Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 420 Heading North and South (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"you……"

Inside the Longyou Prefecture government office, He Yinanzhi saw Liu Jilong's confidence and wanted to say something, but when he thought of Liu Jilong's achievements last year, he immediately shut his mouth.

Liu Jilong saw through his thoughts and laughed heartily:
"Right now, all the official positions in the governor's offices are full. You will temporarily follow me with the official rank of fourth-grade military commander."

"When I return from my campaign against the Kyrgyz, there will be several more battles for you to fight."

Liu Jilong comforted He Yinanzhi, who nodded repeatedly.

If one went south to seek refuge, one could obtain the official position of a fourth-rank military officer, which was already quite a good deal.

In the entire Longyou region, there were only twenty-eight Zhechong Duwei, and fewer than fifty officials of the fourth rank or above, which shows how Liu Jilong treated him.

Similarly, Liu Jilong was also demonstrating to the outside world that he, Liu Jilong, would not mistreat those who were willing to submit to him, even if they were Hu people.

Of course, he would also learn from the lessons of the Tang Dynasty and put some effort into cultural assimilation.

"Your Majesty, though you are a master strategist, you must be familiar with the enemy's military situation. I don't have much skill, but I am very familiar with the situation in Kyrgyz."

"If you don't mind, I'm willing to tell you all the military information I know."

To show his loyalty, Heinanzhi immediately told Liu Jilong everything about the Kyrgyz, and Liu Jilong naturally did not refuse.

"So good."

After he finished speaking, he listened attentively to Khayinanzhi's introduction to the Kyrgyz Khanate.

In fact, the Kyrgyz were not only relatively crude in their systems, but also in their military.

Of course, the crudeness of the military system does not mean that the army is incapable of fighting.

If the Kyrgyz had not launched a surprise attack on the Uyghur Khanate, causing it to split and forcing it to move south to southern Mongolia, Zhang Zhongwu of Youzhou Town would not have been able to defeat the Uyghurs so easily and force them to flee west.

The Kyrgyz people were somewhat similar to the Vikings in their behavior; they had little interest in herding livestock and preferred to plunder and then return to the capital to indulge in revelry.

For this reason, Heinanzhi felt that even if the mighty and wise Khan recruited all the tribes, these tribes would probably not cooperate easily if they heard that he was going to march thousands of miles south to attack Liangzhou.

The figure of 50,000 cavalry is actually a guess made by Heinanzhi; it may only be 50,000 men, not 50,000 cavalry.

However, once they reached the battlefield, this group would definitely be riding south, so it would be better to say 50,000 cavalry to avoid arousing suspicion that he was deceiving Liu Jilong.

"I have benefited greatly from listening to what you said."

Liu Jilong nodded and listened to Heinanzhi's introduction of the Kyrgyz. Then he looked outside the hall, raised his voice, and ordered, "Have the kitchen prepare four meals, and invite Han Zhengke over!"

"Yes!" The soldier at the door replied respectfully, then turned and left the main hall.

Before long, the soldiers brought Han Zhengke back. Upon his arrival, Han Zhengke, who was in charge of the Censorate and the laws of the entire Longxi region, immediately looked at He Yinanzhi.

He Yinanzhi also tactfully stood up, bowed to Liu Jilong, and said, "Cooking takes time, so I'll go for a walk and come back in a quarter of an hour."

"Alright." Liu Jilong nodded in agreement, then looked at Han Zhengke.

After Han Zhengke and He Yinan left, Han Zhengke stepped forward, bowed to Liu Jilong with a stern face, and said:
"King of Han, our army has been expanding our territory for the past six months, which is a good thing. However, there are too many officials to choose from, and many of them are not clean."

"If this continues, it will surely damage the prestige of our army in the hearts of the people."

As he spoke, he took out a booklet from his sleeve and presented it to Liu Jilong with both hands.

Liu Jilong took the book and quickly flipped through a few pages. His originally sunny mood instantly turned utterly terrible.

He rolled up the booklet and looked at Han Zhengke with a cold gaze: "Why are you only telling me now?"

"I am troubled by many matters. I thought that you would have to return to Linzhou after you finished dealing with the affairs of Sanchuan, so I waited until now."

Han Zhengke answered respectfully, but then saw Liu Jilong get up and pace back and forth.

The hall fell silent instantly, with only the sound of Liu Jilong's footsteps echoing.

Half an incense stick later, Liu Jilong stopped and turned to look at Han Zhengke: "These are turbulent times, we cannot afford to make a big fuss."

