Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 467 The Demise of the Northern Division (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"Screw rustle..."

"Keep up the good work and get the camp up quickly so you can get some rest!"

"Smash..."

On the plain more than 20 miles north of Linru County, as the camp of nearly 100,000 people began to be built with the help of 60,000 laborers, the plain immediately became lively.

Soldiers in battle coats stood in various places according to their squads and groups, while behind them were more than ten laborers dressed in thin cloth and emaciated from hunger.

The laborers were setting up tents for the soldiers, their hands busy and their eyes vacant and numb.

They were called laborers, but in reality they were displaced people captured by the army. However, being a laborer was better than being a displaced person in those days, because laborers could at least have something to eat, while displaced people mostly didn't even have grass roots to eat.

Just like the northern part of Ruzhou, which had just experienced the chaos caused by Qin Zongquan's army, it would not be an exaggeration to say that there was no human habitation for hundreds of miles around.

Qin Zongquan's army was particularly cruel, and most of the people along the way ended up in their bellies.

After being betrayed by Ma Yin and Liu Jianfeng, Qin Zongquan immediately led his army south to Yique, and then went deep into Xiong'er Mountain, hiding in Luhun County (Song County).

Now he only has a few thousand remaining soldiers. After seeing Qin Zongquan flee, Sun Ru of Liang County simply surrendered to Gao Pian.

Gao Pian dismissed the cannibals under his command, leaving less than five hundred soldiers to be handed over to Sun Ru.

Sun Ru also sensed Gao Pian's distrust of him, but he just smiled dryly and continued to flatter Gao Pian along the way.

Just now, facing Gao Pian's well-organized camp, Sun Ru hurriedly flattered him: "King Gao's military strategy and deployment are all those of a military genius."

"Hmph..." Gao Qin snorted coldly, clearly disapproving of Sun Ru's behavior.

Gao Pian did not interrupt the two men, but continued to inspect the military camp. At the same time, he instructed Gao Qin: "Release more soldiers to ensure that no enemy troops will appear within twenty miles."

"Yes!" Gao Qin readily agreed, but then he saw a famous general riding up and hurriedly dismounted to bow to Gao Pian.

"Your Majesty, urgent reports have come from Ye County and Xiangcheng one after another. The troops from Guanzhong have marched north from Tangzhou and crossed Xiangcheng five hours ago. The total number of troops is no less than 15,000."

Gao Qin and Sun Ru both subconsciously looked at Gao Pian, only to see that Gao Pian was calm and composed, showing no signs of panic.

“Father…”

Gao Qin spoke softly, but Gao Pian said, "I had already anticipated that Liu Jilong would take this opportunity to make a move, but I didn't expect them to be so quick."

Upon hearing this, Gao Qin sighed and gritted his teeth, saying, "If it weren't for Qi Yuanjian and the others falsely conveying the imperial edict, how could we have been delayed for two days?"

"But Kang Chengxun, whom the late emperor valued so highly, was timid and hesitant at such a crucial moment."

"If Liu Jilong's troops are stationed in Dengfeng, wouldn't we lose the initiative?"

Gao Qin attributed his father's southward journey entirely to Qi Yuanjian and others' responsibility for falsely conveying the imperial edict.

Gao Pian did not respond to his words, but simply instructed, "Continue to inspect the camp according to these rules."

"Yes!" Gao Qin reluctantly bowed, and Sun Ru could only continue to follow Gao Qin.

During their second inspection of the camp, Gao Pian walked towards the main tent, followed by dozens of guards.

These guards were all six feet tall, and were brave warriors selected from tens of thousands of soldiers, numbering over five hundred.

Gao Pian organized them into an army, named Yanzidu, and used them as his personal guard.

Under Yan Zidu's protection, he quickly returned to the tent, where three figures, two adults and one child, were sitting.

"King Gao!"

The familiar voice rang out, but Gao Pian was not nervous. Instead, he walked to the table and lit the candles himself.

The dim candlelight illuminated the tent slightly, revealing the faces of the two figures. It was none other than Tian Yun, who had disappeared with the imperial seal and edict.

Standing next to Tian Yun was Tian Lingzi, who was twenty-five or twenty-six years old.

As for the short figure, it was Li Yan, the fifth son of Emperor Xiantong, Li Cui, and the Prince of Pu.

Li Yan is only nine years old and will turn ten in just over half a month, but he is still very young.

"Greetings, Your Highness..."

Gao Pian bowed calmly and quickly stood up.

Li Yan was escorted south by Tian Yun and his men. Along the way, he met many people. Although he was young, he already knew that the current situation was not right and did not dare to act recklessly as usual.

Faced with Gao Pian's bow, he could sense that the man before him was a powerful figure whose imposing presence was no less than that of his own father, and could only stammer, "Rise..."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Gao Pian still observed the proper etiquette of a subject, while Li Yan dared not put on airs and remained standing even after Gao Pian turned his head away.

