Chapter 554: The Advantage Is Mine

Outside the city of Yexian County in Lai Prefecture, thousands of troops are arrayed here.

Among them are soldiers of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army and the trusted troops of Pei Min, together amounting to several thousand.

They set out from Penglai in Dengzhou, marched southwest along the coastline, passed through Huang County of Dengzhou, and soon arrived beneath the city of Yexian County, Lai Prefecture.

Yexian County is not large; the East Lai Guard on the western sea side holds a few hundred men and has already submitted to Fang Chongyong's command.

After all, they now bear the banner of Prince Yong Li Lin, so these isolated garrisons have no need to hold out; they would not sacrifice their lives for Li Chang, who killed his father and usurped the throne.

Now only Yexian County itself remains.

It can certainly be taken; the question is how, whether to use force, and what the losses would be if we besiege.

Li Lin watches the composed rider on horseback, apparently waiting for Fang Chongyong to open the city gates, and immediately feels a bit displeased.

He then feigns flattery and asks, "I have heard that Jiedushi Fang commands with certainty, wielding troops like a deity. His Yinqiang Xiaojie Army is said to be ten men to one, brave and battle‑ready. Why not let the Jiedushi show a move for me? I have never seen the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army unleash its might."

His question is deliberately sharp, clearly showing ill intent.

"Your Highness, the best strategy is to attack plans first, then alliances, then field battles, then sieges. I think the Lai Prefect will open the gates to receive Your Highness."

"I fear the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army will have no chance to shine this time, and it may only give Your Highness empty joy."

Fang Chongyong replies dismissively, turning Li Lin's words back on him.

"Show you a siege? Do you think this is a monkey‑show?"

"War means bloodshed!"

Fang Chongyong is too lazy to mock Li Lin, the useless one.

"Has the surrender letter been shot into the city?"

Fang Chongyong asks He Changqi in a low voice; if the surrender letter has not been shot inside, the fun is ruined.

The unaware Lai Prefect might still think the outside is just bandits on a patrol.

"Jiedushi, it has already entered the city. I personally saw a defending soldier pick up the arrow."

He Changqi bows and reports.

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong nods slightly, still maintaining a composure as steady as Mount Tai.

Logically, the Lai Prefect has no reason not to open the gates; even the East Lai Guard has 'surrendered', so what purpose does the united force of Yexian County have in holding out?

Nevertheless, one cannot rule out that there are fools in this world.

And a fool's mind cannot be judged by ordinary logic; an unexpected mishap cannot be excluded.

Fang Chongyong rides his horse, patiently waiting for the Lai Prefect to open the gates. Though his face is calm as water, his heart is anxious; his outward composure is all an act.

If the Lai Prefect resists to the end, he would have to kill chickens to warn the monkeys, which is strategically very unwise.

Beyond lies Qing Prefecture, the upper prefecture, populous and strong. Their route requires taking the official road to Beihai County, then from Beihai to Yidu in Qing Prefecture, and from Yidu north to Bochang.

There is a great ferry on the Ji River where ships can transport troops.

From then on they can take the waterway straight to Bian Prefecture without any stops.

If Yexian County does not surrender, the following prefectures probably won't either, unless they parade the Lai Prefect on a flagpole for the public.

Whether by prayer or because Prince Yong's banner is truly useful, in less than half an hour the east gate of Yexian County flings open.

An elderly man in a crimson official robe collapses onto a shoulder sedan, being carried by two young men.

They bring him, under all eyes, to the banner under which Fang Chongyong stands.

The bamboo shoulder sedan is placed on the ground, and Fang Chongyong dismounts to inspect.

After a careful look he discovers the old official, his head bound with blood‑stained cloth, even his face still smeared with blood, looking utterly disheveled.

More crucially, the man reeks of alcohol, not as if he were knocked out, but rather as a drunk still hungover.

Wearing an official robe, drunk, head broken, carried out—this whole scene seems… rather abstract.

"Is this the Lai Prefect?"

Fang Chongyong steps forward, asking one of the young men who lifted the sedan, "Is that so?"

"Yes, Governor Zheng Xu, my uncle."

"Not long ago, while eating lamb stew in the inner courtyard of the prefectural office, a falling tile struck his head… and that's how it ended."

