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

Chapter 494 Drawing the Sword to Slay the Messenger

Li Kaidao entered Youzhou City with only twelve men, yet he was confident he could kill Li Yuan and seize the city. However, once inside the city and the gates were closed, he never found another opportunity.

Wang Junkuo, whom he looked down upon, showed him the defenses of Youzhou along the way. Cavalry and infantry patrolled the city in turns, and there were guards at the streets and gates. Even in the dead of winter, these soldiers were all on duty in armor, without the slightest slack.

"The soldiers of Youzhou are elite," Gao Kaidao exclaimed.

"Haha, it's just a matter of rewarding those who have made contributions and those who have made mistakes; the system of rewards and punishments is clear." Wang Junkuo simply smiled indifferently.

Upon arriving at the Grand Steward's residence, we found it heavily guarded, with sentries posted everywhere.

"Please leave your weapons outside for now." A captain of the Youzhou military forces stopped Li Kaidao and his party.

Li Kaidao glanced at Wang Junkuo.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, they will keep it safe for you."

Li Kaidao frowned. Seeing that Wang Junkuo was impeccable, he had no choice but to hand over his weapons and go inside.

The Grand Steward's residence was warm and inviting, filled with fine wine, delicious food, and beautiful women performing. Li Yuan rose to greet them.
After the banquet, Li Kaidao found no opportunity whatsoever. His ten adopted sons were arranged in the outer courtyard, leaving only the three of them in the main hall. Without any weapons, it was nothing short of a pipe dream for him to seize control of Youzhou from Li Yuan.

After the banquet,
Li Yuan asked them to go to the governor's mansion, but Li Kaidao, seeing no opportunity, simply took his leave.

Li Kaidao felt very uncomfortable, as if a wolf was lurking beside him.

Leaving Youzhou City,
Looking back, Wang Junkuo stood on the city wall seeing them off.

"That bastard has ruined my plans," Li Kaidao cursed.

“I’d heard of Wang Junkuo’s scoundrel before, but I never imagined he’d be doing so well as an assistant to Li Yuan in guarding Youzhou,” Zhang Jinshu said.

"Never mind, there's no chance this time. We'll talk about it later."

Zhaozhou,

At the foot of Fenglong Mountain,

On the appointed day, Liu Wei arrived early with his men to wait, but the Sogdian merchant who had left three days earlier had not yet arrived.

"Second brother, why haven't those people arrived yet? Could they have gone back on their word?"

"Are you lying to us?"

Liu Wei pulled his sheepskin robe tighter around himself. "They sent ten warhorses, let's wait a little longer."

After waiting for more than an hour,
"coming,"

A brother ran over to report.

A Sogdian merchant arrived with a cavalry caravan through the snowstorm.
"General Liu, I encountered some trouble on the way and was delayed a little. I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Liu Wei looked at the cavalry with burning eyes.

The merchant laughed and said, "The weapons, equipment, and horses that you promised have all been delivered to you: a thousand spears, a thousand swords, three hundred bows, ten thousand arrows, a hundred sets of leather armor, and a hundred warhorses."

"General Liu, please check this."

Liu Wei's men couldn't wait to check. The weapons—swords, spears, bows, arrows, leather armor—were mostly old, but the quantity was correct.

There are also one hundred warhorses.

"Second brother, the numbers are all correct."

"Nice equipment."

Although the items looked a bit old and weren't standardized, Liu Wei and his group were quite satisfied with having this equipment.

With so much equipment and horses, we wouldn't dare attack a county town, but taking over a powerful manor would be no problem at all.

Liu Wei felt a surge of excitement, but he also became increasingly curious about the identities of these people.

"Thank you, Lord An. I would like to ask a question..."

"Don't ask. We are just merchants. We once received some favors from Lord Dou. Now that we have learned that Lord Dou's former subordinates have gathered a crowd to start an uprising, we are sending them some equipment."

This isn't a free gift; it's just a collaboration. You can use it first and pay later. We'll also take a small interest rate. It's a win-win situation for us.

Upon hearing this, Liu Wei knew that the other party was unwilling to reveal the mastermind behind the scenes.

