My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 576 How can there be a crown prince who lasts for thirty years!

The ninth day of the eighth lunar month.

The sweltering heat of summer has finally passed, and the temperature is gradually cooling down. The autumn air is crisp and clear, and the most comfortable time of the year is about to arrive.

A large number of soldiers from Shandong have been conscripted and sent ahead of schedule to Ye City.

It is estimated that they can seize the last days of autumn and complete the offensive on North Central City before winter.

For Gao Yu.

If the weather cooperates and the Yellow River freezes over, he wouldn't mind having his army cross the river on the ice after taking Beizhong City.

If the weather doesn't cooperate, then we can only proceed slowly.

The Yellow River is not very wide in the section near Luoyang, but it is impossible to force a crossing in front of the enemy.

A withered yellow leaf drifted down slowly and finally landed in Gao Yu's hand.

Clutching the withered yellow leaves, Gao Yu also pulled himself out of his thoughts, because a series of hurried footsteps had already sounded.

"Hahaha! Erlang! It's been a long time! Today, you and I must have a good drink!"

Before anyone could be seen, Erzhu Zhao's hearty laughter could already be heard.

The environment does indeed shape people.

Having spent a long time in Shandong, Erzhu Zhao's attire became indistinguishable from that of the Han people.

Gao Yu certainly knew...

Erzhu Zhao is no longer a teenager; how could his long-standing habits be easily changed?
It's simply because Gao Yu has broken ties with Erzhu Rong, and as Gao Yu's father-in-law and Erzhu Yuechan's biological father, he doesn't want to give others cause for gossip because of him.

"Young son-in-law..."

"Don't!"

Erzhu Zhao raised his hand to stop him, "We should still address each other as brothers."

Erzhu Yuechan: Red-nosed clown JPG.

Gao Yu shook his head, both amused and exasperated. "It's fortunate that Yuechan and Ayan aren't here. If they were, how would they manage?"

"We'll discuss things separately when they're here; it's not a problem right now."

Erzhu Zhao waved his hand dismissively.

"Erlang!"

“Zu Xin!”

Yang Kan followed closely behind.

Previously, Yang Kan looked down on Erzhu Zhao, but the way men build a friendship is simple. The two had fought together against Chi Lie Yanqing's army in Juyang, so they had a bond of 'fighting together'.

Erzhu Zhao has personality flaws, but he is truly devoted to his friends.

Both Erzhu Zhao and Yang Kan knew Gao Yu from humble beginnings.

If it were anyone else who met Gao Yu now, they would respectfully address him as "Prime Minister." Even if the two of them had no kinship ties with Gao Yu, there would be no need for such formalities.

How you address someone determines how distant a relationship is.

"Come, come, it's rare to see you, let's have a good drink first!"

Gao Yu ordered his servants to bring out fine wine and meat. He didn't even invite Gao Yue and the others to this banquet, as the main purpose was to catch up with old friends.

After filling the glass with wine, Gao Yu took the initiative to raise his glass and stand up.

"Thank you both for guarding Xuzhou for me. Without your help to stabilize the rear, how could I fight with peace of mind at the front? Come! Let me toast you both!"

After saying that, Gao Yu drank the wine in his cup in one gulp!

"Erlang, you still say we're being polite, but didn't you yourself say such distant things?"

Erzhu Zhao complained, "We are family. If I don't help you, who will I help?"

"What Wanren said is absolutely right."

Yang Kan chimed in, "If you say such things again, I'm leaving!"

Gao Yu quickly smiled apologetically, "Okay, okay, I won't say anything."

Gao Yu refilled the cups and looked at the two men. “I haven’t been to Xuzhou these past few days and am not aware of the situation in the south. The caravans have only brought back news from Jiankang. I wonder what the Southern Dynasty army is doing at the front?”

Erzhu Zhao and Yang Kan exchanged a glance, and Yang Kan said, "You are the son-in-law of the Crown Prince of the Southern Dynasty and have married a princess of the Southern Dynasty. The Southern Dynasty's army has not come to harass the border."

"So good."

Gao Yu nodded.

