Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 456 Jianghuai War Clouds (A long chapter of 10,000 words)
"Plop plop..."

Inside Chengfu Lane, while officials were pursuing prestigious and wealthy families, the Zhang family's mansion had already been completed.

According to the regulations in the Tang Dynasty Code, officials of the third rank could use Qing Dynasty roof tiles, and the tile ends could be decorated with patterns such as animal faces and treasure images.

The mansion can use exquisite gray bricks, and the interior walls can be painted with colorful paintings other than dragons and phoenixes. The hall can use local bricks with lotus patterns.

This shows just how luxurious the residences of officials of the third rank were.

Because of its extravagance, building it would be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly.

The Zhang family mansion was completed so quickly that it was impossible for it to meet all the conditions.

The Zhang family mansion, though covering ten acres and having five halls, is constructed with ordinary plain bricks. While the halls and rooms are paved with floor tiles, these are the cheapest kind.

There were no pavilions or towers, making it look rather shabby.

However, for Zhang Yichao, such living conditions are more than enough for him to enjoy his later years.

Inside the main hall, the stove was bubbling and steaming as it boiled tea.

Zhang Yichao, Zhang Huaicheng, and Zhang Yanhui each sat in the main seat and the first seat to their left and right.

Looking at the somewhat shabby Zhang family mansion, Zhang Yanhui's initial worries vanished instantly, and he even took the initiative to ask with concern:

"His Highness ordered me to bring five cartloads of goods, and will send someone to deliver them shortly."

In response to Zhang Yanhui's words, Zhang Yichao shook his head: "The manor lacks nothing. If you go back, talk to Muzhi and tell him that there is no need to send anything to the manor in the future."

"Take it, after all, it's His Highness's kind gesture." Zhang Yanhui had become more assertive and even dared to contradict Zhang Yichao.

His actions made Zhang Yichao glance at him a few more times, a look of satisfaction flashing in his eyes, while Zhang Huaicheng was slightly surprised.

He never expected that his elder brother could raise such a nephew; he had thought his nephew would be raised to be a rigid and conventional person.

However, he did not expect that Zhang Huaishen had indeed taught Zhang Yanhui to be somewhat rigid and conventional. But Zhang Yanhui had seen too many upheavals in the two months since returning to the Central Plains, and naturally he had grown up.

"How is Mu Zhi's health?"

Zhang Yichao thought of the sickly emperor, and then couldn't help but think of Liu Jilong, who was the same age as the emperor.

In his view, Liu Jilong was the one who would eventually unify the world, but there were many examples of heroes dying young, which is why he couldn't help but ask.

"His Highness is in his prime. He eats two liters of rice and three liters of meat and vegetables every day. He gets up at dawn to practice martial arts, attends government affairs for three hours, and goes out in and out of the city in the afternoon to investigate the people's conditions."

Zhang Yanhui had been following Liu Jilong for some time and naturally knew about his diet.

Liu Jilong was a strict man. Even though he no longer needed to ride a horse to fight, he practiced martial arts every day.

While Chen Jingchong, Zhang Chang, and their group had long since grown large and robust due to their comfortable lives, he maintained his former physique.

Even when they occasionally eat pastries and fruit juices, they do so in moderation, fearing that they might suffer from diabetes or gout like the sugar-loving generals of the early Tang Dynasty.

Because he led by example, Zhang Yanhui unconsciously began to study hard after following him for a while.

Although their acquaintance was brief, Liu Jilong held a position in Zhang Yanhui's heart second only to Zhang Huaishen.

"He's still the same..."

Hearing that Liu Jilong was still always mindful of the people's needs, Zhang Yichao's face showed a look of relief.

He knew that the Tang Dynasty was beyond saving, but he was unwilling to be the one to bring it down.

If he could, he would prefer that the person was Liu Jilong, because Liu Jilong had a kind of temperament that didn't fit with the people around him.

Zhang Yichao had known for a long time that wherever Liu Jilong was in charge, the lives of the people would gradually improve.

It seems that Liu Jilong has neither changed nor disappointed him.

"I've heard that grain prices are cheap in the Guanzhong region, with a dou (a unit of dry measure) of rice costing only a few dozen coins. Is that true?"

Zhang Huaicheng had never met Liu Jilong; he could only learn about Liu Jilong through hearsay.

Given that a bushel of rice in Guandong cost several hundred coins, he couldn't fathom how Liu Jilong managed to reduce a bushel of rice in Guanzhong to a few dozen coins.

At this point, Zhang Yanhui also became interested and couldn't help but say:
"Guanzhong and Guannei Road suffered from disasters, so grain prices were higher than in Longyou, Jiannan, Shannan and other places."

