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

Chapter 576 Sixth Brother, Calm Down

The long scar on Li Daoxuan's cheek grew increasingly purplish.

His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the crown prince.

"What is my fault?"

“I led the Youzhou army to attack Yunzhong outside the pass, acting on His Majesty’s imperial edict.”

Li Jiancheng coldly questioned, "The court has already made peace with the Turks, and Jieli has also withdrawn his troops. Li Yi ordered you to return to Youzhou. Why did you disobey the order? Do you even have Li Yi, the chief secretary of the Hedong Military Command, or the general manager of the Hebei Circuit Military Command, in your eyes?"

"You, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Hebei Circuit and the Grand Commander of Youzhou, do you even have the imperial court, the Eastern Expeditionary Army's Marshal's Office, or Li Yi in your eyes?"

"Disobeying orders on the battlefield? I can kill you right now!"

Li Daoxuan gritted his teeth and roared, "I, Li Daoxuan, fought for the country, and the Turks did not kill me on the battlefield. Now the Crown Prince wants to convict and execute me inside Yanmen Pass."
"Very well, then bring it on! Execute me now and send my head to His Majesty in Chang'an!"

The prince roared in anger.

The crown prince looked at him coldly.

The generals who returned from beyond the pass all wore cold expressions. The Crown Prince's questioning of the Prince of Huaiyang at this time undoubtedly made everyone feel the Crown Prince's suppression.

This is not only about punishing the Prince of Huaiyang,

It was also a way of questioning Li Yi.

After all, accusing the Prince of Huaiyang of disobeying military orders and launching an attack without authorization could also be placed on Li Yi or on them.

If the Prince of Huaiyang is convicted, then their great victory at Huanghualing will also be a case of guilt without merit.

Even the battle in which Li Yi led troops to rescue Li Daoxuan in Yunzhong was a case of guilt without merit.

silent,

It's not tacit approval or support.

Instead, they were protesting.

Li Yi sat next to the Crown Prince, with one of his arms linked with his.

He could sense that when the Crown Prince said Li Daoxuan was guilty, he glanced at him intentionally or unintentionally a couple of times.

Humph.

How foolish!
Did Li Jiancheng intend to use this to deflate their arrogance, to first punish them and then appease them, to first strike and then win them over?
This tactic of courting is quite ingenious.
Using such methods against the nineteen-year-old Li Daoxuan would be counterproductive.

Judging from Li Daoxuan's furious expression, clenched fists, and gritted teeth, one could tell how dissatisfied he was with the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness."

Li Yi's voice broke the awkward silence.

"As the deputy commander of the Northern Route Army, the Prince of Huaiyang led the Youzhou army and divided his troops into one route to raid Yunzhou. Although he was behind enemy lines and had been ordered to withdraw his troops, as a general, he also had the authority to act expediently based on the situation."

The Turkic generals Yuan Junzhang and Bu Li set up an army of tens of thousands to Yunzhong. If the Prince of Huaiyang had retreated directly to Youzhou at that time, he might have been pursued and intercepted by them, since the enemy relied on their archery and horsemanship to move faster.

In the Battle of Yunzhong, the Prince of Huaiyang lost eight hundred cavalrymen. The main responsibility lay with Wang Junkuo, who failed to lead the main force to follow as agreed, instead retreating in the face of battle and fleeing with his troops.

"If not for that, the Prince of Huaiyang would have had a good chance of defeating the enemy that day."

Li Jiancheng turned to look at Li Yi, "Wu Yi, stop speaking up for the Prince of Huaiyang. It's a fact that he disobeyed military orders and that he lost 800 cavalry in defeat. He is the Grand General of Youzhou, so how can you shift the responsibility onto the Chief Secretary?"

Besides,

What you're saying is only one side of the story.
I have already sent someone to summon Wang Junkuo, and he has personally reported to me the details of the battle beneath Yunzhong City that day.

When your order to withdraw troops reached the Youzhou army, it was the Prince of Huaiyang who insisted on going into battle against the order, despite the strong persuasion of the Duke of Peng and other generals.

In the battle between the two armies, it was also due to the arrogance and underestimation of the enemy by the Prince of Huaiyang, who led 5,000 cavalry to charge against 50,000 enemy soldiers.

Even after the enemy changed formation, he stubbornly charged forward, resulting in being surrounded.

With ten thousand elite troops and several thousand auxiliary soldiers under his command, Wang Junkuo was too late to rescue them. His decision to retreat was to preserve a portion of the Youzhou army, not to sacrifice the entire Youzhou force in an attempt to save the besieged Prince of Huaiyang.

Li Daoxuan shouted angrily, interrupting Li Jiancheng.

"Bullshit! When I decided to fight Bu Lishe and Yuan Junzhang, Wang Junkuo was the first to take the lead in supporting me."

The battle plan was also drafted together with him.

The plan was that I would lead the light cavalry in the first charge, followed by Wang Junkuo with the main force, to break through and scatter the enemy formation in one fell swoop.

