Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 448 The Prince of Hanzhong
"By the mandate of Heaven, I hereby proclaim to all realms:"

"The ways of Heaven are ever-changing, but virtue is its guide. The Tang Dynasty lost its way, with a foolish ruler in power and eunuchs seizing authority. Wolves and jackals ruled the inner court, while tigers and wolves roamed the outer regions. Heavy taxes and harsh levies ripped people dry; severe punishments and harsh laws made life unbearable for the people."

"Starving corpses fill the fields while the rich feast on wine behind their gates; frozen bones clog the roads while music and revelry fill the golden palaces. Is this not Heaven's rejection of the Tang dynasty?"

"I was originally a commoner, rising from humble origins. I have witnessed the suffering of the people and am deeply indignant at the presence of treacherous officials in the court. Therefore, I raised my arm and called upon heroes to respond; we rose up in rebellion, and righteous armies gathered in droves. This was not for my own selfish reasons, but for the sake of justice for all under heaven!"

"Now, wherever our royal army marches, the Tang army crumbles at the mere sight of them; wherever our righteous banner points, the common people offer them food and drink. Is this not the will of Heaven?"

"According to prophecies and apocryphal texts, the Tang dynasty is coming to an end. The virtue of earth is declining, and the virtue of metal is about to rise. Now, civil and military officials, government officials, and the common people have jointly urged me to ascend the throne and be honored as the Son of Heaven to rule over the people. Please follow the will of the people."

"On the 26th day of the second month of the lunar calendar, the Emperor ascends the throne in the southern suburbs, and the entire nation is officially named Qi. This year is designated as the first year of the Jin Dynasty's reign. On this day, we respectfully visit the Imperial Ancestral Temple to posthumously honor our four generations of ancestors as Emperor and Empress, and establish the Grand Altar of Earth and the Grand Altar of Grain in Luoyang. This announcement is hereby made known throughout the nation..."

On February 26th of the eleventh year of the Xiantong era, Huang Chao issued a proclamation and ordered his soldiers to shoot it into various prefectures and counties, marking the beginning of the spread of his ascension to the throne as emperor.

When Li Cui received the news, he was so angry that he fainted again. When he woke up, it was already noon the next day.

He not only missed the court assembly where he met with Xiao Gou and others, but also missed the opportunity to respond immediately.

Huang Chao's proclamation made many prefectures and counties near his sphere of influence aware of his claim to the throne.

Since ancient times, there can only be two suns in the sky. If the Tang court cannot quickly annihilate Huang Chao's Qi dynasty, then the Tang court's remaining prestige will be swept away.

For this reason, Li Cui disregarded his pitiful and meager reputation and hurriedly met with Xiao Gou and other officials from Chang'an.

"Your subject Xiao Gou pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years..."

Inside the simple Heyin County government office, Xiao Gou, Wei Zhuang, Pi Rixiu, and others respectfully bowed to Li Cui, who was seated in the main seat.

Even though the place was incredibly simple, in the eyes of the group, as long as Li Cui sat in the main seat, the place still possessed the majestic and awe-inspiring presence of an emperor.

Seeing that Li Cui had lost weight, Xiao Gou lowered his head, and soon sobs could be heard.

"Your Majesty must have endured much hunger and cold during your hasty eastern expedition. Although the items I brought with me are few, I am willing to donate them all to the court to help Your Majesty out of this predicament."

Xiao Gou spoke while crying, which moved Li Cui to tears. He comforted her, saying:

"Minister Xiao, there's no need for that. I was simply caught off guard, which allowed the bandits to invade the Eastern Capital."

"What you did in Chang'an, Minister Lu has already told me."

"Without righteous men like you, I don't know how much effort the court would have wasted and how many prefectures and counties it would have lost."

"The court is currently unable to subdue the rebels. Only by relying on you loyal and righteous men can we temporarily stabilize Liu Muzhi and thus buy time for the court."

As Li Cui finished speaking, Qi Yuanjian suddenly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, Vice Minister Xiao and others are loyal and devoted, but they have made mistakes in military intelligence on several occasions. Therefore, I would like to ask Vice Minister Xiao whether these mistakes were made intentionally by Liu Muzhi or if he had other motives?"

