Chapter 264: Changsun Wuji’s defeat, brothers fighting and confronting each other

“Thank you very much, Your Highness!” Chang Sun Ze was so happy that he knelt down and kowtowed to express his gratitude.

Just as he expected, Li Chengqian gladly accepted their surrender.

In fact, deep down, Li Chengqian was already tired of this endless internal fighting. No matter who won or lost in the end, the casualties were all Chinese people.

Ultimately, this is just an internal power struggle, an internal class struggle.

“I will personally draft a letter and give it to you. By then, your father will know what to do.” Li Chengqian said with a smile.

He was naturally delighted with Changsun Wuji’s initiative to surrender, and it was fine even if Changsun Wuji continued to serve as the Grand Commandant.

Having lost the support of those aristocratic families and powerful clans, Changsun Wuji is like a tiger with its teeth pulled out. He will never be able to stir up any big waves again, so there is really no need to worry too much.

The root of all this is the collusion among the aristocratic families.

Under the general trend, Li Chengqian was not afraid that this was a trick of Changsun Wuji.

The Guanlong Group, which has no foundation, is just a lamb to be slaughtered.

Li Zhi’s move cut off the source of the problem and destroyed most of the power of the aristocratic families.

If you want to be ruthless, you have to have Black Lotus Li Zhi.

Under the mixed doubles attack of Li Chengqian and Li Zhi, the family heritage that had extended for hundreds of years was also going to be uprooted.

Half a day later, Chang Sun Ze stepped out of the Mingzhou city gate with hope.

……

“Your Highness, we finally succeeded, after six whole years!”

Li Zhen stood on a high place, gazing affectionately at the familiar yet unfamiliar land beneath his feet, with endless emotion welling up in his heart.

Six years ago, these young people, full of passion and ambition, stepped out of the prosperous and bustling Chang’an City and left the vast territory of the Tang Dynasty.

Fighting alone in a foreign country.

Looking back on those days, they were all high-spirited and full of ambition, as if the whole world was waiting for them to conquer.

However, the journey was filled with countless difficulties, battles, and carefully planned strategic contests.

But they overcame all the difficulties along the way. Now, they are finally on their way home.

“It’s probably too early to say we’ve succeeded now!”

Li Chengqian raised his head slightly, looked at the distant western sky, and said with an extremely solemn expression.

“As long as the Guanlong Group represented by Zhangsun Wuji surrenders, there will be no force in this vast Tang Dynasty that can stop our advance!”

Li Zhen said this confidently, his words revealing an air of dominance that no one else could do it better than him.

Especially in the thrilling battle outside Youzhou City, firearms demonstrated their shocking power, which greatly boosted the morale and confidence of many soldiers.

At this moment, they firmly believe that they will be invincible and victorious.

“Do you know anything about the new emperor of the Tang Dynasty?”

Li Chengqian looked at them and asked.

Several people looked at each other and shook their heads.

When they were at the peak of their powers, Li Zhi had not yet emerged, and they really didn’t know much about this younger new emperor.

“The situation in the Tang Dynasty has changed, and half of it is due to the new emperor. If we underestimate him, we will be defeated like the aristocratic families today.”

Li Chengqian’s evaluation of Li Zhi was very high.

Along the way, Li Zhen and Cheng Chumo had never seen anyone that Li Chengqian would give such high praise to.

Even in the face of the general trend, he uttered words of failure.

Li Zhi is like this. You can’t see his outstanding appearance, but he can easily control you.

It is a disguised poisonous snake. Once it attacks, it will kill instantly.

“General Pei Xingjian, I now order you to lead 20,000 elite troops to march north immediately and quickly meet up with General Cheng Mingzhen. You must start from Lingzhou and march south to seize Neiguan and Neidao in one fell swoop.”

“We must also resist the invasions from the tribes in the northern grasslands and firmly stabilize the border situation. We must not let those covetous foreign tribes take advantage of the current civil unrest in our dynasty to rob us.”

Li Chengqian gave orders to Pei Xingjian with a serious face, totally ignoring whether the trusted generals beside him could understand how terrifying the hidden black lotus of the new emperor Li Zhi was.

Li Chengqian had already made up his mind to engage in a protracted war with Li Zhi.

After the new emperor Li Zhi ascended the throne, he began to coordinate the overall situation.

In terms of domestic affairs, Ma Zhou, Li Yifu, Xu Jingzong and other capable ministers were in charge.

