Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 212 A Thorough Search
Less than a hundred paces away, Yang Fuguang looked at Zhao Huai'an from afar, at the armored cavalry surrounding him, and at the unparalleled elite cavalry behind him, their men and horses like a dragon.

Sitting on his horse, Yang Fuguang saw Zhao Da's adopted son dragging a lump of rotten flesh as he rode wildly. He didn't feel much anger; instead, his mind was racing, trying to figure out how to handle the situation and find the right balance.

Now is the time to test his political abilities.

Was Zhao Da arrogant or not? Definitely. He surrounded a well-equipped army of the imperial court. But think about it: just this month, the remaining Yunzhou soldiers of the Tianping Army mutinied. Didn't Xue Chong of the Tianping Army also choose to forgive them?

These are still the Yunzhou soldiers who have suffered repeated defeats? Now, the Baoyi Army is winning battle after battle, so what's wrong with them having a bit of a temper?
The situation is difficult now. As the military supervisor sent by the emperor to the Central Plains, Yang Fuguang should be sharing the emperor's burdens, not pushing his elite troops, who are a bit temperamental, to the side of the rebels.

When the court quelled the Pang Xun Rebellion, it took two years, mobilized 200,000 troops, and spent 6 million strings of cash and grain. This does not include the losses incurred in the dozen or so prefectures affected by the war.

It can be said that the Pang Xun Rebellion shook the very foundations of the empire's rule.

Now, the elite of the Baoyi Army is no less than that of Xu Fan, yet their loyalty to Zhao Huai'an is even greater. The court cannot bear the responsibility of forcing such a powerful force to rebel, and Yang Fuguang certainly cannot.

He didn't even need to think that if Zhao Huai'an rebelled here, he would inevitably be imprisoned by the imperial court.

When Zhao Da was in Xichuan, he served under Gao Pian and was a meritorious official who made contributions to the country. But when he came to your side, Yang Fuguang, he became a rebel? Isn't this a sign of Yang Fuguang's incompetence?

Therefore, Zhao Huai'an cannot rebel, and even if he does, he cannot rebel while Zhao Huai'an is in power.

Moreover, objectively speaking, Zhao Da was indeed wronged. He had just made a great contribution, right? And then the credit had to be shared between him and Song Wei. And then, just when he was finally able to relax, he encountered a tiger and an assassin.

Who wouldn't be angry in this situation? If he were Zhao Da, he would have gone even further than Zhao Da!
So it's good to let Zhao Da cool off. Let them have a little fuss; we're still family after all.

Having made up his mind about the matter, Yang Fuguang didn't care at all that Zhao Huai'an was standing there motionless. Instead, he dismounted and came over with a hearty laugh.

This gesture startled Zhao Huai'an.

He was already prepared to turn against Yang Fuguang.

It wasn't that he deliberately chose to be so tough; it was that he had no other choice. How dare a small-time nouveau riche family in Caizhou lay a hand on him? How could he tolerate it?

This time, if Yang Fuguang were to utter a single word of dissent, he would dare to kill the Qin brothers right in front of Yang Fuguang.

But looking at Yang Fuguang now, it's clear he fully understands himself!

At that moment, Zhao Huai'an had an epiphany.

Once you're in his position, as long as he doesn't rebel, everyone is a good person, and everyone can understand him.

Without hesitation, Zhao Huai'an dismounted and strode toward Yang Fuguang.

With only two or three steps between them, Yang Fuguang suddenly ran over and grabbed Zhao Huai'an.

As soon as Zhao Huai'an uttered the word "brother," Yang Fuguang's eyes reddened, and he said emotionally:

"Second brother, I'm sorry to have wronged you."

Zhao Huai'an froze, subconsciously glancing at Qin Zongyan, who had been dragged into a mangled mess. His lips twitched, and finally, he managed to say with difficulty:
"I feel wronged, but I believe you, Brother Zhao, can uphold justice for me."

Yang Fuguang patted Zhao Huai'an's hand, then called out to those behind him:
"Bring Liu Jianfeng up here."

At this moment, Liu Jianfeng, who had just escaped from the camp, jogged up to catch up, with Xu Dexun and Yao Yanzhang, the two generals from Caizhou, waiting behind him.

