Personal Guards and Thousand-Niu Guards

Emperor Yang of Sui ordered Old Third Lu to accompany Li Dong to the banquet hall to welcome the princes, dukes, and high-ranking ministers. First, he wanted Li Dong to become familiar with the various generals and officials, and also to let them all get to know Li Dong. Emperor Yang had a deep ulterior motive in having them familiarize and get to know each other, one that Li Dong did not anticipate at the time.

Those old foxes who had long mixed in official circles were more adept at bureaucratic ways than anyone else. After a great victory, there would surely be rewards. Before the sun had even set, the princes, dukes, and generals arrived one after another ahead of time.

Upon seeing a young soldier standing beside Old Third Lu wearing Emperor Yang's own garments, their gazes instantly locked onto him, turning straight and piercing. A myriad of thoughts raced through their minds. Yet they all understood that this meant the humble garrison soldier before them enjoyed the profound favor of the Son of Heaven. Among so many ministers, who had ever worn the same clothes as the Emperor? Not a single one!

This was a hint, a reminder: this person was a favored favorite in the eyes of the Emperor and must not be offended. Since he could not be offended, they had better rush to butter him up!

The first to enter was the Left Wing Guard General, Duke of Xu Yuwen Shu—none other than the great general who had been defeated by Eulji Mundeok at the Battle of Liaodong City. During this northern campaign, Emperor Yang had permitted him to bring his family along. Thus, standing beside him were his three sons: Yuwen Huaji, Yuwen Zhiji, and Yuwen Shiji.

Yuwen Huaji was the eldest brother, and Yuwen Shiji was the third brother. Moreover, Shiji had taken Emperor Yang's daughter, Princess Nanyang, as his wife, making him an imperial son-in-law. As for Yuwen Huaji and Zhiji, it was common knowledge that their names were truly notorious.

The moment Yuwen Shu saw Li Dong, his face blossomed into a cascade of smiles. He bustled over, took Li Dong's hand, and praised, "In the battle of Liaodong City, little brother displayed extraordinary valor, leaving this old man full of admiration! Heroes have since ancient times emerged from the youth. It seems this general is growing old! It is time to yield to the wise!" As he spoke, he looked left and right to see if anyone was paying attention to him, seemingly still having more to say.

Li Dong was extremely unaccustomed to this. He hastily withdrew his hand, returned the courtesy, and said, "The old general flatters me too much." With that, he glanced coldly at the three sons standing beside him—a chill so intense it made one shiver.

Yuwen Shu had rendered meritorious service in accompanying the dragon to the throne, pacifying the southern front, and battling the Turks; his contributions were undeniable. Yet his three sons were more spineless and worthless than the last. The Three-Character Classic put it well: "If raising without teaching, it is the fault of the father." With the upper beam crooked, the lower beams would inevitably be skewed, and this made it clear that this old thief was no good bird either.

Consequently, Li Dong treated them with icy indifference, though without losing proper etiquette.

Yuwen Shu was a veteran of officialdom. With a single glance, he knew in his heart that Li Dong held the four of them in contempt. A deeply awkward expression crossed his face, and he was just about to utter a few flattering words to mend relations and secure some future backing around the Emperor. Before he could speak, a hearty laugh rang out from behind.

The newcomer was the Grand General of the Right Wing Guard of Lelang Dao, Yu Zhongwen, who was also a renowned veteran general and the Grand Marshal of the forces that pacified the Turks. He had once been Yuwen Shu's superior and former leader, and in this offensive against Liaodong, the old general had also been the primary commander holding authority over all armies. Yuwen Shu found it inconvenient to linger any longer, so he indignantly left Li Dong and went to find a seat.

His son, Yuwen Huaji, lowered his body, leaned close to Yuwen Shu, and asked, "Father! How utterly arrogant that person is! Do you want your son to find a chance to finish him off?!"

Yuwen Shu shuddered all over, his complexion dropping instantly. It grew longer than a donkey's face. He softly chided, "You scoundrel! How do I usually teach you? When you are in official circles, you must never hold your own views and opinions. The Emperor's opinion is your opinion; the Emperor's view is your view. The sprouting timber that stands tallest rots first—do you not even understand this principle?"

"But Father, that Dang Yuqian is simply too arrogant! Father spoke to him with the status of a general, yet what is he? Merely an ordinary young soldier who happened by chance to achieve military merit! By what right does he act like this?"

