Chapter 1362: The Efforts of the Surrender Faction

Chapter 1362: The Efforts of the Surrender Faction

Chapter 1362: The Efforts of the Surrender Faction
Of the once "million-strong army", a considerable number of its soldiers have now been disbanded, because what remains are just sporadic small battles that no longer require a large army.

Shao Xun is still stationed in Xing, the military capital outside the Great Wall. In recent days, he has been taking the sons of wealthy families and tribal chieftains in Youzhou and the neighboring Bingzhou to hunt in order to deepen their relationship.

In times of war, everyone suffers, not only ordinary people but even local powerful groups cannot survive.

Some sons of tribal chieftains died of illness while supervising the transportation of grain and grass, and some were even ordered to lead their subordinates to attack the city and died in a battle. There were also some who went to the countryside to plunder grain and livestock, but were careless and were shot to death by someone. In short, it was not easy.

Shao Xun took them hunting, gave them rewards from time to time, recruited brave sons of chiefs into his personal army, or allowed the more intelligent ones to enter the Imperial Academy. In short, he tried every means to appease them.

No one else can do this, not even Li Chong. He is the only one who can agree to various conditions.

Therefore, when Li Chong publicly said that the success of the expedition against Liao was largely due to the contribution of the emperor in Youzhou, it was not entirely flattery.

There has been no chaos in the rear area so far, and people are still gritting their teeth to supply food and supplies. Isn't this the credit of the thief Shao?
As the war drew to a close, more than 10,000 soldiers from the Zuo Changzhi Guard and the You Yulin Guard, who were farther away, returned first. Each person received two pieces of silk, a piece of Mo cloth, and a sheepskin in Youzhou, and then one string of money when they arrived in Luoyang. When they returned to their respective bases, they received two hu of grain, which was a generous reward.

Today is the day when Zhao Wei's troops of the Heilongjiang Right Camp return. The troops will go to Huainan and take away more than 10,000 captured Murong Xianbei people and hand them over to the management of local government soldiers - currently there are 6,000 people in five governments - in the future they will be dispersed to Huainan, Lujiang, Anfeng and other counties, registered as households, and mainly engaged in farming, supplemented by animal husbandry.

Shao Xun personally met with the generals above the rank of battalion commander and gave them rewards. He also selected more than ten beautiful concubines, palace ladies, and female musicians from the harems of Murong and Gao and gave them rewards accordingly.

Afterwards, he moved to Tangchi near Yanshan Garden and summoned the Goguryeo envoy Yitong.

Before the meeting, he carefully studied the battlefield situation.

As of the end of August, the Goguryeo people were still confronting the Liang army in an earthen wall camp several miles east of Pingdingshan.

Xu Yu attacked it several times, broke a mud stronghold, and beheaded more than a thousand people.

A careful calculation shows that Gao Zhao had brought over 40,000 men, and more than 8,000 of them had been killed or wounded. If this had been a field battle, the troops would have been defeated, but now they can only defend the city, so they are barely surviving.

In the direction of Heshenggu City, Gao Wu lost more than 2,000 soldiers, which was not much.

In Mudi, Cuizhenbao, Gaolushan, Pingdingshan, Yannanshui and Wandu, the Goguryeo people also lost nearly 20,000 troops, including about half of the so-called elite troops.

Therefore, Gao Zhao, who once had 50,000 elite soldiers, now probably only has around 30,000 left.

Shao Xun wanted to take on these 30,000 people in one go, but time was running out, so he had to think of another way.

So, when he saw Dajia Yitong, he asked, "I heard that the envoy received a letter from Gao Zhao when he was in Jicheng. What did the letter say?"

"My king asks the emperor of Daliang to show mercy and return the families of the nobles of the tribes, as well as the queen mother Zhou and the queen Yu." Yi Tong said, "I am willing to exchange them for the treasures of the country."

"The treasures are not valuable enough. The envoy may be wishful thinking." Shao Xun walked casually in the corridor with his hands behind his back.

There were soldiers densely packed outside the corridor, on high alert.

The female official walked back and forth, occasionally glancing at Otoko with curiosity.

Amid the fallen leaves in the yard, Ying and Wang supported Shi as they looked at the newly opened chrysanthemums, chatting and laughing in low voices.

Lady Shi's belly was bulging and her face looked both happy and worried.

