Chapter 65: In the Northeast Stands Da Menyi

Under the guard of his personal soldiers, Fang Youde and his entourage entered the palace of the Bohai State's ruler. Zhang Xun and the others saw that this Jiedushi wore a look of both amusement and contempt on his face, and for a moment could not understand why.

"This time we achieved victory without shedding a single drop of blood, which makes everything that follows much easier."

Fang Youde could not help but remark with a sigh.

So you do know fear after all!

Zhang Xun and the others could not help but grumble inwardly. They had assumed that Jiedushi Fang feared nothing under heaven or earth, that he would even go to Chang'an to demand justice from a ruler lacking the Dao.

"The furnishings here are identical to those of the Daming Palace, only half the scale. This Bohai ruler, Da Wuyi, is truly a man both insecure and laughable."

Fang Youde remarked with disdainful mockery, taking the opportunity to critique the various palaces and their furnishings.

No one knew what the Bohai ruler was thinking. He had insisted on making the palace's layout identical to Chang'an's Daming Palace, yet only half its size, so many parts looked rather incongruous.

Because the palace's dimensions could be halved, but a person's height could not!

Lining both sides of the road were imperial soldiers, palace maids, and eunuchs prostrated on the ground, their garments nearly identical in regulation to those worn in the Great Tang court. They offered not the slightest resistance, as though everyone already knew why the Tang army had descended upon Xianzhou City like divine soldiers.

Da Wuyi had previously overreached spectacularly, even joining forces with Dongying and the Khitans to take action against the Great Tang! This had terrified everyone in the Bohai State. Now, seeing the Tang light cavalry arrive, they knew the "other shoe had dropped."

The Tang army would punish only the chief culprit, Da Wuyi, and would do nothing to the rest of them.

The nobles of the Bohai State were now all waiting for the Great Tang to vent its anger, after which they would continue following the Great Tang under the leadership of a new ruler.

As for those slaves who could not even receive their wages, how they would resist was something anyone could figure out even with their toes!

Fang Youde and his entourage arrived at the ruler's bedchamber, and sure enough, the furnishings here were identical to the Purple Celestial Hall of the Daming Palace. Aside from being half the size, its layout was extraordinarily "similar" to the original in Chang'an.

Everyone could not help but smile, and even Yan Gaoqing nearly laughed out loud.

"The lineage of the Bohai ruler is truly a group of remarkable characters."

Fang Youde stepped forward and looked at the young man standing guard before the bedchamber doors, dressed in robes matching the exact specifications of a Tang imperial prince. With a teasing expression, he asked, "We are going to see the ruler. Should we remove our swords?"

"Your subject Da Qinmao, son of the ruler, pays respects to the Heavenly Envoy. Please follow me inside."

The young man said with great humility.

The ruler and ministers of the Bohai State had been slapped in the face by Fang Youde until they were bruised and swollen, yet Da Qinmao was not displeased. After all, the trouble his father Da Wuyi had stirred up was far too great. Pushing him out meant everyone could land safely, which was for the best.

"Your uncle Da Menyi is about to become the ruler of the Bohai State and receive investiture from the Great Tang court. You have no objections, do you?"

Fang Youde asked abruptly.

"To reply to the Heavenly Envoy, I have no objections."

Da Qinmao bowed respectfully with hands crossed, showing no displeasure on his face.

"Mm, very good. It is precisely young men like you that my Great Tang needs."

Fang Youde patted his shoulder and said, "Return to the Great Tang with me, and study our Tang rites and statutes. In the future, you will have the chance to become ruler as well. Do not let yourself run wild."

After speaking, he walked into the bedchamber without looking back, leaving Da Qinmao stunned where he stood.

"Jiedushi, this Bohai ruler's lineage all bears the surname Da. What a strange surname," Colonel Bai Zhen Tuoluo muttered in a low voice.

"As the saying goes, a name generally compensates for what one lacks. Precisely because the Bohai State is small, its ruler takes the surname Da to make up for it."

Fang Youde spoke eloquently.

Everyone was taken aback, then recalled Fang Youde's own name, and suddenly felt there was so much to comment on that they did not know where to begin.

Compensate for what one lacks — does a man lacking virtue compensate by having a name called "Youde"?

