A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 651 Qingjun’s Side

Yuwen Ying parted ways with Chang He at the teahouse on the West Wei Bridge.

After crossing the bridge, he sped towards Qingzhou without a doubt about Chang He's words. He was on good terms with Prince Qi, Yuanji, and was naturally considered part of the Eastern Palace faction. He had met Chang He several times at the Crown Prince's residence. The Crown Prince had also told them that Chang He was his confidant.

At that moment, he had no idea that Chang He would dare to deceive everyone.

The so-called Prince Qi and Crown Prince were both placed under house arrest in the palace, while the various border princes simultaneously raised troops and marched into the capital, jointly supporting the Crown Prince to seize the throne.
Most people wouldn't even dare to think about such a thing, let alone do it.

Along the way, Yuwen Ying even felt a sense of exhilaration at the prospect of avenging his son. Since Li Yuan had killed his son, he was determined to overthrow Li Yuan's throne.

Nothing is more meritorious than rescuing the emperor and supporting his ascension to the throne.
Once the Crown Prince successfully seizes the throne, Yuwen Ying will be able to regain his ancestral title of Duke of Xu.

He was a few years older than Li Yuan.

Li Yuan was able to have children every year, and he could have more children. If he really couldn't have any more, he could adopt a nephew from his family as his stepson.

It's already May.

On both banks of the Jinghe River in northern Weihe, the wheat has turned golden.

The wind blows through the wheat fields, creating rolling waves; for the people of Guanzhong, the Dragon Boat Festival is for harvesting wheat.

On those plateaus, large and small, the wheat has turned golden. On the plains above the plateaus, auspicious grains such as sweet potatoes, corn, and yams have been planted in large quantities in the past two years, creating a scene of abundant harvest.

The fragrance of locust blossoms in May
Yuwen Ying urged his horse onward at full speed.
He couldn't wait to lead his troops south with Yang Wengan.

The princes marched their troops into the capital, supported the crown prince, and forced Li Yuan to abdicate.
Just thinking about it makes one's blood boil. Even though Yuwen Ying is almost sixty, she feels as if she has become much younger.

Traveling day and night,

The group soon arrived in Binzhou.

Binzhou Post Station outside the city,
Yuwen Ying, along with the governor of Binzhou and the generals of the Binzhou military government, surrounded the post station with their troops.

Qiao Gongshan straightened his clothes.
These past few days have been tough.
But he remembered his promise to Chang He. Although he was a heavy drinker and gambler, he was a man of his word.

Regardless of the outcome, he will protect this batch of armor.

The Minister of Agriculture, Yuwen Ying, read the imperial edict to him.

"Commander Qiao Gongshan was loyal to the king..."

Qiao Gongshan's heart was pounding. When he heard the words "loyal to the king," he was overjoyed, thinking that he had done good and had no faults.

As expected, the emperor bestowed upon Qiao Gongshan the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry of Xuanzhen Prefecture, promoted him to the rank of Cavalry Commandant, granted him 100 mu of land, 100 bolts of silk, 100,000 coins, two fine horses, and two slaves...

Upon hearing this series of rewards, Qiao Gongshan's breathing became somewhat rapid.

"Congratulations! Xuanzhen Prefecture is a central prefecture, and its General of Chariots and Cavalry holds a sixth-rank official position."

Qiao Gongshan was originally a captain, a seventh-rank official, and this time he was promoted four ranks in one go.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" he exclaimed excitedly as he accepted the imperial decree.

Yuwen Ying asked, "What about the three hundred sets of armor?"

"My men have been guarding this post station the whole time."

"By imperial decree, I hereby hand over this batch of armor to you. You may now return to Chang'an with your men."

Go back to Chang'an and properly accept your reward.

Qiao Gongshan carefully reviewed the official document and, after confirming its accuracy, readily handed over three hundred sets of armor.
The three hundred Youzhou cavalrymen were heavily armored, with complete sets of cavalry armor and horse armor, all of excellent quality and brand new.

Yuwen Ying sent people to count and receive the goods, and also gave Qiao Gongshan a list.

Qiao Gongshan carefully put away the form bearing the seal and Yuwen Ying's signature, letting out a long sigh of relief. This hot potato had finally been handed over.

He didn't linger for a moment longer and immediately led his men back to Chang'an.

He knew what he had been involved in and the danger it posed; he was more than happy to be able to escape temporarily.

As for how things will develop next, it's beyond his control as a nobody.

