Chapter 384 Pacification
Early on the second day, Lin Changning and Li Mingxiu led a thousand cavalry and two thousand infantrymen, who had been reorganized, toward Pingding City.
The towns adjacent to Pingding City were the fiefdoms of the King of Chu, so the troops stationed in Pingding Prefecture were not many, and it was not difficult to take them over.
The Xie family is currently in Pingding City, but I don't know their current situation. A letter sent a few days ago said that they are in Pingding City with soldiers.
However, the imperial court reacted quickly, sealing off Pingding City and several other towns bordering Taiyuan ahead of them, presumably to prevent the remaining members of the Xie family from fleeing to Taiyuan.
These days, rumors and gossip are flying everywhere, and everyone is watching the power struggle between the emperor and the King of Chu.
Now, the two sides have practically dropped their pretense of civility and are both preparing for war. However, since it is not yet autumn and the grain has not been stored, neither side wants to make the first move.
The Xie family's affair was an opportunity to win over scholars and the Xie family, and with the heir apparent leading the way, they were able to take Pingding. The first battle was a great start.
This would also let the world know that the King of Chu has a qualified successor.
Once Lin Changning understood, he knew that most of the credit should go to the Crown Prince. He didn't find it particularly meaningful to him. The best thing about the King of Chu was his clear distinction between rewards and punishments.
She had put in the effort this time, and she would be rewarded in the future, so she wasn't worried about giving the credit to Li Mingxiu. The fact that the King of Chu didn't treat her like an outsider proved that she had already gained a certain position in the King of Chu's heart.
Knowing that the King of Chu was bound to win, Lin Changning would be credited with the victory. He was also serving as the swordsmanship instructor for Li Mingxiu and Li Mingde, and fighting alongside them. Lin Changning was thinking far ahead.
This is wealth that could last for three or four generations!
On the contrary, Li Mingxiu felt a little embarrassed. He had gotten to know Lin Changning's personality pretty well these days. Although Lin Changning was not very old, he was shrewd and quick-witted.
He was quite serious about both teaching them swordsmanship and in handling daily affairs.
He really liked this young general, except when he was beating up the two of them.
Moreover, they have recently noticed a significant improvement in their swordsmanship after sparring with Lin Changning and after Lin Changning provided them with practice moves.
A few days ago, Li Mingxiu had a sudden urge to fight someone in the army. With his swordsmanship, he directly knocked five or six ordinary soldiers away.
Of course, it's also possible that those soldiers simply didn't dare to seriously lay a hand on him.
However, he did feel that he had made a lot of progress. A few days ago, he could only silently endure the beatings, but in recent days he has been able to launch a counterattack or two occasionally and block Lin Changning's knife.
Of course, it's not very useful; you'll still easily get beaten up.
"Changning, how should we attack Pingding City this time? Should we launch a direct assault and seize the city?"
Lin Changning thought for a moment and realized that Pingding City was not very high in elevation, so even if they launched a strong attack, it wouldn't be too difficult to take it.
Hearing the prince ask this, he simply cupped his hands and said, "I will do whatever the prince commands."
Li Mingde glanced at Lin Changning, then at his brother: "Pingding is low-lying, so taking it shouldn't be difficult, but I'm afraid the people inside might have set up an ambush."
Li Mingxiu nodded: "What Brother Ba said is absolutely right. However, we haven't been able to contact the Xie family yet. Perhaps I should scout the area on the spot before deciding how to fight."
If he remembered correctly, the Xie family in Pingding City had several hundred private soldiers. It was very close to Taiyuan, and the imperial court dared not mobilize troops on a large scale, so there shouldn't be too much of a problem.
That night, the group arrived at the wilderness outside Pingding City. Li Mingxiu and Li Mingde sat around the campfire to discuss the attack for the next day. Lin Changning's main purpose in coming out this time was not only to fight, but also to protect the two princes, so he did not intend to participate in the decision-making.
After all, this is the first battle to greatly enhance the Crown Prince's reputation, so naturally the Crown Prince should decide how to fight it. If he offers any suggestions, it would inevitably seem like he's trying to steal the spotlight.
So Lin Changning kept his mouth shut, ready to fight however the young master told him to. He had enough men with him, and he was confident in his martial prowess; he was certain he wouldn't lose this battle.
Just as he thought of this, a guard ran up to Li Mingxiu and whispered something in his ear.
Lin Changning looked up at the guards beside Li Mingxiu with some curiosity. They had just arrived outside Pingding City in the middle of the night and already had something to tell Li Mingxiu, so they must have received some new information.
Thinking of this, Lin Changning looked at Li Mingxiu's gloomy face and couldn't help but ask, "What happened, Your Highness?"
A hint of annoyance flashed across Li Mingxiu's face as he said in a deep voice, "Several hundred soldiers from the Xie family, along with members of the Xie clan, have been captured in the city and are currently being held in the Pingding City government office. Moreover, news has just come back that Commander Yan You arrived here with his men a few days ago and is now in Pingding City."
Yan You was born into a commoner family and served on the frontier for more than 30 years, making him a veteran general.
He was extremely skilled in military strategy and possessed considerable martial prowess.
Li Mingxiu frowned. His father had guessed correctly; the one who came was a veteran general.
Then they replaced them with other unknown junior generals. Just like before, the probability of Li Mingxiu and Li Mingde being captured was still very high. But now this veteran general is a brilliant strategist and is also extremely skilled in martial arts.
This battle left him feeling uncertain.
Li Mingde also frowned. He knew this man was troublesome. Previously, in order to quell the rebellion, the imperial court had also incorporated him into the army that was sent to suppress his family.
The two had fought several times, but unfortunately he lost to this person back then.
I never expected the emperor to send someone here.
For a moment, both of them were at a loss. Lin Changning had also heard of this person, but he didn't take him too seriously. He wasn't someone who had been easily intimidated along the way.
“Our 3,000 men should be enough to attack. The terrain here is low, so the two princes need not worry. However, since you have said so, this veteran general has already arrived in the city.”
"Why don't we launch a surprise attack today? Firstly, it will catch the enemy off guard. Secondly, we've had some rest this evening, so the soldiers' morale is still good. It's hot during the day, so fighting at night might give us an advantage."
Li Mingde hesitated for a moment. The real commander of this army was still Li Mingxiu. Although he thought Changning's suggestion was good, he still had to ask his younger brother.
After pondering for a moment, Li Mingde nodded to Lin Changning: "Then let's do as the clerk says. Tonight, after nightfall, we'll launch a surprise attack and catch them off guard!!!"
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