Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 172 It's Too Cold

On a magnificent ship, the outside was bitterly cold, but the inside was warm and cozy.

Hot tea was brewing on the stove, and Yan Zhang, the prefect of Shouzhou, was talking to his advisor, Sun Taichu.

"Chief Clerk, do you think the Prefect of Guang Prefecture will come?"

Sun Taichu was taken aback, not understanding why his lord had said that:

"My lord, you are the Prefect of Shouzhou and the Chief Envoy for Pacification. Shouldn't you invite him here to discuss the matter of pacification and suppression?"

It's no wonder Sun Taichu thought this way, because among the eight prefectures of Huainan, Shouzhou was the second largest prefecture after Yangzhou, and it was on par with Chuzhou in Huaidong.

The entire Huainan Circuit was actually divided into Huaidong and Huaixi geographically. The area west of Haozhou, Shouzhou, and Luzhou was Huaixi, and the area east of them was Huaidong. Shouzhou was an important node in Huaixi, guarding the Yingkou waterway, an important waterway for grain transport, while Chuzhou was the key to Huaidong, controlling the Yongdao and Bianshui waterways for grain transport.

Therefore, Shouzhou and Chuzhou to the east, located to the west and east respectively, guarded Yangzhou, the wealthiest and most important town in the world.

However, if we compare Shouzhou alone with Chuzhou, Shouzhou is even more important because it is situated in the west of the Huai River and overlooks the east of the Huai River, giving it a commanding position.

If the enemy occupies Shouzhou, their troops will move eastward across a flat plain, offering little opportunity for resistance.

Therefore, defending Huai is defending Shou. If Shou is there, Huainan is there; if Shou falls, Huainan falls.

It is precisely because of the importance of Shouzhou that the governor here is different from the governors of other places. He is directly granted a banner and armor by the imperial court and is of the same standard as the regional military governor.

In other words, the governor of Shouzhou was a regional military governor.

Moreover, this was not merely honorary; in terms of official appointments and troop numbers, they received the same treatment as regional military governors. The governors of the prefectures also wore general's seals, and the establishment of recruitment offices and official documents was comparable to that of regional military governors.

So, as the governor of such a large prefecture, is it wrong for him to call a meeting with a mere governor of Guang Prefecture?

In fact, Yan Zhang thought so too, otherwise he wouldn't have sent someone to inform them. But when he thought of the arrogant actions of the governor of Guang Prefecture in Huo County, he directly broke into the city and killed a powerful family.

Moreover, that powerful family had connections with the shogunate, which made Yan Zhang think more deeply.

Thinking of this, Yan Zhang sighed and revealed some of his true feelings to his trusted chief secretary:
"Our military governor is no good person. He only gave two assignments: a deputy envoy to suppress bandits to Zhao Huai'an and a chief envoy to pacify us. Isn't he deliberately trying to make us fight each other?"

"However, this young man has risen to a high position at such a young age. He thinks he can act recklessly just because he has some troops under his command. I have heard that he has killed countless virtuous and respected people in Guang Prefecture. He is only a prefect and he has already committed such killings. This is not a blessing for the country. I brought him here today to let him know that young people should not be too arrogant. It is not good for him or the country."

Sun Taichu, who was standing next to him, nodded and praised:
"As expected of the governor, he has the demeanor of an elder. He has already put his heart into the country and into serving younger generations like Zhao Huai'an."

Yan Zhang shook his head, finished his small cup of Xiaoguangshan liquor, and then asked Sun Taichu to pour him another cup.

Looking at the golden-yellow tea, this governor, who came from a background as a Mo Dao (a type of ancient Chinese swordsman), couldn't help but praise it:
"That Zhao Da is quite something. It's no ordinary person to have made such contributions in the national war. He also has a lot of ingenuity in making tea. He's a refined person. I haven't seen many people like him. I guess he's probably only as good as the Prime Minister Gao back then."

After speaking, Yan Zhang also said to Sun Taichu:

"So, young Sun, if this governor of Guang Prefecture can heed my words, he will surely become a powerful minister in the future! His future is limitless."

