SWDnovel Chapter 354 Yang Ruyi: No, how come there's another contender for the throne?
Chapter 354 Yang Ruyi: No, how come there's another contender for the throne?
"Old General, I did not avenge you; I do not have the ability."
But this is all I can do. Rest in peace.
Yang You stood on the city wall, gazing eastward, muttering to himself.
The wind blew from the west, stirring up dust from the city walls and blinding him.
He raised his sleeve and wiped his eyes, unable to tell if it was sand or something else.
After descending the city wall, Qu Boya was waiting there.
"Your Highness, this is where I will leave you."
"Ahead lies the territory of Sui, a smooth road ahead. Your Highness, please proceed with confidence."
Qu Boya was extremely anxious. Lü Xiao still needed to fight the Western Turks. Gaochang Kingdom was adjacent to the Western Turks, and this was the time when they could be of use.
How could he possibly miss this opportunity to follow behind Lü Xiao and glean credit?
If you go too late, you might not even get to drink the soup.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for escorting us all the way."
Yang You cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, demonstrating impeccable manners.
"Your Highness is too kind! You're too kind!"
Qu Boya quickly returned the greeting, bowing even lower than Yang You.
After exchanging a few polite words, Qu Boya and his men hurriedly departed, their horses' hooves clattering rapidly, disappearing into the dust in the northwest in the blink of an eye.
Yang You stood beside the carriage and took one last look at Yumen Pass.
The setting sun cast long shadows of the fortress, and the human head on the city wall still swayed gently in the wind.
This trip to Northwest China felt like a dream.
No, it's more absurd than a dream.
He led an army of 300,000 men, full of vigor and arrogance.
As a result, 300,000 people were wiped out, and he himself became a prisoner.
He thought he was doomed, but then Lü Xiao arrived.
Eight hundred people, but it can't be said to be eight hundred people.
It should be said that he single-handedly broke through the encirclement of 100,000 elite troops and pulled him out of the pile of corpses.
Xue Ju was arrested, Xue Rengao was killed, the Wolf Lord of Hami Kingdom was killed, and Wang Buchao was killed.
Yang You was able to leave the Western Regions alive not because he was lucky, but because he had a good uncle-in-law.
Thinking of this, Yang You wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He lifted the car curtain and looked out at the wilderness rushing past.
It's unknown whether Lü Xiao caught up with Shekui Khan.
If they catch up, there will likely be another bloodbath.
Unfortunately, he won't be able to see it.
The Shekui Khan, whom Yang You was talking about, was now frantically whipping his horse, wishing he could sprout wings and fly back to the Western Turks.
On horseback, he kept looking back, fearing that a Sui army might suddenly attack from behind.
After running for a long time, both men and horses were exhausted, so he dared to order them to stop and rest.
"Did the Sui Dynasty people... ever pursue us?"
Shekui Khan dismounted and sat down heavily on the ground, panting heavily.
He was soaked in sweat, his hair clinging wetly to his forehead, and he had lost all trace of his former imposing presence.
"Reporting to the Khan, they did not pursue us."
A Western Turkic general rode up to report.
"The Northwest is a vast and boundless land. The people of the Sui Dynasty were unfamiliar with the area and couldn't even find their way. How could they possibly catch up with us?"
The other generals nodded in agreement.
While they turned tail and ran when they saw the situation was bad, Lü Xiao was still fighting Xue Rengao at the bottom of the valley.
Even if Lü Xiao kills all those people at the bottom of the valley, he still needs to find a way to catch up with them.
By the time they found the way, they had already fled back to Western Turks.
Once we're on our own turf, what are we afraid of from the Sui Dynasty?
"We must not be careless."
Shekui Khan shook his head, his expression grave.
He recalled the fate of the Eastern Turks.
The Eastern Turkic Khan was just as confident back then, believing that the Sui Dynasty people would not dare to venture deep into the northern grasslands.
