Chapter 463: Tomorrow, Mountains and Rivers Divide; Worldly Affairs, a Vast Blur

"I, by my meager virtue, have received the Mandate of Heaven, inherited the great lineage, and come to govern the multitudes of people. Thus, in accord with Heaven and the people, I ascend the throne as Emperor and establish the era name 'Shuntian.'

From this day forth, under heaven and within the bounds of the land, all is my domain, all are my subjects. I shall revere Heaven and emulate the ancestors, diligently govern and love the people, broadly spread benevolence and righteousness, and cultivate self, family, state, and world in peace.

All who submit from the four directions shall be made to live in harmony, sharing together the blessings of great peace.

……

I look to all subjects under heaven to join me in my will, to together accomplish the great enterprise of the nation.

May the people of the world look up to my heart, and I too look up to the hearts of the people of the world, together seeking the prosperity of the nation and the happiness of the common folk.

By this edict I proclaim it, that all may hear and know."

Within the crude "imperial hall," Du Fu was reading the "Edict of Succession" with measured cadence. And the Prince of Rong, Li Wan, sat upright on the "dragon throne," together with the many "ministers" in the hall.

This place had originally been the prefectural yamen of Xiangzhou, and this hall had originally been the main hall of the yamen; after a slight renovation, it was being used as an "imperial palace," which in Li Wan's view was truly somewhat "lacking in dignity."

Damn it, it was even smaller than the hall in the Eastern Palace for receiving subordinates!

The four characters "amateur troupe" instantly popped into Li Wan's mind.

"The enthronement ceremony is concluded!"

After Du Fu finished reading the enthronement edict, the eunuch beside Li Wan immediately shouted out.

The amateur troupe's amateur enthronement ceremony thus came to a close.

Save where you should save, spend where you should spend; any unnecessary steps should be cut if they can be cut.

Huangfu Weiming was also a capable man. The so-called "ceremonies" were merely for show; truly winning the world still required speaking with swords on the battlefield.

Having issued the enthronement edict, that was enough as a token gesture.

What more could one ask for!

After everyone filed out of the hall, Huangfu Weiming stepped forward and bowed to Li Wan, saying: "Your Majesty, a rebel army is approaching Ye City from Fukou Xing. I must lead troops to assess the situation. I ask Your Majesty to rest in the palace."

"Ah?"

Li Wan leapt to his feet in fright, stepped forward and grabbed Huangfu Weiming's hand, asking urgently: "Commander, what is the military situation? How many men does the rebel army have? Are they heading for Ye City?"

What he feared hearing most right now was that Brother Ji had dispatched troops to besiege Ye City. Brother Ji's past cruel and ruthless methods toward his own offspring remained a nightmare for them, the imperial princes.

Now hearing that the imperial court's troops had already appeared at the banks of the Fu River, how could Li Wan not panic?

"The enemy situation is unclear. I must go and see for myself before I know."

Huangfu Weiming clasped his hands in salute to Li Wan.

"Commander, go quickly, go quickly. I shall await your good news here in Ye City."

Li Wan hastily said with courtesy, let out a long breath, and slumped back onto the dragon throne, his heart in turmoil.

Huangfu Weiming wasted no words either, turning and walking straight out of the "great hall."

By the time he arrived at the camp outside the city, many generals of the Hebei rebel army had already been waiting here for some time.

Huangfu Weiming noticed that Li Guiren and Bi Sichen, who should have been setting up defenses on the north bank of the Zhang River, were unexpectedly here as well, so he asked in puzzlement: "Why are you two not defending the Zhang River?"

"Commander, a situation has arisen. That rebel army headed east and did not advance toward Ye City! It seems they will not reach the Zhang River either.

If I were still to go to the Zhang River to strengthen defenses, would that not be like marking the boat to find the sword?"

Li Guiren said with a bitter smile.

Huangfu Weiming nodded slightly and did not press further on why they had not pursued.

Who dared to say that that army was not a vanguard force sent by the imperial court? If they pursued and other government troops came charging out of Fukou Xing, what then?

Huangfu Weiming was no battlefield novice. He understood very well what took priority and what could wait. Li Guiren's response had no major issues.

"Bi Sichen, lead ten thousand men to pursue eastward. The rest of you, follow me to set up camp along the banks of the Fu River. Leaving that rebel army unattended is not acceptable either."

