My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 320 Micro-management
Zhuojun, Daxiaochang.

The officials from the Ministry of War stood in the courtyard, whispering among themselves, their faces filled with fear and helplessness.

Just as they were discussing this, the gate was suddenly pushed open, and a tall, strong man braved the wind and snow to walk into the courtyard. The officials were shocked and hurriedly bowed to him.

The visitor was none other than Duke Xu, Yuwen Shu.

Yuwen Shu was almost a head taller than the officials present. He was dressed in thick clothes, like a giant bear, and exhaled thick mist from his mouth. He looked at the people in front of him and asked, "Where is Husi Zheng?"

"The Vice Minister is inside with the Minister."

Yuwen Shu ignored them and strode into the house. He pushed open the door and had just stepped inside when he heard Husi Zheng's reprimand, "It's windy outside! Didn't I tell you not to come in and out so often?"

Husi Zheng was sitting on the left side of the bed, speaking unhappily. When he turned his head, he was shocked to find that the person who came was Yuwen Shu. Husi Zheng quickly stood up and bowed to him.

Yuwen Shu ignored the jerk and walked a few steps to the bedside.

Duan Wenzhen lay weakly on the bed, motionless.

When the army first arrived in Hebei, Duan Wenzhen fell ill. The further they went, the worse his condition became. By the time they reached Zhuojun, he was already on his deathbed and looked like he couldn't hold on any longer.

Yuwen Shuhuan sat down angrily and called out softly, "Minister Duan?"

He called out several times, and Duan Wenzhen finally opened his eyes.

Duan Wenzhen's eyes were cloudy and he was weak. He looked at Yuwen Shu beside him, and his eyes finally regained some light. He raised his hand with difficulty and waved it out. Yuwen Shu understood what he meant and said seriously, "You can all leave!"

Husi Zheng narrowed his eyes, and although he was very reluctant, he still stood up and quickly left.

After everyone had left, Duan Wenzhen finally asked, "Duke Xu, has he... has he not yet sent troops?"

Yuwen Shu frowned, his expression helpless. "His Majesty said that we can only set out when the entire army has arrived. There are still many troops on the way, including soldiers from Sichuan and the south. Some encountered floods or fell ill on the way, which delayed us."

Duan Wenzhen's eyes widened, and he suddenly grabbed Yuwen Shu's wrist. "No, we can't wait! Duke Xu, we must act quickly! We can't hesitate! We can't wait! Send out the troops as soon as possible!"

Yuwen Shu looked helpless. He knew the importance of a quick victory, but the problem was that he was not the commander of this war. He was only the commander of one army. The emperor wanted to use twelve armies to attack Goguryeo, and the commander of the twelve armies was the emperor himself!
No one could influence his thoughts, and the decision to send troops was entirely up to the emperor. What could Yuwen Shu do?

Yuwen Shu comforted him, "Minister Duan, don't worry. His Majesty will be sending troops soon, and I will persuade him to comply."

Duan Wenzhen nodded heavily, "Husi Zheng."

"I will keep an eye on him and won't let him ruin things."

Upon hearing Yuwen Shu's words, Duan Wenzhen finally calmed down. He lay on the bed and gestured to his pillow. Yuwen Shu took out a document from under his pillow. Before Yuwen Shu could ask any questions, Duan Wenzhen fell silent. His eyes were vacant and his face was expressionless. Yuwen Shu sensed something was wrong and reached out to check his breath, only to learn that Duan Wenzhen had passed away.
At least, Duan Wenzhen handed the suicide note to Yuwen Shu.

Duan Wenzhen's will was a memorial to the emperor, in which he explained his thoughts in detail.

In his book, Duan Wenzhen mentioned that "the clowns of Liaodong are cunning" and believed that their surrender should not be accepted easily. With the water level dropping, the army should not hesitate and should advance immediately for a quick victory. Moreover, they should not pay attention to other cities and focus on Pyongyang. Once Pyongyang is captured, the other cities can be pacified. If they hesitate and run out of food, there will be big problems.

This was not the first time Duan Wenzhen had urged the emperor to advance, but it was certainly the last.

