Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 131 Success (Part 2)

After the court session, the eunuch, who had already received the imperial decree, led Yang Lin to the Ganlu Hall. Under the eunuch on duty in the corridor outside the hall, he stood with his hands at his sides. Upon seeing Yang Lin arrive, the eunuch quickly lifted the bright yellow bamboo curtain.

Inside the Ganlu Hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Yang Jian had changed out of his imperial robes and was now dressed in casual clothes. He leaned against the dragon-embroidered couch, with reports of the victory in the northern campaign and a map of Jiangnan laid out on the table beside him. When he saw Yang Lin enter, he raised his hand and gestured, saying, "Uncle, please sit down."

Yang Lin lifted his robe and sat down beside Yang Jian. His gaze swept over the map on the table, and he tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest twice. He said, "Your Majesty, although the court today decided on a three-year plan to pacify Chen, the Chen dynasty in Jiangnan has the natural barrier of the Yangtze River and still has many elite soldiers and generals under its command."

"Although Chen Shubao was muddleheaded, Chen Xu had ruled the country for fourteen years and had left Chen Shubao with a considerable legacy, as well as several capable ministers and generals. With their assistance, it would have been impossible for Chen Shubao to conquer Jiangnan without thorough preparation."

Yang Jian reached out and fiddled with the candlelight on the table, saying, "What you say is absolutely right, Imperial Uncle. Although I have already instructed He Ruobi to have the navy increase the number of sentries along the Yangtze River and patrol day and night, waiting for the right opportunity, this is still far from enough."

He pointed to several important towns of the Southern Chen dynasty on the map and said, "The pseudo-Chen navy regards Jiankang, Jingkou, and Caishi as key locations. These three places are mutually supportive, easy to defend and difficult to attack. To take the Southern Dynasty, we must first take Caishi. The success or failure of the conquest of the south is related to the success or failure of the conquest of the south."

“Caishiji is a strategically important location, rising abruptly from the middle of the river. It is a vital point that guards the throat of the Yangtze River. The puppet Chen regime must have deployed a large number of troops here. If we cannot take it in one battle, the puppet Chen regime can rely on this place to continuously send reinforcements from Jingkou and Jiankang to attack our navy from both sides.”

Yang Lin said calmly, "To break through Caishi, we must find a way to get rid of Xiao Mohe. With this reincarnated Guan Yu guarding Caishi, the natural barrier of the Yangtze River is as solid as a rock. Even if our Great Sui gathers a million naval troops, it will be difficult to break through Caishi."

“Xiao Mohe,”

Yang Jian's eyes sharpened, and he slowly said, "It's a pity about this loyal and upright general. If he could be used by me, the pacification of Jiangnan would be much easier."

Xiao Mohe was a truly formidable man. He was known as the reincarnation of Guan Yu, not only because of his loyalty and integrity, but also because of his martial prowess, which was comparable to that of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. He was hailed as the fiercest general of the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Although Yang Jian looked down on the weakness of the southerners, he called Xiao Mohe a true hero when he first met him.

Yang Lin stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and said, "Although Your Majesty cherishes talent, Xiao Mohe is loyal to the false Chen dynasty. Unless Chen Shubao cuts off his own arm, it is impossible to get him to serve our Great Sui."

Yang Jian's gaze lingered on the candlelight for a moment, then he suddenly smiled and said, "Uncle, Chen Shubao is not a man to be judged by ordinary standards. It is not impossible that he might cut off his own arm."

He traced the map with his fingertips over Caishiji and said, "The current Chen dynasty is rife with treacherous officials, and Chen Shubao is incompetent and suspicious. With just a little effort, we can force Xiao Mohe to switch allegiance to our Great Sui."

Yang Lin understood and shook his head, saying, "Chen Shubao is ultimately not Chen Xu. He lacks Chen Xu's shrewdness and competence, and is surrounded by sycophants. If you bribe them with a large sum of money, you will surely see results."

Yang Jian said leisurely, "Yes, Chen Shubao is much easier to deal with than Chen Xu!"

