In the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era: I became Yang Guozhong's eldest son.

The letter stated that An Lushan's army was advancing rapidly, having already captured dozens of cities in Hebei, with Luoyang falling and Tongguan in imminent danger.

Panic gripped Chang'an, and officials fled the city.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had made up his mind to lead the imperial family and officials to flee to Sichuan.

In his letter, Yang Guozhong wept bitterly, admitting that he had not heeded Yang Xuan's advice, which led to the terrible disaster he was in.

His only hope now lies with his son, whom he personally banished to the remote borderlands, who miraculously raised a formidable army.

"...I know you harbor resentment, but the Yang family's fate is intertwined; if one prospers, the other prospers; if one falls, the Yang family suffers extermination!"

"His Majesty has decreed that you must immediately lead the Yaozhou army north to defend the Emperor and escort him into Shu! Once the mission is accomplished, the position of Military Governor of Jiannan will be yours."

"Remember! Remember! Send troops immediately to rescue your father from this dire situation!"

After reading this heart-wrenching plea for help, Yang Xuan's lips slowly curled into a mocking smile.

If only I had known then what I know now, I wouldn't have done it in the first place.

In the eyes of his adoptive father, his son was ultimately just a tool that could be sacrificed at any time or used to save his life at any time.

Yang Xuan placed the blood-written letter aside, then slowly unfurled the bright yellow imperial edict.

The contents of the imperial edict were very similar to the blood-written edict, which simply appointed Yang Xuan as the "Commander-in-Chief of Jiannan Circuit" and ordered him to immediately lead all his troops northward day and night to meet the emperor's carriage in the Hanzhong area. He was also strictly ordered to annihilate all rebel forces along the way without fail.

The atmosphere inside the tent became heavy.

Li Guangbi, Pei Zhao, and the others all stared intently at Yang Xuan, awaiting the commander's decision.

This was not only a family letter, but also an imperial edict representing the highest authority of the Tang Dynasty.

In this era of absolute imperial power, disobeying an imperial edict was a capital offense punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

Moreover, the one who wrote the letter seeking help was Yang Xuan's biological father.

"My lord..." Cui Shen hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and said in a low voice, "This imperial edict... should we accept it or not? If we accept it, we will have to immediately abandon Chengdu, which is within our grasp, and lead our army north. The situation in the north is constantly changing, and An Lushan's rebel army is as fierce as wolves and tigers. If we go there, I'm afraid we will face great danger."

"We can't go!" Pei Zhao slapped his thigh and roared, "My lord, we've worked so hard to build this foundation in Jiannan Road. How much blood have our brothers shed? Why should we, the brothers of Jiannan, have to risk our lives to fill the mess left by those officials in Chang'an? With An Lushan's 150,000-strong army, our small force wouldn't even make a ripple!"

"General Pei, be careful what you say!" A lieutenant general from the Zhechong Prefecture, who had recently surrendered, was startled and hurriedly said, "This is an imperial edict! All land under heaven belongs to the emperor. As subjects of the Great Tang, how can we disobey the imperial edict? If His Majesty punishes us, we will all be traitors! Moreover, the Right Chancellor is, after all, the young master's biological father..."

"Bullshit!" Pei Zhao's eyes widened in anger as he grabbed the lieutenant by the collar. "Where was the imperial edict when that old traitor Xianyu sent men to kill us? Now that they're about to die, they remember us? My lord, I only recognize you, not any imperial edict!"

The tent erupted into chaos. The surrendered generals, mindful of the emperor's authority, advocated obeying the imperial decree to defend the king; while the original Yaozhou army resolutely opposed becoming cannon fodder for the court.

"Shut up, all of you!"

Yang Xuan suddenly shouted in a deep voice.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unyielding authority that instantly silenced all the noise inside the tent.

Yang Xuan held the rolled-up, bright yellow imperial edict, slowly turned around, and faced all the generals in the tent.

His eyes were icy cold, devoid of any warmth, like those of a god devoid of any emotion.

"Serving the Emperor? Protecting him?" Yang Xuan's voice echoed in the tent, laced with mockery. "Who ruined this Tang Dynasty? It was the emperor, indulging in wine and women in Xingqing Palace; it was that greedy and incompetent Right Chancellor; it was those officials who held their positions without doing their jobs!"

He held the imperial edict high, his gaze sweeping across the surrendered generals who advocated obeying the edict.

"Now that they've plunged the world into chaos, they're packing their bags and preparing to flee, yet they expect us, the sons of Jiannan, to use our flesh and blood to shield them? Why should we?!"

"Just based on this flimsy imperial edict? Just based on a father who can abandon me at any time?!"

Yang Xuan's words were like daggers, striking everyone's hearts like heavy hammer blows.

"I, Yang Xuan, am not a dog that Yang Guozhong keeps and can order around at will. I am not a member of Jiannan, nor am I cannon fodder for the Li family dynasty!"

Yang Xuan abruptly threw the imperial edict, which represented supreme imperial power, along with the blood-written letter filled with a desire to survive, into the red-hot charcoal brazier beside him without hesitation.

"boom!"