But when I led my cavalry to charge into the enemy lines, he hesitated and did not move.

Even after the enemy changed their formation, he still refused to send troops, repeatedly delaying the battle, which led to my five thousand cavalry being surrounded.

Wang Junkuo then deserted his post, abandoning his allies and refusing to come to their aid. His crimes are heinous and he deserves to die!

"Oh?" Li Jianchang drawled, "But what the Duke of Peng said is completely different from what you, Prince of Huaiyang, said?"

"He's lying!"

"Is that so? But Duke Peng has testimonies from several generals, including the governor of Beiyan Prefecture."

How does the Prince of Huaiyang explain this?

"Who doesn't know that Wang Jun'e, the governor of Beiyan Prefecture, is Wang Junkuo's sworn brother? Of course he would speak up for Wang Junkuo!"

Li Jiancheng simply chuckled twice.

"It just so happens that Peng Guogong Wang Junkuo, the chief secretary of the Youzhou Grand General's Office, and Wang Jun'e, the governor of Beiyan Prefecture, are also here. Let them come and confront Huaiyang Wang in court."

He ordered the Crown Prince Qianniu to summon Wang Junkuo and his companion.

quickly,

Wang Junkuo and his companion entered the tent.

Upon seeing them, Li Daoxuan's long scar on his face turned even more purple, and he immediately lunged forward to fight.

"Stop your insolence!"

With a shout from the Crown Prince,
Generals Xue Wanche and Li Anyan immediately stepped forward and pinned Li Daoxuan down on either side.

The situation briefly spiraled out of control.

Li Yi watched coldly from the sidelines.
This is truly a good show!

Unexpectedly, Wang Junkuo, who had been hiding in Chaigoubao in Beiyan Prefecture without making any moves, had actually arrived at Yanmen and even turned the tables on them.

"Sixth Brother, calm down and sit down," Li Yi said.

Li Daoxuan, who had been struggling and cursing Wang Junkuo, stopped struggling upon hearing the sound and stood still, gritting his teeth. Li Yi looked at Wang Junkuo.

This guy was tall and imposing, with a dignified appearance.

But he knew this person very well.

An ambitious, unruly, cunning, and immoral fellow.

Leaving aside his petty theft as a child and his later wickedness, let's talk about how at the end of the Sui Dynasty, when he wanted to gather troops to become bandits, he tried to get his uncle to join him. However, because his uncle refused, he falsely accused his neighbor of having an affair with his aunt and killed the neighbor with his uncle. As a result, his uncle had no choice but to lose his family fortune and follow him on the run, gathering a group of bandits to plunder everywhere.

Historically, Wang Junkuo repeatedly changed sides at the end of the Sui Dynasty, feigning surrender multiple times, and even surrendered to the Tang Dynasty twice, only to rebel again after surrendering.

Later, he followed Li Yuan to Youzhou and formed a marriage alliance through their children. However, after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he instigated his in-law Li Yuan to rebel. He then intervened, beheaded Li Yuan, and quelled the rebellion, using his in-law's head as a pledge of loyalty.
He was given the position of Grand Governor of Youzhou by the new emperor Li Shimin.

Looking at Wang Junkuo standing there so confidently...

He must have already pledged his loyalty to the Crown Prince and successfully joined the Eastern Palace's camp.

I don't know what Li Jiancheng saw in Wang Junkuo.

Between Li Daoxuan and Wang Junkuo, shouldn't Li Daoxuan be chosen? Is it only because Li Daoxuan isn't very close to him that they're resorting to this drastic measure?
Am I stupid?

"Duke Peng,

Now the Prince of Huaiyang has also arrived.

"Li Sikong and others are still here. Tell me the truth about the Battle of Yunzhong," Li Jiancheng said.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Wang Junkuo was quite eloquent. Although he came from a rogue background, in front of everyone, he shifted all the blame for the battle in Yunzhong onto Li Daoxuan, portraying himself as merely a subordinate whose words were not heeded by his superiors.
Li Daoxuan was young, arrogant, and ruled by his own hand.
During the battle, he advised Li Daoxuan, as the commander-in-chief, not to lead the cavalry charge, but to remain under the banner and command the central army. However, the young prince insisted on charging, which ultimately led to their encirclement...

"Wang Junkuo, you're talking nonsense! Don't you ever tell the truth? How dare you spout such lies?"

"Your Highness, you should be responsible for your actions." Wang Junkuo was not angry at all despite being scolded.

Li Yi admired this guy's qualities. Li Daoxuan was just too young and impulsive, lacking this kind of calm mental fortitude.

Wang Junkuo certainly had some ability to survive in such a chaotic world.

The ability to distort the truth in public and say it without batting an eye is something most people don't possess.

Li Yi looked at Wang Jun in astonishment.

“Governor Wang, the Prince of Huaiyang and the Duke of Peng are now giving conflicting accounts. You are also a general in the Youzhou army and witnessed those events firsthand. Tell me about what happened back then.”

Wang Jun was taken aback and hesitated for a moment.

