Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 129 Hu Baoyi

As night fell, campfires lit up the wilderness, their brilliance rivaling that of the stars in the sky.

In the center of the valley, the newly built campsite was brightly lit, making it as bright as day.

Countless warriors from the outer regions, carrying blood-stained heads and leading groups of prisoners, returned to the camp.

Guo Qi rode his warhorse blankly, with dozens of the few remaining Yellow-Headed Army warriors behind him. This once formidable force in Xichuan was now reduced to just these few men.

Guo Qi was never smart; he became a Buddhist because the monks seemed to be able to say things that made a lot of sense.

So, the battle was over, and it seemed like they had won, but why did they suffer such a crushing defeat?

They had already captured Hanyuan City, and they were so close to victory with such high morale, so why did they lose?

When did war become something he couldn't understand?
But there was one thing he understood: his comrades-in-arms, who had fought alongside him, were all dead.

On his way to rescue the military commander, Li Ting was beheaded. Lao Ren crossed the Liusha River and was trapped in the army; Doctor Qu was ambushed and committed suicide in the Cuilin forest.
Of the five sons of the magistrate, three died in battle and two committed suicide. As for Generals Yang Maoyan and Yang Tang, they were also defeated. Why did they commit suicide? They were not heroes.

People like Xie Zaixing and Yang Ru disappeared without a trace, and the military commanders either died or surrendered, leaving only a few survivors.

He was the only one who survived by sheer luck, and these were the only ones left of his brothers.

Guo Qi left the ruins of Hanyuan City in a daze and instinctively headed towards the camp in the center of the valley.

Along the way, he saw naked corpses everywhere, their heads cut off and their armor stripped off, and he couldn't tell which side they belonged to.

He just glanced around to see if anything looked familiar.

Soon, Guo Qi led the remnants of the Yellow Head Army into the camp, which was already bustling with activity. There were curtains and tents everywhere, and squads of soldiers and warriors lined up one by one, each carrying a severed head.

Ahead of them, the shogunate's inspectors were carefully examining the heads that had been brought in by lamplight, announcing each head that matched the description.

Those who secretly slipped money were turned a blind eye, while only those who were both greedy and cowardly, who used the corpses and heads of their own soldiers to claim credit, and were unwilling to give money, would be cursed angrily.

Right now, there's someone so clueless, being dragged around and yelled at:

"You scoundrel, you're trying to fool me with a girl with a topknot? You think you can fake the Prime Minister's military achievements? Get out of here!"

Then the people at the back of the group laughed even harder.

As for the head of that hairpin, whether it was cut off from the corpse of the Western Sichuan army or from the neck of a defeated soldier, who cares?
Here, every time a qualified head passes through, someone will wash its face with clean water to make it easier to recognize it.

The heads of some important enemy generals needed to be identified by enemy prisoners of war.

And now, there are seven or eight heads like these just inside the tent, and warriors are still bringing them from outside, which shows just how great a victory the Tang army has won this time.

Indeed, although the camp was noisy, the atmosphere was joyous. For the foreign troops, this great victory had come so easily.

They only ran all morning to reach the vicinity of the valley, and then waited for the smoke signal to rise. As soon as it rose, they charged down into the valley at the command of their general.

And then, they won!

They also captured the Nanzhao camp, where the mountains of supplies and spoils were more than any old soldier had ever seen.

So this time, they should each get quite a bit of money? Two hundred strings of cash? Three hundred strings? Hehe!
The ordinary officers and soldiers were overjoyed, and the generals of the outer vassal states were even more smug. At this moment, military officers kept returning to their camps with their personal guards, and as soon as they entered, someone would loudly report their achievements:
"Loyal and valiant General Li Shitai has slain the bandit chieftains of Waiyu and Wang tribes in battle!"

"Loyal and valiant General Wang Jian has slain the enemy lords of Lishui and Cangwang!"

……

These people were all city lords and chieftains of Nanzhao Fangcheng and tribes who were killed. They had made contributions, but they could not be considered great contributions.

Finally, when Shi Pu, the leader of the reformed army, led several hundred reformed soldiers back to camp, the excited leader shouted to report his victory:
"He persuaded Shi Pu to kill Yang Baoshan, the military governor of Yongchang, and Yang Qigong to act as his advisor."

The announcement reached the area beneath the central curtain, where Gao Pian, seated on a stool, happily addressed his generals:
“I’ve heard of Pu before. He’s known in the army as ‘the one who’s always on his way to death.’ He fought well.”

Among the military officers present, apart from Zeng Yuanyu, the military commissioner of Boye, and Tian Chongyin, the naval commander of Yanzhou, the others all smiled and offered their compliments.

These men were all generals and military commanders from various vassal armies, and Gao Pian had brought them under his command to boast of their achievements. Therefore, those who were out there getting their heads taken were the lower-ranking officers.

The generals were happy with this arrangement, since all the military achievements of these people would eventually be attributed to them.

While the generals of the outer vassal states were delighted, Prince Longshun of Nanzhao, who was sitting next to them, was restless, because he realized that he had made a grave mistake.

