Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 416 A Voice Shakes the Three Rivers (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"General, is this Huiling?"

"General, do you have any connection with Liu Bei?"

"General, you said you all have the surname Liu, could it be that you're all from the same family?"

"If the military commander is indeed a descendant of Emperor Gaozu, then he must be a descendant of Emperor Gaozu, right?"

On the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, as Gao Pian retreated to Shuzhou, Liu Jilong appointed Zhang Wu to lead 8,000 Han and Fan troops to conquer Dongchuan and Shannan West Road. At the same time, Liu Jilong also went to Chengdu and saw the Huiling Mausoleum and Wuhou Temple of this era outside Chengdu.

Huiling is the tomb of Liu Bei. Although it has experienced more than 600 years of ups and downs, it still maintains the layout of covering an area of ​​three mu and having a mound of earth four zhang high. It also has relics such as a screen wall, a mountain gate, and a spirit path.

Yesterday, after Zhang Wu led his troops eastward to conquer Dongchuan, Liu Jilong captured several counties west of Xipu before arriving in Chengdu today.

Before they even entered Chengdu, Liu Jilong first came to see the Huiling Mausoleum from this era.

During this era, Huiling Mausoleum and Wuhou Temple existed in two separate locations, but in later generations they were combined into one.

Liu Jilong no longer remembered the specific historical reasons, but that did not stop him from offering incense to Emperor Zhaolie of Han.

Inside the Temple of Emperor Zhaolie of Han, Liu Bei's tablet is placed in the main position, with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei on his left and right sides.

The temple was not large, built of blue bricks and topped with tiles. There was a fair amount of incense on the altar, but most of the fruits and vegetables on display were rotten.

As Liu Jilong respectfully offered incense, Husiguang, Geng Ming, and Wei Gongluo chattered behind him, constantly speculating about the relationship between Liu Jilong and the Liu family.

After offering incense, Liu Jilong turned to the three men with a helpless expression and said, "My ancestors were all Bai, and from my father to my grandfather, we were all slaves. Why bother making connections?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked up and walked outside, the three of them following behind him saying:

"General, that's not right. Back when Liu Pi rebelled, he claimed to be a descendant of the Liu family, and as a result, he gained a lot of support. Why don't you follow suit?"

"There's no need for this frivolous claim to be an ancestor."

Liu Jilong interrupted them and then walked towards the Wuhou Temple, which is west of the Han Zhaolie Temple.

Although the two are not far apart, the Wuhou Temple is undoubtedly much larger than the Han Zhaolie Temple, which is not very large.

The Wuhou Temple covers an area of ​​nearly ten acres and is a popular place of worship. People from nearby villages also come to clean it voluntarily.

Upon entering the Wuhou Temple, one sees a huge incense burner in the courtyard, filled with countless burnt incense sticks.

Liu Jilong didn't look around, but went straight to the main hall of the sacrificial ceremony, where he saw a clay statue.

Unlike the later depictions of figures with feather fans and silk turbans, this statue's attire is primarily in the Tang Dynasty style, indicating that it was created not too long ago.

This clay sculpture has a kind and benevolent face, with eyes that seem to express the compassion of a deity for mortals. Its features are somewhat thin, unlike the robust figures of other sculptures from the same era.

Three portions of seasonal fruit were laid out on the altar, looking very fresh, which showed how much respect and worship the people around them had for it.

Liu Jilong took three long incense sticks from the table, bowed respectfully, lit them, and then sighed:
"If I had the Prime Minister's assistance, this great undertaking would have been accomplished long ago..."

His words were sincere. There were many capable ministers in the late Tang Dynasty, but few strategists with a broad vision and capable administrators who could stabilize the region.

Li Deyu was one, but he had already died.

If the Tang Dynasty had had a few Li Deyus, Liu Jilong probably wouldn't have been able to develop it.

As his territory gradually expanded, Liu Jilong began to feel overwhelmed.

Although people like An Pohu and Zhang Wu have emerged to share the burden, they are only good at military affairs, not at governing local areas or planning.

In Longyou, Liu Jilong still had to handle most things personally or provide guidance.

If he had a civil official like Zhuge Liang, he wouldn't have to work so hard.

After a silent sigh, Liu Jilong led his men out of the Wuhou Temple, which was located not far from the South Market outside Chengdu.

When You Shilong led his troops in a surprise attack on Nanshi, he almost razed Nanshi to the ground.

Later, when Gao Pian rebuilt the city wall, he renovated the South Market, which now has 722 shops and 32 taverns, and can accommodate more than 20,000 people to shop together.

Besides the South Market, there are other markets near Chengdu, such as the Silk Market, Grass Market, and Vegetable Market, located outside the city.

In peaceful times, tens of thousands of vegetable farmers, mulberry farmers, and silkworm farmers set up stalls in the three markets every day to sell their produce.

