Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 113 Turmoil
The army marched south, including the troops of Prince Longshun of Nanzhao.

This time, Gao Pian's southward campaign was conducted under the guise of the imperial court within the Tang army, but under the banner of Longshun against the Nanzhao Kingdom.

Theoretically speaking, Gao Pian's plan to lead the army to restore Longshun's kingdom was an excellent one.

This would not only give them a legitimate reason to attack, but also attract opposition forces within the Nanzhao Kingdom.

During this period, many tribes and Nanzhao military leaders had gathered around Longshun. They were either Longshun's maternal relatives, those who had received favors from Longshun, some who had made their fortunes through speculation, and some who were prisoners of war from the Tang army.

Having served as crown prince for twenty years, how could Longshun not have any trusted men by his side?

These people gathered around Longshun with great anticipation, believing that if they could help Longshun fight back, everything would be different.

But these are not Long Shun's main forces. If he wants to have a voice, he needs to have his own troops.

With the financial support of many wealthy merchants in Chengdu, Longshun purchased Nanzhao prisoners captured by the Tang army, among whom the Wuman cavalry sold to him by Zhao Huai'an were the absolute main force.

Longshun not only replenished the equipment of these hundreds of Wuman cavalry, but also specially purchased eight hundred warhorses from horse merchants in Chengdu to rearm them.

Moreover, it's no wonder that Longshun was able to remain the crown prince for twenty years; he possessed high political and emotional intelligence. He knew that having an armed force within the Tang army would be conspicuous, so he directly requested Gao Pian to assign some brave cavalry generals to lead the troops.

Gao Pian readily accepted and directly appointed his trusted lieutenant, Zhang Lin, as the commander of this cavalry force.

……

But it seems that this trip south was not very smooth from the very beginning.

When the army arrived at Jidong Pass, a torrential rainstorm struck, making everyone irritable.

Zhao Huai'an had been reminded by He Weidao to prepare extra rain gear, but even so, setting up camp in the muddy yellow mud was still a nightmare.

The campsite beneath their feet was damp and muddy, and the Beiwei and Yishe men under the tents were also soaked to the bone, changing clothes and warming themselves by the fire.

That is, they had prepared charcoal beforehand, unlike other camps, which burned damp firewood, resulting in smoky and choking smoke.

The tent was leaking everywhere, and some of the porters picked up basins to catch the rain, pouring it out basin by basin.

Zhao Huai'an looked out of the tent at his elite warriors, who were now walking on the muddy ground with one foot in the mud and the other in the puddles. Every now and then, several armored soldiers would slip and fall, rolling around covered in mud.

Seeing this pathetic state, where was the high spirits Zhao Huai'an had displayed just days before when he headed south?
Ugh, this is just a messy war!
At this moment, Zhao Liu, covered in mud, also came in. He took off his straw sandals and threw them aside, then complained to Zhao Huai'an:
"What was Gao Shixiang thinking? Our Baoyi Army is so elite! He made us camp outside the pass, while Zhang Lin's Wuman soldiers got through. We even captured those people! They've really rebelled against the Heavenly Gang!"

Zhao Huai'an smelled Zhao Liu's stinky feet, turned his head away in disgust, and cursed:
"What nonsense are you talking to me about? Go find Gao Pian and tell him that Zhao Liu is incredibly brave, a real man, and shouldn't be wallowing in mud. Go, hurry up and go!"

Zhao Liu was so embarrassed by the scolding that he didn't dare to talk back. He then obediently changed into a pair of straw sandals and pulled his feet back.

Zhao Huai'an also had moments of mental exhaustion, but he felt much better after cursing Zhao Liu, and hummed:
"How's the baggage? The armor and weapons must not get wet. If any are damp, quickly put them in rice husks to preserve them."

Zhao Liu then smiled and said:

"Don't worry, sir, everything's done except for one oxcart that's stuck in a ditch. We'll probably have to abandon it."

Zhao Huai'an shook his head and only sighed:

"We warriors have it really tough, and it's only right that the brothers receive this salary."

Zhao Da's words struck a chord with the men under his command.

