Chapter 240: The Foundation of the Godfather of Hexi

A perfectly good military conference was interrupted by a brawl between Geshu Han and Wang Nande. Apart from the news of disbanding the Anren Army, not a single other major matter had time to be discussed before the meeting was adjourned.

Afterwards, Geshu Han and Wang Nande, who had participated in the brawl, were detained within the Longyou Jiedushi's office, awaiting Fang Chongyong's disposition. The situation seemed to be escalating further.

After the generals had all settled in within Shanzhou City, Fang Chongyong summoned Geshu Han and Wang Nande to the Jiedushi's study where he worked.

At this moment, Geshu Han was surprised to find that besides those they were familiar with, such as He Changqi and Guan Chongsi, there were also five young men with dark skin and muscular builds!

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Fang Chongyong sat down in the Jiedushi's seat and indicated for the others to sit down as well.

"General Geshu and General Wang, that little play you put on just now was quite good."

Fang Chongyong looked at Geshu Han and said calmly.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. We were simply following the Jiedushi's instructions."

Geshu Han said sheepishly.

He and Wang Nande were both men holding the rank of military commissioner—how could they possibly fight in front of the Jiedushi? That would purely be asking for trouble, and it wouldn't accomplish anything either.

If he truly found someone insufferable, he would simply kill them outright.

Back when Geshu Han was taking up his post with the Anren Army, a deputy kept defying him, so Geshu Han waited for a moment when all the generals were gathered and directly executed that deputy! Killed him right in front of everyone!

Afterwards, Geshu Han was only penalized with three cups of wine by the Longyou Jiedushi, and nothing else happened to him.

Military men like them handled things in just such a straightforward manner—if they had the chance to act, they absolutely would not just talk, nor would they leave a snake half-dead only to suffer the consequences.

Wang Nande on the side said nothing, nor did he have anything to say. He had likewise followed Fang Chongyong's arrangement and put on an act.

"By the Sage's command, I am to build a peerless strong army in Longyou! It shall be named the Tianwei Army."

Fang Chongyong said with a solemn expression.

Geshu Han and the others all wore odd expressions. In the end, it was Wang Nande who cautiously reported, "Jiedushi, the troops garrisoned at Stone Fortress are already called the Tianwei Army."

"Exactly. So by forming another Tianwei Army, this Jiedushi can mix the fake with the real and confuse the Tibetans."

The Tianwei Army at Stone Fortress only had a thousand men. Fang Chongyong was merely borrowing that designation to build a strategic reserve force off the table. At least before the war began, the Tibetans would not be able to figure out the situation or the unit designations—they would only know that the Anren Army was gone!

"To build the Tianwei Army, I specifically had the Hexi Jiedushi transfer five generals, along with their two thousand troops as the backbone."

Fang Chongyong pointed to the five young men seated not far from him and said.

Geshu Han, Wang Nande, and the others looked at each other in dismay. They had not known about this matter beforehand. However, it was also common for border generals between Hexi and Longyou to be transferred between commands. If the rank was relatively low, it did not require approval from the Ministry of War—either Jiedushi could get it done with a word.

This was also an important reason why the Hexi and Longyou Jiedushi positions later came to be frequently held by one person concurrently.

But five people would have been enough—why did these five also bring along their troops?

Geshu Han was deeply puzzled in his heart.

"The fathers of these five men are Lun Chengjie, the Vice Jiedushi of Shuofang, whose family has lived in Liangzhou for generations. Now, hearing that the Tibetans intend to attack the Great Tang, they have specially sent these five men, bringing their family's hereditary soldiers to Longyou to establish a new army and strike back at the Tibetans."

Hearing these words, the five young men bowed formally to Geshu Han and the others, but did not speak.

The Lun clan of Wuwei! The Hexi Jiedushi Wang Yu!

Geshu Han and Wang Nande were startled in their hearts, and no longer dared to look down on the five young men beside Fang Chongyong.

In the Tang dynasty, the hereditary soldier system, something that had already been swept into the dustbin of history, largely no longer existed—but it was not absolute.

For example, the Lun clan of Wuwei was exactly such a case. They possessed hereditary soldiers that were not part of the Great Tang's official government hierarchy, which could be seen as an alternative form of the "city-flank system."

