Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 87

As expected, upon hearing of this, Li Guangbi dared not openly come to Luoyang to assume command. He was forced to lead five hundred elite cavalry from Hedong to sneak into the city under cover of night and take over the defenses. He then summoned Zhang Yongji, the commander of the Shuofang Left Wing Army stationed in Heyang, for a meeting. Zhang Yongji was furious and said, "My Shuofang army is not a rebel army. Why did you sneak in at night and arouse such suspicion?!" He then gathered his generals and planned to lead his elite troops into Luoyang, drive out Li Guangbi, and welcome Guo Ziyi back.

Fortunately, the military commander Pugu Huai'en and the right strategist Kang Yuanbao advised him, saying, "Are you trying to kill Lord Guo? Lord Guo's family has over a hundred members; what have they done to wrong you?" Only then did Zhang Yongji give up.

Immediately, Li Guangbi personally led several thousand cavalry eastward out of Sishui. Zhang Yongji came to pay his respects alone, but Li Guangbi reprimanded him for ignoring the summons and delaying the appointed time. He was executed on the spot, and his subordinate general Xin Jinggao was appointed to lead his troops.

Then Pugu Huai'en arrived, and Li Guangbi sat down to talk with him. But before they could exchange more than a few words, a report came: "Five hundred cavalry from the Western Barbarians and Tuyuhun have arrived!" Li Guangbi was greatly alarmed.

Pugu Huai'en went out of the tent to inform the approaching army, pretending to scold them: "I told you not to come, how dare you disobey my order?!" Li Guangbi quickly smoothed things over from the side: "The soldiers followed their general, which is not a crime, and there is no need to punish them." He then ordered that they be given generously grazing cattle and wine as a reward.

When Li Ji heard Nan Jiyun say this, he really didn't know whether to cry or laugh...

It's clear that Li Guangbi was always strict in his military discipline, and he took advantage of this by first killing Zhang Yongji to intimidate the various armies in Henan, led by the Shuofang Army, and to establish his own authority. It's likely that the Minister of Works, Li, also knew that changing generals on the eve of battle would undermine morale, and with Shi Siming's imminent invasion and time running out, this was the only drastic measure he could use to quickly seize military power and improve defenses.

However, no one knew whether killing Zhang Yongji would be enough for Li Sikong, or whether he would stop there. Would the other generals be so desperate as to risk their lives to meet him in the commander's tent? Pugu Huai'en then staged a coup, completely crushing Li Guangbi's arrogance.

In this way, Li Guangbi's plan to intimidate the army completely failed. Could he still control the Shuofang Army? How could such a distrustful army fight a tough battle and resist Shi Siming's attack?

This small sign reveals a larger truth: Henan is doomed!

He turned to Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun and asked, "What did Doctor Zhang say? Can Luoyang be defended?"

Lei Wanchun patted his chest and declared, "We were able to hold out in Suiyang for over a year, so how could we not hold out in the vast city of Luoyang? But as long as we are here, we will not allow a single soldier of the rebels to set foot in the Eastern Capital!"

Nan Jiyun patted him on the shoulder and scolded, "The guards have seen battles and killed enemies, Lao Lei, why do you have to talk nonsense to deceive him?" Lei Wanchun glared at him and said, "How is it nonsense? If even we don't have the confidence to defend the city, what about the soldiers? What about the people?!"

Nan Jiyun ignored him and turned to Li Ji, explaining, "It's too early to say whether Luoyang can be defended. If Minister Li can hold off the enemy on the river, or at worst retreat to Hua and Bian, then Luoyang will be safe. But if Minister Li cannot hold it and the enemy breaks into the area between Gongxian and Sishui, then..."

He paused, then continued, "Luoyang is a vast city, several times larger than Suiyang, and it is precisely because of its size that it is so difficult to defend. Especially the direction leading into the imperial garden, which is actually unwalled..."

Luoyang was roughly a rectangle, slightly narrower from east to west and slightly wider from north to south, with the Luo River flowing through its center. The palace area was located in the northwest of the city. As a capital, the city walls were quite high and steep. However, these walls did not completely enclose the city. To the west of Luoyang, south of the Luo River, in the three wards of Guangli, Chunhe, and Tongji, and north of the West Market, lay the imperial gardens, known as "Ruyuan," which were surrounded only by some fences...

