Joy of Life: I am a Han Dynasty succubus, and I rebel from the beginning

Chapter 345: The Complex Powers of Northern Qi. I have feelings for Si Lili, but I am not familiar with Zhan Doudou.
Most of the policies of Dongyi City remained unchanged. The Han Dynasty gave Dongyi City a lot of freedom and power, allowing them to choose to reform according to their own conditions.

Jianlu stayed indoors and handed over all power to the City Lord's Mansion.

The people of Dongyi City, who had originally been somewhat hostile to the Han army, accepted that their lives were the same as before after seeing that there had not been much change.

Anyway, when the Northern Wei Kingdom was strong, they were a vassal state of the Northern Wei Kingdom, and when the Qing Kingdom was strong, Dongyi City was a vassal state of the Qing Kingdom.

These people are used to it.

Liu Hong taught Liu Fei for several days in the newly built Prince Wu's mansion, under the resentful gaze of Cao.

Embark on the journey to Northern Qi.

"Northern Qi..."

Liu Hong looked dimly and sighed heartily.

The southern countries are changing, but the Northern Qi is unshakable.

As the Northern Qi Dynasty was a country where aristocratic families held most of the political power, the Northern Qi royal family's war family did have power.

But it is not supreme power.

To be precise, it can be understood that the Zhan family was the first aristocratic family in Northern Qi. In order to become the royal family, they also made a lot of compromises with the aristocratic families.

In addition, there are three major families, Liu, Xiao, and Zhuang, who take turns to hold power and hold the positions of prime minister and general.

This led to a complicated political situation in Northern Qi, as all forces wanted to become the royal family, since everyone's strength was about the same anyway.

Why can your Zhan family become the royal family, but we can't? Besides, Ku He is about to die!
Liu Hong decided to observe Northern Qi for a while to see who was qualified to become a helper of the Han Kingdom.

In Nanjing City, Nanling County, Northern Qi, the Xiao family's base camp, Liu Hong paid half a tael of silver as a city tax and rested in a tavern.

The tea drinkers dressed as businessmen downstairs were talking about it.

"Have you heard? The King of Han not only mobilized all the troops of Han to attack Nanqing, but also mobilized Jin, Yan, and Dongyi City, a total of 100,000 troops, and borrowed the navy of Dongyi City to attack Qing in the south."

At this point, the businessmen began to gloat over the misfortune.

Nanqing relied on its three major inner treasury workshops and a series of legacies left by Ye Qingmei to establish itself as the most powerful country in the world.

He unscrupulously encroached on the vassal states and suppressed Northern Qi and Dongyi City.

I didn't expect this day would come!

"I heard that the King of Han has invited Da Qi to send a large army to attack Qing! He is determined to destroy Qing in one fell swoop."

When Liu Hong heard his own name, he pricked up his ears slightly.

He wanted to hear the public opinion of Northern Qi.

"Dream on! What does the Han and Qing affairs have to do with our Qi? Not taking the opportunity to attack Han is already a sign of mercy for our Qi."

An old businessman curled his lips and took a sip of tea.

The slightly younger businessman sighed.

"You can't say that. Master Ku He won't be able to hold on for many more years. If he dies, our Northern Qi will be the next target of the Han Kingdom."

"We might as well try to please the King of Han now and try to get favorable conditions in future negotiations."

Hearing what the young businessman said, the old businessman put down his teacup and spoke indignantly.

"Humph! The five counties of Great Qi have the largest territory in the world. How can Han accomplish what even Qing has not accomplished?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole place fell silent.

He looked at the old businessman almost like he was an idiot. There were warriors and grandmasters in this world, so why were they not there?

The Han State relied on its industrial system and the King of Han, so why couldn't it unify the Northern Qi State?

Liu Hong poured himself a glass of water and smiled playfully.

As the night deepened, many people of all kinds in the city of Nanjing returned home, and many people of all kinds came to the restaurant.

These tea drinkers realized something was wrong and wanted to escape, so they put down their tea money and prepared to run away.

At the door, the sharp sound of a chain knife dragging on the ground was heard, and sparks flew all the way.

