Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 462 The Rebels Lack Food (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"Susu..."

In early winter, October, the war in Guandong intensified, but Li Cui's health deteriorated.

Yang Gongqing returned to Luoyang under the escort of the Han army and quickly gained the support of many families in the Right Shence Army.

Under Li Cui's instruction, Yang Gongqing was eager to become one of the new Four Nobles.

In order to maintain their suppression of Yang Gongqing, Qi Yuanjian and others promoted Yang Xuanji, who had suffered repeated defeats, to become one of the new Four Nobles.

If Yang Fugong and Yang Fuguang weren't lacking in experience, Qi Yuanjian would actually prefer to support them. However, the current situation is pressing, so he has no choice but to choose Yang Xuanji, who is experienced but lacks the necessary skills.

The turmoil in the Northern Division would have been a major event in the past, but now the world is too turbulent, and everyone's attention has been drawn to the Hebei and Huai River regions.

In mid-October, Qin Zongquan raised an army and proclaimed himself the military governor of Zhongwu Army, sending troops to attack Chenzhou and Xuzhou.

The two states, already vulnerable, were captured without any resistance when Qin Zongquan launched his surprise attack.

The imperial court urgently ordered Kang Chengxun and Gao Pian to divide their forces and attack Qin Zongquan, fearing that Liu Jilong would seize this opportunity to advance eastward.

At that time, due to the devastation caused by Huang Chao's army in Xuzhou, Chenzhou, Ruzhou and other places, they had not yet recovered, so the people were short of food.

After Qin Zongquan captured Xuzhou and Chenzhou, he did not obtain much grain. His army mainly relied on the 50,000 shi of grain allocated by the imperial court. So, while Qin Zongquan sent troops to attack Ruzhou and threaten Luoyang, he also requested Luoyang to appoint him as the military governor of Zhongwu Army.

At the same time, Kang Chengxun captured Hefei and then divided his forces to recapture Luzhou.

"Keep it up..."

"Smash!"

While the Kanto region was bustling, the five provinces of Kansai were also very lively, especially the Guanzhong region.

The Guanzhong Plain was already quite chilly in late October, but during this off-season for farming, many people went to work on construction sites throughout the region.

Although the daily wage is only ten coins, such income is not low. Some people even rent out their land to others to cultivate, while their whole families come to work there.

The construction sites in Guanzhong are mostly water conservancy projects such as the Longshou Canal and Zheng Guo Canal.

The Tang Dynasty had suspended water conservancy maintenance in Guanzhong for over a century, and restoring it now would not be something that could be accomplished in just a few months.

Even though two years have passed since Liu Jilong recovered Guanzhong, many water conservancy projects in Guanzhong have only been barely repaired to about 60-70%.

In the west of Chang'an, Liu Jilong was standing on the attic of a villa, gazing at the west side of the city.

Behind him stood Zhang Yanhui, Luo Yin, Gao Jinda, Cui Shu, and others in the pavilion.

There are many villas in the west of Chang'an City. These villas were mostly built by princes and nobles, with the purpose of overlooking the western plains.

Although the Tang Code stipulated the construction standards for officials' residences, pavilions, balconies, etc., many of these rules became a joke in the later Tang Dynasty.

Just like the pavilion under Liu Jilong's feet, the imperial court stipulated that private individuals could not build buildings exceeding five zhang in height, but this pavilion was a full six zhang tall.

An 18-meter building may not sound like much, but when you actually stand at that height, only you can truly understand the feeling.

About a mile to the west of the pavilion lies the Yong'an Canal, which mainly supplies water to the farmland and drinking water of the people in the west of the city.

Because of its beautiful scenery in the west of the city, the land, villas and mansions on both sides of the Yong'an Canal were mostly purchased by princes and nobles.

Many of these villas and mansions were bestowed upon meritorious officials by Liu Jilong, while a small number were kept by him for future use as rewards to ministers.

Is it certain that the Yong'an Canal will be completed today?

With his back to the crowd, Liu Jilong asked the question. Dou Bin, who had been promoted to Minister of Works for his meritorious service in governing the capital region, stepped forward and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Highness, the Yong'an Canal will be completed today."

"When the imperial court first built the Yong'an Canal, it was 34 feet wide and about 1 foot deep; now it is 40 feet wide and 15 feet deep."

"With the water-powered waterwheels and large waterwheels built under the supervision of the Ministry of Works, it is enough to draw water from the Yong'an Canal to the ravines of farmland, thereby irrigating more than 100,000 mu of farmland along the border."

"In addition, seven or eight sections of the Longshou Canal, Zheng Guo Canal, and Sanbai Canal have been repaired, resulting in the irrigation of no less than three million mu of farmland..."

Dou Bin was very familiar with Guanzhong. Back when he served as an envoy in Chang'an, he had made many friends with the princes and nobles there.

