General Pei Huan of the Left Guard has been in charge of overseeing the rear guard. Including troops transferred from various regions, his forces now exceed 100,000. While this is far fewer than General Li Yuanshan of the Right Valiant Guard and General Yu Zhengdong of the Right Guard, who are at the forefront, and certainly not as many as General Jin Shixiong of the Left Valiant Guard, who commands the central army, Pei Huan is still pleased. What commander wouldn't want a larger force?
The Right Valiant Guard and Right Guard now number over 150,000, while the central army boasts 300,000. Prince Yang Kai of Xu County is stationed in the central army, encamped directly east of Tumu Fortress. The Right Valiant Guard and Right Guard have already deployed their battle lines and begun their defenses. Pei Huan knows that his own troops will be deployed soon.
There is a border region of several hundred miles between Mandu Banner and Keqin Banner. Currently, it seems that reinforcements from the Mongol Yuan court can attack from any direction to counterattack. In reality, if the Mongols wanted, they could easily have wreaked havoc on the Sui army's front lines at any moment. However, for some reason, the Mongol court remained inactive.
The Manduqi region, now occupied, was essentially an exclave for the Sui Dynasty. If it weren't for its location on the very edge of the grasslands, a protruding corner, the Mongol army could have launched an attack from three sides. Holding such a narrow strip of grassland was no easy task. Fortunately, Wolf's Breath Mountain blocked most of the boundary of this protruding grassland; otherwise, the Sui army would have been quickly overwhelmed by the swift and elusive Mongol cavalry.
Even so, defending this 2,000-mile stretch of grassland with 700,000 troops was not as simple as it seemed. It was a flat, undefended grassland. Unless millions of laborers were mobilized to build a long wall, completely tearing Manduqi off the grasslands, and then a large army was stationed there year-round for defense, this was not something that could be done quickly.
Pei Huan, leaning back in his chair and sipping wine, seemed to be in a good mood. Sitting opposite him was Shi Le, his most trusted advisor. Shi Le was a scholar from Jiangnan who had repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. He was talented, but unfortunately, he was always unlucky. He had followed Pei Huan for many years and gradually became Pei Huan's right-hand man.
"General, you seem to have something making you happy?"
Shi Le asked, peeling peanuts.
Pei Huan smiled and said, "There's nothing to be happy about. I just want to enjoy myself a bit more before I have to lead troops to the front lines. I reckon it won't be long before Prince Xu transfers my Left Guard to the right flank. With Li Yuanshan and Yu Zhengdong's 300,000 men, it's too difficult to completely block the Mongol counterattack along a front of hundreds of miles."
"Now that the war is like this, I'm afraid His Highness is furious in Chang'an."
Previously, Prince Yi, Yang Yin, instructed them to fight prudently, first achieving a small victory and then suffering a defeat, thus sidelining Prince Xu, Yang Kai, and then finding a way to get the Emperor to punish him. At that time, Prince Yi would naturally find a way to come to the Northwest to oversee military affairs. After this battle, Prince Yi could rightfully return to the court and take power.
Even the Emperor couldn't stop him. "Who can predict how the war will unfold?"
Shi Le said, "Mandulatu is dead, and the Manduqi army has collapsed in disarray. Can we just leisurely march without seizing the opportunity to advance? If we do, it's not Prince Xu who will be punished by the Emperor, but rather the generals themselves. Although Your Highness is far away in Chang'an, you should understand our predicament. To forgo such a great victory would seem too pretentious and hypocritical."
"Indeed."
Pei Huan said, "Those imperial guards accompanying the army..." "The Flying Fish Robe will send the battle situation back to Chang'an immediately. If His Majesty finds out, who can withstand his wrath? So... forcing Prince Xu to return can only be done another time. Anyway, Prince Yi didn't entrust it to me, but to Li Yuanshan. I just need to watch what he does."
"General..."
Shi Le hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, "Have you considered... whether Prince Yi truly only wants to return to the court and seize power?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Huan's expression changed.
