Chapter 426: The Facts Don't Matter

Guli Peiluo was dead, truly dead, thoroughly dead—right before everyone's eyes, just like that, dead and gone.

It was obvious enough: the grassland aristocrat's long years of greasy, meat-heavy diet, his dissipated lifestyle with no attention to preserving his health, plus his advanced age.

All of this meant that the man simply could not withstand any rough treatment.

Guli Peiluo's death carried an inevitability within its chance. Even if he had dropped dead on the spot in the Uyghur royal tent, Fang Chongyong and the others would not have found it strange.

This man had been around since the early Kaiyuan era, living a life of licking blood off the blade. Now it was nearly the twelfth year of Tianbao—what was so strange about Guli Peiluo dying of illness?

But the place where this man died was somewhat delicate! The timing of his death was rather inappropriate!

Even if he had died inside Lingzhou City, Fang Chongyong would have had ways to conceal the truth.

Don't ask—if asked, they had never seen Guli Peiluo, and the Uyghurs could go look for him wherever they pleased!

But Guli Peiluo died on the bank by the Yellow River pontoon bridge, with thousands of witnesses around, including the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army. Hiding the news would be as hard as scaling the heavens!

Seeing this Uyghur Yabgu—most likely having died suddenly of a heart attack—Fang Chongyong was so furious he could not even speak, standing frozen in place for a long time.

It was Che Guangqian who stepped forward and suggested in a low voice, "Jiedushi, let us enter Lingzhou first and take charge of the situation! We can deal with what comes after gradually!"

"Gentlemen, let us return to Lingzhou City first. We will discuss matters when the time comes."

Fang Chongyong looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice.

Yan Zhenqing and the others naturally would not act foolishly on such a matter, and hurriedly clasped their hands in salute in agreement.

In a gloomy atmosphere, the group, each burdened with their own thoughts, arrived at the Shuofang Jiedushi's yamen within Lingzhou City. Fang Chongyong took the opportunity to have He Changqi lead his subordinates to take over the defense of Lingzhou City.

After taking their seats in the main hall of the yamen, Fang Chongyong dismissed the ordinary clerical officials, keeping only the Shuofang Army high command, Yan Zhenqing, and the various senior generals of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, as everyone discussed how to handle the aftermath.

"Jiedushi Fang, now that Guli Peiluo has died suddenly before everyone's eyes, the matter certainly cannot be hidden from the Uyghurs.

If they send someone to hold us accountable, how should we deal with it?"

Yan Zhenqing asked a very pointed question—one that was in fact the question everyone was most concerned about.

If Fang Chongyong was willing to shoulder this heavy responsibility, then everyone in the Shuofang Army would follow his orders. If he shirked responsibility at this moment, what unfathomable things might happen was hard to say.

After all, Guli Peiluo was dead and could not be brought back to life. What to do next was something everyone had to face seriously, with no way to avoid it.

If Fang Chongyong could take on this matter, he would be the unquestioned leader—the one who could command everyone's respect!

"I believe we should report this matter to the Uyghurs exactly as it happened, return Guli Peiluo's body to them, and then hold them accountable."

Fang Chongyong looked around at everyone and said.

After these words, Yan Zhenqing thought he must have misheard.

He asked in confusion, "Is Jiedushi Fang saying that we should hold the Uyghurs accountable?"

"Exactly. Guli Peiluo led troops to attack Feng'an City and was captured by the warriors of our Yinqiang Xiaojie Army. He was to be sent to Chang'an for His Majesty to deal with, but unexpectedly, he was so terrified by the majesty of the Great Tang that he scared himself to death.

Now the Great Tang is going to demand an explanation from the Uyghurs—why was Guli Peiluo at Feng'an City! That is the jurisdiction of the Shuofang Army!"

Fang Chongyong said with righteous conviction.

Looking at him like this, anyone who did not know the full story would probably truly believe everything was the Uyghurs' fault. Fang Chongyong's brand of "selective narration" was truly a model of mastery in the art of propaganda—spinning everything to his own advantage.

"If that is the case, then there will surely be a war between the Great Tang and the Uyghurs. How can this end well?"

Yan Zhenqing sighed with emotion.

Everyone in the hall nodded slightly, whispering to those beside them. Some agreed with Fang Chongyong's thinking, while others felt he was being too aggressive.

However, many things were plain to see. With this matter having developed to its current point, what the facts were was no longer important.

What mattered was momentum, was face! Was sovereignty over the Hetao region!

Under these circumstances, reasoning was useless. The only way was for everyone to square off with their fists, settle a winner, and determine who was superior.

