A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 244 Return
evening,

Li Yi, who had just returned from hunting with the prince, went to the wounded soldiers' room to visit them and stewed some pheasants he had shot for them to drink.

"Tomorrow we will return victoriously. I have already arranged for carriages and horses, and some of the wounded will accompany me back to Guanzhong. Those who are too seriously injured to travel will stay here to recuperate. I have hired a few people to cook and take care of you. I will also leave you some food and money.

When I return to the capital, I will send someone to take over and look after the matter, and when things are better, I will send a carriage to take you to Guanzhong."

Chen Lingjiao and other wounded soldiers were deeply moved after hearing this.

They all said that they wanted to return to Guanzhong with him tomorrow. Even though they were seriously injured, they still wanted to go together for fear of being abandoned.

"I promise you, I have arranged for someone to take care of you, and I will send someone over after I return to Beijing."

But no matter what Li Yi said, more than 300 wounded soldiers, no matter how serious their injuries were, did not want to stay, even if they were lying unable to move.

After much persuasion, in the end, about a hundred people who were seriously injured were left behind. The journey was bumpy and the weather was freezing, and I was afraid that they would die before reaching Guanzhong.

night.

Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin and others came to visit,

Carrying fine wine and roasted meat.

"Let's have a few drinks together."

Cheng Yaojin said that he didn't drink enough during the hunting picnic today, and it was difficult to tell Li Yi some things because there were so many people around.

"Wuyi, when you return to the capital this time, are you still going to follow the prince on the western expedition?" Cheng Yaojin spoke quickly and directly.

Li Yi asked Liu Heizi, Luo Wu and others to knead the dough and make some mutton baked buns as the staple food.

He boiled water for his own tea.

"The Western Expedition was planned years ago. This rescue of Guzhou was a sudden arrangement. Now that the war here is over, it's natural to go to Hexi."

Liu Demin smiled and said, "If Wuyi goes to Hexi again, he will no longer be a camp recorder, but a general manager. After a trip to Hexi, he might even become a county lord."

Niu Jinda asked Li Yi, "Wuyi, do you think this trip to Hexi will go smoothly?"

Li Yi took out the tea cake, pried off a piece, picked it up and roasted it on the fire. "Over there on the west side of the river, you could say it falls over as soon as you push it.
From what I've heard, I'm afraid the Crown Prince won't have a chance to take action during his trip to Hexi. Hexi will surrender within two months."

Qin Qiong and others were very surprised by what he said.

"Li Gui controlled seven or eight counties in Hexi and Longyou, boasted a hundred thousand elite troops, and was allied with Tuyuhun and the Turks. How could he have perished in just two months?"

The tea cakes roasted on the fire give off a rich burnt aroma.

"Li Mi was so powerful back then, but he was still defeated in one battle. Li Gui's situation is far worse than Li Mi's. Now the powerful Sogdians under Li Gui have decided to submit to Chang'an. Even the Khan of Tuyuhun has been persuaded by the imperial envoys to join the army.
The Western Turkic tribe in the Western Regions west of Hexi is now also interacting and forming alliances with the imperial court.

What else can Li Gui rely on?"

Cheng Yaojin was puzzled: "If that's the case, then why did the Crown Prince personally lead tens of thousands of troops to Hexi? Chang'an is very far away from Hexi. How much money and food would that cost?"

Li Yi smiled but said nothing.

Qin Qiong seemed to be lost in thought. After interacting with the Crown Prince Li Tang, he felt that Jiancheng was a bit too ambitious.

Cheng Yaojin slapped his thigh and said, "The Crown Prince wants us to return to the capital today and ask the Saint to accompany him on the Western Expedition. He even asked to stay in the Eastern Palace. He also said that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
This is nonsense. If we really join the expedition, it will be a waste of effort."

"Brother Cheng, if you're anxious to achieve military merit, there's no need to go to Hexi. Just follow the King of Qin to Changchun Palace. There will definitely be plenty of opportunities to fight on the battlefield next year."

"how do I say this?"

Li Yi did not hide it from them, "Liu Wuzhou of Daibei is preparing his troops and horses, and I believe he will invade the south soon, and this time he will also lead the Turkic cavalry south.

However, the imperial court still believed that the Turkic Shibi Khan would not really march south in large numbers.
I also don’t believe that Prince Yuanji of Qi can’t defend Bingzhou Taiyuan.”

"Are you saying that Liu Wuzhou and the Turks can capture Taiyuan?"

The water boiled, and Li Yi poured tea into the pot. "I dare say that Liu Wuzhou is coming with such force this time that Taiyuan will not be able to hold on. Not only Taiyuan, but all the states in Hedong will probably be able to withstand it this time.

