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

Chapter 378 Ducks Fly Through Ye County, Leaving Only Plain Shoes

Qianjin Fort is located north of Luoyang City, at the foot of Mangshan Mountain, on the east bank of the Chan River.

Midnight,

A group of elderly, women, and children fled to the foot of the fortress carrying torches. The incessant crying of infants awakened the garrison.

Why are there so many refugees?

"So many babies, there must be dozens, right?"

The garrison of Qianjin Fort peered down from the city walls and saw that there were more than a hundred men and women. In the firelight, they could vaguely make out that most of them were elderly women, and many of the women were holding infants.

The sound of babies crying filled the air.

"Who goes there?" the guard shouted.

In front of the fortress gate, outside the moat, an old woman said tremblingly, "We have come from Cherry Valley to seek refuge with General Luo of Xiashi Fortress."

Liu Meng cursed, "Are you all blind? This is Qianjin Fortress, not Xiashi Fortress. Xiashi Fortress only has Chief Steward Wang, not some damn Chief Steward Luo."

The old woman panicked and said to the person next to her, "What should we do? We've gone to the wrong place. This isn't Xiashi Fortress, it's Qianjin Fortress!"

The women around cried out in panic, "Hurry up! Our village was just robbed of its grain by Zheng's army. We barely managed to escape. How can we go back into the enemy's den?"

The people below the city then fled westward in panic.

The patrol captain, Wang Xian, came over and asked, "What's going on? Who's below the city walls?"

"Reporting to the captain, a group of women suddenly appeared below the city, carrying children and holding babies, saying they came to seek refuge with General Luo of Xiashi Fort."

Another said, "Judging from their words, these people must be wealthy households from a village upstream. Our soldiers requisitioned their grain, so they are going to surrender to the Tang army."

Captain Wang Xian frowned.

Xiashi Fort has been captured by the Tang army, and the Tang general is Luo Shixin, the military commander of Shanzhou Road.

In the upper reaches of the Chan River, at the foot of Mang Mountain, there are large and small gullies stretching for more than ten miles. They are famous for their cherry production. Cherries have been planted since King Ping of Zhou moved the capital eastward, and they were a precious item for royal sacrifices.

Even now, they are all very lush. The rocky hollow of Cherry Valley has long since become a valley of gold and silver, and it is still a scenic spot in Luoyang, known as Chanhe Zhuying (Crimson Cherry of Chanhe). Wang Xian knew that because of its proximity to Luoyang and its cherry production, the area had both local powerful families' strongholds and the manors and villas of Luoyang nobles.

During this period, Luoyang dispatched troops to intensify the requisition of grain from all directions.

It's possible that some fortified villages upstream of the Chan River refused to pay taxes and were attacked by government troops, and it's also normal for their families and children to go and join the Tang army in the middle of the night.

"how many people?"

"There were about a hundred, but there were probably twenty or thirty babies, and the whole place was filled with their cries."

How many guards and able-bodied men are there?

"I didn't see any able-bodied men, only women and children, carrying bundles and carrying children."

Wang Xiansheng was overcome by greed and immediately decided to lead his troops to pursue and plunder.

"Lower the drawbridge, open the city gates, and come with me to bring these people back."

Not far from the fortress, Luo Shixin, fully armored and armed, lay in ambush.

"Steward, will this really work?" the subordinate asked.

“My old brother Wuyi used this move in Ling Shi City in Hedong, and it worked very well. We’re learning it and putting it to use today.”

"But the tricks that Minister Li has already used are unlikely to fool anyone again, right?"

"What do you know? Wu Yi used this tactic to seize Ling Shi City, and the garrison of Qian Jin Fortress might not even know it. Who cares if it's a black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat."
Besides, whether it succeeds or fails, we'll know once we try; if it doesn't, there's no loss.

Wang Xian did not disappoint Luo Shixin, and was indeed lured out of the city.

"Hehe, Wu Yi's trick is really effective. I'll have to learn more from him in the future. Brothers, cheer up and get ready to seize the gate."

Wang Xian's troops had just rushed out of the fortress gate.

Luo Shixin led his troops out from the shadows, but instead of heading for Zheng's army that had left the fort, he rushed into the fort before the city gates were closed.

The speed is too fast,

The garrison of Qianjin Fort was completely unprepared and watched helplessly as a cavalry force emerged from the darkness, crossed the drawbridge, and charged into the fort.

The fortress gate was captured.

No matter how fortified Qianjin Fort is, it is still at the mercy of others.

After a chaotic massacre, Qianjin Fortress was captured. Luo Shixin's battle robe was stained with blood. Seeing that this group of people resisted stubbornly and caused his own troops to suffer heavy casualties, he ordered the execution of all prisoners with red eyes.

