LFHYB -Chapter 98 The Marginalized Xue Daoheng

Yang Guang returned to court.

Compared to the original history—where the first Goguryeo campaign only captured Wuliluo and even delivered a huge amount of supplies to Goguryeo—this time, although the Sui army still lost many soldiers, it at least managed to retreat in an orderly manner, hauling back all its supplies and leaving far less behind for Goguryeo.

The territory occupied by the Sui was also slightly larger than in history. The Liaodong Commandery Yang Guang established was not just a single pitiful city.

But for the Sui dynasty, this was still an unprecedented defeat.

Especially since the emperor had been toyed with again and again by the Goguryeo king—this left the entire court humiliated.

For Yang Guang, it was also the first major failure of his life.

He drove his convoy day and night toward the Eastern Capital, wanting to flee from this place of disgrace.

Su Wei and other senior ministers who understood Yang Guang temporarily put aside factional struggles and quietly warned the officials: keep your mouths shut for now—do not mention anything about Goguryeo. If the emperor flew into a rage, no one would be able to save them.

Just look at He Zhuobi, who had achieved great merit yet was now locked in prison—be careful!

Gao Jiong was far away in Daxing. By the time he received the news from Goguryeo, Yang Guang had already returned to the Eastern Capital, Luoyang.

When Yuwen Bi and Xue Daoheng went to visit him together, he sat bolt upright in a pavilion in the middle of a pond, playing the zither.

After a long drought, autumn rain finally fell on Daxing. Gao Jiong’s zither music mixed with the cold patter of autumn rain, making it impossible to tell which sounded more chilling.

Yuwen Bi and Xue Daoheng held their umbrellas and stood in the rain like two statues.

Only when the music stopped did they enter the pavilion.

Yuwen Bi set his umbrella on the ground; rainwater wound its way down the canopy and dripped off.

There was a shadow in his eyes.

When one’s heart is depressed, even watching rain fall from an umbrella makes one think of an empire in decline.

Xue Daoheng asked, “Duke Gao… are you all right?”

Gao Jiong shook his head. “How could I be?”

Xue Daoheng let out a sigh.

Compared with himself and Yuwen Bi, Gao Jiong had been even more deeply involved in the founding of the Sui Dynasty.

In his early years, Gao Jiong had campaigned constantly, fighting in the south and the north. More than half of the territory of the Sui had been secured through his own blood and sweat.

Now, seeing Yang Guang squandering the empire so recklessly, how could Gao Jiong not feel tortured inside?

“When the late emperor tried to depose the Crown Prince and install Yang Guang in his place, he repeatedly had me work together with Yang Guang, hoping to change my stance,” Gao Jiong said. “During the campaign to destroy Chen, I accompanied him the whole way.”

He spoke the emperor’s personal name without hesitation. Neither Xue Daoheng nor Yuwen Bi showed any sign of panic.

“After working with Yang Guang, I became even more convinced that he was absolutely not a wise ruler.”

Gao Jiong sneered.

“The deposed Crown Prince truly loved luxury and beautiful women. But for an heir to the throne, as long as it didn’t exceed the proper limits of a Crown Prince, that wasn’t really a flaw. He was broad-minded and straightforward. His talent was mediocre, but he listened to advice. He didn’t harbor resentment or suspicion when people remonstrated with him. That’s why I believed he could become a good ruler who would preserve what he inherited.”

“But Yang Guang… I could tell he also loved luxury and beauty. He could restrain his desires, which meant he had great ambitions. That in itself wasn’t a flaw—it was even a strength. However, every time he restrained himself, there was always a look of resentment and indignation in his eyes. That was what made me wary of him from the start.”

Gao Jiong sighed heavily and spoke of what had happened during the fall of Chen.

Yang Guang had set his eyes on Zhang Lihua, the Chen emperor’s favored consort. After Gao Jiong advised him, Yang Guang gave her up and ordered her execution. But Gao Jiong could see clearly Yang Guang’s reluctance to let her go—and his displeasure toward himself.

