Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 442 Huang Chao's Northern Expedition
"Screw rustle..."

In mid-winter, with the complete end of the Three Rivers War, the Tang Dynasty ultimately lost all the counties and prefectures in the Three Rivers region except for those in the southern part of Rongzhou.

Gao Pian led his army into Qianzhong Road, but due to the injuries of Lin Ruzhen and Zhang Lin, they had to stop in Bozhou.

Several days have passed, but Zhang Lin and Lin Ruzhen's injuries have not only failed to improve, but have actually worsened.

Inside the Zunyi County government office in Bozhou, when several medical officials were brought to the main hall to face Gao Pian in person, they were extremely uneasy.

Gao Pian sat in the main seat, looking at them with a slight frown, while Lu Ruyue and Gao Qin, who were sitting to his left and right, also looked rather unpleasant.

"Can it be cured...?"

Gao Pian's voice sounded icy to the medical officers at that moment.

The group exchanged glances, and finally the youngest physician stepped forward, bowing with trembling hands:
"Reporting to King Gao, Prefect Zhang, and Military Commissioner Lin Ru... I'm afraid, I'm afraid..."

"explain!!"

Gao Pian suddenly raised his voice, startling the several physicians who knelt down and kowtowed one after another:

"Your Majesty, the wound on Magistrate Zhang's face has developed into a festering sore; even a miracle cannot save him!"

"The envoy from Lin Ru's army suffered internal injuries, and our medical skills are insufficient to save him..."

"King Gao, we..."

"Shut up!!" Gao Pian shouted at the group, slamming his hand on the table and looking at them with a cold gaze.

"Since your art is so lacking, there's no use keeping you around, Forty-Three!"

"Yes!!" Gao Qin stood up and looked at the soldiers on the left and right of the yamen.

The soldiers understood immediately and dragged the doctors away, ignoring their wailing and howling, which could not stop them from their fate.

Upon hearing about Lin Ruzhen's and Zhang Lin's illnesses, Lu Ruyue couldn't help but show a distressed expression.

Gao Qin also looked solemn at this moment, after all, Zhang Lin was a valiant general in the army, and had served as the vanguard several times, doing a very good job.

Now that Zhang Lin has been lost and Liang Zuan is far away in Lingxi, things in Qianzhong are not easy to handle.

"Pass on the order!" Gao Pian suddenly spoke, and Gao Qin and Lu Ruyue bowed in succession.

"All the barbarians of Guizhou are to come to Zunyi. Those who do not come will be searched and their entire families exterminated..."

"Yes!!"

Despite being prepared, Lu Ruyue and Gao Qin still felt a pang of anxiety when Gao Pian spoke in person.

However, they also knew that the hundreds of thousands of people in the Three Rivers region needed a place to live, otherwise the grain they brought to Guizhou would not be enough to feed them until this time next year.

Only by taking action against the unruly barbarian chieftains in Qianzhong can these hundreds of thousands of people from the Three Rivers region become an asset to the Tang army.

Under Gao Pian's military orders, countless fast horses rushed out of Zunyi and headed towards the various barbarian tribes in the counties of Qianzhong Road.

Meanwhile, Liu Jilong, who had already occupied the three rivers, withdrew from Bodao City back to Chengdu Prefecture.

Liu Jilong originally intended to leave Zhang Wu to garrison Jiaozhou, but Zhang Wu was shot in the chest and needed to recuperate. Therefore, he could only leave Li Shangyin, Wang Sifeng, Liu Yingyan, Gao Huai and others to garrison Qingxi Pass, Jiaozhou, Rongzhou and other places.

After Geng Ming captured Luzhou, Yuzhou, Fuzhou, Zhongzhou, Wanzhou, and Kuizhou, Liu Jilong assigned these prefectures to Dongchuan for temporary administration. At the same time, he ordered Geng Ming to build passes and stone fortresses to defend against Gao Pian of the Qianzhong Road.

After he led Zhang Wu, Wang Jian, and Gao Shu back to Chengdu, he immediately dispatched officials from the south to take over these prefectures and counties.

The Han army recovered eighteen prefectures in this battle, and there are many things that need to be resolved, including the compensation for the soldiers who died in battle.

"Um..."

"It hurts! It hurts!"

The inner courtyard of the Chengdu government office was converted into a ward for wounded soldiers, where seriously wounded and disabled soldiers were housed.

