Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 210 Help me
Riding donkey carts and surrounded by more than 500 elite riders, they sped towards Yuanju City.

Upon arriving outside the northern city, seeing the distant Zhongwu Army camp, Zhao Huai'an took a small seal from his waist and handed it directly to Zhao Liu, giving the order:

"Zhao Liu, take my seal into the Southwest Three Camps and bring all five of my sons here! I want them to come out in full force!"

Zhao Liu accepted the seal, clasped his hands in greeting, and then led Wang Yanzhang and several other cavalry generals straight to the southwest camp.

As the dust settled, Zhao Huai'an glared fiercely at the Zhongwu Army camp ahead, raised his arm, and roared:

"Surround it! No one will leave the camp except the dead!"

More than 500 Baoyi Army cavalrymen raised their arms and roared, the deep sound of their horns echoing across the wilderness. For the first time, this proud army, which had won many battles, surrounded the camp of an allied force.

At this moment, the Emperor in Chang'an is too far away, but the Governor is in my heart!
……

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves shook the earth, and the huge cloud of dust startled the Xuanwu and Zhongwu soldiers who had just gotten up in the night on the north city wall.

To the north, countless torches illuminated the open field, then suddenly went out all at once, leaving wisps of smoke rising into the sky, making the smoke and dust even darker.

Just as they were about to sound the horn, someone saw a huge banner, "Hu Baoyi," fluttering in the wind amidst the billowing dust coming from the north.

So these people immediately shouted to the other sentries:

"It's the Righteous Army, don't sound the horn! Don't sound the horn!"

At this moment, the officers and soldiers of both armies in the camp had just woken up, and many were still in a state of shock. If the bugle was blown and the army was startled, it would cause trouble.

After calming down his restless colleagues, who themselves harbored resentment towards the Baoyi Army, he found a way to appease them.

Going hunting during a year of great famine is ridiculous enough, but now they come back at full speed without a word, even overnight. These militiamen are truly despicable.

Around the same time, Pang Cong, along with Wang Jian and Han Jian, also rushed out in armor, having been awakened by the sound of dense hooves outside the camp.

Pang, still half asleep, climbed up the wooden wall and immediately recognized the cavalry as the Baoyi Army.

Not all cavalry are the same.

The Baoyi Army's cavalry was highly recognizable because the army included a large number of Han and non-Han knights. As a result, many of its soldiers wore various animal skin scarves, and many of them also held up sable tails, exuding a wild and impactful aura.

In addition, the cavalry of the Baoyi Army generally wore feathered iron helmets and red cloaks. When hundreds of cavalrymen galloped, it was like a red tide, which was breathtaking.

Pang Cong initially thought the Baoyi Army had just returned from hunting and were heading back to camp, but as he looked around, he sensed something was amiss.

Why are the cavalry of the Baoyi Army forming a wedge formation? This is a battle formation!

He didn't realize what had happened until the militia cavalry sounded the battle horns.

Suppressing his panic, Pang Cong quickly shouted to Wang Jian and Han Jian below him:
"You all stay here for now. Have the brothers put on their armor immediately. Zhao Da is acting strangely. I'm going out of the camp to find him now. Make sure he doesn't do anything wrong!"

Wang Jian and Han Jian were idly fiddling with their belts down below when they suddenly heard Pang Cong say those words, and they were stunned for a moment.

Wang Jian reacted the fastest, exclaiming:

"Old Pang, is the Baoyi Army about to mutini?"

Han Jian grabbed the wooden fence and jumped onto it. Through the fence, he could see that the Baoyi Army's hundreds of cavalry had already fully deployed to the north, with each squad arranged in a cone shape, completely surrounding their camp.

His head buzzed, and he turned to Pang Congdao:

"Old Pang, something big must have happened. I'll go with you."

But Pang Cong shook his head, pointed to a nearby campsite, and whispered to Han Jian:
"Old Han, you stay here and keep the brothers in check. The situation is unclear right now, so make sure to wait for me to come back!"