He thought that by giving advance notice and offering a high price to buy the captured generals, he could win them back, but to his surprise, they still killed them without hesitation.

Although most of them were his political enemies, that is, his father's confidants, there were also many of his core supporters.

Just like Yang Qigong, who was just killed by Shi Pu, he was his teacher and one of his core supporters in the civil service system.

Upon hearing of his teacher's murder, Long Shun was filled with fear and anger. Finally, he couldn't help but whisper a question to Gao Pian. He had only uttered half a sentence when a loud announcement of victory came from outside:
"The Shence general Song Wentong slew the treacherous little devil leader Dong Fengyou in battle."

Gao Pian ignored Long Shun beside him and shouted happily:

"Good, he's a good man, and one of our Shence Army."

He then asked one of the men below:
"Is Song Wentong from our Chang'an?"

The quick-witted man replied:

"This man was originally a general in the Boye Army, and he is also one of our Guannei people."

Gao Pian stroked his beard, nodded happily, and remembered this man named Song Wentong.

However, Song Wentong need not be happy about this, because Gao Pian's memory is not very good now, not to mention that he has already memorized seven or eight names in his mind, so Song Wentong may also be forgotten in the future.

What if he's forgotten? There's nothing he can do; it's just bad luck for Song Wentong. As Yang Qingfu said, those who are unlucky can't become generals, and the same principle applies to rising above others.

Then, Gao Pian turned to Long Shun beside him and asked with a smile:

"Your Highness, is there something you wish to say?"

Long Shun looked into Gao Pian's eyes, trembled, and hurriedly said:

"It's alright, it's alright, everything's fine, everything's fine."

Then Gao Pian ignored him and continued listening to the reports of achievements outside.

Later, Zhu Mei and Wang Xingyu of the Changwu Army also made their own captures.

These two were close associates of Gao Pian, but he didn't know much about them, so he asked his subordinates:

"Who is Zhu Mei? Is she an old general of my Changwu Army?"

Some astute individuals, sensing Gao Pian's lack of understanding of the two, began to subtly criticize them, speaking out:
"That Zhu Mei is said to be a former general of Pang Xun who later surrendered to us, but some say he was originally from our old Binzhou. We can't tell the difference." Sure enough, upon hearing this, Gao Pian became angry and directly reprimanded his younger brother Gao Zhu:

"Zhu Mei is your right-hand man, don't you know his background? How can you be a garrison commander?"

At this moment, riding the wave of victory, Gao Pian's imposing presence was like a mountain, pressing down on Gao Zhu, who was sweating profusely. He could only nod stammeringly, indicating that he would investigate Zhu Mei's identity.

In fact, Gao Pian scolded his cousin partly because the man was unambitious, and partly because of his anger, anxiety, and expectations.

Previously, his brave warrior Zhang Lin led the Wuman cavalry to the camp of Chief Long of the Nanzhao Kingdom and presented Chief Long's Dharma Wheel, the Emperor's Seal of the Great Ceremony, and robes.

Gao Pian was certainly happy, but none of that mattered as much as the chieftain's head.

By this time, he already knew that Zhao Huai'an had obtained the chieftain's head. On the one hand, he was surprised that the man had actually accomplished it, and on the other hand, he was furious that Zhao Da had not yet brought the head to be presented.

As darkness fell, Gao Pian couldn't help but wonder if Zhao Da had run off to Chang'an with the chieftain's head to report his victory.

Don't think it's impossible. Back when he recovered Annam, the supervising officer wanted to steal his credit. Even though he had already won a great victory, he said that Gao Pian had been defeated. So he took the news of the victory and rushed to Chang'an himself, sending it to the emperor by express post on the way.

If he could do that back then, how could Zhao Dadan, with his audacious nature, not do it?

But Zhao Da, do you really want to die?! I politely said you had some of my former prowess, and you actually tried to emulate me? Do you even know which way the gates of Chang'an open? You don't even know who to beg for help when you're holding a severed head!

Thinking of this, Gao Pian felt a surge of murderous intent. He squinted at the distant gate, where it was already dark, but Zhao Da still hadn't come, nor had any of Bao Yi's men.

Gao Pian couldn't help but squeeze the iron ruyi in his hand, which was then seen by Pei Xing who was standing to the side.

Before long, Pei Xing took advantage of everyone's inattention and slipped out from behind the curtain. He went straight to the reed shed next to him, where Li Shitai, who had just presented the head and military flag, was boasting. When he saw Pei Xing running over, he quickly came to pay his respects.

Pei Xing pulled Li Shitai aside and asked:

"Haven't you seen Zhao Da? Go find him quickly, or disaster will strike."

Li Shitai didn't ask what trouble had happened; he just let out a wistful cry and was about to lead his horse to find Zhao Da.

Zhao Da, you are truly my ancestor, Li Shitai! I sent you a message in the middle of the night and even had to run to the battlefield in the dark to find you.

And this Secretary Pei, doesn't he know how terrifying the battlefield is? There are headless corpses everywhere on that battlefield, why don't you go and see for yourself!
Not to mention, there were countless defeated soldiers and mountain huts scrambling for loot. If I didn't truly consider Zhao Da a brother, would I, Li Shitai, have agreed to this?

