Chapter 430: Swift Vengeance and Gratitude Amid Wind and Snow

Liangzhou, after several years under Zhang Zhao's governance, had still not recovered the prosperity it enjoyed in the Kaiyuan era.

But in the generally war-torn Five Dynasties, Liangzhou, situated in Hexi, had already become a rare great metropolis.

At this moment, Liangzhou had close to seventy thousand residents, not counting the traveling merchants who stopped over briefly or passed through; if they were all included, it was estimated that over a hundred thousand people were living in Liangzhou.

And the area around Liangzhou was so prosperous that Zhe Deyuan, Yang Hongxin, and the others could hardly believe it.

Under Zhang Zhao's lavish spending, the farmland and irrigation facilities around Liangzhou were complete, and the villages had basically established grassroots organizations like the rural cooperatives of later ages.

Large numbers of agricultural scholars oversaw the distribution of plow oxen and water in the countryside.

The timing of sowing, defense against drought and flood, the improvement of seed selection and breeding, and techniques for fertilizing fields and intercropping beans and wheat had also begun to advance.

Even the cattle and horse dung that had once been scattered throughout the countryside was now collected in a unified manner.

In the past, Liangzhou had too little farmland, and with the wilds unsafe, much of this precious cattle and horse dung had gone to waste.

After all, in the old Liangzhou, the prevailing rule was to hoard grain, not guns: if your house is a granary, then as long as I have a gun, everywhere is a granary — the law of the jungle.

In that kind of environment, only a fool would patiently farm and try to increase yields.

You toiled hard all year, and when harvest time came, someone else snatched it all away in one grab.

Farming! Farm my ass!

Only after order was restored could agricultural production take a great leap forward.

Zhe Congyuan, coming from Yanzhou, brought his son Zhe Deyi, and Yang Xin also brought his son Yang Chonggui.

As for the other fortress chieftains of Fu and Lin prefectures, they too brought their families along, a group of two or three hundred, surging grandly toward Liangzhou.

They had just attended a wedding in a village called Qingxi Village.

The groom was a squad leader who had fought in the Battle of the Hun River against the Khitan, and Zhe Deyi was quite familiar with this squad leader.

At the time, he had worn cotton armor over mail, held two black iron hammers, and was almost the first to charge into the Khitan battle formation.

He had killed at least five or more Khitan Pishi Army soldiers, truly fierce and unmatched.

And the bride's elder brother was an even weightier figure!

This man had come from the Right Yulin Guard and was one of the thirteen elite riders who had followed Zhe Deyi's younger brother Zhe Deyuan in breaking into Yunzhou City.

His archery was such that even Zhe Deyi could not match him; when he went on campaign he was a fire leader, and when he returned he was a squad general, having risen three ranks at once.

Since they were old acquaintances, the chieftains of Fu and Lin prefectures stayed for a day and attended this wedding of a powerful alliance in Qingxi Village.

Zhe Congyuan was somewhat moved with emotion. Eleven years ago, he had gone to Luoyang to pay homage to the Later Tang Emperor Mingzong, Li Siyuan.

Compared to the harsh environment of Fu and Lin prefectures, the Central Plains were of course a land of abundant treasures and wealth.

But when Zhe Congyuan made a slight comparison, he found, to his surprise, that Liangzhou was actually more pleasing to his eye.

In the Central Plains of those years, bandits ran rampant, military officers were arrogant, and local magnates and officials oppressed the common people.

Although the land was rich, apart from the great clans who fortified themselves for protection and the farmers who had become tenants of ennobled officials, one could hardly see any independent smallholders.

And even when there were, those independent smallholders were as poor and wretched as any.

With gaunt faces, tattered clothes, and fearful expressions, it was truly hard to believe that they were farmers living in the imperial heartland of the Central Plains.

But looking at the farmers here in Liangzhou, every one of them was full of spirit. It was not that there were no physically frail people, but there were none with gaunt faces.

Most people were talkative, and when they saw outsiders they were neither afraid nor harboring any ill intent to take advantage of them.

At the same time, that strong martial spirit was almost visible to the naked eye.

Often a single small village could produce a dozen or more fierce warriors or junior officers, and with one beat of the bronze gong, over a hundred men could be gathered within a quarter hour, every man with a bow and every one with a horse.

A few days earlier, one of Yang Xin's chieftains had gotten into a conflict with the locals, and twenty-some men had been beaten until their heads were bloody.

One must know that anyone who could rise to the status of fortress chieftain in Fu and Lin prefectures was no soft touch, and his subordinates were all fierce warriors — yet they had been defeated by the farmers of a single village.

