Chapter 286: The Death of An Lushan (End of Volume)

In the spring–summer of the seventh year of Tianbao, Ji Ge adjusted a large wave of border generals' appointments with "no warning".

Except that Fang Chongyong continues to serve as Military Governor of Hexi and Ambassador of the Western Regions without any change, the other border towns have undergone various significant personnel adjustments.

Since the military pressure from the steppes has almost vanished, Ji Ge transferred Huangfu Weiming to Shuo Fang as Military Governor of Shuo Fang, and drew a total of ten thousand troops from the Shuo Fang armies to reinforce the forces under the Military Governor of Fanyang.

At the same time, An Lushan was appointed Military Governor of Fanyang, also serving as Deputy Military Governor of Pinglu and temporarily taking command of Yingzhou troops, while the position of Military Governor of Pinglu remained vacant and was not filled.

In addition, Ji Ge also gave An Lushan the post of Hebei Circuit Inspector, just as Fang Chongyong also holds the position of Longyou Circuit Inspector.

An Sisun, formerly Military Governor of Hedong, was transferred to become Military Governor of Jian'nan, succeeding the former Military Governor of Jian'nan, Zhang Choujian Qiong.

This reshuffle is loaded with meaning, leaving many puzzled. Yet however one looks at it, An Lushan, the Hu person, becomes the biggest winner of this deployment! Not only did he retain his previous command of Yingzhou troops, but he also gained control of the prosperous Youzhou, and his power is now not to be underestimated!

The court's deployments are beyond Fang Chongyong's control. Because just two days after the duel with An Lushan, he led his entourage away from Chang'an toward Liangzhou. The expedition to the Western Regions is already in motion, and Liangzhou has been preparing for it continuously; even if Ji Ge wanted to halt it now, he cannot.

At least ten thousand elite cavalry set out is a certainty; no matter how reluctant, they will tour the numerous small Western Regions states west of Congling, spread the grandeur of the Tang Empire, and then return.

On the other side, An Lushan, who also serves as Military Governor of two towns, arrived at Puzhou in a light carriage and entourage, crossed the Yellow River to Fengling Ferry, and smoothly met Zhang Tongru and five hundred elite Hebei soldiers who had been waiting there, with no mishaps along the way!

An Lushan also did not act on his own impulse; upon seeing the troops that met him, his lingering anxiety finally eased, and he discussed the marching route with Zhang Tongru in the guest room at Fengling Post.

Zhang Tongru analyzed to An Lushan that although his prominence now attracts attention, those who wish to act cannot truly strike in Guanzhong. If anything were to happen, the likelihood is greatest in Hedong. An Lushan's safe arrival at Fengling Ferry further reinforced Zhang Tongru's assessment.

Zhang Tongru spread a large map before An Lushan, marking many routes. Before An Lushan arrived, he had already planned an escape route, needing only An Lushan's selection and confirmation.

From Chang'an to Hebei, excluding the narrow mountain paths, there are roughly three routes: the northern line, the central line, and the eastern line!

Taking the northern line requires traversing countless mountain paths, from Yan'an to northern Shaanxi, then beyond the frontier, following the ancient Great Wall to Yanmen Pass, and from there straight into Youzhou—a true one‑step solution!

However, this route is either steppe, desert, or mountainous Gobi along the way, making supply extremely difficult and the road rugged. Its only advantage is that the complex terrain suits concealment.

Zhang Tongru prepared the escape route for An Lushan, which is this road. Well, the so‑called escape refers to the scenario where An Lushan is dismissed, investigated, or even faced with extermination by Ji Ge, forcing him to take this small road.

If An Lushan takes this road to leave, he will essentially never return to the Tang, wandering the frontier steppes thereafter.

Now, as the Military Governor of two towns, An Lushan clearly does not need to leave Chang'an in such a disgraceful manner.

After introducing the northern line, we turn to the eastern line, which follows the main road between Chang'an and Luoyang on the south bank of the Yellow River, passing Tongguan and Hulaoguan. This route is characterized by its very wide roads, endless relay stations, and a comfortably easy journey.

But this route has two drawbacks.

The first is that Fang Youde has a massive force stationed at Heyang, allowing tight surveillance of the Luoyang area. If they truly wanted to ambush, they wouldn't need to lie in wait; once they know An Lushan's itinerary, they could simply find an opportunity around Luoyang to kill him.

