Chapter 228: Great Calamities Begin from Small Beginnings

The Anren Army was established by the renowned Kaiyuan general Guo Zhi Yun on the front line against Tibet.

Guo Zhi Yun was adept with bow and horse and quite strategic; from Kaiyuan 2 to Kaiyuan 9 he served as the Military Governor of Longyou, staying in the post for eight years, and was greatly feared by the barbarians.

He and his successor, Hexi and Longyou Military Governor Wang Junqi, were equally renowned, and contemporaries called them "Wang and Guo."

Both were fierce generals under Ji Ge at the time, with outstanding battle achievements.

In theory, the Anren Army belonged to the old distinguished forces of the era, not the temporary "small army" of about a thousand men set up later for the campaign against Tibet, and should not have mutinied.

But the Fubing troops were converted to recruited soldiers, and the new model brings new problems.

The earlier Fubing troops had considered mutiny, but they lacked the means to do so.

Since Zhenguan, the benefits of being a Fubing soldier have been barely better than none, and most Fubing troops served to secure benefits for their families rather than for themselves. After all, those serving in the Fubing could still have their family members receive tax reductions and other imperial favors.

If they mutiny and the court holds them accountable, what will happen to their families?

Because of such worries, since Zhenguan, Fubing troops outside Guanzhong have repeatedly been lured by higher officials to be killed elsewhere and have their property seized. The repeated defeats of the border armies during the Wu Zhou period were not solely due to poor command.

The collapse of the Fubing system was also a major cause.

When Fubing troops became recruited soldiers, paying them a stipend could win their loyalty; some had all their families farming on border towns, others could feed themselves while their families stayed unfed. The army went years without issuing winter clothes, akin to halving the stipend, and the remaining pay was insufficient.

Moreover, the Anren Army served in a bitterly cold region, and its conditions were far worse than those of the Lin Tao Army stationed at the fortified city of Shanzhou.

On one hand the stipend was irregular; on the other the border posting was freezing—how could they have no complaints?

Nevertheless, even though the Anren Army mutinied, Gai Jiayun was not overly worried. After all, the Lin Tao Army in Shanzhou never mutinied; during Du Xiwang's tenure as Longyou Military Governor, they were constantly favored, never missed pay, and were well equipped.

Since Du Xiwang could no longer act, Gai Jiayun became the acting commander of the Lin Tao Army; in fact, Gai Jiayun had always personally overseen the Lin Tao Army, and Fang Chongyong could not wrest that position away.

"Angel, Fang Chongyong has not yet arrived at Shanzhou, so the imperial appointment cannot reach his hands.

According to the duties of the post‑holder, someone now needs to temporarily act as Longyou Military Governor; we'll discuss that appointment later. Please, Angel, explain this to the Sage after you return to Chang'an."

Gai Jiayun, expressionless, crossed his hands and bowed to Bian Lingcheng, saying, "This 'position‑grab' is truly flawless! There's no procedural flaw to be found!"

He is now acting as Longyou Military Governor, so when Fang Chongyong arrives, he will still be the "post‑holder"—the substitute for this temporary governor.

And the petty Anren Army's pay dispute can be suppressed with a single hand of Gai Jiayun!

The Anren Army is just a miserable frontline border force, and privately cursing over pay has been going on for more than a day or two.

As long as we can gently "persuade" them, they will "voluntarily" return to service. The Longyou border towns are cold and impoverished; where else can they run to?

Finally, killing the leading mutineer among them as an example will quell the unrest.

Then press the court for more pay, supplement a portion, and the problem will be solved.

I must say, among the many military officials present, aside from Ge Shuhan, most thought the same.

So at this moment, they all turned their eyes to Bian Lingcheng, eager to see what tricks the eunuch from the palace could pull.

However, they never imagined that Bian Lingcheng was now pondering: should he openly support Fang Chongyong with weapons, or quietly aid him without a trace?

The Qiu Ba before him may seem hard to deal with, but… Fang Chongyong's father, Fang Youde, is right in Chang'an, serving as a Grand Guard General beside the emperor!

He can meet Ji Ge every day!

As a palace eunuch, the emperor's mouthpiece, it's obvious who is close and who is distant.

How old is Gai Jiayun, exactly?

Although Fang Youde never gave Bian Lingcheng money, Fang Chongyong secretly gave Bian Lingcheng a pair of precious night‑bright pearls from the Western Regions, which he then passed on to Gao Lishi!

It is precisely because he kept gifting Gao Lishi that Bian Lingcheng could receive one foreign assignment after another.

Flattering Gai Jiayun yields no benefit; flattering Fang Chongyong, however, brings tangible gains.

Bian Lingcheng fell silent, contemplating how to act so as to grant Fang Chongyong the "post‑holder" appointment.

Just then, another courier rushed into the governor's hall; judging by his attire, he was a soldier of the He Yuan Army garrisoned at Shanzhou!

Unlike the remote Anren Army, the He Yuan Army's base at Shanzhou is more than ten li from the Longyou governor's headquarters.