However, while Yan Zhang favored Zhao Huai'an, Sun Taichu held a different view:

"My lord, I don't think that the family background of this governor of Guang Prefecture is too low. Even if he has military merits, he will only be a border military governor in the future. He will never be qualified to be appointed prime minister. Not to mention, he is the governor of Huainan and has offended our petty military governor. It is unclear how long he can stay in his position, let alone go any further."

Yan Zhang glanced at Sun Taichu, placed the cup on the table, and said solemnly:
"Young Sun, I appointed you as my chief clerk because I trust your intelligence and ability to assist me in handling state affairs. Therefore, I do not want you to let personal grudges affect your judgment, let alone try to influence me. Considering our long-standing friendship, I will give you this advice today. If there is a next time, there will be no next time."

Sweat poured down Sun Taichu's forehead, and he immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness.

Yan Zhang didn't tell him to get up, but instead said leisurely:
"Although that governor of Guang Prefecture is below me, he's not without connections. You think he has no future in Huainan and will be sidelined by the military governor? But he directly climbed up to Commander Song of the Pacification Headquarters, and that's why he was transferred to the front lines. What fighting power do those cowardly troops have? Why do they need to send troops from Huainan? Isn't it just to give Zhao Da military merit?"

"Look at my assignment again. Zhao Huai? Have you ever seen anyone go to Zhao Huai without first making demands? Besides, with a rabble like that of bandits, wouldn't they melt away like frost and snow when facing the Five Garrisons' army? Do they even need to make Zhao Huai?"

"So, although this governor of Guang Prefecture is arrogant and the prefecture is small, since he has connections above him and troops under his command, he deserves our respect. Who gave you the right to look down on him?"

At this moment, Sun Taichu, who had been reprimanded, was sweating profusely and his face was deathly pale. He begged for mercy:
“My lord, I was mistaken, but you must believe me. It wasn’t because of Wang Xu. He’s just a butcher. Even if he makes some money, he’s nothing to me. I just couldn’t stand his arrogance, so I said a few more words. You must believe me.”

Seeing Sun Taichu's appearance, Yan Zhang nodded and told him to get up.

Finally, he offered a word of advice:
"The world is becoming increasingly turbulent these days. Having more powerful friends is always better than having more enemies. As for that Wang Xu? Forget it. His sister became your concubine, so I won't say anything. But if that maid is too talkative, you need to make her understand what family rules are."

Sun Taichu nodded hastily, deciding to bury the maidservant as soon as he returned from the front lines.

He had assumed that the magistrate also disliked Zhao Huai'an, but he was wrong. Perhaps it was the presence of General Song Wei that changed the magistrate's attitude.

Since that's the case, we shouldn't get involved in Wang Xu's affairs; let him continue to stay in the mountains.

Yan Zhang sipped his tea, waiting for Zhao Huai'an to arrive. He had heard that this Zhao Da was a heavy drinker, but he had been wounded by an arrow during the suppression of the rebellion and had not drunk alcohol for many years. It seemed that he would have to call a few of the army's heavy drinkers to keep him company.

He also wanted to see just how much this self-proclaimed hero of wine, Zhao Da, could actually drink.

Just then, a commotion arose outside. He frowned, and saw his trusted lieutenant, Zhang Ao, rush in, hurriedly saying:

"My lord, something terrible has happened! The Guangzhou army has boarded the ships!"

Yan Zhang froze, tea dripping down his beard and onto his robe. He was about to draw his sword when he heard a loud laugh:
"Old Yan, I heard you're the one who called me to this meeting? Haha."

After he finished speaking, a tall man, about eight feet tall, wearing bright armor and a cloak, lifted the fur curtain and walked in.

Behind him, a dozen or so armored warriors, carrying weapons and maces, filed in, completely blocking the ship's deck.

……

Zhao Huai'an stepped forward, looked at the stunned Yan Zhang, and plopped down on the table next to him. The heavy armor pressed down on the table, creaking loudly.

