Chapter 469: Fierce Performance Art (Part One)

Seeing Li Jiaqing bound hand and foot with rope yet surprisingly without any escort, Li Mi asked curiously, "General Li, what exactly is going on here?"

It was Li Chang who stepped forward and untied Li Jiaqing. In truth, the Luoyang garrison could have done this job, but Li Jiaqing had insistently demanded that those soldiers not untie him, so that the Crown Prince would surely see his "wretched state."

"Crown Prince, Lord Li, something momentous has happened. Fang Chongyong and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army have seized Bianzhou. This general failed to stay alert and fell into their trap, but fortunately there were no casualties."

Li Jiaqing, heedless of the fact that this was the city gate, recounted in full detail everything that had happened in Bianzhou to Crown Prince Li Chang and to Li Mi, the chancellor whom Li Chang had "conferred."

Upon hearing this explosive news, everyone present drew in a sharp breath!

The Hebei rebel army was bearing down fiercely; just keeping them blocked north of the Yellow River had already stretched Luoyang's resources to the breaking point.

And the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army was one of the most renowned formidable forces in the realm, assembled from the cream of the border armies and tempered in the Western Regions and beyond, with exceedingly rich combat experience.

Their seizure of Bianzhou was not necessarily good news for Li Chang!

"I nearly forgot—Fang Chongyong wrote a letter to the Crown Prince."

Li Jiaqing hastily pulled the letter from his robe and handed it to Li Chang.

"Your Highness, this is no place for discussion. This matter is of the utmost gravity and demands careful deliberation!"

Li Mi suggested with an impassive expression.

Neither Fang Chongyong nor the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army could be easily dismissed. Li Chang gave a slight nod, his face dark as water, and beckoned everyone to return to Shangyang Palace to discuss the great matter.

The party arrived at Shangyang Palace, and Li Chang sent someone to summon Fang Youde, who was drilling troops at the military camp outside Luoyang. He passed Fang Chongyong's handwritten letter around for everyone to read, then looked at Fang Youde and asked, "Quanzhong, Fang Guozhong is your only son. What does he mean by this letter?"

"Wolfish ambition—his crime warrants execution!"

Fang Youde abruptly spat out eight words.

Both Li Chang and Li Mi were startled, fearing that Fang Youde would put righteousness above family and propose leading troops to subjugate Bianzhou!

They truly could not afford any more upheaval now!

"However, with the Hebei rebel army glaring like tigers at present, we cannot deal with this wretched beast for the time being. Alas, misfortune in my own house."

Fang Youde could not help shaking his head and sighing.

"Lord Fang's loyalty and devotion to the state make him a model for all officials!"

Li Mi could not help but praise him, then shifted his tone and pressed further, "But as for what Fang Chongyong has requested in his letter—how should we respond?"

This "Jiedushi Fang" had quite an appetite. The moment he opened his mouth, he wanted six prosperous prefectures in the Henan Circuit—Bianzhou, Songzhou, Caozhou, Chenzhou, Bozhou, and Yingzhou—plus the authority to recruit, deploy, and command troops.

If the toxicity of the Hebei rebel army were rated at one hundred, then this insubordinate Jiedushi Fang's toxicity was at least fifty.

Even if they were not birds of a feather, they were not far off.

"Crown Prince, much of what I am about to say may be somewhat inappropriate, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and I can no longer stand on ceremony.

With the Hebei rebel army glaring like tigers at present, we are under enormous pressure and truly cannot spare troops to send to Bianzhou. Moreover, Bianzhou does indeed need a battle-hardened general to garrison it.

Fang Chongyong's occupying Bianzhou with troops under his command shows that he has not chosen to collude with the Hebei rebel army.

I believe that the Crown Prince's entry into Chang'an to ascend the throne comes first; pacifying Hebei comes second; and retaking Bianzhou is least urgent—it can be dealt with last.

Since Fang Chongyong has asked for these six prefectures, let him administer them for now. In any case, Luoyang will not give him a single grain of rice or a single bolt of cloth.

