Standalone Northern and Southern Dynasties

Chapter 386: Division of Jinyang
Erzhu Rong still trusted Liu Gui very much. After all, he was one of the rare administrative talents under his command.

Erzhu Rong took the Hu pancake handed over by his subordinates and ate it with water, then ate some roasted venison brought by the servants, and then said:

"Guizhen (Liu Gui's name), are you here today for Gao Huan?"

Liu Gui intervened and said yes.

These days, whenever Liu Gui came to report official business to Erzhu Rong, he would recommend Gao Huan to Erzhu Rong.

Erzhu Rong did not make any comment and did not forbid Liu Gui from continuing to talk about Gao Huan, but he did not listen to Liu Gui and meet Gao Huan again.

However, the close followers secretly sent by Erzhu Rong reported that Gao Huan was doing the same thing as before, working diligently in the stable every day to raise horses.

"Mingsir, this Gao Huan is indeed an outstanding person. I know that you always love talents and I can't bear to see him sink into menial tasks, so I strongly recommend him to you."

Erzhu Rong finished eating the Hu Bing and said:

"Since Guizhen values ​​Gao Huan so much, I will give him another chance and let him come and see him."

Liu Gui was overjoyed and quickly thanked Erzhu Rong.

Liu Gui came to the stable and quickly called Gao Huan who was dealing with horse manure:

"He Liuhun, the Lord has agreed to see you! Go back and take a shower and change clothes!"

When Gao Huan heard this, he immediately threw away the dung fork he used to shovel horse manure. Lou Zhaojun quickly prepared hot water and tidied the gorgeous clothes she had bought. She helped Gao Huan put them on after he finished bathing.

Looking at Gao Huan, who was wearing gorgeous clothes after bathing, Lou Zhaojun's eyes were a little dazed. This was the Gao Huan she fell in love with at first sight and was willing to marry him even at the cost of breaking up with her family!
Gao Huan held Lou Zhaojun's hand and said:
"If I can't gain the respect of General Erzhu this time, I will not be able to see my wife again!"

Gao Huan knew that Lou Zhaojun had sacrificed a lot for the family, and this gorgeous dress was bought with the last of her dowry.

Lou Zhaojun also held Gao Huan's hand and said:

"Even I can see Gao Lang's talent. General Erzhu will definitely not let you be disgraced!"

After Gao Huan finished his preparations, he straightened his back and followed Liu Gui to Erzhu Rong's tent.

When Erzhu Rong met Gao Huan this time, he was also shocked by Gao Huan's appearance.

The last time I saw Gao Huan, he was wearing rough clothes for menial work, his face was stained, and his hair was messy.

After meeting Gao Huan this time, Erzhu Rong finally understood why Liu Gui described Gao Huan as "having bright eyes, a long head and a high position, teeth as white as jade, and a person of outstanding appearance."

Combined with the fact that Gao Huan was not valued by him last time, but was still able to raise horses in the stable with peace of mind, Erzhu Rong's evaluation of Gao Huan became even higher.

"Give me a seat."

After Gao Huan offered him a seat, Erzhu Rong asked him a few more questions. Gao Huan's answers were all very confident and although they were not original or surprising, they were quite insightful and better than those of his own sons and nephews.

Erzhu Rong was already fond of him, and he asked:

"I heard from Guizhen that when Gao Lang was in Luoyang, he had a close relationship with my sworn brother. If Gao Lang wants to go to Guanzhong, this general will prepare a carriage and money to send Gao Lang and his family to Guanzhong."

Gao Huan was shocked, knowing that this answer would affect his future prospects.

Gao Huan thought for a while before saying:
"When I was a nobody, I once knew Duke Su. After the war with Rouran, Duke Su also invited me to serve under him."

Erzhu Rong looked at Gao Huan, who continued:
"At that time, Gao had just made a new contribution and was ambitious. He wanted to make achievements in his hometown, so he declined the offer from Lord Su."

Erzhu Rong nodded slightly, this reason was considered sincere.

Gao Huan continued:

"It's a pity that my ambition is too high. The general has already known about the events in the Six Garrisons. The situation is so turbulent, and Gao is just an insignificant person who has been drifting with the tide until now. I can only raise horses for the general."

"I really don't have the face to see my old friend again!"

Gao Huan omitted the details of his experience of joining Du Luozhou, betraying Du Luozhou and joining Ge Rong, and then betraying Ge Rong and joining Erzhu Rong. He only talked about his mental journey of not following Su Ze back then. Naturally, his words were carefully crafted.

Fortunately, Erzhu Rong did not delve into these matters.

He was too ashamed to see Su Ze, and explained his reasons for not joining Su Ze. The word "old friend" explained to Erzhu Rong that he and Su Ze were just old friends, not the legendary relationship of benefactor and subordinate, and that he could sincerely work for Erzhu Rong.

Erzhu Rong nodded with satisfaction and asked a new question.

"I heard Gao Lang is good at driving?"

Gao Huan was good at riding horses, which was one of the reasons why Liu Gui recommended Gao Huan to Erzhu Rong many times.

Speaking of imperial horses, Gao Huan raised his head and said:
"Gao can't ride without a horse!"

Hearing Gao Huan's arrogant words, Erzhu Rong did not get angry, but clapped his hands, and soon three of his followers came out dragging a horse.

Liu Gui was also shocked when he saw the horse. This horse was a wild horse caught by Erzhu Rong during his half-year hunting trip. The horse was extremely strong. Even the elite soldiers under Erzhu Rong who were capable of wearing three battle armors took three people to drag it out.

Erzhu Rong wanted to tame the horse, but three skilled horse trainers had already died under its hooves.

