gnovel Chapter 48 Li Chengqian: What else can you do besides swindling my money?
Chapter 48 Li Chengqian: What else can you do besides swindling my money?
night.
The Eastern Palace.
Li Chengqian was deep in thought.
In the past, Modu Chanyu of the Xiongnu trained a cavalry force of 10,000 men.
One day, he ordered his soldiers to shoot his father, Touman Chanyu, into a pincushion, and then he himself became Chanyu.
He led his 10,000 cavalrymen to conquer the grasslands.
He first destroyed the Donghu, then he defeated the Yuezhi in the west and occupied more than twenty countries in the Western Regions. Later, his military might turned to the Loufan in the south.
Before long, Modu Chanyu unified the grasslands and established the Xiongnu Empire, whose sphere of influence was astonishingly large and directly threatened the Central Plains.
Liu Bang attacked Pengcheng and won the victory, then celebrated day and night with the other feudal lords.
Unexpectedly, Xiang Yu only used 30,000 cavalry to rout Liu Bang's 560,000-strong allied army of feudal lords.
Liu Bang fled in a sorry state.
This shows that the combat capability of cavalry is far superior to that of infantry.
If Ashina She'er were to assemble a cavalry force of five thousand men, how much would it cost?
As he was thinking this, he saw the simulator screen display:
Each soldier's monthly pay consisted of one bolt of silk and one shi of millet.
A warhorse costs twenty to thirty thousand coins.
A single suit of armor would cost at least ten taels of silver.
Each soldier's spear, shield, and bow and arrows cost at least ten taels of silver.
Upon seeing this, Li Chengqian realized that if calculated this way, his meager 170,000 taels of silver were far from enough.
What kind of bow and arrow is good to use?
The Qin army used three-edged arrowheads, which had extremely strong penetrating power; therefore, the Qin army was known as the "tiger and wolf army".
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, there was a type of crossbow that could fire in rapid succession, possessing extremely high lethality. Li Ling once led 5,000 infantrymen against the Xiongnu Chanyu's 110,000 cavalry. However, such weapons were much more expensive to manufacture.
"Could you design a more powerful bow and arrow for me?"
"Yes, but we will charge patent fees, at least 20,000 taels of silver."
"What? You still want to take my money?" Li Chengqian was furious when he heard this.
Okay, I'll give you a 50% discount.
"I won't give you a single tael of silver, so get the hell out of here! I've already planned my own way!"
[Received! Host, your comment about being 'fierce and violent' is indeed quite apt.]
Li Chengqian was so angry he almost smashed the simulator: "Besides swindling my money, what else can you do?"
Just as he was about to lose his temper, Su Gui walked in from outside with someone.
The man was disheveled, covered in wounds, and looked like a gourd of blood.
Li Chengqian was startled and asked Su Gui, "Who is he?"
"This is Jingyao. What, you don't recognize him?"
Jing Yao knelt on the ground, addressing the prince as "Your Highness!"
"Please get up quickly!"
Jingyao stood up again, his attitude extremely respectful.
Li Chengqian looked at him and asked, "If I remember correctly, didn't you go on the expedition with Ashina She'er? How come you look like this?"
"Yes, we encountered the main force of Xue Yantuo's troops. The two sides fought, with each side winning and losing, and the battle remained deadlocked."
"Now, the army has run out of food and there are no reinforcements. Therefore, Ashina She'er ordered me to break through the encirclement and return to Your Highness to ask for help. This is a letter he wrote to you." Jingyao said, taking out a letter from his bosom and handing it to Li Chengqian.
Li Chengqian opened the letter and found it to be extremely earnest.
After reading it, Li Chengqian frowned: "This is not a good matter. It's not that I don't want to help him, but where do I have soldiers and supplies?"
"Your Highness, you must find a way to rescue us, otherwise, we will be in danger of being completely wiped out."
Li Chengqian felt a headache coming on and asked, "I sent Du Zhenglun to find you. Did you see him?"
"No, we haven't seen Lord Du."
Ok?
Li Chengqian thought to himself that, just as Su Wan had predicted, Du Zhenglun was more trouble than he was worth, and had not even met Ashina She'er yet.
Li Chengqian stood up and paced anxiously back and forth in the hall.
Jingyao looked at him with an urgent gaze: "Your Highness, Ashina She'er is now in a dilemma."
