LFHYB -Chapter 155 The Rebellion Kings Unite Against Yang Guang

When Li Shimin and Li Xuanba returned to the Longyou route, the fame of the twin brothers spread across the land once again.

Gao Yong, Yuwen Bi, Xue Daoheng, and Changsun Sheng sat down for a game of mahjong, chatting about the great feats of their disciples while shuffling tiles.

This set of jade mahjong tiles had been sent by Li Xuanba along with a letter of apology to the Yuwen family.

Li Xuanba apologized to the Yuwen family for not taking proper care of Yuwen Zhu, which had frightened her and worried her teacher.

After scolding Li Xuanba, Yuwen Bi began playing mahjong daily with old friends, showing off how considerate his grandson-in-law was.

Changsun Sheng eagerly agreed, while Gao Yong and Xue Daoheng suspected Changsun Sheng was complimenting Li Shimin through praising Li Xuanba.

Changsun Sheng said, “I suspect the Western Turks attacking Dunhuang Commandery is false. Longyou is harsh, cavalry is limited; a surprise raid on the camp is one thing, but for Er Lang to face the Shibi Khan directly, he must have borrowed troops from the Western Turks.”

Xue Daoheng asked, “But the Eastern Turks are already defeated, right? It shouldn’t take many troops to finish off a defeated army.”

Gao Yong drew a tile, shook his head, and discarded it. “Although the emperor is incompetent, he has many veteran generals around him. If the forces were sufficient, he would have already broken through the encirclement. Judging by the number of rewards granted, the Sui army at Yanmen wasn’t large. Sanlang could defeat the Shibi Khan but couldn’t annihilate many Turkic soldiers. The troops retreating to the steppe probably suffered minimal losses.”

Yuwen Bi, drawing tiles while stroking his beard, said, “Sanlanglikely feigned weakness to secure a great victory, then used the victory to mislead, making the Shibi Khan believe the Sui reinforcements had arrived, causing his defeat and retreat… Peng yi (a mahjong term).”

Xue Daoheng sighed. “Don’t tell me you’re going for a big hand? Lucky tiles. Whatever the method, Erlang and Sanlang saved the emperor. The title ‘Champion Marquis’ is still just a marquis; Sanlang didn’t even receive a noble rank. Under the late emperor, both would have at least been Commandery Dukes.”

Changsun Sheng said, “The current emperor has reduced noble titles, leaving only Duke and Marquis for non-royals. Being granted a title at all is already good. But without court support, burning the Turkic camp and capturing the Khan alive, not to mention previously capturing the Tuyuhun Khan, Sanlang’s merits surely warrant extraordinary promotion to a Duke.”

Xue Daoheng snorted. “He’s always stingy.”

Gao Yong drew another tile, smiling, and pushed it forward. “Hu! Self-draw.”

Yuwen Bi’s face changed dramatically. “You self-drew such a small hand? Don’t you have any ambition?”

Gao Jiong stroked his beard and smiled. “Since I knew you were aiming for big pairs, maybe even a pure big-pair hand, of course I’d run. You three can keep fighting it out slowly; I’m leaving first.”

Yuwen Bi, Changsun Sheng, and Xue Daoheng all clicked their tongues in disdain at Gao Jiong. Mahjong was supposed to be relaxing, and here he was actually calculating his tiles!

After showing their disdain for the first one to flee, the four continued chatting.

Gao Jiong took a slow sip of the Zhangye goji tea sent by Li Shimin and leisurely said, “Erlang is one thing, but Sanlang actually managed to earn merit by saving the emperor. I never expected that. I only thought he might have done something at the rebel commander’s camp.”

Xue Daoheng said, “Earlier, you mentioned that several rebel commanders had joined forces under the pretense of the Crown Prince to seize Sui army supplies. That plan obviously wasn’t the rebels’ idea themselves; someone must be behind it. Could it be that Sanlang has been hiding with the rebel commander all along?”