Then Zhao Huai'an saw a somewhat familiar-looking warrior standing awkwardly in front of him, bowing to him and Yang Fuguang one after the other.

Zhao Huai'an frowned, looked at the man, and asked Yang Fuguang with a puzzled expression:

"Brother, what is this?"

Yang Fuguang nodded and said:
“Second brother, this is Liu Jianfeng, a centurion under Qin Zongquan. He was being chased by Qin Zongyan before, but he escaped the camp with the help of several comrades in the army. I met him on the way. He knows who is behind your death.”

Zhao Huai'an remained silent.

At Yang Fuguang's instruction, Liu Jianfeng recounted everything he had seen and heard in the camp, providing such detailed accounts that it made the reader feel as if they were there.

Based on this detail alone, his words are highly credible.

Zhao Huai'an only learned from Liu Jianfeng's account that it really was Qin Zongyan, that bastard, who had unleashed a tiger to harm them, but he realized something was amiss as he listened further.

He didn't address Yang Fuguang directly, but instead reprimanded Liu Jianfeng:
"Xiao Liu, what you're saying is that the tiger-releasing incident was entirely Qin Zongyan's doing? Not only did it have nothing to do with your Caizhou soldiers, but it also had nothing to do with his brother Qin Zongquan? Hmm?"

Zhao Huai'an could be quite ferocious when he was angry, but Liu Jianfeng was something else. He not only withstood the attack but also remained neither humble nor arrogant, saying:
"Reporting to Lord Zhao, I heard it with my own ears, and I can stand by what I say. Qin Zongyan told me this himself; otherwise, how would I know that Lord Zhao was attacked by a tiger?"

Zhao Huai'an was taken aback by these words. He looked Liu Jianfeng up and down, but didn't say anything, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Meanwhile, Liu Jianfeng was also feeling uneasy. He would know whether Zhao Huai'an was fierce or not by looking at Qin Zongyan, who was just a mangled mess.

He charged straight into the camp and dragged out Qin Zongyan, who was being protected by many Caizhou soldiers, to his death. What kind of living ancestor is this?

But no matter what, he had to hold on at this critical moment, otherwise he would be a sinner against Cai Zhou's army.

After Zhao Huai'an took control of the Zhongwu Army camp, the worst outcome for the Zhongwu Army was that their 6,000 troops would be annexed by Zhao Huai'an.

Liu Jianfeng knew very well that while killing Qin Zongyan was certainly a way for a military leader like Zhao Huai'an to vent his anger and seek revenge, it did not diminish his ambition to annex the Zhongwu Army.

As a member of the Zhongwu Army, Liu Jianfeng possessed a strong sense of collective responsibility as a regional military commander.

If Zhao Huai'an were the military governor of Zhongwu Army, there would be no problem. But you are now the prefect of Guang Prefecture and still have the core Baoyi Army under your command. Once Zhongwu Army is annexed, the only option for these 6,000 Zhongwu soldiers is to be dismembered.

That's why Liu Jianfeng withstood Zhao Huai'an's pressure and insisted that the blame lay solely with Qin Zongyan, and had nothing to do with anyone else.

Zhao Huai'an could tell that this man was determined, so he looked at Yang Fuguang and asked:
"Old Yang, you think so too?"

He really does call out "Big Brother" when he's happy, and "Old Yang" when he's in a bad mood!
Yang Fuguang smiled and said sincerely:

"I don't think anything is important, as long as it satisfies you and the court, then it's a fact!"

Sometimes, sincerity really is the ultimate weapon.

If Yang Fuguang tries to pressure him with the imperial court or force him to back down right away, then sorry, he will definitely show Yang Fuguang what an arrogant military leader is and what lawlessness is!

But Zhao Huai'an always believed that he would treat anyone who respected him with the utmost respect. Now that Yang Fuguang was speaking from the heart, he was clearly considering Zhao Huai'an's feelings. Would he really overturn the table?

Moreover, Zhao Huai'an knew in his heart that this was probably Qin Zongyan's doing all by himself, because it was too stupid to expect a tiger to kill him. This didn't seem like something Qin Zongquan could arrange.

