A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 1151 Finding Wealth in Danger

"I'm really fucking convinced,"

Cheng Yaojin threw down the two drumsticks, sat down under the cowhide war drum and sighed. Even this brave warrior was a little out of breath at this moment, "Nothing can escape Wu Erlang's calculations. He had already calculated the rebellion of those jackals."

A lieutenant also said, "Fortunately, the Minister of War had prepared in advance and asked us to be on guard. Otherwise, we would have been caught off guard and might have suffered a loss."

"Don't give in to others' arrogance. Even if Huaiyu didn't send anyone to remind me, I have thousands of men guarding this strong city. How can I not defend it?"

The captain immediately said, "What the chief steward said is true. They are numerous and powerful, so what? They are just a mob. The chief steward didn't take them seriously. We didn't retreat to the city, but directly lined up outside the city to fight. We still killed them."

Cheng Yaojin likes to hear this flattery.
"You know nothing, kid. There is no reason to defend a city. Even if the enemy outnumbers us, we cannot sit in an isolated city. The Art of War says that defending a big city requires a field battle, and defending an isolated city means sitting and waiting to be killed."

A lieutenant beside him seemed to have read military books and was a bit serious. "General Manager, if the enemy outnumbers us and has siege equipment, then we can't just sit and defend the city alone. But our enemies this time, although they have a large number of people, are a group of troops temporarily united. It's a bit too much to say that they are a mob, but they are indeed not in harmony. Moreover, they are nomadic cavalry who suddenly attacked. They don't have siege equipment and are not good at attacking cities. I think we can just stay in the city and there is no need to worry."

"You know nothing, kid. You think you know the art of war after reading a few sentences in a military book? The best defense is offense! Although we have a strong city to defend, don't forget that we have only been here for a short time. What kind of people are there in this city? It used to be Helu's old nest. The people in this city are either Turks or Sogdians, and some surrendered soldiers from Gaochang.

These people surrendered on the surface, but how did they rebel against Qibi Heli before?

Although Qibi Heli killed thousands of people, those people surrendered on the surface, but they must be more resentful in their hearts. Now that Helu's army is attacking from outside, these people will definitely be ready to make a move.
We closed the door and guarded the city.

With his superior military strength, Helu could calmly arrange the siege from outside. Although his troops were temporarily assembled from various parts, the longer the time, the better their coordination would be. Moreover, although they were not good at siege, they were not incapable of it. As long as they had time, they could also build siege equipment.
Although Futu City is the largest city in the north of Tanhan Mountain, it is nothing compared to the cities in the Central Plains. If we attack from outside and someone in the city starts a riot to support us,

Do you think that is still the best strategy to defend the city?"

Old Cheng taught the two captains, "Besides, I have fought in many battles, so why should I be afraid of Helu and his like? Why should I hide in the city?

I want to fight, I will fight outside the city, I will take advantage of their lack of stability, their lack of coordination, and their underestimation of the enemy, and I will defeat them severely.

Look, isn't this the result I expected?"

The captains looked at the vast night,

Smelling the thick bloody smell in the air,

Then look at the temporary prisoner camp outside the city, which is packed with prisoners, and prisoners are still being brought in.
It is indeed as Deputy Chief Cheng said. If they had closed the gates and guarded the city, the situation would be completely different now. The Helu army must have surrounded Futu City like an iron barrel. Maybe the Hu people in the city would rebel.

"The chief steward is very wise,"

"Go, go, go, help capture the prisoners, and send people to strengthen the city's defense. Don't take it lightly. Although the enemy has been defeated and fled, they are just scattered and the casualties are not heavy. They may strike back at any time." Old Cheng waved his hand.

This battle was not easy.
Although the results were good,

Lao Cheng sat there for a long time to catch his breath, then returned to the city.
Climbing up to the top of Futu City, there is the tall Tanhan Mountain to the south, where there is a Thousand Buddha Cave. There are also many Buddha statues in Futu City. The name of Futu City originated from the fact that the Turkic Khan welcomed the Buddha statue and built a large Buddhist temple in the city to house it. The stupa is the Buddha statue.

"Please ask General Qibi to come."

