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Chapter 144: The Great General
Some suggested that Yang Xuangan should declare himself king first, while others felt it was too ostentatious. However, Li Zixiong spoke frankly, "Now that we have come this far, the world is watching. If we act timidly, how can we win people's hearts? It would be better to declare ourselves emperor, show grace to all, and build connections."
Wei Fusi and Li Mi opposed this idea, but when Yang Xuangan asked for their reasons, both fell silent.
Wei Fusi still looked down on Yang Xuangan in his heart, believing he had forced their hand with underhanded tactics and lacked the temperament to rule the world. Now that he had taken control of Luoyang, it was not due to his superior skills but merely seizing an opportunity.
Li Mi felt the situation was unusual. If everything happening in Luoyang City was orchestrated by them, it would be one thing; however, it was not. This meant there was another force at play, stirring the pot alongside the emperor and themselves.
In such circumstances, rashly declaring oneself emperor and inviting public debate would not bode well.
Yet he did not dare to speak out directly because his frequent objections had already caused discord between the three. Yang Xuangan preferred to consult Wei Fusi rather than involve him in many matters.
Having captured Luoyang, which he had long desired, Yang Xuangan's previous mindset of seeking a backup plan had vanished. He was now filled with ambition and even prepared to humiliate Li Jian Cheng in the future.
However, he knew that while he did not need advice on the battlefield, he had to consider Wei Fusi's and Li Mi's opinions regarding political affairs.
Thus, he specifically summoned both of them. Standing before Yang Guang's dragon throne, he occasionally reached out to touch the intricately detailed dragon scales on it. What did it matter if one held a high position? Who dared to touch this throne?
When the two arrived and saw this scene, they frowned in unison but said nothing.
Yang Xuangan turned to them and said, "Should I declare myself king or directly declare myself emperor? I need your consultation. There are only the three of us here, so please speak freely."
Wei Fusi remained silent. Yang Xuangan was used to this by now and did not feel angered. The garrison in Chang'an was led by the Prince of Dai, whose maternal family was the Wei Family; he still needed Wei Fusi's support in many areas.
He believed that capturing Luoyang was partly due to Wei Fusi's contributions. Little did he know that Wei Fusi used excuses of persuading relatives and old friends to send letters that were actually just a cover for Yang Xuangan's military maneuvers.
I never expected that Luoyang City would actually open.
Li Mi sighed and said, "In the past, when Chen Sheng wanted to declare himself king, Zhang Er advised against it but was rejected. Wei Wu sought the supreme position, and Xun Yu was executed for his opposition. Now, I want to speak frankly to Yang Gong, but I fear following in the footsteps of those two gentlemen. It is easy to flatter Yang Gong, yet that is not my true intention."
Yang Xuangan stepped down from the platform with great strides. "Master Fa, we are not Ruler and Minister; we are true friends who have raised the banner of righteousness together. How could I be so arrogant? Speak your mind without worry."
Li Mi looked at Yang Xuangan for a long time before saying, "Since we raised our arms, although we can say we have won many battles, only the Bandits have responded to us. The Prefectures remain unmoved and even repeatedly send Provincial Troops to suppress us. Given this situation, how can we claim kingship or emperorship?"
Yang Xuangan laughed upon hearing this. "I thought it was a serious flaw. Master Fa, there are certainly people in the Prefectures who secretly support us; it's just that I see the Eastern Capital has not fallen yet, so I let them remain silent."
"Now that we have taken control of Luoyang, this will encourage them to rise up in response and create momentum."
Li Mi showed no signs of relief. "With over one hundred and ninety counties in the world, do you think seventy or eighty counties will respond?"
Yang Xuangan's smile froze. If he had such strength, he would have rebelled long ago; why wait until Yang Guang was campaigning against Goguryeo to rise up?
"No."
"Twenty or thirty counties?"
"That should be the case."
"Should be?"
Yang Xuangan helplessly replied, "People's hearts are fickle. Those who promised me are these, but whether they will truly respond depends on the situation. Whether more or fewer is all normal."
Wei Fusi, filled with malice, said, "Then we should not issue orders for them to rise in response. We should wait until we have secured Guanzhong. At that time, two or three dozen prefectures can rally a hundred to respond; this is what we call the will of the people."
Li Mi showed no expression on his face and simply replied, "Although the defenses of the Eastern Capital are strong, reinforcements from across the land are increasing. You must stand firm and fight bravely to secure Guanzhong early. If you are too eager for self-respect now, won't that just invite ridicule from others?"
Yang Xuangan suppressed his anger and politely escorted the two out. Once they had left, he angrily sat down on the dragon throne but felt an itch in his back and could not sit still, unable to experience the joy of holding dominion over the world.
...
After Yang Xuangan settled in the Eastern Capital, the situation of offense and defense changed. Yang Jishan left a letter for Li Jian Cheng before retreating back to Luoyang City, while they positioned their troops at the city gates.
Li Jian Cheng read the letter and couldn't help but laugh. He said to everyone, "The Yang brothers are such rascals. In the past, when they offered me a royal title, I didn't even care for it. Now Yang Jishan actually claims that I am blind to my own fate and only worthy of a marquis title."
The people below laughed along, but it was clear that their smiles were forced. Originally, if Yang Xuangan could not break into Luoyang, he would be nothing more than a fish in a barrel.
However, once he entered Luoyang, there was potential for him to leap through the dragon gate.
At that moment, an envoy arrived to deliver an imperial decree. Li Jian Cheng led everyone in setting up an incense table to receive it. The content was generally consistent—expressions of loyalty and determination to overcome difficulties.
In short, everyone was promoted, especially Li Jian Cheng as the main general of the army; he was directly appointed as Right General of the Imperial Guards and granted a fief of a thousand households.
If things had gone according to plan, such a position would have taken at least another twenty years to achieve. Li Jian Cheng would have needed to inherit the title of Duke of Tang first, all while being the most loyal and understanding dog of the emperor.
But now, that was no longer necessary. There was no need even to win battles; as long as he did not lead his army to join Yang Xuangan and swept through all of Guanzhong, he would be regarded as a great contributor by the emperor.
Li Jian Cheng accepted the decree with gratitude; as Right General of the Imperial Guards, he became one of the twelve generals of the court's imperial guards, holding a third-rank military official position with authority over various matters and commanding all eagle soaring troops.
The Golden Purple Grand Minister held the rank of a second-grade official, while Li Jian Cheng was still the Crown Prince of the Duke of Tang. His position as a scattered official title had nearly reached its limit; beyond this, he could only aspire to honorary titles such as Duke, Prince, or Minister of Rites, akin to the Three Masters of the Crown Prince.
It was evident how urgent and helpless the Emperor felt; he had begun to fear.
Li Jian Cheng's army of eighty to ninety thousand might not seem like much, but it represented the stance of the Noble Families of Guanlong, at least a significant portion of them.
With Yang Xuangan seizing the Eastern Capital, proving his strength and fortune, he had qualified for and gained the opportunity to change dynasties. At this moment, representatives from various families would begin to place their bets.
Relatives would instinctively unite, even if their opinions were not entirely aligned. Thus, no matter how displeased Yang Xuangan felt, he had to endure Li Mi and Wei Fusi.
And what were Li Mi and Wei Fusi in front of Li Jian Cheng? For five or six years now, these two had been unworthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Li Jian Cheng.
Despite Yang Jishan's tough talk, as long as Li Jian Cheng expressed his stance, he would still have to wear a smiling face and present the title of Prince to him, begging him to accept it.
Of course, whether there would be retaliation in the future was another matter altogether. The Yang Family brothers were not known for their magnanimity.
…………
(End of Chapter)
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