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

Chapter 391 King Kong is indestructible
Luoyang

At the gate of Qingcheng Palace, Wang Shichong returned from Luoyang.

Passing through the right side gate,

General Wang Huaiwen, who was attending to the emperor, suddenly thrust his spear forward.
The incident happened suddenly.

The spear flashed like lightning, and gasps of surprise rang out from the side.

"Escort!"

"The thief assassinated the emperor,"

Amidst cries of alarm, Wang Shichong was caught off guard and the spear tip struck him squarely in the chest.

"clang!"

With a crisp sound, the sharp spear blade failed to pierce through; it was blocked.

"Be bold!"

Wang Shichong gripped the spear shaft firmly. This Zheng emperor was tall and strong, with amazing arm strength. He held the spear firmly, preventing the assassin from launching a second attack.

The guards on either side roared and charged forward.

Several thousand-ox swords slashed and cut.

Cut the spear shaft.

Another guard tackled the assassin from horseback.

Wang Huaiwen was tackled to the ground and quickly tied up.

Everyone looked at Wang Shichong, who was still in shock, but quickly recovered and said, "Execute this traitor immediately."

Wang Huaiwen was beheaded on the spot.

When Wang Shichong returned to Qingcheng Palace, he took off his dragon robe, revealing that he was wearing precious armor underneath. Wang Huaiwen's spear, thrown hastily, failed to pierce the armor and instead struck the breastplate in his chest.

Looking at the deep stab mark on the breastplate, Wang Shichong was filled with lingering fear. He gritted his teeth and cursed, "That damned dog slave! When I captured him, I spared his life and even bestowed upon him the title of Eagle-Winged General, yet he is so ungrateful."

It turns out that Wang Huaiwen was originally a general under Ren Gui, the governor of Guzhou and Duke of Guan. He was captured in battle against the Zheng army. Wang Shichong saw his bravery and pardoned him, and even appointed him as the Eagle-Flying General.

Little did anyone know, Wang Huaiwen was waiting for an opportunity to kill Wang Shichong and return to the Tang Dynasty.

Today's long-awaited attack failed because of Wang Shichong's caution. Although he often wore dragon robes and casual clothes, Wang Shichong always wore armor under his clothes, except when he was sleeping at night, even during military councils.

Wang Shichong looked at the armor

He picked up the punctured dragon robe and put it back on before going to meet the ministers.

In front of all the ministers, he took off the pierced dragon robe, revealing his bare upper body.

"That scoundrel Wang Huaiwen stabbed me with a spear, yet he couldn't harm me in the slightest. Isn't this the will of Heaven? I am the one to whom Heaven has ordained!"

Imperial Censor Zheng Ting had long seen through Wang Shichong's penchant for playing tricks and deception. He had used the same tactic when he fought Li Mi, claiming that Wang Shichong had appeared to him in a dream or that Yongtong had possessed him.

He was originally an imperial censor during the Sui Dynasty, but later joined the Wagang Army and became Li Mi's chief secretary, responsible for guarding Yanshi. After Li Mi's defeat, his subordinates surrendered, and he had no choice but to submit to Wang Shichong. After Wang Shichong became emperor, he appointed Zheng Ting as the Grand Censor, but Zheng Ting often feigned illness to avoid involvement in affairs.

Since the Tang army attacked, Zheng Ting has repeatedly requested to become a monk.

Wang Shichong also knew that Zheng Ting was fickle, and he had always refused to allow it.

At this moment, Zheng Ting stepped forward and said, "I have heard that Buddha has an indestructible body. Your Majesty was attacked by a spear but was unharmed. Isn't that the reincarnation of a living Buddha?"

Your Majesty, I humbly request to resign from my official post, shave my head, and become a monk, diligently serving and striving to glorify Your Majesty's illustrious spirit.

Wang Shichong was somewhat annoyed by Zheng Ting's lack of appreciation.
"Zheng Qing is the Imperial Censor, a high-ranking official of the state, and has always been highly respected. His sudden decision to become a monk will surely cause a shock throughout the court and the country."
"Wait until the Great Zheng Dynasty unifies the world and all is at peace before you become a monk."

Wang Shichong put on the dragon robe again.
He addressed his ministers, saying, "I have received word that Tang Tong is mobilizing troops, intending to attack Yanshi first. Yanshi is a fortified city; Tang Tong will not be able to take it in a short time."

However, after he moved his troops eastward, Qianjin Fortress became isolated. Moreover, Li Shimin transferred Luo Shixin, that lackey, and replaced him with Qu Tutong to guard the fortress, which finally exposed its weakness.

I have decided to take advantage of his eastward journey and concentrate our attack on Qianjin Fortress.

"Your Majesty, this may be a treacherous scheme by Li Shimin. Although Qianjin Fort is not large, it is not easy to attack."

Wang Shichong said, "Qianjin Fort is very close to Qingcheng Palace. Qingcheng Palace has stored many cannons, siege ladders, and other equipment. With its complete arsenal and large army, it is easy to take down Qianjin Fort."

