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

Chapter 535 will be outside

Thousands of chariots and tens of thousands of riders moved about, drinking water at the Great Wall caves.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, the newly appointed Grand General of Youzhou, Prince Li Daoxuan of Huaiyang, rode out of Juyong Pass, carrying 10,000 shi of grain and Dragon Boat Festival rewards for his soldiers, and arrived at Huairong.

"A large number of Turkic soldiers have been discovered gathering at Yanling Fort?"

When Li Daoxuan arrived at Huairong City in Beiyan Prefecture, he found that Wang Junkuo was not in the city, nor was Wang Jun'e, the governor of Beiyan Prefecture.

Wang Shen, the Grand Commander of Youzhou, remained in the city and welcomed Li Daoxuan into the city, quickly explaining the situation. Wang Junkuo led 20,000 troops to Yanling Fort.

"The information that Duke Peng received from the scouts was such that he was worried that the Turks would come down the Yanmen River to attack, so he gathered troops to defend against them."

Li Daoxuan obtained the map of the area behind the mountain.

From Huairong City in Beiyan Prefecture to Yanling Fort, it is about three hundred li. Go northwest along the Yang River, and then enter its tributary, the Nanyang River, also known as the Yanmen River.

The mountain range to the north of Yanmen River is the Great Wall in the clouds.

This Yanling Fortress is already located within the Sanggan River Basin. During the Sui Dynasty, the banks of this tributary of the Nanyang River belonged to Yanmen Commandery. Now it is also within the territory of Weizhou in Hedong Circuit. However, it was originally a remote and desolate border region, and since the chaos of the Sui Dynasty, the Turks have become powerful.

This area had long been used by the Turks for horse grazing.

“If Duke Peng wants to defend against the Turks, he should guard the mouth of the Yanmen River where it flows into the Yan River,” Li Daoxuan said, pointing to the map. That was a mountain pass where one enters the Zhangjiakou Basin from the Datong Basin.

The place is called Chaigou, a natural pass. The imperial court once built Chaigou Fort here. If Wang Junkuo sends troops to strengthen the defense of Chaigou Fort, he can block the road from Datong Basin to Beiyan Prefecture via the Nanyang River.

Chaigoubao is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

If this road is blocked, the Turkic army will have to take the Sanggan River Valley further south, or the Tuotai Valley, another tributary of the Yanghe River. This is a seasonal river, and the road is even more difficult to travel than the Yanmen River Valley.

Moreover, this river valley, which the herdsmen call Shuigoukou River, also has a fort guarding the pass downstream, where there is Huai'an Fort.

Further south along the Sanggan River passage, there are also forts called Shenjingbao and Shuiquanbao.

The four fortified villages guarded the three river valley passages leading from Yunzhou to Beiyanzhou. Wang Junkuo had 20,000 soldiers under his command.

He sent one or two thousand soldiers to each fortress, and then stationed some more soldiers along the Yan River to cultivate the land, ready to support each fortress at any time. How could the Turks possibly break in so easily?
There's no need to go directly out of Beiyan Prefecture, or even cross Wei Prefecture to attack Yun Prefecture.

"Wang Sima, tell me the truth, does the Duke of Peng intend to take advantage of the situation to attack Yunzhou? Is there really no such thing as a large Turkic army gathering at Yanling Fort?"

Wang Shen was taken aback.

He genuinely believed what Wang Junkuo said and never doubted that there were no Turks in Yanling Fort. After all, it had to be a lie, which would be a false report of military intelligence.

"No way? How could the Duke of Peng dare to lie about military intelligence?" Wang Shen exclaimed in surprise.

Li Daoxuan, however, had already seen through Wang Junkuo's intentions. He himself was a bold man. When he was guarding Haozhou with Li Yi, he once led three thousand men out of the city to intercept Liu Wuzhou's army while naked in the snow.

When he served as the governor of Xizhou, he frequently ventured deep into Shuozhou territory to attack Yuan Junzhang and the Turkic troops.

