Chapter 410: Sha Po Lang

Wugong County was roughly fifty li from Chang'an; the distance to Xiangji Temple was about the same, and Xiangji Temple was ten li southwest of Chang'an.

So it could be said that the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, setting out from Wugong County to enter Chang'an, would find it essentially impossible to go undetected.

But if cavalry set out from Xiangji Temple, they could reach the three city gates on the south side of Chang'an in no time at all. Moreover, the southern districts had very few residents, and they were all poor.

The city defenses there were extremely lax — it was Chang'an's "slum" and "garbage dump."

In other words, given the lax defenses on Chang'an's south side, they could not possibly hold back cavalry coming from the direction of Xiangji Temple, and could not even manage to raise an early warning.

Entering through Xuanwu Gate from the far north of Chang'an and seizing control of the imperial army garrison was certainly the seemingly most effortless approach. But doing so not only required going around more than half of Chang'an, it also changed the fundamental nature of the affair.

Clearly, not everyone under Fang Chongyong's command had lost their heads. They did not believe that, simply by shouting slogans, they could fight their way into the imperial city, fight their way through Xuanwu Gate, and retrace the path Li Erfeng had once walked.

He Changqi, for one, felt the odds of success this time were very slim.

"Jiedushi, I can't help feeling that this time... it will be rather hard to bring things to a close."

On the road to Xiangji Temple, He Changqi leaned in beside Fang Chongyong and asked in a low voice.

"Do you think three thousand men aren't enough to control Chang'an?"

Fang Chongyong asked with a smile.

"Jiedushi, Chang'an is so vast — let alone three thousand men, even thirty thousand would not be enough.

Look at Chang'an on ordinary days: the Shence Army alone numbers tens of thousands, and there are also plenty of Southern Bureau imperial guards like the Jinwu Guard, yet there are still so many bandits they can't even catch them all — it leaks everywhere.

With just our three thousand men, we certainly won't be able to control Chang'an, and I fear it won't be long before someone comes to the emperor's aid."

He Changqi said with deep concern.

For the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army to try to control Chang'an with this few men was as difficult as ascending to heaven!

This was not a question of valor and skill in battle — holding territory genuinely required manpower, and this was an inherent, unfixable shortcoming of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army.

Elite troops like theirs were not meant for occupying cities in the first place; they were used as a spearhead force.

"Everything in excess becomes a mistake. I have a clear idea in my mind, and I won't push you into a fire pit."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand dismissively, speaking with calm composure — he was already fully prepared in his heart.

If the venture failed, he would personally slay Brother Ji and make Brother Ji be buried with him!

As for the imperial clansmen, high officials, and nobles of Chang'an, he would kill as many as he could.

If he was going to die anyway, he would certainly drag enough people down with him.

This time, Fang Chongyong held the resolve of "let me live and everyone does fine; if I die, I'll drag you all down with me."

Having figured out his "exit plan," he was naturally not afraid at all.

"Jiedushi, if we defeat the Shence Army and charge into Chang'an, what should we do next?"

He Changqi asked in puzzlement; he was still very uneasy.

What the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army was doing right now was, in essence, rebellion!

It was just like how rebels throughout the dynasties all raised the banner of "purging the emperor's entourage" — yet none of them said they intended to slay the sovereign!

Did that mean they were not rebels?

He Changqi felt that even he, a rough-and-ready fellow, understood this reasoning, so the resourceful Fang Chongyong could not possibly fail to understand it.

"Have you ever considered what we need most right now? Could it really be just those meager rewards? When we were at Mulucheng, didn't you all take enough? It should have been quite a lot, right?

Do you truly covet the court's rewards?"

Fang Chongyong asked with pointed meaning.

He Changqi nodded slightly, as though he understood something, yet always seemed to be just a little short of fully grasping it.

"A person fights for a breath of pride; a Buddha fights for a stick of incense.

What the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army lacks right now is reputation, audacity, and nerve.

To put it bluntly, it's the price others are willing to offer when they try to buy us off!

