Chapter 129: Never Compromise

The residents of the small town are basically the local gentry and their retainers, tenant families, house slaves, and so on. This has an advantage: once the local gentry are persuaded, the basic order of the town can be guaranteed.

The morning was still mild, and in front of the West Gate of the small town, a large crowd of mobilized local townsfolk were hauling the stones that the Tufan had hurled into the city.

The stones were heavy; to load them onto ox carts they first had to be levered out of the earth with pry bars, then several strong men carried them onto the carts and moved them to the West Gate.

"Come, come, pile this stone here, be careful…"

Zhang Guangsheng, dressed in a coarse linen shirt, followed Fang Chongyong's orders and was directing the locals to block the town's West Gate! Everyone helping with the transport wore a grave expression.

Three of the city gates have already been sealed; this is the last one!

It is said that the local prefect is only an eleven‑year‑old child—how can such a kid be so ruthless?

Blocking the gate signals that we will live or die together with the townsfolk; no one can escape. Of course, it also declares war on the Tufan, resolved to fight to the last man!

"Military Envoy Wang, the gate is sealed; the soldiers must unite in defending the city and think of nothing else."

Fang Chongyong said calmly to Wang Sili,

"With the magistrate present, I am not worried about any trouble here. I only fear that over at Luocheng things are a chaotic mix of fish and dragons, sigh…"

Wang Sili sighed; he could tell that the official Fang was as stubborn as a turtle swallowing a weight, set in his mind, and had not considered any terms the Tufan might offer.

Suddenly, he looked around, waved his hand lightly, and signaled his personal guards to withdraw.

Wang Sili pulled Fang aside, lowered his voice and asked, "The Hexi forces number nearly eighty thousand; after all these days the reinforcements should have reached Dunhuang County. Why is there still no sign of them?"

In the past, troops along the Hexi Corridor would arrive within three days. The current absence of reinforcements likely means that Wang Zhongsi is extremely busy—too busy to bring troops to break the siege.

It also shows that military resources in Hexi are strained; they simply cannot spare troops and horses, and rescuing Shazhou is 'of no consequence' to the war.

The Tufan are harassing the besieged while seeking aid; the Tang high command can see that no one would foolishly ride cavalry along the Hexi Corridor only to be ambushed by Tufan heavy infantry!

As for what is happening outside, the besieged Fang knows nothing. It is as if, in his previous life, after the An Lushan Rebellion, the western provinces were besieged by the Tufan for years, and he didn't even know that Chang'an had changed its era name.

All he can do now is hold fast, gritting his teeth and persisting.

"No matter what tricks the Tufan employ, their morale will decline day by day; that is indisputable.

The Tufan have set up camp outside the city, enduring the scorching sun. Accustomed to frigid climates, they cannot claim otherwise—they suffer more than we do.

The Tufan now hope we will rashly charge out to fight them, so they can seize Shazhou effortlessly."

Fang Chongyong's face grew solemn as he said,

Wang Sili nodded slightly; he no longer dared to treat the other as a child. This overly young Shazhou prefect handles affairs with considerable skill, and his resolve far exceeds that of ordinary people!

"Sir, the gate has been sealed; please inspect it."

Zhang Guangsheng slipped quietly aside and whispered to Fang,

"Take this letter from me to the Tufan, observe their situation carefully, return and tell me—do you dare go?"

Fang Chongyong gave Zhang a half‑smile, half‑smirk, and asked,

"The letter? I'll go right now!"

Zhang Guangsheng, straightforward and brisk, reached out to Fang for the letter.

"When dealing with the Tufan, do not grovel. Deliver the letter and say nothing at all.

Whatever they ask, whether you know or not, you may only answer: I do not know.

Only those three words."

Fang produced a letter from his sleeve as if by magic, handed it to Zhang, and added, "Go, the sooner you leave the sooner you return."

"I'm off right now."