While grumbling, Li Shitai led his horse out of the tent, and suddenly a patch of light appeared at the camp.

A large, spirited army emerged from the darkness, carrying torches, lifting wounded comrades, and raising banners of the Nanzhao army, as they surged into the camp.

At this moment, at the gate, the one who was reporting the victory was completely speechless. He was trembling as he looked at Zhao Huai'an, who exuded bloodlust and murderous intent.

Until Zhao Huai'an kicked him, he chuckled:

"Report it! What? Can't I, Zhao Da, report my merits?"

So, the man reporting his merits trembled as he looked at the seventeen or eighteen large flags behind Zhao Huai'an and roared:
"Commander of the Right Wing of the Western Sichuan Army and concurrently the Chief Clerk, Grand Master of the Silver Seal, Inspector of the Imperial Academy, and Left Commander of the Army."

"Zhao Huai'an, the Protector of Yidu!"

"Killed the chieftain of Nanzhao Kingdom, Long, and seized one banner; killed the military governor of Nongdong and seized one flag; killed the military commander of Jianchang Prefecture and seized three banners; killed the chieftain of Wumeng and seized sixteen bronze drums; killed the chieftain of Baiya and seized one royal flag; killed the chieftain of Mengshe and seized one royal flag..."

Then came a series of names. With each name called, a soldier would place the severed head in front of the inspector, and then a military flag would be thrown at his feet.

After calling out fourteen names in a row, Zhao Huai'an finally finished reporting.

But this wasn't the end; the Baoyi generals still had more kills to make. The biggest capture and execution was when Wang Jin, representing Zhao Huai'an, accepted the surrender of Yang Hefeng, the military governor of Jianchuan.

This astute military governor ultimately made the right choice the moment Gao Pian's army appeared: he surrendered to Wang Jin on the opposite side.

Yang Hefeng led three thousand Jianchuan soldiers to surrender. Although he lost face, he at least saved his life.

It's important to know that of those Nanzhao military governors, chieftains, and city lords who were supposedly killed in battle, how many were actually killed in action? How many surrendered and were killed by the generals of the outer vassal states?

The crown prince of Nanzhao still didn't understand these warriors. They certainly loved money, but they loved power even more!
The Tang army valued the merit of killing heads. If you sold a prisoner to Longshun for a few coins, you could exchange his head for it and get promoted to a higher rank.

Everyone can figure this out, but Long Shun is just simple-minded and foolish!
At this moment, the singing outside grew louder and louder, and Gao Pian, who was under the central tent, had already stood up, clapping his hands and laughing:
"This Zhao Da is truly remarkable! I think he's already eight-tenths as good as I was back then! Extraordinary! Come, all generals, follow me to greet this great hero!"

Among the generals, only Song Jian of the Zhongwu Army, Tian Chongyin of the Yanhai Army, and Zeng Yuanyu of the Boye Army were truly happy. The other generals had mixed feelings, but they still rose with Gao Pian.

But just as Gao Pian stepped out of the tent, a thunderous cheer suddenly erupted outside. It was the roar of thousands of surviving Xichuan soldiers, calling out:

"Call for justice! Call for justice!"

"Call for justice! Call for justice!"

……

In the darkness, on the valley floor, within the camp, countless Xichuan warriors, survivors of the bloody battle, roared loudly, shouting in triumph at that man from Shouzhou! That was the pride of their Xichuan army! Their hero!
This scene was also imprinted on other foreign armies. Some officers and soldiers, such as those of the Zhongwu Army, Boye Army, and Yanhai Army, were also shouting the name "Hu Baoyi". Even Song Wentong and his Shence Army were shouting.

What's wrong with cheering three times for such heroes who fight to the death for their country and risk their lives for their comrades?

Even Shi Pu, who had been clamoring to teach Zhao Da a lesson, jumped up and down, shouting to his subordinates behind him:

"This Zhao Da is a good man, only slightly inferior to me, Shi Pu, well, just a tiny bit."

Then, he joined the officers and soldiers behind him in chanting "Call for justice!"

This is truly a united cry of the three armies, a call to protect righteousness!

But were they really calling for Zhao Huai'an?

Perhaps in this unjust generation, this is simply the most basic sentiment in the hearts of countless people.

Even the worst person can't help but befriend righteous people.

At this moment, Gao Pian, who had already extended his foot, subtly withdrew it, turned his head, and smiled:

"Zhao Da is here, so let's not run anymore."

As he spoke, Gao Pian sat back down on the stool, holding the jade ruyi in his right hand and grabbing a handful of betel nuts in his left hand, which he then chewed vigorously, his eyes fixed on the front.

There, Zhao Huai'an walked over, surrounded by a group of Baoyi generals.

Beside him, Pei Xing noticed that Gao Pian trembled.

Pei Xing almost thought he was seeing things.

　I finished writing two chapters today and I'm asking for monthly votes from you all. Usually, when I ask my brothers for monthly votes, there's only one reason: it's because what I wrote made me very satisfied.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)