Chapter 458

The imperial army has spent more than a month in Qinshui. What the courtiers were worried about did not appear before, and everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Although Minyong's combat effectiveness is average, the war has been quite smooth so far, so the morale is very high. The initial fighting was completed by the soldiers. With the cooperation of the Navy, it was not too difficult for the trained elite of the big Sui Dynasty to kill Qinshui. Minyong, who had been shouting for the soldiers in the early stage, gradually participated in some battles after crossing the river. Although their quality is still not brilliant, after all, their equipment is much better than the rebels.

After winning some battles, the morale of these people's courage rose even higher. The rebel defense line was compressed step by step, and the Xiaoyong camp was gradually able to take charge of it after it was confident.

Qinshui is the rebel's biggest natural barrier, but the rebel's lack of a navy is its biggest weakness.

The navy of the great Sui Dynasty has always been very low-key, but its strength is beyond doubt. When Nanchen was killed in those years, the navy of Nanchen, known as the first in the world, didn't hold on long in front of the navy of the great Sui Dynasty. When the Shang state was attacked more than 20 years ago, the Shang army, which is famous for its navy, also had no power to fight back under the rolling of the navy of the great Sui Dynasty.

The strength of the army is based on national strength.

The water division of the great Sui Dynasty has complete equipment, solid warships, and has formed mature tactics for a hundred years.

After crossing Qinshui and entering Hexi Road, the army fought almost every day. The rebel line of defense was so thick that every village and every fortress had to fight for it. Li Yuanshan asked his generals to constantly put pressure on the rebel soldiers, telling them that there was no way to live without resistance. They joined the rebels, which is an unforgivable crime for the imperial court. If they want to live, they can only take up arms and resist.

Therefore, at the beginning, although the progress of the imperial army was not slow, few rebels surrendered voluntarily.

For this, the imperial court officials with the army were puzzled. They really don't understand why those fools would rather believe Li Yuanshan's nonsense than the successive amnesty decrees of the imperial court. Before the western expedition, your majesty ordered that all rebel soldiers who laid down their weapons and surrendered could forgive the past as long as they had not done great evil. But this amnesty has been promulgated for a long time, and few people in the rebels believe it.

In fact, it's no wonder that although the common people were forced to steal from the thieves, it was the same as having to steal. The government issued a notice saying that as long as they voluntarily surrendered, they could be excused. Basically, the thieves didn't believe it.

In the final analysis, there are no more than the words "ghost" in my heart.

In November, the army conquered HengYuan, and his majesty recovered Hengyuan palace, one of the seven palaces in the northwest. Although everything in the palace had long been looted, after all, it was a relatively encouraging victory. Shi Lei, the rebel general stationed in HengYuan, led his troops to retreat 40 miles to the West and redeploy in the front line of Yangjiao mountain.

The scale of Hengyuan palace is not large, nor is it as rich in reserves as Guangyang palace in Xiangzhou. One grain, grass and armour stored in Guangyang palace is enough to equip tens of thousands of troops.

The emperor, who had obviously lost a lot of weight, refused Su Buwei's help and walked up the stone steps of Hengyuan palace. It has only been two or three years, and the palace has changed beyond recognition. Although this is also the first time for his majesty to enter here, he can still feel the decline of the palace in the past two years.

The yard paved with stone slabs was full of weeds, which were not taken care of. Weeds easily drilled out of the gap between the stone slabs, and occupied the whole palace in only one spring. Without maintenance, the speed of house falling always seems so amazing. The palace walls, which were originally painted vermilion, have fallen off, and many arrow towers and watchtowers have been added on the wall, making the palace walls look nondescript.

Outside the palace gate, there was a row of horses, which looked more desolate and despondent.

The emperor stepped on the dust and weeds on the stone steps and walked up slowly. He kept looking around, with a faint anger in his eyes.

This is his palace, which represents the majesty of the emperor. Now it has become a stable and animal pen!

His eyes rested on a rebel flag that had not been pulled out on the roof of the palace, and his face became more ugly. Su Buwei immediately understood the emperor's meaning, stretched out his hand and pointed to the position of the flag, scolded a few words, and several guards in royal clothes immediately ran over, found a ladder, climbed up the house and pulled out the flag.

The imperial guard office now exists in name only. After Luo Weiran was driven out of Chang'an City by the emperor, Su Buwei's dark guard took over the duties of the Imperial Guard Office. The dark bodyguard mentioned the bright place from the dark place in the name of Da Nei bodyguard. However, for the sake of difference, people now call Su Buwei the royal guards school.

The flying fish robe is declining, and the royal guards school is domineering.

"Although I haven't been here, this yard is my private house. As an emperor, I can't even guard my private house. I'm sorry for all my ancestors."

The emperor stood on the platform talking to himself and frightened the ministers who followed him. Wen Chen and the general knelt down. No one knows why the emperor suddenly had such feelings. The emperor said he was sorry for his ancestors, so those who were ministers were unforgivable.

"Your Majesty..."

Su Buwei opened his mouth, but was stopped by the Emperor: "don't persuade me. I'm just blaming myself. Taizu established the country and Taizong started a business. The powerful empire built by the Yang family for more than 100 years was handed over to me, but I didn't keep it well. It has nothing to do with you. It's my own business."

It's irrelevant. How can it be irrelevant?

The ministers quickly kowtowed: "I'm waiting for a capital crime!"

"Get up."

The emperor waved his hand: "I just feel it in my heart. You don't have to be so timid. You always have to go through some bad things to make people work more diligently and carefully. Without Li Yuanshan's rebellion, I won't easily rectify the administration of officials. Without the rampant rebellion, I won't see the other side of the people. Predecessors said that after breaking down, the Northwest has been chaotic to the root, just govern from the beginning. It's just from governance to chaos It's easy. It's not easy to change from chaos to security. Now you have recovered a lot of lost land. Now you should think about how to make the people obey and stop being thieves! "

"I would like to follow your Majesty's instructions."

The crowd got up and followed the emperor.

"Before I got to the northwest, although I hated Li Yuanshan's rebellion, I didn't think he was a little scheming and courageous. When I was in Chang'an, I told myself to face up to this opponent. But after I got to the northwest, I relaxed a lot. Look..."

The emperor stretched out his hand and pointed around: "even if it is robbed, it will be lost sooner or later if it is not well managed. Li Yuanshan only knows plunder and doesn't know how to support the people. How can it last long!"

This sentence immediately attracted a lot of scolding and cursing to Li Yuanshan and praise to the emperor.

The emperor stood in front of the palace hall, looked up at the mottled plaque and shook his head: "take off the plaque... Make a new one. Break it and then stand. All the old useless ones must be gouged out in order to have a new one..."

Everyone didn't understand the latter sentence.

Only the Emperor himself knew what he was talking about.

……

……

Sitting in the side hall, the emperor pulled the brocade and wrapped it more tightly. The weather in the northwest made him uncomfortable, especially at night, he still felt warm with two layers of quilt. The lights in the house were very bright, but there were always corners that could not be illuminated, just like the Emperor's heart.

Su Buwei carefully waited on the emperor, took the medicine, and then hung his head to one side.

"The drug residue has been handled well. Don't let people see it."

The emperor took out his handkerchief, wiped his mouth and gave an order. He looked at the memorials sent from the capital in front of him and frowned slightly. These memorials were picked out by Pei Yan. Most of them were trivial things. The biggest problem of the imperial court now is to fight the rebellion. The Emperor has no mind to deal with such things as how many people have been frozen to death in a heavy snow and how many officials have neglected their duties.