Zhang Guangsheng took the letter cleanly, secured it close to his body, then ascended the city wall, rode down in a basket, and strode confidently toward the nearby Tufan camp.

Fang Chongyong and Wang Sili stood on the tower watching Zhang's departing figure, each feeling a mix of emotions. After a long while, Wang could not help asking, "Sir, I see Zhang Guangsheng is quite sharp; why force him to go to the Tufan and die?"

"This is also combat; not every battle requires brandishing swords and sticks. Since we are in the army, who dares claim they will not die?"

Fang Chongyong sighed and said,

The principle that wealth and honor are sought through risk, Zhang surely understands.

Of course, Fang knows that the Tufan commander, after seeing the letter, will not harm Zhang; he may even treat him to food and drink.

"Military Envoy Wang, at dusk today we will rotate the guard; gather the soldiers relieved from duty in front of the magistrate's office; I have a briefing for them."

Fang Chongyong said solemnly,

"Understood."

Wang Sili nodded slightly, showing no objection to Fang's command of Shazhou's defenses; everything seemed natural and composed.

In fact, now the whole town—whether the local gentry or the Doulu troops—are virtually under Fang's control; his words have become military and civil orders. Wang Sili, who has long lingered in the military, sensed the gap in personal ability.

In key border towns, local military officials often double as prefects, handling military, administrative and civil affairs together, which aids in protecting the region during crises.

Normally, however, border towns remain separate in military, administrative and civil matters; prefects are usually civil officials parachuted in from the central government, unfamiliar with campaigning, so they are left to perform their primary duties, preventing the towns from becoming unwieldy.

Fang first bought the troops' loyalty by paying their rations, so his orders as prefect were accepted within the Doulu army; then he won the hearts of the local gentry, uniting them with Shazhou; finally, he led by example on the front line, sealing off any retreat, showing he would share the fate of everyone in the city.

Such ability may not be unique among officials, but considering Fang's age, it is quite remarkable.

This is also why Wang Sili deliberately ceded some military authority, willingly obeying Fang's commands. This Shazhou prefect's future achievements are limitless. Offending him may be fine, but what of his descendants?

"Military Envoy Wang, I am the future son‑in‑law of the Military Envoy of Liangzhou, Wang Zhongsi."

"If he does not rescue Shazhou, he will rescue me."

"Now look at how steady I am; you'll know Shazhou will surely hold."

Fang patted Wang's arm and vowed solemnly,

"That's true."

Wang gave a wry smile, unwilling to comment.

On the battlefield there is no father‑son bond; throughout history countless sons have been used as bait, only for the victors to claim triumph.

Moreover, he is merely a son‑in‑law, and even only betrothed.

The Military Envoy Wang Zhongsi… seems a ruthless man; he would not truly stand by and watch death, would he?

Wang Shili muttered to himself in his heart.

……

The lone smoke in the desert rises straight; the setting sun over the long river is round.

The sunset in Shazhou is beautiful, carrying a hint of tragic grandeur.

In front of the Sand Prefecture Government Office in the small city of Dunhuang, over two thousand Dou Lu Army soldiers stood in formation, whispering and discussing eagerly, awaiting Fang Chongyong's instructions.

Although the "main commander" Fang Chongyong did not come, many aides of the government office were busy moving cart after cart of silk, chest after chest of gold, silver, and jewelry, piling them high before the office gate.

This made the weary soldiers who had been guarding the city day and night without rest stare wide-eyed!

"Listen up, Dou Lu Army soldiers!"

Fang Dafu, beside Fang Chongyong, shouted loudly.

The troops lined up before the government office fell silent at the sound, the scene becoming deathly quiet.

"All this silk, gold, silver, and treasure behind me belongs to you!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the troops before Fang Dafu burst into enthusiastic cheers!

"But you can only claim them after we win this battle!"

Fang Dafu added.

The cheers were immediately choked off, and the scene fell silent again.

