Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 105 Night Flight
Just moments ago, the atmosphere below the curtain was cheerful, but the atmosphere was tense on Duan Baolong's side. Since he knelt on the ground, his head hadn't left the ground, and his buttocks were sticking up high, truly prostrating himself before Zhao Huai'an.

At this moment, with a cough from Zhao Da, the soldiers immediately stopped laughing and glared angrily at Duan Baolong in the middle.

A pair of icy gazes swept over Duan Baolong, and even though he didn't raise his head, one could feel the killing intent emanating from them.

But for some reason, Duan Baolong, who had been trembling slightly, stopped trembling immediately after Zhao Da coughed, because he knew he had made the right bet.

Sure enough, Zhao Huai'an looked at Duan Baolong and snorted:

“Look up. As a samurai, you can lose your life, but don’t lose your face.”

Upon hearing this, Duan Baolong quickly raised his head, but his knees remained together on the ground, with his thighs and calves perpendicular to each other, supporting his upper body.

He looked at Zhao Huai'an and said tremblingly:

"The Heavenly General is as imposing as a prison, while the lowly general of this country is filled with fear and trepidation. His legs are trembling and his clothes are soaked with sweat. If it weren't for the General's help, he would have collapsed to the ground, unable to speak."

Zhao Huai'an looked at Duan Baolong with considerable surprise. He hadn't expected this man to be so eloquent, and more importantly, quite intelligent. He had not only surrendered in the face of battle, but also now.

This person actually discovered that he could be of use to him.

So Zhao Huai'an asked:
“Tell me your name, your position in the Nanzhao Kingdom, and how you learned that our army was crossing the mountain. Tell me all of this.”

Duan Baolong didn't dare to hesitate at all and hurriedly explained his name, background, and the plan that the king had previously devised.

Zhao Huai'an, halfway through the conversation, suddenly looked around and asked:
"Where did Zhao Liu go again?"

He Wenqin, who was closer to the curtain, quickly replied:

"Sixth Brother went to the supply depot to check for any losses."

Zhao Huai'an nodded, and then pointed to He Wenqin:

"Go and call Duan Zhongjian here."

He Wenqin quickly obeyed, when suddenly he heard Zhao shout again:
"Call Zhao Jinzhong over as well."

He Wenqin nodded again, backed out of the curtain, and went to find Duan and Zhao.

After He Wenqin left, Zhao Da gestured for Duan Baolong to continue.

Upon hearing the name Duan Zhongjian, Duan Baolong's expression clearly changed. He suppressed his joy and recounted the king's plan in detail.

Zhao Huai'an listened attentively, asking many detailed questions along the way, such as who the bribed Qianxi barbarians were and when the Nanzhao side began its operation. The questions were very detailed.

Duan Baolong couldn't remember some of them, but seeing Zhao Huai'an's shrewd and capable appearance, he didn't dare to lie and frantically tried to recall.

This intense and high-pressure interrogation did not end until Duan Zhongjian and Zhao Jinzhong came into the room.

As soon as Duan and Zhao entered, Zhao Huai'an pointed at Duan Baolong, who was kneeling on the ground, and asked:
Do you recognize this person?

Duan and Zhao saw Duan Baolong as soon as they entered, and were surprised. Then, hearing Zhao Huai'an ask this question, neither dared to hesitate, afraid of falling behind the other, and quickly replied:
“I recognize him. This man is Duan Baolong, the son of the former Governor of Tonghai.”

Duan Zhongjian even took the initiative to confess:
“Returning to the capital, this person is of the same clan as me. However, their branch is in Tonghai, while our branch is in Erhai. I have only met this person once at a clan meeting.”

This kind of thing definitely can't be left unclear, but you can't be foolish enough not to avoid suspicion either. It really tests Lao Duan's wisdom.

But Zhao Huai'an didn't care about any of that. With Duan and Zhao's testimonies, the man's identity seemed to be genuine, which made things easier.

Therefore, Zhao Huai'an went straight to the point and said to Duan Baolong:
"You're very pragmatic and a smart person, but to be honest, I don't like smart people like you. But I'm giving you a chance. If you want to live, you need to do something for me."

Without hesitation, Duan Baolong slammed his forehead on the ground, gripped the ground tightly with his hands, and shouted:

"If even five hundred soldiers from my Duan family can survive, I, Duan Baolong, will repay the general's kindness even if I am shattered to pieces and die without a burial place."

Zhao Huai'an scoffed. This guy knew how to take advantage of the situation and directly asked him for 500 Nanzhao soldiers.

But if this person can accomplish what I need, what's wrong with giving it to him?

Therefore, Zhao Huai'an stated frankly:

"Do you know who in my Tang army is colluding with your Nanzhao?"

Duan Baolong's mind changed, and he quickly nodded:

"The guilty will know!"

