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

Chapter 578 The Men Arrive, Take Them Down

The soldiers rioted because of injustice.

After the 10,000-strong army of the contemporary Xin dynasty entered the pass, a group of generals and officers were summoned to see the crown prince.

The soldiers entered the pass in high spirits, expecting to be greeted by the crown prince's commendation and generous rewards of money and silk.

But before they could even catch their breath, the Crown Prince's messenger arrived with orders that they were not to linger inside the pass and must immediately cross the pass back to their town.

These victorious soldiers were practically driven to set off immediately, with no time to linger.

The soldiers were furious, but with no officers of the sixth rank or above present, they were leaderless and had no choice but to obey orders and leave the pass.

However, a portion of the Daizhou army was originally stationed at Yanmen Pass. According to the Crown Prince's return to his original post, they would naturally have to return to their own camps inside the pass.

At this time, the military camps inside the city were occupied by the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace troops and Bingzhou troops.

The Eastern Palace soldiers, taking the initiative, refused to let them return to their camp and instead ordered them to set up camp outside the pass. This further fueled the discontent of the Yanmen Pass garrison, leading to some verbal altercations between the two sides.

It just so happens that it was lunchtime.
Mealtime at the military camp
The soldiers of the Eastern Palace and the Bingzhou Army were not only given millet rice, but also mutton soup as a reward.

The Yanmen soldiers returned from their march, their stomachs rumbling with hunger. Some suggested that they eat first and then wait for Commander Liu Shirang to return and give instructions.

They asked the camp for food.

As a result, the officers of the Eastern Palace soldiers completely ignored them, saying that the millet rice and mutton soup were a reward from the Crown Prince to the Eastern Palace soldiers and the Bingzhou army, and that they had no share.

These words further enraged everyone.

Just then, someone was delivering wine to the camp. A Yanmen soldier angrily stopped him, snatched the wine, and stood on the cart, shouting to his comrades: "Brothers, we left our parents, wives, and children, first holding Yanmen City for months, fighting against the 200,000-strong army of Khan Jieli..."

Then they went out of the pass again and fought a bloody battle at Huanghualing, where they defeated 50,000 enemy troops with 30,000 men.

More than 3,000 were beheaded and more than 30,000 were captured. This was a great victory against overwhelming odds!

We rushed back and forth, fighting for our lives.

They risked their lives, shedding their blood.

Finally, they returned in triumph.

But now that we've just entered the pass, there's been no reward, no gift, not even a grain of millet or a sip of ale.

On the contrary, have these soldiers from the Eastern Palace and the Bingzhou Army ever made any contributions?
Where were they when Yanmen was besieged for months?

Now they've come swaggering in, occupied our barracks, and are forcing us to leave the city to set up camp.
They're living the high life here, while we're forced to leave town hungry. It's getting dark, and we have nowhere to sleep.

brothers,

Reclaim our camp and drive out these Eastern Palace soldiers and Bingzhou troops.
And that millet porridge, mutton soup, and barley wine should also be ours.”

This burly Yanmen soldier was not an officer, but merely a squad leader. However, he was quite well-known in the Yanmen army for his tall and robust stature. He was a troublemaker who had previously been a bandit before being recruited into the government army.

He couldn't stand this humiliation today.

The soldiers had been holding back their anger for a long time.

Once someone takes the lead, others follow suit.
They stormed into the military camp, looting wine and meat.
The Eastern Palace troops and the Bingzhou army naturally refused, and so the two sides started fighting.

Fortunately, they were all soldiers.
No one used knives or guns; it was all just fists and kicks.

But with several thousand people on both sides combined, the pushing and shoving and verbal abuse quickly escalated into a large-scale brawl.

When the matter reached the Crown Prince,

Li Jiancheng did not carefully investigate the cause and effect of the incident, but directly ordered the suppression and ordered the ringleaders to be executed on the spot and their heads displayed to the public.

If Li Jiancheng had been a little more patient, he could have inquired about the situation, or even first reassured the soldiers and rewarded them with some food and drink.

That way, the matter can be minimized and resolved quickly.

But Li Jiancheng's suppression order,

This, however, sparked even greater unrest.

When Xue Wanche arrived at the military camp with the Crown Prince's decree and read it aloud,
The soldiers of Yanmen were growing increasingly angry.

Especially the fire chief Liu Tao, who led the riot, was originally a thief and a member of the Lishi Hu tribe.
Now, hearing that the Crown Prince intends to execute the ringleaders of the disturbance on the spot and display their heads to the public,

I felt a little regret, but more than that, I felt there was no way out.

He punched several of the Crown Prince's soldiers to the ground and roared, "Brothers, we can't live like this anymore! Let's beat these damn officials and go find Chief Steward Liu and Minister Li to ask them to uphold justice for us!"

The soldiers clamored.
Seeing this, Xue Wanche
He did not offer any words of comfort.

