Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 102 Open the door, your Tang Dynasty ancestors have arrived!
Yang Feng watched with satisfaction from the sky as soldiers from both sides simultaneously and frantically poured into the breach from inside and outside the city...

Or rather, filling in the gaps.

The crater created by the 500-ton steel ball was filled in the blink of an eye.

The soldiers who were initially locked in fierce combat soon discovered with horror that they and their opponents were practically touching, not even needing weapons, and could even bite each other's faces with their teeth. But at this point, they couldn't care less about fighting, because the soldiers who followed them into the pit had nowhere to stand and were even stepping on their heads.

The soldiers who had been fighting instantly came to their senses.

"There's someone down there!"

"Stop jumping!"

……

Countless screams of terror rang out.

Unfortunately, no one paid any attention, because it was nighttime and the dust hadn't completely dissipated, so the soldiers who followed couldn't see the situation in the pit at all.

Meanwhile, the generals on both sides behind them were still desperately urging them forward.

Then they kept jumping into the pit, onto the heads of the soldiers below. They were quickly trampled down by the soldiers who jumped into the pit after them. There was no longer any fighting in the pit. Everyone was frantically trying to escape, but they still became part of the layered mass.

Of course, the generals didn't care about that.

After all, even in normal times, when they attacked a city, they would have soldiers fill the trenches. However, those who filled the trenches were just cannon fodder conscripted from the army, while these soldiers were elites. But in any case, whoever seized control of the breach would be the victor in this war. So even though they knew the true situation from their high vantage point overlooking the battlefield, they continued to drive the soldiers forward, urging them to rush into the pit.

Fill it in.

Even if it means filling the gaps with flesh and blood.

winner……

The victor was undoubtedly Liang Jun.

Because after learning that the city had fallen, the able-bodied men inside had already rushed out.

After all, this area was under Liang Jun's control until August last year.

However, Li Keyong took advantage of Zhu Wen's absence while dealing with Liu Rengong to launch a surprise attack on the area. Ding Hui, the garrison commander of Luzhou, was suspected by Zhu Wen, so he simply surrendered without a fight, using the excuse that he was loyal to the Tang Dynasty and disliked Zhu Wen.

Watching Liang Jun finally break through the gap, Yang Feng left with satisfaction.

Luzhou City thus changed hands once again.

Zhu Wen, upon receiving the good news, disregarded Liu Zhijun's earnest pleas for help and ordered his main force to march north. Zhou Dewei, who was supposed to be rescuing Luzhou, hastily retreated. Because of the mysterious fall of Luzhou, the Liang army, believing they had received divine assistance, was in high spirits and pursued Zhou Dewei northward. Li Keyong hurriedly mobilized troops south to reinforce, and Liaozhou subsequently surrendered. Zhou Dewei attempted to hold Qinzhou to the death, but the powerful local clans were unwilling to fight alongside him. As soon as the Liang army began its attack, internal strife broke out in Qinzhou. Realizing there was no point in holding out, Zhou Dewei withdrew from Qinzhou. However, he still managed to defeat the Liang vanguard at the South Pass, and with the arrival of reinforcements, the Jin army temporarily stabilized its front line.

Although their defeat was sudden, Liang Jun's victory was also sudden.

Liang Jun never expected this to happen. The logistics and supplies were not planned to continue north. When the vanguard even chased the enemy to Nanguan, the infantry behind could no longer keep up.

But this is no longer important.

The fall of Luzhou meant that the gateway to Taiyuan had been opened.

It was after capturing Luzhou that Zhu Wen's army was able to march directly on Taiyuan. Similarly, Liao, Qin, Fen, and other prefectures surrendered one after another. Ultimately, Zhu Wen besieged Taiyuan, leaving Li Keyong trapped in the isolated city. He only escaped death thanks to a plague outbreak within the Liang army. Afterward, with Luzhou in hand, Zhu Wen maintained his offensive against Taiyuan, besieging it multiple times. Although all his attacks failed due to the city's strong defenses, he still kept Li Keyong at bay.

