Chapter 420: Where Did Such Tranquil Times Come From?

Shuofang, atop the walls of Lingzhou City.

Shuofang Jiedushi Li Guozhen, Shuofang Camp and Farmland Commissioner Zhang Qiqiu and the other Shuofang army commanders, looking at the countless Huige cavalry on the grasslands across the Yellow River, stretching beyond sight, all felt a chill in their hearts.

Even if the cavalry below the city are underestimated, they number tens of thousands! Yet the Shuofang army's defensive zone is vast, its garrisons scattered, and the Tang troops inside Lingzhou City number only a few thousand.

If a battle truly broke out, the consequences would be unimaginable!

"Pu Gu Huaien! Explain to this Jiedushi what is going on,"

Li Guozhen pointed at the Huige cavalry on the opposite bank of the Yellow River and demanded loudly.

Pu Gu Huaien is the chief of the Tiele tribe allied to the Great Tang, also a Shuofang army officer, and the "middleman" between Tang and the Huige. This time he was duped by Huige Yehu, and he feels indignant.

Now he feels like Zhu Bajie looking into a mirror—neither inside nor out is a person.

Here's how it happened.

Li Guozhen, Zhang Qiqiu and other senior Shuofang officers have been secretly preparing a military action against the Huige. In recent years the Huige have seized other tribes' pastures, masquerading as horse bandits to plunder trade routes, completely disregarding the Shuofang army that "keeps an eye on the field," their arrogance now swelling.

If the Huige receive no lesson, the Shuofang army will be unable to hold the field; what might happen then is beyond imagination.

Thus the Shuofang army considered secretly expanding by ten thousand cavalry outside the official roster. Yet recruiting troops privately beyond the roster is taboo and hard to explain if the court inquires.

So Li Guozhen and others devised a subterfuge, the so‑called "separating soldiers from horses."

First secure the horses; recruit the soldiers when needed.

In other words, first add ten thousand horses to the Shuofang army outside the official roster! Such routine moves are standard in Hexi and the Anxi Protectorate, and will not alert the Huige nor surprise the court.

Then, before the military action begins, recruit cavalry from the nomadic tribes of the allied settlements nearby. Many of these are former Tang soldiers who retired after rotation.

When deploying against the Huige, recruit them if they are needed on the field; otherwise disperse them back home. Only the horses remain fixed in the army's actual roster.

Thus, rather than saying people are matched to horses, it's more accurate to say horses are matched to people.

Because the required horses are for expansion, the demand naturally exceeds local supply. With no other choice, Li Guozhen ordered Pu Gu Huaien to take men and money to the Huige to buy horses.

Initially the matter proceeded smoothly; Huige horses were reasonably priced. Pu Gu Huaien personally inspected them and found them fine, and the deal was quickly concluded.

A deposit was paid, with the agreement that the Huige would deliver the horses for inspection before the balance was paid; during negotiations the atmosphere was very friendly.

But the problem arose at the horse‑receiving stage!

After receiving the deposit, the Huige sent horses that were all misshapen and weak—only fit for hauling goods, not for soldiers to ride!

Li Guozhen was furious upon learning this, but since the Shuofang army was not yet ready for combat with the Huige, he could only send Pu Gu Huaien to the Huige camp to negotiate.

At this point the Huige began to act rogue.

Huige Yehu told Pu Gu Huaien: "These are the only horses we have; the others we need for ourselves. If you want them, take them, but we won't take the horses back, and the deposit is non‑refundable."

He made it clear that the Tang forces were trapped and could not retaliate!

When has the Shuofang army ever been subjected to such insult!

They have often used such tricks on neighboring steppe peoples; being turned around like this is unbearable!

At Li Guozhen's command, the Tang troops moved in and seized the ten thousand inferior horses! Then this scene unfolded: Huige Yehu, leading cavalry from various Huige tribes, came to Lingzhou to demand an explanation.

"My efforts have failed, Jiedushi, please punish me!"

Pu Gu Huaien clasped his fists in salute, hating the Huige deep in his heart.

In truth, both the Shuofang army and the Huige understand that this is a tug‑of‑war. As the Huige grow stronger, they seek status commensurate with their power.

And the Shuofang army, as the Great Tang's overseer of the Hetao region, cannot let the Huige act unchecked; suppression is inevitable.

The Huige may not be unwilling to part with ten thousand fine horses; rather, they are testing the depth of the water, seeing whether the Shuofang army can swallow this affront.

The Huige will also base their next moves on the Shuofang army's reaction. Advance or retreat depends on the Tang troops' performance.

In other words, they may not rule out pressing further to extract more gains.

Thus Pu Gu Huaien, caught between the two sides, felt distressed.

When the steppe alliance erected its monument, he guided Fang Youde and earned some battle merits, allowing him to secure his footing within the Shuofang army.

Moreover, his connections within Huige tribes made him the "middleman."

Being able to speak to both sides, his status naturally rose skyward!

But now that the Shuofang army and the Huige are at odds, both sides doubt Pu Gu Huaien, thinking his seat is not quite right!

Loyalty is not absolute; it is absolutely disloyal!

