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

Chapter 380 Rescuing the Master Naked
Weizhou, Yanling.

After King Wu of Zhou destroyed the Shang dynasty, he divided the land among his subjects, and this place was designated as the State of Yan.

Originally part of Xuzhou, it is now part of Weizhou.

When Li Yijun entered Yanling, Prefect Cui Shishu hosted a banquet in his honor.

"Your Excellency's presence is an honor to my humble abode." Cui Shishu, dressed in a purple silk robe with a sash patterned with wild geese, came to greet him with a group of his family members.

Li Yi was accompanied by Cui Yu, Lu Chengqing, Zhang Hao, as well as Niu Jinda, Wu Heita, Zhang Gongjin, and others.

Cui Shishu did not hold a banquet at the governor's mansion; he had a large residence in the city. His family was from Yanling, the Cui family of Yanling, which was a branch of the Qinghe Cui family in Yanling, Xuzhou, and was known as the second branch of the Southern Ancestor.

Among the five surnames and seven families in Shandong, there are two Cui and two Li families. The Cui family of Qinghe is even stronger than the Cui family of Boling. The Cui family of Qinghe has six prominent branches, including the Zhengzhou branch, the Xuzhou branch, and the Qingzhou branch.

The Yanling family was also prosperous. Cui Shishu had served as a vice minister during the Sui Dynasty, and later became the commander-in-chief to suppress the Wagang rebellion. However, he was captured by Zhai Rang and surrendered. Zhai Rang subjected him to various forms of torture and demanded money. Cui Shishu had his family raise gold and silver in every way possible, but they could not satisfy Zhai Rang, and he was almost killed. Later, Li Mi pleaded for his life and spared his life. Li Mi kept his sons as hostages, appointed him as commander-in-chief, and allowed him to return to Yanling. After Li Mi's defeat, Cui Shishu, like Li Gongyi, the commander-in-chief of Qizhou, observed the situation for a long time, first returning to Zheng and then to the Tang Dynasty.
After the Tang army lost power in Guandong, Li Gongyi was attacked and killed, and Cui Shishu surrendered to Zheng.

Now that the Tang army has arrived, he has decisively surrendered to the Tang again after being persuaded by Zhang Gongjin.

Although they were like reeds that swayed with the wind, Li Yi knew that one couldn't force these people in times of chaos. In Yanling, no matter who dominated Henan in recent years, they still had to make use of the Cui family.

Regardless of whether you are Duke Wei, Duke Zheng, or Emperor Tang, Cui Shishu is the ruler of Yanling.

Li Yi didn't have much affection for Cui Shishu, but he admired the young Zhang Gongjin quite a bit. Just the fact that Zhang Gongjin dared to cross Xuzhou to visit Li Yi right after Li Yi had just captured Xiangcheng showed his courage.

Zhang Gongjin was only in his early twenties, but he was very tall and strong, quite handsome, skilled in riding and archery, courageous, and strong. Although he was currently under the command of Cui Shishu, Li Yi felt that this young man had a promising future.

When Li Yi entered the mansion, he was also wearing a purple official robe, but not his silk armor, intentionally downplaying his martial prowess.

However, at Huo Yu's suggestion, she still wore soft armor underneath.

Huo Yu used to lead the rebel army, and she was used to all kinds of shameless treachery. She even set up a trap in Huazhou, where she forced Cao Dan's twenty-three generals to drink wine and killed them all. She also issued a false order to transport Xia troops by boat to the middle of the river to shoot them.

However, Li Yi doesn't need to worry too much about the Cui family's banquet today.

The Tang army entered the city and took over the defense of Yanling. He also brought three hundred retainers and personal guards with him. Zhang Gongjin had been recruited by him as the general commander of the expeditionary force to lead the troops of Weizhou to accompany the expedition.

Before Li Yiren even entered the banquet hall, his dozens of personal guards, clad in armor underneath robes, were already positioned throughout the hall.

What's even more worrying is that the signal to smash a glass during the banquet is that the executioners who rush out with knives and axes are actually members of the Cui family.

Although Li Yi disliked Cui Shishu, he had advocated surrendering earlier than Shi Derui, and Li Yi still appointed him as governor. Cui Shishu had neither the reason nor the courage to play dirty tricks.

The banquet was rather conventional.

Cui Shishu offered a toast to show his loyalty to the court and explained that he had no other choice. Li Yi, of course, was magnanimous and forgave him for his past mistakes.

Everyone was acting, and their acting skills were all quite good.

Then Cui Shishu called his sons to come up and pay their respects, and offered to send some young men to serve him, which Li Yi accepted.

Then the local powerful families also came to offer toasts. These people were either affiliated with the Cui family, or were former students or relatives of the Cui family, all of whom expressed their loyalty and sent hostages.
The Cui family and other families also voluntarily donated a batch of grain and money to help the army, which Li Yi accepted with a smile.

