Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 396 Mutual Support Between Hebei and Longxi
"kill!!"

"Get out of the way! Don't block my way!"

"Don't panic! Where is the garrison?!"

Anyone who dares to disrupt the army will be killed!

On the official road in the valley, the dust from the gunpowder explosion had not yet completely settled, but the government troops on the road were in complete chaos.

Everyone is trying to turn their horses around, but no one can manage it.

They were packed together, men and horses crammed together, and Anpohu's eight hundred semi-armored cavalrymen were like a piece of empty land.

Despite his disheveled appearance, Zhao Qian was still trying to reassure his troops about the battle, but in the chaotic environment, the elite cavalry of the government army only knew that they had been ambushed and were only thinking about escaping, completely ignoring military orders.

The eight hundred half-armored cavalrymen from Longyou crashed into the government army's ranks like a raging wave.

In an instant, the sounds of bones cracking, warhorses neighing, and soldiers screaming mingled together.

Under the trampling of iron hooves, flesh and blood flew everywhere, and severed limbs and broken arms were scattered all over the ground.

The soldiers who fell off their horses in the dust had no chance to resist before they were thrown into the air and trampled by the horses, leaving them unrecognizable.

In order to save their lives, many elite cavalrymen rode their horses along the shallow waters of the Wei River to escape. Many others followed suit, but they slipped and fell into the Wei River.

The rushing river instantly swallowed them up; their cries for help could be heard, but they were nowhere to be seen.

During their escape, the government troops finally withdrew back to the original plains, and Wang Shi finally had the opportunity to rebuild his army.

"Zhao Liexiao, you lead the troops to block the rebels. In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, I will regroup my troops and follow you to fight the enemy!"

Wang Shi hurriedly ordered his personal guards and officers to lead troops to intercept the unruly Longyou cavalry. Zhao Liexiao also dared not delay and immediately led more than two hundred elite cavalry to attack the Longyou cavalry.

Thanks to his resistance, An Pohu and his men's advance slowed down, and Zhao Qian was also escorted away by several cavalrymen.

"Zhao Erlang, revitalize the defeated troops, there must be no mistakes!"

"Your subordinate obeys!!"

Wang Shi urgently ordered Zhao Qian to regroup the routed troops. Although Zhao Qian was badly thrown from his horse, he gritted his teeth and accepted the order. He then rode his horse to reorganize the defeated elite cavalry of Pingchuan.

As more and more elite cavalrymen were appeased by him and Wang Shi, these elite cavalrymen also joined the eastern battlefield.

The two sides fought fiercely. An Pohu's 800 semi-armored cavalrymen charged in like pickaxes, breaking through three lines of enemy troops. The government troops' elite cavalry could only retreat and stabilize their positions under Wang Shi's command.

"Don't panic! The rebels number only a little over a thousand, while our army outnumbers them by a factor of two. Why should we lose our composure?!"

Wang Shi continuously reassured the three armies, and seeing that they were gradually calming down, he immediately turned his attention to the battlefield.

Just as he was about to command thousands of elite cavalry to fight against Anpohu, the sound of retreating troops rang out from the direction of Sanyangchuan.

"withdraw!!"

"Beep--"

An Pohu did not linger and decisively led eight hundred fully armored elite cavalry from Longyou to retreat towards Sanyangchuan.

Under the scorching midday sun, the road they traveled from Pingchuan to Sanyangchuan was littered with the corpses of government troops and horses, and the blood even stained the banks of the Wei River red.

"Don't chase the poor bandits!"

Wang Shi dared not pursue rashly any further and could only watch helplessly as An Pohu retreated back to Sanyangchuan.

"Take a headcount for the dead and wounded..."

Seeing An Pohu and the others disappear, Wang Shi almost gritted his teeth in frustration, but he could only order Zhao Qian and the others to count the dead and wounded and rescue the wounded soldiers who were still alive on the battlefield.

Half an hour later, the Shence Army of the central and rear armies finally arrived with civilians. They found that many of the original thousands of elite cavalry were missing, and there were countless graves nearby.

"Let's set up camp here and march to Sanyangchuan tomorrow."

Upon seeing the arrival of the Shence Army with civilians, Wang Shi ordered them to set up camp there and wait for Zhao Qian to report on the casualties.

