Chapter Forty-Five: The Fifth Discussion

The administrative seat of Taiyuan Commandery was Jinyang City.

In the darkness of night, this mighty northern city resembled a colossal beast, crouched on the north bank of the Jin River, flanked by the eastern side of Xuanweng Mountain.

It was during the Spring and Autumn period that Dong Hu, a retainer of Zhao Jianzi of the State of Jin, built a city here. From then on, this place became the heart of Hedong, radiating its influence across the Taiyuan basin and commanding the lands between mountains and rivers. To the west, it could cross the river to threaten Guanzhong; to the south, it eyed the Central Plains; and to the north, beyond the eight passes of the Taihang, it flanked Hebei. It was a place of strategic dominance, towering over northern China.

Over the following millennia, Jinyang City remained one of the centers of northern China. Across dynasties, countless armies fought to the death for this crucial stronghold, and countless heroes either achieved glory or met their end here.

With each generation, Jinyang grew, ultimately becoming a magnificent metropolis. Especially since the founding of the Sui dynasty, two emperors devoted vast resources to building here. First, the Emperor of the Kaihuang era expanded the Jinyang Palace, originally constructed by Gao Huan, a powerful minister of Northern Wei. Then, the Emperor of the Daye era further fortified the city with new walls, integrating the palace and city defenses into one. The labor and resources expended were incalculable, and when Yang Xuangan rebelled, the expansion of Jinyang was listed among the emperor’s faults, alongside the campaigns against Goguryeo and the construction of the Grand Canal.

The intention of the Emperor of the Daye era was to establish, in addition to the capital Chang'an, three other imperial residences—Luoyang, Jiangdu, and Jinyang—so he could move between them as needed, ruling the vast Sui Empire from these four centers.

When the expansion of Jinyang Palace was complete, supplies and weaponry poured in, and the newly established Six Armies Eagle Command was stationed to guard the city.

But though the city stood strong, the empire's fortunes waned, and the Emperor of the Daye era fled to Jiangdu. Before his departure, he could do nothing but submit to the powerful clans, appointing Duke Li Yuan of Tang as the acting governor of Taiyuan and superintendent of Jinyang Palace, entrusting him with the accumulated wealth of two Sui emperors—enough to overawe all northern China.

The emperor sincerely hoped that this founding pillar of the state, upon receiving such power and honor, would share the fate of the Yang family. If not, at least that, as a member of the great aristocracy, he would be caught in power struggles with his peers, while his elite soldiers, still loyal under trustworthy ministers, would watch the shifting tides of the Central Plains, awaiting their chance.

The emperor also made every effort to check the power of the great clans: in Mayi Commandery, Liu Wuzhou was set to restrain Wang Rengong; in Taiyuan, Pei Ji—handpicked by the emperor as deputy superintendent of Jinyang Palace—along with Liu Wenjing, the magistrate of Jinyang, kept Li Yuan in check. Liu Wenjing’s father had been a confidant of the former emperor and died for him; for two generations, the Yang family had favored Liu Wenjing, treating him almost as a family retainer and appointing him, while still young, to the critical post of magistrate.

Yet Li Yuan’s family lineage was too deep, his reputation too high, and his connections too many. After years of suppression, once he held actual power, with the emperor gone to Jiangdu, he was like a dragon returned to the sea—impossible to restrain.

Those ministers meant to serve as checks, Pei Ji and Liu Wenjing, soon devoted themselves to Li Yuan’s cause; Liu Wenjing even journeyed tirelessly to the frontier in support of Tang’s ambitions. This great city, this Jinyang Palace built at such cost to the Sui people, now belonged to the House of Li.

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On the Chenglu Terrace of Jinyang Palace, the moon shone amid sparse stars, its silvery light spilling across the flagstones, which shimmered like gently rippling water.

A tall, upright youth stood there with his hand on his sword, gazing up at the moon, cold and bright as a disc of ice.

The Chenglu Terrace was the highest point of Jinyang Palace, rising ten fathoms above the ground. Beneath the young man’s feet lay the city’s hundred thousand inhabitants, the twenty thousand elite soldiers of Taiyuan’s three Eagle Command posts, the mountains and rivers of Hedong, and the disintegrating Sui realm, awaiting a new master.

But all this future belonged to his father, and to his elder brother.

This youth was about the same age as Xu Le—perhaps a year or two older—with thick brows and a square face, the very image of the Longxi Li clan, a short beard just starting on his chin and jaw. He was nothing like the handsome, refined Xu Le.

His name was Li Shimin, second son of Duke Li Yuan of Tang, renowned for his valor and said to outshine his peers.

While other young nobles still idled in Chang'an and Luoyang, living off the glory of their forebears, he, at only sixteen, had followed General Yun Dingxing to rescue the besieged emperor at Yanmen. Many praised him as a thousand-li colt—brilliant and full of promise, destined to bring honor to his house.

