Chapter Fifteen: Extreme Joy Begets Sorrow and Uncontrollable Grief

  Yang Guang was, after all, someone who had emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of flames. Seeing Li Yuanba's extraordinary bravery, he was overjoyed! On the spot, he declared Li Yuanba as the King of Zhao and the Invincible Great General of the Empire! Noticing that Li Yuanba seemed a bit impatient, Yang Guang immediately bestowed upon him various precious and rare treasures, a large pile of gifts to ensure that in the future, Li Yuanba would willingly protect him. Anyway, there was no hurry for now...

  From then on, Li Yuanba's inhuman behavior was spread by the soldiers and ministers present, of course, there were also rumors, some believed it without knowing the truth, some sneered at it, and some even ridiculed Yuwen Chengdu as a fool.

  Li Yuan and his men returned to their own territory in December. After returning, they immediately mobilized troops to suppress the Shanxi uprising led by Jingtuo and others. Li Yuan wanted to accompany his beloved wife and refused to go. At this time, Li Yuan's subordinates were also talented, and the suppression of the rebels went smoothly. Li Yuan treated those who surrendered well, and many of them were placed on both sides. In front and behind, tens of thousands of rebels surrendered to Li Yuan, and the remaining party members dispersed into other counties.

  Now Li Yuanba has a certain appearance and strength, when the princesses in the palace heard about Li Yuanba's unparalleled bravery, their daily sexual fantasies are all about Li Yuanba! Everyone knows about Yang Guang's debauchery, this kid during his reign can be said to have played with women from mature mothers to little girls under 10 years old... Under the influence of daily desires, it can be said that they are not inferior to prostitutes! Historical records also mention that although these princesses' specific titles and detailed life stories are unknown, they perfectly inherited their father's trait of debauchery, making them stand out from their virtuous sister, Princess Nanyang, like a genetic mutation. And this group of depraved princesses became known to people solely because of a bizarre **** incident.

  The male protagonist of this **** event, Yuwen Huo, was also a rare talent. Of course, this cannot be blamed entirely on Yuwen Huo. After all, if the emperor had been upright and virtuous, his ministers would not have dared to be so reckless. Yang Guang indulged in women after becoming emperor, knowing only pleasure every day, whether he was holding court or touring outside. He often held grand banquets in gardens and mountain temples, with not only concubines but also the empresses who had been widowed after Emperor Wen of Sui's death, and were supposed to be in mourning. As the saying goes, "those above set an example for those below." When the emperor himself was like this, his favored ministers naturally followed Yang Guang's lead, and Yuwen Huo was one of them. Because he was deeply favored by Yang Guang, he had unrestricted access to the palace, so Yuwen Huo often went to the harem with Yang Guang's concubines, and even seduced many princesses. When this behavior reached Empress Xiao's ears, she could not bear it and told Yang Guang, but Yang Guang did not take it seriously at all and did not blame Yuwen Huo. Also because of Yang Guang's tacit consent, the princesses who had dared to commit adultery with Yuwen Huo were safe for a time, and this also had its advantages. Later, when they followed Empress Xiao to the Turks, these princesses could quickly adapt to the Turkish custom of brother succeeding brother. After Yang Guang's death and the fall of his country, this group of princesses who had once been so arrogant suddenly became women of a fallen nation, and could only be passed around among Yuwen Huaji, Dou Jiande, and others, before being captured by the Turks. In the fourth year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, Li Jing defeated the Turks, and Empress Xiao returned to Chang'an with her grandson Yang Polu. When she went to the Turks, Empress Xiao had brought her grandson and a group of daughters, but when she returned, only her grandson was seen, not her daughters. This makes one think of the time when the Northern Song Dynasty fell, and a group of concubines and princesses were captured by the Jin Dynasty and suffered at the hands of many nobles and generals, with most of them disappearing without a trace.

  It can be seen that Yang Guang and those princesses are so weird! However, Yang Guang also has a genetically mutated daughter - the fierce Princess of Nanyang! Unfortunately, she is already married to Yuwen Shi of the Yuwen family...

  Li Yuanba came to this world initially without the idea of having a wife, if he knew that he became the princesses' sex fantasy, he would be very happy! And if he knew about these princesses' lewdness, he would be worried for being too cool... Good family women are another story!

