Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 458 Your Majesty Loves Me
Zu Ting yawned and slowly sat up from the bed.

He looked around and saw his bedroom.

The war in the past few days was too intense. Zu Ting had been guarding on the city wall and did not dare to rest. After His Majesty arrived, he breathed a sigh of relief and fell asleep. It seemed that someone had moved him to the inner room.

Zu Ting rubbed his eyes and yawned again.

I always feel like I don’t get enough sleep.

He stood up and walked out of the door in a daze. There was a person guarding the door. When he saw him, he hurried to greet him.

By the time Zu Ting came back after changing his clothes, the guards had already served him hot dishes, all of which were Zu Ting's favorite flavors. Zu Ting did not like bland food and preferred spicy food.

Zu Ting was concentrating on eating when Liu Taozi rushed in like a gust of wind.

Zu Ting was so frightened that the chopsticks in his hand dropped.

He didn't even bother to pick up the chopsticks and hurriedly stood up and saluted.

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

"sit down."

Liu Taozi sat directly opposite Zu Ting and asked someone to serve some more food and bring new bowls and chopsticks.

Zu Ting asked curiously, "Did your majesty catch Yuchi Jiong?"

"I didn't catch it."

"Wei Xiaokuan caught it."

“Hahaha, great!!”

Zu Ting clapped his hands fiercely, "Yuchi Jiong is so arrogant and conceited, he will get his comeuppance sooner or later!"

"If we capture him, we will cut off another arm of Yuwen Xian. Yuwen Xian will definitely not dare to stay in Guanzhong any longer."

Zu Ting's eyes sparkled, and he was about to make a report when Liu Taozi suddenly asked, "We'll discuss these matters after dinner. Is Zugong all right?"

"I am fine."

"Grandpa really shouldn't have taken such a risk."

"Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. Even if Yuchi Jiong breaks through the pass, he shouldn't kill me. His family is still with us. As long as I beg for mercy from him and promise to exchange, he will not kill me. At most, he will humiliate me a few times."

Zu Ting wanted to make a few more arguments, but when he looked up and saw Liu Taozi's solemn expression, he quickly changed his words, "I will keep this in mind and will never take the risk again."

Only then did Liu Taozi continue to eat.

The two of them were eating. Even though Zu Ting had just been scolded, he felt indescribably happy in his heart and was smiling while eating.

Liu Taozi spoke again, "I just never thought that Grandpa had such skills. I heard that you rode a horse and shot the enemies with bows on both sides. Grandpa even knows how to shoot on horseback?"

Although with the advent of saddles and other equipment today, horseback archery is much easier than it was during the Han Dynasty, it is still an extremely powerful skill.

Zu Ting shook his head modestly, "When I was young, I went hunting with my friends and learned some horseback archery, but it was just a hobby that was not worth mentioning. I couldn't say I was proficient in it. At that time, I just shot a few arrows at the enemy camp randomly, and I didn't expect to hit it. This is really the will of heaven on the Han Dynasty, which shows your majesty's merits. Your majesty's merits are unparalleled, so we, the ministers, are also protected by heaven."

Liu Taozi opened her mouth several times but couldn't say a word. In the end, she could only utter one word from between her teeth.

"it is good."

Zu Ting said with emotion: "Fortunately, I picked up a mask of General Gao, otherwise, I would not have been able to keep it for so long."

"it is good"

The two of them quickly finished their meal, and Zu Ting suddenly said, "Your Majesty, perhaps you can send someone to stop the Yan Heita and bring back the Crown Prince, Queen Mother and others from Zhou."

"Oh?"

"Why?"

Zu Ting narrowed his eyes. "At first, I thought Yuwen Yong was just temporarily ill, but judging from the current situation, the Zhou Kingdom is in such a mess, but Yuwen Yong has not shown up yet, and has let Yuwen Xian handle everything. Yuwen Yong must have a big problem. Given his character, as long as he can still move, he shouldn't be so inactive. It seems like he is really going to die."

"The Crown Prince, the Queen Mother and others are our bargaining chips."

"We have many options. We can return the crown prince and let him fight with Yuwen Xian first, or we can wait for Yuwen Xian to succeed to the throne. As long as he succeeds to the throne, we can also establish a Zhou Kingdom!"

"The situation in the world is becoming increasingly clear. From now on, Han will get the north, while Zhou and Chen will share the south."

“This is a three-legged tripod.”