"You categorize the officials in this register into three classes. Deal with the most serious offenders first. As for the remaining second-class officials, have someone keep a close eye on them privately. If they still don't behave after dealing with the first batch..."

Liu Jilong's eyes twitched incessantly, his gaze icy: "Then kill them all!"

"Yes!" Han Zhengke's heart tightened. He knew very well that his King of Han rarely ordered the execution of a group of people. Normally, they would be exiled to Hexi or the Western Regions.

Now that the order has been given to kill, Han Zheng naturally has to be on high alert.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will keep a close eye on this matter and will not let any official who tarnishes the reputation of our army get away with it."

"It's good that you think that way." Liu Jilong nodded and said, "You are more suitable for the Censorate than Cao Mao. Why don't you stay and have dinner with us before you leave?"

"Yes!" Han Zhengke was pleased to receive the praise, but at the same time he understood even more how important the matter he was in charge of was to Longyou.

Seeing that Han Zhengke's attitude was not problematic, Liu Jilong ordered the soldiers at the gate to summon He Yinanzhi and Cui Shu.

By the time the two arrived, the cook had already prepared the meal, and dishes were being served one by one.

The three men drank and chatted for over an hour before finally leaving.

Liu Jilong returned to the inner courtyard reeking of wine and meat. When the courtyard gate opened, she saw Feng Hui, who had been waiting for her for a long time.

"King Han..."

"Have you been waiting for a long time?"

Seeing that only Feng Hui, a few concubines, and Zhang Saozi were present, Liu Jilong couldn't help but ask, "Where are the children?"

"They've all rested. Tie Tou has to go to school tomorrow, and the three younger ones need to rest more."

Feng Hui stepped forward to help Liu Jilong take off his clothes while explaining, and noticing the fatigue between Liu Jilong's brows, he couldn't help but say, "The water in the bathhouse is ready. You must be tired. Wash up and get some rest."

"Um……"

He responded, not because he didn't want to cherish his relationship with Feng Hui, but because he was indeed exhausted these days.

Today, after traveling dozens of miles, we just arrived in Didao and discussed many things with He Yinanzhi, Han Zhengke and the others.

The banquet inevitably involves social interactions, toasting and drinking, which is truly exhausting.

Now he just wants to wash up and rest, to clear his mind of everything else.

Feng Hui probably noticed his exhaustion, which is why he said that.

"You go and rest first."

Liu Jilong discussed with Feng Hui, and seeing her nod and look at him, Liu Jilong followed Zhang Sao to the bathhouse to wash up, and afterwards went to his bedroom to rest.

In the following days, although they lived under the same roof, Liu Jilong was unable to see the children much, simply because he had too many things to do.

The rapid expansion has led to a large number of government affairs that are also complicated. After all, the situation varies from place to place, and the implementation of various policies will encounter different problems.

In addition, Liu Jilong also mobilized enough elite cavalry to assemble in Linzhou, but this did not include the elite cavalry from the battlefields of Shuofang and Qinzhou.

"Now, Your Majesty, you have more than 12,000 elite cavalry under your command, in addition to 2,000 elite cavalry from Hexi along the Xiaoguan Pass."

In the Linzhou Horse Ranch south of Didao City, Liu Jilong rode a horse in the stable. The stable contained more than 1,200 stables of various sizes, housing more than 1,200 military horses.

The two-zhang-high roof allowed Liu Jilong to relax and test the horses one by one on the two-zhang-wide road inside the stable.

Cui Shu stood beside Liu Jilong, explaining the situation of the cavalry in Longyou. Seeing that Liu Jilong remained silent, focusing on the horses, he then added:

"After replenishing the horses of each army, there are still more than 900 horses waiting to be sold in the 26 military horse farms under its jurisdiction, as well as more than 8,000 horses and more than 7,000 foals that have not yet been sold."

"In addition, although the military horses in Hexi are slightly inferior to those bred in Longyou Military Horse Farm, the difference is not significant."

"The people exiled from the prefecture to Hexi were exchanged for a considerable amount of saltpeter, as well as more than 700 military horses, which will arrive in Liangzhou by the ninth day of the third month at the latest."

"The King of Han should first lead his army to Liangzhou, where he can recruit riders to join the army before heading north to fight against the Kyrgyz."

Cui Shu spoke at length, but Liu Jilong remained completely absorbed in training the horse and did not utter a word.

Seeing this, Cui Shu finally calmed down, and Liu Jilong, after taming three warhorses in succession, dismounted, took the silk from Cui Shu's hand, wiped his sweat, and handed it back to him.

