Map of the Kingdom's Warfare.

Summary

Li Yuan leads his army against a horde of bandits, successfully defeating them and capturing many. With the help of a captured bandit general, Zhao Ya, he deceives the city of Jiexiu into opening its gates, allowing Sui soldiers to storm in and take control. Following the victory, Li Yuan divides his forces to hunt down the remaining bandits, leading to the surrender of all fifty thousand. Meanwhile, Gao Jun Ya and County Magistrate Wang Wei, tasked with monitoring Li Yuan, express concern over his retention of twenty thousand surrendered soldiers. Gao Jun Ya confronts Li Yuan about this, but Li Yuan skillfully justifies his actions, framing them as necessary for local defense against potential Turkic invasions, thus avoiding any accusations of rebellion.

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