Chapter 5

Rob?

Rob whom?

How do we rob?

Li Shuang had assumed that, as a Hu Ren, this should be a beastly instinct woven into the blood.

Does this even need to be learned?

But reality proved that environment determines everything.

Er Zhu Rong, this Qihu man, had long lost the ancestral tradition of nomadic life—chasing water and grass, braving venomous snakes and ferocious beasts, battling the grasslands with poison and frost.

In short, he had been sinicized!

After sobering up, Er Zhu Rong dragged Li Shuang and Yuan Tianmu to his study, unrolled a vast map, stared at the sprawling land with drooling hunger, yet had no idea where to begin.

Finally, Er Zhu Rong turned to Li Shuang.

“Tianba, what do you think?”

“To serve the General, first seize Southern Xiurong. With Southern Xiurong, we can greatly expand our military supplies and grain, strengthening ourselves.”

Upon hearing this, Er Zhu Rong’s mind opened at once, yet he still harbored concerns.

“What if the court blames us?”

“The Liuzhen rebellion rages fiercely, and Liang troops are advancing northward; Luoyang is eager but powerless. As long as the General holds the situation steady, Luoyang will inevitably come to rely on you as its shield!”

Yuan Tianmu, standing beside them, listened as Er Zhu Rong and Li Shuang discussed this—words bordering on treason.

Yet as a Northern Wei imperial clansman, he felt no revulsion; instead, he found it sensible.

Whether Er Zhu Rong, Li Shuang, the rebel Liuzhen, or the countless bandit gangs of Shanxi—all these sources of chaos traced upward led to one answer.

The Northern Wei court moved its capital!

Luoyang is better suited as a national capital than Pingcheng—no one could dispute this.

Back then, Tao the Conqueror moved the capital to Pingcheng and established the my lord military clique.

The six frontier garrisons defending against the Rouran in the north, and the Er Zhu clan supplying horses to Pingcheng, were all military appendages of this clique.

But after the court moved its capital, everything changed.

If Pingcheng, as the Northern Wei capital, had declined, how much more so the other regions?

Once glorious Liuzhen soldiers had now become despised “criminal troops.”

The Er Zhu clan could still rely on old connections to shuttle between Xiurong and Luoyang, maintaining a respectable facade, yet internally they struggled just as much.

The crucial point is, both the Liuzhen and the Er Zhu clan held swords!

The Liuzhen had already rebelled; the Er Zhu clan was somewhat more clear-headed.

Yuan Tianmu saw clearly, so he chose to join the Er Zhu clan.

As Li Shuang and Er Zhu Rong’s discussion grew more heated, Yuan Tianmu interjected at the right moment.

“Before heading south, we must first deal with one man: Qi Fu Moyu!”

Qi Fu Moyu was also a Hu leader who had submitted to Xiurong, but as a newly migrated tribe, he differed fundamentally from the centuries-old Er Zhu clan.

The court stationed him in Northern Xiurong precisely to balance him against Er Zhu Rong.

“Once we head south, Qi Fu Moyu will surely seize the opportunity to swallow our lands and people.”

Er Zhu Rong’s aura turned murderous.

“Then eliminate him first!”

Yuan Tianmu shook his head.

“Attacking Qi Fu Moyu without cause would not pass muster with Li Chong and Wang Yuanshen.”

Both men were stumped; finally, they turned to Li Shuang.

Li Shuang froze.

Is such a simple matter even worth thinking about?

“He rebels, then we crush him—won’t that be perfectly legitimate?”

Er Zhu Rong and Yuan Tianmu were both officers in the official army; they weren’t as lawless as Li Shuang.

Framing someone for rebellion—if exposed—was a crime punishable by family annihilation.

“Brothers, you’re not afraid, are you?”

Li Shuang grinned. Er Zhu Rong and Yuan Tianmu felt pushed to the edge of a cliff.

If they did this, they’d be pulled into Li Shuang’s water, forever bound to the same boat.

Seeing their hesitation, Li Shuang turned to Er Zhu Rong and said:

“Destroy Qi Fu Moyu and seize Southern Xiurong. First take nearby targets, then distant ones; avoid the Liuzhen’s sharp edge, conceal your movements from official troops, build up strength, and wait for the opportunity to seize Jinyang—then unify the provinces of Heng, Shuo, Si, Bing, Fen, and Guang. One day, when the General marches south to Luoyang and commands the realm, it will be no great feat.”

Er Zhu Rong was deeply stirred by Li Shuang’s words. No longer hesitating, he immediately bowed and said:

“Tianba’s words align perfectly with my heart and Tianmu’s. I have a bold idea…”

“Brother, you’re back!”

Er Zhu Ying’e stood at the crossroad, greeting Er Zhu Zhao, who returned with a hundred Qihu cavalry.

“Ying’e, why do you look so unhappy?”

Er Zhu Zhao had always doted on his younger sister Er Zhu Ying’e, and she, in turn, adored this brave brother.

“How can I be happy? You said you’d go teach that little brat Li Shuang a lesson—where did you go?”

Er Zhu Zhao dared not admit he’d been paralyzed by Li Shuang’s hundreds of fully armored cavalry; he mumbled evasively.

“Some complications arose. Where is he?”

“He’s already here. Father and Uncle Tianmu drank with him last night and haven’t left the mansion since—no one’s allowed near them. What are they doing?”

“Ying’e, don’t worry. Now that he’s here, we’ll have plenty of ways to deal with him later.”

With Er Zhu Zhao’s assurance, Er Zhu Ying’e’s anger subsided somewhat.

Even so, the tiny pearls of grievance from her heart kept welling up.

Er Zhu Zhao saw this and comforted her.

“I know you can’t go to Luoyang, but there’s no need to be so upset—there’ll still be chances later.”

Er Zhu Ying’e spoke:

“I’m not upset about not going to Luoyang. I never wanted to be the little emperor’s concubine.”

“Then why are you so hurt?”

“Brother, you don’t know—he scared me, locked me in a dark room… In my whole life, I’ve never met anyone so vile!”

At that moment, Er Zhu Rong’s personal guard delivered news.

“Lord commands you to come to the mansion—he has an announcement.”

Er Zhu Rong’s orders were the supreme authority across the three-hundred-li Xiurong valley.

Even Er Zhu Zhao dared not delay.

All arrived at the mansion to find the great hall already filled with Er Zhu clan members and household ministers—even Er Zhu Rong’s wife, Princess Beixiang, and the women of the rear compound stood nearby.

Er Zhu Zhao led Er Zhu Ying’e forward and saw three figures standing in the center of the hall.

Er Zhu Rong stood in the middle, Yuan Tianmu to his left, and on the right—Li Shuang.

When everyone had gathered, Er Zhu Rong first turned to Er Zhu Shilong—his cousin.

“Are the people of Taipingzhai all settled?”

Er Zhu Shilong bore a resemblance to Er Zhu Rong, though he was coarser.

“All settled. Their families have been relocated here too.”

Er Zhu Rong nodded, the heavy stone in his chest lifting. From now on, Li Shuang was truly bound to him on the same boat.

He then declared before the entire Er Zhu clan and household:

“I have summoned you all to announce this: I, Er Zhu Rong, have bonded in spirit with my elder brother Yuan Tianmu and my third brother Li Shuang. We shall now cut a white horse’s throat, swear an oath, and become sworn brothers. From this day forth, you shall serve them as you serve me.”

Among the crowd, Er Zhu Ying’e stared in disbelief.

What? That little brat is now my uncle?