The flames instantly engulfed the bright yellow silk and the blood-stained white silk.

The firelight illuminated Yang Xuan's cold and stern face, casting an extremely long shadow of him.

"My lord..." The messenger stared in disbelief at the scene, his eyes filled with despair and disbelief. "You...you actually defied the imperial decree...The Right Chancellor, he..."

"Go back and tell Yang Guozhong." Yang Xuan looked down at him, his voice icy cold. "I, Yang Xuan, earned my own life. The foundation of Jiannan was built by my brothers and me, sword and spear. If he wants to live, he'd better find a way himself. From this day forward, the doors of Jiannan Road are closed to Chang'an!"

"Someone! Bandage his wounds, get him a better horse, and send him out of camp!"

Two guards immediately stepped forward and dragged the completely limp bodyguard away.

The tent fell silent once again.

Everyone was stunned by Yang Xuan's thunderous actions and resolute attitude.

She burned the imperial edict and refused her biological father's pleas for help.

What does this mean?

This means that from this moment on, Yang Xuan completely severed the last political ties with the Li Tang court, and also completely severed the blood ties with the Yang family.

He was no longer the demoted Minister of Ceremonies, nor the son of the Right Chancellor.

He is the new king of this southwestern land.

"My lord is so powerful!" Pei Zhao was the first to react, his face flushed with excitement. He knelt on one knee and roared, "This humble general swears to follow my lord to the death! To protect Jiannan!"

"I swear to follow my lord to the death! To protect Jiannan!"

The veteran generals inside the tent all knelt down, their voices shaking the roof tiles.

Those generals who had initially wavered lost all hope in the court after witnessing Yang Xuan's domineering power and ability to manipulate events at will. They all knelt down in unison.

In this chaotic world, following a fierce tiger who dares to cause chaos is far more likely to lead to survival than following a foolish ruler who flees in panic.

Yang Xuan looked at the generals kneeling at his feet, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

The reason he burned the imperial edict in public was not only to demonstrate his determination not to be cannon fodder, but more importantly, to completely unify the morale of the army and sever all hope of the court.

In chaotic times, the most taboo thing is to be indecisive and waver.

"Get up, everyone." Yang Xuan raised his hand, his tone returning to calm.

He turned to look at Cui Shen, a calculating glint in his eyes.

"Cui Shen, notify Lei Laohu immediately."

"Have him use all of Tingfeng Pavilion's spies in Chengdu to spread the news throughout every corner of Chengdu before midnight tonight that I have refused the imperial edict, refused to go north to defend the emperor, and vowed to protect the people of Jiannan at all costs!"

Cui Shen's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood Yang Xuan's intention.

"Does my lord intend to... kill him and destroy his spirit?"

"Not bad." Yang Xuan sneered, his gaze fixed on the Chengdu city outside the tent, which lay dormant like a giant beast in the night.

"Xianyu Zhongtong's only hope now is that I will be transferred by the court. If he finds out that I'm not leaving, not only will I not leave, but I'll even dare to burn the emperor's edict."

"Do you think his generals would be willing to die alongside a madman who is doomed to die?"

Upon hearing this, Li Guangbi stroked his beard and laughed heartily: "My lord, this plan is extremely ruthless. Once this news reaches the city, the already collapsing garrison will surely be thrown into complete chaos. That old traitor Xianyu is doomed!"

"Go ahead and do it," Yang Xuan waved his hand. "Let the brothers get a good night's rest. Tomorrow, we'll prepare to enter the city."

"Here you go!"

With Yang Xuan's command, the massive war machine of Yaozhou Army began to operate once again.

This time, however, they didn't use swords, but rumors, which are sharper and more deadly than swords.

That night, inside Chengdu Prefecture.

The cold wind howled, and the streets were as deserted as a ghost town.

But behind those tightly closed doors and windows, in those dark corners of the barracks, a startling message, like a plague, spread wildly at an incredible speed.

"Have you heard? The imperial court has issued an edict, ordering General Yang outside the city to lead troops to rescue the emperor!"

"Really? Does that mean we're saved?"

"Save my ass! That General Yang burned the imperial edict in front of the entire army! He said those officials in Chang'an have brought disaster to the country, and now they want to use the lives of us Jiannan people to fill the hole? Dream on! He said he would rather die than leave Jiannan, and he will protect the people of Shu!"

"Really?! General Yang really said that?!"

"Absolutely true! This news came from the camp outside the city, and it was said by the people of Tingfeng Pavilion themselves. General Yang also said that as long as the people in the city lay down their weapons and surrender, he guarantees that they will not harm a single person, and anyone who dares to harm a hair on the head of a civilian will be executed without mercy!"

"But...but what about Marshal Jie..."

"Still call him General? That madman! He killed Vice General Li again today! Following him, we're all doomed sooner or later! Since General Yang has spared our lives, why should we be buried with that old traitor?!"

Fear, anger, and the will to survive, in the hearts of these defenders who were tormented to the brink of collapse by Xianyu Zhongtong's oppressive rule, exploded like a powder keg that had been lit.

When the last spark of hope was ignited, the suppressed anger transformed into a raging inferno.