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

Chapter 464 Let's see who the hero is today (Part 5)
In the afternoon, the Luan River meanders like a ribbon, its turbid waters gleaming with an iron-gray light in the chill of early spring.

After more than a month of silence, the Beian Prefecture camp finally came alive today. Wang Yanzhang, with his neatly trimmed beard, stood before the sand table, his face showing a rare moment of exhilaration. His officers and men on either side were also eager to try their skills, their warlike nature undisguised.

Upon receiving the news, Li Siyuan's 6,000 cavalry, stationed upstream on the Luan River, finally departed and sped eastward at full speed. Their movement perfectly matched the misleading information provided by Shi Jingtang, and they were rapidly entering the designated battlefield.

And it was also because of this good son-in-law that Li Siyuan was obviously unaware that Wang Yanzhang had already left the border, mistakenly believing that Wang Yanzhang and his main force were still in Yizhou.

After a month of waiting, this hot main course was finally about to be eaten, how could everyone not be happy? Not to mention that once Li Siyuan was captured, he could join forces with the main forces of Wangting, Yuan Xingqin, and Zhao Siwen to encircle and annihilate his troops and Yelü Lage on the west side of Wangting, thus ending the chaos on the grassland in one battle, a feat of immense merit.

But just as Wang Yanzhang was deploying his forces, intending to use his ten thousand-strong main force to defeat Li Siyuan's six thousand and then turn the tide to crush Yelü Lage and solidify the war situation, the tent flap was suddenly flung open, and his personal guards rushed in, leading in two solemn-looking night watchmen.

After listening to the whispers of his guards, Wang Yanzhang's tiger-like eyes narrowed slightly, but he had no qualms and directly ordered the two men to deliver the urgent report in public.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, an urgent report from Juyong Pass. Prince Li Cunxu of Jin personally led the main force and broke through the Tanshan Pass two days ago. Commander Zhu's troops suffered a setback, and the remnants are trying to retreat to Jiming Mountain to regroup. The main force of the Jin army, more than 20,000 cavalry, is now advancing eastward at full speed after controlling Tanshan, heading straight for the royal court."

Almost simultaneously, another official, Ye Bu Shou, also rushed out, panting, "Lord Li of Youzhou and Lord Feng of Yingzhou have sent an urgent message from eight hundred li away, confirming that the Prince of Jin is personally leading the expedition. The Jin army along the Taihang and Luzhou lines has significantly increased its troop strength and set up defenses. Lord Li said that Youzhou and Jizhou are in turmoil, and he has ordered all armies to be on alert and has dispatched five thousand cavalry from Youzhou to the border. However, he fears that the Jin army's sharp edge will directly target the royal court, and distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. The commander-in-chief is away, so please make a decision on your own as soon as possible."

The tent fell silent instantly. The jubilation and excitement on the faces of the generals froze, and they all became serious.

The fall of Tanshan, Zhu Youwen's defeat, and Li Cunxu's personal arrival—none of these were good news.

Damn it, I've always followed Commander Xiao's strategy of fighting fast and moving thousands of miles, but I've momentarily overlooked the fact that there's also a formidable figure in Hedong who excels at long-range raids and precise advances using mobility.

For a moment, the generals in the tent were in an uproar, their opinions wavering. Some said they should ignore Li Cunxu and continue to besiege the Wangting battlefield, and wait until they had dealt with Yelü Lage before gathering their main force to turn around and fight Li Cunxu head-on. Others said that if they continued to follow the established strategy, wouldn't they be putting themselves in a situation where they were attacked from both sides? Still others said that no matter what, the loss of Zhu Youwen and Li Cunxu's personal expedition were unexpected major threats, even more important than the Wangting battlefield, and that they should stop Li Cunxu's continued advance at all costs.

Of course, some people were glad that the news came in time. If it had been a day later, the army would have already been carrying out the encirclement and annihilation strategy. Given Li Cunxu's speed of advance, the army would have been caught off guard, and the situation on the grasslands would have inevitably deteriorated.

As Wang Yanzhang listened to the generals' discussion, his beard bristled, and his tiger-like eyes narrowed sharply, but he remained silent.

