Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Zheng Tian then invited Li Cenji to sit down in the tent. Li Cenji responded and first bowed to Sun Chu, Wang Chu, and all the officials in the tent.

Sun Chu stroked his beard and nodded with a smile. Wang Chu also put down his pen, smiled slightly at him, and looked at him with satisfaction in his eyes.

The officers rose to return the greeting, their eyes filled with curiosity and awe, yet they dared not look directly at him for too long, only stealing glances at the young commander who had become famous overnight.

Li Cenji then sat down on the stool below Zheng Tian, ​​his back ramrod straight.

Although he was still sore and tired, he dared not slack off in front of Zheng Tian.

After he was seated, he said sheepishly:

"My lord, please forgive me. I slept for a whole day and night and only just woke up. I hurriedly found some food and rushed over. I didn't have time to wash or change, and I'm covered in filth..."

"It's alright."

Zheng Tian waved his hand, interrupting him, and smiled with satisfaction:

"This outfit you're wearing is from yesterday's battle amidst thousands of soldiers; it's more presentable than any fine clothes."

Upon hearing this, Li Cenji felt a warm glow in his heart and stopped dwelling on the matter.

Zheng Tian glanced around the tent and said to Sun Chu, Wang Chu, and the other officials:

"That's all for today. You've all worked hard these past few days, so please go back and rest early."

Sun Chu and Wang Chu exchanged a glance, both knowing that Zheng Tian wanted to speak privately with his disciple.

The two then stood up. Sun Chu tucked the booklet under his arm and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:

"Marshal, you should rest early and not overwork yourself."

Wang Chu also clasped his hands in a salute, and then he and the other officials packed up their documents and writing materials and filed out.

Before long, only the master and his disciple remained in the tent.

The candlelight flickered, casting the shadows of the two people on the curtain wall, one large and one small, one long and one short.

Zheng Tian picked up the cup of tea on the table, which had long since gone cold, took a sip, and then slowly spoke:

"Jingzhi, let me set aside official business for now. Let me first commend you: I have heard about your actions yesterday, when you drove back the defeated troops in front of Wang Fan's army and charged into Shang Rang's army twice."

He put down his teacup, his gaze falling on Li Cenji's face, his eyes filled with satisfaction:

"When I took you as my disciple, I only knew that you were exceptionally brave and skilled in both literature and martial arts. That's why I dared to let you lead the 'Swift Thunder General' to hold the line at Longwei Slope... I never imagined you would be so brave. A hundred riders charged into the enemy lines, slaying generals and seizing flags, and even stabbing the enemy commander amidst ten thousand soldiers... Such skill is unparalleled, not only in Fengxiang, but throughout the entire Tang Dynasty."

Li Cenji quickly stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"General, you flatter me. In yesterday's battle, the greatest credit belongs to Commander Cheng and Commander Qiu. If it weren't for the two commanders holding off the rebels' two-pronged attack with inferior forces, even if I had ten more lives, I wouldn't have been able to make a move. I only managed to strike by chance when the rebels' rear was weakened. As for the hundred or so soldiers, they fought alongside me for a while, losing six brothers and wounding seven or eight. They then charged in two more battles, suffering considerable casualties. If it weren't for their desperate protection, I would never have been able to reach Shang Rang."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Tian nodded slightly, his eyes showing even greater satisfaction.

He gestured for Li Cenji to sit down and said:

"I am very relieved that you think this way. A general should not take credit for others' work or shift blame for others' mistakes. Knowing who made the achievements for you shows a level of insight that surpasses that of many veteran generals. Yesterday, Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu fought a tough battle. I have a plan and will not treat them unfairly. I have also recorded the names of your hundred or so guards. I will reward them according to their merits later, and none of them will be left out."

At this point, his tone shifted, becoming more serious:

"However, Jingzhi, there is something I must make clear to you. Yesterday, your charge with a hundred cavalrymen was indeed the bravest in the army, but you can no longer use that kind of bravery."

Li Cenji raised his head and met Zheng Tian's calm and deep old eyes.

"You are now the commander of the cavalry, with over two thousand men under your command. As the war progresses, your forces will grow larger. If one day you command a garrison of tens of thousands of men, will you still be able to personally lead a hundred cavalrymen into battle as you did yesterday?"

Zheng Tian said slowly,

"The duty of a general is not to kill enemy generals and capture flags, but to strategize and command. In yesterday's battle, if you had sent someone to contact Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu before charging into the enemy lines, letting them know that reinforcements had arrived and could cooperate with you to attack from both sides, wouldn't the effect have been better? If you had rested for a while after breaking through the rebel army's rear, and waited for Li Changyan's cavalry to arrive before joining forces to attack, the subsequent losses would have been much less."

Upon hearing this, a chord in Li Cenji's heart was plucked.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately did not speak, only lowering his head slightly.

