Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 589 An unknown premonition

In the signing room of the tower of Hanjia Gate on the south side of Hanjia Granary near the imperial palace in Luoyang City, Li Baochen, who had been on duty all night, could not help but yawn.

He slowly got up and went out, and saw the sun rising. However, this magnificent scenery not only did not make him feel happy, but instead cast a layer of haze over it.

Ever since Marshal Baochen entered Luoyang, rumors have been circulating that he has fifty concubines, which is a tenfold increase.

He just has five concubines!
And it’s not like he was promiscuous. Li Baochen took every woman he had sex with into his room as a concubine. How can that be considered lustful?

However, in recent times, he has not dared to go back to the house to sleep.

Li Baochen was very superstitious. One day, after he let his two concubines sleep with him, he had a strange dream.

In his dream, he came to a life-size bronze mirror and looked in the mirror, but found that the person in the mirror had no head!
He woke up covered in cold sweat, and the horrific dream frightened him out of his wits!

After calming down, Li Baochen thought this was a warning from God. Being headless was obviously an ominous sign, indicating that he was likely to be in danger.

Li Baochen wondered secretly, what exactly are those dangers?

He thought about it and felt that the danger was nothing more than internal and external. Either someone in Luoyang wanted to assassinate him, or someone in Guanzhong or Bianzhou wanted to send troops to attack him.

There was nothing much to say in Luoyang City. Li Baochen thought that others had no chance. Those who did not obey him were dealt with immediately when he entered Luoyang.

However, the danger from outside cannot be ignored.

The terrain of Luoyang is like a mouse trapped in a long and narrow rat hole with both ends blocked.

To the west is a narrow road along the south bank of the Yellow River, and to the east is Hulao Pass.

If we can't get out, it's only a matter of time before we get trapped and killed. It seems that the attack on Henan must be carried out as planned, and it must be done next spring.

Thinking about these troublesome things in his mind, Li Baochen held the parapet with one hand and raised the other hand to block the glaring sunlight.

For some reason, he always felt as if he had overlooked something, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

"General, Li Shiyu wants to see you."

A voice of a personal soldier came from behind Li Baochen.

"Bring to me."

He turned around and gave a casual order.

After the personal soldiers left, Li Baochen finally came to his senses and remembered what he had overlooked.

Shi Siming!
This bastard still has at least 50,000 Youzhou veterans! If he expands his army now, it will be easy to have 100,000 soldiers. Maybe his strength is not inferior to his own.

After a while, Li Shiyu arrived. He just raised his hand and was about to salute Li Baochen, but the general couldn't wait to ask, "What did Shi Siming say? Did he defect to the Guanzhong court?"

Li Shiyu was stunned when he heard this, then smiled bitterly and said, "If he really wanted to defect to Guanzhong, it would be fine. Shi Siming wanted to establish himself as king, but he didn't even want to establish a puppet, and he kept preparing for war in Youzhou."

Sure enough!

Li Baochen clenched his fists tightly.

He could see that Shi Siming was extremely treacherous. When he saw that things were not going well, he returned to his old nest in Youzhou to replenish his blood. If Shi Siming had led his troops to attack the Central Plains, the current situation of the Hebei rebels would definitely be very different.

But then again, even if Shi Siming did this, there was still a practical problem: who would be the boss of the Hebei rebels, and who would obey whose command?
Shi Siming would not submit to Li Baochen either!

The same is true in reverse!
So in the current situation, rather than saying that Shi Siming was scheming deliberately, it would be better to say that he was just going with the flow, pushing Li Baochen to the front and letting him consume the hostile forces, while he hid behind and waited for his chance to act.

"Do you have any ideas?"

Li Baochen looked at Li Shiyu and asked in a low voice.

The latter had a conflicted look on his face and didn't say a word, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Just say it! Hurry up!"

Marshal Baochen became impatient and couldn't help but scold.

"General, my suggestion is to withdraw troops from Hanoi to Yecheng, abandon Luoyang and retreat to Hebei, and join forces with Li Guiren.

Then they went deep into Hebei to protect themselves.

Our situation is a bit dangerous now. Luoyang has too many soldiers and a small area. We are about to be squeezed into a meat pie."

Li Shiyu advised cautiously.

He was quite capable and could immediately see the disadvantages of Luoyang's terrain.

Li Baochen does have a lot of soldiers under his command, but there is a problem... he cannot deploy his troops in Luoyang and cannot carry out various tactical operations.

Even if there were sufficient food and fodder in the Hanjia granary, so many troops could only defend the city.

What's the use of that?
But it would be different if we retreated back to Yecheng. We had stationed heavy troops in Liyang and could attack or defend. We could do whatever we wanted.

We can also march deep into Hebei, front and back, left and right, east, west, south, north, and east. Where can we not go?

Once the space for pulling is opened up, if the enemy forces are strong, they can be lured into deep territory, and if the enemy forces are weak, they can be gathered together and annihilated.

Isn't that good?
Li Shiyu felt that Marshal Baochen was simply a wooden-headed man!

