The third emperor of the Sui Dynasty

Chapter 524 The Curtain Call of a Generation of Heroes
Among all the powers in the world, Dou Jiande's palace should be the smallest and simplest one. One is that Dou Jiande is in poverty and has no financial resources to build a palace; the other is that his capital city has never been stable; Don't like luxury.

Fuchu!Dou Jiande and Chief Shi Kong Deshao were meeting with the Sui envoy.

The envoy was Zhang Xuan from the Ministry of Rites, and because he was excellent in diplomacy, he successfully persuaded Du Fuwei to surrender to the Sui Dynasty, so he was also promoted and became a minister of the Ministry of Rites, in charge of the diplomatic department of the Ministry of Rites. This time he was At the order of Yang Tong, he went to Qingzhou as an envoy to surrender Dou Jiande.

The three exchanged a few pleasantries, but Dou Jiande did not ask Zhang Xuan the purpose of this trip, but talked about the people who left Qingzhou: "During the severe drought three years ago, many people in Qingzhou fled to Jizhou; Because of the war, some left one after another. I want to know how these people are doing? Please tell me, sir."

Zhang Xuan respectfully said: "I admire the general's love for the people. However, you can rest assured, the general, in the heart of the sage, no matter whether you are a northerner or a southerner, you have only one identity, that is, the people of the Great Sui Dynasty. Treat your own people." , His Majesty always treats everyone equally... After the people of Qingzhou arrived in Jizhou, they were all properly settled, and I dare not say that everyone is rich, but it is certain that they can live and work in peace and contentment without worrying about food and clothing."

"Thank you sir for telling me!" Dou Jiande sighed and said, "It is said that the homeland is hard to leave, but the people of Qingzhou are forced to leave their homes. This is all my sin, Dou Jiande."

"The general should know! The departure of the people in Qingzhou is not only forced by life, but also represents the general trend of the people's determination." Zhang Xuan looked at Dou Jiande and said sincerely: "The land equalization system implemented in the Sui Dynasty allowed the people to have their own land. Each household can also receive farming cattle and horses donated by the imperial court; during the slack season, the imperial court's "relief with work" method gives the people the opportunity to earn money to subsidize their families... and free school makes reading and studying no longer a task. It is an extravagant hope that when the children of the common people have achieved success in learning, they can also pass the imperial examination to become an official; therefore, a world of Datong, where the old can be relied on, the young can learn, and the learning can be used, has become a reality in the Sui Dynasty. I am walking all the way from Luoyang , the people in Xingyang, Dongjun, Dongping, Jibei, Qijun and other places passing by along the way are working hard with the help of the government, and everywhere presents a scene of enthusiasm and vitality. After entering Beihai, it is a barren countryside , the village is completely ruined and dead... In stark contrast to the land controlled by the imperial court, there are countless skinny people rushing to Qi County with their old and young... This shows that the people who have suffered from the war long for peace, The Sui Dynasty is full of yearning, isn’t this what the people want and the trend of the times? The general loves the people like his son, so why should he do what he knows he can’t do?”

Although Zhang Xuan's words made Dou Jiande extremely upset, he also knew that with his mixed army and the only three remaining counties, it would be extremely difficult to compete for world hegemony. If the Sui army in Qi County launched an attack, he would not be able to hold on for a few days. , Even without fighting, his [-] army was already defeated without a fight.After thinking for a long time, Dou Jiande finally sighed: "I have already understood the purpose of Mr.'s visit! But no matter what I say, I am still a hero. Now the world is not yet unified. Maybe the Holy One will tolerate me and use me as a role model for recruiting the world's heroes. But After he unifies the world, can he keep me, Dou Jiande?"

Zhang Xuan said with a smile: "The Holy Majesty is very similar to Liu Xiu of the Han Dynasty. The current Sui Dynasty was laid down inch by inch by the Holy Majesty. His world did not rely on the power of the late emperor. If you really want to compare it, it is also necessary to call the Holy Majesty the founder of the country." It’s not an exaggeration, apart from the same name, the country of the Sui Dynasty has nothing to do with the previous Sui Dynasty; the Holy One has absolute control over the world. The various systems he created are deeply supported by the people; even if the generals rebel in the future, I am afraid that few people are willing to abandon the existing good life and follow it. People come to inherit, but once the general is no longer alive, the country that has been built so hard will collapse. So why does the general have any reason to rebel? Regarding the situation of the general, the Holy Majesty knows it well, so the general can rest assured."

