Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 443 How dare you turn your back on me? !
Liu Taozi didn't leave for too long this time.

Compared with the wars in the past that lasted one or two years, this war was really too short. Liu Taozi just ran around, used his cavalry to charge some miscellaneous soldiers, and then came back.

The fight between the two guys next is the real highlight.

After following Zu Ting back to Yecheng and meeting the ministers, Liu Taozi returned home. However, his family members were not there, so he went to Cheng'an. Fortunately, the distance between the two places was very short. If he took a fast horse, it would take less than a day to go back and forth.

There was no major incident in Yecheng that required Liu Taozi to deal with, and the two envoys were not in a hurry, so Liu Taozi went to see his family first.

Zu Ting and others wanted to follow, but Liu Taozi refused and only took a few idle confidants with him.

He was only going to Cheng'an for two days and would be back soon.

Chancery desk.

Gao Yu sat in the upper seat, listening to the reports from many officials.

Gao Yu today is completely different from before. He looks younger and younger. His hair, which was originally mixed with gray, has now become jet-black and shiny. He sits upright with a resolute look, just like when he was a governor in his early years. He has once again become a handsome and energetic scholar.

You can see the joy in Gao Yu's eyes.

"Sir, the five states' granaries are ready and can be expanded again."

Perhaps it was because the North was so bad originally, and had reached a point where things would turn around when they reached their extreme point. After Gao Yun and others successfully opened up a road in the north, the North began to run wildly. The household registration, grain production, iron production, and many other data were all soaring and could not be stopped at all.

Gao Yu didn't even need to stimulate anymore. Instead, he held the reins tightly, fearing that Beiguo would rush too fast.

Now that he had gained control of the area south of the river, Gao Yun was a little worried at first. He was afraid that the area would become a huge burden for Hebei and would bring the current momentum of advancement to a halt.

However, trade with the State of Chen solved this problem very well. The commercial activities not only eased the crisis in the south, but also injected new vitality into Hebei, making the development momentum of Liu Han's old nest even stronger.

Gao Yu listened to everyone's stories, stroking his beard from time to time and nodding slightly.

"The work on the Changping Granary must not be interrupted! It still needs to be repaired! All places still need to stockpile food and fodder! The more the better!"

"Tell the provincial governors not to worry about the grain going bad and to store it without worry. If the grain is too old to be stored, you can report it to the imperial court and we will take charge of it, either transporting it south or selling it abroad. However, it is best for the local governments not to get involved!"

An official suggested: "Your Majesty, if the government were to take charge, a new agency would have to be set up and new officials would have to be assigned to prepare for this matter. It would be better to let the local authorities do it themselves. This would be quicker and less expensive."

"No."

Gao Yu's expression was very determined.

Gao Yu said seriously: "Just do as I say, just give the order!"

"only"

No one dared to object anymore.

Gao Yu issued many decrees, and everyone agreed and then left.

Gao Yu slowly stood up and strode outside. Just as he reached the door, he saw a person standing not far away, looking at him with a smile.

Gao Yu was stunned for a moment, then nodded at the other party and was about to leave, but the man quickly stood in front of Gao Yu.

"Why does Gao Lingjun always avoid me?"

The person standing in front of Gao Yu was Zu Ting.

Logically speaking, it was Gao Yin who recommended Zu Ting to Gao Zhan, and he could be considered as half of Zu Ting's sponsor, so the relationship between the two should be harmonious.

But in fact, Gao Yin always kept his distance from Zu Ting.

Gao Yun hated the struggles in the court. He just wanted to focus on his own affairs and didn't want to go back to the previous environment where his own people killed each other. Therefore, he chose to stay away from the ministers in the court, not to interact with them, and not to participate in their struggles. He let them do whatever they wanted and just focused on doing his own things.

Seeing Zu Ting standing in front of him, Gao Yu raised his eyebrows slightly.

"What's the matter, Grandpa?"

"Why do you have to be so unfamiliar?"

