On December 15th, Li Shimin led one hundred thousand troops toward Luoyang, preparing to capture the city and eliminate Yuwen Huaji’s group.

On this same day, Zhangsun Shi and Yunyi went together to Daxingshan Temple, the most prosperous temple in the city, to burn incense and pray for Li Shimin’s successful conquest of Luoyang and safe return.

After Zhangsun Shi finished donating incense money, she discovered that Yunyi had disappeared. After searching around, she finally found her writing something at a stall set up by an elderly man at the entrance to the main hall.

Zhangsun Shi walked over and asked: “What are you doing?”

Seeing her approach, Yunyi hurriedly finished writing the last two characters, folded the yellow paper and said: “The old gentleman just told me that behind the Buddhist temple there’s a wishing tree. If you write your wish on a prayer slip, then tie a weight to it and throw it up onto the tree trunk, as long as it doesn’t fall down, it means your wish will come true.”

“There’s really such a thing?” Zhangsun Shi looked curiously at the prayer slip in Yunyi’s hand: “What wish did you write?”

Yunyi smiled: “I can’t tell you that, or it won’t work.”

The old man took the five wen coins that Ruyi handed over and said: “This madam, the wishing tree in the temple is truly efficacious. You might as well try it too – it only costs five wen coins.”

Xiuzhu wrinkled her nose: “I don’t believe it. If it were really so effective, why would you still be setting up a stall here? Shouldn’t you have become wealthy long ago?”

The old man felt embarrassed by her words. Zhangsun Shi lightly scolded: “Don’t speak nonsense. Since we’ve entered the temple, we must believe in the temple’s deities, or it would be disrespectful to them.” Saying this, she took out five wen coins and handed them to the old man: “Please give me a prayer slip.”

The old man gave her the prayer slip along with a brush dipped in ink. Zhangsun Shi thought for a long while, then wrote on the paper a wish for Li Shimin’s victorious return. Then she went with Yunyi to the back courtyard, where a very luxuriant banyan tree grew. The trunk was covered with prayer slips, some new and some old, all different. At the base of the tree, many devout men and women were throwing prayer slips. Some succeeded in one throw, some threw several times and still had them fall to the ground, and some people were even offering things to the wishing tree.

Yunyi held her prayer slip and silently prayed to the wishing tree for a while, then tied a stone to it and threw it up forcefully. In one throw, she hit the topmost branch and it hung there securely, making those men and women who hadn’t managed to throw theirs up extremely envious.

This wishing tree had a particular rule: those who succeeded in one throw and reached the topmost branch would have their wishes fulfilled within a year.

After Yunyi threw hers up, Zhangsun Shi followed suit, silently making her wish before tying a stone and throwing it up. However, she didn’t have Yunyi’s good fortune – she threw twice and both times it fell down, causing Zhangsun Shi to frown deeply. The wish on the prayer slip was for Li Shimin’s victorious return. Now that two throws had failed to hang it up, could it be… a sign that Li Shimin would face danger in this campaign?

Thinking of this, a shadow of worry immediately appeared between Zhangsun Shi’s brows. Seeing this, Xiuzhu said: “Miss, why don’t I throw it for you?”

Yunyi said: “The old gentleman just said it must be thrown by oneself to be effective. Let your mistress try once more.”

Zhangsun Shi also said: “That’s right, it must be thrown by oneself to work. Xiuzhu, stand back a bit.”

After Xiuzhu stepped back several paces as instructed, Zhangsun Shi threw forcefully toward the tree again. It barely hung on the tip of a branch, swaying back and forth and looking quite unstable, but at least it was hanging there, giving Zhangsun Shi some comfort.

Yunyi smiled: “Good, we’ve worshipped Buddha and made our wishes. Let’s go. I heard from a eunuch in the palace that a troupe of acrobats has come to the western part of the city, with many people going to watch every day. Since we’re out today, why don’t we go take a look too?”

“Good idea.” Zhangsun Shi agreed and left the temple with Yunyi. Not long after they departed, a cold wind rose from nowhere, shaking the tree branches violently. The prayer slip that Zhangsun Shi had only managed to hang after three attempts slipped from the tip of the branch and fell to the ground.

At this time, Yuwen Huaji was being kept outside Luoyang City, unable to find a way in. He had considered attacking the city, but there were over one hundred thousand soldiers in Luoyang City. Along his journey, soldiers had either fled or died, leaving him with only seventy to eighty thousand men. Wanting to capture Luoyang City was truly harder than ascending to heaven, but he hadn’t given up. Instead, he temporarily camped outside the city, seeking a way to enter.

On the other hand, upon learning that Yuwen Huaji had killed Yang Guang, Yang Tong hated him to the bone and swore to destroy him to avenge Yang Guang’s death. However, he only had about one hundred thousand troops and was heavily surrounded by Li Mi’s Wagang army. He could only defend Luoyang City and had no power to send troops to eliminate Yuwen Huaji. Just when he was at his wit’s end, someone offered Yang Tong a strategy – this person was Yuan Wendu.

His strategy was excellent and would kill two birds with one stone, eliminating the wolf while removing the tiger – that was to have Li Mi fight Yuwen Huaji.

Li Mi was besieging Luoyang City simply because he wanted to find a stable place to plan his development. Since this was the case, they could entice Li Mi with high office and have the two rebel groups fight each other. Even if Li Mi defeated Yuwen Huaji, his troops would certainly be exhausted, while they could conserve their strength. If Li Mi harbored rebellious intentions in the future, dealing with him would be much easier.

Yang Tong greatly approved of this plan and immediately sent someone with an imperial edict to Li Mi, pardoning all his past crimes and appointing him Grand Marshal, Minister of Personnel, Military Commissioner of the Southeast Circuit, enfeoffing him as Duke of Wei, and having him come to court to assist in government.

Of course, to obtain all the above, he first had to eliminate Yuwen Huaji, or it would all be empty talk.

Although Li Mi was unwilling to be merely an assistant in government, for the sake of entering Luoyang and his future plans, he accepted Yang Tong’s recruitment and turned his weapons against Yuwen Huaji.

Just as they reached this agreement, Yuwen Huaji led his troops to attack Liyang, which was a necessary passage back to the capital region and had a large granary that could ensure the logistics needs of Yuwen Huaji who had come from Jiangdu.

The one responsible for defending Liyang was Li Mi’s subordinate Xu Shiji, who didn’t fight with full strength but abandoned Liyang and retreated to defend Warehouse City.

For Yuwen Huaji, the grain in Warehouse City was most crucial, so upon discovering that Liyang was empty of both people and defenders, he immediately led his troops to attack Warehouse City. At this time, Li Mi, who had already formed an alliance with Yang Tong, stationed twenty thousand troops behind Yuwen Huaji. As soon as Yuwen Huaji prepared to attack Warehouse City, he would strike, leaving Yuwen Huaji unable to advance or retreat, thoroughly frustrated.

This news flowed like water into Li Shimin’s ears. After many days of marching, the one hundred thousand troops had reached the vicinity of Luoyang, but he didn’t immediately show himself. Instead, he camped more than ten li outside Luoyang City, sending scouts to gather intelligence before making his move.

News continued to stream back. After Yuwen Huaji failed to gain the upper hand in several shouting matches with Li Mi, he decided to fully capture Warehouse City. After all, compared to verbal battles, actually seizing grain to fill their stomachs was more practical.