Chapter 105: Reverse Thinking Counterstrike

For three consecutive days, the Heishui Kingdom site yielded none of the items Fang Chongyong wanted; although a good number of scattered coins were unearthed, they even uncovered a full jar of Kaiyuan Tongbao buried by some unknown Hu merchant.

But in Fang Chongyong's view, none of these were what he desired.

On one hand, his own scheme had stalled and could not be deployed; on the other, Guo Ziyi began urging him to provide United Soldiers personnel.

Imperial edicts have a time limit and cannot be delayed indefinitely. The United Soldiers must be deployed before winter, or the responsible officials will be held accountable. From now until winter is just over a month.

It's not just that Fang Chongyong never intended to recruit United Soldiers; even if he were impatient and eager to act, it would be hard to finish within a month!

Because Ji Ge's original intention in assigning Fang Ya to serve as prefect of Ganzhou was not to have him complete the task.

The situation in Ganzhou is beyond Fang Chongyong's control; even sending people like Fang Xuanling and Ma Zhou wouldn't solve it—one individual cannot alter the overall situation. The local populace's manpower is strictly limited.

Having no choice, Fang Chongyong arrived lightly with a small entourage at a settlement beside the Sogdian City on the left bank of Heishui, and asked its leader Kang Juren for a quota of United Soldiers.

Led by the An clan, the Zhaowu Nine Surnames, at the founding of the Tang Empire, made a rare political investment of the time, incorporating the entire Hexi Corridor into Tang territory.

Initially, most of the Zhaowu Nine Surnames' troops were stationed at Chishui Town south of Liangzhou City (later renamed Chiwu Town), which gave rise to the Chishui Army.

In other words, the Chishui Army originally belonged to the Zhaowu Nine Surnames; the Tang Empire spent over a hundred years turning it into an elite border force directly under the central government, serving as the keystone of the Hexi Corridor, no longer a private contingent of the Zhaowu Nine Surnames.

That can be said to be the price of aligning with a powerful patron.

The Sinicization of the Zhaowu Nine Surnames was also evident; for example, before the Wu Zhou period, they still bore odd names such as Kang Satuo, Cao Polaman, Kang Fudan Yan, He Fudi Yan—names that instantly reveal their Zhaowu Nine Surnames origin.

By the Kaiyuan era, names like 'Kang Taihe', 'An Sisun', and 'Li Baoyu' (who changed surname) had become mainstream among the Zhaowu Nine Surnames, and they even began taking the imperial examinations in the mid‑late Tang.

If you ignore the surnames, it's hard to tell whether they are Hu people at all.

Kang Juren, standing before Fang Chongyong, wore a pointed hat studded with various gems, looking undeniably expensive.

His patterned checkered round‑collar silk robe clearly differed from the round‑collar robes worn by Tang aristocracy, yet it incorporated Central Plains stylistic features. The black‑leather boots on his feet were not much different from those in the Central Plains, only slightly higher, wrapping the ankle and beyond for a long stretch.

His neatly trimmed sideburns and beard marked him as a man of leisure.

"Lord Fang's intention, I have already understood, but this matter is hard to resolve."

Kang Juren spoke to Fang Chongyong in precise, rounded Chang'an Mandarin, without any Hexi accent—his Chinese was even more standard than Anaye's!

"Six thousand United Soldiers is a bit much; how many can Kang Tongya provide?" Fang Chongyong asked, puzzled.

The manager of the settlement beside the city is called a 'Tongya', wielding great authority!

"One person ten guan, pay calculated according to the court's United Soldiers standards; however, the salary cannot be delayed, and the lord must set a contract. We can provide two thousand men.

I have even coordinated with many Hexi towns to raise troops together; Zhangye City certainly doesn't have that many."

Kang Juren said solemnly, speaking in a purely commercial tone.

These terms are fair, can be called a 'market price'; Kang Juren asked for nothing more. After all, he is an official appointed by the Tang court, and without that status he could not govern the Sogdian settlement.

