Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 14: Breaking the Fort
Seeing Xian Yuyue coming over, although the wound on his leg was still a little painful, Zhao Huaian still stood up and greeted him warmly:
"Old Yue, come here. I'll have Sun Tai and the others put your portions away. They're over there."

Xian Yu Yue was stunned for a moment, then looked in the direction Zhao Huaian pointed. Three sets of Tibetan willow-leaf iron armor and chain mail were neatly stacked, and other confiscated swords and property were also piled aside.

After reading this, Xian Yuyue had a general understanding of Zhao Huaian's character.

Being able to distinguish clearly means that you don't want to take advantage of others. In other words, you don't want to be taken advantage of by others.

Thinking of this, Xian Yuyue smiled and said:

"Mr. Zhao, this battle was all yours. How could the three of us take all this? And although my family may be in decline, we don't lack these things..."

Zhao Huaian waved his hand to interrupt:
"One thing is one thing, and you may not need it, but I can't not give it to you. You have put in the effort, so you should get your share. Otherwise, our friendship will not last long."

When Xian Yuyue heard Zhao Huaian talking about friendship, he didn't want it anymore.

Zhao Huaian thought that friendship would last only if one could distinguish clearly, but Xian Yuyue understood that friendship would last only if one could not distinguish clearly.

After thinking for a while, Xian Yuyue said:
"Mr. Zhao, how about this? You take all the armor and weapons, and give me some of the Tibetan agate, amber, and indigo. The three of us can't carry the armor, so why not exchange it for these lighter items?"

Zhao Huaian was stunned for a moment, not understanding what indigo was, until he saw Lao Yue pointing at the sapphire in his hand, then he suddenly understood.

This old man is not being honest. Is he taking advantage of me because I don't know the value of things? This sapphire alone is probably worth all the loot.

He wasn't entirely sure, though. Just because sapphires were valuable in later generations didn't mean they were still valuable today. The one he had in his hand was the one he had found from the head of the Tibetan general.

He learned from Sun Tai and Zhao Hu that this general was just a low-level military officer in the Tibetan army, leading about thirty or forty people.

With such an identity, you certainly can’t bring anything valuable.

Thinking of this, he said to Xian Yuyue:
"Okay, I'll do as you say. But I'll keep this indigo seed as a souvenir. I won't give it to you. You should look at other ones."

Xian Yu Yue shook his head and didn't ask for anything else.

After all, this indigo seed can only be considered a rare item, but not a valuable item.

This thing was used for rituals and statue making in Tubo, and in the Tang Dynasty it was just a decoration in the study of scholars. Although it was rare, he had quite a few of them in his home.

Xian Yuyue saw that Zhao Huaian was keen on the captured armor and weapons, and guessed that he wanted to use them himself, so he reminded him:
"Mr. Zhao, how much armor do you have here now?"

When Zhao Huaian mentioned this, he was happy. He stretched out his hand and gestured:
"If I were to trade with you, I would have nine full sets of armor, six sets of chain mail, and the leather armor is a bit broken, but after repairing it, I would have more than twenty sets."

Xian Yu Yue was also shocked when he heard the number Zhao Huaian said. This was almost enough to arm a team of soldiers. He didn't expect that Zhao Huaian had accumulated such a fortune without making any effort.

But the more this happened, the more worried he became. He sighed and said anxiously:
"Mr. Zhao, do you know how the Tang Dynasty punishes those who secretly possess armor?"

Zhao Huaian's heart skipped a beat. Is wearing this armor illegal?
Then I heard Xian Yuyue say:
"According to the Tang Dynasty's 'Shanxing Law,' anyone who privately possesses one set of armor and three crossbows will be exiled 2,000 miles. Anyone who privately possesses three sets of armor and five crossbows will be hanged. Mr. Zhao, count the armor you have here. How many times will it cost you to be hanged?"

Zhao Huaian took a deep breath and smiled at Xian Yuyue:
"Old Yue, you know me. I'm a coward. It's just armor. I don't want it anymore. I don't want it anymore. I'll just leave it here. Whoever wants it can take it."

