LFHYB -Chapter 158 Yang Guang Descends to Beautiful Jiangnan for the Third Time

The final step of the plan devised by Li Xuanba for Zhai Rang and Wang Bo was to trap Yang Guang along the Grand Canal while he traveled south.

No one at the time would have guessed that Yang Guang, with the empire in chaos and the dynasty on the brink, would still rebuild dragon boats for a southern journey. Even now, as Yang Guang began reconstructing the dragon boats, some ministers naively thought he would only leave Luoyang once the realm had stabilized slightly.

Li Xuanba arranged everything in advance: the righteous armies placed scouts along the river and built fortifications and catapults around the neglected Grand Canal.

Simple catapults only required knowledge of a lever. Wang Bo, as a blacksmith, could assemble them with a few carpenters.

Because even Sui officials could not imagine Yang Guang going south at this time, the righteous armies’ preparations drew no attention.

Even if noticed, people would assume the armies intended merely to plunder the court’s grain ships.

Now, with no campaign against Goguryeo, there was no need to transport grain from the south. The righteous armies were spreading everywhere, and Sui defenses along the Tongji Canal were lax. No one knew that Zhai Rang and Wang Bo, leaders of Central Plains rebel forces, were actually at Tongji Canal.

Zhai Rang wondered, “Why hasn’t Gao Shida arrived?”

Wang Bo said, “After Gao Shida’s great victory, he became too arrogant and was defeated by Guo Xuan, the Tong Prefecture defender. Dou Jiande replaced Gao Shida, gathered the remaining soldiers to avenge Gao Shida, and probably has no strength left to join us.”

Zhai Rang sighed. “Can just the two of our armies defeat Yang Guang?”

Wang Bo said, “The dog emperor has been scared into a nervous breakdown. They say he can’t even sleep at night. If we scare him one more time, even if he escapes again, he probably won’t live long.”

Zhai Rang smiled. “Did Sanlang tell you this?”

Wang Bo said, “Sanlang is now stationed at the frontier resisting the Turks. How could news reach me? It’s Mr. Wei Er’s intelligence.”

Mr. Wei Er was “Wei Shou,” claiming to be a cousin of Wei Zheng, also known as Xue Shou.

Xue Daoheng had been a high-ranking official at court, so naturally there was a residence in Luoyang. Wei Shou had been adopted by Xue Ru, a relative of Xue Daoheng. Xue Ru served the Sui Dynasty, and Wei Shou had also lived in Luoyang for a long time, so obtaining information about the city was easy.

Zhai Rang sighed. “Does Mr. Wei Er’s intelligence differ from Sanlang’s? Everything is still in Sanlang’s control.”

Wang Bo asked, “Zhai Gong, are you thinking that Li Sanlang is using us as pawns?”

Zhai Rang remained silent.

Wang Bo gave a wry smile. “Li Sanlang once told me that if I didn’t want to continue as a righteous militia member, I was always welcome to come to the Longyou Circuit. I believe, if you, Gong Zhai, wanted to join Li Sanlang, he would also enthusiastically introduce you to Li Erlang. Gong Zhai, killing the Dog Emperor is my own wish—Li Erlang is merely helping me fulfill it. And you? Did Li Sanlang force you?”

Zhai Rang was momentarily taken aback, and a look of shame crossed his face.

Wang Bo sighed, a trace of melancholy flickering in his eyes.

He could see that Zhai Rang’s resolve to kill Yang Guang wasn’t particularly firm.

Life had become easier, and the fear of imperial authority had returned. Zhai Rang was clever; he surely understood that if he failed in the future and wanted to seek refuge with someone else, most of the old Sui officials would never accept someone who had killed the emperor.

Even Li Erlang and Li Sanlang would not take him in.

Li Xuanba had already told Wang Bo the same.

For now, it was one thing for the common people, who could no longer endure life, to rise up in the name of killing the Dog Emperor; but when the leaders of the militia gained the ability to contend for the throne, their attitude toward Yang Guang would change. Especially after Yang Guang was killed, they would most likely transform into loyal Sui officials, outrage over his death feigned, perhaps even holding official mourning for him.

That was exactly how history had unfolded.

Even Dou Jiande, who had the best reputation among the rebel leaders, in order to gain the support of aristocrats, powerful families, and former Sui officials—and thus more leverage to vie for the throne—not only swore allegiance to the Eastern Tùqí Shǐbì Kèhán and accepted the title of “Little Khagan,” but also proclaimed himself a loyal Sui official. He claimed he had been favored by two generations of Sui emperors, and that Yuwen Huaji’s killing of Yang Guang was a personal enmity, justifying his campaign against Yuwen Huaji.

