Chapter 40: The Eternal Truth
This trip will result in death.
With a mere deputy brigade commander, or the current Guoyi Duwei, in the overall situation of the world, he is nothing more than an ant that can be easily crushed to death. Yet, this ant can actually disrupt the overall situation. Doesn't he deserve to die?
If Emperor Yang of Sui did not kill him, someone else would naturally do so. It can even be said that even if Emperor Yang of Sui, as the emperor, wanted to protect him, it would be difficult for him to do so.
Therefore, Zhang Xuanning had already arranged a retreat, and he was also ready to break out. Of course, it was almost time for him to stop being Shi Wuji. This kind of political insight was actually very obvious.
But after much consideration, he decided to participate in the Battle of Yanmen.
Two hundred people, one hundred cavalry and one hundred infantry, caught up with Emperor Yang of Sui and were almost at Yanmen.
Even though it was a temporary palace, it was still filled with imperial guards outside. These imperial guards were all elite soldiers picked from hundreds. With just this group of soldiers, it would be extremely difficult to break into the palace.
After arriving before the emperor and reporting Shi Wuji's name, Zhang Xuanning was quickly informed because of the imperial order. He took off his weapon according to the rules and entered the courtyard.
Although it is a temporary palace, there are four large halls and six small halls here, and it is separated by a forest garden. Zhang Xuanning stood in the courtyard waiting, not even daring to breathe loudly. Now this is one of the most dangerous places in the world, with the strength of thousands of guards. Let alone Zhang Xuanning, even the four great masters can only flee immediately. Any hesitation will mean death.
Otherwise, not every emperor is a martial arts master. If the master can come and go freely in the palace, then can the master control the emperor's life at will?
Grandmaster, after all, is not a god, but a human. In fact, according to Zhang Xuanning's own calculations, if he was surrounded, less than a hundred guards would be enough to kill him. A first-rate master might need a hundred and fifty, and a grandmaster could fight with at most three hundred.
If combined with powerful weapons such as crossbows, the power of the thousand men in front of them can wipe out no more than five masters in the world - provided that they are prepared and surrounded.
Of course, the Grandmaster was completely enraged and they started a guerrilla war. The Emperor couldn't stand it either, so he killed one today and one tomorrow. If this continued, it would be disastrous . Therefore, in this world, people respect and fear each other.
"Your Majesty summons Shi Wuji!" A eunuch came out and announced the decree.
"Thank you, long live the emperor!" Zhang Xuanning knelt on the ground and kowtowed respectfully before standing up and following him. As he left, he presented a stack of silver bills.
The eunuch nodded and accepted the banknote. Zhang Xuanning felt relieved when he saw the money being collected. This kind of eunuch who was close to the emperor was the best at guessing the emperor's thoughts. If the emperor didn't like someone, he would simply not accept the banknote - if not, Zhang Xuanning would immediately turn around and kill him.
Although there are heavy guards here, it is still on the outskirts. Maybe he can fight his way out and escape. But once he gets inside, with his current martial arts skills, he won't have any chance at all.
It was summer in August, but the palace was cool because of the various gardens and ponds. Walking along the stone corridor and passing by pavilions, we could see the more strict guards in the distance and the sounds of stringed instruments could be heard faintly.
However, for the sake of safety, each of these courtyards has been designed with care. Although there are corridors everywhere, if there are enough people, basically every blind spot will be noticed.
When they arrived at a room, my father-in-law asked them to wait for a moment and then went in to report.
Not long after, the father-in-law came out and shouted, "Xuan Shi Wuji greets you."
As soon as Zhang Xuanning entered and saw the yellow spot in the center, he immediately knelt on the ground, not even daring to raise his head: "I am the acting county magistrate of Anchuan County, and the Guoyi Duwei Shi Wuji, I pay my respects to Your Majesty. May our emperor live long and long!"
Even so, he still felt a strong aura lingering in the room. There were several who were far superior to him, and there were actually more than a dozen second-rate masters at the same level as him.
"Are you Shi Wuji? Very good, very good. Stand up and talk." After waiting for a long time, a voice came from above.
