With its push against Goguryeo rather catastrophically stalled out, the whole enterprise begins to unravel with spectacular speed for the Sui Dynasty. All the while, its Emperor Yang will maintain a disturbingly unaffected demeanor for the suffering his edicts are creating across the countryside - in large part because his lackeys have created a "reality-distortion filter" around him they'll literally kill to maintain.But elsewhere, agents of insurrection will rise to challenge the waning star that is Sui China, especially in the form of one Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang and his family.Time Period Covered:614-618 CEMajor Historical Figures:SuiEmperor Yang of SuiEmpress Xiao Prince Yang You (Emperor Gong)Prince Yang Hao, Prince of QinGeneral Yuwen HuajiRebel Tang ForcesLi Yuan, Duke of TangLi ShiminLady Li/ Pingyang, Commander of the Woman's ArmyGokturk KhannateShibi KhanWorks CitedSima, Guang. Zizhi Tongjian.Wright, Arthur F. The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3Bennett Peterson, Barbara. Notable Women of China: From the Shang to the Early 20th CenturyWen, Daya. The Diary of the Founding of the Great Tang Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices