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

Chapter 325 Snowstorm at Changchun Palace

A strong north wind blew all night.

I woke up to find everything covered in silver. The snow of early winter in the second year of Wude had arrived unexpectedly at the end of October.

Tongzhou, Changchun Palace.

The first snow covered the covered walkway.

Emperor Li Yuan arrived at Changchun Palace with 40,000 soldiers from Guanzhong Prefecture, emptying the palace's coffers.

Changchun Palace, with cliffs on three sides, faces the Yellow River to the east and Pujin Pass to the west.

Li Yuan and Li Shimin, draped in fur robes, slowly ascended to the top of the palace fortress. Looking out from the summit, the world was a vast expanse of white.

On a clear day, you can see the Taihua and Zhongtiao mountain ranges in the distance, and also overlook the Yellow River, Wei River, and Luo River.

"Two years ago, my father and I raised an army in Taiyuan and marched south, advancing with unstoppable momentum. After crossing the Yellow River and entering Guanzhong, we first stationed ourselves here."

At that time, numerous powerful families, officials, and scholars from Guanzhong came to greet him.

Li Yuan sighed.

When people start reminiscing about the past, it's usually because things are not as good as they used to be.

Faced with Liu Wuzhou's fierce offensive, Li Yuan could only reminisce about his past glory.

“Erlang, I know that over the past year, I’ve sent you to guard Changchun Palace, but I haven’t let you fight. You’ve been resentful.”

Li Shimin stood silently beside his father. Did he harbor resentment? Certainly. After the Battle of Jingzhou, the emperor hastily summoned him back to court, disregarding the still unresolved Longyou and Hexi regions. He was told to prepare for the eastward advance on Luoyang, but upon arrival, he was completely sidelined.

Li Yuan grabbed a handful of snow, shaped it into a snowball, and threw it forcefully.

"They say that brothers are good at hunting and fathers and sons are good at fighting. When it comes down to it, we can only rely on our own family members the most."

The struggle for power is a matter of the victor taking all. If you win, you are destined by heaven and will rule the world. But if you lose, you will lose everything.

We are different from those so-called "Five Clans and Seven Clans of Shandong" or "Six Clans of Guanzhong." They can place bets in various places, and no matter who ultimately rules the country, they can continue to serve as vassals and maintain their wealth and status.

But our Li family is different.
If we lose, our fate will be the same as that of Xue Ju and his son, and Li Gui and his son; the victors will call us traitors.

"The situation is dire, and you are the only one I can rely on. Yuanji is young and inexperienced, and he is very unruly in Taiyuan. Your elder brother is mature and steady, but he is not as good as you in military affairs. Last time I sent him to Yuanzhou, he ended up causing more than half of his soldiers to desert. Alas."

Li Yuan took his second son's hand and said, "Second son, I named you Shimin in the hope that you would bring peace and prosperity to the people."

Hedong is the place where our Li family rose to prominence and the foundation of our royal enterprise; we truly cannot afford to lose it again.

There are only 50,000 troops left in Guanzhong. I brought 40,000 with me. You take 30,000 across the Yellow River to Hedong, and the remaining 10,000 will be stationed at Changchun Palace.

Only 10,000 people remained in Chang'an.

"We've exhausted our savings. If we lose again, my son and I might really have no choice but to flee west to Sichuan."

"Erlang, can Father rely on you?"

These words brought tears to Li Shimin's eyes. The twenty-one-year-old Li Shimin pounded his chest and declared, "Your subject has already devised a plan: to cross the Yellow River at Longmen on solid ice, and then proceed directly to Baibi Fort at the northern end of Emei Plain in Jiangzhou."

He drew a simple map of the east bank of the river on the snow.

The location of Emei Plain is very special. It is bordered by the Fen River terrace to the north. Whether Liu Wuzhou's army, which marched south from Taiyuan and Jinzhou, advanced westward along the Fen River valley to Longmen Ferry or continued southward to cross the river at Pujin, Emei Plain was an unavoidable obstacle.
Moreover, Emei Plain is a natural highland, and its northern edge is surrounded by steep loess gullies with a huge drop to the bottom, making it a natural war fortress.

The Yubi Fortress, where Wang Sizheng and Wei Xiaokuan defeated Gao Huan twice, was located at the northern end of Emei Plain, only a few dozen miles away from Baibi Fortress, which Li Shimin chose.

By stationing troops at Baibi on Emei Mountain, they could overlook the movements of Song Jingang's army to the north, and rely on the natural defenses of the Yellow River and Zhongtiao Mountain to the south and west to protect Guanzhong.

Here, one can advance or retreat as needed.

It can seize the strategic initiative.

"Why choose Bai Bi instead of Yu Bi?" Li Yuan looked down at the map on the snow.

"Baibi is located at the throat of the lower reaches of the Fen River valley, a place that Song Jingang must pass through on his southward advance. Furthermore, Baibi Fortress is not only easy to defend and difficult to attack, but it also faces Jiangzhou City across the Fen River. Currently, Luo Shixin is defending Jiangzhou and has already repelled one of Song Jingang's attacks."
My garrison at Baibi is positioned to complement his position, together controlling the Fen River.