His marriage to Xiao Miaozhi was merely a political alliance. At the time, Yang Yin and his allies were trying to prevent Gao Yu from attacking Yingzhou in the north. Erzhu Rong encouraged Xiao Yan to launch a military campaign in Xuzhou, which is why he went to the Southern Dynasty to arrange this marriage.

Such political marriages are actually quite fragile. Gao Yu had also kept Erzhu Zhao and Yang Kan stationed in Xuzhou with a large army as a precaution.

The news brought back by the caravan indicated that Xiao Pusa seemed to be truly obsessed with Buddhism. Last year, he sacrificed himself at Tongtai Temple for the second time, forcing the ministers of the Southern Dynasty to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to redeem him.

The wise and powerful Xiao Bodhisattva in the first half of his life seems to have completely lost his ambition.

Gao Yu and Erzhu Rong are already fighting like this, but the Southern Dynasty hasn't made a move at all.

"Erlang, why did you suddenly ask about this..."

"It's just for peace of mind."

Gao Yu smiled.

Actually, he had another idea.

In the original historical timeline, Hou Jing defected to the Southern Liang Dynasty and turned the Southern Dynasty into a living hell.

If there had been no Hou Jing Rebellion.

Given Xiao Pusa's physique, it's possible he could live to be ninety or even a hundred years old...

In this timeline, Hou Jing would most likely not betray him.

Defeating Erzhu Rong was not Gao Yu's ultimate goal; his ultimate goal was to unify the nine provinces of China and reclaim the Southern Dynasty.

If the Southern Dynasty had not been in turmoil, a forced southward advance would have certainly taken a long time.

Historically, the Western Wei also took advantage of the internal turmoil of the Southern Liang to seize the crucial Yizhou.

Yang Jian was able to quickly pacify the Southern Dynasty thanks in part to Yuwentai's early help in taking Yizhou.

Otherwise, if they had attacked normally from north to south, without Yizhou, they would most likely have fought a long and arduous battle like the Mongols before finally taking it...

Gao Yu wasn't in a hurry.

At the current pace, by the time he quells Erzhu Rong's rebellion and marches south, the trebuchets will likely be ready for use.

Forcibly attacking Xiangyang is not out of the question.

But if you can head south on easy mode, why bother with the hellish difficulty and increase casualties?

Given the sturdiness of city walls in that era, they certainly couldn't withstand the bombardment of trebuchets.

And the fulcrum for instigating internal strife in Southern Liang.

Gao Yu had already made up his mind.

His own father-in-law.

The current Crown Prince of Southern Liang is Xiao Gang.

Xiao Gang felt very insecure...

If Xiao Tong hadn't died, he wouldn't have been able to become the crown prince. But precisely because of Xiao Tong's death, Xiao Gang couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't die prematurely. Xiao Yan didn't only have him as a son; so many people were eyeing his position as crown prince.

Moreover, Xiao Yan lived an exceptionally long life.

Xiao Yan is now nearly seventy years old, but he is still very healthy.

It can only be said that Hou Jing caused trouble.

If Hou Jing hadn't caused Xiao Yan's premature death, Yinreng wouldn't have complained to Kangxi, saying, "How can there be a crown prince who lasts for thirty years?"

because……

When Xiao Yan died, Xiao Gang had already been the crown prince for almost twenty years.

This is also true.

That's why Xiao Yan died so 'frustratingly'.

Hou Jing only brought eight hundred men with him when he went south. If the Southern Dynasty had been united, how could Hou Jing have caused such a devastating disaster?
It comes down to it.

Xiao Yan lived too long, so much so that everyone wanted him dead. The army that came to aid Jiankang was watching and waiting, thinking of using Hou Jing to send Xiao Yan to his death, and also to send other people who could compete with them for the throne to their deaths.

It can be said that Xiao Yan's death was what everyone was looking forward to; Hou Jing simply saw through this and went with the flow.

Xiao Gang is ambitious and motivated, but also lacks a sense of security. He will most likely take the olive branch offered by Gao Yu.

Why not do it?
Gao Yu finished the wine in his glass again.

The three of them got completely drunk before the party ended.

The next day.

After Gao Yu regained consciousness, he sent someone to find Erzhu Zhao again.

There were some things he had to discuss with Erzhu Zhao in private, and it wasn't convenient for Yang Kan to know about them.

(End of this chapter)