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

Chapter 625 Qin King's Party

The cold winds beyond the Great Wall are exceptionally biting.

Yunzhong, this small border town, is 1,800 li away from Chang'an.

The New Year's Eve dinner in the fifth year of the Wude era was simple yet lively.

Dumplings with wine, the more you eat, the better.

Although I couldn't return to Chang'an to be with my parents, wife, concubines, and children this year, it was quite lively with so many people gathered together, and I temporarily forgot about my homesickness.

The emperor's edict of commendation, issued before the New Year, was delivered urgently, and all the civil and military officials in the expeditionary force, as well as 100,000 soldiers, received rewards.

Li Yi had two sons who were granted the title of baron.

Yuchi Gong, Liu Heita, Su Dingfang, and Li Cunxiao were all granted the title of Marquis. Even Hou Junji and Xu Shilu, the captains of Li Shimin's guards, were granted the title of Viscount and promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry.

Compared to the Crown Prince's attitude towards the victorious soldiers at Yanmen after the last Battle of Huanghualing, Li Yuan was indeed much more generous this time.

Not only were generals granted titles of nobility and marquis, but many mid-level military officers were also granted titles of county viscount and county baron, and promoted in rank.

Many of the civil officials in the military camp were also granted the titles of county baron and county viscount.

All 100,000 soldiers in the army camp received rewards.

This New Year's Eve dumpling feast,
The room was filled with princes, dukes, viscounts, barons, generals, commanders-in-chief, and governors.

Li Yi raised his glass.
"Gentlemen, I propose that we all raise our glasses to toast the King of Qin. To toast the King of Qin for leading my 100,000 soldiers of the Hedong army to defeat the Turks and recover the lost territory of Daibei."

"We admire King Qin for leading us to achieve great deeds, earning us honors and rewards!"

Everyone stood up and raised their glasses.

Li Shimin smiled and stood up as well, "You're all too kind. I'd like to toast you all. Thank you for your strong support and for sharing life and death with me. This honor is something we all achieved together."

Let's drink to this together!

Li Yi sipped his persimmon tea and ate his dumplings, finding the New Year's Eve dinner quite good. His gaze swept over everyone in the hall.

The authors include Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Changsun Wuji, Wei Zheng, Han Liang, Yu Zhiliang, Xue Shou, Chu Liang, Dai Zhou, and others.

Wu Youqu, Tu Tong, Qin Shubao, Luo Shixin, Yuchi Gong, Cheng Yaojin, Duan Zhixuan, Zhang Gongjin, Qiu Xinggong, Wang Xingmin, etc.

This gathering of people,
Truly, there are strategists as numerous as clouds and fierce generals as abundant as rain.

Most importantly, after one expedition and one victory after another, the status of these civil and military officials has risen steadily over the years.

Nowadays, many people hold high-ranking positions, such as dukes, marquises, generals, and governors.

This is all inseparable from Li Shimin.

Even important court officials like Li Yi, Li Daoxuan, Tang Jian, and Yuwen Shi had close relationships with Li Shimin.

The Qin royal line was established.
Our interests are intertwined; we share both prosperity and adversity.

Amidst the clinking of glasses,

The crowd repeatedly toasted the King of Qin.
These cups of wine represent not only respect for the King of Qin and General Tian Ce, but also recognition of Li Shimin, the leader.

Li Yi saw Li Shimin's leadership qualities.

A leader must not only be able to lead his brothers to achieve merit, receive honors, and be promoted, but also be able to protect his brothers.

In this respect, the Crown Prince was undoubtedly far inferior to the King of Qin.

The Crown Prince lured and killed prisoners of war in Weibei, but when things went wrong, he made Sang Xianhe take the blame. After the soldiers achieved a great victory at Huanghualing, the Crown Prince not only failed to reward or congratulate them, but also treated the soldiers harshly, leading to a riot.
In the end, Liu Shirang, a meritorious general, was unjustly killed.

The Qin King's faction has been formed.
At present, it cannot be said that all of the Qin King's faction will follow Li Shimin in rebellion and mutiny, but at least they have already gathered together.

Now, with Daibei as its main base, it has been re-established.

It won't be easy for Li Yuan to break up this force again.

As long as the war continues, as long as Jieli is not captured, as long as the Turks are not destroyed, it is unlikely that the Hedong Expeditionary Force and the Daibei Border Army will be disbanded.

From this perspective,

The war with the Turks cannot stop.
We must never allow the imperial court to negotiate peace.

In the ongoing wars with the Turks, the 100,000 soldiers of the Hedong Expeditionary Force, led by the Prince of Qin, were able to accumulate more military merits and receive greater rewards.
This will also help the King of Qin establish greater prestige.

This is a community of interests among the newly rich military elites; none of them would want the imperial court to negotiate a ceasefire.

This battle must be fought.
The campaign continued until Jieli was captured and killed, and the Turks were destroyed.

