Chapter 478: The Calm Before the Storm

A few days later, at the ferry outside Kaifeng, the first batch of arriving tuanjie soldiers came in. They were from Cao Prefecture, numbering over seven hundred.

The tuanjie soldier system is recruited by provincial governors (or Jiedushi) who also serve as "tuanlian officers," conscripting them into the army without registering them in the regular military rolls, yet they perform every military duty without omission.

During service they are only given personal rations of grain and pickles, no salary; simply put, they join the troops just to get a meal.

Tuanjie soldiers are required to assist frontier garrison officials in defending their territories or to cooperate in combat; they themselves will not be detached from production for long, and after the military task ends they are immediately sent back home.

If the war is prolonged, they are rotated regularly, their nature lying between militia and mercenaries, and they are not a non‑productive army.

In any case, being a tuanjie soldier is no privilege; if there is no war, every region avoids it if they can.

Fang Chongyong glanced at the morale of these tuanjie soldiers and their uniforms and weapons, and couldn't help but frown slightly.

The uniforms are relatively new, but they are worn loosely and the military bearing is sloppy. Their faces all show drowsy, lazy expressions, and there are hardly any archers at all.

Among the Tang troops, marksmanship is highly valued; few senior generals cannot shoot, and even Fang Chongyong has practiced mounted archery for many years, to the point that his arms are slightly deformed.

The scarcity of archers indicates that there are few people with any real military skill.

As for armor, haha, most of them are just a leather vest hung on the chest, a simple iron helm on the head, sometimes even rusted, looking extremely perfunctory.

This group cares little about either their weapons or their maintenance.

"These are just farmers who have put down their hoes; can they stand up to the rebels under Huangfu Weiming? Even a city guard would be enough to be annoyed!"

Fang Chongyong looked at the nearby Che Guangqian, shocked, feeling that these men could at most transport grain, and nothing else could realistically be entrusted to them.

In Fang Chongyong's view, these provincial governors, for the sake of their own lives and fortunes, must at least have some concern for military affairs, right?

He didn't expect others to be so uninhibited!

Or perhaps training a combat‑ready army is truly not as simple as he imagined.

"Jiedushi, the Central Plains have enjoyed peace for many years; perhaps they think that the elite troops of the Tang border garrisons and battlefield clashes are just that."

Che Guangqian also gave a wry smile; they had originally had some expectations for these self‑recruited tuanjie soldiers from each province, but they turned out so inadequate.

Fang Chongyong nodded thoughtfully, beginning to understand why in the late Tang and even the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, three thousand elite troops could roam several provinces, ten thousand could dominate a region, and fifty thousand could contend for the empire.

Indeed, the so‑called "garrison troops" are vastly overstated!

"Everyone, come over! What are you looking at? I'm talking to you!"

"Damn, if you don't clean up, you're not being honest! What kind of virtue is that!"

At that moment, He Changqi led a dozen soldiers from the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, guiding the Cao Prefecture tuanjie soldiers to assemble, brandishing weapons while muttering curses.

"Um, where did that Li Jilan end up in the end?"

Fang Chongyong saw He Changqi, suddenly recalled this batch, and asked curiously.

Che Guangqian thought for a moment, leaned in and whispered:

"Jiedushi, He Laohu and his men were all afraid that Li Jilan was carrying a disease, so they wouldn't take him. Later a fire chief, who commanded five men, didn't mind and took him back to play for three days."

When they got bored, they released Li Jilan.

As for who that person actually is, I, the junior officer, haven't paid attention; shall I go inquire?

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong suddenly understood. He waved his hand, signaling Che Guangqian not to create any side issues.

Anaye has been in the army for a long time; she's also sharp‑tongued, often bringing up how men who mess around can catch diseases, making He Changqi and the others terrified.

However, being "played" by a Qiu Ba in a near‑imprisonment for three days… Li Jilan's life experience was indeed enriched.

"You few, you're so lacking in decorum; if you don't like her, just set her free."

"If you don't want her, give her to a fire chief to play with; this nonsense, how could you possibly pull it off?"

Fang Chongyong scolded, feigning displeasure.

"Jiedushi, these women who love to dabble in literature are especially disdainful of the Qiu Ba who wear armor and wield weapons. The brothers' ambition is not in women, but in a single breath in their hearts."

"Not even seeking a beggar to toy with Li Jilan, already out of respect for the Jiedushi's grant, we cannot dare to trample on our honor; how could we possibly present such a woman?"

Che Guangqian whispered in defense, saying he wouldn't do such a thing, but could understand why the Qiu Ba below would act that way.

"Send someone to the provincial capitals to urge the provincial governors to quickly send the tuanjie soldiers to Bianzhou for collective training.

Also, immediately select officers from the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army to lead the fully trained tuanjie soldiers to assume posts in the various provincial capitals.

Establish a defensive line system; war is near, and the flames will soon reach Henan."

Fang Chongyong gave Che Guangqian a few instructions, then headed straight for Kaifeng's city gate; he was to return to the prefectural office to work, preparing to face the forthcoming severe challenges.

