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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 165 Yanmen
In Liaodong City, Li Jian Cheng found a rare moment of ease. Yang Guang could no longer be viewed through the lens of common sense; returning to his side would mean facing completely uncontrollable risks.
Historically, the Li Family managed to remain Safe and Sound until the right moment because their power had waned. Now, however, the current Li Family was clearly weaker than the Yuwen Family in the Court, with little difference compared to several other prominent families.
Given this situation, along with the ever-looming threat of Peach and Plum, Li Jian Cheng truly dared not return. Moreover, this time he would have to relinquish military power, rendering all his efforts futile.
Li Xiaogong said, "The court has already halted supplies, but fortunately, we have stockpiled a considerable amount of grain over the past few years."
"What is the response from the families in Zhuojun?"
"As always; they even hinted that they could help us purchase grain from nearby Prefecture and transport it to Liaodong City."
After listening, Li Jian Cheng nodded. This was the effect of Yang Xuangan, who had thoroughly exposed the foundations of the Sui Dynasty. Now, not only the noble families but even the common folk could guess that a change of dynasty was imminent.
Before Yang Xuangan, those who rebelled were mostly desperate Commoners. After him, rebellion was supported by noble families and even had ties to the Turkic people.
Currently, Li Jian Cheng commanded over a hundred thousand Troops, with thirty thousand being elite soldiers honed during the chaos of Yang Xuangan. Over forty thousand were from Zhang Hutan’s Yan Yun Iron Cavalry, along with more than fifty thousand from his Naval Forces.
Each soldier had survived numerous battles and was equipped with military resources left by the emperor from the second campaign. The grain supplies were those that Li Jian Cheng had intercepted while serving as Zhuojun Prefect.
If one were to calculate, he was now stronger than during Yang Xuangan's peak. After all, while Yang Xuangan had only hastily plotted for a year or two, Li Jian Cheng had been preparing for over a decade for this moment.
However, there were still issues. Most of his troops were from Guanzhong, while they were currently in Liaodong. In the short term, there was no problem, but over time, homesickness might incite unrest.
Thus, staying in Liaodong City was not a long-term solution; he needed to find a way back into the territory of the Sui Dynasty. Yet he could not return as a traitor, which was why he continued to feign compliance with the court.
Build High Walls, Amass Grain, and Delay Claiming the Throne—these strategies would never go wrong.
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The leader of the Eastern Sea Pirates, Peng Xiaocai, swept across Yishui. Meanwhile, Meng Rang, having plundered various counties from the bandits of Changbai Mountain, occupied the Lai Du Liang Palace. The bandit leader of Qi County, known as Zuo Xiaoyou, gathered tens of thousands at Dog Mountain. Leading them was Lu Mingyue, who proclaimed himself as the Supreme King and launched an attack on Huaiyang County.
The self-proclaimed Manticore King, Wang Xuba, led the Shanggu Bandit faction, while the Thief Leader Lu Mingxing, known as Li Shanfei, commanded over a hundred thousand followers. They connected with the Turkic tribes to the north and raided Yan and Zhao to the south.
In light of this situation, the emperor issued an edict due to the fleeing population and rampant banditry. He ordered the people to relocate into the cities, distributing nearby lands for cultivation. Fortifications were constructed around prefectures, relay stations, and villages.
Loyal ministers like Zhang Suduo worked tirelessly to save the state, rising to prominence within the court. Meanwhile, Li Jian Cheng's reputation became mixed; he had breached Liaodong and entered Pyongyang to kill Gao Yuan.
This was a matter that had occupied the minds of many in the Sui Dynasty for quite some time. He accomplished it without exhausting too many troops or resources from the court.
However, it was also true that he remained stationed in Liaodong and refused to return when summoned. Although he had reasonable justifications, it indicated that he was no longer considered a loyal minister by the emperor.
If this had happened before Yang Xuangan's rebellion, Li Jian Cheng would have certainly faced calls for his execution. Yet now, there was an eerie silence; the court did not supply him with provisions nor declared him a rebel.
