Chapter 546: Flies Are Truly Flies, Dogs Are Truly Dogs

Everyone says you don't climb the Three Treasures Hall without cause; what is Li Bai doing early this morning to see Fang Chongyong?

It's simple—he's here to be a spokesperson.

If we say that last time Li Bai "counseled" Fang Chongyong not to attack Prince Yong Li Lin's lands, it was only a tentative attitude.

Then this time he caught the perfect opportunity, meeting Fang Chongyong at Penglai Port in Dengzhou, his mind already full of schemes.

He wants to make Fang Chongyong and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army support Li Lin's ascension! A great army will march to Chang'an and dethrone Li Chang!

This is a once‑in‑a‑millennium opportunity!

Li Bai believes that regime change is not ordained by Heaven and will bring retribution. The current situation in the Great Tang has undergone earth‑shattering changes since Fang Chongyong first went to Hebei.

Li Chang murdered his father, and the Guanzhong court has lost its righteousness; although no inspector has openly rebelled, many officials turn a blind eye to imperial edicts.

The exiled princes are each rubbing their fists, ready to avenge Brother Ji, openly recruiting troops.

When the world descends into chaos and war flames, it depends only on how long they need to prepare! Once the moment is ripe, these ambitious men will rush in like moths to a flame.

Under Fang Chongyong are the strongest troops and the most robust horses in the Henan region, with brilliant battle records and a renowned reputation.

With such a powerful force, if it can't be brought under Prince Yong, Li Bai thinks it's essentially courting death!

Because Fang Chongyong and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army are heavyweight Jiedushi and strong forces, if he doesn't side with Prince Yong, he will inevitably side with another feudal prince.

This addition and subtraction is choosing between double joy or double pain. Having an extra ally means the enemy loses a helper.

If Li Bai were to go empty‑handed and return directly from Dengzhou to Licheng, Li Lin would break his legs!

After three rounds of wine, Li Bai set down his cup and praised, "The Jiedushi dominates Hebei with strategic brilliance, repeatedly achieving great feats. Those deeds have already reached the ears of the Henan people. The folk say that as long as the Jiedushi is in Hebei, the bandit armies dare not cross the Yellow River."

Li Bai is aloof, lazy, and arrogant; he usually only hears others praising him and seldom initiates flattery.

Thus this flattery sounds very stiff. Li Bai's skill at sucking up is even worse than Dengzhou inspector Wang Weizhong!

However, Fang Chongyong's troops have been stirring up trouble in Hebei, so the Hebei rebels indeed lack the energy to move south into Henan. From this perspective, Li Bai is not exaggerating, merely stating facts.

Seeing his restrained demeanor, Fang Chongyong forced a flattery and laughed heartily, "Li Taibai, Li Taibai, are you perhaps thinking that because my Yinqiang Xiaojie Army is strong and its horses are robust, you have come to be a spokesperson for His Highness Prince Yong?"

His hidden thought was exposed by that remark, and Li Bai stopped pretending, poured a cup for Fang Chongyong, and nodded slightly, saying, "Your words, Jiedushi Fang, are absolutely correct; I, Li, am indeed here as a spokesperson. His Highness Prince Yong wishes to raise troops in Qi Province but lacks battle‑ready soldiers, capable generals, and a commander who can stand alone. If Prince Yong receives the Jiedushi's aid, entering Guanzhong to set right the chaos will not be far off."

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong gave a slight nod, smiled, and left the matter undecided.

Li Bai, that scoundrel, instantly laid Li Lin's trump card on the table! Before negotiations even began, he already disclosed how much money he had in his pocket.

This poor wretch made Fang Chongyong too embarrassed to bully him.

"Eh? His Highness Prince Yong is praising me, but Fang cannot possibly accept that.

But, you see, Prince Yong's fake imperial decree, if it gets out, will look bad on his face and tarnish his reputation.

I, the commander, reckon that you, Li Taibai, might end up taking the blame for someone in the end.

