Chapter 18 Early Spring

In the eighteenth year of the Jianyan Era, early spring had yet to release its grip on Hebei, while in the Wuliang Mountains of Dali, a hundred flowers were already in full bloom.

Deep within the blossoms, a waterfall cascaded down the mountain, spraying pearls and spitting jade with a majestic aura. Because wild goats often crossed the rocky cliffs behind it in droves, it was named Yangshan Waterfall (Goat Mountain Waterfall). Below the falls, a deep lake had naturally formed, its waters so clear that the swimming fish could be seen. And beside the lake, a massive rock stood tall.

This stone was exceedingly large, enough for dozens of people to climb upon it and observe the falls. Furthermore, three of its sides were flat and smooth, appearing exceptionally neat, especially the side facing the lake, which was as smooth and flat as a jade disc, almost like a mirror, complementing the lake's surface and causing onlookers to marvel.

Wang Shixiong, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Bodyguard of the Great Song, stood beneath the stone, stunned into silence for a long while.

After a long pause, Wu Yi, the Great Song's envoy to Dali, cleared his throat, finally drawing Wang Shixiong back to his senses. Wang then turned around, embarrassed.

"Please forgive my lapse, everyone, but I truly couldn't help but lose myself… The Emperor's decree states that there is a giant rock beneath the waterfall in the Wuliang Mountains, and he has specially named it the Wuliang Jade Disc… To be so accurate from tens of thousands of miles away, it's clear that our Emperor is divinely blessed."

As he spoke, he opened the imperial edict in his hand and hurriedly read it. The many descendants of the Gao family of Dali who were present, led by Gao Liangcheng, the current head of the family with the title of Duke and the Dali Buxie (Chief Administrator), had no time to think and respectfully prostrated themselves.

The imperial edict consisted of only two sentences, indeed bestowing the name Wuliang Jade Disc. After Gao Liangcheng and the other members of the Gao family rose, they couldn't help but feel somewhat flustered. The Wuliang Mountains were located between the capital of Dali and the core fiefdom of the Gao family, Weichu. While not exactly remote, it certainly couldn't be described as a prominent place. The fact that the Central Plains Emperor, from tens of thousands of miles away, knew about a rock in a mountain within their fiefdom was truly astonishing.

Of course, some of the more seasoned members of the Gao family privately smiled wryly, taking advantage of the sound of the waterfall to speak in low voices: "This is an edict from the Song Emperor. If this stone exists, then of course he possesses the insight to see across vast distances. But if it didn't, would we dare to deny the Emperor his face? We'd probably have to help him find one."

To this, others disagreed: "What's so strange about that? The Northern faction is blinded by greed, inviting the Song into the situation to compete for power and profit. With insiders, what in the kingdom could be hidden from that Emperor? This is just a deliberate attempt to intimidate us."

These words elicited a range of reactions from those around: some indignant, some sneering, some sighing, and others casting fierce glares. But ultimately, no one dared to discuss the matter of the imperial naming any further.

And so, they turned past the Jade Disc and arrived at a temple nestled in the mountains. A venue and tables had already been set up here, adorned with fragrant tea and fruits… There was certainly no Sword Palace, but Dali revered Buddhism, and no mountain lacked temples. When the capital of Dali had caught fire a few years prior, half of what burned down were temples. The Wuliang Mountains were naturally no exception. As for fragrant tea, since the Song government had forcefully opened border trade over a decade ago, Dali's tea had long become one of its most important export commodities, along with copper mines. Not only were everyday tea bricks from Shu and the Lianghu regions exported, but fine teas could even reach Zhongdu Bianjing and the capital Yanjing, competing with the famous teas of the southeast.

To make a long story short, upon arriving here, the group exchanged pleasantries and courtesies once again. Then, Gao Liangcheng, in his capacity as a Duke, took the head seat alongside Wang Shixiong. Next, Wu Yi, the Great Song envoy to Dali and also an imperial relative, naturally sat first on the left. As for the head seat on the right, it was unexpectedly Gao Zhenshou, Gao Liangcheng's cousin, who was the head of the Gao family's Northern faction, based in the Dali Northern Pacification Command.

Behind Gao Zhenshou, the abbot of the local temple awkwardly took his seat, deliberately separating the head of the Gao family's Northern faction from the members of the local Gao family's Southern faction… And many of the Northern faction members who had accompanied Gao Zhenshou ended up sitting with Wu Yi's group.

The Northern and Southern factions were clearly divided.

"Lord Gao."