That's why Nan Jiyun said that Luoyang was difficult to defend, and even if the capital were enclosed within the city walls, the difficulty of defending it still couldn't compare to that of Suiyang. You see, the larger the city, the more soldiers are needed to defend it—of course, the enemy also needs a sufficient number of troops to besiege it—and with more soldiers, plus a larger population of civilians, the difficulty of command would increase significantly.

"Furthermore, the troops of Zheng and Cai suffered a defeat at Xiangzhou, and their morale is low. They cannot be compared with the troops of Yongqiu and Suiyang in those years..."

Since several of those present were generals from the Zheng and Cai armies, Nan Jiyun quickly added to reassure them, "Of course, it is not your fault."

Li Ji pondered for a moment, then asked again, "How are the provisions?"

All the generals present shook their heads and smiled bitterly.

Li Ji thought to himself, "That little rascal Li Shi is really sharp. He knows that Luoyang is in imminent danger, so he quickly sent me out to pick up his mother. How come Li Heng can't see something so obvious? Why does he still want to change commanders at this critical juncture?"

Seeing the atmosphere at the banquet becoming somewhat somber, Lei Wanchun suddenly shouted, "The bandits haven't even arrived yet, why are you already so worried? With this kind of mentality, even a city that can be defended won't stand a chance!" He then picked up his wine cup, drank it all in one gulp, and showed the bottom of the cup to everyone: "We will simply follow the doctor's orders. If the doctor says to leave, we will go with him; if the doctor says to defend, we will pour out our blood and sweat here! Back in Suiyang, we should have died. Living this much longer is all a bonus. What regrets could we possibly have?!"

Nan Jiyun smiled and slapped the table: "Old Lei is right. It's rare to have a good time to get drunk today. From today onwards, we must strictly abide by the doctor's orders and not touch a drop of alcohol. In that case, you all should drink to your hearts' content and not leave until you're drunk!"

For some reason, he glanced sideways and remembered Cui Qi: "Brother Cui, you haven't drunk much. Come, let me toast you."

Cui Qi looked troubled and turned to glare at Li Ji. Li Ji quickly stepped in to cover for her, saying, "Look at Brother Cui's lips, they're smooth and hairless, which shows he's still young and can't drink much. Let's drink while he eats some vegetables."

Nan Jiyun laughed and said, "So what if I'm young? I was not even ten years old when I was already used to sneaking into the ancestral hall to steal the sacrificial wine." He insisted on offering it to Cui Qi.

Just as Li Ji was feeling troubled, he suddenly heard a cough outside the door—for some reason, the sound wasn't loud, but when a group of soldiers heard it, the noise and commotion instantly stopped.

Lei Wanchun jumped up and shouted, "Has the doctor arrived?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was startled—could it be Zhang Xun? Who brought him here?

However, when a general under one's command celebrates his birthday with a gathering, it is only reasonable for the commander to come and show his concern, even if he does not formally attend the banquet.

The curtain was slightly lifted, and a deep, somewhat muffled voice sounded from the outer room: "Please move aside, Li Erlang. I will be waiting in the next room."

Li Ji quickly stood up, straightened his clothes, and looked around at everyone present. Nan Jiyun nodded and said, "Go and speak with the doctor. We will wait for your return here."

After leaving the elegant room, we went into the next room, which was much smaller than the birthday party venue. Upon entering, we saw an old man, dressed in plain clothes and with his hair unkempt, sitting by the window.

The old man had a large frame, but was extremely thin. He had a long face covered with wrinkles and a sparse beard. The most striking feature was his sunken mouth. He looked to be about fifty or sixty years old, but his mouth made him seem to be over seventy.

This must be Zhang Xun, the doctor who fought off the bandits in Suiyang City, his teeth clenched in pain. Li Ji quickly lifted his robe and was about to kneel down to pay his respects.

