My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 116 To Rebel or Not to Rebel?
After bringing his entire family back to Loujiawubao.

Gao Huan then summoned all his close friends and confidants from his inner circle.

of course.

The banquet was still held under the guise of a formality, in order to avoid arousing suspicion from others, since even Yang Jun, the town's general, had not made any reaction.

Gao Huan could then confirm that news of the rebellion in Woye Town had not yet reached him.

He needs to use this information gap to first unify the thoughts of his own people, and use the banquet as an excuse to see what others think. Only when people are united can the team be led.

Besides Mulan and Peng Le, who were already inside the fortified village, Gao Yu also invited several other people to come.

The scale of the banquet far exceeded that of previous ones.

Just as the banquet was about to begin, Lou Zhaojun arrived with Lou Zhao, Duan Rong, and others to attend.

Upon seeing this scene, Peng Le muttered under his breath, "Is there something big to announce?"

After ordering his servants to bring up the beef and mutton, Gao Huan dismissed everyone around him. Even the most slow-witted person would understand that Gao Huan clearly had something to announce.

They all stopped what they were doing and looked at Gao Huan, who was sitting in the main seat, and forgot to enjoy the food.

Gao Huan wasn't in a hurry, but instead raised his wine glass.

"Come, everyone, let us drink this cup together!"

After finishing his drink, Gao Huan finally revealed the news.

"Woye Town has rebelled! Chieftain Po Liuhanbaling attacked and killed the Woye Town general, raised the banner of rebellion, and the whole of Woye responded to his call. People from top to bottom rebelled, and followers are everywhere!"

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Gao Huan, their faces filled with astonishment, trying to process this shocking news.

rebel?

Bilugu immediately retorted, "He Liuhun, where did you get this news? Has Woye Town really rebelled?"

Bilugu and the others' first reaction was disbelief; the word "rebellion" seemed so distant to them.

Gao Huan nodded. "This is no joke. Zi Mao came here to escape. In a day or two, I'm sure everyone in Huai Shuo will know about this. I called you all here today to see what you think."

"According to Zi Mao's words, within a few days, Po Liu Han Baling will lead a large army to attack Huai Shuo. How should we deal with this?"

After finishing speaking.

Gao Huan scanned the crowd, as did Gao Yu.

The two brothers did not want to be the first to express their opinion, but rather wanted to observe what their trusted subordinates thought.

Although these people were led by the two brothers, the two brothers couldn't make a one-man show.

As the two brothers' power gradually expanded and their number of subordinates increased, this situation was bound to occur.

After a moment of silence.

After Qu Tuhe finished drinking a cup of wine, he said, "Why don't we join the rebellion? We've grown up in Huai Shuo since we were little. Who among us doesn't have grievances against the court? Everyone knows how much the court oppresses the people and soldiers of the Six Garrisons."

As soon as he spoke.

Peng Le, being extremely 'straightforward', chimed in, "Now that someone's starting, why don't we join in the rebellion?"

"With your reputation, sir, as long as you raise the banner of rebellion, people will surely come to join you. At that time, your great cause will be accomplished!"

Dugu Qi and others shared this view.

The reason is also very simple.

Who among the people of the Six Garrisons did not harbor resentment towards the imperial court? Who had not harbored rebellious thoughts? They simply did not dare to do so before.

But at this point...

Once the news of Zhiwoye Town spreads, other places will surely follow suit and rebel.

Po Liuhanbaling has already set the fire on. The hearts of the people in the entire Six Garrisons are like dry tinder doused with oil. If there is even a little spark, it will ignite into a raging fire!

How could Huai Shuo escape unscathed!
Many people, though not speaking, looked interested.

Hou Jing, who had been drinking, loudly stopped everyone from talking.

How foolish!

Gao Huan looked at his old friend and asked, "What insightful opinion does Wan Jing have?"

Hou Jing chuckled a few times and began to speak to himself, “Over the years, I have read quite a few books. From the pre-Qin period to the present, rebellions have not been uncommon, but… upon closer inspection, I have discovered something interesting.”

Upon hearing this, Sun Teng urged, "Wan Jing, why beat around the bush? Just say what you have to say."

Hou Jing glanced at Gao Huan and Gao Yu before continuing, "Some of you are educated. I would like to ask you a question: Who was the first to rise up in rebellion at the end of the Qin Dynasty?"

Mulan replied, "Chen Sheng and Wu Guang."

"it is good!"

After Hou Jing laughed loudly, he continued, "So who ultimately replaced Qin and seized the world? What was the final fate of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang?"

"The Great Wei has ruled the Central Plains for a century, and its foundation is extremely solid. Do you all really think that a mere rebellion in Woye Town can shake the foundation of the Great Wei?"

"So what if all six garrisons rebel? In this harsh and cold land, food supplies are insufficient. The court only needs to send a large army to guard the southward route, and we can be trapped and killed in this northern land."

Gao Yu looked at Hou Jing with surprise.

He had only offered Hou Jing a word of advice, but he never expected that the boy would actually take his words to heart.

It's not just about reading books; it's about integrating and understanding them to reach a level where the classics truly resonate with your own understanding.

He truly deserves to be remembered in history as the Great General of the Universe, who caused Xiao Bodhisattva a great deal of trouble.

Peng Le countered, "Then according to you, shouldn't we rebel?"

"Of course we shouldn't rebel. We should hold our ground and wait for the imperial army to arrive to quell the rebellion."

"Are you so certain that the imperial court can quell the rebellion? Have you forgotten that not long ago the Rouran raided the old capital of the Great Wei, shaking the Central Plains, yet the Great Wei was helpless? Where in the central army are there any soldiers left to fight?"

