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

Chapter 313: I am in Cao Ying and my heart is in Han Dynasty

Taiyuan

In Jinyang Palace,

Liu Wuzhou was full of ambition and set out with his troops in April. By September, he had already swept through the provinces of Bing, Hao, Jie, and Lü. How exhilarating!

They not only defeated the reinforcements from Li Zhongwen and Pei Ji twice, but also captured the important town of Taiyuan.

"Your Majesty, Liu Jizhen of Lishi has sent an envoy to present one hundred fine horses and one hundred taels of gold."

"That Ji Hu is truly a fence-sitter,"

Right Minister Yang Funian said, "Your Majesty should send an envoy to deliver an imperial edict to appease him. If Li Yuan can enfeoff Liu Jizhen as the Prince of Pengcheng, Your Majesty can also enfeoff him as a prince."

The Grand Secretary Yuan Junzhang objected: "Liu Jizhen is a fickle and treacherous man. We should seize this opportunity to send troops to attack him and take Lishi in one fell swoop. How can we accept him again?"

"Master Yuan, you are mistaken. Don't forget that Haozhou hasn't been captured yet. That Li Yi is quite capable. Accepting Liu Jizhen's surrender first will cut off Haozhou's retreat route, allow Liu Jizhen to march south from Lüliang to attack Xizhou and Cizhou, and also form an alliance with Liang Shidu west of the Yellow River."
The art of war involves both orthodox and unorthodox tactics. Our Han army marches south along the Fen-Jin Road, heading straight for Jin, Jiang, Yu, and Pu, threatening Guanzhong. Liu Jizhen's Hu troops, acting as a detachment, can also clear away the threats from the western mountains for us.

Lord Yuan surely doesn't want Liu Jizhen to be forced to follow Li Yuan and then join forces with Li Yi of Haozhou just because we refuse to accept him, right?

Liu Wuzhou laughed heartily: "What Yang Xiang said makes sense. As long as Liu Jizhen is willing to surrender, I will bestow upon him the title of Prince Peng and the title of Left Minister of the Lüliang Daoxing Terrace."

"Your Majesty, the road around Haozhou is blocked by my route and cannot be left untouched. Now that we have captured the remaining cities of the four prefectures of Jie, Hao, and Lü, and Lishi has surrendered again, only this city remains, and it must be taken."

"Yes, we were unprepared last time we attacked Haozhou and returned empty-handed. We must take it this time. Once we take Haozhou, the three passes of Sparrow Rat Valley will no longer be able to hold out."

Liu Wuzhou's strategic plan was to follow Song Jingang's advice, first take Taiyuan, then follow the route Li Yuan had taken south, marching straight to Puzhou along the Fenhe River, crossing the Yellow River at Longmen or Pujin, and then storming into Guanzhong to seize Chang'an.

When Li Yuan first raised his army, his first battle was to send his two sons to take Haozhou. Now, naturally, he must also take Haozhou.

“This Li Yi,” Liu Wuzhou stroked his beard, “Li Zhongwen and Pei Ji suffered great defeats one after another, yet he was able to maintain his composure. He is a talented man. He sent someone to Haozhou to persuade them to surrender.”

"If he is willing to submit to me, I will directly bestow upon him the title of Prince of Xihe, and appoint him as Grand General and Right Minister of the Southwest Circuit!"

"Li Yi may not be willing to submit, so we should still prepare for a strong attack," Yang Funian reminded.

"Then let Huang Ziying atone for his sins by attacking Haozhou, with Liu Liu'er accompanying him. Also, summon Liu Jizhen to lead the troops."

Pei Ji had forged many siege weapons at Suodu Plain and transported them to the walls of Haozhou. If Li Yi refuses to surrender, then we'll breach Haozhou and capture him.

"The Grand Steward Jiang Baoyi, General Liu Dewei of the Left Martial Guard, and Vice Minister Liu Zhenghui were captured, but haven't they all surrendered already?" Liu Wuzhou laughed.