Li Yuan pondered.

“Bai Bi is in an excellent position, easy to defend and difficult to attack. The terrain behind it, the Emei Plain, is flat, which is also conducive to a rapid attack,” Li Yuan realized that his son wanted to defend first and then look for an opportunity to fight.

"But you also have to be careful of Wang Xingben of Puban and Lü Chongmao of Xia County behind you. They have both submitted to Liu Wuzhou. Although the two armies have not yet joined forces, they should not be underestimated. Especially this Wang Xingben, who is also a Yao Junsu, a tough nut to crack."

"Your Majesty, your son,"

"Just call me Father. It's just the two of us here."

"Yes, Father, I was just about to tell you about this. Previously, Prime Minister Pei suffered defeat after defeat and was at a loss. He forcibly ordered a scorched-earth policy, which resulted in Lü Chongmao's rebellion. I hastily went to suppress it, but was defeated again."

Although Father has now recalled Pei Ji, the remnants of his army have lost all morale.

Father, you have ordered Prince Yong'an, Yu Yun, Dugu Huai'en, Liu Shirang, and Tang Jian to lead these troops to attack Wang Xingben and Lü Chongmao. I believe this is inappropriate.

"Tell me what's wrong with it!"

"Dugu Huaien had previously besieged Puban for two years, suffering heavy losses and making no progress. Although Prince Yong'an Xiaoji was a member of the imperial clan, he was not knowledgeable in military affairs, and he also bore undeniable responsibility for Pei Ji's defeat at Suoduyuan."
Now that the situation is critical, Pei Ji and Dugu Huaien's two armies have joined forces. How can we let Xiao Ji and Dugu Huaien lead them again?
An incompetent general can bring ruin to an entire army. Pei Ji and Dugu Huaien's previous performances have already proven that they are unsuitable for commanding troops, especially now.

Your Majesty, I request that you select another general to replace him, reorganize the army, and proceed cautiously and steadily. We do not seek a swift annihilation of the bandits in Puban and Xia County, but rather to stabilize the situation and prevent Song Jingang from having any further opportunities.

Who would you like to recommend?

"I believe that either Qu Tutong, the Minister of War of the Imperial Court, or Yin Kaishan, the Minister of War of the Shaanxi East Circuit, can be the commander-in-chief. Then, Liu Hongji or Changsun Shunde can be the deputy commanders, Tang Jian can be the chief secretary, and Liu Shirang, Yu Jun and others can be put in command. With a little reorganization, we should be able to fight again."

Li Yuan pondered for a long time.

"The real threats we face now are Song Jingang and the two traitors Wang and Lü from Puban and Xia County, but they are merely minor ailments."
Qu Tutong, Yin Kaishan, Liu Hongji, and Changsun Shunde will all join your ranks to help you defeat Song Jingang first.

As for Puban and Xia County, let's leave them to Prince Yong'an, Tang Jian, and Dugu Huai'en." A cold wind blew in.

Li Shimin looked at the new gray in his father's temples.
"His Majesty,"

Dugu Sheng, the junior eunuch of the palace, hurriedly ascended the fortress tower.
"Your Majesty, an urgent report from Hebei: Dou Jiande's army has captured Zhao Prefecture and taken prisoner Zhang Daoyuan, the Hebei Pacification Commissioner, and Zhang Zhiang, the Zhao Prefecture Governor."

Li Yuan remained silent.

Previously, Chen Junbin, the prefect of Xingzhou, had also been captured.

Apart from Luo Yi in Youzhou, whom Dou Jiande once attacked with 100,000 men, the two sides fought for more than 100 days. In the end, Dou Jiande returned empty-handed. As for the other prefectures and counties in Hebei, none of them could stop Dou Jiande.

Yuan Zigan, the governor of Mingzhou, surrendered; Lü Min, the governor of Xiangzhou, was executed; and Chen Junbin, the governor of Xingzhou, was captured shortly afterward.
Now, Zhang Zi'ang, the governor of Zhao Prefecture, and Zhang Daoyuan, the imperial pacification commissioner of Hebei, have also been captured.

The four prefectures of Zhao, Xing, Ming, and Xiang, which are adjacent to Taihang Mountain, have all fallen.

Only Weizhou, the southernmost prefecture, remains.

"Is Zhang Daoyuan Li Yi's uncle?" Li Yuan asked after a long while.

“He came from his maternal uncle,” Li Shimin replied.

Li Yuan sighed.

"The situation in Hebei seems beyond saving. We should let Prince Huai'an Shentong and Li Shiji retreat to Huazhou south of the Yellow River, or withdraw to Huaizhou in the west."

Li Shimin reminded his father, "Xinxiang in the southwest of Weizhou and Xiuwu in Huaizhou are now in the hands of Wang Shichong. The Prince of Huai'an and Li Shiji cannot retreat to Huaizhou, nor can they establish a foothold there."