It corresponds to the Xining City proper of Fang Chongyong's previous life. The area is a plain surrounded by mountains, with irrigation, one of the few cultivated lands in Longyou.

Back then, Guo Zhi Yun cultivated this land, and the male heads of those households became the soldiers of the He Yuan Army.

Moreover, the He Yuan Army is an old distinguished unit from the Kaiyuan era; Hei Chi Changzhi, Lou Shide, and even Guo Zhi Yun himself once served as military envoys there. Today, the flagship Longyou border force, the Lin Tao Army, was later transferred from the rear Di Dao County to strengthen the Longyou front line, and has been directly appointed by successive Longyou Military Governors as both governor and commander.

This situation is somewhat like a football club that already has a veteran star who has cultivated the local fan base for years, a locker‑room leader regarded as the team's backbone.

But the manager, to strengthen the squad, brought in a newer, more skilled player unrelated to the locals, eclipsing the veteran's prominence.

From a power‑structure perspective, this serves as an internal check within the Longyou border forces, since Longyou lacks a Sogdian‑Hu faction like Hexi and thus has no singular dominant "Red Water Army" boss.

"What exactly is happening, all this frantic mess?"

Gai Jiayun, still the post‑holder, scolded the courier sharply.

The military commanders of each Longyou army remained silent, as did Bian Lingcheng; everyone wanted to know what had occurred.

"The Anren Army mutinied…"

The He Yuan courier stammered, glancing at the faces around him, unsure what to say.

"And then what happened?"

Ge Shuhan asked in a deep voice; as the Anren Army's commander, his situation now seemed the most awkward and dire.

"The He Yuan Army mobilized several thousand men, recaptured the Anren soldiers who had fled, and set up a camp outside Shanzhou to house those deserters…"

The courier said cheerfully that if things were truly that smooth, he probably wouldn't have barged into the governor's hall without prior notice.

Shanzhou is a mandatory route to Qinghai Lake and a key junction for Longyou's path to the Doudabao Valley, linking Hexi. The Anren Army's garrison lies in the canyon north of Shanzhou.

The Anren soldiers' mutiny and escape could not bypass Shanzhou, so being captured by the He Yuan Army was entirely expected.

"Is it over? Nothing left?"

Ge Shuhan, angry enough to stamp his foot, as the Anren commander, naturally knew the conduct of his Qiu Ba troops. Likewise, none of the Longyou commanders were blind.

He Yuan Army commander Wang Nande, also displeased, glared at the courier, unsure what they intended.

"He… the He Yuan soldiers, ask me to inquire of Du, the Jiedushi, when the overdue winter clothes will be issued.

It's heard that the Anren Army mutinied after years without winter clothes; it seems the He Yuan Army also suffers the same delay…"

The messenger soldier spoke incoherently, and the tongue‑clumsy Wang Nande accidentally blurted out the truth.

All the generals present shouted "Whoa!" in their hearts.

Could such a thing even be said in front of the palace eunuchs?

This is not the late Tang or the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms; in the Tang, middle‑ and lower‑rank officers and ordinary soldiers followed different paths from these military envoys in terms of promotion channels and benefits.

The higher ranks value military merit, the lower ranks value wealth, and there is little overlap. For military envoys like Ge Shuhan, whether they receive pay is irrelevant; what matters is whether they can earn merit, receive rewards, be promoted, and become generals or ministers.

Wang Nande seized the messenger soldier by the collar, glared with his terrifyingly large eyes, and scolded, "Are you trying to rebel?"

His agitation was unsurprising, because compared with Ge Shuhan, Wang Nande's situation was actually more perilous.

Last year, chaos broke out in Wang Nande's family; after his father Wang Sijing became a Middle Colonel of the Jinwu Guard, a coup erupted in Chang'an, and the Loyal Prince Li Heng launched a rebellion.

During this process, Wang Sijing, who had secretly colluded with Li Heng, was beheaded by the returning Lingnan Military Commissioner Fang Youde.

However, afterwards Ji Ge did not launch a murderous purge; after all, there was no direct evidence of Wang Sijing's collusion with Loyal Prince Li Heng, and for the sake of political stability, Ji Ge did nothing to Wang Nande.

It was as if they didn't know he was Wang Sijing's son.

As for seeking revenge against Fang Youde, Wang Nande never even dared to consider it; nothing was more important than staying alive and keeping his post.

Wang Nande doesn't know what Ji Ge uncovered, but he is certain whether his father truly deserves to die.

To avoid suspicion, Wang Nande even immediately burned everything linked to Li Heng's family.

Why say that? Because Wang Nande now not only dares not think of revenge, he even begs his grandfather and grandmother, praying silently each day, pleading that the heavens never let Ji Ge recall that he is Wang Sijing's son!

He became the He Yuan Army's military envoy not only because of his own bravery, but also thanks to Loyal Prince Li Heng's support. Had Li Heng's coup succeeded, the He Yuan Army and perhaps even the Longyou border troops might have marched east into Guanzhong to serve the emperor.