It's better to cut off one finger than to injure all ten. Qu Tutong was the Minister of War and concurrently the Vice Minister of the Shaanxi Eastern Circuit during the Tang Dynasty.
If we breach the fortress, capture Qu Tutong, and then annihilate the several thousand soldiers inside, we can severely cripple Tang Tong.

Wang Shichong sarcastically referred to Li Shimin as "Tang Tong" (a derogatory term implying a lack of understanding of the situation).

Wang Shichong had no choice but to fight this battle. He originally intended to defend the city, but who knew that a prodigy named Li Yi would emerge in Guanzhong. In just a few months, he swept through dozens of prefectures surrounding Luoyang, leaving only Xuzhou and Hanoi.

This put Wang Shichong in a very difficult situation; if he continued to defend, he would simply be waiting to die.

However, after a long standoff, they still couldn't find any weakness in Li Shimin's defenses.

Last time, they finally managed to catch Li Shimin off guard by his underestimation of the enemy and scouting him, but he was rescued by a naked, dark-skinned man.

If this stalemate continues, Hanoi and Xuzhou will fall, followed by Yanshi, and then he will truly be all alone.

"Qu Tutong's two sons are still in my care. I've raised them for several years, and now they're finally going to be put to use."

Wang Shichong still had leverage. He had been imprisoning Qu Tutong's two sons, and no amount of persuasion through letters had worked. This time, he planned to take Qu Tutong's two sons to Qianjin Fort to persuade them to surrender.

If they don't surrender, kill them, kill them one by one.

Moreover, he was confident that he could quickly capture Qianjin Fortress without needing a woman to trick him into opening the gates with a child, after all, Luoyang had been fighting Li Mi for so long.

There were many different kinds of catapults, as well as many other siege ladders, battering rams, trench wagons, and so on.

When Zheng Ting returned home, he was not in the slightest mood to cheer up by Wang Shichong's plan.

He sighed to his wife, “I entered officialdom at a young age, aspiring to fame and integrity, but unfortunately I encountered a chaotic world and am now wandering and destitute. It is a pity that I am too weak to protect myself.”

Now that Wang Shichong of Luoyang is about to perish, I cannot allow my entire family to be destroyed as well.

then,

He had his wife shave his head and put on the prepared monk's robes.
Put your palms together and say, "Namo Amitabha Buddha."

Zheng Ting was not entirely devoted to Buddhism; rather, the state of Zheng was sinking, and he had to protect himself, so he had no choice but to become a monk.

Otherwise, as the Imperial Censor of Zheng, he would inevitably be buried with the emperor, and his family would also be implicated.

The news quickly reached Wang Shichong's ears.

Wang Shichong was furious. "Does this dog slave think I will lose to Tang Tong? Do you think you can escape death by shaving your hair off?"
"If I don't kill you, I won't be able to control the crowd!"

Enraged, Wang Shichong not only ordered Zheng Ting's immediate arrest and execution, but also exterminated his entire family.

Within a single day, Wang Shichong first killed Wang Huaiwen, a Tang general who had attempted to assassinate him, and then killed Zheng Ting, a former subordinate of Li Mi, who was a high-ranking official in the Zheng court, holding the position of Imperial Censor. This caused widespread panic and fear.

Everyone felt that Wang Shichong had gone too far.

During this period, Wang Shichong killed more than a dozen groups of people, all of whom claimed they were Tang spies who wanted to seize the city and surrender it.

Every now and then, a group of Tang's accomplices would be killed, and there were bound to be some who were wrongfully killed among them.

Now, even if the Imperial Censor wants to become a monk, his entire family is executed for it. Who wouldn't be terrified?

More than 10,000 people were imprisoned inside the Luoyang Palace.

Du Yan was also living in the palace at this time. He was not imprisoned, but demoted to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. The people imprisoned in the palace were under his jurisdiction.

Upon hearing the news of Zheng Ting's entire clan being executed,

Du Yan felt heavy-hearted; Wang Shichong was already somewhat insane.

At this moment, Du Yan also regretted why he hadn't left Luoyang and insisted on following Wang Shichong. Now, the ship was sinking, and he was still on it.

That evening, Du Yan returned to his residence and sighed deeply.

Guo was also frowning. "Grain prices have risen again. Now on the black market in Luoyang, one bolt of silk can only be exchanged for one liter of millet, and ten bolts of cloth can only buy one pound of salt."

Tonight, the Du family's dinner is wheat cakes with bran on them.

Du Yan had absolutely no appetite for these things.

"Are we out of food too?"

"Ever since Ah Lang was demoted to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, when has he ever been given enough grain? This is all I have. I only managed to get some wheat by exchanging several pieces of gold jewelry with Er Lang."

Gold in Luoyang is not even worth as much as grain now.

"There are more than 10,000 people imprisoned in this palace, and dozens of them starve to death every day."

Originally, with the autumn harvest season approaching, new grain would be transported to Luoyang, allowing everyone to enjoy fresh rice, millet, and other grains.