"What else can I do?"
He countered. Seeing that he didn't react too strongly, Shi Le thought for a moment and then said, "General, we know that Prince Yi is extremely close to the Li family of Longyou. Li Yuanshan is just a vicious dog that Prince Yi has planted outside, and now that Li Yuanshan has many soldiers and generals, he is Prince Yi's greatest asset. I know that you, General, are only helping Prince Yi prepare to come to the Northwest to take charge of military affairs to repay some favors... But... what if Prince Yi's intentions are not so simple? General, you should consider your own safety."
Pei Huan paused for a moment, then waved his hand... He said, "Prince Yi doesn't have the guts, nor the ability! Even if Li Yuanshan is loyal to Prince Yi, what can a mere Right Guard do? Even if he currently commands 150,000 troops, if he truly harbors disloyal intentions, he'll be wiped out by His Majesty's massive army before he even leaves the Northwest. I don't think either Prince Yi or Li Yuanshan has the intention to rebel. If they did… I wouldn't agree."
"They can play political games, they can change the political landscape, but anyone who dares to cross that line… will surely die a horrible death. If anyone has such intentions, doesn't Luo Yao, who commands hundreds of thousands of troops in the Southwest, also have them?" "Think? Luo Yao has managed the Southwest for twenty years, and he dares not show the slightest disrespect. What gives Prince Yi the right? What gives Li Yuanshan the right? Even Luo Yao understands that the Sui Dynasty is deeply rooted, and His Majesty's throne is as secure as a mountain. To rebel is to court death!"
Shi Le nodded and said, "I am relieved that the General has thought of these things. However, I am still uneasy, so I asked for your opinion. I always feel that things are not so simple. Although if Prince Yi returns to the court and takes power, we can gain more benefits, but what if it is a huge pit... jumping in would be disastrous." "There's no going back. General, you need to think this over carefully. It would be best to distance yourself slightly from Prince Yi."
Pei Huan asked, "Are you worried that Prince Yi's motives for coming to the Northwest to command the troops are impure?"
Shi Le sighed, "If someone commands an army of 700,000 and possesses pure royal blood... I'm afraid no one would be unmoved, would they?"
Pei Huan's expression shifted, his previous good mood vanishing: "I understand. After the army advances to the right flank, I will send troops to keep an eye on Li Yuanshan's Right Valiant Guard!"
...
...
Central Army Camp.
Prince Xu, Yang Kai, looked at the map spread out before him, his brows furrowed deeply. The army's successful capture of Manduqi had exceeded his expectations; he had anticipated more setbacks. He wasn't unaware of Prince Yi's methods, but now, sitting in this position, he could only passively accept them.
When His Majesty isolated his brothers from the army and the court, he probably didn't realize that, apart from himself, no one in the royal family could control these powerful generals. Yang Kai knew His Majesty's decision was correct; without this great war, these issues wouldn't have become so apparent. Back then, in their power struggles, the seemingly carefree princes were all scheming. His Majesty had cast them all out of the court, rendering their schemes meaningless.
Yang Kai was an exception; he genuinely didn't want to get involved.
But His Majesty placed him in charge of the Northwest military affairs, thrusting him into the limelight. In terms of connections and power, he couldn't compare to Prince Yi in Chang'an. If that prince wanted, there were plenty of people in the court speaking on his side. And who would help Yang Kai, who truly intended to live a peaceful life away from power?
Over the years, although he had spent many years eating, drinking, and playing with the high-ranking officials, he hadn't offered them a single benefit. Prince Yi was different; he had never truly been honest. But he was a master actor, his performances fooling many.
Even the Empress Dowager sided with him.
Thinking about this always made Yang Kai want to curse.
His gaze was fixed on the map, but his mind was elsewhere.