Everyone knows what's good for them; it's a win-win situation, no need for any "good cop, bad cop" dynamic. Cui Shishu is a shrewd old fox; he knows exactly what he should and shouldn't do.

When the wine was half-drunk,

With the matter nearly settled, Cui Shishu summoned his household entertainers to perform music and dance, and even arranged for Li Yi to have two beautiful, talented, young, and pretty maids.

He secretly observed Li Yi and found that Li Yi only wet his lips with wine and did not make any advances towards the beautiful courtesans. Moreover, his generals were also very well-mannered, which was quite surprising. He had previously hosted banquets for Li Mi's men, Wang Shichong's men, and Tang envoys, but none of them were as impressive as this young attendant.

Indeed, a great reputation is well-deserved.

He beckoned to his son, "Go and call Yingluo here."

“Father, there’s no need for that. We are the Cui family of Qinghe, and Yingluo is the legitimate daughter. If such a daughter of five prominent families were to serve wine to Li Yi, wouldn’t the Shandong gentry laugh at our Yanling family? Why not send him some gold and arrange for a few more young courtesans? He’s so young, how could he not like gold and beautiful women?”

"What do you know? Although the Tang Dynasty has two eighteen-year-old attendants, the other one is the legitimate prince. Do you think anyone has the ability to be appointed attendant at eighteen, or even be granted the title of king?"
I've figured it out. The world is going to fall to the Tang Dynasty. We Shandong people will probably have an even lower status than we did in the Sui Dynasty. We'll have to rely on powerful figures in the court.
This Li Shizhong also concurrently holds the positions of Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince and Left Guard Commander.

In times of chaos, women from the five surnames were not so valuable anymore. In recent years, Shandong has become so chaotic that even the seven families of the five surnames often couldn't protect themselves.

“I have heard that Zheng Shanguo, the Left Vice-Minister of the Crown Prince and the Duke of Xingyang, is eager to give his daughter to Li Yi as a concubine.”

Compared to the Zheng family of Xingyang who have successfully settled down, the Cui family of Yanling is clearly still in a precarious situation.

Cui Shishu and his son were still scheming over there.

Li Yi, however, had Zhang Gongjin sit beside him and chatted with him, inquiring about Xu Wei's situation. He explained that Xu Wei wouldn't stay in Yanling for long; he would be collecting taxes and grain there, and might even need to borrow some from the Cui family.
After receiving another batch of local soldiers and the sons of various families, he would continue his advance. After conquering ten prefectures, his next target was Bianzhou, followed by Huazhou. He aimed to reach the south bank of the Yellow River and sever all ties with southeastern Henan.

"The governor of Weizhou will remain Cui Shishu, and the other officials will also remain the same. However, some of the Weizhou troops will be taken away. Of course, I will also leave some troops to be stationed here. You will come with me to Bianhua."

Zhang Gongjin was somewhat surprised by Li Yi's appreciation of him, but he accepted the opportunity.

"As long as we can quickly sweep through southeastern Henan, the King of Qin in Luoyang will be much more relaxed, and we may really be able to end the war this year without it dragging on for too long."

Two young and beautiful courtesans were attending to him, but Li Yi's attention was not on them at all.

"There must be a great battle going on in Luoyang too, right?" Zhang Gongjin asked.

"Yes, the chief stewards Luo Shixin, Huang Junhan, Liu Dewei, along with Shi Wanbao and Wang Junkuo, have already captured the castle on the outer perimeter."
The King of Qin led 50,000 troops out of Guzhou and stationed them at Cijian. I estimate they are currently engaged in battle with Wang Shichong.

"What does the Chamberlain think the Battle of Cijian will be like?"

Li Yi smiled and poured himself a new cup of tea. "Wang Shichong couldn't even defeat Li Mi in open field battles. Do you think he can defeat the Prince of Qin? The Prince of Qin was able to decisively defeat and annihilate Xue Ju and his son from Longyou, as well as Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang from Daibei in open field battles."

Longyou and Daibei were known for their fierce cavalry, yet even they couldn't defeat the King of Qin. What did Wang Shichong have? Jianghuai crossbowmen, or spearmen?

"Does the Chamberlain think that Wang Shichong will suffer a major defeat at Cijian and perish in one battle?" Li Yi shook his head. "That's unlikely. Wang Shichong is quite experienced in military affairs. I predict that Wang Shichong and the Prince of Qin may fight one or two fewer battles at Cijian. Knowing that he can't win in open battle, he will take the initiative to retreat to Luoyang for defense."

Zhang Gongjin lamented, "Withdraw to Luoyang? Isn't that just waiting to die?"

"Yes, your phrase 'waiting to die' is very apt, but what else could Wang Shichong do besides stubbornly resist and wait to die?"

"Would the Turks or Dou Jiande from Hebei save him?"

"Perhaps, is it possible to save him?"

Zhang Gongjin remained silent. The Li Tang dynasty in Guanzhong and Li Mi of the past were two completely different adversaries.

