Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 74: Taihang Town General An Xiaochen

After returning to the Zhang family, Zhang Dai first handed over Zhou Liang's biography, and then talked about Yao Chong's grandson taking office as the military officer of Henan Prefecture and threatening himself.

Sure enough, Zhang Shuo's face suddenly turned ugly after hearing this. After a moment of silence, he said, "I know about this matter. You don't have to worry. The Yao family's child is arrogant, and there will naturally be someone to teach him a lesson!"

When Zhang Dai heard his grandfather say this, he thought that it seemed that his grandfather was planning to teach Yao Hong a lesson, and he suddenly felt like a villain who was full of anger, petty and vengeful.

Our Zhang family is like this, if we offend the younger ones, the older ones will suffer. If Yao Hong is the protagonist of this dimension, then the seeds of the Zhang family's genocide will be sown today!
Although Zhang Shuo had retired, he could still easily take down Yao Hong. Zhang Dai didn't ask any more questions about this and instead told him about another idea he had: recruiting a few followers with high martial arts skills.

He has offended quite a few people now. He has taken over half of the Henan Prefecture and also offended Li Linfu, a member of the Guanlong Tianlong faction. He is still in Luoyang now, so he has to be more careful when he goes to Chang'an in the future.

Hearing his request, Zhang Shuo thought for a moment and then had his servant bring a basket full of business cards. After searching for a moment, he pulled out one and threw it to Zhang Dai, saying, "This fellow used to be a general in my army. He was dismissed for some reason and came to the capital to visit me. I believe he is still in the capital. You can send someone to ask him."

Zhang Shuo is best known as the leader of the literary world, but in fact he is also a representative figure who became generals and prime ministers during the prosperous Tang Dynasty. In particular, the last time he was appointed as prime minister was because of his military achievements. He was not a scholar who only knew how to talk big.

Among the books he packed for Zhang Dai, there were still memorials from his previous tenures in Youzhou, Bingzhou and other places. He had his own set of strategies for border issues such as the two northeastern tribes and the nine surnames south of the desert.

Because of his literary status and his proposal to disband the border troops, later generations classified him as a person who ignored border threats, was weak towards foreign countries, and advocated only for stopping military operations and focusing on culture. This is obviously wrong.

Although there was a trend of thought of pursuing border achievements in the early Kaiyuan period, this idea changed as the national strength recovered. It reached a peak during the Tianbao period when frontier warriors ignored the actual needs of border defense and frequently provoked border conflicts for the sake of border achievements.

When this trend of warmongering reached its climax, even the most important military representative like Wang Zhongsi reflected on his actions and wanted to stop, but was crushed by the times. His successor Geshu Han went against the old ways and went to Tushibao in the west to take the purple robe.

In the end, the competition among the generals was no longer about military strategy, but about who had the greatest courage and who was more indifferent to human life. The one who achieved more merits would be promoted faster. After all, with the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty burning down his country to help him, what was there to be afraid of?

"Is it a Hu person?"

Zhang Dai took the name card and saw that it was signed by "Former Taihang Town General An Xiaochen", so he asked curiously.

"Although the Hu boy may be a humble fellow, he is skilled in archery and horsemanship. Last year, he joined the army and suppressed the Nine Clans Rebellion. He was about the same age as you are now, and he has already made many breakthroughs in battle. You are not looking for talented poets and scholars, but this Hu boy is capable and can be used temporarily."

Zhang Shuo smiled again after hearing this, but then his expression turned slightly serious again. He said in a deep voice, "Now that I'm threatened, I realize how weak I am. I should study harder, gather my strength and cultivate my will, and wait for the right time. Everything has been settled in the near future. Please study the lessons I've assigned to you diligently. I'll be testing you tomorrow!"

Zhang Dai felt a bit overwhelmed when he heard this. Part of the reason why he didn't want to stay at home was because he was afraid of being checked on his homework every day. He agreed respectfully at first, but after leaving home, he started his dissolute life again.

Of course, it wasn't exactly a dissolute act, as personal safety wasn't guaranteed. After returning home, Zhang Dai arranged for Ding Qing to ride his horse to visit the Hu man, An Xiaochen, according to the address on the name card.

Watching Ding Qing riding away happily, Zhang Dai felt a sense of being treated as an NTR for no reason. He was also thinking that it was time to add some horses, donkeys and other livestock to the family to meet the travel needs of different family members.

