Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 110 Hero
Zhao Huai'an stepped out from under the corridor and raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sunlight.

Even now, he was still a little unaccustomed to the fact that Yan Shihui, the ruthless general from eastern Sichuan who had overshadowed the previous military governor, had been captured.

From beginning to end, not a drop of blood was shed, and the knife was never even drawn. The fierce Yan Shi Club ended just like that.

From an outsider's perspective, it would seem as if Yan Shihui came in, Zhao Da said a few words about this person's crimes, and without even calling up any witnesses, Yan Shihui was taken down.

It was so superficial and careless that there was absolutely no trace of the fierce power struggles.

But what happened today taught Zhao Huai'an a lesson: the struggle for power can sometimes be more dangerous than the battlefield.

Yan Shihui wasn't an incompetent fool. With so many generals under his command, how could he not have any trusted confidants? But when the time came, not one of them warned him.

Why was Yan Shihui abandoned by his subordinates? Was it because the Eastern Sichuan Army was not paying him enough? You should know that these Eastern Sichuan Army soldiers were already receiving triple pay when they fought in Western Sichuan, and Yan Shihui even distributed all his spoils to them.

Among all the armies, the Sichuan-Eastern Army had the worst discipline, and Yan Shihui was always the fastest runner. The battle had been going on for several months, and the Sichuan-Eastern Army had hardly lost any men.

But just like that, this person was abandoned without anyone even saying goodbye.

This shows that simply giving money to these military leaders and scoundrels is only a necessary condition for loyalty. Without it, they would certainly be disloyal, but having it does not necessarily guarantee loyalty.

At this time, the regional military governors of the late Tang Dynasty were both made and destroyed by their own military forces.

In short, Zhao Huai'an was deeply moved by this experience. It was his first time being so close to and personally experiencing a political struggle, which gave him a clear understanding of real power struggles.

Winning the Yan Shi Club this time is certainly gratifying, but this experience is also a rare treasure.

After Zhao Huai'an came out, he prepared to return with Liu Zhijun and Duan Baolong. Suddenly, a soldier came running up from behind and said to Zhao Huai'an:

“Lord Zhao, the Prime Minister has ordered you to keep this surrendered general from Nanzhao.”

Zhao Huai'an glanced at Duan Baolong subconsciously, and seeing that the man seemed to have anticipated this, he nodded.

“Alright, Duan Baolong, I keep my word. Since you have helped me expose the traitor, I will return the five hundred Nanzhao soldiers to you.”

As Zhao Huai'an was about to leave, Duan Baolong called him back and bowed deeply to Zhao Da.
“General Zhao, I did not really help you this time, so I should not accept those five hundred troops. But I do need them. If you trust me, I will repay your great kindness in the future.”

At this moment, Zhao Huai'an stopped in his tracks, looked Duan Baolong up and down, and suddenly said seriously:
"Duan Baolong, keep up the good work, your future is limitless!"

Duan Baolong didn't look up, but deeply saw Zhao Huai'an and his companion off. At that moment, he also had one thought in his mind:

"Zhao Jun, you are the one with a limitless future! I just hope we will never be enemies!"

……

Zhao Huai'an led Liu Zhijun out of the fortress via the same route. Along the way, Liu Zhijun hesitated several times before finally asking, "Just before we left the fortress, I can't help but ask:"
"What exactly happened inside the door? I bet that Master Yan will be dragged out with a pale face."

Zhao Huai'an patted Liu Zhijun on the shoulder and smiled:

"It's nothing. The prime minister listened to my explanation and discovered that Yan Shihui was a spy for our army, so he arrested him."

Liu Zhijun also hated Yan Shihui, and was overjoyed to hear this:

“Such a person should have been killed long ago! Because of him, countless loyal souls of our army died far from home. By the way, General, just now while you were inside, Old Wang outside had Zhe Zongben relay a message to us, saying that once things are settled here, we can go to the Zhongwu Army to camp.”

Zhao Huai'an nodded. It was he who asked Wang Jin to find Song Jian. He didn't expect Old Song to save him, but at least he wanted people to know that he, Zhao Da, was with Gao Pian.

