Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 204 Carp
With his horse spurred and whip in hand, Zhao Huai'an led Wang Jin, Guo Congyun, and Liu Zhijun straight ahead, while a group of Baoyi Army cavalrymen spread out from both flanks behind them, like a roc spreading its wings, about to peck at the prey in front of it.

As the grass grew tall and the orioles sang, Zhao Huai'an spotted Yang Fuguang from afar. Seeing that Yang was about to dismount, Zhao Huai'an didn't hesitate to throw off his stirrups, land on the ground, and rush forward to greet him.

As soon as he stepped forward, Yang Fuguang burst into laughter, grabbed Zhao Huai'an's arms, and then affectionately pointed to the Baoyi Cavalry that had slowly come to a stop behind him:

"Zhao Da, you are full of vigor, and they are strong and well-equipped, perfect for today's hunt! Don't hold back today, let me see the prowess of your men!"

Zhao Huai'an laughed heartily and introduced the three people behind him:

"Brother, these three are all my trusted lieutenants, and they have made great contributions in this battle."

Yang Fuguang became interested and said "Oh," then gestured for Zhao Da to introduce them.

Zhao Huai'an pointed at Wang Jin and said:
"This gentleman's surname is Wang, and his given name is Jin. He is a military commander in our army. He can draw a three-stone bow and never miss an arrow. He wields an eighteen-foot spear and can kill ten enemies in ten strikes. Even Guan Yu and Zhang Fei of ancient times could not have done better than him."

When your boss praises you in front of other bosses, never be modest and say things like "no, no."

If your boss says you are, then you are.

Wang Jin, though he was not confident in his abilities and did not consider himself superior to Guan Yu, whom the magistrate often revered, still clasped his hands in a respectful bow to Yang Fuguang.

Yang Fuguang looked at the man and suddenly remembered that the armored man he had seen preparing to break out of the building on the Liren Tower in Bianzhou was this very man.

Thinking of this, he narrowed his eyes, knowing that this person must be a staunch supporter of Zhao Huai'an.

Looking at the centipede-like scars on Wang Jin's face, Yang Fuguang remarked:

"What a formidable warrior, capable of taking on ten thousand men!"

After introducing Wang Jin, Zhao Huai'an pointed to Guo Congyun beside him and said to Yang Fuguang:

“Brother, this is another military commander in our army, named Guo Congyun, also known as Guo Zilong in our army. He leads our elite cavalry, and his tactics are unpredictable. He is our number one cavalry general.”

Guo Congyun, like Wang Jin, bowed to Yang Fuguang, showing full respect.

Yang Fuguang was very pleased. Looking at the handsome Guo Congyun, he also exclaimed in admiration:

"So dashing and heroic, what a fine man!"

Then he looked impatiently at the third person, Liu Zhijun, and asked Zhao Huai'an beside him with a smile:
"Is this Liu Zhijun, the one who charged into the city from among tens of thousands of enemy troops in this battle?"

Zhao Huai'an was taken aback for a moment, wondering how Yang Fuguang knew, but he quickly smiled and said:

"Yes, that's him."

Then he said to Liu Zhijun:

"What are you all standing there for? Bow to the military supervisor!"

Liu Zhijun, the one with the highest head held high among the three, quickly shrank back upon hearing Zhao Huai'an's words and lazily clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yang Fuguang:
"My name is Liu Zhijun. I have just met the military supervisor."

Then he put his hand down, straightened his back, and turned his neck away from Yang Fuguang.

Zhao Huai'an went up and kicked him, cursing:

"Don't you know any manners? Don't bring your military slump here!"

Then he explained to Yang Fuguang:
"Brother, Liu Zhijun is just like that, with a dog's temper, but he is indeed a brave warrior, the Taishi Ci of our army!"

Yang Fuguang didn't know who Taishi Ci was, but he nodded and smiled:
"A true hero has his own temperament, and I like that!"

