Chapter 513: Out of the Mix, One Day the Debt Must Be Paid

In Guanzhong, in Yong County, the prefectural seat of Qizhou west of Chang'an, the low city walls had only a few scattered guards. The few soldiers wore straw raincoats, stood under the heavy rain, and dared not rest a moment.

Fang Youde placed his hands behind his back, gazed eastward, his expression resolute, looking as if he were a statue.

He stood at the gate of the guardhouse on the city wall, watching raindrops merge into a line that ran down the stone eaves. The water ran along the wall's drainage ditch into the moat.

The rain was tremendous, a layer of autumn rain bringing a layer of coolness. After this rain, the hottest part of the year had passed; each subsequent rain made it a bit colder, until winter arrived.

Fang Youde felt his heart, like the weather, gradually cooling.

Seeing Fang Youde standing at the gate, dazed and silent for a long while, the deputy commander Li Jiaqing stepped forward and whispered, "Grand Marshal, Gao Xiuyan, who was defending Longmen Pass, fled without a fight, then opened the gates of Puzhou City, and now Hedong's troops have entered the passes."

Fang Youde already knew this news; Li Jiaqing's words were also a reminder: the moment of life and death had arrived, and they could no longer be as indifferent as before.

"Earlier I ordered you to recruit a contingent of united soldiers in Qizhou; how many did you recruit?"

Fang Youde asked a very strange question and did not give Li Jiaqing the answer he wanted.

"About ten thousand, but…"

Li Jiaqing was about to say more, but saw Fang Youde gently wave his hand and say, "That's enough."

He did not explain why it was enough, nor how the ten thousand would be used.

But Li Jiaqing actually meant… these riff‑raff could only bully the common folk! If you actually send them to battle, they'd only get beaten! Even using them to defend the city would be a nuisance!

Not even ten thousand would be of any real use, let alone just ten thousand!

"First, go back to Longzhou Qianyuan to train troops; in the short term make sure the boys are well fed, and just follow the army's orders."

"The matter of defeating the enemy need not worry you; if the heavens collapse, I, the Grand Marshal, will hold them up!"

Fang Youde waved his hand lightly, showing an attitude indifferent to victory or defeat.

However, this calm composure could not allay Li Jiaqing's worry; he finally could not help but remind, "Grand Marshal, this time the Retired Emperor's troops are elite border forces, not the makeshift rubbish recruited back then in Hebei."

"At the end of a powerful crossbow, its force cannot pierce Lu's fine silk."

The Western Army came from ten thousand li away and has lingered in Hedong for a long time. After taking Chang'an, they will loot for at least three days, and the troops are lazy.

Then protect the Son of Heaven, and watch me, the Grand Marshal, defeat the enemy.

Fang Youde explained with a calm expression, seeming not to take it to heart.

Seeing him like that, Li Jiaqing was somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Since you have such confidence in repelling the Retired Emperor's troops, why do you wear a frown all day?"

"You don't understand; better not mention it."

Fang Youde let out a long sigh, a hint of bewilderment flashing in his eyes, unwilling to explain.

Indeed, even if we win, what then?

"The elites of Chang'an are nothing but fly‑riding, dog‑crawling drunken dreamers; must we kill them all?"

"The Hebei peasants are already disloyal and lacking virtue toward the court; must we also kill them all?"

"The whole Tang empire is fragmented, hearts scattered, and ambitious ones keep emerging; must we raise the slaughter knife and wipe them all out?"

"Besides killing, it's still killing!"

At that moment Fang Youde suddenly felt that, apart from swinging a blade to kill, he could do nothing else.

He could not build a new dynasty, nor could he rally his own political faction.

If all we wanted was to idle away days, if all we wanted was to restore the Tang's "small court, large fief" pattern, then Fang Youde could simply raise his sword and carve out such a world.

But that's not what he wants!

If he persisted with this pattern, Fang Youde could easily become the biggest fief lord.

"Jiaqing, you say if I, the Grand Marshal, kill everyone who ought to die, will the world improve?"

Fang Youde suddenly turned his head toward Li Jiaqing and asked.

It was his first time before a deputy commander that he showed a hint of helplessness and weakness.

Clad in armor and wielding sharp weapons, the great marshal Fang, who can do what others cannot, also has things he cannot accomplish even by risking his life.

Li Jiaqing gave no reply, which was in fact a silent answer: such a notion was naturally impossible to realize.

If killing could solve all the world's problems, the realm would have been slaughtered dry long ago.

Li Jiaqing thought that even he, a barely literate Qiu Ba, understood that killing cannot solve all problems. The invincible marshal Fang surely understood this even more.

At that moment, a personal guard hurried up the city tower and, with a clasped‑fist salute, said to Fang Youde, "Grand Marshal, Li Mi is here to visit, just below the tower."