Gao Pian looked at Tian Yun and his son, then at a box on the table, and walked over to it, slowly opening it.

The candlelight flickered on the lampstand, casting Gao Pian's distorted shadow onto the cowhide tent wall, and also revealing the contents of the box.

A three-inch equilateral jade seal, pale yellow with a hint of green, gleamed faintly in the dim light. Five powerful dragons intertwined, their four feet treading on clouds, giving one the illusion of soaring upwards.

Gao Pian reached out and easily picked up the jade seal, but a corner of the seal was broken, so he replaced it with gold.

The right side of the jade seal is not engraved with inscriptions such as "Heaven's Mandate for the Stone Clan" or "Great Wei Receives Han," but is perfectly intact.

Gao Pian turned it over and saw that the bottom was engraved with eight characters in seal script, and the ink was still inside, presenting eight seal characters in "blood red".

"By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous..."

Looking at these eight characters, even though Gao Pian was jokingly saying he was nearly fifty, he couldn't help but feel his blood surging.

Seeing that he was playing with the imperial seal, Tian Yun, who was standing next to him, quickly stepped forward and said, "Prince Gao, the imperial seal and the imperial edict are now in our hands, and Prince Pu is one of the late emperor's most beloved sons."

"Given this situation, why go north to support the Crown Prince instead of quickly heading south to support Prince Pu?"

Tian Yun risked great danger to bring the imperial seal and Li Yan, all for the sake of gaining the merit of supporting the emperor.

Seeing Gao Pian's repeated changes, he couldn't help but become anxious. Gao Pian carefully put the jade seal into the box and then looked at Tian Yun.

His expression remained unchanged, but his gaze sharpened, causing Tian Yun to instinctively look away.

“If I were to enthrone the Prince of Pu now, Liu Jilong would surely use the pretext of eliminating cholera to send troops to attack me.”

"Since he has already sent people to support the regent, this matter cannot be changed for the time being."

“Those petty villains like those from Shaanxi and Guo, and those from Hezhong, will soon be pacified by them. What our army needs to do is protect His Majesty before they march eastward.”

Gao Pian knew that once Liu Jilong decided to move east, his momentum would be unstoppable, and no one could stop him, not even him.

For this reason, he no longer expects to control Li Yi to limit Liu Jilong; instead, he hopes that Liu Jilong will support Li Yi.

As long as Liu Jilong supports Li Yi, he will definitely use the name of the court to punish the disloyal.

As Liu Jilong's power grew, Gao Pian was convinced that his subordinates would not be tempted.

Even if he didn't want to ascend the throne, his subordinates would voluntarily help him do so, and that would be when the imperial seal and Li Yan would come into play.

He never thought he could keep Hedong, Hebei and the Central Plains from Liu Jilong. What he always wanted was to control the Jiangnan region and create a confrontational situation.

He dared to think this way because the Shannan East Circuit and Henan Circuit had been almost completely destroyed by Huang Chao and the government army, Qin Zongquan and other forces.

It will take Liu Jilong at least a few years to restore Henan Province.

Year after year, having hope is always better than having no hope at all.

Thinking this, Gao Pian took a deep breath, just then Gao Qin's voice rang out from outside the tent.

"Aye!"

"Speak." Gao Pian did not allow Gao Qin to enter, so Gao Qin had no choice but to report from outside the door:
"Wang Langjun sent word that Liu Jilong dispatched cavalry at full speed, and they have already entered Dengfeng."

"The imperial court has issued an order that our army be stationed at Shaoshi Mountain, west of Dengfeng, and shall not advance."

"I understand." Gao Pian didn't change much; he had guessed this moment as soon as he heard that the Han army had left Tangzhou.

"By imperial decree, the army will be stationed in Yingyang tomorrow to recapture Yique. You will then divide your forces into five thousand to attack Luhun, capture Qin Zongquan alive, and bring him to Your Majesty."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Gao Qin replied without hesitation, then got up, left the tent, and returned.

Hearing his departing footsteps, Gao Pian then looked at Tian Yun and the other two, his eyes flashing as he gave the order:

"I will send three hundred soldiers to escort you two and His Highness to Yuezhou under the cover of night. You two need not worry about anything else; just wait for wealth and honor."

"Good!" Tian Yun breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that she had finally gotten what she wanted.

Tian Lingzi was coaxing Li Yan, thinking about the wealthy life they would have after heading south.

Seeing that the two had no other opinions, Gao Pian summoned Kuang Shiqian, a military advisor, and ordered him to personally lead three hundred Yanzidu soldiers to escort Tian Yun and the other two south. He especially emphasized that the box should be delivered to Yuezhou.

Kuang Shiqian was handsome and only twenty-two or twenty-three years old. He naturally took this important task very seriously and readily agreed.