"Your Highness, Prince Wu'an, I am the Governor of Beiyan Prefecture, and I was indeed in the army at the time, personally experiencing those events."

However, since I am sworn brothers with Duke Peng, I request to recuse myself.

No matter what I say, people will likely doubt its credibility.

his words,
To everyone's surprise, even Wang Junkuo glanced at him.

Li Jiancheng stood up.
"Although the Prince of Huaiyang and the Duke of Peng have conflicting accounts, it is a fact that the Prince of Huaiyang disobeyed military orders and suffered heavy losses."
As for whether Duke Peng deserted his post and refused to help, or whether he seized the opportunity to protect the troops of Youzhou, I will report this matter to the court, and the court will send someone to investigate in detail.

He paced back and forth in the tent, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Now, in my capacity as Marshal of the Hedong Expeditionary Force, I hereby suspend Prince Huaiyang Li Daoxuan from his positions as Grand General of Youzhou, Governor of Youzhou, and Deputy General General of the Hebei Expeditionary Force."

Immediately send someone back to Chang'an to be handed over to the Emperor for handling.

The position of Grand Administrator of Youzhou will be temporarily held by Peng Guogong, the Inspector-General.

Li Yi stood up.
"Your Highness, this is not appropriate."

"What's wrong?"

"As one of the five Grand Commanders of the Imperial Court, the Prince of Huaiyang holds a crucial position and cannot be easily dismissed. Moreover, His Highness the Crown Prince's status as the Marshal of the Expeditionary Army allows him to be relieved of his post as Deputy Grand Commander of the Hebei Expeditionary Army, but his post as Grand Commander of Youzhou can be revoked."

That's a bit too much.

It would be better to first dismiss him from his post as deputy commander of the Hebei campaign and let him return to Youzhou. Your Highness can then submit a memorial to the court and request His Majesty's decision.

Whether or not to dismiss the Grand Steward must be decided by the Emperor himself.

Li Yi's words were undoubtedly a public challenge to the fact that he, as the crown prince, did not have the authority to directly dismiss a second-rank chief eunuch.

He directly rejected Wang Junkuo's appointment as the Grand Administrator of Youzhou.

"Your Highness, whether Chief Clerk Wang deserted his post in the face of battle still needs to be investigated in detail by the authorities, but he is currently a suspect, and it is really inappropriate to appoint him as the Grand Administrator of Youzhou."

"I suggest that we invite Chief Secretary Wang back to the capital to accept the investigation. If he is innocent, he can clear his name as soon as possible."

Li Daoxuan stood there, his body straight. "True gold fears no fire. I am willing to return to Chang'an with Wang Junkuo and confront him in the Golden Hall, asking the Emperor to make his own judgment."

Neither of us will be left behind; we'll investigate further when we get back to Chang'an."

Wang Junkuo was initially overjoyed at finally being able to take charge of Youzhou.

Unexpectedly, Li Yi intervened in this way.
Li Daoxuan even wanted to take him back to Chang'an with him.
This fueled his resentment.

Li Jiancheng glanced at Li Daoxuan, then at Wang Junkuo, and finally his gaze settled on Li Yi.

"Both the Prince of Wu'an and the Prince of Huaiyang have valid points. Therefore, the Prince of Huaiyang and the Duke of Peng shall return to Chang'an tomorrow."

"The affairs of the Grand General of Youzhou,"

His gaze swept over the generals, finally settling on Li Yi, the Prince of Yan, who was standing to the side.

"Therefore, we need to trouble Prince Yan to return to Youzhou and temporarily take charge of the affairs of the Grand Steward."

“Wang Gui, the Crown Prince’s advisor, will temporarily serve as the Chief Secretary of the General Administration of Youzhou.”

Li Yi frowned. Li Yuan had gone to great lengths to keep Li Yi in the court and transfer him away from his stronghold, Youzhou.

Is the Crown Prince now going to let the tiger return to the mountain?

Aren't you afraid that Li Yi is another Gao Kaidao?
He looked at Li Daoxuan, whose face was full of indignation. In the end, he was still too young. With just a few words, he was provoked by Li Jiancheng to take the initiative to return to Chang'an and give up the important position of Grand Governor of Youzhou.

Li Yi had just reminded him that the Grand Governor of Youzhou was one of the five Grand Governors of the Tang Dynasty. Such an important position could not be taken away by Crown Prince Li Jiancheng unless he refused to relinquish it.

The Battle of Yunzhong is not a major issue even if we investigate it, since only eight hundred cavalrymen were lost, while Li Yi beheaded more than three thousand enemies after arriving at the scene.

Li Daoxuan was the emperor's nephew, and he didn't plot a rebellion, so what's the big deal?

But Li Daoxuan actually handed over the position of Grand Steward so easily. Alas, he was too young. Fortunately, he managed to take Wang Junkuo away with him, so it wasn't too bad.

It's just unknown how the Crown Prince plans to deal with him next, using the same tactics he used against Li Daoxuan.
(End of this chapter)