Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 412 Marching to Chengdu (Thanks to the Silver Alliance member "暖阳1314")
"Susu..."

In mid-November of the seventh year of the Xiantong era, after the troops of Weibo made a ruckus and killed the military governor He Quanhao.

Liu Zhan, the military governor of Xuanwu and concurrently the chancellor, together with his personal guards, submitted a memorial to establish Han Junxiong, the prefect of Bozhou, as the military governor. At the same time, Liu Zhan also allocated 20,000 strings of cash from the treasury to reward the troops of Weibo and Shatuo, and ordered Li Guochang, the military commander of the Shatuo army, to escort the troops of Weibo out of the territory.

After receiving Liu Zhan's memorial and rewards, the soldiers of Weibo gladly accepted the arrangement and headed north to Weibo under the leadership of Han Junxiong.

After they left the country, Liu Zhan reorganized his troops and led 4,000 elite Shatuo cavalry and 15,000 Xuanwu infantry southwards on the 20th.

On the 24th, the court learned of the mutiny of the soldiers in Weibo and the killing of the military governor He Quanhao. Although there was some shock in the court, it quickly returned to calm.

Li Cui bestowed upon Han Junxiong the name "Yunzhong," and appointed him as Left Attendant Gentleman of the Palace, Vice Censor-in-Chief, and Acting Military Governor of Weibo.

At the same time, Wang Xianzhi led more than 100,000 bandits to occupy Tang and Sui prefectures, and launched an attack on Deng, Xiang and Ying prefectures, hoping to seize the northern part of Jingxiang and gain a foothold.

Li Cui urged Liu Zhan to advance his troops and quickly quell the forces of Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao.

On the 25th, Huang Chao sent Huang Cun as an envoy to Anzhou to request a letter of appointment as the military governor of Tianping Army.

When the news reached Chang'an, Prime Minister and Minister of War Xu Shang wanted to agree to Huang Chao's request, but Lu Yan and Yu Cong thought it was not advisable.

Li Cui believed that Huang Chao rebelled as a commoner, unlike Pang Xun and Wang Xianzhi who rebelled as military generals, and therefore rejected Huang Chao's request for a memorial.

Huang Chao didn't take it seriously and continued to request to be appointed as the military governor of Tianping Army. However, when this matter reached Wang Xianzhi's ears, he treated it as a joke.

"Haha, the imperial court looks down on Huang Chao, yet Huang Chao himself is trying to curry favor with them. He's truly a hopeless case!"

On the east bank of the Yu River in Nanyang County, Dengzhou, as Wang Xianzhi relentlessly mocked him, the generals in the military camp on the east bank began to ridicule Huang Chao's constant demands for a memorial tablet.

After the mockery, Shang Junchang took the initiative to bow and said, "General, Nanyang is just across the river from us. As long as we gather enough boats tomorrow, cross the Yu River (Bai River), and surround Nanyang, we can occupy Nanyang, the gateway to Jingzhou and establish our own territory to challenge the imperial court!"

"I heard that Liu Zhan in the north has 18,000 troops and is calling for 50,000 troops to come south to attack us."

"Why don't we take Nanyang tomorrow, then launch a surprise attack on Liu Zhan, defeat him, and then request the court to appoint you as the military governor of Shannan East Circuit?"

"Good, good, good!" Wang Xianzhi was overjoyed and couldn't help but cheer.

Upon hearing this, everyone began asking Wang Xianzhi for a reward, to which Wang Xianzhi responded with a hearty laugh: "I'll accept them all, I'll accept them all."

"When we cross the river tomorrow and take Nanyang, defeating Liu Zhan's army, I will certainly not forget you."

Seeing everyone's reaction, Bi Shiduo couldn't help but bow and say, "General, that's true, but Liu Zhan's troops have been training for more than half a year, and I've heard that they also have elite Shatuo cavalry in their army."

"The Shatuo people are brave and skilled in battle, and they are also elite cavalrymen. If we are not careful, we may suffer a great loss."

"A huge loss?" Wang Xianzhi smiled and shook his head, saying, "You're still too cautious."

“I heard that the elite cavalry of the Shatuo were almost completely wiped out by Liu Jilong in Longyou. I don’t see anything commendable about them.”

"Besides, I have 50,000 troops here, and more than 100,000 troops to the south. Even if the Shatuo cavalry can fight ten against one, so what?"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

"The commander is right. If these barbarians dare to come, I will definitely cut off their heads!"

"Let them come, I want to see what they've got!"

Everyone burst into laughter, and Wang Xianzhi also raised his cup with a smile, saying, "Come, let's drink heartily tonight, so we'll have the strength to kill the government troops tomorrow!"

"Drink!!" Everyone raised their glasses and drank the wine in large gulps.

