Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 269 His name is Xue Rengui, White Horse and Silver Halberd
The inner hall of Wude Hall.

Zuo Kuangzheng knelt to one side, looking at the carpet in front of him, and said with a complicated expression, "Tian Renhui, the General of the Right Jinwu Guard, was born into the Tian family of Jizhou. His father, Tian Hong, was the Governor of Lingzhou and Duke of Xindu County during the Sui Dynasty, and his grandfather was Tian Gui, the Governor of Youzhou and Duke of Xindu County during the Sui Dynasty."

Xindu is in Jizhou.

Although Tian Renhui was born in Chang'an, he was a member of the Jizhou Tian family.

"The Jizhou Tian family, a prominent clan in Hebei." Li Chengqian rubbed his brow and said, "If I remember correctly, the Jizhou Tian family was completely liquidated after Yang Guang ascended the throne."

"Yes!" Zuo Kuangzheng nodded and said, "Before Yang Guang ascended the throne, Tian Shi served as Yang Yong's attendant to the crown prince. When Yang Guang was the crown prince, he treated her well. But after Emperor Wen died and Yang Guang ascended the throne, he began to purge her two years later. The deposed crown prince Yang Yong also died during that time."

During the pre-Sui Dynasty, the Tian family of Jizhou was one of the largest families in the whole of Hebei Province. However, after suffering this disaster, the entire Tian family completely declined.

Even among the top families in Hebei, there is no longer any trace of the Tian family.

You know, the Tian family is a master of Confucianism, specializing in the "Book of Changes", and is not much worse than the Lu family of Fanyang.

"Tian Renhui was appointed as the left guard in the first year of Wude. Over the years, he served as the Lieutenant General of the Left Golden Guard. I was originally transferred from the General of the Right Golden Guard to the General of the Left Golden Guard. My nephew married the daughter of the Tian family." Zuo Kuangzheng's face was very ugly.

"So, if that day came, Tian Ren would come to Suzaku Gate with a pretext, wait for Hou Junji to arrive, and then restrain you and open the city gate." Li Chengqian smiled softly and said, "However, he didn't expect that I would set a trap in advance, and then it would be your turn to lead the Right Golden Guard."

"Yes!" Zuo Kuangzheng nodded, looking somewhat uncomfortable as he said, "After I arrived at the Right Golden Guard, I ordered that no one should enter or leave, and no news should be passed on privately."

"So Hou Junji didn't receive the news of my ambush trap." Li Chengqian suddenly understood.

"As for what happens after that, he probably won't have any chance." Zuo Kuangzheng sighed softly, and the matter was finally sorted out thoroughly.

"Yeah!" Li Chengqian nodded calmly.

Tian Renhui may not have been without a chance. It is very likely that after knowing that Li Chengqian had made some plans, he decisively chose to withdraw, and then quietly erased all traces of his involvement.

"Your Highness!" Zuo Kuangzheng turned around and bowed to Li Chengqian, "I wonder what Your Highness plans to do next?"

"What do you think if I tell you that I plan to send someone to capture him right now?" A hint of coldness flashed across Li Chengqian's face.

"Your Highness, he..." Zuo Kuangzheng didn't know what to say for a moment. After a moment's thought, he finally spoke, "Your Highness, if you want to arrest him, I have no objection. However, Your Highness needs to be cautious. If you can't find sufficient evidence later, it will be very troublesome... After all, he is the Lieutenant General of the Right Golden Guard."

Li Chengqian nodded in satisfaction and said, "Don't worry, I won't arrest anyone casually. Father has ordered me to investigate him and everything behind him. As for the rest, Father will take action himself."

"Yes!" Zuo Kuangzheng breathed a sigh of relief. If everything about Tian Renhui could be investigated, then his affairs could also be investigated. The uneasiness in his heart finally completely dissipated.

……

Li Chengqian raised his head and said, "Your Highness, I will not get involved in the Xueyantuo affairs. Let the Duke of Susong lead the troops to resist the enemy."

Li Chengqian looked at the sincere Zuo Kuangzheng, nodded, and said, "Logically speaking, this is indeed the way it should be. However, you are also aware of the relationship between the Duke of Susong and me. He is not suitable to lead the troops. Therefore, I have decided that you will lead the troops, and Tian Ren will also follow."

"Your Highness?" Zuo Kuangzheng looked at Li Chengqian in surprise, then shook his head and said, "Your Highness, what if he is connected with the Xueyantuo..."