He naturally knew why these canals were silted up and why farmland was abandoned; to put it bluntly, it was because princes and nobles were blocking the waterways and acting like tyrants.

Without giving benefits, ordinary people can't even get a drop of water. In the end, they are forced to give money or sell their land.

With a sufficient population in Guanzhong, repairing canals and reclaiming wasteland would not be difficult, provided there were no "water tyrants" around.

"Three million mu..."

Liu Jilong marveled at the amount of land reclaimed in two years. He knew that this was the result of the joint efforts of more than two million people in Guanzhong and the government over two years, so he sincerely felt that it was not easy.

There are many reasons for the food shortage in Chang'an, but the unruly princes and nobles are the key issue.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong couldn't help but say, "If all the canals were dredged, how much more arable land would be available in Guanzhong?"

“At least another 1.5 million mu can be added.” Dou Bin answered without hesitation, and Liu Jilong nodded in agreement.

His gaze fell upon the Yong'an Canal, and the sight of tens of thousands of people working brought him a sense of calm.

"Once these canals are repaired, the population of Guanzhong will be no less than 2.1 million, and the cultivated land will be no less than 13 million mu."

"These fields should be distributed equally among the people to ensure that farmers have land and citizens have jobs."

As soon as Liu Jilong finished speaking, everyone agreed. He then continued to ask Dou Bin, "What is the situation with the other canals and waterways?"

"Your Highness..." Since Dou Bin knew that Liu Jilong had asked him to follow him today, he had naturally made ample preparations in private.

Faced with Liu Jilong's question, Dou Bin had already prepared a response and replied calmly, "The canals and waterways of Longyou Road are all intact and there is no need for additional repairs."

"In Jiannan and Shannan West Road, there were only two or three blocked canals, but they have all been repaired, increasing farmland by more than 700,000 mu."

“Currently, apart from Gyeonggi Province, the most serious problem is in Gwannae Province.”

"The repair of the canals and waterways in Guannei Road is now 80% complete. I expect that they will be fully dredged by the end of next year, which will increase the cultivated land by 2 million mu, bringing the total to 6 million mu."

After Dou Bin finished speaking, Liu Jilong chimed in, "If that's the case, the Ministry of Works should be credited with a great achievement."

"Your Highness is too kind to accept such praise; I was merely receiving guidance from you..."

Dou Bin did not take credit for his achievements, after all, Gao Jinda had been concurrently serving in the Ministry of Works at the beginning of the year, and he was only promoted at the beginning of the year.

Instead of continuing to praise him, Liu Jilong addressed his ministers, saying:
“When I led my troops to recover Guannei and the capital region in the past, the population of the two regions was less than three million, the cultivated land was less than thirteen million, the people lacked food, and they all needed to be transported from Longyou to be safe.”

"Next year, the two canals within the pass and around the capital will be completed. With three million people and nearly twenty million mu of arable land, the people's livelihood can be roughly secure. However, good governance is of paramount importance and cannot be neglected..."

Having finally resumed production, Liu Jilong naturally knew that the next priority was to ensure that the people could maintain stable production.

To ensure stable production for the people, it is essential to maintain clean and honest governance.

As long as officials do not harass the people and do not impose exorbitant taxes, the people in the Guanzhong and Beijing areas will be able to live a life of plenty in two or three years. This is the greatest merit.

Today, the five provinces of Kansai have a population of over eight million and over sixty million mu of arable land. They have no shortage of money and food, so it is time to plan for eastward expansion.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong looked at Luo Yin and asked, "What's the situation in Luoyang?"

"Your Highness..." Luo Yin cupped his hands and said calmly:
"According to the brothers who escorted Yang Gongqing back to Luoyang, after Yang Gongqing entered the palace to meet the emperor, he did indeed say that the emperor was not in good health and that the crown prince had now been appointed to oversee the country."

"The Southern Court supports the current Crown Prince, while Qi Yuanjian and Yang Xuanjie of the Northern Court do not recognize him."

"The Emperor promoted Yang Gongqing, while Qi Yuanjian and others recommended Yang Xuanji. In addition, Li Changyan of Shaanxi and Guo and Li Changfu of Hezhong were on good terms with Yang Xuanjie. Yang Gongqing was very worried about this."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jinda and the others all had their eyes flickering, since it was rare for the emperor in the Tang Dynasty to appoint the crown prince as regent.

If Li Cui allowed the Crown Prince to oversee the state, it could only mean that his health had deteriorated to the point where he was no longer able to handle government affairs.

In this situation, Qi Yuanjian and others from the Northern Division did not have a high opinion of the Crown Prince, so Yang Gongqing had no choice but to support the Crown Prince in order to gain Li Cui's support.

However, Luoyang and Chang'an are separated by Shaanxi and Hebei, so Yang Gongqing was worried that if something happened in Luoyang, he would not be able to cope and would not be able to wait for Liu Jilong to lend a helping hand.