The battle is over, but there are some things I still need to talk to Qibi Heli about. This guy is too domineering and doesn't obey orders at all.

Although his final attack today had a good result, it was also very risky. At that time, the Tang army had fought a bloody day and the soldiers were extremely exhausted. Qibi Heli didn't even say hello and just chased them directly. If he was not careful, he might end up like a meat bun hitting a dog and never come back.
If they were destroyed, it might cause a ripple effect, endangering not only Cheng Yaojin and his men, but also the entire Tang army in Futu City.

Everyone would have a headache with this kind of general.

Qibi Heli had not yet taken off his armor and came over looking a little tired.

"The chief steward is looking for me."

"It's the deputy general manager," Lao Cheng asked him to sit down, "I just made some milk tea, but it's not ready yet. Eat some milk tofu and beef jerky to fill your stomach first."

Qibi Heli was not polite at all. He did not care that he was wearing iron armor and was covered with uncoagulated blood. He just sat on the carpet and started to wolf down the food. He was very hungry after a day's work.

Old Cheng also chewed the beef jerky in big mouthfuls. "Just eat something to fill your stomach first. I'll have someone kill some cattle and sheep and stew them. We'll have the meat and soup, and there will also be soup noodles."

The two of them stopped talking and just ate.

It took a while before it finally stopped.

"Chief Qibi was very brave today. This final blow killed the rebel Helu and his men and made them flee in panic. It was so satisfying."

The milk tea was ready. Lao Cheng poured a cup for Qibi and himself, and began to praise He Li's bravery.

He Li drank the milk tea in big gulps, feeling very comfortable and even a little sleepy.

But he still cheered up, "It's all because of Mr. Cheng's good command."

"I didn't give any orders. It was the Minister of War who planned and anticipated the enemy's moves. If it weren't for the Minister of War's reminder, we wouldn't have expected Helu to rebel, and to win over so many troops at once."

He Li nodded, "Prime Minister Wu is indeed worthy of being called the God of War, and he is a master at using troops."

"General Qibi, although we won the battle today, it is still very dangerous."

He Li understood what Cheng Yaojin wanted to say, and said directly, "I attacked without authorization today. I apologize to Mr. Cheng. No matter how you deal with me, I will accept it."

Old Cheng waved his hand and said, "You have done a great deed today. It doesn't matter whether you will be punished or not. I just asked General Qibi to come so that we can have a chat. In the future, it is better to be more stable." "I will listen to you, Mr. Cheng."

Qibi Heli behaved very well, which was completely different from how he repeatedly disobeyed orders on the battlefield. Seeing this, Lao Cheng didn't know what to say. Heli knew everything, but still did his own thing every time. If he was an ordinary officer, Lao Cheng might have killed him if he got angry.

But after all, Qibi Heli did not cause any bad consequences this time, and secondly, his identity was not simple.

As the leader of the Qibi tribe, and having submitted to the imperial court for ten years, he was deeply appreciated and trusted by the emperor, and he was also the princess of the imperial family. Even though Wu Huaiyu had previously submitted a memorial to the emperor, and the emperor had dismissed He Li from his post as the general of the Right Dragon Army and the commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition Army,
But he still held the rank of general of the garrison army.

The emperor still allowed him to serve under Wu Huaiyu to atone for his sins.

Wu Huaiyu originally wanted Old Cheng to replace Qibi Heli, but soon sent someone to make a new appointment, making Qibi Heli Cheng Yaojin's deputy general, leading the Qibi cavalry to guard Futu City.

The two of them are partners now. He Li's official rank and title are the same as his own, so some things can only be said briefly.

He Li finished a cup of milk tea.
Putting down the cup, "Mr. Cheng, I have a plan,"

When Old Cheng heard this, his headache started again.

"Please say,"

"Helu was defeated today. The army must be in a state of panic. I think we can launch a night attack."

Cheng Yaojin frowned.
"Mr. Cheng, please listen to me. Helu and the others never expected that we could launch a night attack tonight. This is the best opportunity."

