The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 363: Daliang's First Warrior
The dust and smoke filled the road, seeming to cover the sky and the sun.

It was nearly late April, the weather was very warm, and the ground was dry and hard, but there were many soldiers on the march, and most of them were mounted infantry, so it was inevitable that they would step on the dust. As a result, when looking from a distance, it looked as if the road was covered with yellow sand, interspersed with the flags of the four armies of Shenwu, Longhu, Longwu, and Luoyan.

Several riders came from the east, avoiding the marching road. Several light riders who looked like escorts looked up at the endless long column, and then looked at the tens of thousands of mounts equipped for the entire army for the rapid march, and they were all a little stunned.

"No wonder we have been unable to catch up with the army no matter how hard we try. The infantrymen now have horses to ride on? My goodness, King Song is such a lavish person. With such a big hand, no wonder he was able to kill the Hades..."

Several followers were amazed, but the big man who was surrounded by them in the front just had a stern face and said nothing.

This man is extremely tall and strong, with a majestic appearance. The mount under his crotch is also tall, but in comparison with the other war horses, it seems to be smaller than the other war horses. But the fact is that this man is too tall and too mighty, and full of imposing manner. He is the most eye-catching one in the entire army, so the mount looks petite against it.

This man and several of his followers all looked exhausted, but the followers did not keep their mouths shut. The big man just stared at the army that was constantly on the way, without any intention of stopping them. Or, he simply had no intention of stopping them. If there were other people around, they would be able to see from this that this big man was not very particular about his character.

A few riders chased the central army's ceremonial guard for a while, and then they saw a strange knight wearing dark black armor and an iron mask coming over. He was a very good rider, and he stopped his horse steadily when he was several feet away from the other riders. Then he did not reveal his identity, but just asked questions to the big man.

"But the Xiangzhou governor, Li Si'an, has arrived?"

The big man had a stern face and squinted his eyes as he looked up and down at the knight who was dressed strangely, luxuriously but with a hint of danger. Naturally, he recognized his identity as Ye Bushou, but he just didn't say anything. He sat on the horse's back with his mighty body, looking quite arrogant.

However, his followers did not dare to be arrogant and quickly responded: "It is my General Li who came here in accordance with the imperial edict and is about to pay a visit to Your Majesty and the Emperor..."

That night, Bu Shou nodded, asked no more questions, turned his horse around and rode away, leaving several people looking at each other in bewilderment.

Li Sian narrowed his eyes, with a bit of depression in his expression. He just snorted coldly, and also stepped on the belly of his horse and headed towards the emperor's procession which was not very conspicuous in the center of the army.

Several of his followers finally shut up at this moment, and glanced carefully at Li Sian's face, which seemed a little uneasy.

These riders are all Li Sian's family generals, so naturally they know their master inside and out.

In the first year of Kaiping, Zhu Wen ordered Li Sian to lead a large army to attack Youzhou. Li Sian did not disappoint and defeated the then governor Liu Rengong in Youzhou. He even forced his way into the outer city of Youzhou. But he was soon repelled by Liu Shouguang, the son of Liu Rengong. However, even so, he still captured many prisoners and retreated calmly.

After withdrawing his troops, Li Sian was ordered by Zhu Wen to attack Luzhou of Jin State on the way. However, he failed after months of failure and most of the soldiers escaped, which made Zhu Wen very angry. He stripped Li Sian of all his official titles in one breath. After some time, he was appointed as the governor of Xiangzhou. It was like a powerful general of the imperial army was sent to the position of governor of Xiangzhou.

In fact, for a general like Li Sian who Zhu Wen had valued in his early years, it was only a matter of time before he was reinstated. So although Li Sian, who was demoted, was frustrated, he was law-abiding and did not show his dissatisfaction.

But the opposite happened. Not long after Li Sian was exiled, Zhu Wen used Xiao Yan to launch a surprise attack on Youzhou, and then the whole of Hebei was conquered by Xiao Yan.

As a result, I don’t know whether it was because Xiao Yan’s record was too brilliant, or Zhu Wen had really been dissatisfied with Li Sian for a long time, this brave founding general of Daliang had actually been sitting on the bench in Xiangzhou, and no one had paid attention to him for two years, until a few days ago when he suddenly received an imperial edict ordering Li Sian to serve in the imperial court.