Hou Jing shook his head and said, "Not rebelling now does not mean we won't rebel in the future. We can defend the city and observe how things change. If the court is really that incompetent, what's wrong with us raising the banner of rebellion again?"

"These are just my personal opinions. Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts and discuss them together."

Lou Zhaojun then spoke up.

"Although I am a woman, I also think Wan Jing's words make a lot of sense." Lou Zhaojun spoke up to express her opinion, but the two Gao brothers still did not rush to speak.

Mulan then looked at Gao Yu and asked, "Erlang, what's your opinion?"

Gao Yu also knew that it was time for him to step forward.

He slowly and deliberately expressed his thoughts.

"I also feel that we cannot go against it."

joke.

How could a modern man not know that rebellion is something that cannot be rushed?
To rebel, one must build high walls, stockpile ample grain, delay declaring oneself king, first annex and then rebel, thus having the option to advance or retreat as needed.

Historically, those who led rebellions have always become key targets of the old forces. After weakening each other with the existing rulers, the power of those who came after them ultimately benefited.

These people are historically known as the vanguard of the king.

"Wan Jing's words are extremely reasonable. Besides, what benefit would we gain from rebelling now?"

"Rob? The six towns are all harsh and cold lands. What wealth and jewels could we possibly plunder? Even if there are some powerful clans, what if they all rebel? How could we possibly rob them then?"

"It would be better to hold the city, observe the situation, and see how the court responds!"

Peng Le then countered, "What if the rebel army amasses a large force and surrounds us? How would we respond?"

"The Six Garrisons are skilled in field battles but not in siege warfare. We all know each other's strengths and weaknesses. As long as we have a continuous supply of food and water, we can hold our ground indefinitely."

The Six Garrisons are just like those on the grasslands; they excel at cavalry archery and open-field battles, but they are not good at siege warfare, mainly because the Rouran people to the north do not have any cities for them to conquer.

The imperial court would naturally not allow the soldiers and civilians of the Six Garrisons to practice this.

Otherwise, what's the point of practicing?
how?

Now that you've mastered siege warfare, are you going to march south and attack Luoyang?

Gao Yu's words did indeed dispel many of the concerns of the crowd. Hou Jing's reasoning was easy for everyone to understand, but the real problem was how to defend themselves if the other side attacked them.
Gao Yu dispelled their concerns.

of course……

Gao Yu himself had many reasons why he couldn't rebel.

For example, he was an official in name only, and his prestige in the Six Garrisons was too great. If he were to raise the banner of rebellion, he would surely gather a large following, and the imperial court would definitely keep an eye on him and crack down on him.

What he wants is for people like Po Liuhan and Baling to first shelter him from the wind and rain, and to stir up chaos in the world.

Instead of standing up to shield others from the storm when you only have so many people under your command, wouldn't that be doing all the work for someone else?
He had no desire to be the king's vanguard.

It was only at this moment that Gao Huan spoke up, "My opinion is the same as Erlang's. I wonder what everyone else thinks. If you share the same idea as my brother and I, you might as well bring your wives, children and elderly parents to stay in the fortified village temporarily."

"After all... once the news spreads, we have no idea what the town general and the others are thinking. Even if we have no intention of rebelling, we must be wary of others. We still need to be careful to prevent trouble from arising from our own side!"

Bilugu and the others, who had been clamoring for a rebellion, immediately stood up and expressed their agreement.

They know it better than anyone else.

The brothers Gao Huan and Gao Yu are quick-witted.

If one weren't quick-witted, how could one rise from a mere military household to achieve such status and power in just a few years?
They all followed the two brothers and got by; there was no need for them to use their intelligence or talent, they just had to follow along.

"Since no one objects, let's bring our families here as soon as possible before the news gets out."

Lou Zhaojun also chimed in, "I will personally arrange for proper accommodations and will certainly not mistreat any of my brothers."

………………

at night.

Yang Jun was originally worried about the issue of food supplies.

His guards, looking flustered, rushed in without even reporting.

"What's the matter?"

Yang Jun frowned and asked.

"General... Something terrible has happened! We've just received news that Woye has rebelled!"

"what?"

Startled, Yang Jun immediately stood up, grabbed his bodyguard's arm, and questioned him anxiously, "Is this true?"

"It's absolutely true! The Woye Town garrison will be killed, and the rest of the people will join the rebellion. In just a few days, the rebel army will be heading towards Huai Shuo!"

Yang Jun suddenly felt as if the sky had fallen.

His vision went black and he almost lost his balance, but thankfully his bodyguards helped him up.

The news came so suddenly that he was completely unprepared.

"Damn it! Why are there so many problems this year?"

Then he was extremely relieved that the news came at night, when there was a curfew, so the people in the city wouldn't know for the time being, at least it wouldn't cause panic, and it wouldn't be exploited by those with ulterior motives.

Yang Jun was formerly the deputy commander of Huai Shuo, and in recent years he has become the commander of the town.

He was fully aware of the dissatisfaction the people and soldiers of the Six Garrisons had with the imperial court.

If anyone stands up and raises the flag of rebellion, he, as the town's commander, will be the target of execution, and his fate will be the same as that of Woye Town.

So……

Who in Huai Shuo has such prestige right now?

Two figures immediately flashed into Yang Jun's mind.

The Gao brothers!

Gao Huan and Gao Yu are both prestigious and capable; if they were to join the rebellion...

We must first kill people to establish our authority!
Who should be killed first?
I'm afraid my life is in danger!

We have to make the first move!

PS: Guys, I'll definitely update earlier tomorrow. Researching these past two days has seriously slowed down my writing progress.

(End of this chapter)