Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 216 Black Clothes
On the tenth day of the second month of the third year of Qianfu, at Yuanju, on the north bank of Baigou River.

At this moment, outside the city, in the southwest of the city, three thousand five hundred cavalry and infantry from the Baoyi Yamen, with their banners fluttering and their fine armor gleaming in the sun, formed a great battle array outside the camp.

When Zhao Huai'an and Yang Fuguang's cavalry arrived, the entire army erupted in a thunderous cheer. Then, to the sound of the booming war drums, the officers and soldiers of the eight battalions and the Chixin battalion raised their arms and roared. Then, led by their respective battalion commanders, they boarded the ships in single file, following the banners.

This time, the Central Plains Three Feudatories' headquarters mobilized two hundred large ships, each with an average weight of two to five hundred shi (a unit of dry measure), carrying one hundred people.

As the officers and soldiers of the Baoyi Army boarded the ships one after another, the husbands and accompanying soldiers carried the military supplies and led the mules and horses onto the remaining ships.

Finally, the officers and soldiers used seventy boats and seventy mules and horses. The remaining sixty large boats were all five hundred-shi grain transport boats, carrying a total of thirty thousand shi of rice.

Under the command of military officers at all levels and the shogunate's finance department, the Baoyi Army set out with 8,500 men, 2,000 mules and horses, countless military supplies and weapons, and 30,000 shi of rice. Although it was chaotic, it was still orderly.

At this moment, under the reed shelters on the riverbank, the Shence generals like Yang Shouli were deeply moved by the sight of this trickling stream.

They had never seen the Baoyi Army's fighting prowess, so they didn't really have a concept of how capable they were. They just thought that these people were only showing off because they had a large number of soldiers, and that their actual combat strength was probably just so-so.

After all, how long has the Baoyi Army been established? At most two years, and it has been constantly expanding during this period. Its actual combat strength is probably only at the level of the Yicheng Army. Although it is strong among the southern troops, it is not good enough in front of the warlords and vassals in the Central Plains.

But when they saw the order before them, no one present dared to have such arrogant thoughts anymore.

To be able to mobilize such a massive number of personnel and resources in this way is already a testament to the strength of the military.

Just like the Righteous Army soldiers who are now boarding the ship one after another, their armed forces and accompanying men number nearly nine thousand. This number may not sound like that many, but once you see it, you'll know what a sea of ​​people really means.

Looking out from under the reed shelter, it truly seemed endless. Countless warriors and their attendants made a tremendous racket, with shouts and curses everywhere, yet it still gave one a sense of order.

Those fluttering military flags, those warriors in brand-new uniforms, those warhorses as strong as dragons—this is an elite army capable of conquering the world.

As other teams boarded the ships one after another, the troops on the shore maintained their formation, like dikes, guarding their comrades who were boarding behind them.

This is no longer just a matter of discipline; these troops have ingrained the rules of alternating advance and retreat into their very bones. No wonder that on that day, when these militia infantrymen were clad in iron armor, the grass army's repeated attacks could not break their formation.

Surrounded by such a massive army, Yang Shouli felt parched, and the whip marks on his body felt even itchier.

Unable to resist stealing a glance at Zhao Huai'an, who was sitting on a small stool, a thought crossed his mind:
"That's what a man should do!"

……

Beside Zhao Huai'an, Yang Fuguang also looked at the imposing scene before him with a dazed expression, and said regretfully:
"I wish I could fight alongside Zhao Da! Sigh, if it weren't for the urgent military situation, I really wouldn't want you to go to the front line."

Zhao Huai'an, chin held high, looked at the soldiers over there, waving and nodding from time to time. But upon hearing Yang Fuguang's words, he showed no emotion whatsoever, yet appeared "moved" and said:

"Brother, what are you saying? It is certainly hard for me to fight on the front lines, but aren't you tired of providing supplies and provisions in the rear? We just have different roles, but we are both serving our Tang Dynasty!"