In the end, it will be the King of Qin who will clean up the mess, so you, second brother Qin and elder brother Cheng, should join the King of Qin. Are you still afraid of not having a war to fight then?
Not only will there be a battle, but it will also be a tough one. However, this will also be a good opportunity to show your true abilities. If you can help the King of Qin turn the tide, repel Liu Wuzhou, and recapture Hedong, the birthplace of the Qin Dynasty, then your contribution will be great.

By then, he would at least be granted the title of marquis and the rank of general of the third rank, and there would be a good chance that he would be promoted to the rank of pillar of the state.

Hearing this, Lao Cheng became a little excited.
Even Luo Shixin laughed and said, "Well, I happen to be the governor of Jiangzhou. I wonder if the Turks will invade my territory. If I can't defend it, I will be in trouble."

Li Junxian and Chang He said, "Since we're both in the East Palace, won't we miss this opportunity?"

"The world is not yet unified, so there are plenty of opportunities for war."

Everyone drank, ate meat and chatted for a long time.

Cheng Yaojin returned to his residence and said to Qin Qiong, "Do you find our old brother a little strange? He is clearly under the Crown Prince's command and an official of the Eastern Palace, but from what he says, he seems to be closer to the King of Qin?"

"is a bit."

"This is really strange. The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne. It's hard to believe that Li Yi, an official of the Eastern Palace, is close to the King of Qin instead of the Crown Prince."

"Could it be that the Tang Dynasty has just been established, and the Crown Prince and the King of Qin are already vying for the throne?"

Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin both thought of the previous dynasty. When Emperor Wen established the Sui Dynasty, his five sons were all born to Empress Dugu. The eldest son Yang Yong was made the crown prince, and the second son Yang Guang was made Prince of Jin. But later Prince of Jin succeeded in seizing the throne.

Could it be that Li Tang is the same as Yang Sui?
Qin Qiong took out his golden mace and wiped it. "These things have nothing to do with us newly surrendered people. Let's take our time and see."

"That's right." Cheng Yaojin said.

The next day,

Li Yi got up early, packed his luggage, and went to arrange for the wounded to return to Chang'an.

Fortunately, with the help of Qiu Shenyan, Li Dejiang and others, Li Yi's army also has several thousand people, so it is not difficult to take with him two hundred wounded soldiers.

after breakfast,

The armies set out one after another.
Sheng Yanshi and Shi Wanbao returned to Xiongzhou, while Lü Shaozong and Li Xiaoji returned to Shanzhou.
The rest of the soldiers and generals who had followed the Crown Prince out of the pass returned to Guanzhong. Qin Qiong and his nine generals, numbering several thousand, also returned to Guanzhong.

Ren Gui led the soldiers and civilians of Guzhou to see them off outside the city.

Li Yi rode the Dayuan horse given by the prince. Liu Heizi and Luo Dafu each helped Li Yi carry the horse spear given by the prince.

His army still had nearly 3,000 soldiers, including about 200 wounded soldiers who had been dismissed.

When the prince heard that Li Yi had brought these wounded soldiers, he came to inquire about the situation.

"Most of these people are disabled and have been discharged from the army, but many of them have already lost their families. They want to go to Guanzhong, where it is more stable.

I will take them with me. After all, we fought side by side at Nangang Fort, and now they are crippled. I will help them if I can."

After hearing this, Jiancheng shook his head and said nothing more, letting Li Yi take them away. Li Yi had also said that when they arrived in Guanzhong, these people would work on farms, workshops, etc. to support themselves, and the court would not need to spend money and food to support them.

Passing by Nangang Fort,
Li Yi led his troops to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers.

Nangang Fort still stands there.

Now, Ren Wei, the governor of Guzhou, has sent a hundred soldiers to take over the garrison.

Li Yi asked Luo Wu and others to put out the pigs, sheep, wine, etc. that they had prepared in Guzhou, and he also specially wrote a sacrificial text.

"In the first month of the second year of Weiwude, Li Yi, the general commander of the Gushuidao Army, respectfully offers a small sacrifice, pours wine, and burns coins to pay tribute to the souls of the soldiers who died in battle at Nangang Fort in Guzhou!"

"In the past, you held black armor and crossed the Gushui River, and wielded the yellow axe to break through Guzhou. Unexpectedly, Mount Mang was shrouded in fog, and the Gushui army was fierce. A lone traveler, shrouded in darkness, yet still you wield your club with the waves, your blade frozen in frost, and you will not lose the spirit of Changshan.