Holding the stunned Yan Zhang in his arms, Zhao Huai'an laughed:
"Old Yan, didn't you call me here to talk business? What's wrong? Now that I'm here, you're not saying anything?"

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an saw tea boiling on the stove, so he took the copper kettle and refilled Yan Zhang's empty cup with tea. Seeing that Yan Zhang's chest was soaked, he laughed and said:

"Old Yan, you've wasted such good tea. The amount leaked is enough to keep those disaster victims outside alive for another month."

As he spoke, he handed the tea to Yan Zhang.

Seeing that Yan Zhang remained silent, Zhao Huai'an placed the cup of hot tea aside and sighed.

"To be honest, I have a particularly bad impression of people with the surname Yan. Back in Xichuan, I had an enemy with the surname Yan. This guy was a scoundrel, always betraying us hardened warriors, but he also had more soldiers than us, so it seemed like no one could deal with him. Later, Minister Gao came and stood up for us, taking him down in just a few words. In the end, this guy was killed by bandits on the way back to Chang'an because he was carrying too much money."

"Oh, what a horrible death. After his head was cut off, his body was soaked in water and looked like a little giant."

"Oh, right, he had a cousin named Yan Liulang. This guy thought I, Zhao Da, was nothing, that he could kick me to death with one kick, so he wanted to fight me to the death. In the end, what happened? I killed Yan Liulang with three punches."

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an clenched his fist and shoved it in front of Yan Zhang, saying:
"It's with this fist, the size of a sand pot."

Then Zhao Huai'an laughed:
“I, Zhao Da, am just showing off. Who doesn’t know that you, Lao Yan, were a hero when you were fighting Pang Xun, and you were also good at wielding the Mo Dao? I used that thing for a while, but it’s not easy to wield. So, Lao Yan, you are the one who is good at it.”

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an gave Yan Zhang a thumbs up, expressing his admiration for him.

So Zhao Huai'an raised the teacup to Yan Zhang once again:
"Today, I, Zhao Da, offer tea instead of wine as an apology. I didn't have a chance to drink with you when I passed through Shouzhou before, so this is my way of showing my respect."

Yan Zhang finally caught his breath. Looking at the group of fierce warriors and then at the arrogant Zhao Huai'an, he shook his head and said:
"Young man, don't be so arrogant! You haven't seen mountains before, so you think you're something special. You can't stand being wronged, and you think you can use your power to intimidate others. Today, as someone who's been there, I'm giving you some advice, and you might not like it..."

Zhao Huai'an interrupted him abruptly, cursing:
"Old Yan, you're being unreasonable. You know I don't like listening to this, so what are you saying? Today I'm offering you tea instead of wine, so drink it. Otherwise, if you refuse, I think you'll have to suffer the consequences!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the militiamen inside the building all shouted in unison:
"Will you drink or not?"

Yan Zhang shuddered, instinctively taking the teacup and downing it in one gulp. Before he knew it, the tea had already slid down his throat, and his old face flushed crimson with embarrassment. Seeing this, Zhao Huai'an nodded, then pulled up a small stool and sat down opposite Yan Zhang, saying:
"Old Yan, now that you've had this cup of tea, I've done nothing wrong to you, haven't I? As a junior, I've done a good job, haven't I?"

But no sooner had he finished speaking gently than Zhao Huai'an cursed:

"But I respect you. Can you at least respect me? Huh? You're a prefect, and so am I. I haven't been bossing you around, and you're already trying to ride roughshod over me? What, you think that just because you have five hundred elite soldiers and the title of chief envoy, you can treat me, Zhao Da, like a subordinate general and order me around? Huh?"

Yan Zhang was being verbally abused by Zhao Huai'an, who was spitting at him. He got so angry that he started to retort.

But Zhao Huai'an didn't give him a chance to speak at all, slamming the sword at his waist onto the table beside him and cursing:

"Oh, so you mean I was wrong? You're not looking down on me, so you called me here to kill me?"

"Here, the knife is right here. You can pull it out and cut me now."