"I am extremely terrified. Long live the emperor!" Zhang Xuanning kowtowed again before standing up to speak. Even after standing up, he did not dare to look the emperor in the eye. However, he could see a man sitting at the table, who was obviously Emperor Yang of Sui.
Of course, Emperor Yang of Sui was not dead at that time, and this was actually a posthumous title. However, Zhang Xuanning came from later generations, so what else could he be called if not this?
Emperor Yang of Sui had some spare time to look over and saw that Zhang Xuanning was about thirty years old, with a naturally dignified demeanor. He was a wise and brave man, so how could he not recognize him? He nodded slightly in his heart, and when he saw him again, he didn't even dare to raise his head. His attitude was extremely respectful, and he also had a faint good impression of him.
"Shi Wuji, you are just a brave captain, how dare you secretly report to me and say that Duke Tang is not right?"
Zhang Xuanning immediately knelt on the ground and said, "How dare I say that Duke Tang is wrong? However, when I arrived in Anchuan County, I unexpectedly discovered that Li Judao had secretly accumulated weapons and armor, with thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of grains. This shocked me, and his followers saw that the matter was leaked and dared to attack and kill their superiors. As a minister of Your Majesty, how dare I deceive the king? Even if I have a sword and an axe on my body, I must report the truth to Your Majesty. I am terrified and respectfully ask for Your Majesty's judgment."
When Emperor Yang of Sui heard this, he said nothing more. He stood up, took a few steps, and suddenly turned around and looked at him.
Although he was lying on the ground, he could still feel that at this moment, his eyes were shining brightly. As an emperor, no matter how corrupt and decadent he was, his wisdom and bravery in the past were naturally extraordinary.
In fact, Emperor Yang of Sui was also a little surprised. In terms of military strategy, at the age of 20, he was appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Sui Dynasty, leading an army of 500,000 to the south to attack the wealthy and powerful Chen Dynasty and complete the unification.
The Yangtze River is a natural barrier that was believed to separate the north and the south in ancient times. Fu Jian's army of one million did not break through the Yangtze River. This is a very difficult task. However, under the command of Yang Guang, the Sui army broke through the Yangtze River in one fell swoop. Even if the Chen Dynasty was corrupt and careless, it was extraordinary.
In terms of conspiracy, this man was able to kill his brother and force his father to seize the throne as the King of Jin. Of course, he is also the best in the world.
From a strategic perspective, the order to build the Grand Canal was a great event that would benefit future generations and contribute to the present, connecting the Qiantang River, Yangtze River, Huai River, Yellow River, and Haihe River. It truly connected the Yellow River Basin in the north and the Yangtze River Basin in the south, connecting the two civilizations in the north and south, and extending the rule to the south in the present.
It can be said that China is a great country only because of this canal. Compared with Li Shimin, this achievement is simply dregs. Only the imperial system established by Qin Shihuang for two thousand years can be compared.
In the world situation, expanding territory and opening up the Silk Road, avoiding future troubles by three expeditions to Goryeo, were all wise and brave moves, and even Li Shimin had to do the same in the future - which of Li Shimin's later actions was not copied from him?
Emperor Sui Yang looked at him for a long time, then smiled and said, "Okay, I like loyal ministers like you."
For some reason, he originally wanted to use both kindness and force, but when he saw Zhang Xuanning, he felt happy for no reason, so he gave up and said, "Okay, tell me the situation."
Zhang Xuan was so focused that he explained the situation one by one, neither adding nor leaving out. He described the situation in the county and the weapons warehouse one by one. Emperor Yang of Sui remained calm and just listened indifferently.
As he spoke, Zhang Xuanning was also observing the emperor. He saw that the emperor was indeed of extraordinary appearance and majestic figure. He was wearing imperial robes and a tall crown on his head, and he had a royal aura.
After he finished speaking, Emperor Yang of Sui nodded and said, "I understand."
No more words said.
After waiting for a while, Emperor Yang of Sui said, "Shi Qing is loyal and diligent, but I may not promote you because of your great contribution. Well, I will reward you with another 100 taels of gold and 10 pieces of silk, and you can leave now."
Unexpectedly, it would just pass like this, and no one asked about the slight rebellion at all. Zhang Xuanning looked up in surprise, and only caught a glimpse of a bitter smile on the corner of Emperor Sui Yang's mouth. Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind, and he felt a chill all over his body.
