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

Chapter 520: Taking sides
Dingzhou.

Yun Dingxing and his son Yun Shiduan are playing chess.

"Li Sikong has made a brilliant move. Wang Junkuo is a hungry wolf, ambitious and eager to step over Li Yuan to sit on the throne of the Grand Governor of Youzhou."

Unexpectedly, he was killed by Sikong Jue.

Master Yun nodded. "He has now fallen into an unsolvable trap. If he delivers the grain, he will cut off his own claws and teeth. If he goes to war, he will face a nine-out-of-ten chance of death. If he disobeys the order, he will be doomed forever. He has no choice at all."

Yun Dingxing smiled, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. "Actually, it's not that exaggerated. Wang Junkuo is ambitious and unruly, but his military skills are quite good."

His ability to fight is evident in his swift sweep of the three prefectures of Tan, Ji, and Ping, and he also has a good grasp of timing.

He even seized and plundered in the three states, taking control of the grain.

Unfortunately, he encountered Li Sikong.

Li Sikong easily got him under control, taking away the grain he had painstakingly seized, and even forcing him to attack Jundu Pass and capture Beiyan Prefecture.

With military orders hanging over his head, Wang Junkuo dared not refuse to deliver grain, nor dared not send troops; he even had to risk his life to capture Jundu Pass.

In this way, the Youzhou troops can draw most of the attention of the rebel army left behind by Gao Kaidao, making it easier for our Dingzhou troops to advance through Feihu Pass.

"Does Father think Wang Junkuo can take Jundu Pass within half a month?"

"Of course, although Jundu Pass is strategically located and very dangerous, you must remember that even though the pass is dangerous, it depends on who controls it."

If Gao Kaidao had personally been stationed to defend Jundu Pass, Wang Junkuo might not have been able to capture it in half a month.

But now Gao Kaidao is in Daibei, and there aren't many soldiers in Junduguan, or even in Beiyanzhou.

Wang Junkuo is a vicious wolf; if he fights with all his might, he will surely be able to take Jundu Pass.

Don't forget, when they attacked Wang Shichong, Wang Junkuo, with only thirteen men, captured Xuanyuan Pass, one of the eight passes of Luoyang. That guy was quite capable.

Yun Shiduan held a black chess piece, looking at the board. His father, though old, was still vigorous; his chess skills had become increasingly formidable. "Father," he said, "I always felt that Wang Junkuo was a man of many variables. This time, Sikong is putting so much pressure on him; I'm afraid he might not cooperate so readily."
I think he might cause trouble.

Yun Dingxing sipped his tea, quite pleased with the rock tea Li Yi had given him. "Hmph, trying to stir up trouble? Wang Junkuo, a military general who rose from humble beginnings in this chaotic era, certainly has a lot of guts."

But if one cannot see the situation clearly, then he is just another Gao Kaidao. He, Wang Junkuo, is even worse than Gao Kaidao. At least Gao Kaidao has been famous for a long time and already has his own territory and men.

What does Wang Junkuo have?
His current positions as Chief Administrator of the Youzhou Grand General's Office and Deputy General Administrator of the Hebei Military Camp were all given to him by the imperial court, and the imperial court could also take them back with a single edict.

How many of his men are truly loyal to him?
If he dares to rebel, how many people will be willing to follow him?
It's been five years since the Wude era, and only a few small forces remain, still vying for power. Their defeat is only a matter of time.

Anyone with a modicum of sense wouldn't rebel at this time.

"But what if Wang Junkuo plays dirty tricks, outwardly complying while inwardly disobeying?"

"Sikong ordered Wang Junkuo to lead 20,000 Youzhou soldiers to attack Jundu Pass. This is crucial. Regardless of the reason, only the result matters in the end. Wang Junkuo is the commander of this army, so if anything goes wrong, he will be held solely responsible."

If he tries to trick Lu Shijun again, he'll have to be held accountable first.