Dou Jiande posthumously titled Yang Guang as “Min” (the Pitiful) and mourned him when he was killed—but whether he remembered the villagers and kin who had perished due to Yang Guang’s extortion and exploitation was another matter.

But anyone aspiring to be emperor must be cold-blooded and thick-faced. When Zhu Yuanzhang’s family starved and he himself became a beggar, upon ascending the throne he had to hold his nose and speak favorably of the Yuan dynasty, blindly praising how “my family has survived three generations under the Yuan emperors’ grace,” all to win over former Yuan officials.

If Wang Bo were to kill Yang Guang, unless he could become emperor himself, there would be nowhere to turn.

Thus, Li Xuanba advised that Wang Bo should only scare Yang Guang—leaving the act of killing him to the ambitious people around the emperor.

After all, Yang Guang was doomed; there was no need to risk one’s life over it.

Wang Bo relayed Li Xuanba’s advice to Zhai Rang.

With their current forces, they could indeed only frighten Yang Guang; truly harming the Dog Emperor perched atop his grand dragon boat was impossible—let alone killing him.

“So, Gong Zhai needn’t worry,” Wang Bo said.

Zhai Rang gave a bitter smile. “Saying it like that, aren’t you afraid I’ll back out?”

Wang Bo calmly replied, “If you wish to withdraw, Gong Zhai, I will not stop you. I alone can still carry out the plan to strike the Dog Emperor.”

Zhai Rang was silent for a moment, then clasped his hands in salute. “You say we cannot kill him, only scare him—so what is there to fear? I’m here, and I will not turn back.”

Wang Bo saluted in return. “Gong Zhai, your resolve is noble.”

Zhai Rang shook his head. “The noble one is Zhi Shilang.”

Wang Bo smiled but did not reply.

He wasn’t sure if he was truly noble—he only remembered the villagers and elders from his homeland, and could not let go of his hatred for Yang Guang.

After finishing discussions with Zhai Rang, Wang Bo met with Du Fuwei, Fu Gongzhi, and other Jianghuai militia leaders to plan a joint ambush on Yang Guang.

They, too, were hesitant about directly attacking the emperor. Wang Bo reassured them: they were only to hold back the Sui forces in Jianghuai, while he would take advantage of the ensuing chaos to seize the region’s granaries.

Du Fuwei and the others gladly agreed, giving Wang Bo yet another compliment: “Zhi Shilang is noble indeed.”

Late at night, unable to sleep, Wang Bo left the tent alone and sat on a stone, gazing at the sky without even lighting a fire.

“Though spring has come, the night is still chilly. Why not wear another layer?” Wei Zheng came over carrying a torch, offering his cloak to Wang Bo.

Wang Bo draped the cloak over his shoulders. “Thank you, Mr. Wei.”

Wei Zheng, uncaring about appearances, sat on the ground opposite him. “After working together all these years, what’s there to thank me for? Zhi Shilang, are you anxious?”

Wang Bo said, “I have no courtesy name—just call me by my given name; I do not mind.”

Wei Zheng smiled. “Very well.”

Wang Bo was surprised. “You actually agreed?”

He had been polite to Wei Zheng many times before, and Wei Zheng always brushed it off with a smile, still formally calling him Zhi Shilang. His words now were purely habitual.

Wei Zheng said, “Sanlang has advised you many times, yet you insist on personally beheading Yang Guang. Since you are already facing death, calling you by your given name is not disrespectful.”

Wang Bo: “…”

He rubbed his forehead. “Sir, can you change your temper? When you return to the Champion Marquis, be careful of being isolated.”

Wei Zheng didn’t care. “If they ostracize me, it only proves they are petty-minded. My lord should stay away from such treacherous little men; I will submit a report to impeach them.”

Wang Bo sighed. “Well, Sanlang should protect you.”

Wei Zheng would not let Wang Bo change the subject. “Are you anxious?”

Wang Bo was silent for a long while. “Not anxious, just pensive.”

He hesitated, sighed, and continued: “Indeed, the world is as Sanlang predicted. First, we—the people who could no longer endure life—rose up. When the country descended into chaos, local powers emerged one after another. How many of today’s militias are still truly made up of common people? I’ve heard that in the north, those causing trouble are either military officials with command over troops or local wealthy elites.”