The laborers first set up a tent for him so that he could rest well, and then set up camp according to the location of the tent.

As dusk fell, Zhao Qian lowered his head and entered the tent, presenting the documents with both hands.

"Read it..."

Wang Shi couldn't bear to look at it, so Zhao Qian could only report in a deep voice: "862 people were killed in the battle, 657 were seriously injured, and 265 are missing."

"In this battle, our combined forces suffered nearly half casualties, totaling 1,784 dead, wounded, or missing..."

Upon learning the number of casualties, Wang Shi took a deep breath and tried his best to calm his turbulent emotions.

He should have realized that Liu Jilong's open and aboveboard appearance, even if he didn't intend to ambush the enemy, was likely meant to lure them in.

"It was my carelessness; I don't blame you for this battle."

As Wang Shi spoke, he asked, "Is Liu Jilong still guarding Sanyangchuan?"

"Reporting to Junior Guardian, Liu Jilong is still stationed at Sanyangchuan, and our cavalry cannot enter."

Zhao Qian answered honestly. After listening, Wang Shi hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "You lead 7,000 Shence Army soldiers to garrison here, and I will lead the elite cavalry to retreat to Fuqiang first."

"This subordinate obeys!" Zhao Qian bowed and accepted the order, while Wang Shi waved his hand weakly, signaling him to go out first.

He needs to think carefully about how to deal with Liu Jilong of Sanyangchuan.

Liu Jilong did not withdraw his troops after his great victory, which was obviously due to his reliance on the enemy. He dared not advance because the government troops occupied Pingchuan and relied on Fuqiang, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

The best approach right now is to contain Chengzhou while simultaneously launching a pincer attack from the east and west.

Thinking of this, Wang wrote a military order and ordered it to be sent to the sewer.

While he was sending out military orders, Liu Jilong, who had retreated to Sanyangchuan, also specially ordered the cooks in his army to slaughter the livestock that the people of Sanyangchuan had brought the day before, and to reward the three armies well.

"Crackling..."

Flames rose continuously beneath the roasted whole lamb, filling the tent with its aroma, causing many generals to swallow hard.

Liu Jilong glanced at everyone, raised his cup and said, "Drinking alcohol is forbidden in the army, so today we will use tea instead of wine."

"The commander is wise!!"

The generals all praised Liu Jilong, but Liu Jilong did not lose his composure. Instead, he asked An Pohu, "How many casualties have our army suffered?"

"Fifty-seven people were killed in the battle, and thirty-two were seriously injured. Their bodies have all been brought back."

Anpo Hu bowed in reply, adding, "Although there have been many deaths and injuries, they are nothing compared to the casualties we have inflicted today."

"This humble general observes that at least three or four tenths of the officers and soldiers have been killed or wounded on the battlefield, which is enough to demoralize the government troops."

"However, General, if the government troops invade tomorrow, what should our army do?"

"The gunpowder we brought has all been used up. It's like a skilled cook trying to make a meal without rice if we want to set up such a scheme again."

An Pohu was quite cautious, and his seemingly rough but actually meticulous nature pleased Liu Jilong greatly.

If Li Ji and others had been as humble and cautious as An Pohu and Xin Dang, the burden on his shoulders would not have been so heavy.

"I have said that only by advancing our troops and demonstrating our military prowess can we deceive Wang into withdrawing his troops."

Liu Jilong instructed, "Wang Shi's troops account for 50% of the total force of the imperial army that is besieging our forces. If Wang Shi is lost, Guanzhong will also be lost."

"Today, he was ambushed by us and he must be on guard. If our army continues to harass and attack the government troops, Wang Shi will surely think that we have something to rely on."

"This subordinate understands!" An Pohu's eyes lit up. After Liu Jilong's repeated reminders, he finally understood why Liu Jilong dared to use such a small force to confront Wang Shi.

In the mind of an ordinary general, a weak force would naturally need to hold its ground or resort to surprise attacks. However, Liu Jilong, despite having a weak force, deployed a formidable formation, which made it difficult for Wang Shi to discern the true strength of Liu Jilong's troops.

Given the crushing defeat yesterday and the fact that the government troops had other options, Wang Shi naturally had no need to risk a direct assault on Liu Jilong.