It can be said that once Luzhou fell, it was inevitable that Taiyuan would be besieged by the enemy.

And now...

The city is now under siege.

There's no need for Zhu Wen; Yang Feng will return and lead the Tang army to Taiyuan.

Beneath the walls of Jinyang.

The setting sun was like blood.

Yang Feng stood in front of the city gate, leisurely admiring this ancient city that would soon be lost to history.

The city gates are already closed.

Countless soldiers on the city wall were watching him.

Behind him stood five generals: Xue Wanche, Duan Zhixuan, Yin Kaishan, Guo Xiaoke, and Kan Leng, lined up in a row.

Behind the five generals stood the Tang army in formation, and behind the Tang army was a spatial rift from which more Tang soldiers continued to emerge, as if they had entered this world from another world. Their armor and weapons reflected the setting sun, appearing blood-red. The banner bearing the inscription "By the Mandate of Heaven to Pacify the Rebellion" was in the center of the Tang army's formation, but instead of hanging on a flagpole, it was suspended by a balloon, fluttering in the sky hundreds of meters high.

After all, the higher the flagpole, the better.

Can it go any higher than the sky?
However, this scene was indeed quite shocking to the people on the city wall.

"The God of War of the Donkey Cart is quite skilled; he broke this thousand-year-old royal aura in one move."

Yang Feng said with great emotion.

This Jinyang and the later Taiyuan were not simply different cities; they completely shattered the image of Taiyuan as a place of imperial power.

Jinyang could be used as a stronghold for regional control or as a battleground for supremacy, but Taiyuan could only serve as a fortress to block the southward advance of northern tribes. The reason for this was that the location of Taiyuan had been changed from the west side of the Fen River to the east side. From then on, as long as the dynasties of the Central Plains marched north out of the mountains, they could simply rush straight to the city of Taiyuan and complete the encirclement.

But for this, you have to cross the Fen River first.

Moreover, with towering mountains to its back, there is no need to worry about enemies to the west.

Even if you leave Queshu Valley, the main road is on the east bank of the Fen River. Even if you take a small path out of the valley, bypass Lengquan Pass and head straight for the west bank of the Fen River, you still have to start by attacking city by city from Xiaoyi.

This is a strategically important place.

Of course, this was useless against Yang Feng; he could simply open a spatial rift directly to the city.

He was too lazy to lead the Tang army on a march, since there were still many regional military governors in between.

In particular, logistics are very troublesome for marching.

How wonderful it would be to leap forward in one step.

He immediately stepped forward.

“Open the door!
Your ancestors from the Great Tang Dynasty have arrived.

The Grand Tang Dynasty's Northern Capital Garrison Commander, Taiyuan Prefect, Prince Yun Yin Qiao, and the Grand Tang Dynasty's Hedong Circuit Military Commander, Prince Bao Duan Xiong, were ordered to summon Prince Jin to the capital and take over Taiyuan.

He shouted at the city wall.

Yin Qiao is Yin Kaishan, whose given name is Qiao and courtesy name is Kaishan. Duan Xiong is Duan Zhixuan, whose given name is Xiong and courtesy name is Zhixuan. As for the title of king, it was conferred by Emperor Suzong of Tang. After Emperor Zhongzong of Tang was restored to the throne, their title of duke was promoted to prince to show that the Mandate of Heaven belonged to the Tang Dynasty. After Emperor Suzong of Tang recovered Chang'an, he promoted them to king for the same reason. It was just to give their descendants two stipends.

Just as Yang Feng finished shouting, a giant arrow whistled out from the city wall.

He watched calmly.

The giant arrow fell less than a meter away from him and embedded itself directly in the soil.

"So, is the Prince of Jin planning a rebellion?"

He said.

"Where did this monstrous person come from, daring to seize Taiyuan, the capital of the Prince of Jin?"

A general on the city wall roared angrily.

"So, is the Prince of Jin going to defy the imperial edict and rebel?"

Yang Feng said.

The general was taken aback.

