Chapter 488: The Sky Will Not Fall

Inside the main hall of the Xuanwu Army Jiedushi's yamen, the generals and staff officers of the Xuanwu Army had gathered together. Fang Chongyong handed Huangfu Weiming's personal letter to Cen Shen beside him and said:

"Everyone, take a look."

The latter passed the letter to Che Guangqian, and then the letter was circulated among the crowd. Before long, everyone had read it once.

Then they were all startled by Huangfu Weiming's grand gesture.

"If Huangfu Weiming is so generous, why doesn't he offer up his own wives and concubines for the Jiedushi to play with?

Such a vast territory—surely it's worth more than a few women? Is that really necessary?"

He Changqi muttered to himself in what amounted to a "loud whisper." Everyone in the hall heard his voice, and one by one they struggled to hold back their laughter, wanting to laugh but desperately suppressing it.

Crude words, but sound reasoning—He Changqi's quip actually accorded perfectly with human nature and common sense.

"Ahem! He Laohu, be serious—we're discussing political and military affairs here!"

Fang Chongyong coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment and scolded in a low voice.

He Changqi hastily clasped his fists in apology, covering his mouth with one hand as if afraid of saying the wrong thing again.

"Huangfu Weiming has sent someone with a letter, proposing to fight a coordinated battle with me. What do you all think would be the best way to respond?"

Fang Chongyong looked around at everyone and asked.

At the strategic level, even the smallest matter could produce extremely grave and unpredictable consequences. It would have been one thing if Huangfu Weiming had not sent a letter—perhaps that would have indicated he had no intention of campaigning against Henan.

But now that the other side had already dispatched an envoy, this in turn proved that Huangfu Weiming would soon take military action against Henan—the only question was where he would strike and how.

If he attacked only the Henan Circuit, that would amount to an arm-wrestling match with Fang Chongyong;

If he attacked the Capital Environs Circuit (which included Luoyang, Shanzhou, and other areas, corresponding to the "Capital Precinct Circuit" where Chang'an was located), then he would first stabilize the Xuanwu Army and make the capture of Luoyang his top priority.

If he attacked on both fronts simultaneously, he would spread his forces thin—wanting everything meant getting nothing—and there would be nothing to fear. However, Huangfu Weiming was also a renowned general, a veteran of many battles, and should not make such a basic mistake.

Which option the other side would ultimately choose was, at this point, still very hard to determine.

Of course, what Huangfu Weiming promised in his letter was the kind of thing used to fool a three-year-old. No one seated in the hall would take it seriously.

"Jiedushi, Luoyang's defenses are currently thin. Huangfu Weiming's move is precisely to first stabilize us, then throw his full strength into capturing Luoyang.

We can hold our troops in place for now, and when they pass through Hulao Pass, cut off their rear. This is the strategy of responding to every change by holding firm.

For the time being, we should dig deep trenches and raise ramparts at Bianzhou, amply stockpile provisions and fodder, and wait for the right moment."

Wang Nande clasped his fists in a salute to Fang Chongyong and said.

"Indeed so."

"That whelp Huangfu Weiming is nothing if not ambitious. Take Luoyang first, and they can establish their capital there, proclaim it to the world, and claim legitimacy."

"Yes, yes—the Hebei rebel army wants us to keep our troops idle."

The people in the hall discussed animatedly among themselves. Clearly, quite a few agreed with Wang Nande's judgment.

From a political standpoint, the strategic value of capturing Luoyang was incalculable. Moreover, it could be attacked from two directions—Henei and Hulao Pass—and once taken, it could be defended as a capital.

For the Hebei rebel army, this was of tremendous significance. What they lacked right now was a proper capital, which left their "legitimacy" insufficient.

The strategic priority of attacking Luoyang was far higher than that of attacking Henan.

After all, the Henan plain had great strategic depth. As long as Fang Chongyong was willing, he could keep retreating—even falling back to Bozhou and other areas to set up defenses would be fine, and there would be no shortage of opportunities to counterattack.

The Hebei rebel army, upon capturing a region, would still have to garrison troops there—the further they stretched, the bigger the gaps. No matter how you looked at it, the Xuanwu Army was something that could be "dealt with gradually"; there was no need for Huangfu Weiming to be so preoccupied with them.

"Jiedushi, this subordinate wishes to say something."

Che Guangqian raised his hand, and the hall immediately fell quiet. The expressions on different people's faces were also different.

Literati such as Yan Zhuang did not know how formidable Che Guangqian was, and were somewhat bewildered; but the generals under Fang Chongyong's command did not dare underestimate him, and every one of them wore a grave expression.