They ate meat and drank wine inside the tent, and the soldiers outside, seeing this, also received bones and some offal from pigs, cattle, and sheep.

Despite the lack of seasoning and the unpalatable taste, the soldiers still ate with great relish.

Compared to these 10,000 soldiers, the remaining tens of thousands of refugees seemed rather pitiful.

A bowl of coarse porridge and two flatbreads—this would be their last meal before they went into battle the next day.

Even so, they still wanted to lick the bowl clean.

Two hours later, the camp gradually quieted down, filled with the sound of snoring.

The garrison troops were rotated several times, but Wang Xianzhi only allowed them to move 15 li to the north and only 10 li to the southeast.

Many of the soldiers were of varying quality, and one night they even slacked off and retreated several miles.

As dawn broke, the soldiers huddled together and began to doze off.

"Omlong..."

"Damn it, what's that sound?"

"What's that sound? Go to sleep."

"I'm not sleeping anymore. There's only half an hour left before my shift changes. Then I'll go back to camp to sleep."

Several soldiers sat back to back, exchanging words, but as they talked, the shouts of battle in the distance grew closer and closer.

"Damn it, something's not right!"

"There really is the sound of horses' hooves!"

The foreman, who was the first to hear the sound, quickly got up. As he looked around, he saw dust gradually rising ahead.

"Enemy attack!"

"Beep--"

The foreman immediately blew his whistle and shouted that he was about to run away.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers who were still dozing off got up in a daze and ran away with them.

They hadn't run more than ten steps when they were surrounded by arrows shot from afar, and all of them were riddled with arrows.

Clad in leather armor, they couldn't even cry for help before collapsing on the official road.

“H-H-H-…”

Thousands of cavalrymen galloped past their corpses, their "Shatuo" banners fluttering in the wind, revealing their identity.

"Those damned bastards! Their soldiers are so lax; they're probably just a bunch of rabble!"

"A rabble is best; kill them and take all the money and grain!"

"Hahaha……"

Laughter echoed continuously from the Shatuo cavalry in the ranks.

They wore the armor of the government troops and carried weapons issued by the imperial court.

In the past, they never had such sophisticated equipment.

Now that he's got the equipment, he's gotten a little carried away.

Li Guochang and Li Keyong, who were in the formation, were on high alert. The father and son led their troops at full speed, and whenever they saw Tang soldiers ahead, they would fire whistling arrows, which prompted countless Shatuo cavalry to fire arrows in response.

These soldiers assigned to arduous tasks were often shot dead on the spot before they could even whistle a few times.

Even so, as the Shatuo cavalry continued to advance, the rebel army inside the camp still heard the whistles.

"Enemy attack!!"

"Dang Dang Dang..."

Suddenly, shouts erupted from the camp, and countless soldiers who were deep in sleep scrambled to their feet, completely bewildered as to what was happening.

They picked up their weapons, which were nothing more than rusty spears and short knives, or perhaps farm tools.

Upon hearing the whistle, the armored soldiers surrounding Wang Xianzhi's tent panicked and hurriedly put on their armor.

"General! General!"

Wang Xianzhi felt someone constantly pulling him. Just as he was about to open his eyes and curse, still half-drunk, he saw Bi Shiduo and Shang Rang pulling him along, saying, "Commander, enemy attack! Put on your armor quickly!!"

Wang Xianzhi was almost completely bewildered when the two of them pulled her up, and then she saw them frantically putting armor on her.

"on fire!!"

"The camp gate is blocked!"

As the surrounding noise grew louder, Wang Xianzhi's drunkenness suddenly subsided.

"Damn it, who's attacking?!"

"What are these soldiers doing?!"

Wang Xianzhi questioned the two men before him, and Shang Rang hurriedly replied, "I don't know, the government troops suddenly attacked outside the camp."

After donning their armor, the two immediately led dozens of armored soldiers to escort Wang Xianzhi out of the tent.

As they stepped out of their tent, they saw smoke rising in the distance, and hundreds of armored soldiers waiting outside their tent. These were all bandits who had followed Wang Xianzhi out of the Dabie Mountains.

"General, the camp gate is blocked. It's Shatuo cavalry, at least five or six thousand strong!"

Shang Jun rushed over and told Wang Xianzhi the latest military intelligence.

"You bastards, follow me and fight your way out!"

Wang Xianzhi was still a little dizzy, so when he learned that the enemy only had five or six thousand people, he instinctively wanted to fight his way out of the encirclement.

Fortunately, Bi Shiduo stopped him: "General, they have several thousand cavalrymen, and we have collected quite a few ships. Let's retreat directly along the Yu River!"

"That's right, General Jie! It's not too late to fight them after we join forces with Cao Shixiong!"

"General, let's retreat!"