Standing opposite him, Minister of War Mou Liangbi's expression was also complex. After glancing at Yang Kai, he couldn't help but sigh. Like Yang Kai, he had been temporarily appointed to important positions by the Emperor, and the governors and generals hadn't taken them seriously at all. Therefore, Mou Liangbi, who originally had no connection with Yang Kai, stood firmly by his side. Because they both knew that coming to the Northwest meant they were bound together; their fates were intertwined.
Hearing Mou Liangbi's long sigh, Yang Kai looked up and asked, "What's troubling you?"
Mou Liangbi shook his head and said, "Nothing's going smoothly, so it's not really a problem... What I'm thinking about is what kind of tricks those people will use to put shackles around the Prince and me, lock us up in prison carts, and send us back to Chang'an for trial."
"You're thinking too gloomyly. Perhaps it's not that bad."
Yang Kai walked to a chair and sat down, staring absently at the steam rising from his cup. "Now that the war has reached this point, even if he still wants to come to the Northwest, what great merit can he gain?"
The "he" he referred to was, of course, Prince Yi, Yang Yin. Mou Liangbi sighed, "I'm afraid he wasn't even after all this for any merit!"
Yang Kai's expression changed, and he quickly waved his hand, saying, "You can't say such things so casually. I... I don't believe he would have such ambitious intentions."
"Perhaps."
Mou Liangbi said, "Your Highness should know that I was imprisoned in the Imperial Prison for over ten years. Why was I imprisoned in the first place? Wasn't it because of those things involving the royal family? Regardless of what Your Highness thinks, I have already written a secret memorial and sent it to Chang'an by express courier. Whether His Majesty believes it or not, I have ultimately fulfilled my duty as a subject."
"Also, Your Highness... Li Yuanshan, we must be wary!"
He looked at Yang Kai solemnly and said, "Your Highness has no intention of harming anyone, but..." "It's not necessarily true that the Li family didn't intend to kill me."
"The Li family doesn't have that ability. Li Yuanshan is just a tool in someone else's hands."
Yang Kai shook his head: "I don't believe he has the guts to frame me. He should understand that royal affairs... if he gets involved, nine times out of ten, he won't have a good ending."
"Let's hope so."
Mou Liangbi said solemnly: "I'm actually hoping they'll make it quick, so we don't have to suffer like this. Sometimes, those below see things very clearly, but His Majesty can't. Perhaps His Majesty doesn't want to believe it... or perhaps, Chang'an is far more peaceful and stable than here. The blade is gleaming in the Northwest, but loyalty remains in Chang'an?"
...
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Right Valiant Guard.
General Li Yuanshan looked at the secret letter from the capital in his hand, read it carefully, and then threw it into the brazier to burn. Prince Yi was indeed angry; he hadn't expected the Northwest to achieve such a great victory. Now that the entire Manduqi region has been captured by the Sui army, what could Prince Yi possibly accomplish in the Northwest than this?
Therefore, Prince Yi harshly criticized Li Yuanshan in his letter, which made Li Yuanshan's face extremely ugly.
"Do you really think of me as a servant in your household?"
He snorted coldly, looking at the blazing charcoal fire in the brazier, and said, "Gu Mi, how are the preparations for our own affairs going? No one can know about that matter; if it gets out, all our efforts will be in vain! Once this matter is handled well, let's see what right Yang Yin has to boss me around. If he wants to succeed, he'll have to speak to me politely!"
Gu Mi's advisor bowed his head and said, "General, rest assured, very few people know about this matter to begin with. The two thousand elite troops guarding there are soldiers that you have secretly trained over the years." "He is utterly loyal to the General. The Northwest is so vast; unless someone knows the details, they simply won't find him."
"Hmm."
Li Yuanshan hummed in agreement and said, "Write a letter back to Yang Yin, saying that I will soon open a passage for the Mongols to return, and reassure the Prince. Also… find several people to jointly accuse Mou Liangbi of embezzling military funds, saying he colluded with Yang Kai. As for the evidence, have someone prepare it. A fake ledger will be enough to make them unable to explain themselves. Tell the Prince in the letter to be ready to come to the Northwest at any time; the Generals and I will await your arrival!"