We're making trouble not to settle scores with Li Shizhi and his lot, much less to change dynasties — we're fighting for a price tag that matches our ability!

Li Shizhi didn't issue rewards to us, but he did issue them to that crowd in the Chishui Army. In outsiders' eyes, that means our worth is less than the Chishui Army's, and even less than the Shence Army's.

This sort of thing cannot be tolerated.

So we must teach the Shence Army a proper lesson and let certain people in Chang'an see whose blade is faster and what happens when they offend us! In Guanzhong, we are the strongest imperial army; in the Great Tang, we are the most elite private force.

And after entering Chang'an, we need not do anything superfluous — our strikes must be precise.

The rights and wrongs of the court — those can't be settled by fighting and killing. You have to use this."

Fang Chongyong pointed to his own head and said.

Formidable in a fight, and therefore worth courting by all sides.

Bad-tempered, and therefore not easily provoked by anyone.

With those two qualities, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army was already enough to establish itself in Chang'an and even live quite comfortably. But Fang Chongyong's true trump card was in fact a third condition he had not told He Changqi about.

Given He Changqi's wisdom, he would probably have great difficulty understanding those matters, so it was better not to tell him.

Fang Chongyong also tailored his words to his audience — he said different things to different people, without the slightest ambiguity. If He Changqi couldn't understand, then he simply wouldn't tell him.

The first hundred men marching at the head of this column were all soldiers of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, fully armed and in neat formation. Behind them followed over a thousand laborers who wore only military uniforms and carried no weapons at all.

At the tail of the column were several dozen more Yinqiang Xiaojie Army soldiers bringing up the rear, to prevent the laborers from slipping away.

This column soon reached the ferry crossing where the Wei River branched. This spot was only a few li from Xiangji Temple, and the sun had already set, the sky gradually growing dark.

Fang Chongyong ordered them to make camp and cook a meal, in no hurry to proceed to Xiangji Temple.

Their party was likely being watched all along the road — there was no secrecy to speak of. Fang Chongyong simply acted as though his men were genuinely soldiers going to receive their rewards, leisurely sitting around the campfire eating dry rations.

"Jiedushi, will Che Guangqian cause any trouble? Might the others get cold feet and want to back out?"

Just as Fang Chongyong was gnawing on a flatbread, He Changqi came over again to ask.

"Tell me — if I were to kick the bucket this time, wouldn't that be a huge loss?

I'm so young, holding a high position and even enfeoffed as a commandery prince, with a virtuous wife at home and a whole crowd of beautiful concubines. Wouldn't it be a pity if I died?"

Fang Chongyong looked at He Changqi and asked.

"That would naturally be a great pity..."

He Changqi rubbed his round head and muttered.

"So you see, I'm not even afraid — what do you have to worry about?"

Fang Chongyong asked in return, his tone perfectly justified.

"Jiedushi, if — I'm only saying if — you were to proclaim yourself emperor in Chang'an, or install a puppet emperor, I fear the whole realm would erupt in war. With so few of us, we couldn't hold it down!

But if you don't proclaim yourself emperor, and don't become a powerful minister, after pulling a stunt like this, can we even survive?"

He Changqi finally voiced his deepest worry in the most blunt manner possible.

Fang Chongyong finally understood. He finally understood why He Changqi had been so uncharacteristically worried.

Old He had killed quite a few officials and had no reverence whatsoever for the Tang system — rebellion was the only thing on his mind!

The others in the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army weren't thinking about rebellion, so they weren't as worried as He Changqi. Or perhaps they were still relatively naive, holding onto a soldier's ideals.

But He Changqi had already seen the darkness and rot of the Great Tang with crystal clarity, and harbored absolutely no illusions about it.

He Changqi assumed Fang Chongyong's move this time was a major "strategic operation" aimed at overthrowing the Great Tang, with Fang Chongyong making himself emperor, or becoming a powerful minister who held the emperor hostage to command the warlords.

But Fang Chongyong's plan was nothing more than a proper "tactical operation."

