Chapter 498: Stirring a Pool of Autumn Water

"So you're Yin Ziqi?"

Inside the main hall of the Beizhou Prefectural Office, Fang Chongyong scanned Yin Ziqi from head to toe, his face curious as he asked.

His words carried a rather flippant tone.

The officers under Fang Chongyong, trailing behind him, thought to themselves: at last this one isn't "Xialuo".

They stifled their laughter, averted their gaze, and avoided looking at Yin Ziqi.

At this moment the Hebei rebel commander had not changed clothes; his body was smeared with blood, and he looked rather disheveled.

He bowed his head, daring not to look at Fang Chongyong, and clasped his fists in salute, saying, "I am Yin Ziqi."

Seeing the man still seemed a bit defiant, not "groveling" before him, Fang Chongyong slightly frowned and said:

"Oh, this matches, this Jiedushi knows you.

Back then at Ji County, Nan Jiyun, with fewer than five hundred troops, defeated you, who commanded twenty thousand soldiers.

When this Jiedushi heard Yuan Jie recount the incident, he didn't quite believe it, thinking it was a false report of merit.

But judging from yesterday's battle reports, they likely weren't lying.

If he had known beforehand that you were defending Beizhou, this Jiedushi wouldn't have needed to expend so much effort planning.

Fang Chongyong feigned casualness and waved his hand.

Uh, this remark has many flaws; the officers behind Fang Chongyong exchanged glances, as if they'd just learned a clever way of beating around the bush to insult.

Fang Chongyong pretended to be friendly on the surface, but actually hinted that Yin Ziqi was a total fool. Being crushed by five hundred men when he commanded twenty thousand, no wonder his granaries fell.

Hearing this, Yin Ziqi's face turned the color of pork liver with anger, yet he forced down his fury and dared not erupt.

His life was in others' hands; now pretending to be impressive would be courting death!

He bowed his head like a wounded beast, almost letting out two whimpers.

Seeing Yin Ziqi like that, Fang Chongyong felt displeased.

"You lousy chicken lost the battle; what does it matter if I mock you?"

"He Laohu, send someone to prepare some dry rations for General Yin and let him go. Wherever he heads is fine; don't block him."

Fang Chongyong said calmly, as if he didn't consider it an important matter at all.

Hearing this, Yin Ziqi was stunned; he never expected the other side to be so easygoing!

"Jiedushi, the rebel army's senior generals cannot be released lightly!"

He Changqi quickly clasped his fists in salute and urged restraint.

"Eh, no problem.

Of course, if we capture Li Guiren, Cai Xide and other rebel senior generals, we will certainly keep a close watch; releasing them would be like letting a tiger return to the mountain.

But General Yin is harmless, no trouble; letting him go is fine.

We are not bloodthirsty executioners; there's no need to make General Yin's life difficult."

When Fang Chongyong said that, the Beizhou Inspector Yuwen Kuan, standing nearby, looked at Yin Ziqi with some sympathy.

The Fang Jiedushi before them truly was a ruthless man who loved sarcastic, cutting mockery.

Is "harmless" even appropriate in this context?

Yuwen Kuan, who had been well‑read since childhood, felt a wave of doubt.

But he soon couldn't afford to think about such trivialities, because Fang Chongyong had indeed sent someone to escort Yin Ziqi out of Qinghe County!

Yuwen Kuan looked at Fang Chongyong with some helplessness, silently cursing his own slow thinking.

However, seeing Fang Chongyong now looking at him with a half‑smile, he sighed lightly and said, "Please, Jiedushi, let us discuss in the office."

Fang Chongyong nodded with satisfaction, followed Yuwen Kuan to the office. As soon as they sat down, Yuwen Kuan handed him a map and said:

"Huangfu Weiming plans to move south to Bianzhou early this winter; this map is the grain‑transport route diagram.