Zhao Huaian wasn't actually afraid of this. After all, if he buried it somewhere later, how could anyone find it? He was afraid that Xian Yuyue would get hold of something and use it against him in the future.

If Zhao Huaian were to be reborn, he would not be a dog for the powerful.

But unexpectedly, Xianyu Yue gave Zhao Huaian a suggestion. He told himself that the Nanzhao army had already penetrated into Qiongzhou, and the Jiannan Jiedushi government must be short of soldiers. At this time, as long as he formed a local group and joined the army, he would be accepted by the government.

At that time, these armors would naturally not be considered as private possession, and Zhao Huaian would naturally not be considered to have violated the rules.

Zhao Huaian stroked his short beard, knowing that Xianyu Yue still wanted him to go to Qiongzhou to rejoin the army, but he probably also understood that with his current capital, he definitely didn't want to be a guard soldier anymore, so he suggested that he form a team himself.

But what does the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) mean? Is it illegal to form your own team?

Xianyu Yue explained to Zhao Huaian that the local militia was originally the united army of the imperial court, but after the An-Shi Rebellion, local powerful people began to form militias, and the imperial court gradually acquiesced to this situation.

As for why it was not illegal, he told Zhao Huaian that since Pang Xun's rebellion, the Central Plains had been in turmoil, with defeated soldiers scattered everywhere, and many powerful people had already formed groups to protect themselves.

Although there has not been any large-scale rebellion in Shu, this time Nanzhao invaded and war broke out again. The shogunate was short of troops, so it was certain that the local warlords would form a rebellion to defend their territory.

Speaking of this, Xian Yuyue showed a rare look of anxiety:

"To be honest, Lord Zhao, although Nanzhao has invaded Tang territory, it's nothing to be feared. The Imperial Court's Shen Ce Army boasts hundreds of thousands of soldiers, ready to march into Sichuan at any moment to provide support and defend the border. Conversely, in the Central Plains, I've often received letters from friends reporting the combined floods and droughts that have struck this year. However, county officials have concealed the truth, and widespread deception has resulted in the displacement of the people, widespread starvation, and nowhere to complain, leaving them suffering unspeakably."

Speaking of this, Xian Yuyue couldn't help but sigh again:

"The current emperor is young, and the government has fallen into disarray. The Southern and Northern yamens are constantly squabbling and fighting with each other, disregarding the people's livelihoods. Furthermore, the court has become increasingly extravagant. In recent years, wars have been frequent, and military deployments have been constant, while the court's pressure has only intensified. Now, the Central Plains are experiencing floods and droughts, and the people are banditry and uprisings are raging everywhere. I fear that great chaos is not far away."

Xian Yuyue spoke sadly, but seeing Zhao Huaian still in a daze, he smiled bitterly and said:

"Mr. Zhao, maybe I'm overthinking it. After all, the world has been going on like this for years."

Zhao Huaian was indeed a little confused. Wasn't it just about returning to the army? Why did it cause chaos in the world?
No one knows the fate of the Tang Dynasty better than I do. As long as Huang Chao hasn't appeared, we can still survive. Even if the Central Plains rebels as Lao Yue says, it's just a filler.

Just like the Pang Xun Rebellion Lao Yue mentioned several times, he had never heard of it. He must be some idiot king. But what exactly did Pang Xun do? From what Lao Yue said, his influence was quite significant.

Originally, Zhao Huaian wanted to ask Lao Yue, but when he saw that the battlefield had been cleaned up and it was dark, he estimated the time and decided to move first.

It’s not time to pop the champagne at halftime yet. It’s not too late to talk about this after we defeat the Tibetans at Tongshan Pass!
……

It was soon the second half of the night, and the once bustling market was now quietly silent.

In the darkness, the armor plates rustled against each other, and the sound of hurried footsteps soon approached the wooden fence.

