Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 311 Attitudes of All Parties
"Wang Zong will go south?"

"Yes, I heard that the Minister of the Interior sent him south to reward the troops."

In mid-July, while Li Yi was thinking about investigating the Shence Army, Cui Xuan outside Jiazhou City in Xichuan also learned that Wang Zongshi had sent Wang Zonghui south.

At this moment, the two were standing in the military camp in the southwest of Jiazhou City. Here were not only the 30,000 new troops from Xichuan recruited by Cui Xuan, but also the 10,000 draft horses led south by Yang Fuguang.

Yang Fuguang went north during the Lantern Festival. When he arrived in Linzhou, Liu Jilian had just gone to Lanzhou, so they missed each other perfectly.

Most of the money and goods he brought north were left in Longyou, and he exchanged them for 10,000 castrated draft horses.

Since the army was still in training, Cui Xuan gave the draft horses to the refugees to reclaim the wasteland around the military camp.

Cui Xuan's move actually helped to settle down the refugees near Jiazhou.

Not only that, refugees from several nearby states also came to Jiazhou to settle down.

But in his heart, if the imperial court had not ordered all provinces to strictly investigate the refugees, he would definitely not care about the lives of these tens of thousands of refugees.

Since it was impossible to drive the refugees to Longyou, the only option was to find a way to resettle them.

It was for this reason that he temporarily gave the cavalry's draft horses to the refugees to reclaim wasteland.

However, this policy only lasted for two months, and now it was heard that Wang Zonghui went south to look for Gao Pian.

Wang Zonghui is no longer the same person as before. Although he does not hold a very high official position now, Wang Zongshi, the leader of the Northern Department of Eunuchs, stands behind him.

Therefore, Cui Xuan still needs to pay attention to his journey to the south.

Thinking of this, Cui Xuan looked at Yang Fuguang with a slightly scrutinizing look: "After all, Yang Jianjun is a eunuch of the Northern Department. Now that he has informed me of the situation, isn't he afraid of being reported by other people in the Northern Department?"

"Haha..." Yang Fuguang chuckled and said respectfully to Cui Xuan:

"My father once said that everything in the world is for profit."

"I am now working with the Prime Minister. If I cannot manage Xichuan well, I will have no chance to be promoted in the Northern Division in the future."

What he said sounded high-sounding, but Cui Xuan knew that the affairs of Beisi were not simply a matter of interests.

Standing behind Yang Fuguang were Yang Xuanjie and Yang Xuanji. Even Wang Zonghui did not dare to deal with Yang Fuguang easily.

A person with two huge backers actually needs to go through seniority in Jiannan Road before he can return to Beisi and take up a high position.

Obviously, Yang Xuanjie and others were not satisfied with Wang Zongshi's move to send Yang Fuguang down, and Yang Fuguang informed them, probably because the two of them wanted to win over foreign aid.

Cui Xuan naturally looked down on these eunuchs, but it was not a bad idea to pretend to be nice to them.

Thinking of this, Cui Xuan chuckled and said, "I will send someone to Wang Zonghui to get information."

"The most urgent task now is to train the new army effectively and seize the opportunity to recover the lost territory."

"That's natural," Yang Fuguang affirmed.

Seeing that he agreed, Cui Xuan turned his head and looked outside the Yamen. Although the Yamen had three entrances and exits, the wide opening made it possible to clearly see the situation on the training ground outside the Yamen.

There were 30,000 soldiers training on the parade ground, and what Cui Xuan saw was just the tip of the iceberg of the training team.

"We have 30,000 soldiers, but only 10,000 draft horses. If we want them to show their power, we will need enough draft horses."

"But the treasury is empty now. If we want to continue purchasing draft horses, I'm afraid..."

Cui Xuan seemed to be hinting at something. Yang Fuguang frowned in his heart, but took the initiative to say:

"I do have a way, but if this matter is exposed, I am afraid that the Prime Minister will follow in the footsteps of the former Bai Xianggong..."

"Bai Minzhong?" Cui Xuan frowned slightly and immediately thought of what Yang Fuguang was talking about.

He leaned back in his chair, calmed down his emotions, and then said, “Are you asking me to follow Bai Minzhong’s example of exchanging refugees for horses in the past?”

After Bai Minzhong was impeached, he was transferred to Jiangling. The main reason was that Bai Minzhong secretly exchanged horses with Liu Jilian for refugees from Xichuan.

After this incident broke out, Li Chen no longer used Bai Minzhong until the new emperor Li Yi ascended the throne, when Bai Minzhong was transferred back to Chang'an.

Thinking of this, Cui Xuan frowned slightly, and then said: "Nowadays, refugees are everywhere, which is different from the past."

"Even if I send people to guard the place strictly, the refugees will find a way out and will always be able to escape to Longyou."

