Chapter 335: The Journey Grows Distant

Outside Kaifeng County's ferry crossing, on the east and west banks of the canal, two groups of shirtless men wielding wooden sticks, with red and blue cloth strips tied on their heads, were vaguely confronting each other.

It's laughable, for although the canal at Kaifeng County's stretch has ferry crossings on both banks, warehouses, and a fairly large temporary market, there is still no proper bridge.

Why is it like this?

Because the canal is busy, ships constantly come and go, and the most important thing is keeping the waterway clear; everything else comes second.

With the bridge‑building techniques of the time, a bridge would block large vessels from passing, effectively disabling half the canal's function. A bridge would only serve Kaifeng County's locals, yet this canal links the north and south of the Great Tang and is an indispensable economic artery.

Which is lighter or heavier, one can tell without asking.

Therefore, each dawn a simple, easily dismantled floating bridge is erected in a very short time to allow the people to cross both banks.

The floating bridge is basically made of boats linked together, with wooden planks laid on the decks; the gaps between boats are wide enough for ordinary small boats to pass.

When large ships reach the ferry, they anchor here to rest, resupply, shop and unload, then depart after the floating bridge is taken down, so their passage is unaffected.

Why the back‑and‑forth hassle? The real reason can only be understood by insiders.

The Bianzhou authorities have distilled a set of "wealth‑making methods", which can be said to exploit every possible scheme to the extreme.

It's not that building a bridge is forbidden, but this back‑and‑forth arrangement offers a better cost‑performance ratio.

Doo! Doo! Doo!

Three sharp whistle blasts sounded; the clerk from the magistrate's office moved the barricade that blocked the people, then set up a desk to collect bridge tolls. It wasn't expensive—one copper coin per person, charged for both directions.

The floating bridge wears out; the toll funds are used to replace the worn planks and pay the workers who maintain it. That's reasonable, right?

Hoo‑la‑la!

The group on the right bank with red cloth strips tied on their heads charged straight across the floating bridge toward the left bank! The toll‑collecting tax clerk acted as if he hadn't seen them, letting them barrel through while the ordinary folk who intended to cross the bridge stepped aside.

The sign posted on both sides of the floating bridge, reading "No gathering or fighting here," now seemed a local thugs' contempt for the authorities. When the sign was first erected, the thugs were terrified, but after testing the waters and seeing nothing happen, their courage grew.

These lawless ruffians, after reaching the left bank, were immediately met by the group with blue cloth strips on their heads, who lunged at them and the melee erupted into chaos! Some innocent bystanders, trying to avoid the fight, were even pushed into the canal.

A few hundred meters north of the floating bridge, at Kaifeng County's city gate, Fang Youde held a "Thousand‑Li Mirror" and stared at the brawling crowd for a while, then, disappointed, set it down and muttered, "Common townsfolk, eager to fight yet incapable of war."

"Jiedushi, what should we do with them?"

A deputy commander beside Fang Youde asked, a man named Li Jiaqing, who joined the army as a youth from Youzhou and was Fang Youde's longtime trusted subordinate.

He now serves as the regimental commander of the tooth soldiers of the Crane‑Controlled Army. Though young, he is a formidable fighter, enforces the law harshly without leniency, and the entire Xuanwu Army of Bianzhou fears him.

"Take the incense stick in your hand, walk to that notice board, and say nothing, do not act."

If the incense does not burn out, the fight will stop, and the matter ends there; you need do nothing.

If the incense burns out and those people are still fighting, then…"

Fang Youde smiled, looked at Li Jiaqing and continued, "You should already have the Xuanwu Army's military code memorized. After the incense burns, the Xuanwu Army will conduct martial training on both sides of the floating bridge. As for those who keep making noise and refuse to leave, do whatever you think appropriate."

"Understood!"

Li Jiaqing clasped his fists in salute, took the incense from a personal guard, lit it with a torch, then, as if nothing mattered, walked to the sign that read "No fighting allowed," stood beside it, and held the incense (about thumb‑thick) aloft.

From a distance it looked like a Buddha statue!

Not even the rowdy thugs fighting fiercely were noticed; ordinary townsfolk ignored him completely, not even giving him a proper glance. Li Jiaqing's expression was solemn; he said nothing, did not rebuke the noisy crowd, and simply stood quietly beside the notice.

He certainly did not consider himself a joke.

As the incense shortened, Li Jiaqing remained silent. When it finally burned out, he exhaled, drew a small red flag from his waist, and, facing the south gate of the county, waved the flag in rhythm with his movements!

Fang Youde watched Li Jiaqing wave the flag and ordered his personal guards, "Within twenty zhang of the left‑bank notice board, any killing mistake will not be spared. Regimental Commander Li will tally your merits."

"Will the toll‑collecting tax clerk by the bridge be killed?"