"Military intelligence error?" Xiao Gou was taken aback and puzzled. The military intelligence he had provided was all about the dispatch of ordinary grain and supplies. What kind of error could there be?

“That’s right!” Qi Yuanjian nodded and looked at Xiao Gou, his heart filled with suspicion towards Xiao Gou and the others.

He then pointed out some errors in the military intelligence relayed by Xiao Gou and others, such as Liu Jilong's attack on Hedong resulting in nothing happening, and Liu Jilong's multiple-pronged attack on Guandong, but only one force actually attacked Sanchuan, etc.

Xiao Gou's expression changed drastically upon hearing this; he did not recall ever providing such military intelligence.

For a moment, he felt his scalp tingle and cold sweat pour down his face.

He was simply out of touch with the world, but not stupid.

Seeing that Qi Yuanjian spoke logically and that Lu Yan and the others were looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze, he immediately began to defend himself.

"Your Majesty, I have never written these messages in military intelligence reports. May I have the original text to review?"

"You didn't write it down?" Li Cui's expression changed slightly. He had thought that Xiao Gou and others had gotten the military intelligence wrong, but he didn't expect that Xiao Gou had never sent out these military intelligence reports at all.

Li Cui subconsciously looked at Lu Yan, who was also filled with disbelief.

Seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, Lu Yan quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this plan was probably Liu Muzhi's deliberate act."

"Liu Jilong..."

Upon hearing Lu Yan's explanation, everyone belatedly realized what was going on. They thought to themselves, no wonder the military intelligence was always delivered to the court safely. It turned out that Liu Jilong had done this on purpose, to create a diversion.

"If that's the case, why did Liu Jilong send Vice Minister Xiao and others to Guandong as envoys? Wasn't he afraid that the court would have to verify the truth of the matter with Vice Minister Xiao?"

Li Cui felt as if he were being manipulated by Liu Jilong. Xiao Gou, upon hearing this, said in a deep voice, "I'm afraid Liu Muzhi saw that the court could not refuse, which is why he sent me here."

"Firstly, to gain the court's trust; secondly, to demonstrate strength to the court..."

Xiao Gou's words silenced everyone in the hall. Li Cui was so angry at Xiao Gou's second point that his face twitched, but he was helpless.

Liu Jilong brought Xiaogou to them for reconciliation, which was almost a blatant way of telling them that he knew everything the court was doing and that he wasn't afraid of the court continuing to send more people.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the most urgent task is to announce to the world as soon as possible the imperial decree conferring the title of Prince of Hanzhong upon Liu Jilong."

Xiao Gou knew he had been abandoned by Liu Jilong, so he began to demonstrate his worth to Li Cui in order to avoid being neglected.

His reaction made Li Cui look at him and then ask, "Is Liu Jilong truly surrendering, or is this just a delaying tactic?"

“Your Majesty,” Lu Yan stepped forward, “regardless of Liu Muzhi’s intentions, the court urgently needs to reconcile with him and then use his surrender to stabilize the regional warlords.”

“That’s right, Your Majesty.” Although Qi Yuanjian questioned the intelligence sent by Xiao Gou and others, he dared not delay regarding Liu Jilong’s reconciliation with the court.

If the Tang Dynasty could not stabilize the regional military governors, its collapse would not be far off.

Faced with the two men's attitude, Li Cui wanted to lash out, but he held back in the end. Since their positions were now reversed, if he refused Liu Jilong's offer of a way out, he might end up like Emperor Xianzong, Emperor Wenzong, and Emperor Xuanzong.

Thinking of this, Li Cui said in a deep voice: "The imperial edict appoints Liu Jilong as Prefect of the Capital Region, Garrison Commander of Chang'an, and Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and promotes him to Prince of Hanzhong, with a fief of five thousand households. Xingyuan Prefecture is renamed Hanzhong Prefecture. He is also granted the titles of Loyal and Meritorious Official in Pacifying the Rebellion, Military Governor of Longyou, Guannei, Jiannan, Shannan West, and other places, and General of the Cavalry..."

