My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 500 Qin Qiong?

Su Chuo was a smart man, and he was well aware of Erzhu Rong's current predicament.

If you keep winning, then there's no problem. Even if there is a problem, it's not a problem to face a series of big wins.

The difficulty in the world lies in the fact that no one can win all the time.
Once a major defeat occurs, damaging one's prestige, many previously hidden problems will resurface and become a hot potato.

King Fu Tian was so powerful that he unified the northern border and even had the ambition to unify the whole world.

What a magnificent sight it would be to stop a river by throwing a whip!

The results of it?
From the once invincible King Fu to a prisoner and then to his death, all it took was one crushing defeat.

Erzhu Rong's momentary loss of composure was a rare occurrence in the past, but it happened nonetheless.

Realizing his lapse in composure, he quickly chuckled, "I've been so busy with official duties lately that I've even resorted to such womanly behavior. Please forgive my rudeness."

Su Chuo shook his head and said, "The weight of the nation and its people rests on the shoulders of the Prime Minister. I can only do my best to lend him a helping hand."

"Hahaha."

Erzhu Rong couldn't help but burst into laughter, "If everyone could be like Lingchuo, how wonderful that would be."

“Moheduo was once my close friend. Although he has now turned against me, I envy him so much. He has many capable and brave men under his command, and he has a great deal of talent to help him govern. Moreover, everyone is of one mind.”

Erzhu Rong was truly envious.

Su Chuo shook his head, "Why does the Prime Minister think that way?"

"Big things have their difficulties, small things have their advantages."

"Previously, the Hebei and Shandong aristocratic families had a dispute over whether to establish the capital in Ye City. The Shandong aristocratic family used this as an excuse to delay the distribution of agricultural tools to Hebei. It seemed like a small matter, and Gao Ze used his personal prestige to suppress the matter. However, this incident shows that after swallowing up Hebei and Henan, Gao Ze also needs to spend more effort to balance the struggles between the aristocratic families in Shandong, Hebei, and Henan."

"However, the Prime Minister has no such worries."

"At present, the situation seems to be in a state of offense and defense. However, the Prime Minister can focus on defense. On the contrary, the bandit Gao needs to take the initiative to attack. Moreover, in the eyes of outsiders, the bandit Gao is powerful. The powerful should win, and the defeated should not be accepted. The Prime Minister only needs to accumulate troops and strike hard at the critical moment. The bandit Gao's prestige will also be damaged. At that time, the Prime Minister can definitely take advantage of the victory and reverse the decline in one fell swoop!"

Su Chuo spoke eloquently, and his remarks struck right at Erzhu Rong's heart.

"it is good!"

Erzhu Rong was overjoyed!
Su Chuo continued, "Does the Prime Minister still remember his original aspirations?"

Erzhu Rong was stunned.

Is it your own ambition?

"Of course I remember. When my father passed away, he held my hand and repeatedly told me that I must strengthen the Erzhu clan, and then..."

Erzhu Rong gritted his teeth and, without any scruples, declared, "I will then plot to seize the world!"

"Since the Prime Minister has the ambition to establish the empire, he should not be burdened by some setbacks at present."

Su Chuo chuckled lightly, "I have recently had some insights, and I would like to share them with the Prime Minister."

"Oh? I would be honored if you, sir, would not hesitate to offer your guidance."

"Let him be strong, the breeze still caresses the mountain; let him be arrogant, the bright moon still shines over the great river!"

Erzhu Rong was slightly taken aback, muttering the words to himself as he pondered them.

After a moment, his eyes hardened, and he laughed loudly.

"With Ling Chuo by my side, it's like Emperor Gaozu of Han having Marquis of Zan and Marquis of Liu, or Emperor Zhaolie having Zhuge Liang. With Ling Chuo's assistance, what worries do I have about the stability of the world!"

………………

Dou Tai's handwritten official document was quickly sent to the rear.

When Gao Yu received the official document, he was inspecting the Feixiang area. Feixiang is located northeast of Yecheng along the Zhangshui River. Because of its proximity to the Zhangshui River, the area has well-developed water conservancy and is very suitable for farming.

In the roughly renovated village.

Two men, one tall and one short, are practicing together.

The older man was about thirty years old. He wasn't working in the fields at this time of year, so it was easy to tell that he was a soldier from the garrison. Only soldiers from the garrison received such treatment. The younger man was about ten years old. Although he was young, he was much taller than his peers.

Gao Yu saw it from afar and couldn't help but stop and watch.

The main problem is that the 'weapon' in the hands of this young man is extremely rare.

The middle-aged man held a large shield in a defensive stance, while the younger man held two thick wooden sticks. The bottom of the sticks was carefully polished and had a small handle, making them look like two long maces.

