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

Chapter 580 Secretly Embracing the King of Qin as Crown Prince
The second day of the eighth lunar month, the year of Xin Hai, is the Autumn Equinox.

Mid-Autumn Festival is a time of clear skies and crisp air.

"The lingering summer heat has ended, day and night are even, the grass and trees are turning yellow, and wild geese fly across the autumn sky in formation." Li Yi looked back at Yanmen Pass, his expression complex.
Wild persimmons in the mountains turn red in a single day, and pomegranates on the trees ripen overnight.

Li Yi left Yanmen and embarked on his journey back to the capital, leaving with a belly full of indignation.

Accompanying him back to the capital was Prince Huaiyang, Li Daoxuan, two of the heroes of the great victory at Huanghualing and two of the five Grand Generals of the Tang Dynasty. However, they were both relieved of their posts as Grand Generals and summoned back to the capital.

Li Daoxuan was accused of disobeying military orders and sending troops without authorization, resulting in heavy losses, while Li Yi was accused of plotting a rebellion.

“Chief Steward Liu died unjustly,” Li Daoxuan said, his eyes red. “They said he colluded with the enemy and rebelled, but those people are lying through their teeth.”

Li Yi turned his head and urged his horse to set off.

"Those who wronged him know better than anyone how wronged he was."

“Brother Wang, I never expected that the Chang’an court would listen to the Crown Prince and execute Liu Shirang. I never expected that they would not give him any chance at all and kill him on the spot at Yanmen Pass. What’s even more hateful is that they actually handed over Chief Steward Liu’s head to the Turkic Bulishe!”

Li Yi also sighed.

"Chief Steward Liu was indeed unjustly killed,"

Fortunately, the emperor ultimately did not agree to Crown Prince Li Jiancheng's request to return Mayi and Yingzhou to Yuan Junzhang, and did not return the more than 30,000 prisoners to the Turks.

The emperor did not cede Mayi, and appointed Gao Manzheng as the governor and prefect of Shuozhou, and granted him the title of Duke of Ningguo.

Guo Zihe, the former Duke of Cheng of Yulin, has been granted the surname Li by the emperor after leading his troops and people south to the old city of Yanzhou. He has been appointed as the governor of Weizhou and the general of the Right Martial Guard, stationed in Yingzhou, and in charge of Ying, Wei, and Beiyan.

With over 30,000 Turkic prisoners captured, Chang'an proposed exchanging them with Jieli for the Han Chinese who had been abducted. Jieli only agreed to a one-for-one exchange.

Jieli sent Ashina Simo to Chang'an to meet with the Tang emperor, to question the Tang court about its crimes of breaking the peace treaty, seizing Mayi and Yingzhou, and ambushing the Turkic army at Huanghualing. He demanded an explanation from the Tang Dynasty and even requested compensation.
Specifically, the original annual reward of three thousand taels of gold and two hundred thousand bolts of silk would be doubled, and Princess Changping would be immediately sent to the Turkic Khaganate to marry.

Every year, the Tang court had to purchase 10,000 horses from the Turks, with each horse being exchanged for 40 bolts of silk.

The silk-horse trade seemed like a good thing, with the Turks selling horses to the Tang Dynasty. However, the agreement did not specify that only good or warhorses were being sold. Even sick or weak horses transported to the border market were bought by the Tang Dynasty.

Forty bolts of silk for one horse, which is actually equivalent to one tael of gold per horse.

If it's a good horse, the price isn't too high. But if it's a horse brought by the Turks, you have to buy it all according to the rules, and then the price won't be cheap, especially if it's a quantity of 10,000 horses a year.

This would require taking away 400,000 bolts of silk or 10,000 taels of gold.

The Tang Dynasty was also obligated to bestow upon the Turks 3,000 taels of gold and 200,000 bolts of silk annually. Now, that amount has doubled to 6,000 taels of gold and 400,000 bolts of silk. If this is further compounded by the forced purchase of 10,000 horses for the price of 400,000 bolts of silk...
The Tang Dynasty then had to bear the heavy burden of 6,000 taels of gold and 800,000 bolts of silk per year.

Ashina Simo went to Chang'an to see the emperor, while Zhishi Sili came to Yanmen to put pressure on the crown prince.

Jieli demanded that the Tang Dynasty hand over to the Turks the main culprits, including Li Yi, Li Daoxuan, and Liu Shirang, who had broken the peace agreement and launched an attack on the Turks without authorization.

finally,
The emperor issued an edict to execute Liu Shirang and give his head to the Turks.

This is just like when the Tang Dynasty was forced to agree to the request of Chuluo Khan to take the Western Turkic Khan Niju Chuluo Khan to the backyard of the Secretariat and hand him over to the Turkic envoy to kill.

There's a dirty deal behind this.

They betrayed the meritorious official Liu Shirang in order to make peace with the Turks.

The removal of Li Yi and Li Daoxuan from their positions as Grand Stewards and their recall to the capital must also be part of this dirty deal behind the scenes.

