The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 542 The dog that can’t be fed well starts to behave dishonestly

Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty was inspecting the city defenses when a spear broke through the air and landed three feet behind him. At that moment, he felt a strong threat of death. In the distance, a burly and tall figure came into view, and a name suddenly emerged in his mind: Martial Master Bi Xuan.

Mai Tiezhang, Qian Shixiong and other brave generals hurriedly surrounded Yang Guang to protect him. Although they knew very well that such long-range attack could not cause any harm to the Sui emperor, it would have a huge impact on morale, and the Sui emperor Yang Guang was indeed frightened by this sudden sneak attack.

Is the gap between a Grandmaster and a Grandmaster really that huge?

Is the protection around me somewhat insufficient?

A few years ago, when he went on an expedition to Goguryeo, there were more than ten masters with him. He was guarded on both sides by the sword formation of Yang Xuyan, the Marquis of Liaodong, and the top master Zhu Yuyan, the Queen of Yin, was the last line of defense. Yang Guang was also very superstitious about his own strength. If he was still defeated by the other party under such protection, he really couldn't imagine whether he would be safe even in the Chang'an Palace.

But this time he was really scared, probably because the protective force around him seemed seriously insufficient.

Not only was there no army of hundreds of thousands for protection, but the army was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of troops. There were also not enough brave generals around him. The strategist Liaodong Hou was not around, and even Queen Yin Zhu Yuyan declined the northward trip because of the affairs of the Yingui Sect. Only a few eunuchs, palace maids and concubines stayed with him.

Their role is definitely not as important as Zhu Yuyan's. At best, they can only serve as the last bullet to block the attack. As for how long they can delay the attack, he really has no idea.

Not far away, Pei Ju (Shi Zhixuan) saw Yuwen Shu and the others deliberately lagging behind, and his expression darkened. The rise of the Turks was definitely not what he had hoped to see. The expeditions to Goguryeo to weaken the power of the aristocratic families had consumed too much of his energy in recent years. From the time of Qimin Khan to the time of Shibi Khan, the Turks' attitude towards the Sui Dynasty had gradually changed, something he had not anticipated.

"The master is ill. Is the dog that cannot be fed well starting to become disobedient?" Pei Ju (Shi Zhixuan) narrowed his eyes slightly and made a decision secretly. He decided to visit this Turkic martial master at night to let him know that the Grand Master is not exclusive to the Turkic royal court. If he does not want the Turkic Khan to be assassinated in the big tent, he should just stay quiet and not interfere in the war.

At least don't kill the commander-in-chief casually, otherwise Goguryeo Yijian master Fu Cailin will become his role model.

In Yangzhou, also known as Jiangdu, in the palace courtyard, Wang Shichong stood with his hands behind his back looking at the map of the Sui Dynasty territory in front of him. Outside the study, the sound of light footsteps accompanied by sweet laughter came, which made a faint curve appear at the corners of his mouth.

"Uncle, the elder sister of the Rong family is here. She wants to tell you something important." Dong Shuni's voice was filled with a hint of teasing. Wang Shichong laughed heartily and said, "You are a mischievous girl. In my eyes, Jiaojiao is just like you. It must be Brother Rong who is looking for me, not your niece."

The door opened, and two delicate girls walked in with a smile, as beautiful as a pair of lotus flowers. The only difference was their clothing. The leading girl was a little bolder, while the girl behind her was more generous and decent, but the curves of her smiles on her faces were a little frivolous.

"Greetings, Uncle Wang Shichong. My father has sent word that a dragon is trapped at Yanmen Pass. An edict has been issued throughout the nation, urging urgent assistance to arrive in three days." Rong Jiaojiao's words caused Wang Shichong's eyes to narrow suddenly. His hand stroking his beard paused for a moment before he nodded slightly. "When I succeed, I will pay a solemn tribute to Brother Rong. Shu Ni, you haven't been here for a few days, and I've missed you. Go play in the backyard. I'll have dinner with you later."

Inside the General's Mansion in Luoyang City, Zhang Xutuo looked at the letter in his hand, his expression constantly changing, and then he sighed, "The Marquis of Liaodong is truly as wise as a god. Turks, Turks, ah. Come, secretly convey the message to Qin Shubao, Cheng Zhijie, Pei Xingyan, Luo Shixin..."

