Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 125 Reinforcements
Last night, on their way back from the Buddhist mountain camp, Chengdu suddenly dispatched Zhao Huaiyi and Ren Kezhi, who were traveling side by side.

Zhao Huaiyi showered Ren Kezhi, this valiant general of western Sichuan, with compliments, but added the following sentence:

"In tomorrow's decisive battle, Old Ren will definitely deserve the greatest credit. After all, given your relationship with Zhao Da, he certainly won't compete with you for it."

Then Zhao Huaiyi acted as if nothing had happened and talked about other things.

However, Ren Kezhi took these words to heart and they became a knot in his heart.

When did I become so aware that I needed others to yield the credit for the first time?
The lump grew larger and larger until this morning, when the drums behind him thundered, he finally unleashed a roar:

"Kill with me!"

To secure the undisputed credit for this battle, Ren Kezhi launched a full-scale attack from the outset, leaving no reserves behind.

After all, he was on the front lines.

Behind him, three thousand soldiers, including the Qiang army of Xishan, with helmets and feathers like a sea and swords and spears like a forest, followed Ren Kezhi in a wild run.

But some people saw the problem and rode straight to Ren Kezhi's side to loudly advise him:

"General, our troops must not advance too quickly, otherwise they will become separated from the rear."

Ren Kezhi ignored him and spurred his horse to continue galloping, as fierce as a tiger!

At this moment, another scout came galloping over. Seeing Ren Kezhi at the forefront, they also rushed over, shouting:

"Brother, how did you end up on the front lines?"

Indeed, the scout team was led by Ren Conghai, an old friend of Zhao Huai'an and Ren Kezhi's younger brother.

Even when his own younger brother asked, Ren Kezhi ignored him and continued to lead a small number of cavalry on a gallop.

Soon, they encountered a Nanzhao squad that was retreating.

The small team was shocked by the speed of the Xichuan army's arrival. Before they could even form a battle formation, Ren Kezhi led the Qiang cavalry in and wiped them out.

This brief conflict further fueled Ren Kezhi's pent-up anger, and he roared:
"Keep rushing!"

Then he led the Qiang cavalry to continue advancing into the enemy's position, breaking through several small Nanzhao formations along the way, and thus advancing deeper and deeper with each victory.

Moreover, in order to show off his military prowess and record his achievements, Ren Kezhi would send a Qiang cavalryman with his own army's banner back to Yang Qingfu to report his victory every time he broke through a battle.

Thus, the number of Ren Kezhi's cavalry began to decrease, and they seemed unaware that some Nanzhao troops were beginning to assemble in the rear and were blocking the approaching rear guard of the Xichuan army.

Finally, just as Ren Kezhi was about to reach the banks of the Liusha River, some Qiang cavalry sensed something was wrong and pulled Ren Kezhi back.

When the Qiang cavalry pointed behind him, Ren Kezhi realized he was completely isolated, but he was not afraid at all and roared:
"Well done! As the saying goes, 'When you're in a desperate situation, you'll find a way out!' Now that our retreat is cut off, let's keep fighting our way forward until we reach Chief Dragon and cut off his dog's head."

So Ren Kezhi actually led the Qiang cavalry to prepare to cross the quicksand river.

But as they crossed the river, exhausted, an army marched in, carrying countless Buddhist prayer flags. The tallest of the flags bore the inscription:
"The mind makes the Buddha, the mind is the Buddha."

This sentence is the favorite of Chief Long of the Nanzhao Kingdom. Could it be that Chief Long really came down there?

Before Ren Kezhi could think any further, a cavalry unit blocked his way, so he led the Qiang cavalry in a charge without hesitation.

In just one round, Ren Kezhi fell from his horse and was trampled to death, and the remaining riders collapsed.

……

Ren Kezhi's death directly left the three thousand soldiers of the Xichuan army in the north leaderless, and they were quickly separated and surrounded by the Nanzhao army that had come to surround them.

But the consequences were not just that; Ren Kezhi's team was the first to charge, and they charged very quickly.

Originally, the other Xichuan generals were hesitating about whether to kill the Nanzhao envoy in the army, but the situation was completely reversed.

With the collapse of the Qiang army in Xishan, the northern front of the Xichuan army began to become unstable. The Nanzhao army's forces were increasingly concentrated in the north, and the battle line had been pushed back to the rear of the five capitals of the central government.

This means that the military force that should have been advancing on both flanks collapsed directly in the north, instead allowing the Nanzhao army to form a semi-encirclement.

