Chapter 64: This Is All I Should Do

Daylight fully broke, and Li Shen Gui, who had been drinking all night, was called up, looking very irritable.

"What disturbance is this?"

"Grand Marshal, the Hu Ren and the Han people in the city have started fighting!"

Li Shen Gui heard this and was startled awake.

This is no small matter!

Although the conflict was quickly quelled, the contradiction had already been sown.

Li Shen Gui gathered his subordinates, the various officials, and finally clarified the whole story.

The cause of the incident was that many Han refugees had recently moved to Yunzhong City and were reclaiming wasteland near the city, creating conflict with the Hu Ren grazing nearby.

Many Hu Ren who had fled back from the Liuzhen also discovered that pastures that originally belonged to them had now become Han farms.

The conflict between the two sides finally erupted!

After hearing this, Li Shen Gui had no solution.

In Shengle, because there were many Han refugees, they held weapons and armor issued by the court, and had begun ramming earth to build city walls and fortresses, so the Hu Ren did not dare to go there.

But this place was different; although many Hu Ren had left, the economy was still half farming and half herding.

"What do you say should be done?"

Half of the officials in the room believed the land currently occupied by the Han refugees originally belonged to the Hu Ren and should be returned, while the other half believed those Hu Ren were traitors, so the land naturally did not belong to them and need not be returned.

Both sides argued without reaching an agreement; Li Shen Gui felt a headache and finally looked at Li Shuang.

"Tianba, what is your view?"

Everyone looked at Li Shuang; many knew that Li Shuang was the one backing those Han refugees, but what surprised everyone was that Li Shuang did not support the suggestion not to return the land.

"Since it is half and half, let us decide by drawing lots!"

Li Shen Gui said dissatisfied:

"Nonsense! How can matters of the court be treated so lightly? If outsiders find out, what then?"

"Just don't let outsiders know, is that not enough?"

"..."

Li Shen Gui remained silent for a long time, but finally could not bring himself to do it.

"The education I received since childhood does not allow me to do such a thing!"

Li Shuang nodded, affirming his sworn brother's firm integrity.

"Then let us invite a shaman to divine, letting the Heavenly God choose one of the two answers."

Li Shen Gui finally accepted this plan.

"Who should we invite? After so much war, all the shamans have run away."

"I know of a shaman named Liu Lingzhu; he is very famous and very effective. Why not invite him?"

Li Shen Gui nodded.

"Then let it be so!"

Yunzhong City had experienced war, and the place originally used for sacrifices within the city had been destroyed.

Under Li Shen Gui's orders, the great sacrificial platform was quickly built; the forces of both sides stood beneath the altar, watching Liu Lingzhu dance upon it.

The city became very lively.

He Ba Yun was much stronger than Li Shen Gui, drank far more wine than Li Shen Gui, yet his condition the next day was much better than Li Shen Gui's.

"What is the Grand Marshal doing?"

"The Grand Marshal is following the Xianbei's inherent traditions to handle the dispute!"

Hearing these words, He Ba Yun felt a strange taste in his heart; he turned around and saw Li Shuang behind him, smiling at him.

"He Ba Junzhu, find a place to sit?"

Everyone in the city had gone to make a scene; the two found a tavern nearby and sat down.

"I am no longer a Junzhu of the court!"

He Ba Yun felt somewhat melancholy; looking at the youth before him, so young yet already a General, he could not help but feel a strange taste in his heart.

"There are some things the Grand Marshal finds hard to speak directly, but as his subordinate and sworn brother, I cannot help but speak!"

He Ba Yun took a sip of wine, his depression evident in his words.

"General, just say whatever you have to say!"

"The Grand Marshal sent people to fight at Baidao..."

Before Li Shuang could finish, He Ba Yun raised his hand.

"When two armies clash, each serves its own master; I will not blame the Grand Marshal."

"Junzhu's righteousness. There is one more thing; I have heard the Heba clan has contact with Prince Guangyang."

He Ba Yun's expression changed, becoming somewhat wary.

"What do you intend?"

