Chapter 613 The Crown Prince's Position: To Whom Will It Be Passed On!
"What did you say?"
Upon hearing this, not only Yuwen Yuan was stunned, but Yuwen Qian was also greatly surprised and asked in astonishment, "Second brother, what do you mean by that?"
Yuwen Ye looked at him and said calmly, "Tomorrow is Father's coronation ceremony."
"So what?"
"Although Father Emperor's founding of the Great Sheng Dynasty was the will of the people, there must still be some who still yearn for the old master in Chang'an, Guanzhong, and other prefectures and counties in the Central Plains. Or perhaps they have their own agendas and are not willing to submit to us. If we send our third brother, who has failed in defending Taiyuan, back to Chang'an at this time, it will not only alienate the people of Chang'an and cause the people of Guanzhong to waver, but it will also make us a laughingstock to the world."
"..."
"This also burdened the Great Sheng Dynasty with the shadow of defeat from the very beginning of its establishment."
"..."
"Therefore, my third brother cannot enter Tongguan. At least, he absolutely cannot appear in Chang'an before Taiyuan is recaptured!"
"..."
After hearing his words, everyone fell silent.
When the next sound rang out, it was Yuwen Yuan who spoke, his voice low and almost hoarse: "Yu Mingli."
Eunuch Yu immediately stepped forward: "Your Majesty."
Yuwen Yuan said, "Issue an order to strictly seal off the news of the defeat at Taiyuan. No one is allowed to talk about it in Chang'an. Anyone who violates this order will be executed without mercy. Also, issue another decree to have someone leave the city overnight and go to Tongguan to welcome the Prince of Qi. Have him stay there and await my new decree."
Eunuch Yu replied, "Yes!"
After saying that, he immediately turned around and went out to relay the message.
As soon as he left, Yuwen Yuan turned to look at the two sons of the Crown Prince. Yuwen Ye still kept his head down, his cold face expressionless; Yuwen Qian, on the other hand, had a furrowed brow but said nothing. Although Yuwen Ye's words sounded somewhat cold, they were very practical and the best choice for this newly established Great Sheng Dynasty, and even for Yuwen Cheng, who had just been defeated.
Therefore, Yuwen Yuan complied with his words, and Yuwen Qian had nothing to say.
But--
Yuwen Yuan pondered for a long time, then asked hesitantly, "You, you, are you really going to send troops?"
"...?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye suddenly looked up at his father, a look of surprise on his face, as if he could not believe that his father, who was always brave and fearless in battle, would hesitate in this war.
But Shang Ruyi, looking at the wrinkles between Yuwen Yuan's brows, understood somewhat. He had ordered a strict information blockade and told Yuwen Cheng not to enter Tongguan for the time being. He was indeed worried that the loss of the birthplace of the dragon and the news of the defeat in Taiyuan would affect the fortune of the newly established dynasty and the hearts of the people. But he was obviously more concerned about this battle.
After all, his current identity is no longer that of the Duke of Sheng, but the Emperor.
In the past, when the Duke of Sheng won a battle, it was his own achievement; when he lost, it was a loss for the court. Because of the protection afforded by his ancestors' merits, Chu Yang, despite his fear of him, wouldn't easily kill him. But now it's different. He is now the emperor, and the founding emperor whose coronation ceremony will be held tomorrow. If he were to lose at this time—
This was indeed the biggest blow to the newly established Great Sheng Dynasty!
Moreover, if we were to actually send troops to Taiyuan this time, it wouldn't be an ordinary battle. Taiyuan is now home to two armies, the Western Turks and Wang Shao, which are many times stronger than Xue Xian's army, which previously overpowered Fufeng. Even if we win, there's Liang Shide in Luoyang, who's always watching us, waiting to reap the benefits. If he intervenes, even if we win the battle of Taiyuan, we'll likely suffer an even more devastating defeat afterward.
Their chances of winning are really slim.
As Yuwen Ye just said, this would cause the Great Sheng Dynasty to bear the shadow of defeat from the very beginning, making it a weakling in the eyes of the world.
You must understand that the world is in chaos right now, with warlords vying for power. Even if someone were to establish a country and become emperor, if they cannot win the hearts of the people and have the world submit to them, then even with the title of emperor, they would be nothing more than a fleeting shooting star.
Therefore, the outcome of this battle was of great significance to Yuwen Yuan.
No wonder he hesitated.
Yuwen Yuan said gravely, "You should understand that Taiyuan has already been lost. If we send troops and fail to recapture it, then—"
Upon hearing his words, the atmosphere inside the Hundred Blessings Hall became even more suffocating.
Can we win this war?
Can we win?
If this battle is lost, it will be the most fatal blow to the newly established Great Sheng Dynasty, and it may even be unable to maintain its current situation.
At this moment, Yuwen Ye slowly stood up, cupped his hands to Yuwen Yuan, and said, "Father, I have something to say."
Yuwen Yuan glanced at him and said, "Go on."
Yuwen Ye said, "Father, we must send troops, and we must win this battle!"
"..."
