[{"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-20":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},2311738,4516,"Chapter 20: You","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-20",20,"\u003Cp>Ma Yi City Garrison Office!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wife cake contains no wife, just as the garrison office contains no garrison commander—it’s the same principle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the vast governor’s mansion, mid- and lower-ranking officers from Ma Yi City had gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Ang and Yang Kan stood on either side of Li Shuang, like two gate gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Disaster is upon us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang’s words sent a chill through everyone present—what had happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As everyone knows, the former governor of Ma Yi was riddled with greed. During his tenure, he embezzled vast sums of military funds and qian liang; not long ago, he fled with his ill-gotten gains and his younger sister, leaving the entire city impoverished and the treasury utterly empty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Gui stepped forward immediately; as the current inspector of Ma Yi, he asked first:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why does the military commander worry over something so widely known?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Prince Guangyang insists on blaming me! My personal reputation is trivial—I fear I’ll drag all of you brothers down with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None in the room were fools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Li Shuang say this, they all understood: he was preparing a unified front to shift all blame elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unthinkable!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those present began voicing their outrage—the more they had taken, the louder their righteous indignation became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The military commander is upright and incorruptible—who doesn’t know it? There must be sycophants whispering lies into Prince Guangyang’s ear. If such corrupt ministers dare show their faces, we’ll make them regret it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang was deeply moved by these words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As a loyal minister of Great Wei, I often wake from midnight dreams, grieving the decay of morals and the shattering of the realm, filled with sorrow and rage. But thankfully, in Ma Yi City, I still have loyal men like you to preserve peace along this northern frontier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang waved his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Issue orders: all regular and auxiliary troops in Ma Yi City shall receive seven months’ advance qian liang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Gui bowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander, Prince Guangyang has already stirred. Distributing qian liang on such a large scale—won’t Pingcheng think you’re bribing the troops?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bribing the troops means giving qian liang to officers above the commander. Giving it to the rank-and-file soldiers is merely rewarding the loyal, hardworking men who hold the front lines.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander, you are wise!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone bowed in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the atmosphere primed, Liu Gui spoke again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A nation cannot go a day without a ruler; Ma Yi cannot go a day without a governor. The Six Garrisons are in chaos, and Pingcheng is full of traitors. At this moment, only the military commander can hold Ma Yi and deter these rebels!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang cried out loudly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Insolent! Appointments and dismissals are matters for the court alone. How dare I appoint myself governor of Ma Yi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, all the officers knelt down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We beg the military commander to assume the post of Ma Yi’s governor—or we shall not rise!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve truly made my life a misery!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Open the treasury, distribute qian liang, appoint a governor without authorization—is this boy planning rebellion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon learning his envoys had been driven off, Wang Yuanshen was beyond rage. He felt his authority being challenged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Summon the army! I shall lead them south myself and capture this traitor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Jin hurried forward to stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness, do not!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuanshen turned to Yu Jin, furious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The front-line battle is already critical. If Pingcheng’s forces move lightly and the front collapses, Your Highness will bear the blame for the defeat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words cooled Wang Yuanshen’s anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intrigue within Luoyang’s court was fierce; among the imperial clan, even fiercer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though all were of the Yuan clan, internal divisions were greater than heaven itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, how could Yuan Tianmu, a fellow clan member, side with Er Zhu Rong and undermine his own bloodline?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Moreover, Li Shuang is highly skilled in military strategy. Whether you succeed or fail, this campaign will benefit nothing. Li Shuang is backed by Er Zhu Rong, who in turn is backed by Yuan Yi. If you give them any pretext, Yuan Yi in Luoyang will strike—and Your Highness may never regain the court’s trust.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pingcheng was the core of the northern frontier, the former capital of Northern Wei. Any misstep would ripple through the entire region. If he moved and failed to take Ma Yi, he’d lose face and prestige—after that, he’d never command respect among the northern warlords again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he succeeded, it would only lead to internal depletion; if a stalemate ensued and the Tiele tribes seized the opportunity to rebel, he would lose far more than he could ever gain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin laid out the risks of this move. Wang Yuanshen asked in return:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So we just let this boy run wild?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin produced a handwritten petition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is a joint petition signed by all Ma Yi officers requesting Li Shuang be appointed governor. I suggest we approve it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he not known Yu Jin was untainted and had no ties to Ma Yi, Wang Yuanshen might have suspected he’d taken Li Shuang’s bribes too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is the meaning of this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The tribes near Ma Yi are numerous and the situation complex. If disaster strikes, the court will blame Your Highness first. But now, with Li Shuang there, the blame falls on him—and on Er Zhu Rong and Yuan Yi. The urgent task is to recover the court’s qian liang from Ma Yi!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s spending like this—no matter how rich, he’ll drain it dry. How can we ever recover our qian liang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness, don’t you know the story of Liu Bei borrowing Jing Province? Even if we can’t get it back, we must still demand it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuanshen nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then you shall go yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside Ma Yi City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the great tent, flowers filled the space, and a ring of herbal powder lined the perimeter to repel snakes and rodents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl in a red jacket sat on the ground, her skirt spread out like a full moon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Ru, what should we do now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tribal elders were filled with dread—the fear of the unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The situation here is far more complex than we imagined. Even the Ma Yi governor who took our money has fled. Now what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tent held many brave warriors, yet all eyes turned to the girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was the true master of these three thousand Xiongnu warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our tribe has long relied on the Po Liu Han tribe; over time, outsiders have come to see us as part of them. Now is the time to sever ties with Po Liu Han.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tribal elders shook their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Many of our people are still held by Po Liu Han Kong Que. Your sister is among them—how can we cut ties?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl smiled like spring wind, her eyes holding stars, her every gesture radiating an authority uncommon in ordinary people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From her sleeve, she drew a crescent-shaped jade pendant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the sight of it, everyone knelt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before I came here, I had already parted ways with my sister. She told me not to worry about her—she has her own way out. Po Liu Han Kong Que and his kind are no match for her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then should we still proceed with our original plan to turn Hu Lu Jin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl pondered long, then spoke slowly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can proceed with this, but the most important thing is to first determine who our trustworthy allies will be going forward!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>",1252,"2026-06-20T12:30:56.711Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b705818b286ab37ce89bf8ea5b7c50eae6a0954494548bcb3d24697b0275b02d","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-21","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-19",211,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmemoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-cover.jpg"]