On the 16th day of March in the ninth year of Daye, His Majesty the Emperor set out from Luoyang, the eastern capital, and began his second personal expedition. On April 5th, the Sixth Army of the Emperor came to Zhuozhou. On April 13th, His Majesty the Emperor was at the seaside
Six animals, water and wine were laid out to pay homage to the souls of the heroes who died in Liaodong last year.
On the same day, seventeen local officials jointly signed a letter, asking the Emperor to carefully consider the conquest of Liao. The ministers believed that "China is exhausted, and it is not suitable for Wancheng to attack Liao frequently." The emperor personally used Wancheng to conquer Liao, which would not only damage the national strength
waste, and will lead to chaos in internal affairs.
"I can't defeat it personally, but who can defeat it but me!" The emperor of the Sui Dynasty threw his seal on the ground and rebuked angrily. That night, the Holy Emperor stayed at the Haidun Palace to deal with all the delayed government affairs.
At this time last year, Yang Guang was very ambitious and thought that Liaodong could be pacified in one battle. In the end, more than 300,000 troops died in the battle, but all they got in exchange was the ridicule of the Goguryeo people. This year, the ministers did not want to continue the war, and neither did the people.
The war continues. But he, the emperor, has no choice but to continue the war.
Yang Guang believed that the Sui Dynasty relied entirely on its military prowess to suppress the chiefs from all directions. If it was weak in conquering Goguryeo, the surrounding tribes would follow suit. In this way, military disasters would continue, and wars around the Sui Dynasty would become even more intense.
If there are too many, the internal bandits will become more and more rampant.
"It's not that I don't care about the people, but I'm riding a tiger and it's hard to get off!" Yang Guang sighed, looking at the mountain-high pile of memorials against the conquest of Goguryeo on the imperial court, and kept shaking his head.
"Long live, why should you pay attention to the nonsense of those people? They are just trying to gain a good reputation as someone who loves the people!" Pei Ju, the minister of Huangmen, who is always good at understanding the holy will, bowed to the side to persuade.
"They are all delusional people, and Pei Qing is the only one who is straight. But why do I hear people say that Pei Qing is a traitor?" Yang Guang turned away from the memorial and asked with a wry smile.
"I was originally a treacherous sycophant, but if you follow the saint, you have to be a straight minister!" Pei Ju nodded and flatly flattered Yang Guang.
"In other words, if the saint is in the hall, there will be no evil in the court!" Yang Guang sighed and said.
"Your Majesty's eyes are as bright as fire!" Pei Ju replied with a smile.
"You glib thing!"
Although he knew that what the other party said was all flattery, Yang Guang still felt a little relieved. Being an emperor is not just for scolding his ministers, the emperor must have the dignity of the emperor. Whether Huangmen servant Pei Ju is loyal or treacherous, at least
He could understand the emperor's difficulties and think about the royal family at all times. And among those who blocked the Liao expedition, they patted their chests. How many of them really did it for the people?
"Forget it, I will listen to you and ignore those sycophants. Seal these memorials and send them back without approving a word!" Yang Guang kicked the imperial case with his toe and ordered. "What do you have?
Those who are not opposed to the attack on Liao, please pick out some of them and listen to them. I don’t believe that no one in the whole country understands the overall situation!"
"Hey, I still have a bunch of memorials from military generals. I will bring them to Your Majesty right now!" Pei Ju bowed slightly, turned and ran out of the imperial study. After a while, he turned back with more than twenty memorials in his hands, panting,
While saying: "General Zuo Twelve Guards took the initiative to ask for battle, saying that they can tear Liaodong into pieces without His Majesty's presence! The navy was ready to set sail, and the general who came to protect the children said that heroes are always ready to avenge Pao Ze who died in the battle last year. Zhang
General Xutuo announced that he has defeated the bandits in Henan and is following them to kill them. However, the banditry is mostly caused by local officials' lack of consideration for the people. I hope that your majesty can send wise ministers to inspect the local areas and provide relief to the victims..."
"This Zhang Xutuo, he also took care of the affairs of civil servants!" Yang Guang shook his head and interrupted Pei Ju's report. "I issued an imperial edict to Dongdu, saying that Fan Zigai, the minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, would use his discretion to provide disaster relief. I remember the warehouses in various places.
The food can last for decades, and if the victims can eat porridge, they will not destroy the Sui Dynasty!"
"Hey, hey, the emperor is wise!" Pei Ju praised repeatedly, "I would like to thank the emperor on behalf of the people of the world."
"All the people in the world are my subjects, what's the matter with you?" Yang Guang reached out and slapped Pei Ju on the shoulder, joking, "Those local officials are becoming more and more cowardly, and they are blowing the rogues' military power to the sky with me.
As a result, wasn't everything solved as soon as General Zhang arrived? Think again, are there any other tricks? Before I arrive in Liaodong, we can handle what we can! Lest we really wait for the war to start, even if I want to handle it,
There’s no time either!”
"Yes, yes!" Pei Ju turned over the memorial in a hurry and answered smoothly. Suddenly, his hand stopped for a moment, and he couldn't help but let out an exclamation.