Zu Ting looked at the officials who were leaving, and couldn't help but sighed: "It seems that what we experienced in the past is not without benefits. At least our officials are very cautious and know what problems will arise if we let things go."

Gao Yu frowned and ignored Zu Ting.

Zu Ting was not surprised at all. He said, "Sir, I came to you for business matters."

The coldness on Gao Yu's face finally dissipated a little, "If that's the case, Grandfather, please follow me."

Gao Yu brought Zu Ting to a house, walked in, and the two sat facing each other.

Zu Ting looked around and said, "I have been your colleague for so long, but this is the first time you have invited me in."

"Grandfather, please tell me."

Gao Yu interrupted the other party again.

Zu Ting did not beat around the bush. He said with a straight face, "Your Majesty, perhaps you have heard that envoys have arrived from the north. I plan to promote this trade to the north as well."

"You may have heard of the Khitans. There are many iron mines in their territory, and their smelting technology is quite good. They make good iron, and even iron coins were popular there."

"I intend to trade with the Khitans, exchanging food and other things they need for a large amount of iron."

Gao Yu asked Zu Ting to stop first, and then called a clerk to record it.

Zu Ting knew Gao Yu's habits, so he carefully explained his new strategy for the north. He wanted to support the Khitan to compete with the Xi people and Goguryeo on both sides.

Gao Yu listened very carefully, asking a few questions from time to time, and Zu Ting answered them one by one.

The two discussed for a long time, and Gao Yu finally said, "Okay, I roughly know what to do. I will be prepared."

Zu Ting still likes Gao Yin very much.

This person is low-key, doesn't really want to fight for power, doesn't create obstacles for himself, and focuses all his attention on governance. It is quite difficult to find such a person.

But Gao Yin didn't like Zu Ting very much. The reason was also very simple: he had a very bad character.

Zu Ting was pleased. "Working with your lord is a joy. If it were with those treacherous villains, no matter how good the task is, it would be misinterpreted by them and would require much thought to execute."

"Maybe that's how it is with my ancestors. I've never encountered such a situation when I worked with them."

"That's because they don't dare to provoke Lingjun."

Zu Ting stood up and said with emotion: "You will figure it out sooner or later."

After that, he was leaving.

Gao Yu stopped him.

"Wait a minute."

"Do you have any other instructions, Lord?"

"Grandfather, the copper plate in your hand was given to you by my younger brother. If you like it, I will buy you another one. Please keep this one for me."

Zu Ting was stunned, looked at the copper plate in his hand, and quickly put it on the table.

"Ah, I took it to look at it, but forgot to put it down."

Zu Ting never felt embarrassed. He still bowed to Gao Yun with a smile, then turned and left.

Gao Yu just watched the other party leave without seeing him off. He lowered his head to look at the copper plate and just shook his head.

Who are these people?
Zu Ting walked out of here, feeling particularly happy.

As long as the emperor arrives, the situation in the Northeast will probably be settled.

Everyone says that they are resourceful, but in Zu Ting's opinion, your majesty's wisdom is not bad either, just take the current strategy of "driving away the wolf and swallowing the tiger" as an example.

Many people in China failed to understand it, but Zu Ting did.

Your Majesty took the lead and let the State of Chen and the State of Zhou fight each other. No matter which side wins, it will pay a heavy price.

This directly caused the development of the two countries to stagnate. Both guys were busy fighting and could not take care of their own domestic affairs.

And judging from their posture, this war may last for quite some time.

This is a great thing for the Han State. What could be more enjoyable than developing itself with peace of mind and then watching its two neighbors fight to the death?

And the most important thing is, according to the current recovery speed, if the Chen people can delay for enough time, the Han army can directly take Chang'an.

Yuwen Yong gathered his army in the south, leaving his north vacant.

How dare you turn your back to that big guy?!

As Zu Ting thought about it, he couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh.

The officials around heard the laughter and saw the person who was laughing, and they hurriedly dodged.

