My wife, Wei Gui, was 1.9 meters tall and fought against the Tang dynasty for the throne.

Huaiyuan Town Military Camp.

Yang Guang sat high on his throne, his face grim.

On the emperor's desk lay a thick stack of reports, all urgent reports from the granary supervisors and transport officials along the river—the amount of grain and equipment for the Yongji Canal was decreasing batch by batch, and the quota for this month had not been met, with each level cutting back on the amount.

They were less than 100 miles from the front-line camp, but their supplies were slow to arrive.

During his three campaigns against Liaodong, the war was at a stalemate, and his biggest fear was the disruption of food supplies.

"Li Ju!" He slammed his hand on the imperial desk. "I entrusted you with the entire responsibility of the north-south grain transport and the military and national supply lines, and this is how you treat it?"

The civil and military officials in the tent remained silent, as if trembling with fear.

Pei Yun stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, the Directorate of Waterways is negligent and inactive, and is controlling the entire riverbank. I suspect that Li Ju is secretly hoarding grain and has other plans."

A few words, spoken lightly, yet each one piercing to the heart.

The courtiers seconded the motion, some saying that bandits were rampant, others saying that the canal transport system was in disarray, their criticisms subtly pointing at Li Ju.

Yang Guang's face grew increasingly grim, but he knew in his heart that the grain transport could not function without Li Ju; if it were someone else, even less grain would be transported.

"Issue the decree." He suppressed his anger and said coldly, "Severely reprimand the Directorate of Waterways, order them to expedite the transport of grain within a specified time, and compel them to replenish the grain quota and reinforce the river defenses. Any further failures will be punished according to military law."

The eunuch received the order and was about to draft the decree when Yang Guang raised his hand: "Yuwen Shu stays; the rest of you may leave."

The courtiers withdrew. Only Yuwen Shu remained in the tent.

Yang Guang stood up, walked to him, and spoke in a low but firm voice: "Your son-in-law is in charge of the grain transport for the entire country. The needs of the military and the nation are delayed and insufficient. Is it because the waterways are difficult to navigate, or because people are lax? You must personally supervise the children of your family and not let them ruin my important affairs."

Yuwen Shu immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have failed in my duty of oversight. I will immediately write a letter to admonish Li Ju. Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will strictly discipline him."

Yang Guang snorted coldly, turned away with a flick of his sleeve, and said nothing more.

Yuwen Shu left the camp, his back soaked with cold sweat.

Several days later, an urgent report arrived at the camp.

"Your Majesty! Goguryeo has sent envoys to surrender, offering to become a vassal state and return the traitors, only asking for an end to the war!"

Yang Guang accepted the letter of surrender, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

After years of campaigns against Liaodong, morale had collapsed and countless soldiers had deserted; he was no longer able to fight.

What Goguryeo presented was not a letter of surrender, but a way out.

"Granted." He put down the surrender document, his voice weary. "Immediately order the entire Liaodong army to withdraw in batches."

The officials breathed a sigh of relief.

Yang Guang sat alone on the dragon throne, his eyes closed in deep thought.

Are there really such coincidences in the world? Did Li Ju's repeated decline in fortune truly indicate a lack of ability, or did he foresee Goguryeo's eventual surrender?

The clerk of the Ministry of Revenue was calculating the accounts for grain and fodder, and the more he calculated, the more alarmed he became.

Holding the ledger, he said to his colleague beside him, "Supervisor Li has been restrained in his transport efforts, strictly limiting the quotas and never exceeding them. The grain delivered to Liaodong was just enough to support wartime consumption and the needs of the troop withdrawal. Not a single grain more, not a single grain less."

His colleague was taken aback: "What if Li Ting had obeyed the court's urging and transported supplies at all costs, regardless of the consequences?"

The doctor smiled bitterly: "Now that the army has suddenly retreated, the grain and fodder on the Liaodong front will inevitably pile up like mountains, moldy and rotten, with no way to transport them. Huge amounts of grain will be wasted on the spot, and the nation's taxes will be squandered in vain."

The murmurs gradually spread.

The officials who had initially criticized Li Ju for his incompetence and withholding military rations were instantly rendered speechless.

No one dared to impeach him again—his "slowness" actually saved the Sui Dynasty from a huge waste of resources.