"Commander, the fire is coming over!"

Wang Xianzhi looked over and saw countless rockets shooting into the camp from outside, setting fire to tent after tent.

Seeing the situation, Wang Xianzhi immediately said, "Let's retreat by boat!"

"Go!" Upon hearing his order, the crowd immediately surrounded him and charged towards the Yu River.

Countless soldiers rushed towards the Yu River along the way. When Wang Xianzhi and his men arrived, they saw tens of thousands of people gathered there, and hundreds of boats on the water had already been seized and sailed downstream.

The makeshift ferry crossing had fewer than a hundred boats, and they were still being looted by the mutinous soldiers.

"You damned bastards, get out of my way and give me the boat!"

Bi Shiduo led his troops to cut down the chaotic soldiers, while Shang Junzhang and Shang Rang led nearly a thousand armored soldiers to escort Wang Xianzhi.

At that moment, the sound of hooves came from behind, and countless cavalrymen were seen charging and fighting within the camp, carrying torches and throwing them away.

Torches lit up tent after tent, while the Shatuo cavalry slaughtered the unarmored soldiers.

"General, get on the ship quickly!"

Shang Rang, Monk Junzhang, and Bi Shiduo led their troops to kill many soldiers who were trying to seize the boats, and escorted Wang Xianzhi onto a stolen pleasure boat.

Seeing that he was safe, the three continued to lead their troops to kill the surrounding soldiers, seizing more than thirty boats in total, and sailed away from the ferry.

The chaos at the ferry crossing continued, with soldiers fighting for positions, while banners of the Xuanwu Army appeared on the shore.

"Uuuuuu——"

The Xuanwu army charged out from the burning tents, their straight formation forcing countless soldiers and refugees to retreat with their long spears.

Countless people fell into the Yu River; those who couldn't swim drowned, and those who could swim were swallowed by the waves due to exhaustion.

"Father, they escaped!"

Li Keyong rode up, carrying the command flag that Wang Xianzhi had brought from his tent.

"They didn't even take the command flag with them; they really are a rabble."

Li Guochang sneered on horseback, while Li Keyong said, "We have plenty of horses. After defeating them, we can head south for another battle."

“But these infantrymen can’t keep up.” Li Guochang frowned as he looked at the Xuanwu Army soldiers who were killing the rioters and refugees.

You should know that they marched to a place 30 miles east of Wang Xianzhi's camp last night and set out before dawn this morning. As a result, their cavalry arrived half an hour earlier, blocked the camp gate and fired fire arrows before they finally met the more than 10,000 Xuanwu Army infantrymen. Several thousand more fell behind.

Liu Zhan was still gathering the straggling remnants of his troops in the rear, leaving the battlefield to be commanded by them.

Fortunately, Wang Xianzhi's troops were a ragtag bunch, and the father and son launched a surprise attack without using any special tactics.

"Abandon them, let's head straight for the main rebel force!"

Li Keyong paid no attention to these Xuanwu Army infantrymen, and Li Guochang shook his head after hearing this:
“Envoy Liu has been kind to us, and we cannot be ungrateful. Let’s wait for Envoy Liu to arrive first, and then we can discuss this further.”

"Okay!" Li Keyong nodded in agreement.

In the eyes of the Shatuo people, loyalty was debatable, but morality was not; it was something that had to be done.

Before long, the Xuanwu army captured and killed all the tens of thousands of rebel soldiers, and Liu Zhan also arrived with more than four thousand straggling soldiers.

When he saw the camp burned to ruins and the soldiers who were slaughtered at Yushui, a smile suddenly appeared on his face.

"Excellent! This battle deserves the greatest credit from Commander Li, and I will certainly petition the court to award him the title!"

He had been plagued by Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao for nearly a year, and now that he had finally defeated the rebel army, he was naturally happy.

Upon hearing this, Li Guochang and Li Keyong immediately bowed in response, saying, "Your Excellency, rest assured, these bandits are nothing but a rabble and are no match for us at all."

"As long as we have enough money and supplies, we can head south right now and wipe out all the bandit groups in the south!"

"Good!" Liu Zhan said, "Half of the spoils from this battle will go to you, and half to the Xuanwu Army. When the court rewards us, 70% will go to you, and 30% to the Xuanwu Army. How about that?"

Liu Zhan's words made the father and son's eyes light up, and they quickly bowed, saying, "We are entirely at your disposal, Your Excellency!"

With the promise from the father and son, Liu Zhan immediately found a clean place, wrote down his memorial, and sent it to Chang'an.

When the fast horse galloped to Chang'an, the western border was remarkably peaceful compared to the chaos in the Central Plains.

As winter approached and snow fell in the north, the Longdao Road was cut off. Li Chengxun was transferred, and Zheng Tian took over the troops in Jingyuan, Longzhou, Guanzhong and other places.

