[History of the Sui Dynasty Palace] [86]

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Chapter 86: Betrayal and Murder of a Friend Leads to Loss of Popular Support; Breaking Promises and Seeking Pleasure Only to Be Rejected. It is said that Li Yuan's army entered Chang'an and enthroned the Prince of Dai as emperor, changing the era name to Yining. Yuan himself became Grand Chancellor, overseeing all military affairs, and was promoted to Prince of Tang. He appointed his eldest son, Jiancheng, as heir apparent, Shimin as Duke of Qin, and Yuanji as Duke of Qi. Soon after, he received a military report from Liu Wenjing that Qu Tutong had been captured and was being escorted to Chang'an. The various Sui armies in Hedong, upon learning that Chang'an had been captured by Li Yuan, were naturally terrified, as their families were all inside the city. Qu Tutong then ordered his general, Sang Xianhe, to remain at Tongguan, while he led his men towards Luoyang. However, before his army had gone far, Sang Xianhe had already surrendered to Liu Wenjing and handed over Tongguan. Xianhe then said to Wenjing, "Tong's men are all from Guanzhong, and their longing for home is intense. Now, Tutong is leading his men towards Luoyang, which is not what they wanted. This humble general is willing to recruit Tong's men to join me."
Wenjing was overjoyed. He immediately ordered his subordinate generals Dou Qiong and Xianhe to join forces and pursue Tong. Tong's men were not far away, and the pursuit quickly brought them close. When they met, Xianhe shouted, "Now that the capital has fallen, you are all from Guanzhong. What are you going to Luoyang for? Why not return to Lord Tang and reunite with your families? Wouldn't that be better?" Tong's men, who had reluctantly followed Tong, now saw Xianhe's invitation and immediately laid down their armor and weapons, willing to surrender. After capturing Qu Tutong, Dou Qiong and Sang Xianhe led the surrendered men back. They sent Tutong to Wenjing's camp, and Wenjing then transferred him to Chang'an.
When Yuan saw Qu Tutong, he hurriedly ordered his men to untie the general. Yuan smiled and said to Tutong, "I wish that you, General, would sincerely serve the young lord and share the affairs of state with me to quell the rebellion. I hope you will grant my request." "At this point, Tu Tong, fearing for his life, had no choice but to obey.
Yuan appointed Tu Tong as Minister of War and concurrently granted him the title of Duke Jiang. He also sent Tu Tong to persuade Yao Junsu, the governor of Hedong, to surrender. Tu Tong went to the city of Hedong, where Junsu was on the city wall. Tu Tong then spoke to Junsu from afar, saying, 'The Tang King has enthroned a young emperor, which is righteous and just. If you surrender, you will surely be rich and powerful.' Junsu rebuked Tu Tong, saying, 'Li Yuan supports a young emperor and commands the four directions. Sima Zhao's intentions are obvious to everyone. You have betrayed your lord and joined the rebels. Do you still have the face to face this city and recruit others to join the rebellion? Tell Li Yuan, you old codger, Junsu's head may be cut off, but his heart cannot be taken away! He only knows to die for his lord, and knows nothing else!' Tu Tong was filled with shame and speechless. He could only report to Li Yuan, 'Junsu is stubborn and has no intention of surrendering.'" "Yuan temporarily set aside Hedong and focused on gathering intelligence on Luoyang. The Prince of Yue, who was stationed in Luoyang, had repeatedly sent envoys to Jiangdu to plead for help since Li Mi's advance on Luoyang. Yu Shiji even said that the Prince of Yue was young and timid, and too panicked, a view deeply shared by Emperor Yang. Only when alarms came one after another did Emperor Yang order General Pang Yu and others to lead troops to aid Luoyang. Prince of Yue, Tong, also sent Duan Da to join forces with Pang Yu to attack Li Mi from both sides. Earlier, Li Mi's general Chai Xiaohe had advised him to quickly attack Chang'an, before Li Yuan had even