Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 36 The past is like smoke

On the broad official road from Songzhou to Yanzhou in Henan Province, an army formed a long line and marched slowly. Their weapons and armor were fine, but their clothes were dusty, and their faces were filled with fatigue.

Umbrellas hang low, horses tread on the fine sand. Amidst the mighty host, a man in a crimson battle robe, his air of solitary elegance, stands out; it is none other than the world-famous "Qilian Snowy Day," the governor of Taining—Snow Marshal Qi Kerang.

The horse was a fine one, but it was old, just like its jade bridle and golden saddle, which, though beautifully crafted, were also etched with the bruises of time.

The old horse's unhurried pace made Qi Kerang feel stable and comfortable, as if he was an old friend who had been with him for many years.

Although he had done his utmost to prevent the destruction of the government army in the Battle of Songzhou, he was defeated nonetheless. His reputation as one of the Four Great Generals of the Tang Dynasty was shattered, and with more than half of his baggage lost, Qi Kerang could only return to Yanzhou, the seat of Taining Town, with his defeated troops.

Qi Kerang didn't really care about these worldly slanders, but the battlefield was like that. Whether he won or lost, the familiar faces around him were becoming fewer and fewer.

With a bewildered look on his face, Qi Kerang took out a folded piece of oil-paper from the lining of his clothes.

That was the relic left to him by Kou Qianzhi, and it was given to him a long time ago.

Kou Qianzhi once said that warriors on the battlefield were bound to suffer misfortunes. If he ever met with misfortune, he would ask Qi Kerang to unfold this piece of paper.

The trembling slender fingers slid across the dim yellow paper, revealing several lines of strong and upright regular script characters like pine trees.

As a soldier of our country, sacrificing my life on the battlefield is my bounden duty. General Qi does not need to avenge me. If you sit alone outside Yanzhou City at night and hear the wind in the pines and the sound of heavy rain tapping on the window, that is me coming to see you.

"Qianzhi, this is you."

Qi Kerang sighed deeply, his heart filled with sorrow. His eyes, a man who never shed tears easily, seemed to be blurred by the wind and sand, and he didn't know what the bitter feeling was.

Missing someone is like looking back on a long river of time. The years have washed away those unforgettable scenes, leaving only afterimages, but it cannot change the lingering thoughts and feelings of sadness. Never lose or forget the mountains, rivers, and old friends.

Life in this world is like traveling far away. Many people leave and never come back.

Qi Kerang thought of other old friends who had passed away.

Fame and fortune are like a crossroads, and choices always begin at the crossroads.

……

Songzhou boasts a flat, fertile soil with few hills and a population of nearly one million. The city's population exceeds 200,000, making it one of the ten most prosperous prefectures of the Tang Dynasty. Du Fu and Du Zimei eulogized it in a poem: "Ninety thousand households in the city, tall buildings illuminate the thoroughfares. Boats and carriages fill the city, and hosts and guests alike rejoice."

Even though they were separated by the city walls, the Cao army besieging the city could see the rows of houses in the city, which was extremely prosperous.

"If we besiege Songzhou for too long, the city might run out of food..."

Zhu Wen said to Huang Chao with some worry.

After all, Songzhou is his hometown.

During the An-Shi Rebellion a hundred years ago, the brutal siege in which people ate each other brought the people of Songzhou extremely painful memories and lingering fear.

"We can't hold the siege for long." Huang Chao raised his chin and said calmly, "The soldiers are already tired of fighting and want to end the Battle of Songzhou as soon as possible."

"So..." Zhu Wen said, "Master just wants to take advantage of the fear in people's hearts?"

Huang Chao nodded and said, "Songzhou is one of the richest cities in the Tang Dynasty, and it fears siege more than any other city. The painful memory of the siege of Suiyang has made the gentry of Songzhou easily compromised."

Zhu Wen understood Huang Chao's strategy.