Several followers knew clearly that, whether in private or in public, Li Sian always blamed Xiao Yan for half of his lack of success. He even insulted Xiao Yan after getting drunk many times, saying that he was just a lucky young man who got lucky by picking peaches. He believed that he was not employed by Zhu Wen because Xiao Yan stole the limelight.

But it was okay to complain at that time. Xiao Yan's foundation in the court was unstable. Li Sian's position in the army in the past few years was even higher than that of the imperial guard general Yuan Xiangxian. There was no reason for him to be afraid of Xiao Yan.

But things are different now. Xiao Yan ascended to the pinnacle of power in Daliang overnight, deposed Zhu Wen and established a new emperor. Even his personal army from Hebei, the Dingbadu Army and the Guide Army, have 30,000 men. Including the imperial guards, Xiao Yan can control more than 100,000 elite troops. No one even knows if Xiao Yan has any unused troops in Hebei. It can be said that he is at the peak of his power.

In this way, Li Sian is still the governor who was demoted to Xiangzhou, while Xiao Yan has become the General of Tiance of Daliang and the regent known to countless people!

At this moment, the imperial edict ordering Li Sian to serve in front of the emperor could only have been written by Xiao Yan!

Several followers knew that before Li Sian set off, several aides kept in the mansion were trying their best to persuade him, listing in detail the various dangers of this imperial edict. Everyone believed that Li Sian's trip was likely to be dangerous.

From the perspective of the common people of Bian Jing, Xiao Yan was a benevolent official, but from the perspective of the court officials, Xiao Yan was a ruthless man. More than a thousand people had their homes confiscated and their families exterminated in the past few days, and the number of people beheaded from the Xuanming Sect alone was even greater. Everyone understood that Xiao Yan would not be merciful to his enemies.

After all, Xiao Yan, who may have been planning a military coup to seize the throne since he entered Daliang and conquered Hebei, would be regarded as a cold-blooded person by everyone. How could anyone dare to take the slightest possibility?

At that time in Xiangzhou, everyone advised Li Sian to surrender to the State of Jin and never go to the Hongmen Banquet. Although going to the State of Jin might make him inferior to others, he could save his life after all. He was summoned to the imperial court, but no one dared to guarantee what Xiao Yan was thinking.

But Li Sian had his own pride. He was seven feet tall before he was twenty. He was appreciated by Zhu Wen because of his extraordinary bravery. He had made great military achievements over the years and was almost as famous as Yang Shihou, a famous general in the world. There was no reason for him to not dare to see Xiao Yan because of fear of death, let alone surrendering his family to the Jin State just by seeing an imperial edict. Li Sian could not afford to lose face like that.

So when he set out for Xiangzhou, he ignored his crying wife and children, and set off directly with a few followers. He traveled for several days in one breath before finally catching up with the army that was also on the way.

On the way, Li Sian was holding back his temper and never looked happy no matter who he met. His followers didn't take it seriously at first, but now they felt a little uneasy.

My God, the King of Song can even mobilize his personal guards, his position is already secure, the general must not be stubborn and refuse to bow his head...

A few riders anxiously surrounded the stern and silent Li Sian and hurried forward a few steps. Suddenly, cheers rang out from the crowd in front. From far away, the cheers got closer and closer. The cheers became louder and louder. After a while, even the sound of the marching army was completely covered up.

Li Sian and several of his followers reined in their horses immediately and looked away in confusion.

The thousands of soldiers on the march also slowed down a little, and then countless people looked forward, and saw dozens of riders accompanying a young man on horseback. Wherever he passed, the thousands of soldiers cheered and saluted him desperately and excitedly.

Without anyone reminding him, Li Sian already knew who the young man was.

On his left hand side there are some scholars, some of whom Li Sian is familiar with, such as Jing Xiang who has been promoted to Prince of Yanling, Zhongshu Shilang Zhang Ce, Rites Minister Du Xiao, Personnel Shilang Xiao Qing, Taichang Qing Li Yan, Zhongshu Sheren Zhang Yan, Revenue Shilang Cui Yi, Dali Qing Wang Shan, Xingbu Langzhong Cui Gao, etc. They are all figures who seem to be Zhu Wen's servants in recent years but are actually not very conspicuous. In the eyes of the military men anyway, they are just weaklings who are good at writing and talking.

As for the other people, such as Hanlin scholars, there were too many of them, and among them there were many faces that Li Sian had never seen before. However, judging from the positions of those following the young man, they were not low and were obviously members of the Tian Ce Mansion.