"Jieli assembled an army of 200,000 in Xindai, aiming his sword at Taiyuan."

There's no reason for him to send a large army to Yuyanbao to attack Beiyanzhou from there. Wouldn't that be going the long way around?

If the Turks were to attack, it should be against Weizhou, which Li Sikong had seized.

Li Daoxuan pointed to the map and gave a brief analysis.

Daizhou and Xinzhou are Jieli's primary targets now. Opening up these areas would allow him to directly seize Taiyuan.

Is Taiyuan not as fragrant as Beiyan Prefecture?

Even if we send troops out of Loufan Pass to seize Lanzhou and Shizhou, which are west of Taiyuan, it would be more appropriate than attacking Beiyanzhou.

Li Daoxuan was certain that there would be no large Turkic army gathered at Yanling Fort; at most, there would be a small number of Turkic soldiers there, and they would only be on the defensive, not on the offensive.

They were defending against the Youzhou army taking over Beiyan Prefecture and then advancing into Yunzhou along the Yan River and Yanmen River to take advantage of the situation. However, they certainly wouldn't have many Turkic troops stationed there.

"It seems that Duke Peng is not satisfied with just taking Beiyan Prefecture. He also wants to take advantage of the fact that the main forces of the Turkic Khaganate Jieli and Daibei Yuanjun Zhang have gone south to attack Yunzhong."

Wang Shen was surprised by the young prince's analysis. "Wang Changshi wouldn't dare to say that, would he? Minister Li specifically ordered the Northern Yan Prefecture not to allow the Youzhou army to launch an attack without authorization."

"It was precisely because of this military order from the King of Wu'an that Wang Junkuo used the pretext of the Turks' large-scale garrison at Yanling Fort and their impending attack on Beiyan Prefecture to mobilize troops northward under the guise of emergency defense."

Otherwise, how could he dare to openly defy military orders and arbitrarily mobilize troops?

Wang Shen thought Li Daoxuan's words made a lot of sense. Since working with Wang Junkuo, he had found that he was indeed a very audacious fellow. "Grand Steward, what should we do now? Should we order him to withdraw immediately?"

Li Daoxuan looked at the map.

"Wang Junkuo is incredibly bold, but he has a good eye. Now that Jieli, Yuan Junzhang, and Gao Kaidao are all in the Yanmen area, Yunzhong is indeed empty."

You can try to take it out.

Wang Shen looked at the young prince and, as the rumors said, he was indeed incredibly audacious.

Previously, because he had been too harsh in suppressing the Ji Hu while guarding Xizhou, and had repeatedly crossed the border to attack Yuan Junzhang and the Turkic army, he was transferred away from the frontier by the emperor.

Now that we've arrived in Youzhou, the result is still the same.

"Grand Commander, the Prince of Wu'an has issued a military order."

"A general in the field may disobey orders." Li Daoxuan felt that if there was an opportunity, he should seize it and not let it slip away. "Wang Sima, you will continue to guard Beiyan Prefecture and be responsible for the defense of Chaigou Fort, Huai'an Fort, Shenjing Fort, and Shuiquan Fort."

I'm going to Yanling Fort to meet up with Wang Junkuo.

"Grand Steward,"

"No need to say anything more. Write a letter to Prince Wu'an and inform him of this matter. If he really wants to investigate, I will take responsibility." After giving his instructions, Li Daoxuan did not rest. He immediately summoned his personal guards and rode off on horseback to Yanling Fort, which was three hundred miles away.

Wang Shen watched as the young prince came and went in a hurry.

Back at the governor's mansion,
Wang Shen picked up his pen, but for a moment he didn't know how to report to Li Yi.

Wang Junkuo was already incredibly audacious, but Li Daoxuan is even more lawless.

Should we take advantage of the situation and attack Yunzhong?

Huailai is 300 li from Yanlingbao, while Yanlingbao is 200 li from Yunzhou City.