But something even worse was yet to come. Soon, the soldiers and officers of Xichuan on all fronts saw the Nanzhao king, Chief Long, leading his reserve forces.

When the banner of the Pure Land School was raised high on the battlefield, the morale of the Nanzhao army soared. While the officers and soldiers of the Xichuan army on all fronts were still hesitant, they suddenly discovered that countless Nanzhao army flags had emerged from the hillsides outside the battlefield.

When did the enemy capture their main camp on the mountain?

At this moment, everyone's morale plummeted, and some formations that were still advancing came to a complete stop.

what happened?
But just moments later, they had their answer.

Countless shouts of battle erupted from the mountains on both sides. The Nanzhao army, which had completed its flanking maneuver the night before, poured out in full force the moment they saw their king's banner!

In just a moment, several battle lines began to collapse. Yang Qingfu, who was lagging behind, saw this scene and was speechless for a long time.

This is impossible!

……

In the southwest of the valley battlefield, the Nanzhao army launched a fierce attack on Baoyidu's main formation.

At this time, the soldiers from Meizhou and Weizhou stood close together on both sides of Baoyidu, forming an impregnable wall of more than three thousand elite troops.

When Bao Yidu formed ranks in the valley, he brought a large number of military vehicles. When the central army sounded the war drums, Bao Yidu stopped after reaching this slightly higher slope and instead began to dig trenches and build fences on the slope.

The commander of the Nanzhao army on this side was none other than Yang Hefeng, the "flexible" military governor of Jianchuan, and his 5,000-strong army.

He had originally been waiting for the Xichuan army to launch an attack, but they didn't come no matter what he did. It wasn't until the king's banner appeared in the rear that he reluctantly led his troops to approach.

Upon seeing that Bao Yidu not only had a large number of men, but also had dug trenches and planted fences around the slopes, the military governor decided against a direct attack.

Soon, several riders came from the direction of the chieftain and gave Yang Hefeng the order to attack. Then these people stayed in the army to supervise the troops.

Left with no other option, Yang Hefeng ordered his vanguard to launch an attack.

Behind the chariot formation, archers from Baoyidu, Weizhou, and Meizhou unleashed a barrage of arrows, striking fear into the hearts of the Nanzhao people. Some Qiang soldiers from Weizhou also threw stones from behind, leaving the Nanzhao soldiers covered in blood and gore.

So these Jianchuan soldiers from Nanzhao only put on a show before retreating with their wounded comrades.

They were as adaptable as their military governor.

Watching the enemy retreat in disarray, the officers and soldiers behind the wagon formation raised their arms and roared, celebrating their victory.

The sound of victory reached the central command tent, but Wang Jin and Zhao Liu inside could not be happy at all, because the stool at their head was empty.

Zhao Huai'an isn't here at all!
……

Zhao Huai'an rushed to Gao Pian's camp at Canglong Ridge last night to ask for reinforcements.

After defeating the invading Nanzhao army, Zhao Huai'an knew very well that the Xichuan army had no chance of winning at this time. Why?
The fact that his side had been fighting for half a day, yet the central army had not reacted at all, indicates that Yang Qingfu had basically lost the ability to obtain war intelligence.

He had no idea what the true state of each army was or what their current situation was.

Thus, Zhao Huai'an understood that Yang Qingfu was likely to meet a bad end in tomorrow's decisive battle.

He could have followed Song Jian's advice and stayed at the Yakoupo position to hold it, but he couldn't do that.

Zhao Huai'an has always been very clear about what he wants!
He didn't want to live a life of ignominy, nor did he crave wealth and glory. These things could be had at any time, but precisely during this period of decline in the Tang and Five Dynasties, he was unable to have them.

The era gave him only two choices: either live to end this era, or die to end this dark age!

Therefore, Zhao Huai'an wanted fame and prestige!
This time he stood by and watched, and his political life was almost over. With no background or resources, and no respect for his character, why would heroes from all over the country follow him?

At this moment, Zhao Huai'an still wanted to save Yang Qingfu. He wanted to repay this kindness. This was Zhao Huai'an's life motto: whoever is good to him, he must repay tenfold! Not to mention, Yang Qingfu was a good person, so he had to help him even more!

But all of this was just talk; Zhao Huai'an's true thought was always the same: he wanted to win this battle.

Zhao Huai'an wanted to win! His desire for victory was that pure. But simply sending the troops down into the valley to form ranks wouldn't win the battle; otherwise, Song Jian wouldn't have told him not to go down.

