"Young master, you actually think Yang Guang is a wise ruler?" Wan Wan's voice involuntarily rose in pitch. In this era, whether it was the righteous sects or the demonic sects, everyone viewed Yang Guang as nothing more than a tyrant. Even Shi Zhixuan, who single-handedly destroyed the Sui Dynasty, was seen in the same light by the demonic sects.
"Why wouldn't he be a wise ruler? Do you think the chaos in the world is solely Yang Guang's responsibility?" It's often said that the emperor's word is law, supreme and unchallengeable, able to do whatever he pleases. However, in reality, this was far from the truth. Even Ying Zheng couldn't achieve such absolute authority.
"Isn't it? If it weren't for Yang Guang's wasteful projects like the Grand Canal and his three failed campaigns against Goguryeo, which caused countless deaths and injuries, how could the world have ended up like this?"
"Hahaha, that's just too funny." After hearing Wan Wan's words, Daniel suddenly burst into laughter.
Strictly speaking, Yang Guang's construction of the Grand Canal did cause significant casualties. He made the same mistake as Ying Zheng—he was too impatient, trying to achieve in a short time what should have taken at least ten to twenty years. This indeed caused widespread resentment among the people, something even Daniel had to acknowledge.
No one is perfect. Even saints have their own desires and pursuits. Daniel never held others or himself to the standards of a saint.
However, when it came to the campaigns against Goguryeo, there was no issue at all. Unlike personal interactions, relations between nations cannot afford to be lenient.
If they didn't strike Goguryeo now, would they wait until it grew stronger? Just like dividing the Eastern and Western Turks, if they didn't split them, would they allow them to unite and form a Turkic Empire? To put it bluntly, if the Eastern and Western Turks were to unite, they could rival the Xiongnu Empire of old.
Think about how many years it took the Han Dynasty to achieve the feat of "sealing the wolf at Juyan." If a strategy could solve the problem, why would they need to line up their armies and recreate the war patterns of the Warring States era?
The most ridiculous part was that the Cihang Jingzhai and their ilk viewed Shi Zhixuan's division of the Eastern and Western Turks as a crime, because it resulted in heavy casualties for both sides. Similarly, Yang Guang's three campaigns against Goguryeo caused massive casualties among the Goguryeo people. Yet, they never mentioned how many Central Plains people died in these conflicts.
When it came to the Turks and Goguryeo, the Cihang Jingzhai and their followers were full of compassion. But they never spoke of the Central Plains people who suffered. They enjoyed the offerings, power, and honors of the Central Plains people, yet their hearts were always turned outward. Every time Daniel thought of this, a strong killing intent surged within him, making him want to destroy the Cihang Jingzhai and the Jingnian Chanzong without a second thought.
However, he always suppressed this urge because of the plans he had already set in motion. Killing them directly would be too merciful. The best choice was to wait until his plans were complete before dealing with them.
"Wan Wan, though clever, is still no match for Wu Zetian, the 'Sun and Moon in the Sky.'" The only female emperor in history was someone Daniel held in high regard. Although his arrival had prevented her from becoming an empress, he didn't want to waste her talents. Of course, it was still too early to consider this.
"Have you ever thought about why Yang Guang dug the Grand Canal and why he campaigned against Goguryeo?" Since it was Wan Wan, Daniel decided to use the same explanation he had given the Twin Dragons, though he omitted the part about Cihang Jingzhai's "Heaven's Chosen Emperor" plan.
Originally, revealing the "Heaven's Chosen Emperor" plan to the demonic sects would have been a great opportunity to use them as a weapon. If the demonic sects believed him, they would undoubtedly try to assassinate Li Shimin. With careful planning and enough experts, they would have a good chance of success, even with the Buddhist experts protecting Li Shimin.
Cihang Jingzhai had placed a huge bet on Li Shimin and would naturally not want anything to happen to him. Having Buddhist experts protect him was only logical.
"Li Shimin, don't blame me. This is the struggle for supremacy. Even fratricide is normal in such times." The reason Daniel didn't reveal the plan was because of his upcoming meeting with Yang Guang. Some things could be achieved through Yang Guang's hands, and the expressions of certain people would be priceless when they realized what had happened. Just thinking about it made Daniel's mood lift.