At this moment, Wang Jian also climbed up, and frowned upon seeing the scene outside:

"That shouldn't be the case. Zhao Da has already made great contributions, so why did his cavalry mutini? Could it be..."

Upon realizing a possibility, Wang Jian's face turned pale.

Only then did he understand why Lao Pang had pointed to the Caizhou army camp over there.

My God, these Cai lackeys won't kill Zhao Da, will they? If that happens, these Righteous Army soldiers will definitely tear a hole in the sky.

This idea also popped into Han Jian's mind, except that he said it aloud in public:
"I heard they had a conflict with Zhao Da at the hunting camp. When they saw him come back on his own, I thought he knew who had the stronger fist and backed down. But now, looking at the posture of the Baoyi Army's cavalry outside, someone has really messed up! These Baoyi Army soldiers are almost all raised by Zhao Da, and they only have Zhao Da in their hearts. If Qin Zongquan really goes crazy and does something stupid, those Baoyi Army soldiers will definitely rush in and kill all the Caizhou soldiers!"

Thinking of this, Han Jian shuddered, clearly realizing how formidable the Baoyi Army was.

Following Han Jian's words, Wang Jian clenched his fist:

"Let's not think about these things. Maybe it's because of something else? We all know Zhao Da. He's the kind of person who treats others with the utmost respect, but if someone offends him, he'll kill them. The fact that the Baoyi Army is like this means they've definitely suffered a loss. Sigh, Qin Zongquan is really crazy. He actually dared to provoke Zhao Da, that killer!"

Seeing that his two comrades were both sensible men, Pang Cong nodded, hesitated for a moment, and finally made up his mind. He then whispered to Wang Jian and Han Jian beside him:
"The three of us have over a thousand soldiers, which is half of the troops in Xuzhou. So no matter what happens, as long as the three of us are of one mind, we will always have a way to advance or retreat."

Wang Jian and Han Jian understood Pang Cong's meaning. After hesitating for a moment, Wang Jian took the initiative to bring it up:
"If Zhao Da mutinis this time, whose side should we help?"

This was a crucial question, but Pang Cong had to answer it. He gripped the horizontal sword in his hand and replied earnestly:
"If Zhao Da is alive, we'll help him; if he's dead, we won't do anything!"

Finally, Pang Cong solemnly stated once again:

"We need to be especially careful of the Caizhou soldiers next door. In this situation, no matter who calls you to a meeting, don't go. Stay here and hold your brothers together. Remember, no matter what happens, wait for me to come back, and we'll advance and retreat together!"

As he spoke, Pang Cong stretched out his palm, and then Wang Jian and Han Jian covered it with theirs, the three of them shouting in unison:
"We will advance and retreat together!"

Then, Pang gave an order, opened the north gate of the camp, and led only two cavalrymen towards the Baoyi Army on the outer perimeter.

Behind him, on the camp wall, Wang and Han exchanged glances, both looking bewildered by the current situation.

……

On the other side of the camp, Zhao Chou, the commander of the Chenzhou cavalry and infantry, along with his two younger brothers Zhao Chang and Zhao Xu, as well as two Chenzhou military officers, Fu Chu and Wang Da, were also observing the Baoyi Army's cavalry outside the camp.

At this moment, Zhao Xu, upstairs, saw that Pang Cong of the Xuzhou army had actually left the camp on the other side, and said worriedly to his elder brother Zhao Chou:
"Brother, what is Pang doing, rushing out of the camp towards those Baoyi Army cavalry?"

Zhao Chou pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked the academy officer Fu Chu:

"Old Fu, why don't you go and ask those guys in the army what they think?"

Fu Chu came from a family of military officers in Chenzhou, and like the Zhao family, he was a native martial family in Chenzhou. He knew that Zhao Chou was not asking about the morale of the Chenzhou army, but about the attitude of the other powerful families in the army.

