to be a slave
Therefore, the attitude at the time was to give whatever was asked for, so that Hulü Guang would be pleased to think that he had accomplished a great feat and could write a letter to Luoyang to facilitate this trip.
By the time he set off and discovered that things weren't as they seemed, it was already too late.
Upon arriving outside Luoyang, the Northern Qiang declared their unification of the world and their coronation ceremony, which would change the country's name to Wei, was imminent and had no time to consider whether the delegation was complete or grand. They could only accept the current situation. At this point, Hulü Guang was forced to side with the Southern Dynasty.
However, if he were to enter Hulü Guang's palace, and were to escape the imminent threat from Gongyi Xiu and the other man, it would be difficult to imagine what methods he would use to retaliate against them.
In any case, we are now on Hulü Guang's territory. Not only is the Ning Prince's mansion a den of dragons and tigers, but the entire city of Luoyang is heavily fortified by the Northern Qiang army.
As they approached the city wall, Aqiu already felt the powerful deterrent force of the Northern Qiang army.
The magnificence of Luoyang City goes without saying; its city walls are both high and thick, and even its moat is much wider than the water that encircles Jianzhang City.
The city walls were densely covered with powerful bows and crossbows, with guards every five steps and sentries every ten steps. Not only infantry but also cavalry patrolled back and forth. The guards all had fierce faces and looked like they were not to be trifled with.
When Han Chinese people carrying cloth and fish baskets into the city to sell their goods were pushed to the ground, their goods were scattered all over the place, and they were searched without any courtesy. Only after it was confirmed that there was no profit to be made were they allowed to enter.
But by evening, when they have sold their goods and collected their money, it will probably not be so easy.
With the Wolf Guard and Hulü Guang protecting them, A Qiu and his group didn't need to worry about this. The Wolf Guard captain greeted the city gate and easily entered the city.
After entering the city gate, although A Qiu sat in the carriage with the curtain drawn, she still occasionally lifted the curtain to peek at the everyday life of Luoyang.
She had lived and worked in the Southern Dynasties and had never been to the Central Plains. She had heard people praise Luoyang in the past as a prosperous and bustling city with high walls and grand courtyards, full of the grandeur of a royal capital that could only be seen in paintings today.
But a single glance only made me feel even heavier.
Not to mention the once prosperous capital, its grandeur is not even half that of Jianzhang today.
The once towering stone city walls and narrow alleyways were unburnt and thus remain, but everywhere one can see mottled traces of smoke and fire.
The shops that used to line both sides of the street are now mostly empty, with seven or eight out of ten empty and the rest barely surviving, creating a desolate scene. This is in stark contrast to the bustling scene inside Jianzhang Palace, where every shop was full of energy, vying to buy goods and attract customers.
Although commerce was not thriving in Luoyang, the streets and alleys were filled with well-equipped soldiers of the Five Barbarian tribes, who supervised the Han people in repairing fortifications and houses. If they displeased the Han people, whips would be lashed down, and screams of agony would rang out.
Seeing this scene, A Qiu finally understood a profound truth: cities thrive because of people, and destruction is far easier than construction.
The Five Barbarian tribes' long-standing way of life was through plunder rather than production. Their nomadic lifestyle on the grasslands, relying on water and pasture, had instilled in them a lack of hoarding and accumulation, and a disregard for governance and pacification. All their superior and comfortable lives were built upon the subjugation of other ethnic groups.
Before coming here, she might have still held onto hope for a new unified dynasty. After all, she had witnessed Hulü Guang's elegant demeanor and had a preconceived notion of her former master, Wanqi Qing. She believed that after years of integration, the Northern Qiang people had indeed become quite Sinicized, and it was not entirely impossible for the Northern Qiang to lead the establishment of a civilized dynasty that integrated different ethnic groups.
But the journey north was almost a journey of despair.
She absolutely did not want to live under such an order.
