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

Chapter 561 I Will Be Back

Yanmen Pass in the height of summer

Immersed in the blood-red setting sun.

Jieli reined in his warhorse, looked back at the majestic pass, and saw that of the nine strategic passes under heaven, he had secured one of them.

"Why is this pass called Yanmen?" Jieli asked in a deep voice.

The group of Turkic generals on either side were unaware of the situation and remained silent for a long time.

"Do you know that tall southerner?"

The one named was a young and handsome general, who sat astride his horse and held a long-handled broadsword. He urged his horse forward and said, "This humble general is Xiao Siye, a Thousand-Ox Guard of the Great Sui Dynasty. The name Yanmen comes from the fact that two mountains stand facing each other, and the shape of the mountains is like a gate, from which wild geese fly out."

The peaks of Yanmen Mountain are towering, with only low-lying valleys on either side of the main peak. Every spring, wild geese fly south, carrying reeds in their beaks. Due to the high mountains and strong winds, they can only pass through these low valleys, hence the name "Yanmen" (Goose Gate).

Jieli stared blankly at Yanmen, lost in thought.

Sixty miles of Yanmen Valley,
To the west lies Xixing Pass, and Yanmen Pass is situated atop a mountain valley, a place where one man can hold off ten thousand.

To the east of the sixty-mile-long Yanmen Valley, there is also the Dongxing Pass.

Looking towards Yanmen Pass, the mountains are too high to climb.

In the past few years,

The once insurmountable fortress on the Central Plains frontier
But they allowed the Turks to come and go as they pleased.
They could pass Yanmen Pass, but they couldn't capture Yanmen City.
Seven years ago, the elder brother, Shibi Khan, besieged Yang Guang at Yanmen City but failed to capture it.

Last year, he led 100,000 cavalry to besiege Li Da'en at Yanmen City for over a month, but failed to capture it. This year, he returned with a vengeance, leading 200,000 troops to besiege Yanmen for over a hundred days, but in the end, he still had to retreat in defeat.

Looking at this majestic pass that sits high in the mountain valley and soars into the clouds,

Jieli gripped the hilt of the golden wolf-head sword, gritted his teeth, and felt a sense of powerlessness.

“I will come back again!”

Jieli could only gaze at the formidable pass, utter such a harsh remark, and then turn and spur his horse northward.

Countless Turkic tribesmen, carrying their plundered spoils—money, cattle, sheep, and people—marched in a long, winding procession.

“I will come back again!”

···
Li Yi led his army westward and northward, arriving at Yanmen City.

When the governor of Daizhou and the Duke of Hongnong saw the large banner with the character "Li" in the distance, he led the civil and military officials of the city to go out ten miles to meet it.

The tens of thousands of people in Yanmen City were all grateful to Li Sikong. If it weren't for Li Sikong, Yanmen City might not have been able to hold on.

Once the city falls, these tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians will surely suffer annihilation.

"This humble general, Liu Shirang, along with the soldiers of Daizhou, respectfully welcomes the Minister of Works!"

"The Duke of Hongnong was appointed to defend Yanmen Pass in a time of crisis. He was able to hold out for half a year despite being besieged by Jieli's 200,000 troops. He was truly a pillar of the court."

"This humble general is ashamed. I only managed to defend Yanmen City. If it weren't for the Minister of Works' reinforcements, I'm afraid I would have been defeated and killed."

Li Yi sincerely praised him, saying, "If you save the land but lose the people, you will lose both the land and the people; if you save the people but lose the land, you will save both the land and the people. It is truly remarkable that the general was able to hold off 200,000 Turkic soldiers for half a year with only 20,000 men."

Now, didn't Jieli also slink away from beyond the pass with his tail between his legs? And all thirty-nine lost cities of Xindai have been recovered.

With Jieli's withdrawal, not only were the thirty-nine cities lost by Xindai recovered,

Yanmen Pass, Shiling Pass, and other passes were all recovered.

Jieli originally intended to leave troops to occupy the western pass of Yanmen, but Liu Shirang personally led troops to the pass and made a threatening statement that if the Turkic army did not withdraw, he would launch a full-scale attack.

Ultimately, the Turkic troops withdrew.

Li Yi followed Liu Shirang into Yanmen City.

This is indeed a formidable border city, which withstood three fierce sieges by more than 100,000 Turks in just seven years.

