Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 411 Wei Bo's Uproar (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"With 100,000 troops from Sanchuan against 30,000 from Liu Jilong, how could Xingyuan Prefecture and Mianzhou have been lost?!"

"I would like to ask you, my beloved ministers, why?!"

On the tenth day of the eleventh month of the seventh year of Xiantong, when the letter sent by carrier pigeon from Dongchuan arrived in Chang'an, Li Cui was restless and urgently summoned his ministers to the Zichen Hall for a court meeting.

Faced with the silence of the civil and military officials, Li Cui could not hide his emotions and broke down in questioning them.

"Your Majesty, it is true that the rebels are powerful, but the court has also defended Luogu Pass and San Pass. As long as the troops are well trained, the outcome is still uncertain."

Xu Shang took the initiative to speak and comfort Li Cui, who was on the verge of losing her composure. Seeing this, Li Cui gradually regained her composure.

Seeing that he had regained his composure, Lu Yan then stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, although the rebels have entered Jiannan, Gao Qianli is still in Xichuan."

"As long as Gao Qianli can defeat the rebels, or even confront them, the imperial court still has a chance to defeat them."

"The most urgent task is to negotiate peace with the southern barbarians and to request the Kyrgyz to send troops to aid the court."

Lu Yan's words elicited nods of agreement from many officials, but Li Cui's expression darkened even more upon hearing them.

Gao Pian has already sent a carrier pigeon to inform the Southern Court of his demand for a grand peace treaty, the conditions of which Li Cui cannot accept.

"The barbarian chieftain also dares to covet the princess?"

"I would rather be defeated by the rebels than agree to a marriage alliance with Tongchang!"

Li Cui's words were resolute, but they still could not suppress some ministers who hoped for the princess's marriage alliance.

"Your Majesty, if we could marry a princess to the Southern Barbarians to end the war between our two countries, and then obtain reinforcements from them to suppress the rebellious army, this..."

"enough!!"

Li Cui interrupted the official without hesitation, staring at him angrily and saying, word by word, "Anyone who discusses this matter again will be executed!"

Seeing that the emperor truly had no intention of a marriage alliance, the official sheepishly withdrew, while Lu Yan, seeing this, continued to bow and say:

"Your Majesty, if the court does not agree to a marriage alliance with the chieftain, then we may need to provide more support to the Three Rivers."

"Although Gao Qianli is very talented, he only has 60,000 troops under his command, and more than 20,000 of them are used to defend against the southern barbarians. He can only mobilize about 40,000 troops."

"Now that Xingyuan Prefecture is lost, Guanzhong no longer has a direct means of reaching Jiannan Road."

"I believe that Gao Qianli should be granted the authority to control the Three Rivers region, and troops from Shannan East Circuit should be stationed in Zhongzhou (Zhongxian County, Chongqing) and Jinzhou (Ankang) to support the troops from the Three Rivers region at any time."

Lu Yan's words were somewhat inappropriate, as it is always a taboo to declare defeat before the battle has even begun.

However, given the continuous setbacks the imperial court has suffered over the past six months, it's not surprising that they've made arrangements for what to do after such defeats.

Li Cui glanced at the assembled officials, and seeing that everyone remained silent, he could only suppress his anger and ask, "How many troops are still available in Shannan East Circuit?"

"Your Majesty, there should be 16,000 soldiers."

"However, three days ago, the bandit Wang invaded Tang and Sui prefectures. Military governor Lu Dan led 7,000 troops to resist him. Only 9,000 troops remained in Shannan East Circuit, and they were stationed in various places."

Xu Shang bowed slowly in response, and Li Cui nodded in agreement.

"Issue an order to Gao Pian, promote him to the position of Chancellor, and appoint him as the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Rivers Pacification Campaign and the Military Commissioner of Three Rivers, ordering him to defend the city strictly and seize the opportunity to recover Mianzhou."

"If we cannot recapture Mianzhou, we should avoid engaging the rebels and try our best to hold Sanchuan!"

Having suffered numerous defeats, Li Cui, while still seeking to reclaim lost territory, has become more cautious.

If Sanchuan is lost, it means that the imperial court has lost an important tax-generating area, while Liu Jilong has gained millions of people and tens of millions of acres of fertile land.

Even if the imperial court loses the Three Rivers region, it can still maintain its position in the Yangtze and Huai River regions; the pain of losing an arm is still bearable.

However, with Liu Jilong acquiring the Three Rivers region, it would be like adding wings to a tiger, making Guanzhong even more precarious.

"Your subject obeys the decree..."

Xu Shang bowed respectfully in response and was about to leave when he saw Li Cui pick up two memorials and show them to the assembled officials.

"Wang Honglu, read these two memorials aloud to the ministers."

"Yes……"

The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies bowed respectfully, and Li Cui on the Golden Platform handed the memorial to Tian Yun, who then stepped down from the Golden Platform and handed the memorial to the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies.

Upon receiving the memorial, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies immediately began to read it aloud.