In fact, neither Zhang Xun nor he were wearing official robes, so there was no need for a grand ceremony of worship. However, Li Ji had always admired this Doctor Zhang, and in addition, he respected Nan Jiyun. How could he possibly be disrespectful or abrupt to someone who was so devoted to Nan Jiyun?

However, the old man raised his hand and gestured for Li Ji not to bow, saying somewhat indistinctly, "I am Zhang Xun, and I have come to see Li Erlang. I am busy with official duties and do not have much time, so please do not bow, Erlang, and sit down."

If he had simply said there was no need to bow, Li Ji would certainly not have listened; but he specifically pointed out that he had little free time and that they should not waste time on formalities. Thus, Li Ji had no choice but to comply, and hurriedly turned to the side, bent his knees, clasped his hands, and bowed, saying, "Li Ji greets the Grand Master."

Zhang Xun smiled and said, "Erlang is my benefactor, as well as the benefactor of the soldiers and civilians of Suiyang. I should be the one paying respects to Erlang..." Before Li Ji could humbly say that he dared not, he asked bluntly, "Erlang, did you come here because of that person in Chongyin Temple?"

Li Ji clasped his hands and bowed his head, replying, "Indeed. I have been ordered to do this, and I have no choice but to ask him to move. If this were to shake the morale of the troops within the city..."

Zhang Xun interrupted him, saying, "It's alright. Even if you hadn't come, I was just about to ask that person to leave anyway."

Li Ji frowned: "Does the doctor believe that Luoyang is no longer defensible, or is there no intention to defend it?"

Zhang Xun replied, "I discussed this matter with Li Sikong the other day... To be honest, Erlang, Shi Siming is about to arrive!"

Because the defenses of Luoyang and its surrounding areas were not yet fully in place, and to avoid alarming the troops, Zhang Xun, Li Guangbi, and others concealed information about the battles at the front to a certain extent—at least military commanders of Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun's rank could not possibly know.

It turned out that Shi Siming had long ago ordered the prefects of each prefecture to each lead 3,000 troops to follow him south, totaling 70,000 to 80,000 troops. They were divided into four routes and crossed the Yellow River at the four ferry crossings of Liyang, Puyang, Baigao, and Huliang, and entered Henan Province.

The immediate threats were Puyang and Huazhou, followed by Bianzhou; if Bianzhou fell, the rebels could pass through Zhengzhou and advance directly into Henan Prefecture. The area between Xingyang and Sishui was originally a formidable natural barrier, but with the Yellow River changing its course several times, the terrain has become more complex, and after years of fierce fighting, there's little left to defend. Therefore, the eastern gateway to Luoyang truly lies in the three prefectures of Puyang, Huazhou, and Bianzhou.

Li Ji interjected, "I wonder who the commanders of the three prefectures are?"

Zhang Xun smiled wryly: "The prefect of Puzhou is Dong Qin, and the military governor of Bianhua is Xu Shuji."

Li Ji couldn't help but click his tongue—he didn't know much about Dong Qin, but he had dealt with Xu Shuji before and had absolutely no good feelings towards him. He always felt that with Xu Shuji's self-preservationist and jealous nature, he would never be able to fight any tough battles against the rebels.

Zhang Xun said, "Minister Li has ordered Xu Shuji to defend Bianzhou for fifteen days until reinforcements arrive, but I fear he may not be able to hold out for more than fifteen days. When I inquired with Minister Li, he said that Luoyang might not be able to be defended, and he wants me to lead the officials and people out of the city to avoid the enemy..."

Li Guangbi, fearing Luoyang could not be defended, suggested abandoning it temporarily and leaving the city empty. However, Li Guangbi stationed his main force in Heyang to connect with Ze and Lu prefectures to the north, thus containing the rebel army and preventing them from advancing further west. Judge Wei Sun advised, "How can we not defend the capital, the capital?" Li Guangbi replied, "If we defend Luoyang, we will need to deploy troops at Sishui, E'ling, and Longmen. Where will I get so many soldiers? You are the military judge; how can you not understand the essentials of military strategy?"

