Chapter 90: Failure in Returning to Luocang
A scout had already reported Li Ji's information about Li Ai's injury.
"It seems that the morale of the Eastern Capital is quite high. They even injured the commander of the allied forces of Wagang."
He personally went to the central army camp to check on Li Ai's injuries.
"My Lord, my injury is not serious. A stray arrow hit my arm. It will heal in a few days."
"Let me help you take a look."
He took out a blue porcelain bottle from the medicine box and poured out a pill.
"Take this pill with warm water and see the effect."
Li Ai took the pill and swallowed it with warm water.
After half an hour, the arrow wound slowly healed.
"My Lord, you are truly a miracle doctor."
Li Ji smiled and said, "I don't have any hobbies. I also read the medical classics such as Huangdi Neijing and Lingshu left by my master from time to time."
Li Ai thought that the lord read a wide range of books, including physiognomy, military books, and medical books.
He himself only reads historical books such as "Han Shu" and "Zhan Guo Ce" from time to time. Compared with his lord, it seems that his reading range is not broad enough.
Reading has always been Li Ji's good habit.
He thought that at the end of the Sui Dynasty, he had to learn everything again, and knowledge alone was not enough, he also needed personal practice.
Apply what you learn, and learning and practice will complement each other.
After traveling through time, Li Ji relied on his knowledge from his previous life and used some Chinese herbal medicines to develop various types of pills.
He learned Tai Chi flying needle acupuncture from his master, and can basically cure some difficult and complicated diseases with just one needle.
As for hard injuries such as knife wounds and arrow wounds, Chinese medicine pills are needed to assist in treatment, which will have better results.
On this day, the scouts reported again: "Sui troops appeared in the northwest of Huiluo Cang."
Li Ji frowned, then gritted his teeth and said angrily: "This little Yue King dared to compete with Wagangzhai. Beat him up!"
Dingchou (the 28th day).
Yang Tong, the King of Yue in the Eastern Capital, sent Duan Da, Pang Yu and others to march out at night and line up in the northwest of Huiluo Cang.
At Li Ji's command, Pei Renji went into battle.
Pei Renji led 5,000 elite soldiers and met Duan Da in Xiaoli Village outside Huiluo Cang.
The Wagang Army was composed of a group of bandits and robbers, who had never seen a truly powerful army. Although Pei Renji personally supervised the battle and the rebels fought hard, they were still unable to break through the Sui Army's defense line.
Pei Renji rushed into the enemy camp several times, but was surrounded by the Sui army and almost chopped off his horse.
Duan Da, commander of the Sui army, led the way, wielding his spear and killing the rebels, forcing them to retreat one after another.
Pei Renji was seriously injured and was rescued by his personal soldiers and returned to the camp.
The battle started in the morning and lasted until the sun set. Most of the rebels were killed or wounded, so Li Ji had to call back his troops, gave up returning to Luo, and fled to Luokou.
Afterwards, the main forces of the Sui Dynasty, Pang Yu and Huo Shiju, stationed in Yanshi.
Duan Da, Pang Yu and Huo Shiju formed a siege from the north and south. Li Ji led the Wagang Army to take advantage of the natural advantages of Hulao Pass and wait for the opportunity to counterattack.
When Chai Xiaohe's followers heard that Li Ji had been defeated, they all fled away. Chai Xiaohe only brought a few cavalrymen back to Li Ji.
Yang Defang and Zheng Detao both died in the battle.
Li Ji appointed Zheng Yan as the left Sima and Zheng Qianxiang from Xingyang as the right Sima.
June of the first year of Yining (617) during the reign of Emperor Gong of Sui.
Li Ji led his troops towards the Eastern Capital again, and on Bingshen (the 17th day), a great battle took place at Pingleyuan.
Li Ji arranged the cavalry on the left, the infantry on the right, and the archers in the middle, and charged forward beating a thousand war drums.
The government troops of Dongdu were defeated, and Li Ji once again captured Huiluo Cang.
July in autumn of the first year of Yining (617) during the reign of Emperor Gong of Sui.
Emperor Yangdi sent Wang Shichong, the governor of Jiangdu, to lead the strong troops from Jiang and Huai, General Wang Long to lead the Huangman from Qiongdi, the ambassador of Hebei and Shaoqing of Taichang Wei Ji, the ambassador of Henan and Tiger Tooth Langjiang Wang Bian and others to lead their respective troops to rush to the Eastern Capital at the same time.