"I won't ask about Li Ji's matter, and you'd better not bring it up either."

Liu Jilong knew perfectly well the relationship between Cui Shu, Ma Cheng, and Li Ji.

Cui Shu hasn't mentioned Li Ji at all these past few days, not because he doesn't want to, but because he hasn't found a suitable opportunity.

However, Liu Jilong's words have completely shut Cui Shu up, leaving him speechless.

"He will be rich and powerful, but you should tell him to give up the idea of ​​leading troops into battle."

Liu Jilong's words undoubtedly dealt another blow to Cui Shu.

He truly hadn't expected that Li Ji's incident would have such serious consequences, especially since many generals had taken the initiative to attack after the war began.

For example, Geng Ming, Chen Jingchong, and Zhang Wu, but none of them received such a severe punishment as Li Ji.

Upon realizing this, Cui Shu belatedly understood that his King of Han's intention was probably no longer to establish military prestige, but rather to establish rules in other areas.

He couldn't help but feel uneasy, while Liu Jilong walked out of the stable with him, looked at the endless artificial pasture in front of him, and nodded in satisfaction.

The Linzhou grassland covers more than 40,000 mu, providing ample space for breeding military horses.

The military horses of Longyou were of a higher standard than those of other towns at the same time, and their training was naturally more difficult and costly.

"Have any new documents been delivered from Sanchuan?"

Liu Jilong turned to ask Cui Shu, interrupting his anxiety.

Upon hearing this, Cui Shu knew that Liu Jilong was inquiring about the registration and record-keeping of Sanchuan, so he recounted the events of the past half month.

After nearly three months of effort by 6,600 officials, the land and population of the two most prosperous prefectures and nine counties in the three rivers and two prefectures and twenty-nine counties were registered.

Compared to the original maps and records, both land and population have increased slightly.

"The two prefectures and nine counties originally had more than 426,000 households, more than 2.2 million people, and more than 14 million mu of cultivated land."

"After re-registration and population measurement, plus the hidden population and land released by powerful families, there are actually more than 442,000 households, more than 2.3 million people, and more than 15.87 million mu of cultivated land."

"Given this situation, although the remaining twenty prefectures are not as wealthy as these two prefectures and nine provinces, we can still find at least 1.5 million people and 12 million mu of arable land."

Cui Shu speculated about the population and arable land situation in Sanchuan, but Liu Jilong shook his head after listening: "This is still just speculation."

“The terrain of the three rivers is different, and the population and amount of arable land also vary greatly. Some have only a few thousand people, while others have hundreds of thousands.”

"The maps and records of the government office must be accurate. In addition to the maps and records that should be compiled every year, each new official should also measure and verify them."

"Officials of the Censorate should also regard measuring the land and the population of the various prefectures and counties under their jurisdiction as their primary duty and should not slack off."

He reminded Cui Shu, who nodded repeatedly, but problems arose after the nod.

"King Han, after you recovered the Three Rivers, our army gained a lot of money and grain, but we also suffered considerable losses."

"Based on the experience of governing Shuofang and Qinzhou, once the people in Sanchuan are allocated land, they will definitely borrow a lot of grain because the government will lend it to them for free, and they will continue to reclaim wasteland."

"I have not seen with my own eyes how poor the people of Sanchuan are, but I imagine they are not much different from the people of Shuofang and Qinzhou."

"The 260,000 people of Qinzhou and Shuofang borrowed nearly 800,000 shi of grain from the government, to be repaid in three years after autumn."

“The population of Sanchuan is more than ten times that of Qinzhou and Shuofang. If they were to borrow grain like Qinzhou and Shuofang, even if the government’s granaries were full, it would be difficult to cope.”

"I believe we should be cautious in this matter, or perhaps set a limit and stipulate how much each household can borrow, in order to avoid emptying the treasury."

The policy of lending grain to the people for free to cultivate wasteland was rare in the history of dynasties. It usually existed at the beginning of the dynasty, when everything was in need of rebuilding.

For example, this practice was followed in the early Han Dynasty, the early Tang Dynasty, and later the early Ming Dynasty, where not only was grain lent for free, but also farm tools and even oxen were lent out.

This is the fastest way and policy to restore production. Although it seems simple, not all rulers actually regard the people as "human beings".

Some dynasties, at the beginning of their reigns, not only refused to lend grain to the people for land reclamation, but also tried every means to extract grain from them.

