My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 310 Deploying a Million Troops
When the envoy sent to the King of Goryeo returned to Luoyang, Yang Guang was in high spirits.

As Pei Shiju and others had predicted, Gao Yuan had no courage to come to Luoyang to see the emperor. He declined the offer. Yang Guang was furious and immediately declared that he would not let the corrupt official Gao Yuan off the hook. He then ordered Yuwen Shu to come to the palace to discuss important matters with him.

When Yuwen Shu came to the emperor's side, he looked sickly, with dark circles under his eyes and a listless demeanor.

When Yang Guang saw Yuwen Shu's appearance, he immediately felt a surge of anger.

"Duke Xu, the war is about to begin, how can you indulge in such pleasures?"

Yuwen Shu said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, it's not that I'm indulging in pleasure, it's just that so many people have come to me to complain these days, and I can't sleep because of my worries."

Yang Guang was very surprised, "Who came to you to complain?"

Yuwen Shu replied, "Many generals and dukes in the country have come to me, and they are all very afraid."

"Fear??"

Yang Guang was truly enraged this time. "Are my generals afraid to go to war for me?"

"Your Majesty, please calm down! It is an honor for the generals to lead the expedition for Your Majesty, something we would gladly accept. Why would we be afraid? What they fear is not the expedition itself, but the Grand Censor Pei Yun."

Yang Guang's eyes widened in disbelief as he asked, "Pei Yun is a scholar, so why are the generals afraid of him?"

“Your Majesty, although he is a scholar, his censors are spread all over the country. They can even spy on military affairs. If the generals make the slightest mistake, he will know about it, reprimand them to their faces, and then report it to Your Majesty. Even I am afraid, let alone them.”

Yang Guang was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses.

With a stern face, he slowly said, "Yes, I understand."

After Yuwen Shu expressed his demands, he did not say anything more, and Yang Guang then shifted the topic to Goryeo.

“Gao Yuan has been secretly communicating with the Turks and has disobeyed my edict by refusing to come to Luoyang. These are all capital offenses.”

"I have decided to summon all the armies in the land to Zhuojun."

"Send troops to attack Goguryeo."

"I intend to use the elite troops of the realm to sweep away the barbarians and pacify the land. However, many ministers within the country are privately opposing me, believing that we should not use such a large force for the expedition. What does the Duke of Xu think?"

Yuwen Shu was actually a little apprehensive. Even if it was just dispatching part of the navy from Hedong, Hebei, and Shandong, mobilizing 200,000 to 300,000 men, Yuwen Shu would dare to jump up and fight for the position of commander.

However, His Majesty is mobilizing the entire army of the empire, including the Imperial Guards, without leaving a single soldier behind. Never before in history has a great nation mobilized its entire army for a distant expedition. This frightened Yuwen Shu.

But Yuwen Shu also knew in his heart that if he dared to raise any questions now, his previous favor and superior status would disappear.

He had no choice but to gamble with the emperor. With a stern face and solemn expression, he said, "Your Majesty, those who oppose the expedition are all useless scholars who have never led troops in their lives. They only know how to stay at home and point fingers at important military matters. We are all willing to go to war for Your Majesty and bring peace to the world!"

Yang Guang was overjoyed, "Then when shall we set off?"

Yuwen Shu said, "Your Majesty, we can send out troops from the military garrisons that are furthest away first. We don't need to rush. Otherwise, after the main army arrives in Zhuojun, we will have to wait for the troops that arrive later, which will cause a lot of waste."

Yang Guang nodded, "Then you and Duan Wenzhen will be in charge of the timing of the troop deployments from various regions!"

"Here!"

Xiaoguo Training Ground.

Yang Xuanzong, clad in armor and riding a warhorse, led his knights in a gallop. Controlling the horse while simultaneously shooting was no easy task; one wrong move and he would fall off. Yang Xuanzong fired many arrows, but none hit their mark.

The atmosphere on the training ground was intense. The commander of an army often determines the shape of the entire army. If the commander is belligerent, the army will be belligerent; if the commander is cowardly, the army will not be very brave. Li Xuanba's personal style is also influencing this powerful army.

Their training was frequent, the soldiers were all combative, the atmosphere was solemn, and they spoke little, unlike most of the imperial guards in Luoyang.