As the army approached, the Wagang New Army was suppressed in a small space.
Li Ji convened a meeting of the leaders of each team and analyzed:
"Jiangdu has assembled a large army and is approaching Dongdu. The situation for attacking Dongdu is becoming increasingly unfavorable."
"Duke Wei, we should not be too anxious. Right now, the whole country of the Sui Dynasty is full of rebel forces. As long as we retain our strength, we will be victorious one day."
He then ordered: "Station the elite troops in the Xingyang camp, and send out small teams to continue harassing the Eastern Capital."
Li Ai knelt on both knees: "Yes, my lord."
Armies from all directions approached the Wagang Army.
Emperor Yang ordered Xue Shixiong, the General of the Left Imperial Guard and the Governor of Zhuo County, to lead 30,000 elite troops from Yan to attack the Wagang Army.
He ordered Wang Shichong and other generals to accept Xue Shixiong's dispatch and command.
Wherever the army passed, they would eliminate thieves they encountered according to the circumstances, and small gangs of bandits would flee like birds and beasts.
Li Ai adopted Li Ji's persistent tactics, specializing in "blitzkrieg", advancing and retreating quickly, appearing and disappearing mysteriously, causing great headaches for King Yang Tong of Yue.
In September of the first year of Yining (617) during the reign of Emperor Gong of the Sui Dynasty, Yuan Baozang, the prefect of Wuyang County, led the entire county to surrender to Li Ji.
On the sixth day of the Jiayin month, Li Ji appointed Yuan Baozang as Shangzhuguo and Duke of Wuyang.
Yuan Baozang sent his retainer Wei Zheng from Julu with a letter to thank Li Ji and request that Wuyang be renamed Weizhou.
He also requested permission to lead his troops westward to capture Weijun and join forces with generals in the south to capture Liyang Warehouse.
Li Ji was very happy and immediately appointed Yuan Baozang as the governor of Weizhou and recruited Wei Zheng as the literary officer of the Marshal's Office to be in charge of the record room.
When Wei Zheng was young, he was lonely and poor. He loved reading and had great ambitions, but he was down and out and had no proper job.
He was a Taoist priest at first, and Yuan Baozang summoned him to be in charge of secretary.
Li Ji liked Wei Zheng's literary style, so he summoned him as well.
That year, there were severe floods in Henan and Shandong, and corpses of people who starved to death were seen everywhere.
Emperor Yang ordered the opening of the Liyang granary to provide relief to the victims, but the officials failed to provide supplies on time, and tens of thousands of people starved to death every day.
Li Ji said to Li Ai: "The turmoil in the world is caused by famine. If we can get the Liyang granary, our great cause will be a success."
Li Ji personally led 5,000 elite soldiers across the Yellow River from Yuanwu, and joined Yuan Baozang, Hao Xiaode, Li Wenxiang, as well as Zhang Sheng, the leader of the thieves in Huanshui, and Zhao Junde, the leader of the thieves in Qinghe, to jointly attack Liyang Warehouse.
The six armies formed a siege and were unstoppable, capturing Liyang Warehouse overnight.
After the capture, Li Ji personally deployed the opening of the granaries and released grain.
Li Ji reminded Li Ai, "Food is the most important thing for the people. Having food can unite the people. However, we must also let the people who collect food understand that 'every grain of rice is hard-earned'."
Li Ji urged his personal soldiers to strengthen inspections. They were to open the granaries to allow the people to take grain, but also to strictly manage the grain and not waste it at will.
The warehouses were opened for releasing grain for ten consecutive days, and the rebels from all around came to join the army. Within ten days, more than 200,000 combat-capable soldiers were obtained.
Wu'an, Yong'an, Yiyang, Yiyang and Qijun surrendered to Li Ji one after another.
Dou Jiande, Zhu Can and others also sent envoys to Li Ji to request submission, and Li Ji appointed Zhu Can as the governor of Yangzhou and Lord Deng.
After capturing Liyang Warehouse, Li Ji arranged for Li Ai to be stationed in Liyang Warehouse, and he quickly returned to Xingyang Camp.
On this day, he was reading war reports from various places in the shogunate in the main camp when his personal guards suddenly reported: "A distinguished guest has arrived!"
Li Ji was stunned. He looked up and saw a mysterious Taoist priest walking in...
