xymnovel Chapter 31 Prince Lu's Lament and the Surrender of the Three Armies
Chapter 31 Prince Lu's Lament and the Surrender of the Three Armies
In the dead of night, Gao Xingzhou suddenly woke up.
Li Congke set fire to his house, and his whole family immolated themselves. He had this same dream countless times in recent days.
After glancing at his wife, who was still fast asleep, Gao Xingzhou got up, put on his robe, and stared blankly at the flickering candlelight, as memories flooded his mind.
Gao Xingzhou and Li Congke took command of Li Siyuan's personal guards, and the two gradually became close friends who could talk about anything.
Li Congke said that the taciturn man with a stern face all day was Shi Jingtang, Li Siyuan's son-in-law, who wielded a bright silver dragon halberd and had the air of Lü Bu.
"He's clearly a Shatuo warrior, but he insists on calling himself a high-ranking official of the Spring and Autumn period, a descendant of the Han Dynasty's prime minister, and a follower of Li Mu and Zhou Yafu."
Li Congke and Shi Jingtang disliked each other. Because Shi Jingtang's troops were Li Siyuan's personal cavalry and were known as the Three Expeditionary Army, Li Congke gave him the nickname "Shi San'er" (meaning "Third Brother Shi").
With such a poor relationship between the commanders and their subordinates also at odds with each other, Gao Xingzhou, though unwilling to get involved in the conflict, had no choice but to stand on Li Congke's side since they were both leading troops.
"The one with the purple face and barely any black pupils in his eyes is Shi San'er's follower. He goes wherever Shi San'er goes. Both of them are quiet, taciturn types. I call him White-Eyed Liu." (Note 1)
In stark contrast to Shi Jingtang, who boasted of being from a prestigious family, Li Congke made no attempt to conceal his humble origins.
During a drinking session, he mentioned that his original surname was Wang, and that his mother, Wei, was taken as a concubine by Li Siyuan, thus becoming his stepson.
"Alas, such things happen all the time in chaotic times. How can a woman survive without a husband if she doesn't find someone to rely on?"
Li Congke thought broadly: "Fortunately, my adoptive father took my mother in, which is why we have such a good life today. However, my mother has also done right by my adoptive father. He is generous and magnanimous by nature. His first wife, Xia, and his second wife, Cao, are not good at managing money. My mother has been the one who has maintained and managed the family's livelihood."
He took a sip of his drink and laughed heartily: "Back then, I had to carry lime and collect horse manure to supplement my family's income."
Gao Xingzhou sighed, "You've really had a tough time," and drank a full glass with him.
Speaking of the importance of a supportive wife, Li Congke sighed, "When I was young, I didn't understand this principle. I only looked at a wife who was decent-looking, and as a result, I married a tigress. My life has been miserable ever since." (Note 2)
Gao Xingzhou couldn't help but say, "Although your sister-in-law has a strong personality, she takes great care of you, Ah San, every day. If you become rich and powerful in the future, don't betray your conscience."
Li Congke glanced at him sideways, a disdainful expression on his face: "You're the same age as me, still single at your age, and you have the nerve to advise others?"
Gao Xingzhou was speechless. He wasn't a saint who was averse to women; he would occasionally visit camp prostitutes to satisfy his needs. However, it was indeed contrary to common sense that he was over thirty and still unmarried and childless.
Was it because he hadn't avenged his father? Or was it because his destiny hadn't arrived yet? He himself wasn't quite sure; he only felt that there was a hurdle in his heart that he couldn't overcome, and he had no intention of starting a family for the time being.
Seeing Gao Xingzhou speechless, Li Congke was overjoyed and patted his shoulder hard: "Don't worry, next time we break through a big city, I'll definitely find a beautiful woman to tie up and bring to you as your wife to warm your bed, haha."
"Get lost, stop joking."
Who knew that Li Congke would actually keep his word? Later, he and An Chonghui became enemies, and that incident was one of the reasons for it.
Gao Xingzhou stopped his thoughts, returning to reality from the past. Dawn broke in the east, and a new day had begun.
……
The first year of Ying Shun, the sixteenth day of the third month, Bingchen day.
At dawn, tens of thousands of troops filed out of the camp, lined up in formation, and deployed siege equipment.
Three drums and horns sounded in unison, and troops from all directions raised their respective flags, approaching the city wall from all sides.
"National Protection Army"
"Zhangyi Army"
"Jingnan Army"
"Wuding Army"
"Yulin Capital"
"Yan Weidu"
"Commander of Fengxiang Campaign", "Deputy Commander", "Supervisor of Western Campaign", "Commander of Cavalry and Infantry", one square formation after another surrounded the great banner, with an overwhelming momentum.
As they came within an arrow's reach, the front-line soldiers bent over and hunched over, raising their shields over their shoulders to cover their heads and faces. As expected, they were about to be met with a hail of arrows from the city walls.
However, the expected attack did not come, and the large force rushed to the city wall without any hindrance.
Had the defenders given up resistance? They were greatly puzzled and looked up at the city walls.
Li Congke dismissed his guards, unafraid of being attacked by arrows, and strode confidently onto the broken battlements, standing tall and unmoving.
His imposing seven-foot frame appeared thin and insignificant in the face of thousands upon thousands of men and horses surging forward like a tide.
He loosened his belt, took off his brocade royal robe, and the sleeves of the robe spread out like a soaring bird, gracefully landing below the city.
