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

Chapter 309 When the sky falls, someone has to hold it up.
In Haozhou City,

Li Yi frowned as he looked at the intelligence gathered in his hand. Pei Ji showed no mercy; despite his repeated requests to retain the troops defending the two cities, three passes, and four fortresses, Pei Ji still withdrew the majority of the soldiers.

The soldiers and generals of Huoyi, Lingshi, Zhangbi, and Zhangnan have all been withdrawn.

He had no choice but to readjust the deployment.

Li Daozong and Ji Siwen from Zhangbibao were transferred to Yong'anbao. Li Daozong was appointed as the main general of the fort, and the brothers Ji Siwen and Ji Sigong were appointed as his deputies, with each of them having a thousand soldiers and assistants.

The brothers Li Boyi and Li Fengci from Huoyi were transferred to Jiahu Fort in Queshu Valley, each with a thousand soldiers and auxiliary troops, plus a thousand Sogdian soldiers.

Li Daoxuan of Zhangnanbao was transferred to Haozhou, while Wu Junya went to Lengquan Pass to assist Li Dejiang in defense.

Facing the sand table, Li Yi took the small red flag and repositioned it.

Li Dejiang guarded Lengquan Pass, Qiu Shenyan guarded Yindi Pass, Cui Dunli guarded Fenshui Pass, and the Li Boyi brothers guarded Huoyi.
Li Yi personally guarded Haozhou, while Li Daozong guarded Yong'an.

The cities of Xiaoyi and Wenshui were defended only by local militia and civilians. In reality, if the situation changed, these two cities would be defended as long as they could.

The key is to defend Sparrow Valley and Haozhou.

If Haozhou wants to hold on, it must protect the Sparrow Valley passage.

Three passes, two forts, and one city, with red flags flying in a line.

His total troop strength was only about 15,000.

"If the sky really falls, someone has to hold it up."

Many people think that what Li Yi is doing now is somewhat unnecessary. Pei Ji now has a strong army and will surely be able to fight his way to Taiyuan. There is no need to be so careful in defense.

But Li Yi knew that Pei Ji had suffered a major defeat in history, and seeing his actions this time made Li Yi uneasy. He should prepare early; it's better to be safe than sorry. Where would he find an umbrella if it really rained?

If Pei Jizhen had pushed all the way to Taiyuan and defeated Liu Wuzhou, Li Yi's current behavior would have been seen as arrogance, disobedience to the commander-in-chief's orders, and disregard for the overall situation.

But if Pei Jizhen loses,

Li Yi still had the capacity to clean up the mess.

"The three passes, two forts, and one city were connected by beacon fires. If there was no trouble, a smoke signal would be raised twice during the day and a fire would be lit once at night to report that everything was safe."

Send additional light cavalry to deliver messages; ensure uninterrupted communication.
Multiple light cavalry units were dispatched to keep a close watch on the Jiexiu battlefield and report the latest intelligence at all times.

Furthermore, more light cavalry should be deployed to patrol and guard the borders in both the Taiyuan and Lishi directions!

"Manager, isn't this a bit too cautious?" Zhao Yong'an asked.

"Better safe than sorry. This is a battlefield. One wrong move and you lose the whole game, and even your life. You can never be too careful."

With a series of military orders issued, Li Yi began to rebuild the defenses of the three passes, two forts, and one city.

Changan.

Taiji Palace Chengqian Hall

Li Yuan visited his grandson Chengqian again.

The baby is already six months old, chubby and fair-skinned. Li Yuan holds his grandson with great affection.

"Father is especially happy today, is there some good news?"

"Yes, good news keeps coming. First, it was reported that Qin Wutong led his army to Luoyang and defeated Wang Shichong's general Ge Yanzhang. Then, it was reported that Duan Decao, the governor of Yanzhou, took advantage of Liang Shidu's laxity and sent his deputy governor Liang Li to attack. Liang Shidu and Liang Li were fighting fiercely when Duan Decao used light cavalry with many flags to launch a surprise attack from behind. Shidu's army was defeated and pursued for more than 200 li. Weizhou was captured and more than 2,000 men and women were taken prisoner."

"Xu Shao of Xiazhou also reported a victory. After Xiao Xian sent Yang Daosheng to raid Xiazhou but was repelled, Xiao Xian then sent Chen Puhuan with a naval force to sail upstream and join forces with Xiao She, a bandit from Kaizhou, to attack Ba and Shu. Xu Shao sent his son Xu Zhiren and his military advisor Li Hongjie to defeat them at Xiling and capture Chen Puhuan alive."

That old bastard Xiao Xian has already put Jiangling City on high alert.

Good news also came from the Jianghuai region. After Shen Faxing seized Piling, he felt that the Jianghuai region would be pacified soon, so he proclaimed himself King of Liang.
However, Du Fuwei occupied Liyang, Chen Leng occupied Jiangdu, and Li Zitong occupied Hailing, all of whom harbored ambitions to dominate the Jiangnan region.

