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Chapter 145: Military Authority
Li Jian Cheng was promoted and naturally did not hesitate to reward and elevate his subordinates. Dan Xiongxin and Qin Shubao were promoted three ranks, while the newcomer Luo Yi was elevated by one rank.
Additionally, he did not shy away from promoting and recruiting some brave warriors from humble backgrounds, striving to bind the eighty to ninety thousand troops into a cohesive whole.
Then, at the foot of Chen Bing Luoyang, Wei Wensheng and Zhou Fashang soon arrived with their troops. They too had received promotions, placing the three of them at the same level in terms of official rank.
As expected by Li Jian Cheng, despite numerous accusations against him, Wei Wensheng was still promoted, demonstrating the significance of unearthing Yang Su's misdeeds.
After accounting for the casualties from consecutive battles and adding the Provincial Troops that had rushed in from various regions, Li Jian Cheng estimated that they still had just over ninety thousand troops. Zhou Fashang had about forty thousand Naval Forces remaining, while Wei Wensheng managed to gather just over ten thousand Commoners through conscription.
In total, they had around one hundred fifty thousand troops, which was already a considerable force. Standing on the high platform, one could hardly see the end of their ranks. However, looking at Luoyang City before them, from the outer city walls, the southern wall measured seven thousand two hundred ninety meters, the eastern wall seven thousand three hundred twelve meters, the northern wall six thousand one hundred thirty-eight meters, and the southern end of the western wall was approximately six thousand seven hundred seventy-six meters long.
The outer city walls were all built from rammed earth, with a width of about fifteen to twenty meters and a height of over six meters.
At that moment, it was clear that even with one hundred fifty thousand troops—or even double that—no one would dare claim they could conquer such a formidable city. Moreover, among these one hundred fifty thousand troops were many Commoners who had just been forcibly conscripted.
"Attack! The rebels have entered the city only due to internal strife; there must still be many loyal officials and generals within who are faithful to our Sui Dynasty and to His Majesty. As long as we persevere, we will surely find an opportunity to coordinate our efforts from within and without to reclaim Luoyang City!"
Wei Wensheng spoke with a firm and resolute tone to the two men. It sounded less like a consultation and more like an order.
Li Jian Cheng maintained a calm expression, as did Zhou Fashang. At their level, no one could impose their will on another except for the emperor. Even if someone were to take charge, it would undoubtedly be Li Jian Cheng due to his superior military strength.
Realizing he had offended Li Jian Cheng too deeply, Wei Wensheng grasped Li Jian Cheng's hand tightly: "Neither you nor I are as skilled in warfare as General Zhou. It would be better for military authority to rest in one person's hands so that we can act in an orderly manner and more easily suppress the rebellion."
Zhou Fashang's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this. He had always been subordinate to Come to Protect the Child; having finally led troops on his own, he certainly did not want to be under someone younger. Wei Wensheng's words resonated with him.
Li Jian Cheng smiled faintly as he withdrew his hand: "I have no objections; however, I must reiterate that uniting forces without imperial consent is not in accordance with my duties as a minister. Please ask the Minister of Rites to seek His Majesty's decree."
Wei Wensheng knew very well that the emperor would not strip Li Jian Cheng of his military authority at such a critical time. Thus, he could only set aside his pride and plead with Li Jian Cheng: "Li Langjun, our grievances can wait until later; I will certainly provide an explanation to Lord in due time. But at this moment, concerning the fate of our nation, we cannot let personal matters interfere with public duty."
Zhou Fashang nodded in agreement: "Having multiple orders is indeed a grave military taboo. If Li Langjun could take a step back, then any merits would belong to you while any faults would fall upon me and Minister Wei."
Li Jian Cheng looked at the two and said, "It seems there is little we can accomplish today. We will discuss this tomorrow. Please take your leave."
"Li Langjun..."
"Minister of Rites, I am the Grand General appointed by His Majesty. In official matters, please address me by my title."