"If we lose Luoyang, we will lose our foundation, which is unacceptable."

Li Baochen shook his head, obviously disagreeing with Li Shiyu's suggestion.

Of course, this can't be blamed on Li Baochen's confusion. If someone else sat in his position, they might be in the same situation.

For example, everyone says that alcohol and sex are harmful to the body, and people who love alcohol and sex usually have a shorter life span, which is also well known.

Why do so many people still love alcohol and sex and cannot help themselves? Isn’t it because these things that are bad for the body are actually very fragrant and addictive when used?

Who can really give up this rich Luoyang city and this glamorous world? Who can really let it go?
Li Baochen felt that Li Shiyu was talking without any concern.

"Did Shi Siming say anything else?"

Li Baochen continued to ask.

Li Shiyu thought for a moment and said in a low voice:
“I didn’t say anything.

However, I have heard that Shi Siming's eldest son, Shi Chaoyi, seems to be very dissatisfied with his father.

For some unknown reason, Shi Siming was obsessed with his wife, Xin, and after marrying her he no longer took concubines, so that now he has only two children: his illegitimate son Shi Chaoyi and his legitimate son Shi Chaoqing.

Shi Siming had few offspring, so Shi Chaoyi might have other ideas in the future. The generals under his command might also have second thoughts.

The Marshal does not need to worry too much about Shi Siming."

Ok?
It’s interesting!

Li Baochen narrowed his eyes into slits and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Regardless of whether his new concubine is pregnant or not, Marshal Baochen already has four or five adult children.

In the feudal era, productivity was low, medical conditions were poor, and the child mortality rate was high.

In order to ensure the continuation of bloodlines, it was inevitable for the rich and powerful to take concubines. In order for a family to continue normally, it needed a sufficient number of offspring. This had nothing to do with lust, it was just a need of the times.

However, a "domineering boss" like Shi Siming, who only favors his wife, is an outlier among outliers.

Although Shi Siming was a Hu and was brutal, he was loyal to women. We cannot label him a "yellow hat" just because of his arrogant behavior.

However, the so-called outliers are definitely different from normal situations, and it is very likely that big problems will arise as a result.

If one has few offspring, his subordinates will have other thoughts.

Li Baochen secretly thought that Shi Siming seemed to be sitting on the mountain watching the fight between tigers, but in fact there were many hidden dangers inside. It was hard to say what would happen in the future.

This guy just looks stronger, but he doesn't seem much stronger than me.

Li Baochen suddenly became mysteriously confident again.

"Take 5,000 troops to Xingyang and give advice to Yin Ziqi there. Ask him to pay attention to the movements in the direction of Bianzhou."

Li Baochen gave the order in a deep voice.

"Understood, I will prepare it now."

"and many more."

Li Shiyu was about to leave when Li Baochen called him back.

"Why don't you take 5,000 soldiers to Shanzhou to support Wu Lingxun?"

Li Baochen suddenly felt that the Guanzhong direction was also a bit dangerous, mainly because Shanzhou was too close to Tongguan.

Although the internal strife in the Guanzhong court is fierce, and the emperor's killing of his father and the emperor is despised by people, and he has no appeal in the court. But no one can say whether they have the ability to break through Tongguan!

From this point of view, Li Shiyu's suggestion is indeed insightful. Luoyang is a bit dangerous.

For a moment, Marshal Baochen felt a little melancholy.

Luoyang is not only rich, but also the place where many Tang Dynasty officials retire. There are countless manors in the southern suburbs of the city, and the scenery is beautiful, making it a good place to maintain health. The water conservancy facilities here are also very complete, and there are large orchards.

Luoyang is great! What a great place!
It not only has extremely strong political significance and can be used as a capital, but it is also rich in resources. It has been developed since the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and has accumulated thousands of years of experience, and all facilities are complete.

If I want to look for it again, where can I find a nest with the same conditions?
Thinking of this, Li Baochen couldn't bear to leave.

Even though he knew that what Li Shiyu said was right, he was unwilling to give up Luoyang, the biggest piece of fat meat.

"General, I suggest that it would be better to deploy troops with lighter troops at the front and heavier troops at the back. It would be better to have Yin Ziqi and Wu Lingxun each transfer 3,000 troops to Luoyang, no, to station them in the three cities of Heyang.

Then they raised flags in Xingyang City. The troops in Shanzhou retreated to Xin'an County and camped there. The troops in Henei retreated to the three cities of Heyang and camped there.

We will fully shrink our defense. If something happens, we can concentrate our forces to deal with any situation."

Li Shiyu tried to persuade him.

Now Li Baochen treats his power as a country, and sends troops to guard all directions. It seems to be comprehensive, but in fact there are many loopholes.

This situation would be fine if it happened somewhere else, but it would be absolutely unacceptable if it happened in Luoyang.

The area is already small, and we have to disperse our forces. Isn't this a way to seek death?
"The troops in Shanzhou do not need to withdraw, but should withdraw those in Xingyang and raise flags to confuse the enemy.

Anyway, I will go to Fang Qing for advice next spring.

