Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 155 Native Chicken
In Guangshan County, shouts of battle filled the air. Wu Xuanzhang sat nervously in the county office, his heart pounding in his throat.

The scouts who went out of the city have reported that Xu Ying's band of thieves has reached four miles to the southwest, and they can be seen from the city walls.

Under these circumstances, Hu Honglue and his men insisted on wiping out the bandits in the city. After getting hold of a few tea merchants, they followed the clues and finally confirmed the addresses of most of the bandits. Now they are leading their men to launch attacks all over the city.

Even now, Wu Xuanzhang still remembers what the slightly chubby Hu Jun general said to him:
“My lady, the bandits have lost the initiative but are still advancing towards Guangshan. They must have something to rely on. I think they must have their own followers in the city. If we don’t eliminate them, Guangshan will not be safe.”

But that's easier said than done. The bandits in the city originally had no idea what was going on, but by stirring things up like this, they've made it clear that something's wrong.

But his words were useless; General Hu, being a soldier, silenced Wu Xuanzhang with a single sentence:

“My lady, there is no such thing as a perfect plan. Once we have thought it through, let’s do it. As the magistrate often tells us, three parts are destined by heaven and seven parts depend on human effort. This is all we can do. As for the rest, it’s beyond our control.”

Wu Xuanzhang sighed and said nothing more, leaving Hu Honglue and the others to do their best.

Half an hour had passed since the order to kill was given when suddenly a commotion was heard outside the hall, followed by shouts of killing.

Wu Xuanzhang was shocked and hurriedly stood up to ask what was wrong, but there was no one in the hall and no one answered him.

Before long, Wu Xuanzhang heard someone in the front yard shouting angrily, "Thief!" and "How dare you!"

Then came the clanging of swords and spears, and the agonizing screams of agony.

Wu Xuanzhang could see the armored soldiers under the corridor outside the hall constantly rushing to support the front yard. These were the seven or eight armored soldiers left behind by Captain Hu, and now they were all rushing to the front yard to fight.

At this moment, Wu Xuanzhang was covered in sweat. He sat down and stood up several times. Finally, as if resigned to his fate, he put on his turban and sat calmly on the couch, looking out into the hall.

Just then, County Commandant Xue Tuo rushed over with three county soldiers wearing leather armor, shouting anxiously:
"Your Excellency, the bandits in the city have directly attacked the county temple. Qian Shi is currently leading his men to hold the front yard. He told us to protect you and help you retreat first."

Wu Xuanzhang was almost ready to get up, but then he remembered Zhao Huai'an's smiling face and their harmonious interaction in the small hall that day. He froze on the couch, trembling as he asked:
How many of the bandits have come?

County Commandant Xue Tuo hurriedly said:

There were about a hundred men, but not many of them were armored.

But Wu Xuanzhang was more concerned with:
"They still have A? This...."

He didn't finish his sentence, but he probably already guessed where the bandits' armor came from. He weakly shook his hand and said to County Lieutenant Xue Tuo:

"I am the county magistrate, and I have a duty to protect this territory. I cannot leave. If you want to leave, then go ahead."

After saying this, Wu Xuanzhang resignedly closed his eyes. His entire life flashed through his mind, but the last image that remained was that day when he passionately wrote in front of Zhao Huai'an, dedicating the blood of his life to the cause.

Ah, if I could live to personally practice this tea-making method, I would have no regrets in this life.

Seeing that his county magistrate was determined to stay in the county temple, Xue Tuo also became ruthless and said to the two men on either side of him:
"Let's go, let's fight our way back!"

Ultimately, Magistrate Wu is a good official. During his years in office, he has indeed done good things for the county, so he deserves our protection.

The front yard was in complete chaos. Qian Shi, who was left behind, was panting heavily as he huddled together with the remaining six comrades, guarding the entrance.

As more and more people poured in, the man shouted:
"Get back to the doorway!"

