly walked to the door.

When the door opened, a strong and dazzling light shone into the room.

At the same time, the biting cold wind also came in.

In winter, even during the day, candles must be prepared in the house. Otherwise, with the doors and windows locked tightly and no light leaking in, the house will be dark and gloomy even on a bright day.

Wang Lin wrapped his clothes around himself and looked up at the sky.

It was already noon and I overslept.

However, Wang Lin was not worried. He could rest in the mansion for the next few days and had nothing to do.

This mansion was the former residence of the wife of the governor. It was one of the best houses in all of Guangzhou. Liu Taozi awarded this mansion to Wang Lin to commend his contribution in this battle.

However, the luxurious decorations in the mansion no longer exist at this moment. Only the courtyard wall that cannot be demolished and the houses inside have survived.

Wang Lin's personal soldiers and subordinates also moved in.

Despite this, the mansion still seemed exceptionally desolate; the compound was too large and there were too few people.

Wang Lin's family was still in Hebei, and he was unwilling to write to Liu Taozi, asking him to send his family over.

The main reason was that Wang Lin knew that his identity was somewhat awkward. He was different from those generals. He used to be a prince, and the navy under his command was all led by him. They only obeyed his orders, and he also had a complete system of subordinates. In the future, he would be stationed in Guangzhou. If he brought his family here, even if the general trusted him, he was afraid that those people in the court would have opinions.

There was no snow today, and the house was very clean.

Wang Lin wore something warmer and sat outside the lobby in the backyard, spreading a mat on the ground to fully enjoy the sunshine.

Even the winter sun is quite comfortable.

Just as Wang Lin was enjoying this beauty, a soldier walked in quickly and whispered, "My lord, someone is here to see you."

"Oh? Who?"

"The general defeated the Hu."

Wang Lin suddenly realized, pondered for a moment, and then nodded, "Let him in."

Wang Lin continued to sit there in this rude posture, squinting his eyes, continuing to enjoy this hard-earned comfortable day.

At his age, he has been running back and forth on the front lines with young guys like Liu Taozi, and his old bones are about to fall apart. This is a rare opportunity to rest, and he must not miss it.

A moment later, Wei Pohu walked in cautiously with a smile on his face, holding a lot of things in his arms.

"Prince."

Wei Pohu spoke softly.

Wang Lin opened his eyes and looked him up and down. After a long while, he said, "General Wei, you came very quickly."

Wei Pohu smiled and nodded. He looked around and said with emotion, "It's not an exaggeration to say that this house is the best house in Guangzhou. The prince is indeed highly valued by the general!"

"However, this is what the prince deserves. Everyone knows that the prince is the first to be rewarded in this expedition."

"I can't be considered to have made any contributions. Shi Wansui, Lou Rui and others have made more contributions than me. I just followed the lord and informed him of the enemy's situation."

"You can't say that. The general went on an expedition to Lianghuai and was unfamiliar with the local area. He didn't know the situation there. You helped him get familiar with the place and explained the enemy's situation. This was the key to victory. I think the prince deserves the most credit."

Wang Lin's expression did not change, and he asked coldly, "Why, General Wei, are you here for the reward as well?"

Wei Pohu was almost crying.

"Reward?"

"My Lord, how can I have the face to ask for a reward? I just wanted to stay alive. I couldn't see the general, and King Lou didn't want to see me. I went to Zu Ting, but he insulted me and said that I was born stupid and ruined the lives of more than 100,000 people."

"Huang Fachu is a famous general. When we first fought, I knew I couldn't win, so I turned back. Then Lu Qian ignored the general's instructions and insisted on sending troops to recapture Dongguan and other places. I also tried to dissuade him, but he wouldn't listen. I had no choice but to listen to him and followed him. Sure enough, we were defeated by Huang Fachu again!"

"I dare not deny that I am at fault, but you can't blame me for everything. You saw the soldiers under my command. Even the general had a hard time using them to fight Huang Fachu, let alone us."

"I have never made any mistakes in the past, and I have never done anything that would harm the general!"

"I beg you to save my life, and plead for mercy in front of the general."