The official slaves hired by Zhang Yi from the county office were also sent back home. There were three girls and two boys, all between the ages of twenty and forty. They looked honest and obedient, and had already started cleaning the house under Aying's arrangement.

In fact, private individuals are not allowed to use official slaves, but for such matters, there are policies from the top and countermeasures from the bottom.

Luoyang County has a large number of households, and many officials have slaves who have nowhere to use and still need to be provided with food and clothing. By sending them to the private homes of powerful families, they can not only earn a commission but also reduce some of the burden.

These official slaves were also more willing to work for private households. The work arranged by the government was hard and tiring, while in private homes they only had to clean and serve, or engage in some simple industrial production. If they met a kind-hearted master, they could get extra rest time and rewards, or even be willing to pay money to redeem them.

Zhang Dai didn't bother to ask about these trivial matters. He returned to his room and looked through the books his grandfather had selected. Not long after, Ding Qing returned, followed by a shabby-looking, unshaven Hu man, leading a skinny, mottled horse that was even less attractive than Zhang Dai's previous mount.

"Mr. An, this is my Ah Lang. Ah Lang asked me to invite you here."

Ding Qing led the man in and introduced him to Zhang Dai, "Alang, this is Mr. An who lives in Dunhoufang."

"I am An Xiaochen, a former subordinate of Lord Yan. I pay my respects to Master Zhang."

An Xiaochen hurried forward and bowed to Zhang Dai with his hands clasped.

Zhang Dai originally thought that the man his grandfather would introduce to him would be a strong and powerful warrior, but this An Xiaochen was different from the usual impression of a pot-bellied Hu general. He looked hunched and thin, and the clothes he wore were a bit loose and swaying on his body. He looked a bit like those Hu street urchins in Qinghuafang.

Before he could even open his mouth, Ding Qing couldn't help but say, "Ah Lang has a really good eye for heroes! I went into the alley to look for An Zhuangshi, and saw him fighting with someone while holding a stone. That stone was so long, it must have weighed hundreds of pounds!"

Seeing Ding Qing talking and gesturing with admiration for An Xiaochen, Zhang Dai frowned and asked, "What's going on?"

He wanted to find a bodyguard with high fighting ability, but he didn't like people who were arrogant and trouble-making.

"It's like this. The old wells in the neighborhood are full of bitter brine. The village head doesn't allow people to dig wells privately. They have to buy water from the wealthy. I've lived in Luoyang for a long time, and my travel purse is exhausted. I have no money to buy water, so I can only draw water by force..."

An Xiaochen saw Zhang Dai's expression turn cold, and he hurriedly lowered his head to explain. Zhang Dai's expression softened slightly after hearing this. He was well aware of Luobei's high cost of living; he had already spent several thousand guan (approximately 10,000 guan) during his recent stay in Qinghuafang. An Xiaochen was so poor he couldn't even afford water, which showed how destitute he was. No wonder he looked so thin; he was starving.

"My grandfather told me that General An had made outstanding military achievements. Why was he dismissed?"

Since he had a reason to fight with others, Zhang Dai asked again. If he wanted to recruit a personal bodyguard, he must of course have some understanding of the person's situation and character.

Upon hearing this, An Xiaochen sighed, lowered his head, and said, "The Nine Surnames were herding their sheep across the border. I led the others to chase them, and killed several of them. The Nine Surnames' chiefs complained to the military, so I was dismissed."

At the beginning of the Kaiyuan period, the Turkic Khan Mochuo died. The nine Tiele tribes that were originally controlled by the Turks moved south to join the Tang Dynasty and were settled between Shuofang and Bingzhou.

The nine surnames mentioned by An Xiaochen refer to the nine surnames of Tiele. There is also a term called "Nine Surnames of Hu", which refers to the nine surnames of Zhaowu. An Xiaochen was born into the Nine Surnames of Hu.

A considerable number of the Sogdians of the Nine Zhaowu Clans had been ruled by the Turks for many years and had already been Turkified. An Lushan and Shi Siming later fell into similar situations.

Hearing that An Xiaochen was suffering due to official duties and not some personal grievance, Zhang Dai said with a smile, "My grandfather said that General An Zhen was a brave man who could defeat ten thousand men when he was young, and he often broke through the enemy's lines. Are his skills still proficient now?"

"Do you have any riding grounds or archery halls in your residence? I would be happy to demonstrate my archery and horsemanship skills for you, my lord!"

After hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help showing a bit of embarrassment on his face. His house was more than ten acres in size, so where would he find the space to arrange those places? There was a court in the Qiwangshan Pavilion next door, but it was not convenient to borrow it now.