Lang Tao brought the Jinyiwei and surrounded the tavern tightly.

Everyone stopped trying to escape and sat on the stools in fear, fearing that their previous remarks would anger the Imperial Guards.

Lang Tao bowed and spoke in a loud voice.

"I heard that the King of Han likes the white fish dragon costume and hides it among the people. It's true!"

"But the King of Han is visiting my Great Qi. How can my Great Qi not treat guests with hospitality?"

Liu Hong casually opened the window and looked at the group of Jinyiwei without much change in his expression.

There are hundreds of Jinyiwei, each of them is of the sixth or seventh rank. Their skills can only be said to be quite good and can bully the ninth rank.

Lang Tao saw Liu Hong staring at the group of Jinyiwei and quickly waved his hand to indicate.

"These are just ceremonials to welcome the King of Han! I hope the King of Han will not take it too seriously."

Liu Hong withdrew his gaze and said nothing more, but moved his ears.

The well-trained soldiers surrounded the tavern tightly.

A middle-aged man wearing silver armor and with a face as gentle as jade bowed to Liu Hong.

"The head of the Xiao family, General Xiao Zhan of the Nanling County Camp, sends his greetings to the King of Han."

It seemed that Liu Hong was tightly surrounded by these people in the restaurant, but no one dared to show disrespect to Liu Hong.

In the Battle of Dongyi City, Liu Hong defeated Si Gu Jian so badly that his Taoist faith was shattered and he was barely alive, shocking the world.

The undisputed number one grandmaster in the world.

If the temple is not opened, who can defeat it?
Not to mention there are only a few thousand soldiers, even if there are tens of thousands of troops.

Liu Hong was also able to snatch the heads of enemy generals from a vast army and then escape gracefully.

If the Grand Master did not have this strength, he would not be able to defend a country alone.

When Lang Tao saw Xiao Zhan leading his personal guards out, his eyes became a little gloomy.

Afterwards, Lang Tao's tone became more humble.

"King of Han, His Majesty is waiting for you in Shangjing. I, the Great Qi, am willing to send troops to attack Qing."

Xiao Zhan laughed out loud.

"Since Commander Langtao has said so, then my 150,000 troops of Nanling County are at your disposal?"

There was sarcasm in his words. Throughout Nanling County, a large number of mid- and low-level generals were from the Xiao family.

Without Xiao Zhan's nod, even an imperial edict could not make the army move an inch.

The dark circles under Lang Tao's eyes, which had already faded a little, showed signs of recovery.

But he just looked at Xiao Zhan coldly and didn't do anything else.

Xiao Zhan also turned around and ignored Lang Tao.

Why is Kuhe still alive now? Their family cannot go too far, not to mention that the Zhan family also controls the two counties, and the basic base is still there.

Their eyes fell on Liu Hong at the same time, who was admiring the night view.

What the situation will be like depends on the choice made by the King of Han.

It's a bit ridiculous. It was Liu Hong who stabbed Ku He in the back, causing Ku He to be seriously injured and on the verge of death, which caused the crisis in Northern Qi.
And now, all the major families in Northern Qi are vying to show goodwill to Liu Hong.

In their minds, as long as Northern Qi was not destroyed and the Han Kingdom did not implement reforms in Northern Qi, anything could be given to the King of Han.

Liu Hong looked at Xiao Zhan for a while, smiled, and didn't say anything.

This is Northern Qi's internal affairs, why should he interfere?

Seeing that Liu Hong was indifferent, Xiao Zhan gritted his teeth.

"King of Han, the Liu family of Langya County, and the Zhuang family of Donghai County, the three of us are willing to send a total of 200,000 troops to the south to attack Qing!"

"The Liu family of Langya County?"

Liu Hong finally spoke, looking somewhat puzzled.

Langya County has always been the territory of the Northern Qi general Shangshan Hu. Why is it now controlled by the Liu family?

Even if Uesugi Tora is now in Taiyuan Road and has established the State of Jin, it is unlikely that he will be taken over by the Liu family so quickly.

Xiao Zhan just smiled and said nothing, looking at Liu Hong confidently.

