In the Anren Hall, Yang Guang, who had an evil idea, passed by the assassination case and Liu Jialun who was entrenched in Yan'an County. He suddenly poured out his bitterness to Yang Jida, saying how tired he was, how helpless he was, and even He also said that he is very poor now.
In fact, he himself very much enjoyed the emperor's feeling of being aloof and decisive in life and death. However, in terms of money and food, just as he said, the food stored in several large granaries located in Yongzhou, Yuzhou, and Jizhou would once be used to help the north and be transported to Youzhou. The days of the state and the court will become more compact.
The main reason why it was so "poor" was that the Sui Dynasty developed too fast. The imperial court had a lot of income, but these incomes allowed Yang Guang to invest in projects such as providing relief for work, repairing border towns, digging canals, and digging official roads, while various states, counties, armies, local infrastructure, and people were working hard. It was because of these investments that the Sui Dynasty developed so rapidly.
To a certain extent, this is a benign and healthy development, but for Yang Guang, the money and food that are being spent like water and the dwindling national treasury are like a wealthy man who is used to spending money lavishly. It seemed that when he suddenly realized that he didn't have much money and food in his hands, he felt somewhat nervous and panicked.
However, the terrifying development speed and strong external style of the Sui Dynasty had a huge impact on the surrounding foreign races. The stronger the Sui Dynasty became, the more powerful they became. The more peaceful they became, the more afraid they became, for fear that they would become the next target of the Sui army. Even Goguryeo, which had a great feud with the Sui Dynasty, showed its favor to the Sui Dynasty, otherwise Gao Yuan, who was once very powerful, would not have said that he would go to Liaodong to face the Holy Spirit.
However, Yang Guang always thought about the territory occupied by Goguryeo and the shame of the 19th year of founding the emperor. At the same time, he also wanted to destroy the great enemy in the Northeast. However, Liaodong was bitterly cold and had little development value. Moreover, at this stage of the Sui Dynasty, there were many internal conflicts and the relationship between the various forces was very tense. If the Sui Dynasty spent huge manpower, financial and material resources to get back Liaodong, which had little value, it would not be beneficial to the Sui Dynasty. any benefit. It seems that it will not be too late to annihilate Goguryeo after the internal conflicts in the Sui Dynasty have eased or been resolved.
However, Yang Guang could not suppress the bad breath in his chest: firstly, he wanted to avenge his shame; secondly, Goguryeo was stationing troops in Liaodong on a large scale, and he was a little worried that the Goguryeo army would attack the throne during his northern tour. Although he He was not afraid that the Sui army would lose, but the grain, grass, weapons, equipment, medicines and clothes accumulated in Youzhou and Liaodong counties were simply not enough for the army. If it ended in defeat or had to shake hands with Goguryeo, it would be very difficult for him. It was a huge blow to the prestige of the Sui Dynasty and the Great Sui Dynasty, so Yang Guang planned to teach Goguryeo a lesson in advance to avoid this happening.
After Yang Ji heard Yang Guang's plan, he pondered for a while and said, "Brother, do you want me to attack Goguryeo again?"
Yang Guang nodded, sighed and said, "We may have fallen into Goguryeo's trap during our meeting with Gao Yuan this time."
Yang Ji was taken aback and asked quickly: "How did brother know?"
"Before you entered the palace, I received an urgent report jointly signed by Li Zixiong and Yu Wenshu. They said that Goguryeo had mobilized more than 200,000 troops to reach Liaodong, and subsequent armies continued to move northward. If they were in place one by one, Goguryeo would be in Liaodong's army at this time. , at least more than 300,000." Yang Guang picked up an emergency report on the case, waved it to Yang Ji, threw it down, and continued: "In contrast, our Northern Patrol Army and You The combined strength of the Zhou Army and the Sumo Mohe Army is not inferior to the others, but the logistics and equipment are far inferior to the other side. In the northeast, the old Khitan land that was merged into Liaodong County is not a worry, but Raole County is still dominated by the Xi tribe. , after they were forced to surrender by you, they were then forced to accept all the government orders of the Sui Dynasty, so they were complaining. If they went south along the Ru River and captured Linyu Pass in Yuyang County when the Sui and Gao war broke out, our army would They are trapped in Liaodong. If the situation reaches that point, the Dong/Tujue and Xi tribes may also join the enemy and take the opportunity to attack Liaodong County and Mozhou County."
Yang Ji frowned and thought for a moment, then asked Yang Guang, "Brother, do Li Prefecture and Yuwen Duhu have any conclusive proof?"
