Chapter 549: Father and Son, Tiger Dies
After Li Chengdao followed his cousin Li Changgong and escorted his third uncle back to Chang'an, he immediately heard that his father had gone to the war again, so he went to the palace to resign from his third uncle.

Li San originally wanted to keep him in Chang'an for a few more days, but Li Chengdao and Li Changgong were both young men and were extremely eager to achieve success, so Li San did not force them to stay.

After meeting the emperor, the two brothers went to pay a visit to Princess Pingyang, and then followed the ship carrying military equipment out of Chang'an, took the water route to Sanmenxia, ​​made a transfer by land, and then took the Yellow River waterway, entered Baigou, landed at Fangtou, and then rushed all the way to Yecheng.

Li Yuanhui's central army camp was located west of Yecheng, near the Zhang River. When Li Chengdao and Li Changgong arrived, it was already the end of the eighth year of Zhenguan.

The 38-year-old Li Yuanhui was wearing an ordinary robe that even looked a bit old. Although he had been in the army for many years in recent years, he rarely wore armor and did not go to the front line very often. Most of the time he was just in the middle of the dispatch.

"My son greets Aye."

"Hello, uncle."

Li Yuanhui looked up and saw the two little brothers. They were his favorite son and nephew among his next generation.

He likes his son because he brings him great honor. Who wouldn't like him as a father? His uncle likes him. As for this nephew, besides the fact that he has talents and is worth cultivating, he is probably influenced by his past life, so he is given extra care.

"No need to be polite. We've been having a rough ride. Sit down and talk."

"only."

"How is your aunt? Have you been to her house to see her?"

"Aunt Pingyang is not in good health. When my cousin and I went there, she was resting in bed."

When Li Yuanhui saw his son coming back, he just looked up, but when he heard that his eldest sister was not in good health, he put down the pen in his hand.

After sighing, he continued, "Can you go to the two markets when you return to Chang'an? Can you tell me how much the grain prices are?"

Li Chengdao was a little surprised when he heard this. He didn't know why the scope of this question was so broad, and he didn't know either.

Li Changgong naturally didn't know either. The two of them had been in the army all the time. When they returned to Chang'an, they went to the West Market, but they just went to the tavern to drink and watch the dancers. If you asked him about the price of food, he really didn't know.

However, Li Chengdao immediately realized what his father meant by asking about the grain price in Chang'an. "Father, although my cousin and I have been to the East and West Markets, we have never been to the grain store. Father, please wait for a moment. I will go and ask the guards who are accompanying us."

"Go quickly."

"only."

A moment later, Li Chengdao came back and reported the price of grain when they left Chang'an.

After listening to this, Li Yuanhui nodded, which was similar to what he thought. The grain price in Chang'an was a weather vane for the stability of the entire Guanzhong area.

Just by hearing the number reported by Li Chengdao, he knew that the consumption in Guanzhong in the seventh and eighth years of Zhenguan was still quite high, and the grain price in Chang'an was still relatively high. On the contrary, Luoyang could send some grain there through the canal transportation to stabilize the prices in Chang'an.

This was also requested by the Prime Minister Du Keming. Li Sanlang did not approve it and directly sent it to Li Yuanhui for processing. Li Yuanhui was still a little unsure. After asking about the price, he quickly made an order and sent it to Dugu Ying who stayed in Luoyang, asking him to transport grain directly from the Changping warehouse in Shan County to Guanzhong.

In the previous dynasty, Dayan set up Changping Warehouse, Luokou Warehouse, Huiluo Warehouse and Liyang Warehouse along the Yellow River, all of which were equivalent to Dayan’s national strategic reserves.

Until the fall of Dayan, Changping Granary, Luokou Granary and Huiluo Granary all had large quantities of grain. Among them, Luokou Granary had the largest amount of grain, with tens of millions of shi.

This was also the most fundamental reason why Li Yuanhui was able to maintain an army of over 100,000 in the devastated Central Plains in the past few years. In recent years, the Central Plains and Huaibei have gradually resumed agricultural production, so the Luokou Warehouse, Huiluo Warehouse and Changping Warehouse, which were almost emptied, began to store grain on a large scale in preparation for emergencies.

The food used on the front line now is transported from Luokou Warehouse.

The Changping Warehouse was actually prepared for Guanzhong, but it was in the hands of Li Yuanhui. Without his approval, the emperor could not transfer grain.

Because the people in charge of Hongnong now are still Li Yuanhui's men.

Moreover, the grain in Changping Warehouse was also transported from Central Plains, Qingxu, and Lianghuai. Holding the granary was like holding the lifeline.

After asking about food, Li Yuanhui asked them a few more questions, all of which were able to see the big picture from the small details.

