Chapter 480: Wind Rises

The Tongguan area is an integrated defense system; its general layout has never changed.

But the location of Tongguan Gate Tower basically changed every few decades before, undergoing many alterations over hundreds of years, repeatedly tearing down the old and building anew.

Until the second year of Tianzu under Wu Zetian of the Great Tang (691 AD), Tongguan moved north from the plateau to its base, opened a road along the river, moved closer to the Yellow River, built a gate tower, and dug a moat outside the city — this is the old Tongguan city.

This time the position of Tongguan Gate Tower finally stabilized, and it was not rebuilt or expanded until the Ming dynasty.

Under orders from his elder brother Ji, Cui Qianyou is now commanding the newly formed Black Cloud Long Sword Army stationed here. Although fewer than ten thousand troops, the soldiers are all veteran fighters.

Their stationing at Tongguan blocks the Imperial Road between the two capitals, preventing anyone from traveling between Chang'an and Luoyang.

This includes both the Hebei rebels and the Crown Prince Li Chang, who holds Luoyang.

Cui Qianyou is not entirely clear about the movements in Hebei and Hedong, but he knows exactly what is happening in nearby Luoyang, and he also understands the emperor's strategic intent in stationing him and the Black Cloud Long Sword Army here.

This move is not aimed at the Hebei rebels; its main purpose is to keep an eye on the Crown Prince and prevent him from entering Chang'an!

This leaves Cui Qianyou worried about the future direction of the political situation.

This morning, Cui Qianyou was leading troops to inspect Tongguan Gate Tower when an eastern scout suddenly arrived with an urgent military report!

"Are you saying the troops from Luoyang have captured Shanzhou?"

Upon hearing this news, Cui Qianyou thought he was hallucinating.

The scout immediately reported: "Yes, General Cui, Governor Zhao Liangbi of Shanzhou opened the city and surrendered. To call it a capture is not entirely accurate; it was essentially a bloodless takeover."

"Alright, go rest."

Cui Qianyou impatiently waved his hand.

What he had feared most finally came to pass.

"Pass the order: send more troops to patrol Yellow Lane Slope, disrupt the rotation schedules of all passes and gates, and I will deploy earlier by one shichen."

Cui Qianyou gave the order with a cold face to his personal guards nearby.

Tongguan Gate Tower lies on a stretch of Yellow Lane Slope, with a narrow path ahead and another behind, making it a two-way defense.

"Received!"

The personal guards took the order and vanished from sight in an instant.

Cui Qianyou gazed at the distant morning sun, which was dyeing the Yellow River's surface red, a grandeur beyond words.

And there was a hint of desolation.

Cui Qianyou and his elite troops are pinned down at Tongguan, unable to move.

Even a slight shift could greatly alter the balance of the world.

It is as if this were their destiny.

Now the Hebei rebels remain unsubdued, while the conflict between the Crown Prince and the emperor has instead flared up prematurely.

The Crown Prince seeks to seize power—what should be done?

Under the great principle that imperial authority is supreme, fathers are fathers and sons are sons, rulers are rulers and ministers are ministers, it is now hard to tell right from wrong.

To some extent, whether one sides with the Crown Prince or the emperor, neither is blameworthy.

"General Cui, urgent military report!"

Less than a shichen later, a scout hurriedly rushed up to the wall and came before Cui Qianyou.

He was drenched in sweat and panting, clearly having fled back on a fast horse in panic.

"Speak."

Before noon, we have already received two urgent military reports in a single day.

Cui Qianyou instantly sensed that something grave was afoot; though his face remained still as water, his heart churned with turmoil.

"The Luoyang forces have already taken Lake City, which is right on Tongguan's doorstep! The commander of Lake City died in battle, and the magistrate surrendered."

The scout's tone betrayed disbelief; in fact, Cui Qianyou himself found it hard to believe.

The previous scout said the Luoyang army had captured Shanzhou, and now they have already reached the forward outpost of Lake City before Tongguan!

How fast! This isn't warfare—it's a marathon!

