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

Chapter 375: Giving birth to a child is like nothing

In the afternoon,

Li Yuan walked along the bluestone imperial path to the backyard of the Wude Hall, where Prince Qi Yuanji and Princess Qi Yang greeted him.

"Princess Consort Qi, how has Yuanji been studying these past six months?" the Emperor asked his daughter-in-law.

"Your Highness has hardly left the palace in the past six months. He spends his days practicing spear and archery, reading Sun Tzu's works, and occasionally playing polo with the guards for entertainment," Consort Yang said. Today, she wore a cloud-like bun with several gold hairpins inserted diagonally, and a light blue-green dress with a lotus-root-colored shawl over it. Several gold bracelets on her arms were faintly visible.

This Consort Yang came from the Hongnong Yang clan. She was the grandniece of Yang Xiong, the Prince of Guan of the Sui Dynasty, and the niece of Yang Gongren, the current Attendant-in-Ordinary, Duke of Guan, and Inspector General of Liangzhou. She was also from a prestigious family. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also very knowledgeable and courteous.

Her husband, Prince Qi Yuanji, was the ugliest of all, with rat-like eyes, an eagle-like nose, a pointed mouth, and monkey-like cheeks, and even a red beard. When his birth mother, Lady Dou, gave birth to Yuanji, the midwife brought him to her, and Lady Dou was so frightened by his ugly appearance that she wanted to abandon him. It was the wet nurse, Lady Chen, who secretly raised him until Li Yuan returned to the mansion and brought him out.

"I'm bestowing upon you the former prime minister Yang Su's residence in Yankang Ward. It will be renovated in a few months, and then you can move in." Li Yuan looked at Yuanji, still feeling quite annoyed.

"Father, my second brother is about to lead troops to Luoyang. I do not want to go to Jizhou to guard the old house. I want to go to the battlefield. Whether I go with my second brother, or go to Li Yi in Shannan or Xiao Gong, it is fine."

His escape from Taiyuan last year was indeed an indelible disgrace, and he deeply regrets it now. If he had known that Li Yi could hold Haozhou, why would he have run away?

Li Yuan looked at Yuanji with disappointment and frustration.

Although he has had several more sons now, he only has three adult sons, and he cannot rely on Erlang for everything.

However, having learned from the previous experience in Bingzhou, Li Yuan dared not easily let Yuanji go out to govern another region again.

This time, appointing him as a Chamberlain and concurrently as the Minister of the Xiangzhou Circuit was merely a test of public opinion, to see if people still disliked Yuanji as much.

They first appointed him as the governor of Jizhou, which was just a transitional measure.

"You will go to Jizhou to take up your post tomorrow. You are not allowed to return to the capital without my decree. Do a good job in Jizhou. If you can't even be a good prefect of a small place, then don't talk about anything else."

"If you behave as recklessly in Jizhou as you did in Jinyang, I will break your legs."

"Your subject knows he has made a mistake and will not dare to repeat it."

"Hmph, considering your youth, I will give you another chance. As long as you perform well in Jizhou, I will naturally give you important responsibilities in the future."

“Father, I would rather serve as a battalion commander in my second brother’s army.”

Li Yuan glared at his son.

"Li Yi is the same age as you, a few months younger, but he's performed much better. Dao Zong is also a bit younger than you, but he's already very mature in his work. And Dao Xuan, needless to say, is a little over a year younger than you, and has repeatedly distinguished himself in battle in Hedong."

Even Fengci and Boyi have become much more composed now.

As the legitimate prince, shouldn't you have performed even better?

Li Yuan glanced at Yuanji's child, then got up and left.

If Si Lang were even slightly more reliable, Li Yuan would have valued him and wouldn't have had to rely on Er Lang so often.

If we let Erlang do everything, something bad will happen in the long run.

Now, I only hope that after half a year of reflection, Shiro will be able to make some improvements.

"Your Majesty, are you really going to send Prince Qi to Wugong as a prefect?" Doulu Kuan couldn't help but ask.

"Let him stay in Jizhou for a while and see how he performs. If he still hasn't improved, then let him improve there."

If things have already changed, then when Erlang goes out to war, let Yuanji be his deputy.

"His Majesty appointed Prince Qi as the Minister of the Xiangzhou Circuit, isn't that sending him to guard the southern mountains?"

Li Yuan shook his head. "Although the situation in Shannan is good, Xiao Xian has not been pacified yet. How can I feel at ease letting Yuanji go out to guard Shannan? Let's leave that place to Li Yi, Xiao Gong, Li Jing, Li Shiji, and Li Daliang."

The emperor had previously decreed that Li Xiaogong and his troops should split into three groups and march on Xiao Xian to assist Li Yi in recapturing Xiangyang and Dengzhou. However, Li Yi now only has Xiangyang left to recover.

Meanwhile, Li Xiaogong, Li Yuan, Xu Shao, Li Jing, Tian Shikang, and others have yet to make a move.

The troops haven't even been assembled yet.

In comparison, the speed of Li Yi and Li Daliang's operation this time is all the more apparent.

“My dear in-law, Jiancheng submitted a memorial from Changchun Palace, saying that Li Yi has done so well in Shannan, so why not let Li Yi continue to command the troops?”

Now the Turks to the north seem to be truly enraged, and warnings have been sent from all over the northern frontier.

The Hu people of Lishi rebelled in Lishi and Loufan. Yuan Junzhang and Yushe of Mayi sent troops into Loufan, and the situation in Lanzhou became critical.

There was also Guo Zihe from Yulin. His brothers, who were held hostage by the Turks, had all been imprisoned by Chuluo. Turkic troops had already invaded Yulin, and Guo Zihe could not resist them. He had repeatedly petitioned for permission to lead his people and the inhabitants of Yulin to abandon their land and migrate south.

Duan Decao, the governor of Yanzhou, also submitted a memorial, saying that Liang Shidu had once again led the Turks to attack, and that Liang Shi, the governor of Fuzhou, had been killed in battle.

Furthermore, in Lingzhou and Liangzhou, Mohe Dushe Dubi, the brother of Chuluo Khan, has also launched a large-scale invasion.

These things are giving Li Yuan a headache now.

Chuluo Khan's retaliation came so quickly and fiercely that Li Yuan even had some regrets.

Perhaps it was wrong to let Li Xiyu, the governor of Luzhou, attack the Turkic army, and it was wrong to intercept the two thousand horses and more than ten thousand cattle and sheep that the Turks were sending to Wang Shichong.

"Yang Gongren said that the troops in Hexi were few and requested the court to send reinforcements. Moreover, some of the Tuyuhun and Sogdian tribes in Hexi were beginning to stir and showed signs of rebellion, which worried him greatly."

As the Palace Attendant and a close advisor to the emperor, Doulu Kuan was quite familiar with the political situation.

The campaign against Liu Wuzhou nearly depleted the troops in Guanzhong. Now, with the Turks launching a full-scale retaliatory invasion of the border, and the presence of separatist forces like Yuan Junzhang and Liang Shidu, it's truly a headache.

The imperial court has currently deployed its main military forces to Shannan and eastern Shaanxi, preparing for a decisive battle against Wang Shichong and Xiao Xian.
At this time, the Turks' fierce attack was extremely distressing.

"The arrow of the eastern expedition is on the bowstring, and it must be released."

But the attack by the Khan of the Luo clan is proving difficult for me to handle.

Now, it's not just the Turks, but also Liang Shidu, Yuan Junzhang, the Lishi Hu of Hedong, the Buluoji Hu of Yanzhou in Jingbei, the Sogdians of Hexi, and the Tuyuhun—all seem to have been stirred up by Chuluo Khan.

Li Yuan keenly sensed that a storm was brewing. He was now in a dilemma.

"The Crown Prince proposed that Erlang, the governor of Liangzhou, be sent to Liangzhou to command the troops of Hexi and Lingwu to resist Mohe Dushe."

He was willing to be stationed in Taiyuan to oversee the defense, while Luo Nan would be sent south.

Li Yuan did not want to cancel Li Shimin's eastern expedition plan, nor did he want to give Wang Shichong a chance to regroup. However, he also worried that if he did not return to defend the northern frontier, and if the border could not withstand the Turks, they would launch a large-scale invasion.

It could lead to endless troubles.

Last year's offensive by Liu Wuzhou still terrifies Li Yuan. The Turks have more troops and are stronger than Liu Wuzhou.

Doulu Kuan thought for a moment, "If Your Majesty is worried about the border, you can also send Li Yi to lead the troops north."

Li Yi's expedition has basically achieved its intended objectives, leaving only the isolated city of Xiangyang. He can leave either Li Daliang or Li Shiji to lead an army to surround it.

The emperor shook his head.

He preferred to take Luoyang first, or eliminate Xiao Xian, but regardless of which one he eliminated first, Li Yi and his army were indispensable in Li Yuan's eyes.

Back at Ganlu Palace,
Li Yuan immediately summoned several prime ministers, including Pei Ji, Xiao Yu, Chen Shuda, and Feng Deyi.

“We sent an envoy to see Chuluo Khan. The horses, cattle and sheep that he gave to Wang Shichong were bought by our Great Tang with silk.”

The captured Turkic special forces and soldiers in Luzhou were all released, and those who died in battle were each given one hundred bolts of silk.

Li Yuan decided to be patient a little longer.

He would endure humiliation and hardship, and if he could endure another year or two of humiliation, once he had defeated Wang Shichong and Xiao Xian, he would no longer fear the Turks.

