Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 110 The Holy Tang Empire
The three towns of Hebei, which had dominated for over a century, were nothing more than a few small fry in front of the Imperial Advisor.

After eliminating Wang Rong through slaughter, including Zhang Wenli, who in history killed Wang Rong and seized the throne, the Grand Preceptor marched north with a grand procession. Wang Chuzhi, who already knew the outcome of the Hedong battlefield and the news of Wang Rong's extermination, was so frightened that he quickly declared his allegiance and sent his adopted son, who was actually his main confidant, Wang Du, to the border to welcome the Grand Preceptor.

But it was no use; the king was executed by the imperial advisor.

As for the reason...

He didn't kneel down immediately when he saw the Imperial Preceptor!
That's absolutely outrageous!
Then, the accompanying confidants also behaved in an extreme way, so they were all burned to death by the Imperial Preceptor.

When the Imperial Preceptor finally arrived in Dingzhou, Wang Chuzhi, knowing he was doomed, had already fled. But he was still somewhat naive. Even after escaping to Quyang, he was burned to death by the Imperial Preceptor, who descended from the sky.

Thus, the Yiwu Army was also defeated, and Dingzhou was renamed Zhongshan Prefecture. Lei Wanchun was summoned from Chang'an by the Imperial Advisor to serve as the Prefect of Zhongshan Prefecture.

Next……

The next family to be joined is the Liu family, known for their loving father and filial son.

However, just as the Imperial Preceptor arrived at Qingyuan, Lü Yan, the military governor and judge under Liu Shouwen, was already waiting for him with his son Liu Yanzuo.

At the same time, there was also the governor of Ying and Mo prefectures who suddenly abandoned Liu Shouguang and then switched allegiance to him.

Liu Shouwen's situation is a bit complicated.

First, his family did not surrender to Zhu Wen. The Liu family's filial piety and paternal love were evident from the moment Zhu Wen sent Li Si'an to attack Youzhou. Although Liu Rengong had indeed colluded with Zhu Wen before, at least at that time Zhu Wen was still using the emperor as a puppet ruler, which can be interpreted as the Liu family still respecting the Tang emperor. As for what they called themselves behind closed doors, that can be ignored. After all, Li Maozhen also bound himself to the standards of the emperor, and Liu Rengong could at most call himself a king. While Liu Shouguang did imprison Liu Rengong, Liu Shouwen waged war against his brother under the pretext of rescuing his father, so he could be considered a filial son.

My Liu family is both loyal and filial!

"This is a bug."

The Grand Preceptor on the throne looked speechlessly at Lü Yan and Liu Yanzu kneeling before him.

The latter knelt very obediently, just like Song Jiang in the old Water Margin, with his head almost touching the ground and his buttocks high up.

Why didn't Liu Shouwen come?

Yang Feng shouted.

"Reporting to the Imperial Preceptor, the General is on his way north to punish the traitor Liu Shouguang and is unable to come to greet me."

Lü Yan lowered his head and spoke cautiously.

You can't look up; you have to be careful when facing someone who is plotting to find an excuse to kill.

"Can he beat Liu Shouguang?"

Yang Feng said.

“Reporting to the Grand Preceptor, even if we are no match for him, we cannot compromise with this disloyal and unfilial traitor. Although our humble town is small, we should do our utmost for loyalty and righteousness.”

"That's what Lü Yan said."

In fact, Liu Shouwen was in contact with Abaoji and Tuyuhun.

The latter refers to the Tuyuhun people in the Yinshan area, who had already been conquered by the Khitan at this time. Historically, Liu Shouwen defeated Liu Shouguang with the help of the Khitan and Tuyuhun, but he got a little cocky and started showing off on the battlefield. He ran to his own formation and told his men not to kill his brother, and then he died because of his boasting. He was suddenly captured alive by Yuan Xingqin, a subordinate of Liu Shouguang. It has to be said that his defeat was somewhat ridiculous.

However, the reality is not so simple. Surely he couldn't be closer to Yuan Xingqin than his own subordinates?