Liu Jilong, Zhang Wu, and Wang Jian entered the room and saw five or six wounded soldiers resting in each of the side rooms. The side rooms, the rear rooms, and the couches in the east and west halls of the inner courtyard were all filled with wounded soldiers.

Liu Jilong, dressed in a brocade robe, led Zhang Wu and Wang Jian, who were also wounded, to visit the wounded soldiers in each room.

Some people lost their legs, some lost their hands, and some were blinded in one eye by arrows.

Since the Han army began dissecting the corpses of enemy soldiers who died in battle to study surgery, and with Liu Jilong's insights on disinfection, sterilization, and bacteria, the Han army's surgical treatment was far ahead of the Tang army at the same time.

Even so, many infected wounded soldiers could not be saved, and soldiers died from infection every day in the wounded soldiers' hospital.

Although Liu Jilong knew about penicillin, it was impossible to extract penicillin in that era.

Although natural penicillin is easy to obtain, it is not resistant to acids or enzymes and cannot be taken orally; it can only be injected.

However, if the Han army had been able to research and produce syringes, they wouldn't have been unable to even perform blood transfusions.

"Focus on recovering. The local government still needs you to train the state soldiers. You are their experienced mentors."

Liu Jilong comforted the soldier in front of him who had lost a hand. He was only in his early twenties, but now half of his hand had been cut off.

Faced with Liu Jilong's reassurance, he seemed somewhat flustered and unsure how to respond.

Looking at him, Liu Jilong felt extremely guilty.

He wasn't good at comforting people, so after offering a few simple words of reassurance, he left the room.

After he walked out, he saw Zhang Wu talking to Wang Jian.

"Zhang Lin is definitely dead. I saw it clearly. More than a dozen arrows were shot at his face. If even one of them had hit him, he would not have survived!"

"He shot an arrow into my chest; I will take his life!"

As Zhang Wu was speaking, Wang Jian looked at Liu Jilong and said, "Your Highness."

"Your Highness." Zhang Wu turned to look at Liu Jilong upon hearing this, but Liu Jilong said:

"If Zhang Lin is really dead, Gao Pian will definitely not be able to accept it. In the future, when you are stationed in Xichuan, you must pay attention to the changes in Qianzhong."

"Yes!" Zhang Wu nodded in agreement, then Liu Jilong looked at Wang Jian:
"Once Wang Sifeng leads his troops to replace Gao Huai and the nine thousand elite cavalry, you and Gao Huai will lead your troops back to Chang'an first. I will return to Chang'an next February."

"Yes!" Wang Jian replied without hesitation, then asked, "Your Highness, should we attack Hedong or Dongji next?"

Now that Wang Jian has been promoted to the rank of fourth-grade captain based on his merits, he is naturally qualified to ask Liu Jilong questions.

Liu Jilong shook his head at this: "Whether or not to send troops next year depends on the situation in Guannei Circuit and Guanzhong."

The situation in Guanzhong is crucial to whether the Han army can launch an attack on Hedong and the Hehuai region. If another locust plague breaks out, even if Liu Jilong wanted to send troops, it wouldn't be so easy for him to do so.

This year, the north suffered a severe drought, and the autumn harvest results from Guannei Circuit and the capital region have not yet been delivered to him, indicating that the situation is not so good.

As he was thinking this, Gao Shu hurriedly entered the wounded soldiers' quarters, bowed to Liu Jilong, and said, "Your Highness, the grain rations for all the provinces have arrived!"

"What you say comes true."

Liu Jilong spoke with Zhang Wu and Wang Jian, and then led the group toward the main hall.

Standing in the main hall were Luo Yin, the Imperial Diarist, and others. They had been left in Chengdu by Liu Jilong and had not participated in the front-line battles.

However, the Han army always valued military records and reports, so their presence in Chengdu did not prevent them from recording Liu Jilong's daily life.

"Your Highness, these are the autumn harvest grain registers for all provinces."

Luo Yin bowed and gestured to Liu Jilong to the several books on the table. Upon seeing this, Liu Jilong sat down in the main seat and opened the books one by one.

Upon opening the document, his brow furrowed slightly, indicating that the situation was not good.

“The harvest in Longyou was more than 3.7 million shi of land tax, the harvest in Guannei Road was 1.85 million shi, and the harvest in the capital region was 2.76 million shi.”