Fang Chongyong placed on the desk before Li Bai the fake imperial decree that Wang Weizhong gave him yesterday—the same decree that Li Bai originally gave to Wang Weizhong in an attempt to take over Dengzhou.

That can be considered "returning the item to its original owner."

Li Shixian, still slightly drunk, saw the so‑called "imperial decree" written by a scholar of Prince Yong's household and was startled to the point that his wine was jolted awake.

"This is just a joke; someone saw Wang Weizhong's disrespect toward Prince Yong and scared him, it's not genuine."

Li Bai, while arguing slyly, awkwardly tucked away the fake decree, then drained the fine wine in his cup, calming his startled nerves.

A fake decree is merely a cover; if Wang Weizhong acknowledges it, it becomes a real decree. If he doesn't, and Prince Yong refuses to raise troops immediately, the matter becomes awkward and taboo.

Regardless of whether the court can investigate, Prince Yong's forged decree and his plot to seize Dengzhou will be a joke if it spreads.

By then, Li Lin could likely push the fake decree issue entirely onto Li Bai, claiming publicly that Li Bai acted on his own, making the great poet take the blame.

Although Li Lin may ultimately not truly punish Li Bai for being a go‑between, the rumor will certainly tarnish Li Bai's reputation among scholars worldwide.

Fang Chongyong returned the "fake decree" to its original owner, first to signal that Dengzhou is now in his grasp, and second to show he bears no ill will toward Li Bai, offering a ladder for him to step down.

"Brother Taibai, now is not the time to mock the inspector.

The Son of Heaven has murdered his father; both men and gods are outraged.

The Hebei rebellion remains unresolved, and the calamity of the Son of Heaven's self‑inflicted decline has arisen again.

In these tumultuous times, how does Prince Yong view the current situation?

Emotionally, he is the late emperor's son and must fulfill filial piety; logically, he is a Jiedushi and must be loyal to the state.

I, the commander, am eager to know, faced with this declining nation, where will Prince Yong go from here?

Fang Chongyong asked leisurely, furrowing his brow, appearing concerned for the country and its people, yet his thoughts remained inscrutable.

These words left Li Bai at a loss.

His specialty is poetry, not political scheming.

Indeed, Li Chang did murder his father, and it was done in broad daylight; now the whole world knows.

Prince Yong Li Lin is indeed preparing to raise troops; once recruitment is complete, he will issue a proclamation to the world.

However, where to raise troops, under what pretext, and when to do so, all involve great considerations.

Especially while the Hebei rebellion remains unquelled, those who raise troops now may not be the ones who laugh in the end.

One careless move, and the whole board is lost.

Can Li Bai, the great poet, grasp these life‑or‑death matters? Fang Chongyong clearly posed a "super‑overarching" dilemma for Li Bai.

"This… I, Li, must return to ask Prince Yong; I cannot decide for him."

Li Bai muttered, his face immediately showing unease. Not to mention this whole series of political, military, and regime‑change matters, Li Bai didn't even know where to start with these tangled issues!

"How about this, Brother Taibai, wait a moment. Allow me, the commander, to draft a letter; you take it back to Prince Yong.

This Dengzhou region is strategically vital; only a strong army can defend it. If Hebei bandits successfully launch a surprise attack, Prince Yong's life will be in danger.

Then, shall my Yinqiang Xiaojie Army guard Dengzhou?

Fang Chongyong spoke while, before Li Bai's eyes, grinding ink and taking up his brush to write the letter, as if the draft were already prepared.

He didn't even give Li Bai a chance to refuse!

Seeing this, Li Bai finally understood that Fang Chongyong's courtesy was merely superficial; on principle, he would not concede a single step.

The first option is to fall out with Fang Chongyong, march troops from Licheng to Dengzhou directly, and also have to win.

This situation basically belongs to a pipe‑dream and a daytime fantasy.

The second option is to have Fang Chongyong install Prince Yong Li Lin; in that case, it can be said that Prince Yong indirectly controls Dengzhou.

