Volume One, Chapter 3: Pray, Where Is the Marquis of the Great Wall?

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But Yang Xiangning and Yuwen Chengdu were unwilling to accept this. At this point, they had to seek out Yuwen Huaji and have a serious talk with him—not as members of the Yuwen family, but as subjects of the Great Sui.

Yuwen Huaji was shrewd and calculating. Though he held a lofty position and immense power, his ambition had never been satisfied.

Everyone in the palace knew that the Yuwen family coveted the empire itself...

Prime Minister’s Residence—

The music of strings and pipes filled the air without pause. In the center of the main hall, six ladies of the Qin Pavilion played six different instruments, while people nearby composed and recited poetry.

Such indulgence, such magnificence—there was no sign at all of a world in chaos at the end of an age... Or perhaps, for certain people, this was instead a new beginning...

Yuwen Huaji sat at the head of the hall, savoring the charm of poetry and music. He, too, was reciting the lines that best suited his state of mind:

“Tell me, Lord of the Great Wall,
Did the Khan come to pay his respects?
The foul vapors have stilled beneath the Tianshan Mountains,
And dawn shines upon the lofty towers.
The troops are dismissed, yet the army remains arrayed;
The frontier affairs are all brought to completion.
We drink to victory, then announce our return,
And lay our achievements before the Pure Ancestral Temple.”

These were verses composed by Yang Guang. The poem carried many meanings, one of which was a satire of Chen Shubao, the Last Lord of Chen, who had neglected state affairs all day, indulged himself in women, and ultimately watched his kingdom collapse and his family perish. After surrendering to the Great Sui, he had been given the title Lord of the Great Wall.

At this moment, Yuwen Huaji’s recitation was undoubtedly meant to mock Yang Guang, suggesting that he, too, would ultimately meet the same fate as the Lord of the Great Wall.

Yuwen Chengdu and Yang Xiangning, who had just arrived at the entrance, naturally heard the words and understood their meaning. They exchanged a glance, their expressions weighed down by an indescribable gravity...

“Father.” Yuwen Chengdu entered, saluted Yuwen Huaji, and then stood to one side. Yang Xiangning followed him inside. As expected, Yuwen Huaji did not rise to salute her.

Because of Yuwen Chengdu, she had always felt that, despite being a princess, she should not expect a formal salute from Yuwen Huaji. Yet he had insisted on maintaining the courtesy until now. With everything finally exposed in the open, there was no need for him to keep up the pretense, and naturally he would no longer humble himself before her.

The music and poetry ceased for the moment, and all the servants, perceptive enough to know when they were not wanted, withdrew.

“Father.” Without wasting time, Yuwen Chengdu spoke directly. “Your son begs you to place the troops under your command in my hands.”

Yuwen Chengdu had rarely defied Yuwen Huaji so openly, but the situation left him no time for further deliberation.

Yuwen Huaji took a slow sip of tea and looked at his son with a genial smile. “Place them in your hands? What do you intend to do?” He still hoped that his foolishly loyal son had finally come to his senses.

But clearly, that was impossible...

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“With the elite troops at your command, I will fight with all my strength to retake Daxing, help His Majesty reclaim control of the Daxing army, and suppress the rebellion!” Yuwen Chengdu petitioned with absolute resolve. His gaze was solemn and fearless.

“How many soldiers do you think I have?” Yuwen Huaji did not become angry at his words. Instead, he asked meaningfully, “You are not unaware of how many people throughout the realm oppose Yang Guang. His cause is already lost, and his final fate may well be worse than that of the Lord of the Great Wall. Besides, even if I gave you my troops, do you truly believe you could fight your way back to Daxing?”

Indeed, in the present realm, perhaps only one person in ten thousand did not wish to overthrow Yang Guang. Most even felt that killing him alone would not be enough to satisfy their hatred.

Yuwen Chengdu fell silent for a moment, his brows drawing together slightly. His heart was filled with anguish, but he could not afford to collapse. He raised both hands and saluted Yuwen Huaji.

“Even if Chengdu cannot succeed, I must still do everything in my power. I absolutely cannot sit here and await death!”

“Do everything in your power? My son, you are too naive. You know the condition of your own body. What will happen if you die along the way? Do not forget—you are no longer invincible...” Yuwen Huaji’s emotions had grown agitated, anger and worry mingling in his eyes.

“I know.” Yet Yuwen Chengdu’s gaze remained firm. “But Chengdu does not fear battle. As a subject of the Great Sui, to defend the state with my life is an honor!”

