Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 326: Mutiny in Yongzhou
"Drive! Drive! Drive..."

In November, as the imperial edict was escorted south by fast horses, Li Hongyuan and Liu Congze were very happy to learn that they were transferred to Haizhou.

Although Haizhou ranks low in Henan Province, it is still a large province with a population of over 100,000, which is more than the population of Lingxi, and it is located north of the Huai River.

Although Li Hongyuan was only transferred to Haizhou as a governor, which was not as impressive as his position as a general in Lingxi, his power increased instead of decreased.

For this reason, as soon as Li Hongyuan and Liu Congze received the imperial edict, they began to instruct their servants to pack up their gold and silver jewelry and wait for the arrival of the replacement officials before leaving Lingxi.

Their movement was so loud that the Tianping Army and Pinglu Army in the city got the news soon.

"Damn it, is it possible that Li Hongyuan is leaving without finishing his work?"

In the Tianping Army, Shang Rang, who was responsible for sending people to monitor the Lingxi Yamen, couldn't help but curse, while Shang Junchang next to him was able to remain calm.

"Brother, what do you think we should do?"

Shang Rang looked at Shang Junchang, who frowned and said, "Damn it! If Li Hongyuan really wants to trick us, the brothers will definitely cause trouble."

"The most important thing now is to tell the general about this matter. If the general still doesn't know, then we will immediately call the brothers to discuss the matter."

"If they all know but don't tell us, then we'll take the initiative!"

Shang Rang reacted to what Shang Junchang said. He slapped his forehead and said:

"Liu Erlang, the messenger, has returned to the camp and will definitely tell the brothers about it."

"Let's go!" Upon hearing this, Shang Junchang's face suddenly changed and he quickly stood up and walked out.

They ran straight to the gate of the camp, but gradually they heard a lot of shouting.

Obviously, the news that Li Hongyuan and others were leaving had spread, so the two could only quicken their pace and walk towards Yamen.

In less than half a cup of tea, they broke into the Yamen, and this so-called Yamen was just an ordinary yard, with an area of three mu at most.

As the two men broke into the tooth gate, Wang Xianzhi, who was in the bedroom, heard the sound and walked out of the bedroom with a knife.

"What are you two doing, brothers?"

Wang Xianzhi looked alert. After all, he had obtained his official position by betraying Wang Shouwen, so he was naturally worried that his subordinates would follow suit.

"General, Li Hongyuan is trying to escape. The news has spread throughout the camp!"

"What did you say?"

Wang Xianzhi was stunned by Shang Junchang’s words, and at this time shouting was heard outside the Yamen.

"We want to go home! We want to go home!"

The shouting of hundreds of people frightened Wang Xianzhi for a moment.

He looked at Shang Junchang and Shang Rang. Seeing his angry eyes, Shang Junchang quickly explained, "We didn't know either."

"Damn it..."

Wang Xianzhi cursed inwardly. He didn't expect that Li Hongyuan, who appeared calm and composed on the surface, would actually think of running away when encountering problems.

But if he really ran away, it would mean that the imperial court did not intend to let these garrison soldiers return home.

Thinking of this, Wang Xianzhi felt a chill on his neck.

Living under the rule of the Tianping Army and with Wei Bo's territory next to him, he naturally knew the consequences of the soldiers' clamor.

If he fails to handle this matter well, he might end up like Wang Shouwen.

"Damn it, this is karma!"

Wang Xianzhi couldn't help but curse inwardly, then picked up a knife and walked towards the door.

Shang Junchang and Shang Rang followed after seeing this, but their hands unconsciously pressed on the hilt of the sword at their waist.

"We want to go home! We want to go home!"

"Noisy! What are you arguing about?!"

While the soldiers of the Tianping Army were still clamoring to go home, Wang Xianzhi stood up cursing.

However, he did not scold the crowd for making a fuss;

The former requires punishment, while the latter can only be reprimanded.

