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

Chapter 569 Li Yi Leads His Troops Beyond the Great Wall
In Yanmen City,

Upon hearing Li Yi's words, Liu Shirang, the governor of Daizhou, couldn't help but gasp.

The Grand General of Youzhou, Prince Huaiyang, Li Daoxuan, was incredibly audacious. He attacked the Turks in Yunzhou without authorization after the peace treaty was reached. Now, the Grand General of Dingzhou, Prince Wu'an, Li Yi, is even bolder.

"At the beginning of the year, the former governor of Daizhou, Li Da'en, plotted to attack Mayi, but ultimately suffered a crushing defeat and died. His 20,000 troops perished outside Yanmen Pass, which also attracted a massive attack from Khan Jieli's 200,000-strong army." Liu Shirang looked at Li Yi, "Is Minister Li really confident of victory?"
And aren't they afraid of even fiercer retaliation from Jieli?
"What if war breaks out again, and the court blames us for disrupting the peace agreement?"

Li Yi slowly sipped his tea, "Lord Hongnong, we fought side by side against Liu Wuzhou in Hedong several years ago. In fact, as early as the first year of Wude, we fought together against Xue Ju and his son in Longyou under the command of the Prince of Qin in Jingzhou. Based on my understanding of you, Lord Hongnong, you are not a person who is afraid of war!"

Liu Shirang laughed heartily, "I, Liu Shirang, am not a coward, but I am afraid of jeopardizing the overall situation of the court."

"Duke Hongnong was besieged by Jieli for half a year this time, and of the forty-one cities under his command in the two prefectures of Xin and Dai, thirty-nine were captured."

If it weren't for someone's timely reinforcements, and Zhang Jinshu burning down all the siege equipment that Gao Kaidao had built, would Hongnong Gong really think you could hold Yanmen City?

Did they still believe that, besides me, who else in the imperial court could possibly reach the gates of Yanmen to rescue us?

"The Crown Prince was stationed in Puzhou, a thousand miles away, and did not send a single soldier to provide assistance."

The officials in the Chang'an court were only thinking about sending princesses to marry foreign rulers, bestowing silks and gifts, and even ceding land in order to persuade Jieli to withdraw his troops.

To put it bluntly,
Only I risked my life to fight my way from Hebei to Yanmen, and only I truly lifted the siege of Yanmen. Otherwise, even if the court offered a princess as a marriage alliance, bestowed gold and silk as rewards, and ceded land, Jieli would not have retreated so readily.

"It was because the siege equipment was completely destroyed, and it was my bold mobilization of various troops to encircle them, that Jieli was finally forced to retreat."

"Otherwise, to put it bluntly, Yanmen City would probably have already fallen by now, and the Duke of Hongnong would probably have already died for his country!"

"At most, the court will do the same thing as it did for the Prince of Dingxiang: posthumously grant you official titles and a posthumous name."

These words, though unpleasant to hear,
But Liu Shirang nodded slightly. Where were the reinforcements during the six months he had struggled to hold out in Yanmen?

In retrospect, it is clear that the imperial court did indeed intend to abandon Yanmen at that time.

Naturally, they also abandoned him, the 20,000 soldiers in the city, and the civilians.

"Lord Liu, we are border generals, so naturally we must guard the frontier. We are not trying to create trouble on the border. Yunshuo is part of the Central Plains. Our current offensive is only for better defense."

The best defense is a good offense.

"You and I should both know that the Turks are insatiable ingrates. Even if we send princesses to marry them, give them large amounts of silk and gold every year, and even spend high prices to buy their horses,..."

Can this really bring peace?

Won't,

Even if Jieli retreats this time, he will come back again next year, or even before next year, when the autumn is ripe and the horses are fat.

Chief Steward Liu managed to hold out this time, but what about next time, and the time after that? Must he continue to passively take hits and allow the Turks to plunder him time and time again?

The Daizhou General Prefecture of my Great Tang Dynasty has become a pasture for the Turks to plunder at will.

Liu Shirang nodded repeatedly, his face turning red.

“Sikong is right. I was too narrow-minded and only cared about my own gains and losses. Sikong, tell me how to fight, and I will cooperate fully. Let’s go after them. Even if it costs us our lives, we will fight them.”

Li Yi smiled and poured him more tea.
"Lord Hongnong, as long as we win the battle, Jieli will only bark a few times and won't dare to act recklessly. My plan this time is very simple: taking advantage of Gao Manzheng's rebellion, we will ambush Yuan Junzhang and Bu Lishe in the Sanggan River Valley between Yun and Shuo."
The Grand General of Youzhou, Prince Huaiyang Daoxuan, will lead his more than four thousand elite cavalry from Youzhou to launch an attack.

In addition, more than 10,000 troops from Dingzhou Prefecture who remained in Yingzhou were mobilized.

However, we still lack sufficient troops, and we cannot send reinforcements from Hebei, as that would alert the enemy. Therefore, I hope that the troops from Daizhou under the Duke of Hongnong can also join us.”