The two of them had been talking on completely different wavelengths the whole time!

"You, you really think too much."

Fang Chongyong let out a long sigh.

He had He Changqi lean in close, then muttered at length, finally managing to explain his plan clearly.

"Jiedushi, that's all there is to it?"

He Changqi asked in disbelief.

"Correct. Tomorrow, follow my orders.

I reckon the Shence Army commander Xianyu Zhongtong will definitely be at Xiangji Temple. He certainly won't trust Li Shizhi's people to behave, and will worry about them issuing reckless orders, so he will surely be present to witness things firsthand.

Be sharp tomorrow. Xianyu Zhongtong comes from a literati background — he will be no match for you in a single exchange. Don't hesitate, don't listen to his pleas for mercy, just cut him down directly.

Afterward, I'll push all the charges onto him. No matter what anyone asks you, just say you were following orders."

Fang Chongyong instructed in a cold, grim tone.

"Understood. What else needs to be done?"

He Changqi asked in confusion.

"If Zhang Jun is there, slaughter him too. If he isn't, then we'll deal with it in Chang'an — this man must die no matter what.

I've drafted a list. After entering Chang'an, if you lead troops into the Imperial City, round up and kill those on the list.

If you can't get into the Imperial City, then pretend I never said anything — there are other ways to kill them all.

I expect Zhang Jun will also be at Xiangji Temple tomorrow. Killing him is very important — second only to Xianyu Zhongtong.

As for Li Shizhi, if you can find him, protect him and escort him to Xingqing Palace."

Fang Chongyong gave He Changqi specific instructions not to kill Li Shizhi.

"Jiedushi, this dog of a chancellor has opposed us at every turn. Why spare his life? Wouldn't it be satisfying to just kill him while we're at it?"

He Changqi asked in confusion.

"Li Shizhi comes from the imperial clan — he is, after all, a relative of the Sage.

Killing Zhang Jun and Xianyu Zhongtong would mean nothing more to the Sage than killing two dogs. He has as many such dogs as he wants, and wouldn't feel the least bit pained.

But Li Shizhi and the Sage are both descendants of Taizong, and share some blood and marital ties. The Sage may kill Li Shizhi, but if we kill him, we'd be overstepping our bounds and slapping the Sage's face.

That must not be done."

Fang Chongyong explained patiently.

He Changqi nodded with some reluctance. He didn't just want to slaughter Li Shizhi — he even wanted to slaughter Brother Ji! But much of the time, living in this world, it's hard to do as one pleases and have everything go one's own way.

Because reason told He Changqi: whether killing Li Shizhi would cause trouble, he didn't know; but he knew that if he killed Brother Ji tomorrow, he himself would surely die miserably.

Just then, Fang Chongyong stood up, looked at the stars in the sky, and sighed:

"At this moment, the star signs show the three stars of Seven Killings, Greedy Wolf, and Destroyer Army meeting in the three palaces and four positions of the Fate Palace — this is the Kill-Destroy-Wolf configuration.

Kill-Destroy-Wolf favors movement over stillness; fortune is sought amid danger.

Those with good fate attain great wealth and nobility; those with poor fate meet sudden calamity.

Old He, do you want to take a gamble tomorrow?"

Fang Chongyong turned and asked He Changqi, who was gnawing on a flatbread.

"Huh? What wolf did you say?"

He Changqi stared at Fang Chongyong with a thoroughly bewildered face, his eyes radiating a clear, pristine stupidity.

……

Xiangji Temple was built in the second year of the Yonglong era of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, and covered a vast area. During the Tang dynasty, it once flourished immensely. Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, had visited Xiangji Temple to worship the Buddha, and bestowed over a thousand relic beads along with a hundred jeweled banners and flowers for its offerings.

In short, it was truly extraordinary.

At this very moment, the morning bell within the temple had already rung. On the plaza outside the main hall of Xiangji Temple, a squad of Shence Army soldiers was escorting Diwu Qi, who had come on behalf of the court to distribute rewards to the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army.

