Chapter 379 Behind the Capital Relocation
After the signing was completed, everyone said goodbye one after another. Yuanshou and Yuanmin stayed and continued to discuss secretly with Dugutuo.

There were too many people here just now, so some things cannot be said and can only be discussed in secret within a small circle.

In fact, Dugu Tuo almost said it just now. Yang Jian was the representative they chose to replace the Northern Zhou Dynasty that ignored the Guanlong nobles. Now that the Yang family has seriously suffered losses to their interests, it is time to change the representative.

“What does the head of the family plan to do?” Yuanshou asked.

“You have been busy being officials these past few years, but I have been observing and thinking. If we want to change a dynasty, we must first create chaos under heaven. Only when there is chaos under heaven can we secretly support the various rebel armies with money and food. When these peasant rebel armies have almost destroyed the Sui Dynasty, our people should come out to clean up the mess. Isn’t this what all dynasties have done?”

“The key is how to bring chaos to the world?” Yuanshou whispered.

“First of all, the turmoil in the world must be caused by public resentment. Once the public resentment boils over and someone adds fuel to the fire, chaos will begin. Yang Guang appears to be a gentle and courteous person, but he is ambitious and eager to achieve success. The most fatal thing is that he is stubborn and will not listen to advice.

Look at this time, he started to implement the relocation of the capital less than half a year after he ascended the throne. Is his throne secure? Normally, he should slowly plan and wait for five years before starting to implement it. By then, it will be a natural outcome. This shows how eager he is to succeed. He is eager to make achievements. As long as he seizes this weakness, things will be easy. Doesn’t he want to build a canal? How much manpower will he have to spend on building Luoyang and digging a canal at the same time? After building the new capital of Luoyang, he also needs to build a new granary, and then pacify Liaodong, right? When the previous emperor failed to attack Goguryeo, would Yang Guang wait ten years before attacking Goguryeo? Once Goguryeo is attacked, Hebei will be under great pressure. At this time, Baoguo will stir up trouble again, Hebei will be in chaos, and the gentry in the south will also be waiting for an opportunity, and Jianghuai will also be in chaos. “

Yuanshou pondered for a moment and said, “The key is to find someone to give timely suggestions.”

Dugu Tuo nodded, “I have already thought of this person, Yuwen Shu is the most suitable!”

“Will he be willing? Will he betray us?” The Yuan brothers were a little worried.

Dugu Tuo said coldly: “How dare he betray the Guanlong nobles? And he will like the conditions we give him.”

Yuan Min smiled and said, “Let him become a member of the Guanlong nobles and a representative of the Yuwen family. This is indeed the condition he has always dreamed of.”

Yuwen Shu’s original surname was Poyetou, a relatively lowly Turkic surname. Because his father became a soldier of the Yuwen family and changed his surname to Yuwen, Yuwen Shu’s past was his Achilles’ heel. Anyone who dared to mention Poyetou in front of him would be killed on the spot. He tried to join the Yuwen family more than once, but no one paid attention to him.

But the Guanlong nobles knew very well what he wanted?
He was a man of great wealth, a general and a prime minister. He had fame, wealth and status. What else did he lack? He still lacked a good background.

Dugu Tuo nodded slowly. “His nickname is the Three-surnamed Slave. Do you think he will really be loyal to the emperor? He only cares about benefits. He will do anything that benefits him. It is most appropriate to let this person speak for us. I will go and talk to him in person. I believe he will be happy to become a member of the Guanlong nobility.”

Emperor Yang Guang was very angry these two days. He received three petitions in succession. One was a petition from the Guanlong nobles requesting to stop moving the capital to Luoyang, one was a petition headed by Shi Wansui and Xue Shixiong to keep the capital in Chang’an, and the other was a petition from the three prime ministers Gao Jiong, Wei Chong and Su Wei jointly opposing the construction of Luoyang.

The three petitions all said the same thing: opposing the relocation of the capital to Luoyang.