The 20,000 Shence Army soldiers, who had been trained for less than half a year, were transferred to Luogu Pass. The 5,000 officers and soldiers from Fufang and the Left and Right Shenwu Armies were transferred to Huanghua County in Fengzhou. Zheng Tian also stationed 5,000 soldiers from Fengxiang at Sanguan Pass.

There were 30,000 soldiers stationed in the south of Guanzhong, and 60,000 soldiers stationed along the Longshan line, including soldiers from Jingyuan, Binning, Guandong, Hedong and other towns, as well as the Shence Army under Yang Gongqing and others.

The Tang Dynasty was indeed rich in resources; in less than three months, it mobilized another 90,000 troops to protect Guanzhong.

By the time the snow melts, it will be February of the following year, giving the troops ample time for training.

Compared to the north, the situation on the Sanchuan battlefield in the southern part of the western border is somewhat complicated.

After Liu Jilong led 20,000 troops to capture Jiangyou Pass and six counties in Mianzhou, he immediately stationed himself in Mianzhou. Meanwhile, Gao Pian gathered cavalry and infantry in the southern part of Luoshui. Both sides sent elite cavalry to fight continuously in Hanzhou.

After Li Fu retreated to Zizhou, he recruited and trained 5,000 soldiers. Gao Pian, on the other hand, was granted control of the Three Rivers by the court, and Wang Zhongren was sent to Shannan West Circuit to recruit soldiers in Bazhou and Yuzhou respectively.

On the 22nd, Molu Danzeng led 5,000 barbarian cavalry and 7,000 barbarian soldiers to Mianzhou, increasing Liu Jilong's forces from over 18,000 after the battle to 30,000.

In terms of troop strength, Liu Jilong had 30,000 troops against the entire Sanchuan region's approximately 70,000 soldiers. As for Gao Pian, he needed 20,000 troops to deal with the 100,000-strong Nanman army in the south, and 40,000 veteran soldiers and 30,000 new soldiers to deal with Liu Jilong's 30,000 troops.

The situation in Sanchuan remained stable for more than half a month under this stalemate.

Gao Pian was waiting for Liu Jilong to take the initiative, while Liu Jilong was waiting for the Han and non-Han armies to integrate and to appease the newly acquired territories under his command.

As time went by, the registration and land surveying in Qinzhou and Shuofang were completed.

Liu Jilong dealt with all the powerful local warlords and military leaders in the two prefectures, and the 220,000 people in the two towns and four prefectures were divided among millions of acres of arable land, which continued to be cultivated.

However, Liu Jilong did not use harsh methods to deal with the local powerful families and clans in Xingfeng, Yangmian and Xingyuan prefectures.

He had planned to deal with this group after the war was over, but unexpectedly, they took advantage of his kindness and came looking for him.

"Crack..."

Inside the county government office in Brazil, the crackling sound of the tea stove flames echoed continuously. Liu Jilong sat in the main seat, with three heads of prominent families from Mianzhou sitting in front of him.

Since Li Bing and his son built the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, the land of Bashu has enjoyed much peace and rarely suffered from war.

Although many aristocratic families perished before the Sui and Tang dynasties during the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, quite a few survived.

Among them, the Li, Yin, and Wang families are the largest, followed by the Jing, Feng, and Wen families.

The three people standing in front of Liu Jilong were Li Zhao, the head of the Li family; Yin Jie, the head of the Yin family; and Wen Tong, the head of the Wen family.

The other three families either fled to Zizhou with Li Fu, or were in Fucheng and Yanquan counties, which were under Li Fu's control.

Liu Jilong showed no kindness to these powerful families.

He didn't kill these people simply because he hadn't yet gained control of the entire Sanchuan region. Taking action rashly would only make it clear to the powerful families and clans of Sanchuan that he was not the only one to support Gao Pian in dealing with him.

“Since the commander recaptured Mianzhou, the three of us should have paid our respects to him immediately, but we were busy with clan affairs, so we were delayed.”

"This is a tribute from our three clans to the General, to assist you in governing Mianzhou. Please take a look..."

Li Zhao and the other two presented a document resembling a visiting card. Upon seeing this, one of the two generals waiting in the hall took one and handed it to Liu Jilong.

Liu Jilong opened it and took a look. He could only say that the family had a rich heritage. The so-called offering note contained not only grain, gold, silver and copper coins, but also many ancient books and paintings, as well as more than 5,000 acres of farmland.

A rough calculation shows that these items are worth no less than 100,000 strings of cash, and this is only the work of a prominent family in most of the state.

There were at least thirty prefectures like Mianzhou throughout the entire Tang Dynasty.

