My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 233 Xiao Pusa and Chen Qingzhi

After Gao Yu came to his senses, he quickly helped her up.

"But did Zu Xin send a letter?"

"It is indeed my master, and his wife has come to deliver the message."

This man was one of Yang Kan's personal guards. He took out two letters from his pocket and handed them to Gao Yu.

It wasn't convenient to open it in front of him, so Gao Yu called Liu Taozhi over and asked her to help entertain the messenger.

Liu Taozhi had previously been a businessman, and now she works as a steward in Gao Yu's household, a role similar to that of a housekeeper. She helps manage all the household's belongings and is also responsible for calculating various expenses.

Holding two letters.

Gao Yu returned to his room in the inner courtyard.

He opened one of the letters; the handwriting was bold and rough, but its sharp edges clearly indicated it was written by a soldier.

The content wasn't anything special, except that Yang Kan questioned him about why he would submit to Erzhu Rong, a traitor who had committed heinous and outrageous acts.

Despite his questioning tone, Gao Yu felt a pang of nostalgia and couldn't help but smile slightly.

"After all these years, Zu Xin is still the same... a ruthless and iron-blooded Han chauvinist."

Yang Kan was still the same as always, still shouting that the Great Wei should be destroyed quickly, that the sons of Han should be so brave, and that the sons of Han should reclaim the iron-blooded imperial Han that returned to the Central Plains.

It's more accurate to say that he was forced into serving the thieves by circumstances.

After the Six Garrisons Rebellion, facing the chaotic situation of the world, Gao Yu had no choice but to go to Sizhou to seek refuge with Erzhu Rong.

He put the letter in his hand aside and opened another letter. As soon as he opened it, a few strands of hair fell out.

The handwriting on the letter was delicate and small, clearly the work of a young woman, yet equally sharp and distinct, suggesting that this woman was not the traditionally weak type and perhaps exercised regularly.

"Could it be... that she really has been practicing archery every day since she went back?"

Holding a strand of hair in his hand, tied with a ribbon, the contents of the letter made Gao Yu feel ashamed and a little guilty.

"Gao Jun, greetings."

"Since you left, the leaves of the paulownia tree in the courtyard have fallen eight times, and I always see wild geese carrying reeds in their beaks... My longing for you is like the flowing water of a long river, never ceasing day and night..."

Every word reveals a deep longing.

Gao Yu never imagined that he would leave such a deep impression on a little girl back then.
Eight years have passed, and the girl has grown into a graceful young woman, yet she still cannot forget him.

Would you consider this a form of recognition of one's own appearance?
Emotional debts are hard to repay.

While Gao Yu was in a daze, Yuan Miao secretly walked in again. Upon seeing the strand of hair in his hand, she exclaimed, "Erlang is indeed attracting women's attention. Whose hair is this?"

"She is a lady from the Yang family of Mount Tai. I only met her a few times in Luoyang eight years ago..."

"So what if we count the number of sides?"

Yuan Miao muttered, "I only met Erlang once back then... but Erlang's handsome appearance is indeed unforgettable for a young lady."

"It must be because he was captivated by Erlang's heroic demeanor in protecting the princess."

Upon hearing this.

Gao Yu discovered that this was indeed the case.

Erzhu Yuechan had met him once when they were children, as had Yang Changchu and Yuan Miao.

Erzhu Ying'e had met him once when he was a child, so it couldn't be...

Hmm, surely I can't possibly collect even the Empress's belongings in my own household?

He shook his head violently.

Impossible, absolutely impossible!
After thinking it over, Gao Yu asked Yuan Miao to bring him paper and pen and grind ink for him.

Write eight characters on a piece of paper.

With a heart full of light, what more needs to be said?

This was his response to Yang Kan's questioning, and also the attitude he wanted to express to Yang Kan.

He then quickly wrote a letter to Yang Changchu, naturally intending to properly respond to her feelings. Even though Yuan Miao was watching from the side, Gao Yu did not deliberately avoid her.

After sealing the letter, Gao Yu got up and went out to entertain Yang Kan's guards. He needed to trouble them to deliver the letter he had written in his own hand to Yang Kan and Yang Changchu.

………………

May.

Southern China has entered its traditional rainy season, and with the large-scale rainfall, temperatures have dropped significantly.

Inside the pavilion.

An elderly man in plain monk's robes, with white hair and a youthful face, was holding a white chess piece, looking at the chessboard in front of him, seemingly deep in thought.

Despite his simple attire, he possessed an air of imperial nobility in his demeanor.

Snapped!
The old man placed a white piece on the chessboard and chuckled softly.

"Ziyun, after years of fighting on the battlefield, your chess skills have deteriorated considerably. This is not the level you should be at."

The man playing chess with the old man was a middle-aged man.

He was dressed in the typical attire of a scholar, wearing white robes. The old man said he had fought on the battlefield, but he did not look like a general.

On the contrary, he seemed like a scholar who couldn't even kill a chicken.

"My chess skills are inferior to Your Majesty's, and they have indeed declined."

The old man was none other than Xiao Yan, the Bodhisattva Xiao, who had held power in the Southern Liang Dynasty for decades!
The white-robed scholar who played chess with him was Chen Qingzhi, who had been serving as Xiao Pusa's attendant since childhood.

Chen Qingzhi put down his chess piece and resigned.

Xiao Yan's attention also shifted from the chessboard. He looked up at Chen Qingzhi and asked with a light laugh, "You have been fighting against the Northern Wei army for the past two years. In your opinion, should I help Yuan Hao's northern expedition this time?"

Prince Yuan Hao of Beihai had already been brought to the imperial palace in Jiankang by Emperor Xiao Yan's men at the end of April.

And just like the Yuan clan members who had fled south in the past, Xiao Yan gave him high-ranking official positions and generous salaries, and took good care of him.

Keep it as a claim for later.

but……

The once peaceful court was disrupted by the arrival of a man claiming to be Ge Rong's special envoy.

Ge Rong submitted a memorial inviting Xiao Yan to join him in attacking Erzhu Rong, and stated that he was willing to cede the entire Henan and Xuzhou regions to him.

The ministers in the court reacted in different ways.

Some people oppose it, while others support it.

Meanwhile, Yuan Hao and Yuan Faseng, members of the Yuan clan who had fled south, seemed to see a glimmer of hope and submitted memorials hoping that Xiao Yan could help them launch a northern expedition.

Since the great victory over Northern Wei in the Battle of Zhongli.

Xiao Yan did not press his advantage.

The two sides often engaged in minor skirmishes along the border, but there were no more large-scale battles.

The Southern Liang Dynasty had always adopted a defensive posture against the Great Wei Dynasty. The Battle of Zhongli was actually an offensive launched by the Great Wei Dynasty, which ultimately made Wei Rui famous.

Resistance within the imperial court was the reason why Xiao Yan was unable to launch a northern expedition for so long.

But now a golden opportunity has presented itself.

The north is in complete chaos.

Taking back Luoyang would be extremely attractive to Xiao Yan.

That's why he hurriedly recalled Chen Qingzhi, wanting to ask this trusted confidant for his opinion.

"Your Majesty, I have indeed received news that rebellions are breaking out on all sides in the northern border. The pseudo-Wei court may not be able to control the situation. If Your Majesty were to launch a northern expedition now, it would not be impossible to reclaim the land of Henan!"

"I imagine that Han Chinese families in Hebei, Shandong and other places would welcome our soldiers to come and reclaim the Han Chinese homeland."

Obviously.

Chen Qingzhi supports the Northern Expedition!
(End of this chapter)