Chapter 10

At that moment, Suning felt a great achievement flapping its adorable wings and flying back to him, as if it were about to throw itself into his arms...

"Jie Li has fled! I am Yang Zhengdao! The Prince of Sui, Yang Zhengdao!"

Suning was searching for a feat that would allow him to live a life of ease, and that specific feat was either Yang Zhengdao or Jie Li Khan. However, the night was vast, and the entire Dingxiang city was in chaos. Where could he find Jie Li Khan and Yang Zhengdao? Just as he was feeling frustrated, he suddenly heard a shout, and immediately turned his gaze toward the source of the sound.

Li Jing also heard it and looked in the same direction. He saw a young man in a bright yellow dragon robe standing there, staring at him motionlessly. Li Jing was greatly startled. This clothing... Could it be that he really is Yang Zhengdao? Suning was even more surprised. This clothing wasn't something just anyone could wear. Although he came from the modern era, he knew that a bright yellow dragon robe could only be worn by the emperor, the crown prince, or the retired emperor. The young man before him, who was not much older than himself, was wearing it. Therefore, there was only one explanation: he was indeed Yang Zhengdao! The Prince of Sui, Yang Zhengdao!

In Suning's mind, this Prince of Sui was on the same level as the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Puyi. However, it was clear that his life was much better than Puyi's. He looked plump and white, though his face was somewhat pale, probably from fear, unlike Puyi's emaciated appearance. These nomads were also easier to deal with than the Japanese...

Suning and Li Jing rode their horses to Yang Zhengdao's side and sized him up. Suning asked doubtfully, "You are Yang Zhengdao? The Prince of Sui?" Although Yang Zhengdao was terrified and desperate, he still straightened his back: "I am indeed the Prince of Sui, Yang Zhengdao! Who are you?! Why are you riding here!"

Suning looked at him with disdain, sneering inwardly. This is what a ruler looks like? A ruler from ancient times? He turned his gaze to Li Jing and smiled, "General, I only just learned what it means to be outwardly fierce but inwardly weak. This is a perfect example!"

Yang Zhengdao's neck shrank, and his previously straight back bent, making him look like a shrimp. Li Jing smiled with disdain and said, "Your Highness, I am Li Jing, the Secretary of War of the Tang Dynasty. I greet you!" Suning then noticed that Li Jing was the Secretary of War, a high-ranking military official.

Yang Zhengdao showed a look of fear, "Li, Li Jing!? Then, this, here, is the main force of the Tang army? How many tens of thousands of men do you have?" Suning laughed, "Your Highness, don't be alarmed. We only have three thousand cavalry. The main force is not here. Ha ha ha! Uncle, how do you find my strategy? Jie Li was probably scared away! After this battle, you will surely be famous in history. In ancient times, Wei Qing made the Chanyu flee at night, and now you have made the Khan flee at night. This is a great achievement that will be remembered for generations!"

Li Jing narrowed his eyes and smiled, stroking his long beard, "Don't flatter me, boy. If it weren't for your strategy, how could I have achieved such a great feat? I always keep my word. In this battle, you will be the one with the greatest merit!"

In fact, Li Jing had his own plans. His military achievements were already so great that they had made the ministers unhappy. If he were to achieve another great feat now, his situation would become even more difficult. Fortunately, the emperor was a ruler who had risen from the ranks, and his founding achievements were unparalleled, so there was no need to worry about overshadowing him. However, being isolated by the ministers and generals was not a good feeling, and being forced to stay at home and behave cautiously was even worse. Moreover, he was old and didn't have many years left. He needed to nurture the next generation.

Although Suning was somewhat lazy, talkative, and free-spirited, not bound by formalities, and could easily be mistaken for a court jester by those who didn't know him, he was calm and collected in the face of major events, bold and meticulous, and had a strong sense of responsibility. Moreover, he didn't show any signs of arrogance. For a young man to be so steady and talented, it would be a sin if he didn't achieve fame. This time, it was a good opportunity to bring him to the emperor's attention, which would also help to downplay his own achievements, achieving two goals at once. Why not do it?

Suning didn't have any particular thoughts. He just wanted to live a life of ease. However, Yang Zhengdao's heart was like a storm. The one who had brought him to this situation was actually a younger boy, and with only three thousand men? Was this boy human or a ghost? To defeat tens of thousands of troops, mostly elite Turks, with just three thousand men?

Li Jing looked at the dazed Yang Zhengdao and ordered loudly, "General Zhang, take a hundred men and escort Yang Zhengdao to Chang'an to await the emperor's judgment!" A burly general rode up, saluted, and said, "Understood!" Then, a group of soldiers tied up Yang Zhengdao and placed him on a horse, taking him away. Throughout the process, Yang Zhengdao made no move, remaining dazed as the soldiers handled him.

Li Jing looked at the Sui prince's palace and ordered, "Seize all the valuable items and all the palace maids and eunuchs! If anyone resists, kill them without mercy!" The soldiers shouted, "Yes!"

Suning shivered, looking at Li Jing's determined face. He felt a bit sad but didn't say anything. Since he was here, he needed to be mentally prepared. They were the losers, and the winners were the rulers. This was the inevitable result of the jungle law applied to human society. After all, humans are animals... He had no obligation to save them. Regardless of who they were, he was on the winning side. Since he was here, he should enjoy the fruits of victory. Whatever these people would face in the future was not his concern.

"Uncle, what should we do next?" Suning followed Li Jing as they slowly rode out of the Sui prince's palace. On the way, he asked.

Li Jing looked at Suning and smiled, "You are now a wise and resourceful military advisor in my heart. You should be the one asking me, not the other way around! We have already taken Dingxiang, and Jie Li has fled. The main force of the Turks has probably retreated north. What should we do? I have been ordered to lead tens of thousands of troops to attack the Turks, but currently, I can only mobilize these three thousand cavalry. Jie Li still has tens of thousands of troops. What should we do?"