Otherwise, to put it bluntly, even if Gao Pian had actually killed him, at least Old Song would have been there to collect his body.

Although this matter has come to a satisfactory end, he absolutely does not want to experience this powerlessness of having his fate in someone else's hands a second time.

Let's try to avoid seeing Gao Pian so often in the future.

However, when Zhao Huai'an heard that the messenger was none other than Zhe Zongben, a mere subordinate, he couldn't help but laugh.

Oh dear, Zhe Zongben, I still prefer your rebellious side.

As soon as he stepped out of the garrison, he saw Zhang Guinian and Wang Jin, along with a group of militia members, waiting for him. Ren Tong was also there. He felt a warmth in his heart and smiled at Liu Zhijun beside him:

"It's all over, let's go have a drink!"

As he spoke, he grabbed Liu Zhijun and strode outside, where his brothers had been waiting for a long time.

……

After Zhao Huai'an's men left, the Dongchuan generals also withdrew. At this time, only Gao Pian and Pei Xing remained in the wooden building.

At this moment, Pei Xing admired his envoy even more, but he had just heard the envoy say that Yan Shihui would be allowed to return to Chang'an to reunite with his father, which puzzled him.

Seeing that Gao Pian was in a good mood, he couldn't help but ask:
"Didn't the Prime Minister consider killing Yan Shihui? After all, if you don't cut the weeds at the root, they'll grow back in the spring breeze."

In fact, he knew his own prime minister's personality very well; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was decisive and ruthless.

Gao Pian was indeed in a good mood. Resolving the Yan Shihui incident was only one part of the problem. In fact, the real work had already been done. Once Yan Qingfu was dismissed and returned to Chang'an, the Yan Shihui incident would no longer be a problem.

What truly pleased him was Zhao Huai'an himself.

This man is intelligent and thoughtful, but there is one thing that Gao Pian greatly admires: his willingness to take on responsibilities.

Having traveled from the local to the central government, from the northwest to the southwest and then to the Central Plains, Gao Pian was deeply dissatisfied with the current court and its officials.

They shirk responsibility, are perfunctory, irresponsible, and procrastinate; they are indifferent to everything, yet they are all involved in forming cliques and pursuing personal gain.

And what about Zhao Huai'an? Through observation over this period of time, I've found that he's a person who acts with public spirit and has the big picture in mind.

Take the Yan Shihui incident for example. It may seem like only Zhao Huai'an had a grudge against him, but in reality, which of the various armies in western Sichuan didn't have a grudge against Yan Shihui?
But it was precisely him who came to challenge Yan Shihui, and what's even more interesting is that this person came to confront Yan Shihui right before he was about to have a decisive battle with the Nanzhao army.

Today, when Zhao Da mentioned Yan Shihui's three crimes, the second one was that he had leaked military intelligence to the Nanzhao army at Jidong Pass. In other words, Zhao Huai'an was already quite certain that Yan Shihui was a spy at that time.

But he deliberately waited until this moment before coming, perhaps because he wanted to eliminate the potential threat of Yan Shihui before the final battle.

This shows that Zhao Huai'an has a big picture in mind.

Whether Zhao Huai'an was Yang Qingfu's man or Song Jian's man was actually unimportant to Gao Pian, or perhaps he simply didn't care.

His original intention was to use Zhao Huai'an's momentum to sweep away the stagnation of the armies in western Sichuan. As for who Zhao Huai'an was working for, did it matter to him?

Gao Pian was originally thinking about how to make Zhao Huai'an play a greater role. Now that the troops from eastern Sichuan have been captured, apart from the generals in charge of each unit, there is still an elite force of private soldiers without a leader. He was considering whether to hand this force over to Zhao Huai'an.

This will be a good opportunity to see what kind of person Zhao Huai'an is, and whether he can keep those arrogant and fierce soldiers in check.

But just as he was thinking, he suddenly heard Pei Xing ask this question, and he sighed inwardly.

This young Pei is indeed clever and writes excellent poems. Although he didn't come from the official imperial examination system, he was able to leave his staff, so whether he passed the imperial examination or not is not so important.

