Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 156 Fearless
Zhao Huai'an was overjoyed. He had been worried about money, and now he had raided the lair of a long-established bandit. The thought of the hundreds of thousands of strings of cash inside made him shout with delight:
"Faster, faster! When we get to the village, we'll pick up the money!"

As Zhao Huai'an shouted loudly, the knights' enthusiasm soared, and they increased their horse speed once more.

They had no choice but to be excited. According to the governor's usual style, this time they would hand over enough money to the treasury, and the rest would be split 50/50 with the governor.

What a battle! They barely shed a drop of sweat, yet they raked in a fortune.

These cavalrymen were all beaming with joy, and people sang folk songs and work chants along the way as they headed toward the Xu family manor not far away.

In the distance, amidst lush green forests and nestled in the embrace of hills, the manor comes into view.

……

The earth-shaking sound of horses' hooves shattered the night. The sentries and lookouts guarding the hills surrounding the manor banged their gongs to warn the manor. The birds that should have been roosting in the forest were also in a panic, circling in the air, not knowing what to do.

The manor was immediately awakened by the alarm. Hearing the sound of horses' hooves outside, bells were ringing and shouts were being shouted from all the buildings. The thick wooden doors had already been closed, and some pulleys had been stuffed behind the doors. People kept rushing out of the houses and surging onto the ramparts.

One team was the most composed. They sent people out to gather the remaining people in the village at the tea steaming area, while others opened the armory and began distributing weapons and crossbows.

Some of the men, who were clearly warriors, brought out armor from their homes. The armor was covered with marks from swords and axes, bearing witness to their owners' glorious years on the battlefield.

As these men, dressed in armor and served by their wives and daughters, went out, their followers, armed with bows and crossbows, had already taken up positions on the manor.

At this moment, the light suddenly dimmed; what was barely visible just moments before became completely dark.

Zhao Huai'an led his cavalry in, ready to seize the opportunity to storm in, but he did not expect the manor to be so well guarded, with the soldiers completing their defenses in such a short time.

This dampened Zhao Huai'an's joy by three degrees. He pointed his whip at Zhang Ben, who had surrendered beside him, and asked:

"Weren't you supposed to come and get it? What's going on? Huh? Who's guarding this estate? Can they persuade them to surrender?"

Zhang Ben dared not feel wronged and quickly nodded:
"Yes, definitely. The man guarding the village is Yao Xingzhong, the nephew of General Yao Zhou, who was once a great general under Pang Xun. Normally, he would not surrender, but today he was just whipped by Xu Ying and is bound to be resentful. With his silver tongue, he can surely persuade him to surrender."

Zhao Huai'an just felt that something was wrong, but he didn't think much of Zhang Ben, so he let him go forward and give it a try, since he had to be of some use anyway.

So Zhang Ben confidently stepped forward.

This person was clever; the first thing he shouted after coming out was:
"Brothers, I am Zhang Ben. Xu Ying is dead, and all of you have surrendered to Magistrate Zhao. Magistrate Zhao is benevolent and righteous, and has specially ordered me to come and pacify you. Those who can lay down their weapons will be forgiven for their past transgressions!"

At this moment, in the darkness, the party members, who had no idea how many soldiers had come from outside, were filled with fear and trepidation. Suddenly, they heard Zhang Ben's voice from below, telling them that their commander was dead. Almost everyone stood there dumbfounded.

Who is this man? The older members of the group all know that his elder brother is Zhang Xingshi, one of the four who supported Pang Xun at the time.

Back in Guilin, it was this man who, along with Commander Xu Ji, military officer Zhao Keli, Yao Zhou, and several others, plotted a mutiny. They then elected Pang Xun, the grain and supplies judge at the time, as their leader, seized the treasury, and marched the troops north to Xuzhou, thus beginning a magnificent and turbulent battle.

These men were originally bandits in Xuzhou. Later, because the local prefectures and counties could not appease them, they were recruited as military officers.

Therefore, when Pang Xun's plot failed, it was these people's cronies and associates who were the first to flee into the mountains and resume their old ways.