"Issue the order to guard all roads and prevent thieves from entering."

"Your subject accepts the decree and expresses gratitude." Xiao Gou followed the procedure as instructed, and Li Cui looked at Xiao Gou and said:
"Xiao Gou was appointed as Chancellor and Minister of Rites..."

Li Cui wasn't stupid. Since Liu Jilong deliberately exposed Xiaogou, it meant that Xiaogou had no value to Liu Jilong anymore.

Although Xiao Gou had served under Liu Jilong, this experience gave him a thorough understanding of the internal workings of Liu Jilong's forces.

Now that the position of prime minister is vacant, Xiao Gou has just demonstrated his wit. Letting Xiao Gou fill the prime minister's position and stand on equal footing with Lu Yan will make it easier for me to control the Southern Court.

"Your subject kowtows in gratitude, may you live ten thousand years..."

Upon learning that he had unexpectedly risen to the position of prime minister, Xiao Gou was only momentarily stunned before quickly recovering and seizing the opportunity to offer his advice:

"Your Majesty, I believe that we should immediately dispatch Wei Zhuang, Lu Guimeng and others back to Chang'an to announce the imperial decree to the people of the world."

"Furthermore, Your Majesty, please issue an imperial edict ordering Liu Jilong to send troops to recover Shannan East Circuit and relieve the siege of Nanyang."

"What?" Li Cui frowned, and Lu Yan also raised his voice, "Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

"If Liu Jilong is allowed to recover Shannan East Circuit, he will surely take advantage of the situation to occupy Shangzhou and Dengzhou in Shannan East Circuit, which will be detrimental to the court."

"Your Majesty!" Seeing Lu Yan's rebuttal, Xiao Gou immediately raised his voice as well:
"Now that there is a severe drought in Guanzhong, Liu Jilong has not been able to send many troops. Moreover, the people of Shannan East Road have long since fled due to the invasion of the Yellow bandits."

"As far as I know, nearly half of the people in Shannan East Circuit fled to the Hehuai Circuit, and the remaining 30% fled to Shannan West Circuit. Only 20% of the people remained in their original places of residence, and most of them were women and children."

"The imperial court has lost a lot of territory, and we must wipe out the Yellow rebels as quickly as possible."

"South of the Yangtze River there is Gao Qianli, and in the He and Huai River regions there is Kang Chengxun. Although Jingzhou and Xiangyang have Xiao Qizhi, Xiao Qizhi is ignorant of military affairs and is completely unable to recover lost territory."

“It would be difficult to transfer troops from Hedong and Hebei at the moment.”

"Only by dispatching Liu Jilong to cut off Huang Chao's rear route can we recover Luoyang, return power to Luoyang, stabilize the regional warlords, and then conquer the rebellious warlords in Jiangnan, Qilu and other places."

"If we don't fight a quick battle, the longer we drag it out, the more rebellious warlords will emerge, and we will suffer more losses than gains."

As if to verify Xiao Gou's words, at this moment a scarlet-robed official strode into the county government office and presented a memorial with both hands.

"Your Majesty, the General of Zhongwu Army, Zhou Ji, killed the garrison supervisor of Yique and occupied Yique Pass and the three counties of Yique, Luhun and Yiyang to surrender to the Huang rebels."

"What?" Upon hearing that the more than 3,000 Zhongwu soldiers who were left to hold off Huang Chao had rebelled under the leadership of Zhou Ji, Li Cui could no longer sit still.

"Issue an imperial edict ordering Liu Jilong to send troops to Shannan East Road to relieve the siege of Nanyang."

"Then send another imperial edict to Liu Zhan in Nanyang City, ordering him to lead his troops south to recover the lost territory north of the Yangtze River in Shannan East Circuit."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Xiao Gou hurriedly agreed, but dared not utter any words of praise or wisdom.

Ultimately, everyone knew that doing this meant giving Shangzhou and most of Dengzhou to Liu Jilong, but they had no choice.