However, Xiao Pei had never been trained in the central government, so his perspective was too narrow. He couldn't understand the true relationship between the central government and the local areas, nor did he know how the imperial court actually operated.

Fine, I'll teach more myself. By the time we destroy Nanzhao, I, Gao Pian, will be old. When that time comes, I'll retire from the army and return to my hometown. That will be a fair outcome for the court. At that time, the fate of the world will depend on these young people.
So Gao Pian shook his head at Pei Xing and lectured him:

"The court sent me to western Sichuan to stabilize the situation, not to tear down the roof of western Sichuan. Killing a few late-arriving generals in western Sichuan can establish my authority. But Yan Shihui is different. He is not without a background. His father also gave up the position of military governor and returned to Chang'an according to the rules. Therefore, Yan Shihui cannot be killed."

Pei Xing was a little confused:
“But Yan Shihui is Yan Shihui. The evidence of his crimes is irrefutable. Any one of the charges Zhao Da mentioned is enough to warrant his death sentence!”

Gao Pian chuckled, lay back down on the soft couch, and said with a smile:
"Xiao Pei, let me ask you this: if your Kunlun slave was beaten outside, would you think that the other party was only targeting your Kunlun slave? Don't be naive. What conclusive evidence? When did Tang start killing people based on evidence? Besides, what kind of person is the witness of a surrendered general from Nanzhao?"

Gao Pian's words silenced Pei Xing.

Then Gao Pian said another sentence:
"You think that Master Yan is the mastermind behind the collusion with Nanzhao? Your family are major merchants in Annam, so let me ask you, who's behind your family?"

"So let's leave it at that. In any case, I won't be staying in western Sichuan for long."

At this moment, Pei Xing understood completely.

The tea-horse trade from western Sichuan to Nanzhao was a major trade comparable to the grain trade in Annam. The people and power involved in this trade route were incredibly numerous, and countless people were profiting from it.

From this perspective, Yan Shihui was indeed just an insignificant nobody. He had just thought that his envoy had taken down Yan Shihui with ease, as if it were a trivial matter. But now it seemed that his envoy hadn't really thought much of Yan Shihui, considering him nothing more than a nobody.

At this moment, Pei Xing seemed to have touched upon some of the true power flows beneath the surface.

But looking at Gao Pian, who seemed to have everything under control, Pei Xing suddenly had a thought:
“But ministers, do you really understand ordinary people? Do you know the anger in the hearts of those seemingly insignificant individuals?”

For some reason, Pei Xing suddenly thought of the warrior named Zhao Huai'an.

For the first time ever, he hoped that the image was wrong.

……

For the next few days, Zhao Huai'an and his cavalrymen stayed with the Zhongwu Army and lived a happy life.

He was either drinking with Li Shitai and his group, or with the Chengdu generals; there were constant drinking parties.

Zhao Huai'an also had his own plans. Since he was thinking of developing his career in Huaixi, he naturally wanted to poach some people from his old boss's side.

The Zhongwu Army was already a formidable fighting force. Although it did not belong to the Huaixi Jiedushi (military governor of Huaixi), the two prefectures of Chen and Xu under its jurisdiction had previously been part of Huaixi, and their personal networks were practically one of one.

So he recruited one person from Lao Song's side, and once they arrived in Huaixi, he could use that person's connections to recruit ten more people.

By connecting specific points with broader areas, wouldn't he be able to establish a firm foothold in Huaixi?
Therefore, Zhao Huai'an was constantly hosting drinking parties. He naturally couldn't recruit famous warriors like Li Shitai, but the Zhongwu Army in western Sichuan had about a thousand men. Why were there so few willing to follow Zhao Huai'an?

This wasn't because Zhao Huai'an was arrogant, but rather because his reputation as a righteous leader was truly effective. He was generous with money, loyal to his brothers, and not only was he a capable fighter, but he also continued to win battles after taking command of the troops.

This is a good opportunity. Right now, Zhao Huai'an is like a blue-chip stock. You see the price rising steadily. If you invest 10,000 today, it will double next month. Can you resist investing?

