Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 479 The Struggle Between Liu and Zhu (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"Rustling."

"Save me... save me..."

In the dead of winter, while the north experiences little rain and no snow, the Huainan region has been experiencing continuous drizzle since June, which subsequently led to flooding.

The Huai River, which normally nourishes both banks of the river, is now carrying a flood peak, rushing into the Si and Chu River channels and heading towards the Grand Canal.

The city of Yangzhou was flooded to a depth of over ten feet, hundreds of cargo ships were capsized, and tens of thousands of people suffered from the disaster.

The canal was silted up, and much farmland was flattened by mudflats several feet high.

Kang Chengxun had finally managed to clear the silt, but despite it being the dry season, the Huai River rebelled again, causing the newly cleared canal to become blocked once more.

The grain and armor that Gao Pian had set out to transport could only awkwardly stop at Jizhou on the Yangtze River south of Yangzhou, caught in a dilemma.

"You son of a bitch! You son of a bitch!"

Inside the Qingzhou government office, Zhu Wen held a letter sent from the south, cursing incessantly, his face flushed with anger.

"It got clogged back in June, why hasn't it been cleared yet? That pig-dog Kang Chengxun! That son of a bitch!"

Zhu Wen continued to curse until, after half a cup of tea, he gradually calmed down, angrily crumpled the letter in his hand into a ball, and threw it on the ground.

"Send someone to tell them that I urgently need armor, and that Liu Jilong has already stationed troops in Huazhou and may launch an attack at any time. I must obtain the armor!"

"Let them take the sea route and transport the armor to Haizhou by sea!"

Zhu Wen spoke angrily, but Xie Tong frowned and said, "The sea route from Yangzhou to Haizhou is prone to hurricanes even in summer, and even more so in winter."

"If the armor falls into the water, our army will suffer even greater losses. Please reconsider, my lord..."

Zhu Wen was indeed unaware of the many twists and turns of the sea route, but with a major battle imminent, if the armor could not be delivered, they would have to fight Liu Jilong with only 30,000 armored soldiers, which would be extremely disadvantageous for them.

But now there was really no other way, so he could only grit his teeth and say, "Thirty thousand it is. I want to see what Liu Jilong's generals are capable of!"

Xie Tong bowed upon hearing this: "Your ability to think things through is a testament to your talent."

"In my opinion, although this flood is unfavorable to our army, there are also advantages within the disadvantages."

"Furthermore, Zeng Yuanyu in the south has repeatedly sent envoys to Luoyang. If our army clashes with Liu Jilong, Zeng Yuanyu will surely send troops."

"Sizhou is currently flooded, and Zeng Yuanyu will surely focus all his efforts on providing relief to Sizhou. Our army can attack Yichang and Tianping without any worries."

"Even if Zeng Yuanyu clashed with Liu Jilong, he would be unable to advance north. If our army could hold out against Liu Jilong, all the warlords who were suffering under Liu Jilong would surely launch an attack."

"At that time, Liu Jilong will be exhausted, and our army can take the opportunity to advance into Xuanwu."

Zhu Wen was very pleased with Xie Tong's words, and that was exactly what he had in mind.

Since everyone in the world thinks Liu Jilong is strong and dares not take the lead, then Zhu Wen will be the one to step forward and unveil the curtain to put on a grand show!

"I have a premonition that Liu Jilong is about to launch an attack, so I will lead the remaining troops to Zouping now, ready to seize Dizhou at any time."

"Furthermore, send a messenger by fast horse to Zhang Sitai, saying that I have learned that Liu Jilong is about to send troops to attack him."

"I have stationed my troops in Zouping. If the balance of power changes, I will certainly lead my troops here!"

Zhu Wen didn't say why he was taking troops to Tianping, and Zhang Sitai probably didn't think Zhu Wen would attack him.

"Your insight is brilliant!"

Xie Tong bowed respectfully and accepted the invitation. He then dispatched a fast horse to deliver the letter to Yunzhou, while Zhu Wen led the troops stationed in Qingzhou to Zouping in Zizhou.

As the horse galloped swiftly, Zhang Sitai, who was in Yunzhou, soon received a letter from Zhu Wen.

"Damn it! Although Liu Jilong is invincible, I am not someone to be trifled with!"

In Xuchang County, Yunzhou, Zhang Sitai sat in the main hall of his mansion, facing Li Chengyou, the Left Military Commissioner of the Tianping Army.

Zhang Sitai was tall and had a rugged appearance, while Li Chengyou, although not short, was thin and had a fair complexion.

Years ago, the two joined forces to expel the military governor Zhang Xi, but the court was in a state of utter chaos and had no choice but to swallow their anger and tolerate their actions.

Unexpectedly, just over three years later, not only did they fail to develop, but Huang Chao also plundered three prefectures, causing the strength of the Taiping Army to decline rather than improve.

