Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 248 Toast
As dawn broke and the sun shone brightly, the area outside Zhongdu City was bustling with activity.

Upon receiving news of the main force's great victory in the morning, Zhang Guinian arrived at the battlefield at noon with 500 soldiers and 1,000 men carrying a huge amount of supplies.

At this moment, the officers and soldiers of the Baoyi Army were extremely thirsty after the great battle. When they saw the wine brought by the logistics department, they couldn't help but rush over, several people per barrel, holding the wine and drinking it down.

Zhang Guinian and his staff did not stop the assembled officials and soldiers of the shogunate from drinking and singing after their victory in the battle. They then walked to a curtain in the middle of the battlefield.

The shogunate used spears planted in the ground, and then used battle flags and curtains to create an open space. In order to increase privacy and provide passage, the curtains were made to resemble a maze.

When Zhang Guinian and his group arrived, a group of people stood around the perimeter, pacing back and forth in iron armor. On both sides, there were more than a dozen military posts, with over a hundred strong and elite warriors sitting around with their iron armor off to one side, shirtless, and eating the dried meat they had brought.

Upon seeing Zhang Guinian arrive, Sun Tai, who was pacing back and forth in his leather armor, quickly went to greet him and then smiled at Zhang Guinian:

"Secretary, you've arrived! The magistrate and everyone are inside having a drink and are waiting for you."

As he spoke, Sun Tai couldn't help but look behind him, clearly examining the supplies that Zhang Guinian and his group had brought. When he saw the jars of wine on the back of the load, he couldn't help but chuckle.

However, as the halberd bearer of the main tent, he was not allowed to drink any alcohol and could only watch as others divided up the wine, fruits, and dried meat in his basket.

When it was Sun Tai's turn, there were only two peaches left. He picked one up with a pout, took a bite, and the juice burst into his mouth.

Ah, this is delicious!

After Zhang Guinian removed his sword, he and a group of officials from the shogunate entered the main tent. Upon entering, they saw the magistrate and a group of generals laughing and chatting.

After seeing Zhang Guinian and his group enter, Zhao Huai'an pointed to the seats left on the left and smiled:

"Old Zhang, you've come at the perfect time. Right now, more than twenty of us are taking turns sipping from that bag of liquor, and that Fatty Bean has almost sucked the cork clean."

Zhang Guinian smiled, able to see that the magistrate and his entourage were genuinely pleased, but duty compelled him to offer a word of advice:

"My lord, we are still on the battlefield, and there are still a large number of captured rebels around us waiting to be taken in. Not to mention that there is a large part of Liu Yanzhang's rebel army eighty miles to the southwest. This distance is still very dangerous."

Zhao Huai'an laughed heartily, pulled Zhang Guinian to sit down, and said with a smile:

"Old Zhang, you're right about everything, but let me ask you something."

He pointed to Generals Liu Xin and Geng Xiaojie and said earnestly:
"Old Zhang, in today's battle, Old Geng and Old Liu marched eighty miles and broke through three enemy forces in succession. They also risked great dangers and entered dangerous places, braving arrows. I think they deserve the most credit. It's not too much to drink a cup to them!"

Zhang Guinian, of course, knew that the magistrate was at it again, so he quickly cooperated, giving Liu Xin and Geng Xiaojie a thumbs-up and praising them:
"Awesome! Old Liu Gao and Old Geng Ying, both are heroes!"

Liu Xin and Geng Xiaojie couldn't bear this, so they stood up and bowed to Zhao Huai'an and Zhang Guinian.

"My lord, scribe, how could we possibly claim credit for this? It is all thanks to the brothers who fought so bravely and even risked their lives to repay your kindness!"

What Liu Xin and Geng Xiaojie said is indeed true, but only half true.

That is, Flying Tiger and Flying Leopard did indeed fight so hard because of Zhao Huai'an, but repaying kindness and righteousness was only one aspect. Another aspect was that all the officials and soldiers knew that only if the magistrate became better and better and the Baoyi Army grew bigger and bigger would they have a better future.

