Chapter 90: Yang Guang's Panic

Outside the city of Luoyang, a soldier of the Sui dynasty galloped swiftly on horseback.

As he reached the outskirts of Luoyang, the guards at the city gate moved to block his way. But then they saw the soldier raise a sealed imperial dispatch, shouting urgently, “Eight hundred li express!”

Upon seeing this, the city guards quickly stepped aside.

Not only the guards, but the common folk passing through Luoyang and the high officials in their carriages all turned to glance curiously, wondering what had transpired.

Within the Ziwei City of Luoyang—the royal palace of the Sui dynasty—the civil and military officials were assembled in the main hall for court.

A decade earlier, Emperor Yang Guang had decreed the capital be relocated to Luoyang. He ordered the conscription of seven hundred thousand laborers to build the walls and one million workers to construct the city—one million more than the Qin state had mobilized in ancient times.

At that time, Yuwen Kai knew of Yang Guang’s penchant for luxury and extravagance. He commanded that Ziwei City be made as magnificent as possible, not only surpassing the capitals of all previous dynasties but becoming the most splendid palace in all the world.

Behind this grand project lay a heavy toll: out of the 1.7 million forced laborers, nearly half perished.

Inside the palace, Yang Guang sat upon the throne, crowned, listening to the reports of his ministers.

There came the names: Lai Hu’er, Li Yuan, Cui Junsu, Yu Shiji, Feng Deyi, Pei Yun, Yuwen Shu, Pei Ju, Duan Da, Yuan Wendu, Wei Jin, Wei Kuangbo, Lu Chu, Zhao Changwen...

Among the assembled officials, some wore smiles, others wore frowns as they gazed upon the emperor.

Yang Guang was constantly thinking about moving the capital to Jiangdu, which was good news for officials in the south but worrying for the prominent families of Guanzhong.

After all, the capital represented the seat of power over the entire realm.

Suddenly, a soldier burst into the hall, breathless and urgent. The civil and military officials exchanged puzzled looks.

All recognized that for a humble soldier to reach the palace with dispatches was no ordinary matter. Normally, any official report would be handled by Yu Shiji’s office, who would personally brief the emperor.

Yet this time, the soldier had come directly to the throne room.

Yang Guang, stroking his fine beard and daydreaming of the treasures his new palace in Jiangdu would hold, frowned deeply upon seeing the soldier’s hurried approach.

Who commanded the palace guards now? He resolved to summon that general after the court session.

The soldier knelt, gasping for breath, and reported: “Your Majesty, urgent dispatch from Taiyuan, eight hundred li away! General Pan Changwen has been killed in battle! The rebel leader Zhen Zhaier commands an army exceeding one hundred thousand, attacking Taiyuan Commandery! The rebels are well-equipped, with armor and weapons, and possess numerous large siege engines...”

“What?” Yang Guang’s eyes widened in shock as he sprang to his feet, abandoning his beard.

Pan Changwen dead?

An army of over one hundred thousand attacking Taiyuan?

And siege engines too?

“The rebels, over one hundred thousand strong, assaulting Taiyuan?”

“What shall we do? Taiyuan is a critical northern stronghold. If it falls, the rebels will march south!”

The officials murmured anxiously among themselves.

The ministers Cui Junsu, Yu Shiji, Feng Deyi, Pei Yun, Yuwen Shu, and others were grimly aware of Taiyuan’s strategic importance, with the Fen River linking directly to Guanzhong. If the rebels seized it, both Chang’an and Luoyang would be threatened.

Among them, Li Yuan was the most deeply shaken.

Hearing that over one hundred thousand rebels besieged Taiyuan, his mind raced not only with the consequences for the Sui dynasty but also recalling something else.

A certain commandant connected to his second son and daughter-in-law was stationed at Taiyuan.

Moreover, that young commandant had previously just arrived in Jinyang and, upon arrival, had ordered the city to be fortified and supplies arranged, though he had been advised against it.

Li Yuan had once secretly lamented, thinking the young commandant might be dismissed or punished.

Now, hearing of the massive rebel assault on Taiyuan, Li Yuan recalled his daughter-in-law’s words from that day.

“Father, I sense the matter is not so simple. At the Li mansion in Xian County, I overheard from Dou Jiande’s strategist Cui Luxing about the Wanqiu incident. The commandant Fu Zihou, by observing the city gates and the Xie family banquet, deduced the rebels intended to attack during the feast and identified their leader as Lu Mingyue, who had vanished for a year.”

Li Yuan pictured his daughter-in-law speaking and the young commandant Fu Zihou’s determined expression.

“Fu Zihou!” Li Yuan finally recognized the name and realized the young commandant was no ordinary man.

He knew well that if he were to plan great undertakings, this Fu Zihou would be an invaluable ally.

“Your Majesty, the rebels greatly outnumber us. With the current forces in Taiyuan Commandery, it will be difficult to defend. I beseech Your Majesty to order troops to assemble at Huoyi to fortify the southern choke point and prevent the rebels from advancing south!” Lai Kai, eldest son of General Lai Hu’er and a Tongyi Dafu, rose from among the ministers to offer his counsel.

