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Chapter 187: King Wang of Fangdu Liu
The next day, Zhai Rang summoned the members of Wagang. In front of everyone, he asked Li Mi whether he intended to leave Wagang and establish himself independently. Li Mi thought Zhai Rang was about to dismiss him, leaving him momentarily unsure of how to respond.
Zhai Rang sat in the main seat and said, "Our Wagang has achieved what we have today thanks to Lord Pushan's strategy in defeating Zhang Suduo. Therefore, I have called all the brothers here to clarify matters in front of them.
I, Zhai Rang, established Wagang primarily for self-preservation, to protect those brothers who have been forced into a corner by the court. Unexpectedly, we now occupy Luokou and besiege Luoyang, becoming one of the prominent powers in the land.
This is the merit of Lord Pushan, which is why I have always held him in high regard and entrusted him with military and administrative authority. I truly do not understand why Lord Pushan chose to abandon his brothers."
Li Mi bowed to Zhai Rang and replied, "I feel deeply ashamed before my brothers. However, in times of urgency, one cannot delay. I do not wish to betray Wagang; it is just that after prolonged attacks on Luoyang without success, it would be better to divide our forces and strike."
The two exchanged compliments while reflecting on their own shortcomings, but the reality was that Wagang had officially split. Li Mi led Wang Bodang and other confidants along with seventy thousand troops and a vast amount of supplies away from Zhai Rang. This caused both Zhai Rang's and Li Mi's reputations to plummet.
Although it did not escalate to armed conflict, in the eyes of the world, Li Mi appeared ungrateful while Zhai Rang seemed incapable of managing his men—both are significant taboos among competing warlords.
However, Li Mi could no longer afford to worry about such matters. Li Jian Cheng was advancing too quickly; if he delayed any further, all hope would be lost—a fate he refused to accept.
He immediately began distributing supplies. Hungry people from all directions brought their elderly and children to the military camp for food, expressing their gratitude and unwillingness to leave. Thus, in a short time, Li Mi expanded his forces to nearly two hundred thousand.
Li Mi proclaimed himself Duke Wei and established the era name Yongping. Although he did not directly declare himself emperor, he had already set up official offices and changed the era name.
He also had Zu Junyan draft a proclamation detailing ten major crimes committed by the emperor—such as patricide and fratricide, indulgence in wine and pleasure while building extravagant pavilions, oppressive taxation, excessive tours without restraint, and rejecting counsel out of jealousy towards capable individuals.
In summary, it was a long list of accusations against the emperor that could fill the bamboo groves of Nanshan with grievances that were endless as the waves of the Eastern Sea.
After completing these tasks, Li Mi finally reached a point where he had to make his own decisions. Luoyang had been under siege for too long, and with Zhai Rang nearby, it was not feasible to simply split Luoyang between them after capturing it.
Li Mi's strategist Chai Xiahe advised him: "The mountains and rivers of Qin are solid; they are what allowed Qin-Han to establish their kingdom. If you lead your elite forces westward to attack Chang'an and successfully capture the capital city while your troops are strong, then you can turn eastward to pacify He and Luo. With a proclamation, you can unify the realm!"
Li Mi hesitated about giving up on Luoyang; they had fought so hard to reach this point that it felt difficult to just hand it over to Zhai Rang.
Chai Xiahe continued persuading him: "Now that Sui has lost its deer, heroes are competing for it. If we do not act soon, someone else will seize it first—and then it will be too late for regrets!"
After much contemplation, Li Mi ultimately refused. He understood that although Chang'an had little military presence stationed there, it was too close to Taiyuan; snatching food from Li Jian Cheng's jaws would be far too dangerous.
It is not a good thing to engage so early, especially since he has no confidence.
Moreover, there is another point. Li Mi said to Chai Xiao, "This is indeed the best strategy, and I have been thinking about it for a long time. However, my troops are all from Shandong, and Luoyang has not yet fallen. Who would be willing to enter the west with me?"
Gathering troops and supplies is easy, but commanding them is difficult. If he were to capture Luoyang and boost morale, perhaps he could attract soldiers with promises of fame and fortune to enter the pass. But now, if he forces it, he fears that half of his two hundred thousand troops would scatter on the way.
