Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Li Cenji returned to his main camp, removed his bright armor, and splashed his face with cold water.

He leaned against the couch and closed his eyes to rest for half an hour, but he tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.

The sentries on night duty outside the tent were changing shifts, and the sounds of footsteps and passwords being exchanged could be faintly heard.

He simply put on his armor again, took Xu Tai and a dozen soldiers with him, and left the tent with a lantern.

The night breeze carried a hint of coolness, and the campfires in the camp flickered, casting crooked shadows of the tents.

Most people in this era suffered from night blindness, even elite soldiers were no exception.

Attacking a camp at night? That's something that only happens in storybooks.

Without sufficient firelight, even the ranks couldn't be aligned properly, let alone overcome any obstacles.

The fact that the rebels didn't come didn't mean that their own camp could rest easy.

Li Cenji walked slowly along the camp's passageway, stopping occasionally to check the sentry posts.

When the soldiers on night duty saw him, they all straightened their backs and saluted.

He nodded to each of them, gave them a few more instructions, and then continued walking forward.

When he reached the northwest corner of the camp, he suddenly stopped.

This place is already on the edge of Tang Hongfu's Shuofang army's garrison.

Under the firelight, many soldiers lay sprawled on the open ground between the tents.

These people had no tents, no blankets, not even a straw mat. They lay directly on the cold, muddy ground, some curled up in a ball, others huddled together in twos and threes for warmth.

Although the early summer night breeze wasn't particularly biting, this was the north, and the nighttime temperature felt only around eleven or twelve degrees Celsius, enough to make one shiver with cold.

Some people couldn't bear it any longer, so they tore off half a piece of tent cloth from a nearby tent and wrapped it around themselves. The tent cloth fluttered in the night wind and did little to block out the cold.

Li Cenji frowned and turned to look at Xu Tai beside him.

Xu Tai understood, took a few steps forward, squatted down next to a soldier huddled in a ball, and asked in a low voice:

"Wake up, bro, why are you sleeping outside?"

The soldier looked up when he heard the question.

The firelight was dim, and he couldn't make out the person's face. He could only vaguely see that the person standing in front of him was wearing a bright armor, the armor plates gleaming with a cold, eerie light in the firelight.

He quickly sat up, tugged at the half of the tent cloth covering him, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying:

"Reporting to the general, it's not that we didn't want to sleep in the tent, but Commander Tang ordered that the silks and satins we captured in the city last night be kept in the tent because we were afraid they would get wet from the dew. There was simply no more room, so we were asked to move them outside."

Xu Tai's brows furrowed immediately, and he pressed for an answer:

"Why don't you set up a few more tents? What about the army's tents?"

The soldier gave a wry smile and said:

"Where are the tents? When we were fleeing for our lives, we were so focused on running that we left all the tents and supplies behind in Chang'an. When the brothers escaped, all they had left were this armor and a knife."

He paused, rubbed his nose, which was red from the night wind, with the rough back of his hand, and seeing that someone cared, he couldn't help but complain:

"It's not just in Shuofang. I saw it during the day; Commander Cheng and Commander Qiu also lost quite a few tents. But at least they let their men squeeze in, and didn't kick them out for a few bolts of silk."

Li Cenji stood a few steps behind Xu Tai, the lantern light reflecting on his face. His handsome face showed no expression, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

He recalled once again Zheng Tian's evaluation of Tang Hongfu: "He is just old and has been a devout Buddhist for a long time, which is why he looks calm and composed even if Mount Tai collapses in front of him. In reality, his vigor is not what it used to be, and his mind is not as sharp as it used to be."

In retrospect, my mentor was being too polite.

Forcing his soldiers to sleep outdoors in the open for a few bolts of looted silk and satin is a foolish act that cannot be explained simply by being "not quick-witted."

This is practically a case of wanting the army to be in disarray.

With the camp surrounded by rebels, morale is their last asset. Instead of showing compassion to his soldiers, he mistreats them over a few rags...

Li Cenji suddenly felt a surge of emotion in his chest that he couldn't quite define—whether it was anger or absurdity—and he actually laughed in exasperation.

He stepped forward, bent down, and placed his hand on the soldier's shoulder, saying gently:

"Get the brothers up, don't sleep. It's cold on this ground, if you sleep here all night you'll catch a cold tomorrow. Go to the Fengxiang Army and find Commander Chen, ask him to make room for a few tents, it's better to squeeze in than to be out in the open."

The soldier was stunned for a moment, and finally saw Li Cenji's face clearly by the light of the lantern. He shuddered and immediately tried to kneel down.

Li Cenji held him down, then turned and pointed at two soldiers:

"Take these brothers with you, and make sure to explain things clearly to the checkpoint along the way to avoid any misunderstandings. Once you get there, have the cooks prepare a few pots of ginger soup, and give each of you a bowl to warm you up."

The soldier's lips trembled a few times, his eyes reddened, but he couldn't say anything; he just bowed deeply.