“Jiannan harvested 4.42 million shi, and Shannan West Road harvested 1.27 million shi.”

Liu Jilong frankly stated the amount of land tax collected in various regions, such as Jiannan Circuit and Shannan West Circuit, which were higher than the previous autumn harvest, while Longyou remained unchanged.

The harvest in Guannei Circuit and the capital region was not as good as expected, but Liu Jilong had long been prepared for this.

Leaving aside the inevitable reduction in grain production due to the severe drought in the north, the locust plague alone caused almost a complete crop failure in 30% of the land surrounding the capital, so the result was certainly not as good as expected.

"The total tax revenue of 14 million shi of land across all provinces is slightly higher than expected."

Liu Jilong forced a smile, which relieved Zhang Wu and the others.

Based on the current grain prices under the Han army's rule, this is roughly equivalent to seven million strings of cash in tax revenue.

If we include commercial taxes and revenues from government monopolies such as salt, iron, tea, and wine, this year's tax revenue should not be much lower than last year's estimate.

"How many soldiers are left in this battle so far?"

Liu Jilong asked Zhang Wu, who bowed and said, "There were 8,476 men. Most of them were killed in battle at Yibin and Bidao. Many others were also killed in battle, but we captured no less than 24,000 pieces of enemy armor."

The casualty ratio was close to one to three. If we exclude the Battle of Yibin where the enemy was ambushed, the casualty ratio in other battlefields was generally one to three or higher. This was even before the three armies had completely completed literacy education.

Liu Jilong was naturally very satisfied with this casualty ratio, but judging from Gao Pian's use of firearms in this battle, the Tang army had not been without progress.

Although Gao Pian's firearms were not as powerful as those of the Han army, they could still be very effective against Huang Chao, the Tuman people of Qianzhong, and the Nanman army.

However, Liu Jilong has gradually come to look down on methods like the "Ten Thousand Enemy" technique and the "Powder Pack".

Since capturing Chang'an, he has obtained what he desired most... the imperial bell maker of Chang'an.

The principles of casting bells and casting cannons are similar; theoretically, there is no difference between casting bells and casting cannons.

This is why Liu Jilong was able to develop firearms in Longyou.

However, the bell makers in Longyou could only make iron bells that were two feet in size at most, so the iron cannon skills of the Han army could only be used to make heavy small iron cannons for defending the city.

Later, after capturing Sanchuan, Liu Jilong realized that the bell-makers in Sanchuan were only skilled enough to make four-foot bronze bells. He didn't have enough time to spare for the bell-makers in Sanchuan, so he simply attacked Guanzhong and captured the imperial and civilian bell-makers in Chang'an.

Chang'an City boasts the highest bell-casting technology of the Tang Dynasty, the most famous of which is the Jingyun Bell, which is eight feet tall, more than five feet in diameter, and weighs six thousand catties.

This largest bell in the world represents the highest level of bell-casting craftsmanship in the Tang Dynasty, but it was still too cumbersome for Liu Jilong.

These craftsmen have now been relocated to Longyou, where they study cannon-casting techniques.

Although there is no progress yet, if we succeed, the Han army will no longer need to resort to using gunpowder to blow up the city walls.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong looked at Gao Shu: "Send someone to Linzhou to inquire about Chen Jitong. If the bronze cannon is produced, all the craftsmen will be rewarded with 100 strings of cash!"

"Yes!" Gao Shu, a native of Longyou, naturally knew who Chen Jitong was.

However, besides him, only Zhang Wu and Liu Jilong knew about Chen Jitong. Even Wang Jian didn't know that Chen Jitong was in charge of leading troops and managing the gunpowder factory.

However, Wang Jian was not stupid. Upon hearing the words "bronze cannon," he immediately thought of the iron cannons used in the army and then deduced Chen Jitong's approximate identity.

He was very curious about Chen Jitong. After all, the reward of 100 strings of cash was more than six years' worth of military pay for an ordinary soldier. Moreover, judging from what his prince said, the reward was probably 100 strings of cash per person, which made him even more curious.

"Alright, once Gao Huai returns with his troops, you and Gao Huai will return to Chang'an first."

Liu Jilong gave instructions to Wang Jian, who bowed in agreement. Liu Jilong then spoke a few more words to the others before finally dismissing them.