"Jiedushi, could these five stalwarts be the descendants of the famous Tibetan general Lun Lingqin?"

Wang Nande asked with a face full of surprise.

"Indeed. Lun Gongren, son of Lun Qinling, brought seven thousand tents of the Tuyuhun to submit to the Tang, and became a great general of the Shuofang Army. His clan settled in Wuwei City of Liangzhou and has flourished ever since. In years past, I had ties with them.

Lun Gongren's son Lun Chengjie is their father. To avoid suspicion, General Lun did not let his heirs enter the Shuofang Army, but kept them in Wuwei of Liangzhou as border troops, not belonging to the Tang Army's hierarchy.

Now, at a time when men of ability are needed, I wrote to the Hexi Jiedushi Wang Yu and the Shuofang Vice Jiedushi Lun Chengjie to transfer these five men to Longyou as generals. This also fulfills General Lun Chengjie's wish—their family has always wanted to seek vengeance against the Tibetan Tsenpo.

Now the opportunity has come!"

Fang Chongyong said as though it were nothing, so lightly and casually, as if he were merely discussing a trivial matter not worth mentioning at all.

But Geshu Han, Wang Nande, and the others knew that this matter appeared simple on the surface, but the connections and favors required within were not something an ordinary general could manage. Even an ordinary scholar-official Jiedushi could not have pulled it off!

They suddenly recalled that Fang Chongyong had apparently served as Inspector in Shazhou for four years and had ties with the local military and civil officials. Seen in that light, this matter was perfectly logical.

Then why didn't Lun Chengjie get his sons into the Shuofang Army as officers?

Because he was a descendant of Tibetans who had surrendered to the Tang, and furthermore the bloodline of Lun Lingqin. Pulling the trick of a father-son army would easily arouse Brother Ji's suspicions, and would also provoke jealousy from colleagues around him.

One must know that the number of Tang soldiers who died at Lun Lingqin's hands—whether from archaeological evidence or historical records—was unquestionably in the six figures. Some even said it started at two hundred thousand, while others said it exceeded three hundred thousand.

The Lun clan's descendants on the Tang side naturally had to tread carefully!

Lun Gongren himself was the Shuofang Vice Jiedushi, and his son Lun Chengjie also became the Shuofang Vice Jiedushi. If he were to further place his heirs into the Shuofang Army, what would the Tang Emperor think?

This kind of turning the border army into one's own private force had always been a great taboo for officials.

Therefore, the Lun clan had always been settled in Wuwei of Liangzhou. They likewise did not serve as military officers in the Hexi border army, since the Lun clan had already put down roots in Wuwei.

Just as Lun Chengjie was worrying about how to settle his five sons, a letter from Fang Chongyong arrived. Lun Chengjie was overjoyed—not only did he let his sons go to Longyou for experience, he also transferred two thousand elite hereditary clan soldiers to accompany them to Longyou.

For no other reason than that, while tempering the clan's young men, they could also fulfill a vow!

The Lun clan had wanted to fight the Tibetans for a long time. When it came to who hated the Tibetans the most, the Great Tang truly couldn't claim the spot—the descendants of Lun Lingqin could probably rank in the top three.

Back then, their family had nearly replaced the Tsenpo himself, yet now they had become Tang Army generals. The bitterness in their hearts was something only they themselves knew.

Because he feared these people might disrupt the bigger picture, Brother Ji had always kept the Lun clan active within the Shuofang Army, not allowing them direct contact with the Tibetans.

Betrayal was not a concern—it was simply the worry that these people might be driven out of their minds by a blood feud and do something irrational.

Geshu Han seemed to have guessed Fang Chongyong's plan, and felt a wave of powerlessness in his heart.

This acting Jiedushi Fang's methods were simply too nimble. He didn't even bother playing any conspiratorial tricks—it was all open strategy. Every single one of his methods, examined individually, was flawless.

He got things done, played the good guy, and used high-level tactics that left no one any grounds for criticism!

Removing the Anren Army, injecting fresh blood from Hexi, and then recruiting elites from the Longyou border army—he could control this army as his trump card and bring life back to the stagnant pool of the Longyou border army.