"I'm afraid that the Holy One may disagree."

A look of disdain flashed in Zhang Xuan's eyes. He stared proudly at Dou Jiande and smiled coldly: "The general thinks too highly of himself. If the Holy Majesty wants to pacify Qingzhou by force, he only needs to send two fleets of [-] troops to each of them." If you send them to Donglai and Gaomi, you can easily regain these two counties, or you can send a large army from Langye to Gaomi, and then use cavalry to take Donglai; and all the troops in the general's hands are here, so they are pinned down and unable to move. There is no way to rescue them. Of course, the easiest and most trouble-free way is for Yang Zuopu to attack from the front and annihilate the general here with the momentum of thunder. The general thinks that these tens of thousands of miscellaneous soldiers can win the iron-blooded army of our Great Sui Is it not? You are underestimating the general, the Holy Majesty wants to kill the general, it is so easy."

"That's what I can't figure out." Dou Jiande smiled wryly. He admitted that he had no strength left to resist. It was very easy for Yang Tong to kill him, but Yang Tong did not kill him once and for all. It is too strange and illogical to come to recruit him.

"In fact, when the Holy Majesty said that he wanted to recruit the general, all civil and military officials were not only stunned, but also did not understand why the Holy Majesty made the decision, and many people even voiced their opposition! After all, annihilating the general is not an important thing for me, Tai Sui. It is difficult, and it can be done once and for all. When the Holy Majesty gave three reasons for not killing the general, there was no objection."

Dou Jiande and Kong Deshao glanced at each other, and they both saw a deep look of inquiry in each other's eyes. As the leader of this faction, Dou Jiande was even more surprised. After all, he was a traitor of the Sui Dynasty. Yang Tong had no reason to forgive him, but now, There are three reasons not to kill?This is really strange.

"Please tell me, sir."

"[-]. From Wang Bo's rebellion to the present, Qingzhou has been in war for more than ten years. The country has withered, the people's livelihood is difficult, and the corpses of starvation are everywhere. However, after the general arrived in Qingzhou, he not only restrained the soldiers, but also treated the people well! He managed the place in an orderly manner. As a result, there was no large-scale starvation in Qingzhou, and the Holy Majesty believes that the general has contributed to Qingzhou, to the people, and to the Sui Dynasty!" Zhang Xuan said with a strange face.

Dou Jiande couldn't laugh or cry, but he said truthfully: "I did this for myself, but I didn't think too much about it."

"The Holy One has the world in mind. In his mind, all the people of the Sui Dynasty are his subjects. He believes that if a rebel benefits the people of one side, his achievements are tens of thousands of times better than those of corrupt officials. Regardless of the general's intentions Where is it, but it is a fact that the people benefit.”

"What kind of reason is this?... Why is Your Majesty so weird?"

"Just get used to it, the general!"

"..." Dou Jiande was speechless.

"Second, the Holy Majesty hates traitors who betray the interests of the nation the most. The general defeated the Japanese slaves who came across the sea in Donglai and Gaomi many times, and he contributed to the nation; similarly, regardless of the general's intentions, it is a fact that the people benefited."

"Thirdly, the situation in Hebei was very complicated back then. There were not only generals, but also dozens of bandits headed by Gao Kaidao and others. If the imperial court wiped out them one by one, it would be a protracted war. The strength of the Holy Majesty was quite weak at that time. If If you fall into the quagmire of war, you will be unable to extricate yourself, and eventually waste a lot of manpower, material resources, energy and time; and in order to fight against the imperial army, the general gathered people from all walks of life in Hebei together, and finally gave the Holy One a chance to complete the battle; After the war, the land of Hebei was freed from internal worries, and the Holy Majesty mobilized limited troops without any hesitation, thus winning wars with fruitful results one after another! The Holy Majesty said, he has to thank the general!"

Zhang Xuanyou remembered that when Yang Tong said these words, his expression was very indifferent, but the pride and grandeur in the words convinced everyone, so when Zhang Xuan spoke, the deep sense of admiration, even if you don't need to feel it deliberately It can also be felt.

Hearing this reason, Dou Jiande felt a little stuck in his heart, and at the same time, he couldn't help but pay a little more respect to Yang Yu. Such an open-minded person, no matter whether he is an enemy or a friend, is admirable after all.

"Thank you sir for telling me!" Sighing, Dou Jiande looked at Zhang Xuan, "Let me think about it for a few days." In fact, he was persuaded.He is already in his fifties and has no children. Not only does he not have the energy to rebel, but he also has no meaning to rebel. He just wants to spend his old age peacefully.

