My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 101: Not a merit, but a great disaster!

Inside the Khan's tent in the Rouran camp.

Without Gao Yu, the true hero who turned the tide of the battle, the victory banquet could not be held. However, Anagui still held a banquet because he also needed to appease the newly surrendered grassland tribes.

Therefore, Huai Shuo and Zhong Jun were not invited.

Aside from the tribes that surrendered early on, the ones who most needed to be appeased were those who defected on the battlefield and hammered the last nail into the coffins of the Gaoche people.

These tribes killed a large number of Gaoche people as a pledge of allegiance to the tribes and then sought to rejoin them.

Anagui also 'magnanimously' expressed that he would not dwell on the past. At the banquet, he said that all the tribes had their own grievances, and that it was the hateful Gaoche people who had coerced them. He said that if they could wake up in time, they would still be loyal subjects of the Khan.

They put on a good show, but ultimately it's still...

After this great battle, Anagui's own strength was also greatly depleted.

He personally led his elite troops to the left flank of the army formation as live targets, drawing the charge of the Gaoche cavalry. His elite troops suffered heavy casualties, so naturally he wanted to "let bygones be bygones" and try to win over as many tribes as possible to serve him.

Even if we want to settle accounts, we should wait until after autumn, right?

They'll settle scores later.

Tutujia and Yijufa escorted the tribal chiefs out of the camp in place of Anagui.

Anagui sat at the table, toying with a golden wine cup in his hand, but his mind was on Gao Yu.

Just then, Tutujia and Yijufa returned to the Khan's tent. Yijufa laughed loudly, "This battle can be said to have decided the fate of the world in one battle. Judging from the expressions of the tribal chiefs, they all said that they would swear to be loyal to the Great Khan to the death. From now on, there will be no more worries."

Tutujia smiled and bowed, "In just a few days, the Great Khan will be able to lead us back to the royal court and rule the grasslands. Once the other observing tribes hear the news, they will surely surrender without resistance."

"The Great Khan only needs to wait a few days at the royal court, and the other tribes will come to apologize in person."

Anagui calmly put down the golden wine cup and, expressionless, took the initiative to ask further questions.

"What exactly did the tribal chiefs say?"

Yijufa spoke first, vividly describing the scene and gesturing with his hands to imitate the mannerisms of the chiefs.

"They all said that the Great Khan was the Rouran Khan chosen by the Eternal Heaven, the master of the grasslands. Therefore, the Eternal Heaven would protect the Great Khan and personally send an envoy to descend to earth and possess the body of Gao Erlang when the war was going badly, so that he could display his divine power and help the Great Khan wipe out the bandits."

"Some say that the Eternal Heaven could not bear to see such a proud son of heaven as the Great Khan fail, so it descended to earth and took the body of Gaul to clear away all obstacles that would prevent the Great Khan from regaining his throne and returning to the royal court."

"Some even believe that as long as the messenger of the Eternal Heaven, Gao Erlang, is there, he can protect all the tribes of the grasslands. The grasslands will surely have favorable weather every year, the grasslands will be fertile, and they will no longer be harmed by the White Disaster. Our livestock will thrive, and the Rouran royal court will be able to rebuild its former glory under the leadership of the Great Khan."

Anagui remained expressionless, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts.

He asked casually, "Is that really what you mean?"

Yi Jufa nodded repeatedly.

Anagui slowly filled the gin cup with mare's milk wine and then leisurely drank it all.

Tutujia seemed to have noticed something amiss. He glanced at Anagui, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Is the Great Khan troubled by something?"

Anagui chuckled lightly, "Our army has won a great victory, annihilating the Gaoche in one fell swoop. Our army's morale is now greatly boosted, what could I possibly have on my mind? However..."

"What do you two think is the best way for me to reward the young master of the Gao family who has performed such a remarkable feat?"

After glancing around, Yijufa lowered his voice and said, "Gao Jia Erlang is exceptionally brave, as if divinely aided. Such a fierce general should be recruited by the Great Khan with great rewards and made to serve the Great Khan..."

"Our army suffered heavy losses in today's battle. If we can have the help of Gao Lang, we will surely deter those villains from harboring any ill intentions, and the Great Khan will be able to return to the royal court and ascend to the throne smoothly."

Ejufa's idea was very simple.

In the grasslands, the strong are respected. At present, Anagui, with the momentum of his great victory over the Gaoche, can indeed suppress the various tribes of the grasslands, but his own strength has also been severely damaged.

The loyal and valiant headquarters suffered too many casualties and it will take several years to recover.

He needs someone to help him through these most vulnerable years.

Gao Yu is the only choice.

He was personally brave, and through word of mouth among the Rouran soldiers, Gao Yu had become the embodiment of the 'Eternal Heaven'.

On the grasslands, no one dared to disrespect the Eternal Heaven.

He continued, "If the Great Khan wants to win him over, it's very simple. He can offer him a high position. After all, Gao Lang is not fulfilling his ambitions in the Great Wei and is currently only a mere commander of a cavalry. He must be dissatisfied!"

"If the Great Khan offers him a high position, he will surely win his heart!"

Anagui continued to toy with the gin cup, but his expression was quite amused. "That makes some sense."

Tutujia spoke up, "This idea is good, but it will bring trouble..."

"Oh?"

Anagui became interested and asked in return, "What do you mean by that? What is the danger?"

Tutujia bluntly stated, "How difficult it is to subdue a hero like Gaolang?"

"Everyone loves a wild horse. If it can be tamed, it can become a great help. But if it cannot be tamed, it will turn against you!"

"Gao Lang was exceptionally brave and skilled. He was able to charge into an army of tens of thousands with only a few dozen riders. Such bravery is rare in ancient and modern times."

"Furthermore, after today's battle, the name of the Peerless Demon God will surely spread throughout the grasslands. Others will regard him as a god, as the Eternal Heaven. His prestige will be so high that even the Great Khan may not be able to suppress him..."

"If we recruit Gao Lang to the royal court, and he later harbors rebellious intentions, who can stand against him? The Han people of the Central Plains often say, 'Those who are not of our race will surely have different hearts.' The Great Khan must be wary. When the time comes, if there are two suns in the sky, which one should the various tribes worship?"

Seeing that Anagui was looking at him but did not interrupt him, he noticed that Anagui was looking at him but did not interrupt him.

Tutujia knew that his words had won Anagui's favor, though he also had his own ulterior motives.

If Anagui had a hero like Gao Yu under his command, would he still need them?

This is the time when Anagui is at his weakest and most in need of help. Under these circumstances, he can hold a high position and naturally has to drive Gao Yu away.

"The fact that you two can think this way is my greatest help."

Anagui sighed, "But... Gao Lang deserves immense credit for this great victory over the Gaoche..."

Tutujia immediately offered a way out, saying, "Gao Lang was ordered by the Great Wei court to escort the Great Khan back to the royal court and defeat the Gao Che."

"Even if the Great Khan wants to express his gratitude, it should be to the Great Wei Dynasty. What does it have to do with Gao Lang? However, considering that he has indeed made great contributions, the Great Khan can reward him with cattle, sheep, money, and slaves. Even if he doesn't give any rewards, what can he do?"

Yi Jufa also realized what was going on.

Judging from Anagui's reaction, he was clearly more inclined to agree with Tutujia's words. He quickly changed his tune and reminded him, "The Great Khan has no reason to feel guilty. Has the Great Khan forgotten the way the Gaulang acted when he returned to camp? He didn't care about the Great Khan's face at all."

"The Khan has always treated him with great courtesy and has never mistreated him. How could he treat the Khan like this?"

"The fact that the Great Khan did not hold his great disrespect against him is already an immense favor and a tremendous reward!"

Anagui waved his hand, "You two go and rest first."

After the two of them left.

A flicker of struggle crossed Anagui's eyes.

………………

Two more days passed.

Gao Yu's mood calmed down considerably.

The army has been resting in place for the past two days, and no other orders have been given.

Whether it's Huai Shuo or Zhong Jun, the imperial court's order is to send Anagui back to the royal court. They can't go back until they've sent him back.

However, after defeating and driving away the Gaoche people, the journey ahead will definitely be much easier.

At least no more people will die.

Shedi Gan and Daxi Wu came looking for them, and Gao Yu entertained them in his tent.

The two of them looked at Gao Yu with nothing but admiration.

after all……

Previously, they had only witnessed Gao Yu's personal bravery and had no idea how he would perform on the real battlefield. But now, they could say that they had personally witnessed how brave Gao Yu could be after he had no worries on the battlefield.

Even the most powerful rulers of antiquity were reduced to this?

"Gao Lang has rendered a great service, and the imperial court will surely reward him."

Gao Yu, however, did not take it to heart.

The imperial court?

forget it.

This time, there was no one like the Duke of Chenliu to speak on his behalf in court.

He also did not prepare the 'Jade Throne Golden Buddha' or the 'Stipunk'.

I don't have any expectations.

Given the court's track record, it's highly likely they'll just give him a verbal commendation? Or just make empty promises?
"King Rouran will surely reward this merit handsomely."

Da Xi Wu laughed and said, "To put it bluntly, Gao Lang and that Rouran king have done each other a great favor!"

"Firstly, it's because of the life-saving grace!"

"If we are defeated this time, even if we are captured, the Gaoche people, out of respect for the imperial court, will probably not do anything to us. But if the Rouran king falls into the hands of the Gaoche people, he will surely die!"

"Secondly, for the grace of restoring the nation!"

"If we lose, the Khanate of the steppe will change hands!"

"This kindness is greater than the heavens!"

Peng Le, however, quite frankly remarked, "The kindness and virtue are difficult to repay."

Gao Yu quickly raised his hand to stop the topic, "Whether it's gratitude or merit, we are merely acting on the orders of the imperial court. There's no need to constantly talk about it, otherwise it will only lead to disaster!"

Why can't we speak of our merits?

“Small favors can be repaid, but Cheng Xing’s words are both a life-saving grace and a grace to restore the kingdom. How can the Rouran King repay such a great favor?”

"If the rewards are too few, others will think that the King of the Rats is mean and ungrateful; if the rewards are too many, what rewards will the King of the Rats give? Being caught in the middle is no different from being tortured on a fire."

In the past two days, Gao Yu has also heard a lot of news that various military camps have embellished his deeds on the battlefield, and his reputation has reached its peak.

In addition, there were these remarks by Da Xiwu.

He felt even more strongly that he had to keep a low profile.

When a favor is too great to be repaid, the benefactor is no longer a benefactor, but a thorn in the side, an enemy!

Peng Le secretly glanced at Gao Yu.

It seems my reminder was unnecessary.

Too……

Despite having made a great contribution, Gao Yu has kept a very low profile these days, strictly ordering his soldiers to discuss the assault formation.

Da Xi Wu was taken aback upon hearing this; he hadn't thought of that much at first.

But after thinking about it carefully, I finally understood.

Outside the tent, Liu Yi came to report.

"My lord, the Rouran king's personal guards have come to deliver a message, saying that a banquet will be held in the main camp, and they want you and the two generals of the central army to come over."

Gao Yu nodded.

Da Xi Wu and She Di Gan also got up.

The three of them rode swiftly to the Rouran army's camp.

When they arrived, Yang Jun and Huli Jin were already inside the Khan's tent, and even Yuan Fu, whom they hadn't seen for a long time, brought Cui Jie to the banquet in person.

There are also the chiefs of various tribes.

Upon seeing Gao Yu appear, everyone immediately turned their attention to him.

P.S.: There will be another chapter later, don't rush.

(End of this chapter)