Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 403 Hidden Dragon in the Abyss
On the small road surrounded by dense forests, Da Xiwu led the elite cavalry and galloped at full speed.

Da Xiwu is nearly seventy years old.

For such a veteran, leading the cavalry on a long journey is not an easy task.

Da Xiwu could hear a violent roar coming from his chest. His ears hurt so much that they were red and swollen, as if something was trying to come out of his ears. He wanted to touch them, but the more he touched, the more painful it became.

His breathing became disordered and noisy, and it felt like something was blocking his throat, and his head was aching badly.

The headache was not in the same place, sometimes it was in the forehead, sometimes in the back, and suddenly it moved to the side.

But he still rushed to the front, not daring to slow down, and the knights around him did the same, running at full speed.

It has been some time since they left Yanzhou and headed north.

The attack was not successful. Hulugu, like a mad dog, bit them tightly from behind and refused to let go. Daxiwu tried many ways but failed to get rid of them.

As the sky gradually darkened, Da Xiwu dared to slow down. He passed through the dense forest and came to a flat slope. The outlines of some mountains could be vaguely seen in the distance. Da Xiwu asked everyone to stop and rest here.

The knights did not dare to light too many bonfires. Even when they were resting, they still assigned more than 300 people to guard the surrounding areas.

Da Xiwu sat in front of the campfire, feeling dizzy and dazed.

He is too tired.

At this age, he is not suitable to lead the knights in charge.

But he had no other choice.

Yao Xiong ran past him. If he followed Yuwen Xian's idea, he would retreat and let Yuwen Xian lead his army to charge forward.
What would the emperor think?

You old bastard, you ran away by yourself and asked my brother to charge?

It is hard to say whether he will be executed, but his family will start to enjoy the same treatment as Wei Xiaokuan from now on.

Although Da Xi Wu was also feared to a certain extent, his son Da Xi Zhen was very much loved by Emperor Yuwen Yong. After Emperor Yuwen Yong came to power, he rewarded his son many times, implicitly intending to let his son succeed him in commanding the army.

I am almost seventy years old. Even if I die, I cannot harm the child.

Da Xiwu looked at the campfire in front of him, feeling somewhat distraught.

It’s all my fault for living too long.

Yuwen Xian was still too young. He felt that if he had Gao Changgong's courage, he could emulate Gao Changgong.

Little did they know that Gao Changgong dared to lead the cavalry to attack because he had the support of others. Although the generals of the Zhou State were reluctant to admit this, the reputation of the Han State was better than that of the Zhou State.

After Wei Xiaokuan took office, people here were still running to the Han Kingdom in large numbers.

Zhou and Qi had frequent exchanges on the border, and the people were closely related to each other. This was even more so after Han replaced Qi. The trade and living environment of Han were incomparable to those of Zhou.

Many years after the founding of the country, many of the benevolent policies implemented by the founding elites have now developed into many evil policies.

The equal-field system alone, a benevolent policy that had allowed tens of thousands of people to survive in the past, now became a powerful tool for exploiting the people. More and more arable land was allocated equally, and women in their unborn children had to pay an extra 40 acres of land tax before they were even born.

Under the banner of serving the people, the officials increased the average farmland area from 40 mu to 60 mu, and then to 70 mu. It kept rising, but it was not the people's farmland that increased, but the taxes that should be paid that increased!!
The powerful families and nobles gradually became stronger and used these systems to benefit themselves.

The entire Zhou Kingdom was heading towards an even stranger path.

It is no longer the case that 'the more they become Xianbei, the fewer Xianbei people there are'; now it is 'the more land they are granted, the less land the people have'.

The arable land on the account did not match the actual arable land. The empire that inherited the throne had countless fertile land on the account books, but in reality, nine out of ten houses were empty. The emperor looked at the bill and was overjoyed. It turned out that the people had so much arable land and produced so much grain! So he couldn't just sit there!

The canals that should be built should be built, the wars that should be fought should be fought, the taxes can no longer be so light, they should be added up! The corvée labor that should be used should be used!