Last night, an "internal line" from Hedong sent a secret letter, saying Wang Zhongsi had been relieved of the position of Deputy Grand Marshal of the imperial armies, and now only handles logistics and tuanjie soldier training in Hedong.

The imperial army's power structure shifted from "one king supreme" to "four lords standing together"; Ji Ge nominally holds the highest direct command authority over the troops!

And they are preparing to advance from Hedong into Hebei!

The decisive battle that will determine the realm's direction may already have the arrow on the string, inevitable to release!

Although Fang Chongyong is not optimistic about Ji Ge, he cannot be entirely certain that the imperial army truly has no chance of victory.

After all, the four people now holding the army's supreme power are not idle loafers!

Returning to the Jiedushi's office inside Kaifeng, Fang Chongyong hadn't even warmed his seat in the study when an uninvited guest arrived.

"Why is it you?"

Looking at Zheng Shuqing in plain cloth, only wearing a simple headwrap, Fang Chongyong asked with a puzzled expression. This man was indeed a rare visitor; he should have been in Chang'an.

"Never mind, I'm just avoiding disaster."

Zheng Shuqing was unabashed, sitting directly opposite Fang Chongyong, and let out a long sigh.

"Um, you who are avoiding disaster, where shall we begin?"

Fang Chongyong grew more confused as he listened.

Zheng Shuqing had previously been dismissed by Ji Ge, yet he still held the position of Minister of Works.

To demonstrate to the outside world that his removal was not due to the "Rebellion Suppression Edict" from Hebei.

"The brothers Yan Zhenqing and Yan Gaoqing are secretly contacting various factions, aiming to bring Crown Prince Li Chang into Chang'an to ascend the throne! Now rumors flood Chang'an, chaos beyond measure!"

"At this critical moment, if we don't flee, are we to wait for death in Chang'an?"

Zheng Shuqing, irritated, snapped back, and drained the fine wine in his cup in one gulp.

Fang Chongyong gave a slight nod, without expressing approval or disapproval.

When it comes to an official's "survival instinct," Zheng Shuqing dares to claim second place in the court, and no one dares to claim first.

Suddenly, Fang Chongyong sensed that some parts of Zheng Shuqing's words were indeed off.

"As far as I know, Minister Yan has always been loyal to the royal cause; how has he now become a rebel?"

Fang Chongyong was a bit confused, wondering if the world had changed so fast that he couldn't keep up with the times.

But upon hearing this, Zheng Shuqing's face showed a hint of mockery, and he sighed, saying:

"Li Mi and your father supported Crown Prince Li Chang; do they count as rebels?"

"The princes across the lands are recruiting soldiers and buying horses; does that make them rebels?"

"Huangfu Weiming supports Prince Rong Li Wan; does that make them rebels?"

"These are ultimately just the Li family's private affairs; Yan Zhenqing stands on the Crown Prince's side, so what's so strange about that?"

"Ask among all the myriad beings of the world, who is not a rebel in your words? I have now abandoned my post and left Chang'an; that makes me a rebel too!"

Zheng Shuqing's words were truly deafening.

Fang Chongyong thought about it and found it was indeed the case! Brother Ji Ge gradually lost control of the situation, so it's no wonder others have their own plans.

After all, a living person shouldn't be killed by a full bladder!

"You aren't having it easy either."

Fang Chongyong couldn't help a sigh of lament, but at that moment he suddenly recalled an urgent matter.

Fang Chongyong recalled the records of the An Lushan Rebellion from his previous life; the main conflicts described in the histories were basically between the imperial army and the rebel forces, which can be bluntly labeled.

Either they were on the court's side or on the rebel side; there was little middle ground.

But now, upon careful consideration, he found it wasn't entirely so.

According to the practices of that time, actually most people were loyal to Emperor Tang Suzong, Li Heng!

After the Mawei Station incident, they were not loyal to Brother Ji Ge!

After Brother Ji Ge went to the Shu region, orders could not even be issued from Chengdu!

Fang Chongyong suddenly realized he had greatly underestimated Li Mi's keen insight, as well as Fang Youde's prophetic ability as a "time‑traveler."

Or one could say he greatly underestimated the current Crown Prince Li Chang's charisma!

And the speed at which power backlashes against Brother Ji Ge!

Seeing Fang Chongyong staring off, Zheng Shuqing moved close to him and whispered, "I will now give you a generous gift to help you establish a foothold in Bianzhou."

"Ha?"

Hearing that, Fang Chongyong reflexively retorted, "You are now without an office and free of burdens; are you planning to donate the Zheng family's wealth to me for military expenses?"

"No, no!"

Zheng Shuqing waved his hand and explained:

"A few days ago, I used my position in the Ministry of Works to issue orders to strengthen the defenses of Chang'an, demanding that the provinces of the Two Huais and the Jiangnan prefectures load portions of their armaments and supplies from the treasury—spears, pikes, Hu Lu, arrows, knives, swords, long knives, knot‑untying spikes, chain‑mail, axes, helmets, breastplates, armor, abdominal armor, battle boots, chainmail, etc. —onto ships, send them via the canal to Chang'an."