Faced with Yang Gongqing's deep concern, Liu Jilong naturally had to take action to appease him.

"Qin Zongquan is causing quite a stir in Henan. Although the court has not ordered our army to send troops, some people have surrendered."

Liu Jilong looked at the assembled officials, his gaze falling on Zhang Yanhui. Zhang Yanhui then turned and took a memorial from the desk of the Imperial Diarist and passed it to everyone.

As everyone was reading through the document, Liu Jilong cut to the chase, saying, "Qin Zongquan's generals Lu Yanhong and Han Jianjun both intend to surrender Tangzhou to our army."

"Order Husiguang to send troops to accept the surrender of Tangzhou, and then submit a memorial to the court to promote Lu Yanhong and Han Jian to the rank of Mingwei General of the fourth grade."

As soon as Liu Jilong finished speaking, the memorial had already passed through the hands of more than ten officials in the building.

General Mingwei was merely a nominal official without real power; for Liu Jilong, it simply meant an extra few hundred strings of cash in salary each year.

As for whether Lu Yanhong and Han Jian would fall out because of this, Liu Jilong didn't care at all.

As long as Husi Guang has the surrender documents from the two men, he will be in the right no matter what.

Moreover, judging from Li Cui's situation, he probably has no interest in dealing with matters in Tangzhou.

"Your Highness, if our army sends troops to Tangzhou, won't that cut off Gao Pian's path to attack Qin Zongquan?"

Zheng Tian, ​​who served as Minister of Rites, was loyal to the Tang Dynasty. Although he wanted to stop Liu Jilong from occupying Tangzhou, he did not dare to openly oppose him.

He used Gao Pian's attack on Tangzhou as a pretext to try to get Liu Jilong to reconsider his decision.

"There's no need to worry about this. If Gao Qianli wants to attack Qin Zongquan, even without the Tangzhou Road, he can still go through the Dabie Mountains, detour through Guangzhou, and head north. It will only delay him for a few days."

Liu Jilong looked at Gao Jinda and, before anyone could react, said, "I hereby appoint Wang Jian, Ma Yi, and Gao Huai to lead 30,000 troops from the capital region to garrison Dengzhou."

"By imperial decree, Chen Jingchong shall lead 20,000 troops to garrison Junzhou, and Geng Ming shall lead 20,000 troops to garrison Kuizhou."

"By imperial decree, Cao Mao dispatched Wang Chongrong with 10,000 troops to march south to Tongzhou and station them there. He also ordered 20,000 cavalry and infantry from Longyou to advance eastward and station them around Chang'an."

“Each town dispatched a large army with a load of provisions to their garrison. Where there was a shortage of laborers, laborers were recruited at a rate of six hundred coins per month.”

"Those who graduate from Longyou this year and are sixteen years of age or older can go to Chang'an to prepare for the exam."

In just a few words, 100,000 troops were mobilized, and money and provisions began to be transported from west to east.

Supplies sufficient for an army of 100,000 to fight for a year—this clearly indicates that Liu Jilong was preparing for an eastward campaign.

Zheng Tian was anxious and glanced furtively at Wang Shi, only to see Wang Shi respectfully bowing to Liu Jilong: "Your subject receives the imperial edict..."

"Let's all go back."

After announcing the imperial edict, Liu Jilong immediately turned around and continued to look at the people working on the Yong'an Canal.

"We take our leave..."

The officials took their leave, leaving only three court attendants and Zhang Yanhui to continue accompanying Liu Jilong.

The group descended the pavilion one after another, and then boarded carriages in the order of their entry into the government offices, returning to the headquarters of the Three Provinces and Six Ministries.

Zheng Tian patiently waited for Wang Shi's carriage to arrive, and then rode in the same carriage with Wang Shi. After waiting for the carriage to start, he anxiously asked, "Brother Xiao Nian, is His Highness really going to send troops to the Hehuai region?!"

Wang remained silent, not answering immediately.

Seeing his reaction, Zheng Tian felt extremely uneasy: "We have been officials for generations, how can we stoop to this position and harm the court?"

"If Brother Xiaonian is unwilling to return to Luoyang, then I will make my own way back to Luoyang!"

"What good would it do to go back to Luoyang?" Wang Shi finally couldn't help but ask after hearing Zheng Tian's words.

Seeing Zheng Tian's stunned expression, Wang Shi sighed and said, "You've seen what Guanxi is like."

"Although I do not wish for the collapse of the court, you know better than I how the people under its rule are doing."

"The Tang Dynasty lasted for 252 years. Since the pre-Qin period, which previous dynasty could last so long?"

Wang Shi's question stumped Zheng Tian, ​​and this was a consequence of the Tang Dynasty reaping what it sowed.

