Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 128 Parting
The Buddha Mountain position, formerly Yang Qingfu's main position, is now occupied by another group of martial artists.

They surrounded a white-haired, imposing old general, watching the battlefield below the slope.

No one spoke.

That's right, this veteran general is Gao Pian.

In fact, not long after Zhao Huai'an and his group left, Gao Pian personally led Luo Diaodu, the Hedong Army, and the Wuman cavalry led by Zhang Lin to catch up.

No one can fathom its meaning!
When Gao Pian and his men reached the top of Fujin Mountain, they saw the earthen-yellow and black banner that read "Zhao Huai'an, the Righteous Protector," and they knew that Zhao Huai'an had led his troops into battle.

Under the large, earthen-yellow banner, a cavalry unit charged forward with great courage, its sharp spearheads piercing the breach. The following cavalry surged into the Nanzhao army like a flood, trampling and ravaging amidst the agonizing cries of agony, until the Nanzhao army completely collapsed.

Then Bao Yidu's cavalry grew even bolder, charging forward with shouts and roars that could be heard even by Buddha Jinshan.

The generals from the outer vassal states looked down, dazzled and mesmerized, their hearts filled with excitement.

In the vast valley, Zhao Huai'an galloped ahead, his armored cavalrymen wielding spears, flanked by Qin Hu cavalrymen from the Eagle Shooting Capital, whose arrows rained down like locusts.

The two sides fought and maneuvered in the valley to the east, with the banners of the Nanzhao army falling and the formations being broken.

Even though none of these fierce generals were actually on the battlefield, just by looking at the iron cavalry rushing below, they knew just how bloody and gruesome the battlefield must be, and how thrilling it must be.

They were all fierce generals who had fought their way through bloody battles. They could charge through tens of thousands of Nanzhao troops with only three hundred cavalrymen, something they had never seen before.

This Zhao Da is truly audacious, he's a real... hero!
Even those who looked down on Zhao Huai'an were moved by the chaos in the valley at the foot of the mountain.

These people came from all over the country, from north to south. Seeing such a brave general defeat the enemy here, they would surely spread Zhao Huai'an's bravery throughout the land when they returned.

If Zhao Huai'an was only a minor figure of fame in Xichuan before this battle, after this battle, as time goes by, the whole world will know of a hero named "Hu Baoyi".

He rushed to Gao Pian at night to ask for reinforcements, running tirelessly to the desperate situation. He was so brave that he broke his sword and spear, all to uphold the righteousness in his heart.

Even the most despicable and petty people will feel awe and reverence at this moment when faced with the highest moral standards of humanity.

What a heroic spirit!

At this moment, all the generals fell silent, and even Gao Pian, who had been sitting comfortably watching the battlefield, stood up.

Gao Pian smacked his lips, spat the betel nut on the ground, and smiled as he addressed his generals:

"I never expected that Zhao Da would actually have three parts of heroic spirit, and six parts of my former charm!"

After saying that, he ignored the flattery from the generals and continued watching with narrowed eyes.

At this age, Gao Pian could no longer see that far. Although he was skilled in riding and archery in his youth and had developed an eagle eye, even the sharpest eyes had developed some cataracts.

Therefore, in recent years, Gao Pian has hardly practiced archery, and he has even rarely honed his martial arts skills. He prefers to ride in a palanquin rather than a horse.

This time, riding a horse to the Buddha Mountain position was one of the few strenuous exercises Gao Pian had done in recent years.

So at this moment, he could only vaguely see countless black dots constantly disintegrating. Of course, he didn't tell anyone about this; he would always be the invincible pillar of the Tang Dynasty!
How could he get old?

At this moment, an armored warrior, Zhang Jie, a general of the Taiping Army, rushed down from below the earthen slope and shouted loudly:
"Your Excellency, the Hedong and Zhongwu armies have reached Baixi Pass."

At roughly the same time, the yamen runner Yu Gongchu also rushed over and loudly proclaimed:
"The envoy, Yicheng, Boye, and Shannan troops have all arrived in the northwest river valley."

