Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

"Master Cui, if I were to put you in command of an army to fight against those Tang generals from Silla... could you defeat them?"

Yuan Taizuo's voice was deep.

He stared intently at Cui Minshi in front of him.

However, with such a huge temptation in front of him, and having been shrewd and experienced the major setback of defecting from the Tang Dynasty, Cui Minshi's cunning had become even more profound.

For a brief moment, a hint of surprise and delight, which could be caught by the other party, appeared on his face, followed by a fleeting look of helplessness.

"Your Majesty... the Tang Dynasty is no longer what it used to be. Even if the three families of Qinghe Cui, Fanyang Lu, and Zhaojun Li were combined at their peak, they would not be a match for it. Now..."

"Although the Tang Dynasty's focus is currently on developing its national strength, Silla, which is under the Tang's control, is not something that can be easily defeated. We still need Your Majesty's strategic planning, and the entire nation of Goguryeo must unite as one..."

Cui Minshi spoke in a tactful manner.

Yuan Taizuo gave him a deep look, listening to the screams coming from his son inside the room.

His aged face was full of worry.

After a long silence, he finally let out a long sigh.

"Unity of all people... What a powerful phrase from the Central Plains! Unfortunately, it's too difficult for Goguryeo to achieve that level now."

If Goguryeo could unite as one.

Otherwise, under the secret instigation and scheming of the Tang Dynasty, it wouldn't have reached the current state of internal division between the east and west.

“Master Cui, it seems difficult for you to return to your homeland in the Central Plains. From now on, you should still regard Goguryeo as your home.” Yeon Tae-jo looked at Cui Min-shi with a deep gaze.

"Silla's entire military force is now under the command of the Tang Dynasty. With the support and training of the Tang Dynasty, the strength of Silla's Tang allied forces will not be underestimated. I will send an envoy to Baekje to discuss strengthening the alliance with the King of Baekje."

"But... Patriarch Choi, I think you know what I'm trying to say: Goguryeo also needs to become stronger!"

Yeon Tae-jo's expression was solemn.

At this moment, apart from Choi Gwang-su, a junior general from the Choi family who had saved Yeon Gaesomun, there was no one else beside them.

Yuan Taizuo, unusually, revealed his true intentions to Cui Minshi, a man from the Central Plains.

"I hope that after the Choi family head returns, he can discuss with the other family heads... about instilling all of their family's knowledge into Goguryeo! To help Goguryeo train its troops and prepare for war!"

Cui Minshi was immediately alarmed.

After the aristocratic families defected from the Tang Dynasty and came to Goguryeo, they naturally had many positive effects on Goguryeo.

First of all.

A more complete and sound legal system and official system, as well as a large number of advanced technologies from the Central Plains, such as iron smelting workshops, weapon forging workshops, and medicine, which were controlled by aristocratic families, were also transmitted here.

The aristocratic families have now been established in Goguryeo for nearly two years.

After intermarrying with some local Goguryeo powerful families, the Choi clan of Qinghe, the Lu clan of Fanyang, the Li clan of Zhaojun, and some small families from Hedong Province who followed them in their defection.

They have clearly integrated into the Goguryeo circle.

More and more people from aristocratic families held official positions in the Goguryeo court and local areas. Those officials from Goguryeo families who had intermarried with them had already subtly woven a large network in Goguryeo.

"Master, this is our chance!"

They returned to their own mansion.

Cui Guangshou spoke excitedly, but before he could finish, he was met with a stern look from Cui Minshi.

Immediately, even an outstanding member of the Cui family like him had to fall silent.

Later, Lu Zhaojing, the head of the Lu family of Fanyang, Li Xing, the head of the Li family of Zhaojun, and several other family heads from minor clans who had defected from the Tang Dynasty arrived, firmly surrounding the three families.

Cui Minshi then recounted the events of the day to everyone.

"Cough cough cough..." Lu Zhaojing coughed repeatedly.

During his defection to the Tang Dynasty, many members of the Lu family were killed or arrested, and his father was so angry that he vomited blood and died. This was a huge blow to him as the head of the family.