Five hundred miles away!
If infantrymen can only travel fifty li a day, it would take them ten days to march. The biggest problem is that Beiyan Prefecture is remote and poor. Once you leave Huairong City and head towards here, there are no cities or villages along the Yan River, making it difficult to resupply.

Transporting grain from Youzhou is difficult because firstly, it's more than 200 li from Youzhou to Huairong, secondly, it involves crossing the Taihang Mountains, and most importantly, Youzhou is currently short of grain.

Li Daoxuan and Wang Junkuo were so preoccupied with their own madness that they dumped the entire supply mission on him.

Wang Shen felt an itch on his scalp and couldn't help but put down his pen and scratch his head.

The more you scratch, the itchier it gets.

Write a letter to the Prince of Wu'an immediately, and let that Minister Li have a headache.

Weizhou, Pingxingzhai.

Li Yi was admiring the scenery on the Great Wall.

This section of the Great Wall was rebuilt during the Sui Dynasty. It is roughly the original Zhao Great Wall, and the section near Pingxing Pass is 120 li long. It is bordered by the Hengshan Mountains on one side and the Taihang Mountains on the other.

The Qin and Jin provinces were the gateways to Hebei and Shanxi, and the key to You and Yan.

The Great Wall passes through Bottle Ridge, bends at the top of the ridge, and then a section of wall is built at the foot of the mountain to enclose this large bend, forming a castle.

Bottle-shaped Ridge Fortress, Bottle-shaped Pass, Bottle-shaped Fortress.

Standing on the Great Wall,
North of the pass, Mount Heng stands tall like a screen, while to the south, Mount Wutai rises majestically.

The low-lying area between the two mountains became the only way through. Heading west from the pass, the plain where the fortress was located suddenly opened up. However, about 20 or 30 miles to the east, there was a narrow passage between two mountains that enclosed a river valley, forming an open pocket.

Li Yi stood on the Great Wall.

Looking out from a high place,

Today, under a clear blue sky, one can see Gushan Mountain, more than 20 miles to the east, and even Gushan Temple on the mountain.

Gushan is not large, standing alone by the Xiaohutuo River, making the already narrow opening of the bag even narrower.

"Liu Heita's 2,000 cavalrymen are hiding in Moyugou to the north, while Su Dingfang's 2,000 cavalrymen are lying in ambush in Laowogou to the south."

Qin Wutong led 5,000 infantrymen and ambushed them behind Gushan Mountain.

Liu Shiche stood beside Li Yi. "Li Xuantong, Wang Xingmin, and Yun Shiduan each led two thousand men to garrison the fortified village in front of the pass."

We've laid a trap this time.
As long as Sijie's three thousand cavalrymen cross Gushan and arrive at Tunbao, the trap will be sealed.

Within this twenty-mile radius,
He can't escape!

The higher you stand, the farther you can see.

Standing atop the Great Wall at the mountaintop, Li Yi felt a sense of complete control.

“Sijie, Tiele,” Li Yi murmured the name.

The net is set up.

They were just waiting for their prey to take the bait.

"Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival. After we finish this battle, we can celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival with this victory."

Liu Shiche gazed westward, wondering if Yanmen Pass could be defended.

Liu Shirang, the garrison commander of Yanmen Pass, has a name that differs from Liu Shiche's by only one character. The two are not brothers, and their current situations are worlds apart.

In the afternoon,

It was hot and humid with no wind.

A messenger arrived with news that three thousand cavalrymen from the Turkic Sijie tribe had arrived.

Soon, Li Yi saw clouds of dust rising in the west from the Great Wall, like a sandstorm in spring.

Sijie is arrogant and conceited.

Three thousand cavalrymen fought their way to Tunbao, a few miles from Pingxing Pass.

"These Tiele people are really arrogant and conceited."

Knowing that the Sijie people had come to kill him, Li Yi didn't even eat lunch and could only eat a few zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) to fill his stomach.

"This rice dumpling tastes really good."