However, Fang Chongyong could not accept Kang Juren's conditions; the extra recruitment cost alone was terrifying. It required an additional twenty thousand guan, and would only meet one‑third of the United Soldiers quota.

Moreover, the rice, grain, sauce and vegetables needed to sustain the United Soldiers were equally substantial!

"As for this... I will first return to the prefectural office, and then reply to Kang Tongya later,"

Fang Chongyong said expressionlessly, though in his heart he had already abandoned this option.

"Hmm, that's fine; Lord Fang, feel free. If the deal falls through, at least we retain our righteousness.

But Lord Fang, don't leave yet; I see your maid is dressed rather plainly. She has Western Region blood; she should wear some Western attire to better showcase her beauty.

Of course, reciprocity demands it; I won't take any money from you, Lord. Please follow me to the storeroom to select clothes."

Kang Juren smiled.

"Eh?"

"Doing business over my head?"

Fang Chongyong was startled for a moment, then relaxed.

The Sogdians were both farmers and merchants; as minor nobles, they could comprise over thirty percent of the settlement. They traded goods from Chang'an and West Asia, escorted caravans as guards, and managed their own fields and pastures as small farm owners.

Their roles shifted with needs, extremely flexible.

Thus Kang Juren is both a settlement manager, a mercenary leader, and a great merchant! He can switch his identity at will according to circumstance.

If needed, his descendants could even sit for the imperial examinations in the Tang Empire.

The Sogdians' way of survival centers on the word 'flexibility'. Whether the Tang, Tufan, or the Turkic peoples, they all favor hiring Sogdians as envoys or as guides and attendants for envoys.

"Go ahead, pick any you like."

Fang Chongyong whispered to the Anaye beside him.

"Would that be... not good?"

Anaye clearly felt a stir, yet still thought it might be improper.

"If you have the authority, don't use it; once expired it's void. Take boldly, as much as you like—whatever you take is mine."

Fang Chongyong said calmly, giving Anaye a subtle glance.

…

What Fang Chongyong didn't know was that while he was fretting over United Soldiers personnel, Tufan's offensive against the Tang had already begun.

In the autumn of the twenty‑sixth year of Kaiyuan, Tufan attacked Longyou, capturing Xicang Prefecture (Luqiu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province). The Tang forces, outnumbered, retreated into Taozhou (Lintan County, Gansu) and joined forces with the stationed Momen Army, resolutely defending Taozhou City.

This location lies on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau, with a modest altitude. Yet further west the terrain rises sharply into high mountains, so the Tang army could only maintain a foothold around Taozhou; even when occasional spoils were taken to the west, they quickly fell back to defend Taozhou.

The direction of the Tufan advance greatly surprised the Tang court; Li Longji promptly issued an edict to Du Xiwang, ordering him to lead troops south to Taozhou for relief!

This route leads straight to Guanzhong; if the Hexi Corridor were lost, the Tang could only limp along, and if Guanzhong were taken by force, the consequences would be dire.

The Longyou Military Governor Du Xiwang had to mobilize Longyou's primary force, the Lin Tao Army, southward to join the Momen Army.

The Tang's passivity against Tufan stemmed from never understanding how the Tufan forces were deployed on the Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau. Along the long frontier, Tufan could pour massive troops into any point, supported by three war‑logistics bases that could supply them at any time.

For the Tang to operate that way, it would have to endure the plateau's extreme climate and altitude sickness, making it impossible to concentrate large forces in one spot; even a strained deployment could not unleash half its usual strength.

Thus, in the protracted military struggle, the weaker Tufan became the strategic aggressor.

Tufan's inaction was fine, but this move shifted all pressure onto Hexi. The joint Hexi and Longyou military operations had not even begun when the Tufan forces disrupted their rhythm.

