My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 231 Brothers Separated
Yuan Ziyou felt a sense of powerlessness.

Every time it seemed like he was making a deal with Erzhu Rong, Erzhu Rong always got the lion's share, while he only got a consolation prize.

Erzhu Rong immediately seized nearly a third of the land in Sizhou, forcibly separating it to protect the core area of ​​his base, namely the two prefectures of He and Si, turning Shanxi into an impregnable fortress.

What about yourself?
All he asked for were the positions of infantry captain and cavalry captain.

Is this a good deal?
It's not worth it at all, but it's the limit he can currently achieve.

Despite the seemingly unprofitable efforts, Yuan Ziyou believes that as long as he gradually accumulates wealth, he can eventually make a fortune. It's much better than completely giving up and being a mere mascot.

Erzhu Rong would only force Erzhu Rong to abdicate after Erzhu Rong had made outstanding military achievements, so this period was the time Erzhu Rong could take advantage of and control.

"Does Your Majesty have any other instructions?"

"With the Prime Minister making so many changes to official positions, is he perhaps planning to leave Luoyang?"

"Correct."

Erzhu Rong did not deny it, saying, "This time, the villain Ge Rong dared to plunder deep into Sizhou. Such behavior is extremely despicable. I will personally take command in Jinyang and fight him to the death, to reclaim the land of Hebei for Your Majesty, and to restore the Great Wei dynasty. I swear I will not return to Luoyang until this villain is defeated!"

"really?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ziyou became very excited. Perhaps realizing that he had lost his composure, he quickly calmed down and changed his words.

"The affairs of the court are complicated, and I have no experience in handling government affairs. What can I do without the Prime Minister's assistance in Luoyang? I cannot do without the Prime Minister, and Luoyang cannot do without the Prime Minister."

Erzhu Rong laughed inwardly.

How could he not see what Yuan Ziyou was thinking?

He simply wanted to leave Luoyang as soon as possible so that Yuan Ziyou could begin to win over, divide, and even cultivate his own military strength.

Yuan Ziyou asked Gao Yu for the positions of infantry captain and cavalry captain, wasn't his only thought to get Gao Yu to train his troops?
Erzhu Rong didn't take it seriously at all.

He himself is an expert in training troops, and he knows better than anyone how difficult it is to train troops, especially to train a combat-ready army.

Gao Yu's Xuanjia Army and Zhuosheng Army were indeed very brave, and even Erzhu Rong's Qihu elite cavalry might not be able to compete with them.

It wasn't that the individual soldiers of the Qihu elite cavalry were inferior to those of the Xuanjia Army; it was simply that Erzhu Rong couldn't find another general with the same personal bravery as Gao Yu. The morale boost that the commander's personal bravery brought to the battlefield was immeasurable.

Is Gao Yu good at training troops?

definitely will.

Why was Erzhu Rong so at ease?

Luoyang has no shortage of money or food, but it lacks one thing: qualified soldiers.

Luoyang is not the Six Garrisons. The Six Garrisons are harsh, frontier regions, military towns specifically established to protect the border and defend against the grasslands. People born there learn horsemanship and archery from a young age.

The phrase "everyone is a soldier" is not a joke. Bringing them into the army already puts them far ahead of ordinary people. With a little training, they become rare and valiant warriors in the Central Plains.

But what about Luoyang?

The elite central army and imperial guards had long been exhausted.

Skills like horsemanship and archery can't be mastered in just a few years.
As for the infantry?

One aspect is that infantrymen need to be well-trained on a daily basis.

More importantly, it requires experiencing various brutal battles firsthand, and not crumbling in the face of a cavalry charge. This is a psychological quality that cannot be achieved simply through training on the drill ground.

What is needed is long-term experience in war and training on the battlefield.

Besides...

Everyone knows that Gao Yu excels at leading cavalry, especially armored cavalry, in charge attacks.

Whether he has the ability to lead infantry, and whether he can effectively organize infantry to form ranks and defend against enemies based on flag signals, remains a question mark.

So what if we have it?

Time was on Erzhu Rong's side.

If Erzhu Rong couldn't quell Ge Rong before Gao Yu trained a valiant army for Yuan Ziyou, then he truly didn't deserve to 'rule the world'.

"Your Majesty need not worry. There are many virtuous ministers in the court who can assist you. I will also leave people skilled in handling government affairs in Luoyang to assist Your Majesty in handling government affairs."

"Then I wish the Prime Minister success in quelling the bandits. When the Prime Minister achieves his goal, I will personally offer sacrifices and pray to Heaven and Earth, so that the people of the world will know of the merits he has made."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!"

Erzhu Rong bowed respectfully and then turned to leave.

After returning to his residence.

He summoned Erzhu Zhao, Erzhu Shilong, Erzhu Tianguang, and others.

"I will set off for Jinyang tomorrow."

"Tianbao, have you finally decided to fight Ge Rong?"

Erzhu Zhao seemed very excited. As a typical sharp-witted warrior, he quickly said, "Then we will also prepare to go to war with you!"

"If we all leave, who will look after Luoyang? We've finally gained control of the court; are we just going to hand it over to someone else?"

Erzhu Shilong's head wasn't that sharp. "Tianbao, do you have something to tell me?"

Erzhu Rong nodded. "After I leave, you will keep an eye on His Majesty in Luoyang for me. But remember, as long as he doesn't go too far, whatever His Majesty does, you should not refuse him. Just turn a blind eye and send someone to pass on the message to me."

"Send three people each day, one in the morning, one at noon, and one in the evening, to deliver messages to me, instructing the palace guards, attendants, and maids of the harem to record His Majesty's daily words and actions, understand?"

The three nodded in agreement.

Erzhu Rong then instructed again, "Shilong, you also need to recruit talented people."