But Zhao Huai'an wasn't so easily persuaded, so he made a request to Yang Fuguang:

“Brother, this is only Liu Jianfeng’s side of the story, and I find it hard to believe. But don’t worry, I, Zhao Da, am not the kind of person who won’t let things go even if I’m in the right. Here’s what we’ll do: you hand over the Qin brothers to me. And select his troops from the Caizhou army, and I won’t touch the Caizhou troops!”

Seeing that Liu Jianfeng was about to speak, Zhao Huai'an directly cursed:
"Shut up! Even if it was only Qin Zongyan who did it, doesn't Qin Zongquan, as the elder brother, bear any responsibility? Blame him for being Qin Zongyan's brother. Assassinating the Emperor is punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family, but as for assassinating my Zhao Da, is it too much for one of his brothers to die? Hmm?"

If Zhao Huai'an's oppressive aura was only one point just now, his angry outburst was now ten points. Liu Jianfeng dared not utter another word and could only meekly agree.

Yang Fuguang glanced at these things and knew that this was Zhao Huai'an's last line, so he didn't waste any more time.

For him, as long as Zhao Huai'an was satisfied, Qin Zongquan was of no concern.

So he beckoned Yang Shouli, who was behind him, to come over.

Wearing iron armor, Yang Shouli squeezed in amidst the menacing gazes of the Baoyi generals, and stood beside Yang Fuguang with clasped hands.

Yang Fuguang gave him the following order:
"I've detained Qin Zongquan at the yamen. Go and bring him here."

Yang Shouli clasped his hands in greeting and then returned to the city with two Shence Army knights.

With the sound of horses' hooves approaching, Yang Fuguang smiled and said to Zhao Huai'an:

"Zhao Da, of the three Qin brothers, only two came to the wrongdoing this time. The third brother stayed in Caizhou. I will send the imperial guards to Caizhou to capture Qin Sanlang as well, so you won't have any worries."

Zhao Huai'an felt pleased to hear this; his older brother, whom he had taken for granted, still cared about him. So he said apologetically:
"Brother, you know me. I, Zhao Da, am not the kind of arrogant person! It's just that the Qin family has gone too far! I was just lucky, otherwise you really wouldn't be seeing me this time!"

"And these insects really deserve to die. I fought bloody battles on the front lines to repay the Emperor's grace. I, Zhao Da, know that I am where I am today because of the Emperor and the Tang Dynasty. If I were alive in any other time, what would it matter if I killed the prisoner dragon in battle? What would it matter if I beheaded Cao Shixiong? I might still be a common soldier. It is only because of the Tang Dynasty that it is fair! As long as you work hard, you can climb up! So I, Zhao Da, have always been grateful."

"But what about now? My heart is broken! I have to dodge the enemy's swords and spears on the battlefield, and then I have to dodge the treacherous attacks of my own people? Isn't this making loyal and righteous people bleed and weep? This can't be allowed!"

In front of Yang Fuguang, Zhao Da cried loudly, his grievances overflowing! To achieve this effect, Zhao Huai'an had to say countless things against his conscience.

If the Tang Dynasty had been fair, the world wouldn't be in this state.
However, one thing is true: Zhao Daneng rose from a lowly soldier to where he is now. His merits are undeniable, his agility is impressive, and the appreciation of several influential figures is also a factor. But what else could be said about the court's emphasis on employing virtuous people?
Yes, but probably not many.

But that's not the point. The point is that Yang Fuguang believed it. Looking at Zhao Huai'an's sad and upset face, he felt for the first time that the Qin brothers really deserved to die!

Zhao Da may have a fiery temper, but these days there aren't many people like him who have the country in their hearts and dare to take responsibility.

If the imperial court still doesn't understand and cherish such loyal and virtuous individuals, then the imperial court is truly doomed.

So he patted Zhao Huai'an on the back, sincerely:
"Brother, don't worry, I'll stand up for you and make sure your passion doesn't cool down. Charge forward boldly, I'll support you from behind. You and I, brothers, will protect the Tang Dynasty together! Let people a thousand years from now sing the praises of our achievements!"

As he spoke, Yang Fuguang extended his arm, and Zhao Huai'an, deeply moved, also extended his arm. The two embraced, truly a display of brotherly affection and respect.

Meanwhile, the sound of receding hooves came again, growing ever closer.

