SWDnovel Chapter 22 Iron-Blooded Strategy Against Wang Daoshu
Chapter 22 Iron-Blooded Strategy Against Wang Daoshu
As Yang Su finished speaking, a terrifying silence fell over the Daxing Hall.
The flickering candlelight cast long and short shadows of everyone, which, when pressed against the gold-brick floor, resembled lurking ghosts.
Gao Jiong stood there, his posture still straight, without saying a word.
The purple robe and jade belt that represented the prestige of the Grand Secretary of the Sui Dynasty remained perfectly still, with only the wide cuffs trembling almost imperceptibly in the night breeze passing through the hall.
His face, usually impassive, remained expressionless, as if what Yang Su had just suggested sacrificing was not Gao Jiong's political life.
But Yang Yan, hiding in the shadows behind the screen, seemed to hear the deafening roar of crashing waves beneath the calm exterior.
It's too cruel.
This is practically a plan to wipe out the family line.
Upon receiving the imperial decree, Gao Jiong was to wield the emperor's sword and slaughter his hometown, not only ruining his reputation but also severing all ties with the powerful clans of Guandong and Shandong.
That was the Crown Prince's base of support, and also the foundation upon which Gao Jiong established himself in the court.
To disobey an imperial order is to jeopardize military operations; such a person is despicable and will face annihilation in an instant.
Yang Su's handing over of this knife was both "fair" and utterly malicious.
Whether Gao Jiong grips it or not, the blade will eventually roll back and pierce deep into his own chest, shaking the position of the Crown Prince behind him.
This is neither an open conspiracy nor an ordinary plot.
This is a dead end game played in broad daylight, yet it leaves everyone at a loss for where to place a piece.
On the dragon throne, Yang Jian's eyes flashed with a sharp light, the kind of light a hunter would give when he sees a trap capturing its prey.
As the founding emperor, those powerful local lords who held sway over the country, whose influence was too great to be controlled, and who concealed their household registrations to evade taxes were the deepest source of his hatred and anxieties in his later years.
Yang Su's strategy not only solved the urgent problem of military rations, but also eliminated local problems and even served as a warning to the increasingly powerful group of meritorious officials.
It's practically a perfect, sharp knife.
That hint of interest was clearly reflected in the emperor's slightly narrowed eyes, and his tightly pursed lips seemed about to open and utter the word "yes".
"No! Your Majesty, you mustn't!" came a hoarse, terrified cry.
The Nayan Suwei, who had been standing silently with his head bowed, was now pale-faced, staggered out of the train, and almost fell to the ground.
"Your Majesty! The Duke of Yue is mistaken! Utterly wrong! This is a disastrous statement for the country, utterly wrong!"
Su Wei was not the kind of upright official who would risk his life to run into a pillar.
On the contrary, he was skilled in practical matters and even better at understanding the emperor's intentions, which is why he was able to remain standing among the "Five Nobles".
That's why he knew better than anyone what kind of terrifying chain reaction Yang Su's seemingly casual phrase "requisition grain locally" would trigger once it became an imperial edict.
The laws and regulations of the Great Sui Dynasty, which he and His Majesty have painstakingly built up over many years and relied on to rule the world, will collapse like a sand tower!
He slammed his knees heavily onto the cold gold bricks, his voice trembling with extreme fear.
"Sun Tzu's Art of War says, 'Take advantage of the state, and obtain provisions from the enemy!' That applies to enemy states! That applies to uncivilized peoples!"
"Yingzhou, Youzhou, and the counties of Hebei are all part of the territory of my Great Sui Dynasty! Even if the people in the fortified villages commit illegal acts, they are still citizens of my Great Sui Dynasty! They have not raised a flag of rebellion!"
"How can we use fabricated charges of treason to carry out looting and slaughter? How is this any different from banditry? Where is the court's credibility? Where is the law of the land?!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Su sneered and was about to retort.
Su Wei suddenly raised his head, and his usually gentle and refined old face was now streaked with tears, each word dripping with blood.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
"If this strategy is implemented, the powerful clans of Hebei and Liaodong will surely feel a sense of dread, as if they too are facing certain doom! They have private armies and their own retinues!"
"To protect their lives and property, they will inevitably unite in rebellion! They will gather in the mountains and forests!"
"At that time, the royal army will march far to the banks of the Liao River, but the flames of war will rise from the heart of the land!"
"With a formidable enemy unconquered ahead and internal strife cutting off our supply lines from behind, my hundreds of thousands of troops are now facing attacks from both sides, plunging us into an abyss of no return, Your Majesty—!"