If Li Chengdao had not walked thousands of miles with his third uncle and listened to many of his experiences, he would not have understood what his father wanted to know by asking him these questions.

But now he understood a little. Although his father was not known for his bravery or wisdom, he was always able to compete with his third uncle, who was as brave as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and as wise as Liang Ping.

"For so many years, your father has been cautious and careful, and has never suffered a big loss or made the wrong decision. He always uses his troops in a way that makes them invincible, and then plans slowly. Even after your grandfather was defeated in Baigou, when the situation was mild, your father was still able to lead his troops to retreat, and to withstand the victory of Liu Xuanji of the Northern Han Dynasty who was heading south. He saved the collapsing building and turned the tide. The situation in Luoyang was so dangerous at the time that even your second uncle and I would have found it difficult to reverse the situation. If we had lost Luoyang, the Li Tang would have had no choice but to retreat to Guanzhong."

Suddenly, his ears rang again with the words that his third uncle had said to him on the journey west. Even after several months, the sound was still ringing in his ears.

In the past, I only knew that my father was very powerful, but I didn’t know why. Now, I know a little bit.

By October, the Han army could no longer hold back. Liu Xuanji, who was ill, was unable to lead the army in person, so he ordered General Zhu Lingshi, the General of the Northern Expedition, to lead 60,000 elite troops south to lift the siege of Yecheng.

Li Yuanhui ordered General Dou Cong of the Left Guard, General Liu Fuwei of the Right Guard, and General Cheng Zhijie of the Right Guard to lead their troops to Guangping to resist the enemy.

The two sides fought for more than ten days. Zhu Lingshi discussed with General Liu Zhi, Xue Andu and others and concluded that Yecheng was in danger and the only way to defeat the enemy was to fight vigorously. So Zhu Lingshi personally braved the arrows and stones and commanded the entire army to attack the Tang army.

The Han army led by Zhu Lingshi included 30,000 frontier troops transferred from various border towns in Youzhou and Liaodong, and the Hu cavalry led by Hulu Jin, who were stationed at the border all year round and fought against the various Hu people outside the Great Wall and the Goguryeo people. Another 20,000 were the elite imperial guards led by Liu Xuanji himself, and 10,000 were the only remaining elite troops from the Weifu Army. These people could be said to be the last resources of the Han army.

Zhu Lingshi himself was a brave general who had fought many battles. After he personally took to the battlefield, the morale of the Han army was greatly boosted. The Youzhou border troops also showed their bravery and sharpness. For a while, the Tang army was actually unable to resist.

The 40,000 Tang troops led by Dou Cong and Liu Fuwei were forced to retreat step by step and could only set up camp and defend themselves. Cheng Zhijie led the cavalry to counterattack but was also repelled by the Han army's Youzhou border cavalry.

After the defeat at Guangping, Li Yuanhui immediately sent Chang Yanheng as the commander-in-chief of the army, commanding six generals, Li Chengdao, Luo Shixiang, Li Changgong, Yuchi Jingde, Duan Wuda, and Gao Ang, and more than 10,000 cavalrymen to support Guangping.

Since Yuchi Jingde and Duan Wuda led the guards, they had fewer opportunities to go into battle. In recent years, Li Yuanhui has hardly ever been in battle. Gao Ang has just been transferred to be the chief of the guards. The reason why the three led the guards into battle was that Li Yuanhui felt that a good sword would rust after being left for a long time, and it was better to see blood from time to time. Only then can the army be strong.

Chang Yanheng led 10,000 cavalrymen to attack, and sent someone to deliver a message to Dou Cong and Liu Fuwei in advance, asking them to go out of the camp to fight the next day, and he would lead the cavalrymen to provide support.

Afterwards, Chang Yanheng rushed for a day and a night, and rested for a few dozen miles south of Guangping before the destiny, and then immediately launched a surprise attack.

The Han army had just left the camp and was preparing to continue attacking Dou Cong and Liu Fuwei's troops. They also sent scouts to keep an eye on the enemy's movements. However, before Dou Cong's Tang army left the camp, the cavalry led by Chang Yanheng suddenly attacked.

At this time, the Han army had not yet organized its formation and was caught off guard. Chang Yanheng led the way, broke into the Han army and started killing indiscriminately. The spear in his hand was as fast as a dragon and a phoenix, and no one could defeat him.

Luo Shixiang, Li Changgong, Li Chengdao and others also led their elite troops to charge into the enemy camp. Liu Fuwei and Dou Cong quickly organized their troops and left the camp, charging towards the Han army camp.

The Han army was in chaos, and Zhu Lingshi had to order his men to close the camp gates to prevent the defeated Han soldiers outside the camp from rushing into his own camp. This avoided the fate of being completely annihilated by the Tang army.