Seeing his expression, Zheng Tian softened his tone somewhat:

"I'm not blaming you. Given yesterday's situation, it's already quite remarkable that you managed to fight like that. But you must remember, you're not fighting alone now. You have two thousand brothers behind you, and in the future, there will be twenty thousand, fifty thousand. Your life doesn't belong to you alone; it belongs to them. Leading from the front is certainly admirable, but if your commander falls first, the army will be leaderless, and even the most elite troops will be a disorganized mess. For a general, courage is a good thing. But excessive courage is recklessness. Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King, possessed unparalleled courage throughout history. At the Battle of Gaixia, he charged through thousands of Han troops with only twenty-eight horsemen. But he ultimately failed. Where did he fail? He failed because he only believed in his own bravery, because he only knew how to charge into battle, and he didn't know how to strategize and plan before acting. Yesterday, you charged through thousands with only a hundred horsemen, which certainly showed the courage of Xiang Yu. But if you want to go further in this chaotic world, you can't just imitate Xiang Yu."

Upon hearing this, Li Cenji's mind became clear.

He really got carried away yesterday.

When that spear pierced Shang Rang's chest, he felt as if the pent-up frustration that had been building up in his chest for months was swept away, leaving him feeling exhilarated.

Looking back, if it weren't for Xu Tai, Zhou Ping, Wu Kang and others protecting him, and if Shang Rang's troops hadn't been exhausted by Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu, his hundred cavalry charge might not have ended so well.

Since his transmigration, his strength has increased day by day, and he has indeed unknowingly developed a somewhat overconfident illusion about himself.

Zheng Tian's words today were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, making him suddenly more sober.

He stood up, bowed deeply to Zheng Tian solemnly, and said:

"Disciple knows his mistake. Yesterday, I was indeed blinded by rage and only cared about my own pleasure, without considering the overall situation. From now on, disciple will definitely remember Master's teachings and will never again act rashly."

Seeing his humble and receptive demeanor, Zheng Tian's serious expression gradually softened, replaced by a faint smile.

He didn't say anything more to blame them, he just nodded and said:

"Sit down. To know one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue."

He looked at the young man in front of him, and under the lamplight, the young man appeared even more handsome and dashing.

High brow bones, a straight nose, and a pair of eyes that are calm yet sharp.

A feeling of indescribable satisfaction suddenly welled up in Zheng Tian's heart:

Throughout his life, he had disciples and former officials all over the country, but none of them ever matched his ideal of a "perfect disciple" so closely.

He was both scholarly and martial, humble and polite, diligent and inquisitive, and even his appearance was outstanding.

What's even more remarkable is that despite making such a great contribution, he showed no arrogance and remained respectful and deferential to his teachers.

These thoughts merely crossed Zheng Tian's mind, but he showed no sign of them on his face.

He knew that early fame was most likely to breed arrogance, and that praising him too much would only harm him.

He simply picked up his teacup, took another sip, and casually changed the subject:

"Let's get back to business. The results of yesterday's battle have been roughly tallied."

He picked up a document from the table, but without opening it, simply placed it beside him and said:

"A total of more than 13,000 corpses were found on the battlefield. There were about 15,000 prisoners, most of whom were wounded. In addition, the number of defeated soldiers found in the tall grass, woods and embankments along the official road is still being counted, but it is roughly estimated to be no less than 3,000 to 4,000."

He paused here,

"The rebel army claimed to number 100,000, but in reality, it numbered 50,000 to 60,000. After this battle, more than half of them were killed or wounded, and countless others fled. Even the commander-in-chief Shang Rang and the military commander Wang Fan were killed. It can be said that Huang Chao's forces that marched to western Beijing were routed in one battle."

He put down the document and continued:

"I have already made arrangements for these prisoners. I plan to have Li Changyan lead his troops to escort them back to Fengxiang, forcibly disarm them, and reintegrate them into the civilian population to cultivate land. These people were originally able-bodied men who were coerced by Huang Chao. If they can be properly settled, they will be a valuable source of labor. Commander Wang is already working on this matter, and provisions, campsites, and farm tools must be prepared in advance."

Upon hearing this, Li Cenji interjected and asked:

"Master, what about Mei County?"

Zheng Tian said:

"I have already sent Tang Hongfu with his troops to handle the matter of Mei County. They set off early this morning, and I expect to receive good news tomorrow. With Shang Rang's main force defeated, the remaining troops in Mei County are only about two thousand men, many of whom are local militiamen transporting grain. Tang Hongfu is a veteran of the battlefield; taking a dilapidated county town is a piece of cake for him."

Li Cenji understood.

Tang Hongfu was ordered to stay and guard the Longweibei camp yesterday, and did not get a chance to fight.

In this battle, Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu fought the hardest, while Li Xiaochang and Tuoba Sigong also contributed to the attack from both sides. Even he, a junior, killed Shang Rang and Wang Fan, the main and deputy commanders.