These words carried immense weight, vividly presenting Yang Jian with a potentially catastrophic internal strife.
Yang Jian's fingers, which were tapping on the imperial desk, suddenly stopped.
His brows furrowed instantly, forming a deep "川" (river) shape, and the slight excitement he had just felt was overshadowed by a sudden surge of doubt.
Although he wanted to reduce the power of the feudal lords and crack down on the powerful clans, he was even more afraid of chaos.
Especially this kind of chaos that could lead to being attacked from both sides.
a long time.
Yang Jian spoke slowly, his voice deep and cold, as if squeezed out from between his teeth: "According to you, this war will not be fought?"
He leaned forward, his gaze fixed on Su Wei like that of a hawk.
"If I don't requisition provisions, will my soldiers fight on empty stomachs? Or do you, Grand Councilor, have the ability to conjure up provisions?"
The emperor's question was like a mountain pressing down on you.
To merely voice opposition without offering a solution is to be pedantic, mislead the nation, and render one useless.
Su Wei trembled, but it seemed he had been prepared. He took a deep breath and pulled out a roll of account books from his wide robe sleeves, holding it high.
"I am not merely speaking empty words to obstruct the war! As the Minister of Civil Affairs, I am constantly anxious about the transportation of funds and provisions. How could I dare to speak recklessly without proper preparation?"
His voice suddenly rose, carrying a desperate edge—the last stand of a civil official against an aggressive military commander.
"Your Majesty! I have thoroughly examined the archives!"
"The naval camps of Qing and Lai prefectures still retain over a hundred large ships built during the conquest of Chen! These include five-toothed warships and yellow dragon boats!"
"Although it has been unused for a long time and is slightly damaged, the keel is still sturdy. With just a quick repair and application of tung oil, it can be put back into service!"
Seagoing vessel?
Not only did Yang Jian's eyes narrow, but all the officials in the hall, including Yang Yan behind the screen, clenched their fists tightly in the darkness.
Wonderful!
How could he not have thought of that!
After the Sui Dynasty destroyed the Chen Dynasty, it inherited the vast naval legacy of the Southern Dynasties. Those giant ships that had once roamed the Yangtze River with impunity were mothballed because there was no war in the north.
Unexpectedly, Su Wei, that stingy old man in charge of money and grain, actually came up with this idea.
"Setting sail from Cangzhou Port, taking advantage of the Bohai Sea's currents and favorable winds, we can reach the mouth of the Liao River in three days!"
Seeing that Yang Jian was interested, Su Wei spoke very quickly, his eyes regaining their light—the look of someone grasping at a straw.
"Although sea routes are fraught with danger from wind and waves, the losses are less than 30% of those from land transport!"
"When grain is transported by land, it is used by people and horses, and only one out of ten shi (a unit of dry measure) is preserved; when grain is transported by sea, wherever the sails reach, eight or nine out of ten shi can be preserved!"
"If grain is transported from Liyang Granary and shipped via the Yongji Canal to Cangzhou, it would be enough to supply the front lines with three months' worth of grain within a month!"
He kowtowed heavily, his forehead touching the gold brick, making a loud thud.
"This strategy neither disturbs the local population nor violates the law, and it is legitimate and justifiable, ensuring the safety of our royal army's supply lines! We beseech Your Majesty to make a wise decision!"
The account book was presented to the Emperor by Yang Yue. Yang Jian unfolded it, his gaze sweeping over the densely packed yet crystal-clear details of grain reserves, ships, waterways, and daily schedules, his fingers slowly unfurling.
The suffocating atmosphere of killing intent in the hall eased for a moment.
As one of the "Five Nobles" and a representative of the upright civil officials in the court, Su Wei was backed by the entire group of civil officials who did not want to see the world fall into war again, as well as the Shandong gentry with their deeply intertwined interests.
If Yang Su were to truly strike with his "Emperor's Sword," he would not only be cutting down the powerful clans of Liaodong, but also the very foundation of the Sui Dynasty's legal system upon which they depended for their livelihood.
The candlelight still flickered, but it no longer seemed so much like a fleeting ghost.
The kneeling figure of Su Wei, the silent spine of Gao Jiong, and the slightly narrowed eagle eyes of Yang Su, together in the interplay of light and shadow, formed a new and more subtle and complex power game.
The real contest never ends on the battlefield, but also in the halls of power where words are exchanged and every inch is contested.