Therefore, Zhao Huai'an rushed to Canglong Ridge overnight to ask Gao Pian there for reinforcements.

If he comes to ask for it, there's still a sliver of a chance, but if he sends his subordinates or messengers, he might not even get to see Gao Pian.

Zhao Huai'an was well aware of the risks involved.

If your commander suddenly disappears just before a battle, and you were a soldier in that situation, wouldn't you panic?

Therefore, Zhao Huai'an first mobilized the generals in the main tent before handing over the military tally and command arrow to Wang Jin and Zhao Liu, instructing them to lead their troops down into the valley to participate in the battle.

Zhao Huai'an gave the two men only one objective: to find an opportunity to defend the terrain and hold out until he returned with reinforcements!

Yes, the impression he gave Wang Jin and Zhao Liu was that he would definitely return with reinforcements in time.

In fact, at that time, Zhao Huai'an had handed over almost all of his wealth to Wang Jin and Zhao Liu. He didn't even dare to tell the other team members that he was not there.

Oh, you told everyone you went to call for reinforcements? Sorry, those who desert in the face of battle usually say they went to get reinforcements themselves.

Therefore, Zhao Huai'an let Wang Jin and Zhao Liu command the troops in his place. Anyway, with Beiwei there, they could command from inside the tent and wouldn't be exposed for a while.

Then, Zhao Huai'an traveled at full speed and finally arrived at Gao Pian's camp at Canglong Ridge at dawn.

……

When Zhao Huai'an arrived with a small number of elite cavalry, his heart sank to the bottom.

At this time, Gao Pian's main camp showed no signs of war whatsoever. The surrounding area was filled with military tents and banners, indicating that Gao Pian had not sent the reinforcements he had promised Yang Qingfu.

Moreover, he saw a group of dancers coming down the slope, and several of them looked at him curiously.

At that moment, Zhao Huai'an's mind was filled with rage, and he cursed inwardly:

"What exactly is Gao Pian trying to do? Is he really going to sell out Yang Shuai?"

"I thought Gao Pian was a hero who served the public, but I never expected him to be the same kind of person who would betray his country for petty gains! Shameful!"

Thinking this, Zhao Huai'an angrily rushed towards the curtain on the hillside.

But how perceptive were the Eagle Warriors standing below the slope? They sensed Zhao Huai'an's anger and, the instant he rode up, roared:

"Dismount immediately!"

As he spoke, several spears were already poked into the neck and belly of the warhorse. If Zhao Huai'an hadn't pulled it back in time, his steed would probably have died there.

Enraged, Zhao Huai'an drew his whip and began lashing the Tibetan, Uyghur, and Tangut warriors below.

Seeing that a conflict had broken out, the guards behind them rushed forward, especially Liu Zhijun and Liu Xin, who quickly came to their aid.

Now, the eagles holding halberds nearby also gathered in anger and surrounded Zhao Huai'an and his group.

Just as the conflict was about to escalate into a bloody brawl, a furious shout came from the hillside:

"The envoy has granted you permission to see me, so why aren't you coming up?"

Zhao Huai'an looked up and saw Pei Xing, the chief secretary of the shogunate. Without hesitation, he handed the sword in his hand to the warrior of the Fallen Eagle Capital, pushed the man aside, and stepped forward.

The other warriors from Luodiaodu dared not stop them, but stared intently at Liu Zhijun and the others within the circle.

His gaze grew increasingly dangerous!

……

Upon arriving, Zhao Huai'an saw Gao Pian still leisurely chewing betel nuts and loudly asked:
Why did the envoy not send troops?

Gao Pian was taken aback; this was the first time since he had been in power that someone had pointed at him like that and asked him such a question.

Before he could react, Zhao Huai'an said a second sentence:

"Your Excellency, our army has captured Hanyuan City. As long as your 30,000 troops arrive on the battlefield, our army will surely win!"

Gao Pian's expression was strange at this moment. After spitting the betel nut into the spittoon, he replied indifferently:

"In fact, I have already sent troops."

Zhao Huai'an was stunned. He opened his mouth, thought for a moment, and replied:

"Did the envoy order the troops of the various vassal states to detour to the Hanyuan Valley?"

Gao Pian nodded approvingly. This Zhao Da wasn't just a simple warrior after all; he was starting to show some promise.