Angered, Li Longji issued another edict, ordering each Hexi prefecture to strictly enforce the court's autumn defense order, and dispatching a Censor to the Hexi Military Governorate to investigate those who outwardly obey but secretly defy.

Fang Chongyong, who was still painfully thinking of countermeasures in Ganzhou, immediately felt a chill coming from Chang'an.

……

"The Tibetans are making moves, and if you don't come up with a solution, you just know how to cause trouble locally. Ji Ge, you're really a dog!"

With no one around, Fang Chongyong couldn't help but curse.

He watched those Baiting soldiers and the civilians who had come "out of admiration," and couldn't help but frown.

After digging for many days, they unearthed many strange things, but still didn't see what he wanted!

Many times Fang Chongyong thought of kneeling and fleeing straight back to Chang'an; in fact, it wouldn't be hard for him—just write a letter of complaint to Ji Ge, and it could be easily done.

Who still expects a ten-year-old child to solve problems that even wise ministers and capable generals can't handle?

Fang Chongyong clearly understood that this was just Ji Ge wanting to give his own scoundrel father a warning.

Just thinking about the local customs of Hexi, he really worried that the next prefect would be unreasonable and reckless, causing a big incident when the time came.

Hmm?

Fang Chongyong casually glanced at the unearthed items and immediately became unsettled!

Isn't this exactly what he had been looking for?

It had actually been tossed aside by some unknown soldier or illiterate laborer and treated as trash!

He didn't heed the astonished looks of the crowd, took a big step forward, and used his sleeve to shake off the dust from the stone platform half-buried in sand, seeing that in the two semicircular depressions lay solidified lumps of iron stuck inside.

And there were obvious black clumps that were clearly not charcoal.

These were the crucible, solidified iron lumps from molten iron, and the coal used for smelting!

Having searched in vain with iron shoes, he found it without effort; a moment's carelessness almost buried the important 'material evidence' already unearthed from the Heishui Kingdom smelting workshop.

"No need to dig further—let's split what we've dug up and each go home!"

Fang Chongyong shouted excitedly!

Xin Yun Jing hurried over, glanced at the puzzling items on the ground, lowered his voice and asked, 'Sir, are these them?'

"Yes, clean them up and send them to the Ganzhou prefecture office—I have great use for them!"

Fang Chongyong said, relieved, and his whole body relaxed. Having cleared this final hurdle, the remaining operations were as sure as passing an exam.

With a little effort he could get full marks; if he wanted to slack off, a passing grade would still suffice—basically, there was no pressure.

He couldn't care less about Ji Ge's autumn defense order; if he wanted to play tricks, it would be easy—tricks are readily available!

The group began to gather up, each returning home, each looking for his mother.

Fang Chongyong rushed back to the prefecture office, not even having time to enjoy his usual massage service, immediately spread out a large sheet of paper, and wrote a detailed letter to both the Hexi military governor's office and the Chang'an central authority.

……

"What use could this thing have?"

Ana Ye looked at the strange items that Fang Chongyong had Xin Yun Jing bring back, and asked with a puzzled expression.

These days of digging over there have actually yielded a small gain; even the so-called 'night-light cups' have been unearthed, worth quite a bit of money!

But Fang Chongyong disdained those external objects, yet treasured this item before him, whose use was completely unclear, as if it were a precious jewel.

"This thing, it's a treasure for getting out of a predicament."

Fang Chongyong pressed his elbow against Ana Ye's shoulder, which was half a head lower than his own, and chuckled as he continued explaining: 'With this thing, Ji Ge won't make things difficult for me.'

Giving the emperor a nickname, Ana Ye had heard it before and was used to it. She still didn't quite understand, so she asked: 'Why is the emperor so easy to talk to?'

'Ji Ge is certainly not easy to get along with; if there's a disagreement, he even had his own three sons hanged—I witnessed it myself.'

Fang Chongyong muttered to himself.

Reasoning with Ji Ge, talking about feelings—those are all useless.

