Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 146 Spying
On the tenth day of the sixth month of the second year of Qianfu, the seat of Guang Prefecture was located north of Ding County.

"The magistrate's carriage has arrived!"

Just then, a state official on horseback galloped up from the official road, shouting to the officials and chief ministers of the state and military courts who were waiting outside the city.

Then he ran past the ranks and joined the queue on the east side, where a dozen riders, led by a knight in bright armor, were waiting silently with their mouths clenched.

Upon hearing the announcement, these high-ranking officials once again straightened their turbans and official robes, awaiting the arrival of the newly appointed governor of Guang Prefecture.

Ahead, swirling yellow sands stretched as troop after troop of knights, each carrying a five-foot-long horn, led the way, their horns blaring. And amidst the heavy, mournful wail of the horns, a massive caravan slowly emerged from the northern road.
At the head of the procession was a cavalry unit carrying numerous flags.

A cavalry general clad in bright armor stood at the front of the column, holding a tall banner made of yak tail. On either side were various banners, including a blue prefectural flag inscribed with "Grand Master of the Palace", "Prefect of Guang Prefecture", and "Commander of the Capital Garrison of Guang Prefecture".

Each of these banners represents the identity of the owner of the vehicle.

The title of Guanglu Dafu was a third-rank official, meaning that the person in question received the salary and benefits of a third-rank official.

The governor of Guang Prefecture was a fourth-rank official, meaning that this person was the highest-ranking military, supervisory, and financial official in Guang Prefecture.

The third position, the Military Commissioner of Gwangju, was an official post assigned by this master, meaning that all military forces in Gwangju were theoretically under his control.

Behind the magnificent state banners were various ceremonial cavalry and bugle flags, which were in a variety of colors, including "Baoyidu", "Tiger of Xichuan", and even a "Dayi Da'an" flag, which was puzzling.

Then there were various small flags, including flags for each squad and small bugle calls, such as "Beiwei", "Bashan", "Tie Shou", "Guide", "Tuqi", "Yisha", "Poxi", "Buba", etc., and then there were crimson flags for a certain battalion and a certain team.

In short, the official road to the north was now a sea of ​​flags, majestic and magnificent.

Following the flags came the military band, carrying drums, horns, gongs, and suonas. After the long horn sounded at the front of the convoy, they began to play their instruments, creating a grand and powerful sound that filled the countryside, solemn and majestic.

The sounds of the big drum, the long gong, the medium gong, the cymbals, the horizontal flute, and the suona all come together, and just hearing them makes one's blood boil, as if one were on a grand battlefield.

After the flags and drums, came the military ceremonies.

Two or three hundred tall and strong warriors, dressed in brocade hats and sable fur coats with sable tails hanging from their waists, marched forward in formation under a huge banner that read "Beiwei," holding spears and halberds.

Besides carrying weapons, these people also carried crimson banners embroidered with various dragons, tigers, and leopards.

Although they were not wearing armor, their solemn demeanor was in no way inferior to that of the leading cavalry.

Clearly, this is an elite force forged on the battlefield.

Beyond Beiwei was a massive caravan, stretching as far as the eye could see, like a long dragon.

Unlike the Beiwei knights who only wore brocade robes, these knights were divided into two types.

One type is those who hold aloft a huge horse spear, are fully dressed in willow-leaf armor and bright armor, wear helmets with feathers, and are covered with colorful Shu embroidered brocade robes.

True majesty, a shining sun, shining brightly.

Another group, dressed in various rhinoceros armor and wearing different kinds of small hats, with swords at their waists, rode in fine clothes and on spirited horses, scattered on both sides of the official road.

Truly magnificent, emerging from the mountains like a tiger or leopard, its power as majestic as an eagle!
The massive cavalry only spread out to the sides when they reached the welcoming party, both protecting the carriages behind them and subtly surrounding the Gwangju civil and military officials.