Although Li Yifu and Xu Jingzong were often criticized for their cunning and treacherous behavior, their ability to get things done should not be underestimated.

In the field of foreign affairs and military affairs, famous generals such as Su Dingfang, Wang Fangyi and Lou Shide were in charge of military power.

Such a lineup combination is sure to be invincible.

In terms of military affairs alone, he might even be better than Li Chengqian.

Moreover, Guannei Road and Hedong Road are the two most densely populated areas in the Tang Dynasty, especially the Guannei area, which not only has fertile land and abundant products, but is also a land of fish and rice with abundant grain production.

As the saying goes, good soldiers and sufficient food are needed. In this way, it is still unknown who will win the war, and the outcome is still uncertain!

“promise!”

Pei Xingjian clasped his hands together and responded in a loud voice. There was no trace of dissatisfaction on his resolute face.

Among the many candidates currently available, only someone as wise and brave as Pei Xingjian can shoulder this important task.

This appointment is not just about leading the troops to war, it also includes the responsibility of all-round defense and governance of the northern defense line.

It can be said that the safety of the entire northern border of the Tang Dynasty is now entrusted to his shoulders.

Li Chengqian turned his gaze to General Cheng Chumo and said slowly:
“General Cheng Chumo, I have another mission for you. You need to lead 5,000 elite soldiers and march from Yizhou. If you encounter rebels along the way, recruit them to surrender and properly appease them. At the same time, distribute the land to them reasonably so that they can farm with peace of mind, so as to quell the war and allow the people to recuperate.”

“promise!”

Cheng Chumo accepted the order without hesitation. Compared with the previous task of building roads, he was definitely more willing to lead the army to fight.

The military situation is urgent and cannot be delayed for a moment.

After receiving the military order, the few people did not dare to be negligent in the slightest. They quickly retreated and began to arrange relevant military affairs in a hurry.

Finally, Li Chengqian looked at Li Zhen and said solemnly: “Li Zhen, you must make arrangements immediately. Three days later, I will personally lead the army to Xiangzhou to receive Zhangsun Wuji’s letter of surrender.”

A few days later, Li Chengqian led tens of thousands of troops to the city of Xiangzhou.

At this time in Xiangzhou City, the heavy and ancient city gate slowly opened, as if welcoming a judgment of fate.

The cold wind blew, bringing up gusts of flying snow, making the whole scene look even more desolate and solemn.

Changsun Wuji, dressed in a black robe, walked out of the city gate alone. He held the seal that symbolized power and responsibility in both hands, and his steps were heavy and slow, leaving a series of shallow footprints on the pure white snow with each step.

Those footprints were like the unspeakable regret and loss in his heart, extending into the distance.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince, the guilty minister Changsun Wuji has come here to plead guilty!”

Changsun Wuji walked to a place several dozen steps away from the enemy’s army and stopped, bowed deeply, and spoke in an extremely humble tone.

He, who was once in a high position and full of vigor, now had to put aside all his pride and self-esteem and come to the audience as a loser.

This was his first failure in both his career and in the military.

Moreover, what he found hard to accept was that it was his two nephews who defeated him. This sense of defeat was like a sharp sword, piercing straight into his heart. However, Li Chengqian rode a tall and mighty warhorse and passed by Changsun Wuji with ease. His eyes were cold and indifferent, as if the powerful elder in front of him was just an insignificant existence.

“General Changsun, what crime have you committed? To me, it is just that we each serve our own master.”

Li Chengqian said it lightly, as if this war was just an insignificant game.

Today’s Changsun Wuji has indeed lost his former glory and power, and can no longer attract Li Chengqian’s attention.

He was like a fallen star, quickly forgotten in the long river of history.

“Only by retreating from the current can one preserve one’s reputation in the future; if one persists in doing wrong, one will probably end up with a ruined reputation in the future.”

Changsun Wuji held the seal tightly in his hand, feeling quite emotional.

At this moment, Li Zhen on the side spoke cautiously:

“Your Highness, why don’t you let me lead a team of people into the city to investigate first, just in case there is a fraud.”

Although the city gates were wide open, they were not very clear about the situation inside the city.

“Wu Xing, send someone to take a look!”

A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall.

Li Chengqian was not careless and did not put himself in danger.

After another half a day, Xiangzhou completed the transfer of power.