Yang Fuguang pondered the "division of labor" and became increasingly satisfied. "This little brother of mine is quite the talker."

He then looked at the Baoyi Army soldiers who were boarding the ship one after another, and suddenly thought to himself:

"These militia warriors seem to earn only twenty strings of cash a year, while every Shence Army soldier earns at least forty or fifty strings a year. How can there be such a huge difference in the size of their troops? It seems that having money doesn't necessarily mean you can raise elite soldiers!"

Meanwhile, Zhao Huai'an appeared confident of victory, but inwardly he was anxious.

Two days ago, when they received the news that Yuncheng had been captured, they were utterly shocked.

Why?

Because Yuncheng is located on the banks of Juye Marsh, connecting Baigou River and Wen River.

Baigou River was the transportation route for Zhao Huai'an and his group to continue their journey, just as Wen River was. It originated from Mount Tai in Qizhou, then flowed through Yanzhou, and finally entered Juye Marsh in Yunzhou.

In other words, Yuncheng is a hub connecting the Central Plains and central and southern Shandong, and the Baigou River and the Wen River are two expressways on this hub.

Originally, according to the imperial court's strategy, after taking Caozhou and completely opening up the passage from Baigou River to Dayeze, they would go to Yuncheng and use it as the location of the grain depot.

At that time, Yang Fuguang's camp will move to Yuncheng, gather the local Tianping Army, and together with the Baoyi, Zhongwu, and Xuanwu armies, enter Yanzhou from Yuncheng to the south, directly blocking the Yizhou bandit army's way back north.

Thus, with attacks from both sides, the bandits were subdued in one fell swoop.

But now, the dish hasn't even been cooked yet, and the table has already been taken away. How can this be allowed?
Yuncheng was a matter of great importance in suppressing the rebellion, and Yang Fuguang knew the gravity of the situation, so he immediately ordered Zhao Huai'an to lead troops to attack Caozhou first, and then besiege Yuncheng.

Then he summoned the scattered Xuanwu and Baoyi armies, and soon arrived.

What can Zhao Huai'an do?
Looking across all the armies, who else but Baoyi Army could organize troops and launch an offensive in such a short time?
So before Yang Fuguang could even glance at him, Zhao Huai'an clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and volunteered, shouting that he was loyal to the court and willing to lead the Baoyi Army eastward to Caozhou.

In his excitement, Yang Fuguang said to Zhao Huai'an:
“Zhao Da, your loyalty is so great, I must petition the Emperor to bestow upon you the title of ‘Complete Loyalty’.”

Zhao Huai'an was dumbfounded when he heard this.
What? Zhao Quanzhong? If that's his name, then what was Zhu Wen called? Isn't this stealing someone's "luck"? He could have easily chosen not to take advantage of that.

Besides, names like Quan Zhong and Jin Zhong sound like sycophants. I still vividly remember him bestowing the name "Zhao Jin Zhong" upon that Nanzhao warrior last year.

So Zhao Huai'an shook his head directly, saying only that his loyalty to the emperor was in his heart, and that those good names should be left to those who needed them more.

Then Yang Fuguang naturally showered him with praise. Now, whatever Zhao Da said, he would say, "Yes, yes, yes," or "Good, good, good."

Since Zhao Da had volunteered, he believed in the importance of speed in warfare. After receiving the military order, he made sure to have sufficient armor, weapons, and provisions on the same day, rest for a day, and then lead his troops out to war the next day.

Sigh, I wonder which band of rebels took Yuncheng so easily. They have a keen eye! But how come your Taiping Army is so useless? You couldn't even hold Yuncheng?
But no matter how much they complained about the incompetence of their allies, the Tang army had once again fallen into the trap of being a hapless fodder, which was a very dangerous sign.

……

Two hours later, after the troops had almost all boarded the ship, Zhao Huai'an bid farewell to Yang Fuguang.

He led Zhao Liu and his men, along with the warriors under his command, onto the ship. Yang Fuguang, along with all his staff and generals, waved goodbye from the dock.