Compared to Taiyuan, Yanmen City was just a small border town, but it still had three passes forming a triangular outer barrier.

This is a war fortress, small but more advantageous for defense.

If it were a city as large as Taiyuan, Liu Shirang's 20,000 auxiliary soldiers would have had a real hard time defending it against Jieli's 200,000-strong army.

"It all feels like a dream now. Who could have imagined that after the New Year, when the Prince of Dingxiang attacked Mayi, his entire army would be wiped out in Xincheng, Shuozhou, and then Jieli's 200,000 troops would rush over."

Looking back now, I have no idea how we managed to hold on.

With a long sigh, Liu Shirang asked Li Yi, "Minister, has the court really made peace with the Turks?"

"Ah."

Not only did they negotiate peace, but they also arranged marriages and bestowed money upon the other party.

They also promised not to send troops out of Yanmen Pass and Loufan Pass again, almost ceding Weizhou and Beiyanzhou to the Turks. In reality, it was equivalent to ceding Yunshuozhou.

They ceded territory, paid reparations, and even lost a princess.

Li Yi felt that this could not be called a victory at all; it was surrender and seeking peace.

Liu Shirang was also indignant. He had been besieged by Jieli for so long and felt extremely aggrieved. Now, Jieli had just swaggered away like that.

night,

In Yanmen City, the two armies joined forces and held a victory celebration banquet.

Liu Shitang had been besieged for almost half a year. The city still had some food and fodder, but various supplies were still in short supply, and food had long been rationed.

Fresh vegetables and fruits are even harder to find.

Li Yijun brought a lot of fruits and vegetables, and even a lot of pigs and sheep, so the soldiers were able to have a good meal, which was a rare treat. The defenders of Yanmen had been holding out for so long, but their casualties were still considerable. And this was even with Jieli waiting for siege equipment, surrounding the city without attacking.
Otherwise, those 20,000 auxiliary soldiers, plus 10,000 able-bodied men in the city, would probably all be exhausted.

The night sky was filled with twinkling stars.
The wind passes through Yanmen Pass.

Northern foothills of Hengshan Mountain

Yingxian County, Yingzhou, on the banks of the Hun River

Yun Shiduan looked at the military order that Sikong Li Yi had sent to deliver to him.

I couldn't help but frown.

Previously, they attacked Mayi City, forcing Yuan Junzhang to lead 10,000 men back to reinforce it from Yanmen City. Liu Heita, Su Dingfang, and two other generals then besieged the city and attacked the reinforcements.
They ambushed Yuan Junzhang halfway, beheading over a thousand and achieving a minor victory.

However, due to their small number of troops, they ultimately had no better opportunity and had to withdraw from Mayi. Yuan Junzhang did not dare to pursue them to the banks of the Hun River.

The abrupt peace agreement led to Jieli withdrawing his troops.

They thought they would also have to withdraw from the north of Hengshan, but the latest military order they received was to hold Yingzhou north of the mountain.

He summoned Liu, Su, Li, and other generals and officers.

"Gentlemen, Jieli's army has already withdrawn from Yanmen Pass. Now, the area south of Yanmen Pass has been completely recaptured by the Sikong army."
Our Great Tang Dynasty made peace with the Turks and ceased hostilities.

However, Sikong instructed us to remain in Yingzhou and did not intend to return the Hun River basin to Yuan Junzhang.

Yun Shiduan was also aware of the contents of the peace agreement, which demarcated the border along the Great Wall, and Hengshan naturally became part of that border. The area north of the mountain remained under the control of Yuan Junzhang, but now Li Sikong was refusing to relinquish Yingzhou.

He was a little confused for a moment.

However, the three generals Liu Heita, Su Dingfang, and Li Cunxiao laughed upon hearing this, saying, "We conquered Yingzhou, so naturally we cannot return it to Yuan Junzhang."
Besides, what does it have to do with Yuan Junzhang that the Tang Dynasty and the Turks negotiated peace? We're taking Yuan Junzhang's territory, not the Turks'.

Yuan Junzhang was a remnant of Liu Wuzhou's forces. After defeating Liu Wuzhou, he should have taken advantage of the victory and reclaimed Daibei.

The three are formidable generals, each with an increasingly tough attitude.

They just won't allow it.