"What's the fuss about?!"

Wang Xianzhi cursed and swore. One of them came out and shouted, "General, you said we could go home at the end of the year, but why is the governor already packing up his things?"

"That's right!"

"Did you deceive the brothers?!"

Everyone questioned Wang Xianzhi, who angrily shouted, "Bullshit!"

"Ye Ye just found out about this and was about to question Li Hongyuan with a knife, but you guys blocked Ye Ye's door!"

When everyone heard this, they all shut their mouths, and Wang Xianzhi also cursed:
"What a bunch of idiots!"

"Put on Yeye's armor. Yeye is going to the government office to get to the bottom of this... Oh, right! You guys put on your armor too!"

Wang Xianzhi might not be good at tactics and scheming, but he had been in the private salt business for so many years that he knew the most basic skills of reading people's expressions.

The moment he walked out of the gate, he was sure that if he could not agree to take these soldiers of the Tianping Army home, these soldiers who used to be his brothers would never hesitate and would kill him immediately.

"Damn it..."

Wang Xianzhi cursed inwardly, and the soldiers who had been making a lot of noise left one after another, returning to their tents to put on their armor.

Seeing this, dozens of soldiers who were close to Wang Xianzhi immediately came over to check if Wang Xianzhi was okay.

Wang Xianzhi could only order them to put on armor for him. Quarters of an hour later, he led more than 900 fully armed men towards the Lingxi Yamen.

Since it was still afternoon, the streets of the county were filled with barbarians and common people coming to trade.

Faced with the aggressive Tianping Army, they could only stick to the sides of the streets to avoid angering the Tianping Army's soldiers.

The news spread quickly. Li Hongyuan was still relaxing in his study when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps.

"Envoy! Something bad has happened!"

The servant hurried into the study. Li Hongyuan, who was unaware of the situation, frowned and said, "What a panic... Are the southern barbarians attacking us?"

"No..." The servant took a breath and then bowed, "The Tianping Army is coming towards them in armor!"

"What did you say?!"

Li Hongyuan looked surprised. He didn't expect Wang Xianzhi to react so strongly.

You know, he just arranged for people to pack up the things and didn't do anything else.

"Sir, Wang Xianzhi has led his men to surround the government office!"

Suddenly, another servant came running over, which made Li Hongyuan unable to sit still.

"go!"

He walked out with a dark face, feeling seven parts fear and three parts anger in his heart.

"We want to go home! We want to go home!"

Before he reached the main gate, Li Hongyuan heard the clamor coming from outside the yamen.

More than a dozen soldiers wearing breastplates were holding spears and ready for battle, but they were thin and looked like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

"What are you doing here?!"

Li Hongyuan walked out of the main gate and questioned the hundreds of Tianping soldiers outside the main gate.

The soldiers immediately fell silent, but they all looked at Li Hongyuan fiercely.

At this time, Wang Xianzhi walked to the front and bowed respectfully, saying:

"I heard that the envoy is going to be transferred to another place. May I ask if the imperial edict has been passed down? When can my brothers and I go home?"

"Wang Xianzhi, you actually incited the soldiers, are you planning a mutiny?!"

Li Hongyuan blamed Wang Xianzhi, but Wang Xianzhi was now in a dilemma.

If he retreated, most of the soldiers in the Tianping Army would hate him and even attack him.

As he moved forward, Li Hongyuan was immediately charged with inciting mutiny.

The difference is that the former will die immediately, while the latter still has room for maneuver.

Choosing the lesser of two options, Wang Xianzhi had no choice but to question Li Hongyuan.

"you……"

Li Hongyuan was very angry, but after looking at the Tianping soldiers around him, he had to restrain himself.

He gradually fell silent, but it was not because he had nothing to say, but because he was making a decision.

The imperial edict regarding the extension of the garrison period for the soldiers had been issued as early as July, but he did not dare to announce it.