Then he pulled Zhao Huai'an aside and said:

"Let's not stand here in the wind, we've been waiting for you! Let's rest in the tent for a bit, have something to eat, and then we'll start hunting. This time, my brother and I will have a competition to see who can hit the most prey! Haha! Zhao Da, you better watch out! I'm quite confident in my archery skills!"

Zhao Huai'an felt a little guilty and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying:
"Then let's witness your brilliance, elder brother!"

Then he turned to Wang Jin and the other two and said:
"If everyone in the army were like my elder brother, how could we not defeat these bandits? How could our Great Tang not prosper?"

Yang Fuguang laughed heartily, punched Zhao Huai'an three times on the back, and said with a smile:
"You, you! Get out of here!"

Zhao Huai'an bowed slightly, then mounted his horse with Yang Fuguang and rode side by side.

Behind him, Wang Jin nodded to the two men beside him, then waved for the cavalry behind to follow.

In an instant, these elite cavalrymen, adorned in brocade hats and sable furs, carrying lances and with murderous intent in their eyes, slowly advanced under the leadership of Wang Jin and his two generals, entering the white tent area ahead.

There, five hundred elite cavalrymen from Xuanwu and Zhongwu were already waiting on horseback.

……

The wind rustles, and the flag flutters.

Zhao Huai'an led everyone into the tent first, while Yang Fuguang went to the back to change the sachets.

Before he could even sit down, he suddenly noticed something and turned his head to see a person standing in the corner of the tent with half an ear missing, squinting at him.

Zhao Huai'an didn't recognize the man at first, but when he saw the man's eyes darting away and his fierce but cowardly demeanor, he immediately remembered him.

Isn't this the guy he almost killed with a golden mace in Chenzhou...?

I think his surname is Qin? But what happened to his ear? How come he only has one ear?

Seeing these people retreat timidly behind the curtain again, Zhao Huai'an pursed his lips and ignored them. Then, at the invitation of Zhang Chengye, Yang Fuguang's junior supervisor, he sat down in the right seat.

To Zhao Huai'an's left sat Wang Jin and other Baoyi generals in a row, opposite them were cavalry generals from the Xuanwu and Zhongwu armies, with fruits and wine in front of them.

As soon as Zhao Huai'an sat down, he looked over at the cavalry generals of the Xuanwu and Zhongwu armies and immediately saw several familiar faces. Among them were Pang Cong, Wang Jian, and Han Jian, and above them were their military commanders, including Lu Yanhong and several others.

When Pang and the other two saw Zhao Huai'an, they shook their heads imperceptibly, and Zhao Huai'an immediately understood.

He smiled and glanced around, then noticed that there were many armored warriors standing behind the curtain, and understood what was going on.

With his smile unchanged, Zhao Huai'an spotted another elderly general in the crowd, his hair completely white, yet he appeared robust and valiant.

It's hard to describe this word in the context of an old man, but this man certainly deserves it.

Because this person was Zhao Chou, the Chenzhou cavalry commander who shot down Zhao Da's golden mace and iron mace with a bow and arrow.

Seeing this veteran, Zhao Huai'an raised his water glass and gave Zhao Chou a distant toast.

Without hesitation, Zhao Chou, amidst the snickers and disdain of the other generals, rose and bowed to Zhao Huai'an, offering a toast from afar.

The few people standing next to him who looked down on him were all generals from Caizhou, especially Qin Zongquan and a few others.

Zhao Chou knew what these people disdained. They just thought that he, a man who could be Zhao Huai'an's father, was so obsequious to Zhao Huai'an, and that he was a petty person.

But Zhao Chou felt no burden at all and still expressed his respect to Zhao Huai'an.

Zhao Chou came from a military family in Chenzhou, where generations of soldiers had fought. He himself had joined the army at a young age and had already participated in suppressing Liu Zhen's rebellion during the Huichang era. He was promoted to the rank of Commander of the Zhongwu Army's infantry and cavalry when he was twenty years old, a time of youthful vigor.