“Wang Junkuo is cunning, but he is still far inferior to Li Sikong. Our Li Sikong is the one who truly has the ability to govern. Don’t underestimate him just because he is young.”

General Yun Shidian nodded. Having spent some time with his son-in-law, he also deeply admired him.

"Your daughter has been pregnant for over six months, hasn't she?"

"Hmm, this girl is quite lucky. Back in Luoyang, she was chosen by Consort Yin and Consort Zhang from the Luoyang Palace to be given to Li Yi. There were ten of them, but she was still able to gain Li Yi's favor and get pregnant so quickly."

"You really think it's because the girl is lucky? It's all because this old man is working hard for Li Sikong. He only favors your girl in order to win over our Yun family."

"That's fine too. Our Yun family chose the wrong side back then. If we want to regain our footing in Chang'an, we must find a new patron."

Yun Shiduan said, "Father, I've always had a question: why don't we pledge allegiance to the Crown Prince?"

“That Crown Prince looks down on us, despising my humble origins. Besides, I have a past relationship with the Prince of Qin. Even if I join the Eastern Palace, I won’t be given important positions. What’s the point of trying to win his favor?”

"Then why not just surrender to the King of Qin?"

Yun Dingxing put down his teacup. "Although the position of that Crown Prince doesn't seem very secure right now, he may not actually be able to inherit the throne in the future."

Although the King of Qin has made great achievements, he is, after all, the second son of the legitimate wife, and is still far inferior to the Crown Prince.

Why are we taking sides so early when the situation is still unclear?
"Go and take the hits?"

He admonished his son, "Choosing a side is important, but choosing the wrong side is even more fatal. Don't make bets and choose sides lightly before the situation is clear."

Li Yi has treated me quite well. Following him gives me a powerful backer, and I won't be pushed into the eye of the storm.

Yun Dingxing experienced the succession struggles of the Sui Dynasty and even chose the wrong side.

He later used his grandson's life to get another chance to choose sides.

At the end of the Sui Dynasty, he attached himself to Wang Shichong, which was actually a choice he had.

With Luoyang surrendered, there was no longer a place for them in the Tang Dynasty; they had to climb back up step by step.

Every step will be difficult.

In retrospect, Li Yi was indeed a good backer.

"What does Father think of Li Yi's plan to send troops to Shanxi this time?"

"It depends on human effort. If Dugu Kaiyuan, Li Yuan, Shuang Shilu and others had proposed such a plan, the chances of failure would have been even greater."

But I'm quite optimistic about what Li Yi proposed; he has the ability to do it.

“You brothers will all be going on this expedition with Sikong this time. Bring your children with you. This is a rare opportunity to make a name for yourselves, so don’t miss it,” Yun Dingxing instructed.

Power must always be fought for.
When you're out in the world, you give yourself your own identity.

Wang Junkuo, wanting to become the Grand General of Youzhou, schemed and plotted, not only harming Lu Shijun twice, ultimately killing him at Junduguan, but also causing the deaths of six thousand Tang soldiers.

He even betrayed his daughter and in-law, Li Yuan, causing her to lose her position as chief steward.

But despite all their scheming,
In the end, he was not the one who benefited.
The emperor issued an edict, and an eighteen-year-old Prince of Huaiyang, Li Daoxuan, was appointed as the Grand Steward.

Six governors were directly transferred, and Zhang Shigui, who came from the Prince of Qin's mansion, was sent to garrison Yuyang with 3,000 troops.

He worked hard, calculating and busy.
In the end, it was all for naught.

Anger, resentment
In the end, they could only endure it.

He didn't have the power to overturn the table, so he could only resort to underhanded tactics.

Li Yi.

Wang Junkuo has already added this name to his blacklist; he would not be a gentleman if he did not avenge this.

He is no gentleman; this grudge must be avenged.

While Li Daoxuan was still on his way, Li Yuan, disheartened, boarded a boat and sailed down the canal.

