Zhu Changxiao's version of the Sui Dynasty

In AD 592, the twelfth year of Emperor Kaihuang's reign in the Sui Dynasty, the rebel king Wang Guoqing in southern Fujian surrendered without a fight, and all the five rebel kings in Jiangdong were put down. Yang Su, the Duke of Yue, commanded an army of tens of thousands, and returned to Beijing. Along the way back to the north, he happened to pass by Yangzhou.

Jin Wang Yang Guang had already taken a fancy to Yang Su, Duke of Yue State, and made preparations along the way. He personally waited for the victorious army in a pavilion ten miles outside Yangzhou City.

Yang Su, the Duke of Yue, was a face-conscious man. When he saw the King of Jin greeting him, he was overjoyed and felt very dignified in front of the three armies. Yang Guang came closer, held the reins of Yang Su's horse, and said:"The Duke of Jin has won a great victory in southern Fujian. The little king has prepared some wine in Yangzhou to reward the three armies. Congratulations to the Duke on his triumphant return." The dignified King of Jin called himself Little King. , very humble, which made Yang Su a little arrogant. He was so happy that he dismounted from his horse and thanked him repeatedly. Yang Su ordered the three armies to be stationed outside Yangzhou City, and the King of Jin also ordered people to send countless rewards of wine, cattle and sheep.

Yang Guang invited Yang Su to the palace and treated him to a banquet. He toasted frequently and changed cups, making Yang Su, the Duke of Yue, treated with courtesy and very happy.

After three rounds of food and five flavors of wine, Yang Su was slightly tipsy. Yang Guang said:"This time, the old prince has wiped out the five rebels in the east of the Yangtze River. His achievements are unparalleled. In the future, he will be a high official. I hope the prince will support the little king." Yang

Sule said:"I can't bear it. The King of Jin treats me Yang Su with such courtesy. How can Yang Su forget the kindness of the King of Jin? I will repay him generously in the future."

When pushing the cup to change the cup, Yang Guang said in a low voice:" The Duke has been in southern Fujian for a long time, and now there are changes in the court. There is a happy event and a bad event. I wonder which one the Duke will hear first?"

Yang Su was stunned, knowing that there was something in his words, and asked:"May I ask Your Highness, Where does the joy come from? Where does the bad thing come from?"

Yang Guang said:"When you and I went south, Gao Xiangguo's concubine was pregnant, and she married the prince Yang Yong's concubine, and they were in-laws. Now the prince gives birth to a boy, and Gao Xiangguo gets a girl. A pair, the ground matches a pair, it can be described as a miraculous fate, happiness will come from this"

"Since it’s a miracle that comes from heaven, what’s so bad about it? Yang Su asked.

Yang Guang said:"Su Xiangguo benefited from doing things for others and was reported. He reduced his official position to serve the people." The post of servant archer in the imperial court was vacant, and His Majesty wanted to appoint the Duke of Yue as his servant archer. However, Gao Xi thought that the Duke of Yue State was more than talented but not moral enough, so he made slanderous remarks, which was a bad thing."

Upon hearing this, Yang Su's eyes widened and he was speechless for a long time. Yang Guang advised:"Don't worry, Lord Yue, I have sent Concubine Xiao back to Beijing to help negotiate an agreement. Your Majesty has not listened to Gao Xi's slander."

Yang Su then turned from worry to joy and thanked her sincerely. After some eating, drinking, and drinking, Yang Guang made Yang Su a fair-weather friend, a friend whom he never forgets. This is what it means: in officialdom, friendship is the most important thing, and righteousness has a cup full of wine. Yes.

Drunk talk is better than an eternal alliance, and they will join forces to shake up the imperial court in the future.

Yang Su, the Duke of Yue, won the victory and returned to his hometown in glory, returning to Daxing, the capital. As soon as he arrived outside the east gate of Daxing City, the eunuch Wang Wentong had been waiting for a long time, and saw Yang Su leading his team to arrive , Wang Wentong said:"Yue Guogong Yang Su listened to the decree."

