Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 118 Struggle for power and profit
"Sorry..."

"What—"

As the morning light appeared, the first ray of sunlight in the sky cut through the darkness of the long night like a sharp blade, illuminating the Yanzhi Mountain and the Liangzhou grassland.

To the west of Fanhe City, the crops in the fields had already been harvested, and the not-so-wide official road was crowded with people and herds of livestock heading westward.

The team of nearly 20,000 people marched westward along the official road like a winding dragon.

The elite Ganzhou cavalry on horseback chatted and laughed with the infantry sitting on ox carts and horse-drawn carriages, while the tens of thousands of foreign people and captives who were forced to migrate sighed in low voices.

Yanzhi Mountain watched over the team silently like a god, and the predatory birds in the sky seemed to be cheering for the soldiers.

As the army advanced westward, Liu Jilian at the west gate of Fanhe City was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, he took Ma Cheng, Hu Siguang and others to make final arrangements with Jiu Juyan.

"Fanhe is short of manpower, and growing food outside the city is already the limit."

"Don't worry about the siege equipment. I will have people build it in Shandan."

"You just need to guard Shangmoling in Fanhe and wait for the spring ploughing to be over next year. That will be the time for our army to march eastward!"

Liu Jilong patted Jiu Juyan on the shoulder, while Zhang Chang and Li Ji behind him remained silent.

Shang Duo Luo and Hu Si Guang were not very familiar with Jiu Juyan, and their official positions were relatively low, so they did not step forward to say hello.

In this situation, apart from Liu Jilong who spoke, only Ma Cheng stepped forward and said with a smile: "Old wine, you have to keep this friendship with me. I will come to drink with you after the spring plowing next year!"

"Okay!" Jiu Juyan was in a low mood. He forced a smile and nodded to Ma Cheng.

Seeing this, Liu Jilong did not stay any longer, but turned his horse around and followed the retreating team.

Ma Cheng, Shang Duo Luo and Hu Si Guang followed him away one after another. When only Zhang Chang and Li Ji were left, they looked at Jiu Juyan with complicated eyes, and finally shook the reins and left.

Looking at their backs, Jiu Juyan felt heavy-hearted, and his hands holding the reins were shaking.

Soon, he bowed to Liu Jilong and others, then turned his horse around and returned to the city.

"Damn it! We treat him as a brother, but what does he treat us as?!"

Soon after returning to the team, Zhang Chang was the first to curse, while Li Ji had a gloomy face.

In comparison, although Ma Cheng looked unhappy, he was still trying to smooth things over: "Laojiu had no choice, and since he took the initiative to tell us, there is no need for us to continue blaming him..."

"Bullshit!" Zhang Chang cursed, "I admit that Jiujuyan has some abilities!"

"But if Zhecho hadn't helped him, would he have been able to take Guoyi's position with his ability?"

"We were just teasing him not to turn his back on us and to stop putting on airs when he sees a military order from now on... What did he say?"

"He said that he is now directly under the command of Zhangye and can only obey the military orders of the Jiedushi and the governor, and asked us to take good care of Zhechou... Bah!!"

Zhang Chang has always been straightforward and had the best relationship with Jiu Juyan in the past. He believed that the two were of the same kind.

But yesterday, when a group of them went to find Jiu Juyan to celebrate Jiu Juyan's taking control of the city, Jiu Juyan said what Zhang Chang had just said amid everyone's ridicule.

Jiu Juyan was stating his position, which instantly made Zhang Chang and the others angry.

Zhang Chang not only overturned the wine table, but also cursed Jiu Juyan for turning his back on him, making the scene very awkward.

Jiu Juyan also knew that he was in the wrong, so he confessed that he was the person Zhang Huaishen placed beside Liu Jilong to supervise Liu Jilong.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chang became even more furious, and shouted that he wanted to challenge Jiu Juyan in a duel. In the end, Ma Cheng persuaded Shang Duoluo and Hu Siguang to hold him and take him away.

Although Li Ji did not have an attack on the spot, his expression has become more and more ugly from yesterday to now.

Zhang Chang was still cursing, but Li Ji looked at Liu Jilong: "Zhechong, according to Jiu Juyan's statement, Chen Jingchong..."

As soon as he opened his mouth, Zhang Chang stopped cursing and looked at Liu Jilong's back, wanting to know the answer.

Facing their performance, Liu Jilong sighed in his heart:

"I am just a poor man. Although I was promoted, I was appointed to guard such an important town as Shandan. It is normal for the governor to be worried."

