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

Chapter 472 The Emperor (Part 1)

In fact, what Shi Jingtang said was not without reason.

Li Cunxu personally led the troops in this battle because the various tribes in Yinshan had wavering attitudes, nominally submitting but difficult to command. In addition, the 8,000 guest troops led by Li Siyuan were trapped outside the Great Wall, and if they were not rescued, the prestige of the grasslands would be completely lost.

Furthermore, there were foolish allies who were courting their own doom, and if they did not come to the rescue, they would be watching the root cause of Jin's slow death, leaving them with no other choice.

Therefore, Taiyuan's mobilization of troops this time not only involved the entire Ya'er Army, which had suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Gaoliang River, the Battle of Zhenzhou, and the battle with Qi State last year, but also directly mobilized the elite troops of Daibei from Shuozhou and Yunzhou, totaling more than 20,000 soldiers to go beyond the Great Wall.

Although Hedong was prosperous, it was still just a small town. With the Qi Kingdom incorporated into the Central Plains, Wang Rong and Wang Chuzhi surrendered without firing a single arrow, Zhao lost all its territory, and Mobei had been under Xiao Yan's control for several years. Hedong's only channels of communication with the outside world were the two towns of Yinshan and Dingnan, and its situation was more dire than in previous years.

Therefore, in this battle, more than 20,000 elite troops marched out of the Great Wall, representing the most mobile and combat-ready force of the Jin state, apart from the defenses at Yanmen Pass in Daizhou, the various passes of Taihang, the Luzhou defense line, and the garrison along the Yellow River in Hexi. In addition to the accompanying logistics supplies, auxiliary troops, conscripted laborers, and servants from Yinshan, the phrase "using the strength of the entire nation" might be an exaggeration, but calling it "using half the strength of the nation" is not an exaggeration.

Li Cunxu, commanding half the nation's strength, certainly lived up to his reputation as a leader. Upon his departure beyond the Great Wall, he decisively defeated Zhu Youwen, reclaimed southern Mongolia, terrified the Yinshan tribes, and further intimidated the Liang army along the Juyong Pass. Even if Li Maozhen hadn't suddenly defected, Wang Yanzhang would likely have been annihilated, even if he couldn't breach the royal court. If he had then led the Yelü Lage tribe to sweep across northern Mongolia and then calmly depart, his power would have been formidable.

However, this so-called half-nation's strength, ever since Li Siyuan was lured out of the pass and the Yinshan Mountains were repeatedly attacked, the path to destruction of this army, which had been the culmination of half of Jin's efforts, had already been foreshadowed, becoming a key part of Xiao Yan's plan to weaken Jin's overall military strength.

However, Li Cunxu's boldness and decisiveness in personally leading the expedition, while buying the army some chances of survival and creating many twists and turns, ultimately failed to reverse the overall trend.

When Xiao Yan disregarded the fact that the "Great Tang" was launching a three-pronged attack on the river defenses in the south and personally led the battle on the northern front, the fate of the elite troops of half the country in Hedong was already sealed. In one battle, the Jin army lost more than 5,000 men and captured more than 4,000. As for all their supplies, warhorses, weapons, provisions, auxiliary soldiers, and laborers, they were all completely lost.

Moreover, Shi Jiantang, the Left Minister of the Jin State who once made Zhu Wen and other Liang soldiers dare not face him directly, died in this battle; Li Jianji, a general of the front, spirited and popular with his soldiers, committed suicide on the battlefield before being captured; Zhu Shouyin, the commander of the Han and non-Han cavalry and infantry stationed at the Lianghe camp, died in battle; Zhang Jingda, the commander of the Yi'er Army, and Lu Wenjin, the deputy general, and other officers and soldiers all died in this battle.

Along the two rivers alone, more than thirty Jin army officers of the rank of colonel or above, whose identities could be identified, were killed in action, and dozens were captured, a truly heroic and tragic event.

On the Mobei army's side, all the tribes, large and small, including the Yishi tribe, from their chieftains to shamans and sorcerers, regardless of their leaders or soldiers, who were besieged by Gongyang Zuo and Zhao Siwen and unable to escape, surrendered. Of these people, regardless of rank or status, one in ten was executed. The Yishi tribe was expelled from the government, and several clans that had rebelled against the Diela tribe were also expelled. The remaining members were scattered and distributed among other submissive smaller tribes in the Mobei region.