"That's exactly what I want." Li Chengqian's expression turned slightly cold, and then he said, "My original plan was to severely inflict a heavy blow on the Western Turks in Anxi, then firmly defend the area near the Great Wall and force the Xueyantuo to retreat. Now that I have an opportunity, I hope to teach the Xueyantuo a lesson and make them come when they see the opportunity."

"Your Highness wants to use Tian Renhui?" Zuo Kuangzheng understood a little.

Li Chengqian smiled and then spoke in a low voice.

After a moment, Li Chengqian stood up and walked out of the hall.

Zuo Kuangzheng followed closely.

The ministers in the palace looked at Li Chengqian and bowed in unison, saying, "Your Highness!"

Li Chengqian sat down on the main couch and looked at his ministers. He said, "General Zuo Kuangzheng of the Left Golden Guard led 5,000 cavalry north. After arriving in Qingzhou, he will lead a 1,000 cavalry to Lingzhou with a large fanfare, making it 3,000 cavalry. General Zuo Kuangzheng of the Left Golden Guard will lead 2,000 cavalry north with a large fanfare, making it 5,000 cavalry. Another 1,000 cavalry will go to Yanzhou, making it 3,000 cavalry. Together, we will intimidate the Xueyantuo and prevent them from making any rash moves."

After Li Chengqian finished speaking, the ministers subconsciously looked at Zuo Kuangzheng.

Using 5,000 cavalrymen to form 10,000 cavalrymen to stop the Xueyantuo is indeed a good idea.

Xueyantuo had suffered many losses at the hands of the Tang Dynasty, so he did not dare to act rashly.

"The last thousand cavalry will remain in Qingzhou and maneuver according to the war situation." Li Chengqian looked at Yuchi Jingde and asked, "Duke of E, what do you think?"

"It's possible, but it's a bit conservative." Yuchi Jingde suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "My father is not in Chang'an, so I will naturally prioritize safety."

"Your Highness's plan is wise." Fang Xuanling bowed. He was more in favor of Li Chengqian's approach.

"Okay, if you gentlemen have no objection, then let's do it this way. Duke Dai, go down and prepare, and we will send out troops tomorrow." Li Chengqian's expression was slightly cold.

"Yes!" Zuo Kuangzheng bowed, then quickly turned and left.

"The only thing left is Bingzhou." Li Chengqian looked at Fang Xuanling and said, "I have an idea. Why not have Duke E go to Bingzhou? What do you think, Prime Minister Fang?"

Li Chengqian put a lot of emphasis on the word "go", and Fang Xuanling immediately understood. He looked at Li Chengqian and said, "Your Highness, are you planning to use the prestige of the Duke of E to intimidate the Turks?"

Li Chengqian smiled and said, "I originally wanted to use the Duke of Tianshui, but he is now the governor of Luozhou, so it's not easy to move him. Also, his reputation is not good. If he goes to Daizhou, I'm worried that it will backfire."

At the beginning of last year, when Liu Lancheng, the governor of Daizhou, rebelled, Qiu Xinggong ate his heart and liver. How cruel!

"Good!" Fang Xuanling nodded and said, "This is enough. The Turks will not dare to move unless the Xueyantuo win on the Xiazhou front."

Li Chengqian nodded and said, "To prepare for any unexpected events, the Lord of Susong County has prepared two thousand cavalrymen in Chang'an. If there is any movement at the Great Wall, they will attack immediately."

"Yes!" Zheng Rentai's expression was immediately shocked. When Fang Xuanling heard Li Chengqian's deployment, something seemed to flash through his mind and his brows couldn't help but frown.

Seeing Fang Xuanling's expression, Li Chengqian waved his hand slightly and said softly, "I hope to use a large force to stop the Xueyantuo. But if the Xueyantuo insist on attacking, then while we hold them back at the front, the remaining 3,000 cavalry will charge out from the middle section of the Great Wall and intercept their rear. Then, we can attack from both east and west to completely defeat them."

Li Chengqian's last words were very serious, but these words also made everyone understand that this was a trap.

If the Xueyantuo are frightened and don't come, that would be the best. If they come, we will swallow them up.

"Your Highness is wise." Fang Xuanling bowed, and the figure of Zuo Kuangzheng flashed through his mind. Does Zuo Kuangzheng have this wisdom?
"Okay, let's do this. Everyone, get busy. Although the war this year is urgent, the autumn harvest will be in two months, and we need to hurry up to work on the fields." Li Chengqian looked serious.