Furthermore, Liu Jilong was the backbone of Longyou, and his son was not yet grown up, so he was not capable of controlling Longyou.

Under these circumstances, Liu Jilong naturally could not risk his life.

Thinking of this, An Pohu felt an itch on his scalp, while Liu Jilong spoke up as An Pohu was still savoring the thought:
"Two hours ago, Husi Guang sent word that he had captured Longcheng."

"I have already dispatched fast horses to transfer two thousand elite cavalry from his command southward, and another five hundred infantrymen from Chengji to the southward as well."

"Two days later, there will be 500 infantry and cavalry and more than 3,900 elite cavalry here."

"You will place your cavalry and infantry on the official road leading to Shanggui, with 500 cavalry and infantry stationed there for defense. Then, you will send 900 elite cavalry to invade Shanggui, and you will personally lead 3,000 elite cavalry to the plains to the west to spy on the government troops. Is there any problem with that?"

After Liu Jilong finished speaking, An Pohu knew that Liu Jilong wanted to entrust Sanyangchuan to him for defense, so he couldn't help but ask, "General, what about you?"

"Me?" Liu Jilong chuckled: "Taking advantage of Wang Shi's belief that I am in Sanyangchuan, I will now rush to Weizhou, gather new soldiers and attack from the west, so that he will be unable to attend to both ends."

"Your subordinate obeys!" An Pohu hurriedly replied, while Liu Jilong patted him on the shoulder, ignoring his exhaustion, and said:

"Gather a squad of elite cavalry, with two horses for each rider, and we'll depart tonight."

"Yes!" An Pohu didn't have many questions; he only knew to do as his commander instructed. Half an hour later, fifty elite cavalrymen who had left their cavalry armor behind, along with a hundred mounted horses, waited outside for Liu Jilong.

As Liu Jilong mounted his horse, the group galloped northwards, gradually disappearing into the darkness.

While he was hurriedly detouring to Weizhou, Li Chengxun's memorial was also delivered to Chang'an, and carrier pigeons from Chengji and Shanggui arrived one after another.

Li Cui in Chang'an soon learned about the military situation in various places two days ago.

"When Xiaoguan fell, more than a thousand Shatuo cavalrymen were killed or wounded, with only eight hundred or so surviving."

"Ji Long led nearly 10,000 troops around Huining and headed towards Chengji, where they launched a surprise attack and captured Chengji."

The two memorials made Li Cui's face turn frighteningly ugly.

Standing on the platform, Xu Shang took the initiative to speak: "Judging from Liu Jilong's actions, the passes in Longcheng and Longshan are probably in danger."

"Fortunately, the troops from Guandong and Hedong have already marched to Fengxiang, which can protect the safety of Baorong Pass and Zhisheng Pass."

"Furthermore, I believe that Zhu Xiechixin and his son should be promoted and rewarded, and ordered to continue to mobilize elite cavalry to fight in Longxi."

Xu Shang's words echoed in the hall, and Yu Cong spoke first: "We can use 30,000 bolts of silk to win over Zhu Xie's loyal heart."

"Money alone is probably not enough," Xu Shang shook his head, then pondered for a moment and said:
"Your Majesty, how about bestowing upon Zhu Xie the imperial surname and enticing him with the position of Defense Commissioner of Datong?"

Xu Shang tried to negotiate, and Li Cui didn't object. After a moment's thought, he agreed, "Alright!"

"Your Majesty is wise..." Xu Shang breathed a sigh of relief, while Li Cui questioned:
"Liu Jilong has advanced hundreds of miles without the knowledge of the surrounding towns. Is it that Liu Jilong has truly advanced like the wind, or that our army has been negligent in its defenses?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Shang replied without hesitation: "Your Majesty, since Liu Jilong launched the uprising in Hexi, he has always been quick to adapt to changing circumstances and act swiftly. In addition, the troops in Longyou are skilled in riding and archery, so it is not surprising that they can advance so quickly."

Li Cui felt comforted, but she still couldn't help feeling anxious.

At present, Longyou is getting stronger and stronger with each battle, while the imperial court keeps losing cities and territories. No matter who is in this position, it is hard not to be anxious.

Just as he was thinking this, a figure suddenly appeared at the gate of Xianning Palace.