The soldiers from Shuofang behind him also got up from the ground. Some of them were so cold that their hands and feet were stiff and they needed their comrades to help them stand up.

After hearing the explanation, they repeatedly clasped their hands in thanks to Li Cenji and followed the two soldiers away.

The lantern light gradually faded into the distance, and the trail of staggering figures disappeared at the end of the passageway between the tents.

Li Cenji watched them leave, then turned around, the smile on his face completely gone.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly said to Xu Tai:

"Why don't these Shuofang soldiers just chop off Tang Hongfu's head?"

Xu Tai was taken aback by his question, scratched his head, and said:

"I've heard that these Shuofang soldiers under General Tang's command were recruited by him himself when Chang'an was captured at the end of last year. They're a bunch of greenhorns, probably not yet tainted by the bad habits of the regional military governors. Besides, even if they really had the intention, seeing the troops from the three surrounding towns, they probably wouldn't dare to act rashly."

Li Cenji sneered and said:

"Back in Mei County, I told Zheng Gong that since Tang Hongfu had plundered our city, we should just take him down. Zheng Gong said we should just give him a warning. Now it seems that Zheng Gong's warning didn't work."

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Then try my method."

Xu Tai was shocked upon hearing this and quickly stepped forward, lowering his voice to say:

"Think it over carefully! Commander Tang is still a military governor of a garrison. Right now, the rebel army has the camp completely surrounded. If a disturbance breaks out in the camp now..."

Li Cenji raised his hand to stop him from speaking and asked:

"What did you just say he was?"

Xu Tai was completely baffled, so he repeated it again, and then he gradually came to understand:

"No matter what, Commander Tang was still a military governor... It seems he's already resigned, but he still has troops under his command... It appears he only has about a thousand remaining soldiers, but the other military governors will feel a sense of shared fate!"

Li Cenji sneered and turned to a soldier behind him, saying:

"Go and invite Commander Cheng and Commander Qiu. Tell them I request that you two commanders come to Commander Tang's central command tent immediately. Remember, have them bring their personal guards and put on their armor. Tell them that there might be a raid on the camp tonight, so we must be on guard."

The soldier clasped his hands in agreement, turned around, and quickly left.

Li Cenji straightened his armor, moved the sword at his waist closer to him, and strode towards Tang Hongfu's central command tent.

The lantern's light swayed slightly in the night breeze, casting his shadow long and short.

Xu Tai gritted his teeth, pressed his hand on his knife, and followed closely behind, muttering something under his breath.

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

When Li Cenji arrived at Tang Hongfu's central military tent, the guards recognized him and quickly clasped their hands in salute.

Li Cenji didn't push his way in, but simply said:

"Please inform Commander Tang that Li Cenji requests an audience."

The guard went in and came out a moment later, lifting the curtain and saying respectfully:

"The commander is chanting scriptures in his tent. Please invite Li, the military commander, in."

Li Cenji lifted the curtain and entered; the tent was warm and cozy.

Tang Hongfu sat cross-legged behind the desk, with a copy of the Diamond Sutra spread out in front of him. He held a string of sandalwood prayer beads in his hand, and a pot of warm tea was on the desk. His face was kind and gentle, and he really looked like a Maitreya Buddha.

Upon seeing Li Cenji, he put down the scriptures, stroked his beard, and smiled:

"Jingzhi, your visit so late at night, could it be that you have military matters to discuss?"

His tone was warm, clearly indicating that he thought Li Cenji had come to get close to him.

Although he only drank a few bowls of wine with this young man at the banquet in Mei County, the allied forces were currently trapped in an isolated camp, and any extra friendship would mean more mutual support, so he was naturally happy to exchange pleasantries.

Li Cenji didn't mention his purpose for coming; he simply sat down at the lower end of the table and chatted idly with Tang Hongfu.

Tang Hongfu assumed that the young man was indeed there to cultivate relationships, so he responded with a smile.

Just as they were getting into the conversation, a soldier outside the tent reported again:

"Commander Cheng and Commander Qiu have arrived."

Tang Hongfu was taken aback and looked at Li Cenji.

Li Cenji stood up and said:

"It was someone who invited the two generals."

Tang Hongfu assumed it was a meeting to discuss matters and ordered his men to invite the two military commanders in.

The curtain was lifted, and Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu walked in one after the other.

Both men were fully armed, their bright armor gleaming coldly in the lamplight, and their swords were neatly worn at their waists.

Cheng Zongchu was followed by more than ten guards, each with their hands on the hilts of their swords and solemn expressions.

The number of soldiers behind Qiu Gongyu was equally impressive; each of them was tall and strong, with sharp eyes.

The soldiers did not follow them in, but waited outside the tent.

Tang Hongfu was slightly taken aback by the scene, but he didn't think much of it and simply smiled and invited the two of them to sit down.