Then, several more generals arrived, all of whom were heroes of the time, such as Chen Gong, Feng Shou, Dong Jin, Zhang Gui, Han Shide, Han Wen, Zhuge Yin, Shen Ji, and others.

Previously, they had contacted the various vassal armies separately. Their arrival indicated that more than 30,000 troops from various vassal states had arrived at the valley entrance and were ready to descend into the valley at any time, completely cutting off the Nanzhao army's retreat.

Seeing the eager warriors, Gao Pian's slightly dampened spirits lifted again. He laughed heartily, glancing down at Zhao Huai'an, who was still charging forward, and chuckled to himself:
"I admit you have a lot of passion and you're really willing to fight! But Zhao Da, you're still too young! That's not how you fight! You can't get into Chang'an just by fighting hard, because Chang'an doesn't believe in these things."

"It's cruel, but there are some things you can't get no matter how hard you try in your life if you weren't born in Chang'an. It's such a pity, Zhao Da, if only you were from Chang'an!"

"You may understand these principles to some extent in the future, but for now, it's time to end this. Don't stand in my way of turning the tide!"

Thinking of this, Gao Pian chuckled and roared:
"My lads! Are you hungry?"

The fierce generals and tiger warriors, clad in armor and armed with weapons, raised their swords and spears and shouted in unison:

"Hunger! Hunger! Hunger!"

Gao Pian raised his arms again and called out:
"My lads! Are you thirsty?"

The generals shouted even louder, and chanted in unison:

"Thirsty! Thirsty! Thirsty!"

Gao Pian's two sentences ignited the killing intent of the generals and also inspired him.

If Gao Pian was merely a tiger lying on the mountainside just moments ago, now he is grinding his teeth and sucking blood; he wants to devour people!
At this moment, Gao Pian's hair and beard stood on end. Holding up the iron ruyi in his hand, he pointed at Zhao Huai'an's figure in the distant valley and roared:
"You are my dogs! When you are hungry, you eat meat; when you are thirsty, you drink blood! So, my lads! Attack! Go eat meat! Go drink blood! Go and claim your glory!"

Finally, he sneered contemptuously:

"Your martial reputations are already well-established, do you intend to let a mere child steal the limelight today? To boast before the army? Then get out of here!"

Then, the generals shouted "Yes, sir!" and each led their armored soldiers down the slope in single file.

At this moment, their respect for the high-ranking official had reached the point of blind obedience; following the official meant there would be food to be had.

The Western Sichuan soldiers fought to the death, but in the end, they gained the greatest credit without losing a single soldier. Such a divine battle could only be planned by someone like the Prime Minister who cultivated the Dao of Immortals.

It still has to be the prime minister!
Thus, driven by their desire for fame and fortune, the generals rushed down the hillside like birds scrambling for food.

……

Before long, the smoke signals from the Buddha Mountain illuminated half the sky.

Countless birds circled in fear in the air, as if some ferocious beast was running rampant in the forest.

At this moment, the chief secretary, Pei Xing, walked over and respectfully said to Gao Pian:
"Prime Minister, in the end, this battle still requires your personal command!"

Gao Pian laughed heartily, watching countless foreign troops charge out from behind the mountains on the north side of the valley, full of high spirits.

Yes, Gao Pian is also going to the battlefield!
For him, this was not meant to motivate his officials, but rather to allow him to personally reap the rewards of his labor.

Because this battle was Gao Pian's final battle, he had to personally win it to achieve his goal.

He anticipated that after this battle, he would retire from the military and return to Chang'an to live out his remaining years in peace!
Therefore, today is destined to be Gao Pian's solo performance, and no one is allowed to block that glory!

After all, a traditional opera should only have one main character!
Right, Zhao Da!
Then Gao Pian shouted:
"Get off the mountain!"

Then he mounted the palanquin carried by eight men, and surrounded by his soldiers, he shouted as he ran off the battlefield.

Yes, just as he had many trusted confidants and skilled slaves, Gao Pian also had many palanquins.

No one is unique, and no one is irreplaceable!
On the mountain path, the soldiers roared and charged into battle, like tigers and rhinoceroses released from their cages, their momentum unstoppable.

