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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 169: Plain Clothes
Despite his words, he clearly had no intention of stopping Li Jian Cheng, allowing him to ride down to the city and express his desire to see the Emperor.
After waiting for a full half-hour, a sturdy basket was lowered from the city gate. Li Jian Cheng climbed in and was pulled up to the City Wall. The soldiers, covered in blood, wore expressions ranging from embarrassment to relief, each with their own thoughts.
Li Jian Cheng said nothing to them and headed straight for the Emperor's residence. The civil and military officials watched as he entered and solemnly bowed before the Emperor.
Yang Guang still bore signs of anger on his face, clearly not wanting to see Li Jian Cheng.
"Your Majesty," Li Jian Cheng began, "I have followed you since my youth for over ten years now. The previous Emperor appointed me as the Thousand Cattle Guard, and you have promoted me to Right General of the Imperial Guards, a position of great honor. This is all due to your grace towards me.
Today, with the situation perilous, I have brought troops here to protect you and safeguard the State, as a way to repay your kindness. Now that my wishes have been fulfilled, I am content.
I only hope that upon your safe return, you will invigorate the State, eradicate corruption, renew the world, restore internal order, and reestablish the authority of our Sui Dynasty.
Currently, Goguryeo is weary, but within the court there are bandits rising frequently, and outside threats from the Turkic tribes loom ominously. I believe that before we can repel external threats, we must first secure our internal affairs; the people are the foundation of the State. As the saying goes, water can carry a boat..."
"Enough!" The Emperor shouted angrily, standing up and pointing at Li Jian Cheng. "I do not need you to teach me how to govern."
The officials coldly observed this scene; today’s Li Jian Cheng was not unlike what they might become in the future.
Silently, Li Jian Cheng removed his armor and leather belt. Dressed in plain white clothing, he once again performed a grand bow and wordlessly exited.
The Emperor trembled with rage; it was clear that Li Jian Cheng intended to return all his awarded titles. If it weren't for Shibi Khan outside, he would have killed this disloyal and unfilial rebel today!
Li Jian Cheng dismounted from the City Wall, and Shibi Khan removed his cloak, riding up to him. "Come on, my brother. Together, there is nothing in this world we cannot achieve."
Although Li Jian Cheng had been prepared for this moment, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. The emperor had indeed promoted him, but his contributions were also undeniable.
However, in just a moment, Li Jian Cheng brushed aside those useless emotions. He accepted Shibi Khan's cloak and rode alongside him into the Turkic military formation, beginning an orderly retreat.
Meanwhile, reinforcements under Yun Dingxing's command surrounded the county city and led the officials and generals into the city to pay their respects to the emperor. When Yang Guang received news of the Turkic withdrawal, he finally felt a sense of relief.
With the life-and-death crisis gone, the emperor quickly considered how much this incident would damage his prestige. Repeated failures had already shaken his authority.
Upon learning that Li Shimin was among the reinforcements, he initially harbored thoughts of killing him but hesitated due to the connections of the Li family. In the past, he might have acted without restraint, but wantonly slaughtering nobles now would only worsen the situation.
He first harshly reprimanded Li Jian Cheng for being disloyal and unfilial, claiming he had long harbored rebellious intentions. He suggested that the Turkic invasion was deliberately orchestrated by Li Jian Cheng, shifting all blame onto him.
Then he promptly promoted Li Shimin to the rank of General of Cavalry and appointed him as the Silver Blue Grand Minister of Ceremonies, ordering him to inherit the title of Duke of Tang in the future.
Eager to return with his troops, he arrived at Taiyuan where Pushe Suwei reported: "The bandits continue their raids, and our soldiers and horses are exhausted. I urge Your Majesty to return swiftly to Xijing to strengthen our foundations for the sake of the State."
In this situation, stabilizing Guanlong was essential for any chance of restoring order across the realm. However, the emperor had never favored Chang'an, and Yuwen Shu advised: "Many officials and their families are in Eastern Capital; it would be wise to head towards Luoyang."
Ultimately, he chose to hastily return to Luoyang. After a good night's rest, he prepared to regain his composure. Yet the news that followed made it impossible for him to maintain his dignity; word had spread throughout Luoyang about the events surrounding Yanmen Siege.
Everyone praised Li Jian Cheng's loyalty and righteousness while expressing concern over whether he would be humiliated by the Turkic forces. Although no one openly criticized the emperor, subtle insinuations had become a common habit among scholars and common folk alike.
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"There are still many out there!"
Yuwen Shu understood immediately that the emperor felt the number of people killed in Luoyang last year was still too few. However, before the emperor could issue a decree to execute these bold troublemakers one by one, another matter presented itself.
The soldiers guarding Yanmen, as well as the reinforcements, all needed rewards, especially the soldiers defending the city, who should at least be promoted to the sixth rank.
This was clearly impossible; the court could not afford so many sixth-rank officials. Thus, the emperor summoned the courtiers for consultation. Suwei was already disappointed with the emperor, but he still remembered the Predecessor Emperor.
Therefore, he bluntly stated, "The merits are too great; the court cannot bear it and should reconsider."
But immediately, the generals guarding the city retorted, "The soldiers have obeyed orders; at this moment, they all look forward to rewards from the court as if they were waiting for rain. How can we reduce them?"
The emperor slammed the table and said, "Do you wish to buy people's hearts?"
With such harsh words, no matter how unwilling the generals were, they could only retreat. In the end, the emperor promised rewards for everyone, but only fifteen hundred of the bravest soldiers received them. Moreover, they were not granted proper sixth-rank titles but merely promoted from ninth-rank Trustworthy Officers.
Not only were their official positions and ranks diminished, but even the promised reward of a hundred pieces of cloth per person vanished. In other words, everyone fought desperately in battle and ended up with nothing.
Those fifteen hundred rewarded soldiers felt humiliated and threw the official uniforms issued by the court on the ground, refusing to wear them.
If even the defending soldiers felt this way, those reinforcements who had traveled thousands of miles received nothing at all. Everyone was filled with resentment.
The deeds of Li Jian Cheng became the focal point of their discussions. In their eyes, it was the emperor who had betrayed the sacrifices of all.
Li Shimin, keenly aware of the situation, realized that although his elder brother had left him with thirty thousand troops, the emperor would never send him to campaign against Taiyuan. Instead, he would only appoint trusted members of the royal family to strengthen the borders in places like Taiyuan and Mayi.
Thus, he remained silent, patiently waiting for an opportunity. He wrote letters home, staying alert and ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.
On the way back, Shibi Khan hosted banquets for Li Jian Cheng almost daily and continuously showered him with gifts. By the time they had traveled halfway, Li Jian Cheng had already acquired ten thousand sheep and over eight hundred slaves captured from Yanmen County.
Servants brought sizzling lamb from Shibi Khan's table, making the Turkic ministers and tribal leaders watching feel a pang of sorrow. Shibi Khan was never known for his amiable demeanor.
He was notoriously ruthless; anyone who displeased him faced severe consequences—mild punishments included severed hands or ears, while harsher ones involved being dragged by horses until nothing but remnants of flesh remained.
It was rare to see him treat anyone with such kindness; it was enough to make one’s teeth ache in disbelief.
Li Jian Cheng smiled in gratitude and engaged Shibi Khan in light-hearted conversation about amusing events from recent years. The two shared a remarkably harmonious rapport.
(End of Chapter)
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