"Jiu Juyan and Chen Jingchong were raised by the Jiedushi. All they did was to prevent me from joining the barbarians or the powerful clans such as Li, Suo, and Wu. There is no need for you to be so angry."

"Besides, ask yourselves, have they ever done anything to let us down?"

“But…” Zhang Chang was so angry that he took a deep breath and said, “But they were able to rise step by step because of you, and now they have turned against you!”

"What does it mean to turn your back on someone?" Liu Jilong asked Zhang Chang, and before he could explain, he continued:

"They were raised by the Jiedushi, and it is their duty to obey the Jiedushi. Just like I saved you, Zhang Chang, but you, Zhang Chang, joined Jiu Juyan. Could it be that you will turn against me because of Jiu Juyan?"

"I'm not that kind of person!" Zhang Chang widened his eyes and patted his chest to prove his innocence.

"Neither are they!" Liu Jilong interrupted in a deep voice, then glanced at them:
"They did nothing wrong, and I already knew their intentions, and Jiu Juyan also told me, so there's no need to abuse them anymore."

Hearing this, everyone shut up, but their mood remained bad and no one spoke to break the deadlock.

After a whole day's journey, the army finally arrived at the foot of Yanzhi Mountain, forty miles away, before dark.

Since the official road in the Shandong section of Yanzhi Mountain had not been repaired, Zhang Huaishen discussed with Liu Jilong and decided to lead people to repair the official road while returning to Ganzhou.

Although the eastern section of the official road was long, nearly fifty miles long, the army's advance was not slow thanks to the construction work of tens of thousands of laborers and prisoners, and they could repair nearly ten miles a day.

The repaired official road was three meters wide. The herds of livestock ate the weeds, chewing and swallowing the roots. The team moved back and forth, making the road even wider.

Although it is not strong enough to be compacted with rollers and millstones, it is enough to sustain the army for several years.

As they repaired and marched, their withdrawal to Ganzhou was delayed for several days, but the day when the Tangqi reported their victory to Dunhuang would not be delayed.

The distance from Fanhe to Dunhuang is 1,300 miles. The cavalry passed by one post station after another, and the crowds of people were as numerous as stars.

More than a dozen light cavalrymen came galloping from Fanhe. On the way from Shandan to Dunhuang, each of them changed hundreds of post horses and almost tied themselves to the horse's back to sleep.

At this moment, their faces were determined and tired, and the muscles of the horses under their crotch were taut, and they were breathing heavily. The galloping hooves raised the dust on the grassland, and the sound of horse hooves echoed in the empty sky and earth.

"what is that?"

"There are light cavalry coming to the east. Is there something wrong in the east?"

In the fields on both sides of the official road, thousands of people were harvesting crops, completely unaware of what was about to happen.

They only saw the light cavalry galloping towards them, but didn't know what was happening.

In their eyes, the flags in the hands of the light cavalry became more and more eye-catching, until the light cavalry galloped past them on the official road not far away, and then they could see clearly which state the flags belonged to.

"It's the flag of Ganzhou!"

"Did something happen in Ganzhou?"

"That shouldn't happen. Didn't they report victory a few days ago?"

Amid the discussions of the common people, the Ganzhou flags were fluttering in the autumn wind in the hands of the light cavalry, as if telling of the coming good news.

As the cavalry rode across more than ten miles of farmland outside the city, the towering Dunhuang city wall appeared in their sight, like a solid silhouette on the horizon, gradually becoming taller.

"Someone is coming from the east!"

"It's the light cavalry!"

"It's Ganzhou's light cavalry!"

On the city wall, the defenders followed the approaching group of warriors closely. A hint of surprise flashed in their eyes, followed by relief and joy.

"Great victory in Liangzhou!"

As they were about to reach the stone bridge over the moat, the shouts of the light cavalry shook everyone's heart. The sound echoed on both sides of the moat and spread to every corner.

On their faces was the determination and pride that came from the baptism of war, and the flags in their hands seemed to become even brighter at this moment.

"Great victory?!"

"It's urgent! Move the barricades away!"

"Stand to the sides, don't block them!"

The guards at the city gate hurriedly moved away the heavy chevaux de frise, their eyes fixed on the Ganzhou light cavalry that rushed into the corridor and into the city in front of them.

They have red headbands tied on their heads, which is proof of their identity and also proof of the news they are telling.

Liangzhou...great victory!
"Great victory in Liangzhou!!"