They will all understand us.

……

While the troops of the various vassal states outside were in a sorry state, the people inside the pass were enjoying peace and prosperity.

Liang Zan looked at the lavishly dressed Nanzhao nobles before him with a rather troubled expression.

These people were all tribal chiefs and their sons who had pledged allegiance to Longshun. At this banquet, they were all adorned with jewels, and one of them even had a string of jade bracelets hanging on his arm, which Liang Zan couldn't understand.

Humans only have two arms, so why do they wear so many bracelets?

Moreover, it's extremely noisy here. Outside, it's pouring rain, and inside, people are making a lot of noise, often drunk. Even the open space behind the gate is chaotic and noisy.

The elephants that had been captured earlier, for some reason, started to go into heat. One of the male elephants began to charge violently, making the already not-so-wide area inside the pass even more chaotic.

Liang Zan couldn't help but close her eyes.

Ah, it's still more enjoyable to drink with Zhao Da and the others.

That day, Liang Zan sang, danced, and drank under the moon with Zhao Da, Xianyu Yue, and others. The genuine brotherhood he felt was something he had never experienced before.

Moreover, that surging heroic spirit is like the rising sun, so full of vitality.

Looking around, everyone is dressed so luxuriously; they don't look like they're going to war. And look at these Nanzhao chieftains; no matter how much makeup they wear, they can't hide the smell of old age.

Oh, he wasn't talking about the envoy. The envoy smelled of sandalwood, so it's different.

However, Liang Zan also noticed several Nanzhao generals, one of whom Zhao Huai'an knew—Duan Baolong, whom Zhao Da had brought over earlier.

There were also a few people whose faces were covered in tattoos, and they had a fierce and ruthless aura about them, so they were not to be trifled with.

Suddenly, Gao Pian, who was at the head of the table, said something, and the generals and chieftains near the front burst into laughter.

At this moment, several Nanzhao people came to offer Liang Zan a drink. He couldn't refuse, so he took a sip. But then the Nanzhao people took the opportunity to sit down and started asking Liang Zan if he had a wife.

Liang Zan was a pure warrior; how could he love women? He could only shake his head. Then the Nanzhao people laughed and told Liang Zan that Tang people only had one wife, while each of them had more than twenty. They suggested he stay in Nanzhao.

This made Liang Zan's face darken. He slammed his wine cup on the table and sent the people away.

At this moment, as he looked at Gao Pian, who was raising his cup to invite others to drink, an indescribable emotion welled up in his heart.

Alas, the Prime Minister is indeed getting old.

……

Gao Pian was listening to Long Shun speaking quietly beside him. He was very worried that his father had chosen his younger brother, who was about ten years old, as his father.

Perhaps it was because he had drunk too much, Gao Pian said dismissively:
"What can a child of ten or so do? Don't worry, I'll handle this battle. You can focus on being the ruler of Nanzhao, but remember what you promised the court, you must keep your word."

Upon hearing this, Long Shun quickly bowed and nodded:

"Long Shun will never forget that it was with the help of Minister Gao and Lieutenant Tian of the court that I was able to restore my country. What are a few musk, cinnabar and purple gold compared to that?"

But the "little" that Longshun mentioned was a treasure worth tens of millions of strings of cash, as well as inexhaustible mineral resources, timber, and rights to tea plantations. It was a true act of treason.

However, these things really meant nothing to Long Shun. Instead, regarding Gao Pian's words just now, he had this thought:
"Isn't your new sage of the Tang Dynasty just a child of ten or so? This Minister Gao is getting carried away."

Of course, Long Shun wouldn't say more about these things. Instead, he turned his attention back to the arena and sighed when he saw that Zhao Huai'an was not among the crowd.

Such a brave man was also out there getting soaked in the rain.

Indeed, the Tang Dynasty was just like their Nanzhao Kingdom!
……

The heavy rain continued for two more days, but thanks to the ample provisions at Jidong Pass, the army did not go hungry. As a result, once the weather cleared up, the morale of the various regional armies rose.