Huang Chao hoped to exploit the terrifying memory of the An Lushan Rebellion's siege a century earlier to instill fear in the officials and gentry of Songzhou. He hoped to use this fear to force them to collect a large sum of wealth and hand it over to the rebels in exchange for their withdrawal. The Cao army operated on a mobile basis, and even if they captured a city, they could not hold it for long. Their purpose in capturing cities was simply to obtain supplies.

"Liangyu, I understand your concerns." Huang Chao saw Zhu Wen's worry. "As you can see, this battle hasn't caused any damage to your hometown. Your teacher and the leader are doing their best to maintain military discipline. Besides, we are the victorious army."

Zhu Wen certainly understood that after a defeat, an army was more likely to lose discipline and cause harm to the people. Historically, defeated soldiers often burned, killed, and looted everything they passed through.

Because they have lost their faith and do not care about winning the hearts and minds of the people.

"Speaking of which, although the Four Great Commanders of the Tang Dynasty are said to be from the same family, they are also quite competitive with each other. Now that Qi Kerang has suffered a defeat, the other three may take action." Huang Chao spread a detailed map of the ten great routes of the Tang Dynasty on the desk. "Liangyu, who do you think is most likely to take action?"

Zhu Wen said without hesitation: "General Yan."

Huang Chao expressed his satisfaction and said: "That woman has been active near Luoyang for most of the past few years. It is said that she is protecting the palaces and mausoleums in Luoyang from being burned by the Cao army."

Zhu Wen said: "But the truth is probably that she is just waiting to see Song Wei make a fool of himself."

Huang Chao said, "Not only has Song Wei made a fool of herself, but even her fellow apprentice, 'Snow Marshal' Qi Kerang, has been defeated and fled. So, of course, this is a good time for Marshal Yan to take action."

Zhu Wen said: "Songzhou City is surrounded by our army. If she can break the siege of Songzhou, her ability will naturally be demonstrated."

At this point, Huang Chao suddenly burst into laughter and slammed his big hands on the table, causing the map to bounce.

Zhu Wen certainly knew why Huang Chao was laughing.

"But in order to carry out his strategy, Qi Kerang dug up the dam of the Beibian River and released the water of the Beibian River." After laughing, Huang Chao still said happily.

Zhu Wen said, "Marshal Yan's troops set out from Luoyang, and after passing through Hulao Pass, they could have sailed down the Beibian River from Bianzhou."

"But not anymore."

Zhu Wen echoed Huang Chao's words, and of course he also thought this was a bit funny.

When Qi Kerang dug up the Beibian River embankment, he obviously hadn't anticipated the situation. And if the Cao army hadn't withdrawn from Songzhou, the imperial court probably wouldn't have dared to send troops to repair the embankment.

But this does not mean that the current operation to encircle Songzhou is foolproof.

Because Zhu Wen and Huang Chao both knew that being able to defeat "Snow Marshal" Qi Kerang did not mean they could definitely defeat "Flame Marshal". She was indeed the most powerful and most troublesome woman in the Tang Dynasty.

Even if she doesn't take action herself, she may instigate other troops to take action.

A few days later, Zhu Wen soon got the answer.

Qin Yan, the young leader of the Bamboo Flower Gang, with whom he had just become friends, rushed to Huang Chao's military camp on horseback and breathlessly asked for help.

"General Huang Yan, General Zhu Wen, bad news! Our siege position is being attacked fiercely by a surprise attack from the south."

Qin Yan pointed to the sky and the ground, gesturing with his hands, trying to emphasize his words: "They have... cavalrymen riding mules, who are even more ferocious than ordinary horse cavalrymen."

He then used both hands to pull at his face, trying his best to make a ferocious expression: "There are also earth immortals who can bite people!"

Earth immortals, also known as zombies and delusional ones, are said to be monsters that resurrect from underground after a person dies. Some are red, some are green, and some are of other colors. Their common characteristic is that they can bite people.

(End of this chapter)