Chapter 310: Obviously It Could Be Snatched Directly

During the High Tang, the Guanzhong climate was still quite humid, and early summer brought abundant rain.

Although the Jing River is the main river of Guanzhong, it is not a great torrent; it has many sources, formed by countless mountain springs and small tributaries.

The Jing River, being the sum of many small streams, is clear, in stark contrast to the turbid Wei River. To the northeast of Chang'an, where the two rivers meet, one can see a clear river and a muddy river side by side, a striking sight.

The idiom calls this "Jing and Wei clearly distinct."

Because the Jing River's sources have a kind of "bursting power," the influx from mountain springs is heavily tied to rain. So during heavy rain or flood season, the river's level can vary dramatically, and flash floods are commonplace.

After a scolding from Ji Ge, Fang Youde had to lead five thousand infantry of the Shen Ce Army to the north of Jingyang County, at the mouth where the Jing River emerges from the valley. In the late Warring States, the Korean spy Zheng Guoxiu of Han had built an irrigation canal here for Guanzhong.

It is also called the Zheng Guo Canal.

In the second year of the Tai Shi era of the Western Han, Grand Master Bai Gong of Zhao Zhong proposed extending a new canal on the basis of the Zheng Guo Canal, diverting the Jing River eastward to Liyang (northeast of Lintong County) where it joins the Wei River, called the Zheng Bai Canal. The Zheng Bai Canal has three main branches: the Great White Canal, the Central White Canal, and the South White Canal, also known as the Three White Canal.

This is the core irrigation zone of Guanzhong!

Rain sometimes pours down in sheets, other times is merely a drizzle. Upon arriving north of Jingyang, Fang Youde ordered his troops to fell trees and build rafts, preparing to sail north along the Jing River toward Binzhou. He also dispatched a detachment to establish a new camp at the head of the Zheng Guo Canal.

One must admit the order was so bizarre that Gao Shi, the recording officer in charge of inspections, could not help pulling Fang Youde into a hastily erected command tent, shielding him from his own troops, and voicing his opinion.

"General Fang, recent rains are excessive, making bows unusable. The roads are rugged and prone to flash floods. A hasty advance on Binzhou may not be a sound plan!

The main camp is set at the Jing River's valley exit; if the rebel forces upstream at Binzhou dam the river and a storm follows, the levees could be breached.

Then the torrent of Jing water would surge downstream straight into the camp—surely a disaster?"

Gao Shi whispered, lowering his head and avoiding Fang Youde's gaze. Though he feared being punished, he still argued earnestly.

Binzhou lies about a hundred‑plus li from their camp, and the route is all valleys; the Jing Riverbed is extremely narrow. At the valley exit, the riverbed suddenly widens, and water descending from height carries tremendous kinetic energy, rushing a thousand li.

Which army could withstand that? Can men ever overcome heaven?

What he could see, Gao Shi doubted Fang Youde would miss.

"The sage hastily orders battle; we have no choice but to obey."

Fang Youde sighed, his face helpless.

"General, the sage knows nothing of the army's condition, nor of astronomy, geography, or the lay of the mountains, let alone military strategy!

It is you who leads the troops, not the sage! If we lose, the sage will punish us!"

Gao Shi knelt outright, kowtowed to Fang Youde, and remained prostrate.

His political sensitivity is extreme; how could he not see that this battle decides the Guanzhong political situation of the Great Tang! If Fang Youde loses, the army loyal to Ji Ge would be unable to control Chang'an, and then all manner of demons and monsters would emerge.

All sorts of demons and monsters would leap out.

If any prince rallies the border troops to "purge the court," the realm would truly plunge into chaos!

Only by swiftly crushing the Kitan slave rebellion in Binzhou can the Guanzhong political balance be maintained.

After the situation calms, reinforcing the Shen Ce Army's ranks will not be too early.

"In that case, just discuss it privately. If it spreads, it's a death sentence."

Fang Youde helped Gao Shi to his feet, patted his shoulder and encouraged, "You're right; these are my tentative plans. Placing the camp here is to let those Kitan slaves use water attacks. To defeat Binzhou, I have another clever scheme."

"Just a misdirection?"

There must be someone capable organizing things behind the scenes among the Khitan slaves, otherwise they could not have captured Binzhou. However, after taking Binzhou, they did not seize the opportunity to expand their scale or extend their territory, which shows they are not united internally, their organizational ability is limited, and they have even less popular support.

The Kitan slaves certainly have capable organizers behind them; otherwise they couldn't seize Binzhou. Yet after they capture Binzhou they don't expand further, indicating internal disunity, limited organizational ability, and lack of popular support.

The rebels' stratagem may exist, but there's no need to overestimate their strength.

Ji Ge thinks that because Emperor Taizong once defeated an enemy in the shallow waters of the Jing River, the same victory can be replicated now; Fang Youde finds this utterly unreasonable. From antiquity to the present, no two battles are ever identical, so following a set routine is absurd.

Having followed Ji Ge for decades, Fang Youde knows very well that Ji Ge possesses not a iota of military talent—a pure war novice who inherited no command ability from his ancestors.