If Liu Jilong doesn't send troops, then who else can he send to relieve Liu Zhan, who is besieged in Nanyang?

Liu Zhan has been besieged for months, and by now, the city of Nanyang is probably in a state of utter misery.

If no troops are dispatched, Liu Zhan and the remaining 10,000 troops of Shannan East Circuit will face certain death.

If we could exchange two states for Liu Zhan's breakout, and then recover the lost territories of the three southern states, that would be acceptable.

Li Cui had resigned himself to his fate. The tide was turning before him, and he only hoped that he would not become the last emperor of Chen or the last emperor of Sui.

As for the rest, he stopped thinking about it.

"Step back...cough cough!"

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

He coughed as he was helped away from the county government office by Tian Yun, and everyone bowed and saluted.

After Li Cui left, Lu Yan looked at Xiao Gou and asked, "Is Liu Jilong really willing to transport the money, grain, and brocade that he is sending to Tongzhou to the imperial court?"

"It shouldn't be faked," Xiao Gou replied with a frown, then added a reminder:

"However, the garrison troops in Hezhong and Heyang are arrogant and domineering, killing civilians indiscriminately. The Yellow River in Shanzhou has a rapid current, making it difficult for cargo ships to navigate. In addition, the Yellow bandits control Mengjin Pass. It is easy to transport the money and grain in Liu Muzhi's hands, but it is hard to say how much can be transported."

"It's alright, as long as we have food!" Lu Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

Currently, the Hebei and Huai River regions are unable to allocate funds and provisions, and Kang Chengxun's troops have been short of food for more than half a month, and can only barely survive by selling palace artifacts.

Even if Liu Jilong only transported a few thousand shi of grain, it would be enough for Kang Chengxun's troops to eat and drink their fill and advance westward to fight Huang Chao for several days.

Thinking of this, Lu Yan looked at Wei Zhuang and Pi Rixiu behind Xiao Gou.

Although he didn't say anything, Wei Zhuang and Pi Rixiu still felt some pressure.

Lu Yan didn't say anything, but instead left side by side with Qi Yuanjian and the others.

After they left, Xiao Gou looked at the two men and asked, "I am unable to return to Chang'an now. You two should return to the post station and ask the officials there how many are willing to return to Chang'an and how many are willing to stay and serve the court."

"Yes..." The two bowed respectfully and then left the Heyin County Government Office.

The Heyin County Government Office was already quite rudimentary, but the scene outside after leaving the office was even more appalling.

The rammed earth road was covered in dust, and patrols of Shence Army and Dongji troops could be seen from time to time.

When Wei Zhuang and Pi Rixiu had gone far away and arrived at a street far from the county government office, the not-so-wide Wuzhang Street was filled with people sitting haphazardly.

They were ragged, emaciated, with dry, tangled hair like wild grass, and their sternums protruding high, resembling skeletons covered in skin.

Even though I had seen countless scenes like this before, seeing them up close still gave me goosebumps.

They headed to the post station under the protection of soldiers. Every now and then, they saw people kneeling and collapsing. Then, more than ten people nearby suddenly became agitated and carried them out of the city.

"What are they doing?"

Pi Rixiu frowned and asked, while Wei Zhuang's slightly flustered face also showed curiosity.

When questioned by the two men, the Shence Army soldiers guarding them lowered their voices and said, "Nowadays, even officials can't get enough to eat from a bushel of rice, let alone the common people."

"Henan has suffered from severe drought for several years, and has also been hit by two locust plagues. The bark of the trees outside the city has been completely eaten away, let alone the people."

"What did you say?!"

Pi Rixiu and Wei Zhuang stopped in their tracks, staring in astonishment at the two soldiers, who quickly offered an explanation:

"Don't worry, gentlemen, we wouldn't stoop to eating that 'lucky meat'."

"Lucky Meat..." Upon hearing this term, Pi Rixiu and Wei Zhuang's expressions turned extremely grim.

They were well aware of the severe drought and two locust plagues in the north.

