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

Chapter 519 Youzhou
"What a magnificent city."

Looking at the towering Youzhou City before him, Yang Gongdao, the chief secretary of the Dingzhou Grand General's Office, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration from his horse.

Li Keshi, the former military advisor of the Youzhou General's Office and now the chief secretary of the Wu'an Prince's Mansion, whistled and summoned the gyrfalcon that was circling in the sky back.

The gyrfalcon landed on his arm, looking incredibly majestic.

"That's Youzhou! Since the chaos of the Sui Dynasty, Youzhou City has stood firm against repeated sieges by various forces."

The city of Youzhou, with a circumference of thirty-two li, had ten gates and thirty-two wards.

At the south gate, Han and non-Han people mingled.

The Hu horsemen of Youzhou, with their green eyes and tiger-skin hats, traveled on the roads in mostly Xi chariots and Khitan horses.

"Lord Li, do you think the Prince of Lujiang will provide us with grain this time we come to Youzhou?" Yang Gongdao had no confidence at all. Heading north from Dingzhou, a journey of 420 li, Yang Gongdao had scratched off a lot of his hair.

"We have to give it a try. We might not get 50,000 shi, but we should at least give him 10,000 or 2,000 shi. We have to give Li Sikong some face, and the Prince of Lujiang has to give him some respect. Besides, Sikong is right. We in Hebei can't stand idly by and watch the Turks attack Daibei."
Otherwise, we'll be next.

Yang Gongdao sighed, "Eighteen thousand shi is far from enough."

"It's better than nothing." Li Keshi, nicknamed the Bird Thief, came from a military family. He was skilled in riding and archery and knew military strategy. Although he was not as good as his elder brothers Li Duan and Li Jing, he was still from a military family in Guanzhong. However, Li Keshi's greatest skill was actually his ability to tame birds. He could communicate with all kinds of birds, from gyrfalcons and golden eagles to pigeons and parrots. Once they were in his hands, they could be tamed obediently.

It was late spring.

On the high rammed earth walls of Youzhou City, soldiers gripped their spears tightly, their eyes warily fixed on the distance ahead.

The banners of the Youzhou Grand General's Mansion on the city wall fluttered in the dusty spring wind, though some of the banners were faded and worn.

On the banks of the Yongji Canal in the south of the city,

A fleet of ships from Tanji was unloading cargo at the dock. The porters chanted as they carried the grain off the ships and piled it up in small mounds on the dock.

On other ships,
A large number of people were brought down, including prisoners of war captured from the former territory of Gao Kaidao, and the families of rebels whose property was confiscated.

Yang Gongdao, Li Keshi, and their entourage arrived at the city gate.
The flags held aloft by the soldiers of Dingzhou
The Youzhou soldiers at the city gates were instructed to come forward and greet them. After a brief conversation and verification of their identities, a captain personally came to receive them and invited them into the city, without having to queue and be checked like the common people and merchants.

Inside the main city of Youzhou, in the hall of the Grand General's residence.

Yang Gongdao and Li Keshi met with the Grand Steward, Prince Lujiang, Li Yuan, as well as Chief Clerk Wang Junkuo and Sima Wang Shen, and the other six military advisors.

It's clear that Youzhou attaches great importance to the group from Dingzhou.

After exchanging pleasantries, we got down to business.

After hearing the purpose of the visit, Li Yuan first looked at her tall and imposing in-law, Wang Junkuo.

"Fifty thousand shi of grain?" Wang Junkuo slowly spoke. "I greatly admire the King of Wu'an's intention to send troops to Shanxi. However, asking Youzhou to provide troops and grain is somewhat difficult for us."

Dingzhou is short of food, but Youzhou is even more short of food.

During the last rebellion of Gao Kaidao, our Youzhou suffered even greater losses, barely managing to preserve the entire province. After this war, Yizhou was even reassigned to Dingfu.
Previously, Lu Shijun suffered a major defeat in his attack on Jundu Pass, losing three thousand elite soldiers and countless supplies and provisions. Although I led an army to capture the three prefectures of Tan, Ji, and Ping, I also suffered considerable casualties. Currently, Youzhou is extremely impoverished.
We are simply unable to support Prince Wu'an's plan to send troops.