Riding a horse and galloping at full speed is exhilarating.

This trip resolved his gambling debt of 230,000 yuan. Chang He also gave him a land deed for 100 acres and 100,000 yuan on the way.

That was a resettlement allowance, but also money to save his life. He had no choice but to accept it at the time, and he was grateful to Chang He.

When he came, he never thought he would be able to return to Chang'an, let alone be promoted and rewarded.

A sixth-rank general of chariots and cavalry.

There are also one hundred acres of land, one hundred bolts of silk, one hundred strings of cash, two horses, and two slaves.
They became rich overnight.

Riding high on the spring breeze, the horse gallops swiftly.

After obtaining three hundred sets of armor, Yuwen Ying did not linger in Binzhou. He greeted the governor of Binzhou and several generals of the local militia, and then headed straight for Qingzhou with the armor.

Even the governor of Binzhou was puzzled and completely baffled.

But Yuwen Ying was the Minister of Agriculture and a special envoy sent by the Emperor, so he had no choice but to obey.

Gyeongju,

The prefecture's capital was Heshui City, named after the confluence of the Ling River and the Baima River at that location.

Located in the central part of the Loess Plateau in eastern Gansu, Qingzhou City is also known as Phoenix City because it is surrounded by mountains on three sides and two rivers, resembling a flying phoenix.

During the Sui Dynasty's Daye era, Qingzhou was renamed Honghua County. After the founding of the Tang Dynasty, it was restored to Qingzhou.

This place was also an important town for the defense of the Guanzhong Plain and the Weibei region.

In eastern Gansu, there is a narrow land passage tightly sandwiched between Guanzhong and Longxi. Beyond this passage lies a vast area shaped like a large tail.
Gyeongju is located at the eastern end of this large tail.

With Shuofang and Yanxia now under the control of Liang Shidu, Qingzhou, located not far south of the Tang-Liang border, holds a very important strategic position.

Located north of the Loess Plateau, west of the Liupan Mountains, and east of the Ziwu Ridge, it is separated from Chang'an, the Guanzhong Plain, by only a line.

The Maling River, an important tributary of the Jing River, meanders southward from Qingzhou, eventually joining the Jing River, which then flows southeast into the Wei River. If Liang Shidu were to capture Qingzhou, he could advance along the Jing River valley straight into Guanzhong, jeopardizing the safety of Chang'an.

Last year, the Turks launched two major invasions, and Qingzhou was also a key target of their attacks. Crown Prince Li Jiancheng moved his garrison from Hedong to Yuanzhou, and naturally, he also vigorously deployed his own troops in the northwest.

Yang Wengan, who came from the Imperial Guard, was assigned to guard Qingzhou at that time. He first served as the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force, then became the prefect, then the commander-in-chief, and this year he was promoted to governor.

Some of the two thousand Changlin soldiers previously sent to the Crown Prince were selected and sent by Yang Wengan from the Qingzhou army.

The three hundred Youzhou cavalrymen who were killed in the incident left behind three hundred suits of armor, and Li Jiancheng immediately thought of sending them to Yang Wengan in Qingzhou.

Yuwen Ying and his entourage arrived in Qingzhou City, weary from their journey.

Yang Wengan quickly came out to greet him.

In front of a group of officials from the Qingzhou Governor's Office, Yuwen Ying read out the emperor's decree, ordering Yang Wengan to come to the capital immediately to meet the emperor.

Yang Wengan received the order.
"Thank you for your hard work, Lord Yuwen. I have already arranged a banquet tonight to welcome you back and wash away the dust of your journey."

Yuwen Ying had no time for such thoughts.
"His Majesty also has an imperial edict to give to Governor Yang privately. May we go to the study to read it aloud?"

"it is good."

The two entered the study, where Yuwen Ying had servants stand guard outside.

"What kind of tea does Lord Yuwen like to drink?"

"No need to brew tea, let's get down to business first."

Yuwen Ying looked at Yang Wengan and said, "The Crown Prince is in trouble and has been placed under house arrest in the Chengqian Hall of the West Palace."

Yang Wengan's hand, which was reaching for the tea box, froze. He suddenly turned his head and asked, "What?"

"King Qi was also confined to the backyard of the Wude Hall."

Yuwen Ying's voice was low and deep, "After returning to court, the Prince of Qin was poisoned by Gelsemium elegans at a family banquet hosted by the Prince of Qi..."