This Tang Emperor is a person with a very small mind, extremely snobbish and heartless—a top-notch scoundrel!

'First take a look, then make a copy for the Hexi military governor's office.'

Fang Chongyong patted Ana Ye's shoulder, spoke, and then lay back to rest in the Grand Tutor's chair.

Ana Ye read the document he had just finished word by word, her brows furrowing tighter and tighter.

In the document, Fang Chongyong said:

The five prefectures of Hexi, lacking charcoal and iron ore, had no conditions to develop smelting; all military supplies had to be imported from Guanzhong.

Recently, while investigating the Heishui Kingdom ruins northwest of Zhangye City, I 'happenstance' discovered that the Heishui Kingdom, which existed thousands of years ago, actually had a mature smelting workshop; I found a crucible for smelting iron, containing several iron lumps and some coal. Today I am sending it to Chang'an for the imperial court's officials to examine.

I suspect that the people of the Heishui Kingdom, or perhaps Han army craftsmen, used coal to smelt iron and make weapons for military needs. This technology was already mature in the Han dynasty and is recorded in places such as Ye City and Nanyang.

Therefore, I wish to locate the sites of iron ore and coal mining in Ganzhou to strengthen Hexi's military provisions.

Moreover, the court should send specialists from the Ministry of Works to assist, or else gain something.

Furthermore, I am deeply worried that if Ganzhou were to find iron ore, its strategic importance would be incomparable to the past; it would likely attract the Tibetans' covetousness, and the situation might become a hundred times more dangerous than before.

Please send elite troops to garrison Ganzhou, and order the Ganzhou prefecture office to temporarily suspend the autumn defense order, so as to free up manpower and material resources for searching for iron ore and coal.

If Ganzhou falls into Tibetan hands, then Hexi will surely become a solid stronghold for Tibetan invasions of our Tang.

At that point, their weapons, horses, and provisions would be self-sufficient, making up for the Tibetans' past shortcomings; their arrogance would surely swell, and they would then covet Guanzhong and even Chang'an.

Please do not delay, court; prioritize the overall situation, strengthen Ganzhou's defenses, stabilize the populace's sentiments, and increase efforts to transfer weapons, grain, and funds from the central authority to Ganzhou as reserves.

Abolishing Ganzhou's autumn defense order is an urgent matter; please, Your Majesty, examine it clearly.

Then the seal of the Prefect of Ganzhou was stamped below, along with Fang Chongyong's signature.

'So this actually works.'

Ana Ye murmured to herself.

Fang Chongyong's line of thinking could be described as unexpected, completely playing outside the usual patterns!

'Of course it can. Now Ganzhou is the Tibetans' top priority target; if they obtain Ganzhou's grain, water sources, iron ore, coal, and so on, they can use this as a foothold to attack cities and seize territory. Just thinking about it is truly frightening.'

So the point is, it's not the court wanting me to carry out some hated autumn defense order; rather, I am now in great danger, and the court must protect me at all costs! I can do whatever I want!

If we push Sweet Prefecture into rebellion and have them surrender to the Tibetan people, who in the Tang Central Authority would dare to take responsibility for this?

Let me beg them?

No, no, no, now it's them kneeling and begging me, alright!

Fang Chongyong said proudly to Ana Ye.

"The imperial court can transfer the young lord away."

Ana Ye said helplessly, this is the only loophole in Fang Chongyong's current plan.

"Transfer me, isn't that what you've been constantly mentioning? What's bad about transferring me?"

Fang Chongyong gave a strange look to the other party and asked.

"You, this having-no-desires-then-strength, really..."

Ana Ye was instantly speechless, recalling the earlier matter of the 'health supplement'.

Having no desires leads to strength; seeking nothing, thus there is no loophole.

Fang Chongyong, as the Prefect of Sweet Prefecture, has truly carried out his duties openly.

Votes, votes.

(End of chapter)