To put it bluntly, his request for troops from the Khitans provoked discontent among the Youzhou army, whose main enemy was the Khitans. Since the time of Wu Zetian, the Youzhou army had always considered the Khitans their primary enemy. Moreover, if he won, he would definitely have to spend a lot of money as a reward, which would have to come from Youzhou and his own territory. There was even a possibility that the Khitans would refuse to leave. On the other hand, if he were sold to Liu Shouguang, he wouldn't have to worry about these issues.

However, this is something that definitely cannot be said. Currently, Abaoji supports Li Cunxu, and the Khitan forces in Daibei number in the tens of thousands. Theoretically, they are enemies of the Grand Preceptor. If it is said that Liu Shouwen has sought Abaoji's help, then the Grand Preceptor will accuse him of colluding with foreign enemies. Now, whether it is Liu Shouwen or his main generals, what they can fight for is not to continue being regional warlords, but whether they can survive under the Grand Preceptor's control.

This Grand Preceptor is too cruel. Relying on his magical abilities, he kills at will and however he wants, without any regard for reason. Liu Shouwen, or rather the Jiedushi of Yichang under his control, which includes the three prefectures of Cangzhou, Jingzhou, and Dezhou, was originally considered a minor figure among the Hebei warlords. In the past, he didn't dare to consider anything else, and now he has even less courage. But the problem is that it's very difficult to survive in the hands of the Grand Preceptor!
"You're quite a smart person."

Yang Feng said.

"Your humble servant will remain loyal to the Tang Dynasty and diligently perform my duties."

Lü Yan kept his head down as he spoke.

"So what if I'm going to kill you?"

Yang Feng said.

"The Imperial Preceptor has decreed my death, and I dare not refuse. Even if the Imperial Preceptor wishes to order the death of my entire family, I am willing to accept it. However, I would like to ask the Imperial Preceptor to clarify whether I have committed any crime deserving of death?"

"That's what Lü Yan said."

"It's nothing, I just predicted the future and you'll do some disgusting things, so I've decided to kill you ahead of time."

Yang Feng said calmly.

Historically, during Liu Shouguang's siege of Cangzhou, due to food shortages within the city, this guy devised a highly scientific rationing system. This involved using accumulated yeast and bran to feed the elderly, weak, and disabled, who were then fed to the soldiers. While this situation does seem somewhat similar to Zhang Xun's defense of Suiyang, the nature of the conflict is entirely different. Zhang Xun killed his own concubine first; Zhang Xun prioritized the survival of the common people to protect his own family.

Cangzhou was originally Liu's territory. It was just an internal power struggle between Liu's father, sons, and brothers. At that time, Liu Shouwen was even arrested and sent to the outskirts of Cangzhou to be apprehended.

However, Lü Yan still refused to open the gates and surrender, even with Liu Shouwen's son by his side.

After all, he was the lord of Cangzhou City because he held the young master hostage.

But when he opened the door, he had nothing left.

Zhang Xun protected half of the Tang Dynasty, or even the entire Tang Dynasty.

He simply couldn't bear to give up his family's wealth and status.

However, he ultimately failed to defend the city, and Liu Shouguang captured Cangzhou and killed his entire clan.

But facts have once again proven that such methods of killing the whole family and clan cannot be completely eradicated, because his grandson was the prime minister of our Great Song Dynasty, and both of his grandsons were prime ministers. One was Lü Yuqing, a confidant of Zhao Da, and the other was Lü Duan, a confidant of Zhao Er. Their descendants enjoyed great wealth and honor.

"I understand. I thank the Imperial Preceptor for granting me death. However, since I am about to die, may the Imperial Preceptor allow me to say a few words?"

"That's what Lü Yan said."

Although this kind of advanced style of execution is a bit shameless, since they are gods, they should just accept their fate!

Otherwise, the whole family would die.

"explain."

Yang Feng said.

