Chapter 409: The Enemy Is at Xiangji Temple

Late at night, inside the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army camp outside the suburbs of Wugong County, torches were lit everywhere, and the guard duty was as strict as if facing a great enemy.

That display was completely unlike what would be expected in Guanzhong, where battle was nearly impossible, no different from when they were in the Western Regions.

The central command tent was filled with torches, bright as daylight, and many generals were chatting and laughing, whispering to one another.

Fang Chongyong looked at the relaxed-faced generals and asked with a half-smile, "Has the court's envoy arrived? Did he say you should go to Xiangji Temple in five days to receive your rewards?"

"Jiedushi, you can know such things even when you're not in the camp—truly divine!"

He Changqi chimed in with a face full of excitement.

"Yes, Your Highness, the messenger specifically said that the rewards would be issued exactly according to the merits Jiedushi reported, all in silk, cloth, and grain rations—none of that worthless jiaozi nonsense."

Guan Chongsi also chimed in, clearly not seeing anything problematic about such an order.

After all, those rewards were what they deserved!

"Ha! Foolish beyond measure!"

Che Guangqian behind Fang Chongyong gave a cold laugh, a single barbed remark of mockery that seemed extremely abrupt and drew everyone's gaze.

On such a joyous occasion, what was that bastard Che Guangqian making a fuss about?

The gathered generals were all bewildered, not knowing what Che Guangqian was coldly laughing about.

"Where is the Recording Adjutant?"

Fang Chongyong asked calmly.

"Jiedushi, your humble officer is here!"

Feng Changqing stepped out of formation, clasped his fists in salute to Fang Chongyong, and spoke.

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and instructed Che Guangqian, "General Che, Adjutant Feng is the most fair and strict in enforcing military law on ordinary days, and everyone trusts him. Hand him Li Shizhi's personal letter and let him read it aloud!"

"Orders received!"

Che Guangqian shouted loudly, stepped forward, and handed the letter that Jiang Wuyan had delivered to Feng Changqing.

He looked extremely angry!

As a result, Feng Changqing only glanced at the letter before his eyes went wide, completely unable to believe what he saw.

This drew sidelong glances from all the generals in the tent.

Fang Chongyong's expression remained unruffled, while Che Guangqian wore a mocking look, arms crossed, standing to one side with a cold laugh.

"Adjutant Feng, what are you playing at! Are you mute? Read it aloud to this Jiedushi!"

Seeing that Feng Changqing had not spoken for a long time, Fang Chongyong barked a sharp reprimand at him.

"Jiedushi, it cannot be read!"

Feng Changqing dropped to his knees directly before Fang Chongyong, clutched his lower leg, and said with tears streaming down his face, "Jiedushi, it cannot be read! If you read it, all the brothers will become rebels! It cannot be read—please go to Chang'an and smooth things over again!"

Fuck!

It was just acting, but you were way too into it—acting like it was real!

Fang Chongyong cursed Feng Changqing inwardly for getting so deep into character that even he could barely control his own emotions.

He rose to his feet, kicked Feng Changqing to the ground with one foot, snatched the letter from his hand, handed it to Wang Nande, and said, "General Wang, you read it! Read it aloud!"

Wang Nande took the letter with a look of surprise, and after seeing its contents, his hands instantly began to tremble uncontrollably.

He was not acting—he was truly seeing this letter for the first time. The main reason was that the letter's contents were utterly outrageous.

"Son of a bitch! This is intolerable!"

After finishing the letter, Wang Nande was furious, his hair standing on end with rage, the whole man on the verge of exploding!

"Read it! If you don't read it, this Jiedushi will have you dealt with by military law!"

Fang Chongyong shouted in anger.

"Orders received!"

Wang Nande suppressed his fury and read the contents of the letter word by word.

When he finished reading, He Changqi drew his saber on the spot and shouted, "Brothers, let us march on Chang'an right now, storm the imperial palace, and slaughter those treacherous ministers! If we don't kill them, I cannot vent the hatred in my heart!"

However, the others did not echo He Changqi, but instead knelt directly before Fang Chongyong and shouted loudly:

"We beg Jiedushi to uphold justice for our Yinqiang Xiaojie!"

According to the letter's contents, the court—or more precisely, the Council Chamber—not only would not bestow rewards on the officers and soldiers of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, but was also plotting a scheme to ambush them with heavy troops at Xiangji Temple.

