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

Chapter 394 Li Yi Wields His Blade
Love develops over time.

Li Yi strongly agreed with this statement.

Having spent half a year with Huo Yu, they had indeed developed feelings for each other. Now that she had gone to Hebei, Li Yi originally thought he could be carefree, but unexpectedly he found it difficult to adapt and missed her very much.

His days at Hulao Pass were quite easy. He entrusted the farming to Dai Zhou and the various prefectures and states to coordinate, and Zhang Gongjin helped him with the reorganization of the troops.

Lu Chengqing also took care of routine tasks.

After winter set in, Li Yi found himself with more free time.

“Your Excellency, Zhou Fanxian, the patriarch of the Zhou clan of Sishui, has sent a letter requesting an audience.”

Li Yi was replying to the emperor's letter without even looking up: "What does the Zhou family want to talk about?"

“Zhou Fanxian wants to donate money to become a Chaosan Dafu (a high-ranking official), and he also wants to send a few of his sons to the Imperial Academy,” Lu Chengqing said with a smile. “The Zhou family has prepared 10,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain.”

Li Yi snorted coldly.

"I sent someone to the Zhou family before, and they were so aloof. When I asked them for grain, they said they had none. How come they can produce ten thousand shi of grain now?"

He continued to reply to the emperor.

The emperor was very concerned about the situation in Luoyang. He urged Li Shimin to intensify the attack on Luoyang while also writing to Li Yi, asking him to postpone the attack on Xuzhou and even to temporarily refrain from sending troops to Caozhou and Jizhou.

The emperor was negotiating peace with Dou Jiande.
Li Yuan sent his cousin, Dou Deming, a court official in charge of performance evaluations, to Mingzhou to establish a kinship ties with Dou Jiande, allowing Dou Deming to address Dou Jiande as his uncle. In this way, Li Yuan and Dou Jiande would also be considered cousins.
Li Yuan was the elder cousin, and Dou Jiande was the younger cousin.

Li Yuan was quite adept at deception. When he first raised an army in Taiyuan and marched south, in order to enter Guanzhong, he wrote a letter to Li Mi en route, addressing him as a brother and even honoring him as the leader of the alliance. He completely fooled Li Mi, and then Li Yuan took advantage of the situation to enter Guanzhong.

After entering the pass, he became sworn brothers with Li Gui of Hexi and even dragged him into fighting Xue Ju. After eliminating Xue Ju, he turned his attention to Li Gui.

If Dou Jiande had been more level-headed, he shouldn't have paid any attention to Li Yuan.

But now, Dou Jiande has indeed had very in-depth discussions with Deming. Tang and Xia have become brotherly states, and Dou Jiande has even sent an envoy to visit Chang'an, along with Li Yuan's sister, Princess Tong'an, and Prince Li Shentong of Huai'an.

Of course, many things are not as simple as they seem on the surface.
Li Yuan made many concessions to Dou Jiande, such as having Dou Deming convey that Tang was willing to take Youzhou and Yingzhou in exchange for Dou Jiande's Caozhou and Jizhou in Henan, and also give them Xuzhou as a bonus.

Half of Henan fell to Dou Jiande, including Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Sizhou, Haizhou, Yizhou, Mizhou, and Qizhou.
Zibo, Qingzhou, Dengzhou, and Laizhou, these eleven prefectures, were given to Dou Jiande.
Zheng, Hua, Ji, Yun, Pu, Cao, Bian, Song, and Bo, along with the nine prefectures along the Grand Canal and the prefectures in Henan to the west, all came under the rule of the Tang Dynasty.

Of course, this did not satisfy Dou Jiande.

It is said that Li Yuan also verbally promised Dou Jiande the provinces of Henan, north of Luoyang, and the prefectures of Daibei, north of Taiyuan.

Li Yi felt that such a verbal promise was meaningless, and even if Li Yuan were to actually write it in the official document and the two sides establish a formal alliance, it would be meaningless.

But for some reason, Dou Jiande actually believed it.

Now Dou Jiande has sent an envoy to Hulao Pass to complain to Li Yi, saying that Li Yi should not have violated the agreement between the two monarchs by accepting the surrender requests of Meng Haigong of Caozhou, Xu Yuanlang of Yanzhou, Zhang Qingte of Jizhou, and Wang Bu of Qizhou.

It is said that the Tang emperor has already ceded these eleven prefectures to the Great Xia.

Furthermore, the Huo family's military raids on the two prefectures of Yin and Yi in Hanoi further violated the alliance.