According to investigations, only about one or two thousand remnants of the Northern Desert army that fled with Yelü Lage remained. Their elite troops were all lost in this battle, and this rebellious king of the Northern Desert was now completely dead in name only.

In this battle, the Jin state shed enough blood, but since Li Cunxu was still leading seven or eight thousand remnants to flee westward, Xiao Yan could not sit idly by. He immediately issued a decree ordering Lady Shuli to come and help clean up the mess, and then, without stopping, personally led the three armies to pursue the enemy towards Tanshan.

As for the end of the Liuhe Campaign and Xiao Yan's personal pursuit of Li Cunxu, Xiao Yan immediately issued an imperial edict to the armies of Youzhou, Yizhou, Zhenzhou, Xingzhou, and Zezhou, ordering generals Li Ting, Feng Dao, Tian Daocheng, Li Si'an, Wang Jingren, and Xie Yanzhang to launch a full-scale offensive against the Jin state when supplies such as provisions and baggage were sufficient.

Not only that, Xiao Yan also ordered Zhao Dejun, the garrison commander of Juyong Pass in Youzhou, to immediately cross the border and join forces with the Huailai Army in Guizhou to sweep northward together. He did not expect to defeat Gao Xingzhou, who was in charge of Li Cunxu's rear, but only to slightly hinder Li Cunxu's advance. That would be a great achievement.

Li Cunxu, who was on the run, naturally did not know Xiao Yan's plans, but he knew that this guy was personally chasing after him. Therefore, he dared not stop all the way. The grief of losing a general and losing elite troops was not something he could wallow in self-pity at the moment. He just gritted his teeth and fled westward in one breath.

As for the so-called thousand-mile pursuit, how could Xiao Yan give up? Both sides were exhausted troops, but one side was fleeing and the other was pursuing. Their morale could not be mixed up. So, on the desolate plain, the hooves of horses thundered. No matter how many warhorses died or were lost, they did not care. They were determined to take Li Cunxu at all costs.

Neither side dared to rest, and both marched more than two hundred li in a day and night. Along the way, there were fallen and abandoned warhorses and sparse Jin soldiers who could no longer hold on. The army did not have time to capture them, but just charged forward.

These routed Jin soldiers had no chance to escape. Xiao Yan pursued them all the way, while Shuliduo chased after them. Shuli's wife, who had not seen Xiao Yan for several years, did not even need to ask for permission or send anyone to persuade Xiao Yan not to pursue the fleeing enemy. Instead, she sent all the captured supplies and prisoners to Youzhou for disposal.

After pursuing them for two days and nights, Li Cunxu finally reached the foot of Tanshan Mountain, where he was met by the Jin army led by Gao Xingzhou and the Yinshan auxiliary army. He then turned around and fought a great battle against the exhausted Xiao Yan's army.

Xiao Yan dispatched generals such as Li Maozhen, Wang Yanzhang, Zhu Youwen, Yuan Xingqin, and Zhao Siwen to confront the enemy head-on, while he personally led two thousand cavalry from Youzhou, whose strength was relatively abundant, to make a detour to the north, forcefully cross the Heihe River, and cut through more than ten Jin army units along the way. When Li Cunxu launched a fierce attack from the rear, the Jin army, which had already gained the upper hand on the front line, suffered heavy losses and had to retreat to reinforce.

The morale of the Qin king's troops was so high that the Jin army could hardly resist them. So they retreated while turning back to fight at every turn. The two sides fought ten battles in one day in front of the Tanshan Pass. At first, the battles were evenly matched, but in the end, the Liang army defeated the Jin army in every battle and their momentum was unstoppable.

The Jin army had no choice but to retreat into the Tanshan Pass, relying on the terrain to block their advance.

Chaos reigned at the passes of the entire Tanshan mountain range. The sounds of Tangut, Tatar, Mongolian, and Han languages, along with the neighing of warhorses, the clash of armor and weapons, shouts, cheers, desperate fighting, and the clashing of "Long live the King of Qin!" were all intertwined.