Although previous dynasties were all referred to as the Han Dynasty, the terms Eastern Han and Western Han actually originated from the Tang Dynasty.

After the aristocratic families of the Tang Dynasty established the Eastern and Western Han Dynasties, the longest-lasting dynasty was the Western Han, which lasted for 211 years. No other dynasty lasted even longer than 200 years.

The Tang Dynasty has now lasted for 252 years, and will soon enter its 253rd year. In Wang Shi's view, this is already a very long reign.

He had thought about saving the Tang Dynasty, but the behavior of the people in the imperial court made him extremely uncomfortable.

Yang Xuanji, who caused the defeats in the battles of Longxi and Longdong, was surprisingly made one of the Four Nobles of the Northern Army without any punishment.

Thinking of this, Wang Shi couldn't help but tremble with anger.

He did want to save the Tang Dynasty, but the corrupt officials in the imperial court made him lose faith.

Now, he only wants to retire to Chang'an and no longer wants to be a capable minister who saves the country.

He's already sixty years old, how many more years can he live?

Even if he were willing to help, would the imperial court trust him?

"Ha ha……"

Wang Shi couldn't help but laugh, but there was a hint of bitterness in his laughter.

Zheng Tian looked at him, unsure of what to say, his expression complicated.

Seeing that he was still persistent, and noticing that the carriage had already entered the Golden Light Gate, Wang Shi simply opened the window and gestured to him, "Taiwen, take a look..."

Zheng Tian looked out the window and saw many people walking on Chang'an Avenue. Although they were dressed in coarse linen clothes, their faces were full of vigor.

Even the woodcutters and farmers who sell firewood and vegetables walk with a cheerful gait.

Have you ever seen such a sight in Chang'an in the past?

Wang Shi questioned Zheng Tian, ​​and said with great distress, "I once thought of saving the world and believed myself to be a capable minister who could govern the country well."

"However, the two defeats in Longxi and Longdong have already frustrated me and made me see reality clearly."

"Now, the scene in Chang'an, Guanzhong, and even the whole of Guanxi has made my pursuit even clearer."

"What I want is nothing more than peace in the world and to leave my name in the history books."

"Now the latter has been achieved; whether it is infamy or fame, you and I are both recorded in history books."

"In my observation of the world, only Liu Muzhi can achieve this."

"Think of the soldiers and civilians who died in Longxi and Longdong because of you and me. The Tang Dynasty is deeply entrenched in problems, and neither you nor I have the ability to restore it."

After saying a few words, Wang Shi suddenly hunched over, as if releasing all the pent-up anger in his chest.

Zheng Tian fell silent at his words, neither refuting nor speaking back, but simply lowering his head and keeping quiet, his brows furrowed.

A deathly silence fell over the carriage, broken only by the laughter and chatter of the people on the street, and the clatter of the horses' hooves and wheels.

Two quarters of an hour passed slowly. When the carriage stopped at the South Office, Wang Shi took a deep breath: "I have said all I need to say. What to do next is up to you."

He got up and stepped down from the carriage, while Zheng Tian sat for a while longer, before finally looking at the coachman and saying, "Take this old man back to his residence..."

His words carried a slight sigh, it was unclear whether he was resigning himself to fate or lamenting Wang Shi's decision.

However, no matter what choices they make, nothing can stop Liu Jilong's desire to move eastward.

As countless fast horses galloped out of Chang'an, troop movements began throughout the Guanzhong region.

Among them, the first to act were naturally Wang Jian and his two companions stationed in Chang'an.

The three of them led 30,000 infantrymen to Junzhou, and three days later, a fast horse brought the news to Nanyang.

At that time, Dengzhou had 30,000 soldiers stationed in various counties, while Nanyang had 10,000 cavalry and infantry.

Therefore, when the fast horse arrived in Nanyang, Husi Guang immediately ordered the recruitment of 20,000 laborers to prepare for the expedition to capture Tangzhou.

"Commander, I heard you are conscripting laborers and mobilizing troops. Is this news from Chang'an?"

Upon hearing the news, Li Yangchun, who was governing outside the capital, immediately rushed back to the Nanyang government office. At that time, Husi Guang had just finished a military meeting with the military commanders and other generals.

Seeing Li Yangchun arrive, Husi Guang gestured to Li Yangchun:

"By His Highness's decree, our army shall advance eastward immediately to accept the surrender and must occupy all counties of Tangzhou, especially Fangcheng County!"

As soon as Husiguang finished speaking, Li Yangchun understood his prince's meaning and attitude.

On the map, Dengzhou appears to be very close to Luoyang, but in reality, the two are separated by countless mountains.

On the contrary, although Fangcheng in Tangzhou is only a few dozen miles north of Nanyang, it is actually located at the northeastern gateway of the Nanyang Basin. Therefore, the route from Fangcheng to Luoyang is flat, and only the three southern passes of Luoyang can block the army.

