Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 517 You Haven't Changed
Xingyang.

The manor was teeming with bandits armed with knives and weapons.

The situation was urgent; the area outside was already surrounded by soldiers.

Inside the manor, a handsome yet weathered-looking man continued to drink.

"My lord, Hou Jing's henchmen have arrived!"

Zheng Yan laughed upon hearing this, seemingly unconcerned about the heavy troops outside the manor.

He came from the Zheng family of Xingyang and served as a military advisor under Hu Guozhen, the father of Empress Hu, in his early years. Thanks to this connection, Zheng Yan rose rapidly through the ranks after Empress Hu came to power.

However, more than a decade has passed in a flash.

Everything has changed.

Those he once considered dirt have risen up one by one, and he has now become the leader of this band of bandits.

Has Hou Jing arrived?

"The one who came was his general, Song Zixian."

Zheng Yan wore a half-smile, but felt a sense of desolation in his heart. The people who wanted to arrest him weren't even Hou Jing, one of Li Shuang's subordinates, but rather Hou Jing's own men.

"Tell the brothers to hold them off with all their might."

"promise!"

Outside the manor, the shouts of battle grew increasingly intense.

Zheng Yan put down his wine glass, stood up, walked to the side room, and struggled to move the bed away—

A tunnel appeared under the bed!
Zheng Yan did not hesitate or heed his subordinates' pleas for help, and left his base camp directly through the tunnel.

Emerging from the tunnel, Zheng Yan felt a long-lost sense of freedom.

However, before he could take two steps, someone called out to him.

"Ji Ran!"

A familiar voice came from the mountains and forests. Zheng Yan's vigilance reached its peak. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, turned around, looked at the person behind him, and smiled.

"Why does the Prime Minister come to this remote place instead of enjoying a high-ranking official position and generous salary in Luoyang?"

Hu Sichun gripped the sword in his hand, but unlike Zheng Yan, he used it as a crutch on the ground, looking as if he were about to fall.

"Ji Ran has committed a very serious crime, and so many people have been mobilized to arrest you. How could I not come?"

Hu Sichun stared at Zheng Yan with a half-smile, making him feel as if he were being watched by a wild beast.

But clearly, the person in front of me was very weak, and looked like he would fall over if the wind blew him down.

Zheng Yan stared at Hu Sichun and smiled:
“I’m quite happy that the Prime Minister came. Unlike Hou Jing, who didn’t even send anyone, but just sent someone surnamed Song.”

"Hou Jing may not know Ji Ran's abilities, but I do, so we cannot be so lax."

"Is the Prime Minister going to arrest me?"

As they spoke, Zheng Yan maintained a relatively advantageous distance from Hu Sichun.

"But what good will it do to arrest me?"

"You acted as a go-between for the Crown Prince, contacted the Xiao brothers in the south, and arranged for assassins to infiltrate Luoyang to assassinate Ganquan Palace... After all these things, killing you ten times wouldn't be unjust."

Upon hearing the words "Crown Prince," Zheng Yan seemed to understand something, but he still couldn't figure out Hu Sichun's purpose in coming.

"I was born into a noble family and could have been a high-ranking official with a generous salary. But the chaos of the Six Garrisons led to a great upheaval, and now I can only live in the countryside and associate with bandits."

As he spoke, Zheng Yan looked at Hu Sichun and tentatively asked:

"Although the Prime Minister is called the Prime Minister, he is actually just the Magistrate of Luoyang. I heard that after this incident, the Prime Minister may not even be able to remain the Magistrate of Luoyang, and may soon be no different from me."

No matter how Zheng Yan's figure changed, Hu Sichun remained in the same place, like an old man whose perception of the outside world had become dulled.

"After Prince Yuan Yue of Runan was defeated, I managed to escape and sought refuge in the Liang Kingdom. After the Battle of Lijiang, I returned to Xingyang. I thought the Prime Minister would be different from before, but I never expected that he would still be so obedient."

Hu Sichun's expression remained unchanged as she leisurely said:
"go on!"

"Does the Prime Minister think that you will be let off so easily because you are so obedient? Over the years, who has Da Ye Shuang let go! Sooner or later, you will be just like me today, arrested by others."

Zheng Yan kept observing Hu Sichun's expression, and seeing that he still showed no emotion, he still tried to extend an olive branch.

"Prime Minister, why don't you come south with me and join the Prince of Xiangdong? The Prince of Xiangdong is based in Jiangling and has the power to control Jingzhou and Xiangyang. If he captures Jiankang and gains control of Jiangdong, he can also become emperor in the south and fight against Da Yeshuang."

Hu Sichun smiled and said:

“The current Emperor Liang is in Luoyang, and the Prince of Xiangdong is in Jiankang. How can he claim to be emperor?” These words silenced Zheng Yan.

The Northern and Southern Dynasties once coexisted.

It was common for people from the Southern Dynasties to defect to the North, and for people from the Northern Dynasties to migrate south.

But after Li Shuang marched south to Jiangdong, launched a surprise attack on Jiankang, and welcomed Emperor Liang back to Luoyang, the hearts of people all over the world quietly changed.

People like Zheng Yan, who fled south to the Liang Kingdom hoping to make a comeback, seemed like a joke.

Seeing that Zheng Yan had stopped speaking, Hu Sichun said slowly:
"Now that you've surrendered to Jingzhou, what will you do if you can't stay there? Will you head south to Lingnan?"

Hu Sichun's face showed a playful expression.

"But if we can't stay in Lingnan either, what should we do? Go to Yazhou, or go to overseas countries?"

What do you mean?

"How about Ji Ran does me a favor by surrendering and pointing out the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on Emperor Liang?"

Zheng Yan drew his sword and finally understood Hu Sichun's purpose.

"You haven't changed at all, so what good does it do you?"

As they were talking, Zheng Yan attacked with his sword.

Zheng Yan was skilled in swordsmanship and had also mastered combat techniques.

However, Hu Sichun had no intention of competing with him at all.

An arrow shot out from the side and struck Zheng Yan in the knee.

He knelt down before he could even reach Hu Sichun.

Hu Sichun shook her head, looking at Zheng Yan's appearance, and said:

"There was no benefit, but there was also no danger of being killed."

……

Laiguogong Mansion.

Hou Jing stared at Gao Huan with an unfriendly expression.

Gao Huan, growing impatient with being stared at, asked directly:
What are you doing!

"He Liuhun, do you think you were secretly obstructing me from taking action against the Zheng family of Xingyang?"

Gao Huan, somewhat annoyed, said:
"The Zheng family of Xingyang doesn't like me at all these days, so why should I stop you!"

Hou Jing was somewhat puzzled and said:

"If it's not He Liuhun, then who else has the ability to make me fail every time? Could it be Yuwen Tai?"

Gao Huan smiled and waved.

"That's even more impossible. Why would Yuwen Tai care about your affairs? He'd rather you were the one to rush to the front and take the blows for him!"

"Who could that be?"

As they were talking, Wei Jing walked in and said:

"Having just received the letter, Hu Sichun has captured Zheng Yan."

Hou Jing was displeased after hearing this.

"What's this old bastard doing here? He's meddling in this, I'm going to find him!"

Hou Jing was about to leave when Wei Jing stopped him.

"Wan Jing, wait a moment."

"What?"

"Zheng Yan has revealed the mastermind behind the Ganquan Palace incident."

Hou Jing gasped and looked at Gao Huan, who also showed a hint of surprise on his face.

At this moment, they understood who was behind Hou Jing's obstruction!

……

(End of this chapter)