Considering the situation of the soldiers stationed in the Eight Garrisons, if he dared to announce the imperial decree to extend the garrison period, I'm afraid at least half of the soldiers in the Eight Garrisons would riot.

He originally wanted to leave the matter of extending the garrison period to the next governor, but now his plans were disrupted by Wang Xianzhi.

Judging from the expressions of the Tianping Army soldiers, if he cannot come up with a proper arrangement today, it will probably be difficult to resolve the matter.

Thinking of this, Li Hongyuan hesitated again and again, and finally stammered:

"The imperial decree has indeed been passed down...but..."

When Wang Xianzhi and the soldiers of the Tianping Army heard this, they suddenly had a bad feeling in their hearts.

"The imperial decree is in the palace. The garrison period of all soldiers will be extended by three years..."

"Bullshit!"

"Fuck his head, I'm done with this!!"

Sure enough, when Li Hongyuan finished speaking, the soldiers of the Tianping Army were instantly furious.

They came to Lingxi to guard the border for three years, and nearly three hundred people died. If they continued to guard the border for another three years, who knew if they would be among the dead.

"We're done with this!"

"That's right! We want to go home!"

"You're the one who brought us out. You also said you would take us home. What about now?!"

The soldiers of the Tianping Army were enraged by the court's inconsistent attitude, and Wang Xianzhi, who had promised to take them home after three years of guarding the border, now became the target of their anger.

Wang Xianzhi's scalp was tingling at this moment, but he knew that if he did not explain properly, these guys who used to be brothers with him would use his heads to vent their anger.

Thinking of this, Wang Xianzhi gritted his teeth and said, "I was also deceived by the court in this matter!"

"What I said at the beginning is of course valid. As long as everyone agrees, I will take everyone home now!"

As soon as Wang Xianzhi finished speaking, all the Tianping soldiers raised their arms: "Go home! Go home! Go home..."

Their voices made Li Hongyuan look ugly, and many of them even held the hilt of the knife and moved closer to Li Hongyuan step by step.

Wang Xianzhi stepped forward to stop them: "We want to go home, not rebel!"

Hearing this, many soldiers stopped moving forward and looked at each other.

But at this moment, Li Hongyuan suddenly said, "You returned home without the court's consent. Have you forgotten what happened to Wang Shouwen in the past?"

The Tianping Army in Puzhou was originally recruited from Wang Shouwen's old subordinates, so they naturally knew about Wang Shouwen's affairs.

Wang Shouwen and other old soldiers in Yunzhou initially wanted to return home, but they were regarded as rebels by the court and were finally suppressed in Puzhou.

Li Hongyuan originally wanted to use this incident to suppress them. After all, Wang Shouwen and Wu Wei led 3,000 elite cavalrymen and barely arrived in Puzhou, and were suppressed before they entered Yunzhou.

Wang Xianzhi's more than 900 men were basically infantry, with only a few dozen light cavalry. They were no match for Wang Shouwen and Wu Wei.

As long as Wang Xianzhi and the others are not confused, they should not make the same mistake.

However, Li Hongyuan still thought the problem was too simple. If everyone could learn from the lesson, there would be no such phrase as "repeat the same mistakes".

"Damn it! Even if it means rebellion, I will go home!"

“We want to go home!!”

More than 900 Tianping Army soldiers kept shouting, which made Li Hongyuan and Wang Xianzhi look ugly.

Originally, Wang Xianzhi thought that Li Hongyuan's words would scare them, but they actually aroused their desire to go home.

After all, Wang Shouwen and his men were tricked by the imperial court into going to Liangzhou to guard the border for three years, but in the end they only served for six years. The imperial court wanted them to serve for nine years.

Although they failed in the end, it also showed that the imperial court had no credibility and would only bully them even more.

"Brothers, rob the treasury and carry the food to eat on the road!"

Suddenly, a voice was heard among the chaotic soldiers, and when the voice was heard, Li Hongyuan and Wang Xianzhi's faces suddenly changed.

