No matter who takes the position of the Turkic Khan, the first thing he needs to take care of is the interests of the Turks. This will not change with his personal likes and dislikes of the Central Plains, let alone because he speaks fluent Central Plains Mandarin.
, or be affected by marrying a Central Plains woman.
The reason is very simple, and even a young man like Li Shimin, who has just entered the officialdom, can explain it in one sentence. However, the court is known as a wise man, and many important ministers who have spent half their lives dealing with foreign races cannot understand it. Just between Xu Zi and
While Li Shimin, Qu Tutong and others tried every means to weaken the power of the Turks, the important ministers around Yang Guang were also busy. What they were busy with was not how to organize their troops to pursue the victory and seek justice for the people in the frontier fortress.
In the name of the imperial court, Gutuoru Khan was commended, criticized for his reckless behavior of not distinguishing between right and wrong, and cooperating to besiege the Holy Emperor from the beginning to the end; and commended him for knowing his mistakes and correcting them, and taking the initiative to persuade the troops to withdraw from the beginning.
These words should not be said too harshly, so as not to hurt the heart of Gutuolu Khan who admires the Central Plains. But they should not be said too lightly, otherwise Gutuolu Khan will not realize the majesty of His Majesty the Emperor. Therefore, for the sake of the imperial edict,
The ministers were arguing over a certain wording. At the same time, they did not forget to look at Yang Guang's face and take the opportunity to express their loyalty to the emperor.
"This time the Turkic Khan abandoned the dark side and turned to the bright side, it is all due to the spread of your majesty's benevolence. Even if he turned into a barbarian, he would still feel deeply about it." Yu Shiji, the internal history minister who took charge of the government, raised his hand and corrected everyone's opinions to the "correct" range.
. He hadn't changed his clothes for many days, and there was a large obvious stain on his official robe. It was the blood of a soldier who died to protect him. It had been blown a bit by the wind, so it was easy to forget.
"The words in the seal sent by Gutuolu Khan are very respectful to His Majesty. All the barbarians in the East fortress have seen the mighty power of Heaven and swear to be my subjects of the Sui Dynasty forever." Seeing Yu Shiji's flattery, another one
Pei Ju, the minister of the Huangmen who was involved in the government affairs, was not to be left behind. He was the mastermind of this inspection tour. If someone held him responsible for "putting the holy king in danger", he would not be able to escape even if he tried to defend himself.
The fate of the official title. So now, while His Majesty is still happy, he wants to get the job of comforting the barbarians in Dongsai. He will hide outside for a year and a half, and he will make no less money. When he comes back,
, the emperor and everyone also forgot the cause of the disaster.
"Your Majesty, the power of God, ordered Xiao Xiaowangfeng to escape!" In the county government office, which was temporarily used as a meeting place, several ministers raised their hands together. The sound of flattery shook the window screen and even Qiuchong, who had only a few days left to live, heard it.
They were all ashamed of themselves and quietly closed their mouths.
"Hey, you all work together and the soldiers sacrifice their lives. What does it have to do with my virtue!" Yang Guang waved his hand vigorously, interrupting everyone's flattery. His eyes were still red and swollen. He didn't know whether it was because of staying up too late or because of
It was caused by crying just now. But judging from the expression on his face, the emperor who almost became a Turkic herdsman was obviously very satisfied with the current results. Even though he knew that the ministers were flattering him, he did not want to point it out.
He was just a little modest, and then the focus of the discussion was on the reward for Gutuolu.
"The imperial edict does not need to be too complicated. Gutuolu is a Turk, and he may not be able to understand words that are too complicated!" As a monarch of a large country, Yang Guang's words are very consistent with the requirements of a magnanimous master in the eyes of Confucian scholars. "
Yu Qing, I leave this imperial edict to you to write. Gutuolu is still eager to return to the outside of the Great Wall to clean up the mess, so don’t let him wait too long!"
"I accept the order, thank you for your majesty's trust!" Yu Shiji came out, bowed, and thanked Yang Guang for his regard for him. At the same time, he did not want to miss an opportunity to make a fortune. Ashina Gutuolu sent a messenger to the city overnight.
The first one found his temporary residence, and in addition to giving a letter of allegiance to the court, he also expressed a small "respect" to Lord Yu.
Forty pearls are said to be found only in the bellies of swans in the far north. Each pearl is about the size of a thumb. It is full of brilliance and has no trace of glamor. It has received such great "respect" from others. If the other party is not even a little bit
Even small demands could not be met, which really disgraced Yu Shiji's reputation as a capable minister. Therefore, after pondering for a while, Lord Yu started to write again: "I will write it immediately, but I am so talented."