"You shall dispatch 10,000 horse-drawn carts, carrying 20,000 shi of grain, 5,000 shi of beans, and essential military tents and barracks, as well as 5,000 jin of gunpowder."

"The imperial court's fast horses are not slow. Gao Pian must have received the news from the court a few days ago, and he may be heading to Tangzhou now."

"Your Highness has given me the military order to take over the entire Tangzhou region in two days."

Husiguang spoke to Li Yangchun, who immediately understood the seriousness of the matter and hurriedly bowed, saying, "I will take care of it right away!"

He turned and left, while Husi Guang began preparing for tomorrow's expedition.

While he was planning his expedition, Gao Pian, who had received the news three days in advance, had already dispatched Wang Zhongren and his 20,000 troops to bypass the Dabie Mountains and attack Henan.

"Father, are we just going to abandon Tangzhou like this?"

Inside the Shuzhou government office, Gao Qin looked at the sand table in front of him, a hint of resentment showing on his face.

Standing beside him, Gao Pian, his hands resting on the sand table, remained calm, but his constant glances toward Tangzhou revealed his unwillingness to abandon it. "Tang and Deng prefectures are located in the Nanyang Basin, the best granary for Liu Jilong's eastward advance."

"Although the war has caused great harm, Liu Jilong has grain in his hands. It will only take one or two years to allow the people to settle down and start farming again and produce grain for them."

"Therefore, Tangzhou is a place that Liu Jilong must obtain, and the distance between Chang'an and Luoyang is about the same as the distance between you and me to Luoyang."

“If Liu Jilong learns of Qin Zongquan’s rebellion, he will definitely send troops to Tangzhou. You and I are more than 800 li away from Tangzhou, and there is no time to recapture it.”

"In that case, we can only give Tangzhou to him. Before Kang Jingci can react, we should first recover the three prefectures of Zhongwu. We must not allow Qin Zongquan to threaten Luoyang."

As Gao Pian explained his plan, Gao Qin frowned and said, "Father, didn't you want the court to move south?"

"Now that Qin Zongquan has marched north, if he can capture Ruzhou and follow Huang Chao's example in attacking Yique, then the court might consider moving south..."

"Move south?" Hearing Gao Qin's naive words, Gao Pian couldn't help but shake his head:
"How many people in the court trust me now? If Qin Zongquan really attacks Luoyang, the court will only be able to move north to Taiyuan, not south."

"That is why I need to send troops to defeat Qin Zongquan, recover the three prefectures, and then hand over the three prefectures of Zhongwu to the court, so that the court will trust me."

"As long as I can gain the trust of the court, I can send troops to quell the Huang bandits, rely on Huainan and Jiangnan to confront Liu Jilong, and wait for Liu Jilong to get bogged down in Hebei before seizing the opportunity to take back Shannan, Jiannan and other provinces."

Gao Pian had already experienced the might of Liu Jilong's cavalry. His only thought was to rely on the Qinling-Huaihe defense line to limit Liu Jilong's cavalry, and then rely on the strength of the city walls, as well as to imitate the fireworks made by Liu Jilong to create a north-south confrontation.

Based on Gao Pian's research on historical records, he was confident that while holding the Huai River, he could also recover Jiannan Road and Shannan Road, thus creating a situation of confrontation between the north and the south.

“But Father, if Young Master Wang cannot defeat Qin Zongquan, then…”

Gao Qin voiced his concerns, to which Gao Pian countered with, "Where are the 20,000 reinforcements from Hunan and Lingnan?"

"Ten thousand Hunan troops have already entered Huangzhou, and ten thousand Lingnan troops have also gone north to Hengzhou. They will arrive in Huangzhou in half a month at the latest."

Gao Pian nodded upon hearing this, then manually planted the two banners in Huangzhou, and calmly said:
"Three days from now, I will set off for Huangzhou. You will lead three thousand troops to garrison Shuzhou and you must not allow the Huang rebels to break through from here."

"Yes!" Gao Qin replied without hesitation, while Gao Pian's gaze swept past Huangzhou and looked northwest towards Chang'an: "Liu Muzhi..."

"kill!!"

Almost simultaneously with Liu Jilong and Gao Pian's troop deployments to Guandong, Qin Zongquan's army had already reached Liang County, the seat of Ruzhou.

These cannibalistic soldiers of the Chungmuk Army completely disregarded the lives of the common people and forcibly drove them to attack the city.

The defenseless civilians were driven to the outskirts of Liang County, crying and screaming, where they were then targeted by Tang soldiers with bows and arrows on the Liang County horse road.

"put!!"

"Woooooooo..."

"Mother, I'm scared..."

"Father! Father!!"

The sound of horns mingling with the whistling of arrows echoed across the battlefield, killing countless civilians on the spot and causing those behind to flee in terror.

"You bastards, let's see who dares to back down!!"

