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

Chapter 596 Abandoning a Pawn and Admitting Defeat
Li Shimin rode his horse into Linfen City, Jinzhou.

His face was filled with uncontainable joy. Although they had marched north from Longmen for days, they had received frequent good news.

Upon entering the governor's mansion,
All the generals gathered, but the only one missing was Luo Shixin, the governor of Jinzhou and the master of this place.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'll offer you a toast with tea instead of wine."

"Cheers!"

Qin Shubao and the other generals raised their teacups.

"When the troops marched out of Longmen, I told you all that the Turks were strong on the outside but weak on the inside, and there was nothing to be afraid of."

But I never expected them to be such a showy but useless bunch.

More than ten thousand Turks dared to venture deep into Jinzhou, six hundred li away from the main force of Jieli in Taiyuan. One would think that such arrogant people must possess some skill.

Who knew it would end up like this!

"Hahaha!"

All the civil and military officials burst into laughter.

The sallow-faced Qin Qiong laughed, "Indeed, they are easily defeated. I led a thousand cavalry to launch a surprise attack on a Turkic force of over a thousand men."

I held back all my energy, but it crumbled at the slightest touch. It really did crumble at the slightest touch.

Those guys, when we came to kill them, they were still reluctant to part with the things they had looted.

We only lost about ten men, yet we annihilated over a thousand of these Turkic wolves, not letting a single one escape!

Duan Zhixuan slammed his fist on the table and said, "That's right. When I led a thousand men to find that group of Turks, we charged them and they fled."

The Turks were weaker than they had imagined.
Everyone was puzzled as to why the Crown Prince had previously been so hesitant to attack or defend, abandoning Mayi and Yingzhou, and even refusing to leave troops to hold Yanmen.

The dignified Crown Prince,

He dared not stay in Taiyuan and fled all the way to Puzhou.

However, there were Li Da'en and Liu Shirang who defended Yanmen, Li Yi who defeated the Turks at Fanzhi and Huanghualiang, and Li Daoxuan who dared to penetrate deep behind enemy lines.

Luo Shixin's 800 men broke through 3,000, Li Yi captured 8,000 in one day and two nights, and they successively defeated seven or eight Turkic armies.

In such a short period of time, the more than 12,000 Turkic troops who had passed through the Sparrow Valley and penetrated deep into Lüjin had been completely wiped out.

Three thousand were beheaded and nine thousand were captured.

Even Huluda Gan Tuyuhun Xie was captured alive by Luo Shixin in Huoyi. He was not only a confidant of Jieli Khan, but also considered his adoptive father.

As the military generals celebrated their victory, they couldn't help but become increasingly skeptical of Crown Prince Li Jiancheng.
The Turks weren't strong, so why was the crown prince so afraid of them? He dared not attack them himself, nor defend them, yet he wouldn't let others attack them.
Even if someone else performs well, the crown prince will still file a complaint with the emperor and impeach them.

Comparing goods will only lead to discarding them; comparing people will only lead to ruin.

In this comparison,

The King of Qin is truly wise and powerful; it's always more enjoyable to follow him.

In the past two years, the Qin Prince's direct subordinates have been severely suppressed. Even those who were sent out to other places, such as Shuang Shiluo, have been suppressed by the Crown Prince one after another, either demoted or dismissed.

Even someone as close to the King of Qin as Liu Shirang lost his life.

"Ladies and gentlemen,"
We completed the first phase of the mission ahead of schedule, and very well at that. The 12,000 Turkic troops that marched south...
They have been completely annihilated by us, with 3,000 beheaded, 9,000 captured, more than 10,000 warhorses seized, and countless civilians rescued.

Our casualties were less than a hundred.

They annihilated 12,000 enemy soldiers, with fewer than 100 killed in action.

Such a casualty ratio is unbelievable, but it's the truth.

"King Qin's command was excellent. Our chaotic attack from all sides completely stunned the Turks," Qin Shubao laughed.

