Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Li Cenji did not answer, but simply twirled the lance in his palm.

The spearhead gleamed with a cold, eerie light in the sunlight, and the dried bloodstains on the shaft shimmered with a dark red hue in the interplay of light and shadow.

Then he moved.

The yellow horse crashed into the chaotic group of soldiers like a yellow cloud.

Where the spear passed, swords and spears flew, and blood and flesh splattered.

One man on horseback charged left and right among dozens of chaotic soldiers, his spear striking down everything in its path.

He wasn't wearing the fine-scaled inner armor today, only the bright armor, yet he was still far superior to these disorganized soldiers who couldn't even wear proper armor.

Horse hooves thundered down the long street, screams filled the air, severed limbs and broken blades littered the ground, and blood slowly seeped through the cracks in the bluestone slabs.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, most of the twenty or thirty rebel soldiers were killed.

The remaining seven or eight people dared not be defiant any longer. They scrambled to their knees, kowtowing repeatedly, saying:

"General, spare my life! General, spare my life!"

Li Cenji reined in his horse, his lance held horizontally in front of the saddle, blood still dripping from its tip.

He looked down at the disorganized soldiers kneeling on the ground and said sternly:

"I am Li Cenji, the military governor of Fengxiang and Longyou! Which garrison are you from? State your names! I will personally go and settle this matter with your commander!"

The soldiers trembled at the mention of "Li Cenji".

The man who charged into the enemy lines with a hundred cavalrymen at Longwei Dam and killed Shang Rang with a single spear thrust... his name was already widely known among the armies of the various circuits west of the capital.

The squad leader kneeling at the very front kowtowed repeatedly, his voice trembling as he said:

"Lord Li, spare my life! I'm from Fuyan Town, I was blind as a bat, I'll never dare to do it again—"

Li Cenji didn't look at him, but slammed his lance to the ground, the butt of the lance hitting the street hard, making the few soldiers in disarray tremble.

His gaze swept over the timid people peeking out from the street corner, over the overturned doors, the torn bundles, and the half-strips of silk trampled into the mud.

"Today, I, Li, will personally visit each of the military governors and ask them face to face—are your soldiers government troops or bandits?"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was as sharp as iron.

"Your heads are on your own for now. If I catch you again, it won't just be a beating."

The rioting soldiers, as if granted a pardon, fled in a panic.

The constable was also lifted up by two of his comrades, sobbing incoherently, not daring to turn his head.

Li Cenji sheathed his spear, dismounted, walked to the tavern owner, and helped him up from the ground.

The shopkeeper was trembling all over, clutching his sleeve tightly, his lips quivering but unable to utter a single coherent word.

Li Cenji picked up the bundle and stuffed it back into his hand, whispering:

"Old man, do not go out for the next few days. If soldiers come to cause trouble again, say they are fellow villagers of Li, the military governor of Fengxiang. I, Li Cenji, was born and raised in Chang'an, and I will not stand idly by in the face of such vile behavior!"

After saying that, he turned and mounted his horse.

The yellow horse snorted, its hooves lightly tapping the street, and was about to take a step when a hoarse shout suddenly came from behind:

"Was it Li Liuhou, who stabbed Shang Rang to death at Longwei Weir?!"

Although the details of the Battle of Longweipo were unknown to these ordinary people, the news that Li Cenji assassinated Shang Rang amidst a vast army had already spread.

Ordinary people love to hear these stories, which are like folk tales.

Now, no one knows who shouted that.

The people who had been hiding behind doors, in alleyways, and at the base of walls suddenly appeared out of the ground in twos and threes.

A woman carrying a child emerged from behind a half-open door. The child wailed in its mother's arms, but the woman ignored it, kneeling down by the street and kowtowing before Li Cenji's horse. Tears streamed down her face as she cried, "General, when the rebels were here, my husband was conscripted into the militia and never returned. Last night, the government troops entered the city and ransacked my house. I thought, I thought there were no good people left in this world..."

She couldn't continue speaking; she just kept kowtowing while holding her child.

An old man with a limp, leaning on a crooked wooden cane, shakily shuffled out of the alley. His coat was torn in several places, with the cotton inside out, clearly having been ripped open with a knife.

He looked up at Li Cenji on horseback, his voice hoarse:

"I've lived for over sixty years. I've seen Tibetan soldiers and the emperor's imperial guards... This is the first time, the first time a general has fought off those plague-ridden rebels for us common people."

More people gathered around, including old women, children, middle-aged men, and young wives.

They dared not get too close, for fear of colliding with the general's horse. They simply knelt by the street at varying distances, their eyes fixed on the young general covered in blood on horseback.