The mutiny of the Anren Army had already become notorious far and wide, so naturally it could not go unaddressed. Thus Jiedushi Fang disbanded the Anren Army, giving an explanation to the Tang Emperor in Chang'an.

Putting on a show of self-inflicted hardship was merely to pave the way for "winning over" Geshu Han afterward—all of it was for outsiders to see. Clearly, the military commissioner of the Tianwei Army would be Geshu Han. Of course, kneeling down as a dog was inevitable; otherwise, in the eyes of outsiders, Geshu Han would be an ungrateful wretch, and he wouldn't be able to survive anywhere hereafter.

Rebuilding a new army, with ample military pay as bait, could dismantle the various army commissioners' personal control over the border armies—or at least weaken their grip. It also opened up channels for advancement, reducing discontent within the Longyou border army.

The Lun clan wanted to seek revenge against Tubo, and worried that having clan members continuously enter the Shuofang army would arouse suspicion, so they gladly accepted the transfer order and offered their full assistance. This scene was unexpected, yet entirely reasonable.

Fang Chongyong needed his own power base to keep the Longyou border army thugs in line, while the Lun clan needed to pave the way for their clan's younger generation—Lun Chengjie would eventually retire and return home, and he had to make provisions for his clan's descendants. The two sides were like dry firewood meeting an open flame—an instant match!

The Lun clan's people had just arrived in Longyou, unfamiliar with the place and the people, with no one to help them. Fang Chongyong had previously had ties with these forces from Hexi, so there was no need for consideration—they would inevitably follow his lead and become his staunch loyalists.

As long as Fang Chongyong remained the Longyou Jiedushi, he could command these people as easily as moving his own arm.

Where does power come from? It comes from a group of people supporting one person!

The five Lun brothers and their troops perfectly balanced and checked the elite forces absorbed into the Longyou border army. Then Fang Chongyong, as acting Jiedushi, became the unquestioned authority within the Tianwei Army—no one could oppose him.

With the cream of the Longyou border army in his hands, and having settled matters with the commissioners of the Lintao Army and the Heyuan Army, the troops Fang Chongyong could directly control without relying on court decrees numbered at least forty thousand men!

This was enough for him to spread his wings in Longyou!

"The Tubo people are coming. The formation of the Tianwei Army will be communicated tier by tier down to each army. The originally planned strength of ten thousand men has now been supplemented with two thousand soldiers from Hexi, so eight thousand more are still needed.

Elite troops will be recruited first from the Anren Army and the Heyuan Army, and employed after passing assessments, then reported to the Ministry of War.

Geshu Han will serve as Commissioner of the Tianwei Army, Lun Weizhen as Deputy Commissioner of the Tianwei Army, and the Heyuan Army's former Deputy Commissioner Gao Xiuyan will transfer to Deputy Commissioner of the Tianwei Army (an army can have more than one deputy commissioner).

One thousand men will be drawn from the Tianwei Army as personal guards, with He Changqi as captain of the guards, responsible for the security of Shanzhou City.

Lun Huaiyi, Lun Weixian, Lun Weiliang, and Lun Weiqing will serve as subordinate generals.

The regular soldiers' pay in the Tianwei Army will be the same as in the other armies. However, each year the court will issue an additional allotment of autumn clothing, on a scale similar to the spring and winter clothing. As for whether the officers at each rank stand to benefit, you can figure that out for yourselves slowly."

Hearing Fang Chongyong say this, Geshu Han, Wang Nande, and the others finally felt reassured.

They had been blind and hasty earlier—they never expected this young Jiedushi Fang to be such an old hand! Thank goodness they had climbed aboard in time!

"Here is what each of you is to do next. As for the specifics, all will become clear tomorrow."

Fang Chongyong stood up and handed two envelopes to Geshu Han and Wang Nande.

Only at this moment did Wang Nande suddenly understand everything.

He had originally thought that the "feud over his father's death" made Fang Chongyong wary, and that he was deliberately finding things for him to do, making him play the part in a bitter-flesh scheme.

He never expected Fang Chongyong's starting point to be so straightforward.

Since the Anren Army had mutinied and the Heyuan Army had rioted over pay, the blade would fall on those two armies first. One would have its designation revoked outright, and the other would likely face the big blade too!