"What I want to tell the Junzhu is that Prince Guangyang is not trustworthy!"

"Why do you say so?"

"When Prince Guangyang was stationed at Take Pingcheng, he was impeached by the Grand Marshal's father for embezzling military rations and returned to Luoyang under a cloud of guilt. Think about it: is a corrupt criminal who disregards the soldiers below for the sake of women trustworthy?"

He Ba Yun fell silent.

"Furthermore, that tiger-head ring of yours was given to you by the Rouran Khan, asking your Heba clan to deliver it to Yuan Shen, was it not?"

He Ba Yun nodded. At this moment, he began to be less wary and resistant than before.

"Yuan Shen befriending the Rouran is nothing more than wanting to form an alliance with them to jointly attack the Liuzhen."

"What is wrong with that!"

"But what is the price?"

He Ba Yun looked at Li Shuang, his heart twisting; he opened his mouth, yet in the end said not a word.

Li Shuang smiled and poured a cup of wine for He Ba Yun.

"The Rouran Khan will not help for free! The Rouran people have stayed in Mobei for too long and desire the lands of Monan all the more. If Yujiuluo Anagui moves south, he will inevitably choose either Wu Chuan or Huaishuo as his Wang Ting. Yuan Shen now stays in Tongwan City of Xiazhou, separated by the Yellow River, so naturally he need worry about nothing; but what about you?"

"General, think again: is a person who disregards the safety of the frontier Xianbei people for the sake of his own military merit worthy of trust?"

"I..."

Seeing He Ba Yun hesitate as if wanting to speak but holding back, Li Shuang waved his hand.

"The Army Master is considering the Heba clan, is he not?"

He Ba Yun nodded.

"Listen to my words: although Yuan Shen is of the imperial clan, he has been too long sinicized and long ago no longer shares one heart with the Xianbei people. In contrast, our Grand Marshal, although he is Han, everywhere follows the old Xianbei laws; the Grand Marshal's heart is always with you people!"

At this moment, on the sacrificial altar, the Great Shaman Liu Lingzhu's ritual had reached its final stage.

With a sound from the sacrificial altar, the result was revealed.

"The Heavenly God says the land belongs to the Han people; it need not be returned!"

In an instant, the Han refugee crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause, while the other side was left disheartened and lost.

Having heard the result, Li Shuang looked at He Ba Yun and spoke slowly:

"If the Heba clan comes to submit, the Grand Marshal will certainly treat you with courtesy!"

He Ba Yun drained the wine in his cup in one gulp and sighed:

"The Grand Marshal is benevolent and righteous!"

The Grand Marshal's Office!

"How can such a thing be? The Prince of Guangyang, as a member of the imperial clan, secretly conspires with the Rouran people!"

He Ba Yun knelt on the ground, detailing the matter, while Li Shen Gui sat with a shocked expression.

A crowd had gathered in the room, all silent; finally, Li Shuang spoke:

"Grand Marshal, the key now is not that Yuan Shen conspired with the Rouran people, but what he intends to do by conspiring with them?"

"What do you mean?"

"If Yuan Shen dares to conspire with the Rouran people today, will he not conspire with the Liuzhen rebels tomorrow? And the day after, will he not gather troops to attack Luoyang, usurp the throne, and proclaim himself Emperor?"

With Li Shuang's single statement, the generals present all grew uneasy.

"What is to be done?"

"Our immediate priority is to stabilize the Rouran people before Yuan Shen does!"

Someone demanded:

"How is this any different from Yuan Shen?"

"Naturally different; our hearts are set on the state, and all we do is an act of righteousness! Moreover, the Heba clan are loyal ministers of the court, and are currently still in the hands of rebels; we must not act rashly."

"Then who shall be sent?"

"I shall not decline this duty!"

He Ba Yun cast a grateful glance, and everyone present was moved.

Li Shen Gui spoke calmly:

"Younger brother, you have suffered greatly!"

"As a minister of the court, for the sake of the Great Wei state, even if I bear infamy, this is what I ought to do!"