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

Chapter 400 Cutting off legs and eating meat
A gentleman's revenge is never too late.

Li Yi had no desire to wait ten years for a chance, nor did he have any intention of repaying kindness with kindness. Du Yan's repeated attempts to take advantage of him were excessive; he not only showed no regard for the relationship between father-in-law and son-in-law, but also left him no way out.

Ever since he killed Du Jing'ai in Chang'an, he had been very clear that they were mortal enemies who could never be defeated.

Du Yan repeatedly sent assassins to kill him, so Li Yi naturally had to retaliate.

He had previously tried to frame Du Yan for treason and collusion with the Tang Dynasty, hoping to use Wang Shichong to get rid of Du Yan, but he failed.

Now that Luoyang has fallen

Du Ruhui also disregarded his family and relatives and directly asked Li Shimin to kill Du Yan. The reason was that when Du Yan was still Wang Shichong's confidant, he had personally investigated and solved several cases of collusion with the Tang Dynasty. Many people, including Dugu Ji and Dugu Wudu, were killed after being investigated by Du Yan.

Unfortunately, Du Chuke insisted on protecting Du Yan to the death, saying that the uncle had killed the brother, and now the brother had killed the uncle. Within the same family, they were killing each other to the death. How heartbreaking! He threatened to commit suicide to force Du Ruhui to plead with Li Shimin for Du Yan's life.

Du Ruhui dared not push too hard; he couldn't bear to see his younger brother die again.

But Li Yi couldn't let Du Yan off the hook so easily.

Letting him go now, once Du Yan catches his breath, will bring endless trouble. He knows this guy is very capable; not only did he become the Minister of Personnel under Wang Shichong, but historically, after returning to Chang'an, he quickly became a confidant in the Prince of Qin's mansion and later became the Zhenguan Prime Minister of Li Shimin.

The letter from Dugu Xiude was delivered by Chen Lingjiao at Li Yi's request.

Kill with a borrowed knife.

A dead enemy is the most reliable opponent.

Drink a glass of wine,
Li Yi put down his wine cup, trying his best to appear sad and sorrowful, after all, Du Yan was his father-in-law and Du Jingtong was his brother-in-law.

"Your Majesty, I wish to visit Lord Du and arrange his burial."

Li Shimin was well aware of the grudges and affections between Du Ruhui, Li Yi, and Du Yan. When Li Yi stepped forward, he thought it was just a formality.

"Okay, let's go."

Li Shimin was furious. Dugu Xiude and his group were too audacious, actually falsely conveying the Qin Prince's edict. This was practically trying to pin a blame on him. Although he also disliked Wang Shichong...
Wang Shichong was to be escorted to Chang'an and dealt with personally by the emperor.

"Hou Sanshui,"

"Your subordinate is here." Hou Junji stepped forward.

"You immediately take your men and arrest Dugu Xiude and his accomplices, imprison them, and await further orders!"

"Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!"

At this point, Li Shimin no longer cared that Dugu Xiude was Dugu Xin's great-grandson and that they were cousins.

The atmosphere in the hall became somewhat awkward for a moment.

Many people's first reaction is that the King of Qin eliminated the root of the problem by using the brothers of Dugu Xiude to kill Wang Shichong and his son.

As for the killing of Du Yan and his son, many people didn't take it too seriously. Of course, some knew that Du Ruhui had previously requested to kill Du Yan, but later pleaded for his life.

I think it's possible that Du Ruhui couldn't openly kill his own uncle, so he used someone else to do the dirty work.

No one connected it to Li Yi.
After all, not many people knew that Li Yi and his father-in-law were at odds.

The celebration banquet ended early.

Li Yi and Du Ruhui went together to the place where Du Yan was killed.

Neither of them spoke on the way.

Li Yi estimated that with Du Ruhui's intelligence, he must have guessed that Du Yan might have been killed by him, but he couldn't make such a claim without evidence, especially since it involved the murders of the Dugu family members and Wang Shichong.

Good and evil will be rewarded accordingly.

After a long silence, Du Ruhui sighed and said, "It's good that he's dead. It's a relief to end it all and avoid many future troubles."

Du Yan had two legitimate sons. His eldest son, Jing'ai, attempted to assassinate Li Yi in Chang'an and died in prison. Now, his second son, Jingtong, has also been killed.

“I don’t know how to write to Chang’an Shi Niang to tell her this terrible news,” Li Yi said.

When the two arrived at the prison, Du Yan and his son were already covered with straw mats.

Xu Luoren was on duty here. He was enjoying a celebratory feast when he was called over, which was very unlucky.

He ordered the soldiers to lift the curtain so the two men could see.