Another strategist, Xu Hongke, said, "Although Duke Wei currently has many troops, they may soon run out of supplies and disperse. If we do not take advantage of this moment when morale is high to conquer the surrounding areas, what will we do in the future?"
Li Mi asked, "Do you want to persuade me to attack Luoyang?"
"Not at all," Xu Hongke shook his head and said. "If you wish to rule the world, why focus only on Luoyang? In my opinion, you should seize the opportunity for advancement while your soldiers are still strong. Head east along the river directly towards Jiangdu to capture the Tyrant and command the world!"
After listening, Li Mi's expression was complex. Years ago, he had presented three strategies to Yang Xuangan: the best strategy was to capture Youzhou first; the middle strategy was to directly take Guanzhong; and the worst strategy was to attack Luoyang.
Yang Xuangan had chosen the worst strategy back then, and now time had passed but he still faced these three paths. He couldn't help but recall Yang Xuangan's words before his death.
"Master, some things may seem simple to you but are actually delaying opportunities for me. Only when you reach that position will you understand how difficult it truly is."
It is indeed a bit difficult, Xuan Gan. Li Mi sighed. Just as his troops could not follow him to Guanzhong, they were even less likely to head south to Jiangdu before Luoyang was secured.
So he still had to attack Luoyang; only by capturing Luoyang could he boost morale and then advance westward and southward.
However, Li Mi also cared about his reputation and could not simply turn around and seek an alliance with Zhai Rang again. Therefore, Li Mi first led his troops to capture the surrounding counties of Xiangcheng and Fangling near the Eastern Capital.
...
Wang Yi advised, "My Lord, it is time to enter the pass."
Fang Xuanling also said, "Entering Chang'an and issuing proclamations across the world while sending righteous armies to recover all Prefectures is indeed an urgent matter."
Liu Wenjing added, "Now that Li Mi is besieging Luoyang and the Emperor is far away in Jiangnan with countless righteous armies scattered across various regions blocking mountains and rivers, if you raise the banner of righteousness in accordance with heaven's will, it will not be difficult to pacify the world."
Du Ruhui smiled and said, "With the Lord holding most of the Northern Frontier, who would dare to disobey your words? Following Destiny and the will of the people, residing in Chang'an and commanding the world, within two years, the imperial enterprise can be accomplished!"
After Li Jian Cheng returned to the Central Plains, the reputation he had built over the years was immediately realized. There was no need for him to humble himself and seek out others; those with ambition and talent naturally came to him.
Among them were the resourceful Zhang Liang, the quick-witted Xue Shou, the ceremonious Li Daliang who could be relied upon for major matters, the strategic Liu Wenjing, the insightful Du Ruhui known as the Talent of a Loyal Minister, the well-read Fang Xuanling, and the eloquent Yan Shigu. Chen Shuda, known for his brilliant writing and arguments, was also among them.
Many of these individuals had been friends with Li Jian Cheng for years and had frequently exchanged letters. However, it was only now that they had made up their minds to join him.
Almost everyone was urging Li Jian Cheng to return to Chang'an quickly to establish his rule, but he himself was not in a hurry. He needed to resolve the Turkic issue first. The ruthlessness of Shibi Khan allowed for a swift resolution to this problem.
Although many hidden dangers remained, it had to be acknowledged that the Turkic forces still possessed the strength to march southward. The secret letter sent by Princess Yicheng confirmed this point.
No one was foolish, especially those who could secure their position as Khan of the Turkic tribes. Shibi Khan's execution of his most trusted advisor, Kang Tan, showed that he had already sensed trouble. It would not be difficult for him to investigate any connections between Li Jian Cheng and Kang Tan.
In fact, when Li Jian Cheng left Turkic territory, he had invited Kang Tan to join him. However, being a merchant driven by profit, Kang Tan was unwilling to give up his power in Turkic lands. He wanted both wealth and influence but ultimately lost his life.
Given Li Jian Cheng's understanding of Shibi Khan, it was certain that Kang Tan met a tragic end.
…………
(End of Chapter)
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