As he dismissed the crowd, news spread that the Han army had occupied Kuizhou, and the people on both sides of the Yangtze River roughly guessed that the entire Sanchuan region had been lost.

This news emboldened the pirates on the Yangtze River, who then began to stir up trouble once again.

Kang Chengxun trained 50,000 troops in Hongzhou and 5,000 naval troops, intending to wipe out all the pirates north and south of Dongting Lake and surround Huang Chao in Hunan.

His actions were clearly observed by the spies Huang Chao had sent to Jiangxi, which made Huang Chao very anxious.

"Now that we can't occupy Lingxi and can't advance into the east, it seems that only going north is the only way out!"

Inside Yueyang Tower in Baling, Huang Chao sat in the main seat, with the vast expanse of Dongting Lake stretching for eight hundred miles behind him.

Sitting in front of him were Shang Rang, Huang Cun, and Lin Yan, as well as six military commanders: Zhu Wen, Zhu Cun, Zhao Zhang, Zhang Guiba, Ge Congzhou, and Meng Kai.

Although Huang Chao's tone sounded like a discussion, all the generals knew that since the King had spoken, it was not a discussion, but an announcement.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead my troops as the vanguard to cross the Yangtze River and capture Fuzhou!"

Zhang Guiba volunteered, but Huang Chao shook his head and said, "Jiangling Prefecture is indeed rich, but it is separated from the north bank by the Han River. Moreover, if Jiangling Prefecture is lost, the Han army will surely move east to attack Zigui and Yiling."

"The Han army has just achieved a great victory in Sanchuan, and its troops are still strong. Attacking Jiangling would be tantamount to inviting a wolf into the house."

Those present were all people promoted by Huang Chao, so he naturally spoke without much restraint.

Everyone knew the truth, so Zhu Wen tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, are you planning to attack Hanyang directly, go east of the Han River, and head north to attack Luoyang?"

Everyone perked up at this, and Huang Chao laughed heartily, "Not just Luoyang, but the entire Hehuai region!"

"Currently, the imperial army is either defending against the Han army or defending against the three towns of Hebei. The rest of the troops are all in Jiangnan, Qianzhong, Lingxi and other places."

"The He and Huai rivers are so empty; if I don't take them, wouldn't I become a laughingstock to the world?"

"Only by seizing the He and Huai rivers, and then encircling and taking over Jiangnan, can we achieve great things!"

"When that time comes, I will not enjoy this credit alone; you will all benefit from the merit of supporting the emperor!"

"Long live the Yellow King!!"

Zhu Wen and others, showing great tact, raised their cups and sang "Long Live the Emperor!" Huang Chao also raised his cup and drank heartily, then gave the order:

"Issue the order that in ten days Huang Cun will personally lead 10,000 Tianping Loyal and Filial Army soldiers and 20,000 Hunan Army soldiers to Jiangxia, cross the river to capture Hanyang, and then head north to attack Luoyang."

"Lin Ye personally led 10,000 Tianping Loyal Army soldiers and 20,000 Hunan Army soldiers to attack Xuanwu, Zhongwu, Huainan and other places."

"Your subordinate obeys!" The generals inside the building rose and bowed, drank the wine heartily, and then received their orders and went downstairs.

It was noon, and Huang Chao had already prepared enough provisions for his army for two months.

As long as they can cross the river, they can naturally obtain more food and fodder. They know what to do without Huang Chao's instructions.

Seeing that they had begun to mobilize troops to transport grain and fodder, Huang Chao and Shang Rang walked to the front of Yueyang Tower and looked down at Dongting Lake.

"King Huang, if our army withdraws from Hunan, the powerful clans and local magnates will surely cause trouble. It would be better to strike first before our troops are mobilized..."

Shang Rang looked at Huang Chao and couldn't help but offer his advice. Huang Chao frowned slightly upon hearing this.

Although he was annoyed by the actions of the powerful clans, he also knew that if he wanted to seize power, he needed their support.

Before he had fully grasped control of the world, he could not afford to offend the powerful clans and wealthy families, so he said in a deep voice:
"Hunan is, after all, the place where we started. Unless powerful families take the opportunity to cause trouble, I cannot easily bring weapons upon them."

"I can leave you 5,000 troops, and I will also send Cao Shixiong with 5,000 troops from Lingdong to the north. If any powerful families cause trouble, you can deal with them as you see fit."

