Chapter 79: My Brother Truly Possesses the Bearing of a Divine General

Tongwan City.

This city, standing on the land south of the Yellow River, was built by Helian Bobo over six years with extremely strict standards; countless craftsmen died beneath its walls.

The names of the four city gates of Tongwan City are quite interesting: the south gate is called Chao Song Gate, the east gate Zhao Wei Gate, the west gate Fu Liang Gate, and the north gate Ping Shuo Gate.

Helian Bobo's intent was to trample Liu Song, destroy Northern Wei, and simply refuse to submit to anyone!

However, the Hu Xia Kingdom did not enjoy a long reign because of this sturdy and magnificent city; merely twelve years later, the completed Tongwan City was captured by Tuoba Tao, and the Hu Xia Kingdom was thus annihilated.

For nearly a century, the Xiongnu of the Hu Xia Kingdom lost their capital, while Northern Wei gained a sturdy military stronghold on the vast lands north of Guanzhong.

Before the former Ping Shuo Gate, a large crowd of Hu Ren from the northern steppes had now gathered.

Guangyang Wang Wang Yuanshen, serving as the Host Grand Xingtai stationed at Tongwan City, stood on the city gate tower, watching the ever-growing crowd of Hu Ren, saying not a word.

Wang Yuanshen also did not understand what had happened; he only knew that these Hu Ren had arrived a few days ago, claiming they wished to submit, and their numbers kept growing.

Tongwan City was unlike other national capitals; large tent districts remained within the city to accommodate herdsmen.

Originally, the palaces and temples of the Hu Xia Kingdom were being converted by Northern Wei into government offices, markets, and military facilities.

This city, with its distinct steppe regime characteristics, was sufficient to accommodate the Hu Ren outside the walls; however, Wang Yuanshen dared not easily open this door.

Li Shuren, a Biejiang under Wang Yuanshen, brought several Tiele people before him.

"Speak all of you!"

"Guangyang Wang, you must stand up for us! That Da Ye Shuang is not human, not human at all!"

Hearing this name, the expressionless face of Wang Yuanshen finally changed.

"How did he treat you?"

"Our ancestors have always been honest, decent herdsmen living around Wu Chuan; who knew that once Da Ye Shuang arrived, he seized our pastures and drove us all away."

Speaking to this point, several Tiele people began to weep.

"He even told us to join the rebel army of Helian Bobo; once the Six Garrisons rebels surrendered, we would become official troops."

"Listen to this; is this human speech?"

"Our hearts are entirely with the court; how would we dare join Helian Bobo? We figured we could only come to submit to Guangyang Wang."

Wang Yuanshen frowned; at this moment, Li Shuren, the Biejiang beside him, spoke up and asked:

"You are also prominent figures on the steppes; you say your pastures were seized, and they were seized?"

These Tiele people dared not say they could not fight, only stating:

"That Da Ye Shuang, relying on the support of Grand Commandant Li Shen, does not hold us in any regard; he does not even hold Guangyang Wang in any regard."

Li Shuren shouted.

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

"We little ones dare not speak nonsense; the north has spread it everywhere: the Wang Fei whose marriage contract Guangyang Wang has already exchanged was seized by Da Ye Shuang; day and night she remains in the tent, doing who knows what; he has not been seen coming out."

"Silence!"

Wang Yuanshen flew into a rage, feeling an impulse to kill.

These Tiele people were terrified, prostrating themselves on the ground, trembling and daring not to make a sound.

Although Wang Yuanshen was angry, he still possessed reason.

"Why did Da Ye Shuang seize your pastures?"

"To graze cattle and sheep!"

"Where did he get so many cattle and sheep to graze?"

"We heard he defeated the Rouran people to the north and plundered a great deal; just what we have seen amounts to ten or twenty thousand head of cattle and sheep."

Wang Yuanshen looked at Li Shuren beside him.

"Go to Yunzhong, see Li Shen, and demand an explanation from the court!"

"Yes!"

Wang Yuanshen's gaze was like a knife as he looked at the group of Tiele people bowing low before him.

"You, I, this King, shall accept."

"Thank you, Great King!"

Yunzhong.

"Are you asleep?"

"Mm, asleep!"

"How did you sleep?"

"All sorts of ways!"

Inside the Grand Commandant's office, Li Shuren, listening to the question-and-answer exchange between Li Shen and Li Shuang, felt quite awkward.

Li Shen remained silent, not knowing what he was thinking.

At this moment, Heba Duba, who had already become a Junzhu under Li Shen, spoke up:

"Grand Commandant, General Tangkou has caused you great trouble; we must devise a plan quickly!"

Li Shen sat in his chair, looking at Li Shuang.

"Do you have anything to say?"

"Brother Daye, rest assured; if Guangyang Wang holds any blame, I shall bear it entirely. Besides, as the younger brother of Li Shen, the First Divine General of Great Wei, what's wrong with sleeping with an unbetrothed Wang Fei?"

Everyone present from the Heba and Yuwen clans was stunned.

Especially Heba Duba, who had already prepared N kinds of language to slander, was now caught off guard by Li Shuang's sincerity and did not know how to begin speaking.

"Let alone sleeping with one who is unbetrothed; even if she were betrothed, what's wrong with that?"

On Li Shen's expressionless face, a smile suddenly surged, and laughter erupted.

"Truly worthy of being my, Li Shen's, younger brother; spoken well!"

Li Shuang's words had already left everyone present utterly bewildered, but who could have expected someone even more intense to arrive.

Li Shuren's head swelled, and he clasped his hands, saying:

"Grand Commander, how will you explain this to Prince Guangyang?"

Li Shen was not skilled in military administration, but having grown up in Luoyang, he was quite familiar with, even an expert in, the scheming and infighting among the great aristocratic families.

"Explain what? Puluohan Kong Que is already dead; if he said he had surrendered long ago, then he surrendered long ago!"

"But the matter with the Rouran concerns the court..."

"What Rouran? Where did this Rouran come from? What does it concern?"

"..."

Before Li Shuren could finish, Li Shuang praised:

"Brother, that's sheer dominance! No wonder you are the Divine General of Great Wei!"

Hearing this, Li Shen laughed with great delight.

"Say it again!"

"That's sheer dominance!"

"No, the part after!"

"The Divine General of Great Wei!"

Hearing these six words, the smile on Li Shen's face bloomed like a chrysanthemum.

"Brother, the long journey must have been tiring; let this elder brother welcome you and wash away your dust."

"I was indeed tired; I thought something serious had happened to make me rush back so hurriedly."

"Brother, do not blame me; this elder brother had no choice but to have you return, as the people around me were making too much noise."

"Brother, how were those few golden-haired ones I sent you last time?"

"Not bad, not bad, just too much fur."

"No problem, I have even better ones there."

"Really?"

Watching this scene, everyone simultaneously felt a thought arise in their hearts.

Birds of a feather flock together!

Seeing the two sworn brothers gradually moving away and hearing their conversation, Yuwen Tai timely tugged at the hem of his father Yuwen Gong's robe and whispered in his ear:

"Father, do you still think the original plan can work?"

Yuwen Gong felt his throat somewhat dry and involuntarily swallowed his saliva.

"Tell your third brother to pack up; we will head to Zhongshan at any time!"

Just then, He Ba Yue, not far away, also tugged at Heba Duba's robe, feeling it better to flee sooner rather than later.

Heba Duba, however, was like a gambler unwilling to concede.

"No, this must be the Grand Commander in disguise; I do not believe such a person exists in the world!"