Then came thirty years of military service, and then what?
Then, thirty years ago, he was the commander of the infantry and cavalry in the Zhongwu Army, and thirty years later, he is still the commander of the infantry and cavalry.

Now, he is fifty years old, with a full head of white hair. Although he can still draw a three-stone bow and ride a spirited horse, time flies by and has no control over him. He will have no more opportunities to make achievements and his life will be over.

Looking at Zhao Huai'an on the other side, could his family background compare to his own? Was he much braver than him? Yet, at such a young age, he had achieved unparalleled feats, conquering all before him, from Xichuan to Huaixi, and then to the Central Plains, his achievements numerous and his momentum unstoppable.

His fortunes were declining step by step, while Zhao Shijun's fortunes were rising step by step. If he wanted to achieve something in his old age, he should make good connections with these people who were lucky.

Zhao Huai'an placed the cup on the table, squinted at the man who had led the mocking laughter at Zhao Chou, and asked in a chilling tone:

"Oh? Is it that funny? It's Zhao Yuhou offering us a toast, is that funny? What's your name! Let me hear it, where are you from, hero?"

Qin Zongquan slammed his hand on the table, grinned, and looked at Zhao Huai'an, not to be outdone:

"Isn't Magistrate Zhao being a bit too domineering? We are the Zhongwu Army, not your Huainan Army. What? You won't even let us laugh?"

Zhao Huai'an laughed heartily, brought the cup to his lips, and nodded:
"Yes, of course I'll give it to you!"

Suddenly, the next moment, Zhao Liu, who was sitting to the left, suddenly stood up and cursed:
"You bastard, trying to act tough in front of us? We'll beat you to death!" With that, Zhao Liu roared, picked up a table and charged towards the other side. Behind him, Fatty Dou, Guo Congyun, Liu Zhijun, Liu Xin and other bodyguards also picked up tables and charged over, cursing angrily.

Behind Qin Zongquan sat a group of Caizhou generals. When the Baoyi generals on the other side charged up, they roared and rushed up as well. The two sides punched and kicked each other in the tent, creating a chaotic scene.

The Xuanwu Army naturally moved aside to watch the show, while the Chenzhou and Xuzhou troops also split up to the two sides. Except for a few Chenzhou generals who saw that Caizhou general was outnumbered and at a disadvantage, and thus stepped in to help, the rest of them stood with their hands on their hips and watched.

Zhang Chengye, standing to the side, stared in disbelief, looking at Zhao Huai'an helplessly.

But Zhao Huai'an just sat there sipping water, watching Zhao Liu and the others wrestle with those Cai Zhou generals, without making any attempt to stop them.

So he opened his mouth, but chose not to speak.

Soon, the outcome was decided. The Caizhou generals were outnumbered to begin with, and many of the Baoyi generals had learned wrestling and boxing. They were able to take down one after another, and in the blink of an eye, only three Caizhou generals remained to guard Qin Zongquan.

These three were the most valiant. Liu Zhijun had just been preparing to beat up Qin Zongquan, but he was repelled by these three.

However, this time, after the remaining Baoyi generals dealt with the remaining Caizhou generals, they immediately surrounded them.

Liu Zhijun rubbed his chest and looked at the burly man blocking his way. This was the man who had just punched him in the chest, making him gasp for breath. He gasped for air and asked:

"What's the name? You've got some skills!"

The burly man glared angrily at the bandits, looking at his comrades lying on the ground, and cursed:
"What kind of hero bullies the few with numbers? Your father's name is Fu Daozhao, remember that!"

Liu Zhijun nodded, about to find Fu Daozhao to continue the fight, when Zhao Liu pulled him back and then shouted at the group of Baoyi generals behind him:
"Why waste words with them? Keep fighting! Let's see if they still dare to laugh! I'll make them cry!"

