Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 164 Situation

When the banquet ended, all the generals stayed overnight in the main camp, but Zhao Huai'an, Zhang Guinian, and Yuan Xi stayed in the tent for a late-night talk by candlelight.

Zhao Huai'an took out the document from earlier that day. This document was actually issued by the Secretariat, although it was written in the emperor's voice. But who doesn't know that His Majesty is only thirteen years old? What kind of government affairs can a child handle?
Therefore, the arrangement made for Zhao Huai'an at this time was exactly what the prime ministers under the court wanted.

At this moment, Zhao Huai'an called Zhang Guinian and Yuan Xi for a private talk to analyze the current situation. After thinking about it, he concluded that the situation was not optimistic.

Not only the imperial court, but also the situation in Guang Prefecture is not looking good.

Actually, although it was said to be a three-person talk, it was mainly Zhang Guinian who was doing the talking.

He had previously worked as a front man for the Yu family, a powerful eunuch clan, advocating for them in places like the Hongwen Academy and the Imperial Academy. Almost every powerful eunuch family had someone with Zhang Guinian's status.

Zhang Guinian was not too surprised when he saw that Zhao Huai'an did not know much about the Yu family, after all, Yu Chaoen was a powerful eunuch from the time of Emperor Suzong to Emperor Daizong.

The reason why the Shence Army was able to become the main force of the Imperial Guard was because this person led the Shence Army to accompany Emperor Daizong back to the capital when the Tubo invaded Chang'an in the first year of Guangde reign of Emperor Daizong, which led to the later illustrious Shence Imperial Guard.

However, Yu Chaoen later had a conflict with Emperor Daizong and was executed, after which the family went downhill.

However, Emperor Dezong later exonerated the Yu family and erected a stele in their honor, allowing the Yu family to gradually recover.

During the reign of Emperor Wenzong, his family produced a lieutenant, but then fell silent. They were not comparable to families like the Liu, Ximen, and Yang families.

Back then, when Zhang Guinian went to the capital, he was given some money because he was down on his luck and, like Yu Chaoen, the patriarch of the Yu family, came from Sichuan, so they managed to keep him alive in Chang'an.

However, Yu also gave Zhang Guinian a task: to listen and observe more in places like the Hongwen Hall, which served as the mouthpiece of the court and the public, and then summarize the information for Yu.

At that time, Zhang Guinian was barely surviving, so he didn't care whether he was working for a powerful eunuch family or not. He accepted the money without hesitation and became a so-called "eunuch's" retainer.

Although he felt awkward, Zhang Guinian was a man of loyalty and righteousness. Having taken the money from the Mermaid, he naturally had to be loyal to her, so he was indeed seriously collecting intelligence.

Chang'an is a city woven with power, and where there is power, there is all sorts of information. Here, information is more precious than gold.

Places like the Imperial Academy and the Hongwen Academy were the largest information markets in Chang'an for those not in power, because the students there were mostly the sons of officials of the fifth rank or above in the capital.

Although these people are not in official positions, they are exposed to information through daily exposure because their fathers, brothers, uncles and aunts are all high-ranking officials, and they also have their own channels of information.

While these people entered places like the Imperial Academy for the imperial examinations, they also had the purpose of exchanging information. They often gathered and exchanged intelligence for their fathers and even sought allies. Therefore, these places, like small officialdoms, were full of intrigue and deceit, no less so than the Daming Palace.

However, these people are mostly young people with fickle minds. They think they are from high-class families and often talk big without regard for others.

It's not that this student is incompetent or that the vice minister is useless; it's that bringing him here would cause all sorts of problems.

I wish I could shout to everyone:
“The officials in the court of Yan are all insects.”

Because of these people, Zhang Guinian learned a great deal about the people in the court during his years of lodging at the Imperial Academy, which gave him an upper-class perspective that was not appropriate for his status.

But he couldn't just drift along like this. The imperial examination was held once a year, but Zhang Guinian took it for four years and failed to pass each time. Eventually, he gave up and thought that since he was working for the Yu family, he should ask the Yu family to pull some strings.

But in the end, he didn't even get to see the person's face; instead, he was asked a question by a doorman:

"Who are you!"

Then it was fired.

It was only then that Zhang Guinian realized that there were countless people like him in the Yu family. They hired him not because of who he was or how well he did his job, but because they didn't even know if anyone read the intelligence reports that were regularly sent to the mansion every month.

