LFHYB -Chapter 181 Even If Useless, I Will Still Kill Him

Xiao Xian surrendered.

Li Shou laughed, his face full of wrinkles, turning a forty-something dashing man into someone in his fifties or sixties.

Though he wasn’t great at commanding troops, he had other talents and could still earn merit!

When Xiao Xian saw Li Xuanba, he looked utterly dejected.

The generals behind him wore gloomy expressions, seemingly unable to accept that, after trying to achieve greatness with a sudden uprising, they had been defeated and captured.

How could Li Shimin and Li Xuanba, stationed in Longxi and Guanzhong, suddenly appear all the way in Jianghan?

Li Xuanba didn’t dismount, looking down arrogantly at Xiao Xian and the surrendered enemy commanders: “I once wrote to ask you, when my brother and I just arrived at Nan Commandery, you attacked immediately. Was that deliberate?”

Xiao Xian clasped his hands and smiled bitterly: “If I had known the prince was coming in advance, how could I have challenged someone ‘invincible in war’ and ‘calculating every move’? But by the time I learned of your arrival, my army had already broken camp. With arrows on the string, I had no choice but to attack.”

Li Xuanba said, “Emperor Wen treated the previous Liang royal family with utmost benevolence, yet your father betrayed Sui for Chen; after the late emperor ascended, he reinstated you as a county magistrate, yet you rebelled against Sui again. Xiao Xian, can you look yourself in the eye?”

Xiao Xian looked up: “Didn’t your father also betray Sui? Can you look yourself in the eye?”

Li Xuanba blinked. He finally understood why Xiao Xian could anger his father so much with just a few words—they were sharp indeed.

But not as sharp as his own.

Li Xuanba said, “My brother and I personally led troops to save the emperor, suppressing the remaining Tuyuhun forces and the Eastern and Western Turks during the chaos. While the late emperor was alive, we had clear consciences. After His Majesty passed, compared to conquering lands, my brother issued proclamations, only attacking those who surrendered to the Turks or harmed civilians. How are we guilty?”

Li Xuanba’s mouth curved into a smile: “You not only paid tribute to the Turks, but even when my envoy ordered you to stop, you still attacked. Losing to me is well deserved.”

Xiao Xian was speechless. His generals glanced at each other, expressions shifting.

The Prince of Taiyuan’s words were poisonous.

Worse, his words were undeniable truths. Even after being insulted by the Prince of Taiyuan, they didn’t feel anger, only silent agreement.

In chaotic times, most people’s behavior exceeds the bounds of normal morality; “benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and shame” become empty words. But if someone still upholds “benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and shame,” and has the strength to enforce it, even in defeat, that person commands the respect of others who have abandoned such principles.

Moreover, Li Shimin was “invincible in every battle.”

Xiao Xian took several deep breaths, then once again clasped his hands and bowed deeply, bending even lower than before. “Yes, the Prince of Longxi and the Prince of Taiyuan are indeed rare men of benevolence and righteousness in this world, who can face their consciences without shame.”

Li Xuanba said, “Get up. Although I disdain your character, restoring the people’s normal lives is the top priority right now. Since you once served as the magistrate of Luochuan County, you should have some experience in local governance. I won’t highly promote you, but I will employ you. If you prove capable and help me pacify and care for the people, your descendants’ future official careers will not be affected by your past.”

Xiao Xian raised his head in excitement. Then, without any further hesitation, he lifted his robe and knelt down, kowtowing firmly to Li Xuanba. “Thank you, Your Highness, for your benevolence!”

Li Xuanba nodded slightly and then said to the people behind Xiao Xian, “You should be thankful that you haven’t committed excessive crimes against the common people. Liang Shidu used human flesh as military rations and took pleasure in killing. I hung up his corpse and let the people of Shuofang, whom he had harmed, slice off his flesh bit by bit to feed livestock. Since you haven’t gone that far, you won’t have to be executed by the people.”

Most of Xiao Xian’s subordinates were former Sui officials and generals. The Yangtze River region had not been severely devastated by Yang Guang’s three campaigns against Goguryeo, and they had seized prefectural cities early, with ample supplies. Thus, they had not committed extreme abuses against civilians. This time, Li Xuanba did not need to wield the butcher’s knife.