After taking his seat, Wang Shixiong first surveyed the odd scene in the hall, then looked at Gao Liangcheng and spoke directly without even taking a sip of tea. "Although I have come by imperial decree, I am only here to listen to what both sides of your esteemed family have to say. The final decision will still depend on the Emperor… Therefore, everyone, please feel free to discuss matters openly and without reservation, and pay me no mind."

Gao Liangcheng also put down his teacup and stroked his beard with a wry smile. "As the saying goes, family scandals should not be aired in public. But today, the Gao family's scandal will become known to the entire world. This Gao…"

"Uncle values face, but I don't have to think about such nonsense." Before the Dali Buxie (Chief Administrator) could finish speaking, Gao Zhenshou, the leader of the Northern faction, interrupted him coldly. "Commander Wang, this time it was our Northern faction that filed a complaint with the Emperor. Since my uncle doesn't want to speak, I will… This matter is extremely simple to explain: our Gao family's Northern faction is the true lineage of the Gao family, as everyone knows… Therefore, the title of Duke of the Gao family, the position of Buxie of Dali, and the authority to govern the Shanshan Prefecture should all be held by me, the Gao family's嫡孙 (dìsūn – direct male descendant)! That's all!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Gao Liangcheng remained silent, but the Southern faction members below erupted in an uproar. Some stood up and reprimanded him, while the Northern faction members, unwilling to be outdone, also rose and shouted back. The two sides devolved into chaos, turning the Buddhist hall into a complete mess.

The monks present all hung their heads, while the four leading figures – the Gao family uncle and nephew, and Wang and Wu – could only remain silent for the moment.

After a moment, Gao Liangcheng lowered his voice and spoke closely, "Esteemed envoys, would you allow my nephew Zhenshou and I to have a private conversation before giving the envoys an explanation?"

"If your esteemed uncle and nephew are willing, there is naturally no objection." Wang Shixiong looked at Gao Zhenshou opposite him and replied solemnly with a cupped fist salute. "But please understand, Lord Gao, that this meeting between you and your nephew at Wuliang Mountain was decreed by the Emperor himself. Please treat each other with courtesy, otherwise…"

"Where are you thinking, Commander Wang?" Gao Liangcheng immediately smiled wryly. "He is, after all, my close nephew."

On the other side, Gao Zhenshou glanced at the chaos in the hall and nodded frankly. "Esteemed envoys, please rest assured. Since my uncle wishes to speak frankly, I, as his nephew, will certainly not be petty… Moreover, I originally intended to have an open and honest discussion with my uncle."

"I understand, I understand." Wang Shixiong stood up, still forthright. "It's just that it's my duty to say certain things, no matter how unpleasant, otherwise what would the Emperor use me for? Everyone, let's go back to the Jade Disc. The sound of the waterfall is loud, so we can say anything we want without fear of being overheard."

Having said that, Wu Yi also stood up. The four exchanged cupped fist salutes and left the chaos in the hall, returning to the waterfall under the guidance of the monks. However, this time, the Gao family uncle and nephew remained by the Jade Disc below the waterfall, while Wang Shixiong and Wu Yi simply climbed to the top of the mountain above Yangshan Waterfall… The two were old friends from the past, and now that they had each embarked on their official careers, it was a rare opportunity to reunite. Logically speaking, they would inevitably want to catch up.

However, with official business taking precedence, it was always difficult to transition to private matters.

"Brother Dewei (Wang Shixiong's courtesy name) is actually unaware of the situation in Dali?" Wu Yi asked, surprised.

"It's not that I'm unaware, but rather that it's too chaotic, and I really can't sort out the situation." Wang Shixiong replied honestly. "But I won't hide it from you, the Emperor and the Western Secretariat didn't intend for me to act as some kind of investigating commissioner here. They wanted me to use my position as Deputy Commander of the Imperial Bodyguard to put on a show of strength, constantly reminding Buxie Gao that the Emperor is watching him, and that the Emperor has 200,000 elite Imperial Guards in his hands."

Wu Yi nodded, but then stood with his hands behind his back at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the Gao family uncle and nephew below and continuing to ask: "If that's the case, how did Brother Dewei get this assignment, with so many figures in the Imperial Bodyguard?"

"The reason I was able to get this assignment is twofold: one is because of you; everyone above and below knows of our old friendship. The other is that I came from Qinwang (Prince Qin)'s faction, so Wei Wang (Prince Wei), who is in charge of the Western Secretariat, couldn't easily refuse…" Wang Shixiong gave a dry laugh. "Our court also has 水木并立 (shuǐ mù bìng lì - water and wood standing together - a metaphor for the balance of power), with Qin and Wei allied, and the four regions of North, South, West, and Central divided."