However, during his time in Chang'an, Liu Jilong continuously sent people to repair the water conservancy system, and the Jiannan Road, Shannan West Road, and Longyou Road continuously transported grain into Guanzhong, so the people of Guanzhong did not suffer hardship.

They had assumed the situation in Kanto was similar, but now it seems that the situation in Kanto is far worse than in Kansai, with people even being cannibalized.

The two felt a churning in their stomachs, and realized that the people around them weren't looking up at them, but rather observing them as if they were food.

The two men, suppressing their discomfort, returned to the inn. As soon as they entered, they saw Lu Guimeng and the others sitting around a table, eating mutton together.

The slaughtered sheep were hung up, but in the eyes of Pi Rixiu and Wei Zhuang, they looked more like people than sheep.

"vomit--"

As expected, the two rushed out the door and began to retch while leaning against it.

The people inside the building were taken aback by what they saw and rushed forward to check on the two. The two didn't say anything, but simply recounted what Xiao Gou had told them.

As soon as the two finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

They looked at each other in bewilderment. Seeing this, Lu Guimeng spoke first, saying, "You have all seen clearly what the situation has been like along the way."

“Those of us of humble origins will not be valued by the court even if we stay here. On the other hand, although Chang’an has many rules, it makes things much simpler.”

"Therefore, I will naturally return to Chang'an. What about you all?" As soon as Lu Guimeng finished speaking, many officials from poor backgrounds echoed his sentiments.

“If even a family of high-ranking officials like Lu Wang is like this, how can we, from poor families, possibly rise above our station?”

"Drinking and exchanging toasts is not what I'm looking for; I'd much rather return to Chang'an."

"Kanto is chaotic, Kansai is better..."

Under Lu Guimeng's leadership, most of the officials sent on the mission were unwilling to stay in Guandong, including many who had previously gathered intelligence for Xiao Gou and others.

From Chang'an to Heyin, a journey of nearly a thousand miles, they may not have seen much else, but they clearly saw the chaos in Hedong and Hebei, and the hunger and cold in Henan.

Wei Zhuang and Pi Rixiu were not the only ones who knew about and understood the "lucky meat".

Although everyone has fantasized about making a name for themselves in chaotic times, when chaos actually arrives and they see those with similar abilities become stepping stones for others, or even food for others, they only want to return to peace.

The Guanzhong Plain under Liu Jilong's rule is a place that can still maintain peace today, such as Sanchuan and Longyou. It is no exaggeration to say that it is a peaceful and prosperous place.

It was more reasonable that Liu Jilong's subordinates received sufficient salaries, and with prices stabilizing, even those outside the capital received a salary equivalent to fifteen strings of cash per year. This was enough to buy twenty shi of rice and the firewood, rice, soy sauce, vinegar, and salt for a family of five, as well as enough for each person to wear coarse cloth clothing. Not to mention officials of higher rank.

In contrast, the imperial court not only defaulted on salaries, but prices also skyrocketed, making it impossible to buy even a peck of rice with one string of cash.

Along the way, anyone who understands their own capabilities has already decided where to go.

“That’s very good. If anyone is willing to serve the court tomorrow, let them stay and wait for Prime Minister Xiao’s arrangements.”

"The rest of you may return to Chang'an with Brother Lu Wang. As for the imperial edict, please entrust it to Brother Lu Wang to present to the King of Hanzhong."

Pi Rixiu still admired Liu Jilong, but since he had chosen to stay, he naturally could no longer refer to Liu Jilong as the King of Han without restraint.

The King of Han and the King of Hanzhong may seem to be the same, but in reality, the difference is much greater.

"In that case, let us drink to our hearts' content today, and hope to meet again in the future."

Lu Guimeng was not pedantic and readily agreed to Pi Rixiu's words.

That night, the inn was brightly lit, and countless pairs of green eyes peered out from its perimeter.

If it weren't for the Han army's vigilance, these people would probably have already stormed into the post station.

Lu Guimeng leaned against the window, watching the figures outside.

Pi Rixiu walked over with a wine glass in his hand, his gaze also fixed on the window. Recalling his encounter during the day, he couldn't help but say, "This world has driven good people into becoming evil spirits."