Obviously, only the second option is feasible.

Dengzhou has the largest seaport in the north, its strategic significance is self‑evident. Even if Li Lin does not grasp its importance, there will always be capable men under his command who do.

Fang Chongyong commands elite troops and personally leads them into battle; Prince Yong Li Lin has the status of a prince. Their alliance is a mutually beneficial complement of each other's shortcomings.

Li Bai was weighing the pros and cons, when Fang Chongyong had already finished writing the letter. After the ink dried, he sealed the letter, handed it to Li Bai and said, "Brother Taibai, hurry back to Licheng and deliver it to His Highness Prince Yong."

Li Bai tucked the letter close to his chest, feeling as if the letter weighed a thousand gold pieces!

Prince Yong's fate is now in his hands!

This stirred a surge of heroic ambition in Li Bai's heart, as if delivering a letter and running an errand decided the course of the world.

After he took his leave, Fang Chongyong poured himself a cup of wine, lifted the cup with his left hand, and gently swayed it.

Watching the wine rotate rhythmically in the cup, his gaze deepened, and he remained silent.

Now, between Fang Chongyong and Prince Yong Li Lin, conflict harms both, while cooperation benefits both.

The core of the Xuanwu Defense Zone lies in Bianzhou, and Li Lin, as Jiedushi of the Tianping Army, defends areas such as Qizhou and Jizhou. The two sides are extremely close; a slight expansion of influence would make them direct neighbors.

Even someone as politically clueless as Li Bai can see the many advantages of a Xuanwu‑Tianping alliance; it is a true strong‑handed partnership.

It is foreseeable that many of Li Lin's strategists will think the same.

Otherwise, the two sides would be locked in endless deadly combat until one completely annihilates the other!

When Ji Ge was still alive, Prince Li Lin's status had not yet become prominent; even getting too close to him carried great risk.

But now the central authority in Chang'an has been weakened, and princes across the realm, for both sentiment and reason, are rebelling to make a case; the Hebei rebels have not been eliminated.

Prince Li Lin's status has become highly coveted.

"Mere petty scheming, driven by the times; forced to act as such."

Fang Chongyong let out a long sigh; he had to admit that Huangfu Weiming's support of Prince Rong Li Wan's rebellion was a deft move.

Huangfu Weiming cannot defeat Fang Youde because of his own lack of ability; the strategy he employs is not at fault.

Now Fang Chongyong himself must take this path as well; it is also forced by circumstances.

If not Li Lin, then Li Jiao; if not Li Jiao, then another offspring of Ji Ge—anyway, one must be found.

Otherwise, the troops under his command would be easily bought off.

These days, conduct hinges on legitimacy and propriety.

If the name is not proper, words are not smooth; if words are not smooth, affairs are hard to accomplish. Not obeying the court means opposing the court; not supporting a prince to pacify the realm means one must proclaim oneself emperor and rebel.

Whatever the road, you must choose one. Otherwise, your own troops will see no future hope, and morale will quickly dissipate.

Fang Chongyong suddenly recalled that on Ji Ge's birthday, Li Lin had, in front of a large crowd, groped a dancer's buttocks and almost had illicit relations with a dancer inside Xingqing Palace.

He immediately thought this man was no great leader, even saying his demeanor was merely that of an ordinary person, barely noteworthy. Apart from his princely title, Prince Yong Li Lin seemed to have nothing commendable.

But now Fang Chongyong has no other options; even the Hebei rebels know they must operate under Li Wan's banner!

He drained the fine wine in his cup in one gulp and gave a self‑deprecating smile.

Smelling the foul, tasting the fragrant. The world's tricks are just a few; they are so uniformly trite because they work!

Just as Fang Chongyong was sipping wine and eating dishes while sighing, Wang Nande, who had gone to Dongmu Guard to oversee Dengzhou's garrison, returned with a report.

Upon meeting, Fang Chongyong asked directly, "How is the situation?"