When the Hebei rebel army arrives, they will not care whether he is the Crown Prince's man!

The Crown Prince can openly and formally appoint Fang Chongyong as Jiedushi of the Xuanwu Army, and then issue a proclamation denouncing the current Emperor for persecuting the loyal and the good.

Furthermore, in Jingxiang and east of Mount Tai, there are currently several imperial princes whom the Emperor has appointed as Jiedushi. The Crown Prince might, while appointing Fang Chongyong as Jiedushi of the Zhongwu Army, also appoint other imperial princes, so as to counterbalance them."

Fang Youde proposed a stratagem whose effect was no less than stabbing the Emperor in the back.

Hearing this, Li Mi concurred, "Your Highness, Lord Fang speaks quite rightly. Your Highness could even replace the prefectural inspectors. Right now the Emperor is in Hedong, precisely when he is powerless to govern."

Power cannot tolerate a vacuum; once a vacuum appears, other forces will seize the opportunity to fill it.

With the Emperor unable to govern from Hedong, the bureaucratic system running on its own in Chang'an also lacked legitimacy. At this juncture, when the Crown Prince in Luoyang spoke up to appoint and dismiss local officials, it was tantamount to "grafting" the Emperor's authority onto himself.

Since the Emperor could not properly exercise the powers of his throne, someone would exercise those powers in his stead.

"You two beloved ministers speak with great reason!"

The moment he heard it would cause trouble for the Emperor, Li Chang immediately grew excited!

"Lord Li, draft an imperial edict at once, and carry it out exactly as Lord Fang just proposed."

He instructed Li Mi with some urgency.

"This minister will go attend to it at once."

Li Mi accepted the order crisply and departed.

After he left, Li Chang sighed softly and asked Fang Youde, "As the saying goes, father and son make the best soldiers in battle. Why can you not persuade Fang Guozhong to serve me wholeheartedly?"

"He... I have failed in raising my son and am deeply ashamed. Your Highness should simply pretend I never had this son."

Fang Youde said with a bitter smile.

He of course knew what kind of monstrous creature dwelt inside Fang Chongyong's body. That sort could only be "persuaded" with a blade—running one's mouth was useless.

……

Kaifeng was the administrative seat of Bianzhou, situated at a key node of the canal, and therefore its commerce was extremely prosperous.

So then, since the Hebei rebellion began, had Kaifeng declined due to the ravages of war?

The answer was no.

Because the Yellow River had become the front line between the two armies, Kaifeng became the terminus of the Tongji Canal and the distribution hub for overland transport northward.

Not only did it not decline due to the war, it actually grew even livelier.

Canal boats could no longer travel to Heyin County, much less go directly to Chang'an, and had no choice but to unload and load cargo at the ferry docks outside Kaifeng's walls.

With foot traffic came commerce naturally; a large influx of outsiders meant business naturally flourished.

Previously, disembarking at the ferry dock cost each person one copper coin as a "head tax." Here the scale of commerce was large, and food, clothing, shelter, and transport all cost money. Therefore, although Kaifeng's county town itself was not large, the surrounding market towns and ferry docks were everywhere, and its prosperity was not the slightest bit inferior to Taiyuan in Hedong.

On this day, Fang Chongyong brought his subordinate officers to inspect the canal ferry dock east of the city. This was the largest ferry dock near Kaifeng; only Yangzhou had a ferry dock of greater scale.

People came and went, shoulder to shoulder, and the shouts of buying and selling were incessant.

Fang Chongyong's party could not even ride horses here; if they did, nine times out of ten they would knock down pedestrians.

"Jiedushi, there are so many people here. If war breaks out, how are we to defend against it?"

Dressed in a brocade robe in the guise of a wealthy merchant, yet with an air that seemed utterly incongruous, He Changqi asked in a low voice.