Li Chengqian did not kill all the clan members who surrendered, but kept them in the army and sent them to local areas to serve and govern.

Just confiscate all their land and property.

Lose money and eliminate disaster.

As the power of the Guanlong Group was disintegrated, more clans and powerful families began to recognize the situation.

They no longer dared to stop Li Chengqian’s troops.

Li Chengqian would selectively give a way out to the surrendered clans and families.

Those who resisted stubbornly were humanely destroyed, and their entire family was slaughtered, leaving no one alive.

Under the double blow, in order to avoid being exterminated, each clan and family would choose to linger on and succumb to the tyranny of Li Chengqian.

In just half a year, the struggle of the proletariat achieved a perfect victory in the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

As a result, Li Chengqian also controlled five areas: Hebei, Henan, Huainan, Jiangnan and Shannan.

Occupies half of the land of the Tang Dynasty.

The war also entered a brief stagnation.

“Your Highness, Wang Fangyi is just a little coward. He just stays in the city. He makes me so angry.”

Cheng Chumo hit a wall again and his army was blocked outside Zezhou.

“Your Highness, how about lending me the cannon? I guarantee I can blast open that turtle shell.”

Cheng Chumo came to ask for help.

“The situation is solid, and we cannot win the battle.”

Li Chengqian has been thinking about a solution these days.

Now, only Li Zhi is left.

If the fighting continues, the casualties will still be the Chinese people.

Li Zhi has followed his policies to stabilize the people in the two places and eliminate the chaos caused by clan aristocrats.

He has already won the hearts of the people in Guannei and Hedong.

In addition, Li Zhi was the emperor who succeeded to the throne and occupied Dali.

It was impossible for Li Chengqian to repeat his old trick.

A head-on battle might have brought about the An-Shi Rebellion.

“Now that things have come to this, Your Highness must not be soft-hearted. You must fight when you have to, otherwise all the blood you have shed before will be in vain. Anyway, a war is inevitable, and it is better to start sooner rather than later.”

Li Zhen also noticed Li Chengqian’s hesitation.

“We must fight, but I want less blood to be shed.”

“Chu Mo, tell me that I want to have a meeting with the Emperor of Tang.”

Li Chengqian would prefer it if it could be solved in other ways. Before that, he needed to find out what Li Zhi had to say.

If things really reach a point of no return, then the only option is to fight.

……

“hehe!”

A heart-wrenching cough was heard in the Duke’s Mansion.

Fang Xuanling’s face was as pale as paper, completely bloodless, as if all his vitality had been sucked out of him. He lay dying on the bed.

Every cough sounded like a groan from the depths of the soul, which made people feel pity.

His eyes, which used to be bright and lively, have now become dull and lifeless.

Perhaps he himself did not expect that he could persist until now. Perhaps it was the deep obsession in his heart that supported him.

“Yizhi, you guys go down first. Your father wants to be alone for a while.”

Fang Xuanling used all his strength, raised his hand slightly, and waved at Fang Yizheng who was standing beside the bed, signaling them to leave the room.

Hearing Fang Xuanling’s words, Fang Yizhi burst into tears. He held his father’s bony hand tightly and said with a choked voice: “Father, please let me stay with you to serve you. I am really worried!”

He looked up at Fang Xuanling, his eyes full of worry and reluctance.

Fang Xuanling was unmoved. Even though he was already in his twilight years and on the brink of death, his innate majesty remained undiminished.

He just snorted coldly and said sternly: “Now, do you dare not listen to what your father said?”

Before he finished speaking, a powerful pressure instantly enveloped everyone present, and even the air seemed to solidify.

“I dare not. Father, please do not be angry. We will leave immediately. If you need anything, please call us.”

Fang Yizheng waved his hands repeatedly in fear and trepidation, then carefully led a group of younger brothers and sisters out of the room slowly.

“Without my permission, no one is allowed to step through this door!”

Fang Xuanling’s face was gloomy and he warned again in an extremely stern tone.

“Children, please obey your father’s orders!”

Everyone responded in unison, not daring to show the slightest sign of disobedience.

Time passed quietly, and after about half an hour, there was no other sound in the room except the occasional, intermittent cough.

“If you don’t show up, I will leave.”

Fang Xuanling raised his voice and talked to himself.

Before he finished speaking, an elongated black shadow suddenly appeared on the calm ground in front of the window.

(End of this chapter)