Huangfu Weiming gave the order calmly.

What was known so far was only that Wu Lingxun's unit had been routed by that unidentified force, and regarding this army that had come out of Fukou Xing, they currently only knew its approximate scale.

Exactly how many men there were, who the commanding general was, and whether they had supply trains and provisions—all were a complete blank.

Huangfu Weiming was deeply worried about this. So the military orders he issued were also exceptionally conservative, deploying with the mindset of "not losing."

Even if Bi Sichen could not catch up, or caught up but could not win, stopping to form a defensive formation and hold their ground would be more than manageable.

Just then, a bodyguard entered the commander's tent, clasped his fist to Huangfu Weiming, and reported: "Commander, Wu Lingxun has been released by the enemy and sent back, without a scratch."

"Bring him in for questioning!"

Huangfu Weiming said coldly, calculating in his mind whether to behead Wu Lingxun to enforce military discipline.

The moment he was brought into the commander's tent, Wu Lingxun dropped straight to his knees before Huangfu Weiming, putting on a show of still being shaken, and cried out: "Commander, on the Fukou Xing side, it's Fang Guozhong and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army! They are extraordinarily fierce—you absolutely must not underestimate them!"

It was actually him!

Everyone in the military tent was greatly astonished!

The Tang imperial regular army numbered several hundred thousand, but the only one that dared to mutiny in Chang'an and still retreat unscathed was the Yinqiang Xiaojie alone!

Fang Chongyong's record was even more extensive—he had truly fought from Hexi all the way to Hedong, and even gone as far as the edge of the Western Regions; better left unmentioned.

Everyone looked at Wu Lingxun with some sympathy, secretly laughing at his ill fortune.

Running into a Yinqiang Xiaojie Army of roughly equal numbers, led by Fang Chongyong no less, and managing to return with one's troops without being scattered—that already showed the makings of a famous general. Wu Lingxun getting beaten so badly he couldn't tell north from south was, in truth, understandable.

After all, Wu Lingxun only had five thousand men. It was said that at the time they were catching fish by the Fu River, completely unprepared.

"Enough. I shall demote you to Vice General, to serve at my side. You will no longer command an army independently. Do you accept this?"

Huangfu Weiming looked at Wu Lingxun; his tone was cold, but in reality he had already given the man a way to save face.

Wu Lingxun's own troops had all been scattered and suffered heavy casualties. Even if he wanted to command an army independently, there was no one left to command! And the other generals would not share their own private forces with Wu Lingxun either.

This was a very practical problem.

"Thank you, Commander, thank you, Commander… uh, Fang Guozhong also asked me to pass a message to you, Commander, it's…"

Wu Lingxun hemmed and hawed, seemingly afraid to say it.

"At a juncture like this, I am about to lead troops to the Fu River and have no time to waste on you. If you have something to say, say it quickly!"

Huangfu Weiming scolded impatiently.

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army is just the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army; what's so great about them? They're just two arms and two legs, no more brains than anyone else!

Huangfu Weiming felt waves of anger rise in his heart.

"Commander, Fang Guozhong said to keep us all in Yecheng and not go out. Whoever dares to leave the city, he'll kill them one by one…"

Wu Lingxun spoke while watching the expressions of those in the camp; the more he looked, the more frightened they seemed, and in the end he dared not continue.

"Commander, Fang Chongyong is fierce outward but weak inside. Rumor says he was ambushed by Wang Zhongsi with forty thousand troops in Que Shu Valley and is now being pursued by the navy."

Perhaps the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army has crossed the great mountains, gone through Hu Guan and over Fukou Xing. They are on the run, like dogs whose homes have been lost!

"Commander, give this general ten thousand troops, and we can definitely crush them! Decapitate Fang Chongyong and present his head to you, Commander."

Bi Sicheng stepped forward, clasped his fists, and begged for battle!

"Commander, if the rumor is true and Fang Chongyong has already been forced to defect by Li Longji, then we must not rush to capture him.

Better let this general lead troops to persuade his surrender.

If he surrenders, the Commander will be like a tiger with added wings; if he refuses, this general will annihilate him."

Li Guiren also stepped forward, clasped his fists, and begged for battle!