Today I see the mist and haze of Yique, stained with blood, and I hear only the pine waves of Mangling, as if they are telling the loyal souls!

Li Yi recited the sacrificial oration loudly,
Three thousand soldiers and more than two hundred wounded soldiers,
All looked solemn.

Chen Lingjiao sat up from the carriage, facing Nangang Fort, thinking of the bloody battles of the past two days and the scenes when he was shot in the left eye.

"I have ordered Taoist priests to hold a ceremony to draw forth the Purple Qi to protect your spirit. I have also sent ascetics to chant sutras and light a seven-story pagoda to quell the resentful evil spirit.

"If the soul wanders in Huaxu, it will transform into the handle of the North Star to protect the ancestral society. If the soul resides in Taolin, it will forever be the key to the pass of Qiao and Han to protect Qinchuan!"

"Soul, come back and protect our mountains and rivers!"

"The soul is coming to enjoy this blood food!"

After the eulogy is finished,

Li Yi lit it and burned it into green smoke.

He broke the seal on a jar of Sangluo wine and spilled the wine on the ground.

Jackdaws flew over from the mountains and circled overhead.

Luo Shixin, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Niu Jinda, Wu Heita, Li Junxian, Chang He, Liu Demin, Tian Liuan and nine other generals also arrived, each carrying a jar of wine.
Cheng Yaojin slapped the seal and took a big gulp.

"Brothers, have a safe journey. You go first, I will come later."

Fine wine is poured on the ice and snow to commemorate those former comrades.

Qin Qiong and others also poured wine to offer sacrifices.

Chen Lingjiao sat in the carriage, feeling the cold wind as he watched the scenes unfold, his emotions agitated. Compared to the war dead buried in the earth, he was relatively well off with only a blind eye and a broken leg. He also met Li Zongguan, who was willing to take in these disabled people. Perhaps it was because of the good deeds his ancestors had done.

Several riders came galloping.

It was Wei Ting who brought a few personal soldiers with him.

"Li, don't delay your journey. It's almost time. Hurry up and get going. The Crown Prince has ordered that we must march sixty miles today before we can stay in the city for the night. Don't hold us back in this freezing weather."

Li Yi looked at this guy with a cold face.

"Wei Huqi." He shouted in a louder voice.

"What's wrong? Are you not happy with what I say? You insisted on taking two hundred disabled people with you on the march, and now you are dawdling here. Isn't this a waste of everyone's time? If we can't reach the next city, are you planning to spend the night in the ice and snow?" Wei Ting also raised his voice a bit.

Li Yi pointed at Wei Ting and said, "This county official is the Inspector General of the Crown Prince's Left Guard. You are now a General of the White Deer Cavalry, commanded by the Crown Prince's Left Guard. As a direct subordinate of this county official, do you know the etiquette of respect and inferiority?"

Wei Ting was stunned for a moment, then reluctantly cupped his hands. "It is I who apologize for being rude and impolite. I am only here to deliver a message on the orders of the Crown Prince. Li Wei, please hurry up and get on your way."

After saying that, the guy didn't bother to argue with Li Yi, turned his horse around and left.

Cheng Yaojin came over and said, "I heard that this guy is from the Jingzhao Wei family. He is so disrespectful. Wuyi, do you have a grudge against him?"

"Well, this guy said that I shouldn't sit in front of him at the New Year's Eve party in the palace. He made a big fuss and even fought with me. I struck him with a Five Thunders Electric Shock and he fainted in the hall and almost had urinary incontinence. In the end, the saint stripped him of his county marquisate and dismissed him from his post. So we have a grudge against each other." Li Yiyun said calmly.

After hearing this, Cheng Yaojin, the nine-foot giant and fleshy man, was stunned for a long time.

"Wei Ting is tall and strong, and looks very strong. Did you punch him and make him almost wet his pants?"

"Five thunder rectification?"

Li Yi smiled and said, "Brother Cheng, if you want to spar with me, we can have a fight when we get back to Chang'an."

Seeing his attitude, Old Cheng was actually puzzled. "I never thought you had this ability. I was too arrogant before."

Li Yi looked at Nangang Fort a few more times.
He turned around, mounted his horse, and led his troops to continue their journey back to Beijing.

Just at this moment, the wind stopped.

The golden crow in the sky broke through the dark clouds, and thousands of golden rays of light sprinkled down.

The intermittent wind, snow and haze that had been lingering since leaving Tongguan were finally swept away.

Li Yi couldn't help but roared, "When I came here, it was raining and snowing. Now I'm leaving, the willow trees are swaying!"

(End of this chapter)