The second drawback is the necessity to cross the Yellow River by boat. Because the river swells in the spring–summer transition, the crossing is highly uncertain.

The biggest problem with An Lushan taking this route is its extremely low safety; the chance of being ambushed is considerable!

Even unofficial forces can find opportunities to carry out assassinations.

For example, when An Lushan is crossing the Yellow River northward, an expected "accident" can easily occur. To put it bluntly, a skilled fisherman could silently pierce the hull in the middle of the river, enough to drown An Lushan.

Moreover, near Tongguan the terrain is mountain after mountain, peak after peak, deep valleys and sheer cliffs; the high mountains and narrow roads allow only a single cart or horse to pass on the narrow mountain path.

This is an ideal spot for murder and robbery.

Obviously this road is also untenable; An Lushan never even considered it. In fact, when he arrived in Chang'an he had no intention of taking it; it was only when passing Heyang that Fang Youde dispatched the Shence Army to "escort" him, causing him to go through Tongguan into the pass.

Therefore, the only remaining option is the central route.

In fact, both Zhang Tongru and An Lushan favor this line; when they initially divided tasks, they had already discussed it.

An Lushan traveled in a light carriage to Pusan, crossed the Pusan Bridge to Fengling Ferry on the opposite bank of the Yellow River, and met Zhang Tongru and the five hundred personal guards at Fengling Post—everything went smoothly!

This is the departure point from Guanzhong to Hedong, and also Hedong's largest relay station! Safety and supplies along the way are not an issue.

For An Lushan to exit Guanzhong toward Hebei, passing through Pusan is inevitable.

Now the divergence between An Lushan and Zhang Tongru concerns the multiple branching routes from Pusan to Hebei; having won the first half, avoiding a reversal in the second half is a test of intellect and bravery.

As a shallow‑rooted Military Governor of two towns, many in the Tang court hope for his death to claim a share. Whether anyone will take the risk to assassinate him is uncertain.

Zhang Tongru's view is completely opposite to An Lushan's; the two argued heatedly, reddening their faces, in the relay station guest room!

Zhang Tongru believes that heading east via the small path over Wangwu Mountain through Zhi Guan, then through Henei to Xiangzhou (Yecheng), is the most convenient route.

Once reaching Xiangzhou, one is essentially within the jurisdiction of the Hebei Circuit Inspector.

In other words, anyone confronting An Lushan in Xiangzhou and eastward will incur far greater costs than elsewhere; one can deem that after An Lushan reaches Xiangzhou, his subsequent route is essentially secure.

No Hebei aristocratic clan would dare offend the Military Governor who also oversees the two northeastern towns.

In fact, when An Lushan came to Chang'an, he also took this route. Among all routes, this one has the shortest "dangerous segment" and is relatively the easiest to travel.

The only downside is that it passes through Fang Youde's controlled area, and must go through Zhi Guan City Tower now under the Shence Army's control, which could lead to a direct clash with Fang Youde.

Zhang Tongru thinks that even if An Lushan goes past Fang Youde, the latter would not dare to act against him.

Even if An Lushan has dueled with Fang Youde's son, even though rumors claim Fang Youde cannot stand An Lushan, even though An Lushan previously cleansed Fang Youde's old troops in Hebei, the two have long harbored resentment!

Zhang Tongru remains convinced that Fang Youde would not dare to rebel, let alone publicly act against An Lushan.

However, since upon his arrival An Lushan had already been severely reprimanded by Fang Youde, this crafty northeastern two‑town Military Governor knows that the so‑called safety of this road is merely theoretical.

Human nature is unpredictable; if Fang Youde went mad at that moment, killing An Lushan would take not even a incense stick's time!

An Lushan cannot entrust his life and fortune to someone else's discipline. If Fang Youde were a lunatic, he might wish both jade and stone to be consumed in flames.

From his youth, the clever and crafty An Lushan has met all manner of characters, and there is certainly no lack of those maniacs who say, "If I don't want to live, I'll take you down with me."

If Fang Youde's stance cannot be determined, then this road becomes the most perilous route, period. If the Tongguan line is merely within the Shence Army's control, then this road lies directly under Fang Youde's nose.

