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

Chapter 302 Attacking the Heart
In the afternoon,

On the south bank of the Xiaozihe River, a tributary of the Fen River, smoke and dust obscured the sky and blocked out the sun.

The 20,000-strong army marched in a long procession, their banners like clouds and their spears like a forest.

Li Yi dispatched countless light cavalry to roam around the main army.
The central army held aloft six banners, adorned with gold Tang characters on a red background. Before and behind the banners were twelve large cowhide drums and twelve bronze gongs mounted on the chariot.

The drummer struck the drumbeats, setting the rhythm for the soldiers.

The 20,000 men were divided into seven armies, clearly distinguished between infantry and cavalry, with baggage trains accompanying them.

"Reporting to the chief steward, once we cross the Xiao River, we will reach Xiaoyi County. From here, it is still more than 30 li to Xicheng in Haozhou."

"The cavalry went forward to guard the area, and the left and right guards followed to cross the river to protect them. Each army crossed the river in turn."

Twenty thousand troops, along with tens of thousands of horses and mules, crossed the Xiao River in succession. The left and right guards formed a square formation on the north bank, resembling a giant python coiled on the north bank.

Li Yi crossed the Xiao River with the central army.

They then went directly into Xiaoyi County.

The remaining six armies were stationed on six sides outside the city, and began to set up camps with their backs to the county town.

"The commander-in-chief has ordered that all military camps be three times larger and that the number of flags be three times greater!"

"Each army should send out light cavalry to patrol and not allow enemy light cavalry to get close for reconnaissance."

It took Li Yi two and a half days to travel from Lengquan Pass to Xiaoyi City.

He did not advance quickly, and every now and then he would reorganize his troops and send out scouts and scouts to patrol the area.

Upon arriving at Xiaoyi City, with more than thirty li to go before Haozhou, Li Yi stopped advancing and instead sent out scouts to scout the vicinity of Haozhou.

"The best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting; attacking cities is inferior; attacking hearts and minds is superior."

Li Yi ascended the Xiaoyi County seat, a city that had been moved from Yong'an City and renamed.

The new city is well-located, with Gushan and Wushan mountains to the west, Xiaohe River to the south, and Yihe River to the north. It sits on the Fenhe and Wenhe River terraces, facing south and benefiting from the spiritual energy of the mountains and rivers.

From a military perspective, the city is not large, with a circumference of just over four li and a height of only 27 zhang, but it is built of rammed earth and is very thick and solid.

The four gate towers and four corner towers each had a wide horse track that allowed a horse-drawn carriage to travel up and down, facilitating the transport of provisions and weapons.

Each of the four city gates was also surrounded by a barbican. The double city gates were made of old elm wood, seven inches thick, and the door panels were reinforced with iron rivets.

Three zhang outside the city wall, there is a moat that is two zhang wide and deep.

Li Yi stood on the north gate tower, a three-story pavilion with a triple-eaved hip roof, nearly four zhang high. It was a place to enjoy the scenery in peacetime and a key location to observe enemy movements and command the city's defenses in wartime.

"It is said that on a clear day, you can see Haozhou City from here."

Li Dejiang laughed and said, "Today, our army is shrouded in smoke and dust, and our banners are covering the sky, so we can't see Haozhou City. However, if you climb to a high point in Haozhou City and look south, you might be able to see us here."

"It's good to see that; they'd better be able to take the initiative to break the siege and retreat."

"But what if they don't leave?"

"If they don't withdraw, then we can garrison Xiaoyi and An'an, plus Zhangnan and Zhangbibao, and then we can encircle them. At that time, as long as we send troops to intercept and attack their supply lines, how many days do you think they can hold out?"

Once their food supplies run out, where will they find the fighting strength?

"General, your strategy of subduing the enemy without fighting is brilliant." Li Dejiang admired Li Yi greatly; with so many soldiers at his disposal, he was still so cautious and prudent.

They proceeded cautiously, step by step, without underestimating their enemy in the slightest.