Li Chengqian shook his head: "I have the will, but not the strength."
This was already a bit outrageous; Princess Hengyang stole the military tally and handed it over to Ashina She'er.
Ashina She'er's unauthorized troop deployment was illegal.
Now, how can I help him?
Upon hearing this, Jingyao cried out in distress: "If you don't help him, he will die without a burial place."
Seeing this, Su Gui volunteered, "Your Highness, why don't I go?"
"you?"
Li Chengqian glanced at him, then shook his head: "No, you only have two hundred men under your command. What use would they be?"
Su Gui said, "No, when Huo Qubing first went on his expedition, didn't he only bring eight hundred men? Yet they killed thousands of Xiongnu soldiers."
Therefore, the key to a good army lies in its quality, not its quantity!
"Your courage is commendable, but two hundred people are too few. What if something happens to you? How am I supposed to explain this to your sister?" Li Chengqian still disagreed.
"Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will be fine."
Just then, Princess Hengyang arrived.
Li Chengqian quickly greeted her: "Aunt, what brings you here?"
Su Gui and Jing Yao also bowed to Princess Hengyang.
Princess Hengyang held the mask Ashina She'er had given her, tears welling in her eyes: "Chengqian, you must bring Ashina She'er back, otherwise, what use is this mask to me?"
"Auntie, don't worry, we're trying to figure something out."
Li Chengqian helped her to a chair and sat her down.
"If you need manpower, I have two hundred servants in my household who can be sent out if necessary."
Li Chengqian had always known that the servants in Princess Hengyang's household were extremely fierce, which was why the civil and military officials in the court were all somewhat afraid of her.
When Li Chengqian heard her say that, he thought it was a good idea.
Princess Hengyang said, "It's just that my household doesn't have that many horses."
Su Gui said, "This is not difficult. I just need to talk to General Chang He, and the problem can be solved."
"I think this mask is quite good. It looks rather intimidating on a person's face and has a certain deterrent effect. Therefore, I ordered two thousand from craftsmen. Four hundred have been completed so far, and the rest are being made. I plan to send them to Ashina She'er's army in the hope of helping him."
Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian thought to himself, "If a woman falls in love with a man, she will consider his needs in every way."
"Aunt, I also think this mask is quite nice. Then make more, make five thousand."
"What do you need so many masks for?"
"You don't need to ask that. I have my own uses."
Therefore, Li Chengqian decided to send Su Gui with two hundred imperial guards and two hundred personal servants, carrying enough dry rations and water, to Xue Yantuo's tribe to support Ashina She'er.
dusk.
Ancient road.
The sky was ablaze with the colors of sunset.
A large carriage was moving slowly forward, followed by more than ten attendants.
The people sitting in the carriage were none other than Du Zhenglun and his concubine Chunyan.
Du Zhenglun can't be without Chunyan for a single day now. He thinks she's getting younger and more beautiful, so he takes her with him wherever he goes.
Du Zhenglun discovered that the deer antler whip that Li Chengqian gave him was indeed effective; he was full of vitality and seemed to have become ten years younger.
At this moment, he held Chunyan in his arms, wanting to be intimate with her again.
Chunyan pushed him aside: "It's still early, what are you doing? Honestly, get out of here!"
Du Zhenglun chuckled awkwardly, "What do you mean by day or night? Do we need a specific time to do this?"
Chunyan smoothed her slightly disheveled hair with her hand: "You, you're about to die and you don't even realize it. You should think about how many days you have left to live."
Upon hearing this, Du Zhenglun's expression changed, and he couldn't help but ask, "What makes you say that?"
"It's a shame you were once a scholar, yet you don't even understand this simple principle."
At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Liang was fighting against Zhang Han. King Huai of Chu sent Song Yi as an envoy to the State of Qi. On the way, Song Yi met Gao Lingjun Xian.
They were old friends.
Song Yi asked Gao Lingjun Xian, "Where are you going?"
Lord Gaoling said, "I want to go to Xiang Liang's army."
Song Yi then said, "Then walk slowly, and you might survive. If you walk fast, you'll die."
Lord Gaoling, not understanding what Song Yi was saying, asked, "Why is that?"
Song Yi said, "I've noticed that Xiang Liang has won several battles, and now he's become extremely arrogant and careless. I predict he will lose this battle. So, you should proceed cautiously; you might escape death. If you rush and reach Xiang Liang's army, you'll die alongside him."
