Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 181 Tiger Leap
Zhang Chengye left, leaving only Zhao Huai'an and Yang Fuguang in the large main hall.

The fire crackled between the two men.

After Zhao Huai'an finished introducing himself, Yang Fuguang remained silent, not even glancing at Zhao Huai'an. He was resting his chin on his hand, deep in thought.

Zhao Huai'an didn't know what he was thinking, but he understood that whether he could win the gamble depended on the other person's thoughts in that moment.

The absolute dominance of power from above over below was fully demonstrated in that moment.

After a long while, Yang Fuguang spoke, still smiling:
"Zhao Da, you're quite good. I've heard of you before."

Zhao Huai'an clasped his hands in a fist salute and said:

"Supervisor, I wonder what you've heard of Zhao Da?"

Yang Fuguang was clearly surprised by Zhao Huai'an's "rudeness." He grinned and nodded.
"What have I heard from you? I've heard you're incredibly audacious? I've heard you're unparalleled in your loyalty? And I've even heard you're scheming? Oh, tell me, which one is you?"

Zhao Huai'an nodded and replied:

"The military supervisor really knows our Zhao Da quite well. It seems that our Zhao Da is doing well. Even the military supervisor has heard of our name."

Yang Fuguang was amused by Zhao Huai'an's confidence. He pointed to a small stool next to him and gestured for Zhao Da to sit down and talk.

With a firm resolve, Zhao Huai'an strode up to Yang Fuguang, bowed, and then sat down with an air of authority.

Yang Fuguang nodded secretly. Old Zhou's assessment of this person was accurate; this man was indeed no ordinary martial artist.

He was just thinking about Zhao Huai'an's affairs in Xichuan.

The intelligence that Lao Zhou sent to the Privy Council consisted mostly of information about the governor of Guang Prefecture, detailing everything that had happened since his defeat and escape from Qiong Prefecture.

In Yang Fuguang's view, this intelligence could roughly outline the character and conduct of the governor of Guang Prefecture. His behavior was indeed like that of an ordinary military man: domineering and fond of forming cliques. If there was anything special about him, it was that he seemed to be quite lucky.

After his superior, Huang Jingfu, the former governor of Lizhou, was purged by Gao Pian, Zhao Huai'an was unlikely to survive, given the past practices of that cunning official. He would certainly not be able to make any contributions in the final battle.

Was it really just luck? Yang Fuguang had his doubts.

But it doesn't matter anymore; this guy is definitely interesting.

……

Just as Zhao Huai'an sat down, Yang Fuguang suddenly said:
"You knew I was up there?"

Zhao Huai'an's heart skipped a beat, then he readily admitted:

“That’s right, Zhao Da did know that the military supervisor was here, and he also intended to come here.”

Yang Fuguang's smile widened, but the next moment he said coldly:

"Oh? You know I'm up here, and you beat my adopted son right in front of me and trampled him underfoot? Do you think you're someone important, that you have some troops outside, so you can act recklessly and not take me seriously?"

Finally, Yang Fuguang spoke in a cold voice, and then said sternly:
"And you dare to come here alone? Very well, you're really arrogant! Young man, today I'll show you who you can't afford to offend!"

As he spoke, Yang Fuguang tapped on the table beside him, and a group of armored soldiers poured in from the small doors on both sides, heading straight for Zhao Huai'an.

Zhao Huai'an forcefully suppressed the urge to capture Yang Fuguang in front of him and said in a deep voice:
"It's not that there are some troops outside, but rather 1,500 elite armored soldiers, 500 cavalry, and 3,000 brave warriors. In Guangzhou, there are also 8,000 elite soldiers."

The armored soldiers had already rushed to Zhao Huai'an's side. One of the burly generals reached out to grab Zhao Huai'an, but Zhao Huai'an was faster than him. Just as the other man reached out, Zhao Huai'an suddenly stood up and crashed directly into his arms.

The fierce general, armor and all, was instantly knocked down behind him, and a group of armored soldiers fell.

Zhao Huai'an suppressed his murderous intent and sat down again.

Yang Fuguang squinted. He had seen Zhao Da throw Yang Shouli down from upstairs. He had to admit it was beautiful, but it was too far away to be too amazing.

But when Zhao Huai'an leaped out right in front of him and attacked directly, Yang Fuguang was truly shocked. He had never seen such decisiveness and boldness in his life.

Perhaps Gao Pian had the same spirit and ambition back then, but now he is too old, so old that he can only sit on the shoulders of those laughable Kunlun slaves and can't even draw a bow.

At that moment, Yang Fuguang understood why Gao Pian had spared this man's life: he saw his younger self in this man!
At this moment, the young Gao Pian sat in front of him, looking like he was ready to work for him. Hmph, this is more interesting.

……

Even though Zhao Huai'an suppressed his intense killing intent, the armored soldiers still sensed it. They rushed over and surrounded Zhao Huai'an, but did not continue to attack.

