ebonymovies Chapter 55 Passing through Taiyuan, Li Yuan and his son came to greet the emperor.
Chapter 55 Passing through Taiyuan, Li Yuan and his son came to greet the emperor.
The carriage traveled north, crossing the Yellow River in a grand procession, and finally arrived at the territory of Taiyuan.
A group of people had been waiting there for a long time, their banners fluttering in the wind, with a large "Li" character on the banner standing out prominently.
The leader was riding a tall horse and appeared to be between forty and fifty years old.
He was quite robust, but his skin was loose and his wrinkles were deep, especially his broad and high forehead.
On his left and right sides, a young man stood by.
The man on the left has striking eyebrows and bright eyes, and a handsome face.
The young man on the right is handsome and has a commanding presence, standing out from the others.
Lu Xiao, fully armored, stood beside Yang Guang, and the carriage slowly drove towards the welcoming procession.
"Zilie, look." Yang Guang, mounted on his horse, pointed with his whip at the middle-aged man leading the way opposite him, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
"That's Grandma; she's come especially to greet you."
"Without women, who are the old women?"
Lu Xiao was taken aback upon hearing this and asked in confusion.
"Hahaha!" Yang Guang laughed and explained, "Li Yuan's face is full of wrinkles, like an old woman."
As they drew closer, Lü Xiao could see more clearly.
He had nothing to say about Yang Guang's perverse tastes.
No wonder the Li family is targeting you.
Look at this, making fun of Li Yuan in front of so many people, who could stand it?
What goes around comes around; sooner or later, things will turn around and get back to normal.
However, this was also Yang Guang's personality. When Yang Su was bedridden, Yang Guang sent many famous imperial physicians to treat him.
When the imperial physician returned, he asked Yang Su when he would die.
It must be said that Yang Guang was fortunate to be an emperor.
Otherwise, with that cheeky personality, he'll get beaten up sooner or later.
As the imperial carriage approached, Li Yuan stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your subject, Li Yuan, the Governor of Taiyuan, respectfully welcomes Your Majesty!"
"No need for formalities." Yang Guang, perched high on his horse, merely raised his hand casually, his attitude quite arrogant.
"Your Majesty, I congratulate you on winning the hearts of a hundred nations, achieving a great feat for the ages, and receiving the supreme title of Heavenly Khan!"
Although Li Yuan was in Taiyuan, he was fully aware of what was happening in Luoyang.
Li Shimin, who was accompanying the emperor, listened silently as his father flattered Yang Guang. When the words "Heavenly Khan" were mentioned, his heart skipped a beat.
"Hehe." Yuwen Huaji chuckled and said, "Why are only the eldest and second young masters here? Why aren't the other two young masters here to greet His Majesty?"
Following Yuwen Huaji's words, Lü Xiao also looked at Li Yuan and his group. It turned out that the younger one was Li Shimin.
It is said that Li Shimin had the appearance of a dragon and phoenix, and the countenance of the sun and moon, and was indeed different from ordinary people.
But compared to myself, I'm still a bit behind.
"My fourth son, Yuanba, often goes mad, and my third son, Yuanji, is taking care of him in Jinyang. I hope Your Majesty will forgive him."
Li Yuan sighed slightly and offered an explanation.
Every time Yuwen Huaji saw Yang Guang, he would bite him like a mad dog.
"I've heard that the fourth son of the Duke of Tang is incredibly strong. Would you dare to have a contest with my son, Chengdu?"
Lu Xiao listened from the side, silently sweating for Yuwen Chengdu.
Good heavens, what a terrible father!
No wonder Yuwen Chenglong also likes to show filial piety to the powerful; it turns out this is a traditional skill of the Yuwen family—mutual restraint!
It's said that Li Yuanba was the first among the eighteen heroes, and Yuwen Chengdu was the second, only differing by one ranking.
However, the two were worlds apart in strength; Li Yuanba was able to send Yuwen Chengdu away with just three blows.
Could Yuwen Chengdu send Li Yuanba away with three blows?