Looking at Wei Pohu's pitiful appearance, Wang Lin felt helpless.

"Don't be afraid. Zu Ting has always been like this. He is harsh to others. The general has told me about your situation. He will not kill you."

"You really don't have the talent to lead troops in battle. From now on, don't think too much. When the lord gives the order, you can find a quiet place to farm or do business and live a good life."

Wei Po Hu was overjoyed and bowed three times to Wang Lin in a hurry. He was about to put down the gift in his hand, but Wang Lin refused.

"Take away the things also, and keep the law."

Wei Po scratched his head, "My Lord, these are not valuable things, they are just a few books given to me by others. They are said to be classics, but I can't read them. It's a waste to keep them here. Please accept them. Anyway, I will be a commoner in the future. It can't be considered as collusion with colleagues. I won't stay here. If I want to graze in Bingzhou in the future, it won't be considered as bribery to my superiors."

Wei Po Hu turned around and walked away, walking very quickly, feeling relaxed.

Wang Lin had no choice but to take the package and flip through it casually. As expected, they were all classic books, two of which even had annotations.

Wang Lin was quite surprised. He took the book and read it while basking in the sun.

It was soon time for dinner, but Wang Lin was not in a hurry to eat. He asked someone to pack up a few books and then left the mansion.

When you walk out of the house, you will see dense crowds of people.

The road was packed with people, making it virtually impossible for carriages to pass through. Not far away was the government office, and because the office had to register the population and grant land, there were many people coming and going.

Gwangju was packed with people at this time.

I don't know how Zu Ting did it, but he stole all the dead people from several nearby states here. Although Guangzhou was a big state and a wealthy place in the past, it was never as exaggerated as it is today.

Now, Guangzhou seemed to have returned to ancient times, "In Linzi, Qi, there were three hundred households, with sleeves spread out to form shades, sweat pouring down like rain, and people standing shoulder to shoulder."

Wang Lin's carriage was stuck on the road. Wang Lin looked at these people, feeling both happy and helpless.

I am happy that there are so many strong young men. I will never have to worry about recruiting soldiers in the future. But I am helpless that if I continue to block them, it will be too late.
In the end, Wang Lin had no choice but to use his own identity and no longer conceal it. With the officials leading the way, the carriage was able to pass.

Wang Lin rushed all the way from the center of the city to the south, and the carriage stopped. Wang Lin asked someone to take the gifts, get off the carriage, and walk to a mansion.

This mansion is much smaller than Wang Lin’s, and it is not located in the center. There are still people on the road, but not to such an exaggerated extent.

Wang Lin knocked on the door.

After a long time, someone finally opened the door.

This is the residence where Lu Yao is temporarily staying.

Wang Lin only waited for a moment before being brought into the courtyard by the doorman.

Compared with the original luxurious mansion, Wang Lin still prefers this house. It is located in a remote area and there is no obstruction inside the house, which is absolutely perfect for sunbathing.

Lu Yao came out quickly. He looked much weaker than Wang Lin. His face was pale and he looked like he had not recovered from a serious illness.

Wang Lin hurriedly pulled him into the inner room.

The two men sat down one after another. Although Lu Yao was a Xianbei, he was not lacking in etiquette. Although Wang Lin was a fierce general, he was also well-educated and knew etiquette.

The two exchanged greetings for a while. Even though they were not familiar with each other in the past, they still wanted to reminisce about the past and improve their relationship.

The two talked for a while, and then Wang Lin slowly told them his purpose.

"My lord wanted me to stay in Guangzhou and serve as the general, so I told him that I wanted Mr. Lu to serve as the governor here, but he said that you were going to go home to retire. Is that true?"

Lu Yao was a little depressed.

"The government appointed me as the governor of Qinzhou, but now Qinzhou is in our hands. I have failed to fulfill my responsibilities. How can I continue to serve as an official?"

"It's better to go home early."

"If that's what you said, then I, the governor of Yangzhou and the commander of the Yangzhou Road, ran away before the enemy arrived, causing the entire south to be lost. I should be sentenced to death."

