Chapter 7, Changing Goals
The journey continued to proceed smoothly as always. Chen Yingliang, traveling at a brisk pace, arrived in Shan County in just over a day. He was now only about two days' journey away from the Eastern Capital, Luoyang. However, after resting for a night in Shan County and continuing eastward, Chen Yingliang gradually began to sense that something was amiss. For reasons unknown, there were suddenly many more officials and couriers on the official road, riding fast horses and wearing uniforms emblazoned with the station's insignia, all in a hurry. Among them, several couriers had red flags stuck on their backs, signifying urgent matters. When they encountered pedestrians blocking the road, they would shout directly, "Make way quickly, urgent military situation, those who block the road will die!"
The relatively peaceful Guanzhong region currently provides Chen Yingliang with the most basic security for his urgent journey, allowing him to encounter no risks or setbacks along the way. He reached Tongguan from Daxing in just three days, and he successfully passed through this ancient famous pass just before sunset. After resting for a night in an inn east of Tongguan, Chen Yingliang immediately continued east along the official road, preparing to cross the Yellow River at the Eastern Capital, Luoyang, and then head straight to Liaodong via the North China Plain.
"I just learned about it this morning." The couple replied, "This morning, the county magistrate ordered a citywide lockdown, stating that Yang Xuangan, the pillar of the state, has rebelled. He has crossed the Yellow River at Jiyun and is leading countless bandit troops towards the Eastern Capital. Mianchi is only a day's journey from the Eastern Capital, and the bandit army might also come to attack Mianchi. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, the county magistrate had no choice but to impose a lockdown in the county town and ordered us, the citizens living outside the city, to evacuate to avoid harm from the bandit troops."
"What has happened?" After encountering such a courier for the third time, Chen Yingliang vaguely sensed that something was amiss. At the same time, he noticed a detail: these couriers carrying red flags were all rushing in from the eastern direction of Luoyang, heading straight towards the western direction of Daxing. Based on this, Chen Yingliang could be certain that a significant and earth-shattering event had undoubtedly occurred somewhere in the east.
Seeing Chen Yingliang's good intentions, and with the children extremely thirsty, the couple thanked Chen Yingliang profusely for his kindness, took the water bag to feed their children, and expressed their heartfelt gratitude to him. Chen Yingliang feigned modesty and seized the opportunity to ask: "Uncle, I just came from Daxing and am unaware of the situation ahead. How far has Yang Xuangan advanced? What is the situation in Mianchi and Luoyang?"
Chen Yingliang also underestimated the response speed of the Luoyang garrison. On the same day, Fan Zigai, the acting governor of the Eastern Capital of the Sui Dynasty, had already dispatched two armies to the east to confront the rebel forces of Yang Xuangan. One army, led by the county magistrate of Henan, Daxi Shanyi, consisted of approximately 5,000 troops, while the other army, led by Pei Hongce, the governor of Henan, comprised 8,000 troops, each set to engage the two vanguards of Yang Xuangan.
"How can I possibly do this?" The man from that family hesitated a bit.
Oh, by the way, Chen Yingliang's ability to ride is thanks to the deceased Chen Yingliang. The deceased Chen Yingliang, after all, had ancestors who were once affluent and received specialized training in both literature and martial arts before their family fell into decline. Naturally, he learned horsemanship, which is a fundamental skill for a military general. Although his riding skills were not particularly refined, he was certainly not incapable of urging a horse or wielding a whip. As a result, the current Chen Yingliang has benefited from this legacy—having inherited all the memories of the deceased Chen Yingliang, he does not need to painstakingly learn horsemanship from scratch.
I heard that Yang Xuangan has reached the Sishui River to the east of the Eastern Capital. The couple replied, "The county magistrate of Mianchi has ordered the entire city to be under martial law, with all gates closed, prohibiting the common people from entering or leaving. We are all residents living outside the city, with no houses or relatives to turn to within the city, so we can only try to run as far away as possible to avoid being harmed by the chaotic soldiers"
Having roughly deduced the location of Yang Xuangan's rebel forces, Chen Yingliang no longer hesitated. He quickly thanked the couple from the common folk, remounted his horse, and continued eastward at full speed towards the Eastern Capital of Luoyang
The second reason is equally important. As a time traveler, Chen Yingliang certainly knows that Emperor Yang of Sui's three military campaigns against Goguryeo all ended in failure. This time's expedition will undoubtedly be no exception. If Chen Yingliang wishes to seize the opportunity provided by Hou Xuanling to make a name for himself, to showcase his abilities, and even to assist the well-intentioned Emperor Yang of Sui in turning the tide of battle and altering the fate of the campaign against Goguryeo, then it is naturally best for him to arrive at the battlefield in Liaodong as early as possible. Given that Daxing is a thousand miles away from Liaodong, Chen Yingliang must certainly expedite his journey as much as possible.