"On the day of Bingwu, the traitorous general Husi Guang led more than a thousand elite cavalry out of Mupan Pass to spy on our formation; I personally led three hundred elite cavalry, charged straight into their formation, drew my bow and shot arrows, and brave arrows rained down like a torrent."

"Husiguang turned pale and fell from his horse. The dead enemy cavalrymen lay piled up on top of each other. Husiguang cursed his subordinates and then fled far away to Mupan Pass. I gathered my troops at Sishuichuan, and my men killed more than six hundred enemy cavalrymen..."

After the memorial was read aloud, all the officials knew that the victory report was sent by Li Chengxun.

Before they could react, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies continued reading another report of victory.

"On the day of Ji Si, my army was stationed at Longmen Pass. Ji Long led his troops down from Chengzhou, and the vanguard had already reached the pass. His army numbered tens of thousands, stretching for several miles from north to south, and they arrayed themselves in front of the pass, opening and closing several times. I doubted that we dared not advance, so I stationed myself at the city gate..."

"At noon, the bandits were eager and competitive. Ji Long then used magic to summon lightning to strike the pass, which collapsed. The rebel generals Zhang Wu and Hu Siguang then raised troops to attack and fight, but they were at a disadvantage."

"Ji Long advanced with both cavalry and infantry, then ordered the traitorous general Hu Siguang to lead his cavalry in a charge against the center of our army, causing heavy casualties, and we retreated to Jicao Ridge..."

"Husiguang led several thousand cavalry in pursuit. Our army fought a hundred battles and retreated into Jicaoling..."

The more the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies read, the more uneasy he felt, and the more the other officials listened, the more uneasy they felt as well.

Just a few days ago, Husi Guang was fighting Li Chengxun in Longshan. How come he has suddenly made a name for himself in Chengzhou in just a few days?

In an instant, all the ministers who realized what was happening understood why the emperor had done this.

Before the other ministers could react, Li Cui coldly snorted:
"I really don't know if the rebels in Longyou have learned many magic arts, or if they are gods descended to earth."

"In just a few days, tens of thousands of troops marched over 800 li, using both lightning strikes and superhuman speed..."

"So the imperial army was actually fighting against gods! No wonder they suffered defeat after defeat!"

Li Cui was spreading false information about Li Chengxun, but the courtiers, upon hearing it, had no choice but to bow and say, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger..."

"Your Majesty, I believe that Li Chengxun, the military governor of Tianxiong Army, falsely reported military information and should be demoted to another post."

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal..."

The ministers all expressed their opinions, and Li Cui, seeing this, looked at Xu Shang and asked, "What does Prime Minister Xu think?"

Upon seeing this, Xu Shang quickly returned the greeting with a bow and said, "I believe that Li Chengxun falsely reported military information and should be dismissed from his post."

"But considering his past merits in suppressing bandits, wouldn't it be better to demote him to the position of Rongguan Military Commissioner?"

Xu Shang tentatively inquired, while Li Cui had no intention of dismissing Li Chengxun, after all, he still had nearly 30,000 troops under his command, and being demoted to Rongguan area in Lingnan Circuit was already quite good.

"In that case, let's leave this matter to Minister Xu."

"Your subject obeys the decree..."

Xu Shang respectfully withdrew, while Li Cui continued, "Why has the campaign against the bandits in the He and Huai regions been so fruitless for so long?"

"Your Majesty," Yu Cong stepped forward and bowed, "the troops of Weibo are still in Songzhou and have not left."

"He Quanhao submitted a memorial stating that the soldiers in the army were waiting for the court to reward them, and that once the court rewarded the army, the army would then march away."

"Envoy Liu also requested that the court reward the troops to avoid any unforeseen complications..."

Yu Cong's words caused Li Cui's veins to bulge.

In his view, the Wei Bo army couldn't even defeat Huang Chao, and instead suffered more than two thousand casualties, so it was all for naught.

In the past, the troops of Weibo would probably have slunk back to Weibo town without the imperial court even having to say a word.

The reason why these Weibo troops dare to threaten the imperial court is because they believe that the imperial court has suffered repeated defeats in the western border, which is why they dare to be so arrogant.

Thinking of this, Li Cui instinctively wanted to send troops to quell the rebellious soldiers of Weibo.

But reason told him that the Tang Dynasty could not withstand any more turmoil, so Li Cui took a deep breath and questioned, "How do they want the court to reward the army?"

Seeing the emperor's question, Yu Cong hesitated slightly before speaking:

"Fifteen bolts of silk per person, twenty strings of cash per person, ten liters of wine per person, one sheep for every five people, five dou of white rice per person... ten catties of vegetables per person, five catties of salt, soy sauce, and vinegar per person, half a catty of pepper per person, and three catties of ginger and scallions per person."

Yu Cong listed the supplies needed to reward the troops in Weibo Town, totaling eighteen types, including money, grain, wine, and meat for rewards, troop rewards, and departure preparations.

"According to my calculations, it should be no less than 186,000 strings of cash..."

Yu Cong tentatively presented the budget, which gave Li Cui a headache.

He had already rewarded Wei Bo twice, and now, on his third reward, he was still demanding so much more...

