Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 465 Can I Be Hou Andu?
Inside and outside the military camp, people were all in mourning.

Yang Su finished the things in his hands and hurried back to his residence.

Yuwen Xian returned to the emperor and spread the news of the emperor's death to all places.

The Zhou Kingdom, which was already facing many setbacks and was like a candle in the wind, suffered another blow.

But this is not the end, this is just the beginning.

Things for the heirs were not as smooth as expected.

In fact, since the late emperor's descendants were all captured by thieves and he issued an edict before his death to let Yuwen Xian take charge of the situation, there was no problem at all for Yuwen Xian to inherit the throne.

After all, he is the son of Emperor Wen, he is old enough, and his reputation for virtue is well-known. All conditions are ripe.

The only thing is Yuwen Xian’s own wish.

After Yuwen Xian cried for the late emperor, Gao Jiong quickly proposed that Yuwen Xian should inherit the throne, but Yuwen Xian did not agree. Instead, he asked if it was possible to bring back the prince?

This immediately caused everyone to feel uneasy.

Yang Su didn't care much about it. In terms of background, Yuwen Hu was his first advocate, and following Yuwen Xian was a recent thing. He was far less loyal to Yuwen Xian than Gao Jiong and others. After all, Gao Jiong and his son were both close to Yuwen Xian's chief secretary. Although he had a past relationship with the Dugu family, he was deeply favored by Yuwen Xian and was one with Yuwen Xian. Therefore, Gao Jiong and others cared a lot about this matter, but Yang Su was okay.

Yang Su was an extremely intelligent and confident person.

He could clearly see the pros and cons of the current situation, but he chose to remain silent and pretend that nothing had happened.

When the emperor just died, he still thought about whether he could compete for the credit of following the leader, but when he found out that Yuwen Xian came with many people, he lost interest and stopped participating.

At that moment, they had arrived in Hanzhong County. Everyone was busy doing important things in the city, except Yang Su, who was still staying in the military camp, training soldiers day and night, as if the world's affairs had nothing to do with him.

When Yang Su returned to the tent door, the two soldiers at the door looked at him and gestured inside with their eyes.

Yang Su hesitated slightly, thought about it, and then quickly walked into the tent.

There was a man in the tent, looking at a hanging map with his back to Yang Su.

However, even with his back to him, Yang Su could still recognize the identity of the person in front of him.

"Gao-kun?"

Gao Ying turned his head suddenly, and a smile appeared on his face, "Yang Jun is finally back."

Yang Su smiled and said, "Mr. Gao wanted to come and visit us, but you didn't tell me. If I had known you were coming, I would have prepared a banquet."

Gao Jiong took out the order from his bosom and said, "Don't worry, I came here with the order, so they dare not stop me. I don't want to delay the military, so I will just wait here."

Yang Su was a little surprised. "Imperial edict?"

"The order of the King of Qi."

Yang Su hurriedly knelt down to receive the imperial edict, but Gao Jiong quickly stepped forward and helped him up, "There is no need to do that for now. This imperial edict."

Gao Jiong hesitated for a moment, then said, "Mr. Yang, why don't we sit down and talk first?"

Yang Su became more and more suspicious, but he did not reject the other party's kindness.

The two of them sat facing each other, and Yang Su asked someone to bring them tea and some fruit.

The two of them pretended to exchange pleasantries for a while, but the atmosphere was rather awkward and they didn't feel close at all.

The two of them were not friends at all, and their interests were not that similar.

Gao Jiong sighed, "Mr. Yang, the late emperor has passed away, the enemy is powerful and has been mobilized frequently. What do you think we should do in this situation?"

Yang Su immediately replied: "Bashu is a strategic location. We should abandon Guanzhong immediately and retreat to Bashu. Then we should send our trusted followers to control the prefectures and counties of Bashu, win over the local clans, reduce taxes and levies, settle the people's hearts, and then build checkpoints on the front line, dig for peace, make peace with the Southern Chen, build barriers, and wait for changes in the world."

Yang Su spoke in a variety of ways, and it always seemed like there was something else behind his words.

Gao Jiong nodded, agreeing with Yang Su's words, "You are right, this is how it should be!"

"Bashu is a dangerous place. As long as we can appease the people, even a mediocre person like me can resist the powerful army of the bandits."

"However, whether it is to appease the people or to strengthen the city, I feel that the most important thing is to have a wise king to lead the people."

