My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 159 The capacity to accommodate people
The fourteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

The Qihu people of Xiurongchuan welcomed their sun.

The sky was overcast and covered with dark clouds, looking like it was supposed to be a snowy day. But the sun brought warmth and stopped the snow, but unfortunately the sun's energy was still a bit lacking and it couldn't dispel the dark clouds in the sky.

Indeed, if the dark clouds are dispersed, wouldn't there be two suns in the sky and on the ground?
Gao Yu took Mulan, Peng Le, Li Minzhi and Liu Rong with him to welcome the returning Xiu Rongchuan Qi Hu tribe's sun, Erzhu Rong!
A lot of people came.

Erzhu Zhao brought along his younger brother Erzhu Zhihu and his daughter Erzhu Yuechan.

Erzhu Tianguang, Erzhu Zhongyuan, Erzhu Shilong, and others went to greet them together; the procession was large and impressive.

"Tianbao has a very high reputation in the clan."

Gao Yu was also greatly alarmed.

To see the whole leopard from a single glimpse.

Just by looking at the welcoming procession, one can tell just how much prestige Erzhu Rong held within the Erzhu clan.

The larger the family, the more complex its internal structure, and the more difficult it is to control.

Being the eldest son of Erzhu Xinxing alone wouldn't be enough; one must also possess exceptional abilities and methods to completely control such a large family and unite everyone for one's own use.

Despite the mutual dissatisfaction among Erzhu Zhao, Erzhu Tianguang, and others, they genuinely admired Erzhu Rong.

You can tell from their tone of voice and their expression.

"Does Erzhu Rong have such high prestige within the Erzhu clan? General, you should associate with him more in the future. With your reputation and abilities, General, you will surely give him an important position."

Peng Le suggested.

"What if this person lacks tolerance? It's best to be cautious."

Mulan, however, had a different opinion.

Neither of them knew that Gao Yu had known Erzhu Rong since his time in Luoyang, and that the two were old friends.

When Gao Yu went to Luoyang that time, he didn't bring Mulan with him. He asked Mulan to help him manage the troops in Huai Shuo. At that time, Peng Le was probably a bandit in some mountain valley.

However, both of them made some sense.

Although the ancients had different views on friendship than modern people, Erzhu Zhao said that Erzhu Rong often mentioned him and missed him, but he still needed to observe and see what his attitude towards him would be.

Erzhu Rong was accompanied only by a few riders. When he saw the welcoming party coming from afar, he stopped in place and waited for the party to come closer.

The distance between the two sides is getting closer and closer.

Erzhu Rong looked around and seemed to see something. He immediately spurred his horse and galloped towards the welcoming party.

Upon approaching, Erzhu Rong ignored Erzhu Zhao, Erzhu Tianguang, Erzhu Shilong, and others who had surrounded him, and walked straight to Gao Yu amidst their astonished and puzzled gazes.

Gao Yu quickly dismounted, and Erzhu Rong also dismounted.

He laughed heartily and then gave Gao Yu a big hug.

"Hahaha, it's been many years! Gao Lang's charm remains unchanged. Seeing him is like a breath of fresh air!"

Erzhu Rong laughed as he recalled the amusing incident from back then, saying, "He truly deserves to be called a handsome man who captivated the hearts of women in Luoyang."

After the story of Gao Yu single-handedly repelling hundreds of soldiers and protecting Zheng Da Che spread, he was indeed blocked by women in Luoyang when he went out in Luoyang, just like the story of Pan Yue, the handsome man of the Western Jin Dynasty.

Gao Yu also took a look at it.

Erzhu Rong was a handsome man, and in his prime, he was more composed and experienced than when they met in Luoyang.

"Don't dare, don't dare."

Erzhu Rong's attentive attitude slightly dispelled Gao Yu's doubts, and his behavior was also like a gentle breeze.

He quickly introduced the people behind him.

"These are Mulan, Peng Le, Li Minzhi, and Liu Rong, all of whom are brave warriors under my command. They came with me from Huai Shuo to join me."

Erzhu Rong glanced at the four men, his eyes lighting up. He smiled and praised, "As expected of Gao Lang's men, you can tell at a glance that they are warriors who can withstand ten thousand men!"

They treat outsiders with such enthusiasm, yet neglect their own family.

Erzhu Tianguang, Erzhu Shilong, Erzhu Zhongyuan, and the others had different expressions on their faces and different thoughts in their hearts.

"Father is so mean! He completely ignores us."

A pretty young girl with a face full of dissatisfaction, with skin as white as snow and a high nose bridge, was Erzhu Rong's daughter, Erzhu Ying'e.

Erzhu Yuechan, who was also standing nearby, said with a smile, "Which woman in the clan doesn't go to see Gao Lang's appearance out of admiration?"

“But Father is not a woman.”

Erzhu Ying'e rolled her eyes, then teased, "What... I just said something casually and you're already defending him? Did Yuechan fall for him because of his handsome looks?"