Liu Shirang gritted his teeth, "I still have more than 10,000 soldiers under my command. Apart from leaving some to guard Yanmen City and Yanmen Pass, I can lead 10,000 more to join the General in the attack."

"Li Gaoqian of Xinzhou has at least five thousand infantry and cavalry under his command. Should we also transfer them here?"

"And Zhang Lun of Wuzhou, and Li Shenfu of Bingzhou, should we summon them as well?"

Li Yi had already thought about this. "General Li Gaoqian of Xinzhou can be brought over, but let's forget about Li Shenfu, the Prince of Xiangyi of Bingzhou, and Zhang Lun, the Duke of Xihe at Loufan Pass."

Firstly, we don't need that many troops. The more troops we have, the more complicated it is to mobilize them. What we need is speed and secrecy.

Li Daoxuan's Youzhou cavalry numbered 4,200, and Li Yi's Dingzhou army stationed in Yingzhou numbered 12,000. In addition, Liu Shirang's Daizhou army numbered 10,000, bringing the total to over 26,000. Li Yi felt that the force was sufficient.

Of course, if Li Gaoqian were willing to lead 5,000 infantry and cavalry to assist, the chances of victory would be even greater.

After hearing Li Yi's complete plan, Liu Shirang was so excited that his blood boiled, his face flushed red, and he slammed his fist heavily on the table. "Fight! Fight them! We can't let them come and go as they please, and we certainly can't let them fight and leave whenever they want!"
This time, we're going to give him a good beating.

"When a general is in the field, he may disobey orders; let's fight first and talk about the consequences later."

Between Shuozhou and Yunzhou,
On the north bank of the Sanggan River lies Huanghualing, also known as Huangguadui or Shendui.

The ridges rising from this plain have been famous ancient battlefields since the Wei and Jin dynasties.

During the Northern Wei Dynasty, Tuoba Yilu built Xinping City at Huangguadui and sent his eldest son to garrison it, making it a strategically important military town. Emperor Wenxuan of the Northern Qi Dynasty, Gao Yang, also led his army to Huangguadui to attack the Rouran.

Gao Yang's 2,000 cavalry were surrounded by more than 10,000 Rouran cavalry at Huangguadui. Gao Yang took advantage of the terrain and won a surprise victory, defeating the Rouran army and capturing the Rouran leader Anluochen's wife and more than 30,000 people.

This place is strategically located, a vital location fought over by military strategists, and also the border between Shuozhou and Yunzhou.

Huanghualiang, Huanghualiang, once a battlefield shrouded in smoke and fire, now a place of raging sandstorms on volcanic slopes, bitter well water on alkali flats, a desolate road leading west.

Li Yi had already planned out the battlefield, right here on Huanghualiang.

Li Gaoqian, the governor of Xinzhou, soon arrived at Yanmen in person and had a meeting with Li Yi. Li Daoxuan, Liu Shirang, Wang Xingmin, Yun Shiduan and other generals all agreed to the plan to send troops.

With Li Yi leading the charge, the generals were all very confident.

"Gentlemen, as long as we win this battle, then you will all be credited and blameless."

Outside Yanmen Pass,

Mayi City, Shuozhou
This was once the place where Li Jing served as the prefectural magistrate, and also the place where Liu Wuzhou, as the Eagle-Winged Colonel, killed the prefect and raised an army.

When the Sui Dynasty was still powerful, the Turks were submissive, and Mayi became a bustling border market. Merchants from various ethnic groups, including Turks, Sogdians, and Han Chinese, came here to trade all kinds of goods, making it a lively and bustling place.

But in recent years,

Mayi was becoming more and more desolate, with a sharp decline in population and the border town becoming dilapidated.

The once bustling market in the west of the city is now eerily quiet.

The backyard of a warehouse with a sign that reads "Gao Ji"
Disguised as a horse merchant, Liu Shiche entered the deserted warehouse and presented the agreed-upon token.

The shopkeeper, who had been dozing off, suddenly perked up and quickly ushered him inside.

"Ah Lang, the guest we arranged to meet has arrived."

"Please come in."

In the storeroom in the backyard of the inn,

Liu Shiche met Gao Manzheng again.
"Greetings, Liu Bingcao!" Gao Manzheng stood up to greet him. This powerful figure from Daibei was tall and robust, dressed in casual clothes.

Liu Shiche clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "I have come on the orders of the Minister of Works to assist Lord Gao in his restoration. If this matter is accomplished today, Lord Gao will become the Governor-General of Shuozhou and the Military Governor of Shuoyun."
"And I am the magistrate of Mayi County, which is under the jurisdiction of the Shuozhou General Administration. I will need your guidance and support in the future."

After exchanging pleasantries, we got down to business.

Gao Manzheng explained his plan in detail: "Everything is ready. We will start the uprising tonight. The people and soldiers of Mayi are all loyal to the Tang Dynasty."

Now that Liu Bingcao is in command, there's absolutely no chance of failure.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Where are Li Sikong's troops?"

