[{"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-28":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},2311746,4516,"Chapter 28: Da Ye Shuang Has Lessons Worth Learning","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-28",28,"\u003Cp>Winter passed and spring arrived; the spring of Zhengguang Year Five brought little vitality to the northern frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold wind still howled bitterly, and the warfare in the Hetao region remained deadlocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Liuzhen army led by Po Liu Han Baling did not collapse as the Northern Wei court had expected under conditions of food shortage; instead, they grew fiercer with every battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wuchuanzhen and Huaixuzhen had held the front lines of the conflict, enduring desperate defense, yet no reinforcements ever appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin returned from Ma Yi to Pingcheng and found Wang Yuanshen warming his hands over a charcoal brazier, holding several sheets of paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finally decided to come back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon their first meeting after separation, Yu Jin noticed Wang Yuanshen’s attitude toward him had changed—grown distant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“While I was in Ma Yi, I was detained by Li Shuang, then encountered Hu Lu Jin’s rebellion, which delayed my return.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It doesn’t matter!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuanshen tossed the papers into the charcoal brazier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The paper ignited instantly and burned swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, what is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Evidence of Hu Lu Jin’s crimes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuanshen glanced at Yu Jin, a strange smile crossing his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought these ‘evidences’ would let me control the Hu Lu clan later, but Hu Lu Jin turned against me outright—I misjudged him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chill crept through Yu Jin’s heart; he dared not speak a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How was it with Li Shuang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin was uncertain of Wang Yuanshen’s intentions and felt uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before I returned, Li Shuang was registering the tribes around Ma Yi as civilian households, granting them land and organizing agricultural reclamation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuanshen’s expression changed; his inner astonishment far exceeded his calm exterior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t those people rebel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuanshen sneered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve repeatedly urged them to settle and till land near Pingcheng, yet they never listened. Now, under a Han man’s command, they work eagerly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pingcheng, as the former capital of Northern Wei, had been developed by the Tuoba clan for nearly a century.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pingcheng had inner and outer walls, twelve gates, and countless homes, markets, and temples within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At its peak, tens of thousands of Han farmers cultivated the lands around Pingcheng; the Jinei fields, the Xi Zuo Office, and the steppe trade routes sustained Pingcheng’s prosperity and enabled Northern Wei to saddle the Yellow River and dominate the entire Northern Court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the southern relocation, everything changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once-productive Jinei fields, abandoned by Han farmers, turned barren; most lands reverted to pasture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hengzhou was not one of the Liuzhen; its population could be relocated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As farmland shrank and food supplies dwindled, masses fled, and Pingcheng’s economy collapsed. Correspondingly, the military aristocratic tribes that once thrived in Pingcheng grew impoverished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hu Ren of the northern frontier blamed all this on Hanization reforms and thus rejected anything associated with the Han.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuanshen naturally did not agree, yet turning these northern military tribes into civilian farmers to reclaim land and restore Pingcheng’s economy was an almost impossible task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin bowed and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, I believe some of Li Shuang’s actions in Ma Yi are worth emulating. Currently, in the northern frontier...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Yu Jin could finish, Wang Yuanshen cut him off impatiently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t bring him up. If not for Yuan Yi and Er Zhu Rong backing him, what could he possibly accomplish?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Your Majesty...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuanshen roared, and the air between them froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps sensing his outburst, or perhaps feeling guilt toward his old friend, Wang Yuanshen swept his sleeve and left the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Yu Jin remained inside, standing straight, silent, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Wang Yuanshen left the inner city’s watchtower, Liu Lingzhu, who had been standing outside, followed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking a stretch along the inner city wall, Wang Yuanshen climbed higher and gazed out—beyond, a troop of riders approached the marketplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which tribe is that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuanshen was an expert on horses and possessed considerable military acumen; he could instantly recognize fine steeds and valiant warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lingzhu stepped forward quietly beside him and whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s a branch of the recently surrendered Po Liu Han tribe, resettled near Ma Yi by Er Zhu Rong. Their chieftain is a young woman named Du Gu Ru, a renowned shaman. Rumor has it that even chieftains from Hengzhou, Shuozhou, and Yanzhou frequently visit her tribe to seek divination.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, Liu Lingzhu added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This woman’s ties to Er Zhu Rong and Li Shuang cannot be ignored.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wang Yuanshen paid no heed to Liu Lingzhu; they were not on the same wavelength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Such formidable cavalry is rare in the northern frontier—how many such warriors does Du Gu Ru command?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know, but her tribe is said to have three thousand Xiongnu cavalry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuanshen’s gaze gleamed with delight as he murmured:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three thousand Xiongnu cavalry—if I could bring them under my command...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lingzhu’s heart jolted; he instinctively wanted to object. But as he opened his mouth and caught the greed on Wang Yuanshen’s face, he snapped awake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve heard Du Gu Ru is beautiful, intelligent, and extremely wealthy. If Your Majesty were to marry her, her three thousand Xiongnu cavalry and her wealth would naturally become yours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yuanshen laughed heartily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, you jest. I am the Inspector of Hengzhou, stationed in Pingcheng, overseeing numerous surrounding tribes—how could I engage in such self-serving acts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A graceful lady is the desire of a noble man—it is only natural.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no. But with the Liuzhen rebellion, the court desperately seeks wise men—I cannot overlook her merely because she is a woman. I must meet her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty’s noble integrity!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lingzhu bowed respectfully, yet inwardly thought:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pfft!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, Liu Lingzhu sat restlessly alone in his dark chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew full well why Du Gu Ru’s tribe possessed so many well-equipped Xiongnu cavalrymen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a fellow practitioner, he admired her skill but felt profound dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Du Gu Ru truly came and was taken into Wang Yuanshen’s harem, could Liu Lingzhu still hold his place beside him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a knock echoed outside the chamber door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lingzhu opened the door; his apprentice stood outside, holding a fresh intelligence report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, this is the latest military intelligence from Bingzhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Du Gu Ru, who had to feed her own troops, Liu Lingzhu had spent years turning his vast income as a shaman into a vast intelligence network.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the northern frontier, Liu Lingzhu often knew things before Wang Yuanshen did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lingzhu opened the report, glanced at it, and narrowed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Er Zhu Rong really has some talent—he defeated Su He Po Lun Xian so quickly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lingzhu knew Wang Yuanshen was no true lord—his narrow mind could never achieve greatness—yet he could never bring himself to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason: he had not yet found his next master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after reading this report, his thoughts stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s time to meet that Da Ye Shuang.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1154,"2026-06-20T12:30:56.711Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e67f5d599714cc8918195dec4acfe3280cdba34a31c1aeb807e70b67ad9dd1dd","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-29","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-27",211,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmemoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-cover.jpg"]