He quickly revealed some of the secrets that had been going on in Chang'an during this period.

"The Crown Prince sent General Erzhu Huan to Qingzhou with those three hundred suits of armor, but Erzhu Huan, fearing punishment, rushed back to Chang'an from Binzhou to report that the Crown Prince and you were plotting a rebellion..."

His Majesty has sent me to summon you to the capital.

"Once you enter the capital, you will surely die, and you may even face the confiscation of your property and the extermination of your entire clan."

"Now, the only option is to take a gamble, raise an army, storm Chang'an, rescue the Crown Prince, and enthrone him on the throne!"

Yang Wengan's throat was dry.
My mind was buzzing, and I couldn't react for a moment.

"Rest assured, it's not just your troops. Prince Yan Li Yi of Jingzhou, Prince Chang Le Li Youliang of Liangzhou, Prince Yi An Xiao Chang of Lizhou, Prince Zhao Xiao Gong of Yangzhou, and those from Jingzhou... they will all lead their armies to the capital to jointly support the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne..."

Yang Wengan shook his head.

I feel very dizzy.

"Governor Yang, now that things have come to this, what is there to hesitate about?"

"If we delay, things will change, and there will be no room for maneuver!"

"How could this happen?" Yang Wengan murmured.

Yuwen Ying urged him to raise an army.

Yang Wengan was still somewhat hesitant. He had served as the governor of Qingzhou for less than a year and did indeed have more than 10,000 troops guarding the border.

But without the imperial military tally and order, how many men under his command would actually be willing to send troops to Chang'an?

"A forged imperial edict!"

"Tell me that I have brought you a secret edict from the emperor, ordering you to send troops to Chang'an."

"What's the reason?" Yang Wengan asked.

Yuwen Ying had already thought of a solution for him: "Just say that the Prince of Qin has staged a mutiny in Chang'an, and His Majesty has urgently summoned generals from all over the country to send troops to the capital to defend the emperor!"

"Don't hesitate. Whether you stick your neck out or not, you'll get stabbed anyway. You might as well take a gamble. If you succeed, you can even win a duke or marquis title and earn a title for your wife and children."

You are the Crown Prince's confidant. Now that both the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi are in imminent danger, how can you hesitate?"

Yang Wengan gritted his teeth, his face ashen.

He agreed with Yuwen Ying's words; if he were to go to the capital by imperial decree, he would definitely not escape death.

Perhaps the crown prince won't die, but he has no way out.

"Will the Prince of Yan in Jingzhou and the Prince of Changle in Liangzhou really raise an army?"

“Of course, we are all from the Eastern Palace. We share the same fate, and if the Crown Prince is deposed and the King of Qin is made Crown Prince, how could they let us go?”

Yang Wengan slammed his fist on the table.

"Good! Raise an army and march on the capital to defend the emperor!"

Yang Wengan and Yuwen Ying plotted together,
He summoned all the civil and military officials of the Qingzhou Governor's Office.
Filled with indignation, Yang Wengan addressed the crowd,
"Prince Li Shimin of Qin is plotting rebellion in Chang'an. The Emperor has dispatched Minister of Agriculture Yuwen Gong to deliver an imperial edict."
"Summon my troops from the Qingzhou Military Governor's Office to immediately raise an army and march to the capital to defend the Emperor and purge the court of corrupt officials!"

"By imperial decree, the rebellion has been quelled. All soldiers who came to the aid of the emperor will be awarded three promotions and their ranks will be raised one level!"

While the civil and military officials were still in shock
He then immediately announced that they would take an oath today and send troops tomorrow.

Before the troops went out to defend the emperor, each soldier was rewarded with a thousand coins, two bolts of silk, a pound of wine, and two pounds of meat.

The Chief Secretary of the Qingzhou Governor's Office stood up and asked in a trembling voice, somewhat frightened, "Governor Yang, Lord Yuwen, is this true? Is there an imperial edict from His Majesty to come to the aid of the emperor?"

Yang Wengan glared at him, "The matter happened in a hurry. Duke Yuwen was conveying His Majesty's oral decree. How dare you question His Majesty's edict? Are you perhaps a member of the Prince of Qin's faction?"

"Anyone who dares to oppose sending troops to the capital to defend the king is surely a traitor to the King of Qin. Execute them all first and report later!"

The chief clerk quickly shook his head and withdrew.

"Since there are no further objections, then each of you should go and gather your troops and supplies, and we will set out tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)