My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 437 Chasing Someone Under the Moon
As is customary, the Tian Ce Mansion sent the message to various places.

Outside Juyang City.

Erzhu Zhao stood at the entrance of the camp, gazing westward, towards the location of Bingzhou.

After a long while, he couldn't help but sigh and returned to his desk, where a message from the Tian Ce Mansion was displayed.

Erzhu Rong was defeated.

Upon hearing this news, Erzhu Zhao's feelings were quite complicated.

to him.

He was torn between two equally important parties, and the outcome was equally agonizing for him, leaving him caught in the middle.

“Tianbao, Erlang…you two have finally come to this point.”

Even if he could have foreseen it long ago, it would still be hard for him to accept when it actually happened.

A series of hurried footsteps sounded, and Chi Lie Changyi entered the tent. He looked down and saw the official documents delivered to him on the table.

"The general has won a great victory? In that case, wouldn't the prime minister be..."

Erzhu Zhao was originally stationed in Pengcheng. Half a month ago, he led a large army to help Yang Kan, who was defending Juyang, defeat Chilie Yanqing. After suffering repeated defeats, and with Chen Qingzhi leading the Southern Liang army to harass him from the south, Chilie Yanqing could not withstand the pressure and had to retreat.

the beginning of the year.

Erzhu Rong launched a three-pronged attack.

result……

Marquis Yuan of Yingzhou suffered a crushing defeat and was captured alive.

Yuzhou Chilie Yanqing suffered a major defeat and had no choice but to retreat.

Erzhu Rong, who was personally stationed in Xiangzhou, could have defeated Gao Huan, but Gao Yu's sudden attack caused Erzhu Rong's army to suffer a major defeat.

It was a complete defeat.

Erzhu Zhao's expression was complicated. "I am a sinner of the Erzhu clan. After I die, how will I have the face to meet the ancestors of the Erzhu clan in the underworld?"

"Wanren, you are only doing this because of the circumstances. Why blame yourself like this?"

Chi Lie Changyi noticed that Er Zhu Zhao's mood was not right, so he quickly offered words of comfort and guidance.

Erzhu Zhao simply shook his head, then waved his hand and said, "You may leave now. I want to be alone for a while."

He sat down on the ground beside the table, picked up the wine beside him and drank it all in one gulp. After drinking the wine, Erzhu Zhao drew the precious sword that was placed beside him, stood in front of him and examined it carefully. The scene in his mind was very clear.

This knife was a gift from Erzhu Rong when he entrusted him with the defense of Sizhou.

The original intention was to have him use this knife to make outstanding contributions to the Erzhu clan's conquest of the world.

result?

The ancestral homeland of the Erzhu clan in Sizhou was lost.

The knife was indeed stained with blood, but the blood came from the soldiers of Erzhu Rong's army, many of whom were Qihu people like him.

How ironic.

"Tianbao... I have failed your high expectations."

After drinking a few more cups of wine, Erzhu Zhao seemed to have made up his mind. His eyes were no longer confused, but instead became extremely firm.

He had someone bring him banknotes, and then wrote a handwritten letter in crooked Chinese characters. He also took out his seal from his waist and placed it on top of the letter.

The sky darkened, and night had fallen.

Erzhu Zhao rode his horse away from the military camp, heading west and disappearing into the night.

…………

Ta-da-da.

As night fell, the rapid sound of horses' hooves rang out.

Erzhu Zhaole tightened the reins and slowly stopped. Were there pursuers behind him?
After a while, the sound of hooves grew more rapid and closer. The torches in the distance dispelled the darkness, and when he looked closely, he realized that more than a dozen riders were chasing after him.

Upon getting closer, it was immediately recognized that the leader was Yang Kan, who should have been in Juyang City.

"Wanren! Wanren! Wait a moment!" Yang Kan dismissed his personal guards and approached Erzhu Zhao alone. Once he was close, he spoke, "Wanren, why did you leave without saying goodbye?"