The battle raged all day long, with fierce attacks on passes, breakthroughs, forced retreats, and repeated assaults. Countless casualties lay on both sides, yet no one bothered to count them. Countless wounded soldiers were carried back to the rear of the battlefield, only to surge forward again. Eventually, both sides abandoned mounted combat and switched entirely to infantry fighting, all in an effort to push the enemy one step further through the narrow passes and seize advantageous high ground or strategic locations to build defensive lines.

With reinforcements coming to their aid, the Jin army temporarily held the advantage in both manpower and physical strength. Naturally, they were determined to fight to the death at the Tanshan Pass to exhaust the Liang army's strength and prevent them from continuing their pursuit after abandoning Tanshan.

However, the Liang army had Li Maozhen, Zhu Youwen, Wang Yanzhang, and even Xiao Yan. With all four of them breaking through the enemy lines, how could the Jin army possibly hold them back? They were merely engaging in a battle of attrition.

In the end, Wang Yanzhang and Yuan Xingqin simply abandoned their armor and fought the Jin army bare-chested. Xia Luqi, Shi Kuangyi, Liu Zhiyuan, and other Jin soldiers also fought lightly in battle, and blood flowed like a river.

The battle raged until midnight. The Jin army barely managed to occupy half of the canyon by relying on the advantages of the pass and the high ground of the canyon, thus blocking the Liang army.

Liang Jun was eventually exhausted. Xiao Yan ordered the wounded and the dead to be gathered up and the offensive to be temporarily halted. At the same time, he strictly ordered Shuliduo to quickly gather food and other reinforcements and rush to Tanshan, saying that the army must have a full meal before dawn.

------

Before dawn, the coal mountain presents a deathly clamor.

The wind, carrying the stench of blood and bits of grass, squeezed out from the deep canyon to the east, whistling like a mournful cry.

Li Cunxu reined in his horse on a slightly higher earthen slope a few hundred paces from the pass. His face, etched with the weariness of days of fierce fighting, was etched beneath his helmet. His eyes were sunken and bloodshot, and he no longer possessed any of his former vigor. Compared to the banks of the Liu River three days prior, he looked more than ten years older.

He glanced around and saw that the cliffs on both sides of the canyon were covered with powerful bows and crossbows, but that was also where the deadliest casualties were. That was where Li Maozhen and Zhu Youwen had launched their surprise attack, and the stench of blood was overwhelming, making one want to vomit.

Before the western pass, stood the Jin army, who had survived the breakout at Liuhe, the repeated attacks by the Liang army, and more than ten battles a day. They were exhausted, their armor was tattered, and their warhorses were spewing white vapor mixed with blood from their mouths and noses, a truly pitiful sight.

Further away, there were the scattered, disorganized northern army and the Yinshan auxiliary army, who were complaining bitterly. The end of the Jin state was vividly displayed before his eyes.

Li Cunxu remained silent, not uttering a single word.

He did not regret personally leading the expedition beyond the Great Wall, nor did he believe that the strategic intent of this battle was wrong.

The allies were incredibly foolish, the guest army was besieged, and the Yinshan Mountains were repeatedly attacked... all these things formed a very clear pattern. Xiao Yanzhi's plans, his actions, and his foresight were all things he had figured out.
But history is written by the victors, and the losers are condemned; it has always been so. Now that things have come to this, he is the Prince of Jin, the commander-in-chief, and the decision-maker. What can Li Cunxu say? Who can he blame?
The defeat at Gaoliang River was due to his arrogance and contempt for the northern deserts. If Han Yanhui had been treated with respect at that time, perhaps the outcome would not have been so unpleasant.

Therefore, Li Cunxu learned from his mistakes, humbly accepted advice, valued his subordinates, and stopped acting arbitrarily. He could even tolerate the repeated changes in Yinshan for the sake of the overall situation, tolerate the fool Yelü Lige who caused the overall situation to deteriorate, tolerate the suspicious "Li Cunren," and tolerate the Mirror Heart Demon and his so-called God of War... Although Li Cunxu did not focus on martial arts, how could he not see that hint of the Supreme Divine Universe Skill? How could he not remember his father's divine martial prowess before his leg ailment?