"I suppose those transport ships will now be passing one after another through the ferry outside Kaifeng, heading to the Yellow River and then to Chang'an. The Jiedushi should keep an eye out and intercept this shipment of arms, which would be enough to equip two hundred thousand troops."

"Of course, there will certainly be inspectors who refuse to obey the court's orders and are outwardly compliant but secretly defiant. The Jiedushi can take the Ministry of Works' orders to those prefectures and urge them to comply."

Zheng Shuqing pulled a stack of Ministry of Works supply orders from his coat; they were already signed and sealed, but the section for the order's content was left blank, allowing one to fill it in oneself.

"In short, Fang Chongyong just needs to lead troops to the treasury warehouses of the prefectures along the canal and take the goods."

"If those people refuse, simply eliminate them, then afterwards declare that the prefect of that province rebelled, thereby justifying a rightful takeover of the region."

"This matter must not be delayed; it must be dealt with swiftly. The longer it drags on, the weaker the court's authority becomes, and the more people will develop dissent."

Fang Chongyong's expression turned complex as he tucked away the "priceless" Ministry of Works orders, feeling a swirl of emotions. He glanced at Zheng Shuqing's smug, seasoned face, as if for the first time he truly grasped how deft the old court officials of the Great Tang could be!

I'm not afraid of a thug, only of a cultured thug.

Zheng Shuqing, this cultured thug, is like a fighter jet among insects! When it comes to proper matters he fails, but in underhanded schemes he moves as smoothly as flowing clouds.

Deliberately moving the court's armaments so that they are "accidentally" intercepted by the Xuanwu Army Jiedushi—how should one describe that move?

It's really despicable!

At this moment, Fang Chongyong no longer dares to underestimate the ancients' wisdom and daring tactics!

"Indeed, you also don't have faith in the sage?"

Fang Chongyong looked at Zheng Shuqing and asked.

But his question was essentially rhetorical; in fact Old Zheng's choice was already clear—he simply saw the great house about to collapse and wanted to scoop up a profit before leaving.

"Let's not even mention the sage; few in the court believe the sage can smoothly quell the rebellion and defeat Huangfu Weiming.

They just want to welcome the Crown Prince into Chang'an for his enthronement, thinking the Crown Prince has several decades left, enough for their families' next generation to cause trouble, sigh!

These short‑sighted people, with the world in chaos, how can the Crown Prince alone tidy up the aftermath? A mere boy is not worthy of counsel!

Zheng Shuqing, pained and indignant, hammered the desk, and even his...

Yan Zhenqing and Yan Gaoxing brothers were still coordinating various factions, yet Zheng Shuqing, an outsider already far from the center of power, already knew roughly what was happening!

They don't even understand that lack of secrecy leads to defeat, so what are they even playing at!

With his keen political sense, Zheng Shuqing quickly slipped away; after all, those people didn't regard him highly.

"You shouldn't return to Chang'an, no matter...

Zheng Shuqing couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

"First, go back to your old home in Xingyang and have a look; as for official posts, I will arrange them."

Fang Chongyong poured another cup of wine for Zheng Shuqing; he knew exactly what this old man was thinking.

Sure enough, Zheng Shuqing chuckled, "Talking with you is easy; there's no need for a very demanding office, I'm already old enough."

After seeing Zheng Shuqing off, Fang Chongyong finally fell into contemplation.

The situation in the realm was even more chaotic than he had originally anticipated. The future direction was truly hard to predict.

Sure enough, build high walls, stockpile grain widely, and delay claiming the throne—this is a truth that holds everywhere under heaven.

……

Inside the great hall of Shangyang Palace in Luoyang, Li Mi handed Yan Zhenqing's personal letter to Crown Prince Li Chang, then stepped to the side and said nothing.

The several people present, including Fang Youde, all wore grave expressions.

The course of events had exceeded their original plan.

But now that the opportunity had come, whether to ascend the throne and take power ahead of schedule was a troubling question.

"My beloved ministers, what do you think?"

Crown Prince Li Chang handed Yan Zhenqing's personal letter to Fang Youde and asked in a low voice.

The others' opinions did not matter; without Fang Youde leading troops to capture Chang'an, everything else was empty talk.

"The arrow is on the string and must be loosed."

Fang Youde did not say yes or no, but directly spoke these eight characters.

"Your Highness, these people are a group who support the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne. If they meet with mishap and are lost, then even if the Crown Prince enters Chang'an in the future, there will be no one available to use!

This humble servant also suggests that there is no time to lose—from this moment on, formulate a plan and march toward Chang'an."

Li Mi bowed with hands crossed and said to Li Chang.

He sighed silently in his heart.

Sometimes, no matter how good one's own plan is, when encountering "pig teammates," there is nothing one can do to help.