Sure enough, Che Guangqian clasped his fists in salute to Yan Zhenqing and said, "Lord Yan may never have personally taken to a battlefield to kill a man, and so may not know how these barbarian beasts behave.

Even if we said this was all a misunderstanding, and even if the Uyghurs figured out that we were not lying, they would still pretend they could not understand human speech!

Guli Peiluo is dead. His successor needs to avenge him in order to rally the hearts of the eleven Uyghur tribes and make them submit.

Otherwise, who would acknowledge him as the new lord of the Uyghurs?

He also needs to win a battle against the Tang army so that His Majesty will invest him as Yabgu, giving him a legitimate footing in this land. The grassland people do not respect weaklings.

Since things have come to this point, why shouldn't we speak with a bit more righteous conviction?"

Che Guangqian's words won the approval of everyone present. Even Yan Zhenqing had to admit that a great war was now unavoidable.

What was more frightening was that this upcoming battle was one that neither the Great Tang nor the Uyghurs could "afford to lose." This had nothing to do with personal grudges, nor was it a hasty decision made under impulse by the commanders on either side.

I do not want to fight, and I respect you, but I must fight—because everything is for survival!

Fang Chongyong never imagined that by bringing the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army to Shuofang and winning the battle, he would push the Great Tang onto the stage of a decisive showdown.

This was not his intention, but many things in the world often work this way. You do the best you can, yet still cannot achieve your ultimate goal.

Human calculation is no match for heaven's will—this was the principle.

Guli Peiluo's sudden death was something no one had anticipated.

Looking at the aftermath, whether Fang Chongyong's great victory at Feng'an City was a blessing or a curse was still an open question—at the very least, it was no longer as exhilarating as it had seemed when the battle first ended.

"Jiedushi, I am willing to deliver Guli Peiluo to the Uyghurs to test their intentions."

Feng Changqing clasped his fists in salute and requested instructions.

Fang Chongyong governed his army with clear rewards and punishments. His generals usually seized every opportunity to compete for merit, and this time was no different.

Yan Zhenqing and the Shuofang Army men found this scene somewhat unbelievable.

"Time is of the essence. Go now, and take a firm stance.

Within five days, have the Uyghurs give the Shuofang Army an explanation."

Fang Chongyong decided decisively, already regarding himself as a duly installed "Shuofang Jiedushi."

"General Che, I will write a letter shortly. Take the letter and personally go to Wuwei City in Liangzhou, and deliver it to the Hexi Jiedushi Li Guangbi.

Tell him the Uyghurs are preparing to make a move, and have him dispatch a detachment of the Chishui Army to help defend the western section of the Hetao defense line. The understrength Feng'an Army certainly will not be able to hold off the Uyghurs."

Fang Chongyong instructed Che Guangqian.

"Understood! This subordinate will certainly deliver the letter!"

Che Guangqian cupped his fists in salute and said this, not in a hurry to leave; later he still needed to go to the prefectural office's signing room where the Jiedushi worked, to discuss the details with Fang Chongyong.

"Lord Yan, you and I shall jointly submit a memorial to the court, informing His Majesty of the full cause and course of this matter.

A matter of such magnitude cannot be concealed from the court."

Fang Chongyong said to Yan Zhenqing.

"Reporting this matter to the court is only proper; this official will not shirk the responsibility."

Yan Zhenqing performed a crossed-hand salute to Fang Chongyong and said.

"Military Commissioner Hun, the Jinglue Army is to contract its defensive line, withdraw from its camps north of the Yellow River, and set up camp on the south bank. Closely patrol all pontoon bridges and be ready to respond to a Uyghur surprise attack at any time.

There is no time to lose—go to the main camp now and issue this Jiedushi's military orders!"

Fang Chongyong instructed Hun Jian, Military Commissioner of the Jinglue Army.

"Understood!"

Hun Jian cupped his fists in salute and strode off. He was genuinely impressed by Fang Chongyong—this composure and speed of response in a crisis alone made Hun Jian feel that Fang Chongyong was no ordinary man!

At the very least, a good deal better than Li Guozhen.

"Li..."

Fang Chongyong looked at Li Guozhen, unsure how to address him now. He did not know Li's courtesy name, his official post had already been handed over, and did this man still hold any office at all?

While he was still puzzling over this, Li Guozhen said with some embarrassment: "Jiedushi may simply call me by name. There is no need for such formality in the army."

Li Guozhen was now deeply ashamed and felt utterly incompetent. Compared to the young and capable Fang Chongyong, he felt as though all his years had been lived in vain.

"Very well. Li Guozhen, this Jiedushi now appoints you as Judge of the Shuofang Jiedushi.