The others in the camp whispered among themselves, each with different thoughts. Some said the great battle was imminent and there was no need to clash with the court rebels; better to pull back forces and let the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army go.

Just as the crowd stalled, an unremarkable person in the camp cautiously raised his right hand and said to Huangfu Weiming, "I have a history with Fang Guozhong and am willing to go persuade him to submit to the Commander."

Huangfu Weiming heard the words amid the chaotic whispers, looked closely, and realized it was Du Fu, the former Left Remnant who had drafted and read the edict!

"You as a negotiator? Really?"

He looked curious and asked Du Fu.

The latter bowed, crossed his hands in salute, and said nothing.

Du Fu earned a "great merit" for persuading the Inspector of Xiangzhou, Wang Tao, to open the city and surrender.

Coincidentally, Huangfu Weiming had few scholars at hand, so Du Fu was directly promoted. Though the rank of Left Remnant was low, it was a close position to the Son of Heaven, effectively treating him as a trusted aide.

"Hmm, then you go."

Huangfu Weiming nodded slightly and said to Li Guiren, "General Li, lead ten thousand troops and pursue carefully; do not be greedy or reckless. I suspect Fang Guozhong intends to seize a canal crossing and head south to the Yellow River."

After much thought, Huangfu Weiming felt Fang Chongyong could only be after the transport ships. Otherwise, given his rebel status, he shouldn't be heading toward Hebei.

In fact, that is precisely Fang Chongyong's cleverness.

He came from Hedong; whether via Puzhou to Guanzhong or through Zhi Guan to the three cities of Heyang, the routes are fraught with dangers.

Instead, taking the Yecheng route is unexpected and not afraid of Brother Ji's troops blocking him.

Yecheng is close to the Yongji Canal; after finding the transport ships, he can head straight south to the Yellow River. Whether he goes to Qingxu or traverses Henan, those areas are weakly controlled by the court and have few elite troops.

With the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's strength and Fang Chongyong's strategy and command, carving out a foothold is no big problem.

But the Hedong army, after this battle, will be severely depleted and its morale scattered, which will be highly detrimental to their upcoming fights.

Huangfu Weiming silently gauged that his side's chances had increased considerably.

Earlier, the Hebei rebels' attack on Hedong faltered because Fang Chongyong rushed to aid there, stabilizing the government forces' base and even counterkilled Cai Xide.

Now the court is so foolish as to cut off its own arm and destroy the Great Wall; Huangfu Weiming feels as if "the Mandate of Heaven is on me", with gifts arriving even while he lies down—such a thing is beyond any dream.

He is already plotting how to defeat Fang Chongyong and pacify Hedong. The court has actually taken care of this for him!

After confirming this today, Huangfu Weiming feels much steadier and is confident about the upcoming clash with government forces in Hebei.

After Li Guiren and Du Fu depart, Huangfu Weiming told the generals, "Hold your positions for now; return to camp and form a strict formation. Remember, when patrolling, watch the surrounding military situation, and report any sign of movement to me immediately."

"Understood!"

The generals clasped fists in unison, saluted, and silently breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as they're not sent to chase the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, let Li Guiren seek merit and go.

Fang Chongyong forced tough generals like Cai Xide to surrender; he's truly a great man!

……

Huan Shui County's seat, situated in a small bend of the canal and surrounded on three sides by water, is naturally an ideal place to establish a ferry. Given this unique geography, it naturally became an important node on the Yongji Canal.

Many government and merchant transport ships dock here to load and unload cargo.

Just after night fell, torches lit the ferry wharf outside Huan Shui County; laborers everywhere moved supplies, hauling grain, arrows, silk, and other goods from the county seat onto the transport ships. Occasionally a fully loaded ship would depart the wharf heading south to the Yellow River.

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army effortlessly seized Huan Shui County, which was scarcely guarded by Hebei rebels, then opened the treasury and took whatever they wanted. They also robbed the local wealthy families.

Likewise, they took whatever they could.

Of course, to make a good show, Fang Chongyong waved his hand and, in the name of Brother Ji and the court, issued "blank notes" to the local wealthy families of Huan Shui County.

They agreed that after a year they could present the IOUs to the court to claim supplies.