There were no soldiers and no food.

Yang Gongdao gave a wry smile and had no choice but to relay Li Yi's words to Li Yuan.

Wang Junkuo sneered, "What, is Prince Wu'an threatening Youzhou?"

"Duke Peng, this is not a threat, but a fact. Even before Gao Kaidao rebelled, Minister Li had already sensed it and specifically sent someone by fast horse to inform you to be on guard, but..."

Wang Junkuo impatiently interrupted him, "Dingzhou is the Grand General's Mansion, and so is our Youzhou. The Grand General of Dingzhou is the Prince of Wu'an, but the Grand General of our Youzhou is the Prince of Lujiang."
Youzhou was not under the control of Dingzhou.
Whether Youzhou bears any responsibility for Gao Kaidao's rebellion, and whether it is right or wrong, is not for Dingzhou to judge.

If Li Sikong wants to make a name for himself, then he can lead his troops to Shanxi himself, and you can go through the Flying Fox Pass yourselves. We will decide the affairs of Youzhou ourselves.

As for provisions, let alone that we have none, even if we did, we wouldn't supply them to Dingzhou.

"The Prince of Lujiang?" Yang Gongdao was so angry at Wang Junkuo's unreasonable behavior that his beard trembled. He could only look at Li Yuan.

Li Yuan laughed heartily, easing the tension somewhat.

"Chief Secretary Yang, our Youzhou has just experienced such a great upheaval. Lu Shijun suffered two defeats and lost six thousand elite troops, which has severely weakened our strength."

Previously, the resistance against the rebels and the Turks had resulted in considerable casualties in various regions. In addition, the Duke of Peng's campaign against the three prefectures, although it quelled the rebellions in those prefectures, also resulted in the loss of some troops and the expenditure of a great deal of money and provisions.

We are truly powerless to help at this moment.

"When Chief Secretary Yang returns, he might as well explain to Prince Wu'an that Hebei has suffered greatly from this chaos, and it would be better to guard our borders, recuperate, and refrain from sending troops west of Taihang Mountain for the time being."

Take it slow, don't be greedy and take risks.

The meeting ended unhappily.

Back at the residence arranged for him by the Grand General of Youzhou, Yang Gongdao couldn't help but lose his temper. "This Wang Junkuo is indeed a rogue and thief. He is so arrogant and domineering, and so unreasonable."

I thought that even if I couldn't get 50,000 shi, I should at least get 18,000 shi.

"When we entered the city, we saw so many grain ships transporting grain, yet they said they had no grain. They were lying through their teeth."

Li Keshi wasn't that angry.

Getting angry won't solve any real problems.

“Lord Li, you used to serve in Youzhou, so you should have a lot of connections. Do you think you can find a way to get some grain? Otherwise, we won’t be able to go back and report to Minister Li.” Yang Gongdao could only think of a solution besides impotent rage, so he could only ask Li Keshi for help.

The bird thief shook his head.

"Things are not what they used to be. Youzhou Prefecture has changed a lot. Most of the people from before have now entered the imperial court as officials."

Luo Yi, the governor of Youzhou, is currently the Left General of the Imperial Guard and the Prince of Yan in the imperial court.

There is also Wen Yanbo, the Prefect of Youzhou, who was recruited into the court as a Secretary in the Imperial Secretariat as early as the second year of the Wude era. Now he has been promoted to Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and Duke of Xihe.

All five members of the Xue family served as generals in the imperial court.

Even he, a military advisor, is now the chief secretary of Li Yi's Prince Wu'an's mansion.

Just now, in the council hall of the Grand Steward's Mansion, Li Keshi didn't even see a single familiar face. The people in the Grand Steward's Mansion have all been replaced.

He was not familiar with Li Yuan, Wang Junkuo, Wang Shen, and others.

"What should we do then? We can't just turn around and go home like this, can we?"

"Immediately send someone on horseback back to Dingzhou to report to the Minister of Works and follow his instructions," Li Keshi sighed.

Yang Gongdao couldn't help but curse, "That damned Wang the Scoundrel!"

···
“Li Yi is quite bold, actually thinking of taking the initiative to cross the Taihang Mountains to attack at this time,” Prince Li Yuan of Lujiang said, looking at his in-law. “However, wouldn’t it be bad if we didn’t give him a single bushel of grain?”

