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

Chapter 588 Refusal to Bow to the Crown Prince
Accompanying Li Yi were not only Li Daoxuan, the Prince of Huaiyang and the governor of Daizhou, but also Yuchi Gong, the governor of Shuozhou, Wang Xingmin, the governor of Weizhou, Yun Shiduan, the governor of Yingzhou, and Cheng Yaojin, the governor of Jiezhou.

Qin Qiong, like the King of Qin, had been sidelined for the past two years, which allowed him to recover from his old injuries considerably. He patted Li Yi's arm and said with a smile, "I really wanted to go to Fenzhou with you, but Old Cheng snatched that opportunity away."

Old Cheng patted his fat belly and said, "The Qin King's Xuanjia Cavalry needs someone to command them, and you are the Qin King's number one general."

Upon hearing this, Yuchi Laohei couldn't help but glance at Qin Shubao. He was also a general in the Qin Prince's mansion, but back in Hedong, he had been ambushed and wounded by Qin Shubao several times. Although he felt he had been ambushed, in terms of personal riding and archery skills, he might not be inferior to Qin Qiong.

But having lost several times, and with Qin Qiong being a Duke and a Pillar of State, and not usually arrogant, Lao Hei never challenged Qin Shubao.

However, he did have a few exchanges with Cheng Yaojin, and in terms of skill in wielding a spear on horseback, Cheng Yaojin was a bit inferior to him.

Luo Shixin also came over. He was appointed as the governor of Jinzhou and was about to set off to lead his troops into Jinzhou City to reinforce it. After the Prince of Qin and Li Yi intercepted Queshu Valley and set up an encirclement, he would launch a surprise attack from the center.

Cheng Yaojin spat at Li Yuanji's departing figure, "Damn it, it's finally our turn to go into battle!"

It's all just pointless fuss.
"If the King of Qin had been in charge earlier, none of this trouble would have happened."

Luo Shixin also bluntly stated, "If our Crown Prince had simply stayed in Puzhou and hadn't gone that detour, we would have already taken Yun and Shuo prefectures by now, and Jieli wouldn't have been able to invade again."

With us old brothers around, even Jieli couldn't cross the Great Wall.

These Shandong generals, who had previously distinguished themselves in battles against Wang Shichong, Liu Wuzhou, and Dou Jiande, were always at the forefront of the charge, achieving remarkable feats.

However, in the past two years, he has been sidelined along with the King of Qin.

Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Luo Shixin, and others all refused the Crown Prince's attempts to win them over, and as a result, they suffered severe suppression and exclusion.

Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, and Luo Shixin were all Grand Pillars of State and Dukes, but they could only serve as military commanders. Meanwhile, those who were attached to the Crown Prince, whose merits were not as great as theirs, became generals, governors, and so on.

I'm so bored I'm practically bursting with boredom.

Each one was in the prime of life,

He was clearly a skilled warrior, yet he couldn't go to the battlefield.

"This time, with the King of Qin and Wu Yi leading the troops, we must march all the way to the Khan's court in Dingxiang, drive Jieli across the Yin Mountains, and send them back to their old home in the northern deserts," Cheng Yaojin shouted.

Luo Shixin even boasted, "Why can't we capture Jieli alive and bring him back to Chang'an, where he can serve the emperor and dance at palace banquets?"

Previously, the Western Turkic Khan, Nijuchuluo, refused to submit to the Sui Dynasty in the Central Plains. In the end, he was supported by Yang Guang and defeated by Shekui, who forced Nijuchuluo to surrender to the Sui Dynasty in the east. In the end, he became a figurehead by Yang Guang's side.

The generals had been holding back for a long time.

They're all ready to show off their skills this time.

They dared to fight battles that the Crown Prince dared not fight, and they could win battles that the Crown Prince could not win.

Li Jiancheng fled all the way from Yanmen to Puzhou, not daring to confront his forces.

Meanwhile, Qin Cheng and his generals were preparing to storm into the Khan's court at the foot of Yinshan Mountain to capture Jieli and have him danced with them.

A group of military officers roared with excitement.

They didn't take the Turks seriously at all. In their eyes, 100,000 or 200,000 men were all military achievements.

But Li Yi could see it.