During wartime, logistics are paramount and cannot be ignored. Yet every bolt of cloth and every stone of rice is recorded in the ledger, with no deception to young or old.

The local wealthy families, helpless, could only let those ruffians do as they pleased.

"Jiedushi, an army is coming from the west, numbering around ten thousand."

Che Guangqian stepped forward and reported to Fang Chongyong, who was supervising the laborers moving supplies.

"What designation?"

Fang Chongyong asked calmly.

"Jiedushi, the banner bears a character 'Li', the rest unknown. They are currently five li across the river, and could launch a surprise crossing attack on us."

Che Guangqian was not at all flustered; in fact, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army had already moved almost entirely,

leaving only a few hundred at the rear to press forward and supervise the laborers. The vanguard had already boarded transport ships heading south to the Yellow River, scheduled to rendezvous at Biankou.

Now is the flood season of the Yellow River; many seasonal channels are navigable, making it an ideal time to sail south.

"All right, stop loading, you board first; I, the Jiedushi, will be the last to leave."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand lightly, his eyes fixed on the opposite riverbank.

Actually, now nothing can be seen; in the dim light, only the dark silhouettes of some ships, wavering along the shore with the river's ripples.

"Jiedushi, a man has arrived from the opposite riverbank, claiming to be Du Fu, wishing to see you; I have already brought him!"

At that moment, a personal guard stepped forward, clasped fists and saluted Fang Chongyong.

"Du Fu?"

Fang Chongyong was startled, then said to Che Guangqian, "Do as this Jiedushi instructed; now take the troops onto the boat."

"Understood!"

Che Guangqian obeyed, shouted to the laborers moving the supplies to unload the cargo, and told them they could return to the city on their own.

Fang Chongyong looked at Du Fu with a sigh of melancholy, unable to hold back, and said, "It's been years since we last part, Brother Zimei, are you still well?"

"That truly… it's really hard to put into words."

Du Fu let out a long sigh, not knowing what to say.

Fang Chongyong took the wine sack from his waist, handed it to Du Fu and said, "Don't say anything else, drink first!"

Du Fu didn't hold back, grabbed the wine sack, gulped a large mouthful, and instantly a rush of alcohol surged to his head.

At that moment his thoughts flowed like a spring; sighing, he began to recite poetry:

"Life does not meet, moving like the constellations of the Three Stars and the Merchant."

"What night is this again, sharing this lamp's light."

"How long can youth last? Our temples are already grey."

"Visiting the old, half become ghosts, startling cries heat the gut."

"Who could know that after twenty years, we would return to the gentleman's hall."

"When we last part, you were unmarried; now children have suddenly formed a line."

"Pleasantly respecting father's will, ask where I have come from."

"The questioning does not end, driving the son to fetch wine."

"Night rain cuts spring chives, newly cooked millet."

"The host says meeting is hard, one act accumulates ten cups."

"Even ten cups do not intoxicate, feeling your old intention long."

"Tomorrow separated by mountains, worldly affairs both vague."

"Coming today, Du (I) told Huangfu Weiming that I was here to persuade surrender, but in fact I came to act for the lord."

"Next meeting, I don't know what year or month it will be."

Du Fu's old tears streamed, he wiped the corner of his eye with his sleeve, never mentioning the matter of leaving Hebei together with Fang Chongyong, nor his own situation.

He could not return, only follow Huangfu Weiming down a single road into darkness.

Today the world's situation is chaotic; Crown Prince Li Chang also acts on his own. The Hebei rebels, nominally bearing the slogan of Honored Prince Li Wan and others, have already established a capital and proclaimed themselves emperor.

And the present sage acts contrary, committing terrible deeds; many have already abandoned him.

Du Fu also does not want to mix with Ji Ge.

Who is a good person, who is a bad person? Who is a loyal minister, who is a rebel?

Such matters cannot be clarified in a few words; people with different ideas cannot persuade each other!

In this chaotic and chaotic world, everyone cannot see whether the road ahead is a smooth path or a dead end.

All one can do is wish each other peace.

"Brother Zimei, don't you want to go south to Bianzhou together with someone?"

Fang Chongyong took the wine sack Du Fu handed over and asked.

"Everyone has their own aspirations; the Jiedushi may go as he wishes."

Having said that, Du Fu turned and left, without any pause.

(End of chapter)