[{"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-19":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},2311737,4516,"Chapter 19: Hengzhou Has Only One Sun","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-19",19,"\u003Cp>Cloud seas churned, emerald fields mirrored the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across the land, three thousand Xiongnu cavalry galloped, shattering the rare peace of this remote northern frontier in an age of chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl in a red coat rode atop her horse, her figure graceful, her clear eyes reflecting a bustling, prosperous scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Yongjia turmoil, warfires blazed across the land. After the Tuoba clan seized central plains, the northern frontier settled into a fragile, shifting balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strong devour the weak—that was the truth of the northern steppes. Under Tuoba leadership, even the smallest tribes found ways to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this survival, amid the smoke and fire of the Liuzhen Rebellion, shattered into fragments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was forced back into the disorder of a century prior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tuoba clan had long abandoned the north; their descendants, lost in Luoyang’s decadence, had forgotten their ancestors’ oaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cavalry paused. The girl looked up, gazing at the same sky yet utterly different people and landscapes, her eyes filled with curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That must be Ma Yi ahead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To passing merchants, Ma Yi was just another ordinary resting stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to the Xiongnu princess confined within her own territory, it was a legendary city she could never hope to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, according to our agreement, the Er Zhu forces will meet us ahead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tribe’s elder spoke slowly, his aged face framed by wise eyes now clouded with exhaustion and hardship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s begin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl in red bore no trace of weakness, no dependence on others—only the ruthlessness forged in the bitter, barren steppes of the north.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In this chaotic age, if you refuse to become another’s meal, you must choose another path.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the city governor’s office, the governor of Ma Yi looked terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re saying… it’s true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opposite him, Li Shuang sat with one leg crossed, sipping tea slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your scouts should’ve returned by now. Do you really need me to say more?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely because they had returned did the governor tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, countless armed men had appeared beyond Ma Yi’s walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having served as an official for years, the governor’s instincts were sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did this mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The governor knew better than anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Rouran Khan Anagui invaded south; Li Chong led over a hundred thousand troops, circled the border for a few days, then returned to Luoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone saw the court’s weakness and incompetence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, the Liuzhen garrisons rose first; the Hu tribes once loyal to Northern Wei also grew restless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The governor of Ma Yi knew this storm would eventually reach here—he just never expected it so soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, you are sworn brother to Duke Liangjun. Please guide your humble servant!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang’s answer was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the governor and grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve been here years, amassed plenty. It’s time to go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if I leave like this, how can I answer to Prince Guangyang in Pingcheng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang laughed loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now, across the northern frontier, everyone wonders: after the great chaos, whom will they follow? Do you think Wang Yuanshen’s word still holds weight then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court’s authority had vanished amid the Liuzhen Rebellion’s tremors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, across the north, it was back to the way it had been a century ago: whoever had the strongest fist, ruled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are a scholar, your family steeped in poetry and books. Why wade into this mire? Leave early, go to Luoyang, buy a new path—wouldn’t that be better?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, General, for your guidance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The governor of Ma Yi bowed deeply and withdrew slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, Gao Ang entered, smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord, the governor of Ma Yi left with his family and over a dozen large chests. He looked well-prepared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Ang’s tone carried a hint of gloating mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang set down his teacup and grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These scholars—they flee faster than anyone. All they need is an excuse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good riddance, Lord. Ma Yi is now unchained. What’s our next move?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Open the treasury. Distribute the money!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pingcheng!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuanshen stared in disbelief at Yu Jin, who had come to report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin bowed his head. He could feel Wang Yuanshen’s face reddening visibly—the brink of explosive rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The governor of Ma Yi fled!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These Han people—always unfit for great tasks!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a sneer, Wang Yuanshen regained composure and issued orders immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ma Yi cannot fall. Send men to take control at once.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s probably too late already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin spoke, watching Wang Yuanshen’s expression closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Shuang has taken over Ma Yi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How dare he take over Ma Yi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuanshen’s voice held disbelief. Simply put, since becoming commander of Pingcheng, he had poured immense effort into Ma Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city’s mid- and upper-level officers were all his allies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had invested heavily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang was a stranger, newly arrived—how could he possibly seize control so easily?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does Your Highness recall the qian liang stored in Ma Yi by the court?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a crash, Wang Yuanshen slammed his fist on the table, then roared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Send my personal envoy to Ma Yi! Arrest that wretch at once! I’ll have him flayed alive!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord, we’ve distributed Ma Yi’s treasury funds to the city’s soldiers. How do we answer Pingcheng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Gao Ang, Yang Kan’s heart was filled with dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When was this qian liang scheduled for Pingcheng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The fifteenth of next month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If chaos breaks out before then, will we even need to answer Pingcheng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chaos?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Liuzhen rebels had grown strong, with Yunzhong ahead and Pingcheng behind, the rebellion could not yet spread here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Kan understood. But clearly, he had not yet adapted to Li Shuang’s thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord, this is treason!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fail, and it’s treason. Succeed, and it’s loyalty to the throne.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang turned to Yang Kan and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zu Xin, the Tuoba were northern barbarians. How did they come south and seize half the empire?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This question was not one Li Shuang had asked him alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, whether among Han aristocrats under Northern Wei or scholars of Southern Liang who prided themselves on legitimacy, all had pondered it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For over a hundred years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, they summed up the answer in two words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heaven’s will!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heaven’s will is merely human will!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang smiled softly and stepped out of the watchtower. In the outer citadel, soldiers of Ma Yi stood in formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, Hu and Han alike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, they had cast aside all past divisions and prejudices, standing united beneath a single banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Shuang emerge, the soldiers roared in heartfelt loyalty!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Loyalty!”\u003C\u002Fp>",1089,"2026-06-20T12:30:56.711Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3f2306d445696c278368eba6a2c1292bf1c2e6cf89f399fff00fc67f26264616","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-20","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-18",211,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmemoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-cover.jpg"]