novelAbuy Chapter 15 Three Heroes Lock the Dragon and Change Fate
Chapter 15 Three Heroes Lock the Dragon and Change Fate
Gao Huaide never expected that the old man's casual question would be so imposing, placing the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and the Supreme Throne on opposite ends of a scale for weighing.
The Gao family's ancestral home was Guizhou, one of the Sixteen Prefectures. Involving his homeland, Gao Huaide dared not be careless and replied solemnly, "To act for personal gain, to be generous with the resources of others, and to bolster the power of an enemy state—whoever dares to do such a thing will surely become a sinner for all time!"
The old man pressed further, "When the strong are no match for the weak, ceding territory to sue for peace is a common occurrence since ancient times. Why single out this particular action for criticism?"
Although Gao Huaide was young, he understood the principle that losing such a large territory meant the northern gateway was wide open, leaving the Khitan no longer any barrier to advance south and reach the Yellow River to drink from. He solemnly replied, "How can we open the door to thieves? Youyan was originally Han territory. If the barbarian tribes gain this foundation, they will become too powerful to control. Their crime is the greatest."
"Anything else?"
"If this is the case, where will the Han people of the north be placed?"
Gao Huaide concluded unequivocally: "Anyone who dares to defy the world and tarnish the prestige of China for thousands of years will surely be infamous for eternity!"
"Well said."
The old man agreed with the answer and nodded, saying, "As the influence of the barbarians grew stronger and the fortunes of the Chinese declined, the rule that barbarians never lasted a hundred years was broken, which led to their ability to enter the Central Plains and establish a stable rule. This is the root of the problem. You answered this question very well."
As agreed, the old man should offer a solution to Gao Xingzhou's troubles, and Gao Huaide wanted to hear what he had to say next.
The old man smiled slightly: "The general's enemy is the Dingnan Army of Xia Prefecture. The Li family of Dangxiang is not yet strong enough, so it will not be difficult to take them down."
Gao Huaide curled his lip. This old man was so arrogant, speaking so lightly with a lamp wick in his mouth.
If the Dingnan Army were easy to deal with, why would the court have suffered a crushing defeat last year, and why would Father have been troubled by it?
The old man didn't take it seriously and said casually, "The general plan for the governor to manage this prefecture and connect with neighboring towns has been finalized, but it still lacks the finishing touch."
Then he said something that made Gao Huaide half believe and half doubt.
"Dealing with the Li family is easy, but defying fate is difficult. Today, we have set up the Three Heroes Locking Dragon Formation. If we want to lock up the evil dragon that will be born in seventy years, we must stay in Yanzhou for at least three years."
"At that time, the Gao family will occupy the ten states in the northwest, enough to establish a country and become kings, and the general trend of the world will change as a result."
At this moment, the girl and her younger brother also arrived at the top of the tower, and the old man immediately shut his mouth and said no more.
Gao Huaide accompanied the siblings to enjoy the scenery for a while and chatted for a bit. Seeing that it was getting late, he prepared to head home.
Before leaving, the young woman bowed to the old man with her hands clasped and slightly bent her knees to say a deep bow, apologizing for disturbing his sound sleep.
The old man watched the girl's departing figure, a hint of pity in his eyes.
Fate is hard to defy. Guanyin Bodhisattva sacrifices herself to save people, but how can a mere woman save those who are treacherous and evil, who betray their country and destroy their people?
……
When Gao Huaide returned and saw his father, he said he had important matters to report.
Gao Xingzhou knew that his son was idle and didn't take his advice seriously. He had run out the door before finishing his lecture in the afternoon. What important thing could he have to do for a short walk?
He snorted and asked, "What have you set your sights on this time? If you need money, ask your mother. You can't use public funds for your own private purposes."
"I'm not asking for pocket money."
Gao Huaide was used to his father's nagging, but he was not discouraged by what he heard. He parroted the old man's words.
Gao Xingzhou hadn't expected to hear anything serious, but the more he listened, the more alarmed he became, and he pressed for an answer: "Who taught you these things?"
Gao Huaide recounted his encounter with the old man at the Nine-Story Pagoda.
"A mere country bumpkin like you, how could you know that your father is going to deal with the Dingnan Army?"
Gao Xingzhou was quite surprised. According to his son's description, the old man was not an official. At that time, news was scarce, and the common people could only learn a little about politics through government notices. To be able to guess that the court had issued an edict to send troops to Xia Prefecture was already quite insightful.
not to mention……
"Come with your father."
