Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 141 Going Home
On the way to Huo County, Zhao Huai'an rode on his horse and glanced at the fair-skinned scholar beside him.

This man is named Yuan Xi. He came to the camp last night to request an audience. He claimed to be a useless scholar from Luzhou and wanted to work under his command.

At the time, Zhao Huai'an was not in the mood to test this person, so he agreed and casually assigned him the job of a scribe.

But this morning, as soon as he led his cavalry out of the camp, Yuan Xi came up again to request an audience, saying that Zhao Huai'an treated him so well that he couldn't keep him.

Zhao Huai'an was immediately amused. This Cuo Da didn't even look down on the position of a scribe who earned seven or eight strings of cash a year, so he had someone summon him and asked:
"Oh, why couldn't you keep him? Did you feel that the scribe was being treated unfairly?"

But unexpectedly, Yuan Xi said this:
"As the saying goes, prime ministers rise from the prefectures and counties, and valiant generals emerge from the ranks. It is right and proper for you, sir, to assign me to the position of scribe. But I am not stupid. Can't I see that you only regard me as an ordinary person? If I only care about a salary of seven or eight strings of cash, where can't I find such a thing? Yesterday, I saw you in the wilderness and thought you were a hero from Huaixi, so I came here to apply for your service. But I didn't expect you to treat people like this. So why should I stay?"

Zhao Huai'an nodded and said to Zhao Liu beside him:
"Sixth Brother, how much did you get paid for one performance of your singing in Qishan?"

Zhao Liu glanced at this self-important guy and chuckled:
"Back then, I would walk forty miles with the music troupe and play for three days, until my throat was sore, but I only got a hundred or so coins. A few strings of cash a year, without being exposed to the wind or rain, I would never dare to do such a good thing in my dreams."

Zhao Huai'an laughed heartily and said sarcastically:
"Who told you to be illiterate!"

Then he looked at Yuan Xi and sneered:

“I traveled south from Shu, down the river for three thousand miles, passing through countless powerful towns and cities. Every day, countless self-important people like you came to seek an audience, claiming to be my trusted guests. But what about these people? Like Zhao Liu, they are all all talk. My brother here plays the suona, and having a mouth means he can make a living. But these scholars think they can use their mouths to steal money from me! Do you know how I deal with them?”

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an raised the whip in his hand and coldly snorted:
"These people who try to do this or that with just a few words, I gave them three questions. If they answer one question, I'll give them a position; if they answer two, I'll give them a mid-level position; if they answer all three, I'll give them a high-level position. But if they can't answer any of them, they'll get three lashes from me and be kicked out! So, you're stepping down now, and I'll still let you be a scribe, after all, you're practically a fellow villager of mine."

Yuan Xi stubbornly raised his head, showing no fear of Zhao Huai'an, and shouted:

"Let the students answer the questions."

Zhao Huai'an stared into those eyes, paused for a moment, then put away his whip, calmed his warhorse, and said:
"Alright, with your guts, even if you can't answer any of them, I'll save you the beating. Now, answer the questions."

Then Zhao Huai'an mounted his horse, brandished his whip, pointed towards the Central Plains, and asked:
"In this day and age, regional warlords are rising up everywhere, each vying for supremacy and engaging in frequent battles. The imperial court wishes to pacify the four directions and end the wars. What should it do?"

This question is precisely about how to solve the problem of the regional military governors in the late Tang Dynasty.

When those Confucian scholars who only knew how to engage in empty talk heard this, they were either so shocked that they spoke without thinking, or they could only say that the court was cultivating virtue.

Zhao Huai'an whipped all these people away, and he even had something to say:
"A bunch of idiots are telling the court to cultivate virtue, implying that the court is devoid of virtue?"

These words terrified the men so much that they trembled like leaves. After being whipped, they left, profusely thanking the whippersnappers.

But when Zhao Huai'an asked about Yuan Xi, this self-proclaimed useless scholar from Luzhou had an astonishingly bright eye. He bowed deeply to Zhao Huai'an and told him all the strategies he had pondered day and night.

Right there by the Shi River, with a gentle breeze blowing, Yuan Xilang sang:
"Today, the world is plagued by three evils: the regional military governors, the eunuchs, and the imperial examination system. The regional military governors of our Tang Dynasty were more severe than those of the Zhou Dynasty, and the eunuchs caused more chaos than those of the Later Han Dynasty. Only the imperial examination system, which was originally a virtuous policy far surpassing that of previous dynasties, has now degenerated into a story of the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Because of these three evils, the people are suffering, bandits are rising up everywhere, some plundering travelers, others destroying towns and villages. The nine provinces of the world are rising up in droves. How can the dynasty not be in danger?"

