Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 61: Pulling the Fort (Seeking Follow-up Reading)

On the twelfth day of the first lunar month in the second year of Qianfu, Gao Pian, the governor of Xichuan, arrived in Chengdu and sent 5,000 infantry and cavalry to pursue Nanzhao.

The shogunate announced that Yu was defeated in the battle by the armies in western Sichuan and the outer vassal states, and that he should be punished for going to Shuangliu to pursue the Nanzhao troops, and that he should be rewarded with merit while serving his sentence.

When the military order from Shuangliu reached Zhao Huaian, he was celebrating the Spring Festival and eating dumplings with everyone.

Yes, during the Spring Festival.

The Spring Festival in the Tang Dynasty was the first day of the first lunar month. Originally, the entire army should have been given leave to return home and reunite with their families at that time, but the Nanzhao army came and Bao Yidu had already received the task of guarding the village outside the city, and was still digging the soil by the river.

Now that they had finally repelled the enemy and there was no further military order from the rear camp, Zhao Da planned to have everyone together to celebrate a lively Spring Festival.

Zhao Huaian has always regarded eating as a very important matter and a necessary means to improve team cohesion.

Therefore, Zhao Huaian specially got more than 200 sheep from the merchants accompanying the camp. This did not cost Zhao Huaian much money. With some vegetables, the problem was solved for less than 100 strings of cash.

Zhao Huaian was rich at this time, and he spent the hundred strings of cash without blinking an eye.

If he thought the army was a money-eating beast before, then after trading with those marching merchants, he thought the army was a money-printing machine.

Even though more than 3,000 strings of cash were spent on a reward before, it was basically recovered by selling some captives and slaves, so as long as we win the battle, we will make a lot of money.

After realizing this truth, Zhao Huaian became more willing to spend money on the team. This is called investment.

So, when more than 200 sheep were being cooked, Zhao Huaian was about to sing "Cooking sheep and slaughtering cattle and having fun" again, when he suddenly saw a convoy coming from the direction of Shuangliu.

The leader of the team was an old acquaintance of Zhao Huaian, the assistant officer Ren Conghai.

……

"Congratulations, congratulations, Old Ren, I knew you were extraordinary at the time, and you have indeed been promoted."

When Zhao Huaian learned that Ren Conghai had jumped from an assistant officer to a guard, he started to say all kinds of good things.

Zhao Huaian had witnessed this man's ruthlessness that day and knew that he was a real villain, so he did not neglect anything on the scene.

Ren Conghai was also happy. He waved his hands and said it was nothing, but he was quite proud and looked around with dignity.

It was luck that came his way. His previous superior, the former Yu Hou, was defeated due to poor supervision of the battle and was stripped of his position by Yang Qingfu. Only then did Ren Conghai have the opportunity to be promoted.

Later, knowing that Ren Conghai and Zhao Huaian had an old relationship, he asked him to take the task and come here to reward Zhao Huaian.

Yes, Zhao Huaian knows how to win over the hearts of the troops, but doesn’t Yang Qingfu know this?

This time, the Xichuan soldiers were beaten to such a state that the newly appointed governor Gao Pian did not take the Shu people seriously at all. He ridiculed the Shu people as rats and cowards several times in military meetings, so naturally there was no reward for them.

But his superiors refused to give it to him, so Yang Qingfu had no choice but to send it.

Especially Zhao Huaian's army. Although it has not been established for a long time, it has fought several tough battles and has great potential. Therefore, Yang Qingfu used his own military reserves to reward Zhao Huaian.

This time, Ren Conghai came to deliver this batch of supplies.

Because it was a festival, this batch of supplies included a large amount of alcoholic beverages, all of which were specialties from central Sichuan, such as Qingli wine, Gan wine, Goose yellow wine, Ru wine, and Linqiong wine.

There are also two jars of famous wines, Jiannan Shaochun and Jinjiangchun, which Yang Qingfu bought specially from Chengdu. Both are famous wines in Chengdu.

In addition to this batch of wine and beverages, there were also various textiles and military equipment.