People like Liu Jilong, who lent out grain, farm tools, and oxen on a large scale for free, and even sent local government offices to provide money and grain so that the people could contribute their labor to repair their own houses, are extremely rare.

Upon hearing Cui Shu's words, Liu Jilong nodded in agreement before offering his own opinion.

“What you say makes sense. However, since the court started the war with the southern barbarians, the people in the Sanchuan region have suffered greatly. Many plots of land have been abandoned, but reclamation is not difficult.”

"Regarding the matter of borrowing grain, officials from the prefectures and counties of the Three Rivers region can be dispatched to demarcate land for cultivation with the people, and the amount of grain to be borrowed and the repayment period can be determined based on the condition of the land."

For land that has been cultivated but abandoned, reclamation is not difficult. It only takes a few months of effort to clear the weeds and loosen the soil to restore production.

Compared to directly cultivating wild land, which requires three years to reach the yield of ordinary arable land, reclaiming wasteland undoubtedly saves a lot of time.

"The King of Han is wise..."

Cui Shu offered a fitting compliment, and Liu Jilong said nothing, only giving the order:
"If we calculate based on the old records of the Three Rivers, the population under the jurisdiction of the Protectorate is nearly 4.6 million, and the cultivated land is more than 37 million mu."

"Now that the tax rate has been lowered, the land in the Three Rivers region is more productive than that in Longyou, with yields of 200 to 300 catties per mu being quite common, so the land tax levied will not be less."

"This is not something to be happy about, and we must remember that this is a desperate act of exploitation due to the turmoil of the world."

“If peace can be guaranteed, such high taxes should not be levied.”

A 35% tax rate can indeed put immense pressure on ordinary people, but they can't resist comparing prices and quality.

At this time, the official tax rate of the Tang Dynasty was 15%, but the tax actually paid to the people was more than 40%, and in some places it could even reach 50%.

The 35% tax rate in Longyou, while a heavy burden, was nothing compared to the Tang Dynasty.

Lost in thought, Liu Jilong led Cui Shu toward Didao City, but he was not in a hurry to go to the yamen today, instead wandering around the various neighborhoods.

Many people recognized him, opened their mouths as if to say something, but then stopped and bowed instead.

Liu Jilong was well aware of this, and his mood became slightly somber.

In the nearly year-long war, many parents have lost their children, and many wives have lost their husbands.

There is nothing to be proud of in fighting, but Liu Jilong is even more aware of the consequences of not fighting.

If he becomes weak, then the world will fall into a cycle of history.

The chaos of the Five Dynasties will still occur, a chaos of cannibalism, even more chaotic than it is now.

Ending this situation ahead of schedule is the most responsible thing to do for the people.

Trading a few years of war for two or three hundred years of peace, trading the lives of tens of thousands for the lives of hundreds of millions—this is what Liu Jilong should do.

"Let's go back."

Liu Jilong offered a reminder, and then led Cui Shu back to the Protectorate General's office.

While he was dealing with the complex emotions of the people of Longyou, Li Cui, thousands of miles away, was feeling elated because of the aid from the Kyrgyz and the news that Wang Xianzhi and Pang Xun had been pacified.

Inside Xianning Palace, hundreds of actors and musicians were performing, their decadent music carrying far and wide.

Xu Shang, Lu Yan, and Yu Cong from the Southern Office, and Qi Yuanshi, Qi Yuanjian, Ximen Jixuan, and Yang Xuanjie from the Northern Office, sat on the throne, each with their own thoughts.

Compared to them, Li Cui was genuinely enjoying the present moment.

Not only were the actors in front of him performing exceptionally well, but he also had several palace maids attending to him diligently.

In this situation, Yu Cong couldn't help but bow and say, "Your Majesty, the national treasury is truly empty. Now that 90,000 troops have gathered in the western border, I'm afraid we still need money and silk to reward them so that they can fight bravely against the enemy."

"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to ask if there is any surplus in Your Majesty's private treasury?"

As soon as Yu Cong finished speaking, Li Cui on the golden platform frowned, then relaxed and said in a calm tone, "There is really no surplus in the imperial treasury."

His words effectively blocked Yu Cong's idea of ​​taking money from the imperial treasury, and his actions left Yu Cong sighing helplessly.

"A good performance, a reward of ten thousand coins!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty..."

One minute he says the imperial treasury has no surplus, the next he's willing to give money to the actors. Li Cui's actions are incomprehensible not only to Yu Cong, but to everyone else.

Seemingly realizing he had gone too far, Li Cui looked at his ministers and said:
"I have heard that Kang Chengxun has led his army across the Huai River and deployed troops in Shouzhou and Haozhou. Is that true?"