Lu Yao had a calm expression on his face. "Different people have different views on the affairs of the world. Everyone has their own practices and ambitions. The prince chose to leave Yangzhou, and he must have his own considerations. You can't judge him based on my standards."

Wang Lin did not refute. "Mr. Lu's words make sense."

"I have seen with my own eyes how much benefit an outstanding governor can bring."

"I think the reason why the lord traveled thousands of miles to Qinzhou is not only because Lord Lu is his sponsor, but also because he knows that Lord Lu is a good official. So many people and officials are willing to follow Lord Lu and leave their hometowns because they believe in Lord Lu and know that they can have a good life by following him."

"I want to keep Mr. Lu now for the same reason."

"Zu Ting is a person who always looks at the present and not the future when doing things."

"To what extent has Gwangju expanded now? Has Mr. Lu ever gone out to see it?"

"Logically speaking, I was recruited by Zu Ting, so I shouldn't say bad things about him, but this man is really not a gentleman. He only cares about his own political achievements and results, and ignores other things."

"In the inner city where I live, the roads are completely blocked and people can't even move."

"I haven't been to many other cities yet, but I can imagine what they are like."

"Gwangju is a big province. I heard that at the end of the Tenpo era, there were nearly 800,000 people in Gwangju."

“I don’t know how many there are now, but it’s definitely over a million.”

Wang Lin shook his head. "With so many people crowded in Gwangju, if the successor is incompetent, it will cause great harm, famine, winter disasters, and epidemics."

Lu Yao couldn't help but interrupt Wang Lin after hearing his "alarmist" words. "Since Liu Zhizhi dared to let Zu Ting do this, he must have made some arrangements. He would not watch such a thing happen in Gwangju."

Wang Lin looked at Lu Yao and said, "Yes, the lord had already made arrangements. Unfortunately, the person he wanted to arrange wanted to go home and retire."

Lu Yao shook his head, "Why do you want to scare me like this, Lord?"

"If the prince has nothing else to do, then I will go back and rest."

Just as Lu Yao was about to stand up and see the guests off, Wang Lin grabbed his hand and said, "Lord Lu, when the enemy came, there were only a few soldiers and generals in the city. Lord Lu knew that he was no match for the enemy, so why didn't he surrender and fight to the death?"

Lu Yao was stunned, frowned and did not answer.

Wang Lin said seriously: "Mr. Lu has always been a benevolent ruler who loves his people. Why did he let so many people die?"

"Wu Mingche treated the soldiers in the city well, never killing them, and never looting them. Why did Lord Lu resist for so long?"

"Is it because of your own ambitions, as you said, and in order not to disappoint the emperor?"

Lu Yao still didn't speak.

Wang Lin then said, "I heard someone say that when the enemy attacked the city, Lord Lu told his men: The purpose of fighting is to end the war."

"If we don't resist, the Chen people will easily take over Lianghuai, and the war will be more intense and last longer. But if we can defend the city, even if it's just for a little longer, it can slow down the expansion of the Chen people and help end the war in the world sooner."

“Isn’t it the same now?”

"If we can govern Gwangju well, we will be able to end the war faster and pacify the world. These hundreds of years of chaos will end sooner."

"Now, you want to give up and go home to retire?"

"If you leave now, wouldn't all those people who died in Qinzhou have died in vain?"

"What did they die for? And what do you live for?!"

Lu Yao's eyes widened, anger showing on his face.

Wang Lin stood up, much taller than Lu Yao. He lowered his head and said seriously, "I was originally a surrendered general from the south. I thought I had the destiny to end the war in the world a long time ago. After experiencing a disastrous defeat, I surrendered to the Great Qi. I no longer care about the world's affairs, but only want to save my life."

"When Zu Ting came to me before, I only agreed to go to the North because I had no other options. I didn't have any great ambitions."

"But now it's different. I have met the general and followed him to the southern kingdom. If there is anyone who can settle the war in the world, it must be you, my lord!"

"The strength of my lord is not in his army, nor in his bravery, but in his kindness!"

"In order to prevent the defeated soldiers from causing harm to Lianghuai, he brought them with him. Even though he was repelled by the enemy several times, he never gave up on them. He trained and reorganized them, so that the counties along the way were not plundered by the defeated soldiers."

