Chapter 432: The Dark Clouds Drifting from Hebei

After discussing the "agreement" with Fang Chongyong, Tian Chengsi rode back to Ma City without stopping. This is the garrison of the Datong Army under the Hedong Military Governor, and also the horse‑breeding region of Hedong.

Since the Kaiyuan era, peace has lasted long, the border towns have been relatively tranquil, and the front line has continuously shifted northward.

Now the Hedong Military Governor's defensive focus has moved from Taiyuan City to the more northern Ma City, Yunzhong (Datong, Shanxi) and other locations, far from Taiyuan, forming a narrow, elongated defensive buffer zone.

As the "great rear"—Taiyuan City (Jinyang)—it has become increasingly prosperous, gradually turning into a regional economic hub. Most families of Hedong Border Army officers are settled in Taiyuan City and its surroundings.

There is no other reason; it is simply wealth.

But Tian Chengsi is something of an outlier. Since arriving in Hedong, his whole family has lived in Ma City. In a sense, it can be said he has gambled everything on his future.

That day, Tian Chengsi braved the cold wind returning from Lingzhou to Ma City; just as he arrived home, his cousin Tian Tingjie and his younger brother Tian Tinglin hurried forward to help him lead the horses.

Exhausted, Tian Chengsi finally relaxed. He asked casually, without any particular intent, "During my recent trip to the northern frontier, has anything changed in Hedong?"

He had only meant it as a routine query, but his cousin Tian Tingjie's face grew serious as he said, "For some reason, Xue Song has also been transferred to Hedong, appointed as Weizhou Inspector and simultaneously Commander of the Hengye Army! He has just taken up the post!"

Hearing this, Tian Chengsi frowned slightly, then couldn't help shaking his head and sighing.

"Brother, no matter what Xue Song does, he won't interfere with our affairs, right? To be fair, the Hengye Army is still under the control of the Hedong Deputy Military Governor, isn't it?"

"Why are you worried, brother?"

Tian Tinglin asked in confusion.

He lacks Tian Tingjie's talent for commanding troops and participating in politics, so he can't converse with Tian Chengsi and therefore doesn't grasp many matters.

In the Great Tang, any seemingly simple official reassignment may carry deep significance and must not be taken lightly.

"We'll discuss it in the study later."

Tian Chengsi waved his hand, silently thinking that trouble was brewing.

Both the Hengye Army and Xue Song have impressive backgrounds.

The Hengye Army is stationed near Weizhou on the Hedong Road, its purpose being to "assist" the nine Tiele clans of the north against the Turks.

It's called encouragement and support, but in reality it's covert surveillance.

The Hengye Army numbers nearly nine thousand troops, with a sizable cavalry. Though it cannot match the massive Chishui Army of over thirty thousand, its strength is still considerable.

Moreover, this Xue Song is no ordinary man.

Xue Song comes from a military family, a descendant of Xue Rengui. He grew up with his father between Yan and Ji, possessing great strength and skill with bow and horse. He is known for his bold demeanor and a hatred of evil.

Of course, that's the flattering version.

The less flattering version is that he relies on brute strength, knows a bit of martial skill, is straightforward, doesn't scheme, and easily offends others.

His father is Xue Chu Yu, the fifth son of Xue Rengui, who once served as the Military Governor of Fanyang and Pinglu.

But later he was reported for dereliction of duty and removed from office.

Of course, this is also Xue Chuyu bringing it upon himself. His offenses, calling them dereliction of duty, are actually light; Xue Chuyu's real problem lies in falsifying military achievements, and he also violated certain political taboos, thus losing his position.

His crimes were more than mere dereliction; Xue Chu Yu's real problem was falsifying military achievements and violating certain political taboos, which led to his downfall.

For some reason, when Fang Youde and An Lushan were the Military Governors of Youzhou, they never promoted him. So he has remained stuck in Hebei, unable to advance.

However, after Huangfu Weiming became the Military Governor of Hebei, he vigorously promoted the long‑overlooked Xue Song and took him as a confidant. Xue Song, in turn, repaid the favor, looking to Huangfu Weiming for guidance.

The Xue family is a border‑army clan with court connections, rooted in Hedong. How he rose is unclear, but he was transferred to Hedong, appointed as Weizhou Inspector and simultaneously as Commander of the Hengye Army.

It's a typical case where serving as a loyal dog‑and‑horse makes promotion easy. In any case, Xue Song is a staunch supporter of Huangfu Weiming, which leaves no room for doubt.

The group entered the study; Tian Chengsi sighed helplessly and said to his two brothers:

"Huangfu Weiming's move—openly repairing the road while secretly taking Chen Cang—was clever. Everyone thinks I have aligned with him, that he has lavishly promoted me to Hedong Deputy Military Governor. Yet who knows that my departure gave Huangfu Weiming direct control over the Lu Long Army."

"Xue Song is actually Huangfu Weiming's pawn placed in Hedong!"

Hearing this, Tian Tingjie whispered, "So you mean Huangfu Weiming will eventually have Xue Song support him, right?"

