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

Chapter 301 Li Yi's Suicide Squad
"A great victory? Li Yi?"

Li Yuanji looked at him suspiciously, "Uncle Fang, do you know what you're saying?"

"Your Majesty, I have brought the report of victory. Your Majesty, please read it yourself. It is written in great detail. It is truly an astonishing victory!" He emphasized the word "great" in his speech.

"What great victory could a seventeen-year-old like him, a few months younger than me, possibly achieve?"

Li Yuanji took it.
Upon opening the scroll, the characters were indeed quite well-written. "This must be the legendary Li Yi's 'slender and sinewy' calligraphy; it is quite distinctive indeed."

He quickly fell silent.
His eyes widened, and he quickly read through the entire victory report. It was indeed very detailed, from Li Yi sending Li Zhongwen with 3,000 troops to reinforce Haozhou and successfully breaking into the city, to Ji Sigong of Yong'an Fort sending Yu Jun to raid the Lishi Hu grain convoy, putting the Lishi Hu under the city of Haozhou at risk of starvation.

The enemy leader, Liu Liu'er, was ordered to attack Yong'an Fort, but he surrendered to Li Yi at the foot of Yong'an Fort.

Li Yi dispatched Liu Liu'er with 3,000 troops to attack Huang Ziying's Jiahu Fortress. With the help of the Sogdian chieftain Yu Run, the city was opened, and Huang Ziying was captured alive.

Huang Ziying's five thousand men surrendered, and Li Yi also rescued the five thousand men of Li Zhongwen who had been ambushed and captured earlier.

Li Yi is now reorganizing his troops at Lengquan Pass.
They actually mobilized an army of 20,000 men and are marching towards Haozhou.

"this,"

"How can this be?"

Li Yuanji stammered for a long time, but could only manage to utter this one sentence.

"It is a bit surprising, but this victory report is stamped with Li Yi's official seal, so he wouldn't dare to lie about it."

Li Yuanji read the report of victory again, then angrily threw it aside. "This guy is so lucky, all the good things happen to him."

When Lishihu was short of food, Liu Liu'er led 7,000 men to surrender. Jiahubao Sabao Yu Run, who had a falling out with Huang Ziying, also offered to surrender to him and become an inside agent.

Finally, Liu Liu'er led his three thousand men to open the gates of Jiahubao with the help of Yu Run, captured Huang Ziying, and then Huang Ziying persuaded his men to surrender, incidentally rescuing five thousand government soldiers.
You tell me, isn't this just pure luck?
What effort did Li Yi put in before and after all this?

Xie Shufang had no choice but to nod and say, "Indeed, no wonder the sage has repeatedly called Li Yi a lucky general; this guy is indeed incredibly lucky."

"Damn it, why am I not so lucky?" Li Yuanji was furious; these great victories had nothing to do with him.

Originally, Jie and Hao were both under his jurisdiction in Bingzhou, but now the emperor has transferred them to Luzhou.

He has lost five cities.

Li Yi, however, won such a great victory.

How come he's so amazing at the same age of seventeen?
"Your Majesty, shall we still secretly send the silk, horses, gold, and silver to Haozhou?"

"Send it. Li Yi may be lucky, but that won't change anything. Does this kid really think he's so capable? He even assembled an army of 20,000. Huang Ziying and Liu Liu'er have more than 10,000 men. Can you believe that they're all put together?"

"I'm afraid that once a fight breaks out, they'll all run away, or even be captured by the enemy."

"This reorganization is indeed a bit too simplistic, and the potential risks are significant." Xie Shufang agreed with this view. Of the 14,000 combat troops, 10,000 were surrendered soldiers; this guy is incredibly audacious.

Li Yuanji laughed smugly, "Just wait, it probably won't be long before news of this defeat comes."

···
Lengquan Pass
It guards the northern entrance of Queshu Valley, located at the southern end of the Jinzhong Basin, the throat of the heart of Shanxi Province, and a vital transportation hub between the north and south.

Li Dejiang, the garrison commander of Lengquan Pass, introduced the pass to Li Yi, saying, "It is said that this pass was originally established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, to defend against the Xiongnu. It was named after a cold spring near the pass. It also has another name, Yangliang Pass."