Shen Faxing suffered several defeats, and Li Zitong besieged Chen Leng in Jiangdu. Chen Leng then sent hostages to Shen Faxing and Du Fuwei for help.

Li Yuan held his grandson, his face beaming with pride and joy, sharing one good news after another with his second son.

"Shen Faxing sent his son with troops to the rescue, and Du Fuwei also sent troops to the rescue. The two armies were stationed several dozen paces apart. Li Zitong, following the advice of his strategist, sent troops disguised as Shen Faxing's soldiers to attack Du Fuwei's camp."
Du Fuwei fell for the trap and also sent troops to attack Shen's army. Hahaha, the two of them distrusted each other and neither dared to advance first, which allowed Li Zitong to launch a full-scale attack on Jiangdu.

With no help, Chen Leng had no choice but to abandon the city and seek refuge with Du Fuwei. Li Zitong occupied Jiangdu and, taking advantage of the victory, attacked Shen Faxing's son, defeating him decisively.

Du Fuwei had no choice but to withdraw his troops.

Li Zitong then established a state and proclaimed himself emperor, naming the state Wu.

This four-way battle between Jianghuai's Shen Faxing, Du Fuwei, Li Zitong, and Chen Leng ultimately resulted in Li Zitong declaring himself emperor and establishing the Wu state, while Shen Faxing suffered heavy losses.

Du Fuwei was also in a difficult situation, so he simply sent someone to surrender to the Tang Dynasty and become its vassal.

Li Yuan never expected that this person in Chang'an would suddenly have such a good thing happen to him.

"I have issued an edict appointing Du Fuwei as the Pacification Commissioner of Huainan and the Governor-General of Hezhou."

Li Shimin had long heard of a young man named Du Fuwei in Jianghuai who became a leader of a rebel army at the age of sixteen or seventeen, which was quite remarkable.

He had met Chen Leng before. Chen Leng was a descendant of a military family in the Southern Dynasty. During the Daye Dynasty, he served as a Tiger General. He once accompanied Zhang Zhenzhou to lead 10,000 troops across the sea to Liuqiu, where they defeated the island barbarians, captured their king, and returned.

In the ninth year of the Daye era, he was appointed as the garrison commander of Donglai and captured Liyang, which was occupied by Yang Xuangan. Later, in Jiangdu, he attacked and defeated the bandit Meng Rang's troops, and for his accumulated merits, he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Xin'an.

When Li Shimin met Chen Leng, he greatly admired this general.

Later, when Yang Guang arrived in Jiangdu, he ordered Chen Leng to lead the Imperial Guards to suppress the Jianghuai rebels led by Li Zitong, Du Fuwei, and Zuo Caixiang, and promoted him to Right Imperial Guard General.

Yuwen Huaji murdered the emperor and marched north, ordering Chen Leng, who was leading troops in the field, to remain in Jiangdu. Chen Leng held a funeral for Yang Guang and reburied him at the foot of Wugong Terrace.

Chen Leng did not heed Yuwen Huaji's edict. Had Yuwen Huaji not fled quickly, Chen Leng would have attacked him instead. Chen Leng directly submitted a memorial to Emperor Yining, whom Li Yuan had installed in Chang'an, supporting him and continuing to defend Jiangdu. After Li Yuan became emperor, Chen Leng also submitted a memorial supporting him and remained the governor of Jiangdu.

Chen Leng was brave and loyal.

Although he had long since submitted to Chang'an, the distance between them was too great, and like Luo Yi of Youzhou, the court could not actually control him.

Now that he has lost, Li Yuan does not feel that the Tang Dynasty has lost Jiangdu.

On the contrary, they were quite pleased with Du Fuwei's surrender. "Second Brother," they said, "look at the world, there are still many capable generals. Qin Wutong, Duan Decao, and Li Yi—victory and defeat are common in war. Liu Wuzhou's invasion and the capture of a few cities are not a big deal."

"I believe that Pei Ji will soon send good news, and you should stop submitting petitions to go to Taiyuan."

"Although Yuanji is young, he has been stationed in Taiyuan for a long time, so let him continue there. As for you, I have other important tasks for you. After Pei Ji returns in triumph, the court will send troops to Luoyang to destroy Wang Shichong, and then sweep through Hebei to destroy Dou Jiande."

"At that time, the position of Marshal of the Eastern Expedition will undoubtedly belong to you."

Li Shimin opened his mouth but didn't say anything. He wanted to say that Pei Ji leading the troops and Yuan Ji guarding the city was unreliable, but saying it now would only make the emperor think he had ulterior motives.

Chengqian cried and made a fuss.

The wet nurse came over and said, "The imperial grandson is hungry."

Li Yuan handed the child over to the wet nurse, and Li Shimin brought up Liu Wenjing's matter again, saying, "Your Majesty, Liu Wenjing has absolutely no intention of rebelling. I beg Your Majesty to spare his life."

Li Yuan stopped smiling, waved his hand, and turned to leave.

The next day,

early morning.