Now is the time for Pu Gu Huaien to demonstrate "loyalty," whether to the Great Tang or the Huige. He can no longer be a fence‑sitter.

Pu Gu Huaien is naturally loyal to the Great Tang, wholeheartedly serving the Shuofang army.

This is not because he yearns for Central Plains culture, but because of a simple, obvious reason: as the Huige grow in power, even if he leads his tribe to submit, he can only be a junior partner and might even be swallowed up.

Moreover, his flip‑flopping has ruined his own reputation.

On the Tang side, backed by the Shuofang army, he can speak with the various steppe tribes and prove his "loyalty"—isn't that better than mixing with Huige Yehu?

After all, the Great Tang needs a "model," and Pu Gu Huaien is the perfect example!

"General Pu Gu did not anticipate the Huige's such madness; Jiedushi Li need not be harsh,"

Zhang Qiqiu stepped forward to smooth things over.

Li Guozhen, a royal descendant not of the Gaozu line, was accustomed to a life of ease and did not fully grasp the army's hidden rules, retaining a scholarly temperament. Yet Zhang Qiqiu, having served many years in the Shuofang army, sees the thoughts of the Qiu Eight as clearly as fire, knowing them intimately.

Now is the time for employing talent; acting on impulse brings no benefit and cannot solve the problem.

"Enough. For today's plan, just consider how to repel the enemy,"

Li Guozhen helplessly waved his hand, no longer pursuing Pu Gu Huaien's culpability.

The atmosphere turned awkward, as Li Guozhen began to regret his rash decision to seize the Huige horses.

He suddenly wondered whether this might be the Huige's scheme.

Otherwise, how could the Huige gather tens of thousands of cavalry in such a short time?

Earlier Zhang Qiqiu had earnestly advised him, but he didn't listen, and now the matter has blown up!

"The Huige cavalry are at the city gates; what shall we do?"

Li Guozhen leaned close to Zhang Qiqiu and asked in a low voice.

"Jiedushi, I have a plan."

Zhang Qiqiu muttered into Li Guozhen's ear for a good while.

"Brilliant!"

Li Guozhen clapped his hands and laughed heartily, clearly very satisfied with this stratagem.

He waved Pugu Huai'en over, and Zhang Qiqiu told Pugu Huai'en the entire plan in full detail.

"This Jiedushi will publicly have you beaten with military cudgels beneath the walls of Lingzhou. It will all be said to be your own doing without authorization. Then we will return those ten thousand inferior horses to the Uyghurs.

If this matter succeeds, you will be credited with the foremost merit. What do you say?"

Li Guozhen stared at Pugu Huai'en with burning eyes and asked.

"I will lay down my life for the Jiedushi!"

Pugu Huai'en said excitedly, cupping his fists in salute.

After he left, Li Guozhen asked with some hesitation, "Is there truly no problem doing this?"

"It is merely choosing the lesser of two evils.

We can show weakness to the enemy, but we cannot truly be weak.

Barbarian beasts fear force and do not respond to virtue; reasoning with them is useless."

Zhang Qiqiu continued in a firm, resonant voice: "All for the Great Tang. Everything else is not worth mentioning."

"Yes, all for the Great Tang."

Li Guozhen sighed, feeling weary in body and mind.

"We can order the Jinglue Army, the Anfeng Army, and the Zhenwu Army to converge on Lingzhou, to prepare for the unexpected!"

Zhang Qiqiu suggested in a low voice.

"Mm, indeed."

Li Guozhen nodded, his expression conflicted.

……

"I have a little donkey that I never ride, one day on a whim, I rode it to the market."

Riding on horseback, Fang Chongyong hummed a tune with his eyes closed, dozing off, his entire being drowsy and groggy.

Yesterday he finally learned what the phrase "pink skeleton" meant. When a woman gets lewd in bed, an ordinary man truly cannot withstand it.

"I told you to take it easy in bed yesterday, but you just wouldn't listen.

See? I didn't compete with them yesterday. It's still me who cares for you.

Isn't that so?"

Anaye beside him complained.

"Yes, yes, yes, it's still you who cares for me."

Fang Chongyong answered perfunctorily, clearly not taking it to heart.

Anaye rolled her eyes at Fang Chongyong and rode ahead on her own.

The entire column included three thousand Yinqiang Xiaojie Army troops, plus Yan Zhenqing's four hundred attendants, and ten thousand civilian laborers transporting rations and forage; the column marched grandly toward Luoyang.

This road was the renowned "Two Capitals Imperial Highway" of the Great Tang, broad and flat, with relay stations lining the entire route. If an official had a dozen or so attendants, they could almost go without luggage or provisions.

But no matter how impressive the relay stations were, they still could not supply the military needs of an army of several thousand!

This was not like Hexi, where baggage could be hauled by camels, so the column had no choice but to trail a long "tail" behind it.

Of course, these civilian laborers had other tasks as well, such as clearing the canals, building fortresses, and hauling wealth back to Guanzhong. In short, this time Brother Ji had made up his mind with great resolve.