They were not arrogant or complacent, but rather seasoned veterans who were extremely confident.

They are truly not afraid of fighting.

Especially when fighting alongside the King of Qin and Li Yi, they were two invincible generals, an undefeated legend.

Two stars in the military of the Tang Dynasty, the twin pillars of the empire.

Fighting alongside people like the Crown Prince, the Prince of Qi, and Pei Ji would be a real headache.

···
Puzhou.

An angel on horseback arrived to proclaim the decree.

When Li Jiancheng received the imperial edict, he could hardly believe it.

At this time, the emperor transferred him to Binzhou, but instead transferred the Prince of Qin to replace him as the Marshal of the Hedong Expeditionary Army.

What he found most unacceptable was his personnel reshuffle in Hedong, which was almost entirely rejected by the emperor. Li Yi, who had been dismissed and sent back to the capital on suspicion of treason, was accused of disobeying military orders and launching an unauthorized attack by the emperor.
He will be reused again.

Li Yi became the deputy commander of the Hedong military camp and was also appointed as the Grand General of Bingzhou.

Even Li Daoxuan was appointed as the governor of Daizhou.

Wang Xingmin, the governor of Weizhou whom he replaced, has now become the governor and prefect of Weizhou, and Yun Shiduan, the governor of Yingzhou, has also been reinstated to his original position.

Li Jiancheng's face turned ashen.

He recommended Li Yi as the Grand General of Dingzhou, but now the emperor has ordered Li Yi to go to the northwest with him to serve as the Military General of Jingzhou Road.

"This Turkic invasion was caused by Li Daoxuan and Li Yi's greed for credit and their reckless instigation of border conflicts. The Emperor was actually deceived by them and not only did he not punish them, but he also failed to investigate their crimes."

On the contrary, they should be given important positions.

Instead of thinking about how to appease the Turks and renew peace talks with them, why are they raising an army?
The southern rebellion has not been quelled.

What can the north use to fight the Turks?

Li Jiancheng roared,
Those around them quickly stepped back, afraid of provoking the crown prince's anger.

"His Majesty has been deceived by them; now we have no choice but to negotiate peace."

"Has Li Shimin considered the consequences if he loses the battle?"

No matter how angry Li Jiancheng was,
The imperial edict has arrived, and the situation in Hedong has changed dramatically.

The emperor ordered him to return to Chang'an on the day he received the imperial edict, and then go to Binzhou to guard the city.

The imperial edict also required Li Yi, Wang Junkuo, Zhang Lun, Dou Cong, Xue Wanche, Sang Xian, and other generals to return to the capital together.

Li Gaoqian was even more unlucky, ending up being stripped of his official position and exiled to Lingnan.

Li Shenfu was also transferred to Youzhou.

"How can the prime ministers and high-ranking officials in the court stand by and watch His Majesty be deceived!"

"To conquer external enemies, we must first secure our internal stability. With rebellions still raging in Jiangnan, how can we afford to wage war against the Turks at this time?"

A penchant for war will inevitably backfire!

After repeatedly shouting "We must first pacify the internal before we can repel external enemies," Li Jiancheng became so angry that he vomited blood and fainted, causing panic among the crowd, who hurriedly called for a doctor.

Fortunately, there was no serious injury; it was just a momentary outburst of anger.

"Upon returning to the capital, I must immediately advise His Majesty that war must not begin at this time!"

···
On August 16th, Li Yi left the capital.
This trip back to Beijing was truly a case of coming and going in a hurry.
Bingzhou is 1,360 li away from Chang'an, which would take even a fast horse ten days.

To be honest, I haven't even washed away the fatigue from returning to Beijing, and I haven't even had a chance to take turns with each of my concubines for a night.
None of the children were able to go with their father to Leyouyuan, Qujiang, or Yusu Township, and they couldn't even visit the East and West Markets.

I do feel a little regretful that I have to leave.

But the military situation was urgent and could not wait a moment longer.

The Turkic troops have even reached Jinzhou.

They've really underestimated the Tang Dynasty; they think they have no one left to rely on.

Li Yi galloped away on horseback, accompanied by fierce generals such as Li Daoxuan, Cheng Yaojin, and Yuchi Gong.

