Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 489 The Battle with the Father-in-law Ends

The second year of Tianyuan, spring.

The cold wind is blowing.

On the official road leading to Yecheng, a group of people were advancing rapidly.

As Liu Taozi's base camp, Hebei is somewhat different from other places. The war here ended the earliest, the situation is stable, and the development is the best.

There were several brave knights carrying banners and walking in the front.

The words "Huolü" were clearly written on the flag.

With this flag paving the way, no one dared to stop them and question them.

The Han Dynasty's General of Chariots and Cavalry, Hulugu, rode a tall warhorse and walked in the center of the army, accompanied by several young generals.

These generals looked at the situation in the distance.

They saw the endless fields of farmland and vague human figures, thriving.

Someone immediately snorted coldly.

"A traitorous minister ruins the country!"

General Pi Xin said unhappily, pointing to the distance, "They said the country is running out of strength and needs to rest and recuperate, but they also don't allow us to call in people to build city defenses. Along the way, people are coming and going, and there are villages everywhere. They are quite prosperous. How can they look tired?"

"This is clearly an excuse for the treacherous officials. I think they must have some secret dealings with the Northern Hu, and that's why they want to contain us!!"

The other generals also nodded.

"Now that the Zhou Kingdom has perished, we should not hesitate but mobilize our army to attack the Northern Hu fiercely!"

"The bandit chieftain Ashina has been coming south to fight us every year. Previously, the Zhou Kingdom was against us, and we fought them with a small army. We could only defend and did not make much contribution. But now that the internal troubles have been solved, why can't we go to attack the Northern Hu? As long as we have 20,000 knights, the Northern Hu will not dare to look south!!"

Most of these warriors stationed at the border are tough and fierce.

The fierceness of the border warriors has nothing to do with the Xianbei's invasion of the Pass. They have been fierce since ancient times, as was the case during the Han Dynasty. They were famous for their low moral standards but bravery in combat.

These soldiers who defended against the Northern Hu at the border did not get any credit in the previous war to destroy Zhou. Although they were rewarded for repelling the Turks, compared with those who participated in the war to destroy Zhou, their rewards were really not enough.

It was difficult for the scholars in the Central Plains to understand their strong desire for military merit.

They are either fighting or preparing for war.

They had no other way to get ahead but to achieve a breakthrough through fighting.

But the policies being implemented by the government now are really not in the interests of these people.

We don't want to fight anymore, and we don't even prepare for war. What should we do?

This time, Hulugu was ordered to return to Yecheng. Before leaving, many generals secretly sent people to find him, hoping that after meeting the emperor, he could tell the generals on the border about their ideas. They all hoped to make achievements in the Northern Expedition, and as long as the court nodded, they would definitely win.

"General, Your Majesty is also from the frontier, you can't be deceived by those treacherous people. The enemies outside the border have been plundering for years. If we don't send troops to attack them, they will not stop. In the previous war with the Zhou Kingdom, some Zhou generals fled to the frontier and became the minions of the Hu people, instigating the Hu people to go south to fight us. We must make the Hu people hand over these guys! ”

Huluguang interrupted them and said, "Don't say more."

Everyone suddenly became quiet.

Hulugu's prestige in the army was still very high. After all, he was the number one general of the Han Dynasty before Gao Changgong.

He asked seriously, "Do you want me to force the emperor to agree to send troops?"

"I will discuss this important matter with His Majesty, and it is not your turn to interfere!!"

Everyone lowered their heads and dared not say anything more.

Although Hulugu said this, he was actually a little unhappy in his heart. After all, he failed to take part in the war to destroy Zhou, and his official position was surpassed by a young man.

He felt that Gao Changgong was powerful, but he didn't think that the other party was much more powerful than himself. If he had participated in the destruction of Zhou, he would have done better than Gao Changgong. His qualifications and other aspects were definitely better than Gao Changgong's. But now he was surpassed by Gao Changgong, and Hulugu felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.

When the group arrived outside Yecheng, someone had already come out to greet them.

After Hulugu entered Yecheng, the other generals went to the post station to rest first. They had to rest for a few days, bathe and change clothes before they could go to pay homage to the emperor. But Hulugu was different. As a relative of the emperor, he could go directly to pay homage.

The person responsible for welcoming Hulugu was Cui Jishu, who was ranked among the three officials.

Cui Jishu surrendered to the court relatively late and made many mistakes during that time, but he also made many contributions to the rise of the Xin Dynasty. His greatest contribution came from participating in and reforming the Xin Dynasty's official selection system.

The official selection system of the Xin Dynasty was modeled after that of the Southern Kingdom, but Liu Taozi was not willing to imitate it one-to-one. After all, the imperial examination system of the Southern Kingdom still had many shortcomings. The requirement of recommendation by a noble was very unreasonable. If children from poor families wanted to participate in the imperial examinations, they had to first serve a noble and get a recommendation before they could participate.

Cui Jishu carried out drastic reforms according to the emperor's ideas. He abolished some regulations that restricted poor families, abolished local recommendations, and replaced them with graded assessments, which would be the future types of tongsheng, xiucai, juren, and jinshi.

The current imperial examination system does not have this kind of grading, but there are different titles. The different titles are because the subjects they test are different, not because of level differences. Everyone goes to the capital to take the exam right away, but they have to be recommended by someone before they can take the exam.

Cui Jishu and others made relatively great contributions to the system. Although their personal ethics were also criticized, they were still ranked first among the ministers. As a general of the Three Dukes level and a relative of the emperor, Hulugu naturally had to be greeted by Cui Jishu, who was of the same level.

Cui Jishu was old and could not ride a horse, so he could only take a carriage. Hulugu had no choice but to get into his carriage and go to the palace together.

Sitting in the car, Cui Jishu looked at the other party with a smile and asked, "Is the border peaceful recently?"

"Now that the Pseudo-Zhou Dynasty has been destroyed, the harassment from the Turks should have also decreased, right?"

"What happened!"

Hulugu said coldly: "The Turks said they wanted to avenge their relatives, and they have been knocking on the border more often than before."

"If we cannot send out a large army to defeat them, there will be no peace on the border."

Cui Jishu nodded, "You are right."

"But now, the Pseudo-Zhou Dynasty has just been destroyed, and people's livelihood is exhausted. It is not appropriate to send a large army to the border. The soldiers are eager to serve the king and make achievements. This is right, but sometimes, you have to endure. Think about the Former Han Dynasty. Several kings endured, and only then did Emperor Xiaowu of Han conquer the four directions and march thousands of miles away. What do you think?"

Huluxian did not answer, but just looked ahead and pretended not to hear.

Cui Jishu was not angry either. He just stroked his beard and chuckled, saying, "General Hulu can come to me after you pay your respects to His Majesty, and we can discuss it then."

When Hulugu arrived at the palace, Cui Jishu stopped following him. This was the other party's family dinner and he had no reason to join in.

After taking off their armor and holding their swords, several warriors led Hulugu into the hall.

Liu Taozi had been waiting for him for a long time.

"I, General Hulugu, pay my respects to Your Majesty!!"

After Hulugu paid his respects, Liu Taozi stood up to return the greeting and asked him to sit next to him.

There were only two of them in the hall.

Liu Taozi naturally asked about the situation on the border. While answering, Hulugu was thinking in his mind how to persuade the emperor to gather the strong troops in Hebei to march to the frontier.

Just as Hulugu was still thinking about his words, several palace maids came over with the queen.

Huluqian had a mellow complexion and walked slowly.

Huluxian stopped talking and looked in the direction of his daughter.

Several palace maids in front made way for her. Huluqian's belly was bulging, and when she saw her father, she became even more shy and speechless.

When Hulugu walked out of the palace, the first thing he did was to pay a visit to Cui Jishu.

Cui Jishu seemed to have known that he was coming and had people prepare for the reception. When the servants told him that Hulugu was coming, he hurried out to greet him.

He smiled, took the other person's hand and invited him to go in.

Hulugu's expression was a little complicated. He followed Cui Jishu into the lobby and then sat down next to him.