Pei Ji brought up the old matter again.

"Since Guo Zihe of Yulin has requested to move south, let him lead his troops to move south and settle in the old city of Yanzhou. Yulin can be ceded to Chuluo Khan for grazing horses in exchange for his cessation of hostilities."

"Chuluo Khan has a huge appetite, and now that he has gained power, he will not be lenient," Li Yuan sighed.

Pei Ji pointed to Lanzhou on the map and said, "Today we received a report from Hedong that Lanzhou has been captured by the Qi Hu, who led the Turks and Yuan Junzhang's troops."

Lanzhou was originally occupied by Liu Wuzhou. Previously, when Li Yi was stationed in Taiyuan, he used Nibu Sheshibobi to send Daoxuan to seize it.

Now, let's just return Lanzhou to them and restore the previous border.

The Turks are strong and powerful, and it is difficult to contend with them now. This is almost a consensus in the court. Although some people are unwilling to admit it, it is a fact in the eyes of the vast majority.

Since we can't win and we can't afford to be distracted right now, we should back down and be patient.

Since Lanzhou has already fallen, let's give it to Chuluo Khan. Yulin can't be defended either, so let's give it to the Turks.

If the Turkic Khan Chuluo is still not satisfied by then, Fengzhou can be given to the Turks.

Lingzhou, Liangzhou, and Bingzhou cannot be ceded, but the others are negotiable.

The two thousand horses and more than ten thousand cattle and sheep that they had stolen could have been bought back by the Tang Dynasty, even if it cost more money and silk. Although they knew that Wang Shichong had already paid a high price for these horses, cattle, and sheep, they had essentially stolen Wang Shichong's property.

But the Turks were unreasonable, so he gritted his teeth and paid up. After all, he had already gotten the cattle, horses, and sheep. The one who really lost out was Wang Shichong. He let the Turks sell the goods twice.

Envoys Zheng Yuanzhu and Li Chen were still detained in the Turkic Khaganate.
Then send another batch of envoys.

Send more money, silk, gold, and silver, and also select some prostitutes to send over.

Pei Ji spoke these words calmly, without any resentment or hesitation. On the other hand, Chen Shuda and Xiao Yu kept their faces dark, clearly displeased.

"Let the Crown Prince continue to be stationed in Puban, and let Prince Changping, Shuliang, garrison troops in Yuanzhou, ready to support Lingzhou or Liangzhou at any time."

"Issue an imperial edict to Li Yi, ordering him to take Xiangyang as soon as possible, then lead his troops north to attack Yi and Yu, in order to cooperate with the King of Qin in attacking Luoyang."

Li Yuan looked at the map

Make a quick decision: attack Wang Shichong first, then Xiao Xian, one at a time, instead of both at once.

Li Yi's troops remained stationary and advanced northward from Nanyang.

Meanwhile, Li Xiaogong's troops, which were originally preparing to attack Xiao Xian, had to withdraw some troops to defend Guanzhong, so that they could be reinforced if Liangzhou, Lingzhou, Bingzhou, and other places were in danger.

They even prepared for the worst: if the Turks penetrated deep into Guanzhong, Chang'an would need to be defended.

Last time we fought Liu Wuzhou, Guanzhong was left with only 10,000 soldiers.

This must not happen again.

It is now July, and the Qin King's preparations for war are almost complete. Despite the enormous threat from the Turks, Li Yuan cannot allow the war machine to stop.

"Your Majesty, Xiangyang is a fortified city. What if we launch a rapid attack and find it difficult to take?"

Li Yuan waved his hand, "Xiangyang is currently isolated and is just an isolated city with few soldiers. If necessary, we can send a general to surround it. Li Yi, head north first."

Although Puban had been defended for three years, and Li Yi had defeated three major attacks by the Wu Zhou army in Haozhou, Li Yuan felt that the situation in Xiangyang was different.

was saying,

The eunuch presented an urgent report.

"Your Majesty, an urgent message from Shannan has arrived: the Duke of Jin has captured Xiangyang and taken the false King of Wei, Wang Honglie, the false Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Su Shichang, and Doulu Bao, among others, prisoner."

"Hahaha," Li Yuan laughed, "I knew Xiangyang City wouldn't be a problem for Li Yi. Bring it here quickly, I want to see how Li Yi takes Xiangyang City."

As the emperor opened the victory report, he said to Xiao Yu and the others, "Su Shichang and Doulu Bao were old friends of mine in the previous dynasty. I sent people to persuade them to surrender, but they killed several of my envoys. Now they are my prisoners. I can't wait to see them in Chang'an."

I'd like to ask them face to face: how do you feel now that you've become prisoners of my Great Tang, so loyal to Wang Shichong? Do you regret it?

"Hahaha!"

(End of this chapter)