The atmosphere instantly turned awkward, and no one dared to pick up the thread and provoke the exuberant Fang Youde.

Fortunately, they had already entered the bedchamber and saw Da Wuyi lying on the bed, his face sallow and gaunt, cold sweat on his brow and lips trembling. It looked as though he was separated from his last breath by no more than a thread.

"Da Wuyi, do you acknowledge your crimes?"

Fang Youde looked coldly at the old man on the bed who was on the verge of death, and asked in an icy tone.

That tone was like a judge in the underworld.

"Your subject... is guilty."

Da Wuyi struggled to climb up from the bed, but unexpectedly slipped from the bed and fell to the floor, then did not move at all.

Fang Youde and his entourage's expressions shifted slightly. Yan Gaoqing stepped forward and felt for Da Wuyi's breath, then rose and shook his head at Fang Youde, saying, "He was scared to death."

The grand ruler of the Bohai State — in his day, he had commanded tens of thousands of archers and dominated an entire region.

And now he had been scared to death just like that!

"Tell Da Qinmao to prepare twenty thousand bolts of silk for our Tang officers and soldiers, and then in a couple of days we shall prepare to depart. Da Menyi should be arriving soon."

Fang Youde said composedly, making no mention whatsoever of how to dispose of Da Wuyi's corpse.

He trusted that Da Qinmao would resolve these "minor problems." After all, Da Wuyi's "death from illness" was a good thing for both Fang Youde and his men, and for the ruler and ministers of the Bohai State.

This meant that the conflict with the Great Tang from a few years ago had truly drawn to a close. The ruler and ministers of the Bohai State could now settle down and develop their economy in peace, without fear of being thrashed by the Great Tang.

Before long, Da Qinmao also entered the bedchamber. Seeing that Da Wuyi had "passed away from illness," he showed no surprise on his face, but merely bowed to Fang Youde. Then, after fully agreeing to the Tang army's demand for wealth and goods, he withdrew.

As for Da Wuyi's corpse, it would be taken away by the Tang army, and after a "trial," would be properly interred in Chang'an.

Zhang Xun and the others had never imagined that what they thought would be an inevitable fierce battle would be resolved so peacefully. The Jiedushi Fang, whom they had assumed only knew how to don armor and wield weapons, turned out to be so adept at political maneuvering as well!

The supreme art of war is to defeat the enemy through strategy. To demonstrate the Great Tang's majesty without shedding blood required great wisdom and great courage — something far beyond what an ordinary person could achieve. With so many people in the Bohai State, could they really be killed one by one on the battlefield?

If they were all slaughtered, the situation in the northeast would certainly deteriorate beyond repair, and the ones to suffer would be the Youzhou Jiedu Prefecture!

Fang Youde's move could be said to have resolved a major trouble at the minimal cost.

"Secretary, go and maintain military discipline. Since the Bohai ruler is paying us tribute, there shall be no looting within the city."

Fang Youde said calmly to Yan Gaoqing beside him.

"This subordinate will go and attend to it at once."

Yan Gaoqing bowed with crossed hands and withdrew, utterly convinced and sincerely admiring of Jiedushi Fang. He had already changed his earlier impression of this Jiedushi as "arrogant and untamed."

Fang Youde's way of doing things emphasized "having proper cause for action." He had his own set of principles for everything, even if those principles were likely to run counter to the court's decrees.

Yan Gaoqing's political acumen far exceeded that of Zhang Xun and the others. He understood that many things were right there in plain sight.

By having the Bohai ruler's succession carried out in such a violent yet bloodless manner, and replaced according to the Tang court's wishes, Fang Youde had clearly proclaimed who was the true boss of this northeastern territory.

Descending like heavenly troops yet not violating a single autumn hair, achieving their purpose and departing gracefully without a trace of mess.

What is deterrence? This is deterrence!

Yan Gaoqing could imagine that, likely within their lifetimes, the people of the Bohai state would firmly remember what ultimately became of the former ruler Da Wuyi, who had once opposed the Great Tang.

And they would take it as a cautionary lesson.

"Jiedushi, we're just leaving like this? Aren't you going to let the lads loot a round here?" Bai Zhen Tuoluo could not help asking in confusion.

