Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 356: Qi is dead
"The Emperor Gao Yang of Qi was a man who indulged in wine and lust, was extremely rampant, and was extremely evil and cruel, unprecedented in modern times! His country was not long-lasting because of this disease, and his descendants were wiped out! He did not follow his will and indulged his heart! He was cruel and ruthless, and was licentious! He was frivolous and immoral, and spent his days drinking all night long with his high position. He attended court with his hair loose, listened to government affairs with his naked body, cut open his hands, and wielded a spear himself?"

"They favor flatterers, love the common people, go in and out of the market, and walk on the streets. The Grand Tutor Gao Longzhi, the assistant minister of the imperial court, the prime minister of the imperial court, the Minister of the Imperial Court Gao Dezheng, the guest of honor, the important minister of the imperial court, the Minister of the Imperial Court Du Bi, the great scholar and talent, outstanding, the Grand Master of the Imperial Household Yuan Jing, the elegant and refined, the teacher of the gentry, but some of them were executed, some of them were killed! They also spoke out and sighed, and died because of slander! The rest of the famous scholars and good ministers were killed without any crime, and they were tortured to their heart's content! As for the usurper, he was ordered to be the emperor, and there was no such tragedy as this!"

"The Emperor Gao Zhan of Qi loved to have affairs with mediocre men and entrusted them with power! He was extravagant and licentious behind the scenes! Was this the sign of his demise? He raped his late sister-in-law, disregarded human ethics, killed his brothers and sisters, killed the virtuous and blocked his own way, was tyrannical and unjust, and I am afraid that his government will fail."

"The Emperor of Qi, Gao Wei, used people to follow their desires, sacrificing things to benefit himself, building tall buildings and carved walls, enjoying wine and music, and having shops everywhere in the palace and gardens, and letting people indulge in sex both inside and outside the palace, so that day could make him work night and boats could sail on the water. Whatever he wanted would come true and whatever he sought would be granted. He was not only unruly and unfaithful, but also ignorant of what he heard and accepted. He ignored the faithful and the loyal, and only accepted the wicked. He looked down on people like grass and followed evil as if he was going with the flow! Flatterers held the power of the axe, and maids and old women arbitrarily changed the situation. They sold official positions and jails, disrupted politics and imposed lewd punishments, cut and mutilated loyal and good people, and gave official positions to dogs and horses. Slanderers and evildoers advanced together, and there were many laws and decrees. There were more than a hundred people holding gourds, and more than one hand shaking trees."

The area around Gaomu on the county road was crowded with people.

The scholar trembled as he read out the latest notice from the temple.

The notice was of a very high level, with soldiers guarding on both sides. The text was red, indicating that it came directly from the General's Mansion.

This is where the latest major events are always announced. Notices of different levels have different specifications. Early this morning, everyone discovered that there was a new notice here. Judging from the soldiers around, the specifications were very high.

The last time I saw a notice of this size was when it was about the governor of Gwangju being killed, the counties in Gwangju being renamed and new officials being assigned to them.

Many people were curious about what the new notice said and rushed over.

There were already quite a few people on the street, and more and more people came to watch. Many of them could not read, so they hoped that the scholars could read to them.

The scholar standing at the front was pale as a ghost, trembling all over, his teeth were chattering, his words were slurred, and he was so scared that he was about to wet his pants.

This notice came directly from the General’s Mansion.

It is a manifesto to fight against the enemy.

The target of the attack was not Duan Shao, but the State of Qi.

The manifesto started by scolding Gao Yang, then insulted Gao Zhan, and then scolded Gao Wei, especially Gao Wei, who was scolded the most harshly, and finally commented on the entire country.

The king is not a king, the minister is not a minister, the general is not a general, and they bring disaster to the country and the people. They should be punished!
Under normal circumstances, even just looking at this kind of document would probably result in the extermination of the entire family.

But this was posted by the General's Mansion!!
What's going on? Is the general going to rebel against Qi and establish his own regime?
The few people standing around that person were also dumbfounded at this moment. Some of them turned around and ran away, not daring to stay here.