……

Zhao Huai'an's face darkened, as did Yang Fuguang's.

He hadn't expected things to go wrong like this, and he angrily berated the disheveled Yang Shouli:

"Useless! You got kidnapped even with just one person in your party? What are you doing here? Take some men and go after them!"

Just now, Yang Shouli arrived in a sorry state with two Shence Army knights, saying that a group of Caizhou cavalry generals, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, had abducted Qin Zongquan at the city gate and then escaped.

Seeing Yang Shouli sobbing, Zhao Huai'an immediately knew that the boy must not have done any work. So he took a riding whip from Zhao Liu and said to Yang Fuguang:

“Elder brother, I am also this man’s second uncle. The younger generation is so negligent in their work that they can even make mistakes when dealing with a criminal. What will happen if this continues? Today, I will take the liberty of disciplining the younger generation on your behalf!”

After saying that, Zhao Huai'an glared angrily at Yang Shouli and roared:

"Stand over here and take the whip!"

Yang Shouli was already uneasy, and now seeing Zhao Huai'an even draw his whip, he instinctively wanted to run. But looking at the Baoyi generals who had already blocked their way, Yang Shouli looked hopefully at Yang Fuguang. However, Yang Fuguang's eyes were even colder than Zhao Huai'an's. His adoptive father said:

"Your second uncle is giving you a small punishment as a warning. If you don't want to be whipped, you can also take a knife. Which do you choose?"

Yang Shouli was in despair and could only pace over.

With a loud bang, Yang Shouli was whipped to the ground, the intense pain rendering him almost speechless. Large drops of sweat fell to the ground like pearls.

He looked at the whip in fear, then heard Zhao Huai'an say in a chilling voice:
"You'd better remember this lash for the rest of your life! Next time, if I find you daring to slack off on my behalf, this won't just be a lash!"

After saying this, Zhao Huai'an mounted his horse, then led another horse over from the side, and then pulled Yang Shouli, who was lying limp on the ground, onto the horse's back. Immediately afterwards, Zhao turned to Yang Fuguang and said:

"Brother, wait for me here. Qin Zongquan won't get away!"

Then Zhao Huai'an, with Yang Shouli pulled along by his horse, scolded him:
"Where did they run off to?"

Having been whipped, Yang Shouli had no more tricks up his sleeve and pointed with difficulty to the northeast, which turned out to be the direction of Juye Marsh.

Zhao Huai'an sneered and waited there for a moment until Liu Zhijun came galloping up from the camp, holding a robe and shouting:

"My lord, this is Qin Zongquan's robe!"

Zhao Huai'an tossed his robe behind him to the excited hunting dogs and shouted sternly:

"Find this person for me!"

Sensing their master's intense anger, the four hounds that had survived the fierce battle with the tiger were already wagging their tails excitedly and running around the robe.

Seeing this, Yang Fuguang, who was standing nearby, looked at the hunting dogs with curiosity. This was the first time he had ever seen hunting dogs used to search the area thoroughly.

Finally, Zhao Huai'an instructed Wang Jin to continue guarding the Zhongwu Army's main camp, while he led Fei Hu, Fei Bao, and his own men in a relentless pursuit to the northeast.

He refused to believe that Qin Zongquan, such a nobody, was so difficult to kill!

……

On the open plains leading to Juye Marsh, Qin Zongquan was galloping on horseback with six generals from Caizhou.

Four of the six were Zhang Zhi, Wang Shu, Lu Tang, and Shi Fan, who had previously entered Yuanju City with him. The other two were Guo Fan and Shen Cong.

After Qin Zongquan entered the government office, Zhang Zhi and the other three waited outside, but after waiting for a long time, they still did not see Qin Zongquan. Then they saw the military supervisor hurriedly leading a group of knights out of the courtyard next to the government office.

At that time, they knew something was wrong.

Therefore, the four dared not stay in the same place any longer and secretly hid at the North Gate, preparing to return to the Caizhou army camp from there.

Then they saw several more Shence Army knights rushing back, and soon they were escorting Qin Zongquan out of the city.

Without further hesitation, Zhang Zhi and his three companions appeared and abducted Qin Zongquan. They then prepared to return to their main camp from the north gate, where they would cause trouble for the more than a thousand soldiers from Caizhou.

