Emperor Sui Yang

The Northern Expedition has come to a conclusion. Yes, it is a great victory.

The emperor went on a personal expedition and killed Chuluo, the great Turkic Khan. He killed countless enemies, but due to lack of food and grass, he temporarily withdrew his troops.

This is what we declare to the outside world. It doesn’t matter whether people believe it or not. I believe it anyway.

The original three-day court ban was postponed. In fact, it was a large court meeting in Daxing Hall, which was changed to a small court meeting held by Yang Guang in Liangyi Hall. There were not many people in attendance, less than twenty, but Yang Ming was not included.

Now that the Northern Expedition is over, the next top priority is naturally to put out the fire.

Half of the Sui Dynasty was on fire, and the fire could not be put out. Yang Guang still hoped to visit Jiangdu three times, but now, he could not go.

In other words, you can go, but the price is a bit high.

Yang Xuangan was also unlucky this time. He had been kneeling in Liangyi Hall for half an hour. Everyone else was sitting, but he was the only one kneeling.

It was obvious that he was going to take the blame.

Yang Guang is very smart. He knows that if he holds a court meeting now, some blind fools will inevitably stand up to criticize him, so he must settle the matter in advance at the court meeting.

Then Yang Xuangan will definitely not be able to escape. When will he take the blame firmly, that will be when the imperial meeting will be held.

But he didn't admit his mistake.
That's why he was asked to kneel.

"I say Xuangan, if you are wrong you must admit it. The great event of the Northern Expedition was indeed due to you, which caused us to withdraw too early and it was difficult to achieve full success," said Pei Yun, the imperial censor.

Xuangan raised his head and looked directly at the opponent: "Everywhere is rebelling. The Wagang thieves alone have robbed more than 300 million stones of grain. The entire canal is full of grain robbers. I only supervise the transportation of grain and grass and suppress the thieves." I have no control over the matter. I also delivered the food, but it was robbed. I am not responsible for the dereliction of duty."

Who told you to be alone, while a group of people were responsible for suppressing thieves?The law does not blame everyone.

If someone of Xuangan's level wants to be blamed, you have to make him willing and cannot force him. Otherwise, he will declare to the outside world that he was wronged, which will easily cause an uproar in public opinion.

Putting aside the fact that he is the Minister of Rites, you have to look at his family.

In fact, it was very easy for the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties to handle such a thing. At worst, they could only kill a few people from the Nine Tribes, but you can't kill Xuangan, that's tens of thousands of people.

Besides, in name, the emperor and them are one family, and they are all members of the Hongnong Yang family. You can't kill your own clan, right?
In history, Xuangan rebelled and became the first nine tribes to be executed in the history of China, killing more than 3 people. As a result, Hongnong Yang was still awesome, and he could still eat well in the Tang Dynasty without breaking his muscles or moving his bones.

Yang Yue also retorted: "The prince sends orders to Luoyang every day to supervise Xuangan, and Xuangan obeys them one by one and never delays the delivery of food. As for what happened on the way, you have to ask the prefects along the way. They guard the food road. Canal, watching the military rations being robbed, and in the end the crime was pinned on Xuangan, what? Is it true that doing more makes more mistakes, and not doing more is better? "

He deliberately brought Yang Ming out to protect Xuangan. As long as the prince was involved, Xuangan would not be able to move.

This time, Yang Yue is not willing to let Xuangan take the blame. I am already old, and my family relies on Xuangan. You fight him to death. I, the Yang family, have no one, so I am letting you bully me?

Pei Ju, a conspirator, avoided the important and took the easy way out: "In the Sui Dynasty, I have eight opinions on crime. Xuangan can pardon the innocent just by discussing the noble. There is no need for Mr. Yang to worry."

His grandson is the crown prince's eldest son. Based on this fact, Xuangan's crime won't be that serious. Yang Guang doesn't care about others, so he can't care less about his own grandson, right?
But what Pei Ju said was tantamount to saying that Xuangan was indeed guilty, and as long as he could bear the crime, the emperor would not punish him too severely.

To put it bluntly, Xuangan still has to be pinned on the head, but Xuangan cannot take it. This is a responsibility, which means that the failure of the Northern Expedition will be blamed on him, and that will be written in the history books.

Yang Yue chuckled and said: "Xuangan did not commit rebellion, did not lose the city or territory, and did not escape from the battle. I naturally know that he is not guilty, and there is no need for Pei Gong to remind him."

This escape before the battle was clearly an allusion to Yang Jian, so Yang Jian said angrily:

"Losing military rations is like losing a city and territory. How can you be innocent? Your Majesty entrusted Xuangan with such a big responsibility, how did he do it? The supply for three or four months cannot be guaranteed. No wonder people say Xuangan is a fool. A commoner serving as a grain inspector would be no worse than Xuangan."

These words were already very unpleasant to hear. Ever since he was a child, Xuangan could not stand the word "demented child" the most. He had quarreled with his own father Yang Su because of this. After all, it was spread too widely.

