Chapter 15: One Foot on Shore (Part Two)

Wushan County is a small region; its northeast border is the Yangtze River, its west side has the Wu River, and its south has the Fu River. The county seat lies at the confluence of the three rivers and has long been the strategic choke point of eastern Chongqing.

After arriving in Wushan County, Fang Chongyong finally understood why the court moved the garrison here. Compared with the bustling traffic near Kui Prefecture city, where countless ships queue for customs, the river here is narrow with a single channel, making it far easier to control and to block.

The court has scaled back and simplified southwestern defenses, naturally opting for the most economical method. As garrison sites, Kui Prefecture city and Baidi City have, due to the prosperity of their trade ports, abandoned most of their military functions.

Wang Zhongsi sought out Fang Chongyong not merely to "recruit a son‑in‑law," but because an urgent matter required attention; the crowded and meddlesome populace of Kui Prefecture made it inconvenient, and only by coming to Dongyang Prefecture in Wushan County could it be handled.

The outskirts of Wushan County are damp and densely vegetated, teeming with snakes, insects, rats and ants. Wang Zhongsi ordered men to mimic the officials' building style, erecting many stilt houses (i. e., pier‑like structures) in the field camp, indistinguishable from the officials' dwellings.

It must be said, even after being demoted, this general still devoted himself to military affairs once on the ground.

The two climbed into a crude stilt house, where the bamboo‑walled interior was stocked with bows, crossbows, knives and swords. After taking seats, Wang Zhongsi handed Fang Chongyong a letter that had arrived from Chang'an for his perusal.

While Fang Chongyong was reading the letter, Wang Zhongsi sighed: "I was demoted to Dongyang Prefecture, and I have not a single aide. Now I face a weighty dilemma with no one to counsel me. It's sad, I worry about my small family, and sometimes I truly envy your father's decisiveness, willing to risk his life for great affairs."

The letter was written by Crown Prince Li Ying.

Li Ying's letter to Wang Zhongsi was rather suspicious. The latter grew up with Li Heng and had a close bond, yet he had little contact with Li Ying and no real friendship.

Now Li Heng cannot help Wang Zhongsi at all, and after being demoted to Dongyang Prefecture, he hasn't even written a letter.

Li Ying told Wang Zhongsi that he could arrange for him to return smoothly to Chang'an and take a position such as commander of the palace guards, and asked what Wang Zhongsi thought of it.

Moreover, Li Ying emphasized that Li Heng already knows of this and has not objected; the decision rests entirely with you.

In other words, the original wording is very courteous and warm, basically treating Wang Zhongsi as a brother within the royal household. Honestly, when Wang Zhongsi was raised in the palace, his treatment was indeed not much different from that of a prince.

The letter left Wang Zhongsi in a dilemma.

On one hand, he has no prospects in Dongyang Prefecture, not even a chance to go to the battlefield, and he yearns day and night to return to Chang'an.

On the other hand, even though Wang Zhongsi's political sense is not great, he senses that Li Ying is plotting something major!

The Tang dynasty's father‑son jokes, fratricide and patricide dramas have been performed far too often, making one inevitably think along those lines. Wang Zhongsi would rather trust Fang Youde's son's words than readily believe Li Ying's promise.

Unless circumstances force him.

"The Crown Prince intends rebellion."

Fang Chongyong uttered four words that made Wang Zhongsi shiver.

"Speak cautiously; though you are clever, such matters must not be spoken recklessly."

Wang Zhongsi whispered in alarm.

"General Wang, isn't this matter obvious? If it weren't a plot, why would the Crown Prince need to speak with a general who has notable battle achievements yet has been demoted to the southwest?"

Fang Chongyong's words left Wang Zhongsi silent. Many things are separated by a thin pane of paper; once pierced, they become just that, and before he had simply chosen not to think about it.

"Li Ying has been Crown Prince for twenty years; regarding the current situation, I've heard some rumors from Zheng Shuqing. The Emperor dotes on Consort Wu Hui, and by extension also greatly favors her son, Prince Shou Li Chang.

Might the Crown Prince think that the Emperor intends to depose him?"

Fang Chongyong asked in a deep voice.

The argument is reasonable; if Li Longji truly plans to depose the Crown Prince, Wang Zhongsi would not be surprised at all.

"Then how should this letter be dealt with?"

Wang Zhongsi pointed to the "recruitment letter" lying on the desk.

"It's merely Li Ying's test‑the‑waters move; perhaps he has written similar letters to others. For Li Ying, if General Wang replies, it would be an unexpected delight; if he does not reply, it's fine—after all, he has already chosen this path and has nothing to hesitate about."

He hadn't expected the matter to be so serious; Wang Zhongsi suddenly didn't know what to say. For a commander who leads troops into battle, facing such issues actually tests his own shortcomings, and his extensive battlefield experience cannot be applied at all.