"General Qibi, our army is already exhausted, and Helu and his men have already fled far away. If we launch a night attack, I'm afraid the soldiers won't be able to hold out. What you said about the enemy not being prepared is just our guess. What if Helu is prepared?
After all, he had just been defeated, and any normal person would know to be more cautious. "

He Li insisted that Helu and his men would not be prepared, because they also knew that the Tang army was extremely exhausted.

"The soldiers can still fight. Helu and his men can't escape far. They must be within a hundred miles. They also need to gather their defeated soldiers and rest. We can attack them when they are unprepared."

Old Cheng had to admire He Li's boldness, and his unique way of thinking. As a general, one cannot use ordinary thinking, so as not to be calculated or predicted.

"I would like to lead the Qibi tribe as the vanguard," He Li asked.
Cheng Yaojin is not the kind of person who follows the rules. He is also a brave man. Sending troops at this time is indeed very risky, but if it succeeds, the benefits will be greater.

Today, despite a bloody battle, we only managed to defend Futu City and defeat the enemy, killing only about 2,000 people and capturing 4,000 to 5,000 people.

This result was actually quite impressive, but neither Lao Cheng nor He Li were satisfied.

In their eyes, Helu's coalition forces had been defeated, and now they only needed a little more to achieve greater results.

"Mr. Cheng, this opportunity cannot be missed,"

"Somewhat adventurous."

"It's a risky move."

Old Cheng was also tempted. If Helu gathered the defeated troops and made a comeback, they would still face great pressure. And if Helu and his men fled and turned to attack other places, then the fat meat at their fingertips would be gone.

Cheng Yaojin was unwilling to give up. If he really ran away, he would not be able to sleep at night.

This is a great achievement.

If we could capture and kill Helu, it would be a great achievement. If we could also cut off a few thousand heads and capture ten or twenty thousand or so, it would be even more amazing.

In this Western Expedition, Old Cheng, the deputy chief steward, did not have any outstanding achievements.

Cheng Yaojin immediately summoned his generals to discuss the matter.

General Zuo Yu Lin, commander of the Flying Cavalry Battalion, Duke of Changdao County Jiang Xingben, Governor of Shazhou, Marquis of Wangdu County Liu Deming, General You Jianmen, Duke of Huaian County Heng Zhixi, General Zuo Tunwei, Bo Qu Rifang, General Zuo Wuhou, Li Hai'an, Governor of Kaizhou Shi Deheng, and Chief Clerk of Zuo Jianmen Mansion Wang Jinwei, all had not yet taken off their armor and rushed over upon hearing the order.

Old Cheng told the generals about his and Qibi Heli's plan.
Upon hearing this, none of the generals tried to dissuade them. Instead, they became excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood, and volunteered to be the vanguard.

Liu Demin, the governor of Shazhou, was the younger brother of Liu Dewei, the minister of justice in the court. He was even more daring. "General Manager, I would like to go to Helu's camp alone to persuade Helu to surrender."

Everyone looked at him in confusion. Although Helu was defeated, it was unlikely that he would be persuaded to surrender.

"If I go to persuade them to surrender, Helu and the others will surely relax their guard, and the Grand Commandant will have a better chance of success if he attacks them. This is what happened when the Duke of Wei and the Prime Minister attacked Jie Li Khan."

As soon as this was said, everyone understood that when Li Jing and Wu Huaiyu attacked Jie Li, Jie Li was defeated again and again, and then the emperor sent Tang Jian to persuade Jie Li to surrender.

As a result, Li Jing and Wu Huaiyu, master and disciple, took advantage of Jie Li's meeting with Tang Jian to raid Jie Li's camp, defeat him again, and chase him to Qikou, where they captured him alive.

This move was quite ruthless, but it also put Tang Jian in danger.
Now Liu Demin took the initiative to propose that, following the example of the past, he would go to Helu Camp alone to solicit surrender. In name only, it was to solicit surrender, but in reality it was to paralyze the enemy and make it easier for the Tang army to attack.

"This is very dangerous." said Lao Cheng.

"Wealth and honor are sought in danger," Liu Demin was not afraid. He chuckled twice, "Maybe when I am in the enemy camp, I can find a chance to chop off Helu's head and grab a great credit!"

(End of this chapter)