Having lost face, Yang Hongxin refused to accept it and brought sixty or seventy men to recover his standing.

But the others beat the gong once, and the whole village came running out.

Over a hundred able-bodied men quickly formed an infantry square, with mounted archers harassing on both flanks, and in the front row there were five or six sets of iron armor.

Besides the men, the women also raised great clubs and clamored, the half-grown children mounted horses with hunting bows and rode back and forth shouting, and even the old men brought out slings.

The two sides had faced off for less than half an hour when the united archers and sworn-follower cavalry from the surrounding villages all arrived, gathering four or five hundred men in a short time.

In the end, had the county lieutenant not galloped over to mediate, and had Yang Xin and his men not bought several dozen sheep and treated everyone to a meal, they might not have gotten away.

Although in a real fight, those five or six hundred farmers might not necessarily have defeated their two hundred-plus men, who counted as regular soldiers, they would absolutely not have come out well.

Amid the laughter, Yang Xin, who had already drunk quite a bit but still looked somewhat disheveled, came over to Zhe Congyuan and sighed.

"How is this a village? Where is there a village where you can casually find a dozen or twenty sets of armor? Where is there a village where one beat of the gong can bring out over a hundred men who can form ranks in proper order?

This is incredible! There are at least eighty or ninety thousand people around Liangzhou City, and if you count the Liugu tribe's territory farther out, there are even more!

Whoever comes to attack Liangzhou, without the Heavenly King even having to send out the imperial guards and garrison troops, could face at least twenty or thirty thousand men willing to fight from around Liangzhou alone. And they have so many horses — that is tens of thousands of elite cavalry!"

Zhe Congyuan nodded as well. This mobilization capability alone had already placed the Liang state in a nearly invincible position, though he himself focused more on the people's livelihood.

"Hongxin, look — why can this place produce so many fierce warriors? The key is that they have no worries at home.

A family often has several hundred mu of land, all good fields, with enough oxen and mules for plowing, complete irrigation, and even organized seed selection and breeding.

The land tax is not high, and no official dares to come down and prey on them. Even if an armored soldier leaves the village to campaign for a year, he does not worry that his family will go hungry or be bullied.

As long as he earns merit on the battlefield, wealth and honor await him when he returns home. The secret to how the Great King of Liang's army could smash the Li family of the Dingnan Army so quickly lies right here."

Hearing Zhe Congyuan speak thus, Yang Xin could not help but nod in agreement.

"As you say, elder brother, if I, Yang Hongxin, were an armored soldier, I would be willing to serve the Great King of Liang too.

This Heavenly King is surely a divine Buddha descended to the mortal world; only under his rule could such a scene exist."

Zhe Congyuan smiled meaningfully. "This was not actually the Great King of Liang's invention!"

Yang Xin thought seriously for a moment. "Elder brother, do you mean that this system is the fubing system of the great dynasty of old?"

"Exactly!" Zhe Congyuan stood up and said with deep feeling.

"The fubing soldiers under the Great Dynasty's Taizong the Cultured Emperor were exactly like this.

In peacetime they were commoners; in war they became soldiers, and their fighting strength was unmatched.

Taizong the Cultured Emperor relied on them to wipe out the heroes of the realm, drive the Turks into the great desert, break the Tibetans on the western frontier, and settle the Qiang and Tangut peoples with benevolence and righteousness, achieving a great enterprise for all under heaven."

Yang Xin also stood up. "That being so, the three or four hundred thousand people around Liangzhou and Lanzhou are the Heavenly King's fubing soldiers?"

"In Shanzhou, Hezhou, Minzhou, Lingzhou, Xiazhou, Yinzhou, and the other prefectures there are villages like this too, only on a much smaller scale.

Right now it is just like the chaos at the end of the Sui. With fifty thousand fubing soldiers, marching south into Guanzhong and east out of Tong Pass, the realm could be settled!" Zhe Congyuan said quietly.

Having spoken, Zhe Congyuan smiled and looked at Yang Xin. "I saw that at Camel Weir last time, the Heavenly King was quite fond of your eldest son Chonggui. Although he is ten years older than my second son, why not let them become sworn brothers tomorrow!"

Yang Xin slowly nodded. He knew what Zhe Congyuan meant: following the custom of the times, he would have Zhe Deyuan and his eldest son Yang Chonggui both become Zhang Zhao's adopted sons.

"In that case, when I return I shall send back the gifts Grand Tutor Liu sent."

"That would be best! Grand Tutor Liu may be a man of talent, but by not daring to accept the people of Yunzhou, he has already lost a move.