"In this situation, even if I ask Liu Jilong for help, I'm afraid he won't agree, right?"

Cui Xuan judged the matter from his own perspective, but Yang Fuguang shook his head after hearing it:
"Refugees are a burden in Xichuan, and they are taxes in Longyou."

"This time when I went north, I found that although Longyou has a large population, people from the south are still being relocated to the north. This shows that Longyou is still short of population."

"As long as we send more border patrol troops from the four states, including Wen Fulongyi, to stop the refugees in Xichuan, we can then negotiate with Liu Jilong. I think Liu Jilong will certainly be willing to exchange horses for refugees."

Yang Fuguang proposed this suggestion, but Cui Xuan had some reservations after hearing it: "If this is the case, the four states will definitely send more troops, which may not be conducive to defending the southern border."

Seeing Cui Xuan's heart was moved, Yang Fuguang continued: "The Nanman has suffered a heavy blow at the moment. In the short term, they will definitely not be able to harass Xichuan."

"If we can seize the opportunity, we may be able to properly handle the refugees in the country and exchange them for enough draft horses."

Yang Fuguang said "we", which made Cui Xuan very excited.

Now that he is sixty-five, it is unlikely that he will become a prime minister. The best outcome for him is to die in office in Xichuan.

Therefore, managing Xichuan well is his top priority now...

Thinking of this, Cui Xuan was silent for a moment before he spoke: "I'll leave this matter to you."

"Yes!" Yang Fuguang responded quickly, then slowly withdrew from the tooth gate.

At the same time he left, Wang Zonghui, who was heading south from Chang'an, gradually entered Dongchuan.

After the last battle of Niutou Gorge, You Shilong was the first to withdraw to Zhuti, and Gao Pian did not pursue him, but rested in Dong'an City.

After Yang Qiuqing withdrew his troops back to Pinzhou, Gao Pian immediately left Lin Ruzhen, Zhang Lin and Wang Zhongren to guard the front line, and he himself returned to Baidao City first.

When Wang Zonghui went south and arrived at Baidao City, Gao Pian once again recruited 7,000 refugee children and trained them into an army.

Seven thousand new soldiers from Dongchuan were training on the training ground outside Baidao City, with constant shouting and screaming.

Wang Zonghui and Gao Pian stood side by side on the platform, looking at the training of the 7,000 new recruits.

"This time, my elder brother asked the Supreme Lord for you. The Supreme Lord conferred upon you the title of Marquis of Ji County, the Inspector of the Ministry of War, and a fief of 1,200 households."

"In addition, the court has allocated 200,000 strings of cash and 100,000 strings of silk to accompany me south, all for your reward to the troops in Dongchuan."

Wang Zonghui talked a lot, but Gao Pian knew very well that there was a price behind all these things, and the price was that he, Gao Pian, must be loyal to Wang Zongshi and others.

Gao Pian was disdainful of this, but he still acted very respectful on the surface: "Thank you, Junior Supervisor. I will never forget the kindness of the Minister of Internal Affairs!"

"Hmm..." Wang Zonghui responded casually, and after a moment's silence, he asked, "How many soldiers do you have available in Dongchuan?"

"Three thousand elite cavalry and fifteen thousand infantry!"

Gao Pian answered without hesitation. Wang Zonghui nodded and continued to ask after a moment, "I think you are also aware of the recent controversy in the court regarding Longyou."

"I would like to ask you privately, what do you think of the relationship between the imperial court and Longyou?"

Gao Pian has always paid attention to the debate in the court about the affairs of Longyou, and the reason is Liu Jilian.

Because of this, soon after Wang Zonghui opened his mouth, Gao Pian sorted out his thoughts and opened his mouth to answer:
"Liu Jilong has the appearance of an outstanding man. He is less than thirty years old but behaves maturely."

"He has a great military strategy, is able to maneuver like a god, has led his troops in battle, and has always been victorious. He also has the talent for governance."

"In the past, Longyou was devastated by cholera, and then this man took over Lanzhou. He swept through the various powers and occupied Longyou in the past few years. Now he has made arrangements in Songzhou and Liangzhou, and even expelled the Hu people from Hexi."

"When I fought him in Longyou in the past, I knew that he was a man of great talent and ambition."

"I thought this person had been lying dormant for a few years and was about to make a splash and soar into the sky."

"If so, even if he is a military genius, the imperial court can gather troops from all directions to encircle and expel him."

"However, from the eighth year of Dazhong to now, he has remained dormant, which shows that his ambition is beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"I heard that he was constantly recruiting refugees. I think he was preparing for a rebellion in the future."

"In the past, the population of Longyou was only over 100,000, but the people there dared to raise more than 10,000 soldiers and march across the border."