"Send someone back to the capital and tell Peiyan not to send such a discount again. How much manpower and material resources have been wasted all the way! If there is a disaster in the local area, the local government will provide relief. If there is a shortage of grain and grass materials, let Peiyan allocate them with the household officials. If there is really no turnover, open the warehouse. I let the three of them be assistant ministers, not post couriers, but the discount Send it from the northwest. Although the prince is young, he is reasonable, knows the gains and losses, knows the general situation, and has the guidance of the queen. He can make his own decisions on many things. "

"The prince and the assistant politicians are also worried that they are not doing well."

Su Buwei bowed his head and said, "the maid arranged for someone to go back early tomorrow morning and inform his Royal Highness the prince and the three assistant ministers of his Majesty's will."

"Well"

"I'm in the northwest. I don't want to see these folds... Where is the left avant-garde now? How about the troop mobilization of the counties in the south of the Yangtze River? Why didn't I get any folds? The people sent to ask Peiyan how he screened the memorials!"

"Yes, my servant."

As he was saying this, suddenly someone outside asked for a meeting. It was already dark, and it was obviously urgent for someone to come in. The emperor motioned that Su Buwei hurried to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, the wind poured into the room, and the candle swayed.

The emperor seemed dissatisfied and looked sideways to see who had to make progress so late.

Soon Su Buwei came back, followed by Xu Xiaogong, a general of Youwei, and Liu enjing, a general of zuowuwei. Seeing them coming in, the emperor's heart tightened involuntarily.

"So late, but there is an emergency military?"

He sat up straight and asked.

"Your Majesty..."

Xu Xiaogong and Liu enjing saluted first. Xu Xiaogong raised his head and said carefully: "someone came from langrushan today, ran for more than a month, passed through the place occupied by the rebels, and found here after several deaths, bringing a message..."

"Oh?"

The emperor couldn't help laughing: "but what good news did dead Yang Kai send me? I know it's not easy for him. After the defeat, he gathered the defeated soldiers on the spot. He has forcibly recovered many places in the past two years. It's difficult for him to stick to it until now without imperial court supplies and logistics support."

"Not..."

Xu Xiaogong hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "Prince Xu... Did you fight..."

The emperor's smiling expression gradually solidified, and his hand holding the tea cup was stiff in the air.

With a slap, the tea cup fell from the emperor's hand and broke into pieces.

"When..."

"Your Majesty, it was a month and a half ago. In order to cooperate with the Imperial Army's western expedition, the prince personally went down the mountain to investigate the rebel West camp. He was found by the rebel Rangers. All his guards were killed. The prince fought to the end... Finally outnumbered..."

"I see."

The emperor waved his hand: "you go down... I'm tired."

He sat back slowly and pulled the quilt over to cover it.

Xu Xiaogong and Liu enjing looked at each other and got up to leave. Just as they came to the door, they suddenly heard a violent cough behind them. The two people were surprised and hurriedly turned back. The emperor sitting on the earth Kang had bent and coughed, holding the quilt corner tightly in his hand.

The two men were startled and hurried back. After taking one step, they saw the emperor's blood gushing out.

The emperor glanced at the two bloodless generals, trembling, stretched out his hands, picked up his handkerchief and wiped the corners of his mouth: "if people outside know about this today, I will kill your nine families."

Xu Xiaogong and Liu enjing immediately knelt down: "I dare not... Your majesty, you'd better return to the capital. The dragon body is more important."

The emperor slowly shook his head: "I want to go back, but it's not the time. I originally planned to give you a will in a few days. Since you're here today, I'll simply tell you."

He glanced at Su Buwei and said, "go out."

Su Buwei was stunned, but he bowed back.

"Tomorrow, I will send you two to lead the troops to the south to besiege the rebels of Yin Po Shan with left avant-garde Luo Yao. But after you two go south, you will immediately lead the troops back to Chang'an city. I have transferred the fleet of duanzheng of the Yangtze River navy to wait in the lower reaches of Qinshui. Don't show your tracks..."

The emperor took a secret message from his personal place: "look on the road. Remember, the task I gave you is to protect my great Sui Dynasty!"