Unfortunately, although Zhao Chou was the commander of the cavalry and infantry of the Chenzhou army in this expedition, he could not actually control the entire army of two thousand Chenzhou warriors.

This is because it is closely related to the special nature of Chenzhou.

In the three prefectures of Cai, Xu, and Chen of the Zhongwu Army, Cai and Xu were longtime enemies, while Chen Prefecture had always remained aloof and did not participate much in the internal disputes of the prefecture.

However, this does not mean that Chenzhou's problems are not serious.

Among the three prefectures, Chenzhou had the longest canal transport route, especially Xiangcheng within its borders, which was the hub of the Huai-Cai waterway. As a result, a powerful group emerged here that was not found in Cai or Xu.

Those were the boatmen and porters who made their living from the canal transport.

Moreover, Chenzhou has a unique custom: the local people are fond of unorthodox practices, especially Manichaeism.

Manichaeism originated in Persia and was introduced to the Central Plains during this dynasty by many Sogdian merchants from Central Asia.

After years of localization, some of the original doctrines that were not suitable for the lower classes have been completely discarded. Now, it has only developed into a name for the lower classes to form a community, and it is no longer the same as the original Manichaeism.

In Chenzhou, a large number of these canal transport workers converted to Manichaeism.

On the one hand, Manichaeism advocated "equality of all laws, without high or low," which made it particularly attractive to the poor at the bottom of society. On the other hand, these people at the canal docks had the greatest need for association, because it provided mutual protection and assistance, preventing them from being bullied.

Therefore, historically, famous and dynamic organizations all started from the docks.

In this world, the center of Manichaeism was in Chenzhou, while Maitreya Buddhism, which had a similar function, was centered in Beizhou.

These two sects have actually merged in many ways over time.

Among these, their most interconnected ideas were the rebellious concepts of "Three Buddhas Responding to the Calamity" and "Reincarnation of the Bright King." Both sects believed that as Shakyamuni Buddha reached the end of the world, a future Buddha would appear, and dynasties in the world would change accordingly. Originally, Manichaeism only spread among the lower classes, but after a large number of boatmen and porters began to believe in it, the powerful families of the military governors in Xiangcheng City also began to believe in it in order to better control their interests at the docks.

Moreover, these people often claimed to hold positions within Manichaeism, not only believing in it themselves but also bringing Manichaeism into the military.

After that, Manichaeism flourished in the Chenzhou army, and its followers supported one another.

Several previous governors of Chenzhou had tried to suppress Manichaeism in the army, but they couldn't stop it at all, because by this time Manichaeism, as an organization, had become embedded in every aspect of Chenzhou.

It not only incorporated rural vagrants and idle ruffians, but also salt smugglers from the Jianghuai region and families of military clerks from Chenzhou. They didn't have many close organizational ties, but they shared this network of interests.

In this situation, people within the organization can share resources and networks, while those outside the organization are isolated and ultimately have no choice but to join the organization if they want to advance.

What does it mean to be powerful and difficult to control? This is exactly what happened to the Manichaeism in Chenzhou.

Now, as the commander of the Chenzhou expeditionary force, Zhao Chou cannot make decisions on his own; he also needs the support of several Manichaean monks in the army.

Now in his fifties, Zhao Chou has long lost the impulsiveness and ignorance of his youth. Although time has taken away his passion, it has also given him wisdom and experience.

Based on his observations and understanding of the situation, Zhao Chou drew a bold conclusion:

That means the world is truly in chaos.

Not to mention the two prefectures of Cao and Pu, which were the most severely affected by the disaster, even the once rich and prosperous Chen Prefecture is now sitting on a volcano.

Outside the city, there were refugees everywhere, while inside the city, mountains of rice from the Jianghuai region were piled up. Under such circumstances, people's hearts were already restless, and only a spark was needed to ignite Chenzhou.