Standing atop Qianjin Fort,
The sun rises, and the sky is filled with rosy clouds.

"I will send a report of victory to the King of Qin and capture another fortress."

As the morning sun rose, he stood on the fortress wall, able to see the Eastern Capital spanning the two banks of the Luo River to the south, and wondered where Li Yi was at that moment.

"Duke of Shan, the mutton soup is ready. Drink it while it's hot. You've been busy all night." A servant brought over the freshly cooked mutton soup.

Illinois

Ye County.

Guo Xiaoke led the vanguard to the city of Ye, where he came down to the city walls and called out to the enemy.

On the city wall of Ye County, a group of people gazed at the Tang army's banners, each with their own thoughts and furrowed brows.

Ye County was originally called Ye Yi during the Spring and Autumn Period. It was the fiefdom of a prince of the State of Chu. Lord Ye, who loved dragons, was the lord of this place. Confucius even visited Lord Ye during his travels through the states, but it is said that the two did not get along and had an unpleasant conversation.
It is said that Confucius's students later fabricated the story of Lord Ye's love of dragons to smear him.

After the Qin state seized it, it was renamed Yeyang. During the Han Dynasty, it was renamed Ye County, named after the leaf, supposedly because the area was famous for its silkworms and produced abundant mulberry leaves.

The Book of the Later Han Dynasty also records that Wang Qiao, the magistrate of Ye County, always went to Luoyang to pay homage to the emperor very quickly, and he was never seen with a carriage or horses. So, out of curiosity, he sent someone to follow him. They found that two wild ducks were flying together. He secretly sent someone to catch one of them, and it turned into a shoe.

Later, a poem came out: "The dragon leaps over Pingjin, truly a precious sword. The duck flies through Ye County, leaving only plain shoes."

At this time, Magistrate Ye on the city wall was also surnamed Wang, but he was neither a member of the royal family of Wang Shichong's Great Zheng Dynasty nor did he have flying shoes that could turn him into a wild duck.

He was just a scholar who had once served as a scribe in Luoyang. He was an excellent calligrapher, and he had spent a lot of money to become the magistrate of Ye County.

Because Luoyang has been experiencing frequent food shortages and famines in recent years, even high-ranking officials and ministers often go hungry, let alone clerks and scribes like him.
When food supplies run out, even gold cannot buy food.

Officials in Luoyang all tried to find ways to be transferred to other places, and those who managed to escape from the great prison of Luoyang used all their ingenuity.

He bribed Wang Shichong's elder brother with gold to obtain the appointment as magistrate of Ye County.

But who could have imagined that before he had even served as magistrate for a hundred days, the Tang army would attack, and he would only have had three months of good food.

He secretly glanced at the garrison commander beside him; the Tiger General's face was solemn.

Magistrate Wang thought to himself, with his three thousand ragtag men, only five hundred of whom were armored, how could he possibly defend the city? More importantly, how many of the wealthy and powerful families in the city would truly be willing to fight to the death?

Now, on the city wall of Ye County...
The group of people had different thoughts. He was the county magistrate, but he only had a group of local strongmen under his command. General Zhang Jing was the nephew of Governor Zhang Yin. He was originally a bandit and had joined Zhang Yin in rebellion with Lu Mingyue in his early years.

He nominally had three thousand soldiers, but only five hundred were armored; the rest were newly recruited. They were neither trained nor equipped with armor or crossbows.

What remains are the local powerful families and tycoons; these local bullies are the most unreliable. Magistrate Wang has only been in office for a hundred days, and aside from having enough to eat, he has no control over Ye County. The county officials are all their own people, and he has been completely sidelined.

Whether it was levying taxes or assigning corvée labor, it was all decided by the county officials from various families.

Magistrate Wang, who also came from a humble background, could only helplessly accept the situation.

right now,

With a formidable enemy at hand,

The real decision-makers are still the powerful and influential ones.

Last year, when Wang Shichong attacked General Zhang Shanxiang, they abandoned Zhang Shanxiang and joined Wang Shibian. Now that the Tang army is coming again, who knows who they will side with this time?

Guo Xiaoke shouted for a while, but no one answered. So he simply ordered his men to shoot hundreds of pre-prepared letters of surrender into the city.

As long as the city is opened and surrendered, the officials in the city will retain their official positions, and the major families and common people in the city will not be disturbed.

Even the soldiers and officers stationed there were treated well.

Zhang Jing sent troops to confiscate the arrow-shaped letter.

However, many people still hid the arrow book and passed it around among themselves.

night.

Outside Ye County, Guo Xiaoke's vanguard of 5,000 men set up camp.