"By the right that he is currently the Emperor's favored favorite! If you are unconvinced, why didn't you act tough when we were attacking Liaodong City? Why act tough now? Never mind how arrogant this Dang Yuqian is right now; let him be arrogant. We will flatter him, pander to him, and indulge him—what more can he do to us? When he eventually loses power in the future, we will step up and trample him mercilessly, never giving him a chance to rise again. This is the art of being an official!"

Yuwen Huaji's face flushed a brilliant red like a bolt of cloth. The words spoken by his father Yuwen Shu were indeed the golden rule and eternal truth of official survival. The Emperor's intent was the minister's intent; only by constantly flattering the sovereign and never defying him in anything could one avoid demotion for violating the imperial will. Swallowing his internal dissatisfaction for the moment, he stood silently behind his father without another word.

Yu Zhongwen was sixty-seven years that year, with hair and beard as white as snow. He handled matters with extreme composure and was fiercely loyal to Emperor Yang—a truly loyal minister indeed. Emperor Yang trusted him deeply as well, which was why he had made him the nominal commander-in-chief for this invasion of Goguryeo.

The moment he saw Li Dong wearing the Emperor's purple silk robe, he took Li Dong's hand and spoke in a soft, low voice, "Dang Yuqian, it's not this old man presuming on his seniority to lecture you. This behavior of yours is inappropriate! Even if the Emperor regards you with exceptional favor, you should not swagger about wearing this. You ought to enshrine it at home, burn three sticks of incense every day, and prostrate yourself in worship—that would be the proper thing to do."

Li Dong knew he was a fiercely loyal veteran general, so his words were not as harsh as those spoken by Yuwen Shu. Talk of "yielding to the wise" or "growing old" made it sound like he was trying to usurp his position. Who coveted such a thing!

Li Dong blinked and whispered quietly, "Old General, this is the sovereign's will; the Emperor is bestowing his grace upon this humble servant."

Yu Zhongwen continued, "To speak with utmost disrespect, the Emperor is using you to set up a contrast, highlighting the military shortcomings of the lords and nobles present. By doing this, haven't you managed to offend everyone all by yourself? The gentlemen present are all senior ministers and powerful figures of the imperial court. This time, you have offended not just one person, but a whole crowd! Your very existence makes them burn with shame so deep they have nowhere to hide! You must think twice and not let youthful impetuosity lead you into doing something foolish!"

A wave of gratitude washed over Li Dong's heart. How could Li Dong not know Emperor Yang's intentions? What was needed right now was precisely this kind of youthful vigor—sharp-edged enterprise, soaring heroism, and a spirit of seizing the initiative. Only in this way could the ministers be inspired to risk their lives on the battlefield.

Li Dong nodded in agreement and persuaded, "What the Old General says is true; this humble servant will take it to heart. Please, go inside, please."

Seeing that Li Dong had no intention of removing the clothes, Yu Zhongwen let out a long sigh, ceased his persuasion, and went off to find a seat for himself.

Following closely behind came General Lai Hu'er. Needless to say, accompanying him were his three sons, along with Fei Qingnu and Zhou Fahang.

The general's three sons rarely had the chance to behold the imperial countenance, so they were unaware of what made the clothes on Li Dong's body so special. However, General Lai, Fei Qingnu, and Zhou Fahang had seen them before. At a single glance, shock gripped their hearts.

The Emperor was treating Dang Yuqian far too generously. How could a humble garrison soldier receive such a precious reward? Most likely, tonight's banquet would not be simple; it must be to announce the elevation of Dang Yuqian's official rank and title. Otherwise, why invite so many princes and nobles to a banquet?

What official rank and title would the Emperor bestow upon Dang Yuqian, making such a grand fuss? It seemed they truly had been blind before, failing to realize that crouching tigers and hidden dragons lay within the ranks of the garrison soldiers. And yet they had let the opportunity slip through their fingers. Missing this chance for promotion and soaring success meant they were truly blind.

Cold sweat had already broken out on Fei Qingnu's back. Just yesterday, he had still been aggressively bullying Dang Yuqian. If Dang Yuqian acted truly like Li Dong now, then he himself was in deep trouble. Having crossed paths with Li Dong three times, today would probably be the day Li Dong climbed onto his head to shit and piss.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, he decided it would be better to obey General Lai's command and proactively show goodwill to Dang Yuqian. Once the banquet ended, he would willingly act as a mounting block for Li Dong to vent his anger first. Otherwise, his little life would surely not be preserved in the future.

