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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 184 Destiny
But the battlefield has never been a place of fairness. The heavy cavalry surged into Wei Daor's rear like a searing brand, causing chaos among his troops. Bodies were torn apart, some pierced by long spears, others trampled to death by iron steeds.
Their long swords and short spears posed no threat to the armored cavalry; it was pure slaughter and panic. In their collapse, no one dared to strike at the suddenly appearing cavalry, instead turning their fury on their fellow soldiers blocking their escape.
Li Jian Cheng watched from a distance, having personally occupied Taiyuan. His father and father-in-law controlled Chang'an, while Li Jing, Li Xiaogong, and Dan Xiongxin were in Zhuojun. These three strongholds served as the core for expanding their influence and swallowing the surrounding prefectures.
If Chen Bing Luoyang's Zhai Rang and Li Mi could respond to him as well, then peace would soon return to the land, allowing the people to recuperate.
The situation at the city gate finally reached Wei Daor's ears. His face turned pale with fear as he immediately sought to gather his confidants to help him escape through another gate.
However, after dealing with some bandits looting within the city, the commander of Jinyang had already led his troops to encircle Jinyang City. They occupied the high ground and drew their bows.
Wei Daor was forced to press forward, but ahead lay Wang Xuba's troops. The two sides had been evenly matched, but now with Wei Daor's rear under attack, his front lines began to falter as well.
Seeing Wei Daor's banner appear, Wang Xuba stepped forward and shouted, "Wei Daor, Right General of the Imperial Guards! Crown Prince of the Duke of Tang, Li Langjun has arrived. Why do you not kneel and surrender? Considering our years of friendship, I might still plead for you before my lord!"
At last, Wei Daor realized who had ambushed his rear; no wonder Wang Xuba had turned against him so decisively—he was once their benefactor.
Just as Wei Daor hesitated, cavalry burst through the city gates. Their horses could no longer charge; they dismounted to fight. Without their steeds, they became heavily armored infantry, discarding their heavy lances and spears to pick up weapons from fallen foes.
On the battlefield, armor was key; any weapon with a blade or point would suffice.
Faced with these seemingly invincible armored soldiers, the bandits dared not advance. They scattered in panic only to be intercepted by Pan Changwen's arranged city guards.
The servants of various great families in Jinyang City also joined the fray. Although their numbers were not overwhelming, their noble heritage ensured they were well-equipped with armor and weapons, making them more than capable of dealing with the fleeing bandits.
With no way out and surrounded on all sides, the rebel forces suddenly became recklessly brave in their desperation. They launched a fierce assault against Wang Xuba at his weakest point, nearly breaking through his lines.
Fortunately, Wang Xuba was doing his utmost to maintain order, and his subordinates understood that this was crucial for their future. Thus, they fought fiercely. Qin Shubao, covered in blood, roared, "Send my lord's command: those who kneel and surrender shall be spared!"
The other soldiers echoed his shout, and soon everyone in the city began to respond. Their voices thundered like divine wrath. The rebels, who had been fighting desperately, suddenly halted. With the sound of weapons clattering to the ground, they gradually knelt down, trembling in fear.
Outside the city, Li Jian Cheng heard the commotion. He slowly rode towards Jinyang City, surrounded by dozens of guards who silently protected him from stray arrows.
...
In front of Duke Tang's Residence, carriages flowed like water and horses were as numerous as dragons. Even the wide streets outside were blocked, yet officials and scholars continued to rush in with carts full of gifts.
The gates of Duke Tang's Residence were tightly shut, preventing outsiders from entering but unable to stop relatives and old friends from clamoring inside. They were all extremely excited.
"Jian Cheng has returned!"
"Wonderful! Heaven favors our Qilin Child!"
"Heaven blesses us; our ancestors are showing their spirit!"
"I heard he reached Taiyuan County. Oh dear, he should return to Zhuojun or Chang'an instead; such a precious son cannot remain in danger."
"Chengxi, didn't your family send anyone to welcome the Lord?"
"How could that be? I will immediately send my nephews to lead the Guardians to greet him!"
Li Yan, sitting in a side hall, was also restless. Finally receiving a secret letter, he relaxed after reading it, but the smile on his face was impossible to suppress.
Beside him, Xiao Cong quickly snatched the letter and, after reading it, clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Chang'an is secure!"
The two exchanged a glance and made their way to the Main Hall. Everyone immediately bowed in greeting and then eagerly inquired about Li Jian Cheng's news.
They were all genuine relatives, and when their own families lacked the strength to seize power, they naturally hoped that their kin would succeed—anything was better than outsiders.
Currently, only the Li Family had sufficient strength and prestige, but the military power and influence of the Li Family were concentrated in Li Jian Cheng's hands. Therefore, after Li Jian Cheng fell into Turkic captivity, they had tacitly worked together to try to rescue him.
Unfortunately, the Turks were vigilant, and their efforts had failed. They never expected that Li Jian Cheng would manage to escape on his own.
Moreover, news arrived yesterday that Zhuojun had already raised an army, swallowing up Shanggu, Yuyang, Anle, Hejian, and the Four Commanderies, renaming it Youzhou and honoring Li Jian Cheng as its lord.
The struggle for supremacy in the world was like a game of chess; it was always about gold edges and silver corners. Youzhou was located in the north and encompassed Liaodong City in the east. It seemed that soon they could incorporate Beiping and Liucheng into their territory.
With a little more consolidation, they could march southward to swallow Hejian and Qi County, recruiting two or three hundred thousand troops. Who in the world could stand against them?
"Li Gong, where is the Lord now? Does he have enough guards with him?"
"Is Zhuojun's Li Jing behaving? Until we can confirm things, we should let the Lord return to Chang'an first; everything else can be dealt with gradually."
Li Yan waved his hand. Once everyone quieted down, he announced, "My son Jian Cheng has broken through twenty thousand troops led by Li Shanfei with just a thousand riders. He has relieved Jinyang City from siege and has been welcomed into Jinyang as its lord by the city’s commander Pan Changwen and other prominent families. He has gathered an army of one hundred thousand bandits and is currently reclaiming all of Taiyuan."
Such news left everyone in disbelief. A thousand riders breaking through twenty thousand troops to take control of Jinyang and gathering an army of one hundred thousand—every detail seemed too incredible to accept, let alone all together.
They scrutinized Li Yan closely, hoping to see any signs of doubt on his face. But the more they looked at him, the more uneasy they felt. Could it really be true?
Xiao Cong spoke, "Taiyuan is not far from Chang'an; this news will spread back quickly."
It must be true. Ambition ignited in everyone's eyes. Under the Yang Family, they were not considered true nobility, but under the Li Family, they would be genuine Royal Relatives.
They all bowed in silence, and Li Yan said, "The guards at the city gates and in the palace need to be replaced with our own people. We should send more people to persuade the Wei Family; after all, we are all relatives and there's no need to make it too ugly."
Xiao Cong instructed, "Do not recall the younger members from their posts; let them continue their duties."
Everyone nodded in agreement and then dispersed. They each had their own relatives, and such a good opportunity could not be missed by their own people.
Soon, the news spread throughout Chang'an. In the end, everyone only had one thing to say: Destiny indeed belongs to the Li Clan!
………
The previous chapter had two Easter eggs that were delayed due to slow review; they have just been released now.
For those who missed it, you can go back and take a look.
(^_)☆
(End of Chapter)
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