While this amount of money was a loss, it wasn't a serious blow. Liu Jilong had been reviewing the documents left behind in Mianzhou during this period. In terms of land alone, nearly a million acres of land in Mianzhou were in the hands of six powerful families and more than ten wealthy and powerful clans.

The common people not only had 40% of the land, but they also had to endure exploitation by officials and clerks from noble and commoner families.

In this day and age, local officials are mostly sons of noble families and commoners. They are naturally unlikely to exploit their own family businesses, so exploiting the people has become their means of accumulating wealth.

If it were just exorbitant taxes, the common people wouldn't be unable to survive. However, these officials and clerks usually taxed their own family's land as inferior land and the common people's land as superior land.

Doing so is tantamount to shifting the taxes that families should pay to the common people, making the common people pay the "tax of the rich" and the noble families pay the "tax of the poor".

They came to me probably because they wanted the positions of officials and clerks.

Liu Jilong closed the gift list and said calmly, "The gifts are nice, I'll accept them. Is there anything else, everyone?"

Seeing that Liu Jilong had accepted the gifts, the group breathed a sigh of relief and said with smiles, "We heard that the military governor was going to send officials south, but we think it is unnecessary."

"As long as the commander speaks, our hundreds of family members will immediately follow his lead!"

If the three men's words were heard by a ruler with no real foundation or a shrewd and ambitious leader, the group would naturally be pleased.

Whether it was the Han Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty, or the later Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, rulers needed to rely on local forces to collect taxes and govern the localities.

The hundreds of sons mentioned by Li Zhaosan represent hundreds of officials capable of writing, enough to govern two or three prefectures and a dozen or so counties.

Gaining their allegiance means the ruler will have hundreds more officials, and they will expand their family's power, influencing two or three prefectures and more than a dozen counties from one Mianzhou.

This is a win-win situation for both sides, so rulers often accept their allegiance.

The biggest difference between Zhu Yuanzhang and Li Zicheng is that the former knew which people to use at which stage, while the latter did not, or did not have enough time to use these people.

Logically speaking, Liu Jilong should have made use of these people, since his current civil administration capabilities seem insufficient to govern the entire country.

However, he had his own plans, and there were still a sufficient number of students from Longyou who had not yet been released, so he did not need to compromise.

"I am aware of your attitude. If there are any matters beyond my capabilities, I will entrust them to you."

Liu Jilong spoke calmly, and the three men smiled upon hearing this, quickly bowing and saying, "Yes..."

Seeing the three men smiling obsequiously, Liu Jilong immediately ordered his subordinates to prepare a meal. He then drank and feasted with the three men until midnight, after which Liu Jilong returned to the main hall.

He did not rest immediately, but went to his study and sat down, with blank books placed in front of him.

At the same time, Li Yangchun, who had been promoted to captain, entered with two soldiers and served Liu Jilong calming tea and some pastries.

Liu Jilong looked at him and saw that Li Yangchun's right arm was still wrapped in bandages, so he couldn't help but ask, "How is the injury?"

"Marshal Lao Jie is concerned; we'll be able to open it in another half month."

Li Yangchun answered respectfully, while the two soldiers put down their things and left the main hall.

After they left, Liu Jilong slowly spoke, "Have you all heard about what happened today?"

"I've heard some of it." Li Yangchun nodded, his posture just like the one he used to adopt in the classroom in Linzhou, as if he were a student being educated.

Liu Jilong nodded and said, "The world is too vast. With the resources of Longyou, it will be quite troublesome to govern it after it includes the Three Rivers."

"We must manage the relationship between these powerful families and the Protectorate. If we show our attitude too early, it may provoke resistance from powerful families across the country."

"As long as we endure for a while and wait until the world is at peace, we can do what we want to do."

"Yes!" Li Yangchun didn't ask any questions, but nodded in agreement.

He has his own opinions, but more often than not, he trusts Liu Jilong's ideas and opinions.

“These powerful families cannot be eliminated for the time being, but it is a fact that they occupy a large amount of land. If they are not eliminated, the common people will not be able to obtain land. What do you think we should do?”

Liu Jilong tested Li Yangchun, who replied, "As long as the officials are all our people and taxes are collected according to the actual situation, then we can use the collected taxes to encourage the people to cultivate wasteland."

"As you have seen, General, many lands in Mianzhou could be cultivated into high-quality paddy fields, but because of the government's heavy taxes and the exploitation by officials and clerks, the people have no money or grain to cultivate them."

“As long as you make a statement and distribute agricultural tools, and exempt newly reclaimed land from taxes for three years, the people will surely be able to cultivate countless plots of land.”

"However, the people have no food to cultivate, and many lands in Mianzhou are in the hands of powerful families, so the public land system of Longyou cannot be implemented."