This future is not just about more women, more luxurious living, larger mansions, and higher official positions; it's more about the experience of striving in a great cause.

To be honest, which of these core warriors of the Baoyi Army, who have fought their way from Xichuan to now, doesn't have a hundred or two hundred strings of cash in their pockets? For some of the military officers, that number is several times higher.

At this point, stimulating them with money might have some effect, but its actual effect is minimal.

What they truly value is the experience of fighting alongside their brothers and the legacy they built by following the magistrate.

Having escaped the basic problems of survival, the militia warriors of the Baoyi Army were more eager to feel a sense of value than to simply wait to die.

However, Liu Xin and Geng Xiaojie failed to grasp the psychology of the crowd, and even the warriors themselves were unaware of their true motives.

By now, Geng Xiaojie's eyelids were scabbed over, and he no longer tried to gain sympathy by covering his eyes with a cloth. He's truly an honest man.

He hadn't drunk much, but Geng Xiaojie's face was still flushed. He excitedly said to Zhao Huai'an:

"My lord, this battle was entirely due to the bravery of our officers and soldiers, so we two dare not take credit for it. This greatest credit should belong to all of us!"

Zhao Huai'an was overjoyed to hear this. He looked around and, seeing there was no wine, shouted outside:

"Don't fucking finish it all, my brothers haven't had a drink yet! Bring in a few jars!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Tai, Zhao Hu, and He Wenqin, each carrying a jar in their hands, entered with smiles on their faces.

The three of them were on night watch that day, and they had long been resentful of seeing their brothers drinking outside. When they heard the magistrate calling from inside, they took advantage of their position to snatch the drinks from the few who were smacking their lips the loudest and brought them in.

Zhao Huai'an took the bowl, received the jar, and filled it for Liu Xin and Geng Xiaojie. Then he found a larger bowl for himself, filled it as well, and said solemnly:

"Good, I am truly happy today. I am not only pleased with your bravery as martial artists, but also admire your willingness to share your skills! We must always remember that without our brothers, we are nothing!"

With that, Zhao Huai'an downed his drink in one gulp, then smacked his lips and exclaimed:

"Let us drink!"

Liu Xin and Geng Xiaojie also raised their bowls and drank them down in one gulp:

"Let us drink!"

Then Zhao Huai'an patted Liu and Geng on the shoulder and continued, following up on the previous topic:

"Our battle achievements were all won by our brothers who braved arrows and stones. So where did our brothers get the food they needed?"

Han Qiong, being very clever, shouted:

"It was all provided by the magistrate, so we eat the magistrate's food and do the magistrate's work!"

Zhao Huai'an choked, looking at this clown, and could only manage to utter one sentence:
"Yes, I distribute the grain, but isn't the grain in my hands still the grain of our people? They sweat and toil, saving every drop of food for us. They are our parents!"

"So it's not enough for us to just recognize the efforts of our brothers; we must also understand that it is these millions of ordinary people who support us. Without them, there would be no brothers like us!"

Of course, Zhao Huai'an only touched on this topic briefly, knowing that it would be extremely difficult to change the minds of the soldiers.

Zhao Huai'an treated ordinary people as human beings, but the soldiers and even the prevailing social atmosphere at the time treated them as sheep.

Although everything you eat, wear, and use comes from sheep, you don't feel grateful for their contributions, nor do you realize that without sheep, they wouldn't exist.

A sheep is a sheep!

Zhao Huai'an mentioned it briefly, then turned to Zhang Guinian and said, "Old Zhang, we just talked about the achievements of Lao Geng and Lao Liu, so we should have a drink! Now let me ask you, there is a man who fought ten battles and took the head of a bandit general from among ten thousand troops. Shouldn't we toast such a hero?"

