Chapter 279: Today's Humiliation, I, An Lushan, Will Surely Repay Generously Another Day

It was the height of spring plowing, and banners fluttered atop the walls of Heyang City, the prefectural seat of Mengzhou. Cart after cart of military rations entered the city from outside and was stored in granaries—all transported from the Hanjia Granary in Luoyang to serve as army provisions here.

Fang Youde rested his hand on the sword at his waist and gazed northward, standing atop the walls of Heyang City, his expression cold and stern, it was unclear what he was thinking.

Heyang was the northwestern gateway to Luoyang; to the south lay the sandbar in the middle of the Yellow River. After Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei relocated the capital, he built a pass on the sandbar and also established a city on the south bank of the Yellow River.

This formed a sturdy defensive line spanning both banks of the Yellow River, with three cities keeping watch over one another.

To the northwest of this defensive line was the Zhiguan Pass leading directly to Hedong, due north was Henei, and to the northeast was Xiangzhou in Hebei (Ye City). By holding this position, any northern army wanting to cross the Yellow River would inevitably have to pass through Hulao Pass!

The "three-in-one" defensive layout of the three Heyang cities could be called the core node simultaneously controlling both the Hedong and Luoyang regions, a truly deserving contested ground for military strategists.

Fang Youde had originally been training the Divine Strategy Army in Hua County; after receiving a mobilization order from Brother Ji, he led twelve thousand elite Divine Strategy Army soldiers and stationed them at Heyang for training.

The vanguard force of three thousand had already been deployed in position, while the remaining nine thousand had just departed from Puzhou (Puban) and were heading toward Heyang one after another.

So why was the Divine Strategy Army leaving Guanzhong to head to Heyang?

Because Brother Ji had previously issued an imperial edict to Fang Youde, ordering him to lead troops to deploy at key nodes on the north bank of the Yellow River, in preparation for any contingency.

As long as An Lushan found an excuse not to come to Chang'an—no matter what excuse—Fang Youde would lead the Divine Strategy Army to Youzhou and temporarily serve as Jiedushi of Fanyang. Then, using the Divine Strategy Army as the main force and gathering a portion of Youzhou's troops to form an expeditionary army, he would head directly to Liucheng in Yingzhou to strip An Lushan of his military authority and purge his loyalists within the Pinglu Army!

Not only that, to eliminate the threat at its roots and prevent future troubles, Brother Ji also authorized Fang Youde to, "when necessary," sweep away the tribes near the city where An Lushan was stationed!

Stationing troops at the well-connected Heyang was merely a strategy of a gentleman drawing his bow without releasing—the aim was simply to put pressure on An Lushan! Without attacking Hebei, it nonetheless let every border garrison soldier in Hebei understand the court's intentions.

Although Brother Ji believed An Lushan had no ability to rebel, Fang Youde still advised taking precautions, having the imperial guards leave Guanzhong and station at Heyang to deter An Lushan.

This was not a bad thing for Brother Ji.

Because this move was not only to intimidate the Jiedushi of Hebei's border garrisons, but equally to demonstrate the majesty of imperial authority.

Brother Ji felt Fang Youde's suggestion made perfect sense: deploying the imperial guards at Heyang would ensure An Lushan could only obediently come to Chang'an. This way Brother Ji would save face, An Lushan would save face too, and for the two of them it would count as a "win-win."

Conversely, if the court had no military deployment north of the Yellow River, it would instead make An Lushan think there was a loophole to exploit, and he might harbor illusions of luck and deliberately find excuses not to come to Chang'an.

At that point it would be like a reed pole beating a wolf—both sides terrified. Brother Ji would have no way to step down, and An Lushan would likewise be cornered and unable to move, caught in a dilemma.

An Lushan couldn't very well rebel at this moment without any reason at all, could he?

"You'd better come to Chang'an for a trip, otherwise it won't look good when I lead troops into Hebei."