Before long, he led Tian Yun and the other two away from the tent and headed straight for Yuezhou in the south.

As they marched south, more than 20,000 troops, led by Kang Chengxun, had already gathered in Gaocheng County.

With the Han army stationed in Dengfeng, they dared not cause any trouble, since no one knew how many more Han troops would arrive later.

At present, they can only keep an eye on Dengfeng County, which is more than ten miles to the north, while Dengfeng County is directly controlled by Husiguang's troops.

Officials were not allowed to visit their colleagues, and all regular discussions could only be held in the yamen, under Hu Siguang's watchful eye.

Husiguang ordered Zhang Ying to lead more than two hundred Han soldiers from the Jinzouyuan, one thousand soldiers from the Eastern Capital, and two thousand Shence Army soldiers to Xuanyuan Pass.

Judging from the current situation, he judged that Qi Yuanjian would definitely launch a strong attack on Xuanyuan Pass as soon as the Shaanxi and Guo troops arrived, or he would take a detour and launch a surprise attack on Dengfeng.

It would take at least four days to mobilize the troops in Shaanxi and Guo, and three days have already passed, so the northern attack will arrive tomorrow.

According to Husi Guang's estimate, Zhang Ying and his men could hold out for three days by relying on Xuanyuan Pass, and the Han army's cavalry and infantry would arrive in two days at the latest.

With the addition of 5,000 infantry and cavalry, defending Xuanyuan Pass was undoubtedly easy. So after taking control of Dengfeng County, Husi Guang simply released the few Chang'an carrier pigeons that Zhang Ying had, and sent a fast horse to Chang'an to deliver the message.

There are indeed many birds of prey between Chang'an and Luoyang, but they each have their own territory. While carrier pigeons are fast, they require the loss of a large number of carrier pigeons to protect a small number of carrier pigeons each time, so they are not used unless absolutely necessary.

After the carrier pigeon was released, Husi Guang waited patiently, and Gao Pian sent an envoy to the court the following day.

"The Prince of Bohai has already led his army to recapture Yingyang, and is now recapturing Yique and Luhun counties."

"Upon hearing that the Prince of Hanzhong has sent troops to support Your Majesty, the Prince of Bohai has specially transported two thousand shi of grain to Dengfeng, hoping to ensure Your Majesty and your court officials have enough to eat and wear."

Inside the Dengfeng County government office, Gu Yun, the envoy sent by Gao Pian, was explaining Gao Pian's actions to the ministers and Li Yi in the hall, and occasionally glancing at Husi Guang.

Husiguang made no move, as if he were an outsider.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Li Yi could only look at Lu Yan and the other two.

Seeing this, Liu Zhan could only say, "The Prince of Bohai is loyal to the country, and the court has already felt his sincerity."

"Now that the three traitors are causing trouble, if the Prince of Bohai can recover Yique Pass and Dagu Pass, then the court can rest easy."

Liu Zhan wanted to suggest that Gao Pian move closer to Dengfeng, but judging from Gao Pian's current actions, he clearly did not dare to compete with Liu Jilong.

In that case, the imperial court would have no choice but to continue to be controlled by Liu Jilong.

Thinking of this, Liu Zhan felt sad and melancholy, while Lu Yan and Xiao Gou remained silent.

"I understand your intentions, but unfortunately the national treasury is empty and I am unable to allocate funds and grain for you."

Li Yi spoke some polite words, while Gu Yun listened respectfully, occasionally replying with a few words.

Gu Yun had already gotten a general idea of ​​the situation in Dengfeng, and it was clear that the Han army had completely taken control of it.

Therefore, after exchanging pleasantries, he left Dengfeng and headed back to Yingyang.

Not long after he left, a fast horse rushed south from the north. As expected, Yang Fuguang joined forces with Li Changyan of Shaanxi and Guo and led 10,000 troops to garrison north of Xuanyuan Pass.

However, because Zhang Ying led his troops to garrison Xuanyuan Pass, they dared not make any rash moves.

Upon receiving the news, Husi Guang immediately summoned all officials to the yamen for another meeting, and bowed to Li Yi, saying:
"Your Majesty, the three traitors who marched south to invade Xuanyuan have now been contained."

"I suggest that Governor Kang and his troops be dispatched to attack Dagu Pass and Yique Pass."

Although Husi Guang did not take Kang Chengxun's more than 20,000 men seriously, there were only more than 2,000 Han soldiers in Dengfeng County.

If we can take this opportunity to transfer Kang Chengxun, then we will have more options.

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal..."

The three ministers dared not show any dissent and could only reluctantly second the motion.

"In that case, let's send Governor Kang to lead the army to recapture Dagu Pass."

Li Yi was helpless. After all, he was only fourteen years old, so he couldn't help but feel a little timid when facing a general like Husi Guang, who had fought his way up in the Hexi Corridor.