Zhao Huai'an has won four or five major battles, and each time he has given out large rewards. The first batch of Baoyi officers and soldiers who followed him have now saved up at least four or five years' worth of salary. How long has it been?

Therefore, whenever Zhao Huai'an drank with the Zhongwu Army, there were always warriors loitering in front of him, practically wearing their intentions to sell themselves to Zhao on their faces.

At this moment, Zhao Huai'an's efforts in cultivating his reputation have yielded huge returns; in just the past few days, he has privately contacted forty or fifty warriors.

Because he was worried that too many people would be poached and the old leaders wouldn't let them go, Zhao Huai'an specially asked Zhang Guinian to spend money to find connections and screen out the troublemakers who had caused trouble for their salaries.

Even so, there were still thirty-six warriors, which Zhao Huai'an thought was quite good.

It must be said that the quality of this group of Chungmu soldiers who came to defend against the autumn harvest was indeed high; they were probably among the best warriors in the domain.

In short, Zhao Huai'an had already negotiated the terms with these thirty-six people without even informing Song Jian.

After arriving in Baoyidu, these people all became military officers, with an annual salary starting at eighty strings of cash. In addition, they also enjoyed the benefits of Baoyidu's welfare system, receiving subsidies if they were injured, disabled, died, or retired.

Moreover, after arriving in Baoyidu, each of them had a year of military service and received the same treatment as veteran soldiers.

As for what kind of treatment this is, just look at how tempting it is to see the thirty-six loyal warriors scratching their heads.

However, this is all thanks to Old Song. Zhao Da not only took Hu Ji but also took warriors. He can never repay this favor.

It is worth mentioning that among these thirty-six Zhongwu Army warriors, eight stand out the most: Li Jian, Zhang Qianyu, Xu Yao, Wang Huan, Liu Quan, Zhang Jie, Wei Hongfu, and Hua Hong.

Zhao Huai'an had tested all of these men; each possessed unique skills and great strength. Moreover, all eight of them came from Xuzhou, demonstrating the truly high quality of the Zhongwu Army's warriors.

These eight men, along with the remaining twenty-eight loyal soldiers, were Zhao Huai'an's biggest gains in the past few days.

Then Zhao Liu, Dou Pangzi, and Wang Duo, along with Bao Yi, arrived at Furen Garrison and joined Zhao Huai'an.

Afterwards, Zhe Zongben from the central army personally came to deliver the order, placing Bao Yi next to the Chengdu general.

On the same day, Zhao Huai'an's sworn brother, Xianyu Yue, returned with the elite troops who had searched the mountain. Although they had achieved great success, everyone was visibly exhausted, clearly indicating that searching the mountain was indeed a difficult task.

Without a doubt, Zhao Huai'an will definitely throw a welcome-back party for his sworn brother! He'll have to have a good drink to cheer him up!
……

The moon is bright and the stars are few; crows fly south; and inside the curtained area by the riverbank, the lights are bright.

After several rounds of drinks, Chengdu suddenly washed away everyone's fatigue. They raised their glasses to invite friends, and were in high spirits!

Those attending the banquet included Zhao Huai'an and other generals of the Baoyidu detachment, Li Shitai and other soldiers of the Zhongwu Army, as well as newly acquainted members of the shogunate, such as Pei Xing, Liang Zuan, and Zhe Zongben.

But the main character of the banquet was not these people, but Xianyu Yue, who was dressed in white, wearing a ceremonial hat and cloud-patterned boots.

Xianyu Yue was clearly drunk, gripping Zhao Huai'an's hand, his breath slurred:

"Second brother, drinking like this is no fun at all. Let me perform a sword dance and sing to entertain you all!"

Zhao Huai'an also drank three cups of wine. Upon hearing this, he clapped and cheered, and everyone in the room applauded and cheered.

In this atmosphere, Xianyu Yue staggered offstage, and everyone below the screen burst into laughter.

Suddenly, he drew a horizontal sword from his waist and stood with his hand on the sword.