It was visibly agitated among the civil and military officials of Gwangju, especially the warhorses waiting nearby, which were pawing at the ground restlessly. If it weren't for their owners constantly reassuring them, these warhorses would surely have fled the scene.

The knights on horseback, while calming their horses, were also tense and uneasy, because they saw that most of the cavalrymen were not firing their bows.

Yes, although the knights in the first few rows all carried a long stick wrapped in a cloth bag, which was a straight bow. In the event of battle, they would take out the bow, string it, and draw it like a crescent moon.

However, in the back row, the knights already had their bows drawn and arrows at their waists, ready to launch a devastating attack on these civil and military officials of Gwangju at any moment.

Surrounded by such fierce cavalry, some of the less courageous members of the welcoming party were trembling with fear.

This new governor is making quite a grand entrance and exuding too much power! What is he planning to do?
Amidst the resounding horns, a carriage, flanked by warriors carrying spears on both sides, finally appeared before the civil and military officials of Gwangju.

Ahead was a group of knights, some holding swords, some carrying spears, some holding canopies and green umbrellas, some holding round fans and yellow curtains. Behind them was a group of donkey carts carrying a group of staff and officials steadily. Beside the carts were a group of civil officials on foot, wearing various turbans and eating the ashes from the carts.

Then came a long line of supply wagons behind the convoy, and no one knew exactly how much stuff they were carrying.

When the donkey caravan appeared, all the civil and military officials present focused their attention on the tall warrior at the front.

This man wore a military cap, a scarlet robe with a beast-shaped design, a gold belt around his waist, a silver fish-shaped talisman, and black leather boots. He stood on a donkey cart, exuding an air of high spirits.

Without further hesitation, the civil and military officials of Gwangju addressed the man, shouting:
"This humble official greets Your Excellency!"

Then, looking up, everyone, including the Prefect of Guang Prefecture and other high-ranking officials, was stunned. They saw Wu Xuanzhang, the Magistrate of Guangshan County, prominently displayed in the opposite queue.

The group cursed inwardly, thinking how inconsiderate Wu was, abandoning everyone else to go and greet the governor.
You should know that Guangshan is located south of Ding County, the seat of the prefecture, and is even further away.

At this moment, Wu Xuanzhang, the magistrate of Guangshan County, was being watched by several senior officials from the prefecture. He lowered his head guiltily, but when he thought of his conversation with the newly appointed prefect Zhao Huai'an an hour earlier, he couldn't help but raise his head again, a smile playing on his lips.

Hmph, opportunity favors the prepared mind.

……

Wu Xuanzhang was the magistrate of Guangshan County. Two days ago, he was sitting idly with the monk Fayan of Jingju Temple on Dasu Mountain in the county when an urgent letter was delivered from outside.

This was a private letter sent by his friend in Shouzhou. Upon unfolding it, it read:

"The Guizhou Prefect's boat has already passed Shouzhou and will soon arrive at the ferry. If you wish to accomplish anything, you must first welcome him."

When Wu Xuanzhang read the letter, he remained expressionless, ended his casual conversation with Monk Fayan with a few words, and then took the letter out again by himself.

The letter was genuine, bearing his friend's personal seal and handwritten document. After considering the timing of the new governor's journey upstream by water and the time his friend delivered the letter, he immediately concluded that the new governor had already arrived in Guang Prefecture.

Wu Xuanzhang was an advisor to Li Wei, the former military governor of Huainan. He had previously managed some border markets in the military headquarters. Because of his outstanding work, Li Wei recommended him to be the magistrate of Guangshan County in Guang Prefecture.

This can be considered entering the main stream from outside, even if it's still a turbid stream.

After arriving at his post, Wu Xuanzhang planned to establish a tea market at the foot of the Dabie Mountains as a political achievement, since the higher-ups preferred officials who could make money.

Unexpectedly, Li Wei left not long after, and after a while, Liu Ye, a member of the Li faction, came. Although his patron Li Wei did not belong to either the Li or Niu factions, he was often regarded as a close associate of the Niu faction because of his social connections and experience.