This scene left the imperial soldiers, who were preparing to attack the city, stunned and forgetting to move while holding their weapons.
"I was not yet twenty years old when I joined the late emperor's campaigns. I risked my life and was covered in wounds. I helped establish the state, and many soldiers followed me into battle."
Li Congke revealed his body covered in wounds, took a deep breath, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "The court today trusts treacherous officials and harms its own flesh and blood, so what crime have I committed!"
He called out to her three times, and when he spoke of her injuries, Li Congke's eyes filled with tears, and he broke down in sobs.
Human hearts are made of flesh and blood. Soldiers forget life and death when they go into battle to kill the enemy, but they cannot bear the tragic end of such heroes. All who hear of it grieve.
Time seemed to stand still, and all was silent, both on and off the city walls.
"Ahhhhh!"
A long, agonizing scream shattered the silence. Zhang Qianzhao, seated on his horse, drew his sword and felled a soldier, blood dripping from the blade: "Anyone who dares to listen to the traitor's nonsense shall be executed!"
A beat too slow, the military commander followed suit, wielding his blood-stained blade to kill a soldier and ordering an attack on the city.
The Imperial Guards were the emperor's personal troops, known for their pride and arrogance; they could not tolerate such filth. Moreover, hearing the Prince of Lu weeping, they were already feeling sorrowful and distressed. Zhang Qianzhao and the commander's actions not only failed to subdue the soldiers but also created a rebellious atmosphere.
Immediately, many military academy officers and soldiers began to verbally abuse the two men for their lack of concern for their soldiers. In the heat of the moment, some of them pointed their weapons at Zhang Qianzhao, as if to stab him.
Zhang Qianzhao leaped on his horse to avoid it.
If he remained calm and composed, the soldiers might not dare to actually rebel, and their anxiety would cause unrest and demoralization within the army. (Note 3)
Yang Siquan, the commander of the Imperial Guards, addressed the crowd: "The Grand Chancellor is our lord."
"Cut him down!"
He was the first to advocate turning against Zhang Qianzhao and led his army into the city from the west gate.
Yang Siquan was a native of Xinping, Binzhou. When Prince Qin, Li Congrong, was stationed in Taiyuan, Yang Siquan served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Beijing Infantry. Because Li Congrong was arrogant and neglected his official duties from a young age, the late emperor sent someone to encourage him.
The envoy devised a set of arguments: "The Prime Minister of Henan is respectful and virtuous, treats upright officials with courtesy, and has the demeanor of an elder statesman. As the head of the department, the Prime Minister should further encourage himself and not let his reputation fall below that of Henan."
The Henan Xiangong was a former official of the current emperor, Li Conghou, when he was a prince.
Li Congrong was displeased and said to Yang Siquan, "Everyone in the court supports Conghou and not me. I am going to be deposed. What should I do?"
Yang Siquan replied, "Sir, do not worry. In case of any unforeseen circumstances, you have armored soldiers, and with me here, we can handle the situation."
He then advised Li Congrong to recruit troops, secretly raise elite soldiers, and prepare bows and arrows in secret.
Deputy Governor Feng Yun secretly reported to the court, which then summoned Yang Siquan to the capital. Because of the Prince of Qin, the late emperor did not punish him.
Now that Li Congrong is dead, Feng Yun has switched allegiance to Li Conghou and become a regent in charge of the court. If those words had reached the ears of the current emperor, it's uncertain whether he would have been promoted, or even kept his current position or his life.
For Yang Siquan, there was no need to hesitate; pledging allegiance to Prince Lu, Li Congke, was the best option at the moment.
Upon entering to meet Li Congke, Yang Siquan stepped forward and prostrated himself on the ground, saying, "Since I have wholeheartedly served Your Highness, once the capital is pacified, please grant me a garrison and do not place me among the defense or militia commanders."
The Defense Commissioner was only in charge of military affairs and not personnel or finances, while the Militia Commissioner commanded local militias. Their powers were vastly different from those of the Military Governor.
Yang Siquan took out a piece of paper from his bosom and said to Li Congke, "I wish Your Highness would personally write down my name to commemorate this."
Li Congke, having narrowly escaped death, immediately ordered his attendants to bring him a brush and wrote six characters: "Ke Binning Jiedushi".
At this time, Wang Sitong, who was overseeing the battle from the east, was unaware of the change that had occurred and urged his soldiers to intensify their attack on the city.
Unexpectedly, a commotion arose among the soldiers below the city walls, which quickly spread to the entire vanguard. The commander of the Imperial Guard, Yin Hui, shouted, "The Western City Army has already entered the city to receive their rewards! Soldiers may now lay down their armor!"
The sound of soldiers laying down their armor and weapons immediately shook the heavens and the earth, and Yin Hui also led his army in through the east gate.
The chaos continued until noon. The Imperial Guards, the Imperial Guards, and the troops of Fengxiang Town all gathered and began to fight back. Zhang Congbin of Jingzhou, Kang Fu of Binzhou, and An Yanwei of Hezhong all fled. Zhang Qianzhao retreated to Xingyuan, and all the armies collapsed.
Unable to suppress the rebellion, Wang Sitong, along with Yao Yanchou and Chang Congjian, led their remaining troops to flee towards Chang'an.
A seemingly certain victory for the imperial army in besieging Fengxiang Prefecture was dramatically reversed by Li Congke's heart-wrenching weeping.