Near Longquan Mountain to the east, some powerful families even rented out mountain peaks and erected bamboo fences to raise poultry, which can be considered a Tang Dynasty version of a poultry farm.

At this moment, Liu Jilong entered the South Market under the escort of more than a hundred elite cavalrymen. He saw that the South Market was mostly made of earth and wood with tiled roofs, and the walls were painted white lime, making it look very prosperous.

Many people on the street were walking with their heads down. When they saw Liu Jilong's group, they immediately walked close to the wall.

Liu Jilong looked at their clothes; most of them were dressed in silk, indicating they were very wealthy.

However, such people are always a minority. In the few shops that are open on the street, there are still a large number of shop assistants dressed in coarse linen clothes.

They cautiously peeked at Liu Jilong and his group, while many others hid on the second floor and watched without opening the door.

The Longyou army was disciplined and did not disturb the people, but the military atmosphere of that era was too corrupt.

Many troops initially appear to be disciplined, but their true colors are revealed within two days.

Therefore, the number of ordinary people who dare to open their doors and do business is always still a minority.

"Chengdu is so prosperous, it's almost as rich as Didao!"

On horseback, Wei Gonglu and others began to speak, and Geng Ming and the others nodded in agreement.

Having already witnessed the prosperity of Chengdu, Husi Guang laughed and said, "This is only the South Market outside the city; we haven't even entered the city yet."

The group passed through the South Market and soon appeared south of the stone bridge over the moat.

What unfolds before us is the city of Chengdu, which is five li long on one side, twenty-five li in circumference, and nearly three zhang high, and is entirely made of rammed earth and brick.

The original city of Chengdu was not this large, but after Gao Pian took over Xichuan, he mobilized more than 100,000 Chengdu residents and spent nearly a year expanding the city's area five times.

In order to deal with Liu Jilong, who might move south, he also rebuilt the granaries and warehouses in the city and laid blue bricks on the city walls.

Unfortunately, Liu Jilong didn't even have to attack the city before he captured Chengdu, the city that Gao Pian had painstakingly built.

There are eight city gates, each two zhang high, with gate towers. The passageway is three zhang deep, which also represents the thickness of the city wall.

It's not hard to imagine how much manpower and resources Gao Pian spent building this city wall, but now it all benefits Liu Jilong.

As you enter the passageway, you are greeted by a scene of "layered city walls filled with magnificent houses, and trees standing tall and green in the dead of winter".

Both sides of the main road are lined with low walls and tall brick and tile houses.

There are hibiscus trees every few steps along the road, and even though it is the dead of winter, they are still green.

"Chengdu, a city opened up by the heavens, is a picture of thousands of households and gates."

"Yangzhou is first, Yizhou is second, truly living up to its reputation..."

Although Liu Jilong had seen many ancient cities and towns in later generations and had seen many cities in Longyou, he had never seen a city as magnificent and wealthy as Chengdu.

There were many charcoal sellers pushing carts on the streets, as well as hurried people and elite cavalry from Longyou patrolling the streets.

The wide road, spanning fifteen zhang (approximately 33 meters), made the view exceptionally expansive.

Compared to the South Market outside the city, there seemed to be more people on the streets inside the city, and most of them were wearing robes made of silk or even satin.

People in Chengdu rarely look pale and sickly, because there is no shortage of jobs in the city.

Because of its developed economy and proximity to granaries, Chengdu could accommodate a large population, which in turn led to the flourishing of industries such as silk, papermaking, Buddhist artifacts, lacquerware, printing, and porcelain.

Hundreds of workshops represent goods worth tens of millions of yuan transported annually along the Minjiang River to regions such as Nanman, Shannan East Road, and Qianzhong Road.

The saying "There is one craftsman in every ten households" describes Chengdu during this period, and the development of these industries also meant that Chengdu's tax revenue was not low.

If it weren't for the fact that the eunuchs of the Northern Bureau had planted a large number of people here, and that countless clerks hadn't embezzled funds, the commercial tax revenue of Chengdu alone would have been quite substantial.

"Chengdu is indeed a prosperous city."

"Damn it, I'm thinking of staying here."

"Why are all the women here so beautiful and delicate?"

Even many high-ranking officers and captains in the ranks couldn't help but stick their heads out.

Many graceful women on the street rode horses or mules, wearing high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and veils.

A veil is a hat made by attaching a sheer gauze to the brim of a hat and letting it hang down to cover the whole body. It is more like a straw hat with a thin veil sewn on, so that people can see the other person's face but feel a sense of haziness.

Upon seeing this group of women, Liu Jilong's first reaction was not to admire their beauty, but to look at Husi Guang.

"How many powerful and influential families are there in Chengdu, and how many of them are leading the resistance?"