Zhao Huai'an stared intently at Duan Baolong, speaking each word carefully:
"You really know?"

At this point, Duan Baolong understood perfectly and shouted back:

"The guilty will know!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hai'an immediately stood up from the stool and shouted outside:
"Have Lao Guo send twenty men, each with two horses, to wait for me outside the curtain in a bit!"

Then Zhao Huai'an looked around at the generals:
"The enemy has been completely annihilated in this battle. The spoils will be distributed according to the rules. Any officers or soldiers who died in battle will be compensated when I return. You shall immediately clean up the battlefield and each lead your unit back to Jidong Pass."

The generals responded loudly and then quickly stepped out of the curtain to reorganize the troops.

Finally, Zhao Huai'an called on Wang Jin to lead ten of his men to follow him, leaving Dou Pangzi, Zhao Liu, and the other staff members behind to manage the troops.

Afterwards, Zhao Huai'an changed into a tight-fitting outfit and led the Beiwei men out of the curtain, where Guo Congyun personally led ten elite cavalrymen, including Liu Xin and Liu Zhijun.

Without saying a word, Zhao Da mounted his horse, had Wang Jin and Guo Congyun protect Duan Baolong, and was about to set off.

At this moment, Zhang Guinian suddenly rushed out and asked Zhao Huai'an:
"Is Your Excellency going to see Minister Gao?"

Zhao Huai'an nodded, and was about to speak when he saw Zhang Guinian jump onto a warhorse and say to him:
"My lord, then please bring your students along!"

Zhao Huai'an shook his head and said:

"This is a journey through the night, my clerk. Stop fooling around. Stay here with Zhao Liu and the others and lead the troops to Jidong Pass!"

But Zhang Guinian laughed and said:
"Does Your Excellency think I am a weak and incompetent scholar?"

As he spoke, Zhang Guinian turned his horse around, controlling it to complete the turn in a very small space. His horsemanship was even better than Zhao Da's.

So Zhao Huai'an stopped insisting, gave Dou Pangzi and the others one more instruction, and then led a group of knights, their hooves flying, straight to Jidong Pass, where he wanted to find out the location of Gao Pian's command tent.

"Hmph, let's see if you'll live or die this time, Master Yan!"

……

No sooner had Zhao Da and his men left than Zhao Liu rushed over. Seeing that no one was around, he asked Fatty Dou:
"Where is our lord?"

Fatty Dou was sucking in his stomach, putting down his breastplate, when he saw Zhao Liu arrive. He paused for a moment, then asked in surprise:

"Didn't I tell you? Dalang took that captured Nanzhao general to Gao Shixiang's place."

Zhao Liu couldn't understand a word, so he stomped his foot and quickly said to Fatty Dou:

"Hey! I rushed as fast as I could, but I'm still a step too late. Fatty, you don't know, Lao Fei and the others have come to join us!"

Dou Pangzi was stunned for a moment, not knowing who Lao Fei was that Zhao Liu was talking about.

Zhao Liu was about to explain, but then gave up and muttered:

"Forget it, you wouldn't recognize me even if I told you!"

"By the way, Dalang, where do you think we're going next?"

Fatty Bean was already pouting unhappily, and after hearing this, he muttered:

"Didn't I say we don't know each other? How am I supposed to know each other if you don't tell me?"

Zhao Liu's eyes darted around, and he grabbed Fatty Dou, laughing:
"Come on, come on! Zhao Da isn't here, so we can have some meat! Niu Li caught a roe deer in the mountains, so we can share it. I didn't invite anyone else, just you!"

Fatty Dou looked suspicious and his first words were:
"Can you even make it taste good?"

Seeing that Zhao Liu's face was a little stiff, Fatty Dou laughed and got his revenge for what he had just said.

The two then put their arms around each other's shoulders and burst into laughter as they left the stage; laughter continued throughout their journey.
"If we eat meat while Dalang isn't here, won't that be too much of a brotherhood issue?"

"With Zhao Da away, the brothers need to eat even better, otherwise Zhao Da will worry too much."

"Wouldn't it be bad if we ate meat without inviting the others?"

"Everyone's busy, why don't you go and call them? It won't delay their business!"

And so, the tall one and the fat one, arm in arm, chatted as they headed west.

The bright red sun there was finally about to set.

……

Meanwhile, Zhao Da galloped his horse along the sixty-mile mountain road, finally reaching Jidong Pass after the sun had completely set.

At this moment, the gate was locked and the gate tower was brightly lit. The Taiping Army inside the gate was already on high alert, watching the dozens of cavalrymen below the gate with vigilance and preparedness.

One of the generals, who was lying prone on the gate, saw that it was Zhao Da from Baoyidu below and hurriedly shouted:
"How did Zhao Du get here?" Zhao Huai'an, spurring his horse and cracking his whip, shouted towards the city wall:

"Pan Er, we have an urgent military intelligence report to the Prime Minister. Where is the Prime Minister currently stationed?"