Since then, Lu Zhaojing's health has deteriorated day by day.

He looked like a sickly person.

"Brother Cui...you must have a plan for calling us here...cough cough, please speak freely."

Li Xing nodded as well.

Cui Minshi nodded slightly, squinting his eyes.

"That's right, this is an opportunity for us, a chance to make a comeback!"

The fact that Cui Minshi, the head of the Qinghe Cui clan, described it as a "comeback" could not possibly be for a simple purpose such as increasing the family's strength.

He pointed upwards.

“Yuan Taizuo’s health is deteriorating. Brother Lu and Brother Li, both of your families have doctors who have examined him. Everyone knows the specific results. Even if Yuan Taizuo remains calm, nothing unexpected will happen.”

"At most, it will only last for less than two years."

Li Xing pondered, "Brother Cui, are you planning to scheme against Yuan Taizu's offspring?"

Cui Minshi nodded.

"To be precise, it's about plotting to seize half of Goguryeo's territory from the Yeon clan!"

He pointed to his left eye and lowered his voice.

"Yeon Gaesomun has lost an eye! This time, he led his troops recklessly without permission, and he's bound to get into trouble. If we can secretly push things along and isolate him..."

The Goguryeo leadership was completely unaware of the secret schemes of the Cui family and other aristocratic clans.

The aristocratic families of the Central Plains, who had been powerful figures for centuries, were once dominant forces in the region. Although they had fallen into decline, they were still not forces that the Goguryeo families could contend with, either ideologically or in terms of tactics.

In just one month.

When Yeon Gaesomun, wearing an eyepatch over one eye, looked at the edict issued by his father in his hand.

His face immediately contorted with resentment and disbelief.

"Remove me from command?! Why are you doing this? I only suffered one defeat, and you're going to strip me of my command?!"

It was hard for him to accept.

When he rushed to his father, Yeon Taejo, despite his still very weak body.

Upon seeing the other figures present, his pupils immediately contracted.

"Father, you..."

"Your subject greets your elder brother..."

Three respectful voices came from the mouths of the young men.

Each of the three held a decree that Yeon Taejo had just given them, and bowed to Yeon Gaesomun.

Yuan Taizuo glared at his eldest son, who had suffered such a setback yet still showed no sign of composure.

He immediately felt increasingly dissatisfied.

"You unfilial son! You came in without even being announced, and you don't even know how to bow? Where have you thrown the family precepts of the Yuan clan?!"

Yeon Gaesomun was shocked, but what he found even harder to accept was...

But what was faintly visible on the imperial edict in the hand of one of the younger brothers was a seal.

That was a seal used only when appointing local officials.

He seemed to have noticed the elder brother's gaze.

The two sons of the Yuan family, Yuan Jingtu, smiled shyly.

"Elder brother, Father has ordered me to take up my post in Kaesong to handle matters concerning the royal family's assets there..."

Yeon Gaesomun's face trembled.

Managing royal property? Even if such matters pertain to royal appointments, what need is there for this seal?!

He turned to look at his father in disbelief.

"Father......"

Noticing Yeon Tae-jo's stern gaze, Yeon Gaesomun swallowed hard.

"Your Majesty, is Jingtu going to Kaicheng to serve as the city lord?"

"Hmph! Mind your own business! Do you know how dangerous Amuro Castle is now because of your recklessness? Silla has already begun mobilizing troops to attack Amuro Castle!"

"If Amuro Castle is lost, you will be the biggest sinner!"

Yeon Gaesomun, who had been scolded by Yeon Taejo, walked out of the main hall with a dejected and resentful expression.

Even his illegitimate younger brothers received documents appointing them as local city lords.

And these are basically all important large cities under the current rule of the Yuan clan.

A strange sense of crisis involuntarily arose in Yeon Gaesomun's heart.

As his injuries gradually healed day by day, he repeatedly requested to return to the army to lead troops to avenge his father, but his father refused each time with various reasons.

Yeon Gaesomun's heart finally underwent some subtle changes.

I don't know where it started.