"Tell Liu Zhan and He Quanhao that the court does not have the things they want."

"Prepare 20,000 bolts of silk and 50,000 strings of cash. If they don't want them, let them stay in Songzhou!"

Li Cui turned and left Jintai without waiting for anyone to stop him.

Seeing this, the officials could only bow and pay their respects. After seeing him off, they had a brief discussion, maintained by Xu Shang, Yu Cong, and Lu Yan.

Ultimately, the court officials all felt that they should not agree to the demands of the Wei Bo troops, but instead reward the army according to the conditions set by the emperor.

After the matter was settled, the officials withdrew from the Zichen Hall, and soon after, the fast horses galloped away from Chang'an City...

"kill!!"

"bump--"

On November 12th, while horses galloped swiftly through Chang'an, Tangzhou and Suizhou were on the verge of collapse under the fierce attack of the peasant army led by Wang Xianzhi.

Three days ago, Jiedushi Lu Dan suffered a defeat at Fangcheng and had no choice but to retreat to Dengzhou.

Upon learning that Lu Dan had retreated to Dengzhou after his defeat, Wang Xianzhi immediately intensified his offensive against Tangzhou and Suizhou, and continued to coerce the rural population.

Ultimately, Tangzhou and Suizhou counties were captured, and Wang Xianzhi led his army into Biyang County, where he killed the so-called magistrate and took control of the county government.

The powerful families in the county were still relying on the walls of their neighborhoods to defend against the marauding soldiers, but shouts of killing and women's pleas for mercy could already be heard from the neighborhoods where ordinary people lived...

"You powerful and ruthless lords, order your armies to break through this ward and enjoy three days of revelry!"

Outside the neighborhood, Bi Shiduo and others led the mutinous soldiers in a fierce attack on the street next to the county government office, while the powerful families inside the neighborhood sent almost all the men in their clans to the battlefield.

The sounds of clashing weapons were incessant, crossbow bolts clashed and collided, and battering rams repeatedly rammed against the thick walls of the fortress.

Gradually, the battering ram broke through the wall of the ward, and countless soldiers poured in, slaughtering the sons of powerful families who had once looked down on them.

The noble ladies of yesteryear were now fleeing in droves, and the scions of noble families, skilled in the six arts, were just as weak as the peasant soldiers of yesteryear were when they faced the armored rebels.

In this situation, even military generals like Bi Shiduo and Cao Shixiong dared not give orders casually. They could only lead their personal guards to join in, robbing those beautiful women with fair and delicate skin and sending them to the county government.

Such scenes were commonplace in Biyang County. Even in the main hall of the county government office, which once represented the majesty of the imperial court, one could see Wang Xianzhi sitting in the main seat with a woman in his arms.

"General, look! This is a legitimate daughter of a collateral branch of the Zhang family of Nanyang!"

Shang Junzhang dragged several women into the yamen. Wang Xianzhi, who was sitting in the main seat, looked up and met the eyes of the women.

Despite their disheveled appearances, the women's makeup and hair were still quite messy.

Wang Xianzhi's mouth watered at the sight, and she couldn't help but laugh, "Damn it, I heard that the Zhang family of Nanyang even produced an empress."

"If I were to find these women, wouldn't I be able to claim kinship with the emperor? Hahahaha..."

"Leave them all here. I'll enjoy the women of this Biyang County Magistrate first, then I'll enjoy the rest!"

"Yes!" Shang Jun laughed and left a few soldiers behind before turning and leaving the county office.

Inside and outside the county government office, there were sounds of soldiers making noise and playing around. These sounds only gradually subsided as night fell.

Wang Xianzhi summoned Shang Junzhang and the others, all of whom were beaming with joy, clearly having enjoyed themselves.

Seeing this, Wang Xianzhi laughed and said, "Now that we have taken Tangzhou, it's only a matter of time before we take Suizhou as well."

"After careful consideration, I realized that the government troops are so easily defeated. Why should we lie low in Tang and Sui prefectures? We should attack Dengzhou, head north to Shangzhou, and then march on Chang'an!"

Perhaps the great victories of the past few days have given Wang Xianzhi a false sense of security. He seems to have forgotten how he was hunted down by Wang Shi in the past, and now he dares to suggest attacking Chang'an.

Fortunately, Shang Junzhang and Shang Rang were still quite clear-headed. Seeing that Wang Xianzhi had said such a thing, they immediately tried to dissuade him:

"General, it is true that the government troops are weak, but the various garrisons also have elite troops, and they are all gathered in Guanzhong. If we launch a strong attack on Guanzhong, the court will definitely turn its troops to attack us."

"Yes, General, we were able to dominate the Huai River region because the imperial court transferred troops to Guanzhong to fight against Liu Jilong."

"What we should do now is to take Jingxiang in Shannan East Circuit, and wait until the court and Liu Jilong are both exhausted before sending troops to take Guanzhong."

"That's right..."

Shang Junzhang and Shang Rang were both strategists that Wang Xianzhi relied on. Seeing what they said, Wang Xianzhi gradually came to his senses.