In other words, Zhang was the second most prestigious figure in the party group after Xu Ying, but now this person was begging the government troops like a dog, asking them to come out and surrender. How could this not make everyone tremble with fear?
But for every coward, there is a coward.

On the manor, some veteran soldiers hated these traitors who surrendered to the government troops the most, because four years ago, it was these people who betrayed everyone's cause, causing countless comrades and relatives to die at the hands of the government troops!
So these people cursed Zhang Ben below, and some even shot arrows, but firstly, they couldn't judge Zhang Ben's position, and secondly, the distance was too far and the range was not enough, so the arrows could only fall to the ground helplessly.

When Zhang Ben first heard the sound of arrows piercing the air, he was startled, but upon seeing the light and the arrows scattered on the ground in front of him, he grinned, and without being arrogant, he turned his horse around and retreated.

He was always steady and cautious. Under these circumstances, he tried his best to persuade the enemy to surrender, but the enemy refused to surrender. What could he do?
But just as he turned around, a loud shout suddenly came from the manor:
"Zhang Ben, come forward. I have three conditions to offer. See if the governor agrees. If he does, I will lead my brothers out of the village and surrender!"

Upon hearing the voice, Zhang Ben knew it was Yao Xingzhong. He glanced instinctively at Zhao Huai'an in the distance, hesitated for a moment, then remained standing and loudly replied:

"Brother Yao, as the saying goes, 'A wise man submits to circumstances,' and I was right about you. You are a wise man! What are your conditions? Tell me."

At that moment, he suddenly heard someone cursing Yao Xingzhong on the opposite wall, followed by rustling sounds as those who were clearly stubborn were being held down.

This put my mind at ease.

Suddenly he heard a sharp sound, and just as his mind was about to register it, his throat hurt and he collapsed to the ground.

Only then did Yao Xingzhong's voice come from the other side:
"Brother Zhang, I don't know what the conditions are either. Go down and ask Commander Qu yourself! Hahaha!"

Suddenly, laughter erupted from the walls of the manor!

……

Seeing Zhang Ben being dragged back, dead beyond any doubt, Zhao Huai'an's face turned ugly.

He realized that something was wrong earlier. If Yao Xingzhong harbored resentment, why would Xu Ying entrust him with the important task of guarding the manor?

Therefore, the more accurate reason is that this person must be Xu Ying's absolute confidant, and Xu Ying knows this person very well, knowing that even if he whips this person, he will not doubt his loyalty.

Looking at the well-guarded and highly motivated village, Zhao Huai'an did not attack out of anger. He ordered half of his elite cavalry to remain in place to continue putting pressure on the villagers, while the other half dismounted and rested at the hill.

They traveled forty li that day, grazing on some grass on the hills behind them, and also feeding their warhorses a good meal.

No rush, the meat will disintegrate in the pot.

……

Zhao Huai'an did not attack the village or light torches. Instead, he arranged for two groups of people to take turns monitoring the area. One group continued to keep watch, while the other group went to the back hill to set up tents and sleep.

Zhao Huai'an himself was wrapped in a wool blanket and slept in a small tent with a group of cavalrymen.

As Zhao Huai'an and his men remained still, the people in the village dared not move either, because they did not know how many government troops had come, nor what their deployment was in the vicinity. If they rashly left the village, they might suffer a complete defeat.

And so, as the rooster crowed at dawn and the sun slowly rose from the hills, an infantry force pushed hundreds of carts slowly to the manor.

Only then did the thieves on the manor, still half-asleep, realize what was happening, and they immediately panicked.

No wonder the enemy didn't attack the village; they were waiting for the infantry behind them. This is just a village; how could it possibly withstand the massive army of infantry outside?

Sure enough, when a few cavalrymen rushed to the infantry unit and relayed a few military orders, more than a hundred men from that infantry battalion ran towards the mound behind the village.

The people in the village, standing on higher ground, could clearly see what these people were doing: the foot soldiers were wielding axes and chopping down the large trees on the hill.

When Xu Ying built the village here, some people advised him that there were large trees on the nearby hills, and if they were not cut down, they might be used by the enemy to attack the village.

At the time, Xu Ying didn't care at all, thinking that since the enemy had already attacked this place, what did it matter if there were big trees or not?

