Sui and Tang Dynasty Generals

Chapter 42 Li's Helplessness (Happy New Year!!!)
In the city of Xin County.

Zhang Jin said he would attack Qinghe County of Qinghe Commandery. The news quickly spread in the city, and the people in the city were in a panic for a while.

After all, if you go to any city in Xindu, Pingyuan, Qinghe and Wu'an counties and ask the common people, you will know that Zhang Jincheng is more brutal than other bandits and leaves no one alive wherever he goes.

In the past, among the people captured by Zhang Jincheng, few survived, regardless of gender, unless they were strong or beautiful women.

Now they know that Zhang Jincheng is in the neighboring Qinghe County and is attacking Qinghe County. The people in Xin County are afraid that Qinghe County will fall. At that time, Zhang Jincheng is likely to turn his attention to their Xindu County, especially their Xin County.

"Look, we've sent more people to help Qinghe County, but why are there only so many people this time?"

"It's useless. This is the first batch. I heard that the previous batches of troops rushing to Qinghe County were all defeated by Zhang Jincheng's troops, with countless casualties. If it weren't for the large reward offered by the Cui family's children, I'm afraid no one would dare to go!"

"Hiss~ Is Zhang Jincheng really that powerful? No wonder the famous general Yang Shanhui once led his troops to fight hundreds of battles with him, but was unsuccessful!"

"I hope that now that Yang Shanhui is the prefect of Qinghe County, he can lead the troops to defend Qinghe County. And we can't send too many people to our Qian County..."

On the street, countless people looked at the men in armor walking towards the city gate one by one. They couldn't help but point and talk, their eyes full of worry.

Especially when the news of the reinforcements' successive defeats reached Xin County, the people of Xin County were also worried. If the county recruited too many able-bodied men to aid Qinghe County, Xin County's defenses would be left empty. Although the defenders in the city remained in the city to defend it, those men were all male residents of Xin County, so the loss would be less.

Inside the Li Mansion.

Madam Li, Mrs. Zhou and other female members of the family were all waiting anxiously.

Li Qiong, kneeling in the main hall, continued to comfort the distraught Cui Wenjin. Looking at Cui Wenjin who had lost his appetite for the past two days, Li Qiong couldn't help but look a little worried.

"Wenjin, everything will be fine! The troops sent by Qian County will definitely rescue Qinghe County!"

Li Qiong whispered soothingly.

But even Li Qiong didn't believe this. Since the first day Cui Yuzhe led reinforcements to Qinghe County, there has been no news of Cui Yuzhe for two consecutive days. Instead, news of defeat kept coming back.

At this time, Li Qiong saw his father walking in from outside the main hall and quickly stood up.

"Father, how are you?"

Following Li Qiong's questioning, Madam Li, Zhou and others also looked at Li Jingjie.

Some time ago, Cui Yuzhe and Cui Wenjin, brother and sister, just came to the Li Mansion. When leaving, Cui Yuzhe expressed his goodwill to the Li Mansion. Right now in Qinghe County, the Qinghe Cui family is facing difficulties. The Li Mansion cannot sit idly by for both emotional and logical reasons.

Moreover, Madam Li and everyone in the Li Mansion knew that as long as they could help Qinghe out of trouble, they would undoubtedly be gaining a favor from Qinghe Cui.

This is of vital importance to the Li family.

"Ugh!"

Li Jingjie looked at his daughter, then saw the expressions of his mother and wife, shook his head helplessly, then went to a wooden table nearby, knelt down, waited for the maid to pour tea for him, and drank it directly.

"What's going on right now? Tell me!"

Old Madam Li frowned. If she hadn't seen that Erlang had been running around for the past two days and was quite tired, she would have been unable to help but scold him.

"Mother, I went to the county magistrate, but he was unable to help me. Then I went to Gao Shida, but he also found excuses to refuse me. When I came back, I met Mr. Dou, and I found out after asking him..."

When Li Jingjie said this, he saw his mother's puzzled look and glanced at Cui Wenjin.

"Zhang Jin's announcement of an attack on Qinghe may have something to do with Gao Shida!"

Li Jingjie sighed and looked at his mother.

In the main hall of the Li Mansion, along with Old Madam Li, Zhou and others, they all looked panicked when they heard Li Jingjie's words.

"It's related to Gao Shida! Is Gao's family involved?"

After hearing what Li Jingjie said, Madam Li's expression gradually became serious. She looked at Li Jingjie and asked in a solemn voice.

Old Madam Li knew the relationship between Gao Shida and the Gao family.

Unlike the rebels in other places, most of the rebels in other places are refugees. Even if their leaders are supported by aristocratic families, they will eventually be replaced by more and more refugee forces and then get out of control. In the end, they will even turn against the aristocratic families.

But behind Gao Shida has always been the Gao family. The Gao family is a well-known family in the county. For hundreds of years, their connections and influence have been intertwined throughout the world, which is absolutely incomparable to other aristocratic families.

If Zhang Jin claimed that the attack on Qinghe was really related to Gao Shida, one can't help but wonder whether the Gao family was also involved in this matter.

If the Gao family was really behind this, then Old Lady Li wouldn't understand. Did the Gao family want to become mortal enemies with the Cui family?
In the past, families would not say much about power struggles in official careers or personal gains and losses.

But now, Zhang Jin said that he had sent troops to attack Qinghe, the clan territory of others. Many members of the Cui family, as well as most of the Cui family's women and descendants, were all in Qinghe County.

"Gao's family?"

Cui Wenjin, who was comforted by Li Qiong, raised his head and looked at his uncle Li Jingjie. He thought of his parents, sister, and clansmen in Qinghe County, and also thought of the Bohai Gao family in Xin County.