Upon hearing this, Lord Gaoling was greatly surprised and repeatedly thanked Song Yi.
So he slowed down and proceeded, and sure enough, Xiang Liang was defeated and killed in battle.
Lord Gaoling barely escaped with his life.
"Right now, Ashina She'er is fighting Xue Yantuo's troops. Ashina She'er has fewer soldiers, while Xue Yantuo's troops have more. If you move too fast, wouldn't you be courting death?"
After listening, Du Zhenglun nodded repeatedly: "What you said is absolutely right. I didn't expect you to be such a strategist."
"Get lost, stop flattering me."
So Du Zhenglun lifted the curtain and said to the driver, "Slow down, go slower!"
The driver, assuming Du Zhenglun and Chunyan were up to something again inside, muttered, "What time is it? They're still going strong!"
Du Zhenglun then asked Chunyan for advice, "So, what do you think we should do?"
"On the one hand, we should slow down; on the other hand, we should send someone to inquire about the situation ahead."
If Xue Yantuo's tribe wins and Ashina She'er loses, then we should quickly retreat and tell the Crown Prince that we have not found Ashina She'er's tribe; this place is sparsely populated, where can we look for them?
Conversely, if Xue Yantuo's troops are defeated and Ashina She'er wins, then we will go to Ashina She'er's army and appease him properly. In this way, you will also have a share of the credit.
If the two sides remain deadlocked, then we'll wait for the Crown Prince to send reinforcements, and then we'll decide what to do next.
"Madam is brilliant!" Du Zhenglun gave a thumbs up. "But where are the reinforcements from the Eastern Palace?"
Hearing this, Chunyan glared at him: "Why do you always underestimate people? Is His Highness an ordinary person?"
Du Zhenglun grinned: "No, I know the situation at the Crown Prince's Palace very well. There really are no troops available to mobilize."
"That's not your concern. I think His Highness's abilities are far greater than you imagine."
"I hope so."
night.
The night was dark and the wind was high.
Su Gui had Jing Yao return to Ashina She'er's army beforehand, and the two sides agreed on a time to launch a surprise attack on Xue Yantuo's troops.
When the appointed time arrived, Su Gui led four hundred cavalrymen, all wearing masks, charging into the enemy camp like fierce demons.
Like tigers among sheep, they joined forces with Ashina She'er's army to launch a pincer attack, and indeed inflicted a crushing defeat on Xue Yantuo's forces.
More than a thousand were beheaded, and another three thousand surrendered and were taken prisoner.
Ashina She'er was overjoyed and held a banquet in the main tent to celebrate.
Du Zhenglun happened to arrive as well.
Ashina She'er raised his wine cup and gazed in the direction of Chang'an: "This humble general first thanks Your Highness. Without Your Highness's help, we would not have achieved today's victory."
Secondly, many thanks to Brother Su Gui. As the saying goes, heroes emerge from among the young. Su Gui is not only exceptionally skilled in martial arts, but also brave and decisive. No one can rival him with his pear blossom spear.
"General, you flatter me. I still have much to learn from you," Su Gui said modestly.
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
Du Zhenglun gestured with his eyes, and Ashina She'er knew he had something to say, so he said to Su Gui and Jing Yao, "You two go outside for a stroll."
The two men got up and left the tent.
Du Zhenglun took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Ashina She'er.
The letter was written by Li Chengqian to Ashina She'er. The gist of the letter was that he should not return to the capital, but instead stay in the Gaochang area to train locally and await orders.
Ashina She'er respectfully indicated that he would certainly follow His Highness's instructions.
Du Zhenglun shook his head and said slowly, "General, His Highness values you very much."
His Highness has granted your marriage to Princess Hengyang.
Since you went to war, Princess Hengyang was worried that the Emperor would punish you, so she hanged herself. Fortunately, Your Highness arrived in time and saved her.
She worries about you day and night. This time, she not only commissioned craftsmen to make masks for you, but also brought over two hundred servants from her household.
Ashina She'er placed his hand on his heart: "The princess is deeply devoted to me, and His Highness is even more so. Although I am a vulgar person who doesn't know etiquette, I also know that one should know how to be grateful."
"Without the princess and His Highness, how could I possibly avenge this?"
"You may have heard about the situation in the court. Prince Yue, Li Tai, wants to seize the position of Crown Prince and is putting increasing pressure on Your Highness."