"Speak—no need for formality."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand, signaling Che Guangqian to say what he had to say.

"Jiedushi, if I were Huangfu Weiming, I certainly would not believe that this kind of private agreement—like coaxing a child—would actually be honored.

Suppose I led the Hebei rebel army across the Yellow River and immediately marched west to attack Luoyang.

At that critical moment, what if the Xuanwu Army crossed the river and cut off the supply line?

If the fighting reached a stalemate, what if the Xuanwu Army stabbed us in the back?

I would certainly be consumed with worry, afraid to sleep day and night, terrified that one morning I might wake up to find the supply line severed, a hundred-thousand-strong army having to slaughter horses for food, trapped between advance and retreat."

Che Guangqian analyzed what would ultimately happen if things developed in the direction Wang Nande envisioned. Putting himself in Huangfu Weiming's shoes, he arrived at the conclusion of "a reed beating a wolf—both ends afraid."

If things truly unfolded this way, then while Fang Chongyong feared the Hebei rebel army marching south to Bianzhou, would Huangfu Weiming not likewise fear the Xuanwu Army cutting off his rear?

What decision-maker would pin his hopes on the mercy and stupidity of his enemy?

"What you say is reasonable. So how would you handle it?"

Fang Chongyong asked in a low voice.

"If I were Huangfu Weiming, I would seize the opportunity after the onset of winter this year, when the Yellow River's surface freezes over completely and the canals also freeze entirely, to march south in force. Set Luoyang aside for now and throw everything against the Xuanwu Army!

With the Yellow River frozen, they could cross it as easily as walking on flat ground, and the routes they could take would be innumerable. With the canals frozen, the Xuanwu Army would be unable to move troops smoothly via the waterways and could easily be defeated one by one by the Hebei rebel army, which had no shortage of horses.

The advantage lies with the enemy; the disadvantage lies with us. Jiedushi, this subordinate believes that Huangfu Weiming's purpose is precisely to lull us into complacency, to make us think he intends to attack Luoyang.

In fact, with Li Longji possibly leading troops to attack Guanzhong right now, Huangfu Weiming need only watch them fight each other to the death—it does not matter to him who wins or loses. He has no need to attack Luoyang at this moment and provoke the two sides, who are about to clash, into making peace with each other.

The so-called capture of Luoyang is nothing but a feint."

Che Guangqian patiently explained his reasoning. It had to be said—this analysis was well-grounded and convincing.

"How can you be so certain that Huangfu Weiming will not attack Luoyang?"

Wang Nande asked in rebuttal, somewhat unconvinced.

He did not think there was anything wrong with his own analysis, because Luoyang was simply too important! This was especially so for Huangfu Weiming, who lacked a heavyweight capital.

Che Guangqian ignored him and instead continued, clasping his fists to Fang Chongyong:

"Jiedushi, in war there is no objection to deception. Showing weakness when one is strong, making a feint to the east while attacking in the west—these are common tactics.

We need only dispatch scouts to Henei to investigate whether Huangfu Weiming has reinforced the area near Beizhong City—that will be enough!

Now that Luoyang's military strength is hollow, there is no need to reinforce Henei for a two-pronged pincer attack; we only need to advance along the road through Hulao Pass.

The more Huangfu Weiming puts on the appearance of reinforcing Henei, the more certain I am that he is putting on an act for us to see—a sign of a guilty conscience.

As long as the Hebei rebel army reinforces Henei, then their southward push toward Bianzhou after winter sets in is a foregone conclusion. We need only dispatch scouts to closely monitor the movements of the Henei rebel army."

Che Guangqian was extremely confident.

"Well said!"

Fang Chongyong slapped the desk hard.

Che Guangqian had analyzed Huangfu Weiming's intentions with crystal clarity, laying them bare before everyone. Reconnoitering the military situation in Henei was no difficult matter—both sides were playing with their cards face up.

It was just as if Fang Chongyong moving troops from Bianzhou to cross the Yellow River directly would likewise be detected by the Hebei rebel army.

"Huangfu Weiming has already made his move. How do we respond? We need to come up with a plan today.

All of you, think it over carefully."

Fang Chongyong said to everyone present.

Che Guangqian had only seen clearly what Huangfu Weiming's pattern was, but as for how to respond, he had no ideas.

Because to a certain extent, whether Huangfu Weiming could fool Fang Chongyong this time was not all that important. Their plan was to exploit the window from the onset of winter until the river thawed the following spring to campaign for Henan.

Even if Fang Chongyong anticipated it, it would only amount to one or two extra months of preparation time.

"Jiedushi, this official has thought of a plan, but it is not convenient to speak of it here."