But now, everything east of Hulao Pass has been lost, and even Hanoi, north of the Yellow River, has been reduced to just the city of Hanoi struggling to survive.

Where else can we get food?

Even the grain in the suburbs of Luoyang was harvested by the Tang army.

"My lord, I heard that Shi Niang's husband, in just a few months, fought his way from Xiangyang in the south of the mountains all the way to Hulao Pass, capturing a hundred cities. Is that true?"

Du Yan's face was gloomy. "Why bring him up? If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be in this situation."

Guo lowered her voice and said, "My son, given the current situation, can't you see it? Wang Zheng's days are numbered. You need to make plans as soon as possible."

"What are your plans? The Imperial Censor Zheng Ting shaved his head and became a monk, and as a result, his entire family was executed."

"I've heard that Ru Hui is currently in the Tang army camp at Beiman Mountain, and Wu Yi is at Hulao Pass," Guo said.

Du Yan's eyes widened. "Don't do anything reckless. Recently, more than a dozen groups of people have died, all on charges of treason against the Tang Dynasty. Each of them has implicated their wives, children, and even their clansmen."

"But we can't just sit here and wait to die. Unfortunately, we don't get along with Ru Hui and Wu Yi. If we really wait until the city falls, why would they come to our rescue?"

Du Yan was furious when he heard the names Ru Hui and Wu Yi, but his wife's words made him feel powerless.

"We must not have any contact with either of them now, otherwise we will not escape His Majesty's notice, and that would be a death sentence."

"What should I do?"

Du Yan was very unwilling, but he could only say helplessly, "You and Lao Liu's wife go to the prison tomorrow to visit Du Chuke and bring him some food. Bribe the jailers, no matter what, make sure he lives."

The wife was somewhat puzzled.

"Just do as I say. Although Du Chuke and Du Ruhui are siblings from the same mother, he is well-read but somewhat pedantic. I didn't kill him before because I didn't think he posed any threat."

"If you just wait a little while until Du Chuke is in a better mood, and say some words of apology and resignation, that fool will forget what happened before. After the city falls, he can become our protector, allowing him to speak with Du Ruhui and Li Yi."

"Can it be done?"

"of course."

···
On the seventh day of the tenth month of the third year of the Wude era,
Wang Shichong led his army out of Qingyang Palace and launched a fierce attack on Qianjin Fort.

The battle was extremely fierce from the very beginning.

The heavy artillery vehicle could throw a fifty-pound stone, which could be thrown two hundred paces away.

There were also eight-bow crossbows, with arrow shafts shaped like cart spokes and arrowheads like giant axes, capable of shooting five hundred paces away.

As soon as the battle began, Wang Shichong deployed his heavy cannons and crossbows on all sides, launching a fierce attack on Qianjin Fort.

Qu Tutong and Dou Gui, who were in the city, were stunned by the heavy cannons and crossbows and couldn't even lift their heads.

As countless battering rams, trench wagons, and ladders surged forward,

Everyone's expression changed.

"Quickly send a signal to the King of Qin for reinforcements!"

They immediately lit three beacon fires.

When the beacon fire reached Jinyong City in Beiman Mountain, Li Shimin did not immediately send troops to its aid.

"No rush. Let Wang Shichong be arrogant for a while. Qianjin Fort also has Dou Gui's Yizhou troops hidden there, which are enough to defend itself."

Li Shimin ordered the slaughter of sheep in the camp and the preparation of wheat flour dough, so that the Xuanjia cavalry, who were about to launch an attack, could first enjoy a hearty and delicious bowl of hot, hand-pulled mutton flatbread.

Qin Shubao, Cheng Yaojin, Duan Zhixuan, Huo Changsun, Zhang Shigui, Yuchi Gong, and all the generals of the Qin Prince's mansion remained calm and composed.
The military advisor, Feng Deyi, the Grand Secretary, along with General Yuwen Shiji, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui, were arranging for auxiliary troops to pack the armor of the Xuanjia Cavalry onto the packhorses and to feed the Xuanjia Cavalry's warhorses again.

Li Shimin looked up at the sky.
"After the soldiers had a good meal, the Xuanjia cavalry rode their steeds to the vicinity of Qianjin Fort, with light cavalry escorting them on both sides. The auxiliary soldiers used packhorses to transport the Xuanjia cavalry's armor there, followed by the infantry."

The most elite Xuanjia cavalry must be in peak condition before battle.

They only donned their armor and changed into their warhorses when the battle began.

"Let Wang Shichong be smug for a while." Li Shimin had great confidence in his Xuanjia cavalry. When Qin Shubao, Yuchi Gong, and others appeared with him at Qianjin Fortress, he was sure to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop!
"Your Highness, four beacon fires have been lit at Qianjin Fortress!" Hou Junji rushed in to report, his face full of worry.

Li Shimin was still waiting for the hand-pulled mutton noodles. "No rush, Qianjinbao can handle it."

"What if Qu Tu Pushe can't hold the line?" Hou Junji asked.

Li Shimin simply replied, "As long as we can defeat Wang Shichong, it's all worth it!"

(End of this chapter)