Realizing this, Cui Qianyou suddenly understood: the only reason for the enemy's speed is that they have met no resistance along the way.

If they just march without fighting, how could they not be fast?

To the west of Lake City lies the entrance of Yellow Lane Slope; the Crown Prince's forces have almost reached our noses!

However, as he was still pondering, a personal guard came running from afar, holding an arrow with a letter tied to it, and presented it with both hands to Cui Qianyou.

"General Cui, a scout downstairs shot up a letter; please have a look!"

"Hmm."

Cui Qianyou nodded slightly and lightly waved his hand.

This must be a letter urging surrender!

Cui Qianyou took the paper from the arrow, opened it, and his expression changed repeatedly.

It is a personal letter from Crown Prince Li Chang, with no nonsense, demanding that Cui Qianyou open the gate of Tongguan Gate Tower and let them pass.

It also says the emperor has lost virtue and misruled, causing resentment throughout the land; the Crown Prince will inherit the great mandate and, on this march, go to Chang'an to ascend the throne and become emperor.

In the future, as a minister who follows the dragon, you will enjoy fame for ages and will not lack wealth and honor.

Until now you have done nothing, which is forgivable; but now that you have seen this letter, you should follow the trend, obey heaven's will, support the Crown Prince, and go to Chang'an to ascend the throne.

If you aid a tyrant and help a tiger devour, you will not only leave a stench for ten thousand generations, but also implicate your family.

What path to take—I hope you ponder carefully, lest a single misstep bring eternal ruin.

What should we do?

After reading the letter, Cui Qianyou's heart pounded, and he found it hard to decide for a moment.

What does a true man rely on to stand firm between heaven and earth?

One is loyalty, two is righteousness.

Cui Qianyou asked himself a question, and he quickly had an answer.

He had never been a sociable person, even giving people the impression of being "obstinate and self-willed," and his relationships with colleagues had never been particularly good.

Without the Sage, would he have achieved what he has today?

Hard to say—life's fortunes are unpredictable—but most likely not.

Thinking of this, Cui Qianyou casually tore the letter into fragments.

He knew nothing of national righteousness or moral principles; he only knew that without Brother Ji's patronage, there would be no Master Cui's achievements today.

A drop of kindness repaid with a surging spring—now was the time to repay his sovereign's grace.

If even he, a man raised by the Son of Heaven's own hand, were to submit to the Crown Prince's tyrannical power, how would the world view him as a warrior?

Cui Qianyou gripped the hilt of his horizontal saber, turned, and walked down from the watchtower to convene a meeting with his generals.

The Crown Prince Li Chang had forged an imperial edict, wanting to go to Chang'an to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor, and also wanted him to open the gates and surrender, to pass through Tongguan smoothly.

Ha, not a chance!

A cold sneer appeared at the corner of Cui Qianyou's mouth.

If you want Tongguan, then come take it with blade in hand—let's see what you're made of!

……

Several li east of Tongguan city, at the entrance to Huangxiangban, stood an already abandoned watchtower.

Deep within the watchtower's gate passage, one could not see the end of it, as if some monster had opened its gaping maw! Just looking at it made one's scalp tingle.

"Commander Fang, we have already reached Huangxiangban. Should we set up camp here, or continue advancing?"

Li Mi, dressed in a grey Daoist robe, looked at Fang Youde and asked.

"Pass the order down: set up camp on the spot."

Fang Youde instructed his personal guards, not directly answering Li Mi, but instead expressing through action what he intended to do.

Clearly, Fang Youde had no intention of storming Tongguan, and did not even plan to take Huangxiangban right now.

"Cui Qianyou did not surrender—I miscalculated. I just wonder how Commander Fang was so certain that Cui Qianyou would refuse to surrender?"

Li Mi asked with some curiosity.

Fang Youde did not want to engage with him, and replied directly: "Please, Lord Li, write another letter urging Cui Qianyou to surrender."

Li Mi was exceptionally intelligent, and naturally understood the implied meaning behind Fang Youde's words.

On the surface, he was saying "you should try persuading again," but in reality, he was mocking Li Mi: "If you don't believe it, you can try again."