Zhang Xun agreed with Li Guangbi's views, but he also believed that Luoyang, the eastern capital, was of paramount political importance due to its central location. Losing it would inevitably cause unrest in the provinces of Henan, hindering the subsequent war. Furthermore, he worried that Henan would be embroiled in a protracted battle with the rebels. If Luoyang remained in their hands, it would at least provide some reassurance to the court; but if it fell, would the pressure from both the court and the people fall entirely on Li Guangbi, forcing him to launch a hasty counterattack before the time was ripe?

Wasn't this the same reason why Geshu Han lost when he defended Tongguan?

Zhang Xun spoke tactfully, but Li Ji instinctively thought: You're not worried about the pressure from the court and the public, but rather that Li Heng might get anxious and make the same foolish move his father made back then, right? That's very possible!

Zhang Xun continued, "After I tell you all this, you can inform that person and urge him to leave quickly..."

"What are the doctor's plans?"

Zhang Xun said, "Officials and commoners should naturally leave the city to avoid being harmed by the rebels. As for me, I cannot leave..."

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Chapter Twenty-One: The Will to Die Has Begun

Li Ji had important matters to attend to, so he didn't dare drink too much. He just ate meat like crazy, filling himself up completely. That way, even if he could only eat vegetarian food in the evening, he could make up for it with the fat he had at noon.

After bidding farewell to Nan Jiyun, Lei Wanchun, and others, he and Cui Qi led their horses straight to Chongyin Temple. Shortly after delivering Li Shi's letter, they were summoned to the temple to meet Consort Shen.

Upon seeing her, Li Ji noticed that Consort Shen looked even more haggard than when she was in the Luoyang Imperial Palace… Li Ji thought to himself, "It's a good thing you didn't return to Chang'an. If Li Yu had seen your current appearance, would he have written a letter of divorce on the spot…?"

In fact, he didn't have any ill feelings towards Li Yu. Compared to his father Li Heng, Li Ji felt that Li Yu's current performance meant he would be a moderate ruler if he became emperor. At least he wouldn't be as benevolent on the surface but suspicious on the inside as Li Heng. Of course, it's hard to say. Even Li Bi misjudged Li Heng.

However, Li Ji's temporary affirmation of Li Yu's character doesn't mean he sees everything about Li Yu as virtuous. Influenced by Li Shi, he felt that Li Yu might be a good son, but certainly not a good husband. In fact, one could say that in matters of the heart, he was a complete scumbag!

For a man, being attracted to beauty and having an affair is quite normal in this world, but you can't just abandon the woman you were once deeply in love with and completely ignore her. Even if you're afraid to bring Consort Shen back to Chang'an for the sake of domestic harmony, or for fear of trouble at home during a crucial moment in your political life, you should at least place her in a safer and more secure location. Li Shi could think of that, so why couldn't you?

Li Ji suppressed his inner grievances and earnestly requested Consort Shen to move to Shanxian. Consort Shen, however, retorted, "While I am in the temple, I only know how to chant scriptures and worship Buddha, and I do not concern myself with worldly affairs—is the war really that urgent? Is Luoyang about to fall again?"

Li Ji replied, "Shi Siming has launched a large-scale attack, but the government troops are demoralized and short of supplies due to the defeat at Xiangzhou. Furthermore, the Emperor... Minister Li is also worried that Luoyang is difficult to defend, and has ordered Physician Zhang to relocate all officials and civilians outside the city for safety. Therefore, Your Highness should also set off as soon as possible..."

Consort Shen asked, "Is Doctor Zhang also going to abandon the city and flee?"

Li Ji replied, "I was just summoned by Physician Zhang, and he said that everyone else can leave Luoyang, but he alone cannot..."

Firstly, Zhang Xun hoped to preserve Luoyang, even if only a portion of it, thereby gaining more strategic flexibility and avoiding significant damage to the court's prestige. Secondly, Li Ji had advised Li Shi to use various channels to influence the court and appoint Zhang Xun as the acting governor of Luoyang, precisely because he was a renowned general who defended the city, and the court and the public placed high hopes on him.

But what kind of situation is it if a famous general who was supposed to defend the city doesn't even bother to defend it and just runs away? How can Zhang Xun ever hold his head up again?

Consort Shen gently shook her head and said, "If Doctor Zhang doesn't leave, I won't leave either. As long as I'm in the city, I can encourage the soldiers and strengthen their resolve to defend the city."