The people surrounding the outermost layer were confused at this moment.

"What are you talking about? I don't quite understand. Are you cursing or something? Who are you talking about?"

"Can you speak louder?"

The scholar finished reading it once, but did not leave. Instead, he stood there in a daze, at a loss as to what to do.

A vendor nearby suddenly pulled him and said, "Young man, you are the son of Zhang Laohei from the west of the city, right? Tell me, what are you talking about?"

The scholar wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "This is... scolding the emperor."

"Ouch!!"

The people around were all shocked and shouted, "Scold the emperor? Aren't there many emperors recently? Which one are you scolding?"

The scholar's face turned increasingly pale, and he looked around in fear.

“I don’t know. I don’t know.”

The next moment, the young man squeezed out of the crowd and ran away without looking back. The other few people shouted and did not keep him.

They can only ask other young people to explain for them.

A tall, dark-skinned young man took his place, but there was not much fear on his face. "Let me tell you!"

"I am cursing the former Emperor Wenxuan Gao Yang, Gao Zhan, and the Gao Wei who was killed recently!"

"Let me explain to you. It is said that Emperor Gao Yang of Qi drank alcohol every day, did not control his desires, acted recklessly, and completely disregarded morality."

The young man explained it seriously to those around him, and everyone listened very attentively.

Listening to the young man's explanation, some people were in deep thought while others were shouting and cursing.

"I was wondering why life is getting harder and harder. It turns out it's because of this emperor. He raped his own sister-in-law? He is too inhuman!"

"Can anyone compare to this Gao Wei? Did you hear it just now? He said that he conferred official titles and nobles on dogs, horses, and chickens, provided them with mansions, and arranged many people to take care of them. This dog lives better than any of us!"

"He also captured people and tortured and killed them for his own amusement. What a beast!"

The dark-faced young man nodded, "Indeed!"

He said bitterly: "What a bunch of beasts! My father and three brothers went to build a Buddhist temple for Gao Yang and never came back!"

"Gao Yang! Gao Yang!! Gao Yang!!"

The young man shouted out the name loudly.

It can be seen how many years this fire has been suppressed in his heart.

Several old farmers nearby recognized the young man then. Several generations of this young man were famous craftsmen. Later, his father and brothers were taken away, and he was raised by his mother. Later, his mother died, and the boy disappeared. It was said that he went to the mountains to become a thief. Unexpectedly, he came back and looked like a human being.

"Aren't you the fourth child of Liu Qiaoshou's family? Didn't you say you went up the mountain?"

"It's me. I've come down and am studying in the classroom."

"It's too cold on the mountain, so many people have come down."

The first young man staggered back into the yard. After rushing into the yard, he hurriedly closed the gate, leaned against the gate, and gasped.

The next moment, he walked quickly into the house.

There was an old man in the house who was eating at the moment. When he saw his son rushing in in a panic, he was also startled and stood up quickly, "What happened?"

"Father, let's run quickly."

"Run? What happened? Are the Chen people attacking us?"

"No, I just saw a report on the road that the General's Mansion issued a manifesto, reprimanding several emperors by name, and then said that Qi had perished and the king of the north was the general."

The old man was stunned and asked in disbelief: "Really?"

"really!"

"OK!!"

“God has eyes!!”

The father-in-law clapped his hands suddenly and laughed out loud.

"This damn Qi State has finally been destroyed! I never thought I would live to see this day!!"

"I fuck Gao Yang! I fuck Gao Zhan!!"

"Son, go get me a pot of fruit juice! Help me get my new clothes out."

Looking at the old father with a smile on his face, the young man was stunned.

"Grandpa, our country has been destroyed, and the general is planning a rebellion. What are you doing?"

"Bullshit! When I was young, we were still Wei people. Why did we destroy our country? How did your mother die? How did your great grandfather and great mother die?"

"I spent money to let you study, is it so that you can serve the State of Qi? It's because I want you to live a good life!"

"After reading so much, what did you do in the end? You can't even be a county clerk. Just because you are of a low birth, you are allowed to be a casual clerk. To put it bluntly, you are being used as a slave!"