As long as Lu Yan and the other two dare not refute him, he will not dare to put forward any opposing ideas.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Husiguang bowed upon seeing this, and then looked at Nan Yalu Yan and the others.

Left with no other option, Lu Yan and his accomplices had to send someone to draft an imperial edict and issue it using a forged imperial seal.

Half an hour later, Kang Chengxun, who had received the imperial decree, did not set off immediately. Instead, he continued to linger on the spot under the pretext of collecting provisions.

This delay lasted until the afternoon when traces of the Han army appeared in the direction of Xuzhou.

An hour later, Gao Huai personally led several thousand cavalry and infantry to the outskirts of Dengfeng City.

The news cast a shadow of dismay over officials in Dengfeng County once again.

“Why are there only so few people?”

At the city gate, Husiguang questioned Gao Huai, who had just dismounted. Gao Huai explained, "The distance is too far. More than 1,300 brothers have fallen behind due to insufficient horsepower. I have settled them in place and they are waiting to go north with Vice Commander Ma."

Upon hearing this, Husi Guang said nothing more, but instructed Gao Huai: "You and the brothers rest for half an hour first. After half an hour, you will have to work harder and send three thousand troops to Xuanyuan Pass."

“The three traitors in the north have already sent 5,000 troops to camp north of Xuanyuan Pass, and it is expected that the follow-up troops from Shaanxi and Guo will arrive soon.”

"This subordinate obeys!" Gao Huai had no questions, after all, the education he received in the Han army was that "a soldier's duty is to obey orders."

After resting for half an hour, Gao Huai left more than 600 men to garrison Dengfeng, while he personally led 3,000 cavalry and infantry to Dengfeng.

The journey of just over twenty li was easily covered by the cavalry and infantry in two hours.

As three thousand Han soldiers entered Xuanyuan Pass, Yang Fuguang, who had been observing the increasing number of Han army flags at Xuanyuan Pass, also turned grim.

However, the person whose face looked even worse than his was Li Changyan, who was standing next to him.

"Damn it, how did you get here so fast!"

Li Changyan couldn't help but curse, continuing, "From Tangzhou to here, it's at least three hundred li. How did they get here so quickly?!"

"Even if the army marches at full speed, it should take at least five days!"

Yang Fuguang ignored Li Changyan's insults and said with a stern face, "Things are getting complicated..."

He knew exactly what his father wanted to do: to quell Li Yi's rebellion before Liu Jilong's troops arrived.

Once Li Yi is defeated, and then someone is sent to befriend Liu Jilong, Liu Jilong will lose his legitimacy and will naturally lose his excuse to attack the court.

If Liu Jilong wanted to attack the imperial court again, they could simply send Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun, who had no other choice, to garrison Guandong.

As a result, they were delayed for two days in order to dispatch troops, and Liu Jilong's troops had already arrived in Dengfeng, causing all their plans to fail.

"What should we do now?"

Li Changyan was naturally aware that the situation was turning against them, and he couldn't help but feel anxious.

The number of Han troops in the south was not large, but there were quite a few Han troops in Guanzhong, west of Shaanxi and Guo.

If Liu Jilong were to march east, the combined forces of the two brothers would certainly be unable to hold Hezhong, Shanguo, and Luoyang.

"Withdraw the troops and return to Yanshi first!"

After much deliberation, Yang Fuguang decided to withdraw his troops first, rather than confront the Han army in the flat Luoyang Basin. Instead, he retreated to Yanshi and relied on the Luo River and Mangshan Mountain to engage the Han army in a protracted struggle around Luoyang.

Anyway, with Luoshui in hand, all the money and grain in Jiangnan can be intercepted, so there's no need to worry about a lack of money and grain.

"it is good!"

Upon seeing Yang Fuguang give the order, Li Changyan immediately mobilized his troops, abandoned the idea of ​​confronting the Han army at Xuanyuan Pass, and retreated south to Yanshi.

While they were retreating, Liu Jilong in Chang'an had already received the message sent by Husi Guang yesterday via carrier pigeon.

"The Shaanxi, Guo and Hezhong forces number no more than 50,000, with limited armor, so they are not a cause for concern."

During the conversation, Liu Jilong slowly raised his head and saw more than ten officials sitting in the main hall of the Prince's Mansion, and dozens more officials standing outside the hall.

Among these officials, apart from Zheng Tian and some others who were devoted to the Tang Dynasty, the rest stared intently at Liu Jilong, waiting for him to issue an imperial edict.

Faced with these gazes, Liu Jilong, who had already prepared provisions and troops, also raised his voice and looked at Gao Jinda:
"An imperial edict was issued to recruit 100,000 laborers from Tongzhou, Huayin, Weinan and other places, and the Southern Office was to prepare 50,000 horse-drawn carts to transport grain from the capital granaries to the front lines."