There are many kinds of dumpling fillings.
Li Yi ate his fill.

Everyone was full and satisfied.

Staying up together to welcome the New Year
Say goodbye to the old and welcome the new.

"This year's Lunar New Year's Eve in Chang'an must be very lively, right?" Li Shimin said.

They repelled the Turks.
The rebels also suffered repeated defeats.

Tuyuhun, Dangxiang Qiang, and even Goguryeo and Western Turks all sent tributes, making it an excellent year.

Five years after the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the situation had never been so favorable.

Li Shimin imagined the emperor on the palace gate tower, enjoying the festivities with the people, admiring lanterns, watching plays and dances, and finally scattering gold, silver, and copper Kaiyuan Tongbao coins.

A silver kettle was placed on the charcoal stove.

It was brick tea that was brewed.
The tea was bubbling away, its aroma enticing. People in the border region often ate dairy products and meat, but lacked fresh vegetables, so they had a great need for this tea.

"Wu Yi, do you think Tu Li can withstand Jie Li's attack?" Li Shimin asked.

Li Yi shook his head.
"Although Tuli had spies in the Dingxiang Khanate and learned of Jieli's movements in time, Tuli's military strength was far inferior to Jieli's, and Jieli was, after all, the Great Khan, while he was just a minor Khan."

Furthermore, Tuli was young and had little experience in military operations.

Therefore, I believe that Tuli is bound to fail, and most likely he will fail miserably.

It's highly likely he'll flee in disarray to the Great Wall.

Li Shimin's speculation was roughly the same.

Sudden gains will inevitably lead to defeat.

"In this freezing weather, Tuli's defeat is likely to be a complete rout, and he may even have to come south alone."

The two had recently sworn brotherhood with Tuli through a blood oath.

But none of them were willing to risk their lives for Tuli at this moment.

Tuli was a tool.
This is also a decoy.

Jieli launched an attack on Tuli, but Li Shimin would not directly send troops beyond the Great Wall to rescue Tuli. Instead, he had already sent envoys to persuade Tuli to move south.

The Tang army would meet them at the Great Wall Pass of Northern Yan.
Tomorrow, Qin Shubao, Luo Shixin, Cheng Yaojin, Niu Jinda, Xue Wanjun, Duan Zhixuan, Zhang Shigui, Zhai Changsun, and the eight chief stewards will travel to Beiyan Prefecture to cooperate with Li Daoxuan, the Grand Steward of You Prefecture.
They prepared to intercept Jieli Khan. Li Yi, on the other hand, would lead eight generals, including Yuchi Gong, Liu Heita, Su Dingfang, Li Cunxiao, Wang Xingmin, Qin Wutong, Li Xuantong, and Yun Shiduan, to Kill Tiger Pass.

Li Yi led his troops to seize the opportunity to raid Jieli's stronghold.

"You fight your way, I fight my way"—this has always been the military strategy of Li Shimin and Li Yi. They would never be led by the enemy and would always maintain the initiative.

Instead of sending troops to reinforce Tuliya's camp, they allowed him to march south.

Li Daoxuan led his troops in ambush on the Bashang Grassland, a crucial route for the southward advance to Beiyan Prefecture.
The ambush site has been chosen: Yehuling on the Bashang Grassland outside Zhangjiakou.

Historically, Genghis Khan's 100,000 cavalrymen decisively defeated the 500,000-strong Jin army at Yehuling, marking the end of the Jin dynasty.

Wild Fox Ridge ambush – this was the battlefield where Li Yixuan launched his ambush.

Li Shimin also praised the location as a good choice.

In the dead of night,

Everyone was still quite energetic while staying up to welcome the New Year.

The battle plan has been issued.

Everyone is very excited.

Even Li Shimin couldn't hide his excitement.

"If we can capture and kill Jieli at Yehuling, then the Turks can be pacified in one battle. At that time, we can support Tuli as Khan, and the threat that has been weighing on our Tang Dynasty will be removed."

Li Shimin lowered his voice slightly, "Before leaving the capital, His Majesty promised to defeat the Turks and make me the Crown Prince."
"I will directly annihilate the Turks; how can Your Majesty not keep your promise?"

Li Yi, however, knew that Li Shimin was celebrating too soon.

When the Turkic army pressed in and no one could withstand them, Li Yuan would think of his capable second son. But as soon as the crisis was over, Li Yuan would still think about the principle of primogeniture.

Li Yuan even felt that it was not a good thing for an emperor to be too good at fighting, especially for the second emperor, who needed to be good at governing.

To try and achieve the same goal as Yang Guang, which led to the emperor deposing the heir apparent and establishing a new one, is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Because Yang Guang successfully seized the throne, and then the country fell under the rule of the second emperor, it would be even more difficult for Li Yuan, who witnessed it firsthand, to depose the eldest son and establish the younger one in favor of the younger.