The old man's face was filled with anger. "Look at Gwangju. How many officials and emperors have been replaced over the years? Damn, the taxes are getting heavier day by day, and the number of deaths is increasing day by day. Is this the country? I am just too timid to start a rebellion. Otherwise, I would have gone to kill him myself!"

"The general wants to rebel. This is such a great thing. The general has only been in Gwangju for a short time, and look at the changes. There are land distribution, and schools, and there are no restrictions. No matter whether you are Chinese, Han, or Khitan, anyone can do what they want!"

The young man was stunned for a long time.

"However, it is a bit too much to name names, issue a notice, and insult the past emperors."

"He is allowed to kill people at will, but we are not allowed to scold him? Come on, follow me and scold him, damn Gao Yang!"

"If you don't dare to scold me, I will pretend that I don't have a son like you!"

For a moment, the whole of Gwangju was plunged into great noise.

As the manifesto continued to spread to various places, its influence became increasingly greater. Liu Taozi, riding on the Black Wind, led many soldiers and was now advancing on the official road. Zu Ting followed beside him, not at all like the eloquent man he used to be, and his expression was dull.

"My Lord, I still think this is a bit too much."

"There is nothing wrong with punishing the thieves, but to just post it like this and even send officials to tell the world about it is really against etiquette and law. I am afraid that the people will not respect the emperor in the future."

"Besides, this would have a huge impact. We have so many royal families and old generals in our country. If they saw this, what would they think?"

Liu Taozi waved back.

A moment later, Yuchi Jia and Shi Wansui rushed to Liu Taozi's side.

Liu Taozi glanced at them and stared at Yuchi Jia, "Jia, have you read the anti-bandit manifesto?"

"My Lord! I've seen it!"

"What do you think?"

"I am willing to follow my lord, pacify the world, and achieve great things!"

Liu Taozi then looked at Zu Ting and said, "It seems like he doesn't have any ideas."

Zu Ting smiled bitterly, "What does this young boy know?"

"Lou Rui."

"I have already arranged for Lou Rui to be settled. He will live in Guangzhou in his old age and enjoy his life in peace."

Zu Ting was speechless. Although he felt that his lord's actions were a bit extreme, on second thought, there was nothing wrong in being more thorough.

The lord's decision always came beyond Zu Ting's expectations, and this time was especially true.

The lord is not willing to follow the path of the prime minister in the past, and he is even unwilling to inherit the State of Qi. It seems that he is preparing to revoke all his past titles at once. In other words, when the lord returns to Jinyang, all the titles and official positions that were not conferred by the general in the past will be reset to zero.

I'm afraid those kings of the royal family will be the first to be eliminated.

I don’t know what they would think.

In the future, it may be necessary to establish new official positions, new policies, and new systems.

However, there is still one thing that makes Zu Ting still a little hesitant.

He didn't know how his lord would act next and say "I am the King".

When Zu Ting advised him that someone needed to be in charge of the north, he said, "I am the king." Zu Ting understood what he meant. He wanted to be in charge of everything himself, but to what extent could he be in charge?
Are you planning to ascend the throne directly?
Or should I do it as a prince first?
If we do not recognize the Emperor of Qi, it would be equivalent to breaking the inheritance and setting up a new dynasty. Everything would have to start all over again. Would the identity of a king be enough to compete with the other two countries?

Or, go straight to the emperor in one step.

Make yourself emperor and establish a new country to compete with others?

Zu Ting had a lot of things in mind, but now was not a good time to ask.

The general appointed Lu Yao as governor and Wang Lin as general, and he took the rest of the people back to Hebei, his hometown.

First cross the river, then go all the way to Ye, and then to Jinyang.

The journey was long, but fortunately there were no more enemies lurking around, so everyone walked more comfortably.

When they actually arrived in Hebei, everyone's tired bodies seemed to be comforted. After landing, Liu Taozi did not rush to march, but instead took everyone to rest here.

Liu Taozi has been gone for a long time.

Fortunately, there was no chaos in Hebei.

