The Villain's Counterattack

The enemy of my enemy can become my friend, and making friends with those far away and attacking those nearby is not a difficult strategy for smart people.

During his reign, Yang Guang fought wars all over the country. He was not in the capital Chang'an for most of the more than ten years since he ascended the throne. He was either on a campaign or on the way to a campaign or on a campaign. Wherever he passed, foreign tribes, even the overlord of the grassland, the Turks, would bow their heads and kneel.

It's not that no one wanted to resist. After all, the ethnic minorities knew very well that when the Han people were strong, the ethnic minorities would be weak. The Central Plains was vast and rich in resources. If they, the nomadic peoples who were not good at farming, wanted to live a good life, they would have to ask the Han people for it. However, as long as Yang Guang was still there, they could do nothing.

It's not that no one tried to resist. Shibi Khan even single-handedly launched the Battle of Yanmen County. The 500,000-strong Turkic army was so vigorous that they even besieged the Sui Emperor in Yanmen City for a time. However...

He was ultimately defeated, and his defeat was very miserable. If it were not for the sudden appearance of the Imperial Master Zhao Deyan at the last moment, he would have died in Yanmen County. The injury to Martial Master Bi Xuan further impacted the Turkic region's dominance in the grasslands.

It was at this time that Shibi Khan discovered that the person who could turn the tide at the critical moment was not his younger brother, nor his son, nor even the Turkic martial arts master Bi Xuan, but the Han Chinese national teacher Zhao Deyan.

Wise people are so important!

After Yang Guang's death, Shibi Khan felt as if a heavy burden had disappeared without a trace. He made a comeback the next year and led a large army to invade the Central Plains again. Firstly, he wanted to establish his power and intimidate other tribes on the grassland, secondly, he wanted to take revenge and vent his anger, and thirdly, he wanted to plunder wealth and population to make up for the losses of several years ago and enhance his own strength.

But he never expected that after Yang Guang, there was another Yang Xuyan from Liaodong who directly killed him in Hebei, and the Turkic army almost could not return.

The Khan died on the march. Liaodong, Luoyang and Dou Jiande joined forces and the Turks had no choice but to flee in a panic. Zhao Deyan and Bi Xuan stepped forward to turn the tide, re-established the Khan to stabilize the situation, and organized a think tank to analyze the situation in the Central Plains.

As more and more intelligence came in, they discovered that even the divided Han people could not be bullied by them at will, and that Luoyang and Liaodong were actually both ruled by the Sui royal family. The combination of the two forces made them terrified.

We can’t let these two gain power!

It was a consensus among almost all the Turkic high-ranking officials. They clearly saw the huge threat from Liaodong and Luoyang, but it was impossible for them to dispatch troops to the Central Plains to fight against the enemy under the city walls.

All Turks are soldiers, but they are not good at attacking or defending cities. Field battles are their advantage, while population is their disadvantage.

Since he couldn't take direct action, he would train opponents for the other side. The enemy of his enemy can become a friend. At this time, the national teacher Zhao Deyan took the initiative to assume this responsibility. He did not choose Liang Shidu and Li Gui who were closer to him. Instead, he set his sights on Li Tang, who had lost Tongguan and was in a very bad situation.

Coincidentally, just when the Turks were betting on Li Tang, Goguryeo also sent envoys to Li Tang. The two sisters Fu Junyu and Fu Junqiang took the initiative to stay in Chang'an City. They were entrusted with a special mission: to plan the Han people to fight against Liaodong.

The King of Goguryeo took the initiative to surrender, attempting to establish an alliance with Li Tang and fully supporting Li Tang in conquering the world, with only one request: to return Liaodong to Goguryeo.

This full strength is not just talk. The two sisters Fu Junyu and Fu Junqiang represent the greatest sincerity. The King of Goguryeo even promised that if necessary, he could send the Yijian master Fu Cailin to decide the outcome with one sword at the critical moment.

Zhao Deyan came to Chang'an in person. His identity as the leader of the Demonic Sect was no secret to the top leaders. Unlike the ignorant and petty-minded Cihang Jingzhai, Zhao Deyan knew very well who the emperor of Li Tang was. He bluntly stated that he would not participate in the internal disputes of Li Tang and would only cooperate and form an alliance with the emperor of Li Tang.

Three thousand elite Turkic cavalry, eight thousand grassland war horses, and a master-level young talent: Kedazhi.

Zhao Deyan met with Li Yuan in secret. Both sides felt that the other was not simple. After some polite exchanges, they engaged in intrigue and deception. Zhao Deyan only said that he fully supported Li Tang in conquering the world, and the compensation he asked for was far below Li Yuan's bottom line. Instead, he felt that the Turks were very kind and generous.