They suspected it was the Li family of Zhao County, who were dissatisfied with the current policies of the Tang Dynasty in Hebei and were therefore secretly supporting their rebel army to stir up trouble.

The more the other party refused to talk, the more convinced he became. He planned to avoid the Li family's manor and not harm any members of the Li family in his next actions.

"We'll come back in a month, but next time we come, we'll have to collect payment for this batch of goods first."

Liu Wei readily agreed; with this batch of weapons and equipment, they were now ready for battle.

"I have some news for you: Zhang Zhi'ang, the governor of Zhao Prefecture, and Qin Wutong, the Left General of the Martial Guard, have returned to Zhao Prefecture."
The seat of government of Zhao Prefecture is about to be moved to Pingji; you must act quickly.

Liu Heita accompanied Zhang Zhiang to Zhao Prefecture, and along the way he also gathered some intelligence on Liu Wei of Fenglong Mountain.

"Sikong wants to offer amnesty to this person, and I intend to go personally to persuade him to surrender."

"Liu Dianjun, please be extra careful."

Qin Wutong laughed and said, "I will lead my troops to Luancheng and Yuanshi, and send light cavalry to meet them at the foot of Fenglong Mountain."

"Thank you, Lord Qin."

After tidying up, Liu Heita took only ten riders and headed towards Fenglong Mountain.

Zhang Zhiang and Qin Wutong watched his figure disappear into the distance.

"Liu Wei is just a nobody. He's only gathered a thousand or so men. Why bother with all this trouble?" Qin Wutong shook his head. "Just send troops up the mountain to wipe him out."

Zhang Zhiang smiled and said, "Suppressing bandits is easy, but winning back the hearts of the people of Hebei cannot be done by suppression alone. Sikong has a long-term vision."

"But can Liu Heita really be trusted?" Qin Wu asked.

"Whether it's credible or not, we'll find out soon enough."

A biting wind swept through the cave, carrying snowflakes into it.

The pine wood in the fire pit inside the cave crackled and popped.

Liu Heita took out a letter written by Li Yi himself from his pocket and handed it to Liu Wei.

Liu Wei, who had appointed himself as the chief steward of Fenglong Mountain, kept looking Liu Heita up and down. "I didn't expect the Handong Guild to come and offer amnesty to the Li Tang dynasty."

"Has the Duke of Handong forgotten the kindness and favor shown to him by Lord Dou so quickly?"

Liu Heita walked to the fire pit, sat down to warm himself, and remained calm.

"When the Sui dynasty lost its power, many warlords vied for control, and the Li Tang dynasty fought among themselves. In the end, Dou Gongming was defeated at the Battle of Mingshui and surrendered. This was the will of Heaven."

"We, the civil and military officials of Hebei, followed Lord Dou into Chang'an, also because Lord Dou was trying to save the lives of millions of people in Hebei."

Liu Wei stood there and questioned Liu Heita: "Dou Gong was killed by the Tang people, isn't one of you standing up to avenge him?"

Liu Heita stood up and looked directly at Liu Wei: "What makes you say that Lord Dou was killed by the Tang people? Lord Dou died suddenly after taking an elixir of immortality and accidentally ingesting mica."

"Nonsense! Master Dou is so young, why would he take any elixir of immortality?"

Liu Heita sighed, "Master Dou has been taking the elixir of immortality for over a year, and many of Master Dou's old brothers know about it."

"Even if Lord Dou took the elixir of immortality, he was fine before, but something happened as soon as he arrived in Chang'an?"

Liu Heita sat down again.

"Dou Gong has passed away. The court posthumously granted him the title of Duke and Governor. His concubine's son, who was born to him, was also granted the title of Duke and inherited the state. Dou Gong's widow, Cao, and others were also properly settled."

Liu Wei stroked the hilt of the ring-pommel sword at his waist.
"Although I wasn't among the first to join Dou Gong's uprising, I've always admired his benevolence and righteousness. When I led my troops from Fenglong Mountain to Hejian to surrender, Dou Gong gifted me this ring-pommel sword."

It speaks of the camaraderie and mutual support among the men of Hebei.