At this moment, it seems that they were both right!

The dull sound of axes echoed from the hill to the village. The axes of those Guangzhou soldiers were not chopping at the trees, but rather at their hearts and necks.

Everyone could smell the scent of death. This wasn't something that could be accomplished by shouting a few brave words in the darkness last night; it was like seeing a knife about to be slashed at one's neck. Who wouldn't panic?

Soon, the first batch of large logs had been carried down the hill, and then the Gwangju soldiers actually began to attack the manor.

With a deep horn blast, dozens of infantrymen carrying shields marched ahead, followed by a group of auxiliary soldiers and local villagers carrying large logs.

Every now and then, a few armored warriors would walk among them, cheering and shouting encouragement while deflecting incoming arrows.

At this point, the most ruthless side of the Zhuang people finally erupted. They shouted and fired wildly at Bao Yidu, who was pressing forward.

Most of the arrows were either blocked by shields or deflected by armor. Only a very small number managed to hit the gaps in the armor, causing three or five infantrymen to groan and fall to the ground.

Then, several squads of armored soldiers rushed out of the formation carrying shields. Some held up the shields to block the arrows, while the rest grabbed the collars of their wounded comrades and dragged them back into the formation. Then, several healers who treated arrow wounds rushed over, removed the armor from the wounded, placed them on large carts, and pushed them to the back for treatment.

Every now and then, a few people would fall to the ground, and then someone would rush out from behind to the top, and the team would continue to move forward. There was no shouting or yelling, and they continued to advance towards the village gate.

At this moment, Yao Xingzhong, who was guarding the wall with his men, looked at the soldiers below and saw a hallucination.

Five years ago, he was stationed in Liuzicheng with his cousin Yao Zhou. At that time, the government troops besieging Liuzicheng were led by Kang Chengxun, who had been defeated by them.

However, Kang Chengxun soon received the help of three thousand Shatuo cavalry, and their Xuzhou army fought against them again, suffering repeated defeats.

So his cousin ordered Yao Xingzhong to break through the siege and find reinforcements. King Ming then ordered Wang Hongli, a general from Xuzhou, to lead 30,000 elite troops to relieve Liuzicheng.

At that time, Yao Xingzhong accompanied the army to guide them. With his help, the 30,000-strong army crossed the Sui River and attacked the Tang army's Lutang Village at night, trapping Kang Chengxun in the village.

At the time, he and his generals thought they had a great victory in their grasp, but when dawn broke and the Shatuo troops in the Tang army charged out, they realized what a nightmare it was.

Kang Chengxun's Shatuo cavalry charged like lightning, rampaging and indiscriminately defeating 30,000 elite Xuzhou troops. They pursued the main force all the way to the Sui River, where corpses piled up and fell into the water, causing the Sui River to stop flowing.

That battle was the most devastating defeat Yao Xingzhong had ever witnessed against the Xuzhou army. Of the 30,000 elite Xuzhou soldiers, more than 20,000 had their heads cut off, and the corpses stretched for fifty miles from Lutang to Xiangcheng, turning the sky and earth blood-red.

Yao Xingzhong was lucky enough to escape with Wang Hongli. He later learned that after their entire army was wiped out, Liu Zicheng could not be defended either. His cousin led his brothers in dozens of bloody battles against the government troops, but in the end, they were outnumbered.

During the breakout, the Xuzhou army was once again overtaken by the Shatuo army, and the brothers were all wiped out. The elder brother was also killed by his enemy Liang Pi while leading dozens of men to Suzhou.

After that, the Xuzhou army declined rapidly. Although the Ming King rallied them and fought again, they were ultimately no match for the Shatuo army. In the end, tens of thousands of Xuzhou soldiers died, and everything came to naught.

Now, as he looked at the Guangzhou army advancing silently below, he vaguely saw the shadow of the Shatuo army from back then.

The Shatuo army was a cavalry force, while these men were infantry. Logically, the two should be completely different, but their orderly demeanor and natural composure were exactly the same.

That's how the Shatuo army was back then. They charged on horseback, sometimes scattering and sometimes regrouping. Almost every knight knew where he should be and what he should do.

