Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 107 Killing the Thief

On the mountain road leading to the camp, a group of Dongchuan soldiers sat happily on an oxcart, which was filled with various supplies. Behind the cart followed seven or eight other Dongchuan soldiers, each carrying a bundle, walking briskly.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from behind. The men turned around and saw that these men were all wearing crimson cloaks and crimson headbands. They knew that these were their young commander's personal guards and quickly made way for them.

These approaching cavalrymen had rows of severed heads tied around their necks, their faces obscured by blood and grime.

These men were galloping along the road when they suddenly spotted a small detachment of their own troops beside them. They glanced at them sideways, and one of them, riding a horse, stopped in a circle and asked:

Which department are you from?

The Sichuan-Eastern army general hurriedly jumped off the oxcart, bowed, and replied:
"We are under the command of General Yang Can."

The soldier on horseback said "Oh," then looked at the old ox pulling the cart and asked:

"Where did this cow come from?"

These soldiers from eastern Sichuan truthfully stated:

“We robbed a caravan of merchants; these are all theirs.”

The soldiers spoke naturally, and the guards didn't react at all, only scoffing and saying to the man:
"When we get back to camp, kill this old ox. Send the meat to our army, and you can keep the blood and bones."

These soldiers from eastern Sichuan dared not say no; they could only bow and nod repeatedly, indicating that they would definitely deliver the beef to the army.

After casually giving these instructions, the soldiers rode off on their horses; it was just a casual remark.

These soldiers from eastern Sichuan remained bent over until they could no longer hear the sound of horses' hooves, then straightened up. One of them, a man with a large mole on his face, cursed at their commander:
“Damn it, these yamen soldiers are always demanding bribes and kickbacks. We finally managed to get this cow, are we really going to send it to them? If you ask me, we should just slaughter it here and roast it.”

After saying that, he shouted to everyone:

"Brothers, don't you agree?"

Only three people responded; the others remained silent, merely glancing at their team leader.

At this moment, the man from the Sichuan East team immediately slapped the man with the big mole across the face and cursed:

"Those soldiers under the young marshal, aren't they all ruthless killers? You want to mess with them? If you want to die, don't drag your brothers down with you! Don't risk your life for a meal of beef."

After saying that, the man glared at the three people who had just responded, thinking that he would send them to their deaths on the battlefield later.

The man with the big mole had his face swollen from being slapped, but he didn't dare to talk back and could only obediently follow behind the captain.

Having swiftly suppressed the troublemaker, the Sichuan East Squad leader was quite proud of himself and was thinking of giving him a few more treats when he heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from behind. He looked back in surprise, thinking it was the soldiers who had fallen behind.

What appeared before them was a cavalry unit that was half in iron armor and half in robes. Because they had no flags, they could not tell which unit they belonged to, but they could tell from their uniforms that they were Tang soldiers.

After these cavalrymen arrived, they surrounded the soldiers from eastern Sichuan and then surveyed them from their high positions on horseback.

These soldiers from eastern Sichuan were seasoned veterans from the battlefield. They keenly sensed the murderous intent in these eyes, and some of them had already instinctively gripped the hilts of their knives.

But at this moment, the squad leader stepped forward obsequiously and cleverly bowed to a tall cavalry general, saying:
"We don't know which general is in charge. We are from the Taiping Army. What are you doing blocking our way?"

Indeed, when you're out in the world, you have to give yourself your own identity.

This man knew that the reputation of the Dongchuan soldiers was not very good, so he hurriedly used Gao Pian's own Tianping Army as a shield.

And this title proved effective; the mounted general no longer cast the same glance at them, but instead asked:
"Did you just see a cavalry caravan pass by here?"

After considering all sorts of thoughts, the team still asked:
"I wonder which unit the general belongs to?"

But no sooner had he finished speaking than a samurai beside him violently lashed his face with a whip, cursing:

"Just answer my question, stop with all the nonsense."

Suddenly, a whip lashed out, which immediately enraged the Dongchuan team leader.

The man leaped up, drawing his sword halfway, and shouted at the cavalry:
"You dare to attack my Balance Army? I think you're tired of living. You should know..."

He didn't say anything if he wanted to, because he realized that he was the only one who had drawn his knife; the others behind him, including the one with the black mole, all had their heads down and didn't move.

At this moment, the team member broke out in a cold sweat, and he abruptly changed what he was about to say to:
"If I had known you were asking this, I would have just said it directly: why would I need a whip?"

After saying that, he pointed in the direction the soldiers had just gone and said:

"A troop of Dongchuan soldiers just passed by here. I wonder if they are the ones the general is looking for."

