Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 420: It’s Better to Give
Chen, Bazhou, Dongting Lake.

A huge "beast" was entrenched on the lake. This "beast" had five floors and was over a hundred feet high!
There are six rackets set up on the left, right, front and back, each fifty feet high!
Each wooden mast had a huge stone on top and a windlass underneath, and the rest of the ships were wandering around it like little snakes surrounding a giant dragon.

The battleship is bright yellow all over, and the outer layer of each layer adopts a structure similar to a battlement. The front is flat and has a strangely shaped tiger carved on it. There is a row of spikes on both sides, and dragons and ferocious beasts are carved on the edges of the spikes.

The top floor is like a pavilion, from which one can see very far.

Inside the warship, sailors were running back and forth densely. At first glance, the sailors responsible for keeping the warship moving were more than 300 people, and there were nearly a thousand sailors stationed in other places!

This warship is called Bi'an, and it is the largest and most powerful main warship of the State of Chen in Bazhou and Xiangzhou.

Hua Jiao sat in the pavilion on the top floor of the Bi'an battleship. In front of him was a wooden table with many delicacies on it. He began to eat quietly.

All the people under his command sat in front of him in two rows.

Most of the people looked uneasy and kept looking at each other.

Hua Jiao was only the governor of Xiangzhou and the commander-in-chief of the Xiangba military, but now, high-ranking officials in many surrounding areas such as Yan and Ying began to be intimidated and threatened by him and had to obey his orders.

As for why they obeyed Hua Jiao's orders, they would have to ask the more than 200 Golden Wing-class warships surrounding the Bi'an.

In the south, the water currents are extremely wide and the cavalry cannot break through here. The warships represent the strongest force here. Whoever has more and bigger warships will have the final say.

Hua Jiao looked at the people around him, most of whom looked terrified.

Among these people, only a few such as Cao Qing, Qian Ming, Pan Zhiqian, Lu Xian, Xi Huilue and others were his true confidants, while most of the others were just afraid of his military power.

Hua Jiao's own identity made it difficult for him to gather them together and use them for his own purposes.

He had a powerful navy, but it was still inferior to the main fleet of the State of Chen.

The State of Chen had eight five-rod, five-story ships of the Bi'an level. Although it was impossible for them all to be sent to fight against him, as long as they sent three of them, it would be enough for him to suffer. Ordinary warships would have no ability to fight back in front of such a large ship and would be directly beaten to death.

Hua Jiao was thinking about the current countermeasures in his mind.

The emperor sent someone else to tell him that he was too impatient before and asked him to continue preparing the golden-winged ship and not to rush.

Hua Jiao immediately understood that the emperor was going to take action against him.

He couldn't wait until the emperor took action before taking action, he had to take action first! !
Hua Jiao put down the wine cup in his hand, his face looking extremely solemn.

"Everyone."

"Emperor Wen was very kind to us. When he was seriously ill, he thought the crown prince was too young, so he passed the throne to Chen Xu."

"I never thought that Chen Xu was so cruel. He first killed the former ministers of Emperor Wen and then murdered the crown prince. Now, he is ready to kill us."

"Such a king really doesn't care about our loyalty."

"I am going to send an envoy to Liang State to ask for its allegiance, to defeat Chen Xu and his army, and to join us in the cause. What do you think?"

The Liang State that Hua Jiao mentioned is the Small Liang State under the control of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. It has few cities and territories, and its diplomatic and military powers are all managed by the Zhou people. It is just a small puppet state.

Saying that he was surrendering to the State of Liang was just a nice way of saying it, in fact he was just surrendering to the State of Zhou.

At this moment, everyone was in an uproar and started talking.

Someone stood up quickly, his face flushed. He pointed at Hua Jiao and angrily cursed: "Hua Jiao! You were also deeply indebted to Emperor Wen! Emperor Wen gave up his throne to Your Majesty in order to preserve the country, but now you want to collude with the Zhou people and sell out the country, but you keep saying that you are doing it for Emperor Wen? A villain like you, are you qualified to talk about justice?"

Hua Jiao's face turned pale. "Old man, what benefit did you receive from Chen Xu? How dare you be so presumptuous! Someone come here!"