Wang Shichong could defeat Li Mi, but he would have a hard time defeating the Tang Dynasty.

He understood this point, which is why he strongly urged Cui Shishu to surrender to the Tang Dynasty.

After eating and drinking to his heart's content, Li Yi got up and bid farewell to Cui Shishu and the others.

“Your Excellency, it’s getting late. Why don’t you stay at my residence and rest? My home may be simple, but it’s still better than other places.”

Li Yi waved his hand. He knew Cui Shishu's tricks. It was nothing more than arranging beautiful women to serve him, and he might even send him some gold and silk gifts at night. If he could put aside his pride, he might even arrange for a concubine's daughter from the Cui family to accompany him.

He's been getting along really well with Huo Yu lately, so he doesn't want to play those games with the Cui family anymore.

"I still have military duties to attend to and cannot stay long. I have truly felt the warmth of Prefect Cui, and I will report back to the Emperor in Chang'an the strong support of the people of Weizhou."

Zhang Gongjin clasped his hands in greeting to Cui Shishu, saying, "My lord, I will escort the Chamberlain back."

After Li Yi's personal guards escorted him away, Cui Shishu was somewhat lost in thought.

"Zhang Gongjin has managed to curry favor with a powerful figure," Cui Dalang scoffed.

"People strive to rise higher, and water flows downhill; it's perfectly normal."

"Father, what about the necklace?"

"Tell her that Li Yi has left. Tomorrow I will speak with Minister Li in person and offer my position as the eldest daughter of the Cui family of Yanling to him as a concubine. How could he possibly refuse?"

"If it weren't for the chaos of these times, he could never have married the legitimate daughter of one of the five prominent families of Shandong."

Li Yi lived in the rear office of the governor's mansion.

Huo Yu lived in the courtyard next to his, and Huo Yu jumped over the wall in one leap.

"Aren't you satisfied with the two young beauties that Cui Shishu arranged for you today?"

"Just a courtesan used by wealthy families to entertain guests." Li Yi rested his head on her smooth thighs, and Huo Yu massaged his head, which felt very comfortable.

"We've conquered ten states in ten days, isn't that a bit too fast? It doesn't feel quite right!"

"As long as the King of Qin is not defeated, we don't need to worry about these local military leaders and powerful clans rebelling again."

"Is it really true that the King of Qin will not be defeated?" Huo Yu asked.

Back then, Li Mi had been pressing Wang Shichong all along, but in the end, he was defeated by Wang Shichong in one battle and fled to Guanzhong.

"Don't worry, it won't happen."

Forty li west of Luoyang, outside Cijian Fort on the banks of the Luo River.

Li Shimin used both hands to shoot down Zheng soldiers, but the number of soldiers surrounding him only increased.

Qiu Xiaogong, covered in blood, cursed at Hou Junji, "You son of a bitch Hou Sanshui, hurry up and protect the king as he breaks through the encirclement! I'll cover the rear and get you!"

Hou Junji gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot, and brandished his lance, fighting fiercely. He was not good at archery, but when he got ruthless, he was fearless and relentless. He led his personal guard cavalry to tear a bloody path through the enemy lines. "Your Majesty, run!"

Several hundred cavalrymen fought and retreated.

Li Shimin lost three horses in the process and had to change horses three times. Finally, Qiu Xiaogong gave his own horse to Li Shimin and led him to charge into battle with a spear. Several times, Shan Xiongxin charged close, but the personal guards risked their lives to stop him.

Li Shimin was no longer calm and composed; he was covered in dust and blood, and it was impossible to tell whether the person was himself or the enemy.

Just when he thought he had messed things up,
Suddenly, dozens of horsemen charged in from the banks of the Luo River. These cavalrymen were all shirtless, without clothes, armor, or saddles.

They rode in naked.

The leader, a burly man, came galloping by, holding the horse's mane with his bare hands.

"Do not harm the King of Qin!" The voice boomed like thunder in the sky.

Shan Xiongxin stabbed down several more Tang cavalrymen who were covering the rear. Just as he was about to chase after Li Shimin, he suddenly saw a naked man running towards him. They were all stunned and wondered where this thing came from.

He thrust the spear directly at the target.
The man on horseback dodged the fierce attack, then reached out and grabbed his spear, actually trying to take it from him!

Dan Xiongxin was already somewhat surprised that his first attack missed, and then his spear was caught.

He was known as the Flying General, a master of archery and horsemanship, especially the lance; he was a recognized expert in lance fighting. But now, his lance was caught in someone's grasp, and he couldn't retract it.

"Who goes there?" Shan Xiongxin roared angrily.

"Yes, yes, it is Yuchi Gong of Mayi!" the burly man with the dark complexion roared, exerting force in his hand. Shan Xiongxin lost his grip and the horse spear was snatched away.

Yuchi Gong immediately seized the golden lacquered spear from General Shan Xiongxin and with a single sweeping strike, knocked down several of Shan Xiongxin's personal guards.

(End of this chapter)