Crossing the river is the part of the county belonging to Qingzhou of Tao. The dock on the other side of the river seems a bit deserted in the cold winter, and there are not many pedestrians on the road.

But when you walk into the city, you can see smoke rising everywhere.

The smoke from the cooking stove collided with the snowflakes head-on and slowly disappeared over the roof.

The one who came to greet Liu Taozi was the governor of Qingzhou.

The Qingzhou governor Gao Wei, the former King of Cheng Gao Wei.

That’s right, one of the fourteen authentic waters.

He was still very young, but he had early acquired a reputation for fairness.

After the two sides officially met, Zu Ting narrowed his eyes and stared at Gao Wei in front of him.

He was sure that Gao Wei must have received the manifesto, and he really wanted to know what this upright royal family member thought.

Gao Wei stood not far away, with his head lowered respectfully, but his eyes revealed a deep sadness.

After the meeting, Liu Taozi asked him to follow her into the city.

The officials in Qingzhou did not dare to say much, and the overall atmosphere was still somewhat tense.

"Have you read the manifesto?"

Liu Taozi suddenly asked.

Zu Ting was still thinking about how to test him, but he didn't expect that his lord would speak so directly.

Gao Wei was not surprised. He nodded calmly and said, "I saw it."

"You look very sad?"

“How can we not be sad when our country is destroyed?”

"Yeah, that's human nature."

"However, the demise of Qi was a self-inflicted disaster, and it was justified. As a member of the royal family, I understand that you feel sad. If you want to leave, I can understand that too."

"If you don't want to be an official, I can allow you to resign and leave, and I won't kill you for it. You did a good job in Qingzhou before, so this is a gift to you."

"Of course, if you are willing to continue to be an official, I will let you continue to govern Qingzhou."

Gao Xi was actually a little surprised. He had followed Gao Yu to join Liu Taozi, and he was not very close to Liu Taozi and was not very familiar with her.

"The general destroyed Qi, but he still wants to use Qi's royal family?"

"It was not me who destroyed Qi. It was those foolish and unjust kings, those nobles who exploited the people, and those corrupt officials who joined forces to destroy Qi."

"I want to end the war and pacify the world. I have all kinds of people here. I will not restrict anyone. Xianbei people can go to the academy to be civil servants, and Han people can go to the army to be soldiers and generals. Even in my Mandrill Camp, there are Rouran people who have defected."

"If I can tolerate them, why can't I tolerate the royal family from the past?"

"I never distinguish others by their origins, I only distinguish them by their behavior. I have many people around me who are from royal families. But if they have great ambitions and are willing to follow me to do great things, then I will naturally tolerate them."

"I am not familiar with you, but I heard from Gao Yun that you are fair and strict in your work, so I sent someone to investigate your situation and found that it was true, so I made you one of the ten governors."

"I don't care about your background. It's up to you whether you stay or leave."

"With your current talents, if you make greater political achievements, you may even be able to obtain a higher title. Moreover, this new title will depend on your abilities, not your background."

"If you want to run to Duan Shao now and continue to be an official there, I can't stop you. However, when we meet again in the future, I will treat you as an enemy."

Liu Taozi was very calm. "When I first arrived in Guangzhou, I sent someone to tell your brother and Chang Gong about these things."

"Now I'll tell you once more, the choice is yours."

Gao Wei rode a horse and walked beside Liu Taozi, looking at the city in front of him.

Flat and clean roads, neatly maintained houses, and children playing on the street in the distance.
"My Lord, I only ask that my father's sacrifice be preserved."

Liu Taozi waved his hand and said, "I am not as stingy as you think. I am not going to attack the emperor of Qi, but those beasts who are not human. Emperor Shenwu made contributions to stabilizing the north, Emperor Wenxiang had bad personal ethics, but he made contributions to establishing the system, and Emperor Xiaozhao made contributions to establishing military farming. I will not attack these people, let alone destroy their temples or cut off their sacrifices. Not only them, but also those wise people who have made contributions in the past, I will keep their sacrifices."

"Thank you, my lord!"

"I am willing to serve our lord as hard as a dog or horse!"

(End of this chapter)