In short, Ji Ge is a chicken‑thin strategist who only talks war on paper; under his command, one wouldn't even know how to die.

"General Fang, where will that plan go?"

"I am merely curious, wanting to understand the army's regulations."

Gao Shi crossed his arms and saluted Fang Youde, asking.

"I can tell you, no problem.

Then, take five hundred men, raise flags in the camp, build rafts, and give the appearance of moving north by water to attack Binzhou."

The Jiedushi will lead his troops on a detour to the northwest of Lichuan County, where a valley mouth called Jianzi Gou offers a mountain path free from flash‑flood risk.

From there one can reach directly the rear‑yard valley of Binzhou's prefectural seat, surrounded by mountains, to launch a surprise attack from the rear.

Will you command troops here? Can you do it?"

Fang Youde focused his mind, looked at Gao Shi, and asked in a solemn, serious tone.

His reference to the "rear‑yard" means Binzhou's cultivated fields, the farmland surrounding the prefectural city by the Jing River, a southwestern valley encircled by mountains and the main grain‑producing area of Binzhou. Enclosed by peaks, it is not an official road; only mountain folk heading southwest to gather herbs traverse it.

Even officials in Chang'an might not know this road, let alone the rebels.

The Kitan slaves are not locals of Guanzhong; they could not be familiar with this route! The coal‑mining site near San Shui County on the opposite bank of the Jing River likely doesn't even know where the mountain road entrance lies.

However, Fang Youde only traversed it in a previous life, when the Shen Ce Army was already breaking free from Chang'an's court control, so it's possible this narrow goat‑path remains untraveled today.

War is inherently risky; no one can claim certainty—any battle may fail.

A commander must lead subordinates to victory, using every resource at hand, regardless of cost.

That's all.

When trouble arises, face it head‑on; there's nothing to fear.

"General Fang, I… I am certain I can do it!"

Gao Shi said, his face excited, the opportunity came so suddenly it caught him off guard.

"Send a few men upstream on the Jing River to watch; if a flash flood comes, release the sheepskin rafts."

Outside the main camp, along the Jing Riverbank, assign specialists to watch for sheepskin rafts; if any appear, drop everything and run!"

Fang Youde patiently instructed.

He estimated the enemy would most likely launch a water attack.

Especially when these people discover that the Shence Army is building wooden rafts at the valley exit of the Jing River, they are likely to lose patience. Once a water attack occurs, those people will become reckless, believing that the Shence Army's main force has been swept away by the flood, and that they can "expand the spoils" on their side.

"I understand; I will certainly raise great banners within the main camp to confuse those Khitan slaves."

Gao Shi pounded his chest and promised.

"I, this general, employ you only because you see the situation clearly. If I used others, they might, out of contempt for those rebels, be overambitious and attack Binzhou along the Jing River."

"Just don't disappoint this general."

Fang Youde fished a silver fish talisman from his waist and handed it to Gao Shi, continuing:

"This unit of five hundred men is now under your command; you may at any moment be drowned by the flood. Though there will be no battle, it will certainly not be safe. So stay alert, and don't waste your lives. Also keep the secret; if anyone asks, say that this general has led his troops back to Li Quan."

"Understood!"

Gao Shi carefully took the fish talisman and set it aside; he seemed to see that he had already stepped onto the ladder of official promotion.

If he can get through this hurdle and even preserve these Shence soldiers in the flood, then using this as a foundation to become a high minister of the court or even a close aide to the Son of Heaven is merely a matter of time.

……

North of Jin Chang City, the prefectural seat of Gua Prefecture in Hexi, at a place called Great Marsh, the Anxi Expeditionary Force deliberately set up an area and hung an enormous wooden sign.

It read "Silk for Camels".

Great Marsh is the final stop of the Ming River, abundant with waterfowl and beautiful scenery, a gathering place for Hexi merchants. Of course, the Tang‑era Yumenguan lies here, and all large‑scale trade actually takes place under Tang military supervision.

This is the last stop in Hexi before heading northward to the Western Regions (the northern frontier); official trade generally follows this route. The next transfer point is Yizhou (Hami), the key garrison of the Northern Frontier Protectorate.

Beyond that lies the main base of the Western Regions, the "Tang army non‑controlled zone", in Xizhou, the former kingdom of Gaochang. This area is the core of the Western Regions under Tang control, and it is where the former capital of Xinjiang, Urumqi, where Fang Chongyong lived in a past life, is located.

Frankly, this road is the official main artery from the Great Tang to the Western Regions.

Departing from Shazhou toward the northern line of the Western Regions requires crossing a scarcely traveled desert; this route is usually taken by Western Region merchants and is a high‑risk zone of murder and robbery. The only advantage is a reduced customs levy.

If one takes the southern line from Shazhou into the Western Regions (the southern frontier), one must pass through the abandoned kingdom of Loulan and Lop Nur. This route has extremely harsh natural conditions, and the supply points along the way are all very small, unable to accommodate large caravans.

At present the Tang authorities have abandoned this line. Those who still travel it are both merchants and thieves, the "well‑meaning sort".

The routes currently available to the Anxi Expeditionary Force are clearly only the northern line; it does not require massive camel purchases, and the natural conditions along the way are not as severe as ordinary people imagine, with many travelers and merchants moving back and forth.