On the left side of the young man were the high-ranking military generals, such as the left and right generals of the Four Shenwu Armies, the commanders of each camp, and so on. A large group of people gathered around the young man, but they were all slightly behind. Even Jing Xiang was half a body length behind the young man.

It was Xiao Yan, and it could only be Xiao Yan.

As for why Xiao Yan had such high morale and reputation in the army, it was one reason why he had previously rewarded the entire army generously. On the other hand, Li Sian had to admit the fact that Xiao Yan had led the Dingba and Guide armies in Hebei, which were like mud-legged peasants, to where they are today, and made the two armies have a status as the personal army of the King of Song that was higher than the imperial guards. This was indeed something that people envied and yearned for.

In addition, it is also related to the fact that Xiao Yan won all the battles in Hebei, defeated Li Cunxu, and competed for the northern desert. His achievements in various battles show that he can fight and has capabilities. And seeing that Xiao Yan can easily mobilize tens of thousands of horses to equip the entire army, it shows that he is rich and has background.

As the saying goes, people go to high places and water flows to low places. How can the soldiers not support such a rich and powerful leader?
Another point is that at least Xiao Yan is clear about rewards and punishments, unlike the old and dotard Zhu Wen, and certainly not like the foolish new emperor Zhu Youzhen who only knows how to enjoy himself. Throughout history, the thing that generals fear most is that their superiors do not recognize the merits of their subordinates, but if you work for General Tiance, at least you won't have this concern!
Back then, General Tian Ce conquered Hebei with only 800 cavalrymen. Now, he is leading tens of thousands of troops with the two emperors. How can he not capture Fengxiang and take over Qi?
People were encouraged and morale was high. Xiao Yan was dressed like an ordinary military general, with armor on his body and only a bright red cloak tied around his body. But even with that, he looked heroic. He looked around and waved from time to time. With every wave, the cheers became more enthusiastic, rolling wave after wave among the thousands of troops.

I'm afraid that this kind of heroic spirit in the army was not present during the several expeditions Zhu Wen led personally in recent years.

Xiao Yan and the people around him kept moving forward amid the cheers and excitement, and did not stop until they were a few feet away from Li Sian and his companions.

Li Sian and his riders had already been shocked by this scene. Several of their followers hesitated about when to dismount and pay their respects. However, seeing Li Sian's mighty body lying motionless on the horse's back, they just gritted their teeth and remained motionless.

The cheers died down suddenly. The soldiers who were close to this side all glanced at Li Sian. Jing Xiang and others who were accompanying Xiao Yan did not ask any questions without permission. Some stroked their beards or looked at Li Sian, as if they were not surprised by Li Sian's defiant look.

Li Sian had a stern face and actually planned not to get off the horse. He had never thought that Xiao Yan would be magnanimous this time. He wanted to see what Xiao Yan could do to him. The worst that could happen was death. What was there to be afraid of?
He coldly looked at Xiao Yan, whom he had never met before. Seeing Xiao Yan looking at him with a smile, he felt a little unhappy. But before he could open his mouth, he heard Xiao Yan laughing.

"He is truly magnificent. Seeing him in person is worse than hearing about him. In my opinion, General Li is truly worthy of the title of Daliang's most powerful general."

As soon as Xiao Yan spoke, Li Sian was about to sneer in response subconsciously, but after hearing the whole sentence, he was stunned.

The several followers behind him also looked at each other, feeling that the development of the situation seemed to be different from what they expected.

Li Sian felt a little embarrassed and rubbed his hands, but his expression was subconsciously stern. However, he immediately got off the horse and said directly: "The King of Song tied Hebei in the battle that year, which is beyond my ability. The King of Song is not worthy of the title of Daliang's first fierce general. How can I accept it?"

In fact, at this time, Li Sian finally realized that Xiao Yan had come here with such a large force, could it be that he was here to greet him in person?
Thinking of this, he felt a little uncomfortable all over. After thinking for a while, he clasped his fists in a muffled voice and said, "I am Li Sian, the humble general, and I pay my respects to King Song." The several followers behind him also saluted.

Xiao Yan couldn't help but laugh. Li Sian was really arrogant. It was obvious that he was saying that apart from Xiao Yan, he, Li Sian, was the undisputed number one warrior in Daliang. However, judging from Li Sian's expression, he probably didn't think that he was worse than Xiao Yan. It was rare that he was a little modest.