At this moment, Zhang Guinian, who was already adept at cooperating with Zhao Huai'an, stood up and said to Zhao Huai'an:

"My lord, what else is there to say? Of course, we must show our respect!"

So Zhao Huai'an, who had been pacing off the field, walked directly to the front of the left-hand seats, pulled Wang Jin up, and addressed the entire audience:
"So this second glass of wine is to Old Wang. This time we fought so smoothly, all thanks to Old Wang's victories! Come, let's drink to Old Wang!"

So Zhao Huai'an poured another bowl for Wang Jin, and Lao Mo and the others also poured a bowl for all the generals present, and then they all toasted Wang Jin together:
"Cheers to Commander Wang!"

After saying this, all the generals drank their fill in one gulp.

Indeed, if you want to drink, you have to persuade yourself to drink.

Seeing his brothers offering toasts, Wang Jin raised his glass with both hands, looked around at everyone, and shouted:
"Everything is for the sake of your great cause!"

After saying that, he downed the whole bowl in one gulp, then boldly flipped the bowl over, meaning not a drop was left!
Zhao Huai'an over there also finished his meal, having drunk three bowls in a row. He was completely fine, then sat back down and smiled at everyone:
"This liquor is Wuliangye produced by our Rongzhou Winery. A batch was sent to our front lines as soon as it was produced. How does it taste?"

There is no one in the army who doesn't love wine. When they tasted it just now, they could tell that this wine tasted different. It was more fragrant, smoother on the palate, clean and refreshing in the throat, and had a long aftertaste.

Fine wine, this is truly fine wine!

So these roughnecks all praised it, not using many elegant words, just repeating it back and forth:

"This wine is good! It's excellent!"

Zhao Huai'an laughed heartily, then took another sip, comparing the taste with the Wuliangye he remembered. This taste was still much worse than that of later generations, but in this era where even the wine couldn't be properly strained, this wine was already a game-changer.

It seems that once this wine is sold to the west, wealth will come, wealth will come, and I will achieve great things!
Thinking it over, Zhao Huai'an took another sip and said to the remaining Guo Congyun and Han Qiong:
"Come on, raise your glasses!"

Guo Congyun and Han Qiong hadn't accomplished anything significant this time and were feeling quite ashamed. They were surprised that the magistrate would offer them a toast at the end, so they stood up, raised their cups, and looked at Zhao Huai'an with longing.

Zhao Huai'an was indeed adept at handling matters, and since it was difficult to praise the two generals' military achievements, he said this instead:
"You two generals led your troops to a successful rescue, pursuing the fleeing enemy and achieving great gains. You deserve a drink!"

After saying that, Zhao Huai'an finished his drink in one gulp.

This reassured Guo Congyun and Han Qiong, who had been somewhat uneasy, and they quickly stepped out of the ranks to offer their respects and drink.

After offering emotional support to everyone present, Zhao Huai'an finally got down to business. He addressed Zhang Guinian and everyone else in the room:

"Old Zhang is right. Although our army defeated a force several times larger than ours in this battle, the enemy still has fighting power. Not to mention their other commanders, a large number of their cavalry still managed to break through the encirclement in this battle. So we cannot let our guard down."

After saying this, Zhao Huai'an said to Guo Congyun:
"Old Guo, your Flying Dragon Cavalry was established the earliest and has the most experience. In a moment, have your brothers cover the area again and try to drive the fleeing soldiers into our camp. The more prisoners, the better."

Guo Congyun quickly clasped his hands in a fist and nodded.

Then Zhao Huai'an paused for a moment, then said in a low voice to Zhao Juntian, the military advisor accompanying the army:
"How many casualties did we suffer this time, and how many victories did we achieve?"

Zhao Juntian quickly stood up. His men had already calculated the amount and handed him the slip of paper. He then loudly reported:
"Our army suffered 64 wounded, of whom 26 were lightly wounded and able to return to their units! 68 were killed in action! Our army killed and wounded thousands of enemy soldiers and captured more than 10,000. The remaining enemy soldiers are still being pursued, but it is estimated that there will be little result."