"Speaking of which, no matter who unifies the world in the end, with the foundation Yang Guang has laid, as long as they're not complete idiots, they will become wise rulers." Daniel sighed softly at this thought.
This kind of inheritance from the previous dynasty was similar to the Han Dynasty. Without the foundation Qin Shi Huang had laid for unifying the world, the Han Dynasty wouldn't have been so successful.
"Alright, these matters aren't something a little maid like you should concern yourself with. Let's go. We're almost in Yangzhou." Yang Guang still had his uses, and Daniel didn't want him to die just yet. Even if he were to die, he had to give Daniel what he wanted first.
"Yes, young master."
"We're finally here."
Looking at the towering, thick city walls ahead, Daniel felt a sense of awe. These were the tallest city walls he had seen since arriving in this world. Only the walls of Luoyang and Chang'an could surpass them.
In a world with such high martial prowess, if the city walls were too short, they would be useless. To prevent martial experts from easily entering and exiting the city, the walls had to be built taller and thicker.
Only the strongest among the Grandmasters could scale such walls with ease. Slightly weaker Grandmasters could only sigh and wait for the city gates to open.
"I need to meet Yang Guang. You can rest here for now."
After arriving in Yangzhou, Daniel found an inn for Wan Wan to stay in and then headed straight for the Jiangdu Palace. Thinking about meeting Yang Guang, even Daniel felt a ripple of excitement.
---
"Beauty, where are you, beauty?"
Despite the tight security in the palace, even a Grandmaster-level expert would find it difficult to appear before Yang Guang without alerting anyone. However, for Daniel, this was no challenge. However, when he first saw Yang Guang, Daniel felt a slight disappointment. Yang Guang was in the palace, playing a game of hide-and-seek with a group of beauties.
These women were mostly half-dressed, and from this scene alone, it was hard to imagine that Yangzhou was in a state of semi-chaos, with even Yuwen Huaji preparing to flee.
"Has he been so devastated by the situation that he's given up and indulged in debauchery?"
The current Yang Guang was a far cry from the emperor who had dug the Grand Canal and launched three campaigns against Goguryeo. Digging the Grand Canal might sound simple, but it was an incredibly difficult task. It wasn't just about digging blindly; it required connecting various waterways and considering the environmental impact of the canal. All of this required extensive preliminary research.
This was similar to Ying Zheng's construction of the Zhengguo Canal, but Yang Guang seemed even more impatient. Coupled with the fact that the Yuwen family was in charge of the project, it led to significant issues.
It had to be said that the aristocratic families were indeed full of talent.
"Yu Shiji, the Vice Minister of the Interior, and Pei Yun, the Censor-in-Chief, are truly idiots." While Yang Guang was enjoying himself, someone reported the current state of the world to him, claiming that although there were some rebels, overall, the world was at peace. And Yang Guang believed it.
With Yangzhou nearly surrounded, if Yang Guang were to die, these two corrupt officials would undoubtedly meet their end. No one would want to use them.
"Prince of Jin. It seems this title is a professional rebel, and many have succeeded." Daniel didn't disturb Yang Guang at this moment because there were too many people around. If he subdued them all, it would cause a huge commotion. He would have to wait until Yang Guang was alone to approach him.
While waiting, Daniel recalled Yang Guang's history. Yang Guang was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, and was granted the title of Prince of Jin.
It had to be said that the title of Prince of Jin was quite interesting. Many historical figures held this title, such as Yang Guang, Li Zhi (the ninth son of Li Shimin), and Zhao Guangyi.
"Finally, the opportunity has come." When Yang Guang finally tired of his games and prepared to bathe and change clothes, Daniel found his chance. He created two shadow clones to guard the outside and then appeared before Yang Guang.
"Who are you? Guards! Guards!" Seeing Daniel suddenly appear before him, Yang Guang panicked. At this moment, he seemed to have forgotten that he was also a Grandmaster-level expert. He only knew to flee the room in fear and panic.
In the world of "Twin Dragons," all those in power were experts. With abundant resources and decent talent, becoming a Grandmaster was quite normal.
"Your Majesty, there's no need to call out. No one outside can hear you." Watching Yang Guang try to open the door but fail, Daniel shook his head helplessly.
