Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 683 Liucheng Tragedy
When Li Tingwang walked out of the Kaifeng government office, the sky was already full of stars. The cold night wind blew, and his confused mind became a little clearer, but his heart became even colder.

With Fang Qing away, the main force of the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army went to Dengzhou, and now there are no soldiers to borrow in Bianzhou.

For what?

Li Tingwang didn't know, but he knew one thing in his heart: An Shouzhong probably couldn't stop the Konghe Army.

Not to mention, there are troops in Guanzhong eyeing Tongguan covetously.

When Li Tingwang was young, he heard many legendary stories, such as how Huo Qubing and his five hundred cavalrymen defeated the Xiongnu and how they plowed the fields and dug holes.

At that time, he often lamented that he was born at the wrong time. Young and full of vigor and vitality, he thought, "I can do it too."

As a result, when people reach middle age, they find that they can't do anything!
It was already a shame to come to Bianzhou and borrow troops at the behest of others. What was even more shameful was that no troops were available at all.

Li Tingwang returned to the posthouse outside Kaifeng City, dismissed his personal guards, and sat alone in front of the desk in deep thought.

The road ahead is long, and he needs to think carefully about it.

"I can't go back to Luoyang."

Li Tingwang sighed and muttered to himself,
Compared to Han Yougui, who was conscientious in his work, his thoughts were much more complicated. The Luoyang Army was also far less united than the Konghe Army.

Although the Konghe Army looks like homeless stray dogs to outsiders, there are many people who despise these soldiers.

However, the internal cohesion of the Konghe Army is still very strong, and they themselves know that if they leave the Konghe Army, they will not be able to stay anywhere in the world.

Just based on what these soldiers did in Chang'an, they could easily become sacrifices for others.

We have to stick together.

Li Tingwang obviously didn't want to go down the same path with An Shouzhong.

The two of them had different backgrounds, and the fact that they were able to work together was just a coincidence. They were arranged together by Huangfu Weiming to check and balance each other.

He immediately picked up his pen and wrote a letter. After the ink dried, he handed it to his personal soldier and said, "Go back and inform Marshal An that the matter of borrowing troops is not going smoothly. I have already described the details in the letter."

Li Tingwang deliberately did not elaborate because he did not want his personal soldiers to interfere.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief after the personal soldier left the posthouse with the letter.

Luoyang and the like...it’s better not to go back.

Li Tingwang thought secretly in his heart. He had already said in the letter that Bianzhou was unwilling to lend troops, Fang Qing was not there, and the others were making excuses. He was actively planning this matter.

As for how long it will take, how to plan, what the final result will be, and what to do if it fails.

Li Tingwang didn't write a single word, just said: I'm out of town on business, don't rush me!

Then, he could wait peacefully in Bianzhou until the outcome of the battle in Luoyang was decided, and then decide what to do next.

If “things cannot be done”, then… those who understand will understand, right?

"Fang Qing is a great hero, and he is very resourceful. Right now, Hebei is in a state of war, and both Yecheng and Luoyang are in turmoil.

Why did Fang Qing lead his troops to Dengzhou to interfere with the Bohai Kingdom at this time?

Is it possible that the interests of Bohai State are greater than those of Bianzhou?"

Li Tingwang fell into deep thought, feeling that the matter was not as simple as it appeared. However, he had no other good ideas except to investigate the military situation in Bianzhou and find out whether Bianzhou would send troops.

More importantly, he couldn't figure out Fang Qing's intentions, so he couldn't prescribe the right medicine. This feeling of being in a fog made Li Tingwang feel uncomfortable.

This war may last more than just a few months, and no one can predict what will happen next.

He always had a bad feeling.

A few days later, the personal soldiers returned with a reply from An Shouzhong. However, the letter contained only a piece of paper with only four words written on it: "Do your best."

Apart from this, there was nothing else, and the personal soldiers did not receive any instructions from An Shouzhong.

In an instant, Li Tingwang seemed to understand something.

……

The ice on the canal in Bianzhou has melted away, but in Yingzhou Liucheng, far away on the Liaohe River, it is still covered with ice and snow.

Liucheng has been surrounded by soldiers from Youzhou, and not even a mouse can escape.

At the gate of the camp outside the city, there stood a large flag with a huge "Shi" character written on it! Before spring came to the northeast, Shi Siming attacked unexpectedly, quickly dispatched troops from Youzhou, broke through the three-layer defense line set up by Shi Chaoyi, and finally laid siege to the city!
Shi Chaoyi's old nest, Liucheng, was also his last stronghold.

Shi Siming, the "father", is going to beat up his son Shi Chaoyi! Although many people guessed that there would be such a day, they did not expect that this day would come so early!

In fact, just as Tian Qianzhen was sent to Mingzhou, preparing to take advantage of the situation in Yecheng, Shi Siming was also planning something big.

