Chapter 130: The Arrival of Emperor Yang of Sui

Sitting in the saddle, Fei Qingnu felt immensely proud and inwardly pondered: "In the battle of the Saishui City, my forces suffered heavy casualties and we are currently short of personnel. Why not send Li Dong and Qin Qiong as garrison soldiers to attack cities and plunder territories? In this way, I can claim their military achievements as my own. And if they die—regardless of whether he is really Li Dong—once they are dead, that's the end of it."

With a smile, Fei Qingnu pointed at Li Dong and Qin Qiong from his horse and ordered, "Call up all your blacksmiths and organize them into a single squad, with Qin Qiong as the squad leader. His Imperial Majesty will grace us with his presence shortly to observe the enemy and bolster our morale. Once you demonstrate military achievements, rewards will be granted immediately!" Mentioning the Emperor, he cupped his fists and raised them toward the sky to show his respect for Emperor Yang of Sui.

Although he gave the instructions with a smile, Li Dong could hear the malicious intent hidden in his heart. While ostensibly offering them a chance to achieve military glory, Fei Qingnu was actually planning to use the enemy's hands to silence them and achieve his own ends.

At this moment, Qin Qiong had already stood up and stepped forward beside Fei Qingnu and his horse, having also guessed the depth of Fei Qingnu's scheming. Li Dong had altered his appearance, yet Fei Qingnu would not let him go even though only their statures were similar! His suspicion remained deeply rooted—he was truly dark, ruthless, and shameless!

If they refused, Fei Qingnu would use cowardice and an unwillingness to serve the imperial court as an excuse to punish them.

"I respectfully obey the command of the Military-Support General and will return to summon the blacksmiths to prepare for General Fei's needs," Qin Qiong replied fearlessly and clearly.

Just then, a scout ran over swiftly, ordering Fei Qingnu to report urgently to the general's tent to receive instructions and to go thirty miles ahead of the camp to welcome the imperial carriage.

Hearing that the Emperor had arrived, Fei Qingnu's expression tightened. He whipped his horse and galloped away in a flash of dust.

窦建德 (Dou Jiande) and 刘黑闼 (Liu Heita) were shouted at and escorted away by the garrison soldiers.

Li Dong and Qin Qiong cupped their fists toward them, signaling for them to rest assured. The two of them parted ways with heavy hearts.

Li Dong asked Qin Qiong, "Are you really going to risk your life fighting the enemy?"

Qin Qiong nodded and said with a heavy heart, "We must never let Fei Qingnu look down on us! Even if we die on the battlefield, we will not fall into Fei Qingnu's hands. He is a wolf in human skin who devours people without leaving their bones behind. To die at his hands would be a lifelong humiliation; even as ghosts, we would choke with resentment!"

Li Dong patted Qin Qiong's shoulder and smiled, thinking to himself: *There is no need to die at all. Not only must we win on the battlefield and earn military achievements, but we must also surpass Fei Qingnu's position and power. Then he will have to dance to our tune. Leaving his fate entirely in our hands—wouldn't that be delightful?*

Looking outside the camp, Li Dong asked Qin Qiong, "Well, the imperial carriage is about to arrive. What do you think of it?"

"He is exalted as the Son of Heaven, possessing the entire realm and the wealth of the four seas, whereas our status is far too insignificant. I harbor no improper ambitions!" Qin Qiong replied with a tone tinged with disappointment and a trace of envy.

Li Dong simply smiled it off and offered no response.

***

He calculated inwardly: *This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! To suppress Lai Hu'er and Fei Qingnu, I must leverage the imperial majesty of Emperor Yang of Sui. Otherwise, as a Grand General of the Left翊卫 (Left Imperial Guard) possessing immense merit and power, how could I ever achieve my goal?*

*To use the dignity of the Son of Heaven to exact personal revenge, one must first win his appreciation and trust. And to gain that appreciation and trust, one must start by attacking cities, conquering territories, and establishing military achievements. Although Fei Qingnu seems to be sending Shuobao and me to our deaths, he is actually creating a grand opportunity for us!*

*How could I not make good use of it?*

Li Dong and Qin Qiong returned to the armory and relayed Fei Qingnu's words to the gathered blacksmiths. Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay.

Li Dong knew that blacksmiths possessed great strength and could be said to have boundless might, but they rarely received combat training. When facing the enemy, a sense of timidity was inevitable. He therefore gathered them into an open space within the camp and had Qin Qiong drill them.

*Sharpening your spear before the battle helps even if it's dull!*

Practicing in advance was certainly better than being completely blindfolded.

After drilling for a while, they suddenly heard the sounds of drums and music from the distance outside the camp—grand and inspiring, exuding supreme majesty.

Li Dong knew this must be the arrival of the imperial carriage that Fei Qingnu had just mentioned.