"Since ancient times, there have been many rulers who have tried to conquer the Plains, and there have been many wise and virtuous rulers among them. But why have they failed? I think it is because most of their rulers are unjust. When a virtuous ruler is in power, Bashu can conquer the world if it advances, and defend one side if it retreats. When an unjust ruler is in power, Bashu can only resist stubbornly and wait for destruction."

"What do you think, Yang Jun?"

At this moment, Yang Su had probably guessed what he was going to say next, but he was still a little curious.

Why are you looking for me for this kind of thing?
Yang Su's promotion was slow because of the stigma left by Yuwen Hu and his previous "battle record" in Luozhou.

The officials around Yuwen Xian, such as He Ruobi, Gao Jiong, and Han Qinhu, all had higher official positions than him. Among them, He Ruobi was already able to take charge of a region, but he was still doing the work of a bodyguard and personal attendant, running errands for Yuwen Xian and going wherever he was needed.

No matter how you look at it, the matter of inheriting the throne shouldn't come to me, right?
These two people are really smart. After hearing what Gao Jiong said, Yang Su nodded and said, "Mr. Gao is right."

"However, this kind of big thing is not something that a small soldier like me can think about. As expected, only Mr. Gao can find the crux of the problem. Mr. Gao said it very well!"

Gao Jiong did not let him go and continued to ask: "Mr. Yang, who do you think can take on the great responsibility and inherit the throne in the country today?"

Yang Su did not try to fool around and answered directly: "Only the King of Qi can take on this important task."

Gao Ying clapped his hands, "That's exactly it!"

He put the edict aside.

"In terms of talent, character, and experience, who is more suitable than the King of Qi?"

"However, the king has always been loyal and filial, and he actually said that he would invite the prince back to inherit the throne. Do you know why the king said that?"

"Oh? Is there any news about the prince?"

"Yes, the Han people sent a letter to express their condolences for the late emperor, and also expressed their willingness to send the prince back to mourn for his father."

Gao Ying's face turned gloomy.

"I guess this is another plan of Zu Ting."

"Zu Ting."

Yang Su narrowed his eyes.

Gao Jiong sneered and said, "Most of the bandits are brave but foolish men. The Khitan people in the border areas, only Zu Ting is the most cunning and sinister. This must be Zu Ting's plan. Most of our villains here have colluded with the Han people, so that he knew about your majesty in advance. Otherwise, his envoy would not have come so quickly."

"They say they are sending the prince back, but in fact they are trying to disrupt our internal affairs."

"The prince is young, so he may not know the key."

Yang Su was not surprised.

After Gao Jiong finished speaking, he sighed, "Zu Ting, the old man, is really hateful. But he is indeed very talented."

"If this old villain doesn't die, the world will be in turmoil"

Gao Jiong also agreed with this.

But Yang Su did not stop and continued to insult Zu Ting.

Gao Jiong was really helpless and finally interrupted him, "Mr. Yang, there is no one around, why do you have to do this?"

"I won't hide it from you. This imperial decree is from His Majesty asking you to lead the troops to welcome the Crown Prince!!"

Gao Ying banged heavily on the wooden table in front of him.

Yang Su frowned and said nothing.

Gao Jiong suddenly asked, "Have you ever heard of the great southern general Hou Andu?"

"I heard something."

Gao Jiong said slowly: "This Hou Andu is a former general of Chen Baxian. He followed Chen Baxian and made great contributions to the establishment of the Chen Kingdom."

"At that time, Chen Baxian's son was called Chen Chang, and he was held hostage in Zhou."

"Chen Baxian wrote to us several times to request it, but because Chen Chang was in poor health, we never let him go."

"Later, Chen Baxian became seriously ill. The Great Zhou was full of benevolence and justice, and could not bear to let the father and son die without seeing each other, so they let him return."

"However, after Chen Baxian's death, his ministers split into two groups. One group believed that Chen Chang should be welcomed back to inherit the throne, while the other group believed that Chen Baxian's nephew Chen Qian should inherit the throne."

"The two sides argued endlessly, and Hou Andu stood in front with a knife in hand, presided over the matter personally, let Chen Qian ascend the throne, and then took orders to welcome Chen Chang."

"Halfway through the journey, Chen Chang drowned and was unable to return to his country."

"But it allowed Chen Qian to firmly establish his throne. He became the Emperor Wen of Chen."