"Shortly before I set off, Xingyuan Prefecture had just been struck by an earthquake. Fortunately, there were not many casualties. In addition, the western region did not levy corvée labor, the slave trade was strictly prohibited, and the government promptly carried out work relief. Therefore, the situation quickly stabilized."

"Although prices in Guanzhong are not as high as those in the other three regions outside Guannei, they are still cheaper than those in Guandong."

“In the East Market of Chang’an, a dou of rice costs no more than fifty or sixty coins, and a dou of wheat costs fifty coins. Occasionally, the price may rise to sixty or seventy coins, but the government will quickly open the Changping Granary to stabilize the grain price.”

“Vegetables cost only four or five coins per pound, pork costs more than twenty coins per pound, mutton costs seventeen or eighteen coins per pound, a fat chicken costs one hundred and twenty coins, and other meats are priced similarly. Occasionally, beef is available on the market, and the price is generally around twenty coins.”

“The prices of brocade and silk cloth vary. Brocade can cost several thousand coins per bolt, while coarse cloth used by ordinary people costs only two or three hundred coins.”

"In the teahouses of the East and West Markets, a pot of tea costs only seven or eight coins, and a banquet costs only one or two hundred coins, while wealthy families spend tens of thousands of coins on entertaining guests."

Zhang Yanhui recounted the prices of goods in Guanzhong with great familiarity, which Zhang Yichao and Zhang Huaicheng listened to with great interest.

Not only them, but also Zhang's soldiers and family members had gathered outside the main hall at some unknown time, and everyone listened very attentively.

Upon learning that prices in Chang'an were so low, many people were amazed.

Prices were as they were, though not as high as during the Zhenguan era, but not much lower than during the Kaiyuan era.

"With prices like this, what about wages for ordinary people?"

After asking about the prices faced by the people, Zhang Huaicheng then began to inquire about their livelihoods.

Zhang Yanhui had already prepared a response, and addressed the crowd as follows:
"His Highness took back the land and even redeemed land from noble families in various places, distributing the land equally to the people, so that the people had land to cultivate and the elderly had something to rely on."

“Even in densely populated areas around the capital, each household has twenty or thirty mu of arable land, but only pays three-tenths of the taxes. They are exempt from corvée labor and rent, and taxes are apportioned to the land area and collected according to the land.”

"In addition, during the off-season for farming, local government offices conscripted all the people to work, earning ten or fifteen coins a day or more, so the people had something to rely on."

“In the Kansai region, even a poor family of five can earn more than ten kan each year, provided they do not suffer from natural disasters.”

"Although it is difficult to save money, people are not worried about food, clothing, shelter and transportation. Moreover, the government has a decree to exempt land reclamation from taxes. In addition, the government is clean and honest, so people's lives are finally getting better."

As Zhang Yanhui finished speaking, the Zhang clan members inside and outside the hall were so surprised that they couldn't speak.

If the low prices in Guanzhong are enviable, then the income of the people in Guanzhong is so abundant that it drives the people in Northeast China crazy.

The fragility of small-scale farming makes production difficult and prone to destruction.

Liu Jilong's swift military campaign, coupled with the rapid dissemination of various policies to restore production, meant that the five circuits of Guanzhong did not suffer any damage to production.

In contrast, the situation in the Kanto region was quite different.

In terms of arable land, the actual amount of reclaimable land in the Hehuai and Huaihe River basins is as high as hundreds of millions of acres.

However, even if there is land, even if there is ready-made arable land, many people in the Hehuai region are unwilling to cultivate it.

The reason is that when no one cultivates a piece of land, no one cares. But once you start cultivating it, the authorities will come knocking.

Various taxes came flooding in, and before the land had even been cultivated for a few days, taxes equivalent to two or three years' worth of harvest had to be paid.

If you have no money, no problem. The local government will trick you into signing a contract and give you a sum of grain, claiming it's an interest-free loan that you can repay within three years.

As you cultivate the land and begin to reap the harvest, these officials start coming to your door, holding contracts and explaining the terms on them. They say that nine out of 13 are considered low interest rates, and even higher rates offer direct compound interest.

Unable to read, you had your cultivated land seized by officials, and were also burdened with a loan you could never repay in your lifetime.

In an environment where local officials are corrupt, lend money to force people to repay it, and often seize people's farmland and houses, causing many people to be displaced, more and more people choose not to farm and hide in the deep mountains.

As time went on, more and more land was abandoned, yielding less and less output, and the amount of tax revenue that could be collected also decreased.

When the balance in the mountains can no longer be maintained, many people will become bandits, descending the mountains to plunder and destroy production.

When production is disrupted, the government has to levy taxes. The more taxes the government levies, the more people are forced into prostitution, creating a vicious cycle.