mentioned entering Guanzhong. Xiaohe's plan..." Originally, this was a very good plan, but Li Mi refused to comply and only fought a desperate battle under the walls of Luoyang. He was then attacked from both sides by the armies of Pang Yu and Duan Da, suffering a crushing defeat. Li Mi himself was struck by an arrow and nearly fell from his horse, leading his remaining troops back to Luokou. A few days later, Li Mi was unwilling to give up. He redeployed his troops, taking several generals with him, and marched back towards Luoyang, defeating Pang Yu and Duan Da's forces again. He also sent Xu Shiyi to seize Liyang Granary. At this time, a Daoist priest named Xu Hongke presented Li Mi with a letter, the meaning of which was... Fearing that if Mi's troops remained entrenched for too long, their provisions would run out, and they would scatter, their army weary of war, making success difficult, it
would be better to seize the opportunity to advance, leading his elite cavalry eastward along the river, directly towards Jiangdu, to capture the tyrant and rule the world. Mi, having read Hong Ke's letter, also found it excellent and admired the man. He immediately wrote to Hong Ke, but Hong Ke had already disappeared. Mi then intended to follow Hong Ke's plan and was about to head east. Emperor Yang of Jiangdu, having been defeated by Mi's forces including Pang Yu, ordered Wang Shichong, the governor of Jiangdu, to lead... He led the elite troops of Jianghuai to attack Li Mi, who was thus blocked and forced to confront Shi Chong. Xu Hongke's excellent plan was ultimately never implemented, remaining merely empty words, a true pity.
At this time, internal strife broke out in Li Mi's army.
Originally, Zhai Rang had chosen Li Mi as commander-in-chief because he knew his own abilities were insufficient to command respect, and he sincerely supported Li Mi. However, his brother Zhai Hong was dissatisfied and once privately said to Rang, "If you don't want to be emperor, you can give it to me; why give it to someone else?" Rang's advisor, Wang Ruxin, also advised him, "Although you have chosen Li Mi as your leader, you should also act as your own chief minister, expanding your power; you cannot delegate all authority to someone else." "Let them all remain silent. This news somehow reached Li Mi's ears, and he couldn't help but be suspicious. Left Sima Zheng Ting, who had a strained relationship with Zhai Rang, said to Li Mi: 'Zhai Rang is exceptionally brave, and Zhai Hong is treacherous and vindictive. If Your Majesty doesn't eliminate them soon, removing this thorn in your side, they will surely cause trouble later.' Li Mi was tempted by this and immediately conspired with Zheng Ting. They lured Zhai Rang into a banquet. Midway through the drinking, Li Mi went inside to change clothes. With a secret signal, hidden soldiers appeared. Zhai Rang realized he had been tricked and tried to resist, but being unarmed, he was too late to escape and died under a hail of blades. Rang had appointed Li Mi as commander, only to suffer this tragic death, which was not something he had anticipated. Li Mi also captured and executed Zhai Hong and Wang Ruxin.
However, justice resides in the hearts of the people. Seeing that Li Mi had killed the Zhai brothers unjustly, the troops were all indignant at Li Mi's heartlessness and betrayal of his friends, each harboring resentment. Qin Shubao, Cheng Yaojin, and Li Jing..." He then left without saying goodbye and submitted to the Tang King. Seeing his troops becoming disaffected, Li Mi deeply regretted his actions and hastily tried to appease them, which calmed their anxieties. Wang Shichong stationed his troops at Luoshui, anticipating that Li Mi and Zhai Rang would be incompatible and planning to launch an attack when their internal strife erupted. However, upon hearing of Zhai Rang's death, he was filled with despair. Moreover, his battles with Li Mi had resulted in more defeats than victories, so he was forced to remain stationed at Luoshui, daring not to advance to relieve the eastern capital.
