210: Taking Jiang Si, entering Shazhou, and the reputation of the King of Northern Liang

Chapter 209: Taking Jiang Si, Entering Sha Province, the Prestige of the King of Northern Liang!

Jiange Pass opened wide, and Li Chang'an, in black armor and black robes, rode out on horseback.

Gu Dazu, Zhuge Liang, and Zhang Huaiding followed behind, and the group galloped to the Gui Han Army camp, where the soldiers were already assembled and waiting.

Each soldier was lean and dark-skinned, yet their eyes were still burning bright.

From the eyes of these men, Li Chang'an could see resilience and indomitable spirit. It was truly rare to have persevered for over a decade in the Fan People occupied territory.

These soldiers were all looking at the famous King of Tang. The young vassal king had led one thousand men to kill seventy thousand Fan People.

In the eyes of the soldiers, this was simply a Divine Being!

Zhang Huaiding shouted to the soldiers in the camp, “Brothers!”

“From today on, we are the Guiyi Army under the King of Tang!”

“We do not belong to Northern Han, nor to Liyang, only to righteousness!”

Hearing this new name, the soldiers began to murmur in low voices.

“Guiyi Army!”

“It sounds quite impressive!”

“From now on, we can fight under the King of Tang!”

“Your Highness, can we also kill seventy thousand with one thousand men?”

“Your Highness, if we have enough armor and provisions, we can sweep through the Western Regions!”

Li Chang'an said in a deep voice, “When you pledge allegiance to this King, you pledge allegiance to righteousness!”

“Before, you were the loyal isolated ones of the Northwest!”

“From now on, you retain your loyalty, but you are no longer alone!”

Hearing the description 'loyal isolated ones of the Northwest', many soldiers' eyes were already filled with tears.

They thought they would eventually perish in the sea of enemies.

But Li Chang'an came out of the pass, the King of Tang arrived, bringing them hope!

“Listen well to this King!”

“You must not only kill seventy thousand with one thousand men, but also reclaim all seven commanderies of Sha Province!”

“What Fan People, Rong People, Hu People!”

“Those who listen will stay and be watchdogs, dancing and singing to entertain!”

“Those who don't listen will be slaughtered and exterminated, their homes razed!”

Many soldiers laughed at the mention of making the Hu People dance.

After all, when the Central Plains was strong, they were always good at singing and dancing.

After Li Chang'an finished speaking, hope reignited in the eyes of the Guiyi Army soldiers!

“Your Highness speaks well!”

“Reclaim the Seven Commanderies, reclaim Dunhuang City!”

“The Tatars and Fan People should all be exterminated!”

As everyone's emotions ran high, Li Chang'an distributed five thousand Guiyi Army templates.

Afterward, Li Chang'an allocated provisions to the Guiyi Army.

It was truly as he said himself, treating the Guiyi Army the same as his own army.

Late at night, when all was quiet.

Jiang Si, hiding in the dark, was now palpitating with fear, her face flushed red. She felt betrayed.

In recent months, she and Qingniao were the closest, because the other women were all Li Chang'an's concubines.

She and Qingniao were the King's guards, earning their keep through skill, not by charming men with their looks!

But just now, she saw Qingniao and the King together!

Qingniao was embraced by Li Chang'an and entered Qingniao's room.

Then, a series of joyful sounds emerged, and Jiang Si was stunned!

It turned out that Qingniao had already been taken by the King; no wonder Qingniao had so much money!

So this fellow was doing two jobs, concubine and guard, of course her salary was high!

Jiang Si leaned against the door, her heart pounding!

Brother Chang'an has so many women, can he handle it all, can his body endure it?

Just then, a devilish knock came from behind the door!

Jiang Si was instantly Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. Could it be the King!

“Xiao Si, open the door.”

Li Chang'an's tone was calm, but Jiang Si's body froze.

However, she didn't know what she was thinking, but she actually opened the door.

Li Chang'an, standing at the doorway, showed no trace of his daytime indifference.

After entering, he habitually locked the door from the inside.

Then, Li Chang'an took Jiang Si's hand, as if talking to himself.