"Your Majesty..." Merchant Xu bowed and began to speak:

"The Southern Office also received the news yesterday. Governor Kang wants the troops from various garrisons to adapt to the climate of Huainan in order to avoid any unforeseen complications."

"Unexpected complications?" Li Cui frowned upon hearing that Kang Chengxun was not prepared to immediately mobilize troops.
"I have also heard that it is best to launch an attack in the spring and autumn. It is already March. If we do not launch an attack soon, will we be delayed again when summer arrives?"

"Your Majesty, Lord Kang was only trying to be on the safe side..."

Xu Shang couldn't help but try to explain for Kang Chengxun, but Li Cui ignored him.

Previously, Kang Chengxun had besieged Pang Xun for more than two years before finally defeating him, which had already made him very dissatisfied.

Now Kang Chengxun is slow to advance, as if he wants to drag the war into the autumn.

Li Cui couldn't wait any longer; he only wanted to quickly deal with Huang Chao, one of the three major bandits, and then concentrate his forces to quell Liu Jilong. "The Huainan Circuit now has no less than 60,000 government troops; how can we not even subdue a mere bandit?"

"Issue my decree: order Liu Zhan and Kang Chengxun to send troops immediately. I want to see Huang Chao's head before autumn!"

"This, Your Majesty..." Xu Shang tried to dissuade him, but Li Cui's darkening expression silenced him.

"Your subject obeys the decree..."

Left with no other choice, Xu Shang had to agree, and Lu Yan seized the opportunity to speak up:

"Your Majesty, news of victory has arrived from Sanchuan. The rebels attempted to cross the river several times, but were repelled each time by Gao Qianli's troops."

"The chieftain of the Southern Barbarians led an army of 100,000 to attack Lizhou, but failed to enter and was forced to retreat."

"Gao Qianli submitted a memorial stating that Liu Jilong, having failed to achieve his ambitions, led his cavalry northwards, and requested the court to be on guard against a surprise attack by the rebels."

"In addition, Gao Qianli submitted a memorial requesting to send troops in September to recover the heartland of the Three Rivers region, in order to make amends for his past mistakes."

Compared to the news about Kang Chengxun and Liu Zhan, the news about Gao Pian was undoubtedly more gratifying, even though it did not mention any victories, the result was still encouraging.

Li Cui nodded in satisfaction. Although he was not happy that Gao Pian had lost the heartland of Sanchuan, since he was able to hold onto the existing prefectures and counties and even plan a counterattack, it showed that there was nothing wrong with his attitude.

For Li Cui, what he was always worried about were those officials who outwardly complied but inwardly defied him. After all, Liu Jilong had almost completely seized control of the western border, and if someone else were to rise up and seize control, the world would inevitably descend into chaos.

Thinking of this, Li Cui urged again, "Send orders to Liu Zhan and Kang Chengxun to quickly mobilize troops to suppress the rebels!"

"Your subject obeys the decree." Xu Shang had no choice but to agree a second time, but then he added:

"Your Majesty, the court has not yet rewarded the troops after Governor Kang quelled Pang Xun's rebellion."

"Therefore, even if Governor Kang is willing to send troops to kill the bandits, the officers and soldiers of the various towns are probably unwilling to send troops."

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you issue rewards to boost the morale of the army."

It would have been better if Xu Shang hadn't brought it up, because after he did, Yu Cong immediately stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the national treasury is already empty."

Seeing the two of them like this, Li Cui couldn't help but feel a little angry, but he also knew that if he wanted to help in various towns, he would need to be rewarded with money and provisions, so after a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said:
"There are still thousands of brocades and tens of thousands of bolts of silk in the palace. If they can be sold, take them all."

"Your Majesty is wise..."

Xu Shang and Yu Cong bowed respectfully, very pleased.

Because Liu Jilong captured the heartland of the Three Rivers region, the price of brocade skyrocketed, and several thousand bolts of brocade were enough to sell for tens of thousands of strings of cash.

This amount of money should be enough to incentivize the three armed forces to deploy troops.

By the time Huang Chao was defeated, the summer grain harvest was almost complete, and the imperial court had several million coins and grain, enough to repay some of the debts and reward the army to end the war in the Central Plains.

As for what will happen after the war in the Central Plains ends, that depends on how far the Kyrgyz and the imperial court can push Liu Jilong.

“Back off…”

"I'm waiting to retire."