As Li Yuan boarded the ship and left Youzhou, he looked at his concubine Pei, who was playing the pipa beside him, and laughed, "This trip to Youzhou wasn't a waste. At least I have you, my beauty, with me when I leave."

Not only the beautiful Pei, but also a large amount of gold and silver.

Li Yuan's tenure in Youzhou was short, but he amassed a considerable fortune through corruption.

With ten thousand strings of cash around his waist, he boarded a boat and returned to Luoyang.

Farewell, this damned, bitterly cold frontier land! He's going back to the prosperous Central Plains of Luoyang to enjoy the world's pleasures.

The Turks, the Xi, the rebels, and those starving people and bandits—all those damned things—can be handed over to Li Daoxuan. Wang Junkuo stood on the dock waving goodbye.
Li Yuan sighed, feeling quite sorry for her in-law. She had dragged him down because he had made such a great contribution but received no reward.

Dingzhou.

After Li Yi issued a military order to Youzhou to requisition 100,000 shi of grain and dispatch 20,000 troops, he stopped paying attention to that area.

The troops split into two groups.

He mainly focuses his energy on himself.

Scouts were sent into Feihu Pass to scout the enemy situation and survey the terrain.

Assemble troops, allocate provisions and equipment,
Every time he goes to war, it's a huge undertaking, but fortunately he's become quite proficient at it now.

For this operation,

He specifically recalled two fierce generals, Liu Heita and Su Dingfang, along with Li Cunxiao, making them the three generals who had previously been awarded the title of Founding Viscount for their meritorious service.

They will become the vanguard cavalry generals of the three vanguard cavalry battalions, each leading two thousand cavalry.

Qin Wutong, Li Xuantong, and Wang Xingmin have now been reassigned as governors, making them even more convenient and efficient to use, and they are also on the list of those going on this expedition.

Liu Yundingxing, Chen Junbin, Zhang Zhiang, and others were left to look after the house.

Victory must be won by oneself; one cannot rely on others.

Wang Junkuo was a fierce general, but he was not trustworthy. Li Yi regarded the Youzhou army on the right flank as a feint attack force to attract the attention of the rebels.

Build a plank road in the open and cross Chencang secretly.

The Youzhou army attacked Jundu Pass, drawing the Yan army away, so that he could secretly cross Feihu Ferry and launch a surprise attack on Weizhou.

The Turks were very strong.

There are many soldiers.

But the battles that need to be fought still need to be fought.

The more this is the case, the more proactive we must be, and the less passive we can be.

What cannot be won on the battlefield, cannot be won at the negotiating table.

Even the prime ministers in Chang'an's government had long since abandoned any illusions about the Turks and reached a consensus to fight first and then make peace.

Otherwise, Jieli will never be satisfied and will continue to push his luck.

These prime ministers all had vision and a broad perspective, but unfortunately none of them could persuade the emperor to appoint the Prince of Qin to govern Taiyuan and conquer the Daibei region.

It gets dark.

Liu Heita, Su Dingfang, and Li Cunxiao arrived.

"You've arrived just in time. The dishes were just finished cooking. I made all of these dishes today, so please don't mind them."

I made a simple seven or eight dishes.
Pair it with a jar of fine wine.

And no one else, Li Yi is treating these three tonight.

In the last battle, these three performed the best and won the MVP award. They captured 10,000 warhorses, most of which were fine Turkic horses.

Li Yi sent 5,000 bolts of silk to the Emperor in Chang'an, and kept 5,000 bolts for himself.

Li Yi broke the seal and poured wine for the three of them.

"You performed a great service last time, so frankly, the reward is a bit too low."

The three men achieved such great feats, each leading only a thousand cavalry, yet they captured several cities, beheaded thousands, captured several thousand, and seized so many warhorses.

In particular, Su Dingfang captured 6,000 warhorses in the Battle of Raoyang.