"I heard from Prime Minister Jing before that General Li is good at using the flying spear. When he was the commander of Tabaidu, he often led a hundred cavalrymen to fight in the midst of thousands of troops. He was invincible and had countless military exploits. If we count his battles, how can a rising star like Xiao be comparable to him?"

Xiao Yan jumped off the horse, walked over and held Li Sian's arm, only to find that this guy was really tall. Xiao Yan was born tall, but Li Sian was actually half a head taller than Xiao Yan. Judging from the height alone, Li Sian was probably more than nine feet tall, and with his ape-like arms and bear-like waist, and tough appearance, he was indeed the appearance of a fierce general.

Xiao Yan patted the back of Li Sian's hand heavily and said, "General Li is the most powerful general in Daliang!"

At that moment, the difference between Xiao Yan's words and the imperial edict was only a seal. Even if Li Sian was reckless and crude, he understood Xiao Yan's intention. However, even though he knew that this was Xiao Yan's way of winning him over, he could do nothing...

Li Sian really fell for it!
Xiao Yan's voice was neither loud nor soft to begin with. Not only the officials and generals present, but even the soldiers marching along the road heard a lot of what he said.

Now that Xiao Yan has made this announcement, Li Sian is officially certified by the imperial court as the best general in Daliang. Even Xiao Yan himself is willing to be second. He is the real deal, and there is only one of his kind!
Damn, why does this guy look more and more pleasing to the eye.

Li Sian coughed dryly, feeling both proud and a little embarrassed. After thinking about it, he decided to bow slightly. After all, he was tall and strong, and although Xiao Yan was not short either, he looked a little thin after all. Standing in a group with them, Xiao Yan would not look good.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Yan just smiled, then pointed to the surroundings and said, "The generals are on the march, and General Li is wearing armor. At this time and in this situation, there is no need for our warriors to bow their heads."

"Of course." Xiao Yan pointed at Jing Xiang and other scholars and said, "And you gentlemen, all men in our dynasty do not need to bow their heads without reason."

Li Sian looked down on them in his heart. How could some literati who were only good at talking be compared with him?

But he didn't say anything in the end, just hummed dryly, and at the same time he really stopped bending down, as he was not willing to do so.

Jing Xiang was slightly moved, and he got off his horse with everyone else, walked to Xiao Yan's side, and said, "General Li is the most powerful general in Daliang, and it is indeed well-deserved. However, although General Li is brave, he is not a good commander. Whenever he leads troops in battle, he either fights fiercely or suffers a great defeat. The Emperor once said, 'Li Sian is brave and resolute in facing the enemy, and no one can match him. However, whenever I encounter a vassal who is selecting talents, I will use them, and then defeat is inevitable...'"

Li Sian was a little unhappy, but he also knew his own business. He was indeed not the kind of general who could lead a large army. He was more than qualified to be a vanguard or commander of a small army. If he was to be the main general, it would all depend on fate. He would either win a great victory or lose everything.

However, because of what Jing Xiang said, he didn't dare to get too angry. Otherwise, if it were any other scholar, even if he was telling the truth, Li Sian would have to kick the guy down before saying anything.

Li Sian then just folded his arms across his chest, stood behind Xiao Yan like a wall, and snorted coldly.

Xiao Yan finally understood why Zhu Wen stripped Li Sian of all his official titles in one go. This guy was nothing but a piece of rotten stone. He didn't have any major enemies in the court, but he didn't have any solid allies either.

The saying "A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind, and a pile of rocks that rise above the shore will be washed away by the current" refers to people like Li Sian.

Xiao Yan was not in a hurry to refute Jing Xiang's words. He knew that Jing Xiang was not the kind of person who would offend others casually.

As expected, Jing Xiang immediately said, "General Li is a great general and King Song is a great leader. They are a perfect match and complement each other. This time when Your Majesty leads the expedition to attack Qi, King Song must summon General Li to accompany the army. That's why."

Li Sian, who was folding his arms and acting a little arrogant, was startled.

Xiao Yan looked at Jing Xiang, smiled when the latter's expression didn't change much, then he held the hilt of the knife at his waist and took two steps, then spoke to Li Sian.

"Prime Minister Jing is right. The new emperor ascended the throne and the whole country was in turmoil. The Shu army and the Qi army were both making unusual movements. The Jin State in the north was even ready to make a move two months ago. My generals Wang Yanzhang and Yu Zhong are both used elsewhere. This attack on Qi is related to the dignity of the new dynasty. Without the two generals, Daliang only has General Li who can do it! I said General Li is the most powerful general in Daliang, and it is not an exaggeration."