What happened? Something serious has occurred! The middle-aged man was clearly a bad-tempered character, roaring at Chen Yingliang: "The pillar of the state, Yang Xuangan, has rebelled! He has already reached the outskirts of the Eastern Capital and is about to attack Huancheng. If we don't escape quickly, are we just going to stay here and wait to die?"
Chen Yingliang's speed could be considered quite fast; however, he severely underestimated Yang Xuangan's pace of advance. He was also unaware that Yang Xuangan had a treacherous ally named Li Mi, who advised Yang Xuangan to march at full speed without giving the defenders of Luoyang any opportunity to prepare. On the very day that Chen Yingliang learned of Yang Xuangan's rebellion, the main force of the rebel army, personally led by Yang Xuangan, had already crossed the Hulao Pass. They split into two routes and advanced westward along the Luo River at full speed, leaving only a day's journey to Luoyang. On the very day that Chen Yingliang learned of Yang Xuangan's rebellion, the main force of the rebel army, personally led by Yang Xuangan, had already crossed the Hulao Pass. They split into two routes and advanced westward along the Luo River at full speed, leaving only a day's journey to Luoyang.
Chen Yingliang, who was not financially well-off, purchased a rather ordinary mount, whose speed could not compare to the excellent swift horses used for military communications at the relay stations. Even with the best efforts of his horse, Chen Yingliang only arrived at the foot of Mianchi City around the afternoon hour of Shen. At this moment, Mianchi was already under full martial law, with all four gates tightly shut even during the day. Armed soldiers patrolled the city walls continuously, while outside the city, the town was deserted, with every household having boarded up their doors, leaving behind a scene of complete abandonment and litter.
The place where significant events occur is likely very close, for when Chen Yingliang was nearing Mianchi that afternoon, he saw many common people and merchants coming from the east, some carrying large and small bundles, others pushing unicycles, or herding cattle, sheep, and horse-drawn carts, helping the elderly and carrying the young, calling out to their children, all rushing westward as if a war had already broken out ahead
Entering the city has become impossible, and there is little hope for finding accommodation. Chen Yingliang is not in a hurry; relying on the relatively sufficient provisions replenished in Shan County, and with the nights of the sixth lunar month not being particularly cold, he simply bypasses Mianchi City and continues eastward, racing against time towards Luoyang
"It's nothing, I'll just fill a pot when I get to the place with water ahead," Chen Yingliang said with a smile
In a state of surprise and suspicion, Chen Yingliang quickly dismounted and stood by the roadside, stopping a middle-aged man carrying a bundle. He asked him, "Uncle, what happened up ahead? Why are there so many people fleeing?"
Chen Yingliang was anxious to be on his way for many reasons. One significant reason was that he had provoked the powerful Lao Chai family before leaving, which left him somewhat worried about potential retaliation from them. Although Chen Yingliang had created a false impression of his entry into Sichuan by setting up a maze, he still hoped to distance himself from Daxing as soon as possible for the sake of caution
By coincidence, at that moment, a family fleeing with a child passed by Chen Yingliang. The little boy in the family was crying incessantly, saying he was thirsty, but the family had forgotten to bring water and could only ask their son to endure. However, how long can a small child endure? The crying continued without pause. Seeing this, Chen Yingliang had a sudden inspiration and quickly unfastened the sheepskin water bag from his saddle, calling out to the family: "Uncle, Aunt, let your child drink my water. It's so hot, and a child can fall ill from lack of water."
That night, Chen Yingliang spent the night in a small grove by the official road from Mianchi to Luoyang. After only sleeping for two hours, he continued his journey eastward by the light of the moon
Having figured out this joint, Chen Yingliang immediately felt that his waist was no longer sore, his legs no longer hurt, and he no longer experienced cramps at night. He promptly began to consider how to seek refuge with the Sui army and gain merit in quelling the rebellion. However, Chen Yingliang was essentially unaware of the situation ahead, and lacking the necessary intelligence support to devise a plan for advancement, he could only hastily find ways to inquire about the detailed circumstances in the front lines, aiming to gather more specific information regarding Yang Xuangan's mutiny.