  Now Li Yuanba loves his current wife very much because he knows his own shortcomings and doesn't have any other ideas for the time being.

  In the sixth year of the Yonghui era, this year was also very turbulent! In the first month, Emperor Yang ordered the governor of Piling (now Changzhou, Jiangsu) to gather troops from ten counties and build a palace in the southeast of the county. The palace covered an area of twelve miles around, with sixteen detached palaces, modeled after the Western Garden of the Eastern Capital, but even more magnificent than the Western Garden.

  In April, a fire broke out in the western courtyard of the Daxing Hall in Luoyang. Emperor Yang thought that the rebel army had arrived and hastily hid in a thicket in the Western Garden. Only after the fire was extinguished did he dare to return. From the eighth year of Daye (612) onwards, Emperor Yang often woke up with a start at night, suspecting that the rebel army had arrived, and ordered several women to rock him back to sleep before he could fall asleep again.

  In May, Emperor Yang of Sui inquired about the situation with the rebel army to his attendants. Yuwen Shu, the Left Winged Guard General, said "it's gradually decreasing", while Su Wei, the Imperial Counselor, said: "I'm not responsible for this matter, I don't know how many rebels there are, but I fear they're getting closer and closer." The rebel army was originally in Mount Changbai, Qi State, and had now reached Xishui (Xishui County belonged to Rongyang Commandery, near present-day Zhengzhou). Su Wei also told Emperor Yang that due to false reports, it was impossible to eliminate the rebels on time. The emperor was displeased upon hearing this.

  The emperor then asked about the expedition against Goguryeo. Su Wei wanted to make Emperor Yang understand that there were many thieves in the country, so he said: "For the Liaodong campaign, please don't mobilize troops again. Just pardon all the thieves and you'll get tens of thousands of soldiers who can be used to attack Goguryeo. Since they've been pardoned, they will definitely compete with each other to achieve merits, and Goguryeo will naturally be destroyed." Emperor Yang was furious.

  He said to his attendants: "Su Wei is threatening me!" Pei Yun knew that Emperor Yang was dissatisfied with Su Wei, so he instigated Zhang Xingben to falsely accuse Su Wei of arbitrarily granting official positions when he was in charge of selecting officials at Gaoyang, and being afraid of the Turks, requesting to return to the capital. Later, someone else reported that Su Wei had secretly colluded with the Turks and plotted treason.

  Emperor Yang ordered Pei Yun to investigate and handle this matter. Pei Yun then sentenced Su Wei to death. In June, Emperor Yang pitied him and released him, removing Su Wei and his descendants for three generations from official positions.

  Li Mi (582-618) was born into a noble family, showed talent at a young age, and served as a bodyguard for Emperor Yang of Sui. He later feigned illness to resign from his position. Li Mi befriended Yang Xuangan and participated in Yang's rebellion, but was captured after their defeat. He escaped while being transported. In 616, Li Mi joined the Wagang Army.

  In October, Emperor Yang of Sui appointed Zhang Xiudao as the commander of Rongyang to suppress the Wagang Army. Zhang Xiudao led his troops to attack Wagang, and Wei Zheng suggested that they temporarily retreat, while Li Mi suggested that they engage in battle. Wei Zheng followed Li Mi's suggestion and prepared for battle, leading more than a thousand soldiers to ambush at the north of Dahai Temple in Xingyang. Zhang Xiudao had always underestimated Wei Zheng, so he marched forward with his troops arranged in a square formation. When Wei Zheng and the Sui army clashed, they were initially at a disadvantage and retreated, luring Zhang Xiudao's troops into pursuit for over ten miles. The ambush was then launched, and the Sui army was defeated, with Zhang Xiudao being beheaded on the battlefield. His remaining soldiers wailed day and night for several days, and the counties in Henan were mournful because of this. Zhang Xiudao's deputy, Jia Wuben, led more than 5,000 remaining soldiers to escape.

