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

Chapter 393 Humiliating King Qi
Wang Shichong retreated to the front of Qingyang Palace, only to find the palace gates tightly closed.

No matter how much Zheng Jun knocked on the door, no one answered.

Wang Shichong was furious, his face flushed red. He rode his horse to the gate and knocked on the door himself.

Finally, a person appeared on the city wall. It was Liu Yuanqi, the Right Dragon General, who was in charge of guarding Qingcheng Palace.

"Open the city gate quickly!"

"We have already decided to offer Qingcheng Palace to the King of Qin and submit to the Tang Dynasty!" Liu Yuanqi replied.

Wang Shichong was so angry he almost fainted, but seeing that the Tang army was about to catch up, he could only turn his horse around with a dark face and lead his troops back to Luoyang.

Below Qianjin Fort,

Li Shimin finally stopped, his whole body soaked in sweat, his battle robe stained red with blood.

"Your Highness, we have left Wang Shichong with about five or six thousand men. They are surrounded and have nowhere to escape," Luo Shixin reported.

"Good!" Li Shimin was very pleased.

Although he failed to capture or kill Wang Shichong, he knew the old fox's abilities; he could surround five or six thousand people, and with the thousands he was about to kill, the battle was already incredibly fruitful.

Wang Shichong mobilized 30,000 elite troops today, and now he has lost nearly 20% of them.

It's a serious injury.

"Report!"

"Reporting to the King of Qin, Liu Yuanqi, the garrison commander of Qingcheng Palace, has sent someone to surrender."

Li Shimin was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

This is truly the icing on the cake.

"Where is that old man Wang Shichong?"

"He has already led his troops back to Luoyang."

Li Shimin sent Luo Shixin to lead troops to take over Qingcheng Palace, while Qu Tutong and Dou Gui continued to clean up the battlefield.

Below Qianjin Fort,

Qin Shubao and Cheng Yaojin's men lay on the ground, their heavy armor clad as they led their armored cavalry in a charge. Though unstoppable, their advance could not last.

I was exhausted after just a few laps.

But their role was also enormous: breaking through enemy lines, leaving the rest to the infantry and light cavalry.

The auxiliary soldiers arrived and began to help them remove their armor.

Then they were given hot soup and food. These thousand armored cavalrymen were a treasure to the entire Tang Dynasty.

Below the fort,

The auxiliary soldiers thoughtfully set up tents for the heavy cavalry, allowing them to cool down and stop sweating before removing their armor, changing clothes, and eating hot soup and meals.

Other units are still fighting and cleaning up the battlefield.
They've already started enjoying it ahead of time.

"Your Majesty, a total of over six thousand people have been captured,"

"More than 800 people were beheaded."

"We captured quite a few heavy cannons and crossbows,"

Soon, Luo Shixin also sent someone to report that he had taken full control of Qingcheng Palace, and Liu Yuanqi and his three thousand subordinates had all surrendered.

Liu Yuanqi's three thousand soldiers were not elite troops from the Jianghuai region; they were newly recruited soldiers who surrendered along with Liu Yuanqi.

"Move to Qingcheng Palace!"

Li Shimin had a very fruitful day; with a clever tactic, he lured Wang Shichong out for a battle in the open.
They beheaded 800, captured over 6,000, and unexpectedly obtained the Qingcheng Palace, along with 3,000 new recruits of the Zheng army who surrendered.

In addition, a lot of siege equipment was captured, especially those heavy cannons and giant crossbows, which are rare and valuable items.

Li Yuanji rushed over.
"Second Brother, we must press our advantage and attack; we can't let Wang Shichong have a chance to catch his breath."

Li Shimin glanced at Li Yuanji, somewhat displeased that the emperor had sent him at this time.

"In the military, one is referred to by their rank!"

Li Yuanji was taken aback for a moment, then said with dissatisfaction, "Should I be addressed as the Prince of Qin, the Grand Chancellor, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, or one of your other titles?"

Li Shimin ignored him.

"Shouldn't we seize the opportunity to attack Luoyang immediately, instead of giving Wang Shichong a chance to regroup?" Li Yuanji pressed.