At this time, Gao Pian organized a military exercise in Guanzhong. He stood on the pass with Long Shun and other Nanzhao nobles, while Luodiaodu and the Hedong cavalry practiced their skills below the pass.

Warhorses neighed, banners fluttered, men moved like tigers, horses like dragons—nearly a thousand cavalrymen draped in crimson cloaks galloped back and forth below the pass, their spears thrusting, displaying superb charge techniques. At this moment, Gao Pian, full of vigor, said to Long Shun beside him:
"How about it? With such elite cavalry, does the heir still worry about not being able to restore the kingdom?"

It must be said that Long Shun was truly impressed by the elite cavalry that were practicing martial arts at the pass. This high-ranking official was indeed worthy of being called a pillar of the Tang Dynasty and had the qualifications to do so.

So, Long Shun whispered a compliment:

"I, Tang Tianjun, will surely achieve victory in no time. I, Xiao Wang, am truly grateful."

Gao Pian laughed heartily, and then, together with his staff and advisors, watched the army march south to Yazhou in an endless stream from the pass.

……

On the road from Jidongguan to Yazhou, Zhao Huai'an and his companions stood on a donkey cart, watching as troop after troop of soldiers passed by Baoyidu's ranks, their brows furrowed.

Beneath the donkey cart, Fatty Bean couldn't help but click his tongue:
"Brother, are these soldiers from Fufang having such a good time? Are they going to war or on a spring outing?"

Dou Pangzi was also from a wealthy family, but this army of vassal soldiers from Guanzhong really surprised him.

They rested there for about half an hour, during which time the soldiers from Fufang kept passing by, which was quite an eye-opener for them.

Each Fufang soldier was accompanied by one or two pack animals to carry their packs, armor, and weapons. On average, there was one pack animal for every few soldiers, all of which were loaded with the soldiers' personal belongings.

These were just some ordinary officials and low-ranking military officers, each with dozens of servants accompanying them. Some were brought from home, while others were recruited at their own expense after entering Shu, with the servants providing for all their needs.

Everyone says that soldiers have it tough, but it turns out that only soldiers have it tough, while the soldiers of the Guanzhong garrison live like local tycoons.

These Fufang soldiers are just local warlords; they wouldn't even dare to dream of the Shence Army! No wonder even a dog would go to Chang'an; those are the elite!

At this moment, beside the donkey cart, Chen Fahai, who originally came from the Shence Army, looked at these rich young soldiers with disdain.

He used to belong to the Shence Army in the northwestern garrisons of Beijing. These people were the elite troops left behind by various vassal states after the autumn defense, and they still had the hard work and simplicity of soldiers.

Therefore, he always looked down on the wealthy young men of the various regional military governors and the Shence Army. These men, who entered the army through connections and money, had no sense of honor as warriors and no respect for war.

In the eyes of these people, this trip south to Nanzhao was simply to make a fortune with Gao Pian.

Indeed, just a few days ago at the banquet at Jidong Pass, these military officers of Fufang soldiers made a series of deals with the chieftains of the Nanzhao tribes.

This trip south was truly the right one for them; they had already made a fortune before the war even started.

Therefore, they were naturally more generous, recruiting all the Tang people in the vicinity to transport supplies for them.

Moreover, these people also viewed this as an investment, since they would need people to carry the large spoils they later acquired.
Recruiting now is definitely more cost-effective than recruiting later.

These are truly great deals!
Zhao Huai'an, on the donkey cart, was also astonished, but as he looked on, he became puzzled:
"Why aren't these people heavily armed? All I see are bows, crossbows, and swords. What use are these things on the battlefield?"

Then Zhao Huai'an saw that a small raft box on an oxcart in front of him had fallen to the ground, and more than a dozen odds and ends rolled out of it.

There were polished bronze mirrors, silk scarves, bowls and chopsticks, and cosmetics.

Zhao Huai'an couldn't help but ask:
"These Fufang soldiers have the audacity to leave women in their ranks!"

Before Zhao Huai'an could finish speaking, a knight from the Fufang Army galloped over, whipped the servant who had dropped the box, and then ordered him to put it away.