In the end, either most of the people would be killed and the court would suddenly realize its mistakes, or a new dynasty would be established, with a less corrupt one being elected.

The Tang Dynasty is currently in this cycle.

Henan and Huainan provinces, which once paid millions in taxes, now struggle to even pay a million.

No one farmed, and no one dared to farm. The Tang court's credibility in the eyes of the people was not even as useful as the boasts of the vagrants at the village entrance.

The claim of a three-year tax moratorium is utterly meaningless; promises are made in the summer, but taxes are levied as soon as autumn arrives, driving people to their doom.

It is precisely this environment that has led to a situation where, although there is enough farmland, there is not enough food in places like Henan and Huainan.

In comparison, Liu Jilong did not make many changes. He simply focused on improving the administration and fulfilled his promises, which earned him the support of the people.

The people of Kansai did not have to worry about their reclaimed land being seized by officials, nor did they have to worry about having to pay a poll tax before they even started planting.

Because Liu Jilong restricted officials from going to the countryside, many officials could only go to the countryside around the summer and autumn harvests.

This is a set of rules that Liu Jilong formulated based on Zhu Yuanzhang's experience.

Zhu Yuanzhang stipulated that officials should not go to the countryside without reason, because he had seen Yuan Dynasty officials go to the countryside and infringe on the rights and interests of the people.

Liu Jilong learned from his mistakes and only restricted clerks from leaving their respective villages, not officials. Therefore, officials who were sent to various places could freely visit and investigate the people's conditions.

In addition, the Han army had a career advancement path for its officials, and a significant number of primary school students graduated each year. The officials also had corresponding work quotas and were subject to supervision by the Censorate, so they were always at risk of being dismissed. Therefore, they dared not harm the people like the officials of the Tang Dynasty.

"His Highness often says that as long as officials don't mess things up and put in a little effort during disaster relief, the people can live a good life on their own."

Upon hearing Zhang Yanhui's words, Zhang Yichao, who had remained silent until now, slowly nodded, seemingly agreeing with the statement.

Zhang Huaicheng frowned slightly upon hearing this, and then asked, "I've heard that the people of Guanzhong strongly support Liu Muzhi. Is that the reason he's been able to win every battle?"

Zhang Yanhui nodded upon hearing this and explained, "Every time Your Highness conquers a city, you open the granaries to distribute grain, abolish corvée labor, and redistribute the land equally."

"For the land occupied by powerful families, the option was to buy it back to the government and then distribute it to the people."

"Therefore, the people are afraid that Your Highness will not be able to win the battle. Even if Your Highness does not recruit laborers, the people will spontaneously transport grain for Your Highness, for fear that the court will make a comeback."

At this point, Zhang Yanhui said to Zhang Huaicheng, "I believe that Your Highness is the one destined for great things. Why doesn't Uncle join Your Highness's side?"

“I…” Zhang Huaicheng smiled bitterly upon hearing this, and shook his head helplessly: “I entered Chang’an as a hostage, and even if I wanted to leave, the court would not let me leave.”

Zhang Huaicheng didn't finish his sentence. Actually, what he was most worried about was Zhang Yichao. After all, Zhang Yichao was old and needed someone to manage the clan's affairs, so he couldn't leave easily.

"Father! We heard we have guests! Why didn't you call my brother and me back?!"

Suddenly, shouts rang out from outside the hall, and the Zhang clan members at the door scattered to make way.

Two robust young men, each about five feet five or six inches tall, entered the hall. Their large bellies made their facial features appear rounder.

These two were none other than Zhang Huaiding and Zhang Huaiquan, who went to Taiyuan and were manipulated and played by Cui Xuan and Wang Duo.

Upon seeing the two, Zhang Yichao couldn't help but frown, his eyes turning cold.

Zhang Huaiding, however, did not take it seriously and recognized Zhang Yanhui's identity at a glance: "You are from Chang'an. This appearance... could you be my brother's child?"

"Nephew Yanhui greets his two uncles..."

Zhang Yanhui naturally knew Zhang Huaiding and Zhang Huaiding, but they had a bad reputation among Liu Jilong, so Zhang Yanhui didn't dare to tell them too much about Guanzhong.

"Indeed, he is my brother's child."

Zhang Huaiding's eyes darted around, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Yichao's expression turned cold, and he said in a deep voice, "Yan Hui came with the Chang'an delegation."

He seemed to have said nothing, yet he also seemed to have said everything.

In these turbulent times, if Zhang Yanhui was sent to Luoyang by Zhang Huaishen, the court could easily use Zhang Yanhui as a hostage to threaten Zhang Huaishen without any burden.

However, since Zhang Yanhui was sent by Liu Jilong, the imperial court had to think carefully about his actions.