"Of the 15,000 troops in the town, only 5,000 are currently stationed in Qizhou and Dizhou to guard the rear, while the remaining 10,000 are in Puzhou and Caozhou."

"None of the people in Puzhou and Caozhou are alive. As long as our army holds firm, Liu Jilong will have no choice but to launch a strong attack on the city or besiege it to gradually recapture many cities."

"Although we do not know how many troops and supplies he has prepared, with the resources of our Qizhou army, we are enough to wear him down for half a year."

"Now that Zhu San is helping us, our chances of winning are even greater!"

Zhang Sitai spoke casually, but Li Chengyou frowned and pondered, "What if Zhu San suddenly attacks our rear?"

“Impossible!” Zhang Sitai shook his head in disbelief: “If our army is gone, Zhu San will have to face Liu Jilong’s army alone.”

"Moreover, he owed someone a favor when he attacked Pinglu. Even if he didn't help, he wouldn't have attacked our rear."

Seeing Zhang Sitai say this, Li Chengyou felt slightly relieved, but still said:
"The officials who had previously pledged allegiance to Liu Jilong, though mostly idle, have at least preserved their wealth and status."

"Our army numbers only 15,000, and fewer than 12,000 are fully armored. If we were to engage Liu Jilong in battle like this, I'm afraid..."

“I will not surrender!” Zhang Sitai knew what Li Chengyou was thinking, and he looked at Li Chengyou:
"If my brother wishes to surrender, then he may lead his troops to surrender, and I will hold no grudge!"

“This…” Li Chengyou sighed, feeling that his sworn brother was still too stubborn.

In this world today, how many people are truly easy to get along with?

Although the brothers held the scales of justice, their strength belonged to the weakest of the regional warlords.

When Zhu Wen attacked Pinglu, he advised Zhang Sitai to seize Zizhou and then march north to attack Yichang, but Zhang Sitai did not listen.

Now that they've missed their chance, they've naturally become easy prey for Liu Jilong.

"Screw rustle..."

Before Li Chengyou could say anything, several officers rushed into the mansion, causing Zhang Sitai and Li Chengyou to stand up.

"what happened?"

"General, the imperial court has dispatched troops to attack Pu and Cao prefectures, and both prefectures are in grave danger!!"

"You bastard!!" Zhang Sitai was furious upon hearing Jiang Du's words.

"I have deployed tens of thousands of troops in Cao and Pu prefectures. The imperial court has only just dispatched troops. How could there be any talk of danger? It must be your alarmist talk to undermine the morale of the army!"

Zhang Sitai wanted to continue speaking, but Li Chengyou, worried that Zhang Sitai would offend these guards, quickly stopped him, saying:
"Brother, the most urgent thing right now is to confirm the news and then ask Zhu San for help."

"Hmph!" Zhang Sitai snorted and looked at Li Chengyou: "I will leave this matter to you, my brother. I will personally lead seven hundred cavalrymen from Yunzhou to spy on Cao and Pu."

"Alright!" Li Chengyou nodded in agreement. Then he saw Zhang Sitai stride out, while Li Chengyou immediately dispatched a fast horse to request reinforcements from Zhu Wen.

The fast horses, one to the east and one to the west, soon began to move. However, Zhang Sitai had only led seven hundred cavalrymen about twenty miles out of the city when they ran headlong into a cloud of dust.

"Buzzing, rumbling..."

"Damn it, those are imperial cavalry! Retreat back into the city!"

Zhang Sitai's eyes widened. As a cavalry general, he naturally knew how terrifying the number of cavalrymen represented by that huge cloud of dust was.

He quickly turned his horse around and led his troops back to Shouzhang County, the closest county to them, before hurriedly climbing the city wall.

But then a large cloud of dust appeared to be approaching from outside the city, and then sped away from the northern part of Shouzhang County.

Beneath the rising dust, countless figures flashed by, probably numbering in the thousands or even tens of thousands.

This scene made Zhang Sitai swallow hard, while Husi Guang led Ma Yi and Gao Huai on a direct assault towards Dizhou.

In just one morning, the army had advanced more than seventy li into the enemy territory, and there were still more than four hundred li to go.

"Liu Jilong and Ma Jun have far too many..."

Zhang Sitai suddenly regretted it, feeling that surrendering might not be so bad.

However, he quickly dismissed this thought, because he valued the power to decide life and death at will more than wealth and status.

"With Zhu San's reinforcements, I refuse to believe we can't hold Tianping!"

Zhang Sitai gritted his teeth and retreated to Xuchang County, even preparing for the possibility that after the fall of Cao and Pu prefectures, he would retreat directly to Qi Prefecture.

Yunzhou only has 700 cavalry. Once the preceding Cao and Pu prefectures are breached, Yunzhou will be impossible to defend. Retreating to Qizhou is the safest option.

While Zhang Sitai was pondering this, the Han army's offensive was like a tsunami, sweeping away all eight counties in Cao and Pu prefectures except for Puyang and Jiyin.

"Boom——"

A thunderclap boomed, and dust rose in the distance, but it was quickly dispersed by the north wind.

"There are four thousand soldiers in Puyang City. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Leave three thousand infantrymen to surround them, and the main army will advance towards Yunzhou, Qizhou, and Dizhou!"

After Chen Jingchong saw that his own firearms troops had failed to breach the city wall in one go, he realized that Puyang City was easy to defend but difficult to attack, so he immediately decided to sacrifice the smaller force for the greater one.

The Han army has a large cavalry force. As long as they capture the easily accessible cities, they can resupply on the spot and then slowly attack these fortified cities.

If we are delayed for too long because of a small town, we may lose sight of more important prefectures and counties ahead.

"go!"

Chen Jingchong turned his horse around, and soon three thousand infantrymen and more than six thousand laborers were separated from the army. Chen Jingchong led less than five thousand soldiers and ten thousand laborers and continued to head east.

News of the central army's operation quickly reached Wang Shi's ears in the rear army.

He led his troops eastward at a leisurely pace, always maintaining a distance of about ten miles from the central army.

Upon hearing the news, Wang Shi nodded inwardly, thinking that although Chen Jingchong did not have the ability to directly command and deploy tens of thousands of troops, he possessed a strategic vision that ordinary generals lacked.

The attack on Tianping was not about capturing a single city or territory, but about how to recapture the entire region.

If you miss an opportunity because of the gains or losses of a single city or place, then you are truly losing more than you gain.

"I heard you previously served under An Pohu?"

Wang Shi asked Wang Jian, who was following beside him, and Wang Jian, holding the horse's reins, bowed and said, "I previously followed Governor An and Governor Zhang, and later followed Governor Chen to the Shannan East Circuit, and was then transferred to Xuanwu Town."

Wang Jian's resume shows that he accompanied the Han army in battles across the entire country. Except for the battles in Hedong, Longyou, and Longxi, he was present in almost all other battles.

Upon hearing this, Wang Shi nodded and couldn't help but ask, "What do you think of the nine commanders in the army?"

Faced with this question, Wang Jian did not speak rashly, but pondered whether the current situation was the right time to pledge his loyalty to Wang Shi.

After thinking about it for a moment, he knew what to do.

Within the Han army, it is clearly undesirable to stand alone on one side; His Highness the King of Han dislikes such factions that form cliques the most.

The role model I should emulate is Cao Mao in the Han army. Therefore, I need to manage all the forces well, neither offending them nor taking sides with them.

Having figured this out, he lowered his guard against Wang's probing and said calmly:

"Among the several governors, Governor Chen was the most powerful. Governors such as Husi, Geng, Zheng and Zhang were all under his command."

"Although Governor Chen never abused his power with the support of the other governors, whenever Governor Chen was in trouble, the other governors would speak up for him."

"In addition, Governor An and Governor Zhang were not from Longyou, but were refugees from Guannei Road and Shannan West Road who fled to Longyou and grew up there."

"Although the veterans from Longyou did not make things difficult for them, they still could not integrate."

"His Highness seems pleased to see this situation, hence the two commanders are mostly generals from outside Longyou and surrendered generals."

After Wang Jian finished speaking, he didn't go into details. Wang Shi naturally guessed what he was thinking and couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.

In his view, Wang Jian's ability to be promoted to captain in less than three years, based on his merits of being the first to scale the walls and charging into battle, as well as other merits, was enough to demonstrate his strength.

Right now, he simply lacks the necessary qualifications.

Given enough experience, it's probably only a matter of time before he's promoted to governor.

He smiled and stroked his beard without saying anything, just staring at Wang Jian, making Wang Jian feel uneasy.

While the two were in this state, Chen Jingchong, who was ahead, had already directly invaded Yunzhou by dividing his troops to attack various prefectures and counties.

The army set up camp and rested in Yuncheng, north of Dayeze, and Fanxian, south of the Yellow River, while Husi Guang continued to lead 7,000 elite cavalry and infantry to attack Dizhou.

Meanwhile, the fast horse dispatched by Li Chengyou arrived at Zouping County, Zizhou, at dawn the next day, just as the Han army was breaking camp.

"it is good!!"

Inside the yamen, upon learning that the imperial court had begun sending troops to attack the Taiping Army, Zhu Wen slammed his fist on the table, stood up, and walked forward with a smile, helping the fast horse to its feet.
"Go back and tell Zhang Langjun that Lu Jianfang of Yichang has been recruited by the imperial court and is currently preparing to march south to attack Dizhou."

"I will first defend Dizhou for Lord Zhang, and then send troops to support Qizhou!"

"This..." Even though the fast horse train was exhausted, the officer guessed what Zhu Wen was thinking.

He wanted to lash out, but upon seeing Ge Congzhou, Zhang Guiba, and Zhang Guihou inside the yamen, he could only suppress his temper and say with a forced smile, "I will go and report to the commander right away!"

"Go." Zhu Wen let him go, but Zhang Guiba and Ge Congzhou came up and watched the fast horse disappear before saying:

"General, are we just going to let him go like this?"

"If he goes back, he will surely tell Zhang Sitai and Li Chengyou about our army's attack on Dizhou."

"If the two of them surrender directly to the imperial court, wouldn't our army be..."

Before Zhang Guiba could finish speaking, Zhu Wen waved his hand to interrupt the two:
"Liu Jilong has a long-term vision. He must have already thought that when the court attacks Tianping, he will go north to snatch food from the court's mouth."

"Yichang is definitely out of reach. The imperial court's offensive is fierce. Caozhou and Puzhou are about to be taken. With only Yunzhou and Qizhou, Zhang Sitai and his men won't be able to hold out for long."

"Their surrender will only take three to five days. What we should do now is send troops to take Dizhou."

After speaking, Zhu Wen looked at Zhang Guihou and asked, "Has the memorial been sent out?"

"It was sent to Luoyang by express horse two days ago, and it should arrive in Luoyang in two days at most," Zhang Guihou replied respectfully.

"Good!" Zhu Wen nodded, then grinned and said, "Raise the banners, fight for the court against the Taiping rebels, and cross the river to attack Dizhou!"

"Yes!!" The three quickly agreed, and then the more than 30,000 troops outside Zouping County began to break camp and head north. They were only about 50 li away from Yanci County, the seat of Dizhou Prefecture.

As they broke camp and headed north, a fast horse also brought the news back to Yunzhou.

"That pig-dog Zhu San! Father helped him so much before, and now he treats me like this?!"

Zhang Sitai overturned the table, his face flushed with anger, while Li Chengyou directly advised, "The imperial troops are only about fifty li away from Xuchang. Brother, you only have two choices."

"The first option is to surrender the land to preserve wealth and status, and the second option is to retreat to Qizhou, surrender to Zhu San, and then resist the imperial court."

"How could I possibly surrender to Zhu San?!" Zhang Sitai trembled with rage, waving his hand as he gasped for breath:

"Surrender to the imperial court, and I want to personally see Zhu San die at the hands of the imperial court!"

Seeing that he was willing to surrender, Lee Seung-woo breathed a sigh of relief; this was the best possible outcome for them.

The balance of power today is no longer the same as it was during the Huichang and Dazhong eras. From the moment Zhang Sitai failed to snatch food from Zhu Wen's mouth, their fate was sealed.

Thinking of this, Li Chengyou dared not delay and immediately sent out a fast horse to surrender under cover of night.

In the eyes of the Han army, they still possess three provinces and are quite valuable to be won over.

If the Han army knew that Zhu Wen was attacking Dizhou and that they were retreating to Qizhou, then there would be nothing worth talking about.

Under Li Chengyou's orders, the fast horse began to gallop towards the Han army camp more than fifty miles away.

In the middle of the night, Chen Jingchong was woken up from his sleep by Lu Yanhong and Han Jian. Wearing his undergarments, he went to sit down in the main seat of the tent.

At this moment, Lu Yanhong and Han Jian led a Taiping Army general into the tent. Upon seeing Chen Jingchong, the general bowed and said, "General Chen's army is very powerful. General Chen has sent me to surrender."

Upon learning that Zhang Sitai and Li Chengyou had surrendered, Chen Jingchong frowned, inevitably recalling the words Liu Jilong had sent through Wang Shi.

"Has Zhu Quanzhong launched a surprise attack on Dizhou?"

"This……"

When Chen Jingchong opened his mouth, the Taiping generals were at a loss for words and just stared at him in astonishment.

Seeing this, Chen Jingchong confirmed the news and couldn't help but worry about Husi Guang. He quickly said:

"Tell your general to surrender the city tomorrow and send a fast horse to persuade the court to surrender the troops in Puyang and Jiyin. This way you can make amends for your past mistakes."

"Yes!" Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, not expecting Chen Jingchong to be so easy to talk to.

He rose, bowed, and left. Seeing this, Lu Yanhong and Han Jian said directly, "General, there aren't many troops in Yunzhou at all. Our army can take Yunzhou in two days. Why agree to their surrender?" "Yes, General..."

Faced with their opinions, Chen Jingchong said directly, "Zhang Sitai is nothing but a brave fool. The most important thing right now is Zhu Quanzhong of Yanhai."

