The Great Sui Dynasty.
In recent years, the Sui emperor's repeated campaigns in Liaodong, along with canal construction and other massive building projects at home, had severely depleted Great Sui's national strength. The people's grievances filled the roads, and rebel armies rose everywhere.
First, the Eighteen Rebel Kings openly revolted. In the Jianghu, the Demonic Gate emerged and supported their uprisings, stirring up turmoil throughout Great Sui.
The Sui emperor repeatedly sent troops to suppress the rebellions, but with little success.
Then, three years earlier, the Li Clan, one of Great Sui's Four Great Clans, also struck out on its own. Its patriarch, Li Yuan, proclaimed himself King of Tang, occupied the Taiyuan region, and ceased to recognize the Imperial Court's authority, seeking to replace the dynasty.
The Sui emperor flew into a rage and immediately led a campaign in person, committing his strongest forces to Taiyuan to crush Li Yuan.
But behind Li Yuan, there were faint signs of support from Cihang Jingzhai, one of Great Sui's two great holy lands. As a result, the emperor suffered defeat after defeat. Not only did he fail to deal Li Yuan a blow, but Great Sui's national strength was depleted ever more severely.
As one waned and the other waxed, the Li Clan defeated the Imperial Court's armies several times. Rumors gradually spread among the people that the Li Clan was the rightful bearer of this generation's Heavenly Mandate. Its prestige soared, and even several of the rebel kings secretly pledged allegiance to it.
All of Great Sui was in chaos.
By now, Yang Guang's regrets came too late. He could only grit his teeth and continue suppressing the rebellions, plagued by splitting headaches.
Just then, an agent planted in Ming sent word that Yu Huatian, the Depot Eunuch of the