"Commander Fang, the surrender letter must certainly be written. I only ask the Commander to enlighten me."

Li Mi kept his posture very low, even somewhat humble.

His "emerging from seclusion" this time to help Li Chang was not for fame and fortune.

Of course, it was not for the common people of the world, either.

Rather, he regarded the Great Tang as a large-scale open-world online game called "Entering the World"—the kind where if you die in the game, the player truly dies.

Li Mi's purpose in emerging was to "test" the various "Heavenly Daos" in his heart. He acted in order to seek truth and resolve the confusion in his mind.

In other words, everyone in the Great Tang was an NPC to him. His purpose was solely the word "experience." Once the experience ended, he would leave Li Chang.

No matter how Li Chang was faring by then, it would make no fundamental difference.

It was somewhat similar to how the eccentric Fang Youde regarded the Great Tang's glory as his top priority.

Once Brother Ji became a stumbling block for the Great Tang, he kicked aside Brother Ji—with whom he had deep bonds and had grown up with since childhood—without hesitation.

This time, Cui Qianyou's refusal to open Tongguan's gates and surrender had greatly exceeded Li Mi's expectations, so he had to ask for clarity.

"Lord Li has not fought on the battlefield, so naturally he would not know.

A soldier in armor wielding weapons, if he loses the word 'loyalty,' then he has nothing left at all.

If Cui Qianyou opens Tongguan to welcome the Crown Prince, how will he stand in the world?"

Fang Youde said a few words casually, then turned to arrange the camp.

Fang Youde approached the "imperial carriage" and saw Gao Shi, wearing a dragon robe and impersonating the Crown Prince Li Chang, shake his head with a bitter smile: "Commander Fang, wearing this robe will shorten my life."

"In urgent times, bend the rules. I apologize for the hardship."

Fang Youde smiled and bowed with hands clasped to Gao Shi, as if the other man were the true Crown Prince.

Seeing no one else around, Gao Shi lowered his voice and asked: "Commander Fang, where is the Crown Prince?"

"Do not ask what you should not ask."

Fang Youde waved his hand lightly, neither confirming nor denying.

"Commander Fang, could His Highness the Crown Prince have taken the Shangluo Road, and then entered Chang'an from Lantian..."

Gao Shi offered an option he had been pondering for a long time on the road.

From Luoyang to Chang'an, on the surface, there appeared to be only two routes: the Two Capitals Imperial Road and the Hedong Route—one through Tongguan, and one through Zhiguan.

However, if one broadened one's view, one would find that between Luoyang and Chang'an, there was also a "Shangluo Road."

That is, heading southwest from Luoyang to Shangzhou, then heading north from Shangzhou through Wuguan, and afterward entering Chang'an from the territory of Lantian County!

The main force of the army on the Luoyang side was massed east of Tongguan, appearing to be preparing to attack Tongguan and proceed to Chang'an. But the true "principal" was not with this army.

Fang Youde was exceedingly cunning in his use of troops. He had his elite retainers escort Li Chang along the Shangluo Road, and then had Gao Shi impersonate Li Chang within the army to stabilize morale.

This move of openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing at Chencang was executed seamlessly.

Once Li Chang entered Chang'an and successfully ascended the throne, this isolated army of Cui Qianyou's—cut off from supplies and with communications severed inside and out—would have no choice but to surrender. Even if he did not surrender, his subordinates would.

The more Gao Shi thought about it, the more he believed this was the case.

"What army on the Shangluo Road? Isn't the Crown Prince right here? You can eat recklessly, but you cannot speak recklessly."

Fang Youde pointed at Gao Shi and winked at him. Though he did not confirm it outright, the hint was extremely obvious.

"Understood, understood. This humble official will ask no more, ask no more."

Gao Shang said awkwardly; having received what amounted to an affirmative reply, he let out a great sigh of relief.

Where Li Chang had gone, even Li Mi did not know!