The saying, "The future king of Goguryeo cannot have only one eye," spread throughout the Yeon clan's half of Goguryeo.

"Aaaaaah! Get out! All of you, get out!!!"

Inside Yeon Gaesomun's residence.

He angrily ripped off the blindfold, revealing a hollow, menacing eye socket and a bloodshot eye, making him look like a vengeful ghost from legend.

So frightened was that no one in the entire mansion dared to stop him.

Watching him frantically brandish his swords, turning everything in the mansion into a mess, everyone was terrified and hid away; not a single person was willing to step forward.

"This general has only been defeated once, only once!"

"I've won so many battles, and just because of this one, he's taken away my command! This isn't fair!!!"

Yeon Gaesomun angrily smashed things.

"Cough cough cough... Fairness, one failure... cough cough cough Some failures, just once, can make someone lose everything. Young Master, at least you are still alive and back."

Lu Zhaojing held an imperial edict in her hand, without anyone else in Yeon Gaesomun's residence noticing.

It appeared here.

Yeon Gaesomun glared at him angrily, his face twisted like a demon's.

Suddenly, someone stepped forward, holding a long knife to his neck.

"You, a man from the Tang Dynasty, how dare you make fun of me?!"

"Believe it or not, I will kill you right now!"

Lu Zhaojing continued coughing, her pale, sickly face showing no emotion whatsoever.

"Then please, Your Highness, kill me only after I have finished reading the King's decree. I am a servant of the King, and I will serve the King faithfully."

He seemed oblivious to the cold blade on his neck.

He unfolded the imperial edict in his hand and then read it aloud.

"The True Mandate of the Righteous and Heroic King of Goguryeo"

"The eldest son, Yeon Gaesomun, is hereby ordered to immediately assume his post as the city lord of Kaitu Mountain City."

The brief, even uncritical, words of praise enraged Yeon Gaesomun.

"I only lost one battle, why is Father treating me like this?! What kind of hellish place is Kaitu Mountain City?!"

Lu Zhaojing gently placed the imperial edict aside on the table leg that Yeon Gaesomun had pushed over.

"Young Master is joking. Although Kaito Mountain City is called a mountain city, it is actually located on a small plain, about seventy or eighty miles away from Baekje."

"You can also see some small hills in the distance; it can be described as a picturesque landscape."

Yeon Gaesomun was so angry that he was about to strike with his sword.

But then Lu Zhaojing seemed to be relieved and slowly closed her eyes.

This seemed to instantly restore some of his rationality.

"You are not afraid of death?"

Lu Zhaojing said calmly, "What does death matter compared to a fate worse than death?"

"The eldest son made a mistake of being greedy and reckless, and only lost an eye... I was once controlled by greed and stupidity, but it ruined most of my family's descendants, and my father was even angered to death."

"They didn't even have the chance to be buried in the ancestral grave."

Yeon Gaesomun's eye twitched.

In terms of misery, it seems I really can't compare to this sickly fellow from the Tang Dynasty.

"Young Master, do not let greed, jealousy, and anger control you. These emotions will only bring you losses and regrets, and will serve no other purpose!"

After Lu Zhaojing finished speaking, she gently moved the long sword from her neck to the side.

Salute respectfully.

"Take care, young master. I'll take my leave now..."

Watching Lu Zhaojing's departing figure, who was coughing intermittently and staggering away like a candle in the wind.

Yeon Gaesomun looked dazed.

A few days later.

Cui Minshi and the others finished reading the letter that Yeon Gaesomun had written to him before taking up his post, which was handed to them by Lu Zhaojing.

chuckled.

"In this way, we've entered the game... In the coming period, we must take advantage of Yuan Taizuo's delegation of power to us and spread our manpower and network extensively around the area!"

"As for Yuan Jingtu and the other descendants of Yuan Taizuo, we need to support them, but we can only support them secretly, allowing them to display their brilliance as much as possible to suppress Yuan Gaesomun."

"With our good neighbor and role model, His Majesty the Zhenguan Emperor, how long do you think this eldest son of the Yuan family, who is also skilled in warfare, can hold out?"

"Ha ha ha ha......"