Xiao Xian’s subordinates: “…?!”

The Prince of Taiyuan looked so gentle—how could he be so ruthless?!

Li Xuanba continued, “Among you are former rebel leaders and officers of the Yingyang Guard. Now, all of you are surrendered generals. If you wish to serve under my elder brother in the future, then obey orders and honestly serve as ordinary soldiers or minor officials. When you demonstrate your virtue and ability, it won’t be impossible for you to become officials or generals again.”

He swept his gaze across the crowd and curled his lips into a slight smile.

“This Yingyang Guard once assisted in the campaign against Chen. Are there any here who previously followed my teacher, Duke Qi, Gao Jiong?”

Emperor Wen of Sui had once been wary of Gao Jiong and stripped him of his title. After Yang Guang ascended the throne, Gao Jiong was reinstated. After Li Xuanba persuaded Gao Jiong to withdraw and devote himself to writing in seclusion, Yang Guang believed that Gao Jiong had yielded to him. To appease the old nobility, he restored Gao Jiong’s title as Duke of Qi.

This had also been Emperor Wen’s original plan.

He had demoted Gao Jiong in order to pave the way for Yang Guang to reinstate him, restore his rank, and have him assist Yang Guang.

In the original history, Yang Guang did reinstate Gao Jiong, then later executed him after being angered by his remonstrations. Now, because Gao Jiong had retired to write in seclusion, he remained Duke of Qi.

Before Li Xuanba finished speaking, someone stepped forward, knelt, and kowtowed.

“Is Duke Qi still well?!”

Li Xuanba replied, “My teacher is still strong despite his age. He guards the Western Capital and remains vigorous and clear-minded. If you earn merits in the future and have the chance to go there, you may pay him a visit.”

After these words, more and more people knelt down.

Eventually, there were so few people still standing that they looked around nervously. To fit in, they all dropped to their knees with a thud and pledged their loyalty to Li Xuanba.

Xiao Xian glanced sideways at the people beside him and felt a bit sour.

He had thought these subordinates were unruly and stubborn. No matter how he warned them verbally or intimidated them by example, he had never fully subdued them.

Even after Li Xuanba captured them, fickle surrendered generals were common. Xiao Xian thought he had finally rid himself of these troublesome followers—now it would be Li Xuanba’s headache.

Who would have thought that merely invoking the name “disciple of Duke Qi Gao Jiong” would make them so emotional and seemingly wholeheartedly convinced?

Li Xuanba glanced at Xiao Xian and immediately knew what he was feeling bitter about.

Xiao Xian was overthinking it.

Teacher Gao had been retired and writing in seclusion for over ten years. Although he had merit in destroying Chen, southerners would not automatically revere him.

But now that these people were already his captives, invoking Gao Jiong’s name to build familiarity made them pledge loyalty.

First Gao Jiong pacified the south, then Gao Jiong’s disciple pacified the south again—was this destiny?

Once the feeling of “heavenly fate” arose, their rebelliousness would naturally weaken.

If the reputations of the Princes of Longxi and Taiyuan were not enough to intimidate them, adding Duke Qi Gao Jiong would certainly give them the thought: “We definitely can’t beat them. Better behave.”

Li Xuanba alternated between warning and appeasing them. Then, despite feeling the sting, he took out grain and livestock to host a banquet. Only after that did he hand over the remaining matters to Li Shou.

Li Shou would follow his arrangements, dismiss most of Xiao Xian’s soldiers into civilian life, give them rations, and allocate land for local resettlement.

Fortunately, Li Jing returned in time and informed Li Xuanba that there was grain in Ba Commandery. Otherwise, Li Xuanba would have been stretched to the limit.

When Li Jing returned, Li Shou smiled bitterly and complained, “The realm isn’t even settled yet, and the strategist is already thinking about governing it. Without real ability, it’s impossible to keep up with him.”

Li Jing smiled. “It’s precisely because the strategist is like this that it proves only our lord is fit to be the one emperor this world needs.”

Li Shou sighed. “Yes. The people only want an emperor who thinks about governing the world even before it’s fully conquered.”

After centuries of chaos, the Sui Dynasty had given the people barely thirty years of rest before the world plunged back into disorder.

