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Chapter 138: Military Authority
Wei Wensheng looked at Li Jian Cheng, his expression darkening slightly, but he still advised, "The rebels are fierce, and your troops are mostly commoners. Although they wear armor, they are no match for the rebels. We have a combined force of one hundred thousand; we should discuss this further."
Li Jian Cheng's gaze fell on Wei Wensheng. "His Majesty has appointed me as the commander and has not issued an order to combine our forces."
In Chang'an, Wei Wensheng was the authoritative Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister of Justice, but outside of Chang'an, he had little leverage against Li Jian Cheng.
Wei Wensheng also understood that Li Jian Cheng was not under his command at the moment and recognized that his previous hardline stance had offended the Duke of Tang and his son. However, for the sake of the Sui Dynasty's state, he could no longer afford to care about his own reputation.
He led everyone into the tent and pulled Li Jian Cheng aside, speaking earnestly. "Jian Cheng, you are a young talent and a future pillar of the nation; this is known to all. Yet you have little experience in warfare, and Yang Xuangan is not to be underestimated.
Now, Chang'an can no longer send out troops. His Majesty's Valiant Fruit Army will take time to arrive. Although the Naval Forces from Come to Protect the Child are elite, without their leader in command, they are unlikely to match Yang Xuangan's strength.
If we combine our forces into one, with one hundred thousand troops threatening Yang Xuangan's rear, he will not dare to launch a large-scale attack on Luoyang. We can wait for Yuwen Shu to arrive with his troops before engaging in a decisive battle."
Despite Wei Wensheng's persuasive words, he essentially aimed to take away Li Jian Cheng's military authority under the guise of safeguarding the greater good.
Li Jian Cheng scanned the tent and noticed something interesting: his father, Li Yan, had not lifted his head since sitting down, while those seated behind and beside him far outnumbered those across from him.
"This is inappropriate. It is not that I am greedy for military power; it is simply that Minister Wei has already led seventy thousand troops to such a state of defeat. How can I easily hand over command?"
Wei Wensheng did not get angry; he merely explained, "There are many treacherous officials in Luoyang who have betrayed Imperial Favor and surrendered to the rebels. If I do not assist in breaking Yang Xuangan's siege, there will surely be great chaos within the city. Jian Cheng..."
Li Jian Cheng waved his hand dismissively. "Leave this discussion for His Majesty."
Wei Wensheng remained calm, believing that Li Jian Cheng was merely a young man full of ambition, wanting to command the troops for the Suppression of Rebellion. He said, "Then after the troops unite, you will still be in charge. I am willing to assist you from the side.
I have already passed seventy years, with little time left. I no longer care for fame and fortune; I only hope for peace in the world and for the State to endure."
Li Jian Cheng shook his head again and pointed outside. "Uniting the troops will only cause panic among the people. The remnants of the Minister of Rites' forces are only fit to defend the city."
The warmth on Wei Wensheng's face faded, replaced by a dark expression on his wrinkled old face. Li Jian Cheng showed no change in demeanor, even looking at him with a hint of disdain.
Wei Wensheng was tempted to order the capture of the lone Li Jian Cheng, forcing him to hand over command of the troops before writing to explain to His Majesty.
But glancing at Li Yan, who remained motionless below, he couldn't help but feel regret. He shouldn't have brought him along; not only had he offended Li Jian Cheng, but this man had quietly won over many generals to follow him.
People often said that Duke Tang's Residence was like a tiger raised by a dog, and even he subconsciously felt that Li Jian Cheng posed a greater threat. Thus, he chose to confine him in Chang'an while taking Li Yan into battle.
"Then I shall not speak further. However, let me make it clear: I will petition His Majesty to take command of the Chang'an reinforcements. When the imperial decree arrives, I hope that Li Langjun will not let his emotions lead to national ruin."
Li Jian Cheng smiled and replied, "Let it be known to the Minister of Rites that I have also written to His Majesty, accusing you of forming factions and suppressing loyalty. In just a short time, you have exhausted seventy thousand elite soldiers while allowing the rebels to grow to one hundred thousand."
