My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 267 Beware
Li Xuanba remained standing in the same spot throughout the entire court meeting, which lasted until the meeting ended.

He and his comrades-in-arms at this moment belonged to the 'newcomers'.

If the emperor suddenly flew into a rage and shouted "Guards!" demanding the arrest of a certain official, they would rush out to apprehend him. However, the arrests had to be made by the young men closest to the emperor. Li Xuanba was standing quite far away and had just arrived, so he was not qualified to participate in such important matters.

In any case, Li Xuanba personally experienced a complete court meeting. Apart from the matter of the Turkic envoy, the ministers also submitted many other memorials, which was something Li Xuanba had not expected. In the past, he thought that the ministers would not dare to offer advice, but that was not the case.

The ministers simply dared not criticize the emperor, but they were quite adept at attacking their colleagues, digging out the shortcomings and flaws of other departments. In court discussions, one could even see several ministers hurling insults and attacks at each other, each producing documents to prove their points, presenting evidence and presenting a very professional and respectable image, just like a real imperial court.

However, no one mentioned the current grain disaster in the Central Plains and Hebei, nor did anyone mention the mass exodus from Jingxiang due to the thorough conscription of able-bodied men. This year, apart from military campaigns in the northwest and the construction of palaces in Hedong, the Sage has not carried out any other large-scale corvée labor, yet the effects of the previous large-scale corvée labor have already begun to slowly emerge.

Famine has broken out in various places, and food prices have soared again. This winter will surely drive countless innocent people to their deaths.

These were not among the matters discussed by the court officials.

Aside from the Turkic envoy, the ministers discussed two matters. The first was proposed by Pei Shiju, who suggested that the kings of the Western Regions come to Luoyang to witness the strength of the Sui Dynasty and deter them from any further disobedience.

Yang Guang was overjoyed. These days, he kept talking about his victories in the Northwest and told his men that he had accomplished the great feat of recovering the Western Regions. He immediately agreed to Pei Shiju's request.

Yang Guang ordered the chieftains of various tribes in the Western Regions to set off immediately and arrive in Luoyang before January of the following year, so that they could see the strength of the Sui Dynasty. Therefore, preparations should be made in advance.

First, shops in Luoyang must be decorated and buildings repaired, with uniform eaves. Curtains should be hung inside, and rare goods should be displayed throughout the shops. Merchants must wear magnificent clothes, and brocade should be laid on the floor and silk wrapped around trees. Restaurants along the road must be informed that if any foreigners pass by, the owners must invite them and, without asking for money, provide them with free food.

It was clear that the emperor attached great importance to this matter, and Pei Shiju quickly agreed.

Another matter was raised by Zhu Kuan, the Minister of Rites, who hoped to visit the Kingdom of Ryukyu again and persuade its ruler to submit.

After the sage ascended to the throne, he sent envoys to the Kingdom of Liuqiu twice, demonstrating his power and influence. This third time, of course, was to make the other party completely submit and pay tribute to him.

The emperor also took this matter very seriously and instructed Zhu Kuan to take immediate action. At the same time, he also ordered the construction of warships, preparing for the possibility that the other party might disagree.

If they disagree, then naturally they will have to attack.

After the court session ended, the emperor hurriedly left. He was very busy, as he still had to hold a grand banquet in the palace and have fun with the imperial family members. After the emperor left, the soldiers returned to their respective posts, but Li Xuanba was stopped by Sima Dekan.

Sima Dekan gestured for him to follow him, and the two quickly walked towards the palace gate.

Li Yuan was waiting outside, seemingly knowing they were coming.

Seeing Li Xuanba approaching, Li Yuan couldn't help but laugh. He looked the boy up and down. He was wearing ill-fitting armor, but his face was resolute and he had lost some of his naivety. Compared to before, he really did look like a soldier.

"Duke!"

Li Xuanba gave a military salute, and Li Yuan looked at him with some relief. He looked at Sima Dekan beside him and said, "General, thanks to your care, my child is unruly. I've always been worried that he'll get into trouble."

"Your Excellency, please don't say that. Xuanba has performed exceptionally well in the army. He puts in his full effort during training, learns everything quickly, and is reliable in his work. Your Excellency truly has a fine son! If I could have such a child, I would die without regrets."

