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Unification of the North and the South: Gao Jiong used a trick to trap the people of Chen, and Yang Jian sent troops to the south of the Yangtze River

At first, the Sui ruler Yang Jian had the intention to conquer Chen. He asked Gao Jiong for advice. Gao Jiong replied: "The land in the north of the Yangtze River is cold and the harvest is late, while the paddy fields in the south of the Yangtze River mature early. If we take advantage of their harvest, recruit soldiers and horses, and threaten to attack them, they will surely station troops to defend and waste the farming season. Once they gather their troops, we will disarm them. If we do this several times, they will think that I am just making empty threats and that they are not worth worrying about. We will then send troops across the river and head straight for Jiankang. They will be lazy and we will be motivated, and we will surely win. In addition, the soil in the south of the Yangtze River is thin, and there are many thatch and bamboo houses. All the storage is not underground. We should secretly send people to set fire to their grain storage due to the wind. Since their military preparations are relaxed and their food is exhausted, how can they not be destroyed by us?" The Sui ruler repeatedly praised the good idea and trapped Chen according to the method. The people of Chen were indeed trapped. When Chen accepted Xiao Yan and other surrendered people, the Sui ruler became more angry and said to Gao Jiong: "I am the parent of the people. How can I be limited to a strip of water and not go to rescue them?" Gao Jiong therefore asked to replace Chen on a certain day. The Sui emperor ordered the construction of warships in preparation for the military campaign. His ministers asked him to do it in secret. The Sui emperor said, "I will punish the gods openly, why should we keep it secret?" He ordered him to throw his oar into the river and let him go east. He also issued an edict, saying, "If he knows fear and changes his ways, what else can I ask for?" He actually wanted to be a teacher of benevolence and righteousness. Chen Shubao, the Chen emperor, however, lived in seclusion, spent his days in debauchery, and did not hear about external affairs. Fu Yu, the secretary of the Central Secretariat, was killed for his direct remonstrance. Jiang Zong and Kong Fan were devoted to flattery and were promoted to higher positions. On the first day of the fifth year of Zhide (587 AD), someone reported that sweet dew fell and Ganoderma lucidum grew. Chen Shubao was overjoyed and changed the year to the first year of Zhenming. As soon as the edict was issued, an earthquake was heard. The flattering ministers and sons made up a story, saying it was a good omen of the vibration of yang energy and the awakening of all things. When Xiao Yan and Xiao Li crossed the river and surrendered, the Chen court celebrated again, issued an imperial edict of amnesty, and appointed Xiao Yan as General Pingdong and Governor of East Yangzhou, and Xiao Li as General Andong and Governor of Wuzhou. He said that they were spreading virtue and doing good deeds, which pleased people near and far. Crown Prince Chen Yin had never heard of any misconduct. He had lectured on the "Book of Filial Piety" in the Imperial College, and was determined to practice it himself. He had sent people to visit his mother to ask about her well-being. Queen Mother Shen had no choice but to send her attendants to comfort the Crown Prince. Concubine Zhang was the most favored concubine in the harem, and she conspired to seize the throne. She even colluded with Concubine Kong to slander the Queen and the Crown Prince, but said that they had secret contacts and might have ulterior motives. Kong Fan and others also came in as witnesses, and Queen Shen had never been favored, so the virtuous crown prince was innocently deposed and demoted to the King of Wuxing. Chen Shen, the son born to Concubine Zhang, was actually made the Crown Prince. After that, strange things happened one after another. It rained and blew constantly. The water in Yingzhou turned black. The Huai River overflowed. A group of rats crossed the Huai River into the Yangtze River, and countless of them were drowned. When casting iron in Dongye, something suddenly fell from the sky. It was rumbling like thunder and very red. The iron juice flew out of the wall and destroyed the houses. Also, the Linping Lake, which had been blocked by weeds for a long time, opened up for no reason. The weeds died and the waves were flowing. The court and the public were surprised by the strange things and spread them all over the place. Chen Shubao had just heard about it and was also surprised. He sold himself to the Buddhist temple and was willing to be a slave as a talisman. Concubine Zhang was originally a Buddhist. She often used the excuse of gods and ghosts to confuse Chen Shubao. At this time, she set up obscene sacrifices in the palace, summoned witches and sorcerers, and prayed for blessings and warded off disasters. Chen Shubao also ordered the construction of the Dahuang Temple, and built a seven-story pagoda inside. The construction was not completed and it was burned down. The rituals of offering sacrifices to the sky and reporting to the temple were mostly omitted. He had not visited for several years. The mayor of Dashi, Zhang Hua, was well-educated and talented in writing, but he was suppressed by the court officials and felt frustrated. So he wrote a letter to the emperor to express his deep remonstrance, which said: