Sui and Tang Dynasties: You were driven out of Wagang, but you surrendered to Yang Guang and were ma

Chapter 132 Guanshan Taibao

On the other side, after a night of clearing, the corpses on the streets of Liaodong City had all been collected and buried, and the tattered banners and weapons had been properly put away.

Although a faint smell of blood still lingered in the air, the scene was no longer as tragic as before, and there was finally a sense of peace.

"Your Majesty, Goguryeo has been destroyed. How should we arrange the remaining affairs?"

Lu Xiao yawned widely, his eyes showing a hint of drowsiness.

He slept in the same bed with Yang Guang last night, but he felt uneasy the whole time and didn't sleep well at all.

"The finishing touches can be left to the court generals. Let them leave troops to garrison the area, appease the remaining people in other parts of Goguryeo, and register the treasury."

Yang Guang waved his hand, his tone urgent.

"Let's set off back to the Eastern Capital immediately. Judging by the time, Ruyi should have given birth long ago. I want to go see my grandson."

"Could it be... that she hasn't given birth yet?"

Lu Xiao stretched out his fingers and started counting haphazardly, but the more he counted, the more confused he became.

He only knew how to lead troops into battle in his entire life, and had no concept of the ten months of pregnancy, so he couldn't tell how much time had passed.

"How could that be?"

Yang Guang glanced at him helplessly. This kid was incredibly shrewd on the battlefield, but in private he was like a child who never grew up.

"It is normal for a woman to be pregnant for ten months. You have been with me on this campaign for so long, the child must have been born long ago."

"Then why hasn't she even sent me a single letter?"

Lu Xiao panicked immediately. He had thought that time was passing slowly and that the child was still in Yang Ruyi's womb.

Now that I've heard the child was born long ago, but I haven't received a single word from him, I've been a father for nothing.

"Silly boy, she didn't want you to have any worries, and she was afraid that you would be distracted on the battlefield."

Yang Guang sighed, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

"This girl has matured a lot since she got married and has learned to consider the bigger picture. She's a good child."

Lu Xiao felt a warmth in his heart, and his previous impatience gradually dissipated, leaving only a longing to return home: "Then let's set off quickly!"

With Gao Yuan dead, Pyongyang and Liaodong City were under the control of the Sui Dynasty, and Goguryeo was already a mere shell of its former self.

At this moment, all he could think about was flying back to Dongdu to see the child he had never met before.

If it's a daughter, then spoil her and pamper her.

If it is a son, teach him to ride horses, shoot arrows, and lead troops into battle.

Regardless of gender, he and Yang Ruyi should try harder to have both a son and a daughter.

"Alright, let's set off immediately!"

Yang Guang had already made all the arrangements, and the returning troops were ready to depart.

At a single command, they set off from Liaodong City in a grand procession, speeding westward.

Despite the wind and snow, the cold wind was like a knife.

But everyone was eager to return home, and their pace was not slow at all. The horses' hooves kicked up snow, splashing up a cloud of snow foam.

"Brother, we're heading back to Dongdu to see the young prince or princess. Should I prepare some gifts?"

Pei Yuanqing rode alongside Lü Xiao, one hand holding the reins and the other scratching his head, his face full of confusion.

It would be rather impolite to go to see the little guy empty-handed, but he couldn't think of anything to give him no matter how hard he tried.

"What good gift could a little kid like you possibly have?"

Lu Xiao chuckled, turned his head to look at him, and teased him.

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuanqing lowered his head and pondered for a moment.

His gaze fell upon the octagonal plum blossom-shaped silver hammers hanging on either side of the mount, and his eyes lit up:

"I'll give you a hammer! These hammers are my most treasured possessions. They may not be expensive, but they are a small gift with a lot of meaning."

When the young prince grows up, he can be used to practice martial arts.

"I think you're a hammer!" Yuwen Chenglong couldn't help but complain, then patted his chest smugly.