Only when the generals realized their own lapses in decorum and fell silent did he look around at them and sneer, "Leaving aside Zhu Youwen's failure to seize the opportunity, Li Yazi is nothing but a cockfighting brat. Back then, I was by the side of the King of Qin, and I killed him so badly that he cut off his hair and abandoned his army, only managing to escape back to Hedong by fleeing into the mountains. Now he is only acting so arrogantly because of his military strength. What do you have to be afraid of?"

The generals were all ashamed and clasped their hands in apology.

Wang Yanzhang then abruptly waved his hand, his gaze fixed on the small mark representing the royal court on the sand table, before sweeping over the small flag of Li Siyuan's troops that was right in front of him.

After the generals calmed down, Sun He, who had served under Xiao Yan from Liu Shouwen years ago and was now the Commander of the Cavalry and Infantry of Youzhou, pondered for a moment and said to Wang Yanzhang, "Commander, Li Cunxu has arrived in person. His troops are ultimately powerful and their sharpness is unstoppable. We cannot underestimate him. The success or failure of the royal court now depends on this man. If the royal court is lost, all previous efforts will be in vain. Should we postpone the encirclement and annihilation of Li Siyuan and concentrate our main force to meet Li Cunxu head-on?"

The generals standing nearby, including Yang Shikan, the commander of the cavalry, and Shan Keji, the vanguard commander, clearly made the same suggestion.

Wang Yanzhang did not answer immediately. He pondered for a while, then pointed to Li Siyuan's position on the sand table and said in a deep voice, "Li Siyuan must die. This madman is difficult to control. As long as he is on the grassland, he will cause endless trouble. As for the royal court, his threat should not be underestimated. The order to encircle and annihilate him remains unchanged."

His gaze swept over the generals in the tent, and he spoke rapidly: "However, since Li Cunxu has come in person, we cannot ignore him. Therefore, I have made up my mind to divide our forces for battle."

"Sun He and Yang Shikan, listen to my command."

"Your subordinate is here." The two men solemnly clasped their hands in greeting.

"I hereby order the two of you to lead the main force of 8,000 cavalry from Beian Prefecture and depart immediately according to the original plan. You must cooperate with the Empress Dowager of Mobei, Zhao Siwen, and that scoundrel Yuan Xingqin to encircle Li Siyuan's forces, fight a swift and decisive battle, and leave no future troubles. After the battle, depending on the situation, either move closer to me or block the remnants of Yelü Lage's forces from joining Li Cunxu. In this battle, only victory is allowed, and defeat is not permitted."

"This subordinate obeys the order." Yang Shikan was fine, he simply agreed immediately, but Sun He hesitated for a moment, because the main force had been taken away by the two of them, and there were not many left... But under Wang Yanzhang's extremely oppressive gaze, he finally just clasped his fists in a deep voice, "Commander, rest assured, this subordinate will definitely defeat this enemy under the command of Commander and Prince Qin."

“Very well, I shall wait and see. As for the remaining four thousand cavalry…” Wang Yanzhang’s gaze fell on Shan Keji, a fierce general from Yan, who was standing to the side. He then put his hand on the hilt of his sword and sneered, “Then come with me and let’s see if Li Yazi has improved since then.”

He drew his sword and pointed it to the south of the sand table: "Youzhou is more than 250 li away from here. Even if we send troops now, we can't count on them for several days. Therefore, my only role is to hold back Li Cunxu and prevent him from pressing your rear. So, whether you can quickly encircle and annihilate Li Siyuan is the key to this battle. If you can do it quickly, this battle will be won. At that time, I, along with you, the Youzhou reinforcements, the royal army, Yuan Xingqin and Zhao Siwen's main force, Zhu Youwen at Tanshan, and tens of thousands of troops along the entire Youji line, can completely surround Li Cunxu and present a great gift to the Prince of Qin!"

Having said that, without waiting for Sun He and the other generals in charge of encircling and annihilating Li Siyuan to speak, he leaned on his sword and surveyed all the officers and soldiers in the tent, squinting his eyes: "So, knowing this, that brat Li Cunxu will surely rush in frantically. Going there is truly a matter of life and death. Those who are afraid of death, stay here now. Those who are not afraid of death, come with me to meet that Li Yazi!"