Under the sunlight, the inscription "Chancellor of the Secretariat and the Chancellery" shone even brighter!

……

When Zhao Huai'an pulled Zhao Huaiyi along the rope and headed straight for the banner, the battlefield was still not over. There were fleeing soldiers everywhere, as well as loyal and brave soldiers from Nanzhao who were trying to launch a counterattack.

When the Nanzhao army saw Zhao Huai'an's banner, they roared and charged forward. But when they vaguely saw the "Become a Buddha" banner and the eagle's head carried on a long spear, all their courage and resentment vanished.

The last vestiges of morale of the Nanzhao army collapsed. They knelt on the ground, watching their chieftain's head recede further and further into the distance.

Their commander, Pyu-shin, was killed by the Tang people!

Some people were even more terrified and fled frantically, shouting:

"Pyu Shin is dead! Pyu Shin is dead!"

As a result, more Nanzhao people knelt down on the battlefield in the valley, and more flags fell helplessly!
Meanwhile, Prince Shilong of Nanzhao, who went down into the valley with the Hedong army, was led by Nanzhao generals such as Duan Baolong and frantically recruited and accepted rebels. Wherever he went, the Nanzhao army lowered their flags and knelt down in surrender.

At this moment, Shilong was in high spirits and couldn't help but shout it out!

So this is what power truly is!
But the next moment, he thought of the scene when he looked out over the valley from the slope, and how that "Hu Baoyi" had made ten decisive moves and how the torrents had surged and turbulent.

For some reason, Shilong suddenly had an idea:
"Can such people be used by me?"

He then thought of what he had seen in the Tang army these past few days and realized that it would be difficult for a hero like Zhao Huai'an to achieve such great merit in Xichuan.

But isn't this precisely my opportunity?
The Tang Dynasty was corrupt and incompetent, possessing heroes but failing to utilize them. This is a blessing from heaven, a wise minister sent to my Shilong!
Looking at the Nanzhao warriors who were completely terrified and defeated on the battlefield, Shilong felt no sorrow of losing his comrade, only a strong sense of excitement and pride.

Great Tang, today my Nanzhao has been defeated, but let's see if you can still have loyal ministers and righteous men like Yang Qingfu, Huang Jingfu, and Zhao Huai'an in ten years.
Thinking of this, Long Shun turned to look at Duan Baolong and smiled:
"Baolong, let's see what the future holds for us!"

Duan Baolong was stunned for a moment, not understanding why Long Shun could still laugh at this time. Those who were constantly wailing and screaming were all elite warriors of Nanzhao!
In particular, the king led the most elite Bai Man and Wu Man warriors to fight. These people are the core of the nation. If they perish in Hanyuan, even if Longshun returns to the country, he will only be a puppet of powerful families like Zheng and Yang.

Oh, no, my Duan family is one of these great families!

Duan Baolong then laughed and respectfully said to Long Shun:

"promise!"

……

Zhao Huai'an dragged Zhao Huaiyi all the way to the banner. By this time, some of the officers and soldiers of Baoyidu had already protected the area to prevent the chaotic troops from crashing into the banner and the corpses of Yang Qingfu and other fallen soldiers.

When Zhao Huai'an arrived, Xianyu Yue was already there collecting the bodies of Yang Qingfu and his son. He had even dug two people out of the pile of corpses.

One was Li Jiyong, who fought fiercely despite being clad in three layers of armor, and the other was Fei Cun, a general who had been knocked unconscious by a heavy army.

After their identities were exposed, Xianyu Yue sent them to the rear, where their survival depended on fate.

Xianyu Yue looked at Yang Qingfu's body and found his severed limbs. He knew that Yang Qingfu was still holding the banner when he died. He couldn't imagine how much willpower it would take to endure the pain of being dismembered.

He looked at the gilded banner. Was it because of this flag?

Xianyu Yue was also saddened by Yang Qingfu, but he couldn't be as angry as Zhao Huai'an.