Lengquan Pass is situated atop a high peak in the foothills of the Taiyue Mountains, its towering gate exuding an aura of impregnability.

A strategic pass in Shanxi, a vital town in Hedong.

Lengquan Pass also has a post station called Lengquanyi, which fully testifies to the importance of this place.

"I never expected the chief steward to suddenly do something so big," Li Dejiang said, looking at the various forces that had gathered and set up camp at the pass with envy.

He made a great contribution without making a sound.

I'm so envious!
Li Zhongwen led 3,000 men to break through the blockade of tens of thousands of enemies outside Haozhou City, and even directly defeated 10,000 enemies who were blocking their way, and entered the city, beheading hundreds of them.

Yu Jun led several hundred cavalrymen to bypass the enemy's rear, seize five thousand shi of their grain, behead several hundred, and take several hundred horses and mules.

Now, Li Yi has captured Jiahu Fort, taken Huang Ziying, rescued 5,000 captured officers and soldiers, and accepted the surrender of 12,000 enemy troops.

He was at Lengquan Pass, and he didn't even get to drink a drop of soup.

"Wu Yi, we're good brothers, you can't forget your brother. When you fight Hao Zhou, you must take me with you."

"But I can't rest easy about Lengquan Pass."

"No, you have to take me with you. You can't all be eating big chunks of meat while I don't even get a sip of soup."

"Fine." Li Yi couldn't resist this guy. After all, his father was the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King. Logically, Li Dejiang's nickname should be Muzha, but unfortunately, Li Jing only had two sons and no Nezha.

Twenty thousand men gathered at the foot of Lengquan Pass, covering the entire mountainside, creating a magnificent sight.

Li Yi's reorganization plan

Li Dejiang and other officers had some concerns.

"Of the 20,000 troops, 6,000 are local militia and laborers, 14,000 are newly surrendered soldiers, and we only have 4,000 men, 2,000 of whom are just rescued. They are all skin and bones and don't have much fighting power for the time being."

Isn't that too risky?

"Liu Liu'er has already proven himself. As for Huang Ziying's troops, they are only a minority after being reorganized. Huang Ziying and other key officers remain in the central army."

"We'll make adjustments after Haozhou is relieved of its siege."

Launching a counterattack while the enemy is short of supplies and not yet fully equipped is the key window of opportunity. Otherwise, as Liu Wuzhou's army conquers more and more territory in Hedong, they can snowball their gains and recruit more men.

Furthermore, as time goes on, the enemy forces under Haozhou City will also build many siege weapons, making it much more difficult to defend the city.

“I sent a letter to Taiyuan City to report the great victory at Jiahu Fort, and at the same time, I requested Taiyuan to send troops to reinforce Haozhou.”

"Taiyuan City won't send troops, will it? Ever since Liu Wuzhou's invasion, Taiyuan City has been like a coward hiding in the mud. Everyone says that the Taiyuan General Administration has 30,000 elite troops, and the city still has enough grain to last the army for ten years."
As a result, after fighting for so long, we've basically seen no soldiers from the Bingzhou General's Office.

Li Yi didn't have high hopes for the one in Taiyuan, but he still sent someone to make contact. Firstly, to inform them of the situation so they could have a better grasp of the battlefield situation; secondly, he still hoped Taiyuan could send some troops.
Even if you just send some random people, as long as the banner is there, it can still have a significant effect.

If Li Zhongwen can wash away his shame, Taiyuan might really send troops.

Li Yi ordered that rice and stew be cooked, and that the 20,000 troops be given a good meal first.

Li Yi had made preparations in advance for this meal, allocating supplies from various places and purchasing sheep and pigs from the people of Lingshi and Xiaoyi.

As the sun sets,

At Lengquan Pass, people are busy slaughtering pigs and sheep.

As the aroma of meat filled the air, all 20,000 soldiers enjoyed the delicious braised meat noodles.

Li Yi also ate a large bowl of noodles with stewed meat, squatting on the ground like the soldiers. Li Dejiang squatted beside him, smiling bitterly, "The routed soldiers we've incorporated, Liu Wuzhou's surrendered troops, the surrendered Lishi Hu, and the local militia and laborers..."
"Our 20,000 men look like a lot, but if we actually go into battle, I'm afraid they'll be all show and no substance."