"Imperial order: An Pohu and Wang Chongrong are to attack Tongguan and Hedong respectively, and capture the two towns of Shanguo and Hezhong within one month!"

“All civilians who join the army will be issued a winter coat, a pair of cloth shoes, and a monthly salary of six hundred.”

"All soldiers who died in the eastward advance will be given 150 strings of cash as a form of compensation. Their sons and brothers will be given preferential admission to official schools, and their households and land will be exempted from taxes for three years." "In all the areas where our army advances eastward, officials will be appointed to reclaim the land, strictly investigate the tidal flats within the territory, prevent locust plagues, and distribute land equally among the people."

"In all the restored prefectures and counties where the people have no food, the Southern Office will dispatch laborers to transport grain to the official granaries. The prefectural and county officials will then distribute the grain to the people daily in exchange for work relief, in order to save their lives!"

Liu Jilong slowly and methodically recited the decrees one by one, and Gao Jinda and others respectfully bowed in response.

Seeing that they agreed, Liu Jilong continued to reiterate: "When our army advances eastward and recovers any territory, the soldiers must not fight with the people, must not plunder their property, and must not forcibly collect taxes and deduct their rewards."

"Generals in the army, you must remember that no matter your rank, as long as you are in the army, even if it is windy and rainy, or you sit idly by, the court will still need your help every day."

"No matter how much or how little money or grain there is, every single penny is collected by the local people through levies imposed by the imperial court."

"Which of the generals and soldiers in the army wasn't a commoner who farmed the land when they were at home?"

“Think back to the hardships and difficulties of paying taxes when farming at home, and you will understand the difficulties faced by ordinary people today.”

"Although you have joined the army and learned culture, it is all thanks to the support of the people that you have been able to make a living."

"The people do not ask for anything in return from you; they only hope that you will protect them in times of crisis. If you cause them trouble, what use are you to them?"

"Even if officials protect each other and military law slips through the net, and I cannot kill you, Heaven will use someone else to kill you."

"What we say today shall be copied down and distributed to the army. Anyone who dares to disobey shall be beheaded and their family property confiscated!"

The military in the late Tang Dynasty caused too much harm. Although the Han army had strict discipline, it could not prevent some people from having evil thoughts.

Liu Jilong made sure to give all the instructions clearly and thoroughly, which was better than trying to fix things after the fact and regretting it later.

"Follow the order!"

Officials inside and outside the hall all bowed and clasped their hands in greeting before leaving the Prince of Han's residence and heading back to the Southern Office.

Of the officials who remained, only Gao Jinda, Cui Shu, Han Zhengke, Wang Shi, Dou Bin, Zheng Tian, ​​and Chen Ying were left behind.

"Your Majesty, now that Governor Husi has protected the Emperor, and our army is about to advance eastward, what should be done with the Emperor then?"

Gao Jinda raised a crucial question: how did Liu Jilong intend to deal with Li Yi?

With the strength of the Han army, it was entirely possible to use the emperor to command those who disobeyed, to subdue anyone who displeased them, and to gradually erode the world.

The key lies in what path to take after supporting the emperor and pacifying the world.

Before the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the usual procedure was to decline the throne three times and then accept the throne as a successor by two kings and three retainers.

However, the system of the "Two Kings and Three Respects" began to collapse, and more and more people stopped following it, with more people seeking to eliminate any potential threats at the root.

That's why Gao Jinda tentatively asked Liu Jilong, since he wasn't sure about Liu Jilong's attitude.

Liu Jilong had no intention of bringing Li Yi to Chang'an, as he could see that after the farce involving Li Yi and Li Ting, the world would inevitably begin a new period of turmoil.

At that time, the towns will not obey the imperial court's military orders, and the imperial court will only be able to manage its own small territory.

Bringing Li Yi to Chang'an would make him easier to control, but it also created trouble for us.

Since that's the case, it would be better to settle him in Luoyang and establish a superficial system of joint rule between the emperor and his ministers.

Circle off Luoyang City, let Li Yi and his men play around in the city, and then send someone to keep an eye on them.

Areas outside Luoyang City were naturally under the jurisdiction of Han military officers and soldiers.

Although the situation has changed, Liu Jilong's general plan remains the same.

First, take Henan and restore production, then take Hedong, thus creating a situation where Hebei is in a commanding position and surrounded by the north and south.

Once Hebei is captured, Henan will have recovered enough to supply the army with provisions for attacking Huainan. Then, the Shu navy can be used to conquer Jiangnan.

"The world has been in turmoil for too long; it's time to return to peace."

As Liu Jilong began to speak, Zheng Tian lowered his head, anxiously awaiting Liu Jilong's answer.

Fortunately, Liu Jilong didn't keep him waiting too long and said directly, "The court will still establish Luoyang."