Fang Youde pounded the parapet of the Heyang city tower with his fist and muttered to himself.

"Jiedushi Fang, the Pinglu Jiedushi An Lushan, with one hundred personal guards and over a dozen aides, is already a li away.

They have sent someone to submit travel documents, hoping to pass through Heyang City."

Just then, a personal guard came and whispered into Fang Youde's ear.

"This An Lushan is rather interesting."

Fang Youde said with a cold sneer hanging at the corner of his mouth, clenching his fist.

According to a normal marching route, An Lushan should have taken the post road along the northern canal to reach the north bank of the Yellow River, then cross the river from Heyin County to Xingyang, proceed from Xingyang through Hulao Pass to Luoyang, and finally take the official road from Luoyang to Chang'an.

The greatest advantage of this route was ample supplies the entire way, flat roads, and post stations one after another, so there was no need to worry about logistics at all.

As for An Lushan taking the Heyang route, apart from bypassing the post stations along the way and bypassing Luoyang, there was no visible advantage. The reason he made this choice was probably just fear of being assassinated!

If he took the post road, every station he passed amounted to simultaneously reporting to the court that a certain official had stamped his seal at that station. This way, An Lushan's whereabouts would be not only under Brother Ji's control but also under the surveillance of the relevant court departments.

If someone with ill intent wanted to cause trouble and block him, it would be as easy as flipping a hand! Avoiding the surveillance of post stations could increase concealment along the way.

An Lushan's caution was thus evident.

"Call up a battalion of Divine Strategy Army elites to escort An Lushan to Chang'an the whole way.

But remember this well: An Lushan's personal guards must absolutely not exceed two, and his aides must not exceed one.

All other Pinglu Army troops are to be stationed at Heyang City and may not pass through."

Fang Youde ordered coldly.

"This... General Fang, won't you go see him in person?"

This personal guard asked with a strange expression on his face.

An Lushan was the Pinglu Jiedushi, no small figure, and Fang Youde's attitude was far too overbearing and unreasonable.

Then again, when a Jiedushi entered the capital (Chang'an), he indeed could not bring too many personal guards; one hundred clearly far exceeded the authorized establishment. Of course, two personal guards was also too few. Normally, when a Jiedushi traveled the post road, he would have over thirty people including personal guards and aides—this was the official establishment stipulated by the court.

As for temporary recruits, they were akin to the vagrant toughs on the streets of Chang'an. Although a Jiedushi could recruit as many as he pleased, the various checkpoints had the authority to stop these people—it was merely a matter of whether they wished to, and whether he cooperated.

This fell under the category of "may or may not enforce."

Fang Youde detaining the vast majority of An Lushan's personal guards at Heyang and having the Divine Strategy Army under his command escort An Lushan was entirely unproblematic in terms of procedure.

As long as An Lushan could be safely delivered to Chang'an, then this was a lawful, properly constituted normal order.

Of course, if something happened to An Lushan while under the Divine Strategy Army's escort, Fang Youde would lose a layer of skin even if he didn't die!

And even if An Lushan were delivered safely, the grudge between the two would be completely impossible to unravel in the future. Because this was Fang Youde using court rules to slap An Lushan's face relentlessly, and the other party couldn't even resist!

"A border garrison Jiedushi entering Chang'an with one hundred personal guards—if word gets out, outsiders will think our Divine Strategy Army soldiers are made of mud, unable to protect even a single border general!

If they don't listen, then you go up and disarm them directly. This general has no desire to see this person An Lushan.

If An Lushan refuses to comply, then detain him at Heyang City.

As for what the Sage might think and how the court might handle it, that is this general's affair!"

Fang Youde scowled fiercely and barked at the personal guard who was full of doubts.

Seeing his boss lose his temper, the personal guard hastily crossed his hands in salute and said, "General Fang, please rest assured. This subordinate will go transmit the order now."

After the personal guard left, a mysterious smile appeared on Fang Youde's face. He couldn't resist drawing the treasured sword from his waist—with a ring like a dragon's cry.