Zhang Xuan didn't say that those who know current affairs are heroes, stood up and said with a smile: "Then I'll wait for the general for another three days, how about it?"

Dou Jiande nodded slowly, and pondered: "Surrender or not, within three days, I will give you a formal answer."

"Okay, then I will take my leave now! Wait for the general's good news." Zhang Xuan bowed and exited the mansion.

"Sir!" Dou Jiande stood up and saw him off.

……

After Zhang Xuan left, Dou Jiande remained silent for a long time.

At this time, Kong Deshao, who had been silent all this time, stepped forward and sighed: "Your Highness, you should now understand the reason why we advocate respecting the Sui Dynasty and self-reliance?"

Dou Jiande was taken aback for a moment, and then felt a deep sense of gratitude. Only now did he realize that Kong Deshao had already considered a retreat for him. If he had proclaimed himself emperor, there would be no room for turning around. He sighed: "Mr. Kong thinks I should surrender?"

"Your Highness, there are more than [-] elite Sui troops on the other side of the Zishui River. Once they launch an attack, they will definitely be thunderous. If there is no chaos between Liu Heita and Wang Xiaohu, they still have the strength to fight, but now they will not be able to." There was a hint of sadness in Kong Deshao's eyes, and he said dejectedly: "Emperor Shengwu launched a war of belonging to the world this time. He wants to concentrate all his strength on dealing with many heroes. He doesn't have any extra strength to guard against us. He will not give us We have a chance to breathe, and our only remaining three counties are surrounded by the sea on three sides, and the bordering Bohai Sea, Qi County, Lu County, and Langye are all owned by the Sui Dynasty. Even if we are lucky enough to escape from the battlefield this time, so what? Your Highness, we are now If you don't surrender, you die, there is no third way to go, if you don't seize this last chance, it will be too late to regret."

"Ugh!"

Dou Jiande sighed, "I, Dou Jiande, firstly don't like extravagance, secondly, I don't like beauty, and thirdly, I am not greedy for power. The rebellion was forced by the situation, and I only wanted to find a way to live and have a meal for the elders in my hometown! Now the people in my hometown have already We live and work in peace and contentment, and we are at the end of the day, so why bother to cause unnecessary casualties for our own selfishness? Forget it, even if Emperor Shengwu went back on his word and gave me death, it would be worth it in exchange for the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers under his command."

"Actually, Your Highness can rest assured that Emperor Shengwu will not kill you."

"Why?" Dou Jiande wondered.

Kong Deshao said earnestly: "Emperor Shengwu has given the people the best life. If His Highness can't provide these, naturally no one will follow suit. Second, Emperor Shengwu must have lived longer than His Highness, so he has no worries about His Highness."

"Uh..." Dou Jiande was stunned for a moment, then laughed loudly, and laughed at himself: "If I surrender Li Yuan and Li Mi, they will be afraid that their offspring will be harmed by me, so they will naturally defend themselves everywhere. It's fine if I die first." , if I don’t die, I’m afraid I will be executed too. And Emperor Shengwu is only in his early twenties, how could he be afraid of me? As long as Emperor Shengwu is still around, what am I, Dou Jiande? palm; and if I die, there will be no future troubles, he has absolute confidence in himself; I really, really think too highly of myself!"

The decision is made!

Dou Jiande didn't bother to wait any longer, so he asked Zhang Xuan to be chased back, expressing his willingness to surrender to Sui.

Zhang Xuan took out Yang Tong's letter of appointment: canonize Dou Jiande as Zhangnan county public, sixth-rank military official Dingdong general, reward [-] pieces of money, [-] pieces of silver, give Zhangnan two hectares of fertile land, a Zhangnan house, Luoyang a mansion;
As for activities, Dou Jiande was not restricted in the slightest, and the Sui Kingdom allowed him to act, and even made a special promise that if his ambition was not dead, he could serve in the army.

Dou Jiande was greatly moved, he knew that this was not only Yang Yu's grandeur, but also his self-confidence, but Dou Jiande was not a person who didn't know how to measure, other things were fine, he would definitely not be able to serve in the army.

The next day!

Yang Gongren led an army into Beihai and took over Dou Jiande's [-] troops. A generation of hero Dou Jiande withdrew from the stage of fighting for world hegemony and faded out of the world's sight!
(End of this chapter)