The atmosphere inside the tent was tense and deadly; no one retreated even a step. For a moment, everyone stood tall and proud.

Including Sun He, all the officers and soldiers in the tent drew their swords and knelt on one knee: "We, the men of Yan, have always been known as the cornerstone of the King of Qin. How can we be afraid of the mere bandits of Jin? Now, as generals under the King of Qin, we are all willing to fight to the death with our commander!"

"Good!" Wang Yanzhang said no more and gave a stern order, "Issue the order to break camp immediately. Sun He's troops shall advance according to plan. I will personally lead four thousand cavalry, lightly armed and carrying only strong bows and crossbows and ten days' rations, to burn down the grain depot and then turn to conduct guerrilla warfare in Li Cunxu's direction. In addition, I strictly order Li Ting of Youzhou to quickly assemble all available troops, both infantry and cavalry, and set out from Gubeikou and Juyongguan to prepare for encircling Li Cunxu. I order Feng Dao of Yingzhou to secure the rear of Youzhou and monitor the Taihang Mountains. I inform Yuan Xingqin and Zhao Siwen in the north that Li Cunxu has arrived in person and the royal court is in danger. They must quickly break through the sluggish army and return south to provide reinforcements."

"Follow the order!"

The orders came down like a sudden storm, and the Beian Prefecture camp instantly erupted in chaos.

The two torrents parted ways on the sun-drenched grassland in the afternoon. One shot northeast like an arrow, while the other, led by Wang Yanzhang's large "Wang" banner, sped westward.

------

Meanwhile, upstream of the Luan River, east of Tanshan, a large army swept across the grasslands from the west, its momentum overwhelming and its might as fierce as a tiger.

The banner bearing the character "Jin" fluttered in the north wind. Beneath it, Li Cunxu sat upright on horseback, riding alongside Xia Luqi, Shi Kuangyi, and other generals of the central army. Jing Xinmo led a troupe of sword-wielding actors from the Xilinglou (a type of opera troupe) close behind on horseback, their imposing presence truly awe-inspiring.

Ahead, Liu Zhiyuan led several scouts back on horseback. He clasped his hands in greeting from his horse and said, "Your Majesty, Vanguard Shi has an urgent report. He says that the Grand Commandant and Marquis Xue have abandoned their camp. According to the Grand Commandant's garrison commander, the Grand Commandant claims that the royal court's garrison is exhausted, and Zhao Siwen's troops are about to return to reinforce. The opportunity to fight is fleeting, so he has led his 6,000 elite troops straight to the royal court to be Your Majesty's vanguard and seize the opportunity to fight."

“Seizing the opportunity to fight…” Li Cunxu’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly before smoothing out.

The military situation is indeed dire. If he were in Li Siyuan's position, he would probably do the same. If they could break through the royal court before Zhao Siwen's main force returned to reinforce, there would indeed be no problem.

"Tell Shi Xianfeng to take over the Grand Commandant's camp and prioritize establishing a foothold for the army to ensure a secure rear. Also, send out scouts northward to monitor the movements of Zhao Siwen and Yuan Xingqin's forces." Li Cunxu gave the order and then turned to Xia Luqi beside him.

"Charucci".

"The general is here!"

"Although Zhu Youwen was defeated, it was not a big deal for Youzhou and Jizhou. Wang Yanzhang is stationed in Youzhou. He is no ordinary man and may have already noticed our army's movements. We must be on guard. Xiao Yan has been operating in Youzhou for a long time, and with the help of Li Ting and Feng Daofei, his reinforcements will definitely come from the Great Wall."

Li Cunxu spoke calmly and clearly: "I order you to lead five thousand elite troops south immediately to seize Beian Prefecture. This is a crucial passage north from Gubeikou, guarding the eastern foothills of the Yanshan Mountains and deterring the middle and lower reaches of the Luan River and even Xifengkou. If Wang Yanzhang sends troops, he will surely seize that place. I want you to build an iron gate there to block any Liang army that may appear from the direction of Youzhou. If you fail to hold Beian Prefecture, bring me your head." "This subordinate obeys the order," Xia Luqi replied fearlessly, and immediately went to command his troops.

