Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Meanwhile, Li Cenji was lovingly stroking the horse spear when, unbeknownst to him, Xu Tai's head peeked in through the gap in the tent flap.

As the brute passed by the central command tent, he heard two shouts of approval coming from inside, so he curiously lifted the curtain to take a look.

Upon seeing the lance in Li Cenji's hand, his eyes widened instantly. He darted into the tent, squatted beside the lance, tilted his head, and stared at it for a long time. Then, he gestured lightly at the tip of the lance, clicking his tongue in amazement.

"Commander, this kind of thing is quite rare. I've heard that even among the officers in the Northern Army's Imperial Guards, not many actually own a proper lance; most just use long spears to make up the numbers. Yours must be worth quite a bit of money, right?"

Li Cenji stroked the hilt of his spear, a rare hint of smugness appearing on his face, and said:

"What do you know? This was a gift from Lord Zheng. Its monetary value is secondary. Look at the steel of this spear blade, look at the toughness of this shaft. The spears and lances made in ordinary armories are not even worthy of carrying the shoes of this spear."

As he spoke, he stood up, gripped the hilt of the spear with both hands, and made two feinting thrusts inside the tent.

A strong wind cut through the air, making a low whistling sound, and the candlelight in the tent was caused to flicker twice by the wind.

Xu Tai shrank his neck and clicked his tongue repeatedly:

"Commander, take it easy. Don't let this ten-foot-long spear poke a hole in the tent."

Li Cenji then stopped his attack, held the horse spear in front of him, and looked at it again, his eyes full of affection:

"With this spear, we'll have a better chance of success in battle. This gift from Lord Zheng is more valuable than any gold or silver."

After seeing off the envious Xu Tai, Li Cenji took off his armor, carefully folded it, and put it back in the box.

He didn't make a fuss, but simply took the letter out again and read it once more by candlelight.

He looked at those few thin sheets of paper over and over again.

-----------------

By the fourth day, the commotion of the army leaving the city had grown even larger.

The various military commanders also discussed and agreed on a plan, deciding to appoint Zheng Tian, ​​the commander-in-chief of all the military camps around the capital, as the commander-in-chief, Cheng Zongchu, the military governor of Jingyuan, as the deputy commander-in-chief of all the military camps, and Tang Hongfu, the military governor of Shuofang, as the military commander of the camps.

Therefore, the troops from Jingyuan and Shuofang were the first to break out of the city and set up a joint camp outside the east gate of the city.

Tang Hongfu rode a sturdy blue horse, clad in gleaming armor, and led the way out of the city, surrounded by his personal guards. His beard and hair fluttered in the wind, giving him quite the imposing presence of an old general.

The camp stretched from the city gate all the way to the tributary of the Wei River three miles away, appearing as a vast expanse of white from afar.

Next came the Tangut cavalry from Xia Prefecture, numbering about five thousand. Their hooves thundered as they passed through the main road of the city, startling the people along the street who scattered in fear.

After the troops from Fuyan and Qinzhou also left the city to set up camp, the troops from Fengxiang town also began to leave the city one after another.

Li Changyan led the left wing of Fengxiang, Wang Lu led the right wing, and Zhao Buying commanded the rear army, with more than 20,000 men marching in a grand procession.

Li Cenji's cavalry was positioned in the central army, so they were not crammed together with the troops from other garrisons. Instead, they set up camp on a gentle slope to the southeast of the city.

Although the camp was not very large, it was arranged in a very orderly manner:

A thick wooden fence was erected around the perimeter, with a temporary watchtower at each of the four corners. The tents inside the camp were neatly arranged, and cooking pits had been dug in the open space, with wisps of smoke rising from them.

The infantrymen stood at the camp gate, spears in hand, eyes fixed straight ahead, their armor gleaming.

Even those newly recruited defeated soldiers, after two months of ruthless training by Chen An, have now become somewhat capable and valiant.

On the morning of the fifth day, before dawn, the open space outside the south gate of Fengxiang City was already packed with people.

The troops from all the circuits west of the capital, along with the local forces from Fengxiang and Longyou, totaled more than 40,000 men, who lined up in formation according to their respective flags.

A passage several tens of feet long was cleared in front of the battle lines, leading directly to the city gate.

Banners fluttered atop the city walls.

The large banner that read "Commander-in-Chief of the Four Directions of the Capital of the Great Tang Dynasty" unfurled in the morning breeze, its scarlet surface and large, black characters standing out prominently.

Zheng Tian stood on the city wall, with five military commanders behind him and two or three hundred burly soldiers crowding the city wall.

Today he is dressed in armor, with a purple cloak over it, a helmet on his head, and the imperial sword bestowed by the emperor hanging at his waist.

Even though he was still recovering from a serious illness and was quite thin, he still exuded an imposing aura when he stood there.

As dawn broke, a pale white tinge appeared on the eastern horizon, which was then tinged with a pale gold by the morning glow.

The morning light crossed the ridge of Qishan Mountain and fell on the dark sea of ​​people below the city.

The spearheads, blades, and armor plates gleamed with a cold, star-like light in the morning glow.