A temporary market had already formed near the ferry crossing, setting up stalls in the morning and packing up in the evening, selling all manner of goods. Fang Youde had originally arranged for men of the Xuanwu Army to collect "protection fees" here, but now that Fang Chongyong had taken over Bianzhou, this policy had not yet been continued for the time being.

Fang Chongyong did not pick up on He Changqi's words, only staring unblinking at the passersby, looking deep in thought.

"Jiedushi?"

He Changqi called out again.

"Bianzhou, if one relies on passive defense alone, cannot be held."

Fang Chongyong sighed softly and spoke, also feeling himself powerless. Of course, if it were purely a matter of defending to the death, that was indeed the case.

So since defending to the death would not work, naturally the only option was to execute "mobile defense" and "active defense." One cannot die from holding in one's urine.

"Old Duan, I hear that back in your days in the Shuofang Army, you were quite adept at infrastructure construction?"

Fang Chongyong asked Duan Xiushi.

"Infrastructure? Oh, oh, yes. Back then, this subordinate was often in charge of overseeing the building of bridges and roads, and the construction of fortresses and stockades in the army. I gained quite a few insights!"

Duan Xiushi hastily replied.

"Good! Return to the prefectural office now. I have an important matter to instruct you all to carry out."

Fang Chongyong suddenly thought of something interesting and was burning with urgency to get it done.

The group returned to the prefectural office with matters weighing on their minds. Fang Chongyong also called over his household slave A Duan.

He pointed at A Duan and said to Che Guangqian: "This household slave of mine comes from the mountains and has great experience in capturing tigers and leopards. Select a hundred capable soldiers from the army and search thoroughly through the mountain forests of Bianzhou and nearby prefectures and counties to see if you can catch some tigers and leopards. They must be caught alive."

"Jiedushi, confirm that it is tigers and leopards to be caught?"

Che Guangqian thought he had misheard.

"Yes, it is indeed tigers and leopards to be caught."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and repeated the military order once more.

During the Tang dynasty, tigers and leopards were extremely numerous in Henan. Many remote and impoverished areas had tigers and leopards gathered, terrorizing the local populace.

There were also many mountain forests named after "tigers and leopards," reminding outsiders not to enter lightly, lest they become food for tigers and leopards. In short, encountering wolves, tigers, and leopards while traveling was basic routine in the Tang dynasty, and there are many related records in historical sources.

The matter of "catching tigers and leopards" that Fang Chongyong spoke of was not particularly unusual. Many martial men, and even mountain dwellers in the hills, had done it before.

But as to what these fierce beasts were to be caught for, that was a matter of individual interpretation. In any case, Che Guangqian and the others had not figured out what Fang Chongyong was trying to do.

"Do you have any questions?"

Fang Chongyong asked A Duan.

"Rest assured, Master."

A Duan replied in halting Chinese.

"He Laohu, go to the army and select some soldiers who are bold and physically strong. I have an important use for them."

Fang Chongyong instructed He Changqi.

"Orders received!"

After everyone had left, Fang Chongyong finally let out a long breath.

The more perilous the prospect of war, the more drastic the measures needed to stabilize people's hearts. The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army had just arrived in Bianzhou; people's hearts were not yet won over, and the locals did not know whether they could actually fight or what their skill level was.

Since there was no trust, naturally things would go wrong at critical moments.

Without breaking through this psychological barrier, much of the work ahead could not be carried out either. Never mind governing the six prefectures—even Bianzhou itself, Fang Chongyong might not be able to manage.

The loyalty of newly trained soldiers would certainly fall far short of the veterans of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army.

In normal times the difference would not show, but once fighting broke out, the cracks would show.

Moreover, everyone locally was in fact harboring doubts about whether the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army could hold Bianzhou.

If Fang Chongyong could not establish his authority, then whether it was the local independent farmers, the powerful landowners, or the traveling merchants, none of them would take the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army seriously.

Fang Chongyong rubbed his temples. Previously, he had relied on the imperial authority of Brother Ji. Whether going to the Western Regions to be a big shot or going to Hedong to save the day, he could smoothly take over local military and civil administration as a matter of course.

