Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 140 Western Liang (Part 1)

Lu Shang lowered his eyes to look at the golden book in his hand. The unicorn pattern on the corner of the book was slightly raised. He glanced at Zuo Tiancheng and saw him bowing his head and bowing with a solemn expression. When he stood up, the jade pendant and the silver fish charm at his waist touched each other and made a soft sound.

"All of you, rise."

Emperor Yang Jian sat upright in the hall, his majestic gaze sweeping over his ministers, the hall filled with solemnity.

Lü Shang and the other generals rose and neatly returned to the ranks of military officers.

At this moment, Gao Jiong, the chief civil official and Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, stepped forward from the crowd, holding his official tablet in both hands, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, this great victory in the northern expedition is truly a blessing for our Great Sui Dynasty, and a testament to the bravery of our soldiers."

"Now that the northern troubles have been eliminated and the border turmoil has gradually subsided, all thanks to Your Majesty's power and virtue, which blesses all people. The borders are now peaceful and all nations are at peace; this is the rule of the Holy Son of Heaven. The Turkic Shabolue Khan submits a memorial, expressing his gratitude for Your Majesty's combination of kindness and power, and for the virtue that extends to all directions. He wishes to lead all the Turkic tribes to sincerely submit to Your Majesty and honor Your Majesty as 'Holy Moyuan Khan'."

"It is precisely because Your Majesty's wisdom and strategy are divine, your grace extends to all corners of the world, and your power extends to the south that we have this unprecedented grand spectacle. Your Majesty is truly worthy of the title 'Sage Khan,' which is in accordance with the will of Heaven and the will of the people. We beseech Your Majesty to grant this title, so that the power of our Great Sui Dynasty may be even greater and that we may enjoy lasting peace."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jian's face showed a look of satisfaction. After a moment's thought, he slowly said, "This is the result of the bloody battles fought by the soldiers of my Great Sui Dynasty. I am merely acting in accordance with the opportune moment. How can I claim credit for the achievements of Heaven?"

Gao Jiong kowtowed again, speaking earnestly, saying, "Your Majesty's benevolence and humility are truly a blessing to all people."

"However, without Your Majesty's strategic planning and wise decisions, even with the bravery of our soldiers, we would not have been able to accomplish this great feat. The Turks' submission and their address of Your Majesty is a sign of the people's hearts turning to you. If Your Majesty does not grant their request, it would hurt the sincerity of the Turks' submission and disappoint the people's expectations for a prosperous era."

The civil and military officials inside the hall echoed the sentiments, their earnest requests resounding throughout the palace.

Shabolue was indeed a man of great wisdom and perseverance. When he submitted to Yang Jian in the fourth year of the Kaihuang era, he honored Yang Jian as the "Sage Khan".

The term "sage" is a compliment to Yang Jian, describing him as a sage-like ruler whose light shines like the sun and moon, illuminating the world.

'Khan' is the title used by nomadic peoples to address their supreme ruler. The Turks honored Yang Jian as Khan, indicating that they recognized him not only as the emperor of the Central Plains but also as the ruler of the Turks, representing their submission.

Now, Shabolue added the characters "Moyuan" to the title "Sage Khan," meaning "Supreme, Khan of Ten Thousand Khans."

With such an honorific title, which emperor in the Central Plains wouldn't be envious?
It's hard to say that Li Erfeng's title of "Heavenly Khan" wasn't an attempt to emulate Yang Jian's title of "Sage Khan".

Yang Jian suppressed his excitement and said with composure, "In that case, I shall accept the title of 'Sage Khan Moyuan'. I hope that all of you will continue to work together with one heart and one mind to assist me in governing the world, and ensure the peace and prosperity of our Great Sui Dynasty for ten thousand generations!"

"Your Majesty's virtue is so great that you shall be the ruler for all ages!" the ministers prostrated themselves and shouted.

Yang Jian nodded, a smile playing on his lips, and slowly rose. As the order to dismiss the court fell, the eunuch's shrill voice echoed throughout the hall.

The ministers withdrew in order, and the lingering sound of the bells and drums signaling the end of the court session reverberated on the bronze bells at the corners of the palace. The vermilion palace doors were slowly closed by the eunuchs.

As Lü Shang followed the ranks of military officers out of the palace, he looked up and saw Gao Jiong's robe sleeves brushing against the red steps, his jade tablet gleaming warmly in the sunlight.