Wu Yi nodded repeatedly, but ultimately did not elaborate on this issue, instead directly talking about Dali: "In fact, the situation in Dali is complex, but it can be summed up in two words: internal strife…"

"Explain it slowly." Wang Shixiong also immediately became serious.

"First, when the Nanzhao Kingdom was destroyed and various heroes rose up, although the Duan family defeated the Yang family, they planted two congenital seeds of disaster. One is that the local tribes each govern themselves, and Dali has always found it difficult to reconcile the Eastern and Western Bai and Hei Barbarians, so that the Eastern Thirty-Seven Tribes of Hei Barbarians feel aggrieved and prejudiced, and always rebel whenever they find the opportunity…"

"Secondly, the Duan family's origins are humble, like the Yang, Gao, Meng, and Dong families, they are all Sinicized local powerful clans, tribal chiefs, and former border officials of Nanzhao and the Great Tang, so-called 同殿为臣，同地为民 (tóng diàn wéi chén, tóng dì wéi mín - serving as officials in the same court, living as commoners in the same land). Moreover, even the process of starting their business was achieved through the joint efforts of various tribes, so when they gained power and became rulers, they couldn't shake the fact that everyone in their hearts never had a sense of awe…"

"These are the two roots, and next is internal strife… After the death of the founding Duan Siping, his younger brother united with the Dong family, a powerful clan in the country, to usurp the throne from his nephew…"

"This…" Wang Shixiong, who was listening attentively, couldn't help but interject.

"I know what you're thinking, brother, but it's really not the same thing." Wu Yi sighed in response. "Taizong inherited from Taizu, although there were rumors, there was no war, and there was no废立 (fèi lì - dethronement and establishment) in between… After the father and son of the Duan family inherited the throne, they were deposed by their uncle, who joined forces with the Dong family, who was in power, to launch a coup, and also引狼入室 (yǐn láng rù shì - to let a wolf into the house - inviting trouble), and the Dong family has been in power ever since."

Wang Shixiong nodded repeatedly, but signaled the other party to continue.

"The first internal strife was the strife between uncle and nephew, the second was the decline of the Dong family and the gradual rise of the Gao family… About a hundred years ago, the Gao family deposed the then Dali King and re-established the descendants of the Duan Siping line who founded the country. After the Gao family rose up, they also became powerful ministers, and even more dictatorial than the Dong family, as you have seen…"

"The third internal strife was that the Gao family gradually became uncontrollable, and finally directly deposed the Duan family and established themselves as kings… However, before his death, Gao Shengtai, who became king, specifically asked his son to return the throne… This was about fifty years ago."

"The fourth internal strife fell to the Gao family themselves… The Duan family's lineage was chaotic, weak, and powerless. The Gao family was nominally the Buxie (Chief Administrator), but in reality, they were the rulers of the country. All internal and external affairs were managed by the Gao family themselves, but in order to ensure their authority, the Gao family also had the matter of brother succeeding brother instead of father succeeding son. Over time, there was internal factional struggle. Now, Duan Heyu, the current Duan family king, is a man with ambition. About decades ago, he took advantage of the Gao family's opportunity to inherit and took the initiative to divide the Weichu and Tongmou Prefectures in the north and south of Dali to the Gao Taiming family, so the Gao family's north and south factions stand side by side… The current Buxie is Gao Liangcheng of the Southern faction, who has been in power for two or three decades, but Gao Zhenshou of the Northern faction is the eldest grandson of the Gao family…"

"So there is this time?" Wang Shixiong finally understood. "Gao Zhenshou's brothers are getting older and their wings are getting fuller. On the one hand, the Tongmou Prefecture relies on trading with us, and its strength is growing day by day. On the other hand, his younger brother, Gao Zhenming, went to the Imperial College in Zhongdu and was selected as a Jinshi by the river… So, you want to drag the official family to take back the position of Buxie?"

"Yes and no."

"How do you say that?"

"The key and core is of course the chaos of the Gao family's north and south factions. Who let the Gao family be the real power holders in Dali?"