This spiritual light illuminated the entire world and further clarified the secrets of this era. At that moment, I felt extremely cold and just wanted to retreat to the south immediately.
However, he remained calm and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will take my leave."
After leaving the palace, Zhang Xuanning felt his whole body trembling, but his mind finally became clear.
The division and infighting among the Three Kingdoms during the Han Dynasty severely damaged the vitality of the Han nationality, which led to the Five Barbarians' Invasion of China. In northern China, the Five Barbarians killed people like crazy, and the Han people were no longer in power.
In 306 AD, Li Xiong, a member of the Badi tribe, proclaimed himself emperor, established his capital in Chengdu, Sichuan, and named his country Dacheng, which is known in history as Cheng Han.
In 315 AD, Yilu, a member of the Tuoba tribe, proclaimed himself king, established the Dai dynasty, and occupied the Mongolian region.
In 319 AD, Liu Yao, a minister of the Han Dynasty, proclaimed himself emperor and established his capital in Xi'an, Shaanxi. He changed Han to Zhao, which was known in history as the Former Zhao. Shi Le, a Jie tribe minister of the Former Zhao, proclaimed himself king.
In 337 AD, Murong Huang, a Xianbei minister of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, established the Yan Dynasty, which was known in history as the Former Yan.
In 351 AD, Fu Jian, a Di tribe member who served as a minister of the Later Zhao Dynasty, proclaimed himself king, established his capital in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, and named his country Daqin, which is known in history as the Former Qin Dynasty.
In 384 AD, Murong Hong, a Xianbei official of the Former Qin Dynasty, proclaimed himself king and established a state called Yan, which was historically known as Western Yan and occupied the Shaanxi region. Murong Chui, a Xianbei official of the Former Qin Dynasty, proclaimed himself king and established a state called Yan, which was historically known as Later Yan and occupied the Hebei region.
In 386 AD, Yao Chang, a Qiang-ethnic minister of the Former Qin Dynasty, proclaimed himself emperor, established his capital in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, and named his country Daqin, which is known in history as the Later Qin Dynasty. Tuoba Gui, a minister of the Former Qin Dynasty, proclaimed himself king and named his country Wei, which is known in history as the Northern Wei Dynasty.
In 407 AD, Helian Bobo of the Xiongnu proclaimed himself the Great Chanyu and established the country Daxia...
The people of the Central Plains at this time were no longer the people of the Han Dynasty. The original population of the Han Dynasty had long been less than half. Many ancient cities with centuries of civilization turned to ashes. Many cultural relics were burned. Foreigners ruled the Central Plains.
On this basis, the ruling class of the Hu people, the Guanlong military aristocracy group was born. It originated in Wuchuan, Daibei, and was first built in Guanzhong. Its beginning was the Eight Pillars of the Western Wei Dynasty, which was once at its peak.
The eight pillars of the state are: Yuwen Tai (Li Shimin's great-grandfather), Yuan Xin, Li Hu (Li Yuan's grandfather), Li Bi (Li Mi's great-grandfather), Zhao Gui, Yu Jin, Dugu Xin (Yang Jian's father-in-law), Houmo Chen Chong. They created four dynasties, namely Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang.
It can be said that this is the real strength behind the three major clans - the Northern Hu Alliance!
During the Northern Qi and Northern Zhou dynasties, the upper class nobles were extremely hostile to the Han people and were keen on Xianbeiization and Western Huization. Yang Jian's family was actually a prominent family since the Han Dynasty. During the Western Wei Dynasty, Yang Jian's father Yang Zhong and Dugu Xin joined the powerful minister Yuwen Tai. After that, Yang Zhong was promoted to the rank of Zhuguo and was granted the title of Suiguogong because of his repeated meritorious service and his help in Yuwen Jue's establishment of the Northern Zhou regime.
Yang Jian's ancestor, Yang Yuanshou, the Sima of Wuchuan Town, was given the Hu surname Pu Liuru for his contributions in assisting the Xianbei. After Yang Jian came to power, he immediately restored his Han surname, stopped Xianbeiization, and vigorously promoted Sinicization.
