My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 432 Untie the knot
"Cough cough cough..."

Speaking for so long in one breath is obviously a considerable burden for Gao Huan at the moment.

"Brother, you should rest and recover first. Leave the cleanup to me."

Gao Yu quickly spoke up to dissuade him, pressing Gao Huan down with both hands to make him lie down again.

To everyone's surprise, Gao Huan shook his head, his attitude resolute. He struggled to grasp Gao Yu's hand, "Second Brother, please let me finish..."

"Now is the most critical time. We cannot afford to be careless. We must handle this properly so that you can rest easy in the future and have a stable rear to provide you with troops, supplies and provisions to continue the confrontation with Erzhu Rong."

"Cough cough... I suffered a great defeat this time, but fortunately you came and stabilized the situation."

Erzhu Rong's prestige was high enough, wasn't it?
From almost the start of the Six Garrisons Uprising, spanning nearly ten years, Erzhu Rong was widely recognized as the strongest force.

Moreover, Erzhu Rong himself was quite capable.

With the exception of Gao Yu, who else among the "outstanding talents" didn't obediently serve under Erzhu Rong?
As long as Erzhu Rong is alive, no matter how ambitious a person is, they will not dare to stand up and oppose him.

Even with his formidable prestige, Erzhu Rong didn't dare return to the rear to gather his defeated troops after the crushing defeat. Instead, he hurriedly led a few personal guards back to the central government in Luoyang. His goal was to get back to the central government before the news spread, to take control of the situation, appease the people, and prevent unrest from escalating and causing further changes.

What about Gao Huan?
His control over his subordinates and his prestige among them were far less than Erzhu Rong's.

Only Hou Jing and his group of the earliest Huai Shuo brothers knew each other from humble beginnings and shared joys and sorrows.

Sun Teng, Sima Ziru, and Jia Xianzheng were Gao Huan's first political opportunists after he had climbed up to the Lou family and made his first fortune. They were relatively trustworthy, but far less so than Hou Jing.

As for everyone else.

In essence, they were just partners; Gao Huan was merely nominally honored as a superior.

If Gao Huan were to fail, like this time, and his core base of six towns' soldiers and civilians were to be almost entirely wiped out, then he would be in serious trouble.

These people, in turn, will devour Gao Huan's power.

This explains why some seemingly 'powerful' forces can crumble into nothingness in an instant simply by losing a single war.

Fu Jian led a massive army, his whips silencing the flow of rivers; his arrogance was overwhelming. How mad he was!
But it only took one defeat for Fu Tianwang to become a prisoner.

Gao Yu didn't reply. His emotions were complicated. The current scene reminded him of Huai Shuo back then.

The two brothers supported each other, striving to survive in this cruel world, bring honor to their ancestors, and carve out their own path.

When exactly did it begin that he and the Gao Huan brothers were no longer as close as before?
It was from the "Heyin Incident" that he was drawn into the power vortex between Yuan Ziyou and Erzhu Rong, and from then on, he rose rapidly in rank and status, eventually surpassing Gao Huan.

Or was it because after they got married, both brothers had their own families and power?
Maybe there are.

But I had never felt uncomfortable about it before.

perhaps……

It's still because of the matter of supporting Yuan Xiu.

Gao Huan handled this matter far too hastily and in an extremely undignified manner.

If he had simply sent someone to inform Gao Yu beforehand, instead of hastily supporting Yuan Xiu and then notifying Gao Yu, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

Gao Huan said intermittently that the arrow wound seemed to have damaged his lungs, making it difficult for him to breathe.

When she looked up, she saw Gao Yu's complicated gaze.

He's not really good at commanding large-scale military operations.

His ability to read people's hearts was his specialty. With just a glance, he could see the complex emotions Gao Yu was feeling, and the words that were on the tip of his tongue would remain unspoken.

The two brothers remained silent for a long time.

Gao Yu stood up, walked slowly to the window, and looked at the horizon.

The setting sun is like blood.

The battlefield in the distance, where fierce fighting had taken place, seemed to have affected the entire world with its bloodshed; the clouds appeared to be stained with blood, a deep crimson.

After a long while, Gao Yu finally spoke slowly, "Brother, isn't it good that we brothers have always been like this?"

Gao Huan lowered his head slightly, seemingly feeling somewhat guilty, and did not respond.

Gao Yu suddenly turned around; there were some things he had to say!
"You knew that Qian Yong, Peng Ju, and others possessed the imperial seal and the late emperor's edict, so why did you deceive them into staying and supporting the emperor without consulting me beforehand?"

This is an insurmountable obstacle between the two brothers.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Gao Huan took the initiative to go to Qingzhou to bow down to Gao Yu and made great concessions in exchange for Gao Yu's recognition of Yuan Xiu's imperial throne.

But this matter was only temporarily put on hold; the thorn in his heart remained unresolved.

Gao Huan slowly raised his head, sighed, and said, "You still care about this matter after all."

How could I not care?

"It's good that you said it."

After letting out a long sigh, Gao Huan coughed a few times. "I said... I'm not reconciled, do you believe me?"

"What is there to be unwilling about?"

"It's multifaceted."