Zhang Huaishen may have thought of this as well, which is why he sent Zhang Yanhui to Liu Jilong's side, hoping to use Liu Jilong's power to make Zhang Yanhui realize the dangers of the imperial court.

"I see. Nephew Yanhui, quickly tell your uncle about the Guiyi Army."

Upon learning that Zhang Yanhui was sent by Liu Jilong, Zhang Huaiding immediately changed his attitude, becoming so enthusiastic that Zhang Yanhui felt somewhat uncomfortable.

However, Zhang Yanhui did not refuse Zhang Huaiding's question. After all, he was going to talk to Zhang Yichao and the others about the Guiyi Army. It was just that they had digressed to the issue of people's livelihood in Guanzhong.

"Now that the Guiyi Army has changed its flag, Your Highness has dispatched officials to take over Hexi, Anxi, Beiting and other places, and relocated tens of thousands of people to populate the prefectures and counties."

"With Your Highness's support, Aye recovered the towns of Yanqi and Kucha last winter. Khotan and Zhongyun also showed goodwill to Aye."

Zhang Yanhui's words caused a huge stir, with Zhang Yichao even exclaiming, "They've even recovered Kucha and Yanqi?!"

"It has been recovered, and His Highness has decided to exile more than 14,000 people to guard the borders of Kucha and Yanqi."

Zhang Yanhui's affirmative answer prompted Zhang Yichao to exclaim, "Good, good, good! It's good that it's been recovered! It's finally been recovered!"

Although he was old, he still remembered that night sixty-two years ago when his father returned home in a daze, weeping bitterly.

He was too young to understand what happened that night, until later he learned that a high-ranking Tibetan official had brought news of the destruction of the Anxi Protectorate.

The fall of Kucha signifies the complete loss of the territory west of the Longshan Mountains by the Tang Dynasty, and also means that the Han people have lost their value in the war of unity, allowing the Tibetans to bully the Han people in Hexi at will.

Zhang Yichao's desire to revolt was sown that very night.

Even though he was later valued by the Tibetans and even allowed to visit Lhasa, he was always thinking about overthrowing Tibetan rule.

Sixty-two years later, his wish has been fulfilled, and with the help of Liu Jilong and Zhang Huaishen, he has even restored the two great protectorates of Anxi and Beiting.

"If Father could see this, he would be very happy..."

Zhang Yichao thought of his father, but Zhang Huaiding broke the joy at that moment.

"Change flags and flags? How could you do such a thing, brother?!"

Zhang Huaiding glared angrily at Zhang Yanhui. He didn't care about Anxi or Beiting at all; all he knew was that the five prefectures of Guazhou, Shazhou, Gansu, and Yizhou all belonged to the Zhang family.

He had originally thought that with the five prefectures of Hexi, he could eventually gain a good position by submitting to Liu Jilong.

But now it seems that his plan has failed before it even began, and the credit undoubtedly goes to Zhang Huaishen.

"You don't need to tell your brother what to do!"

Zhang Yichao slammed his cane heavily on the ground, his joyful mood completely ruined by Zhang Huaiding's words.

Seeing this, Zhang Huaiding had no intention of stopping, and blurted out, "You conquered all five prefectures, while my brother only conquered Xizhou and Tingzhou. Why is that..."

"Get out of here!" Zhang Yichao raised his voice to interrupt him.

Seeing the father and son arguing fiercely, Zhang Huaicheng immediately stood up and bowed to Zhang Huaiding, saying, "Brother, let's discuss this matter another day."

"Hmph, you're no better than me!"

Zhang Huaiding glared at Zhang Huaicheng, then angrily turned and left.

Seeing him leave, Zhang Huaiquan felt embarrassed to stay and could only follow him.

Watching them walk away, Zhang Yanhui felt a little awkward, while Zhang Yichao restrained his temper and comforted him:
“Your father did a good job; Hexi needs support right now.”

"Although Mu Zhi is kind-hearted, we cannot keep taking from him, otherwise we will only annoy him."

"After the change of flags, Mu Zhi will be more adept at helping, and the families in Shazhou will become more obedient because of Mu Zhi's involvement."

Zhang Yichao smiled kindly; he was genuinely happy for Zhang Huaishen's decision. Zhang Huaicheng, upon hearing this, sighed:
"More than 100,000 people, I never imagined Liu Muzhi would have such a grand vision." He naturally knew that these 100,000 people did not migrate there all at once, but in any case, the fact that so many people were being invested in Hexi was enough to show how much Liu Jilong valued Hexi and the Western Regions.

"With such a large population, the situation in the Western Regions and Hexi should be much better than before, right?"

When Zhang Huaicheng left Hexi, he was still very young, but he had heard Zhang Yichao talk about the problems in Hexi.

