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Chapter 199: Jiangdu
The Western Qin surrendered without a fight, and the rear of Guanzhong was completely stabilized. Tang Wang's prestige soared, and all members of the Qin Clan eagerly enlisted to achieve merit.
Li Jian Cheng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the World Map of Terrain hanging in the Martial Virtue Hall. He had fully grasped the northern prefectures; even without further arrangements, this alone was enough for recruitment to the south and to claim the world.
Historically, Li Tang faced a situation where Luoyang was held by Wang Shichong, Kanto by Li Mi, He Dong by Liu Wuzhou, Hebei by Dou Jiande, Longxi by Xue Ju, and the Northern Region still had Liang Shidu. It could be said that he was surrounded on all sides.
Now, however, Xue Ju had submitted along with Longxi and other regions. Xiao Xian from the Shu Region would also inevitably bow to family pressure. The Qin Emperor and the various Han Gao emperors had laid the foundation for unifying the world.
Liu Wuzhou and Liang Shidu had already fled to Shu, Li Mi had never escaped from Li Jian Cheng's grasp, and Wang Shichong was trapped in Luoyang awaiting death, with Zhai Rang's hundred thousand troops encamped below the city.
Li Shimin had been stationed in Jiangdu, while generals like Li Jing, Li Xiaogong, Qin Shubao, and Luo Yi had begun their eastern campaigns. Figures like Dou Jiande were nothing more than a rabble and hardly worth mentioning.
As news of Xue Ju's submission to Tang Wang spread throughout the land, local heroes once again began to respond eagerly to Tang Wang's Edict. For instance, Left General of the Left Wing Guards Guo Zihe, Hejian Wang Cong, and Li Gui of Liangzhou joined in. There were even reports of the Turkic Khagan entering Chang'an to submit to Tang Wang, with Shibi Khan sending his sister as a tribute.
With control over Liangzhou, Tang Wang gained several thousand Turkic cavalry at his disposal. However, apart from presiding over court meetings, he began to appear less frequently in public. Many who were once familiar with him started to regard him with increasing awe.
At this moment, Li Jian Cheng was not worried about the remaining heroes across the land. The sword in his hand was already unstoppable; yet a true dragon emperor must wield both a sword and a doctrine.
He needed to persuade those under his rule to believe that he represented divine power, historical trends, and righteous direction—destiny itself!
He first conferred upon Xue Ju the title of Duke of Fen because his ancestral home was in He Dong's Fen Yin and appointed him as Minister of War. Xue Ju paid great respects to Tang Wang and proclaimed his holy virtue!
Then he promoted Xiao Yu for his significant contributions to Duke of Song and appointed him as Minister of Civil Affairs.
In June, Wang Tong's disciples arrived in the capital one after another. Tang Wang designated them as Wende Hall Scholars and discussed "the way of emperors is dark and unclear," ultimately concluding that a nation's rise or fall depended on various talents. The cultivation of talent required education through schools; only with qualified individuals could royal governance be advocated clearly and Confucianism revitalized.
Before anyone could react, Tang Wang ordered discussions on "the Three Teachings" which left all renowned monks in Chang'an astonished as they rushed into Wende Hall for collective deliberation.
"We have received the great favor of the Predecessor Emperor. Now, bowing our heads to serve our enemies and being driven by them, how can we face the world? I must kill him; I have no regrets in death!"
Shen Guang looked at the young men before him, among them was Mai Mengcai, the son of Iron Staff, and Qian Jie, the commander of the Imperial Guard. These were the last loyal generals to Yang Guang.
It was almost there. Shen Guang's gaze shifted to the Governor's Office in Jiangdu, where Li Shimin was having tea with Chen Ling, the Left Military Guard General. He was expressing his frustrations, feeling that despite all his abilities, he could only watch as chaos reigned without being able to achieve anything.
Chen Ling did not pay much attention to what he said; he was deep in thought but eventually nodded. "As for Er Lang Jun, we must drive Yuwen Huaji out of Jiangdu."