"Mr. Yang, you have a lot of talent and you have a grudge against the bandits, so you should know what's going on in the world!"

"The current King of Qi is as talented as Chen Qian of the State of Chen. If he can inherit the throne, great things can be expected. I wonder if Lord Yang is willing to be Marquis Andu?"

Gao Jiong's tone was blunt and unquestionable. Yang Su always thought he was a bold man, but Gao Jiong's straightforward words still frightened him.

Damn it! You want me to kill the prince?
Looking at Yang Su's changeable face, Gao Jiong stood up, walked quickly to his side and grabbed his arm.

"General, the country is in danger right now, and it is the time for heroes to emerge and make great achievements. With such a great achievement before you, why are you hesitating?"

"If you can accomplish such a feat, why worry about not being able to advance and achieve great things?"

Of course, the great cause that Yang Su was talking about was not becoming an emperor, but becoming a high-ranking official. The great cause of an emperor and the great cause of a minister are somewhat different.

But this is also a disguised promise of a high reward after the task is completed.

Yang Su said: "It's not that I don't want to serve the country."

"I just want to know, is this Gao Jun's plan?"

Yang Su's question seemed to be empty, but Gao Jiong understood what he meant.

Yang Su just wanted to ask, was this matter initiated by you alone, or was it suggested by the King of Qi?

He could have been Hou An, although Hou Andu was killed by Chen Qian in the end. But Hou Andu relied on his great achievements and dared to use the emperor's palace for fun. He even dared to grab the emperor's hand and ask, "If it weren't for me, could you have been the emperor?" In this way, he definitely deserved to be killed. How could Emperor Wen of Chen be easily messed with? Most of those who were posthumously named Wen were kind-hearted but evil-hearted, and would kill people without blinking an eye.

Yang Su was not afraid of being Hou Andu, he was afraid of being Cheng Ji.

There is certainly a difference between the two. Following the monarch's suggestion to kill his rival is considered a great achievement. Didn't you see that Hou Andu was directly promoted to the chief minister after he returned by boat?

But if he listened to the counselor's words and started to kill the nobleman without receiving direct orders from the king, then it would be Cheng Ji's fault. Not to mention any merit, the three clans could easily be implicated.

So, he had to ask clearly first.

But, you can't ask this kind of thing directly. You can't ask whether Yuwen Xian wants to kill Yuwen Yun, right?

Gao Jiong was immediately annoyed. He loosened his grip on Yang Su's hand and asked, "What do you mean, Mr. Yang?"

"Do you want to take the imperial edict and go do the work again?!"

"I regard Lord Yang as a righteous man, and the king regards you as a capable minister."

Yang Su said hurriedly: "I have no other intentions. The king has been kind to me. I am willing to die for the king without any complaints. I am just worried whether this matter is really beneficial to the king."

"What harm could there be in this?!"

"Forget it, just pretend I never mentioned it."

"Gao Jun, wait a minute!!"

Yang Su hurriedly grabbed Gao Jiong's hand.

When Gao Jiong mentioned Hou Andu, Yang Su had only two choices.

One was to accept Gao Jiong's proposal and prepare to go out and kill people, and the other was to kill Gao Jiong and then quickly escape to join the Han State.

If he did not choose these two options, he would have to wait for Gao Jiong to return, and then he would be imprisoned and killed on any charge.

How could such an important matter as that involving the succession to the throne be easily spoken out? And once it was spoken out, how could it be let go?

Either do it or die.

This is the truth since ancient times, there is no other way.

Gao Jiong watched as Yang Su's face gradually turned red, his eyes became bloodshot, and he became more and more excited.

"Mr. Gao, I am willing to contribute to the king!!"

"I have always had great ambitions, but I just regret that I have no place to display them. Now that Lord Gao has given me the opportunity to make achievements, how can I refuse?"

Yang Su raised his hand, "I am willing to swear a solemn oath!!"

Gao Jiong knew that Yang Su would not refuse.

Yang Su was a man with an extremely strong desire for power. He would do anything for power. He was also brave and resourceful. He was born to do such big things!
Looking at his excitement, Gao Ying knew that he had not found the wrong person.

He saluted hastily, "Great General!"

The two pretended again, but this time they were much more sincere.

After the two men sat down, Gao Jiong began to talk about the specific matters of welcoming the prince.

