Chapter 102: The army returned and found a Yuanba

"Boom, boom, boom!"

The ground was shaking and the city walls were trembling.

But this time, the people inside and outside Daxing City did not show any shock or panic.

Inside and outside the city gates, people with excited faces gathered.

There is no other reason, it’s just because today is the day when the Sui expeditionary army returns.

A colorful road starts from the city gate and extends to thirty miles away.

In a short period of time, this scene has occurred twice.

The imperial court also held this event when Gao Changsheng returned to the city.

However, that time, Gao Changsheng returned alone, with only the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun by his side, without any large army by his side. In terms of momentum and lively atmosphere, it naturally could not be compared with this time.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

The sound of horses' hooves stepping on the ground in unison made everything around them tremble.

"Marshal! Marshal!"

On days like this, Gao Changsheng would naturally be present.

And with his appearance, several lieutenants and soldiers who had followed him throughout the entire war all roared excitedly at the same time.

He did not bring these people with him when he returned earlier.

After all, these cavalrymen and generals were allocated to him by Yu Juluo and Shi Wansui. They were not the troops of the Zuowu Guard and were not under his command.

"Marshal, Marshal Yu said that after returning to the court, we will all be assigned to the Left Guard. From now on, we will be soldiers under the Marshal's command and can fight with him again."

The first person to speak was Lieutenant General Li, and you could tell how excited he was.

In this battle against Goryeo, their army actually conquered the Goryeo royal city and captured and killed the Goryeo emperor. With the merit of destroying the country, almost everyone in the army was promoted several levels.

There is no soldier who doesn't like to have achievements when he serves in the army and fights in wars.

What's more, following Gao Changsheng along the way was so exciting. The exhilaration of charging all the way to the enemy's lair was more addictive than anything else for the generals and soldiers.

Now that they received the order to continue to follow Gao Changsheng, how could they not be excited.

"it is good!"

Gao Changsheng smiled and nodded when he heard this. He certainly would not refuse such an order.

The troops in front of him are already his direct subordinates.

And no general would ever think that he had too many direct troops.

The most important thing is that after a series of battles with Goryeo, although the number of this army was reduced from 5,000 to 3,000, after this tempering, the army has been completely formed.

Especially after the destruction of the country, the entire army was undergoing a subtle transformation.

At this time, if Gao Changsheng was really transferred away, to be honest, he would feel reluctant.

"Haha, good. From now on, Old Li will be a soldier under the Marshal again." Lieutenant General Li laughed.

"Yes, yes, yes," Wang and Zhang on the side also laughed at the same time.

"Oh, Marshal, King Kaoshan just sent an order that the meeting is over. When we return to the city, let the Marshal lead us in front of the entire army!"

At this point, several deputy generals showed pride and excitement on their faces.

It was a great honor to be ranked before the entire army, even ahead of the tent of King Kaoshan.

Gao Changsheng nodded. He had already received a private interview when he returned to the city last time.
This time, it was obviously a reward from King Kaoshan to this army.

"Okay, let's go!"

Gao Changsheng laughed, urged his mount, and rode forward first.

"Hurry, follow the Marshal and return to the city!"

Several people shouted at the same time, and the three thousand cavalry moved instantly.

As the horses galloped, thousands of pairs of admiring eyes fell on the figure running in front at the same time.

They all knew who had brought them this honor today.

"Woo...Woo...Woo..."

The horn sounded and the honor guard at the front began to move.

This meant that the reception was over, and all civil and military officials had begun to return to the imperial city with the emperor.

"Ok?"

Gao Changsheng's eyes first appeared on the dragon chariot in front of him.

The scene was exactly the same when he returned to the city before. He had naturally seen it and had face-to-face communication with Yang Guang.

However, he did not go to the front for today's reception.

After all, there's no point in repeating this kind of thing twice.

At this moment, he was looking at the dragon chariot in the front that was slowly moving towards Daxing City.

At that moment just now, he sensed a strange breath from the dragon chariot, but it quickly disappeared, obviously hidden.

Gao Changsheng narrowed his eyes and quickly turned his head to look at Yang Lin and Yu Juluo in the distance.

