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

Chapter 570 The Crown Prince's Order to Withdraw Troops
Taiyuan.

Crown Prince Li Jiancheng departed from Changchun Palace and traveled north along the Fenjin Avenue, arriving in Taiyuan, Bingzhou, at the end of June.

Li Shenfu, the Grand Administrator of Bingzhou and King of Xiangyi, led a group of officials out of the city to welcome them.

"Your Highness, news has just arrived from the north that Minister Li has turned General Gao Manzheng, a key figure in the rebellion of Yuan Junzhang in Shuozhou."

Gao Manzheng killed Yuan Junzhang's son and the Turkic Tutun, and seized Mayi, which then surrendered.

Li Jiancheng frowned.
"The imperial court finally reached a peace agreement with the Turks, what is Li Yi trying to do?"

"On my way here, I also heard that the Prince of Huaiyang has started a war with the Turks in Yunzhong, and that he is currently impeaching Wang Junkuo. Do you know the details of this?"

Li Shenfu smiled wryly at his cousin, the Crown Prince, and said, "This is a long story. Your Highness, please enter the city first, take a bath and change your clothes. I have prepared a welcoming banquet for you."

The group entered the city.

The Crown Prince moved directly into the Jinyang Palace.
At the service of the palace maids, she washed her hair, body, and feet.

After washing away the dust and fatigue, I changed into new clothes.

Li Shenfu had also been waiting for a long time.
Inside the hall, there were ice blocks to cool things down, as well as drinks chilled with ice.

Li Jiancheng was also a little hungry, so he picked up some tea and snacks and ate them. "Uncle Wang, tell me in detail what you know."

The Battle in the Clouds
It wasn't that complicated. It was just that the young Grand General of Youzhou, Li Daoxuan, disobeyed Li Yi's order to withdraw his troops and insisted on besieging Yunzhong City to fight for reinforcements, hoping to gain merit.

As a result, Yuan Junzhang and Bu Lishe led 50,000 troops to attack Yunzhong, while Li Daoxuan and Wang Junkuo only had 20,000 troops. Instead of retreating, Li Daoxuan advanced and even personally led 5,000 light cavalry to charge straight into the enemy formation.

"You mean, Wang Junkuo dares to speak of the mysteries of the universe?"

“The Prince of Huaiyang has already submitted a memorial impeaching Wang Junkuo. If it weren’t for Li Sikong’s timely rescue, Daoxuan would have died on the battlefield. After being rescued, he is said to have vowed to kill Wang Junkuo. This is probably true,” Li Shenfu said.

"Wang Junkuo has some nerve, what a thief!" Li Jiancheng frowned. Li Daoxuan was his cousin. Daoxuan's grandfather was Li Hu's fifth son, Li Hui, who was posthumously honored as the Prince of Yong. He was Li Yuan's fifth uncle.

Daoxuan's father was Li Hui's eldest son, Li Zhi, the Prince of Henan. Unfortunately, he died young, leaving behind two sons, Daoxuan and Daoming.

The father of the brothers Li Shenfu and Li Shentong, Li Liang, was Li Yuan's eighth uncle.

Jiancheng and Li Daoxuan were cousins, sharing the same great-grandfather, so they were quite close. Although Daoxuan had always been closer to the Prince of Qin,

How could a prince of the imperial clan be humiliated by a subject like Wang Junkuo?

Where is Wang Junkuo now?

"After abandoning the Prince of Huaiyang and fleeing the battlefield at the foot of Yunzhong City, he led more than 10,000 Youzhou soldiers to Chaigoubao in Beiyan Prefecture, where they are still and have not returned to Youzhou."

"Send word to me, the Crown Prince, to summon Wang Junkuo to Taiyuan immediately. I want to personally execute this traitor," Li Jiancheng said coldly, his face grim.

One was his own cousin, and the other was a general who came from the bandits of Taihang. Li Jiancheng would naturally help his relatives. Moreover, although Daoxuan was only nineteen years old, he was brave and capable in battle and held the important position of Grand General of Youzhou. He could take this opportunity to win him over.

A maid brought over a bowl of crispy mountain pastries.
In the sweltering summer, this was a luxury that nobles loved to indulge in, and Li Jiancheng never expected that he could enjoy it in Taiyuan.

To make a crispy mountain, first heat the pastry until it's almost melted and very soft. Then, prepare a beautiful bowl and fill it with ice stored from winter to create an ice mountain.
Then, the heated pastry is poured onto the iceberg to create a more exquisite mountain shape. Finally, it is placed in an ice cellar to be refrigerated and set.

