PFC Chapter 336 The Real Wall-Climbing
Chapter 336 The Real Wall-Climbing
However, although Yang Su was good at manipulating power, he was far inferior to Gao Jiong in governing the country. In order to consolidate his political interests, he began to try every means to please Emperor Wen of Sui.
When he was ordered to build the palace, he forced tens of thousands of people to work hard and died from exhaustion. Yang Su burned all of them to ashes. After the palace was built, Emperor Wen of Sui found that Yang Su had taken the initiative to decorate it in an extremely luxurious way.
Yang Su was worried about being convicted, so he sought help from Empress Dugu. The empress was very satisfied with the palace he built, so she spoke well of him in front of Emperor Wen of Sui. As a result, Yang Su was not punished, but gained the emperor's trust, and from then on he became even more arrogant.
In 601, Yang Su succeeded Gao Jiong as the Zuo Pushe and was appointed as the marching marshal by Emperor Wen of Sui to attack the Turks. The Turks were defeated and fled under Yang Su's fierce attack. Yang Su led the cavalry in pursuit, and the Khitans never saw any trace of the Turks again.
Yang Su's son Yang Xuangan was also respected by various countries for his outstanding military achievements.
After that, Yang Su became more and more prominent and glorious. He had thousands of servants, musical instruments, and concubines. The scale and structure of his mansion even imitated the imperial palace. Most of his relatives were officials, and even those who had no merit held important positions. Such a noble status has never been matched since the Southern and Northern Dynasties.
At that time, no minister in the court dared to disobey or offend Yang Su. Even those who were loyal to the country would be secretly framed by him. If someone submitted to him, then even if he had no talent, he would be promoted by Yang Su.
Emperor Wen of Sui gradually became less dependent on Yang Su. In 604, Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, was seriously ill. Crown Prince Yang Guang believed that Yang Jian had not much time left, so he wrote a letter to Yang Su, who was staying by Yang Jian's side, to make arrangements for what would happen after Yang Jian's death.
As a result, the letter was mistakenly delivered to Yang Jian, and at the same time, Yang Jian's favorite concubine sued the prince for being rude to her. Yang Jian then ordered the summoning of the previously deposed prince Yang Yong.
Crown Prince Yang Guang and Yang Su planned a countermeasure. Yang Jian died that night. After Yang Guang ascended the throne, his half-brother Yang Liang knew something was wrong, so he led more than 100,000 people in rebellion.
Yang Su was ordered to quell the rebellion. After several defeats in battle, Yang Liang had no choice but to surrender, and all his followers were eliminated.
In 605, Yang Su was promoted to Shangshu Ling, and soon after was appointed as Prince Tai Shi, while his other positions remained unchanged.
Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty gave him countless gifts. Although Emperor Yang Guang treated him with special courtesy on the surface, he was actually indifferent to him and even hoped that he would die soon.
Yang Su was bedridden afterwards. Although Yang Guang often sent people to deliver expensive medicines, he always asked the doctor about Yang Su's condition behind his back. Yang Su knew Yang Guang's true intention, so he stopped all treatment and chose to die of illness.
Of course, he might have done this to avoid implicate his family, but he did not expect that after his death, his entire family would be killed because of his son Yang Xuangan's involvement.
[The "flying over eaves and walking on walls" rarely recorded in ancient wars came from Emperor Yang of Sui's personal bodyguard. Historical trivia and historical figures]
This is an absolutely wonderful scene in ancient warfare: an ordinary soldier performed a real flying and wall-walking. While killing the enemy in Yuncheng, he was shot down, but he was able to land steadily under the city without any injury.
In the end, he made two brave charges that amazed the spectators and rose to fame. In this video, we will learn about Emperor Yang of Sui's personal bodyguard, the "flesh fairy" Shen Guang.
In 613 AD, Emperor Yang of Sui launched his second expedition against Goguryeo, and 40 Sui Dynasty troops attacked Liaodong City. As an ordinary soldier, Shen Guang earned enough face for Emperor Yang of Sui in this battle.
Shen Guang was born in 591 AD. His father, Shen Jundao, was recommended by Crown Prince Yang Yong as a scholar during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, and later served as a minister in the government of Minister Yang Liang.
However, Yang Liang's rebellion failed in the fourth year of Renshou, and Shen Jundao was implicated and expelled from the party, so he could only copy books for others to make a living. Therefore, Shen Guang's family was very poor when he was young.
Shen Guang was a man of integrity and liked to make friends with chivalrous people. Many playboys in the city liked to hang out with him. He often helped his parents with food, clothing and property, so he was able to treat his parents well and not become destitute.
He knew that his father had served in the imperial court, so he always wanted to make achievements and bring honor to his family. However, Shen Guang was not as good at writing as his father, but was very interested in riding, racing and climbing. Therefore, he developed agility when he was young.
In 605 AD, Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty launched a war against Goguryeo and recruited warriors from all over the country. Shen Guang signed up before Emperor Yang Guang's second expedition.