They didn't even care about Zhang Guinian's existence. It was just a few strings of cash a year, which wasn't even worth as much as the chain of the guard dog in front of the Yu family mansion.

Chang'an is just that cruel.

Zhang Guinian was disheartened and felt that he was too old. Rather than wasting all his youth in Chang'an, this meat grinder, and not even knowing where he would be buried after he died, he would rather return to his hometown as soon as possible and become a private tutor.

Then he had the opportunity to meet Zhao Huai'an; such is the power of fate.

He had always been embarrassed to talk about this, after all, it was not a very honorable thing for a scholar to serve as a retainer for an eunuch, even if the retainer was only an unofficial one.

However, as he rose higher and higher in Zhao Huai'an's team, and Zhao Huai'an's trust in him grew stronger, he became indifferent and brought up his past during a late-night chat with Zhao Huai'an.

He still remembers Zhao Huai'an patting him on the shoulder and saying:
"A hero's origins are irrelevant! Once you reach the top, who cares about the path you took? So don't worry about so much, the best is yet to come."

The magistrate always speaks in such a simple and unpretentious manner.

But it was precisely this simplicity that ignited a passion within him!

……

At this moment, under the dappled candlelight, Zhang Guinian told Zhao Huai'an and Yuan Xi about the current prime ministers of the court.

Zhang Guinian took a sip of tea and said:
"Now that His Majesty is young, power is held by the Northern and Southern Offices. The lieutenants of the Northern Office are mainly in the business of making money, while the real ones handling state affairs are the subordinates of the Southern Office."

As he spoke, Zhang Guinian said to Zhao Huai'an:

“My lord, our current military governor was once a prime minister. However, he was disliked by the chief prime minister, Xiao Fang, and was sent to Huainan to become a military governor. Otherwise, he could have been called a ‘military governor’.”

Zhao Huai'an curled his lip and, in front of his two trusted confidants, said directly:
"Let that Commander Liu have his fun. He stole my family's gold. I'll settle the score with him later."

Zhang Guinian and Yuan Xi exchanged glances, knowing their lord's character—he would hold a grudge even for the smallest loss—and both smiled.

After mentioning Liu Ye, Zhang Guinian said:
"Among those who helped Xiao Fang overthrow Liu Ye back then, there was one named Cui Yanzhao. According to the court's official gazette, he was appointed as a Chancellor last year and became one of the Chancellors under his command. Like Chancellor Xiao, he was a person who hated evil and was quite powerful. When Emperor Yizong died, the actor Li Keji, who was favored by Emperor Yizong, was exiled to Lingnan by Cui Yanzhao and eventually died there."

At this point, Zhang Guinian added:
"However, Li Keji also met his end in a righteous way. He could sing songs and compose music without anyone saying anything to him. But he had to show off in front of Emperor Yizong and staged a play called 'Playing with the Three Teachings,' which greatly offended Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. If he didn't die, who would?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huai'an perked up and hurriedly asked:

"Oh, what's going on here? How can you offend Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism at the same time? Old Zhang, tell me all about it. I'd love to hear it."

Zhang Guinian smiled too. He knew that his lord liked to hear this, so he deliberately brought it up to amuse his lord. But he didn't want to be a favorite and have to criticize the matter with a stern face.

Sigh, Old Zhang has gone to great lengths to make his lord smile more.

At this moment, Zhang Guinian squinted and said:

"Li Keji said that Confucius, Buddha, and Laozi of the three schools of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are all women. My lord, do you think this won't offend people from these three religions? Especially since Cui Yanzhao claims to be a pure Confucian, once Emperor Yizong is gone, won't he be killed?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huai'an exclaimed in surprise, not understanding how these three families had become women. He urged Lao Zhang to explain quickly and not beat around the bush.

Then Zhang Guinian couldn't help but laugh:
"That person was performing at the Yanqing Festival. After he went on stage, he said that he was well-versed in the three schools of thought. Then there was a performer next to him who asked, 'Since you are well-versed in the three schools of thought, do you know who Shakyamuni Buddha is?'"

Zhang Guinian paused for a moment and then said:

"Then Li Keji said that Shakyamuni Buddha was a woman. Why is that? My lord, please let me explain."

Zhao Huai'an was ready, and then he heard Zhang Guinian put on a high-pitched performance:

“The last sentence of the first chapter of the Diamond Sutra is: ‘At that time, when the World-Honored One was eating, he put on his robes, took his bowl, and entered the great city of Shravasti to beg for alms. After begging for alms in the city in due order, he returned to his dwelling place. After eating, he put away his robes and bowl, washed his feet, spread out his seat, and sat down.’”

