Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 138 Disguised as a bandit, he killed...

"His Highness has decreed that gunpowder and crossbows be deployed to the Hundred Cavalry!"

Huang Chunren's voice could be heard even before he arrived.

Yan Lide had already sent people to summon all the craftsmen, waiting for Huang Chun to arrive so they could immediately go to the warehouse to move things.

He had taken a risk in this matter. If he were blamed afterward, he would lose not only his position as Minister of Works, but also his position as Vice Minister.

"Everyone grab your crossbows, and each of you be given ten grenades. Let's move out immediately!"

Previously, Wen He had shown favoritism to several people, using the guise of testing weapons to have all the Hundred Riders train.

Originally prepared for fighting the Turks, it unexpectedly came in handy now.

In a short while, the hundred riders were ready.

Zhang Wenxiao personally went to check and returned to report: "Young master, everything is ready."

"Mount up and let's go!"

Wen He couldn't ride a horse, so he shared one with Zhang Wenxiao.

He's gotten used to it.

I'll learn it when I have time later.

A hundred riders set out, circling around the Forbidden Garden, without anyone in the court knowing.

But they all noticed that Gao Yue hurriedly came to the outside of Chengtian Gate and said something to Li Daozong.

The latter's expression changed, and he roared in anger, "How dare you, you traitor!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately took off his court robes and ordered his servants to bring his horse.

"What happened?"

Fang Xuanling guessed that something must have happened, so he asked about it.

Seeing this, Changsun Wuji, who was standing beside him, frowned. He wanted to ask Li Daozong, but the latter had already ridden away.

He turned and stopped Gao Yue, asking in a low voice, "Has something changed?"

"Left Vice Minister, please be at ease. His Highness has already dispatched a hundred cavalrymen, along with Prince Rencheng and General Li Junxian of the Left Guard, to lead a hundred elite cavalrymen."

Gao Yue left behind only this one sentence.

Li Shimin did not allow him to speak, so he dared not make decisions on his own.

But his actions only made Changsun Wuji and others very worried.

Du Ruhui observed his surroundings and saw that everyone looked puzzled. He calmed himself down.

"There's no need to be nervous; there's no chaos in Chang'an."

"That's right. If someone were to commit a crime, Chang'an would be in chaos right now. But we don't know what exactly happened."

Fang Xuanling asked in confusion.

"Then let's ask him," Changsun Wuji said, pointing to a spot not far away.

That was where Xu Jingzong was.

He didn't know whether he should leave or stay, and paced back and forth.

Suddenly, he noticed three oppressive forces approaching him. Upon closer inspection, he realized that Changsun Wuji and the others were walking towards him.

He straightened his court robes, avoiding their gaze, and tried to walk away as if he hadn't seen them, but the three of them had already come up to him.

"Why were the hundred riders mobilized? Where is Wen He?"

Upon meeting, without even waiting for Xu Jingzong to greet him, Changsun Wuji impatiently questioned him.

Xu Jingzong looked distressed. He quickly bent down and whispered, "According to the scouts of the Hundred Cavalry, Li Yi went to the Honglu Guest House last night, and before dawn this morning, the Turkic delegation rushed out of the city."

The news came as a bolt from the blue, and the three of them, including Changsun Wuji, stared wide-eyed.

But they didn't make a fuss; they remained calm and exchanged glances.

“Wenxianzi said that the most important thing today is His Highness’s ascension to the throne, so it must not be publicized.”

Xu Jingzong added another sentence.

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuanling stroked his long beard and nodded slightly: "Indeed, although he was frivolous in the past, he did a good job today."

“No wonder Li Daozong cursed the traitors just now. He is an impatient person and doesn’t get along with Li Yi. This is a safe approach. But what about the Turks?” Du Ruhui asked.

We can't just openly kill the Turks, can we?

Wouldn't that give others ammunition to criticize us?

"What did Wen He say?" Changsun Wuji stared intently at Xu Jingzong.

He believed that the brat must have come up with some idea.

Otherwise, His Highness the Crown Prince would never have allowed him to lead a hundred cavalrymen.

Faced with the oppressive gazes of the three big shots, Xu Jingzong swallowed hard and chuckled dryly, "Disguise them as bandits and kill them."

"Well, so good."

