1novels Chapter 200 The Humiliation of Luo Cheng
Chapter 200 The Humiliation of Luo Cheng
Any further words from him will only make the situation worse.
It seems that staying in Beiping is not a good option after all.
In order to avoid causing any more trouble for his uncle, he had to find another place to go.
The Eastern Capital, the Shuo Prince's Residence.
"Your Highness, Luo Cheng has arrived."
"Okay, let him wait."
Lu Xiao raised his hand, indicating that there was no need to rush him.
He continued his discussions with his staff, his gaze fixed on the map.
For so long, he has relied on his fists, his halberd, and his Red Vanguard Army.
He rarely sat down to discuss matters with Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and others.
However, the situation is now complex, and force alone is no longer sufficient.
"Your Highness," Li Jing said, pointing to the Jianghuai region on the map.
"His Majesty has nearly assembled the troops—30,000 men—with provisions and supplies readily available. Shall we proceed ahead?"
The Jianghuai region was in turmoil, with Du Fuwei and Li Zitong launching uprisings one after another, gaining considerable momentum.
The sooner they set off, the sooner they could suppress the rebellion.
"Pharmacist," Lü Xiao raised his head, his gaze deep, "have you noticed a problem?"
He's figured it out these days.
Xu Maogong went to great lengths to provoke him and lure him to the Jianghuai region, but his ultimate goal was probably not the Jianghuai region, but the Eastern Capital.
"This humble general already noticed," Li Jing nodded, his expression grave.
"If Your Highness does not go to Jianghuai, the rebellious forces may grow stronger and become uncontrollable; if Your Highness goes to Jianghuai, the Eastern Capital will be left vulnerable..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
The other party wanted Lü Xiao to leave.
Lu Xiao's gaze swept across everyone's faces, finally landing on Pei Yuanqing.
Although this kid is just as brave as I am, he's not as quick-witted as I am.
Sending him to quell the rebellion in the Jianghuai region was really not a good choice.
"Big Brother!" Pei Yuanqing patted his chest, full of confidence.
"Go ahead and go! I'll stay in Dongdu! With me and that kid Yuwen Chengdu here, no one can stand against us!"
He patted his chest loudly, his face showing a reassuring expression.
Lu Xiao looked at him and remained silent for a moment.
He was genuinely afraid that if the Li family rebelled in the future, Pei Yuanqing would be sent away by Li Yuanba with three blows.
"you?"
Lü Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong with me?" Pei Yuanqing glared defiantly. "Am I not the second fiercest general of the Sui Dynasty?"
Lu Xiao waved his hand: "Go, go, go out and play with the kids."
Pei Yuanqing wanted to argue, but was silenced by a glare from Lü Xiao.
He muttered that I was truly the second fiercest warrior, and reluctantly left the study.
Lu Xiao withdrew his gaze and said to Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling, Li Jing, and the others, "I still have concerns about the Li family of Taiyuan."
The three exchanged a glance, their expressions turning serious.
"Your Highness's concerns are very valid," Fang Xuanling said slowly.
"Li Yuan was an unfathomable man. Among his sons, Li Jiancheng was steady, Li Shimin was quick-witted, and Li Yuanji was not worth mentioning."
"The Li family has been entrenched in Taiyuan for many years and has deep roots," Du Ruhui added.
"His Majesty has tried to deal with them several times, but has failed. Now, given the current situation, if the Li family were to take advantage of the chaos to raise an army..."
He didn't finish speaking, but everyone understood.
If the Li family were to raise an army, the Sui Dynasty would have one more formidable enemy.
Lü Xiao fell silent.
He stared at Taiyuan on the map, his brow furrowed.
I thought about it for a long time, and my head was about to explode.
He couldn't be bothered with the Li family or anything like that!
"Go to hell!"
Lu Xiao slammed his hand on the table and stood up.
The three of them were startled and looked at him in unison.
"With my strength, pacifying the Jianghuai region is not a difficult task."
"As long as I'm fast enough to get back to Luoyang before the Li family raises their army, what do they have to fear?"
Moreover, Yuwen Chengdu of Dongdu has golden-armored warriors.
Even if the Li family dared to raise an army, they might not be able to shake the Eastern Capital.
Li Jing nodded: "Your Highness is right. Rather than hesitating, we should fight a swift and decisive battle."
Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui exchanged a glance and nodded.
Since things have come to this, this is the only way.
Afterwards, the three left the Prince Shuo's residence and went about their respective duties.
Li Jing went to the drill ground outside the city to muster troops, while Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui returned to their room to pack their bags and prepare for the imperial examination.
The study finally quieted down, leaving only Lü Xiao deep in thought, staring at the map.
Luo Cheng had been waiting outside the door for a full hour.
He stood ramrod straight under the eaves, outwardly composed, but inwardly his mind was in turmoil.
In Yanshan, he was a noble heir, the sole successor to the Prince of Beiping, and was always the center of attention wherever he went.
But in the Eastern Capital, in this Prince Shuo's mansion, he seemed to be less than a servant.
To see Lü Xiao, one had to wait outside, and the wait could last for an hour.
It's truly infuriating.
But what can he do?
He was a hostage, a prisoner, a grasshopper held in someone's palm.
There is no other way but to wait.
"Please inform the guards at the door," Luo Cheng finally couldn't contain himself any longer and asked, "May I see the Prince?"
The guard glanced at him, then turned and went inside.
A moment later, the guards returned.
"Your Highness, the Prince requests your presence inside."
Luo Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and quickly straightened his robes.
He dusted off non-existent dust from his sleeves, straightened the jade crown on his head, and made sure he was properly dressed before stepping into the study.
In the study, Lü Xiao was standing in front of the huge map.
That was a map of the entire territory of the Sui Dynasty, with mountains, rivers, counties, and cities clearly marked.
Luo Cheng's gaze fell on the map, on that area he knew all too well, the Yanshan Mountains.
That's where Lü Xiao was looking.
Luo Cheng's heart tightened.
That feeling was like being stared at by a ferocious beast, sending chills down your spine.
"Your Highness," Luo Cheng bowed, trying to make his voice sound calm, "what brings you here?"
Lü Xiao did not answer immediately.
His gaze remained fixed on the map, and he gently tapped the location of the Yanshan Mountains with his finger.
"Rebellions are raging across Hebei today," he finally spoke, his tone casual. "I would like to request that the Crown Prince write a letter ordering the Prince of Beiping to send troops to quell the rebellion."
He detained Luo Cheng in Luoyang not to keep him idle.
It was so that in a critical moment, they could obtain a force to quell the rebellion.
Now is the time to put it to use.
Luo Cheng kept his head down, and his expression was unclear.
But his slightly trembling shoulders betrayed his true feelings.
Anger, humiliation, and resentment intertwined, almost tearing him apart.
Lü Xiao's actions were truly domineering.
They did not value the lives of the soldiers of Yanshan.
"What, Your Highness is unwilling?"
Lu Xiao turned around and his gaze fell on Luo Cheng.
That gaze was calm as still water, yet it sent a chill down Luo Cheng's spine.
If Luo Cheng is unwilling, he will find a way to make Luo Yi willing.
In short, he is unwilling to resort to force if things can be discussed and negotiated amicably.
After all, Luo Yi's influence is considerable. If he is really pushed too far, he might even abandon his son, and then all his efforts will have been in vain.
Luo Cheng clenched his fists tightly inside his sleeves, his knuckles turning white.