Dou Jiande's envoy urged Li Yi to make corrections, especially to hand over the three prefectures of Yin, Yi, and Wei to the Xia army.

Li Yi also received a secret envoy from the emperor who explained the situation in detail, instructing him to appease the Xia people for now.

The attack on Xuzhou will not be carried out for the time being, and the troops will not be sent to Cao and Yan prefectures for the time being. However, the emperor also gave instructions that the three prefectures of Wei, Yin and Yi in Hebei should not be given to Dou Jiande, especially Liyang.

Try to delay as much as possible.
If we can delay for a while longer, and once the King of Qin takes Luoyang, the Tang Dynasty can turn against us.

Sitting in Hulao Pass, Li Yi could actually guess some of Dou Jiande's thoughts. He probably predicted that Wang Shichong could hold out for at least a year and a half.

Therefore, his willingness to negotiate with the Tang Dynasty was actually to stabilize the Tang army and prevent them from crossing the border, so that he could concentrate on fighting Luo Yi in Youzhou.

As long as Youzhou remains unconquered, Dou Jiande's Xia dynasty will remain unstable. If the Tang and Zheng dynasties were to resume hostilities, Dou Jiande would be attacked from both sides. He must conquer Youzhou. This would not only stabilize his rear but also open up communication routes with the Turks, and in critical moments, allow him to draw upon Turkic troops for reinforcements.

He is currently gathering an army of over 100,000 to march north and attack Youzhou again, while also sending troops through the Taihang Feihu Pass into Weizhou to compete with Yuan Junzhang for territory. His goal is to open up a passage to the Turks and win their support.

Dou Jiande even launched simultaneous attacks on Gao Kaidao in Beiping and Deng Song in Yingzhou.

Both Li Yuan and Dou Jiande were cunning old foxes, and they were both racing against time.

Everyone knew that a war was inevitable.

In Li Yi's view, Dou Jiande's biggest mistake was misjudging the speed at which the Tang army would conquer Zheng. He thought he had a buffer period of one or two years and could still take down Luo Yi, Gao Kaidao, Deng Song, and even Yuan Junzhang in the north.
In reality, the Tang army was too fast, and Wang Shichong could not hold out for much longer.

On the contrary, Luo Yi will last longer than Wang Shichong.

Therefore, Dou Jiande's current idea of ​​using Wang Shichong to delay the Li Tang dynasty is undoubtedly foolish. He should have been more proactive in intervening in the Luoyang battlefield and offered Wang Shichong assistance.

Everyone makes mistakes.

However, Dou Jiande's mistake this time was quite significant.

Li Yi replied to the emperor, saying he would actively cooperate with the emperor's plan.

I've heard that in the past two years, Dou Jiande has been pacifying the people and restoring production in Hebei after conquering each new territory, and he's been doing a relatively good job.

But this is a battle for supremacy, and the most crucial thing is still being able to fight.

He still hasn't defeated Luo Yi or taken Youzhou, and he can't even conquer Deng Song in Yingzhou or Gao Kaidao in Beiping.

His basic decision-making is problematic.

If Li Yuan still cannot resolve the issues of Xue Ju in Longyou and Li Gui in Hexi, then he will be unable to fully commit to conquering the east.

What's the point of Dou Jiande rushing south if he doesn't eliminate the several forces in the north?

"Does the Chamberlain wish to see Zhou Fanxian?" Lu Chengqing asked.

"Tell Zhou Fanxian that the Emperor is concerned about the people, which is why he made an exception and gave local wealthy families the opportunity to donate grain to help the court provide relief to the people. However, the official position is a title of Duke and cannot be granted indiscriminately."

Sishui County no longer has any positions available for a fifth-rank official.

Lu Chengqing said, "The title of Attendant-in-Ordinary and Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices is just a fifth-rank honorary position. Many squad leaders and brigade commanders in the army hold this honorary position. It is very worthwhile to exchange it for five thousand shi of grain."

"Wrong. Although squad leaders and brigade commanders can also be granted the title of Senior Doctor, it is earned through hard work and merit."

"I know that the Zhou family is a prominent family in Sishui, on par with the Wenren family. They are very arrogant. We should make an example of a few people like them."

Li Yi's policy of lending grain, rewarding officials with grain payments, and recruiting sons of wealthy and powerful families to serve him in Henan did not go very smoothly.

Although some people were well-known and actively contributed, they donated more than 8,000 shi of grain.

However, the Zhou family, whose strength was even greater than that of the Wenren family, was very uncooperative.