The personal guard asked in confusion, pointing at the tax clerk who seemed blind to the brawling thugs and let them fight beside him.

"I, the Jiedushi, will not repeat myself; act according to military law. Anyone who blocks the Xuanwu Army's martial drills shall be killed without mercy."

Fang Youde barked coldly.

"Understood!"

Dozens of tooth soldiers of the Crane‑Controlled Army surged into the raging crowd. One squad blocked the floating bridge to prevent escape; another, like tigers among sheep, killed any thuggish ruffian they saw!

"No!"

"What are you doing?"

"Run! The troops are killing people!"

Slick townsfolk shouted while fleeing, dropping their sticks, and many who could swim leapt straight into the Bian River!

But it was useless; those who jumped into the river and tried to get away were shot by pre‑positioned archers and crossbowmen, none surviving. Those who attempted to resist were cut down after a brief struggle, like wheat trampled.

The ground was littered with corpses, broken arms and limbs, and blood streamed into the Bian River like a creek, a scene comparable to a living hell.

Over a hundred thuggish ruffians were slaughtered by the tooth soldiers of the Crane‑Controlled Army, a killing efficiency rarely seen even among elite border troops.

The crowd on the right bank of the Bian River trembled in fear; the timid slipped away from the floating bridge unnoticed, while the bold watched the carnage with trembling eyes.

These onlookers realized for the first time that Bianzhou, no matter how prosperous its trade, was still a government‑controlled Bianzhou!

Normally the thugs fought over "security fees" from shops and seemed lively, and the authorities colluded with them as if they were powerful.

Under the troops' bombardment, they were like infants beaten by strong men—completely powerless!

Many quick‑witted people finally came to their senses; the soldier holding the incense was not playing around, he was delivering a "final ultimatum."

The commander of this army was truly devious!

Those who regained their composure involuntarily inhaled a cold breath.

"Fang Quanzhong, after all these years you're still just as ruthless.

Your heart is truly hard! Harder than stone!"

Fang Youde, watching the battle, heard a mocking tirade from behind, spoken by a woman he knew well.

"Princess Yuzhen, let's not bring up the past; I'm already this old."

Fang Youde turned, sighed at the middle‑aged woman in a splendid Daoist robe, and said.

"Wanting something you can't have—have you ever felt that?"

Princess Yuzhen fixed her gaze on Fang Youde, her face full of plaintive sorrow, and asked.

"Your Highness, you should understand in your heart."

"What you desire is poetry and painting, while I am merely a warrior. The youthful flutter is nothing but a dream."

"I have no desire to be a prince consort, nor am I fit for someone of your noble blood; you need not, for the sake of the Sage, indulge this idle feeling."

"Now both you and I have offspring; there is no need to look back on the past. If you have something to say, feel free to speak plainly."

Fang Youde said in a cold and stiff tone.

Frankly, Princess Yuzhen is one of the more reasonable characters in the Li Tang royal family; she even admired Fang Youde back then. But now that he has come to Bianzhou, it is unlikely to be for personal matters.

Princess Yuzhen's face showed disappointment, and she let out a long sigh, pleading, "Quan Zhong, would you return to Guanzhong? Once you leave Chang'an, the Sage will be in trouble."

"The Sage is protected by Heaven; the perilous fire at Cuiwei Palace, wasn't it also extinguished by a sudden downpour?"

Fang Youde waved his hand lightly and said, as if he had no intention of returning at all.

The last time he left Chang'an, Ji Ge was in danger at Cuiwei Palace; it is said that thieves stole oil from the Ministry of Works workshop, and taking advantage of the Emperor's summer retreat in the mountains, the fire burned Huangyu, spreading for several li, threatening to turn the mountains south of Chang'an into a barren wasteland.

And how was this crisis resolved?

It wasn't really solved, because a massive downpour soon fell, a rainstorm that could block out the sky! The raging mountain fire was extinguished by that rain.

Absurd as it is, think of it another way: is a summer downpour really that strange?

One could only say that it was destiny's will.

The mastermind behind this likely never anticipated it; they defeated Ji Ge, but they could not defeat Heaven. This rain, a once‑in‑a‑decade event, happened to occur just as Ji Ge was there.

After returning to Chang'an, Ji Ge believed he was protected by Heaven, and he grandly set up an altar in the southern city, leading the entire court's civil and military officials to perform a heavenly sacrifice.

And then?

Then there was no after.

Ji Ge plunged back into the Pear Garden, becoming fascinated with that strange art of beautiful women dancing while shedding their clothes.

Everything in Chang'an seemed to change greatly, as the widespread use of the Chang'an jiaozi boosted commerce.

Yet the music and dance flourished, and the temperament of the Celestial Empire remained unchanged.

