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Chapter 149: The Three Emperors
"Your Majesty," Li Mi said, lowering his tone. "In times of great events, one must remain calm; in times of difficulty, one must be flexible; and in times of ease, one must exercise restraint. Now that we have taken control of Luoyang before Yang Guang's army arrives to encircle us, it is a blessing from heaven. We must act with caution at this moment.
I understand Your Majesty's hatred for the powerful families who play both sides, but such is the nature of the world. Did we not rise against the tyrant because he treated the noble families harshly? If we act in the same manner, how can we secure Luoyang? We will only lose it as well. I urge Your Majesty to think carefully."
Yang Xuangan sighed slowly. "Law Master, I can issue an edict, but what if someone disobeys it?
It is easy to kill them, but with a great enemy outside the city, if I recklessly execute my confidants, I will lose the hearts of my people and support from outside. If morale dissipates, it will lead to our downfall.
If I do not execute them, my edict will be seen as insignificant in the eyes of my soldiers, and defeat and surrender will become inevitable. What should I do in this dilemma?"
Li Mi was momentarily speechless but still advised, "Whether to kill a chicken to scare the monkey or to use a self-inflicted wound as a strategy, it is better than doing nothing at all. You must establish some rules; otherwise, how are we different from those bandits and rebels?
Your Majesty, we have come this far. If we take one more step forward, we will reach a vast expanse of opportunity. We cannot afford to relax now!"
Yang Xuangan remained silent for a long time before nodding. "You are right; I shall issue an edict immediately."
Li Mi hurried to announce the imperial decree but suddenly realized as he stepped out of the palace that Yang Xuangan did not truly wish to avoid responsibility; he was clearly waiting for Li Mi to take on this role of villain.
To kill a chicken to scare the monkey could involve those already playing both sides; using a self-inflicted wound could involve his own brother. Yet he was waiting for Li Mi to take action before reluctantly issuing the decree.
Li Mi couldn't help but feel disheartened. What had happened to Yang Xuangan?
Nevertheless, he conveyed the edict and promptly punished several individuals without showing any mercy. At this point, hesitating would only dampen morale further.
With Yang Xuangan's decree and Li Mi's unyielding pressure, they managed to temporarily suppress a group of newly elevated civil and military officials.
However, those who had occupied luxurious residences were unwilling to budge, while the noble families that had been driven away had already sought refuge with their relatives and no longer requested Yang Xuangan to return their homes.
It was a difficult situation with no pleasing either side.
...
On the side of the Sui Army, after Li Jian Cheng relinquished most of his military power, he found himself quite relaxed. Too many people needed to prove their loyalty to the emperor, and the emperor also felt that it would be inappropriate to further reward Li Jian Cheng.
Thus, he was not allowed to lead troops to attack the city. With only over twenty thousand elite soldiers left under his command, he naturally did not want to waste them in a futile siege, and he was quite pleased with this arrangement.
However, to prevent the emperor from being suspicious, he still deliberately displayed an eagerness for merit and clashed with Yuwen Shu. The conflict between their families escalated to the court, entangling them in endless disputes.
The emperor naturally favored Yuwen Shu, but he could not disregard Li Jian Cheng either. Moreover, having two trusted ministers in such a situation was something he welcomed.
Just when it seemed things would continue this way, the court received an urgent report: Yu Hang Liu Yuanjin had officially declared himself emperor in Wu County. Zhu Xie and Guan Chong were appointed as the Left and Right Ministers and officials were assigned.
Bandits from Piling, Dongyang, Kuaiji, and Jian'an responded by acknowledging him as the Son of Heaven. Liu Yuanjin took advantage of this momentum to march and seize these counties.
In an instant, there were three emperors in the realm. Yang Guang was naturally furious, while Zhang Suduo was currently engaged in a campaign against Guo Fangyu in Beihai County. After dealing with that, he would have to rush to pacify Zuo Xiaoyou in Qi County.
