Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 479 I am not strong yet

Zhou, Dianjiang County.

Yuwen Yun had a grim expression on his face. He sat in the emperor's carriage, feeling the violent shaking. The anger was burning in his chest and would not go away.

The road is becoming increasingly difficult to travel.

Yuwen Yun could see that this group of people seemed to have changed direction. They were no longer heading south, but east.

He knew Dianjiang County, Hezhou, and a little further ahead it seemed to be Ba County?
But Yuwen Yun had no right to ask, after all, he had not yet personally ruled the country. The number of old ministers around him was decreasing, and there were only a few members of the royal family left. As the ruler of the Great Zhou, he was completely a decoration and had no effect at all.

The carriage suddenly shook violently, and Yuwen Yun felt like he was about to fall down. Fear appeared on his cold face again.

Fortunately, the violent bumps soon ended, and then there were the usual small bumps.

The roads in Ba County were much more difficult to travel on than those in Shu County. The bumps there were occasional, but here it was constant. The official road had been in disrepair for a long time, and there were many mountain roads with ups and downs. Yuwen Yun felt like he was going to vomit after sitting on it for half a day.

They marched all the way, and when it was about to get dark, the carriage finally stopped.

Yuwen Yun touched his chest, he felt something stuck in his throat, this kind of march was simply torture for himself! !

An attendant came in with food and drinks and served Yuwen Yun.

At this point, Yuwen Yun could no longer bear it.

"Announce my decree! Let Duke Sui come to pay his respects!"

The attendant was stunned and quickly said yes. He was about to leave, but Yuwen Yun said again: "Tell him to come and pay his respects now!!"

The attendant said helplessly: "Your Majesty, the Duke of Sui is chasing the rebels ahead."

"If he doesn't come, I won't eat!!"

"How dare you fool me like this?! This army is all behind me. Did Duke Sui go out alone to fight the enemy?! Let him in! Come in!!"

Yuwen Yun was furious. At this moment, he no longer pretended to be a wise ruler. He almost poked the attendant's face with his hand and kicked over the food in front of him.

The attendant was so frightened that he trembled and ran out quickly.

Yuwen Yun sat here, panting, waiting.

He had endured it for so long, but he couldn't bear it any longer.

If he continued walking like this, he didn't know whether Liu Taozi would retreat or not, but he was afraid that he would die on the road.

After waiting for a long time, someone finally walked into the car in a hurry.

The person who came was Gao Jiong. Gao Jiong's condition was not much better than Yuwen Yun's. For them, marching like this was actually a huge torture. The emperor only needed to worry about the bumpy problem of his carriage.

But Gao Ying and the others have a lot to consider.

The supply of materials along the way, the situation of the rebels, Liu Taozi's pursuit, concealing himself, appeasing the officials along the way, suppressing his soldiers, etc.

At this point, small things that were easily solved in the past have become big problems.

Just like the soldiers under their command.

It became increasingly difficult to suppress them, and they could only be suppressed by allowing them to plunder and share the rebels' spoils.

Even the emperor had to be appeased.

Although Gao Jiong was tired, he did not show it in front of the emperor.

"His Majesty!"

"Why don't I remember granting you the title of Duke of Sui?!"

Yuwen Yun opened his mouth with a mocking remark.

Gao Jiong said helplessly: "Your Majesty, it's not that the Duke is unwilling to come, but the mountain road is difficult to travel, Liu Taozi's small army is wandering outside, the rebels occupy the main road and try to ambush, the Duke leads the elite troops to clear the way."

"Gao Qing, tell me, where are we going?"

Gao Jiong knew that the young emperor was not easy to fool, so he did not lie and said truthfully: "To Fuling County."

"Fuling?"

Yuwen Yun laughed, "Didn't we say we were going south to Baisha? How come it became Fuling? Besides, how come I didn't know about this?"

Gao Jiong immediately replied: "Your Majesty, the road to Baisha is occupied by the rebels and cannot be captured in a short time. Liu Taozi's pursuers are behind us. We can't go south any further. We have to go east. Fuling is a natural barrier and there is a large army stationed there."