"Since he has sent troops to attack Dizhou, then Governor Husi probably won't have time to occupy the Henan region of Dizhou. Our army must advance quickly, take Yunzhou and Qizhou, and then tie down the troops of Yanhai Town so that they cannot attack Yichang."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Jingchong immediately instructed Han Jian, "Tell the matter to Magistrate Wang by fast horse, and also send it to Luoyang to inform His Highness. His Highness will then decide whether to go to war with Yanhai Town."

"Yes!" The two had no choice but to agree, and at the same time dispatched fast horses to rush to Luoyang overnight.

Upon learning the news, Wang Shi ordered Wang Jian to command the rear army, while he himself rode swiftly to Chen Jingchong's camp.

Chen Jingchong did not go to sleep. When he saw Wang Shi arrive, he slowly got up and bowed.

"The army must break camp now; there can be no delay."

"In addition, send a fast horse to catch up with Governor Husi. Instead of going to Dizhou, go directly to Qizhou, cross the Yellow River and head north to Dezhou, so that Zhu Quanzhong will not dare to attack Yichang easily."

"The laborers must not stop until Your Highness gives the order. Once our army arrives in Qizhou, we must begin stockpiling grain to make full preparations for attacking Zhu Quanzhong."

Faced with Wang Shi's words, Chen Jingchong had no other opinions and simply bowed, saying, "Your Excellency can decide."

Wang Shi nodded, then discussed the details with Chen Jingchong before leaving half an hour later.

As dawn broke, Chen Jingchong led his assembled 8,000-strong central army onward, while Zhang Sitai and Li Chengyou had already surrendered the city with their troops.

At the same time, Husi Guang led his army into the territory of Dizhou and received news that the Yanzhou navy was crossing the river to attack Dizhou.

"How dare they actually send troops to attack Dizhou!"

Husi Guang gripped the reins tightly in anger upon hearing this, but Gao Huai continued, "They are using the banner of punishing traitors for the court. What should our army do now?"

Although Husi Guang was skilled in cavalry charges, he was only good at fighting and not at handling relationships.

Faced with the current situation, he was unsure whether to advance or retreat.

"Governor, Zhu Quanzhong has dispatched his general Zhang Guihou. Shall we receive him?"

A cavalryman came from afar and reported to Husiguang.

After a moment's thought, Husi Guang looked at Ma Yi and Gao Huai and asked, "What do you think, should I see him or not?"

"It's best not to see them," the two replied in unison.

Husiguang nodded upon seeing this, and at the same time looked towards the north bank of the Yellow River: "They have not yet attacked Yanci, and may not have occupied the entire territory of Dizhou yet."

"Our army took this opportunity to cross the river and capture the cities they had not yet conquered."

"Yes!" the two replied. Husi Guang then led his troops to retreat twenty miles. At the same time, he released cavalry to block the Yanhai Navy from investigating their movements. He also ordered his cavalry and infantry to cut down trees, tie them up, and throw them into the Yellow River.

It is currently winter, and with the severe drought that has plagued the north for four years, it is the dry season and the water level is very high, making it extremely easy for the water to freeze.

Husiguang ordered his men to use rafts to drag the logs, which were secured with ropes, across the river. As the logs spread out on the surface of the Yellow River, they froze in less than half an hour.

Husi Guang was waiting for the ice floes on the Yellow River to merge into one solid layer, while Zhu Wen, who was leading his army to attack Yanci, also learned of the arrival of the Han army.

"Damn it, Zhang Sitai and Li Chengyou have already been defeated in just two days?"

Seeing that Yanci had not yet been captured, Zhu Wen could only anxiously summon Ge Congzhou and Zhang Guiba to discuss the matter.

"The imperial court has sent several thousand cavalrymen, who are probably now trying to find a way to cross the river and compete with our army for Dizhou."

"Yanci is surrounded by the counties of Dizhou. It would be better to divide our forces and take the other four counties of Dizhou first, leaving Yanci to the court, so that we can catch it like a turtle in a jar."

"Alright!" Ge Congzhou and Zhang Guiba agreed without hesitation and immediately began to divide their troops to attack various prefectures and counties.

Since the troops of Dizhou were mainly concentrated in Yanci, Ge Congzhou, Zhang Guiba and others did not spend much time to capture the other four counties except for Yanci County, the seat of Dizhou.

The following day, as the Yellow River froze over, though only a foot thick, Husi Guang still ordered his army to cross the river to Hebei.

Just as the army had crossed half the river, Chen Jingchong's fast horse finally caught up with Husi Guang.

Upon learning of Chen Jingchong's idea, Husi Guang was still somewhat unwilling: "If that's the case, I will definitely have accomplished nothing."

"Let's send out a fast horse and see. If the Yanzhou navy hasn't captured the county yet, I'll take it myself!"

Husi Guang summoned Ma Yi and Gao Huai and began sending out cavalry to gather information.

