My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 360 Protecting the Child

Pyongyang.

Gao Yuan sat in the high seat and repeatedly questioned the soldiers in front of him.

"Are you sure you saw it clearly?"

"Did they really evacuate?"

The soldier was also filled with excitement. He nodded, "Your Majesty! It's true! They really withdrew! I saw the Sui army begin to retreat with my own eyes!"

Gao Yuan's face turned red. In front of his ministers, he could no longer maintain the dignity of a monarch. These days, he had lived in constant fear, afraid that one day he would become a prisoner of the Sui people. He raised his head and shouted, "Heaven has not forsaken me! This is the will of Heaven! Even a million soldiers cannot kill me!"

His ministers all stood up and loudly congratulated Gao Yuan.

Yeon Tae-jo and Eulji Mundeok stood at the very front.

After his initial elation, Gao Yuan did not forget the two men and immediately ordered that all the officials and generals who had participated in the war be rewarded.

After bestowing the rewards, Gao Yuan suddenly asked in a low voice, "Now that the Sui people are unable to hold out and are forced to retreat, their morale must be low. What would happen if we pursue them now?"

Eulji Mundeok said without hesitation, "If we pursue them now, we will be utterly defeated by the Sui people."

Gao Yuan was taken aback. "Back then, they were in high spirits, had plenty of supplies, and were strong and well-equipped, so we were still able to defeat them. Now that they have lost their fighting spirit and only want to go home, how come we can't defeat them?"

Eulji Mundeok said, “Your Majesty, we were able to defeat them back then because of divine favor. Such opportunities will not always come. The enemy is far stronger than us, so we can only passively defend and cannot take the initiative to attack.”

Gao Yuan smiled and said, "Then we will not pursue them."

"I will pardon the criminals in my country and send people to the Turks to re-establish an alliance with them!"

"Although they couldn't come to our aid this time, now that we've defeated the Sui people, the Turks will surely have different ideas. Next time, our two families can advance and retreat together, and we won't have to worry about being harmed by the bandits!"

All the ministers agreed.

The Koreans were ecstatic, and celebrations of victory were taking place throughout the country.

It was only at this point that Lai Huer, who had been guarding the border of Pyongyang, received the imperial edict informing him of the order to withdraw his troops.

Lai Huer's previous expedition was ambushed by the Koreans, resulting in the loss of 40,000 elite troops in one battle.

After that, Lai Huer waited for an opportunity to take revenge.

Unfortunately, instead of getting the chance to attack, they received orders to retreat.

Lai Huer held the imperial edict in his hand and examined it repeatedly.

Zhou Fashang sat to the side, his brows furrowed and his expression grave.

"Pei Yun is plotting a rebellion??"

Lai Huer handed the imperial edict to Zhou Fashang, looking puzzled. "Something feels off to me."

“Pei Yun, Wei Xuan, Mai Tiezhang, Fan Zigai and other ministers are all His Majesty’s confidants. How could they possibly raise an army together to rebel?”

"Furthermore, His Majesty initially gave me an edict stating that Pyongyang must be captured and that there should be no retreat. How could he have changed his mind so quickly?"

Lai Huer felt increasingly uneasy, his brows furrowed, lost in thought.

Zhou Fashang put down the imperial edict and said softly, "Was the Duke's earlier haste to attack the rebels' capital also because of the imperial edict?"

Lai Huer's face stiffened, and she did not answer.

Zhou Fashang slowly said, "It could have been used as leverage, but instead, they insisted on launching an attack. This order was probably issued by His Majesty after being misled by Pei Yun."

"Please do not hesitate, Duke. Since His Majesty has issued the decree, you should obey. The troops can be withdrawn now."

Lai Huer was displeased. He looked at Zhou Fashang and said, "General Zhou, you have always been intelligent. Can't you see the problem here?"

"If I were wise, I wouldn't have stood by and watched tens of thousands of my brothers die in Pyongyang."

"you!!"

Lai Huer said with a stern face, "Do you think I don't care about those soldiers? But this is war. We are all soldiers. When we go to the battlefield, there will be casualties. The previous defeat was my fault. When I see His Majesty, I will ask him to punish me. But the problem now is no longer about the battle."

"I suspect there's a rebellion in the court, and they've taken His Majesty hostage!"

Zhou Fashang looked so calm, not flustered at all.