"At the end of the Sui Dynasty's reign, Hebei suffered greatly from the conquest of Liaodong, with countless families broken and destroyed. Many warlords and powerful figures raised armies, but many of these self-proclaimed righteous armies only knew how to plunder and were called bandits by the people. Only Lord Dou was benevolent and righteous; under his rule, the people were able to live in peace..."

Liu Heita added a few more pine branches to the fire.
"Dou Gong's benevolence and righteousness are known throughout the land. Li Yi, the Minister of Works of the Imperial Court, even specially converted the Daozu Palace outside the city of Mingzhou into the Dou Gong Ancestral Hall to commemorate his benevolence and righteousness in Hebei."

Li Sikong pleaded for the people of Hebei in Chang'an, securing a one-year exemption from taxes and corvée labor. Upon returning to Hebei, he further streamlined the administration of prefectures and counties, reformed the bureaucracy, and borrowed money from powerful families to purchase grain, provide relief to the people, and help restore production.

Now that Hebei is gradually becoming stable, isn't this exactly what Lord Dou wished for?

"Look at the letter Sikong wrote to you."
You went to Fenglong Mountain twice, and both times you were framed by powerful local magistrates and corrupt officials in an attempt to seize your property. Minister Li has already sent people to investigate this matter and has instructed that you be exonerated.

"It's not just you; all the injustices suffered by Dou Gong's former subordinates will be redressed. And it's not just Dou Gong's former subordinates; all those in Hebei who have suffered injustice will receive support."

Liu Wei sneered.

"What's the use of having milk if the baby dies?"

"Of course it will be useful. You can't succeed in rebellion now. This is not the end of the Sui Dynasty. The court is now implementing new policies in Hebei, which can give the people a stable life and hope for the future."

If you rebel, how many of you will actually respond?
In the end, he lost his life for nothing and implicated his family.

The Minister of Works has issued a pardon. As long as you come down from the mountain and accept the amnesty, your past actions will be forgiven, and the court will uphold justice for you for any injustices you have suffered.

Liu Wei, Li Sikong knows that you were forced to go up the mountain, and that you did not harm the innocent or bully the weak during your two visits. Therefore, he specially appoints you as a sixth-rank military officer in the Wu'an Prince's Palace.

And Liu Xian, your wife Wang is now in Mingzhou, and your mother is also doing well. Sikong takes good care of them. Wang is currently running a fried food shop in the East Market of Mingzhou, and the business is thriving.

"The Minister of Works has heard of your talent and learning, and has specially appointed you as a military advisor in the Prince of Wu'an's court."

"And those of you on the mountain who originally held official positions under Lord Dou, you can all participate in the selection process at the Grand General's Office in Mingzhou."

You can also return to your hometown, and the government will return all your fields, houses, and properties in full…”

"Brothers, back then the Sui Dynasty was tyrannical, which is why Lord Dou and we rose up in anger. All we wanted was to survive."
Now the Mandate of Heaven rests on the Tang Dynasty, and the Central Plains are reunified.
If everyone can return to a peaceful life, why rebel again?

Suddenly, shouts of people and neighing of horses came from outside the cave.

Sogdian merchant An Jialing led eighteen guards up the mountain and entered the cave.

"I heard that a distinguished guest has come to the Black Dragon Cave in Fenglong Mountain, and I happened to be there."

Liu Heita looked at the newcomers and asked, "Who are you?"

An Jialing lifted his cloak, "An Jialing greets Duke Handong. To be honest, I am a special envoy of the Turkic Khaganate, Jieli Khan."

Khan Jieli supported the heroes of Hebei in avenging Dou Gong.

"Lord Handong, you are Dou Gong's brother, brave and valiant in battle. You should step forward and lead everyone in rebellion against the Tang. Great Khan Jieli has said that if Lord Handong is willing to step forward, our Turkic Khaganate will bestow upon him the Wolf-Headed Banner and the title of Southern Khan, and support him in seizing Hebei."

Liu Heita sneered twice.
Suddenly, he grabbed An Jialing and said, "The Turkic Khanate is thousands of miles away from here. How did they know that I, Liu Heita, had come? And the Khagan of Jieli bestowed upon me the title of Southern Khagan. Hahaha, what nonsense you spout!"