Oh no, it’s Crazy Zu!
Cheng'an, Taolin.

In the familiar peach grove, almost all the relatives and friends from the former village gathered together.

The small village in the past has now become a large township under the jurisdiction of Cheng'an. Even its name has changed and it is now called Taoxiang.

After Liu Taozi proclaimed himself the Heavenly King, many officials submitted memorials to the emperor, advising him to practice taboos.

Liu Taozi did not agree, and everyone persuaded him to change his name.

Liu Taozi also ignored it. He did not implement taboos, so the word "peach" could appear in China without any restrictions.

At this moment, Taolin gathered many of the original villagers. These villagers were originally sent to the frontier, but later when Liu Taozi captured Cheng'an and Yecheng, most of them moved back as they were reluctant to leave their hometown.

Liu Zhang was sitting among many women, and as she had done in the past, she followed them and whispered something. Then she saw Huluqian also sitting among them, her face as red as blood, her head lowered, and she was submissive.

As for Liu Taozi, he was now at the bank of the Zhang River.

Standing beside him were Lu Qubing, Cui Gang, and Tian Zili.

Tian Zilie came to Yecheng to report important matters and happened to meet Liu Taozi returning. He simply did not rush to leave and stayed with Liu Taozi for a few days.

Men's happiness is often simple.

I saw these people sitting on the shore, holding fishing gear in their hands, fishing.

Lu Qubing looked around and suddenly said, "It seems there are no big fish here!!"

Tian Zili finally couldn't help it, "Mr. Lu, you are like this again."

"If you keep shouting like this, you won't be able to find any big fish anywhere."

A smile appeared on Cui Gang's face.

"Zi Li should have expected that Lu Gong would come to fish."

Tian Zili was also very familiar with Lu Gong's character, so he stopped trying to stop him. "Anyway, we won't be able to catch anything today, so just go ahead and talk, we're all listening!"

"Hahaha."

Several people laughed again.

Lu Qubing said with emotion: "I came here with Taozi before, the changes are really huge."

"The North Country is peaceful."

"Even in Shuozhou, people are now able to stop picking up things on the streets, and gang thefts have disappeared. Last year, there were only two gang thefts in the entire state."

Tian Zili said slowly.

"Your Majesty is coming from the south. What is the situation in the south? Is it better?"

Hearing the question, Liu Taozi raised his head and said calmly: "It's less than before, but there are still many. When I lead the army back, I always encounter groups of bandits blocking the road."

Tian Zili was stunned. "What kind of bandit dares to intercept the passing cavalry?"

"He was originally trying to intercept a passing merchant, but was caught by the scouts."

A few people started chatting and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

There was no sign of etiquette between them as a ruler and his subjects. Lu Qubing kept slurping the peach, and although the other two didn't dare to say so, they still dared to make some harmless jokes.

As they were happily chatting, Lu Qubing looked around and suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Taozi, they said you are going to destroy Zhou. Is this true?"

After Lu Qubing said this, the two people around him suddenly fell silent.

Destroy Zhou? ?
Liu Taozi looked at Lu Qubing calmly, "Where did you hear this from?"

"When you were still here, I heard Zu Ting bragging to others in the Secretariat that you were not going to help Chen, but to destroy Zhou."

Cui Gang was immediately furious.

"Your Majesty, Zu Ting really needs to be disciplined. Over the years, he has become more and more arrogant because of his achievements. He dares to say anything. He sends people to the Censorate every month to impeach my father and Wei Shou and others. He never stops, and he finds new reasons every month. As for his personal morality, it is simply..."

Cui Gang was currently in charge of the Censorate. In fact, he had always chosen to ignore Zu Ting because his father and Zu Ting did not have a good relationship. If he put all his effort into dealing with this person, he would inevitably be regarded as seeking revenge for personal gain. However, at this point, he could no longer hold back on these words.

Cui Gang complained bitterly to Tian Zili and expressed his strong dissatisfaction with Zu Ting.