Once the soldiers of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army showed any dissatisfaction while receiving their rewards, they would be shot dead by the hidden troops, and then have the pot of rebellion pinned on them.

They would never be able to redeem themselves for the rest of their lives!

This was no longer a matter of whether rewards would be issued—this was preparing to take their heads!

Those people not only wanted to kill them, but also wanted to destroy their hearts! Could this be endured? It was a matter of life and death—who the hell could endure such a thing!

When someone waves a blade before your neck and falsely accuses you of murder and robbery, can you endure it?

"Gentlemen, please hear me out."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.

After the command tent fell silent, Fang Chongyong let out a long sigh and said, "This time's matter was triggered by Minister of Justice Zhang Jun seeking revenge for his younger brother, and it has received the Council Chamber's full support and the Divine Strategy Army's vigorous cooperation. It even has the tacit approval of the Sage."

Seeing that the generals had already calmed down, he sighed again and said:

"Their power is too great. If we act recklessly, it would be like striking a stone with an egg, throwing away our futures for nothing.

Therefore, this Jiedushi has decided to empty my family fortune, sell off my property, and issue rewards to the brothers of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army. None of you are to make this public—such a thing is taboo, and if the Sage finds out, this Jiedushi will be in serious trouble.

Brothers, take the money and accept the court's meritorious titles and noble ranks, and let this matter end here.

The Yinqiang Xiaojie is an iron-willed, meritorious force loyal to Great Tang. This Jiedushi does not want to watch you rebel and destroy your lifelong reputation in a single moment.

I will scatter my family fortune to preserve your lifelong renown—this Jiedushi has no regrets!"

Fang Chongyong's expression was solemn as he looked around at the generals, his tone resounding and forceful.

"Jiedushi, this is not a matter of money!"

If I could swallow this grievance, wouldn't I be no different from a cowardly son of a bitch?"

Just then, Che Guangqian, who was behind Fang Chongyong, suddenly stepped forward and spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

Then he circled around to stand in front of Fang Chongyong, his face flushed red, and turned to face the assembled generals, raising his arm and shouting:

"The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's battle merits are illustrious—every one of us is a man forged of iron, an elite warrior worth a hundred! We do not fear climbing mountains of blades or descending into seas of fire, nor do we fear wolves, tigers, and leopards! We do not fear shedding blood and sweat, and we laugh in the face of returning home wrapped in a horse's hide!

But what do we fight so desperately for? Do we truly covet a few bolts of cloth, a few shi of rice?

I don't covet them!

We want only fairness!

Fairness!

And goddamn fairness!"

Seeing the generals seething with righteous indignation, Che Guangqian continued to shout:

"To be rewarded for meritorious service is only right and proper! We are not greedy—a nail is a nail, a peg is a peg! What is owed to us cannot be shortchanged!

This is honor, this is what we deserve, what we fought for in blood and won by carving through the Western Regions!

We do not want more than our due, but what belongs to us—no one can take away!

Not the chancellors, not the ministers of the six ministries, not even the Sage Emperor himself!

If the court will not give us justice, then we will go to the Imperial City, go to the Policy Hall, go to the offices of the six ministries, and demand justice!

We will go to Xingqing Palace and make the Sage Emperor come out to uphold justice!

I refuse to believe that in the Great Tang there is no one with open eyes who cannot see what kind of achievement it is that we crossed mountains and ridges, marched ten thousand li, and swept across the Western Regions!"

Che Guangqian's words were reasonable and hit the nail on the head. After hearing them, everyone felt that the fault lay with the court—they themselves were certainly not in the wrong.

Che Guangqian turned around, dropped to one knee, and sought instruction from Fang Chongyong:

"Jiedushi! The Sage Emperor has been deceived by treacherous chancellors, and the villains in the court blot out the sky, bringing shame upon an iron army as meritorious, loyal, and brave as ours!

And they even push their luck, scheming to settle scores with us!

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army is made of men with unyielding backbone—how can we just let this go!

Not for wealth, but for honor! We of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army must fight for this breath of pride!

If Li Shizhi will not give us justice, if Zhang Jun will not give us justice, then we will use the blades in our hands to carve out justice ourselves!"