"Yes!" Shang Rang wanted Huang Chao to grant him the authority to act as he saw fit. With this power, dealing with the powerful families in Hunan would be much easier. Shang Rang knew very well how much money and grain these powerful families in Hunan controlled.

Once Huang Chao leaves, they will inevitably rebel, and I can use my weapons to obtain the money and provisions, thus providing assistance to Huang Chao in his campaigns at the front.

With this achievement, when Huang Chao ascends the throne and becomes emperor, he will surely be one of the few people second only to the emperor.

Thinking of this, Shang Rang felt that he should also start making plans, while Huang Chao, standing beside him, had already set his mind on the Central Plains.

"King Huang has raised an army! He did it for the people, for Heaven's sake to restore equality and bring peace to all!!"

"kill!!"

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and with the arrival of the 25th of the eleventh month, Huang Chao crossed the river and headed north under the banner of "Heaven's restoration and equalization".

Hanyang fell in less than three days. Following Huang Chao's plan, Huang's army split into two routes: one to attack the Hehuai region, and the other to attack Ruzhou, south of Luoyang.

When the news reached Nanyang, Liu Zhan immediately dispatched a fast horse to inform Luoyang and transferred more than 10,000 elite troops from the Wuguan direction back to defend Nanyang.

Xiao Ye of Jiangling Prefecture dared not send troops and could only observe the situation from across the Han River.

Huang Chao personally led the Tianping Loyal and Filial Army under the command of Huang Cun, Zhu Wen, Zhao Zhang, Ge Congzhou, and 20,000 Hunan troops to attack Ruzhou, capturing Ezhou, Yingzhou, Anzhou, and Suizhou along the way.

Huang Chao led the Tianping Loyal and Filial Army and the Hunan Army as the main force, burning down houses in various prefectures and counties along the way, looting government granaries, opening granaries to distribute grain to the people, and coercing the people to move north.

By the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, Huang Chao had already raised 30,000 armored soldiers and surrounded Nanyang with an army of 100,000 bandits.

At the same time, Lin Ye led Zhu Cun, Zhao Zhang, Zhang Guiba, Li Hanzhi and others to attack Huangzhou, Qizhou, Shuzhou, Shenzhou and Guangzhou.

When the news reached Luoyang, Li Cui, who had been spending time with actors, suddenly came to his senses.

In a daze, he came to his senses and found himself surrounded by actors, his chest and breasts exposed.

Seeing this scene, and looking at the memorial in his hand, he suddenly felt a surge of anger: "Get out! All of you, get out of my sight!!"

He overturned the table, startling the actors who scrambled away from Zhenguan Hall. Tian Yun hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the ministers are already outside the hall."

"Summon them! Summon them in..."

Li Cui was somewhat weak, and the white hair at his temples was becoming increasingly thick.

"This servant obeys." Upon seeing this, Tian Yun withdrew from the hall and then led Lu Yan, Yu Cong, and the others into the hall.

"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, pay our respects..."

"Rise immediately!" Li Cui had already put his clothes back on in the meantime.

Upon seeing everyone enter the hall, he immediately questioned, "I have heard that the Yellow Turban rebels have crossed the river and marched north, and have already reached Nanyang?"

"Your Majesty, we only learned of the news a few days ago."

Lu Yan and Yu Cong bowed in greeting one after the other. Li Cui immediately looked at Qi Yuanjian and the others, only to see them also bowing in response, saying, "Your Majesty, we only learned of this a few days ago..."

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

Li Cui questioned them, but they opened their mouths, their faces full of difficulty.

Seeing their expressions, Li Cui finally realized what was happening and looked at the memorials he had overturned.

He was both ashamed and angry, and couldn't help but ask, "How many troops does the Yellow bandit have? Can the imperial court send troops to repel him?"

Seeing that Li Cui had glossed over what had just happened, Yu Cong quickly bowed and said, "At present, there are only 20,000 government troops in Shannan East Road, and more than 10,000 of them are stationed in Wuguan and Shangzhou. There are only more than 10,000 government troops in Nanyang City, while the Huang bandits have gathered 100,000 troops, claiming to have 300,000 troops heading north."

"Furthermore, an urgent report from Guangzhou states that the Huang rebels have divided their forces to attack the Jianghuai region, and their army numbers no less than 100,000..."