Hundreds of soldiers, each wielding a long-handled sword, stood in a row, instantly intimidating the thousands of civilians who were trying to escape.

"You sons of bitches, get back to your father and climb up the ladder!"

"Uh-huh!!"

Suddenly, the bearded soldier attacked, grabbing the boy's hair and shoving his tearful face into the bloody mud.

The boy's twitching knuckles were stuck in the mud, leaving five winding bloody marks, which made the surrounding people retreat in fear.

"Beep--"

As the whistle blew, three thousand loyal soldiers raised their bows and arrows, aiming at the thousands of civilians.

"Three bugle calls, and those who dare not advance will be killed!"

Sun Ru sat on horseback, a wicked grin on his face, revealing his shrunken, red gums, which was extremely ugly and made people's hair stand on end.

"Woooooooo..."

"what!!"

"Help me..."

"We are all citizens of the Tang Dynasty, why are we treated like this?!"

Moving forward meant certain death, and turning back also meant certain death. Thousands of people had no idea how to survive and could only vent their anger by shouting.

"put!!"

Sun Ru couldn't stand it any longer and suddenly gave an order.

In an instant, countless arrows shot towards the people. Their flesh and blood bodies were so fragile at this moment. The arrows, once released from the bow, pierced through the swaddling clothes of infants and pierced into the chests of women.

Upon seeing this, Sun Ru immediately cursed, "You sons of bitches! Who gave you permission to put women and children in there?"

The officers around him looked at him in astonishment, only to see Sun Ru say with great distress, "Women and children are the most tender. The army has just obtained several thousand bushels of salt, which can be used to cut off their flesh and pickle it. We will not have to worry about food supplies in the future!"

Sun Ru's words filled the generals around him, who were used to eating meat, with terror, not to mention the common people in the distance.

"Arrest the women and children first!"

Sun Ru waved his hand, and immediately soldiers of the Zhongwu Army began to rush forward to arrest people. Meanwhile, the men, who had been killed in the past, only dared to sit in place and did not dare to resist at all.

Hundreds of women and children were forcibly abducted, and then countless arrows shot them to death on the spot.

Without the civilians rushing into the city, Sun Ru did not panic. Instead, he sent men to tie the body of the woman who had just been shot to a drum cart.

He stood on the drum cart himself, began cutting meat with a short knife, and occasionally let out a piercing laugh.

Upon witnessing this scene, the Tang soldiers on the walls of Liang County felt their stomachs churn, and many new recruits even vomited while leaning against the walls.

"Hahaha! You son of a bitch, if you don't open the city gates and surrender, I'll slaughter and eat everyone in the city, men and women alike!!"

Sun Ru shouted from below the city wall, with the mutilated bones of corpses hanging behind him, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.

Having done all this, Sun Ru led his troops back to camp with satisfaction. The siege of Liang County and Sun Ru's misdeeds were reported to Luoyang by Tang scouts on the outskirts.

When news of Qin Zongquan, Sun Ru, and others allowing their soldiers to eat people reached Luoyang, it immediately caused considerable panic in the city.

Li Cui was seriously ill and could only entrust the affairs of state to Li Yi. Although Li Yi was the crown prince, he was still terrified and turned pale when he heard about the evil deeds of Qin Zongquan, Sun Ru and others in the memorial.

"The rebels lacked food, so they ate people for sustenance. When the soldiers went out in all directions, they followed along with salted corpses..."

Inside the Qianyuan Hall, when the report on Qin Zongquan's atrocities was read aloud, the court officials, including Li Yi, couldn't help but turn pale.

"To eat people like that, what a beast..."

Liu Zhan spoke with a dark expression, and Li Yi on the golden platform couldn't help but ask, "Where have the troops of Governor Kang and Gao Bohai arrived?"

Li Yi was genuinely afraid that Qin Zongquan would invade Luoyang. After all, Liang County was only a hundred miles away from Luoyang. Although it was protected by the Yique Pass, these three passes had only been breached at the beginning of the year. Li Yi was still terrified when he recalled the days of his escape.

Along the way, he witnessed many scenes of people exchanging children to eat, which terrified him so much that he couldn't rest properly for several days.

He never imagined that now that he had finally become the crown prince and even the regent, he would have to face a beast like Qin Zongquan.

"Your Highness, Gao Bohai has already dispatched 20,000 troops ahead of time, and they will be able to enter Caizhou territory within ten days at the latest."

When Lu Yan spoke up for Gao Pian, Li Yi nodded in agreement, then asked anxiously, "Can 20,000 troops defeat Qin Zongquan?"

“This…” Lu Yan didn’t know what to say, while Liu Zhan was very confident.

"Your Highness, rest assured, although Qin Zongquan's army is said to number 50,000, no more than 10,000 of them are actually armored."

"Even if Gao Bohai's troops cannot defeat him, they can still curb his northward advance."