"I think this is what the imperial court forced us to do." Lu Guimeng and Pi Rixiu were good friends, so he naturally said whatever came to mind.

Pi Rixiu smiled bitterly after hearing this, raised his cup in melancholy, and said, "I think even His Majesty did not expect the situation to turn out this way."

"Hehe..." Lu Guimeng didn't say anything, just shook his head and chuckled, then drank it all in one gulp.

After he put down his wine glass, he looked at Pi Rixiu and said, "Xi Mei, we will meet again, not too long ago."

“…” Pi Rixiu fell silent, knowing what Lu Guimeng meant.

Anyone with eyes can see that chaos has arrived, and only Liu Jilong can become a hero.

Lu Guimeng's words were simply saying that Pi Rixiu and others had now pledged allegiance to the imperial court, but would ultimately have to submit to Liu Jilong.

Pi Rixiu didn't know how to refute it. He just felt that Emperor Taizong's Tang Dynasty should not have ended up in a situation where no one was there to help it.

Even though he lacked the ability, he still wanted to show his skills and try to serve the Tang Dynasty.

"Go to rest early."

Lu Guimeng left the windowsill, while Pi Rixiu stood there for a long time before finally closing the window.

The following day, as dawn broke, ninety-seven officials chose to return to Chang'an under the escort of the Han army, while fewer than thirty chose to stay.

Most of them came from prestigious families or were respected commoners.

In contrast, those who followed Lu Guimeng back to Chang'an were mostly impoverished officials who were well aware of their own abilities and backgrounds.

Apart from Liu Jilong, no one else in the world would value these poor people so much, let alone grant them official positions.

Even Huang Chao, who caused chaos in Luoyang, could not be granted high-ranking official positions and generous salaries simply because of his extensive knowledge.

Moreover, based on what they had seen and heard on their journey eastward, they looked down on Huang Chao, who only knew how to roam and plunder.

"Hey guys, give us some food..."

"Hey guys, give me a treat..."

As the procession emerged from the city gates of Heyin, they were greeted by tens of thousands of refugees.

They came from nowhere, and each of them was so thin that they looked like demons crawling out of the deepest hell.

Many people have bloodshot eyes, stiff facial expressions, and even some skin ulcers and receding gums... These are symptoms that only people who have eaten it will have.

The Han soldiers were on high alert, shouting, "Anyone who advances again will be executed!!"

After the tall Han soldiers spoke in a threatening manner, the refugees around them dared not approach any further. Although Lu Guimeng felt distressed seeing so many refugees, he also knew that he could not save them.

Even if he were willing to let this group of people follow, the Tang army in Heyang and Hezhong Town would not let them pass.

Thinking of this, Lu Guimeng recalled the contents of the imperial edict and couldn't help but speak:

"If you trust me, flee to Dengzhou and Junzhou in Shannan East Road. The King of Hanzhong's army will soon recover the two prefectures and open the granaries to distribute grain!"

As soon as he finished speaking, without caring whether the refugees believed him or not, he immediately followed the Han army and left Heyin County.

They traveled north along the road, and for more than ten miles around, there was not a single patch of green. The roadsides were littered with corpses, and no one was taking care of them.

Vultures were pecking at the corpse, flies were everywhere, and a stench filled the air, making people nauseous.

In the distance, more than ten refugees were gathered around a tree, screams echoing around them. Next to them was a ceramic jar, boiling vigorously over a large fire, waiting for their "food" to be added to the water.

"Put on your masks and don't touch these corpses!"

At the suggestion of the military doctor, more than 600 soldiers and officers of the Han army put on three layers of coarse cloth masks and silently passed through this section of the official road.

The scene just now was merely a microcosm of the chaotic world; there were far more treacherous places than this.

For example, in Luoyang at this moment, as Huang Chao ascended the throne and declared himself emperor, he immediately began to bestow titles and honors upon his generals.