As winter approached, heavy snowfall cut off trade routes, and news from Liaodong City dwindled. There were only occasional rumors that Li Jian Cheng was struggling to fend off Goguryeo forces.
In the eleventh year of Great Yandi, late spring arrived, and Liaodong City once again sought aid from the court. The emperor refused their plea and sent spies to gather intelligence. They discovered that Liaodong City was engaged in battle, leading to widespread speculation among officials.
However, soon their attention was diverted by the emperor's own plans; he was preparing for an expedition against the Turkic tribes. The court officials naturally opposed this idea, including Yuwen Shu.
The emperor grew furious at their incompetence. How could these inept individuals understand his intentions? With chaos reigning across the land and vassal states surrounding the Sui Dynasty stirring restlessly, Turkic tribes were at the forefront of this unrest.
Only by stabilizing Turkic relations could he ensure peace among other vassals and create a favorable environment for resolving internal issues. He hoped to send Shibi Khan to deal with Li Jian Cheng—driving away wolves and tigers would be ideal.
Thus, the emperor set out from Eastern Capital Luoyang with his concubines, civil and military officials, monks, Taoists, and tens of thousands of others. They traveled through Taiyuan and Yanmen on their way to the grasslands for another inspection of Turkic territories.
However, upon reaching Taiyuan, news arrived that Lancheng Town at the border urgently requested assistance; Turkic forces had suddenly launched a large-scale invasion, burning and pillaging. General Fan An'gui led his troops in retaliation but was defeated due to being outnumbered by Turkic cavalry. Fan An'gui fell in battle.
The emperor was both enraged and alarmed; memories of past Northern Expeditions flooded his mind. The Turkic princes had once knelt before him under Qimin Khan’s leadership, clearing wild grass with utmost respect.
Determined not to retreat, the emperor resolved to personally teach Shibi Khan a lesson—to make him understand who truly was the Sage Khan and instill in him the same respect his father had shown.
Of course, he was aware that the situation was not as favorable as it seemed, so he issued a decree to prepare some valuable gifts, intending to offer them as a gesture of appeasement after the confrontation.
The Emperor optimistically ignored the warnings from the Governor of Loufan County and continued his advance toward the grasslands. Shibi Khan also sent a letter stating that he would soon come to pay his respects.
Upon reaching the edge of the Great Wall, the Emperor ordered the establishment of a camp. Indeed, he could not afford to lose face. However, just as the camp was beginning to take shape, he received a letter from Shibi Khan's wife, Princess Yicheng of the court.
Shibi Khan was not coming to pay his respects; instead, he intended to launch an attack on the Emperor. Scouts reported back that a large number of Turkic Cavalry were ahead—an overwhelming force, countless in number, only two or three days' journey from the Imperial Decree.
The Emperor felt as if he had fallen into an ice pit. He did not have a million-strong army accompanying him. Under the persuasion of his courtiers, he hurriedly ordered a retreat to the nearest Yanmen Pass fortress.
In the two or three hundred miles of travel, the Emperor rarely felt clear-headed. He discarded most of his heavy baggage—the magnificent Guanfeng Hall, the mobile castle, and all the instruments and gifts prepared for Shibi Khan were left behind.
Thus, he managed to enter Yanmen Pass ahead of the pursuing Turkic Cavalry. A day later, they found themselves surrounded by dense ranks of Turkic Cavalry outside the city; they had been completely encircled.
A rough estimate indicated there were over two hundred thousand troops, and more were continuously arriving. Yang Guang could hardly believe that the Ashina Clan, which relied on the Sui Empire's support to secure its position as Turkic Khagan, had quietly amassed such a vast force.
At this moment, the combined strength of the Yanmen Army and civilians was only about one hundred fifty thousand people, and the Yanmen fortress was far less grand and sturdy than Liaodong City; Turkic arrows could easily reach the city walls.
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(End of Chapter)
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