Chapter 0004: Li Mi

Your Excellency, I, the humble general, believe that the matters discussed by the military strategist are of great significance. The reason we have been so successful thus far is merely because the foolish monarch has yet to react and is unable to mobilize his elite troops against us. However, the situation has changed; Yu Wenshu and Lai Huer have already returned from Goguryeo, indicating that Yang Guang has finally responded. We are in a precarious position in Luoyang, and I believe that we should advance directly into Guanzhong, seize Guanzhong, and blockade Tongguan to have a glimmer of hope. Li Yu has already boarded the pirate ship and naturally does not wish for it to be destroyed, so he hastily spoke up.

Li Zixiong sent one hundred elite soldiers to Li Yu for self-defense, which were still Li Zixiong's private troops. His own forces numbered only about two hundred, which was hardly significant. Among the rebel army, all the troops were under the control of the Yang family. If he could lead a division this time to resist Qutuo Tong or Yuwen Shu, at the very least, he would have troops at his disposal

Lord Pushan, a duke known for his bravery and martial prowess, commands an army of over 100,000 men, exuding great might. However, the imperial army lacks the will to fight and does not dare to engage us. Not to mention the likes of Yu Wenshu and other old men, even if Yang Guang were to come in person, what could he do? He would certainly not be our match. Yang Wei, the speaker, wore a proud expression, looking at Li Yu as if he wanted to strike him.

Li Sanlang saw Li Yu in the crowd and couldn't help but laugh, saying: "Father, you must be joking!" He was well aware of what Li Yu was like in the past; although he had some martial skills, he was far from being a hero. If he couldn't even defeat himself, how could he be considered a hero

The power of the Duke remains formidable; how can the imperial army be a match for the Duke? That old fool Wei Xuan truly overestimates himself

Ah! Upon hearing this, Yang Xuangan's expression of pride vanished without a trace. He did not expect the situation to be so dire and could not help but ask, "Why is it like this?"

Li Mi nodded repeatedly, but Li Yu, who was beside him, observed clearly that although there were many smiles on Li Mi's face, there was a hint of worry between his brows, as if something had happened.

The son of the master of the underworld was defeated at the hands of Sanlang. What, do you still think your uncle is deceiving you?" Yang Xuan looked at Yang Wei with dissatisfaction.

Indeed, as everyone had just entered the main tent, divided their official ranks, and taken their seats, they heard Li Mi say: "Duke, just now Fan Zigai attacked the Ministry of Personnel, killing several hundred of our men. More importantly, General Chen Ling of the Imperial Guards is attacking Yuan Wuben in Liyang, General Qutong of the Imperial Guard is stationed in Heyang, General Yuwen Shu of the Left Wing is sending troops to follow closely behind, and reinforcements from General Lai Huer of the Right Wing are about to arrive. We have already fallen into a heavy encirclement, and I urge the Duke to prepare as soon as possible." We have already fallen into a heavy encirclement, and I urge the Duke to prepare as soon as possible.

Yang Wei and others changed their expressions; these were all scions of prominent families. Although Li Yu was the son of Li Zixiong and came from an official family, he was merely from Bohai and not of noble lineage, let alone a member of the Guanlong aristocracy. In the eyes of these second-generation elites, he was not worthy of attention and was even an object of exclusion. Suddenly hearing that Li Yu had received praise from Yang Xuangan made them somewhat uncomfortable. However, even Yang Xuanting testified on his behalf, and although the crowd had some doubts, they did not dare to voice them.