Du Yan and his son died a rather tragic death.

"Dugu Xiude and his seven cousins ​​each slashed Du Yan and his son three times, hacking their faces and stabbing their chests."

This was the first time Li Yi had ever seen his father-in-law; he was completely unrecognizable.

After careful observation, Du Ruhui concluded, "It is indeed my fourth uncle, Du Yan, and his second son, Du Jingtong."

Xu Luoren asked someone to cover the mat again, "Do you need help finding two coffins for the body?"

“No need to trouble General Xu, we’ll send our own people.” Li Yi clasped his hands in greeting. Xu Luoren said, “It’s no trouble at all. It’s an honor for the young rascals to be able to do something for the Attendant.”

After confirming identity,
What followed was quite simple.
As the deputy commander and concurrently the Inspector General, Li Yi could decide many things with just a word.

They summoned their personal guards and retainers, found a coffin, and first loaded Du Yan and his son onto it, then transported them directly back to Du Yan's original residence in Luoyang.

This place was temporarily sealed off, but with just one word from Li Yi, it was reopened.

Li Yi then sent his personal guards to fetch Du Yan's half-brother, Du Rui, from elsewhere, as well as Du Yan's wife, Guo, his daughter-in-law, Wei, and Du Yan's grandson, Du Congze, who were in the palace.

Du Ruhui then sent his attendants to fetch his third brother, Du Chuke.

quickly,

All branches of the Du family from Luoyang arrived.

Du Rui and his wife brought their children, Du Yan's wife Guo brought her second daughter-in-law Wei and grandson Du Congze, as well as their eldest daughter and son-in-law Zheng Shiji. Du Chuke also came with his wife Cui and their two children.

Not many people.

After Du Ruhui announced the situation, Guo fainted immediately.

Du Chuke stood there, lost in thought, for a long time.

"Dugu Xiude is the son of Dugu Ji. Previously, Dugu Ji, along with his cousin Dugu Wudu, Yang Gongshen, Liu Xiaoyuan, and others, plotted to return to Chang'an, but the plot was exposed and they were killed."

It is said that this case was assigned to Fourth Uncle for trial, and now the Dugu brothers have sought revenge, killing Wang Shichong and Fourth Uncle, which was unexpected.

It took a long time before Guo woke up.

Holding her young grandson, she wept bitterly. Li Yi stepped forward and formally greeted his mother-in-law, who was also from the Guo family of Hedong. She was the niece of the late Old Lady Guo and had originally come from a prestigious family, but now she was very thin and lacked vitality.

Du Chuke said that Guo often sent food to him and his wife and children, while he himself could only eat bran cakes to fill his stomach. He was so moved by this that he was willing to threaten to kill himself to beg his brother to spare Du Yan.

"You must be Wu Yi, Shi Niang's husband? I never expected to meet you in such a setting." Madam Guo looked at Li Yi, already very familiar with this son-in-law. If her aunt and husband hadn't been so vehemently opposed to Shi Niang's marriage...

Perhaps after the fall of Luoyang, with the protection of her son-in-law, who was the deputy commander of the Tang army, her husband and son would not have died tragically at the hands of the Dugu family.

"It's because your son-in-law is late!"

“No wonder,” Guo said, pushing her grandson in front of him. “Quickly call her ‘Auntie’.”

Du Congze was only a few years old, but he was quite generous in coming up and calling her "Auntie".

Looking at the child so young, Li Yi could only sigh.

Who would have thought that Du Yan's family would only have this one son left?

"Let's take care of the funeral arrangements first," Li Yi said.

He had no reason to sympathize with the Du family. He had almost died at the hands of Du Yan and his son several times. If he died, who would sympathize with his wives, concubines, and children?

No one knows now that he killed Du Yan, but the Guo family will never forget that Du Jing'ai died in Chang'an prison because he was captured after failing to assassinate Li Yi.

Anyway, Guo's eldest daughter-in-law, who was also her niece, kept looking at Li Yi with hatred, but Li Yi ignored her.

He left behind some money and provisions, and sent several retainers to help with the funeral arrangements.
Li Yi then left.

"Your Excellency, please wait."

Zheng Shiji caught up. He was from the Zheng family of Xingyang and married Du Yan's eldest daughter. The marriage was a good match. Young Master Zheng was in his twenties and had served as a county magistrate. He had also been promoted to the seventh-rank Imperial Censor in the court of Wang Shichong in Luoyang.

But now that the state of Zheng has fallen, his future is uncertain.

Seeing that her brother-in-law Li Yi now held a high position of power in Tang, she wanted to establish a connection with him.

"When Madam and I first learned about Shi Niang and your affair, we were very supportive..." Zheng Shiji immediately tried to curry favor, and Li Yi chuckled.