This is an army of nearly 200,000, almost 80% of the elite troops of the Han Dynasty.

It can be said that this had a decisive effect on the war between Han and Qing.

Lang Tao was so angry that his chest heaved and he was unable to speak.

Why hasn't his master died yet? Now these noble families are starting to make trouble.

Liu Hong's eyes fell on Xiao Zhan and he nodded slightly. This was indeed a very tempting bargaining chip.

Of course, Liu Hong also made a wrong estimate. The aristocratic families of the Northern Qi Dynasty were no longer considered aristocratic families. They had already grown into powerful families.

No wonder Ye Qingmei didn’t even consider Northern Qi at the beginning and implemented reforms as the first stop.

The imperial power could not achieve an overwhelming victory, and even top-down reforms could not be carried out.

Liu Hong's voice was steady and powerful. "I see your determination, but aren't you afraid that I will ask you to implement reforms?"

Xiao Zhan was silent for a while, then his face became bitter and his eyes were filled with pleading.

"King of Han, this is the request of our three families. Northern Qi is not suitable for reform. Please be merciful and give up the reform in Northern Qi."

Liu Hong nodded and said nothing more.

Whether it is suitable or not, he still needs to take a closer look.

When Lang Tao saw that Liu Hong was somewhat moved, he immediately became anxious and spoke quickly.

"King of Han, my Great Qi royal family can also send troops. Besides, didn't you come to Northern Qi because of your teacher's letter?"

As soon as these words came out, Lang Tao immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing.

How could he directly make public the power struggle in Northern Qi? Wouldn't this give the King of Han more opportunities to negotiate?
As expected, Xiao Zhan stared at Lang Tao with eyes that were about to spit fire.

If the King of Han had not been present, Xiao Zhan would have wanted to send troops directly to expel Lang Tao from the country.

Liu Hong did not respond directly to the two people, but spoke softly.

"Let's take a look! I haven't been to Shangjing, Northern Qi yet. I'm here today because I'm a little tired."

After saying that, Liu Hong ignored the two of them and closed the window directly.

Only Lang Tao and Xiao Zhan were left.

The Jinyiwei and the personal guards in the army were clearly distinguished, and there was a faint smell of gunpowder.

Lang Tao had a gloomy face.

"General Ying Yang, you've gone too far. Master Ku He is not dead yet."

Xiao Zhan didn't take it seriously, instead he smiled provocatively.

"Commander Langtao, if I really go too far, there will probably be no more Jinyiwei in Nanling County."

"Moreover, if Master Ku He died, do you think the young emperor alone could maintain the court and protect the two counties of the Zhan family?"

Lang Tao was speechless for a moment and could only leave with a gloomy face.

Xiao Zhan is right, Zhan Doudou is indeed unable to handle the whole thing alone.

It’s not just because Ku He is dying, but also because Zhan Doudou and Concubine Si Lili have been married for ten years.

They didn't even have any offspring.

The Zhan family has no surviving descendants, so in the end everything will be left to outsiders and retainers.

Since good things should be kept within the family, the three great families of Northern Qi might as well take the opportunity to divide them up.

When Sean saw Lang Tao leave in frustration, he smiled triumphantly and felt very happy.

If it weren’t for Ku He who stayed in the palace to protect the orphan and widow of the Zhan family.

He said whoever started the war would be killed.

Otherwise, it is not certain which family the current royal family of Northern Qi belongs to.

"Let's go, don't disturb King Han's rest."

Xiao Zhan waved his hand and rushed towards his mansion.

Many tea drinkers in the tavern breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that the King of Han was upstairs.

Everyone looked at each other, wanting to visit the King of Han, but no one dared to move, or even speak loudly.

In the room, the candlelight shone dimly, making Liu Hong's face look uncertain.

"Si Lili..."

Liu Hong sighed and fell into memories.

Time flies so fast, more than ten years have passed without me noticing.

Liu Hong still remembers the first time he met Si Lili. He was shameless and used threats and inducements to trick Cheng Jushu into coming over and making him one of his powerful generals.