"To leave merit unrewarded is my responsibility; to act rashly without orders is your crime. As for rewards, I shall naturally petition for your merits. We are not bandits!"

Fang Youde glared at Bai Zhen Tuoluo, who recoiled again and again, cupping his hands in a salute and apologizing.

The people's hearts desire change; go with it and you succeed, go against it and you collapse. Fang Youde grasped this with precision.

Two days later, Da Menyi arrived at Xianzhou City with his trusted followers and, escorted by a crowd of Tang soldiers, ascended to the ruler's throne. The Bohai state presented twenty thousand bolts of fine silk as reward for the Tang army's "escort" of the ruler to his enthronement.

Two thousand Tang cavalry, under the "all-the-way escort" of the Bohai state's imperial guard, safely returned to Yingzhou. Traveling with them was Da Qinmao, who would carry his father Da Wuyi's corpse to Chang'an to meet Li Longji, serve as a palace guard, and simultaneously study the Great Tang's laws and institutions.

When Da Wuyi was ruler, Da Menyi studied in the Great Tang.

Now that Da Menyi had become the new ruler, Da Qinmao would study in the Great Tang.

The subtlety and continuity within this would be clear at a glance to anyone paying attention, but no one would say it aloud.

The upheaval in the Bohai state—every party that received the news was thinking of countermeasures. Then various documents flew toward Chang'an like snowflakes, forcing Li Longji, who had been enjoying hot springs and beauties, to cut short his vacation at Huaqing Palace ahead of schedule.

……

"Smack!"

The slingshot in his hand whipped a stone out, striking a tree trunk not far away—still lacking a bit of accuracy compared to the branch Fang Chongyong had wanted to hit.

The skill of slinging is easy to pick up; one day of practice is enough to grasp the basic technique. But hitting a target, especially a small one that moves fast, is not so easy—at the very least, much harder than a pellet bow.

Fang Chongyong practiced the slingshot for only one reason: this thing was powerful, easy to carry, and inconspicuous—in a critical moment, it could save your life!

As for the pellet bows mainstream in the Tang dynasty, they looked much like bows and arrows, similar in size as well, lacking a bit of concealability.

As for the "Y"-shaped slingshot, it already existed in this era and was even quite convenient to carry, but its power was simply too small—almost nothing more than a toy.

Wang Zhongsi had already entered the palace to participate in military affairs. He was now the General of the Left Army of the Dragon Martial Army, a substantive post of high rank, so obviously he could not stay home all day. Every day he had to report to the palace for roll call and participate in arranging the Dragon Martial Army's daily training and rotations.

Now it was Cui Qianyou who accompanied Fang Chongyong out for activities every day.

"Young master, your force is wrong."

Cui Qianyou took the slingshot from Fang Chongyong's hand, loaded a specially made clay pellet, slipped the loop over his middle finger, began spinning it rapidly, and finally whipped the pellet out!

"Crack!"

A branch in the distance was snapped.

Making the difficult look easy—it looked just that effortless!

Everything flowed like clouds and water; Fang Chongyong had not even seen it clearly!

"In the army, the more skills you have, the better. You never know when one might come in handy."

Cui Qianyou returned the slingshot to Fang Chongyong and dusted off his hands as he spoke.

After Wang Zhongsi's return, he could in fact have entered the Left Army of the Dragon Martial Army—it would have taken just one word from Wang Zhongsi. But yesterday, when Wang Zhongsi came to the Fang residence, he specifically sought out Cui Qianyou for a chat and made himself very clear.

Entering the Dragon Martial Army was no problem at all, but that place was already piled full of ignorant good-for-nothings. Even if a small fraction could fight, they would not amount to anything. The army was a foul mess, everyone competing over family background and connections—no one was interested in building a career of merit.

In the end, Fang Chongyong suggested that Cui Qianyou should not waste time building a record in the Dragon Martial Army, lest he fritter away his days for nothing. Once Wang Zhongsi was transferred to Hexi, he would certainly serve in the Chishui Army, the absolute main force of Hexi. Getting a military registration in the Chishui Army at that point would be as easy as flipping his hand.

During this period, Cui Qianyou did not think of anything else. He contentedly followed Fang Chongyong every day; the two "discussed the art of war" and practiced slingshots together.