Or it can be said the other way around, because he was planning this big event, he had to send away Tian Qianzhen, who held a large number of troops but was not his direct confidant, to prevent Tian Qianzhen from destroying his home base when he led his troops to attack Pingzhou!
Letting Tian Qianzhen go to the south of Hebei was just an excuse. Shi Siming didn't care whether it would succeed or not. His only goal was Pingzhou. For Shi Siming, whether Tian Qianzhen could take Yecheng was not important.

It is very important whether Tian Qian is really in Youzhou!

"How's it going?"

Inside the central army tent, Shi Siming looked at Sun Xiaozhe, who had just returned from scouting the enemy situation, and asked, his face as calm as water.

It is true that Sun Xiaozhe is Shi Siming's adopted son, but the person Shi Siming is attacking now is his biological son Shi Chaoyi!

Even his biological son was treated like this, not to mention his adopted son. Even though Sun Xiaozhe used to be a fearless person with a simple mind, after being PUAed by Shi Siming for so many years, he became a rebel in Shunchang.

"Your Majesty, the southern wall of Liucheng is lower, and the western wall is climbable. There is no unusual movement in the city at the moment, please make the decision, Your Majesty!"

Sun Xiaozhe spoke very cautiously, saying that he was only reporting military intelligence and did not make any suggestions.

If Fang Zhongyong's side emphasizes "military democracy", even if you are a small soldier, you can interrupt and you will not be punished whether you are right or wrong. Then in Shi Siming's camp, there is only Shi Siming's voice.

If other people made suggestions that were the same as Shi Siming's, it would be fine. But if they were different, they would be beaten or scolded at the very least, or beheaded at the worst.

Basically, no one would give Shi Siming any advice, because whatever the Marshal said was the truth. Everyone was just an "obedient machine" who only followed orders.

If you are the emperor but still have to listen to others' instructions, then isn't it a waste of your position as emperor?

Even Shi Siming's chief strategist Ping Lie couldn't stand this and went to hang out with Shi Chaoyi. Perhaps it was for this reason that Shi Siming no longer trusted anyone, and now he only trusted himself.

"Today at three o'clock in the morning, you will be the first to climb the mountain and attack the south. I will personally lead the troops to climb the mountain from the west and attack the city in a roundabout way.

After taking Liucheng, they plundered for three days without putting down their weapons. I will not interfere.

If I can't get it, I'll kill you first as a sacrifice!
From you on down, I will kill as many deserters as there are."

Shi Siming gave Sun Xiaozhe an order with a serious expression, which could be simply put as "success, you will be a young model in a club; failure, you will be reborn on the rooftop."

Sun Xiaozhe seemed to be used to such crazy things. He clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "I understand your order. If it fails, I will bring my head to you."

"Go ahead. When the deed is done, you will be the first to pick out the loot."

Shi Siming added.

He did not lead his troops entirely by intimidation or punishment.

After the battle, rewards were given according to merit and punishment was given according to fault. Those who had merit received the most, while those who had not received the most were punished with a beating.

In fact, it is quite in line with human nature. Soon, night fell, the north wind howled, and there was no trace of spring at all.

Spring in the north comes later. People living here also develop perseverance, patience, and tenacity. They are like a pack of wolves hunting, knowing how to cooperate and divide the work, and how to hunt in a circle.

Of course, the harsh living environment makes their methods more cruel and decisive.

The defenders of Liucheng naturally would not have expected that on such a windy and snowy night, Shi Siming would launch a general attack on Liucheng without any siege equipment!

In the darkness, lightly-armed infantrymen wearing fur coats and carrying swords quietly moved from the mountain toward the western wall. On the south side, the infantrymen climbing up with ropes and pickaxes looked more like little ants.

"kill!"

Sun Xiaozhe, the first person to climb the city wall from the south, brandished his sword, and the sword flashed in the moonlight. Caught off guard, the head of a poor guy flew high into the air, and the headless body collapsed on the ground.

This loud shout was like an iron pestle, hitting the hearts of the soldiers on duty on the city wall.

"Enemy attack!"

Someone among the defenders shouted loudly and was immediately shot into a hedgehog!
Sun Xiaozhe didn't really want to shout, as that would expose his position and his combat intentions. But if he didn't shout, how could he attract the attention of the defenders?
If the defenders were not attracted from other city walls to the south, how could Shi Siming raid into the city from the western mountain?
Sun Xiaozhe felt bitter inside, but he didn't dare to say it, or even show the slightest dissatisfaction on his face.

Shi Siming, this cruel wolf leader, is a ruthless man who would even kill his own son to show you!
As the saying goes, even a tiger will not eat its own cubs. Shi Siming's mind is even more ferocious than that of a tiger!

A distracting thought flashed through his mind, and in almost an instant, the defenders on the other walls had quickly surrounded them. The advantage created by the surprise attack just now was gone, and Sun Xiaozhe and others had to slowly shrink their front line back to back, and then watched helplessly as one defender after another climbed up the city wall.

Shit! Is Shi Siming, this bastard, trustworthy or not?