There was also Liu Hong who escorted Si Lili back to Kyoto over a thousand miles and was locked up in a prison by a Zhuge of the Supervisory Council. They chatted with each other to pass the time.

Liu Hong also escorted Si Lili all the way to Northern Qi, and finally gave the antidote to Si Lili.

Facing such a charming and lively woman, it is impossible to say that I have no feelings for her.

But at that time, Liu Hong was just a small Pei Bo. Not to mention in the whole world, there were many of them even in Nanqing.

He could only hide his feelings and treat Si Lili with respect.

The tripartite trade between Qianlong Bay, Xihu and Dingzhou was due to Si Lili's whispering in Zhan Doudou's ear.

There was some huge human, material and financial support from the Northern Qi, plus the deadly poison that Ku He had given Liu Hong.

Qianlong Bay can rely on a piece of grassland to support 50,000 cavalrymen and open a martial arts hall.

Provide Liu Hong with the most basic capital for rebellion.

The candlelight became dimmer and dimmer, and Liu Hong's eyes gradually became deeper.

"Let's wait and see! If the chips given by the Zhan family are too few, I will still cooperate with the three major families of Northern Qi."

Liu Hong waved his hand and the whole room fell into darkness.

He has feelings for Si Lili, but is not familiar with Zhan Doudou.

Previously, Fan Ruoruo, a woman with lofty ambitions but a fragile life, was enough to give Liu Hong a headache.

If another Zhan Doudou similar to Wu Zetian were to be added, I'm afraid there would be no peace in Liu Hong's harem.

Liu Hong was really worried about whether Sang Wen could suppress Zhan Doudou.

His ideas were always straightforward.

You want an official position, you want treasure, you want a title, all of these are possible!
But you have to show your own value. If you can't, you will still want more.

It depends on whether Liu Hong’s knife is still sharp!

At the door, the owner of the tavern bowed and nodded, holding wine and food, ready to show the King of Han that he was blind.

Before he could finish the rehearsal, the lights in the room went out.

The tavern owner was stunned when he saw this scene.

The opportunity to curry favor with the King of Han fell on him, but he couldn't seize it.

At dawn in the morning, when Liu Hong opened the door, he was greeted by the owner of the tavern and the servant who bowed and nodded.

There is a wide variety of steaming hot delicacies.

Even for drinks, the boss has prepared several kinds, including tea, wine, and juice.

"The King of Han has come to visit us, and our humble inn is honored. These are our gifts to you, and I hope you will accept them."

The tavern owner gently wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes full of expectation.

Liu Hong nodded, acknowledging the boss's good intentions.

A quick glance at the food would cost at least ten taels of silver.

Although the Northern Qi Dynasty did not encounter any war, in order to prevent it from happening, the aristocratic families had already begun to store food.

One stone of grain is equivalent to three taels of silver.

After eating some, Liu Hong left twenty taels of silver and went downstairs.

He always has to pay for his meals. Life in this world is not easy for anyone.

Many diners looked at Liu Hong in awe, but no one dared to get close to him.

A bamboo dragonfly flew to Liu Hong and then fell.

Among the many diners, there was a child who screamed and then became unable to make any sound, as if someone had covered his mouth.

Liu Hong grabbed the bamboo dragonfly and walked towards the diners.

A father and son dressed as businessmen knelt on the ground immediately. The middle-aged man saw that his prodigal son had caused him such a disaster.

He raised his hand, ready to slap the little boy.

Why not play at any other time? Why play when Han Wang comes downstairs?

The child was almost scared to tears, so he closed his eyes and waited for a slap from his father.

Liu Hong grabbed the middle-aged man's hand, shook his head, and placed the bamboo helicopter in the little boy's arms.

"It's okay. I have children too. My eldest son wants to be as playful as him."

After saying that, Liu Hong touched the little boy's head, took out some change and put it in his arms.

"The King of Han is merciful..."

The middle-aged man spoke awkwardly, his whole body tensed up and then relaxed.

Liu Hong was quite amused, but those aristocratic families wouldn't think so.

Then Liu Hong slowly looked out the door.

(End of this chapter)