Chapter 91: Li Shimin Prepares to Head North, The Li Family’s Preparations (Happy New Year's Eve!)

"Giddy up! Giddy up!"

Li Shimin hurried back to his residence on horseback. After handing his mount to the gatekeeper, he was about to enter when he noticed a carriage approaching from a distance. Recognizing it as his elder brother’s, Li Shimin paused. As the carriage came to a halt, he watched Li Jiancheng and Wei Ting of the Jingzhao Wei clan step out.

"Brother! Brother Wei!" Li Shimin bowed to his brother and then to Wei Ting. He was well-acquainted with Wei Ting, a scion of the Jingzhao Wei clan who was not only the same age as Li Jiancheng but also his close confidant. Much of the reason their father had survived the suspicions of Emperor Yang Guang and remained in favor was due to the secret assistance of the Jingzhao Wei clan.

"Shimin!" Wei Ting returned the greeting. Seeing them, Li Jiancheng gestured for them to head inside, sensing that their father’s urgent summons signaled something of great importance.

Inside the Li residence, the three men gathered in the main hall to meet Li Yuan, who had been waiting for them.

"Father!" the brothers and their guest greeted him in turn. Li Yuan, unsurprised by Wei Ting’s presence, gestured for them to be seated. Once they were settled, he got straight to the point.

"An urgent report arrived from Taiyuan Commandery today. The rebel general Zhen Jie’er is leading over a hundred thousand troops in an assault on Taiyuan. Pan Changwen has been killed in battle, and Taiyuan is in critical danger! Reports confirm that these rebels are fully armed, armored, and equipped with heavy siege machinery."

"What? Over a hundred thousand rebels attacking Taiyuan?" Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin were stunned, and even Wei Ting looked bewildered. They had been enjoying a dance performance at a restaurant just moments ago, only to learn of a massive rebel army bearing down on the northern commandery. Even worse, they weren't just a ragtag group of bandits; they were effectively a professional army with siege equipment.

"Jinyang! Oh, no..." Li Shimin’s breath hitched. His thoughts immediately flew to the young man he was connected to in Jinyang. He felt a surge of both excitement and deep anxiety. He was excited because he finally had a chance to prove that the youth was no coward—recalling the words of his wife, Guanyinbi, and the events in Qinghe County. Yet, having served in the military and participated in the relief of Yanmen, he knew exactly what it meant for an enemy force of that size to possess such weaponry. He remembered the dilapidated eastern city of Jinyang he had seen while passing through on the way to Yanmen.

"Father, has His Majesty dispatched reinforcements to Taiyuan Commandery?" Li Shimin asked, his voice tight with urgency. He had never even met the boy, and he could not let him perish.

Li Yuan shook his head, noting his son's agitation. "His Majesty has already sent Tiger-Brazen General Huang Laosheng with fifty thousand troops to garrison Huoyi, tasked only with preventing the rebels from moving south."

"Garrisoning Huoyi? Does that mean Taiyuan is being abandoned?" Li Shimin’s brows furrowed in disbelief. He couldn't grasp why the Emperor would make such a decision. Li Yuan sighed, his face weary. He knew that Emperor Yang Guang was only concerned with holding his current position and had no intention of truly crushing the rebellion.

"His Majesty has already decided to move the capital south," Li Yuan said, glancing toward Wei Ting to ensure the information would reach the ears of the Wei clan.

"Father, can we not persuade His Majesty to lift the siege on Jinyang?" Li Shimin pleaded. For the first time in his life, he felt the agony of powerlessness.

Seeing his father remain silent, Li Shimin grew desperate. His brother, Li Jiancheng, frowned and gestured for him to calm down, though he too felt a sense of unease. Wei Ting, observing the scene, felt a mix of pity and disdain. To him, it was beneath a man of Li Shimin’s status to be so worked up over a lowly, common-born *Fenwu* Lieutenant he had never even met. In Wei Ting's eyes, this reflected poorly on the Li family.

"The reason I called you both back," Li Yuan continued, ignoring the tension, "is that this *Fenwu* Lieutenant is a relative by marriage to the Li family. With over a hundred thousand rebels surrounding Taiyuan, we cannot simply stand by and watch."

To the surprise of everyone, Li Yuan agreed to let Li Shimin go to Taiyuan. He knew his son’s capabilities; as long as he had troops, he could protect himself. Furthermore, he saw this as an opportunity for Li Shimin to recruit a talented individual into the Li family’s orbit.

"Jiancheng, write a letter to be delivered by Shimin to Wencheng Commandery, requesting aid from the Duke of Shen. I will also personally meet with Magistrate Wang, Magistrate Guo, and Magistrate Hu," Li Yuan ordered.

"You intend to meet with the other magistrates, Father?" Li Jiancheng asked, worried.

"As a minister of the Sui, I must find a way to relieve the Emperor's burdens! Go!" Li Yuan replied with a dismissive smile.

After the others left, Li Yuan whispered his true intentions to Li Shimin. He planned to privately coordinate with all officials from Taiyuan to pressure the court into granting him command of an army to repel the rebels. Yang Guang wanted to flee to Jiangdu, but Li Yuan had no intention of following him; he wanted to remain in the north.

"Remember," Li Yuan instructed, "first, if Fu Zihou is truly as talented as you say, save him if you can. Second, keep a close watch on Taiyuan and report any success to me immediately. Third, wait for my word. If I send you a letter, act exactly as instructed."

"I understand, Father!" Li Shimin replied with firm resolve.

Back in the family quarters, Li Shimin told his wife, Guanyinbi, and his brother-in-law, Zhangsun Wuji, the news. Guanyinbi was shocked. "Has the court sent any relief?" she asked, her mind racing toward the people caught in the path of the war.

"Only the garrison at Huoyi," Li Shimin replied. "I am leaving for Wencheng Commandery with my brother’s letter."

"I am going with you," Zhangsun Wuji said, but Li Shimin shook his head. "No, stay and protect Guanyinbi. If anything happens, find a way to get her out."

Guanyinbi set aside her embroidery and looked at her husband. "Promise me, your safety is what matters most."

"I will," he replied, his heart full of love.

As he prepared to leave, Guanyinbi could not hide her regret. "If I had known this would happen, I would have found a way to keep him in the County of Tiao. Even following Dou Jiande would have been safer than going to Taiyuan."

Li Shimin comforted her, "Do not worry. With the support of the Duke of Pei and the other Taiyuan officials, if Fu Zihou can hold out for a time, he will be saved."

With a final look at his wife and brother-in-law, Li Shimin departed. Outside the city of Luoyang, a carriage moved slowly through the landscape. Inside, Cui Yuzhe looked back at the city, thinking of his sister, Cui Wenjin, who was currently in Chang'an. The world was changing, and the path ahead remained uncertain.