Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Tang Hongfu had already been imprisoned by Li Cenji, and the Shuofang troops were leaderless. Seeing the two military commanders coming together, and with Li Cenji's orders at their side, how could they dare to utter a single word of nonsense?

Obediently follow orders.

Cheng Zongchu was decisive and efficient. He didn't say much to the soldiers, but simply stood on the high platform and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"From this day forward, you will follow me and Commander Qiu! Your provisions will be plentiful, and rewards and punishments will be fair. This is ten times better than following that monk Tang who only cares about silk and not your lives!"

The soldiers from Shuofang looked at each other in bewilderment. Those who knew what had happened the night before took the lead in kneeling down and said, "We are willing to serve the commander."

Seeing that someone was taking the lead, the others also knelt down.

In less than half an hour, the more than a thousand Shuofang soldiers were completely divided up by Cheng and Qiu.

After dividing the soldiers, it was time to divide the wealth.

Tang Hongfu's tent was filled with several large boxes of silk and satin, as well as gold and silver utensils, copper coins and cloth, all of which were looted from Chang'an City the day before.

Cheng Zongchu ordered his men to count and register them one by one, and then divided them into three parts in front of everyone.

When Qiu Gong met Cheng Zongchu, he indeed divided the food into three parts and said:

"Li Liuhou said he didn't want it last night. If we send it like this, will he accept it?"

Cheng Zongchu smiled and said:

"His saying no is just politeness. If we really don't distinguish between them, then we're the ones being unreasonable."

He summoned a dozen or so soldiers, pointed to one of the documents, and said...

"Take him along and come with me to Fengxiang Camp."

Li Cenji was discussing today's defenses with Chen An in his tent when he suddenly heard a soldier report that Commander Cheng had arrived. He quickly got up to greet him.

Cheng Zongchu didn't enter the tent, but stood outside. With a wave of his hand, the dozen or so soldiers carried the chests to Li Cenji. With a snap, the lids were opened, and the silk and gold and silver shone so brightly in the morning light that it made people dizzy.

"Jingzhi, this is Tang Hongfu's share of the wealth. I discussed it with Commander Qiu and we decided to divide it into three parts. This part is yours."

Cheng Zongchu said casually,

"You said you didn't want it last night, but I didn't agree. Take it! The brothers have risked their lives for you, so even if you don't want it yourself, you have to keep it for them."

Looking at the full box of goods and then at Cheng Zongchu's unyielding old face, Li Cenji knew that this was a kind gesture from the other party and a necessary step to maintain harmony among the allied forces.

He hesitated for a moment, then clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"In that case, I am ashamed to accept this. However, I will not keep a single penny of this money for myself; I will distribute it all to my brothers."

Cheng Zongchu laughed heartily, patted him on the shoulder and said:

"That's a real man! That's what I think too. This money is ill-gotten; it's a burden to keep it in our hands. It's better to distribute it to the brothers and let everyone have some fun."

After he finished speaking, he didn't linger. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and led his personal guards back home.

Li Cenji stared at the box of valuables, remained silent for a moment, then summoned Chen An and gave him instructions:

"Count and register these silks and money, and distribute them according to the number of people. The brothers who died in battle will receive double compensation, which will be given to their families along with the previously promised amount. The wounded brothers will receive an additional amount for their medical treatment. If there is anything left over, you officers can keep it."

Chen An acknowledged and went to handle it.

When the news spread, cheers erupted throughout the Fengxiang army.

The soldiers lined up to receive their rewards, all beaming with joy.

An old soldier held the silk he had just received, muttering "benevolence and righteousness in leaving behind descendants," his eyes reddening.

The newly recruited soldiers of Boye Army, who were initially somewhat unfamiliar with Li Cenji, couldn't help but feel closer to him upon seeing this display of strength.

Song Wentong stood beside the ranks, watching the soldiers who had received their rewards beam with joy, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

They felt that Li Cenji didn't treat them like outsiders, but they were also afraid that Li Cenji would take away their military power.

So he took a share for himself, but kept nothing for himself and distributed it all to his men.