An Lushan cannot allow himself to walk into Fang Youde's hands to be slain!

Of course, there is another route back to Hebei, which is safer, albeit a bit more circuitous.

From Fengling Ferry travel northward overland to Jiangzhou, then continue north to the strategic town of Jinzhou, onward north to Taiyuan. From Taiyuan head east, exit Jingxing into Hebei, bordering...

This area already lies deep within Hebei, and for An Lushan, the Military Governor of Fanyang, arriving here essentially means he is near his post.

On this road, the areas An Lushan cannot directly command are all under the jurisdiction of the Military Governor of Hedong. An Lushan's cousin An Sisun, the former Military Governor of Hedong, likely has not yet completed the handover and still commands Hedong's forces.

Zhang Choujian Qiong must hurry from Jian'nan, a distant trek, and is estimated to reach Hedong in summer or autumn; this reassignment will not be finished swiftly.

In An Lushan's eyes, this road is the inevitable choice.

However, these are all normal routes; beyond them, there are also some "off‑center" minor paths.

There is a secret path that departs from Fengling Ferry eastward, running from Jiangzhou to Zezhou's Qinshui County; this route cannot accommodate troops and offers no supply along the way.

Once they reached Qinshui County, things would be straightforward—take the main road to Jincheng. From Jincheng they could either head east along the Fushui Corridor to Xiangzhou, or head north to Shangdang, then exit eastward through the Jingxing Corridor to Zhending.

The drawback of this route was that it was too convoluted, with great uncertainty, and impossible for a large force to march through. If they encountered even one skilled assassin along the way, that alone could finish off An Lushan.

Moreover, An Lushan was after all the Military Commissioner of two garrisons—there was no need for him to sneak back to Hebei like a rat crossing the street. So this route was rejected by An Lushan as well.

At this very moment, An Lushan and Zhang Tongru were locked in a dispute—one wanting to head north, the other wanting to go east—neither able to convince the other!

"How about this—let's just divine it and be done with it!"

The corpulent An Lushan pulled out from his chest a fine scroll made of sheepskin, which did not look like something from the Central Plains.

"This is called the Scroll of Joy, a divination tool commonly used in my Zoroastrian faith.

On the third day of the third month this year, I specifically ordered someone to chart the star map of that night, for use in divination. Now is exactly the time to use it!"

An Lushan unrolled the sheepskin scroll and laid it on the desk. Zhang Tongru looked closely and saw it densely covered with dots of stars—a superbly crafted star map, its workmanship not inferior to those "old hands" in the Directorate of Astronomy.

The celestial phenomena on this star map depicted a figure with a human body and serpent's tail, hands supporting a chariot, a fire orb above the head, a moon orb in the right hand, and a golden bead in the left—strikingly vivid and lifelike.

The map was this map, but how to interpret it was hard to say, and Zhang Tongru did not understand it either.

Looking at the devout-faced An Lushan preparing to divine, he did not know what to say. He had seen many unreliable people, and An Lushan still counted as relatively dependable—well, most of the time.

You might think he couldn't recognize many characters, but he was actually a fat man who knew divination! A priest of some sort in the Zoroastrian faith, with considerable skills!

An Lushan produced two dice made of white bone, nearly identical in size, and cast them onto the "Scroll of Joy." Without even glancing at the numbers, he pressed his palms together, closed his eyes, and prayed, murmuring incessantly in Sogdian, which Zhang Tongru could not understand at all.

A moment later, An Lushan suddenly opened his eyes, saw the dice on the desk, and broke into a smile: "The Fire God says: head north—great fortune!"

"Lord An, Jiedushi, this..."

Looking at the mystically babbling An Lushan, Zhang Tongru was utterly speechless, so shocked that he could not get a complete sentence out for the longest time.

When in doubt, consult the spirits—how ridiculous can you get! Were it not for the fact that his own life and fortune were tied to this Military Commissioner, Zhang Tongru would have started cursing long ago!

"My mind is made up—no need to say more. Tomorrow we set out for Taiyuan!"

An Lushan raised his hand, signaling Zhang Tongru to shut up. After the divination, all hesitation in An Lushan had been swept away, leaving only unwavering resolve!

Once they reached Youzhou, heaven would be first and he would be second; the sea would be wide enough for fish to leap, and he could have whatever he wanted!