Perhaps she had already foreseen Yang Qingfu's fate? Or was she simply emotionally detached? Or perhaps it was only Zhao Huai'an who was overly emotional?
He just quietly looked at Yang Qingfu, but slowly he realized that there was no sadness on Yang Shuai's face. Did he not hate those traitors in Xichuan?
For some reason, just gazing at that face, Xianyu Yue's heart suddenly clenched.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that the elder brother who had always protected them was gone.

In an instant, tears streamed from Xianyu Yue's eyes. He suppressed his sobs, covered his face, and looked up.

Suddenly, a broad, warm hand rested on Xianyu Yue's shoulder, and a hoarse voice was heard:
"Old Yue, let's see Yang Shuai off together."

Xianyu Yue turned around abruptly and saw Zhao Da, who was carrying a bloody and mangled object and was still breathing slightly.

Looking at Zhao Da, whose eyes were bloodshot, Xianyu Yue felt, for some reason, that his life's glory might be tied to this man.

On that day at the gathering of heroes, Xianyu Yue indulged in drinking and sword dancing, but in his heart he had already accepted that he was an ordinary person.

An ordinary family background, ordinary experiences, ordinary talents, therefore an ordinary person.

He couldn't match Zhao Huai'an's natural charisma, nor could he replicate Zhao Da's boundless charm in every gesture—a charm that made people irresistibly drawn to him, as if simply being around him gave life a unique meaning. He knew Zhao Huai'an was generous with money, but Xianyu Yue believed that those who followed Zhao Da weren't just doing so for the money; it was for a shared cause.

What kind of career? It seems that everyone has a different one, but all these different people seem to know that as long as they follow Zhao Da, they can achieve these careers.

So what exactly was Zhao Da's ambition? Xianyu Yue, who often sat face to face with Zhao Da, clearly had the answer.

That night, after drinking, it rained heavily. Zhao Da went out and returned in the early morning. Xianyu Yue would never ask where he went.

So at this moment, looking at Zhao Da, Xianyu Yue sighed inwardly:

"What a hero he is! It seems that even if all the waters of the five lakes and four seas were poured out, they could not fill his heart."

He really enjoyed Zhao Da's retelling of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." The story was so good that he could vividly recall the scenes of heroes from the Later Han Dynasty vying for supremacy and outwitting each other hundreds of years ago.

Perhaps when the handsome Zhou Yu first met the dashing Zhuge Liang, he exclaimed, "Since Heaven gave birth to Liang, why did it not give birth to Yu?" His feelings were similar to his own.

There are two main differences: firstly, he is far inferior to Zhou Yu, while Zhao Da is far superior to Zhuge Liang.

Secondly, he did not have the sentiment of "Since there is Zhuge Liang, why is there Zhou Yu?" but rather a feeling of "I, Xianyu Yue, am truly fortunate to be able to be brothers with Zhao Da!"

In fact, Xianyu Yue had always wanted to become a hero like Zhao Da, and he had indeed worked hard in that direction.

Wen Cheng was confident that his martial arts skills were no weaker than those of his peers from the powerful families of Chengdu. He even said without any modesty that among his generation, who was the number one in Western Sichuan? Who else but Xianyu Yue?
But after meeting Zhao Huai'an, he realized that what he had done all these years was ultimately just scratching the surface.

Xianyu Yue also knew the reason.

Because he has many prejudices and harbors resentment towards many people and things, his first impression of a person is:
"That's all."

Even when heroes occasionally emerge from below, he recruits them, but only by "bending his rank and making friends with them." He never treats people as equals.

Equality? It was Zhao Huai'an who first taught him this word. It's ridiculous that he never knew there was such a thing as equality in the world. Aren't people born into different classes?

But how could Zhao Da understand this? He could tell that Zhao Huai'an wasn't just saying it; he genuinely thought it that way.

Whether they were peddlers or people from all walks of life, Zhao Da treated them all like brothers. From high-ranking officials to ordinary soldiers in his army, Zhao Da drank with them all.

It truly proves what Zhao Dachang always said:
"All men are brothers"

However, Zhao Da really does love organizing drinking parties.

Thinking of this, Xianyu Yue couldn't help but laugh.

……

Seeing Xianyu Yue both crying and laughing, Zhao Huai'an was afraid he would develop a problem from holding it in, so he quickly pulled him to Yang Shuai's body.