Because the military supervisor spoke.

Yang Fuguang waved his hand to clear the Shence Army soldiers blocking his way, tilted his head and asked:
"Are you telling me this to imply that you're very powerful and that I can't touch you?"

Even with dozens of armored soldiers surrounding him and glaring at him menacingly, Zhao Huai'an still stared back. He looked at Yang Fuguang and said loudly:

"What I wanted to say to the military supervisor was that I, Zhao Huai'an, came here alone at the risk of offending the military supervisor, not to seek death. I don't want to die that much."

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an pushed aside the outwardly strong but inwardly weak Shence Army soldiers and walked to the window facing the street.

Pushing open the window, a cold wind rushed into the hall, cooling down the overly hot atmosphere.

Then, he waved to Zhao Liu and the others below who were getting restless.

Downstairs, Zhao Liu and his companions, who had been kept out by the Yicheng Army's warriors and had not seen Zhao Huai'an for a long time, had reached their limit of patience.

They dared not even think about what they would do if the magistrate's head were thrown out the next moment.

Wang Jin and his men were already prepared; thirty armored generals were waiting inside the building, ready to rush in at any moment.

If anything were to happen to the magistrate, they would fight to the death to kill everyone in the Profit Building and make them pay with their lives.

Then they saw the magistrate waving at them from the window upstairs. Reassured, they raised their arms and cheered loudly.

"Call for justice!"

"Call for justice!"

"Where righteousness lies, we will follow even unto death!" These shouts entered Yang Fuguang's room through the open window, and at that moment, Yang Fuguang's eyes became solemn.

Zhao Huai'an turned his head, pointed below, and said in a deep voice to Yang Fuguang, who was no longer as relaxed as before:
“Supervisor, I have a group of brothers who have shared life and death with me, and they are right downstairs, right across the street. My kindness to them is like that of the Emperor to you. If I give the order, even you, the Supervisor, will probably not be able to leave here alive.”

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an pointed contemptuously at the armored warriors before him and sneered:

"As for these people, just because they put on armor doesn't make them warriors; they can't protect you."

At this point, Yang Fuguang flew into a rage and shouted:

"How dare you rebel!"

Zhao Huai'an smiled, looked at Yang Fuguang, and said earnestly:
“Supervisor, you and your Yang family are indeed incredibly powerful. My thirteenth uncle is also a big shot in Bianliang City, but he doesn’t dare to look at your adopted son, even though I trample that man under my feet. That’s when I knew that you, Yang Fuguang, were a big shot!”

"Perhaps in your eyes, I, Zhao Huai'an, am just a battle-hardened man who came here with cunning schemes, only to become your Yang family's lackey. That's not surprising, because that's how you've always been, hasn't it? In your eyes, those standing below me, Yang Fuguang, aren't they just me, Zhao Da?"

"But let me tell you, you're wrong, terribly wrong. You don't understand me at all, you don't know just how audacious I, Zhao Huai'an, really am. No matter how much power you have, if I die, it's nothing to me!"

"And now, I stand outside the window, ready to charge in at a moment's notice. Don't doubt their loyalty; you should doubt whether those Shence Army soldiers who have never even seen a battlefield can stop my fierce warriors."

"By then, no matter how powerful you, Yang Fuguang, are, or how influential you are in Bianzhou City, can you withstand three blows?"

“Back then, I, Zhao Da, was a dead man, but weren’t you, Yang Fuguang, just a lump of minced meat? At that time, who was more noble than whom?”

Despite being heavily guarded by armored soldiers, Yang Fuguang still felt a chill run down his spine after hearing Zhao Huai'an's words.

This person is truly lawless, utterly lawless.

Yang Fuguang squinted and said softly:
"Oh? Since you're not here to be a lackey of the Yang family, then you want to be my adopted son? I have thirty adopted sons, one more won't hurt."

Zhao Huai'an laughed heartily and said to Yang Fuguang:
"Old Yang, you're joking. I'm not here to find myself a father, but to talk business with you."

Yang Fuguang remained silent, pondering Zhao Huai'an's true intentions.

But Zhao Huai'an didn't give him time to ponder, and said directly:
“Old Yang, I just said I have power and they are willing to risk their lives for me, but they, including me, can also be used by you and your Yang family, as long as you can afford the price.”

Yang Fuguang laughed, leaning back contemptuously, and said:
"Aren't you still my Yang family's dog? Do you think my Yang family would not feed its dogs?"

Zhao Huai'an shook his head and said:

"We are simply taking what we need. Is your Yang family's power truly secure? Yes, your Yang family has indeed been noble for four generations, with disciples and adopted sons all over the court and the country. It is no exaggeration to say that you are the most powerful family in the world. But so what? Weren't there any like you back then? Where are they now? Your elder brother lost to Tian Lingzi in the power struggle, and you can hardly achieve anything in the court anymore."