But Qin Zongquan knew that he couldn't go to the main camp.

It turned out that after Yang Fuguang learned about Zhao Huai'an's attack, he immediately suspected the Qin brothers, because he knew that Zhao Da was a loyal and righteous person, so he was always well-liked in the army.

The only enemies they had were the soldiers of Caizhou from the Zhongwu Army, especially the Qin brothers.

He had previously learned that Zhao Da had clashed with this group in Chenzhou, the cause of which was to save a comrade-in-arms who had fought alongside him in Xichuan.

Why did Yang Fuguang repeatedly tolerate Zhao Huai'an, even lowering his standards time and time again? Besides Zhao Huai'an's strength, it was also because he knew what Zhao Huai'an had done in the past, and which of those things could not be described as "righteous and chivalrous".
Knowing that Zhao Da was a kind and capable man, Yang Fuguang went to great lengths to accommodate him, all in order to cultivate a loyal and brave man for the country and save it from imminent collapse.

Therefore, regardless of whether it was the Qin brothers who did it, Yang Fuguang imprisoned Qin Zongquan after he entered the government office.

After being rescued, Qin Zongquan realized that given the current situation, the Zhongwu Army camp might even have been captured, so he dared not go back and walk into a trap.

Without hesitation, he led several of his generals and fled northeast to Juye Marsh.

Juye Marsh is vast. In the past, Peng Yue took refuge there, and even the Qin court could not catch him, let alone Yang Fuguang now.

Halfway there, he encountered Guo Fan and Shen Cong, two of his close generals.

It turned out that the two were ordered by Qin Zongyan to search for Liu Jianfeng who had escaped. However, this escape saved them, because not long after, countless Baoyi Army soldiers poured into the camp from the northeast corner.

Of the three divisions of the Zhongwu Army, the Xuzhou Army retreated into their tents, the Chenzhou Army sat on the sidelines and watched, and half of the already small Caizhou Army chose to sit on the ground, unwilling to fight.

After Qin Zongquan's remaining force of less than a thousand men was wiped out by the Baoyi Army's elite cavalry, almost all the survivors chose to surrender.

Qin Zongyan, who was still hysterical in the large tent, was dragged out by the militiamen and then grabbed like a chick and handed over to Zhao Huai'an outside the camp.

Guo Fan and Shen Cong saw everything and decided to flee without hesitation. However, before they had gone far, their troops were scattered, and only the two of them chose to flee to the Northeast, where there was no Baoyi Army.

Then, by sheer coincidence, the two of them ran into Qin Zongquan and others who were also fleeing.

After learning the whole story from the two men, Qin Zongquan didn't waste any words and instead offered empty promises to the Cai generals who were still willing to follow him:
"The world is about to change. Let us first take refuge in the great marsh. Once the world is in chaos, we will return to Caizhou. My Qin family has been established in Caizhou for three generations, and our old followers are all over the prefecture. Once I can return, I can raise my arms and call upon heroes to follow. And on that day, I will never forget your unwavering loyalty today!"

Of these six people, Zhang Zhi had been saved by Qin Zongquan, and their relationship was similar to that of Wang Jin to Zhao Huai'an.

Wang Shu and Lu Tang were Qin Zongquan's childhood companions and were as close as brothers. As for Shi Fan, Guo Fan, and Shen Cong, they were all brave warriors selected by Qin Zongquan from the army.

Therefore, Qin Zongquan was confident that even if he fell on hard times, he could still keep these people under his control.

However, he also regretted it in his heart. If he had known this would happen, he really should have sold that good-for-nothing younger brother! Just this one person had ruined the Qin family's foundation for three generations.

That piece of trash deserves to die!
While Qin Zongquan appeared heroic on the outside but was filled with regret on the inside, the six men reacted exactly as Qin Zongquan had predicted, each patting their chests and vowing to follow him through thick and thin.

Wang Shu even laughed heartily, comparing it to Emperor Gaozu of the Former Han Dynasty who fled to Mangdang Mountain, suggesting that their entry into Juye Marsh this time might just lead to the creation of a great enterprise.