Cheng Zongchu plopped down on the side of the table, took off his helmet and placed it on his lap, and said:

"Jingzhi summoned me and Commander Qiu in the middle of the night, and even instructed us to bring our guards and put on our armor. Could it be that we've discovered some activity? Are the rebels planning a night raid on our camp?"

Li Cenji did not answer immediately.

He suppressed the last trace of a smile on his face, his gaze sweeping over the three military commanders one by one, before he spoke.

He recounted what he had witnessed during his patrol of the camp: how the Shuofang soldiers were driven out of their tents, how they huddled in the open air wrapped in tent cloths, shivering, and how Tang Hongfu had made his soldiers sleep outside their tents for a few bolts of silk...

He recounted every single detail without missing a single word.

As Tang Hongfu listened, the smile on his face faded somewhat.

After Li Cenji finished speaking, he put down the prayer beads in his hand and said calmly:

"I don't think it's anything important. It's just clearing some space in the tent to store some captured silk. Soldiers are just soldiers, it's nothing for them to sleep on the ground. In these extraordinary times, there's no need to make such a fuss."

Li Cenji chuckled when he heard him speak so casually.

There was no warmth in that smile; instead, it carried an inexplicable mockery.

He said:

"Commander Tang has been away from Shuofang Town for quite some time now, hasn't he? Have you forgotten the temper of the Shuofang warriors of yesteryear? Those arrogant and fierce soldiers who would readily behead their commanders and install new rulers... Do you think your troops, if it really came to that, would be any more agreeable than them?"

The atmosphere in the tent changed immediately upon hearing this.

Tang Hongfu's expression suddenly turned cold, and he tightened his grip on the prayer beads, making them creak as his fingers twisted them.

He raised his eyes, stared at Li Cenji, and his voice deepened:

"Li Liuhou, what do you mean by that? You invited Commander Cheng and Commander Qiu here late at night just to say this to me?"

Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu exchanged a glance, both sensing that something was amiss.

Cheng Zongchu raised his hand, trying to smooth things over:

"Jingzhi, Commander Tang has always been considerate of his troops. Today's situation is just a temporary measure. Let's talk things out. The rebel army outside has surrounded us like an iron barrel. We must not lose our composure first."

Li Cenji turned his head, looked at Cheng Zongchu, and said:

"Commander Cheng, do you still remember those white banners in Mei County? Every household was dressed in mourning, and every family was weeping. When the people saw our Tang army's banners, they didn't line the streets to welcome us, but instead hid behind closed doors. I still can't forget the resentment in their eyes."

He then looked at Tang Hongfu.

"General Tang, after you entered the city, you allowed your soldiers to loot all night. I was at the banquet in Mei County at the time, and I was still furious, but I didn't say a word because of the overall situation of the allied forces. Later, I suggested to Lord Zheng that I go to your camp in person to confront you. If you didn't restrain yourself, I would arrest you and take you back to Fengxiang to be relieved of your military command. Lord Zheng refused, also thinking of the overall situation of suppressing the rebels. He said he would personally give you a warning and that you would definitely restrain yourself. I believed him."

He paused, his voice growing even colder:

"But once we entered Chang'an, everything remained the same. This ancient capital, the residence of the emperor, the site of ancestral temples and altars, your soldiers still looted, and you still didn't care. I am a native of Chang'an, and most of my brothers are from the surrounding area. They watched helplessly as their comrades plundered their fellow villagers, wishing they could take off their uniforms and fight to the death for the people. But for the sake of the unity of the allied forces, I suppressed them. I endured it twice and did not turn against you."

As he said this, he suddenly pointed outside the tent, his voice rising several decibels:

"But tonight, Commander Tang, you made your soldiers sleep in the open air just to keep a few bolts of silk from getting wet with the dew! If the rebels attack the camp tomorrow, do you expect these soldiers, who have been freezing outside all night, to fight for you? Or do you expect them to turn against you and use our heads as a sacrifice? I'm angry that Commander Tang doesn't value his own life, but Commanders Cheng, Qiu, and I are so sorry for our lives!"

He stared at Tang Hongfu and said, word by word:

"General Tang, are you well-versed in the classics? Do you know the story of 'Yang Zhen's shameful soup'?"

Tang Hongfu's expression changed completely.

The story of Yang Zhen's shameful soup is about Hua Yuan, a minister of the State of Song during the Spring and Autumn Period.

Before the battle, Hua Yuan slaughtered a sheep to reward his troops, but he forgot about his own coachman, Yang Zhen.

Yang Zhen was deeply ashamed. The next day, during the battle, he drove Hua Yuan's chariot directly into the enemy ranks, handing Hua Yuan over to the Zheng army.

Later generations commented on this matter in just a few words:

"Yang Zhen was no human being; out of personal resentment, he ruined the country and destroyed the people."

Li Cenji asked Tang Hongfu about this story at this moment, and his meaning couldn't be clearer:

If you don't treat your soldiers like human beings, they will betray you when it matters most.