"The court has little idea of the number of people under Longyou's rule, but the number of soldiers must be no less than 50,000."

"If the imperial court really wants to mobilize troops to encircle and suppress Longyou, the consequences may be no less than the An-Shi Rebellion in the past..."

Wang Zonghui's face was moved by Gao Pian's words, but he still felt that what Gao Pian said was a bit alarmist.

"I'm afraid it won't be the An-Shi Rebellion, right?"

Wang Zonghui couldn't help but interrupt, then frowned and asked: "Can Liu Jilong be as brave as Shi Siming?"

"But there are no Li Wumu and Guo Zhongwu in the court..."

Gao Pian's words immediately left Wang Zonghui speechless, and he couldn't help but become more afraid of Liu Jilong.

If the Tang Dynasty could really find figures like Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi, it would not have been beaten to the Dadu River by the southern barbarians.

If it weren't for Gao Pian and Wang Shi, Annan and Rongzhou would have been lost...

Thinking of this, Wang Zonghui couldn't help but ask, "If the court allows you to be the commander-in-chief of the troops in all the camps, how many troops and money and food will you need to pacify Longyou?"

Faced with this question, Gao Pian couldn't help but ponder. Although he had thought about this question countless times in his mind, when it came time to answer it, he still couldn't make up his mind.

"If we have troops like those under my command, at least one hundred thousand, it would take two years to defeat Liu Jilong."

"In addition, Liu Jilong might lead the remaining troops to escape to Tuyuhun via Shankuo and other states..."

Gao Pian's answer made Wang Zonghui feel nervous. After all, he knew very well how much money and food were needed for 100,000 soldiers and horses.

Just looking at the current war in the southwest, the imperial court has only mobilized more than 70,000 troops to deal with the southern barbarians, and each town has to pay its own military pay, with the imperial court only rewarding them occasionally.

Even so, the imperial court spent no less than three million yuan in money and grain in the southwest every year.

If the imperial court mobilized troops from various regions to attack Longyou, it would naturally have to provide money and food.

The money and food needed for an army of 100,000 would be at least 4 million a year.

With so much money and food, and having to maintain it for two years, it is not certain that Liu Jilong will be defeated in the end.

Thinking of this, Wang Zonghui couldn't help but take a breath, and Gao Pian also took the opportunity to say:

"I made this plan when the Fan bandits and Hexi refused to help Longyou."

"If the foreign bandit Shang Moyan and Zhang Huaishen of Hexi send troops to support Liu Jilong, the war will probably take seven or eight years to end."

"The imperial court is currently sending troops to attack the southern barbarians. Although I have dealt a heavy blow to them, they will surely make a comeback within two to three years."

"The current situation is really not suitable for any complications. Please ask the Junior Supervisor to inform the Minister..."

Gao Pian was still very cautious when facing the affairs in Longyou.

In his opinion, if the three towns of Heshuo were not prone to collusion in times of crisis, Chengde and Weizhou would not be a concern. Only Youzhou could be as troublesome as Longyou.

Thinking about this, Gao Pian calmed down and waited for Wang Zonghui's answer.

Wang Zonghui was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "I will tell you about this later."

"It's getting late. I'm tired from the journey, so I won't bother you any more."

After he finished speaking, he walked towards the platform, while Gao Pian sent Liang Zun and Lu Ruyue to escort Wang Zonghui to rest.

Watching his back walking away, Gao Pian withdrew his gaze and turned his eyes to the seven thousand new soldiers.

In fact, if possible, he really hopes that the court will take action against Longyou Town.

At least by that time, the court would have to select talented generals, and he was confident that he could do the job.

With his achievements in pacifying Helong, he could at least be awarded the title of a prince, or even the highest position in the country.

Even if he couldn't defeat Liu Jilong on the battlefield, he could still rely on the huge size of the imperial court to crush Longyou bit by bit...

"Damn eunuch!"

While Gao Pian was daydreaming, a low chuckle was heard from the Xianning Palace in Chang'an, thousands of miles away.

In the huge Xianning Palace, the eunuchs who used to be everywhere in the hall have disappeared, leaving only Emperor Li Yi in the side hall and his beloved daughter, Princess Tongchang Li Meiling.

Li Yi suppressed his temper and held a book in his hand which recorded many things.

"Don't be angry, Aye. It's not worth it to ruin your health."

Li Meiling comforted her father, while her father Li Yi threw the documents on the table with a frown.

"Although I thought there was something fishy about the Shen Ce Army, I didn't expect it to be so useless..."

"No wonder the whole court disagrees with my idea of conquering Longyou. It turns out that they already knew about the tricks of the Shen Ce Army, but no one dared to tell me!"

Li Yi clenched his fists, his face full of resentment.

He was curious at the beginning. The situation was relatively peaceful during his father's reign, so why didn't he dare to take action against Liu Jilong in Longyou?

