Chapter 99

Huang Chao felt his brain was a bit lacking.

Since he started rebelling, he had seen those who surrendered, those who begged for mercy, and also those who would rather die than submit, whole families loyal to the death.

But he had never seen anything like the Wang Family.

A few days ago he just scared his subordinates out of their wits, and today he sent people to deliver a thick, scorching "revolutionary sponsorship fee."

This operation had already surpassed his understanding.

"Young Master Wang," Huang Chao stared fixedly at Wang Tian, trying to see a crack in his face, "What exactly does the Wang Family want?"

"Aren't you afraid that after I take your things, I'll turn around and flatten your stronghold?"

His voice was full of probing and threat.

Wang Tian, however, remained calm and carefree.

He smiled faintly and replied calmly, "General, you're joking."

"Uncle said, once a gift is sent out, there's no reason to take it back. General, if you want it, just take it."

"As for flattening our stronghold..." Wang Qian paused, his tone still calm, but his eyes revealed full confidence and a hint of sharpness.

"Uncle also said, although our Wang Family does not wish to be enemies with the General, we are certainly not sheep to be slaughtered."

"The other day's battle should have already let the General experience it. That was only a tenth of our Wang Family's strength."

"Inside our Wang Family stronghold, we have 30,000 elite troops, 500 divine-arm crossbows, and enough supplies to last ten years. If the General insists on a hard attack, our Wang Family can only accompany him to the end."

"But I wonder, can the General's several hundred thousand brothers withstand several rounds of attrition? Even if they eventually manage to luckily breach our Wang Family, how much strength would the General have left to contend for the dragon throne of Chang'an?"

These words were neither soft nor hard, yet every word struck at the heart.

They both revealed their strength and made clear the stakes.

Huang Chao's face instantly turned grim; his threat failed and his intentions were exposed, making him feel terrible.

He knew Wang Qian was speaking the truth.

He could attack the Wang Family stronghold at any cost, but then his own losses would inevitably be unbearable.

By then, even if he reached Chang'an, he would be nothing but an exhausted army; the Court could casually send an Imperial Guard unit to destroy him.

Moreover, he didn't have full confidence he could capture that impregnable monster stronghold.

The atmosphere in the big tent instantly solidified.

The generals under Huang Chao all held their breath, not daring to speak.

They all understood.

The Wang Family was telling them:

"You may take the goods,"

"but you must not touch the people."

"If you dare to move, we'll fight you to the death; nobody will come out well."

"How is this a gift?"

"This is clearly intimidation! Of course, it's intimidation wrapped in mountains of gold and silver!"

After a long while, Huang Chao slowly exhaled.

He looked at Wang Tian, his eyes complex.

He knew he had no choice.

Fighting the Wang Family head-on would be a lose-lose.

Accepting the Wang Family's "goodwill," he would not only obtain a large batch of urgently needed supplies, but also preserve his strength unscathed and continue south to plunder richer prey.

This deal is profitable no matter how you calculate it.

"Good!" Huang Chao slammed the table, forcing an ugly smile onto his face.

"Great Wang Family! Great Wang Clan!"

"Mr. Wang, please go back and tell the Wang Clan: consider me, Huang Chao, a friend."

"From now on, as long as my Huang Chao's army remains even a single day in Jiangnan, it will not set foot half a step into Yangzhou territory! If I violate this oath, may heaven and earth destroy me!"

"Thank you, General, but our Wang Family remains subjects of the Tang Dynasty; as for those things, they are merely what you seized on the battlefield." Wang Qian bowed again, a victorious smile on his face.

He knew his mission was completed.

"Hmph! Rest assured!" Huang Chao shifted his tone, then said, "As for those things, I, Huang, am not someone who takes others' belongings for nothing."

You Wang Family have given me such a great gift. I cannot fail to show my appreciation.

I, Huang Chao, can agree to one condition for your Wang Family. As long as it doesn't involve letting me attack Chang'an or forcing me to commit suicide, any condition, I can agree to.

He is returning a favor, and also probing the Wang Family's true intentions.

Wang Tian heard this, his heart stirred.