Upon hearing that the ones who had just passed by were Dongchuan cavalrymen, the cavalrymen exchanged glances, and finally, the tall knight smiled at them:

"Well, thanks. We just wanted to ask them something. When you get back to camp, don't tell your General Zhang about this. My men were impulsive just now, so I apologize on their behalf."

The Dongchuan team leader was visibly taken aback, confirming that the Taiping Army's commander was named Zhang Jie, before nodding and smiling:

"Hey, what's the big deal? This is nothing."

Unexpectedly, the cavalry general suddenly asked:
"But I'm curious, aren't you Taiping soldiers from Yunzhou? How come you have this Sichuan accent?"

The team was now completely embarrassed, repeatedly saying "yes, yes," but they couldn't manage to salvage the situation.

But to his surprise, the cavalry general stopped asking and instead laughed, justifying his actions:

"However, since the Taiping Army has come to our area, it is reasonable to recruit a few Dongchuan soldiers."

After saying that, he smiled at the men and led his cavalry away.

……

After watching the cavalry leave, the general of the Chuandong team breathed a sigh of relief. He was so weak that he almost couldn't stand, and it was the brothers behind him who supported him.

Hmph, these murderers! When it's time to fight to the death, they all pretend to be dead, but now they know to come crawling to us.

The man with the dark mole stopped uttering strange words and, watching the vanished cavalry, said with lingering fear:

"Captain, which team are they from? They look really scary!"

Just as the general from the eastern Sichuan region was about to speak, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly rose again, but this time it came from the front.

Then they saw that the cavalry that had just rushed past had returned. Just as the general from Chuandong was about to continue his fawning smile, a short axe was suddenly thrown from the cavalry's direction and pierced his forehead.

This somewhat cunning general from the Eastern Sichuan team didn't even know why he died until his last breath.

The Dongchuan soldiers were horrified to see their commander with a short axe stuck in his forehead, but none of them picked up their weapons to fight the cavalry. Instead, they abandoned their oxcarts and fled into the mountains on either side.

But how could these men outrun these elite cavalry?

Several of the cavalry generals immediately began hacking and slashing, quickly killing all eight or nine Dongchuan soldiers.

After the fight was over, a cavalryman holding a spear carefully wiped the spearhead with a silk cloth, afraid that the bloodstains would stain his precious weapon.

As he wiped, he belatedly asked the tall cavalry general behind him:
"Why are we killing them, Generals?"

This remark made a scholar standing nearby twitch his tongue, thinking to himself:
"Liu Zhijun killed everyone before even asking why he killed them? This bunch..."

It turned out that this cavalry force was Zhao Huai'an and his men who had just rushed from the abandoned fortified village. They had followed the hoofprints and wheel tracks all the way here, and then ran into this group of Dongchuan soldiers.

At this moment, Zhao Huai'an shook his head, did not explain to Liu Zhijun, but instead gave instructions to the cavalry:

"Push all these bodies into the ditch and let's keep chasing."

The group chuckled and dismounted to clean up the mess.

A moment later, they continued heading northeast.

……

In the midst of the sudden charge, Liu Xin lost his horse's head and quietly asked Guo Congyun beside him:
"Commander, why are we killing those people?"

Sure enough, Liu Xin didn't understand either. He just kept his words to himself because he always competed with Liu Zhijun and Liu had just embarrassed himself.

Since no one was paying attention, Liu Xin quietly asked the question.

Guo Congyun chuckled and then said, "Just look at the things on those people's carts, and look at the blood still on the oxcart wheels. Do I need to say more about what these people just did?"

Liu Xin then realized what was happening, and then he asked a silly question:

"But they are the Taiping Army, and they are Gao Shixiang's own army. Are we really okay killing them like this?"

Guo Congyun, who had been smiling, turned and lightly tapped Liu Xin's helmet with his whip after hearing this.

"Kid, don't end up like Liu Zhijun, practicing martial arts all day and ruining your brain. You believe everything people say? Didn't you ask them beforehand and tell them not to tell them anything when they got back?"

Liu Xin was unconvinced. He had a strong sense of self-respect, and he was particularly sensitive to being called stupid.

So he mumbled something in a low, gruff voice:

"Captain, is there a problem with what you said? I don't think there is."

Guo Congyun was amused by Liu Xin's antics; he had quite a temper. She lightly cursed him:
"Then let me ask you, which way did those people go? And where is General Zhang of the Tianping Army?"

Now Liu Xin understood; he understood everything.