Wu Yi looked at the uncle and nephew talking in the distance. "But the current internal strife is not only a matter of the Gao family's north and south factions, but also Duan Heyu has been on the throne for decades, working hard and governing diligently, and is indeed a proper king, but as a result, there have been natural and man-made disasters, internal and external troubles, and he has never been able to revitalize Dali, and he has never been able to shake the Gao family's authority in the slightest, so that he has gradually lost his ambition… Now, not only is the Gao family in internal strife, but Duan Heyu is heartbroken because of the death of his concubine, Wang, and intends to enter the Buddhist path. As a result, his sons are being held hostage by various factions of the Gao family to compete for the throne. There is also the internal strife of the Duan family. There is also the fact that Dali was defeated by the Vietnamese Li Dynasty a few years ago, and the country was hollowed out. The Hei and Bai barbarians are watching the great chaos that is about to rise again… This is a total outbreak of internal strife!"

Wang Shixiong nodded, thoughtfully: "No wonder the Western Secretariat said it was a once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity…"

"It's not a once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity." Wu Yi shook his head repeatedly. "I first spent three years in the Honglu Temple, then went to Japan as an envoy, then came to mediate the dispute between Dali and Vietnam, and finally stayed in Dali for three years. After thinking about it repeatedly, I only figured out one thing… That is, in the world, the most difficult thing is to live a peaceful life and prosper steadily. So-called small countries are prone to chaos and are gradually declining. It is normal to live a day at a time… You are used to living a peaceful life in the country, so you think it is a once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity! In fact, the situation in our country in the past seven or eight years is a real once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity!"

"It's all because the Holy Emperor is in power." Wang Shixiong quickly responded.

Wu Yi still shook his head, but was unwilling to say more… It wasn't that he didn't have enough friendship, or that he despised Wang Shixiong's background as a military man, or that he wanted to deny the other party's words, but he knew that if he read thousands of books and traveled thousands of miles, without personally contacting these small countries for a long time, it was impossible to feel this from the bottom of his heart.

While Wu and Wang were talking some idle talk from a high position, the Gao family uncle and nephew below had to enter into some key words about the rise and fall of the country and the survival of the family.

"Zhenshou, I heard the Song people say that a centipede dies but never falls down, our big family of hundreds of years, although there are some improper things, but after all, it is deeply rooted and leafy. If you want to ruin it, you must first commit suicide and self-destruct in your family before you can be completely ruined… Now, in order to fight for a breath, you actually led the Zhao Song official family into the game, wouldn't you ruin our Gao family's overall situation?" Gao Liangcheng stood on the side of the Jade Bi with a helpless face.

"Why does Uncle have to be so aboveboard?" Gao Zhenshou sneered. "The Gao family's overall situation has long been ruined by you… You did 初一 (chū yī – the first day of the lunar month), so can't I do 十五 (shí wǔ – the fifteenth day of the lunar month)? Besides, without the Zhao Song official family, wouldn't our two factions fight? Can you guarantee the position of Buxie?"

"Even if I can't guarantee the position of Buxie, I can't let you live in peace." Gao Liangcheng finally became cold.

"That's why I led the Zhao official family in." Gao Zhenshou was not afraid at all. "Gao Liangcheng! To put it bluntly, our Northern faction is the嫡脉 (dímài – direct line of descent), and I am the eldest grandson of the late Zhongguo Duke! Even the other branches recognize me! Now that I am old and powerful, you should abdicate and give way!"

"What if I don't let you?" Gao Liangcheng also became fierce. "I have been running Weichu for decades in the Southern faction. Unless you send a large army to take it, who can shake my foundation? Although the Great Song has hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers, they are not acclimatized and the roads are difficult. They may not be able to overturn me!"

"Then I won't overturn it." Gao Zhenshou was still calm. "Duan Heyu's sons are fighting for the throne and the country is in chaos. I will open the road from the north and lead 5,000 Zhao Song armored soldiers into the capital to abolish the old and establish the new, and take the position of Buxie myself… If you want to be a Buxie in one of Weichu's prefectures, then go ahead. What does it have to do with me? Even if you call yourself the Wuliang Mountain Buddha, the official family in Yanjing may be happy to give you an imperial decree… They are willing to seal even a stone, let alone a living person like Uncle who is in charge of a prefecture?"

Gao Liangcheng was dumbfounded, and then forcefully argued: "I still have Shanshan Prefecture (Kunming)."

"Shanshan Prefecture is a rare flat area, and the east is full of Hei barbarians who are not convinced by the Duan family and our Gao family… As long as I open the road and lead the Song army in, can you defend Shanshan Prefecture? Don't you know that the Yang family of the Hei barbarians has been recognizing relatives with the north and seeking to be granted the title of Duke?" Gao Zhenshou sneered even more.

