Throughout the first half of the ninth year of Daye, the Sui region was in a state of chaos.
It was not just Yang Xuangan's rebellion that triggered regional military conflicts and turmoil.
The same is true in terms of public opinion. With all kinds of rumors flying all over the sky, everyone's minds are confused.
Even Wu Dong was shocked by the violent information released by the suspected Yin Kui sect.
"Brother Wu Dong, what do you think we should do now?"
In the meeting hall of Wagang Village, the big leader Zhai Rang looked at Wu Dong eagerly.
It's just that his eyes looked rather blank without focus.
In fact, this is Zhai Rang's true mental state at this time.
There were so many rumors outside that he didn't know whether to believe it or not, and which rumor he should trust?
I used to think that Yang Xuangan's rebellion was a good thing, but it was indeed very good for the Wagang Army.
But he couldn't figure out how many powerful families in the hinterland of the Central Plains were involved.
Regardless of the rumors released by Wu Dong, it was said that Yang Xuangan's rebellion was a dispute between the Longyou military aristocracy and Yang Guang. No one could tell what the actual situation was.
The place where Yang Xuangan rebelled was Liyang, which was the core hinterland of the Central Plains.
Without the secret support of powerful families with great influence in the hinterland of the Central Plains, would he dare to raise his flag here?
If the Wagang Army expands its territory at this time, will there be any bad consequences?
If the plans of certain forces are spoiled, a violent blow like a storm will come.
With Zhai Rang's ability and vision, he couldn't see the twists and turns inside.
Not only him, but also Xu Shiji, who was eager to try, was also a little confused.
Because the court and the Jianghu are closely connected, Jianghu factors must be taken into consideration when considering the regional situation.
But the situation in the world at this time is also confusing.
First, Wu Dong, who had been hiding behind the scenes, opened fire and pointed his finger directly at Buddhism, which made Buddhism quite embarrassed.
As a result, Buddhism escaped disaster with the help of Yang Guang's incident, but recent rumors in the world have implicated Buddhism again.
This time, it was a major event directly related to Sui Emperor Yang Guang.
In addition, the Demon Sect, Dao Sect and some martial arts sects showed signs of trying to fish in troubled waters, and a lot of rumors were released, causing chaos throughout the world.
Obviously, Zhai Rang could not see the specific situation clearly at this time and did not dare to lead the Wagang Army to make trouble easily, otherwise it might lead to bad consequences.
He ignored all the Wagang elders and asked Wu Dong by name.
Xu Shiji and Shan Xiongxin also looked over, and only the three of them knew that the person who had a strong say in the world, but had always hidden the existence behind the scenes, was Wu Dong in front of them.
How can I say that someone who can stir up trouble in the world with just a rumor, and even directly denounce the existence of Yang Guang's useless snacks, can always make certain situations clear from the current chaotic situation, right?
"We, the Wagang Army, can't do much!"
Wu Dong chuckled and said: "At this time, I am afraid that Yang Guang will vent all his anger on Yang Xuangan!"
"So, no matter how strong Yang Xuangan's momentum is at this time, facing the impact of Yang Guang's elite Sui army, he will definitely lose!"
"It is said that Yang Xuangan has the courage of an overlord, but looking at the current situation, he does not have the military talent of an overlord!"
Having said this, he looked around and said slowly: "When the time comes, Yang Xuangan's defeated troops will definitely be indispensable. They are all elite men of the Sui army. How about we just fish in troubled waters and gather some of them?"
Originally, upon hearing Wu Dong's words that he did not want the Wagang Army to make too much noise, some elders wanted to refute, and even ridiculed Wu Dong's courage.
But hearing that Sui Emperor Yang Guang was full of anger at this time, he immediately stopped all his thoughts and ideas.
Despite the rumors in the world that belittled Yang Guang as worthless, in fact, the strength Yang Guang possessed was still the most powerful in the entire Sui Dynasty.
It's just that if you want to rely on the power you have in your hands to coerce the world, it's just beyond your power.
But if Yang Guang specifically targets any force, no one in the entire Sui Dynasty can stand it.
Although the Wagang elders have raised the flag of rebellion, it does not mean that they are willing to fight directly with the elite Sui troops commanded by Yang Guang. The chances of winning are too low and the gains are not worth the losses.
Now that I heard that there was an opportunity to recruit soldiers from the defeated Sui army, I immediately became interested.
As mentioned earlier, there is no doubt about the combat effectiveness of the Sui army's officers and soldiers.
What the Wagang Army lacks most right now is not food, grass or ordnance, but the training and tactics of the regular army.
To put it bluntly, the Wagang Army was an out-and-out rabble at this time.
That is why Wu Dong's troops were different. They were trained according to what he understood to be a regular army's training method. As for whether they were stronger or weaker than the Sui army, it was difficult to say without having fought against them.
But the rest of the senator's men are soldiers who are in urgent need of familiarity with formal training and combat.
In the past, there was no way, even if the Wagang Army wanted to recruit Sui Army officers and soldiers, it was difficult, but now the situation is different.
Who is Yang Xuangan? His father Yang Su is an absolutely powerful minister in the early days of Yang Guang's accession to the throne.
Not only can he control the situation in the court, but his prestige in the military is not a joke either.
The core of Yang Xuangan's soldiers are the private soldiers of the Yang Su family. They are quite powerful in combat, and some of them are terrifyingly rich in combat experience.