In the past, the biggest problem in Hexi was that there were more Hu people than Han people. Now that Liu Jilong has moved so many people from Hankou to Hexi, it is believed that the situation in Hexi will improve a lot.

Zhang Yanhui made no attempt to conceal anything and honestly confessed:
"Now, under Aye's rule, there are more than 300,000 people, half of whom are Han and half are non-Han."

"Even in Xizhou and Tingzhou, the local population of Hu and Han people is relatively equal. The only thing lacking is the two towns of Kucha and Yanqi."

"However, once those 14,000-plus Hankou soldiers arrive in the towns of Kucha, the situation in those two towns will improve."

"Moreover, His Highness has decreed that all deserters and prisoners in the Guannei, Longyou, and Jingji regions should be exiled to Kucha."

"His Highness said that once the abandoned lands of Kucha and Yanqi are restored to cultivation, Aye can then recover Gumo, Shule and other places, and even station troops in Khotan and Zhongyun."

When these things were mentioned, Zhang Yanhui's face was full of longing, while Zhang Yichao looked at him with kindness.

After that, the three of them chatted for a long time, and the atmosphere was very pleasant, lasting from the afternoon until night.

However, while they were discussing various matters concerning Kansai and the Western Regions, Doulu Zhuo, as the ambassador, was summoned by Li Cui that very night and hurriedly went to the Zhenguan Palace.

"Tens of millions of years old..."

"Flat body, give me a seat."

When Doulu Zhu entered the hall, Liu Zhan, Lu Yan, Xiao Gou, and Qi Yuanjian and Yang Xuanjie from the Northern Division were already standing there.

After falling ill, Qi Yuanshi's health did not improve for a long time, and he was unable to return to Luoyang with the caravan. He could only continue to recuperate in Heyin.

On the golden platform, Li Cui was thin and frail. If Doulu Zhuo hadn't known that Li Cui was the same age as Liu Jilong, he might have thought that Li Cui was already in his fifties.

"Your Majesty, Vice Minister Doulu is the leader of many righteous men in Chang'an. We have all discussed with him how to serve the country, so you can trust him completely."

Seeing Doulu Zhuo sit down, Xiao Gou immediately stood up for him to show that there was no problem with his identity.

Although Li Cui had some doubts about this, he also knew that Liu Jilong deliberately sent these people who were close to the court to be envoys in order to prevent the court from creating any discord between him and Liu Jilong.

Thinking of this, Li Cui nodded to indicate that he understood, and Xiao Gou also took the opportunity to look at Doulu Zhuo: "Minister Doulu, may I ask what Liu Muzhi's intention is in sending this envoy?"

Seeing this, Doulu Zhuo also bowed respectfully and replied, "Liu Muzhi sent an envoy on four matters."

"Firstly, Zhang Huaishen has changed his allegiance and now takes Liu Jilong as his leader, and accepts officials dispatched by Liu Jilong to govern Hexi."

"Secondly, Zhang Huaishen recovered the lost territories of Xizhou, Tingzhou, Kucha, and Yanqi, and re-established the Beiting Protectorate. Liu Jilong recommended Zhang Huaishen as the Grand Protector of Anxi, Zhang Huairong as the Grand Protector of Beiting, and Jiu Juyan as the Inspector of Hexi."

"Thirdly, the southern barbarians invaded the border. Zhang Wu, the military governor of Xichuan, led his army to defeat the barbarian army and recovered the lost territory of Xizhou and Huichuan. Liu Jilong wanted to praise Zhang Wu for his achievements."

"Fourth, under the pretext of praising merits, they donated money and grain to the court, starting with 10,000 shi of grain, and transported more than 8,400 shi, all of which were put into Hanjia Granary."

Doulu Zhu quickly revealed all the things Liu Jilong had arranged, and Li Cui breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Although Zhang Huaishen, Zhang Wu, and others were to be granted official titles, these lands were already in Liu Jilong's hands, so it wasn't really a matter of cutting off his own flesh.

Moreover, the ability to recover lost territory is something to be thankful for for Li Cui personally, even though he has no control over these areas.

"Your Majesty, if these are the only demands Liu Muzhi has, we might as well take this opportunity to agree to them and appease him."

Xiao Gou trusted Doulu Zhuo so much that he even said these things directly.

Seeing this, Doulu Zhuo naturally couldn't let Xiao Gou bear the pressure alone, so he took the initiative to say:
"Your Majesty, Liu Muzhi is currently making great efforts to repair the Longshou Canal, Zheng Guo Canal and other canals, and has no intention of invading the east at all."

"In my opinion, this is the best opportunity to encircle and annihilate the Yellow bandits."

