Chapter 16: Clearly, I Arrived First

Take Pingcheng.

"Wan Ziqizhen is dead?"

Facing Yuan Shen's confusion, Yu Jin merely nodded calmly.

"Not only that, after Er Zhu Rong pacified the Wan Ziqizhen rebellion, he stationed himself in Southern Xiurong County City, gave the lands east of the Sanhui River to his elder brother Yuan Tianmu, and gave the vast lands north of the Hutuo River to his third brother Li Shuang."

Appointing and deposing rulers on his own, disregarding royal law.

After hearing this news, Yuan Shen felt no anger, but deep apprehension.

Previously, Yuan Shen had held a certain degree of condescension toward Er Zhu Rong.

This condescension was not disdain for his capability, but suppression based on lineage.

The old Xianbei have always held such an attitude toward the Qihu people.

After all, the Er Zhu clan had previously only raised horses for the Tuoba clan.

"Accompany me out for a walk!"

Before winter arrived, Take Pingcheng was already extremely cold.

Inside the small tower and warm pavilion, charcoal fires burned all day long.

Outside, the cold wind was like knives; as far as the eye could see, there was only boundless desolation, vast yet deadly silent.

On this land, Take Pingcheng had once been a place of faith in the hearts of all Hu Ren.

Here represented military merit, wealth, and glory!

But now, it was already different.

Even the heavy Great Wall built in the northern border to defend against the Rouran could not bring even a shred of security to the people of the Xianbei's former capital.

The Six Garrisons Rebellion was in full swing, and the official army was retreating step by step.

Among the northern garrisons, Huai Shuo and Wu Chuan, which had not rebelled, were tottering under the attack of Wei Kegu, a great general under the command of Han Baling.

Yuan Yu stationed a large army at Yun City, yet delayed without advancing.

Whether one says he feared the enemy or wanted to exhaust them, in any case, the war situation was a mess.

"Tell me, will our Yuan clan follow the old path of the Ji Zhou?"

Yuan Shen's words startled Yu Jin.

Looking at Yuan Shen, Yu Jin thought he was under too much pressure to speak without thinking.

But seeing that stern face in the cold wind, Yu Jin sighed again in his heart.

"The Er Zhu clan will not be the Ying Qin!"

"Why?"

"The Er Zhu clan's foundation is not deep; how can they compare to the Ying Qin who cultivated Guanzhong for five hundred years?"

"What about the others?"

With his emotions fluctuating restlessly, Yuan Shen's voice carried deep worry and apprehension.

"The Cui clan of Qinghe, the Lu clan of Fanyang, the Li clan of Zhao Commandery, the Zheng clan of Xingyang!"

Southern Xiurong County City.

After pacifying the Wan Ziqizhen rebellion, Er Zhu Rong moved the entire Er Zhu clan and the core Qihu warriors into this city.

Having swept away the bloodshed and beacon smoke, the restored quiet city displayed the appearance of the largest city in Si Province—

The city walls were towering, with blue bricks and dark tiles, revealing the vicissitudes of time and the weight of history. Inside the city, streets crisscrossed, stone paths wound, shops lined both sides, and the bustling market life revealed prosperity. The city towers stood high, with flying eaves and upturned corners, carved beams and painted pillars, displaying magnificent momentum. Outside the city, green water flowed gently, the moat encircling like a jade belt, reflecting the graceful shadow of the city towers.

Standing behind the railing of a high tower, admiring this beautiful scene, Er Zhu Rong was in excellent spirits, but a clamorous sound reached his ears.

Not far away, the Qihu warriors of his clan were openly fighting with the local Hu Ren.

The leader was his nephew, Zhu Zhao.

Er Zhu Rong's expression changed.

"Tell Zhu Zhao to get over here!"

Er Zhu Rong turned and entered the pavilion. His order was quickly issued, and Zhu Zhao soon came up the stairs in a dejected manner.

"Did you get hurt?"

Er Zhu Rong did not ask Zhu Zhao the reason for the fight, because he knew Zhu Zhao's thoughts.

From childhood to adulthood, Zhu Zhao could hide nothing from him.

Hearing Er Zhu Rong's words, Zhu Zhao took the tea handed to him, but drank it very gloomily, like a duck about to be boiled, stifled and uncomfortable.

Er Zhu Rong, after all, still had some affection for this nephew.

"Say whatever you want to say!"

"Uncle, I really don't understand. The main force fighting Wan Ziqizhen was our Er Zhu clan's children; why, when dividing the territory, give so much to outsiders! Yuan Tianmu is one thing, but how long has that Li Shuang been here?"

Er Zhu Rong did not answer Zhu Zhao, but asked a question.

"How many soldiers do we have from our own clan under our command?"

"Seven thousand!"

"How many soldiers do Yuan Xu in the northern border and Han Baling and those under his command have?"

"Each has over a hundred thousand, I suppose."

Er Zhu Rong nodded; his nephew's military素养 was not bad after all.

"Since you know, why ask again?"

Er Zhu Rong had many dissatisfactions with this nephew, but since he was family after all, he could not help but guide him patiently.

"As a child of our Er Zhu clan, your heart and breadth must be more open than ordinary people; only thus can you achieve great things!"

Zhu Zhao responded, but in his heart he was still somewhat unwilling.

"My Lord, look what good thing I found in the cellar?"

Hou Jing ran over cheerfully, carrying a wine barrel.

The scarlet wine carried a rich, mellow fragrance that drifted through the room.

"These fellows really know how to hide good things!"

The place where Li Shuang now lived was a manor located north of the Hutuo River.

The manor was dilapidated, but the framework remained; with simple repairs, it was still habitable.

Li Shuang took a sip and asked:

"How much of this wine is left?"

"The cellar is full; there are over three hundred barrels."

"First, take two barrels each to Yang Kan and Gao Ang."

Following Li Shuang came a large number of Han refugees. These days, they were gathering in a camp outside the manor, temporarily managed by Yang Kan and Gao Ang.

Hearing this, Hou Jing felt a pang of jealousy.

"My Lord, I think you are treating those two freeloaders too well!"

"What do you mean?"

Hou Jing crept over with a leering expression and whispered:

"My Lord, I have already investigated Gao Ang's background. The reason he hasn't left is that he committed a crime."

"Committed a crime?"

A lewd smile spread across Hou Jing's face.

"I heard his older brother Gao Qian fancied a young lady from the Bo Ling Cui clan. When the Bo Ling Cui clan refused, Gao Ang kidnapped that young lady, intending to force his brother to make the cooked rice out of the raw grain!"

Li Shuang also became interested.

"So, was it cooked?"

"How would I know? Anyway, that fellow is currently being hunted by the Bo Ling Cui clan; otherwise, he wouldn't have hidden here with us!"

Li Shuang wore an expression as if he had just watched a Japanese romance film where all the action scenes were skipped.

"Enough, take the wine over there!"

"My Lord, you didn't grasp the point of my words. That fellow is a man of corrupt morals!"

Hearing this, Li Shuang felt something strange.

He had never imagined that one day he would hear the words "morals" from Hou Jing's mouth.

What connection could the word "morals" possibly have with him?

"Wan Jing, we must keep our minds open. Outside, tens of thousands of refugees are crying out for food. People from our village in the north are also coming. The old brothers hiding in the mountains throughout Jin Province heard I have prospered and all want to join me. Tell me, can you possibly manage all this on your own?"

Hou Jing shook his head, and a look of sudden understanding quickly appeared on his face.

"My Lord, I understand!"