Upon hearing this, Husi Guang bowed and said, "Of the thirty-two families, only twelve can be called aristocratic families; the rest are powerful clans and commoners."

"After I led my troops into the city, seventeen powerful families resisted, and all of them were executed, and their family members were imprisoned in their mansions."

"In addition, the heads of two other families committed suicide for their country, but their families did not do anything outrageous."

"The remaining thirteen families sent gifts after I suppressed the rebellion. I kept all of these gifts in the Chengdu government office and did not take a single penny."

"These women riding horses and mules on the streets are basically the daughters of these thirteen powerful and aristocratic families."

After Husiguang explained, Liu Jilong nodded and shook the reins, and their group undoubtedly attracted the attention of everyone on the street.

Many scions of prominent families had seen Husi Guang before, so when they saw Husi Guang following behind Liu Jilong, they all guessed Liu Jilong's identity.

"That's Commander Liu?"

"I heard he came from a stable boy background, how could he have built such a successful business?"

"I've heard of his outstanding appearance, and seeing it today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved."

"How old is this Commander Liu?"

"I heard there are thirty-four."

"She doesn't look like it; she looks more like she's in her late twenties."

"Woman, keep your voice down. If you are heard, you will inevitably be scolded."

"Judging from their strict military discipline, it shouldn't be like that, right?"

The people on both sides of the street were talking, while Husiguang and Gengming were on guard around them.

Fortunately, Liu Jilong always wore armor, and the road was wide, so even if someone attacked from the shadows, it would be difficult to break through his armor.

Upon learning of Liu Jilong's appearance, the number of people on the street gradually increased, while Liu Jilong's expression remained unchanged, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings.

He wasn't afraid of being assassinated; in fact, he would be very happy if someone did.

If someone were to assassinate him, it would mean he could openly confiscate the wealth of several powerful and influential families.

Unfortunately, after traveling two miles, he did not encounter any assassination attempts and arrived safely at the Chengdu government office.

The Chengdu Prefectural Government Office occupies more than 20 acres of land. Its layout is no different from that of an ordinary county government office, except that it has many more government offices and pavilions for strolling.

The main hall features extremely long brackets and eaves. The hall is six zhang high, fifteen zhang wide from east to west, and ten zhang deep. The overall scale is grand, the momentum is imposing, the shape is beautiful, the style is solemn and dignified, the structure is neat but not rigid, the beauty is not delicate, the layout is relaxed but not ostentatious, the style is simple but full of vitality, which is very much in line with the spirit of the Tang Dynasty.

Unfortunately, the glorious Tang Dynasty has passed, and the late Tang Dynasty is about to cease to exist.

The main hall was built about a hundred years ago, so the overall style is still mainly from the Tang Dynasty. You need to take off your shoes to enter and avoid getting the mats dirty with the mud on your boots.

Seeing this, Liu Jilong looked at Husiguang and said, "Bring some chairs over."

"Yes!" Husi Guang hurriedly sent someone to do it, and soon the soldiers stationed there replaced the mats with chairs.

Liu Jilong walked up to the head seat and sat down, placing his helmet on the table in front of him. Husiguang and the others also took their seats one after another.

Seeing that they had all sat down, Liu Jilong then turned his attention to the documents on the table.

"Tell the cook to prepare the meal. If you have other matters to attend to, please leave first. I'd like to review these documents."

"Yes!"

The crowd responded, but no one left; they all kept watching Liu Jilong.

Liu Jilong flipped through these compiled documents in Chengdu Prefecture and got a general understanding of the situation in Chengdu Prefecture and several prefectures north of the Yangtze River.

Among the three rivers, the Chengdu Plain is the most important agricultural area, and among these, the four prefectures north of the Yangtze River account for about 70% of the arable land.

The seven prefectures south of the Yangtze River occupy only 30% of the 800-li plain of Chengdu.

That's why Liu Jilong didn't relentlessly pursue Gao Pian.

This was not only because he needed Gao Pian to defend him against You Shilong's invasion, but more importantly because Longyou had already taken control of the largest agricultural region in the Three Rivers region.

Once these four prefectures are consolidated, the Longyou army can sweep across the Three Rivers region.

However, if he rashly annihilated Gao Pian's troops, not to mention the casualties of his own troops, Lu Ruyue and Gao Pian's son Gao Qin and others in the south would very likely abandon the two prefectures of Li and Rong and flee to the western route of Shannan.

If You Shilong were to lead his troops north, not only would the southern gateway to western Sichuan be lost, but the battle line would also be pushed to Shuzhou, south of the Yangtze River (Minjiang River), resulting in more losses than gains.

It would be better to drive Gao Pian to the south and take the opportunity to send officials and troops south from the north. When spring comes, the officials and troops will come south and govern the Xichuan prefectures well. Then, by autumn of the following year, the entire Sanchuan region can be annexed.