Chengdu has been a prosperous city for textiles since ancient times, and there are precious textiles in various places, such as the new-style brocade of Yizhou, the red-ground patterned brocade, the Chupu silk of Zizhou and Suizhou, the heavy silk of Guozhou and Langzhou, and the Exi silk of Zizhou and Lingzhou.

If all these were not written on the list, Zhao Huaian would not have known that silk cloth could have so many names.

Like the batch of wine, these are also divided into general and special supplies. Yang Qingfu specially rewarded Zhao Huaian with ten pieces of bird-patterned gold-woven Luo and Mianzhou Qingrong, which are also the famous Shu brocade in history, specially used to make cloaks for heroes.

The weapons are similar. In addition to some standard military weapons, there are also some famous swords and clever crossbows.

There are Shu swords that imitate the ring-handled swords of the Han Dynasty, there are fish-fu swords with holes shaped like ospreys, and there is also the Pu Yuan magic sword that is famous in Shu and is a famous blade that has been forged hundreds of times.

As a warrior, Zhao Huaian loves swords, so after looking at the list, he found this famous sword.

As expected, when he drew out his sword, it was a pool of autumn water, overflowing with cold light, with an inscription on it:
"Hide the edge."

When Zhao Huaian saw it, he couldn't let it go and kept saying "what a good knife".

When Ren Conghai came over, he also said compliments, saying that Zhao Da is now a completely different person.

Not only did the envoy Song from the Zhongwu Army protect him, but now even General Yang, the second-in-command of their Western Sichuan clan, had a fondness for him.

Sometimes Ren Conghai was also quite jealous. He really didn't understand how Zhao Da could win the favor of so many people.

However, Ren Conghai thought of the rumors in the army and looked up and down at the eight-foot-tall Zhao Huaian.

Not to mention, Zhao Da is a standout in the entire Shu area. He is also handsome and has a likable appearance.

Alas, same person has different fate.

Zhao Da was unaware of Ren Conghai's self-pity beside him. He was about to invite Ren Conghai to join him for the festival, but Ren Conghai shook his head and declined, then brought Zhao Da an order from the Central Army. Effective immediately, Zhao Da's troops were to be assigned to the Central Army and join forces with Yang Qingfu's Chengdu Tujiang. Later, they would march with the Central Army to launch a counterattack against the Nanzhao troops stationed west of Shuangliu.

Zhao Huaian did not dare to delay. After receiving the order, he prepared to let his brothers eat quickly and prepare to move camp.

But Ren Conghai pulled Zhao Huaian aside and told him something in private:
"Prime Minister Gao summoned Governor Huang the day before yesterday and blamed him for the loss of Dadu River. He had him beheaded yesterday."

After saying that, Ren Conghai sighed and returned with the convoy.

Zhao Huaian stood there in a daze. Governor Huang was actually his old boss Huang Jingfu.

The old general fought so well, but in the end he was beheaded by Gao Pian, while those dogs who kept fleeing were alive and well. It was all because the old general was so ruthless that he lost all his capital in one battle.

The old general without his soldiers became the chicken that Gao Pian wanted to kill.

At that moment, Zhao Huaian thought a lot. He looked in the direction of Chengdu, and finally tried hard to force a smile, and went in to celebrate the festival with his brothers.

He didn't tell anyone about this, not even Lao Liu, and no one knew what impact this incident had on Zhao Huaian.

……

The second year of Qianfu, the thirteenth day of the first lunar month in spring.

The Xichuan Army and the outer vassal armies, which had been on a truce for many days, began to counterattack the nearby strongholds and cities occupied by the Nanzhao Army.

Zhao Huaian followed the army from western Sichuan and destroyed three Nanzhao army camps near Tang'an on the same day.

In this battle, the Baoyi Army captured 60 Nanzhao soldiers, and seized 6 war horses, 30 pigs, and 3 cows.

After the battle, Zhao Huaian learned that this Nanzhao army was the Wuhu barbarians south of Guangrong and west of Yonggui, so he incorporated ten of their elite warriors into his tent, each of them in charge of the sixty people.