"Young master! Young master!"

From far off, Fang Laique's voice came from behind, sounding very anxious.

"It's not time for calligraphy practice yet, is it?"

Fang Chongyong turned around and asked Fang Laique with a face full of helplessness.

"No, someone from the palace has come! It's that Gao Lishi fellow."

Fang Laique said, panting. Fang Chongyong did not even dare address Gao Lishi by name directly, yet this fellow dared to.

"You really need to learn to control that mouth of yours in the future. Let's go."

Fang Chongyong packed away the slingshot and entered Chang'an City through the Chunming Gate. Right at the city gate, he saw several Golden Guard soldiers on duty, dragging one after another "object" wrapped in straw mats as if hauling garbage, loading them onto an ox cart. Then they drove the cart along the city wall straight toward the south.

They were all graveyards, but the west and the south were very different. The cemeteries in the southwest corner of Chang'an City mostly belonged to officials and nobles, while the southern stretch was all paupers' graves and unmarked mass burial pits.

Chang'an as a whole followed a pattern of "north noble, south lowly." The south already had more poor people, and it adjoined barren graves and mass burial pits, so the feng shui did not seem very good. Fang Chongyong believed that if not for being on official duty, these Golden Guard soldiers would not have gone south.

"When a poor person dies, wrap them in a straw mat and toss them anywhere. The poor of Chang'an are lucky—at least when they freeze to death, the Golden Guard hauls them off to the mass burial pits."

Cui Qianyou could not help sighing.

"Yes, in Chang'an it affects the appearance of the city, so of course the Golden Guard have to pinch their noses and handle this sort of thing."

Fang Chongyong rubbed his small, red, frozen hands, not knowing what to say faced with this scene.

Because this winter was bitterly cold, the poor, besieged by hunger and cold, froze to death.

On the surface, the logic seemed to have no problems.

As for what the essence of the problem was, Cui Qianyou did not want to say, and Fang Chongyong felt that saying it would be pointless.

Of course, Li Longji, soaking in a hot spring pool, naturally could not experience such feelings. What one cannot see, one treats as nonexistent—eternal glory and lovely beauties were both things to pursue and enjoy. Who would care about the dry bones in a mass burial pit?

Were the Golden Guard not diligently clearing the frozen corpses from Chang'an's wards simply to keep the Sage's ears free of trouble?

It seemed they had not done anything wrong either.

So where exactly was the error?

With a heavy heart, Fang Chongyong returned home, only to see Gao Lishi, wearing a thickly padded robe, pacing about the main hall, apparently having waited for quite some time.

"My fault, my fault, to have kept you, my elder, waiting so long."

As soon as he entered the hall, Fang Chongyong hurriedly apologized.

"No need for courtesy. I've come this time with good news."

Gao Lishi said with a smile.

Good news?

What good news could that scoundrel Li Longji possibly have?

Fang Chongyong's heart was greatly on guard.

"Please, Elder, make it clear."

He pressed his hands together in a gesture of respect toward Gao Lishi and said.

"Your father led two thousand light cavalry in a surprise attack on Xianzhou City, the capital of the Bohai Kingdom, and brought back to Chang'an the corpse of the Bohai ruler Da Wuyi, who had shown disrespect to the Great Tang in recent years. The Sage is now very pleased and wishes to reward you. Aren't you coming with me into the palace?"

Gao Lishi gripped Fang Chongyong's shoulder without allowing any argument, leaned in, and said in a low voice: "When the Sage asks you about anything later, say whatever sounds pleasing."

"Oh, oh, alright, alright."

Before Fang Chongyong could gather his wits, Gao Lishi had already taken him onto an ox cart. They headed east all the way and left Chang'an City through the Chunming Gate.

Sensing that the route was not quite right, Fang Chongyong could not help but ask: "Elder, this doesn't seem to be the road to the Daming Palace."

"Well, of course not. Your home is right behind the back gate of the Xingqing Palace — if you were going to the Xingqing Palace for an audience with the Sage, would you even need to ride an ox cart? We're going to the Huaqing Palace. The Sage has specially granted you permission to bathe in the hot springs together. This kind of favor — without your father in Chang'an, you wouldn't be getting it. It's all to your advantage."

Gao Lishi said with deep significance.