If it is not enough, it may harm the country. Therefore, I ask your Majesty to correct me after I have written it. In addition, I think that since Gutuolu has sworn allegiance to the Sui Dynasty, we, the Sui Dynasty, should correct his name and recall the expeditionary troops to allow the fortresses to be established.
Hu felt that His Majesty was kind and sincere, he changed his mind and never rebelled again!"
"I agree with Lord Yu's words. I am willing to go to the Gutuolu camp to read out the imperial edict and promote the power of Sui Dynasty!" Pei Ju received no less "respect" than Yu Shiji. He strode out to join the other party to represent Ashina.
Gutuoru said good things.
Ashina Gutuolu bought two promises from Yu Shiji with the price of forty pearls. First, he hoped that the Sui Dynasty would be able to grant the title of Confederacy as promised to Shibi Khan's younger brother Ashina Dubisi.
He is the Khan of the East, and his status is equal to that of the Khan of Shibi. Secondly, he hopes that the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty will issue an order to recall the Tiger and Ben cavalry that have been killed deep in the grassland, so that his people will not have to pay the price for this southern expedition.
.
The superior Yang Guang straightened up suddenly, with a face full of surprise. He heard clearly the advice of the two ministers Yu and Pei, but what he didn't understand was when the Sui soldiers and horses had already entered Gutuolu's army.
Lair? If Gutuolu only remembered to be loyal to the imperial court when his lair was in danger, first of all, his loyalty would be reduced by half. Secondly, Yang Guang was very curious about who used this exquisite trick to encircle Wei and rescue Zhao.
.
"I don't agree with Master Yu's suggestion!" Before Yang Guang could ask, the Navy Chief came out to protect the children. "In my opinion, the reason why Gutuolu asked to surrender was due to the situation, not because of the situation."
Out of my heart, since my Sui soldiers and horses have arrived outside the Great Wall, we should plow the court and sweep the holes. Let all the barbarians in this southern expedition remember the lesson!"
"I agree with General Lai's suggestion!" Xu Guogong Yu Wenshu, who had always been at odds with Lai to protect his children, had gone crazy today and quickly stepped forward to agree.
Yu Wenshu's prestige among military generals is far beyond that of Pei and Yu. As soon as he finished speaking, a lot of old generals stood up and suggested that Yang Guang should not agree to any of Gu Tuolu's conditions. Although the other party changed his mind at the last moment.
Repent, but at most the merits and demerits are equal to the merits. You must not forget the mistakes he has committed just because he shows repentance.
Pei Yun, the censor doctor who was in charge of the government, realized that his brother was alone. He raised his head, looked around, and coughed lightly. Immediately, three or four bachelors from the secretarial department came out after hearing the sound, strode forward, and met with Yuwen
Shu and Laihuer had a tit-for-tat debate. They were both well-known Confucian scholars who were supported by Yang Guang with a lot of money. They quoted the classics in everything they said. They were knowledgeable about the past and present, and their words were righteous. For a while, they actually argued with the old generals.
Victory or defeat.
"We, the Sui Dynasty, are a celestial dynasty, and we should have a broad and tolerant attitude." Secretary Kong Yingda's face was full of compassion, as if he had witnessed the enemy's kindness to the Sui Dynasty court and wept with gratitude. "Mencius said, the benevolent are invincible. He will seize his people.
At that time, his wife and children were separated. Your Majesty thought of the hardships of his people's livelihood and forgave his sins. When the people heard this, they would remember your majesty's kindness and their hearts would turn away from their king. Once the peace agreement is completed, if the chief wants to regret it, his people will not dare to respond.
In this case, our Sui Sui frontier fortress does not need to be guarded by a single soldier, and it is as solid as a golden city and a pond!"
"I dare to ask Scholar Kong, how can the people of the foreign barbarians know the kindness of my Sui Majesty because they cannot understand the language of the Central Plains?" Lai Hu'er suppressed the anger in his stomach and asked loudly.
"Education, from this we can see the importance of education! Only by taking the words of the ancient sages as the supreme ones in the world. Rely on them deeply and practice them widely. If this does not exceed ten years, the land outside the transformation will also be the Central Plains..." Secretary Bachelor
Lu Deming was already prepared to take Kong Yingda's words and continue to spread the saint's teachings.
"Fuck your grandma!" Yu Wenshu is not as well-educated as Lai Guo. He is used to being domineering and will not restrain himself even in front of Yang Guang. "If education is important, why don't you two go to educate Yang Xuangan?
.He likes your tactics the most. Why is it that His Majesty is fighting at the front and he is stabbing you in the back?"