Because of this, the Yang family, which was originally regarded as a member of the Hu people alliance, was regarded as a rebel by the Hu people's northern alliance. So it can be said that the entire northern Hu people world will do everything possible to overthrow its regime!
How did Emperor Yang of Sui end up like this and be called a foolish emperor? Perhaps one reason was that he over-employed the people and was eager for quick success. Another reason was that the Sui Dynasty came to power illegitimately, and Emperor Yang of Sui himself came to power illegitimately, and the world was dissatisfied with him. But the real reason was the hatred and subversion of the Guanlong military group, which was rooted in the barbarians!
The first dynasty established by the Xianbei people during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Not to mention the Western Wei, the Xianbei Yuwen Tai supported the grandson of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei as emperor and established Chang'an as the capital.
The Northern Zhou Dynasty was also founded by the Xianbei Yuwen family, so in fact, the so-called Yuwen family, Li family, and Dugu family were all Hu people!
Since the rise of the Five Barbarians, the Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang dynasties were actually all ruled by barbarians. The later Yuan and Qing dynasties were not completely integrated or were too close in time, so they were given the reputation of being barbarian regimes.
The reason why everyone ignores the nature of the Hu people in the Sui and Tang dynasties was actually because it started with Li Shimin, who thoroughly implemented a policy of keeping the people ignorant, revised history books, and guided public opinion. Of course, the great achievements of the Tang Dynasty also made this policy successful.
But in this era, the South has no good feelings towards the North at all, calling them barbarians who do not have the Chinese culture. Therefore, in fact, the demise of the Chen Dynasty was the first time in history that the Han people were truly destroyed. You know, the Jin Dynasty still had half of its territory continuing in the South!
Thinking of this, he completely understood why Emperor Yang of Sui fled to the south. Not only because hundreds of thousands of Turkic troops besieged Yanmen, showing the alliance between the Guanlong military group and the Hu people, but also because of the hatred and opposition of the Guanlong military group that held military and political power in the north for two hundred years!
However, the Han people in the south did not truly accept the Yang family. After all, the Yang family had always appeared as ministers of the Hu people. Therefore, Emperor Yang of Sui was caught in a dilemma and had no other choice.
Of course, if Emperor Yang of Sui stayed in Chang'an, he could still control half of the situation, but this was not his choice.
As expected, in fact, in the north, it is almost impossible for the Han people to rise. The real strength does not lie in the Hu clans, such as the strength shown by the Li clan in the Ming Dynasty, but in the close connection with the Hu clan, which has expanded by 200 people!
Any Han Chinese who rises from scratch in the north and fights against this super Hu network will only end up dead and his army destroyed!
Only by unifying the south as soon as possible can the north be unified and the Han dynasty be restored. Thinking of this, Zhang Xuanning understood that Emperor Yang of Sui was not unaware that the Hu clan Li family was planning a rebellion, but at this time, his vitality was severely damaged, and he was powerless, and it would be difficult for him to save himself.
When he returned to the army and learned that the emperor had rewarded him and praised him, Tao Ji was immediately overjoyed and smiled: "Congratulations, General! Congratulations, General! This is really good."
Because he was already a brave and resolute captain, he was qualified to be called a general.
This person obviously thinks that with the emperor's praise, he can rest easy. No matter how powerful the Duke of Tang is, can he be more powerful than the emperor?
It can be seen that although this person is a veteran, he is also limited by his experience and vision, and does not know when his death will come. Zhang Xuanning now knows that his troops are doomed, and it is already amazing that he can try his best to escape. However, it is also best for Tao Ji to rest assured, because dying in confusion is happiness.
He said immediately: "The emperor has granted me the job. You are now the deputy commander of a regiment."
"Ah!" Tao Ji was overjoyed. He was originally the deputy captain, and he was promoted two levels in one go. As expected, he followed Zhang Xuanning's footsteps.
"Do your best!" Zhang Xuanning said gently, thinking in his heart how many days this person can live.
"Yes, thank you General for the promotion, and thank you His Majesty for your grace!" Tao Ji actually knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, until his scalp was broken.
Zhang Xuanning smiled, having already made up his mind - to return to the south, rule the world, and kill the Hu people, this was his greatest wish in this life.