"Radiant and glorious Tang, by Heaven endowed to rule ten thousand nations.

There is no need for any An Lushan at all."

Fang Youde said quietly, his gaze deep as he looked northward, as if that gaze could see a thousand li and focus on Youzhou.

By humiliating An Lushan at Heyang, even with the possibility of provoking him to rebel—would Brother Ji care about such a thing?

Fang Youde felt that Brother Ji would not care. Imperial guard generals and border army generals being at each other's throats was something Brother Ji dreamed of seeing.

And stripping An Lushan of his personal guards was merely the first step of luring the gentleman into the urn.

Fang Youde came to the study of the Mengzhou prefectural yamen, which had already been requisitioned as the Divine Strategy Army's office. Soon, a man dressed as a scholar arrived outside the study door and, under the unfriendly gazes of two Divine Strategy Army soldiers, knocked on the study's great door.

When the man was ushered into the study, Fang Youde realized that he was none other than Zhang Tongru, the very person he had previously turned away.

"General Fang, Lord An's personal guards are only for protecting his safety. These men will all be stationed at the Chang'an East Post Station when the time comes, and will not enter the city.

I ask General Fang to be magnanimous and let them pass. We would be endlessly grateful."

Zhang Tongru's posture was very low, and his tone of speech was as humble as could possibly be.

He understood the rule that kings do not meet kings; it was impossible for An Lushan to meet Fang Youde directly, regardless of either party's stance.

Otherwise, many things would become impossible to explain clearly, and there would be no room for maneuver between them at all.

Zhang Tongru knew that this time, Fang Youde was indeed deliberately making things difficult for An Lushan. The other party was indeed using the letter of the rules to torment him, leaving him with nothing to say and no choice but to yield and beg for leniency.

"The court's regulations stipulate that officials traveling to take up their posts or to report for duty must travel along the official roads and be received by relay stations.

Records must be kept along the way, and they must not be neglected.

This general is quite curious, however. Your Lord An has no interest in taking the main road, yet is enthusiastic about taking the minor paths where relay stations are scarce.

Explain the reason to this general right now."

Fang Youde said with a false smile that did not reach his eyes, making Zhang Tongru's hair stand on end.

If An Lushan had taken the official road and stayed at relay stations, he would not have passed through Heyang City at all! An Lushan simply did not want to cross the Yellow River from Heyin County, did not want to go to Xingyang, did not want to pass through Hulao Pass, and even more did not want to go to Luoyang! He did not want to take that narrow official road that necessarily passed through Shanzhou!

Heading west from Heyang, crossing Mount Wangwu and taking Zhiguan Pass to Hedong, then entering Guanzhong from Hedong—this was the route An Lushan wanted to take to keep a low profile. It was reasonable and suited his own needs, but it did not comply with government regulations.

Heyang City blocked one major road from Hebei to Hedong, and likewise blocked one major road from Hebei to Luoyang.

Zhang Tongru found Fang Youde's question truly difficult to answer. The very fact that they had encountered Fang Youde here itself proved that they had not followed the court's laws.

"I know this is indeed improper. I ask General Fang to be accommodating."

Zhang Tongru said in a low voice.

"There is nothing more to say. Could it be that the soldiers of the Divine Strategy Army cannot even protect a single Jiedushi?

You can stay peacefully in Heyang City, or return to Liucheng in Yingzhou—that would be fine too. The Divine Strategy Army will make proper arrangements for Lord An's itinerary.

If you feel that is unsuitable, then honestly go back to Heyin County, cross the river from there to Xingyang, pass through Hulao Pass, and follow the relay road all the way to Chang'an!

Choose either one!"

Actually, there was another option: Fang Youde could let An Lushan's party cross the river to the official road—the widest and most essential route between Chang'an and Luoyang—and then ride swiftly all the way to Guanzhong.

That would have been fine too.