Yet they still lost, a defeat even more devastating than the Battle of Gaoliang River. They lost all of Jin's elite troops, all the supplies that Zhang Chengye and Lu Zhi had desperately gathered, and ended up in such a dire situation.

If Li was born, why was Xiao born in this world?
Does Heaven not believe that I, Li Cunxu, am the hero who can end this chaotic world?

Li Cunxu looked up at the starry sky over the grassland. It was boundless with countless stars, but the only thing that could shine with the light of the moon was indeed the crescent moon from ancient times to the present.

He gazed at the setting moon in the west, lost in thought for a long time.

Li Siyuan reined in his horse and stood at a distance behind Li Cunxu, coldly observing his posture. In the end, he remained silent. At this point, whether or not he left a will was no longer a serious matter. If the Jin state were to perish, he feared he would have nowhere to turn.

Even someone as intelligent as Li Siyuan knew that a large part of the reason for this war, which stretched for thousands of miles and even shook the foundation of the Jin state, was due to him.

Xiao Yan held the dying mandate and Li Cunren in his hands, yet he remained silent, forcing Li Siyuan into a desperate act, single-mindedly seeking a way out on the grasslands, which led to all the subsequent failures. In retrospect, compared to exposing Li Siyuan back in Zhao, Xiao Yan's move was truly a righteous and open strategy, one that Li Siyuan, even now, finds utterly incomprehensible.

But so what?
Would the Jin state have survived without me, Li Siyuan?

Without me, Li Siyuan, could you, Li Cunxu, have defeated Xiao Yan?

Ah……

Li Siyuan felt no remorse, but instead retreated to his temporary encampment, his mind heavy with worry. Thanks to the Jin army's previous encampment at Tanshan, there was still a camp for the main force and wounded soldiers to rest. Not long after Li Siyuan returned to his tent, several Tongwenguan disciples on guard at the edge of his encampment collapsed silently to the ground before they could even issue a warning. A figure, like a melting shadow, glided along the ground and arrived directly outside Li Siyuan's small tent.

Li Siyuan sensed the presence almost instantly. He abruptly opened his eyes, which had been feigning sleep, and his folding fan snapped open halfway. His eyes flashed with a sharp light as he warily locked onto the deeper darkness at the tent entrance.

"Who?"

The tent flap was lifted by a bloodless hand, and Bali Shenyu crouched down and crawled in, a strange smile on his face that seemed neither a smile nor a frown.

Li Siyuan's pupils contracted slightly, his folding fan held steadily in front of him. He did not flinch in the slightest despite the other party's strange behavior, and asked in a very low voice, "Who are you?"

"I am Ba Li Shen Yu."

“Bali Shenyu?” Li Siyuan stood up coldly, put his hands behind his back and said, “This Grand Commandant only knows that there was a Bali Shensu in the northern desert, who has been dead for a long time. Who are you to this Bali Shensu?”

Bali Shenyu smiled faintly, but did not explain the connection. He immediately sat down comfortably on the edge of Li Siyuan's couch, and lay back comfortably under the latter's gloomy face. He rolled around a couple of times like a woman, and then chuckled under Li Siyuan's disgusted gaze, saying, "Does the Grand Commandant know about the Balin Stone?"

"The Balu Stone?" Li Siyuan immediately became alert.

“Yes, it is indeed the Balu Stone.” Bali Shenyu’s eyes shone brightly. He stretched out his finger and pointed to the west. “It is the transformed spirit of the ancestors of the eight tribes of the Northern Desert. Those who obtain this sacred stone will unleash their full potential and become unpredictable, beyond the comprehension of gods and demons. At the Middle Heaven level, one can instantly unleash the power of those above the Great Heaven level, enough to allow you… or any King Jin, or the Jin Kingdom, to turn the tide!”

Upon hearing this, Li Siyuan's heart began to pound uncontrollably, but he immediately followed up with a cold laugh: "You, who entered my tent for no reason and brought up the Balu Stone, are already suspicious. Not to mention, how can I, the Grand Commandant, believe you? I naturally know that this thing is a good thing, but can you rely on me?"