Every word he spoke was decisive. Furious, Yuwen Huaji slammed his hand against the table, so enraged that he could not speak. Beside them, Yang Xiangning’s eyes reddened.

She did not want Chengdu to throw away his life—she absolutely could not bear that. But even less could she stand by and watch the empire of the Yang family collapse before her eyes...

Yuwen Chengdu dropped to one knee before Yuwen Huaji. “Father!” His voice was almost a plea.

“You unfilial son!” Seeing him kneel for this cause, Yuwen Huaji became even more furious. “Guards! Bring out the family rod!”

Yuwen Chengdu remained kneeling, utterly motionless. It was as though, if he could not obtain the troops today, he would kneel there until death. He was not afraid of any punishment his father might inflict. He had endured such treatment all his life. Now, if obtaining the troops required him to do anything at all, he was willing.

But in the end, he was still being too naive. No matter what, Yuwen Huaji would never save Yang Guang...

At that moment, Yuwen Huaji was truly enraged. He rose, seized the spiked club brought by a servant, and swung it toward Yuwen Chengdu’s back.

Terrified, Yang Xiangning hurriedly crouched down and shielded Yuwen Chengdu with her body. “No! He is still injured—he cannot withstand it!”

After years of unceasing warfare, and after encountering his natural enemy, Li Yuanba, Yuwen Chengdu had long since been covered in wounds. His internal injuries were even more severe, and he had never fully recovered.

Yuwen Huaji naturally knew that his son’s health was no longer what it had once been. He also knew Chengdu could not endure such punishment—and he had only one son. In the end, he angrily threw the spiked club aside, turned his face away, and refused to look at either of them.

“Leave. As far as today’s matter is concerned, consider it never spoken of.”

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“Father...” Yuwen Chengdu still refused to give up. He shifted around to face Yuwen Huaji directly. “His Majesty has treated our family with boundless kindness... Father!”

“Do not call me Father! The troops under my command can serve only me. I am going to carve out an empire of my own, and you are to inherit your father’s throne in the future! If you are willing to aid me, then after I become emperor, I can even grant Yang Guang the title of Lord of the Great Wall and spare his life. If you refuse to help me, I will not force you. But if you dare obstruct me, I can tell you this: Yang Guang and Yang Xiangning will die far more miserably!”

Yuwen Huaji seemed unable to control his emotions. Exasperated by his son’s stubbornness, he issued the cruel threat without restraint.

He knew his son well. Chengdu would not care about his own life, but whenever the Yang family was involved, he would think twice before acting.

“You!” Yang Xiangning could no longer endure it. She could not allow Yuwen Huaji to humiliate her imperial brother so wantonly.

But before she could finish, Yuwen Huaji cut her off.

“Conduct yourself wisely. The only reason you have been allowed to live until now is my son. Take my advice and behave yourself.”

Yuwen Huaji had warned not only Yuwen Chengdu, but Yang Xiangning as well. He then left the main hall without looking back, giving them no further opportunity to speak, leaving the two of them standing where they were.

Only after a long moment did Yang Xiangning slowly recover herself. She tugged bitterly at the corners of her lips and comforted Yuwen Chengdu.

“We will think of another way. There must still be a way...”

In truth, however, her own spirit had already collapsed completely.

Everyone knew there was no way left. Even if they led Yuwen Huaji’s troops into battle, they had little hope of fighting their way back to Daxing. At best, they might ensure Yang Guang’s safety—but more likely, they would not even be able to guarantee that.

Yuwen Huaji was the first person in the world determined to destroy the Yang family. When the time came, he would slaughter every descendant of Yang Guang without mercy. Yang Xiangning herself might not escape.

Yuwen Chengdu feared that he would be unable to protect not only the empire of the Great Sui, but the Yang family as well...

A moment later, an unbearable pain twisted through his chest. Supporting himself against the floor with difficulty, he rose together with Yang Xiangning and gave her a reassuring smile. The two of them walked toward the exit with their arms entwined.

But before they had taken more than two steps, a stabbing pain erupted in his lungs. Thick, sticky fluid churned upward without end. He raised a hand to clutch his chest, but it brought no relief.

“Ugh...”

A mouthful of blood burst from Yuwen Chengdu’s lips. His vision grew increasingly blurred, and his consciousness drifted into a haze. At last, unable to hold himself up any longer, he collapsed heavily to the ground.

“Chengdu!”

It all happened too suddenly. Yang Xiangning failed to catch him. She hurriedly dropped to her knees, gathered Yuwen Chengdu into her arms, and called out with a choked voice:

“Chengdu... Someone, please...”

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