But there was no expression unusual on the faces of these two men, and they were still looking at the soldiers around them with smiles on their faces.

"How daring..." He raised his eyebrows and chuckled to himself.

After saying this, he waved the whip in his hand and shouted, "Let's go into the city!"

"Boom, boom, boom!"

As the horse's hooves stepped up, a powerful force instantly surged out into the sky.

In an instant, the whole audience was startled, and countless pairs of eyes were unconsciously attracted.

"Boom! Boom!"

Three thousand cavalrymen came rolling in, and from afar it looked like a raging flood bursting out, ready to submerge everything in front of them.

Everyone's heart trembled unconsciously.

But things soon returned to normal.

Those who appeared on the scene this time were all civilians in Daxing City who had heard the news and came to see the real appearance of the army.

At that moment before, I was just overwhelmed by the momentum of the army.

"It's the Duke of Qi!"

"Are these the soldiers commanded by the Duke of Qi? They were the ones who crossed the grassland and conquered Goguryeo!"

Seeing the figure in the front, everyone reacted instantly.

"Mighty! Mighty!"

"The Duke of Qi is mighty, and the Sui army is mighty!"

Earth-shaking cheers instantly resounded throughout the venue.

The three thousand soldiers straightened their chests unconsciously.

In preparation for today's scene, all the soldiers had obviously rested. The blood-stained armor had long been replaced, and they were all wearing Qin Zhe's brand new armor.

This also makes the entire army look more imposing.

As we walked along, we were surrounded by the cheers of the people.

Especially Gao Changsheng, who was standing at the front, received a lot of admiring glances.

The girls hiding behind the crowd all had blushing cheeks and kept looking at the tall figure with shy eyes.

Many members of large families, or those who had daughters to be married, were extremely excited, and they couldn't wait to hire a matchmaker and rush to Duke Qi's mansion.

From outside the city to the city gate, from the city gate to the palace.

First came Gao Changsheng's troops, then the vanguard, then the rear army, and the entire expeditionary force passed slowly in order, receiving cheers from the people of Daxing.

The whole Daxing city was in a state of excitement with lights and decorations.

Even until the night fell, the people on the street still did not leave, and excitedly talked about the scenes of the day with everyone around them.

The name that appeared most frequently among people was undoubtedly Gao Changsheng.

In fact, not just today, in recent days, Gao Changsheng has always been the most popular figure in Daxing City and even in the entire Sui Dynasty.

He annihilated Goguryeo in one battle and defeated the grandmaster with a single sword.

The experience of this newly-appointed Duke of Qi is truly too legendary.

Many young men of his age have just made their debut. Even if they have family support and do not have to start as a soldier, they have just taken charge of a troop and are at a stage of gaining some fame.

In contrast, the Duke of Qi has already risen brilliantly.

He was worshipped as a pillar of the country and defeated the great master. Whether in the court or in the martial arts world, he was already on par with the geniuses of the older generation.

Not to mention the Sui Dynasty, even looking at all the other countries, they had never heard of a figure as brilliant as Gao Changsheng.

No matter they are martial artists or common people, people always like to listen to legendary stories.

What’s more, this is a living legend right before our eyes.

As for Gao Changsheng, he certainly didn't know what people in Daxing City were talking about him.

At this time, he was attending a night banquet in the palace.

However, his eyes were not looking at the delicacies in the field, but were looking straight ahead.

The highest position in the hall.

There were two people sitting there, one of whom was a graceful, elegant and dazzling woman, and she was none other than Empress Xiao whom Gao Changsheng had met before.

As for the man with a smile on his face next to him, it was undoubtedly Yang Guang.

"Haha!" Gao Changsheng stared for a long time, then smiled and looked away.

At this moment, a surprised voice suddenly rang in my ears: "Brother Gao."

There is only one person in this world who can call him by this name from beginning to end.

Gao Changsheng smiled and turned around, and sure enough, he saw Luo Cheng's familiar face.

"Brother Gao, I finally see you again."

Luo Cheng took several steps at a time and rushed to Gao Changsheng.

"Brother Luo, how are you?"

Gao Changsheng spoke with a smile, he had a good impression of Luo Cheng.

Not to mention the other party's respect for him, even for the sake of the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun, he had to make friends with this little brother.

