Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 432: A Respected Han Minister

After walking for a long time, Mo Ge was finally brought to Yecheng.

This was his first time in the Central Plains, and he showed a strong curiosity about everything around him.

Along the way, although Mo Ge tried many ways, he failed to make friends with the young officer. The officer sent them to Yecheng, and after completing the handover, he immediately turned around and left without giving them any chance.

After arriving in Yecheng, the officials who came to greet them took away the horses they brought and then settled them in the city. When they heard that the king was not in Yecheng and had gone out to do business, they asked them to wait in the city.

They did not restrict the travel of Mo Ge and others, and they could wander around the city at will.

Therefore, in the following days, the Khitan envoy began to wander around the city. When he encountered something he didn't understand, he asked the locals. He bought several sets of clothes in the local market and dressed like a local. There was no obvious difference in appearance between the two sides. Moreover, there were all kinds of Hu people in the territory of the Han Dynasty, and people of all looks could be found. After he changed his clothes, no one could tell that he was a Khitan.

There are many merchants in Yecheng, coming from different places.

There were even quite a few people from the Western Regions. Many of them who came to the Central Plains to do business settled in the Central Plains. There were even Western archers in the Qi army. In the past, there were ministers from the Western Regions such as He Shikai in the temple.

Even today, there are still merchants from the Western Regions who travel thousands of miles to Yecheng. These people bring some very rare things. Most of them sell other things part-time and their main job is to sell jade.

Many of the jades they brought from the Western Regions can be sold at sky-high prices here. Of course, the temple values ​​other things they brought the most, such as strange steel, strange herbs, strange animals, etc. from the Western Empire.

Brother Mo saw many strange and weird things in Yecheng and was very satisfied with them.

Two days passed like this, and finally someone came to the door.

Several young officials and an elderly minister came to the outside of the posthouse. Mo Ge learned the news in advance and hurried out to greet them.

He saw an important official who was dressed very elegantly. The officials around him had thick beards, decent clothes, and extraordinary temperament. The officials around him did not dare to look up at him. His eyes were particularly bright and he looked very wise. His hair and beard were gray and white just the right amount. He was truly a moral man who was well-read in poetry and books.

Brother Mo hurriedly bowed to greet him.

The official at the side introduced the identity of the person to him.

"This is the minister of the imperial court, Grandfather."

Brother Mo hurriedly said, "It turns out that it is Minister Zu who is here!"

He changed to a big gift this time, but before he could salute, Zu Ting helped him up with a smile, "No need to do this."

"I am a lowly person, so how can I allow the Minister to come in person? I should be the one to visit you in person."

"Since they are envoys, no matter how big or small, they should be treated with courtesy. Your Majesty is away now, and I just came back. I learned that the Khitan sent an envoy, so I came to see him."

"The horses you sent are good. They are all excellent stallions. It's thoughtful."

Zu Ting treated the envoys very warmly and looked at Mo Ge with extremely kind eyes, like a genuine good person.

Mo Ge finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that his worries were unnecessary. The Han State was different from the Qi State. Perhaps they could maintain friendly exchanges.

Zu Ting enthusiastically asked about his journey, and also about his family, and they chatted for a long time.

Brother Mo felt more and more relaxed as the conversation went on, and subconsciously treated the old man in front of him as an elder he had known for many years. He answered every question he was asked, and was extremely respectful.

Zu Ting sighed, "Children nowadays are so useless. We always have our own things to do and neglect to teach our children. The children become more and more disobedient. By the time we realize it, it's too late. Their personalities are already formed and we can no longer discipline them."

"Oh, yes, my child is like this now, fighting with others everywhere, and he can't be disciplined no matter what. Is it possible that your child is the same?"

"I had a son in my old age, and I doted on him. As a result, he didn't learn well at all. He always did the opposite of what I taught him."

Zu Ting began to complain. Zu Ting's son was called Zu Junxin, and as his name suggests, he was a real gentleman. He liked reading history books, studying poetry and other subjects the most. He was the kind of person who liked to stay at home and study things. Zu Ting was quite disappointed with him. The child could not steal or lie, and knew nothing about bribery. He did not inherit any of his father's skills. He just read books all day long and never went out to bully others. Zu Ting was really disappointed!
The two chatted about daily life, and Brother Mo almost forgot the main topic.

Zu Ting looked at the sky outside, then he realized, "We can talk about these things later, let's talk about state affairs."

"What on earth are you thinking? Why did the three frontier tribes send envoys at the same time?"

Mo Ge looked at the sincere eyes of the other party. For a moment, he didn't want to say anything false to fool this reliable elder. After thinking about it, he felt that there was really nothing to hide about these things. It would be better to tell the truth. He cleared his throat and said seriously: "First, the Han Kingdom is becoming more and more powerful. In the past few years, the Han Kingdom has won battles one after another. The troops on the border are training all day long. The sound of the training can be heard across the water. The Turkic cavalry dare not approach the east anymore."

"This makes us quite afraid. We hope we will not be attacked by the Han Kingdom."