Now, from Shuowei and Daibing in Daibei to Youding in Hebei, all the governorships in these northern frontier prefectures have been replaced by Li Jiancheng's men, from the governor to the prefect.

Li Yuan, Grand General of Youzhou; Li Yi, Grand General of Dingzhou; and Li Shenfu, Grand General of Bingzhou.
Of the five chief stewards in the realm, three were directly taken down by the Crown Prince.

Meanwhile, Li Xiaogong, the Grand General of Jingzhou, and Qiu He, the Grand General of Jiaozhou, were also being courted by the Crown Prince.

Li Yi was very disdainful of the emperor's arrangement, believing it was solely for the purpose of forcibly supporting the crown prince.

The death of Liu Shirang was a warning to others. Who were the monkeys? Naturally, it was Li Yi, Li Daoxuan, and even Li Shimin.

These newly appointed military elites who refused to submit to the crown prince but instead became close to the King of Qin...

Not only is it seen as a threat by the Crown Prince, but now even the Emperor himself has to step in to put it in check.

"Brother Wang, I wonder what the outcome will be this time we return to the capital." Li Daoxuan wasn't afraid, he was angry.

Li Yi wasn't afraid. Although he was recalled to the capital on suspicion of treason, he believed that Li Yuan wouldn't really do anything to him; at most, he would just use the opportunity to give him a warning.

First strike, then appease – that's the art of rulership.

But he also knew that even if there was no real danger, he and Li Daoxuan would most likely be sidelined and sidelined from now on.

Just like Qin King Li Shimin now,
They were put on a pedestal, but had no real power whatsoever.

"Li Gaoqian was appointed Governor-General of Daizhou, Li Yuan was reinstated as Governor-General of Youzhou, Li Zihe was appointed Governor-General of Weizhou, and Gao Manzheng was appointed Governor-General of Shuozhou," Li Daoxuan shook his head and sighed, "plus Li Shenfu was appointed Governor-General of Bingzhou, and Li Yi was appointed Governor-General of Dingzhou."

If the Turks were to launch another major offensive, could they hold onto the northern frontier?

Li Yi didn't think they could hold out.

The court changed generals, but not soldiers.

The soldiers of Daizhou defended Yanmen Pass to the death and launched an attack on Huanghualing, achieving such great merit. Yet, they were ultimately accused of secretly colluding with the Turks in a rebellion. Not only was the commander-in-chief Liu Shirang executed, but many officers of the Yanmen army who participated in the fight that day were also identified as Liu Shirang's confidants and were executed as well. Most of the other officers were either demoted or punished.
The soldiers were also punished.

Even if Li Gaoqian became the new governor of Daizhou, most of the troops would still be the same ones. If the Turks attacked again...
Even if these Yanmen soldiers didn't surrender to the enemy, why would they still fight so hard?
If you are rewarded for your merits but punished instead, how can you easily warm a heart that has grown cold?

Li Jiancheng always thought about appeasement and compromise, and the court also thought about peace talks, but peace cannot be bought unless one's hard power can overwhelm the other side.

They always harbor illusions, and they're bound to suffer losses.

However, Li Yi has already been dismissed from his post.

No one listened to him anymore. Even before he left Yanmen, he made a point of meeting Li Jiancheng to remind him that the Turks might invade again.

But Li Jiancheng wouldn't listen to a word.

Li Jiancheng only wanted to win him over. He was arrogant and thought that Li Yi had failed this time. He approached Li Yi with an air of superiority and victory.

Since their paths diverged, they could not work together, and Li Yi could only take his leave. As he turned to leave,
Seeing Li Jiancheng's smile freeze and his expression turn extremely ugly.

But Li Yi left without looking back.

"Brother, will the Turks really invade again?"

Li Daoxuan wasn't entirely confident. He didn't quite understand the chaotic situation on the frontier, but he believed what Li Yi said: the Turks were ambitious wolves, and these people couldn't be tamed by simply feeding them.

"The Turks will surely invade within a month."

“This time, Mayi will inevitably be the first to be hit. Just wait and see, perhaps Mayi will be lost before we even return to Chang’an,” Li Yi sighed.

Li Jiancheng has now completely replaced the upper echelons of Daibei, but he has no awareness that the Turks will attack, and he is completely unprepared.

Even from Li Jiancheng's consistent desire to abandon Mayi and Yingzhou, one can deduce that if the Turks attacked Mayi, Li Jiancheng would most likely not send troops to its aid, but rather abandon it.

Camping in the wild at night,

Li Daoxuan brought a pot of wine to Li Yi's tent.
"Have a couple of drinks."

"I brewed tea."

One person drinks alcohol, the other drinks tea; they each drink their own.

Feeling frustrated and seething, Li Daoxuan drank alone and soon got himself drunk.

"Brother, I used to think the Crown Prince was mature and steady, and quite good in every way, but now I think he's really hard to describe. He's simply not a qualified heir apparent."

Especially compared to the King of Qin, he was far inferior.

"Why can't the King of Qin become the crown prince?"

Li Yi drank his tea without answering him.

"Brother Wang," Li Daoxuan leaned closer, lowering his voice, his eyes wide, "let's support the Prince of Qin as the crown prince."