Li Cui spoke in a deep voice, clearly dissatisfied with Xu Shang and the other man's actions in forcing him to take money and grain from the imperial treasury.

The two men were well aware of the situation, so they bowed and left Xianning Palace one after the other.

Shortly after the two left, several imperial edicts urging the troops to fight were sent to Huainan Circuit by fast horse.

In addition, the brocades and silks that flowed out of the palace were quickly snapped up by the noble families in Chang'an.

The money obtained from selling these brocades and silks was mostly transported to Huainan Road, which then became a place of great interest to the world.

Huang Chao, who was at the center of the storm, was not thinking about how to fight the government troops, but had already come up with a foolproof plan.

Inside the Qizhou government office, as the food, dishes, wine, and meat were served one after another, the sound of swallowing saliva could be heard throughout the office.

On the main seat, Huang Chao, dressed in a yellow robe, surveyed the hall. He saw that the generals inside were dressed in all sorts of disarray, their hair was messy and looked like bird's nests, and there were hardly any well-dressed generals.

Judging from the situation inside the hall, Huang Chao clearly understood the strength of his own forces and the government army. Now that he was about to lead his army across the river, he was naturally unwilling to be dragged down by others, so he had to find a way out.

However, he couldn't simply abandon a group of people, so he came up with a solution.

"As you all should know, the imperial court has already sent troops south, claiming to have deployed 100,000 troops to attack us."

"After much deliberation, I have decided to first lead my troops across the Yangtze River to the south, occupy the prefectures and counties in the south, and then head north to fight the government army and take Huainan."

"At that time, our army can launch attacks from all sides, sweep across the Yellow River and Huai River basins and Lingnan, coordinate with the King of Han from the east and west, and destroy this damned court."

"well!!"

Many of the bandits who had come to join Huang Chao did not understand his words at all, but when they heard the news of Liu Jilong, the King of Han, they all cheered.

It's not that they idolize Liu Jilong, but rather that they're all using Liu Jilong's name to protect themselves.

However, a slight change flashed in Huang Chao's eyes as he silently noted down those who cheered, and then began to call out names:

"He Quan, Zhao Pulang, Wang..."

Those who cheered were called out, as were many unkempt generals.

As Huang Chao finished speaking, everyone turned to look at him with curiosity, and Huang Chao seized the opportunity to say:

“Jiangnan is the imperial court’s money bag. After I lead my army south, the imperial court will inevitably choose to divide its forces to attack this place, while simultaneously suppressing the rebel army that is marching south.”

"Those whose names were just called will all lead their troops to stay here, so that if our army's southward offensive fails, they can retreat to this place."

"As for the others whose names were not mentioned, go back and prepare now, and they will cross the Yangtze River with the army in three days."

"Yes……"

The response was sparse. Everyone was smart enough to know that whether they stayed or chose to go south, they could not escape the fate of being besieged by the government troops.

Huang Chao didn't count on this group, and even prepared for someone to lead the group to break up tonight.

These things are not important. Given the current attitude of the imperial court, it is impossible for them to be appeased like bandits.

Even if they left Qizhou, Huangzhou, Shuzhou, and Luzhou, they could not escape being besieged and suppressed by government troops.

If they escape, they might be able to attract more attention from the government troops and buy themselves more time.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Huang Chao started eating, and then he saw the group of people eating meat and drinking wine in a vulgar manner.

He didn't say anything, but after the event ended, he summoned his confidants to the main hall for a meeting.

Shang Rang, Huang Kui, Huang Ye, Huang Cun, Lin Yan and more than ten others were all in the central hall.

Seeing the arrival of the crowd, Huang Chao went straight to the point: "The government troops are coming with great momentum, and our army cannot engage them directly in battle."

"We have already built more than eighty ships of various sizes. Tomorrow, Si Lang, you will first lead five thousand troops across the river to the south and capture Jiangzhou. After that, you will transport seven thousand artisans from the four prefectures southward, with Jiangzhou as the capital. The army will then cross the river and attack from all sides."

"If we want to succeed, we must seize Jiangnan West Circuit before the court can react, then negotiate with the court and establish our own independent territory."

Although Huang Chao was disappointed with the court a thousand times over, he did not think that he would be a match for the court at this moment.

Only by acquiring a large enough territory, negotiating with the imperial court, obtaining an official position, recuperating properly, and then taking the opportunity to observe the situation in the world and make strategic plans, could he truly achieve his goal.

Originally, he wanted to develop his career in the four states and rely on Liu Jilong's twelve-character mantra to achieve success.