The prince did not come back alone this time, but was accompanied by ministers.

Therefore, this matter needs to be done more cleverly.

The North is somewhat different from the South. People in the South like to fall into water, while people in the North like to fall off horses.

Gao Jiong had indeed designed everything, but he did not require Yang Su to do things completely according to his ideas. He believed that Yang Su could come up with a good plan as long as it was not made too obvious.

The two conspired until late at night, swore an oath to each other, and then left.

When Gao Ying came, he had a sad face, but when he left, his face was full of joy.

Gao Jiong returned to the city and came to the side of the King of Qi.

It was already getting dark at this time.

Yuwen Xian was still wearing mourning clothes, his eyes were swollen, and he cried for a long time today.

Upon learning of Gao Jiong's arrival, Yuwen Xian was a little surprised. He didn't know why he came at this time. However, Gao Jiong was his own man and there was no need for him to observe so many etiquette.

After the two met, Gao Jiong slowly said, "My king, I have thought about it, and you are right. Under the current situation, supporting a crown prince can appease the people's hearts more quickly. I shouldn't have argued with you about this matter before."

Yuwen Xian asked Gao Jiong to sit up and said affectionately: "My elder brother is like a father. He has always doted on me. I would never have any bad thoughts. Now that they are willing to send the prince back, this is a good thing."

"The prince is intelligent and benevolent. Isn't it a blessing for the country to have such a leader?"

"You must assist me more attentively and help the Crown Prince to fulfill the late emperor's ambitions."

Looking at the strong and kind man in front of him, who was as tall as a towering mountain, the last bit of hesitation in Gao Ying's eyes disappeared.

"I will die in the service of the king!!!"

Even after Gao Jiong left, Yang Su still looked excited.

He excitedly asked the soldiers outside the door to call his confidants over.

As soon as the officer came to greet him, Yang Su said, "My belongings are missing. I suspect the two gatekeepers did it. Take them down, put them in jail and kill them."

The officer said yes without asking any further questions.

Soon, there was a noise coming from outside, and then it gradually calmed down.

Yang Su changed his clothes and quietly left his home.

In the dark room, the candlelight flickered gently, barely illuminating the surroundings; the room still looked gloomy and dark.

Yang Su sat among them and looked at the people around him.

"That's just the way it is."

"Gao Jiong wants to kill the prince, and he also wants to kill me."

"He didn't look for the nearest He Ruobi, nor the most courageous Han Qinhu, but came to me for help, because I have the most distant relationship with him, and he has always been wary of me, thinking that I might threaten his position. Therefore, he came up with this plan to kill two birds with one stone, which can not only pave the way for the king, but also get rid of me."

"As for him, I don't know what he thinks."

"I know you are close to him, but I still came to you. It's not because I want to ask for help, but because I think I can help you accomplish great things."

In the candlelight, an equally young face was illuminated and its color kept changing.

That was Yang Jian.

Yang Jian looked at Yang Su, "You didn't say anything to me, but suddenly came to visit me and told me such a shocking thing, and then said you would help me accomplish great things. I really don't understand."

"You don't have to do this. Yuwen Xian is not on good terms with you. When the late emperor was still alive, he persuaded the emperor to get rid of you. Now you have lost Jiangling and have fled here in a hurry. You have only escaped disaster because you have more important things to do. Once the matter is settled, I'm afraid you will be the first one to be dealt with."

"In addition, the prince is your son-in-law. If the prince inherits the throne, there will be no one around him to use. The only thing he can use is the power of his wife's family."

"Your daughter has not yet been sent to marry the crown prince. She is still with you. When the crown prince returns, you can arrange the marriage. As a relative of the new emperor, you will follow him and become his only support."

"As for me, if I can protect the prince and serve him well, and if you can give me some advice, I can also achieve great things!"

"Bashu is a precious land, so why worry about not accomplishing great things?"

Yang Jian frowned, "The King of Qi has treated you well, why would you want to betray me?"

"How can this be considered betrayal? The late emperor once issued an order that no one can recruit talented people privately. I am a minister of the Great Zhou. Moreover, I have made many contributions to the king, but I have not received any rewards. With the great cause at hand, I don't want to wait any longer. Gao Jiong has come to me and is trying to intimidate me. This gives me a good opportunity."

"I am not afraid of not getting rich, I am only afraid of riches forcing me to get them"

(End of this chapter)