A voice chuckled among the military officers, saying, "The Left Minister's mouth is truly capable of silencing even the frozen river."

Before he could finish speaking, he was elbowed by the veteran next to him, silencing him.

Lu Shang heard the low laughter and the sound of elbows striking, but his expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn't heard anything.

However, before Lü Shang had gone far, a palace official rushed over, his expression respectful, and said in a high-pitched voice, "Lord Lu, please wait! His Majesty summons you to the Ganlu Hall for an audience immediately." Upon hearing this, Lü Shang paused, turned around, and followed the palace official quickly toward the Ganlu Hall.

With an official leading the way, Lü Shang traveled swiftly and arrived at the Ganlu Palace in no time.

Inside the Ganlu Hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Yang Jian removed his court robes and wore only a moon-white casual robe. On the map spread out on the table, Diechuan, Shanshan, Gaochang and other places were circled with a rouge brush.

Lü Shang entered the hall, bowed, and said, "Your subject Lü Shang greets Your Majesty."

Yang Jian raised his eyes, shifting his gaze from the map to his future son-in-law. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he gestured, saying, "Fei Xiong, no need for formalities, please take a seat."

After Lü Shang took his seat, Yang Jian rose, walked to the window, looked at the lush palace trees outside the hall, and asked, "What do you think of the Turks' request for investiture in court today?"

Lü Shang rose and replied, “Your Majesty’s virtue and prestige are far-reaching, and the Turks have sincerely submitted. This is a blessing for our Great Sui Dynasty and a boon for all the people under heaven. The title of ‘Sage Khan’ is truly well-deserved.”

Yang Jian nodded slightly, his smile unchanged, and sat back down at his desk, tapping lightly on the edge of the map with his fingers. He said, "When Datou begged for peace, he ceded the three cities of Yiwu, Shanshan, and Gaochang."

"These three cities are all strategic locations. I intend to develop the Western Regions. Fei Xiong, are you willing to guard the western frontier for my Great Sui?"

Lu Shang paused for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, I should carry out your orders and lead the way. However, the western border is inhabited by various tribes, with Hu merchants living together with herdsmen, and Han generals serving in the same office as Hu chieftains. I fear that I may fail Your Majesty's expectations."

Yang Jian moved his finger from the edge of the map to Liangzhou, tapped it heavily, and said, "I intend to send you to Liangzhou to gain some experience."

"Liangzhou?"

Lu Shang's heart stirred.

The emperor's fingertips traced the ochre lines on the map of Liangzhou, and he said softly, "When you go to Liangzhou, you will not only be a general holding the imperial axe, but also a governor who governs all the people."

"The Governor of Liangzhou!"

Lu Shang was taken aback. Although Liangzhou was ranked in the middle among the three levels of prefectures and counties in the Sui Dynasty, and the governor of Liangzhou was a fourth-rank official, Liangzhou was located in the northwest and was an important town on the western border of the Sui Dynasty. Its position was extremely important.

In the first year of the Kaihuang era, Yang Jian abolished Wuwei Commandery and established the Liangzhou General Administration Office, a second-rank official position, with its capital at Guzang. It oversaw fourteen prefectures: Liang, Gua, Yi, Xi, Gan, Su, Lan, Shan, He, Min, Kuo, Sha, Ting, and Hui, and was in charge of military affairs in these prefectures.

The first governor of Liangzhou was Yang Shuang, the Prince of Wei and half-brother of Yang Jian, who led 70,000 infantry and cavalry to defend against the Hu people.

The next governor of Liangzhou after Yang Shuang was He Louzigan, the Duke of Julu and a Grand General. Both governors of Liangzhou were people the emperor trusted most.

"That's right, you are the governor of Liangzhou. You are my nephew and will be my son-in-law in the future. You can be said to be my closest relative. I trust you."

Yang Jian's eyes were bright as he said, "You have already proven your military strategy in the northern frontier. This trip to Liangzhou is to give you more experience in civil administration so that you can take on heavier responsibilities in the future."

"Liangzhou is the western gateway of our Great Sui Dynasty. Although the northern threat has been eliminated, there is still the Tuyuhun in the western border, which frequently causes border conflicts. He Louzigan is stationed in Liangzhou to cultivate land and govern the army, and is often harassed by the Tuyuhun. I hereby appoint you as the governor of Liangzhou to assist He Louzigan in governing the western Liangzhou."

“After He Louzi’s term is over, I want you to take over his responsibilities.”

(End of this chapter)