"Yes, you are right. In that case, let's take Dengzhou and Xiangzhou first, and then head south to seize Jiangling Prefecture."

"By the way, didn't you send people to find that scoundrel Huang Chao? What was the result?"

Wang Xianzhi thought of Huang Chao, who was only one state away from her, while Shang Junzhang shook his head and said, "No news has come yet."

"Now that Huang Chao occupies four prefectures—Huangzhou, Qizhou, Shuzhou, and Luzhou—and commands hundreds of thousands of followers, he probably won't easily agree to join forces with us."

"Hmph!" Wang Xianzhi snorted coldly upon hearing this, "If he is unwilling, so be it. As long as we seize this Jingxiang region, I can become an emperor after conquering Guanzhong in the future."

At this point, a smile bloomed on his face: "At that time, you will all be my dukes!"

"Hahaha……"

The crowd laughed heartily, completely disregarding the so-called government troops.

In contrast to them, Huang Chao, who had seized the four western prefectures of Huainan, was now focusing on developing his power.

Although the two armies were only a hundred miles apart, the security situation in their respective territories was worlds apart.

Huang Chao regarded Qizhou and Qichun as his capital, and enforced strict military laws in the four prefectures, confiscating the land of powerful families and distributing it to more than 300,000 refugees who followed him south.

His methods gave many who followed him south hope of challenging the imperial court, since they had never seen a rebel willing to give up land to displaced people.

However, as the period of peace and stability lengthened, Huang Chao inevitably became immersed in the pleasures of the land.

Inside the Qichun County government office, a low growl was heard, and the inner hall immediately fell silent.

Before long, Huang Chao dressed and walked out of the inner hall toward the central hall.

Although he had an ordinary appearance, he gained a different kind of charm after putting on a round-necked robe made of silk.

"General!"

As he entered the inner hall, more than ten generals stood up and bowed to the emperor. At the very end of the line was Zhu Wen, who had just been promoted to the rank of general.

Huang Chao glanced at him, then walked to the main seat and sat down. After reassuring everyone to sit down, he said:
“A few days ago, Wang Xianzhi sent someone to deliver a message, preparing to join forces with us to take Jingzhou and Jiangling.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Huang Ye bowed and said, "General, Wang Xianzhi is attacking Tangzhou and Suizhou. There is no need for us to get involved."

"Yes, General, didn't you say before that you wanted to train your troops well and then take over Jiangnan West Circuit and Jingnan?"

Huang Kui also spoke up, and Huang Cun, Huang Chao's nephew, said, "General, even if we have to fight, we should fight Anzhou and Mianzhou."

"That's right, take Anzhou and Mianzhou!"

"General, let's send troops to take Anzhou and Mianzhou!"

For a moment, most of the generals in the main hall were thinking about seizing Anzhou and Mianzhou, while Huang Chao looked at Zhu Wen, who had not spoken in the corner, and said:
"Zhu Sanlang, why aren't you saying anything?"

"Reporting to the General." Zhu Wen rose, bowed, and pondered for a moment before saying:
"I have heard that the court has transferred the Shatuo elite cavalry from Daibei to the south. Although these Shatuo elite cavalry have not fared well in the battles of Longyou, we have no cavalry and will surely suffer losses in dealing with them."

"I think it's best not to show your face now; Wang Xianzhi should be left to bark."

"The louder he barks, the more the court will pay attention to him, and consequently look down on us."

"Once the elite cavalry of Daibei and Wang Xianzhi are locked in battle, we can see if the imperial court still has the strength to subdue us."

"If the elite cavalry of Daibei performs poorly, we can advance into Jiangnan West Road or Jingxiang and Jiangling."

"If the Shatuo cavalry of Daibei performs exceptionally well, we can feign sending a letter of surrender to the court as a delaying tactic to slowly train our troops."

The system implemented by Huang Chao in the four prefectures was basically modeled after the system implemented by Liu Jilong in Longyou.

Aside from not establishing official schools, he imitated Longyou in all other political systems, and militarily, he also focused on training troops.

The four prefectures originally had a population of over 500,000, but after he moved south, he brought a large number of refugees, and now there are over 800,000 people in the surrounding area.

Huang Chao recruited 20,000 new soldiers, trained them with 20,000 veterans, and actively worked on making armor.

In just one year, he could muster 40,000 armored soldiers to fight against the imperial court. If the court was unwilling to appease him, he wouldn't mind marching into Chang'an.

This is why Zhu Wen's delaying tactic was highly appreciated by him.

"Zhu Sanlang is right. You are in charge of handling this matter, Huang Ye. Remember to show the court our sincerity."

"Yes!"

As soon as Huang Chao finished speaking, Huang Ye stood up, bowed, and agreed to the job.

However, as he agreed, Huang Chao continued to ask, "Have those 300,000 refugees all dutifully cultivated the land?"

Although it is already winter, the farmers are far from idle.

Although more than 300,000 refugees received over a million acres of land, that amount was far from enough for them to survive. Moreover, the grain that Huang Chao distributed to them was not much, and they still had to cultivate the wasteland themselves to solve their future food problem.