Hedong has suffered a decline of talent in recent years. Although it gained the Tuyuhun Bai Chengfu and his hundred thousand or more followers, compared with the Heavenly King's Supreme Heavenly Great Compassion Dharma King and Pure Source Wondrous Way Erlang Manifesting Sage True Lord, it still falls far short.

No matter how well Bai Chengfu and the rest can fight, they cannot compare with the Qiang, Tangut, the the Shatuo, and other tribes of Hexi, Longyou, and Lingwu."

In the Eastern Capital of Kaifeng Prefecture, atop the Guiyi Tower, Murong Xinzhang sat upright in the seat of honor, with Zhao Kuangyin and Wang Shenqi guarding him on either side like the two guardian generals Heng and Ha.

Yet the table before them was laden with delicacies and fine wine, and no one took a seat or touched the chopsticks.

This was because they were waiting for someone—someone about to take the bait.

Before long, footsteps sounded on the wooden stairs below. A middle-aged man in a purple robe, his face full of pride and his bearing spirited, came up. It was none other than the Chief Commander of the Palace Guard Cavalry and Infantry, Jing Yanguang.

Although Jing Yanguang's official post had not changed in the slightest after Shi Chonggui ascended the throne, his actual power had greatly increased.

For originally, Jing Yanguang's post as Chief Commander of the Palace Guard Cavalry and Infantry had only allowed him to command one detachment of Shi Jingtang's imperial guard—and that night he had merely happened to be the one guarding the Daning Palace.

But now, though not a single character of that title had changed, it had become the supreme command over the entire imperial guard.

Apart from his greatly elevated standing in the army, he could now also enter court openly and participate in affairs of state.

A few years from now, this post would receive a new name—Palace Front Cavalry and Infantry Chief Inspector.

"Can the Commandant see those white sails in the distance?" Jing Yanguang did not sit down immediately, but instead walked to the window on the second floor.

He also glanced at the large table before Murong Xinzhang. This manner of dining at a large square table had, under the Guiyi Tower's promotion, nearly become a fashion.

Murong Xinzhang did not move, but said coolly: "So it seems the Chief Commander let Yang Guangyuan off after all? That was over a hundred thousand strings of goods and money."

Seeing that Murong Xinzhang was not following his rhythm, Jing Yanguang hesitated a moment, then still walked over.

"The Commandant knows it so clearly? Could it be that Yang Guangyuan told you?"

These words carried a hint of threat, and a hint of mockery as well.

The threat was because Yang Guangyuan was now like dog shit—whoever touched him would surely have their reputation ruined.

The mockery was to show that even a power-holder like Yang Guangyuan had been forced to obediently transfer his command.

Shi Chonggui's position as Son of Heaven was already secure, Empress Dowager Li had completely lost power, and a former imperial son-in-law like Murong Xinzhang had better not stir up trouble.

Murong Xinzhang looked at Jing Yanguang with a cold, insincere smile, and waved for Wang Shenqi to pour wine for the two of them.

"Of course I know. Because Yang Guangyuan did not actually take away many boats of goods and money at all—his wealth had all been exchanged for silver notes in Luoyang. Therefore, I know exactly how much property he has."

Although the silver-note business Zhang Zhao had created was doing well in every link of its operation, for Murong Xinzhang, extracting information that ordinary people could hardly know from it was still effortless.

This was the greatest problem with paper money in this era: rulers could hardly resist the temptation to print money without limit.

Jing Yanguang stared blankly at Murong Xinzhang for a few moments. Only now did he realize that he could not regard Murong Xinzhang merely as a has-been Commandant of Consorts, nor merely as a big spender in the Eastern Capital.

He should regard him as the Prince of Liang, as a hand that the Great Liang Heavenly King Zhang Zhao had extended into the Eastern Capital.

"In the court, you urged the Son of Heaven with all your strength not to submit to the Khitan as a vassal. Now the Khitan envoys sent to demand an accounting are almost at the Eastern Capital. Does the Chief Commander truly not know that disaster is about to fall on his head?"

Murong Xinzhang gave a cold laugh. Others looked at Jing Yanguang and saw a man of righteous fervor and unyielding courage.

But in Murong Xinzhang's view, Jing Yanguang was merely skilled at dressing himself up with such words.

His words rang with conviction, but in truth he had made no preparations whatsoever, and he had no resolve to fight the Khitan to the death.

He was so certain of this because Murong Xinzhang had seen what a truly impassioned man who took the world's burden as his own looked like.