"Tell me, who exactly are you?"

"Lord Handong, we are special envoys of the Great Khan Jieli," Angalin said urgently.

Liu Heita grabbed one of his fingers and twisted it sharply.
An Jialing's finger was broken, and she screamed in pain.

"I only listen to the truth."

An Jialing's men surrounded him, but Liu Heita showed no fear and broke off another of An Jialing's fingers. "Tell them to back down."

Liu Wei stared at Liu Heita.

The atmosphere inside the cave was tense.

After Liu Heita twisted all five fingers of An Jialing's right hand into pretzel shapes, he finally confessed.

"I'll tell you, I'll tell you, don't break it!"

"I am a man of the Prince of Yan."

"Li Yi?"

"No, it is the Prince of Yan, Gao Da Wang."

"Highway?"

Liu Wei and the others from Fenglong Mountain were also surprised. They thought this Sogdian merchant was from the Li family of Zhao County, but now he was Gao Kaidao's subordinate.

"Lord Handong, my lord Gao is also dissatisfied with the Tang emperor. The Turks support my lord Gao's rebellion against the Tang, and my lord Gao intends to recruit Dou Gong's former subordinates..."

The wind and snow outside the cave intensified.

Inside the Black Dragon Cave,

Everyone was surprised by this result.

Liu Wei and the others never expected that the one who sent them weapons and equipment would be Gao Kaidao from Beiping, Dou Gong's former rival.

Unexpectedly, Gao Kaidao, who had previously surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, is now rebelling against it again.

"Lord Handong, we are indeed not envoys of the Turkic Khaganate, but what the Tang people can give you, my Prince of Yan can also give, and even more."

You are the Duke of Handong, the son of Dou Gong, but you surrendered to the Tang people and can only serve as a military guard for the inexperienced Li Yi.

But as long as you work together with the Prince of Yan on important matters, the Prince of Yan will appoint you as the Grand General of Mingzhou, enfeoff you as the Prince of Handong, and swear brotherhood with you!

Liu Heita laughed heartily.
"Gao Kaidao, what makes him worthy of being compared to Dou Gong? A fickle and untrustworthy salt merchant, how dare he be compared to Dou Gong?"
He wanted to be the Turks' dog; he wanted to be king in Hebei forever.

He just wants to deceive us, his former subordinates, into working for him.
呸？
"Gao Kaidao is nothing! I'd rather be a fifth-rank military officer in the Tang Dynasty than follow him."

finished,

He punched Angaling in the temple, killing him.

"Liu Wei, are you really going to work for Gao Kaidao and wreak havoc on Hebei for his ambitions?"

Have you forgotten your original intention?

Liu Wei stood there, his gaze cold.

Upon seeing An Jialing killed, An Jialing's subordinates drew their swords and rushed forward.

Liu Wei drew his sword.

With a sudden slash,

He cut down one of the leading Angalin guards.

His subordinates from Fenglong Mountain, seeing this, also drew their swords.

After a while,
More than ten of Angalin's guards were killed.

Liu Xian stood aside, still reeling from the sudden battle. His body was stiff and his legs were trembling. This assistant instructor was still not used to this kind of fighting.

"Liu Wei, you won't regret your choice today." Liu Heita stood there with his hands behind his back, and these words were also spoken to himself.

The words An Jialing just uttered were indeed very tempting.

Whether he falsely claimed to be an envoy of the Turkic Khan Jieli, saying that Jieli bestowed upon him a wolf-head banner and appointed him as the Southern Khan, or whether he claimed to be an envoy of Gao Kaidao, saying that the Prince of Yan would bestow upon him the title of Prince of Handong and Grand Governor of Mingzhou, and swear brotherhood with him—all these statements...

It does look quite tempting.

But Liu Heita was only moved for a fleeting moment.

If he hadn't followed Lord Dou to Chang'an, hadn't served as a military commander under Li Yi, and hadn't spent this period of time with Li Yi...
Perhaps he was truly moved.

but now,

All he wanted to say was that traitors and rebels should be punished by everyone!
With Gao Kaidao's abilities, he thinks he can fight against the imperial court and against Li Yi?

(End of this chapter)