Chapter 186: Brother Chongyong's Twelve Hours (Part 1)

Time returned to the previous day.

Officials of the Tang central administration all had the tradition of night shifts, and there was also overtime pay calculated by the day. When Bai Juyi was young, serving as a minor official in the central administration of Chang'an, he often pulled all-nighters on duty, slacking off to earn overtime pay.

That night had just fallen when Jingzhao Mayor Zheng Shuqing was on night duty at the Jingzhao Prefecture Office in Guangde Ward.

He had planned to slack off while lying down and drinking, but he hadn't expected an uninvited guest to show up, inviting him to the Fang family residence in Yongjia Ward!

Zheng Shuqing, who had just drunk two cups, sobered up instantly upon hearing the invitation, and together with the messenger Zhang Guangsheng who had come to relay the message, they avoided the patrolling Jinwu Guard soldiers and quietly arrived at Fang Chongyong's residence.

After exchanging pleasantries and taking seats in the main hall with Fang Chongyong, Wang Yunxiu and A Naye took turns serving dishes, filling the table, then immediately withdrew from the hall, leaving space for the two to confer privately.

"Lovely wife and beautiful concubine—truly enviable to others."

Seeing Fang Chongyong's mysterious smile, Zheng Shuqing couldn't help but remark.

"Exactly, I think the same, and one of them is the legitimate daughter of the Hedong Military Commissioner, the other is the illegitimate daughter of the Xin'an Prince— their backgrounds are not ordinary either."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said.

"Such a background for this Hexi courtesan?"

Zheng Shuqing had just mentioned it casually, never expecting Fang Chongyong to spill such a big secret.

"Exactly, after the Xin'an Prince captured Shibao City back then, he left behind an illegitimate daughter in Liangzhou."

Zheng Shuqing nodded slightly; such situations are actually not rare— many people of that background in Liangzhou have famous fathers and Hu courtesan mothers.

Fang Chongyong continued calmly:

"But tomorrow, they are very likely to become playthings of the rebel army; what they do depends on whether Mayor Zheng can turn the tide."

"If he can't, then in the future the Hedong Military Commissioner and the Xin'an Prince might blame him, and then—"

Fang Chongyong wanted to speak but held back, looking rather embarrassed.

"Ah?"

Zheng Shuqing thought he had misheard.

"Tomorrow, Prince Zhong will rebel."

Fang Chongyong continued to add the finishing blow:

"Rebel…… rebel?"

The wine cup Zheng Shuqing had raised fell onto the table, spilling wine onto his official robe, making him look somewhat embarrassed.

"Then then then then… why don't you hurry and tell the emperor? Or go tell the right chancellor? Why are you dragging me into this?"

Zheng Shuqing spoke incoherently, anxious enough to break out in a cold sweat.

"You even invited me for drinks tonight, that would've been fine, but how could you tell me something like Prince Zhong's rebellion?"

"If the emperor is already prepared, would Prince Zhong still rebel? Would they not know that I exposed this? In the end everyone would be happy, yet afterwards I'd be killed— how could that be acceptable?"

Fang Chongyong retorted confidently.

Zheng Shuqing fell silent; he knew all too well what kind of creature the present Tang emperor was, and understood just how sinister and vicious the Tang right chancellor was, turning face without mercy.

As long as Prince Zhong's blade wasn't at Fang Chongyong's throat, Fang Chongyong would think everything was under his control and that such a thing was impossible; but once Fang Chongyong made preparations, Prince Zhong would sense something off, abandon the plan, and pick another time to strike.

By then, if nobody else moved, Fang Chongyong, who had taken a few extra steps forward, would become a complete fool.

"So, what exactly is going on?"

Zheng Shuqing asked softly, still confused to this point, having no idea what will happen tomorrow.

"It's like this: Wu Zhiyi, Left General of the Longwu Army, is very likely to rebel tomorrow as an insider. Also involved is Prince Xue; they probably…"

Fang Chongyong told Zheng Shuqing everything he had guessed, holding nothing back. Apart from concealing that these were his own estimates, one could say he spoke fully and completely, with the witness being the silenced Antioch.