"The land is being cultivated, but the farm tools are insufficient, so the progress is very slow."

Huang Ye spoke honestly, adding, "We only have a little over 700,000 shi of grain, which is enough to feed the more than 800,000 soldiers and civilians in the four prefectures for three months at most. After three months, we will face a food shortage."

"No rush," Huang Chao reassured him, then continued, "Is the shipyard in Qikou ready to build warships?"

“That’s fine. Qizhou has no shortage of shipbuilders,” Huang Kui replied proactively.

Upon hearing this, Huang Chao said to everyone, "Let's train our troops for three months for now. After the Lantern Festival next year, we'll march south and show our might in Jiangnan West Circuit!"

"Yes!!"

Everyone perked up and stood up, bowing in response.

Seeing this, Huang Chao offered a few words of comfort and then dismissed the crowd.

A few days later, Wang Xianzhi led his army to occupy the entire territory of Tangzhou and Suizhou, and continued to send troops to attack Dengzhou and Xiangzhou, vowing to take the key Jingxiang region.

At the same time, the fast horse from Chang'an arrived at Songcheng County, Songzhou, Henan Province.

The imperial edict was read aloud in the main hall, and Liu Zhan, He Quanhao, Han Junxiong, Li Guochang, Li Keyong, and others were all present.

After the imperial edict was read, He Quanhao and Han Junxiong breathed a sigh of relief.

Although it did not meet expectations, the imperial court's reward was still quite substantial.

The two breathed a sigh of relief, but Li Keyong and Li Guochang felt uneasy.

Over the past few days, they had already seen through Wei Bo's outward strength but inward weakness. Seeing that the court had given so much money and grain after Wei Bo made a few threats, the two of them immediately felt that they had priced him too cheaply.

Fortunately, Liu Zhan also sensed the discomfort of the father and son, so he quickly smiled at He Quanhao and his companion:

"Why don't you two go back to camp and inquire about the attitude of your troops? If possible, it would be better to return to Weibo as soon as possible."

"Farewell." He Quanhao and Han Junxiong nodded and then left the yamen. After they left, Li Guochang and his son also wanted to leave, but Liu Zhan stopped them, saying:
"Your troops are strong and powerful. Although they have not yet achieved any great feats, I am willing to spend ten thousand strings of cash to reward the army, so that they may fight bravely against the enemy when they march south."

Although 10,000 strings of cash is not a large sum, it was indeed a huge amount of money for Li Guochang and Li Keyong, who were struggling financially.

"Thank you, Envoy Liu. Please rest assured, as long as my father and I remain under your command, we will do our utmost to punish the traitors!"

Li Guochang quickly expressed his opinion, and Li Keyong's expression also showed a slight change of heart.

Liu Zhan was very pleased to see this. He stood up and helped the two men who were bowing to him, saying, "I will send someone to deliver the rewards to your army's headquarters later. You two should go back and get some rest."

"Now that Wei Bo has received his reward, he will likely break camp and leave in a few days, at which point our army will be able to march south."

"Yes!" Li Guochang and Li Keyong bowed in response and then left the main hall.

After they left, Liu Zhan continued to handle government affairs.

When Li Guochang and his men returned to camp, they indeed saw their commanders gathered in a group around the tent.

Upon seeing the arrival of the father and son, all the soldiers made way for them. In front of the tent, there were not only hundreds of boxes, but also two old oxen, dozens of sheep, and a bag of spices.

"Were these all sent by Envoy Liu?"

Li Guochang and Li Keyong were moved, and the surrounding generals nodded quickly, saying, "It's a reward for us."

"Alright!" Upon hearing this, Li Guochang immediately waved his hand and said, "Slaughter the sheep and cattle, have a good meal first, and then we'll split the money!"

"Yes!!" Everyone responded in unison, and then people were arranged to slaughter sheep and cattle, causing the aroma of meat to waft through the air.

In contrast to their lively atmosphere, He Quanhao and Han Junxiong sat solemnly inside the tent, watching the guards inside.

"The court did not agree to the conditions set beforehand, but it did give 20,000 bolts of silk and 50,000 strings of cash."

"The imperial court has been quite generous to us, with three separate rewards totaling over 200,000 strings of cash. Since our army has already decided to return home, we should not linger."

"Everyone, get some rest tonight. Tomorrow we'll break camp and head north home."

He Quanhao felt that there was nothing wrong with his arrangement, and even Han Junxiong, who was sitting to his left, thought so.

However, the officers still showed dissatisfaction in the face of his words.

“What happened before is what happened before, and what happened this time is what happened this time. How can they be considered as one and the same?”

"That's right. Twenty thousand bolts of silk and fifty thousand strings of cash seem like a lot, but how much will you actually get?"

"If the six thousand brothers were divided among themselves, each person wouldn't even be able to gather four bolts of silk, let alone ten strings of cash."

"I've spent a lot of money on women these days, who am I going to pay this little bit of money to?"