Yang Su and the generals behind him all got off their horses and knelt down. The eunuch read:"The Emperor of the Sui Dynasty issued an edict: Yang Su, the general of the Southern Conquest and the Duke of Yue, crusaded against the rebels in the east of the Yangtze River and won consecutive battles and victories. With outstanding achievements, he was awarded the title. Yang Su Shangshu was appointed Youpu She, and he entered the center of the pavilion to take part in the affairs of the state. Admire this."When Yang Su heard this, he was overjoyed and grateful. He kowtowed to the ground and shouted long live.

Yang Su got up after receiving the order. Wang Wentong, the eunuch, congratulated:"Congratulations to Yang Xiangguo for being promoted to the throne.

Yang Sule said:"Your Majesty, please wait for me to enter the palace quickly. First, I can thank the Holy Spirit.""

"Your Majesty has arrived in Qizhou again and will not return for a few days. Yang

Su and Wang Wentong were walking and chatting. Yang Su asked,"I heard that His Majesty often visits Qizhou. I wonder what beautiful scenery there is in Qizhou that fascinates Your Majesty so much?""

"Yang Xiangguo didn't know something. There is a mountain pass in Qizhou with pleasant scenery and a good place for health. Your Majesty went to visit it when he was free."

"Since it’s a beautiful place, why not build a palace?"

Wang Wentong said:"Gao Xiangguo did not want to waste money and people, and Su Wei was dismissed from office, so no one dared to say anything about it."Hearing this, Yang Su nodded, thinking to himself that as an official, you should submit to the emperor's favor. This is the way to be an official.

Yang Su, the Duke of Yue, became the right servant to shoot. In order to please Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Su Immediately, a memorial was written, requesting the emperor to build a palace in Qishan. When Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty Yang Jian saw Yang Su's memorial, he was very interested in building a palace in Qishan, so he summoned Yang Su to the palace to discuss. Yang Su entered the palace and paid homage. Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty After ordering someone to sit down, he asked:"I have long been looking forward to the construction of the Qizhou palace by your beloved. I wonder how many hours of work it takes to build a temple? As soon as Yang

Su heard that the emperor was very interested, he immediately replied:"In my opinion, it can be completed in two years at most.""

"Just two years? Are you in a hurry?

Yang Su said:"If you are a mediocre official, five years will be in vain. I am willing to imitate the capable ministers and work hard, and I will be able to complete the project in two years.""

"good! Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty was overjoyed:"I have appointed Ai Qing as the director of the palace construction, Yu Wenkai as the general as the master craftsman, and De Yi as the civil engineering supervisor. I have summoned all the skilled craftsmen in the world to build the palace in Qizhou from now on."

Yang Su asked again:"I wonder what name your majesty would like to give to this palace?""

"I nurture all the people with benevolence as the foundation, Yao and Shun practiced virtue, and the people live long, so I named it Renshou Palace. Yang

Su bowed and said:"Your Majesty's benevolence is truly better than that of Yao and Shun. I will fulfill my mission and do it immediately.""

Yang Su received the decree and began to prepare for the construction of Renshou Palace. Yu Wenkai designed the palace and granted Deyi the title of supervising the transportation of civil materials. Several officials responsible for starting the construction gathered together. After hearing this, Yang Su presided over the project.

Yang Su asked:"After the first month, Qi. The state is about to start construction, and the prime minister vowed in front of Long Live to build the Renshou Palace within two years."

Yu Wenkai was one of the top craftsmen and officials in the Sui Dynasty. He frowned and said doubtfully:"Since it is an imperial palace and its scale is huge, I am afraid that it will be difficult to complete it within two years.

Feng Deyi also said:"It is not easy to excavate stones and transport civil engineering. Two years is a bit tight." Hearing this, Yang

Su thought to himself that he had boasted about Haikou in front of the emperor. If he couldn't finish the project in two years, he would lose all face and it would be hard to explain. He stroked his horned beard and squinted at his second brother Yang Yue, hinting that Yang Yue would help him out. idea. Yang Su's second brother Yang Yue has always been cunning, with a sharp mouth, evil eyebrows, and a villainous face.

