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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 157: Danger
Once again, the Emperor proposed the plan that had already cost the Sui Dynasty half its life; he was preparing for the Three Expeditions against Goguryeo.
"What's wrong? Has everyone gone mute?"
In response to the Emperor's question, Yuwen Shu and others quickly offered their flattery, while the rest remained silent, their silence a final act of resistance.
However, this only made the Emperor aware of their weakness; those who are weak do not deserve attention.
Yet, he had to maintain a facade of civility. The Emperor's explanation was brief: "The Yellow Emperor fought fifty-two battles, Cheng Tang waged twenty-seven campaigns; only then did they earn the respect of the feudal lords and enforce their will across the realm."
The implication was clear: even sages like the Yellow Emperor and Cheng Tang did not achieve success in one go, so everyone should not be discouraged by two failures.
The Emperor was willing to lower himself to appease them simply because those who disobeyed in court were executed; it would be unreasonable to kill off all those who complied.
Thus, the matter was settled. The Emperor officially issued an edict for each Prefecture to mobilize troops and gather supplies once again, following last year's procedures.
At that moment, in Chang'an, the nursery rhyme from the Peach and Plum Chapter began circulating once more. Yuwen Shu and others wasted no time in directing their accusations at Duke Tang's Residence, clearly indicating that they had deliberately brought up this old issue.
Li Jian Cheng did not become flustered; just as he would take this opportunity to strike back at Yuwen Shu, Yuwen Shu would not miss the chance to completely eliminate Li Jian Cheng now that he had regained significant power after dealing with Yang Xuangan's remnants.
The prophecies Li Jian Cheng had previously put forth had some impact, but given the short time frame, the Emperor merely used this as an excuse to eliminate a few individuals he had long wanted to dispose of without raising too much suspicion.
Compared to the long-standing prophecies of the Peach and Plum Chapter and Li Hong, his influence was still lacking.
Fortunately, Li Jian Cheng reacted quickly; after all, there were no Li Hun or Li Min to shield him from disaster now, so he had long prepared a contingency plan.
"Chang Yunxing is Maojin Blade, known as Ten Thousand Days; Liu Clan should serve under the Ten Thousand Sun Emperor."
"The Han Dynasty Restoration is on the rise; with a foundation laid by the system, we shall refine our virtues and follow in the footsteps of the Red Emperor into the next era of Sui!"
In the city of Chang'an, there were even rumors that outside the city, on the mountains, a white snake over ten feet long awaited Liu Consort to slay it and fulfill Destiny.
The Maojin Blade had appeared since Wang Mang usurped the Nation, and Emperor Guangwu had proven that sending troops to capture the unorthodox was a matter of restoring virtue for the Son of Heaven.
After the Eastern Han, figures like Zhang Chang, Liu Ni, Liu Mangdang, Liu Li, and Liu Lingzhu rose in rebellion. Even during the Three Kingdoms period, when Liu Bei established Shu Han, and at the end of Western Jin with Liu Yuan, Liu Gen, and Wang Mi rising against Jin, all were conducted under the banner of "Maojin Blade" and "Han Dynasty Restoration."
Li Jian Cheng kept this matter for last as a precaution against political rivals.
Before the emperor could react, Yuwen Shu and others struck again. "Under the Poplar Tree, a pool of water; if decided, it flows; if undecided, it drips."
The implication was clear: Yang Family's World would either be replaced by the Liu Clan or eliminated by the Li Family.
It was evident that they would not allow the Li Family to remain uninvolved. The sensitive and suspicious emperor ordered an investigation into the masterminds behind this but wondered if his trusted ministers would report themselves.
Clearly not. Yuwen Shu informed the emperor that these nursery rhymes were sung by a monk in Chang'an, but those two individuals had already vanished without a trace.
Yuwen Shu was not afraid of trouble; after all, those who died would either be surnamed Li or Liu—what did it have to do with him and his Yuwen Family?