Erzhu Zhao shook his head. "After this battle, I have no face to continue living in this world. Erlang asked me to guard Pengcheng for him, and I have fulfilled my promise to Erlang."

"Right now... I should go find Tianbao and settle things."

Yang Kan could tell from Erzhu Zhao's calm expression that he was 'seeking death' from his words.

As a righteous and iron-blooded Han emperor.

In Yang Kan's eyes, Erzhu Zhao's Hu (non-Han) bloodline was a sin.

He had always looked down on Erzhu Zhao, and even delayed and resisted contacting Erzhu Zhao from the bottom of his heart, even though his sister and Erzhu Zhao's daughter were Gao Yu's only two legal wives.

But Erzhu Zhao helped him repel the invading enemy, so he owed Erzhu Zhao a favor.

When Chilie Changyi came to see him and told him that Erzhu Zhao had left behind his seal and letter, Yang Kan still immediately brought his personal guards to chase after him under the moon.

Yang Kan, knowing of Erzhu Zhao's plight, couldn't help but feel some sympathy for him.

He sighed and said, "If you really do that, you might get a quick and painless end to things, but what about the others?"

Erzhu Zhao looked somewhat bewildered. "The others?"

"Erlang entrusted you with guarding Pengcheng, but after Erzhu Rong's army invaded and was defeated, you contemplated suicide. If this news gets out, what will others think of Erlang? Knowing that you are a member of the Erzhu clan, why did he still send you here? If you die, won't others think that Erlang forced you to your death?"

"And... what will happen to your family in Juye Marsh? If you die, how will your widow and her children cope? How will your daughter cope?"

Seeing that Erzhu Zhao's attitude seemed to have softened.

Yang Kan continued to persuade him, "Even if you don't consider your family, your wife and children..."

“You keep saying you’ve let down the Erzhu clan and have no face to face the Erzhu ancestors. You also know that Erzhu Rong has suffered a great defeat, and the current situation is favorable to Erlang. If Erzhu Rong is defeated in the future, he and the Erzhu clan members will all be traitors to the country and will not be able to survive. If you also die, won’t the Erzhu clan be wiped out?”

"If you survive and serve under Erlang, you can help the Erzhu family line continue in Shandong, ensuring that the family line doesn't die out completely..."

"In my Han Chinese family, it is common for brothers to serve two masters, which is why the family line continues unbroken. I have said my piece, so you can decide what to do."

Erzhu Zhao's expression was complicated.

Their attitude is no longer as resolute as before.

Yang Kan's words struck a chord with him.

His wife, children, and the continuation of his family line all required him to continue living.

He felt guilty towards Erzhu Rong at the moment, and if he ran to Erzhu Rong and committed suicide, he would also feel guilty towards Gao Yu.

“Go back. If you really feel sorry for Erzhu Rong, then live well. After he dies, you can still go to his grave every year to offer sacrifices and pour a pot of wine. That way, there will still be people in the world who remember him…”

Erzhu Zhao was eventually persuaded.

The reason is actually very simple.

But as someone directly involved, one might not be able to see things so clearly.

Yang Kan's advice was more like offering him a chair, giving him a way out so he could back down.

the other side.

Erzhu Rong, who was fleeing for his life, did not stay in Bingzhou for long.

Instead, they rushed back to Luoyang without stopping.

No sooner had they arrived in Luoyang than a battle report from Chilie Yanqing arrived.

Before Erzhu Rong could even catch his breath, he returned to the residence of General Tianzhu and received a huge 'surprise'.

He couldn't catch his breath again, almost blacked out again, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

This time.

He suffered defeat after defeat, utterly and completely!
At the beginning of the year, three armies set off in a grand procession. At that time, he was full of vigor and vowed to take over Hebei in one fell swoop and establish his rule in the Central Plains.

But only half a year has passed.

The final result was that all three armies failed, and he himself slunk back to Luoyang.

(End of this chapter)