When he was about to join the army, a hundred people rode to see him off. Before leaving, he vowed to make great achievements, otherwise he would be buried in Goguryeo and never return home.
Emperor Yang of Sui sent troops to attack Goguryeo in 613 AD. In addition to the 40 Sui Dynasty troops stationed under the city of Liaodong, another 60 troops flocked to the surrounding areas.
That is to say, the Sui army had more than 100 million soldiers at that time, while the Goguryeo garrison stationed in Liaodong City had only more than 3 soldiers. However, despite such a disadvantage, Goguryeo was not afraid at all, and the Sui army's several attacks failed.
In fact, before this, Emperor Yang of Sui led an army of 113 million for his first expedition, but suffered a disastrous defeat. Only more than 2700 of the hundreds of thousands of vanguard troops returned to the country, and all the military supplies and equipment were lost.
The victory of this battle boosted the morale of Goguryeo, so when Emperor Yang of Sui attacked for the second time, the Goguryeo soldiers in Liaodong City were full of confidence.
Moreover, Goguryeo had to defend to the death, because once the Sui army entered, Liaodong City would face a massacre. So they relied on the solid city walls to prevent the Sui army from making an effective breakthrough after more than 20 days of fierce attacks.
In this unfavorable situation, Shen Guang relied on his climbing skills to become the most dazzling soldier at that time. The equipment used in ancient sieges was very complicated, including several types of ladders, head carts, and battering rams of different specifications.
The battering ram is also called Lin Chong, and its height is almost the same as the city wall.
The outer layer was wrapped in thick cowhide as armor, and there were four or five compartments inside, with several soldiers holding spears standing on each layer. The purpose was that the attackers pushed the battering ram under the city wall, and the soldiers inside stabbed the other side with their spears. Shen Guang was one of the soldiers in the Sui army's battering ram.
However, the huge size of the battering ram was also a disadvantage. Therefore, before the attack of the Sui army, Goguryeo dug trenches on the outside of the city wall to prevent the Sui army from approaching the city wall.
There is also a 15-zhang long pole behind the battering ram with an iron pillar installed on the head. Its function is to push the battering ram upward diagonally to destroy the enemy's city wall.
When the Sui army was unable to make an effective breakthrough and the battering rams could not get too close to the city wall, Shen Guang bit the knife and quickly climbed to the top of the long pole with his climbing skills, then jumped into the inner side of the city wall. Several Goguryeo soldiers were caught off guard and were instantly chopped down.
In fact, there was another person in the battering ram at the time. When he saw Shen Guang's agility, he also cheered loudly. This person was Qin Qiong, a famous general in the late Sui and early Tang dynasties.
However, Qin Qiong was just an ordinary soldier of the Sui Dynasty like Shen Guang at that time. Shen Guang faced more and more Goguryeo soldiers, and finally he was beaten down from the wall by the enemy.
But Shen Guang was like a martial arts master in a novel. He grabbed the rope on the rampart at the moment of falling. After landing steadily on the ground, he held the sword in his mouth and climbed up the rampart again. He jumped into the wall of Liaodong City again and killed several enemy soldiers.
Although Shen Guang was outnumbered and was eventually repelled by the Goguryeo soldiers, his heroic performance greatly boosted the morale of the Sui army.
Emperor Yang of Sui and the nobles were on top of a temporary tower, and they had a clear view of the attack ahead. Behind him were more than 100 envoys and monarchs from vassal states, including Choro Khan of Western Turkic and Shibi Khan of DTZ.
Therefore, Shen Guang's outstanding performance brought honor to the Sui Dynasty and Emperor Yang of Sui. Emperor Yang of Sui immediately rewarded Shen Guang and the soldiers who were on the chariot. Shen Guang was immediately promoted to a court doctor, and from an ordinary soldier he became an officer of the imperial guards.
At this time, Shen Guang had already risen to a high position, while Qin Qiong, who was in the same chariot with him, was still an ordinary soldier.
However, fate is a fickle thing: although Qin Qiong was not as highly valued by Emperor Yang of Sui as Shen Guang, he later became a famous general in the early Tang Dynasty and was listed among the meritorious officials in the Lingyan Pavilion; while Shen Guang, who was highly valued, did not have a good end in the end.
Just as Emperor Yang of Sui was preparing to launch a general attack on Liaodong City, a sudden change occurred in the Sui Dynasty. Yang Xuangan, the son of Minister Yang Su, suddenly rebelled. Emperor Yang of Sui had no choice but to abandon all military equipment and quickly return to his army, thus ending his second expedition.
Afterwards, Shen Guang was highly appreciated by Emperor Yang of Sui and was assigned to guard the palace. Emperor Yang of Sui often rewarded him with delicious food and gorgeous clothes, which none of Shen Guang's colleagues had, so Shen Guang was very grateful for the kindness of Emperor Yang of Sui.
In the Sui Dynasty, a zhang was about 2.96 meters. At that time, there was a sail pole in the Chanding Temple that was more than 10 zhang high. Because the rope broke and no one could catch it, Shen Guang came to the temple after hearing about it and quickly climbed to the top of the pole like a monkey. The monks watching were amazed, and Shen Guang was therefore called "Flying Fairy of Flesh".
