Li Qin looked at Jiang Xiangyang kneeling on the ground, dismounted, helped him up, and said:
"Marquis Tongshun, there's no need for such formalities."
Then he pulled Jiang Xiangyang aside and said:
"Lord Tongshun, you have also guarded the border for many years and have experienced countless battles. What do you think of my military formation?"
After hearing Li Qin's words, Jiang Xiangyang smiled and said:
"Since the Duke raised his army in Liaodong, he has eliminated treacherous officials and dominated the world. He has never been defeated and his power has truly shaken the world."
The elite troops led by the Duke were disciplined, their banners bright, and their imposing presence truly making them the most formidable force in the land.
Li Qin listened to Jiang Xiangyang's flattery and nodded with a smile, then waved to his personal guards.
The guard immediately waved the military flag in his hand.
The army in the distance immediately brought out the more than two hundred cannons that Li Qin had brought with him.
The fuse was then lit, and with a series of loud bangs, more than two hundred cannons immediately fired a volley in front of Jiang Xiangyang.
With the deafening roar of the cannons firing, countless warhorses were nearly startled and began to neigh.
Seeing the immense power of those two hundred-plus cannons, Jiang Xiangyang's expression changed instantly.
The moment he saw those two hundred-plus cannons appear, he already knew from intelligence that they were the secret weapons that Yu Gan had brought out when he was defending the capital.
It seems that with the fall of the capital, these things fell into Li Qin's hands.
He had only learned about this weapon from intelligence reports; he knew it was incredibly powerful.
But seeing it today is truly breathtaking.
Li Qin looked at the shocked Jiang Xiangyang and said with a smile:
"Lord Tongshun, what do you think of its power?"
Jiang Xiangyang also bowed and said:
"Its power is truly astonishing."
"Really? That caused me some trouble back then."
Li Qin said with a smile, then patted Jiang Xiangyang, who was bowing to him, and said:
"However, Marquis Jiang has been guarding Datong for many years, and Datong is a fortified border city. With Datong's city defenses, can it withstand the bombardment of these cannons?"
After hearing Li Qin's words, Jiang Xiangyang broke out in a cold sweat.
Because he knew that with the power of the cannons, Li Qin could easily breach the walls of Datong.
No, it should be that no pass within Datong territory could withstand the relentless bombardment of these cannons.
If Li Qin really wanted to attack Datong, he really wouldn't be able to stop him.
However, he couldn't allow Li Qin to look down on him too much.
"With such powerful weapons, the defenses of Datong are naturally difficult to withstand. However, Datong also has tens of thousands of battle-hardened elite troops, which are the true walls of Datong."
Moreover, both the Duke and I serve the court and His Majesty, and I am under the Duke's command. How could the Duke possibly bombard Datong?
Li Qin looked at Jiang Xiangyang, who was answering him, with a smile on his face.
He understood what Jiang Xiangyang meant: don't underestimate him just because you think you can blast open the walls of Datong with these cannons.
He still has tens of thousands of elite troops under his command.
At the same time, his last words were also a way of telling himself that he could be restrained by him and did not want to be his enemy.
"Too.
However, Marquis Jiang was once corrupted by treacherous officials who embezzled military funds. Marquis Jiang led troops to defend the border, using the taxes from Datong to support the army, protect the territory and the people, and resist the treacherous officials.
Now that the treacherous officials have been eliminated, His Majesty resides in the Forbidden City and governs with ease, with loyal ministers like us assisting him.
With a clean government and harmonious society, the court is filled with upright officials.
Marquis Jiang should return the taxes from Datong to the imperial court. After that, the imperial court will continue to provide full payment for all expenses needed by Marquis Jiang and his many soldiers.
I could even petition His Majesty to grant Marquis Jiang his hereditary title, bestow upon him a python robe, and allow him to forever guard Datong.”
Upon hearing Li Qin's words, Jiang Xiangyang's expression changed.
Li Qin is now trying to take over Datong's taxes.
As for what he said about hereditary succession and eternal rule over Datong.
Datong is now in his hands; it is an independent kingdom under his control.
Do I need your reward?
"My lord, I am from Datong."
Before Jiang Xiangyang could finish speaking, the cannons behind Li Qin roared to life once more.
The falling shells startled the generals of Datong.
Li Qin looked at Jiang Xiangyang in front of him. He was determined to get Datong's taxes from Jiang Xiangyang today, no matter what.
Even if he doesn't get everything, just a part of it, he still gains something.
It doesn't matter, it'll fade away eventually.
Luoyang, Henan.
After the heads of several thieves were thrown to the ground, in one of the largest government offices in Luoyang.
Generals like Yang Zhiyong could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"We've finally crossed the Yellow River and left Li's territory. We no longer need to rush on our journey."
This journey has been exhausting!
One of the generals, sitting in a chair, spoke while panting.
"Fortunately, Li's army did not continue to harass us, otherwise we, with so many families, might have really been wiped out in Shanxi."
Moreover, not a single official left behind offered any resistance. If they had put up even a little resistance, my evacuation from Shanxi wouldn't have been so difficult.
At this moment, another general sighed.
“Those officials had long since lost their courage, and the reason why Li’s army didn’t continue to harass us was because they had other things to do.”
They headed west, probably to block the road from Shaanxi to Shanxi before the rebels could react and seize the entire province.
Both of them were scheming and had their own agendas.
Yang Zhiyong's younger brother, Yang Zhiwen, then addressed the assembled generals.
Then he looked at the head of the bandit leader on the ground and said:
"However, after crossing the Yellow River, I realized that Henan had become so chaotic."
Since we crossed the Yellow River, we have seen rioters and disaster victims everywhere, and we haven't seen a single official.
Even Luoyang City has been occupied by bandits.
The imperial court's governance of Henan has completely failed.
Then he looked at Yang Zhiyong beside him and said:
"Brother, although we've escaped Li Ze's controlled area, where should we go next?"
Luoyang is not a place to stay for long.
Luoyang is caught in a pincer movement between the bandits Li and Hong.
Moreover, we didn't carry much food.
We must continue south as quickly as possible.
Yang Zhiyong nodded, then took out a map and said:
"Yes, Luoyang is indeed not a place to stay for long. Let the soldiers rest and then continue south."
Our ultimate goal is Runing Prefecture in Henan, which is close to the Jiangnan region and easy to obtain supplies from, as it is near the Jinling imperial court.
At the same time, we can also coordinate with the imperial army in the Huai River region and provide mutual support, so we will no longer be fighting alone.
After the army has rested, they will immediately head south to Runing Prefecture.
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