Sima Dekan began to flatter him.

Knowing that the father and son must have something to say, he took the initiative to say, "I'll go back to the training ground first. Xuanba, you don't need to rush back. You can send the Duke out and then come back."

"Here!"

Sima Dekan turned and left. Logically speaking, this action was not in accordance with regulations, but for these dukes, rules and regulations were not so important.

Li Yuan led Li Xuanba along the road at a leisurely pace. "How are you? Are you getting used to it?"

“Grandpa, don’t worry. The training here is quite similar to what I do at home, so there’s nothing I’m not used to.” “That’s good, hahaha. Many years ago, I also served as a Qianniu Beishen, wearing the same armor as you.”

Looking at his own child, Li Yuan couldn't help but think of himself from many years ago.

“Your mother, sister, and brothers all miss you very much and always come to ask me when you will be able to come home.”

Are they all alright?

"That's all good. Your older sister is getting married."

"what?"

“Chai Shao’s mother sent someone to propose marriage. Your mother also thinks Chai Shao is a good person. That boy is indeed good and should treat your sister well.”

Li Yuan talked about many private family matters. After the two had walked a distance and were alone, Li Yuan put on a stern face and said in a low voice, "Sima Dekan was promoted by Yang Su and has dealings with Yang Xuangan. You should be careful and not trust him completely."

Li Xuanba was taken aback, then slowly said, "But I think the general is a very good person."

“You are still young. This person has participated in some important events with Yang Yue, which is why he was ordered to lead the guards around the Emperor. He is kind to you because we are all favored now. You are usually kind and trusting and have no sense of caution towards others. Things in the palace are very dangerous, so you must be careful, understand?”

"Here"

"Also, the Sage may be heading to Jiangdu soon. I have already started preparing the travel gear. Do not tell anyone about this. Once the Sage leaves, you will be able to relax and go home for a while."

Li Yuan gave many instructions before taking his leave.

Li Xuanba hurriedly returned to his training ground, only to receive orders to stand guard at the Sage's banquet.

The sage loved to hold banquets, and his banquets were extremely large. Sometimes, several large halls would be used to host banquets at the same time, which was far larger than the small banquets held by Li Yuan.

The banquets were not all for members of the royal family; some ministers also participated. Sometimes they would have fun together or take the opportunity to discuss important matters.

Just now, Pei Shiju was by the emperor's side, discussing matters concerning the Turkic Khan.

"Rangan intended to come to pay homage to clarify the successor, but he died of illness before he could reach Luoyang. This is a great thing. As long as the Emperor does not rush to respond, the Turks will surely be in chaos within three months!"

Yang Guang took a sip of wine, then looked at Pei Shiju, "What if they start a war?"

"I have other enemies to deal with, and I don't want to attack them for the time being."

"Your Majesty need not worry. When Ran Gan was still alive, the Turks did not have the confidence to rebel. Now that he is dead, his two sons cannot work together, so how dare they wage war against us?"

“We only need to wait a while, and then bestow the title of Khan upon Rangan’s second son. Then we can watch the Turks split up and fight amongst themselves, and we won’t have to worry about them anymore.”

Yang Guang's face was solemn. "It is a universally acknowledged principle that sons inherit their fathers' positions. Duoji is Rangan's eldest son and has not committed any evil deeds. If I were to directly bestow titles upon his second son, would the people of the world criticize me for it?"

Pei Shiju's lips trembled slightly. It was one thing for others to say that the second son's succession was inappropriate, but Your Majesty...
Of course, such talk of exterminating an entire clan could not be uttered, and Pei Shiju did not want to discuss this issue further. He simply said, "This is also for the sake of the greater cause. Over the years, Rangan has subjugated many tribes and its strength has grown stronger. If we do not do this, with the Turks eyeing us covetously, how can Your Majesty feel at ease expanding the territory in the future?"

Yang Guang thought for a moment, then sighed, "I was originally unwilling to use such an unjust method, but I had no choice but to follow Pei Gong's advice."

Pei Shiju remained silent for a long time.

(End of this chapter)