"Your Majesty, an urgent report from Henan Province..."

"Bring it in!"

Li Cui spoke without hesitation, and the eunuch outside the door hurriedly presented the memorial into the hall, which Tian Yun then handed to Li Cui for review.

With just a few glances, Li Cui's expression turned extremely unpleasant.

Fortunately, he had been quite angered by the fighting in the west these past few days, and his composure had improved. Therefore, he did not fly into a rage, but instead said in a deep voice:

"The Henan Circuit reported that on the 14th of July, Wang Xianzhi led a group of bandits from the Dabie Mountains to rebel, and suddenly entered Guangzhou. Guangzhou fell into the hands of the bandits, whose number was 30,000."

On the 12th, Kang Chengxun led his troops to search the mountains and the sea. Pang Xun and the bandits of Mount Tai held firm and did not come out. Kang Chengxun said that the number of bandits was no less than 50,000.

Two pieces of news, one for each of the long-awaited peace and the other for the other for the other, indicate that Wang Xianzhi and Pang Xun have rebelled again. The bad news is that Wang Xianzhi has successfully broken through the siege and led 30,000 bandits to capture Guangzhou. The good news is that Kang Chengxun has surrounded Pang Xun and 50,000 bandits at Mount Tai.

Faced with these two pieces of news, Xu Shang's expression turned grim, and Lu Yan seized the opportunity to bow and say:

"Your Majesty, before dusk, the Henan Circuit also sent a memorial to the Southern Office, saying that Huang Chao led 50,000 troops to rebel in the three prefectures of Cao Song and Bian."

"Liu Zhan, the military governor of Xuanwu, requests the court to allocate military funds to support the Xuanwu army in recruiting soldiers to quell the rebellion. Your Majesty, please issue your instructions."

"Give me 300,000 coins and silk, and instruct Liu Zhan to defend Xuanwu at all costs!"

Li Cui agreed to pay wages and recruit soldiers without hesitation, but afterwards he couldn't help but feel a little resentful.

Today, there are more than thirty bandit groups of varying sizes causing trouble in the He and Huai River regions, but the most famous are undoubtedly Wang Xianzhi, Pang Xun, and Huang Chao.

So many bandits ran rampant in the Hebei and Huai River regions. Although they all became famous during the Xiantong era, the root of the problem was sown during the Dazhong era.

Thinking of this, Li Cui's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and Lu Yan took the opportunity to bow and say:
"Your Majesty, I believe that we should send envoys to the Southern Barbarians. If we can reach a peace agreement, Xichuan and Dongchuan can also mobilize more troops to quell the rebellion."

Lu Yan's words greatly appealed to Li Cui, so he nodded and said, "The matter of negotiating peace with the Southern Barbarians will be entrusted to Prime Minister Lu."

"In addition, we need to pay more attention to the matter of driving the Kyrgyz troops to invade Liangzhou, as mentioned a few days ago."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not fail in my mission." Lu Yan bowed respectfully.

Seeing this, Li Cui calmed down and looked at Qi Yuanshi and the others from the Northern Division, but quickly looked away.

"Suppressing the traitors is of utmost urgency. I hope to hear good news before winter arrives!"

After he finished speaking, he got up, stepped down from the golden platform, and walked towards the side hall.

However, halfway there, he suddenly stopped and looked at everyone, saying, "I have heard that Zhang Yitan, the Left Attendant Gentleman of the Palace, has died of illness. I wish to posthumously grant him the title of Minister of Works. What do you all think?"

"Your Majesty is very kind..."

The officials bowed in greeting, and Li Cui nodded upon hearing this, then turned and walked into the side hall.

The posthumous conferment of the title of Grand Minister upon Zhang Yitan was also the result of Li Cui's careful consideration.

Although Zhang Yitan's contribution was not significant, his son Zhang Huaishen was still in Hexi.

Although Zhang Huaishen agreed to break with Liu Jilong in accordance with the court's demands, who knows if the two might be exchanging glances in private?

Using Zhang Yitan's matter to appease Zhang Huaishen is a good opportunity.

While Li Cui was thinking this, the battlefield on the western front was still raging, and the letter that Liu Jilong sent to Anxi was delivered to Zhang Huaishen ahead of schedule.

