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

Chapter 387 Li Yi's Series of Schemes

The moon is dark and the wind is high.

Night raids are a double-edged sword. They can be a surprise attack, but they are also more difficult to command at night, especially since many soldiers suffer from night blindness, which severely impairs their vision at night.

However, the arsonist within Zhang Zhenzhou's camp completely changed the course of the battle.

"I never imagined a battle could be fought like this." Lu Chengqing, the military advisor, stood next to Li Yi and, seeing the enemy camp ablaze with fire in the distance, knew that Zheng's army was doomed to defeat.

Li Yi did not participate in the night battle. He led three thousand auxiliary soldiers, using chariots as their camp, and remained in the rear. He sat on a small stool, pondering his next move.

"Have the auxiliary soldiers boil water, cook food, and make soup,"

The battle should be over soon. Sure enough, a light cavalryman soon returned to report that Zheng's army had been defeated and was fleeing in all directions under the siege of the three armies.

"Has the fake crown prince been captured?" Lu Chengqing asked excitedly.

"They haven't caught them yet."

Li Yi didn't hold out much hope. It wouldn't be easy to capture the commander alive in the middle of the night. "It doesn't matter if we don't catch him. Tonight will still be a great victory."

Although Zhang Zhenzhou led 3,000 soldiers to defect in the camp, he only had 500 of his old troops who were trustworthy and capable of fighting. The remaining 2,000 or so soldiers had no idea what was happening, and were even unaware that their commander had surrendered to the Tang Dynasty.

When Zhang Zhenzhou led his sons and nephews with 500 of his old troops to launch a sudden attack, everyone was completely baffled.

However, these five hundred men were able to breach Zheng Ying's camp defenses.

Nine thousand infantry and cavalry followed closely behind, and Zheng's army could no longer resist. Their morale collapsed instantly, and many were stunned, not knowing what had happened.

At first, I thought it was Yang Qing attacking from Guanzhou City, but later I saw that it was the Tang army.

"The Chamberlain is truly a master strategist." Lu Chengqing exclaimed in amazement. Ordinary people would not dare to fight at night, but Li Yi not only dared to fight, but also fought so brilliantly.

Li Yi held a thermos cup and brewed some ginseng slices.

“Our enemy is too weak. There’s nothing to brag about in this battle. Besides, the key to this battle is Zhang Zhenzhou. Without him, I wouldn’t have launched this night attack so easily.”

Li Yi's original plan was to wait for Wang Xuanying to attack Guanzhou, let him fight for a few days, and when his troops were exhausted, Li Yi would suddenly attack, catching them off guard, and then launch a pincer attack from both inside and outside, defeating Wang Xuanying in open battle under the walls of Guanzhou.

With Zhang Zhenzhou around, Li Yi wouldn't waste his opportunity.

The effect tonight was indeed excellent.

"If only the cavalry could capture Wang Xuanying," Lu Chengqing said, still filled with hope.

"Then let's wait for the news."

Li Yi sipped his ginseng tea. "If it were Wang Shichong here today, I would never dare to use troops like this. Even if Zhang Zhenzhou could enter the camp, things might not succeed. Wang Shichong is experienced in leading troops and is most adept at seizing opportunities."
The chaos of night fighting might give him an opening to turn the tide and win.

If Wang Shichong were truly here, Zhang Zhenzhou would likely have no chance of entering the camp.

Since the end of the Sui Dynasty, Wang Shichong had fought across thousands of miles, defeating countless rebel armies. Later, he entered Luoyang and faced the rising power of Li Mi. Despite being outnumbered, he suffered more defeats than victories. However, few could match Wang Shichong's ability to fight on despite repeated setbacks.
His troops remained loyal and always managed to launch a comeback. On the other hand, Li Mi, who fought against Wang Shichong, suffered a complete defeat after his initial loss and lost all will to fight.

Based on this alone, it can be said that Wang Shichong could be considered a famous general of his time. If he hadn't been thinking about usurping the throne and becoming emperor, he would definitely have been an excellent commander. His confrontation with the Tang Dynasty was only due to inherent disadvantages; Luoyang was now a death trap.

The difference in strength between Tang and Zheng is too great.

time flies,
As dawn broke,

The fires in Zheng's camp gradually died down, and the shouts of battle grew fainter. Zheng's army was doomed and scattered in all directions. Part of the Tang army swept up the remaining troops in Zheng's camp, while the rest of the soldiers went after them.

Prince Zheng has still not been captured.

Yang Qing and Zhang Zhenzhou also personally led their troops to pursue the enemy and captured many prisoners.

"General Yang sent me to invite the Chamberlain to rest in Guanzhou."

"No rush, breakfast and hot soup have already been prepared here. Have some first," Li Yi said to Yang Qing's captain.