Gao Jiong said, “It could also be Li Mi.”

After saying this, he chuckled to himself. “But now, it can only be Sanlang.”

Although Changsun Sheng knew it was definitely Li Xuanba, he still asked, “Why?”

Gao Jiong replied, “Since you’ve concluded that the Western Turk attacks on Dunhuang Commandery were fake, then why would they leave the Central Plains in such a hurry without even competing for material rewards?”

Yuwen Bi said, “I heard Sanlang’s body is still very weak. If it weren’t urgent, they wouldn’t have rushed back to Longyou.”

Xue Daoheng hesitated, holding the tile in his hand for a long time, but finally discarded it. “It seems they anticipated that chaos would soon break out in the Central Plains, so they left immediately to avoid suspicion.”

Changsun Sheng said, “I’ve won. I’ll leave first.”

Xue Daoheng tugged at his beard in frustration. “They all ran? Leaving me alone?!”

Yuwen Bi laughed. “Come on, let’s see who wins first.”

Xue Daoheng frowned deeply.

The chair Changsun Sheng sat in was a “Grand Master’s Chair” sent by Li Shimin and Li Xuanba. Now that he was older, and never much cared for formalities in his youth, he quickly grew fond of it.

Now, all four elders sat in their Grand Master’s chairs every day and didn’t want to return to using couches, even though the couches had backs.

Changsun Sheng held a cup of tea, resting his arm on the chair’s armrest, and leaned toward Gao Jiong. “Gong Gao, what do you think Sanlang left for the rebel commander as a clever trick?”

Gao Jiong smiled. “I can’t guess. I’d like to know what kind of surprise he’ll give the world and the Emperor again.”

Yuwen Bi looked up. “Surely it’s more of a shock?”

Xue Daoheng frowned deeply. “Oh no, I hope I’m not about to point two families at once. Sigh, before His Majesty gets shocked, I’ll get shocked first.”

Yuwen Bi laughed and urged him, “Play the tile already.”

Xue Daoheng sighed.

Gao Jiong and Changsun Sheng laughed heartily.

As the weather gradually cooled, the four elders sat comfortably in the pavilion, enjoying the breeze.

Take care of your health, take care of your health—the outside world no longer concerns them; all they had to do was smile.

This year, they would surely live through easily; the next goal would be to live easily through the following year.

…Until they lived to see the next era of prosperity.

The news of the twins’ meritorious deeds also reached Wang Bo, Zhai Rang, and the other rebel commanders who were about to launch their plans.

Zhai Rang quietly approached Wang Bo, sighing. “I saw Sanlang, and he seems to despise the dog emperor. Why would he still risk himself to save him?”

Wang Bo, who had been studying with Wei Zheng, already understood much. “Though Erlang and Sanlang despise the dog emperor, they value the people more than the emperor. They cannot allow the Turks to slaughter the Central Plains.”

Zhai Rang remained silent for a moment, then clasped his hands westward. “Erlang and Sanlang’s righteousness is admirable.”

Wang Bo said, “In the midst of chaos, they neither wish to be our enemies nor is it the time to raise armies. Defending the border is truly the only choice. Yet it’s unexpected that without the court’s support, they still achieved such great results. Compared to Erlang and Sanlang, the dog emperor mobilized the entire country three times to conquer Goguryeo… hmph.”

Zhai Rang said, “If it were Erlang and Sanlang, they certainly wouldn’t personally lead the campaign against Goguryeo.”

Wang Bo shook his head. “Before the establishment of the Sui dynasty, during the previous chaos in the Central Plains, Goguryeo occupied much of the Central Plains’ territory. Whether it was the Sui or any other dynasty, they would seize any chance to conquer Goguryeo. But if it were Erlang and Sanlang, even if they couldn’t achieve complete victory, they wouldn’t have caused such suffering to the people. I heard Erlang was training troops in Longyou without burdening the people too much.”