Now that he understood everything, he finally understood what his father was thinking.

I think my father knew the strength of the Shen Ce Army, so he did not rashly issue an order to pacify Longyou.

Thinking of this, Li Yi couldn't help but feel a little scared.

If Pei Xiu and the other two hadn't stopped him, if he had really ordered the suppression of Liu Jilong, even if he hadn't been driven into Guanzhong and Chang'an by Liu Jilong...

Thinking of Liu Jilian, whom he had never met, leading his troops into Chang'an, Li Yi couldn't help feeling powerless.

"Father, although the Shen Ce Army has many empty roster, it can indeed mobilize a lot of soldiers to defend the capital."

Li Meiling tried to comfort Li Yi, but soon a look of melancholy appeared on her face again: "It's just that except for the left and right Shenwu armies, the rest of the six armies of the Northern Yamen are unusable."

"..." Li Yi's face became even uglier. He didn't expect that the capital area would have more than 100,000 soldiers, but they were all empty numbers.

Those old bastards in the Northern Department actually kept demanding money and food from the imperial court with a fictitious amount of over 100,000 yuan.

The 126,000 Shen Ce Army had an annual expenditure of nearly 4 million strings of cash, but now someone told him that the so-called brave and warlike Shen Ce Army could not even raise 30,000 of the quota.

Li Yi is not stupid, he just doesn't have much information and his eyes are blinded by the group of people in Beisi.

Now that he had learned the intelligence, he immediately guessed how the Northern Division eunuchs used the Shen Ce Army to make money.

Ordinary soldiers were directly paid without any salary, while official positions were reserved for the children of various families in the Northern Department, who were then given fiefs and salaries.

Fortunately, when he ascended the throne, he was somewhat grateful for Wang Zongshi's move to "reduce the number of troops". Now it seems that it is nothing more than them sucking less blood from the court.

"Four million strings of cash..."

Li Yi murmured about the money and grain in his heart, and his heart almost bled.

By solving the problem of the excess quota of the Shen Ce Army, he could save at least more than 3 million strings of cash.

With these more than three million strings of cash, we can completely reorganize an army of 100,000. By then, which vassal state would dare to rebel against the imperial court?
It’s a pity that he has no means to deal with Wang Zongshi and others. Faced with such a situation, he can only swallow his anger.

But he also knew that if the court continued like this, the Tang Dynasty might perish at the hands of his children and grandchildren.

Thinking of this, Li Yi felt three parts lucky and seven parts helpless.

The good news is that the Tang Dynasty is unlikely to perish in his hands, but the bad news is that I know these things but cannot change them.

"NanNan..."

Li Yi had a bitter look on his face and looked up at his daughter who was only thirteen years old.

"Aye, Nannan is here." Li Meiling held Li Yi's hand.

Feeling the warmth in his hand, Li Yi was silent for a long time before he slowly said, "It is enough for you and I to know about this matter. The woman you sent out to get the information should be transferred to my side."

Li Yi's words were very clear. He used "you and me" in the first sentence and "I" in the second sentence.

The former was comforting as a father, while the latter was giving orders as an emperor.

Li Meiling's pupils shrank when she heard that, and then she couldn't help but say, "Aye, that woman and I are in love..."

"This matter cannot be disputed!"

Li Yi interrupted her. This was the first time that Li Meiling was lectured by Li Yi in such a cold tone since she was born.

After a long silence, Li Meiling finally nodded slowly: "I understand..."

Hearing the word "son and subject" coming out of Li Meiling's mouth, Li Yi felt extremely uncomfortable.

But this matter is very important and cannot be taken lightly.

"I'm leaving now..."

Li Meiling lowered her eyes and saluted, then left the side hall without looking back.

Li Yi looked at her back and opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

After Li Meiling completely left Xianning Palace, Tian Yun, who had been sent away, also walked into Xianning Palace with a group of eunuchs.

"Everyone……"

Tian Yun walked into the side hall and bowed with lowered brows.

Li Yi looked at him and seemed to see Wang Zongshi behind him.

Although he felt bad, Li Yi still said coldly: "Send someone to the princess's palace to beat to death all the maids who went out of the palace to buy storybooks a few days ago!"

"I obey your command..." Tian Yun was very curious why the emperor would personally order the punishment of several palace maids.

"If you are not busy, you can handle this matter yourself."

Li Yi added a sentence, and after hearing it, Tian Yun immediately lost interest.

If there was any secret, he would be interested in supervising it personally, but now that the emperor has ordered him to go, it is obviously not a big secret.

"I will do it right away..."

Tian Yun agreed verbally and then slowly left the side hall, but he did not go there in person. Instead, he sent several unknown eunuchs to do the job.

(End of this chapter)