"Hey, these memorials are so strange!"
"What's the blame? Is there another auspicious sign in the sky? If anyone tells me that it's auspicious, you will kill him for me. If they hadn't fooled me with auspiciousness last year, I wouldn't have made such mistakes every time!" Yang Guang sneered,
asked.
After all, the war was defeated. Although Liu Shilong was killed to take the blame, the entire roundabout attack plan was made by himself. The order of "not to kill the enemy's civilians indiscriminately, and to treat the enemy kindly after surrender" was all because of his temporary kindness. This
The same thing will never happen again. Goguryeo is capricious. Even if they surrender, the Sui Dynasty will never agree again!
"There is no auspiciousness in the sky, but just like the memorials a few days ago, several generals recommended the same two people. Including General Yuwenshu, and, ha, there is also Tang Gong Li Yuan!" Pei Ju pretended to be surprised.
He shouted, "This is really strange. Ever since I entered the court, I have never seen Duke Tang and General Yuwen agree on anything!"
"Are they Liu Hongji and Li Zhongjian again?" Yang Guang grabbed the memorial with his hands, turned it over one by one, and threw it back into Pei Ju's arms. "Are these two people very popular now? Could it be that they really have three heads and six arms?"
"In my opinion, these two men may not be very capable. But last year, all the armies were defeated. These two men led three hundred warriors to fight thousands of miles and saved a general and a lieutenant. It is a rare feeling of pride. Now the army is entering Liaodong again.
, the generals needed something to be proud of to boost their morale, so they picked the two of them out from the crowd!" Pei Ju took his time and said the words he had prepared long ago.
He had read several memorials in advance and carefully arranged them together. He even sorted out which copy came first and which copy came last. Tang Gong Li Yuan and General Yu Wenshu both gave him generous gifts. Please
He has taken care of Liu Hongji and Li Xu and has been an official for so many years. It is rare to see the two old enemies working together. This does not offend any wealthy family and is the icing on the cake. How can Mr. Pei refuse?
"It makes sense. In your opinion, it's time for me to give them a big reward?" Yang Guang nodded and asked.
"Last year, all the armies were defeated. It stands to reason that the two of them have little merit. If your Majesty does not reward them, there is a reason why you should not reward them. However, in order to boost morale, it is a good idea for your Majesty to give them a few official positions!"
Pei Ju bowed and spoke with perfect accuracy.
"I told you both the good and the bad! How to do it, but you are so confused about how to do it, damn it!" Yang Guang frowned, pretending to be very dissatisfied.
"Your Majesty's words are made into a constitution. There is no way for me to point fingers at such trivial matters!" Pei Ju smiled and replied.
"Yes!" Yang Guang nodded and said. The story of Liu Hongji and Li Xu leading three hundred warriors to the company camp was described by the Prince Consort Wei Yuwen Shi last year. At that time, no reward was given.
Because of the new defeat of the armies, all the generals were reduced from their posts and punished. At this time, there is no reason to reward two low-level generals. Secondly, Liu and Li were both born under Li Yuan. Thinking of the word Li, His Majesty the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty
I just felt awkward.
However, unclear rewards and punishments are indeed not conducive to the plan of conquering the Liao Dynasty. Countless heroes joined the army with enthusiasm, just to make contributions. With the examples of Liu Hongji and Li Xu in front of them, it is inevitable that when everyone fights, they will be at a loss.
I only had six points of strength.
"I heard that the grain protection army now has more than 2,400 people. Liu Hongji leads so many soldiers as a cavalry general. His official position is indeed a bit small!" Seeing that Yang Guang looked like he was in danger, Pei Ju thought for a while and said,
Whisper advice.
Yang Guang turned his head slightly and glanced at his Huangmen servant with approval. Frankly speaking, apart from being too tactful, Pei Ju was also very capable. With a simple sentence, he solved a head-scratching problem for himself.
Big problem. It doesn't matter if Liu Hongji has good relations with the Li family. I can just promote his official position without increasing the number of soldiers under his command. In this way, no matter how high his official position is, he won't be able to cause too much trouble.
"Tell me, I promoted Liu Hongji to the rank of Ying Yang Lang General based on his military exploits. Can I reward him for his contribution?"
"That's your Majesty's grace. I think Mr. Liu must be so grateful that he cried with gratitude!" Pei Ju replied in accordance with the emperor's wishes. He couldn't help but feel happy. He had fulfilled Li Yuan's entrustment. After going to court, he could immediately repair the book for Tang Dynasty.
Sir, I guess the reply will come with another generous gift.
"Well!" Yang Guang paced and nodded, "I want the warriors in the world to see that I will never treat them badly if they serve the country sincerely. As for that Li Xu..." He began to hesitate again,
This person's last name is Li. I was very optimistic about him last time, but his relationship with Li Yuan is really worrying.
"According to old general Yu Wenshu, this son didn't know Tang Gong at all before he came to Liaodong. It was Tang Gong who loved talents and specially recognized a clan nephew!" Pei Ju smiled beside him and explained to Li Xu as if telling a joke.