The results of it?
Lü Xiao led eight hundred men, bypassing all the defenses, and stormed the royal court, capturing the Khan from the sacred mountain where he offered sacrifices to Heaven.
To this day, that Khan is still imprisoned in Luoyang, becoming Yang Guang's prisoner.
He doesn't want to follow in his footsteps.
"Pass down the order: take turns resting, and do not stay a moment longer."
Shekui Khan stood up and dusted himself off.
"Khan, rest assured, even if Lü Xiao possesses extraordinary abilities, he cannot catch up to our Western Turkic territory!"
The general remained confident.
Shekui Khan glanced at him but said nothing more.
Hopefully, Lü Xiao won't pursue us, and we'll retreat back to the Sui Dynasty while we're ahead.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Capital, at the Imperial Palace.
Yang Guang lay on his couch, his condition much better than before.
He already knew that Yang You had been captured and that Lü Xiao had recovered the lost territory.
However, what he was more concerned about was whether Yang You could return to Dongdu alive.
If he doesn't come back, he can arrange for someone else to inherit the throne sooner.
"Ruyi, is there still no news of Zilie?"
Yang Guang opened his eyes groggily and looked at his daughter who was being cared for by his bedside.
"Father, there's news!"
Yang Ruyi immediately said.
"speak!"
Yang Guang was overjoyed and used his arms to prop himself up.
"Father, you don't know, Zilie really did a great job this time!"
As she spoke, she gestured with her hands, her eyebrows dancing with excitement.
"Zilie went out of Yumen Pass and fought his way west, destroying several countries!"
Those barbarian tribes were terrified and handed over their princes and other princes, which they are now sending to our Great Sui Dynasty!
Yang Ruyi was extremely happy when the topic of the hostage was brought up.
What is a proton?
They are hostages, bargaining chips, and nooses around the necks of those foreign nations.
If anyone dares to disobey in the future, their hostages will be used as a weapon.
Although Yang You was captured on this trip to the Western Regions, he was able to bring back hostages from more than a dozen countries.
This deal is a win-win situation no matter how you look at it.
Yang Guang lay on his couch, listening to his daughter's story, and he was furious.
Was he talking about protons?
He's talking about Yang You!
Will Yang You be able to come back alive?
He is of the Yang family bloodline and the heir of the Yang family!
"Summon the Prince of Yan."
Yang Guang lay back on the couch, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
Yang Tan.
Yang You's elder brother and Yang Zhao's eldest son.
Although not born of the legitimate wife, she is still of the Yang family bloodline.
Before long, Yang Tan rushed to the bedside.
During this period, Yang Guang fell ill, Yang You was captured, and the court was leaderless. He temporarily acted as regent and handled government affairs.
"Grandfather, are you looking for your grandson?"
Yang Tan walked to the bedside and bowed in greeting.
"Ren'an, you've had a tough time these past few days."
Yang Guang opened his eyes, looked at his grandson, and his gaze softened.
Compared to Yang You, Yang Tan was less sharp and more composed.
Although he is not as talented as Yang You, he is steady and knows how to act with discretion.
"How are things going with the administration of the court?"
"Grandfather, with the help of the court officials, everything is going smoothly."
Yang Tan quickly responded, his attitude respectful.
"Um."
Yang Guang nodded and remained silent for a moment.
"You know about Yu'er's matter too."
Yang Tan's heart tightened, and he lowered his head.
"What if he can't return..."
Yang Guang didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was already quite clear.
Yang Tan's heart skipped a beat, thumping so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of his throat.
Tell me, who wouldn't want to be emperor?
"Grandfather, you mustn't say that!"
With Uncle's incredible strength, he will surely rescue Yudi! Grandfather, just focus on recovering and wait for Yudi to return!
Yang Tan suddenly knelt on the ground, his voice trembling.
He spoke urgently and earnestly.
But only he himself knows what he is thinking.