Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Li Cenji glanced at Wang Lu.

The veteran, Ma Shi, showed little expression, clearly accustomed to the situation in Mei County.

He knew that Wang Lu probably understood everything.

"Wang Bingma Shi"

He lowered his voice again, wanting to discuss it with him.

"This matter—"

"Li Duxiao".

Wang Lu, however, was unwilling to get involved any further. In his view, this was just the kind of reluctance that Li Cenji would have when he was new to the industry. He was willing to offer some advice, but he couldn't possibly explain it to him in detail.

Therefore, this time his voice was not loud, and his tone was flat, as if it were commonplace:

"Speaking of which, I gave a similar order when I was a captain. We attacked the stronghold for half a month, and many brothers died. We finally broke through the gate. If you don't let them have a good time for one night, who will be willing to risk their lives for you?"

He withdrew his gaze, looked at Zheng Tian's carriage ahead, and said calmly,

"General Tang is quite restrained. I heard that he invited monks to perform rituals today to pray for the fallen soldiers and to recite scriptures for the civilians who died or were wounded in the city. He has already done a lot of face."

Seeing that Li Cenji remained silent, he sighed and offered another suggestion:

"If you are unhappy, you may ask the commander. I am old and my eyesight is failing; I did not see anything."

Having said that, he gently spurred the horse's belly, moving it forward half a body, and said no more.

Li Cenji also fell silent; he knew that this was the ingrained mindset of generals in this era.

Let alone the small county of Mei, in history, after Cheng Zongchu and Tang Hongfu forced Huang Chao to flee and recovered Chang'an, they even ransacked the capital city.

It is evident that the people of Mei County can still light fires and cook stoves today, truly a testament to the great kindness of the Great Buddha Tang.

He is now of little influence and has no power to change this dregs of the times.

But the scene on the street doesn't become any better because of his silence.

The further into the city you go, the more houses are destroyed.

On one section of the street, large patches of dark red stains remained on the bluestone slabs. Rinsing with water failed to clean them, and the blood seeped into the cracks in the stones, congealing into dark brown streaks.

Several old soldiers were squatting on the street corner, using their scabbards to pry the arrows embedded in the wall. When they saw Li Cenji and his group, they quickly stood up, clasped their hands in greeting, and bowed.

Li Cenji nodded, but his gaze fell on the back of the old soldiers. It was the courtyard wall of a house, with a splatter of blood on the top of the wall, running from the base to the corner.

His brows furrowed more and more deeply.

In my past life, I read history books that said, "Soldiers pass by like combs, bandits pass by like fine brushes," just eight simple words, seemingly light and airy.

But when he actually saw the smashed doors and windows, the houses with white banners hanging, and the numb and resentful eyes, he realized just how heavy those eight words truly were.

The Tang army suffered the same fate as the rebels; ultimately, it was the common people who suffered.

Fengxiang town could still be somewhat restrained under Zheng Tian's strict orders, but the soldiers from neighboring towns were like wild horses once they left their own territory.

Although Li Cenji had not personally witnessed what Tang Hongfu did after capturing Mei County, he had already guessed seven or eight parts of the story based on the scenery along the way.

Li Cenji pulled on the reins, finally unable to restrain himself any longer.

He turned his horse around and came to Zheng Tian's carriage, saying:

"Master, I have something to report."

The carriage curtain was lifted slightly, and Zheng Tian's voice came from inside:

"Come up and talk."

Li Cenji tossed the reins to a soldier, boarded the carriage, and went inside.

Inside the carriage, Zheng Tian was leaning against a low table, flipping through a scroll of documents. When he saw him enter, he put the documents down and gestured for him to sit down.

Li Cenji sat down below his mentor and, without beating around the bush, recounted everything he had seen and heard since entering the city.

However, he omitted all of Wang Lu's words.

After saying that, he raised his eyes, looked at Zheng Tian, ​​and said:

"Master, I dare to speak frankly: it seems that General Tang did not enforce military discipline when he entered the city."

Zheng Tian did not answer immediately.

He remained silent for a moment, then reached out and picked up the cup of tea on the corner of the table, which had long since gone cold. He didn't drink it, but simply held it in his palm, his gaze fixed on the broken leaves floating in the tea soup.

After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice as calm as still water:

"Jingzhi, what are your thoughts in telling me all this?"

Li Cenji sat up straight and said seriously:

"My esteemed teacher, I trust your character. You are a true patriot who cares deeply for the country and its people, not some incompetent official who only cares about his own fame and disregards the lives of ordinary citizens. How can we turn a blind eye to such chaos and fail to take action?"