That was his father, the Great Liang Heavenly King Zhang Zhao. Back then, when Murong Xinzhang was only seventeen or eighteen, the reason he had accepted this stepfather was precisely because he had been moved by Zhang Zhao's sentiments.

Having witnessed the intense national feeling on Zhang Zhao and his urgency to pacify the chaos of the age, Murong Xinzhang found Jing Yanguang's performances as fake as could be.

"Alarmist nonsense! If the Commandant summoned me here only to say such things, then there was no need to go to such trouble."

Jing Yanguang had, after all, weathered storms before, and he would certainly not be frightened by Murong Xinzhang's words.

"Then may I ask the Chief Commander: when the Khitan envoys arrive, how do you intend to deal with them?"

Murong Xinzhang leisurely invited Jing Yanguang to drink and eat, utterly unaffected by the impatience on Jing Yanguang's face.

Jing Yanguang laughed coldly. "Need you even ask? Naturally we will argue on principle. As for propriety, the Son of Heaven calling the Khitan ruler 'grandfather' is a private matter.

But if they demand that our Great Jin once again submit to the Khitan as a vassal—absolutely impossible!"

"Then the Khitan ruler will surely fly into a rage. What if his iron cavalry comes south?" Murong Xinzhang continued to ask.

Jing Yanguang raised his head with an air of utter confidence. "If a detached force comes south, we shall have Grand Tutor Liu of Hedong, Grand Commandant Du of Yecheng, Fu Yanqing, Gao Xingzhou, and the other military governors divide their troops to resist.

If the Khitan ruler comes south in person, I shall lead the stout men of the imperial guard and strike him with a hundred thousand whetted swords!"

Although Jing Yanguang held the great power of the court, he now actually imagined he could command the likes of Liu Zhiyuan and Du Chongwei.

Even whether Fu Yanqing and Gao Xingzhou would obey his orders to any great degree was far from certain.

"Then..." Murong Xinzhang drew out his voice.

"If at this moment the Great Liang's armies suddenly marched south into Guanzhong, then came out of Tong Pass straight for the Eastern Capital—what means would you have?"

Jing Yanguang's eyes suddenly widened. He thought for a while and found that he had no means whatsoever to stop the Great Liang's armies.

Never mind coming out of Tong Pass to threaten the Eastern Capital—if they merely entered Guanzhong, the hearts of the people throughout Jin might well collapse.

"This realm has already become a three-way split. The Khitan are strongest, Jin next, Liang weakest. Apart from these, Meng Shu and the Tang state are all mediocrities. The Chief Commander does not intend for Great Jin to fight two at once, does he?" Murong Xinzhang asked in a low voice.

Jing Yanguang barely steadied his nerves and stared fixedly at Murong Xinzhang's expression.

"The late emperor served the Khitan as a son serves a father, and already the whole realm seethed with indignation. If Great King Zhang were to join the Khitan in invading, even if he took Guanzhong, no one would submit willingly."

Hah! A rough soldier like Jing Yanguang, now talking about the people's hearts — how ridiculous!

It seems this man has made no real preparations at all, yet he means to provoke the Khitan.

"Let me venture a guess. If our Great Liang moved together with the Khitan, the Son of Heaven would have only one choice: to cease hostilities and sue for peace.

Chief Commander, guess what terms my Khitan foster-uncle would put forward if peace were sought?

I think it would be nothing more than: kill Jing Yanguang, and only then may peace be discussed!"

At these words, great beads of cold sweat began to fall from Jing Yanguang's brow. A thought stirred in him — had he indeed been too rash?

But before he could recover, Murong Xinzhang's mocking voice rang out again.

"The Chief Commander must be thinking: perhaps after returning, he should advise the Son of Heaven to ease off relations with the Khitan.

But unfortunately, it was you, Jing Yanguang, who proposed renouncing vassalage. If you now turn around and propose vassalage again, how will the Son of Heaven take it, with his dignity at stake?

Besides, if we are to remain vassals to the Khitan, why should you, Jing Yanguang, be the one in power?

In relations with the Khitan, in closeness to the Son of Heaven, in ability to govern the state — can you compare with Sang Weihan?

The moment peace is spoken of, the Chief Commander will surely lose all the authority he now holds. Are you willing to accept that?"

When Jing Yanguang heard this, he could hold out no longer. The haughty air he had worn when first ascending the tower vanished entirely, and he clasped his hands in salute.

"The Commandant would not speak to me of these things without purpose. If there is any task to assign, I beg the Commandant to speak plainly. I will comply in all things."

Murong Xinzhang raised his wine bowl and offered Jing Yanguang a bowl of the finest purple wine, then gave a long sigh and spoke with feeling.