At this moment, the shouts of the light cavalry spread across both sides of Dunhuang's main road, awakening all the merchants and households who were immersed in their own world.

The people looked at them in astonishment, and their gazes gradually followed their figures into the distance.

It was not until the cavalry had completely gone away that some people realized it belatedly and confirmed with the people around them: "Liangzhou... a great victory?" "Yes! A great victory in Liangzhou!"

After getting confirmation from those around them, the eyes of all the people brightened up, and they began to rush around and sing praises of the great victory!

"Great victory in Liangzhou!"

"A great victory in Liangzhou..."

For a moment, the good news of the great victory spread throughout the streets and alleys of Dunhuang, and even this ancient city seemed to feel the breath of joy.

Residents of the city poured out of their homes, their faces filled with anticipation and joy.

The air was filled with dust and an unspoken joy, and the whole city was celebrating this victory.

The cavalrymen held their banners high and crossed the long street. When they arrived at the Ganzhou government office, they reined in their horses, dismounted and sang...

"Liangzhou...Great Victory!!"

Sweat slid down their foreheads, flowed along their skin to their chins, and finally dripped onto their chests.

All the fatigue and hardship disappeared at the moment of shouting out great victory.

The soldiers at the gate of the yamen were shocked by the sudden victory, and immediately rushed forward to support the cavalry who were about to fall down to report the victory.

A team leader took the letter of victory from the captain of the light cavalry, held it solemnly in both hands, and walked towards the yamen with a solemn look.

When they arrived at the courtyard, all the officials on duty in the yamen gathered in the courtyard, and Zhang Yichao also walked out with Li En, Suo Zhongyi, Gao Jinda and others.

They had already heard the news of the great victory, but their faces were still filled with disbelief.

The three men walked up to the captain, who bowed and presented the letter of victory in his hand.

"Reporting to the Jiedushi, Liangzhou... a great victory!"

"Great victory..." Zhang Yichao couldn't believe it. He reached out his hand tremblingly, took the letter, carefully removed the sealing wax and envelope, and pulled out the letter.

In a breath, he unfolded the letter paper, and a battle to the east that he had never expected began before his eyes.

He saw the plans of Liu Jilong and Zhang Huaishen, saw Liu Jilong's elite cavalry galloping in Liangzhou and playing with Shang Moling in the palm of his hand, and also saw Zhang Huaishen advancing towards Fanhe step by step.

In the end, Liu Jilong defeated one enemy after another, and joined forces with Zhang Huaishen to defeat the reinforcements led by Zhe Buluo and captured Fanhe City.

[In this battle, our army killed nearly 10,000 bandits, captured 3,926 armored vehicles, captured more than 4,000 foreign soldiers, herded more than 50,000 animals, countless sword handles, more than 126,000 dan of grain, and 8,000 strings of cash...]

Looking at this last paragraph, Zhang Yichao took a deep breath, and then actually laughed out loud towards the sky.

"Jiedushi?!"

"Jiedushi, what does the Liangzhou victory mean?!"

For a moment, the officials around him all showed surprised and curious looks, but Zhang Yichao, who was usually calm, kept nodding: "Good! Good! Good!"

Three "good"s in a row are enough to explain his mood at the moment.

He handed the letter to Gao Jinda, who took it and read ten lines at a glance, then handed it to Li En.

After Li En took it, he loudly announced the contents of the victory letter to everyone.

As he read, the expressions of the officials in the court gradually became out of control, and the anger in their chests became higher and higher.

"Recovering Liangzhou is just around the corner!"

"Jiedushi, our army should mobilize troops from the five states and march east to Liangzhou in the spring of next year to open up the connection with Lingzhou!"

"Jiedushi, I second the motion!"

"I second the motion..."

For a moment, everyone spoke out in support of the Eastern Expedition, but this scene of unity did not overwhelm Zhang Yichao's mind.

He glanced at everyone, and in the eyes of many people he saw not only excitement but also ambition.

Yes, Liangzhou had a population of more than 100,000, which is nearly twice the number of the five states in Hexi today.

Even though Fanhe has been firmly controlled by his nephew, Jialin, Guzang and Changsong are the top priorities.

If a clan could occupy one of these cities, it would be enough for them to prosper for a hundred years. Who wouldn't go crazy?
Thinking of this, Zhang Yichao knew what everyone was thinking.

It is true that they gathered a large army to march east to recover Liangzhou, and it is also true that they did it for the sake of profit.

They have all read the contents of the letter and should understand the situation.