Wang Bo gestured to himself. “Even those born poor have mostly gathered to become thieves amid the chaos; people like me, truly unable to survive, are extremely rare. Back then, there were many like me, but now they are gradually disappearing.”

Those like Zhai Rang, Dou Jiande, Du Fuwei, and others did not rise up out of true desperation—they were fugitives, not ordinary villagers fleeing with their kin as I did, escaping forced labor…

Zhai Rang and Dou Jiande had both served as minor officials under the Sui dynasty; their families were not impoverished.

Many of Wang Bo’s subordinates were similar.

Among the aristocratic and powerful families, they were a cut above; even these wealthy commoners were superior to ordinary poor folk. Wang Bo wanted them to treat ordinary citizens as equals, but of course, they were unwilling.

Wang Bo tried to promote people of humble origins like himself, but he realized that the truly poor, no matter how smart or capable, could not match these men. He had to rely on those who were already well-off, or on thieves and bandits who had once barely survived by petty crime.

After reading extensively, Wang Bo also entertained the thought of whether he could become emperor himself.

If Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, could become emperor, why couldn’t he?

But after reading even more, he realized that Liu Bang was a person like Zhai Rang or Dou Jiande. Liu Bang’s family could read, write, and practice martial arts; his friends were all minor county officials. They were local elites, aristocrats by ancestry, completely different from a blacksmith like himself.

“Perhaps I shouldn’t have read so much,” Wang Bo said. “If I hadn’t read so many books, my mind wouldn’t be so troubled. I led the villagers into rebellion because we couldn’t survive and out of righteous anger. If we couldn’t win, I could have surrendered—maybe even landed an official post.”

But now his mind was filled with ideals, dreams, and empty talk, leaving him discontented—extremely discontented.

If he hadn’t read so much, he wouldn’t have realized the dead end he faced even as one of the most powerful rebel leaders, and he wouldn’t have felt any joy.

Wei Zheng, hearing Wang Bo complain about having read too much, said: “What’s difficult about that? I don’t want my lord or Sanlang to have an extra troublesome enemy, but all you need to do is quickly transform your position from a lowly blacksmith to one of those aristocratic elites. Imagine that you already hold office, then grant more positions. Your capable subordinates will no longer complain about your ‘unfairness,’ and you’ll gain more followers and the capital to contend for the empire.”

Wang Bo paused for a moment, then said: “You’re right, sir.”

Wei Zheng asked: “Troubles solved? If so, go back and sleep. The mosquitoes in Jianghuai are terrible; I’m not staying here to feed them for you.”

Wei Zheng stood up. “Do you want me to escort you back?”

Wang Bo shook his head. “I’ll go myself.”

Wei Zheng watched him return to his tent and sighed.

Xue Shou quietly emerged from behind a tree, carrying a strong mosquito-repellent scent.

Wei Zheng gave Xue Shou a side-eye: “With such a strong smell, he didn’t even notice you?”

Xue Shou handed him a small pouch and said: “He must really be distressed. I didn’t expect him to be this troubled.”

Wei Zheng said: “Too much reading makes you stupid. Why aren’t you returning to Longyou Road yet?”

Xue Shou replied: “Li Er and Li San wrote to me. They said Fang Xuanling and Du Keming are struggling with falsified accounts, so I must hurry back to help.”

Wei Zheng was speechless. “You won’t go back just because it’s troublesome?”

Xue Shou smiled. “Falsifying accounts isn’t as fun as assassinating Yang Guang.”

Wei Zheng asked: “You’ve been living like a wild man on that island so long that your temperament’s gone feral?”

Xue Shou: “…You really need to change your mouth.”

He didn’t argue with Wei Zheng; if he had, he would have been angry long ago. “Li San guessed I might not go. I have a mission, but I can’t tell you now.”

Wei Zheng immediately frowned. “What? Has Sanlang included me in his scheme too?”

Xue Shou said: “Just assume so.”

Wei Zheng stormed off angrily, dissatisfied that even his old subordinate couldn’t outmaneuver Xue Shou. What could Xue Shou know that he didn’t? When he sees Sanlang, he’ll scold him properly.

Xue Shou watched Wei Zheng’s furious back and was puzzled. He remembered Li Xuanba’s letter saying that when he first met Wei Zheng, he was cautious and polite. Why did the Wei Zheng he saw seem like a sea urchin pried from the rocks of Chikushi Island, covered in spikes? Was it the bad feng shui around Wang Bo?