Thinking this, Liu Jilong also saw the end of the map and saw that Chengdu Prefecture, Mianzhou, Pengzhou and Hanzhou had more than 107,600 hectares of land, which is more than 10,760,000 mu.

Given the sheer number of acres, especially considering it was from the Huichang era when the land was copied from old records, it's clear how vast the quantity was.

However, with so much land, similar to that of Mianzhou, forty percent belonged to self-cultivating farmers, thirty percent was seized by eunuchs and military generals of the Northern Division, and the remaining thirty percent was occupied by powerful local magnates in various prefectures and counties.

It can be said that after capturing the four prefectures of Xichuan, the land tax revenue of Longyou alone doubled, not to mention the commercial taxes from mulberry fields and textile industries.

In addition, the old records of the four prefectures show a population of over 300,000 households, totaling 1.74 million people.

The seven southern states together have a population of just over 600,000 and a land area of ​​just over 4 million mu.

After getting a general idea of ​​the land and population he controlled, Liu Jilong could smell the aroma of meat.

He put down the map and looked up, and sure enough, he saw more than ten soldiers carrying wooden trays into the hall, where they laid out food and meat.

Two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, along with a small bucket of white rice, were placed in front of me, making my mouth water.

Upon seeing this, Liu Jilong immediately looked up and scanned the crowd before asking Husi Guang, "How are the brothers' meals arranged?"

Upon hearing this, Husi Guang bowed and said, "This humble general has taken it upon himself to allocate five thousand strings of cash to buy a thousand sheep and enough rice to reward the troops."

"Where are the confiscation records of those seventeen households?" Liu Jilong continued to ask, and then Husi Guang came forward to find the records for him, as well as the tax records sent from the Chengdu Treasury and various prefectures.

Opening the register, the confiscated property of the seventeen families was undoubtedly exceptionally rich, including not only 1.26 million mu of farmland, but also 980,000 strings of cash, as well as silk and other goods with a value of no less than 2 million strings of cash.

The warehouses of Chengdu Prefecture and the other three prefectures still contained more than 336,000 strings of cash, more than 200,000 bolts of silk and more than 7,000 bolts of Shu brocade, and more than 300,000 shi of grain.

Upon seeing this, Liu Jilong immediately ordered, "Allocate 700,000 strings of cash to reward the army, and transport the remaining money and silk to Linzhou."

"In addition, we will order Yu Conghui, Wang Tao, Ren Ze and other brokers who previously relied on us to sell these goods, and give them 20% of the profits to make up for the loss of their family property that was confiscated by the court."

"It would be best to confiscate all the residences of those Northern Army officials and generals..."

Before Liu Jilong could finish speaking, Husiguang bowed and said, "General, the families of Gao Pian and the others are still in Chengdu Prefecture."

His words made Liu Jilong pause, and then he asked, "Did Gao Pian have any other children?"

"No, but there are several concubines in the mansion."

Husiguang explained, adding, "However, many of his generals' wives, concubines, and children live in his residence."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jilong's eyes lit up, and he then said, "Confiscate their property, but leave their mansions for them to live in, as well as that of Sun Gaoxun."

"They should not be given less food on a regular basis; these people will be useful in the future."

"Yes!" Husiguang replied, and then Liu Jilong continued, "Xichuan needs someone to be in charge. Yishan once served in Dongchuan, so he will surely be able to adapt to the climate of Xichuan."

"Issue the order to change the Liangzhou Governor's Office to the Hexi Governor's Office, with the Xichuan Governor's Office controlling Xichuan and the Dongchuan Governor's Office controlling Dongchuan. The Longnan Governor's Office will be abolished and replaced by the Shannan Governor's Office, and the Longxi Governor's Office will be renamed the Longyou Governor's Office."

"Li Shangyin was appointed as the Chief Administrator of the Western Sichuan Governor's Office and concurrently the Eastern Sichuan Governor's Office; Zhang Wu was appointed as the Governor of Western Sichuan; Chen Jingchong was appointed as the Governor of Shannan; Geng Ming was appointed as the Governor of Eastern Sichuan; and Chen Ying was appointed as the Chief Administrator of the Shannan Governor's Office."

"Husiguang, you will stay with me for now."

With just a few words, Liu Jilong changed the jurisdiction of several governorates, and Husi Guang was kept by Liu Jilong's side. Husi Guang had no objection to this, and everyone bowed and greeted him.

After finishing his own story about Longyou, Liu Jilong looked at Wei Gongluo.

Since Lu Danzeng didn't go with Zhang Wu to conquer Dongchuan, he can only communicate with Wei Gongluo now.

"After the spring, someone ordered 200,000 shi of grain to be transported to Duokang, and the grain that had been owed before was wiped out."