Yet now, Li Shimin stood on the terrace, clouded with melancholy.

The reason was simple: his elder brother, Li Jiancheng, was their father’s firstborn.

As the Sui dynasty crumbled and heroes rose, the empire that had once unified the realm was now a shadow of its former self. Though Li Shimin had always aspired to set the world right and never shied from danger, when the time came for his father to raise an army, it was still his elder brother who received the greatest trust.

Of the three Eagle Commands in Taiyuan, Li Yuan directly commanded two, while the third was given to Li Jiancheng. This meant that, at the moment of action, Li Shimin could only follow his father, at best supplementing the main effort, while the real credit for any success would go to his brother.

Though their forces were still limited, their father allowed them to recruit followers and form independent troops. But what of men and resources? Li Jiancheng had the foundation of an Eagle Command and their father’s support. Even if Li Shimin gathered a few men, they were fit only for guarding the house—how could he hope to compete on the battlefield?

Was he to be forever subordinate, simply because he was born a little later?

A fire burned ever hotter in Li Shimin’s chest, and not even the chill autumn wind could cool it.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him. Li Shimin turned and saw a young man approaching at a measured pace.

This man was a few years older, dressed in flowing robes, scholarly and restrained, in stark contrast to Li Shimin’s fitted martial attire. He was Zhangsun Wuji, elder brother to Li Shimin’s wife, and his closest confidant.

As Li Shimin turned, his eyes flashed with a fierce light, startling Zhangsun Wuji into stopping in his tracks.

Li Shimin quickly suppressed the involuntary ferocity, calming himself. “How did the discussion go?”

Earlier, Li Yuan had presided over a council at Jinyang Palace, with trusted aides debating how to deal with the threat of Wang Rengong in Mayi Commandery. Li Yuan, hesitant, wanted to first eliminate this threat before raising his banner against Chang'an.

But his followers were growing impatient for founding merit. They believed that with Liu Wenjing’s efforts to win over Liu Wuzhou, and given Liu Wuzhou’s weakness, Wang Rengong could be checked easily. This would give Li Yuan time to seize Chang'an, and only later deal with the lingering power struggle in Mayi.

Li Shimin argued forcefully: the Li family wanted to enter the contest for the realm as soon as possible, and so too did Wang Rengong and his ilk. The entanglements in Mayi would not last; whether Wang or Liu triumphed, it would be decided soon. There would be no chance, as some hoped, for Li Yuan to secure Chang'an first and then return to settle accounts with them.

In Li Shimin’s view, it was not that others—including his brother—failed to see this, but that the desire for founding merit blinded them to reality.

During the debate, Li Jiancheng mocked him, and Li Shimin, indignant, left the council to cool off on the terrace.

When Li Shimin asked about the outcome, Zhangsun Wuji shook his head sadly, indicating that Li Shimin’s opinion had been ignored.

Li Shimin clenched his teeth. “It’s all because none of them want to go north to face Wang Rengong and Liu Wuzhou. If they won’t go, I will!”

Zhangsun Wuji was alarmed. With Li Yuan about to raise an army, everyone was focused on the glory of capturing Chang'an. Was Li Shimin really ready to forfeit his claim to future power by volunteering to go north?

Zhangsun’s sister was married to Li Shimin; their families’ fates were now entwined. Though Li Shimin was the second son and at a disadvantage, Zhangsun Wuji still harbored hopes for his brilliant brother-in-law. But he could not allow Li Shimin to give up so easily!

Before Zhangsun could advise otherwise, Li Shimin said with a cold smile, “The two Eagle Commands of Mayi field the finest troops in the realm. If it’s certain that Wang Rengong and Liu Wuzhou will soon resolve their struggle, why shouldn’t I go north and win some of those elite troops for myself?”

Zhangsun Wuji suddenly understood Li Shimin’s intention.

He hesitated, then asked, “But even if you secure some of Mayi’s soldiers, what if Duke Li leaves you in Taiyuan to guard the north—what then?”

Li Shimin laughed, his earlier gloom gone. “Would my brother really be comfortable with me commanding Mayi’s elite and stationed in Taiyuan? In the end, he’d have to deal with any threat behind him before taking me west to Chang'an!”

Zhangsun Wuji clapped softly, admiring Li Shimin’s strategic acumen.

Li Shimin looked up at the sky. “Let’s hope those two in Mayi settle their conflict soon. But in my view, the end isn’t far off.”

With that, he pulled Zhangsun Wuji along. “Come, let’s go plead with my father—let me take charge of northern Taiyuan and deal with any changes from Mayi. If I leave the center of power here, not competing with my brother, surely Father will grant me something!”

End.