The generals expressed their dissatisfaction, and He Quanhao, upon hearing this, had veins bulging on his forehead: "I ordered you all to conserve money and provisions and not to open camp brothels or gambling dens in the army. Now that you have made a mistake, you come to blame me. What kind of logic is that?"

He Quanhao thought he could keep this group in check, but after his defeat at the hands of Huang Chao, they no longer took him seriously.

"Hmph, back then the commander said that a great victory would be achieved if they marched south, but in the end, they lost nearly two thousand brothers."

“That’s right. This amount of money is not even enough for our own expenses, let alone the funerals of our brothers.”

"General, you should continue to petition the court..."

As everyone chattered on, He Quanhao, feeling overwhelmed, raised his voice and shouted, "Enough!"

The surroundings immediately fell silent. He Quanga glared at the crowd and said, "That's all. Whether you want it or not is up to you!"

"Get out of here, all of you!"

After saying this, He Quanhao immediately got up and went behind the screen.

Seeing He Quanhao's reaction, the generals who had come to their senses also looked grim, but in the end they still withdrew from the tent.

Han Junxiong stayed behind and said to He Quanhao, "Why don't we allocate some money from the government office to reward the brothers after we return to Weizhou?"

"Hmph, that's all they have. Take it or leave it!"

He Quanhao was still in a bad mood and wouldn't listen to any advice.

Han Junxiong shook his head upon seeing this, and then left the tent.

As he left, he saw the guards who had left the camp gathered together in the distance, seemingly discussing something.

He frowned slightly, thought about it carefully, and decided that he shouldn't meddle in other people's business, so he went back to his tent to rest.

For the next two days, no news came from the camp in Weibo Town, and it seemed that they had already accepted the reward of only 20,000 bolts of silk and 50,000 strings of cash from the imperial court.

On the third day, as more than a thousand carriages and horses approached Songzhou from the direction of Dongdu, Liu Zhan personally went out of the city to greet them, and then led the convoy to the camp in front of Weibo Town.

When the carriages and horses stopped, all the soldiers from Weibo Town in the camp ran out, their eyes greedily fixed on the carriages and horses.

He Quanhao, along with Han Junxiong and many military officers, came out, and Liu Zhan bowed, saying, "This is the reward sent by the imperial court..."

"Damn it, it's finally here!"

"Quickly, divide the money and get back to Weizhou as soon as possible."

As soon as he finished speaking, countless soldiers from Weibo began grabbing the reins from the carriages and horses, but Liu Zhan said awkwardly:

"The silk and money are indeed rewards, but these carriages and horses are not..."

Upon hearing this, He Quanhao immediately looked at the group of officers and soldiers and shouted, "Move down the boxes, do not move the carts or horses, or you will be punished according to military law!"

His words drew displeasure from the soldiers of Weibo, but for the sake of the reward, they obediently began to move the boxes.

Upon seeing this, Liu Zhan immediately said, "I have already ordered people to purchase two hundred sheep and four cows."

"Today's banquet is a farewell feast for Commander He, so please don't feel it's too meager."

"You've gone to so much trouble, Your Excellency." He Quanga bowed to Liu Zhan in return, deeply grateful.

He had been with Liu Zhan for several months and knew that Liu Zhan was an honest and upright official who ate only coarse rice and wild vegetables every day and only occasionally had meat.

In order not to compete with the people for profit, he did not fence off his own official land, but only kept eight acres of land to feed himself and his family, and relied on his salary for the rest.

He distributed the extra farmland to the people for cultivation without charging rent, and he also paid great attention to the affairs of the troops stationed outside the town.

Although He Quanhao treated the common people with contempt, he still sincerely admired people like Liu Zhan.

Thinking of this, He Quanhao invited, "Since this is a departure banquet, I would like to ask the Prime Minister to preside over it for our army tonight."

"Good, good, good..." Liu Zhan smiled and stroked his beard, then went to the tent with He Quanhao.

Before long, the silk and money were transported to the front of the tent, and He Quanhao also summoned the generals in the army.

"Of these 20,000 bolts of silk and 50,000 strings of cash, 30% will be left for the brothers who died in battle, 20% will go to the officers and soldiers of the rank of captain and above, and the remaining 50% will be distributed to the brothers in the army."

"Yes……"

The officers readily agreed, but Han Junxiong, standing in the crowd, felt uneasy.

Half an hour later, soldiers from Xuanwu Town in Songcheng County delivered four old oxen and two hundred sheep.

Although it wasn't much, it wasn't a small amount either; at least everyone could taste four or five ounces of meat.

However, this amount of meat was clearly not enough for the soldiers of Weibo.

At the same time, the guards began distributing rewards.

Each soldier received four bolts of silk and seven strings of cash, while ordinary soldiers from Weibo Prefecture received only one bolt of silk and three strings of cash.

Even so, the state soldiers were still happily slaughtering sheep and cattle, while the thousand guards had gloomy and unpleasant expressions.

"Damn it! So many brothers died working south, and this is all we get?"

"That bastard He Quanhao, I wish I could skin him alive!"

Several soldiers couldn't help but speak up, but then a voice rang out: "Why not just kill him? Otherwise, how long will this torture go on?"