Finally, garnish with fresh flowers and fruit before eating.
Not only can they make white crispy cakes, but they can also make red and green crispy cakes such as Imperial Concubine Red and Eyebrow Green.

Li Jiancheng took a spoonful with a silver spoon, put it in his mouth, and found it very cool and sweet.

"I never thought I could find such delicious crispy mountain cakes in Taiyuan."

While enjoying the crispy mountain, Li Jiancheng issued several more imperial edicts.

The emperor summoned Li Yi, the Grand Commandant of Dingzhou, Li Daoxuan, the Grand Commandant of Youzhou, Liu Shirang, the Governor of Daizhou, Li Gaoqian, the Prefect of Xinzhou, and Zhang Lun, the Governor of Xizhou, to come to Taiyuan.

Li Shenfu said, "I'm afraid they won't be able to come for a while. I heard that Li Gaoqian and Liu Shirang have secretly mobilized their troops and should be going to the border with Sikong Li Yi and the Prince of Huaiyang."

"Sending troops beyond the pass?" Jiancheng was furious. "The imperial court has already made peace with the Turks. Why does Li Yi still want to send troops without authorization? Is he trying to create trouble on the border?"

"Wasn't the lesson learned from the last time when the Prince of Huaiyang launched an unauthorized attack under the walls of Yunzhong City and was almost surrounded and annihilated?"
This is outrageous! Do they even respect the imperial court?

Who gave Li Yi the authority to instigate Gao Manzheng of Mayi to defect? ​​Who gave him the right to send troops to Yanmen Pass at this time?

He didn't think about the consequences.
The court had worked so hard to reach a peace agreement, and Khagan Jieli had finally withdrawn his troops. Was he now going to invite the Turks to invade again?

When he got excited, Li Jiancheng slammed his hand heavily on the table, causing the pot of crispy dessert to collapse.

Prince Yan, Li Yi, sat beside him and chuckled a few times. “Your Highness, the Hedong military camp has not yet been disbanded. Prince Wu’an is still the Chief Administrator of the military camp appointed by the Emperor, and he even holds the imperial decree to command all the armies. He can indeed order all the armies to move around.”

Li Jiancheng's face was ashen. "But the imperial court has already made peace with the Turks. If he sends troops now, wouldn't that be going against the imperial court?"

Li Yi ate the cool, crispy mountain dessert with gusto, but still didn't add fuel to the fire.
"Border generals are always thinking about making achievements and establishing their own careers. They only see what's right under their noses and don't care about the court's overall strategy. Prince Wu'an is young, so he's naturally even bolder."

"Outrageous!" Li Jiancheng sneered. "Immediately send someone by fast horse to Li Yi, and order him to withdraw his troops back to the pass."
He is indeed the Chief Secretary of the Military Camp, but I, the Crown Prince, am also the Marshal of the Military Camp.

Now that I have arrived in Taiyuan, from this day forward, all troops in Daibei are under my command, and all actions must be under my orders! "Do you really think Jieli's withdrawal was Li Yi's doing? If the court hadn't reached a peace agreement with the Turks, would he have so recklessly marched to Yanmen?"
That's just asking for death.

It was the peace treaty negotiated by the imperial court that saved Li Yi and his tens of thousands of Hebei troops; otherwise, his underestimation of the enemy and reckless advance would have led to the same fate as Li Da'en.

"They still dare to leave Yanmen Pass without permission, how arrogant!"

Prince Li Yi of Yan sat there stroking his bushy beard. "I'm afraid even the Crown Prince's decree won't be able to summon Li Yi back. Why don't you personally go to Yanmen and relieve Li Yi of his military post and strip him of his military power?"

Li Jiancheng did not respond.

The reason he was able to travel all the way from Changchun Palace to Taiyuan was because peace had been negotiated, and Jieli's Turkic army had all withdrawn to outside Yanmen Pass. He then came to inspect the front lines and, incidentally, to announce to everyone that he was the Marshal of the Hedong Expeditionary Army.

In this great battle, Hedong withstood the massive attack of Jieli Khan and defended Yanmen Pass, so the greatest credit naturally belonged to him.

Liu Shirang, Li Gaoqian, and Zhang Lun successfully defended Yanmen, Loufan, and Xinzhou. Li Yi repeatedly defeated Gao Kaidao and the Turks, while Li Daoxuan and Wang Junkuo raided the enemy's rear in Yunzhou.