When Yuan Xi finished speaking, Zhao Huai'an had already dismounted. He took the stool from Zhao Liu and personally offered it to Yuan Xi.

Yuan Xi did not refuse, but accepted it readily, his posture upright, exuding confidence and charisma.

"The magistrate just asked how to alleviate the trouble caused by the regional military governors? There is no other way! Only a great leader can emerge, sweep away the warlords, and rebuild the country! As for unifying the world, we should suppress the military with civil officials, send ministers from all directions, divide the power of the regional military governors with the Three Departments, and gather the best soldiers in the country with the Imperial Guard. In this way, the problems caused by the regional military governors can be solved."

Then Yuan Xi cupped his hands towards Zhao Huai'an and smiled:

"My lord, I wonder how well I answered the first question?"

Zhao Huai'an did not answer, but was deep in thought.

The Yuan Xi before me is no ordinary man. Judging from his shabby appearance, he should not be a wealthy person. Yet, such a person has such insight, which shows how much effort he has put in.

Upon hearing this man's description of the three major ills of the world, Zhao Huai'an felt that an important faction had been lost. Of course, it's possible that factions were never a problem in the eyes of these scholars, but even so, Zhao Huai'an agreed with all three points he mentioned.

Listening to this person's answer on how to resolve the scourge of the regional military governors, it becomes clear that the framework of this NPC is very pragmatic. He understands that the only way to break this situation is by force, and that a powerful army should be used to sweep away all the regional military governors. This one point alone is far superior to what people of his time could say.

Although his later statement about using civil officials to govern the military and appointing ministers to serve in various regions was not something Zhao Huai'an approved of, from the perspective of the Song Dynasty, it was still a solution.

At this moment, Zhao Huai'an began to take a serious look at the man. He stood up from his stool, and Yuan Xi also hurriedly stood up as well.

Zhao Huai'an and Yuan Xi looked at each other, and suddenly Zhao Huai'an bowed deeply to Yuan Xi:
"The other two questions are no longer needed; your answer alone demonstrates your great talent! If you are willing to accept this position, the post of judge in the shogunate will be vacant for you."

Yes, in fact, it was from this question that Zhao Huai'an could tell that this was the person he wanted.

It wasn't just a matter of talent; he saw the man's ambition—an ambition to overthrow the existing political order.

At first, Zhao Huai'an asked what the court needed to do to revitalize itself. How did Yuan Xi answer?
"Only a virtuous leader can emerge, sweep away the rivals, and revive the nation!"

This person is on the same page as me!
Therefore, Zhao Huai'an didn't need to try again and immediately hired Yuan Xi for an important position.

Yuan Xi was also very excited.

Among all officials in the country, the staff positions have the best treatment, even more than double the salary of the regular officials of the same rank in the imperial court.

A judge receives 50 strings of cash per month for his salary and 20 strings for miscellaneous expenses, while a court official of the same rank only receives 25 strings per month. Although the latter has received salary increases over the years, it is still not comparable to that of a court official.

Moreover, the staff positions in this dynasty are not like those of private officials before the Former Han Dynasty. They are state officials of the court, with official positions and titles. It can be said that being recruited by the staff is like leaping over the dragon gate.

Yuan Xi was a poor scholar who spent all his time reading and visiting friends on the money his mother and wife earned by washing clothes.

Therefore, such a position represents a meteoric rise for him and his family.

So it would be a lie to say that Yuan Xi wasn't excited about this, but what truly excited him was Zhao Huai'an.

His visit to Zhao Huai'an at night was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a well-thought-out one.

In today's world, military power is paramount. Whether a governor can hold office for a long time and achieve something depends on whether he can control the local military.

Now, this governor of Guang Prefecture has not yet taken office, but he has already brought dozens of large ships, thousands of followers, more than a thousand armored soldiers, and hundreds of cavalrymen alone. These cavalrymen alone are an unparalleled force in the Jianghuai region.

In addition, he also heard that this governor had killed six people in Shouzhou and fled to Xichuan, where he built up his fortune in four years. How remarkable was that?

It was precisely because of their poverty that Yuan Xi knew that for people like them, starting from scratch was an incredibly difficult task.

As for killing six people at the age of sixteen, this was not a problem in Yuan Xi's eyes.

Everyone in Luzhou knows that Zhao Da was avenging his father back then. Not to mention in previous dynasties, even in this dynasty, he was a first-rate hero! Which Jianghuai man wouldn't want to drink an extra bowl of wine after hearing this story?

Needless to say, he dared to kill at the age of sixteen. With such courage and strength, it's no wonder he earned such a reputation in Xichuan.