"In addition, the barbarian soldiers who lost their battles will be compensated with 20 shi of grain, 1 dan of sugar, and 10 dan of tea."

"You may take 10,000 sets of armor with you from this battle."

"You can lead your troops back to Dokang next February."

Liu Jilong's words brought a look of joy to Wei Gongluo's face: "Thank you for your generous reward, General!"

Liu Jilong nodded in response, and then he and the others buried themselves in their food.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, he dismissed the others, leaving only Geng Ming and Hu Siguang.

At this moment, he composed himself and asked with a solemn expression, "How many brothers were lost in this battle?"

Husiguang and Gengming bowed upon hearing this. Gengming spoke first, saying, "In the process of recovering Chengdu and the remaining three prefectures and twenty counties, plus the battle at Xipu, a total of 3,294 brothers were killed, 752 brothers were left behind, and 2,452 horses were lost, including about 4,000 riding and draft horses."

"In addition, the Tibetan army in Dokham lost 3,252 men and 2,322 horses."

Seeing that Geng Ming had spoken first, Hu Siguang added, "Our army has killed and captured 19,457 soldiers from the Western Sichuan army, and seized countless armor, weapons, and supplies."

The Xichuan army, which Gao Pian had painstakingly trained, was indeed formidable. After this battle, Longyou suffered 4,000 casualties, and Duokang suffered more than 3,200 casualties.

Although nearly 20,000 enemy soldiers were killed or wounded, the ratio was less than one to three.

However, after this battle, Gao Pian probably wouldn't have much time to hone his Xichuan army, while the troops from Longyou continued to arrive in large numbers and their quality was getting better and better.

Putting aside everything else, just consider the tens of thousands of soldiers currently training in Longyou. They are mostly students who have undergone five or ten years of education and training. Compared to the old soldiers who have only received literacy instruction, they are easier to organize. What they lack is only the tempering of iron and blood.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong nodded and said, "Although we have a large population and better soldiers in Longyou, we cannot only look at Longyou."

“Once the new recruits are transferred to Xichuan, Geng Ming, you and Zhang Wu can use the new recruits from Longyou to lead the new recruits from Xichuan and Dongchuan to expand the army.”

"Given the situation in Sanchuan, at least 80,000 troops would be needed to firmly control Sanchuan."

"Yes!" Geng Ming nodded in response, bowing as he said:

"Commander, many of the veterans are fugitives from Xichuan and Dongchuan."

"This humble general thinks it would be better to leave them behind and recruit soldiers directly, what do you think?"

"If literacy is needed, then we can simply order the officials who will come south next year to teach them literacy."

After Geng Ming finished speaking, Liu Jilong nodded after a moment's thought and said, "You and Zhang Wu can handle this matter."

“Li Fu is incompetent, and Dongchuan will soon fall into our hands in Longyou. If we can also take over a few more prefectures and counties in Shannan West Circuit, that would be the best.”

"Yes!" Geng Ming bowed in response, and then Liu Jilong waved for them to leave.

The two respectfully left the place, while Liu Jilong went to the main hall of the government office to rest.

While he was resting, Zhang Wu was leading his troops to attack Dongchuan and seize territory. Meanwhile, Shannan East Road, thousands of miles away from Sanchuan, was also bustling with activity.

"Sorry..."

"Check everything carefully, make sure no thief escapes!"

In the bleak wind, the Han River, tinged with turbid blood, meandered eastward with countless floating corpses.

Broken bamboo spears lay scattered in the silt on the east bank of the Han River. The remains of coarse cloth and hemp clothing were piled up in layers to form a gentle slope. Several corpses that had not yet stiffened undulated with the current, entangled in the drooping branches of withered willows on the bank.

"Screw rustle..."

The soft rustling of armor scales rubbing together echoed among the piles of corpses as Xuanwu soldiers used their spears to pry open one body after another.

Among these people were the elderly, the weak, children, and women, but now they were all lifeless, leaving only corpses and a tattered banner with the crookedly written word "Balances" on it.

"Sorry..."

"These peasants are surprisingly fast; they can run this fast even while wearing armor."

"Hmph, if it weren't for the lack of horse feed, we would have caught up with them and slaughtered them long ago."

Hooves trampled the dry grass as thousands of cavalrymen, bearing the banner of "Shatuo," slowly made their way north from the south. Each rider's horse was strapped with blood-stained and tattered lamellar armor.

As they passed through the battlefield, they dismounted and began cleaning up the area, leaving no item unsold.

Li Guochang and Li Keyong broke away from the group and headed north towards Yicheng.

The distance of three or five miles was only a quarter of an hour, and the father and son, along with their entourage, arrived outside the city.

At this time, Yicheng County was in ruins, with laborers carrying corpses and the bodies of the Taiping Army led by Wang Xianzhi everywhere outside the city.

