Although Zhang Xuan had some friends and relatives who had a good relationship with him, he was still very low-key and did not cause any response in Jiangdu City, which was a favorite to talk about love and romance. However, everyone was talking about recruiting children whose wife would be born in a few months. Will they be Xiaolang or Xiaoniang?

After the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, time passed like a rush. In the blink of an eye, it was late February, and the days of the alliance between the Great Sui Dynasty and the Turks gradually came.●⌒,.

It was already spring and the snow in the north had completely melted. Peach blossoms in various places had arrived. The rivers surged. The originally bare mountains and fields were covered in green and became lush. Flocks of birds flew across the sky, and leisurely wild deer ate grass by the stream, and there was a lively scene everywhere.

On the vast grassland north of Mayi County, an army of tens of thousands was slowly moving north. This army had about 30,000 people, which was the core army that protected Emperor Yang Guang of Sui.

According to the agreement reached by both sides, in order to ensure the sincerity of the alliance, on the banks of Fuqibo, the respective guards of both sides shall not exceed 30,000 people, and within a 500-mile range, the respective troops of both sides shall not exceed 50,000 people.

According to the exact information obtained by the Sui army, there were only more than 25,000 troops around Shibi Khan, who was stationed north of Fuqibo, and there was also a Turkic cavalry hundreds of miles away, with a number of no more than 30,000. All information shows that the Turks faithfully implemented the agreement reached by both sides.

Yang Guang was also happy to implement the agreement reached between the two sides, allowing only 30,000 Xiaoguo cavalry guards to escort north, while Qu Tutong led 20,000 troops to be stationed in Shanyang County as a supporter. General Yun Dingxing led 50,000 troops to be stationed in Loufan County. As the second wave of supporter, General Xue Shixiong led the last 50,000 troops to be stationed in Taiyuan as a third route to be stationed.

After such careful arrangements, they will not violate the agreement between the two parties, but will also ensure the safety of the emperor. If any adverse situation occurs, they will also quickly retreat back to Taiyuan.

During Yang Guang's first northern tour nine years ago, he rode in the magnificent Guanfengxing Hall. It was a movable castle with a circumference of eight miles. It was surrounded by 200,000 troops and was quickly walking on the vast grassland, attracting the worship of thousands of grassland subjects. It was also the reputation of the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty.

The Guanfengxing Hall has been damaged for a long time and cannot be used anymore. Yuwen Kai, who built the Guanfengxing Hall, has already passed away. At this time, Yang Guang could only sit in an imperial tent built on a huge wooden cart. There are twelve pairs of large wooden wheels on both sides of the wooden cart. Pulled by eighty-one strong horses, it is much shabby compared to the mobile castle back then.

What made Yang Guang even more unhappy was that he had only 30,000 troops to guard, and in name it was negotiated by both sides, but in fact it was the tough attitude of the Turkic Khan. If he didn't agree, the alliance would be cancelled and he went north. His face was gloomy and he never said a word.

This time, dozens of important ministers followed Fuqibo, all of whom were riding on horseback. Following on both sides of the imperial tent, everyone felt heavy in their hearts and felt uncomfortable.

They all remembered the northern tour of Daye in the third year. The power of the Great Sui Dynasty reached its peak and the nations worshiped. The Khan of the Turks was crawling on the ground and did not dare to look up. How glory they were at that time, but this time it was completely different. Needless to say, it was not as good as the worship of the various ethnic groups on the grassland back then. Even the equal negotiation between the two sides was a bit unanimous. Even the location of the alliance was designated by the Turks Khan. This was clearly the Emperor of the Great Sui Dynasty went to pay homage to the Turks Khan.

The shabby imperial tent and the weak military force. Even the guard of honor was forced to be cancelled. These are all appearances, but the problem in the bones is the decline of national strength. Today's Great Sui Dynasty is far less powerful than it was back then.

At this time, Wei Xuan, the Minister of War, whispered to Pei Ju: "Pei Gong, the strength of the 30,000 cavalry is too weak. It makes people feel uneasy!"

Pei Ju smiled bitterly and said, "Thirty thousand troops are actually not small. The key is that there are too few reserve troops, with only 150,000 troops in total. This is almost a huge army that will sway the country. If we had millions of Sui troops backed by that time, even if we brought 10,000 cavalry northward, the Turks would not dare to act rashly."

Wei Xuan sighed, "Mr. Pei is right. The millions of Sui troops disappeared in the blink of an eye. The emperor was nominally implementing elite troops and simplifying governments, but in fact he destroyed the Great Wall. I really don't understand why the emperor wanted to disband the military prefectures of each county?"

