The Emperor didn't continue on Wu Yidao's topic. He turned to Mu Xiaoyao, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration: "You are the only person from the Imperial Guards who hasn't disappointed me this year. Actually, I already knew about the disastrous defeat in the Northwest before you returned. I'm fortunate to have not only loyal guards like you, but also loyal soldiers."
He paused, then instructed Su Buwei: "Bring Zhuge Zhan in. His and Mu Xiaoyao's information can complement each other, and we'll understand what exactly happened in the Northwest."
Fang Jie lowered his head and took a few steps back, thinking that it would be strange if Mu Xiaoyao had any loyalty to the Emperor. However, since the Emperor said so, Fang Jie wouldn't be foolish enough to say it was all because of him, and had nothing to do with the Emperor!
A short while later, Zhuge Zhan, who had fully recovered, strode in, first bowing to the Emperor, then glancing curiously at Fang Jie and the others.
The Emperor pointed at Mu Xiaoyao and said, "She is the second person to return from the Northwest after you, and she is a commander of the Imperial Guard. You two, tell me everything you saw and heard in the Northwest. I want to know the clearest truth from your words."
Zhuge Zhan replied, "Yes, Your Majesty," and then recounted his experiences in the Northwest. When he mentioned that every few miles on the grasslands there was a stupa made of the heads of Sui soldiers, Fang Jie's expression changed. He knew this was a custom of the Mongol Yuan dynasty; they would cut off the heads of their enemies and pile them into the shape of stupas. They believed that piling up heads like this would prevent the souls from being reborn, but would instead be eternally suppressed by the stupa. It was an extremely vicious method, although Fang Jie didn't believe it actually had such an effect.
Shen Qingshan nodded and said, "Perhaps we withdrew earlier than General Zhuge, so I am not entirely clear on the details of the battle. I only know that the army was defeated extremely quickly; the entire battle line collapsed almost within ten days."
"Less than ten days!"
Zhuge Zhan said, "Our Left Guard was the last force to hold out. From the time the Right Guard was surrounded and defeated until our Left Guard was surrounded, only four days passed. Our Left Guard was besieged by over 300,000 Mongol troops, and we were on the march. The enemy cavalry had an absolute advantage; many battalions were overwhelmed before they could even form ranks… We… held out for four days."
In just eight days, an army of 700,000 collapsed completely.
But this was only a major battle. It is believed that many smaller units of the decimated Sui army were scattered after the defeat, and perhaps many Sui soldiers are still hiding on the grasslands, unable to launch a counterattack. After all, slaughtering 700,000 troops and over a million laborers wouldn't be something that could be done in eight or nine days.
"I discovered Li Yuanshan's plot, so I immediately sent someone to report to Hou Wenji, the garrison commander of the intelligence agency, but the person I sent never returned..."
Mu Xiaoyao paused for a moment before saying, "That night, I discovered that many people were closing in on the camp. I immediately led my men to charge out. Of the more than one hundred elite soldiers I led, more than half were killed or wounded. I knew that Hou Wenji must be up to something... While I was stealthily evading pursuers, I happened to discover Li Yuanshan's secret."
"What secret?"
The emperor seemed somewhat anxious. Mu Xiaoyao said, "Li Yuanshan discovered a large iron mine in the Northwest and deployed heavy troops to guard it. We happened to be there when we returned and risked our lives to investigate. We found a large number of craftsmen gathered there, not just laborers mining the iron… There, we discovered a large quantity of forged weapons and armor, as well as heavy siege equipment. Battering rams weighing tens of thousands of kilograms were already assembled, along with many ladders, catapults, and even siege towers."
The Emperor frowned, his expression immediately changing: "Li Yuanshan… he had been plotting a rebellion all along. My sending troops to the Northwest gave him the opportunity… If it weren't for the Northwest campaign, with the strength of his Right Valiant Guard, he wouldn't have dared to rebel, even with all that preparation."
His tone was heavy with sorrow; clearly, this man, who could absolutely be called a wise ruler, was regretting his decision to send troops to the Northwest for the first time. "The Northwest has the Left and Right Imperial Guards, and the Left Valiant Guard. If Li Yuanshan wants to rebel, he must first eliminate these three guards. My decree to conquer the Northwest was originally a major undertaking to expand the territory of the Sui Dynasty, but he has used it… This scoundrel has forgotten that he is a Sui citizen, and actually kowtows to the Mongol barbarians!"
This statement was strikingly similar to Prince Yi's assessment of Li Yuanshan.
"That's not all."
Mu Xiaoyao said, "The three northwestern routes have all been blocked, and the official roads are all guarded by local troops. Minister of War Mou Liangbi is in charge of the army's logistics, but most of the supplies are stockpiled in Shandong Province. Minister Mou's orders are difficult to enforce, and most of the army's supplies have been withheld by Yuan Chongwu and his men. Since the army annihilated Mandulatu's forces and advanced westward, supplies have actually been running out. However, no one expected that Yuan Chongwu and his men weren't just trying to force Mou Liangbi out, but also to intercept supplies for their own rebellion."
"I arrested and interrogated several people at Li Yuanshan's iron mine. They said that Li Yuanshan had begun secretly recruiting men six or seven years ago. These men were gathered under the guise of land reclamation, but in reality, they had been under constant training."
"How many men?"