"The Tang Dynasty was able to be rebuilt thanks to the Grand Preceptor. He acts on behalf of Heaven and is invincible. However, the Tang Dynasty collapsed because of the separatist rule of the regional military governors, and the regional military governors were separatist because of the injustice of the court. The court used the whole country to support Guanzhong. When the dynasty was strong, no one dared to resist. But no country is strong forever. When it is weak, the local areas will no longer tolerate it. If the Grand Preceptor cannot win the hearts and minds of the people and rebuilds the dynasty by force, it will only prolong the dynasty's life by another hundred years or so. In the end, the world will still be in chaos. Does the Grand Preceptor want to protect the Li family for hundreds of years?"

Lü Yan straightened up and looked at Yang Feng.

"I see now, you're just not convinced!"

Yang Feng said, “My family has been from Youzhou for generations, and I have served as an official in Youzhou. Although I am a subject of the Tang Dynasty, I have never paid a single grain of rice to the Li family or received a single coin from them. The Imperial Preceptor has given me this instruction by the Mandate of Heaven, and I dare not disobey the Mandate of Heaven. However, I also dare not deceive the Imperial Preceptor. Moreover, I am doing this for the sake of the long-lasting prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.”

"That's what Lü Yan said."

"Alright, I understand. You can go die now."

Yang Feng said.

Lu Yan silently took the knife the soldier handed him, and then decisively slit his throat.

Yang Feng glanced at Liu Yanzuo, who looked at him in horror.

“Tell your father that he still has to die. Don’t think I don’t know he’s colluding with Abaoji. Also tell him that his brother and his father will soon be joining him.”

Yang Feng said.

As for Lü Yan's problem...

That's no longer an issue. The Tang Dynasty used the entire empire to support Guanzhong—that's a fact. Everyone did it. The Song Dynasty also used the entire empire to support Kaifeng, yet it still managed to force rebellions in Jiangnan, demonstrating the extent of its exploitation. However, this problem only existed if Guanzhong was strong enough, especially with the powerful Guanlong aristocratic families. But now, that's all gone. The Guanlong aristocratic families are no more, and Guanzhong has become one of the least populous regions in the entire country. Even Guangdong probably has more people than Guanzhong. You could say Guanzhong has nothing left. Essentially, the old foundation of the Tang Dynasty is gone; anything rebuilt now would be entirely new.

Moreover, the comprehensive military system meant that the number of troops that local areas could muster was definitely far greater than that in Guanzhong.

After all, we need people.

We need food.

……

Guanzhong region is lagging behind in all aspects.

Without the support of the Imperial Advisor, Li Daoxuan and his group were of little use.

Can you fight?

These days, no one is immune to conflict.

No matter how capable the Lingyan Pavilion team is, they can't really conquer the world again. What's more, the region they control is arguably the worst one right now, and even now they have to rely on the Imperial Advisor to provide some food to ensure they don't run out.

They no longer had the ability to rebuild the Tang Dynasty, nor did they need to. After all, there weren't as many powerful clans to support. The clans and aristocratic families that once exploited the entire nation for sustenance had all been physically eliminated by Huang Chao. Even Li Daoxuan, who could find only a few hundred descendants of Li Shimin in Guanzhong, and people like Xue Wanjun were still searching for their clans. They were all gone, reduced to mere bone fragments among the fallen officials and nobles. What was needed next was to end the war first, then discuss the distribution of spoils, and finally, have the Grand Preceptor preside over a sacred pact to give them.

They might even change the name of the country, since the Tang Dynasty belonged to the Li family, and most local powers and ordinary people no longer had any affection for the Li family.

The flag was already tattered and worn.

Forcibly taking it out and repairing it won't work; even if it's gilded, it's still broken.

Then let's change it.

The Tang Dynasty has become history, but the new Holy Tang Empire is different.

This is no longer the Li family's empire, but rather the imperial advisor, acting on the will of the Jade Emperor, descending to the mortal realm to re-establish the Li family as emperors by divine mandate. In the past, the Li family claimed the mandate of heaven, but now the mandate of heaven has been given to the Li family by the Jade Emperor. The people are not submitting to the Li family, but to the will of the Jade Emperor, or rather, to the mandate of heaven. In that case, this Tang Dynasty can be called the Holy Tang Empire.