Sun Xiaozhe cursed in his heart as he saw more and more defenders under Shi Chaoyi gathering together. It seemed that many of them had given up defending other places and rushed directly towards them.

In fact, Sun Xiaozhe also knew that this approach would lead to his death, and he could only hope that Shi Siming would break into the city from the west wall and open the city gate.

They can save their lives.

Once the defenders outside the west gate break into the city, the battle will be over, and all that remains is just mopping up, and the happy time of looting will begin.

However, whether this battle can be won remains to be seen, but Sun Xiaozhe himself may die soon.

In a duel in the army, a man who could beat ten alone was already considered a brave man. However, the power comparison on the city wall was more than ten to one!

"Hold on! After we take the city, don't stop fighting. Let's plunder for three days!"

Sun Xiaozhe shouted something to boost morale.

However, after this sentence was shouted, they themselves were not motivated, but Shi Chaoyi's defenders immediately launched an offensive.

Sun Xiaozhe slapped himself hard in the face.

Didn't he just shout that after the city is broken, your whole family will die? Wouldn't the soldiers on the opposite side desperately push them under the city wall?
Just when Sun Xiaozhe was so desperate that he was about to cry, he saw flames rising from the west wall!
"The city is broken! The city is broken!"

In the night sky, there were cries like ghosts and wolves howling, coming from the west.

Sun Xiaozhe suddenly felt the pressure on the front line suddenly reduced!

The defenders on Shi Chaoyi's side retreated like a tide, some even fled for their lives in panic!
Liucheng was not big to begin with. Sun Xiaozhe saw from the city wall that the west gate was already open. Shi Siming's troops rushed in through this gate. Everything went as planned.

It has to be said that although Shi Siming is now stubborn, cruel and brutal, he has not lost his ability to fight.

No matter how popular Shi Chaoyi seemed, he was not even worthy of carrying shoes for his father Shi Siming when it came to fighting. The reason he could fight against Shi Siming for so long was purely because he had the upper hand before, and because Shi Siming was seriously injured when he fell from the city wall in Yecheng and could not fight in person.

Now that Shi Siming has recovered from his illness, he can lead the troops personally. Naturally, Shi Chaoyi cannot resist him.

The ending was just as Shi Siming had arranged.

"Kill! I won't put down my sword for three days!"

Sun Xiaozhe shouted while standing on the city wall.

At this moment, an arrow flew from the side and hit Sun Xiaozhe's neck. He widened his eyes in disbelief and wanted to turn his head to see where the arrow came from and who was the shameless person who was plotting against him.

But at this moment, my body is no longer under my control.

With a thud, Sun Xiaozhe fell under the south city wall, his eyes wide open, and the ferocious smile on his face was still frozen at the moment he was shot by the arrow.

He died, and until the moment of his death, he had no idea who shot him.

But that is not important, because if he led his troops to plunder the city for three days, he would not care about who was hacked to death by one of his soldiers.

If Sun Xiaozhe can kill people, then others can naturally kill him as well. No one is immortal.

Soldiers, the country's major events, the place of death and life, the way of survival, must be observed.

Those who kill will be killed. From this perspective, it is actually fair.

Shi Siming certainly didn't care how Sun Xiaozhe died. When he heard the news, he only said "graceful burial", and that was all.

After dawn, Shi Siming enjoyed the snow in the courtyard of the Pinglu Jiedushi's government office.

Then his personal soldiers pulled Shi Chaoyi out of bed and made him kneel in front of Shi Siming in the snowy courtyard.

On the white snow, red mottled marks can be seen everywhere, as if they were left there not long ago.

The trees in the courtyard were already filled with crows, staring at the people in the yard, as if waiting for the next human tragedy or comedy.

Shi Siming held a horizontal sword in his hand and wiped the blood on Shi Chaoyi's shoulder. These bloodstains were left when he killed someone just now.

However, Shi Siming was not in a hurry to kill Shi Chaoyi first.

He walked up to a scholar who refused to kneel down. The man looked at Shi Siming and showed no sign of weakness.

"Ping Lie, I have been very kind to you, why did you betray me?"

Shi Siming looked at the scholar and questioned.

"When you said that Li Tang was unjust and you wanted to rebel, I believed it."

"You said you wanted to establish Dayan and rebuild the country, and I believed you."

"You said you wanted to give me a high position and generous salary, and I didn't deny it."

Ping Lie said word by word.

"Since you know everything, why did you betray me? How have I ever let you down?"

Shi Siming roared hysterically at Ping Lie.

"You have killed so many people, how have they ever done anything wrong to you? I have a plan but you can't use it. Why do you ask me why I should rebel against you? Isn't that just a joke?"

Ping Lie asked back calmly.

Hearing this, Shi Siming was speechless.

After a long time, he slowly waved to his personal guards and watched Ping Lie being taken away by two personal guards.

"The irrelevant people have already set off. Now is the time to settle the accounts between us father and son."

Shi Siming looked at Shi Chaoyi with cold eyes and smiled.

(End of this chapter)