Thus, the emperor asked who would go to subdue Liu Yuanjin. Everyone hesitated; although Liu Yuanjin was not as formidable as Yang Xuangan, intelligence indicated that he commanded over a hundred thousand troops.
Li Jian Cheng and Yuwen Shu naturally recommended each other without reservation. In the end, it was clear that Yuwen Shu had more of the emperor's favor. Li Jian Cheng was ordered to lead his two thousand men immediately to suppress the rebellion.
With twenty thousand men going against over a hundred thousand, Li Jian Cheng hurriedly expressed concerns about insufficient troops potentially jeopardizing the mission. However, the emperor clearly did not take Liu Yuanjin seriously; he simply commanded Li Jian Cheng to lead the Jiangnan Road Twelve Prefectures as an envoy for recruitment and suppression along the way.
Thus, Li Jian Cheng had no choice but to set out on his mission. At this time, the benefits of the waterways constructed by the emperor became apparent; he could directly take a boat to the site of suppression.
Aside from Dan Xiongxin and Qin Shubao, Luo Yi also chose to accompany him. Although Luoyang was a tempting prize, it was evidently not something just anyone could easily bite into. Even if one managed to take a bite without a powerful background supporting them, they would struggle to swallow it down; Luo Yi understood this well.
With Dan Xiongxin and Qin Shubao's persuasion, he proactively approached Li Jian Cheng expressing his desire to follow the general and achieve merit. Naturally, no one cared about the fate of a middle-ranking officer.
Li Jian Cheng requested a transfer order from the Minister of War, and this matter was settled.
Before departing, Li Jian Cheng gazed at the magnificent Luoyang and felt that upon returning after subduing Liu Yuanjin, Luoyang would also be impenetrable unless there were further changes within.
However, this time he did not intend to intervene; he would just observe whether Your Majesty had what it took since this was his personally constructed Eastern Capital.
As he sailed downriver, Li Jian Cheng moved at a leisurely pace. He stopped at densely populated prefectures for recruitment and took the opportunity to meet some friends. Now that he held a prominent position, many sought his help in introducing them to influential acquaintances.
By the time they reached Danyang County, the army barely numbered fifty thousand. However, since they were recruited, their basic quality was quite impressive; at least their desire to fight and achieve merit was strong.
These thirty thousand needed weapons and armor. Li Jian Cheng had received an edict in advance, so he arranged for everything needed to be transported from Jiangdu. With weapons, armor, and warships at their disposal, they finally looked like a proper army.
After all, the opposing force was merely a rabble, and a shortsighted one at that. With bandits rising across the land, who among them dared to claim kingship or emperorship?
With Yang Xuangan attracting the court's attention, if Liu Yuanjin focused on developing his power, the emperor would not send troops to eliminate him anytime soon; he would simply be digging his own grave.
Among the fifty thousand troops, there were still twenty thousand elite soldiers who had fought fiercely against Yang Xuangan for months. The remaining thirty thousand may not have seen battle yet, but they were strong and healthy young men who had voluntarily enlisted to seek glory.
Although the enemy boasted a hundred thousand men, it was uncertain how many of them were forcibly conscripted. Many were frail old men and women holding wooden sticks and wearing tattered clothing.
The two most elite divisions of twenty thousand were placed under Dan Xiongxin's command to directly assault Wu County. Another twenty thousand were led by Qin Shubao to sweep through Piling and Yuhang, while the remaining ten thousand, along with Luo Yi's elite troops, advanced towards Dongyang in Kuaiji.
Li Jian Cheng leisurely enjoyed his time at Taihu, visiting reclusive scholars and listening to daily reports of victories. He would slightly embellish these accounts before sending them to the emperor.
Occasionally, there were assassination attempts against him, but the Death Warriors trained by Li Jian Cheng could even take down the Crown Prince. Therefore, he was never short of capable hands around him. Often it was only at night when his guards reported back that Li Jian Cheng would learn how many had died before even seeing him.
………………
(End of Chapter)
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