Zhai Rang said sheepishly, “What you say is profound; I can hardly understand it.”

Wang Bo laughed. “I’ve only read a few history books following Master Wei. Zhai Gong, you can read too; are you mocking me for only starting now?”

Zhai Rang sighed. “I can read, but I haven’t read much. Perhaps I should study more… sigh, but whom could I ask for guidance?”

Wang Bo said, “I hear your subordinate Xu Shiji comes from a wealthy family. He should be able to read.”

Zhai Rang felt embarrassed. “He’s too young.”

Wang Bo smiled again and did not continue persuading him. In the journey of three men, one can always learn from the others; learning doesn’t depend on age or background, but not everyone can achieve it. Since Zhai Rang admitted this, he would not push further—they weren’t close to begin with.

Wang Bo realized that Zhai Rang wanted to ally with Erlang and Sanlang, but he hesitated because he wasn’t willing to give up the Wagang camp and travel all the way to Longyou.

However, Erlang and Sanlang would eventually reclaim the Central Plains. If Zhai Rang could hold out until then, he would likely achieve his wish.

And what about himself?

Wang Bo felt a little melancholic.

The more he read, the more uncertain he felt about the path he had to take.

Although Sanlang had chosen a path for him, he wasn’t sure he could truly walk it.

He might die halfway through.

Wang Bo’s melancholy lasted only a moment. The dog emperor wasn’t dead yet; he would think about it after the emperor died.

Soon, Wang Bo and Zhai Rang were joined by the other rebel commanders. Wei Zheng produced a new map showing Yang Guang’s return to the Eastern Capital and his possible southward route to Jiangdu this year, without hiding the fact that he had contacts in the court.

The daring generals all set off, lying in ambush along Yang Guang’s return route.

Neither Yang Guang nor the Sui court had the slightest inkling that the rebellious generals would set a trap for them.

They had just experienced a resounding, morale-boosting victory. The rebels should have guessed that it was Sui reinforcements that lifted the siege of Yanmen. How could they dare to provoke the Sui army?

Moreover, it was only because Yang Guang hadn’t acted against the rebels that they had been so brazen until now. If Yang Guang were determined to crush any one of these generals, it would have been effortless. Yet here they were, daring to directly attack Yang Guang—weren’t they courting death?

And yet, the rebels ambushed Yang Guang.

When Yang Guang was waiting for Li Shimin, the grain supplies in Yanmen Commandery were insufficient, so the reinforcements gradually withdrew back to their counties. Few soldiers remained around him; most were wounded and utterly exhausted.

Yang Guang had also failed to honor his promises, and he foolishly thought that if he could fight the Turks, he could also conquer Goguryeo. He again brought up the matter of the four campaigns against Goguryeo, which enraged the already deceived and frustrated soldiers.

At this point, the morale and condition of the Sui army had sunk to an almost unimaginable level. Only Yang Guang and the court officials remained excited, reveling in the triumph Li Shimin had brought them.

Then, when the first rebel contingent attacked Yang Guang’s convoy, the rebels even charged into view, shouting insults where Yang Guang could see them.

Furious and frightened, Yang Guang immediately ordered nearby counties to send reinforcements.

But the rebellious generals seemed to act with perfect coordination. At the same moment, multiple counties across the nation were being attacked by rebel forces. If the local troops left to aid Yang Guang, many cities would fall.

The cities they targeted were all Sui granaries. For example, the Wagang Army had set its sights on Xingyang, hoping to seize the largest granary supplying the Eastern Capital.

If several large granaries along the Grand Canal fell, not only could the Eastern Capital not sustain its population, but even the Sui army would starve.

Of course, even in the worst-case scenario, once Yang Guang returned to the Central Plains, the surrounding counties would have to dispatch troops.

Taiyuan Commandery would also have to mobilize. But Li Yuan was tied up with the Eastern Turks, so he could only send Li Jiancheng, hoping to let him earn some merit.

