Chapter 497: Releasing the Beast Within

The "World's Northern Granary" in Qinghe County saw no great fire burning the storehouses. On the surface, this battle to attack the granary did not seem as dramatic as the Battle of Wuchao.

But what Fang Chongyong and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army under his command saw was an entirely different scene.

It was an unexpected brutality and savagery.

Several hundred meters outside the granary's south gate, Fang Chongyong saw from afar a soldier of the Hebei rebel army flee from the south gate. Then he was seized by the enraged commoners and swallowed up by the crowd.

More than a dozen people surrounded him, beating him. Though they used only carrying poles, wooden clubs, and at most farm tools like pitchforks, in less than the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, nothing remained on the ground but a pool of blood and a heap of mangled flesh.

He was already unrecognizable as a human form; even his armor was covered in bloodstains.

Fang Chongyong and his trusted generals watching the battle from the side were all drenched in cold sweat at the sight.

After He Changqi led his men to break through the granary gates, the battle became entirely one-sided. The outnumbered granary garrison, unable to form up inside the storehouses, was overwhelmed by the surging crowds of commoners pouring in.

It was a literal case of ants swarming and biting an elephant to death.

Yin Ziqi led his small contingent of cavalry and broke out through the north gate at the first opportunity, vanishing without a trace. He may have gone to the Qinghe County seat, or perhaps to Weizhou.

Scattered throughout the granary and having lost their command, the garrison troops could not organize any resistance at all.

After fighting their way through the granary, He Changqi led the vanguard force back out. Because too many commoners had already surged inside, if they did not leave, they were very likely to be accidentally injured by the bloodthirsty people of Bozhou.

"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Taizong truly did not deceive me."

Fang Chongyong murmured to himself from horseback.

If the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army still knew to hold back when breaking formations, these commoners had killed until their eyes were red, freely releasing all the pent-up violence in their hearts.

At this moment, their eyes held nothing but kill, kill, kill. No one could make them stop!

As the killing went on, they killed anyone they saw wearing armor, forming a kind of inertia. Many soldiers of the Hebei rebel army were tortured to death, or beaten alive with clubs and sticks.

Even though many commoners had already snatched swords from the granary garrison, they still repeated the same mechanical motions.

Che Guangqian, Guan Chongsi, Wang Nande, and the others beside Fang Chongyong all fell silent at the sight. They too had not expected the battle for the granary to present such an extraordinary spectacle.

It was as though a fierce beast originally locked inside a box had been released by them!

Just then, a unit of cavalry slowly approached from ahead. It was He Changqi and the vanguard force under his command.

"Jiedushi, the granary has been taken. Your subordinate..."

He Changqi dismounted, clasped his fist in salute to Fang Chongyong, and seemed to hesitate.

"Rally your troops and just watch from the side."

Fang Chongyong nodded with a calm expression.

"As ordered!"

He Changqi said nothing more, led his own troops back to their formation, and then came to Fang Chongyong's side to observe the battle.

As time slowly passed, the cries and screams from the granary ahead gradually diminished. Under the glow of firelight, those twisted figures that appeared from time to time also stopped moving.

"He Laohu, you led your men out of the granary in time and avoided being accidentally injured by the commoners. You did well in this battle. I'll credit you with a merit."

Fang Chongyong glanced at He Changqi and said.

He Changqi, whose expression had been as strained as a bout of constipation, now spoke with lingering fear:

"Sigh, Jiedushi, you have no idea. Those local commoners of Bozhou were like man-eating demons just now!

Your subordinate was watching with some anxiety, fearing that if we turned our troops back, they would kill anyone they saw in armor, even us.

So after breaking through the east and west gates, we withdrew through the east gate."

Given the usual conduct of the vanguard force under He Changqi's command, their performance in this battle was as soft as a woman's, and in a certain sense could even be called "desertion in the face of battle."

He Changqi had been afraid all along that Fang Chongyong would punish him. Only upon hearing these words did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

As a general who had been present and personally witnessed the commoners' frenzied slaughter, he had seen those normally honest, simple faces turn savage and vicious, as though possessed by demons.

It was hard to imagine that such vastly different expressions could appear on the same person's face.

"A strong army is one that can execute orders and enforce prohibitions. Not only can it charge formations and stand unbowed even under the weight of Mount Tai, it must also be able to stop the killing. When told to sheathe their blades, they sheathe them.

But this rabble of commoners cannot do that."

Fang Chongyong shook his head helplessly and let out a long sigh.

Everyone fell silent. They had not previously realized the importance of "stopping the killing." Now it seemed that many things were merely what they themselves had taken for granted.

Elsewhere, it was a different scene.

Because their starting point was very high. Even the small portion of men later replenished in Bianzhou within the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army were retired elite border soldiers with rich combat experience.

When the commanding general called a halt, they halted; when told to withdraw, they withdrew. One slash to kill an enemy, then move to the next. When the enemy's morale collapsed and they knelt to surrender, there was no need to slaughter them wholesale, and the battle could be ended as quickly as possible.