"Yuwen Xian is not a mediocre person, and his subordinates Gao Jiong, Yang Jian, Yang Su, He Ruobi and others are definitely not incompetent."

"If we let him gain a foothold in Bashu, he won't be able to get out, but it will also be difficult for us to get in."

"The situation in the world has always been like this. Once it is fixed, it will be difficult to find any breakthrough unless something unexpected happens. No city or pass can be easily taken down."

"Therefore, we cannot give Yuwen Xian any chance to gain a foothold, nor can we watch the situation in the world solidify."

"Press forward step by step and use all possible means. Otherwise, I am afraid that we will not be able to witness the great unification trend."

Zu Ting couldn't stay idle. Liu Taozi had just said that they could talk after they finished eating, but he just couldn't help himself.

"So, we have to take Jiangling first."

"Ok?"

"The Bashu Road is difficult to travel. Although we have detailed information, the pass is difficult and cannot be compensated by secrets. The best way is to take two routes at the same time."

"All the way from Guanzhong, all the way from Jingzhou."

"Jiangling must be in our hands."

"Grandpa, do you think we should take action against the State of Chen?"

"That's not necessary at all. Your Majesty, just wait a little longer and you will be able to see clearly."

Zu Ting seemed to remember something funny and grinned again.

When the emperor and his minister had eaten and drunk their fill and walked out of here, Wei Xiaokuan had just arrived at the door. When he saw Liu Taozi, a look of embarrassment clearly flashed across Wei Xiaokuan's face.

He was about to speak, but Liu Taozi asked first: "He didn't arrange for anyone to pass on information along the way, didn't set up beacons at important intersections, and didn't quickly come back to help after learning that the rear was attacked, which almost ruined the prime minister of a country. How can you say he has military talent?"

Wei Xiaokuan lowered his head and dared not answer.

Liu Taozi strode away.

It can be seen that Liu Taozi was indeed a little angry this time.

Zu Ting smiled and held Wei Xiaokuan's hand, "Don't worry about it, Lord Wei. His Majesty is a straightforward person. He will say whatever he wants and never keep it in his heart. Now that he has said it, he will not blame Lord Wei anymore."

Wei Xiaokuan sighed, "Grandfather, it's not that I intentionally neglected the defense, but I don't have many soldiers under my command, and I never thought that Yuchi Jiong would dare to attack. As for the rescue, I..."

"It's okay. I understand. Yuchi Jiong is in charge of Yizhou. It will be very difficult for you to take over the place. If it were me, I would do the same. You don't need to say more."

Zu Ting stroked his beard and said, "It's just that your majesty loves me very much. It's normal for your majesty to be angry about what Duke Wei did. I just need to say a few good words for Duke Wei."

"Thank you, Grandpa."

After this incident, Wei Xiaokuan's attitude towards Zu Ting changed significantly. He looked Zu Ting up and down and said, "I have heard that Zu Gong is good at strategy, but this is the first time I know that Zu Gong is also good at military affairs."

"I don't know how to lead troops in battle. Armor is very heavy and uncomfortable to wear."

"By the way, where is that kid Yuchi Jiong? Where is he being held?"

"Please follow me, Grandpa."

The two men mounted their horses together. Wei Xiaokuan, riding on his war horse, described the situations in various places to Zu Ting very seriously.

Wei Xiaokuan's persuasion to surrender was quite successful. The Guanzhong area was in complete chaos, and there were many people willing to submit. He went out for a walk and directly pushed the Han Dynasty's defense line forward. Chang'an was getting closer and closer to the Han Dynasty's front line, and the Han Dynasty's cavalry could run over to attack at any time.

The barriers in Hanzhong no longer exist.

Wei Xiaokuan brought Zu Ting to a small courtyard at the southernmost end of the checkpoint.

There are many soldiers stationed outside the courtyard gate. They are fully armed, which shows how much everyone values ​​this place.

Zu Ting cleared his throat and was about to go in, but Wei Xiaokuan stopped him.

"Grandfather, although Yuchi Jiong is a hot-tempered person, he is well-known in the Zhou Kingdom and should not be insulted lightly."

Wei Xiaokuan knew Zu Ting's character and was afraid that he would start humiliating Yuchi Jiong as soon as he entered.

Zu Ting shook his head, "Don't worry."

Only then did Wei Xiaokuan bring Zu Ting into the courtyard.

Yuchi Jiong was imprisoned in this small courtyard.