Huluguang spoke first, "Mr. Cui is right! People are suffering in all places right now, so we really shouldn't rush into war. These generals on the frontier are all thinking about building their own careers! It's really inappropriate not to consider the rise and fall of the country!!"

Cui Jishu laughed and said, "It's not their fault. Everyone has their own selfish desires. The soldiers just want to achieve great things. There's nothing wrong with that."

"However, you have seen the situation in the local areas. Hebei is still doing well, but the rest of the places are really in need of reconstruction. Under such circumstances, how can we send out a large army to fight against the enemies outside the Great Wall?"

Huluguang nodded, "Mr. Cui told me today to come see you after I see His Majesty. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Hulugu was a straightforward person who didn't like to beat around the bush.

Cui Jishu immediately said: "I have a few suggestions that may be useful to General Hulu."

"When you return to the frontier this time, do not punish those who proposed the expedition. You should tell them the truth that the court is currently preparing for the unification. Once the preparations are sufficient and the State of Chen is destroyed, the next step is to launch a large-scale attack on the enemies outside the frontier. Tell them not to worry and just focus on preparing for the war."

"Ah."

"Secondly, you can use a small group of elite cavalry to attack the enemy in the north and lure them to come with a large army."

"The current situation is similar to that of the former Han Dynasty, but it is completely different. Although we are exhausted at home, we are not without fighting power. The court has dispatched a large number of elite soldiers to the border. They just don't have enough food for the expedition, not that they can't defeat the Turks."

"You can harass and attack, but don't worry that the court will punish you for provoking a war. If you can anger the enemy and make them come in large numbers, that would be the best. With your bravery and the elite troops at the border, we may be able to annihilate them completely!"

"The court opposes an expedition, not a war!"

Hulugu nodded again.

Cui Jishu said: "The last thing is the rest of the Hu people outside the Great Wall. Not all of them are enemies. General Hulu has a great reputation outside the Great Wall. If we can gather those Hu people who are against the Turks, it may play a greater role."

On the issue of how to fight, Cui Jishu could not teach Hulugu. On the contrary, Hulugu could tell him some things. Cui Jishu was actually just telling him the court's thoughts. The court did not want to undermine the morale of the soldiers, did not want to give in blindly, and at the same time hoped to win over some younger brothers to join the war.

Hulugu was informed of the court's ideas, but how to implement them was his own business.

"General? What are you doing?"

The generals who followed Hulugu to Yecheng were all stunned at this moment.

After entering the palace once, Hulugu seemed like a different person. Before he came, he was the leader who wanted to go to the expedition, but after he came back, he began to tell everyone that people's livelihood in various places was exhausted, the world had not yet been unified, and they should be prepared and wait until they had enough strength before going to the frontier.

Everyone was shocked.

Pi Xin couldn't help but ask: "General, why is this?"

"Didn't you say that the Hu people are still weak and should be eliminated as soon as possible?"

Hulugu glared at him and said, "The Hu people are weak, but our preparations are not sufficient. The Han is also a great country. When we are fully prepared, what will the Hu people matter to us?"

Everyone looked at each other.

Pi Xin asked cautiously, "What about the matter of the Cavalry General?"

"Hahaha~~"

Hulugu laughed, "He has made great contributions and received this reward. What can I say? How can I be jealous of him?"

"No problem. Just consider it as an encouragement to the younger generation. In the future, you must also seriously hone yourselves, make more military achievements, and emulate the cavalry general."

Everyone felt something was wrong when listening to Hulugu's words.

But no matter what, Hulugu had already expressed his opinion, and people were reluctant to talk about the expedition anymore, and they all looked depressed.

Hulugu saw this and said unhappily: "The court does not allow us to go on a long expedition, but it does not say that we are not allowed to fight."

"If we can't go out and fight, can't we lure them over here and fight them?"

"After we return, I will help you guys achieve success!!"

Everyone was delighted and quickly agreed.

Not long after, Hulugu brought the generals to formally pay a visit to the emperor.