He bestowed upon those three Tang generals the titles of Duke and General, offering them the choice between high-ranking positions and generous salaries, or beheading. They were quite pragmatic.

"Let the King of Song continue to pursue Pei Ji, don't let him catch his breath."

"Your Majesty, the three passes of Queshu Valley are still in Li Yi's hands. Now, we are going south around Hanhou Ridge, but our food and supplies can't keep up, and the supply lines are stretched too thin. If we continue to attack now, it will be quite dangerous."

Your Majesty, I suggest that we allow the Song King, Huo Yi, to rest and reorganize his troops first, while simultaneously gathering provisions locally. Furthermore, there are still too many defeated Tang soldiers fleeing north of Jinzhou; they should be searched and apprehended.”

In a short time, they had fought their way from Taiyuan to Jinzhou, a distance of 600 li.

The supplies simply couldn't keep up with the pace of Song Jingang's attack.

“That works. Let the King of Song rest in Huoyi first. Once we take Haozhou and open up Queshu Valley, the supply of grain and fodder will be smooth.”

In the end, it's still Haozhou who's the thorn in my side; I can't get rid of him until he's removed.

Haozhou.

In late September, the autumn wind was bleak.
Dramatic changes in Hedong

Haozhou City was like a small boat in a storm.

Pei Ji's crushing defeat dealt a heavy blow to everyone in Haozhou. They had thought that with the arrival of Prime Minister Pei and the gathering of 80,000 troops, they would soon be able to recapture Jiexiu, then march north to Taiyuan, defeat Liu Wuzhou, and drive them back to Daibei.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a major defeat.

One city, three passes, and four forts.
It was swallowed up by the vast ocean.

Liu Heizi hurried up the city wall. "My lord," he said in a low voice, "someone has sent you an urgent message from Taiyuan."

Li Yi took the letter, opened it, and found that it was actually a handwritten letter from Liu Zhenghui, the Junior Minister of the Imperial Guard who had been captured in Taiyuan City.

He had previously received information deliberately spread by Liu Wuzhou that the three generals Jiang Baoyi, Liu Dewei, and Liu Zhenghui had surrendered to Liu Wuzhou after being captured, and were all granted the title of Duke and appointed as Grand General.

Liu Zheng's letter was not to persuade Liu Wuzhou to surrender, but to secretly report Liu Wuzhou's military situation to Li Yi.

For example, Liu Wuzhou issued an edict ordering Song Jingang to suspend his attack on Jinzhou at Huoyi.

For example, Liu Wuzhou had already appointed Huang Ziying as the main general, leading Liu Liu'er, Liu Dewei and other Wuzhou troops, along with the surrendered Hu and some Turkic soldiers, to attack Haozhou.

What a perfect example of someone whose body was with Cao Cao but whose heart was with Han!

Liu Zheng was quite loyal to the Tang Dynasty.
Although he and Liu Wenjing both shared the surname Liu, Liu Wenjing claimed to be a descendant of the Han Dynasty, from the Pengcheng Liu clan, and was actually from the same lineage as Liu Dewei. Liu Zhenghui, on the other hand, was a descendant of the Xiongnu Chanyu Modu Chanyu, originally from the Xiongnu tribe, the grandson of Liu Huanjun, the Vice Minister of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and the son of Liu Tan, the Minister of Justice of the Sui Dynasty.

It wouldn't be surprising if he surrendered to Liu Wuzhou after being captured.

When Huang Ziying led the attack on Haozhou, Li Yi chuckled. He was quite familiar with Huang Ziying, who was indeed a fierce general. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to lure and ambush Li Zhongwen's nine thousand men in Queshu Valley.

However, he was eventually cornered by Li Yi at Hanhou Ridge and captured in Queshu Valley, which shows that he was not particularly powerful.

Liu Liu'er and Liu Jizhen were old acquaintances.

As for Liu Dewei leading the surrendered Tang army to attack, he felt that Liu Wuzhou had lost his mind.

Aren't you afraid that Liu Dewei might switch sides again?