  In October, the Pu Yang (now Jiangxi Boyang) Manipulator uprising, self-proclaimed Yuan Xing Wang, built the beginning of Xing, attacked and occupied the Yu Zhangjun (now Jiangxi Nanchang), Emperor Yang ordered the book Shiyushi Liu Ziyuan to lead troops to discuss, Manipulator defeat death. His general Lin Shihong took over his men, fought with Liu Ziyuan at Pengli Lake, beheaded Ziyuan, gathered tens of thousands of people. In December, Lin Shihong proclaimed himself emperor, the country called Chu, built Taiping. Also took nine rivers (now Anhui Shou County), Linchuan (now Jiangxi Fuzhou West), Nankang (now Jiangxi Ganzhou southwest), Yichun (now Jiangxi Yichun) and other counties. Heroes competed to kill Sui guards, with counties responding. At that time, from the north of the nine rivers, south to Panyu (now Guangzhou), all belonged to Lin Shihong.

  In the same year, Zhai Zhong'er's general, Shi Wudi, led 100,000 troops to attack Taiyuan. General Pan Changwen was defeated and killed. In December, Yang Guang ordered Li Yuan to be the defender of Taiyuan, with Hu Bao Lang Jiang Wang Wei and Hu Ya Lang Jiang Gao Junya as his deputies, and sent troops to suppress Zhai Zhong'er.

  Li Yuan, due to consecutive victories in suppressing the rebel army, became complacent and fell into Zhen Fei's encirclement! Li Jiancheng ordered Han Niu Hong and fifty elite warriors to break through the siege and seek help from Li Shimin and Li Yuanbao who were defending their home. The fifty elites were killed by the large army, with only one person successfully escaping. Li Yuanbao's father-in-law and comrades were chopped into minced meat by the chaotic blades of the large army, leaving no remains!

  After hearing the news, Han Lin fainted on the spot! Because since ancient times, this world has had the custom of passing down to sons but not daughters, Han Lin, who was powerless, had planted many hidden wounds while wandering with her father! Later, when life stabilized, and with Han Niu Hong's love for his daughter, he used precious medicinal materials to nourish her body, and the hidden wounds were controlled. After marrying into the Li family, under Li Yuan Bao's care, the hidden wounds had almost healed! But after all, they hadn't completely healed, and her father, who she relied on for survival, didn't even leave behind a complete corpse, one can imagine the blow to Han Lin!

  Li Yuanba saw his beloved wife faint and carried her back to the room, Han Lin woke up. The sorrowful Han Lin's eyes were dull, with a slightly foolish expression that made Li Yuanba heartbroken!

  After the doctor felt her pulse, he said: "Madam, due to excessive grief, you have injured your heart pulse, but it's not very serious! However..." Before he could finish speaking, Li Yuanba anxiously said to his beloved wife: "Ling'er, don't worry, I'll go kill those bastards right now and avenge your father! Wait for my good news!" After saying that, he rushed out.

  When Lang Zhong said it was not serious, avenging his father-in-law became Li Yuanba's top priority! Perhaps after avenging him quickly, he would let his beloved wife suffer a little less. Li Yuanba shouted to the several bodyguards who had saved him, preparing the carriages and horses from last time, and the few of them hastily left Li Shimin's troops, the flying dust in the sky foretold that countless vengeful spirits would be born! However, Li Yuanba would regret it for his whole life, he was so anxious that he didn't hear Lang Zhong's words afterwards.

  "However... Madam had many internal injuries in the past, if Madam cannot adjust her sorrowful mood as soon as possible, it will worsen the injury to her heart and pulse. At that time, those internal injuries may rebound... At that time, medicine can't cure the disease, the disease has no cure! Even gods can't save..."

  Alas, my parents, who bore me with toil... Without a father, what can I rely on? Without a mother, what can I depend on? Father, you gave birth to me; Mother, you nurtured me, fed me, raised me, educated me, cared for me, and protected me. Oh, Father! Oh, Mother! The sorrowful and sentimental Han Lin murmured the poem from the Book of Songs that described parents, overcome with grief, a thread of crimson blood trickling down from the corner of her mouth. Zheng Shi and Chang Sun Shi tried their best to comfort Han Lin, but they couldn't alleviate her inner pain. Watching Zheng Shi at a loss, Chang Sun Shi could only dispatch someone to hastily inform Li Yuanba, but she knew that this was all they could do, leaving the rest to fate...