Chapter 325: You Have Fallen to This Place

Hot! Truly horse‑riding hot!

Fang Chongyong led three hundred Yinqiang Xiaojie Army cavalry, riding nonstop from Yi Province to Western Province; after a brief rest in the provincial capital Gaochang City, he continued along the Silver Mountain Road toward Yanqi Town.

Fang Chongyong realized he had perhaps overestimated his tolerance for harsh weather. Continuously inhaling scorching air made him feel his body was being baked, and he constantly craved water yet could not drink it frequently.

Moreover, he had to wrap himself tightly to prevent excessive sweat evaporation and dehydration.

If it weren't for the urgency of the journey, there'd be no need for such hardship!

Before reaching Western Province, one can't know how terrifying the extreme desert climate is! Compared with the heat that could kill in Western Province, the desert near Dunhuang seems almost pleasant.

After all, the prototype of Flaming Mountain in Journey to the West is Western Province—the kind where you could fry an egg on the ground! It would be strange if it weren't hot!

Sure enough, it was still reckless!

Fang Chongyong cursed Gao Xianzhi in his mind for constantly causing trouble! If it weren't for his penchant for mischief, would he really have to race day and night across the desert?

Yet before Fang Chongyong's party could reach the Tianshan Silver Mountain Road, they were already exhausted and their horses fatigued, unable to press on. They had to rest at a place called Diyu Town to replenish water.

Diyu Town sits on a hill where several small streams converge, and there is a Tang garrison fort there. The surrounding terrain is extremely complex, with numerous hills, as well as some plains and terraces.

Fang Chongyong had already learned in advance that, according to the Anxi Army's organization, the fort should have forty‑eight soldiers. The town's Town Commander is responsible for overseeing nine beacon towers, five permanent outposts, and a wheat field.

In addition, he must find ways to maintain the fort's daily supplies and the repair and upkeep of its buildings.

The sheer size of the jurisdiction, the multitude of complicated tasks, and the scant troops left Fang Chongyong gaping in disbelief.

When the Great Tang doesn't treat people as people, it truly dehumanizes them—women are used as men, men as beasts of burden.

Diyu Town has only a dozen households, no enclosing walls, all living around the fort. This fort, perched on the hill and quite far from the water source below, is roughly square—about thirty meters on each side—and two stories tall.

Outside the fort stands an earth wall over a meter high; within the enclosure, besides the fort, there are six or seven stone‑built houses, apparently for storing grain and keeping horses.

The fort also has a beacon tower and four arrow towers, making it a tiny castle—small as a sparrow yet complete in all parts.

Three hundred Yinqiang Xiaojie Army troops led their horses up the hill, and upon seeing the Tang garrison fort standing by this crucial route, they were speechless with surprise! The hill rises at least seven or eight hundred meters; although it's near a water source and the terrain isn't steep, hauling water up and down is a hassle.

On the hill, farmland has been cleared to grow barley, but there's no water nearby, so irrigation relies on people carrying water up from the foot of the hill.

How do the people on this hill live day to day?

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's soldiers stared at each other, unable to comprehend.

Clad in armor and sharp weapons, the battlefield‑hardened soldiers are merely in a perilous survival mode, fighting wars where tomorrow is never guaranteed.

Yet they always manage to drink from big bowls and eat large cuts of meat, whether through high office and generous pay, or by returning in a horse‑skin‑wrapped corpse.

What lies before us, however, is the true bitter‑cold land, the normal state of the western frontier troops.

The original organization comprised only forty‑eight men, and many have gone out on patrol. When the on‑duty Town Commander saw a large contingent ascend the hill, he immediately ordered the courtyard gate closed and sent men to the beacon tower to stand ready to light a fire.

After completing these tasks, the Town Commander shouted to the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army outside the earth wall beneath the fort: "Which unit of the Tang are you from? Do you have fish tokens and military orders? What business brings you to Diyu Town?"

"I am the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army directly under the saint's command, and the one beside me is the Western Frontier Ambassador; why don't you bring out fine wine and good food to entertain us?"

He Changqi cursed at the fort's gate.

"Do not be disrespectful!"

Fang Chongyong whispered a rebuke to He Changqi, then shouted at the gate: "I am the court‑appointed Western Frontier Ambassador Fang Chongyong, passing by Diyu Town's fort, seeking a little water from you."

Water could actually be obtained at the foot of the hill, no need to climb up to cause trouble. Fang Chongyong came here merely to see how the western frontier Tang troops live day to day.

The Tang troops under the Northern Protectorate are stationed very densely, with quite good living conditions, not far behind those of the Tang in the Hexi Corridor. Yet from this fort onward, they belong to the Anxi Protectorate's forces; it serves as the outpost of Yanqi Town.

A casual glance shows that the Anxi side's living conditions are considerably worse than those of the Northern Protectorate.