These people were heading towards Gao Pian's camp. Last night, they asked at Jidong Pass, and the Ping Army above them clearly said that they would all be inside the pass. In addition, the soldier who spoke had a Sichuan accent.

So that's how it is! So they were all soldiers from eastern Sichuan! Liu Xin is really too clever!

Liu Xin chuckled and said proudly:

"So they were all soldiers from eastern Sichuan!"

Liu Xin's words did not surprise Guo Congyun, but his chuckle left Guo Congyun bewildered.

This is something even a child could figure out, so I don't know why Xiao Liu is laughing so happily.

So, Guo Congyun rode his horse forward without leaving a trace.

He used to hear Jiang say that stupidity is contagious, so he had to stay away from both of the Lius!
After all, in the end, war is all about brains!
……

At this moment, Zhang Guinian, who was at the front of the procession, finally couldn't hold back any longer. He spurred his horse and galloped to Zhao Huai'an's side.
"My lord, although we are most certain that those people are soldiers from eastern Sichuan, what if they really are Taiping soldiers? Wouldn't killing them like this be inviting disaster?"

Zhao Huai'an chuckled and glanced at Zhang Guinian:
"Old Zhang, you still don't understand me. Did my killing these people have anything to do with whether they were soldiers from eastern Sichuan or the Taiping Army? These scoundrels, I just stabbed them when I saw them. Why would I have so many thoughts?"

Zhang Guinian hesitated, but was interrupted by Zhao Huai'an, who continued:

“I understand. You’re wondering why I’ve changed like this. After all, back in Qiongzhou City, both the inner and outer vassal armies were looting and killing like that, so why didn’t we do anything? Now you’re getting so emotional over seeing the corpses of some unrelated refugees.”

“I even understand that you think Zhao Da is nothing but a hypocrite. If he really wanted to stand up and save people, he wouldn’t have done so in Qiongzhou, but now that he’s encountered the stragglers from eastern Sichuan, he’s suddenly all talk and no action.”

Zhang Guinian's entire ear was bright red and dripping blood. He hurriedly explained:

"My lord, I didn't, I really didn't."

Zhao Huai'an shook his head and pointed to himself:
“But I do! Because I, Zhao Da, am a hypocrite! I have a heart, I have kindness, but I dare not express it. In Qiongzhou City, everyone is robbing and killing, am I the only one with a heart and kindness? No! But no one dares to stand up, because whoever stands up will die!”

"You'll either die in Qiongzhou City or on the next battlefield, and you'll definitely be shot in the back by an arrow. And believe it or not, even then, the best outcome is being treated as a war dead and given a pension; I won't even go into the worst-case scenario!"

"So I hid my head and pretended not to see. I was thinking of taking in more people so that one person I took in could survive. And I didn't take in useless people because I couldn't afford to support useless people! That's me. I have a conscience, but not much!"

Zhang Guinian remained silent; he was listening.

Zhao Huai'an then made a self-deprecating remark:

“I may have backed down, but my heart is still aching. You weren’t here then; my brothers and I were still camped over Baishushui. I actually knew beforehand that we were going to lose this battle. I was still very naive back then, and I even wanted to ask Xianyu Yue, ‘Can’t we fight this battle? How can the warriors of our Great Tang be afraid of anyone?’”

"But what happened? I spoke so righteously, as if I wanted to fight but couldn't. But what was the reality? Right before the battle started, Sun Chuanxiu, a former member of the Baoyi Army, came to my place for drinks, and I didn't mention it at all. Sometimes I wonder, if I had told Old Sun and the others about this that night, and talked about the situation above, would they and those two thousand-plus men from the Muyi Army have been spared from death!"

"Old Zhang, am I being hypocritical? I'm terrified, yet I keep talking about brotherhood! I just want to escape, but I pretend to be someone who wants to fight but can't!"

This time, Zhang Guinian didn't remain silent. He looked at Zhao Huai'an and said very seriously:

"My lord, you are not hypocritical; on the contrary, you are utterly sincere!"

After Zhang Guinian said "My Lord," Zhao Huai'an was visibly taken aback. He smiled subconsciously, then fell silent for a moment before murmuring:

“I think the world shouldn’t be like this. I think soldiers should protect their country, ordinary people should live and work in peace and contentment, and officials should think about how to improve people’s lives. People with skills should be able to earn a living through their own abilities. But I haven’t seen any of these things. Instead, I’ve become the one who is out of step with the times.”

"So I tried to hide it carefully, but no matter how I tried, I couldn't hide my feelings. And it's strange, before I heard that our old marshal had been cut in half at the waist, I could hide it. Before I saw the bodies of the children who were killed and thrown into the ditch in Qiongzhou, I could hide it. After I heard you and Lao Dong talking about Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao, I could still hide it."