A blazing fire ignited in An Lushan's heart!

……

Back then, in the second month of the third year of Wude of the Great Tang (620 AD).

Taizong pursued Song Jingang, a general under the anti-Sui forces of Liu Wuzhou, through Queer Valley—eight battles in a single day, all of them victories, capturing and slaying tens of thousands, and seizing countless supplies.

This battle laid the foundation of the Great Tang, and also established Taizong's leading position within the Tang army.

Queer Valley, stretching for dozens of li, had narrow and rugged mountain paths, yet was the only route from Jinzhou to Fenzhou, and also the only route for An Lushan to detour through Taiyuan on his way to Hebei—just as Taizong had led his troops against Liu Wuzhou back then.

To throw off those with treacherous designs, the cautious An Lushan split his party in two.

Two hundred men led by Zhang Tongru would display the Military Commissioner's staff along the way, beating gongs and drums as they set out from Fengling Ferry, crossed the Yellow River, and took the official road along the south bank past Tong Pass and Hulao Pass, traveling in high profile the entire way. They would even act arrogant and domineering at every place they passed through, picking quarrels with the locals.

Meanwhile, An Lushan took the remaining three hundred men, concealing their armor beneath cloth robes, keeping a low profile all the way—braving the elements without incident past Jiangzhou, past Jinzhou, and arriving at Queer Valley.

This was already the territory under the jurisdiction of the Hedong Military Commissioner. Although there were no garrison troops nearby, it would still be extraordinarily difficult for outsiders to cause trouble here!

Recalling how Taizong had achieved glory at Queer Valley back then, An Lushan narrowed his eyes, his heart surging with ambition and heroic resolve!

This Tang Emperor—the Li family can be it, but I, An, cannot?

Recalling the dreadful experience of living in Chang'an in constant fear, treading on thin ice, An Lushan silently resolved in his heart that he would never let others raise their voices in front of him!

Just then, from the mountain paths on both sides beside An Lushan, countless logs came tumbling down!

"Form up!"

An Lushan drew his saber and shouted!

His response could not be called untimely, but it was still a bit too late. The smooth march all the way had caused everyone in the party to let down their guard.

When An Lushan passed through Queer Valley, he had only sent scouts one li ahead to check the route—he hadn't even confirmed whether there were ambushes on both sides of the mountain path!

The logs, carrying tremendous kinetic energy, scattered An Lushan's bodyguard unit in all directions. From the slopes on both sides of the mountain path, countless "bandits" charged down—many of them wearing standard Tang army Mingguang armor, seemingly having no intention of hiding their identities at all.

An Lushan's soul fled in terror. Before he could even take cover, a fierce and agile "bandit" struck off his head with a single blade.

The head rolled many times on the ground like a ball, its eyes wide open in death. The man walked up, kicked it twice, then picked up the head by the hair and headed toward a certain hilltop.

On a hilltop not far away, a battle flag bearing the characters "Huangfu" fluttered in the wind.

Fang Youde, dressed in a gray cloth robe, crossed his arms and watched the slaughter on the mountain path. He said to He Changqi, who stood motionless beside him holding An Lushan's head: "You'd better go to the Western Regions and lie low for a while. If they trace it back to you, just stay in the Western Regions and don't come back."

"Yes, sir... Jiedushi, was An Lushan truly a man who would bring ruin to the nation and suffering to the people?"

He Changqi, who had found a pretext to leave Fang Chongyong's side and travel to Jinzhou to arrange the assassination, asked in puzzlement.

"Yes. Kill him, and the Great Tang's era of peace and prosperity will arrive. But in the future, upholding the military might of the Great Tang in the Western Regions will depend on you all."

Fang Youde waved his hand listlessly, patted He Changqi on the shoulder, and walked toward the devastated battlefield below the hill.

"Jiedushi, are you going into retirement?"

He Changqi asked in great alarm.

"Retirement isn't quite it, but according to my unworthy son, this is called slacking off.

I've been tired for decades—let me slack off a bit too."

Fang Youde turned his head and said with a scoff, his expression breezy and unconcerned. (End of this volume)

(Next volume: The Great Wall stretches ten thousand li, ten thousand li of yellow sand is home)

Votes, come!

(End of this chapter)