He wanted Fang Chongyong and the others, once they reached the south, to grab enough, by all means!

"Halt! Everyone halt! Stop quickly!"

Shouts came from the rear of the column, causing a stir. Several eunuchs dressed in red court robes, holding a wooden placard inscribed with the word "Halt," rode on horseback from the direction behind Fang Chongyong, that is, from the direction of Chang'an.

Fang Chongyong turned his head in astonishment, just in time to see Gao Lishi galloping toward him on horseback.

After reining in beside Fang Chongyong, he hastily said to the newly appointed Huainan Jiedushi, whose face was full of astonishment: "The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army is to encamp on the spot. Military Commissioner Fang, proceed swiftly to Xingqing Palace to discuss important matters!"

Huh?

Fang Chongyong thought he had misheard.

Damn it, they had only set out eastward from Chang'an's Xuanwu Gate this morning, and they hadn't even gone a few li before they had to return to Chang'an?

The court's flip-flopping was a bit too outrageous!

Seeing him standing there dazed, Gao Lishi urged his horse forward and said in a low voice: "Do not worry, General Fang. This trip is only for official business. This is not the place to talk."

"Understood."

Fang Chongyong took a deep breath, nodded slightly, and shouted to Feng Changqing not far away: "Pass on my military order: encamp on the spot, do not disturb the people."

"Yes, sir!"

Feng Changqing took the order and departed without a word of nonsense.

Fang Chongyong then cupped his hands in salute to Gao Lishi and said: "Please lead the way, General Gao."

"Good, good, good. You are indeed Quanzhong's son, worthy of the Sage's bestowing you the courtesy name Guozhong."

Gao Lishi nodded gratefully. At this critical juncture, Fang Chongyong had no "improper" thoughts, which was truly the best possible outcome.

The two rode straight through Chunming Gate, arrived at Xingqing Palace, and walked briskly into the imperial study in the Qinzhengwubenlou.

The moment he saw Fang Chongyong arrive, Brother Ji visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"No need for formalities, sit!"

Fang Chongyong was about to bow, but Brother Ji pointed at the cushion before him, signaling Fang Chongyong not to say more.

"How are the morale and fighting spirit of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army at present?"

Ji Ge asked with a calm expression.

"To reply to the Sage, we are honored by the Sage's regard, day and night resting on our arms awaiting dawn, daring not slacken, to repay the sage grace!

Deploy us in the first battle, and with us there will surely be victory!"

Fang Chongyong clasped his fists in salute and said.

"Good! Good!

Enough said — you shall now go together with Yan Zhenqing to the Shuofang Army's seat of governance, Lingzhou City, to replace Li Guozhen.

We shall immediately issue an edict, revoking your post as Military Commissioner of Huainan, and appoint you as the new Military Commissioner of Shuofang. Yan Zhenqing shall be the Shuofang Military Farm Commissioner. You two must depart for Shuofang at once.

Bring three thousand troops of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army along with you.

Time permits no delay — set out now and travel day and night without rest. We shall further grant you a sacred edict: all prefectures and counties along the route must unconditionally cooperate with your march and handle logistics and supply provisions.

If anyone slackens, you may execute first and report afterward for all those below the rank of Inspector; as for the Inspectors themselves, they must be escorted back to the capital for interrogation by the Court of Judicature.

In short, We want speed — you must reach Lingzhou at the fastest possible pace!

Once there, take control of the overall situation!"

Hearing these words, Fang Chongyong was left speechless by Ji Ge! The court's constant changing of orders was truly absurd!

"Sage, then the matter of going to the Two Huai and Jiangnan regions..."

Fang Chongyong asked, full of hesitation.

"We have already ordered Yang Shenzhuang to take the lead, bringing Bian Lingcheng to Yangzhou to press for the collection of tributes.

That should hold things together for a while — you need not worry about these matters.

Other affairs can wait until you return to the capital after your campaign. The pressing matter at hand is Shuofang.

This is the most urgent — you must handle it properly!"

Ji Ge waved his hand, unwilling to say more details.

Fang Chongyong inwardly cried that things were amiss; he rarely saw Ji Ge so anxious — something must be wrong somewhere.

"Sage, this humble minister is completely in the dark about affairs in Shuofang, and has no connections whatsoever in the region. I fear..."

Fang Chongyong was still somewhat uncertain, and moreover, dealing with unfamiliar soldiers was no easy matter.

However, he saw Ji Ge wave his hand and say: "It is precisely having no ties to the locals that is good. In short, once you arrive in Shuofang, immediately bring the Shuofang Army's high command under control — including Li Guozhen, Zhang Qiuqiu, Pugu Huai'en, and others — and await Our sacred edict."

Ji Ge appeared somewhat angry, but clearly he was not angry at Fang Chongyong.

"This humble minister obeys the decree, and shall lead troops to Shuofang forthwith."

Fang Chongyong had no choice but to accept the letter of appointment Ji Ge handed over, and kept it close to his person.

"Go — General Gao will explain the specifics to you. Make haste and set out quickly!"

Ji Ge closed his eyes, looking as though he were very weary.

(End of this chapter)