Soon, the courtyard gate in the earth wall opened, and a slight, middle‑aged Anxi officer stepped forward, kneeling on one knee humbly, and Fang Chongyong clasped his fists in salute, saying:

"Town Commander Feng Changqing of Diyu Town, greetings, Ambassador Fang! Food and water, I will prepare them now; please, Ambassador, and the comrades of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, enter the fort to rest."

Feng Changqing?

How did he end up in such a miserable state!

Fang Chongyong suppressed his doubt, quickly helped him up, and with a sigh said, "You have fallen to this place!"

Hm?

The slight, sun‑tanned, almost unnoticed Feng Changqing looked puzzled at the young Military Governor who made a name in the Hexi Corridor, unable to grasp what the latter intended.

He had never even seen him before, right!

For a moment the atmosphere turned oddly awkward.

Fang Chongyong recovered, cleared his throat to mask his slip, helped Feng Changqing up, patted the dust off his shoulders and asked, "I have heard that Deputy Protector Gao has a deputy officer by his side, adept at strategy, named Feng Changqing. Are you merely sharing the same name?"

"Replying to Ambassador, that would be me.

Previously… I offended the son of Deputy Protector Gao's wet‑nurse; the Anxi Army's General Zheng Dequan was dispatched here to serve as Town Commander."

Feng Changqing said grimly. Zheng Dequan was very famous in the Anxi Army and disliked him, so he found a pretext, reported to Gao Xianzhi, and kicked Feng Changqing out of Kuqa City.

"Let the Deputy Town Commander take over your post; from now on you will serve by my side, assisting with military affairs."

Fang Chongyong patted Feng Changqing's shoulder, his face eager, and said.

Eh?

Behind Fang Chongyong, Wang Nande, He Changqi, Guan Chongsi and others were all stunned; even Yan Chao, accustomed to Fang Chongyong's unconventional ways, could not fathom what this 'Hexi Qilin' was scheming.

"This…"

Feng Changqing hesitated.

He entered the Anxi Army late, not until age thirty, and Gao Xianzhi originally did not want him; he had to beg and cry to be accepted before he could become a personal guard for Gao Xianzhi.

As a result of offending Gao Xianzhi's confidant Zheng Dequan, he was sent here. Now Fang Chongyong releases him from the Anxi Army's organization; while it's a trivial matter for Gao Xianzhi, how others will view him remains uncertain.

"The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army is the saint's personal troops; they may freely select suitable candidates among the western frontier forces. Town Commander Feng need not overthink. Whatever rank you held beside Gao Xianzhi, it remains the same beside this ambassador."

Fang Chongyong drew the golden fish token of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army from his waist, flashed it before Feng Changqing, his face confident and soaring.

"I obey!"

Feng Changqing realized the matter was irreversible, quickly rose, clasped his fists in salute, his heart in turmoil, unsure whether this was blessing or disaster.

"Put on this ambassador's uniform first, and take off that tattered Anxi Army uniform you're wearing."

After speaking, Fang Chongyong was about to strip off his black military uniform, when Yan Chao hurried forward to block him, whispering, "Fang Jiedushi, there's no need for you to change clothes; I'll take off the uniform and give it to General Feng—no problem, no problem."

After speaking, he gave He Changqi a look.

"Yes, yes, Fang Jiedushi, if you give the clothes to General Feng, who would dare speak to General Feng? It wouldn't be good for him either."

"If General Yan's uniform doesn't fit, you can take off mine as well!"

He Changqi also spoke up to persuade.

"Your words aren't unreasonable, General Yan, then you change yours."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said.

"By the way, who is the town commander of the Zhang San City garrison?"

Fang Chongyong suddenly recalled the matter, squinting as he asked. He guessed that Feng Changqing, being in the Anxi army, should know some details.

Upon hearing this, Feng Changqing's expression changed several times, then he lowered his voice: "The Shouzhuo officer of the Zhang San City garrison is Zheng Dequan."

A Shouzhuo comprises roughly 700 to 2,000 men, depending on deployment. Gao Xianzhi placed his own men at the outskirts of Kaqiuzi Town, which was indeed very shrewd and not merely nepotism.

The Ten Generals, who already manage about a thousand soldiers, made such arrangements; others have no words to say.

"What about Yanqi Town?"

Fang Chongyong asked again.

"The town commander of Yanqi Town is Li Siyie, and there are also three thousand Mò Dāo troops under his command stationed here."

Feng Changqing answered honestly.

"So many years have passed, Old Li hasn't been promoted."

Fang Chongyong murmured thoughtfully.

These years, the senior officials of the Tang frontier army in the Western Regions have each been stuck in their own pits.

Because the territories they control have hardly changed, it's difficult for frontier senior officers to be promoted without external transfers. Back when he was in Shazhou, Fang Chongyong already knew Li Siyie was the military envoy of the Mò Dāo troops, and he still holds that position.

Of course, Li Siyie has been transferred from outside Kaqiuzi City to Yanqi Town; his nominal title remains the same, but his actual authority has increased. Yanqi Town boasts abundant water plants, agriculture, and a large lake for aquatic products, making it far more comfortable than staying in Kaqiuzi City.