The same is true for the Gwangju army below. Everyone has their own position and their own judgment. This is a first-class elite force, comparable to their Silver Knife Army back then. No, in some aspects, they are even stronger because they are more disciplined!

When the shadows of the Guangzhou army and the Shatuo army, his former enemies, were mixed together, Yao Xingzhong felt a surge of intense anger.

All the Xuzhou army wanted was a military governorship and a peaceful life, but the imperial court wouldn't allow it. The officials from Jianghuai and the imperial court were all hypocrites, each saying they would petition the court for them to become military governors, and then they would gather troops to attack them!
Did everyone force them to die? Ah! Are the lives of the people of Xuzhou just worthless? Ah!

Okay, then I'll do it with you! He should have died five years ago! Living five more years is already a miracle!

This time, he won't run away!

Seeing the approaching Guangzhou soldiers, Yao Xingzhong roared:
Where are the sons of Xuzhou?!

Immediately, about thirty armored soldiers roared in response:
"exist!"

These were the veterans who had taken their armor from their homes earlier. More than four years of banditry had greatly destroyed their combat skills, but their killing intent was three times stronger than before.

Without saying a word, Yao Xingzhong put the helmet he was holding over his head, raised his iron mace, and charged down.

Behind the manor gate, the cart was pushed away, and the gate slowly opened. Yao Xingzhong appeared before Bao Yidu with more than thirty veteran soldiers from Xuzhou. ...

The commander of this battalion of Baoyi troops was Wang Jin, the top general of Baoyi.

He had been sitting on the small slope watching the armored vehicles advance slowly and rhythmically, and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:
"If my Baoyi had 10,000 such elite troops, we could roam the world and none could stand against us."

Then he saw the gate of the manor across the street slowly open, and more than thirty armored soldiers walked out. The leader was carrying an iron mace, and the ones behind him were carrying either long axes or spears.

These armored soldiers walked out and strolled around leisurely, treating the battlefield as their own backyard.

Wang Jin couldn't help but frown. He could certainly tell that the enemy's armored soldiers were elite. Those who could act so freely in front of the battle must be exceptionally brave and fierce.

However, he felt that these people were seeking death. After all, even if they were covered in iron armor, could they withstand a barrage of arrows?
After thinking for a moment, Wang Jin raised the small flag, ready to send the archers forward and end it all.

But at that moment, the cavalry, who had been waiting on the slope to observe the battle without any intention of making a move, suddenly moved.

Wang Jin hurriedly put down the small flag, turned his head to the side, and saw his own generals leading Guo Congyun, Ding Hui, Ding Huaiyi, Liu Xin, Huo Yanchao, Li Jian, Zhang Qianyu, Xu Yao, Wang Huan, Hua Hong, Kang Baoyi and other cavalry generals rushing out.

Wang Jin couldn't help but shake his head; his own family was about to discover another talented individual.

……

Zhao Huai'an led his cavalrymen out, each holding a brittle wooden lance. These lances were standard-issue and would break after one use.

However, this type of lance has one advantage: it shatters and explodes upon impact, generating a thrusting force rather than a stabbing force. This often knocks the opponent over rather than killing them directly with the lance.

Therefore, using this type of spear often resulted in wounding the enemy without killing them, which was a common tactic used by Tang cavalry to capture them alive.

That's right, Zhao Huai'an appreciated talent. The warrior who came out of the village should be Yao Xingzhong, whom Zhang Ben mentioned.

He wasn't idle last night; he just waited for Wang Jin's infantry to arrive and join him.

When they were encamped at midnight, Zhao Huai'an summoned the captured bandits and asked them what kind of person Yao Xingzhong was.

Different people told different stories about Yao Xingzhong.

Some say he participated in the Battle of Lutang Village five years ago and escaped from the carnage. Others say he is usually taciturn, only revealing his true feelings when drinking. Still others say he is tough, remaining silent during the whipping today.

The different ways these people spoke pieced together a complex picture of a person, which gave Zhao Huai'an some ideas.

This Yao Xingzhong is quite something.