Wang Junkuo, slicing a roasted lamb leg with a knife, his mouth greasy, said without a care, "Why should Your Majesty care about Li Yi? You are the true member of the royal family, while Li Yi is merely a subordinate official."

"But he is, after all, deeply favored by the Emperor, and holds the positions of Minister of Works and Attendant-in-Ordinary." "The so-called Minister of Works and Attendant-in-Ordinary is merely an honorary title; he doesn't actually participate in government affairs within the court."

The Grand General of Dingzhou has no jurisdiction over Youzhou.

“We seized a lot of grain from Gao Kaidao’s lair this time, didn’t we? How about we give them ten or twenty thousand shi (a unit of dry measure) to send them away?” Li Yuan said.

"Your Majesty, this grain was hard-won. Li Yi was right; Gao Kaidao will eventually lead the Turks and even the Xi people back to fight their way back."

We must stockpile grain; otherwise, if an army of 100,000 besieges Youzhou without food, even the tallest and most fortified city cannot be defended.”

Wang Junkuo was not unaware of the danger of a Turkic invasion.

However, he chose to defend rather than attack. He launched a heavy attack against the remnants of the Gao Kaidao rebels, but he never thought of confronting Jieli, let alone taking the initiative to attack. Wouldn't it be suicide to go to Daibei to attack?
He wouldn't be as foolish as Li Da'en, who took the initiative to attack Mayi, only to have his imperial cousin fail to arrive on time, ultimately resulting in the annihilation of his entire army. Not only did he lose his life, but he also implicated so many of his brothers who had followed him for many years.

Wang Junkuo would not take the initiative to attack.

Even if the Turks attack again, he will try his best to defend the city. If the situation becomes unfavorable, he may even defend only Youzhou City.

Therefore, he is now transporting all the grain and fodder he plundered in the three prefectures of Tan, Ji, and Ping back to Youzhou City.

It means we've prepared for the worst.

Youzhou is a large city with high walls. He can organize a direct elite force and stockpile a large amount of grain to ensure that it will not be lost.

In his mind, Youzhou City was his territory.

"Your Majesty,"

A guard entered and reported, "Yang Gongdao and Li Keshi from Dingzhou request an audience."

Wang Junkuo snorted coldly, "Your Majesty, please ignore them. I will not give them a single grain of food."

The guards left and then returned.

"Your Majesty, Yang Gongdao says that the King of Wu'an has sent an imperial envoy to deliver a decree!"

Li Yuan was stunned for a moment.
Wang Junkuo also stopped cutting the meat. The angel's decree had even stirred a sense of excitement within him.
coming.

Has the imperial edict finally arrived? Will Li Yuan be relieved of his post as Grand Steward?

Am I capable of taking over as chief steward?

Based on his merits in seizing the three prefectures of Gaokaidao, and his 'achievements' of beheading more than 10,000 and capturing tens of thousands, he should at least be the Grand General of Youzhou, right?

"Welcome the angels quickly!" Wang Junkuo shouted, startling Li Yuan.

Yang Gongdao and Li Keshi escorted the envoy back into the council hall of the Grand Governor's Mansion in Youzhou.
Li Yuan and Wang Junkuo have once again summoned the main officials and generals of the Youzhou Grand General's Office to receive the imperial edict.

"By order of the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty, to the Imperial Secretariat, it is decreed..."

A weary angel read the decree.
Li Yuan was filled with anxiety and unease. He had a premonition that he would be held accountable, and sure enough, as the angel announced his punishment, Li Yuan heard his fate.

He was demoted to the position of Prefect of Luozhou.

When Wang Junkuo heard that his in-law Li Yuan had been demoted, his face flushed, his breathing became rapid, and his eyes widened.

"Li Daoxuan, the Prefect of Luozhou and Prince of Huaiyang, was appointed Grand General of Youzhou, and given the authority to command the military affairs of the seven prefectures of Youzhou, Yanzhou, Tanzhou, Jizhou, Pingying, and Beiyan..."