However, this was not a swift journey. Instead, after learning that the imperial court was determined to attack Longyou, Zhang Huaishen led a light cavalry from the Western Regions back to Hexi and headed to Ganzhou.

When the letter arrived, he was resting in Jiuquan, Suzhou.

Upon receiving the letter, he immediately opened it and read it. After learning that Liu Jilong was willing to exchange surrendered soldiers for military horses and had asked him to lend him troops, Zhang Huaishen couldn't help but hesitate.

His hesitation was not because he was reluctant to part with the troops, but because he was worried that the soldiers below would not be willing to go east to fight against the imperial court.

For this reason, he sought out his cousin-in-law, Li Mingzhen, who is now the head of the Li family in Shazhou.

Li En is old and has long since retired to the second line, while 28-year-old Li Mingzhen is beginning to show his talent.

He now serves as the Chief Administrator of Hexi, and when Zhang Huaishen is unsure of what to do, he will summon him for advice.

Therefore, Li Mingzhen basically stayed by Zhang Huaishen's side, so he could be called upon at any time.

"General..."

"Jiu Nie, take a look at this letter."

When Li Mingzhen arrived at the main hall of the county government, Zhang Huaishen handed him Liu Jilong's letter and gestured for him to read it.

Li Mingzhen quickly flipped through a few pages and immediately had an idea.

Over the years, he had been paying attention to Liu Jilong. He originally thought that Liu Jilong was at most a regional warlord, but now it seems that Liu Jilong's ambitions are probably much greater than he thought.

Given the achievements Longyou has made in the past two months, the imperial court will likely find it difficult to pacify Longyou.

At that time, the imperial court's prestige will be lost, and its strength will be severely damaged, leading to the rise of numerous heroes vying for control of the world.

Judging from the performance of the various towns when facing Longyou, there are few heroes in the world who can surpass Liu Jilong.

If we send troops to help Liu Jilong now, it might be considered a contribution to his rise to power in the future.

At that time, it probably won't be difficult for the Li family of Shazhou to become the true Li family of Hexi.

Thinking of this, Li Mingzhen guessed Zhang Huaishen's intention in showing him this handwritten letter, and after a little thought, he understood Zhang Huaishen's thoughts.

With Liu Jilong's support, Hexi was virtually unstoppable against the forces in the Western Regions, so the casualties in recent years were not great, and the army was still mainly composed of Han Chinese.

Zhang Huaishen was probably worried that these Han soldiers would not be willing to get involved in the war in the east, or that he did not want them to get involved in the Han people's civil war.

In Li Mingzhen's view, Zhang Huaishen was too loyal and honest, which is why he hesitated in the war between Longyou and the Tang Dynasty.

If he were even slightly more cunning, you wouldn't need to persuade him at all; he would make his own choices based on the interests at stake.

"General, I suggest sending troops from the two prefectures of Gansu to reinforce Longyou, or even to be deployed to Longyou."

Li Mingzhen frankly expressed his thoughts, while explaining, "Liu Jilong never owes anyone favors. Even when it comes to the kindness of the military commander, Liu Jilong often repays it with people."

"Since Liu Jilong proposed to exchange surrendered soldiers and their families for horses and borrow troops from Longyou, the more government troops we defeat in Longyou, the stronger our army will become."

"If we can help Liu Jilong defeat the imperial court, the surrendered soldiers and people we capture will be enough for our army to recover the towns of Kucha and Yanqi!"

Li Mingzhen knew that Zhang Huaishen still wanted to help Liu Jilong, but his pitiful loyalty to the emperor and patriotism were causing trouble, and all he needed was a little guidance from others.

Sure enough, when Li Mingzhen laid out the pros and cons, Zhang Huaishen seemed to have convinced himself as well.

He paced back and forth a few times, then put his hands behind his back and looked at Li Mingzhen: "Recovering Kucha and Yanqi will benefit the Han dynasty."

"Although I am unwilling for my soldiers to get involved in the internal strife of the Han dynasty, there are indeed treacherous officials in the court causing trouble."

"By order of a certain military authority, troops from Gansu and Su prefectures are to be mobilized, with Deputy Protector-General Jiu Juyan as commander, to march into Liangzhou and change their flags!"

(End of this chapter)