Suning shook his head helplessly, thinking that this was the start of exploiting child labor. Recalling the information he had found in the encyclopedia, he organized his thoughts and said, "After this battle, Yang Zhengdao was captured, and his forces have been completely eliminated. The Sui's influence has been completely eradicated. We only need to focus on Jie Li. After this defeat, the tens of thousands of troops stationed here have been largely decimated or fled, so Jie Li's strength has been greatly weakened, which is very advantageous for us.

However, our troops are few, and the main force has not yet gathered. Although Jie Li has been defeated, he still has considerable strength. If he regains his composure, it will be bad for us. If we rashly engage in battle, we will likely be completely annihilated. Therefore, I think we should take advantage of Jie Li's recent defeat and the instability among the Turks by sending people to sow discord among his forces, preventing them from aiding Jie Li, isolating him. Then, we can use a strategy of feinting and attacking to the north, forcing Jie Li's forces to rebel. More importantly, we must not engage Jie Li in battle and must not let him discover that we only have three thousand troops. Uncle, are there no Tang troops around here?"

Li Jing nodded repeatedly, as this was close to his own thoughts but more specific and feasible. This boy would surely achieve no less than himself in the future: "There are troops, but Li Shiji has only a few thousand men at Baidao. The main force is scattered across various regions attacking the Turkish tribes. It would be difficult to gather them. Moreover, there is not much food. The Tang Dynasty suffered a locust plague a year ago, which greatly reduced the food supply, making it difficult to support a large army."

Suning was delighted. Li Shiji, the second major figure he needed to curry favor with, was a great military strategist. With two great generals together, it would be a travesty if Jie Li were not defeated. Once there, he would have an easier time. After that, Li Jing would lead the army to raid the Yin Mountains, capture Jie Li, execute Princess Yicheng, and destroy the Turks. This was a famous battle, and his participation in it would be a great honor. Perhaps he could even achieve fame in history! Ha ha, achieving fame in history is a great temptation!

Suning said, "Then we can go to Baidao and join forces with General Li Shiji. We can threaten Jie Li, gather intelligence on his whereabouts, and if we find an opportunity, we can launch another surprise attack. This will minimize the loss of troops and food while maximizing the results!"

Li Jing nodded, "Let's do it!"

The battle of Dingxiang ended. In total, over three hundred Tang soldiers died, while thousands of Turkish and Sui soldiers were killed and captured, mostly Sui soldiers. The Turkish cavalry fled quickly, and the Tang army did not pursue them. However, the capture of the Prince of Sui, Yang Zhengdao, was a significant achievement. The so-called Sui forces were completely eradicated, and over ten thousand rebels were escorted to Chang'an. The entire Dingxiang was subdued. Although Li Jing wanted to act quickly, there were many matters to handle, so he decided to stay for a few days to gather intelligence and wait for the emperor's instructions.

Li Jing wrote a report and submitted it to Emperor Li Er. Then, Suning's hard days began. Li Jing said that Suning was a good child, a good comrade, with a good background, born into poverty, and had endured many hardships. He had a famous teacher and was a promising feudalist. Such a good seed needed to be nurtured by an excellent gardener like himself, to strive upward, study hard, and so on...

Suning was dizzy and brainwashed, and had no choice but to surrender, accepting the enlightenment of feudalism, viewing Emperor Li Er as a shining red sun, and believing in the three truths: everything the emperor says must be followed, every order must be executed, and every opinion is correct. Suning inwardly scoffed, if the great mirror of a thousand years, Wei Zheng, heard this, he would probably grab a brick and fight to the death with you, the old pervert! Even the emperor couldn't withstand Wei Zheng's iron teeth and hard bones, so what could Li Jing do?

Li Jing devised two major learning plans for Suning: civil governance and military prowess. Civil governance meant handling military affairs, and military prowess meant sparring with Li Jing. More specifically, Li Jing would read books, rest, and nap, leaving all the work to Suning. When he woke up, he would check for any mistakes in the military affairs. If there were none, he would nod and then beat Suning with a stick. If there were mistakes, he would first scold Suning and then beat him with a stick...

The paths converged...

Suning thus began a life of hardship. In desperation, he took out a packet of lucky instant noodles to bribe Li Jing. He cooked the noodles, and the aroma filled the air, making the soldiers drool. Li Jing saw the bowl of instant noodles, smelled the aroma, and his eyes glowed green. He picked up the chopsticks, tasted a bit, and then devoured the entire bowl, leaving not a drop of soup, and even licked the plate clean, saving the cooks the trouble of washing it...

Li Jing burped and exclaimed that he had eaten pig food all his life, but this was the first time he had eaten something fit for humans. However, the quantity was too small and unsatisfying. He asked Suning to make three more bowls. Suning quickly said that this was all he had, but if Li Jing wanted more, he could make it after the war. Li Jing, delighted, promised to invest in Suning's food business first and ensure no one would cause him trouble when they returned to Chang'an.

With Li Jing's promise, Suning was overjoyed, imagining gold and silver winking at him, ready to embrace him. However, the pile of military documents that followed turned his face into a bitter gourd. Li Jing, having eaten and drunk his fill, fell asleep, snoring loudly...

Suning's resentment soared, and the temporary residence in the large Sui prince's palace was filled with resentment, making every soldier feel a chill. However, at that moment, the capital of the Tang Empire, Chang'an, was filled with joy, especially in the imperial palace. The joy and nobility spread to every corner of Chang'an, and the people whispered about the important figure they had seen in the prisoner's cart the previous day.

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