Once the two had departed, Li Jian Cheng's expression darkened. Wei Wensheng, that old fool, was truly courting death.
Perhaps for Yang Guang, Wei Wensheng could be seen as a Loyal Minister who would risk everything, but for Li Jian Cheng, he was nothing more than a buzzing fly—annoying and detestable.
The next day, they parted ways without resolution. Since Li Jian Cheng held both position and power, he certainly would not relinquish his rightful authority, leading to a stalemate. However, he was not in a hurry.
Seeing that Li Jian Cheng was impervious to both soft and hard tactics, Wei Wensheng had no choice but to persuade Zhou Fashang on behalf of Li Jian Cheng. Originally, Zhou Fashang was also unwilling to back down.
But he understood that his military strength was subordinate to Li Jian Cheng's, and their ranks were the same. Therefore, in the absence of a clear imperial decree, it was appropriate to defer to the other party. If this escalated to the emperor's presence, both of them could jointly impeach him.
He did not possess the deep connections that Li Jian Cheng had nor the absolute loyalty that Wei Wensheng had proven to earn the emperor's trust. In the end, all blame would fall on him.
Thus, the two ultimately acknowledged Li Jian Cheng as their leader. Wei Wensheng once again proposed an attack on Luoyang.
This time, Li Jian Cheng nodded in agreement without hesitation and even directly appointed Wei Wensheng to mobilize troops for the siege. The blatant malice in this decision was astonishing, yet Zhou Fashang also voiced his support.
After all, this old fool had forced him to submit under Li Jian Cheng; if it weren't for this man, they could have each commanded their own armies freely. Now they were reaping what they had sown.
Wei Wensheng had already dug up Yang Su's grave and had no intention of living much longer; thus he accepted the task.
It should be noted that Yang Xuangan was currently riding high and plotting to continue sweeping across the land. He would not shrink back into the city like Fan Zigai; Li Zixiong had already positioned his troops at the city gates, ready for battle—advancing or retreating as needed—waiting for the Sui Army to engage.
Wei Wensheng commanded his troops to attack the city. There were occasional small victories, but more often than not they faced continuous defeats. Still, he insisted on making sure that the officials and citizens within the city knew that the court had not abandoned them.
In the end, Wei Wensheng did not die at the hands of rebel forces; instead, during a night raid by his own soldiers brought from Chang'an, he lost his head. This group of men did not hesitate; taking advantage of the night, they ran to Luoyang City and defected to the rebels.
When Zhou Fashang received orders to come together for a rally, Li Zixiong led the cavalry in a surprise attack, resulting in a complete rout of the front lines. Li Jian Cheng commanded Qin Shubao and Luo Yi to lead the left and right wing troops to provide support, but they could only rescue Zhou Fashang.
With no other choice, they retreated once again, having lost tens of thousands of troops in the blink of an eye, most of whom were captured by Yang Xuangan. This time, they lacked even the resources to attack Luoyang.
Li Jian Cheng visited the seriously injured Zhou Fashang, then returned to his camp to report the losses and seek assistance from Your Majesty.
"In my opinion, it would be better if I delivered this letter personally."
With Wei Wensheng dead, no one dared to restrict the Duke of Tang. Li Yan sat nearby brewing wine; after pouring himself a cup, he poured another for his son.
Li Jian Cheng naturally hoped for that, but speaking frankly would hurt their father-son relationship.
"That's not appropriate. His Majesty is already suspicious; if you go, you will surely be kept close at hand."
Li Yan drank three cups in quick succession. "It makes no difference; it's only a matter of time. His Majesty has already personally led the Valiant Fruit Army here. When he summons me to his side, how can I refuse?
Moreover, regardless of how cleanly Wei Wensheng's death was handled, the Emperor will undoubtedly have suspicions. Only if you go in person can you reassure him and ensure that your military power remains intact."
………………
(End of Chapter)
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