Li Mi?

Fang Youde gave a silent sneer, nodded slightly, and said, "Then bring him up."

A short while later, Li Mi was brought before them; he was completely drenched by the rain, looking as if he had been pulled out of a pot of soup, looking utterly disheveled.

His usual ethereal, Dao‑bone bearing demeanor was gone, and the yellow mud on his robe proved the harsh wind and rain had taken a toll on him.

"I cannot stand this mess; attendant, take Li Gong to bathe and change clothes, and return to the office!"

Seeing Li Mi's condition, Fang Youde directly ordered his subordinates, ignored Li Mi's words, and turned to leave.

Fang Youde never cared about the saying "A gentleman may take ten years to avenge."

The pot that drove him out of Chang'an involved Li Mi as well. Even if it wasn't intentional, the connection was unavoidable.

Fang Youde, being sentimental, now had Li Mi seeking his help, so at this moment he gave Li Mi no friendly look.

Half an hour later, after washing and bathing, Li Mi finally met Fang Youde in the office of the prefectural hall.

He wore a helpless smile, and Fang Youde bowed, saying, "Grand Marshal Fang, I hope you are well."

"Hmm, very well, I can eat five dou of rice each day."

Fang Youde replied very coldly.

"The Retired Emperor has already led troops into the passes; Yan Zhenqing has cobbled together about twenty‑to‑thirty thousand men, planning to block them at Weinan County."

"Grand Marshal, what do you think of the battle situation?"

Li Mi asked cautiously.

"Not much, the Retired Emperor's troops are now anxiously looking to loot Chang'an for three days."

They don't like to reason with anyone.

Whoever blocks their path, they will kill, so in this battle Yan Zhenqing is bound to lose.

If Yan Zhenqing wins and returns, you can come here to take this commander's head.

Fang Youde explained in a completely indifferent tone, as if he were talking about a trivial, everyday matter rather than the capital Chang'an's impending fall.

Li Mi gave a slight nod, saying no superfluous words.

In fact, this outcome was about what he expected. Yet hearing it from Fang Youde made it feel like a stone hitting the ground.

Instead of worrying, it's better to resign oneself.

Now hearing the "professional" commentary, that's truly resignation.

"Does the Grand Marshal have a strategy to break the enemy?"

Li Mi, without any courtesy, asked cleanly and directly.

Fang Youde also didn't hold back, simply nodding and saying, "Yes."

"How big is the certainty?"

Li Mi continued to ask.

"Ten out of ten, steady."

Fang Youde replied offhand, still with that calm tone that faintly hinted at arrogance.

He seemed to be bragging, but his past battle record is the greatest proof.

No need to self‑praise.

When Grand Marshal Fang said it's steady, then it truly is steady!

"Chang'an will probably fall; when the Son of Heaven moves his carriage to Longzhou, can Grand Marshal Fang protect the emperor?"

Li Mi, scheming to the end, finally revealed the ultimate purpose of coming to Yong County.

"It can, but only the Son of Heaven himself may come here, at most accompanied by his close eunuch Cheng Yuanzhen.

More people, this commander's ability is limited; I cannot protect them."

Fang Youde said firmly, allowing no doubt or bargaining.

Since Li Chang comes alone to Qizhou, there is no issue of an army being blindly commanded, nor anyone feeding intelligence to Ji Ge.

That is also Fang Youde's bottom line.

Li Mi gave a slight nod and said, "That is the appropriate intention."

He understood that any individual has a temper, let alone a commander as invincible as Fang Youde.

Having a bit of temper is normal.

Those people originally excluded Fang Youde from the decision circle; this grudge against Grand Marshal Fang is remembered clearly.

"In that case, Lord Li may return to Chang'an to report back."

Fang Youde made a beckoning gesture, clearly seeing the guest off.

"Farewell."

Li Mi crossed his arms in salute to Fang Youde, then turned and left.

The two's businesslike demeanor was stiff, oddly strange no matter how one looked at it.

If either of them were replaced by an ordinary person, this conversation would have ended without a hitch.

Li Mi regarded the Great Tang as an RPG of worldly experience, while Fang Youde cared only for the Great Tang's glory; both were indifferent to external influences.

Their negotiations with each other were unusually straightforward.

After Li Mi left, Fang Youde shook his head in disappointment.

In fact, he had already sent someone to contact the senior officers of the Shuo Fang Army, telling them to hold position and not march to Chang'an—that was the backup plan.

If things go awry, he will take Li Chang from Longzhou, travel the Lingwu Dao to Lingzhou, regroup the Shuo Fang Army there, and then slowly plot from the Shuo Fang base.

Hebei troops entering Chang'an is a foregone conclusion. Guanzhong and Hedong forces will fight to the death, guaranteeing casualties on both sides. The Hebei rebels taking advantage is inevitable.

