Chapter 72: I Can Take the Li Surname, I Can Love Great Wei

As Li Shuang took the cup of mare’s milk wine, Yujiulu Fa was swiftly subdued.

Po Liuhan Kongque’s face flushed red, unsure why the situation had turned so suddenly.

With a mix of resentment and confusion, he roared:

“You’ve all followed me for years—how could you be bought by this barbarian brat?”

“Great King, don’t you see? Your plan to surrender to the Rouran has lost you the people’s hearts!”

Li Shuang sat in the seat Yujiulu Fa had just vacated, staring at Po Liuhan Kongque.

In an instant, the tide turned.

The generals surrounding Po Liuhan Kongque shouted in unison:

“If the Great King intends to surrender to the Rouran, we absolutely refuse!”

“We’d rather die than kneel to the Rouran!”

“A true man dies as he must—what is there to fear?”

…

In the hierarchy of the Liuzhen, the Rouran were the lowest of the low.

“The Liuzhen are weakening; the Rouran are rising. I’m merely preparing for the future of the Po Liuhan clan—what’s wrong with that? Do you truly believe this barbarian brat’s words will lead you to a bright path?”

The officers fell silent.

Outside, faint cries echoed.

“Save me… Father!”

The familiar voice reached them; Po Liuhan Kongque beamed and turned to those around him:

“My son, Po Liuhan Chang, has arrived! Put down your weapons! If you repent now, I shall forgive you all today.”

With a crash, the tightly shut door was kicked open again.

Po Liuhan Chang burst in, holding several dripping, bloody heads.

“Chang, ignore me—surround this courtyard, secure the Garrison Commander’s residence, and stop the Huaixu troops from breaking in!”

Po Liuhan Chang saw the scene inside, dropped the heads, and marched straight toward Li Shuang.

Then he knelt.

“Uncle, you’ve suffered too much!”

“My noble nephew arrives just in time!”

“Ever since you came to Huaixu, I’ve been cowed by the old villain’s tyranny and dared not acknowledge you—I’ve blamed myself endlessly. Uncle, rest assured, your wife has been safely hidden by me.”

“No matter, no matter—we’ll call each other as we please. I’ll call you noble nephew; you can call me brother-in-law!”

“I dare not!” Po Liuhan Chang smiled, then said, “Brother-in-law!”

Po Liuhan Kongque stared, stunned. One of his generals, moved by pity, whispered to him:

“Great King, the one who led the rebellion against you is the crown prince.”

Hearing this, Po Liuhan Kongque’s blood surged; he looked at the bloody heads and his vision went white.

“Traitor! Whose heads are those in your hands?”

Po Liuhan Chang rose, stepping before Li Shuang as a shield, and coldly faced his father:

“These are the bastards you fathered with that Rouran woman—all of them, right here!”

Po Liuhan Kongque, consumed by rage, spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Monster! They are your own brothers and sisters!”

“The Rouran’s mongrels? How could they be my brothers and sisters? Father, today the Po Liuhan clan can have only one heir—his name is Li Chang!”

“Your noble loyalty shines brighter than sun and moon—when the Grand Commander hears of this, he’ll surely be deeply moved!”

“Rest assured, Uncle—I swear to die defending my righteous father, brother-in-law, and the Great Wei realm!”

“Take men to stabilize Huaixu, and send Gao Ang with his thousand cavalry into the city first!”

“Yes!”

Po Liuhan Chang and his men departed; the room was left with only the bound Po Liuhan Kongque and Yujiulu Fa.

Silence filled the room.

Ignoring Po Liuhan Kongque’s furious glare, Yujiulu Fa grinned and said:

“General, I always knew Po Liuhan Kongque and Guangyang Wang were untrustworthy. Let’s ally with the Grand Commander and crush the Liuzhen rebels together.”

“Crush the Liuzhen rebels?”

Yujiulu Fa nodded.

“Yes, yes!”

“The Liuzhen rebels are a bunch of paupers—how much money could they possibly have?”

Yujiulu Fa froze, as Po Liuhan Kongque beside him spoke:

“That traitor has long since joined your side—he knew my plans all along. Why did you come to Huaixu at all?”

Li Shuang smiled:

“If I hadn’t come, how would you have captured me? If you hadn’t captured me, how would you have demanded grain? If the grain hadn’t come to Huaixu, where would my troops have eaten?”

“What are you saying?”

Li Shuang said nothing more, waiting.

The sound of hooves rose—massive cavalry surrounded the Garrison Commander’s residence.

Gao Ang arrived with his troops, bowed before Li Shuang:

“Your servant is late—please forgive me, my lord!”

“Where are the others?”

“Yang Kan leads the main force behind us; Helü Jin has taken Wuyuan; Yu Jin has incited the Western Tiele tribe of Nie Liehe to rise; Po Liuhan Baling is now too busy to care. After securing the Po Liuhan forces outside the city, I came straight here.”

Soon after, Gao Huan and Hou Jing arrived.

“My lord, are you unharmed?”

“What harm could I suffer?”

“I’ve heard everything—since you knew of Po Liuhan Kongque’s plot all along, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was afraid your courage was too small.”

Gao Huan watched Li Shuang, now surrounded by loyal officers, his gaze complex.

“He Liuhun, the people of Huaixu have now turned against Po Liuhan Baling and refuse to ally with the Rouran. Could you lend me a hand?”

“Your orders, General!”

“The people of Huaixu know the steppe terrain well—could you find us a few guides?”

“Such a minor matter—the people of Huaixu should gladly serve!”

Hearing this, Yujiulu Fa suddenly understood—he shouted angrily:

“Li Shuang, what are you planning?”

Li Shuang looked at Yujiulu Fa and spoke slowly:

“Autumn and winter are when horses fatten. Yujiulu Anagui, blinded by greed, led his tribe southward, crossing a thousand miles of desert—now his men and horses are exhausted. His court must have passed Qikou and is heading straight for Huaixu.”

At these words, everyone in the room understood Li Shuang’s intent.

Gao Ang trembled with excitement; Hou Jing chuckled; Gao Huan drew a deep breath.

Po Liuhan Kongque burst into loud laughter, his chest heaving with pain. When he finished, he cursed:

“You madman!”

Yujiulu Fa’s fawning demeanor vanished—he now sensed danger and felt unprecedented dread.

“Li Shuang, if you don’t ally with us but betray us instead, how will you crush the Liuzhen rebels? How will you answer the court?”

“I forgot to tell you—the Luoyang court hasn’t even decided yet. The alliance with the Rouran was only a private arrangement between Guangyang Wang and the Grand Commander. In other words, the Rouran are still officially designated rebels! By the time the court’s decree to ally with them arrives, it won’t matter anymore!”

“What’s your motive? Why risk your life for this scheme?”

“Good question. Can I let your Rouran people build their court on the border of Shuozhou?”

After speaking, Li Shuang looked at the generals in the room.

“The Rouran are exhausted, careless, and unprepared—this is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. Gentlemen, prepare your troops for battle.”

“Yes!”

Li Shuang spoke calmly:

“I can’t seize Luoyang—can’t I seize the Rouran court instead?”