After Yuchi Jiong was defeated by Gao Changgong for the first time, he was ordered to guard the five states in the north of Chang'an. The five states in the north, with Yizhou as the core, basically undertook the front-line defense work at that time. Yuchi Jiong took the initiative to attack this time, but was intercepted by Zu Ting. Not only did he fail to make any contribution, but the rear area he was in charge of was destroyed by Wei Xiaokuan.

At this moment, Yuchi Jiong was really disheartened.

He sat in the yard with a dull face, and the endless regret made him miserable.

When Zu Ting and Wei Xiaokuan walked in, Yuchi Jiong woke up from his stupor. He raised his head and his eyes quickly locked onto Zu Ting.

Zu Ting gave a gentle smile.

"you!!!"

Yuchi Jiong stood up suddenly, his face flushed, and he almost fainted from anger.

The soldiers in the courtyard hurried forward and stood between the two sides.

Zu Ting looked at Wei Xiaokuan and said, "I didn't say anything."

Wei Xiaokuan sighed deeply and then looked at Yuchi Jiong.

Yuchi Jiong had no intention of surrendering. This time, he fought to exhaustion and was then captured.

Wei Xiaokuan said, "Duke Shu, in the past both sides served their respective masters. Why do we have to do this?"

Yuchi Jiong cursed, "Wei Xiaokuan! You are a villain! You have been blessed by the country for generations, why did you betray and join the enemy? Are all the people of Zhou as shameless as you?"

"It would be fine if you were cowardly enough to surrender to the enemy, but you even dared to bring the enemy with you to persuade your old colleagues to surrender. I have never seen such a shameless villain as you. You are unworthy of being a human being."

Yuchi Jiong started to attack Wei Xiaokuan continuously.

He cursed for a long time until his mouth was dry and even Zu Ting felt that he had gone too far.

But Wei Xiaokuan's expression did not change at all, he was still as calm as ever.

He didn't even have the mind to defend himself. Yuchi Jiong kept scolding, but when he saw that the other party had no response at all, he stopped angrily.

Zu Ting then spoke, "General Yuchi, why did you stop? You haven't scolded me yet."

"you!!"

"Okay, General Yuchi, please stop getting angry."

"The destiny of heaven changes, and the virtuous will prevail."

“This has been the truth since ancient times.”

"It is not General Wei who has lost his virtue, but the Han Dynasty that has its virtue."

"The Han Dynasty is a virtuous nation, so all the generals and soldiers fought to the death, and the wise men of the world surrendered one after another. General Wei had just surrendered, and my lord gave him troops and horses, let him go out on his own, and entrusted him with the important task of governor. Is this a lord who does not rule the world? General Yuchi claims to be a virtuous man. In order to get his family back, he was eager to chase and killed thousands of elite cavalry. Now he is even more obsessed with revenge and sent troops again. You have lost the barrier of Guanzhong. Your emperor is seriously ill and has not had time to rest. He is still on the road because of you. I am afraid that he will be killed by you on the road."

"What do you mean by a virtuous person?"

"I came to see General Yuchi today not to humiliate you. I also know your character. If you don't want to surrender to the Han Dynasty, I won't force you. However, although your emperor is not sure whether he is alive or dead, your prince is with me. I am going to write a letter to His Majesty to ask you to take care of the prince of Zhou."

"If you are in a hurry to die, just pretend I have never been here. You can do whatever you want. If you still think you are a loyal minister, you might as well live a little longer and help take care of the prince. When we have pacified the world, it will not be too late for you to die."

Yuchi Jiong's face changed drastically.

"What do you want to do? Are you trying to intimidate me with the prince?"

"I said, Han is a virtuous country. We will not kill prisoners. Even after we conquer the north, it is not impossible to send your prince back to succeed the throne. Maybe you can leave with the prince?"

"The situation in the world is changing rapidly. Today we are making an alliance with Chen to attack the Zhou people. Who can predict what will happen in the future?"

Yuchi Jiong frowned and remained silent for a long time.

Zu Ting talked for a few more words before taking Wei Xiaokuan away from the courtyard.

After the two of them came out, Wei Xiaokuan immediately asked, "Grandpa wants to keep him?"

"A living person is always more useful than a dead person. Maybe one day I can use him. What I just said is true. Maybe I will really send him away in the future?"

Zu Ting narrowed his eyes and smiled particularly brightly.

The official road looked particularly desolate.

The bustling scene of the past is long gone.