Given Huangfu Weiming's abilities, seizing Chang'an would not be difficult.

However, whether it's Li Wan or Huangfu Weiming, they cannot clean up the chaotic mess of the world.

Continuous resistance across the lands is inevitable; the war must keep going.

Wave after wave.

All of this was within Fang Youde's expectations, with a high likelihood of occurring.

Because of this, he felt deeply painful and confused.

Fang Youde, though aware of the great trend and having calculated the outcome, still had some spare capacity to prepare, but many things that must happen will happen, and individual power cannot stop them.

Fang Youde realized he was becoming, in a sense, a "Great Tang Guo Ziyi."

A "Guo Ziyi" who doesn't bear the surname Guo.

"If I let go, would it be better?"

In the government office study, only Fang Youde remained; he sat dazed on a cushion, murmuring to himself.

……

Just after capturing Puzhou, heavy rain fell across Guanzhong. The harsh weather slowed Ji Ge's advance.

His illness had worsened; even in summer he had to wear a brocade robe, covering his whole body, otherwise the festering sores couldn't be hidden.

Moreover, Ji Ge became hypersensitive and irritable; even Gao Lishi was beaten by him multiple times.

He bore many skin abrasions.

"Sage, Li Guangbi sent a report saying Yan Zhenqing has been constructing camps outside Weinan County, setting up fences, digging trenches, preparing to block the imperial army's march on Chang'an."

Inside a secluded, plain courtyard annex in Puzhou City, Gao Lishi hurried in and said to Ji Ge, who was feigning sleep on the couch.

"Is the Gui Ling Soup ready?"

Ji Ge slowly opened his eyes, his face weary as he asked.

He looked like an eighty-year-old man, and even his face began to show some kind of red rash.

"Not yet, Your Majesty, please wait a little longer."

Gao Lishi said cautiously.

"How is it still not cured! Which doctor did you find? Do they want to watch me die!"

Ji Ge suddenly sprang up from the couch and unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks at Gao Lishi.

Gao Lishi dared not fight back, curling up on the ground, covering his head to protect his vital spots, letting Ji Ge kick and strike him.

After all, he was a sixty-year-old man, after all, a patient with an incurable illness. Having vented his anger, Ji Ge grew tired and sat on the bed, breathing heavily, his face so dark it seemed water could drip from it.

"Please calm your anger, Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

Gao Lishi prostrated himself on the ground, pleading desperately.

Ji Ge sighed helplessly and helped Gao Lishi to his feet.

"This illness of mine drives one mad; I truly thank you for your hard work."

He patted the dust from Gao Lishi's clothes and said.

"I do not find it hard; I only wish Your Majesty eternal longevity."

Gao Lishi choked up, tears streaming down his face.

Ji Ge wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, unsure what to say.

After a long while, their emotions finally returned to calm.

Gao Lishi seemed to recall something and whispered a report to Ji Ge: "I observe that Li Guangbi and Gao Xianzhi and the others are still fairly obedient; moreover, they raise the banner of avenging Prince Wang Zhongsi, so there's no need to worry too much. However, the soldiers are complaining about lack of pay and not having enough to eat; Your Majesty must also guard against their mutiny."

Gao Lishi raised a matter that made Ji Ge's heart shudder.

"Is there no grain procurement in Puzhou?"

Ji Ge asked in a low voice.

"We have grain procurement, but how much is actually in the state granaries? Could it be that we need to demand it from the local wealthy families?"

Gao Lishi lowered his voice and asked.

"Then lift the ban and let the soldiers take it from the wealthy families' homes."

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Ji Ge's eyes; he spoke firmly and resolutely.

Since we have reached the critical moment of the decisive battle, let alone seizing grain in Puzhou, even if we were to slaughter all the local people of Puzhou, Ji Ge would not hesitate.

Heaven and earth are vast, but nothing is greater than his throne.

If Li Guangbi's troops scatter due to lack of provisions, and he, this emperor, dies as a result, then what use are these petty notions of benevolence and righteousness?

After my death, let the floodwaters rage! Ji Ge no longer concerns himself with posthumous affairs.

Hearing Ji Ge's shocking command, Gao Lishi nodded silently, daring not to interject.

"Furthermore, tell Li Guangbi, Gao Xianzhi, and Guo Ziyi that after capturing Chang'an, all those who have clung to Li Chang as traitors shall be slaughtered without exception!"

Their properties shall all be confiscated and distributed entirely to the soldiers.

This is the reward I bestow upon the entire army!

Ji Ge spoke viciously, his face ferocious like a demon.

"Yes, I will attend to it at once; please rest assured, Your Majesty."

Gao Lishi spoke with downcast eyes, then quietly withdrew from the room.

Only Ji Ge remained, sitting silently in a daze, as if time in this world had stood still.