At this moment, the group of Baoyi generals looked at each other in disbelief. So these Fufang soldiers carried bronze mirrors and cosmetics with them while fighting outside!

Could a bronze mirror really kill those Nanzhao people?

At this moment, everyone, including Zhao Huai'an, felt a bit gloomy about the final battle ahead.

If all the troops brought by Gao Pian are like this, then the decisive battle is in jeopardy.

But then the generals thought again: hadn't Gao Pian led these men to defeat the Nanzhao king, Chief Long? It was clear that the Nanzhao army was no match for these Fufang soldiers!
This is truly a world where everyone is trying to be the worst.

As Zhao Huai'an and the others were lost in thought, several riders galloped up from the front, carrying urgent messages and shouting on the road:

"The vanguard has broken through Yandao and descended Rongjing."

All who heard the good news roared with joy, for after capturing Rongjing, the Dadu River was not far away.

Once they crossed the Dadu River, they were able to invade Nanzhao. The battle went incredibly smoothly.

Upon hearing the good news, Zhao Huai'an couldn't help but frown and said to Wang Duo and Zhang Guinian beside him:
"What kind of powerful medicine did Commander Yang use? How did he become so fierce all of a sudden? It took him more than ten days to attack Qiongzhou, but now he has reached Rongjing in just a few days. Is this normal?"

Wang Duo shook his head, while Zhang Guinian pondered for a moment and said uncertainly:

"My lord, do you think the Nanzhao people are luring us deeper into their territory?"

Zhao Huai'an wasn't sure either; he just felt something was off. Gao Pian's condition and the foreign troops under his command made him feel uneasy.

He could only address the assembled generals:
"From now on, each team must keep their saddles on their horses and their armor on their bodies at all times. If you are tired, you may stop and rest, but you must never remove your armor. Do you understand?"

The team members shouted in unison, then returned to their respective units to prepare to continue south.

At this moment, Zhao Huai'an looked at the army rushing south. There was a winding river there called the Dadu River. After five months, Zhao Huai'an had returned!
……

Meanwhile, Rong Jing was about ninety miles southwest of Gao Pian's main force.

Looking at Rong Jingcheng, who had completely given up, Yang Qingfu couldn't help but say to Guo Qi beside him:

"Xiao Guo, do you think the Nanzhao army is going to run away, or lure our army deeper into their territory?"

Guo Qi, dressed in a gleaming suit of armor and wearing a large yellow hat, halted his horse and replied:

"General, no matter what the Nanzhao army is like, our army cannot advance any further. Since we captured Yazhou, our army has been on horseback for more than ten days and has lost its fighting spirit. Now that we have captured Rongjing, we can rest here and wait for the main force to arrive. This is the safest approach."

Yang Qingfu nodded:
"Yes, that's a wise and prudent opinion. Alright, the entire army will rest and recuperate at Rongjing."

Then the group of generals from western Sichuan around him shouted:
"The commander is wise!"

Suddenly someone asked:

"Should we discipline the boys a bit?"

Yang Qingfu thought for a moment, shook his head, and said:

"I will enter the city with my banner three hours later."

Now, the generals were even happier.

A moment later, the order was relayed to the entire army, which erupted in cheers. Then, according to their previous ranking for merit, they entered the city one by one.

After many days of fierce fighting, the armies in western Sichuan can finally take a good rest.

In this battle, our Yeye in western Sichuan has done right by the Emperor and the General. As for whether we have done right by the people in the occupied areas, that's not our concern!
Moments later, Rongjing City, which had been calm, was thrown into chaos once again.

Yang Qingfu, who had been stationed outside the city, sighed after a long while:

"All are guilty, but the guilt lies solely with me, Yang Qingfu! After this battle, I will hold a grand prayer ceremony to properly guide you all to a better future, so that you will not be reborn as people amidst chaos and turmoil!"

　My brother, who's also a big shot in my eyes, has a new book called "Sweeping the Yuan Dynasty" by Jianghu Yeren. There are very few books about the struggle for supremacy at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, and even fewer that use as much research as my brother. If you're interested, you can bookmark it and follow along.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)