He walked to the tent entrance with his hands behind his back and said in a deep voice, "Would the Yinshan Saint, Duokuohuo, bestow such a divine object upon us? And where is it?"

"A gift? Hahaha..."

Unexpectedly, Bali Shenyu suddenly let out a low laugh and patted his chest as Li Siyuan frowned at him.

"Saint, what a grand title. She has been sealed and imprisoned for three hundred years, the exit is so close yet so far. If she could move, why would she need my help? Those few BaLin stones are just outside the stone gate that imprisoned her, but they are like a mirage, visible but untouchable."

A sinister smile flashed across his lips, then he stared intently at the astonished and suspicious Li Siyuan.
"But there is one, the only Ba-Lin Stone that has been removed and can be used by mortals, in the hands of that Yu-Ling princess... oh no, that is, the Corpse Ancestor Jiang-Chen that you all call him. And the complete manual of the 'Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Art,' which can control the violent power of this stone and unleash its true divine might, is also in her possession. With these two, why worry about not obtaining the Ba-Lin Stone? Even Duo-Kuo-Huo will be at my disposal!"

Li Siyuan first sneered subconsciously, but then immediately felt a surge of heat rush to his head.

If what this strange person in front of me says is true, then my only way out is right in front of me.
But he suppressed the fleeting joy in his heart, his face remaining almost unmoved, and he even continued to sneer: "Not to mention that the whereabouts of the Corpse Ancestor and his subordinate are hard to find, there are countless practitioners of the Nine Nether Profound Heaven Divine Art in the Central Plains. If this divine art can truly control the Ba-Lin Stone that can seal saints, I'm afraid the subordinate would have already taken it all. Why would you, a scoundrel, need to covet it?"

Bali Shenyu chuckled, then got up and left. "Since the Grand Commandant doesn't believe me, I'll go find Prince Jin. He'll probably be more interested..."

Li Siyuan squinted at the man, slowly waving his folding fan, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. But for a moment, he realized that he couldn't see through the man's true nature.

In other words, that person's strength is at least above my own!

Then, recalling the so-called evil magic practiced by Bali Shensu, he suddenly asked in a deep voice, "How do we obtain it?"

“I knew the Grand Commandant was a man of great things.” Bali Shenyu turned around, took a step closer, and twitched his nostrils as if he were sniffing Li Siyuan’s scent, but the latter remained expressionless.

"Let's join forces. That so-called Corpse Ancestor Jiangchen is currently at the northern foot of Yinshan Mountain. Although she has three other Corpse Ancestors with her, they are not always together. You lead the men to help me, and we will launch a surprise attack to seize it. As long as we obtain the only Balu Stone and the secret manual, I have a secret method to activate its power, helping you... or Prince Jin, to break through the encirclement, and even turn defeat into victory!"

Judging from his expression, Li Siyuan no longer hesitated and snapped his folding fan shut.

"Very well, I will go and inform the Prince of Jin!"

A moment later, Li Siyuan found Li Cunxu's temporary military tent. He saw Li Cunxu sitting on a small stool, still in his armor, his face looking extremely tired in the dim light of the animal oil lamp, rubbing his temples as if he had a terrible headache.

Li Siyuan, not bothering with Li Cunxu's predicament, immediately modified the suggestion of the Bali Divine Jade, omitting the details of Duokuohuo's sealing and how the Balu Stone was removed, and simply stated:
"Your Majesty, this is truly a critical moment of life and death. Although what the divine jade of Nabali said is strange, the power of the Balu Stone may be a glimmer of hope for us in this desperate situation. The Corpse Ancestor is alone abroad, and this is a golden opportunity. I request permission to lead my sixth brother and the elite troops of the Tongwen Academy to seize the stone and retrieve the book. If we succeed, we will bring back the divine artifact quickly to help Your Majesty defeat the enemy!"

Li Cunxu's brows furrowed tightly, his headache seeming to intensify. He looked at Jingxinmo, who stood respectfully to the side, and asked, "Jingxinmo, you are knowledgeable and experienced. Grassland sorcery... this Balu Stone... is it believable?"