"Damn it, you really think you're someone important in front of me, acting all high and mighty? I, Zhao Da, crawled out of piles of corpses, and countless volleys of spears couldn't kill me. You, a governor who got his position by taking credit for someone else's military achievements, dare to put me in a position of power?"

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an shoved the knife handle right in front of Yan Zhang and shouted:
"Come on, draw your knife? You dare? I knew you old man wouldn't dare."

Then Zhao Huai'an drew his sword himself, ran his iron hand along the blade, and a glint of autumn water reflected Yan Zhang's panicked eyes. Then Zhao Huai'an said:

“Old Yan, you’re a martial artist too. These days, what do we respect? The robe you’re wearing, or the stool you’re sitting on? It’s all about the knife in our hands.”

"The fact that I can sit in front of you and say these words today, instead of you teaching me how to be a person, already shows that your knife is old, while my knife, unfortunately, is both hard and sharp. You see?"

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an placed the knife against Yan Zhang's neck, the sharp blade sending shivers down the old warrior's spine.

Only then did he realize how formidable Zhao Huai'an was.

His words were sharper than his knife! He was left speechless.

With a knife to his neck, Yan Zhang had no choice but to grit his teeth and say to Zhao Huai'an:

“Zhao Da, I never intended to oppose you. You should know what the military governor is thinking. If we fight, wouldn’t that just be fulfilling Liu Ye’s wish? I know you are powerful now, and you won’t kill me. Why don’t you put down your knife and we talk? After all, we have no enmity, so why draw your sword?”

Zhao Huai'an shrugged, but the knife remained unmoved, and laughed:

"I don't want to either, but these days, if you don't use a knife, people treat you like dirt. How can they sit down and talk to you in a gentle voice?"

Yan Zhang pursed his lips, trying to calm the panic in his heart.

There has been no movement outside so far, which means that Zhao Huai'an has long since taken control of his soldiers.

Now that he's at their mercy, no matter how unwilling he is, he can only swallow this bitter pill.

Even in his heart, he did not resent Zhao Huai'an, but instead resented Liu Ye.

Yes, it's all because of Liu Ye.

He had troops in Shouzhou, and quite a lot of them. He had not only 500 cavalry but also 5,000 to 6,000 infantry, which was 5 to 6 times the strength of a typical prefect.

The reason for this was that the 35,000 troops of the Huainan Army were mainly concentrated along the line from Shouzhou to Huaidong to protect the supply route for the country.

Shouchun alone had 6,000 cavalry and infantry, making it the most important military prefecture in the south.

Originally, Yan Zhang was supposed to take at least three thousand troops with him when he left Kaifeng, but the shogunate refused, on the grounds that if Yan Zhang took most of the troops from Shouzhou, the Shouzhou line would be left vulnerable.

At this time, most of the bandits had already invaded Yizhou, and a large number of bandits from Tai, Lu, Yi, and Mengshan flocked to join them. Under these circumstances, if the bandits suddenly moved south and broke through Haizhou and Sizhou, they could directly attack Huainan. At that time, Yangzhou would face the bandits' attack head-on.

Therefore, Liu Yewan had no intention of letting Yan Zhang lead the troops away.

Yan Zhang, in fact, did not have any support in Shouzhou, because everyone knew that his appointment as governor was not honorable, and that he had made great contributions by taking advantage of the mistakes of his allies.

Furthermore, after arriving in Shouzhou, Yan Zhang changed his military demeanor and became a scholar-official who spent his days with scholars, only inspecting the various camps and towns once every few months.

How can your subordinates trust you if they can't see you, the governor, all day long?
Therefore, once the shogunate issued a military order, Yan Zhang could hardly mobilize any troops. In the end, he could only set off with five hundred elite soldiers and a thousand county soldiers from several counties.

Why did he call Zhao Huai'an over? Actually, it was for this reason. He wanted to establish the hierarchy between superiors and subordinates, with himself as the leader and Zhao Huai'an as the assistant. He would be in charge of the rear and Zhao Huai'an in the front. Later, no matter how much military merit Zhao Huai'an made, wouldn't it all be recorded that he was meritorious in command?
To put it bluntly, he's just doing what he did to earn military merit in the Battle of Pang Xun six years ago, and now he's planning to do the same in Kaifeng.