"Secondly, we used to trade at the border, but now, these merchants are unwilling to come to the border. Several cities at the border are empty. There is no one here. I heard that many merchants from the southern countries have come to the border, but we can't go there. It's freezing cold over there, and we are most in need of food and clothes. If we can't exchange these, there will be heavy casualties."

Zu Ting listened to his words with some pity in his eyes, "It's not easy for you either."

"Don't worry about this matter. I'm in charge."

"I will have His Majesty enthrone your leader as king and put him in charge of the frontier!"

"As long as you are willing to follow us wholeheartedly, the Han Kingdom will protect you in the future!"

Brother Mo was horrified, and he quickly stood up and bowed to Zu Ting. He almost cried, "Grandfather, you are so kind and virtuous!!"

"Oh, don't do that."

Zu Ting helped him up and suddenly asked, "Those Xi people and Goguryeo people, I think they have the same goal as you?"

Brother Mo quickly said seriously, "No."

“I am not on the same page as them.”

"Ah? Could it be that they have bad intentions?"

Mo Ge hesitated for a moment and said, "The Xi people always wanted to join forces with the Turks in the past. Even after the establishment of the Han Dynasty, they sent envoys to the Turks, wanting to secretly join forces with the Turkic Khan. It was not until the Turkic Khan was defeated by General Hulu that they gave up this idea. As for the Goguryeo people, they are ambitious and constantly expanding, encroaching on the surrounding areas, and being treacherous. They even wanted to rob the Han Dynasty's checkpoint in Yingzhou before, but they did not dare to approach because they saw the majestic soldiers from afar. These two tribes are definitely not good people!"

Mo Ge can tell a lot of dirty secrets about these two countries. Of course, the other side can also tell their dirty secrets. Khitan may not be clean either.

But Zu Ting didn't care.

At this moment, Zu Ting's face was full of anger, "Humph, so that's how it is, I understand!"

"Don't worry!"

"How can I let such a villain ruin the reputation of the Han people?"

Seeing this important official's attitude of being close to Khitan and distant from the other two parties, Mo Ge was very excited, but also felt a little strange. However, he could not figure out why, so he simply gave up.

Zu Ting stayed with him for a long time and only left when it was dark.

After seeing off this kind man, Brother Mo finally had no worries and slept peacefully.

Zu Ting's expression changed instantly as he got on the carriage.

The gentleness and kindness just now disappeared instantly, replaced by gloom and coldness.

Zu Ting narrowed his eyes and fell into deep thought.

Before His Majesty returns, I have to deal with the issues on this frontier.

When Liu Taozi first learned about the border affairs, Zu Ting had tested his attitude, and it turned out that Liu Taozi had no intention of going out to attack the Hu people, show off his martial arts or stabilize his position.

This is in line with Zu Ting's strategy of completing unification first and then recuperating. It is not appropriate to pay too much attention to border affairs, so just let nature take its course. As long as the unification is completed and recuperation is allowed for a few decades, the border will naturally be nothing to worry about.

As long as we seal one off, pull one in, and fight one, at least the border issue can be delayed until the unification of the country is completed.

I don’t know how many days it will take for the king to return.

Luoyang. In the governor's office, Luozhou Governor Yuan Wenzong was standing at the door, waiting anxiously.

There were soldiers lining up all the way from the government office gate to the city gate. This road was currently blocked and no one else was allowed to approach.

And the knights are constantly going back and forth.

Yuan Wenzong looked into the distance, and after a moment, he saw more than ten carriages, surrounded by many soldiers, driving towards this side rapidly.

Yuan Wenzong hurriedly ordered the officials around him to make preparations for the reception.

The carriage slowly stopped here, and several people took the lead to get off the car. They looked around and their eyes were fixed on Yuan Wenzong. The leader walked over quickly and saluted Yuan Wenzong, and the two met.

"My name is Cao Qing, nice to meet you, Shangguan."

"Don't be so polite, don't be so polite. I am Yuan Wenzong, the governor of Luozhou. Lord Cao has come from afar, so I should go out of the city to welcome him."

"How dare you, how dare you."

The two were polite.

The man was none other than Cao Qing, the naval general who had escaped from Hua Jiao not long ago. They landed in Runan, and after the governor of Yuzhou reported the matter to Liu Taozi, Liu Taozi asked them to go to Luozhou.

Liu Taozi happened to have something to do in Luozhou, so he met Cao Qing and others here.

Behind Cao Qing, there were many naval generals, and the people on the rest of the carriages were all shipbuilders.

Cao Qing and these generals were extremely happy. Just as they had expected, after they brought these people to the Han Kingdom, the people of the Han Kingdom were very polite to them. The governor of Yuzhou treated them as the most distinguished guests, entertaining them with banquets and rewards all day long, and did not dare to show any contempt for them.

Then they quickly got the opportunity to meet the king.

Along the way, officials on the road were ordered to greet them and provide them with various conveniences.

