Chapter 108 Departure
As for the issue of Western Turks, the emperor sent Cui Junsu and Xiang to persuade Choro Khan to come to the court. The result was very smooth and Choro Khan came to meet the emperor.

The troops led by Choro Khan were divided into three. His younger brother Quedushe led more than 10,000 old and weak people to live in Huining, while Teqin Ashina Danai led the rest of the people to live in Loufan. Choro was named Hesana Khan and led 500 cavalry to accompany the emperor on his tours.

He appointed his uncle Shekui Khan as the leader of the Western Turks, with his territory extending from Jinshan in the east to the sea in the west. All the countries west of Yumen Pass were subordinate to him, and his royal court was set up in Sanmi Mountain north of Qiuci.

In this way, neither of the two Turkic tribes could get in the way when he was conquering Goguryeo, and the emperor gladly rewarded Pei Ju.

As for Chu Luo who came to submit to him, the emperor comforted him with kind words, prepared the most delicious food in the world, displayed female musicians, silk and bamboo instruments, which dazzled the eyes and ears.

However, Chu Luo still looked unhappy, so Li Jiancheng stepped forward and toasted him. The two looked at each other without saying anything.

After the banquet, Li Jiancheng returned to the prefectural residence, and the patriarchs of several major families, headed by the Lu family of Fanyang, all came. Originally, they did not care much about Li Jiancheng and were quite arrogant.

But as millions of people poured into Zhuo County, the only one they could rely on was their own prefect, so they all took the initiative to express their willingness to be deployed at will, as long as the prefect could protect their families from being harassed by those rampant soldiers.

After Li Jiancheng agreed to the request, he spared no effort. Relying on his relationship with several major generals, he was able to maintain basic peace in the area and prevent unspeakable incidents from happening.

But it was impossible for them not to feel wronged. All the proud soldiers, brave generals, nobles and princes in the world had come with him, so how could they not have fun? Li Jiancheng was also exhausted and lost a lot of weight because of this.

As expected, they came to complain and ask for help. Li Jiancheng did not show any impatience. He listened quietly and ordered Li Xiaogong behind him to deal with what could be handled. He would find someone to solve the difficult ones later.

"Hey, we know it's hard for you, but who else can we look for besides you?"

"Yes, every time I come to ask for help from you, I feel ashamed to see you so exhausted."

For a family that has existed for hundreds or thousands of years, there will naturally be people they can turn to if they really want to find someone. But whether the person they find is willing to help them solve the problem is one thing, and whether he is willing to help but cannot really solve the problem is another.

After all, they are a noble family that has passed down their family traditions of farming and studying, and most of their connections are civil servants. Even if their rank is high enough, the separation of civil and military affairs means that the generals promoted by the emperor may not necessarily give them face, not to mention the noble relatives and princes who are accompanying the emperor.

Even a man like Li Jiancheng, who came from a noble family and had close friends all over the world, had headaches that he could not solve. He had to risk his dignity several times by going to the emperor and the empress for help before he could really solve the problem.

Li Jiancheng smiled and said, "It's okay. Since I am the governor of Zhuo County, I naturally have to protect the territory and the people. Many things have been solved recently thanks to you gentlemen."

Several people bowed and said, "As the governor ordered, we will do our best to overcome the difficulties together."

…………

On the 23rd day of the first month of the eighth year of Daye, the emperor officially issued an edict to Goguryeo: "Goguryeo clowns are confused and disrespectful. They gather in the area between Bojie and Liao. Although they were killed by the Han and Wei dynasties, their nests have temporarily collapsed and they have been separated by many obstacles. They have gathered together again and have gathered in the states and throngs more than in the past. They have continued to prosper until today..."

The Celestial Empire could not launch a war without a legitimate reason, so the emperor announced four major crimes of Goguryeo: failure to perform duties and providences, inviting defectors and rebels, invading Liaodong, and causing internal disorder.