These seemingly self-evident battlefield fundamentals were entirely lacking in the rabble currently slaughtering ahead.

They were now monsters driven by emotion!

"Have the military band sound the gongs. The central army will form up and advance, halting one arrow-shot from the granary. Cool down those hot-headed commoners of Bozhou!"

Fang Chongyong ordered Che Guangqian beside him in a low voice.

"As ordered!"

Che Guangqian departed with the order. Soon, the clanging of copper gongs resounded loudly throughout the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The soul-seizing sound of the copper gongs, like a "Great Compassion Mantra," made those commoners of Bozhou, who had been ceaselessly swinging clubs at the kneeling, begging soldiers of the Hebei rebel army, stop their movements.

They seemed to wake from a dream, looking around in bewilderment. The corpses scattered everywhere on the ground, the mangled flesh and severed limbs visible at every turn, the bloodstains already soaking the soles of their feet, the pooling blood that had gradually gathered, all showed that they were now in the midst of a brutal battlefield.

At this moment, the hot blood of courage in them had dissipated, and the exhaustion from the fierce battle surged over them, leaving them unsteady on their feet and weak in the legs.

Someone began wailing loudly, and then the sound of weeping and meaningless shouting spread like a plague.

It created a massive echo within the granary.

Fang Chongyong saw one surviving soldier of the Hebei rebel army after another stumble out of the granary's south gate. Seeing that the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army had already formed up outside the gate and was sounding gongs, they hurriedly knelt before the formation and kowtowed repeatedly to the mounted generals, begging for their lives.

It was not until now that Che Guangqian and the others finally truly understood what Fang Chongyong had meant by "borrowing strength" earlier.

Although Huangfu Weiming commands many troops, the common people of the world are even more! Whoever controls the hearts of the people controls the great trend!

The only difficulty is how to organize the populace!

"You take two hundred brothers here to handle the aftermath; the enemy troops and prisoners are not to be feared. Pacifying the people is the priority. At dawn, open the granaries and release the grain.

Those who dare to steal grain shall be executed on the spot!"

Fang Chongyong gave Che Guangqian a single instruction.

"Understood!"

Che Guangqian took the order and left.

"You few, seize the ferry dock and the floating bridge, and prepare to cross the river!"

Fang Chongyong continued issuing orders.

Beizhou, being the location of the "Northern Treasury of the World," has wooden bridges along both banks of the canal, and it is the largest logistics hub on the Yongji Canal.

Soon, Fang Chongyong led the main force of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army to the ferry dock on the south bank of the canal in Qinghe County.

Ships lined up on both sides of the pier, row upon row, blocking the sky! Although the canal had been halted due to the battle, it was evident that the Hebei rebels' logistics were extremely efficient.

Despite the canal's limited space, the dock's layout was very rational, even featuring dedicated "boat lanes" for traffic separation.

The dock also housed a finely crafted "crane": a single‑armed winch with four wheels underneath for mobility, equipped with special hoisting gear that could transfer many bags of grain at once.

It saved labor by loading grain from the shore onto ships.

Next to it was a small workshop dedicated to "packing" grain, bagging the bulk food brought from various regions.

Seeing all this, Fang Chongyong and the others were stunned! The infrastructure at the Beizhou dock even rivaled Bianzhou, and in some aspects surpassed it.

With the Hebei rebels' logistics so advanced, Huangfu Weiming must be planning a great undertaking! No wonder he is so reckless!

Fang Chongyong and his men could not imagine the dire situation they would face after winter if they did not cross the Yellow River now.

"Cross the river; first capture the county seat of Qinghe County."

Fang Chongyong instructed He Changqi.

The others remained silent, each occupied with their tasks, while the vanguard had already begun crossing. In the distance, the outline of Qinghe County could be faintly seen, just within a mile or two of the north bank.

The sky had turned a pale fish‑belly white; in the past days they had first launched a night raid on Liaocheng, then mobilized the people of Bozhou to fetch grain from Beizhou, and finally the troops stood before Qinghe County's seat. The successive blows left Fang Chongyong feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

But he still could not breathe a sigh of relief.

Bozhou and Beizhou were in chaos; Huangfu Weiming could not stand by, and the forces to restore order were perhaps already on the way.

If they could not take Qinghe County's seat, they would still need to be ready to flee at any moment. The tide of victory could turn in an instant.

……

"Yin Ziqi! You lost the granary and still have the nerve to run into the county seat? Why don't you go die?"

In the main hall of the prefectural office, Yuwen Kuan pointed at the blood‑splattered Yin Ziqi and shouted abuse.

Behind him, a group of Tuanjie soldiers had already drawn their swords, waiting for Yuwen Kuan's command to chop Yin Ziqi into minced meat.

Indeed, although Yin Ziqi broke through with dozens of cavalry, those men refused to return to Qinghe County with him!

Losing the granary is a capital crime; fleeing to Youzhou and back home might still hold a sliver of hope, but returning to the county seat is waiting for death, isn't it?

Yin Ziqi does not fear military law, but those personal guards are terrified!

