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During this expedition, although the forces were divided into two routes, the Crown Prince still held the position of commander-in-chief. Thus, the report of achievements reached Yang Guang first before he presented it to the court.
Yang Guang's mind raced as he glanced at Changsun Sheng and then at Yang Su. Changsun Sheng felt a heavy weight in his heart, while Yang Su immediately spoke up, "In that case, we should minimize the impact of this battle."
This conflict was initiated by an invasion from the Turkic forces. On a larger scale, it was a national war concerning the Sui Dynasty; on a smaller scale, it was merely a border skirmish between two nations.
If the fighting dragged on with severe casualties on both sides, it would be impossible to conceal. However, both battlefields concluded swiftly, and the casualties on the Sui Dynasty's side were minimal.
This created room for maneuvering. Yang Guang had significant authority as the commander-in-chief to interpret the situation.
Yang Xuangan remarked, "For His Highness's Great Undertaking, how can we be stingy with our own merits?"
The remaining individuals turned their gazes toward Changsun Sheng. The credit for this battle primarily rested on him. Moreover, it was not solely his achievement; his subordinates had also fought fiercely for their own fame and fortune.
If a general did not advocate for his subordinates' merits, who would be willing to fight to the death for him in the future?
Yet Changsun Sheng found himself in a difficult position. The tide of events could not be reversed. Thus, he stepped forward and said, "I leave it entirely to Your Highness's discretion; the General has no objections."
The others could only echo their agreement. The battle was downplayed to a mere skirmish, and naturally, the merits were significantly diminished.
Yang Guang was well aware that his actions were somewhat unscrupulous. Therefore, he solemnly promised them, "I will not forget today's matters; there will be rewards in the future, and they are not far off!"
…………
Yang Guang ordered Yang Su to return to the capital while the army began its withdrawal. The provincial troops summoned from commoner territories also returned to their original homes. Changsun Sheng remained behind to pacify Qimin Khan and assist him in consolidating power over the remnants of the Turkic forces.
Upon returning to the capital, Yang Su immediately went to pay his respects to the Emperor. He summarized this battle simply: "The Turkic forces have retreated; they were never invaders but merely grazing their livestock."
Without boasting about the Crown Prince's military prowess, there was no reason to extol Han Wang either. Seeing how quickly matters had settled, Yang Jian instinctively believed it was merely a skirmish; otherwise, how could the Turkic forces have retreated so swiftly?
At the second meeting of the Celestial Empire, Yang Su reiterated this perspective. The court officials dared not question the current Left Minister, especially since many in court had already aligned themselves with Yang Su and naturally supported him.
Yang Su's accomplishments were finally acknowledged, and Yang Jian ordered the officials to discuss merits. As the primary contributor to this battle, Changsun Sheng was only promoted by one rank, awarded a position equivalent to the Chief of Staff of the Three Departments, and that was only due to his accumulated merits.
Li Jian Cheng, who had brought back the head of the Turkic commander, was merely regarded as the leader of a small Turkic tribe. After all, who was An Lisi Jin? It was clear that he was an unknown and incompetent figure, as he had not been heard of by the Sui Dynasty's rulers and ministers.
Thus, he was only promoted to the fifth rank as Deputy Chief of the Prince's Left Gate Guard, while He Ruobi was exonerated. Yang Su and others were merely rewarded with some money and silk, and there was no need to mention the rest.
As for Yang Liang's side, their contributions were naturally considered even smaller. However, they were not present at this moment, so they could not voice their grievances. Before their return, the court's rewards would be decided and communicated, and they would have to accept the decree with gratitude.
On the way back to the capital, Li Jian Cheng received news of his promotion and realized that this matter had been settled. The prince could use future promises to placate any dissatisfaction from the military, relying on Yang Su and Changsun Sheng's prestige as a guarantee.