It's the same old talk again, about millions of civilians and a hundred thousand troops.

Yuwen Yun was so angry that he almost laughed.

He sat solemnly with a stern face, "Mr. Gao, although I have never ruled the country personally, you should at least ask for my opinion on major domestic affairs."

"Now, I want to surrender to Han and do not want to fight anymore. Please tell Duke Suiguo about this and stop marching."

Gao Jiong didn't care what he said. He looked up and said loudly, "Your Majesty! You are still young. When the King of Qi was still alive, he made an agreement with the ministers to let the ministers govern the country. When Your Majesty is strong, you can return the power! The current major events are not something Your Majesty can worry about. Just rest assured that we will do it. This way, we will not let down the late emperor's kindness."

Because of the war, Yuwen Yong has not been able to establish a posthumous title until now. When he was preparing to establish the posthumous title, Liu Taozi attacked. The emperor was in a hurry to escape and even the coronation ceremony was not completed. He just put on his clothes.

After hearing Gao Jiong's words, Yuwen Yun became even more furious.

"Although I am young, I know the affairs of state. The court has lost its trust and grace. I want to submit to the will of heaven. Why are you obstructing me?"

"How long can we last in Fuling?"

"Even if Liu Taozi's food and grass are cut off, can he retreat directly to Chang'an? He will definitely stay here, waiting for new food and grass to be delivered, and then send out troops again. Can a city compete with an entire country?"

Gao Jiong said calmly: "Your Majesty, we set out from Jiangyou. Along the way, we defeated countless rebels and avoided Liu Taozi's attacks several times. We traveled a long distance and appeased the officials along the way. We came all the way here. It is obvious that the Mandate of Heaven is still with Zhou!"

"Your Majesty is young, it is difficult for you to understand the truth. Your Majesty wants to surrender to the Han Dynasty, thinking that you can emulate the story of Anle Gong. Little do you know that Dugu Qi is really cruel and cunning. Now that he has not stolen the world, he will treat us with courtesy, but once he steals the world, he will definitely turn against us! At that time, we will all be like toys in his hands, and our lives and deaths will not be our own. The Hu people are cruel. Your Majesty, do you know the King of Nanyang in Qi?"

"I don't know."

"After Qihaizhen usurped Qi, the King of Nanyang surrendered to Dugu Qihaizhen, thinking he could save his life. However, because of his previous resistance, Qihaizhen took him to the street and brutally dismembered him into more than a dozen pieces, forcing the people to eat his flesh!"

Yuwen Yun's face turned pale instantly.

Gao Jiong spoke in a very confident manner, which was very convincing. He continued: "It's not just Gao Chuo, but also many other ministers, civil and military officials. Many of those who fell into Qi Haizhen's hands were tortured to death!"

"Your Majesty, do you remember that Yuwen Hu's son was captured by them?"

"Remember."

"Then your majesty must not know that he was torn into pieces by Qi, right?"

Yuwen Yun pursed his lips and said firmly, "I heard from Zu Ting that the King of Han only sentenced those who harmed the people and killed countless people to death, but those who were his enemies were mostly pardoned. More than half of the ministers of Qi were employed by him, and those without talent were only demoted to civilians, not killed."

"Heh, who is Zu Ting?"

Gao Jiong retorted unhappily: "Zu Ting is a well-known traitor. He is a thief by nature, greedy, lustful, treacherous, and has absolutely no morals! Can Your Majesty believe what such a person says?"

Yuwen Yun suddenly became discouraged.

"Gao Qing, I really can't walk anymore. If I keep walking like this, I'm afraid I'll die on the road."

"Your Majesty, please do not say such ominous words. Your Majesty, when we arrive in Fuling, great things will be accomplished. You don't have to worry, and don't even think about surrendering to Liu Taozi."

Gao Ying comforted him for a long time and then left.

Yuwen Yun no longer resisted and ate his meal obediently.

However, there was still some unwillingness in his eyes.