Li Cenji reined in his horse and stood at the front of the formation, with Zhou Ping and a thousand cavalrymen behind him, and then Chen An's fifteen hundred infantrymen.

He wore a bright armor, with a fine-scaled inner armor given to him by Zheng Tian.

The yellow horse beneath him was a fine steed specially selected by Wang Chu from the Longyou horse farm. It had a sturdy frame, long hooves, and a neatly combed mane. At this moment, it was pawing at the ground and occasionally snorting.

It is Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

The drums on the city wall sounded.

The drumbeats were deep and resonant, like muffled thunder rolling across the sky.

The entire army fell silent.

Zheng Tian stepped forward and stood before the crenellations of the city gate tower.

His gaze swept over the 40,000 soldiers below the city, and then over the numerous banners.

The morning breeze ruffled his purple cloak, making it flutter.

He took a deep breath and spoke.

"All officers and soldiers of Fengxiang, Longyou, Jingyuan, Qinzhou, Shuofang, Fuyan, and Xiazhou, listen to my decree!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two or three hundred strong men behind him shouted and repeated in unison, which, with the help of the city wall, was clearly heard and carried to the front of the army.

The forty thousand men below the city stood up straight in unison.

"In accordance with Heaven's will and the times, I have received this clear decree: I believe that a true king's army is one that campaigns without fighting; a sage's teachings shine with virtue, not military might. Yet the traitor Huang Chao, originally a lowly salt merchant, dared to seize the capital, usurp the title of emperor, and defile our ancestral temples, harming our common people. His heinous crimes are beyond description. Therefore, I hereby appoint Zheng Tian as the Commander-in-Chief of the military campaigns around the capital, overseeing all troops in the western part of the capital, and grant him the authority to act as he sees fit—all soldiers who have rendered meritorious service, those below the fifth rank, may be appointed by Zheng Tian with this imperial edict and reported to the emperor. Governors and above, if they have meritorious service, may be rewarded as he sees fit, and then reported to the emperor. This is hereby proclaimed throughout the land, so that all may know." (Source: AI)

After the imperial decree was proclaimed, Zheng Tian explained it again in vernacular Chinese.

In short, it all boils down to one sentence:

For officials of the fifth rank or below, Zheng Tian could appoint them first and then report to the emperor.

Every soldier present knew exactly what this meant.

Those who live on the edge, who wouldn't want to earn a place in society?

Who wouldn't want to earn a promising future and secure a comfortable life for their family through genuine skill?

These four words are a blazing fire.

Throughout history, what has motivated soldiers to fight to the death is not the empty rhetoric of loyalty to the emperor and service to the country, but rather the tangible prospect of fame and fortune.

Since heading to Chang'an, many soldiers felt for the first time that Huang Chao's head could truly be exchanged for official titles and ranks.

In the army formation, many soldiers who had been standing there blankly suddenly had a light in their eyes.

Zheng Tian's voice rang out again, this time a few decibels higher:

"Throughout history, loyal and righteous men have never forgotten their country in times of crisis, nor have they abandoned their sovereign in times of trouble. Today, the situation is no longer about the gains or losses of Chang'an, but about the hearts and minds of the people. The other day, Huang Chao sent someone to Qixia with a forged imperial edict to induce surrender. The words were vulgar, and the intentions were unfathomable. The messenger's head is now hanging beneath the city walls. I would like to ask Huang Chao: How can you, a mere salt-selling peddler, be so disrespectful to the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Fengxiang and Guanzhong?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the city below, and suddenly pointed to the large banner embroidered with the words "Great Tang".

The morning breeze made the flag flutter wildly, and the flag looked like a burning flame, leaping and blazing on the city wall.

His voice seemed to have suddenly become twenty years younger at that moment, each word as sharp as iron striking the ground, resounding so loudly it made one's eardrums buzz and the air in one's chest surge and churn.

"Today we march our troops to Chang'an—to punish the traitors!"

When those two words were uttered, forty thousand people roared in unison.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Thousands of war drums sounded simultaneously, the booming sound shaking the ground beneath their feet.

The sounds of drums, horns, and battle cries blended into a massive wave of sound that soared into the sky, startling the birds in the woods outside the city into a flurry of flight that darkened half the sky.

"All troops, listen to my command—move out!"

The orders were passed down from one level to the next.

The sounds of horses' hooves, footsteps, and the clatter of armor plates merged into a deep, powerful wave of sound, causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble slightly.

Dust rose from beneath my feet, carried away by the morning breeze, and slowly drifted away.

The mobilization of such a large army is no small matter.

The vanguard has already marched ten miles eastward, while the rearguard has not yet fully moved out of their camp.

Looking down from the city tower, it resembles a black torrent, surging eastward in a mighty torrent.

The army could only travel thirty li a day.

According to Zheng Tian's prior arrangements, although this expedition was ostensibly to take Chang'an directly, it was actually an ambush.

Therefore, marching should not be about speed, but about stability, and sufficient time must be allowed for subsequent supplies and provisions to catch up.