Li Yi laughed and said, "As long as it looks good, that's fine. Do you think Liu Wuzhou and Liu Jizhen are that elite? They're all pretty much the same, just chickens fighting each other."

He pointed to the mountain full of people and horses.

"Back then, when Emperor Yang of Sui was besieged at Yanmen by 200,000 elite Turkic cavalry, nineteen out of the twenty-one cities in Yanmen Commandery were captured."
At the time, His Highness the Prince of Qin, only sixteen years old, volunteered to follow General Yun Dingxing of the Imperial Guard to defend the capital. They had only a small force. Facing the massive army of the Turkic Shibi Khan, the Prince of Qin showed no fear, instead offering a strategy of preparing numerous flags and drums to create a false impression of strength…

While eating noodles, Li Yi recounted how Li Shimin displayed remarkable wisdom and strategy in his first battle after graduating from humble beginnings.

Although the siege of Yanmen was not caused by Li Shimin's loyalist army scaring away Shibi Khan, it did play a role. In addition, Princess Yicheng sent news that the Tiele were rebelling on the grasslands, and various Sui armies were also on their way, which finally led to Shibi Khan's withdrawal.

"We're not trying to annihilate the enemies outside Haozhou City, just scare them off." A bowl of rotten meat noodles...

The entire army of 20,000 was well-fed, which greatly boosted morale.

Get a good night's rest.
The next morning, Li Yi reorganized his troops.

The force consisted of 20,000 men, 14,000 combat soldiers, and 6,000 auxiliary soldiers, divided into seven armies. The 4,000 Tang soldiers were all assigned to the central army.

The four thousand troops under Huang Ziying and the six thousand troops under Liu Liu'er were mixed together, with fifty men in each unit: twenty in Huang Ziying's unit and thirty in Liu Liu'er's unit. The unit leaders and the commanders of the upper battalions and armies were all appointed by Li Yi as Tang military officers.
Officers from the two surrendered departments were appointed as deputy positions.

Li Yiquan kept all the officers of the surrendered army above the rank of chief commander in his central army as staff officers.

Neither Huang Ziying nor Liu Liu'er had any objections to this reorganization plan, nor did they dare to.

Li Yi appointed the two men as deputy commanders of the military camp, but in reality, he sidelined them and did not give them actual command of troops.

On the roster

The names of 20,000 soldiers were written on it.

Li Yi sacrificed a white horse to raise the flag, then held up the roster of soldiers, saying, "From this day forward, you are all soldiers of the General Administration of Luzhou, and also soldiers of the Ling Shi Dao Campaign."
"You have led troops to Haozhou, defeated the enemy, and rendered meritorious service. Your names will be reported to the imperial court for commendation and awards!"

In front of Lengquan Pass,

The 20,000 men were reorganized into the Seventh Army. Li Yi specially ordered that three times the number of military flags be made, and that more drums and horns be prepared.

The following day, the seven armies set out northwards, with light cavalry leading the way for reconnaissance. Along the route, drums and horns sounded continuously, and banners fluttered in the wind.
It had an overwhelming momentum.

July 15th,

Outside Haozhou City,

Liu Wuzhou's army sought out the Prime Minister's camp.

Xun Xiang looked at the urgent reports coming one after another, his face grim. The various messages were so confusing that he couldn't tell the truth from the falsehood.

"Li Yuanji, the governor of Bingzhou, sent Zhao Wenge with 1,000 infantry and cavalry from Taiyuan toward Haozhou."

"Li Yi, the general of Lüzhou, is personally leading an army of 20,000 towards Haozhou."

"Tang Right Minister Pei Ji led 60,000 troops under four commanders and had already passed Jinzhou. They were passing through Queshu Valley and heading straight for Jiexiu."

"Liu Jizhen's son, Liu Liu'er, surrendered to the Tang Dynasty. After Li Yi defeated Jiahu Fort, he is now leading the Tang army straight towards Lishi."

On the other side of the table were documents requesting provisions from various camps. His 5,000 men had only seven days' worth of provisions left. Zhang Wansui's 5,000 men also had only ten days' worth of provisions left.

The grain carts, which should have arrived long ago, have yet to arrive.

After Huang Ziying was captured at Jiahubao, he surrendered to the Tang Dynasty with his troops. His supply convoy was delayed, perhaps because it was attacked by Huang Ziying's troops.