Erzhu Rong pointed at the horse and said:
"The horse's mane is very tangled. Please trim it." Liu Gui looked at Gao Huan worriedly. The horse was too tall. In order to trim its mane, he had to climb onto its back.

Gao Huan said without changing his expression:
"Please give me the scissors, General."

Erzhu Rong clapped his hands, and naturally his personal attendants handed him a pair of scissors, a saddle, and a bridle. However, Gao Huan only took the scissors and did not take any of the imperial horse items such as the saddle and bridle.

Gao Huan then stepped forward and jumped onto the wild horse without using any saddle!

This time even Erzhu Rong was surprised.

With a person on its back, the fierce horse naturally began to struggle violently, but Gao Huan calmly moved up and down with the horse, clamped his legs tightly on the horse's back, and kicked the horse's belly with his boots.

He grasped the tangled horse mane with one hand and sat steadily on the horse's back. No matter how the wild horse tossed him around, his butt never left the horse's back for a moment.

Erzhu Rong's eyes lit up. This is the top horse trainer!

An ordinary horse would surrender in a few moments, and usually could not last longer than a stick of incense. But this horse was very stubborn and struggled for nearly half an hour before finally surrendering.

After the horse calmed down, Gao Huan picked up a pair of scissors and cut off the tangled mane.

After doing all this, Gao Huan dismounted gracefully and stroked the horse's head again. The wild horse actually hummed obediently and put its face close to Gao Huan for touch.

Everyone was amazed at Gao Huan's horse training skills. Erzhu Rong was delighted and said:
"There is actually such a magical skill in the world!"

Gao Huan put a bridle and saddle on the horse, tidied his clothes, and then returned to Erzhu Rong and said:

"To control an evil man is just like this horse."

After hearing this answer, Erzhu Rong had a better impression of Gao Huan. He pulled Gao Huan to sit at the table with him, dismissed the people around him, and only left Liu Gui. He asked Gao Huan:

"What does He Liuhun think of the current situation?"

Although Erzhu Rong was asking about the current situation, Gao Huan did not talk about the current situation. Instead, he asked: "I heard that you have twelve valleys for raising horses, and the horses are distinguished by their coat color. What is the purpose of your doing this?"

Facing Gao Huan's question, Erzhu Rong said directly: "Don't talk nonsense, just tell me what you think!"

Gao Huan then said, "Mingsir, the emperor today is weak and foolish, the queen mother is promiscuous, and the government is in chaos. If you are brave and courageous, take advantage of the situation and raise the army in Jinyang, you can achieve hegemony in no time. This is what He Liuhun meant."

These words also shocked Liu Gui.

The Jinyang Army is actually an allusion.

Gao Huan used this allusion very cleverly, because Jinyang happened to be Erzhu Rong's territory.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the biggest internal problem of the State of Jin was the autocracy of the nobles, and the State of Jin was eventually destroyed by the autocracy of the nobles and civil war.

In the late Spring and Autumn Period, there were six most powerful ministers in Jin State (Zhi, Zhao, Wei, Han, Fan, and Zhonghang), collectively known as the "Six Ministers", and the "Six Ministers" took turns serving as the ruling ministers of Jin State.

At that time, Zhao Yang, the head of the Zhao family with Jinyang as its base, was the most powerful. When civil strife broke out within the Zhao family, the Fan and Zhonghang families immediately intervened in the civil war.

Then the Fan clan, the Zhonghang clan and the Handan clan, a branch of the Zhao clan, formed an alliance and attacked Zhao Yang together.

Zhao Yang was defeated by the coalition forces of the three families and had to retreat to his base camp in Jinyang. The three families of Fan, Zhonghang and Handan then besieged Jinyang, preparing to completely wipe out the direct line of the Zhao family.

At this critical moment, the three families of Zhi, Wei and Han chose to support Zhao Yang, who counterattacked and eliminated the Fan and Zhonghang families.

When Zhao Yang was defending Jinyang, the slogan he raised was "eliminating the enemy for the country." Later generations also used this as a slogan for clearing the court of corrupt officials.

Of course, it is a small irony in history that the Jinyang army, which once raised the banner of clearing the court of corrupt officials, later joined forces with Wei and Han to destroy Zhi, and finally the three families divided Jin and became the three kingdoms of Zhao, Wei and Han among the seven major powers in the Warring States Period.

In fact, Erzhu Rong's behavior was already tantamount to independence, but there is still a big difference between independence and clearing the court of evil officials.

There are great political risks in clearing out the imperial court.

Once the rebellion is launched, if it fails to quickly control Luoyang and the Emperor and the Queen Mother, it will lose its legitimacy.

Liu Gui was also shocked. He did not expect Gao Huan to be so bold that the first strategy he offered to Erzhu Rong was such a treasonous strategy.

Erzhu Rong shook his head and said:
"Although the court is unjust, it has not reached the point where the emperor's side should be purged."

When Gao Huan heard that Erzhu Rong rejected his plan, he did not show any disappointment, because Erzhu Rong did not raise an army because he felt that the time was not right and there were not enough reasons to raise an army.

This also shows that Erzhu Rong has indeed considered this matter, and it will not be too late to make suggestions when the time is right in the future.

Erzhu Rong said to Liu Gui:

"Appoint Gao Huan as the commander of the cavalry."

As the sky gradually darkened, Erzhu Rong took Gao Huan's hand and said:

"Prepare a banquet! I want to have a night talk with He Liuhun!"

After the banquet was over, Erzhu Rong asked Gao Huan:
"He Liuhun, what do you think of Guanzhong?"

(End of this chapter)