Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 466 Loyal and Righteous People
"I will never forget your great kindness!!!"

"Great kindness and great virtue."

Yuwen Yun wiped his tears and bowed deeply to Zu Ting again and again.

At the edge of the official road, many Han soldiers stood there. The surrounding area was under martial law and no one could approach.

The prince's carriage is ready.

The former Zhou captives were now dressed again, along with seven or eight civil servants. These people were not really important ministers, but were carefully selected by Zu Ting from among the many captives. Each of them was a very talented person!
Yuwen Yun really never thought that there would be a day when he could go back.

Thinking of his miserable life as a prisoner, and then thinking that he would inherit the throne after returning, and even without that old guy beating him every day, Yuwen Yun even wanted to laugh.

But he also knew that it was wrong to laugh now.

At least in front of others, you still have to show your inner sadness.

Yuchi Jiong was standing not far away at this moment, his eyes full of confusion.

He was going to accompany the prince back.

Yuchi Jiong never expected that he would be let go one day.

Zu Ting looked at the prince at this moment and said seriously: "The Han Dynasty governs the country with loyalty and filial piety. There is no reason to prevent filial sons from returning to worship their fathers."

"Your Highness will be able to inherit the throne when you return this time."

"Although there were some minor frictions between Han and Zhou before, the war really started because of the southerners. The southerners attacked Nanyang first, which led to this war. We are willing to live in peace with Zhou."

"I hope that after Your Highness ascends the throne, you will remember what happened now and send envoys to each other."

Yuwen Yun nodded hurriedly, "Of course, of course. This friction is all because of those southerners. The Heavenly King is so kind that he allowed me to go back. I am very grateful in my heart. When I return, I will definitely send an envoy to express my gratitude. From now on, I will never dare to compete with the Han Kingdom again."

Yuwen Yun even said some harsh words. Zu Ting exchanged a few pleasantries with him with a smile, and then suddenly lowered his voice and patted his shoulder, "Your Highness, there are always risks in inheriting the throne this time. Your Highness must be careful."

After saying this, he took a few steps back, still looking polite.

Yuwen Yun was shocked, but said nothing and got into the car trembling.

After he was sent in, the rest of the officers and soldiers followed and prepared to leave.

At this moment, Yuchi Jiong walked up to Zu Ting in just a few steps.

Yuchi Jiong frowned, said nothing, and stared at Zu Ting.

"What do you want, Lord Yuchi?"

Yuchi Jiong said seriously: "You'd better report to the Heavenly King now and have me executed."

"Oh? Why?"

"It is his kindness to pardon the prisoners and send them back. I should thank him. However, I am a general of Zhou. Even if I go back, I will never betray my country because of this kindness. After I go back, I will reorganize the troops, defend the pass, and resist the army of Han."

"You might as well kill me now!"

A hint of surprise flashed in Zu Ting's eyes.

"I really didn't expect you to say such a thing."

"So that you know, I am not someone who relies on women to get to the top. I have real military achievements. I conquered Bashu. In Shu, I have the highest reputation! I can gather troops there and resist powerful enemies."

"It was given to you before because the army had lost its morale. It's not that the Westerners are inferior to the Easterners!"

"Westerners??"

Zu Ting laughed, "If I remember correctly, you are from the Dai County Xianbei. Dai County is in the east, so why do you call yourself the West?"

Yuchi Jiong snorted coldly and did not answer.

"I know that Lord Yuchi married the princess because of his talent. During the war, I just wanted to irritate you. I just said that you relied on women to get to the top. How could Lord Yuchi take it seriously? Who in the world doesn't know how brave you are?"

"I did have other ideas when I let you go this time."

"This war has been going on for a long time, and it is time to end it. If it continues, it will only be disadvantageous to you. You must first stabilize Bashu before you can compete with us. If you continue to fight, won't you be destroyed?"

"I am a kind person and I cannot stand seeing such things."

"destruction?"

Yuchi Jiong laughed loudly, "Guanzhong is falling apart. You can take it quickly with your cavalry, but can you send troops to take Bashu? The roads there are difficult for cavalry to pass. Besides, if you take over so much land, there will be a lot of waste. Will there be enough food for them?"