You are to go to Taiyuan, the seat of the Hedong Jiedushi, and request aid from Hedong Jiedushi An Sishun.

Have him mobilize the Jingbian Army, which is nearest to the Zhenwu Army, to move west and assist in defending Yulin!

After you return, you are to immediately relinquish your duties, then return to Chang'an to report."

Fang Chongyong used the tone of a superior issuing military orders to a subordinate, handling matters strictly by the book, and gave Li Guozhen his instructions without the slightest courtesy.

He showed none of the deference or indulgence one might expect toward a "scion of the imperial clan."

The whole mess between the Shuofang Army and the Uyghurs had been stirred up by Li Guozhen and Zhang Qiqiu. Now he was the one cleaning it up; not giving Li Guozhen ten strokes of the military cane was already generous enough.

Hearing this, Li Guozhen respectfully performed a crossed-hand salute to Fang Chongyong, without the slightest intention of talking back, much less daring to act presumptuously.

In truth, he was also deeply guilt-ridden, and only when he heard Fang Chongyong's military orders did his suspended heart finally settle back into place.

If Fang Chongyong had truly flown into a rage, given the current situation, he could have found any pretext to throw Li Guozhen into prison and send him back to Chang'an to haggle with the Court of the Imperial Clan!

If they could defeat the Uyghurs this time, things would still be manageable; for the things Li Guozhen and Zhang Qiqiu had done before, the court would likely raise the rod high but bring it down lightly, and not make things difficult for them.

After all, as long as the Great Tang had not suffered a major loss at the hands of the steppe people on their watch, then everything was still negotiable.

Heh, but what if they lost?

If they lost, Fang Chongyong would merely have been outmatched; his career would take a hit, but he could basically still withdraw intact.

But Li Guozhen and Zhang Qiqiu would likely not have such good fortune. Exile, even exile of their entire families, would count as His Majesty showing mercy.

At worst, it would be a "suicide."

Now, by appointing him as Jiedushi Judge and sending him to An Sishun for aid, Fang Chongyong was giving him a chance to "redeem himself through merit"—but it was also, in a sense, "ill-intentioned."

Because Fang Chongyong did not know An Sishun well, and even had a faint friction with him, he had no certainty of borrowing usable troops.

If Li Guozhen's request for aid succeeded, that meant An Sishun was giving Fang Chongyong face. If it failed, then this massive blame would very likely fall on Li Guozhen's shoulders.

This was an open scheme laid out in plain sight; even if Li Guozhen saw through Fang Chongyong's intentions, he had no choice but to grasp at this lifeline.

After the military orders were conveyed, everyone filed out. Fang Chongyong immediately had someone prepare brush and ink and wrote a memorial.

In the memorial, he wrote at length about how the Uyghurs had been growing restless and set a trap to trick the Shuofang Army into buying inferior horses; how Li Guozhen and others had struck ruthlessly and escalated the matter; how the Uyghur Yabgu had led his tent guard troops to swagger outside Feng'an City; and how the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army had settled the matter in a single battle and captured Guli Peiluo.

Only at the very end did he "casually" inform His Majesty and the court that Guli Peiluo had suddenly fallen ill with a grave disease while crossing the river and died in front of numerous witnesses.

He then requested His Majesty's instructions on how to proceed next.

Of course, though the memorial's request for instructions appeared humble, in reality, no matter what His Majesty said, Fang Chongyong would act according to his established plan.

His Majesty was the sort of person who liked to give blind orders and only looked at results afterward. What would happen if one did not follow his orders, Fang Chongyong did not know. But if the final result was poor, then ruin was inevitable.

Even if you followed His Majesty's orders at every step!

After finishing the memorial, Fang Chongyong handed the draft to Yan Zhenqing and said: "Lord Yan, take a look and see if this will do."

Fang Chongyong had laid out the reasoning very clearly, but in the eyes of a literary man, such a memorial was still far too blunt.

It lacked sufficient elegance!

Yan Zhenqing smiled and said: "Jiedushi Fang has said everything that needs to be said. I shall polish it a bit, and then it can be sent to Chang'an. This is not difficult."

In dealing with the aggressive Uyghurs this time, Yan Zhenqing had truly felt from Fang Chongyong what it meant to be "crisp and decisive."

Making swift and accurate judgments, then issuing orders rapidly, with subordinates executing them efficiently. Before others had even reacted, everything had already been arranged in full detail.

How the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army had beaten the Uyghurs black and blue, Yan Zhenqing had not witnessed and could not judge. That involved the army's strength, and perhaps others would say, "Anyone could have done it."

