Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 28 Yokono
"So you guys want to leave now that the snow stops?"

Zhao Huaian listened to what Lao Fei said, stroking his short beard and thinking.

Fei Yanggu came over just now and told me something. It turned out that these mountain sheds thought they had carried all the goods to Qiongzhou, so they wanted to collect the reward money and go back to the mountains.

Originally, they didn't want to stay at all, but who would have thought that it would snow heavily as soon as they arrived in Qiongzhou, so now they couldn't leave even if they wanted to.

During the two days of staying in the tent, they became more and more afraid of these mountain huts. As soon as the snow stopped, they asked Fei Yanggu to represent everyone to discuss this matter with Zhao Huaian, and they didn't even plan to accept the reward money.

Fei Yanggu nodded hurriedly when he heard Zhao Huaian's question:
"My dear, we have been away from home for too long. Our family is waiting for us to return. When do you think we can get our reward?"

Although no one wanted it, Fei Yanggu was afraid of being poor, so he asked anyway. But suddenly Zhao Huaian shook his head and quickly made amends:

"Sir, we didn't exert much effort during the latter half of the journey, and we even made a small fortune with you. How about we just forget about the reward?"

In the previous ambush on the Nanzhao people, although the spoils were taken away by the Zhongwu Army, these mountain thieves were very good and snatched away clothes and shoes at the first opportunity, so it was considered a gain.

After hearing Fei Yanggu's words, Zhao Huaian felt insulted. He patted his shoulder and cursed:
"Old Fei, what are you talking about? I, Zhao Da, am a man of my word. How could I be greedy for this?"

The words were full of confidence, but Zhao Huaian's next words were:

"But I'm short on money right now. I was planning to sell my furs for some copper coins, but it's snowing, so I haven't had the time. So, you two should stay a few days longer. I'll sell my furs, give you some money, and then we'll have a bonfire party so you can go home happy."

When he heard that he would have to stay for a few more days, Fei Yanggu's face changed immediately. He looked around and pulled Zhao Huaian to confront him:
"My dear, let's be frank. We fled to the mountains to live because we didn't want to be slaves. Don't bother worrying about it. There are only a few people in the village who are willing to follow you. We really have to go back."

Zhao Huaian was thick-skinned and didn't blush at all when Fei Yanggu pointed out his thoughts.

Yes, he was thinking about these mountain huts, but since the other party had said it so bluntly, he couldn't force it, so he nodded:
"Alright, Envoy Song gave me some coarse salt a while ago. I'll use it as your travel expenses. I'll give it to you when I return from the camp."

This time Fei Yanggu was very grateful and really felt that Mr. Zhao was a good person.

At this time, they had already arrived at the gate of the camp. People like Fei Yanggu could not enter at all because they did not have a military badge, so Zhao Huaian said goodbye to him here.

When Fei Yanggu was about to leave, Zhao Huaian tried to fight for it. He said sincerely:

"Old Fei, you really don't want to follow me?"

Fei Yanggu was moved, but still refused:
"My dear, we are suffering in the mountains, but every grain is ours. The land below is fertile, but even if the granaries are full, they are only planted by these powerful officials. My dear, you are a good man. If you need us in the future, we will definitely help you, but let's forget about this matter."

At this moment, Zhao Huaian got to know Fei Yanggu again. The freedom and clarity he showed was truly wisdom.

But he couldn't do anything for him, so he could only sigh, pat him on the shoulder, and take Lu Zhongyuan and Zhou Dexing into the gate.

Fei Yanggu stood behind until Zhao Huaian and the others went in, then he ran back with light steps.

……

Zhao Huaian handed his badge to the gatekeeper, and then received a talisman sent by Xianyu Yue. He then handed over his knife at the gate before being allowed in.

Seeing Fei Yanggu leave, Lu Zhongyuan wrinkled his nose and said to Zhao Huaian:

"Master, these people can't leave."

Zhao Huaian was just feeling a little sad about the separation. After all, they had been together for more than half a month, and after this separation, they might never see each other again in their entire life.