"You bastard! You bastard!!" Li Cui couldn't help but curse angrily upon hearing this.

"Kang Chengxun demanded troops from the Central Plains from me. Now, all 50,000 troops have been transferred to him, yet he has allowed the Yellow Turban rebels to march north and wreak havoc in the Central Plains. His crime deserves to be punished!"

"Your Majesty!" Seeing that Li Cui was about to interrogate him, Lu Yan had no choice but to step forward and speak up for Kang Chengxun:

"Even Governor Kang probably never imagined that the Yellow bandits would actually pacify the river pirates and provide them with boats to cross the river."

"At present, there are less than 30,000 troops in Zhongwu, Xuanwu, Yicheng, Xusi, Huainan and other places, and they are scattered in various places."

"If the Yellow bandits invade, the towns will be barely able to protect themselves, let alone send troops to suppress them."

"However, when the Yellow bandits launch a full-scale attack, their rear will inevitably be vulnerable."

"I believe that Your Majesty should order Prince Gao Qianli of Bohai to lead troops to recover Hunan, Lingdong and other places."

"Furthermore, we can order Governor Kang to lead his troops across the river to the north and deploy defenses along the Grand Canal. We must absolutely protect the Grand Canal, as it is the lifeline of the court and cannot be lost!"

Lu Yan mentioned Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun, simply because both of them had secretly given him gold and silver jewelry, and besides, only the two of them had enough troops to surround Huang Chao.

Seeing that Lu Yan spoke in a very organized manner, Li Cui immediately nodded and said, "Issue the decree, ordering Gao Qianli to send troops to recover the lost territories in Hunan, Lingdong and other places."

"Order Commander Kang Chengxun to lead troops to defend the Grand Canal and make amends for his past mistakes!"

"Your subject obeys the decree..." Hearing that the emperor had accepted his suggestion, Lu Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

This not only saved Kang Chengxun, but also gave Gao Pian the opportunity to intervene in Hunan.

Lu Yan now realized that although the Tang Dynasty still seemed to control half of the country, in reality, if it weren't for the Zhongwu Army, Xuanwu Army, and other garrison troops being on the front lines, the Zhongwu Army and Xuanwu Army would probably have long since stopped obeying orders.

Besides, if Zhaoyi, Yiwu, Yichang and others were not so dependent on the imperial court's money and provisions, they probably wouldn't care about the court at all right now.

Liu Jilong has just occupied Sanchuan. If he were to accumulate strength and march east, the Tang Dynasty would surely fall into disarray.

Taking this opportunity, I can make good friends with Gao Pian or Kang Chengxun, and maybe I can keep my position in the future.

Thinking about this, Lu Yan's thoughts raced, while Bei Si also had their own ideas.

Of all these people, only Yu Cong didn't care about anything else; he just wanted to stabilize the current situation as soon as possible.

So after Lu Yan spoke, Yu Cong continued to bow and said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, in addition to mobilizing the troops of Gao Qianli and Kang Jingci, we also need to strengthen the troops at the eight passes of Luoyang and Ruzhou."

"I believe that the Shence Army and the Eastern Capital Army should be transferred south to garrison the three passes of Yique, Xuanyuan, and Dagu, and 20,000 Zhongwu Army and Xuanwu Army from Shaanxi and Guo should be transferred to garrison Ruzhou to protect Luoyang."

"I second that!" Upon hearing Yu Cong's words, Qi Yuanshi and the others all seconded that proposal.

Although they each had their own agendas, the premise of all their agendas was to protect Luoyang.

If Luoyang falls to Huang Chao, then all the wealth they have accumulated there will be lost.

"Granted!" Li Cui agreed without hesitation, then looked at the others and urged, "Quickly issue an imperial edict ordering Gao Qianli, Kang Chengxun, and the garrisons of Zhongwu and Xuanwu to guard against the Huang bandits!"

"Your Majesty, we obey the decree..."

The group agreed and then hurriedly left Zhenguan Hall, each returning to their respective offices.

Before long, countless fast horses rushed out of Luoyang and headed in all directions.

At the same time, Zhang Yichao also learned that Liu Zhan was besieged in Nanyang and that Huang Chao was leading his army north.

Although he had lost trust in the Tang Dynasty in his early years, Zhang Yichao still felt that he could not ignore the Tang Dynasty when it was truly in danger.

