Chapter 175 The Supreme Being
The Xiao family is very low-key. Even though they are a royal family and their family members have prominent careers, they still keep a low profile. However, the current emperor has only three sons, two from Empress Xiao and the youngest from Concubine Xiao.

It is unlikely to say that there is no problem at all. The emperor is not a man of few desires. He has had many daughters over the years, but the princes are all born to daughters of the Xiao family.

In other words, if the Sui Dynasty's country and people were to be passed down, the Xiao family would inevitably change from being a royal family to being the emperor's maternal family.

Although the Xiao family lost their country, their internal structure was not damaged. All the ministers in the court were integrated into the Sui Dynasty and were divided among the southern counties. The last emperor of the Liang Dynasty, Xiao Cong, was not a tyrant, so the Xiao family still had a great influence on them.

The Li family is the core family in Guanlong, and most of their power is in the north. The south is exactly the area they are most lacking. Therefore, if they have the full support of the Xiao family, it is no exaggeration to say that there is a 50% chance that the state artifact will belong to the Li family.

This is a great undertaking of opening up new sources of income and establishing a family system to pass down the country. It is almost unimaginable to have a 50% chance of success, so Li Yuan made such a solemn promise.

What's more, Xiao was the daughter-in-law that his family had married with the formalities of the three books and six ceremonies, so it was only natural that she would be the mother of the country.

Xiao Cong felt Li Yuan's sincerity, but considering his daughter and grandson, he didn't care about offending him. After a moment's hesitation, he asked the key question: "Do you want to ascend the throne and become emperor?"

From a family or a surname to a dynasty, there must always be someone who makes the final decision. If there are multiple people, they will inevitably fall into internal conflicts.

Li Yuan is only fifty years old now, still in his prime. If nothing unexpected happens and he is determined to sit on the throne, he can rule the country for at least another ten years. However, there will be too many variables in ten years.

Xiao Cong himself had been a prince and an emperor, and he knew very well that at that position, the relationship between father and son would hardly withstand the struggle for power, and the prince would naturally be weaker than the emperor.

Of course Li Yuan thought about it. Everyone wants to be the emperor, so he did not agree immediately. Xiao Cong did not urge or threaten him. The two families were de facto relatives, and there was no better choice.

But there is a natural contradiction in this matter. What Xiao Cong cares about is whether his daughter can become the queen and whether his grandson can inherit the throne. This all depends on Li Jiancheng. From this point of view, Li Yuan is the biggest variable.

Throughout the dynasties, there were only a few legitimate eldest sons who could successfully inherit the throne. This had nothing to do with whether they were virtuous or not. In fact, the more outstanding they were, the more likely they were to be suppressed by the emperor.

The two sat opposite each other and drank a cup of tea. Li Yuan sighed and asked, "How did Lord Xiao feel when he was forced to abdicate?"

"I am in so much pain that I want to die, but for the sake of my family, I have to endure it."

"Haha, Li Yuan shook his head and laughed, "It's funny, my Li family hasn't won the world yet, and I haven't sat on the throne, but I seem to have felt that kind of pain, as if my heart and lungs were cut out. "

But Li Yuan quickly straightened up: "For the sake of my family and the great cause of the Li family, I should give way to my son."

Xiao Cong stood up and bowed with satisfaction: "The Supreme Emperor is also a man of great fortune and worthy of being married to. He is equally noble."

"Determine Chang'an first?"

"Take Chang'an first!"

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

My brother went to Liaodong and starved to death under the Green Mountain. Now I am pulling the dragon boat and am trapped on the Sui embankment again.

The world is famine today, and we have little food on the road. If we go thirty stages ahead, how can we protect ourselves?
The cold bones are resting on the desolate sand, the ghost is weeping for the tobacco, the wife at home is sad, and the old people in my family are missing.

How can I find a righteous man to burn this ownerless corpse, lead its lonely soul back, and carry its bones home? The sad and mournful song woke up the emperor on the dragon boat, and he sent people to investigate, only to find out that it was sung by the boatmen.