He paused slightly at this point, then changed the subject, saying:

"Furthermore, Master, while allowing soldiers to plunder may seem like a way to reward the troops and boost morale, it actually has endless consequences. Mei County is the western gateway to the capital. As the army marches eastward towards Chang'an, there are still Guo County, Wugong, Fengtian, and dozens or even hundreds of villages along the way. If we plunder every city we capture, the people will see our Tang army as our enemy. Master, imagine if the people of Chang'an hear that the Tang army is coming, and their first thought is not to offer food and drink, but to shut their doors and defend themselves, or even help the rebels defend the city. How can we fight then? Emperor Taizong said: 'The ruler is like a boat, and the people are like water. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.' This has always been the case. He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world; he who loses the hearts of the people, even if he seizes the world, cannot hold it. Both Qin and Sui dynasties perished after only two generations, for the same reason."

Zheng Tian still didn't answer, but his fingers holding the teacup twitched slightly.

He raised his eyes, his gaze lingering on Li Cenji's face for a moment.

On this young face lies a stubbornness that is earnest and unyielding.

A feeling of indescribable relief welled up in Zheng Tian's heart.

This disciple, who never flinched when he was cutting down generals and seizing flags amidst a vast army, is equally resolute in the face of a matter of justice that has nothing to do with him.

If Li Cenji had simply ignored this scene or taken it for granted, he would have doubted whether he had misjudged it.

However, Zheng Tian did not show any of these thoughts on his face.

He put down his teacup and suddenly asked:

"So, how do you think this matter should be handled? Tang Hongfu was once the military governor of Shuofang, and in terms of seniority, he is above you. The lax discipline when he entered the city is, after all, a common practice in various garrisons. How do you intend to deal with him?"

Li Cenji was taken aback, opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

He was so focused on reporting the matter to his mentor that he was still feeling frustrated, but when asked how to handle it, he couldn't come up with a good idea.

As Zheng Tian said, Tang Hongfu was not an ordinary person who could be easily manipulated. He held considerable military power, and even if he were not the military governor of Shuofang, he would still be someone that everyone wanted to curry favor with.

If the punishment is too lenient, leaving no real harm, it would be tantamount to condoning the practice of allowing troops to plunder.

If the punishment is too severe, it will be a loss of face and will damage the unity of the coalition forces.

"This disciple is dull-witted and has not yet come to a conclusion."

He answered honestly.

"Then go and think about it."

Zheng Tian was not in a hurry, he just smiled and said,

"Think it through before you tell me."

Li Cenji sensed the test in his teacher's words, so he said no more, clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"Disciple obeys."

He then got up to take his leave.

"Wait a minute."

Zheng Tian raised his hand to stop him, his serious expression softening slightly.

"There is one more matter. The merits of each unit in the Battle of Longweibei have been tallied yesterday. Tonight's banquet, besides celebrating the great victory, is also a chance for the meritorious individuals from each town to show themselves to me."

He paused, picked up a document from the table, but didn't open it. He simply held it in his palm, looking at Li Cenji.

"The Emperor has granted me the power to issue imperial edicts. Officials of the fifth rank and below may bestow titles and rewards first and then report to the Emperor, while officials of the fifth rank and above may bestow titles and rewards first and then report to the Emperor. I have already drafted your title and reward, and the report has been sent to Chengdu by fast horse."

He looked at Li Cenji and said slowly:

"You have rendered three great services, so I appoint you as the regent of Fengxiang and Longyou."

Upon hearing this, Li Cenji was stunned for a moment.

Leave it for later.

Regardless of its rank, in terms of power alone, this official position is equivalent to the successor of the military governor and the deputy military governor.

Once the military governor is absent, the heir can assume the governor's authority and take control of the military and political power of the region.

After Li Du, the military governor of Hezhong, was driven out by Wang Chongrong, Wang Chongrong appointed himself as the acting governor of Hezhong and firmly grasped the town in his hands from then on.

By appointing him to this position, Zheng Tian was essentially handing over half of Fengxiang and Longyou's assets to him.

He came to his senses, immediately knelt down, kowtowed heavily, and said:

"What virtue or ability do I possess to deserve such high regard from my esteemed teacher?"

Zheng Tian reached out to help him up, a smile appearing on his face, and said:

"Get up. Perform well at the banquet tonight, and do not disgrace Fengxiang. Tomorrow I will announce all the rewards in public, and only then will you truly be seated in this position."

He paused, then said,

"As for Tang Hongfu's matter, you should think about it carefully. I await your answer."

Li Cenji responded, clasped his hands in farewell, and dismounted to remount his horse.

The evening breeze was cool, but the gloom in his heart had not dissipated, and a heavy responsibility had been added to his burden.

As he rode his horse alongside the caravan, he pondered repeatedly in his mind how to deal with Tang Hongfu.

When they arrived at the county government office, the banquet had already been prepared.

New curtains were hung in the main hall, and the lights were bright, with dozens of oil lamps illuminating the four walls.

The various military commanders and regional military commissioners had already taken their seats. When Li Cenji followed Zheng Tian in, all the officers and soldiers in the hall turned their gazes toward him.