Che Guangqian rose to his feet, drew his saber, raised it high, and roared:

"Honor the Emperor, punish the treacherous! Heaven's wrath upon the traitors of the state!

First shatter Shence, then enter Chang'an!

Fight into the Imperial City and slay the traitors with our own hands!

Whoever stands in our way, we kill; if Buddha stands in our way, we kill Buddha!

We will make the world know that the Yinqiang Xiaojie are fierce tigers and mighty lions that cannot be humiliated!

Those who humiliate us have only one recourse: death to atone for their crimes!"

"Honor the Emperor, punish the treacherous! Heaven's wrath upon the traitors of the state!"

"Honor the Emperor, punish the treacherous! Heaven's wrath upon the traitors of the state!"

"Honor the Emperor, punish the treacherous! Heaven's wrath upon the traitors of the state!"

The generals shouted in unison, every one of them as fired up as if injected with adrenaline.

Seeing this, Fang Chongyong breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Che Guangqian was an educated man, and his speech was smooth and systematic—the results were indeed outstanding. Though all of this had been agreed upon beforehand, his impromptu performance was also a genuine outpouring of true emotion.

Che Guangqian was a general promoted during the march to the Western Regions, so he was the most eager to stir up trouble.

This was not only because it concerned the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army establishing a foothold and asserting its authority in Chang'an, but also because it was closely tied to Che Guangqian's own interests and future.

If merits were not duly rewarded, everything he had done on this campaign would have been for nothing.

No one in his position would just let it go.

Fang Chongyong could imagine that in his past life, if a state enterprise employee worked hard to become a factory director, only to be stripped of everything and sent back to square one by a single word from some parachuted-in leader for no reason at all—

That person wouldn't just let it go either! The principle is the same, past and present.

Fang Chongyong believed that even if he told Che Guangqian to go up and slash Li Shizhi right now, he would not hesitate for a moment.

Block my path to wealth, block my path to office, ruin my future—and I'll go up and hack you down with one stroke, I don't care if you're a chancellor!

Many times, those high and mighty nobles actually fail to understand one principle:

Once the order they have constructed is called into question by those at the bottom, those people will no longer abide by that order. Instead, they will place their faith in the most primal instrument of violence.

And the source of the nobles' power is precisely the stable order established during times of peace.

Without that, their necks are no harder than anyone else's—one slash of a blade and they bleed just the same!

"This road ahead will be very dangerous, and you may even lose your lives. Have you all thought this through?

Those who do not wish to participate, leave this military tent now. I, your Jiedushi, will absolutely not force you, nor will I hold it against you.

I swear an oath here: if I violate this, may heaven and earth destroy me."

Fang Chongyong looked around at everyone and asked.

This statement was actually unnecessary, because the crowd at the Policy Hall clearly had no intention of letting the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army off. If they could not assert their authority, this army would be cowards in Chang'an, and who knew how much more trouble would follow.

The social ethos of the High Tang was one of soaring ambition and settling grudges with relish.

If I want to do something, I do it first and talk later!

People of that era had precisely this kind of boldness and breadth of spirit, let alone soldiers who licked blood from the edge of a blade.

Those who left now—this scene tonight would be the shadow and sore point of their entire lives. Even if others respected them, they would despise themselves.

"We are willing to follow the Jiedushi to honor the Emperor and punish the treacherous—Heaven's wrath upon the traitors of the state!"

The generals shouted in unison.

With the army's morale usable, this matter is half done!

Fang Chongyong's heart was greatly settled.

"General Che, bring out the map."

Fang Chongyong instructed Che Guangqian.

"Orders!"

Che Guangqian took from an orderly's hands the terrain map of the area around Xiangji Temple, jointly drawn by himself and the Qieka men, and hung it on the wooden frame in the command tent specifically for hanging maps.

Once the map was unfurled, the rivers, forests, and Buddhist temples around Xiangji Temple were all marked with perfect clarity.

"Our first battle is to rout the ambushing Shence Army."

Fang Chongyong took out a slender wooden stick, pointed at the map, and said:

"The Shence Army units deployed this time number four du in total; because they are under strength, their headcount falls short of twelve thousand, so let's just count it as twelve thousand.

Though we have only three thousand men, attacking the unprepared gives us a very high chance of victory.

To the northwest and southeast of Xiangji Temple lie dense forests on both sides; to the southwest is a ferry where three rivers converge; to the northeast is the road that must be taken to reach Chang'an.