"By the way, Brother Luo has made a lot of contributions this time. I think he has also received a considerable reward." Gao Changsheng said with a smile.

After the army returns, it is natural to reward people according to their merits.

However, this time, there were three people who did not receive much reward.

The first one is naturally Gao Changsheng. His reward had already been given in advance and spread throughout the Sui Dynasty with the imperial edict, so it was naturally impossible for him to receive another reward.

The other two are undoubtedly Yang Lin and Yu Juluo.

Both of them are men of great military achievements, and their merits are countless.

One is already a prince, and the other is also a duke.

Although it is not really impossible to seal it, there is not much room left.

It is obviously impossible to increase the title, and as for increasing the official position, it seems like adding a burden to the two of them now.

Therefore, these two marshals and deputy marshals only received some additional fiefs after this battle.

In fact, most of the veteran generals in the army did not receive much reward from this battle.

On the contrary, young generals such as Luo Cheng all received considerable promotions.

This is partly because these young people are indeed outstanding, but more importantly, it represents the court's determination to promote the next generation.

"Haha, I'm not as good as Brother Gao." Luo Cheng smiled and waved his hands when he heard that.

But after laughing, a look of depression appeared on his face again.

"I really didn't expect that after Brother Gao and I separated, he would actually do such a big thing."

"A long-distance raid, destroying a country in one battle!" Luo Cheng's eyes showed extreme yearning, and even his voice trembled.

"If I had known this would happen, I would have preferred death to being separated from Brother Gao."

Luo Cheng's voice was full of regret, and it was not simply because of his achievements.

However, most generals will never experience a war like this in their lifetime.

But at that time, this opportunity was just a little bit away from Luo Cheng.

With his background and the relationship between Gao Changsheng and Shi Wansui, as long as Gao Changsheng said a few words, it might not be impossible for him to be incorporated into Gao Changsheng's army.

But just a thought away, the opportunity passed him by.

A long-distance raid to destroy a country is the highest honor for a cavalry general like Luo Cheng.

Thinking of this, Luo Cheng couldn't help but slap his thigh.

"Brother Luo, there's no need to be like this!" Gao Changsheng smiled and waved his hand: "It's just a Goguryeo, why bother taking it to heart? There are still many opportunities for you and me to achieve success."

"Yes, there will be opportunities in the future." Luo Cheng's eyes lit up.

"I will tell my father when I get back and ask him to find someone to transfer me to the Zuowu Guard. Oh, and my cousin as well."

Gao Changsheng shook his head and ignored Luo Cheng's words.

In his opinion, this was nothing but naive wishful thinking. Luo Yi was already a commander in chief, so how could his only son be transferred to another place?

This is different from Liaodong. When Liaodong conquered Goryeo, it was the King Kaoshan who led the army. This group of young people was transferred here for the purpose of training and also as a form of gilding.

But it is different with Zuo Wuwei. Once transferred to Zuo Wuwei, it means leaving Youzhou completely. Just think about it and you will know that Luo Yi will never agree to it.

"Ok?"

Luo Cheng, who was imagining the future scene on the side, raised his head instantly after hearing Gao Changsheng's exclamation.

"Brother Gao, what happened?"

"It's okay, I just felt a strange gaze." Gao Changsheng waved his hand.

"Is it hostility?" Luo Cheng raised his eyebrows instantly when he heard that.

"It's not hostile!" Gao Changsheng waved his hand again, and pointed forward:
"Brother Luo, do you know who that person is? He really looks unfamiliar."

Gao Changsheng was referring to the front seats, where sat some of the leaders of the court, such as Yang Lin, Yu Juluo, Wu Jianzhang and so on.

With Gao Changsheng's current status, he should actually sit there, but he refused.

What he was referring to at this time was a middle-aged man sitting next to Yang Lin, Yu Juluo and others. From his position, it can be seen that this man must be an extraordinary person.

It was this person who had been looking at him with strange eyes just now, but Gao Changsheng had no impression of this person. However, when he looked closely, he had an inexplicable sense of familiarity, which was really weird.

"Ah? That's my father!" Luo Cheng raised his head and glanced over there, then replied.

