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

Chapter 155 The Grand Steward is Unfair, This General Responds

Why are you looking at me and laughing like that?

Li Daozong felt a chill run down his spine, sensing that Wen He harbored ill intentions.

"It's nothing, Prince Rencheng, you're overthinking it. But look, there are over thirty of the Hundred Riders who came with me this time. I can't very well eat all by myself."

Wen He smiled and pointed to the lamb leg that was being roasted not far away.

Li Daozong immediately understood his meaning and slammed his hand on the table, saying, "That's a small matter. What about the gunpowder?"

"Yes, definitely. I'll personally send people to help you train."

Wen He agreed without hesitation, and Li Daozong praised his generosity upon hearing this.

"I knew I hadn't misjudged you, little one."

"hehe."

Wen He's smile vanished instantly, and she turned to the shopkeeper and shouted, "Roast all the lamb legs in your shop, he'll pay for it!"

After saying that, Wen He pointed towards Li Daozong.

"Okay, I'll pay."

Li Daozong naturally didn't care about this small amount of money; what he cared more about was whether he could get his hands on the gunpowder.

So when Wen He and the deliveryman left with the lamb leg, he said thank you very much.

"Young man, you are so generous!"

When the lamb leg was delivered to the Hundred Riders' camp, Zhang Wenxiao and the others were stunned, and tears of excitement streamed down their faces.

Since leaving Chang'an, they had been eating and sleeping outdoors all the way, and they were already craving food.

Didn't they see those people from the next camp staring this way, practically drooling?

"This was sent by His Highness. Brothers, don't forget."

Wen He naturally couldn't accept this favor for herself, so she simply gave it to Li Chengqian.

The Hundred Riders will eventually be handed over to him.

Zhang Wenxiao and others were trained for him.

"Sigh, being a teacher is tough, my life is so full of worry."

Wen He ate half a lamb leg, then put it down because she felt nauseous.

The mutton in this area is too greasy, with too few spices. The meat is tender, but the muttony smell is too strong.

He washed up and soon after, someone came to inform him that he needed to attend a meeting.

When he arrived, almost everyone was already there.

Li Chengqian came with Qin Qiong.

This was also Wen He's intention, to let him get closer to these military figures.

People like Li Jing should be spared for now; he'll be in charge of military power in the future.

It wouldn't hurt to have more contact with someone like Qin Qiong, who is almost semi-retired.

However, apart from a few familiar faces, he did not recognize anyone else present.

Although they all came from Chang'an together, Wen He rarely took the initiative to contact people in the army.

"Little one, come over here."

When Li Daozong saw him coming, he waved to him.

Wen He didn't want to pay any attention to him.

This guy is even more reckless than Cheng Yaojin.

No wonder you were so badly maligned by later generations after you were killed by Changsun Wuji.

He turned around and sat down in the empty seat next to Duan Zhixuan.

Li Daozong was somewhat displeased, but he actually took the initiative to walk over, chuckling to himself.

Laugh all you want, you'll be crying soon enough!

Wen He thought to herself.

They really thought those few lamb legs had won him over.

Li Daozong was unaware that Wen He had tricked him.

"Alright, almost everyone's here, let's begin."

Jing Junhong glanced around at everyone present, then spoke to Li Jing.

"Well, that's fine."

Li Jing coughed lightly.

Wen He was surprised to find that everyone present had become solemn, even Li Daozong was unusually serious.

Li Jing began analyzing the enemy and his own forces, and then arranged the battle formation. Just as Li Daozong had said, Li Yaoshi never used unconventional tactics, but he also didn't resort to brute force.

To be precise, the enemy thinks he will use a clever trick, so he is very likely to fight you fair and square.

You thought he would act honorably, but he suddenly used a surprise tactic and won in one fell swoop.

Many people in later generations said that watching Li Jing fight was bland, and even those who wrote novels and historical fiction were unwilling to describe it.

That's because this military genius won every time without any suspense.

After explaining the strategy, Li Jing began to select his generals.

"Li Junxian!"

Li Junxian, who was standing next to Wen He, suddenly stood up: "Your subordinate is here."

"You will command the right wing to provide support."

"promise!"

Li Jing then turned his gaze to the other side: "Liang Jianfang!"

"The general is here!"

A young man in his twenties sitting at the end of the table stood up.

Upon hearing his name, Wen He was momentarily stunned.

Because the name sounded familiar, he pondered for a moment and suddenly remembered who this person was.

This was a talented general. In the third year of Yonghui, he decisively defeated Chuyue Zhuxie Guzhu at Laoshan, beheading 9,000, capturing 6,000 leaders, taking more than 10,000 prisoners, and seizing 70,000 cattle, horses and other livestock.

Unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time, during the Tang Dynasty.

First he encountered Yuchi Jingde, and then Su Dingfang and Xue Rengui.

Some later generations said that Liang Jianfang spent half his life in the military and rarely had the opportunity to lead independently.

Even when Jin Yong wrote "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber", he had Chang Yuchun lament for him: "A great man who saves the world and serves the country, if he can establish merit, is already thirty years old, why forty? If he lives a mediocre life, even if he is over a hundred years old, he will only be wasting food in vain."

"If this is true, Jianfang's actions in following Emperor Taizong to quell the rebellion of Wang Dou, Liu, and Xu and unify the Central Plains can be considered saving the world; his campaigns against the Turks in the west and Goguryeo in the east can be considered serving the country; and his promotion to Grand General of the Guards can be considered a great achievement. In such cases, what is a little empty fame worth mentioning!"

"Later generations have made unfounded arguments about the Hao Liang Bridge, trying to guess the general's thoughts. If the general knew this, he would surely laugh his head off!"

When Wen He read "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber", he was deeply moved by this passage.

If Liang Jianfang heard these words in the future, he would surely weep bitterly.

"Young master, do you find anything amiss?"

After Liang Jianfang received his orders, Li Jing noticed that Wen He was staring at him, which puzzled him.

"Ah, no, I just thought this general was very brave and must be a fierce general." Wen He chuckled twice.

Liang Jianfang blushed and said shyly, "This humble general dares not."

He was only in his early twenties, and he was thrilled to be entrusted with such an important task.

"Humph!"

But just then, someone suddenly let out a dissatisfied snort.

There was another person nearby, about thirty years old, wearing fish scale armor. Although he looked thin, his eyes were sharp, like two blades.

"Su Lie, you mustn't be so presumptuous!"

Jing Junhong glared at him and scolded him.

"Su Dingfang?"

Wen He was even more surprised to hear his name.

I never expected to run into him here.

He remembered that Su Dingfang was supposed to be put into service next year.

"It is indeed your humble servant!"

Although he referred to himself as a junior general, he did not bow to Wen He like Liang Jianfang did; he simply gave a polite salute.

Wen He was not surprised at all by this.

Everyone says that Li Guang was hard to be ennobled, but Su Dingfang was even harder to be ennobled than Li Guang.

Because of his temper, he was suppressed by Li Shimin for more than 20 years until he was reinstated during the reign of Li Zhi.

He stepped forward, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Li Jing, and said, "I am not satisfied with the Grand Commander's injustice. I am also willing to take on the role of vanguard!"

His loud shout drew various expressions from everyone in the council chamber.

There was dissatisfaction, and also disdain.

The leading generals all had somewhat unfriendly looks in their eyes.

Li Jing, on the contrary, remained unusually calm.

(End of this chapter)