Cui Wenjin swore in her heart that if it was really related to Bohai Gao's family, she would use all Cui's connections to make Gao regret it at any cost. "Mother, I also asked Dou Gong about this matter, and it was just his guess, without any real evidence!"

Li Jingjie explained to his mother, and then looked at Cui Wenjin, fearing that Cui Wenjin would cause the Cui and Gao families to become mortal enemies because of Dou Gong's speculation.

Both of them are well-known officials with connections all over the world, involving countless forces. If it really is a life-and-death fight, it will be no joke.

"The current situation is no longer the same as before. The Gao family is now divided into two factions. One faction supports Lord Dou, believing that he is kind and virtuous, and is a wise leader. The other faction believes that Lord Dou is from Zhangnan, not from Xin County, and is not as good as Gao Shida in representing the interests of the Gao family! Therefore, they still support Gao Shida!"

Li Jingjie shook his head when he said this.

"Not only Mr. Dou, but I also feel that even if Gao Shida is really involved in this incident, it was probably Gao Shida who made the decision on his own!"

Li Jingjie said this and looked at Cui Wenjin: "In recent years, Gao Shida has recruited many soldiers and horses, and has many brave generals under his command. He is no longer the same as before. He is making excuses to shirk responsibility. Even if Lord Dou and the Gao family come forward, they can do nothing about it!"

In the main hall.

Li Jingjie's words made Zhou, Bao, Wei, and Changsun all look at each other in silence.

In Shanggu County in the north, the two anti-Sui forces, Wei Daoer and Wang Xuba, have each grown to have more than 100,000 soldiers. Last month, Wang Xuba even captured Gaoyang County. Most of the garrisons in Qinghe and Xindu have been transferred to the north.

Now there is no way to mobilize a large number of troops in the city of Xin to rush to Qinghe for assistance. What should we do?
Inside the attic of Li's Mansion

Fu Zihou had nothing to do these two days, so at the instruction of his parents, he came to Li's house every day to spend time with his fiancée Li Cha and teach her how to read.

Looking at Li Cha who was learning to read seriously, Fu Zihou did not feel impatient.

Fu Zihou also felt very comfortable getting along with Li Cha.

And looking at Li Cai with her head down, Fu Zihou seemed to see the scene in his previous life where he was isolated by his peers and despised by his elders...

He knows that kind of helplessness!

Next to wooden table.

Li Cai lowered her head. Even though she had been looked at so openly for two days in a row, she still felt a little uncomfortable. Fortunately, he had already taught the ten words for today.

Thinking of this, Li Cai raised her head slightly and looked at Fu Zihou.

However, when Li Cai was about to remind Fu Zihou, she suddenly saw that Fu Zihou, who was originally staring at her, now had slightly red eyes. His sad look made her heart tremble.

"A bug got into my eye by accident!"

Fu Zihou saw Li Cha suddenly looking at him and made a gesture. Fu Zihou didn't understand the meaning of Li Cha's gesture, so he could only shake his head, raised his hand to wipe his eyes, and looked out the window.

Li Cha couldn't speak, but she knew it wasn't a bug in her eye.

Staring at Fu Zihou's profile, seeing that his eyes were a little red, Li Cha didn't know why, but when she thought of Fu Zihou's fragile eyes, she felt a little uncomfortable.

Thinking of the white shirt she had prepared for him but had never dared to take it out and give it to him, Li Cha bit her thin lips lightly, mustered up her courage, and tremblingly raised her little hand.

Slowly, slowly, he was getting closer to Fu Zihou's arm.

Suddenly, in the yard outside the window, a servant was running hurriedly, his footsteps very hurried.

"Cai'er, believe it or not, this is probably news of another defeat in the war!"

Fu Zihou calmed down his inner sadness, turned around, looked at Li Cai, who suddenly looked flustered and inexplicably nervous, and spoke softly.

"Zhang Jincheng has a bad reputation. Officials and people in Xin County are all afraid of him. He only recruited a mob by offering money as a reward, instead of selecting brave warriors! Just think about it. When we fought with Zhang Jincheng's troops just now, if one person fled, ten people would retreat, and then a thousand people would scatter. How could we not be defeated?"

Fu Zihou didn't know what was wrong with Li Cha, but when he thought of the county magistrate of Xin County, as well as those officials and generals, he felt annoyed.

As the date agreed with the Xie family was approaching, no one was able to lift the siege of Xin County, and Qinghe was the only way to Liyang.

If I can’t meet the Xie family, all my subsequent plans will be disrupted.

Fu Zihou was also worried that if the Cui family continued to be besieged, or even something unexpected happened, it would be difficult for them to have an easy life in the coming years, let alone avenge Old Madam Li for the murder of her son and repay the favors of the Li family.

Thinking of this, Fu Zihou lay on the wooden table with a distressed look on his face.

"How can those people win if they don't even know how to select the vanguard? How come there isn't a single general in Xin County who knows how to select the vanguard..."

Fu Zihou suddenly missed his teacher. If he were here, it would probably not take long to resolve the siege of Qinghe.

Watching so many people helpless in the siege of Qinghe these past two days, Fu Zihou finally understood that not everyone can select the striker as his teacher used to say, and there is no record of it in ancient books!
"It turns out that the teacher was lying!"

Fu Zihou complained softly.

Right now Fu Zihou could only confide his troubles to Li Cai. Although Li Cai could not speak and could not understand her gestures, Fu Zihou could feel that Li Cai was listening to him silently without any impatience.

(End of this chapter)