Li Shimin looked at his younger brother, Wang Shichong, who had abandoned Taiyuan last year, causing heavy losses to the Tang Dynasty. "Wang Shichong has suffered heavy losses today, including the loss of Qingcheng Palace. He will not let this go easily."
There's no need for us to attack Luoyang; he'll surely regroup and try to seize Qingcheng Palace again. So let's quickly move our camp to Qingcheng Palace, repair our fortifications, and prepare for battle there.

Li Yuanji didn't believe it. "Wang Shichong has already suffered a great defeat. Instead of hiding in Luoyang and clinging to life, why would he dare to fight?"

“If Wang Shichong doesn’t come to fight, he can only wait to die in Luoyang,” Li Shimin said.

"I do not believe."

Li Shimin was too lazy to pay him any attention.

"You can't do this. I am the deputy commander of the Eastern Expedition appointed by the Emperor."

"So what?" Li Shimin retorted. "You are the deputy commander, and I am the commander-in-chief. All the troops here are under my command, and all the generals must obey my orders, including you."

Li Yuanji was furious.
But he couldn't do anything about Li Shimin. He noticed an old black man laughing next to Li Shimin.

"How dare you mock me, Your Majesty?"

"Don't dare."

"Don't think I don't recognize you. Aren't you Yuchi Gong, the traitorous general under Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang?"

Yuchi Gong glared at him with a dark expression.

Li Shimin turned around and said, "Yuanji, you like to practice with the spear. It just so happens that Jingde is skilled with the spear, and not only is he skilled with the spear, but he is also good at dodging it. Why don't you two have a friendly match?"

"A mere bandit general who surrendered dares to challenge me with a spear?" Yuanji scoffed, looking down on Yuchi Gong.

Li Shimin smiled and said, "Shan Xiongxin, the general under Wang Shichong, was once a general of Wagang and was known as the Flying General. He was most skilled in using the spear."

Last time, when I led a light cavalry to observe outside Zheng's camp, Wang Shichong and Shan Xiongxin surrounded me with several thousand men. At the critical moment, Jingde happened to be bathing in the nearby Luo River. Hearing the shouts of battle, he immediately came to my rescue, naked on horseback.

Shan Xiongxin swung his spear and attacked.
Yuchi Gong dodged them all, and instead snatched Shan Xiongxin's spear, stabbing him off his horse.

"Yuanji, although you enjoy spear fighting, you've never been on the battlefield. I estimate you're no match for Jingde."

Li Yuanji was furious. "I'm afraid that the spear and club won't be able to see clearly and will kill this old thief with one blow. Or I can take the spear blade off and let this old thief take it from me. If he can take it, then he has some skill."

Yuchi Gong was also very unhappy with Yuanji, and said bluntly, "There's no need for such trouble. The Prince of Qi's spear can't hurt me at all."

No one expected that Yuchi Gong would be so disrespectful to King Qi.

Meanwhile, Feng Deyi and Yuwen Shiji stood together at a distance. Feng Deyi commented in a low voice, "This Yuchi Gong is quite clever. He's offering himself to the King of Qin as a pledge of allegiance. The King of Qin asked him to duel with the King of Qi, and his attitude has thoroughly offended the King of Qi, but it has also made the King of Qin trust him even more."

From then on, Yuchi Gong, the surrendered general of Wu Zhou, became a trusted confidant of the King of Qin.

Who would have thought that Yuchi Gong, a blacksmith by trade, so burly and dark-skinned, would be so meticulous?

Yuwen Shiji also agreed with this view: "The King of Qin gave Yuchi Gong face, and Yuchi Gong took the opportunity to show his loyalty. Hehe, interesting."

there,

Both sides went to make preparations, and soon a large open space was cleared, attracting a large crowd to watch.

Li Yuanji donned gilded armor, rode a fine horse from Kangju, and held a spear made by the Imperial Workshop.

When Yuchi Gong came out, everyone was surprised.

This old black man was only wearing a pair of short trousers and riding a warhorse without even a saddle.

He didn't carry a spear either.

They rode bare-handed and naked.

Yuanji's anger flared.

"You are seeking death!"

Yuchi Gong replied, "That's exactly how I faced Shan Xiongxin that day."