Gao Xingzhou brought his son to the White Tiger Hall, stood in front of the map and studied it for a long time. He clapped his hands and exclaimed, "A single word has awakened me from my dream. This old man is indeed no ordinary person."
He pointed to a location on the map and explained, "You see, I intend to unite Qingzhou and Fulinzhou, but I'm struggling to know where to begin. What you just relayed from the old man perfectly hits the nail on the head regarding the strategy."
"North of Xia Prefecture and south of Lin Prefecture lies Hengshan Mountain, with its crisscrossing ravines and abundant water and grass, suitable for both grazing and farming. It is also home to many Tibetan tribes and is the southernmost point of Zhenwu Army's territory. If we were to establish a stockade and fortress here, recruit Tibetans to raise horses, and use the high ground to observe movements in peacetime, and serve as a forward outpost in wartime, Xia Prefecture would certainly be in a precarious situation."
"Li Yichao has not yet realized the importance of Hengshan. If the Dingnan Army gains control of this place, it will take countless efforts in later generations to reclaim it." (Note 1)
Gao Xingzhou moved his finger down, pointing to another spot.
"South of Youzhou and north of Qingzhou lies Fangqu Town. More than a hundred years ago, the powerful Tubo Kingdom repeatedly invaded the border. Fangqu, Hedao, and Mubo were all key routes for the enemy. The previous Binning Jiedushi, Yang Chaosheng, divided the town into three, built three cities in one month, and expanded the territory by three hundred li." (Note 2)
"When the city was being built, the military officers said that Fangqu had no wells and it was not suitable for stationing troops. When the army was stationed at Fangqu, a green snake descended the steep slope and ran down. Following its tracks, water flowed along it. They built a fortification around it, which eventually formed a deep pool. When the court heard of this, it issued an edict to establish a shrine, and the spring was named Ying Sheng."
"Is the restoration of Fangqu Old Town to guard against the Dangxiang people not the will of Heaven?"
The more Gao Xingzhou looked at the move, the more he felt it was brilliant. He only needed to write a letter to remind Fu Yanqing that he would surely discover the importance of Fangqu Town.
Hengshan, Fangqu, and Kuanzhou, which I had previously thought of, formed three iron chains, sealing off the Dingnan Army from the east, south, and north. They could communicate and support each other, thus completing the strategic encirclement of the four prefectures and bringing the whole game to life.
Building cities and acquiring land not only allows one to occupy advantageous terrain, but also to attract both native and established households, thus replenishing resources and military strength.
The elder pointed out that the Dangxiang had many branches. The Dongshan tribe, located east of Longshan in Qingzhou, the Liufu tribe, mainly composed of Sui and Yan prefectures, and the other seven surnames such as Xifeng, Feiting, Wangli, and Fangdang, did not necessarily submit to the Tuoba clan of Pingxia tribe.
By recruiting local chieftains in three key locations to serve as their henchmen and eyes and ears, and by weakening one group while strengthening another, when the time is right, why worry about the Li family of Xia Prefecture being dissatisfied?
"The three surnames Li, Zhao, and Tuoba, all with the names Yuan Hao and Nang Xiao, are all renowned. Fangqu and Qingjian lock Hengshan, preventing the evil dragon of Western Xia from escaping."
Gao Xingzhou recited the old man's verses in the pagoda and felt that they contained several riddles.
The first sentence likely refers to the Li family of Xia Prefecture, whose original surname was Tuoba. The Tang Dynasty bestowed upon them the surname Li. But who is the Zhao family?
The second line mentions Wei Ming, whose surname is derived from his tribe, referring to the Tuoba clan. Who, then, were Yuan Hao and Nang Xiao?
The third sentence is undoubtedly a strategy to besiege Dingnan Army, but where does the name Qingjian come from?
Why does the fourth sentence refer to the Li family of Xia Prefecture as Western Xia?
Mysterious and profound, utterly incomprehensible, the old man must be a reclusive master, and Gao Xingzhou immediately had the idea of recruiting him.
As the military governor of a town, it would be presumptuous for Gao Xingzhou to visit him so casually. Therefore, Gao Xingzhou immediately ordered his men to prepare various gifts of gold and silk, and accompanied Gao Huaide to express his gratitude. If the old man was interested in taking up an official post, he was invited to his residence for a discussion.
Gao Xingzhou couldn't help but think of Ah San's letter again. If this worrying matter had also been predicted, then this old man would be considered a living god in this world.
Gao Huaide was surprised that his father valued the old man's advice so much. It seemed that this man was indeed insightful. He was quite excited to be entrusted with the important task of befriending this man.