"Have you forgotten the whippings you've received these past few months?"

Upon hearing this voice, all the soldiers immediately recalled the beatings they had suffered for constantly violating the military discipline established by He Quanhao on their journey south.

In an instant, anger flared in everyone's hearts, but then they heard a soldier say:
"Well, He Quanhao may be a bit strict, but he did pay us. It's not right to just kill him like this, is it?"

"Yeah, if we're going to slaughter someone, we should do it back in Weibo..."

"To the south lies the camp of those bastards, the Shatuo. What should we do if they forcefully intervene?"

"A bunch of dogs and rats, why be afraid of them? They're nothing but wild dogs that retreated from Longyou!"

Several provocative voices rang out, and everyone's thoughts became clearer.

"Damn it, those who agree to do it, sit with me near the tent tonight, and make your move when you hear the whistle of the arrow."

What happens after we take action?

One of the military leaders stood up and spoke fiercely, while another military leader next to him inquired about the way out.

Upon hearing this, the other military leaders exchanged glances, but the one who was determined to kill He Quanhao said fiercely, "Han Junxiong is a good man. We should recommend him as the military governor."

"Okay!" Upon hearing that Han Junxiong, who usually took good care of them, was to be nominated, everyone agreed without hesitation.

Meanwhile, darkness gradually fell, and countless bonfires were lit within Wei Bo's camp.

Thousands of soldiers sat in different areas under the campfire, while He Quanhao, Liu Zhan, and more than ten officers, sergeants, and captains sat in front of the command tent.

On either side of them, there were more than two hundred soldiers who had unconsciously gathered together.

Soon, the meat dishes were served on the table, with each person receiving millet rice, at least three ounces of beef or mutton, as well as steaming hot meat soup and flatbread.

"No alcohol will be served at today's break-up banquet. We will break camp at dawn tomorrow and head north to return home in peace."

He Quanhao raised the wooden bowl containing meat soup and smiled as he gestured to the crowd.

Seeing this, the people around him immediately picked up their wooden bowls, took a sip of the broth, and put them down.

At the same time, Liu Zhan clapped his hands, and more than ten musicians began to play music inside the tent.

Although there were no performers singing, listening to the music was still extremely pleasant.

As darkness fell, everyone ate with gusto, their mouths greasy with food.

As the banquet was about to end, a military officer in the corner immediately drew his bow and aimed an arrow at He Quanhao.

"Whizzing--"

Suddenly, a piercing whistling sound rang out, and before anyone could react, they saw He Quanhao had been struck in the shoulder by an arrow.

"Straight bitch!"

"Enemy attack!!"

The former refers to the military leader cursing after missing the target, while the latter refers to the shouts of Han Junxiong and others.

Seeing that they had failed to kill He Quanhao, the soldiers around them immediately overturned the table, pulled out daggers and bows and arrows from under it.

"He Quanhao embezzled our money and grain. Kill him and take back the money and grain!"

"Whoever kills He Quanhao will be rewarded with two hundred strings of cash!"

"Kill He Quanhao!!"

In the blink of an eye, He Quanhao was shot by an arrow. Han Junxiong and others called out, and the soldiers overturned the table and drew their swords.

Before Liu Zhan could react, countless arrows shot towards them.

Han Junxiong quickly pressed Liu Zhan down to lie face down, while He Quanhao rolled around in a disheveled manner, trying to rush into the tent to grab a weapon to fight back.

The soldiers rushed forward and surrounded all the generals present. The generals were also sitting there, sweating profusely, and dared not move.

Dozens of soldiers charged toward He Quanhao's tent, only to find that the tent had been ripped open.

"Chase him! He couldn't have run far after being shot by an arrow; close the camp gate!"

The commander shouted, and in an instant, hundreds of soldiers sprang into action.

He Quanhao fled in a sorry state, stumbling and crawling to the place where the state soldiers were gathered.

"These people are causing trouble. Whoever kills them will take their place!!"

He Quanhao shouted sharply, his voice almost breaking, blood soaking his shoulder.

The soldiers drew their swords, but hesitated and dared not advance.

Upon seeing this, the leading military officer immediately said, "Damn it, we soldiers are all related by blood. Even if you become our enemies, you will never be able to return to Weizhou."

"Think about how strict this scoundrel has been with us all this time, forbidding us from robbing or playing with women. Now he's even trying to embezzle the court's rewards. If you kill him, I'll recommend you to be my personal guards!"

The military leader's words instantly shook the state soldiers.

Upon seeing this, He Quanhao quickly interrupted, "I am a military governor appointed by the imperial court. If you kill me, it will be considered a rebellion!"

"Rebellion? There are so many rebellions in the world, what does the imperial court have to fight against us, you dog!"

The military leader drew his sword and approached He Quanhao. The state soldiers blocking his way instinctively stepped back, making way for him.

"You dare kill me?!"

He Quanhao stared wide-eyed. The military leader remained silent, but raised the dagger in his hand and slashed it at He Quanhao's throat. As blood spurted out, he then plunged it into He Quanhao's chest.