But how Fang Chongyong, like a sharp knife cutting through tangled hemp, had responded swiftly when the Uyghur Yabgu died unexpectedly, rapidly taken control of the Shuofang Army, and sought outside aid to assist in defense—

This Yan Zhenqing had seen with his own eyes.

Judging solely by this composure under crisis, his judgment and execution already deserved the words "outstanding."

Many people are full of schemes but lack decisiveness; they think a great deal but cannot bring themselves to make up their minds. By the time they finally decide and make a judgment, the situation has already undergone an earth-shaking change. The optimal solution of the past may have become, by then, as absurd as marking the boat to find the sword.

From this it could be seen that Fang Chongyong, though he normally kept a low profile, was formidable when it counted!

Yan Zhenqing silently passed this judgment in his heart.

……

"Deliver this letter to Li Guangbi."

Inside the Shuofang Jiedushi's yamen, in the small signing room reserved for the Jiedushi's exclusive use, Fang Chongyong sealed the letter—its ink just barely dry—with wax and handed it to Che Guangqian.

Jiedushi, rest assured; it's only delivering a message, all small matters.

Che Guangqian swore solemnly, vowing to secure the ticket route.

Fang Chongyong shook his head helplessly and sighed:

"I thought that chastising the Uighur people once would ease the conflict between us, allowing us to sit down and negotiate properly.

But because Uighur Ye Hu died violently, the matter only grew worse. The new Uighur leader will surely fight us to the death to seek the court's appointment. Now the arrow is on the string; we must release it, with no way back.

This Jiedushi has no friendship with An Sisun; I would thank heaven if he didn't interfere. Our only external support is the Red Water Army of Hexi.

If they can help hold the line at Feng'an City, we can concentrate our forces in Lingzhou to contend with the Uighur people, without fearing they will cut off our rear.

In fact, Fang Chongyong also worries that the Zhenwu Army at Yulin might be outflanked by the Uighur people.

In the past the Uighur people had no need to launch a full‑scale attack on Surrender City, but now that Uighur Ye Hu died under mysterious circumstances, they have no reservations.

Times have changed; the situation is now completely different.

It is possible for the Uighur people to attack one, or even several, of the three Surrender Cities.

However, this requires long‑range maneuvering, and the strategic risk is enormous!

Fang Chongyong's gut feeling is that the Uighur people would not go to such lengths.

But there are always exceptions; no one can say whether a madman might emerge among the Uighur people.

In military matters, we risk our lives far too often. Acting knowingly against the odds, seeking life within death, is often the way to victory.

Fang Chongyong frowned slightly, as if hesitating over something.

"Jiedushi, are you worried that An Sisun refuses to co‑defend Yulin?"

Che Guangqian asked softly.

"Indeed so; this clash with the Uighur people may not conclude within days, and a year or a year and a half of fighting would not be surprising.

Prolonged defense leads to loss; how could I not worry?"

Hearing this, Che Guangqian leaned in and whispered, "Jiedushi, I have a scheme of throwing a stone to test the road that can ease your worries!"

Hmm?

Upon hearing that, Fang Chongyong instantly became interested!

"Good, explain it in detail!"

He patted Che Guangqian's shoulder and laughed heartily.

"Jiedushi, we can send agents to Chang'an to spread rumors that An Sisun holds a personal grudge against you, and this time is attempting a kill‑by‑proxy scheme, deliberately diverting the Uighur people around Yulin, entering the Hetao territory from Hedong.

The Hedong Military Governor also has an office in Chang'an; how could such rumors not reach An Sisun?

That is the stone‑throwing test!"

Che Guangqian suggested calmly.

"Brilliant! This move is used brilliantly!"

Fang Chongyong clapped his hands and laughed loudly; this cultured man has ideas bubbling up like bad water in layers.

He sets traps on people one after another.

Seeing Fang Chongyong agree, Che Guangqian hurriedly requested permission: "Jiedushi, after I go to Liangzhou I will race back to Chang'an within six days. Once I return, I will arrange the dissemination of the rumors. Then An Sisun, to prove his innocence, may not even send troops to co‑defend the northern frontier."

"Hmm, let's handle it that way!"

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, clearly pleased with this stone‑throwing scheme.

It is a typical low‑investment, quick‑effect, no‑after‑effects plan! This is what they call a 'conspiracy for positive use.'

Even if An Sisun knows this was concocted by Fang Chongyong, he has no recourse and no concrete evidence.

Anyway, Fang Chongyong and An Sisun are not in the same pot; it doesn't matter what the future holds.

"No time to waste; you set out now!"

Fang Chongyong exhaled, ordering Che Guangqian.

(End of chapter)