Tang Hongfu alone has not made any contribution. As the military governor of Shuofang, how can he save face?

Now that Zheng Tian has assigned him the task of retaking Mei County, it's a way of sharing the credit with him so that he can feel more at ease.

These military governors were all powerful regional lords who commanded large armies, and none of them could be treated with excessive disrespect.

Seeing that Li Cenji seemed to be deep in thought, Zheng Tian knew that he had grasped the crux of the matter, and then said:

"Take a close look at this deployment: Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu suffered heavy losses, so let them stay and rest, and provide them with additional provisions and rewards. Li Xiaochang and Tuoba Sigong also achieved some victories, so there's no need for them to share the spoils; just reward them according to their merits. Tang Hongfu didn't achieve any merit, so hand over Mei County to him. Only by treating everyone fairly can all parties live in peace. This is the kind of human relationships that a commander must be able to balance."

Li Cenji nodded, keeping it firmly in mind.

He suddenly remembered Cheng Zongchu's complaints on the slope yesterday, and after a slight hesitation, he told Zheng Tian the truth:

"Master, yesterday, Commander Cheng complained quite a bit on the battlefield. He said that the reinforcements were late in arriving, causing his Jingyuan troops to suffer heavy losses. He seemed to suspect that you were intentionally weakening the forces of both his and Commander Qiu's garrisons."

If someone else were to say this, they might have to carefully consider their wording and beat around the bush.

However, Li Cenji knew Zheng Tian's character well and knew that his mentor didn't like to beat around the bush, so he spoke directly.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Tian not only did not get angry, but smiled slightly, placed the teacup back on the table, and said:

"Cheng Zongchu is a rough and straightforward man, but he is not without cunning. If he truly suspected me, he wouldn't have said those things to your face. He deliberately let you hear them so that you could relay them to me. He knows you are my disciple, so if you hear it, I hear it too. In this way, he can avoid a direct confrontation with me while letting me know that he harbors resentment. This combination of roughness and shrewdness makes him quite a character."

Upon hearing this, Li Cenji suddenly understood.

It turns out that Cheng Zongchu's seemingly rough and angry curses actually had such a profound meaning.

He couldn't help but ask:

"How should this disciple respond? Should Master summon Commander Cheng to explain?"

"No need."

Zheng Tian waved his hand, his expression calm.

"You yourself have already explained the real reason why the reinforcements were late: you and Li Changyan's cavalry were delayed in pursuing the routed soldiers, and the infantry were gathering prisoners along the way. These are all true, and Cheng Zongchu will know them afterward. However, I cannot repeat this explanation. Think about it, if I were to take the initiative to explain to them, it would make me seem guilty, as if I really had some ulterior motive. For now, let's do nothing and pretend we don't know anything, since we have a clear conscience."

He paused, then said:

"There's still a long way to go. There will be more opportunities to fight alongside our comrades in the future, and they will eventually know who I, Zheng Tian, ​​am. The same goes for you. When working with them in the future, just be open and honest. There's no need to try to please them or distance yourself from them."

Li Cenji thought about it carefully and realized that it was indeed the case.

Some things only get worse the more you explain them; it's better to be open and honest and let time prove everything.

He clasped his hands in greeting and said:

"Disciple understands."

The master and apprentice then discussed military strategy for a while.

Zheng Tian picked up the copy of "The Art of War" from the table, opened it, and, using the example of the Battle of Longweipo yesterday, explained to Li Cenji the principles of "leaving an opening when besieging an army" and "not pressing a desperate enemy."

He said that Shang Rang fought so fiercely yesterday because he was surrounded on all sides and had no way to retreat, so he had no choice but to fight to the death.

If, when setting up the defenses at Longweibei, they had intentionally left an opening on the east side, giving the rebels the impression that there was a way out, they wouldn't have attacked the mountain so recklessly, and the casualties might have been much lower.

Li Cenji listened intently, asking questions from time to time, which Zheng Tian answered one by one.

Teaching under the lamp, I didn't realize how much time had passed.

After chatting for about a quarter of an hour, Zheng Tian looked up at the water clock at the corner of the tent and saw that it was already the last quarter of the Xu hour (7-9 PM). He then closed the book and said:

"It's getting late, and you must be tired. Go back and get some rest, and wash off all that sweat. The army should rest for two more days, and Tang Hongfu's victory report should arrive in two days. At that time, the army will no longer need to slow down; we should quicken our pace and head directly to Mei County to camp. Mei County is only a hundred li from Chang'an, and once we get there, the situation will be completely different."

Li Cenji stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"I have remembered. Master, please rest early and do not overwork yourself."

Zheng Tian nodded and waved for him to leave.

Li Cenji turned around, lifted the curtain, and left the central military tent.

The night breeze brushed his face, carrying a hint of coolness from Qishan, but it couldn't dispel the warm feeling in his heart.

He gazed at the scattered lights in the camp, took a deep breath, and strode towards his own camp.