"Good, good," Li Yuanji said twice, then spurred his horse and charged towards Yuchi Gong with his spear in hand. Yuchi Gong calmly responded from his horse.
Li Yuanji used every move he could think of—stabbing, flicking, slapping, sweeping—but he couldn't even touch Yuchi Gong.

Those watching from all sides were amazed.

Li Yuanji's face turned red.

At this moment, Li Shimin stepped forward and asked, "Jingde, should we avoid the spear or seize it?"

"Seizing the spear is difficult!"

"Then show us how to seize a spear!"

Li Yuanji was furious. This was disrespectful to him. He turned his horse around, kicked its belly, and leaped forward, intending to kill Yuchi Gong with a spear.

Li Yuanji usually practiced spear fighting under the tutelage of Xie Shufang and others, and often sparred with them. But none of these people ever went easy on Li Yuanji or flattered him.
This made Li Yuanji really believe that he was a master of the horse spear and could rank among the best in the world.

Unexpectedly, he made a fool of himself in front of everyone today, unable to even stab a naked bandit general.

Yuchi Gong seized the opportunity, grabbed Yuanji's spear, and snatched it away.

The spear was taken away.
Exclamations erupted from all sides.

Li Yuanji's face turned bright red, but he still had to find a way to save face.

"General Yuchi Jingde's skill in wielding a spear is truly remarkable. I believe that among all spear users in the world, General Yuchi Jingde deserves to be called the best."

Yuchi Gong was the best at horse spear fighting, so it's not shameful for him to lose to the best.

But in his heart, he already hated Yuchi Gong, and even resented his second brother, Shimin. In front of so many people, he deliberately humiliated him, just because he had said he wanted to attack Luoyang?
Yuwen Shiji exclaimed in awe from afar, "This Yuchi Gong is truly valiant!"

Feng Deyi said, "The King of Qin has no shortage of fierce generals. Qin Shubao has defeated Yuchi Gong three times before, and it is said that he was hit by Qin Shubao's mace several times and vomited blood. However, it is rare for Yuchi Gong to dare to offend the King of Qi like this and to show loyalty to the King of Qin like this."

"Do you think Wang Shichong would really dare to attack Qingcheng Palace again?" Yuwen Shiji asked him.

“When it comes to warfare, the King of Qin is more skilled than either of us. Since he said Wang Shichong would attack, he definitely will. Just like today, with a little trick by the King of Qin, Wang Shichong did indeed come to attack Qianjin Fort.” Feng Deyi admired Li Shimin. “It seems there really is a chance to take Luoyang before the New Year and return to Chang’an for the New Year.”

Yuwen Shiji nodded, "Following the King of Qin in battle is indeed very enjoyable. In every battle, he is always at the forefront, showing both courage and wisdom."

"When the King of Qin takes the lead, he is invincible."

"In this eastern expedition, I must say that the Duke of Jin has also made great contributions. In such a short time, he captured a hundred cities and, with a small force, took all the land outside Luoyang from Wang Shichong."

Both men spoke of Li Yi with great admiration. In fact, it was Li Yi who recommended them to serve under the King of Qin after they left Shandong for Luoyang.

"How should the Duke of Jin be rewarded for his meritorious service in pacifying Wang Shichong?" Feng Deyi asked.

Yuwen Shiji thought for a moment, "He is now concurrently serving as Inspector-General of the Palace Attendants, so the first three characters of his title will probably be removed soon."

Li Yi will only be nineteen next year. A nineteen-year-old Attendant-in-Ordinary is quite remarkable.

The next day.

As expected, Wang Shichong led 20,000 elite troops to attack. They emerged from Fangzhu Gate, relying on the old horse-drawn fortifications and arrayed their forces along the valley river.

Li Shimin, on the contrary, was overjoyed.

He ordered Qu Tutong and Dou Gui to lead 5,000 infantrymen across the valley to attack Wang Shichong, and instructed them to "light smoke signals immediately after the two armies clashed."

He himself led the Xuanjia cavalry to the North Mang Mountain to form a battle formation.

"The rebels are desperate and have sent out all their forces, hoping to turn the tide. They've come at the perfect time; I'm just afraid they'll retreat into Luoyang and not come out."

"If we break through it today, Luoyang will be much easier to capture."

Qu Tutong and Dou Gui personally led 5,000 infantrymen across the valley river and launched the first attack.