After all, this was not a campaign against the Turks, only against civilian rebels, so Li Jiancheng shouldn’t face major problems.

Li Jiancheng could indeed handle ordinary rebels without much difficulty. Civilian rebels were a disorganized lot; historically, he had suppressed rebels in Hedong as well.

However, this time Li Jiancheng was aiding Xingyang, a large granary and the home of his father-in-law. The attackers were the Wagang Stronghold, along with Wei Zheng, who had been “borrowed” by Wagang.

“I am Wei Shou,” a young but strong scholar announced. “I am a distant cousin of Mr. Wei, and I have come to offer strategy alongside him for the Wagang Stronghold.”

Zhai Rang looked at Wei Shou and then at the expressionless Wei Zheng, cautiously asking, “Mr. Wei, is this cousin of yours related to Sanlang?”

Wei Zheng replied, “Guess.”

Xue Shou smiled, “I have no relation to the Sanlang mentioned by Mr. Zhai, merely an acquaintance.”

Zhai Rang respectfully said, “Please teach me, sir!”

Xue Shou clasped his hands, “I will do my best.”

Wei Zheng sighed, “Are you really going to wade into this mess? You’ve barely returned to the Central Plains. Why not head straight to Longyou?”

Xue Shou replied, “I’ll help Erlang and Sanlang finish this matter first, then go.”

Knowing that both his elder cousin and younger cousin had gone to Longyou, Xue Shou was in no hurry.

He was determined to make an impact before rejoining Erlang and Sanlang, to let them know who among the “Three Phoenixes of Hedong” was truly formidable.

When Li Xuanba was in Qi Commandery, he asked Wang Bo to gather intelligence on Xue Shou.

Qi Commandery had many fishing boats. Fishermen risked journeys to Goguryeo and Wa to make a living. Despite the chaos, wealthy households still had ships trading with Wa.

Before leaving Qi Commandery, Li Xuanba had already learned of Xue Shou’s misfortune.

Since he was heading to Yanmen Commandery to assist the emperor, his identity could be exposed. So Li Xuanba sent someone to request aid from General Lai Huer’s naval forces, asking for a few warships to bring back the Sui army stationed on Tsukushi Island.

Only then did Lai Huer realize that the Sui army had already taken Tsukushi Island but had no ships to return and report back.

It turned out that Wa had declared war on Sui and was blocking communications. Lai Huer, already frustrated at being forbidden to attack Goguryeo, decided to give Wa a lesson.

After receiving Lai Huer’s petition, Yang Guang dismissed concerns over Wa and let Lai Huer act as he saw fit, as long as he did not send a large army, and only requested funds and supplies.

After Lai Huer sent naval support, Xue Shou was finally able to return to the Central Plains after years away. Chen Leng, who had been digging shells on Tsukushi Island with Xue Shou, returned home briefly to visit family before coming back to the island to continue the garrison.

Since Tsukushi Island had already been taken, Lai Huer increased troops and ships, leaving Chen Leng to guard the island.

In the future, if Sui recovered and wanted to attack Goguryeo again, the naval base on Tsukushi Island would allow them to attack from two directions.

Upon returning to the Central Plains, Xue Shou did not go to Hedong but first came to Qi Commandery to find Wei Zheng.

After learning about Erlang and Sanlang, Xue Shou beat his chest and wept bitterly, lamenting that if he were still in the Central Plains, he would have stayed in Hedong with Third Brother, possibly helping him.

After crying, he did not go home but hid his identity and stayed close to Wei Zheng, intending to help Third Brother carry out the plan.

Now, Xue Shou was muscular and strong. Even the other two “Phoenixes of Hedong” would not recognize him, making disguise effortless.

With an extra ally, Wei Zheng was very pleased.

Moreover, having Xue Shou as a colleague now meant that when he returned to serve his lord, he would have an ally for support.