Even with Gao Changsheng's state of mind, when he heard this, his body paused and a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face.

No wonder the other person looked familiar, no wonder he looked at me with such strange eyes.

"Shouldn't the King of Beiping be stationed in Youzhou? Why is he in Daxing?"

"Oh, some time ago, Bi Xuan led the Turkic army to invade, but was repelled by my father and foster father, so King Kaoshan specially invited my father to come to Daxing to attend the celebration banquet."

"As for Youzhou, now that Goryeo has been destroyed, the news has shocked all the countries, and the army has returned. The Turks should not dare to raise troops easily in the short term."

"I see."

Gao Changsheng nodded, then slowly raised his wine glass and gently shook it towards Luo Yi in the distance.

Under the lights in the hall, one can clearly see the beard on Luo Yi's lips shaking up and down.

Luo Cheng, who was standing by, naturally saw Gao Changsheng's action and raised his glass as well. He first clinked his glass with Gao Changsheng's and then turned to Luo Yi in the distance.

Luo Yi's beard was already shaking up and down, and the arc of the trembling suddenly became more violent.

"Haha, King of Beiping, why are you standing there? Drink!" Yu Juluo, who was sitting next to him, held out the wine glass and said with a smile.

Luo Yi paused, then slowly raised his wine glass and an ugly smile appeared on his face.

As the alcohol intake increased, the atmosphere in the venue became more heated.

There were those who were good at drinking and poured bowl after bowl of wine into their mouths, and there were also those who were good at dealing with people and walked among the officials with wine glasses.

After Gao Changsheng and a few acquaintances drank a few glasses, they stopped talking.

Given his current status, although many people wanted to talk to him, they naturally did not dare to disturb him after seeing him put down his glass and not want to drink anymore.

After speaking quietly to Luo Cheng, Gao Changsheng raised his glass again and toasted to Yang Linyu Juluo who were far away.

After they finished drinking, they both nodded to Gao Changsheng at the same time.

Especially Yu Juluo, his lips moved a few times like lightning.

Gao Changsheng nodded, then stood up from his seat and quietly left the hall.

As for Yang Guang and Empress Xiao, who were originally sitting at the chief seats, after drinking a few cups, they left on the grounds that they were too drunk.

After leaving the banquet hall, Gao Changsheng did not stop, but went straight towards the main gate of the imperial palace.

But after walking only a short distance, he suddenly stopped.

Because beside the pond in the imperial garden not far ahead, a figure was squatting there, holding two dark golden hammers in his hands, constantly beating the water surface.

All the golden carp in the pond had been stunned, and above the water surface, all that could be seen was the white bellies of the fish.

"Yuan Ba."

There is no one else in the world with such a unique appearance except Li Yuanba.

Hearing the voice, Li Yuanba raised his head instantly, and when he saw Gao Changsheng, a light flashed in his stunned eyes.

Obviously, he also knew Gao Changsheng. After all, he was the only person he could kill with great pleasure.

It was not surprising that Li Yuanba appeared in the palace. After all, Li Shimin was also a general who went to war, and the other party should have followed Li Shimin.

"Are you lost?" Gao Changsheng asked.

Li Yuanba tilted his head when he heard that, and after a long time he nodded blankly.

Gao Changsheng understood instantly that when Li Shimin was drinking and chatting, he didn't notice Li Yuanba slipped out of the hall and couldn't find his way back.

"Then come with me first, and I'll take you to see your brother another day." Gao Changsheng said with a smile.

Then Li Yuanba picked up the hammer soaked in water and stood behind Gao Changsheng.

The two walked forward and left the palace directly.

What they didn't know at this moment was that in the palace banquet hall, a heroic young man was spinning in circles with sweat all over his face.

After Li Shimin had a few drinks with a few acquaintances in the room, he soon discovered that his brother Li Yuanba was missing.

This almost frightened him to death.

He was not worried about Li Yuanba's safety. With the other party's strength, he didn't have to worry about his own safety.

He was just worried about Li Yuanba's temper. But where was this place? It was the imperial palace.

Once Li Yuanba is provoked and goes crazy here...

Thinking of this, the sweat on Li Shimin's face became more intense.

(End of this chapter)