Before they could react, more than 900 Tianping soldiers began to rush into the yamen.

The dozen or so provincial soldiers were knocked away in an instant, and countless Tianping Army soldiers poured into the yamen.

Seeing that the Tianping Army was in chaos, Li Hongyuan did not dare to stay in the yamen any longer and hurried to Liu Congze's house.

"All will, what should we do?"

Both Shang Junchang and Shang Rang looked unhappy, but Wang Xianzhi's expression was even uglier.

"What can I do now? I'm just going home!"

After robbing the government office’s warehouse, now even if they were right, they are no longer right.

"As long as I can go home..."

Shang Rang spoke carelessly, but Shang Junchang's face did not look good.

Obviously he also knew the consequences of robbing the warehouse, and Wang Xianzhi was thinking about how to get home. What would they do if the imperial court sent troops to suppress them?

While he was thinking, the soldiers of the Tianping Army robbed more than seventy cows and got carts to hitch them to the cows.

Bags of grain were loaded onto carts, but more than seventy ox carts could only carry a few hundred stones of grain, enough for them to eat for a month at most.

Fortunately, there were still four boxes of money in the yamen, containing more than 400 strings of cash and more than 100 taels of gold.

"Damn it, don't delay, let's go now!"

Wang Xianzhi was worried that Li Hongyuan would dispatch the Xuanwu Army and the Zhongwu Army from Tianzhou to attack them, so he quickly called on the Tianping Army to leave the city.

Quarter of an hour later, more than 900 Tianping soldiers rushed out of Xuanhua County with more than 70 ox carts and headed north.

Wang Xianzhi sat on the back of a draft horse, looking at the Xuanhua County town gradually getting smaller in the distance, but he did not feel relaxed at all.

With the example of Wang Shouwen in front of him, he was very nervous, fearing that the court would not let them off easily.

In addition, Li Hongyuan disappeared, and it is very likely that he went to mobilize the Xuanwu Army and Zhongwu Army in Tianzhou.

If they were to join forces with the Pinglu Army to pursue them, with only nine hundred of them, they might not be able to successfully break through...

Thinking of this, Wang Xianzhi glanced at his own team, but saw that everyone was wearing armor, walking very slowly, carrying the military pay that had been issued in the past on their shoulders, and panting.

"You bastard, how long will it take you to get there if you walk so slowly?"

“Don’t let Song Wei’s gang of thieves catch up with us before we even get out of Lingxi!”

Wang Xianzhi cursed loudly, his eyes swept across the surrounding fields, and then looked at Shang Junchang and Shang Rang:

"Tell the brothers to rob any draft horses, oxen or carts they see on the road. We don't have time to waste and must leave Lingxi as soon as possible!"

"Yes!" Shang Junchang and Shang Rang responded quickly, and then conveyed the general's order to the three armies.

As Wang Xianzhi's military order was issued, the soldiers of the Tianping Army, who had been somewhat fearful, seemed to have turned into jackals. Whenever they saw a village, they would rush into it like wolves and tigers and forcibly take away the people's oxen.

All the villages along the way from Yongzhou to Luanzhou suffered, with cries and curses heard one after another, but the Tianping Army didn't care at all.

At this moment, they just want to go home, and they can only go home...

"You bastard killer, you damned peasant!"

While the Tianping Army was looting along the way to the north, Li Hongyuan, who had disappeared for a long time, returned to the county government office in Xuanhua County, Yongzhou, with a sullen face.

The people he sent to follow Wang Xianzhi had returned and brought back news that the Tianping Army had looted villages along the way.

At this moment, he looked at the situation inside the yamen, and saw that it was also in a mess.

Tables and chairs were overturned, books and maps were scattered all over the floor, and the warehouse was empty. If you didn't know, you would think it was looted by southern barbarians.

"How dare Wang Xianzhi be so presumptuous? I will report this to the imperial court and have him executed!"

