Chapter 123: Besieging Yanmen (Part 9)

"Where are the reinforcements?" Yang Guang sat within the commandery governor's office and asked the official from the Censorate before him. The long, drawn-out siege had left Yang Guang looking gaunt, his exhaustion carving sharper, more pronounced lines into his face.

"Your Majesty, the carrier pigeons from the reinforcements report that they have arrived at Xinkou and have begun to engage the Turkic forces blocking their path," the Censorate official replied.

"How much longer can the grain in the city last?"

"Three days, Your Majesty."

Waving his hand to dismiss the idle attendants in the room, Yang Guang blew out the candle before him. He let out a long, heavy sigh and retreated into the shadows; only there could he find a measure of security.

"What is Father worrying about? Since the reinforcements have reached Xinkou, they will arrive at Yanmen Commandery in an instant. We will be rescued soon," the Prince of Zhao, Yang Gao, said to Yang Guang.

"How many of those people truly wish to save me? They are merely here to demonstrate their loyalty and secure a good reputation," Yang Guang scoffed.

"Yun Dingxing has been quite proactive in bringing troops to rescue the throne," Yang Gao noted.

"Yun Dingxing? He is nothing more than a common craftsman. If he were not a petty official concerned only with small gains, like Li Yuan, how could he have survived until today as a remnant of the Crown Prince's faction? I would have had him dealt with long ago."

"Li Yuan is a member of the Guanlong aristocracy; it seems unusual for his vision to be so short-sighted. Furthermore, I have heard that Li Yuan remains very close to other powerful clans, and his own son, Li Shimin, has even studied alongside the scions of those noble families." Yang Gao hesitated for a moment before sharing the hearsay he had gathered with Yang Guang.

"Li Yuan is a man of profound duplicity, and the most terrifying thing about him is his ability to conceal that depth, pretending to be as loyal as any ordinary official. Such a man poses the greatest threat to the throne," Yang Guang said, patting Yang Gao on the head.

"Then why does Father keep him? You could find any excuse to exile him to Lingnan," Yang Gao, who had long lived in the palace, was well-versed in such political maneuvering.

"Behind him stand the most prestigious families of the Guanlong aristocracy. You see, his mother was of the Dugu clan, and his wife is the daughter of the Great General of Dingzhou from the previous Northern Zhou dynasty. You should know the famous story of the 'Peacock Screen' selection, so I won't repeat it. A man like him is stamped with the mark of Guanlong from the moment of his birth and his entry into officialdom. He is essentially the next proxy invested in by the Guanlong clans. Every move he makes represents the direction of those families. Thus, whether he acts or remains still is of little consequence; even without him, those clans would simply promote another. Moreover, Li Yuan has the heart of a viper. As long as the Great Sui is not on the verge of collapse, he will remain my subject. There is no need to worry," Yang Guang said helplessly.

"Your imperial grandfather relied on these clans to ascend the throne, which is how we came to have our Great Sui. But water can carry a boat, and it can also capsize it. Without thoroughly addressing this unpredictable flood, how can one sit securely on the throne?"

At that moment, rapid footsteps sounded outside the door. A Censorate official asked the maid, whom Yang Guang had dismissed earlier, in a low voice, "Has His Majesty retired?"

Before the maid could speak, Yang Guang lit the candle again and called out, "Whatever the matter is, come in and speak."

The Censorate official acknowledged the order, pushed the door open, and bowed. "Your Majesty, the Xiaoguo Army guarding the walls reports that the Turkic camp outside the city has suddenly erupted into flames. It seems the camp has fallen into chaos."

Yang Guang frowned upon hearing this. "Lead the way. Take me to see."

Guided by the Censorate official, Yang Guang ascended the walls of Yanmen Commandery. Looking out from the heights, he saw the Turkic camp ablaze, with faint sounds of shouting men and neighing horses drifting toward them. Looking closer, he saw, reflected in the flames, numerous cavalrymen galloping through the camp. Among them, a Great Sui military banner embroidered with two wolf heads fluttered in the wind. Yang Guang knew this flag all too well; it belonged to Li Wenyuan, the Superintendent of the Western Regions whom he had personally appointed. The original wolf flags were kept in his own capital.

Yang Guang pointed to the moving Sui banners in the camp and said to Yang Gao, "Look, my son. That is the banner of Superintendent Li Wenyuan’s Western Regions Army. Only an army that would risk its life in such a manner is truly here to rescue the throne."

Just then, the guards at the South Gate reported: "The Turkic camp at the south of the city is also in disarray. Further south, there seem to be thousands of troops approaching."

Yang Guang nodded, rubbing his eyes, which were swollen from days of overwork. "The crisis at Yanmen is resolved. By tomorrow, the Turks will retreat, and we shall wait for the various rescue armies to arrive one after another."

"Stop them! Quickly organize men to put out the fire and prevent the flames from consuming the entire camp!" Shibi Khan commanded his subordinates amidst the chaos. He had just received word from his main headquarters that the Goguryeo people were massing in large numbers on the border, and even the Shiwei tribes were stirring. These reports made him realize he had been completely outplayed by the Goguryeo people, falling victim to their ruse of luring the tiger away from the mountain.

Scarcely had he received this news when the camp gates were breached by unknown forces. A large number of Han cavalrymen charged in, their saddles bound with torches and hanging with strange, unknown bottles and jars. These cavalrymen used the torches on their saddles to ignite the cloth wicks stuffed into the bottles, throwing them onto the tents. The flames spread instantly, and in the confusion of shouts and neighing horses, the northern camp was engulfed in fire.

"Great Khan, this fire is evil! Water cannot extinguish it; in fact, the fire grows larger when splashed! It is impossible to contain," a Turkic cavalryman, his face blackened by smoke, reported.

"Great Khan! The Han main force is raiding the camp!" Before Shibi Khan could comprehend the meaning of his subordinate's words—what kind of fire could not be extinguished by water? Was it ghostly fire?—he heard the news of the Han cavalry raid. His mind went blank. His knees gave way, and he fell to the ground, crying out in despair:

"Why does Tengri not protect your most devout followers?"

Seeing their Great Khan lose his composure, his personal guards quickly brought over a horse, helped him mount, and escorted him as he fled to the north. The remaining troops, under the command of Tuli, also began to retreat, abandoning vast quantities of livestock.

Not far away, Li Wenyuan watched with amazement. It was no wonder the ancestors always favored fire attacks; the effect was truly remarkable.