Pei Xi was appointed Prefect of Jizhou, Fang Huang was appointed Prefect of Pingzhou, Pan Daoyi was appointed Prefect of Tanzhou, Wang Jun'e was reassigned Prefect of Beiyanzhou, and Dai Yuanxiang was appointed Prefect of Yingzhou.
General Zhang Shigui of the Left Guard and General Xue Wanshu led three thousand Guanzhong troops to garrison Yuyang…

Wang Junkuo's pupils suddenly dilated.

A look of disbelief.

He helped the court capture three prefectures, Gao, Kai, and Dao, beheading more than 10,000 and capturing tens of thousands, but he was even dismissed from his concurrent post as governor of Jizhou.
The position of Grand Governor of Youzhou was snatched away by an eighteen-year-old boy named Li Daoxuan?
Even his good brother Wang Jun'e was changed from the governor of Tanzhou to the governor of Beiyanzhou.
The Northern Yan Prefecture is still in Gao Kaidao's hands.

Of the seven prefectures in Youfu, only the governor of Yanzhou remained unchanged, Tudiji; the governors of the other six were all replaced.

After finally getting rid of Lu Shijun and a group of generals who refused to listen to him, the emperor sent Zhang Shigui and Xue Wanshu, along with three thousand soldiers to garrison the area.

Wang Junkuo felt that this was all aimed at him.

Before he could recover, he heard the angel continue to proclaim the imperial edict, establishing the Hebei Circuit Army, with Li Yi as the commander-in-chief, and Li Daoxuan and he as deputy commanders-in-chief. The two prefectures of You and Ding were both under the command of the Hebei Circuit Army.

The Hebei military headquarters was under the command of Prince Jiancheng, who was stationed in Puzhou.

After the angel finished reading the decree, Wang Junkuo still felt his head buzzing.

Yang Gongdao stepped forward, "The new Grand General of Youzhou, the Prince of Huaiyang, is still on his way, but Minister Li is about to be ordered to lead troops to Shanxi."

A special order was issued to the officials of the Youzhou Grand General's Office, instructing Chief Clerk Wang Junkuo and Military Advisor Wang Shen to immediately raise 100,000 shi of military provisions, with 50,000 shi to be transported to Wangdu in Dingzhou and 50,000 shi to be transported to Changping.

Dingfu dispatched 20,000 troops, and Youfu dispatched 20,000 troops, divided into two routes. Dingfu attacked Weizhou via the Flying Fox Pass, while Youzhou attacked Jundu Pass and seized Beiyanzhou…

"Wang Junkuo, Chief Secretary of the Youzhou Grand General's Office, and Wang Shen, the Military Advisor, shall carry out this order immediately. Anyone who disobeys or fails to comply within the stipulated time shall be executed!"

After reading Li Yi's military order, Yang Gongdao felt refreshed and looked at Wang Wulai with a hint of mockery.

Wang Junkuo felt his scalp tingle, his anger surge, and he almost exploded.

He wished he could immediately draw his sword and kill the treacherous messenger and Yang Gongdao and his ilk, and then simply rebel.

But in the end, reason prevailed.

Gritting his teeth and bracing himself,

He stepped forward to receive the imperial edict and Li Yi's military order.

Yang Gongdao smiled and looked at Wang Junkuo, "Chief Secretary Wang, before the Prince of Huaiyang takes office, I will have to trouble you to temporarily take charge of the affairs of the Youzhou Grand General's Office."

Li Sikong urgently needs these 100,000 shi of military rations.

Within ten days, I want to see 50,000 shi of grain set off for Dingzhou Wangdu, and another 50,000 shi of grain delivered to Changping.

Can Chief Clerk Wang accomplish this?

Looking at the smug Yang Gongdao, Wang Junkuo wanted to smash his nose and beat him until his face was covered in bruises.

"We'll figure it out."

"Just thinking of a solution isn't enough. We must see the grain carts depart within ten days, or military law will be merciless, and we'll be executed without mercy!"

"In addition to 100,000 shi of grain, Youfu will also send 20,000 troops to take Jundu Pass and seize Beiyan Prefecture."

Li Sikong specifically instructed that this time, when launching another attack on Jundu Pass, Wang Changshi must personally lead the troops.

The Minister of Works has given Chief Clerk Wang half a month to capture Jundu Pass; otherwise, he will be subject to military law!

(End of this chapter)