As Yang Jian said this, he felt a pang of sorrow. If descendants are unworthy, no matter how much wealth their ancestors accumulated, it would all vanish in an instant. Chen Xu was a lesson to be learned; his descendants must not repeat the mistakes of Chen Shubao.

Thinking this, Yang Jian turned his gaze away from the candlelight and looked at Yang Lin, saying, "Uncle, in this northern expedition, Lü Shang led his troops deep into Jinshan and defeated the enemy camp, making outstanding contributions to the Sui Dynasty. I intend to appoint him as Grand General and Duke of Lu County. What do you think?"

Yang Lin thought for a moment and said, "In my opinion, with Lü Shang's abilities, he is more than qualified to be a Pillar of State, a Senior Pillar of State, or even a Duke of a County or a Duke of a State." "However, he is still young and has a long road ahead of him. In order to avoid the situation where his merits are not rewarded in the future, it is already His Majesty's appreciation of talent to appoint him as a Grand General and Duke of Lu County."

Yang Jian laughed and said, "You understand me best, Uncle!"

Among the titles of Grand General and Duke of Lu bestowed by Emperor Yang Jian, the most prestigious was undoubtedly the title of Duke of Lu.

The reason is that the generals here are different from the generals who actually hold military power in the twelve prefectures of the Northern Sui Dynasty. Although they are all of the third rank, they are generals in the merit-based official system, and their titles outweigh their actual power.

The so-called meritorious officials were first created by Yuwen Tai during the Western Wei Dynasty. He established the meritorious official system to reward generals who had made meritorious contributions in battle.

During the reign of Yang Jian, he made certain adjustments to the system of meritorious officials, forming a relatively systematic system of meritorious officials, and setting up eleven ranks of meritorious officials from Shangzhuguo to Dudu.

They are respectively: First Rank Pillar of State, Second Rank Pillar of State, Second Rank Grand General, Third Rank Grand General, Third Rank Grand General, Fourth Rank Grand General of the Three Offices, Fourth Rank Grand General of the Three Offices, Fifth Rank Grand General of the Three Offices, Sixth Rank Grand Commander, Sixth Rank Commander-in-Chief, and Seventh Rank Commander.

Yang Jian bestowed upon Lü Shang the honorary title of Grand General, a third-rank official, merely to help Lü Shang accumulate experience and pave the way for his future career as his son-in-law. Compared to the third-rank honorary title, the title of Duke of Lu was the true reward for Lü Shang.

It should be noted that the Sui Dynasty had nine ranks of nobility: King, Prince, Duke, County Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron. A County Duke had a fief of one thousand households and a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of dry measure), and the title was hereditary.

Yang Lin's eyes flickered slightly, and he said, "His Majesty's arrangement for Lü Shang can be described as well-thought-out."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jian nodded slightly, a pleased smile appearing on his face. He said, "This boy, Lü Shang, is not only highly skilled in martial arts and exceptionally courageous, but also utterly loyal to our Great Sui Dynasty. He is truly a rare talent."

"I betrothed Princess Lanling to him because I value his character and potential."

Yang Lin bowed slightly, a smile appearing on his face, and said, "Your Majesty is wise. A-Wu and Lü Shang are a perfect match. After their marriage, Your Majesty will have a fine son-in-law. At his age, he can support the country for three dynasties, and our Great Sui Dynasty will be worry-free."

Yang Jian picked up the teacup on the table, took a small sip, and the steam before his eyes blurred his expression. He said, "I hope so."

"In this northern expedition, Lü Shang has indeed impressed me. However, the southern expedition is now urgent, and although he is young and promising, he still needs more experience."

Yang Jian put down his teacup, refocused his gaze on the map, and traced the Yangtze River with his finger, finally stopping at the Guazhou ferry crossing. He said, "Uncle, the Guazhou ferry crossing is a vital point for the north-south waterway and is also adjacent to Jingkou."

"This place has frequent trade and is a battleground for military strategists. The puppet Chen dynasty has also deployed a large army here, and it is coordinating with Caishiji and Jiankang. Who in the court do you think is capable of taking on this important task and stationing troops in Guazhou?"

(End of this chapter)