Chapter 10: Talent of a King's Assistant

Take Pingcheng.

As the former capital of the Beiwei Sect, Take Pingcheng was originally the base camp for the Beiwei Sect's great army to fight against the Rouran.

After Li Chong's expedition against the Rouran yielded no results and he returned south to Luoyang due to old age, Prince Guangyang Wang Yuanshen took over the baton and became the Governor of Hengzhou.

Wang Yuanshen was tall, handsome, and quite capable, deeply trusted by the Luoyang court.

Originally, Wang Yuanshen should have stayed in Hengzhou for a few years, accumulated sufficient military merit, and then returned to Luoyang with a brilliant resume to enter the central government.

But just then, the Liuzhen rebelled.

Before Li Chong left, he had advised the court to change the Liuzhen into prefectures.

As one of the few clear-headed people in the Beiwei Sect's imperial clan, Wang Yuanshen naturally understood Li Chong's good intentions.

However, Wang Yuanshen also understood that Luoyang would not agree.

Because the Xianbei people understood the Rouran people better than the Rouran people themselves.

The Xianbei were once the hegemon on the northern grasslands; after moving south, their original ecological niche was occupied by the Rouran.

The Beiwei Sect court called the Rouran "Rourou," but within this contempt lay a certain amount of fear.

Looking at the Rouran people to the north, did the Xianbei high officials in the Luoyang court not see their past selves?

Once the garrisons were changed into prefectures, the people of the Liuzhen would likely migrate south immediately; before long, the Liuzhen would be empty.

Without this firewall, if the Rouran advanced south in force, how could the Beiwei Sect court, whose elite forces had been annihilated in the Battle of Zhongli, resist?

If they could not resist, what then?

The aristocratic families of the Han people could cooperate with the Xianbei people; could they not also cooperate with the Rouran people?

Li Chong, being Han, could propose changing the garrisons into prefectures, but Wang Yuanshen, who knew the stakes involved, could not easily agree.

Wang Yuanshen simply did not expect the rebellion of the Liuzhen to come so quickly and spread so rapidly.

Whether the Liuzhen or the Hu Ren tribes around Take Pingcheng, they originally belonged to a single military system and were the biggest victims after the Beiwei Sect moved its capital.

Wang Yuanshen had to guard against them conspiring with one another.

After Wanzi Qizhen responded to Han Baling, Wang Yuanshen had already seen the signs.

Just then, a military report made Wang Yuanshen even more worried.

"General Er Zhu Rong reports that Daye Shuang, the Commandant of Southern Xiurong under his command, defeated the bandit forces of Qifu Mo'e."

Wang Yuanshen looked around and asked:

"Who is this Daye Shuang? Why have I never heard of him before?"

Qifu Mo'e was a pawn used to tie down General Er Zhu Rong; now he was dead in such an unclear manner, and Wang Yuanshen had to suspect this was General Er Zhu Rong eliminating his rivals.

At this moment, someone spoke up:

"This Daye Shuang is originally Li Shuang, the greatest bandit leader in the Jin region, who was later recruited by General Er Zhu Rong; it is rumored they even became sworn brothers."

Qifu Mo'e's troops numbered several thousand, yet they were easily pacified by Li Shuang.

Judging solely from this military achievement, there was indeed a reason for General Er Zhu Rong to woo him so.

Wang Yuanshen continued reading, and the more he read, the worse his expression became.

It was not that the military report was too detailed; Wang Yuanshen was shocked by Li Shuang's achievements.

On the contrary, what was written was very simple, so simple that it made Wang Yuanshen somewhat frantic.

Qifu Mo'e was after all the leader of a large tribe, with over thirty thousand subjects under his command, possessing countless cattle, sheep, and property.

Yet on this military report, not a single word was written!

What does this mean?

Wang Yuanshen roared in anger:

"What does General Er Zhu Rong want to do!"

Just then, Wang Yuanshen's strategist Yu Jin stepped forward, quietly pulled Wang Yuanshen's sleeve, and whispered:

"There are ears behind the walls here, Your Highness must be cautious. The Jin region is already in chaos; without General Er Zhu Rong, it cannot be controlled."