In this battle, the Tang army beheaded more than 4,000 people, captured more than 2,800 people, and a large number of Han soldiers were trampled to death.

The Han army lost more than 10,000 soldiers and horses. They were originally suppressing the Tang army in Guangping, but after the defeat, the last bit of their spirit and energy was destroyed.

The morale of the Tang army was greatly boosted and they launched a fierce attack. Liu Fuwei commanded the Youweiwei infantry to attack the Han army camp fiercely, breaking through five camps in one day.

The news of the Han army's defeat on the front line finally alarmed Liu Xuanji, who was lying on his sickbed.

After the Battle of Shangdang, Liu Xuanji was so angry about the defeat that his health has not been good. In the past few years, the situation has become even more difficult. In Xindu City, Liu Xuanji was lying on a sickbed in the so-called temporary palace. He was no longer the Liu Lao Hu who was as powerful as a tiger.

It's not like he had never been defeated before. He had suffered many defeats in his decades of military career, but losing a battle that had destroyed the foundation of the country was a risk of the country's demise, which was still a little difficult for him to accept, so he finally fell ill.

"I joined the army at the age of 20, and after more than ten years of hard work, I was promoted to captain. Later, in the battle of Dongduyuan, I was lucky enough to run into Yang Xun and his brother Yang Shancai, who chased him all the way to the bank of the Yellow River. At that time, Li Silang was the secretary of Gaoyang Prince Murong He, and I didn't know what he was doing with more than a hundred people on the bank of the Yellow River."

Liu Xuanji was lying on the bed, with the empress, the crown prince, and the prince Liu Chengji, the Prince of Lu, sitting in front of the bed.

The mother and son felt very sad when listening to Liu Xuanji talking about the past. Liu Chengji, who was only ten years old, seemed to be very interested in the stories his father told.

"What then?"

"Later, I drove Yang Xun to Li Yuanhui. We shared the credit for capturing and killing Yang Xun. It was also because of this incident that I was able to become successful and was promoted to captain."

Liu Chengyou said: "So, without Aye, Li Yuanhui would have had a hard time getting promoted?"

Liu Xuanji smiled, then coughed violently, and Empress Li patted him hurriedly. Liu Xuanji struggled to get up, sat cross-legged on the couch, and talked about how he was still brave in the old days.

"Ahem. Phew. That's not how it works. Do you think it was because I drove Yang Xun to Li Yuanhui that he achieved his goal?"

Liu Chengyou asked in reply, "Isn't it true? Wasn't it because Li Yuanhui captured and killed Yang Xun together with you, Aye, that he was appreciated by Emperor Zhaowu of the Former Yan Dynasty and the princess came to him, and that's why he rose to prominence?"

Queen Li couldn't help but laugh when she heard this. Her son was really naive.

Liu Xuanji said, "As early as the battle of Mangshan, Li Yuanhui shot and killed Yang Xi on the battlefield and made great contributions. His name was reported directly to the emperor. Do you think that if it was not him, but someone else who shot and killed Yang Xi, Zhaowu would also know his name?"

Liu Chengyou remained silent after hearing this.

Liu Xuanji continued, "He was from the Longxi Li family. At that time, he was Li Silang. His father was the Junior Minister of the Imperial Guards, and his uncle was the General of the Western Expedition. The Li family is a distinguished family. Otherwise, do you think it is important who shot the arrow?"

"Also, do you think I sent Yang Xun to him, and then he shared my credit?"

"Is not it?"

"Of course not. I was just a captain at the time. Even if I brought Yang Xun back to the army, what kind of reward did you think I would get? It would be great if I could get a few dozen coins to drink and be promoted to a captain! It was because of Li Yuanhui that your father's name appeared in the military report of General Murong Ding, the Eastern Expedition General! I was rewarded by His Majesty. Otherwise, who would know who I am?"

"Even if he didn't have this merit, with his family background and talent, he could still have established something in this chaotic world. On the contrary, if it weren't for him, I, your father, might not even be a general at this age. If I had bad luck, I might have died in the wilderness long ago."

"Later, I followed him and became a Langjiang."

"During the Battle of Mount Tai, I took Zhang Shiwu and Zhao Si to investigate the military situation, but we encountered an ambush. There were thousands of people on the other side, stretching as far as the eye could see. I wanted to run away, but the three of us would die if we ran away. I got angry and asked them to go back and report the situation, while I stayed in the mountain path to deal with the bandits."