"After we defeat the Tibetans, the compensation for those who fall in battle will come from here.

Those who achieve merit will also receive rewards from here.

As long as we defeat the Tibetans, all of this is yours; I will not take a single copper coin!

People of Shazhou! Swear to die fighting the enemy, never to be slaves!"

Following Fang Chongyong's instructions, Fang Dafu raised his arms and shouted loudly!

"Swear to die fighting the enemy!"

"Swear to die fighting the enemy!"

"Swear to die fighting the enemy!"

The Dou Lu Army soldiers shouted in unison, their voices echoing to the heavens!

Seeing the effect was achieved, Fang Chongyong said to Fang Dafu: "Give the soldiers some cooked meat, then disperse."

"Officers and soldiers, come forward in order to receive the meat!"

Fang Dafu shouted loudly.

The aides behind him from the government office had already piled the roasted mutton together.

Anyway, there is no grass in the city, so we cannot let the sheep trapped inside graze; rather than let them starve to skin and bone, we might as well slaughter them now and give the meat to the soldiers to improve their rations.

After all, if we wanted to eat later, we wouldn't be able to!

After returning to the rear courtyard of the government office, Fang Chongyong picked up a horizontal sword and practiced chopping; he felt the sword in his hand extraordinarily heavy, and even holding it was exhausting.

After practicing a while, he became so tired he sat on the ground panting.

Although he usually deliberately trained and even had a "health doctor" come to give him massages—one should say his physical training has been ongoing and of good quality—

as can be seen from the speed of his height increase over these two years.

But compared to the farm laborers in the fields, his exercise volume is clearly still insufficient.

There is no way to guarantee that once he goes to the battlefield, his combat ability will match that of an ordinary elite soldier.

After all, in the Fang office there is still much time spent on study: Tang laws, local customs, official documents and correspondence, etc.; these require desk work, completely lacking physical training effect.

"If you're tired, take a break; you've only practiced this much—even if the city falls, you couldn't beat even a single Tibetan."

Ana Ye walked over, picked up the horizontal sword from the ground, and swung it lightly in her hand, seeming to have a bit more strength than Fang Chongyong.

"How are you so skilled?"

Fang Chongyong asked doubtfully, rose to his feet, and took the sword's hilt from her hand.

"My lord seems to have forgotten who does the cooking, laundry, butchering, and vegetable chopping every day. If I had no strength, could I manage? I butcher chickens just like chopping firewood—what do you say?"

Ana Ye snorted angrily.

In her eyes, the Fang household already counts as a "monster" among the powerful—down-to-earth, unpretentious, and not pursuing luxury or those unfathomable quirks.

Yet he is equally a person who expects food to be served and clothes to be handed to him.

The offspring of noble families, no matter how they toss and turn, are completely different from the children of ordinary households.

Compared to Ana Ye, who has been busy from childhood onward, calling Fang Chongyong a parasite is not an exaggeration.

"I often feel my time is relatively precious and should be used for great endeavors.

Now I see, if one cannot even sweep one's own room, how can one sweep the world? From now on I will handle my own chores myself."

Fang Chongyong sighed and sank into deep self-reflection.

Who would have thought Ana Ye would quickly wave her hands and say:

"Don't! If you act like this, it makes things difficult for us followers.

You are the one who should shelter the family from wind and rain; if you become spiritually exhausted from doing chores and mess up important matters, that would be the death of us all.

My father often said, a person must know their own station and not overstep it."

Ana Ye then began talking about the medical official Li.

"Indeed, your father is actually a formidable person, far beyond your imagination."

Fang Chongyong said with deep meaning, adding in his heart: whether it is your biological father or your adoptive father.

"But from now on you only cook; my personal affairs I will handle myself."

He sighed again.

"You won't even wash your own clothes—how can you know the people's hardships?"

The upheaval that will affect a thousand years is already on its way, and the Tianbao year has begun its countdown. Those out‑of‑touch nobles cannot be allowed to remain.