Seeing Lai Hu'er and his entourage arrive, Li Dong had by now grown accustomed to the way everyone looked at him—a gaze of envy and fawning flattery. Deciding not to spare them any face, he said with a vague, ambiguous tone, "We are old friends now, let's not stand on ceremony with one another. Please, go inside!"

A jolt of shock ran through Lai Hu'er. Dang Yuqian truly was a master at reading the wind and turning with the tide. How long had it been since I introduced him to the Emperor? In the blink of an eye, he was calling me an old friend. Half a day ago, if he had dared to utter those words, I would have instantly found an excuse to butcher him. Now... humph, accept your fate! Do not go against him, for that would be going against oneself.

Though Fei Qingnu's status was not low, compared to the supreme, almighty princes and nobles gathered at the banquet, he still fell significantly short. Lowering his head, he walked past. As he drew close to Li Dong, he muttered a rapid sentence under his breath: "After the banquet, I will come to pay my respects to Brother Yuqian!"

Li Dong heard it clearly. Pondering for a moment in his heart, he wondered what business this fellow could possibly have with him. Could he be demonstrating that he had no ties to Eulji Mundeok? No, he wouldn't dare bring up that topic. Was it to apologize for yesterday's incident? Yes, indeed. Given my current status, even if he were lent a hundred courage, he wouldn't dare lay a finger on me. This definitely would not turn out to be a bad thing.

Subsequently, many others arrived one after another, all expressing both shock and envy upon seeing the garments on Li Dong's body.

Li Dong received them one by one with utmost etiquette and without losing a shred of bearing. This led them to mistakenly believe that what they were seeing was not a humble garrison soldier, but the scion of a great aristocratic family who had received rigorous etiquette training since childhood. Consequently, their admiration for Li Dong deepened all the more.

Once everyone had taken their seats, Emperor Yang of Sui finally arrived fashionably late, accompanied by Khan Hesana, King Boya of Khotan, Gao Ji, and the envoys of Silla.

Only when everyone else had gathered did the Emperor of Sui make his final entrance. Since ancient times, it had always been thus: the one who made the final entrance was invariably the one with the greatest power, the highest prestige, and the strongest might.

Such individuals had pressed schedules and wished daily they could split themselves in two. They were unwilling to wait for others; rather, they preferred to keep others waiting for them. Only after everyone was assembled did he stride forward amidst all eyes.

This was a form of enjoyment and a special privilege; until the supreme ruler arrived, who dared to make a final decision? Who had the courage to issue orders? By arriving late, he signaled to everyone: I am your soul, your master, your backing. If you arrived even later than the supreme master once he had already taken his seat, you would likely receive a reprimand. Leaders do not wait for others.

Emperor Yang swept his gaze around the interior of the tent, and seeing that everyone had arrived, he cleared his throat, stood up straight, planted himself like a towering mountain, and called out in a loud voice, "My lords and ministers! I believe you all saw it when you entered the tent. Even if I say nothing, you have your own thoughts in your hearts. Are you wondering if I have lost my mind? How could I bestow my own garments as a reward upon a humble garrison soldier?"

"I tell you without the slightest hesitation! I have not lost my mind at all. I simply want you to see it—to see it with your own eyes! When someone accomplishes a deed that wins my admiration, the reward is precisely this!"

Turning to face Li Dong, Emperor Yang spoke in a booming voice, "Dang Yuqian, hear the decree!"

Li Dong hurried to his knees, kowtowed, and expressed his gratitude.

"For your loyalty, reliability, and commendable boldness, Dang Yuqian is hereby promoted to the imperial bodyguard of the Thousand-Bull Guard, enjoying a fourth-rank salary, to attend upon and guard me!"

"Oh!" Gasps rippled through the banquet as everyone stared at one another with wide eyes, finding it hard to believe the reality they had just heard. Dang Yuqian had soared in a single bound from an obscure little garrison soldier to a fourth-rank imperial bodyguard! From now on, spending long hours at the Emperor's side, if he wanted to ruin someone, a casual word twisted from his lips would be all it took to cost anyone present their head!