Zheng Xu's nephew Wang Zai briefly explains the situation. Of course, his uncle's wild details need not be elaborated.

Li Lin and Wei Zichun stare dumbfounded.

A tile hits the prefect's head, and then the city gates open—who would believe such a ghost story?

Anyway, Yexian County has finally been taken; could this be the legendary "divine assistance"?

Many present feel a sense of "heaven's mandate".

"You'll go with me to Bian Prefecture as an official; your uncle will remain Lai Prefect."

Fang Chongyong looks at Wang Zai and orders He Changqi, "Send word to Che Guangqian, have him take over the East Lai Guard; the officials inside Yexian County stay as they are, let them each do their own business."

Hearing this, Wang Zai lets out a breath, bows with a salute, and says, "I thank the generous Jiedushi."

"Your Highness, once we replenish supplies in Yexian County we can set out again. All errands can be settled within an hour; you may enjoy the scenery outside the city without entering and causing trouble."

Fang Chongyong steps forward, his expression serene, bows to Li Lin, speaking with calm authority, handling matters as if light as air.

Seeing Fang Chongyong so cleanly resolve everything, and recalling his earlier promise to let the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army "perform" a siege, Li Lin feels as if he's been slapped hard, wanting to crawl into a hole.

He feels he previously acted like a clueless clown.

Wei Zichun also notices Li Lin's odd expression, leans over and quietly comforts him, "Your Highness, after you ascend the throne, you will have great cause, naturally attracting talent and controlling prefectures. No need to rush."

Li Lin nods silently, yet thinks the matter may not be that simple. At least it won't be as easy as Wei Zichun says.

Wang Zai has the Yexian County magistrate open the treasury, replenish the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army's supplies, then follows Fang Chongyong's party westward to Qing Prefecture.

After night falls, Zheng Xu, lying in the prefectural office's bedroom, finally stirs awake.

He looks at his nephew and asks puzzled, "Where is that brat Wang Zai? Where is the great army outside the city? Where is the county commander? What exactly happened?"

Zheng Xu's memory stops at the moment before he blacked out. His rapid‑fire questions leave his nephew at a loss for words.

"Uncle, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army has left, you are still the magistrate of Laizhou, Wang is following Fang Jiedushi to Bianzhou to take office, everything is fine."

Zheng Hu's nephew said something flattering and gave a rough account of what had happened.

"Does that mean I just foolishly betrayed the court and joined the rebels?"

Zheng Hu suddenly felt throbbing headaches, truly painful! The spot on his head where a tile had struck seemed already scabbed, both itchy and sore.

"Uncle, how can you call them rebels? That's His Highness Prince Yong's troops. If the Son of Heaven murders his father and kills the ruler today, does he deserve to be emperor?"

Zheng Hu's nephew argued forcefully.

In fact, this may not be a decisive factor, but it is a good excuse to convince oneself to "make do".

He also understood that the old days could never return. Once Li Lan is eradicated, he would share the misfortune.

As expected, Zheng Hu sighed and said, "Earlier Prince Yong sent envoys to persuade, but I, your uncle, firmly refused. I simply did not want to be involved in such matters, which might have led to my family being exterminated. I didn't expect this disaster to be unavoidable."

Although Zheng Hu spent his tenure idly and lived carefree, he also possessed his own survival wisdom.

On the one hand, he never preyed on the common folk; on the other, he did not side with a feudal prince to rebel. Thus, even if he steps down, he would merely return home to become a wealthy landlord.

One's one‑hundred‑and‑fifty years are like a white colt flashing by; with limited ability, don't waste effort. Sometimes making do isn't bad—where in the world can one find something perfect?

In the end, there are only so many high‑ranking, richly‑paid officials; since climbing up offers no hope, better to muddle through day by day—perhaps this muddling will span decades and pay off.

"You should also go to Bianzhou. Prince Yong is ambitious; sooner or later he will carve up lands and grant titles. You'll have more opportunities in Bianzhou; I, your uncle, am already old and can only make do in Laizhou.

Now that you're already caught in the situation, stop thinking about self‑preservation; just see it through to the end."