He also learned about Xu Ying's character from the captured bandits, who had previously become a headless ghost under Liu Zhijun's spear.

Perhaps because the person was already dead, these people were quite outspoken. One of them said something that allowed Zhao Huai'an to see the person's true character.

It is said that once an old soldier from Xuzhou suddenly cried, and Xu Ying saw it and asked what had happened.

Then the old soldier wiped away his tears and said that today was the anniversary of his wife's death. Back then, the traitor Zhang Xuanren attacked and captured Xuzhou, plundered all of Pang's relatives and killed them all, and his wife was the one who was killed at that time.

Logically, Xu Ying should have at least offered some words of comfort upon hearing this, since these veterans were loyal soldiers who followed his father's generation. But what did Xu Ying say?
He smiled and said to those around him:

"It's a pity that your old, fleshy body has benefited the Xuzhou stray dogs, while my Canghuang is still hungry."

Canghuang was one of Xu Ying's dogs. Because he loved hunting, he kept more than ten fierce dogs in his manor. To keep them ferocious, he often fed them human flesh.

Where did the doxxing come from? Aren't they just those travelers on the river and some people who offended Xu Ying?

The person who told Zhao Huai'an this story was one of the gatekeepers at the time. He said he would remember those words and the old soldier's expression for the rest of his life.

It is said that the old soldier died that very night, but no one knows why he died. Some people say that he went to the backyard with a knife in the middle of the night, which is where Xu Ying and his wives and concubines lived.

When Zhao Huai'an heard this story, he remained silent.

If Xu Ying hadn't already been dead, he would have beaten him to death after hearing this story.

Yet this mean-spirited and ungrateful man entrusted his family and children to Yao Xingzhong. He even whipped Yao Xingzhong during the day. Either Yao Xingzhong was a fool, or Yao Xingzhong was someone he could completely trust.

Of course, no matter what Yao Xingzhong's character was like, that was not the reason why Zhao Huai'an wanted him.

What he valued most was something that many people hadn't mentioned, but only one old soldier had said: this person had actually participated in the battle against the Shatuo army and had escaped from their pursuit.

This experience piqued Zhao Huai'an's interest.

Ever since learning of Huang Chao's uprising, Zhao Huai'an has regarded the Shatuo army as a major enemy, especially after he acquired a cavalry force of several hundred men, which raised this concern to the extreme.

Only those who have led cavalry know just how formidable they are!
Just look at the battle where he defeated Xu Ying. He did it so easily, as if those bandits were just handing themselves over to Zhao Dadao.

However, if Zhao Da hadn't suddenly led his cavalry to raid behind the enemy lines, if the enemy hadn't been so disorganized, and if Xu Ying hadn't exposed his own position, this wouldn't have been an easy battle.

The core of Xu Ying's gang consisted of remnants of the Xuzhou army, while the outer ring consisted of salt and tea merchants from Guang, Shou, Shen, and Cai, who were engaged in murder and robbery.

Although these people had been bandits for a long time and no longer cared about battle, their skills in killing had become increasingly formidable.

If Zhao Huai'an had led an infantry force, he would have had to suffer certain casualties to defeat Xu Ying, and even if he had, Xu Ying would have escaped.

Where else can we settle things in one decisive battle, with a single blow to the head? And then come and take over the wealth these bandits have accumulated over the years?

This is the power of cavalry!

As the most formidable cavalry in the north, the Shatuo army would inevitably be a major obstacle on his path forward. However, none of his subordinates knew anything about the Shatuo army, and even those who did only knew hearsay.

How can it be as intuitive as Yao Xingzhong's personal experience?
So for this reason alone, Zhao Huai'an decided to spare this man's life and let him tell him about the Shatuo Army so that he could see just how powerful they were!

Zhao Huai'an was originally sitting on a stool watching Wang Jin attack the village. He was even calculating when he could return to Ding County, after all, he was really too busy and had a lot of things to do.

The core team generals have not yet been appointed to the shogunate, the mountain strongholds have not yet been cleared out, and the pests in the state have not yet been eliminated.

But just as Zhao Huai'an was being nonchalant, he saw the doors of the manor across the street open, and an armored warrior led more than thirty armored soldiers out.

