Chapter 944 Dispute
Inside the Lizheng Hall, Yuwen Yuan sat at the top of the hall, looking at the several court officials who had been arguing incessantly during the morning court session, still glaring at each other with a fierce and angry expression. He couldn't help but frown.
Actually, it's not a big deal.
Princess Qiancheng of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate sent a letter saying that the Western Turkic Khaganate had recently launched a surprise attack on their border town of Xiazhou. Although they were temporarily defeated, they had also received news that Ashina Zhuxie was leading the main force of the Western Turkic Khaganate southward, seemingly with a major plan in mind.
Princess Qiancheng hopes that the Dasheng Dynasty can send troops to support Xiazhou.
Based on the previous relationship between the Great Sheng Dynasty and the Western Turks, firstly, the Yuwen family was already very close to the lineage of Princess Qiancheng, so it was natural for them to be even closer to the Eastern Turks. Moreover, during the siege of Yanmen, Yuwen Ye blinded Ashina Shali, and in addition, Ashina Zhuxie directly participated in the battle of Taiyuan and kidnapped the Princess of Qin, which pushed the two sides directly into a confrontational situation.
More importantly, Xia Prefecture is adjacent to Jingyang and only a few dozen miles from Chang'an. If Ashina Zhuye really takes over Xia Prefecture and uses it as a base, and then moves south—
Therefore, both morally and logically, they should help the Eastern Turks.
However, there was another voice in the court, who believed that this was originally a domestic matter between the Eastern and Western Turks and that they should not interfere; moreover, Xia Prefecture was not an important city or territory of the Eastern Turks, and even if it were occupied by the Western Turks, it would not have a significant impact on the Eastern Turks.
However, if they send troops, it would easily provoke hostility from the Western Turks.
Now, with the King of Qin leading his troops on an expedition, the garrison in Chang'an numbers only tens of thousands. They were already on guard against the covetous eyes of rebel armies from all over the country. If they were to attract Ashina Zhuxie's Turkic army, it would be truly dangerous.
Therefore, some people believe that it is absolutely unacceptable to send troops to support Princess Qiancheng at this time, lest it ignite war with the Western Turks.
The two sides were still arguing, and even after they finished arguing in the court, they continued to argue when they returned to the Lizheng Hall to discuss the matter. Yuwen Yuan felt a splitting headache again, so he simply waved his hand and said, "Alright, you may all leave. I need to think about this matter some more."
The crowd stared at the person opposite them, unable to say anything more, and could only get up and take their leave.
Just as everyone was about to walk out of the Lizheng Hall, Dong Yue, the Minister of War who was walking at the back, stopped and turned around: "Your Majesty, I have something else to say."
Yuwen Yuan was rubbing his temples when he looked up and saw it was him. He said, "Go on."
Although he was asked to speak, Dong Yue did not speak immediately. Instead, he waited until everyone had left and Eunuch Yu had closed the palace door outside before returning to the main hall. Yuwen Yuan pointed to the side, and Dong Yue immediately thanked him and sat down in the seat to his left.
Yuwen Yuan asked, "What do you want to say?"
Dong Yue said, "Your Majesty, it has been five days since the Prince of Qin set out on his expedition."
"Um."
"But he didn't send back a single message."
"Five days have passed, and I'm afraid we haven't seen Liang Shide yet. What news could we possibly have to spread?"
"Your Majesty, I believe that in five days, His Highness the Prince of Qin should have at least passed Tongguan Pass. He should send back some news so that the court is aware of his movements."
"..."
"Otherwise, if we go any further and engage the enemy, they might not be able to take care of us at all."
Yuwen Yuan's brows slowly furrowed.
In the past, when Yuwen Ye led troops into battle, except when he was a teenager and not very mature, Yuwen Yuan would have him send messages back at any time to keep track of the situation. But after winning a few battles, he became more and more adept at it, so Yuwen Yuan let him go and fight freely. He would often give him a force and let him do whatever he wanted, and he would often bring back some unexpected good news.
Therefore, this time, he never intended for Yuwen Ye to send messages back to him at any time so that he could keep track of them.
But Dong Yue's words reminded him.
The current Yuwen Ye is no longer the second young master of the Yuwen family, but the Prince of Qin of the Great Sheng Dynasty. He is also the General of the Heavenly Strategy who can rival the Crown Prince in the court. Especially after the Battle of Longmen Ferry, Yuwen Yuan is somewhat uneasy about him.
Otherwise, the King of Qi would not have been allowed to lead his troops to attack Luoyang.
He said, "You mean—"
Dong Yue smiled and said, "Actually, I mentioned to Your Majesty before that Your Highness should send a military supervisor to oversee the Prince of Qin's expedition this time, so that Your Majesty can be informed of the battle situation and avoid repeating the same mistakes as before."
"..."
"After all, this time, the Western Turkic issue has arisen again."
"..."
"If His Highness the Prince of Qin cannot win this battle, it will not be a big deal. But if something else happens... then things will be troublesome for Chang'an."
Yuwen Yuan's expression slowly darkened.
Upon seeing the change in his expression, Dong Yue felt a pang of panic. In fact, his palms were already sweating profusely as he spoke, and now, as he gripped his knees, his clothes were soaked with sweat. He immediately said, "Your Majesty, I have spoken recklessly. Please forgive me."
"..."
Yuwen Yuan did not speak immediately, but narrowed his eyes and looked at him for a while before finally saying, "I will consider this matter. You may leave."
"yes."
Dong Yue stood up and left.
Yuwen Yuan was left alone in the empty Lizheng Hall. Although there were still many documents on the table that needed to be processed, he had originally planned to discuss the matter with the court officials and then review them. However, he was now so upset that he could not concentrate on reading a single word or write a single reply. He could only push the documents aside in frustration.
After a while, Eunuch Yu came in carrying a cup of tea.
Seeing Yuwen Yuan's furrowed brows and solemn expression, he dared not say anything more, simply placing the teacup beside the emperor and standing quietly to the side.
After some time, Yuwen Yuan probably felt that the hall was a bit stuffy, so he got up and went outside. Eunuch Yu hurriedly stepped forward and opened the hall door for him. A breeze blew in, which finally eased his depressed mood a little.
But the next moment, Yuwen Yuan couldn't help but cough again.
Eunuch Yu hurriedly ran into the hall again, brought out the cup of tea and presented it to Yuwen Yuan. He took it and drank two sips, but his throat was still itchy, so he coughed lightly a couple of times. Eunuch Yu said, "Your Majesty's throat has been a little uncomfortable these past two days. I'll have the Imperial Kitchen send some more soup to soothe it."
Yuwen Yuan said calmly, "We'll see how it goes."
"yes."
Yuwen Yuan took two more sips of tea, and looking out at the clear sky, he inexplicably felt a faint gloom pressing down on his heart. He suddenly said, "Yu Mingli."
"This servant is here."
"Will there be any problems with the King of Qin leading his troops into battle this time?"
Eunuch Yu was startled and immediately smiled obsequiously, "How dare this servant speak such nonsense?"
Yuwen Yuan glanced down at him, then suddenly smiled, a smile tinged with self-mockery, and shook his head, saying, "I've told you all this... Alright, you may leave."
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