Chapter 128: Receiving Refugees

Yang Guang’s decision to abandon the north and retreat directly from Yanmen Commandery to the south confirmed his intent to cede northern territory and consolidate his power in the Jiangnan region. This move emboldened various factions across the north, prompting them to reveal their true ambitions.

Luo Yi, the General Manager of Youzhou, was the first to raise the banner of rebellion. Leveraging the vast stores of weaponry and supplies originally intended for the eastern expedition against Goguryeo, he swept through the north, meeting no resistance. Meanwhile, the Goguryeo forces, sensing the chaos in the Central Plains, initially contemplated an invasion. However, after suffering a series of crushing defeats at the hands of Luo Yi’s troops, they abandoned these plans. Coincidentally, the Shiwei tribe had just routed the Eastern Turkic army, seizing countless livestock, which forced the Turks to redirect their focus toward an westward offensive against their rivals.

Liu Wuzhou, a commandant of the Eagle-Raising Prefecture, killed the Governor of Mayi and opened the granaries to the populace, declaring himself the new governor. Because Mayi had been harassed by the Turks and lacked resources, Liu Wuzhou sent his most persuasive envoys to the Turkic royal tent to pledge his loyalty, offering to serve as a vassal to the Shibi Khan and provide annual tribute.

Though the Eastern Turks had suffered a humiliating defeat at Yanmen, their military strength remained significant. Morale was low, which explained their poor performance against Goguryeo, but they retained a psychological advantage over the Han Chinese, whom they viewed as defeated subjects. Consequently, they accepted Liu Wuzhou’s submission and dispatched troops to assist him.

Bolstered by these Turkic reinforcements, Liu Wuzhou devised a grand and daring strategy. He led his own Han forces south to confront the Tiger-Gallant General Wang Zhibian, intentionally walking into a trap at Sangqian Town and allowing himself to be surrounded. At the critical moment, the Turkic cavalry struck from the rear. Working in tandem with Liu Wuzhou, they crushed Wang Zhibian’s army, and the general himself was slain in the chaos. Riding the momentum of this victory, Liu Wuzhou proceeded to conquer Loufan Commandery, capturing many imperial maids left behind at the Fenyang Palace.

Having witnessed the lethality of the Turkic forces at Sangqian, Liu Wuzhou, eager to curry further favor, presented all the captured maids to the Turks and knelt at the royal tent to recognize Shibi Khan as his adoptive father. Delighted, Shibi Khan gifted Liu Wuzhou his own warhorse and a detachment of elite guards from the royal tent. With the fierce Turkic troops at his command, Liu Wuzhou marched back to capture Dingxiang Commandery, fully securing his link to the Turks.

Pleased with Liu Wuzhou’s competence and ambition, Shibi Khan resolved to promote him as his primary proxy in the Central Plains. He bestowed upon him the title "Dingyang Khan"—a name implying the "Pacification of the Yang-Sui"—and granted him a wolf-head standard as his official banner.

Of course, one does not put all their eggs in one basket. Shibi Khan, well-versed in Han culture, understood this well. While elevating Liu Wuzhou, he also reached out to Liang Shidu, a former commandant of the Eagle-Raising Prefecture. He assisted Liang in assassinating the Deputy Governor of Shuofang and raising the banner of rebellion, where Liang proclaimed himself Grand Chancellor. Soon after, Liang combined forces with the Turks to defeat the Sui general Zhang Shilong, who had been sent to suppress him. Liang then pressed his advantage to capture the commanderies of Diaoyin, Honghua, and Yan’an. During a ritual sacrifice to heaven, an ancient seal was unearthed, covered in illegible pre-Qin script. His subordinates declared this an auspicious omen from heaven, urging Liang Shidu to ascend the throne.

Unable to resist their entreaties, Liang Shidu declared himself Emperor, establishing the state of Liang and adopting the era name "Yonglong." That same year, Shibi Khan titled him the "Great Dupi Qaghan," or the "Son of Heaven who Liberates the World."

In Hebei, Dou Jiande routed the ten thousand government troops led by Guo Xuan, the governor of Zhuojun, seizing countless horses and killing thousands. Dou personally pursued the fleeing Guo Xuan for over ten miles, catching him in Pingyuan County and bringing his head back to Gaojibo, which further solidified Dou's authority. Later, Gao Shida, having grown overconfident and reckless, was defeated by Yang Yichen’s forces and slain in the fray. Yang Yichen pressed on to attack the depleted Gaojibo camp, and Dou Jiande, unable to control his panicked troops, fled with only a hundred men.

Believing the rebel leader was dead and the remaining bandits posed no threat, Yang Yichen withdrew his troops. Dou Jiande then returned to the battlefield to collect Gao Shida’s remains and bury his fallen comrades. He ordered his men to wear white mourning clothes and gradually rallied the scattered insurgents, growing his ranks back to several thousand. Believing that a grieving army fights with greater resolve, he led them to crush several Sui suppression forces. Furthermore, because Dou was known for his benevolence and treated the local officials and gentry of conquered cities with respect, his following grew rapidly. Soon, commanderies across Hebei defected to him, and Dou Jiande commanded nearly one hundred thousand troops, styling himself the Prince of Changle.

Wang Bo, known as the "Scholar of the World," and Meng Rang maneuvered through Hebei and Shandong. Though frequently defeated by Zhang Xutuo, they were able to rally tens of thousands of men and return to the field almost immediately after each loss. Despite being a scholar, Wang Bo fought on the front lines, singing the "Song of Not Dying in Vain in Liaodong" alongside his men as they charged the government forces. His subordinate, Meng Rang, was exceptionally fierce; aside from Zhang Xutuo, no one could stop him.

Xue Ju, seeing the events predicted by Li Wenyuan come to fruition, was overjoyed. Upon hearing that Yang Guang had retreated south, he used the pretext of suppressing the bandit Zong Luohou to recruit heavily. At a farewell banquet for Hao Ai, the Governor of Jincheng, Xue Ju arrested him under the guise of hunting for traitors, subsequently imprisoning the regional officials.

After Xue Ju rose in revolt, Zong Luohou fulfilled their pact by bringing his bandit forces to join him. In return, Xue Ju named Zong the Duke of Yixing and continued to recruit local bandits and seize government horses. Soon, Zhong Lisu, leader of the Minshan Qiang people, also arrived with twenty thousand men to join Xue Ju. The warriors who had frequented the training grounds at the Xue estate also joined his ranks.

Meanwhile, in the capital of Chang'an, Li Yuan enthroned the Prince of Dai, Yang You, while remotely honoring Yang Guang as the Retired Emperor. He rose in revolt in the Jinzhong region, declaring himself the Prince of Tang.

In an instant, the entire northern region of China was engulfed in the flames of war. One day, one faction would defeat another, only for the roles to be reversed the next. The people were displaced, and the fields lay barren. Amidst the chaos, a rumor began to spread across the Central Plains:

"The King of the Western Regions, no grain tax to be paid!"