Consort Wu Hui's background provokes the princes' sensitive nerves. If Prince Shou Li Chang becomes Crown Prince and later ascends the throne… what might happen is unimaginable.

One cannot say Li Ying is "troublesome subjects harming the throne," because Li Longji is indeed very displeased with him!

"At the beginning of this year, the Emperor was still in Luoyang. For some reason, he returned to Chang'an early, and shortly thereafter I was demoted to Wushan County."

Wang Zhongsi spoke pensively, feeling that each of these events seemed insignificant alone, but together they hinted at something deeper. Did Li Longji's early return to Chang'an indicate that he sensed some change concerning Crown Prince Li Ying in the capital?

Fang Chongyong dared not overestimate the current Li Longji; this man's integrity has already vanished!

"In your view, how should we respond?"

Seeing that Fang Chongyong had been silent for a long time, Wang Zhongsi couldn't help but ask.

Having received Li Ying's letter, there are many ways to handle it.

The most foolish method is "read and not reply," acting as if nothing happened.

On the surface it seems prudent, but in fact it is the riskiest response. "Read and not reply" makes it appear that Wang Zhongsi understands the situation yet wishes to remain a bystander. In Li Longji's eyes, this attitude is the most reprehensible, even worse than actively participating.

Participating is merely brainless, while "read and not reply" is scheming. A commanding general who is scheming makes one's hair stand on end!

"General Wang…"

Fang Chongyong extended his hand, staring at Wang Zhongsi.

"What do you mean?"

Wang Zhongsi asked with a bewildered expression.

"As the saying goes, 'the distant is not intimate'; the Emperor has nurtured the general; Loyal King and the general share brotherly ties. I am merely a colleague's son; the proverb says: distant is not intimate. Many words require the proper status to be spoken. Otherwise, how could the general trust what I say?"

Fang Chongyong sighed helplessly.

Hearing this, Wang Zhongsi was overjoyed, quickly pulling the red paper from his chest and handing it to Fang Chongyong.

"For now, you may call me uncle, and I will call you worthy nephew. After returning to Chang'an, you shall reside in the Wang family residence."

Wang Zhongsi also produced another letter, making Fang Chongyong wonder whether the sender was a human mailbox.

Opening the letter, it bore Fang Youde's handwriting—stiff yet forceful.

In the letter, Fang Youde said he and Wang Zhongsi were as close as brothers; now he is heading to Youzhou for a great undertaking and likely will not return to Chang'an, so he has no time to look after Fang Chongyong and can only entrust him to the Wang family, leaving all arrangements to Wang Zhongsi.

The scoundrel's usual style never asks whether Fang Chongyong is suitable; it's always "do it first, then talk."

"Uncle, this matter is extremely urgent; we must not act as if we know nothing."

Fang Chongyong naturally switched his address and said.

Wang Zhongsi nodded slightly; this point he had also considered.

"Then how should we respond?"

Reply outright with a refusal, and in the letter scold the Crown Prince for should keep to his proper role; the court has its own laws and is not a bargaining chip for him to buy hearts. As for this letter, there is no need to send it specifically to the Sage; sending it would even look like a thief's guilty conscience.

Fang Chongyong voiced his opinion.

Not replying would be malicious; forwarding the letter to Li Longji would be a thief's guilty conscience. Only by addressing the matter directly and flatly refusing can one prove one's innocence.

"His words are reasonable; indeed it should be so."

Wang Zhongsi gave a slight nod.

In fact, many matters lack decisive discussion, so the parties easily become confused. As long as one can find a trusted confidant who is always resourceful, a correct judgment is easy to make. Regarding how to reply, Wang Zhongsi already had an idea; Fang Chongyong merely confirmed it and steadied his resolve.

"Uncle, I wish to study military strategy."

Fang Chongyong clasped his hands in prayer, bowed deeply before Wang Zhongsi, and earnestly pleaded.

"I understand the matters of the battlefield myself, but I cannot teach you. If I only aim to get by, it may endanger your life later."

Wang Zhongsi said with some frustration.

This prospective son‑in‑law is truly fine: first, his background is that of an old friend's son, so he won't become a traitor; second, he is clever and resourceful, with a steady mind despite his youth, and will surely achieve great things. If possible, Wang Zhongsi would gladly pour out his knowledge and teach him military strategy.

But even if Fang Chongyong were exceedingly clever, even poetic, he is still just a child who cannot even ride a horse.

The true insights from the battlefield cannot be described in words; at most, one can offer occasional tips when immersed in the situation. Warcraft must be learned in war. Whether Zhao Kuo was merely a theoretician is another matter, but history has never lacked useless talkers.

Wang Zhongsi's words came from the heart; it remains to see whether Fang Chongyong can grasp his earnest intention.