Their mission this time was to be the vanguard of the various armies and to take Caozhou first.

However, Yang Fuguang also told Zhao Huai'an privately that it would take him some time to regroup his troops. If he could quickly take Caozhou, he could see if he could recapture Yuncheng first.

Zhao Huai'an did not agree rashly, because it was a huge trap.

Taking Caozhou shouldn't be a problem; it's only fifty li from Yuanju's camp, making resupply convenient.

We could send a lone army to attack Yuncheng, but forget about that, because that would require traversing the Juye Marsh.

Zhao Huai'an's fleet was a transport fleet, not a navy, and completely lacked the ability to fight on water. Moreover, there were many small islands in the Juye Marsh, teeming with pirates, and the lake was rough with strong winds and high waves. Once inside, life or death would be uncertain.

And since he's risking his life like this, what are the Zhongwu Army and Xuanwu Army doing?

So Zhao Huai'an's eyes lit up, and he agreed, intending to fight a bad battle against Caozhou.

Slack off? Anyone can do that.

Seeing Yang Fuguang and the others smiling on the shore, Zhao Huai'an also waved with a smile. Then, to the sound of the bugle, the rowers at the bottom began to row vigorously, heading east towards Caozhou.

……

As soon as the fleet left Yuanju, Zhao Liu asked:

"Brother, how should we fight this battle?"

Zhao Huai'an had already returned to his cabin and called all his close generals and staff in to have a small meeting to discuss the matter.

Once everyone was seated, Zhao Liu said worriedly:

"Brother, sieges always have the highest casualty rate. This time we've cut off Cao Shixiong's head and sent it to Chang'an. How can those Caozhou bandits not fight us to the death? I'm worried that if we fight, our brothers will suffer heavy casualties."

The Baoyi Army has a significant weakness: it cannot fight siege battles because the effectiveness of such battles is too low.

During siege battles, even a common laborer on the city wall could kill elite warriors below with stones. Furthermore, the Baoyi Army implemented the Yibao system, which provided heavy compensation for each elite warrior, making it impossible for them to afford such a losing battle.

Currently, Zhao Huai'an is making up for this shortcoming through echelon construction, that is, the field army is paid at full pay, the second-line military is paid at half pay, and then some field troops are used as the spearhead for attacking, while the majority of the second-line troops are used for siege warfare.

Even so, it's better to avoid tough battles if possible; it's not worth it.

Upon hearing Zhao Liu's question and noticing the similar expressions on the faces of several other military officers, Zhao Huai'an directly corrected them:
"Don't think we can't fight a tough battle just because it's a strategic offensive. Didn't we fight Qiongzhou before? Did we fail in fighting Yazhou? A strong army will fight anything! And don't think our lives are too precious or that it's not worth fighting. We know how to do the math. You only know how to do the small math, but I'm thinking about the big picture. Once I decide to fight a tough battle, it's a must-take it, even if it means we're wiped out!"

"Remember this, everyone: we are warriors. Once a military order is given, we must complete it even if it means going through fire and water. Don't turn us into those old men from the Shence and Xuanwu armies."

Zhao Liu and the others stood upright, clasped their hands in greeting, and bowed.

After giving his generals their routine lecture on values, Zhao Huai'an stroked his beard and drawled:
"However, Caozhou isn't that important. After all, we've been fighting over Yizhou for so long, and we haven't seen any results. So, should we retake Yuncheng? Of course we should, but when? That depends on the specific circumstances."

As soon as Zhao Huai'an said this, everyone understood and their expressions relaxed.

They were genuinely afraid that the governor would be bewitched by Yang Fuguang and launch a full-scale attack on Caozhou City, which would result in heavy casualties among their men.

It's only right to serve the governor, but to serve Yang Fuguang and the imperial court? Why should they?

They've never even seen which side of Chang'an Gate is open, nor have they received a single coin or grain from Chang'an. And they expect their brothers to risk their lives? Are lives that cheap?