Now, Wu Xuanzhang not only lost his backer, but also had factional conflicts with the top leader.

Although Liu Ye did not cause trouble for Wu Xuanzhang after taking office, Wu Xuanzhang could forget about getting promoted.

It was bad enough that his path to advancement was cut off, but he never expected that his tea market at the foot of Dabie Mountain would be robbed by the mountain sheds in the past two months.

So when Wu Xuanzhang heard that a new governor had arrived, one who had made great contributions in the war against Xichuan, he immediately felt the need to rely on him, both to have him as a patron and to borrow troops to wipe out that band of mountain bandits.

So after sorting things out, Wu Xuanzhang decided to keep quiet and immediately take a few trusted confidants to the ancient ferry crossing on the Huai River in the territory of Guang Prefecture to the north.

He wanted to be the first to welcome the new governor here!

Wu Xuanzhang hadn't waited half a day at the ferry when he saw the huge fleet of ships arriving at the ancient ferry.

The first person he met was a young man named Pei Desheng, whose air of a scion of a prominent family made Wu Xuanzhang feel ashamed.

Xiao Pei gave him a general overview of the various groups that disembarked, and also asked him a lot about the local officialdom in Guang Prefecture, as well as which powerful clans were in the area, their backgrounds, and even the mountain strongholds in the Dabie Mountains within the prefecture.

Wu Xuanzhang had nothing to hide and answered all the questions asked, especially about the mountain strongholds in the Dabie Mountains. He wanted to get the governor's people to pay more attention to the situation in the Dabie Mountains so that it would be helpful for him to borrow troops to suppress the strongholds later.

That young Pei was very eloquent and didn't have the arrogance of a noble family's son, so Wu Xuanzhang got along very well with him as they chatted, and then the governor's flag was unloaded from the boat.

Pei Desheng smiled and said to Wu Xuanzhang:
"Let's go, come with me to see the magistrate."

At this moment, Wu Xuanzhang followed Pei Desheng up the slope, and when he looked down at the ferry crossing, his scalp tingled with fear.

Along the ferry crossing, which stretched for three or four miles, people were everywhere, and large quantities of supplies, livestock, and warhorses were being transported from the boats to the riverbank.

Then, under a large, earthen-yellow banner, the words "Hu Baoyi" were written on it, and a group of warriors surrounded a man in a crimson robe sitting on a stool to oversee the scene.

Following Pei Desheng all the way to the banner, before even entering, Wu Xuanzhang bowed to the crimson-robed man sitting on a stool and sang loudly:

"Wu Xuanzhang of Guangshan County received the magistrate's carriage."

At this moment, Pei Desheng walked up to the tall man, whispered a few words in his ear, and then the man turned around and smiled:

"Oh, you, the magistrate of Guangshan County, arrive faster than the other government offices in this prefecture. Haha, you're quite an interesting person."

Wu Xuanzhang also had a sense of shame, knowing how obsequious his behavior was to his superiors, so when the governor pointed it out directly, he blushed with embarrassment.

Wu Xuanzhang felt ashamed, but Zhao Huai'an, who was sitting there, was very happy. After all, what is the leader most afraid of when he is parachuted into a branch company? He is most afraid of not having information channels to understand the details of what is happening below.

So when a county magistrate took the lead in siding with him, how could Zhao Huai'an not be happy?

So he smiled and asked Wu Xuanzhang to stand up, then inquired about some details:

"Where is Old Wu originally from?"

Although it sounded like a polite greeting, Wu Xuanzhang dared not be negligent and quickly said:
"This humble official is from Yangzhou." Upon hearing that Wu Xuanzhang was from Yangzhou, Zhao Huai'an's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in admiration:

"I often hear people say that Yangzhou is the Land of Abundance, a paradise on earth. Is that really true?"