"Your Majesty, I have already ordered people to reprimand them. They will not dare to disturb Your Majesty's sleep again."

The emperor looked into the distance with a dim gaze. He had made tours to Jiangdu like this in the first and sixth years of Daye. In the first year, he was so high-spirited and full of vigor and vitality. Along the way, willows were swaying in the wind, flags were fluttering, and it seemed that eternal achievements were just a thought away.

When he went to Jiangdu in the sixth year of Daye, he built a canal, established the imperial examination system, constructed Tokyo, conquered Tuyuhun, expanded the territories of Shanshan, Qiemo, Xihai and Heyuan counties, conquered Linyi, Khitan and Liuqiu, toured the north and overwhelmed the Turks, calling him a saint. Countries from the Western Regions came to pay tribute to him. What a heroic spirit he had at that time.

But now, he has abandoned the world and fled to avoid disaster in disgrace. Yang Guang was speechless looking at the river. He wanted to die but was afraid of death. He was really old.

The emperor did not go back to rest until dawn. At noon when he arrived at Sishui, Fengxinlang Wang Airen risked his life to present a petition, advising the emperor to return to Chang'an and re-establish order in the country. The emperor said nothing, but ordered him to be beheaded.

When the dragon boat reached Liang County, the local elders came to stop the boat and said, "If Your Majesty goes to Jiangdu, the world will not belong to Your Majesty!"

The emperor killed the village elders, and he himself couldn't count how many loyal ministers and righteous men of the Sui Dynasty he killed along the way.

They finally arrived in Jiangdu, but Yuwen Shu fell seriously ill and was on his deathbed within a few days. After his three sons submitted their reports, they all gathered around his bed.

Yuwen Shu said to his eldest son Yuwen Huaji: "You should die before me, that is God's blessing. Hey, you should take care of yourself in the future."

Then he said to his second son Yuwen Zhiji: "You have always been stubborn and fierce. Your Majesty spared your life for my sake. It will be difficult to rely on your brother in the future. You should always think about how to protect yourself."

Finally, he instructed his third son Yuwen Shiji: "Stay away from these two. Even if they are about to die, don't take action. Protect yourself and pass on the family bloodline. Your father will thank you even in his grave."

With the current situation in the world, it is still unknown who will take control of this country. But if Li Jiancheng can return from the Turks, then God's will may fall on him. I remember that you have a good relationship with him, so you can go and join him."

The three of them kowtowed and wept. Without saying anything else, Yuwen Shu was extremely doting on his offspring.

The emperor soon received the news and sent Wang Yi to visit him, actually just to ask if there was anything else he was concerned about.

Yuwen Shu held on to his last breath and said, "Huaji, my eldest son, has long been a vassal. I hope Your Majesty will have mercy on him."

When Wang Yi returned to the palace to report, the emperor sighed and said, "I have not forgotten it."

The emperor dismissed Yuwen Shu, a long-serving minister, and bestowed upon him the titles of Si Tu, Shang Shu Ling, and governor of ten counties. He also gave him forty swordsmen, a royal carriage, and drums and trumpets in front and behind. He posthumously named him Gong, and ordered Pei Ju, the Yellow Gate Assistant Minister, to offer a grand sacrifice, and the Honglu Temple to oversee the funeral.

In addition, Yu Wenhuaji and the other two were specially promoted to the rank of General of the Right Tunwei, Yu Wenzhiji to the rank of Junior Supervisor of the Works, and Yu Wenshiji to the rank of Junior Minister of the Royal Houses.

The glory and prosperity of the Yuwen family did not diminish with the death of Yuwen Shu, so after grieving for a few days, the two brothers Hua and Zhiji began to have fun in Jiangdu again. They even followed their father's old ways and began to accept merchants as their adopted sons to make money and enjoy themselves.

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

(End of this chapter)