"Zhenshou, you are 引狼入室 (yǐn láng rù shì – inviting a wolf into the house)." Gao Liangcheng lowered his voice. "If the Great Song comes in and the Yang family and the Hei barbarians rise up again, what good will it do to our Gao family? It will only be in vain to lose Shanshan Prefecture… Moreover, over time, Zhao Song will eventually annex the Duan family, and the position of Buxie will be in vain."

"In that case, why doesn't Uncle hand over Shanshan Prefecture and the position of Buxie to me?" Gao Zhenshou only found it ridiculous. "In this way, I will naturally not 引狼入室 (yǐn láng rù shì – invite a wolf into the house) again."

Gao Liangcheng could only sneer.

Seeing the other party's attitude, Gao Zhenshou also appeared straightforward:

"Uncle! The current situation is that you have Weichu, but no matter what, you can only retain one prefecture of Weichu in the future! And I only had the Tongmou Prefecture, and no matter what, it won't be less… Why shouldn't I fight?"

"Of the same clan…" Gao Liangcheng said helplessly, trying to act as a kind and earnest elder.

"Of the same clan! Of the same clan! Still 引狼入室 (yǐn láng rù shì – inviting a wolf into the house)? It sounds like we in the Northern faction have a share in Weichu and Shanshan for decades!" Gao Zhenshou became even more impatient. "Your Southern faction's handling of affairs is worse than the wolves in the north. At least they can trade fairly and treat each other with courtesy, and let my second brother pass the Jinshi examination all the way and be appointed to be a Zhi Prefecture, but your Southern faction has been guarding against us in the Northern faction like thieves for decades… The Northern and Southern factions are no longer one family! And all of this is the result of you, who came from a collateral lineage, clinging to power and refusing to leave!"

"We can't just talk about the private interests of the clan, we also have to talk about national affairs." Gao Liangcheng tried to make a final effort. "If you do this, what will happen to the national power of Dali?"

"That's about it!" Gao Zhenshou was completely annoyed. "It sounds like we didn't allow you and Duan Heyu to do great things… During the 交趾 (Jiāozhǐ - Ancient name for Vietnam) civil strife, you supported Weng Shenli, and military equipment, money, and food were poured out like flowing water, emptying the national treasury. Did it succeed in the end? Did our Northern faction hold back? How many years of accumulation from trading tea and copper with the north have been emptied by your methods!"

Gao Liangcheng sighed deeply and sat down on the newly enshrined Wuliang Jade Bi, not caring that the water splashed on his body.

"Uncle, there are some things we can only say here."

Seeing this situation, Gao Zhenshou also became gloomy. "Why did you support Weng Shenli regardless of the century-old friendship between Dali and 交趾 (Jiāozhǐ - Ancient name for Vietnam)? Do you really think I don't understand? Wasn't it because the power of the Zhao Song Northern Expedition and the Song-Jin decisive battle shocked you? Wasn't it because you saw the demise of the Great Liao and its westward march, and the rebirth of the Great Song, and you had some calculations in your hearts…"

"Yes." Gao Liangcheng looked tired. "Everyone rose up during the chaotic times of the late Tang Dynasty. After one or two hundred years, every one of them is worse than the previous generation, and their internal organs have been turned upside down. However, the Great Song fell quickly, and its revival was also fast. It looks like it has another momentum to unify the Eight Desolations, and each family naturally wants to seek its own survival. 西辽 (Xī Liáo - Western Liao Dynasty) is starting over, taking a different approach, and we are in a situation where a centipede dies but never falls down. Therefore, I discussed this strategy with Duan Heyu, thinking of swallowing the land and strengthening ourselves on the one hand, strengthening our depth, and 引祸水东南 (yǐn huò shuǐ dōng nán – diverting the floodwaters to the southeast) on the other hand, messing up 交趾 (Jiāozhǐ - Ancient name for Vietnam) and using it as a sacrifice to exchange for decades of peace for ourselves. But…"

"But to get to the root of it, haven't you already failed?" Gao Zhenshou interjected. "After fighting for four or five years, the national treasury was emptied, the people were exhausted, and the Hei barbarians are about to rebel again. As a result, we still failed. However, after the Great Song's Northern Expedition, they first spent seven or eight years repairing the Great River, and now their national power is abundant. They are pretending to have just freed up their hands and are looking around. It's Dali's turn to fall into their eyes… Therefore, Uncle, don't pretend. I don't believe you haven't prepared yourself."

