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

Chapter 382: Showing Heroic Qualities
"What happened?"

Qin Shubao helped the King of Qin up. He had always seen the King of Qin as a strategist who could win battles from afar, and even go two days without food or three days without removing his armor, leaving the pursuing enemy nowhere to hide. He had never seen him in such a disheveled state.

"It was my carelessness. That old dog Wang Shichong reacted very quickly."

Shan Xiongxin truly lives up to his title of "Flying General." This treacherous dog will surely be killed one day.

Li Shimin shouted that he wanted to remove the arrows, change horses, and fight again, but Qu Tutong arrived to stop him. He ordered Qin Shubao and Cheng Yaojin to lead the elite Xuanjia cavalry out of the camp to provide support, while he ordered infantry and cavalry to follow.

"King Qin, please go back and heal your wounds first,"

Qu Tutong had no time to blame Li Shimin for underestimating the enemy; the priority was to stabilize the situation first.

Duan Zhixuan was dragged backward by his hair by two Zheng army cavalry generals.

Upon reaching the Luo River, the soil became soft, and the horses slowed down. Duan Zhixuan had been looking for an opportunity. Seeing the horses stop, he quickly regained his footing, decisively exerted his strength, grabbed one arm of each of the two Zheng army cavalry generals, and violently pulled them off their horses.

Although Duan Zhixuan was young, he had grown up with Li Shimin in martial arts since childhood and could be Li Shimin's playmate. His family was also a military family in Guanzhong, and he had practiced riding and archery since childhood.

Although he had been knocked off his horse by Shan Xiongxin earlier, he was still stronger than those two cavalry generals.

He pulled the two men off their horses, lunged forward to snatch a broadsword, and stabbed them to death with a few swift strokes. He quickly cut off their heads, then swiftly mounted his horse, grabbed the other horse, and galloped away.

Things changed too quickly.

Zheng Jun shouted and chased after them.

Duan Zhixuan took the bow from the saddle and fired arrows while running and looking back.

With each arrow fired, a Zheng soldier fell behind him.

Gradually, although hundreds of men were chasing after him, they dared not get too close. Duan Zhixuan, relying on his excellent archery skills, ran all the way back to the Tang army camp, bringing back a fine horse and the heads of two cavalry generals.

Although his helmet fell off himself
His hair was disheveled and his body was filthy, but the scene of his return still drew cheers from the Tang soldiers.

A detachment of infantry and cavalry rushed out from the camp to provide support and intercept the pursuers.

Zheng Jun turned and ran away from a distance.

Duan Zhixuan was lifted up by a group of Tang soldiers, who cheered as they carried him to Li Shimin.

"Zhixuan, you're alright, that's wonderful! I thought I'd lost you, and I was crying for you." Li Shimin was overjoyed.

Although Duan Zhixuan was in pain all over, feeling like his body was falling apart, he said with great bravado, "That dog slave Shan Xiongxin injured my horse's leg, his men shot and killed my horse, and I was captured."
Fortunately, I found an opportunity halfway through, pulled them off their horses, chopped off their heads, and stole their horses to return. Hundreds of men chased after me, but I shot down more than a dozen with my bow, and they dared not get too close.

He looked at Li Shimin, whose body was wrapped in bandages, and said, "Is Your Majesty alright? It's all because of my poor protection."

Li Shimin waved his hand, "I was wearing two layers of armor. Although I took quite a few arrow wounds, fortunately none of them were serious. They were just minor cuts and some bleeding. It looks a bit scary, but..."

"It was my fault today. I underestimated the enemy and was careless, which dragged you into this mess. Fortunately, Yuchi Gong appeared in time to save you."

Duan Zhixuan sat down, and the military doctor had Qian Cong cut off the arrows in his body, then remove his armor, clean and treat his wounds. He didn't even blink. "By the way, how did Yuchi Gong end up there, completely naked except for a pair of short trousers? His horse wasn't even saddled!"

Li Shimin didn't know either; he was now just hoping that Qin Shubao and Zhang Shigui could rescue Yuchi Gong.

"Previously, Xun Xiang, Zhang Wansui, and the surrendered soldiers from Daibei all defected, but Yuchi Gong did not escape. Qu Tutong and Yin Kaishan both said that Yuchi Gong could not be kept, that the soldiers from Daibei would all flee, and that Yuchi Gong would definitely defect as well, and that they would kill Yuchi Gong."

I didn't believe he would rebel, but now it seems he hasn't betrayed my trust. If it weren't for him, I would surely be dead under Shan Xiongxin's spear today.

After their wounds were bandaged,

Qu Tutong sent someone to report that Qin Shucheng Yaojin had met up with Yuchi Gong and Zhang Shigui and was returning to camp, while Wang Shichong had already led his troops away.

Li Shimin let out a long sigh.

He was both happy that Yuchi Gong had returned and angry at his current predicament.