Wu Xuanzhang said, with a mixture of reserve and pride:
"Although it may be an exaggeration, Yangzhou is indeed rich and elegant. Every piece of land is planted with bamboo, and every household raises geese. It truly deserves to be called the meeting place of the North and the center of the world."

Zhao Huai'an seemed to be thinking about something, and then asked Wu Xuanzhang some questions about his resume. After learning that he had been promoted from a professional bureaucrat in the border trade system to a full-fledged official, he nodded in approval.

Just as Wu Xuanzhang was about to send a message to borrow troops, Zhao Huai'an said again:
"Tell me about all the high-ranking officials and powerful families in the state. Tell me their names and backgrounds."

Wu Xuanzhang glanced at Pei Desheng, who had been waiting beside him, but still repeated the information he had just given, this time in even more detail.

"The prefectural governor is named Xiahou Zhang. He participated in the suppression of Qiu Fu's rebellion more than ten years ago and made many contributions, so he was appointed as the prefectural governor."

Zhao Huai'an was taken aback for a moment, then asked in confusion:
"I thought you were a civil official, but I never expected a mere military man to hold such a position, and to have remained in it for over ten years?"

Hearing Zhao Huai'an's words, Wu Xuanzhang realized that the battlefield governor in front of him had not yet formally entered officialdom, and hurriedly explained:

"Since the beginning of the dynasty, local power has been concentrated in the government offices. For example, the positions of Prefect and Sima in the prefectures are all leisurely and sinecures with high rank and generous salaries but no real duties. The real power in the local government is held by the military commanders, judges, secretaries, and patrol officers in the prefectures. Therefore, the court also bestows these positions on some meritorious officials who have no way to repay their honors, which can be considered as the court giving an explanation."

Zhao Huai'an nodded, roughly understanding the meaning. So the imperial court was funding a parasite, no wonder the governor had changed three or four times, and that Xiahou Prefect was still in office.

So Zhao Huai'an naturally asked:

"So the same applies to the Prefect of this province?"

Wu Xuanzhang shook his head and said:
"Sima usually assigned officials who were demoted to the lower ranks of the court to enjoy their leisure time in the provinces, or to those who were senior but incompetent and unable to perform their duties, to be appointed remotely."

"As for the Sima of this prefecture, he is a figurehead who receives a salary and a nominal position."

Zhao Huai'an grinned contemptuously and asked:

"Then tell me about the powerful figures in this state, the ones I can keep an eye on."

Wu Xuanzhang quickly said:
"There aren't many powerful families in this prefecture. There are only four that we need to pay attention to: the Huan and Chen families of Dingcheng, the Li family of Gushi, and the He family of Yincheng. These four families have nearly a thousand servants and have deep connections in the local area and county."

After looking at Zhao Huai'an, Wu Xuanzhang added one last character:
“This prefecture has 800 soldiers from Guang Prefecture. These were recruited five years ago when Governor Zhang was in office to fight against Pang Xun. They were called the ‘Guangdao’ and ‘Dingluan’ armies. But at that time, only 300 or 400 were recruited before Pang Xun’s rebellion was quelled. The prefect also recruited some defeated soldiers from Xu Prefecture to make up the 800 men.”

Zhao Huai'an needed this information; what he cared about most was someone with a knife handle. So, stroking his beard, he asked:

"Who are the leaders of these two armies, and what are their characteristics?"

Wu Xuanzhang thought for a moment, then spoke of what he knew, saying:
"The Guangdao Army consists of 400 soldiers, 50 with Modao swords, 300 with shields and shields, and 50 with Tierui swords. They are all clad in heavy armor and wield large bows, and are known for their fierceness. Their commander is Zhao Keju, a defeated general from Xuzhou. This man is arrogant and domineering, a local tyrant. The previous governor was unable to control him and was driven away by him."

"The army that quelled the chaos originally numbered four hundred. They were the first local youths recruited by Governor Zhang. However, after Governor Zhang left, the previous governor was unable to pacify the region and was driven away. These soldiers were gradually recruited by several powerful clans in the region. Now there are only two hundred left, under the jurisdiction of the state. The general in charge of the army is named Geng Xiaojie, who is also from Xuzhou."