Zhao Huai'an had thought the casualties would be huge, but he was surprised to find that there were so few. He asked in bewilderment:

"Our casualties are so low?"

Zhao Juntian said that the grass army was well equipped with arrows and swords, but their fighting spirit was very weak, especially when facing the Baoyi Army, it seemed that no one was fighting desperately.

Zhao Juntian also analyzed the possible reasons for this. He believed that although the Baoyi Army defeated the most bandit troops, it also gave the bandit troops the most chances to survive.

Other Tang armies either avoided them like the plague, appeasing them to the end, or brutally suppressed them, never considering that these peasant soldiers were, just months ago, the good citizens they had been talking about.

Therefore, the rebel army itself was unwilling to fight, and their archery skills were indeed weak.

To be fair, because of the Tang army's treasury, these peasant soldiers were equipped with quite good gear. However, their physical fitness and military skills were not something that could be improved in a short time, so they couldn't make use of their good equipment.

For example, the standard horn bow of the Tang army has a draw weight of 1.2 shi (a unit of weight), but with such a draw weight, most of the peasant army could not draw it, so how could it cause damage to the Baoyi Army?
The Baoyi Army's yamen troops, whether infantry or cavalry, had a high rate of iron armor equipment, so their advantage became greater in close combat.

He was a professional martial artist, and he was wearing a full set of iron armor. He was killing a band of soldiers who had only been transformed for a few months. How could he not cut melons and vegetables?
Upon hearing the casualty figures, Zhao Huai'an thought that although the casualties were among the highest in the history of the Baoyi Army, they were still much better than expected.

However, Zhao Huai'an frowned and asked another question:
"How many of the sixty-eight who died were cavalrymen?"

At this moment, Zhao Juntian's face turned a little pale, and he said softly:

"Fifty-two of the cavalry have been killed in action!"

After hearing this number, Zhao Huai'an was stunned for a long while before managing a forced smile:
"Gentlemen, you have indeed fought a good battle!"

After speaking, Zhao Huai'an remained silent for a while, then suddenly said:

"Make a note: this time, the rules for distributing the spoils will be changed. All the captured armor, warhorses, and valuables will be gathered together. Flying Tigers and Flying Leopards will each receive 40%, the Shogunate will receive 20%, Old Wang's troops will also receive 20%, and the final 20% will be divided equally between Bashan and Flying Dragons."

Everyone was all smiles after what he said, except for Guo Congyun and Han Qiong, who remained silent. They didn't care what others said; when it came time to divide the money, they could tell who had made the biggest contribution.

However, both men acknowledged that Flying Tiger and Flying Leopard deserved the credit.

It was precisely because of these people who used themselves as bait that this great victory was achieved.

This time, the brothers performed well, and Zhao Huai'an was willing to give up his share, directly giving up 20%.

Once everyone had had their fill of joy, he placed the empty wine bowl upside down on the table and then gave orders to everyone again:
"Alright, go back now. I want each of you to check the camp and see if the brothers are missing anything. Remember! Be a good older brother to the brothers!"

The generals nodded, then clasped their hands in greeting and left the tent one by one.

Only Zhao Liu and his trusted confidants remained, and in front of them, Zhao Huai'an frankly stated:

"Quickly recruit a group of men who are still fit from the camp, and see which horses can still run. Put together a small team and go directly to Xiaqiu to check on things, lest we lose the city by now!"

Zhao Huai'an asked Yang Yanqing to lead the team for this mission, since there were really few people in the army who could match him in terms of combat skills.

Thinking of this, Zhao Huai'an couldn't help but look southeast and shake his head:

"Xiaqiu, we've done our best. If you can't hold on for two more days, then you can't blame anyone else."

(End of this chapter)