He had always been adept at seizing opportunities on the battlefield and launching swift and decisive attacks, but this time he almost allowed Wang Shichong to capture and execute him.

He admitted that he had underestimated Wang Shichong before, thinking that he was no good because he had been suppressed and beaten by Li Mi in the past.

Only now do I realize that Wang Shizhong was a master strategist with exceptional insight.

He secretly warned himself that he must be more vigilant against Wang Shichong in the future and must not underestimate him in the slightest.

Li Shimin personally went to the camp gate.

They welcomed back Yuchi Gong, Zhang Shigui, Qin Shubao, Cheng Yaojin, and others.

Li Shimin stood at the camp gate, looking somewhat disheveled, yet he still exuded boundless pride as he faced the soldiers around him.

"I led five hundred men to challenge Wang Shichong's camp."
Wang Shichong launched a full-scale attack, bringing 30,000 men to besiege me, but the result was nothing special. I was still able to fight my way out of his 30,000-strong army.

Duan Zhixuan's horse stumbled and he fell from his horse, and he was captured. However, he was still able to kill two enemy generals with his own hands, behead them, and take the horse back. Even hundreds of people did not dare to approach or pursue him.

And then there's Jingde, who was even more remarkable.

Wang Shichong's general, Shan Xiongxin, nicknamed the "Flying General," was said to be the most skilled spearman. Yet today, Jingde was naked, not only unarmored but also unarmed.

Even unarmed and riding a horse without a saddle, he was able to not only evade the spear attacks of the enemy's army while surrounded, but also seize the spear from him and knock him off his horse.

If it weren't for his personal guards risking their lives to save him, Shan Xiongxin, this valiant general, would have been a dead general.

The crowd stared in awe at the King of Qin, with Duan Zhixuan on his left and right, and Yuchi Gong, who was still shirtless, and cheered in unison, praising their bravery.

Li Shimin smiled and pulled Qiu Xiaogong in front of him again.
"Today, my mount was shot and killed by the enemy. I changed to four horses, and all four horses were shot and killed as well."

Qiu Xiaogong gave me his horse, and he fought his way through on foot with a spear. He had a spear, and I had a bow.

"Not a single soldier in Zheng's army can stop us!"

"Even if General Qiu fights on foot with a spear, no general in Zheng's army can stop him!"

At this moment, Qiu Xiaogong also spread his arms wide, making a strong appearance, which drew cheers from everyone again.

originally,

Today, the King of Qin was beaten so badly that he fled back in such a sorry state that even the guards at the camp didn't recognize him. Meanwhile, Li Shimin and the others, though wrapped in bandages, and even Yuchi Gong with an arrow still sticking out and bleeding, are now in a different situation.
But Li Shimin's public statement

Instantly, a completely different image of the battlefield was created.

Everyone thought that the King of Qin, Duan Zhixuan, Yuchi Gong, Qiu Xiaogong, Hou Junji, and others were all incredibly brave and invincible.
On the contrary, Wang Shichong, the emperor of Zheng, led 30,000 men to besiege 500 men, but not only did he fail to hold back the King of Qin and his men, he was also killed seven times in and out of the city.

In Tang camp,
The soldiers cheered continuously.
Morale soared, and Duan Zhixuan brought out the heads of the two mounted generals he had brought back, raising them high and inspiring the soldiers to cheer.

Li Shimin then ordered his men to bring up General Yan Qi, whom he had captured alive.

"This man, Wang Shichong's Left Jianwei General, is nothing special."

Li Shimin drew his sword and personally beheaded Yan Qi, using his blood to consecrate the flag. At this moment, the morale of the entire army reached its peak.

Despite Qu Tutong's objections, Li Shimin ordered the entire army to attack Wang Shichong's camp.

"The morale of our troops is soaring, it is the perfect time to strike!"

Li Shimin donned his armor again and donned a Turkic steed, Saluzi.

He drew his sword and swung it forward, shouting, "Attack!"

The war drums beat.

The drums beat loudly and enthusiastically.

The entire army of 50,000 men filed out and quickly deployed into battle formation, stretching out a ten-mile-long battle line on the south bank of the Luo River.
They slowly advanced towards Wang Shichong's camp.

As soon as Wang Shichong returned to his camp, Li Shimin, Duan Zhixuan, and even that naked, fierce general all escaped. He didn't capture a single one, but instead lost General Zuo Jianwei and two Eagle-Flying Generals.

This battle left Wang Shichong furious.

In the midst of anger,

The scouts reported that...
"Your Majesty, the Tang army has marched out of its camp and is pressing forward with its entire force."

Wang Shichong quickly climbed the watchtower in the camp, and sure enough, he saw the Tang army surging in like a tide in the distance.

"Li Shimin is furious and anxious."

After observing for a while, Wang Shichong came to the conclusion that the young man couldn't stand losing and was too concerned about saving face. But after carefully observing the moving Tang army, Wang Shichong's brows furrowed even more.

Although military strategy dictates that a general should not send troops out of anger.
But the Tang army is not in any disarray.

