Chapter 88: Reinforcements to Lingzhou

Li Shimin, upon hearing these words, did not wait for Chen Ying to react and quickly exchanged a glance with Hou Junji. He had set his sights on Luo Shixin and Kan Ling, intending to draw them into his own ranks, and he would not allow Chai Shao to interfere at such a crucial moment.

Though Zhangsun Wuji could not restrain Chai Shao, Hou Junji could. Hou Junji was now one of the few martial experts in the Prince of Qin’s household. After this minor episode, Li Shimin and Luo Shixin exchanged cups and drank heartily together.

Of course, Chen Ying was unwilling to simply pave the way for Li Shimin’s advancement. Each time Li Shimin tried to recruit Luo Shixin, Chen Ying deliberately changed the subject.

“Brother Kan, what brings you to Chang’an?”

This question, posed by Chen Ying, was in fact the answer Li Shimin was most eager to know. Kan Ling was the adopted son of Du Fuwei. When Li Yuan ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, Yuan Wendou and others, who remained in Luoyang, also supported Prince Yue, Yang Tong, as emperor, known as Emperor Huangtai. Du Fuwei pledged allegiance to Yang Tong and was granted the title King of Chu and Supreme Commander of the Eastern Route. Li Shimin pondered whether Wang Shichong had fallen out with Du Fuwei, leading to a rift, and whether Du Fuwei now intended to ally with Tang against Zheng. In fact, Li Shimin’s suspicions were largely correct.

Kan Ling hesitated briefly before speaking slowly, “My father sent me to Chang’an…”

Yang Tong was nothing more than a puppet in Wang Shichong’s hands. After Wang Shichong defeated his old enemy Li Mi, his power and ambition swelled. At this point, he sought to unify all the factions of the Sui dynasty, and Du Fuwei, who controlled eight prefectures and seventy-two counties in the Jianghuai region with more than a hundred thousand troops, became the thorn in his side. As a puppet, Yang Tong had no choice but to issue an imperial edict summoning Du Fuwei to Luoyang, following Wang Shichong’s wishes, in a desperate bid to preserve his own life.

When Du Fuwei received Yang Tong’s imperial order, he immediately sensed the hidden danger within. Should he go to Luoyang, Wang Shichong’s stronghold, he would surely become a hostage, and his Jianghuai army would thereafter serve under Wang’s command, not his own. After discussing with Fu Gongyou, Du Fuwei decided to prepare for both outcomes.

On one hand, he maintained a façade of cooperation with Wang Shichong, who wielded power in Yang Tong’s name; on the other, he dispatched Kan Ling and Wang Xiongtan as envoys to Chang’an, seeking to ally with Tang against Zheng. Upon arriving in Chang’an, Kan Ling happened upon Chen Ying’s open banquet. Following the principle that “a fool passes up a free meal,” he and his entourage joined the gathering for food and drink.

When he saw Luo Shixin provoking others, he could not resist intervening.

Li Shimin, upon hearing this, could not contain his joy. With an alliance to the east with Li Mi of Wagang, and to the southeast with Du Fuwei of Jianghuai, if the three forces joined to attack Wang Shichong, half the victory would be won already. Once Luoyang was taken, the strategic security of the Tang would be vastly improved.

Li Shimin could see that Wei Zheng regarded him with indifference. For someone of Li Shimin’s intellect, it was easy to understand why. For a man like Wei Zheng, the prestigious title of Prince of Qin held little appeal.

As a first-rank prince, the Prince of Qin had little to offer Wei Zheng. He could only appoint officials below the fifth rank, and to bear the mark of the Prince of Qin’s household could, in fact, become a fatal hindrance to one’s future career, rather than an advantage.

In the early Tang, unlike the end, only the Crown Prince had the right to open his own administrative office. The Tang dynasty was founded on military might; as long as one accrued enough merit, rewards would follow. Now, with the rank of Minister of State, he had risen as high as possible in office and title. As a first-rank prince, there was simply nowhere higher to go. Yet merit could not go unrewarded, so the only way to honor him was to grant him the right to establish his own administration. With this, he could openly recruit civil and military retainers, slowly amassing the resources to compete with Li Jiancheng.

At this thought, Li Shimin grew restless.

Recruiting a handful of men like Luo Shixin would only mean adding another capable general to the Prince of Qin’s household. Individual valor might prove useful in private contests, but on the battlefield between two armies, its impact was limited. No matter how skilled in martial arts, when faced with the charge of heavily armored cavalry, flight would be the only option.

Now, the most crucial task was to secure command of the campaign against Wang Shichong. Only by defeating Wang Shichong could he establish his own following.

“General Chen, I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave and not trouble your esteemed residence any longer.”

Li Shimin took his leave of Chen Ying, who was only too glad to see him go, though he maintained every courtesy, repeatedly urging him to stay.

After the Prince of Qin and his retinue departed, Chen Ying, Luo Shixin, and Kan Ling remained in high spirits, continuing their merrymaking. What was discussed between Li Jiancheng and Wei Zheng in the rear courtyard was unknown to Chen Ying, nor did he care to find out. Yet, seeing the barely concealed joy on Wei Zheng’s face as he left with Li Jiancheng, Chen Ying naturally guessed that Wei Zheng’s mission had gone well.

After Luo Shixin and Kan Ling took their leave of Chen Ying, Li Jiancheng did not depart right away. Instead, he lingered, making small talk and rambling on, until Chen Ying’s patience was nearly exhausted. Only then did Li Jiancheng, somewhat hesitantly, ask, “General Chen, what are your thoughts on the Turks?”

“They are not of our kind; their hearts must be different!”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Chen Ying regretted them. He remembered that the Li family of Tang had Xianbei blood. According to the New Book of Tang’s genealogy, Li Yuan’s grandfather, Li Hu, had a brother named Qitou and a younger brother named Qidou; Li Qitou’s son was named Damo, and the family’s ancestor during Northern Wei was known as Li Chuguba, in fact of Xianbei descent. Moreover, Li Shimin’s mother, Lady Dou, and his wife, Zhangsun Wugou, were both Xianbei nobles.

However, Chen Ying’s concern seemed unnecessary, for Li Jiancheng did not take offense at his potentially biased remark. Instead, Li Jiancheng nodded in agreement, saying, “Indeed, the Turks are as ambitious as wolves. Since the founding of our Great Tang, they have invaded three times already. Without their support, Liang Shidu would be nothing. General Chen, would it be difficult for your troops to reinforce Lingzhou for a few days?”

“Lingzhou?” Chen Ying was not exactly sure where Lingzhou was, but he knew it was roughly in what is now Ningxia. From Ningxia to Xi’an was at least two thousand li, and the mountain roads were treacherous. Even by train, it would take more than ten hours, and in the Qinling mountains, trains could not even pick up speed.

“Well… I’m not certain,” Chen Ying said, hardening his resolve. “The weather is unpredictable. With over two thousand men on this journey, there are simply too many unknowns.”

“That’s true,” Li Jiancheng sighed. “Lingzhou is far, and the roads are difficult. The situation there is dire; without reinforcements, the people will suffer greatly. But to support Lingzhou now, with the roads blocked by snow—it’s easier said than done.”

“Your Highness, it’s not impossible to reinforce Lingzhou. If we have enough supplies, I’m confident I can lead my troops there within a month!”

“Oh?” Li Jiancheng said excitedly. “What’s your plan?”