[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan":3,"chapter-memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-10":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Memoirs of the Heavenly Khagan",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2311728,4516,"Chapter 10: The Talent of a Royal Counselor","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-10",10,"\u003Cp>Pingcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the capital of the Northern Wei, Pingcheng had been the main base for the Northern Wei army’s campaigns against the Rouran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Li Chong’s campaign against the Rouran yielded no results, he returned south to Luoyang due to his advanced age, and Prince Guangyang Yuan Shen took over, becoming Governor of Hengzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shen was tall and handsome, highly capable, and deeply favored by the Luoyang court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, Yuan Shen was meant to serve several years in Hengzhou, accumulate sufficient military merit, then return to Luoyang with a distinguished record to enter the central government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, the Six Garrisons rebelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving, Li Chong had advised the court to convert the Six Garrisons into prefectures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As one of the few clear-eyed members of the Northern Wei imperial clan, Yuan Shen understood Li Chong’s intentions well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Yuan Shen also knew the Luoyang court would never agree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the Xianbei understood the Rouran better than the Rouran themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xianbei had once been the dominant power on the northern steppes; after moving south, their former ecological role was seized by the Rouran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Northern Wei court called the Rouran “Ruanruan,” yet this contempt carried no small measure of fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Xianbei high officials of Luoyang looked north at the Rouran, weren’t they looking at their own past?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the garrisons were turned into prefectures, the people of the Six Garrisons would immediately migrate south; soon, the Six Garrisons would be emptied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without this firewall, if the Rouran launched a massive southern invasion, how could the Northern Wei court, already shattered in the Battle of Zhongli, resist?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if they could not resist, what then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could Han aristocratic clans cooperate with the Xianbei, yet not with the Rouran?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Chong, a Han, could propose converting garrisons into prefectures—but Yuan Shen, who understood the stakes, could not easily agree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Yuan Shen never expected the rebellion of the Six Garrisons to come so swiftly and spread so rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the Six Garrisons or the Hu tribes around Pingcheng, all had once belonged to the same military system and were the greatest victims after the Northern Wei’s capital move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shen had to guard against their collusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wuzi Qizhen rose in support of Po Liu Han Baling, Yuan Shen had already seen the signs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, a military report deepened Yuan Shen’s unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Er Zhu Rong reports that his commander of Xiurong, Da Ye Shuang, defeated Qifu Moyu’s rebel forces.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shen looked around and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who is this Da Ye Shuang? I’ve never heard of him before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qifu Moyu had been a pawn used to tie down Er Zhu Rong; now he was dead without explanation, and Yuan Shen could not help suspecting Er Zhu Rong was eliminating rivals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, someone spoke up:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This Da Ye Shuang is none other than Li Shuang, the former largest bandit chief in Jin territory, who later surrendered to Er Zhu Rong; rumors say they became sworn brothers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qifu Moyu’s forces numbered several thousand, yet Li Shuang crushed them so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merely from this record, Er Zhu Rong’s efforts to win him over were not without reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shen continued reading, and his expression grew darker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not that the report was too detailed—it was Li Shuang’s achievements that stunned him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the contrary, it was written so simply, so bare, that Yuan Shen nearly went mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qifu Moyu was at least the leader of a major tribe, with over thirty thousand subjects and incalculable herds and wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this report mentioned not a single word of it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did it mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shen growled in fury:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is Er Zhu Rong doing?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Yuan Shen’s strategist Yu Jin stepped forward, quietly tugging Yuan Shen’s sleeve and whispering:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Walls have ears here; Your Highness must be cautious. Jin territory is in chaos; without Er Zhu Rong, it cannot be controlled.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Yu Jin’s words, Yuan Shen suddenly realized Er Zhu Rong could no longer be offended—but he could not swallow this insult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what should we do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin smiled and suggested:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The rebel chief Qifu Moyu has been slain; Da Ye Shuang deserves the foremost merit. Thus, we may appoint Da Ye Shuang as Military Commander and grant him authority over Qifu Moyu’s former lands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shen glanced at Yu Jin and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brilliant stratagem!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within Qifu Moyu’s territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new military commander had killed their former chief but now ruled their tribe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, Qifu Moyu’s former subordinates flocked to the tent, lining up to be received by Li Shuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first to enter was a burly Hu Ren man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you good for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander, I can draw an eight-dou bow and shoot down eagles without effort.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then you must eat a lot?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hu Ren man blinked, scratching his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not much—one sheep per day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang’s expression changed; he waved his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Send him to Er Zhu Zhao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing beside him, Hou Jing waved his hand; two armored soldiers dragged the man out of the tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Next!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander, I am skilled with twin hammers…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much do you eat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One sheep every two days!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Throw him to Er Zhu Zhao!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing a long line of men, Li Shuang grew weary and complained:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qifu Moyu was a waste; all his men are gluttons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Jing was equally disgruntled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eat so much, yet fight so poorly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the next man walked in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the burly warriors before him, this man wore no Hu clothing—he dressed like a Han.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Liu Gui of Xiurong, paying respects to the Commander!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What can you do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can connect the Commander with tribes across the land, facilitating trade and exchange.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A merchant?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finally, someone interesting!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Northern Xiurong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tianbao, Third Brother has organized the able-bodied from Qifu Moyu’s tribe into a regiment and sent three thousand men over! He has also sent many of Qifu Moyu’s warriors to Er Zhu Zhao’s camp.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qifu Moyu’s forces totaled five to six thousand; after losses in battle, over half were now sent over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Rong listened to Yuan Tianmu’s report but showed no joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who advised Yuan Shen to promote Third Brother to Military Commander?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yu Jin—he is Yuan Shen’s close friend, from a prestigious family, a man of royal counsel. After Yuan Shen went north, Yu Jin joined the army with him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Rong shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Tianmu thought Er Zhu Rong was displeased by Yu Jin’s ploy and urged:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tianbao, no need to be so upset—Yu Jin is merely serving his own master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am not displeased with Yu Jin—I am displeased with Third Brother’s actions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Tianmu blinked. “Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A true man conquers cities and defeats armies, earns merit—why share the spoils?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Rong said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have read history. I admire how Emperor Gaozu of Han raised his three-foot sword, destroyed Qin and overthrew Chu—what a hero! But I despise how he slaughtered his own meritorious ministers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Er Zhu Rong’s words, Yuan Tianmu understood at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Rong was giving him, Li Shuang, and all future followers a promise of security.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaves drifted down; the air turned cold. Gazing at the grim scene in the courtyard, Er Zhu Rong felt a surge of ambition. He looked toward the distant sky and murmured:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Northern Xiurong, like this courtyard, is too small. Tell Third Brother—it is time to march south!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This Beixiu Rong, like this courtyard, is simply too small. Tell the third brother, it’s time to head south!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1265,"2026-06-20T12:30:56.711Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ab506923569ced57f106bb81be947c1c5b6bdf5d99b567fcc9aec8660f1fe76b","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-11","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-9",211,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmemoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-cover.jpg"]