Hearing what Lu Zhongyuan said, he was stunned for a moment.

At this time, Zhou Dexing on the other side also explained:
"Lord, even though these people have only entered the outer camp, they are still subject to military law. If they leave the camp now, they will be considered deserters and will be beheaded."

Zhao Huaian really didn't know about this situation, but after thinking about it, he could understand it.

Although they only stayed for two days, Fei Yanggu and his men had some idea of ​​the army's strengths and weaknesses. If they ran away, they would definitely be killed as Nanzhao spies.

At this moment, no matter how thick-skinned Zhao Huaian was, he felt a little sorry for the other person.

In fact, he also understood what Fei Yanggu and the others were thinking. They didn't want to be slaves because once they were conscripted by the army, even after the war, those good family boys could be released, but could they, the runaways, be released?
I'm really screwing them over.

When Zhao Huaian was blaming himself, Lu Zhongyuan added:
"That's perfect. We're short of players, so bringing them in would be perfect for us as forwards."

When Zhao Huaian heard this, his face turned dark.

Damn, this Old Lu is a soldier after all. He always captures able-bodied men to fill the line. He has a really dirty heart.

He was about to curse, but when he saw Zhou Dexing nodding beside him, he suddenly realized that this was the basic operation of the Tang Dynasty warriors?
After thinking about it, Zhao Huaian said cautiously:

"We have to be kind. If we don't agree to take him in, it's still Fermi. It's better to let him go. But since there are military laws, we can find another way. I, Zhao Da, can't break my promise to others."

After listening to Zhao Huaian's words, Lu Zhongyuan and Zhou Dexing actually nodded.

Among them, Lu Zhongyuan was the most clever. He realized that what he had just said might not suit the tone of the new groom, so he quickly changed the subject and said with a smile:
"The Lord is truly kind and righteous. Those who have met the Lord in the mountain sheds are truly honored to have met a noble person."

Zhou Dexing next to him nodded.

Now Zhao Huaian understood that these two people were fence-sitters. His understanding of the low-level military men in the Tang Dynasty deepened.

Collecting his thoughts, Zhao Huaian patted Lu Zhongyuan on the shoulder, indicating that everything was self-explanatory.

……

After Zhao Huaian and his men entered through the gate, they saw a horse racing track where a large number of soldiers were clearing the snow between the tents.

Suddenly seeing Zhao Huaian and the other two, they all squinted their eyes and then went back to sweeping the snow. Zhao Huaian didn't notice the strange looks from others, but was carefully observing the camp.

This was the first time he saw the camp of the Tang Dynasty's regular army. Everything in front of him was very new. There were tents, some round and some square, everywhere, arranged like grids.

He roughly counted and found that there were seven rows of tents in this camp, with at least a dozen tents in each row. Assuming there were ten people in each tent, there were more than a thousand people stationed in this area.

Wow, it looks like this is the main force of the Tang army.

At this moment, Zhao Huaian didn't know that the way he was peeking around really made him look like a spy.

Although many military officers believed that there should be no problem as long as the gate was allowed to pass, what if?
Then, a military officer came over with a wooden shovel and scolded:
"Which unit are you from? How do you look around in the camp?"

The man had a very loud voice and Zhao Huaian was startled, but Lu Zhongyuan next to him was smart and quickly handed over the talisman that had been used to pass through the gate.

This military officer was very strong. Even in the snow, he only wore a single layer of clothing, revealing his strong energy.

He took the talisman, looked at it and assessed Zhao Huaian, and finally handed it back, frowning and saying:

"What's the matter with joining the camp? Let someone lead you from now on. Don't wander around randomly. If you see something you shouldn't see, you'll lose your head."

Zhao Huaian was honest, knowing that this person was speaking good words, and hurriedly clasped his fists and said:

"I am Zhao Huaian, a general of the Lizhou Army. I wonder what my comrades should call me."

This person had just read Zhao Huaian's talisman, which had his identity written on it, so he knew he was from the Lizhou Army. This person actually admired the Lizhou Army's previous battle at Dadu River, so he gave that reminder just now.