Duan Da and other generals, as well as the officials, offered no objections.

Lai Kai had studied military strategy since youth and was known for both literary and martial talents; his advice was sound.

Huoyi was the critical junction for the rebel forces’ southward advance. Holding Huoyi meant protecting Luoyang and Guanzhong from invasion.

“Approved!”

Yang Guang, already shaken by the news of the siege, snapped to attention upon hearing Lai Kai’s words.

“Order Tiger General Song Laosheng to lead fifty thousand troops to garrison Huoyi!”

Scanning the ranks of generals in the hall, Yang Guang settled on a middle-aged man and gave the command.

The officials exchanged confused glances.

Tiger General Song Laosheng?

His abilities were no match for General Lai Hu’er, let alone Li Yuan. Why would the emperor dispatch Song Laosheng to Huoyi when Taiyuan was in such peril?

“Sir!”

Song Laosheng stepped forward from the ranks, saluted Yang Guang, and accepted the order with determined eyes.

He noticed the questioning looks from the ministers but remained resolute, vowing to hold Huoyi with his life.

“Proclaim my decree: Wang Shichong shall expedite the preparation of dragon boats. The Jiangdu palace must also be constructed swiftly. I shall move the capital there without delay!”

Watching Song Laosheng take his orders, Yang Guang’s expression steadied somewhat, but the thought of over one hundred thousand well-equipped rebels at Taiyuan still weighed heavily on his mind. He longed to relocate the capital as soon as possible.

“Your Majesty!”

Cui Junsu stepped forward from the ministers, bowing deeply.

“I recall that Your Majesty had previously bestowed the title of Fenwu Commandant upon Fu Zihou. Upon arriving in Jinyang, he immediately ordered the city to be fortified. I believe that this commandant showed foresight in Wanqiu and later recruited prisoners to defeat the rebel Zhang Jincheng in Qinghe Commandery. Now, he is defending Jinyang…”

Cui Junsu concluded his remarks with a respectful glance toward the emperor.

“Your Majesty still has such a brave and clever officer in Jinyang. Perhaps dispatching a general to coordinate with him in Taiyuan could lead to a decisive victory against the rebels!”

Other Cui clan officials, including Cui Gai, Cui Hongjun, Cui Hongshou, and Cui Hongzhou, also rose to endorse this suggestion.

Though the Qinghe Cui clan was now overshadowed by the Boling Cui clan, they still held positions in court.

“Fenwu Commandant!”

Yang Guang, in his panic, finally remembered the Fenwu Commandant he had personally appointed. This young officer had been criticized for his defensive posture in Jinyang, with some ministers claiming it tarnished the Sui dynasty’s dignity.

Now recalling this, Yang Guang was filled with fury, wishing to punish those who submitted such reports.

Why were supplies and weapons not allocated to the Fenwu Commandant?

Why?

Those ministers were traitors, betraying the great Sui and plotting against me!

“Your Majesty!”

Just as Yang Guang prepared to summon those ministers, Yu Shiji suddenly stood and spoke.

“I believe, Your Majesty, with General Pan Changwen killed, the forces in Taiyuan alone cannot withstand the rebel army of over one hundred thousand. Moreover, with Jinyang’s commander lost and the city besieged, there is no possibility of coordinated attacks from inside and outside. I advise that if we send troops to Taiyuan and suffer a setback, Luoyang will be in grave danger. It is better to hold Huoyi!”

Yu Shiji’s counsel found favor with many ministers who now supported him.

Taiyuan was leaderless and surrounded by a massive army. The forces in Jinyang and Taiyuan could only hope to hold out. Especially the eastern city of Jinyang, if it fell slowly, that would already be fortunate.

“Your Majesty…”

The Cui officials prepared to press their argument further.

Yet, having heard Yu Shiji’s words strike a chord with the emperor, Yang Guang was no longer inclined to heed the Cui clan.

In these chaotic times, Yang Guang was aware that Song Laosheng’s abilities were inferior to other generals. But what he needed most was someone who would not surrender to the rebels. In his eyes, Song Laosheng’s loyalty was paramount.

Inside Luoyang city, Li Yuan dismounted from his carriage and returned to his residence.

Learning from his servants that his eldest son Li Jiancheng and second son Li Shimin were absent, Li Yuan immediately ordered them to be summoned.

Within the residence, Guanyin, the maid, knelt by the fire, embroidering for her husband Li Shimin.

Meanwhile, Zhangsun Wuji grumbled incessantly to Guanyin, complaining that in recent days Li Shimin was nowhere to be found, and meeting him had become nearly impossible.

Spring was the perfect season for hunting, and Li Shimin, once an avid hunter who often took Zhangsun Wuji along, now seemed to have abandoned even his favorite pastime.

Zhangsun Wuji found life in Luoyang rather dull.

[Note: Researching the Qinghe Cui clan has been maddening. Most records belong to the Boling Cui clan. The Qinghe Cui were scarce during the late Sui and early Tang periods. Even after scouring numerous epitaphs, many Qinghe Cui held high regional posts rather than court positions.]