My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 479 Fear of Power, Not Gratitude

Although the young man's voice was somewhat immature, his words were firm and resolute.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that although the young man was not particularly handsome, his face was radiant with confidence.

Mulan's expression was somewhat unnatural, not because she was angry, but because she recognized the young man at a glance.

Heba Yun was unaware of this. He looked at the young man and, at a glance, saw that although he was young, he was tall, strong, and had dark skin. He was clearly a brave man.

He couldn't help but think more highly of him and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

The young man was not intimidated. Instead, he stepped forward and stood in the middle of the crowd, explaining his point of view: "The Rouran dared to recklessly wage war. Their intentions are despicable. If the Prime Minister were to learn of the Rouran's attack on the Turks, he would surely not tolerate it!"

Heba Yun shook his head, "Last year, the official document sent by the Prime Minister clearly instructed us to reduce taxes and corvée labor and allow the people to rest."

The young man disagreed, saying, "General, the Prime Minister taught us students a principle when we were in the military academy: specific situations must be analyzed specifically. Yanzhou is located on the frontier of the Great Wei, facing the people of the grasslands. The area is inhabited by both Han and Yi peoples. If you indulge the Rouran this time, it will definitely cause unrest among the people in the area."

“But right now, our country’s biggest threat is the traitor Erzhu Rong. If we rashly wage war on the border, wouldn’t that be giving Erzhu Rong, this rebel, an advantage? Besides… the Rouran king is related to the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat by marriage, and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat is the Prime Minister’s brother.”

"This matter cannot be decided hastily; we should ask the Prime Minister to make the decision."

The other students from the martial arts academy behind Mulan also spoke up, expressing their own opinions.

He did not stop them, nor did he consider it an overstepping of authority for these trainees with 'low' official ranks to speak up.

Gao Yu had a famous saying: if it is a discussion, then others must be allowed to speak. They should not be looked down upon because of their low rank, short experience, or young age.

The young man who had spoken first spoke again, "It is precisely because there are so many reasons why we cannot easily wage war against the grasslands that we know, and how could the King of the Rouran not know? That is why I say the King of the Rouran's actions are utterly despicable!!"

"The Rouran king's thinking is nothing more than that when two tigers fight, one will be injured, and he can benefit from the fight between the snipe and the clam. He knows that the country's biggest threat is in the west and that it will not easily launch a military campaign against it. That's why he thought of using this move to test the waters! If we indulge him this time, he will test us even further next time!"

"Moreover, he relied on his status as a relative of the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat by marriage, who was also the Prime Minister's brother. With this connection, the Rouran King was certain that the generals would have some reservations. He planned to act first and report later. By the time the Prime Minister's decision was delivered, the Rouran people would have already achieved their goal. And the generals' ability to watch as the weak tribes were easily annihilated by the Rouran King would also instill fear in these small tribes, causing them to side with the Rouran King."

"Once the Rouran King has grown strong and powerful on the grasslands, will he be able to conduct even more outrageous tests, or even make more outrageous demands?"

"Therefore, I propose that we must not tolerate or condone this!"

Gao Yang's meaning is actually quite clear.

God cannot shed blood.

Just like when a boss's health bar lights up, then... everyone will try every means to deplete the health bar, kill it, and get gold coins.

Heba Yun's expression was one of surprise and uncertainty.

Firstly, what the young man in front of me said made a lot of sense, and secondly, the Qingzhou Martial Arts Academy was really that powerful.

For such a young boy to be able to speak frankly about the pros and cons, with such excellent insight, is quite remarkable. At only ten years old, without having accumulated experience in a high position, he still possesses such insight.

The way Gao Yu cultivates his talent pool is simply terrifying.

"Although you are young, you have insightful vision and unique perspectives. You should not easily indulge the Wolves. However... this matter still needs General Mulan to make the decision."

On the surface, Heba Yun was a higher-ranking General of the Northern Expedition, but he knew very well that Gao Yu was using him as a "money-grubbing" tool to make him a golden brand, so that Erzhu Rong's men would see that if they were willing to surrender and make contributions, they could get a high position!