Wang Yinling was also pregnant, but she was only two months pregnant, so it was not noticeable. She walked beside Shi, and the two pregnant women seemed to have endless things to talk about.

Yi Tong didn't know their identities and guessed that they were Emperor Liang's concubines.

This is not surprising. How could the emperor travel for several months or even a year without women serving him?
Well, it’s better for Yitong not to know their identities, otherwise he will probably turn around and leave.

Shao Xun was walking, and suddenly stopped and said, "I really don't know what I want?"

Yi Tong was helpless and could only say, "Murong Biao and Murong Jun, uncle and nephew, have over 10,000 soldiers and are very brave. Our country can only order all cities and valleys to cut off their food and grass and let them go."

Shao Xun seemed to have heard something very funny. He continued to pace and walked slowly. When he passed through an archway, he stopped and said, "Are the dry bones in Murong Jun's tomb worth using as a condition?"

As he spoke, he stretched out a hand, as if touching something.

Yi Tong followed closely, and stopped a few steps inside the archway. He said, "Your Majesty, why do you insist on Lelang and Daifang counties? As the saying goes, it is beyond your reach. The land lost by Sima Jin does not hurt your Majesty's reputation."

As he spoke, he saw out of the corner of his eye that Emperor Liang was reaching out to gently stroke the face of a beautiful woman.

This group of women seemed to have just returned from a garden tour and ran into Emperor Liang.

The person he caressed had a charming and gentle expression, probably one of Emperor Liang's concubines. He was so lucky, this woman was really beautiful, probably one of the best beauties in the Central Plains.

"I will definitely seize Lelang and Daifang counties." Shao Xun released Ke Zhuhun and said, "Murong Zhi has already reached the left bank of the Yalu River. The Lelang tyrants and chieftains have rewarded the troops with cattle and wine. Tell me, it has been 23 years since Goguryeo seized the two counties. Apart from building a few more cities and stationing a few soldiers, what other measures have they taken? The people's support can be seen at a glance. How many soldiers does Gao Kai, the garrison commander of Pyongyang, have? I think it won't be long before all the tribes join forces to besiege and kill him. By then, Gao Zhao will not be able to use these two counties to negotiate conditions."

"Your Majesty, Baekje is gaining strength and thinking it has achieved its goals. It is sharpening its sword and is ready to march north. Although it is small, it is close to us. Although Liang is large, it is thousands of miles away. Once Baekje marches north, the two counties will be overthrown." Yi Tong said, "Besides, the population of Lelang and the two counties is declining, the wealth is small and the people are poor. There is no benefit in taking them. Instead, we have to worry about their fall. I think--"

"Enough." Shao Xun turned around and looked at him, and said, "How far will Gao Zhao allow you to compromise?" Yi Tong was stunned.

Emperor Liang's question was too direct and he didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Shao Xun sneered and said, "I can ignore Murong Jun. Hand over Lelang and Daifang counties first, and I can return the families of the ministers and generals captured in Wandu. Hurry up, if the officials and people of Lelang and Daifang counties rise up and drive out the Goguryeo officials and generals, my words will not count."

Yi Tong was silent.

He was labeled a "surrenderist" in Goguryeo and advocated selling out Murong Biao and Murong Jun and returning the two counties of Lelang and Daifang, which attracted many criticisms, but he was not really a traitor.

Just like Delai of Pei did back then, he urged King Dongchuan to continue to be respectful to Cao Wei and serve it as a subject. It was not that he did not love Goguryeo, but he knew that the country's strength was limited and it was not the time to turn against it.

After receiving the king's order, Yi Tong did not give in easily and never raised the issue of the ownership of the two counties. He tried every means to fight for the benefits for Gao Zhao. In fact, he was a very qualified minister.

He was well aware of the value of Lelang and Daifang counties. There were large plains near the sea, a relatively mild climate and plenty of sunshine. Goguryeo was coveting them. If they were managed well, it would not be a bad idea to move the capital there. So the resistance was really great.

The king had only been on the throne for a few years and was still young, so it was normal for him to be undecided when faced with overwhelming public opinion. However, after the fall of Maru City, the opposition was reduced. In fact, the king had given him the authority to "cede" two counties - anyway, Baekje also wanted to expand here, so let the Liang people worry about it, and maybe there would be a chance to take it back in the future.