Li Ji hurriedly said, "Your Highness, you mustn't! Haven't you seen the women in Suiyang City?"

Upon hearing this, Consort Shen's expression changed drastically, and she rebuked, "I never expected such words to come from the mouth of a guard!"

Li Ji sighed softly, "These words are not what I wished to say. It was actually Physician Zhang who asked me to convey this to Your Highness..."

When Zhang Xun was defending Suiyang City, his food supplies were exhausted and his soldiers were hungry. Fearing that they would be unable to defend against the enemy, he offered up his own concubines so that the soldiers and civilians could share them. Since the general had set such a precedent, others followed suit, and most of the women in Suiyang City ended up as food for others.

This is cruel and inhumane, but considering the reality of running out of food and the rebels' history of rape and plunder, once the city falls, those women will likely suffer a fate worse than death if they fall into the rebels' hands. It's like during a famine, when some people resort to cannibalism; those who can't stomach it are saints, but those who grit their teeth and eat it, those who are well-fed and carefree, have no right to criticize them, right? Perhaps only keyboard warriors would tirelessly delve into the moral issues involved.

The problem actually lies in the system; it has nothing to do with morality!

There were quite a few keyboard warriors in the Tang Dynasty. After the siege of Suiyang was lifted and the two capitals were recovered, Li Heng rewarded those who had contributed to the defense of the Jianghuai region. He intended to reward Zhang Xun, but many people immediately jumped out and said that Zhang Xun had eaten people in Suiyang and had committed a serious breach of integrity. It was already a mercy not to punish him, so how could he be promoted?

Well, as for those who surrendered to the rebels, those who defected from the rebels, and those who had allowed their soldiers to burn, kill, rape, and plunder, very few people submitted memorials to impeach them...

The saying goes, "A thousand fingers pointing at you will lead to an early death," and Zhang Xun, burdened by this heavy responsibility, felt utterly ashamed to face anyone. Therefore, as soon as his health improved, he immediately volunteered to defend himself, wanting only to stay far away from those keyboard warriors.

Zhang Xun told Li Ji, "The tragic events of that year still haunt me whenever I close my eyes. I often wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat... I don't blame those censors who impeached me because of this; they were actually doing it for my own good. So many people died because of me, how could I possibly have the face to live on? I only dare not die because the rebels haven't been eradicated."

However, if I were in a similar situation again, I would do the same thing!

That's why I asked Li Ji to persuade Consort Shen, saying that I planned to abandon the outer city of Luoyang and defend the palace alone, but now, not only are our troops insufficient, but our supplies are also lacking. Li Guangbi has already planned to transport eight or nine tenths of the grain stored in Luoyang to Heyang, and even then, it will only be enough for his army for a dozen days. How could I possibly leave most of the grain behind and let the main force, which is holding back the rebels, go hungry?

Therefore, when the city is besieged in the future, the situation may be even worse than that of Suiyang. If Consort Shen stays in the city, do you think she will sacrifice herself? If she doesn't, the morale of the soldiers will surely collapse; if she does, how can I face the Emperor and the Crown Prince again? I might as well just commit suicide, and even if I die, I will most likely be infamous for eternity!

Li Ji tactfully reported this to Consort Shen, who couldn't help but shed tears: "How could a loyal minister of our Tang Dynasty end up like this..." Feeling sorry for Zhang Xun's plight, and thinking that she herself might suffer such a fate, she was filled with both sorrow and fear. So she ordered Yang Siyi, who was serving her, to pack their bags quickly, so that they could leave first thing tomorrow morning.

The next morning, he rose early, bypassed the nearest imperial garden, and followed the Luo River out of Luoyang, heading west. Passing through the various wards, all was quiet; only the occasional early riser swept the streets or carried baskets to buy vegetables, clearly unaware of the approaching rebels. However, the more peaceful the situation, the heavier Li Ji's heart became—according to Zhang Xun's assessment, not only could Xu Shuji not hold Bianzhou, but even Li Guangbi could not defend the eastern capital. In at most ten days, all the people would have to be evacuated from the city.