Jingxinmo glanced at Li Siyuan, who was bowing with his hands clasped, hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke up: "Your Majesty, the secret arts of the grasslands are unpredictable and mysterious, especially the forbidden arts of shamans. The legend of the Balu Stone has been passed down since ancient times, but activating its potential will inevitably lead to great damage. At best, it will destroy one's foundation; at worst, it will cause one to go insane, die, and perish. As for Duokuohuo..."

He paused at just the right moment, slightly raising his eyelids, a glint of elusive light flashing across his face. “Whether this grassland saint is real or not is still uncertain. In my humble opinion, if the Balu Stone does exist, it is beyond human comprehension and not a legitimate path. I hope Your Majesty will be cautious.”

These words brought Li Cunxu's feverish mind to a degree of clarity.

But as he glanced at the shadowy, exhausted figures of the soldiers outside the tent, he suddenly stopped speaking.

“Enough…” Li Cunxu closed his eyes, then opened them again, but there was no light in them. He turned to Li Siyuan and said, “In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken. Grand Commandant… you should try, but I have no help to assist you. Moreover, according to my prediction, Xiao Yan will definitely send Liang troops along the Juyong Pass and Guizhou line to block my retreat. Therefore, the army will turn northwest this morning. If you succeed, hurry to Yefuling to join forces.”

"Your subject obeys." Regardless of the circumstances, getting rid of Li Cunxu would be a good thing. Li Siyuan was overjoyed, but solemnly clasped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty, those Corpse Ancestors who have surrendered to me and the other three Corpse Ancestors are all peerless figures of our time. To ensure our safety, I dare to request that divine troops be dispatched to accompany us. With the assistance of these divine troops, we can surely capture them with ease and join forces as soon as possible."

"No!"

Jing Xinmo's voice suddenly rose without thinking, and he took a step forward, almost blocking Li Cunxu's way.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't! The God of War is the last line of defense protecting you. The Liang bandits include Zhu Youwen, Li Maozhen, Wang Yanzhang, and even Xiao Yan himself—all peerless ruthless warriors capable of taking the heads of generals amidst a vast army. If the God of War leaves Your Majesty, the bandits will seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. Who can stop them? Your Majesty's safety is of paramount importance!"

He glared at Li Siyuan, then quickly added, "Moreover, the Yinshan region is unpredictable and mysterious, and it is also known as the land of Duokuohuo. If it truly exists... although the God of War's power is strong, it may be subject to the restraint of unknown evil magic, and the risks are unpredictable. Your Majesty, please think carefully and do not lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of a small gain!"

Li Cunxu looked at the Mirror Heart Demon, then at the God of War standing silently in the shadows outside the tent, like an iron tower, and then glanced at Li Siyuan, but remained silent for a long time.

Mirror Heart Demon's expression tightened, and he seemed somewhat flustered.

"General."

Fortunately, Li Cunxu finally spoke up: "The God of War needs to protect the central army and cannot move lightly. You can take the elite troops of the Tongwen Hall and go there. Moreover, if the matter in Yinshan is indeed true, you can use the military tally to mobilize the Yinshan auxiliary army to assist you. Be careful in everything."

He waved his hand, closed his eyes wearily, and stopped looking at Li Siyuan.

Although Li Siyuan only mentioned it briefly, a hint of suppressed disappointment flashed across his eyes. Without the God of War, the journey would obviously be much more dangerous.

But he dared not argue any further and could only bow his head and reply, "Your subject obeys."

He glanced at the inner demons in his eyes, turned and strode out of the military tent, his figure disappearing into the darkness.

Now that the man had left, Mirror Heart Demon couldn't contain himself and said, "Your Majesty, how can you let him leave at this time with just the talk of the Ba Lin Stone? If the soldiers hear about it, wouldn't it be suspected that he deserted his post and cut off his own arm? Besides, Your Majesty is clearly investigating the truth about the late king's death, and I..."

Li Cunxu raised his hand, but did not look at the inner demon in the mirror. He simply closed his eyes and spoke in a very low voice.

"If the Jin state can be preserved, what does the truth matter? Even I, the king, am of no importance..."

As soon as he spoke, Jingxinmo was taken aback, then stared at Li Cunxu intently, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)