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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 115: No Attack
As Li Jian Cheng had anticipated, the Emperor ultimately did not allow the Duke of Chu and the future Duke of Tang to personally scale the city walls as the vanguard for the Death Warriors. Instead, he ordered them to remain behind to oversee the military and ensure that the three armies captured Liaodong City.
In the end, the Emperor returned to Six Harmonies City, leaving Li Jian Cheng, Yang Xuangan, Right Wing Guard General Xue Shixiong, Left Military Guard General Zhao Xiaocai, and Left Imperial Guard General Cui Hongxue in the tent.
Xue Shixiong dismissed the deputy commanders and others, and after a brief exchange of greetings, they were about to take their seats. Unanimously, they pushed Yang Xuangan into the main seat, as none among them had served under Yang Su without recognition, and none held a rank higher than that of the Duke of Chu.
After several attempts to decline, Yang Xuangan eventually sat down. The group did not rush to speak; instead, they took a moment to calm their minds and ponder the Emperor's intentions.
After a while, Cui Hongxue looked up at Yang Xuangan and said, "His Majesty is angry; we must capture Liaodong City as soon as possible."
Pei Wanxiong snorted coldly, "As long as Yang the Minister drives away that treacherous Envoy for Surrender, within two days, if The General does not take down Liaodong City, I would willingly face death!"
"Come now, let’s not speak in anger; we are all in this together."
Left Military Guard General Zhao Xiaocai tried to ease the tension but still applied pressure on Yang Xuangan: "We martial generals are ultimately external officials, unlike the Minister of Rites, who is a close advisor to His Majesty. As long as you can ensure we are not disturbed by that envoy, the credit will be yours."
Yang Xuangan weighed his options carefully. He truly wanted to return to military command. If he could seize this opportunity to regain power, it would be ideal. Moreover, the envoy sent by the court was an official from the Ministry of Rites, one of his subordinates.
After a moment of silence, Yang Xuangan turned to Li Jian Cheng: "Jian Cheng, what do you think? The Envoy for Surrender is Chen Wan; I remember he is an old acquaintance of yours. If we approach him together, he will surely give us face."
Looking around at everyone, Li Jian Cheng replied, "If it were up to me, there would be no need to attack Liaodong City. Let’s just put on a show and wait for news from Yuwen Shu."
Cui Hongxue, irritated, retorted, "No attack? It's easy for you to say that, Li Taishou. In the end, it will be our heads on the chopping block!"
"Oh, so we are to suppress the Envoy for Surrender and capture Liaodong City, just to prove that the delay in this battle is ultimately due to His Majesty's mistake?"
The faces of the three men turned from red to pale, and then they fell silent. Yang Xuangan hesitated and said, "But if we do not capture Liaodong, how can we explain it to His Majesty?"
"Our incompetence is still better than His Majesty being wrong."
Pei Wanxiong gritted his teeth and said, "Li Taishou is indeed extraordinary; no wonder he has attained such a high position at a young age."
Li Jian Cheng shrugged at him and replied, "If the general thinks Jian Cheng is wrong, then Jian Cheng will keep quiet, and everything will be decided by you."
"Cough, Li Langjun, please do not hold it against us rough men. What Lord said makes sense; we should certainly obey. Moreover, you are also the Emperor's appointed military supervisor; no one has the right to silence you."
Zhao Xiaocai was unwilling to let Li Jian Cheng escape unscathed. If he were not allowed to speak now, when His Majesty inquired later, he could easily explain himself.
After all, the five of them were on the same line now, which actually provided a sense of security.
He signaled Pei Wanxiong to behave; the three of them combined did not weigh as much as either of these two individuals. It would not be wise to offend them so easily.
Even if they passed this hurdle, if these two held a grudge against them, it would not only be bad for themselves but also for their descendants.
Pei Wanxiong stood up and cupped his hands toward Li Jian Cheng. "I apologize for my rashness; please do not take offense, Lord."
Li Jian Cheng also stood up in return and addressed everyone: "How could His Majesty, so magnificent, not know that this battle is not the fault of the three generals? The main reason lies in that imperial edict. However, since the Emperor's words are golden and were issued in front of the emissaries from various nations, how could we change them overnight?
Therefore, since the edict cannot be altered, we cannot attack Liaodong City. Of course, if any general is willing to sacrifice himself for the country and bear the responsibility of defying orders and deceiving His Majesty by ordering an assault on Liaodong City, that would also be a solution."
No one spoke again. Over the years, the Emperor's temperament had become clear; if he were to be humiliated in front of the emissaries from various nations, it would not be enough to appease his anger with just one life. The three clans would have to pay the price.
"Then let us heed Li Taishou's words for now."
"Agreed."
Yang Xuangan and Li Jian Cheng were now neighbors as they had wished. His gaze was fervent; with Li Jian Cheng's assistance, many things might become possible.
Initially, he had only wanted to try and win him over, but now he felt that it was essential. The more he thought about it, the more significant Li Jian Cheng's role seemed to be; it was certainly not limited to strategizing.
"Jian Cheng, thanks to you, we might have avoided a major disaster."
Li Jian Cheng sighed, "I would rather see His Majesty retract the edict than have the army intercepted here. The naval forces heading straight for Pyongyang are left with only self-defense capabilities. His Majesty is pinning his hopes on Yuwen Shu’s army. If only Lord Gao or Yang Gong were leading them."
"What a mediocre individual Yuwen Shu is! Brother, my foolish opinion is that this battle will likely end in failure."
Yang Xuangan was somewhat lacking in political matters but had indeed inherited Yang Su's military talent. His judgment of victory was gradually declining; it was already June, and the rainy season was approaching.
The two entered the tent, with personal guards stationed at the entrance. Yang Xuangan whispered, "His Majesty has become increasingly autocratic in recent years. Millions are subjected to endless corvée labor; it's no surprise that banditry has surged."
"Indeed, the burden of labor is too heavy. If this war continues to waste resources without achieving a great victory, banditry will become even more rampant, and the Turkic states in the western regions will take advantage of the chaos."
"Do you think there are signs of great unrest in the world?"
Li Jian Cheng shook his head and said, "Your Majesty still has the Million-Strong Army at hand. The common people fleeing and gathering together may seem formidable, but it only takes a few capable generals to quell the bandits. In a few years, it can be settled, unless..."
"Unless what?" Yang Xuangan asked, somewhat agitated. "Jian Cheng, we brothers speak privately; we will not let a third person know."
"Unless Your Majesty does not seek to stabilize the realm and intends to prepare an army to once again campaign against Goguryeo."
Upon hearing this, he felt that the Emperor would never act so recklessly, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that if it were indeed the current Emperor, he might very well do such a thing; acting out of the ordinary was his hallmark.
"Then... if that is the case, my Sui Dynasty's State and Dynasty would be in danger. This time, preparing an army for war has already forced rebellion across the land. If there is another campaign, I fear even local officials and noble families will rise in revolt."
Li Jian Cheng sat down and said, "Naturally. Not to mention other places; just in Zhuojun alone, within the seven counties, aside from a few noble families with legitimate offspring, I am the only Prefect left with some young guards in my office.
If next year Your Majesty expects me to draft young men for labor as I did this year and gather the required grain taxes, I truly do not know how I will report back."
Yang Xuangan quietly remarked, "If you cannot report back, Your Majesty will surely punish you severely."
"A skilled woman cannot cook without rice. I may still find a way to report back, but as for other counties, who knows how many will rebel."
………………
(End of Chapter)
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