The internal power struggles within the royal family were felt especially keenly by Wang Nande, who was closely tied to the prince's faction.

In fact, only under Du Xiwang's protection can Wang Nande continue in his role as He Yuan Army's military envoy; otherwise, after Li Heng's failed coup, he would have been dismissed.

When he heard that the He Yuan Army was also "protesting pay" alongside the An Ren Army, Wang Nande's heart rose to his throat. If this unrest escalated, there was no guarantee the emperor wouldn't recall his father Wang Sijing's leaning toward Li Heng and demand Wang Nande's head to quell the trouble.

"Wang's military envoy, General Gao Xiuyan also urged them, but the soldiers won't listen; they're all with families…"

The messenger soldier replied timidly, fearing Wang Nande would cut him down with a single sword stroke.

The He Yuan soldiers' thoughts were simple.

The An Ren Army's protest over pay erupted because the court delayed military wages; our He Yuan Army has also been denied winter clothing.

If the An Ren Army can protest pay, why can't we?

The An Ren Army has already revolted; we haven't. Even if the higher-ups want to assign blame, they'll first cut down the ten‑thousand‑plus An Ren troops before turning to the He Yuan soldiers.

It seems the court will never cause such a commotion; otherwise it would just be a cheap ploy against the Tibetans.

The An Ren Army protests pay, and the He Yuan Army joins in.

If the court ends up supplying winter clothing, the An Ren Army will bear the brunt, and the He Yuan Army's risk is minimal; in the end it will likely fizzle out.

Since that's the case, why be polite? Of course we'll cause a full‑blown uproar while the other military envoys are at meetings.

In the main hall of the Longyou Jiedu Prefecture office, the various military envoys wore slightly altered expressions; the He Yuan Army, under the pretense of capturing the An Ren Army's deserters, actually gathered those deserters to protest pay together, while also looking for scapegoats.

Of course, this fits the He Yuan Army's long‑standing "big brother" mentality.

Most soldiers in the He Yuan Army are settler troops from around Shancheng, whereas the An Ren soldiers are mostly itinerant recruits from distant regions, so the situations differ slightly.

The An Ren Army camps in barren outskirts with no families in Longyou. They just want to flee, but the He Yuan Army doesn't want Longyou to descend into chaos; they have nowhere else to run and don't want to suffer from the court's delayed winter clothing.

So joining the An Ren Army's pay protest turned out to be the most cost‑effective solution for the He Yuan Army.

Nevertheless, even so, the He Yuan Army still considers the bigger picture.

They practice "courtesy before arms."

First they send someone to the Jiedu Prefecture office to inquire; soldiers need food, and if you delay pay, it's not that we're being unreasonable, right?

If the Jiedu Prefecture official disagrees, it's hard to say whether the He Yuan Army will take further action.

For example, linking up with other border armies in Longyou to protest pay cannot be ruled out.

By then, only the fully‑manned, fully‑paid Lin Tao Army would likely stay out.

If that day ever comes, each military envoy present, one by one, will probably have a lively march on the road to the Yellow Springs.

The An Ren Army's internal morale was high, and all the generals present knew it; otherwise Ge Shuhan wouldn't have sent Guan Chongsi to Chang'an to visit the dock. Yet they hadn't anticipated this chain reaction of army revolts.

After all, such internal power games among late‑Tang fiefdoms, which occurred repeatedly, would have been unimaginable under the Tang's central militia system. For those present, it was still a first‑time experience.

"Angel, you saw it too. This is of great importance; Du Jiedushi is unconscious and cannot make decisions, and the newly appointed Liuhou has not yet arrived in Shanzhou."

As Liuhou, I will go into the army to pacify the soldiers.

If Du Jiedushi awakens, he will decide the matter; if the new Liuhou assumes office, he will act on his behalf.

Angel should place the appointment document in the Jiedu Prefecture office and return to Chang'an to report.

Gai Jiayun crossed his arms and saluted Bian Lingcheng, saying.

The He Yuan Army flung a fearsome, massive crisis at him, and he promptly backed off!

Gai Jiayun knew well that the Longyou border troops could easily fight the Tibetans, but demanding pay was difficult. They could slash at the Tibetans any way they wanted; however, they could not wield swords against the emperor in Chang'an.

Wang Nande and the others gave a knowing look at Gai Jiayun, who was about to become the acting military envoy of the Lin Tao Army, and they silently laughed to themselves.

They had thought Gai Jiayun was an arrogant, clueless fool, but they didn't expect the fellow to be shrewd; once he sensed the situation was wrong, he immediately slipped away!

At this point, the Liuhou position was no longer an opportunity but a guaranteed black pot; there was no way to dodge it, let alone run to take the head.

"If that's so, then I'll wait inside Shanzhou City for Inspector Fang to arrive; as for other military matters, generals, feel free to proceed, I will not interfere."

Bian Lingcheng, with a composed expression, said without changing his demeanor.

He felt both sorrow and joy in his heart.

(End of chapter)