"It would be better to lend grain to the people without charging any interest, while strictly prohibiting powerful families from taking advantage of the situation. This way, we can maintain the turnover of the government's treasury and encourage the people to cultivate wasteland."

"Once we take control of Sanchuan, we'll employ some tactics to arrest some powerful and influential families to set examples, but without offending them all."

"By enduring for a few years and waiting for the world to be at peace, it won't be too late to take action..."

Li Yangchun's words aligned with Liu Jilong's wishes, but given the current situation, what he needed to do was not merely to target a few exemplary cases, but to use the aristocratic families like Li Zhao who had surrendered to him to strike at those aristocratic families who supported the court, and to reclaim their land to redistribute among the people.

Liu Jilong did not intend to kill all these powerful and influential families; he had other uses for them.

He picked up his pen and wrote on the book, saying, "From the Xia and Shang dynasties to the present, every dynasty has been good at relocating nobles, powerful families, and wealthy people to the frontier, so as to expand the territory of the court."

"The same principle applies to the Zhou emperor's enfeoffment and the Qin and Han dynasties' forced relocation of powerful families to Lingnan, Hexi, and the four Han commanderies."

"Although the migration of powerful clans could quickly help the court gain a foothold on the frontier, these powerful clans would also usually hide their population."

"Most of the people who were subsequently relocated by the imperial court were gradually hidden away by this group of people."

"Therefore, to relocate these powerful families, we need not only methods but also means."

Migrating powerful families can help the court stabilize the local areas, but it can also easily lead to a situation where everyone rules a place during subsequent population migrations, and the people only know the head of the family and not the emperor.

To prevent powerful clans from seizing control of the land, the places they migrated to had to be easy to pacify, so as not to become too powerful to control.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, many powerful and influential families migrated to central Guizhou, but due to the lack of Han Chinese, they were all assimilated into the Yi people.

Even so, they were still able to occupy the territory and establish their own independent regime.

Among the four major chieftains of central Guizhou during the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the Yang family of Bozhou and the Tian family of Sizhou were chieftains who took root in central Guizhou during the Sui and Tang dynasties but were eventually subjugated.

They brought advanced technology to the barbarians of Qianzhong Road, but were eventually assimilated and even carved out their own territories.

Liu Jilong would never make such a mistake.

Powerful and influential families should focus their efforts on the Northwest and Northeast regions, while the Southwest should primarily serve the military, ordinary people, and respectable families.

However, before that, he still had to defeat Gao Pian and then take over Sanchuan.

"Where is the army from Hexi now?"

Liu Jilong spoke slowly, and Li Yangchun bowed upon hearing this: "The seven thousand troops from Hexi have now arrived in Shuofang."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jilong nodded and immediately made arrangements: "Send troops from Hexi south to garrison Xiaoguan and Qinzhou, and transfer two thousand elite cavalry from Xiaoguan south."

"We have enough food to last for three months. Within three months, we will break through Gao Pian!"

Liu Jilong put down his brush and looked at Li Yangchun.

Upon seeing this, Li Yangchun bowed and said, "This humble general obeys the order!"

He turned and walked out of the main hall, while the cavalry battle at the front continued.

The people of Hanzhou fled due to the war, some choosing to flee south and others north.

Upon learning this, Gao Pian ordered the people to be driven north, hoping to force Liu Jilong to engage in a decisive battle as soon as possible.

Liu Jilong remained calm and accepted all the fleeing people, ordering the distribution of grain, coarse cloth, and dried willow catkins to help them get through the winter.

Ten days later, the two thousand cavalrymen transferred from Xiaoguan to the south arrived in Mianzhou, and Liu Jilong immediately began to issue orders.

Zhang Chang returned to Brazil, leading 800 wounded soldiers, 2,000 infantry, and 3,000 barbarian soldiers to garrison one pass and six cities in Mianzhou.

Liu Jilong led two thousand elite cavalry to the front line at Shenquan County, where he assembled three thousand elite cavalry under Zhang Wu and Husi Guang, five thousand barbarian cavalry and seven thousand barbarian soldiers under Molu Danzeng, and three thousand cavalry and infantry and nine thousand Han soldiers under Geng Ming.

On the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, the three armies assembled outside Shenquan County in Mianzhou, totaling 10,000 elite Han and non-Han cavalry and 19,000 infantrymen.

"Screw rustle..."

It was noon, but the cold wind made many soldiers shiver.

The winter winds in the northwest are dry and fierce, like knives scraping your face.

The east wind in Jiannan Road is like cold water; it doesn't hurt or itch when it blows on your face, but it gets into your clothes and makes you shiver.

Nearly 30,000 troops and 20,000 laborers camped north of Neijiang River. Campfires were lit one after another, but they still could not dispel the chill.