He clearly hadn't grasped Yang Feng's sinister intentions.

But at that moment, another general stepped forward and gestured for him to shut up, then looked at Yang Feng outside.

"The title used by the Prince of Jin is Tianyou. You call yourself the Great Tang, but do you know which emperor is who, when he ascended the throne, and where the court is? The Prince of Jin is a loyal subject of the Great Tang, loyal to Emperor Zhaozong. The emperor was murdered by the traitor Zhu Wen. The Prince of Jin leads us to continue to use the Tianyou title to avenge the emperor and punish the traitor for the Great Tang. It is not something that can be accepted by just anyone who claims to be from the Great Tang."

He said.

"So, is the Prince of Jin going to defy the imperial edict and rebel?"
Furthermore, the Emperor of Tang wants you to submit, not to acknowledge or deny it, much less to pretend to be stupid. There's such a huge spatial rift in there, and you still want me to explain things to you? That's outrageous! And you, you actually dared to shoot the Grand Preceptor of Tang, the messenger of the Jade Emperor, with a crossbow. This is not only rebellion, but also blasphemy.

However, this master is kind-hearted and will give you a chance: slit your own throat!

Yang Feng pointed his nine-section staff at the general from before and said.

The latter was immediately amused.

Without hesitation, he raised his bow and arrow and aimed at Yang Feng.

"You fiend, take this arrow!"

He shouted. But the next moment, with a flash of golden light, Yang Feng appeared in front of him.

He instinctively released the bowstring.

The arrow struck Yang Feng squarely in the chest, but bounced off him. Yang Feng had already grabbed him by the neck, and at the same time, the Nine-Section Staff pierced his chest. The next moment, he disappeared from the spot, but before the people around him could react, Yang Feng was already in mid-air, followed by a terrified scream that rang out in the sky.

Then, with a whooshing sound, the general descended from the sky. Before he even landed, Yang Feng instantly appeared above him and kicked him in the chest.

"boom!"

He smashed it directly against the city wall.

He fell from a height of several hundred meters, and his flesh and blood splattered open the moment he hit the ground.

The next moment, Yang Feng stepped on his back.

With his bones shattered, he was trampled on like mud.

Yang Feng, like a demon, slowly turned his head to look at the general beside him.

"what's your name?"

He said.

"Li, Li Siyuan."

The latter swallowed hard and said.

"Your turn!"

Yang Feng said.

As he spoke, he extended his nine-section staff.

"Please stop, Imperial Preceptor. This junior is ignorant and has offended you. Please forgive him."

At the same time, a voice sounded behind him.

Yang Feng turned to look behind him. A one-eyed old general, supported by a beardless old man of similar age, walked up the city wall. Behind him was a young general in his twenties. Of course, in fact, there was a large group of generals of various ages behind them, all of whom looked murderous, many with scars on their faces.

They were all veterans of countless battles.

This was basically the most magnificent group of military generals in the late Tang and early Five Dynasties period.

Even surpassing Zhu Wen.

Li Keyong was never as good as Zhu Wen not because he didn't have enough capable subordinates, but because his country was weaker than Zhu Wen's.

"Prince Jin?"

Yang Feng said.

"This old man has met the Imperial Preceptor."

Li Keyong cupped his hands in greeting and said this.

"It looks like you don't have many days left to live."

Yang Feng said.

"No need for the Imperial Preceptor to worry, I am still able to quell the rebellion for the Tang Dynasty."

Li Keyong said.

He was actually already ill. This guy was over fifty years old, and it's hard to live a long life after a lifetime of fighting. Warfare itself is a drain on one's life force, and the fall of Luzhou had only exacerbated his condition. He and Zhu Wen had been fighting for half their lives, and although he was always at a disadvantage, they could be said to have gone toe-to-toe. But this time, his defeat was truly inexplicable!

Did a meteorite fall from the sky and collapse the city wall of Luzhou?

Could it be that Zhu Wen, that scoundrel, also has Liu Xiu's good fortune?
Moreover, he not only lost the three southern states, but also a key general.