Li Shimin is quite capable. Despite suffering such a great loss today, he has managed to keep morale from dropping in the slightest; on the contrary, it seems to have actually strengthened it.

How did he do that?
This guy's got a real fighting spirit.

"Your Majesty, should we immediately set out from the camp and form ranks to meet the enemy?" General Yang Gongqing asked.

Wang Shichong recalled that even with several thousand men, they had failed to surround Li Shimin.

The ferocity and elite strength of the Tang army far exceeded his expectations.
If they were to fight a decisive battle here, he wouldn't gain the slightest advantage.

You can't fight here.

Wang Shichong gritted his teeth and ordered, "Issue the order for the entire army to abandon camp and retreat back to Luoyang."

"Your Majesty, the Tang army is attacking now, and our army is in great danger if we retreat."

"Staying here is even more dangerous. We can't fall into Li Shimin's trap. We can't fight him here. He has 50,000 men while we only have 30,000. It would be unwise to engage him in open battle. We should retreat to Luoyang, rely on the fortified city to defend it, blunt his morale, and deplete his supplies."

When their supplies run out and their morale is low, that will be the time to counterattack and win.

Wang Shichong was not worried about whether the retreat would turn into a rout. He had commanded troops for many years, and if he didn't even have the ability to retreat, he wouldn't have made it this far.

"But if we retreat, Cijian will surely fall."

"We're not going to defend it anymore. Let the garrison at Cijian retreat back to Luoyang."

Cijian is indeed the western gateway to Luoyang, but given the current situation, Wang Shichong can no longer care about that. Since he can't win in open battles, he will lure the Tang army into the fortified city of Luoyang.

Luoshui Riverbank

A miraculous scene unfolded: 50,000 Tang soldiers formed a ten-mile-long battle line and slowly advanced towards Zheng's camp.

Zheng's army neither marched out of their camp to form ranks and engage in battle, nor did they remain in their camp to defend against the attack.
Instead, they abandoned the camp.

The entire army of 30,000 men retreated directly to Luoyang, a city 40 li away, and also deployed their troops in a formation of 6 or 7 li, slowly retreating.

The two armies were seven or eight li apart.
It moved slowly like that.

Li Shimin sent out light cavalry to conduct reconnaissance and discovered that although Wang Shichong was retreating slowly, he was heavily guarded.

Like a hedgehog, it makes it impossible to bite.

Having learned his lesson once, Li Shimin did not underestimate his enemy this time. Instead, he restrained himself and allowed the Tang army to follow closely, keeping the two armies about seven or eight li apart.

When the Tang army arrived at Cijian City, they found it to be an empty fortress.

Li Shimin looked up at the sky.

After a long while, he finally gave the order to stop the pursuit.

On that day, Wang Shichong led more than 30,000 men and safely retreated to Luoyang, while Li Shimin captured Cijian Fort without bloodshed.

night,

Li Shimin hosted a banquet at Cijian Fort to thank Yuchi Gong and other generals.

"Why are you riding naked today?"

"I was bathing and washing my horse by the Luo River outside the camp when I heard the cries for help. I didn't even have time to put on my armor and mount my horse before I rushed over. Fortunately, I arrived in time," Yuchi Gong said.

Li Shimin held Lao Hei's hand, "Today, thanks to your timely rescue, when Xun Xiang and other generals from Daibei deserted, you alone stayed behind. Many people didn't trust you, but I never doubted you and insisted on keeping you by my side."
This is truly Heaven proving my judgment right; good fortune has its signs, and the reward is swift indeed.

A pleased Emperor Taizong of Tang publicly rewarded Yuchi Gong with a box of gold and a box of silver ingots.

Yuchi Gong, who came from a blacksmithing background, was not pretentious and accepted the gift with a smile. "Back then, no one trusted me except the King of Qin. He not only released me but also gave me a lot of gold and silver, saying that I could leave whenever I wanted. He gave me that gold and silver as a token of our friendship and the bond we formed through working together."

I, Yuchi Gong, come from a poor background; I was a blacksmith in my past life and have little education, but I understand loyalty and righteousness. Since the King of Qin trusts me so much, I have long ago resolved that my heart will remain loyal forever.

Li Shimin also bestowed upon Qiu Xiaogong ten fine horses and Duan Zhixuan three hundred bolts of silk.

Those who follow him today are all rewarded, and those who die in battle are given generous compensation.

"Tomorrow, we will march on Luoyang and garrison troops at Mangshan. Even if he escapes to Luoyang, we will still wipe him out!"

The generals raised their cups together and shouted that they would destroy Zheng.

In the end, the Tang army won this battle. Wang Shichong led 30,000 men to reinforce Cijian Fort, hoping to defend the western gate of Luoyang. In the end, he had no choice but to abandon the fort. The Tang army captured Cijian and will be able to advance directly to the walls of Luoyang.

Make a fortune

Won Ma.

(End of this chapter)