"During the march, we killed the bandits we met and comforted the good people we met. We did not harm the people at all, and used the military rations we obtained to help the victims along the way!"

"I have now set my ambition. Within five years, I will definitely train an elite fleet of ships to conquer the Southern Kingdom for my lord."

"If Mr. Lu still has the ambitions he had in the past, isn't now the best opportunity?"

"Why do you abandon the world and not care about it?!"

Lu Yao slowly stood up, and the two looked at each other for a moment.

"There are many talented people in Qi, why is the prince so persistent?"

"The establishment of a government in Guangzhou will not only involve infantry and cavalry, but also navy. It is very difficult to train a navy. If we want to complete the training within five years, we must be united and there must not be any mistakes. I have been to Qinzhou and I believe in Mr. Lu. If Mr. Lu can be in charge of the government affairs here, I can train the army with peace of mind without any worries."

"Besides, I am a vassal, and Lord Lu is the one who recommended me to be the general. If you are here, I can do more things without being slandered by villains."

Lu Yao let out a long sigh.

"It seems that I can't go back to Yecheng."

"Wouldn't it be better if we could return to Qinzhou in the future? I also want to take you to visit my hometown. My hometown, Shanyin County, Kuaiji, has beautiful scenery and is full of talented people."

Hefei.

The three great generals of the Southern Kingdom sat in the government office, but Huang Fachi sat at the upper seat.

Although he declined several times, the two generals felt that he was the commander-in-chief and should be promoted.

The three men were sitting in the house. Although they had won the victory and entered Lianghuai, their faces did not look very good.

The Northern Expedition was victorious. They defeated the Qi army in Yangzhou Road and successfully repelled Liu Taozi, occupying Lianghuai and expanding the territory. This was a great thing.

This was the first time that the State of Chen stationed its troops in the Lianghuai region and the first time it directed its attack towards the Central Plains.

However, if we really want to say that this war that lasted for nine months cost the Chen people a very painful price, with many of them suffering heavy losses, the treasury being depleted, and the main general being killed tragically.
The emperor was very happy. With Lianghuai in hand, the State of Chen could finally compete with the two powerful enemies.

But before the excitement wore off, they received some very bad news.

Duan Shao brought the Emperor of Qi to Heluo and had already made several surrounding states and counties submit to them.

The people of Zhou once vowed that the peach could be shared among three families.

But judging from subsequent developments, Duan Shao didn't really want to share the peach with others, he wanted to eat it by himself.

Duan Shao has already started sending people to inquire about the situation here.

Huang Fachi had a stern face and spoke bitterly, "Many of the defeated soldiers we let go are now returning to the Central Plains in large numbers. Duan Shao sent six generals to receive these defeated soldiers and issued a manifesto, saying that he wanted to retake Lianghuai."

After Liu Taozi was defeated, Duan Shao came to confront him.

The mentality of the three generals of the State of Chen was affected to some extent.

Xu Du looked at the other two and said, "There's no need to worry so much."

"We have drawn up an alliance with the Zhou people. Duan Shao dare not transfer the army away from Heluo. The Zhou people are very concerned about Heluo."

"But can the Zhou people still send out troops now?"

Huang Fachu asked directly: "The Zhou people were defeated before, and their national strength was more seriously damaged than ours. Even if Duan Shao took away all the troops in Jinyong City, would the Zhou people still have food and manpower to start a war?"

"Duan Shao also brought out the Baibao Camp. The Baibao is only stronger than the mandrills. If he follows Liu Taozi's example and starts harassing and attacking us, what should we do?"

Chunyu Liang narrowed his eyes and shook his head gently.

"It's not that easy. Duan Shao, let's take back the Central Plains first and then talk about the Lianghuai issue."

"We can't delay any longer. We need to withdraw them in batches."

"I'll stay and guard."

"If Duan Shao really wants to come, I dare not say that I can defeat him, but I will definitely not let him succeed."

ps: I went to visit a friend in the afternoon, and the second update will be posted tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)