So he didn't blame Zhao Huai'an for his rudeness, and while having someone bring him a stool, he said:

“That’s right. In fact, last night I ordered the troops of the various vassal states to maneuver around the east and west sides of Hanyuan from the mountain valleys on both sides. As for where they are now, I don’t know.”

Seeing Zhao Huai'an remain silent, Gao Pian sighed softly:

"It's not that I want to use the Xichuan army as bait, but that they brought this on themselves. Why have we always lost the wars against Nanzhao over the years? Isn't it all because of these big rats? If we don't wipe them all out, even if we win today, we will still lose in the future!"

At this moment, Zhao Huai'an was speechless, because Gao Pian was right, but Yang Shuai was a good person!
Gao Pian seemed to have guessed Zhao Huai'an's thoughts and shook his head:

"This is actually something your Marshal Yang tacitly approved. I can see that your Marshal Yang is very determined to eliminate the incompetent and ignorant in the army!"

At that moment, Zhao Huai'an stood up without hesitation and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Gao Pian:

"Your Excellency, it's too late for the outer vassal armies to make their way out. I now request Your Excellency to send reinforcements, otherwise tens of thousands of my men from Xichuan will die in Hanyuan! As for those muddle-headed fools, what do they have to do with ordinary officials and soldiers? Why should they be buried with us?"

Gao Pian dismissed Zhao Huai'an's naiveté with disdain, and simply said coldly:
"Zhao Da, you're from Shouzhou! Don't pretend you're from Xichuan! This place isn't for you!"

Zhao Huai'an choked.

Upon seeing this, Gao Pian's tone softened:
"You must remember one thing: a merciful general cannot command an army! You must be ruthless in your dealings with people! You must be even more ruthless in your actions! If you don't understand this, you will always be someone else's pawn, even if you sit in my position, it will be the same. Of course, if you are not ruthless, don't even think about getting to my position."

"Alright, you can go now. You'll stay in the central tent for a while; this battle will be over soon!"

Zhao Huai'an's mind went blank after hearing those words. More than 10,000 soldiers were just abandoned so casually?

At this moment, Zhao Huai'an thought of many things: Yang Qingfu, Zhao Liu, his comrades from Lizhou who died in battle on the plateau, and many more. They were all waiting for him, waiting for him to bring reinforcements back!

So, once again, Zhao Huai'an stepped forward and clasped his hands in a fist salute. He tried his best to suppress his emotions, his hands digging into his flesh.
"Prime Minister, give Xichuan another chance. We can prove ourselves with the blood of the Nanzhao people!"

Gao Pian's eyes were already dangerous. He had given Zhao Da several chances, but this man insisted on courting death, so he would grant him his wish!
"Didn't you want reinforcements? I don't have any soldiers, but your General Yang has left a thousand-man elite general with me, so you can take him back later!"

Zhao Huai'an didn't look up, but shouted loudly:
"Minister, give me a hundred Eagle-Slaying Riders, and I will present you with the head of the chieftain dragon!"

Gao Pian laughed heartily, then spat out the betel nut from his mouth. This time, he didn't spit it into the spittoon, but rather in front of Zhao Huai'an. He asked disdainfully:

"You have quite the nerve! Do you know how many soldiers Chief Dragon has? You think you can kill Chief Dragon with just a hundred men from Luodiao Capital? I wouldn't even dare to dream of that, yet you've already done so. You want to die, but I'd rather not leave Luodiao Capital!"

But Zhao Huai'an's next words left him speechless, simply because Zhao Da in front of him said:
"Prime Minister, didn't you say that one must be ruthless in dealing with people and even more ruthless in doing things? Today, you may have lost at most a hundred people, but once I truly achieve that, do you still worry about not having my portrait displayed in the Lingyan Pavilion?"

After hearing this, Gao Pian fell silent. After a moment, he called out to the outside:

"Zhe Zongben, you will follow Zhao Huai'an to Hanyuan and obey his orders!"

Outside the tent, the armored warrior Zhe Zongben loudly proclaimed, "Yes, sir!"
After speaking, Gao Pian looked at Zhao Huai'an and said meaningfully:
"You have to work hard when you're young. If you don't, you'll never have a chance to get ahead. So whether or not you take down the chieftain this time isn't important to me, but it's very important to you. So this time, it's up to you whether you can seize the opportunity!"

“We must fight!”

　I originally intended to finish writing this in one go, but I moved house this afternoon and kept writing until 3 pm, so I can only stop here. I'll adjust my mindset tomorrow and finish writing it all at once.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)