That gaze was completely different from the one Li Cenji had felt on the main street of Mei County; it was no longer filled with resentment or fear, but with an unbelievable expectation.

It was as if they had finally seen a glimmer of light in the long, suffocating darkness, yet they were afraid that the light would vanish in an instant.

Li Cenji reined in his horse, his gaze slowly sweeping over the faces of the people.

He didn't say anything grand or impassioned; he simply bowed deeply to the surroundings on horseback, then turned his horse around and galloped south of the city.

Behind him, the old shopkeeper still stood in the middle of the street, watching the dust and hooves of the departing horses, his lips trembling, tears silently streaming down his face.

Cheng Zongchu's camp was set up in the south of the city, occupying several large mansions left behind by the rebels.

Li Cenji rode his horse along the long street, encountering several groups of soldiers looting along the way. Some were dragging wailing women, some were carrying stolen trunks on their shoulders, and some were fighting with their comrades over a stolen piece of jewelry.

Li Cenji didn't waste any words with them. After announcing his name, he spurred his horse and brandished his spear. Wherever his spear passed, men and horses fell, and he fought his way through.

The soldiers, upon hearing his name and seeing his spear from afar, were terrified, some dropping their loot and running away, while others knelt by the roadside, too afraid to move.

When he arrived at Cheng Zongchu's temporary residence, the guards recognized him and quickly went inside to report.

Before long, Cheng Zongchu came out to greet them personally.

The commander of Jingyuan still wore a look of triumph and satisfaction on his face today, a result of his successful recapture of the capital.

When he saw Li Cenji, he first laughed and patted him on the shoulder, saying:

"Jingzhi! You've come at the perfect time! I was just finishing up yesterday's spoils with the officers and soldiers. Last night's battle was exhilarating; that scoundrel Huang Chao ran faster than a rabbit!"

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

Li Cenji's expression was off.

The young man, who was usually humble and polite in front of me, now had a somber expression, with an unconcealable anger between his brows.

"What's wrong?"

Cheng Zongchu stopped smiling and asked in a low voice.

Li Cenji clasped his hands in a respectful greeting and got straight to the point:

"Commander Cheng, as I entered the city, I witnessed soldiers from various towns looting and plundering the city. They broke into homes, robbed people of their property, and raped women... I have already seen countless such incidents on my journey. Commander Cheng, we are here to recapture the capital, not to harm the people."

Cheng Zongchu's expression changed slightly, but he did not answer immediately.

He turned and ushered Li Cenji into the house. Most of the generals and officers from Jingyuan were present. Cheng Zongchu didn't try to hide it, sighed, and said:

"Jingzhi, do you think I don't know? After entering the city last night, the military discipline fell into disarray. But you must understand, these soldiers have followed us all the way from Fengxiang to here, risking their lives and licking blood from their blades. Now that we have finally captured Chang'an, it is only natural to let them enjoy one night of happiness. If we force them to be disciplined, it will only chill the hearts of the soldiers."

"One night?"

Li Cenji raised his eyes.

"Commander Cheng, it's already the early morning of the second day. Those soldiers weren't just looting last night; they're still looting. If we don't restrain them, it will happen again tomorrow. Hundreds of thousands of people in Chang'an have been waiting for the government troops for so many days. They finally got here, only to have them robbed clean. How will they view the court in the future? How will they view our Tang armor?"

Cheng Zongchu remained silent for a moment. When the officers and soldiers below saw Li Cenji enter, they wanted to greet him, but upon hearing these words, they all looked displeased and began to whisper among themselves.

Cheng Zongchu's rough face also showed a shifting expression, clearly indicating that he was weighing his options.

Li Cenji then said:

"Commander Cheng, most of the three thousand soldiers under my command are deserters recruited from the refugees in Guanzhong, and many are originally from Chang'an. Now that their hometown has been recovered, they are watching helplessly as their comrades rob their fellow villagers. I'm not afraid to speak the truth, if it weren't for my strict orders to suppress them, some of them would have already wanted to take off their uniforms and fight for the people. Commander Cheng, the morale of the army is usable, but the hearts of the people are even more important to us."

This last sentence finally moved Cheng Zongchu.

After much deliberation, he slapped his thigh and sighed, saying:

"Alright, alright. The brothers had their fun last night. I'll give you, Jingzhi, face: issue the order that from this day forward, all camps are strictly prohibited from looting, and anyone who violates this rule will be punished according to military law. As for what was already looted last night, we will not pursue it further."

He had barely finished speaking when one of the officers in the hall retorted sharply:

"General! How can this be allowed!"