Soon the gifts were ready, and Gao Huaide set off for Pagoda Mountain again. This time, the group rode their horses at full speed and arrived in no time.
He climbed to the ninth floor of the pagoda in one go and saw that the old man was still in the same place, which put Gao Huaide at ease.
He waved his hand, and a tray was brought over by someone. The tray was lined with neatly stacked silk, and on it were several strings of coins surrounding a silver ingot in the center.
"A bolt of brocade, for making a new garment for you, sir. Ten strings of copper coins, for your daily use. A silver ingot, for your leisure time to admire."
Gao Huaide repeated what Lu Qian had taught him, and he already knew that the old man was an extraordinary person, the kind of person the storyteller described as a sleeping dragon and a phoenix chick. His manners were respectful and polite.
The old man was not surprised that Gao Huaide had returned. He picked up a string of copper coins, which felt heavy in his hand.
One thousand coins, weighing six catties and four ounces.
"The Wude Kaiyuan coin was cast at the founding of the Tang Dynasty and has been passed down for more than 300 years."
Looking at the four characters "Kaiyuan Tongbao" on the coin, the old man sighed, "The inscription on the coin was written by Ouyang Xun. His father was Ouyang He, the governor of Guangzhou during the Southern Chen Dynasty. His entire family was executed for treason, but Ouyang Xun, being young, escaped death. The Southern Dynasty eventually perished, but the calligraphy of Zhong Yao and Wang Xizhi has been passed down through this coin."
After putting down the copper coins, the old man picked up the silver ingot. It was a long strip about the length of a palm, with a slender waist, high wings, and wide ends, with words engraved on it.
"Presented by Gao Xingzhou, Military Governor of Zhangwu and Prefect of Yanzhou."
The old man turned it over and looked at it: "Fifty taels of silver for salt, Governor, you've gone to a lot of trouble."
At this time, silver was already circulating as currency, but such large denominations of silver were extremely rare on the market and were mainly used for government treasury collections, hence the saying that they were for appreciation and enjoyment.
The gift was worth less than a hundred strings of cash, but enough to support an ordinary family for two or three years. It was neither stingy nor extravagant, making it a suitable gift for a first meeting, just like the Doctrine of the Mean advocated by Gao Xingzhou.
The old man put the silver ingot back into the plate and declined Gao Huaide's invitation: "I am a free spirit and cannot go back with you, otherwise I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep well afterward."
Gao Huaide wanted to continue persuading him, but the old man stopped him: "The commander has another hidden worry, which I will tell you now, just as a matter of fate that we have met."
Gao Huaide dared not be negligent and hurriedly began to memorize the information.
"Wang Sitong was a literary enthusiast, Yao Yanchou was cruel and bloodthirsty, and Zhang Qianzhao was greedy for merit and narrow-minded. Their reputation in the army was far inferior to that of Prince Lu, Li Congke, who had followed the late emperor since childhood, fought on the battlefield for thirty years, and was respected by the soldiers."
"Yao Yanchou and Zhang Qianzhao will surely intimidate the generals and officers, and urge the soldiers on. If the Prince of Lu can move them with emotion and lure them with benefits, thus wearing down their fighting spirit, the enemy army will surely fall into chaos, and we can then ensure our safety. Commander, you need not worry about others, just focus on the matter at hand."
Gao Huaide wrote down a few names, intending to go back and tell his father.
After that, the old man uttered a few more mysterious and cryptic words that were completely incomprehensible.
Before leaving, Gao Xingzhou instructed him that extraordinary people must have their own personalities, and if he could not persuade them, he should not force them, but simply establish a good relationship with them.
Gao Huaide did not press the matter, but asked the old man his name and inquired whether they would have the chance to meet again in the future.
The old man smiled and said, "When the Peng bird migrates to the Southern Ocean, it stirs up the water for three thousand miles and rises ninety thousand miles on a whirlwind. My Taoist name is Fuyaozi, my secular surname is Chen, and my given name is Tuan. I am a descendant of Chen Baxian, who lived four hundred years ago."
After saying that, he suddenly jumped off the ninth floor of the pagoda!
Gao Huaide hurried to the railing, but as dusk deepened, no one had left. Only his lingering voice echoed in the air: "The heavens are high and difficult to fathom, but there's plenty of time in the future. There will be a second and a third question waiting for you!"
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Place Name Comparison
Hengshan: present-day Hengshan District, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province
Fangqu: now Huancheng Town, Huanxian County, Qingyang City, Gansu Province