After saying this, the seven men pushed their way from the front yard to the central courtyard, then positioned themselves at the doorway and thrust their spears at the outside.

Suddenly, from who knows when, a large number of county people gathered in front of the county temple, eagerly watching the fighting in the front yard. Suddenly someone shouted:
"Kill these bandits and save Lady Wu!"

The one who shouted this was a butcher from the county. He had been bullied by bandits in the city in the past, but Wu Xuanzhang, upholding justice, rescued him.

The county residents gathered at the entrance were almost all like that; some had received favors from Magistrate Wu Xuanzhang, while others saw an opportunity and wanted to take a gamble.

At this moment, as the butcher roared, dozens of bold county villagers rushed up from behind, catching the thieves in the front yard off guard.

But soon, these people couldn't hold on any longer.

Although both sides are mostly unarmored, the more so, the more crucial the skill of swordsmanship becomes.

The core of the bandits who stormed into the county temple at this time consisted of about ten veteran soldiers from the Xuzhou army, while the rest were local drifters and vagrants from Guang Prefecture who used to make a living by selling tea and salt.

Originally, the veterans were at the forefront fighting against the seven warriors of Baoyidu, but after hearing the shouts of battle from behind, they quickly split up and went over in half.

Under the attack of the seven or eight old soldiers wielding broadswords, these righteous men who had bravely aided Wu Xuanzhang crumbled instantly. Apart from the butcher, most of them were left with severed arms and hands, and their cries of agony filled the air.

Originally, a large number of county residents had poured in, but upon seeing this scene, they all scattered like birds and beasts, rushing home.

All of this was witnessed by Wu Xuanzhang, who was sitting in the central hall. As he looked at the county people being slaughtered, tears streamed down his face.

This was the first time he realized why he wanted to be an official, and why he wanted to be a good official!
Suddenly, the Baoyidu warriors who had been guarding the entrance to the central courtyard with their spears roared and charged directly back towards the front hall, then slammed the doors shut.

Meanwhile, a series of urgent copper whistles could be heard coming from outside the courtyard wall.

While the bandits were bewildered, a sudden volley of arrows rained down from outside the wall, wave after wave, incessantly.

Inside the courtyard, screams filled the air as bandits, their bodies riddled with arrows, rammed against the gate. But their strength quickly drained from their bodies, and they could only lie helplessly outside the threshold.

Some of the bandits who were further back fled directly towards the county temple, but when they reached the street, they saw a dozen or so mounted cavalrymen, brandishing sharp swords, galloping towards them.

A gushing spring appeared, and a sea of ​​heads surged forth.

……

When the warriors of Baoyidu in front closed the door, Wu Xuanzhang thought it was all over.

But hearing the countless arrows whistling through the air outside the door, along with cries of agony, he finally realized that Captain Hu had brought them back to reinforce him.

He quickly got up and was about to go out, but Qian Shi, who was guarding the door, stopped him. He listened intently until he heard a series of very rhythmic screams, then he nodded to his subordinates beside him.

Then the warriors pushed open the courtyard gate and saw that the front yard was now full of corpses.

Wu Xuanzhang immediately saw Li Jiyong, clad in iron armor, finishing off the bandits on the ground one by one.

Wu Xuanzhang didn't see anything wrong with this and rushed over to thank him, but Li Jiyong then brought him bad news:
"The rebel army has arrived, and Old Hu has led his men up the city wall."

But at this moment, Wu Xuanzhang completely relaxed. He looked at the corpses filling the courtyard and laughed:

"Guangshan can be defended!"

……

"Defend Guangshan! This is your home, and your families are all behind you! If you fall into the hands of those bandits outside, do I need to tell you what your fate will be?"

At this time, Hu Honglue and his troops had already reached the top of the city wall, and the county officials had already recruited men to defend the city wall by drawing one man from every three households.