The autumn wind is blowing.

The Turks repeatedly bullied and oppressed them.
With no way to retreat and cornered, Li Yuan finally drew his sword.

The sharpest sword of the Tang Dynasty has been drawn; this time, it will not return without drinking blood.

For Li Yi and his group,
This was not only a counterattack against the Turks, but also a challenge to the authority of the crown prince.

The opportunity has been seized.

It all depends on whether we can defeat the Turks on the battlefield and achieve outstanding results.

If, like Li Jiancheng, we cannot defeat the Turks, then all our plans will have been in vain.

Fortunately, Li Yi was very confident.

With the King of Qin in charge,
Li Yi felt more confident on the front lines.

Longmen Ferry Crossing

Li Yi crossed the Yellow River from Puzhou and happened to meet Crown Prince Li Jiancheng, who was crossing the river at Longmen back to Guanzhong.

The two groups met.

But Li Jiancheng did not summon Li Yi.

Li Yi didn't take the initiative to approach.

"The military situation is urgent, and I don't have time to pay my respects to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is also in a hurry to cross the river. Let's go."

Li Yi led his generals on horseback past.

Li Jiancheng did not send anyone to greet Li Yi, but assumed that Li Yi would come to pay his respects, so he waited for him at the ferry.

They waited and waited, but no one came.

Finally, they watched as Li Yi's troops headed north.

"How dare you be so rude, you brat!"

Li Jiancheng had originally planned to wait for Li Yi to come and pay his respects, but he would not see him then.

He could choose not to see Li Yi, but Li Yi could not refuse to pay his respects. For him to just walk over like this would be extremely impolite.

"You all write this down, and soon you will all write a memorial impeaching Li Yi for his rudeness!"

Li Yi had no time to pay attention to the Crown Prince's thoughts.
Right now, all he cares about is winning this battle; nothing else matters.

In late August, the autumn air was crisp and clear, and the weather wasn't too hot. Li Yi's warhorse galloped across the land of southern Shanxi like arrows.

Flag bearers held high flags,

"Deputy Marshal of the Hedong Headquarters,"

"Commander-in-Chief of the Bingzhou Army!"

"Sikong!"

"Your Excellency!"

"Right Guard General!"

"Grand General of Bingzhou!"

"plum!"

The banners fluttered in the wind.

This light cavalry force crossed the turbulent Yellow River at Longmen Ferry, passed through Xizhou without stopping for a moment, and traveled day and night, under the stars and moon.
They rushed straight to the front lines of Fenzhou, where the fighting raged.

After entering Fenzhou from Xizhou, one can see many villages along the way that were plundered, attacked, and burned by the Turks.

The village was reduced to charred ruins.

Scattered among the ruins are unburied corpses, crows circling above them, and wild dogs with red eyes roaming about.

The refugees who had managed to escape staggered southward with their families, their faces ashen and eyes vacant. Only when they saw Li Yi's army coming from the south did a glimmer of hope appear in their eyes.

They cried to Li Yi about the ferocity and brutality of the Turks, cursing them as barbarian dogs and wolves.

Seeing these people who had lost their homes and even their loved ones, the soldiers gritted their teeth.

Those pairs of desperate eyes and those cries were like red-hot irons, branding themselves into everyone's hearts.

The young Prince of Huaiyang, Li Daoxuan, pursed his lips, his chest heaving violently, and clenched his fists tightly, wishing he could smash those Turkic wolves to death right now.

Meanwhile, Yuchi Gong, whose hometown was Shuozhou outside Yanmen Pass, had an already dark face that became even darker, and the veins on his hand holding the lance were bulging and his knuckles were white.

His hometown has long since fallen to the Japanese.

Even Cheng Yaojin, whose home was in Jizhou, Shandong, completely put away his smile, his eyes burning with anger.

"Fellow villagers"

I, Li Yi, hereby promise you...

"We will make those Turkic wolves pay for their crimes in blood!"

The refugees made way and watched them head north.

We waited until this royal army disappeared into the distance.
These refugees then continued south.

Filled with rage, Li Yi spurred his horse and galloped towards Fenzhou.

The murderous aura of hatred and resentment silently gathered within the iron torrent.

(End of this chapter)