Now that Zhang Huaishen has recovered Fanhe, it can be said that he has sufficient armor and food supplies. He can lead 9,000 armored soldiers to march east to Liangzhou in the spring of next year.

Nine thousand armored soldiers can certainly take over Liangzhou today.

But no one in this group of people stood up to analyze the situation. Instead, they chose to strike while the iron was hot and add more troops.

They were not worried that Zhang Huaishen would not be able to recover Liangzhou, but they were afraid that Zhang Huaishen would recover Liangzhou alone, which would prevent them from taking this opportunity to accumulate military merits, gain promotion and control over the affairs of Liangzhou.

Zhang Yichao saw them clearly, but he could do nothing about it.

In this era when knowledge is monopolized, he must rely on this group of people to govern Hexi well.

However, he did not want to compromise with this group of people, so he calmly said:

"We should provide support, but not soldiers, but armor and money!"

After Zhang Yichao finished speaking, without waiting for anyone to refute him, he took the initiative to look at Gao Jinda:
"Jinda, it looks like your appointment to Shandan will have to be postponed."

"I need you to serve as the Hexi Transport Commissioner from now on, responsible for dispatching money, grain, and armor from the five states."

"This year is a good year, and next year's Huaishen Eastern Expedition will certainly require a large amount of armor, money and food."

"Therefore, from now on, the newly made armor and old grain from the four states of Yi, Su, Gua, and Sha will all be dispatched to Ganzhou by you."

"With this help, you can also go to Liangzhou to take up a post after Huaishen recovers Liangzhou, and you don't have to go to Shandan!"

Plans are not as fast as changes. Originally, Gao Jinda was going to Shandan to serve as a county magistrate, but now he has become the transport envoy of the five states in Hexi.

Gao Jinda was not stupid. He quickly understood the purpose of Zhang Yichao's appointment of him as the transport envoy.

To put it bluntly, Liangzhou is about to be recovered, and the credit for recovering Liangzhou can only be attributed to the Zhang family.

The Gao family is not a big family with few people, so they have always been dependent on the Zhang family.

If he serves as the Transport Commissioner, he can accumulate merit and serve in Liangzhou after it is recovered, thus enhancing the Zhang family's voice in Liangzhou.

By then, with Zhang Huaishen, Liu Jilian, himself, Jiu Juyan, Zhang Huairong and others, even if the Zhang family cannot firmly control Liangzhou, they will not be held hostage by this group of people from Guasha.

Thinking of this, Gao Jinda bowed decisively: "I obey your command!"

"Jiedushi, you can't do that!" Li En said sternly:

"Although Liangzhou has suffered a heavy blow, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. Moreover, Governor Zhang wants to send troops to guard Ganzhou, so there will be even fewer soldiers to take to Liangzhou."

"I suggest sending 30% of the troops from all counties to Ganzhou, and wait until spring comes to march eastward!"

"I second the motion." Suo Zhongyi also did not want to see the Zhang family dominate the situation, so he took the initiative to stand up and support Li En, even though his son Suo Xun was already on the list of people going to the expedition next year.

"I second the motion..."

At one time, many powerful men in Hexi, both big and small, agreed to the proposal, and no one wanted to miss this opportunity.

Looking at them, Zhang Yichao didn't speak for a long time. Only after a long time did he suddenly look up and glance at everyone, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"I have made up my mind. The Eastern Expedition can be handed over to Ganzhou. The number of Ganzhou soldiers will be increased to 45 regiments and 5 regiments."

"From now on, all the newly made armor and money and food for the remaining four weeks will be sent to Ganzhou!"

After he finished speaking, Zhang Yichao stood up and walked towards the inner hall. Seeing this, everyone looked at each other, and their faces were not very happy.

As Zhang Huaishen repeatedly made military achievements in the east, the Zhang family's voice became increasingly stronger.

Although Hexi has not yet reached the point where the Zhang family has the final say, there is already a tendency towards this.

For a moment, people like Li En, Suo Zhongyi and others had a cold light flashing in their eyes. Even though they all supported the recovery of Liangzhou, the credit for recovering Liangzhou must not end with the Zhang family being the only one in power.

They must think of some way to make Zhang Yichao agree to their suggestions.

Otherwise, after the army further recovered the Helong area, they would probably be suppressed by the Zhang family.

With this in mind, officials gathered together based on their status and family identities, while Gao Jinda took the opportunity to go to the inner hall with Zhang Huairong and the others...

(End of this chapter)