The boy took a step forward, his right hand suddenly swinging forward with his mace. The middle-aged man seemed to have anticipated his attack, immediately taking a step back, causing the boy's left-hand mace attack to miss its mark and ultimately land on the wooden shield. After several rounds, the boy was already panting heavily, while the middle-aged man remained completely at ease.

The father and son were practicing in the courtyard, while farmers were busy harvesting wheat in the fields not far away. Most of them spoke with a local Hebei accent, and some of them had obvious non-Han Chinese features.

They were clearly assigned to the soldiers of this government. For them, being able to live and have enough to eat was good enough. They could make a living. They were always farming, working hard in the fields. So what did it matter who they were assigned to?
Moreover, the treatment of serving as a retainer for the local militia is better than that of serving as a retainer for a powerful family.

If the soldiers of the garrison made merits and received rewards, they would also receive some rewards from their subordinates. Occasionally, they could even eat meat. Wasn't that the life of a god?

However, when they turned to look at the father and son in the courtyard, their expressions became somewhat complicated.

The children of the garrison soldiers practiced killing techniques from a young age. When they grew up, they naturally followed in their fathers' footsteps and took over the garrison soldiers' positions, ensuring that the tax-free land of their families would not be taken back. If they were not good at martial arts, they could be sent to school to learn to read and write. They had heard that in Shandong, garrison soldiers' children of school age could be sent to school.

Schools will be established in Hebei next year, and everything will be modeled after Shandong.

And what about their children?
They can only continue to farm, herd cattle, and herd sheep for others...

The farmers could only sigh silently.

"it is good!"

Gao Yu praised loudly, "Not bad."

His deep voice drew the attention of the father and son, and Gao Yu turned his head to look at Liu Yi.

"A warhorse and five bolts of silk will be awarded as a reward."

The father and son immediately bowed down to express their gratitude.

Gao Yu helped him up, saying, "Your weapon is rather rare."

The middle-aged man looked up at Gao Yu with some nervousness, but he had obviously killed people before, and quickly calmed down. "It was passed down from my ancestors."

"Judging from your accent, you're not from Hebei?"

The middle-aged man nodded. "My ancestral home is Licheng in Qi County."

"Qi County? A person from Qingzhou? Then how did you end up in Xiangzhou?"

"Several years ago, the traitor Xing Gao caused chaos in Qingzhou. The common people were forcibly conscripted into his army and sent to the outskirts of Luoyang. The Prime Minister personally led the Xuanjia Army to charge into the enemy lines. After our army was routed, I fled to this place with my fellow villagers and settled here."

Gao Yu nodded. "So, in that case, we're still 'old acquaintances'?"

After a moment of silence, the middle-aged man told the truth, "During the battle outside Luoyang, I did see your heroic figure from afar, but after just one glance, I fled with the others."

Gao Yu didn't bother to dwell on the other party's spineless behavior.

Once the vanguard of an army is broken, it is only natural that the rear will follow suit and flee.

He chuckled and said, "Are you satisfied with your life right now?"

"Satisfied, satisfied!"

The middle-aged man said repeatedly, “In Qi County, although my ancestors left me some land, I had to manage it myself. Now I don’t have to manage it myself, and I can go to the battlefield to fight, make meritorious achievements, and bring glory to my family. If it weren’t for the Prime Minister, how could I have this opportunity? My son and I are willing to die for the Prime Minister!”

Gao Yu smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "What's your name?"

The middle-aged man quickly replied, "My surname is Qin, and my name is Fang Tai."

Gao Yu nodded.

Having a given name and surname suggests that his ancestors were probably quite wealthy, since ordinary farmers wouldn't name their children like that.

However, this surname, and the ancestral mace technique mentioned by Qin Fangtai, make it hard not to suspect that this guy has some connection with Qin Qiong, one of the two guardian deities of the Tang Dynasty.
Qin Fangtai then pointed to her son beside her and said, "My son's name is Ai."

Gao Yu chuckled to himself, realizing he had been overthinking things.

He turned around and took another bow from Liu Yi's hand.

"You are young, yet your physique is extraordinary. You will surely become a valiant warrior in the future. Today, I present this bow to you. You must practice archery diligently in the future, and fight alongside me to kill enemies, achieve great deeds, and bring glory to your family."

The boy accepted the bow with both hands, as if it were a priceless treasure, and immediately bowed to express his gratitude.

"Thank you, Prime Minister, for the bow. I will study it diligently and improve my martial arts skills. I will join the Xuanjia Army and follow you to the death to quell the traitor Erzhu Rong and establish the dynasty!"

How can a child from an ordinary farming family speak so fluently and so well?
They even nitpick over the words.

Gao Yu laughed loudly and patted the boy's shoulder heavily. "Alright, then I'll be waiting for you."

(End of this chapter)