The moonlight, like flowing water, reflected on the three-foot-long sword, just like the hero's tender feelings, and everyone present couldn't help but hold their breath.

A gentle breeze swept by, and Xianyu Yue began to dance with his sword, moving like a dragon in flight, graceful as a startled swan.

He sang:
"A true man should strive to achieve merit and fame in this world!"

Zhao Huai'an was taken aback when he heard this. Wasn't this the very story he had told about Zhou Yu's gathering of heroes in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?

At that moment, Zhao Huai'an understood something.

So he drew his sword from his waist and leaped off the field, singing boldly:
"With fame and glory established, the kingdom will be built!"

At this moment, Xianyu Yue was already drunk, his steps unsteady, yet his heroic spirit had only grown stronger. He raised his horizontal sword and clashed it against "Cangfeng," then sang loudly:
"When the king's enterprise is accomplished, the four seas are at peace; when the four seas are at peace, the world is at peace!"

At this moment, all the advisors and military personnel present were completely captivated. Even Pei Xing was experiencing a burst of inspiration, as if countless images were flashing through his mind. He couldn't help but tap his chopsticks and sing:

"When the king's enterprise is accomplished, the four seas are at peace; when the four seas are at peace, the world is at peace!"

Seeing his lord's heroic bearing and his brother's singing and dancing, Zhang Guinian, standing to the side, no longer felt the resentment of unfulfilled ambitions and unappreciated talents. He resolved to dedicate all his learning to helping his lord realize his great aspirations. Just as:

"When the king's enterprise is accomplished, the four seas are at peace; when the four seas are at peace, the world is at peace!"

However, Zhao Huai'an, who played chess with Xianyu Yue, had a different understanding.

He sensed his sworn brother's heroic spirit, but also understood his frustration with his unfortunate fate. He could only channel his frustration into this sword dance under the influence of alcohol.

Sure enough, Xianyu Yue's urgent response was a deep sigh:
"I lament the many twists and turns of fate, and sigh at the brevity of my life. In the past, Cao Cao composed poems with his spear across his hand, his ambition reaching a thousand miles; Jiang Ziya fished on the river, his spirit undiminished in old age. And what of my achievements, Xianyu Yue? Must I truly entrust this gentle breeze and bright moon to report to Chang'an?"

These words caused everyone present to sigh with sorrow.

The people present came from all over the country, but even someone like Pei Xing was just a marginal figure outside the power structure of Chang'an. No matter how much merit they made, it would be difficult for them to enter Chang'an!

Zhang Guinian, who had always been preoccupied with the scientific expedition, drank the wine in his cup in one gulp after hearing this.

But at this moment, upon hearing this, Zhao Huai'an burst into laughter. He sheathed his sword and looked at the assembled gentlemen, who were all heroes of the Great Tang Dynasty, yet each lamented their inability to serve their country. Then, he raised his sleeves and shouted:
"Where is Cao Mengde, whose achievements once overshadowed all others? Where is Jiang Ziya, who was granted the fiefdom of eight hundred? How many heroic deeds have been accomplished throughout history? Who remembers them now? But now, I, Zhao Da, am feasting with all the heroes here, under the unchanging moon above us, surrounded by an eternal world where the sea may dry up and the earth may crumble."

"Fame and fortune are fleeting, can they compare to the wine in our hands and the brotherhood in our hearts? So brothers, please listen to what I, Zhao Da, have to say."

At this moment, everyone present put down their wine, looked at Zhao Huai'an standing on the field with his hand on his sword, and listened to him say:
"Ten thousand years is too long! I will seize the day! If we are to seek fame and glory, then let us strive for it. If we value our brotherhood, then let us drink this cup to the last drop, so that we will have no regrets!"

Then, everyone stood up, drank their wine in one gulp, and sang loudly:
"Ten thousand years is too long! I will seize the day!"

So everyone laughed with joy and went down to sing and dance, clinking glasses and leaving the dishes in a mess.

It wasn't until a torrential downpour that everyone's enthusiasm waned and they dispersed.

What a magnificent feast of heroes!

(End of this chapter)