"Hmph, he is handsome, but I wonder how skilled he is in martial arts."

"I've heard people say that although Gao Lang looks like a woman, his martial arts skills are superb. He is famous throughout the Six Garrisons and the northern grasslands. All the tribes on the grasslands call him the peerless demon god."

"How do you know he's not bragging if you've never seen him before?"

“My father loves hunting. He will definitely take people hunting in the spring. We’ll see then.”

Gao Yu suddenly felt a tickle in his nose, as if someone was chirping at him from behind.

After exchanging pleasantries with Gao Yu, Erzhu Rong turned around and greeted Erzhu Zhao and the others.

Then he took Gao Yu's arm in a very affectionate manner.

"Let's go, we must celebrate this occasion with Gao Lang!"

He then suggested inviting Gao Yu to a banquet, and Gao Yu couldn't refuse his hospitality.

We arrived at the fortified village of Erzhu.

In fact, the banquet had been prepared long ago to welcome Erzhu Rong back, but Erzhu Rong himself changed the subject.

They drank alcohol and summoned beautiful women to dance and entertain them.

If Gao Yu wasn't mistaken.

Many of the concubines in Erzhu's household, judging from their speech and demeanor, seemed to have been trained in the imperial palace's inner court in Luoyang. Their refined and virtuous qualities were fatally attractive to men.

As the great writer once said.

Men have two great hobbies: persuading prostitutes to reform themselves and dragging respectable women into prostitution.

A lively celebration ensued.

Erzhu Rong then summoned someone to send Gao Yu back, and had someone bring a basin of cold water to wash his face and clear his head. He then pulled Erzhu Zhao to the inner courtyard.

Erzhu Zhao seemed to know that Erzhu Rong would discuss this with him.

Therefore, at the banquet, he did not drink excessively like the others, but was extremely restrained, thus maintaining a sober state.

"Wanren".

"Qifu Moyu and Wanyu Qizhen led the rebel army to harass Xiurongchuan. Why did you send Tianguang and Zhongyuan to lead the troops at the same time?"

Upon hearing this, Erzhu Zhao complained with extreme grievance.

“I originally wanted to personally lead the troops to quell the rebellion, but Tianguang and Zhongyuan were both dissatisfied with me, feeling that I was competing with them for credit.”

Erzhu Rong didn't say anything.

He knew exactly what kind of people were in this group of people.

Over the years, although the Erzhu clan has become somewhat Sinicized, they have also retained many customs of the nomadic tribes, such as their reverence for bravery and martial prowess.

They believed that force could quell everything.

Erzhu Tianguang, Erzhu Zhongyuan, and others were all quite skilled in martial arts and could be considered brave warriors who charged into battle.

But they just don't like to use their brains much, or rather, they don't have much of a brain.

He doesn't respect anyone except him.

What Erzhu Zhao said was true.

"Did you discuss this with Gao Lang at the time?"

Erzhu Zhao glanced at Erzhu Rong, hesitated for a moment, and then told him the truth.

“I did discuss it with Gao Lang, who reminded me that Tian Guang and Zhong Yuan are at odds and greatly underestimate the rebel army. Even if they both bring their valiant Qi Hu elite cavalry, I am afraid they will still fail.”

Erzhu Rong nodded. This deduction was reasonable; anyone with a modicum of intelligence could understand it.

It's not enough to just identify the problem; the important thing is to be able to solve it.

"As Gao Lang predicted, Tian Guang and Zhong Yuan fell into the rebels' trap of luring the enemy deep into their territory. They pursued the enemy too far and were ambushed by the rebels."

"Gao Lang then led his Xuanjia Army and the Zhusheng Army to arrive in time, rescued Tianguang and Zhongyuan, and also inflicted a great defeat on the rebel army, beheading the rebel leader Qifu Moyu in battle."

Erzhu Rong frowned. "Why is he under Gaolang's command?"

“I originally intended to lead the Qihu elite cavalry there, but Gao Lang said that he had not made any contribution, yet the Erzhu clan treated him so well. He felt guilty and wanted to contribute, which would also help silence the gossips of others in the clan.”

"Then observe whether the Xuanjia Army is brave and valiant. How does it compare to the elite Qihu cavalry?"

Erzhu Zhao hesitated for a moment before expressing his thoughts.

"If the numbers are equal, the Qihu elite cavalry is no match for the Xuanjia Army."

"Why?"

"Gao Lang is exceptionally brave. When he leads the charge, the Xuanjia Army is invincible. Our Erzhu clan has no one as brave as Gao Lang."

When the quality of the soldiers is the same, the competition comes down to the morale and fighting will of both sides.

This will really test the general's skill level.

Gao Yu always led the charge, and his towering presence greatly boosted the morale of his soldiers.

Erzhu Rong had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

However, he was also very curious.

"If that's really the case, you saved Tianguang and Zhongyuan's lives, but why do I see why they are so dissatisfied with you?"