Li Yi glanced at him. "Liu Lang, you're drunk."

“I’m not drunk, I’m very sober. I understand now. The Crown Prince is cowardly to the core. He killed Liu Shirang today, who will he kill tomorrow?”
Perhaps sooner or later it will be the turn of those of us who dislike him.

“It’s not just our lives; if we entrust the Tang Dynasty to him, he might not be able to protect it.”

Li Daoxuan is a member of the royal family, and he is a cousin of the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin. Given his status, even if he is relieved of his post as Grand Steward this time, he will be appointed to an important position sooner or later.

Even if he doesn't become an official, he's still a prince. Even if Li Jiancheng becomes emperor, as long as he doesn't rebel, he won't be punished much.

Being a wealthy prince means you don't have to worry about anything.

However, Li Daoxuan harbored a great deal of resentment and disappointment towards Crown Prince Li Jiancheng, to the point that he was willing to risk everything to support the Prince of Qin in changing the heir apparent.

The nineteen-year-old prince was brave and fearless on the battlefield.
Even now, after leaving the battlefield, I am still willing to be a vanguard.

Li Yi had actually been thinking about this issue for a while.
He supported Li Shimin from beginning to end, after all, he knew the course of history. But before, he had only foreseen the outcome and had chosen his side in advance.

Now, like Li Daoxuan, he is eager to support the King of Qin, not just with words, but with concrete actions.

There are still four years until the ninth year of the Wude era.

Li Yi couldn't wait any longer.

Emperor Li Yuan and Crown Prince Li Jiancheng each have their strengths, but the mistakes they are making are becoming increasingly intolerable to Li Yi.

When he repeatedly refused the crown prince, he could already sense his murderous intent.

Li Yi didn't want to become the second Liu Shirang.
Liu Shirang, a founding hero, has now ended up dead, his property confiscated, and his wife and children enslaved.

Next, Li Yi and Li Daoxuan continued south.
Several days later, they passed through Taiyuan and arrived at Haozhou, where they had fought a few years earlier. It had now been renamed Fenzhou.

it's here,
They received a warm welcome from the people of Fenzhou, and a group of powerful families who had fought alongside them personally led the way in welcoming them.

Even though Li Yi is currently suspected of treason,
But the people of Fenyang didn't care.

A banquet was held to welcome them and wash away the dust of their journey.

The powerful families of Ren, Guo, Cao, Han, Zhang, Li, and Meng were extremely enthusiastic towards Li Yi. This was partly due to Li Yi's initial success in defending Haozhou and protecting their families, and partly because many of their sons had later received Li Yi's support, serving in his army and earning merit, or being recommended and recruited into official positions.
They also have business dealings with Li Yi.

It's no exaggeration to say that these powerful families in Fenyang are now all dependent on Li Yi, after all, Li Yi has a strong backer and good old friendships.

They had also heard why Li Yi had been summoned back to the capital, but none of them believed that Li Yi would be in any trouble.

The welcoming banquet was lively, with each family sending out some young men to accompany Li Yi to Chang'an as his attendants. If they could gain Li Yi's favor and promotion, their future would be limitless.

Some people even wanted to give their young and beautiful daughters to Li Yi as concubines.

Amidst the clinking of glasses,
Song Yi came in and approached Li Yi, "My lord, I just received news that Yuan Junzhang led Turkic troops in a surprise attack on Mayi."

The governor of Shuozhou, Gao Manzheng, led his troops to ambush Yuan Junzhang in the Lahe Valley and inflicted a great defeat on him.

The Turkic army arrived to reinforce Gao Manzheng, who retreated to Mayi City and sought help from Li Gaoqian, the governor of Daizhou. The crown prince dispatched Li Gaoqian with troops to reinforce Mayi.

However, after Li Gaoqian entered Mayi, he discovered that the Khagan of the Turks had come in person and that the Turkic army was at its strongest. He actually led his troops to break through the pass and escape back to Yanmen Pass overnight.

The Crown Prince then dispatched Li Zihe, the governor of Weizhou, to lead troops from Yingzhou to provide relief. However, upon seeing the Turkic army, Li Zihe dared not advance and instead stationed his troops in Ying County.

The Turkic army launched a fierce attack on Mayi day and night. Gao Manzheng led his troops to defend the city to the death, but Yuan Junzhang secretly persuaded Du Shiyuan, Gao Manzheng's deputy general, to surrender. Du Shiyuan mutinied in the middle of the night, killed Gao Manzheng, opened the gates of Mayi and surrendered. Mayi fell.

Now, Jieli's Turkic army has reached the foot of Yanmen Pass, and he has also divided his forces to attack Yingzhou. Li Zihe dares not resist and has abandoned Yingzhou, retreating to Fanshi, south of Hengshan.

"Now, outside Yanmen Pass, both Shuo and Ying prefectures have been lost."

Upon hearing the news, Li Yi could only sigh and put down his wine glass. Although he had expected this day to come, he did not expect it to come so soon and that he would be defeated so miserably.

(End of this chapter)