"Seriously?" Yang Guang raised his eyebrows and asked loudly.
"One of their families lives in Longyou, and they have been ministers for generations. The other family lives in Shanggu, and they are engaged in farming. Their wealth is as high as heaven and earth. How can they be one family?" Pei Ju replied solemnly. He knew in his heart that his other gift was safely in his pocket.
The Yuwen family members specifically told him in the letter that he should give Li Xumou a position no less important than Liu Hongji no matter what. Based on Pei Ju's understanding of Yang Guang, once he likes someone, he will often promote him out of the ordinary.
The colder it is, the greater the favor will be.
"So that's the case, no wonder Old General Yu Wenshu also recommended him. I thought he was an external candidate and did not avoid enmity, while Li Yuan was an internal promotion and did not avoid relatives. It turns out that neither of them is as virtuous as I thought!" Yang Guang suddenly realized.
Pan said, "When I saw him that day, I thought he was simple and simple, not as cunning as the Li family. It turns out that his roots are here!"
"Yes, Li Yuan loves talents so much that he insists on recognizing his nephew. How dare you refuse Duke Tang's kindness at such a young age?"
"Hey, I hope Li Yuan had good intentions at the beginning!" Yang Guangmao said with a smile. "You can draw up a decree for me, saying that in recognition of Li Zhongjian's meritorious service in killing the enemy, I will make him a general and a general. However, a
Is it too much to arrange two generals in the food protection army?"
"I think that His Majesty's kindness to him can just be used to inspire all the heroes to work hard!" Pei Ju nodded and started working hard for the third gift. This gift was sent by General Xue Shixiong.
It's worth a thousand dollars. General Xue was personally appointed as the ambassador of the Northeast Road by His Majesty. He and "Brother Kong Fang" had no choice but to give it to Pei Ju. As for why Xue Shixiong asked him to replace Li Xumou as the commander of the first battalion of Xiaoguo, Pei Ju didn't know.
His code of taking bribes also prevents him from exploring the truth behind the scenes.
"Commander Xiaoguo, well, he is young and brave, and he is indeed worthy of this responsibility!" Yang Guang said after thinking for a while. "I have previously issued a decree to build ten separate battalions of Xiaoguo in the world, and we are lacking a few suitable ones.
Leader, just worship him as a fifth-grade Xiongwulang general and command a battalion of Xiaoguo. Use your fast horse to send the order and ask him to enter the camp as soon as possible to train troops. When I arrive in Liaodong, I want to personally see what the ministers have done.
Is the person I recommend a worthy person?” (Note 3)
"Yes! I obey!" Pei Ju bowed and replied. He had received the third generous gift, and he was in a very happy mood. "Would you like to send a letter to those lucky guys, congratulate them, and ask for some gifts by the way?"
Pei Ju was drafting an imperial edict for Yang Guang while thinking about it. "Let's forget it. Guys like this without foundation always fall fast. If he loses power in the future, if he accepts the gift, it is better not to save him!" thought of it.
, he drew up the edict with a smile and gently dried the ink on it.
The news that Li Xu was promoted unexpectedly arrived in Huaiyuan Town before the imperial edict. When they heard the news, some were disappointed, some were happy, and some frowned and felt sour, unable to express their attitude towards this result.
Among the several generals, the only one who was happy was Xue Shixiong, whose life was saved by Li Xu. In order to get this position for his savior, he paid a total of 10,000 yuan of meat. Before that, even for his own son,
General Xue has never made such a big investment.
"What can we be happy about when it doesn't do any good to our family?" Xue Wanche asked angrily as he did not understand what his father was doing.
Although the Xue family was not as powerful as the Yuwen family, it was still considered a prominent family in the Sui Dynasty. Liu Hongji and Li Xu had saved their father's life, and it was enough for the Xue family to recommend them in front of the emperor, so why should they lose their own family property?
Someone else’s plan?
"Do you know why the Xue family has continued to this day without producing any big figures or suffering any major disasters?" Xue Shixiong glanced at his son with his eyelids and asked with a smile.
"I don't know, my father, please let me know!" Xue Wanche held his hands in angrily, as if he was asking for advice humbly.
"They never do harm to others, and help others when they can. They are a bunch of old foxes who have no good intentions. They pushed Zhongjian to such a high position just to see how he falls down in the future. Dad gave him advice
With the position of a strong general, leading a battalion of Xiaoguo, the risk of being stabbed in the back will be less, and the risk of falling will also be less! Xiaoguo is not a regular army, so it is gratifying to win the battle.
If you lose the battle, for the sake of His Majesty the Emperor who created this system, who can be more aggressive and hold him accountable?" Xue Shixiong smiled and stroked his beard with his right hand.
"Since dad has done so much for him, why don't you let him know about it?" Xue Wanjun stepped forward and followed his father's topic.
"He is a smart man, and he will know the truth sooner or later. After knowing it, he will naturally repay you brothers. The world is going to be in chaos. Let's accumulate good karma and have one more friend, and there will be one more way out!" Xue Shixiong sighed and replied quietly.
