[{"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-36":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},2311754,4516,"Chapter 36: Nothing Can't Be Solved by Attacking Taiyuan","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-36",36,"\u003Cp>Er Zhu Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Zhao had first been beaten with a hundred bamboo strokes by Wei Qingbin, then punished with twenty military rods by Er Zhu Rong; even though he was as strong as an ox, he could barely endure it, lying in his room for many days, forced to sleep face-down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Ying’e entered the room, saw Er Zhu Zhao in such a pitiful state, and handed him the medicine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Apply it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Zhao smiled when he saw Er Zhu Ying’e.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only you care for your brother, bringing him medicine! You don’t know how much I’ve suffered to save you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Serves you right!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Ying’e felt no pity; she poured the medicine into her palm and rubbed it onto Er Zhu Zhao’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be gentle!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Zhao, fierce against external enemies, could not muster even a trace of anger toward his sister, even when she mocked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What have I done to upset you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who told you to become a traitor?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How am I a traitor? Isn’t it because that brat Li Shuang smeared all his filth on me? Why don’t you scold him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Ying’e snorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you have proof?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… ” Er Zhu Zhao raised his voice, but his passionate tone instantly deflated, “No!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No proof and still slandering others? You deserve every blow you got!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone else had said that, Er Zhu Zhao would have beaten them half-dead long ago; yet now, he felt mostly confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You used to hate him terribly—you even urged me to pick a fight with him. Why have you changed your mind and started defending him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Er Zhu Ying’e pressed harder with her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think I’m just a child who doesn’t understand? Don’t you understand either?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand… understand… be gentle!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After applying the medicine, Er Zhu Ying’e stood up and warned:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I ever hear you causing trouble for Li Shuang again, don’t blame me for going hard on you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t, I won’t! As long as he doesn’t provoke me, I won’t provoke him—alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to Er Zhu Ying’e’s footsteps fading away, Er Zhu Zhao sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is it always me who gets hurt?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the side courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spring chill bit deep; cold air lingered in the evening house, driven back by the blazing stove within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Late again, late again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang’s voice came from the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked in and saw Er Zhu Rong and Yuan Tianmu seated around a stove, with one seat still empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two men stood in the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was Shaozong the Swift Blade; the other, Li Shuang did not recognize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Rong was introducing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third brother, this is Hou Mochen Yue, from a distinguished family. Seeing unrest in Hexi, he recently came to join me—a rare fierce general.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Mochen Yue was powerfully built, even bulkier than Er Zhu Zhao; standing in the corner, he resembled a gray rhinoceros in the room—impossible to overlook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fierce General!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Mochen Yue bowed in response, then said nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third brother, sit!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang took the last seat and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second brother, why summon us? Are we going to attack Taiyuan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Rong’s face turned serious; he ignored Li Shuang’s jest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The northern border is in chaos—Yuan Yu will surely lose.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, Er Zhu Rong looked at Hou Mochen Yue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You tell us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Mochen Yue, from a noble family, resided in Hexi. He had just come from the northern border and possessed firsthand knowledge of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His presence alongside Shaozong the Swift Blade in this meeting meant Er Zhu Rong fully trusted them—while none of the Er Zhu clan’s own sons were present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The troops under the Eastern Commissioner only bully our herders, steal our cattle and sheep, mock our women, and scatter like rats when facing the Liuzhen rebels—they can’t fight at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Liuzhen men were willing to die, but Yuan Yu’s imperial troops enlisted only for the imperial grain—they wouldn’t risk their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hou Mochen Yue spoke plainly, but Er Zhu Rong had no doubt about his military competence or judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If Yuan Yu falls, Guanzhong will erupt too. Rebel forces around us will multiply. The court will order me to suppress them—it’s a nightmare!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Rong wasn’t worried about the northern battlefield—he worried about his own position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Po Liu Han Baling was beyond his reach, but the rebels near Bingzhou and Sizhou were real threats he had to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem? The court ordered him to crush the rebels—but gave him no funds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Er Zhu clan’s Qihu troops were elite, but few in number—how could they endure such endless drain?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just recently, the Ji Hu rebelled again. The court ordered me to suppress them, promising to promote me to Champion General if I succeed. My troops are short on money and grain, third brother—could you lend me some?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang listened, looked at Er Zhu Rong, and saw the usually stern man now looking slightly embarrassed, almost shy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re brothers—what’s lending? I won’t begrudge a few coins and grains. But this move by the court is truly vicious!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Rong froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean, third brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Think about it—Ji Hu are descendants of the Xiongnu, living in the valleys of Fenzhou, without even horses—how much loot could there be?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, lacking funds, warfare could sustain itself by feeding off the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But every rebel in the northern border was poor—whose home was wealthy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So the more you crush, the more you lose. The court gives only titles and ranks—no real benefits. How long can this go on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Rong nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, third brother, what do you suggest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rebels must be crushed—but not entirely wiped out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the room, everyone held their breath, watching Li Shuang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Shaozong the Swift Blade, usually silent, now had sharp eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second brother, use the pretext of suppressing rebels to demand funds from the court. The court will refuse—but they’ll surely pacify you. You can use this chance to gather troops from all regions, train elite soldiers, then…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone leaned forward, straining to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What next?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Attack Taiyuan!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why again Taiyuan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er Zhu Rong poured himself a cup of tea, feeling overheated, and drank it quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Tianmu, who had remained silent, finally spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third brother, you mean we use the pretext of suppressing rebels to extend our reach into Jinyang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. Jinyang is the largest city in the northwest—the court will never surrender it easily. We can’t seize it by force, so we must slowly devour it. If we hold Jinyang, your worries over money, grain, and soldiers will vanish!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good!” Er Zhu Rong declared, “Do it as third brother says!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then it’s settled. Brother, while I’m away, Wang Yuanshen has been scheming, and Kudi Gan is losing control in Ma Yi—I must return!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Shuang took his leave; Er Zhu Rong was exhilarated, drank several cups of tea, then felt something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do I keep feeling I forgot something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realized too late—Li Shuang’s swift figure was already gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, that brat—he didn’t give me a single copper coin in the end!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>",1192,"2026-06-20T12:30:56.711Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0ce1f584d699464b25b71c68a93c4c6170d3d8888c4848070c088d0f20161050","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-37","memoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-chapter-35",211,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmemoirs-of-the-heavenly-khagan-cover.jpg"]