Gao Huan's eyes were somewhat unfocused, as if he was recalling something. "Back in Huai Shuo, everyone put me first. Even after I married Zhao Jun and received financial support from the Lou family, they still put me first."

"Since you joined the army, you have begun to shine, gaining the appreciation and favor of Emperor Tianbao and the late Emperor, and being given important positions..." "You, who were once behind me, have somehow reached a height that I can never reach."

This complex emotion.

In fact, this phenomenon is more common between fathers and sons, and masters and disciples. On the one hand, Gao Huan knows Gao Yu's abilities and places high hopes on him. However, when Gao Yu truly surpasses him in every aspect, he feels somewhat lost.

But Gao Yu didn't think that was all.

Gao Huan was a remarkable figure who left his mark on history. How could someone of such stature be so narrow-minded?
"And also... I want to give it my all for Zhaojun and Ahui."

"As you also know, Zi Mao and others predicted from the day Zhaojun was born that she would be extremely noble in the future. When Zhaojun was waiting to be married, powerful families such as the Heba family wanted to marry into the Lou family because of the intentions at the time of her birth. However, Zhaojun fell in love with me at first sight and told me more than once that a woman's status depends on her husband and children."

“From the day she married me, I have never let Zhaojun have a single good day. Although she was later given important positions, she was far from being ‘incredibly noble.’ I always felt indebted to her and her son.”

Gao Huan's initial wealth came from Lou Zhaojun.

Gao Yu also received great kindness from Lou Zhaojun.

In the early years in Huai Shuo, Gao Yu's Xuanjia Army was also supported by Lou Zhaojun.

"And another thing is... I haven't been able to find a chance to get away."

Gao Huan was initially the governor of Jinzhou. Jinzhou was a position that meant he was surrounded from all sides. How could Gao Huan possibly succeed under Erzhu Rong's watchful eye?
"However, His Majesty found me and transferred me to Hengzhou, where I saw hope..."

Hengzhou had direct access to the grasslands, and it was adjacent to Sizhou to the south. However, at that time, the person in charge of Sizhou was Erzhu Zhao.

Erzhu Zhao had a very close relationship with the Gao brothers.

It can be said that this series of coincidences gave Gao Huan, who was originally a "caged bird", the opportunity to fly to the vast world.

Facts also prove it.

He did indeed seize the opportunity to take off.

They allied with the Rouran in the north and deceived Erzhu Zhao in the south, thereby gaining control of most of the soldiers and civilians of the Six Garrisons. They then joined forces with Hou Jing, Sima Ziru, and others.

In a very short period of time, Gao Huan seized most of Hebei.

They became the third largest force after Erzhu Rong and Gao Yu, and could even benefit from Gao Yu's reputation.

“Erlang, I know you have resentment in your heart. To this day, you and Wanren are the only two people I owe.”

Gao Huan began to speak to himself.

"This crushing defeat, this brush with death, has taught me a lot."

He sighed, “Since ancient times, no one has ever gained the world without merit. Schemes and tricks can hardly accomplish great things. This world... cannot be won by words alone. In the end, it must be won by your own efforts. With your bravery and prestige, as long as you defeat Erzhu Rong, taking the world will be a piece of cake.”

Gao Yu hesitated for a moment, pondering the meaning behind Gao Huan's words.

People do indeed undergo transformation after experiencing great ups and downs and even life and death.

but……

Does this mean that Gao Huan has truly given up his ambitions?
"I have also thought it through. I can hardly accomplish anything on my own. I should assist you in conquering the world. If you succeed in the future, this world will eventually belong to the Gao family. As we have said before, a wise man should keep his talents hidden until the time is right."

"Now is a time of great upheaval, the fate of the Great Wei is sealed, and someone should take its place... How can we sit idly by and watch this world be stolen by others?"

Once you talk things out, the grudges will disappear.

Gao Huan didn't expect to mend the relationship between the brothers with just a few words.

He was just offering a reminder.

"Erlang, my great defeat this time is actually a good thing for you."

"Your subordinates, from the civil and military officials in the Tian Ce Mansion to the soldiers, are all Han Chinese. This was a good thing before your territory expanded. However, now that you control most of the northern border, you need to balance the various forces."

"Bring my Xianbei and others under your command. Their strength is not enough to threaten your Han officials, but they can help you keep an eye on them."

“People like Wan Jing are exceptionally capable and can stand on their own. Moreover, Wan Jing has known you since childhood, from humble beginnings. You must give important positions to such capable and close people.”

"Only in this way can you fill the gap of having no one under your command who can be entrusted with important tasks."

Having a large territory but no trusted confidants to help guard it is indeed a terrifying thing.

Most people would rather have someone with mediocre abilities, or even a good-for-nothing, help them guard their territory, as long as they are loyal.

Loyalty is far more important than ability.

However, if a person is both capable and extremely loyal.

That's a real treasure.

In Gao Huan's description.

Hou Jing was such a person.

As for whether Hou Jing also had ambitions?

How can someone who can't even control his subordinates possibly conquer the world?
He wanted to rule the world.

First and foremost, one must have the magnanimity and open-mindedness to accommodate everything.

(End of this chapter)