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After a moment, everyone withdrew, leaving only Li Jian Cheng behind at Yang Guang's request. Observing his respectful stance, Yang Guang felt quite satisfied but still asked, "Is there anything you like in this hall?"
Li Jian Cheng was unsure of Yang Guang's tone but could not hesitate or refuse to answer. Lowering his head, he replied, "Your Majesty's possessions are undoubtedly the finest treasures in the world, but they are not for a subject to gaze upon freely. Therefore, I have not paid much attention."
The hall fell silent for a moment, and Li Jian Cheng's heart raced as he felt an eternity pass before Yang Guang chuckled, "What is displayed over there is a tribute just received from the Western Regions. I quite like it and had intended to reward you with it if you fancied it."
Li Jian Cheng's heart did not settle; he continued to respond with the safest words possible. Serving the emperor was akin to walking with a tiger—one could prepare well and still receive no reward, yet a single misstep could lead to dire consequences.
When the time seemed right, Yang Guang said, "Go spend more time with the Crown Prince."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Yang Zhao had yet to be formally conferred as the Crown Prince and was waiting for the official ceremony next year during the First Year of Daye. However, as the Legitimate Eldest Son, the emperor had already allowed him to reside in the Eastern Palace, so all ministers referred to him as the Crown Prince.
Navigating through familiar paths to the Eastern Palace, Li Jian Cheng, as the Crown Prince's Inner Attendant, did not require much announcement to enter. The Crown Prince Yang Zhao had already come out to greet him personally.
Li Jian Cheng stepped forward and bowed. "I pay my respects to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Yang Zhao was five years older than him, now twenty-one years old. He was tall and resembled his parents but was slightly plumper and not as handsome. It was said that the Crown Prince possessed martial prowess and could shoot an arrow a hundred paces to pierce a willow.
Yang Zhao helped Li Jian Cheng up and said, "Jian Cheng, I told you not to be bound by formalities; just call me brother."
If Yang Guang had said this, Li Jian Cheng would have surely doubted it and worried it might be a subtle reprimand. But when Yang Zhao said it, he believed him.
This newly appointed Crown Prince did not resemble the emperor in character; instead, he bore a closer resemblance to his predecessor—noble in conduct and simple in lifestyle, loyal, humble, and compassionate.
This was not the kind of forced restraint exhibited by the current emperor but rather his natural disposition. Even as a child, he had earned praise from his predecessor: "Born to be an elder; who can teach him otherwise?"
Li Jian Cheng cheerfully called him brother. Yang Zhao contentedly led him to eat. The table held only two dishes, and he generously pushed one toward Li Jian Cheng. "I didn't know you were coming; had I known earlier, I would have instructed them to prepare another dish."
Looking at the simple old sofa and bedding nearby, Li Jian Cheng couldn't help but recall his past efforts when visiting Jin Wangfu; what he saw then was indeed reminiscent of today.
Yang Zhao Cai finished his meal, having eaten all the vegetables and poured some hot tea into his rice bowl. He quickly polished off another bowl, feeling a bit embarrassed as he put down his bamboo chopsticks and smiled, "I always feel like I can't get enough to eat, but Father Emperor has instructed me to eat less. I hope I haven't embarrassed you."
Li Jian Cheng chuckled and served him another half bowl of rice, saying, "Being able to eat is a blessing. Without such an appetite, how could a brother draw a strong bow?"
...
Han Wang Yang Liang finally received the news of the Emperor's death and the Crown Prince's ascension. He no longer hesitated and raised his banner in Jinyang.
With a name for his cause, amidst numerous suggestions from his subordinates, Han Wang ultimately chose a slogan proposed by a fool: "Yang Su rebels, clear the court!"
No one understood Han Wang's reasoning; since he was raising an army, why not directly target the Emperor instead of Yang Su? If the Emperor were to kill Yang Su first and clear the court himself, would they have to retreat?
Despite all attempts at persuasion, the final decision rested with Han Wang. Under such a slogan, only nineteen out of fifty-two states under Han Wang's control responded to the call.
However, he successfully gathered three hundred thousand troops, claiming to have six hundred thousand. With soldiers in place, it was time to decide on a battle strategy. Han Wang had never truly led an army before and could only rely on his generals for advice.
It was strategist Wang Yi who proposed a plan, privately speaking to Yang Liang: "The families of your officers are all in Guanshi. If you use them, it would be wise to advance swiftly and take the capital directly; as they say, 'a sudden thunderbolt catches one off guard.'"
"If you only wish to carve out territory in the old Qi lands, then you should rely on the Easterners."
In other words, if they wanted to attack Capital City directly, they needed to strongly ally with the Guanlong Aristocrats and appoint them as commanders for the western campaign. If successful, he could declare himself emperor.
But if he did not wish to become emperor and only wanted to secure a territory for self-preservation, then he should ally with the civil and military officials of Northern Qi and recruit the Wu Xing aristocracy as commanders for an eastern campaign.
Wang Yi felt he had made himself quite clear; unfortunately for him, his lord was Yang Liang. For him, making such a crucial decision regarding success or failure was exceedingly difficult.
After much hesitation without reaching a conclusion, he called upon a flurry of anxious subordinates for advice. Wang Yi's expression was grim but he could only endure.
Finally, after much discussion, someone noticed Han Wang's dilemma. An official suggested, "Your Highness has many troops now; it would be difficult for the court to respond suddenly. Why not divide your forces? Send your elite troops westward while your brave men recover the former territories of Qi State in the east."
Wang Yi shot that person a glare: "No! Dividing forces in battle is a grave mistake."
The man ignored Wang Yi and said, "I am willing to be the vanguard, to conquer the eastern side of the Yellow River at Puzhen Pass for the king, allowing our forces to advance straight towards the Capital Region. At that time, the Capital City will tremble and reveal its vulnerabilities, and then the Great Undertaking will be achieved!"
Yang Liang favored those who proactively proposed solutions and took responsibility for their execution. After inquiring about his name, he promoted Pei Wen'an to Duke, allowing him to lead the army directly to Puzhou City.
The plan for dividing troops was also set in motion. He ordered General Yu Gongli to march from Taigu to attack Heyang.
General Qi Liang led his troops out of Fukou, heading towards Liang, while General Liu Jian led his forces from Jingxing Pass to conquer the lands of Yan and Zhao. Duke Qiao Zhongkui commanded his army from Yanmen.
...
While Han Wang was gathering his forces, the court also assembled a large army. However, the emperor initially believed he could easily deceive Yang Liang into coming over, so he only gathered tens of thousands of troops at that moment, leaving the rest stationed at Capital City.
Yet Yang Guang issued an edict denouncing Han Wang for treason and announced that the court's three hundred thousand troops were about to launch an expedition for the Suppression of Rebellion.
The emperor appointed Left Minister Yang Su, Governor of Bingzhou and Hebei Circuit Pacification Envoy, to lead the troops into battle, intending to intercept the rebel forces on the northern bank of the Yellow River and wait for the Provincial Troops from various states to gather and eliminate Han Wang.
Additionally, the court dispatched Li Zixiong to Youzhou to mobilize troops with the aim of exterminating Han Wang's forces in Hebei and Henan.
Li Jian Cheng and Li Jingyu Culture were among those who marched with the army, each leading around one thousand eight hundred men. Yuwen Shu trusted Li Jian Cheng more than Yang Su and ordered Yuwen Huaji to hand over the troops to Li Jian Cheng, instructing him to achieve some military merit and return alive.
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