Thus, when Yin Ziqi crossed the canal back into Qinghe County's seat, he was alone.

Back then, Yin Ziqi had been a vanguard of the Hebei rebels, proud of his sieges and conquests. Yet after suffering defeat and losing face, he fell out of favor with Huangfu Weiming and was sent to Beizhou to guard the granary.

His fate rose and fell repeatedly, finally crashing down to become General Guanggan.

Life is just so helpless.

Now, even a prefect dares to scold him.

Yin Ziqi's anger flared, but after glancing at the wolf‑like Tuanjie soldiers behind Yuwen Kuan, he swallowed his insults.

"Yuwen Kuan, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army is already outside the county seat; what use is it to say this now?"

Yin Ziqi also addressed him by name, showing no sign of weakness in his tone.

Yuwen Kuan did not wish to surrender, for his family and Huangfu's were long‑standing allies; surrendering to anyone would not grant him the current treatment.

And Yin Ziqi only wants to return to Ye City!

"The defenders of the granary number nearly two thousand; how could you fail to hold it for even a single night?"

Yuwen Kuan recalled this incident and grew angry enough to want to strike.

"We were careless; those rioters disrupted the scouts' reconnaissance."

Yin Ziqi sighed helplessly.

Because the civilian unrest yesterday concealed the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's movements, Yin Ziqi did not dispatch scouts. In fact, dissenting civilians were everywhere to the south; any scout sent there might be caught and beaten to death by the angry populace.

He did not expect to encounter the Double Ghost Door Slap that night.

"What about reinforcements? When can they arrive?"

Yuwen Kuan, a bit flustered, asked anxiously.

Yin Ziqi spread his hands, indicating he also did not know.

Now is the time of mass troop assembly, preparing to move south into the Henan provinces after winter; it is not a matter of moving troops at will.

Conveying orders and preparing supplies both take time.

At that moment, a courier hurried into the prefectural hall, handing Yuwen Kuan an arrow with a letter tied to it, and said, "Sir, a letter has been shot in from outside the city; please review it."

Having said so, he stepped aside.

All eyes present focused on the arrow in Yuwen Kuan's hand.

"Quickly open it!"

Seeing Yuwen Kuan hesitate, Yin Ziqi hurriedly urged, his heart burning with impatience.

Look at your horse!

"Hmph!"

Yuwen Kuan gave a cold snort, tore open the letter, and read it at a glance, immediately breathing a sigh of relief.

He handed the letter in his hand to Yin Ziqi. The latter read it and wore a strange expression, yet said not a single word.

In the letter, Fang Chongyong told them to open the city and surrender. Those who did not wish to remain in Qinghe County could all leave, and they would absolutely not stop them—they could even provide dry rations.

"Could this be a trick?"

Yin Ziqi had no confidence in his heart and asked in a lowered voice.

He was a cunning petty man to begin with, and ordinarily liked to use underhanded schemes.

Those with shit in their eyes see everyone else as shit. Yin Ziqi's first instinct was that Fang Chongyong intended to trick his way into the city.

Once he deceived them into opening the city gates, he would slaughter all of them—who would still remember this letter?

"There are no soldiers in Qinghe County city; resistance is futile. For now, the best plan is to open the city and surrender."

Yuwen Kuan said with a long sigh.

He was only just past forty and truly did not want to die!

Moreover, although Bei Prefecture's storehouse for hoarded silk was inside the city, there was not much stock left. Because of the war, Huangfu Weiming had used this silk to purchase grain stored by the great households of Hebei, as well as to buy off Uighur cavalry.

The storehouse within Qinghe County city did not hold many valuable things.

And while surrendering might not turn out well, not surrendering would certainly get them dealt with.

Yuwen Kuan was no fool; he was very clear about the pros and cons. In a situation like this, where the opponent had already laid out terms and you were "refusing the face being given to you"—having your head hung on the city wall afterward as a warning to others was unavoidable.

"No! If we don't surrender, we can at least drag a few down with us. If we surrender, we will certainly die a miserable death!"

Yin Ziqi hastily tried to stop Yuwen Kuan.

"Open the city gates!"

Yuwen Kuan ignored Yin Ziqi's clamor and spoke directly to the Qinghe County County Defender beside him.

"As ordered!"

Yin Ziqi watched helplessly as the County Defender strode away, not daring to make a move. Because Yuwen Kuan had already had the several militia soldiers around him surround him completely.

"Yin Ziqi, come along to the city gate. If we're lucky, you might still keep your life."

Yuwen Kuan said with a long sigh, walking out of the county yamen on his own. A morning sun hung on the horizon.

The group arrived at the county city gate, only to see that the towering gate had already been opened by someone. Ahead in their field of view was the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, already dismounted and arrayed in formation.

Yuwen Kuan walked out of the city gate alone, holding up with both hands a bundle containing the various seals of Bei Prefecture, knelt on the ground, and shouted: "Bei Prefecture Inspector Yuwen Kuan respectfully welcomes the royal army into the city."