As a Vice Director in the Ministry of Revenue, distributing rewards was within his duties, but because he knew the inside story, he felt this business was rather improper.

Diwu Qi suggested to Zhang Jun, the Minister of Justice beside him:

"Lord Zhang, distributing rewards is actually a tiring task. Even though it's only handing out vouchers, the amounts can't be counted wrong, and you must verify identities and military registers.

With several thousand soldiers to receive rewards, I fear it will be difficult to finish even by tomorrow.

You are the Minister of Justice — distributing rewards is not your duty. Why don't you head back to the Imperial City to rest first, and spare yourself the hardship of wind and sun?"

His words were not very polite, because Diwu Qi was indeed somewhat displeased with Zhang Jun.

You're the Minister of Justice—what business do you have meddling in the Ministry of Revenue's affairs?

That in itself was a taboo in officialdom.

In Fang Chongyong's previous life, his company even had explicit rules forbidding employees from leaving their posts without cause!

"I merely felt that this matter is of great importance, and those soldiers are arrogant and unruly, prone to causing trouble, so I wished to see whether anyone at the scene was committing offenses.

Director Diwu and your subordinates must inspect carefully—make sure the rewards are not distributed incorrectly!"

Zhang Jun sneered coldly and threw Diwu Qi's words right back at him, giving him no face whatsoever.

His manner was actually quite easy to understand.

Because during his promotion process, Diwu Qi had once received Li Linfu's favor and was regarded as a peripheral member of Li Linfu's faction. Zhang Jun naturally could not have any good expression toward him.

"Lord Zhang, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army has arrived—one hundred men, armored and bearing weapons."

Xianyu Zhongtong leaned close to Zhang Jun and reported in a low voice. Though he was the commander of the Divine Strategy Army, he too wore only a military uniform, not armor.

Why wasn't he wearing armor?

Well, Xianyu Zhongtong actually wanted to show off and cut an imposing figure in a suit of mingguang armor. But he was a literatus who had passed the jinshi examination, and his body had always been frail.

Moreover, Xianyu Zhongtong was nearly sixty years old and genuinely could not wear those suits of mingguang armor that easily weighed fifteen kilograms or more.

If there were even the slightest possibility, Xianyu Zhongtong would have donned armor on this occasion, to maintain his dignity as a general of the Divine Strategy Army.

"Heh, they still don't feel at ease. But a mere hundred-plus men—what use are they?"

Zhang Jun chuckled coldly.

What Li Shizhi did not know was that Zhang Jun had already quietly laid a death trap for Fang Chongyong and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army—it would not unfold as Li Shizhi expected.

If Fang Chongyong backed down, then Zhang Jun would "add some spice" for those soldiers at the Xiangji Temple site and provoke them into attacking!

Once they attacked, the Divine Strategy Army ambush troops hidden in the northwest and southeast would surround Xiangji Temple completely in the shortest possible time!

Then things would get quite a spectacle!

So what if a hundred-plus men are armored—could they defeat twelve thousand fully armed Divine Strategy Army soldiers?

"Let them in. Line up to receive the rewards. No noise!"

Zhang Jun ordered with a calm expression, full of official authority, completely ignoring Diwu Qi's displeasure.

Soon, Fang Chongyong led the way with He Changqi at the front, over a hundred armored soldiers behind them, marching grandly into Xiangji Temple and arriving at the great plaza before the main hall.

Diwu Qi had dealt with Fang Chongyong before and stepped forward to bow, saying, "Military Commissioner Fang, this humble official has made preparations. May we begin receiving the rewards?"

"Mm, good."

Fang Chongyong smiled and nodded with restraint. He then noticed Zhang Jun and Xianyu Zhongtong behind Diwu Qi, and asked curiously, "And these two gentlemen are?"

Neither Zhang Jun nor Xianyu Zhongtong could be bothered to greet Fang Chongyong. In their eyes, Fang Chongyong was already a dead man, or a wretch who would soon die an inexplicable death.