At that time, Yang Su's words were told to Yang Jian and his wife. They were obviously clumsy and self-deprecating. As a result, the news became more and more outrageous. Some people even thought that there was something wrong with Xuangan's brain.

So Yang Su later hurriedly explained: My son is not crazy, but it is no longer useful.

In one sentence, Xuangan's reputation was ruined.

Yang Yue suddenly became furious: "What's wrong with being a fool? He has no intentions, no tricks, he does things straightforwardly, he doesn't do anything sneaky, and he does things that are upright and bright. Even though he is a fool, he is still upright."

"An incompetent person betrays His Majesty's trust. As the saying goes, a sage can only be in office when he is in office, and an idiot ranks eighth. What a joke," Yang Jian sneered.

Yang Yue was furious. If the other party wasn't the emperor's son, he would definitely send someone to trick him.

If your brother were here, how could you dare to be so presumptuous?
Xuangan sighed inwardly. Just seeing that most of the people sitting here today were the emperor's confidants, he could guess that these people were determined to accuse him.

But he must not admit it. It is not only about reputation. If he falls, the Pei family will definitely be hurt. By then, Yin Jiang and Yang Rui will probably be implicated as well.

History has always been like this, let alone the distant past. In the old Qi Dynasty, Gao Wei, Gao Yue's biological father, and his first wife, the queen, was the daughter of Hu Luguang. After Hu Luguang was killed, Gao Wei directly deposed Queen Hulu.

If he fails, there is a possibility that Yin Jiang will be deposed.

Yang Guang has been silent, just waiting for him to nod. If he doesn't nod today, it will not be easy for him to find this palace.

The most important thing is that the prince is not here.

"I invite the prince to prove my innocence," Xuangan had no choice but to drag Yang Ming into the water.

Yang Guang finally spoke, brushing his sleeves and saying, "I'm here to ask you a question, and it has nothing to do with the prince."

"Your Majesty is marching to the north, and the prince is supervising the country. I still need to ask the prince whether Xuangan is at fault. If the prince thinks that Xuangan is at fault, I will admit it," Yang Yue said.

It was obvious that the fish was going to die and the net was broken.

Don't think that ministers dare not threaten the emperor. This is the Sui Dynasty, the era of powerful families. If you really want to mess with me, I won't lie down and let you do it.

In Yang Guang's view, the Xuangan matter must be resolved. I just let you take the blame. If you take the blame, it will be over. If you are happy, I will also be happy if I make it up to you in the future. You have to do this with me. Play, don't blame me for being rude.

He would not put himself in Xuangan's shoes and consider his thoughts, but Xuangan didn't care about himself, so he had to think about his daughter, right?
If my daughter hadn't been the crown princess, I would have taken the blame for you today, but I can't because Pei Laogou's daughter had also been a crown princess.

Su Wei let out a long breath and plucked up the courage to say, "I think it's better to summon the prince to ask."

If Shangshu Zuopu shoots it, it can't be regarded as fart, right?Su Wei is so interesting this time. Why? The granddaughter is Xuangan's daughter-in-law. She is remarried. The two families are married.

Yang Jing chuckled and said, "What do you want him to do? Your Majesty has left so many things to him outside, and he doesn't have the time now."

"Whether the prince has time or not, it doesn't matter what King Qi says," Yang Gongren said with a smile.

Guanwangfang is now a supporter of the prince, and Yang Gongren recognizes him based on the few tears Yang Ming shed in front of Yang Xiong's bed.Yang Jian was stunned, glared at the other party, and stopped talking.

"Let the prince come so that Xuangan can give up," Yang Guang said calmly.

After Yang Ming came in, the atmosphere in the hall was different, and Xuangan's waist became stiffer.

Sitting down next to Yang Guang, Yang Ming's eyelids drooped and he remained silent. Others did not dare to take the initiative to speak.

This prince, who has been in charge of the country for so many years, is almost like half an emperor.

"The Northern Expedition has been talked about for a long time, and there are rumblings outside. The matter should be concluded. Xuangan's supervision of the transportation of grain and grass was not good, and all the ministers asked him to blame. Do you think he is guilty?" Yang Guanghua said it to his son, but His eyes were still on Xuangan.

Yang Ming glanced at Xuangan, then at the others, and said calmly:

"Nature is guilty."

Yang Guang's brows moved slightly, slightly surprised.

Xuangan was stunned and stunned for a long time, then he bowed his head and kowtowed: "I plead guilty."

Yang Ming looked at Yang Guang and said: "I think I should be fined one year's salary."

Yang Xian was stunned for a moment and said: "I'm talking about the third child, for such a big crime, a penalty? Is it just for show?"

"Who is the third child?" Yang Ming asked.

The corner of Yang Jian's mouth twitched and he said: "Your Highness, if you punish me like this, it would be too childish, right?"