"Report!"

The personal guards led the scouts, their bodies soaked with sweat, into the tent.

"Reporting to the commander, the cavalry have spotted a large Tang army heading towards Haozhou, thirty miles southeast of Xicheng."

"how many?"

"Judging from the flags, there are probably fifty or sixty thousand people."

Upon hearing that there were fifty or sixty thousand people, Xun Xiang was so shocked that he stood up abruptly.

"How much?" he exclaimed in surprise.

"Judging from the flags, there were probably fifty or sixty thousand soldiers. The army was vast and stretched for dozens of miles. When they marched, the dust from the troops was billowing, obscuring the sky and the sun. Their momentum was terrifying."

Xun Xiang stared blankly for a while, then slumped down.

"Fifty or sixty thousand people,"

He rummaged through the table and found one of the intelligence reports, which stated that Pei Ji, the Right Minister of the Tang Dynasty, had been appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Jinzhou Road Army, leading an army of 60,000 men under four different commanders to Hebei.
Another intelligence report was found, which stated that Pei Ji's army had passed Huoyi and entered Queshu Valley, and that he was heading towards Jiezhou.

"Pei Ji, Li Yi, it seems that Li Yi of the Spirit Stone has received reinforcements from Pei Ji,"

"No, Li Yi has 20,000 and Pei Ji has 60,000. The numbers don't match. It seems Pei Ji has also sent troops to Jiexiu."
It seems that Liu Liu'er leading his troops to attack Lishi with the Tang army is indeed true.

"hiss!"

Xun Xiang gasped in shock.

It matches up, it matches up completely: Li Yi's 20,000 troops, Pei Ji's 60,000 troops, Liu Liu'er's 7,000 troops, Huang Ziying's 5,000 troops, and reinforcements from Taiyuan.

hiss!
Xun Xiang was terrified and could no longer sit still, so he quickly ran to Zhang Wanshi.

"Old Zhang, something terrible has happened! The Tang army has surrounded us! We're going to be surrounded! We have to get out of here right now!"

After hearing Xun Xiang's explanation, Zhang Wansui also gasped in shock.
"Damn it, how come the Tang army arrived so quickly this time!"

"That's all thanks to Liu Jizhen's brother surrendering to Tang. Damn it, that dog of a slave surrendered to Tang and even helped Li Yi break through Jiahu Fort and open up Queshu Valley, which is why Pei Ji was able to come over so quickly."

Zhang Wansui was also a little panicked, "Then we have to get out of here quickly."

"Should we tell Liu Jizhen?"

"Tell him nothing, let him stay behind and delay the Tang army."

Zhang Wansui gritted his teeth, "Where do we retreat to?"

"Retreat to Jiexiu City first, and quickly send someone to report to the Song King and His Majesty. Damn it, so many Tang troops are coming. This is going to be troublesome."

"Yes, we failed to capture Taiyuan City, and now reinforcements have arrived. If things go wrong, we might end up being surrounded."

"Let's get out of here quickly. We can deal with the rest later. If we don't leave now, it might be too late."

Faced with the steadfast defense of Haozhou City, they had been besieging it for a long time without any solutions. Now that a large army was coming to their aid, they should run away as fast as they could.

Especially after the news that Liu Liu'er had already confirmed the surrender of 7,000 men under Yong'an Fort and that Huang Ziying of Jiahu Fort had been defeated, captured, and surrendered, they were now feeling quite alarmed.

At the slightest disturbance, they feel like the wind is howling and the grass is cracking; they see enemies everywhere.

"It's all Liu Jizhen's fault, that dog slave! These barbarians can't be trusted at all!"

Xun Xiang and Zhang Wansui hastily retreated, abandoning even their main camp.

The Turkic cavalry followed closely behind.

Liu Jizhen was encamped west of Haozhou and was quite surprised when he heard the news.

"They all withdrew?"

"Yes, the retreat was very hasty; they abandoned the camp and left."

Liu Jizhen frowned, then suddenly slapped his thigh hard: "Damn it, these scoundrels!"

"It must be Tang reinforcements from Guanzhong arriving. Retreat! Immediately issue the order to retreat westward and return to Lishi."

(End of this chapter)