Yuan Wenzong glanced at the official office and whispered, "Your Majesty is waiting inside."

Although Cao Qing didn't know why the emperor summoned him to Luozhou instead of Yecheng, he was still extremely excited at this moment, because this would determine his future life.

Several people straightened their clothes, made preparations, and followed Yuan Wenzong into the government office.

The Luozhou government office still retained the scars of past wars, and traces of burning by rebel soldiers could still be seen on the walls. There were many soldiers in the government office, and they walked for a long time before they came to a courtyard. Yuan Wenzong reported to them and led them inside.

Liu Taozi was sitting inside, waiting for them.

He was wearing a wide battle robe and a military cap on his head. The room looked like a military camp. Liu Taozi looked like a commander-in-chief who was commanding the three armies. He was tall and strong, sitting in the upper seat with his head held high and his chest puffed out.

Cao Qing was stunned.

This was the first time he saw the man in the rumors.

Over the years, there have been more and more rumors about Liu Taozi, and his reputation has spread throughout the north and south. Before Cao Qing arrived, he had imagined his appearance countless times in his mind, but he still felt that the real person was much more domineering than he had imagined.

Liu Taozi has a dark complexion, a resolute face, thin beard on both sides, and sharp eyes, which seem to pierce everyone like a sword.

He was tall and sturdy, with a broad back and strong arms, and the battle robe he was wearing could probably cover several people.

Sitting in the upper position, he felt like a tiger, full of oppression.

"His Majesty!!!"

Cao Qing suddenly knelt down and bowed deeply.

The people behind him were stunned, but they also followed suit and bowed deeply.

Liu Taozi stroked his beard, stared at Cao Qing, and said slowly: "Although there are many Hu people in the North, it is not necessary to perform formalities when meeting them."

"Get up."

Cao Qing then stood up and hurriedly explained: "It's not that I look down on Your Majesty, Your Majesty's divine power is so great that I want to frighten you."

"No wonder General Wang likes you so much. You've praised me well. Please sit down."

Several people looked at each other and slowly sat down on the left side.

"When he learned that you were coming to join General Wang, he sent me several letters in a row, saying that you were all good at naval warfare, and he hoped that you could all go over and help him."

Cao Qing's eyes rolled around, and he suddenly realized, "I am your Majesty's minister. We went north to seek refuge with your Majesty. We will do whatever your Majesty tells us to do, and we will go wherever your Majesty tells us to go."

"It doesn't have to be this way."

"All the generals around me are extraordinary people. Some people are fascinated by them and are willing to follow them. I will not be afraid of them because of this."

"When Han and Chen joined forces, Chen agreed to sell us warships and allow us to make reservations at their shipyards."

"But General Wang wrote to the emperor that buying warships was a bad idea, and what we should really buy was their shipbuilding technology. General Wang proposed to expand the shipyard in Guangzhou and set up new shipyards in Haizhou, Xuzhou, Chuzhou, Qingzhou and other places to win over the shipbuilders in the south. Even if it costs a lot of money, we must have a complete warship production line. However, not everyone agrees."

"Some people think that we should buy from Chen temporarily, and then retake Chen after we have pacified Zhou. Then the shipyard of Chen will become our shipyard."

When Liu Taozi talked about these things, Cao Qing and others became a little suspicious.

This superstar was really weird. When we met for the first time, he didn't exchange pleasantries or try to win people over, but started talking about these big things first.

Liu Taozi cleared his throat and said, "I agree with General Wang. We can take over the shipyard over there later, but we can't do without the north either."

"I am ready to let you participate in this great event."

"I plan to set up a new department to focus on shipbuilding."

"If you feel that setting up a factory is cumbersome and you are not suitable for it, you can go directly to take up the post. I have already prepared the military post."

"If you are willing to do it, you can enter the new department first."

Cao Qing certainly did not hesitate, he immediately expressed his opinion, "Your Majesty! I am willing to build a ship for you!!"

The other generals also stood up and said yes.

"This may be different from what happened in the south. General Wang will tell you the details. You can go directly from Luozhou to Guangzhou to meet General Wang."

"He will let you go to various places and take charge of the corresponding matters."

Liu Taozi said this and then looked at Yuan Wenzong.

Yuan Wenzong immediately began to order people to bring food and drinks. Because of the prohibition on alcohol, there was no alcohol at the banquet, only tea and meat.

Liu Taozi asked them about the situation in the south, and Cao Qing told them the truth.

"There came a Zhou man named Yang Su, who was hanging out with traitors all day long and slandering us. He asked us to go into battle first, but we suffered heavy losses and were unable to fight again. When they wanted to withdraw, they took their own money and treasures and asked us to take these craftsmen. It happened that we were in the front, so once they withdrew, the front army became the rear army, and we left directly!"

"These shipbuilders were captured by Yuwen Xian and his men after they defeated Xu Du and his men east of the Xiang River. We happened to send them here together."

"Among them, there is an old man named Luo, who is said to be one of the designers of the Henghai giant warship."

(End of this chapter)