She finally understood why His Highness Prince Huli Guangning, the second most respected person in the Northern Qiang, would volunteer to go on a mission to Jianzhang in the Southern Dynasty, despite his immense wealth.
Because without personally witnessing the contrast between the capitals of the two dynasties, one cannot truly understand the differences. Moreover, Hulü Guang claimed to be a lover of Han civilization.
But what is most hateful is that Luoyang and Chang'an, once representatives of the pinnacle of Han civilization, were destroyed by these very people. Yet, afterwards, he went to Jianzhang in the Southern Dynasties, ostensibly to learn from and observe the remnants of Han culture.
As A Qiu pondered this in the car, Sun Neiren, who was beside him, had also caught a glimpse of Luoyang's current appearance and sighed with worry.
Cui Luzhu whispered, "Can we go home after our dance? This place is too desolate, even though it's in the city. I don't want to stay here."
Upon hearing this, A Qiu and his wife exchanged a wry smile.
They certainly didn't want to stay here.
To be precise, not a single Southerner would want to stay here and accept foreign rule.
It was just a last resort.
Women in the carriage, such as A Qiu, felt the same way, let alone officials like Gongyi Xiu who were capable of governing the country.
Seeing the ruins of Luoyang, Gongyi Xiu snorted and said, "I have long heard that the Khan of the Northern Qiang yearns for the rule of the Han Dynasty, traces his ancestry back to Emperor Guangwu, and has used many Han people to govern the country, re-establishing the Confucian tradition of governing the country with rites and music, hoping to bring about a world of great harmony. Now it seems that he is still far from achieving this."
Because they were traveling on the largest and widest official road, which had been neglected for a long time, wild grass had grown up in the middle of the road, and thorns were constantly pricking the horses' hooves.
The Hu people had no experience in governing cities, and the Han officials they appointed were exhausted and the population was rapidly declining. Therefore, these inconspicuous projects were better left undisturbed, which also protected the already limited manpower.
The Northern Qiang royal family, who now ruled the city, had never seen wild grass of any height on the grasslands before, and rode their horses freely without a care in the world. Since their masters didn't care, the Han officials, though aware of the irregularities, were happy to turn a blind eye.
Upon entering Luoyang, Hulü Guang's expression immediately softened. Hearing Gongyi Xiu's words, he inwardly snorted, thinking, "When did it become your place, a surrendered prisoner, to judge the politics of my dynasty?" But outwardly, he smiled and said, "That's precisely why our country is eagerly anticipating the introduction of capable individuals like Lord Gongyi, who can help us accelerate this process."
Perhaps Hulü Guang's humility was excessive, for even the wolf guards beside him found it unbearable. Luoyang was the capital of the Northern Qiang, where Han Chinese had always been considered inferior and lowly. The lower-class Hu people naturally had no interest in Sinicization; they could use Han Chinese as slaves, so why bother learning their written language and culture? Besides, unless one was a visionary, who would want to learn anything from inferior losers?
The hot-tempered wolf guard shouted, "They're nothing but a bunch of Han dogs who've come begging for mercy. Who are you to point fingers at the capital!"
He was already being quite polite, at least out of consideration for the Wolf Guard Captain and Hulü Guang, by not actually whipping Gongyi Xiu, only verbally cursing him.
It is no exaggeration to say that when Luoyang fell, no matter how high-ranking the officials or princes of the old dynasty were, they were all treated the same with whips.
Upon hearing this curse, Gongyi Xiu's eyes lit up, and he was about to lash out.
While Hulü Guang seemed to be trying to stop his own wolf guards from getting into a fight, Lema Wei moved closer to the wolf guard captain, actually wanting to take advantage of Gongyi Xiu's attention being entirely on the wolf guards to escape his control.
This scene was witnessed by A-Qiu, who was secretly peeking through the curtain after hearing the argument, and she immediately gasped in shock.