The enemy claimed to have 12,000 men, but they were divided into more than ten groups, the largest of which had 3,000 men. Under the walls of Jinzhou, they were caught off guard and were annihilated by Luo Shixin's 800 men. Can you believe it?

The other larger groups, each with only a thousand or so men, were annihilated by Qin Qiong and his men, each leading a thousand cavalry.

Every battle was fought easily, all of them were proactive attacks.

Take the initiative.

Using their most proficient methods, or even establishing local troop superiority, they launch surprise attacks, divide and annihilate enemy forces.

If we waited for the enemy to gather 12,000 men and then engage in battle, it would be impossible to achieve the victory of annihilating the enemy with fewer than 100 casualties.

Similarly, if Luo Shixin had led 800 men to confront 3,000 Turks head-on, he wouldn't have won so easily.

War is not a simple arithmetic problem.
Li Shimin, Qin Shubao, Luo Shixin, and others were undoubtedly experts in this field.

In the Crown Prince's eyes, the sheer number of hundreds of thousands of Turkic cavalry was overwhelming, making him too afraid to engage in battle.

But in Li Shimin's eyes,
Even if there were hundreds of thousands of people, it would be impossible for them all to be piled up together.
The more soldiers you have, the more openings you have, and the greater your opportunities.

The prince didn't understand the principle that the bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish.

He was a complete novice when it came to warfare, especially large-scale military operations, and had no idea where to begin.

As for Li Shimin,

Despite facing 12,000 enemies, the enemy was easily annihilated in more than ten scattered battles, with not a single one escaping.

"Homage to the King of Qin!"

Qin Shubao raised his cup.

Duan Zhixuan, Niu Jinda, Qiu Xinggong, and others raised their glasses.

Li Shimin laughed heartily and raised his cup, "Let's drink together!"

This imperial edict to lead the expedition held special significance for Li Shimin, as the emperor had promised that if the Turks were defeated and the triumphant return was achieved, he would be made crown prince.

Even though he knew the chances of fulfilling that promise were slim,
But this was still a glimmer of hope, which greatly motivated him.

He certainly wanted to become the crown prince, especially if the emperor issued an edict appointing him as crown prince. The better he performed here, the greater his chances of being made crown prince upon the triumphant return.

Next, they marched north to join forces with Li Yi in Jiezhou and confront Jieli in Taiyuan.

We must win this battle, and win it spectacularly.

September 1st

It's harvest season again.

The autumn crops such as millet, sorghum, and beans in the fields are ripening one after another.

This is the harvest season.
Unfortunately, the Turks continued to invade.

"Lord Zheng, have you heard?"

The golden autumn brings refreshing breezes.

The weather was fine today, with a gentle breeze. Li Yi invited the Minister of State Ceremonies, the General of the Left Martial Guard, and the Duke of Xin, Zheng Yuanzhu, to play chess on the top of Lingshi City.

Inside the city gate tower, Li Yi held a chess piece and easily placed it.

Zheng Yuanzhu stared at the chessboard, his mind elsewhere.

"I heard about it, and I really can't believe it."

Anyone who heard the news from the south would be skeptical, but then came a series of good news, complete with detailed accounts.

Zheng Yuanzhu spent his youth in the military and was well-versed in military affairs. He had also led troops on many occasions. Therefore, although he was the Minister of Ceremonies, he also held the position of General of the Left Martial Guard.

He had already believed the reports of victory from the detailed battle reports; the King of Qin and his men had fought a brilliant battle, defeating the ten thousand Turks without any resistance.

"To annihilate 12,000 enemy soldiers with fewer than 100 casualties is a rare feat throughout history."

"The King of Qin's command of troops has reached a state of perfection," Li Yi said with a smile. Zheng Yuanzhu's chess piece had not been placed for a long time, but he did not urge him.

A golden expanse outside the city,
Many crops have ripened.

Who could have imagined that from receiving the imperial decree and leaving the capital to the annihilation of the Turkic southward army, only half a month had passed.

Even if I were to send the message to Jieli now, he probably wouldn't believe it.