Just two hours later, as the army crossed the Yellow River, the news that Ma Yi and Gao Huai had gathered made Husi Guang frown deeply.

Zhu Wen stopped attacking Yanci and instead divided his forces to attack the other low-lying cities, thus ceding Yanci, which was located in the very center.

Moreover, Zhu Wen forcibly conscripted people from various county towns to build city walls, clearly preparing a trap to lure Husi Guang into the trap.

"The army will proceed as arranged by Governor Chen for the time being. In addition, troops will be sent to persuade Lu Jianfang to surrender, and troops will be dispatched to purchase rice, wheat, meat and vegetables with money and silk."

"If Lu Jianfang is willing to surrender, our army can calmly confront Zhu Quanzhong in Hebei."

After giving his orders, Husi Guang ordered the army to set up camp, while Ma Yi and Gao Huai sent people to persuade the enemy to surrender and to purchase supplies, respectively.

While he was confronting Zhu Wen, Chen Jingchong in the rear successfully persuaded Zhang Sitai and Li Chengyou to surrender, leaving 2,000 troops to occupy Yunzhou, while the main army advanced into Qizhou.

After occupying Qizhou, Chen Jingchong left 3,000 troops to garrison the area, and together with Wang Shi, they formed a force of 15,000, advancing to the south bank of the Yellow River, where they faced Husi Guang in Hebei across the river.

"Although our army has penetrated deep into enemy territory, we still have 20,000 troops."

Standing by the Yellow River, Chen Jingchong frowned and gazed towards Dizhou, while Wang Shi calmly said:

"Twenty thousand troops can naturally defeat thirty thousand troops from Yanhai Town, but Zhu Wen is cunning and treacherous. His general Ge Congzhou once held Shouchun for several months, and even when Kang Chengxun gathered tens of thousands of troops, he could not take it down. He is not easy to deal with."

"I suggest that five thousand troops be drawn from each of the three towns of Xuanwu, Zhongwu and Yicheng to stabilize the situation in the four newly acquired prefectures of Tianping Town, and then await Your Highness's decree."

"Alright!" Chen Jingchong agreed without hesitation, then turned his horse around with Wang Shi and returned to the camp.

After they returned, news also arrived that Ma Yi had sent someone to persuade Lu Jianfang to surrender.

As expected, Lu Jianfang rejected the court's offer of surrender, which did not surprise Chen Jingchong and Wang Shi.

If they were to launch a full-scale attack, and Zhu Wen had not occupied Dizhou, Lu Jianfang, who commanded no more than ten thousand troops, would certainly have surrendered.

But now that they are facing off against Zhu Wen in Dizhou, Lu Jianfang can naturally wait for a better price.

The two were not angry; they simply sent fast horses to continuously deliver news from this place to Luoyang.

Moreover, the towns of Weibo, Chengde, and Lulong, which were already paying close attention to the court's movements, soon learned that Zhu Wen had snatched food from the jaws of death and was confronting the court's army in Dizhou.

Liu Jilong received a constant stream of news from the front lines. Within just three days, the results of Chen Jingchong's attack on the Tianping Army were delivered to his desk by fast horse in the form of a memorial.

"Zhu Quanzhong's troops number no less than 30,000 and now occupy all counties in Dizhou except Yanci. Yanci has been persuaded to surrender by Zhang Sitai and others and is now under our command."

"Even so, we cannot be careless. The generals in Tianping Town are restless, and we must be on guard."

"Having only eight thousand troops stationed in the rear is still too few to guard against this group. Minister Wang's suggestion is correct. We should transfer five thousand troops from each of the three towns to garrison the four prefectures of Tianping. In addition..."

In the main hall of the Prince of Han's mansion, Liu Jilong slowly rose from his seat and then looked at Zhang Yanhui: "Bring the sand tables of Hebei and Henan."

"Yes!" Zhang Yanhui dared not delay and quickly led his men to retrieve the sand table, while Liu Jilong turned back to look into the hall.

Gao Jinda, Liu Zhan, Xiao Gou, Zheng Tian, ​​Luo Yin, Lu Guimeng, Pi Rixiu, Wei Zhuang...

After Liu Jilong agreed to marry the princess, these court officials began to come to his service one after another.

They weren't stupid; they could foresee the impact of Liu Jilong's eastward expansion.

The people of Luoyang began to become visibly prosperous.

Liu Jilong acquired over 600,000 mu of land around Luoyang City and distributed it equally among the city's less than 70,000 residents. After the summer and autumn harvests, the residents naturally became wealthy.

Moreover, Liu Jilong's unification of the country was an inevitable trend, he was highly vigilant, his subordinates were impossible to win over, and he was kind and benevolent.

They had no choice but to choose Liu Jilong; at least if they did, Liu Jilong would be willing to give Li Tang a good outcome.

