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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 182 Taiyuan
Li Jian Cheng passed through Zidixiang County and Yanmen, heading straight for Taiyuan County. News of his return spread quickly, and there was no need for any recruitment; thousands of Young Adventurers spontaneously followed him along the way.
As the news continued to circulate, the number of followers kept increasing. Even local officials and generals began to curry favor with him, sending supplies of grain and meat.
The only thing everyone was watching was where Li Jian Cheng intended to go. If he was heading straight for Jiangdu, then he would still be a Loyal Minister to the emperor, making it unnecessary for them to show him favor.
However, if Li Jian Cheng was headed for the Eastern Capital or other counties—essentially anywhere but to meet the emperor—it would imply his intention to establish himself as an independent power.
Everyone understood that with Li Jian Cheng's family background, reputation, and connections, once he raised his banner, countless people would respond. He would instantly become one of the most formidable forces in the realm.
Of course, it would be worth their investment; they could even stake their lives and fortunes on it, all for the glory of the dragon.
At this moment, most of Taiyuan had already been occupied by Li Shanfei, with only Jinyang City still holding out under the command of General Pan Changwen. Originally hoping for reinforcements from Zhang Suduo, they were now left without any further orders from the court. Unless something unexpected happened, Jinyang wouldn't hold out much longer.
Li Jian Cheng sent someone to deliver a message to the rebel camp. Li Shanfei, whose real name was Wei Dao'er and who was illiterate, received the letter. The second-in-command, Manticore King Wang Xuba, who had attended a few years of private school, read it and then turned to Wei Dao'er.
"The Lord wants us to meet him."
Wei Dao'er scoffed. "We brothers have nearly two hundred thousand troops; we can declare ourselves kings or emperors at will. Taiyuan will soon be ours. Why should we go meet him just because he asks?
Let’s not forget that he merely gave us some silver back in the day. Even if my old man came back to life now and dared to point fingers at me, I’d chop him up and feed him to the dogs!
Old Wang, I've already received word that he escaped from Turkic territory. I've been generous enough not to send anyone to ambush him; isn’t this mercy enough to repay my debt?"
Before Wang Xuba could speak, someone below immediately responded, "Exactly! Who does he think he is to meet the king? It should be him coming to pay his respects to us. Who knows, maybe the king will even promote him to a county magistrate!"
"Hahaha." Wei Daor pointed at the speaker and said, "Well said! You are a talent; I want to promote you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Since you are destined to be an emperor, I will follow you, and sooner or later, I will also become a marquis. At that time, I can promote that fellow named Li."
Wei Daor laughed heartily but suddenly changed his expression to a cold glare at Wang Xuba. "Brother, don't forget those little favors. We fight tooth and nail, and he can take away our foundation with just one word. Why should we allow that?"
Wang Xuba nodded in response. "Alright, I'll listen to you. In the future, I'll find an opportunity to repay him a favor."
Satisfied, Wei Daor nodded and then ordered someone to drive the Messenger away while secretly sending someone to follow him. If Li Jian Cheng did not leave, they would kill him!
Not far from Jinyang City, on a low mountain, Li Jian Cheng gazed at Jinyang and said, "Back when I followed Yang Su, Prince Pinghan, and Yang Liang into Jinyang after our victory, I thought how wonderful it would be if I could stay here as the governor."
"Jinyang has long awaited the Lord's return!"
The speaker was a member of the Taiyuan Wang Clan, representing several other prominent families from Taiyuan. Li Jian Cheng had some connections with him during his time in Jinyang, and over the years they had exchanged gifts during festivals.
"What about General Pan?" Li Jian Cheng hesitated. "I do not wish to pledge loyalty to the Sui Court again, but I also do not want to be enemies with my former comrades."
Wang Tian was delighted upon hearing this. With someone like Li Jian Cheng refusing to serve the court, there were only two paths left: either live in obscurity or establish himself independently.
"General Pan is devoted to protecting the people. Although he may not be well-versed in literature, he is a gentleman by character."
Li Jian Cheng nodded; a gentleman could be deceived with righteousness.
After Wang Tian left, the Messenger, who had been driven out by Wei Dao'er, returned to report. His face bore some bruises, clearly a sign of having been insulted, yet he conveyed everything he had seen and heard without any personal emotion.
"This was something someone slipped into Rascal's arms amidst the chaos, and then Rascal was thrown out of the camp."
Zhang Hutan took the letter, opened it, and handed it to Li Jian Cheng. The handwriting was familiar, and it contained only a location, just twenty miles away.
After pondering for a moment, Li Jian Cheng immediately led his over four thousand troops away, seemingly heading towards the Eastern Capital.
That night, under the protection of Zhang Hutan and Qin Shubao, he made his way to that place. Zhang Hutan scouted the surroundings in advance; with his skills, as long as there were enough ambushing troops, they would certainly notice any movements.
If it weren't for the large force of hidden troops surrounding them, with his and Qin Shubao's abilities, no one could stop them from escorting the Lord away!
After a while, Zhang Hutan brought someone over—it was none other than Wang Xuba, known as the Manticore King. He appeared to be around forty years old, tall and robust with large hands, yet his demeanor still carried a hint of refinement.
"Rascal greets the Lord!"
Li Jian Cheng frowned. "You shouldn't have come in person. Wei Dao'er is cunning and suspicious; he will definitely send someone to verify whether you are in the tent."
"Reporting to the Lord, thanks to your great fortune, Rascal has secretly found my brother. We were born from the same womb; aside from our very close elders, no one can tell us apart. I have ordered my brother to patrol the camp; seeing me on patrol will raise no suspicions from Wei Dao'er."
Only then did Li Jian Cheng nod. "Since you are willing to come alone tonight, it seems you still recognize me."
"The great virtue of the Lord from years past is etched in my heart. Rascal remembers it deeply and waits for the day I can repay even a fraction of it and serve under your command!"
“Lord, under Rascal's command, there are one hundred thousand men, but only forty thousand are truly capable of battle. Wei Daor is slightly stronger; he has over sixty thousand troops at his disposal.”
Li Shanfei's group claims to have five hundred thousand soldiers, but in reality, they only have one hundred thousand. The rest are old and weak commoners who have been forcibly conscripted.
Li Jian Cheng glanced at Zhang Hutan and Qin Shubao and smiled, “That’s enough.”
“I’ve heard that you are taking turns to launch the main attack?”
“Yes, for the next few days, it will be under Wei Daor’s command, and then Rascal will attack Jinyang City.”
“Good. When you launch your main assault, we will feign a breach in the city. You will lead your troops into the city directly. Once Wei Daor also enters, you will coordinate with the ambush troops on both sides to counterattack him. I will lead my forces to strike his rear; at that time, his troops will surely be routed.”
After listening, Wang Xuba swallowed hard and said, “Isn’t this… Lord, a bit too trusting of Rascal?”
Li Jian Cheng replied lightly with a smile, “It’s just Jinyang City. I can easily escape if needed; I could raise an army in Chang'an or Luoyang just the same. But it would be much harder for you to survive under Wei Daor.”
“Even if you manage to survive under Wei Daor's command, I will find time in the future to send troops to crush you. You are merely a ragtag bunch; you should thank Li Mi for killing Zhang Suduo.”
…………
(End of Chapter)
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