Martial Saint: The Struggle for Supremacy in the Sui and Tang Dynasties

[The Sui and Tang Dynasties: Yang Guang Begs Me to Take the Throne] At the end of the Sui dynasty, eighteen rebel kings and sixty-four armies of insurgents rose up. The world was in chaos, while I was busy winning favor in the Eastern Capital, Luoyang. That is, until I could no longer hide what I was capable of. Yang Guang: “An Zu, you’ve done well driving back the enemy. I hereby appoint you General of the Tiger Guards!” “Your Majesty, I’m afraid I’m not up to the task.” “You held off four hundred thousand Turkic troops with just eight hundred cavalrymen, and you say you’re not up to the task?” Yang Guang: “An Zu, you’ve protected me and earned great merit. I appoint you Grand General of the Left Cavalry Guards, grant you the Nine Bestowments and the authority to wield the axe, and title you Pillar of State and Duke of Chu!” “Your Majesty, how could I possibly accept?” “You destroyed Li Mi and Wang Shichong, reclaimed the Eastern Capital, crushed the Tang, and retook the capital. And now you’ve defeated Dou Jiande too. How could you possibly refuse?” An Zu: “All right. Guang, I have a title to bestow on you, too.” Yang Guang: “Please speak, Duke of Chu.” “I name you King of Japan. Do whatever you like there, whether it’s digging a canal or invading Goguryeo. Just keep up your usual standards.” “Understood, Duke of Chu. The people of Japan will surely hail me as an emperor for the ages!”