"Thanks to the excellent armor that Li Si gave me, ordinary weapons could not do anything to it. He also gave me the big spear. He is really good at making friends, generous and righteous. I was standing on the road at that time, watching the crowd rushing towards me. I was actually very scared, but the more it was at this time, the more I couldn't be cowardly. If I turned around and ran, I would definitely be caught up and killed. So I rushed up alone with the horse spear. The horse spear was really easy to use. It was faster than a knife in horizontal and vertical cuts. When I killed dozens of people in a row, they panicked and started to run. But I was in a killing spree, chasing thousands of them and killing them. The ground was full of corpses. Later, Li Yuanhui and the Duan brothers came to support me, they were all stunned... Hahahaha. Cough cough cough."

The brothers Liu Chengyou and Liu Chengji were listening attentively to what their father said, but Queen Li looked a little sad.

Because usually when we talk about heroes in their early days, most of them are now in their twilight years.

Liu Xuanji was still in high spirits. After thinking for a while, he told his sons about the Chang'an City in the past.

"That year during the Lantern Festival, it was the first time I saw those lanterns. They were so beautiful, like a fairyland on earth. You guys..."

When Liu Xuanji thought of this, he actually wanted to say that when you enter Chang'an in the future, you will be able to see what the Lantern Festival in Chang'an is like.

But he stopped talking when the words came to his lips, because it was unknown whether the Northern Han could survive the next year, let alone defeat the Tang Dynasty and seize Chang'an. So he thought that these two sons might be able to go to Chang'an in the future, but they might not enter as conquerors but as members of the Northern Han royal family who were captured and brought to Chang'an.

But there was no need to say this now, so he stopped talking.

At the end, he went on to talk about the murder night during the Lantern Festival that year.

"Hahahaha. Back then we killed that prince, all the guards and assassins around Prince Liang. There were less than ten people who took action, all of them were heroes of the time. Li Erlang and I were the emperor alone. Zhang Jian and Lao Zhu were all generals. The Qin brothers and Yang Xianguo are now generals of the Tang army. As for Li Si, I think he will become the emperor sooner or later."

"I think these accomplices should feel honored. After all, they died in our hands, hahahaha"

"After returning to Youzhou, I led a thousand men across the border and brought back thousands of Turkic heads."

Liu Xuanji, with his hair and beard all white, seemed to want to tell all his heroic deeds in one breath while lying on his sickbed.

But it seemed like he was running out of time.

In the end, the words he left to his sons were not "restore the Han Dynasty" or "recover the Central Plains."

"If there is nothing you can do, you should think about staying alive and don't resist. The Tang Dynasty is your mother's family. Li Yuanhui will not make things difficult for you. He is a kind person."

"I cannot restore the Han Dynasty, that is not my destiny. You should take care of yourself and be kind and tolerant. Only in this way can you be blessed."

As he was speaking, Liu Xuanji started coughing again, and then waved his hand to let his two sons go down.

Finally, he vomited a mouthful of blood. The queen quickly helped him lie down again and asked her trusted maid to secretly summon the imperial physician.

Liu Xuanji held Empress Li's hand and said, "No need, this is fate. I have killed countless people in my life. When it is time for me to die, I should not be so attached. If I am reluctant, it is because I cannot grow old with you. Chengyou does not have the ability to govern the country, nor the wisdom and courage to turn the tide. The other children are too young. After I die, you must let him surrender as soon as possible. Do not let him ascend the throne to become emperor. If he surrenders directly, he will have a hard time living as an emperor in the future."

It was the first month of the 13th year of Yanyou in the Han Dynasty (which was the 9th year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty).

Just after the New Year, the Han Emperor Liu Xuanji died of illness in Xindu.

Queen Li originally wanted to follow Liu Xuanji's will and let her eldest son Liu Chengyou give up the throne and surrender to the Tang Dynasty.

However, Liu Chengyou flatly refused and accused his mother of being partial to Li.

Later, Liu Chengyou succeeded to the throne in front of the coffin, changed the reign title to Xingguo, summoned all the ministers to discuss, and then gave the previous emperor the temple name "Shizu" and the temple name "Taiwu".

Afterwards, he honored his mother as the empress dowager and conferred titles on the previous emperor's sons who had no titles as kings.

Ling Jing was appointed as Situ, Cui Tingbi as Sikong, Zhu Lingshi as Taiwei, Hulu Jin as Taibao, and Lu Qinzhi as Taifu.

Hulu Mingyue was appointed as the General of the Cavalry, Zhang Shiwu as the General of the Auxiliary State, and Zhao Xiang as the General of the Chariots and Cavalry.

Afterwards, he mobilized all the troops of the two states, totaling 100,000 men, and marched south to rescue Yecheng.

When Li Yuanhui of Yecheng heard the news, he felt both happy and sad.

I am glad that the Tang Dynasty will prosper.

I mourn for my old friend who died of depression.

(End of this chapter)