I estimate the Shence Army is lying in ambush in the northwest and southeast forests, and because they have a guilty conscience, they won't expose themselves easily."

Fang Chongyong gave a concise overview of the terrain around Xiangji Temple.

Clearly, in the predictions of the court's ministers and secretaries, there was a possibility the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army would meekly submit, and they even believed this possibility was not small.

Therefore, this Shence Army ambush force would surely avoid exposing itself as much as possible, only striking when necessary.

This also means the Shence Army could only be lying in ambush within those two patches of forest.

Then they would act upon seeing smoke and fire as a signal!

Unless the ministers of the Policy Council gave the order, they would not show their heads.

Because this sort of thing was taboo. If the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army obediently accepted the court's so-called 'rewards and titles,' then the Shence Army's movements would constitute treasonous scheming, and exposing such a thing would bring nothing but harm.

The chancellors and secretaries were men who cherished their own reputations; they absolutely would not let anyone find such a pretext.

Fang Chongyong had read the minds of Li Shizhi and the others with perfect clarity!

"General Che, you take a hundred men and carry fierce-fire oil; once this Jiedushi leads our men into Xiangji Temple, you act according to circumstances and set the dense forests ablaze!

You can split into two teams and hit both patches of forest at the same time!"

Fang Chongyong said, looking at Che Guangqian.

"Orders! This subordinate will certainly get it done!"

Che Guangqian received the command arrow, cupped his fists in salute, and said.

"He Laohu is too conspicuous; you stay by this Jiedushi's side and go together to Xiangji Temple to receive the rewards, so as to confuse the court's people."

Fang Chongyong instructed He Changqi.

"Orders!"

He Changqi said listlessly.

"Adjutant Feng, you go to nearby villages and recruit several hundred laborers; pay them enough, recruit as many as you can, the more the better.

Have them change into Yinqiang Xiaojie Army uniforms and follow behind our column entering Xiangji Temple; remember to keep it secret.

Don't be reluctant to spend money."

Fang Chongyong admonished Feng Changqing.

"Orders!"

Feng Changqing received the command arrow and cupped his fists in salute!

The real reason he had played along with Fang Chongyong's act earlier was in fact the same as Che Guangqian's. They were both officers unearthed by Fang Chongyong during the western frontier expedition, and both had taken root in the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army.

If someone swindled them out of their battle merits, they would both be knocked back to square one.

Li Shizhi and the others had no idea how many people he had mortally offended this time, nor how many people's futures he had destroyed. They didn't even understand the principle that blocking a man's path to wealth is like killing his parents.

"General Wang, General Guan, you lead the main force of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, twenty-five hundred men, all cavalry. After the Shence Army ambush troops flee from the great fire, you lead your troops in pursuit the whole way.

If the Shence Army flees into the south gate of Chang'an City, you charge into Chang'an City; we will follow right after.

Remember, all actions are not aimed at killing, but must destroy the Shence Army's organizational structure.

We must be fast, and before everyone can react, capture the Imperial City!"

Fang Chongyong slammed the slender wooden stick onto the position of Chang'an City on the map!

"Orders!"

The generals shouted in unison.

"Mm, all of you go down and pass the word down level by level; explain that the Policy Council chancellors and those civil officials want to exterminate us and have branded us as rebels.

Many people won't understand grand principles, so try to keep it simple.

For instance, tell the lads under your command that if they don't take part in this operation, not only will we receive no rewards at all, but our entire families will have their three branches of kin wiped out by the treacherous officials in the court, and they'll understand what to do."

Fang Chongyong explained it to the generals using the principle of rounding up.

"Jiedushi, is it really that serious?"

He Changqi suddenly asked in a low voice.

"If you can't speak properly, then shut up!"

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but snap in a low voice!

He Changqi rubbed his head and quietly withdrew to one side without another word.

"Gentlemen, four days from now, what we want is a fierce tiger descending the mountain, not a kitten playing around.

All of you stay fully alert; don't let the mighty name of the Yinqiang Xiaojie be disgraced."

Fang Chongyong looked around at the generals and admonished them.

"Rest assured, Jiedushi! We shall fight to the death, honor the emperor and purge the treacherous, and bring heaven's punishment upon the national traitors!"

The generals all shouted in unison.

(End of chapter)