"Send more people to spread false information, a mix of truth and falsehood, to confuse the enemy. Only by thoroughly muddying the waters can we fish in troubled waters. We must not let them know our true situation," Li Yi warned.
To be honest, his 20,000 men are only good for show. If it comes to a real battle, their loyalty might be questionable, and their coordination would definitely be problematic.

···
Xicheng, Haozhou.

Li Zhongwen strode into the governor's mansion, his gleaming armor jingling loudly.

"Lord Liu, there are unusual movements from the rebel army outside the city. Xun Xiang and Zhang Wansui, who are stationed in the west and east of the city, have already led their troops to abandon their camps and leave in a great hurry."

Liu Zhan was inspecting the city's grain reserves.
"Oh?" He looked up abruptly.

"We've already sent people to check, and both camps are completely deserted,"

Liu Zhan stood up, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. "The bandits have withdrawn? Could it be a trap?"

Just then, Wang Xingmin arrived.

"Liu Jizhen in the west of the city is also withdrawing his troops, and the Turks in the north of the city have also withdrawn."

"Let's go and take a look." Liu Zhan immediately led the two generals out of the governor's mansion and went straight up to the city wall.

The tens of thousands of enemy troops that had surrounded the city actually withdrew completely in one fell swoop.

"How is this going?"

"Look, there!"

In the distance to the south of the city, a small cavalry unit was galloping, carrying a red flag.

The red flag of the Tang Dynasty.

"Reinforcements? Our reinforcements have arrived?"

Soon, the light cavalry arrived at the south gate.

"I am Luo Dafu, a subordinate of Li Gong, the Inspector General of Lüzhou and the General Commander of the Lingshi Road Army. I have come to see Governor Liu on orders."

Li Zhongwen examined it carefully.
“That’s right, this man is Chief Steward Li’s personal guard. Let him in quickly.”

Luo Dafu, wearing two layers of armor and a red battle robe for sun protection, entered the city with nine riders behind him, looking quite proud of himself. He was now a cavalry captain.

Someone greeted him at the city gate and invited him to the city tower.

"Luo Dafu, the head of the personal guards under the commander-in-chief, pays his respects to Governor Liu." "Quickly, pour tea for Head Guard Luo."

Li Zhongwen asked excitedly, "The enemy suddenly lifted the siege and left. Did General Li send troops?"

"Yes, Chief Steward Li has brought 20,000 troops, and they are currently stationed in Xiaoyi City."

"Twenty thousand men? Where did these twenty thousand men come from? Has the imperial reinforcements arrived?" Wang Xingmin asked excitedly.

Luo Dafu finished his drink in one gulp and quickly explained the situation.

Several of them were somewhat incredulous.
Luo Dafu ordered another cup of tea and drank it in big gulps. The tea with salt and sugar tasted quite good. He had been running for more than 30 miles, and his scalp was burning hot and he was sweating a lot under the scorching sun. These two cups of tea immediately made him feel much more energetic.

"Someone, invite Chief Luo and his men to rest. Prepare some wine and meat to entertain them properly," Liu Zhan ordered.

After Luo Dafu stepped down.

The three stared at each other, finding it hard to accept the information for a moment.

a long time,

Liu Zhan smiled and said, "Chief Steward Li is indeed a promising young man."

Li Zhongwen was increasingly impressed, remarking, "Truly, talented people emerge in every generation."

“Now we’re finally out of trouble. We can start thinking about retaking Jiexiu,” Wang Xingmin said.

Liu Zhan stroked his beard, his furrowed brow finally relaxing completely, replaced by a broad smile. "Quickly send someone to inform Chief Steward Li that the bandits have all withdrawn and request that Chief Steward Li relocate to Haozhou."

After receiving Liu Zhan's reply, Li Yi did not rush to Haozhou.

There's no rush.

The entire army was ordered to rest in Xiaoyi that day, and the next morning...

Li Yi left behind two armies of over 5,000 men in Xiaoyi, and led the remaining five armies, along with a batch of provisions, straight to Haozhou.