Ji Ge paid no mind, but those close to him remained vigilant, such as Princess Yuzhen.

She keenly sensed that at the crucial moment, the key figure who could "save the scene" was no longer by Ji Ge's side.

Whether it be Li Linfu, Li Shizhi, or any civil and military officials, none of them would particularly care about Ji Ge's life or death.

If Ji Ge dies, they will continue their duties, drink as usual, and do whatever they must. Change the emperor, as long as Ji Ge's descendants remain and their property isn't confiscated, they will welcome it with open arms.

Huangyu was set ablaze, yet the officials of Chang'an reacted so sluggishly; after several days, the passage from the mountain base to the summit's Cuiwei Palace remained unopened. It's hard to say whether some officials simply didn't want Ji Ge to emerge alive from Cuiwei Palace.

Although these people organized a sizable rescue force, for some reason the fire grew larger! A crowd of impatient people at the mountain's foot couldn't ascend, and it's unclear whether they were merely pretending to be urgent or truly frantic.

Princess Yuzhen thought that perhaps there were traitorous spies mingling in the rescue crowd, pouring oil while others threw water!

So she thought of Fang Youde.

If Fang Youde were in Chang'an, Ji Ge would surely have someone to save the scene at the critical moment, and this predicament of being trapped in Cuiwei Palace would not have occurred. Princess Yuzhen was also in Cuiwei Palace at the time, and many details remain fresh in her memory.

"Your Highness, I am now merely an idle official; the so‑called Jiedushi of the Xuanwu Army commands only about a thousand troops, a mere cover left by the Sage for a subordinate."

"The princess, being the Sage's own sister, should not interfere in state affairs."

"You surely do not have the Sage's imperial edict here, right? The Sage certainly never ordered you to summon me back, did he?"

Fang Youde's expression remained calm as he spoke, seeming unconcerned by Princess Yuzhen's words.

"As long as you agree to return to Chang'an, even Huaxian will do! Those are no problem!"

"I, the princess, am willing to live with you; if the Sage wishes to deal with you, he can step over my corpse first. What are you still worrying about!"

Princess Yuzhen said emotionally.

Obviously, as Fang Youde said, this is her one‑sided wish, not Ji Ge's expectation.

Even when faced with a great fire, Heaven helped extinguish it; now Ji Ge believes he is a divinely chosen Sage! He is Heaven's envoy to govern the Great Tang, protected by Heaven!

Ji Ge now regards him as a god.

He now needs no one; without Fang Youde, even if he finds another, it makes no difference.

"Jiedushi, the matter is settled. How shall we handle the Floating Bridge area?"

Li Jiaqing came over to report, not paying attention to who the noble lady opposite Fang Youde was, but he also knew his body was covered in blood and looked somewhat ferocious. So he wanted to leave quickly, return to the barracks to clean his armor.

"There, I'll have my personal troops collect the corpses; you just see to it that Princess Yuzhen returns to the guesthouse. The rest requires no attention from you."

Fang Youde gave Li Jiaqing a brief order, then turned and left, showing no regard for past camaraderie.

Back then, the blossoming young Princess Yuzhen would strip naked and sneak at night into Fang Youde's bedding as that ultimate female admirer!

Just the mere insult of being handed over like that is unbearable; if it were someone else, they'd have to give Fang Youde a good beating. Fortunately, Princess Yuzhen is sensible, allowing Fang Youde to survive to this day; among the many Tang princesses, she is a truly rare gem.

Unfortunately, the trust was misplaced.

"Fang Youde, I, the princess, despise you! You will surely regret this in the future!"

Princess Yuzhen, tears streaming down her face, shouted toward Fang Youde's retreating back.

This melodramatic scene left Li Jiaqing, who was idly watching, dumbfounded.

Our own commander is stern and clueless about romance; what exactly attracted women—perhaps being the Emperor's sister?

Why bother? Is it because these palace‑grown women have never seen a man?

Li Jiaqing could only sigh, admitting he truly doesn't understand the elite's taste. If he were now being courted by the Emperor's sister, he'd certainly have to accept!

"Your Highness, if you truly have nothing to do, then go back and tell the Sage:

The close virtuous ministers, the distant petty men—this is why the Former Han prospered.

The close petty men, the distant virtuous ministers—this is why the Later Han declined.

I, Fang, have nothing further to say."

Having finished, Fang Youde walked straight away without looking back, heading toward the gate of Kaifeng County.

Your Highness, the post station is this way, please.

Li Jiqing made an inviting gesture, although he had already tried his best to show kindness, but that blood‑soaked face still looked ferocious to outsiders.

Princess Yuzhen simply didn't want to deal with Li Jiqing; she turned away, stamped her feet, and walked off in the direction opposite to where Fang Youde had gone.

The two gradually grew distant as they walked.

(End of chapter)