According to Zhao Chou, he was not the only one who came to this conclusion; the Manichaeans in Chenzhou did as well.

While ordinary people continued to live their lives according to their previous habits, the Manichaean followers of Chenzhou, who were rooted in the countryside, keenly realized that the end times of Shakyamuni Buddha were really coming.

Since the year of disaster, people in Chenzhou have started chanting "Dipankara Buddha". Zhao Chou couldn't figure out whether it was Maitreya or Manichaeism that started it first, but they all believed that after the chaos in the world, the new Buddha would be Dipankara Buddha, also known as Dingguang Buddha.

Ordinary people can avoid disasters by reciting the name of Dingguang Buddha a thousand times a day.

Now, there are more and more people reciting this Buddha's name in Chenzhou. It even feels like the whole city is chanting it during the day, which shows how many people have taken refuge in Maitreya and Mani at this time.

Furthermore, those believers also began to widely circulate prophecies, called:

“After the Buddha Shakyamuni, a new Buddha will appear; the Li family will decline, and the Zhao family will rise.”

Yes, the Li family is nearing its end, while the Zhao family is nearing its rise.

At first, when Zhao Chou heard this prophecy, he thought someone wanted to harm him.

But when he came into contact with those Manichaeans, he found that they didn't take him seriously at all.

Indeed, he's fifty years old. How many more years can he live?

It wasn't until he met Zhao Huai'an, who was heading north, in Chenzhou, that Zhao Chou felt a complex mix of emotions after seeing the man and what he had done.

Could this prophecy have come true for this person? Because this Zhao Huai'an not only has the surname Zhao, but is also the governor of Guang Prefecture, which corresponds to the saying of Dipankara Buddha.

He knew, of course, that such a prophecy could not have been written by Zhao Huai'an, because he had no base in Chenzhou and could not possibly have issued and disseminated such a prophecy.

But he happened to fulfill the prophecy, a feeling that Zhao Chou found strangely familiar.

At the end of the Sui Dynasty, there was also a prophecy that said, "When the willow catkins fall, the plum blossoms will bloom."

This prophecy wasn't issued by Emperor Gaozu, yet it happened to come true. What is this called? This is what it means to have the Mandate of Heaven!

Therefore, Zhao Chou paid close attention to Zhao Huai'an, believing that this person was destined for great fortune.

Now, the situation outside the city is suggesting that Zhao Huai'an, who has great fortune, has been robbed.

Whether Zhao Huai'an truly possesses great fortune will soon be revealed.

Just as Zhao Chou was lost in thought, a young general rushed over, and Fu Chu climbed down to listen to the general whisper something in his ear.

Then, Fu Chu climbed up and said to Zhao Chou:

"Lord Yu, several people in the camp believe that Zhao Da outside the city is a man of great fortune, and they think we should help the righteous army. However, they cannot make a decision, and after discussion, they still think we should listen to you, Lord Yu."

Zhao Chou sneered inwardly:

"These people are really good at talking!"

However, since they dare not take responsibility, then I will do it myself. He nodded and said:
"Then let's wait and see what's going on after Zhao Da shows up. Then we can decide whose side to take!"

Over there, Fu Chu paused for a moment, then asked:
"Ha, we're not going to help the Caizhou army? After all, they're from the same vassal state as us. If they're really bullied by the Baoyi Army outside, what face will our Zhongwu Army have left?"

Zhao Chou shook his head, not replying directly, but instead looking at the dashing young general below, and teasingly said:
"Old Fu, I never expected that you would have a son so late in life, and he would be a general! So, is that your son? Is his name Fu Cunshen? It's been a few years since I last saw him, and he's grown so strong and powerful! In a few more years, he will be another valiant general in Chenzhou!"

Upon hearing this, Fu Chu beamed with joy, but still humbly replied:
"No, you're nowhere near as good as your eldest son!"