He wrote a memorial overnight and ordered it to be sent to the Zhenguan Hall.

When the memorial was delivered to Zhenguan Hall, Tian Yun took it and handed it to Li Cui.

"Your Majesty, this is the memorial submitted by the Duke of Dunhuang County..."

"Duke of Dunhuang County? Zhang Yichao?"

Li Cui, who was already feeling irritable, heard Zhang Yichao submit a memorial. Even though he was very wary of Zhang at the moment, he still opened the memorial.

"Your Majesty, I, Yi Chao, have heard that the Yellow rebels have invaded our borders. I hereby submit this memorial to Your Majesty..."

Zhang Yichao's memorial was written with sincerity and deep feeling. He first analyzed the current situation for Li Cui, and then analyzed the restless thoughts of the warlords in Hedong and Hebei.

Zhang Yichao believed that the imperial court was now at a critical juncture of life and death, especially given the severe drought in the north and the locust plagues that plagued the Yellow River and Huai River regions. The once prosperous northern regions were now occupied by regional military governors, leaving the rest in ruins.

If news of the Yellow bandits' advance were to reach Liu Muzhi in the west, he would surely rush to attack the eastern capital to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Yellow bandits.

The Yellow Turban rebels are now poised to swallow up the Huai and He regions. If the imperial court wants to survive, it would be best to lead its troops to Huainan, relying on the natural defenses of Huainan and the Yangtze and Han Rivers, to recover lost territories in Hunan and Lingdong, and regroup.

Although Huang Ze had committed atrocities several times, he was, after all, a bandit, and was bound to be thwarted when he encountered the rebel army.

With Liu Muzhi's methods, the Huang bandits would only be defeated. In order to seize the He and Huai Rivers, Liu Muzhi would inevitably fall into a long period of recuperation, while the warlords in Hedong and Hebei would continue to develop during this period.

It will take Liu Jilong two or three years to take control of Hedong and Hebei, while the imperial court can use this time to retrain its troops and navy.

As long as Zigui and Yiling are held, and with the support of the Huai River, Han River, and Yangtze River, the imperial court can maintain the situation...

"Asshole! Asshole!"

Looking at Zhang Yichao's memorial, Li Cui suddenly felt a surge of anger for some reason.

"It's one thing for Liu Jilong to act recklessly, but how could a mere thief like Huang cause so much chaos?"

"That old man Zhang Yichao is truly exaggerating!"

Li Cui was so angry that his chest heaved. The reason Zhang Yichao's memorial could make him so angry was that he himself believed that what Zhang Yichao said would come true.

However, he refused to accept his fate and had no intention of going to Jiangnan to eke out a living.

He knew very well that even if he could occupy Huainan, Jiangnan West Circuit, Jiangnan East Circuit, Lingnan Circuit, and Qianzhong Circuit, the population under his jurisdiction would only be 12 to 13 million.

At that time, Liu Jilong occupied Sichuan and the entire north, with at least 20 million people. What could he use to rule across the river from Liu Jilong?

To defend the Yangtze River, one must defend the Huai River; to defend the Huai River, one must defend the Xu River…

He understood this principle, but the imperial court had been defeated by the Han army several times. Although he and Liu Jilong were about the same age, Liu Jilong was strong and healthy, while he knew his own body well.

If he really retreats to Jiangnan, how many more years will he have left to live?

If he dies, Liu Jilong will have trained his troops for several years, and hundreds of thousands of troops will march south. How long can the Tang Dynasty hold out?
"His Majesty……"

Tian Yun looked at Li Cui, whose face was flushed with anger, and spoke cautiously.

Seeing Tian Yun's cautious demeanor, Li Cui looked at Zhang Yichao's memorial that he had thrown on the ground.

"This memorial is utterly unspeakable; burn it immediately!"

He urged Tian Yun on, not wanting anyone else to see the contents of the memorial.

Upon hearing this, Tian Yun agreed, picked up Zhang Yichao's memorial, and decisively burned it, throwing it into the incense burner. Only after watching the memorial burn to ashes did he bow to Li Cui in return.

Seeing that the fire inside the incense burner had gone out, Li Cui stood up unsteadily.

At this time, due to years of indulgence, he looked like a man in his late forties.

If he had more gray hair, people might believe he was in his fifties.