Zheng Hu let out a long sigh to his nephew, full of worry for the future.???? ……

The issue of Laizhou's allegiance was resolved smoothly, and it bore a strong sense of "Mandate of Heaven", making Li Lan's party feel "the advantage is ours", lifting their spirits considerably.

The main army continued southwest, reaching Beihai County two days later. Further west lay the densely populated region of Qingzhou, where the prefectural seat Yidu is located.

The magistrate of Beihai County didn't even hesitate; he flung open the city gates and knelt, receiving Fang Chongyong's party with a bow, pledging allegiance to Prince Yong and viciously berating Li Chang for murdering his father and killing the ruler, calling him a beast.

These prefectures far from the Chang'an core should not be expected to have especially heroic or unyielding administrators.

At first Prince Yong Li Lan's forces lacked a strong army, so the prefects of the various counties naturally ignored him. But with the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army and Fang Chongyong's addition, the situation changed entirely.

Li Lan has now filled his biggest weakness; his mighty troops are arrayed beneath the city, and no one will be unable to think straight or be at odds with their own mind.

Taking advantage of the interval while his troops took over the treasury, Fang Chongyong asked Wei Zichun, "Mr. Wei, I hear you previously visited the Qingzhou magistrate; what do you think of him?"

Startled by the question, Wei Zichun was momentarily stunned, then smiled and explained, "That man is He Lan Jinming, quite literary, but as a person… rather slick, a sycophant who follows the prevailing power."

Wei Zichun, the chief aide of Prince Yong Li Lan, is not a person indifferent to fame and profit. Yet he calls He Lan Jinming a sycophant, so his character is hard to assess—at best below the baseline, utterly lacking integrity.

Fang Chongyong lowered his voice and asked, "I have heard that He Lan Jinming's wife is exceptionally beautiful, being a fox spirit in disguise; is that true?"

Ha?

Wei Zichun was momentarily taken aback, startled by this "martial world rumor".

Tang‑dynasty zhiguai notes are everywhere, and widely circulated legends sometimes mention fox spirits turning into beautiful concubines; such tales are not unheard of.

But a magistrate marrying a fox as his wife… truly unheard of.

Seeing Wei Zichun remain silent, Fang Chongyong pressed on, "There are also rumors that He Lan Jinming keeps many household dogs and daily enjoys eating dog feces; is that so?"

"That's absolutely not true!"

Wei Zichun, frightened, waved his hands hurriedly.

The last time he saw He Lan Jinming, he noticed the man loved to "show off"; his clothes were impeccably clean, spotless. He exuded a faint elegant fragrance, looking like an immortal, with an androgynous, refined charm that bordered on coquettish.

For someone so obsessed with personal appearance to the point of mania, his daily penchant for eating dog feces is truly inconceivable.

"Mr. Wei, how do you think this man should be dealt with? I heard that when you tried to persuade He Lan Jinming, he outwardly professed support for His Highness Prince Yong, yet once the matter of handing over authority arose, he kept evading."

Is that the case?

A man like that governing Qingzhou would keep me, the commander, awake even when sleeping in Bianzhou; I couldn't rest, always needing to be ready to lead troops to quell rebellion.

Fang Chongyong hinted to Wei Zichun without showing any reaction.

Hearing that, Wei Zichun's complexion darkened instantly, recalling his earlier ordeal in Qingzhou; while angry, he also silently marveled at Li Bai's big mouth, unable to keep secrets, having told Fang Chongyong about the soft‑spot incident with He Lan Jinming.

At that time, several of Prince Yong's aides—including Li Bai—went to the coastal eastern provinces to persuade the prefects. The other prefects firmly refused, even threatening to report Prince Yong's scheming to the court.

Only Qingzhou's magistrate He Lan Jinming and Wei Zichun got along well.

However, chatting happily is one thing; handing over authority for money and actually doing the work is another.

He Lan Jinming is the typical scumbag: neither proactive nor refusing, and never responsible.

If you ask whether I support Prince Yong, I absolutely do. But to ask me to fund troops and let Prince Yong's confidants govern Qingzhou is utterly impossible.

Support can only be verbal. I've already pledged not to dispatch troops from Qingzhou against Prince Yong; isn't that support?