Zhao Huai'an stood up immediately.

Zhao Da loved Han, but what exactly did he love? In fact, it boils down to two words: "courage".

What Zhao Huai'an loves is this courage that is inherent in some people.

Fear of death is human nature; no one is unafraid of death. But it is precisely this naturalness that makes courage so precious.

Everyone fears death, but some people, when faced with death, choose to stand up instead of groveling or submitting. They choose to take up arms and fight!

Such a person possesses the highest quality of humankind: courage!
Unexpectedly, Yao Xingzhong turned out to be just that kind of person!

Zhao Huai'an laughed loudly, pointed at Yao Xingzhong and said to the group of cavalry generals standing behind him:
"Brothers, let's have a contest with Zhao Da today and see who can capture this man and present him to me! The one who wins will get this cloak I'm wearing!"

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an took off his cloak and hung it on a treetop.

Then he grabbed a spear, mounted his horse, and was the first to charge down the slope.

Behind him, a group of cavalrymen mounted their horses and followed. Naturally, none of them dared to compare with Jiang Junzhen, and they all tacitly protected Jiang Jun in the middle.

Meanwhile, Huo Yanchao and Zhang Qianyu, both skilled in archery and horsemanship, secretly took out their bows, ready to shoot the bandits should any danger arise.

Now that everyone's going to play, let's play along with them.

……

But some young people get carried away and forget the true nature of the game.

At this moment, the young Hua Hong spurred his horse and galloped ahead of Zhao Huai'an. Looking at Yao Xingzhong, who was standing there holding an iron mace, he shouted:
"Hua Hong of Yingzhou, watch out!"

As he spoke, Hua Hong thrust his spear at Yao Xingzhong, who then grabbed it and swung his other hand, striking the skull of Hua Hong's warhorse with his mace.

With a single, direct strike, the warhorse let out a mournful neigh and fell to the ground. Hua Hong was caught off guard and his saddle caught on his calf.

Yao Xingzhong took three steps in two, raised his iron mace, and swung it at Hua Hong's head.

At this moment, in Hua Hong's eyes, the iron mace grew larger and larger, and death was imminent!

But someone forcefully pulled him back from the grasp of the Black and White Impermanence. With a "thud," Zhao Huai'an, who was rushing behind him, struck Yao Xingzhong's breastplate with his spear.

In a single blow, Yao Xingzhong was sent flying through the air, accompanied by shattered wood fragments, and lay motionless on the ground.

Behind him, Kang Baoyi, the most skilled rider, came from behind and rammed into an armored soldier wielding an axe. With a cracking sound, the soldier groaned and flew away, but he was still able to move.

Then more and more cavalrymen and knights crashed down, and thirty armored soldiers from Xuzhou were knocked unconscious and bound.

At this moment, Yao Xingzhong was still lying on the ground, motionless.

Zhao Huai'an was stunned. Had he accidentally killed him with a spear?
He was about to dismount to check, but Ding Hui jumped down and ran over first. He saw Yao Xingzhong still weakly squinting, and shouted to Zhao:

"My lord, this man is still alive."

The others then came down to help, and began to remove Yao Xingzhong's armor. Only then did everyone see that the hemp clothing under the iron armor was already stained with blood.

Ding Hui carefully lifted the hempen clothes and saw that Yao Xingzhong's chest and back were covered with whip marks, his skin torn and his flesh exposed, a shocking sight.

At this moment, everyone fell silent.

This person is so badly injured, yet still wearing armor. This person is truly ruthless!
Zhao Huai'an, riding alongside, also saw Yao Xingzhong's situation, turned his head and shouted towards Wang Jin's direction:

"Old Pei, Old Pei, where have you been? Hurry up and save this person! He needs to be alive!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Min, the great physician of the Baoyi Army, came running over with his four apprentices, pushing a two-wheeled wooden cart adorned with red and white flags.

Finally, Zhao Huai'an looked at Yao Xingzhong, who was too weak to open his eyes, and called out:

"You're a real man! If you can hold on, you're with me from now on!"

Then, he saw Yao Xingzhong close his eyes.

(End of this chapter)