"General, the weather is still a bit cold. Why don't we wait until spring to launch our attack?"

Inside the military camp, many generals followed Liu Jilong and couldn't help but offer their advice.

After hearing this, Liu Jilong stopped and looked at them, saying, "By spring, we won't have much time left."

"Few people fell ill during this trip south due to the change in environment, which is because it was winter."

"If we wait until spring, and soon it will turn to summer, there will be more people suffering from illness due to the change in environment, and our army will be defeated without a fight."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and continued walking towards the tent.

Along the way, one could see countless soldiers in battle coats setting up tents or carrying things. When they saw Liu Jilong, they all bowed and saluted.

Liu Jilong nodded in response and soon arrived at the tent. Inside the tent were three braziers, which made the atmosphere much more comfortable.

He took off his helmet and placed it on the armor rack, then turned to look at the sand table on the ground inside the tent.

The generals followed behind him, and Liu Jilong pointed with a wooden stick, saying:
"The three rivers are extremely hot, so we must defeat Gao Pian before summer arrives."

"We are currently in the northern part of Neijiang. If we continue south, we will encounter obstacles from the Mianshui, Luoshui, Yanshui, and Mengshui rivers before we can reach Chengdu."

“There aren’t many waterways north of the Yan River, mainly just these few major rivers. But after the Yan River, there’s a dense network of waterways to the south. Our cavalry will inevitably be restricted here.”

"Gao Pian positioned his army in Shifang, which is bordered by the Luo River to the north and the Yan River and Meng River to the south."

"He seems to be planning a decisive battle with us in Shifang, but once our army moves south, he will inevitably withdraw his troops to the rear of Mengshui."

Liu Jilong briefly described the hydrological conditions of the Chengdu Plain and then explained Gao Pian's intention.

After everyone heard this, Zhang Wu took the lead in checking and indeed found that the hydrological data on the sand table was correct. He couldn't help but say, "General, there's no need for us to fight him near Chengdu."

"It would be better to wait two more months until the snow in Longshan and Qinling melts, and then have Governor Gao, Governor Chen and Governor Cao lead their troops to attack Guanzhong."

"If the imperial court is attacked, it will inevitably urge Gao Pian to take the initiative to send troops. Even if Gao Pian doesn't want to send troops, he has no choice."

As Zhang Wu finished speaking, everyone nodded in agreement with what he said.

However, Liu Jilong shook his head after hearing this and pointed to Chengdu, saying, "Gao Pian is not as pedantic as you think. If we continue to drag this out, Gao Pian will definitely send cavalry to harass our farmland, causing our summer grain harvest to fail."

"Once our army runs out of food and retreats, he can use the summer to train the troops of Sanchuan, and then bring out an even stronger army to fight us in the autumn."

"That's why we need to act quickly."

Liu Jilong held the stick in his hand, his eyes blazing: "Isn't he just trying to lure us into the heart of Chengdu?"

"In that case, let's grant his wish!" He returned to his seat, turned to face the crowd, and declared, "Give the order!"

The generals bowed and awaited orders.

"Husiguang and Meiludanzeng, you two will lead two thousand elite cavalry and two thousand barbarian cavalry as vanguard scouts to the south to scout out the enemy's situation. Under no circumstances should you cross the Meng River."

"Your subordinates obey the order!" Husiguang and Merudanzeng bowed and responded.

Liu Jilong observed Lu Danzeng to confirm that he had no ulterior motives before continuing to issue orders.

"Zhang Wu, you will command three thousand cavalry and three thousand infantry as the vanguard."

"Your subordinate obeys!"

"Geng Ming and Wei Gonglu, you two will command 9,000 infantrymen and 7,000 barbarian soldiers as the rear guard."

"The last general takes command!"

Seeing that everyone bowed in agreement, Liu Jilong continued, "I will personally lead three thousand elite cavalry to guard the central army."

"Yes!!"

Everyone readily agreed. Liu Jilong raised his head slightly and said with a slight smirk, "Zhang Wu, write a letter for me and send it to Suo Xun."

“For the sake of our past working together, if he is willing to surrender, I am willing to protect his wealth and status.”

"If he doesn't want to surrender and insists on following Gao Pian to fight against me, then we'll have to meet on the battlefield."

"In addition, write a letter to Gao Pian in my name."

“Tell him that I know he is preparing to fight me in Chengdu, and that he is no match for me. This was true more than ten years ago, and it is true now.”

"Yes!!" Zhang Wu bowed in response. Seeing this, Liu Jilong continued:
"Order the three armies to break camp and march south tomorrow. We will not turn back until we have captured Chengdu!"

"Yes!!"

The generals took their leave and rode swiftly south. Half a day later, the swift horse met the cavalry of Xichuan and, from a distance of more than a hundred paces, shot an arrow carrying a letter.