He appointed Shang Rang as prime minister, Meng Kai as left vice minister, Huang Kui as military governor of Huainan Circuit, Huang Ye as military governor of Henan Circuit, Huang Cun as defense commissioner of Hunan, Ge Congzhou as defense commissioner of Shenzhou, and Zhu Wen as defense commissioner of Ruzhou.

The other officials also received corresponding rewards, with the rewards being higher than the rewards.

With the end of the lavish rewards, Huang Chao began to divide his forces to attempt to capture Wulao Pass and Hangu Pass, while also dispatching Ge Congzhou south to Shenzhou to recruit soldiers.

Zhu Wen was assigned 5,000 Hunan soldiers, in addition to 7,000 sets of armor and 7,000 militia.

Huang Chao ordered him to attack Gaomen Pass, preferably enter Lushi County, plunder, and then retreat back to Luoyang.

Li Hanzhi was tasked with attacking Mi County, but Mi County was only about 80 li away from Heyin, so Kang Chengxun naturally stationed a lot of troops there.

Meanwhile, as Huang Kui, Huang Ye, and Shang Rang withdrew from Hunan into Huainan, Gao Pian also stopped the pursuit and began to consolidate his territory in Hunan, even extending his reach to the Yuanzhou area of ​​Jiangxi.

When the military intelligence from the front reached Yizhou, Gao Pian knew he could no longer afford to waste his time in Qianzhong.

He rallied, though he had lost his former vigor, but when Gao Qin and Lu Ruyue arrived at the county government office, he still felt a sense of pressure.

"King Gao..."

Lu Ruyue and Gao Qin bowed to each other. Upon hearing this, Gao Pian slowly opened his eyes and looked at the two of them: "How is the campaign against the barbarian bandits in the various prefectures going?"

"Progress is slow," Lu Ruyue said bluntly.

"Although our firearms can kill the barbarian bandits, they rely on the terrain and caves to hide. If we try to conquer them indiscriminately, we will suffer a lot."

"In the past three months, our army has suffered more than 4,700 casualties, destroyed 154 fortified villages and 27 fortified cities, and killed or captured more than 90,000 barbarian bandits."

"The captured barbarian bandits were all settled in the southwest of Yizhou (Guiyang) to cultivate wasteland. There are not many flat areas in the Qianzhong Road, but that place is relatively flat, so a lot of wasteland should be able to be cultivated."

After Lu Ruyue finished speaking, Gao Pian nodded in satisfaction, then looked back and forth between Gao Qin and Lu Ruyue and said, "Hunan has been captured, and I should go to Tanzhou to take charge."

"Forty-Three Brothers will stay with you in Qianzhong. For now, let's not rush to deal with the barbarian bandits in the south and southwest. Let's deal with the unruly barbarian bandits in the northeast and east first."

"If any barbarian bandits are willing to surrender, then set a tribute for them, and have them pay a certain amount of tribute every year, and offer up maps and records, and the land and people can be preserved."

Gao Pian also knew that it was impossible to conquer Qianzhong Road by force alone, since Qianzhong Road had a complex terrain and was full of caves.

That's why he chose to divide and conquer.

As long as one is willing to donate their books and pay tribute regularly each year, they can enjoy the same treatment as an official.

If they stubbornly resist, they will only be able to face the Tang army's firearms.

How many troops do we have right now?

Gao Pian had neglected state affairs for many days and had entrusted them to Gao Qin. When Gao Qin saw him inquiring, he quickly bowed and said:

"40,000 troops in Lingnan, 60% of whom are armored; 30,000 troops in Hunan and other places, 70% of whom are armored; 30,000 troops in Qianzhong, 50% of whom are armored."

A full 100,000 troops, and that was without Gao Pian ordering an expansion of the army.

However, Gao Pian was also aware that although the land under his jurisdiction was large, the population was not large, at most only two million.

This population is already at its limit to support an army of 100,000, and it can't even be fully armored.

Of the 100,000 troops, only 60,000 were armored. If they were to actually face Liu Jilong, it would probably only take three to five major battles.