"Exactly. The Hebei troops and cavalry exit Youzhou from the west, and the first stop along the Sanggan River is the Hengye Army.

The Hengye Army's garrison lies on the banks of a Sanggan River tributary.

Controlling the Hengye Army allows Hebei's forces to march into Hedong without shedding blood, then continue westward along the Sanggan River to capture Yunzhou and Shuozhou.

After that, they can seize all of Hedong!"

"The Hengye Army is our final barrier to the east; if Huangfu Weiming controls it, we will bear the brunt!"

At first glance, the court seems a bit 'stupid', allowing treacherous ministers and rebels to shoulder important responsibilities. But upon closer thought, one will find that Xue Song is indeed suitable to serve in Hedong. This move, rather than being a conspiracy, is more like an overt stratagem that takes advantage of the circumstances.

At first glance, the court seems a bit "foolish", allowing "rebellious ministers and traitorous sons" to take on heavy responsibilities. Yet on closer thought, Xue Song truly is suited to govern Hedong. This move is less a conspiracy than a pragmatic, overt strategy.

Often, both sides in a plot can see each other's actions but cannot fully discern intentions. By the time you understand them, the tide has already turned and the situation cannot be altered.

It is obvious that Xue Song comes from the Hedong Xue clan, with family roots and connections in Hedong.

The court's appointment of him as Hengye Army Commander was merely a "recommendation", a matter of going with the flow.

As for rumors that Xue Song is a confidant of Huangfu Weiming, they cannot be thoroughly investigated. Because a casual probe reveals that the entire bureaucratic hierarchy is rebellious.

Or one could say the ties are inextricable.

Everyone moves within the same circle; no one's status is truly "spotless" and flawless.

Through mutual marriage and patronage, we are intertwined—this is the circle's rule of the game.

Who dares claim they have no flaw at all?

Princess Taiping is still Brother Ji's aunt; why would Brother Ji want to kill her?

However, Xue Song's fulfillment of his ambitions is not good for Tian Chengsi, because he has now chosen to stand opposite Huangfu Weiming.

At the very least, he openly refuses to cooperate or confront him!

"Cousin, are you saying… Hebei might become a source of trouble?"

Even the otherwise dim‑witted Tian Tinglin, listening nearby, suddenly grasped the meaning. He lowered his voice, his face showing terror.

Sure enough, Tian Chengsi nodded slightly, "Huangfu Weiming's scheme in Hebei is nearly complete; we only await the right wind. The only thing I don't know now is who backs Huangfu Weiming— which prince exactly. It seems they have insiders in the court."

Everyone in the study wore a grave expression; under such turmoil, there is no intact egg.

Once it erupts, civil war is inevitable; the only uncertainty is how long this battle will last.

Why say that?

Because the current Son of Heaven is already over sixty, yet the Crown Prince is like a puppet, having no power of his own to take over the court.

This situation is like the Great Heir being turned upside down!

Chaos in the world is inevitable; the only uncertainty is when and who will carry it out!

"Rebellion" is, in Ji Ge's own view, a great treason, merely an unflattering term for him personally.

Even Tian Chengsi, if a prince offered him great rewards and the situation presented an opportunity, would involve the Tian clan deeply.

It's no big deal; Emperor Taizong himself rose to the throne through a princely coup.

Now, Huangfu Weiming can do it, Xue Song can, and Tian Chengsi naturally can. Even that "Fang Jiedushi" might not be impossible!

As long as the world still bears the name "Tang", and the basic interests of the circle are guaranteed, whichever person becomes emperor makes no difference; it's no big deal.

Everyone can accept this way of playing.

"Brother, why don't we just observe at Shuozhou? Use constancy to meet myriad changes."

Tian Tingjie suggested calmly.

But Tian Chengsi shook his head and sighed:

"We have no foundation; being indecisive is a path to death. Huangfu Weiming has repeatedly schemed against us; such resentment cannot be resolved. Our Tian family has long been at odds with him."

Even if we now seek his patronage, Huangfu Weiming, being from a prestigious family in the Guanzhong circle, inevitably looks down on us, and moreover is hard to win trust.

It would be better to choose another as a patron; that is the best strategy.

Tian Chengsi hinted very bluntly.

Considering his upcoming mission to Shuofang, Tian Tingjie and Tian Tinglin realized that the "new patron" Tian Chengsi had found was the court's newly appointed Jiedushi of the two towns Shuofang and Hedong, the Hetao Strategic Envoy Fang Chongyong!

"What kind of person is that Fang Jiedushi?"

Tian Tingjie asked with a puzzled expression, feeling that Tian Chengsi was being a bit rash. At the very least, one should look first before speaking. Of course, joining the game late means getting less.

He thought his own cousin, usually silent and few‑worded, bold yet meticulous, judged people very accurately. At first, Huangfu Weiming had also tried to win over Tian Chengsi, but the latter believed Huangfu Weiming liked to select talent based on family background and connections, making it hard to achieve great deeds, so he always kept his distance.

Tian Chengsi was kicked into Hedong, and it wasn't solely Huangfu Weiming eliminating dissent. "I bought you; you neither accept nor reject, so I have to kick you away; that's just human nature."