In short, these were all told to him by Antioch as a means of self-preservation, an old acquaintance.

Coincidentally, Antioch's case is currently lying on the desk of the Jingzhao Prefecture Office, which Zheng Shuqing also knows about. Antioch's death, from the side, corroborates Fang Chongyong's words as true, leaving Zheng Shuqing no choice but to believe.

Such rebellion, the trouble lies in that if Emperor Li Longji makes even a slight deviation from the plan in his deployment, Wu Zhiyi will likely "look at the dish and decide," choosing to temporarily endure. If he doesn't act, the Prince Xue's people likewise won't act.

Therefore, bringing this up early to tell Fang Chongyong merely extends the "thousand-day guard against thieves" period.

Having guarded against this time, what about next time, and the time after that?

Moreover, even if we afterward dealt with Wu Zhiyi, even killed Prince Xue, and even eliminated the loyal subjects harming the emperor just as we would Prince Zhong, what good would that do?

This merely eliminates the hidden danger beside Fang Chongyong, making it convenient for him to continue his decadent, reckless lifestyle thereafter.

In the end, what benefit does Fang Chongyong himself gain?

Zheng Shuqing immediately understood Fang Chongyong's true inner thought: he doesn't care how Fang Chongyong fares; he only cares about what benefit he can obtain from this matter!

As for the risks Fang Chongyong would have to bear, Fang Chongyong doesn't care at all!

"Imperial Censor-in-Chief Zhang Yi currently holds a very unstable position; he is very likely to be dismissed at any moment.

"This post, if Mayor Zheng can handle it well this time, then succeeding Zhang Yi is practically a certainty.

"After all, this is merit for rescuing the emperor!"

Fang Chongyong lowered his voice and said.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Shuqing fell silent, repeatedly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

"A critical situation is that Zheng Shuqing has absolutely no acquaintance with Li Heng—not even a single word exchanged! If Li Heng succeeds in usurping the throne, what benefit would that bring to him as Jingzhao Mayor?"

"Li Heng now also has his own so-called entourage, merely not made public."

"The late Consort Wei's family— Wei Jian, Wei Lan, and Wei Zhi are all high officials of the court, and abroad they still have a trusted confidant, Huangfu Weiming, serving as a frontier general. Even if he, Zheng someone, were to disregard his status and go grovel now, Li Heng's entourage likely has no place for him."

"He might not even be able to keep the position of Jingzhao Mayor, which isn't well regarded."

"Taking the huge risk to defect over there would be pointless!"

"How dangerous is this matter?"

Zheng Shuqing asked softly.

"The matter itself is very dangerous, but what Mayor Zheng needs to do is not dangerous."

Fang Chongyong smiled and said.

Then you should have said so earlier!

Zheng Shuqing let out a sigh of relief, patted his chest and promised, "Speak, what is it?"

"Tomorrow, as soon as we see smoke rising toward the Victory Workshop, we will immediately dispatch the Jinwu Guard stationed at Ba Bridge into Chang'an to clear the rebels inside the Victory Workshop."

If anyone disobeys, you will at once strip the Jinwu Guard's middle‑ranking commander of his office, and I will have my trusted aide Zhang Guangsheng guard Zheng Prefect on both sides.

At the same time, Zheng Prefect can order the Gate Guard to return to the Imperial City and hold their posts. Of course, this is beyond your authority; they may obey if they wish, otherwise it doesn't matter.

But once the Sage is safe and Prince Li Heng is dealt with, there will certainly be retribution in due season.

Then, of course, you Zheng Prefect will share the credit, and those who ignored you will be judged as accomplices of Prince Li Heng; just make it clear to them beforehand."

Fang Chongyong calmly outlined Zheng Shuqing's plan: as Jingzhao Prefect, in the event of a major upheaval in Chang'an, he would urgently exercise his troop‑deployment authority to mobilize the centrally commanded Jinwu Guard and return to Chang'an to quell the rebellion.

"Um, does the Jingzhao Prefect even have that authority?"