Zhao Huai'an clicked his tongue in amazement. Goodness, Guang Prefecture only had six hundred elite troops, and they were all in the hands of the people from Xuzhou. This was truly astounding.

After Zhao Huai'an roughly understood the situation, he finally said:

"I've already heard news from all sides of Guang Prefecture since I came here, especially from the magistrate of Gushi County, who lives right by the Huai River but has been neglecting me. I'm definitely going to hold him accountable. As for you, you're very good. I, Zhao Da, have sharp eyes. I know what everyone has done and what they're thinking. So you're excellent, very good!"

Wu Xuanzhang, his face flushed, bowed again to Zhao Huai'an and exclaimed:

“These are all things that lower-ranking officials do as they are supposed to do.”

Zhao Huai'an nodded and said calmly:
"It is one's duty, but if everyone fails to do so, those who do will be rare! Alright, you will come with me back to the prefecture!"

Wu Xuanzhang nodded excitedly, finally feeling like he had found a powerful backer.

……

At this moment, still outside Dingxian City, Zhao Huai'an looked down at the civil and military officials who had come up.

The first two are Xiahou Zhang, the Prefect. Perhaps ten years ago he was a brave general, but now he is an old man with thinning hair, a puffy face, and no energy.

Behind Xiahou Zhang were a group of provincial officials, one of whom, carrying scrolls, stepped forward and bowed to Zhao Huai'an:
"Your Excellency, I, Hong Yanshi, the Registrar, am here to read the address from all the officials on your behalf."

Then, with Zhao Huai'an's nod of approval, he began to read the speech he was holding:

"In the second year of the Qianfu era of the Great Tang Dynasty, the year of Yiwei, on an auspicious day in early summer, the officials of Guang Prefecture, along with other gentlemen, respectfully offer this simple feast to the newly appointed Prefect of Guang Prefecture, Lord Zhao Huai'an:"

"Your Majesty, having received the imperial decree and ascended the throne, shines your light upon the eight directions, selecting the virtuous and capable to govern with great virtue. You, sir, were skilled in strategy from a young age and possess extraordinary talent. In the past, you fought against the Nanzhao, your spirit overwhelming the barbarian tribes. Standing at the Han River, your drums shook the earth, and you slew the chieftain, your armor frosted with snow. Your frequent victories and triumphs have made your name resound throughout the imperial palace. You are truly a pillar of the state and a bulwark of the borderlands!"

"Now, by the grace of His Majesty, I have been selected to govern Guang Prefecture. This region borders the Huai and Ru rivers and controls the Henan and Anhui provinces. However, it has suffered from frequent disasters and the people have not yet achieved peace. Although we are of limited ability, we still fear that we will fail in our duties. Fortunately, Your Excellency has come in high rank, like parched seedlings longing for rain or dried-up fish yearning for the sea."

"From this day forward, we are willing to serve you with utmost loyalty and diligence, and to receive your guidance and instruction. All matters concerning the repair of the city walls, the storage of granaries, and the fair judgment of lawsuits will be entrusted to your esteemed authority. We further hope that you will implement benevolent policies and pacify the people, transforming this desolate place into a paradise, where every household will sing your praises. On the day our work is accomplished, we will surely inscribe this on a stone tablet at the top of the mountain, so that our name may be remembered in history!"

"I respectfully present this offering as a token of my sincere gratitude. I humbly request your understanding and consideration!"

After the song was finished, the man had the county magistrate and registrar of Ding County present Zhao Huai'an with local specialties of tea and dendrobium.

As Hong Yanshi began his record talk, Zhao Huai'an roughly surveyed the welcoming crowd.

Besides Xiahou Zhang and other officials from the state and county bureaus, there were also military officials present. About a dozen soldiers with swords were standing behind them, watching the Baoyi Dutu cavalry who had surrounded them.