"I am tired, it's time for me to rest..."

Li Cui spoke unsteadily, and Tian Yun, seeing this, quickly went up to the golden platform and helped Li Cui walk towards the side hall.

At the same time, Huang Chao's troops not only besieged Nanyang, but also continued to spread outwards, occupying the entire territory of Dengzhou, Tangzhou, and other places except for the state capitals.

Huang Chao never expected his northward march to go so smoothly, so when he heard the constant stream of good news, he couldn't help but feel smug.

He accepted all the women that Huang Cun had gathered, and they sang and danced in the tents outside Nanyang City.

Not far from Huang Chao's main camp, in the tents of various generals, Zhu Wen and Ge Congzhou, who had just returned victorious with their troops, couldn't help but ask Huo Cun, the general left behind, about the singing and dancing.

"Which tent is the sound of women talking and laughing coming from?"

“Naturally, it’s the Yellow King’s tent.”

Huo Cun and Ge Congzhou had a very good relationship. When Ge Congzhou asked him about it, he naturally told him about it without any concealment.

Upon hearing this, Ge Congzhou couldn't help but sigh: "We haven't even captured Luoyang yet, and they're already singing and dancing like this... How can this be tolerated..."

Ge Congzhou came from a respectable background, but he joined the army because he believed that the Tang Dynasty was doomed and that Huang Chao had a better future than the likes of Pang Xun and Wang Xianzhi, so he chose to join Huang Chao.

Now it seems that Huang Chao is no different from Pang Xun and Wang Xianzhi. Seeing this disparity, he naturally said some discouraging things.

Unfortunately, no sooner had he finished speaking those discouraging words than a piercing sound rang out from in front of him.

"King Huang has worked hard and made great contributions. It is only right that he enjoys himself now. You should be considerate of King Huang, instead of gossiping here!"

Huang Cun rode up on horseback, clearly having heard Ge Congzhou's words, and began to lecture him with a cold snort.

Ge Congzhou was somewhat embarrassed and quickly bowed, saying, "This humble general misspoke, please punish me..."

"It's good to know!"

Although Huang Cun was not particularly capable, he was Huang Chao's nephew, so in his opinion, it was no big deal to teach Ge Congzhou and his group of generals a lesson.

Seeing that Ge Congzhou was about to be whipped, Zhu Wen couldn't help but step forward and bow, saying, "Little King Huang, Ge Dalang was just speaking unintentionally. Considering how much money and grain he has taken back today, let him off this time."

Zhu Wen's mention of "Little King Huang" immediately brought a look of joy to Huang Cun's face.

Everyone knows that Huang Cunping has always referred to himself as the Little King Huang, but no one has ever acknowledged it. Now that Zhu Wen has taken the initiative to praise him as the Little King Huang, he is naturally pleased.

Upon seeing this, Ge Congzhou immediately pulled Huo Cun along and bowed, saying, "Please forgive this humble general for his slip of the tongue, Your Highness!"

"Hmm..." Huang Cun nodded in satisfaction, clearly pleased.
"Fine, considering this is your first offense, I will not report this matter to the King."

"However, if you repeat this mistake, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Huang Cun rode off, and Zhu Wen, Ge Congzhou, and Huo Cun followed, offering their compliments for several steps. Only after Huang Cun had gone far away did Ge Congzhou wipe his sweat and look at Zhu Wen gratefully: "Thank you very much for today's matter, Third Brother."

"It's alright. If I ever fall into trouble in the future, I will need your help, Brother."

Zhu Wen did not seek to repay the favor, but only made empty promises about the future.

Ge Congzhou nodded in agreement, and although he didn't say anything, he kept it firmly in his heart.

Seeing Ge Congzhou's reaction, Zhu Wen said, "I have acquired a few jars of yellow wine today. Let's go to my tent for a few drinks; it won't be a big deal."

"Good!" Seeing this, Ge Congzhou led Huo Cun and Zhu Wen into the tent, while sending someone outside to keep watch, so as not to give others any more leverage.

However, they were overthinking it, because after enjoying himself for a few hours, Huang Chao ordered his army to not ban alcohol. Therefore, all the soldiers in Huang's camp outside Nanyang City who could find alcohol drank to their hearts' content.

Meanwhile, express horses dispatched from Luoyang were also rushing to central Guizhou and Jiangxi...

(End of this chapter)