The First Family of the Red Mansion

Chapter 30 Serving a Ruler is Like Serving a Tiger

When Liu Hu and his group passed through the Hexi Corridor, things were still relatively peaceful. As a newly recovered area, people were busy rebuilding and stockpiling supplies for the winter.

Not many people would travel a long way just to catch a glimpse of Gushi Khan.

However, once they crossed the Hexi Corridor and arrived in Hexi, on the official road leading to the capital, the old, young, women and children braved the bitter cold and waited early by the roadside, eager to see what the Oirat Khan, who had caused them immense suffering over the past few decades, looked like.

"How did the people know we were escorting Gushi Khan back to the capital?"

Faced with this situation, Liu Hu asked in bewilderment.

"This must be General Liu, who cut off the enemy's supply lines a thousand miles away and captured Gushi Khan alive?"

Seeing Liu Hu's puzzled expression, the local magistrate smiled and said, "His Majesty's edict to the general has already been proclaimed to the world. Who in the Central Plains doesn't want to see what the three Mongol Khans who ravaged the northern Central Plains looked like?"

"Unfortunately, when Emperor Taizong destroyed the Tumed tribe, their Khan had already died in the chaos of battle, and could only send his head to the nine border regions to hastily conclude the matter."

"Gushi Khan was the first Khan our dynasty captured alive. General, you have made an unparalleled contribution this time!"

"You flatter me!"

Liu Hu disliked dealing with these civil officials, but since Emperor Anping had ordered him to cooperate with the people along the way, he had no choice but to comply with the emperor's praise.

From then on, wherever they went, Liu Hu and his men received a warm welcome from the local people.

Especially when they arrived in Guanzhong, a place that had been most severely ravaged by the Oirat Mongols, Liu Hu and his men left behind a trail of fallen petals wherever they went.

"General, we can't go on like this. All the Oirat prisoners in the prison cart are wounded, and one of them might not make it through the night."

Looking at the prisoners groaning softly in the prison cart behind him, Hu Cunmeng couldn't help but offer some words of advice.

"So what can we do? Are we supposed to hide them all away so the people can't see them?"

"Don't forget the deeper meaning behind His Majesty's instructions."

"If all these prisoners die, how will we explain this to His Majesty when we return to the capital?"

Hu Cunmeng glanced back at the three prison vans, which were dirty on the outside but still intact, his meaning clear.

Those phrases about thousands or tens of thousands of households were deliberately used by Emperor Anping to vent the people's anger.

They would be done once they safely delivered the prisoners from these three prison wagons to the capital.

"It would be better to just stab them in the back!" Hu Cunmeng muttered to himself.

Liu Hu shook his head and smiled. If that were the case, wouldn't that be letting them off easy?

Furthermore, how could Emperor Anping win the hearts of the people if he didn't let the common people kill a few Oirat generals with their own hands?

Hu Cunmeng was right. When they passed Tongguan, of the Oirat generals in the prison carts behind them, only one was still alive. The others were buried wherever they died. It was just unknown whether the local people would dig them up and whip their corpses.

"General Liu, are you trying to humiliate us by doing this?"

After passing through Guanzhong, Gushi Khan, who had not shown his face until now, finally lifted the carriage curtain and questioned him through the fence.

"No, those people were simply avenging their fathers and ancestors!"

Liu Hu glanced at Gushi Khan and said very seriously.

"Those are grudges from decades ago!" Gushi Khan shouted excitedly.

"Besides, you can just give them a quick death. Even if they suffer a thousand cuts in the execution ground of Shenjing, it's better than being beaten to death by those lowly commoners!"

"Those people don't deserve it!" Liu Hu said calmly, then looked at Gushi Khan with a calm expression: "Although those hatreds have been there for decades, they are deeply etched into the bones of every citizen of the Great Zhou."

"Every time I think about it at night, it's so heartbreaking."

There's an old saying in the Central Plains: "Even an enemy from nine generations ago can be avenged!"

"I would like to extend these words to the Great Khan today, and hope that he will remember them."

Liu Hu was not afraid of Gushi Khan's retaliation afterward. Even if Emperor Anping wanted to use him to appease the people of the former Tibetan lands and not kill him, he would not let him leave Shenjing once he arrived in Shenjing.

Gushi Khan was an outstanding man. If he had been a little more ruthless, his achievements would certainly not have been inferior to Esen's.

How could Emperor Anping possibly let such a person go free?

After crossing the ancient Xiaoshan Road, we entered the territory of Shenjing.

At the old Hangu Pass, the palace envoy was already waiting. It was Dai Quan, the chief steward of Emperor Anping.

"I have met the Minister of the Interior!"

"Haha, General Liu is indeed a man of great talent at such a young age! He has rid the Great Zhou and His Majesty of the formidable threat of the Oirat Mongols. Congratulations!"