The sky is vast, allowing birds to fly freely; the sea is wide, enabling fish to leap freely
Something significant must have happened ahead! Chen Yingliang felt a sinking sensation in his heart, and a thought immediately flashed through his mind, Could it be that the Wagang Army has reached Luoyang? But that doesn't make sense; the Wagang Army is still just a small band of bandits, how could they have the strength to attack Luoyang?
After the outburst, the middle-aged man hurriedly pulled his family away, while Chen Yingliang stood frozen in place, his mind echoing with thunder. "How could I forget such a significant historical event as Yang Xuangan's rebellion? Emperor Yang of Sui's second expedition against Goguryeo never even took place; he turned back as soon as he reached Liaodong because Yang Xuangan had already revolted!"
Yang Xuangan! You bastard have ruined me! Chen Yingliang began to lament, "I finally found a starting opportunity, and now it has been completely wasted by you! Now, not only can I not go to Liaodong, but even if I could, what good would it do? The army of Emperor Yang of Sui has returned to deal with you. How can Fang Xuanling's father still recommend me to the Sui general as a secretary?" The army of Emperor Yang of Sui has returned to deal with you. How can Fang Xuanling's father still recommend me to the Sui general as a secretary?
This morning, the authorities in Mianchi notified the evacuation of the populace, and it was only today that I saw those couriers carrying red flags. Chen Yingliang analyzed in his heart, The speed of information transmission by the government is faster than that of the common people. That unfortunate Yang Xuangan has rebelled, and such an important piece of news must have been transmitted urgently over six hundred li. It takes about two hours to send the message from Luoyang to Mianchi, which means that the military urgent report was likely issued from Luoyang last night or even early this morning. By this calculation, Yang Xuangan should still be some distance from Luoyang. If I go to join the pacification army, I should still have time!
What Chen Yingliang did not know was that the next morning, just as he caught a distant glimpse of the magnificent city of Luoyang, the Eastern Capital of the Sui Dynasty, at almost the same time, the two routes of the pacification army led by Pei Hongce and Daxi Shanyi had already engaged the two vanguards of the rebel army led by Yang Xuangao and Yang Jishan on the north and south banks of the Luo River. Awaiting the Sui pacification forces would be two routes of defeated and severely beaten troops
In a state of utter despair, Chen Yingliang kicked a roadside tree and continued to curse inwardly through gritted teeth, "I can't go to Liaodong, what am I supposed to do? Go back to Daxing? I've just offended the Chai family to the point of no return; going back now would be like seeking death! Go to Wagang? The current Wagang is nothing but a den of bandits; joining them is not only too dangerous, but the road may not even be passable! Yang Xuangan, you fool! It was clear we were bound to lose, why did you start such a ridiculous rebellion? I have been completely ruined by you, ruined... Wait! Hold on!"
As he cursed inwardly, Chen Yingliang suddenly had a thought; he realized there was a brighter and broader path ahead. He mused, "Why have I been so stubborn? I should have considered that Yang Xuangan's rebellion is also a great opportunity for my advancement! Historically, this fool's rebellion was quickly crushed by the main forces of the Sui army that came to aid, resulting in a defeat so complete that he could not lose any further, nor could he die any more thoroughly! Given this, why not seek to join the Sui general who is suppressing Yang Xuangan's rebellion and assist him in dealing with Yang Xuangan? Compared to the doomed battlefield in Liaodong, the guaranteed success of the pacification campaign would make it a hundred times easier to earn merit and gain experience!"
What about the situation in the Eastern Capital?" Chen Yingliang pressed further, to which the couple shook their heads in response, indicating they did not know. Chen Yingliang, feeling helpless, had no choice but to ask again: "Uncle, when did you find out about this news?"
This sentence perfectly describes Chen Yingliang's feelings after leaving Daxing. There is no longer the kind-hearted nagging of Old Chen San, nor the oppressive gloom brought by the narrow streets and small houses. There is no need to worry about the exclusion and suppression from the Lao Chai family; only the vast sky and sea remain, filled with countless dangers and opportunities in the unknown environment. The fervent desire to rise above others and the obsession with achieving success and wealth is even stronger than when he was the captain of the criminal police team. In his excitement, the naturally ambitious Chen Yingliang rode for seventy to eighty miles on horseback on the very day he left Daxing.