I am not strong yet, when I grow strong, there will be changes!!
Gao Jiong rode his horse back to Yang Jian's side.

After the previous discussions, several people seemed to have reached a consensus.

"Duke, is there any news from the envoy?"

"The road is long and has never been there before, but by the time we reach Fuling, it should be about the same."

Yang Jian replied.

They gave up the strategy of retreating southwards. According to this strategy, they might be able to survive this year, but they would still die next year. Gao Jiong proposed to join forces with the State of Chen.

They chose to head east.

Go all the way from the east to the territory of Chen State, get help from the Chen State navy as soon as possible, and then reach a safe area by water.

As for what will happen in the future, it will naturally be to rely on the power of the State of Chen and absorb the remaining strength of the State of Zhou to resist the powerful enemy together.

This may be a good choice for both parties.

Strengthen each other.

However, it is not that easy to accomplish.

Gao Jiong proposed to divide the troops. One group pretended to be the emperor's carriage and continued according to the original strategy, heading south to attract pursuers, while they ran directly to the east as a small force.

The proposal did have some effect. At least they hadn't encountered any pursuers sent by Liu Han for a long time.

Things have come to this point, and Yang Jian has become open-minded.

"Do you think Master Chen can accept us?"

"Chen Xu is not that good, but he is not that stupid either. He is above average. He knows the pros and cons. When Liu Taozi rose to power, he never concealed his desire to unify the country. Everyone knows that Chen Xu will not watch us completely destroyed. Perhaps he has already sent troops from Jiangling. Otherwise, why is there no news about Gao Changgong's army until now?"

Yang Jian laughed, "That's not what I'm talking about."

Gao Jiong was silent for a moment, and then said quietly: "There is no one left in Chen State at the moment, so we should do something."

"Hahaha."

Yang Jian laughed.

Shu County.

Liu Taozi's army continued to move forward, and when they reached Shu County, they finally stopped and slowed down the pace of the attack.

Just as Gao Jiong and others had expected, there were indeed some problems with Liu Taozi's food and fodder.

If you want to move forward, you have to wait for further supply of food and grass.

Fortunately, Liu Taozi has basically cleared the obstacles, so even when there is a shortage of food and grass, there is no need to worry about the enemy's counterattack.

Shortly after Liu Taozi entered this place, Huluxian's army passed by him. Huluxian ordered people to escort the captives to Shu County and deliver them to Liu Taozi. Huluxian broke through several large granaries and still had a lot of grain left, so he could continue to move south.

The person who came to escort him was also an old acquaintance, Dugu Jie.

Dugu Jie formally paid a visit to Liu Taozi in the government office.

Then he talked about the many achievements he had made along the way.

"Your Majesty, General Zhenxi asked me to come and ask if we need to replenish the food supply for the main army."

Liu Taozi waved his hand and said, "No need. Let him continue to chase and catch Yuwen Yun as soon as possible."

"only!!"

Dugu Jie bowed and greeted him, then talked about the many captives along the way, and asked the soldiers to escort the larger captives to present them to the Heavenly King.

No matter how they captured them, they were not enough for Liu Taozi to even look at them. After all, when they captured Chang'an, they were so busy capturing prisoners.

But among these captives, there was one who attracted Liu Taozi's attention.

Everyone had a sad look on their faces and knelt timidly in front of him, fearing that they would be executed if they said something wrong. Only one person had his hands and feet tied up and even his mouth was blocked. Two soldiers held him down from behind. Even so, this person still glared at Liu Taozi angrily.

Zu Ting followed Liu Taozi's gaze and noticed this guy.

Zu Ting narrowed his eyes and immediately said, "You are a defeated general, yet you dare to be so rude? Come on, drag this fellow out and behead him!"

Zu Ting pointed at the guy and gave orders in a furious tone.

Zu Ting was one of the few people who dared to give orders in front of Liu Taozi, but the soldiers still listened to him. They stepped forward, grabbed the man, and dragged him back. A trace of sadness flashed in the man's eyes, and then it was replaced by anger.