"The rest of the troops," Li Cunxu's gaze swept over the officers standing solemnly behind him, "follow me and advance swiftly. The royal court is just ahead."

He paused, then added, “Send another fast horse, carrying my royal seal, to see Yelü Lage. Tell him that Emperor Li Xingyun of the Great Tang has officially conferred upon him the title of ‘King of the Northern Desert.’ As for Shuliduo’s collusion with Xiao Yan and betrayal of the grasslands, she is a treacherous and false queen, whose crimes are unforgivable. Invite her to join us in attacking the royal court and killing the evil queen. After the deed is done, our Great Tang and the Northern Desert will forever be brotherly nations, fighting together against Xiao Yan.”

"Yes, sir." A general immediately galloped away.

The army accelerated again, kicking up clouds of dust, and rushed straight to the east. As for Li Cunxu, the walls of the royal court, the reinforcements from Youzhou, and Wang Yanzhang, who had chased him to the ends of the earth at the Gaoliang River and forced him to cut his hair to escape, were now officially engaged in battle with him.

------

The western route of Wangting, at the southern foot of Songshan Mountain.

Behind Langzui Gorge, where Li Maozhen was stationed, the fake Li was responsible for holding the position to support Li Maozhen. Of course, he could also monitor the latter to ensure he didn't make any moves, essentially just watching Li Maozhen and the fierce general Yuan Xingqin fight each other.

Of course, the ideal outcome would be for Yuan Xingqin to display his might and kill Li Maozhen on the battlefield. The latter's troops numbered less than a thousand cavalry, while Yuan Xingqin had two thousand elite Dingbadu troops under his command who had intimidated the northern desert for two years. Not to mention, Zhao Siwen's main force was providing support for him at the northern foot of Songshan. As for the five thousand cavalry sent by Yelü Lage to block Zhao Siwen, their usefulness was obviously very limited.

On the other hand, the fake Li himself had three thousand troops supported by the Jin state, three thousand Yishi cavalry dispatched by Yelü Lige, and several hundred of his own trusted men. He was practically invincible in this situation.

With the help of spies, the fake Li naturally knew before Yelü Lage that Li Cunxu's main force had crossed Tanshan and was about to get involved in the battle at Wangting. He was overjoyed and couldn't help but take seriously the proposal Yelü Lage had sent a day earlier, which was to let him lead three thousand elite Jin troops south to support Yelü Lage's main attack on Wangting.

At this moment, the fake Li Moss held a short sword in his hand, his face showing an unpredictable mood, pacing back and forth.

With Li Cunxu's arrival, the situation on the grasslands is looking promising. This is clearly an excellent opportunity to disrupt Xiao Yan's grassland strategy, and I can gain much more from it. At the very least, the idea of ​​breaking through the royal court and leaving no place for Shuliduo and other grassland forces close to Xiao Yan to stand is now quite possible.

Of course, the outcome is also very important. Whether Li Cunxu led the destruction of Shuliduo or supported Yelü Lage to lead it all, fundamentally, makes a big difference.

Moreover, it would take time for Li Cunxu to arrive and join the battle. If the royal court had not been breached by the time Zhao Siwen's main force returned to reinforce, the two sides would inevitably be locked in a stalemate. At that time, the Youzhou army would definitely launch a large-scale northward campaign, only to be forced back to square one. They would fail to destroy Shuliduo and would still only be able to support Yelü Lage in continuing to divide the grasslands. If the situation dragged on, Xiao Yan himself might seize the opportunity...

These were all things that the fake Li needed to consider, causing him to hesitate. On one hand, he was tempted to go south to help in the battle, but on the other hand, he had some concerns...

As for his concerns… he glanced towards Wolf's Mouth Gorge, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes. Because Li Maozhen hadn't revealed his intentions at all, and had truly blocked Yuan Xingqin and Zhao Siwen.

Has this fellow truly severed ties with the south, his ambitions undiminished, determined to rise again on the grasslands, or does he have other plans? But his wavering stance a few months ago was clearly not fake; could it be that he has suffered some kind of shock again?