However, with the downfall of Pang Xun and Wang Xianzhi, he realized that this path was not viable, so he changed his route.

"General, since Liu Jilong has already proclaimed himself the Prince of Hanyin, why don't you also proclaim yourself the Inspector of Jiangnan West Circuit? This way, you can more legitimately conquer Jiangnan West Circuit."

Shang Rang suddenly spoke up, and Huang Chao's eyes flickered before he nodded and said, "That's right!"

"In that case, once we cross the Yangtze River and head south, we will entrust this matter to you. The change of flags and banners should be done as soon as possible."

"Yes!" Shang Rang quickly bowed in agreement, then worked with Huang Chao to finalize the details, and finally left with the others at midnight.

The following morning, Huang Ye mustered 5,000 armored infantrymen and led Zhu Wen and several other generals across the river by boat to launch an attack on Jiangzhou in Jiangnan West Circuit.

Huang Chao's sudden crossing of the river greatly alarmed Kang Chengxun, Liu Zhan, and others who were waiting for the court's reward.

Liu Zhan urgently ordered Li Guochang and his son to attack Huangzhou, while he led the Xuanwu army across the river to attack Jiangzhou.

Upon learning the news, Kang Chengxun immediately led his troops south to attack Luzhou and Shuzhou, while Huang Chao launched attacks from all sides after crossing the river, constantly coercing the people and attacking various prefectures and counties.

All wealthy households in the prefectures and counties, regardless of their noble or powerful origins, were robbed, and artisans were also abducted.

By the time the news reached Chang'an, it was already the end of March.

The court officials, who had been waiting for news of the war in the western border, had no choice but to turn their attention to the south of the Yangtze River.

"Asshole! Asshole!"

"He wanted a reward, and I gave it to him! But what was the result?!"

"A bunch of bandits actually crossed the river and invaded Jiangnan?"

In the Zichen Palace, Li Cui questioned the officials, who had no way to express their grievances.

In their view, Huang Chao was also a product of the imperial court's campaign against Longyou.

If the emperor hadn't been so blinded by greed and insisted on sending troops to Longyou, the situation wouldn't be so bad now.

But now, instead of reflecting on his own actions, the emperor is blaming his ministers.

Of course, they couldn't say these things aloud, so they could only say them tactfully:

"Your Majesty, Jiangnan is a vital source of tax revenue for the court, and it must not be lost."

"Your Majesty, right now we can order the troops from Xuanzhou, Shexian, Jiangxi, and eastern Zhejiang to advance and encircle the rebel army. We must not allow the situation to escalate!"

"Your Majesty, I believe that we should temporarily suspend the war against the rebels in Longyou and deal with the rebels led by Huang Chao first!"

The Jiangnan region, a vital financial hub, was of paramount importance to the Tang Dynasty after the An Lushan Rebellion. Even the war in Longyou could be temporarily set aside for the benefit of the entire court.

However, their actions made Lu Yan, the Tongping Zhangshi, feel uneasy.

He stepped forward and bowed to Li Cui, saying, "Your Majesty, while the situation in Jiangnan is indeed important, it is absolutely impossible to stop the war in Longyou."

"Not to mention that Zheng Xiang's troops have already moved out, the Kyrgyz reinforcements have already marched south, so there is absolutely no way they can stop."

"If we stop, we will not only miss a good opportunity to suppress the rebels, but also violate the alliance between the court and the Kyrgyz."

"If the Kyrgyz invade from the south, the court will not only fail to pacify Longyou, but will also create another enemy, which would be a great loss..."

Lu Yan's words quickly convinced many wavering people, and Li Cui became even more determined after hearing them.

Facing the gazes of his ministers, he immediately stood up and said:
"The bandits must be pacified, and so must the Longyou region. This is not open to discussion!"

"Your Majesty is wise..."

Lu Yan and many other officials bowed and saluted, and the other officials had no choice but to follow suit.

Soon, the imperial edict ordering all the towns to send troops was sent to Jiangnan by fast horse.

At the same time, the imperial court's decision also spread throughout the Guanzhong region.

Before setting off, Liu Jilong learned of the Tang Dynasty's decision through his spies in Guanzhong.

"Hercules..."

Outside Didao City, the temperature was still slightly chilly at the end of March. The nine thousand elite cavalrymen arrayed in formation stretched far north from the official road north of Didao City.

These elite cavalrymen wore red battle coats and rode horses with two reins attached to their saddles.

One was a military horse, and the other was a draft horse.