They said they had no grain to borrow, let alone ask them to donate grain or offer them official positions.

Although the Tang army is currently at its peak, most of Henan followed suit after Li Mi's defeat and surrender to the Tang, but the situation has been volatile since then.

In many places, powerful local families had grain in their hands, but they hoarded it and dared not spend it recklessly. Or rather, they lent their grain to the people, where the interest was higher and the grain was worth more.

Li Yi had long planned to make an example of a few people.

Now, Zhou Shi probably heard that Wang Shichong had suffered a series of defeats in Luoyang, so he took the initiative to buy an official position. Unfortunately, Li Yi not only didn't appreciate their kindness, but also wanted to use them as a scapegoat.

"Old Lu, I need you to investigate thoroughly, both openly and covertly, and uncover the illegal activities of the Zhou family of Sishui. The information must be true, not fabricated."

Whether it's the Zhou family members bullying men and women, seizing land, forcing others to sell their wives and daughters through usury, or the Zhou family's monopolistic practices in the market, all of these can be collected and organized.

"Does the Grand Councilor really intend to punish the Zhou family?"

"That's natural. If you're too kind, some people will become arrogant and ignorant."

Lu Chengqing mourned for Zhou, but he didn't pity her, as he had no connection with a local tyrant like Zhou.

He knew very well that even the five families of Cui, Lu, Zheng, and Wang from Shandong, if investigated thoroughly, would all have dirty secrets.

No one can withstand such a thorough investigation.

As long as Li Yi sends people to investigate the Zhou family, the Zhou family will be doomed this time. Moreover, Li Yi will be able to stand on the moral and legal high ground, and the Zhou family will not even have a chance to refute him.

This is a calculated move that exploits the rules.

Even if you know this, there's nothing you can do. Unless the Zhou family can find a stronger backer than Li Yi, but at this stage, besides Li Shimin, who is stronger than Li Yi in terms of reforming Henan?
Even if they found Feng Deyi, the Grand Secretary who advised the King of Qin on military matters, it wouldn't make a difference.

For Li Yi, dealing with the Zhou family of Sishui would be as easy as stepping on an ant, but for the surrounding powerful families, big and small, it was a different story.
This is no small matter.

Li Yi could crush the Zhou family in this way, and he could crush them in the same way. So they had to think carefully about whether or not to cooperate with Li Shizhong's plan.

If this happens within the territory of Sishui County, and the Sishui County Magistrate wants to take action against the Zhou family, what methods does the Zhou family have to appease the magistrate?

But they couldn't handle Li Yi.

The difference in levels is too great.

Zhou Fanxian failed to see Li Yi, even though he was willing to offer 10,000 shi of grain. He didn't even see Lu Chengqing again; only a soldier came to send him away.

Back home, Zhou Fanxian was filled with fear. The seventy-year-old man had a vague premonition of what was about to happen.

It's too late for regrets.

The next day, he went to visit Li Yi again, this time bringing 20,000 shi of grain, which was almost all the grain stored in his home.

This time, however, he couldn't even get through the gate. After taking his belongings, the gatekeeper relayed his wish to donate 20,000 shi of grain.

"Go back, everyone's busy."

Zhou Fanxian returned home dejectedly.
Before they could even settle in, soldiers arrived and read out the arrest warrant, listing more than a dozen crimes committed by the Fan family, including encroaching on farmland. All the male members of the family were taken away, and then their property was seized and confiscated.

This case will be tried publicly.

Each and every case had both physical and witness evidence. Li Yi, using his privilege of acting expediently, directly pronounced the verdict and carried out the execution, without needing to report to the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review for review.

All male members of the Zhou clan were exiled to Xizhou, and the women and unmarried men were enslaved. Their land, houses, money, livestock, and slaves were all confiscated and put to public use.

Zhou Fanxian died in prison that same day.

His grain, his fields, his houses, his livestock, his slaves—all of them were taken away.

After the Zhou case, the powerful and wealthy landlords in various places immediately became much more pragmatic, and took the initiative to borrow and donate grain.
Those with abundant land and grain would certainly have to grit their teeth and donate a fifth-rank official title, while those with less land and grain would still have to donate a title to the late emperor.

Or one could spend 500 shi to donate a place in the Imperial Academy for one's descendants, or even spend 200 or 300 shi to donate a place in the county school for one's descendants.

The issue is no longer whether these honorary titles, official appointments, or imperial academy students are worth that much grain; the concern is whether our families will be targeted.

If they are investigated, no one can escape it.