"Our army captured 80,000 strings of cash and 120,000 shi of grain in Tianping Town."

"Furthermore, the various towns are eyeing us covetously. If Zhu Quanzhong is not punished, they will surely become restless."

Liu Jilong first explained the situation, then looked at Zhang Yanhui: "You will lead 5,000 cavalry and infantry from the eastern capital eastward, with the troops under the command of Minister Wang."

"Also, order An Pohu to lead 10,000 troops to attack Yichang via Mozhou, and order Li Yangchun to move 5,000 cavalry and infantry eastward to Qizhou."

"The imperial edict ordered Wang Shi to lead his army to recover Dezhou. Afterwards, he was to join forces with An Pohu and await further orders to send troops to Yanhai."

Zhang Yanhui will soon be sixteen years old. Although sixteen-year-olds in later generations are still in high school, they are already capable of doing things in this era.

It seems unlikely that anything would go wrong if Zhang Yanhui were transferred to Wang Shi's command and 40,000 troops were sent to attack Zhu Wen and Yi Chang.

"I obey!"

Zhang Yanhui was slightly excited, after all, this was his first time leading troops. Although he was only leading troops on a journey and it was unlikely that he would be in charge of this army after arriving in Qizhou, he was still very excited.

"This battle must be won quickly and decisively; there can be no delay."

Liu Jilong gave instructions to Zhang Yanhui, who nodded and bowed in response, and no one in the hall raised any objections.

Zhang Yanhui bowed and withdrew. Upon seeing this, Liu Zhan took the initiative to bow and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has decreed that Your Highness shall marry the Princess Tongchang."

Seeing the turmoil in Qi and Lu, Liu Zhan did not let the opportunity pass and simply spoke frankly about what everyone already knew.

Now that Liu Jilong has secured the internal situation, there is no better opportunity than this.

“I am already aware of this matter, but it still requires mutual affection. I urge Prime Minister Liu to convey this to His Majesty for consideration.”

Liu Jilong's attitude was indifferent, showing no sign of resistance, which relieved Liu Zhan, who then stood up and said:

"In that case, I will go to the palace with Prime Minister Xiao, Prime Minister Gao and Minister Zheng to inform His Majesty of this matter."

He deliberately brought Gao Jinda along because he was worried that Liu Jilong didn't trust Zheng Tian, ​​so it was better for the four of them to be present.

Seeing this, Liu Jilong did not refuse, but simply nodded to indicate that they could leave.

Upon seeing this, Liu Zhan, Gao Jinda, and others withdrew from the hall, while at this time, the sand table of Henan and Hebei was also moved into the hall.

Liu Jilong began to set up the sand table. Although he was confident in his Han army, his opponents were, after all, the combination of Zhu Wen, Ge Congzhou, and Zhang Guiba, which could not be underestimated.

Luo Yin and the other three rose and followed Liu Jilong. After Liu Jilong finished making the arrangements, Lu Guimeng bowed and said:
"Your Highness, there are still 20,000 troops available in the Eastern Capital. Why not continue to transfer troops from the Eastern Capital to increase our chances of victory?"

Luo Yin shook his head upon hearing this: "The front line is short of food supplies. After our army transported 200,000 shi of food to Qizhou, only 170,000 shi remained, and only ten days have passed."

"Including the 120,000 shi of grain captured from the Taiping Army, our army has only 290,000 shi of grain."

"Although Governor An can use the route to attack Yichang, our army still needs to supply the grain and fodder from Qizhou."

“From Qizhou to Cangzhou in the north, it is a distance of three hundred li. It would take at least 50,000 laborers, with a loss of 20%, to transport 50,000 shi of grain to Cangzhou to supply the 10,000 soldiers under Governor An.”

"Furthermore, if the 40,000 troops are fighting in Dizhou, the food can only be transported from Qizhou. Although the journey is only a hundred miles or so, it will still require the mobilization of at least 60,000 laborers to ensure sufficient food supplies."

“The daily consumption of 40,000 troops, 60,000 laborers, and carts is 3,000 shi of grain. The grain stored in Qizhou can only last for 97 days at most.”

"Among the four prefectures of Tianping, there are more than 20,000 surrendered troops and garrisoned soldiers. Although most of the food and provisions can be self-sufficient with the money and silk captured, we still cannot deploy too many troops just in case."

Having served in the Secretariat for a long time and read many memorials, Luo Yin naturally knew about troop deployment and food consumption.

With the grain and provisions of Qizhou, it is already difficult to sustain an army of 40,000. If more troops are to be mobilized, then the only option left is to seek a swift victory.

Of course, Luo Yin had other thoughts he didn't mention. Although these former officials in Luoyang had all expressed their willingness to submit, who knew if they would continue to cause trouble if the troops were transferred?