Zhang Zhi and others escorted Wang Xuanying on light cavalry as they fled at night.
They fled all the way to Xingze City in Zhengzhou, with only a few hundred riders left with them.

Wang Xuanying was utterly defeated, his armor and weapons scattered, his face covered in dust and dirt, as if he had lost his parents. This was the fourth time he had suffered a defeat since he began leading troops.

The expedition against Yang Qing in Guanzhou resulted in the near annihilation of the entire army.

"I never expected that old scoundrel Zhang Zhenzhou would secretly betray us and defect to the Tang army, causing my great defeat. Minister Zhang, what should we do now?"

Zhang Zhi also fled back in disarray, running more than forty miles in one breath, and spent a terrifying night.

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's request for advice, all he could say was, "Please, Your Highness, issue an order to mobilize troops from all directions to provide assistance."

"Should we retreat to Hulao Pass first?" Wang Xuanying asked somewhat uneasily.

“Your Highness, if we retreat to Hulao Pass now, we may not be able to hold out in Xing, Zheng, Guan, and Bian, which are east of Hulao Pass,” Zhang Zhi said.

Wang Xuanying gritted his teeth, "Then I will do as you say."

After a final discussion
It was decided that Zhang Zhi, Zhang Baoci, and two other generals would go to the surrounding cities of Xingyang, Sishui, Wuzhi, Yuanwu, and other places to recruit troops, and at the same time, envoys would be sent to Huazhou, Bianzhou, Xuzhou and other places to summon troops.

Since the main force of the Tang army was in Guanzhou, Bianzhou must have been a feint.

Xingzhou, within the city of Xingyang.

Huo Yu was drinking tea in the back office when Wei Lu told the people in the government office that Huo Yu was his cousin from his hometown.

"Sixth Sister, good news! The Attendant General has defeated Wang Xuanying outside Guanzhou City, beheading over a thousand and capturing several thousand." Wei Lu strode in, smiling as he told her the good news.

Huo Yu wore a yellow shirt and green skirt, with a red silk shawl draped over her shoulders and a long belt hanging from her waist, and her hair was tied in a single-knife bun.

Sitting there drinking tea and admiring the flowers, she exudes the air of a wealthy lady.

Upon hearing of Li Yi's great victory in Guanzhou, she was not surprised at all, saying, "With Li Shizhong leading the charge, how could Wang Xuanying possibly stand against him?"

Wei Lu was very excited. Li Yi had won, and he could finally relax.

"Should I also change my allegiance?" he asked.

"No rush, you still have a use for this identity," Huo Yu said.

That evening, Zhang Zhi, the Right Valiant Guard General and Left Guard Commander of the Crown Prince, arrived.

Upon hearing the news, Wei Lu first went to the back office to see Huo Yu. "Duan Da's son-in-law, Zhang Zhi, has arrived. He is the Right Valiant Guard General and the Left Guard Commander of the Crown Prince. Wang Xuanying mainly uses him to command troops."

"What do you think of this person?" Huo Yu asked, who was arranging flowers.

"He is indeed eight feet tall and has a beautiful beard. He is good at riding and archery, but he doesn't have any real skills. However, he was able to hold this important position because his father-in-law was the Minister of Works of the Zheng Dynasty and the Duke of Chen," Wei Lu said frankly.

"In that case, I will go with you to see him."

"How should we deal with this?"

"Capture him alive."

"what?"

Zhang Zhi rushed to Xingyang City with only fifty horsemen.

“General, please,” Wei Lu sent his son to greet Zhang Zhi and invite him into the main hall of the governor’s mansion, while Zhang Zhi’s fifty horsemen were invited to the outer courtyard for reception.

"Lord Yanmen, please forgive my late arrival." Wei Lu led Huo Yu in.

Zhang Zhi sat there and said, "Prefect Wei, quickly send someone to bring some wine and meat. I've run dozens of miles and am both hungry and thirsty."

Huo Yu said, "The wine and meat will be here soon. First, I would like to trouble you, Master Zhang, to write a few letters."

"Who are you?" Zhang Zhi frowned, looking at Huo Yu's attire, and asked Wei Lu, "Could this be the Prefect's wife?"

"I am Huo Liuniang, the military commander under Li Shizhong, who was conferred the title of Lady of Pingyuan by the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhi's expression changed, and he reached for his sword.

Huo Yu calmly replied, "Prefect Wei of Xingzhou has already submitted to the Tang Dynasty. What use is your drawing of your sword?"

Zhang Zhi gritted his teeth, brandished his knife, and charged towards Huo Yu.

Wei Lu drew his sword and, in a few moves, knocked Zhang Zhidao away, then held the sword to his neck.

"Lord Yanmen, a wise man knows when to yield. If you cooperate, you will not only save your own life and protect your family, but also retain your official rank."