In this way, a new court can be rebuilt, a treaty acceptable to all parties can be established, and the rest can be focused on external expansion to bridge internal conflicts.

After all, as long as they can join forces to plunder outsiders, many things are negotiable.

This was actually the approach taken in the early Tang Dynasty.

The large-scale expansion in the early Tang Dynasty was a response to the need to heal internal conflicts after the end of the chaotic period. The Guanzhong Group, the Shandong Group, and other local factions had only temporarily accepted the Li family as rulers, but internal contradictions still existed. They were just exhausted after the chaos and needed a break, not that the contradictions had disappeared. Therefore, expansion was needed to alleviate the contradictions. However, when the expansion was no longer viable, the contradictions erupted.

The An Lushan Rebellion was a result of the inability to continue expansion. To the south, they were defeated by the Nanzhao Kingdom; to the west, they were defeated by the Abbasid Caliphate; and to the north, they could no longer deal with the Khitan.

An Lushan almost perished at the hands of the Khitan.

They went to plow the court and sweep the caves, but suffered a crushing defeat, and even their mounts were hit by arrows.

Although Tang could still defeat the Khitans overall, a complete solution was no longer possible. The Khitans could maintain a stable hold on their controlled territories, and even if the Tang Dynasty experienced internal strife, they would seize the opportunity to continue expanding.

The Tang Dynasty expanded to its limit.

It is no longer possible to alleviate internal conflicts through continued expansion.

Then internal conflicts immediately erupted.

Therefore, Yang Feng still needs to guide them to continue expanding outwards.

Of course, we can't call it expansion.

It was clearly about recovering lost territory.

The Western Regions have always belonged to our Great Tang Dynasty, so of course we must reclaim them. The Northern Desert has also always belonged to our Great Tang Dynasty, so we must restore the protectorates and governorates of the past.

Thus, Liu Shouwen's matter was resolved. In fact, three days after Liu Yanzuo returned, Liu Shouwen, who had already arrived at Jiakou Village or Yuanjiakou and was preparing to head north to Jizhou to join forces with the Khitan army, slit his own throat with deep resentment and indignation. Then, another of his confidants, Sun He, delivered his body to the Grand Preceptor in Yizhou. Along with Ying and Mo prefectures, which had already surrendered to the Grand Preceptor, a new Hejian Prefecture was established, and Nan Jiyun was brought in to serve as the Prefect of Hejian.

He was actually from Weizhou.

However, when facing the Imperial Advisor, Liu Shouguang finally followed Li Cunxu's example.

He also recognized Abaoji as his uncle.

Liu Rengong, who had already been imprisoned by him, wrote a letter to his old rival Abaoji, and the two became sworn brothers.

Of course, it doesn't matter.

The important thing was to cede the area north of Yuguan Pass, especially Yingzhou, to the Khitan.

In exchange, Abaoji sent 10,000 troops south to help Liu Shouguang fight against the Tang Dynasty.

However, this condition was not very sincere, because Liu Shouguang already had a hard time controlling Yingzhou. It was isolated in a corner, with only the Liaoxi Corridor in between, which Abaoji had long coveted. However, the Liu family did well in this regard and never lost Yingzhou.

Historically, when Li Cunxu destroyed Liu Shouguang, Yingzhou was still in his hands.

In 913, Liu Guangjun, as a subordinate of Li Cunxu, successively captured Pingzhou and Yingzhou, and Yang Jing, the governor of Yingzhou, surrendered.

But Liu Shouguang simply cannot hold out under these circumstances.

So they simply gave it to Abaoji.

Then they retreated to Yuguan.

Thus, relying on his two good nephews in the south, Abaoji made a fortune in the chaos caused by the Grand Preceptor's northern tour. However, he soon had to bear the consequences of this.

(End of this chapter)