Having expressed his stance in a single sentence, Liu Jilong slowly stood up, and Zheng Tian breathed a sigh of relief.

After Liu Jilong left the main hall, Zheng Tian bowed to everyone and left the Prince of Han's residence one after another.

As they left the Prince of Han's residence, the imperial edicts issued by Li Ting and Li Yi continued to spread over time.

In Guanzhong, laborers are being recruited, while 50,000 Han troops are preparing in Hexi, Huayin, and other places.

Yang Fuguang and Li Changyan withdrew to Yanshi County, north of the Luo River, while Hezhong and Shanguo also began to strengthen the defenses of Hedong and Tongguan.

Gao Pian recovered Yique and Luhun counties without much effort and captured Qin Zongquan alive.

Kang Chengxun recaptured Yique Pass and Dagu Pass and reported the victory to Dengfeng.

Ma Yi led 10,000 Han infantrymen northward, recruiting laborers along the way. Finally, he arrived in Dengfeng with more than 1,000 cavalry and infantrymen, 10,000 infantrymen, and more than 30,000 laborers, occupying Gaocheng County and forming a pincer movement.

The decrees from the two imperial courts were continuously conveyed, but Han Junxiong of Weibo, Wang Jingchong of Chengde, and Zhang Yunshen of Lulong did not express their opinions.

In addition, Cui Xuan, the military governor of Hedong and the garrison commander of Beidu, and Li Guochang, the defense commissioner of Datong in the north, also did not express their opinions.

Since the three towns of Hebei remained silent, the three towns of Hebei, which were a constraint on the Tang Dynasty, naturally dared not express their opinions either. After all, if they failed to choose sides, Chengde and Weibo might very well launch an attack on them.

As a result, only Hezhong and Shanguo in the Hedong and Hebei regions have responded, and parts of Heyang will also respond.

Seeing the situation descend into chaos, Huang Chao simply stopped advancing eastward and instead occupied Caozhou and Puzhou, beginning a stalemate with Zhang Sitai of the Taiping Army and Zhu Wen of the Yanzhou Navy.

Upon receiving the news, Song Weicai of Jiangnan learned that Dong Chang of western Zhejiang had begun to annex prefectures and counties in eastern Zhejiang, leading to constant friction between the two sides.

No news has been received from Fujian, Jiangxi, Xuanzhou and Shexian, and Cai Xi, who is far away in Annam, is even less likely to receive any.

On the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, Liu Jilong launched a military campaign against Li Changyan of Shaanxi and Guo and Li Changfu of Hezhong, citing their rebellion.

Immediately after the proclamation was issued, Wang Chongrong led 20,000 Han troops across the Yellow River to launch a fierce attack on Hedong, while An Pohu commanded 30,000 troops to launch a fierce attack on Tongguan.

"put!!"

"Boom bang bang-"

The mighty Yellow River roared onward, but it couldn't compare to the simultaneous attack of two hundred catapults in front of Tongguan Pass.

Thirty thousand Han soldiers stood in formation, while sixty thousand laborers behind them drove horse-drawn carts and continuously collected stones for throwing.

At this time, there were only 5,000 Shaanxi and Guo troops defending Tongguan. Faced with the strong attack of 30,000 Han troops, they were defeated and could not even lift their heads.

News of Liu Jilong's offensive quickly traveled from Tongguan to Yanshi.

When Qi Yuanjian, Li Changyan, Yang Fuguang and others in Yanshi learned that Liu Jilong had sent troops, they panicked.

"Damn it! We agreed that we could defeat Li Yi, but now Li Yi is being protected by Liu Jilong's troops, and Liu Jilong has mobilized his troops to launch a fierce attack on Tongguan."

"There are only five thousand men at Tongguan. They can't hold out for more than a few days. If this continues, Liu Jilong will drive us all down to the Yellow River!"

Li Changyan cursed loudly in the Yanshi government office. He had thought that Qi Yuanjian and the others had victory in their grasp, but he never expected that the situation would turn out so badly.

Had he known this would happen, he would never have responded to Yang Xuanjie. Now that Liu Jilong has branded him a traitor, it would be difficult for him to surrender.

"What's there to be afraid of? Let's fight them!"

Yang Xuanjie slammed his fist on the table in frustration, and Li Changyan, seeing this, immediately mocked, "What are you going to fight with? You spineless Shence Army soldiers?!"

"You bastard..." Yang Xuanjie didn't expect Li Changyan to dare to curse him, and for a moment he couldn't help but get a little angry.

Fortunately, Yang Fuguang was right next to him, and he could see it clearly at that moment.

They had already lost when they failed to capture Li Yi immediately, and they should never have supported Li Yi in the first place.

Supporting Li Ting was simply giving Liu Jilong an excuse to advance eastward.