Liu Zhan's words finally relieved Li Yi, and at this moment, Yang Xuanjie, one of the Four Nobles, spoke up:

"Your Highness, I believe that the Eastern Capital is vulnerable. It would be better to transfer troops from Shaanxi and Guo to garrison the Three Passes."

"Absolutely not!" Seeing Yang Xuanjie's reaction, Yang Gongqing knew that he wanted to increase his leverage around Luoyang, so he stepped forward and objected, "Your Highness, the troops of Shaanxi and Guo number no more than 15,000, and cannot be easily mobilized!"

"Your Highness, since that's the case, why not draw troops from Heyang and Hezhong?"

Yang Xuanjie maintained a businesslike attitude, but everyone knew what he was really thinking.

"Your Highness, the troops from Heyang can be transferred to the Three Passes..."

Xiao Gou took the initiative to speak, choosing Liu Tong, the military governor of Heyang, who was not very close to the Northern Commandery.

How many troops can Heyang Town send out?

Li Yi asked with concern, and Liu Zhan replied, "Your Highness, Heyang can still send 5,000 troops. Although it is not many, the three passes originally had 5,000 troops. Now, with an additional 5,000, it is enough to hold the line."

“Alright…” Li Yi nodded in agreement, then looked at the crowd: “Is there anything else you wish to report?”

Faced with Li Yi's proactive inquiry, many officials secretly shook their heads, thinking that the Crown Prince was not steady enough.

However, they also knew that they seemed to have no other choice but to select Li Yi as the crown prince.

Upon realizing this, the courtiers fell silent, and Li Yi stood up as well.

"Retreat from the court..."

"Your Highness Chitose!"

Amidst the chanting of the courtiers, Li Yi left the Qianyuan Hall, and the courtiers, following their order of entry, also departed one after another.

After they left, Li Yi rode in a palanquin to Zhenguan Hall, where the smell of medicine seemed even stronger than before.

"Your Majesty...Sister?"

Li Yi walked to the screen and bowed, but then saw Li Meiling walking out from behind the screen. He quickly addressed her as Li Meiling.

"Father has just gone to sleep. What matters are there in court? Has anyone given you any trouble?"

Li Meiling's mother, Consort Guo, only gave birth to her, so she had no brothers from the same mother and treated all her younger brothers and sisters equally.

She knew that Li Yi was mediocre, but he was now the Crown Prince, so she still had to give him the respect and care he deserved.

"Sister, I'll talk to Father later..."

Li Yi lowered his voice and spoke, but at that moment Li Cui's voice came from behind the screen: "What is it that your elder sister cannot hear?"

"Long live your Majesty..."

Li Yi was startled by his father's sudden outburst and quickly bowed in greeting.

Seeing this, Li Meiling quickly walked behind the screen and looked at Li Cui, whose body was swollen and whose face was oily, and said, "Father, why don't you sleep a little longer?"

"My head is throbbing so badly that I can't sleep. I only pretended to be asleep so that my daughter could rest in peace..."

Li Cui looked at Li Meiling with heartache, feeling that he owed his daughter too much, not only failing to let her enjoy wealth and luxury, but also failing to let her have a grand wedding.

Now, several years have passed, and she is already twenty-two years old.

“Father, there’s no need for that.”

Looking at her sickly-looking father, Li Meiling felt an overwhelming pang of heartache.

Li Yi lowered his head, but his eyes were filled with envy as he looked at the harmonious scene between the father and daughter.

Since he could remember, he had never seen his father treat him so gently. In fact, many times he couldn't even see his father.

He knew that although he had become the crown prince, it did not mean that his father liked him, but rather that his father had no other choice.

Thinking of this, Li Yi couldn't help but feel sad. After Li Cui and Li Meiling comforted each other for a while, they turned their attention to Li Yi, who was still bowing.

Li Cui frowned in dissatisfaction, feeling that Li Yi was too timid and subservient.

Whether it was because he disliked Li Yi from the start, or because he saw his past self in Li Yi, Li Cui hated Li Yi's timid and submissive manner.

"You are now the Crown Prince and regent, yet you are always so subservient, lacking any imperial bearing whatsoever. What kind of conduct is this?!"

"Your subject... Your subject is guilty, please punish me, Your Majesty."

Faced with Li Cui's reprimand, Li Yi could only respond in a submissive manner, but this attitude only made Li Cui more dissatisfied with him.

“You…”

"Father, Dalang is only fourteen years old. Why be so harsh on him?"

Li Cui wanted to continue scolding, but Li Meiling stopped her, because she knew in her heart that her father did not dislike his younger brother, but rather that he always regarded his younger brother as himself in the past.

Back then, my own father was also this timid and submissive when facing my own father.

She didn't understand why her father couldn't understand Li Yi, so she could only interrupt him and comfort him at the same time:

"There are no outsiders here, so there's no need to be so formal. Come closer and let your father see you."