“A man who suppresses his desires too much will have one of two outcomes once he no longer needs to restrain himself,” Gao Jiong said. “Either he has truly learned self-control and will not be swayed by external temptations, or he will indulge himself even more wildly. I concluded that Yang Guang was the latter.”

“And he is indeed the latter.”

In the past, Yang Guang had been frugal. Now he built palaces every year.

In the past, he had not been obsessed with women. Now, even when the campaign against Goguryeo had failed and rebellions were erupting everywhere, he still pushed for the tribute of beautiful women.

In the past, he had endured displeasure and listened to remonstrance. Now he listened to no advice at all.

Yang Guang’s life had been too smooth. He could not bear even the slightest setback.

He clearly knew that the King of Goguryeo was playing him for a fool, yet he fell for it again and again—because he refused to admit his own mistakes. He insisted that the Goguryeo king must personally submit before him, or else he would not feel that he had truly won.

Otherwise, even if he killed the Goguryeo king and razed the country to the ground, he would still believe that he had lost face.

Yuwen Bi said, “To Yang Guang, the purpose of the campaign against Goguryeo has already turned into forcing the king to surrender. He probably wants to imitate Zhuge Liang’s ‘seven captures and seven releases.’”

Xue Daoheng sneered. “Trying to paint a tiger but ending up with a dog.”

The three old ministers laughed bitterly, then sank into deep sorrow.

They were all men who had seen the Sui bring an end to chaos and unify the realm, who had watched the empire display the bearing of a flourishing age in just a few short decades.

They had once believed that another mighty Han dynasty was about to rise.

Although they had already prepared themselves mentally for the Sui to decline under Yang Guang, seeing such an absurd imperial campaign in person still filled them with depression, anger, and grief.

“The Duke of Song is still imprisoned. I intend to remonstrate with His Majesty,” Yuwen Bi said after a long silence, revealing his true purpose. “It may be dangerous, but the Duke of Song has just rendered great merit. He should not be kept in prison.”

Xue Daoheng said, “I also plan to remonstrate. But Lord Gaofu and I came today to persuade you not to. His Majesty is still deeply wary of you.”

Gao Jiong said in a low voice, “I know. If I speak up, even if he had no intention of killing the Duke of Song, he might develop the intent because of me.”

Yuwen Bi nodded. “It’s good that you know that.”

Gao Jiong slammed his fist down on the zither with a loud bang.

Yuwen Bi comforted him. “I know you’re suffering. This time, I brought you some news that should make you happy.”

Gao Jiong looked up. “Is there anything happier than Li Erlang and Li Sanlang becoming commanders?”

Yuwen Bi took out a rough scroll of straw paper from his sleeve. “A poetry collection confiscated from the rebel bandits. Take a look.”

Gao Jiong frowned. “Even bandits write poetry?”

He opened the booklet, flipping faster and faster.

Xue Daoheng craned his neck. “Bandits even distribute poetry collections? Let me see… hmm? Huh?! Who wrote these poems?!”

Gao Jiong finished reading and looked up. “Li Erlang—no, it must be connected to Dade! What is Dade doing now?!”

Xue Daoheng was stunned. “Li Dade wrote these? As expected of—no, that’s not right. The rhetoric and personal styles in these poems are very distinctive. They couldn’t have all been written by the same person.”

Yuwen Bi smiled. “Certainly not by him alone, but they must be related to him.”

Xue Daoheng asked in confusion, “Why are you so sure?”

Yuwen Bi sighed. “There are a few lines here that I once heard Zhu’er mention. Zhu’er said they were written in Dade’s letters—verses he had gathered from ancient books.”

Gao Jiong’s expression turned strange. “Ancient?”

Yuwen Bi smiled faintly at him. “Ancient.”

The two old men exchanged a look of understanding. Ancient? More like from later generations.

Li Dade could even read the Book of Sui. How strange would it be for him to have seen poems from later eras as well? They had heard him mutter about “Tang poetry and Song lyrics,” saying that poetry flourished greatly in the Tang. These late-Sui poems were probably from the late Tang.

Gao Jiong flipped through the collection again, paying special attention to the place names and scenery described in the poems.