However, Liu Zhenghui received some news that worried him. Liu Zhenghui said that Liu Wuzhou had Huang Ziying transport the siege weapons that Pei Ji had built from Suoduyuan in Jiexiu to attack Haozhou City.

This is a troublesome matter.

Liu Heizi looked worried. "My lord, do you think the imperial court will send reinforcements?"

They were supposed to be reinforcements, but now they've become the ones surrounded and waiting for help.

Reinforcements? Li Yi thought there was no way there would be any reinforcements this year. If the imperial court really sent troops, the battlefield would be in Puzhou and Jiangzhou in the south.

They were left to defend Haozhou alone.

But he still smiled and reassured Liu Heizi, "Don't worry, our Great Tang still has a war god who hasn't stepped up yet."

"King Qin?"

"Of course, with the King of Qin stationed in Changchun Palace, he won't make a move unless he does, but when he does, even ten Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang wouldn't be a match for him. Don't be fooled by their current arrogance, conquering several cities a day. The faster they attack, the longer their supply lines will be stretched. As long as we defend Haozhou, we can threaten their supply routes and make things difficult for them."

Do you remember when I accompanied King Qin to fight Xue Ju and his son in Jingzhou last year?

At the time, Xue Ju and his son led a larger and stronger force in Longyou than Liu Wuzhou, but in the end, neither of them was able to return to Longyou.

"If we protect Haozhou well, we will be rich beyond measure."

Jinzhou, in the city of Linfen.

Pei Ji, looking haggard, sat in the governor's mansion writing a letter of apology to the emperor. With the war having turned out this badly, Pei Ji could not escape blame.

After much writing, rewriting, and revisions, it was finally finished and sent to Chang'an by fast horse.

Upon arriving at the main hall,

Liu Hongji is deploying defenses in Jinju.

But there were too few soldiers.

"Where is Song Jingang?"

"The scouts report that Song Jingang's banner is still in Huoyi, and his vanguard general Yuchi Gong's troops are stationed in Hongdong City to the north. It has been two days and they have not made any moves."

Pei Ji felt a little relieved after hearing this. "Is the enemy army running out of supplies?"

Liu Hongji replied, "Li Yi is still guarding Haozhou, and the three passes of Queshu Valley have not yet fallen. Liu Wuzhou's supplies can only be transported through Hanhou Ridge, which is not easy. I estimate that Liu Wuzhou may be planning to attack Haozhou and the three passes of Queshu Valley."

He tentatively asked, "Li Yi is currently defending Haozhou City alone, and I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to hold out. Should we send him reinforcements?"

Pei Ji looked at him and said, "General Liu, we don't even have as many soldiers as Li Yi. Moreover, once we leave Jinzhou City, the area to the north is now occupied by Liu Wuzhou. We can't even get through Hongdong."

Liu Hongji could only sigh.

Who could have imagined the situation would deteriorate so badly? "If only we had listened to Li Yi's advice and hadn't withdrawn the garrison troops from Ling Shi and Huo Yi..."

Pei Ji glared at him, and Liu Hongji couldn't continue. He could only chuckle awkwardly, "This humble official will go inspect the city's defenses first."

Pei Ji also knew that many soldiers in the army were complaining that he did not know anything about military affairs, and some even accused him of abandoning Ling Shi and Huo Yi after the defeat. But there were not many soldiers in those two cities. If he did not abandon them, how could he have held them?

It would be better to retreat to Jinzhou and reorganize the defense.

Changan.

An autumn rain arrived unexpectedly.

The weather suddenly turned cold.

In the Taiji Palace,

Emperor Li Yuan had some new gray hairs.

Pei Jisuo suffered a crushing defeat at Taiyuan, his army routed and almost entirely wiped out. Prince Yuanji of Qi abandoned Taiyuan, and Zhao Wenge, the Director of Waterways, abandoned Haozhou and fled…

Every time Li Yuan saw the words "deceased, lost, and almost completely wiped out," he felt as if his heart was being torn apart. These four words meant that Pei Ji had not only been defeated, but that his entire army had been almost completely annihilated and his troops had been almost entirely lost.