The Emperor asked in a deep voice. Mu Xiaoyao said, "It's said... no less than 100,000."
...
...
The Emperor sighed, holding his teacup but forgetting to drink. "It seems Yuan Chongwu sent his son, Yuan Chengshi, to Chang'an merely to lull me into a false sense of security. He probably already planned to bring Yuan Chengshi back from Chang'an once the Northwest uprising began. But he didn't expect Yuan Chengshi to be murdered... And it's precisely because of this that he's determined to rebel."
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He was the emperor and didn't want to show his unease to his subjects.
"Yuan Chongwu has been petitioning me to allow him three more months of rest due to the grief of losing his son... I initially thought he was just testing my limits with his Northwest officials, but now I understand that his constant petitions are still a way to lull me into a false sense of security... How calculating! My subjects are all so calculating!"
Fang Jie hesitated, unsure whether to interrupt, and subconsciously glanced at Su Buwei. When he looked up, he found Su Buwei also looking at him.
Su Buwei subtly gestured to Fang Jie, who paused for a moment, then nodded.
"I believe... Your Majesty need not be too angry," Fang Jie said, clearing his throat.
The Emperor glanced at him and said, "You mean, they rebelled, and I should be happy?"
His tone was cold; clearly, the Emperor was in a bad mood. After refining his words, Fang Jie said, "Your Majesty… please forgive me for using an analogy. The Great Sui Dynasty is like a towering tree. The founding emperor planted the seed, and over a hundred years later, this tree has become the tallest tree in the world. The common people and court officials are like insects clinging to this tree. Most insects simply make this tree their home, relying on it for shelter. But with so many insects, naturally there are also pests. They bore holes in the tree, trying to gain profit… thinking that because this tree is so tall and large, you, sitting in the canopy, cannot see everything clearly."
"The Northwest is like a branch of this tree, riddled with holes by pests, but they conceal it well; you can't see anything from a distance. If these pests didn't jump out themselves, you might not even see them."
Fang Jie paused, then continued… Fang Jie said, "Your Majesty, you are angry because a few pests have destroyed a large branch. But since the branch is already damaged, it should be cut off. After it is cut off, a part of the tree will certainly look bare and unsightly, but before long, new branches will grow, stronger and more robust."
The Emperor understood Fang Jie's meaning. After a long silence, he sighed and said, "I know what you mean… but that involves three entire empires. Cutting it off will hurt me too."
Fang Jie lowered his head and said, "A short pain is worse than a long one… If these insects don't hurry to jump out, they will bore more and more holes into the tree. Then it won't just be a branch that's damaged; it might be the trunk. If it goes on any longer, it might even bite the roots."
"What are your thoughts on the war in the Northwest?"
The Emperor couldn't help but ask. Fang Jie walked to the front of the map and pointed to a thick north-south line: "This is the Wei River, like a knife cut, cleaving the northwest. Even if the rebels have prepared for a long time, they have no shortage of food, soldiers, or supplies, but they lack warships… If Your Majesty issues an edict to mobilize the navy to blockade the river, forbidding anyone from selling grain to the northwest, and then sends elite troops in small teams to burn granaries and farmland… within a year, the rebels in the northwest will run out of food. If the Mongols don't receive any reward for a long time, they won't continue to support the rebels. In two to three to five years, the rebels will surely be defeated."
"But the northwest… has millions of my people," the Emperor said, frowning. Fang Jie explained, "In a year or two, once the predicament in the Northwest becomes established, the people will grow angry. They will think, 'If it weren't for the rebellion of Li Yuanshan and other traitors, why would they be suffering like this?' The Northwest has a cold climate, and grain production is already low. The people usually have enough to eat and drink, but they have little grain reserves. If the three routes in the Northwest are sealed off, the people's hearts will be in turmoil. With the people in turmoil, the rebels will have no fertile ground to rebel, and that branch will wither."
The Emperor remained silent for a long time, then shook his head: "If we follow your plan, at least hundreds of thousands of people in the Northwest will starve to death in two years!"
"I also feel sorry for the people, but if the war is not controlled within the three routes in the Northwest, even more people will suffer. If the supply lines are not sealed off…" "If the rebels in the Northwest are given more benefits, the people won't rebel."
"I will order the navy to blockade the Wei River, but I won't prevent the people from crossing."
The Emperor thought for a moment and said, "Fang Jie, I know your plans are all for the sake of the Sui Dynasty. But I am the ruler of a country, and all the people are my subjects. If they have made mistakes, I cannot forgive them. If you push the people too far, how do you know they won't join the rebels in rebellion?"
"As long as they can't cross the river..."
Fang Jie was interrupted by the Emperor before he could finish speaking: "Am I afraid of those few clowns? After the matter in Chang'an is settled, I will personally lead the army. I will take back the three northwestern provinces; why would it take two or three years?"
Fang Jie was stunned and remained silent. He knew his plan was indeed ruthless. In his past life, in ancient times, it wasn't unheard of for such tactics… When General Nian Gengyao was ordered to quell the rebellion in Qinghai, he simply surrounded the area without attacking, blocking all roads, preventing a single grain of food from entering Qinghai, and even sending men to infiltrate and burn pastures and granaries. How many more than 100,000 people starved to death?
But could His Majesty's personal campaign truly pacify the Northwest in an instant?
Suddenly, Fang Jie felt a jolt.
When did my heart become so ruthless?