Changsun Wuji and the other two exchanged glances and nodded with smiles on their faces.

……

Not long after. Near Wannian County.

"Tap Tap!"

The sound of rapid hoofbeats broke the morning's tranquility.

A well-equipped cavalry unit swiftly headed north from the direction of Xuanwu Gate, only stopping when it approached the Wei River.

Not far from them, a young man dressed in gleaming armor and holding a spear shouted, "I am Li Daozong!"

The leading general quickly made a gesture, signaling the cavalry to stop. He stepped forward and saluted Li Daozong: "This humble general, Li Junxian, greets the Prince of Rencheng."

"No need for formalities. Is everyone here?"

Li Daozong seemed somewhat anxious.

He had a past conflict with Li Yi, and originally thought that the traitor would settle down in Chang'an from now on, so he would no longer hold a grudge.

To my utter surprise, this traitor actually went to the Turks!
"There are still a hundred riders who haven't arrived yet. They went to the Forbidden Garden to get the new weapons, so they will probably be a little late."

Li Junxian noticed Li Daozong's mood and couldn't help but feel troubled.

He knew that the Prince of Rencheng had a short temper, so he was worried that he would be angered.

"New weapons? What weapons do I need to capture a mere Li Yi? One person is enough!"

Li Daozong was indeed dissatisfied.

But just then, they heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats, and saw a troop of cavalrymen dressed in black armor and red robes coming towards them.

I could hear people shouting from afar.

"Are there reinforcements ahead?"

"Could it be a hundred riders?"

Looking at the newcomer, Li Daozong shouted loudly.

Three cavalrymen approached them, led by a lieutenant general of the Hundred Cavalry Unit.

He was greatly surprised when he met Li Daozong.

His Highness actually sent the Prince of Rencheng to provide support.

"Ma Qi, a lieutenant general of the Hundred Cavalry, greets Prince Rencheng and General Li." Ma Qi had just finished his greeting when Li Daozong said impatiently, "Where are the rest of your Hundred Cavalry? Haven't they arrived yet? If we wait any longer, Li Yi might escape, and don't blame me for killing him with my blade!"

He went to the battlefield when he was a teenager and crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

He was incredibly arrogant back then, but after suffering a crushing defeat against Liu Heita, he became more restrained.

Yet its momentum remains as strong as ever.

Ma Qi hurriedly bowed and said, "Reporting to the King of Rencheng, the rest of the Hundred Riders have already gone to pursue with Wen Xianzi. Xianzi said that Li Yi is no ordinary person. He must have guessed that he would be pursued, so the delegation is very likely a smokescreen. Li Yi and his party are likely heading east and then detouring through Lingzhou."

"However, just in case, I request that reinforcements continue their pursuit northward... Prince Rencheng!"

Before Ma Qi could finish speaking, Li Daozong suddenly pulled on the reins, turned the horse around, and headed east.

Li Junxian and he were left standing there, stunned, facing the wind.

“King Rencheng is truly a man who hates evil as if it were his enemy, hehe.” Li Junxian chuckled helplessly twice, then cupped his hands towards Ma Qi and said, “In that case, my troops will head north.”

"Thank you for your trouble, General Li."

Ma Qi returned the greeting and then followed Li Daozong.

at the same time.

In front of a mountain road east of Chang'an City.

The group of more than ten people had no choice but to dismount when they saw the winding mountain road.

"The Tang army must have headed north. We don't need to rush." ​​Bolu breathed a long sigh of relief.

The others nodded in agreement.

Only one person looked in the direction of Chang'an and sighed.

Aibar smiled and looked at Li Yi, who was now dressed in Turkic attire.

“Prince Yan, when you reach the Turks, His Majesty the Khan will surely help you fight back. At that time, he will make Li Shimin kneel before you and avenge you.”

Li Yi remained silent.

He made a very big decision this time.

He knew very well that if he left, not a single member of his entire family would survive.

But he was unwilling to stay in Chang'an City like this.

"Don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Li Yi gritted her teeth.

"Alright, stop thinking about it and get some rest. We still have a long way to go."

Abal smiled, took out a water bag, and tossed it to him.

Li Yi accepted it and thanked him.

Just as he was about to rest, they suddenly heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats behind them.

(End of this chapter)