Zheng Shuqing asked in confusion.

He asks that because he has been a grandson for four or five years, calling everyone "godfather", and never knew the Jingzhao Prefect role was so formidable!

"When I was in Sha Prefecture, I would often go to the prefectural office to peruse various documents and edicts. The Jingzhao Prefect's authority is spelled out clearly in the statutes."

But in ordinary times, with hundreds of officials crowding under the Son of Heaven, the Jingzhao Prefect has to keep his tail between his legs and cannot wield that power!

If you tried to use it in normal times, the Prime Minister sits above the Jingzhao Prefect, and the Son of Heaven sits above the Prime Minister—any of them could trample you. Even though the Jingzhao office technically has troop‑deployment power, a single word from the Sage would send it back! The Prime Minister could also give you a hard time, so how could you play it?

However, when the smoke rises tomorrow, the left and right ministers will be trapped in the Imperial City's Council Hall, and the Sage will likely also be besieged by rebels.

At that moment, wouldn't the Jingzhao Prefecture be the biggest player left?

As long as Zheng Prefect can pledge his own head as collateral for the Jinwu Guard members, risking his life for theirs, many will be willing to follow him; perhaps even the Thousand‑Ox Guard will stir.

Fang Chongyong, without showing any emotion, coaxed.

The Jingzhao Prefecture is a "peculiar" fuse in the Tang power structure, theoretically possessing the authority to mobilize all troops in the capital region (including the prefectures surrounding Chang'an) and also to deploy them!

Moreover, this authority does not require the Prime Minister's nod; the Jingzhao Prefect himself can act alone.

However, though the picture is beautiful, the Jingzhao Prefecture lacks an execution channel for the authority and also lacks an emergency unit within its establishment to handle such matters.

It doesn't even have clerks within its establishment—how can it get anything done? That's a very practical problem.

Moreover, the troops around Chang'an are all concentrated in Chang'an itself; the surrounding areas have no troops, and even the local militia headquarters are empty.

The reason theoretical things look appealing is precisely the lack of concrete execution channels; at least, that's the case under normal circumstances.

But in extraordinary situations, whether troop deployment works often depends on who the Jingzhao Prefect is, how much authority and daring he possesses.

"Is it really that simple?"

Zheng Shuqing retorted in disbelief.

"Exactly, it really is that simple. Mobilize the Jinwu Guard back to quell the rebellion. Even if Wu Zhiyi suddenly rebels, I believe he can't move many troops; the bulk of the Dragon Martial Army is stationed north of the Imperial City and hasn't left Xuanwu Gate.

Tomorrow I will go personally to the Dragon Martial Army's main camp, so the Jinwu Guard won't encounter the Dragon Martial Army. We only need to eliminate the rebels Wu Zhiyi has surrounded around the Victory Workshop, and then clear Prince Xue's private army.

Let the Emperor Li Xian's family, who are not close to the Wei clan and have no direct ties with Li Heng, stay out of the rebellion."

Fang Chongyong explained patiently.

"Understood, I'll now return to the office to make preparations."

Zheng Shuqing rose to leave, but Fang Chongyong grabbed his sleeve.

"Tomorrow, we can set out directly from Springbright Gate. Tonight, let's drink and enjoy ourselves.

Long nights bring many dreams; idle fantasies are not good."

Fang Chongyong winked at Zheng Shuqing.

"Hehe, hehe, fine, fine, then let's drink and enjoy, enjoy."

Zheng Shuqing sat down sheepishly, his face awkward, and said. He wanted to consult Li Linfu about this, and just as the thought arose, Fang Chongyong saw through it.

This guy truly leaves no flaw at all!

……

"Um, now outside everywhere are rebels, how do we get out?"

Li Longji looked puzzled and asked Fang Chongyong.

Because it's dark under the lamps and the escape route hasn't been exposed, and the temples inside the workshop are closed, the monks inside the Victory Workshop are also willing to protect Li Longji and help conceal him.