Han Wang did not have such conditions. Yang Guang's maneuver was undeniably ruthless. This time, Yang Liang not only failed to win over his subordinates but would also face resentment. After all, the soldiers and officers below knew little about the intricacies of court politics.
They would only be focused on calculating their hard-earned merits from this battle and what it could bring for themselves and their families.
If their calculations did not match up or if they received a significant discount on their rewards, the consequences could be severe, leading to a substantial blow to the commanders' credibility.
Even those like Yang Su, who treated soldiers as expendable resources, understood that soldiers' contributions could not be overlooked; they would rather make up for it themselves than deprive others of their due rewards.
Since it was merely a border skirmish, there would be no grand victory celebrations. After settling the troops outside the city, everyone returned to the capital with the prince to pay respects to the emperor and return their military tokens.
Upon hearing news again, Yang Jian encouraged everyone and then hosted a banquet as per tradition, additionally rewarding them with gold and silver items since they had achieved victory.
By the time Han Wang returned to the capital, everything had already been settled. Yang Liang said nothing; having seen what happened to his older brothers before him, he was now hesitant to confront his cunning second brother.
However, Yang Liang was not just anyone; he controlled vast territories and could mint his own currency. He did not care much for court rewards. Yet for those who led troops into battle and fought hard, they needed to provide an explanation for their subordinates.
Among them, Shiwansui held the highest rank but had a notorious reputation in front of Yang Jian; thus he did not believe his words and dismissed him outright.
Shiwansui had previously been tasked in the seventeenth year of Kaihuang to suppress Cuan Wan in Nanning Prefecture. He crossed the West Er River into Qulan River and fought over a thousand miles, defeating more than thirty southwestern Qiang tribes and capturing over twenty thousand people.
The various tribes were terrified; Cuan Wan was forced to surrender once again. Shiwansui sent envoys back to report and requested permission to bring Cuan Wan into court. However, Cuan Wan feared that if they went, they might never return and thus bribed Shiwansui with several boats filled with gold, silver, and jewels.
His greed clouded his judgment, leading him to secretly release a great enemy. Shu Wang and Yang Xiu were the first to hear of it; however, he did not wish to report it, only thinking of sharing in the spoils, so he sent someone to demand two ships of treasures.
But Shiwansui was unwilling to share the wealth and worried that if Shu Wang knew, the Emperor would also find out. In a moment of desperation, he ordered all the treasures to be sunk in the river. Naturally, Shu Wang was filled with deep hatred for this act, and when Shiwansui returned to court, he presented the evidence of his crimes.
Yang Jian initially had no suspicions, but the following year, Cuan Wan rebelled again. This time, the court officials also began to impeach Shiwansui for accepting bribes and allowing thieves to flourish, showing a complete lack of integrity as ministers.
Yang Jian still wondered if there was a mistake and privately questioned Shiwansui multiple times. However, Shiwansui stubbornly denied receiving any bribes. Even when Cuan Wan's rebellion revealed everything, Shiwansui continued to refuse acknowledgment.
Angered, Yang Jian declared that whether he admitted it or not, he would execute him by dawn the next day!
Only then did Shiwansui fearfully confess. Crown Prince Yang Yong, Left Minister Gao Shan, and Left Guard General Yuan Min pleaded for him, saving him from death but resulting in his dismissal from office.
In truth, he was no different from He Ruobi; both had wronged the Emperor. Considering that he still had some military talent, he was allowed to achieve merit despite his crimes.
Such a person’s words could not be trusted; even if they spoke openly, Yang Jian would not believe them. This could not be blamed on the Emperor but rather on Shiwansui himself.
Since ancient times, there have not been many loyal ministers who set aside personal desires for the sake of the country. The more capable a general is, the more peculiar their temperament tends to be, making them difficult to get along with.
The court often employs individuals based on ability rather than virtue. If one were to truly assess virtue among all civil and military officials alongside the Emperor and Prince, none would be able to maintain their esteemed positions.
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