However, His Highness, out of brotherly affection, could not bear to harm him, but Li Tai was relentless.
Therefore, His Highness devised a plan, placing Su Gui in the Imperial Guard, where he is now a Lieutenant Colonel; and assigning you to garrison Gaochang, where you will train five thousand cavalry.
"Su Gui got promoted very quickly."
"Yes, that kid is quite clever."
As for funding, His Highness will provide part of it; the other part, you must train soldiers and cultivate land, and be prepared for a protracted war.
"This humble general will obey Your Highness's orders."
We originally had two thousand men, and not many were killed or wounded. Now we have three thousand prisoners, so we have enough soldiers, but we don't have enough horses.
"How about this, I'll discuss it with Su Gui later and ask him to leave the four hundred warhorses he brought to you."
"Thank you very much, Lord Du!"
Du Zhenglun looked at Ashina She'er and said, "You took too much risk this time. Princess Hengyang stole the military tally, and you used it to transfer two thousand soldiers from the Imperial Guard. That's a capital offense."
The emperor was furious about this.
Ashina She'er looked tense; he couldn't sleep at night whenever he thought about it: "Then, in your opinion, what should we do?"
"On the one hand, after I return, I will have a good talk with His Highness and ask him to speak well of you before the Emperor and exonerate you from your crime."
On the other hand, I'm going to tell you something, but you can't tell anyone that I told you this.
"That's natural."
"The old, cunning Fuyun Khan of Tuyuhun was treacherous. At first, they joined forces with the retired emperor to attack Li Gui from both the east and the west, and obtained a lot of wealth and land."
Later, he intended to pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty and took the opportunity to ask the Tang Dynasty to send his son Murong Shun back, promising never to invade the borders of our Tang Dynasty again.
In the eighth year of the Wude era, the retired emperor sent Li Anyuan as an envoy to Tuyuhun. Fuyun saw that the Tang Dynasty had too many fine things such as silk, grain, tea and porcelain, so he requested to trade with the Tang Dynasty on the border.
In order to benefit the people of both countries, the retired emperor agreed.
However, Fuyun Khan broke the rules. He united with the Dangxiang tribes and constantly harassed the borders of the Tang Dynasty, forgetting all his original promises.
The Emperor was very troubled by this, only because the war with the Eastern Turks had just ended last year, and the Emperor felt sorry for the people and soldiers, so he did not send troops to Tuyuhun.
If you can achieve some merit, His Highness might be able to plead your case before the Emperor. Of course, if your merit is great enough, you might even be promoted to general.
Upon hearing this, Ashina She'er's eyes lit up: "I don't ask to be made a general. I would be content as long as I am spared the death penalty and can marry Princess Hengyang smoothly."
"Lord Du, then tell me, what exactly should I do?"
Du Zhenglun put down his wine cup, squinted, and said, "The reason why Khan Fuyun invaded our borders is mainly for two reasons: first, to plunder wealth, and second, to rape women."
Therefore, you might as well have your soldiers disguise themselves as shepherds, drive some cattle, sheep, and horses to the border between the Tang Dynasty and Tuyuhun, and also select some beautiful women to take there. Once Fuyun Khan finds out, he will definitely send troops to plunder. At that time, you can prepare an ambush in advance and catch them off guard.
"Lord Du's insight is indeed brilliant," Ashina She'er clapped his hands in approval. "This humble general has an idea, but I wonder if it's acceptable?"
"What are your thoughts?"
"Lord Du is exceptionally intelligent; would you be willing to stay in my army and serve as my strategist?"
Upon hearing this, Du Zhenglun thought to himself, "It would be safer for me to return to Chang'an. It wouldn't be worth losing my head here." He quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, thank you for thinking so highly of me, General. On the one hand, I am not knowledgeable enough to shoulder such an important task; on the other hand, His Highness is waiting for me to return and report back."
I have conveyed His Highness's instructions to you. I will be returning to Chang'an first thing tomorrow morning.
"Is Lord Du in such a hurry to leave? Since you're already here, why not stay a few more days?"
"No, no, no, you have your own things to do. I'm just getting in the way here. It's better for you to leave sooner rather than later."
Ashina She'er saw that he was determined to leave, so he did not insist on keeping him.
"Very well, I'll write two letters for you to take back, one to His Highness and one to Princess Hengyang."
"sure."