Therefore, Yuan Xi thought highly of Zhao Huai'an, which is why he made the absurd move of visiting him in the middle of the night.

You should know that when an army camps at night, a curfew is enforced. Anyone encountered must answer the night's call. If anyone hesitates or fails to answer correctly, they will be shot with arrows.

Even Zhao Huai'an dared not mess with this. Last night, when he learned about the situation at home from Ding Hui, he was furious, but he held back and only allowed Liu Xin to lead the most elite cavalry out of the camp quietly.

Because it was the middle of the night and the army should remain still rather than move, Zhao Huai'an dared not gamble, even though he had great prestige, because there were many loyal followers along the river in his camp who had not yet pledged allegiance to him.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, Yuan Xi should have been shot dead at the gate of the camp.

But Ding Hui happened to arrive first last night, so the night patrol was already holding a lantern at the gate. They only allowed him in after seeing that he was a poor, pedantic scholar.

Otherwise, let alone dealing with Zhao Huai'an here, the corpses would be stiff and lying by the roadside by now.

But Yuan Xi's gamble paid off. This Zhao Huai'an, the governor of Guang Prefecture, was no ordinary military man. Could a mere military man ask that first question? Could a mere military man see the brilliance of his strategy?

All I can say is that this is a gift from God!
Without hesitation, he bowed deeply to Zhao Huai'an, expressing his gratitude:
"I have lived a life of hardship and poverty. My neighbors all know that I am a madman. Only my mother and my wife understand and support me. Today I would like to ask you, my lord, if you could bring my family into the camp and take them to Guangzhou."

Zhao Huai'an understood immediately, and he patted Yuan Xi on the shoulder:
"A true man should act swiftly and decisively, and when he is triumphant, he should show off his prowess in front of others. Those old people will talk about moderation and restraint, which is why the world has become such a mess. If we want to change the world, we must rely on us young people, with unparalleled sharpness, to smash all the demons and monsters!"

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an summoned He Wenqin, the most astute of his disciples, and instructed him to obtain ten supply wagons from Luzhou City, prepare eight wagons of betrothal gifts, and return to Yuan Xi's village with great fanfare to bring Yuan Xi's family into the camp. This betrothal gift arrangement wasn't Zhao Huai'an's own doing; it was simply the established system of the dynasty.

When a prefect appoints a staff member, he first issues a letter of appointment, "using classical Chinese characters, roughly like a formal proclamation." Along with the letter, he also sends a gift of gold and silk as a "betrothal gift," which is described as "writing the letter of appointment and providing horses and money." Finally, he sends the letter of appointment to Chang'an, in exchange for the imperial decree. In this way, a staff member becomes a legitimate official of the country.

Now Zhao Da is following this procedure, only with a more elaborate one.

As for Yuan Xi himself, he said he would go to Huo County with Zhao Huai'an. As for why he didn't go back to his hometown with the betrothal carriage, he didn't answer.

In his words, he couldn't bear to see his mother and wife shed tears.

What a passionate lover!

Thus, Yuan Xi joined Zhao Huai'an's cavalry and rode all the way to Huo County, where they could now see the city.

……

Zhao Huai'an led four hundred elite cavalry, galloping and whipping their horses, raising clouds of dust from afar.

When Huoxian County came into view, he ordered the horses to slow down and then proceeded slowly.

There is a shantytown outside Huo County. If Zhao Huai'an leads hundreds of elite cavalry to charge forward, it will surely cause chaos there. His family is still there!

Zhao Huai'an led the way, with a group of adopted sons and righteous men holding spears on his sides. Behind them were the Beiwei men carrying ceremonial banners and other ceremonial guards. Guo Congyun, Liu Zhijun, and other cavalry generals had already led their cavalry on both flanks to spread out their ranks and surround the northeast of Huo County.

Not far away, alarm bells were already ringing loudly on the walls of Huo County, and the gatekeepers on the city towers were watching the cavalry regiment ahead with tension and horror.

When did such a large cavalry force emerge in the Jianghuai region?

And so, amidst countless banners and the gleaming light of armor, Zhao Huai'an, wrapped in a crimson cloak, slowly arrived outside the city.

He looked at the shed area not far away and saw some children playing in the mud nearby looking at him with fear.

Zhao Huai'an gently spurred his horse and rode alone to the children:

Do you know where the Zhao family from Xinghualing used to live now?

The children playing in the mud looked fearfully at Zhao Huai'an, who was riding a tall horse. Only one of them, with snot running down his face, pointed to a large greenhouse in the southeast and said:
"They live there. Are you Zhao Dalang?"