Hearing Yu Jin's words, Wang Yuanshen suddenly realized that General Er Zhu Rong could not be offended at this moment. However, he could not swallow this indignity.

"In that case, what should be done?"

Yu Jin smiled and suggested:

"The bandit leader Qifu Mo'e has been beheaded, and Daye Shuang holds the primary merit. Thus, we can appoint Daye Shuang as a Military Chief and have him govern the lands formerly held by Qifu Mo'e."

Wang Yuanshen looked at Yu Jin, and a smile appeared on his face.

What a clever tactic of sowing discord!

Inside Qifu Mo'e's territory.

The newly arrived Military Chief killed their original leader yet took over their tribe.

Immediately, a crowd of subordinates originally belonging to Qifu Mo'e fawned, lining up outside the tent waiting for Li Shuang's audience.

The first to walk into the tent was a muscular Hu Ren man.

"What skills do you have?"

"Military Chief, I can draw an eight-dou bow and shoot eagles without any trouble."

"Then you must eat a lot?"

The Hu Ren man paused, scratching his head.

"Not too much; one sheep a day is enough."

Li Shuang's expression changed, and he waved his hand.

"Send him over to Zhu Zhao."

Hou Jing, standing to the side, waved his hand, and the armored soldiers on both sides threw him out of the tent door.

"Next!"

"Army Master, I am skilled with twin hammers..."

"How much do you eat?"

"One sheep every two days!"

"Throw him over to General Er Zhu Zhao's side!"

After meeting a huge crowd, Li Shuang felt somewhat tired and couldn't help complaining:

"Qi Fu Moyu, that waste, is surrounded by nothing but useless eaters."

Hou Jing also felt indignant.

"Eats so much, yet fights so weakly."

Just then, the next person walked in.

Unlike those burly, powerful men, this man wore no Hu clothing and was dressed like a Han person.

"Who are you?"

"Liu Gui of Southern Xiurong greets the Army Master!"

"What skills do you possess?"

"I can connect the Army Master with tribes from all directions and facilitate mutual exchange."

A merchant?

A smile appeared on Li Shuang's face.

"Finally, someone interesting has arrived!"

Northern Xiurong.

"Tianbao, Third Brother has organized the strong men of the Qi Fu Moyu tribe into an army and sent three thousand people over! In addition, he has sent many warriors under Qi Fu Moyu to serve under General Er Zhu Zhao's command."

Qi Fu Moyu had a total of five or six thousand troops under his banner; subtracting those lost in war, more than half were sent over at once.

General Er Zhu Rong heard Yuan Tianmu's words, yet felt no joy.

"Who gave Yuan Shen the idea, causing Third Brother to be promoted to Army Master?"

"Yu Jin, a close friend of Yuan Shen, comes from a prominent family and possesses the talent of a royal assistant. After Yuan Shen moved north, he also joined the army."

General Er Zhu Rong heard this and shook his head.

Yuan Tianmu thought Yu Jin's scheme of sowing discord had displeased General Er Zhu Rong, so he advised:

"Tianbao, there is no need for this; Yu Jin was simply serving his own lord!"

"I am not displeased with Yu Jin, but with Third Brother's actions."

Yuan Tianmu was stunned and asked in return:

"Why?"

"A true man conquers cities and takes strongholds, establishing military merit; why should the spoils obtained be shared with others?"

General Er Zhu Rong said:

"I once read history books and saw Han Gaozu wield a three-foot sword, destroying Qin and defeating Chu; what a hero! Yet I alone dislike his act of executing meritorious officials."

Hearing General Er Zhu Rong's words, Yuan Tianmu already understood in his heart.

General Er Zhu Rong was giving him and Li Shuang, and even those who would defect to him in the future, a reassurance.

Fallen leaves drifted, the weather had turned cold; gazing at the desolate scene within the courtyard, a surge of ambition rose within General Er Zhu Rong. Looking at the distant sky, he murmured:

"This Northern Xiurong, just like this courtyard, is ultimately too small. Tell Third Brother: it is time to move south!"