Before Liu Taozi could open her mouth, Lu Qubing at the side spoke first.

"Actually, Grandpa isn't that bad."

"Over the years, he has worked very diligently and has hardly slacked off for a single day. When have you ever seen Grandpa doing nothing?"

"He may have made some mistakes in Djokovic, but his contributions are indeed great. Moreover, he has corrected many things now."

Tian Zili was a little confused. "Just now you said that Zu Ting leaked military information, why are you speaking for him now? This..."

"When I spoke just now, I had no intention of harming my ancestor. I just hoped that the war could be settled as soon as possible."

Lu Qubing looked around.

"The north is stable and the people can live and work in peace, but the rest of the world is still suffering from war. When will the hundreds of years of unrest be completely quelled?"

"almost."

This time, it was Liu Taozi who answered him.

Tian Zili and Cui Gang were both thoughtful.

Lu Qubing asked quickly, "Really?"

But before Liu Taozi could answer, the people sent by Liu Zhang had already arrived and asked them to go back for dinner.

Four people carried empty bamboo baskets and walked towards the peach forest under the protection of many soldiers.

The mood of several people returned to normal. Lu Qubing teased everyone again, "We took so many things to the waterside, but didn't catch any fish. We just went to the river to feed the fish."

When they returned to the peach forest, many of the people who had come to visit had left, and only Liu Zhang had prepared food and was waiting for them to eat.

Without saying much, everyone sat in the courtyard and started to feast on the food.

Liu Zhang was about to get up and leave, but Liu Taozi spoke up, "Mother, I have something to tell you, please sit down first."

Liu Zhang sat back in her original place.

Liu Taozi swallowed a mouthful of rice and said, "I may have to leave for a while."

"Still leaving?"

"Where are you going this time?"

“You just got back.”

Liu Zhang was a little surprised.

"Don't worry, mother. I have something important to do. I will be back soon after I finish it."

Liu Taozi looked at Lu Qubing and said seriously, "Qubing, you and I are brothers."

"I may be away for a long time this time. My mother is very kind. If you are free, you can come visit more often. Don't be restrained."

Lu Qubing nodded and blinked his eyes. In fact, Liu Taozi didn't need to give any special instructions. He came here quite often. The clothes he was wearing now were all made by Liu Zhang.

Liu Zhang did not ask too much about state affairs, but just went into the house to prepare to leave. Every time Liu Taozi was about to leave, she would always prepare some clothes and shoes.

When they were the only ones left here, Liu Taozi looked at Lu Qubing again.

"really."

"what?"

"What you asked just now, when the great unification comes, is true."

Lu Qubing almost jumped up, "You are not going this time."

"Yuwen Yong's main force is fighting the Chen people in the south. Once the two sides engage in battle, they will not be able to withdraw in a short period of time."

"I will soon leave Yecheng and head to Xiazhou."

"When the time is right, I will lead my army south, first attack Chang'an, then Nanyang, and capture Yuwen Yong alive."

When these words were spoken, several people around were indeed frightened.

Are they really aiming to destroy Zhou?

Tian Zilie tried hard to suppress his excitement. They had been looking forward to the unification for who knows how long. If they could destroy the Zhou Kingdom, then the Chen Kingdom would not be such a big enemy and would be destroyed by the Han Dynasty sooner or later.

He asked hurriedly, "What instructions do you have, brother?"

Tian Zili knew Liu Taozi's character. If he had nothing to entrust to them, he would not tell them such important military matters.

"I have no other instructions. It's just that the world is not at peace yet, and the ministers in the country need to be united and must not fight among themselves."

"The situation has reached its most critical moment. You have followed me for a long time. When it comes to the last step, you must be more cautious."

Tian Zili understood what he meant and lowered his head hastily, "Wei!!"

Cui Gang and Lu Qubing also quickly agreed.

Lu Qubing was the most excited.

"If we can pacify the Zhou Kingdom, will the war of more than a hundred years come to an end?"

(End of this chapter)