These achievements should, of course, also be attributed to him as marshal.

But now Li Yi and his men are acting recklessly and provoking trouble on the border. The situation at the front could deteriorate at any moment. Asking him to go to Yanmen at this time, or even to leave the pass to find Li Yi, would be a bad idea.
This is something he doesn't want.

Li Jiancheng was not cowardly or afraid of death.

Instead, the thought of Khagan Jieli commanding hundreds of thousands of cavalry, ready to attack at any moment, filled him with a sense of powerlessness, making him too afraid to leave the pass.

He is the crown prince.
A son of a wealthy family should not sit under a dangerous roof; how could he put himself in danger?

The gentleman does not stand under the wall.

"First, send someone to Li Yi, summoning him to lead his troops back to the pass."

"As for Mayi City in Shuozhou, since Gao Manzheng has already defected, let him lead his troops back to Yanmen Pass. Mayi City will be returned to Yuan Junzhang."

"How can we break our promises so soon after reaching such a hasty peace agreement?"

As he said this, Li Jiancheng completely forgot how he had betrayed the surrendered Ji Hu in Fuzhou and lured and killed them.

···
Huanggualiang, located between Yunshuo and other places, stretches for sixty miles.

Below Huanggualiang lies Jinshatan Beach.

Heading north from Yanmen Pass, you'll reach a fork in the road. Heading northwest leads to Shahu Pass, also known as Xikou, and into the Hetao Plain, which is now the territory of the Turkic Khanate.

Heading northeast leads to Yunzhong, and along the Sanggan River Valley, one can also head northwest beyond the Great Wall, or pass through the Taihang and Yanshan Mountains, entering Youzhou via Juyong Pass, or via Feihu and Puyin to enter Yiding.

The sky is very blue.
Li Yi rode his horse up Huanghua Ridge. From the ridge, he could see a small village below, named Qidao Village.

One road leads north to Datong, then through Yanghe and out of Zhangjiakou, which is the Bashang Grassland. Another road leads west to Youyu, past Shahu Pass, which is the Hetao Grassland.

Qidao Village is said to have a long history and is a place where people of different ethnicities and backgrounds live together. People may have come and gone, but the village itself has remained unchanged.

People coming from the south or heading north always stop to rest at Huanghualiang when they arrive at Qidao Village.

Huanghualiang is lush and verdant, with continuous pine forests.

Li Daoyuan of the Northern Wei Dynasty described the land of Yanbei as a place of towering mountains and tall trees, spanning several prefectures, with forests stretching for thousands of miles, dense and shady. The Huanghualiang area, in particular, was adorned with pine trees and cypress trees.

When the Xianbei Tuoba moved south and established their capital in Pingcheng, which is now Yunzhong, they cut down trees in Huanghualiang to build palaces, which reduced the area's lush greenery.

This place was also once a hunting ground for the royal family and nobles of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
It is another battlefield that has witnessed the rise and fall of history.

"Sikong chose a really good place. It's a natural ambush site. Not to mention our 30,000 troops, even 100,000 troops could be ambushed here."

Looking at the hills and forests stretching for sixty miles, Liu Shirang couldn't help but admire them.

Li Gaoqian then said, "This is a place that Yunzhong must pass through on its way south to Mayi. If we ambush here, we will have a commanding view and a perfect opportunity to charge down."

Gao Manzheng has successfully captured Mayi City and killed Bu Lishe's son and Yuan Junzhang's son, as well as a thousand of their trusted followers.

Gao Manzheng was quite ruthless, showing some of the style of Liu Wuzhou. After taking Mayi City, he spared none of the thousand men, beheading them all and sending their heads, along with the heads of Yuan Junzhang's son and Bu Lishe's son, to Yanmen Pass for inspection.

Originally, Li Yi hadn't included Gao Manzheng in the ambush of Yuan Junzhang and Bu Lishe, but Gao Manzheng still came on his own initiative.

He brought 5,000 soldiers, 3,000 of whom were his old troops, and 2,000 new soldiers recruited in Mayi.

After meeting Li Yi, Gao Manzheng confidently declared that he had now switched sides to the Tang Dynasty and was appointed by Li Sikong as the Inspector General of Shuozhou. Furthermore, this battle was being fought at Huangguadui in Shuozhou.
Then he would naturally have to do his best to assist.

This chaotic world has never lacked ruthless people.

Often, they simply don't have the opportunity.

(End of this chapter)