However, if one considers the strategic goal of the Anxi Expeditionary Force—to include the countries west of Congling, such as Xiao Bolu—then the possibility of supply shortfalls cannot be ignored.

In the Western Regions, marching thousands of li is routine. In a desert and Gobi‑filled Western Region, how can long‑range marches be conducted without camels?

"Jiedushi Fang, with such fine silk, shall we directly trade it for camels with these Hu merchants? Isn't using Jiazi fine?"

"The junior general feels it's such a loss!"

He Changqi watched box after box of fine silk from Guanzhong being cheerfully carried away by the Hu merchants' servants, and asked with some resentment.

Fang Chongyong couldn't be bothered to answer him; he merely urged Yang Yan beside him to calculate the accounts carefully, lest a miscalculation leave the Hexi Jiazi base currency insufficient.

The rule of the base‑currency system is that the currency used for exchange must be ample; a bank run cannot occur. This expedition's camel procurement can only be bought from the Hu merchants, and using Jiazi to fool them is useless.

Because Jiazi circulates freely in Hexi now, it does not flow smoothly in the Western Regions. In places like Yizhou and Xizhou, many merchants don't even recognize it!

The Western Regions are also some distance from Hexi, making round‑trip costs significant. Even with Jiazi, which exchanges easily in Hexi, no merchant would risk having their wealth wiped out by swapping their own goods for those hard‑to‑use items.

Of course, if silk could be freely exchanged in Yizhou and Xizhou, that would be a different story.

On this, Fang Chongyong saw clearly: respecting others' intelligence is respecting one's own emotional intelligence!

"Jiedushi Fang, these silks have been shipped, and the treasury is short; how can we still exchange Jiazi?"

He Changqi couldn't help but mutter a low complaint.

"Can you stop chattering here?"

"Even if the Hu merchants transport all this silk to the Western Regions, when we arrive, it will still be ours!"

"And we even save on freight; why wouldn't we be happy about that?"

Fang Chongyong impatiently took the official hat off General He's head, placed it in his hand, and couldn't help shouting a rebuke.

"General He, the Jiedushi has already made arrangements; you need not meddle with idle concerns.

Whatever happens in Liangzhou will happen in Yizhou and Xizhou as well. Those silks will ultimately be seized and exchanged for Jiazi into the treasury."

Yang Yan, who had been keeping records, smiled and explained.

Whoa!

He Changqi suddenly realized! Fang Chongyong's move was masterful!

Now, the Hu merchants trade Hexi's plentiful camels for the Western Regions' scarce silk, appearing to make a huge profit. However, once Fang Chongyong brings the expeditionary force to a location in the Western Regions, he will confiscate all local silk as "base currency" and issue an equivalent amount of Jiazi.

Thus he saves the effort of transporting silk to the Western Regions, along with the freight and logistics. The silk circulates in circles, only to revert to the Tang administration. In the end, Fang Chongyong still used Jiazi to purchase the camels.

This is far more courteous than the current open‑handed raids, where one must use Jiazi to force the Hu merchants to buy camels; it preserves commercial stability in Hexi!

Even a rabbit hasn't started eating the grass near its burrow, yet how could the Hexi Military Governor lower his face to force buying and selling? In commerce, one must uphold reputation; brandishing a sword at every turn is wrong.

As for places like the Western Regions, after all, the market there is chaotic; anything happening is not surprising, right?

If you won't exchange Jiazi for silk, there's nothing we can do but withhold Jiazi and seize it outright.

Who says I have so many troops under me? They all need to eat; the big brother protects the younger, and cracking down on "illegal merchants" in a chaotic market is justifiable.

It's human nature.

At this moment, He Changqi was moved by Fang Chongyong.

To make the Hu merchants feel comfortable, Fang Chongyong even took so many detours—truly worthy of a Hexi Jiedushi!

Jiedushi Fang could have simply seized them, yet he gave the Hu merchants an equal amount of Jiazi, truly fair to young and old.

He is really so kind, I'm crying to death!

He Changqi feels he has learned another tactic.

"Jiazi still needs to be printed promptly; Yizhou and Xizhou are quite prosperous, with booming trade, and the demand for Jiazi there is huge.

If another batch is printed later, it may not be ready in time in the short term."

Fang Chongyong instructed Yang Yan.

"Jiedushi, rest assured, everything is within the plan."

Yang Yan had already finished recording the details of today's transactions. One had to admit, silk was truly hard currency in the Western Regions—just hang up a sign and Hu merchants would come leading camels in a queue to trade.

Just then, a commotion arose in the distance. Several camels were fighting in a group, spitting at each other and kicking wildly with their hooves, extremely agitated.

They kicked up clouds of dust in the enclosure, and many people retreated a safe distance away.

"These camels aren't much good at fighting, but they certainly have big tempers—quite a bit like the small kingdoms of the Western Regions."

Fang Chongyong folded his arms and said thoughtfully.

"Heh, the disobedient ones—a good whack with a club and they'll behave."

He Changqi said with a wicked grin from the side.

(End of this chapter)