The news he brought pleased Li Cui, but Li Cui did not express his opinion. Instead, he turned his attention to Liu Zhan.

In response, Liu Zhan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, 270,000 shi of grain have been transported to the north of the Huai River, and 70,000 troops are stationed on the Huai River, ready to march south at any time."

"In addition, Song Wei has recruited 20,000 soldiers in Runzhou. Although their armor is incomplete, these 20,000 soldiers are excellent swimmers and can take the opportunity to harass the Huang bandits."

"Furthermore, Gao Qianli has stationed 30,000 troops in Yuezhou. With just a single order from the court, he can march north. I believe we must not give the Huang bandits any time to recuperate. We must strike while they are weakened and kill them!"

Li Cui couldn't help but nod in agreement with Liu Zhan's words.

He could feel his physical condition deteriorating, and he knew that the fourteen-year-old Prince Wei, Li Yi, could not handle the situation, but if he could eliminate the Yellow bandits, he could buy him some time.

Thinking of this, Li Cui coughed and said, "Transport 5,000 shi of grain south to appease Qin Zongquan. In addition, send an edict to Kang Chengxun to annihilate the Yellow rebels at all costs..."

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

Xiao Gou, Liu Zhan, and the others bowed in agreement, and Li Cui took the opportunity to continue announcing: "Issue the imperial decree to appoint Prince Wei, Li Yi, as Crown Prince."

Li Cui's sudden act of appointing a crown prince caused everyone in the hall to feel a chill run down their spines.

Although Prince Wei, Li Yi, was the eldest son, he was not well-liked; otherwise, Li Cui would not have delayed in establishing a crown prince.

Making him the crown prince now is a last resort, since he is the eldest of Li Cui's sons, while the others are either eleven or twelve years old, or seven or eight years old, and some are even only two or three years old.

Li Cui's move was a case of choosing the best among the worst, at least avoiding a chaotic situation of infighting among his sons.

However, the expressions of the courtiers in the hall varied in response to his actions.

If it weren't for the greater good, someone would probably have raised objections long ago.

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

Qi Yuanjian and the others were unwilling to accept the order. Seeing this, Li Cui coughed and stood up, saying, "The matter of bestowing titles upon Liu Jilong's generals is now entrusted to you gentlemen."

"Tens of millions of years old!"

Upon seeing him leave, the courtiers chanted salutations and departed from the Zhenguan Hall with dark faces.

Over the next three days, Zhang Yanhui traveled back and forth between the post station and the Zhang family residence. After discussions, the Southern and Northern Offices finally agreed to Liu Jilong's memorial and conferred the title of Duke of Shouchang County upon Zhang Huaishen and Earl of Shijing County upon Zhang Wu.

On the eighth day of the seventh month, Doulu Zhuo, having received the imperial edict, began leading his delegation back to Chang'an, and the Tang army's encirclement of Huang Chao was completely completed.

Huang Chao, who was besieged in Huainan, also sensed something was wrong and began to build high walls and stockpile grain early on.

However, Huang Chao was still stuck in the old ways, while the Tang army learned techniques such as counterweight catapults and gunpowder siege warfare in their battles with the Han army.

"Screw rustle..."

On the north bank of the Huai River, outside the city of Xia Cai in Yingzhou, the Tang army camps stretched for several miles, with nearly 50,000 Tang soldiers gathered there. The remaining troops were led by Zeng Yuanyu and stationed in Haozhou and Sizhou to the east to guard against Huang Chao's breakout and northward advance.

The sound of armor plates echoed inside the tent as Wang Duo and Kang Chengxun studied the sand table.

Although Kang Chengxun had been defeated by Huang Chao once, he learned from his mistakes and knew that Huang Chao was no longer the same as before.

Therefore, in his discussion with Wang Duo, he decisively extended his reach to Yuezhou.

"To wipe out the Yellow bandits, we must coordinate efforts from the north and south. Please send troops to seize the five prefectures in the southwest to cut off the Yellow bandits' escape route to the west. Our army can then take advantage of the situation to cross the Huai River, and we can then order Song Wei to blockade the Yangtze River. Then we can achieve great success."

As Kang Chengxun said this, Wang Duo shook his head and said, "There's no need to worry about the Yellow Bandit escaping."

"I have elite cavalry from the Shatuo tribe of Daibei under my command. Their general, Li Keyong, is known as Flying Tiger. Among his three thousand elite cavalry from Daibei, there are five hundred young men known as the Crow Army. They are brave in battle and will never let the Yellow Turban rebels escape."

"That's excellent." Kang Chengxun breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that Wang Duo's army had three thousand elite cavalry.

The main reason he had been unable to wipe out the Yellow bandits was the lack of elite cavalry.