The city's residents were mostly small merchants and artisans, with limited property and even less food reserves. Once forced to leave their homes and migrate, they would lose the protection of the city's defenses and the government troops, as well as their daily income. What chance would they have of survival? If the rebel army entered the city, they would surely burn, kill, and loot, leaving rivers of blood and corpses everywhere. But even if they moved out, it would only disperse the potentially concentrated deaths...

Consort Shen was accompanied by Yang Siqi—who had long since resigned—and several maids. However, there was only one carriage, forcing the maids to walk alongside, making their journey incredibly slow. Li Ji gritted his teeth repeatedly. He tried several times to persuade the maids to ride in the carriage as well, but Yang Siqi refused—there was a distinction between superiors and inferiors, how could he overstep his bounds? He wanted the maids to ride on his horse, but aside from the impropriety of men and women touching, it couldn't carry that many people—even with Cui Qi's mount.

Li Ji couldn't help but feel annoyed: You guys just lack a sense of crisis. If I had known, I would have stayed a few more days and waited for news from the front lines or for Zhang Xun to start evacuating the people before leading you away. You wouldn't have been so slow and dawdling!

The journey from Luoyang to Shanxian is less than 300 li, yet it took us a full six days—good heavens! We weren't in such a hurry when we came here, and it only took us two days and nights. Finally, we reached the outskirts of Shanxian, where a local official greeted us, clasped his hands, and asked, "Are you from Luoyang, sir? May I ask if the owner of the carriage is surnamed Shen?"

Li Ji glanced at the man warily: "Who are you?"

The man replied respectfully, "This humble official, holding a position in the Shaanxi County government, has come to welcome your esteemed relative on the orders of the magistrate."

Who is the magistrate of Shanxian County today?

"The Grand Commander's name is taboo, with 'Yu' on the left and 'Xiang' on the right."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Isn't that just the character '豫'? Since you say it's an 'official taboo,' there's no need to avoid mentioning it altogether. You can only break it down to make it clear. Is Shen Yu's official power too great, or is this guy just naturally obsequious?"

Shen Yu, the second brother of Consort Shen, was appointed magistrate of Shan County through Li Shi's arrangement. A sixth-rank official, he had only been in office for two days when he dispatched all the minor officials in his office to wait for Consort Shen along the road. The official in charge, having roughly determined that the approaching carriage was indeed his target, hurriedly knelt and bowed, then said, "Please wait, Your Highness. The magistrate will be waiting at the city gate." He then tossed aside his robes and ran back.

With Shanxian County approaching and no news of Luoyang's fall or the escape of refugees from the city yet, Li Ji was no longer in a hurry. He continued to escort Consort Shen's carriage slowly towards the county town. Sure enough, Shen Yu led his men to wait for them at the city gate, but he was not wearing his official robes, only his casual home clothes.

—After all, Consort Shen was not an official, but merely a concubine of the Crown Prince. If she were to wear official robes and make a grand entrance to welcome her relatives into the city, she might be impeached by the censors.

Seeing the carriage arrive, Shen Yu approached in a few steps, clasped his hands, and asked, "Is that Her Highness Consort Shen inside?" Consort Shen lifted the curtain, peeked out, and her eyes involuntarily reddened: "Thank you for coming to greet me, Second Brother... We've been apart for five or six years, and I didn't expect that your temples have also turned gray..."

Shen Yu sighed, "Your Highness looks quite haggard..." The two exchanged a few pleasantries in and out of the carriage. Consort Shen inquired about her parents and brothers, to which Shen Yu replied, "Everything is fine at home; my parents are healthy. Your Highness, please come with me into the city quickly, and we can discuss family matters then. I have been waiting here for several days, fearing that Your Highness might be caught by the rebels, and I have been unable to sleep for some time..."

Consort Shen frowned slightly and said, "When I left Luoyang, there was no news of any rebels..."

Shen Yu looked around and, seeing only Li Ji and a few others nearby, lowered his voice and said, "We received an urgent report yesterday that the rebel army has reached Guancheng..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "How strange! I haven't seen any fast horses carrying messages along the way. Could it be that we missed them while lodging at the post station?" He couldn't help but interject, "Why didn't Zehua and Bianzhou defend?" Let alone fifteen days, it probably hasn't even been ten days since Li Guangbi left Bianzhou. How exactly did Xu Shuji defend the city?