The two did not linger, but rode into the city and dismounted outside the county government office shortly afterward.

When they entered the county government office, Liu Zhan, the military governor of Xuanwu Army, was studying a sand table with several generals of Xuanwu Army.

Upon seeing Li Guochang and his companion arrive, Liu Zhan immediately put on a smiling face: "Haha, Dexing, you and your son are back?"

Li Guochang stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Excellency, these bandits are fast travelers and have already fled to Yingzhou."

"However, the ships in Yingzhou have long been destroyed, so they can't cause any trouble. We will definitely be able to annihilate them in Yingzhou."

"Good, good, good..." Liu Zhan nodded happily, and then said, "I have already reported your achievements to the court. That traitor Wang's few thousand remaining troops will surely not escape your hands."

"Once the bandit king is pacified, our army will advance eastward to quell the bandit Huang. The court should then send the rewards to you and your son, Dexing."

Liu Zhan's words pleased Li Guochang and his son Li Keyong greatly. In the past few days, they defeated Wang Xianzhi in three battles, reducing Wang Xianzhi's army of over 100,000 to only a few thousand.

If they can encircle and annihilate Wang Xianzhi in Yingzhou, they will be rewarded with great merit, and the position of Defense Commissioner of Datong will undoubtedly belong to him and his son.

Before the father and son could speak, hurried footsteps sounded outside the yamen. A general approached excitedly and, before even entering the main hall, bowed and said:

"Your Excellency, news has come from Henan Province that Commander Kang led his army to attack Mount Tai. Pang Xun was killed in battle during his breakout attempt, and his troops were all slaughtered by the attacking army. Henan has thus been pacified!"

"Good, good, good!" Upon hearing that Pang Xun, who had caused chaos for many years, had been executed, Liu Zhan couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Li Guochang and Li Keyong, who were originally very happy, couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency at this moment.

"Prime Minister, when will my master march south to quell the rebellion?"

Li Guochang bowed and inquired. Upon seeing this, Liu Zhan stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "Dexing, there's no rush. The three armies can rest for one night and set off the day after tomorrow."

"Yes……"

Li Guochang was somewhat unwilling, but he thought that one day wouldn't make much difference, so he immediately left the yamen with Li Keyong.

Over the next day, Liu Zhan dispatched Xuanwu troops and laborers to clear away tens of thousands of corpses from the Yicheng battlefield. Only then did he assemble his troops the following day to prepare for a southward march.

However, on the way south, a group of hurried cavalrymen came chasing from behind. Liu Zhan reined in his horse and frowned, asking, "What's the matter with such a hurry?"

"Reporting to the Envoy..." Tang Qi swallowed hard several times, clearing his throat before hurriedly saying:
"An urgent report from Xichuan has reached the north: Governor Gao's army has been defeated in Chengdu, and the rebel army has captured Chengdu Prefecture..."

"What did you say?!" Liu Zhan's pupils constricted, and the generals of Xuanwu Army behind him, as well as Li Guochang and his son, couldn't help but exchange glances.

Gao Pian's record was far more impressive than Wang Shi's, but now Liu Jilong not only defeated Wang Shi, but also Gao Pian, and seized Chengdu Prefecture.

Chengdu was one of the four secondary capitals of the Tang Dynasty. The fall of Chengdu was a crime that, if committed by an ordinary official, would be enough to result in dismissal and demotion to commoner status.

"The loss of Chengdu Prefecture means that the Three Rivers region is in grave danger."

Liu Zhan frowned deeply; he naturally understood what the loss of Sanchuan meant.

If Sanchuan is lost, his troops will definitely be transferred to Kuimen to garrison, or at the very least to Yiling, so as to stop the rebels from going down the river and attacking Shannan East Road and Jiangnan East and West Roads.

Thinking of this, he abandoned his usual composure and said sternly, "The army is marching south, and we must capture and kill Wang Xianzhi before New Year's Day!"

"Yes!!" The generals responded in unison, and then led an army of more than 20,000 men, composed of Shatuo and Xuanwu troops, to pursue Wang Xianzhi to the south.

As soon as Liu Zhan learned of the loss of Chengdu Prefecture, a fast horse also sent the news to Chang'an.

The court officials were urgently summoned to the Xuanzheng Hall, and Li Cui hurriedly stepped down from his palanquin and went straight up to the Golden Terrace.

"Living for tens of millions of years..."

The officials bowed in greeting, but Li Cui's face was gloomy, as were Xu Shang, Yu Cong, and Lu Yan from the Southern Court.

In front of his ministers, Li Cui calmly said, "An urgent report from Sanchuan: Liu Jilong led his army to defeat Gao Qianli at Xipu and captured Chengdu. Chengdu Prefecture, as well as Hanzhou, Pengzhou, and Mianzhou, have been lost."