The warhorse had nothing but the reins, while the draft horse carried the saddle, the knight's lamellar armor, the horse's armor, and bows and arrows. Its weight was not much lighter than that of a person.

On the official road, Liu Jilong rode forward, holding military intelligence delivered by a spy carrier pigeon in his hand, a smile playing on his lips.

"The imperial court certainly has the courage, but it remains to be seen whether it will succeed."

His expression remained unchanged, but anyone could hear the sarcasm in his words.

Husi Guang had already gone to Huizhou to prepare military provisions, and Liu Jilong had no trusted confidants around him.

The captain and other officers always felt somewhat awkward in his presence, so he didn't think anyone would respond to him.

After talking to himself, he looked at the captain behind him and took out a letter, handing it to him.

"Send the order to Zhang Chang and Zheng Chu, instructing them to lead their cavalry and infantry northward the day after receiving this order, covering forty li each day."

"There's no need to hide anything. Go all out and attract the Kyrgyz people's attention, then form ranks and engage them in battle according to military orders."

"Yes!!" The captain readily agreed and then ordered a squad leader to lead the troops ahead.

Seeing this, Liu Jilong withdrew his gaze, shook the reins, and galloped northward.

As he gallops on horseback, he exudes composure and elegance, displaying extraordinary talent and charisma.

As he drew closer, the two knights on either side of the road couldn’t help but crane their necks. Even though they couldn’t see his features clearly, they could feel Liu Jilong’s spirited appearance and couldn’t help but get excited.

"Brother Xing, look! The King of Han is coming!"

"Silence! Have you forgotten military law?"

The two ordinary knights were none other than Wang Jian, a former member of the Loyal Army, and his kinsman Wang Zhi.

The two had frequently stolen cattle and horses in their hometown, so they naturally possessed excellent horsemanship skills.

Liu Jilong ordered Gao Jinda to recruit brave warriors from the surrendered soldiers of the government army. People like the two of them, who had a special skill, were naturally selected to become soldiers in Longyou.

More than four months of literacy education and ideological work have made the two look less roguish and more composed.

Over the course of four months, they heard countless people's evaluations of Liu Jilong in Longyou, and naturally developed a sense of admiration for him, and were even more eager to see what he looked like.

Before Liu Jilong could ride closer, a voice reached their ears.

"Wang Dalang, Wang Erlang, there is an order from the army that our regiment is to be transferred to the rear."

"Yes……"

The foreman's voice came, and the two men's eyes suddenly dimmed.

Even though they had become members of the Longyou army, when Liu Jilong appeared, they were still inevitably assigned to the sidelines.

Not only them, but many surrendered soldiers were also somewhat disappointed by the military's transfer orders.

The captain probably expected this, which is why he came to comfort them.

"It's alright. That's how it is when you first surrender. This barbarian was also viewed with suspicion at first, but as time went on, we all integrated into each other."

"When you get to know the King of Han better in the future, you will understand why the captains and generals in the army are so concerned about the King of Han's safety."

As the captain spoke, he reached out and straightened Wang Jian's slightly crooked helmet, then casually patted him on the shoulder.

As Wang Jian watched him leave, his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Liu Jilong's direction, but by then the distance between them had increased, and he could no longer see anything.

Even without the captain speaking, he understood why the generals of Longyou respected the King of Han so much.

He has experienced the taste of peace and tranquility during these past few months.

If the world could be as peaceful as Longyou, how could the two brothers have been forced by life to steal cattle and horses, only to be caught by the county government, exiled to the western front as laborers, and drawn into the war?
If it weren't for their good fortune, the two brothers might have died on the battlefield back then.

People in times of peace yearn for chaotic times, believing they can achieve great things in those times.

People in chaotic times yearn for peace, easily understand their own capabilities, and only want to survive safely.

Wang Jian felt he belonged to the former group, but after arriving in Longyou, he gradually became uncertain.

But after seeing the King of Han today, his heart stirred, and he felt that if he could, he would like to be like the King of Han.

"Beep--"

"Brother Xing, let's go!"

The piercing whistle and Wang Zhi's reminder brought Wang Jian back to his senses. He mustered his courage and looked at Wang Zhi.

"Erlang, we must survive, not for anything else, but to see if General Jie can lead us back home!"

"Hmm!" Wang Zhi didn't understand why his brother Xing suddenly became so excited, but he knew that whatever his brother Xing wanted to do, he would do with him.

"drive!!"

Shaking the reins, the two followed the group northward to Huizhou, with the "Liu" banner fluttering in the wind becoming their target.

(End of this chapter)