Bozhou, Wei Zhou, Xiangzhou, and Wei Zhou each have a troop contingent and a grain route, all supplied through the Beizhou canal.

As for the specifics, I am not informed."

Yuwen Kuan recounted, item by item, all the military intelligence he knew to Fang Chongyong.

Yin Ziqi, a bit slow, might not yet realize how formidable Fang Chongyong is. Yet Yuwen Kuan, born of an official family and steeped in affairs since childhood, knows Fang Chongyong's high‑level, bloodless killing tactics intimately.

Fang Chongyong will send Yin Ziqi back; the latter will certainly be with Huangfu Weiming and shift all blame onto Yuwen Kuan.

He'll probably claim that the Beizhou Inspector colluded with the enemy commander, causing Beizhou's rapid fall, saying the responsibility wasn't his.

Otherwise, Yin Ziqi would surely be beheaded by Huangfu Weiming as a warning to others.

Thus, once Yuwen Kuan returns to Ye City, Huangfu Weiming will find it hard to overlook personal ties and spare him.

Even if Yuwen Kuan and Yin Ziqi confronted each other face‑to‑face, the likely outcome would be both being executed. If Yuwen Kuan doesn't return, Huangfu Weiming, knowing it's a time to recruit, would only listen selectively and let Yin Ziqi bear the blame and earn merit.

Even if the loss of Beizhou wasn't Yuwen Kuan's responsibility, he wouldn't be able to explain it.

Fang Chongyong used this method to block all of Yuwen Kuan's possible exits.

"Huangfu the old rogue certainly made a good calculation, attacking on four fronts, converging in a coordinated strike.

Once the great army moves, it will be like Mount Tai bearing down; even a resurrected Han Xin or a reborn Bai Qi couldn't turn the tide."

Fang Chongyong let out a cold snort and said.

"Huangfu the old rogue indeed intends that, yet despite his myriad schemes, he didn't expect the Jiedushi to force a crossing of the Yellow River, catching him off guard with a surprise attack."

Yuwen Kuan couldn't help but flatter, saying.

"You are indeed eloquent."

Fang Chongyong stood up, smiled at Yuwen Kuan, and said, "But this Jiedushi also hopes you can act likewise. Send word now to every county and township of Beizhou: open the imperial northern granaries and release the grain! You handle this yourself!"

Huh?

Yuwen Kuan thought he had misheard.

"Jiedushi, how exactly should we open the granaries and release the grain?"

He asked, somewhat confused and bewildered.

"Open the granary, empty it completely; the specific details, you handle as you see fit."

"That's what they call the wind blowing the eggshells—money gone, people at peace."

Fang Chongyong was in a good mood and even teased Yuwen Kuan.

"Empty it? Then what will the government offices eat?"

Yuwen Kuan, with a bewildered expression, retorted, almost blurting it out.

He could not at all grasp what Fang Chongyong was thinking. The offices need to function; without money or grain, how could the administration operate?

"If you are reluctant to part with the Beizhou Prefect, you can wait in Qinghe County until Huangfu Weiming arrives in Beizhou, then ask him in person for the grain tribute."

Fang Chongyong leisurely tossed out a line and strode out of the government office study.

Yuwen Kuan felt a chill of dread.

Damn, he almost forgot that Fang Chongyong came to Hebei just to cause a stir and then leave, never intending to hold any territory. Since the other side never planned to occupy land, why would Fang Chongyong care how the local administration should function?

Yuwen Kuan suddenly sensed an aura of "elegant cruelty" around Fang Chongyong.

He neither fights nor scolds nor slaughters indiscriminately, yet he finishes matters decisively, leaving no room at all.

……

In front of the granary on the Henan bank of Qinghe County, four long queues had formed, all made up of civilians from Bozhou waiting for the government granary to release grain.

At this moment, they wore simple, hearty smiles, gathering in groups of two or three, telling rustic, meat‑filled jokes, all feeling quite relaxed.

Only a handful wore frowns, as if worrying about something ominous.