Li Yuan now spends all his time regretting his past actions.

The senior officials gathered at the court for discussion.

"North of Jinzhou, almost everything was lost."

Jinyang had a strong army of tens of thousands, enough to sustain them for ten years, laying the foundation for the rise of the king. Yuanji was young and weak, and inexperienced in military affairs, so Dou Dan and Yuwen Xin were sent to assist him, along with Liu Dewei, Liu Zhenghui, and Zhao Wenge.

Now it has been abandoned.

I have heard that Yuwen Xin was the first to devise this plan; I should execute him!

Li Yuan was disappointed and angry. Today, he would hold those responsible accountable and make an example of them.

However, instead of investigating Pei Ji's defeat and Yuan Ji's escape, the emperor first targeted Yuwen Xin, the Prefect of Bingzhou and General of the Left Guard.

Faced with the emperor's wrath, few of the ministers dared to utter a word, for the defeat this time was too swift and too severe.

Li Gang, the Crown Prince's tutor and Minister of Rites, stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Qi was young and arrogant, and Dou Dan did not remonstrate with him, but instead covered for him, which aroused resentment among the people. Today's defeat can only be blamed on Dou Dan."

As the chief secretary, Yuwen Xin repeatedly advised the Prince of Qi, but the Prince of Qi did not listen. Yuwen Xin then repeatedly petitioned the emperor, who had previously dismissed the Prince of Qi from his post as governor, but soon reinstated him.

Now that such a disaster has occurred, Yuwen Xin has fulfilled his duty and is a loyal minister; how can he be killed?

Li Yuan was rendered speechless by Li Gang's rebuttal. Li Yuanji was his son, and Dou Dan was his son-in-law. He didn't want to punish either of them and wanted Yuwen Xin to take the blame. However, Yuwen Xin persuaded him and submitted a memorial, saying that in reality, it was the problem between the father and son.

"My esteemed ministers, what can be done to salvage the declining fortunes of Hedong?"

None of the ministers answered. In fact, everyone felt that Pei Ji should be replaced by the King of Qin, but it was not easy to say such a thing.

While in silence,

Lu Kuan, the Palace Attendant, presented the emperor with an urgent letter.

After reading the letter, the emperor suddenly stroked his beard and burst into laughter.

The ministers were baffled by the laughter. How could His Majesty still laugh after such a huge defeat for Hedong?

"Do my beloved ministers know why I laughed so heartily?"

"This letter was sent back by Li Yi. Haozhou has not been lost yet. Not only has it not been lost, but Li Yi has also defended the three passes and four forts of Queshu Valley. He has now rallied the defeated troops and still has more than 30,000 men under his command. He has submitted a memorial to the court, vowing to defend Haozhou to the death for the court."
Hahaha,
The situation wasn't too bad yet; Li Yi always managed to stabilize the situation.

The imperial edict appointed Li Yi as Inspector-General of Bingzhou. The seven prefectures north of Jinzhou—Lü, Jie, Hao, Xi, Shi, Lan, and Bing—would all be under the jurisdiction of the Bingzhou General's Office. All imperial troops north of Jinzhou would be under Li Yi's command.

The pleased emperor even pardoned Yuwen Xin, Dou Dan, and Pei Ji, and allowed Pei Ji to continue to pacify the area south of Luzhou in Hedong.

This effectively divided Hedong into two war zones: the seven prefectures north of Jinzhou were under the command of Li Yi, while the prefectures to the south were pacified by Pei Ji.

However, there was one person the emperor did not pardon.

"Zhao Wenge, the Director of Water Conservancy, abandoned the city and fled in the middle of the night. His crime is unforgivable. He is hereby ordered to be arrested and executed!"

Like Liu Wenjing, Zhao Wenge had a get-out-of-jail-free card, but it didn't save him from death either.

(End of this chapter)