Yang Yue is the most evil-minded. He rolled his eyes and said:"My lords, the emperor's decree is two years." , if it cannot be completed in two years, everyone must bear the responsibility. As long as you do your best, Yang Yue is willing to personally supervise the work, and the Renshou Palace will be completed."

Everyone felt that something was wrong, but Yang Yue was the only one who swore by it and was more confident than Yang Su, so they recommended Yang Yue as the supervisor to build the Renshou Palace.

A few days later, Qishan officially started construction, and Yang Yue took advantage of his brother Yang Su's help. Respecting his patrons, he forcibly recruited 50,000 laborers, sent officers and soldiers to supervise them, and worked all night long, which was extremely cruel.

Many laborers became sick from overwork and could not bear the beatings and scoldings, and died at the foot of Qishan. Yang Yue intensified his work and became more and more rampant. The corpses were filled into the pit, covered with earth and rocks, and built flat.

Tens of thousands of laborers and civilians died in Qizhou. An unprecedented building, a palace with the word"Benevolence" at the head, became a hell for the toiling people.. It can be said:

Who can cope with the cruel labor? In the Renshou Palace, the house is cold and green, the corpses are buried and died of overwork, and the lonely souls are exposed in the wild and fight for the dead. The gold tiles are dripping with sweat, and the falling green bricks reflect the blood. There have been many treasures in the palace. Remembering the emperor, we can see that the dead are weeping in the ground.

The two brothers Yang Su and Yang Yue were extremely cruel. They intensified the engineering process and killed countless innocent workers, which made the progress progress rapidly. It aroused dissatisfaction among the people and complained. After all, paper cannot cover the fire. The story was passed down to ten, and it was passed down to hundreds. The incident finally reached the ears of Zuo Pushe Gao Jiong. After hearing this, Gao Jiong was very angry and came to Ning'an Hall to meet Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty. The emperor and his ministers finished their ceremony in Xuanwen Hall. , Gao Jiong reported:"Recently, your right servant shot Yang Su to supervise the construction of Renshou Palace, and recruited tens of thousands of civilians. The control was brutal, causing death, causing great damage to the population, and causing public resentment. I hope your Majesty will understand clearly.""

"Is this serious?"

Gao Jiong said:"Fifteen officials have jointly signed a memorial to impeach Youpu She and Yang Su, the Duke of Yue."

Yang Jian said:"Yang Su has wasted the people's power and made me resentful to the whole world. I cannot tolerate it. Aiqing immediately sent someone to secretly investigate the matter. If the truth is found, he will not be lenient."Gao Jiong got the order, turned around and left to investigate Yang Su's matter.

After Gao Jiong left, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty detoured behind the screen. Empress Dugu, who was sitting behind the screen in the main hall, breathed out from time to time."Your Majesty, with a heart of benevolence, nurtures all people. , I didn’t expect that Duke Yue would be so cruel, wasting people and money, your Majesty must investigate this matter strictly."

"The queen can rest assured that Gao Jiong has been sent to the matter and a conclusion will be reached."

Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty was most afraid of Queen Dugu, and also hated the fact that Queen Dugu was unhappy. He took the initiative to please him and said:"A few days ago, I ordered someone to order some fine silk and satin at the Jiangnan Silk Shop. I want to make some new clothes for the queen. Immediately order someone to pick it up."

When Empress Dugu saw that Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty spoke thoughtfully, her face turned from anger to joy, and she said with interest:"Two horses are enough, there is no need to be too luxurious. Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty nodded and said to Shang Yi and Chen Shuxuan who were serving beside him:"Chen Shangyi quickly went to Jiangnan Silk Factory to get the cloth.""

"Obey the decree."

Shangyi Chen Shuxuan got the decree and took a few maids to the Jiangnan Silk Shop outside the imperial city to pick up silk and satin. Several maids held a few pieces of silk and satin and followed Chen Shuxuan along the street to the gate of Prince Jin's Mansion. They remembered that Xiao Jun had been in the mansion these days. On the way, he simply went to the princess's house to be a guest.