He knew, and again his uncle guessed correctly.

Before he came, Wang Zong (Wang Xiu) had already instructed him.

If Huang Chao agrees to a reconciliation and also offers to give something in return, then we should propose to him a condition that seems trivial but is actually crucial.

Since the Grand General is so generous, I, your humble servant, dare to make a small request on behalf of the Wang Family. Wang Tian said.

Please speak.

Our ancestors have long heard that under the Grand General's command, there are countless talented artisans and skilled craftsmen. Especially when you first captured the Eastern Capital Luoyang, you gathered many top artisans from the Court's Ministry of Works and the Directorate for Imperial Manufacture.

Although our Wang Family resides in the south of the Yangtze, we have long admired all kinds of exquisite skills. Therefore, we dare to ask the Grand General for one hundred artisans, especially those skilled in smelting, construction, and weapons manufacturing.

I wonder, Grand General, whether you would be willing to part with them?

After Wang Qian finished speaking, the entire large tent fell into a deathly silence once again.

Huang Chao was stunned.

His subordinates' generals were also stunned.

They had considered that the Wang Family might propose various conditions.

For example, they might demand a piece of land.

For example, to cooperate with them and make the act more convincing.

Even, Huang Chao had also considered that the Wang Family wanted him, after gaining the empire, to enfeoff them as princes of a different surname; after all, aren't aristocratic families all like that—grass on the wall, loudly proclaiming loyalty to the Tang Dynasty while secretly being despicable?

But they never imagined that the Wang Family, after putting in so much effort and spending so much money, would ultimately want nothing more than... a hundred artisans?

What... what kind of operation is this?

"Just... just this?" Huang Chao could hardly believe his ears.

"Just this." Wang Tian nodded firmly.

Huang Chao stared at Wang Tian for a full cup of tea's time.

He simply couldn't figure out what the Wang Family wanted these artisans for.

Could it be that they also want to rebel themselves?

But they obviously already have such formidable weapons.

I can't understand it, I simply can't understand it.

But since he couldn't understand, he simply stopped trying.

Anyway, it's just a hundred artisans.

He has hundreds of thousands of troops under his command; what he lacks least is manpower.

Using a hundred insignificant artisans in exchange for a hundred thousand shi of grain, fifty thousand taels of gold, and so many Weapon and armor, this deal is a sheer profit!

"Good!" Huang Chao immediately hammered out the decision, "I agree!"

"Don't say a hundred; I'll give you two hundred! Let you pick slowly!"

"Thank you, General!" Wang Tian was overjoyed, and bowed deeply again.

……

A few days later, Wang Tian led two hundred dejected artisans, like prisoners, and the non-aggression pact promised by Huang Chao, back to the Wang Family fort.

And Huang Chao's army, as agreed, packed up camp, detoured around Yangzhou, and continued southward to Xuan Prefecture, Hangzhou and the like, burning, killing, and looting as they went.

A catastrophe capable of destroying Yangzhou was thus eliminated in such a dramatic fashion.

Inside the study of the Wang Family fort.

Wang Zong (Wang Xiu) looked at the list of artisans and the two hundred he had personally selected.

On the list, there was a name that he had heavily circled in vermilion ink.

【Bi Cheng, a native of Qichun County in Huainan Circuit, originally an engraver at the Court's Directorate of Astronomy, followed Huang Chao southward.】

Wang Zong (Wang Xiu)'s hand gently stroked that name.

He was very familiar with this place name; the hometown of Bi Sheng, who improved movable-type printing during the Northern Song, was right here, and this Bi Cheng could very well be his many-times-great-grandfather.

He didn't know Bi Cheng's artisan talent, but since he was selected by the Court, he shouldn't be lacking.

He knew that if Bi Cheng's talent were uncovered, the Wang Family's future foundation would have, besides military strength and wealth, one more thing.

That is—a monopoly on knowledge.

(PS: Brothers, I'd like to solicit readers' opinions; the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan-Yun must not be lost, but should we still write about the Song? Zhao Kuangyin bullies orphans and widows, establishing the Song dynasty is too…)