He had anticipated Zhao Huai'an's rough and uncouth nature. Since he liked wine, he'd just have a good time drinking with him. Wasn't this guy supposed to be loyal? Then he'd become sworn brothers with him. In short, there were plenty of ways to deal with him.

At that time, will you, Zhao Huai'an, still have the nerve not to work hard for your elder brother's good life?
The more merits he makes on the front lines, the more beautiful maids we can keep in the rear!
This is Yan Zhang's good plan.

So when his chief secretary first said that Zhao Huai'an had no future, Yan Zhang was unhappy because Zhao Huai'an didn't make any great contributions, so how could he share the credit?

But to his utter surprise, Zhao Huai'an suddenly slammed the table down without warning. He had only asked Zhao Huai'an to discuss something, yet Zhao Huai'an had led his troops in and even held a knife to his neck.

Heaven have mercy, he became a Buddhist after Shouzhou and hasn't drawn his sword for several years. Now he comes up here shouting for war. This guy is really not someone to mess with.

Yan Zhang, whose spirit had been worn down by the glitz and glamour of Shouzhou, finally bowed his head when he saw the arrogant Zhao Huai'an:

"Zhao Da, just tell me what you want. From now on, whatever you say goes."

Hearing this, Zhao Huai'an finally smiled. He handed the knife to Zhao Liu, who was standing next to him, and said with a laugh:
"Sixth Brother, you too. Everyone knows I'm easily carried away, yet you never stop me. What use are you?"

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an sheathed the knife and handed it to Zhao Liu.

Then he helped the somewhat weak Yan Zhang to his feet and smiled:
"Since you trust me, Zhao Da, so much and want to listen to me, then I will do my best. Here's what we'll do: your five hundred elite soldiers will stay under my command for now. Once we've wiped out the bandits and returned to Huainan, we'll return them to you."

Yan Zhang's face turned bright red, but Zhao Huai'an immediately followed up with:
"Old Yan, you've got a pretty good deal. The soldiers are making contributions for me, and you're just sitting back drinking tea and listening to music while you reap the rewards. On the other hand, I, Zhao Dacai, am destined to be a hard worker! I have to go to the front lines to fight. Don't you think so?"

At this point, what could Yan Zhang say but force a smile?

"Then I'll have to trouble you, little brother, haha, haha."

With a bitter smile, Yan Zhang could only accept that he would become a complete outsider in the days to come.

Over there, Zhao Huai'an, seeing that Yan Zhang had already shown his power, done his stabbing, and turned away his soldiers, didn't want to stay a moment longer. So he stood up, tore the military tally off Yan Zhang's belt, and took his leave.

A moment later, Zhao Huai'an led his righteous generals away triumphantly, leaving behind a mess and Sun Taichu trembling beside him, his robe soaked with sweat.

Yan Zhang trembled with rage, clenching his fists, and said hatefully:
"So arrogant! So arrogant! They really think they can take advantage of my old age and weakness! If I were still thirty, I would have drawn my sword and killed him just now!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the curtain was lifted again, and a cold wind rushed into the building.

Yan Zhang couldn't help but shudder. He looked up and saw that Zhao Da was standing in front of him again. He said in a trembling voice:
"What I just said is that it's a good thing for young people to be a bit energetic; it's a sign of vitality."

Zhao Huai'an didn't speak, but simply scanned Yan Zhang from head to toe, then suddenly laughed:

"Old Du invited us to a banquet. Don't dawdle, just ride in my car with us."

After saying this, Zhao Huai'an carried Yan Zhang out of the building, leaving behind the stunned Prefect of Shouzhou, Sun.

Then Yan Zhang's pleading voice was heard:

"Stop pulling! Let me put on a robe, it's too cold!"

Its mournful voice gradually faded into the distance.

(End of this chapter)