People said that chaotic times favored powerful families, but even those families had grown tired of chaos and longed for peace.

Think about the Guanlong clans, the Shandong clans, and the Jiangnan immigrant clans—who among them hadn’t had entire families slaughtered in wars?

If even great families suffered like this, ordinary people suffered even more.

Li Jing said, “We will follow our lord and strategist to build a prosperous and peaceful dynasty like the Han, one that can last more than a hundred years.”

The demand wasn’t high—lasting a hundred years would be enough.

For most commoners, a hundred years meant three generations.

Li Shou smiled. “It definitely will.”

Li Jing nodded.

Li Xuanba came to look for Li Jing and heard him chatting with Li Shou. He stood at the door for a while, feeling inexplicably emotional.

A hundred-year dynasty… Were the expectations of wise men at this time really so low?

He smiled, shook his head, and knocked on the door.

“I’m going to split the troops and take half to rescue Second Brother. Li Yaoshi, you and my uncle will guard Nan Commandery, Mianyang, and Baling. Recruit laborers to build warships, and if there’s a chance, train troops by going downstream. Decide everything yourselves.”

He added jokingly, “When I bring Second Brother back, if you two manage to take all the lands south of the Yangtze together, I’ll be able to laugh at him.”

Li Shou accepted the order with trepidation. Li Jing smiled and clasped his hands.

“This is something I can’t really accomplish,” he said. “If I can take one or two commanderies, that would already be good enough. Strategist, don’t put too much pressure on me. I won’t be able to bear it.”

Li Xuanba patted Li Jing on the arm and said, “I believe you can handle it. Work hard and give Second Brother a big surprise.”

Li Shou couldn’t help but say, “Strategist, your expression and movements are a bit like the lord’s.”

Li Xuanba replied, “That’s how twins are. Hmm—well, fine, I admit I did it on purpose. I’m not very good at encouraging people, so I can only copy what he does.”

Li Shou and Li Jing both burst out laughing.

Reassured, Li Xuanba handed the remaining matters over to Li Shou and Li Jing, and at last could head north toward Xiangyang.

Moreover, Li Jing had practically delivered himself to become a subordinate of both him and Second Brother. Without Li Jing, he would never have felt at ease entrusting everything to Li Shou. Judging by Li Shou’s achievements in history, it was very possible that by the time he and Second Brother returned, Li Shou would have lost all the territory he had taken.

“We still need more people who can fight and also govern,” Li Xuanba muttered to himself.

The territory was growing larger and larger, yet manpower was becoming more and more insufficient—truly worrying.

By the way, Changsun Wuji had gone to Jiangdu on Second Brother’s orders to investigate the situation. Where had he run off to now? When would he come back? Why hadn’t he sent even a single letter? Had he learned bad habits from Second Brother?

Li Xuanba was deeply troubled.

…

Changsun Wuji’s situation was still unclear, but Li Shimin’s condition was excellent.

He ordered the banner of the “Prince of Longxi” to be raised all over Xiangyang City, and led Zong Luohu and Qin Qiong out of the city to form battle lines, putting on a show of preparing for combat.

Although Zhu Can had no supporters at court, he had heard of the Prince of Longxi’s reputation and was immediately frightened into retreat.

However, Zhu Can’s real purpose had never been conquering territory, but plundering. So even though he withdrew, he continued sending men to harass the outskirts of Xiangyang, seizing civilians and provisions.

Only then did Li Shimin realize that, to Zhu Can, seizing civilians and seizing supplies meant the same thing.

Although Zhu Can called himself a rebel king, he had never once thought about becoming emperor and ruling the realm.

After capturing cities, he never considered how to manage them—he only looted.

When an area was stripped bare and others came to attack him, he would burn whatever grain remained and lead his troops elsewhere.

Not to mention farming—he had never even thought about guarding or transporting supplies.

Zhu Can’s army carried less than one month’s worth of provisions, with no civilian logistics support.

They roamed everywhere. If they failed to seize another city with food in time, they would raid villages and take people as military rations.

Zhu Can told his soldiers that people were provisions.

His “appreciation” of human flesh was even more brutal than Liang Shidu’s.