Zhao Huai'an, aware of everyone's thoughts, also revealed some of his own, saying:

"It wasn't easy for us brothers to build this foundation. It was truly earned through bloodshed and danger. So we would never risk our lives for some outsider. The only thing worth risking our lives for is protecting the future of our righteous army!"

Yuan Xi added:
"We can't say we're just fooling around. As the capital of Caozhou, Caozhou City has high walls, and the rebel army is putting up a stubborn resistance. It's only natural that we're fighting for a long time."

Zhao Huai'an nodded and then asked the military advisor He Wei:
"Old He, have any intelligence reports come from the spies in Caozhou? Is Huang Cun still guarding Caozhou?"

He Weidao was in charge of intelligence in Caozhou. After listening to the report, he got up and reported the current situation in Caozhou to Zhao Huai'an.

He said to Zhao Huai'an:

"Our intelligence on Caozhou only extends back to three days ago; since then, the bandits have completely sealed off the city."

"The last intelligence sent from the city gates indicates that the current commander of Caozhou is no longer Huang Cun, the leader of the bandit army, but a man named Huang Qin. It is said that he is the younger brother of Huang Cun and Huang Chao, and is the ninth in line." "But apart from this intelligence, we don't know exactly how many people are in the city."

After saying this, He Weidao felt a little ashamed, feeling that he had not done a good job of the task assigned by the magistrate.

Zhao Huai'an was quite open-minded and didn't criticize He Weidao. After all, the Baoyi Army was new to this kind of spying and intelligence gathering, and they didn't have any professionals to help them, so it was understandable that the results were poor.

Zhao Huai'an was already surprised that He Weidao was able to send people in.

He offered He Weidao encouragement, saying:

"Old He, that's not bad. The fact that you were able to build the framework from scratch shows that you've put your heart into it. As for whether there will be results, and how big the results will be, that's not something that can be achieved just by hard work. It also requires a bit of time and luck, so there's no need to be discouraged."

Finally, Zhao Huai'an once again offered He Weidao a pie in the sky, as was his custom:

"Old He, remember this: a tall building starts from the ground up. Who knows if your intelligence team won't become a valuable weapon for our army in the future?"

He Weidao was deeply moved, feeling that the magistrate had high hopes for him. He suddenly stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhao Huai'an:
"My lord, I would like to request a military title from you, so that my brothers below may know who I am."

Zhao Huai'an was stunned for a moment, and various historical spy organizations flashed through his mind. Finally, he nodded to He Weidao:
“Old He, you really do need to be given a military title, after all, the name should match the reality.”

He hesitated for a moment, then said:

"The most important thing about your intelligence is darkness. People are in the shadows, and actions are done in the dark. Let's call it the Black Clothes Society. From now on, your Black Clothes Society will be responsible for gathering intelligence on the enemy. Money and supplies will come directly from my private treasury. I will assign you three finance departments to specifically control your expenditures."

He Weidao was very excited because his request had turned a temporary assignment into a secret agent organization directly under Zhao Huai'an.

Although this organization is currently very weak, it will grow stronger as the Baoyi Army continues to expand.

Correspondingly, He Weidao's personal power also underwent a transformation.

Previously, he was just a military advisor under the shogunate, with only the power to offer advice and suggestions, which, to put it bluntly, meant he had no real power.

Because the higher-ups listen to you, your words are only useful if you join the army. If the higher-ups treat you like a fart, then you are nothing.

But things are different now. He Weidao now has a group of people under him, as well as funds to start projects. Most importantly, he occupies an excellent power niche: monitoring enemy intelligence and carrying out specific tasks such as infiltration, bribery, and defection.

Whether a person has great or small power does not depend on how big their position is, but on how wide their responsibilities are.

The more specific tasks you assign, the more people and things you can influence, the more powerful you become, even if you are still just a minor military advisor in the imperial court.

Now, He Weidao has risen from a staff member to become the first leader of an important functional department.