Looking at the scene in front of him, Li Hongyuan was furious, while Liu Cong, who was sitting in the first seat on the left, frowned and whispered, "Envoy, this matter is of great importance."

"Wang Xianzhi led his army to flee north. If we cannot stop him in time, I am afraid it will cause greater unrest."

Song Wei, a general of the Pinglu army who was also stationed in Yongzhou, sat in the first seat on the right. He looked calm, but there was a gleam of light in his eyes.

Facing Liu Congze's reminder to Li Hongyuan, he slowly spoke in agreement:

"Sir, Wang Xianzhi's incident is indeed hateful, but I think that what we need to be more vigilant about now is the attitude of the garrison troops in Xuanwu and Zhongwu."

"It's not just Wang Xianzhi and the Tianping Army who want to go home. The fact that the court has extended the garrison period cannot be hidden after all. By then, the soldiers in Xuanwu and other towns will surely feel resentful."

"If this matter cannot be properly handled, I am afraid that more examples of Wang Xianzhi and the Tianping Army will appear, and the situation in Lingxi will be out of control."

Upon hearing this, Li Hongyuan's face turned even uglier, and he couldn't help but complain about the court in his heart.

The soldiers from the Eight Garrisons have been stationed in Lingnan for a long time and have long been complaining. If they had been released according to the agreed garrison period, things like today would never have happened.

If the imperial court had not extended the garrison period in order to save money, he would not have suffered this disaster.

"General Song is absolutely right." Li Hongyuan took a deep breath and suppressed the anger and grievance in his heart.

"This matter must be reported to the court, requesting the replacement of the garrison troops of the remaining seven garrisons in Lingxi."

"In addition, Wang Xianzhi and the Tianping Army must also be severely punished to serve as a warning to others."

"Later, I will submit a memorial to the imperial court and send a fast horse to deliver it to Chang'an. I will also send a message to Jingnan, Lingnan and other places, asking them to intercept Wang Xianzhi and other rebels!"

Li Hongyuan made the arrangements, and Song Wei nodded in agreement, saying respectfully, "Your Excellency is wise, and I believe the court will not embarrass you."

Li Hongyuan looked unhappy when faced with Song Wei's words.

Even though the Southern Court had transferred him to Haizhou, he had not left Lingxi after all, so Wang Xianzhi's mutiny would definitely be blamed on him.

"I have to find some connections..."

While thinking, Li Hongyuan took out the memorial, picked up the pen and wrote the contents. Soon after, he put it in an envelope and sealed it with wax. He called the servant and handed it over:

"Send someone to Chang'an immediately, without any mistakes."

"Yes……"

The servant took the memorial, but all the horses and oxen in the city had been looted by Wang Xianzhi and others, so he could only go to the nearest post station in person.

Seeing the servants leave, the matter was settled, and Song Wei immediately stood up and said goodbye.

Li Hongyuan and Liu Congze were both concerned about Wang Xianzhi's rebellion and movements, so they did not keep him.

When Song Wei walked out of the yamen, the corners of his mouth rose slightly and a hint of pride flashed in his eyes.

When he returned to the military camp, four colonels under his command had been waiting for a long time.

"General, after Wang Xianzhi's disturbance today, the court will definitely consider recalling the garrison troops from the seven towns. We can finally conquer Lu with justification!"

"Yes, Wang Xianzhi has become a rogue soldier, but we can escape unscathed. This is all thanks to our proper planning!"

The officers praised Song Wei generously, but Song Wei just chuckled and said with regret:
"After all, Wang Xianzhi has been playing dominoes with me for two years. Now he has become a rogue soldier. I can only say that this is his fate. What a pity..."

"No matter if he becomes a rebellious soldier or not, as long as we can go home!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

The laughter of the crowd echoed in the camp, and Wang Xianzhi, who was defeated and turned into a mutineer, led the Tianping Army on the road back north.

(End of this chapter)