Then, besides these people, there was one cavalry general who caught Zhao Huai'an's attention the most. He was a man of great spirit and exuded a sharp and vigorous aura.

Then there were some local prominent families and elders, monks, Taoist priests, and village heads.

The monks and Taoists stood on opposite sides, while the bhikkhus and Taoist priests held incense, flowers, and prayer flags to greet Zhao Huai'an by the roadside, chanting incantations, probably saying auspicious and blessing words for him.

Then came a group of village heads carrying household registration books, about ten of them, presumably from nearby villages and communities.

Those holding the "Ten Thousand People Umbrella" and the "Virtuous Governance" stone should be members of prominent local families in Ding County, specifically the Huan and Chen families.

Finally, those who were so old that they trembled when they stood up, wearing long robes and holding tablets, must be the elders of this state.

Seeing the old men trembling, Zhao Huai'an was afraid they might try to scam him, so after Hong Yanshi finished singing, he quickly instructed the man:
“These are the elders of this prefecture, highly respected and virtuous. How can they stand? Quickly, give them stools.”

Hong Yanshi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and ordered his men to bring over stools for the elders to sit on.

The elders were caught off guard, but they still expressed their gratitude for Zhao Huai'an's benevolence.

Because of this incident, the atmosphere improved considerably, and the nearly balding Xiahou Zhang even came forward with a smile to flatter him:

"The people of this prefecture are blessed! Our magistrate is both a warrior capable of fighting on the battlefield and a benevolent ruler who can bring peace and tranquility to the people. This is truly a blessing for our Guang Prefecture!"

Zhao Huai'an smiled, acknowledging Xiahou Zhang's overture.

Xiahou Zhang was encouraged by this laugh, and then loudly called out to the drum and music band in the welcoming party.

This is a welcoming troupe complete with large drums, gongs, flutes, and other musical instruments. On both sides, there are also a dozen or so performers of various kinds of entertainment and dances, who are waiting under a curtain.

At this moment, upon hearing the governor's instructions, the dancers, musicians, and acrobats began to play their instruments and dance gracefully. The acrobats also began to perform illusions, wrestling, and rope walking.

The atmosphere suddenly became joyful and lively. It was at this moment that Xiahou Zhang brought over a silver cup from his subordinate and respectfully said:

"My lord, please have a welcome drink."

Everyone looked at Zhao Huai'an with smiles.

Zhao Huai'an smiled and accepted the silver cup. The reason for using a silver cup to hold the wine was to show that the wine was not poisoned.

But Zhao Huai'an couldn't possibly believe that silver could detect all poisons, and he absolutely dared not drink this wine.

So Zhao Huai'an brought the silver cup to his lips, and suddenly he glanced at it and seemed to see someone spying on him from behind the battlements.

He slammed the silver cup to the ground, drew the three-stone bow from the donkey cart, and roared:
Who is spying on this state from this high place?

Before the words were even finished, an arrow had already been shot out, piercing one man's throat and then freezing another man beside him in place in shock.

Everyone stared at the corpse that had fallen from the city wall, and all was silent.

At this moment, Guo Congyun and Liu Xin each led their cavalry straight into the city gate. Before the civil and military officials of Guang Prefecture could react, they rushed up the city wall and captured the remaining person.

Looking at the stunned people, Zhao Huai'an snorted coldly:
"Why stop? Keep the music playing! Keep dancing!"

A moment later, the artists, whose bodies were stiff, tried their best to play instruments and sing, but they could no longer produce the joy they had originally hoped for.

At this moment, Guo Congyun and the others had already bound a young warrior and brought him to Zhao Huai'an.

Looking at the man, then at the mangled corpse lying on the ground, Zhao Huai'an walked up to the group of civil and military officials from Guang Prefecture and asked calmly:

"Can anyone tell me who these two are? Are they both so brave? Daring to spy on me from such a high vantage point?"

　Another chapter will be posted around 9 AM this morning; I'll go to bed on time.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)