One slip and people will die!

"Oh, fine."

Anaye clearly looked displeased, feeling that not serving Fang Chongyong was like being "unemployed."

"Don't be upset. Come, let's go to the study for a bit; give my shoulders a knead. Moving stones today has worn me out."

Fang Chongyong complained as he dragged Anaye to the government office's study.

……

Zhang Guangsheng went to the Tufan main camp, then quickly returned to Shazhou City, bringing a handwritten letter from the Tufan chief commander Ximo Lang.

That night, Fang Chongyong examined the letter repeatedly; he couldn't quite discern the sincerity of this Tufan commander he had never heard of before.

In the letter, Ximo Lang expressed admiration for the resistance of Shazhou's cities and offered to release the captured civilians outside the city into it, as a sign of the Tufan army's respect for Fang Chongyong, the Shazhou Prefect.

If Fang Chongyong agrees, the small city's garrison can hoist the civilians into the city with baskets, and the Tufan army is willing to retreat a mile, indicating they will not seize the chance to attack.

Would the Tufan people be so kind as to return the Shazhou civilians already captured and reduced to slaves? That's not just one or two people, not even a few hundred!

Just thinking of it seems impossible, unless there's a plot.

Fang Chongyong, who has always harbored a strong "troublesome subjects harm me" mindset, first thought that the Tufan chief commander might be trying to trap him!

So Fang Chongyong sent someone to fetch Zhang Guangsheng to inquire about the Tufan main camp.

"In your view, how are the Tufan troops?"

Upon meeting, Fang Chongyong got straight to the point.

Zhang Guangsheng, being quick‑witted, stepped forward and whispered:

"All the Tufan commanders inside the camp are full of vigor, but I quietly observed the sentries in the main camp; they all have a drunken look, mentally exhausted and lazy.

Of course, it can't be ruled out that the chief commander deliberately showed this to me."

"Indeed so."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly. Zhang Guangsheng's answer matched exactly what he had expected.

Tufan commanders, of course, are entitled to the best treatment, but the ordinary Tufan soldiers are another matter. Tufan follows a serf system with an unimaginably strict hierarchy, and these backward customs also manifest during marches and battles.

The Tufan people are now in a hurry!

Fang Chongyong instantly inferred many details he had previously been unsure about.

Looks like over at Luocheng, the Tufan also didn't get a foothold. Earlier, I had complained to the court and pretended to act, making it seem as if the Tufan were about to arrive. All over Shazhou, we fortified walls and cleared fields, and most supplies were moved into the city. So the Tufan can't obtain any provisions outside the city!

Don't be fooled by the Tufan still holding their weapons; under the relentless scorching sun and the strain of food shortage, they are already at the end of their strength.

"According to Tufan custom, they would skin you and return the whole body to intimidate the city's defenders.

I reckon the Tufan are on the brink of collapse now, which is why they dared to try."

Fang Chongyong wore a strange expression and teased Zhang Guangsheng.

"To be frank, Lord, this trip terrified me; please don't scare me again."

Zhang Guangsheng gave a wry smile, knowing full well that Fang Chongyong was joking.

"No problem, make another trip and say that five days from now we will admit the civilians outside the city.

You also need to tell the Tufan chief commander: our Shazhou people treat death as homecoming; even after ten or eight years of defense we can still hold Shazhou. All four city gates are sealed, so they should not entertain any ulterior thoughts."

Seeing that the other side hadn't acted yet, Fang Chongyong patted Zhang Guangsheng's arm and said:

"Rest assured, a warrior like you may even be rewarded by the Tufan chief commander. On this return, I also have a substantial reward for you."

"I'm not afraid of death, only that dying would be meaningless. Since the Lord deems this mission harmless, I will sacrifice myself this time."

Zhang Guangsheng pounded his chest, swearing earnestly.

(End of chapter)