As he spoke, Zhao Liu pointed at Wang Yanzhang:
"Xiao Wang, you lead the charge! Beat these bastards to a pulp!"

Wang Yanzhang just charged forward fiercely, using a lot of the boxing techniques he learned from Zhao Wenzhong and the others, and he was very brave.

This performance naturally caught the eye of Sixth Master, who then put him in charge of the important task!

Wang Yanzhang, young and impetuous, wanted to challenge the fierce Fu Daozhao.

Suddenly, an angry voice came from outside the tent:

"Stop it all!"

Zhao Liu turned his head and saw that Yang Fuguang was standing outside, with General Zhang Guan and General Liu Xingxian behind him. At this moment, the supervising envoy looked into the arena with a livid expression.

Zhao Liu pursed his lips, glanced back at Zhao Huai'an behind him, and only after seeing Zhao Da nod did he snort and retreat.

At this moment, the generals of Baoyi took their seats, while Caizhou generals lay scattered on the ground, and Qin Zongquan was surrounded in the middle, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

At this moment, Yang Fuguang stepped in, looked at Zhao Huai'an, and, trying to suppress his anger, asked:
"Zhao Da, you're a brave man!"

Zhao Huai'an then stood up, smiling as he pulled Yang Fuguang to the head of the table, helped him sit down, and said with a smile:

"Old Yang, what's the big deal? Just now, the brothers saw how fierce and arrogant those Caizhou generals were, so we decided to spar with them! We're martial artists, logic is useless, we'll settle things with our fists! You can be stubborn, but when you're being stubborn in front of me, Zhao Da, you'd better be tough too, or this is what will happen!"

By this time, Yang Fuguang had regained his composure. He looked at Qin Zongquan and cursed:
"How dare you, a mere military commander of Cai Prefecture, be so disrespectful to Governor Zhao? Today, I'll teach you a lesson!"

Suppressing his anger, Qin Zongquan apologized to Yang Fuguang, who was at the head of the table:

"Supervisor, I have offended Governor Zhao. I will send these brothers away to receive treatment first, and then apologize to the Supervisor and Governor Zhao later!"

Yang Fuguang waved his hand dismissively, telling Qin Zongquan to leave quickly.

"Useless!" At this moment, he deeply doubted Cai Zhou's fighting ability. Wasn't it said that the best soldiers in the world came from the loyal and brave? Is this all? They were beaten to a pulp by the Baoyi Army.

Qin Zongquan did not linger any longer and carried one of his generals out of the main tent.

Then, silence fell over the tent.

Zhao Huai'an picked at his fingernails, thinking how nice it would be if Mao Niang were here; his nails were getting long and needed trimming.

Beside him, Yang Fuguang composed himself and suddenly smiled at Zhao Huai'an, saying:

"Zhao Da, I was treated to the most enjoyable feast of my life on New Year's Eve by you. Today, at this hunting trip, I will also be the host and treat you to a good meal."

As he spoke, he clapped his hands and signaled a cook behind him to bring over a food box.

Just as the cook approached, a name suddenly popped into Zhao Huai'an's mind: Zhuan Zhu. He quickly waved for him to stop, then smiled and said to Yang Fuguang:
"Brother, we've rested enough, let's start hunting. Tonight, I'll let you try my roasted meat. I'll save this food for the road!"

Zhao Huai'an's words were quite natural, and Yang Fuguang didn't think much of them, but he still smiled and said:

"Zhao Da, it wouldn't matter if it were anything else, but you absolutely have to eat this meal! If you don't, you'll blame me later!"

Before Zhao Huai'an could speak, Zhao Liu walked over with a smile, snatched the food box from the cook's hand, shielded the cook behind him, opened the food box, and placed it in front of Zhao Huai'an.

Zhao Liu glanced at the dishes and exclaimed happily:
"Young Master, this is the military supervisor wishing you a 'promotion'!"