This was no longer a mere leap forward; it was the very beginning of a illustrious political career.

He Weidao himself had wondered why such an important matter had fallen into his hands. It wasn't because he was particularly professional in espionage, but because he was loyal enough.

Clearly, his shout in Qiongzhou back then had resonated deeply with the governor.

Therefore, He Weidao grasped the core of doing a good job with the Black Clothes Society, which is to be loyal, and only loyal to the magistrate.

Seeing He Weidao deep in thought, Zhao Huai'an knew he had grasped the key to the matter. He smiled and added a word of advice:

"Although I've never done anything like being a spy, I'll offer a few points for your consideration."

He Weidao put his legs together, took out paper and pen from his pocket, and bent down to write it down.

The personal habits of powerful figures have a very obvious and rapid influence on the people and things around them.

To make writing easier for himself, Zhao Huai'an got a charcoal pencil, and then the staff in the army began to follow suit. From writing awkwardly at first, they now write freely without a single complaint.

This is the charm of power.

Seeing that He Weidao was ready, Zhao Huai'an began to explain his thoughts. Moreover, to put everyone at ease, he did not hide anything or hold any secret conversation. He simply began to discuss the matter in front of his trusted confidants.

"The first thing you need to do when you set up this 'Black Clothes Society' is to recruit people. You can find your spies from mobile groups like merchants, monks, and Taoists. Then create several levels for these people, with each level having a single point of contact. You need to figure out the specific number of levels and what each level should be called. Then show me the rules."

"How do you choose these people? Besides the ones I mentioned from the official ranks, you can also recruit more from the martial arts world. These people are not suitable for battle, but they can be quite useful in this area. However, you should also screen these people. It's best to find trustworthy ones with family members who can vouch for them. These should be given priority."

"The training for this person is not about fighting and killing, so military force is just a supplement. The key requirement is to be able to hide. Therefore, we need to use locals to carry out the infiltration, preferably those with ordinary appearances."

"Once these people are found, they will be sent to carry out missions in the Grass Army and other vassal states. They will be given a sum of money to set up inns and shops to sell tea and wine. This way, they will have a legitimate identity and the money they earn from the business will be enough to support them. It will also provide a place for the spies who come later to stay."

Seeing that He Weidao was still taking notes, Zhao Huai'an waited until he finished before speaking:

"Don't write down these words, just memorize them."

Upon hearing this, He Weidao immediately put away his pen and paper, then bent down to listen to what Zhao Huai'an was about to say. He knew that these were the most important points.

Sure enough, while what Zhao Huai'an said above was relatively public, what he said next was truly private.

He pointed at He Weidao and said:

"Old He, you have to understand, intelligence gathering is a matter of life and death for the army, so discipline must be strict!"

"Once a spy is bribed or betrays us, we must eliminate them completely. This is the ironclad rule of our 'Black Clothes Society'—zero tolerance for traitors!"

"In addition, the families of these spies must be brought to Gwangju, where a 'hidden village' will be built for them in the Dabie Mountains. The training of new spies will also be arranged in the Dabie Mountains in the future, but this will be separated from your area in the future. You will only need to receive spies."

He Weidao felt a chill run down his spine and nodded repeatedly.

Then Zhao Huai'an stopped talking about the matter and changed the subject, saying:

"Now I'm going to give you the following tasks. Keep them in mind. The 'Black Clothes Society' will develop in this direction from now on."

"In the early stages, I need you to establish intelligence stations in the Central Plains, such as Cao, Yun, Yan, Yi, and Qi. Aim to have one station in each prefecture, with each station having about three to five groups distributed across the counties. Each group will consist of three people: Chazi, Jinzou, and Lishi."

"Spies are people who specialize in infiltration and espionage. Anything related to the military or politics of this area is a target for their investigation. You should pay close attention to these people, and it's best to choose those who already have a certain social status, because these people are more capable of covertly infiltrating information centers in various places."