"Yes……"

Li Yi hesitated before stepping forward. Li Meiling noticed that he looked more swollen than a few days ago and couldn't help but feel sorry for him, saying, "You've been busy with state affairs and have been working hard."

"What is there for him to be tired of?" Li Cui sneered. In his opinion, wielding power was the most comfortable thing.

But he didn't realize that when he was healthy, he spent his days either engrossed in operas or vernacular novels, while Li Yi could be described as diligent and conscientious.

Although things weren't handled very well, with the assistance of his ministers, it was unlikely that any major mistakes would occur; at least his attitude was not problematic.

"Let's talk about today's court assembly."

Li Cui urged him on, and Li Yi, upon hearing this, recounted Qin Zongquan's attack on Ruzhou, his current siege of Liang County, and his atrocities.

Upon hearing this, Li Meiling covered the lower half of her face with her hand, clearly feeling nauseous, while Li Cui felt a slight headache after hearing that Qin Zongquan had attacked Ruzhou.

Fortunately, he already knew that Qin Zongquan would attack Ruzhou, so he took a deep breath and asked, "Have Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun sent troops?"

"Your Majesty... Father, Gao Pian first sent 20,000 troops north, while he awaits reinforcements in Shuzhou."

Li Yi explained, adding, "Your Majesty, I have already dispatched 5,000 troops from Heyang to the south, and there are also 5,000 troops at the Three Passes. In addition, there are 5,000 Shence Army soldiers and 3,000 Shenwu Army soldiers in Luoyang. I think we should be able to defend the Three Passes."

"That would be best..." Li Cui sighed, then added with a sigh:

"A friend in need is a friend indeed. Although Gao Qianli delayed the troops several times, he still had the court in his heart. We hope that he can quell Qin Zongquan and the Huang bandits and prevent the court from falling into danger."

"Your father is blessed with great fortune; all your wishes will surely come true," Li Meiling congratulated him.

Upon hearing the congratulations, Li Cui's complexion improved somewhat.

However, before he could say anything properly, Tian Yun hurriedly entered the hall with a memorial in his hand.

"His Majesty……"

"What is it?" Li Cui asked with a frown. Tian Yun did not dare to answer directly, but stepped forward to present a memorial.

Li Yi took the document and glanced at it, a look of astonishment on his face. He then looked at Li Cui and said, "Father, Liu Jilong has submitted a memorial to the court, stating that Lu Yanhong and Han Jian, the generals of Tangzhou under the Zhongwu Army, have surrendered the prefecture."

"Liu Jilong has already dispatched troops to occupy Tangzhou and submitted a memorial to the court, requesting that the two men be promoted to the rank of Junior Fourth Grade Mingwei General..."

Before Li Yi could finish speaking, Li Cui's breathing became heavy: "This Liu Jilong..."

"Father, calm down. Don't get sick from anger." Li Meiling was worried that something might happen to him, so she quickly comforted him.

Upon hearing this, Li Cui indeed calmed his temper, then exhaled a breath of stale air and looked at Li Yi, saying:
"Although Liu Jilong appears respectful on the surface, he is still ambitious in private. You need to be careful and wary of him."

"Your subject understands, thank you for your hard work, Father." Li Yi nodded in agreement, but inwardly sighed that if it weren't for his father, Liu Jilong wouldn't have become so powerful as to occupy the Five Paths.

Now that most of the eastern part of Shannan is under his control, he will probably soon occupy all six provinces.

Faced with Liu Jilong, who occupied the six realms, plus Qin Zongquan and Huang Chao, whom he had not yet defeated, Li Yi had no idea how to deal with them.

He could sense that Qi Yuanjian and Yang Xuanjie of the Northern Division did not support him, and that Yang Gongqing was only supporting him out of desperation.

If there are better candidates, they probably won't stay with me.

Although the position of Crown Prince Regent is prestigious, it is not an easy one to hold.

Thinking of this, Li Yi couldn't help but feel anxious, while Li Cui focused his attention on Li Meiling.

"If we can defeat Huang Ze and Qin Zongquan next year, I will definitely find you a good husband."

"Thank you, Father..."

Li Meiling was absent-minded, only looking out the window. After a moment, she frowned and said, "There are still two days until the beginning of winter, but it still hasn't snowed."

Li Cui didn't seem to mind, and just coughed lightly, saying, "Perhaps we're a little late, don't worry, cough cough..."

His coughing echoed beyond the Zhenguan Palace, and also reached Ziwei City and Luoyang City.

At this moment, on the banks of the Yellow River north of Luoyang, a fishing boat is being towed onto the mudflats, leaving deep gullies in its wake.

In the gullies, tiny, yellowish-brown insect eggs, about the size of rice grains, can be faintly seen...

(End of this chapter)