"So, what does the Duke intend to do?"

"I will return by water first, and then send the message to the capital to recruit soldiers in the south."

"Then the Duke is a rebel. Only a rebel would secretly recruit soldiers. When that happens, an imperial edict will be issued, and all the generals in the land will come to punish the Duke."

Lai Huer frowned. “Then let’s first ascertain His Majesty’s condition. General Zhou, you have achieved your current position only because of His Majesty’s favor. At this time, we must work together and do things hand in hand.” A hint of sadness flashed in Zhou Fashang’s eyes.

“I have received great kindness from His Majesty, and I should repay him.”

“Duke Rong, if you truly suspect a rebellion, you shouldn’t rush to expose it. Pretend you know nothing, obey the imperial edict, and then ascertain the situation on His Majesty’s side.”

Lai Huer felt much relieved when she saw that Zhou Fashang was willing to back down, and then she began to discuss countermeasures with him.

The two talked for a long time and finally came up with a preliminary plan.

Lai Huer hurriedly ordered the soldiers to evacuate the area.

Zhou Fashang stood on the watchtower for the last time, staring intently at the distant city of Pyongyang.

Those fierce warriors of the South whom he had trained, those lads who could take on ten men single-handedly, died in that distant city in a very humiliating way. Their bodies were desecrated, their heads were cut off, and the Koreans proudly displayed their heads in a mound of skulls to show off their bravery.

Every time Zhou Fashang looked at that city, his heart ached terribly.

He had no other thoughts than to slaughter the bandit city before he died and bring his brothers home.
He slowly closed his eyes, turned around, and walked down from there.

Brothers, wait for me to come back.

Lai Huer's naval force also began to withdraw.

They boarded the ship one after another. Unlike the jubilant soldiers, these brave warriors from Lianghuai had eyes full of sorrow.

Most of those who remain are new recruits, soldiers who were recruited for the first time.

As for the veterans in the army and the officers of these new recruits, the people they relied on were all left in that distant city and could no longer return with them.

The army's morale was low, and the fleet set sail in silence, leaving the area.

Lai Huer stood at the bow of the boat, gazing into the distance, his fists clenched.

At present, the only option is to return to Donglai Port as quickly as possible. I remember there is a fierce warrior there named Zhang Xutuo who participated in suppressing the rebellion in the past. I need to find help as soon as possible. However, before that, I must first ascertain His Majesty's situation.

I wonder how things are going on His Majesty's side.

The emperor's carriage was traveling along the bumpy road.

The Xiaoguo Guards escorted the emperor and his officials at the very back, while the newly conquered territories were to be managed by Yuan Hongsi, the governor of Youzhou.

This notoriously cruel governor of Youzhou was surprisingly respectful to Su Wei and Yuwen Shu, and even repeatedly expressed his desire to meet the emperor.

Su Wei did not agree, but only told him to guard the city on the front line, gave him some rewards, and then sent him away.

Su Wei disliked this cruel official very much. Yuwen Shu was alright, but Yuan Hongsi was no different from these military men.

The elite guards escorted the group away into the distance, the soldiers laughing and talking in hushed tones.

Yuwen Shiji walked ahead of the emperor's carriage.

He turned around several times to look in the direction of the carriage, his face full of reluctance.

Within a year, Yang Guang remained huddled in his high position, looking dazed.

The swaying of the carriage made him very uncomfortable, and he vomited for several days in a row, but his condition did not improve.

The road was so bumpy!

Yang Guang immediately realized that those villains had deliberately taken a wicked path to torment him and force him to his death.

Yang Guang's cheeks are still swollen, and his right eye remains purple. Li Xuanba's punch was simply too heavy.

Yang Guang was unconscious for a long time before he finally woke up. He couldn't believe that he had really been beaten by his own men!
This punch shattered Yang Guang's confidence.

He is now trapped in this carriage, and he is terrified whenever someone passes by outside.

Li Xuanba left a very deep shadow on him.

Yuwen Shiji hesitated for a moment before trying to get into the carriage.

Several soldiers held their spears directly in front of him.

"General, without an imperial edict, no one is allowed to enter."

"His Majesty just vomited, let me wipe him clean."

The soldiers remained unmoved, simply staring coldly at him.

Yuwen Shiji turned and left helplessly.

(End of this chapter)