The villages in the distance were also empty. The people had already fled. The post houses in the distance were empty and no one was guarding them.

The long team is moving forward with its head lowered.

The blow suffered by the Zhou Kingdom this time seemed to have destroyed the morale of all the Zhou people.

These knights, who used to be the most elite knights, now hung their heads, did not speak to each other, looked lifeless, and had dull faces. No one knew what they were thinking about.

In the middle of the army was the emperor's chariot.

Yang Su rode his horse and stood beside the emperor's carriage, looking worried.

As the Chen people launched a fierce attack on Jiangling, the south became unsafe as well. Yuwen Xian was wary of any changes, so he ordered Yang Su to evacuate the emperor towards Hanzhong.

The emperor is in poor health and should not be in a hurry to travel. The official road is not very flat, and even the emperor's carriage will shake. The emperor's condition is not suitable for long-distance travel.

However, Yuwen Xian had no other choice.

Chang'an is no longer a good place to stay, and Jingbei is even more dangerous. If the emperor is not transported to the rear now, he will probably become a prisoner of others!

If that happens, the situation will be even worse.

Their marching speed was not too fast, after all, that was the emperor's situation.

In the distance, there were scouts running towards this direction. The scouts were very fast, and they kept conveying news from all over the place to the emperor.

Yang Su took the letter from the scout and was about to check it when he heard a cough from behind him.

Yang Su woke up instantly and turned back quickly.

Yuwen Xiaobo followed behind him. Even if Yang Su gained Yuwen Xian's trust, it was impossible for Yuwen Xian to entrust the task of taking care of the emperor to him alone. Yang Su was a guard, and the minister who really took care of the emperor was Yuwen Xiaobo, who came from a royal family.

Yuwen Xiaobo and Yuwen Yong had been good friends for many years and were the most trusted of confidants. Yuwen Xian asked him to be in charge of looking after the matter in order to prove to everyone else that he had no bad intentions.

"Is there any news about the King of Qi?"

"Have."

Yang Su hurriedly found one of the documents and handed it to Yuwen Xiaobo.

They walked very slowly, their war horses swaying as they moved forward. Yuwen Xiaobo opened the document directly on horseback and began to read it. After just a few glances, his face became even gloomier.

Yang Su had been staring at his expression. Seeing him like this, he hurriedly asked, "Duke, what happened?"

Yuwen Xiaobo was silent for a moment. "The Duke of Yun surrendered to the enemy, the Duke of Shu was captured, and the five states north of Chang'an fell into the hands of the enemy."

Yang Su was horrified, "Then the King of Qi shouldn't stay in Chang'an any longer!"

"Yes, but the Guanzhong area has not been pacified yet. Are we just going to leave so many things to the enemy and flee in panic?"

Yuwen Xiaobo put away the letter, his face full of despair.

These days, bad news has been coming one after another from all over the place, but not a single good news has been heard.

Is it possible that the Great Zhou Dynasty is really going to perish in our hands?

Looking at the extremely uneasy Yuwen Xiaobo, Yang Su suddenly said, "If you can't make a prompt decision and give up the things you are attached to, you will pay the price for it sooner or later."

"I am a lowly person and my words are not taken seriously. If the Duke could write a letter to inform the King of Qi and ask him to withdraw immediately without any hesitation, that would be the best."

Yuwen Xiaobo's face was full of struggle.

The Zhou State stored a large amount of military equipment and food in the Guanzhong area, and even migrated a lot of people here, reclaimed a lot of land, and dug many canals. It can be said that the essence of the entire Zhou Dynasty was in this Guanzhong area.

Don't even mention that Bashu is a land of abundance. During the past hundred years of war, Bashu has suffered a lot.

The Bashu of today is no longer the Bashu of the Han Dynasty.
Even Yuwen Xiaobo himself was not willing to give up his foundation in Guanzhong!
Yang Su advised again: "First it was the two states in the northwest, and now it is the five states north of Chang'an. If we don't evacuate now, when Xiangyang and other places south of the country also fall to the enemy, we won't even be able to keep our retreat. The most important thing now is to regroup and hold on to our position. Why are you hesitating and clinging to external things?"

Just as the two were chatting, a guard suddenly jumped out of the car in a hurry.

"Duke! His Majesty summons you!"

"Your Majesty summons you!"

Yuwen Xiaobo was happy at first, but then he became worried.

Should this news be reported to the emperor?
(End of this chapter)