"I think the Han Dynasty can no longer continue."

Zu Ting had a stern face, looking somewhat displeased.

"General, I'm letting you go. This is the Heavenly King's kindness. It's not because he's afraid of you. Why are you so arrogant?"

"If the stalemate continues, it will certainly be disadvantageous to the Han State, but what about the Zhou State? Will the Zhou State gain any benefit?"

"This is a matter of benefit to everyone. Yuwen Xian is a young boy with an impatient personality. If he shouts for revenge for his brother and invades again, it will be bad. I let you go back because you have a high level of experience and have always been close to the Yuwen family. You can persuade Yuwen Xian a little."

Yuchi Jiong hesitated for a moment, "I won't be your lobbyist, but I can tell the King of Qi about these things for you. The King of Qi is not what you think. He is a man of great talent and strategy."

"well."

Zu Ting stood in the distance, watching the group of people gradually leave.

Shi Wansui walked to Zu Ting's side without knowing when, staring at the carriage that was about to go away, and said with emotion: "Yuchi Jiong is a great general. If we let him go like this, he may become our great enemy."

"Ah."

Zu Ting sneered and did not answer.

Then he turned around and left with everyone.

At this time, Yuwen Yun sat in the car, praying to God over and over again, hoping that he could overcome this difficulty and return safely. He also hoped that the Han people would not break their oath and let him go.

Just as he was silently reciting in his mind, someone suddenly broke into the car.

Yuwen Yun was shocked, but when he looked again, he saw that the person coming was Yuchi Jiong, and he immediately felt much more at ease.

"grown ups!!"

Yuwen Yun's eyes were red. He hadn't seen Yuchi Jiong for a long time since he was captured.

Yuchi Jiong was the son of Yuwen Tai's sister, which means he was also Yuwen Yun's uncle.

When Emperor Yuwen Yong started the rebellion, Yuchi Jiong was the first powerful general who responded among the non-participants. Therefore, after Emperor Yuwen Yong came to power, the first person he rewarded was Yuchi Jiong.

As a result, the relationship between the two became closer. Yuwen Yong often used him as commander-in-chief and trusted him. Yuwen Yun was also close to him.

Historically, after Yuwen Yun came to power, the first person to be rewarded was Yuchi Jiong.

In the end, it was this Yuchi Jiong who fought to the death for the Northern Zhou Dynasty.

At this moment, when the two met each other, they both felt a little moved.

Yuwen Yun burst into tears and Yuchi Jiong tried to comfort him again and again.

"Don't be sad, Your Highness. Since Zu Ting has decided to let us go, he will not betray us."

"Although he has no morals, Liu Taozi keeps his word."

"Besides, Your Highness doesn't have to worry as I am here to escort you."

The two of them started chatting cordially, and Yuwen Shan, who was standing aside, felt a little embarrassed.

Yuwen Shan lowered his head, his expression extremely complicated.

Yuwen Shan seemed to understand why Zu Ting suddenly wanted to let the prince go back.

The late emperor is no longer with us, and the reason why they were taken back halfway was probably because of this incident. The thieves must have known about the emperor's situation, so they took them here and now send them back.

Yuwenshan knew about this operation. Wasn't this the same thing that happened to Chen Qian and Chen Chang?

Yuwen Shan also knew what happened to Chen Chang and the officials who accompanied him.

At this moment, his heart was extremely complicated. He wanted to say something to the prince, but didn't know where to start. He hoped that the prince could return safely, but he didn't want the prince to have any conflict with the King of Qi.

Especially regarding the matter of Yuchi Jiong, Yuwen Shan felt that releasing Yuchi Jiong was just to put pressure on the King of Qi.

The King of Qi has a great reputation in Shu, but Yuchi Jiong's is even greater. The King of Qi has a reputation in the army, and so does Yuchi Jiong!
Although the two of them have a good relationship, once the friendship involves major interests, it becomes worthless.

Crown Prince Yuwen Yun's carriage traveled for a long time.

After gradually leaving Chang'an, Yuwen Yun kept urging his subordinates, hoping to move faster.