There was certainly no problem with this, but the second half of the edict made all the ministers and generals stunned. The emperor actually announced the battle deployment.

The marching routes of the twenty-four armies, the army numbers and the generals they belonged to... Before the battle started, the Sui Dynasty knew almost nothing about Goguryeo, while the other side knew where to block and where to reinforce. Li Jiancheng couldn't help coughing in the court. The emperor was in a good mood and saw that Li Jiancheng's face was pale, so he said: "You stay here and arrange logistics with the officials of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. If you are not feeling well, don't force yourself. I will take you back to Luoyang to recuperate when I return to the court."

"My humble servant is indecent. Thank you, Your Majesty."

Yang Guang said to his ministers: "If you were all as loyal as Li Jiancheng, I wouldn't have to work so hard."

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for my mistakes."

After taking the opportunity to warn them, the emperor ordered them to return to their posts and dispatch the troops to go to war according to the tasks he had prescribed!
A few days later, the emperor personally offered sacrifices to the land on the south side of Sanggan River, to the sky on the south side of Linshuo Palace, and to Mazu on the north side of Jicheng, praying for blessings from heaven and earth, and for the army to be invincible.

There are twenty-four armies, each with one general and one deputy general, forty cavalry teams, each with one hundred men, ten teams forming a regiment, and eighty infantry teams divided into four regiments, each with a lieutenant general.

The armor, tassels, and flags of each regiment were of different colors. There was an envoy to receive surrender, who was responsible for delivering the imperial edict and comforting the governor, and he was not under the control of the general.

Other baggage, scattered soldiers, etc. were also divided into four groups and escorted by infantry along the road. The army's advance, stop or set up camp all had a certain order and etiquette.

The 12th Left Army marched out from Loufang, Changcen, Minghai, Gaima, Jian'an, Nansu, Liaodong, Xuantu, Buyeo, Korea, Woju, and Lelang.

The twelfth army on the right marched out from Nianchan, Hanzi, Hunmi, Lintun, Houcheng, Tixi, Tadun, Sushen, Jieshi, Dong, Daifang, Xiangping and other routes.

Luoyi leads the way, all the way to Pyongyang!

However, in order to defeat the enemy without fighting, the emperor issued an edict to send one army every day, with camps forty miles apart and advancing gradually. It took nearly forty days before all the troops left Zhuo County. The armies were connected end to end, drums and horns could be heard, and flags were connected for 960 miles.

In addition, the emperor's six armies and food and baggage troops had not yet set out. In addition, there were the ceremonial music bands, monks, nuns, concubines, and Gaochang King Yiwu Tutunshe Tuyuhun's Crown Prince Chuluo Khan who must be brought along when the emperor traveled.

The formation was like a long snake, and it was impossible to take care of both the beginning and the end. The emperor obviously did not regard Goguryeo as an opponent. He was aware of the danger when he was on his northern tour, but now he really ignored it completely.

What the ministers criticized the most was that not only did the emperor bring concubines with him, he also allowed his favorite minister Yuwen Shu to bring his concubines with him.

Yuwen Shu was always bold and reckless, so he was afraid to accept the offer and refused it again and again. The emperor even tried to comfort him: "In ancient times, women were not allowed to serve in the army, which only meant when the battle was about to begin. As for women in the camps, they would not be harmed. Xiang Ji and Yu Ji were just such a case."

What I mean is that when fighting, just let them hide in the tents, and let them out when setting up camp. There is nothing wrong with that.

Yuwen Shu did not dare to refuse the emperor's favor and could only thank him profusely. He also specially brought the type the emperor liked and was ready to present it to him at any time. When the emperor knew about it, he really praised him highly.

Li Jiancheng sent off army after army, and the crowded and noisy Zhuo County suddenly became empty. The women, children and common people were happy and cried at the same time. The happy thing was that they no longer had to worry every day, but the sad thing was that many of the young and strong people in their families were conscripted as laborers, and they didn't know whether they could come back alive.

...............

(End of this chapter)