Yan Zhuang, who had lived in comfort in Chang'an for years and now had a fair, plump face, said with a smile—though that smile looked cunning and sinister no matter how you regarded it.

The generals under Fang Chongyong all glared at him furiously, but Yan Zhuang acted as though he hadn't noticed those angry gazes, still wearing a somewhat smug look.

"Everyone please wait a moment. This Jiedushi will be right back."

Fang Chongyong stood up and gave Yan Zhuang a meaningful glance.

The two went to the rear hall. Fang Chongyong did not stand on ceremony with Yan Zhuang, getting straight to the point and asking, "What plan do you have?"

"Jiedushi, you already know, don't you? The Prince of Yong, Li Lin, currently controls Qizhou, Yunzhou, and other areas, serving as the Jiedushi of the Tianping Army. And the Prince of Ying, Li Jiao, occupies Xiangyang, serving as the Jiedushi of the Shannan East Circuit. Not to mention the other imperial princes—many of them are serving as Jiedushi.

Now that Li Chang has ascended the throne as emperor in Chang'an, none of them have stated their position—which is to say, they still do not recognize Crown Prince Li Chang as the new Son of Heaven.

We can issue a proclamation to the outside world in Li Chang's name, pressuring the Prince of Yong and forcing him to acknowledge Li Chang as the new Son of Heaven."

Yan Zhuang rambled on at length through a fog of words, dragging in the Prince of Yong Li Lin, the Prince of Ying Li Jiao, and whoever else, leaving people completely bewildered.

"Uh, aren't we supposed to be discussing the matter of the Hebei rebel army marching south?"

Fang Chongyong asked in puzzlement, not knowing what game Yan Zhuang was playing.

"Jiedushi, I haven't finished speaking yet!

Looking at the current situation, Li Longji is already leading troops to campaign against Li Chang, and the outcome is still uncertain.

If we only look at the size of their forces, Li Chang is far inferior to Li Longji! By any reckoning, he is bound to lose!

Therefore, Li Lin will certainly not agree, and will very likely issue a proclamation outright denying Li Chang's legitimacy.

At that point, we lead our troops to Puzhou, which borders Qizhou and Yunzhou, and loudly proclaim everywhere that we are upholding the Crown Prince's legitimacy, putting pressure on Li Lin.

If he does not issue a congratulatory message, we will take up arms to punish the rebel! Doesn't that seem like the natural course of things?"

Yan Zhuang continued.

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly. He had to admit, Yan Zhuang's logic was airtight and his argument was thoroughly reasoned.

"At that time, everyone will think we are about to move against Li Lin. Huangfu Weiming will assume that since he has more troops, it is Hebei territory, and he still has rebels to punish, we certainly cannot cross the river to attack Hebei.

Then, we will catch him off guard, find an opportunity to suddenly cross the Yellow River, and attack Weizhou, Bozhou, and other areas on the opposite bank—right where the key point of the Yongji Canal lies! They must have stockpiled a great deal of supplies there.

We will strike across the Yellow River in one push while they are still preparing and have not yet concentrated their forces.

Destroy their baggage train, kill their troops, throw their army into confusion, and then withdraw before winter sets in.

We fight our own fight—why should we care whether Huangfu Weiming attacks Luoyang or Bianzhou?

As long as this can be kept secret, the chances of success are very high."

Yan Zhuang said in a lowered voice.

Hearing this, an image flashed in Fang Chongyong's mind: in some fighting game, one side charges up a devastating ultimate move with great fanfare, only to have the other side interrupt the charge bar.

Yan Zhuang's idea was something like that.

That's right—if Fang Chongyong's army were to face the Hebei rebel army head-on after they had concentrated their forces, they would certainly lose. Even fighting one against ten would be useless; even if they won, the army would be crippled.

But if the goal was merely to disrupt the opponent's rhythm of troop movements, keeping the Hebei rebel army unable to concentrate its forces and constantly in a state of scrambling—

Then it would come down to the generalship of both sides. In any case, it was not a certain defeat.

"Excellent. If we can win this time, you will claim the foremost merit!"

Fang Chongyong patted Yan Zhuang on the shoulder and said, clearly very much in agreement with the idea proposed by this fellow full of schemes.

"The Xuanwu Army is still short a Jiedu Judge. I think you would be a fine fit. If we win this battle, you shall be the Jiedu Judge."

Fang Chongyong continued.

Hearing this, Yan Zhuang was overjoyed and hastily clasped his hands in a salute, saying, "I wish the Jiedushi a triumphant victory!"

……

Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!

On the official road west of Chang'an, a young man in a Daoist robe was galloping along on horseback.