When Zhang Guinian said "sit on a mat," Zhao Huai'an immediately realized what he meant and burst into laughter:
"What a talent! Hahaha, amazing!"

I never expected that the Tang Dynasty would also have puns.

Yuan Xi, on the other hand, didn't react. He was penniless. His wife would wash her hands until they broke just from borrowing Confucian classics to read them. Where would he get the money to borrow any Buddhist books?
He had never heard of the Diamond Sutra before, and when he saw the chief secretary utter it so readily, he was filled with admiration.

My family's patriarch is indeed learned; I never imagined he could recite Buddhist scriptures. It's a pity he doesn't know these scriptures and can't even understand a joke.

Zhang Guinian, however, noticed his embarrassment and offered to explain on his behalf:

"Sitting on the seat is the posture of monks in meditation, but that pitiful Li used this phrase to say, 'If the Buddha is not a woman, why should her husband sit down first?'"

Now Yuan Xi understood, and said with a smile:
"This Li Kelian is indeed quick-witted, but he was certainly too abrupt."

Zhao Huai'an, however, did not think so. He only thought that his ancestors of the Tang Dynasty had no sense of humor and that they would be killed for telling a joke.

Knowing there was a real Taoist priest in the camp, Zhao Huai'an asked Zhang Guinian to tell the story about the Taoist priest. Zhang Guinian gave a brief explanation, the gist of which was that there was a classic Taoist text, which was also a kind of pun, but the story was really bad. Zhao Huai'an just grinned, but didn't laugh.

Over there, Yuan Xi, fearing Zhang Guinian would be embarrassed, returned the favor and asked:

"Then how did Confucius become a woman?"

At this moment, Zhang Guinian felt a little embarrassed, hesitated for a moment, and said:

The actor said something from the Analects: "Sell it! Sell it! I'm waiting for a price." He meant that if one is not a woman, why should one wait to get married?

The air became quiet.

Yuan Xi naturally understood the anecdotes from the Analects, so he looked a little embarrassed after hearing this.

The phrase "waiting for the best price" originates from this saying. Originally, it meant having talent and waiting for a virtuous person to use it, but now the actor has described it as a young woman in her boudoir waiting to be married.

What was even more painful was that he discovered the entertainer was actually right.

To think that Yuan Xi could change her fate was simply because she married a wise ruler, right? Alas, to be spoken of like this by a mere entertainer, how shameful!

Zhang Guinian chuckled twice, glanced at Zhao Huai'an, and seeing him laughing, asked:
"What is your lord laughing at?"

Zhao Da laughed heartily:
"I was laughing at the last joke, it was really funny."

Then the air grew even more silent.

Zhao Huai'an joked with the two of them, clapping his hands and laughing:

"It's fine to consider them as husband and wife, since they're family. But I prefer the brotherhood perspective. Brothers are about sharing joys and sorrows, not just living together, but also about having a sense of loyalty and striving to make something of themselves. That's what we should all be looking for."

Seeing that the two seemed to be deep in thought, Zhao Huai'an smiled.

He knew, of course, that Zhang Guinian told this joke because he had been angry about an impeachment letter during the day and wanted to vent his anger; he understood Zhang's intentions perfectly.

Therefore, he said to Zhang Guinian:
"Old Zhang, we've finished telling the jokes. Let's get down to business. In your opinion, how should we interpret the imperial court's intentions? Do they want me to send troops to the Central Plains to fight Wang Xianzhi?"

Zhang Guinian pondered for a moment and replied:

"My lord, based on my opinion of those people, I'm afraid they didn't mean that."

Zhao Huai'an's Dou Yi:
"Oh, why is that?"

Zhang Guinian explained it this way:
"These high-ranking officials value the dignity of the court above all else. In their view, today's bandits are nothing compared to the Pang Xun Rebellion of yesteryear. Back then, the court didn't even mention sending troops from Huainan; they used the Zhongwu and Xuanwu armies. Now, these mere bandits have only attacked two prefectures. What's that? At most, the Zhongwu army will suffice. Why would they need to mobilize our troops from further south?"

Zhao Huai'an nodded, acknowledging that Zhang Guinian's explanation was reasonable to a certain extent.

But he still had his own opinion:

“What you say makes some sense, but things are different now. I think this band of thieves won’t be so easy to wipe out; in fact, it might get even worse.”