In the end, Su Dingfang and Liu Heita were only promoted to the fourth rank of General of the Central Army and granted the title of Founding Viscount.

Li Cunxiao, a general of the middle rank, was only given the title of Yunhui General of the third rank. His official position was not promoted, and he was only granted the title of viscount.

Fortunately, the emperor rewarded each of them with an additional thousand mu of land and a thousand bolts of silk.

"This time, I'm giving you double the troops for the expedition to Shanxi, two thousand cavalrymen each. Do your best and strive to achieve new merits."

"Come on, let's raise a glass."

The three of them felt honored to see Li Yi personally cooking and also to comfort them. Even Liu Heita felt much better.

He drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

Liu Heita revealed the bottom of his cup and said boldly, "In this attack on Weizhou, I, Heita, am willing to be the vanguard and be the first to enter Weizhou."

Li Yi smiled and poured everyone another full glass of wine. "I don't take the Yan army in Weizhou seriously. This time, when we cross the Taihang Mountains, our enemy is the Turks, the Khagan of the Turks."

We must act swiftly, breaking into Weizhou with lightning speed, capturing Feihu and Lingqiu counties, and immediately seizing the bottle-shaped pass at Taixi Mountain, between Weizhou and Daizhou.

Li Yi raised his wine glass. "I have a plan. The three of you will each lead two thousand cavalry as the vanguard, the first wave to break into Weizhou."
Once we enter Weizhou, leave Feihu and Lingqiu cities for now; we'll leave those to the rest of the troops.

The three of you should head straight to Bottle-Shaped Pass and take it by surprise.

In this way, we can keep the Turks out and trap the enemy in Weizhou.

From Dingzhou Wangdu to Weizhou Feihu, one must traverse the Feihu Road and cross Hengshan Mountain, a journey of 240 li. From Feihu City to Pingxing Pass, it is another 180 li.

Six thousand cavalrymen set off from Wangdu in Dingzhou, heading straight for Pingxing Pass, which is four hundred and twenty li away.

Not only must they traverse the treacherous Flying Fox Road, but they must also bypass the cities of Flying Fox and Lingqiu to launch a surprise attack on the key transportation route between Wei and Dai.
This is a very risky operation.

Su Dingfang and his two generals were well aware of this, but they showed no fear; on the contrary, they were quite excited.

"I, Liu Heita, love fighting such adventurous and exciting battles!"

Su Dingfang then proposed an even more risky plan.

"We have six thousand cavalry. Why not divide our forces into three groups? One group can launch a surprise attack on the Pingxing Pass west of Weizhou and block the passage to Daizhou."

The other route, starting from Feihu City, takes the northern road directly to the border of Wei and Beiyan Prefectures at the northern entrance of Feihu, and seizes the northern entrance of Feihu.

The remaining route involves capturing Yukou Zhigu Pass, located on the upper reaches of the Huliu River, a tributary of the Sanggan River.

"If we capture Pingxing Pass, Beikou Pass, and Zhigu Pass, then the entire Weizhou will be completely trapped, and we can calmly encircle and annihilate the enemy in Weizhou, leaving no one behind."

Su Dingfang's plan,

It was even bolder and more reckless than Li Yi's six thousand cavalry raid on Pingxing Pass, which was more than four hundred miles away.

Although cavalry is fast

A raid of over 400 li would take three days, and deep behind enemy lines, they would face three passes. Although the defending troops would not be numerous, the passes were strategically important and easy to defend but difficult to attack.

If the surprise attack fails, and enemy reinforcements encircle them, then things will be troublesome.

Attacking the three passes in three routes, with only two thousand cavalry on each route, would be even riskier.

However, the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish.
High risk also means high return.

If we can take all three passes in one go
With the remaining 10,000-plus troops, Li Yi could easily attack several cities in Weizhou, especially the Yan rebels and Turkic soldiers within Weizhou—none of them would escape.

(End of this chapter)