In 618 AD, Emperor Yang of Sui was killed by Yu Wenhuaji in Jiangdu. Yu Wenhuaji knew that Shen Guang was brave, so he let him stay in the palace to lead the army. At that time, someone plotted to assassinate Yu Wenhuaji and secretly contacted Shen Guang to act together.
In order to avenge Emperor Yang of Sui, Shen Guang planned to implement the revenge plan with the help of both insiders and outsiders. However, he accidentally let the secret slip and was reported by other ministers.
After hearing about it, Yu Wenzhi fled overnight and sent people to arrest the rebels and Shen Guang and others. Shen Guang fought hard because the incident happened suddenly. After killing dozens of people, he was shot by an arrow and eventually died. All of his hundreds of men died in the battle. Shen Guang was only 28 years old at the time.
[The only historical figure whose entire clan was exterminated in history. He gave up his wealth and glory in order to rebel. Historical trivia: historical figures]
Because his rebellion failed, he was eventually torn to pieces by chariots, his body left exposed for three days before being burned to ashes. He became the only person in history who was clearly recorded as having his entire clan executed. During his rebellion, he was like Xiang Yu possessed, not only was he brave in battle, but even his final tragic and heroic act was exactly the same as that of the Overlord.
In this video, let's learn about Yang Xuangan, a powerful official of the Sui Dynasty. Why did he give up his wealth and glory and rise up against the Sui Dynasty?
The year of Yang Xuangan's birth is unknown. He was from Huayin, Hongnong.
The story of Yang Xuangan begins with his father Yang Su. Yang Su was the first meritorious official in the founding of the Sui Dynasty. After making outstanding military achievements, Yang Su enjoyed great wealth and power in the court. However, Yang Xuangan was slightly dimmed by his father's brilliance as a child, and was often regarded as a mentally retarded child.
In fact, Yang Xuangan was not mentally retarded, but he was a bit introverted. However, he dreamed of becoming a hero like Xiang Yu. He not only liked to read "The Biography of Xiang Yu", but also practiced martial arts diligently.
Another person who idolized Xiang Yu was Li Mi, one of the warlords in the late Sui and early Tang dynasties. Yang Su admired him very much, and Yang Xuangan also admired Xiang Yu, so Yang Xuangan and Li Mi were good friends.
Afterwards, the two of them entered the court as officials together. Yang Xuangan inherited his father's career and was ranked as a second-rank official together with his father Yang Su.
In July 604 AD, Crown Prince Yang Guang officially ascended the throne and became Emperor Yang of Sui. The minister Yang Su played a very important role in his successful ascension to the throne.
He first helped Yang Guang overthrow Crown Prince Yang Yong, making Yang Guang the new crown prince. However, Emperor Wen of Sui found out on his deathbed that Crown Prince Yang Guang was not a good person, so he prepared to reinstate the original crown prince Yang Yong. Yang Su conspired with Yang Guang to cut off the communication between the palace and the outside world, so that Yang Guang could successfully inherit the throne of Emperor Wen of Sui.
Although Yang Su was a meritorious official, he was also a powerful official who knew everything about Emperor Yang of Sui. Therefore, Emperor Yang of Sui treated the Yang family well on the surface, but in his heart he wished to wipe out the entire family as soon as possible.
When Yang Su was ill, Emperor Yang of Sui kept sending people to visit him, ostensibly out of concern, but in reality he wanted to find out about Yang Su's condition, fearing that he would not die.
Yang Su knew the true intentions of Emperor Yang of Sui, so he simply refused all treatment and finally died peacefully at home. This not only saved the family's reputation, but also made Emperor Yang of Sui have no reason to exterminate his entire family.
After Yang Su's death, Yang Xuangan inherited the title of Duke of Chu and was promoted to Minister of Rites. Although Emperor Yang of Sui treated the Yang family well afterwards, Yang Xuangan always believed that it was Emperor Yang of Sui who forced his father to death, so the seeds of hatred had long been planted in his heart.
According to the "Zizhi Tongjian", Emperor Yang of Sui once shouted to his ministers when he was drunk: "If the ancestor is not dead, the whole family will be killed." This means that if Yang Su is not dead, he must kill the entire Yang family. Yang Xuangan therefore lived in fear every day, and gradually had the idea of rebellion.
Afterwards, Yang Xuangan followed Emperor Yang of Sui to conquer Tuyuhun. He originally planned to attack Emperor Yang of Sui while the Sui army was in a mess, but was stopped by his uncle on the grounds that the time was not ripe.
In the spring of 613 AD, Emperor Yang of Sui led a second expedition to Goguryeo, which caused widespread resentment among the people. Coupled with the continuous construction projects for several years, the peasant uprising that had already broken out became more serious. Yang Xuangan thought the time was ripe and prepared to take advantage of Emperor Yang of Sui's personal expedition to start a rebellion.