"Fang Chongyong is cunning and possesses great ambition; even Cao Cao of the late Han could not compare."

He reminded someone: the Uighur people might descend the Zi River southward to Wuzhou City and then attack Yunzhou.

He also thought this possibility was very great.

Tian Chengsi spoke while silently gauging Fang Chongyong's thoughts, and the more he thought, the more he felt the man was truly unfathomable.

Many know that the Uighur and the Great Tang must clash, but they don't understand how the war would actually be conducted.

Only Fang Chongyong is firmly convinced that the Uighur need the Great Tang and the Great Tang needs to maintain the existing "Grassland Alliance" framework. Therefore the war's scale cannot expand indefinitely, nor become a war of annihilation.

The Great Tang must teach the Uighur a lesson, even a harsh one. But it cannot simply crush the Uighur outright, as that would be politically passive, because no one knows whether the Tubo people might rise again later.

How can you directly kill a force that could be used to check the Tubo? If the Uighur are slain, the nine Tiele surnames will fear that the next Uighur might be themselves.

What is called reverence is the lasting ground; making others constantly fearful can sometimes backfire.

For the Uighur people, the reasoning is the same.

The Great Tang is too powerful, its territory too vast. Since they cannot eradicate the Great Tang, they can only find a way to coexist, and in a manner both sides deem appropriate.

Thus, seizing a border town of the Great Tang as a bargaining chip, and then sitting down to negotiate properly, is the only option.

Then which place holds such value, capable of forcing the Great Tang onto the negotiating table?

Fang Chongyong told Tian Chengsi: the Uighur will take Yunzhou (Datong, Shanxi)! You must guard against the Uighur moving south along the Zi River.

Because Yunzhou is the gateway for steppe peoples into Hedong, and in the past the Turkic people used the Zi River to transport troops and arms, supporting Liu Wuzhou's rebellion in Shuozhou.

If the Uighur don't come to Shuozhou, are they as stubborn as iron, insisting on a life‑or‑death clash with Tang forces in Lingzhou?

Tian Chengsi thought that Fang Chongyong's gaze was like a torch.

Having been a big shot in a border town, his ability to see through critical nodes in a complex situation was unmistakable.

One should know that, for a long period, Yunzhou was the operational base of the steppe peoples.

Once the Uighur obtain Yunzhou, they have a bargaining chip against the Great Tang. Even if, in a far‑fetched scenario, they eventually have to compromise, seize Yunzhou entirely, and then return it to the Great Tang.

The Uighur lose nothing at all!

At the very least, they proved they are not to be trifled with and increased their voice on the steppe.

The Uighur, although currently using roaming cavalry to harass border towns, operate over a range of up to a thousand li, from east of Liangzhou, to Shuofang, to Hedong, and finally along the vast border west of Hebei, where Uighur cavalry are everywhere.

However, this kind of "scratching the sole of a boot" only shows their incompetence and cannot achieve any political aim. These are merely a smokescreen before the real "killing move".

Fang Chongyong is convinced the Uighur will inevitably come to Yunzhou to cause trouble; this spot also happens to be the junction of the Shuofang and Hedong military towns.

Of course, all this is based on the internal decisions of the Uighur leaders. If a madman were to act recklessly, it would be unpredictable.

The Great Tang and the Uighur would fight over Yunzhou, seeing which side gains more bargaining chips; revenge begets revenge, grievances beget grievances.

Then reconvene the alliance at Lingzhou.

These are the unwritten rules of the game, visible only to the wise; most people remain in fog, not knowing how the war will start, proceed, or end.

Just seeing this, Tian Chengsi thought Fang Chongyong was not to be underestimated!

"Brother, will Huangfu Weiming rebel, will the Hebei generals really join him?"

"Will Xue Song's grandfather, Xue Rengui, also rebel with him?"

Tian Tinglin asked, confused.

"That's a rebellion, the kind that would doom an entire clan if it fails!"

"Huangfu Weiming acting alone is one thing, but how could so many follow him?"

"You don't understand that."

"The sage is old; that position he can occupy, the prince can also occupy."

"Supporting a prince to ascend can secure a family's wealth for twenty or thirty years. What joy is there in not doing so? This is a gamble worth taking."

Besides, it's only the loser who is called a rebel.

"The winner, that's called 'following the dragon,' it's a matter of bringing glory to one's ancestors."

A gleam of sharp light flashed in Tian Chengsi's eyes as he muttered to himself.

"If Huangfu Weiming rebels, will Fang Jiedushi also follow and rebel?"

Um, I mean, he's definitely not on the same side as Huangfu Weiming.

"But could he become the pioneer of another prince?"

Tian Tingjie asked a question that Tian Chengsi had never considered.

"What you're saying about this matter... uh, uh, is indeed quite interesting."

Tian Chengsi muttered to himself, lost in thought, silent, not knowing what he was thinking. Tian Tingjie and Tian Tinglin also did not dare to disturb their elder brother, and they tiptoed out of the study.

"(End of chapter)"