He Lan Jinming meant exactly that at the time.

Facing this kind of person who talks nicely yet remains impenetrable, Wei Zichun had no recourse, and returned to Qi Prefecture, disheveled, to report back to Prince Yong Li Lan.

"As a Jiedushi, how should He Lan Jinming be dealt with?"

A cold glint flashed in Wei Zichun's eyes as he lowered his voice and asked.

"Eh? Did He Lan Jinming marry a fox spirit as his wife? Rumor has it fox spirits like to refine with children's blood, though it's unclear if true."

Fang Chongyong suddenly brought up the matter again.

Wei Zichun suddenly understood, slapped his forehead and said, "Yes, now I recall. Some Qingzhou residents whisper that He Lan Jinming often secretly sends men to capture boys and girls to his residence for his wife's blessings."

Later those children vanished without a trace, presumably harmed by the fox spirit. The townsfolk dare not speak out, fearing He Lan Jinming's power, so they don't seek revenge.

"Oh! So that's it! Then he truly deserves to die!"

Fang Chongyong also "had an epiphany", then added, "How should we deal with those who aid the tiger?"

He turned his head, looking at his guard He Laohu, and asked, "He Laohu, what do you think, how should we handle those who aid the tiger?"

"Replying to the Jiedushi, those who aid the tiger should be killed to eliminate the menace for the people!"

"Hmm, not bad.

"When we reach the foot of Yidu City and He Lan Jinming comes out of the prefectural city to greet us, you'll have no hesitation, cut off his head, and then hang it on the city's training ground for a sacrificial offering to Heaven! No problem?"

Fang Chongyong patted He Changqi's shoulder and asked.

"It's a trivial matter; killing He Lan Jinming is no harder than killing a pig or a dog!"

He Changqi wore a disdainful expression and snorted a remark.

Fang Chongyong gave a slight nod; he likes He LaoHu's kind of execution.

Killing He Lan Jinming was also intentional, merely to establish authority.

As they say, combining kindness and force is the way to govern subordinates.

If we don't kill a couple of inspectors, outsiders would still think the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army and Fang Chongyong are gentlemen, and that a feigned surrender would suffice.

Human hearts all have the nasty habit of "being petty"; setting up a negative example, dealing with some self‑righteous people, and then hanging them high on a flagpole is very necessary.

This step of establishing authority must not be omitted.

"Mr. Wei, after a while outside Yidu City, the commander will vent his anger for you; how does that sound?"

Fang Chongyong gave a forced smile, his face not truly smiling, as he looked at Wei Zichun and asked.

His sharp gaze seemed to pierce Wei Zichun's thoughts; this chief aide of Prince Yong Li Lin could only cross his hands and salute Fang Jiedushi, saying, "Thanks to Fang Jiedushi for upholding righteousness; people like He Lan Jinming are not even worth mourning."

Wei Zichun's eyes were full of murderous intent. Some people can be spared or not, but if his luck brings him to the tip of a blade, there's nothing that can be done.

Revolution is not a dinner party, and the struggle for power and profit is no different.

Since He Lan Jinming had previously feigned politeness toward Prince Yong's envoy, he should have guessed what fate would await him when he later fell into destitution.

He was treated as a typical case; first, to intimidate the petty, and second, to free up a position for others to ascend.

This move was simply a win‑win.

Wei Zichun glanced at Fang Chongyong quietly, then realized that the Fang Jiedushi before him was meticulous and profound in thought, truly hard to deal with.

Perhaps recruiting Fang Chongyong to support Prince Yong is no different from using a tiger to get its skin.

The risk is simply too high!

Wei Zichun glanced again at Prince Yong Li Lin, who was beside him admiring the scenery with hardly any sense of danger, and felt a helplessness akin to "hating iron that never becomes steel."

He let out a long sigh, unable not to break a sweat for this intellectually lacking Tang prince.

Ascending the throne and proclaiming oneself emperor can indeed strengthen imperial legitimacy, but it cannot enhance Li Lin's personal abilities.

To seize the world and secure the throne, what's needed isn't just the intangible "great cause and legitimacy," but more importantly, the emperor's own quality.

Li Lin, you lack the bearing of a ruler!

(End of chapter)