Zhao Deyan praised Li Yuan's strategic move, first attacking Li Gui, then Dou Jiande, and finally joining forces with the Turks and Goguryeo to attack Liaodong from three sides. He also promised that if Li Tang could conquer Liaodong, he would give up Liangshidu and give Shuozhou to Li Tang. Li Yuan, being a man of few words, naturally accepted this generous offer with a smile, but in his heart he did not believe a word of it.

Regarding Li Tang's expedition to Liangzhou, Zhao Deyan said that before Li Tang demonstrated his strength, the Turks would not be able to fully support him, but selling the war horses at the market price would not be a problem. He even promised Li Gui that the Turks would ignore his request for help.

It should be noted that Li Gui of Liangzhou and Liang Shidu of Shuozhou were both affiliated forces of the Turks, paying tribute every year. Now, Li Tang's promise not to provide support was already the greatest sincerity.

Knowing that Yang Guang was not dead and had close relations with Liaodong, and knowing their approximate sphere of influence through the ambush after the Battle of Mayi, Zhao Deyan followed the trail and discovered more secrets. He then found Tuyuhun King Fuyun and successfully built a bridge to allow Li Tang and Tuyuhun to form an alliance.

After being defeated by Yang Guang thousands of miles away and his country was almost destroyed, Tuyuhun was afraid and hated Yang Guang. At that time, he did not dare to speak disrespectfully to the Sui Emperor directly, so he targeted the important minister Pei Ju. They never imagined that Pei Ju had another identity: the evil king Shi Zhixuan.

Shi Zhixuan was so elusive that few people could find him. Pei Ju accompanied the king all year round, so Tuyuhun could do nothing about him even if he hated him. It was not until he heard that Yang Guang had passed away in Yangzhou that he prepared to make a comeback.

Fu Yun's ability was only average, but he had a master-level son, Fu Qian, who originally had great potential. However, Tuyuhun had two local overlords of the Yang family, Yang Yu, King of Pingyuan, and Yang Jun, King of Ancheng.

Born into the imperial family of the Great Sui Dynasty, both Yang Yu, the Prince of Pingyuan, and Yang Jun, the Prince of Ancheng, possessed martial arts skills that reached the level of senior Grandmasters. With their battle-hardened record, they possessed a wealth of experience. If not for their weak kingly aura and exaggerated achievements, they would likely have reached the peak of Grandmaster status, or even reached the level of a Half-Step Grandmaster. After all, they had defeated the Martial Master Bi Xuan twice, severely injuring him. Even if they had achieved this in conjunction with others, such a feat would have been considered a remarkable achievement.

Other achievements such as defeating Tuyuhun several times, dominating the Western Regions, hunting down the Heavenly Lord Xi Ying, etc., were far inferior to the defeat of the 500,000-strong Turkic army by Yanmen County and the severe damage to the Martial Master Bi Xuan. However, they still allowed them to develop the aura of a hegemon, and their strength and cultivation were approaching the peak of the Grandmaster step by step.

The existence of the two brothers, Prince Pingyuan Yang Yu and Prince Ancheng Yang Jun, put Tuyuhun Prince Fuyun's restoration cause into a dilemma, forcing him to seek external help. The appearance of the Turkic national teacher Zhao Deyan undoubtedly made him overjoyed, and at the same time, he became more and more in awe of the "deceased" Sui Emperor Yang Guang in his heart.

Fu Yun naturally agreed to Zhao Deyan's proposal, and immediately summoned his son Fu Qian to discuss countermeasures.

Fu Qian: The Sui imperial family is a formidable force, yet even the dead remain. Duke Liao possesses exceptional talent in both civil and military matters, and King Yang Xiu of Shu is a skilled military commander. If Luoyang and Liaodong unite, the Sui dynasty will be unstoppable. Li Tang, with both father and son generations of outstanding men, occupies the strategic location of Guanzhong and Chang'an, and has the support of the Cihang Jingzhai, making him the only dynasty capable of competing.

Fu Yun: Who does my son look better than?

Fu Qian: Liaodong!

Fu Yun: Then...

Fu Qian: Precisely because I believe Liaodong is a strong and unified Central Plains empire, I am even more determined to ally with the Li Tang. A strong and unified Central Plains empire is a blessing for the Western Regions and the steppe states. If Tuyuhun is like this, I'm sure the Turks are no exception, otherwise the Turkic Imperial Master Zhao Deyan wouldn't have sought an alliance with us. I don't know the extent of Li Tang's ambitions, but the ambitions of the Sui imperial family will certainly not allow Tuyuhun to continue to exist. The two Yang brothers are the best evidence of this.