He wished he could grow wings and fly out of the Han army's control area.

Fortunately, with Yuchi Jiong coming to protect him, Yuwen Yun felt much more at ease.

They advanced forward anxiously all the way, and they didn't know how many days they had walked, before they finally saw the Zhou army that had been ordered to come and greet them.

When Yuwen Yun learned the news, he was so excited that he could hardly control himself. With the support of Yuwen Shan, he hurriedly got out of the car.

After the two got off the car, they saw the fully armed Zhou army in the distance. These fully armed knights looked majestic, and in front of them, there was a man who was talking to Yuchi Jiong. It seemed that Yuchi Jiong was quite angry and was yelling.

Yuwen Yun was overjoyed at first, but then he became confused. He looked at Yuwen Shan and asked, "What is the Duke of Shu talking about?"

"Why are you so angry?"

Yuwen Shan looked at those knights and felt particularly uneasy.

"It should be because they feel that there are too few knights and it is not in accordance with etiquette."

"What etiquette is there to talk about at a time like this?"

Yuwen Yun was helpless, "We are not out of danger yet, please help me. Forget it, I will go by myself!"

Without waiting for Yuwen Shan to speak, Yuwen Yun walked towards that direction himself.

Yuchi Jiong stared at the young general in front of him, furious.

"You only brought so few people to welcome His Highness? Are all the people in the Great Zhou dead?"

"Do you know how risky this is?!"

The man was not angry at all when he was scolded, he just lowered his head.

Yuwen Yun just happened to come over.

"Duke, why are you angry?"

Hearing the question, Yuchi Jiong paused and looked at Yuwen Yun with a solemn expression, "Your Highness! These are the team coming to welcome us, there is no one else."

"My father once told me that there is no need to talk about etiquette in times of crisis."

"Don't worry, Duke."

Yuchi Jiong wanted to say something, but now he fell silent.

This young general was naturally Yang Su who came to greet them. Yang Su did not hesitate and quickly bowed to meet Yuwen Yong. His attitude was quite respectful, which made everyone feel a lot better.

Yuwen Yun helped Yang Su up and said, "So it's General Yang. I've heard of you. You made my father very angry back then."

Yuwen Yun realized that he couldn't laugh, and quickly switched to a sad expression. "Looking at the general, I thought of the past and couldn't help feeling sad again."

"Your Highness, the country is in turmoil today. We need Your Highness to inherit the late emperor's ambition and pacify the world. I hope Your Highness will mourn and put the country first!"

Yuwen Yun wiped away his non-existent tears.

Everyone set off again.

Yuchi Jiong rode his horse and walked in front of the carriage. He always felt something was strange.

The welcoming team was really weird.

Logically speaking, if His Highness wants to go back, there must be an important minister arranged, or at least a relative of His Highness, to greet him, right?

Why would they send a young boy to greet us?

Besides, there are no slaves or supplies yet. This is the prince, and there are only officials serving him. Don't we need to prepare slaves and guards to take care of him when welcoming the prince, and then rush on the journey?
What does it mean to send only cavalry to meet them?

The more Yuchi Jiong thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. After walking for a few days, Yang Su had always kept his distance and didn't get close to him. It seemed that he was even trying to avoid Yuchi Jiong on purpose.

Yuchi Jiong rode on his horse, looking suspiciously at the young general who had asked to cover the retreat.

At this moment, the two seemed to look at each other. He clearly saw the determination in the young general's eyes, but the next moment, that look disappeared. Yang Su lowered his head and slowed down.

Yuchi Jiong trembled all over.

At this moment, he suddenly thought of something.

That’s right, he, like Yuwen Shan, thought of Chen Chang.

This incident was quite famous in the past.

At that time, everyone thought that Chen Qian was a very moral person. Although he had made many contributions, he always described himself as loyal and righteous. If the prince was released, it would definitely cause chaos among them. However, the prince was directly killed by the Chen people who came to greet and escort him. The killing was so straightforward that no one tried to cover it up. They said to the outside world that he drowned. As a result, Hou An, who was responsible for the escort, was directly rewarded. Even a fool could see that.