Yang Guang shook his head and said with a wry smile: "This is what worries me. I'm afraid Gao Yuan has made two preparations: if we patrol to Liaodong, he is very likely to take the opportunity to attack our army. As long as he drags us into the quagmire of war, those The foreign tribes in the northeast who were afraid of the Sui Dynasty and had served Goguryeo saw that the situation was not conducive to our army, and 60 to 70%
He may take action; if I go back on my promise and not go to Liaodong for inspection, then he can attack Mozhou, Liaodong, Liucheng and other counties with few soldiers without any worries. At that time, we may still be in the Turkic territory. When we receive Urgent report, I'm afraid Gao Yuan has led the coalition forces to Zhuojun. "
After listening to Yang Guang's words, Yang Ji felt that Yang Guang was not suffering from delusion or persecution, but that Gao Yuan might really do what Yang Guang said and do something small to win big. After all, Gao Yuan He did it once that year, which prompted Yang Jian to launch an expedition. The internal conflicts in the Sui Dynasty are now countless times more intense than they were back then. If Yang Guang and the Northern Patrol Army were dragged by the Goguryeo army in Liaodong, some people would most likely take the opportunity to cause trouble and trigger "chaos."
Therefore, it is necessary to guard against it.
"Brother is right. Gao Yuan's frequent troop deployments this time are entirely based on the Northern Patrol Plan. They are definitely coming from bad intentions and must be guarded against." After saying that, Yang Ji suggested again: "Otherwise , we simply cancel the Northern Patrol and go directly to Liaodong to fight this battle. Not to mention that Goguryeo will be destroyed in one battle, but at least we can annihilate the other side in Liaodong. After that, we will fight and annihilate Goguryeo year by year. Within a few years, Goguryeo will be impoverished and without an army to fight."
"I have also considered the plan you mentioned, but unfortunately our army's weapons, equipment, and food and grass supplies cannot keep up." Seeing that Yang Ji was becoming radical again, Yang Guang persuaded him with sincere words: "I can understand your desire to expel the Huru and regain the lost territory." However, Goguryeo is different from the nomadic tribes where each tribe governs its own affairs. Goguryeo not only has many soldiers and generals, but its system, the cohesion of its people, and the fighting will and ability of its army are no different from those of our Sui Dynasty. In addition, Goguryeo occupies a large area. Given the favorable circumstances and favorable circumstances, we must be cautious and we can respond proactively, but we must not act recklessly."
"Our army is currently poorly prepared and is in a mess internally. The imperial court must not rush to fight this powerful enemy and fight this uncertain battle. However, according to Yuwen, the current "bandits" in Mozhou are actually being suppressed more and more. It can be seen that the Goguryeo army He has let go of his hands and feet, and there is no need to even cover up. Therefore, we can use the excuse of wiping out the Khitan remnants and the bandits to send elite troops north to Youzhou. At the same time, with a wartime attitude, we can send scouts deep into the Goguryeo territory to learn all the details of the opponent. "
"So in name you are assisting Li Zixiong and Yuwen Shuqing in suppressing the bandits, but in reality you are annihilating the bandits sent by Goguryeo."
Only then did Yang Ji understand that Yang Guang's true intention was to wipe out the bandits pretended by the Goguryeo army and annihilate Goguryeo's vitality. He immediately said excitedly: "If it's to fight Goguryeo, then I won't be lazy. Already."
Seeing the half-dead and lazy Yang Ji suddenly become energetic and smiling, Yang Guang suddenly regretted it. He was a little worried that this guy would accidentally take over the southern part of the Liaodong Plain that was still in the hands of Goguryeo. , and then triggered a war between the two countries.
However, after careful consideration of the many generals in the Sui Dynasty who were capable of being the head coach, they found that only Yang Ji had ever fought against Goguryeo, and he had defeated the opponent easily. In addition, the matter was so important that he had no choice. , we can only send this murderous god north. However, he still warned with some worry: "You also know that this is not the best time to destroy the enemy Zuo. You should restrain yourself and don't fight too much, otherwise it will be difficult to deal with."
Yang Guang had blind trust in Yang Ji's destructive ability, so he never considered that he would be defeated. Now he was afraid that Yang Ji would fight too hard and not be able to control the degree accurately.
Hearing this, Yang Ji patted his chest and promised: "I am very sure about the degree. You can rest assured that I understand everything."
Yang Guang glanced at the high-spirited Yang Ji angrily and said to himself, "Can I rest assured that you are such an arrogant and arrogant person?"
Yang Ji quickly entered the combat role. He looked at Yang Guang and asked in a deep voice: "Brother, after all, the enemy has more than 300,000 troops stationed. When the war progresses to a certain level, even if our army wants to stop, , the other party may not agree. In this battle, who is the commander of our army? How many troops will you give me?"
The clarity of the head coach is particularly critical, because there is Li Zixiong in Youzhou and Yu Wenshu in Mozhou. If something goes wrong, Xue Shixiong and Jizhou Mu Yang Lun, who have already taken up their posts in Zhuo County, will also join the war. If it is not clear who is the head coach in advance, Who will listen to whom then?
There is no room for caution in terms of military strength. According to the enemy "data" mentioned by Yang Guang, the three counties of Mozhou, Liaodong, and Liucheng in Youzhou have been suppressed and restrained by Goguryeo until they can't move. If Yang Ji led the army Going north, the troops he has available are actually the troops he brought with him. And the Youzhou Army, which is under huge defensive pressure, is probably unreliable.