Two guards rushed up, grabbed the minister and dragged him aside. The minister was not afraid and continued to curse until his stomach was pierced and he was thrown out of the boat. Only then did his voice disappear.

Hua Jiao looked at the others and said, "The important matter at hand is in my hands, and I have no choice but to obey."

Cao Qing stood up in a hurry. This guy was short, but his eyes were shining. He was one of Hua Jiao's confidants. He said, "My lord, you are right. We are all ministers of Emperor Wen. No matter what, Chen Xu will not tolerate us. The so-called warships are just an excuse. There is no war around us. All places are resting and recuperating. He suddenly ordered us to hand over the warships. Why? What does he want to do with the warships?"

"That's just his excuse, everyone. He's using the battleship as an excuse to murder us!"

After hearing Cao Qing's words, several ministers around him were thoughtful.

Cao Qing then looked at Hua Jiao and said, "However, my lord, would you consider joining the Liang Kingdom again?"

"Oh?"

Hua Jiao didn't think that his confidant would oppose him, so he didn't get angry. Instead, he asked, "If they don't submit, then we have to rise up on our own. Except for Xiangba, can the officials and generals from other places obey me?"

Cao Qing laughed, "My Lord, this is not a question of obedience or not, but finding a way for us."

"This Liang Kingdom is definitely not a good place to go. Zhou Kingdom may seem strong, but in the north, it can't even defend Chang'an. If we go to Zhou Kingdom now, I'm afraid we will be displaced and flee everywhere in the future."

"Why don't we surrender to Han?"

Cao Qing cleared his throat and said seriously, "The Zhou Kingdom has been operating in the south for many years. Its Jingzhou navy already has three five-barreled large ships, and they are still building them. I don't know how many they will be able to build in the future. As for the golden-winged warships, I predict that there will be at least eighty of them."

"But the Han Kingdom is different. Although their cavalry is powerful, their navy is nothing special. I heard that the navy of the Chen Kingdom went all the way to Guangzhou and looted merchant ships, and they were unable to send troops to fight against them."

"They don't have a single five-barrel ship. I don't even know if they have a golden-winged ship."

"Their navy consists of small boats and fast ships, not worth mentioning at all."

"If we can bring these warships and these shipbuilding masters from Xiangba to the Kingdom of Han, the King of Han will definitely not be stingy with our rewards. We may even be able to get the title of Duke or King."

Cao Qing's words were full of admiration for the King of Han.

The main reason is that this man is too powerful. Whether in the south or the north, he has won battles one after another and is recognized as the number one general at the moment.

It just so happened that the other party was in need of naval forces and was at a loss as to what to do. If he could send these things over, he couldn't imagine what kind of treatment he and his group would enjoy in the Han Kingdom.

Sure enough, Cao Qing's proposal was immediately recognized by many people.

Yes, if you must find a master for yourself, why not find a more powerful one?
Hua Jiao frowned and hesitated.

To be honest, Hua Jiao had no intention of fighting for the world of Chen. Even if he did, it was only a little bit. He was raising troops now more for self-protection, otherwise he would not have gone to a foreign country for defection.

However, what my subordinates said also makes sense.

I have heard a lot about the heroic figure King Han.

He asked: "What Cao Jun said is true, but we are very far away from Han. On one side are the Zhou people, on the other side are the Liang people, and on the other side are the Chen people. Although the King of Han is a hero, he has no fleet under his command and cannot come to support us. How can we get to him?"

Cao Qing said hurriedly: "My lord, we can first take the Yangtze River to Xiakou, then take the Beigui River to Beijiangzhou, and then take the Gu River to Runan! As long as we can reach the vicinity of the Beijiang River, the Han cavalry will come to escort us! Runan will even be the territory of the Han!"

As he spoke, he prepared to draw a map, and everyone took it very seriously.

At this moment, someone suddenly said coldly: "Mr. Cao has even prepared the map."

Hua Jiao turned around and saw that the person who spoke was another confidant, Qian Ming.

Qian Ming looked at Cao Qing dimly, then at Hua Jiao, and said with emotion: "They say Cao Gong has always been loyal. I didn't believe it in the past, but now I truly believe it."

Cao Qing's face changed. "What do you mean? Are you saying that I betrayed my master?"

"No, no, I just think Cao Gong is very loyal!!"