After learning about the uprisings of Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao, Zhao Huai'an began sending merchants and spies towards the Central Plains as soon as he arrived in Guang Prefecture, in order to obtain the latest intelligence on the bandits in the Central Plains.

At this moment, he made the following assessment of the situation to his two advisors:
"One of the most important reasons why Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao were able to amass a force of ten thousand after conquering Cao and Pu provinces was that they absorbed a large number of the remnants of Pang Xun's rebellion. I learned this from Lao Yao. He told me that after Pang Xun's defeat, his remaining followers scattered and became bandits in Yan, Yun, Qing, and Qi provinces. After Wang and Huang gained fame and fortune, these people gradually joined the bandits."

"The core of these bandits, Wang and Huang, is their salt-trading followers. While they are fierce and valiant in battle, they are ignorant of military strategy and lack understanding of the government army's situation and the strengths and weaknesses of the various prefectures. However, with these remnants of Pang Xun's army, the situation is different. Not only has their combat capability been improved, but more importantly, they have a thorough understanding of the military strength and combat power of the various prefectures in the Central Plains. After all, these people fought against Pang Xun's remnants just four years ago."

"The rise of Wang and Huang was also related to the flooding of the Yellow River. For example, Puyang was located on the banks of the Yellow River and suffered the most severe damage. However, the imperial court did not provide disaster relief, so it could only push the disaster victims to Cao Cao's side. That's why they were able to gather tens of thousands of followers in just a few months."

At this moment, Zhang Guinian and Yuan Xi were listening attentively. Suddenly, Zhang Guinian thought of something and subconsciously shouted it out:
"My lord's judgment is correct, and the bandits are likely to become even more rampant. Merchants traveling north have reported that since July or August, a severe locust plague has broken out in the Central Plains. The locusts have darkened the sky, and all the states in the Central Plains have been severely affected. People are suffering and starving to death. If these disaster victims do not receive resettlement and relief, they will inevitably join the bandits. In this way, the bandits will be impossible to eradicate."

Zhao Huai'an nodded; that was exactly what he wanted to say.

Historically, once a rebellion gains the support of the peasantry, it is virtually impossible to suppress. During the late Ming Dynasty, how diligently did the Ming court suppress bandits? Yet, every time one rebellion was suppressed, another would spring up. The more they suppressed, the more rebellions arose. This was because, given the environment, the only way for ordinary people to survive was to join the bandits.

The situation is exactly like that of Wang and Huang now. The floods allowed them to rise, but the floods only affected a few prefectures along the Yellow River. But the locust plague is different; it affects a vast area, the entire Central Plains, which directly creates an environment for bandits to grow stronger.

Therefore, even without relying on his historical knowledge from his previous life, Zhao Huai'an knew that the imperial court simply could not suppress the bandits.

So he said to his two advisors:
"And what will happen if the bandits cannot be controlled? They will inevitably plunder other prefectures to obtain grain. In Cao and Pu prefectures, the only force they can fight is Xuanwu Army to the west. Bian and Song prefectures have always been rich, so in theory, it would be better to attack them. However, these are also the places where the imperial court has the most troops. Therefore, the bandits who have risen hastily are unlikely to be able to defeat Zhongwu Army. Thus, their only chance is Yan and Yi prefectures to the east."

“Taking these two prefectures would not only allow us to plunder grain, but more importantly, it would allow us to join forces with the bandits of Mount Tai. Just like the Dabie Mountains here, Mount Tai is also full of outposts, and many heroes and outlaws have taken refuge there. Most of the bandits’ army are from the outlaw world, so how could they not know this? Therefore, I judge that the bandits’ subsequent offensive will mainly target the two prefectures of Yan and Yi.”

After saying this, Zhao Huai'an seemed quite certain:
"The bandits' attack on Yizhou is both a development and a respite for the imperial court. There are many capable people in the court. Even if they looked down on the bandits before, they all know how powerful they are after the locust plague in July. Therefore, in order to prevent these bandits from escaping, the imperial court will most likely use a strategy of encirclement from all sides."

"Therefore, the vassal states of Zhongwu, Xuanwu, Yicheng, and Tianping will inevitably be required to send troops to suppress the bandits. And I recently received a letter from Song Gong, the military governor of Pinglu; he came to exchange pleasantries with us, so you understand now."