"We people of Liang, after all, are subjects of the great dynasty. How could we bear to help the Khitan attack our own homeland?

Besides, if the Khitan enter the Central Plains, it brings no benefit whatsoever to our Great Liang.

But I have heard that men like Feng Yu and Li Yanbi are urging the Son of Heaven to cut off the Hexi trade routes, to ban the circulation of Hexi silver notes, and even to seal the passes west of Tanzheng Gorge and Fengxiang.

Have they never considered that if this comes to pass, the iron cavalry of our Great Liang will have no choice but to ride south?"

In truth, Jing Yanguang also looked down on Feng Yu, Li Yanbi, and their sort.

Of the latter two, one was the full brother of Lady Feng, the Lady of Wu, and the other a servant in Lady Feng's household — to say nothing of whatever secret dealings they had with her.

Moreover, Jing Yanguang knew that Shi Chonggui intended to elevate Lady Feng to empress. When that happened, these two would likely be ranked alongside him, Jing Yanguang.

For a stalwart warrior who now commanded the imperial guard, to be ranked alongside such men was an utter disgrace!

All the world would think him, Jing Yanguang, a man without ability.

So Jing Yanguang cooperated readily and spoke truthfully.

"This is really nothing more than Feng Yu and Li Yanbi seeking to extort wealth from merchants traveling west to fatten themselves. The Son of Heaven has no intention of severing ties with Hexi."

Murong Xinzhang gave a cold snort. "Those fools who do not know death. To extort merchants traveling west is to provoke our Great Liang!

The Son of Heaven may have no wish to sever ties with Hexi, but can he withstand the pillow-talk of the Lady of Wu?"

Jing Yanguang sighed helplessly. "Feng Yu is a timid man; perhaps I can dissuade him. But Li Yanbi is insatiably greedy, and I fear he will not be so easily persuaded."

"The Chief Commander must understand — this is not a task you do for me. It concerns your very life and the safety of your household.

I can tell you plainly: if the Hexi trade routes are obstructed, the iron cavalry of Liang may well arrive before the Khitan host does."

Seeing that Jing Yanguang still could not grasp the situation, Murong Xinzhang could only offer another small reminder.

Jing Yanguang gritted his teeth. "Would the Commandant be willing to reveal what the Great King truly intends?

The Son of Heaven is now unwilling to submit to the Khitan as the late emperor did. Between Jin and Liang, is there a possibility...?"

Murong Xinzhang nodded slowly. "The Great King holds the Son of Heaven's course in high regard.

If the Son of Heaven is certain he will not submit to the Khitan, it is not impossible that Liang may come to court once more.

If the Chief Commander wishes to solve this great problem for the Son of Heaven, then that fool Li Yanbi should be dealt with as soon as possible."

At these words, Jing Yanguang glanced hesitantly at Zhao Kuangyin and Wang Shenqi, who stood beside Murong Xinzhang.

"Lord Jing may speak freely. Zhao Erlang and Wang Dalang are both close to me."

"Li Yanbi keeps a secret mistress west of the city, and sometimes spends the night there.

I have already ascertained the exact location — not far from the residence of Murong Yanzhao, a captain of the imperial guard. Three hundred strings of cash, and Yanzhao will surely take his life!"

At last, a few traces of a smile appeared on Murong Xinzhang's face. "If that is so, then I shall await good news from Lord Jing."

However, as soon as Jing Yanguang had descended the tower, Murong Xinzhang immediately spoke to Zhao Kuangyin and Wang Shenqi.

"Xiang Hai'er, go inform Murong Sanlang: after he kills Li Yanbi, he must beware of Jing Yanguang silencing him.

Hmm... have him go to the Great Xiangguo Temple. Someone there will send him on to Anxi.

You two make your preparations as well. When the time comes, we will go to Liangzhou together. A true man who has never seen the windblown sands of Hexi, who has never ridden a Liangzhou heavenly horse — what kind of man is that!"

Murong Xinzhang had decided to return early after all, and not to make contact with Bai Chengfu and the other Tuyuhun tribes in Hedong.

Although their family was of the Tuyuhun royal line — direct descendants of Murong Fu, the last Tuyuhun Khagan and King of Qinghai —

whether Bai Chengfu and his people still acknowledged them was unknown.

Most importantly, Murong Xinzhang did not want to miss a campaign like the expedition against the Gaochang Uyghurs.

Compared to scheming and intrigue in the Eastern Capital, he far preferred galloping in the saddle, facing wind, sand, rain, and snow, settling grudges to his heart's content.

All chapters have been cached for you. Download the APP to view them.