He guessed correctly. Surrounded by illiterate men, Wei Zheng’s refinement and patience had been worn away while serving Wang Bo. In just a few years, he had accumulated the same bitterness—“Are you all idiots?”—that it had taken him over a decade of wandering to develop, evolving fully into Wei Duanduan.

Xue Shou scratched his head, then the little red spots on his arm, shook his head, and left.

Well, Wei Zheng would be the one to get beaten later, not him.

Li Er, though broad-minded, had a quick temper—he would throw a punch at the slightest provocation—but after fighting, he didn’t hold grudges.

…

The rebel army had prepared thoroughly, and Yang Guang was ready as well.

He began killing again.

Right General of the Right Guard, Zhao Cai, was imprisoned; Jianjie officer Ren Zong was publicly beaten to death; messenger Cui Minxiang was executed. Finally, Yang Guang exited Luoyang city.

Passing Sishui, the messenger Wang Airen submitted a petition asking Yang Guang to return to Xijing. Yang Guang killed Wang Airen. Upon reaching Liang Commandery, locals blocked him from heading south; Yang Guang killed them.

Yang Guang marched south, killing as he went. He ordered the Xiaoguo army to clear bandits along the route. His dragon boat procession moved majestically southward, the noise so great that all under heaven knew of it.

As Yang Guang advanced south, previously pacified uprisings flared up again. This time, nearly every commandery had rebel leaders or aristocratic uprisings. High-ranking Sui generals suffered casualties.

Yang Guang paid no mind. Even Su Wei had been demoted to commoner; no one would dare mention bandit troubles in his presence again.

Yet the “bandit troubles” themselves reminded Yang Guang not to deceive himself.

Li Xuanba sat on a tree branch, gazing at the beauty of the Grand Canal.

Xue Shou stood below, helpless: “Li San, don’t climb so high. Your health has just recovered; be careful not to fall.”

Li Xuanba nimbly climbed down: “I’ve been climbing trees since I was a child. How could this little height pose a problem?”

Li Shimin walked over carrying a deer on his back: “Even so, don’t climb too high. Did you see if Xiao Wu cried when he stayed alone on Longyou Road?”

Li Xuanba said, “It shouldn’t be that bad, right? At most, he’ll just curse us out.”

Li Shimin dropped the deer he had just hunted and shook his head, swaying slightly. “He’s just sitting in for us. The real work is done by Xuanling and the others. What does he have to curse about?”

Li Xuanba replied, “He’ll curse us for leaving him out of the fun.”

Xue Shou sighed. “Isn’t it supposed to be Fang Xuanling and the others cursing you guys?”

Li Shimin and Li Xuanba exchanged a glance and shrugged in unison, unconcerned.

Have they not been cursed enough already?

Seeing the twin brothers’ mischievous behavior gave Xue Shou a headache.

They weren’t like this before… Ah, as Xue Shou’s memories surfaced, he gloomily realized these twins had been like this since childhood, always loving to play tricks together.

Indeed, the task Li Xuanba asked Xue Shou to keep from Wei Zheng was exactly so he and Li Shimin could run off.

There was nothing urgent on the frontier; there was no need for him to stay in Longyou to build up strength. With the Champion Marquis Mansion full of talented people, they could handle it. Once Li Xuanba’s health improved, he wanted to cause trouble in Jiangdu.

Yang Guang was bound to die in Jiangdu. Li Xuanba and the second brother were far away in Longyou, and they couldn’t let others seize too much of Central China and Jiangnan, or it would be harder to fight later.

Li Xuanba had originally planned to leave alone, but that very night Li Shimin tied him up and sneaked him away, without a single word of nonsense.

Li Xuanba had prepared a convincing speech to persuade their second brother. After hearing his plan, Li Shimin simply replied, “Let me think about it. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

He knew persuading the second brother to let him go alone to Central China would be a tough battle, but he was well-prepared, estimating a 90% chance of success. The remaining 10%? He could stubbornly insist: “I’m going, and if you stop me, I won’t take the medicine.”

But Li Shimin actually had Yuwen Zhu give Li Xuanba a bowl of calming medicine, wrapped him up in blankets, tied him to the cart, and left Zhangye overnight.

Their accomplices, Yuwen Zhu and Changsun Kangning, waved small handkerchiefs to bid farewell to the two young lords, while Physician Sun sat by the sleeping Li Xuanba, sighing deeply.

What is going on here?!