Kicking up clouds of dust.

His once elegant face was now covered in dust, his hair disheveled, and his gray Daoist robe was stained all over—it seemed he had fallen off his horse at some point.

By now he could already see a marching column, and he hastily shouted at those soldiers: "Commander Fang! Commander Fang! Halt, halt!"

Fang Youde, bringing up the rear of the column, saw this man riding hard in pursuit of the westward-marching Crane Control Army, and immediately had his bodyguards bring the man before him, ordering the entire army to rest in place for half a shichen.

Seeing Li Mi, who looked rather wretched and had clearly suffered a great deal from riding hard, Fang Youde folded his arms and asked with keen interest, "Lord Li, instead of attending upon His Majesty, what brings you to seek me out?"

A trace of amusement lingered on his face, as if he fully intended to watch Li Mi make a fool of himself.

"Commander Fang, there will soon be a great battle in Guanzhong. The Retired Emperor will surely lead troops into Guanzhong to deal with the Son of Heaven, and by then it will not merely be the people suffering calamity! It will be the nation and its altars of soil and grain destroyed in a single day!"

"I ask Commander Fang to return with me to Chang'an to take charge of the overall situation!"

Li Mi said urgently, no longer displaying his former breezy composure and confident mastery.

Fang Youde looked as though he had heard something amusing, and with a casual wave of his hand said: "The Great Tang's century-old foundation, the will of the people—it can do without anyone. Lord Li, do not alarm people with dire warnings."

Li Mi looked as if he did not recognize Fang Youde, completely unprepared for the other man to say such a thing.

But at this moment Fang Youde was not in fact mocking Li Mi; it was genuinely what he thought in his heart.

Was the Jingyuan Mutiny during the reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang absurd or not? Were the consequences severe or not?

Chang'an was occupied by meritorious troops who had spent years suppressing rebellions, and their burning, killing, and looting nearly stripped Chang'an bare.

More imperial clansmen died than An Lushan had killed, and Emperor Dezong of Tang nearly perished like a wild dog.

Does it sound as though the Great Tang was about to fall?

But in fact, the Great Tang afterward lingered on for over a hundred more years, even briefly achieving nominal unification and completing the "Yuanhe Revival."

Fang Youde did not think that Brother Ji coming to Chang'an would amount to much. Restoring the glory of the High Tang may have seemed increasingly remote, but to conclude that the Great Tang was about to perish now was equally a fool's dream.

"Commander Fang! After the autumn harvest, the Hedong troops will surely pass through Puzhou and enter Guanzhong! Beginning to set up defenses in Chang'an now is already somewhat late—how can you still lead troops to Qizhou?

This is no time for acting on impulse! All misunderstandings can be discussed; do not do things that bring pain to friends and joy to enemies!"

Li Mi grew frantic and grabbed Fang Youde's sleeve. Certain people in the Chang'an inner court had indeed slighted Fang Youde, even resorting to very underhanded methods.

But if Fang Youde walked away now, it would cost many lives!

"When the Retired Emperor arrives, will he slaughter everyone in Chang'an?"

Fang Youde asked in return with an expressionless face, quietly pulling his sleeve from Li Mi's grasp.

Li Mi did not know how to answer. He let out a long sigh and said with a helpless shake of his head: "It would not come to that."

"The court officials of the inner government, the officials great and small within Chang'an—will the Retired Emperor slaughter them all?"

Fang Youde asked again.

Li Mi slowly shook his head once more, saying nothing.

"If that is the case, then what is there to worry about?"

Fang Youde asked in return.

"The Crown Prince is the foundation of the state! The Great Tang can no longer afford such upheaval!"

Li Mi said with a solemn expression.

"If the Son of Heaven can no longer remain in Chang'an, he can come to Qizhou to find me. I will surely protect him completely."

Having said this, Fang Youde turned and walked away.

Li Mi called out loudly behind him: "Commander Fang, by then the situation will be beyond anyone's ability to sort out! For the sake of all the people of the world, can you not endure a little? Time cannot flow backward—regret will be too late!"

Li Mi could not get close to Fang Youde, as he had already been blocked by two personal soldiers of the Crane Guard, and could only shout at Fang Youde's retreating back.

"If it is merely a matter of sorting out the situation."

Fang Youde turned around, looked at Li Mi, and continued with pity in his eyes: "It would be as easy as turning one's hand."

After saying this, he stayed no longer, ordered the entire army to march out, and continued on the move.

What was so unmanageable about the Great Tang's situation? It was simply that the glory of the High Tang could not be restored, that was all.

Fang Youde sighed inwardly in his heart.

What he sought was, in the end, unattainable.