Li Jiancheng's poor military capabilities wouldn't cost Li Yuan too much of his favor.

Li Yi took down the teapot and poured Li Shimin a cup of strong tea.

Some words,
It's not appropriate for Li Yi to say this, and it's even less appropriate to say it now.

Even if he did tell him, Li Shimin might not believe him now, and even if he did, what difference would it make? At this point, Li Shimin had no other choice.

Should we persuade him to rebel?

The Xuanwu Gate Incident?
Li Shimin had not been repeatedly betrayed and had his promises broken by Li Yuan, so how could he possibly have rebelled directly unless he was forced to?

All he can do now is advise Li Shimin to make more preparations.
Be prepared for both possibilities, and be strong in both areas.

There are some things that cannot be said or done now.

It's like your friend is dating a terrible girl. You see through it, but your friend, caught up in the relationship, can't see it and has to get hurt repeatedly before finally realizing the reality.
Before this happens, your well-intentioned reminders will not be appreciated in the slightest. They might even blame you for ruining their relationship and making it impossible for you to remain friends.

This is the current situation of Li Shimin and his son.

Not close to each other.

Li Yuan privately promised to establish a crown prince, and Li Shimin would hold onto that hope, even though Li Yuan had broken his promise last time and issued an edict to transfer Li Shimin to Jiangzhou.

But Li Shimin would still hold onto hope.

Li Yi also held onto a sliver of hope.
“Your Majesty, with your abilities and achievements in capturing Jieli alive, escorting him to Chang’an, and supporting Tuli as Khan, thus making the Turks submit to the Tang Dynasty, you should be made the Crown Prince,” Li Yi said.

Li Shimin smiled slightly, he also felt that the crown prince should be none other than himself.

"Once I become the Crown Prince, you will be the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and the Chamberlain of the Eastern Palace," Li Shimin said with a smile, making a promise.

Yanbei

Tuli's camp was set up on the Bashang Grassland, on the banks of the Hunshui River, the upper reaches of the Luan River.

The Wen River flows over mountains and forests, passes lakes, and meanders along, winding like a ribbon. This place is also known as Jinlianchuan.

Looking back, 100,000 barbarian cavalrymen drank from the Luan River, where tigers and deer roamed the vast grasslands.

Especially during the summer, the scenery here is beautiful, and the climate is pleasant and incredibly cool.

Here, the mountains are beautiful, the water is clear, the sky is blue, the clouds are white, the birds sing, the flowers are fragrant, and the cattle and sheep are plump.

Tuli, the little Khan, established his headquarters here, living a carefree and leisurely life.

But at this time,
Tuli, who had just returned from the clouds, was in a state of utter distress and looked at the reply Li Yi had given him in disbelief.

After receiving his letter requesting aid, Li Yi replied that the weather was cold and snowy, making it difficult for the Tang army to quickly assemble and leave the border. He also said that supplies were scarce outside the border and that the Tang army would have little advantage in the battle against Jieli in the north.

The Tuli army should immediately head south and retreat to Beiyan Prefecture within the Great Wall for temporary refuge. There, the Great Wall and castles provide effective defense against Jieli.

Tuli's face turned deathly pale.

This newly sworn brother isn't coming to the rescue.

Since the eldest and second eldest brothers are not coming to the rescue, then we must save ourselves. Jieli braved the wind and snow in this cold winter, traveling eight hundred miles to attack, and by the time he arrived, he was already a weary army.

Since I already know he is coming, I won't be caught off guard.

Tuli didn't want to back down. He felt that Jieli had been repeatedly defeated by the Tang army, so his skills were just so-so.

Playing on home turf, how could we not beat Jieli?

If all else fails, retreat to Beiyan Prefecture.

Tuli summoned his wolf guards and ordered them to take his silver wolf-shaped tokens and gather their troops from various tribes, urging them to assemble quickly at his headquarters. He intended to capture the old traitor Jieli alive there.

To reclaim the Khanate that rightfully belonged to him.

Seven days later,
Tuli Khan Shibobi spurred his horse into a gallop, leaving only a few dozen of his Silver Wolf Guards by his side.

Running wildly through the snow,
Finally, we arrived at the border of Northern Yan Prefecture.

Seeing the splash of red fluttering above the snow-covered castle ahead, Tuli was so moved that tears streamed down his face.

We finally escaped.

Arriving at a point an arrow's throw from the castle,
Tuli shouted loudly, "I am Li Sizhong, the Prince of Beiping, bestowed with the title of Grand Pillar of State by the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty, and granted the imperial surname, the Right Wise King of the Turks, and the Little Khan Tuli!"

"Open the city gates quickly and give us some horses. I need to see the Prince of Huaiyang."

Seven days ago, Tuli was supposed to capture his uncle, Jieli Khan, alive.

However, in the middle of the night, Jieli launched a surprise attack on his camp during a snowstorm. Tuli was utterly defeated and fled in disarray.

(End of this chapter)