Xiao Jun had been using Chen Shuxuan to help Yang Guang inquire about palace affairs since he presented Chen Shuxuan to Queen Dugu. When he saw Chen Shuxuan visiting the Jin Dynasty, he was overjoyed and greeted him with a smile. Sisters are very happy to meet each other

"Why did Shang Yi come to the palace today?"

"Today I was ordered to pick up the cloth customized by the palace. I brought two pieces to my sister on the way and asked for a cup of tea."

"There is good tea."

While Xiao Jun welcomed Chen Shuxuan into the living room, he asked his family to arrange for a few maids to go to the wing to drink tea.

Two cups of fragrant tea and several plates of melon seeds were presented to them. The two of them drank tea and chatted. Xiao Jun asked:"What? How are you, Queen Mother? If you have anything happy to do, please tell me."

"Nothing to be happy about, but only one thing to worry about"

"What's the matter?"

"Unbeknownst to her sister, Yang Su, the Duke of Yue, built the Renshou Palace, wasting money and people, and was impeached by Gao Qiao. The emperor has begun to secretly investigate the matter."

When Xiao Jun heard this, he felt a little hesitant. King Yang Guangyuan of Jin was far away in the south of the Yangtze River. The only important minister he could rely on in the court was Yang Su, the Duke of Yue. If Yang Guang wanted to win the throne, he would have to join forces with Yang Su to compete with the crown prince. Yang Yong and Prime Minister Gao Jun, and now that Yang Su is about to come out, Xiao Jun is really hesitant.

Chen Shuxuan seemed to sense Xiao Jun's concerns and asked tentatively:"Does my sister have any scruples about Yang Su?""

Xiao Jun knew that even if he didn't say bad things about Gao Jun, he would not be able to escape the dispute between the crown prince and the King of Jin. He could only follow the trend and use his plan, saying,"My sister doesn't know something. Gao Jun clearly wants to put the blame on others. Framing the King of Jin"

"ah? Chen Shuxuan looked confused and asked hurriedly:"Why did you frame His Highness the King of Jin?""

"The King of Jin and the Duke of Yue had a profound affection for each other. The prince and Gao Jiong were jealous of their achievements and framed him everywhere."

Xiao Jun sighed, lowered his head and said nothing. Chen Shuxuan still didn't know the seriousness of the palace struggle, but when he realized the truth, he said:"Sister, I'd better think of a way to inform King Jin as soon as possible, so as not to delay His Highness's important event."

Xiao Jun, who was in a dilemma, nodded and agreed. Chen Shuxuan left two pieces of fine silk and satin for Xiao Jun and left the Jin Palace with a few maids.

At this time, Yu Wenshu, the concubine of the left, was returning to the house from outside to see Shang. Chen Shuxuan came to the room just after Chen Shangyi left,"I dare to ask the princess, Chen Shangyi just left, is there something happened in the palace?

Xiao Jun said:"The Yang Su brothers built the Renshou Palace and imposed excessive taxes, which aroused public outrage. The emperor has sent people to investigate. Now we are in big trouble." Yu

Wenshu was stunned, rolled his eyes twice, and suddenly thought of a plan in his mind, and suggested:"In the past, the King of Jin fawned over Yang Su, but now that Yang Su is in trouble, maybe we can take this opportunity to win over people's hearts. Let him surrender to King Jin wholeheartedly"

"Lord Yuwen, what’s your clever plan? Yu

Wenshu said with a sly smile:"Yang Su's second brother Yang Yue has some friendship with Xiaguan. Don't worry, Princess, this matter will be taken care of by Xiaguan.""

Xiao Jun warned:"Master Yuwen, don't be too ostentatious, so as not to harm your highness's reputation."

"Princess, don't worry, your subordinates will be well informed."

Yuwenshu has always been full of tricks. Xiao Jun didn't trust him at first, but the matter was important and he had no one available, so he acquiesced in the matter. When

Yuwenshu returned to the house, he immediately ordered someone to go to Yang's house to deliver the invitation. Yang Su's second brother Yang Yue is a guest. This leads to the following: gangs fight for power and collusion, gambling tricks are used to trick Yang Yue.

He hides his crimes and collects stolen goods, and wants to change the prince to become a hero.