Fang Jie could never have imagined that he would be unwittingly drawn into a bloody storm sweeping through the Sui Dynasty court, both inside and out, even though he was merely a minor figure on the fringes of this storm. Of course, even the Sui Emperor, who was controlling this storm, didn't care about such an insignificant border soldier as Fang Jie.
This storm, launched prematurely by the Emperor for his territorial expansion, was intended to elevate his authority to its highest level, to make his officials abandon any semblance of awe towards him, and to let them know that when the Emperor made a decision, no one could stop him. Since they couldn't stop him, they, as his subjects, could only do their utmost to assist him in accomplishing it.
Therefore, the death of Hou Junci, the Vice Minister of War, was merely the beginning, the beginning of the Emperor establishing his authority.
If the emperor doesn't act first, once he announces his decision to wage war in the northwest, he will undoubtedly have many supporters. However, there's no doubt that there will also be many in the court who dare to oppose him. Listening to these high-ranking officials bickering back and forth in court would be an extremely lengthy process, and the emperor has no time, interest, or interest in watching them gradually escalate from theoretical discussions to mutual slander and abuse.
Killing a few people, especially those of considerable importance, will silence the court officials.
Having not executed any officials for several years, the emperor may feel his authority is gradually diminishing. Once war breaks out, he needs a united Sui Dynasty, a Sui Dynasty where everyone works tirelessly for the war, with him at its center.
After Huai Qiugong stepped down from Yu Donglai's carriage, Yu Donglai suddenly understood what he needed to do. It was only at this moment that he understood the true meaning of the emperor's order for him to reflect at home for a day. If Huai Qiugong hadn't reminded him, he wouldn't have understood what the emperor wanted him to reflect on at all. He merely assumed that His Majesty had truly only ordered him to reflect in seclusion.
The reflection concerned a list of those deserving of death.
This list couldn't be too harsh, nor too lenient, so he truly needed to carefully consider it. And it was only the moment he stepped off the carriage that he understood that while this matter might cause him some harm, the gains would far outweigh the losses. Therefore, after seeing Huai Qiugong off, Yu Donglai's lips curled into a smile.
His Majesty intended to target the Ministry of War, and he would be responsible for drafting the list.
Those to die were all those who disagreed with the Emperor's plan for the western expedition. And as the Minister of War… no, now the Vice Minister of War, Yu Donglai naturally had to firmly stand on the Emperor's side. Therefore, those who would be added to the Ministry of War would inevitably be those who supported His Majesty's western expedition. He could fill the vacant positions with his own people.
Hou Junci and Yu Donglai had always been outwardly friendly but inwardly estranged. His Majesty previously disliked excessive unity among officials of any ministry, so he relished seeing Yu Donglai and Hou Junci scheming against each other—a Minister and a Vice Minister, the fiercer their rivalry, the happier His Majesty seemed. But now it was different. His Majesty wanted a Ministry of War that absolutely needed unity, and even the entire court that needed unity. And with this opportunity, he could firmly grasp the Ministry of War, so the gains far outweighed the losses.
Back home, Yu Donglai ordered all the gates to be closed, refusing to see any guests, no matter who they were. The light in Yu Donglai's study stayed on all night, and the door wasn't opened until the evening of the next day. Yu Donglai, with red eyes, looked as exhausted as if he had just run fifty miles, yet his expression held a strange ease.
After leaving the study, Yu Donglai didn't even wash up or eat before going straight to his bedroom and falling asleep until dawn. Upon waking, instead of wearing his official robes as Minister of War, he went directly to the palace in casual clothes. He carried a small box containing a memorial to the throne.
The Imperial Guard.
Luo Weiran, the commander of the Imperial Guard, slowly picked up his teacup, blew on the floating tea leaves, and took a sip. This tea was a top-grade Da Hong Pao tea recently given to him by Wu Yidao, the richest man in the Sui Dynasty. It was said that a pound of this tea could be exchanged for a fairly large house in the capital.