“We must send troops because Taiyuan is the birthplace of our father. Even though he just ordered a news blackout, the truth will eventually come out. The news of the loss of Taiyuan will soon spread throughout Guanzhong. If we can’t even protect our birthplace, how can the people here believe that the Great Sheng Dynasty can protect them and allow them to live in peace and prosperity?”
"..."
"As for why we must win—"
His breathing quickened, but before he could speak further, Yuwen Qian interjected, "Because Taiyuan is of great significance to us!"
"...!"
Yuwen Ye was taken aback when he heard him speak at this moment.
Yuwen Yuan immediately turned to his eldest son: "Oh?"
Yuwen Qian calmly said, "With Father's ambition, it is impossible for him to be content with just a corner of the country and limit the territory to the Guanzhong region. Luoyang is rich and has convenient transportation, which is of great significance to the Great Sheng Dynasty. Father has been paying attention to Liang Shide's movements, probably because he wants to recover Luoyang one day."
Yuwen Yuan nodded and said, "That's right."
Yuwen Qian said, "To recapture the Eastern Capital, it is not enough to lead troops eastward from Chang'an alone. The best way is to attack from two directions. This is also the most important reason why Father Emperor left his third brother and tens of thousands of troops to garrison Taiyuan after taking Chang'an."
"..."
"If Taiyuan is lost, our eastward advance will be weakened by at least half."
Hearing him say that, Yuwen Yuan sighed deeply, but he also knew in his heart that what he said was the truth.
Yuwen Ye listened calmly to Yuwen Qian's words. Although his expression was slightly somber, he was not too surprised. Although his elder brother had been traveling around for many years, his abilities were beyond doubt. He could see through this situation without even having to think too much.
but--
Yuwen Ye coughed lightly and continued, "Taiyuan is not only important to us, but also to the other side."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Yuan's eyes lit up again, and he turned to look at him: "Tell me about it."
Yuwen Ye continued, "Father, Liang Shide holds sway over Luoyang; he's not one to be content with a corner of the world. His eyes have always been on us."
"..."
"And now, his power is almost fully gathered."
Yuwen Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of shrewdness in them: "You mean—the Turks?"
"good,"
Yuwen Ye said, "Taiyuan is a strategic location that we want to use to attack Luoyang from two directions, but if it falls into the hands of the enemy, it will serve the same purpose; moreover, both Wang Shaoji in Taiyuan and Liang Shide in Luoyang have Turkic forces behind them. Once these forces are fully united—"
Yuwen Yuan's heart sank.
Indeed, this is why he originally intended to host a banquet for the meritorious officials who had helped control the plague, but after receiving this urgent military report, he couldn't even drink the wine and started discussing military matters in front of Shen Wuzheng, Pei Xingyuan, and even Su Qinglan. Taiyuan is too important to them!
Taiyuan must not be lost!
At this moment, a sense of regret arose in his heart—how could he have entrusted such an important city as Taiyuan to his youngest son, Yuwen Cheng, to guard? Yuwen Ye had warned him beforehand not to entrust Yuwen Cheng with such a heavy responsibility, after all, he was still young and had no experience in war. Moreover, he was stubborn, short-tempered, and prone to losing sight of the bigger picture. But at that time, capturing Daxing City was too important for Yuwen Yuan, and Yuwen Ye was far away in Jiangdu. There was no one more trustworthy to guard Taiyuan, so he had no choice but to entrust Taiyuan to Yuwen Cheng.
Unexpectedly, this sowed the seeds of future trouble.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at Yuwen Ye—in matters of war, this son was indeed irreplaceable.
However, his military achievements were already quite high.
He managed to outmaneuver himself in such a momentous event as his ascension to the throne. If he were to capture Taiyuan and achieve complete victory, he might become the only voice in the court in the future.
After a long silence, Yuwen Yuan finally seemed to have made up his mind and slowly raised his head. At this moment, two pairs of eyes below, and several other burning gazes, had already held their breath and stared at him intently for who knows how long.
"King of Han, King of Qin."
Upon hearing Yuwen Yuan's words, Yuwen Qian and Yuwen Ye hurriedly stood up and stepped forward to stand in the center of the Hundred Blessings Hall. Although the remaining people had no instructions, they also stood up, straightened their clothes, and listened to the imperial edict.
Yuwen Yuan said, "You two will each lead 100,000 troops and set off at dawn tomorrow."
"...!"
Upon hearing this, everyone gasped in shock!
Unexpectedly, he sent both of his sons to war at the same time, making the best of the Great Sheng Dynasty. Moreover, tomorrow is his coronation ceremony, but he ordered his two sons to set out at dawn, meaning that they cannot even attend the coronation ceremony.
Clearly, his mind was made up; if he was going to send troops, he had to win!
This shows how important the Battle of Taiyuan was to him at this moment!
Yuwen Qian and Yuwen Ye immediately cupped their hands and said, "Your subjects obey the decree!"
Yuwen Yuan nodded, then glanced at his two sons, who were now capable of shouldering great responsibilities, and said in a deep voice, "I have ordered you two to go to war at the same time, and you should understand the importance of this battle. Since we are going to fight, we must win!"
"yes."
"Who will capture Taiyuan in this battle?"
Yuwen Yuan slightly raised his chin and said in a deep voice, "I will pass the position of Crown Prince to whomever I deem fit!"
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