And then he was gone, leaving behind the reputation of "criminal in this present age, evil for generations to come", and was despised by generations to come.

This evil had already grown at this moment, and this was what Yuwen Yong wanted to change.

Therefore, when Gao Changgong led his troops here, he could find people supporting him everywhere. But what about Da Xiwu?
Old man Da Xi didn't think it would be effective.

Yanzhou, Guang'an County.

A large flag of the Han Dynasty was hung on the city wall, and some soldiers were staring outside and chatting in low voices.

The city was much quieter, and there were not many people going out.

Military officers were walking quickly on the streets, loudly reading notices to reassure the people.

Its government offices were located in the south of the city, close to the city wall, which was very different from other cities.

The government office was extremely busy at this moment, with officials coming in and out. Gao Changgong boldly pardoned a group of old officials who had no bad reputation and asked them to temporarily work for the government to check the local household registration, cultivated land and other information.

When Yao Xiong led the officers and strode into the inner room, Gao Changgong did not look like a military general at all.

He was wearing official uniform, sitting among the crowd. All kinds of documents were placed on both sides, and many minor clerks were reporting on their work.

Gao Changgong was very excited when he saw Yao Xiong and others coming in. He quickly stood up, asked the clerks to step aside temporarily, and then he went forward to meet Yao Xiong.

"General Yao!"

"Gao-kun!!"

The two hadn't seen each other for a long time and were quite excited at the moment. They held each other's hands and couldn't help laughing.

"General Yao has become famous throughout the world this time. He forced his way across the Dragon Gate, attacked Chang'an three times, defeated several reinforcements, and outflanked the enemy from behind, forcing Yuwen Xian to flee in panic. He is truly a famous general in the world!"

Yao Xiong blushed and shook his head hastily, "My failure was nothing. I didn't encounter any strong enemy at all. I just took advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness. But Governor Gao defeated the enemy with a small force and defeated several dukes of the enemy. He fought all the way from Xiazhou to Yanzhou. He was brave and invincible. He is truly a famous general in the world!!"

The two of them just praised each other for a few words.

Gao Yanzong, who was beside Yao Xiong, couldn't help but clear his throat.

There is another one here!!
Gao Changgong glanced at him, then took Yao Xiong's hand and said, "My brother is a naughty boy. He accompanied the general to the battle. Did he get into any trouble?"

Yao Xiong laughed loudly, "No way, Yanzong is always brave and invincible in battle. No one among the Zhou people can fight him. If it weren't for him, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to get through the Dragon Gate!"

Yao Xiong flattered Gao Yanzong, and Gao Yanzong's expression immediately became much better.

"In the past, I only heard of the reputations of the two brothers Huluguang and Huluxian. Now it seems that the two brothers of the Gao family are not much inferior."

Gao Yanzong nodded, "That's right, my brother is not inferior to Hulugu Guang, and I am better than Huluxian."

Gao Changgong frowned, "Nonsense!"

"You've won a few small games, yet you dare to act so arrogantly!"

With Yao Xiong around, he couldn't continue scolding, so he pulled everyone over to sit down and started asking about the situation along the way.

The two of them informed each other of their situations and exchanged information. Afterwards, they became more confident about the upcoming battle.

"Yang Jian followed me for a while and tried to ambush me, but I walked fast and he couldn't keep up."

Yao Xiong said, and sneered again, "Yang Zhong is a famous general, but his son Yang Jian is not a fierce general. I think his organization and formation are okay, but his combat skills are far worse."

"He can't be compared with his father Yang Zhong."

"Even if he joins Yuwen Xian, we don't have to worry. We are in an advantageous position now. Even if we stay in the city, they won't be able to get in."

Gao Changgong agreed with this, and he reminded: "Yang Jian may be like this, but Yuwen Xian cannot be underestimated. This man is meticulous and resolute. He is very strategic in battle and can win people over. Da Xiwu is now leading his troops behind me, so we must kill him as soon as possible."

The two chatted for a while, and then Yao Xiong looked at the clerks on his left and right.