Fortunately, it was after the autumn harvest, and the powerful families all had some grain. The grain kept being sent to Li Yi's side, which greatly alleviated the problem of military supplies. It also allowed them to immediately allocate grain to Dai Zhou's side to appease the refugees and carry out land reclamation.

Li Yi was certainly aware that some people were talking about him behind his back, but sometimes you can't get things done without using some methods.

Hopefully, the King of Qin can conquer Luoyang soon.

Li Yi kept a close eye on the battle situation in Luoyang and was also constantly transporting grain to Luoyang.

Unfortunately, the news they brought back was not good.

After Li Shimin's great victory at the Battle of Qingcheng Palace, he besieged Luoyang from all sides and launched a relentless attack day and night. After half a month of fierce fighting, he suffered heavy casualties but was unable to capture Luoyang.

More than ten groups of people in the city also planned to act as spies, but Wang Shichong discovered them all and executed them.

A fierce attack lasting half a month,

Wang Shichong remained unmoved, but the Tang generals were the ones who wavered.

Generals Liu Hongji, Qu Tutong, and Dou Gui all requested to withdraw their troops, saying that the weather was freezing cold and the soldiers were exhausted from their long march, which would take a long time. They suggested that it would be better to withdraw first and fight again next spring.

Even Li Yuan, who was far away in Chang'an,
After learning of the heavy casualties suffered by the Tang army in the siege, he wavered in his resolve, worried that the Tang's most elite troops would be wasted under the walls of Luoyang.

Besides this, what made Li Yuan change his mind was the peace talks with Chuluo Khan. The talks consistently failed, and he sent several groups of envoys to the Khan's court.
The talks went awry; Zheng Yuanzhu and his group failed to reach an agreement and instead entangled themselves with Changsun Shunde and others.

Meanwhile, Changsun Shunde and his comrades managed to send a secret message back to the emperor through Nibusheshibobi. Chuluo Khan had essentially unified the thoughts of the Turkic Khanate nobles.

Chuluo Khan planned to join forces with Yuan Junzhang, Dou Jiande, Liang Shidu, and others for a full-scale invasion. This invasion would be even larger than previous ones, with Chuluo Khan personally leading the army. He would personally attack Taiyuan, while Mohedu would attack Yuanzhou and enter Guanzhong through Xiaoguan Pass.

Bu Lishe and Liang Shidu captured Yanzhou and marched south.

Nibushe, along with the Xi, Khitan, and Mohe tribes, entered from Youzhou, where they met Dou Jiande's army, which entered from the west via the Fu River, and joined forces in Jin and Jiang.

Seeing that Luoyang could not be captured for a long time, Li Yuan dared not delay any longer. He had to mobilize his elite troops to prepare for the large-scale invasion of the Turkic Khan Chuluo.

Despite Li Yuan's generous offer, Chuluo Khan refused to accept it, creating a tense situation that was on the verge of erupting into conflict.

With negotiations proving futile, Li Yuan had no choice but to prepare for the inevitable catastrophe and tsunami-like invasion of Chuluo Khan.

Li Yi was not clear whether the Turkic Chuluo Khan had launched a large-scale invasion in the third or fourth year of the Wude era. He only remembered that Mohe Dushe had succeeded to the throne as Khan and invaded almost every year. The war with Tang became larger and larger. In the ninth year of the Wude era, even at the beginning of Li Shimin's reign, he led his troops to the banks of the Wei River and forced Li Shimin to make a treaty under the city walls.

Li Shimin refused to give up. He sent the Grand Secretary back to Chang'an to present his reasons to the emperor in person.

"Now, the area south of Mount Song and east of Mount Hulao has been conquered by the Duke of Jin. Wang Shichong only has Luoyang left. He is exhausted and his strength is waning. If he withdraws his troops now, all his efforts will be in vain. Wang Shichong may take the opportunity to make a comeback. If he then joins forces with Dou Jiande and allies with the Turks in the north, he will be even more difficult to deal with."

While sending Feng Deyi back to the capital to report, he ordered the entire army, "We will not return until Luoyang is captured. Anyone who dares to suggest retreating again will be beheaded!"

Li Shimin then persuaded Wang Shichong in Luoyang to surrender, and at the same time sent someone to Hulao Pass to see Li Yi, asking him to lead another army to Luoyang to reinforce the city.

"Wu Yi has always been resourceful and a lucky general. Perhaps he will have a brilliant plan to break through the city!" Under immense pressure, Li Shimin had already placed his hopes for a swift victory over Luoyang on Li Yi when he spoke with Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui.

(End of this chapter)