As for the troops in Hanoi... they cannot be withdrawn. I am still counting on the money from Hanoi, and if I withdraw them, I won't get any money."

Li Baochen said with some regret.

Li Shiyu's suggestion is not without reason, but he doesn't know how expensive firewood and rice are because he is not in charge of the household.

It costs money to maintain an army! You can't just give up your territory! If you give it up, where will the military funds come from?
As for Xingyang, it was too close to Bianzhou and not very safe, so Li Baochen was ready to give it up at any time.

So it doesn't matter if we withdraw the troops.

Li Shiyu sighed, clasped his hands and bowed to Li Baochen, feeling mixed emotions.

It must be said that this Marshal Baochen is indeed not as lustful as the rumors say, such as sleeping with seven women a night, taking fifty concubines, and trying to snatch beautiful wives from other families.

One could even say that he was quite reasonable. For example, the five concubines all followed him "voluntarily".

For example, Li Yi was annoyed when she saw Li Baochen, but Marshal Baochen did not put her under house arrest. He was still thinking of marrying her directly in the future and forming an alliance with the Li Tang royal family.

Now those bad rumors about Li Baochen were all deliberately spread by Wei Jian and his gang in private.

Li Baochen's personal morality is not as bad as outsiders think. He is just a normal person.

But by the same token, Li Baochen always speaks and acts with a petty air that is common among ordinary people.

He likes to calculate some details without considering the overall situation. He lacks strategic vision and great courage.

There is no sign of a master.

To put it simply, he lacked the heroic spirit and domineering spirit that a commander of a region must have. In Li Shiyu's opinion, the aura of Marshal Baochen was not as good as that of a sex maniac who, upon seeing a beautiful woman, was determined to possess her.

This is not someone who can accomplish great things!
Li Shiyu secretly sighed in his heart, but he remained calm and quietly retreated.

After Li Shiyu left, Li Baochen regretted it and thought that it would be better to divide the troops, because once the troops were concentrated, the opponent would be able to see through their strengths and weaknesses, and the consequences might be even more serious.

Unfortunately, Li Shiyu had already gone to pass on the order, so Li Baochen had no choice but to force himself not to let his imagination run wild. This made him nervous for several days.

……

Marshal Baochen was still hesitating whether to divide his troops or to withdraw them to defend.

But his enemies have begun sharpening their knives!
In the lobby of the Bianzhou government office, Fang Chongyong sat at the main seat, with his civil servants and military officers standing on both sides, discussing the matter of sending troops to Luoyang.

"Yan Gaoqing came with a handwritten letter from Yan Zhenqing.

They will officially send out troops on the day of heavy snow in the twenty-four solar terms.

What do you think? "

Fang Chongyong looked around the crowd and asked.

There are two more people here who shouldn't be here.

One was Feng Changqing, the governor of Bozhou, and the other was Liu Zhan, the governor of Qingzhou.

They first came to Bianzhou to attend the military meeting. Each of them had 2,000 soldiers on the way, but had not yet arrived in Bianzhou.

In other words, Fang Zhongyong had already arranged the prelude to the battle plan. The soldiers from these two states had undergone months of training and were the elite among the semi-retired armed forces.

The troops for this battle were slightly insufficient, and more troops were needed to defend the flanks. Fang Zhongyong could only pick the tallest among the short ones.

Li Lin sent his third son, Li Zhen, to sit in on the lecture, but he didn't know if this young boy could understand. Prince Yong really wanted to send his second son to listen, but unfortunately, because of the previous incident with Yuwen, if his second son, Li Zhen, came, he might fight with He Changqi.

Li Lin now also hopes to cooperate sincerely with Fang Zhongyong and doesn't want to care about those messy things.

"General, the key to victory this time actually lies in the hands of Li Guiren who is stationed in Yecheng. In particular, he has an elite cavalry of 5,000 people. After the Yellow River freezes in winter, they can come and go freely."

Yan Zhuang clasped his fists and said to Fang Zhongyong.

Everyone in the hall immediately started whispering to each other.

No one expected Yan Zhuang to say this, but when you think about it carefully, it makes sense.

Before this, when Fang Zhongyong, Yan Zhuang, Li Quan and others were secretly discussing military strategies, they reached an important consensus.

If we lose this battle, the key will be the flanks. In other words, as long as we can defend the flanks, we are unlikely to lose.

Where is the wing?
Li Guiren's troops on the other side of the Yellow River.

As for Li Baochen's troops coming from Luoyang, the Silver Spear Xiaojie Army can first capture Xingyang City, and then deploy defenses not far west of Xingyang, so that no Hebei rebels can rush out! At worst, they can create a confrontation!
Seeing that everyone in the hall was nodding frequently, Fang Zhongyong asked loudly, "Who is willing to go to Yecheng to persuade Li Guiren?"

These words were like thunder and the hall of the government office, which had been filled with buzzing noise, suddenly became quiet.

Go and persuade Li Guiren, but how?
Everyone's heart tightened. This job was not fun.

(End of this chapter)