"Then comes the reporting. These people are specifically responsible for passing on the important intelligence gathered by the spies. I will write something about this later. It includes some methods for encrypting information and how to transmit intelligence covertly. You need to teach these people all of that."

"The most important thing for these people is to remain unnoticed, so it is best if they are from the lower classes in various places, such as boatmen or laborers, whose jobs allow them to come into contact with people outside."

"Finally, there are the strongmen who can provide backup and clean up the mess. These people have to be ruthless, capable of killing, and able to associate with all sorts of people. In addition, they must be familiar with the local streets, alleys, and ditches. Because if any of the other two members of the team are exposed, this person has to come out to rescue them and then lead them to safety."

"Therefore, these people must have businesses in various places, which is what I just mentioned, opening inns. This way, they can support people in the inns during normal times, and they can escape with people in critical moments!"

"These are the personnel allocations for each group. You can decide how many to assign to which states."

Seeing that He Weidao remained silent, Zhao Huai'an asked:

"Did you understand?"

He Weidao immediately demonstrated his amazing memory, repeating almost every word Zhao Huai'an had just said in front of his generals and advisors.

Zhao Huai'an nodded. That was exactly what he valued about He Weidao – he was smart enough.

As for loyalty or disloyalty? Is He Weidao the only one who is loyal?

Then, Zhao Huai'an coughed and said to Sun Tai below:
"Go check if anyone's outside the cabin. Tell everyone to get out of the way!"

Sun Tai nodded, then went out of the cabin and stood guard outside.

After ensuring secrecy, Zhao Huai'an, in front of his trusted confidants, pointed out the focus of the Black-Clad Society's future development:
“Old He, wherever the center of power is, that’s where the intelligence center is. Do you understand what I mean? So once the Central Plains are set up, I need you to personally lead a team to Chang’an. You will be in charge of setting up three independent stations to gather intelligence on the imperial court.”

His words were incredibly informative, yet they stirred the emotions of everyone present.

So the magistrate has his own ideas too. He's not really going to be some kind of loyalist to the Tang Dynasty. In that case, they feel more at ease.

He Weidao nodded immediately, feeling a surge of emotion.

At this point, he knew perfectly well that the magistrate's decision was not a spur-of-the-moment thing, but rather something he had clearly thought through.

He also understood why the magistrate valued this so much, because once the "Black-Clad Society" could be built according to the magistrate's ideas, the Righteous Army would be completely enlightened.

At that time, nothing, big or small, will escape the notice of the "Black-Clad Society".

Once He Weidao realized how ambitious the governor was, he became even more motivated.

In this way, Zhao Huai'an openly explained the mission of the "Black Clothes Society" in front of his confidants. He was telling them that this organization was not against them, so they should all relax, not be suspicious, and not waste time on internal conflicts when they should be building their businesses.

Sure enough, everyone understood what this meant, and their expressions relaxed, except for Zhang Guinian, who was at the head of the table, who sighed inwardly:

"If the 'Black-Clad Society' exists externally, how far away is it from operating internally?"

However, Zhang Guinian did not think this was a bad thing. He had long known that the governor was a true great ruler, and which great ruler in history did not do this?

The meticulous arrangements made by the lord in setting up the "Black-Clad Society" further reveal the magistrate's thoughtfulness and his "imperial mind".

Yes, Your Excellency already possesses a degree of self-awareness befitting a superior.

Zhang Guinian's lifelong pursuit was to meet a great ruler and realize his ambitions. Seeing his lord so "wise and powerful," he felt only joy.

Moreover, he doesn't think that such internal oversight will hinder him in any way!
His loyalty to the magistrate was no less than that of anyone else.

As long as one is loyal and capable, in accordance with the lord's benevolence, one will surely be willing to "share a golden cup with you, and show no mercy even with a sharp blade."

Even with such trust in Zhao Huai'an's character, he still felt a pang of worry for He Weidao as he looked at the confident man.

"Oh, the Way! How many of Lai Junchen's followers, throughout history, have met a good end?"

(End of this chapter)