Xue Shou fully lived up to his reputation as one of the “Three Phoenixes of Hedong.” Wei Zheng suspected that the other two, who were not yet renowned, were far inferior to him.

Xue Shou was not only talented in literature but also had strategic insight. Especially after years digging shells with Chen Leng on Tsukushi Island, he had gained deep understanding of military affairs and could train and lead troops.

Seeing Xue Shou follow him to Wagang Stronghold and then ride into the first battle with a wild frenzy, Wei Zheng looked down at the feather fan in his hand and found it suddenly uninteresting.

Should I pick up swordsmanship again?

Xue Shou was talented both in literature and martial arts, quickly earning the respect of everyone at Wagong Fort.

Zhai Rang quietly asked Wei Zheng about Xue Shou’s identity, hoping to see if he could persuade Xue Shou to stay.

Wei Zheng snapped irritably, “He’s a childhood friend of my master and Third Young Master.”

Zhai Rang was stunned, then moved: “Third Young Master actually sent a childhood friend to Wagong Fort to help me?”

It wasn’t really Third Young Master’s doing. Oh well, let’s just pretend it was.

Wei Zheng opened his eyes and lied, “Third Young Master repays kindness. Since you once saved him, of course he will give you his full support.”

Zhai Rang’s heart warmed. Third Young Master is truly righteous!

With generals like Xu Shiji, Shan Xiongxin, and Zhai Rang himself, and with Zhai Rang wisely entrusting the army’s command to Wei Zheng and Xue Shou, this band of “peasant rebels” became a completely different force.

Even Li Jiancheng didn’t have a proper strategist at his side, while Wagong Fort had two—two whose names would be remembered in history!

Under Xue Shou and Wei Zheng’s command, Wagong Fort easily defeated Li Jiancheng’s reinforcements.

Wei Zheng was petty, and Xue Shou cared about his friend Li Xuanba, so they had planned to capture Li Jiancheng alive, give him a lesson, and then release him.

But before their battle was even over, Li Jiancheng, seeing the enemy’s might, had already fled swiftly back to Taiyuan Commandery.

By the time Xue Shou and Wei Zheng received the news, Li Jiancheng was long gone.

Wei Zheng mocked, “He ran away just like when he falsely accused Third Young Master, catching Third Young Master off guard.”

Xue Shou said coldly, “It seems Li Jiancheng will survive this chaotic era no matter what. The chance of him facing misfortune is even smaller than Third Young Master, who can neither lift nor carry, just trailing the army’s rear.”

Wei Zheng rolled his eyes. “Exactly. Third Young Master leads troops with precision; even in defeat, he stays to rally the scattered soldiers. He wouldn’t finish a battle only to vanish. Sigh, I thought we could give him and our master a lesson.”

Xue Shou smiled, “We still can. We’ve taken Xingyang. The Zheng family of Xingyang wants us not to harass them; they should pay a price. Zhai Rang fears the gentry, but we do not—and neither do our master and Third Young Master. Let the Zhengs of Xingyang bleed a little; they must be furious at their useless son-in-law.”

Wei Zheng chuckled. “I hear Li Jiancheng married into the Zheng family this year? Then consider this a wedding gift.”

Xue Shou and Wei Zheng laughed heartily together.

Wagong Fort’s resounding victory attracted almost all anti-bandit forces near Luoyang and blocked Yang Guang’s route back to the city.

Xue Shou stayed in Xingyang to continue helping Wagong Fort. Wei Zheng returned to Wang Bo and led the Qijun militia to tie down Zhang Xutu, also dispatching smaller units to harass Yang Guang.

Militias from Jianghuai, Zhuo Commandery, and other regions also rushed toward Luoyang, giving the impression that multiple rebel forces were converging there.

Yang Xuangan took advantage of the chaos to raise his banner again, sending Li Mi to ally with the militias. He was elected as the alliance leader and issued a second proclamation denouncing Yang Guang.