Li Sian was stunned, then his face started to get hot and he felt more and more uncomfortable. He came here in response to the call, but he had the intention of going all out with Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan would not try to guess what Li Si'an was thinking, but continued, "This king intends to select a thousand elite cavalry from Dingbadu to rebuild Tabaidu, and incorporate them into the Imperial Guard Division. General Li will be the commander of the capital. In addition, all the officials and titles previously assigned to General Li will be reinstated. In the battle against Qi, General Li will also be the vanguard of the camp."

As he said this, he smiled and looked at Li Si'an, saying, "Whether General Li can convince the world of the title of Daliang's No. 1 General depends on this battle."

Li Sian's head turned pale. He glanced at Jing Xiang with his arms crossed, then looked at the rest of the ministers and generals, feeling a little restless. Although Xiao Yan's promise was not much, anyone with a discerning eye could see that Xiao Yan would never just go to Guanzhong for this battle. It might turn into a war to annihilate the country. He was just a vanguard envoy of the camp. If the war went well, he would at least be awarded a marquisate when the merits were awarded in the end.

After all, he is a straightforward person. Xiao Yan has already given him such a big way out, personally leading people to welcome him and giving him an official position in public. There is no reason for Li Sian to put on airs anymore. Even if Xiao Yan wants to use him to check and balance the Daliang warlords such as Yang Shihou, Li Sian will accept it.

"General Li Sian, obey your command!"

Xiao Yan was very happy. He grabbed Jing Xiang with one hand and Li Sian with the other. The three of them rode in front, leaving the others following far behind, discussing their plans for this battle.

It was not difficult for Jing Xiang to understand Xiao Yan's happiness. Li Sian's surrender was different from the surrender of imperial guards generals like He Gui. Li Sian was a founding general of Daliang who was comparable to Yang Shihou. This time he was recruited by Xiao Yan for his own use and even led an independent army. He was actually labeled as a member of Xiao Yan's group. It was also a step and signal from Xiao Yan to other warlords.

Xiao Yan even dared to use Li Sian, so who else would he not dare to use?

As for whether Li Sian himself has come to his senses, that is his own business.

On that day, Xiao Yan and the two emperors arrived at Hulao. On the next day, they arrived at Yanshi. King Wei and Henan Prefecture Governor Zhang Quanyi led the officials of the Western Capital to welcome the emperor thirty miles away.

On the same day, Yang Shihou sent an envoy from Chang'an to present the first congratulatory letter to the new dynasty.

------

Beyond the Great Wall, Yinshan Mountains.

Shili Qixiang hurried against the wind from the rear to the retreating front army, and found Shuliduo's main tent among a small group of tents, but did not rush in immediately. Instead, he asked the maid outside first.

"Who is the Queen Mother meeting?"

"Return to the commander of the world. General Yuan Xingqinyuan under the command of Great Khan Xiao is meeting with the Queen Mother. General Zhao Siwen Zhao is also here."

Shili Qixiang frowned, paced and waited for a while before whispering something to the waitress. The waitress nodded and went into the tent to report. Not long after, Shili Qixiang, who was anxiously waiting in the side tent, saw Shuliduo come in, and she hurried to greet him.

"Queen Mother."

Shuliduo glanced at her, then walked into the depths of the tent with his hands behind his back, and said with his back to her, "Tell me, why are you avoiding Yuan Xingqin?"

Shili Qixiang was surprised for a moment, she just said that she had something important to report to Shuliduo in private, but she didn't have time to think about it, and hurriedly whispered: "Queen Mother, the Jin army has withdrawn."

"Retreat?" Shuliduo frowned and turned sideways, asking, "Hasn't Li Cunxu already left the Great Wall from Yunzhou?"

"They have indeed withdrawn." Shili Qixiang said, "General Xiao Dilu has sent back Brother Yaoyan and Dahe Feng, and informed them that there is no need for Yuan Xingqin's Dingbadu elite cavalry to rush south to help..."

Shuliduoxu narrowed her beautiful eyes and looked at Shiliqixiang without saying a word.

Shili Qixiang swallowed his saliva and said, "In addition, there is also an envoy from Jin who wants to see you secretly..."

"Who sent it? Li Keyong? Or Li Cunxu?"

"It was Li Siyuan from the Tongwenguan…it was him."

(End of this chapter)