Pei Ju shook his head, "He was actually helpless. Three years after Daye, the land annexation of gentry in various places became increasingly rampant, self-cultivated farmers were sharply reduced, and the taxes of the court were getting smaller every year. How could he afford a million-dollar army? If it was thrown to local governments to raise their own troops, then these military governments would inevitably become private troops of gentry and powerful people, and repeat the scene of local warlord separatism at the end of the Han Dynasty. So instead of being controlled by local gentry and powerful people in various places, it would be better to disband directly. Although the army is a little less now, at least it is still in the hands of the court."

Wei Xuan was silent for a moment and said, "The key is that the three conquests against Goguryeo took too much national strength!"

Pei Ju still shook his head, "The three campaigns to conquer Goguryeo were just to consume the old capital left by the late emperor, and could not move the muscles and bones of the court. The fundamental reason was that the land annexation year by year was more serious. Just like a chronic plague, it seriously weakened the court's fiscal and taxes. Last year's tax was less than 20% of the four years."

Wei Xuan was shocked, "Is it that serious?"

"Otherwise, why would the emperor rather endure humiliation than join forces with the Turks to eliminate the hidden dangers of the Turks going south? Once the Turkic cavalry marched south in large numbers, the court would be unable to resist at all, and Guanlong and Bingzhou would be deeply damaged. I am afraid that the Sui Dynasty would collapse and collapse. The Sui Dynasty is now suffering from internal and external troubles, and the situation is very serious."

Wei Xuan was silent. He also knew that land annexation involved too many interests, and the court was powerless to stop it. Even Wei Xuan himself had two manors in Guanzhong, with 3,000 hectares of land, controlled hundreds of tenant slaves, asked him to return the land and disband the tenant slaves. What would he do? Wei Xuan sighed secretly that the Great Sui disease had fallen into the bone marrow and was difficult to cure.

At this time, a cavalry rushed over and bowed to Pei Ju and said, "Report to Mr. Pei, the emperor summoned him!"

Pei Ju nodded to Wei Xuan, then urged the horse to follow the cavalry to run towards the emperor's imperial tent. At this time, the team had stopped moving forward and rushed to the imperial tent. A eunuch stood on the wooden platform and smiled and said, "People please! The emperor is waiting in the tent."

Pei Ju got off the horse, got on the car with the support of several guards, and walked into the big tent.

The emperor's imperial tent area is about five acres, consisting of seven or eight separate tents. The emperor's tent, the queen's tent and the court's tent are all included. Pei Ju walked into the imperial tent, but saw the emperor Yang Guang standing in front of the map with his hands behind his back, staring at the map hanging on the wooden rack in a daze.

Pei Ju hurried forward and bowed, "Old minister, please see Your Majesty!"

After a long time, Yang Guang slowly turned around and said, "Mr. Pei, I just received the urgent letter from Princess Yicheng!"

Princess Yicheng was Yang Guang's clan girl. She first married Qimin Khan. After Qimin Khan passed away, she became the wife of her stepson Shibi Khan according to Turkic customs. She was also a political force in the Turkic period in the Sui Dynasty and had a high prestige in the Turkic period.

Pei Ju felt the anxiety in Yang Guang's tone, and he was secretly surprised. Is there any unfavorable news about Princess Yicheng?

Yang Guang continued: "Princess Yicheng suggested that I go north carefully. She said that Shibi Khan was extremely dissatisfied with the Sui Dynasty because of Shi Shu and Hu Xi's death. In this case, the two sides would not have any positive results in the alliance."

Pei Ju knew very well that Shi Shu and Hu Xi's death was in the hands of Zhang Xuan in Beihai. Shibi Khan kept the accounts on the head of the Sui Dynasty. Pei Ju said in a deep voice: "Report to Your Majesty, Shi Shu and Hu Xi's death was just an excuse for the other party. The fundamental reason was that the Turks gradually became stronger, and Shibi Khan's ambitions became more and more intense."

Yang Guang sighed for a while and asked again: "Why should Mr. Pei think I should continue to go north to join the alliance or go back?"

"Is the princess who said there is danger in the alliance?"

"She didn't say there was danger, but said that Shibi was not sincere and the alliance was meaningless. I suggest that I be careful."

Pei Ju pondered for a moment and said, "The old minister suggested that Your Majesty can suspend going north and send someone to investigate the information first. If there is no danger, even if Shibi is not sincere, we should go to the alliance. We cannot be caught by him to send troops south. I am very familiar with the internal situation of the Turks. Without sufficient excuses, Shibi Khan will find it difficult to send troops south."

Yang Guang looked at the map again. They were fifty miles away from Fuqibo, and Shibi Khan was also on his way to Fuqibo. They were the country of the Heavenly Kingdom and could not be too eager, as they would reduce their identities.
Chapter completed!