Chapter 82: The Arrow Off the String

In the early spring of the sixth year of Zhengguang, after several eastward advances on Shuozhou were blocked, the Liuzhen rebel army crossed the Yellow River to the south, intending to pick on easy targets.

The threat on Shuozhou's western side was reduced by more than half in an instant.

Li Shuang brought Dugu Ru back to Si Province.

Li Shuang had just arrived at General Er Zhu Rong's residence when he was pulled aside by him. As for Dugu Ru, she was taken by Princess Beixiang to the rear courtyard to have a private chat.

Unlike the large meeting outside, there were still only three people in the room.

General Er Zhu Rong, Yuan Tianmu, and Li Shuang.

"Tianba, I have already read the letter you gave me."

General Er Zhu Rong's voice was very heavy, looking as though he had deliberated for a long time.

"Then what does Second Brother think?"

Yuan Tianmu spoke up at the right moment:

"Both Tianbao and I cannot make up our minds!"

Behind General Er Zhu Rong stood Prince Yuan Yi.

It was precisely because of Prince Yuan Yi that General Er Zhu Rong was able to "act recklessly" in Bing and Si territories.

Empress Dowager Hu's meaning was clearly for him to abandon Prince Yuan Yi and choose to side with her.

General Er Zhu Rong hesitated because once a choice was made, if Prince Yuan Yi won in Luoyangcheng, he would definitely not have a good end.

"Prince Yuan Yi has not treated me poorly, and moreover, recently news came from Luoyang that the Bing Province Inspector position that was agreed upon for Tianmu has suddenly vanished."

"Prince Yuan Yi is warning Second Brother?"

General Er Zhu Rong nodded.

"In Luoyangcheng, with all this infighting, the slightest carelessness means we are the ones who suffer."

"But I heard that Prince Yuan Yi himself wants to back out too?"

General Er Zhu Rong and Yuan Tianmu exchanged a glance and gave a bitter laugh.

"He is Empress Dowager Hu's brother-in-law, and thinks he has a way out, but he has never wanted to let us choose our own way out."

"In that case, then we absolutely cannot choose Prince Yuan Yi."

Seeing Li Shuang so resolute, General Er Zhu Rong could not help but ask:

"Why?"

"In the Luoyang court with all this infighting, how can one simply back out just because one says so? Even if Empress Dowager Hu lets him go, what about those Prince Yuan Yi has offended? Not to mention others, would the former subordinates of Prince of Qinghe Yuan Yi let him off?"

General Er Zhu Rong inwardly agreed with these words and asked:

"Then we side with Empress Dowager Hu?"

"For greater stability, we should side with the young Emperor."

General Er Zhu Rong sighed inwardly and inadvertently spoke it aloud.

"It's a pity Ying'e cannot enter the palace now, otherwise it would save a lot of trouble."

If General Er Zhu Yinge entered the palace, everything would have fallen into place naturally, not like now looking ahead and behind with such hesitation.

Hearing this, Li Shuang felt a great deal of pressure.

"Then let's start with the trusted confidants around the young Emperor."

A glint flashed in General Er Zhu Rong's eyes, and he laughed out loud.

"Tianba's return this time has truly solved the worries weighing on me and Tianmu!"

After this round of secret meeting, General Er Zhu Rong gathered his subordinate generals to discuss military and administrative matters.

Having been away for a long time, General Er Zhu Rong had gained quite a few more elite soldiers and fierce generals under his command.

There were Sima Ziru and Sun Teng from Huaishuo, Jia Xiandu from Bogoulü Town, as well as Dou Tai who came to join carrying the coffins of his father and elder brother…

All these people had fled to General Er Zhu Rong because of the Liuzhen turmoil.

General Er Zhu Rong accepted all comers, gave each of them an official post, and let them manage troops and horses.

With the addition of these people in Southern Xiurong's city, order was visibly much better.

In the vast hall, an additional chair had been placed beside General Er Zhu Rong.