Yuchi Jiong's face suddenly turned pale.

He shook his head quickly.
The Yuwen Xian he knew was not such a person.

As long as Crown Prince Jian is still alive, there is no reason for Yuwen Xian to ascend to the throne. He has not already ascended the throne, so why would he do such a thing?
Yuchi Jiong's hand slowly placed on the hilt of the knife, his expression complicated.

If this is true, what should I do?
Yuwen Xian?
Or the prince?

For a moment, Yuchi Jiong was confused and at a loss.

After walking like this for a few days, they seemed to have finally escaped from the Han people's control area.

At night, the emperor's carriage stopped.

The soldiers and ministers stationed around the imperial carriage to rest.

The inns and other facilities here were badly damaged, and there was almost no place to rest.

There was a cold wind blowing, and the soldiers were a little tired, so they lowered their heads to rest.

Yuchi Jiong was patrolling in the distance. Suddenly, he saw Yang Su walk into the emperor's carriage. He frowned and walked forward slowly.

But before he could get close, some armored soldiers appeared around and protected the carriage without making a sound. Yuchi Jiong looked at the people around him and couldn't help but hesitate.

At this moment, inside the carriage, Yuwen Yun was holding Yang Su's hand and telling him about the rewards he would receive after returning.

Yuwen Yun was talking excitedly, when suddenly, Yang Su began to kowtow.

Yuwen Yun was also shocked, "Yang Qing, why is this happening?"

"Your Highness, I am guilty!"

As Yang Su spoke, he immediately took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Yuwen Yun.

Yuwen Yun took the letter doubtfully, looked at it for a few seconds, and almost threw it away.

The letter was unsigned, but its content was very scary. It actually asked Yang Su to throw himself off his horse and die on the way.

Yuwen Yun trembled and looked at Yang Su in astonishment, "This, this."

Yang Su raised his head and said seriously, "Your Highness, this was given to me by Yuwen Xian's confidant before he left!"

"I was forced to come here by the thieves."

Yuwen Yun's eyes were filled with sorrow. "Are you going to kill me, Yang Qing?"

"How dare I!!"

Yang Su said solemnly: "Your Majesty! I am related to Your Highness and would never dare to murder Your Highness!"

"A relative?"

Yang Su said: "Your Highness's wife is the daughter of Duke Suiguo, and I am from the same family as you, Hongnong Yang!"

Yuwen Yun nodded quickly, "Yes, we are related! Yes, we are related!"

"We are indeed related! Since we are relatives, we shouldn't be strangers. Yang Jun will stand up first."

Yang Su looked at the prince with emotion, his eyes reddened, "Your Highness, to be honest, I am a humble person with little influence. When I set out, I hesitated whether to obey. But after seeing Your Highness, I was shocked. Your Highness is kind, wise, and extraordinary. In time, you will definitely be the leader of the revival! I really don't want to let the hero be harmed by a villain!"

"Your Highness, don't worry. If the thieves want to murder you on the road, they are afraid of the ministers. Once Your Highness returns to Hanzhong, they will not dare to act."

"Even if I risk my life, I will definitely protect Your Highness and escort Him to Hanzhong!"

"After arriving, if I am killed by the thieves, I only ask Your Highness not to be afraid and to summon loyal and righteous men to avenge me!"

"I have received great favors from the late emperor, and I have no regrets even if I die!!"

Yuwen Yun was a rather cold-hearted person. Even so, he could not help himself after hearing what Yang Su said. His eyes turned red and he cried, "How can we let a loyal and righteous man be harmed by a thief! I will definitely protect you!"

"Your Highness!!"

"Yang Qing!"

The two held each other and started crying again.

At this moment, there was a sudden noise outside, and Yuchi Jiong's voice came from outside.

"Your Highness!! I wish to see you!!!"

Yang Su was stunned, and then said to Yuwen Yun: "The Duke of Shu is a truly kind and righteous man. He must be suspecting that I am doing harm to Your Highness."

Yuwen Yun was overjoyed, "There are many wise men in the country, why should I be afraid of those villains?!"

"Quick, let the Duke of Shu in!!"

(End of this chapter)