Yuchi Chong said, "To Great Kang, I am a treacherous minister who broke faith and betrayed his country. But to Great Yong, am I really a loyal minister either? I have spent my whole life in the saddle, guarding the Northern Frontier, yet in the end, I do not even have a place where I belong."
Hu Xiaotian said, "Father-in-law, why dwell on such things? Even if the Imperial Court cannot see your merits, the common people can. Had you not guarded the Northern Frontier and stopped the advance of the Black Hu people, once they broke through the Northern Frontier Defense Line, it would not just be the people of Great Yong who suffered. The entire Central Plains would be plunged into war."
Yuchi Chong said, "And what of it? History will never sing your praises simply because of what you have done."
Hu Xiaotian said, "Then why not write history yourself, Father-in-law?" After a pause, he added, "History is written by people, after all." His words were already a very plain hint to Yuchi Chong: if Yuchi Chong would join forces with him, sooner or later the Central Plains would be theirs. Once he unified the realm, Yuchi Chong would be a founding hero of the new order. What history said would then be theirs to decide.
Yuchi Chong slowly shook his head. "Do you want me to become a servant to three different masters?"
Hu Xiaotian said, "That is not my intention at all." Seeing Yuchi Chong still wavering, Hu Xiaotian steeled himself. It seemed that without a strong dose of medicine, Yuchi Chong would never resolve to join his camp. He asked respectfully, "Father-in-law, do you know about the situation between Li Chenzhou and Xue Daoming?"
Yuchi Chong nodded. "Of course." As a minister of Great