This was the biggest wave of opposition Yang Guang had encountered since he ascended the throne, and it also brought unprecedented political pressure to Yang Guang.

In the afternoon, Crown Prince Yang Zhao appeared in his father’s imperial study.

“Your Highness, I pay my respects to you!” Yang Guang nodded. “What can I do for you, Crown Prince?”

Yang Zhao hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, “I came here to tell you, Father, that even though so many people oppose moving the capital, I firmly support you!”

Yang Guang was stunned. He saw determination in his eldest son’s eyes. He was suddenly moved. It was still necessary for father and son to fight together in the battlefield!
“My prince, please sit down first!”

Yang Guang asked his eldest son to sit down and said, “So many people are against the emperor moving the capital. Why do you support it? Is it because I am your father?”

Yang Zhao shook his head. “Grandfather told me that if the Sui Dynasty wanted to last for thousands of years, it had to get rid of the control of the Guanlong nobles. He promoted the imperial examination and abolished the military system for this reason. But he left the real hard bone to the next emperor, which was to move the capital. Grandfather also told me that after the capital was moved, relying on Hebei and the Central Plains and developing Jiangnan, Guanlong would gradually become less important. Once the new political group became the mainstream, the Guanlong nobles would completely decline. The most critical step here is to move the capital. Grandfather said that he didn’t have the courage to take this step. He hoped that his children and grandchildren could achieve it. How could I, a son, not support my father in taking this step.”

“Well said! I must take this step. Why now? I am worried that if I stay in power for too long, I will lose the courage to take the next step like your grandfather. No matter how many people oppose me, I must take this step. And what you see now are all voices of opposition, because the Guanlong Group controls the government.”

“Father, I cannot see this clearly.”

Yang Guang smiled and said, “You have to understand that the world is made up of three major and four small groups. The three major interest groups are the Guanlong interest group, the Shandong interest group, and the Southern interest group. The four small groups refer to the Hedong group, represented by the Taiyuan Wang family and the Wenxi Pei family, as well as the Heluo group, the Bashu group, and the Helong group. The world is made up of these three major and four small groups, but currently there is only one Guanlong interest group that opposes moving the capital. I believe that other interest groups support moving the capital.”

Yang Guang finally made up his mind that no matter who advised him, he would move the capital to Luoyang, and he decided to kill one person to warn the rest!

A few days later, Right Prime Minister Gao Jiong was dismissed again for opposing the construction of the Eastern Capital. Yang Su was promoted to Right Prime Minister and Crown Prince Yang Zhao concurrently served as Minister of the Chancellery. Yang Guang then appointed Yang Da, a member of the royal family who supported the relocation of the capital, as Minister of State Affairs to replace Yang Su as Left Prime Minister.

In the last few days of December, Emperor Yang Guang issued an edict appointing Prince of Qi Yang Liang as the chief supervisor of the construction of Tokyo, with Yang Da, the minister of state, and Yuwen Kai, the chief architect, as deputy supervisors. Two million laborers were mobilized every month to carry out the large-scale construction project of the Eastern Capital.

In the blink of an eye, it was the New Year of the second year of Daye, and Chang’an was very deserted. The original festive atmosphere of the New Year was suppressed by Emperor Yang Guang’s willful decision to move the capital.

On the third day of the first lunar month, an important guest came to Yuwen Shu’s mansion.

Dugu Tuo came to visit Yuwen Shu.

The reason why Dugu Tuo chose to visit Yuwen Shu during the New Year was because it was normal for everyone to visit relatives and friends, and for ministers to visit each other during the New Year.

Therefore, Dugutuo’s visit to Yuwen Shu at this time would not attract other people’s attention, but it was unusual for Yuwen Shu. Yuwen Shu knew very well that the Guanlong nobles always looked down on him and would not come to visit him.

At this time, the head of the Dugu family, who is the leader of the Guanlong nobles, came to visit him. There must be something fishy going on.

Yuwen Shu personally went out to greet him and invited Dugu Tuo to sit in the VIP hall of Yuwen Mansion.

(End of this chapter)