Instead, he drew his sword and declared, "Anyone who dares to cause trouble again will be executed on the spot, without mercy!"

But at this time,
His drawing of the sword and his tough stance only provoked a greater backlash.
Seeing this, Liu Tao, with red eyes, also decided to go all out.

The situation can only escalate, the bigger the better, otherwise he won't be able to leave this military camp alive.

Liu Tao also drew his sword, shouting, "Even the Turks couldn't take Yeye's life, you scoundrels, we'll fight you to the death!"

Both drew their swords.

Immediately, more people followed suit and drew their swords.

What started as a simple brawl with fists and kicks immediately turned into a violent confrontation once knives were involved.

A knife is for killing, not for showing off.
Especially in a chaotic battle involving thousands of people,
Blood was drawn very quickly.

Fresh blood stimulation

Many people's eyes were also bloodshot.

Seeing someone fall to the ground, Xue Wanche coldly roared, "Anyone wielding a knife is considered a rebel and shall be killed without mercy!"

As soon as this word comes out,
This further fueled public anger.

Liu Tao brandished his knife, roaring, "Kill this bastard!"

Xue Wanche had already identified this person.

He picked up his knife and went to meet them.

Liu Tao, a rogue soldier from Lishi, faces off against Xue Wanche, a son of a military family.
But after only a few cuts,

Liu Tao was then cut down by Xue Wanche.
Xue Wanche strode forward, kicked Liu Tao, who was trying to get up, back to the ground, and then stomped heavily on his chest.

She was expressionless, looking down at him from above.
"You scoundrel, you're asking for death!"

After saying that, he plunged the knife down, piercing Liu Tao's chest. Liu Tao coughed up blood, gritting his teeth and glaring angrily at him.
"I'd rather die than submit to you slaves!"

Xue Wanche drew his sword.

He grabbed Liu Tao by the hair with one hand and severed his head with the other. Holding Liu Tao's head high, Xue Wanche displayed it to the public and ordered the Yanmen soldiers to lay down their weapons and surrender.

But Liu Tao's head, with its eyes wide open in fury and its head still agape in death,
Instead, it provoked the Yanmen Army.

They roared and charged at Xue Wanche, brandishing their swords.

When Li Yi heard the news,

He was writing a memorial to the emperor. The victory report from Huanghualing had already been submitted to the emperor immediately after the battle. Now he was writing about the crown prince's inappropriate handling of the situation.

He firmly opposed handing Mayi back to Yuan Junzhang.

He disagreed even more with releasing the more than 30,000 Turkic prisoners, and once again supported Li Daoxuan in impeaching Wang Junkuo.

As I was writing,

Song Yi rushed in.

"Ah Lang, there has been a mutiny."

Li Yi was suddenly startled, his pen paused, and he left a heavy stroke of ink on the paper.

"mutiny?"

Li Yi exclaimed in surprise, "How could this be?"

The word "mutiny" is not to be used lightly; it's a serious matter that can cost many people their lives.

"News has just come in that the former garrison troops of Yanmen, who just returned from beyond the Great Wall, got into a fight with the Eastern Palace soldiers and Bingzhou troops at the gate of their camp. It started with a group brawl, and then it escalated into a full-blown fight with swords and spears."

Now it's complete chaos, and many people have died.

Many people died.
That would truly be a mutiny.

Li Yi's expression changed drastically, and he quickly put down his pen, saying, "Hurry up and go."

When Li Yi hurriedly arrived at the military camp...
The chaos here was not over yet, and Liu Shirang, Li Gaoqian and others also arrived.

As soon as he arrived, Li Jiancheng also rushed over with a livid face, wearing gilded silk armor. To his left was Prince Yan, Li Yi, and to his right was Prince Xiangyi, Li Shenfu. Behind them were officials from the Eastern Palace, including the Left Vice Minister Zheng Shanguo and the Right Vice Minister Pei Shiju.

"How dare they rebel and seduce! Suppress them immediately!"

"Anyone who is armed and refuses to kneel and surrender shall be executed on the spot."

The order to build was filled with murderous intent.

"Your Highness, please wait."

Li Yi spoke up, taking a few steps forward to stand before Jiancheng. "Your Highness," he said, "I've heard that the current unrest was caused by some trivial matters."

The Bingzhou army had occupied the Yanmen soldiers' barracks. The Yanmen soldiers had just returned victorious from an attack outside the pass, only to find their own barracks occupied, forcing them to set up camp outside the city. Especially since it was getting dark soon, and everyone was exhausted and hungry.

Mealtime was served in the military camp, with wine and meat. The Yanmen soldiers wanted to finish their meal before leaving, but the Bingzhou soldiers refused. A verbal altercation ensued, eventually escalating into a brawl.

Although a knife was used, it was by no means a mutiny or rebellion. I urge Your Highness to investigate thoroughly.