"We congratulate General Liu."

"You're too kind, Your Excellency!"

As expected of the Grand Eunuch who followed Emperor Anping to the death, every word he uttered mentioned His Majesty.

He then stepped forward to face Liu Hu and his men, and shouted loudly, "His Majesty's decree!"

Well, this is already the second imperial edict in just over a month.

"Your subject Liu Hu, receive the imperial decree!"

"I am very pleased to hear of your achievements in this western expedition. All rewards and honors will be given after the Western Regions are completely pacified and the Duke of Rong returns in triumph."

"Hand over Gushi Khan to the imperial guards who have come, and bring him to see me as soon as possible!"

"Your subject obeys the decree!"

Well, that's quite clear. Unlike the previous imperial edicts, which were full of flowery language and beautiful writing!

"General, do not be disappointed. You are not yet twenty years old. Remember, the tallest tree in the forest will be felled by the wind."

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Excellency!"

Liu Hu nodded and discreetly slipped a piece of captured Hetian jade into Dai Quan's hand.

Actually, silver notes would be better, but Liu Hu doesn't have any right now, so he can only make do with some valuable trinkets.

Dai Quan felt a sense of warmth towards Liu Hu as he held the object in his hand.

"General Liu, come with me. Don't keep His Majesty waiting."

As for Hu Cunmeng and the others, the Imperial Guards who came to escort them made arrangements, so Liu Hu didn't need to worry about them.

Good heavens! Looking at the huge crowd of onlookers, Liu Hu wondered if everyone in the entire capital region had come here to watch the spectacle.

"I heard that the leaders of three Oirat tribes were captured this time. It's a pity that the leader of the Torgut tribe committed suicide on the battlefield, and the Dzungar tribe escaped. Otherwise, the court would definitely have been able to wipe them out in one fell swoop this time."

"That's already quite good. Although Gushi Khan was also the leader of the Khoshut, he was still the Great Khan of the entire Oirat."

"Just like Altan Khan decades ago, this time we were able to capture Gushi Khan alive, which is similar to capturing Jieli during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang."

One of the self-satisfied experts said to the people around him.

"Tch, pretending to know what you don't. Jieli was the Great Khan of the entire Turkic Khaganate. Compared to him, Ligdan Khan, the Great Khan of the Tatars in the northern desert, is more like him. Gushi Khan is far inferior."

A young scholar, disapproving of Trump's ostentation, immediately retorted.

"Gushi Khan also ruled over the former Tibetan territory, and the Oirats ruled over the entire Western Regions. As the Great Khan of the Oirats, how can he be compared to Jieli?"

The king was furious. Although Gushi Khan was nominally a vassal king under Ligdan Khan, his strength was not weak at all!

At least he was better than the Tibetan king during the old Tang Dynasty!

"Hmph!" The scholar snorted coldly, saying disdainfully, "The difference between Tibet during the Tang Dynasty and Tibet now is like the difference between you and me. Although we are both Zhou people, we are truly different."

"Indeed different, just a pedantic scholar." The King glanced at the scholar.

"You uncouth and vulgar man, you're only fit to wield weapons. I am a Confucian scholar, and I study the ways of the sages to govern the country!" The scholar's face turned red with anger at the King's words.

"You pedantic scholars are only fit to play with words. I am the grandson of the Duke of Zhenguo, and I have studied military strategy and defense." King Dong raised his head arrogantly, looking at the scholar who was about to be driven mad by him with a mocking expression.

"You, you... you're utterly disgraceful."

The King's decisive statement left the scholar speechless.

He could only utter a harsh remark before turning away in a huff.

"Haha..." A young master patted the King on the shoulder and laughed heartily: "Ji Zongqian is not bad, he has the style of his ancestor."

"Alas, Lord En, please don't make fun of your elder brother. If my father finds out about this, I'll be in for a beating."

The "King of Understanding" is none other than Niu Jizong, the first-class Earl from the original story. He was not yet twenty years old at the time, and his father had only inherited the title of first-class general.

As Liu Hu sat on his horse, listening to their conversation, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

"Good heavens, this is Niu Jizong, the First-Class Earl who will later lead a powerful and influential family. He looks like a spirited young man!"

"But this guy's eloquence is really impressive; he left that scholar speechless!"

Liu Hu followed Dai Quan around the crowd and headed towards Shenjing.

On the way, Liu Hu kept struggling with whether or not to transfer Niu Jizong to his own team for training.

The fact that he was able to become a leader among military generals shows that he truly has real skills.

However, when he thought about his lineage as a founding member of the nation, he couldn't make up his mind.

Judging from the attitudes of Emperor Anping and Jia Daishan towards him, he will become the leader of the Anping faction in the future. If he gets too close to the founding faction, will it be a bad thing?

Before Liu Hu even entered the imperial court, he was already somewhat neurotic from the terror of the court.