"The rebel general Zhang Wu led his army to capture Zizhou, and the military governor Li Fu retreated to Suizhou. Dongchuan was in danger."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall erupted in uproar. No one could believe that Liu Jilong had not only easily entered Xichuan, but had also captured important towns in Xichuan and Dongchuan.

Gao Pian, who had previously been invincible, was defeated by Liu Jilong, and so quickly at that...

For a time, countless people turned their attention to Xu Shang, the Minister of War, including Zhang Yichao and Zhang Huaiding.

Even Zhang Yichao found the news too shocking. After all, he had seen Gao Pian's military intelligence reports on several battles and could hardly believe that Liu Jilong, who had shown some momentum but had not yet matured, could defeat Gao Pian so quickly.

Faced with countless gazes, Xu Shang had no choice but to step forward and admit to the crushing defeat.

"Half an hour ago, the Southern Office did indeed receive military intelligence from Eastern Sichuan and Western Sichuan."

"Gao Qianli and Liu Jilong fought at Xipu. Our division was unfortunately defeated by the rebels, suffering heavy casualties. Gao Qianli submitted a memorial to plead guilty and resign from his post."

As Xu Shang finished speaking, everyone finally accepted the horrifying news.

But then everyone couldn't help but panic, because if Sanchuan fell completely, Liu Jilong could then easily attack Guanzhong.

Even if he doesn't attack Guanzhong, it's possible that he could attack Guannei Road or Shannan East Road, or even attack Jiangnan along the Yangtze River.

Thinking of this, the court officials couldn't sit still, and many officials even complained in their hearts about the emperor's insistence on attacking Longyou.

"May I ask, Prime Minister Xu, how many troops does Sanchuan still have?"

Among the officials, Wang Duo, who had been defeated by Chen Jingchong and returned to Chang'an, asked a question. Xu Shang responded:
According to Gao Qianli's military report, there are still 34,000 elite troops in Xichuan, 20,000 new soldiers in Shannan West Road, and Li Fu, the military governor of Dongchuan, reported that there are still 17,000 soldiers in Dongchuan.

Wang Duo nodded after hearing this, then looked at Li Cui and bowed: "Your Majesty, there are still 70,000 troops in Sanchuan. Even if we are defeated, we will not lose the entire territory of Sanchuan."

"Moreover, although the rebels have come from afar and captured a lot of money, grain and people, there must be many local officials who are willing to sacrifice their lives for righteousness."

"Without the help of others, how can the officials in the rebel army govern the entire Sanchuan region?"

"Gao Qianli said that the casualties were comparable to those of the rebels. May I ask, Minister Xu, how many soldiers did Gao Qianli lose?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Shang looked at the emperor. Seeing Li Cui nod, he then said, "According to the military reports, there are no fewer than 19,000."

"However, Gao Qianli also said that the rebel army suffered more wounds than deaths, while the government troops suffered more deaths than wounds."

Xu Shang's addition did not diminish Wang Duo's confidence; he continued to bow to Li Cui:
"Your Majesty, I believe that with Gao Qianli's abilities, he has already done his utmost to force the rebels to this point."

"Although Governor Kang and Minister Liu have won consecutive victories, the Huang bandits, who have the largest number of followers, are still entrenched in Qizhou. Moreover, according to reports from the Jiangxi army, the rebels are building ships day and night, clearly intending to cross the Yangtze River and threaten Jiangnan."

"In my opinion, although Gao Qianli was defeated by the enemy, there are few people in the court and the country who can surpass him."

"If we rashly allow Gao Qianli to resign, it will only boost the morale of the rebel army and diminish the prestige of the imperial court."

As Wang Duo finished speaking, Lu Yan, who had accepted Gao Pian's gold and silver, also stepped forward, bowed, and said:

"Your Majesty, although Gao Pian has been in charge of the three rivers for a short time."

"Moreover, the southern barbarians had amassed 100,000 troops at the Dadu River. Gao Pian, fighting against two against one, naturally suffered a narrow defeat against the rebel army."

"If we can facilitate peace talks between the Tang and the Manchus, allowing Gao Qianli to escape and avoid being attacked from both sides, then we will surely be able to defeat the rebels."

Lu Yan's words made sense, so Li Cui couldn't help but waver.

Gao Pian was indeed besieged on both sides, and he also mentioned in his military intelligence report that he had once ordered Li Fu to attack Mianzhou to attract Liu Jilong's attention, but Li Fu did not move his troops, which shows that Gao Pian did not have a deep understanding of the Three Rivers region.

In this situation, it seems there's nothing to say about the narrow defeat to the rebels.

"Prime Minister Xu, what do you think?"

