usatvline Chapter 29 Alienation
Chapter 29 Alienation
Looking at his son's pale face, which was showing signs of pain, Yang Yong felt a mix of shame and heartache that almost overwhelmed him.
He reached out to loosen his son's clothes and check his injuries.
"Yan'er, let your father see your injury!"
"Father!"
Yang Yan suddenly turned to the side, avoiding his father's hand.
His movements were small, but his attitude was resolute.
"At the Imperial Pharmacy, Physician Wei has already applied medicine to my wound. It's just a superficial injury, nothing serious."
Yang Yong's hand froze in mid-air before finally falling limply to the ground.
He looked at his son, his voice trembling.
"It's because I'm an incompetent father, it's because I'm muddle-headed... that I let you..."
The dignified crown prince of the Sui Dynasty had to rely on a sixteen-year-old illegitimate son, who paid the price of being ripped apart, to cover up his absurd behavior.
The immense sense of shame almost made him lose his balance.
Yang Yan sighed inwardly as he looked at his father, who was on the verge of collapse from self-blame.
He knew that any words of comfort would be futile at this moment.
We need to use stronger medicine to cure my father's heart disease.
"Father."
Yang Yan's calm voice rang out, like a block of ice, instantly bringing Yang Yong's chaotic emotions to a standstill.
"If you go and summon the imperial physician now, the entire city of Daxing will know by tomorrow morning that the eldest grandson of the emperor was punished last night for his transgression and was flogged by His Majesty."
Yang Yong was suddenly taken aback.
"They won't care why I was punished; they'll only guess that this is a sign of His Majesty's dissatisfaction with the Crown Prince."
Yang Yan's gaze was sharp as a knife, piercing straight into his father's heart.
"This is exactly the result that my second uncle, Prince Yang Guang of Jin, wanted to see! He wanted you to throw yourself into disarray, to make everyone think that the Crown Prince has fallen out of favor and that the tide has turned!"
Every word Yang Yan said was like a heavy hammer blow to Yang Yong's heart.
Yes, he was so preoccupied with loving his son that he forgot the most insidious political scheming behind it all!
Yang Yong's face showed even more shame, but also a hint of clarity.
He looked at his son and suddenly felt a sense of estrangement.
"Then...why were you detained for a whole night?"
Yang Yong finally asked the question that had been lingering in his mind.
"Because last night, an urgent military report from western Liaoning arrived in Beijing."
Yang Yan spoke slowly, but every word was crystal clear.
"Goguryeo invaded the border and plundered Yingzhou."
"What?!"
Yang Yong gasped in shock, then quickly covered his mouth, his face filled with astonishment and disbelief.
"The Emperor was furious and summoned Yang Su, Duke of Yue, Su Wei, Grand Councilor, Gao Jiong, Minister of Personnel, Niu Hong, and Yuwen Shu, General of the Left Guard, to the Daxing Hall to discuss military matters."
Yang Yan stated calmly.
"Your subject listened in from behind the screen all night."
"Listening in...all night?"
As Yang Yong pondered these four words, an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart.
It was bewilderment, jealousy, and anger, but in the end it all turned into a strange sense of relief.
He, the crown prince and vice-ruler of the Sui Dynasty, was kept in the dark about such a crucial military and national affair.
His son, whom he usually regarded as timid and mediocre, had personally listened to the entire process of the empire's highest decision-making!
This stark contrast overwhelmed him with mixed feelings, and his face burned with embarrassment.
Yang Yan didn't give him much time to reflect, and continued.
"In the main hall, the debate was intense. Yang Su advocated a swift war, forcibly conscripting laborers from Hebei and Shandong to wipe out Goguryeo in one fell swoop."
Su Wei and Niu Hong, citing concerns about the national treasury and people's livelihood, firmly opposed the move, believing it would shake the foundation of the nation.
"Gao Jiong finally proposed the strategy of 'slowing down the war and preparing for the attack, and building up farmland and storing grain,' advocating that three years be used to accumulate strength in western Liaoning, and then launch an attack after the balance of power has shifted."
Yang Yan's retelling was concise and accurate, clearly presenting the core conflict of that late-night court meeting to Yang Yong.
Yang Yong was terrified.
Each of these names represents the highest level of power in the Sui Dynasty.
Every word in these debates was related to the fate of the empire.
And his son was able to review and analyze the situation so clearly.
Seeing his father's shocked expression, Yang Yan took a deep breath and dropped the most fatal conclusion.
"Father, do you think the real key to this war against Liao is whether to fight or make peace?"
"No."
Yang Yan shook his head, a deep look in his eyes that seemed beyond his years.
"The real threat has never been Goguryeo."
"It was an alliance between Prince Yang Guang of Jin and Yang Su, the leader of the pro-war faction!"
Yang Yong's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Father, think about it. Once war breaks out, who is most likely to become the commander-in-chief? Besides Duke Yang Su of Yue, who else could it be?"
"Once Yang Su takes command, he can legitimately place his cronies and promote his cronies within the army!"
"Yang Guang, on the other hand, would use the pretext of 'sharing the country's burdens' to supply the nation with money, provisions, and troops from the rear, thus winning over the hearts and minds of the people!"
"Once the Liaodong campaign ends, regardless of victory or defeat, Yang Guang and Yang Su's power within the army will have grown immensely, forming a military force capable of rivaling, or even overwhelming, the Crown Prince!"
Yang Yan's voice was extremely low, yet it possessed a chilling, penetrating power.
"At that point, my son and I will truly be fish on the chopping block!"
These words struck Yang Yong like a thunderbolt, leaving a deep impression on his mind!
He stared blankly at his son, as if he were meeting him for the first time.
The usually quiet and even somewhat timid boy seemed to transform into a top strategist with masterful planning skills at this moment.
What he saw was no longer the immediate crisis, but a huge conspiracy hidden beneath the surface, a conspiracy powerful enough to overthrow the entire Eastern Palace!
Yang Yong took a deep breath, and the resentment in his chest caused by his moral failings was largely dispelled by his son's words.
The guilt and heartache in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by an unprecedented shock and admiration.
"Then... what should I, as your father, do?"
Yang Yong asked subconsciously, his tone already carrying a hint of dependence that he himself was unaware of.
"Immovable as a mountain."
Yang Yan raised his head, met his father's gaze, and slowly uttered four words.
"Gao Puye's strategy is the most mature and prudent, and it has won the Emperor's favor. Father only needs to second this plan in court and get closer to Gao Puye, and that is what the Crown Prince should do."
"As for the rest, do nothing and say nothing. The calmer you are, the more at ease your grandfather will be. The more composed you are, the more disappointed your second uncle will be."
Yang Yong nodded heavily, grabbed Yang Yan's hand, and strode towards the inner hall.
"Come on, back to your place! You're badly injured, your father..."
Before he could finish speaking, soft footsteps came from outside the hall, and a maid's voice rang out.
"Your Highness, Yun Zhaoxun heard that the young prince has returned, so he came to visit him."
Yang Yong's movements faltered.
Yang Yan's gaze, which had been sharp as a knife, instantly softened into a gentle warmth.
He subtly pulled his hand away from his father's, bowed slightly towards the palace gate, and gave a perfectly timed smile that conveyed both weariness and filial piety.
"Mother is here."