Since Liu Jilong knows that I can use gunpowder, he will definitely be wary of me. If I want to defend Jiangnan, I must control Jiangnan and train 200,000 troops to protect the Tang Dynasty.

Thinking of this, Gao Pian took a deep breath, slowly stood up and said, "I will go to Hunan in three days. I will leave the Qianzhong Road to Forty-Third Brother and Lu Lang."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty!" The two bowed, and Gao Pian nodded and turned to leave the main hall.

As he left, news spread that the imperial court had bestowed upon Liu Jilong the title of Prince of Hanzhong. The previously unstable Hebei and Hedong regions seemed to instantly become peaceful.

The imperial cavalry was faster than Lu Guimeng and his men. Upon receiving the news, Wang Duo, who had returned to Taiyuan, immediately withdrew all troops from the front lines except for those in Datong to various towns, greatly reducing the pressure on the northern capital.

"Father! I've heard that the imperial court has bestowed upon Liu Jilong the title of King of Han!"

Amidst the commotion, Li Keyong, whose one eye was dim and the other bright, hurriedly entered a magnificent mansion.

Li Guochang, dressed in brocade, sat in the main seat, with many other people on either side of him in the hall.

When they saw Li Keyong arrive, they all stood up and waited for him to sit down before they sat down themselves, which shows that Li Keyong had already made a name for himself in the south.

Although he is only fifteen years old, he ranks second only to Li Guochang in the Datong Army.

"The imperial court conferred upon him the title of Prince of Hanzhong and granted him control over the various circuits he occupied."

Li Guochang handed over the letter sent by Wang Duo, which Li Keyong immediately took and read carefully.

After he finished reading, he immediately looked up and said, "If Liu Jilong trains hundreds of thousands of troops, it will be too late for the court to quell Huang Chao's rebellion."

“I have heard that many regional warlords in the south are plotting to rebel. Why don’t we take this opportunity to annex Yiwu Town as well?”

“No.” Li Guochang shook his head. Li Keyong asked, puzzled, “Why?”

"I think their Yiwu Town soldiers are nothing special. If you give me 10,000 troops, I can take them down in three months at the latest."

Li Keyong truly didn't understand; although Yiwu Town was arrogant, it was no match for them at all.

Now, with Wang Duo's help, they have recruited seven thousand soldiers, all of whom are armored, and there are still three thousand sets of lamellar armor in the armory that have not yet been equipped.

There were many non-Han people in Datong Town who had been settled by the Tang Dynasty, including Tuyuhun, Turks, Tibetans and Shatuo.

The Shatuo people don't ask for much money, are the easiest to train, and are cheap.

As long as Li Guochang speaks up, they can quickly gather 20,000 to 30,000 people.

Yiwu Town governs Yizhou and Dingzhou, with a population of three to four hundred thousand.

If they can occupy both states, they can then recruit more troops and further expand their strength.

Faced with Li Keyong's youthful arrogance and recklessness, Li Guochang, though equally reckless and arrogant, was well aware of how awkward his position was.

"If we attack Yiwu Town, not to mention betraying Magistrate Wang of Hedong, how will we deal with Lulong to the east?"

"Even if we can defeat Lulong, there are quite a few tribes in Datong who covet our position. What if they cause trouble?"

"Of course, my biggest worry is Liu Jilong. If we cause trouble, will he take the opportunity to quell our rebellion?"

"Flying Tiger, tell me, can you fight against Liu Jilong's troops?"

Li Guochang's words left Li Keyong speechless.

If Li Guochang had only asked about Lulong and Hedong, he would have had something to say in his rebuttal, but Li Guochang asked about Liu Jilong.

The scene of Liu Jilong defeating them and causing their eight hundred cavalry to flee is still vivid in their minds. They can only recruit twenty or thirty thousand people at most now. What can they use to compete with Liu Jilong?
Thinking of this, Li Keyong said unwillingly, "I am not willing. If I can take Yiwu and Hedong, I will not be much worse off than him!"

Li Guochang understood that these were just words spoken in anger and didn't take them to heart, but simply comforted him:

"Don't worry, your time to shine will come soon..."

(End of this chapter)