"Why did you end up doing literary work?"

"The information that the Zhou people put in the government is totally unreliable."

"The documents of Qi in the past are at least outdated and incompatible with the present, but the documents of the Zhou people are not."

Gao Changgong hesitated for a moment, thinking about how to describe it, and then slowly said, "It's just nonsense."

"The area of ​​arable land in Guang'an County alone, as recorded in official documents, is larger than the entire county. And the household registration is even more chaotic. Every township and every piece of land seems to be filled in randomly, and no matter how you calculate it, it doesn't match the statistical figures."

"It's like a lot of people appeared out of thin air just to grant land. Every household has ten or even twenty children."

Yao Xiong was stunned.

"There are still people who do this? Isn't this worse than Qi?"

The two royal family members of Qi looked embarrassed at this moment.

Yao Xiong shook his head. "That's really troublesome. We need to re-investigate it." "Gao, I really can't help you with these matters, but I can help you with Da Xiwu."

"I don't think the enemy can attack us in such a short time. I will leave the main force to rest and lead only 1,000 cavalry to help General Hulu kill Da Xiwu. What do you think?"

"it is good."

Gao Changgong had nothing to stop him. He looked at Gao Yanzong and said, "Go and follow General Yao. Although Da Xiwu is old, he is a brave general and should not be underestimated."

"only!!"

Yao Xiong stood up tactfully and said, "Don't be so anxious, Governor. I will go back and rest for a day. You two brothers haven't seen each other for a long time, so it's a good opportunity to catch up."

Then, regardless of Gao Changgong's attempts to keep him, he turned around and left.

Gao Changgong smiled and sent him off, then he said with emotion: "Yao Xiong is becoming more and more stable."

Gao Yanzong suddenly poked his head out, his eyes sparkling, "Brother!!"

Gao Changgong looked at his brother's increasingly round face with a complicated look in his eyes, and the two brothers just sat down.

"Hey, you, you, look at your belly."

Gao Changgong stared at his brother's big belly that couldn't even be hidden by his armor, and his round face, feeling extremely melancholy for a moment, "You are only in your early twenties, and you look a generation older than me. If you don't take care of it, I'm afraid you will have trouble even getting on a horse in the future."

Gao Yanzong patted his abdomen proudly and said, "I have lost a lot of weight in recent days!"

"I am strong and healthy. After the battle, I don't have to wait like others. I can take off my armor directly and I am not afraid of the wind."

Gao Changgong was shocked, "You can't do this!"

"In the past, many people who claimed to be strong suddenly died when they took off their armor and saw the wind. You must never try to be strong!"

Gao Yanzong pursed his lips and stopped refutation.

"understood."

The two did not talk about state affairs, but chatted about family matters.

At the same time, Yuwen Xian also bypassed Danzhou as quickly as possible and went to meet Yang Jian.

At this moment, the two sides started to fight again.

With Yanzhou as the line, they were deployed on both sides.

Yang Jian has quite a few soldiers here, but unfortunately, there are not many elite ones, and only a few of them can be mobilized to fight.

After the battle line was clear, Yuchi Jiong no longer had to expend so much effort to protect Chang'an. He could send troops to reinforce Yang Jian. The men under his command were the ones who could really fight.

With the arrival of Yuwen Xian, the Zhou State deployed a considerable number of heavy troops on the Yanzhou front.

When Yuwen Xian arrived with his army, Yang Jian led many generals, marched more than ten miles, dismounted, and stood at the intersection to greet them.

Yuwen Xian was very friendly to everyone except Yang Jian.

He appeared in front of everyone with a tired face, and Yang Jian hurried forward to greet him.

Yuwen Xian got off his horse and acted quite indifferent in the face of Yang Jian's great courtesy. "Sui Guogong, there is no need to be so polite."

When Yang Jian stood up, Yuwen Xian's eyes bypassed him and fell on He Ruobi behind Yang Jian.

He Ruobi hurried forward, "Duke Qi!"