He knew he couldn't hold out for long, and he had nothing to be afraid of, so he gave all his advice at once.

The emperor was moved after reading his memorial.

If this were a memorial from a living person, the emperor would probably punish him. However, since it was a memorial from a dead person, the emperor was quite magnanimous.

Just as Emperor Yang Guang issued an edict to posthumously confer titles and other honors, another soldier came to report that Prince Guan, Yang Xiong, had passed away. Yang Xiong was also one of the veteran generals of the Sui Dynasty. He had previously followed Yuwen Shu in the campaign against Tuyuhun and had made great achievements in battle. However, he was too old and had just arrived at the front line when he could not withstand the severe cold and suddenly died.

The cold at the border was unlike any other place, especially for these old men. Traveling a long distance in such weather was no different from killing someone. After two old generals died in succession, the emperor finally became restless.

In the main hall.

The emperor sat on the throne, with the generals of the twelve guards standing on either side, majestic and eager to fight.

As Yang Guang surveyed the formidable generals around him, he could hardly contain his excitement.

Li Xuanba was also among these generals at this moment.

In terms of official rank, Li Xuanba was not qualified to participate at all. Those present were generals of the Twelve Guards, the most elite and core officers of the Sui Dynasty. However, Li Xuanba had the Xiaoguo Army under his command, which belonged to the Right Guard. The Right Guard did not have a general, so Li Xuanba, as a Zhechong Langjiang, became the supreme commander and stood with these generals.

However, even when standing together, he was at the very back.

Yang Guang sized up the fierce generals around him, barely suppressing his excitement.

He cleared his throat and declared loudly, "Today, we are here to punish the wicked and comfort the people!! This war is absolutely not for any personal gain!"

"This action is for the greater good of the world! It is for the sake of all the people!!"

Yuwen Shu took the lead in agreeing.

Yang Guang then looked at the crowd before him and said solemnly, "Among you generals, if any of you fail to understand my intentions and attempt to launch surprise attacks with light troops, fight alone, and refuse to cooperate with the main army, merely to highlight your own bravery and establish your own fame to invite rewards, then you have violated the original purpose of our expedition, and I will not forgive you!!!"

The generals could understand why Yang Guang hadn't said it was for fame or glory, but his second statement left them bewildered. What did it mean? That he couldn't lead troops alone? That he couldn't demonstrate his bravery? That he couldn't achieve fame or glory?
Yuwen Shu was the first to react, and he quickly said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured! We will all obey Your Majesty's decree and will never act on our own! We will not jeopardize the overall situation!"

The generals then realized what was happening and followed Yuwen Shu in saluting.

Yang Guang was very pleased. He nodded and said, "That's for the best. I've already thought it through. You must advance in three routes. If there's any battle, all three routes must attack together and cooperate with each other. I absolutely forbid any one of you from going out alone, which could lead to defeat!"

"Furthermore, all military matters—whether it be advancing, retreating, changing formations, or launching a surprise attack—must be reported to me first and await my orders. No one is permitted to act without my command!!"

In an instant, the generals were in an uproar.

They can understand the importance of not ruining the overall situation and cooperating with each other. They can't understand the need for simultaneous attacks on three fronts in war, but they can barely accept it. But this damn thing—having to report and wait for orders for everything?! How can we fight like this? If the enemy attacks, do we need the emperor's approval before we can even engage?

The generals all looked at Yuwen Shu, hoping that he could take the lead in dissuading them.

Yuwen Shu hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Your Majesty, with a million troops mobilized, there are too many military orders. If Your Majesty has to oversee each one, wouldn't that exhaust you? In my opinion, the decisions regarding advancing and retreating are beyond the generals' control, but the details of the battle..."

"I have made up my mind!"

Yang Guang looked towards the door and shouted, "Someone come here!"

A moment later, Husi Zheng, the Vice Minister of War, strode in, bowed to the Emperor, and said to him, "From now on, you will be responsible for contacting the generals. You must keep communication open at all times and never delay military matters! Do you understand?!"

Husi Zheng's face turned red, and he excitedly bowed to Yang Guang.

"Here!!"

(End of this chapter)