Meanwhile, Emperor Yang of Sui in Jiangdu was increasingly decadent. He added over a hundred rooms to his palace in Jiangdu, each lavishly furnished. Each room housed a beautiful woman who took turns hosting. He treated himself like a distinguished guest, feasting in the east wing one day and flirting in the west wing the next, indulging in wine and women every day. Emperor Yang was already nearing fifty; how could he withstand the effects of alcohol and lust? Moreover, since taking Anga Tuo's "All-Encompassing Spring," he had been indulging in pleasure without tiring, but the combined effects of the Spring Festival inevitably led to the depletion of his vital essence, causing various ailments to arise. Empress Xiao advised him to recuperate and temporarily abstain from wine and women, to which Emperor Yang reluctantly agreed. Empress Xiao, fearing he was being hypocritical and secretly seeking pleasure behind her back, then... (The sentence is incomplete and ends abruptly.) She also secretly instructed them not to meet with Emperor Yang in secret. If he made advances, they were to politely refuse and take the opportunity to advise him against it.
The ladies had been worried about Emperor Yang's health, seeing him with his constant lovers and new brides, and now that Empress Xiao had spoken, how could they disobey? Emperor Yang's agreement to temporarily abstain from wine and women with Empress Xiao was against his will. That night, he could no longer restrain himself and secretly went to Wu Jiangxian's room. He wanted Jiangxian to prepare a banquet, but Jiangxian smiled and said, "Tonight we can only brew tea and not talk. If Your Majesty wishes to drink and seek pleasure, please go elsewhere!" Emperor Yang was quite surprised and hurriedly asked, "Why are you refusing me, my dear minister?" Jiangxian smiled and said, "How could I dare refuse you? It's just that I cannot drink." Emperor Yang said, "Why can't I drink?" Jiang Xian, standing on her dressing table, took a small bronze mirror and handed it to Emperor Yang, saying, "Your Majesty, one look at your face will tell you that you can no longer indulge in drinking." Emperor Yang looked in the mirror and said, "I've only lost some weight, because I'm feeling down. Please allow me to have a few drinks to ease my sorrow." Jiang Xian shook her head and said, "If Your Majesty feels down, I will keep you company and play a game of chess to pass the time." Emperor Yang said, "Who can calmly play such a game? Since you cannot drink with me, I must leave." Saying this, he turned and left, and Jiang Xian did not try to stop him.
Emperor Yang angrily went to Tuo Niang's room and said, "Jiang Xian is despicable! I asked her for a drink, and she refused. How can I not be angry!" Tuo Niang smiled and said, "Does Your Majesty wish to ask me for some wine?" Emperor Yang happily replied, "That's exactly why I came." Tuo Niang smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please sit down. I will invite the Empress to come so we can drink together!" Emperor Yang hurriedly said, "No need to invite her!" Tuo Niang said, "Why doesn't Your Majesty want to drink with the Empress?" Emperor Yang smiled and said, "She saw that I was slightly ill and advised me to abstain from wine and women. She meant well, so I agreed. I came here quietly to have a few drinks. If she comes, I won't be able to drink." Tuo Niang said, "Your Majesty is mistaken. Since you are unwell, you should rest and recuperate. Why do you want wine again? Jiang Xian's refusal of Your Majesty is reasonable. I have received Your Majesty's favor many times and am very concerned about Your Majesty's health. Since Your Majesty is unwell, how can I knowingly violate this? That would be drinking and merrymaking, which I cannot allow tonight." Emperor Yang, seeing that Tuoniang suddenly refused again, smiled and said, "You're making things difficult again, saying you'd rather rest quietly. I'm not ill." Tuoniang said, "Your Majesty's good health is the best." Emperor Yang said, "Then please prepare a feast." Tuoniang shook her head and said, "I'd rather be punished by Your Majesty than comply." Emperor Yang stood up angrily, hurried out of the room, and went straight to Yuan Bao'er.