Everyone watched a youth follow General Er Zhu Rong and, like Yuan Tianmu, sit down beside him.

They had assumed the youth was some noble relative from Luoyangcheng, but General Er Zhu Rong's words left everyone astonished.

"This is Lord of Yunzhong, General of Champion Li Shuang, and also my sworn brother. From now on, you shall treat him as you treat me."

After hearing these words, the astonishment and puzzlement in everyone's hearts gave way to a faint stirring of jealousy.

Yuan Tianmu had three thousand soldiers, vast lands, was a member of the imperial clan, and was older in age, so his sitting there was acceptable.

But Li Shuang was different—he was so young, even younger than quite a few of those standing present.

No matter how much they wanted to say, on their faces they still showed respect.

"Greetings to Lord of Yunzhong!"

"Second Brother, long time no see, and you've gained so many fierce generals around you!"

"Third Brother jests, I am merely recommending the worthy for the nation."

General Er Zhu Rong gave a soft laugh and issued orders to the assembled generals.

"The Liuzhen' threat has been reduced, but Bing and Fen provinces are not stable. Recently that old fellow Liu Lisheng has been restless, seemingly wanting to stir up trouble. All generals, train your troops carefully to guard against the unexpected."

Liu Lisheng was the leader of the Ji Hu Ren.

For General Er Zhu Rong, this was an opponent who was not fatal but quite troublesome.

In a straight fight, Liu Lisheng certainly could not beat General Er Zhu Rong.

But the trouble was, if the other side could not win, they could hide in the mountain ravines and wage a war of attrition.

This kind of warfare hit exactly at General Er Zhu Rong's weak spot.

The elite Qihu soldiers under Er Zhu Rong's command could not afford such losses.

This task fell into the hands of the various generals who had defected.

"General, rest assured; we will not betray your trust."

After the grand assembly concluded, Er Zhu Rong went outside the city to train troops, while Yuan Tianmu returned to his fiefdom in Sizhou.

Li Shuang went alone to the rear courtyard, intending to fetch Dugu Ru, but happened to encounter Er Zhu Yinge.

It had been a long time; Er Zhu Yinge's nutritional level had risen again. Visibly, her substance had become much richer.

"Little niece!"

"Isn't that my third uncle? I heard you brought a woman back from Shuozhou?"

On the corridor of the courtyard, Er Zhu Yinge looked at Li Shuang and asked with feigned indifference:

"Yes, didn't you go see her?"

"I took a glance from afar; she's quite ordinary!"

Li Shuang had only heard of people being sarcastic behind his back; had he never seen Er Zhu Yinge be so sarcastic to his face?

"Then tell me, in what way is she ordinary?"

"I heard she is some Saintess, supposedly very beautiful, yet she is no different from me. I also heard her horsemanship is excellent and her archery is superb, but these are skills I have long mastered. Even if she commands a large tribe and can bring a vast dowry, my dowry when I marry will only be greater than hers."

Li Shuang rolled his eyes and smiled:

"So you're saying she is inferior to you in every way?"

"Of course!"

Er Zhu Yinge was very proud and extremely smug.

"Otherwise, tell me, what is there she can do that I cannot?"

Just as the two were talking, a maid of the Northern Township Princess rushed over.

"Third Young Master, why are you still here? The Princess has asked me to fetch you immediately!"

"What is so urgent?"

"The Princess was just chatting happily with Lady Du Gu, but Lady Du Gu is feeling unwell."

"What has happened to A-Ru?"

"Third Young Master, rest assured; the Princess has summoned a physician who has already made a diagnosis. Lady Du Gu is with child!"

At that moment, Er Zhu Yinge, who had been brimming with pride, heard this, her expression changed; she looked at Li Shuang with a face full of bitterness and resentment.

Li Shuang smiled.

"Do you know now what she can do that you cannot?"

Er Zhu Yinge shot away like an arrow leaving the bowstring.

"Hmph!"