“Xiao Si, do you think you can run away?”

Jiang Si's face was flushed, her breathing quickened; she was too nervous.

“Brother… Chang'an…”

“It's so late… what do you want to do?”

After saying this, Jiang Si felt incredibly foolish.

Then she closed her eyes and plunged into Li Chang'an's embrace.

Li Chang'an felt Jiang Si's thundering heartbeat with his hand.

“Xiao Si shouldn't be called Princess Taiping.”

Jiang Si was utterly soft, her voice delicate and seductive.

“Brother Chang'an, what princess should Xiao Si be named?”

Li Chang'an caressed her several times; Jiang Si was boneless and utterly pliant.

“She should be called Princess Buping (Uneven)! How can this be called 'Ping' (Even).”

Jiang Si's exquisite face was now even more breathtakingly beautiful.

Jiang Si lay in Li Chang'an's arms, “Brother Chang'an, am I beautiful, Xiao Si?”

Li Chang'an said, “Beautiful! But just being beautiful isn't enough.”

“This King's women must be both beautiful and useful!”

Jiang Si gently kissed Li Chang'an's cheek, “Please enjoy, Your Highness…”

A strong wind blew, causing the door to repeatedly slam against the wall.

The sound became increasingly urgent, the impacts growing more violent.

Only at this moment did Jiang Si suddenly realize.

So, Qingniao wasn't just working two jobs and earning two salaries; she was also enjoying double the pleasure!

…Currently, Li Chang'an's army consists of twenty thousand men, of whom twelve thousand have integrated templates.

Li Chang'an's army, having completed their rest and reorganization at Jiange Pass, handed over this strategic pass to the belated Western Shu Province garrison.

Li Chang'an, who by regulations could only maintain six thousand private soldiers, led over twenty thousand men out of the pass!

With no worries behind him, Li Chang'an's destination was the three commanderies of Sha Province.

The three commanderies of Sha Province, although currently in Han hands and nominally under the imperial court, were heavily influenced by Xu Xiao.

Before departing, Li Chang'an specifically had the Brocade-Clad Guards send a letter to White-Robed Guanyin.

There was no other purpose than to inform her that Li Chang'an was coming to Sha Province.

If the Six-Jewel Dharma King was smart, she would hurry to pay her respects.

The news that Western Shu Province was invaded by Shanshan and then swiftly defeated by Li Chang'an reached Taian City.

Minister of War Gu Jiantang, who had just finished reorganizing his troops, was greatly shocked!

He had originally been ordered by imperial decree to assemble an army of one hundred thousand to go to Western Shu Province to resist Shanshan.

However, before the army could even depart, Shanshan had already been defeated.

“Li Chang'an, with ten thousand men, annihilated seventy thousand Shanshan troops, and Murong Fuyun's remnants retreated!”

“The entire Gui Han Army has pledged allegiance to Li Chang'an, and Li Chang'an has already left Jiange Pass and is heading to Sha Province to take up his fief!”

“This! These are the achievements of a descendant of Southern Tang!”

This former great general, who had destroyed Southern Tang, could not believe the facts before his eyes.

That Emperor Hong, who had surrendered without a fight, could actually have such a capable son!

Moreover, such a feat of winning with fewer numbers had only ever been achieved by Xu Xiao!

Gu Jiantang himself was cautious in his use of troops and had never been so brilliant.

Zhao Chun looked serious, but also felt greatly relieved.

“Minister Gu, no matter what, this is good news.”

“Shanshan has suffered a heavy blow, and I fear they won't be able to cause trouble for several years.”

“You also don't need to personally lead an expedition to the Northwest; just send a few tens of thousands of troops to guard Jiange Pass.”

Although the Emperor spoke of benefits, Gu Jiantang still saw a worried expression on his face.

However, he was not a close confidant of Zhao Chun, so the Emperor would not confide in him.

Zhao Chun gave a few simple instructions and then dismissed Gu Jiantang.

Imperial Tutor Yuan Benxi came to see the Emperor after Gu Jiantang.

“Your Majesty, do not worry!”