Pan Er, who was on the city wall, was a member of the Taiping Army and had drunk with Zhao Da before. Hearing Zhao Huai'an's question, he cursed under his breath.
"Damn it, how can I expose the Prime Minister's whereabouts in public?"

So Pan Er mumbled something:

"Zhao Da, you stay out for the night. Tomorrow we'll take you through the pass to ask our generals."

The Taiping Army's commander-in-chief inside the city was named Zhang Jie, and he was a general in the Taiping Army.

Pan Er mumbled incoherently, and Liu Xin, who was next to Zhao Huai'an, cursed loudly:

"Do you even know what a military emergency is? I'm sending your whole family over here!"

Pan Er's face darkened, and he tossed the torch in his right hand down, replying:
"Go then, this gate cannot be opened tonight."

Liu Xin was about to continue cursing when Zhao Huai'an grabbed him. Then, at Zhao Huai'an's command, the cavalry galloped wildly northeast.

Meanwhile, on the wall, Pan Er saw Zhao Huai'an running northeast and nodded to himself.
"It seems this mortar is quite clever."

Watching Zhao Huai'an prepare to gallop wildly on horseback through the night, Pan Er muttered to himself:
"What urgent military situation is this? These guys riding horses at night are really courting death!"

Seeing that the figures over there were no longer visible, Pan Er shouted to the Taiping soldiers:
"Alright, alright, everyone disperse. Go get two more jars of wine to warm up; this godforsaken place is really cold at night!"

……

As dawn broke, the people of Furen were still stationed outside the city, with large camps clustered on the plains.

The wind blowing from the northeast trumpet-shaped mouth travels south, raising countless prayer flags, banners, and flags bearing Taoist emblems, which, together with the various banners of the Tang army, highlight the banner bearing the inscription "Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi" (同中书门下平章事).

It turns out that Gao Pian's main army had been stationed near Furen Garrison all along.

As dawn broke over the plains, the entire camp began to revive.

Countless laborers from various battalions and detachments rushed to the stream on the northwest side to fetch water, while some of the stronger ones took axes and headed towards the long mountain ridge to the southwest to chop firewood.

Countless tedious tasks were undertaken by these unassuming servants, who were busy all day long and never had a moment to rest.

On the outskirts of the camp, Ren Tong led a group of warriors wearing crimson headbands, pushing several large carts.

As he walked, Ren Tong cursed:

“Those damn soldiers from Hedong deserve a beating. They dug a latrine right next to our camp. We’ll move our latrines too and go defecate over there.”

The Chengdu generals nodded in agreement and continued pushing the carts, which were filled with the camp's daily necessities, which they had just retrieved from the central army.

Before they even reached the camp, a man suddenly asked Ren Tong from the crowd:
"Head of Ren, it seems Bao Yi and his men have won another battle! They say they've even taken Jidong Pass!"

Ren Tong nodded, then chuckled and cursed:

“I knew Zhao Da was no ordinary person the moment I met him. Given the opportunity, he’s bound to be a big shot sooner or later!”

The generals present were all from Xianyu Yuedu's household, and they had a very good impression of Zhao Huai'an, the sworn brother of their general.

So everyone nodded in agreement, and then someone suddenly started a commotion:

"Hey Ren, we heard you fought Zhao Da before, did you win? Is Zhao Da really that good?"

Ren Tong, feeling a little embarrassed upon hearing this, glared at him and retorted:

"What's the use of being good at fighting? We need to use our brains!"

So the generals naturally knew the answer, and they laughed even more heartily.

They escorted the supplies back to the Chengdu general's camp.

On the day Yang Qingfu was appointed commander of the vanguard, he left Xianyu Yue's battalion as the commander of the central army.

The stated reason was to coordinate the work of the two armies, but everyone knew that this was a spy planted by Yang Qingfu.

What was Old Yang most afraid of when he led all the mobile forces from western Sichuan south? It wasn't that he couldn't capture Yazhou and Lizhou, but that he was afraid Gao Pian would betray him.

If he were to venture deep into enemy territory alone, and Gao Pian cut off his supply lines, Yang Qingfu would be doomed.

Yang Qingfu did these things not because he thought Gao Pian might do so, but out of the instinct of a military leader to always keep his life in his own hands.

Did Gao Pian know about Yang Qingfu's worries? Of course he did, which is why he specially set up the supply depot at Jidong Pass, which had just been captured, to reassure Yang Qingfu and let him focus on fighting the war.

However, as a military governor, Gao Pian also had his own instincts, which was to always keep a backup plan in key positions.

Therefore, he ordered his Tianping Army to take over Jidong Pass and put control of the grain depot in his own hands.

This is the army of my Great Tang Dynasty, where everyone distrusts each other and each person keeps their own opinion.