Since he has stopped Yuan Xingqin, if we move against him now, the Songshan defense line will collapse, the Yuan Zhao army will advance unimpeded, and the Wangting battlefield will be attacked from both sides. The risk is too great. But if we do not seize the opportunity to join forces with Li Siyuan, whom we contacted earlier, to launch a joint attack on Wangting, wouldn't we just watch our gains be lost?

In that case, the commander-in-chief will probably be disappointed again...

“Quinn.” After much deliberation, the fake Lee finally spoke.

Dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, Quinn rose, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, and said, "Your Highness, please speak."

"You will lead three thousand Yishi cavalry to stay here and keep an eye on Li Maozhen for me. If he makes any moves, whether he surrenders or retreats, you can decide for yourself. You must hold off Yuan Xingqin and Zhao Siwen to buy time for the main force to break through the royal court. As for Li Maozhen, once he is separated from the troops, he is nothing. There is no need to worry about him."

A fierce glint flashed in the fake Li's eyes. "I personally led three thousand elite troops of Jin to support Yelü Lage. Now that we have been able to destroy Shuliduo and expand our gains, how can we fail to live up to the King of Jin's good intentions this time?"

Quinn did not immediately accept the order, but instead asked, "What if Li Maozhen sides with Yuan Xingqin?"

"Hmph, that man has killed several generals under Yuan Xingqin in a row over the past few days. He is probably just looking for death. Even if he surrenders to Xiao Yan, the Qi Kingdom will still be just a thing of the past. What use is that? Besides, if Li Maozhen surrenders to Xiao Yan, he will no longer be Li Maozhen."

The fake Li said confidently, "What I fear is that he won't rebel. I've already absorbed most of his troops in the past few months. I'd like to see where he can stand after he rebels."

Having said that, he ignored the matter and immediately led his troops south from the camp.

------

That night, at the Wolf's Mouth Gorge pass, the north wind howled as it swept through the camp. Inside the main tent, the dim light cast a particularly tall and imposing shadow on the tent wall.

A man, crouching low, was led quietly inside by his bodyguard. As soon as he entered, he bowed deeply, his voice extremely humble.

"I, Shi, have met the Prince of Qi... oh no, I have met the Prince of Wei."

Li Maozhen remained silent for a moment, without turning his head.

"Enough with the nonsense, are you sure you've confirmed the news?"

"I dare not speak falsely. My father-in-law did indeed receive news that the Prince of Jin personally led the expedition to the grasslands. That is why my father-in-law was so determined to seize this great merit from the royal court in order to establish himself on the grasslands. Furthermore, General Yuan Xingqin also received a secret letter from the night guard, stating that Zhu Youwen was defeated by the Prince of Jin, which was indeed the Prince of Jin's personal expedition."

The man chuckled and then said kindly, "Furthermore, if it weren't for the news of the Prince of Jin's personal expedition, why would the one responsible for guarding and monitoring the Prince of Wei have led the main force south to assist Yelü Lage? It's because he saw that the royal court was indeed about to be breached, and there was a possibility of ruining the Prince of Qin's overall situation..."

There was silence in the tent for a long time.

Sensing the somber atmosphere, the man chuckled dryly and said kindly, "Your Highness, the situation on the grasslands is truly turbulent and constantly changing. Who will emerge victorious? Until the very last moment, who dares to speak rashly? The Prince of Qin, stationed in Bianliang, is stretched thin and unable to intervene effectively. If, in the end, Your Highness manages to extricate him from this perilous situation, threatening the northern deserts... then when the new dynasty is established, with Your Highness's merits and prestige, the Queen and the soon-to-be-born Crown Prince will be virtually unshakeable..."

Li Maozhen slightly turned his head and glanced at the man.

The man was not afraid of the gaze. Instead, he lowered his head slightly, then raised it again to meet the stare, and smiled humbly with his sleeves tucked in.

"Humph."

After a few breaths, Li Maozhen finally let out a low, cold laugh. Then, he suddenly turned around, the scales of his armor scraping against each other with a soft, rustling sound. His tall figure completely enveloped the man.

"Prepare the horses, head south, and capture the king."

(End of this chapter)