If Liu Jilong were to get into trouble, although his descendants were all in Longyou, how many of these arrogant and fierce soldiers would be willing to submit to Liu Jilong's descendants?
Therefore, the troops in Luoyang should not be moved too much, as any movement would inevitably lead to hidden dangers, and troops from other places should not be drawn upon either.

After Luo Yin finished speaking, he fell silent. Liu Jilong, on the other hand, did not say anything, but studied the sand table alone, waiting for the war in the Qi-Lu region to begin.

While he waited, Liu Zhan and the others arrived at the palace, but Li Yi was not in the three main halls at all, but went to Yuanbi City, north of the palace.

In the past, the Yuanbi City served as the core of the palace's defensive depth system, combining military defense and storage functions.

However, due to the cholera outbreak caused by Huang Chao, the warehouses of Yuanbi City were burned down, and Li Yi turned the place into a polo field.

When Liu Zhan and the others arrived, Li Yi was personally leading dozens of eunuchs in a polo match.

Moreover, there were curtains set up on the platform next to the polo field, indicating that a princess or a concubine of the late emperor was sitting inside.

"Pass the ball to me! Quickly! Quickly!"

"Sorry..."

On the polo field, Li Yi was surprisingly agile, a stark contrast to his usual timid demeanor during court assemblies.

"Your Majesty, the ministers have arrived."

Zhang Ying and Yang Gongqing were chatting when they saw Liu Zhan and the others arrive, and they immediately called out to Li Yi.

Upon hearing this, Li Yi immediately looked towards the entrance. After seeing Liu Zhan and the others, he quickly spurred his horse out of the playing field, while the eunuchs inside also stopped playing.

Li Yi dismounted, while Liu Zhan and the others bowed and said, "Long live the Emperor!"

"Gentlemen, there's no need for this. Please rise."

As Li Yi helped Liu Zhan up, Zhang Ying and Yang Gongqing also came over.

When the group saw the two of them, they all felt a sense of helplessness.

Li Yi was almost always under the watchful eyes of Zhang Ying and Yang Gongqing, and at night he was supervised by Ximen Junsui, which meant they couldn't do much at all.

"Your Majesty, we have come here primarily to discuss the matter of the Prince of Han marrying the princess."

"This is good news. What did the King of Han say?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yi's spirits lifted. He had thought that his fate was most likely to be death, but he did not expect that the ministers would find a way out for him.

In his view, perhaps as long as his elder sister married Liu Jilong, his life could be saved.

That's why he's been in much better spirits since the news broke, and now he just wants to settle things as soon as possible.

"His Highness the Prince of Han said he hopes Your Majesty will consider this carefully."

"What is there to consider?" Li Yi interrupted anxiously, hurriedly saying:
"My sister and the Prince of Han are a perfect match, how can they not be a good couple?"

"Please convey to the King of Han that I have made up my mind and request that the King of Han marry the princess."

"Cough cough..."

Before Li Yi could finish speaking, a woman's cough could be heard coming from inside the curtained tent in the distance.

Clearly, the woman inside the curtained tent in the distance was Tong Chang. After all, Li Yi had not yet chosen a concubine, and Tong Chang was the only one who could often travel with him.

"Now that this matter is settled, I would like to trouble Prime Minister Liu to make another trip."

As soon as Li Yi finished speaking, he turned around and jogged towards the bedchamber.

Looking at Li Yi's rash and impetuous appearance, Liu Zhan and the others couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

He thought to himself that even without Liu Jilong, the Tang Dynasty probably wouldn't have experienced any revival under this emperor's rule.

Liu Zhan and the others sighed and left, while Zhang Ying followed Yang Gongqing toward the bedchamber.

At the same time, Li Yi, who was inside the tent, was also reprimanded by Li Meiling.

"Is it possible that in order to save their own lives, they are willing to sell their elder sister for a pittance?"

Li Meiling frowned slightly, but Li Yi in front of her didn't seem to care.

“Sister, the Prince of Han is exceptionally handsome. Although he is the same age as Father, he looks no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He is even more handsome than the third-ranked scholar selected by the imperial examination in the past.”

"At your age, if you could marry the Prince of Han, you could not only save your brothers' lives but also gain a husband. Why scold me?"

“You…” Li Meiling wanted to say something, but Li Yi said impatiently:
"Alright, I am the emperor, this matter is settled!"

Li Meiling looked at Li Yi, not knowing what to say. Although she admired Liu Jilong, she never thought of marrying a man the same age as her father.

But her doting father eventually left, and her younger brother, who used to be so submissive to her, now puts on airs.

"I'm going to play polo. If you don't want to watch, then you may return to the palace!"

Li Yi didn't give Li Meiling any time to refuse. He turned around and walked out of the tent, happily going to play polo...

(End of this chapter)