"Right now, Your Highness, please first order a pardon for the soldiers involved in the brawl, quell the riot, and then, those who deserve corporal punishment should be flogged, and those who deserve demotion should be punished accordingly."

Li Yi's words

First, explain the situation, especially that the Crown Prince cannot characterize it as a mutiny or rebellion. We must insist that it was just a conflict, a minor brawl or disturbance, and that the cause was obvious: the Crown Prince's mismanagement and the Bingzhou army occupying the Yanmen camp were also at fault, which is why the conflict broke out.

"Minister Li, the matter is so obvious, this is a mutiny by the Yanmen soldiers, what else is there to say?"

These people are utterly lawless. Prince of Yan and Prince of Xiangyi, immediately lead your troops to surround them and capture all these rebels.
Anyone who dares to refuse to kneel and surrender while armed will be killed on the spot.

Liu Shirang stepped forward,
"Your Highness, they had absolutely no intention of rebelling. They only clashed with the Bingzhou army because they felt it was unfair."

This isn't a rebellion or mutiny, it's just a brawl.

Li Jiancheng stared coldly at Liu Shirang, "Liu Shirang, as the governor of Daizhou, those mutinous soldiers were all your subordinates."
I don't believe that some lowly soldiers would dare to openly mutiny without someone behind the scenes instigating it.

"Liu Shirang, they mutinied under your orders! Are you plotting a rebellion?"

Rebuked by the Crown Prince as the mastermind behind the mutiny, Liu Shirang's face turned a deep shade of liver. "Your Highness," he said, "I was summoned for a meeting as soon as I entered Yanmen Pass. How could I possibly be the mastermind behind a rebellion? Besides, these soldiers did not rebel."
They had just defended Yanmen City for the imperial court for over a hundred days.
Another bloody battle was fought at Huanghualing against 50,000 Turks.
The soldiers fought valiantly and are now returning in triumph; how could they possibly rebel?

"Your Highness, Heaven and Earth bear witness, the sun and moon are my witnesses!" Liu Shirang pounded his chest so hard it was almost breaking his teeth.

But Li Jiancheng ignored him completely.
"Liu Shirang, open your eyes and look! Your men are attacking my Eastern Palace soldiers with swords and spears. Their swords are still stained with blood. Do you dare say it has nothing to do with you?"

"Men, seize Liu Shirang!"

Liu Shirang cried out in grief and indignation: "Your Highness, I have fought for the court in the east and west, been wounded and bled, just now at Yanmen City with 20,000 men held off Jieli's 200,000-strong attack for half a year, and I also followed Li Sikong out of the pass to annihilate 50,000 enemies at Huanghualing."
I am utterly loyal to the court, and I guard the borders of the Tang Dynasty. How could I possibly rebel?

"Whether there was a rebellion or not, the court officials will investigate thoroughly. They will not wrong an innocent person, but they will also never let a bad person go unpunished."

The crown prince waved his hand.

Immediately, several of the Crown Prince's Imperial Guards stepped forward and seized Liu Shirang.

Li Yi and others pleaded for Liu Shirang's life.
"Your Highness, the matter is not yet clear. How can we take down a meritorious official? Wouldn't that discourage the soldiers and incite unrest?"

Li Jiancheng kept a cold face and completely ignored Li Yi.

Liu Shirang's face was extremely ugly. He wanted to resist, but in the end he let Donggong Qianniu lock him up.

Li Daoxuan couldn't help but step forward.
"Is this how His Highness the Crown Prince treats the meritorious soldiers on the frontier?"

Aren't you afraid of being punished by the sage if he finds out?

Li Jiancheng coldly said, "Are you teaching me how to do things?"

"Dao Xuan wouldn't dare, but I would like to remind Your Highness that these people you call traitors have all shed their blood for the Tang Dynasty and have just returned from the battlefield, still bearing their wounds."

Don't break the hearts of our thousands of soldiers!

Having said that, Li Daoxuan ignored his cousin, the crown prince, and headed straight for the military camp where the fighting was raging.
He charged recklessly into the military camp.

He jumped onto the camp's reviewing stand and shouted, "Stop it, all of you!"

Several loud shouts in succession,

The chaotic fighting among the soldiers gradually came to a stop.

Li Daoxuan yelled at the horde of soldiers, "You bunch of bastards! What's the point of being a bully in your own territory? If you have inexhaustible strength, save it for killing the northern barbarians!"

Instead of drawing a knife and pointing it at their own comrades.

Li Daoxuan stood there and unleashed a torrent of curses, which surprisingly had a good effect. The soldiers who had been wildly attacking him, drawing their swords and spears, were now intimidated.
They were all scolded until they lowered their heads and threw away their weapons.

The Yanmen army, which Xue Wanche and his men had been unable to subdue even with their swords, had now come to their senses.

(End of this chapter)