But now he was working on his own. Things that had previously been a matter of course had now instead become an unattainable luxury.

Authority established by holding a blade to someone's neck was ultimately no different from a street thug's. Like a castle on the beach, a single wave washing over would scatter it.

To establish authority in this locale that was independent of the Tang imperial government—how could that be easy!

At this very moment, Fang Chongyong also came to appreciate the troubles of being a rebel. Roaming from place to place was easy; building a base was hard.

It was like an executive of some large company in a past life, stepping out to start a small company on his own. Things that could be accomplished with a single word in the past now often felt like climbing a mountain, expending tremendous effort yet still unable to get it done.

Just as he was racking his brains for a countermeasure, Wang Yunxiu unexpectedly came from home to find him at the prefectural office.

"Why has my lady come to the prefectural office? Were you not so exhausted last night that you couldn't move?"

The moment he saw Wang Yunxiu's dignified and virtuous demeanor, Fang Chongyong was reminded of her fiery passion when she sought intimacy in bed last night—an enormous contrast—and so he could not resist teasing her.

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Wang Yunxiu stomped her feet in shame and anger. That her body had desperately craved a man's attentions last night was not her fault—it was her body betraying her will.

"There is an urgent matter. Return to the residence at once."

Wang Yunxiu leaned in and said in a lowered voice.

"What is it?"

Fang Chongyong asked back with a puzzled look on his face. He did not think anything could have happened at his home.

Aside from Fang Laique having married Zheng Shuqing's niece but not knowing how to consummate the marriage, there was nothing major going on at home.

"There is an unexpected visitor! Do not make it known!"

Wang Yunxiu said sternly.

Fang Chongyong also set aside his lustful thoughts and nodded slightly: "Good, I shall return at once."

The two returned to the large residence within Kaifeng city. Wang Yunxiu led Fang Chongyong to the study, and upon seeing who the visitor was, Fang Chongyong blurted out: "It's you?"

……

Looking at the little old man with white hair before him, Fang Chongyong let out a helpless sigh and said: "No matter what, the Du Gu family will be fine in Chang'an. You've come all the way to Bianzhou—what's the point?"

Sitting opposite him was precisely the father of his concubine Du Gu Thirteenth Lady: Du Gu Li.

"Worthy son-in-law, old man, I've come here for a major matter."

Du Gu Li rubbed his hands, gave an embarrassed smile, and said: "When asking someone for help, you definitely have to be humble and polite."

"You must be here about Prince Ying Li Ying's affair, right? His consort is Du Gu Twelfth Lady. What he wants to do, I can tell even with my toes."

Fang Chongyong took the letter Du Gu Li handed over, and indeed it was Prince Ying Li Ying's personal letter. As for someone like Du Gu Li, a Chang'an magnate, Fang Chongyong believed he had already seen through their hearts and minds.

As expected, upon opening the letter, Li Ying first exchanged pleasantries, then immediately proposed in the letter that Fang Chongyong lead troops to Xiangyang, where he would ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor.

As long as Fang Chongyong is willing to come, all military authority will be under his sole control!

Once Prince Ying inherits the great throne, as long as it's not the throne itself, Fang Chongyong can ask for anything, and he will give it and can afford to!

One cannot deny that, judging solely by the promises in this letter, Li Ying's sincerity is indeed ample.

In short, he is willing to actively become a banner for Fang Chongyong, allowing him to recruit troops and buy horses under Li Ying's name.

We are either brothers-in-law or ruler and subject—truly a case of kin upon kin! Why wouldn't we join forces?

Li Ying's calculations are certainly not without effect!

"Worthy son-in-law, I have arrived in Bianzhou and found this place extraordinarily prosperous.

"Actually, even letting Prince Ying come to Bianzhou would be fine; as long as you say a word, I'll go back and relay the message."

Du Gu Li hehehed with a smile, as if he could already see himself and his family about to flourish.

(End of chapter)