"I naturally have considered it." Gao Liangcheng covered his face and said. "Moreover, I have secretly revealed it to that Wu Guojiu, and the Zhao official family in Yanjing probably knows it too… Zhenshou, if the Northern faction really has the intention to fight to the end, I will offer Dali!"

This time, it was Gao Zhenshou's turn to be dumbfounded and shocked on the spot.

"Why are you so surprised?" Gao Liangcheng put down his hand and asked calmly. "Anyway, if you win, I will at most retain one prefecture of Weichu. I can't be the Buxie, and I have to hand over the title of Duke to you… Why not take the initiative to discuss with the Zhao official family and become a serious Weichu Prince? The Zhao official family also hinted that if things go well, he will give me the Jinglong Prefecture and the Xiushan Commandery, and allow my second son to go out to Zhen Guangxi and be the Imperial Camp Commander, to start a branch and spread leaves in the Great Song, so as to avoid the internal problems of the North and South factions in Weichu."

"The Zhao official family has also promised me." Gao Zhenshou hesitated for a moment, but still reluctantly said. "He had a face-to-face conversation with Zhenming, saying that if one day, the lineage of Dali is no longer there, the Great Song will set up the Yunnan Road and only take the two prefectures of Shanshan and Jianchang as direct jurisdiction. If direct jurisdiction is not conducive to customs, he can also give these two prefectures to one of his sons, and everyone will serve this Zhao family prince as the common master… As for our Northern faction, in addition to the Tongmou Prefecture, we can also get the two commanderies of Shanju and Tengchong, and then become a serious hereditary Commandery Prince… The second son will naturally stay in the Great Song, and there will be many rewards in addition to being an official, and he will not compete with my son for the throne."

The uncle and nephew looked at each other and both felt a little dry.

After a moment, Gao Liangcheng continued to calculate in a low voice: "If we look at it this way… The Duan family can also keep the Dali Prefecture and the Yongchang Prefecture, and maybe Nengdong is also the Duan family's, and it is still a hereditary royal title… As for the Wu barbarians in the east, they must be allowed to be independent, and large families like the Yang family can also get a county to be a proper Commandery Prince."

"If that's the case… why can't we do it?" Gao Zhenshou thought for a while and stomped his foot hard next to the Jade Bi. "Each family can't lose anything…"

"It's not that we can't do it." Gao Liangcheng sighed. "But the Gao family's century-old hegemony and the Duan family's century-old foundation are going to be buried together… Shanshan Prefecture will also be gone."

"But in the current situation, can the Gao family's hegemony and the Duan family's foundation really continue?" Gao Zhenshou looked at the two people above the waterfall and shook his head repeatedly, and then waved his hand to his uncle. "This is a conspiracy."

"That's right, this is a conspiracy."

Gao Liangcheng stood up, grabbed his nephew's hand, and then pleaded: "That official family has seen that Dali is now empty, and it is divided into four… The Duan family, the Gao family's North and South factions, and the Eastern Wu barbarians are each governing themselves, fighting each other, and in chaos. Therefore, he is drawing a pie to satisfy himself and wants to take Shanshan Prefecture out of thin air and establish a Road. Not to mention the Wu barbarians, that is a real blood feud, but if our Gao family's North and South factions and the Duan family can unite as one, that official family will never send troops on a long journey and spend elite soldiers and money and food for a mere Shanshan Prefecture… The foundation of our ancestors can continue!"

Gao Zhenshou looked back at his uncle, and after a long silence, he said: "I don't want the position of Buxie anymore, and I don't want the jurisdiction of Shanshan Prefecture, but can you give me the title of Zhongguo Duke and the military power to suppress the Hei barbarians in Shanshan Prefecture? I have to go back and take things to convince Zhenming… He already considers himself a Song person."

Gao Liangcheng wanted to say something several times, but when he thought of his sons, he couldn't answer in the end.

Gao Zhenshou sighed and finally slowly withdrew his hand: "In that case, let's each talk to the Zhao official family."

"Good, good!" Gao Liangcheng also smiled bitterly, but he couldn't help but think of that sentence: "A centipede dies but never falls down. It's pretty good to be divided into two and keep the foundation."

A month later, the Zhao official family in Yanjing received a secret message. When he opened it, there was only one sentence:

"At the Wuliang Mountain Sword Debate, Wang Shixiong used His Majesty's prestige to subdue the enemy without fighting. The Dali Duan family is already incompetent."