A smile appeared on Yuwen Xian's face, and he held his hand with a smile, "Now that I see you, I am finally no longer afraid!"

He Ruobi used to be an official under Yuwen Xian, and the two had a very close relationship.

It was only after Yuwen Yong came to power that they were forced to "break up".

He Ruobi looked a little worried and stammered. Faced with Yuwen Xian's usual enthusiasm, he was speechless.

Yuwen Xian met Han Qinhu again, and the two of them had some friendship.

Then the three of them walked towards the tent. Yang Jian stayed behind, looking quite embarrassed, but he didn't think it mattered.

Yuwen Xian had come here on a forced march, and what he needed most at the moment was rest.

However, he still enthusiastically kept the two young warriors and insisted on having dinner with them.

He Ruobi couldn't eat the meat in front of him. After much hesitation, he decided to tell the truth, "Duke Qi, I really don't deserve your hospitality. When I was in Chang'an, I killed someone by mistake."

"Yuwenzhi, right?"

There was no surprise on Yuwen Xian's face.

He said calmly, "I knew it was wrong the first time I heard it."

"I know exactly what kind of person Yuwen Zhi is. He died outside the city. I'm afraid he went to surrender to the enemy."

"Even if he is my brother, if he betrays the country, he will be punished by death. You killed him, this is not a fault, this is a merit."

"Come, I respect you."

Yuwen Xian patted his shoulder, took a sip of wine with him, and then said seriously: "My brother is a wise ruler."

"He will never blame you for this, nor will he look down on you for it."

"Don't worry about retaliation. If other members of the royal family cause you trouble, come find me."

Listening to Yuwen Xian's comfort, He Ruobi was speechless for a long time and just bowed deeply to him.

Han Qinhu was a little confused at this moment.

He couldn't help but ask, "Duke Qi, you are usually very kind to others, why are you so indifferent to Duke Sui?"

"I think Duke Sui is upright, kind to his soldiers, brave and resourceful, and not a villain."

Hearing Han Qinhu's words, Yuwen Xian's face turned serious.

"You all, don't get too close to him. He is very ambitious and has great plans. You must be on guard."

He Ruobi was also a little confused. "When we were in Chang'an, it was this man who fought hard to save the city and me. I think he is loyal and kind. Why do you say that?"

Yuwen Xian smiled and suddenly asked, "If my brother ordered you to hand over your military power and dismiss those who depend on you, what would you do?"

The two were stunned and lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

Yuwen Xian said calmly: "It's very simple. You can pretend to be confused like the Duke of Shu, who agreed verbally but never made any progress. You can stay in the border town like the Duke of Zheng, playing all day and pretending to have no intention of doing anything. Or you can dismiss other people's confidants like the Duke of Deng to protect your own."

"But what did Duke Sui do? He was the first to respond. He was selfless and had no attachment to the confidants left by his father. He gave the military power without hesitation and dismissed the confidants directly."

Yuwen Xian shook his head, his eyes fierce.

"I am not a suspicious person, but I believe that everyone has selfish desires, even saints have selfish desires. He behaved like this, so I felt that he had a bigger plan."

"My brother just thought it was not easy for a duke to fully support him, so he loved him so much and married his daughter to the prince."

"Sooner or later, my brother will see his true colors."

"Don't be fooled by him."

He Ruobi and Han Qinhu looked at each other, both with confusion in their eyes.

Not to mention He Ruobi, Han Qinhu felt that the Duke of Qi was somewhat suspicious.

It would be fine if you don't delegate power and suspect that there is something wrong with the other party, but why do you suspect that there is something wrong when you are in a hurry to delegate power?
This reason may be a bit far-fetched.

Just as Yuwen Xian was negotiating with these two gentlemen, Yuchi Jiong's reinforcements arrived as expected.

The one who led the reinforcements was Wei Xiaokuan.

Yuwen Xian was also very enthusiastic towards him, asking about his well-being and health.

With these people in charge, Yuwen Xian was ready to send troops to take back his own territory.

And Yang Jian met Wei Xiaokuan again.

(End of this chapter)