The first emperor of the Sui Dynasty did not like the conduct of Confucian scholars, so Confucianism had little influence on the government before Yang Guang came to the throne. After Yang Guang came to the throne, in order to show his reputation as a scholar, he built schools and promoted Confucianism, so Confucian scholars came from far and near. Kong Yingda,
Lu Deming and others are the leaders among them. Not only were they deeply appreciated by Yang Guang, they also had close contacts with Yang Xuangan and Li Mi, who were known as talented scholars. Especially Kong Yingda, who offended other Confucian scholars because of his excessive sharpness, was almost assassinated.
Thanks to Yang Xuangan's rescue, he escaped. Later, Yang Xuangan and Li Mi rebelled. Although Kong, Lu and other bachelors were not held accountable, their image was greatly damaged. Except for Pei Yun who occasionally used them as footcloths.
, no matter whether other officials are greedy or incorruptible, they are not willing to associate with them.
Hearing Yu Wenshu mention old things, many ministers who disliked Kong Yingda and Lu Deming began to speak out and beat the loser.
"Isn't it easy for Academician Lu to talk about education? You have been dating Yang Xuangan for so many years, why didn't you educate him well?"
"Scholar Kong, why don't you go to Donghu alone and implement your ancient sage learning in person! Let's see if they can fight each other!" Everyone was talking, and in a blink of an eye, they were thousands of miles away from the topic. Only Yuan could hear the case.
Yang Guang's face turned black and he wanted to jump forward and give everyone a big mouthful.
"Your Majesty, I impeach Master Yuwen and roar in the court!" Pei Yun, the imperial censor, saw that Kong Yingda and others could not hold on, so he had to take action himself.
"Your Majesty, I am impeaching the Pei brothers for making false statements that have harmed the country!" Yu Wenshu had never suffered a loss before. His eyes widened and Pei Yun took several steps back in fright.
Seeing that several important ministers were about to quarrel in front of him, Yang Guang had no choice but to temporarily suppress the anger in his heart. "Okay, okay, please just calm down. Which general went out? Who gave him the order?"
?Where are we now? How is the victory or defeat? Who of you knows? Come and tell me quickly!"
"This!" The ministers looked at each other. After being surrounded in the isolated city for more than a month, they had no idea what was happening outside. Even the Pei brothers and Yu Shiji, who were the most well-informed, only learned from Ashina Gutuolu.
The envoy vaguely heard rumors that Huben General Luo Yibing had left Lulongsai. The Turks themselves did not know exactly where this troop had gone and how much of a blow it had caused to the Turks, let alone Master Yu and Pei who were selling second-hand information.
You're an adult.
"It turns out you don't know anything!" Yang Guang snorted from his nostrils and said with a sneer. "I thought you all were plotting for the country, but it turns out it's all a matter of loyalty!"
"I have no excuse, your Majesty!" Everyone in the argument was dumbfounded. They bowed down one by one, not daring to raise their heads. After a while, when they heard the breathing in front of them became quieter, Yu Shiji wiped off his cold sweat and said with all his strength.
The small voice replied: "As soon as I received the news of the Turkic withdrawal, I sent someone out of the city to inquire, but before the news from the outside was sent back, Gutuolu's envoy arrived. I was afraid of delaying the important event, so I hurried
Come to see His Majesty..."
"I hope your majesty will forgive you for your lack of preparation!" Everyone had already figured out Yang Guang's temper, and they all blamed themselves!
The civil and military officials throughout the dynasty were like this, and Yang Guang didn't know who he should pursue. He sighed longly and said, "Xuanyu scholar, please come in. After Yu Qing went down, he continued to write edicts to comfort Ashina.
Gutuolu. As for the matter of canonization and troop withdrawal, we will discuss it later after I figure out the situation!"
"Yes!" The ministers responded loudly. Although they were still very unwilling in their hearts, they had to put the dispute aside for the time being.
After everyone else returned to their positions, the lieutenant general went out to announce the decree and ordered people to call in Yu Wenshiji who was on duty at the top of the city. Your Majesty wanted to ask him about the specific military information from the outside world.
With a tired look on his face, Yu Wenshi didn't know much about what was going on in the outside world, but what he said was at least closer to the truth than others. As far as he knew, the Turkic withdrawal began in the middle of the night, and then
An envoy from Gu Tuolu came from the south gate to invite peace. He was currently inquiring about the specific reasons for the sudden reversal of the situation. Based on the preliminary news sent back by the scouts, he speculated that it was because the King Qin's troops and horses were coming one after another and he was unable to do so.
Khan lost the certainty of victory, so he had to retreat with all his troops. Of course, the majesty of the Sui Emperor and the advice of Ashina Gutuoru and others also played a very important role in this.