The emperor had no choice but to believe it. He summoned renowned diviners and High Monks from Chang'an to interpret the omens. Although Li Jian Cheng had never lacked offerings for incense, since Yuwen Shu had set up this scheme, he must have been prepared.
Thus, Duke Tang's Residence became the center of attention once again. Li Yan and Li Jian Cheng immediately entered the palace to pay their respects, stating that they were already in mourning for their father. Given the national crisis, they requested His Majesty's mercy to allow them to resign from their posts and continue their filial mourning.
Yang Guang looked at the two before him. Li Yan was hardly commendable—lacking both literary and martial prowess—while Li Jian Cheng had some ability. However, he had also found out that he was not skilled in military affairs; his victories against Yang Xuangan and in pacifying Liu Yuanjin relied on borrowing two Fierce Generals from Zhang Suduo.
But the court could not withstand another noble rebellion; he had little trust left. Yang Guang's gaze grew colder.
At that moment, a eunuch burst into the hall and announced, "Your Majesty, there is an urgent report from the Ministry of War; the Minister of War requests an audience."
"Pass it on."
Soon, the Minister of War hurried in and said, "Your Majesty, the Fengfeng Bandit Leader, Tang Bi, has proclaimed Li Hong as the Emperor, establishing the Tang dynasty with an army of one hundred thousand!"
Li Hong. The name sent a shiver through Yang Guang, but it was quickly replaced by fury. Li Jian Cheng bowed and declared, "I am willing to lead troops to eliminate the bandits for Your Majesty!"
Yang Guang looked deeply at Li Jian Cheng and asked, "How many troops do you need?"
"I am well aware of my limited abilities. Although the enemy is merely a rabble, I wish to ensure absolute success. Therefore, I request fifty thousand troops from Your Majesty."
However, Yuwen Shu immediately interjected, "The army is currently preparing to campaign against Goguryeo. How can we spare fifty thousand troops to deal with a group of rabble? I only need twenty thousand!"
Yuwen Shu did not want Li Jian Cheng to lead the troops any longer. The emperor shared this sentiment but did not assign Yuwen Shu to command either; instead, he appointed someone else.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Yuwen Shu; rather, it was because he trusted him too much that he couldn't spare him from the campaign against Goguryeo.
Yang Guang looked at Li Yan and Li Jian Cheng and said, "You two have served the country well. How could I abandon your merits based on rumors?"
"Your Majesty is wise. My father and I will do our utmost to repay your Imperial Favor."
Yang Guang dismissed them and pondered as he watched Li Jian Cheng's retreating figure. He thought about whether he could truly rely on him or if it would be better to use him for now. When the time came for his grand plans, he would ensure that Li Jian Cheng accompanied him to his grave—thus fulfilling the proper relationship between ruler and minister.
Li Jian Cheng felt a chill run down his back. He didn't need to think too hard to know that there were ill intentions behind this. But such days would soon be over.
No one would look at me like this again. Never again!
After returning home, Li Yan asked, "Is that Li Hong one of yours?"
Li Jian Cheng shook his head. "No, but Tang Bi is my man."
Li Shimin and Li Yuanji walked in, their faces and hands covered in dirt and injuries. At their age, they understood many things, yet they felt powerless, only able to vent their frustrations to each other.
Li Shimin whispered, "Are we to live in fear for the rest of our lives? Whenever someone sings 'Peach and Plum,' our family has to dance on the edge of the abyss. If that's the case, I'd rather die outright!"
Li Yuanji's eyes were also red as he replied, "The Yang Family can rebel; so can we, Father, Brother. I'm ready to fight at any moment!"
Li Yan felt a sense of pride; his sons were not cowards. Perhaps, just perhaps...
Li Jian Cheng snorted coldly. "You dare to say such things? Do you want to make our family’s situation even more dangerous? Get out!"
"Brother!"
"Brother!"
"Get out! Those who should practice martial arts, go practice. Those who should study military strategy, go study. Without a calm mind, how can we dare to discuss great matters?"
"Hmph!"
……………
(End of Chapter)
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