Li Sizhao was unable to escape from Luzhou.

He was killed by a hail of arrows from Liang's army while attempting to break through the encirclement.

"The Great Tang no longer needs you to quell the rebellion. Prince Qi has already entered the court with your family. Your title and wealth can be preserved. As for the Hedong Army, it will be disbanded and the Hedong Road Military Commander will take over the military affairs of Hedong Road, while the Beidu Garrison will take over the political affairs of Hedong Road. As for your subordinates, they will be reorganized by the court, just like the Fengxiang Army, and scattered into the Sixteen Guards."

Yang Feng said.

"I have dedicated my life to the country and have been utterly loyal to the Tang Dynasty..."

Li Keyong said angrily.

"The loyal minister who sawed Sun Kui to death?"

Yang Feng said with a disdainful smile.

The generals behind Li Keyong were instantly enraged, each of them drawing their swords.

Li Keyong immediately waved his hand.

"When the Prince of Jin killed Duan Wenchu, Zhu Wen had only just joined Huang Chao, right? So, if you calculate it that the Prince of Jin and his son's rebellion was only a few years later than Huang Chao's, if the court hadn't given you a chance to repent, you would still be living under the Tartars' roof. The Prince of Jin's statement that he dedicated his life to the country is probably a bit of a lie, but as the Prince of Qi said before, the emperor is incompetent, treacherous officials are in power, and eunuchs are rampant. Some things can't be entirely blamed on you. At least you still upheld your loyalty as subjects."

Even the lowest.

Indeed, they were better than those who murdered their rulers and rebelled.

Therefore, I am giving you a chance to enter the court by imperial decree. Your titles and wealth will be preserved.

But defying the imperial decree…

Yang Feng looked at Li Keyong's old face, which was clearly trying its best to suppress its anger.

"Then there will be nothing left."

He said.

"Your Majesty, kill this sorcerer!"

"Your Majesty, why waste time talking to him?"

……

The generals beside Li Keyong were furious, some even drawing their swords. The old man beside him looked anxious. The young man was about to draw his sword as well, but the old man quickly grabbed his hand and then stepped forward to salute.

"When the imperial envoy arrives, the Prince of Jin should greet him with proper etiquette. Moreover, since the Grand Preceptor is also here, the formalities should not be neglected. How can we meet him on the city wall? Furthermore, the rebel Zhu Wen's army has already reached the South Gate, and the situation in the Northern Capital is critical. We should prioritize defending against the enemy. It would be better if the Grand Preceptor rested at the post station outside the city for the time being, and the Prince of Jin could prepare his ceremonial guards, open the city gates, and lead the officials and people in the city to greet him with proper etiquette tomorrow."

He said with a forced smile.

Li Keyong's previously ashen face instantly returned to normal.

"What is the Imperial Preceptor's opinion?"

He said.

"What, does the Prince of Jin intend to repeat the story of Shangyuan Post Station from back then?"

Yang Feng said.

Li Keyong smiled deeply.

"The Imperial Advisor is really joking."

He said.

"Responding with courtesy is indeed the rule of the court. Since Prince Jin wants to follow the court's rules, then let's follow them. Tomorrow, please ask Prince Jin to prepare his ceremonial guards and open the gates to welcome the imperial envoy to deliver the decree. However, if something happens tonight, then it's hard to say what will happen tomorrow."

Yang Feng said.

Then he looked at the old man.

"You are Zhang Chengye, the military supervisor of Hedong?"

He said.

"This servant greets the Imperial Preceptor."

The old man quickly bowed and said.

"Since you are the military supervisor of Hedong, then fulfill your duties as the military supervisor of Hedong and persuade Prince Jin that the Tang Dynasty has been rebuilt. As a subject of the Tang Dynasty, you should obey the orders of the Tang Dynasty. Don't be confused for a moment, or it will be too late to regret it later."

Yang Feng said.

After saying that, he transformed into a golden light and flew out of the city.

(End of this chapter)