Gao Pian now has a certain vision, so he did not withhold the supplies from the generals, and even allocated the camp near the stream to Xianyu Yue, so that it would be convenient for him to use water.

When Ren Tong and his group returned, they suddenly saw a large group of people fighting bare-armed on the riverbank.

Several sharp-eyed soldiers spotted it and shouted:
"Ren Tou is one of our men!"

Without a word, Ren Tong rushed forward empty-handed, followed by a group of burly men. A few of the more composed ones were still shouting:
"Boss Ren, let's see who these people are first!"

Ren Tong cursed loudly:
"You little brat, I don't care which side they're on, let's just fight them first."

After saying that, Ren Tong and the others rushed to the riverbank and started fighting with a group of people.

Treat anyone you don't know as an opponent.

But Ren Tong didn't recognize him. However, some of the soldiers who had just been beaten by Ren Tong cried out in alarm:
"Boss Ren, we're on the same side, stop fighting, stop fighting."

Ren Tong blushed, thankfully his face was red, and then he turned and rushed towards the place where the beating was the most fierce, punching wherever he went.

After practicing martial arts with Zhao Da for a while, Ren Tong became more and more skilled at fighting and increasingly fond of punching people in the face.

The fighting on the riverbank escalated, with people from both sides constantly dropping what they were doing and rushing out to join the fray.

Ren Tong also took a few punches and huddled together with several of the elite soldiers.

Suddenly, a rapid sound of horses' hooves came from the southwest. Upon hearing it, Ren Tong and the others shouted:
"Run!"

Meanwhile, among the group of people opposite, someone was also shouting in the Taiyuan dialect.

The two groups separated and fled towards their respective camps.

Some of the more loyal ones even carried their wounded comrades off the ground, while most of them covered their heads and ran wildly.

It's not that they're disloyal! It's that those who are loyal are all newcomers!
Sure enough, as the sound of hooves approached, hundreds of riders came galloping from the southwest, crushing everything in their path, trampling down tents and curtains.

These approaching cavalrymen, wielding five-colored clubs and riding large horses from the west bank of the Yellow River, would whip anyone they saw.

A series of wails echoed across the riverbank, but neither the Chengdu general nor the Hedong soldiers offered any resistance; instead, they ran as fast as they could.

This was because these knights wielding five-colored clubs were Gao Pian's personal guards, known as "Luo Diao Du," whose members were knights from the Dangxiang, Tubo, Uyghur, and Helong regions.

Those who were stationed here at this time came from all over the country, with different languages ​​and customs. Coupled with some pre-existing prejudices and grudges, and since they were all warriors, how could they live in peace?

So it really was a small fight every three days and a large-scale brawl every five days.

The military officers were extremely annoyed by this, and since they were not as capable as the warriors of the various vassal states, they had no choice but to call upon the personal guards of the envoy to suppress these soldiers.

The knights of the Fallen Eagle Capital galloped across the riverbank, beating the soldiers until they were bloodied and battered. The effect was quite obvious; in just a moment, the two sides that had been fighting fiercely dispersed.

Then these eagle warriors did not return the way they came, but instead went around to the southwest, where another group of people were fighting.

In this way, it happens at least two or three times a day.

……

Ren Tong and his men were originally quick to run, after all, this wasn't the first or second time they'd done this. The last time was because their general suddenly took a bath in the river, and those soldiers from Hedong were washing their horses upstream.

But Ren Tong and his men were delayed because they had to carry a few wounded comrades, and then the people from Luodiaodu rushed over.

With no other option, Ren Tong and his men carried the people southwest, intending to make a detour back.

On the way, Ren Tong also talked to his comrades on his back:

"Why did you get into a fight with the Hedong soldiers this time?"

The general had lost a tooth, and his speech was now incoherent. Then another general chimed in:
"It's nothing, they're just taking a bath, and we're washing the horses upstream."

Upon hearing this, Ren Tong burst into laughter and shouted, "This is exactly what our Tugai should do!"

On the contrary, from the moment they were established, the Chengdu Generals were superior to all other armies. Whether it was their treatment, combat strength, or temperament, they were all top-notch. They were always the ones bullying others, never the ones being bullied.
Thinking of this, Ren Tong couldn't help but sigh, "Our Commander Yang is still too soft. If he hadn't submitted to Gao Pian so quickly, would those foreign troops have dared to piss on our heads?"
However, he understood Yang Shuai's helplessness and could only sigh, "Things were better before!"
Just as Ren Tong and his men were laughing and joking, like a victorious army, he suddenly saw more than ten cavalrymen rushing out in front of him. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the tall cavalryman among them was none other than Zhao Da.
So Ren Tong led dozens of Chengdu generals to prepare to go up and greet them, but a sudden change occurred, and all the Chengdu generals changed color.

(End of this chapter)