Zheng Shiji talked a lot, but what he really wanted was Li Yi's help.

"The imperial court will make unified arrangements."

"I would be grateful if Your Excellency could assist me."

"Is Zheng Shanguo, the Left Vice-Minister of the Crown Prince, related to you?"

“He is my uncle, but not from the same branch of the family; we are actually five degrees of kinship apart,” Zheng Shiji said truthfully.

Li Yi sized up his brother-in-law a few times and found him to be quite tall and somewhat refined, with a good appearance. To be able to become a Palace Attendant Censor, he must have some ability.

"How about this, you help with the funeral arrangements for your father-in-law and brother-in-law first, and then come find me after the forty-seventh day memorial service. I'll help you with some things in advance, is that alright?"

“Okay,” Zheng Shiji nodded repeatedly.

Li Shiji visited Shan Xiongxin in prison, bringing him wine and meat.

Seeing the still-steaming roasted mutton, Shan Xiongxin laughed and said, "I'm starving!"

Li Shiji poured him some wine, and Shan Xiongxin grabbed a piece of roasted mutton and started eating it in big bites.

"Second brother, let's drink."

"Um,"

Shan Xiongxin ate and drank excessively.
After finishing the barbecue, he asked, "Third brother, when can I go out?"

Li Shiji wept, “Second brother, it is my incompetence that I cannot save you. The King of Qin has specifically ordered your execution, and you will be executed by the Luo River tomorrow.”

Shan Xiongxin was stunned.

After a long silence, he sighed, "I know you are a loyal friend, and you must have pleaded for me with all your might. It's not that you didn't do your job, it's that the King of Qin is holding a grudge and won't let me go."

"Second Brother!" Li Shiji cried out.

Shan Xiongxin was now filled with regret. If only he had known this would happen, he would not have surrendered to the Tang Dynasty like Qin Shubao and the others. Otherwise, he would not be in this predicament today.

"Hahaha, you'll be a hero again in eighteen years. My second brother has two wishes before he dies. Please help him fulfill them."

"Second brother, you can grant me any of your wishes, even a hundred."

"Firstly, my children are still young, and I hope that after I die you can adopt them and help raise them."

“My second brother’s children are my children, and I will treat them as my own.”

"Okay, and I didn't eat enough earlier, so let's get some more meat. I'll die a full-bodied ghost if I have to."

Upon hearing this, Li Shiji unbuttoned his clothes, drew his knife, and cut a large chunk of flesh from his thigh. "This is our final farewell, and I will use this flesh to go down with my second brother to the earth."

Shan Xiongxin's eyes reddened as he looked at the piece of his brother's flesh that was handed to him. He took it and chewed it in large bites.

A bite of meat, a sip of persimmon liquor.

the next morning,
Shan Xiongxin, Zhu Can, Xue Deyin, Cui Hongdan, and Wang Deren were taken to the banks of the Luo River and publicly executed.

Li Shiji limped over to bid a tearful farewell to his brother.

Qin Shubao, Luo Shixin, Cheng Yaojin, and other former Wagang generals also arrived. With a command, Shan Xiongxin and the other four were beheaded.

Cheng Yaojin said, "During the great battle between Wei and Zheng, Wang Shichong attacked Shan Xiongxin's camp. Xingyan and I went to rescue him, but we were ambushed and surrounded by Wang Shichong. We were both wounded and almost died, but Shan Xiongxin just stood by and did nothing to help."

Later, when you, Shubao, were surrounded in the bloody battle of Mangshan, he still refused to come to your aid.

When Wei Gong retreated to Yanshi, Wang Shichong advanced his army. Instead of intercepting or resisting, Cheng Yaojin surrendered with his troops and became a guide for Zheng's army. "Speaking of these past events," Cheng Yaojin gritted his teeth, "this predicament is entirely his own fault."

Qin Qiong didn't say anything more about Shan Xiongxin, but said, "I heard that Mao Gong visited him in prison yesterday and cut off a piece of his own flesh to feed Xiongxin. This brotherly affection is truly admirable."

Cheng Yaojin only missed his good brother Pei Xingyan, who unfortunately died at the hands of Wang Shichong.

Blood sacrifice to the military flag,
Li Shimin rallied his troops on the banks of the Luo River.
On the morning of the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, he led 50,000 infantry and cavalry, braving the wind and snow, northward from Luoyang toward Taiyuan!

Li Yi accompanied him for twenty miles.

"I'm leaving Henan to you. Be careful of Dou Jiande." Li Shimin pulled his cloak tighter and gave these instructions repeatedly before parting.

(End of this chapter)