In fact, Liu Hu was overthinking it. Niu Jizong was able to elevate his title to First-Class Earl, which definitely showed his keen political acumen.

If he had truly remained aligned with the other founding lineages, Emperor Anping would not have given him the opportunity to achieve merit.

Furthermore, during the reign of Emperor Long'an, he became the most powerful figure in Wuxun, and his skill in choosing sides was even better than that of Liu Hu at that time.

Just as Liu Hu was sighing all the way, the towering city walls of Shenjing finally appeared before him.

The number of people here is definitely no less than that at Hangu Pass, and may even be a little more.

"Are there so many people in Shenjing?" Liu Hu asked Dai Quan beside him in confusion.

"General, you jest. There aren't that many people in the capital region."

"These people all came from all over the country after hearing that the general was escorting Gushi Khan back to the capital, hoping to witness the might of the Great Zhou."

"Not only people from the capital region, but also people from Hebei and Jiangnan have come to the capital via the Grand Canal, intending to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event."

"Good heavens, how much free time do they have to travel all this way just to catch a glimpse of that greasy middle-aged man, Gushi Khan?"

Liu Hu said he found it hard to understand. In such cold weather, wouldn't it be better to stay at home and hibernate?

If you're really bored, listening to some music and having a few drinks is much better than freezing here just to catch a glimpse of a greasy old man.

In this situation, let alone Liu Hu, even Macron would find it incomprehensible.

"Haha, my champion marquis has returned!"

Upon arriving at the palace and meeting Emperor Anping, Liu Hu hadn't even had a chance to pay his respects before being pulled along by the emperor to the imperial study.

"Alright, forget about those formalities. I don't want my future Marquis of Champion to be restricted by these rules and regulations."

"If the champion Huo of yesteryear had had his edges smoothed out by these mundane rituals, would he still be the champion Marquis he became later?"

Hearing Emperor Anping compare him to Huo Qubing, Liu Hu was moved but also somewhat speechless.

"How much do they underestimate their own power? Do they really want to die young?"

Besides, Huo Qubing had an uncle who was an emperor, an aunt who was an empress, and an uncle who was a general and a prince consort.

With this background, why would Liu Hu need to work so hard?

No matter how impatient Emperor Anping was, Liu Hu still dutifully performed the salute.

"This is so boring!" Although Emperor Anping said this, Liu Hu keenly noticed that when Liu Hu greeted him, a trace of barely perceptible satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

"Phew, serving a ruler is truly like walking on thin ice!"

After bowing, Liu Hu's back was soaked with sweat. He felt that being with Emperor Anping was more dangerous than charging into the Oirat army of ten thousand.

Besides Emperor Anping and Liu Hu, the Crown Prince was also waiting in the Imperial Study.

As the Crown Prince observed the conversation and behavior between Emperor Anping and his minister Liu Hu, a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes, and his gaze toward Liu Hu became full of intrigue.

At such a young age, he is so meticulous in his work. He must be either Zhuge Liang or Sima Yi.

If Liu Hu knew the Crown Prince's attitude towards him at this moment, he would definitely question him: "Am I that dirty? Even if you drain the Luo River, you can't wash away the filth on that old scoundrel Sima. Who are you insulting by comparing me to him?"

Even if Liu Hu found out, he wouldn't do anything to the Crown Prince. After all, the Crown Prince was just a prince destined to be deposed. He would just stay away and wait for him to die.

Although he expressed his doubts about Liu Hu, the Crown Prince still returned Liu Hu's greeting with a gentle half-bow, displaying himself as a model of a wise ruler.

"Minister Liu, although the battle reports from the front are sent back on time, they are not very detailed, which makes me feel unsatisfied."

"Now that you're back, tell me and the Crown Prince in detail about the western expedition."

Emperor Anping had long been itching for victory. This victory in the western expedition meant that even if he didn't launch any more large-scale campaigns, his military prowess would definitely not be much inferior to that of Emperor Taizong.

Although the Tumed tribe was much stronger than the Oirat, Emperor Taizong fought several times and achieved a complete victory in one battle, even capturing Gushi Khan.

"Should my temple name be Wenzong or Wuzong? This is truly a difficult question for me."

Even before his death, Emperor Anping was already considering his affairs after his passing.

However, it's understandable. Judging from the current situation, Emperor Anping's civil administration was definitely far superior to that of Emperor Taizong.

In just over a decade, they made up for the huge deficit incurred by Emperor Taizong's six campaigns against the Tumet, and even saved up the capital for this western expedition.

However, Liu Hu was not optimistic about this man, because he had the same flaw as Emperor Xuanzong of Tang: he was too long-lived.

Consider his later four trips to the south of the Yangtze River, his abdication without relinquishing power, which plunged the court into ten years of chaos. Perhaps a simple temple name for Xuanzong would have been enough to settle things.