"I have a clear conscience; His Majesty is wise and will surely see through your schemes."
"Then I shall not disturb you any longer."
Suddenly, Wei Wensheng turned to Li Yan and said, "Duke of Tang, your Lord is young and unwilling to heed an old man's words. Please persuade him."
Li Yan finally looked up and said, "That is inappropriate. My son has had his own opinions since childhood. Over these years, both in the capital and beyond, he has made significant contributions to both state and family. The Predecessor Emperor and His Majesty have often rewarded him. Today is precisely when he serves Sovereign Father; how can I allow my age to hinder him?"
Li Yan said to Li Jian Cheng, "My son is leaving. As a father, I hope you can defeat the enemies and restore peace to the country and its people."
"I will heed my father's teachings and remember them in my heart," Li Jian Cheng replied.
Wei Wensheng sighed inwardly, feeling helpless as if water could not wet him or needles could not pierce him. What could he do?
Before leaving, Li Jian Cheng addressed the generals who had come out to see him off, saying, "A general without strategy can lead a thousand troops to their doom; a commander without wisdom can harm ten thousand soldiers. Do you gentlemen agree?"
Since the mask of civility had been completely torn away, there was no need for mercy. The others exchanged glances and replied in unison, "What the Lord says is absolutely correct. We will jointly submit a petition!"
Inside the tent, only Wei Wensheng and Li Yan remained, having not gone out to see him off. Listening to the voices outside, Li Yan's expression did not change at all; he even smiled amiably at Wei Wensheng.
"The child is reckless; please forgive me, Minister of Rites."
Wei Wensheng shook his head. "I am not worried about this matter; I am only concerned about the bigger picture."
Li Yan nodded. "The Minister of Rites is loyal to the monarch and devoted to the country; His Majesty will surely recognize that."
Everyone was well aware that regardless of how badly Wei Wensheng had lost, just by exposing Yang Su's burning incident, he had vented a significant grievance for the emperor. Any other faults were hardly worth mentioning.
Moreover, Wei Wensheng had indeed fought valiantly against Yang Xuangan multiple times without regard for casualties, all for the sake of stabilizing the hearts of the people in Luoyang. Without him, perhaps chaos would have already erupted in Luoyang City.
However, this only meant that the emperor could forgive this incident. With Wei Wensheng having offended so many Noble Families of Guanlong and with the Li Family leading the charge against him, given the emperor's usual coldness, how long could he expect to be treated kindly? It seemed unlikely that he would have a good ending.
Yang Xuangan and Li Mi sat opposite each other. After Yang Jishan served the tea, he took a seat on the outer side. "Chang'an has sent reinforcements, and the commander is Li Jian Cheng. Is there a chance we can win him over? We three have been friends with him for many years. If we can make a strong promise, perhaps with him on our side, we might even be able to take Luoyang City."
Li Mi shook his head. "It's difficult."
It was indeed difficult. Li Jian Cheng was willing to follow Yang Xuangan in rebellion because his family had fallen from grace. Now in his thirties, he still held no power or influence, and given the emperor's attitude, it seemed likely that his noble title would soon be stripped away.
On the other hand, Li Jian Cheng had achieved great success and restored the prestige of Duke Tang's Residence. Although he occasionally faced suspicion from the emperor, once one reached that level, suspicion was inevitable; the imperial power had always been so paranoid.
Yang Jishan said, "Even if it's difficult, we must try. I will go personally; Li Jian Cheng is worth the risk."
Yang Xuangan suddenly remarked, "Now that I think about it, Li Jian Cheng seems to have anticipated today's situation long ago. When we met in Luoyang last time, he subtly lured me to consider rebellion."
"Isn't that even better? No one can stand Yang Guang, that tyrant. If he is willing, we could grant him power and titles as kings. With the alliance of Yang and Li, who knows? We might easily take not just Luoyang but even Chang'an."
(End of Chapter)
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