Now that Wang Duo has brought elite cavalry, he no longer needs to worry about Huang Chao retreating elsewhere after suffering setbacks in battle.

Thinking this through, Kang Chengxun nodded and said, "In that case, let's wait for Gao Qianli to move his troops first, and then our army will move later."

“Okay!” Wang Duo readily agreed.

After the two finished their conversation, the camp immediately dispatched fast horses eastward, detouring through Chuzhou before heading south, preparing to wait for military intelligence to be delivered to Yuezhou, and awaiting Gao Pian's first military action.

While they waited, Huang Chao, who was in Hefei, was also gathering his generals to discuss matters in Hefei.

The original Kuai family mansion was doubled in size, and the main hall was raised by about ten feet.

Huang Chao sat on a chair painted with gold lacquer, imitating the Golden Terrace of Ziwei City, dressed in casual attire, as if this represented his control over the world.

"The government troops are stationed on the Huai River, numbering 150,000. What are your thoughts, my esteemed ministers?"

Huang Chao questioned the people in the hall, and at this time, Huang Kui, Huang Ye, Shang Rang, Zhao Zhang, Meng Kai, Bi Shiduo and others were all standing in the hall. Even Ge Congzhou from Shenzhou and Zhang Guiba from Shouzhou appeared here.

In response to Huang Chao's question, Huang Kui spoke first: "Your Majesty, our army has ample supplies. Let's fight them!"

“That’s right. Anyway, there are only two months until the autumn harvest. I’ll take the initiative and even if I lose, I can still hold the city.”

Huang Cun also clamored for a decisive battle with the imperial court, but Shang Rang stood up and sang a different tune:
"Your Majesty, after reductions, our army currently has 80,000 soldiers, but only 50,000 are fully armored."

"The Tang army was said to have 150,000 men, but it probably only had 70,000 to 80,000 soldiers."

"Given this situation, our army has no need to directly engage in battle with the imperial court; we only need to maintain strict defense."

Shang Rang's words made Huang Chao nod; he had never considered taking the initiative to fight the government troops.

In any case, they now have well-trained and well-supplied troops, and can rely on the cities to wear down the Tang army. They can simply wait for the Tang army's morale to drop before launching a counterattack.

"Huang Kui, you will lead 40,000 troops, including Ge Congzhou, Zhang Guiba, and Li Hanzhi, to garrison along the Huai River."

"Huang Ye, you lead Bi Shiduo and Zhao Zhang to garrison Yangzhou. We must not give Zhu San any opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

"I am worried that Gao Pian will attack our rear again if the Prime Minister personally goes to Shuzhou to take charge."

"I have led the Tianping Loyal Army to garrison Luzhou and provide support to all sides."

When Huang Chao issued his military order, many generals bowed and said, "Your subject obeys!"

Seeing their high morale, Huang Chao nodded in satisfaction: "Kang Chengxun is nothing more than a defeated general of mine. The outcome of this battle will not be much different from the previous ones, so there is no need to worry."

Under his call, the generals felt emboldened and then left the palace amidst shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" They rode out of the city on horseback and headed to the front lines.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and by the time Gao Pian received the imperial decree, it was already mid-July.

"The news is spreading so slowly; I'm afraid the Yellow Clan has already made ample preparations."

On Yueyang Tower, Gao Pian mercilessly mocked Kang Chengxun and Wang Duo's arrangements, while turning to look behind him.

Wang Chongren and two generals stood inside the building, awaiting Gao Pian's instructions.

"How is the pacification of the barbarian tribes in central Guizhou going?"

Gao Pian questioned Wang Zhongren, who bowed and said, "Many barbarian tribes are hiding in the mountains or in caves, making them difficult to eliminate. The only way is to surround them and wait for them to run out of food and surrender."

Upon hearing this, Gao Pian frowned and nodded, then asked the two generals, "How is the replication of those things Liu Jilong used progressing?"

“Reporting to King Gao.” One of them stepped forward and bowed, his eyes unfocused, clearly lacking confidence.

"I cast this vessel using the methods of bell casting, but our army's bell craftsmen can only cast an object that is three feet long, one foot and two inches wide, and weighs three hundred catties."

"Even if we imitated Liu Jilong's methods and filled it with gunpowder and iron balls, it would only travel a dozen paces at most. It would be best used for defending cities, and its siege effectiveness would be inferior to that of a winch crossbow, let alone our army's catapults."

Gao Pian's gunpowder formulation was incorrect, and its power was far inferior to that used by the Han army.

Although there were craftsmen who could cast bells, he encountered the same problem that Liu Jilong had faced in Longyou: the bell-casters were not skilled enough to cast usable cannons.

Unaware of what artillery module was, he could only replicate a shape, lacking the skill to enlarge the artillery and unaware of the power of the difference in caliber.