Zheng Yuanzhu looked at Li Yi and said, "The King of Qin and the King of Wu'an joined forces and annihilated 20,000 Turkic troops in half a month, while suffering few casualties themselves."

This record is truly impressive.

I intend to depart tomorrow for Taiyuan to pay my respects to Khan Jieli.

With the situation looking very favorable, negotiations will naturally be easier.

“I think Lord Zheng isn’t in a hurry to head north. Let’s wait a few more days; the King of Qin will arrive in a few days.” Li Yi picked up his teacup, sipped slowly, and said calmly, “Once the King of Qin arrives, we’ll lead our troops to escort Lord Zheng to Taiyuan.”

Zheng Yuanzhu frowned slightly.

"I think it's time to call it a day. This time we managed to wipe out Jieli's forces, beheading 6,000 and capturing 14,000."

We have enough chips in our hands.

This could force Jieli to return to negotiate peace and withdraw his troops.

There is no need to wage another war with the Turks.
War is risky. Besides, although the Turks have lost 20,000 men, their strength remains formidable. If we push them too far, it will be a fight to the death, which would do more harm than good. The borders would never be peaceful, and how could our Great Tang recover and regain its strength?

Li Yi stated bluntly: "Strength cannot be achieved by seeking peace. Without sufficient strength and the ability to suppress others by force, such strength is false, and prosperity is even more illusory."

Only through force can we stop the fighting and promote peace.

Zheng Yuanzhu put the chess pieces down from the chess box, shook his head, and said, "Governing a country cannot be about only thinking about fighting and killing."

Emperor Yang of Sui was warlike, constantly waging wars in the east and west, which ultimately led to the downfall of the country.

There was absolutely no need for the Tang Dynasty and the Turks to wage a war to the death. The Turks were a nomadic tribe; even if they conquered our cities, they couldn't hold them for long.
"Now that we've defeated the Turks, are we really going to go and graze our horses on the grasslands?"

"What you're saying, Lord Zheng, is incorrect. It's true that the Turks won't stay long after they conquer cities and territories of our Great Tang, much less stay to graze their horses. But they will plunder our people and send them to the grasslands to serve as slaves, herding cattle and horses for them."

They will rob us of our cattle, sheep, livestock, money, salt, and rice.

They would treat us like crops in a field, harvesting us one crop after another.

How can there be true peace on the frontier if we don't subdue them and make them never dare to cross the border again?

The Turks are still invading our territory.
"Negotiations now are merely seeking peace; can they truly bring about peace?"

"We need to fight until Khagan Jieli comes to negotiate peace so that we can take the initiative. This counterattack has yielded such good results, and we should press our advantage."

We should press our advantage and pursue the fleeing enemy; how can we seek only fame like Xiang Yu?

Zheng Yuanzhu's eyes showed surprise.
Although he didn't agree with Li Yi's last sentence, it was indeed very domineering.

"Let's wait a bit longer. It's Khagan Jieli who should be worried now, not us."

Twenty thousand troops were annihilated.
Even the Khagan Jieli suffered a severe blow.

He claimed to have led 150,000 troops across Yanmen Pass during this invasion, but now he has lost 20,000. That's a significant loss, a reduction of 13%.

Most importantly, the Tang army annihilated his 20,000 troops at a very low cost, suffering almost no casualties.
This means that the Tang Dynasty still has sufficient military strength.

Zheng Yuanzhu earnestly reminded Li Yi, "Khan Jieli lost 20,000 troops, but these were by no means his elite forces."
South of Yanmen Pass, he still had more than 100,000 troops under his command.

"Prince Wu'an, do not underestimate the enemy. Have you considered the consequences if the army at Taiyuan is defeated?"

"There are still more than 100,000? Jieli divided his troops to plunder Shixi and Zelu, with at least 10,000 troops on each of the eastern and western routes. So he has at most 100,000 left near Taiyuan."

"One hundred thousand is nothing, what is there to fear?" Li Yi smiled lightly.

In this game, Zheng Yuanzhu resigned by sacrificing a piece, and the game didn't even go to the end.

(End of this chapter)