“But now, I don’t want to hide anymore. Since in this world, whoever has the most soldiers and whose words carry weight, and whoever has the most weapons and guns, is the one who is right, then I, Zhao Da, will be the one whose words carry weight and who is the one with the greatest reason.”

"So now I think those scoundrels deserve to die! So kill them! What? Who's going to stand up for them? Who's going to teach me how to be a decent human being?"

"Old Zhang, do you think those people deserved to be killed?"

This time, Zhang Guinian did not hesitate:

"Deserves to be killed!"

Zhao Huai'an laughed heartily, then spurred his horse and cracked the whip, laughing even louder:

"They deserve to die! But that's not enough! Brothers, follow me and kill some more!"

The group of warriors had no other thoughts; upon hearing this, they all roared in celebration.

A man should kill without mercy, no matter how far. Since this world is corrupt, then I, Zhao Huai'an, will smash it!
……

Seven or eight cavalrymen from eastern Sichuan were leisurely riding along the road, chatting amongst themselves.

"Actually, those women shouldn't have been killed. Even if they were rotten, they were still women, better than those servants kept in the army. They should have been taken back to the camp."

No sooner had the man finished speaking than one of the guards let out a lewd laugh:
"Isn't that the truth? Those refugees were filthy, but their wives were quite clean, and sometimes the food tasted good. And to be honest, I love their refusal to submit and their crying and wailing, so when Old Yan wanted to kill those women, I refused."

Even the filthy soldiers present couldn't help but roll their eyes after hearing such shameless words.

At this moment, the leading officer surnamed Yan laughed and cursed:

"That's enough. We can do whatever we want outside, but don't bring it back to the camp. Our young marshal is worried right now. Don't let this get you into trouble with him, or you'll get a few lashes."

After hearing this, a soldier with slanted eyes tentatively asked:
"Yan, is the young marshal still worried about the military governorship? Does the court really intend to strip the military governor of his position?"

Upon hearing this, everyone stopped laughing and secretly sized up the officer surnamed Yan, each with a different emotion in their eyes.

Yan Ya stopped laughing and snorted:

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't. No matter what, our General Yan is widely respected and favored within the region. Who doesn't owe us a debt of gratitude? Take you guys, for example. Have you been playing with fewer women or giving us less money these past few years? Just wait and see, the sky over eastern Sichuan still belongs to the Yan family. We have swords and spears, and even the imperial court can't do anything to us. So, we can still play with women as usual! And we can still give money as usual!"

Then all the soldiers burst into laughter, realizing that Yan Tou was right; that was the truth!

Moreover, they were thinking even further. Now that the imperial court seemed to be taking action against the military governor, wouldn't the governor be throwing around a lot of money and provisions to win over his brothers? Hehe, then the brothers would be eating their fill of greasy food!

Let it be chaotic, the more chaotic the better!

As for whether to side with the general or the imperial court at that time, we'll see!
Amidst the laughter, each man harboring his own secrets, came the sound of horses' hooves from behind, followed by a loud shout:
"Are those heroes of the Eastern Sichuan Army ahead?"

As these cavalrymen from eastern Sichuan were still wondering, the slanted-eyed cavalryman shouted in terror:
"It's Zhao Da from Baoyidu!"

This man was present when Yan Sanlang was killed by Zhao Huai'an with three punches, so he already had a lingering fear of Zhao Huai'an.

But the cavalrymen present simply placed their hands on the hilts of their swords and did not react excessively. They even mocked the man with the slanted eyes, saying he was cowardly!

What's wrong with Zhao Da? What could be wrong? He still dares to kill someone?
But the next moment, six arrows shot out at once, one of which pierced directly into the mouth of the man with the droopy eyes.

Because of the immense force, the arrow pierced the back of the man's head, then embedded itself in the body of the general behind him, knocking him off his horse.

That arrow was shot by Zhao Huai'an! No luck involved, only skill!
In the past, Gao Pian shot down two eagles with one arrow; now, Zhao Da pierces two thieves with one arrow!

He dares to laugh at Gao Pian; he's nothing special!
Watching his men finish off the remaining Sichuan soldiers who had been shot but not yet dead, one of whom was even killed by Zhang Guinian, Zhao Huai'an was filled with confidence for the future!
With such trusted and capable advisors, what in the world cannot be accomplished?
Then he saw Ren Tong and the others emerge from the bushes, and the atmosphere became extremely awkward.

(End of this chapter)