Zhao Huai'an paused for a moment, dismounted, squatted down, and smiled at the child:
"Oh? How did you know I'm Zhao Dalang?"

At this point, the other children also lost their fear and said one after another:
"We are the Zhao family! Our elders have been saying for a long time that Zhao Dalang from Xinghua Village is coming back! He's going to ride a tall horse and take us back to live a good life!"

At this moment, one of the children, whose hands were covered in calluses, asked innocently:

"Big Brother, what are good days? Does it mean we can eat rice? We don't want to eat that hard bran anymore; we haven't pooped for days."

As soon as this person finished speaking, the others chimed in with agreement.

Zhao Huai'an was a little flustered at this moment. These people were eloquent and should not be children of a few years old, but how could they not be children in terms of size?

He patted the children on the head and smiled:

"Oh, you're all from the Zhao family, so what should you call me?"

This stumped the children. Some said it was their uncle, some said it was their maternal uncle, and none of them could agree on anything. But it was this noisy chatter that made Zhao Huai'an laugh out loud.

At that moment, a frail voice suddenly came from ahead:
"Is that Dalang back?"

Zhao Huai'an froze, then slowly looked up at the group of people in front of him. Ding Hui was among them with several cavalrymen, and in the very center was an old woman.

What kind of person is she?
Her skin was very dark, and half of her hair was white, but she was very tall and had a robust physique that was rare for a woman her age. Her lips were also a bit dry and bloodless.

But her eyes were smiling, and they looked very warm.

In that instant, Zhao Huai'an thought of his mother. In his previous life, he was from northern Jiangsu. After graduating, he went to Shanghai, where he worked and started a family. Although Shanghai was not far from home, he rarely went back.

He used to say it was inconvenient to go back because there were no trains; later, when the high-speed rail opened, he said he had been busy lately; until one day Zhao Huai'an suddenly felt that he had grown up and missed home, so he loved going back.

Back then, every time Zhao Huai'an crossed the Sutong Bridge, his parents would call. They would be happy to hear that he had crossed the bridge and would start preparing food, all of which were his favorite dishes.

For all the people from northern Jiangsu living in Shanghai, the Sutong Bridge is like their Shanhaiguan Pass; once they cross the bridge, they're home.

At that moment, Zhao Huai'an saw his own mother in the old woman's eyes, and she was smiling in the same way.

At that moment, Zhao Huai'an knelt on the ground, facing his mother, and cried out:
"Mother, your son is back!"

At that moment, hundreds of elite cavalrymen dismounted in unison, and they sang:

"The magistrate has returned home!"

"The magistrate has returned home!"

The sound was so loud that even the nearby town of Huoxian shook violently.

……

Three young men who looked very much like Zhao Huai'an helped Zhao Shi walk over. They looked at their elder brother with excitement and restraint.

My older brother has grown stronger and taller, but isn't he a bit darker than before?

They secretly glanced at their brother, who was followed by five women—Zhao Huai'an's two younger sisters and three cousins.

Zhao pulled Zhao Huai'an up and looked at Zhao Dalang. Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to touch Zhao Dalang's head, but he was too tall. But the next moment, Zhao Huai'an bent down and put his head in her hand.

The palms were rough, but warm.

Zhao pursed her lips and said softly:

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back! Let's go home!"

As she spoke, she tried to take Zhao Huai'an's hand and lead him to the shack, but she couldn't move him. Zhao Huai'an was supporting Zhao Shi and said to his three younger brothers:
"Help your mother up and wait for me!"

The three younger brothers are all seven feet tall. They are now supporting their mother, and they already know what their older brother is going to do. They are excited and worried at the same time.

Behind them, Zhao Huai'an's cousins, each holding a whistle, shouted as they saw Zhao Huai'an stand up:

"Big Brother, with you back, we have the confidence to fight Liu Erlang and his gang!"

The Zhao family members all raised their sticks and shouted in unison.

They had already heard from Ding Hui, who returned last night, that now that the eldest son had become the prefect, he had returned to stand up for the clan!
Hmph! Let's see who dares to bully us now!
Only Zhao held Zhao Huai'an's hand with concern and advised:

"It's enough that you're back. Everything else is fine. If the manor is gone, we can just rebuild it."

Zhao Huai'an gently patted his mother's hand, then mounted his horse. The next moment, he spurred his horse forward, whip in hand, and charged towards the walls of Huoshan City, roaring:
"Open the door now!"

A group of cavalrymen galloped away, surrounding the small town of Huo County, and roared:

"Open the door now!"

A moment later, the city gates of Huo County opened wide, and the magistrate of Huo County, Sun Pang, staggered out.

　Oh, I couldn't hold back and cried when I wrote the last paragraph.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)