Zhao Chou laughed heartily, and then said something profound:
"Whom we help has nothing to do with who they are, but rather with who is right! We only help those who are right and only follow the law! If everyone is biased, where is the dignity of the court? If everyone is biased and thinks that as long as they form cliques, they can get away with anything, then who will respect us, the regular military officers of the court? We might as well just recite scriptures!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately realized what he meant and couldn't help but glance at a small, isolated tent on the left side of the camp, scoffing inwardly!

You charlatans, I'll let you live a little longer! When you're on the battlefield, you'll know what it means to be subject to military law like a prison!

Then, a tremendous tremor came from the west. Zhao Chou looked westward and saw countless mule-riding troops pounding the earth and roaring as they converged on the "Hu Baoyi" banner to the north.

Zhao Chou's eyes narrowed, realizing that these were the mule-mounted infantry of the Baoyi Army in the three villages in the southwest corner; they had come out in full force!
"These militia members are serious!"

……

Are you guys serious?!

At this moment, Pang Cong, who had just been stopped by several cavalrymen of the Baoyi Army, couldn't help but exclaim to Dou Pangzi, an acquaintance among them.

Just now, countless mule soldiers came rushing in from the west, flowing like rivers into the great banner.

The morning sun was slowly rising from the east, its boundless rays shining on the exquisite armor, and the entire world was bathed in golden light.

Pang was shocked, both by the fighting prowess displayed by the Baoyi Army and by Zhao Huai'an's prestige within it.

This isn't some battle where you just blow a bugle and march out to fight!
Surrounding a friendly army's camp is, to put it mildly, a mutiny; to put it bluntly, it's a rebellion!
But Zhao Huai'an didn't even go to the main camp, yet he was able to summon thousands of elite troops to his command, and then they mutinied with him?
From another perspective, this means that if Zhao Dazhen were to rebel, these loyalists would truly follow him to the end!
At that moment, a person suddenly popped into Pang Cong's mind!

An Lushan!
Once this connection was made, Pang Cong's heart pounded, his pulse was at its highest, and his back was covered in sweat.

Until the indignant voice of Fatty Bean came from the other side.

"What do you mean, 'really'? Do you know what we encountered while hunting? A huge group of assassins were lying in ambush in the forest, trying to kill us! If it weren't for Dalang's amazing marksmanship, we wouldn't have made it out alive!"

After saying that, Fatty Bean yelled angrily:

"Old Pang, how can a person's heart be so wicked? Da Lang is such a good man! Loyal and righteous, loyal to his brothers and kind to the people. We came all the way from Guang Prefecture to repay the Emperor's kindness, right? Yet there are people in our army who want to harm us! Don't you think such a person should be killed? Doesn't he deserve to die?"

Pang Cong snapped out of his daze and, upon hearing that Zhao Da had indeed been attacked, felt his mouth go dry. He cautiously asked:
"Do you know who the murderer is?"

Fatty Dou glanced at Pang Cong, knowing that he had come at this time to probe Pang Cong's intentions, and snorted:
"In short, that bastard can't escape! We'll chase him to the ends of the earth and skin him alive!"

"Let's not talk about that. You're here, and Dalang will definitely be happy. Come with me into battle!"

Pang Cong immediately realized that the Baoyi Army did not know the murderer. Lost in his thoughts, he followed Fatty Dou from the racetrack straight to the banner.

Looking at the arrogant and rugged knights along the way, and the countless elite warriors gathered in groups of three or five, their fierce spirit soaring to the heavens, Pang Cong's heart was increasingly leaning towards Zhao Huai'an's side.

Until he saw a tall figure with his back to him under that banner.

The man, facing the blazing sun, was speaking with a military officer when he suddenly turned half his head to look at me, like a tiger turning its head to the side.
"Old Pang, I need your help!"

Without hesitation, Pang threw off his horse, lay prostrate on the ground, and shouted:
"The general will get the order!"

(End of this chapter)