"Yes!" All the ministers bowed in unison and then left solemnly.

……

In the Wude Hall, everyone had left at some point.

Li Chengqian stood alone at the entrance of the palace, looking at the countless imperial guards standing solemnly with spears in their hands in the distance, his expression calm.

"Your Highness!" Dou Zhijie, the Junior Eunuch, and Zhang Xuan, the Left Thousand Oxen Guard General, walked out of the inner hall, stood behind Li Chengqian, and bowed solemnly.

"Send someone to keep a close eye on Tian Renhui. I want to know his every move, especially the content of the message he sent to the Xueyantuo people." Li Chengqian looked up with an indifferent expression.

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan bowed seriously.

"Send someone to tell Xiazhou Chief Clerk Li Dejian everything about Tian Renhui, and at the same time inform Youtunwei General Chai Zhewei that all marching orders in the north will be under the command of Li Dejian." Li Chengqian's eyes were slightly cold.

"Here!"

"Send a message to Xi Junmai, the Sima of Lanzhou, to dispatch 3,000 cavalry to Wuwei to await orders." After a brief pause, Li Chengqian said, "By the way, ask him how many Tuyuhun cavalry he can mobilize."

"Here!" Zhang Xuan looked up in surprise. The prince actually placed his last resort on Xi Junmai.

"Finally, tell the Governor of Lingzhou, General Qian Jiulong of the Right Guard, that if Tian Renhui makes any unusual moves at the critical moment, I authorize him to execute Tian Renhui by military law!" Li Chengqian's expression was extremely cold.

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan bowed seriously.

Li Chengqian looked at Dou Zhijie and said, "Write a letter and send it to Liaodong immediately, 600 miles away, to tell the emperor everything."

"Yes!" Dou Zhijie bowed solemnly.

Li Chengqian raised his head and looked at the night sky above Chang'an City with a solemn expression.

Tian Renhui, how many people are connected behind you?

Can you make the emperor interested in you?

The corners of Li Chengqian's mouth curled up slightly in a faint smile.

Only when an enemy of sufficient strength appears will the emperor's greatest attention not be focused on Li Chengqian.

……

The sky is blue and the horses are galloping.

Outside Liaodong City, Li Shimin looked at the countless soldiers standing on the opposite wall and asked sideways, "How long can the food in the city last?"

"The soldiers in the city can still have enough food to last for three months, but the people in the city only have enough food for half a month." Li Ji, a tall man with a weather-beaten face and wearing golden armor, bowed and recounted what was happening in the city.

Li Shimin nodded and said, "Open the east gate in half a month."

"Yes!" Li Ji bowed solemnly. He understood that the emperor's intention was to shake the people's hearts in the city.

Today's Liaodong City is surrounded on three sides and has one gate. The north gate is open, and the east, south and west gates are all sealed.

However, even at the north gate, ten miles outside the north gate, out of sight of the city wall, three thousand cavalrymen were waiting in full battle formation.

Only the East Gate is the real escape route for the soldiers in the city.

Outside the east gate are vast mountains. However, deep in the mountains, there are several mountain roads leading to Goguryeo, and there are several cities in between.

After Liaodong City was besieged, they sent people out of the city to rescue, but all were turned back.

"What's the situation in Anshi City?" the emperor asked, with a hint of annoyance in his eyes.

The city of Anshi completely stopped Li Daozon's progress.

"The 40,000 reinforcements sent by Goguryeo rested briefly in Anshi City before sending a vanguard of 10,000 towards Liaodong City. The Prince of Jiangxia expended considerable effort to force them back." Li Ji bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Jiangxia needs reinforcements."

It was not easy for Li Daozon's forces to block all the reinforcements of the Goguryeo people.

The 10,000 people now were actually sent by the Goguryeo people as a test. Later, maybe 40,000 people will attack together.

Li Shimin nodded and said, "Send Zhang Shigui over. I heard that he has a very good young general under his command."

"Yes!" Li Ji nodded with a relaxed expression. "His name is Xue Rengui, a descendant of the Hedong Xue family. He rode a white horse and wielded a silver halberd. He rescued General Liu Junqiong from siege and killed a Goguryeo general. He was quite like Zhao Zilong, the White Horse and the Silver Spear, at Changban Slope."

"Transfer him over."

(End of this chapter)