At this moment, seven or eight hundred able-bodied men, under the orders of Hu Honglue and his men, were moving logs and heating pots of oil, nervously watching the ever-growing number of bandits outside the city. On the battlefield, was that pale, human-like thing human skin?
At that moment, all the residents of the county were filled with fear.

But as these people looked down, the thieves also looked up angrily, cursing.

Yang Shihou, who had previously been appointed to the front line, was looking at the city wall in front of him with a dozen or so trusted men, feeling rather helpless.

With a sigh, Yang Shihou spurred his horse back to the rear. Along the way, there were chaotic teams everywhere, with different flags mixed together, making it impossible to tell which team was which.

Only now did Yang Shihou realize the true nature of Xu Ying's so-called core veterans, numbering in the hundreds or thousands.

How did the once arrogant Tiance Army, which dominated Qingxu and Jianghuai, become such a wretched state?

At this moment, Yang Shihou suddenly realized that if soldiers become bandits, it would be a pipe dream to restore the fighting strength of the former regular army.
After galloping all the way to the back, Yang Shihou saw a large crimson banner, dismounted from a distance, and then ran over, his iron armor covering his face.

Xu Ying was chatting with his confidants when he saw Yang Shihou return. He frowned and scolded him:
"Didn't I tell you to lead the troops to attack the city? Who told you to come back!"

Yang Shihou was now filled with remorse. If he had known that Xu Ying couldn't even keep the news to himself, how could he have instigated this man to attack the county town?

He was also driven to desperation by Wang Xianzhi and his group. Seeing how well they were doing, countless heroes from the Central Plains and Qingxu flocked to them. Even some of Yang Shihou's subordinates went to Caozhou to join the bandits.

So Yang Shihou was also anxious. If these remnants of the Pang clan didn't make some moves, their remaining capital and reputation would be replaced by the newly rising Wang and Huang families.

But who would have thought that Xu Ying was such a good-for-nothing! Sure enough, he became a river bandit, ran a mountain hut, and did business. After a while, he even lost the ability to make a living.

If the soldiers of Xuzhou are already fighting, then they're not far from death.

When Xu Ying asked this, Yang Shihou suppressed his anger and replied:

“Xu Kui, the city is well-prepared, and we still can’t contact our inside accomplice. We can’t take this city. If we attack directly, not only will our brothers suffer heavy losses, but if Dingxian sends reinforcements at this time, we will be in danger.”

Xu Ying thought for a moment, then suddenly asked the people present:
"Do you know that the governor of Guang Prefecture has taken up his post with cavalry?"

Those present were either from the mountains or from the river. If Xu Yingxiang hadn't summoned them, none of them would have been within Guangshan's territory, so when asked this question, naturally no one knew.

Yang Shihou nodded upon hearing Xu Ying's question, but before he had revealed all his skills, he added:
"No matter what, Guangshan still has several dozen cavalry. If our army attacks the county town from the front and is then ambushed by the cavalry rushing in from behind, even if we have many men and a great chance of winning, our army will collapse."

Xu Ying remained silent, letting Yang Shihou continue:

"Therefore, I suggest that we immediately make a feint and send a team to attack Le'an in the west. Then, the majority of us should immediately return to the mountains. Once we have gathered all our people in the mountains, we can then come out and fight them."

It can be said that Yang Shihou's words were very tactical.

Although Xu Ying did not participate in the great battle four years ago with his father, he has been doing business for so many years and is still able to distinguish between good and bad advice.

Just as he was about to think it over some more, they suddenly saw black smoke rising into the sky behind them.

Before they could figure out what was going on, they suddenly felt the ground shaking.

Xu Ying lacked experience in large-scale battles and mostly gathered troops on the river, so he hadn't even had time to react. Yang Shihou, on the other hand, was a proper cavalry general, and his skills in archery, horsemanship, and spear fighting were already top-notch at his age.

