My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 373 An Unprecedented Fortune!
Gao Huan left Tian Ce Mansion in a daze.

My heart was heavy.

Before getting into the carriage, he glanced back at the plaque above the gate that read "Tian Ce Mansion" and couldn't help but sigh.

Can he blame Gao Yu for not considering brotherly affection?
To be fair.

Gao Yu had already given him enough face, at least not turning against him, and even giving him a 'luck'.

However, the price was that he had to fight Erzhu Rong to the death in Hebei, just to delay Erzhu Rong's advance and buy Gao Yu enough time to pacify Yan and You.

They were wasting their own strength, yet they had to watch helplessly as Gao Yu grew stronger.

But does he have a choice?

Moreover, he didn't seem to have the right to accuse Gao Yu of betraying their brotherhood and scheming against him, since he was the one who started it.

He didn't try to compete with Gao Yu for anything.

In terms of leading troops into battle, he was indeed inferior to Gao Yu.

Moreover, for Gao Huan, the most important thing right now is to survive, so Gao Yu's plan doesn't have any major problems.

From a broader perspective...

Even if Gao Yu were to launch an attack into Hebei at this moment, he would still face the risk of being attacked from both sides. He should indeed free up his resources to eliminate the worries about the rear in Yan and You, so that he can fight against Erzhu Rong with peace of mind.

Gao Huan could also lead his troops north.

However, he could not quell the enemy forces in Yan and You as quickly as Gao Yu could.

Secondly, if he led his troops north, wouldn't that be tantamount to handing over the land of Hebei and allowing Gao Yu to take over? Why did he go through all that trouble before?
Why not just send Yuan Ziyou's will and imperial seal directly to Qingzhou?

And you don't have to offend Gao Yu, or even cause the two brothers to have a rift.

"To gain something, you must lose something else..."

Silently recalling Gao Yu's words, Gao Huan shook his head. For now, he could only take it one step at a time.

After Gao Huan left.

Gao Yu immediately sent someone to bring Erzhu Zhao over. He didn't dare let Erzhu Zhao meet Gao Huan, after all, Erzhu Zhao harbored great resentment.

Erzhu Zhao had a stern face. Of course he knew Gao Huan had come, and he thought Gao Yu was there to mediate between the two.

But Gao Huan was nowhere to be seen. He immediately said, "Second Brother, if you want to speak up for He Liuhun, don't blame me for not giving you face."

"Wanren, my brother has already left and is not in the manor."

"Hmph, it's best that he's gone. Don't believe anything he says easily. I ended up like this because I believed too easily! He Liuhun has changed, just like Tianbao."

“I have summoned you here because I have an important matter to entrust to you.”

"What is it? Please speak freely, but... I am all alone right now, how can I help you?"

Gao Yu led him to the map.

Pointing to Pengcheng, he said, "Peng Le has already taken Pengcheng with his men. As you know, the situation is currently chaotic. If the Southern Dynasty finds out, I'm afraid they will take the opportunity to invade, affecting my subsequent military operations."

"I need a trustworthy person to help me guard Pengcheng."

Erzhu Rong left Yuzhou undefended, and Gao Yu did not actually intend to wage war in the south; his current forces were not strong enough to support a multi-pronged attack.

The only option for the south is to hold their ground.

People like Yang Zhong, Peng Le, and Mulan need to be transferred back to Beijing so they can follow him north.

His plan was to have his brother-in-law, Zheng Zhongli, and Erzhu Zhao, two well-known relatives of the emperor, respectively, guard Liang County and Pengcheng.

In Qizhou and Jizhou, he also focused on defense.

In Gao Yu's view, Erzhu Rong would not take the initiative to attack him. For Erzhu Rong, the priority would definitely be to eliminate Gao Huan. He would try his best not to provoke Gao Yu.

While it may seem that Gao Yu relieved Gao Huan of the defensive pressure on the east side of Xiangzhou, Erzhu Rong would never actually attack in that direction.

Erzhu Zhao laughed, "Aren't you afraid I'll take the city and everything and go to Tianbao for refuge?" "I trust you."

Gao Yu said with certainty.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Erzhu Zhao laughed loudly, "You trust me so much, how could I possibly betray you? Rest assured! If the island barbarians of the Southern Dynasty dare to raise an army to invade, I will make sure they never return!!"

"Then I'll leave it to you!"

After arranging Erzhu Zhao's affairs, Gao Yu immediately sent someone to summon Yang Yin and Cui Xian, as he still needed to make further arrangements for the subsequent northward journey.

He still has a powerful weapon to further motivate his soldiers to fight bravely against the enemy, which he hasn't yet revealed.

Besides...

He had to wait for news to come back from the north.

........................

Yanzhou, within Shanggu Commandery.

Hebayun was reviewing the official documents presented below.

The main tasks are the assembly of troops and the transportation of provisions. Hou Yuan has already delivered Erzhu Rong's latest military order, ordering the troops from Yan, Ying, and You prefectures to assemble in Hejian County within Ying Prefecture. Once the army is assembled, they will join forces with Erzhu Rong to launch a pincer attack and annihilate Gao Huan in Ding Prefecture and Xiang Prefecture.

"General! Someone outside the mansion is requesting an audience. He says he is an old friend of yours and asked me to deliver this letter to you."

Heba Yun looked puzzled.

Old friend?

What old friends did he have in Yanzhou?
He was sent by Erzhu Rong after Ge Rong was pacified, and for most of that time he followed Hou Yuan to pacify Ge Rong's former troops. He was only settled down this year.

However, when he opened the envelope, he found only one word inside: 'feather'.

Heba Yun quickly crumpled the envelope into a ball, his face grave. He waved his hand and said, "Bring this person in here through the back door, and make sure it doesn't attract attention."

"Here!"

After a while, a figure that was very familiar to Heba Yun appeared in front of him.

"Greetings, Lord Heba!"

Liu Taozhi bowed very respectfully.

"Since we are old friends, why be so formal?"

Heba Yun waved his hand, his expression indifferent. He looked at Liu Taozhi and said, "Although we are old friends, you shouldn't be here to see me at this time."

Liu Taozhi chuckled lightly, "It is precisely at this moment that I have come to see the general. The general should know who I have come on behalf of."

Heba Yun was certainly aware of this.

Liu Taozhi may not seem to have a high profile around Gao Yu, but those who have dealt with Gao Yu know that many of the things Liu Taozhi does for Gao Yu are the kind that can't be seen in the light of day. Under Gao Yu, her status is no less than that of Yang Kan, Mulan, and others.

we can even say.

Liu Taozhi's personal visit is enough to prove how much Gao Yu values ​​him.

"Speak, what brings you here?"

"My husband said! He'll bestow upon the general an immense fortune!"

Heba Yun narrowed his eyes and threatened in a stern voice, "If I were to capture you now and send you to Luoyang, I would be rich beyond measure!!"

Liu Taozhi, however, remained unfazed and said, "If the general wants to arrest me, he may send his men."

Seeing that Heba Yun had not made any further move, Liu Taozhi chuckled and said, "It seems... the general also has the answer in his heart, and knows who in this world can truly bestow immense wealth upon the general!"

Heba Yun hesitated for a moment.

(End of this chapter)