Heba Yun also came from the Six Towns and had known Gao Yu for a long time.

She knew better than anyone that Mulan and Gao Yu had known each other since they were humble beginnings, and Mulan had followed Gao Yu in his campaigns from the very beginning of his rise to power. She was Gao Yu's most trusted confidante.

Mulan looked at the 'young man' with a strange expression and asked, "But have you ever thought about why the Rouran suddenly decided to attack the Turks? Why risk offending the Prime Minister to wage war against the Turks?"

The young man immediately replied, "This humble general knows that the Turkic tribe has followed the Prime Minister for many years, made meritorious contributions, and received many rewards. They also have fertile pastures, so their strength has grown rapidly and they have become a threat to the Rouran King!"

"Correct!"

Mulan nodded and added, "The Rouran have grown quite strong over the years. Under such circumstances, the fact that the Turks can still make the Rouran king wary proves that the Turkic tribe is currently very powerful. Yet they still come to us for help. Could it be... that they want to divert trouble eastward? Use our army to weaken the Rouran's strength? And profit from it to further strengthen themselves?" "General, you are indeed meticulous."

The young man praised him, but then changed the subject, saying, "I have also thought of this matter. General, you do indeed want to send troops to help the Turks, but it must be with the bravest warriors of the Turkic tribes as the main force and our soldiers as the auxiliary force, so that they can fight the Rouran head-on. In this way, both sides will suffer heavy losses!"

"In this way, in the short term, the nation will not need to worry about the threat from the northern grasslands and can concentrate its efforts on dealing with the traitor Erzhu Rong!"

"it is good!"

He Bayun couldn't help but praise him repeatedly, his eyes full of admiration. He even thought about whether he should write to Gao Yu to select some students from the Martial Arts Academy to be by his side.
Mulan nodded. "We can report the situation to the Prime Minister. We do need to prepare to support the Turkic tribe and strike the Rouran hard."

If you consult your superiors about everything and do nothing, you certainly won't make mistakes.

But Mulan knew very well that Gao Yu had placed her in such an important position not so that she would be a yes-man, but that she would have to stand up and take responsibility at this crucial moment.

Mulan immediately made the decision and prepared to send troops.

Everyone left one after another.

Heba Yun, eager to recruit talent, took the initiative to try and poach someone, risking offending others. "General Mulan's forces are truly full of talent. Who was that young man just now? He is so intelligent at such a young age. He will surely be given an important position in the future."

Mulan, however, said with a strange expression, "This young man is called 'Gao Yang'."

"Gao...yang?"

Heba Yun was taken aback, then his eyes widened suddenly, "He Liu Hun's second son? That's true..."

But Heba Yun hesitated to say it.

He also thought that Gao Huan and Lou Zhaojun were a perfect couple, so how come their son was so ordinary-looking?

"No wonder... It must have been the Prime Minister who sent him? Doesn't that mean he represents the Prime Minister..."

Mulan shook her head and explained, "Gao Yang came secretly on his own, and the Prime Minister should not have known. This opinion should be what he thinks."

"Indeed, he is He Liuhun's son after all, so it's only natural that he has such insight."

"I will immediately send troops and provisions from Yanzhou. I also hope that General Heba will be prepared. Gao Yang's words are very reasonable. The Rouran king must be certain that we will not dare to send troops easily. He wants to crush the Turks with lightning speed and win over the hearts of the tribes on the grassland. He will probably take action soon. We cannot let him succeed so easily."

Heba Yun nodded and said, "If that's the case, then I'll go and start making preparations."

Gao Yang is Gao Huan's son and Gao Yu's nephew.

Mulan was Gao Yu's most trusted confidante.

Even if the decisions these two people made were wrong, he couldn't be blamed.

And the other side.

The young men surrounded Gao Yang and congratulated him, saying, "Haha, Yang, you have made a good impression on the generals this time. If you are promoted in the future, don't forget us."

Gao Yang wore a smug expression.

But his gaze was fixed on the southwest.

That's also the direction of Ye City.

Humph.

Brother, you can be smug for now.

After this battle, I will be the one to relieve my uncle's worries and troubles!

(End of this chapter)