"Gao Gong, there's no need to worry. Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. Just go for it."

Gao Manzheng remained silent for a moment.

"Don't worry, Li Sikong is a man of his word. As long as tonight's mission is accomplished, send the heads of the Turkic Tutun and Yuan Junzhang's son in the city to Sikong, and he will take care of Yuan Junzhang and Bu Lishe's counterattack."

A resolute glint flashed in Gao Manzheng's burly eyes. "Please rest assured, Liu Bingcao, I will not back down in the face of battle, nor will I fail Li Sikong's expectations. Tonight, we will see the outcome."

"Please, Liu Bingcao, wait here for the time being."

"Gao Gong, please find me a suit of armor and a bow and sword. I also brought a team of skilled men into the city and accompanied Gao Gong, hoping to do my part."

"Row."

The two chatted for a while longer, and soon it was completely dark.

Night came,

A storm ensued.

After dark, the city gates were closed and a curfew was imposed in the city. Gao Manzheng's troops quickly assembled.

He and Liu Shiche led a large, fully armed force directly towards the Turkic Tutun's encampment north of the city.

From afar, one could smell the aroma of wine and meat, as well as the loud clamor of the Turks.

This evening, Gao Manzheng sent a lot of wine and meat to the Tujue Tutun, and also sent all the prostitutes in the city to the Tutun camp.

At this time, Turkic Tutun and his two hundred Turkic men were roasting meat, drinking wine, and having fun with prostitutes.

Persimmon wine is delicious.

But they didn't know that Gao Manzheng had poisoned the wine.

Although it's not the kind of poison that kills you instantly upon drinking it.
However, as the alcohol is consumed, the poison will gradually take effect.

Gao Manzheng had timed his arrival perfectly.
When he led his troops to surround the Turkic camp, some of the Turks inside had already begun to fall ill; some were suffering from abdominal cramps, while others were vomiting incessantly.

Chaos broke out in the camp in an instant.

Gao Manzheng drew two bamboo-jointed steel whips and gripped them in his hands, his face filled with murderous intent. "Come with me!"

Tutun, the Turkic official stationed in Mayi to oversee the region, was the son of Bulishe. He had just been enjoying himself, eating roasted meat and drinking strong liquor while embracing women on both sides, when suddenly he experienced excruciating abdominal pain and vomited blood.

He cried out in panic for a doctor.
The barracks gate was suddenly kicked open.
A line of Gao Manzheng's personal guards, carrying large shields, led the way, followed closely by archers, spearmen, and others.

They rushed in.
A volley of crossbow bolts instantly took down several Turkic soldiers.

He wore no armor, rode no warhorse, and didn't even have a weapon in his hand.
Many people suffered adverse effects from the poisoned alcohol, rolling on the ground in agony, while others panicked, with many clutching their throats in fear.
As a result, they were stormed in.

A volley of arrows and crossbow bolts, and a flurry of spear thrusts.
Gao Manzheng, as imposing as a small mountain, brandished his double whips, striking with both hands as he charged at the Turks, taking them down one by one with each lash.

This bamboo-jointed steel whip, weighing six or seven pounds, looked quite thin, but when it struck the unarmored Turkic soldiers...

If it hits your arm or leg, it will break; if it hits your head, it will shatter; if it hits your waist, it will break.

These two hundred Turkic cavalrymen
If they were pulled to an open area outside the city, it wouldn't be easy to surround and annihilate them. But right now, Gao Manzheng and his men were slaughtering them like chickens and dogs.
Soon, the smell of blood filled the air.

Two hundred Turkic soldiers, including Bulishe's son, Tutun, all fell to the ground.

“Cut off all the heads,”

After Gao Manzheng finished speaking, he did not linger and led Liu Shiche to the Grand Chancellor's residence, where Yuan Junzhang's eldest son was.

This was a massacre, even murder.

The siege of the Grand Chancellor's residence went smoothly. When Gao Manzheng arrived, his confidants had already led troops in a surprise attack on the residence, where they were also carrying out a large-scale massacre.

The eight hundred soldiers, hastily assembled, were of little use and were quickly slaughtered.

Yuan Junzhang's son, Yuan Xiaowen, begged Gao Manzheng for mercy, calling him Uncle Gao. Unfortunately, Gao Manzheng's eyes showed no sympathy. Instead, he stepped forward, raised his steel whip, and smashed Yuan Xiaowen's chest with one blow, killing him instantly.

"Sever his head as well, and remember to keep it intact. Don't destroy it, because it needs to be sent to Li Sikong for inspection."

After saying that, he turned to look at Liu Shiche and said, "Liu Bingcao, Mayi has been captured. From now on, you are the magistrate of Mayi County. I will entrust the civil administration and logistics of this city to you."

Liu Shiche looked at Gao Manzheng's personal guard who was cutting off Yuan Xiaowen's head, and then at the head of the Turkic Tutun that another guard was carrying. He smiled slightly and said, "Quickly find some lime to pickle these two heads. I'll have someone send them to Minister Li by fast horse."

(End of this chapter)