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墨書 Inktalez
In a city as large as Puzhou, the power dynamics were incredibly complex. Even the imperial envoy could not fully control it, let alone the rebel Han Wang.
Anyone with a bit of insight knew that once Han Wang abandoned his advance, defeat was inevitable. Even if he managed to reclaim the territory of Qi State, it would not matter; the imperial court could mobilize troops from across the realm to wipe him out completely.
Thus, after Li Jian Cheng entered the city, he was surrounded by elderly men and middle-aged individuals. Some of them held no official positions, yet with a single command, they could easily rally hundreds of young men, many of whom were officials and soldiers from Puzhou City.
While Li Jian Cheng and his companions shouted outside the city, these individuals ordered fires to be set and rumors to be spread throughout the city, creating chaos that made it impossible for the defending general to discern the actual situation.
Moreover, they had secretly won over two of Han Wang's generals, Wang Dan and Zhang Qie. Their combined troops numbered around twenty to thirty thousand. When they suddenly turned against Han Wang, it naturally terrified the remaining rebels, who fled the city under He Danguai's leadership.
This was different from the executed envoy; he had a chance to turn the tide but fled out of fear, thus his death was not unjust.
Han Wang's general was clever enough to remain in the city. He could withstand the pressure, but his soldiers could not. They were already burdened by the weight of rebellion and dared not think about what would happen if they lost. Even if they won, it wouldn’t lead to titles or positions for them.
If things dragged on further, it was uncertain whether his men might turn against him. Fleeing the city at least allowed him to leave some soldiers for Han Wang, which wouldn’t be a complete loss.
“General Li, we have always been loyal subjects. A few days ago, we had no choice but to endure under the overwhelming force of the rebels. We ask you to speak on our behalf before His Majesty and the Left Minister.”
“My son has been under your Lordship’s care in the capital. This time, thanks to your Lordship’s assistance, he has escaped from danger. I am deeply grateful!”
Li Jian Cheng smiled and interrupted them: “This time we were able to capture Puzhen Pass and Puzhou City so smoothly thanks to everyone’s efforts. Jian Cheng is not one to hide achievements or resent talent; I will ensure your contributions are recognized by His Majesty.”
“Ah! Your Lordship truly lives up to your reputation!”
“Oh no, Jian Cheng is merely fulfilling his duty. Your willingness to take such risks shows your loyalty to His Majesty; it is commendable.”
Li Jian Cheng enjoyed conversing with everyone while Li Jing preferred not to engage in such social niceties. He went off to organize the soldiers and ordered someone to deliver news of their victory to Yang Su's tent.
Li Jian Cheng returned home reeking of alcohol, while Li Jing had just completed his patrol of the city defenses. He had organized a patrol team with his personal guards, ready to execute anyone who dared to be negligent.
Li Jing showed no signs of fatigue as he said to Li Jian Cheng, "We now have an additional thirty thousand men and can continue our advance."
Li Jian Cheng replied, "I have received news that Li Zixiong has captured Dou Kang and dispatched thirty thousand troops from Youzhou to crush the rebel forces west of Jingxing Pass. Meanwhile, Yang Yichen has also defeated Qiao Zhongkui's army. Han Wang can only muster about a hundred thousand troops now."
Li Jing's eyes lit up. "Then we should press our advantage. If we win a few more battles, we can build momentum. I am confident we can breach Jinyang and capture Han Wang."
"The premise is that Yang Su fully supports us," Li Jian Cheng shook his head. "He must ensure our supply lines are secure and occupy the cities and passes we capture to prevent us from being attacked from both sides, ultimately leaving us with the scraps."
"But didn't you say that Yang Su is now too afraid to take credit for any achievements?"
"Yes, he is afraid, which is why this major victory will be handed over to us. However, Yang Su is not alone; he is caught in a bind. His former students and associates may not be willing to waste their lives in obscurity alongside him."
"They want achievements to continue rising in rank and status. Yang Su can satisfy their ambitions, but what is he in court? Where are Gao Shan's former students now?"
Li Jing paused for a moment before saying, "So regardless of whether Yang Su wants it or not, he will have to lead troops himself to eliminate Han Wang."
Li Jian Cheng nodded. Han Wang was a tempting target, but currently no one else could take a bite out of him. Although Li Zixiong could have marched directly on Jinyang after breaking through Jingxing Pass, he suddenly halted his troops for this very reason.
Li Jian Cheng understood his own position. After his conversation with Yang Guang last time, he realized that his greatest advantage—being young and trusted—was gone. The emperor had begun treating him like a normal minister.
In previous years, he could act with impunity in Capital City because of the Crown Prince's favor. He could freely associate with the prince and take whatever he wanted from the Crown Prince's Residence.
Now, however, Yang Guang would not even allow Li Jian Cheng a glance at the treasures within the palace. He had turned cold and ungrateful; this was typical of Yang Guang.
Li Jian Cheng had long been prepared for this shift. Many people faltered in their relationships because they continued to see today's person as yesterday's.
His opportunity to take the first bite of meat came because Yang Su was still unaware of Yang Guang's change in attitude toward him. Moreover, if he continued his advance, Yang Su would likely still support him, providing a reason to redirect the anger of his subordinates toward the Li Family.
Even with the emperor's backing, it would only result in mutual destruction at most, allowing him to avoid taking too much credit and being left with nothing to gain. It seemed that Yang Su would still calculate this account.
...
Li Jian Cheng and Li Jing welcomed Yang Su's army outside the city. Their combined forces numbered around one hundred thousand, but they still had to leave troops stationed to guard the passes and city walls, which meant that the troops they could mobilize were still at a disadvantage.
However, things were already quite different from the beginning. After entering the city, Yang Su praised Li Jian Cheng and Li Jing for their achievements, stating that he had already reported their victories to the emperor.
After expressing their gratitude, the two began discussing the next steps in the war with everyone. But as Li Jian Cheng had anticipated, Yang Su clearly wanted to slow down the pace. Meanwhile, several of his generals insisted on taking an oath of military loyalty to express their eagerness to fight.
Li Jing attempted to speak several times but was interrupted by others, leaving him with no opportunity to voice his thoughts.
That night, several prominent families from Puzhou City came to visit Yang Su, bringing with them dozens of horse-drawn carriages filled with goods. The following day, they sent over a dozen carriages of goods to Li Jian Cheng.
Clearly, they feared that sending goods to Li Jian Cheng first would offend the Left Minister, which was quite understandable.
While Yang Su had yet to make a decision, news of Puzhou City's fall reached Han Wang. In despair, Pei Wen'an, who had been pleading for help, stood up and pointed at Han Wang: "Your indecisiveness has caused you to miss a golden opportunity. How can you achieve the Great Undertaking? We have erred in supporting a useless ruler; we deserve death a thousand times over."
Already frightened and trembling, Han Wang was enraged by the accusation and ordered for the man to be executed immediately. He also commanded that the man's family be imprisoned, with one member executed each day thereafter.
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