Inside the food box was a carp sliced ​​into golden pieces, its head facing me. The fish meat was translucent and rolled up like peony flowers, a testament to the exquisite knife skills and the elegant presentation.

As Zhao Huai'an was looking at it, the cook over there smiled and introduced it:

"This is how we make it in Bianzhou, called Linglong Peony Pickled Fish. We use the finest Yellow River carp, which are specially transported from Bianzhou."

After the cook finished speaking, he suddenly heard Zhang Chengye, the junior supervisor standing next to him, scold him:
"What kind of country bumpkin are you? How dare you call a carp a 'fish'? Do you have a death wish?"

Upon hearing this, the chef from Bianzhou, who was still waiting for his reward, panicked and hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed.

He suddenly remembered that the name "carp" was taboo because it was related to the surname Guo, so he couldn't even eat it, let alone call it "carp".

He was filled with remorse, knowing he shouldn't have accepted the job. Those merchants were much better; they would reward him with several strings of cash when he ate well. It was nothing like now, where a single wrong word could cost him his life!

But this is so unfair! Didn't you ask us to come and cook?

Yang Fuguang waved his hand and smiled:

"It's nothing. Today is a joyous occasion, let's not talk about such things. It's just a carp, after all. Does the fate of our Great Tang Dynasty depend on these verbal taboos? Isn't it thanks to the likes of Zhao Da, the pillars of the nation, who are loyal and devoted to the country!"

Seeing Zhao Huai'an looking at him with a puzzled expression, he smiled and explained:
"Hey, Zhao Da, congratulations! With such military achievements, the court will surely promote you to a higher rank. Although you may not become a military governor, it will be no problem for you to be transferred from Guang Prefecture to Mei Prefecture as a prefect. I can't help you much, so I've hired a good chef from Bian Prefecture to make this 'Exquisite Peony Stew' especially for you. I'll use this to wish you a promotion in advance."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huai'an knew that Yang Fuguang was testing him, so he quickly shook his head and said directly:

“Brother, you’re insulting me. Is this merit of mine, Zhao Da? It’s all thanks to the coordination of Lord Song Wei, the provision of provisions and supplies by you, brother, and the dedication of my righteous army. As for me, Zhao Da? I only did a little bit of insignificant work. How could I deserve such a promotion? If anyone should be promoted, it should be you, brother!”

He then added humbly:

"Besides, in a year of great disaster, eating so well is just too much."

Yang Fuguang blinked, his attention now focused entirely on the first sentence Zhao Da had said.

He went through all that trouble just for this military achievement.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Zhao Huai'an, but he knew that's how military men are these days. With such military merits, they wouldn't share them, let alone a cheap older brother, or even a true brother.

But Zhao Huai'an distributed his military merits without even blinking, not only to himself but also to Song Wei, who was far away in Yizhou.

He had heard about the relationship between Zhao Da and the Song family before, but he didn't expect this person to be so nostalgic!

Well, Zhao Da is indeed a loyal friend! It's Yang Fuguang who acted like a villain.

However, he would be a villain first and a gentleman later; Yang Fuguang would not treat this good brother unfairly!
At this moment, Yang Fuguang felt relieved, personally handed Zhao Huai'an a pair of chopsticks, and then smiled:

"Big brother, I'm pleased to hear that. Come on, you absolutely have to eat this 'prosperity dish'."

As he spoke, Yang Fuguang handed the chopsticks to Zhao Huai'an.

Zhao Huai'an began to mutter to himself.

No, a powerful eunuch of the Tang Dynasty insists on inviting us to eat carp, a symbol of the Tang Dynasty's imperial lineage. What kind of omen is this?
Finally, unable to refuse Yang Fuguang's earnest invitation, Zhao Huai'an took the chopsticks, picked up a piece of fish, dipped it in the sauce beside him, and put it in his mouth.

Then his eyes lit up, he gave a thumbs up, and picked up another piece:
"Oh, it smells so good!"

(End of this chapter)