The news that the emperor was going to attack Goguryeo had spread, shocking the entire world!
The emperor wanted to mobilize all the armies in the land to launch a distant expedition against Goguryeo and completely wipe out the rebels.

Military prefectures across the land are making preparations for the expedition, and it is said that some prefectures located extremely far away have already begun their departures. The generals of the Twelve Guards are all busy gathering their troops and beginning intensive training.

The Xiaoguo Army, being under the jurisdiction of the Right Army, was exempt from this requirement; they were to depart with the emperor.

The soldiers were eager to earn military merit in the upcoming war, and they trained with extra seriousness. Li Xuanba also wanted more people to be able to return home safely, so he became even stricter. Only through more training could he protect the lives of his men.

The day's drills finally came to an end, and the soldiers, exhausted, sat down to rest.

Yang Xuanzong laboriously removed his armor, drank a whole bag of water, and then quickly walked to Li Xuanba's main tent.

"General!"

Yang Xuanzong bowed and paid his respects.

Li Xuanba was talking with Qin Qiong when he saw Yang Xuanzong arrive. He smiled and nodded, "General Yang, you've really had a hard day. With General Yuan transferred away, the training has to be led by the two of us. Please don't take the soldiers' private complaints to heart."

"General, don't worry, I know everything."

Yang Xuanzong said with a smile.

Yuan Li was transferred back to the Right Army, supposedly to serve as a general under a Zhao-surname general.

The general surnamed Zhao was not a military talent. He was able to become a general because he was very rich and bribed Yuwen Shu. While the emperor was having Li Xuanba build a large army, he also made sure that Zhao was not idle. He was also asked to build a new army of about 10,000 men and Yuan Li was sent to help him.

Later, Yuanli came back to them several times, complaining about General Zhao. He said that this man was simply wasting soldiers, recruiting so many capable people, but he didn't know how to train them at all, and even hindered his training. He always felt that Yuanli wanted to seize power and was extremely wary of him.

Whenever Yuan Li complained, Qin Qiong would jokingly say: At least he is a Guanzhong native.

Yuan Li could only shake his head and sigh.

After Yuan Li left, Yang Xuanzong took his place and began to lead the training, thus becoming the new target of the soldiers' complaints.

Yang Xuanzong sat to the side, while Li Xuanba began to discuss the training content for the day after tomorrow.

Yang Xuanzong waited for Li Xuanba to finish speaking before he spoke, "General, I want to go home. I haven't seen my family for a long time, and I miss them terribly. Fortunately, I have a day off tomorrow."

Li Xuanba paused for a moment, then said, “Alright, General, go if you wish, but please return as soon as possible.”

“Every day before the campaign is precious. His Majesty has gathered a strong army not only to protect him, but also to entrust him with a very important mission. The more we train now, the more of our brothers will survive.”

"Here!"

Yang Xuanzong bowed and then left.

Qin Qiong looked at Li Xuanba with some worry, "General, you haven't been home since the new army was formed. We're about to go on a campaign soon, why don't you go back for a visit?"

“My second brother once told me that the most powerful generals must learn to share weal and woe with their soldiers. The soldiers in the training ground haven’t seen their families for a long time, so how could I sneak home? Let’s wait a bit longer. Before the campaign, there will definitely be a reward and rest. I’ll go see them then. It’s just a pity for Captain Qin, you can’t go back.”

Qin Qiong pursed his lips and gently shook his head. "There's hardly anyone left in my family. My mother passed away two years ago."

The Duke of Chu's Mansion.

Yang Xuanzong walked to the gate, looking excited. The servants at the gate saw him and stared at him for a long time before they dared to confirm it.

"Second Young Master?!"

Yang Xuanzong looked at them suspiciously, "I've only been gone a short time, how come you don't recognize me?"

The servants looked at Yang Xuanzong in front of them and saw that his appearance had changed drastically. He had become dark and thin. The most significant change was in his temperament. In the past, Yang Xuanzong always had a frivolous and irritable feeling, and he looked at people with a sidelong glance. He didn't seem like a tiger son of a military family, but rather like a wandering knight. But now, he looked upright and solemn. At first glance, he really did have a bit of the old Duke's shadow.

(End of this chapter)