Liang Shidu ate people mainly to intimidate those who defied him, using cruelty to suppress unrest in Shuofang. He only occasionally held “human-meat banquets,” using the tender flesh of women and children in place of lamb to reward his troops.

Zhu Can, however, treated human flesh as ordinary food, eating it at every meal, regardless of age or gender.

He ate the tender meat himself; young flesh was for the commanders; the soldiers ate the flesh of the old, weak, and sick.

Once he no longer needed to defend the city, Li Shimin led his troops in surprise attacks on several of Zhu Can’s camps, seizing many jars and containers of pickled meat.

After opening them, he found various kinds of preserved organs, neatly sorted. At first, he wondered why Zhu Can had so many livestock.

Only after locals from Xiangyang who had accompanied the expedition told him these were human organs did Li Shimin—who had witnessed bloody slaughter since childhood—end up crouching nearby and vomiting for a long time, unable to eat meat for days.

When they counted the captured supplies, they found very little real grain. Most of it consisted of pickled human flesh and organs. Even the liquor seized from Zhu Can’s generals was “medicinal wine” soaked with human eyeballs and bones.

Li Shimin even seized something called “human-whip wine,” a so-called aphrodisiac brewed by a particularly debauched general.

He vomited again and had nightmares that night.

Qin Qiong and Zong Luohu had thought they had seen every kind of bloodshed. When raiding the steppe, they themselves had not been good people.

Yet after seeing these many varieties of dried human rations, they too had nightmares.

Was this still human?

Li Shimin won several battles in succession, yet felt no joy at all.

He said to Qin Qiong and Zong Luohu, “Now I finally understand why the nearby Sui forces and other rebel kings can do nothing about Zhu Can. He is more vicious than the Turks. When he attacks others, he plunders civilians and supplies to strengthen himself. When others attack him, there is no benefit—only wasted provisions. As A-Xuan says, fighting Zhu Can has terrible cost-effectiveness, so everyone avoids him.”

“Attacking Zhu Can brings no profit, but I must kill him as soon as possible.”

Li Shimin spoke solemnly.

“I can’t wait for A-Xuan to arrive. I’d rather take some risks and kill him now!”

Qin Qiong and Zong Luohu accepted the order.

Ten days later, Li Shimin heard that Zhu Can was personally leading troops to attack Nanyang Commandery. He gathered five thousand elite soldiers in Xiangyang, temporarily conscripted another five thousand able-bodied men from the populace, making ten thousand in total. The people also voluntarily donated provisions. He then marched more than three hundred li to reinforce Nanyang.

The Nanyang Deputy Administrator, Lü Zizang, was a loyal Sui official. After Yang Guang’s death, he had even held mourning rites for him.

Because Li Yuan had rebelled, Lü Zizang did not trust Li Shimin. When Li Shimin sent envoys to persuade him to surrender, Lü treated them politely but rebuked Li Shimin, saying that if he were truly loyal to the Sui, he should uphold righteousness even against his own family. Since Li Shimin refused to attack Li Yuan, how could he be trusted to be sincerely loyal to the Sui? Therefore, Lü refused to submit.

So when Zhu Can attacked Lü Zizang, he never expected Li Shimin to come to his aid.

“Prefect Lü, you’re right. I didn’t act against my own family for the sake of righteousness, so it’s normal that you don’t trust me. And I’m not even sure whether I’ll someday harbor ambitions for the throne,” Li Shimin said, removing his helmet to show his identity. Holding it in one hand, he smiled; the blood on his face had not yet dried.

“But please don’t refuse my support. I promise you that once Zhu Can is driven back, I will leave immediately.”

Lü Zizang looked at Li Shimin and remained silent.

Li Shimin said gravely, “I’m helping you in my personal capacity, so I brought only ten thousand men, and five thousand of them are new recruits. You don’t have to treat me as the Prince of Longxi—use your authority as commander-in-chief to order me into battle. Zhu Can is extremely cruel; wherever he goes, he leaves nothing but slaughter and desolation. Please put the people first. I can give you a written pledge: after killing Zhu Can, I will leave at once.”

He smiled again and said, “I have never done anything that breaks faith or betrays trust. Please believe me, Deputy Governor Lü.”