Yuan Xi arrived late and was unaware of the relationship between the Baoyi Army and the Song family, but Zhang Guinian knew, and frowned, saying:

"Does Lord Song want us to send troops?"

Zhao Huai'an nodded:
"It was rather vague, but Lord Song did express his thoughts on suppressing the bandits, so I suspect that Lord Song might petition the court to allow him to lead the Pinglu Army to suppress the bandits."

"Given the relationship between our army and Old Song, he would not fail to mention our army's prowess in battle to his uncle. Thus, if Lord Song were to encounter any difficulties, he would certainly want our army to cross the border."

At this moment, Yuan Xi, who had been listening the whole time, suddenly said:
"My lord, in truth, our army cannot escape it either. After listening to your analysis of the bandits, I understand that their rise is due to the floods and locust plagues. However, the Central Plains, which have suffered from these disasters, are also short of food. In particular, this locust plague broke out in July, so the autumn harvest in September will be completely lost. Therefore, no matter how many prefectures and counties the bandits attack, they will not be able to stay."

Zhao Huai'an was taken aback, and gestured for Yuan Xi to continue.

Encouraged by this, Yuan Xi also boldly expressed his views:
"It's still September now. Generally speaking, when the disaster first strikes, people still have food to eat. But after September, because there is no rice after the autumn harvest, people have no food to replenish. Usually, people just store rice, but at most they can only store it for a few months. So once October or November comes, people who have no rice to eat will inevitably turn to bandits. Therefore, the banditry will reach its peak around November this year."

"As more and more refugees from the Central Plains join the rebel army, they themselves will become even more rice-starved. Since there is no rice in the Central Plains, they will eventually have to move on to other places. Once these bandits become itinerant bandits, they will be like locusts, devouring everything in their path. The local people who have no rice will have no choice but to join the bandits if they want to survive. As a result, the number of rebel armies will increase. At that time, the only place in the world that can support so many people is the Jianghuai region."

“My Guangzhou is located at a crucial point in the southward journey from the Central Plains to the Jianghuai region. Since ancient times, those who came from Yan, Zhao, Qin and Jin passed through Guangzhou to the south, and those who came from Minyue, Wu and Chu passed through Guangzhou to the north, all because Guangzhou is the closest.”

"Therefore, if the imperial court orders the various vassal states to set up a large encirclement and annihilate the bandits in one fell swoop, that would be fine. But if they are defeated, or if the bandits escape, they will surely move south, and then my Guang Prefecture will have no way to avoid them."

Yuan Xi was indeed remarkable; he immediately grasped Zhao Huai'an's thoughts.

He's been very irritable lately, and that's exactly why.

It was only after arriving in Gwangju and gathering intelligence on the surrounding area that he realized he had chosen a place that was truly a battleground.

Whether the attack is from the north to the south or from the south to the north, Gwangju, where he is located, is a place where military operations are conducted, and there is no way to avoid it.

Why did he attack the Dabie Mountains? It was to increase his strategic depth. If he couldn't withstand the rebel armies of Wang and Huang in Guangzhou, he could retreat into the mountains.

So when the old Taoist priest offered him the strategy of encirclement today, Zhao Huai'an was overjoyed, because this man had truly relieved him of a great burden.

Thinking of this, Zhao Huai'an suddenly called out to Old Mo outside:
"Old Mo, go find a blanket. It's cold in the mountains, and our camp is near the water, so it's terribly damp and cold. Take it to that old Taoist priest."

Old Mo said "okay" and then went to do it.

After giving this instruction, Zhao Huai'an smiled and said to the two of them:

"Don't be fooled by the old Taoist's impressive martial arts skills during the day. He jumps and leaps around, but he doesn't rely on his physical strength. He's just showing off. If he gets sick in the camp, I, Zhao Da, will feel terrible for him."

Zhang Guinian and Yuan Xi both laughed, inwardly marveling at their lord:
“A truly benevolent ruler.”

Meanwhile, after laughing at the old Taoist priest, Zhao Huai'an suddenly said seriously:

"Time waits for no one. The bandits of Guangshan alone have already taken our army two months, not to mention the many more bandits of Shuzhou. So, you two, please continue your efforts."

Zhang Guinian and Yuan Xi stood up together, straightened their clothes, bowed, and said hello.

As night fell as still as water, heroes rallied, dragons and snakes rose from the land, and the deer of the Central Plains grew ever fatter.

　There's a second post this morning, but I'm rushing to catch the train home, so I should post it on the way.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)