"I don't know either."

Erzhu Zhao shook his head repeatedly, even with some resentment, "It can only be said that the two of them are narrow-minded, ungrateful, and heartless."

Erzhu Rong, however, was skeptical. He pressed further, "When you rescued those two, did you say anything?"

Erzhu Zhao said bluntly, "I asked the two of them, 'If I hadn't come, would you two still be alive?'"

“Zhongyuan left immediately, and Tianguang only said a few polite words before leaving as well. I told him that the two of them were narrow-minded. If someone had saved my life, I would have definitely thanked them handsomely to repay their kindness!”

Erzhu Rong was helpless. He looked at Erzhu Zhao and found that the latter had no idea what he had done wrong. Instead, he looked indignant.

He said with exasperation, "This should have been a golden opportunity for you to win over Tianguang and Zhongyuan, why did you miss it?"

The family business is doing well for now. Even if there are disagreements among the clan members, within the three hundred li territory of Xiu Rongchuan, the situation remains relatively stable.

He could still suppress it by relying on his own prestige.

But what if the territory expands in the future?

Erzhu Tianguang, Erzhu Zhongyuan and others will definitely lead troops and guard their own areas. How could I possibly manage them?

The most important thing is to cultivate a few trusted confidants who can unite the masses and gain their respect.

result?

What a God-given opportunity!
Erzhu Zhao, that fool, missed the opportunity, and instead caused Erzhu Zhongyuan and Erzhu Tianguang to become alienated from him.

"Missed out? Isn't that just because they're both narrow-minded?"

Erzhu Rong almost spat out a mouthful of blood. He explained, "You also know that the two of them were never convinced by you and were arrogant. Under those circumstances, you should have spoken kindly to persuade them and win them over, but you said such things. In their eyes, how could you have wanted to save them?"

"It was clearly a pretense of gratitude for saving their lives, but in reality, it was a way to verbally humiliate them."

Erzhu Zhao was still unconvinced and retorted in a muffled voice, "That's because they are narrow-minded. They are allowed to speak rudely to me on a daily basis. I saved them, so can't I vent my anger in words?"

"That depends on when it is."

Erzhu Rong didn't want to dwell on this issue any longer, so he asked, "What were the arrangements afterward?"

"I thought it was Gao Lang who defeated the enemy, so I let Gao Lang handle it. Gao Lang divided the supplies he seized from the rebels in two. He gave one part to me and kept one part for himself to reward the soldiers. As for the captured rebel soldiers, he recruited some of the brave ones and gave the rest to me to be herdsmen for the Erzhu clan."

Gao Yu mainly kept the group of horse breeders under Wan Yuqizhen's command, because he could tell that although their weapons were not very sophisticated, they were extremely brave.

There is a history of horse breeders producing remarkable individuals.

Shi Le was originally a stable boy.

Erzhu Rong retorted, "Didn't you take money or goods from your clan to give to Gaolang?"

Erzhu Zhao was taken aback, but then realized, "Gao Lang deserves the greatest credit in this battle and should indeed be rewarded. How could I be so foolish as to overlook this?"

Erzhu Rong remained silent for a long time, then finally sighed and decided not to ask any further questions.

He was afraid that if he kept asking, he wouldn't be able to take it anymore.

Even if Erzhu Zhao was slow to notice, he could tell that Erzhu Rong's mood was off, so he cautiously suggested, "How about... I go and reward Gao Lang?"

Erzhu Rong shook his head, "It's too late."

Erzhu Zhao said, "I know what Tianbao is worried about. Isn't it that he wants to win over Gao Lang, fearing that he will become disloyal or that he may have ulterior motives?"

"But he only has a thousand men under his command, what is there to fear? It's questionable whether he can even support those thousand men after leaving the Erzhu clan."

"If you are worried that they may have ulterior motives, you can simply take precautions."

Given Gao Yu's abilities and reputation, it's understandable that Erzhu Zhao felt Erzhu Rong had reservations.

Erzhu Rong shook his head again, "The talents of the world are like wild horses. If they can be tamed and used by me, they will be a great help. If they cannot be tamed, they will hurt themselves."

"A talent like Gao Lang is someone I should employ; why should I be on guard?"

"If I don't even have this much tolerance, how can I be worthy of aspiring to great things?"

“If one does not have the heart to embrace the world, one is not worthy to rule the world. If one wants to replace the Yuan clan Xianbei and rule the world, one should make good use of such talents.”

"If he comes to you for help but doesn't offer any advice and keeps hiding his talents, you should probably treat him with caution."

"But he did not hold back at all and offered his advice wholeheartedly. How can we make unfounded guesses?"

Erzhu Rong looked up at the sky and gave a earnest lecture.

"Wanren, remember this: prejudice is a mountain that is hard to climb. Once suspicion arises, it will take root in your heart and cannot be removed. Do not easily harbor suspicion, or you will only be taken advantage of by those with ulterior motives."

(End of this chapter)