If he had been in Yanshi at the time, he would never have done something so foolish. Unfortunately, by the time he found out about it, it was already too late to stop it.

Now that Liu Jilong is advancing eastward, if he angers Li Changyan again, this fellow might just lash out and kill them all, using their heads to defect to Liu Jilong.

"Father, calm down..."

Yang Fuguang gave a subtle signal with his eyes, and Yang Xuanjie then realized that he had acted impulsively.

Of the many soldiers in Yanshi, only five thousand obeyed them, while the remaining ten thousand obeyed only Li Changyan.

If Li Changyan really resorts to violence, they will likely have a hard time escaping.

Thinking of this, Yang Xuanjie could only swallow his anger and bow to Li Changyan, saying, "I was being presumptuous just now."

"Hmph!" Li Changyan didn't want to say anything more to them, so he got up and started to walk outside.

Yang Xuanjie was afraid of him, and he was also afraid that Yang Xuanjie and his men would kill him right there in the yamen, so he was in a hurry to get out.

Seeing that he was in such a hurry to leave, Yang Fuguang gritted his teeth and looked at Yang Xuanjie and the others: "Li Changyan and Li Changfu are brothers who can only share wealth and honor, not hardship."

"Liu Jilong is coming on strong right now, and Shaanxi and Hebei can't stop him for long."

"Given the current situation, it would be better to head south directly via the canal."

Yang Xuanjie and Qi Yuanjian both frowned upon hearing this. Qi Yuanjian said with dissatisfaction, "If we head south, wouldn't that be handing Luoyang over to them?"

“Chang’an is in their hands, so what’s there to worry about in Luoyang?” Yang Fuguang’s words left the others speechless.

At this moment, it was Yang Xuanji, who was usually incompetent, who took the initiative to speak up: "Liu Jilong's troops are too brave. In the past, they used tens of thousands to defeat the imperial army of hundreds of thousands. What about now?"

"It would be better to follow your advice and head south to see if we can persuade Song Wei to support a new emperor. It's better than being caught up by Liu Jilong's cavalry in the north."

Yang Xuanji had truly experienced the terror of Liu Jilong on the battlefield. Even Wang Shi, Zheng Tian, ​​and Gao Pian were defeated by him, let alone this group of people who knew nothing about military affairs.

Leading the Shence Army to stage a coup is one thing, leading the Shence Army to fight a war is another.

"I am not reconciled..."

Qi Yuanjian was unwilling to accept this and could not make a decision.

While he was unable to make a decision, someone else had already made the decision for him.

"Beep--"

"kill!!"

Suddenly, shouts of killing rang out from outside the yamen. Yang Fuguang's pupils constricted, and he abruptly pulled Yang Xuanjie up: "That scoundrel Li Changyan is indeed untrustworthy!!"

Upon hearing Yang Fuguang's words, everyone immediately understood what had happened and hurriedly followed Yang Fuguang to the backyard of the yamen.

"Damn it, take this place for us! The first to scale it will be rewarded with ten thousand coins, and the one who kills three traitors will be rewarded with one hundred strings of cash!!"

Outside the Yanshi County government office, Li Changyan, having realized what was happening, decisively chose to betray them.

He planned to use the heads of Qi Yuanjian and the others to show his loyalty to Liu Jilong. Even if he ended up idle and unemployed, it would still be better than being wiped out by Liu Jilong.

With this in mind, Li Changyan continued to command the more than 1,000 Shaanxi and Guo soldiers he had brought into the city, and began to relentlessly pursue and attack the Shence Army in front of him.

For a time, the situation in Yanshi City was chaotic, especially the more than 3,000 Heyang soldiers who had gone south to support Li Ting, who were now at a loss as to whom to help.

"You scoundrels, do you want to be wiped out by Liu Jilong?!"

Seeing the Heyang army gathering, Li Changyan became anxious. He ordered his men to break down the walls of the county government office and search for the three thieves. At the same time, he did not forget to brainwash the generals of Heyang Town.

Many of the generals in Heyang Town were veterans who had fled back from the battlefields of Longxi and Longdong.

Hearing Li Changyan say this, they were immediately reminded of the time when they were chased by the Han army.

"Damn it, what are you waiting for? Quickly capture the three thieves!!"

The betrayal happened in an instant. What Yang Xuanjie had considered a powerful ally had now become their death warrant.

Yang Fuguang commanded the Shence Army and Shenwu Army to break out of the encirclement.

Arrows flew like locusts. Qi Yuanjian was hit by a stray arrow and staggered to the ground. Before he could get up, he was trampled to death by the Shence and Shenwu armies who followed without looking down.

Yang Xuanjie witnessed this scene and was immediately filled with rage and fear.

"Whoever kills these three traitors will be rewarded with one hundred strings of cash!!"

"kill!!"

"Go through the alley and knock down the wall!"