They naturally had no inclination to cultivate ties with dry bones in a grave, let alone the fact that Zhang Jun still had a blood feud with Fang Chongyong.

Saying even one more word felt like a waste of life!

"This is Zhang Jun, Minister of Justice, and this is Xianyu Zhongtong, Commander of the Divine Strategy Army."

Diwu Qi introduced them cautiously, attempting to smooth things over. He had already sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat amiss.

Diwu Qi did not know that over ten thousand Divine Strategy Army soldiers were lying in ambush nearby. He turned to look at the twenty-odd Divine Strategy Army soldiers beside Xianyu Zhongtong and felt somewhat uneasy, greatly worried that the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army soldiers behind Fang Chongyong might suddenly erupt in violence!

To bait the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army into attacking, Zhang Jun had deliberately deployed only twenty-odd elite Divine Strategy Army soldiers as guards within Xiangji Temple. If there were too many men, those unruly Yinqiang Xiaojie Army soldiers might lose their nerve and back down, not daring to act.

Then the play could not go on.

What Zhang Jun wanted was for those arrogant, unruly soldiers to cause trouble. He had no choice but to deliberately show weakness.

"This prince has heard that the court intends to use some jiaozi to brush off our meritorious soldiers. Director Diwu, is there such a thing?"

A frightening cold smile appeared on Fang Chongyong's face as he stared at Diwu Qi and asked.

"So what if there is?

For such a pitifully small merit, the court giving you some honorary titles is already generous enough, and yet you pick and choose.

If you dare cause trouble, you won't even get jiaozi!"

Before Diwu Qi could speak, Zhang Jun coldly rebuked them, then instructed Diwu Qi, "Open the chests and distribute the Guanzhong jiaozi."

Zhang Jun's words were delivered in a chilling tone, utterly devoid of emotion. Even an outsider would feel he was too arrogant.

Distributing jiaozi was already in the wrong—if your attitude isn't even a bit better, you're deliberately picking a fight, aren't you?

Diwu Qi grumbled in his heart that Zhang Jun didn't know how to handle things. He couldn't say anything aloud, so he turned to instruct the clerks under his command to open the chests containing the jiaozi.

As for Xianyu Zhongtong, he silently took out a fire striker and a firework, holding them in his hand, ready to send a signal at any moment. Given Zhang Jun's attitude, Xianyu Zhongtong did not think those unruly Yinqiang Xiaojie Army soldiers could hold back much longer.

An eruption was only a matter of time!

Fang Chongyong noticed that Che Guangqian still hadn't sent the signal, and felt somewhat anxious inwardly, though his face remained as calm as water.

He stepped forward to reason with Diwu Qi: "Director Diwu, is this really what the Ministry of Revenue intends? To brush off meritorious soldiers with these jiaozi that cannot even be spent?"

"Your Highness, please do not make things difficult for this humble official. These are matters beyond this humble official's authority."

Diwu Qi pleaded helplessly.

"Director Diwu, doing this truly puts this prince in a very difficult position."

Fang Chongyong sighed, shaking his head incessantly.

"Difficult? If it's difficult, then don't do it!

Just pretend you've already received your rewards and head back now."

Zhang Jun pointed toward the gate of Xiangji Temple and said with a look of disdain.

The scene was dead silent. The explosive fury Zhang Jun had anticipated did not occur. Fang Chongyong and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army soldiers were all extraordinarily calm.

So calm it was somewhat abnormal!

Even Xianyu Zhongtong could tell something was wrong! Both his hands were trembling badly!

Caught in the middle, Diwu Qi didn't know what to say, much less whether to distribute the jiaozi next.

At that moment, somewhere in the northern woods, thick smoke rose, one after another.

Soon after, as if in response, thick smoke also rose, one after another, from the southern woods.

Seeing the thick smoke not far off in the woods, Fang Chongyong's heart finally came to rest.

He wore a mocking smile, looking at Zhang Jun as if he were a corpse, and calmly uttered a word:

"Kill!"

(End of chapter)