During the previous attack on the village, Zhao Huaian discovered that these Wuhu barbarian soldiers were brave, strong, skilled in archery and good at walking, and could supplement Bao Yidu's ability to fight in the mountains.

Afterwards, Zhao Huaian destroyed several small camps, but they were just appetizers and he did not capture much spoils.

Obviously, the Nanzhao army was also shrinking its forces at this time, gradually abandoning some small strongholds and concentrating its forces in several large garrisons in the surrounding areas.

With Zhao Huaian's current strength, he was still unable to attack such a large stronghold, so Bao Yidu temporarily suspended the offensive and waited for the follow-up order from the central army.

Yang Qingfu in the central army also responded quickly to this change in the Nanzhao army.

Soon, Bao Yidu received a new military order, asking him to join forces with the Fengxiang army operating nearby to attack Xianrenshu, the largest stockade near Tang'an.

Judging from his reaction speed, our Coach Yang is indeed quite capable.

……

Xianren Fort is located ten miles east of Tang'an City, on the eastern bank of the Minjiang River. It has always been a gate on the trade route, and is now used by the Nanzhao army as a barrier to defend Tang'an.

In order to defend Tang'an, the Nanzhao army left 2,000 soldiers in the city and 1,000 soldiers in Xianren Garrison, with the two sides supporting each other.

When Zhao Huaian and the 800 cavalry and infantry of the Fengxiang Army surrounded Xianren Fort, unexpectedly, the Nanzhao defenders in the fort actually planned to surrender.

This is actually understandable. Originally, the Nanzhao army invaded western Sichuan only for the purpose of capturing people and wealth. Now with Gao Pian leading a large army into Sichuan, there is definitely no hope of capturing Chengdu.

Then why aren’t you leaving yet?
At this time, the Nanzhao army also seized a large number of people, livestock and property, and the tribes were eager to return home.

And it is obvious that the Xianrenshu Army, which was arranged at the end of the Nanzhao Army, was the most unlucky one.

Therefore, they had no intention of risking their lives for the retreat of their allies. They sent messengers down from the city wall to ask for surrender to the Fengxiang Army outside.

They were willing to set up camp, but they had one request, which was to allow them to withdraw to Nanzhao, and in return, they were willing to hand over Tang An.

The Fengxiang Army did not discuss this request with Zhao Huaian at all, and decided to agree on its own initiative.

Perhaps for the Fengxiang Army, Zhao Huaian, who had just risen to power, was not qualified to sit at the table and eat meat with them.

Yes, those old vassal soldiers such as the Nanzhao Army and the Fengxiang Army obviously have enough tacit understanding.

They were actually using Tang An behind them as a price in exchange for the Fengxiang Army to let them go. As for what would happen if the Fengxiang Army attacked Tang An later, is there any need to say more?
Since ancient times, how could foreign soldiers not make a fortune when they entered the city?

So, that night, when Zhao Huaian was camping outside the village, someone from the Fengxiang Army suddenly came and told him that the plan to attack the village tomorrow had been cancelled, and they were preparing to take over the Xianren Garrison. He was stunned.

After giving the soldier some money, Lao Liu became friends with this fellow from Guanzhong and finally figured out what had happened during the day.

Upon learning that the Fengxiang Army had secretly decided to release the Nanzhao Army, Zhao Huaian was furious and cursed:
"A bunch of insects! No wonder the Tang Dynasty is in such a mess."

Zhao Huaian was counting on making a fortune from this Nanzhao army, so how could he be willing to let them run away?
Just when Zhao Da was getting annoyed, Lu Zhongyuan, who had recently been quite self-conscious of being a lackey, added in a mean way:
"The generals will have to take over the fortress while leaving a path for the enemy. Since ancient times, no one has ever done such a thing smoothly. If anyone shivers even for a moment during this process, do you think a fight will break out?"

Lu Zhongyuan's words really woke people up from their dreams.

Wonderful!

This soldier, Old Lu, is a very stubborn person.

(End of this chapter)