Shao Xun asked this directly, and Yi Tong quietly raised his eyes and looked at Shao Xun.

Unexpectedly, Shao Xun was also looking at him.

Yi Tong lowered his head and said, "The army is now surrounding our king, making it difficult to move in and out. Please withdraw your army temporarily. After our king returns to Marudu, we will send letters to the two counties to return the city defenses and registers and withdraw the garrison troops."

"The messenger, please go back and tell me first." Shao Xun said, "These are my conditions. In the future, for matters like this, you can go directly to Xiangping to discuss them. I just want the result."

Yi Tong had no choice but to agree, and when he saw that there was nothing else to say, he bowed and left.

Watching the messenger's receding back, Shao Xun returned to his study.

Daiguo Taifu Wang sat beside him, reading a memorial in a low voice: "I, Li Chongjin, bow a hundred times and present this memorial to Your Majesty: Your holy virtue is so great that it is so powerful. We, the ministers, have followed Your Majesty's wisdom and relied on the might of Daliang. With the orders of the three armies, we fought fiercely with the rebels led by Murong Huang of the Pseudo-Yan in the waters of Wuliu County. Thanks to Your Majesty's great fortune and the sacrifice of our officers and soldiers, our army has defeated the rebels and captured countless people.

In the fierce battle, God blesses the emperor. Peng Ling, the leader of the left camp of the Black Jade Army, and more than ten other people bravely rushed into the enemy camp and captured the fake Yan Lord Murong Huang alive in the chaos! Now it has been verified that he is Murong Huang, the fake Yan who usurped the title of king. This beast is fierce and stubborn, and has long been a border threat. He usurped the title and harmed the lives of people. Now he has finally anointed the axe of our dynasty. It is really due to the majesty of your majesty and the blessing of the country!
The rebel chieftain Murong Huang was first detained by me in the army and strictly guarded by elite soldiers. He could not escape. However, this thief is not an ordinary person. He is the false ruler of a country. Although I have been entrusted with the task of handling the matter, I dare not deal with him arbitrarily. His life and death are of great importance. It may involve winning over distant people or showing the power of heaven's punishment. It is beyond my control.

I humbly wish that your Majesty is wise and wise, and has far-reaching thoughts. I will bring the rebel chieftain and more than a hundred others to Youzhou in prison and present them to you as captives.

I hereby attach the victory report and respectfully await your Majesty’s reply…”

After reading it, she rolled her eyes at Shao Xun, put the memorial down, and said, "It's not enough to play with me, you also want to play with Mi'e and capture all the women of the Xianbei Chanyu. Are you very proud of it?"

"Mi'e" means "thousand" in Xianbei language. When Duan was just born, Duan Jilu's family had thousands of people joining them, so she was given this name.

At this moment, Duan was being held in Shao Xun's arms, her face blood red.

Wang was too lazy to look at Duan's smooth lower body and just said, "Goguryeo has surrendered, and Murong Huang has been captured. The matter is settled. How are you going to deal with him?"

"If Tuoba Yulu hadn't died, I wouldn't have killed him. I would have just brought him to the Central Plains and imprisoned him," Shao Xun said.

Wang's face felt a little hot.

Shao Xun looked at Duan in his arms again and said, "What should I do if Murong Huang asks me for you?"

Duan's heart moved and she looked at Shao Xun.

Shao Xun looked at the woman's pleading eyes and asked in surprise, "You still want to go back to him?"

Duan stammered, "Please grant me your majesty's blessing."

"If you are already pregnant with my child, what will you do when you return?" Shao Xun asked.

Duan felt extremely strange in her heart, her body expanded and contracted, and a chill ran down her legs to her knees. She said, "No."

Wang glanced at the white line on Duan's leg, spat and said "tyrant", then said: "Your Majesty's failure to kill Murong Huang will also be a constraint on Murong Ren, Murong Han, and the officials in the Treasury. This man is no longer a threat, and saving his life will also show your benevolence."

"Murong Jun and Murong Biao can be treated the same way." Shao Xun gently put Duan down and said to Wang, "You two are of the same status. Please persuade her. I really can't bear to let her go."

Wang thought to herself that you never intended to let her go back, you were just teasing her.

"Where are you going next?" she asked.

"Watch the sea." Shao Xun smiled.

(End of this chapter)