Map of the Kingdom's Warfare.

Summary

After the Yu Jun incident, Li Yuan verbally agreed to two suggestions from Chen Shuda: expanding ranks to include the Du Gu family and promoting Yu Wei Liang, Yu Jun's son, to governor of Wuwei County. However, the expansion was contingent on defeating the Demon King, which was delayed due to a crisis with the Sui army. Ultimately, Yu Wei Liang was only made deputy governor, disappointing the Yu family. Internal conflicts among the Guanzhong nobles persisted, with the Dou and Du Gu families clashing again, this time with most nobles siding with the Du Gu family. The Wuchuan Association was formally dissolved due to these tensions. Li Yuanji visited Dou Wei to discuss gathering one million stones of grain and five hundred thousand coins for the Emperor. Dou Wei expressed his inability to help due to the fractured alliances among the nobles post-Yu Jun incident. Li Yuanji insisted on gathering the nobles again, but Dou Wei explained that the other families no longer listened to him. Dou Wei offered to contribute a portion of the grain and coins but indicated that the Du Gu family's agreement was crucial for broader support. Dou Wei then proposed a strategy to persuade the Du Gu family to cooperate, which Li Yuanji found promising. Meanwhile, Du Gu Ping Zhi, a lesser member of the Du Gu family, left home for work but was unexpectedly taken away by a different carriage driver. He was kidnapped after being threatened. His wife, Wang Shi, was soon visited by anxious servants who claimed her husband was gravely injured, prompting her to rush with her child to see him, only to be taken away in another carriage.

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