Shen Yu glanced at Li Ji sideways, but then heard Consort Shen say, "This is Li Erlang, a trusted confidant of the family. Second brother, you can speak frankly without reservation."

Shen Yu then replied with a wry smile, "Xu Shuji of Bianhua and Dong Qin of Puzhou have both surrendered to the rebels!"

Xu Shuji hadn't defended the city at all. Hearing that the rebel vanguard was advancing and that their numbers were small, he personally led the main force of the Bian and Hua armies into battle. Intending to blunt the enemy's advance, he unexpectedly suffered heavy losses fighting against overwhelming odds and was unable to achieve victory for a long time. Soon after, Shi Siming's main army arrived. Xu Shuji realized that retreating at this point would lead to a crushing defeat, and he feared he would not be able to return to Bianzhou alive. Therefore, he simply surrendered.

Shi Siming immediately appointed Xu Shuji as Chancellor and also instructed him to write a letter to Dong Qin of Puzhou, urging him to surrender. Dong Qin's troops were originally few in number, and he was surrounded in the city by Zhou Zhi's army, so he had no chance of winning. When he received Xu Shuji's letter, he could only sigh and raise the white flag.

There was nothing he could do. Since Huazhou and Bianzhou had fallen into the hands of the rebels, Puzhou in the east was completely cut off from reinforcements and had become a dead piece with no impact on the overall situation. He wasn't Zhang Xun, so what could he do?

Therefore, Shi Siming sent his general Nan Dexin, along with former generals of Xu Shuji such as Liang Pu, Liu Congjian, and Tian Shenggong, to lead troops south to harass the Jianghuai region. He himself led the main force west to attack Zhengzhou, which was only two or three days' journey from Luoyang.

Military intelligence reached Shan County, and Shen Yu was greatly alarmed—my sister should have left Luoyang by now, why hasn't she come to me yet? Could it be that she's worried about the Crown Prince and doesn't dare to leave without permission…

Once Shen Yu finally met Consort Shen, a weight was lifted from his heart. He quickly invited Consort Shen to come into the city with him. Consort Shen glanced at Li Ji, who immediately clasped his hands and said, "Since we have met Magistrate Shen and Your Highness is safe, then my mission is accomplished. I will take my leave now."

Consort Shen asked, "Changwei, what's the rush? You've been traveling for days and must be exhausted. Why don't you come with me to Shaanxi to rest for a night before returning to Chang'an? Even if it's a day or two later, my son won't blame you... so you won't be too worried."

Li Ji hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to tell the truth: "I dare not deceive Your Highness. I am not going back to Chang'an, but to Luoyang. General Nan Jiyun under Physician Zhang is my close friend. How can I bear to see him in danger and refuse to help him?"

He was genuinely worried about Nan Ba, as well as Lei Wanchun, Chen Ruo, and others. Zhang Xun's defense of Luoyang this time seemed to lack the same ferocity he displayed when he defended Suiyang. From their conversation, Li Ji sensed a strong will to die… Moreover, he advocated retreating to the Luoyang palace, but a palace is ultimately no match for a proper city. Lacking sufficient supplies and defensive structures, coupled with insufficient provisions, how long could they hold out? How could he, Li Ji, merely watch from afar without contributing his own strength?

Therefore, despite Consort Shen's repeated persuasion, Li Ji insisted on going, saying, "Although I have no duty to defend the land, I have the heart to protect the people and kill the bandits. Your Highness can send Brother Cui back west to report to Prince Fengjie that Li Ji has lived up to expectations, and that will be enough." In his haste, he didn't even bother to avoid using the taboo name of Emperor Taizong. He then turned to look at Cui Qi, but the little girl had her head down, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

Consort Shen had no choice but to say, "There's no rush. Even if the guards want to fight the rebels, they need to rest their horses first. Let's go into the city together and make a plan." Then she turned to Shen Yu and said, "Second brother, quickly invite the prison guard to see me."

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