“Although there were some unexpected turns, Li Chang'an is acting according to our plan.”

“As long as he goes to Sha Province, he will not escape the death trap we have set for him!”

Zhao Chun said, “But Li Chang'an's development is too fast.”

“Under his command, there are many masters of the Vajra and Zhi Xuan Realm, and even some of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm.”

“Cao Changqing, who broke through Taian City two years ago, couldn't even enter Li Chang'an's military camp.”

“This Li Chang'an's strength has developed too unbelievably!”

Yuan Benxi comforted him, “Twenty thousand men are insignificant compared to Northern Liang's three hundred and fifty thousand troops!”

“Furthermore, there is absolutely no possibility of reconciliation between Northern Liang and Li Chang'an,”

“Because the two hundred thousand refugees in Qingcang Commandery of Sha Province are Xu Xiao's Achilles' heel,”

“Let's just wait for them to fight amongst themselves.”

Northern Liang Royal Mansion.

Xu Xiao fiddled with the chess pieces on the board, a look of helplessness on his face.

“Damn Li Chang'an, did he steal my Luck from when I was young?”

“One thousand killing seventy thousand, that's too fierce. With Feng Nian in his hands, I can't directly send troops.”

“Those two hundred thousand refugees in Qingcang Commandery absolutely cannot be taken by Li Chang'an.”

Northern Liang was raising the two hundred thousand refugees like Gu, preparing for the future.

These refugees now harbored deep hatred for Northern Liang, so it was not impossible for Li Chang'an to take them in.

What Xu Xiao worried about most was that the Gui Han Army had also defected to Li Chang'an.

“Fortunately, Zhang Yichao was abducted by traitors…”

“If he were here, the situation would be even more troublesome!”

Li Yishan said, “Zhang Yichao has long-standing prestige within Sha Province.”

“One-third of those refugees once lived under his rule.”

“We expelled the Gui Han Army from the three commanderies of Sha Province, but we didn't expect them to still be active.”

“Your Highness, we must take Li Chang'an's matter seriously.”

“Have Chen Zhibao prepare; we need to transfer more troops to the western front.”

“Once Li Chang'an returns the Young Master, there will surely be a war between us and Sha Province!”

Xu Xiao slammed the table and said, “It should have been like this long ago. I originally wanted Li Chang'an to be Feng Nian's whetstone!”

“Now, it's good; Li Chang'an is going to be my whetstone!”

Within Sha Province.

Li Chang'an sent one hundred elite Brocade-Clad Guards into Yumen Commandery to rescue Zhang Yichao.

Li Chang'an could threaten White-Robed Guanyin to come see him, but he could not force White-Robed Guanyin to hand over Zhang Yichao.

Shanshan was utterly defeated, and Li Chang'an was about to arrive in Sha Province.

It was possible that the Wala garrison commander of Anxi would take matters into his own hands and kill Zhang Yichao.

After all, no matter how deep the hatred between Wala and Shanshan, the Gui Han Army was their common enemy.

The commander of Yumen Commandery was merely a First-rank Martial Artist Vajra, so the Brocade-Clad Guards used the most secure method.

They lay in ambush for over ten days, thoroughly understanding the local situation, and then kidnapped the commander's family in a temple.

Finally, the Brocade-Clad Guards used these family members to exchange for Zhang Yichao.

When Li Chang'an stepped onto the border of the three Han commanderies of Sha Province, the famous Northwest General Zhang Yichao finally came under his command!

On a desolate Gobi desert, Li Chang'an set up his military camp.

In the central military tent, Zhang Yichao paid his respects to Li Chang'an.

His face was weathered by wind and frost, but his eyes were as firm as iron. This fifty-year-old general showed no trace of fatigue!

“Your subordinate, Zhang Yichao of the Guiyi Army, greets His Highness the King of Tang!”

“Sha Province has suffered from the troubles of the Hu and Fan barbarians for decades!”

“As this subordinate was nearing the end of his life, the Heavenly Army finally arrived!”

Li Chang'an knew that Zhang Yichao's allegiance was definitely not because Li Chang'an saved his life.