These places and landscapes were similar to the present world yet subtly different. One could call it taboo-avoidance or archaizing—but one could also say that they simply had not yet appeared.

“What… is he trying to do?” Gao Jiong said, then cursed with a laugh. “Does he think the Sui isn’t collapsing fast enough already?”

Xue Daoheng was horrified. “What?! He wants to rebel?!”

Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi were startled by him.

They stared at Xue Daoheng, then looked at each other in confusion.

“Er…” Yuwen Bi asked, “Xue Xuanqing, do you know that Dade possesses the ability of prophetic divination?”

Xue Daoheng was shocked again. “What? What ability?”

Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi exchanged another glance.

Damn… They had assumed Xue Daoheng was in the know like them. It turned out he knew nothing at all.

Xue Daoheng noticed how his two old friends kept exchanging glances, and he immediately sensed that something was off.

The wrinkles on his face trembled as he demanded, “Y-you two… what are you hiding from me?”

Gao Jiong sighed. “I never intended to hide anything from you. I just forgot that you didn’t know. Has Dade not told you yet?”

Yuwen Bi held his right hand loosely over his mouth, looking as though he was struggling not to laugh for some reason.

Xue Daoheng said resentfully, “Duke Yuwen, what are you laughing at?”

The corners of Yuwen Bi’s mouth curled even higher. “I’m not laughing.”

Xue Daoheng flung his sleeve in anger. With a loud swish, his wide sleeve puffed up in the wind like a giant fluttering moth. “Li Shimin! Li Xuanba! Do those two little brats even think of me as their teacher?!”

Yuwen Bi chuckled. “Based on what I know of Dade, he probably just forgot.”

Gao Jiong almost laughed too, but forced himself to keep a straight face. “And based on what I know of Second Young Master Li, he really did forget.”

Xue Daoheng was so angry he clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing back and forth in the pavilion.

Gao Jiong stood up and grabbed him. “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. They’re far away from us. When they seek advice, they can only do it by letter. How could something this important be discussed in writing? That’s why they didn’t mention it. If you ask them, they’ll definitely tell you the truth.”

Xue Daoheng snorted. “When Li Daxiong and Li Dade were in Daxing seeking guidance, they didn’t tell me either.”

Yuwen Bi said, “They probably really did just forget.”

Xue Daoheng angrily kicked at Yuwen Bi.

Yuwen Bi twisted aside and dodged it.

Xue Daoheng cursed loudly, “Everyone knows Li Dade is your grandson-in-law! Of course you’re biased toward him!”

Yuwen Bi replied calmly, “That’s not right. Compared to Dade, who can’t even pull a strong bow, I’m actually more biased toward Daxiong.”

Gao Jiong continued to comfort him. “Every time they send gifts through messengers, you get everything we get. Haven’t you noticed? You should know that your importance to them is the same as mine and Duke Yuwen’s.”

But grievance welled up in Xue Daoheng’s heart. “It’s not the same. It’s definitely not the same. Forget it, forget it. You two knew them earlier than I did—of course I’m different.”

He shook off Gao Jiong’s hand, plopped down angrily on a stone stool, and turned his head away from both of them.

Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi exchanged another look.

Gao Jiong: He’s angry. What do we do?

Yuwen Bi: Soothe him, obviously.

Li Shimin and Li Xuanba had no idea what was going on back there. They truly believed that Xue Daoheng already knew.

But now things had become awkward.

They still hadn’t told Xue Daoheng about the matter of prophecy and apocrypha. Was it appropriate for them to say anything now?

Sigh.

But since Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi had already let it slip, Xue Daoheng had to be told sooner or later.

Gao Jiong and Yuwen Bi were already mentally prepared for Li Erlang and Li Sanlang to one day rebel.

Xue Daoheng wasn’t prepared at all. If he remained in the dark, he might end up harming his two disciples instead.

…

“An urgent letter from Teacher?” Li Shimin opened it. “What could be so urgent? Let me see… whoa! A-Xuan, Teacher Xue is asking—if you were to compile the Book of Sui, which biography would you place him in?”

Xuanba, who was drinking water, sprayed it out. “Pfft—cough cough cough!”