Now, in Huaizhou, north of Luoyang, the Li Tang dynasty only occupies a few castles. Even Huang Junhan, the governor of Huaizhou appointed by the imperial court, can only retreat to Baiya Cangcheng.

"Then let them retreat to Henan first,"

Faced with the fierce and relentless attacks of Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang from Hedong, which threatened Guanzhong, and Dou Jiande from Hebei, who was like a tiger among sheep, seizing the prefectures that had submitted to the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan could only retreat strategically.

It's a pity that Ruzhou was captured by Wang Shichong, otherwise Li Yuan would have wanted Li Shentong and Li Shiji to retreat directly to Shaanxi and Guo.

Now, all we can do is watch as the various regions of Hebei and Henan east of Luoyang fend for themselves, and we can't afford to help them at all.

Even the imperial clansmen couldn't be relied on. Li Shentong and Li Xiaoji were stationed in eastern Shaanxi and pacified Shandong, respectively. In addition, his old comrade Pei Ji was on a campaign in Hedong. Li Yuan was exhausted.

Snowflakes drifted down.
Li Yuan suddenly shivered.
Li Shimin quickly took off his own fur robe and draped it over his father.

"Let's go, it's windy," Li Yuan sighed.

Li Shimin helped his father down from the city wall.

Back in the hall, just as he sat down, the junior eunuch Dugu Sheng arrived again.

"Your Majesty, another urgent report has arrived from Hebei."

Upon seeing his mournful appearance, Li Yuan felt a sudden surge of irritation for no apparent reason. "What bad news is it now?"

Dugu Sheng, Li Yuan's cousin, said somewhat uneasily, "Li Shiji, the governor of Liyang, urgently reported that Dou Jiande led his troops to attack Weizhou. When they passed through Liyang, he sent General Qiu Xiaogang with three hundred cavalry to scout them out."

Xiao Gang encountered Dou Jiande's thousand cavalry and attacked them. Jiande was defeated and fled, and Xiao Gang pursued him.

Just as they were about to capture Dou Jiande, his subordinate Liu Heita led cavalry to his rescue, beheading Xiao Gang. Enraged, Dou Jiande abandoned Weizhou and attacked Liyang.

After three days of fierce attack, Liyang City fell.
Prince Shentong of Huai'an, Secretary Wei Cheng, Princess Tong'an (His Majesty's sister), and Li Gai (Li Shiji's father) were all captured. Only Li Shiji and Guo Xiaoke escaped by crossing the river with a hundred cavalry. Weizhou also fell shortly afterward.

"besides,"

"What else?" Li Yuan roared.

Dugu Sheng was startled and quickly said, "Furthermore, the servants of Wang Gui, the governor of Huazhou, killed Gui and took his head across the river to surrender to Dou Jiande. Huazhou also surrendered."

Xu Yuanlang, the governor of Yanzhou, and others from the surrounding area also surrendered without resistance!

“Wang Shichong also personally led his troops to Huatai and approached Liyang. Wang Yaohan, the governor of Bianzhou of our Great Tang, Ding Shu, the governor of Haozhou, and Shi Derui, the governor of Weizhou, all surrendered to Wang Shichong.”

Li Yuan rubbed his forehead.

I felt dizzy and everything went black before my eyes, and I collapsed.

"Father."

Li Shimin quickly helped his father up, "Summon the imperial physician immediately!"

The imperial physicians rushed over and gave the emperor massages and acupuncture, finally managing to get Li Yuan to open his eyes again.

"Erlang, is Heaven going to destroy me?"

"Your Majesty, the gain or loss of a single city or territories is of little importance."

Dugu Sheng, the junior eunuch in the palace, rushed over again, "Your Majesty,"

Upon seeing him, Li Yuan was furious. "Are you here to deliver a death message? Get out!"

"Your Majesty, it is good news! A great victory! Li Yi, the Inspector General of Bingzhou, reports that three thousand light cavalry have broken through the city of Wenshui at Jiuli, beheading three thousand and capturing seven thousand, including the rebel general Huang Ziying. They also swiftly attacked and subdued the rebellious general Liu Liu'er of the Ji Hu tribe, beheading him and capturing eight hundred others, along with over four thousand prisoners."
Two victories in two battles, both resulting in the complete annihilation of the enemy!

Upon hearing this news, Li Yuan immediately felt his headache disappear and his whole body perk up.

"Hahaha, Li Yi is indeed my lucky general, a harbinger of good fortune for the Tang Dynasty. There is bad news everywhere, but Li Yi keeps bringing good news."

"Three thousand eight thousand were beheaded in two battles, more than eleven thousand were captured, and two traitorous generals, Huang Ziying and Liu Liu'er, were also killed. Good, excellent!" Li Yuan stood up and paced excitedly in the hall.

Even Li Shimin was taken aback.

(End of this chapter)