Thus, with Wu Zhiyi short on manpower, it's hard for him to search temple by temple. Their primary goal should be to seize the Dragon Martial Army's main camp, control the troops, then control the Imperial City; that would essentially settle the matter.

Li Longji had thought of that as well.

After all, so far no large rebel force has besieged Victory Temple; only someone knocked, and the abbot calmly brushed it off.

That alone shows the current situation has entered a temporary stability.

The next decisive move is whoever can control the Dragon Martial Army will be the winner.

Fang Chongyong understood, Li Heng understood, and Li Longji naturally understood as well.

Ji Ge knows clearly that being holed up in this Victory Temple is just waiting for death.

"Sage, I'll now go to Pingkang Workshop to contact the right minister, then take the right minister to the Dragon Martial Army's garrison, seize control of the Dragon Martial Army, and keep the two from aiding each other."

Fang Chongyong crossed his arms and saluted Li Longji.

"They shouldn't help each other? Shouldn't they come to rescue the emperor? These ungrateful white‑eyed wolves!"

Li Longji's anger flared at those words, and he shouted a curse!

Upon hearing that, Fang Chongyong knew Ji Ge had never led troops and had no idea what those blood‑stained hill‑battlers were thinking!

Once the power's transmission channel is cut, reconnecting it isn't something the emperor can fix just by showing up.

When hearts collapse and people are swayed, and when the Dragon Martial Army soldiers believe the situation is irretrievable, they will, in desperation, all voluntarily join the rebellion!

Therefore, now it isn't about bringing more troops in, but giving the Dragon Martial Army's main force the power to "win by lying down" without joining the coup!

If they can win by staying still, it effectively nullifies all of Li Heng's backup moves!

"Sage, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."

"Please, Sage, issue an imperial decree ordering the officers and men of the Dragon Martial Army to strictly abide by the previous military orders and remain in the grand camp. No one may mobilize them to leave the camp. Then no matter how Li Heng schemes, no one will step forward to help him."

As long as staying put guarantees a certain victory, no one will willingly join the rebellion.

"As long as Li Heng cannot control the Dragon Martial Army, his defeat is only a matter of time. This is a strategy of seeking victory through an invincible position."

Fang Chongyong knelt on one knee and pleaded.

That piece of trash Li Longji actually still believed at this moment that other Dragon Martial Army units would come to rescue him — truly baffling self-confidence! Once troops leave the grand camp, who they will obey is anyone's guess!

Who knows whether they might be coerced or enticed by Li Heng when the time comes?

"So be it, then."

Brother Ji sighed. This feeling of having his life and death controlled by others made him extremely miserable!

But things had already come to this; it was too late to say anything. He could only wait until after the rebellion was suppressed to settle accounts.

Fang Chongyong rose to his feet and exchanged a few words with the abbot of Shengye Temple. Soon, he sat on a large rock and let the monk responsible for tonsure at the temple shave his head smooth and bare.

Then Fang Chongyong took the "three robes" handed to him by a monk, found a deserted corner to change clothes, and by the time he appeared before Li Longji again, he was already a "genuine" Chang'an monk.

"Please wait a moment, Sage. This humble officer will go seek reinforcements at once."

Fang Chongyong openly pressed his hands together and performed a grand bow before Li Longji.

To make the act complete, the abbot of Shengye Temple even draped him with a long string of prayer beads!

"Going out like this... will it work?"

Li Longji asked with a face full of doubt.

"In serving the Sage, I place life and death aside. How could it not work?"

Fang Chongyong said with a resolute expression.

"Good, good! You father and son are both endowed with wisdom and courage, your loyalty beyond words!

You do not yet have a courtesy name, do you?

Your father's courtesy name is Quanzhong, so We bestow upon you the courtesy name: Guozhong!

From now on, you may call yourself Fang Guozhong — so says We!"

Li Longji excitedly grabbed Fang Chongyong's arm and shook it as he spoke!

Guozhong?

Fang Chongyong's face was covered in dark lines. He gave an awkward bow and took his leave, then climbed a ladder over the wall without drawing attention and disappeared from everyone's sight.

(End of this chapter)