The streets were full of soldiers from Shaanxi and Guo and Heyang. Seeing this, Yang Fuguang could only try to break through the narrow alleys.

Many of the houses were easily pushed down by dozens of soldiers, but when they reached the wall of the garrison, they needed to use tools to break through the wall and break out.

The narrow streets and alleys limited the number of people from Heyang and Shaanxi, but the Shenwu Army trained by Zhang Huaiding and his men was quite capable, and they actually managed to block the Shaanxi troops by relying on the terrain.

However, this was only a temporary stalemate. The more important thing was whether they could break through the siege. Otherwise, once the Shaanxi and Guo troops outside the city reacted, they would have no chance of leaving the city.

"Collide!"

"boom!!"

A tall wall blocked their way. Five Shenwu soldiers dismantled a pillar from a house and rammed it against the wall, raising dust, but the wall remained unmoved.

Yang Xuanjie stood to the side, his face pale, while Yang Xuanji managed to maintain a semblance of composure.

Yang Fuguang's face was solemn. He kept glancing at the alley behind him, and as he watched the Shenwu Army being forced back, he couldn't help but feel more and more anxious.

Nine-year-old Li Ting was too frightened to speak. He was carried on the back of a soldier, and his crotch reeked of urine and stench.

The shouts of battle grew closer, and the crowd grew increasingly panicked.

As arrows continued to rain down, the wall of the ward was suddenly broken and collapsed outward, burying the soldiers who were lying in ambush outside the wall.

"kill!!"

Without a moment's hesitation, even with ambushes outside the ward, Yang Fuguang had no choice but to lead the Shenwu Army and the Shence Army out to fight their way out.

They rushed out of the neighborhood, but they couldn't get out of the city.

The Shaanxi and Guo and Heyang armies around him grew larger and larger like a tide. On the way back, Yang Xuanji was hit in the chest by several arrows, his eyes wide open, and he suddenly collapsed.

Yang Xuanjie had no time to grieve; he could only watch as Yang Fuguang dragged him out to fight his way through the encirclement.

Just when he thought all hope was lost, the east gate suddenly opened, followed by even louder shouts of battle.

“Brother!!”

Yang Fugong, who was outside the city, sensed something was wrong from the sounds coming from inside the city and immediately led more than 3,000 troops stationed outside the city to storm into the city.

Upon receiving Yang Fugong's help, Yang Xuanjie, who had thought he was about to die on the spot, immediately became happy.

"Damn it! You can't even handle a spineless bastard!!"

Suddenly, the sound of hooves rang out, and Li Changyan led dozens of cavalrymen charging in, bows drawn and arrows nocked.

Yang Xuanjie tried to dodge, but before he could, an arrow suddenly pierced his eye socket, penetrating most of it.

“Aye!!”

Yang Fuguang felt a weight in his hand, and when he turned around, he found that Yang Xuanjie had already lain down.

"Commander Yang, I'm sending you on your way!!"

Yang Fuguang suddenly looked up. In the chaos of the army, he couldn't tell who was raising their voice. He only felt a pain in his chest after breathing.

When he looked down, he saw several armor-piercing arrows stuck in his chest armor, the extent of his injuries unknown.

"Walk!!"

Yang Fugong rushed over, quickly dismounted, helped Yang Fuguang onto his horse, whipped the horse's rump, and sent Yang Fuguang to break through the encirclement first, while he continued to lead the troops recruited from Shence, Shenwu, and Dongji, fighting and retreating.

The troops of Shan Guo and Heyang were equally weak, and they watched as Yang Fugong calmly led his troops out of the city and then retreated eastward.

Li Changyan led his troops in pursuit for a distance of about 10 miles, but when he saw more and more soldiers falling behind, he stopped his pursuit.

Before long, Xue Zhichou, one of Li Changyan's generals, rode up in pursuit, with three bloody heads hanging beside his saddle.

"Commander, the three traitors have been executed!"

"Good!!" Li Changyan was overjoyed. He thought he had let the three thieves escape, but he never expected that all three thieves had been captured.

He quickly dismounted and came forward to identify the heads. Of the three, only Yang Xuanjie's head was still intact. The other two heads were trampled beyond recognition, but their facial features could still be identified.

"Quickly, pickle the head and send it to Dengfeng. I will personally write a letter to Chang'an, requesting surrender to the King of Han!"

Li Changyan dared not delay, because if Tongguan were to fall, his value would be greatly diminished if he surrendered.

"Yes!"

Xue Zhichou hurriedly sent someone to fetch lime and a knife. After curing the head with lime, he immediately sent someone to Dengfeng.

The Northern Military Commission and the Four Nobles of the Northern Military Commission, which once influenced the Tang Dynasty for nearly a century, have faded into obscurity, while the latter have become objects in a box, sent away at will...

(End of this chapter)