Bao'er saw the displeasure on Emperor Yang's face and guessed what was going on, so she smiled and said, "You got a cold shoulder?" Emperor Yang laughed and said, "You've had it twice." Bao'er said coquettishly, "No need to say more. When Your Majesty comes to this humble concubine, it will be a third time." Emperor Yang said angrily, "Will it be a cold shoulder again?" Bao'er nodded without speaking. Emperor Yang sighed softly and left the room dejectedly.
He muttered to himself, "These three young women, I've spoiled them too much, that's why they dare to be so bold.
Where are they going now?"
As he was talking to himself, he suddenly saw a pair of red gauze lanterns leading a beautiful woman towards him. When she came closer, he saw that it was Wang Guizhi. Guizhi was about to bow when she saw Emperor Yang, but he stopped her and said, "Is Madam going back?" Guizhi said, "Yes, it's getting late." "Your Majesty is not well, Your Majesty should rest early." Emperor Yang said, "I feel fine, I don't feel ill at all. I should go with you now, Madam, and rest at your place. I must have a few drinks with you to reminisce about our separation." Guizhi said, "I dare not keep you here. Please return to your palace to rest." "With that, she left. Emperor Yang was furious and about to lash out, but Guizhi had already turned a corner and disappeared.
Emperor Yang suppressed his anger and went to Xie Xiangwen's room. Xiangwen and Yaoniang were playing chess. When they saw Emperor Yang arrive, they put down their chess pieces, stood up, and greeted him with smiles. Emperor Yang sat down listlessly and said, "I feel extremely tired. Could you perhaps prepare a few dishes to accompany my wine so I can have a few drinks to perk myself up?" Xiangwen gave Yaoniang a wink and then said to Emperor Yang, "That's perfect timing. My wine is just finished. Yaoniang just took it away, and Eunuch Wang said it would be delivered tomorrow." Xingniang added, "It's very close to Consort Xiao's place. I'll go there and get some. I'll tell Your Majesty you want some; surely it will be there." Emperor Yang quickly shook his head and said, "No need." "Saying this, she walked out.
Yao Niang smiled at Xiang Wen and said, "It's good that you've already conspired; he won't be able to detect anything amiss." Xiang Wen nodded and said, "I knew he couldn't resist." Yao Niang said, "Where is she now? Should I go and inform the Empress and Madam?" Xiang Wen said, "Alright, go quickly!" Yao Niang then left the room. When she arrived at Empress Xiao's palace, she saw Jiangxian and Bao'er walking out in pairs. Upon seeing Yao Niang, Bao'er said to her, "Have you seen Empress Xiao? Is there anything wrong?" Yao Niang said, "His Majesty came to our place asking for wine, but we managed to scare him away, so we came to inform him." Bao'er smiled and said, "You've been there too? We've also come to report to the Empress. Tuo Niang is inside as well; you should go in quickly."
Just then, Empress Xiao and Tuo Niang came out together. Upon seeing Yao Niang, Tuo Niang said, "Another one has come." Empress Xiao frowned and said, "What can we do! Where has he gone now? If he doesn't want us here, there are always other places where he might be kept.
We'd better find him and persuade him to go back to his palace." Bao'er said, "Which way should we look?
We went east, but His Majesty turned west; by the time we get there, he might have already left." Tuoniang laughed, "I'm afraid someone has tried to stop him. Can we force His Majesty to leave?" Empress Xiao said, "If we can meet His Majesty, he won't have to force me. He'll come with me on his own. You'll see!" Jiangxian laughed, "His Majesty is a private man. Once he sees Your Majesty, he won't say anything." Bao'er said, "The people Your Majesty consulted will not stop him no matter what. Unless those palace maids are ignorant and try to keep His Majesty here. In my opinion, Your Majesty only needs to order the palace eunuchs to search separately. It's not too late to go after they find his location." Empress Xiao nodded in approval. She then ordered the palace eunuchs to search for the Emperor's whereabouts. Indeed: The people are suffering from the ravages of war, yet the Emperor's heart still yearns for the flowers.
To find out what happens next, please read the next chapter.

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[History of the Sui Dynasty Palace] [86]

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