"Child's play?" Yang Ming sneered: "I have read the review of the Ministry of War. You escaped from the battle and put His Majesty in danger. Is this child's play?"

"You're talking nonsense!" Yang Jian stood up suddenly: "There's no need to accuse me. The bandits' army is so powerful that I can't resist it. Do you think I'm running away from the battlefield? Prince, don't you blame me? I can't bear it. rise."

Yang Ming said: "Li Chen and Luo Yi are still alive. If they two died, it would be difficult to hold you accountable. It's a pity. They are fine. These two people know what you have done. Don't think you can save them." If you have meritorious service, you will be exempted from guilt. As a son, it is natural to rescue your father. If you don't save, you will be punished by heaven and earth. When you were in the camp, you were doing something that was punishable by heaven and earth."

"Hahahahahahahahaha" Yang Jian laughed and said, "Father, did you see it? I have told you a long time ago that the third child wants to kill me."

Yang Guang was furious: "You say it again?"

Yang Xun curled his lips and didn't dare to say anything.

Isn’t it a joke to kill each other?Yang Guang also wants to lose face. I am the only two legitimate sons.

Yang Ming is also very angry. When he gets angry, others are also afraid. Even though Yang Ming has never treated anyone until now, don't forget that his wrists are exactly the same as Yang Jian's.

Yang Yue has now come to his senses. There is absolutely no way that the prince will abandon Xuangan. He would rather confront the emperor in front of so many people and maintain it.

A one-year fine is too obvious. What crime warrants a one-year fine?If I am late for court today, I will be fined for one year.

It is not allowed to be late for the highest-level meeting in the country. Unlike later generations of work units and enterprises, those who are late are only fined 51 yuan. This penalty is one year.

Yang Guang frowned and looked at the prince, saying, "Are you determined to protect Xuangan?"

Yang Ming lowered his head and said: "Rewards and punishments must be clear, the country must be clear, the government must be clear, the military must be upright and the people must be harmonious, the crime of Xuangan is at most a fine. My son, who was ordered by his father to supervise the country, has led to logistical inefficiencies. The fault is mine." Just one person.”

After saying that, Yang Ming stood up and knelt down.

Pei Ju hurriedly said: "The prince is far away in the capital, and the military rations are shipped from Luoyang, which has nothing to do with the prince."

"It's Xuangan's fault. The prince is not at fault," Pei Yun also said quickly.

Xuangan was extremely moved. This was the first time in his life that the prince helped someone take the blame. Based on this, it was difficult for Xuangan to do anything today.

Because the emperor would not let the prince take the blame, and the ministers would not dare.

Yang Guang chuckled and said after a while: "Then you can tell me how to explain it to the world."

Yang Ming said: "The army's food was plundered by thieves, and my ministers neglected their duties in supervising the country. I am willing to atone for my sins, personally lead the army, and put down the rebellion!"

Yang Guang was stunned: "You are the crown prince, how can you go on an expedition?"

He is not happy, but Yang Zhen is. It would be best if you died outside. I don't have to compete with others. This position is mine.

"Absolutely not," Pei Ju stood up and said, "The prince is the foundation of the country and must not be involved in danger."

Others, including Su Wei, Yu Wenshu, Yang Gongren, and Yang Daweizhen, were all trying to persuade him.

Are you kidding me? How could you do this?
Yang Ming knelt down and said: "My father is in the capital, so I have nothing to worry about. The chaos started because of me, and I should make up for it. I ask your permission."

His leadership ability has been verified by facts. Yang Su has never praised a few people in his life, and Yang Ming is one of them. Moreover, his own prestige in the military is very high, so restraining the soldiers is not a big problem.

Yang Guang was silent. He couldn't understand why Yang Ming had this idea. Do you have to exonerate Xuangan?
Of course he didn't understand, because he couldn't guess that he was the person his son wanted to deal with.

Yang Ming thought about it for a long time and felt that he didn't have the ability to force a concubine at the moment. It was not safe to count on Yang Zhiji's son. He was not familiar with him, so who knew whether it was reliable or not.

Therefore, the best way is to take advantage of the opportunity to go out to fight and cultivate a group of capable ministers and generals who are loyal to him to the death. Only in this way can they have a chance to force Yang Guang to abdicate after returning.

In fact, he is learning from Li Shimin.

His current team is not strong enough. Even if he takes action in the palace, the garrison of the capital is still in the hands of the emperor. He cannot kill Yang Guang, otherwise he will directly cut off his inheritance rights.

Even if he takes control of the palace by then, sooner or later the outside will come in, and he will be dead by then.

If you want to change the Xuanwu Sect, you have to spread the direct lineage. This requires military commanders, and civil servants do not have this ability.

Li Shimin was able to accomplish this because there were too many of his people in high positions in the court and held military power, otherwise he would not have dared to put Li Yuan under house arrest.

What's more, Yang Guang is not Li Yuan, he is much more awesome than Li Yuan.

Yang Ming is not Li Shimin. The great generals in history are much more powerful than him.