"As for the soldiers who left the Eastern Fortress, it was our Sui Dynasty Tigers and Iron Cavalry." Yu Wenshiji glanced at Yu Shiji and Pei Ju, wondering why they didn't report the news clearly.
"Luo Yi? Who gave him the order? Who will lead King Qin's troops? Why didn't he send someone to deliver a message to the city earlier?" Yang Guang frowned and asked.
General Huben Luo Yi has always been highly valued by him. In recent years, the treasury of the Sui Dynasty has been empty. However, under Yang Guang's care, the court has never been in debt for the food and grass supplies allocated to Huben's cavalry. The more than 5,000 horses and horses are all wearing uniforms.
The pretended Tiger and Ben cavalry were the elite of the Sui frontier army, and Yang Guang would never mobilize them easily unless absolutely necessary.
This time Yanmen was besieged, what Yang Guang was most looking forward to was that Luo Yi could lead people to rescue him. The armored cavalry was the nemesis of the light cavalry beyond the Great Wall. From the day the Sui Dynasty was founded, the armored cavalry had never lost when they encountered the wolf cavalry beyond the Great Wall.
However, Luo Yi never showed up. It was not until today that Yang Guang learned that his close and beloved general had actually gone straight to the hinterland of the Turks.
If it were someone else who killed Ashina Gutuolu's lair at this moment, Yang Guang would be very happy. Just as he thought just now, this move to encircle Wei and rescue Zhao was exquisite. But when General Luo Yi of Hu Ben led his people into the grassland, then
This made Yang Guang feel very uncomfortable. "Does my safety have no weight in your eyes?" He thought sadly, and his eye circles slowly began to turn red again.
"King Qin's soldiers and horses came from all sides. They have been fighting with the wolf cavalry under Shibi Khan for the past few days. Therefore, the Turks cannot attack the city with all their strength!" Seeing Yang Guang's lost look, Yu Wenshiji knew that he was
The initial choice was correct. Because he rushed into Yanmen City at any cost, his Xiongwuying brothers suffered heavy losses. But corresponding to the losses, this move won more trust for the Yuwen family.
"What about now? Where are my generals now?" Yang Guang sneered and shook his head.
"They split up to intercept and kill Shibi Khan. They said they would avenge this humiliation for Your Majesty!" He cleared his throat and started playing loudly. "I have a letter in my hand from the old General Qu Tutong to Your Majesty. I just sent it.
When it arrived, I didn’t dare to delay, so I brought it with me!”
"Qu Tutong, did he lead the reinforcements outside? I knew he wouldn't let it go!" Hearing this, Yang Guang's mood turned from disappointment to joy. Half a month ago, he had already loomed on the top of the city.
I heard shouts of killing coming from afar. But the Turks surrounded them too tightly, so it was impossible to know who was commanding King Qin's troops outside the city and how many there were in the city.
Qu Tutong was also one of Yang Guang's most trusted generals. In critical moments, this man could lead the troops to kill him, which showed that he was not a failure as an emperor.
"I have found out that they are also coming with General Wu Ben Lang Li Xu, General Huben Yun Dingxing, General Fuguo Dugu Lin and Tang Gong's second son Li Shimin, General Zhang Xutuo's lieutenants Qin Shubao and Luo Shixin!" Yu Wenshi thought!
After thinking for a while, he reported a list of names that made Yang Guang feel more and more comfortable.
"Submit it quickly. I want to see for myself what General Qu wrote. General Li actually came from Henan, as well as Qin Shubao and Luo Shixin? Where are they? Why haven't they entered the city yet? Are you afraid that I will blame him for coming so late?
Is it too late?" In addition to being happy, Yang Guang did not care about the movements of General Luo Yi, and slapped the table to order.
Yu Wenshiji quickly stepped forward, took out a letter sealed tightly with fire paint from his chest, and presented it to Yang Guang with both hands. He deliberately announced the many names at the same time, as the son-in-law of His Majesty the Emperor.
, he knew very well what kind of temper his father-in-law was.
If Ashina Gutuolu and King Qin's soldiers and horses had not reached any agreement, he would never have taken the initiative to surrender. The people who contributed to today's situation must have been the Sui generals such as Qu Tutong and Li Xu who came from thousands of miles away to help. And Qu Tutong's
In the letter, I will definitely admit this to His Majesty.
According to Yuwen Shiji's prediction, the efforts made by the generals to save the Sui Dynasty may be credit or guilt.
Therefore, the more people who share the burden, the better.
With this in mind, he secretly observed Yang Guang's face. He found that the smile on His Majesty's face gradually disappeared, and his expression became darker and more solemn. (To be continued)