This person also didn't know how to refuse. Seeing Zhao Huaian asked, he nodded and said casually:

"Yokono Jun Zeng Yuanyu."

Zhao Huaian did not react and was still laughing. Instead, Lu Zhongyuan and Zhou Dexing were both startled and quickly fell to the ground, shouting:

"I greet General Zeng."

When Zhao Huaian saw the two men acting like this, he knew that the person in front of him was an important figure, so he knelt on one knee.

Zeng Yuanyu waved his hand and said indifferently:

"Who are you going to find? I'll call someone to take you there."

Zhao Huaian hurriedly said that he was looking for Song Jian, but after he said this, Zeng Yuanyu's face changed.

He snorted:
"Are you the pawn who saved Song San?"

This was already quite impolite. Zhao Huaian didn't know why this person's expression suddenly changed, so he could only nod.

Zeng Yuanyu looked him up and down, and no longer wanted to talk to Zhao Huaian. He randomly pointed to a warrior to lead the way, and then left.

Seeing Zeng Yuanyu's politeness at first but then his submissiveness, Zhao Huaian was really puzzled. He held his breath and followed the warrior from the Yokono army.

The Yokono army member was also not polite. After taking the three of them to a place, he just pointed to a tent area in the distance and said that was Song Jian's camp, and then left.

This time Zhao Huaian couldn't hold back his anger anymore and was about to curse, but was stopped by Lu Zhongyuan.

Lu Zhongyuan looked around, then whispered:
"Lord, that Zeng Yuanyu is the great general of Yokono. Four years ago, he came to the aid of western Sichuan and killed over 2,000 Nanzhao soldiers in Xindu. He is a fierce general. There are so many people in this army, and we dare not take offense."

At this moment, Lu Zhongyuan was really scared to death. He originally thought that Zhao Huaian, the prince, had won the favor of Envoy Song and would definitely have a future as his subordinate, but he did not expect that he was actually a young man with no sense of justice.

But at this moment, a word came from the side, which frightened Lu Zhongyuan so much that his soul flew away. He only heard the tall and strong Zhou Dexing say in a muffled voice:

"So what if you're a general? If your master insults you, your subject will die. No matter how high your position is, can't you kill him with one sword?"

This was the first time Zhou Dexing shook his head. No one expected him to say such words.

At this moment, Lu Zhongyuan suddenly realized one thing, that is, the man in front of him, Zhou Dexing, was from the Yanhai Army, and his predecessor was part of the Pinglu Jiedushi.

This group of people are just like the killers in Hebei. They have long disregarded the law and killing their superiors is as easy as eating or drinking water.

Lu Zhongyuan was extremely panicked. The Dingbian Army where he was stationed was known as the defensive fortress of western Sichuan, but in reality they were just doing business. Although they also did some dirty work, compared with Heping Lu Jun and his gang of killers, the Tang Dynasty was really kind.

But Lu Zhongyuan didn't expect that the young master was not afraid at all, and added:

"Old Zhou, don't be so angry. He didn't do anything wrong. If you have a bad attitude, just scold him. Why would you resort to knife attack?"

Lawrence Lu was stunned. He wanted to curse loudly. How much did he drink to be so crazy?

But after Zhao Huaian finished speaking, he turned around and asked Lu Zhongyuan:
"I forgot to ask, what is the reputation of Envoy Song?"

Lu Zhongyuan's heart was as sharp as his seven orifices. Seeing that Zhao Da didn't ask the man but asked himself, he immediately realized that this was a test of loyalty, and immediately told the truth:

"My Lord, Envoy Song is a good man, but four years ago his uncle stole Envoy Zeng's military achievements, and the two have been at odds ever since, so this incident probably happened."

Zhao Huaian suddenly realized, but did not believe Lu Zhongyuan's words completely, because he read a trace of pity in Zeng Yuanyu's expression. He was feeling sorry for himself.

What exactly does this envoy Song want to do?

(End of this chapter)