By this time, the garrison soldiers within the camp had learned of the Emperor's arrival and were rushing eagerly toward the camp entrance, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Son of Heaven's majesty. Several blacksmiths lost interest in training and grew eager to try their luck as well.

Wishing to witness the array of the imperial carriage themselves, Li Dong and Qin Qiong followed the crowd of garrison soldiers to the outside of the camp and craned their necks to look.

Ahead, banners fluttered, carriages and horses formed an endless chain, and a sea of people stretched as far as the eye could see.

In one particular area, a dense crowd of heads bobbed, and many people wore purple official robes that exuded an extraordinary aura from afar. As they drew closer, they realized that those in purple official robes were all princes, dukes, and senior generals. Beside them stood solemn men, standing in strict battle array and wearing Mo Dao (long sabers) at their waists. This was likely the legendary imperial guard, the Qianniuwei (Thousand-Ox Guard).

The person leading the way on the left in the front was none other than Lai Hu'er, while the person on the right was unfamiliar. That man had sword-like brows and tiger eyes, fierce as a kite, and especially his beard was pitch-black and dense, protruding over a foot from beneath his chin and covering his entire neck. You could see his beard, but not his neck!

At that moment, the garrison soldiers whispered among themselves, asking each other who the bearded man on the right was. Li Dong was also quite interested and stretched his ears to eavesdrop.

Among the garrison soldiers were quite a few seasoned veterans who recognized the man and proudly declared: "You lot are truly ignorant, aren't you? You don't even recognize our Great Sui's primary fierce general, Mai Tie杖 (Mai Tiezhang)? How on earth did you survive in the army, huh?"

***

The primary fierce general of the Sui Dynasty? Wouldn't that make Zhang Suituo second? Li Dong had not yet witnessed Mai Tiezhang's prowess, but since he could earn the title of "Primary Fierce General," he must be a man of formidable capability.

The Emperor Yang wore a purple-gold crown and a purple dragon robe. He had a handsome countenance, and his dragon-like eyes flashed with a sudden, piercing light. His chin bore a sparse beard. Sitting upright in the dragon carriage, he looked supremely imposing with an astonishing aura.

As the entourage arrived at the camp entrance, all the observing garrison soldiers bowed deeply, not even daring to raise their heads.

The imperial guards of the Qianniuwei hurriedly laid down red carpets, extending them straight from the dragon carriage to the front of the dragon tent inside the camp.

With the assistance of his attendants, Emperor Yang slowly descended from the dragon carriage. He stood tall and upright, gazing around. Seeing that the number of people in front of the camp was still quite large, he laughed loudly, "Although I listened to the slander of villains and the翊卫 (Imperial Guard) suffered defeat in their initial battle, the garrison soldiers are still not a small number! We can still fight the enemy again!"

Lai Hu'er lowered his head, bowed obsequiously, and repeatedly agreed, inviting the Emperor to rest in the dragon tent.

Hearing this, Li Dong felt a jolt in his heart. He thought: *Lai Hu'er is truly fast! Before even reaching the main tent, he has already reported the cause of his defeat to Yang Guang. And Yang Guang seems to have believed it completely! With things like this, saving Dou Jiande and his brother will be as difficult as ascending to heaven!*

Emperor Yang of Sui, Yang Guang, in the early years of his reign, had governed with vigor and determination, achieving remarkable accomplishments. He conquered Chen in the south, pacified the Tujue in the west, captured Goguryeo in the north, excavated the Grand Canal, instituted the imperial examination system to select scholars, struck down the malpractices of aristocratic families monopolizing state affairs since the Jin dynasties, and even reopened the ancient Silk Road. Most commendably, he possessed a certain degree of literary talent.

If he had died young at this time, losing his life prematurely, his reputation would have shone brightly in history, making him a revered sage king of a generation rather than leaving a legacy of eternal infamy.

This was because, alongside his grand strategies and ambitions, he also possessed a side despised by the world.

To seize the supreme imperial throne, he murdered his own full brother Yang Yong and his entire family, engaged in incestuous relations, and wallowed in sensual corruption, with a personal lifestyle that was an utter mess. Furthermore, he listened to the slander of petty officials at court, promoted mediocrity while causing sages to lose heart. For the sake of personal enjoyment, he relocated the capital to Luoyang, repeatedly journeyed to Jiangdu, lived in supreme luxury, and—ignoring public anger and resentment—squandered wealth on a massive scale.

Take his current campaign against Goguryeo, for instance: he conscripted a million commoners, yet fewer than one percent of them returned safely! His tyranny was so excessive that it provoked the wrath of both men and gods!

Li Dong hesitated. Should he step forward to save Emperor Yang of Sui and help him win the campaign against Goguryeo, or should he sit back, rescue Dou Jiande from the fires of war, and then use an excuse to escape and defect to Wagang?