plumnovel Chapter 61 Yang Guang is missing, and Yang Lin is extremely anxious.
Chapter 61 Yang Guang is missing, and Yang Lin is extremely anxious.
Eastern Turks, royal court.
Tribal leaders arrived with their cavalry, their numbers ranging from tens of thousands to just two or three hundred.
Shibi Khan sat in the center of the huge golden royal tent, with a complete striped tiger skin spread out beneath him.
His face was grim, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, and he was tearing a large piece of roasted lamb leg into his hands.
When news of Yang Guang's previous brutal killing of the Turkic envoy reached him, he was furious.
That was not only an insult to the Turks, but also a blatant provocation against his authority as the new Khan!
He had sworn a blood oath before the statue of the Eternal Heaven, vowing to gather 300,000 archers and march south to break through Yanmen Pass.
Let us wash away this shame with the blood and wealth of the people of the Sui Dynasty.
Let the entire Han Chinese dynasty know the consequences of angering the Turks!
"Khan, the army is almost assembled; isn't it time to march south?"
Ashina Duobi looked at the delicious food in front of him, but found it tasteless.
Only raiding the Han people in the south could pique his interest the most.
"What's the rush?" Shibi Khan stuffed mutton into his mouth and chewed, "That old man Yang Guang is at Yanmen, he can't escape."
"I'm just worried that things might change if we delay; Yang Guang has practically delivered himself to our doorstep!"
"Once all the tribal leaders have arrived and paid homage to the Eternal Heaven, they will naturally lead their troops south."
Shibi Khan remained calm and composed, confident in his plans.
He simply refused to believe that he was in the northern grasslands.
Could the Sui Dynasty really launch a surprise attack?
He was not a Xiongnu, and there will never be another Huo Qubing among the Han people.
Yang Guang's defeat in the Guangdong campaign marked the beginning of the decline of the Sui Dynasty.
From now on, he will tell the Han dynasty.
The Turks will become the new nation that unifies the Central Plains.
Shibi Khan remained calm and composed, as steady as a rock.
However, the Sui Dynasty was already in complete chaos.
The fact that Yang Guang did not visit the Fengxing Palace during his northern tour was still spread.
The Sui Dynasty officials stationed at Yanmen were in a state of great anxiety.
Who would have thought that the emperor's inspection tour of the border would result in the deaths of his men!
Li Yuan, who was in Taiyuan, also received this news.
"What does Your Majesty intend to do?"
He summoned his sons to discuss the matter.
After the previous eastern expedition failed, they accused Yang Xuangan of treason and had his entire family executed.
Since then, small-scale rebellions have continued in various places.
Although it did not endanger the imperial court, it did show that the Sui Dynasty had lost the support of the people.
Now that Yang Guang has suddenly disappeared, could it be that he's fishing again, trying to lure out more people with ulterior motives to be killed?
"Yang Guang committed many unjust acts; perhaps he has already passed away, but it's not something he can say openly. In that case, I congratulate Father on becoming emperor!"
The boy, who had some Hu (non-Han) features, spoke loudly with a hint of excitement.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes turned to this person.
The speaker was Li Yuanji, the third son of Li Yuan.
Unlike his elder brother Li Jiancheng's composure and his second brother Li Shimin's dashing appearance.
Li Yuanji had a rugged appearance, dark skin, and a strong, fierce air about him, lacking the gentle and refined demeanor commonly seen in scions of noble families from the Central Plains.
It is said that when he was born, his mother, Lady Dou, even considered abandoning him because of his unattractive appearance.
Li Yuan glared at Li Yuanji and said angrily:
"Nonsense! My Li family is utterly loyal to the Sui Dynasty. If you dare to spout such nonsense again, I will behead you!"
"Yes……"
Li Yuanji agreed, but inwardly he didn't think much of it.
What's this talk of unwavering loyalty? There are no outsiders here, so who are you trying to impress with your loyalty?
"Father, may we contact other noble families?"
Compared to Li Yuanji's audacity, Li Jiancheng was much more cautious.
"Shimin, what do you think?" Li Yuan did not answer his eldest son directly, but instead turned his questioning gaze to his second son, Li Shimin.
This son always brings him deeper insights.
Li Shimin pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Father, eldest brother, third brother."
"In my humble opinion, His Majesty most likely did not meet with misfortune, but instead went to the northern grasslands with Lü Xiao!"
The news from Yanmen revealed that not only Yang Guang had disappeared, but also Lü Xiao and others.
If they went hunting, how could they have hunted for dozens of days?
The fact that Lü Xiao challenged a hundred kingdoms in the imperial court is enough to demonstrate his extremely radical personality.
Moreover, Lü Xiao was ennobled at a young age, and his achievements surpassed those of the entire army.
It seems not impossible for them to emulate Huo Qubing's deep exploration of the northern grasslands.
If successful, Lü Xiao's achievements will surpass those of Huo Qubing.
This is something everyone dreams of.
Upon hearing this, Li Jiancheng gasped, "This...this is too...absurd!"
Given Lü Xiao's youthful impetuosity, it's understandable that he might have such thoughts.
But Yang Guang was the emperor, how could he risk his life to this extent?
Historical records show that only a few emperors personally led expeditions, and it is unheard of for an emperor to personally lead a small force deep into enemy territory!
"Lü Xiao wanted to achieve the fame of Huo Qubing, and Yang Guang also longed to accomplish what no emperor throughout history had ever achieved."
Although Li Shimin had little contact with Yang Guang.
However, this man personally oversaw all his western tours, eastern expeditions, and northern tours.
He also carried out various grand initiatives, which were deeply hated by the noble families and the common people.
These events all demonstrate Yang Guang's ambitions in both civil administration and military affairs.
If successful, all the emperors throughout history combined would not be as powerful as Yang Guang.
Even in later generations, there was no emperor like him.
Thinking of this, Li Shimin was once again shocked by Yang Guang's ambition.
This person was not as muddleheaded as one might imagine.
"this……"
After hearing what Li Shimin said, Li Jiancheng was still somewhat incredulous.
But all these analyses are incredibly insightful.
Li Yuanji, who was listening nearby, was also terrified and felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of Yang Guang's terrifying ambition.
"Second Brother speaks so highly of Yang Guang, shouldn't we take advantage of his absence and strike first?"
"If he cannot accomplish it, no one in the world can. The Sui Dynasty will eventually fall apart."
Li Shimin shook his head, though Yang Guang had great ambitions.
But as things stand, even having ambition is useless.
The fact that a million-strong army was defeated in the eastern expedition against Goguryeo shows that Goguryeo's power was no longer at its peak.
With hundreds of thousands of archers, the Turks roamed the grasslands; how could a small group of people easily shake them?
Huo Qubing was a genius who appeared only once in a thousand years. His success was due to the perfect combination of favorable timing, location, and popular support.
Yang Guang and Lü Xiao's journey was destined to be fraught with difficulties and danger.
If this mission fails, Yang Guang will become even more anxious.
And the Li family's opportunity will finally arrive.
The most important thing now is to wait, to wait for Yang Guang to bring about his own downfall.
At that time, the Li family will reap the benefits.
"What Shimin said is exactly what I agree with!" After hearing this, Li Yuan felt enlightened, stood up abruptly, and all doubts on his face disappeared.
"Indeed! Yang Guangdong's expedition has already damaged the nation's prestige. If we suffer another defeat this time, it will only further alienate the people."
"We simply need to observe the situation, accumulate strength, and wait for him to tear the country to pieces on his own!"
Why rush things and give others a handle against you?