Although Yuwen Huaji would eventually leave regardless, the distinction was significant. Most importantly, Li Shimin could seize control of the Valiant Fruit Army and the Imperial Guards through this action.
At that moment, Yuwen Huaji was gathering treasures in Jiangdu and delaying his return to Guanzhong. Undoubtedly, Yuwen Huaji did not want to go back; however, having committed regicide and usurpation, if he did not satisfy the wishes of the Guanzhong soldiers to return home, how could he expect to survive?
He said to Yuwen Zhiji, "Guanzhong has already been occupied by Li Jian Cheng. If we go back now, aren't we just sending sheep into a tiger's mouth?"
Yuwen Zhiji reassured him, "The Valiant Fruit Army is elite among the world; no one can stop their longing for home. Perhaps we can defeat Li Jian Cheng and reclaim Guanzhong to achieve our Great Undertaking!"
Yuwen Huaji remained skeptical. It had been over a decade since he had gained any advantage over Li Jian Cheng, even with his father Yuwen Shu as support.
Yuwen Zhiji knew they had little chance of defeating Li Jian Cheng but took comfort in the fact that it was his brother who held a grudge against him and who had ordered the regicide.
If things truly became impossible, then sacrificing his brother for self-preservation would be the only option.
Feeling somewhat guilty, Yuwen Zhiji comforted his brother and encouraged him to seek pleasure among Yang Guang's concubines. Yuwen Huaji's greed and lust far exceeded Yang Guang's, allowing him to cast aside his worries and indulge himself.
Just when Yuwen Huaji thought he could enjoy imperial pleasures for a while longer, Shen Faxing, the Governor of Wu Xing County, suddenly raised an army to avenge the emperor and eliminate the regicidal traitors.
With local troops and young men from his clan as the backbone, he gathered eight thousand troops and marched straight toward Jiangdu. Passing through Yuhang County and attacking Piling along the way, he amassed an army of sixty thousand under the banner of avenging their lord.
In Jiangdu City, Li Shimin, Shen Guang, and Chen Ling made a grand appearance, denouncing Yuwen Huaji and others for plotting treason and threatening to execute Yuwen Huaji by slow slicing.
Upon learning this, Yuwen Huaji hurriedly ordered Sima Dekan to lead troops to kill them. However, unexpectedly, half of the Valiant Fruit Army directly turned against him, while the other half hesitated to act. Who didn't know that Guanzhong was already under Tang Wang's control?
Killing Tang Wang's brother, not only would he be unable to return to Guanzhong, but even the families and clansmen in Guanzhong would be implicated. With this thought in mind, another half defected.
Yuwen Zhiji quickly ordered a retreat and then disregarded everything else. With his brother Consultation outside and Shen Faxing alongside Li Shimin inside, Jiangdu could not be held any longer. He immediately decided to abandon Jiangdu and led the remaining sixty to seventy thousand troops to flee, lest they lose every last soldier.
Li Shimin led the troops to rescue Empress Xiao and then allowed Yuwen Huaji to escape. Li Shimin, Shen Guang, and Chen Ling exhumed the emperor's body for reburial, performing the rites according to imperial customs and beginning the mourning period.
The citizens of Jiangdu City spontaneously came out to pay their respects to the emperor. The emperor had never treated the people of Jiangnan harshly as a conquered nation; instead, he had always respected their cultural achievements and elevated their political status. The people of Jiangnan were quite grateful for this.
After burying Yang Guang, Li Shimin naturally took control of Jiangdu. He promised the Valiant Fruit Army that those who wished to return could immediately go back to Guanzhong. Those who hoped to achieve fame and honor could stay.
Some people, thinking of their wives and children, immediately decided to return. These individuals could not be stopped, so Li Shimin arranged for the Guardians to lead them back to Guanzhong.
Others were not in such a hurry. They voluntarily joined the Valiant Fruit Army, having come with the intention of achieving merit and following Tang Wang's younger brother, certain that they would return home in glory.
…………
(End of Chapter)
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