Fortunately, Zheng Tian began preparations after recovering from his stroke. The grain and weapons in Fengxiang Prefecture's granary were already sufficient, enough not only for the needs of 40,000 troops for a month, but also for another month.

The subsequent supply convoys departed from Fengxiang City and traveled eastward along the official road for several miles. The creaking and groaning of oxcarts, mule carts, and wheelbarrows echoed from morning till night.

Such a commotion could be seen even by a blind person.

Moreover, the Tang army had no intention of concealing anything.

The oath-taking ceremony held on the city wall that day was an open and undisguised act, not only for Fengxiang and the troops of all the other regions, but also for Huang Chao.

The Tang troops that successively left the city to set up camp, the commander's banner that fluttered on the city wall that day, and the proclamation to punish the rebels that was issued to the whole world—all of these things had only one purpose:

Tell Huang Chao that the Tang army has arrived.

Huang Chao's scouts were indeed not idle.

As early as the day the commander-in-chief's banner was first erected outside Fengxiang City, scouts sent out the news.

The fast horse traveled day and night, passing through the Qishan trails, bypassing the Tang army's cities, and heading straight for Chang'an.

While Zheng Tian's proclamation was still being posted throughout Guanzhong, a copy had already been sent to Chang'an.

-----------------

Changan.

Since capturing the capital last December, Huang Chao has ascended the throne in the Hanyuan Hall of the Daming Palace, establishing the Great Qi dynasty and changing the era name to Jintong.

His generals, who had followed him in battles across the north and south, were all granted high-ranking official positions, including Grand Commandant, Minister of Works, Minister of Agriculture, Vice Minister, and Minister of Personnel.

As for the former Tang Dynasty officials who surrendered, most of the high-ranking officials were killed, while the low-ranking officials and clerks were allowed to remain in their original positions, only with the addition of the title of Daqi.

In the first few days after entering Chang'an, Huang Chao did do a few things to win people's hearts.

He ordered the army not to disturb the people, and anyone who disobeyed would be executed.

He then ordered that a portion of the money and silk in the treasury be taken out and distributed to the poor people in the city.

Those poor people who received the money were naturally grateful and shouted "Long live the emperor!"

For a time, there was a strange sense of "new dynasty atmosphere" in Chang'an.

But the good times didn't last long.

The soldiers under Huang Chao's command were not exactly disciplined government troops.

Most of them were old brothers that Huang Chao brought from the Caozhou and Puzhou areas. They followed him across thousands of miles, endured hardships, and killed people.

When they used to roam around, they made a living by plundering. Now that they have entered the dazzling world of Chang'an, seeing the shops all over the streets, the mountains of wealth, and the delicate women, how could they still restrain themselves?

In the first few days, due to Huang Chao's strict orders, they only secretly carried out some petty tricks.

Taking advantage of his status as a "founding hero of the Great Qi Dynasty," he would forcibly take things from shops without paying, or find a pretext to extort several strings of cash from wealthy households.

The merchants and ordinary people who suffered losses dared not speak out and could only accept their bad luck.

But later, these soldiers and generals saw that Huang Chao's prohibition was just for show and that there was no real investigation, so they became bolder and bolder.

First, they broke into shops in groups of three or five, openly looting with guns. After looting the shops, they went to rob civilian houses.

During the day they were relatively restrained, but at night, Chang'an was filled with soldiers carrying knives and torches, banging on doors from house to house.

"Open the door! Open the door! The Great Qi is requisitioning military funds!"

"Hand over your valuables if you know what's good for you, and we'll spare your lives!"

"This young lady is quite pretty; let's go back to camp together!"

Such shouts and cries could be heard every night.

Women who were even slightly attractive suffered even more.

Countless were taken to the camp and humiliated; some, unable to bear the humiliation, hanged themselves.

Some were so badly abused that they were unrecognizable, and went insane after being released.

The people in the city were full of complaints, but who dared to say a word against it?

Even if one went to report to the authorities, those officials of the Great Qi were either former bandits or former officials of the Tang Dynasty who had been forced to surrender.

The former and the soldiers who plundered were birds of a feather, and the latter were barely able to protect themselves, so how could they dare to interfere?

As a result, people who came to file complaints were often beaten out with sticks before they could even submit their petitions, and some were even accused of "slandering the new dynasty" and beaten to death on the spot.

In just a few months, Chang'an City had already become a desolate place.

……

Chang'an, a side hall of the Taiji Palace.

The proclamation arrived on the first day of the third month. Huang Chao had just finished his court assembly and was having a meal with his trusted civil and military officials.

The hall was filled with the finest sandalwood incense, and wisps of smoke rose from the gilded Boshan incense burner, but they could not mask the rich aroma of the roasted mutton and flatbread on the table.

He sat behind a large sandalwood table, holding a gilded silver cup filled with wine from the Western Regions in his left hand, while tearing off a piece of golden-brown baked flatbread with his right.

His eating manners were coarse and uncouth, unlike those of an emperor; he was still the same as when he was a salt merchant.

An eunuch entered the hall, his expression as usual, but his pace was a little faster than usual.