Although both Erzhu Shilong and Gao Huan were appointed as governors of prefectures and counties, the degree of their appointments differed. Erzhu Shilong had an additional title compared to Gao Huan; in an imperial edict, Erzhu Rong bestowed upon him the title of Grand Justice of Jianzhou.

The Great Wei basically followed the Nine-Rank System of the Jin Dynasty.

The Grand Justice was the person in charge of the selection process in the local area. To put it more bluntly, he was in charge of selecting talent, which was equivalent to delegating the power of personnel appointment and dismissal to Erzhu Shilong.

Jianzhou was located directly north of Luoyang, and it would only take two or three days to travel between the two places. Erzhu Shilong could easily travel back and forth between the two places frequently.

This made Erzhu Zhao and Erzhu Tianguang extremely envious.

However, Erzhu Zhao thought again that he still had a good 'son-in-law', which made him feel much better.

"Tianbao, who do you plan to take with you on this trip to quell Ge Rong? Why not take Erlang with you?"

Erzhu Rong shook his head and did not answer. He simply said, "I have my own plans. After I leave, Luoyang will be in your hands. Remember not to do anything too extreme."

After the three readily agreed, Erzhu Rong summoned Husichun to his residence, saying, "Fashou, after I leave Luoyang, you will accompany He Liuhun to Jinzhou and keep an eye on him for me."

"Yes, I will certainly live up to the Prime Minister's high expectations!"

Husichun clearly understood Erzhu Rong's intentions behind this arrangement.

After giving some instructions...

Erzhu Rong had thus completed his final arrangements.

This time, Gao Huan received even more rewards than Gao Yu, but this was also something Erzhu Rong deliberately did.

The two Gao brothers.

One in literature and one in martial arts.

These two must be separated.

Gao Huan had a history of plotting to rebel against Du Luozhou and take his place, so Erzhu Rong couldn't completely ignore him. He used him, but he also had to be wary of him.

People who are good at cultivating connections should not be placed in Luoyang, the center of power; they should be kept away from Luoyang.

Otherwise, none of the younger generation of the Erzhu clan could outmaneuver Gao Huan; they would all be played like dogs by him.

As for Gao Yu?

He was too brave.

The fact that Ge Rong was pacified in just two and a half days greatly surprised Erzhu Rong.

Therefore, he deliberately kept Gao Yu in Luoyang and prevented him from going to the army. Otherwise... Gao Yu was so brave and made many military achievements, establishing a very high prestige in the army, and it would be difficult to control him in the future.

It wasn't that he thought Gao Yu was like Erzhu Zhao, a brainless brute.

in contrast.

Gao Yu's political acumen was, in his opinion, very sharp.

Outside Luoyang City.

To personally demand money, goods, and beautiful women from the emperor is nothing short of self-degradation.

However, this action also made Erzhu Rong realize something.

Gao Yu is not as 'dangerous' as Gao Huan.

Moreover, Gao Yu is indeed considered half a member of the Erzhu clan, and his marriage agreement with Erzhu Yuechan is public knowledge.

In the eyes of outsiders, Gao Yu has already been labeled as a member of the 'Erzhu clan'.

He couldn't possibly be as wary of Gao Yu as he was of Gao Huan.

Separating the two brothers was to prevent ambitious people like Gao Huan from instigating Gao Yu to do certain things.

This can be considered as leaving Erzhu Zhao with a helper.

There was another reason why Gao Yu wasn't taken to fight Ge Rong.

Erzhu Rong must claim this credit for himself; it is a victory he must achieve in order to carry out the abdication.

and.

Ge Rong was clearly terrified of Gao Yu. If he knew that Gao Yu was in his ranks, he would definitely cower and avoid battle. Erzhu Rong did not want to see such a situation happen.

Everything has been arranged.

Erzhu Rong then began preparations to return north to Jinyang, to his own Jinyang Bafu (a powerful and influential place in Jinyang), where he could feel completely safe.

………………

The next day.

The imperial edict was issued.

Gao Huan took the initiative to find Gao Yu.

"Second Brother, I will be departing for Baima City in two days. You must be careful in Luoyang from now on. His Majesty may try to win you over through various means, and you may accept them. However, you must send someone to inform the Prime Minister of all the means His Majesty uses to win you over, so as not to arouse the Prime Minister's suspicion."

"You are ultimately engaged to Yuechan, so the Prime Minister feels more at ease with you."

"I have already aroused the Prime Minister's suspicion."

Gao Huan sighed.

He deliberately followed Gao Yu to confront Ge Rong, not to claim credit for his efforts.

More importantly, they wanted to use Gao Yu's name to recruit the people of the Six Garrisons under Ge Rong's command.

He actually succeeded.

In total, he recruited over ten thousand people. Gao Huan originally intended to select a group of elites from among them to join his own ranks and strengthen his forces.

However, they were all intercepted by Erzhu Rong and sent to Bingzhou.

Even when Erzhu Rong went north this time, he took Hou Jing and Duan Rong, who were under his command, with him.

Gao Huan was practically left with no one to command and was 'exiled' to Jinzhou, where he was surrounded by sycophantic ministers like Husi Chun.

Erzhu Rong made these arrangements.

Gao Huan became a security guard for the southwest gate of Shanxi, and he was under surveillance.

Gao Yu remained silent.

Personnel is politics.

Erzhu Rong didn't say it explicitly, but his series of arrangements certainly revealed this meaning.

can only say.

King Gao's abilities are too strong.

Otherwise, why weren't the Herba brothers treated with such caution?
of course……

Gao Huan's previous act of rebelling against Du Luozhou had led Erzhu Rong to label him as an 'ambitious person'.

"I know, brother. Please be careful. If anything happens, just send someone to deliver a message to me."

(End of this chapter)