A general in his early thirties, his face full of indignation, was the vanguard commander under Cheng Zongchu.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Cheng Zongchu and said:

"General! Our brothers fought tooth and nail to capture Chang'an, and we only got a little taste of victory last night. And now you want to ban us? What kind of logic is that! Although Li is only a military governor of a town, he has no authority over our Jingyuan Town!"

Li Cenji turned around, his gaze falling on the officer's face, his expression calm as still water.

The officer, stared at like that, involuntarily took half a step back, then abruptly stopped, his neck stiffening as he said:

"Li Liuhou, I admire your skills at Longwei Slope. But each town has its own rules, and your sword from Fengxiang cannot strike the head of Jingyuan!"

Li Cenji recognized this man; his surname was Guo. At the victory celebration banquet in Mei County, Guo had brought a bowl of wine to Li Cenji and patted his chest, saying, "I will never forget Commander Li's life-saving grace. From now on, I will obey your orders."

At that time, he was all smiles and spoke as warmly as an old friend.

At this moment, however, he stiffened his neck, his eyes wide open, staring at Li Cenji with no trace of past affection, only annoyance at having his prey snatched away.

Before Li Cenji could speak, a thunderous voice rang out from behind him.

Xu Tai's square face was also full of anger. He pointed at Guo Bingmashi's nose and shouted:

"What kind of look is that? If it weren't for my family's heir at Longweipi, how many people in the entire town of Jingyuan would have survived? It's only been a few days, and you're already turning your back on us? Just because we blocked your path to wealth, you're abandoning your benefactor?"

Guo Bingma Shi was so choked by this retort that his face turned purple. He opened his mouth to retort, but Xu Tai didn't give him a chance to speak at all, raising his voice even higher:

"I have another question for you: If one day the rebels occupy your hometown, and Li Liuhou leads his troops to recapture it, can you also follow the same rules you made last night, ransack your house, rape your women, and slaughter your entire family? Tell me! Isn't that right!"

These words were like a red-hot knife, piercing straight into Guo Bingma's heart.

He shuddered, his fleshy face turning from purple to white, then from white to green. His lips trembled twice, and suddenly he roared:

"What the hell are you spouting?!"

His right hand had already gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist, and he was about to draw his sword and step forward.

"That's enough!"

Cheng Zongchu slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacups to jump and spill tea all over the table.

He abruptly stood up and said sternly:

"You dare draw your sword in my camp? Guo Si, how many heads do you have?!"

Guo Bingma was stunned by his shout, his hand gripping the sword froze in mid-air, unsure whether to draw it or let it go.

He was panting heavily, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Xu Tai, his teeth grinding together.

Li Cenji moved at that moment.

He took a step forward, and the armor plates on his armor made a soft rustling sound as he stood right in front of Guo Bingmashi.

The two were only inches apart, their foreheads almost touching.

Guo Bingma looked much rougher than Li Cenji, but when he was stared at closely by the other's calm and deep eyes, he involuntarily took half a step back.

The hand gripping the sword remained frozen in place, its knuckles turning white, yet it dared not raise it even an inch further.

He had personally witnessed the power of the lance on Longwei Weir.

"Guo Bingma Shi" (Guo the Military Commander).

Li Cenji spoke, his voice low, but each word clear.

"You haven't answered Commander Xu's question yet. If one day my soldiers reclaim your hometown, break into your house, plunder your property, rape your wife and daughters, and kill your relatives, will you also let me off the hook and let them have a good time for one night?"

Guo Bingma's Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze began to dart away.

He wanted to retreat, but one step back led to another, and within three or five steps he was squeezed in front of Cheng Zongchu's desk, with nowhere left to retreat.

He turned his head away, avoiding Li Cenji's eyes, and gritted his teeth, saying:

"That's different—"

"What's different?"

Li Cenji's voice remained low, yet it persisted relentlessly.

"You are a soldier from Jingyuan, and your family are citizens of Jingyuan, citizens of the Tang Dynasty. But aren't the citizens of Chang'an also citizens of the Tang Dynasty? Are your family members human, but other people's families aren't?"

Guo Bingma opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

His grip on the sword hilt finally loosened, and with a clang, the sword fell to the ground.

He felt as if his bones had been removed, and he took two steps back, his lower back hitting the table, causing the tilted teacup to roll over again.

Cheng Zongchu stepped forward and helped him up. He lowered his head and said in a muffled voice:

"Commander Cheng... that's not what I meant. I'm just afraid... so many people made a fortune last night, and if we try to stop them today, who will be willing to submit? If we can't control them, and a mutiny breaks out, then—"