Daniel hadn't done anything to the door. With Yang Guang's current strength, even if it had declined over years of indulgence, he shouldn't have been unable to open a simple door. He could have easily smashed it with a single punch.
"Are you here to assassinate me?" Seeing that Daniel didn't seem intent on attacking, Yang Guang leaned against the door and cautiously asked.
"No, I'm just here to meet the emperor who dared to dig the Grand Canal, launch three campaigns against Goguryeo, and establish the imperial examination system. Although, seeing you now is quite disappointing."
Daniel's words made Yang Guang's face stiffen, and he remained silent for a long time.
"Today, I came to see Your Majesty and to ask you a question. With your abilities back then, how did you let the world fall into such chaos?"
With the Sui Dynasty's strength, even after three failed campaigns against Goguryeo, Yang Guang still had a chance to turn things around. After all, he still had hundreds of thousands of troops at his disposal.
In fact, even now, if Yang Guang wanted to, he could still fight back. For example, he could leave Yangzhou and go to Luoyang. With his prestige, he could easily seize control of Wang Shichong's forces, as Wang Shichong wasn't from a prominent Central Plains family.
"The world has fallen into such chaos? What, have those rebels reached Yangzhou already?" At this moment, Yang Guang's demeanor completely changed. It was as if the panicked man from before was someone else entirely. After straightening his dragon robe, he walked over to a table and sat down.
"Your Majesty seems well aware of the current state of the world?" Yang Guang's sudden change surprised Daniel.
"Even you can easily appear before me. It must mean things have reached this point." Yang Guang's face showed a mocking smile.
"If Your Majesty knows this, why haven't you done something about it?"
"Do something? Hah, what can I do? They just want a puppet emperor. Unfortunately, I won't give them what they want. Even if the world falls into chaos and the Sui Dynasty ends with me, like the Qin Dynasty, I will drag them down with me. Hahaha!" Yang Guang suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, his voice filled with madness.
"Your Majesty is truly ruthless." Yang Guang's words made Daniel take a deep breath. He had initially thought that Yang Guang had given up after being unable to withstand the pressure.
Not everyone had an unyielding will. For example, Tony Stark, when he couldn't solve the palladium poisoning in his chest, also gave up and indulged in debauchery.
Daniel never expected that all of this was part of Yang Guang's plan. From Yang Guang's words, it was clear that as long as he protected the interests of the aristocratic families, his throne would have been secure, and the Sui Dynasty wouldn't have fallen in the second generation.
However, this would have meant the continuation of the Nine-Rank System, and the imperial examination system would have been a joke. Faced with this situation, most emperors would have compromised. After all, it was a choice between life and death for the nation versus the interests of the aristocratic families.
Moreover, the Yang family was originally part of the aristocratic families. The Yang family had once been one of the five great families, but after becoming the royal family, they were no longer counted among them.
"Alright, you've seen what you came to see. Now kill me and plunge the world into complete chaos." Yang Guang sat upright, closed his eyes, and seemed ready for his fate. From the beginning, he had never believed that Daniel wasn't here to kill him.
"The rage of a common man spills blood within three feet; the rage of an emperor spills blood across a million corpses." This was a literal million corpses. Yang Guang's mere inaction had led to this outcome. Such was the terror of ancient emperors.
"Since Your Majesty has long anticipated his own end, would you dare to play an even bigger game?" Daniel didn't know how to evaluate Yang Guang's actions, but since Yang Guang was such a person, it simplified Daniel's plans.
"An even bigger game?" Hearing Daniel's words, Yang Guang opened his eyes.
"Indeed, an even bigger game. Once this is done, I guarantee that Ning Daoqi will be the first to try to kill Your Majesty."
"Ning Daoqi." At the mention of Ning Daoqi, Yang Guang's expression turned grim. During the three campaigns against Goguryeo, he had tried to enlist Ning Daoqi's help, given the presence of the Sword Master Fu Cailin. However, Ning Daoqi had refused every time. If Ning Daoqi had helped back then, things wouldn't have turned out this way.
"Not to belittle him, but does Ning Daoqi dare to kill me?" Yang Guang sneered.
This wasn't arrogance on Yang Guang's part. If Ning Daoqi dared to kill Yang Guang, he wouldn't live long. The first to strike would likely be Song Que, the Heavenly Saber.
(End of Chapter)
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