Yang Shuai was cleaned up very well. Even though the battlefield conditions were harsh, Xianyu Yue and the others still wiped Yang Shuai's body and found a beautiful Shu embroidery to cover him with.

Zhao Huai'an dragged the traitor to Yang Qingfu's feet. Looking at Zhao Huaiyi, who had been tortured to the point of being unrecognizable, he suddenly understood why the pirates liked to use the "scraping the dragon's bone" method on traitors. It was indeed quite torturous.

On the way here, Zhao Huai'an had thought of more than ten ways to torture him, but when he dragged Zhao Huaiyi in front of Yang Qingfu, he lost interest.

He seemed to think that Zhao Huaiyi was not worthy of paying tribute to Marshal Yang. Marshal Yang was never harmed because of these villains; he was killed because of this world and this corrupt and morally bankrupt state.

So he turned to Xianyu Yue and said:
"Old Yue, what do you plan to do with this traitor!"

As Xianyu Yue looked at Zhao Huaiyi's mangled body, his anger continued to build.

Suddenly, he said to Zhao Huai'an:

"Zhao Da, we've already tortured this man's servant. Do you know why he betrayed the commander?"

Zhao Huai'an grinned and said:

"Old Yue, you don't need to tell me. It's unnecessary. Killing someone is killing someone. There's no need to understand why the traitor betrayed us. We don't need a trial, nor do we need to understand this person. We killed him today for one reason: Commander Yang wanted us to kill him, so we killed him! Why so many questions?"

Xianyu Yue laughed; Zhao Da was still the same Zhao Da.

So he nodded:
"Alright, let's kill him then, but not here, lest we defile this place."

Zhao Huai'an was taken aback for a moment, then asked in confusion:
"Aren't you taking Yang Shuai back?"

Xianyu Yue shook his head:
"No need. Yang Shuai once told me that if we lose this battle, he wants to be buried here. His brothers are here, so he won't be lonely in the afterlife."

Zhao Huai'an sighed, looked around at the green hills and clear waters, and nodded in agreement.

Then, grabbing Zhao Huaiyi by the neck, they took him to a secluded spot. Seeing that Zhao Huaiyi was barely breathing, his lips moved slightly as if he wanted to say something. Zhao Da gently covered his mouth and whispered:

"You don't need to tell me, and I don't want to hear it. I'll just take you to Commander Yang. Once you're down there, Commander Yang will take good care of you. Save your words for when you get there."

After saying that, Zhao Huai'an crushed the traitor's throat, shook his hand, threw the body aside, and returned to Yang Qingfu.

Looking at the smiling Yang Qingfu, Zhao Huai'an murmured:

“Yang Shuai, you and your son will definitely have no worries about food and clothing when you get down there, and you'll have plenty of beautiful female ghosts throwing themselves at you. But there will always be things you lack. Remember to come to me in my dreams when you get there, and I'll burn some things for you. Where I'm from, we send mansions, models, and sports cars as gifts. I don't know what's fashionable here, but we're not short of money! We'll burn whatever you want.”

After reading it aloud, he said to Xianyu Yue beside him:

"Old Yue, let's both kowtow to Yang Shuai."

Xianyu Yue nodded, then kowtowed three times with Zhao Huai'an, before getting up and starting to dig a pit for Yang Qingfu and his son.

The soil was thrown up little by little, and the pit gradually grew bigger. The two brothers spoke in hushed tones.

"Old Yue, I'm leaving."

"Leaving Xichuan? Where to go?"

"Hmm, probably going back to Huaixi."

"Huaixi, I heard it's a nice place. Is it close to your hometown, Shouzhou?"

"I don't know, it's probably just that one area."

"Is everything settled?"

"Yes, Gao Pian and Lao Yang both agreed. The main reason is that if I don't leave, those people won't tolerate me staying in Xichuan and getting in their way."

Xianyu Yue paused in his digging, then nodded:

"When you get there, do a good job! Don't let our Commander Yang down."

"Ah."

"Be nicer to the brothers too. Although those guys love money, they're all good people and good men."