"Of course you are the commander-in-chief. I will make you the general manager of the Liaodong March. You will be in charge of the military and political affairs of Youzhou. If anyone dares to disobey military orders, you will behead him." Yang Guang answered Yang without hesitation. After thinking about the first question for a while, he finally talked about the strength of the troops: "As for the strength of the troops, I originally planned to let you bring 30,000 Liangzhou elite troops, but after what you said, I also feel that the strength of the troops is a bit small. Already."
After pondering for a while, Yang Guang said to Yang Ji: "I went to inspect the north. The Turks don't have the courage to fight. If I go to the Turks with too many elite soldiers, it won't be of much use. So, I I’ll give you another 20,000 Xiaoguo troops. At the same time, let Bin Chou prepare for war, while Xian Chou will transport Qingzhou’s supplies to Liaodong County via water transport. What do you think?”
"If that's the case, then I have no objection at all." Yang Ji thought for a while, then suddenly thought of something, and immediately added: "But I have another request."
Yang Guang was speechless after hearing this. He stared at Yang Ji for a long time and said, "What's the request?"
"Tend Yang Shanhui to me." Before that, Yang Guang was kind to the Eastern Turks and asked Yang Ji to deploy 40,000 elite troops in the Xiutuze area of Wuwei. If the Eastern Turks dared to play any tricks, Li Jing and Yang Shanhui would The 40,000 elite soldiers led by him immediately went northward and blocked Qimin Khan's retreat to the northern Turkic Khan's court.
However, things have changed, and the Eastern Turks are no longer Yang Guang's target. This has led to the fact that although Yang Ji's troops deployed in the Xiutuze area can still deter the Eastern Turks, the possibility of war is the same. No more. It was too late to mobilize the army, and Li Jing, as the general, could not be separated, but Yang Shanhui was able to take a group of Liangzhou generals directly to Liaodong County to join forces. If they were heading east along the border between the Sui Dynasty and the Eastern Turks, their marching speed might not be slower than that of Yang Ji.
"It's accurate!" Yang Guang thought for a while and added: "Simply let Yang Shanhui lead 10,000 elite cavalry to Liaodong County to obey the order. Whoever you want, just give the order to Yang Shanhui yourself."
"Here!" Yang Ji responded.
Yang Guang said: "This time you go north, you can help me solve another matter."
"What's the matter?"
"You will know after you look at these." Yang Guang took out two memorials and handed them to Yang Ji.
Yang Ji took it and took a look. It was originally a memorial written by Li Zixiong, the governor of Youzhou. It was originally a memorial written by Liu Xiuwen, the governor of Taitai. The contents were all related to Youzhou. Yang Guang said coldly: "These two They are all in Zhuo County now, and the contents of the memorials they sent are all related to Youzhou officialdom, but the contents are completely different. As the governor of Youzhou, Li Zixiong said that Yuyang County Governor Yuan Jie secretly set up checkpoints in the Liaoxi Corridor to collect taxes, and also Many local officials did other illegal things together with him. However, Liu Xiuwen, the Sili Cheng who was ordered to inspect Youzhou, said that the officialdom of Youzhou was clean and honest, and in turn impeached Li Zixiong, Yu Wenshu, the governor of Mozhou, and Yan Xun, the governor of Liaodong County, for blackmailing officials Money, deprivation of military pay. I really don’t know which one to believe now, so before you go to Liaodong, resolve this matter first to avoid leaving hidden dangers in the rear."
At this point, Yang Guang laughed meaningfully and said slowly: "Yuyang Wang Yuangang's line has been operating in Youzhou for nearly a hundred years. This line is nominally its own line, but in fact it is still the same as the direct line of the Yuan family. Qi connects the branches and responds to each other, and Yuan Hongsi is ostensibly the head of the Yuyang Yuan clan, but the power is still in the hands of Yuan Zhou. They have intertwined interests in Youzhou, and if the war between the Sui Dynasty and Goguryeo breaks out suddenly , what I am most worried about is that the Yuan family entrenched in Zhuo County and Yuyang County will suddenly attack."
Yang Ji suddenly realized that he originally thought that Yang Guang would not interfere in Li Shimin's assassination case after listening to his persuasion, and let the case ferment on its own, instead of deliberately targeting the Yuan family. Now it seems that Yang Guang still doesn't intend to let Yuan go. When he saw that there was nothing he could do here, he changed the direction.
It's just that this time starting from the officialdom and the law is countless times better than forcibly interfering with the judiciary. If something is really gained in the end, even the Yuan faction headed by the Yuan family will have nothing to say.
"Do you understand what I mean?" Yang Guang asked with a smile when he saw Yang Jiruo enlightened.
"I understand." Yang Ji really understood: Li Zixiong and Liu Xiuwen's memorials themselves were not very important, but what was important was that they gave Yang Guang an excuse to eliminate the Yuyang clan of the Yuan family.