Without the slightest hesitation, Yang Shihou, who had just been leading his horse on foot, suddenly leaped onto his warhorse and galloped wildly northward.

Xu Ying was stunned for two breaths, and then the gang of thieves around him erupted in chaos.

Because countless cavalrymen swept in from the northwest wilderness, causing the earth to shake and countless flags to flutter, they were quickly swept into Xu Ying's army like a torrent.

He brought more than 400 people with him when he left the village, but they had almost no concept of forming a battle formation and just scattered haphazardly in the open field.

At this moment, the suddenly appearing cavalry charged in with almost no resistance, and the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Four hundred elite cavalrymen faced four hundred bandits, mountain bandits, and remnants of the Pang clan in the wilderness. What more can be said about the outcome?
Watching an enemy cavalry general wielding a large spear rampage through his ranks with impunity, Xu Ying murmured a question:
"How did the enemy arrive so quickly?"

Then, his identity was exposed because of the large banner behind him, and he was beheaded by a charging knight with a lance.

This leader of the Pang faction, whose identity was extraordinary and whose influence extended across several states, died in battle so easily, without even displaying one-tenth of his strength.

As the man's head was hung on the lance, cavalrymen began to gallop back and forth across the battlefield, shouting:
"The magistrate has decreed that those who kneel shall live!"

As the cavalrymen carrying crimson banners shouted loudly, some of the cavalrymen who were about to kill held back, and simply drove the routed soldiers in the wilderness to one place.

Weapons discarded, faces buried in the ground, hands bound behind their backs – these once ruthless bandits were nowhere to be seen.

Looking at the battlefield before him, Zhao Huai'an, standing under the banner, was speechless.

Wasn't it supposed to be Pang Xun's remnants? He used all his strength from the start, like a lion hunting a rabbit, yet he was so easily defeated?
The battle was over before the young men's warhorses had even warmed up.

However, Zhao Huai'an also noticed something was wrong. There couldn't possibly be several thousand enemy soldiers on the battlefield! Where did the rest go?
So Zhao Huai'an ordered Liu Zhijun to bring over a group of prisoners so he could question them.

Then several core members of the gang, who looked like minor leaders, were pulled over. Before Zhao Huai'an could speak, one of them shouted:
"General, we are willing to offer up our gold and silver, please don't kill us!"

Upon hearing the word "money," Zhao Huai'an's eyes narrowed, and he smiled:

"Oh, how much money do you have? Enough to buy a few lives here?"

The first to beg for mercy was Zhang Ben, who had also previously agreed to attack the county town, but his original intention was to capture people to pick tea in the mountains.

The reason this person is so enthusiastic about this is because this is his main responsibility, and he is also in charge of managing the team's finances and supplies.

At that moment, in order to save his own life, Zhang Ben did not hesitate to betray the others and sell all the savings that the gang had accumulated over the years:
"Hundreds of thousands of strings of cash are all in the manor, waiting for the general to retrieve them!"

Zhao Huai'an smiled, instructed Liu Xin to detain the man alone, and then spurred his horse forward. There, on the city walls of Guangshan County, countless people were shouting:

"Call for justice!"

"Call for justice!"

Zhao Huai'an laughed and pointed to Liu Zhijun. He had just killed the bandit leader, so it would be good to have him run a few errands.
"Have people from the city come to accept the prisoners. Once the follow-up troops arrive, set up camp in Guangshan and have them prepare more vehicles."

Liu Zhijun nodded, but suddenly felt that his family was about to act alone, so he hurriedly asked:

"My lord, where are you going?"

Zhao Huai'an planted his spear in the ground and said boldly:

"Of course I'll go get the money! Someone's offering you money, why wouldn't you take it!"

Then he led his cavalry and the core members of the bandit gang, guided by the latter, straight to Xu's Manor.

All that was left was Liu Zhijun asking, dumbfounded:
"Who's so kind as to give us money?"

(End of this chapter)