Hou Wenji, the garrison commander of the Qingya Garrison, pushed open the door and walked in, unable to resist sniffing the air and exclaiming, "How fragrant!" Luo Weiran smiled, personally poured Hou Wenji a full cup of tea, and said with a smile, "The gloom on your brow from the other day has finally disappeared, and today I see a smile on your lips... What, did you get everything settled with His Majesty yesterday?"
Hou Wenji sat down, picked up the teacup, and smelled it. He didn't rush to answer Luo Weiran's question, but couldn't help but sigh, "This pound of tea, I'm afraid I couldn't afford it with a year's salary."
Luo Weiran laughed, "You underestimate this tea. Anyway, I..." "Two years' salary wouldn't be enough to buy it."
"This is the most authentic single-stem Da Hong Pao tea. Each year, besides the offerings to His Majesty, no more than five catties circulate in the market. The Sui Dynasty has countless wealthy people, and countless others who can afford this top-grade Da Hong Pao. It's not something anyone can just buy; you need connections."
Hou Wenji nodded, "Such an expensive item, not a single official dares to buy it. If someone did… the censors of the Censorate would have something to do."
Luo Weiran laughed heartily.
Hou Wenji took a sip of tea, slowly exhaled, and waved his hand, signaling the guards standing at the door to close it. He put down his teacup, glanced at Luo Weiran, and said, "You see things very clearly. If you hadn't given me this idea, I really don't know how I would have gotten through this."
Luo Weiran shook his head and said, "Even if I hadn't helped you come up with a lie, His Majesty would still have let you get through this. How come you still haven't figured it out? What His Majesty wants isn't for the Intelligence Bureau to look bad… No matter how this lie is told, His Majesty will direct his anger towards the Ministry of War."
He glanced at Hou Wenji and laughed, "Do you think His Majesty is still completely in the dark? Do you think you're the Intelligence Bureau's commander?" "It's been too long... so long that even you yourself thought the Intelligence Bureau was yours. But you forgot, the Intelligence Bureau has always belonged to His Majesty... If His Majesty wants to know something, is there anyone in the Sui Dynasty who can keep it from him?"
Hou Wenji was taken aback, his expression changed, and then he had no choice but to nod: "I was indeed too presumptuous."
Luo Weiran smiled slightly: "It's alright, you've already given His Majesty what he wanted... Speaking of which, His Majesty's move was too brilliant. So brilliant that it caught everyone off guard, not just the Ministry of War and a few of us."
"Who else?"
Hou Wenji asked. Luo Weiran rolled her eyes at him and said, "Why pretend to be stupid? Someone like you can't even fake it convincingly!"
"I just don't know who you're specifically referring to."
"Who else could it be? The Northwest war...who will be involved first?"
"Li Yuanshan?"
"Yes...His Majesty will definitely rely on Li Yuanshan for the Northwest campaign. The Right Valiant Guard has been stationed on the Northwest frontier for many years; there's no reason not to use such a powerful and familiar force. Once the war truly begins, the Right Valiant Guard will undoubtedly be the vanguard clearing obstacles for the main army."
After listening to Luo Weiran's words, Hou Wenji remained silent for a while. He frowned in thought, then suddenly realized... He came over, slapped his forehead, and exclaimed, "I just realized that His Majesty's move was so brilliant that I can't help but admire it! Killing three birds with one stone!"
...
...
Hou Wenji pondered for a moment and said, "First, use the Fan Gu incident to create a big fuss, quiet down the generals and civil officials, kill a few, suppress a few, and even the most self-righteous officials in the court, would they dare to disobey His Majesty's will at this time? Unless they don't want to live, or they want to shed their official skin and go to farm."
"Second, kill those in the Ministry of War who happen to be in charge of military affairs but are not of one mind with His Majesty. That way, the people in the Ministry of War..." "One must be extremely cautious and diligent in all actions, lest one make a mistake and follow in the footsteps of Hou Junci. Once war begins, logistics and supplies are of paramount importance, and the Ministry of War's deployment is crucial. At this time, Your Majesty's reorganization of the Ministry of War will undoubtedly be beneficial to the war effort."