The sun hadn't risen yet in the early morning.

The morning breeze is cool.

The more than 10,000 men marched across the plains with remarkable ease. Hearing that the enemy had retreated in panic and knowing that there was no immediate battle, everyone was quite happy.

Especially the newly reorganized surrendered soldiers, they don't want to fight right now.

In the afternoon,

Li Yi led his troops to the city of Haozhou.

Governor Liu Zhan, along with Li Zhongwen, Wang Xingmin, and Ren Zhi, the military advisor of Haozhou, and other officials, came to welcome them.

When they saw the banners and spears fluttering behind Li Yi, they finally felt relieved.

The arrival of over 10,000 reinforcements, along with a batch of provisions, was truly tremendous good news for Haozhou.

Liu Zhan, with his white beard, was exceptionally polite to his seventeen-year-old superior, Lü Hao, the military governor of Lüzhou who was in charge of military affairs in three prefectures.

"I didn't expect that Zhang Wansui, Liu Jizhen and the others ran so fast, even the camp is still intact," Li Yi said with a smile as he jumped off his horse.

Li Zhongwen echoed, "It's perfect timing to use the general's troops. It saves us the trouble of setting up camp. Setting up camp in the middle of summer is quite tiring."

"Those bandits ran faster than rabbits. Not only was their camp intact, but they also left behind most of the siege equipment and materials they had built."

"They didn't set it on fire?"

"I guess they ran in such a hurry that they didn't have time."

Li Yi shook his head and chuckled, "We can't waste them. Send people to transport those siege weapons into the city for future use. Also, transport the unfinished ones and materials into the city; they can be used for defense, and even as firewood for future house repairs."

"The steward is right. They all came from the hard work of felling trees and sawing timber in the mountains, and then transporting them with great effort." Liu Zhan smiled easily.

After Li Yi sent his generals to carefully inspect the enemy's camp, he arranged for the various armies to move in, thus taking advantage of the free opportunity.

You can set up the tent yourself and it's ready to use.

In the mansion of the governor of Haozhou,

Liu Zhan invited Li Yi to take the seat of honor.
Li Zhongwen and Wang Demin, the former general manager and chief clerk of the expeditionary force, can now only be ranked last. Although they made contributions in Haozhou, the imperial court has not yet issued an edict to restore their official titles and ranks, and they are still just commoners.

"The scouts reported that Xun Xiang and Zhang Wansui had retreated to Jiexiu City, while the two thousand Turks retreated to Wenshui."

Liu Jizhen is also retreating to Lishi.

"What are Steward Li's plans for the future?" Liu Zhan asked.

In fact, after successfully lifting the siege of Haozhou, Li Yi had no plans at all. Or rather, he didn't want to make any further moves. He knew very well the state of his 20,000 men, and although there were some troops left behind to garrison the area, they were not all elite soldiers.

There are still 8,000 people in Haozhou City, but only 3,000 are actual soldiers; the rest are local militia and civilians.

Li Zhongwen stood up excitedly and said, "General, I think we should press on and take advantage of the momentum to recapture Jiexiu City, then Pingyao and Wenshui. In this way, the three prefectures of Lü, Hao, and Jie under your jurisdiction will all be recovered."

Then they marched north to Taiyuan and annihilated the Wu Zhou dynasty in one fell swoop.

Li Yi felt that Li Zhongwen was getting arrogant again.

"After Zhang Wansui retreated to Jiexiu, along with the troops remaining in Jiexiu, they had more than ten thousand soldiers."

"The balance of offense and defense shifts. If they defend the city while we attack, it won't be easy to conquer either." Li Yi shook his head, directly pouring cold water on his enthusiasm.

Liu Liu'er, who was seated, couldn't help but speak up: "General, I think that instead of attacking Jiexiu City, it would be better to send troops to Lishi to attack Liu Jizhen. I am willing to be the vanguard."

Li Zhongwen advocated attacking Jiexiu, while Liu Liu'er proposed attacking Lishi.

(End of this chapter)