"Obedient and well‑behaved."

Wang Nande replied with four unexpected, sarcastic words. Describing an army as obedient and well‑behaved is hardly a compliment!

"The court stipulates that Dengzhou troops must not interfere in Penglai Gang affairs, lest it become a troublesome entanglement.

It's understandable that the soldiers here eat poorly, clothe poorly, and cannot reap any profit, so low morale is normal."

Fang Chongyong smiled and said, "Please sit opposite me, Wang Nande."

Sure enough, Wang Nande sighed helplessly, "The Jiedushi's words are spot‑on; that's exactly the situation. Full strength should be fifteen hundred, but now it's roughly seven hundred. When they see their subordinate, they not only do not resist but are overjoyed."

He had intended to use this to supplement the troops, but instead saw a batch of dead weight, and Wang Nande could not hide his disappointment.

What he didn't know is that the Dongmu Guard's readiness had become lax, which is normal.

During Da Wuyi's rule over the Bohai Kingdom, Dengzhou was frequently raided. At that time, the Dongmu Guard stayed on guard day and night, prepared for Bohai's naval raids.

Back then those soldiers were combat‑effective.

After Fang Youde dealt with Da Wuyi, the Bohai Kingdom came under Da Menyi's rule.

He was a former bodyguard of Ji Ge, so naturally could not pursue hostile policies toward the Great Tang. Over the years, Bohai and the Great Tang, even the Benzi side, have remained relatively peaceful, with flourishing maritime trade.

Since Dengzhou has no battles left to fight, the Dongmu Guard is naturally idle. The central authority also forbids them from meddling in the harbor affairs; with no profit to be made, capable men in the army naturally look to leave.

People naturally pursue profit and avoid harm; there are no elite warriors who descend from the heavens, nor are there waste that are born as such.

"Jiedushi, in my humble opinion, these elite troops of Dengzhou are actually within Penglai Gang.

They are merely taking the Great Tang's military provisions."

Wang Nande said cautiously.

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said, "I wish to hear the details."

Seeing that the Jiedushi seemed interested, Wang Nande continued:

"Jiedushi, the ships from Dengzhou are huge; it's not unusual to load six or seven hundred people at a time, and vessels that hold three to five hundred are commonplace.

These people are both merchants and thieves, the sort who lick blood at the blade's edge; with a little training they could become a strong army.

Now there are many such individuals trapped inside Penglai Gang, unable to go to sea. In any case, Jiedushi, you must deal with them promptly."

Wang Nande wore a worried expression, harboring something in his heart that he could not bring himself to disclose.

The fact that Ji Ge was killed by Li Chang is now known within the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, at least among the officers.

However, even now, the banner that Fang Chongyong raises still follows the orders of Chang'an's central command; he has not issued a proclamation of "severing the robe and breaking righteousness."

Everyone is worried that Li Chang's perverse conduct will implicate Fang Chongyong and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army as well.

"I already know about this matter. But now everything is ready except for the east wind; I have a prescription, just missing one medicinal ingredient."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand and said.

He has his own plans; before they are accomplished, it is really inconvenient to reveal them to Wang Nande.

"Go notify the ship owners anchored at Penglai Gang, and say that there is a storm at sea now, so sailing is inadvisable. The storm will cease in three days; at that time, this commander will certainly not block them, just let them rest easy."

Fang Chongyong gave Wang Nande an order; the latter understood and hurriedly departed to obey.

Whether there is a storm at sea, those who sail year-round naturally know it full well. But since Fang Chongyong gave them this way out, they have no choice but to take it.

Because the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's blades are extremely sharp, no one would joke with their own neck unless forced into a desperate situation.

After Wang Nande left, Fang Chongyong's expression gradually grew grim.

"Da Qinmao, you wouldn't be trying to hang this commander out to dry, making me come invite you, would you?"

"If that's the case, then don't blame this commander for giving you a hard time."

Fang Chongyong muttered to himself, a cold light flashing in his eyes.