"Understood. That matter cannot be delayed; nephew, return to Kuizhou Prefecture City now. What happens there concerns when I can return to Chang'an. After I return to Chang'an, I will arrange for uncle's promotion and exile. Uncle must hold military authority in his hands to protect himself. Otherwise even people like Li Ying will bare their fangs at uncle."

Fang Chongyong spoke solemnly; his tone and demeanor left Wang Zhongsi with no doubt about whether the matter could be accomplished.

"If so… very well."

Wang Zhongsi gave a slight nod, not because he was eager to accept a son‑in‑law, but because he now sensed the scent of an impending mountain rain.

He also knew that he was not the type with a keen political sense.

Li Ying's letter made him realize that hiding in a remote place would not evade the overt and covert political attacks.

Fang Chongyong's words were entirely correct.

"Let me escort you back to Kuizhou Prefecture City."

Wang Zhongsi sighed, his face full of melancholy.

……

"Good! Good!"

Zheng Shuqing was more excited to see Fang Chongyong return after just one day than to see his own beautiful concubine.

He came over, leaned close to Fang Chongyong's ear, and whispered, "Today I checked the accounts; we've already gathered 1.5 million strings. Many people, after returning, did not redeem the 500‑string deposit but instead added 500 strings for shipbuilding. This month we should have enough to send the huge sum back to Chang'an…"

Seeing Zheng Shuqing so excited, Fang Chongyong, weakly yet forcefully, interrupted, "Lord, I have an uneasy premonition—haven't you noticed that General Wang's party is making overly smooth progress in Bai Di City?"

Smooth progress? Our Tang Empire is invincible; wiping out a few bandits is all it takes—does it require a massive war? Isn't that only natural?

Zheng Shuqing was startled, completely not understanding what Fang Chongyong meant.

"We must speed up. Today summon all the merchants of the shipyard; accelerate the schedule, recruit more labor, and run three shifts nonstop each day."

Fang Chongyong said urgently.

He recalled a huge loophole in his scheme, unsure whether the court had noticed. With Li Longji expressing support for Zheng Shuqing, reverting the customs clearance to the old system was temporarily impossible; however, the inability to change the system does not mean some people lack other ways to recoup the loss.

How could the massive cake of resetting grain‑transport ships be let the people of Kuizhou eat alone?

Half a month later, Fang Chongyong and Zheng Shuqing labored to death, trying every method to speed up progress and ship renewal; finally, including the advance payment, they gathered a full 3 million strings! Almost simultaneously, the court's new decree arrived.

In the study of the Lotus Pond annex north of the prefectural city, Zheng Shuqing paced anxiously, clutching the court's decree; he nearly threw it to the ground and stomped it a few times, but finally restrained himself.

"Too much deceit! Absolutely too much deceit! What do you say we do now?"

Zheng Shuqing grew restless again; once he is agitated, he tends toward extremes. He thought all night yesterday, his head throbbed today, and even entertained the terrible idea of masquerading as bandits to loot merchant ships.

"The decree demands we persist with the post‑reform customs clearance policy, yet it also notes that Kuizhou is remote; if the shipyard fails, the grain‑transport plan is jeopardized. It asks us to submit ship‑design blueprints suitable for Kuizhou's river pass to the court, implement an annual quota system, and allow Jianghuai shipyards to build such vessels, preventing harmful competition that yields unusable ships.

Honestly, I think this measure is quite reasonable."

Fang Chongyong sighed helplessly, belatedly realizing why that group of 'thieves' deliberately came to Bai Di City to deliver heads.

Many ministers at the court have also formed a 'logical closed loop.'

Because the Kuizhou shipyard was nearly attacked, sending all customs‑clearable vessels to be produced there carries great risk.

Since ship production is threatened, the grain transport from Shu to Yangzhou is also threatened.

Changing or expanding the production area does not affect the customs clearance system, so producing similar grain‑transport ships elsewhere is acceptable.

Because dispersed production spreads risk, the court should issue a decree to Kuizhou, forcing it to relinquish part of its ship‑production orders.

Plan approved! Perfect!

Everything turned out exactly as Fang Chongyong had anticipated: any loophole will inevitably be exploited. To have delayed this long, he guessed Li Longji must have been pushing from within. Yet the emperor's power is not limitless; the emperor needs capable, effective dogs, not ones he must constantly maintain or protect.

Now Fang Chongyong and Zheng Shuqing each have one foot on shore while the other remains in the water.

What about the remaining 1 million strings, the extra sum Li Longji demanded—how to obtain it?

Zheng Shuqing showed Fang Chongyong the court's so‑called 'quota,' and Kuizhou's orders this year had already exceeded the limit!

Do we recklessly ignore the court's decree, or… forge an alternative path?

Yet another seemingly insurmountable mountain loomed before Fang Chongyong.