"What do you want me to do?" Zhang Zhi did not resist to the end.

The blade sliced ​​through his neck, and he immediately lost his courage, just like when Lu Chuyuan, Wen Du, and others conspired with Duan Da to kill Wang Shichong, but Duan Cheng cowardly let Zhang Zhi betray them to Wang Shichong.

Huo Yu sat down.

"I heard you have pretty good handwriting. So imitate Wang Xuanying's handwriting and order the troops of the Huazhou and Xuzhou prefectures to stop coming and return the way they came." Zhang Zhi glanced at the woman. He had heard of Chief Steward Huo's great name, but he didn't expect to see her here today.

"Okay, I'll write."

Zhang Zhi imitated Wang Xuanying's handwriting and tone, writing letters to both Xu and Hua officials urging them to withdraw their troops.

"Write another letter to Zhang Cibao, instructing him to lead the conscripted troops to reinforce Bianzhou, without having to return to Xingze."

Written by Zhang Zhizhao.

"Alright, now write another letter to Wang Yaohan, the prefect of Bianzhou, saying that Zhang Cibao, like Zhang Zhenzhou, has secretly surrendered to the Tang and is returning to Bianzhou to rebel. Tell him to kill Wang Yaohan."

Zhang Zhi hesitated for a moment.

"What, you're on good terms with Zhang Cibao?"

"No, but perhaps we can directly persuade Zhang Cibao and Wang Yaohan to surrender?"

"You don't need to worry about that. Just write the letter as I say."

"Okay." Zhang Zhi picked up his pen and continued writing.

After the letter was written, Wei Lu had it sent out, but did not let Zhang Zhi leave.

“I can return to Xingze, seize the city, and capture the crown prince.”

However, Huo Yu only asked him to stay in Xingyang City as a guest for the time being.

His fifty horsemen were drugged, arrested, and temporarily imprisoned.

Zhang Cibao, the Left Guard General and concurrently the Right Guard Commander of the Crown Prince, had gathered 1,000 soldiers in Zhongmu and forcibly conscripted 2,000 able-bodied men. Just as he was about to return to Xingze, he suddenly received a handwritten order from the Crown Prince, saying that Bianzhou was requesting reinforcements. He was ordered to go to Bianzhou to reinforce the city first, and then, together with Wang Shibian, the Prince of Qi and the Acting Governor of Xuzhou, defeat the Tang army in Bianzhou.

Then head north to Xingze.

Although Zhang Cibao had some doubts, he ultimately obeyed the order to turn south and head to Bianzhou.

He arrived in Bianzhou with three thousand men and saw that the Tang army had set up camp for several miles in the southwest. However, they did not stop him from leading his troops into the city.

“I am deeply grateful to the Duke of Beihai for coming from afar to offer his assistance. I have prepared a small feast in my office to welcome him. Please come in.” Governor Wang Yaohan greeted him.

Zhang Cibao led several of his generals to the governor's office, while his three thousand soldiers were placed under the command of Wang Yaohan's officers.

After entering the government office,
There was no welcoming banquet; instead, Wang Yaohan produced a letter.

"The Crown Prince has a warrant here,"

"The Crown Prince has decreed that Zhang Cibao has surrendered to the Tang and rebelled against Zheng, intending to cause trouble in Bianzhou. I am ordered to execute this traitor immediately."

Wang Yaohan shouted, "Guards!"

Suddenly, a group of armored soldiers poured out from outside.

Before Zhang Cibao could figure out what was happening, he and his officers had been hacked to death and their heads were severed.

The stench of blood had not yet dissipated from the governor's mansion.

Someone requested an audience.

"Does Lord Wang know that the Crown Prince's edict you obtained was actually forged by Zhang Zhi, who imitated Wang Xuanying's handwriting?"

The visitor made a startling statement.

Wang Yaohan was greatly alarmed.

"Does Your Excellency also know that Zhang Zhi has already surrendered to the Tang Dynasty?"

"Does Governor Wang also know that Wei Lu, the governor of Xingzhou, has also surrendered to the Tang Dynasty?"

Wang Yaohan was terrified. He quickly took out the Crown Prince's warrant and examined it closely, becoming increasingly suspicious. The Crown Prince's signature was absent, but Zhang Zhi's signature and seal were appended. At the time, Wang Yaohan didn't suspect anything, as he had previously received both the Crown Prince's warrant and Zhang Zhi's orders.

He was confused.

"Lord Wang, why not surrender to Tang?"

The man, who claimed to be an envoy of Li Yi, the Attendant-in-Ordinary, produced three letters. One was written to him by Wei Lu, the Prefect of Xingzhou, all of whom were his sworn brothers from Wagang. Attached to the letter was a visiting card from Huo Liuniang.