In an instant, the previously suppressed uprisings flared anew. The rebel fires spread from south to north, east to west, even reaching Longyou Circuit.

Then Li Shimin appeared, and the “rebels” bowed deeply, weeping, shouting, “After years of wandering, I have finally found a wise ruler!”

In his heart, Li Xuanba added for these schemers seeking imperial pardon: [I have wandered half my life, only regretting I never met a wise lord. If you do not abandon me, I wish to serve as your righteous father.]

Li Shimin, who had already heard Li Xuanba describe the yet-to-exist Romance of the Three Kingdoms, knew the line’s full meaning and silently shouted in furious frustration: [Shut up! Quiet!]

The civil uprisings in the Sui dynasty blossomed anew, but this time the Sui army was stretched thin, unable to suppress them as quickly as during Yang Xuangan’s first uprising. The Hebei militias tasked with harassing Yang Guang now had a lighter burden.

The Hebei militia’s leader, Gao Shida, like Zhai Rang, wisely handed over command to Dou Jiande, taking only a logistical role.

Dou Jiande initially just followed orders under the banner of “Crown Prince Yang Xian,” harassing Yang Guang, occasionally creating ghostly spectacles to scare him—playing the roles of “Deposed Crown Prince Yang Yong” and “Deposed Crown Prince Yang Xian” in a ghostly double act—which left the already traumatized Yang Guang shaken and ill.

Seeing the other militias thriving and the morale of Yang Guang’s Sui troops low, Dou Jiande decided to take a bold risk.

He conspired with Gao Shida, executing a plan identical to what he would have done when first gaining fame in the early twelfth year of Daye: they pretended to have internal conflict, Gao Shida “killed” Dou Jiande’s family, and Dou Jiande led his elite troops to surrender to Yang Guang.

Yang Guang, desperate to return to the Eastern Capital Luoyang, immediately accepted Dou Jiande’s surrender, ordering him to attack the rebel commander Gao Shida as the vanguard.

The difference from the original timeline: this time Dou Jiande did not attack while the Sui army was lax during treaty signing, but waited until the battlefield to turn the tide.

Dou Jiande found it odd.

He had expected his army to be scattered, leading only a few hundred in battle.

Every brilliant plan required risk, and he was prepared.

But unexpectedly, his troops stayed intact, and the Sui army even supplied them with bows and weapons.

Dou Jiande had to admit: the Sui dynasty had once been truly magnificent; even this army, weakened by the Turks, was still well-equipped. This made him fight harder on the battlefield.

When Gao Shida and Dou Jiande joined forces, the already demoralized Sui troops panicked, many surrendering mid-battle.

Yuwen Shu, though corrupt, was loyal to Yang Guang.

Despite his age, he carried the sick Yang Guang, who could no longer ride fast on horseback, secretly escaping via a side path through the chaos.

Meanwhile, veteran generals personally went to the front, repelling Dou Jiande and Gao Shida’s attacks.

Yang Guang was not doomed yet; Zhang Xutu broke through the rebel harassment just in time to save Yang Guang and Yuwen Shu.

Li Yuan, the Shanxi pacification commissioner returning from the steppe, and Yang Guang’s trusted Hedong pacification commissioner Yao Junsu also hurried to assist. Gao Shida and Dou Jiande reluctantly retreated.

Yang Guang had successfully returned to Luoyang.

The Duke of Xu, Yuwen Shu, had suffered fatal injuries. Before his death, his conscience stirred, and he acted as a loyal minister for once, advising Yang Guang to recognize Yang Xian back into the imperial clan, restore Yang Xian’s reputation, and take charge of Daxing in the Western Capital, promising to focus on recovery and governance.

Yang Guang was deeply moved. After Yuwen Shu passed away, however, his son Yuwen Huaji did not inherit Yuwen Shu’s title of Duke of Xu.