Zhao Huaian limped at the front of the team. Turning back, he saw that everyone behind him had changed into Tibetan armor. The fine iron shone with a cold light, which was breathtaking.

To distinguish themselves, he and everyone else tied their headscarves on their arms, but even so, he repeatedly reminded everyone not to act alone.

Looking around at everyone again, Zhao Huaian nodded and was the first to squeeze through the narrow gap in the wooden fence.

Next came Xianyu Yue, Ren Tong, Zhang Yuan, and then a group of barbarians. Even Zhao Liu came in tremblingly with a broadsword and a suona on his waist.

This was not Zhao Huaian's original plan. He had previously planned to pretend to be a Tibetan to deceive the customs. After all, Sun Tai and Zhao Hu on their side could speak Tibetan and could handle it.

But during the torture of the general after the war, Zhao Huaian learned a piece of information, that is, there were still more than 40 Tibetans in the camp.

At this point, Zhao Huaian decided to abandon his original plan. After all, with just their small number of people, even if they entered the camp, they would not be able to deal with more than 40 Tibetan soldiers.

Now I have a thigh injury, although the wound is not deep, but it still affects my movement. There are already few people, and without a fighting force like me, if I continue to fight the Tibetans head-on, I will die.

So, Zhao Huaian decided to attack at night.

A night raid was equally risky. On the one hand, the Tibetan soldiers who had been away for so long had not returned to the camp, so how could they not be suspicious? On the other hand, among their group, only the five Tang people could see at night.

But in the end, Zhao Huaian and others decided to attack at night after discussion. They all understood that tonight was the last chance.

……

It's a terrible night, there's no moon at all.

Moreover, the temperature difference in the mountains is really big. When Zhao Huaian walked to the front, he could clearly hear someone behind him with his teeth chattering from the cold.

Of course, it could also be because of fear.

In fact, Zhao Huaian himself was afraid, because who wouldn't be afraid of death? But that's how people are. Sometimes, after dying once, nothing else matters.

Besides, you are not going to die for sure, so why scare yourself?

So Zhao Huaian was the calmest among all the people. He walked in front, and although he was limping, his steps were firm.

People's emotions are contagious. Seeing Zhao Huaian at the front so calm and composed, everyone felt inexplicably at peace.

At the same time, a thought flashed through everyone's mind:

"Zhao Da is a man who does great things."

People in the crowd, such as Zhao Liu, Yang Mao, Sun Tai, and Zhao Hu, thought even more.

For the first time, they realized that following the person in front of them might be the most important choice in their destiny.

Before this, neither Zhao Liu nor Yang Mao nor the other three were truly willing to return home.

Zhao Liu is from Guanzhong, he just fled with you Zhao Huaian. His fellow villager is Huang Jingfu, the governor of Lizhou. Later, he returned to Qiongzhou and Chengdu, and he must have gone to surrender to his old superior.

This is especially true for Yang Mao, Sun Tai and Zhao Hu.

One of them was a Qionglai Yi people, a lawless people who had never known the meaning of loyalty and righteousness. The other two were Western Regions barbarians who had been captured and exiled. Although they claimed to be Han Chinese, their thinking and behavior were no different from those of the barbarians.

Zhao Huaian wanted to win them over by teaching them skills, and also tried to control them with more advanced skills, but he didn't know that as long as these people learned a little, they would definitely change their allegiance and join the powerful families.

Yes, you, Zhao Huaian, don’t want to be a dog, but there are so many people who want to be a dog but cannot.

This is the reality. In the final analysis, Zhao Huaian's family background is too low. With his status, he is only fit to be a dog, not even to take someone in as a dog.

But this time, Zhao Liu and the other four truly felt a sense of heroism from Zhao Huaian. Following Zhao Huaian, they might have a better future.

It was also at this moment that Zhao Huaian's small team was completed, but he himself had no idea about all this.

At this moment, he was holding his breath and carefully opening the tent in front of him with his scabbard.

But the next moment, a black shadow appeared directly in front of Zhao Huaian.

(End of this chapter)