Qian Ming looked at Hua Jiao and said very seriously: "I heard that General Cao was originally just a wild man who lived by hunting in the countryside. Later, he met Wang Lin and was promoted by him to become his trusted general. Later, Wang Lin was defeated and fled to the north. General Cao was captured and then followed the lord."

"I didn't expect that after so many years, General Cao still misses his former master."

"How can this be called going to the Han Kingdom? Aren't we going to Wang Lin?"

"My lord, when Wang Lin was causing chaos in the south, you led the troops to participate in the crusade. Now Wang Lin is a general under Dugu Qihaizhen, one of the Five Tigers, and is in charge of one side. If we fall into his hands, what will be our fate? Oh, by the way, General Cao will be fine, after all, we are old acquaintances." Cao Qing's face flushed, veins bulged on his forehead, he jumped up with a roar, and knocked Qian Ming to the ground with just one move. Several generals around him hurried forward and separated the two men.

Qian Ming sat up, rubbed his swollen eye sockets, and looked at Cao Qing with a sneer, "As expected of a wild man, you don't know etiquette. You dare to do this in front of the lord."

"enough!!"

Hua Jiao was furious at the moment. He had a gloomy face and no longer asked about surrendering to the Han Kingdom. He said directly: "I have made up my mind. No need to say more. I will send an envoy tomorrow to formally request the Liang Kingdom to send troops to help!"

"We will lead the rest of the troops to recapture the surrounding naval forces and expand our power while the enemy has not yet reacted!"

"only!!"

Everyone bowed their heads hastily.

Only Cao Qing had a look of unwillingness on his face. He tilted his head and looked at Qian Ming who was not far away.

It just so happened that at this moment, Qian Ming looked at him with some provocation and obvious contempt in his eyes.

Cao Qing almost lost control again.

Hua Jiao finally decided to take the original path. He sent Qian Ming as an envoy to Jiangling, the capital of Liang State, to personally express his intention to surrender to them.

In fact, this was not the first time Hua Jiao had contact with the Zhou people.

Not long ago, Hua Jiao sent someone to discuss some things in private, which is why the Zhou Kingdom suddenly dispatched troops to the south.

Hua Jiao's words made the entire Zhou Kingdom particularly excited.

You can give up the city, you can give up the people, but you have to take the damn warships! !

As one of the largest shipbuilding centers of the State of Chen, Xiangba, with its advantage of being surrounded by Dongting Lake, provides the State of Chen with a large number of warships and flagships every year. It would be really exciting if we could get the reserves here and if we could get the shipyard here.

Jiangling City is still as prosperous and peaceful as ever.

While several other countries were fighting to the death and in ruins, this place looked like a paradise.

There were people coming and going, there were relatively few troops at the city gates and on the city walls, and the few shops in the city were also quite busy.

Qian Ming sat in the car, looking at the surrounding scene, feeling a little dazed, as if he saw Daliang at its most prosperous appearance in the past.

In the past, when Bodhisattva Xiao was still alive, Liang State was extremely prosperous. Compared with the north, it was like a paradise on earth. Unfortunately, it did not last long.

He shook his head, quickly trying to sober himself up, and continued to think about what he would say when he met the emperor later.

Song, Qi, Liang and Chen.

Just as the Xianbei Wei in the north was divided into two, with Yuwen Tai and Gao Huan respectively dominating the Eastern and Western Wei, many exciting things actually happened in the south.

There are many beasts in the north, but the south is not inferior at all. The Liu Song Dynasty founded by Liu Yu, and its descendants performed on par with several emperors of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and they were rivals for a time!
The subsequent Southern Qi Dynasty was not much better. The Liang Dynasty, which was particularly short-lived, did have peace for a while, but due to the confusing operations of Xiao Bodhisattva, the Hou Jing Rebellion broke out, and in the end Chen Baxian and Chen Qian had to clean up the mess.

Today, this smaller Liang State is actually the predecessor of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, which was supported by the Western Wei Dynasty. At the beginning, its founding emperor Xiao Zhao chose to bow to Yuwen Tai because he could not face the powerful enemy. Yuwen Tai was overjoyed and asked Yang Zhong to rescue him. When Yang Zhong arrived, the problem was naturally solved. The emperor also sat firmly in his position and became a vassal state of the Eastern Wei Dynasty. Later, the Western Wei Dynasty became the Zhou Dynasty, and the emperor of the small Liang State changed from the first generation Xiao Zhao to the second generation Xiao Kui.