"Ah."

"It's better to treat the people better. They've had a tough time these past few years; life has been exhausting."

"Don't worry, brother, I will."

"Take Mao Niang with you too. She may be a Hu person, but she's quite nice. Don't let her down."

"Yes, I took it with me. How could I bear not to take it?"

Xianyu Yue laughed heartily, then continued digging.

Then the two of them stopped talking and just kept digging. They both understood that in this era, parting meant that they might never see each other again in this life.

I only regret that the mountains are too high, the roads are too far, and the rivers are too long; the brotherhood between us can never withstand the separation of mountains and seas.

After the two men dug the pit, they carried Yang Qingfu and his son inside and buried them together.

Suddenly, Xianyu Yue heard Zhao Da sob, and he froze. He patted Zhao Huai'an:
"What's wrong? My Zhao Daqian isn't afraid of a thousand troops, so why would he be afraid of going to Huaixi?"

Zhao Huai'an laughed and spat:

"Bullshit! Wherever I, Zhao Da, go, am I not here to be treated like royalty? If those Huai Xi brats dare to cause trouble again, I'll beat them to a pulp!"

"I just got sand in my eyes."

Seeing Xianyu Yue staring at him, Zhao Huai'an slowly pursed his lips, but finally asked:

"Old Yue, let's go to Huaixi together. This place isn't worth staying in!"

Xianyu Yue laughed, patted Zhao Huai'an on the shoulder, and said with a smile:
“Zhao Da, no, no matter how bad this place is, it is still my hometown. My relatives, brothers, and friends are here. They treat me just as your brothers treat you. Would you abandon them and return to Huaixi alone?”

"Besides, Zhao Da, it's all the same everywhere in this world. You'll understand when you go back to Huaixi. Perhaps Xichuan isn't such a bad place anymore; at least the people here can at least have something to eat!"

Zhao Huai'an nodded and stopped trying to persuade him.

So the two brothers covered the Yang family father and son with soil and then built two small mounds on top of it.

Zhao Da also managed to get two willow branches and planted them beside the grave. Then, to Xianyu Yue's bewilderment, he recited a line:
"Today I planted two willow trees by Old Yang's grave. Thirty years from now, when I come back to see them, the two trees will probably be as big as a cartwheel."

Xianyu Yue smiled and then nodded:

"Yes, I come back every year to visit and fertilize these two trees."

After a moment of silence, he added:
"It doesn't necessarily have to be thirty years. If you want to, just come."

Zhao Da nodded solemnly, and then together with Xianyu Yue inspected the sealing soil, only feeling relieved after tamping it down with their feet.

If we don't tread the ground properly, some wild animals can easily pry it off. However, this is only a temporary measure. When we have time later, we still need to repair the old Yang family's house again.

After finishing these tasks, the two checked everything again before reluctantly leaving.

……

As the sun was finally setting, a huge camp was erected in the open field not far away. Countless bonfires were lit, and the victorious officers and soldiers led countless prisoners toward the camp.

A grand celebration will be held there, where glory and honor will belong to the victors, but the victors will not include the officials and soldiers of Xichuan who have long since passed away.

At this moment, facing the setting sun, Xianyu Yue and Zhao Huai'an walked side by side. Suddenly, he turned to Zhao Huai'an and said:

"Zhao Da, you need to have a son. When I was your age, I had three sons and four daughters. Can't you do it?"

Zhao Da suddenly became agitated and cursed:
"Who can't? Let me tell you, once I get back to Huaixi, I'll have ten or eight of them, and they'll all be sons! And don't rush to marry off your daughters; save them all for my sons!"

Xianyu Yue laughed heartily, spurred his horse, and galloped forward, shouting:
"Then let's have a contest to see if you can have more sons than I, Xianyu Yue! And let's see whose son marries whose daughter in the end, haha!"

Enraged and humiliated, Zhao Huai'an chased after him in a fit of pique.
"I, Zhao Daxing, am perfectly capable!"

And so, the two spurred their horses on, facing the setting sun, stepping on the last warmth of the setting sun, and galloped forward.

(End of this chapter)