In Longquan City of the Suomote tribe of the Mohe people, Bai Ziting looked at the letter in his hand with an extremely rich expression on his face. He was the chief of the Suomote tribe of the Mohe people, but he was actually sneaked into his study without knowing it. You must know that although his mansion was not heavily guarded, it was definitely well defended. What surprised him the most was the content of the letter.

In June of the eleventh year of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang Guang led an army of 300,000 to Fenyang Palace to escape the summer heat. Suddenly, the Turkic army marched south and raided Lancheng Town and looted. Lancheng Town was very close to Fenyang Palace, and the Turkic army could arrive at any time. All the officials of the Sui Dynasty were terrified.

In the same month, the Marquis of Liaodong led tens of thousands of cavalrymen to sneak into the grassland secretly, and a considerable number of infantrymen disguised as merchants followed closely behind. A large army under the command of Zhang Xutuo, the defender of Luoyang, disappeared after leaving the camp. General Wang Shichong secretly collected ships in Jiangdu and prepared for war.

On the fifth day of August, the Sui Emperor went on a northern tour, and on the eighth day, Shibi Khan personally led an army of 500,000 south.

On the 12th, the Turks attacked, the Sui Emperor entered Yanmen, and King Yang Liang of Qi led the rear army into Gang County.

On the 13th, the Turkic army surrounded Yanmen City, and the other 39 cities in Yanmen County fell one after another. The Turkic army attacked Yanmen City in a hurry but failed. The Sui Emperor personally went to the top of the city to supervise the battle and issued an edict to the world for help, but the Taiyuan prefect Li Yuan did not move his troops.

There are nearly 200,000 soldiers in Yanmen City, and there are more than ten masters around the Sui Emperor. During the expedition to Goguryeo, he used himself as bait and his plan succeeded, severely injuring the sword master Fu Cailin. This time, it seems that he is repeating the same trick.

The Sui Emperor appeared arrogant, extravagant, licentious and fond of ostentation, but he was actually very calculating. Every battle he fought would result in success, and he never saw defeat on the battlefield. The decisive battle only took place at the end of August or the beginning of September. The troops from Luoyang, Jiangdu and the Central Plains marched north, and Liaodong's secret army cut off their retreat, making the outcome difficult to predict.

In this battle, if Emperor Sui wins, the Central Plains will be peaceful as before; if Shi Bi wins, the Turks will dominate the grassland.

This was more like a piece of information than a letter, but the information came too suddenly, and Bai Ziting had no way of knowing much of the information. However, he did know one thing: the Turks had indeed suddenly mobilized a large number of young and strong men to move south not long ago.

Tapping his fingers lightly on the table, Bai Ziting suddenly said, "Master, what do you think we should choose? The Great Sui Dynasty, or the Turks." Bai Ziting emphasized the last two words a little.

"When two tigers fight, all beasts suffer. The Sui Emperor is arrogant, extravagant, and licentious, while Shi and Bi are cruel and cunning. Neither of them is a wise ruler. However, the people of the grasslands are innocent. When a war breaks out, all lives are lost. The tribe leader is the eagle of the grasslands and should protect them." A voice came from the darkness. Bai Ziting nodded slightly at this: "Good."

In Shanggu, a 3,000-man force, carrying a large amount of supplies, was rapidly rushing towards Yanmen. Despite their rapid march, their equipment was often incomplete, and their formation was not neat. The leader stared ahead, a faint smile forming on his lips. "A 500,000-man Turkic army! I like this challenge."

Inside Yanmen City, Sui Emperor Yang Guang sat at his desk, quietly patting his heaving chest. It had been years, years since he'd experienced such a thrilling experience. Was this senior master a bit out of his element? Just then, Eunuch Wei's cautious voice rang out from outside the door, "Your Majesty, Laojun Guan Bichen requests an audience."

Summoned by Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty, Bi Chen entered and performed a Taoist ritual before asking directly, "Your Majesty, do you intend to defeat the Turks? Or, do you intend to secretly depart with a few expert guards?"

Yang Guang: ...Your question is so direct that it's hard for me to answer. If I could, I would naturally choose...