After the cavalrymen from Xichuan picked up the letter, they saw that it was written in Liu Jilong's own handwriting. They dared not delay and immediately sent it to the main camp, where it was handed over to Gao Pian.

Gao Pian had the letter read aloud, and when he heard Liu Jilong say that he was no match for him, before the generals could react, Gao Pian burst into hearty laughter and said:

“In the past, I was no match for him, but I was controlled by the court. Now, the three rivers belong to me. Even if Liu Jilong brings all the troops of Longxi, he will not be a match for me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he stood up, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist, and scanned the generals in the tent.

"My army has over 30,000 men, and he also leads an army of over 30,000. What is there to fear?"

"Seeing his arrogance, I know that pride comes before a fall, and my army is destined to win!"

"Yes!!"

The generals inside the tent all rose and bowed in salute. Gao Pian's eyes blazed: "Issue the order!"

"Order Li Fu to send troops to harass the three counties of Luojiang, Shenquan, and Baxi on the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month."

"Don't panic about the important task of commanding the king. Just focus on training the troops in Bazhou."

"Order Su Xun to lead his troops back to Shifang, and Sun Gaoxun of Baima Pass to lead 5,000 troops back to Chengdu. Then send my handwritten letter to Generals Zhang Lin and Lin Ruzhen, and have them act according to the letter."

"Once the three armies have retreated, let's see how Liu Jilong behaves."

"Didn't he say he already knew what I wanted to do? Let's see if he dares to come south to Chengdu and confront me."

"Receive the order!!" The generals shouted in unison, and countless fast horses galloped off in all directions.

Within three days, all armies received orders, and the troops from Xichuan withdrew from Chengdu. Liu Jilong also led his army across the Neijiang River and headed south to Chengdu.

The Neijiang River, which is 20 zhang wide, and the Mianshui River, which is 40 zhang wide, were crossed one after another.

Husiguang and Moludanzeng led their troops to Mianzhu, but apart from tens of thousands of civilians, Mianzhu was completely deserted.

Liu Jilong dispatched 500 infantrymen and 1,000 barbarian soldiers to garrison Mianzhu, and continued his southward march.

At noon, Zhang Wu sent word that the troops at Baima Pass and Deyang had all withdrawn.

At dusk, Zhang Wu led his vanguard across the Luo River and divided his troops to head towards Luoxian, Shifang, and Mengyang. All three cities were empty, and Zhang Wu then occupied them.

Liu Jilong led the central and rear armies to garrison north of Luoshui, marching more than sixty li in a single day.

When the news reached Gao Pian, he had already led his army to retreat to Xipu County, more than seventy li away, with Pixian County to his left and Chengdu to his right.

The numerous rivers branching off from the Yangtze (Minjiang) form a network that surrounds the area within a hundred miles of Chengdu, making it impossible for cavalry to roam freely even if they entered it.

"The army in Longyou is indeed as strong as ever."

"Judging from their speed, it's not a problem for cavalry to travel 120 li a day, even cavalry can travel 100 li, and infantry can travel at least 70 li."

Inside the tent, Gao Pian stood in front of the sand table, pointing and gesturing. Behind him followed Liang Zuan, but Zhang Lin and Lin Ruzhen were nowhere to be seen.

Gao Pian had been training his troops in Xichuan for quite some time, but he believed that his troops were still not as fast as those in Longyou.

Judging from their marching speed, there was still a certain gap in the quality of the troops on both sides.

Liang Zuan also noticed the difference in strength between the two sides, so after thinking it over, he took the initiative to speak:

"General, at this rate, Liu Jilong's troops will arrive in Chengdu by noon the day after tomorrow at the latest."

Upon hearing this, Gao Pian nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the sand table.

"Tomorrow they should cross the Luo River, head south, cross the Yan River, and reach the north bank of the Meng River."

"Once they cross the Meng River the day after tomorrow, Zhang Lin and his men can set off."

At this point, Gao Pian narrowed his eyes slightly. Liang Zuan, seeing this, was still somewhat worried: "General, although our army has restricted the rebel cavalry, the rebel infantry is just as numerous."

"If Zhang Dalang and his men fail, then the pressure will be on our shoulders."

"If, if..."

“There are no ifs!” Gao Pian interrupted him, his gaze turning cold as he looked at the sand table.

He raised his hand and used a stick to knock down the command flag with the character "Liu" written on it. Looking at the fallen flag, he calmly said:
"As long as we defeat Liu Jilong here, the entire Three Rivers region will be ours. Then we can wipe out the Southern Barbarians, and the power will be in our hands!"

"Only if I control the three rivers can the Tang Dynasty continue to exist!"

(End of this chapter)