If we can absorb some of the elite Sui troops who followed Yang Xuangan in rebellion (the Wagang elders only dared to have such great ambitions), then the harvest would be huge.
The unit can quickly move towards the regular Sui army, and the improvement in combat effectiveness is immeasurable.
Compared with such huge benefits, the gains from attacking a few cities are just that.
"Brother Wu Dong, when will we take action?"
Immediately, some elders couldn't wait to ask: "Yang Xuangan's troops are quite powerful now!"
"Wait a minute, when Yang Guang's elite troops return south, Yang Xuangan won't be able to support him anymore!"
Wu Dong smiled softly and said in a deep voice: "If you come forward at this time, if you can't kill Yang Guang in one go, that will be the fate of a pioneer for the king!"
At this point, disdain hung on his lips, and he said coldly: "Chen Sheng and Wu Guang in the Pre-Qin Dynasty, and Zhang Jiao in the late Eastern Han Dynasty were all like this!"
"I'm afraid that during the 400 years of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, I have become accustomed to the behavior of the barbarians on the grassland who rebelled when their power became stronger. I don't want to think that this is not the time of the Southern and Northern Dynasties!"
"If you want to be like Emperor Wen Yang Jian, Yang Xuangan must have the status and strength of Yang Jian at his peak. Why is it that he is rushing to raise his troops now, and it feels like he is being rushed?"
After talking about it, a look of suspicion appeared on his face.
After hearing these words, all the Wagang elders present felt chilled in their hearts.
It’s no wonder that Wu Dong and a group of Wagang elders thought too much. If the Yinkui sect hadn’t imitated Wu Dong and released such horrifying true rumors, they wouldn’t have maliciously speculated on others.
Really, they have opened their eyes to the fact that certain forces are willing to do anything for their own benefit.
Yang Guang could be forced into that situation, he felt that his life was extremely threatened, and he had to make a big mistake in a panic. Yang Xuan felt that being forced was nothing.
Although there are not many forces that can force Yang Xuangan, there are not none.
It just so happened that Yang Guang had a falling out with the Longyou military aristocratic group and needed someone to take the lead, so Yang Xuangan caught up with him.
If they were really ready to rebel, when the flag was just raised, there would not be only one lone man.
The situation at that time was that Yang Guang had gathered millions of Sui troops in Youzhou, and Yang Xuangan was solely responsible for the logistics and supplies.
If you are really cruel, then burn down all the major granaries in the hinterland of the Central Plains.
Not to mention Jianbi Qingye's exaggeration, even if he didn't end well in the end, Yang Guang would have to finish it quickly.
Without enough food and grass to stabilize the army and the country, the Sui Dynasty may collapse quickly.
As a result, from Wu Dong's perspective, Yang Guang and Yang Xuangan seemed to be fighting a tacit understanding battle.
The final outcome was that Yang Guang lost control of the court and the world, and the emperor's throne was crumbling under his butt.
Yang Xuangan, on the other hand, took the lives of all his blood relatives and did it in a flawless manner. The commotion and damage caused were probably not as big as those of several rebels.
Could it be that it was just like the Yellow Turban Uprising in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, which obviously broke out in Jizhou in the Central Plains. As a result, the aristocratic families in Jizhou were well preserved, and the Yellow Turban Uprising seemed to have nothing to do with them.
Yang Xuangan's rebellion this time also had the same purpose.
Anyway, I haven't heard of any rumors of Yang Xuangan's troops robbing and killing people. The military discipline is so good that it is not like the army of this era.
No matter what, this is a great opportunity.
Yang Xuangan came from a famous family and was a versatile man in both civil and military affairs. Of course, Wu Dong did not value his so-called ability, but that he had a lot of inheritance.
As I said before, Wu Dong was very interested in the Three Kingdoms period and the inheritance of military commanders from the previous Han Dynasty.
It just so happened that Yang Xuangan came to the door. If he didn't seize the opportunity and make a big profit, wouldn't it be a waste of opportunity?
As for Zhai Rang, the leader of the Wagang Army, and what other veterans do, it has little to do with him. Their ideas and strategic directions are not on the same channel at all, and there is nothing to communicate with at all.
In other words, Yang Xuangan's rebellion had a huge impact on Yang Guang and the royal family.
Yang Xuangan was born in the Hongnong Yang family, and Yang Jian and Yang Guang were also born in the Hongnong Yang family, but they belonged to different branches.
It can be said that Yang Xuangan is an imperial relative without the status of an imperial relative.
It is true that Yang Guang was afraid of Yang Su, a powerful minister, but it is pure nonsense to say that Yang Guang was afraid of Yang Xuangan and wanted to drive Yang Xuangan away.
Otherwise, as long as there was nothing wrong with his brain, he would not have given the power of supplying and supplying millions of Sui troops to Yang Xuangan.
If nothing else, at least trust is not lacking.
And what kind of official position did Yang Xuangan hold at that time? He was the Minister of Rites.
Normally, the Minister of Rites would have no chance to interfere in military affairs, but Yang Xuangan had such authority.
Not to mention how much Yang Guang trusted Yang Xuangan, at least he was not in a state of suspicion and defensiveness.
As a result, Yang Xuangan rebelled, saying that he couldn't stand what Yang Guang was doing, and that Yang Guang wanted to target him.
Wu Dong doesn't believe it anyway, he really can't understand such a coquettish operation...