If you're so capable, Yuan Junzhang, come and attack.

"The Minister of Works will send reinforcements to our area, and the five fortified villages behind us will also receive reinforcements. The Minister of Works' intention is that we must defend Yingzhou and not allow it to fall."

···
Sanggan River Valley

Yunzhou, the city in the clouds.

The Youzhou army still besieged Yunzhou. Yuan Junzhang sent his son to guard Yunzhou. Although the number of troops was small, there were also Turkic and Sogdian tribes grazing their horses there.

Cloud City is also easy to defend and difficult to attack.

After Prince Huaiyang, Li Daoxuan, and Wang Junkuo joined forces, they advanced along the Yanmen River and the Baideng River, eventually reaching the walls of Yunzhong City. Initially, they did catch the enemy off guard.
However, they still failed to launch a surprise attack and capture this border fortress.
The sneak attack failed.

Instead of launching a direct assault, Wang Junkuo and Li Daoxuan opted for a siege strategy, besieging the city and attacking reinforcements.

Li Daoxuan ordered Wang Junkuo to lead his troops to set up more camps and flags to create a false impression of a siege, while he led a light cavalry to attack.

The two of them have been working together quite well lately.
Li Daoxuan, the Grand General of Youzhou, was young but extremely brave. He led light cavalry to attack in all directions, sweeping through the outskirts of Yunzhou and even plundering the Turkic and Sogdian tribes. Wang Junkuo, the Chief Clerk, was a seasoned military strategist who led his infantry to besiege Yunzhou city.

During this period, they plundered a great deal of wealth without suffering any casualties.

Li Daoxuan has plundered all around Yunzhou and is planning to head south to Shuozhou, or even to Dingxiang Khanate to rob a place.

While they were discussing,

Li Yi's military order arrived. This Prince of Wu'an received an imperial edict to become the Chief Secretary of the Army Headquarters, and was authorized to command all armies to resist the Turks.

Wang Junkuo was green with envy, while Li Daoxuan was happy for his elder brother, Li Yi.

Once Li Yi took command, he ordered all the troops to join forces to besiege Yanmen, lift the siege, and force the Turks to retreat. Li Daoxuan naturally gave his full support.

Their mission as the Youzhou army was to attack Yunzhou, and even to advance towards Shuozhou.

But before they could even assemble their troops and march to Shuozhou, Li Yixin's new military order arrived.

"Jieli suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Yanmen, and all his siege equipment was destroyed. Sijie Awen, Zhishi Yan, Ashina Simo and others were defeated one after another. Jieli has agreed to the peace treaty and led his troops to withdraw."
"A truce has been declared, and the Grand Commandant has ordered our Youzhou army to withdraw to Northern Yanzhou?"

Just as they were about to set off south,
As a result, peace has been reached and the Turks have withdrawn their troops.

Li Daoxuan was somewhat dissatisfied. He was still planning to head south to Yanmen Pass to fight alongside his elder brother, Li Yi, and decisively defeat the Turks.

I've already taken my pants off, and you're still saying this.

"The Prince of Wu'an is truly remarkable. Our You and Ding armies launched their attacks together. They attacked Feihu Pass, while we attacked Jundu Pass. They seized Weizhou, while we seized Beiyanzhou."

But after all that time we spent in Yunzhou, all we managed to do was plunder some cattle, horses, sheep, and camels, destroy a few fortified villages, and abduct some people.

King Wu'an, however, fought one battle after another, achieving one merit after another.

"Now even Jieli has retreated and voluntarily withdrawn his troops," Wang Junkuo chuckled. "We were indeed too cautious before. Now that the military order has been given, we can only return empty-handed."

The young Prince of Huaiyang frowned as he listened to Wang Junkuo's sarcastic remarks.

"Chief Secretary Wang, it's really hard to just leave like this. How about we pull off one more big heist before we go?"

Wang Junkuo feigned hesitation, "Grand Commander, the brothers don't want to leave like this either, but Commander Li's order has been given, and military orders are hard to disobey."

Besides, the imperial court and the Turks have already made peace, and Jieli has withdrawn from Yanmen Pass. Wouldn't it be inappropriate for us to launch another attack?"

Li Daoxuan patted his chest, "If the court wants to punish me, I will bear the consequences. Surely Chief Secretary Wang doesn't dare to do so?"

(End of this chapter)