Just then, Fang Chongyong rode in on a horse, leading a few personal soldiers to inspect the site. Che Guangqian, who was organizing the grain release, hurried forward, clasped his fists in salute and said, "Jiedushi, everything is normal so far. However, the granary is huge; it will take some time to empty the grain."

"Give me the iron horn."

Fang Chongyong nodded calmly, saying nothing superfluous.

Che Guangqian handed the iron horn to Fang Chongyong, also curious about what he intended to do.

"Friends and fellow villagers, I am the Xuanwu Army Jiedushi Fang Qing."

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army is the force stationed in the six prefectures of Henan; we cannot stay long in Beizhou and Bozhou.

You must hurry when receiving grain; the bandit army under Huangfu Weiming could arrive in Beizhou at any moment.

As soon as he finished shouting, someone in the crowd began to wail.

"Jiedushi Fang, you cannot leave!"

"Yes, yes, we finally hoped for clear skies, and if you leave, what can we do!"

It was like a few drops of hot water falling into a wok; the crowd queuing for grain instantly boiled over.

Clank! Clank!

Beside them, Che Guangqian frantically hammered a gong, and only then did the crowd quiet down.

"I, the Jiedushi, have a concern: after we leave, the bandit army under Huangfu Weiming may come to the villages and forcibly requisition grain from you."

Those who come here today to collect grain may be treated as rioters, and then their whole families could be killed!

Therefore, anyone fearing death should set down the grain and can now go home empty‑handed.

Fang Chongyong raised the iron horn and shouted.

He had expected many to leave, but he overlooked that this is the Tang dynasty, not the Song, and the populace's blood‑brave spirit is high and the martial wind flourishes.

Then someone shouted, "Anyway, we killed people last night; we'll stick with Jiedushi Fang! What if the old bandit Huangfu comes, damn him!"

Fang Chongyong looked at Che Guangqian in surprise, as if asking, "Is this a plant you sent out?"

Che Guangqian slowly shook his head, waved a hand lightly, indicating the matter was none of his concern.

"This is a wild rebel!"

Fang Chongyong was secretly startled; Hebei truly is a powder keg, igniting at the slightest spark!

"Eat his mother, drink his mother—Fang Qing comes and won't take grain!"

As long as the Jiedushi is in Bozhou, no one dares to touch us!

Someone else shouted another line, which sounded like a plant.

Fang Chongyong glanced at Che Guangqian, who whispered, "Jiedushi, the people's hearts are usable."

Seeing that perhaps no 'atmosphere crew' was needed to stir things up, Fang Chongyong kept shouting to the crowd, "I, the Jiedushi, am outside Qinghe County town, prepared with weapons and bows. Take your arms home, form societies in your villages and protect yourselves! When bandits come, kill the bandits; when the old bandit Huangfu comes, you won't be slaughtered like pigs or sheep! Anyone willing to take weapons, follow me!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd instead fell silent and did not act rashly.

The farmers possessed grassroots survival wisdom; most of them understood that after taking grain they could argue "the law does not punish the masses."

But taking weapons equals actively joining a rebellion.

It is a road of no return.

These people were momentarily indecisive.

"Friends, you didn't kill few of the granary guards last night, did you? That was nearly two thousand men!"

"When the old bandit Huangfu comes, will he not investigate these matters? Will he care whether you are being wronged?"

"Do you hope that the old bandit Huangfu will turn a deaf ear?"

Che Guangqian snatched the iron horn from Fang Chongyong's hand and shouted at the crowd.

"Good! Take the weapons; even before death you'll have a backup!"

A burly man stepped out of the line and ran to Fang Chongyong's side.

With him leading, one sturdy man after another emerged, many with blood on their bodies.

Fang Chongyong understood that these people had broken the killing taboo last night. Killing one yesterday was killing; killing another tomorrow was still killing, and there was no longer any way back.