When the time comes, the eldest son will become king and ancestor, and the six of them will each become founding heroes, with dukes and marquises for generations to come!

With just one sentence, he swept away the dejection in everyone's hearts, making them regard this escape as a final hardship after all the misfortunes.

Hang in there, better days are ahead.

But a barking dog shattered their dream. The seven men, including Qin Zongquan, turned their heads and saw dust billowing in the distance as a cavalry force stretched for miles, conducting a net search.

As the hunting dogs barked wildly, the pursuing riders, realizing what was happening, immediately fired three arrows, while the rest of the riders spread out from both flanks, chasing after Qin Zongquan and his cavalry who continued to run.

……

Leading the charge was Yang Yanqing, who had previously captured Qin Zongyan.

He carried an iron spear, leaped over the running hunting dogs, and howled.

Ahead of him, the seven fleeing Cai generals were running for their lives.

Suddenly, the last of the seven men turned around, drew his bow, and shot an arrow, which Yang Yanqing dodged by turning his head.

Another shot came from the opposite side, but Yang Yanqing dodged it again.

By this time, he had rushed to the back of the last man. Just as the man was about to turn around and shoot an arrow again, Yang Yanqing struck the man's armor with his spear, causing him to vomit blood and fall from his horse.

Yang Yanqing's mount raised its iron hooves and crushed the man's head with a single stomp.

The screams below only fueled Yang Yanqing's excitement. This time, he switched to another warhorse, hung his iron spear on a hook, took out a strong bow, drew an armor-piercing arrow, and fired it at the man who had just shot him.

The armor-piercing arrow pierced his chest and back, and the man slipped off his horse without uttering a sound.

Two generals from Caizhou were killed in battle. The remaining men knew that if they continued to flee, they would also die. Their savagery kicked in, and they disregarded everything else. They rode around and prepared to kill Yang Yanqing and take him down with them.

Yang Yanqing laughed heartily, pulled the iron spear from the hook and tucked it under his arm, roaring:

"Yang Yanqing, you coward, come and meet your death!"

The three generals rushing towards them didn't even bother to respond; they charged straight at them with their spears.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."

In the blink of an eye, the three riders who rushed over were shot in the throat and fell to the ground.

Then, three cavalry generals, Liu Zhijun, Liu Xin, and Guo Liang, galloped over. Liu Zhijun shouted directly at Yang Yanqing:
"Why waste words with them! Kill them all! Don't let Qin Zongquan get away!"

Yang Yanqing curled his lip, cursing these guys for their lack of martial ethics, but without hesitation, he rushed towards Qin Zongquan.

Two Caizhou generals remained ahead, and the two sides engaged in a chase across the vast plain, closing the distance between them.

Suddenly, the Caizhou general who was running a little slower in front of him leaped off his horse and knocked Qin Zongquan to the ground.

The two rolled on the ground until the man pinned Qin Zongquan firmly to the ground, then shouted to Yang Yanqing and the others who rushed over:

"I've caught him! It's Qin Zongquan! Come quick!"

His excitement was so palpable that anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was part of the Righteous Army.

With disdain, Yang Yanqing and the others slowly drove over, and then a sudden change occurred. Qin Zongquan, who was being held down, pulled out a short dagger from his waist and stabbed it into the traitor's temple.

The tip of the knife emerged from the other end, and then Qin Zongquan cruelly twisted the knife, pressing down on Shen Cong's head to pull out the dagger.

Seeing the warriors who had surrounded him, Qin Zongquan stood up, threw his dagger on the ground, spat blood onto the corpse of the traitor Shen Cong, and then shouted to Yang Yanqing and the others:

"I want to see Magistrate Zhao! Even if I die, I don't want to die at the hands of you nobody!"

His words enraged Liu Zhijun, who raised his spear and spurred his horse forward. Yang Yanqing, tilting his head, retaliated with a retort:
"I think the lord wants to live!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Zhijun moved his lance, the sharp blade slicing off several strands of Qin Zongquan's hair before passing by.

Just as they were about to cross paths, Liu Zhijun swept his spear across Qin Zongquan's back, causing him to cough up blood and fall to the ground.

Then, Liu Zhijun turned his horse around, pointed his spear at Qin Zongquan, and snorted:
"take away!"

(End of this chapter)