As long as the wolf guard makes a move against Gongyi Xiu, Gongyi Xiu will inevitably retaliate. Even if the wolf guard can only hold Gongyi Xiu off for a moment, Hulü Guang can take this opportunity to escape.
At this moment, Luoyang is heavily guarded. As long as Hulü Guang himself is no longer held hostage, dealing with their 63-person delegation will be as easy as catching a turtle in a jar.
Gongyi Xiu seemed completely unaware of this, and instead, holding a folding fan, he slowly rode towards the rude wolf guard.
From the moment he openly broke ties with Hulü Guang, Gongyi Xiu displayed an unstable emotional state. Perhaps because he was visiting the old capital, everything before him was a reminder of the past, and he could no longer suppress the anger and hatred that he had been holding back for so many years.
Just at this critical moment, an old, deep voice rang out on the road ahead.
"Is the visitor an envoy from the Southern Dynasty?"
The voice, imbued with inner strength, startled Gongyi Xiu, making him seem to snap out of his daze as he stared in disbelief at the road ahead.
In the middle of the road stood an old servant in blue robes, his face hidden by a straw hat, carrying a load of firewood. The man was hunched over, but the way he casually placed the load in the middle of the road revealed a profound and ancient demeanor of a master.
Judging from his appearance, he was just an old woodcutter from the countryside, yet he was here questioning the envoy from the Southern Dynasty. Hulü Guang, the leader of this group, had not yet had time to decide whether to answer him.
Xiao Chang'an had already spurred his horse forward and bowed from afar, saying, "Uncle Chen, how have you been? Did Father send you to receive this envoy?"
Hulü Guang was shocked and immediately realized who this person was.
The Xiao clan was able to establish itself in the Northern Dynasty, surrounded by nomadic tribes, largely because they enjoyed the support of the northern martial arts world. If all these martial arts masters were to join the fight, even the Northern Qiang Khan would be unable to cope. Therefore, many forces in the northern martial arts world relied on the Xiao clan's manors, mountains, and swamps for survival, while also fulfilling their responsibility to protect the Xiao clan.
Among Xiao Hou's men was a man named Chen Bo, a rising star in the northern martial arts world who had been emerging for nearly thirty years. Unwilling to become a servant of the Northern Qiang, he sought refuge under the Xiao family for protection and was the most powerful martial artist within the Xiao family. Even when the Great Khan Huli Jin encountered him, he dared not treat him as an ordinary servant, but instead addressed him as "Lord Chen".
He usually dressed as a woodcutter and frequently appeared in the streets and alleys of Luoyang. If he caught Northern Qiang soldiers bullying Han people, he would give them a severe beating and then disappear without a trace. Therefore, the Han people privately called him "Bodhisattva Chen." Although the Northern Qiang people were dissatisfied, when they complained to Huli Jin, Uncle Chen always had a reasonable and convincing argument. However, the friendship between the Hu and Han people was just a facade that Huli Jin was currently promoting, and in the end, the Northern Qiang people were always in the wrong. Therefore, although they hated him, they could not do anything about it.
Chen Bokui remained unmoved and sighed, "Child, you have finally returned home."
Xiao Chang'an did not answer, but asked from horseback, "Where is my father?"
Chen Bo said, "Lord Xiao was discussing matters with His Majesty in the palace today. He mentioned that the Southern Dynasty delegation would be arriving in Luoyang today. His Majesty was concerned about this, so he sent me to escort you into the palace."
This seemingly casual remark caused Hulü Guang's expression to change drastically.
This completely ruined his plan to bring the delegation back to the Prince Ning's residence and settle them in.
However, Chen Bo alone held the pass, possessing an imposing presence that seemed impregnable. Moreover, he was acting not only on the orders of Marquis Xiao but also on the decree of the Great Khan, Huli Jin. Under such broad daylight and with everyone watching, how could Huli Guang dare to openly defy the imperial decree?
But having been manipulated and controlled by this delegation all the way, like a hostage, if they were intercepted halfway, where would they get their revenge?
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