A new problem has been placed before the imperial court at the Zhuojun headquarters.

The massive amounts of military equipment, armor, powerful bows, siege weapons, tents, supplies, and heavy siege equipment accumulated over several years of eastern expeditions were all stockpiled at the Zhuojun docks and nearby warehouses, piled up like mountains.

The civil and military officials were arguing amongst themselves.

"There's no time to move them! The hasty withdrawal was unplanned, and no transport fleet was allocated in advance; they simply can't be moved in a short time!"

"Staying here long will only lead to trouble! A huge amount of fine armor and weapons are stuck in Zhuojun, leaving the northern counties vulnerable and the garrison limited. If they are lost, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

"Bandits are everywhere! Rebel armies are scattered throughout Hebei, eyeing us covetously. Once the city falls and the warehouses are breached, a complete set of excellent weapons will fall into the hands of the rebels, which is tantamount to funding the enemy and nurturing the bandits, leading to endless troubles!"

Civil officials suggested sealing it off on the spot and increasing troop deployment; military officers worried about insufficient troops and the inability to defend such a large warehouse area; local officials bluntly stated that bandits were rampant and the pressure of garrisoning was unsolvable.

Everyone was worried, each holding their own opinion, arguing all day long, and unable to reach a consensus.

Yang Guang sat on the throne, his face gloomy, and he did not say a word.

For several days, he stared at the map of Zhuojun, his brow furrowed with worry, at a loss for what to do.

Dusk was falling over the city.

The palace was brightly lit, and the civil and military officials were still debating.

Yang Guang leaned back on his throne and rubbed his temples.

Outside the city, courier horses galloped in, their hooves beating rapidly like drums.

"Report—" The scout dismounted and scrambled into the hall, his voice hoarse but unable to suppress his panic and excitement. "Your Majesty! Thousands of large and small cargo ships have suddenly arrived at the river docks outside Zhuojun, all empty, without grain or cargo, and neatly moored at the shore!"

The entire hall erupted in uproar.

"Empty ships? Thousands of them?"

"With the canal transport disrupted during the chaos of war, and boatmen fleeing, where did all these empty boats come from?"

"Who mobilized these ships? Why are they all empty?"

Yang Guang suddenly stood up, a thought flashing through his mind, and instantly guessed the source—the Director of Water Conservancy, Li Ju.

Pei Yun's face was ashen, and her lips trembled slightly.

Yuwen Shu lowered his eyes, feeling a great weight lifted from his heart.

Yang Guang looked outside the palace and said in a deep voice, "Investigate. Who brought in these ships?"

The eunuch received the order and rushed off.

At Zhuojun Wharf, sails filled the river, obscuring the sun.

Thousands of cargo boats were neatly lined up, stretching for dozens of miles along the riverbank. The boatmen sat at the bows, their expressions calm, as if they had been waiting for a long time.

Yang Guang climbed the city wall, gazed at the array of ships, and remained silent for a long time.

These empty ships were arranged by Li Ju long ago.

Led by his trusted confidant Chen Mo, they traveled north along the Yongji Canal, without transporting grain or weapons, moving lightly and at full speed to reach Zhuojun.

Now that the army has retreated, its weapons and equipment are piled up like mountains, and thousands of empty ships are in position. All the stockpiled weapons, supplies, and materials can be transported in batches day and night along the Yongji Canal to be transferred to Liyang Granary.

A seemingly inescapable deadlock was instantly broken.

Yuwen Shu stood on a corner of the city tower, looking at the array of boats on the river, his heart filled with even greater shock.

This son-in-law is a master strategist.

He knew this day would come from the very beginning of the campaign against Liaodong.

He didn't argue, didn't quarrel, and quietly paved all the way out.

Pei Yun also stood on the city wall, his face ashen.

He originally intended to use the Grand Canal to suppress Li Ju, but was completely outmaneuvered by the other party's counter-strategy.

The courtiers whispered among themselves; some were suddenly enlightened, some were amazed, and some were filled with lingering fear.

Everyone was thinking: that young minister who was criticized for "slow grain transport" had already calculated the whole story of the Liaodong campaign and the upheavals of the chaotic world.

Before the storm arrives, we have all the escape routes ready.