An Xiaochen was quite tactful. Seeing that Zhang Dai did not answer, he clasped his fists slightly, and then glanced at the stone trough for tying horses behind the gate in the courtyard. He walked forward, bent down, and picked up the stone trough, and then moved forward and jumped. He was quite agile, and Ding Qing clapped his hands and cheered for him.

"Okay, okay, that's it."

Zhang Dai saw that he was lean and strong, but not in the best condition after all. To prevent any mishaps, he waved his hand to signal him to stop. Then he said, "I have just bought a new villa and would like to find a strong man to guard my house and accompany me. Would General An Zhen be willing to do the job?"

"My dear, if you appreciate me, how dare I refuse! If I can get two meals and a place to sleep, I will serve you like a dog!"

Upon hearing this, An Xiaochen lowered the stone and bowed his head. He had originally come to Luoyang hoping to find a way to get his official position reinstated, but after more than half a year of searching, nothing had happened. Even food was a problem. Naturally, he was delighted to be recruited by Zhang Dai, a son of a powerful family.

Zhang Dai was delighted to see him agree. He didn't care about the other person's Hu identity. Moreover, An Xiaochen was a Bingzhou Hu who had settled in Taiyuan for generations, and their migration could even be traced back to the Northern Qi Dynasty. Aside from his appearance, he was already indistinguishable from the Han people.

An Xiaochen was thrilled to have a place to stay, but soon his expression turned to embarrassment. He bowed deeply and said, "My lord, if you appreciate my abilities, could you please give me a hundred strings of cash first? I've been living in poverty and have fallen ill lately, so I've had no choice but to pawn my concubine to a foreign merchant in the North Market. Now I want to visit you and present you with a gift to my lord!"

Zhang Dai thought his time traveling through time was miserable enough, but he didn't expect this guy to be even more miserable. He said he sold Ding Qing just as a joke, but this An Xiaochen actually sold his concubines and servants. It's really sympathetic and a little funny.

Ding Cang happened to have some cash at the market today, so Zhang Dai asked him to take the money and go with An Xiaochen to redeem the servants they had sold. He wasn't worried that An Xiaochen would abscond with the money, unless he planned to sell slaves elsewhere to make a living. Otherwise, he would have no hope of staying in the two capitals in the future.

An Xiaochen was overwhelmed with gratitude when he saw Zhang Dai so generously offering a huge sum of money, a hundred strings of cash, upon their first meeting. He drew his sword and stabbed his face with it, swearing, "From now on, I will obey your orders, my lord. If I disobey, Heaven will forbid!"

"Can you dance the Huxuan dance?"

Seeing him like this, Zhang Dai suddenly asked a question.

An Xiaochen was stunned when he heard this question. After a moment, he quickly shook his head and said, "I joined the army when I was young. I am good at killing people, but I have never learned to entertain people. If my master likes to watch this kind of play, I can learn it."

"If you don't know how to do it, then don't learn it. Don't learn it!"

When Zhang Dai heard this answer, he waved his hands repeatedly.

Not to mention that he recruited thugs and guards, Yao Hong returned to the Henan government office in a rage after sending Zhou Liang's coffin to Yudefang.

After returning to the government office, he became idle. It was not because he was lazy, but because the government office was half empty, especially the lawyers where he worked. Everyone was severely punished for losing stolen goods and was busy selling their belongings to raise money to reduce their sentences. No one had the heart to go to work in the government office.

Having just been demoted, Yao Hong was hesitant to act too recklessly, lingering in his hall until evening before preparing to return home. But just as he stood up, a clerk from the palace hurried into his room and said, "The Grand Magistrate has ordered Yao Facao to return home immediately to pack his belongings and escort the troops to Shuofang tomorrow."

"Send, send troops to Shuofang? This isn't the job of a lawyer!"

Yao Hong was stunned upon hearing this, while the clerk spread his hands and said, "Many posts are vacant in the various departments, but Yao Fa Cao's department is both unoccupied and unfilled. The Ministry of War has just issued an urgent notice, and those who fail to meet the deadline will be severely punished. Please, Yao Fa Cao, quickly prepare to leave."

"me……"

Yao Hong was becoming more and more despondent. He had used all his connections to avoid being exiled. He had thought that he could come here early to avoid the personnel disputes in the central government while there were many vacancies in Henan Prefecture. However, he did not expect that he came too early and was instead ordered to Shuofang.

(End of this chapter)