But clearly, Fang Youde was deliberately making things difficult for An Lushan!

"General Fang, would it not do to let our party cross the river to the relay road and enter Guanzhong from the direction of Shanzhou?"

Zhang Tongru asked in an extremely servile manner.

"What do you think? Does this general need to say it a second time?

Or do you suppose that this general cannot kill a mere aide like you, who is not even an appointed official?"

Fang Youde placed his hand on his sword hilt and asked in a hostile tone.

"General Fang's great kindness today, Lord An will surely repay generously in the future."

Zhang Tongru said bitterly, clasped his hands in a salute, turned, and left.

When you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head. There was nothing he could do about the loss he suffered today; he would just have to settle the score later.

Zhang Tongru refused to believe that the Divine Strategy Army would dare do anything to An Lushan along the way!

After he turned and left, Fang Youde watched his retreating back and muttered to himself:

"Then I'll be waiting."

……

In the study of the Prince of Yong's residence in Lantian County, the Prince of Yong, Li Lin, paced back and forth in the room like an ant on a hot pan, extremely anxious.

Before long, he looked at Gao Shang, who stood with hands folded and an utterly composed expression, grabbed his sleeve, and asked in a lowered voice: "Why don't you go check the Chang'an East Post Station again? You haven't gone to look today. Maybe An Lushan has already arrived in Chang'an."

"Even if he has arrived in Chang'an, it would not be convenient for Your Highness to contact him right now. That would be too obvious.

It must wait until the Sage acts and frames An Lushan for sending an assassin to kill Pei Kuan before Your Highness can make contact with An Lushan.

Only then will An Lushan be willing to listen to Your Highness's words."

Gao Shang said unhurriedly, seeming not at all anxious.

"What do you mean by that?"

Li Lin asked in a deep voice.

"For the Sage to hold a handle over Your Highness, there is a prerequisite: that Your Highness has the opportunity to contend for the position of Crown Prince.

Only then would Your Highness's letter to An Lushan become a handle.

But is Your Highness's goal to become Crown Prince? And how could Your Highness possibly become Crown Prince?"

Gao Shang's words were like a sharp blade, cutting a long gash in Li Lin's heart.

Indeed—since it was impossible to inherit the position of Crown Prince, impossible to peacefully inherit the throne as Crown Prince, then there was no choice but to play by the Xuanwu Gate succession method.

Even to raise troops from a border garrison and seize power!

In that case, what meaning would the so-called evidence of contact with An Lushan still hold?

As long as a gambler dares to flip the table, none of the rules on it will bind him when the time comes!

At this thought, a trace of ferocity flashed across Li Lin's handsome face. He clenched his fists tightly, then slowly relaxed them, and finally let out a long sigh.

"This prince understands."

Li Lin said with a slight nod.

"Can An Lushan defeat the father and son of the Fang family?"

Li Lin asked a question that struck straight at the soul.

"He cannot. But precisely because he cannot, the power of that father and son is also nearing its end. The Sage certainly will not tolerate it."

When water is full it overflows; when the moon is full it wanes. The day Fang Chongyong returns to court from his western frontier campaign is the day the Sage takes back power from their father and son's hands.

By then, this card of An Lushan can be played to good effect. Your Highness, you are still young—what is there to rush for?

Gao Shang suppressed his inner excitement and earnestly advised.

"What you say also makes sense."

Li Lin nodded and said, feeling a bit more fighting spirit.

Yeah, he's still that young, he has several decades to stir up—what's there to rush for?

Just then, a person dressed as a eunuch hurriedly came up to Li Lin and, in front of Gao Shang, said, "Your Highness Prince Yong, An Lushan has already arrived at the Eastern Post Station outside Chang'an, awaiting the Sage's summons to enter the city."

He's here!

Li Lin was overjoyed, his body trembling with excitement.

"Your Highness, bear with it a little longer."

Gao Shang, without changing expression, tugged at Li Lin's sleeve.

(End of chapter)