"Let's discuss the competition later," Yang Guang finally said. Although he was a person who enjoyed entertainment, he was eager to see a grand show.
But right now, the important thing is to patrol Yanmen Pass in the north and deter the Turks, so we can only put aside our desire to watch the show for the time being.
"My purpose in this journey is Yanmen Pass; I will not linger in Taiyuan. Let us set off."
"My lord, I would like to send you your Majesty's greetings!
May His Majesty's northern tour be successful, and may his prestige extend throughout the land!
Upon hearing this, Li Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He was genuinely afraid that Yang Guang might suddenly decide to linger in Taiyuan, which would be a real problem.
The carriages set off again, heading north in a grand procession.
Li Jiancheng watched the Yang banner recede into the distance, a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm in his voice:
"First there was the western tour to Zhangye, then the northern tour of 500,000 troops, and now there is another northern tour."
His Majesty's four imperial tours are now only missing a southern tour.
"Shut up! Don't talk nonsense!"
Li Yuan's face darkened, and he immediately reprimanded him in a low voice.
Yang Guang's various imperial tours, seemingly extravagant and wasteful of resources, were merely for pleasure and to show off, but Li Yuan saw things much deeper.
During his previous western tour, his army pressed on the borders, annihilated Tuyuhun, and caused the kingdoms of the Western Regions to tremble and submit.
The successful hosting of the World's Fair and the consolidation of the Silk Road truly demonstrated China's national prestige.
The last time the army of 500,000 marched north, it terrified the Turkic Qimin Khan, who led his people to prostrate themselves in worship, not even daring to ride their horses, which greatly intimidated the northern frontier.
These measures, of course, have incurred enormous costs.
However, its strategic objectives are clear and its effects are remarkable, and it cannot be simply summarized as a mere tourist activity.
"Father," Li Shimin, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, his voice calm yet carrying a calm understanding of the world.
"I believe that Your Majesty's northern tour this time will not be as smooth as the last one."
During the last northern tour, it was Qimin Khan who came to greet the emperor.
He was relatively obedient, and at that time the Turkic people were not a monolithic entity.
However, after Qimin Khan's death, the successor Shibi Khan was ambitious and ruthless.
They also basically unified the various tribes of the Eastern Turks, and their power far surpassed that of their predecessors.
The fact that the Eastern Turkic envoys had openly demanded the revocation of the title of Sage Khan shows that Shibi Khan no longer has any respect for Yang Guang or the Sui Dynasty.
Subsequently, Yang Guang executed the Turkic envoy, and the enmity between the two sides had deepened to the point that there was almost no room for reconciliation.
Yang Guang's northern tour will inevitably lead to a confrontation with Shibi Khan, making a conflict unavoidable.
Upon hearing this, Li Jiancheng's eyes suddenly lit up, and he lowered his voice, revealing a hint of barely suppressed excitement:
"Father! If...if His Majesty encounters misfortune during this northern tour, wouldn't that be terrible!"
He seemed to see some once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"You mean His Majesty died during his northern tour?"
Li Yuan's heart also stirred.
Yes, Yang Guang's campaign against Goguryeo ended in a disastrous defeat, damaging his prestige and causing resentment among the people.
If he was indeed ambushed and killed by the powerful Eastern Turks during his northern tour.
The global situation will inevitably change dramatically!
The Li family has been lying low in Taiyuan for many years, secretly accumulating strength. Isn't this a golden opportunity to compete for the world?
"Exactly!"
Li Jiancheng could no longer hide the ambition in his eyes.
"Brother, you are mistaken. If His Majesty encounters the Eastern Turks, our Li family will do everything in our power to help him."
Li Shimin's words brought Li Jiancheng back to reality.
"Shimin," Li Yuan said, looking at his two sons, "tell me more."
"Brother, you're oversimplifying things. The fate of the world doesn't lie with the people, but with the powerful clans."
Then, Li Shimin began to speak at length.
If Yang Guang had died during his northern tour, the country would not have fallen into chaos, and the Sui Dynasty would have been even more stable.