He Quanhao clutched his neck, his eyes filled with terror as he watched the military leader swing his knife repeatedly, until he gradually fell silent.

"Beep--"

"Enemy attack!!"

"The camp is under siege!!"

Suddenly, a piercing whistle rang out from the sentry post, and everyone's expression changed drastically.

"Damn it, who surrounded the camp?!"

The military leader cursed and quickly led his men back to their tent.

Meanwhile, several military leaders were trying to persuade Han Junxiong, who was protecting Liu Zhan.

"Lord Han, the brothers respected you and that's why they recommended you. If you just hand over this scoundrel, you will be the acting governor of Weibo!"

"Nonsense! Envoy Liu has been very kind to us, why do you want to harm him!"

As Han Junxiong was refuting the military leader's words, he saw another military leader, covered in blood and carrying a severed head, walk over, and his heart sank.

The severed head was thrown in front of Han Junxiong and Liu Zhan, and the military leader bowed and said:
"Lord Han, He Quanhao deserved to die. You have always treated the brothers well, and we are all willing to recommend you as our successor."

"Beep--"

Suddenly, the whistle grew louder, indicating that there were many soldiers outside the camp and the situation was extremely dangerous.

Everyone frowned, and several military leaders even brandished their swords at Liu Zhan.

"It must have been that bastard who laid an ambush beforehand, allowing the Xuanwu Army to surround us."

"He knows who made the first move; we must kill him!"

"That's right, kill him!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill..."

The crowd shouted "Kill!" in unison. Liu Zhan's face turned deathly pale, and Han Junxiong's face was also bloodless.

Just then, a colonel ran up to the scene and hurriedly said:
“The barbarian rabble from Daibei have surrounded the camp and are demanding that we hand over this man.”

He pointed at Liu Zhan, and both Liu Zhan and Han Junxiong felt as if they had survived a disaster.

"No, he saw someone kill He Quanhao, we can't let him live."

As the military leader who had killed He Quanhao spoke, Liu Zhan replied, "This is a matter within Weibo Town, and I will not interfere or participate."

Upon hearing this, Han Junxiong said sternly, "You all heard it too, that Envoy Liu said he wouldn't participate, so why are you still crowding around?"

"If the Shatuo cavalry outside the camp and the Xuanwu army inside the city learn of your mutiny, do you think you can still leave Songzhou?!"

"Listen to me, put your knives away, and I guarantee that Minister Liu will not hold you accountable for your crimes."

Upon hearing this, everyone remembered that Songzhou not only had them and the Shatuo, but also more than 20,000 Xuanwu soldiers.

Although the 20,000-plus Xuanwu troops had only trained for half a year, with the help of Li Guochang and his son, it was not certain that these 6,000 men could safely return to Weizhou.

For a moment, many people wavered, but Liu Zhan immediately said, "I swear on the Tongji Canal that I will not pursue any of you. Please let me leave the camp."

Upon hearing this, Han Junxiong immediately urged, "What are you hesitating for? Put your knives away!"

The already wavering crowd sheathed their swords upon seeing this, and Han Junxiong began to protect Liu Zhan as he left the camp.

Countless soldiers followed them closely until the camp gates opened, at which point they saw thousands of Shatuo elite cavalry gathered outside the camp.

"Damn it! Hand over Liu Shixiang right now, or don't blame me for leading my troops to attack your camp!!"

Hearing Li Guochang's shouts, everyone stopped in their tracks, while Han Junxiong personally escorted Liu Zhan to the front of the Shatuo army.

Li Guochang, holding a torch, dismounted and, seeing that Liu Zhan was unharmed, bowed and said, "Prime Minister, I am late!"

"No, no, no, if it weren't for the military commander, I would probably be beheaded today..."

Liu Zhan swallowed hard, then turned to Han Junxiong and bowed, saying, "I will report today's matter to the court, but I will not mention any specific names."

"If Lord Han is unwilling to stay in Weibo, why not move to Xuanwu Town instead?"

"I'm afraid I won't be able to come..." Han Junxiong smiled bitterly, still feeling lingering fear.

The fact that Wei Bo's soldiers wanted to recommend him as the acting governor meant that he had been chosen.

If I dare to run away, what will happen to my wife and children left behind in Weizhou?

"Prime Minister, I will escort you back to the city first."

Upon seeing this, Li Guochang immediately helped Liu Zhan onto his horse, and then rode another horse himself to personally escort Liu Zhan back to Songcheng County.

At the same time, Han Junxiong also entered the camp and returned to the front of the tent.

Upon seeing his return, the former military leaders and generals seemed to have already discussed it and bowed to him, saying, "Lord Han, we still need you to manage Weibo."

"That's right, I hope you won't refuse, my lord!"

He Quanhao's head was still on the ground when several soldiers treated it like a football and kicked it into the campfire.

The sight of his head being engulfed in flames chilled Han Junxiong to the bone, and he dared not refuse their "kindness."

He swallowed hard and forced a smile.

"I will certainly take good care of Weibo..."

(End of this chapter)