Rather, it was because Li Chang'an fought a bloody battle with Shanshan and treated the Guiyi Army sincerely.

Moreover, Li Chang'an had the ambition to reclaim all seven commanderies of Sha Province.

A Zhi Xuan Realm general had joined Li Chang'an's command!

Name: Zhang Yichao

Age: 50 years old

Realm: First-rank Martial Artist (Zhi Xuan Realm Middle Stage)

Talents: Commander (Second Rank), Military Strategist (Second Rank)

Abilities: Commander (Second Rank), Military Strategist (Second Rank)

Loyalty: 90

Zhang Yichao and Gu Dazu, these two generals, were inherently very formidable.

Whether in their own cultivation or in leading troops in battle, they were first-rate.

Li Chang'an firmly believed that it would not be long before Zhang Yichao would completely pledge his allegiance.

Li Chang'an helped Zhang Yichao up and had him sit comfortably on the chair below Gu Dazu.

“General Zhang, this King is new to Sha Province; I will need the General's guidance.”

Zhang Yichao said, “The three commanderies currently occupied by Han people—Jinchang, Kuitun, and Qingcang—are all different.”

“Jinchang is the wealthiest, controlled by several large clans.”

“Although the Prefect is appointed by the imperial court, he has long been bought by Xu Xiao.”

“Qingcang is almost entirely composed of refugees, and the government is virtually nonexistent.”

“Kuitun, in the middle, is primarily engaged in trade with various parties in the Western Regions.”

Although Li Chang'an had already received intelligence on the three commanderies, Zhang Yichao was still clearer on many details.

In the military tent, everyone listened to Zhang Yichao speak for a long time, and they thoroughly understood the situation of the entire Sha Province.

Zhang Yichao finally said, “Your Highness can enter Jinchang Commandery by imperial decree and first take control of Jinchang City.”

“Then spend one or two years pacifying the internal forces, and also establish good relations with Xu Xiao.”

“After that, slowly deploy troops; consolidating the three commanderies will probably take seven or eight years.”

“For Your Highness to reclaim the lost three commanderies, I'm afraid it will take more than ten years!”

Li Chang'an patted Zhang Yichao's shoulder, “General, don't worry, it won't take that long.”

“This King will surely let you personally step into Dunhuang City!”

Zhang Yichao knew of Li Chang'an's extraordinary abilities, but deep down, he didn't quite believe it.

A few days later, Li Chang'an led his troops to the foot of Jinchang City!

A desolate ancient city stood amidst the wind and sand.

The cities of the Northwest, compared to those in the Central Plains, were far less refined.

Although this place was currently in Han hands, the Hu and Fan People had also attacked it many times.

Not far from the city gate, Li Cunxiao's voice came through.

“The King of Tang is taking up his fief in Sha Province, who dares to block his way!”

Li Chang'an hadn't expected that, bringing his troops, there would still be someone so foolish as to block his path.

How isolated were these people from news? Were they not afraid of Li Chang'an leading his army to attack the city?

At this moment, a rude voice came out.

“What King of Tang, never heard of him!”

“This is Jinchang City, we only listen to Prefect Huang!”

“Who knows if you are Fan People spies!”

Li Chang'an looked from afar and saw a burly soldier, acting like a boor, yelling at Li Cunxiao.

“Black-faced fellow, let me tell you, the Northwest only knows the King of Northern Liang!”

“You, whatever king you are, obediently come and pay your respects in person!”

“Otherwise, with Prefect Huang's letter, Northern Liang's iron cavalry will sweep in!”

His words were extremely arrogant, clearly audible from dozens of yards away.

Zhang Yichao whispered, “Your Highness, there aren't many government troops in the city; they are merely borrowing Xu Xiao's influence.”

“We might as well try courtesy before force… This subordinate is more familiar with the local people and can go mediate first.”

Li Chang'an chuckled, “General Zhang, don't worry. Let the young people handle such a small matter.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a head fly high in the distance!

A jet of blood shot out from the military man's severed neck!

As the blood splattered, it was accompanied by Li Cunxiao's shout.

“To hell with your King of Northern Liang!”