Fang Youde was very careful about keeping things secret. He had Lu Jiong lead an elite unit of only a hundred men to secretly escort Li Chang via the Shangluo Road, and they had departed ahead of schedule.

By now they had likely already reached the vicinity of Wu Pass.

Back then, Fang Youde had used his position to arrange for Xu Yuan to enter the Shence Army, and later, after the military reforms, assigned him to Wu Pass as its defending general—on the surface it looked like a demotion, but in reality he was planting a chess piece in a key location.

Now it was exactly what was needed.

Taking the Hedong Circuit, one could easily be intercepted and killed by Jige's forces; taking the Two Capitals Express Road, one could easily get stuck at Tong Pass. Only by taking the inconspicuous Shangluo Road, which could not accommodate large-scale troop movements, could Li Chang quietly return to Chang'an.

Once Gao Shang understood Fang Youde's clever plan, he immediately did not dare utter another word.

After nightfall, Li Mi came again to find Fang Youde, and brought back Cui Qianyou's reply—just one character:

Kill!

"General Cui is truly fierce and resolute. At the very moment when the entire court's civil and military officials want to welcome the Crown Prince into Chang'an to ascend the throne, he would rather die than open the gates of Tong Pass. Admirable, yet lamentable."

Li Mi held the letter paper with that single character written on it, sighing with emotion, not knowing what to say.

In his mind, Cui Qianyou was courting his own destruction. Such rare loyalty and righteousness was displayed as meaninglessly as trampled grass.

His loyalty and righteousness had been given to an unworthy dim-witted sovereign—it had no value whatsoever!

"When the nation falls and homes are destroyed, there will always be some people who step forward to do meaningless things, to protect things not worth protecting.

If Lord Li has never taken up a blade and gone into battle to kill, he will never truly understand this—more words are futile."

Fang Youde said, his enthusiasm spent.

This was the last stubbornness of warriors, and the sole meaning of their existence in this world—how could a literatus who lacked the strength to truss a chicken possibly understand?

Fang Youde could not help but grumble inwardly.

If warriors could not uphold the "loyalty and righteousness" in their hearts, they would be no different from upright-walking killing machines, and survival would offer only two options: kill or be killed.

Today you kill; tomorrow someone kills you; corpses blanket the earth, never ceasing for all eternity.

Even warriors did not wish for the future to be such a world.

Fang Youde well understood why Cui Qianyou had to persist so, even knowing that Jige was now foolish and incompetent.

It was just like his own insistence on upholding the glory of the Great Tang.

In truth, the two of them were both like mantises trying to stop a chariot.

Seeing Cui Qianyou, Fang Youde felt as though he were seeing his future self.

The same sorrow at a companion's fall, the same grief for one's own kind.

……

Outside Kaifeng city, a convoy of ten grain ships from Yangzhou was intercepted at the ferry crossing by He Changqi, who led over a hundred elite soldiers of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army.

After disarming the militia escorting the grain ships and detaining the boatmen, crate after crate of supplies was unloaded from the grain ships and sorted into storehouses by category.

Weapons, arrows, armor, military uniforms, and other military supplies—so many they could not even be counted!

"Jiedushi, we've truly struck it rich this time. The court is so stupid—knowing full well that the canal is unusable, they still ordered Jiangnan to ship munitions to Chang'an. Even someone with a brain like mine wouldn't give such an order."

He Changqi smugly reported to Fang Chongyong how much materiel had been confiscated, while at the same time mocking the court for being as stupid as pigs.

Fang Chongyong glanced at Zheng Shuqing, who stood beside him with an awkward expression, and quickly patted He Changqi on the shoulder, saying, "Have the brothers search carefully. Oh, and seize the grain ships too—just say that Bianzhou's military supplies are in desperate need of grain ships to transport rations."

"Yes, sir!"

He Changqi accepted the order and departed, his very gait growing a few degrees more brazen.

Fang Chongyong turned his head to look at Zheng Shuqing and said, "That move was truly brilliant."

"Heh heh, it was a gift from His Holiness anyway—no reason not to take it."

Zheng Shuqing stroked the small beard on his chin and laughed craftily.