The second letter was written to him by Zhang Zhi, urging him to surrender. The letter also bore Zhang Zhi's seal and signature.

The third letter was written by Li Yi to Wang Yaohan. The thin, sinewy script on it was very familiar; it was the same script used on the invitation Li Yi sent him mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

At that moment, he finally realized that he had fallen into Li Yi's trap.

He didn't reply to Li Yi, so Li Yi tricked him into killing Zhang Cibao, which made it impossible for him to stay in Zheng.

They have no choice but to lower the price.

However, given the current situation, he really has no better choice. Guanzhou and Xingzhou have both surrendered, and he will inevitably lose Bianzhou as well.

"I surrender."

"Your Excellency is truly brilliant; I admire you wholeheartedly."

Wang Yaohan beheaded Zhang Cibao and led Bianzhou to surrender to the Tang Dynasty, changing their flag and banner.

Wei Lu, the governor of Xingzhou, and Zhang Zhi also announced their surrender and surrender of the city with their troops.

When the news reached Xingze, Wang Xuanying was so frightened that he abandoned the city that very night, boarded a merchant ship and entered the Yellow River, secretly escaping back to Luoyang. He dared not even travel by land, feeling that every sound of wind and the whispers of cranes filled the air, and that every bush and tree seemed like an enemy soldier.

When Guo Shi'an, the governor of Zhengzhou, saw that the crown prince had secretly fled and that the prefectures of Mi, Zhen, Guan, Bian, and Xing had all surrendered, he also announced that he had changed his flag and surrendered to the Tang Dynasty.

For a while,
The six prefectures east of Hulao Pass, namely Guanzhou, Zhengzhou, Xingzhou, Bianzhou, Mizhou, and Qinzhou, all surrendered.

Li Yi recommended Yang Qing as the governor of Guanzhou, Wei Lu as the governor of Xingzhou, Wang Yaohan as the governor of Bianzhou, and Guo Shi'an as the governor of Zhengzhou, in addition to the previously appointed governor of Zhenzhou.

Originally, there was one General Administration Office governing six prefectures, but now there are five General Administration Offices, which still govern the same six prefectures.

Wang Shichong's Zheng state, apart from Sizhou in the Luoyang area, only had Huazhou Xingtai and Xuzhou Xingtai left, but Li Yi had already cut off its connection with Luoyang.

September,

Li Shiji also led his troops to join them. After splitting his forces in Xiangcheng, he basically did not achieve any great feats, especially after attacking Yique with Wang Junkuo, he was always one step behind Li Yi.

He besieged Yingyang, but Li Yi had already persuaded Wang Xiong, the magistrate of Yangcheng, to surrender. Soon after, Dengfeng, Yingyang, and other places also surrendered, and Li Yi established the Songzhou General Administration Office.

He had just passed Yangcheng when Li Yi persuaded Mizhou and Qinzhou in the east to surrender and established the Qinzhou General Administration Office.

When he arrived in Guanzhou, Li Yi had already persuaded Guo Qing, the governor of Guanzhou, to surrender, and then ambushed Prince Zheng there.

One step behind, every step behind.

He finally met up with Li Yi in Sishui City, and the battle was over.

Upon arriving in Sishui City, before he could even catch his breath, Li Yi told him some shocking news.

"Duke Cao, your timing is worse than your early arrival. I have some good news for you. Shen Yue, the military commander of Zhengzhou, is leading a contingent of Zhengzhou soldiers to assist in the defense of Wulao Pass. After our persuasion, he has agreed to become an inside agent. I am preparing to launch a night attack on Wulao tonight, so that we can seize the city in one fell swoop with the help of both inside and outside forces."

Li Shiji was completely numb. Luckily, he made it in time, otherwise he wouldn't have gotten a single drop of soup.

Li Daliang and Guo Xiaoke had at least captured Yu and Ying, and were currently fighting Bo and Song, and were about to reach Xuzhou.

He spent almost all his time on marches and travels.

"Your Excellency, I request to lead my troops into battle."

"Duke Cao has come a long way and must be tired. Why don't you rest in Sishui City?"

"We're not tired at all, we're willing to be pioneers." Li Shiji really didn't want to miss out again.

“Alright, then Duke Cao will be the vanguard tonight,” Li Yi agreed.

Only then did Li Shiji have a chance to ask, "How did the Grand Councilor persuade Shen Yue, who was in Wulao Pass, to surrender?"

“He is a military officer in Zhengzhou, and his family and relatives are all in Zhengzhou,” Li Yi said with a smile.

"Oh." Li Shiji understood. Li Yi had captured Zhengzhou and was using Zheng Yue's family to contact him and persuade him to surrender. "Zheng Yue is just a sergeant; can he really do it?"

"Whether it works or not, it's worth a try."

"Too."

(End of this chapter)