"Thirdly, since Your Majesty intends to wage war in the Northwest, you will inevitably need to use Li Yuanshan's Right Guard... With Li Yuanshan's abilities and the Right Guard's 50,000 elite troops, I'm afraid that once the war begins, military merits will pile up on him one after another. And Your Majesty, in order to demonstrate the might of the Sui Dynasty and boost morale, will certainly not be stingy in rewarding meritorious generals... But Li Yuanshan is already a Duke, a general of the third rank." "Military, and then further rewards... what else can he be rewarded with? Surely not a king? A promotion to the second-rank General of the Garrison?"
Luo Weiran shook his head: "The late Emperor Taizu's edict forbade the Sui Dynasty to have any kings of different surnames. Even members of the imperial family, except for the emperor's brothers and sons, were not allowed to be kings. Even if Li Yuanshan, with his 50,000 Right Guards, pacified the Mongol Yuan Dynasty and captured the Great Khan Möngke alive, he shouldn't expect to be made a king."
Hou Wenji laughed: "Therefore, Your Majesty must suppress Li Yuanshan before launching a military campaign. Suppress his official titles and ranks, so that once the war begins, if Li Yuanshan achieves great merit, Your Majesty only needs to reinstate him to his original position and reward him with some land and gold." "Enough...this is the brilliance of His Majesty's move! The more you think about it, the more unbelievably ingenious it becomes."
He sighed, "Killing three birds with one stone...brilliant!"
Luo Weiran shook his head, saying, "It's not killing three birds with one stone...who knows how many birds will be killed by that one stone."
He counted on his fingers, saying, "Besides the three things you mentioned, His Majesty has also factored in many other people and events in this move. For example, His Majesty wants to establish his authority, ensuring that no one dares to show the slightest disrespect for imperial power before the great war begins. This way, His Majesty's command of the western expedition will be unimpeded. For example, doubling the pay of the border troops..." "Go, whether this matter is implemented or not, once the news gets out, the border soldiers will surely be grateful to His Majesty. Once war breaks out, who among the border troops wouldn't fight bravely?"
"For example..."
Luo Weiran looked at Hou Wenji and said, word by word, "Perhaps His Majesty wants to give you, the commander of the intelligence agency, a little warning... The intelligence agency has always been His Majesty's intelligence agency. It was entrusted to you to manage... not bestowed upon you as a reward, making it yours."
Hou Wenji nodded, picked up his slightly cooled tea, took a sip, and said softly, "Should I delegate some more power? Seven years ago, I took..." Mr. Zhuo led him out and into the intelligence office. "For the past seven years, with him around, His Majesty has trusted me implicitly… but at this critical juncture, it seems I should delegate some more."
Luo Weiran shook his head: "Delegate? If you dare bring it up now, His Majesty will immediately call you an idiot! His Majesty's warning you at this time isn't out of doubt, but precisely because His Majesty still trusts you… Otherwise, do you think His Majesty will just punish you by fining you three years' salary? Even a first-rank official wouldn't dare do anything to you, Commander Hou, but if His Majesty wants to kill you, it only takes a single word."
Hou Wenji, far from being apprehensive, smiled and said, "I know."
Luo Weiran said: "You know it, but you're still pretending."
Hou Wenji laughed, "I won't feel at ease until I hear it from you. I think this way, and you think this way too... then nine times out of ten, His Majesty thinks this way."
Luo Weiran glared at him and cursed, "Old fox!"
Hou Wenji stood up, straightened his clothes, and prepared to take his leave: "I'm not an old fox... even if I were, I'd be a very energetic fox, in my prime."
Luo Weiran laughed and cursed, "Get lost! You've always been in your prime."
While these two important figures were chatting, the nobody Fang Jie finally entered the capital region after a three-month journey. Although it would still be a while before he arrived, entering the capital region meant he was close to the heart of the Sui Dynasty. Riding on his crimson horse, Fang Jie looked ahead, his eyes slightly narrowed, listening intently. Da Quan, puzzled, asked what he was listening to.
Fang Jie smiled and said, "Trying to hear the heartbeat of the Sui Dynasty."