Therefore, even if something similar to an iron cannon were cast, its power would be far inferior to that of the iron cannons in the hands of the Han army.

Upon learning this, Gao Pian's face darkened.

Seeing that he was unhappy, Wang Chongren immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "King Gao, although our army does not have the same methods as the Han army, we can still imitate the Han army's methods and use smoke and fire to blow up the city walls."

Wang Zhongren's words made Gao Pian restrain his temper a bit, but he still said unwillingly, "This Liu Jilong should also have made fireworks using the 'Zhuanghuoji Method', but why are his fireworks so powerful, while ours can't even penetrate iron armor?"

If gunpowder-filled iron balls cannot penetrate iron armor, then the only option left is to attack the city.

Gao Pian's goal was not to conquer cities and seize territory, but to inflict as many casualties as possible on the Han army, thereby severely damaging Liu Jilong and buying time for the Tang Dynasty.

His idea was good, but difficult to realize, which is why he couldn't accept it.

After a moment of contemplation, Gao Pian finally exhaled a breath of stale air and looked at Wang Zhongren with a complicated expression: "How much fireworks can the armory produce each month right now?"

"Five thousand four hundred catties." Wang Zhongren answered without hesitation, then promptly added:
"However, our army already has 42,800 catties of gunpowder stored in the warehouse. I have also tried it before. A three-zhang-thick rammed earth wall only needs 3,000 catties of gunpowder to blow it open."

Wang Zhongren's words caused Gao Pian's mood, which had been gradually improving, to sink once again.

It would take 3,000 catties of gunpowder to blast open a rammed earth city wall, while the armory could only produce 5,400 catties of gunpowder per month. In other words, a month's output was not enough to blast open two cities.

This is just a rammed earth wall. If we encounter a rammed earth wall covered with bricks, wouldn't it take even more?

Gao Pian learned about Liu Jilong's policies and methods in Sanchuan through spies.

Liu Jilong ordered the repair of all the irrigation canals and embankments in the three rivers, and at the same time, the brickwork of the city walls in the southern and eastern prefectures and counties was carried out.

Based solely on his own fireworks production, he probably wouldn't be able to reclaim the entire Sanchuan region even until his death, let alone severely damage Liu Jilong's troops.

"In the end, we'll have to focus our efforts elsewhere..."

Gao Pian looked at Wang Zhongren without hesitation: "What is the situation of our navy?"

Wang Chongren bowed and replied, "All twelve major and minor river pirates on the Yangtze River have surrendered to our army. At present, our army has more than 700 ships and more than 14,000 sailors."

"Good!" Gao Pian rallied again. He believed that with his navy and the treacherous rapids of the Qutang Gorge, Liu Jilong's troops would certainly be no match for naval warfare.

As long as he guards the Yangtze River and the Qianzhong Road, Liu Jilong will be unable to cross the Yangtze River and attack Jiangnan.

Thinking of this, Gao Pian turned his attention back to the imperial edict.

"To defend the Yangtze River, we must defend the Huai River. Taking this opportunity to establish a foothold in Huainan is not a bad idea."

He muttered to himself, and before Wang Zhongren could speak, he took the initiative to say, "We will forcibly conscript 60,000 laborers, and in ten days the army will march north to first recover the five prefectures and counties west of the Dabie Mountains, and then wait for Kang Chengxun and the Huang bandits to fight to the death."

Wang Zhongren was puzzled and asked directly, "Your Highness, if we deal with the Yellow Bandits, will the court target us next?"

His concern was not unfounded; rather, Gao Pian's control over the land and population was indeed excessive.

Apart from Liu Jilong and the three towns of Hebei, no other regional military governor had ever possessed the power of Gao Pian.

In response, Gao Pian looked at Wang Zhongren and shook his head, saying, "Huang Ze is nothing but a clown. Right now, the one we should be most worried about is still Liu Jilong."

"The longer this fellow recuperates, the more worried I become."

"He currently has at least 200,000 troops. If it weren't for the natural disaster, he would never have bowed down to the court so easily, let alone be so obedient."

"When the imperial court wipes out the Yellow bandits and turns its attention to him, his reaction will be far greater than in any previous battle."

"Before that, I must control the troops in the Jianghuai region; only in this way can I keep him in check!"

Gao Pian subconsciously placed his hand on his waist, thinking he could touch the hilt of the knife, but he found nothing.

He had not carried a sword for a long time since Zhang Lin and Lin Ruzhen died from their injuries.

Thinking of Zhang Lin and Lin Ruzhen, Gao Pian felt a surge of anger rising in his chest.

"After this battle, I will avenge Zhang Lang!!"

(End of this chapter)