Qian Ming was escorted by soldiers all the way to the imperial city.

Although the country is small, it has everything it needs.

They even had their own reign title, but it was not a very auspicious title; it was called Tianbao.

Qian Ming paid a visit to Emperor Xiao Kui in his Yuan Palace.

Xiao Kui was not very old, and looked to be in his twenties. He was dressed very casually and had a gentle expression. He was very polite to Qian Ming and asked him to take a seat.

The emperor of this small country had a very good reputation. He was kind, simple, and generous. He had no bad habits and did not like to play games. He was a good person.

Qian Ming immediately explained the purpose of his visit.

Ask for help.

Xiao Kui was not surprised and listened to what the other party said carefully.

"General Hua wants to submit to Liang State. This is a great thing. I will issue an order now to confer him the title of Sikong, and all other generals will be rewarded."

Xiao Kui first expressed his attitude, and then said: "As for the matter of sending troops, it is not up to me to decide."

Before Qian Ming could speak, Xiao Kui immediately said, "However, there is a person in the capital. You can meet him and tell the story in person."

Xiao Kui immediately gave the order to invite the person in.

Qian Ming didn't say anything more to the emperor, and the emperor didn't speak to him either. The atmosphere was extremely silent.

After a while, the sound of armor colliding was heard outside.

Hearing the voice, Qian Ming was startled and jumped up quickly with a look of alertness on his face.

Xiao Kui smiled and said, "Don't be afraid."

A moment later, an extremely tall figure was seen walking into the hall.

The man was tall and handsome, and he was wearing armor.

The man glanced at Qian Ming without saying anything, then looked directly at Xiao Kui and bowed respectfully to greet him.

"I was just at the parade ground when I heard that Lord Liang had summoned me. I hurried over without even taking off my armor. I hope you will forgive me for my impoliteness."

"Why should the King of Qi be so polite? We are both vassal kings and subjects of the same country."

The person in front of him was none other than the King of Qi of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Yuwen Xian.

Yuwen Xian exchanged a few more polite words with Xiao Kui before sitting on the other side. Qian Ming was extremely excited when he learned of the other party's identity.

His attitude towards Yuwen Xian was obviously much better than that towards Xiao Kui. He bent his waist, lowered his head, had a smile on his face, and his eyes never left the other person.

Faced with such a situation, Xiao Kui was not angry, he just watched.

Yuwen Xian took the initiative to ask about their situation, and Qian Ming told him one by one.

Yuwen Xian's expression became increasingly uneasy.

The Zhou Kingdom had experienced too many setbacks. Could it be that their fortunes had turned around now?
The area controlled by Hua Jiao is absolutely strategic. Once it is taken, Chen State’s defense line in Jingzhou will collapse completely, and even the river will not be able to be defended.

And it's not just a matter of danger. There are so many warships, shipyards, and naval training bases.
The more Yuwen Xian thought about it, the more excited he became.

When Hua Jiao expressed his idea to the Liang people for the first time and the Liang people hurriedly informed Yuwen Yong of the matter, Yuwen Yong was so excited that he could hardly close his eyes. He called Yuwen Xian over overnight and with a wave of his hand, asked him to go to the south.

This time, Yuwen Yong learned from his last lesson with the Han State and only sent one general, and then let some young men assist him.

Yuwen Xian was also very tempted by this matter. Although he had previously opposed going to war with the State of Chen, with such great benefits in mind, he could not care less.

Recently, the Zhou Kingdom has begun to become wealthy.

After Emperor Yuwen Yong launched many reforms, the most obvious result was that the food crisis was resolved.

The royal family members plundered a lot of food from temples and big families in various places, especially temples. Before the reform, Yuwen Yong would never have dreamed that temples could embezzle to such an extent! !

The national treasury was immediately filled with food, and the twenty-four military headquarters began to raise their heads.

Of course, Yuwen Yong would not go so far as to spend all the hard-earned gains on this war, and he had to keep some for other reforms, but he was sure to take over the Xiangba and navy!!
No one can stop it!!

(End of this chapter)