Li Cui inquired about Xu Shang, and Xu Shang, upon hearing the inquiry, immediately bowed and said:
"Your Majesty, the court truly cannot find a general besides Gao Qianli who can match the rebels in terms of killing power."

“If all the generals could have inflicted casualties on the rebels as much as Gao Qianli, the rebels would have been wiped out long ago. Why did things have to come to this?”

Xu Shang's words were met with nods of agreement from many people. After all, the imperial court had lost nearly 150,000 troops in the western border. If it could have inflicted comparable casualties every time, the Longyou region would have been worn down by the imperial court long ago.

Now, upon careful calculation, excluding Li Chengxun who gave false military intelligence, the casualties inflicted on Longyou by various forces amounted to no more than 40,000.

This still includes the casualties mentioned by Gao Pian. If Gao Pian also lied about the military situation, then judging from the losses in the Battle of Qinzhou, the court probably couldn't even muster 30,000 casualties in Longyou.

Thinking of this, Li Cui said in a deep voice, "Gao Qianli was attacked from both sides and suffered a narrow defeat at Xipu, which is understandable."

"By imperial decree, he is hereby granted the title of Prince of Bohai, Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Jiannan, Shannan, and Qianzhong, and Grand Commandant, and is ordered to defend the territory strictly and seize the opportunity to recover the lost land."

"Your Majesty is wise..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan stepped forward first, bowed, and sang, followed by the other officials who also sang and bowed.

Seeing this, Li Cui then said, "Prime Minister Lu, how about we discuss requesting the Kyrgyz to send troops?"

The officials sent to Kyrgyzstan yesterday have returned to the Ministry of Rites, and Li Cui has not yet inquired about them.

When Lu Yan saw the emperor asking, he immediately said, "The mighty and wise Khan is willing to help with an army of 100,000 to march south, and will give 30,000 horses. He requests that the prince be married."

Compared to You Shilong's arrogant and presumptuous demands for marrying Princess Tongchang, Xiajias's conditions were quite sincere.

However, the Kyrgyzstan's desire for Shang Zongnan left Li Cui somewhat hesitant.

Not everyone is as loyal as Yi Seung-jae. If a member of the royal family were to marry a Kyrgyz princess, it would lead to the emergence of an ambitious individual, which would be disastrous.

After much deliberation, compared to marrying off his own daughter, it wasn't so bad to have a member of the royal family marry the Kyrgyz princess; at worst, he could just send someone to keep an eye on her.

Thinking of this, Li Cui nodded and said, "This matter will be handled by Prime Minister Lu."

"Furthermore, if the chieftain of the Southern Barbarians is willing to change the terms, I can also allow the Tang and Barbarians to form an alliance."

"Your subject obeys the decree..." Lu Yan bowed slowly in response, but he lacked confidence in You Shilong's side.

You Shilong's attitude was very firm: he would not marry anyone but Princess Tongchang. However, the emperor would never agree to marry Princess Tongchang as a peace offering. The situation was deadlocked, with neither side willing to back down.

Now that Gao Pian has been defeated, You Shilong will probably take advantage of the situation again. It remains to be seen whether Gao Pian can defeat him this time.

Thinking this, Lu Yan returned to his seat, and Li Cui continued:

"Pang Xun has been defeated. I intend to send Kang Chengxun to lead troops south to join forces with Liu Shixiang to defeat the Huang bandits. We must not allow him to roam the Jiangnan region."

"Your Majesty is wise..."

The courtiers loudly proclaimed the ceremony, and Li Cui, upon hearing it, looked at Xu Shang and asked, "What does Prime Minister Xu think?"

"Your Majesty, I believe this strategy is excellent. The court should quell the Huang bandits as soon as possible, and then dispatch troops to fight the rebels and recover the lost territory."

Li Cui agreed wholeheartedly and nodded as he surveyed his ministers: "In that case, send out fast horses this morning. Next spring, I hope to see troops from Guanzhong, Kyrgyz, and Sanchuan jointly attack the rebels."

As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped down from the golden platform, and the assembled officials bowed in greeting until his figure disappeared from sight. Only then did they rise and leave the Xuanzheng Hall in order.

Lu Yan and the other two walked out side by side, but all three were filled with worry.

"With the loss of Chengdu Prefecture, Gao Qianli probably doesn't have much money or grain left to use."

"In addition, the military campaigns in the Central Plains have also been costly, and the court has accumulated more than seven million strings of cash in unpaid military funds."

"If we cannot quickly quell the rebellion, then..."

Yu Cong, who was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Finance, spoke with great concern. Xu Shang frowned upon hearing this, while Lu Yan remained indifferent, keeping to himself as if it were none of his business.

After a moment of silence, Xu Shang sighed and said:
"I hope the campaign to quell the rebellion in the Central Plains goes smoothly, and that the Kyrgyz will honor their agreement and send troops..."

(End of this chapter)