Geshu Han and Wang Nande accepted their orders and departed. Fang Chongyong then dismissed He Changqi, Guan Chongsi, and the others, keeping only the five Lun brothers in the study.

Seeing no outsiders present, Lun Weizhen stepped forward wanting to shake hands with Fang Chongyong, but pulled his hand back halfway. Fang Chongyong placed both hands on his shoulders and laughed heartily: "You're treating me as a stranger! Back when you followed me to hunt horse bandits, there wasn't a hint of hesitation!"

"Ah, those days were truly carefree. When we heard that the Hexi Qilin was now the Longyou Jiedushi, we brothers were all eager to come to Longyou and follow Jiedushi Fang!

As for Hexi now... ah, it's hard to explain in a word. The trade business in the Western Regions is on the verge of collapse."

Lun Huaiyi said with a wistful expression.

The Lun clan had so many hereditary soldiers and retainers that without the Hexi trade route, they would have been disbanded long ago! Back then, they served as Fang Chongyong's enforcers for "private errands," spending month after month wearing Tang army armor and roaming the Western Regions trade routes—they knew exactly what kind of man Fang Chongyong was.

Back then, the Lun clan made a fortune from this, truly earning a hefty sum in Liangzhou.

But ever since Fang Chongyong left Hexi, the profits from this trade route had gone from bad to worse by the day.

Rules are made by people, and broken by people too. Without someone like Fang Chongyong—capable, principled, and able to rally a hundred voices with a single call—to mediate, people who broke the rules soon appeared on the Hexi trade route. Where there was a first, there was a second, and gradually, everyone stopped playing by the rules.

After all, who wouldn't want to take a little more?

Of course, the real ruin was caused by Zhang Shougui's son, Zhang Xiancheng.

After this fellow arrived in Guazhou, he proclaimed that his father was the Left Chancellor and that he intended to fleece every traveler on the trade route. It caused quite a stir at the time. But later, when Zhang Shougui was dismissed from the chancellorship, Zhang Xiancheng was reported before long for forcibly abducting commoner women and stripped of his office. No one knows where he is hiding and fooling around now.

Zhang Xiancheng did not lust after beauty, much less abduct commoner women. But without his father the Left Chancellor protecting him, who would have the patience to listen to his bluster?

Those who run roughshod through power will perish by the tyranny of power—this principle is no different from the fact that those skilled in water drown in water.

With Zhang Xiancheng, the rule-breaker, gone, everything was still beyond recovery, heading toward an even greater collapse.

In the past, on the Hexi smuggling route, even with Fang Chongyong gone, those who wanted to cause trouble still acted in secret, not daring to openly break the rules.

But ever since Zhang Xiancheng set the precedent, all manner of scoundrels and demons crawled out of the woodwork!

Aside from the various "horse bandits" springing up like mushrooms after rain due to uneven distribution of spoils among the various factions, the Sogdians of the Western Regions were also unwilling to let caravans monopolize pricing power. They clashed several times with Shazhou's Doulu Army, with both sides disguising themselves as horse bandits—white blades going in, red blades coming out, life and death left to fate and fortune in heaven.

The Sogdian merchants naturally could not defeat the elite Doulu Army, so they simply stopped shipping goods in and out toward Chang'an! They began playing the game of monopolizing supply! It was no different from an economic blockade! No one wants to turn away from money, and the sharp blades in the Doulu Army's hands could not directly turn into provisions and cloth.

Left with no choice, the Doulu Army's leadership and even the Hexi Jiedushi Wang Xiu had to use local prominent Shazhou families as intermediaries and guarantors to invite the Sogdians back and sit down at the same table to negotiate.

How well the negotiations went, the five Lun brothers did not know, but the shrinking profits from the Hexi smuggling route were visible to the naked eye.

The Lun clan's decision to bring two thousand men to join Longyou this time was not without the factor of easing their own economic pressure—though of course, this was something Fang Chongyong had not anticipated.

"The Tubo people are coming. Gentlemen, join me in a great undertaking."

Fang Chongyong said to the five Lun brothers.

Every chapter is hard to write now. I've done my best.

(End of this chapter)