"And behind Tian Lingzi is the Emperor. How old is the Emperor? Given his trust in Tian Lingzi, this man can remain in power for at least another thirty years. By then, will your Yang family still have Mozi?"

"How many powerful figures, once they leave their positions, end up being forgotten? So, am I, Zhao Huai'an, the only one in danger? I think your Yang family is also standing on the edge of a cliff!"

"Between you and me, it's really hard to say who's the fish and the meat!"

Yang Fuguang did not refute; he nodded and asked:

"Oh, you see quite clearly. But since my Yang family is already a thing of the past, what are you doing here, Zhao Huai'an? Are you going to put on a life-or-death act in front of me?"

Zhao Huai'an smiled, pointed to himself, and then to the Righteous Protectors below:
"No one can predict the future. All we can do is face the challenges head-on and seize every minute. Yes, your Yang family has indeed suffered a major setback. As long as Tian Lingzi gains a foothold in the Shence Army, your Yang family is doomed."

"But right now, right before our eyes, there is a tremendous upheaval and a great opportunity. It all depends on whether you and I can seize it."

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an looked out at the Bian River and gazed into the distance:

"Old Yang, do you know how I felt when I entered Bianzhou City?"

Although reluctant, Yang Fuguang still had to admit that Zhao Huai'an was indeed qualified to talk to him face to face, just based on this man's courage!

That's incredibly bold and skillful!

So when Yang Fuguang was asked, he chuckled and said:
"You think Bianzhou is prosperous? You think the world of heaven and earth is nothing more than this? But that's because you haven't been to Chang'an and don't know what the Jade Capital on earth is like."

Zhao Huai'an chuckled, tilted his head, and asked:
“Prosperous? Shouldn’t it be like this? Whether it’s Bianzhou before us or Chang’an you mentioned, their prosperity is only natural. Wasn’t Chang’an of the Former Han Dynasty prosperous? Wasn’t Luoyang of the Later Han Dynasty prosperous? It’s just that the whole country’s resources were used to support one city. What we should really look at is not this city of Bianzhou, nor some heavenly capital, but the millions of common people outside these high walls, within the four seas.”

"What's the situation with these people now? Old Yang definitely knows better than those muddle-headed officials in the court, so do you think these people would just sit here and starve to death? So today, my life hangs by a thread, your Yang family is in grave danger, but isn't the world and the court also on the edge of a precipice, about to collapse?"

At this moment, Yang Fuguang was truly moved. He stood up and withdrew all the armored soldiers, leaving only himself and Zhao Huai'an in the hall.

Then he invited Zhao Da to sit beside him on the soft couch, and then asked sincerely:
"Zhao Da, tell us how we can cooperate."

Zhao Huai'an sat next to Yang Fuguang, looking at this imposing and powerful eunuch, and said earnestly:
"When the world faces great crisis, it also presents great opportunity; this is an eternal truth. Leaving aside the state of the court, let's just talk about you and me. I have several thousand elite warriors. As long as you trust me, Old Yang, I will surely secure enough military merits for you, so that your Yang family can shine once again. At that time, no matter how favored Tian Lingzi may be, how can he compare to you, the great hero of the Li Tang dynasty who has protected the nation?"

As he spoke, Zhao Huai'an pointed to himself and said to Yang Fuguang:

“Last year, I was sitting across from Gao Pian, the envoy. I told him that if he lent me a hundred cavalrymen from Luodiaodu, I would take the head of Chief Long for him, and I, Zhao Da, did it. And today, in this hall, I, Zhao Huai’an, say that as long as you, Yang Fuguang, trust me, I will definitely let your Yang family return to Chang’an and sit in one of the four noble positions!”

What else could Yang Fuguang say at this point?

He was by nature fond of heroes, and seeing someone like Zhao Da now stirred his heart. Without a doubt, he said:

"Zhao Da, no need to say more, I trust you. What do you want from me, or rather, how can I, Yang Fuguang, help you or help us?"

Zhao Huai'an smiled and said:
"Old Yang, this is our business, our future. What's the difference between you and me? It's just that when you're in trouble, I help you, and when I'm in trouble, you help me. That's all."

Yang Fuguang took the initiative to hold Zhao Huai'an's hand, which was extremely rare for a eunuch who was averse to contact with people.

He touched Zhao Huai'an's palm with his own and excitedly said to Zhao Da:

"Very well, today I, Yang Fuguang, hereby acknowledge you, Zhao Da, as my sworn brothers. From now on, we will share both good times and bad! The day I, Yang Fuguang, return to Chang'an will surely be the day you, Zhao Da, are awarded your rank!"

Zhao Huai'an clapped his hands together and shouted boldly:
"Very well, from now on, we shall share both good fortune and misfortune! And amidst the chaos, let us strive for riches and glory!"

At this moment, Yang Fuguang and Zhao Huai'an burst into laughter, for heroes cherish heroes!
Oh, poor Yang Shouli, you didn't just get a younger brother, you got an uncle!

(End of this chapter)