Standing atop the city wall, Zhang Jing could see that the Tang army was very arrogant. They had set up camp just a few miles away, without digging trenches, planting trees or fences, or building arrow towers. It was just a cluster of tents with some horses and carriages on the perimeter.

Looking at this appearance, Zhang Jing felt it was extremely familiar.

This is the most common campsite used by rebel armies in the past.

"Isn't Guo Xiaoke far too arrogant? He's so close to the city, yet he hasn't set up any defenses whatsoever!" Zhang Jing's son, young and impetuous, couldn't help but say. "He must be so arrogant because he sees we dare not answer today."

"Father, why don't we launch a night raid on the Tang camp and annihilate them in one fell swoop?"

Zhang Jing looked at the Tang camp in the darkness and could vaguely hear the noise coming from inside, as if they were eating and drinking meat.

Zhang Jing and his uncle Zhang Yin had previously rebelled with Lu Mingyue, but were later defeated and captured by Wang Shichong, and then joined Wang Shichong's Jianghuai Army.

Wang Shichong was a strict and disciplined commander. His troops were highly elite. Zhang Yin and Zhang Jing had fought alongside him for several years and were no longer the bandits they once were. They had rich experience in marching, setting up camp, deploying troops, and engaging in battle.

Guo Xiaoke's few thousand men outside the city are indeed underestimating their enemy.

Enemy camps without strong palisades are the easiest to break through.

“It’s possible that Guo Xiaoke deliberately lured me out of the city so he could ambush me,” Zhang Jing said.

“Father, this is a rare opportunity. If we don’t fight now, we will have no chance when the main Tang army arrives. The powerful families in the city, and even that incompetent magistrate, may surrender.”

Zhang Jing hesitated.

Of the three thousand soldiers he had, only five hundred of his old troops were capable of fighting.

"Father, let's take a gamble."

Hearing the arrogant sound in the wind, Zhang Jing couldn't help but grit his teeth, "Fine, let's give it a try."

He ordered his soldiers to rest first, and at midnight, the three thousand soldiers had a hearty meal before stealthily advancing out of the city, men gagged and horses hoofed.
As long as we can launch a surprise attack and catch them off guard, we can break into their camp.

Then the Tang army would not have time to put on their armor or even assemble, and the scattered soldiers would be unable to fight against the Zheng army.

That would be a massacre.

The father and son were clad in armor and rode warhorses, accompanied by a hundred cavalrymen, followed by four hundred armored infantrymen, and behind them were two thousand five thousand new recruits, some without armor, some with helmets, equipped with shields, swords, or spears, and there were not many archers.

Getting closer and closer to Tang camp,
Zhang Jing felt a vague unease. Why was the Tang camp completely silent, without any reaction?

His son, Zhang Meng, suddenly brandished his spear and shouted, "Charge in!"

They easily broke through the chevaux-de-frise made of spears and stormed into the camp.

Tents were right in front of us.

Zhang Jing's expression changed drastically upon seeing the unresponsive Tang camp. "This is an empty camp, there's an ambush! Retreat immediately!"

Suddenly, horns sounded from all directions.

In the pitch-black night, no one knew how many soldiers were coming to attack.

"Retreat! Retreat back to the city!" Zhang Jing exclaimed in alarm; the hunter had become the prey.

Guo Xiaoke led his cavalry in a charge at the forefront, numbering as many as five hundred.

Li Yi led a total of four thousand cavalrymen on his northward journey, some brought from Guanzhong and others drawn from various prefectures and states south of the mountains. Each of the four commanders was assigned five hundred cavalrymen.

Five hundred cavalrymen charged forward fiercely.

Zhang Jing's personal guards at the rear were thrown into chaos and scattered as soon as they were charged.

Zhang Jing dared not look back and ordered his five hundred veteran infantry and cavalry to charge towards Ye County without regard for anything else.

After finally reaching the city walls, they had less than three hundred infantry and cavalry left with them.

"Open the city gate quickly!"

The city gates of Ye County were tightly shut, and there was no response for a long time. Zhang Jing shouted angrily.

On the city gate tower,

The guards held torches, which illuminated the figure of Magistrate Wang, who was surrounded by a group of officials and powerful figures from Ye County.

"General Zhang, the people of Ye County have already decided to submit to the Tang Dynasty. This county magistrate advises General Zhang to also lead his troops to surrender."

Zhang Jing never expected that his attack on the Tang camp would result in not only falling into an ambush, but also making it impossible for him to return to Ye County.

"Let's go to Yizhou." Zhang Jing didn't waste any more words. He called his son and led the few hundred remaining soldiers around him to flee north.

Tang cavalry caught up from behind.

Soon the infantry were all left behind, and gradually, many of the cavalry around them also dispersed, leaving only about ten riders to follow the father and son northward.

(End of this chapter)