Congratulations to Father, congratulations to Father, for once again defeating Wei Xuan. As soon as everyone arrived at the main camp, they saw a young man leading a dozen or so elegantly dressed young gentlemen standing there. Upon seeing Yang Xuangan, everyone stepped forward to offer their congratulations

"Your Excellency, although the various armies are about to arrive, I believe that as long as we can hold Qutuo Tong, Yuwen Shu, and others north of the Yellow River, and trap Wei Xuan and Fan Zigai, we will be able to resolve the matters south of the Yellow River," suggested Li Zixiong

Li Mi! A familiar face flashed through Li Yu's mind; the middle-aged man before him was Li Mi, the military strategist of Yang Xuangan

Thank you, Uncle Xie. A bitter smile appeared at the corner of Li Yu's mouth as he contemplated the immense difficulty of advancing into Chang'an. The rebel forces are now surrounded by the enemy on all sides, and the question of whether they can escape has become a pressing concern

As long as he has troops in hand, Li Yu will not be anxious; if he cannot win, does he not know how to flee? Although Yang Xuangan will ultimately fail, there is no telling how many bandit leaders exist in the world, and surviving is still quite easy.

"Today, we must give thanks to Li Sanlang; if it were not for Li Sanlang's bravery, we would likely have suffered defeat this time," Yang Xuangan said with a smile. "Dalang, Li Sanlang has already made his contributions; next time we go to battle, you must also go. As a son of the Yang family, how can you not join the fight?"

"In battle, a father and son fight together; the humble general is willing to assist his father in resisting Qutuo Tong." Li Yu's eyes darted as he quickly spoke. Li Zixiong appeared to be highly valued by Yang Xuangan, but in reality, it was merely superficial respect, similar to Li Mi, as he had no troops under his command at all

"Noble lords, having achieved this small victory, we should celebrate with song and dance. Why have we gathered here?" At this moment, a gentle voice arose, and a middle-aged scholar was seen standing not far away, gazing at the crowd with a smile.

What else did Li Yu want to say? However, he noticed that Li Zixiong gave him a glance, so he could only suppress the anxiety in his heart and step back

"Da Lang." Yang Xuangan glanced at the crowd and inadvertently frowned. The foremost among them was his eldest son, Yang Wei, while the rest were mostly the younger generation of the prominent families from Guanzhong, all of whom had come to respond to him. However, during this period, aside from indulging daily in wine and pleasure, these individuals had not brought him any benefits.

Indeed, this is a good plan. Very well, tomorrow Minister Li will lead five thousand troops to confront Qutuo Tong. Yang Xuangan said this rarely while looking at Li Yu among the crowd

"Let’s go back. That old man Wei Xuan has escaped again this time." Yang Xuan felt pleased and in high spirits after just achieving a victory, instructing others to clean up the battlefield while he led Li Yu towards the main camp

Yang Xuangan nodded repeatedly, stroked his beard, looked around, and said: "What Minister Li said is indeed correct. As long as we can quickly resolve matters with He Tushu, Wei Xuan, and others, and keep Yu Wenshu and Qutuo Tong at bay north of the Yellow River, we can rest easy."

"Master of the Law." Yang Xuangan, upon seeing Li Mi, wore an even more triumphant expression. He stepped forward and said with a smile: "Old Wei Xuan is nothing much; his army of 40,000 is now diminished. Once we defeat Wei Xuan, the people within Luoyang will surely lack the will to fight. At that time, capturing Luoyang will be much easier."

Li Mi felt quite helpless. Initially, he had offered three strategies to Yang Xuangan; the top strategy was disregarded, the middle strategy was also ignored, and only the bottom strategy was employed. The army remained stalled beneath the stronghold of Luoyang, which led to the current situation. What disappointed him even more was the recent estrangement he experienced, as Yang Xuangan actually chose to trust the defector Wei Fusi. How could someone from the Wei family in Guanzhong possibly assist Yang Xuangan, causing him to miss many opportunities.

"Thank you, General." Li Zixiong clasped his hands in obedience, and Li Yu felt quite pleased in his heart, finally having troops at his command

"Impudent! Li Yu, you are merely alarmist. Luoyang is right before us; we can conquer it at any moment. Once we take Luoyang, the world will surely respond. At that time, toppling the Sui Dynasty will be but a matter of a wave of the hand." Yang Wei could not help but retort.

The humble general is willing to lead a contingent to resist Qutuo Tong said Li Zixiong