"Wait a minute."

Liu Taozi spoke.

The soldiers quickly put the man down, and Zu Ting said quickly: "Your Majesty, this man is rude and glared at me. He should be killed!"

"I think this man is quite loyal and righteous. Who is he?"

Dugu Jie was stunned and hurriedly explained: "Your Majesty, this man is called He Ruobi, a young general of the Zhou State. Although his official position is not high, he is extremely brave."

Liu Taozi nodded and ordered: "Since he is a warrior, why humiliate him? Just take what is in his mouth."

The soldier hurried forward, took out a piece of cloth, and pushed his chin up. He Ruobi opened his mouth to relieve the pain in his jaw.

This kind of blocking does not mean that the person is biting a piece of cloth. It usually means that the person's jaw is dislocated and then blocked with a foreign object so that it cannot close. This is a relatively cruel act.
He Ruobi raised his head and looked at Liu Taozi, and the anger in his eyes had dissipated a lot.

People have just praised you for your loyalty and asked you to speak, so it seems inappropriate to scold them.

Liu Taozi said, "I have heard of you. When your father was murdered by Yuwen Hu, I wanted to send someone to contact you and summon you to my side, but I was a step too late. I heard that you had already gone to Yuwen Xian."

"Thank you, my king, for your kindness!"

"However, I have received the grace of the country for generations, and I know a lot about loyalty and righteousness. Whether it was in the past or in the future, I will never change my allegiance!!"

Liu Taozi shook her head. "Loyalty can be big or small."

"I believe that since I raised the army, my subordinates have been honest and upright, and I have not harmed anyone during the march. I have granted farmland and comforted the people. I have done good things and not made mistakes."

"Now I want to unite the world, to spread benevolent government throughout the world, to stabilize people's livelihood, to put an end to wars, to give people a place to live, a place to work, and a place to rely on. This is a benevolent and righteous act, and it is an invincible army."

"Since I started my army, I have won every battle, all because of my benevolence."

"To be loyal to the country, to be loyal to the king, and not to betray is a minor virtue. To be loyal to the world and to care about the people is a major virtue."

"If after I raise my army, the people suffer and the invaders plunder, and you die for the country, I won't blame you, but the country I rule is a hundred times better than Zhou and Chen, so why not put justice first?"

He Ruobi, like Huluxian, had a warrior's face, but he was well-read and not a reckless man like Gao Yanzong.

Liu Taozi's words made him hesitate and he didn't know how to refute.

Liu Taozi continued, "Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the world has been in chaos, wars have broken out everywhere, and the people have suffered greatly. A real man should care about the people of the world and establish an unparalleled reputation. I know that General He Ruo is brave. If he is willing to join my army, I will definitely use him to bring peace to the world."

"I"

He Ruobi raised his head and looked at the king sitting on the throne.

To be honest, there is still a big gap in their status. He Ruobi is still very young. In terms of official position, he is a fourth-rank official, which is probably the sixth rank in Qi State. He is not even qualified to see the emperor.

But Liu Taozi personally invited him, which gave He Ruobi enough face.

He Ruobi asked, "Can you loosen my rope a little?"

Zu Ting signaled and the soldiers let him go. He Ruobi stood up and looked at Liu Taozi with some confusion.

"Your Majesty, there is something I don't understand."

"You said."

"Since your majesty started the war against Zhou, you have captured countless people, many of whom are brave and skilled in fighting. Although I have some military skills, my reputation is not well-known outside, and my official position is not high within the country. I don't know why your majesty values ​​me so much."

"Many of the generals I captured were trembling in fear in front of me. Not to mention looking at me, they dared not even glare at me when I spoke to them. You are the only one. What? Are you willing to follow me?"

He Ruobi took a deep breath and bowed deeply towards Liu Taozi.

"As a general of a defeated army, how dare I refuse to be valued by Your Majesty! I will definitely make achievements to repay Your Majesty!"

"it is good!"

“Excellent!”

(End of this chapter)