An official submitted a memorial stating that the Prince of Qin resided in the Chengqian Hall of the West Palace, and the Prince of Qi resided in the rear courtyard of the Wude Hall. They had uninterrupted access to the Emperor's sleeping quarters and the East Palace, with no real separation between them.

The two princes entered and exited the emperor's palace on horseback, carrying bows, swords, and other miscellaneous items. When they met, they treated each other with the courtesy due to family members, which was very contrary to etiquette.

"According to the rules, princes should marry between the ages of twelve and sixteen and live in their own residences after coming of age. They should no longer be allowed to freely enter or leave the palace. Prince Qin is over twenty years old, has married and taken concubines, and has already had children. It is very inappropriate for him to continue living in the palace."

The emperor stroked his beard.

"What do you think, Prime Minister Xiao and Prime Minister Chen?"

Xiao Yu stated frankly: "The princes' marriage is an old system of all dynasties. When they reach a certain age, they should be married off, granted the title of prince, establish their own government, and appoint officials to serve the court and share the emperor's burdens."

Xiao Yu was the seventh son of Emperor Liang Ming and was enfeoffed as the Prince of Xin'an, while Chen Shuda was the seventeenth son of Emperor Chen Xuan and the younger brother of Emperor Chen Houzhu, and was once enfeoffed as the Prince of Yiyang. Both of them were very familiar with this system of princes leaving the palace.

"I believe that the prince should be married when he turns sixteen."

Of Emperor Li Yuan's sons, the third and fifth sons have all passed away. The eldest son is the Crown Prince and resides in the Eastern Palace. The only other sons who are over sixteen are the second son, Prince Qin, Li Shimin, and the fourth son, Prince Qi, Li Yuanji, who are twenty-one and seventeen respectively.

Yuanji remained stationed in Taiyuan.
Therefore, only the King of Qin currently resides in the palace.

Therefore, the emperor readily accepted the advice.

It was immediately decided that the entire Guiyi Ward would be given to the Prince of Qin. This ward had previously been the residence of Yang Xiu, the Prince of Shu, son of Emperor Wen of Sui.

"The King of Qin was also granted a 30-acre residence in the southeast of Chang'an and a hibiscus garden with a circumference of 17 li."

Guiyifang is located in the southwest of Chang'an.

They were moved from the Chengqian Hall of the Western Palace in the Imperial Palace to the southwest corner of Chang'an. Although they were granted a ward, who in Chang'an did not know that the east was noble, the west was rich, and the south was poor?

The emperor issued an edict ordering the relevant officials to immediately renovate the Prince of Qin's residence so that he could move in as soon as possible.

August fifteen.

Mooncake Festival.

On this day that should be filled with joy and family reunion
Pei Ji arrived at the foot of Jiexiu City.

Behind him was an army of 80,000.

Overwhelming

Boundless.

Pei Ji looked at the vast army and was very satisfied.

Faced with such a massive army, Jiexiu City was nothing more than a small boat in a raging storm.

He slowly urged his horse forward.

The tall Kunlun slave attendant even held up a parasol for him.

Seventy-two of Pei's retainers rode their fine horses and spread out to the left and right.

Where are Generals Xun and Zhang?

"The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel of the Great Tang Dynasty, the Minister of State Affairs, the Founding Minister of Taiyuan, the Duke of Wei, with a fief of three thousand households and a real fief of six hundred households, and the Grand Commander of the Jinzhou Road Army, who is granted special authority to act as he sees fit, is here. Why don't you two pay your respects immediately!" a retainer shouted.

Xun Xiang and Zhang Wansui, fully armored, arrived at the city wall and peeked out.

"Pei Ji? Could he be the guy who secretly sent the palace maids of Emperor Daye of Jinyang to Li Yuan to rape?"

"Yes, that's the guy. As the supervisor of Jinyang Palace, he ended up sending the palace beauties to Li Yuan, the governor of Taiyuan, for rape. Bah, you dog slave."

"Besides doing such despicable things, what remarkable things has Pei Ji done? What famous battles has he fought, and what military achievements has he made?"

"No, when Li Yuan rebelled, my mother-in-law gave him all the 90,000 shi of rice, 50,000 bolts of colored silk, and 400,000 sets of armor stored in the Jinyang Palace."

"Isn't that embezzlement? Pshaw, you hamster!"

Xun Xiang and Zhang Wansui stood on the city wall, shouting at the top of their lungs, taking turns to ridicule Pei Ji and Li Yuan.

Pei Ji, who had been smugly stepping forward, ready to use his 80,000 troops to persuade the defending general to surrender and open the city gates with just a few words, was about to step forward.

He was so angry at these words that he trembled all over and almost fell off his horse.

Enraged, he couldn't let them continue.
Holding a horsewhip, he carried the two men atop the city wall.

"Fire arrows! Shoot these two traitors dead!"

"Attack the city! Attack the city immediately! All troops, attack the city!"

"Take Jiexiu and tear these two traitors to pieces!"

(End of this chapter)