When the two armies clashed, Qu Tu ordered the use of smoke signals to communicate.

Upon seeing the smoke, Li Shimin led his Xuanjia cavalry from Beiman Mountain to attack. He employed his usual anvil tactic, using infantry to hold off the enemy like an anvil, while he led his elite cavalry like a hammer to strike the enemy.

However, this battle was not easy.
Wang Shichong also came prepared. He chose a relatively narrow terrain as the battlefield and used the ruins of the old horse stable to protect the rear of the Zheng army and prevent them from being outflanked.

Wang Shichong had arranged his troops in advance.
The Jianghuai infantry phalanx, in conjunction with Jianghuai archers, directly confronted the Tang army.

With the valley river in front and the city walls behind, the terrain was narrow, which hindered Li Shimin's cavalry. The Jiangshuo infantry, armed with large shields and long spears, along with bows and crossbows, made it impossible for Qu Tutong's five thousand infantry to break through the defenses, and Li Shimin's cavalry was also unable to outflank them.

It turned into a war of attrition.

Li Shimin could only lead his cavalry to roam and shoot from the sidelines, but they were not very effective against the large shields, long spears, and crossbows.

The fighting lasted from morning until afternoon, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides.

Li Shimin led several dozen elite cavalrymen to test the strength of the Zheng army's formation and find weaknesses. He charged through the enemy lines, but was stopped by a long embankment. In the chaos of battle, he was scattered to the left and right, and his horse was shot dead.

At the critical moment, Qiu Xinggong returned to the fray, firing several arrows and felling several riders. He then quickly gave his horse to Li Shimin, wielding a long-handled sword on foot, leaping and slashing, killing several more. Li Shimin, on horseback, also drew his bow, firing with both hands.
They managed to force the two to break through the enemy lines and rejoin the main army.

Wang Shichong fought desperately. Although his army was breached by the Tang army four times, he fought valiantly, scattering and regrouping repeatedly.
By the afternoon, although Zheng's army had regrouped four times, they were both hungry and exhausted.

At this moment, Li Shimin dispatched Luo Shixin and Liu Hongji, who had been waiting in Qingcheng Palace, to lead their troops in an attack. With this fresh force arriving, Wang Shichong could no longer hold them off.

Zheng Jun began to retreat, and Wang Shichong could not stop him, so he had to retreat to Luoyang.

Li Shimin changed horses and led his troops in hot pursuit, killing his way all the way to the walls of Luoyang.

In this battle, the Tang army captured or killed 7,000.

More than 3,000 Tang soldiers also died in battle.

In the battles of Qianjinbao and Qingcheng Palace, although Wang Shichong took the initiative to attack, he suffered more than 13,000 casualties, and nearly half of his 30,000 elite troops were lost.

Wang Shichong dared not venture out of the city to fight in the open field again.

The Tang army also took the opportunity to besiege the city.

During this time, Li Yi, who was stationed at Hulao Pass, was not idle. He sent Li Shiji to capture Luokou Cang City. Wang Shichong sent his crown prince, Shan Xiongxin, to come to the rescue. The former Wagang brothers, Shan Xiongxin and Li Shiji, served different masters. In the end, Shan Xiongxin was defeated and retreated to Luoyang.

After Huo Yu entered Liyang, he also sent troops to Hanoi to reinforce Liu Dewei.

Wang Long, whom Wang Shichong sent to garrison Hanoi, abandoned the city under cover of night and fled back to Luoyang. Zhao Xun, the garrison commander of Hanoi, surrendered, and then Lu Shanzong, the prefect of Huaizhou, also surrendered with his troops.

The entire Hanoi region north of the Yellow River was reclaimed by the Tang army. Huo Yu even sent troops to take Yinzhou and Yizhou, which Dou Jiande had previously seized from Wang Shichong.

A host of military leaders, including Meng Haigong of Caozhou, Xu Yuanlang of Yanzhou, Zhang Qingte of Jizhou, and Wang Bu of Qizhou, also surrendered to Li Yi.

East of Hulao Pass, south of the Yellow River, and north of the Huai River, nominally only Xuzhou remained, which had not yet surrendered to the Tang Dynasty.

It was already mid-October, and there was still a month and a half until the Lunar New Year.

(End of this chapter)