Hearing that Li Erlang aims to rule the world—can such a person really take over the empire?!

When Li Xuanba woke up, he accepted reality in just ten seconds.

Oh well, Longyou didn’t necessarily need the second brother to oversee it. In history, the Longyou region was held by Xue Ju, who called himself the Overlord of Western Qin and still diligently plundered the plains. With the talented people in the Champion Marquis Mansion, how could they fail to stabilize a single Longyou region?

He wanted to return to Central China mainly because he knew their colleagues wouldn’t let the second brother leave. Now that the second brother had secretly left, it didn’t matter. If anything, when he went back, the second brother would get scolded, and he would remain innocent.

Seeing his brother so calm, Li Shimin’s expression fell.

He had wanted to see his brother flail in frustration, pounding his chest and crying out loud!

Once Li Xuanba’s health improved, Li Shimin no longer treated him cautiously. The two brothers resumed their old routine of kicking and punching each other.

Watching Li Xuanba get frustrated made Li Shimin able to eat three extra bowls of rice. It was as if Li Xuanba, mentally spoiling Li Shimin with spoilers, would happily eat a large bowl of rice in return.

Sigh, how boring.

Li Xuanba chuckled. He knew exactly what his brother was thinking and certainly wouldn’t grant his wishes.

This time, the two brothers only brought one mighty general, Qin Qiong.

Qin Qiong felt immense pressure.

He knew nothing about their escape plan and was merely following orders in a daze.

He had a premonition that when he returned to Longyou, all his colleagues would beat him to death.

But that would be a matter for after returning to Longyou. For now, pretending to be traveling merchants, they camped in the forest, helping the Sui army eliminate bandits along the way, and occasionally hunting in the mountains. Despite the chaos in the world, their high martial skills and wealth made it feel like an adventurous journey.

Qin Qiong sighed while preparing a fire to roast deer.

Even now, he had no idea what their lord and the third young master were up to.

In truth, Li Xuanba and Li Shimin had no concrete plan.

Li Xuanba only knew that, according to his strategy, Yang Guang’s death would come sooner than history recorded. He estimated Yang Guang would die shortly after arriving in Jiangdu this year, which would create many opportunities. He would watch Yang Guang carefully and see if he could plant some influence in the Jianghuai region.

In Jianghuai, there were also charitable institutions he had left behind. With a little gathering, he could assemble about a thousand local volunteers, enough to stir up trouble amidst chaos. Whether it was taking over a small territory or sabotaging other forces, it would all be useful in the future.

“Even if nothing comes of it, it doesn’t matter. Watching Yang Guang get killed is fun enough,” Li Xuanba said, then switched to inner speech: [I can’t miss such a pivotal historical event as Yang Guang’s death!]

Li Shimin rolled his eyes at his brother but nodded repeatedly. A-Xuan was right!

Longyou was too peaceful now. The Western and Eastern Turks were like corpses, letting them plunder without a sound. Li Shimin was bored and didn’t want to bury himself in paperwork. Following A-Xuan to stir things up was much more interesting.

He thought about the future, when he would be emperor. Not only would the capital be off-limits, even the palace would be difficult to leave. According to his brother, in the future, if he wanted to hunt, he could only chase rabbits inside the palace. If he didn’t take advantage of these pre-emperor years to roam, he’d have no chance later.

At seventeen, in the prime age for activity, Li Shimin wouldn’t be pinned down by schemes and paperwork.

Off they went, carrying the tied-up brother!

Xue Shou skillfully carved the deer while grumbling, “After all these years, you two haven’t changed a bit?”

Li Shimin laughed, “You’ve changed way too much. Want to come on campaign with me?”

Xue Shou raised an eyebrow, “If there’s a chance, of course. But I think I’m more suited for paperwork. General Chen is good. Now he’s back on Tsukushi Island, away from Central China’s chaos. I’ll go recruit him then.”

Li Shimin said, “With your guarantee, I’ll treat him well.”

Li Xuanba shouted, “Stop talking! I hear something! The righteous army must be moving!”

Then, he nimbly climbed a tree.

Li Shimin also climbed the tree and sat on another thick branch, gazing into the distance. “Wow! The lead dragon boat caught fire! Ah, it’s been put out. Hahaha, it’s on fire again! A-Xuan, let me see through the telescope too! You made a telescope just for yourself and kept it—so stingy.”

Li Xuanba, holding the telescope, watched the dragon boat under attack with great interest. “I am stingy,” he said.