The zongzi that Li Yi was eating was sent from Chang'an by Luo San, and was personally wrapped by Li Yi's wives and concubines, including Du Shiniang and Ji Lingyi.

Millet wrapped in wild rice leaves and boiled in alkaline water is also called "Mijiaoshu" (迷角黍), and it tastes really good. Alternatively, you can cut down a Vitex negundo tree, burn it to ashes, make alkaline water, soak rice in it, and then boil it to make alkaline rice dumplings. These dumplings are orange-yellow in color, softer and more glutinous, chewy, and have a sweet flavor.

Standing on the Great Wall, eating zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), I watched as three thousand Sijie cavalrymen slithered into the trap.

It feels really good.

While the Sijie cavalry were still brazenly surveying the fortified village,

Three plumes of smoke rose from the Great Wall beacon tower behind Li Yi.

This is the signal to close the net.

Wang Xingmin and his two generals each led two thousand infantrymen out of the fortified village, forming ranks along the city walls. Si Jie's cavalry, still arrogantly roaming and shooting from their positions, continued their attack.
However, with six thousand infantrymen gathered in formation and backed by the fort, the three thousand light cavalrymen of Sijie had nowhere to attack. After some probing, they only managed to leave behind a dozen or so corpses.

However, Wang Xingmin and his two generals deployed in a goose-wing formation and took the initiative to advance.

Amid the sound of horns

Li Cunxiao and Yun Shide led two thousand cavalrymen out of the city gate.

Seeing this, Sijie Wusui was not afraid.

With only seven or eight thousand infantry and cavalry, these grassland men who grew up on horseback would not be afraid of open battle.

It's good that they dare to come out of the city to fight.

"These southern barbarians have just finished a great battle with Gao Kaidao. They must be outwardly strong but inwardly weak. Let's crush them, take the pass, and trample Weizhou!"

Si gathered three thousand cavalry, relying on their skill in archery and horsemanship, and began to roam and shoot arrows.

Tens of thousands of troops were fighting and running on the plains outside Tunbao.

The mournful sound of the horn rang out again.
Qin Wutong, who was hiding behind Gushan Mountain, led 5,000 infantrymen to attack from the west and behind.

When Si Jie Wu Sui saw the vast, continuous army formation, his brows furrowed.

"withdraw!"

Wu Sui was surprised that the Tang army was prepared. He had a bad feeling and immediately ordered a retreat.

The bugle call sounded even more stirring.

It's too late to back out.

Liu Heitai on the left, Su Dingfang on the right,
Another four thousand elite cavalrymen attacked from behind them.

The Tang army surrounded them from all sides.

It is six or seven times that of the Sijie section.

After eating six different flavored zongzi, Li Yi was finally full.

The battles beneath the Great Wall

It's over now.

Wu Sui wanted to run, but with this trap and these 20,000 Tang soldiers, how could he possibly escape?

After charging around for more than an hour, they were eventually surrounded, cut off, strangled, cut off, surrounded, and annihilated.

Li Yi witnessed firsthand the annihilation of his three thousand elite light cavalry.

Over a thousand were beheaded, and the rest were captured.

"Congratulations, Commander-in-Chief, on another great victory!" Liu Shiche and others congratulated him one after another.

Si Ji led three thousand light cavalry, each with two horses. Unfortunately, many were injured in this battle, but he estimated he could still acquire four thousand good horses.

The remaining injured horses can recover.

But it's estimated that several hundred horses will be lost. The casualties among horses on the battlefield are too great; even a broken hoof can ruin a horse.

"Those injured horses are perfect for slaughtering; everyone will have meat for the Dragon Boat Festival."

Hundreds of horses were slaughtered for meat. The 20,000 Tang soldiers at Pingxing Pass could each get the meat from one horse if they were in a squad of fifty men. One horse could yield three or four hundred catties of meat. Now they could enjoy the Dragon Boat Festival to the fullest and eat meat for several days.

It's a pity it's summer now, otherwise I could pickle and air-dry them and eat them slowly.

(End of this chapter)