Although these generals failed to achieve the credit for destroying the Zhou Dynasty, they were rewarded by Liu Taozi when he ascended the throne for their contributions in repelling the Hu people. To be more precise, they came back this time to express their gratitude for the reward.

They talked about going on an expedition in front of Hulugu, but when they really came in front of Liu Taozi, they didn't even dare to say a word.

Liu Taozi sat in the upper seat and spoke to these generals one by one. He could actually tell of the contributions these people had made when guarding the border, and he also knew how difficult their work was.

The emotions of the crowd became increasingly high.

"I used to be stationed at the border, and I know how difficult it is to guard the border."

"I learned earlier that a general from the frontier had submitted a petition to fight. All the ministers thought that the general was too eager to show off his achievements and not aware of the greater good. However, I think that when the empire was unified, most generals lost their will to fight and instead became more interested in managing their wealth, indulged in extravagance and debauchery, and neglected riding and shooting. Now the general from the frontier has not lost his bravery and still has a desire to fight. This ambition is commendable!"

"The Turks have repeatedly invaded our borders, and I want to punish them! But the State of Chen has not yet been destroyed, so I have no choice but to endure it. Once the world is unified, I will lead the heavenly army there, and I will not return until I have destroyed their king's tent. I hope you soldiers will wait for a moment, as that day will not be far away."

These words were more inspiring than Hulugu's previous promise. The generals all agreed, their eyes full of anticipation.

After the banquet, the generals were eager to go back.

They need to train their troops and prepare for the future war.

Liu Taozi did not try to keep them, but ordered them to train the soldiers seriously, prepare the weapons, and wait for him to join them after he destroyed the State of Chen.

Hulugu repeatedly assured that he would absolutely look after the soldiers at the border, and then left Yecheng with high morale.

The next day after these people left, Zu Ting came to the emperor.

Although the country was implementing policies to improve people's livelihood, the court still had many important matters to deal with. Zu Ting was also extremely busy on weekdays and had a lot of things to deal with.

The two men sat in the main hall with several maps of the border in front of them.

Zu Ting had a smile on his face. "It is both a good and a bad thing that the soldiers on the border want to fight. However, after Hulugu returns this time, we don't have to worry about the border affairs anymore."

"Huo Luguang should have thought it through this time. He is a relative of the emperor, and his daughter has become the queen. Why should he fight with other generals for official positions? Why should he fight for military merits?"

It was Zu Ting's suggestion to let Hulugu come back this time. After the queen became pregnant, Zu Ting suggested that Hulugu come back and it would be best if he could meet the queen.

This practice is not quite in line with etiquette, but etiquette and law, in the past few hundred years, need to be enforced only when they are useful. If it hinders major events, it can be temporarily ignored.

In the war to destroy Zhou, the troops mobilized were almost all local soldiers composed mainly of newly recruited Han people. Most of the old soldiers guarding the border were unable to participate, and they certainly would not be able to participate in the subsequent war to destroy Chen.

These people also wanted to achieve great things and wanted to be promoted several levels like the soldiers who destroyed Zhou. Hulugu also missed the last war, and he was more or less eager to have a big war on the border.

The soldiers' warlike spirit cannot be suppressed by force. After all, there will definitely be another battle outside the Great Wall in the future. But they cannot be allowed to interfere with national policies. Therefore, it is necessary to pull the leader over and let Hulugu suppress these people, and then promise future expeditions.

Things were relatively successful, but Zu Ting still had some other thoughts in his mind.

Although the military system can greatly enhance the country's combat effectiveness, it does easily lead to the situation where soldiers become too powerful and force the court to make a decision. At present, the court is strong, and these arrogant soldiers cannot make any big moves. But in the future, perhaps this will become an extremely unfavorable factor to the court?
Once the wars in various places are over, perhaps we can find a way to impose restrictions.

There were many ideas in the court, but Hulugu's ideas were relatively simple.

Among these two fathers-in-law at the border, only one can survive!
Dry!
Unfortunately, the Battle of Father-in-law could no longer be carried out because Yuwen Yong’s father-in-law died and the new Khan officially took the throne.

(End of this chapter)