Fang Chongyong recalled that in his previous life, Yanqi Town's Bos Teng Lake was one of China's largest organic fish production bases, rich in fish resources. Being the town commander there was truly lucrative!

The profit distribution among the four Anxi towns is indeed interesting!

Fang Chongyong nodded calmly, ordered Feng Changqing to hand over the military duties, had several accompanying generals arrange water supplies, and rested a night at Di Yu Town. At dawn the next day, the whole army set out, with Feng Changqing serving as the forward guide, leading three hundred Yinqiang Xiaojie Army through the first Qi of the Silver Mountain Path: the Leishi Qi.

The three hundred trekked for a day, the terrain gradually rising, with bizarre stones full of holes on both sides—either yellow sand or rock. The stones flanking the road were knife‑sharpened and perfectly straight, almost identical to the Moheyan Qi they had passed before.

Along the way, besides the drought, Fang Chongyong felt the geographically insurmountable difficulties.

A "Qi" is a terrain of a continuous mountain range with irregular paths. Between the "mountains," many stones have wind‑eroded holes, and the surroundings are barren.

It is a landscape between a Gobi and a desert, hard to climb but traversable. In the Western Regions, a "Qi" often separates two areas without completely blocking them.

Expanding territory means finding ways to overcome these obstacles.

"How far is it to Silver Mountain Pavilion?"

Fang Chongyong pointed to the mountain road descending to lower altitude and asked Feng Changqing. Silver Mountain Pavilion is famous, the most important supply oasis nearby.

Silver Mountain Pavilion was established during the Zhenguan era as a relay station, one of the few in the Western Regions, with about seventy‑eighty mu of cultivated land, and also a tiny garrison fort nearby.

"We will soon enter the Silver Mountain Qi, and it's a day's march to Silver Mountain Pavilion. Continue along this road; after the pavilion head west, not far is Lv Guang Pavilion, and further west lies the garrison of Zhang San City, whose city walls sit on a hill."

"Beyond the hill lies the vast oasis plain of Yanqi Town and Yanqi Lake."

Feng Changqing tapped the undulating mountain road ahead with his horsewhip, saying that they could not rest at night on this stretch and must press on without pause.

"Understood!"

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and ordered He Changqi: "Keep pushing forward; no one is allowed to stop. You go to the rear of the formation to supervise; help any stragglers."

"Understood!"

After He Changqi left, Fang Chongyong couldn't help rubbing the sweat on his forehead. He had been careful about ventilation, but in this scorching heat, an ordinary person could hardly endure it.

"Jiedushi, shall we set up camp?"

Duan Xiushi rode forward on horseback and asked.

In fact, it wasn't only Fang Chongyong who felt uncomfortable; the whole unit was enduring the heat. Only Feng Changqing, accustomed to this climate, remained calm with an indifferent demeanor.

"Morale must be high and not waver; issue the order to increase marching speed, and absolutely no one may stop to rest!"

Fang Chongyong gritted his teeth and said.

Their unit endured the scorching sun, never stopping, and finally reached Silver Mountain Pavilion. They replenished water there, then set out again, and after a day and night of travel finally arrived at the garrison of Zhang San City.

The location was cleverly blocked, cutting off the road from Yanqi Town to Xizhou.

To the west of Zhang San City's garrison, beneath the hill, lies a vast reclaimed farmland irrigated by snowmelt from the northern mountains; south of the fields is Yanqi Lake (Bos Teng Lake).

Anyone traveling from Xizhou to Yanqi Town must pass through Zhang San City's main gate; otherwise they would have to risk crossing mountains, which is extremely dangerous and also prevents transporting supplies.

Outside Zhang San City, a small market had already formed; when Fang Chongyong arrived, the sun was setting, and the vendors were packing up, creating a bustling scene. Many of them wore clothing markedly different from that of ordinary Tang citizens.

The brightly colored garments featured lapels, Mandarin collars, narrow sleeves, and many wore wide brocade sashes, along with obscure exotic goods, giving an unmistakably foreign atmosphere.

This place is far more "open" than Shazhou, or simply put, it was originally the territory of a small Western Region state that was later destroyed by Emperor Taizong's forces. Though the state fell, its culture and customs persisted, naturally unlike the Central Plains.

Of course, the Yanqi Kingdom of that era and today's Yanqi Town occupy the same location, but the customs may not be exactly the same as back then.

"Wang Nande!"

Fang Chongyong shouted.

"Your subordinate is here!"

Wang Nande rode forward and performed a forked‑hand salute to Fang Chongyong.

"Go to Zhang San City's garrison and bring the commander who originally blocked you to meet this Jiedushi."

"If anyone dares disobey orders, brandish the fish token of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army!"

"If they still refuse, kill them outright! This Jiedushi will back you up!"

Fang Chongyong handed the fish token at his waist to Wang Nande and said.

"Received the order!"

Wang rarely got hold of the fish token, he cracked a grin, revealing a hint of ferocity barely perceptible.

(End of chapter)