Cheng Zongchu was the first to stand up, laughing loudly:

"Jingzhi! Come, come, sit down here with this old man!"

Qiu Gongyu also stood up to greet him, his smile warm and friendly.

Although Li Xiaochang and Tuoba Sigong did not stand up, they both nodded to him as a form of greeting.

The fact that he could make all four military commanders act upon entering the room was a unique honor among all the officers and soldiers, naturally attracting countless sidelong glances and envy.

Tang Hongfu, as the host, was beaming with pride today and personally introduced Li Cenji to the meritorious officers and soldiers of each town.

Among these people were the vanguard commander of Jingyuan Town, the infantry commander of Qinzhou Town, the cavalry general of Fuyan Town, and the tribal leader of Youzhou Dangxiang. They were all hardened warriors who had risked their lives for blood.

Everyone had long heard of the fierce warrior who charged into the enemy lines with a hundred cavalrymen at Longwei Slope and killed Shang Rang amidst a vast army. Now that they saw him in person, they all stared wide-eyed at him.

"I wondered who he was; it turns out he's just such a handsome young man!"

A bearded military officer from Qinzhou Town approached with a wine cup, looked him up and down, and grinned.

"Commander Li, Commander Qiu said you were the reincarnation of Xiang Yu, and I didn't believe it. Now that I've seen you, you really do look somewhat like him. Wasn't the Xiang Yu in the opera also like this, with a face like jade and the strength to lift a tripod?"

Li Cenji quickly offered a few words of humility, but the bearded captain refused to give up and pulled him aside to ask about the horse spear.

Then a commander from Jingyuan Town squeezed over and insisted on toasting him, saying that he had personally witnessed him charging into battle that day.

Li Cenji was both amused and exasperated, but he dealt with each situation politely and respectfully.

There were no cliché scenarios in this setting where bystanders didn't believe it, questioned it, and were then publicly humiliated.

Too many people witnessed that scene at Longweibei that day, including soldiers from Fengxiang, Jingyuan, and Qinzhou.

Countless eyes saw it clearly.

Moreover, both Generals Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu have personally stated that they "saw it with their own eyes," so who in the army would question it?

That would be asking for trouble.

The banquet was set out, and fine wines and delicacies were served in a continuous stream.

The restaurant offered a full range of dishes, including chicken, duck, fish, and meat, as well as several kinds of seasonal vegetables and fruits. Although it could not compare to the delicacies of Chang'an, it was extremely abundant in Mei County, which had just experienced the ravages of war.

Tang Hongfu raised his cup and gave his opening remarks, which were nothing more than "relying on the Emperor's divine power," "relying on Duke Zheng's strategic planning," and "the bravery of the generals and soldiers of all the provinces." Everyone raised their cups together, and the atmosphere in the hall gradually became lively.

Li Cenji barely touched the food.

He sat not far below Zheng Tian, ​​with roasted mutton, steamed bream, and braised pheasant on a small table in front of him—all excellent dishes.

But as he picked up his chopsticks, he remembered the white banners he had seen when he entered the city, the evasive eyes behind the doors, and the children.

Just a wall away, the people outside are poorly clothed and starving, and countless people can't even get a bowl of thin porridge today.

Inside the main hall of the county government, however, there was singing and dancing, and toasts were being exchanged. If the cost of such a banquet were used for relief, it could at least support a hundred or so households.

He put down his chopsticks, picked up his wine cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

Wine in the Tang Dynasty did not have distillation technology; it was all fermented and brewed. Its alcohol content was even lower than that of beer in later generations, and it was roughly equivalent to rice wine or water wine.

The original owner's body had practiced martial arts since childhood, making his muscles and bones excessively strong. Since transmigrating, Li Cenji's strength has increased day by day, so even if he drank until his stomach burst, he might not get drunk.

He was burdened with worries and couldn't shake off his frustration, so he simply drank alcohol like water.

When he drank it, those around him saw it and assumed it was good wine.

The bearded soldier was the first to step forward, holding a bowl of wine, and said:

"Commander Li, you have quite the capacity for alcohol! Come, let me offer you a bowl, to toast the glory you displayed at Longwei Dam that day!"

Li Cenji did not refuse, clinked bowls with him, and drank it all in one gulp.

As soon as the captain stepped down, another officer squeezed in and offered to pour him wine, offering him three bowls in a row.

Li Cenji accepted all comers and emptied every bowl.

Gradually, the officers in the hall noticed the young captain's drinking capacity.

Those who were interested in such things would call their friends and lining up to toast him.

Some say they admire his bravery in cutting down Shi Meng, others say they admire his wisdom in driving away defeated soldiers, and still others admire his might in assassinating Shang Rang.

Li Cenji neither refused nor said much. He would tilt his head back and drink the bowl after finishing it, revealing the bottom of the bowl without changing his expression.