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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 129: Withdrawal of Troops
This time, it was not necessary for Yang Xuangan to speak. Wei Prefect Zhao Huaiyi said, "Last month, the Tyrant issued an order to summon one hundred thousand Commoners to repair Chang'an. With these one hundred thousand young men added to the original garrison of Chang'an, it is not something we can easily conquer."
To say it cannot be easily conquered actually means they are afraid of harming their own Sorcerer morale. Unless there is a high-ranking official inside to assist in opening the city gates, there is no chance of taking it.
"The Law Master has more to say."
Li Mi did not hesitate at all: "Let us gather an elite force, march day and night, and seize the Eastern Capital to command the four corners!"
Liang is not far from the Eastern Capital Luoyang, making this plan more feasible than the previous two. After some discussion, everyone nodded in agreement that this plan could work.
At this moment, Li Mi also proactively revealed the key to this plan: "If we cannot succeed within a Hundred Days, troops from all over the world will surely come."
The expressions of the crowd did not change much; they were rebels, not Suppressors of Rebellion, and being at a disadvantage was perfectly normal.
Yang Xuangan said, "Currently, the Officials' families are in the Eastern Capital. If we take it first, it will be enough to sway their hearts. Moreover, if we cannot capture the city, how can we demonstrate our might? This public plan is indeed the best strategy."
There was no way around it; his eight thousand elite troops would naturally follow him anywhere. However, leading the remaining forcibly conscripted Commoner youths to nearby Luoyang was manageable. If they attempted a long-distance raid on Zhuojun or Chang'an, they would likely flee halfway through.
Only by attacking Luoyang could they establish their authority and differentiate themselves from those rebellious bandits. They were true Sovereigns aiming to seize power and change dynasties, which would attract heroes from Shandong and Henei to join them.
After determining the route, Yang Xuangan performed a sacrifice with three animals the next day and vowed to the crowd: "The Sovereign is tyrannical and does not care for the people. The world is in turmoil, and countless lives have been lost in Liaodong. Today, I rise with you all to save the suffering people. What do you think?"
Yang Xuanting and Yang Jishan led the Yang Family Guardians below in response: "Punish the tyrants! Save the people! Long live! Long live!"
As more and more people echoed this call, even those forcibly conscripted Commoners momentarily forgot everything else and began to shout along with those around them until they were suddenly startled awake by their own passionate voices.
This is rebellion! Some were afraid but dared not act; they only wanted to go with the flow. Others were determined to find an opportunity to escape and absolutely did not wish to become rebels. There were also those who believed that their chance for fame had arrived.
After swearing allegiance and raising flags, Yang Xuangan immediately ordered Yang Xuanting to lead three thousand troops out from the northern foot of Mang Mountain towards Luoyang. He also commanded Yang Jishan to lead five thousand troops from Yanshi along the Luo River towards Luoyang while he himself led the remaining forces directly toward Luoyang.
At this moment, although the Emperor was perplexed by the shortage of supplies, his plan for the Fish Grand Road was progressing smoothly. In just a few days, Liaodong City would be captured.
However, on this day, the Emperor received a secret report stating that Come to Protect the Child had rebelled, but there was no solid evidence. Although the Emperor felt some suspicion, he did not issue an order demanding Come to Protect the Child return and relinquish military power.
He found it hard to believe that Come to Protect the Child would betray him. If there were any movements, Yuwen Shu would surely respond rather than report from behind without warning.
At this time, Li Jian Cheng's memorial also arrived. Besides expressing gratitude, it served as a reminder for him to be cautious of Yang Xuangan.
The Emperor grew even more confused and somewhat irritated. It had only been a short time since he set out for battle, and already these people were turning against each other. Especially Li Jian Cheng; while he was in Filial Mourning, he had moved to Yang Xuangan's side. The Emperor could not appoint him to replace Yang Xuangan.
Then came reports from various Prefects about sudden appearances of children's rhymes and omens. The Emperor felt an unsettling sense that something was amiss; after this battle, he would need to stabilize his position in the Eastern Capital for a while.
In a foul mood, the Emperor ordered the front-line soldiers to accelerate their pace. Under his supervision, Liaodong City was on the verge of collapse. By noon, the City Wall had even been scaled by the Sui Army, just a hair's breadth away from being breached.
Just as the Emperor's mind began to settle somewhat, a cloud of dust heralded a cavalry unit bursting into the Sui Army's camp, swiftly delivering a secret report.
Duke of Chu, Minister of Rites, Yang Xuangan has rebelled and is advancing towards Eastern Capital Luoyang!
Yang Guang's expression changed drastically. His first thought was of supplies; if the grain officer had rebelled, then they could no longer rely on supplies. The needs of a million-strong army could not be met by plundering just a few cities from Goguryeo.
Then there were the consequences if Eastern Capital fell. The estates and families of his trusted ministers had almost all relocated to Luoyang. If Luoyang were occupied by Yang Xuangan, he could not trust even his closest confidants regarding their wives and children.
The Emperor immediately summoned civil and military officials. Once everyone had gathered and he explained the situation, all were shocked. The Deputy Minister of War Huszheng looked particularly grim; he had thought Yang Xuangan was merely requesting that his two brothers be reassigned to the Central Plains out of fear of battle, never suspecting it was a conspiracy to rebel.
No one could have imagined such a thing.
What one fears often comes true. The Minister of Personnel immediately said, "I remember that the traitor Yang Xuangan's two brothers came with the army; they should be captured at once and executed without mercy!"
The Emperor promptly approved this course of action. Huszheng knew that it would soon lead back to him and stepped forward in righteous indignation before turning to leave the imperial tent with an air of determination to apprehend them.
Killing out of anger would not solve the fundamental problem, but abandoning the advantageous situation in Liaodong was something the Emperor refused to accept. He understood that it was precisely because of his previous failure that Yang Xuangan and others had gained the audacity to rebel.
The civil officials urged the return to court, while the military generals insisted on fighting for another two days, saying they could capture Liaodong City and then return.
"Your Majesty, the rebels have attacked the Eastern Capital. This is a problem for our Sui Dynasty and Confidant, while Goguryeo is merely defending its city. It is not a significant threat; how can we risk losing much for something small? Speed is of the essence; we should immediately return to quell the rebellion."
"Your Majesty, Liaodong City is on the verge of collapse. Give me two more days, and I will surely conquer it. Then we can return with a victorious army. The rebels are not worth mentioning; if we miss this opportunity, Goguryeo will become a major threat."
The crowd argued until nightfall when someone remembered Huszheng: "It's just about capturing a couple of young ones. Why hasn't Deputy Minister Hu returned yet?"
The emperor's heart skipped a beat as he suddenly recalled that Huszheng and Yang Xuangan seemed to be quite close. He hurriedly ordered someone to search for them, only to receive news that Huszheng had left the camp with the Guardians under the pretense of delivering an imperial decree, heading towards Pyongyang.
What this implied was clear without further explanation. The emperor commanded Imperial Architect Yan Pi to lead two thousand cavalry to pursue them swiftly, but it seemed impossible to catch up.
The Deputy Minister of War knew too much. The emperor had learned his lesson this time and did not disclose all his strategies, especially since there were issues at the rear and news of food shortages in the army was critical.
At this moment, the emperor could no longer afford to be furious. Looking at the chaotic scene below among the civil and military officials, he knew that the final decision rested solely with him.
"Withdraw the troops tonight! Retreat lightly without taking any supplies; arrange it immediately!"
………………
(End of Chapter)
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