As long as they have weapons in hand, when Huangfu Weiming brings troops to Bozhou for an autumn reckoning, they will still have a fighting chance. If they are unarmed, they will truly be at the mercy of others.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Fang Chongyong swung back onto his horse and headed toward the ferry's wooden bridge.

Behind him followed a long procession.

Before long, Fang Chongyong had arrived at the south gate of Qinghe County's county town. He saw Yuwen Kuan directing the county runners and militia soldiers, lining up box after box of horizontal swords, wooden spears, single-shot crossbows, crossbow bolts, and other items.

And the supply was still growing. The area was enclosed by simple wooden fences, with He Changqi standing guard with his soldiers to prevent petty thieves from seizing the chance to steal weapons.

When Yuwen Kuan saw that Fang Chongyong had already dismounted, he wore an expression as though he wanted to speak but hesitated. In the end, he swallowed all the words he had wanted to say and simply crossed his hands in a salute to Fang Chongyong.

He Changqi, however, was not the least bit reserved. He stepped forward, clasped his fists in salute, and asked in a low voice, "Jiedushi, are we really going to issue weapons to that mob?"

He did not quite understand.

In truth, from the founding of the Great Tang through the Tianbao era, the stockpiled cold weapons had already become seriously excessive. The armories in Chang'an could easily equip five hundred thousand light infantry. Of course, while weapons were plentiful, consumables were relatively insufficient; vast quantities of arrows, fierce fire oil, and such items had to be replenished every year.

The storehouses of each prefecture also held large quantities of weapons.

This was also an important reason why, during the period from the An-Shi Rebellion to the warlord separatism, one only heard of people starving to death but never heard of armies lacking weapons.

Bei Prefecture, as the site of the "Northern Storehouse of the Realm," had hoarded not only grain and silk but also a large quantity of weapons, with stockpiles far exceeding those of an ordinary prefecture.

Following the principle of "spanking the children on a rainy day since there's nothing better to do," Fang Chongyong waved his hand and decided to "while he was at it" open the weapon storehouse of Bei Prefecture as well.

This way, the people of Bo Prefecture who had come to collect grain could each be given a blade in hand.

He believed that when Huangfu Weiming sent troops to Bei Prefecture and Bo Prefecture to "quell the rebellion," the expression on his face would surely be spectacular.

"What mob? They are righteous men of Hebei!

You don't know a damn thing. If Huangfu Weiming wants to kill them, are the righteous men not even allowed to hold a blade in their hands?"

Fang Chongyong scolded in a low voice.

"That's not right, Jiedushi. We were the ones who had them come to collect grain, and we're the ones giving them weapons too. Isn't that a bit..."

He Changqi thought for a long time but could not find the right word to sum it up.

Isn't this being hypocritical?

He Changqi thought to himself.

He was just about to speak when he heard Fang Chongyong scold, "If you don't know how to talk, then shut up!"

Fang Chongyong walked forward with a smile on his face and personally handed a horizontal sword to a farmer waiting in line to receive weapons. He patted the man on the shoulder and said, "Grip your blade tightly. Protect your family well!"

"Thank you, Jiedushi Fang!"

That farmer was so moved he did not know what to do with himself. Flattered and startled, he imitated the way He Changqi and the others had done, clasping his fists in a salute to Fang Chongyong. As a result, he failed to hold the blade steady and dropped it on the ground. With a naive grin on his face, he picked it up and clutched it to his chest, as if afraid someone might snatch it away.

He hurried off.

Watching his retreating figure, Fang Chongyong murmured to himself with a sigh, "To send the untrained people into battle is to abandon them! To die fleeing is death; to rise in a great undertaking is also death. Since death is the same either way, is it not better to die for one's country?"

He looked again at those farmers with faces full of anticipation, waiting to receive weapons, and could not help but sigh softly, "Never mind. There has never been any savior. Happiness can only be carved out, slash by slash, with one's own two hands."