"Your Highness, I have already prepared a grand gift for the young prince!"

As he spoke, he pulled a dagger from his pocket.

The dagger sheath was inlaid with countless gems, which reflected a dazzling light in the wind and snow.

It looks incredibly valuable and extremely luxurious.

"Oh? Let me see it."

Lu Xiao reached out and took the dagger. It felt heavy in his hand and was of excellent quality.

However, the decoration is too elaborate, making it more like an ornament for people to appreciate than a dagger for self-defense.

"It's a good item; it would be nice to collect."

"Huh?"

Pei Yuanqing stared at the exquisite dagger, frowning as he fell into deep thought.

He had traveled with Yuwen Chenglong all the way and had never seen him carry this thing, so he couldn't help but ask:

"Yuwen Chenglong, where did you get this dagger?"

"Mind your own business!"

Yuwen Chenglong rolled his eyes at him, his tone smug, but he refused to elaborate.

"You didn't steal it from Goguryeo's spoils of war, did you?" Pei Yuanqing pressed on relentlessly.

"The prince has long said that all of Goguryeo's wealth must be registered and deposited into the national treasury, and no one is allowed to keep it for themselves."

I didn't dare touch a single copper coin, yet you dared to secretly take such a valuable item!

"What do you know!" Yuwen Chenglong retorted confidently.

"If you don't take it, and I don't take it, how will the prince take it? If the prince doesn't take it, how will we progress? This is called assessing the situation, do you understand?"

Unlike Pei Yuanqing, who only had fighting and killing on his mind, he had lofty ambitions.

He'll get promoted, promoted drastically, and one day replace his father, Yuwen Huaji, as prime minister.

Following Lü Xiao was the best shortcut for him to realize his ambitions. By doing more good for Lü Xiao, he could rise step by step in his career.

"You can do that?"

Pei Yuanqing looked completely bewildered.

He had always been a stickler for rules and had never considered this aspect before, leaving him speechless for a moment after Yuwen Chenglong's words.

"This dagger... seems to be an artifact used in the burial of the former king of Goguryeo."

Zuo Xiong, who had been silently accompanying them, suddenly spoke up.

He was originally from Goguryeo and was extremely familiar with the shapes and forms of artifacts from his own country.

He immediately recognized the pattern on the dagger sheath; it was a style unique to the burial objects of the Goguryeo royal family.

"Yuwen Chenglong!"

Lu Xiao, who was playing with the dagger, immediately stopped what he was doing, his face darkened, and he threw the dagger back to him.

It would be utterly ridiculous to use funerary objects meant for burial as gifts for one’s newborn son!

"Your Highness, I'm only doing what you say!"

Yuwen Chenglong quickly caught the dagger, looking aggrieved, afraid that Lü Xiao would blame him.

"When did I ask you to do something like that?"

Lu Xiao frowned, his face full of confusion.

"Have you forgotten? You used to call me the number one grave robber of the Sui Dynasty, and you even said that grave robbing is a great art, and if you do it well, you can be remembered for generations."

Yuwen Chenglong quickly reminded him, his tone becoming increasingly aggrieved.

"I figured there must be a lot of treasures in Gao Yuan's father's tomb, so I led some people to dig it up."

"Not only did I get this dagger, but also a lot of gold and silver jewelry! I'm doing this to replenish the royal treasury and help you support the Crimson Vanguard Army!"

He kept Lü Xiao's teachings in mind and felt that digging up graves for money was not a bad thing.

Cao Cao even formed a special team to dig up graves to raise funds and supplies for his large army.

It is said that Cao Cao's grave-digging team was called the Tomb Raiders, and Lü Xiao's halberd was so powerful that he was known as the Divine Halberd Protector.

Then this team used for digging graves should be called Guanshan Taibao, which is both catchy and respectable.

Their special task is to raid tombs—I mean, to search for treasure!

Anyway, burying these things in the ground is a waste, so taking them out and using them is a benefit to the world.