The veterans of Boye Army had followed him through more than half a year of hardship and were already penniless. Now that they had received the reward money, they were all smiles and admired Song Wentong even more.

The situation was the same for Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu.

The soldiers from Jingyuan and Qinzhou received their rewards, which greatly boosted their morale.

Even the soldiers who had just been transferred from the Shuofang Army, who were initially uneasy about how their new masters would treat them, were immediately reassured when they saw that the two military commanders treated everyone equally, even giving them, the "surrendered soldiers," a reward.

Several bolder individuals immediately shouted "Long live Commander Cheng!" and "Long live Commander Qiu!" The team leader slapped them on the back of the head and cursed them.

"How dare you shout 'Long live the Emperor'?"

Everyone burst into laughter, and the camp was filled with joy.

Those old soldiers from Shuofang who had previously remembered Tang Hongfu's kindness now held heavy reward money in their hands. Thinking back to how they had shivered in the open air the night before, their lingering thoughts vanished like a candle flame in the wind.

What former master? What favor?

Following Tang Hongfu for three months is not as good as following Cheng and Qiu for one day.

Such is the reality of human nature.

However, not everyone was convinced.

Tang Hongfu's guards were disarmed by Li Cenji last night and then put under guard in an empty tent by Xu Tai.

They lost their commander and their weapons, and were filled with hatred and fear.

Several veterans who were loyal to Tang Hongfu secretly slipped away during the shift change and infiltrated the Shuofang army.

These people huddled together in twos and threes, whispering:

"Brothers, are you just going to accept this? Commander Tang has treated us well, and now that Li Cenji can arrest him and imprison him at will. Don't you even think about getting Commander Tang out?"

Upon hearing this, some of the Shuofang soldiers hesitated.

The soldier then said:

"What kind of heir is Li Cenji? He's just a greenhorn who, relying on Zheng Tian's influence, managed to get away with something at Longwei Slope and dares to act arrogantly in front of all the military commanders. Those two old codgers, Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu, are spineless too, completely manipulated by a young upstart. Our Shuofang soldiers are not to be trifled with—"

Before he could finish speaking, an old soldier from Shuofang spat and cursed:

"Bullshit! How did Li Liuhou bully us? If he hadn't made us stay in tents at the Fengxiang camp last night and given us ginger soup, we would have caught a cold long ago! That Tang fellow only cares about his silk and drove us out into the open, and you're speaking up for him? If you want to save him, go yourself, don't drag your brothers to their deaths!"

The soldier, his face flushed red from the scolding, tried to argue, but several more Shuofang soldiers surrounded him, chattering amongst themselves:

"Exactly! Commander Tang made a mistake; who can he blame?"

"Li Liuhou said that we won't question those who were coerced into submission. Let's just focus on being soldiers and not meddle in other people's business."

"If you continue to incite unrest here, we'll report you to Commander Cheng!"

Seeing that things were not going well, the soldier quickly shrank back and slunk away.

But he did not give up and went to another garrison of the Shuofang army to repeat the same trick.

This time he was smarter. He didn't mention Tang Hongfu, but only said that Li Cenji was a wolf in sheep's clothing and that his annexation of Shuofang's troops was for the purpose of annexing Jingyuan and Qinzhou in the future. Cheng and Qiu were kept in the dark.

Several young and impetuous soldiers from Shuofang listened with skepticism.

Before they could say anything, an old soldier who had stayed at the Fengxiang camp the previous night stood up, pointed at the guard, and said:

"Stop spreading rumors! I stayed at the Fengxiang camp last night and saw Commander Li patrolling until midnight, personally ordering that tents be made for us and ginger soup prepared. Commander Chen treated us very politely, and the food was even better than when Commander Tang was there. Could such a person harbor wolfish ambitions?"

He grew angrier as he spoke, and stepped forward, grabbing the soldier by the collar, saying:

"Let's go! Come with me to see Commander Cheng! Let Commander Cheng judge what your crime is for inciting morale in this camp!"

The soldier was terrified and struggled to run away, but was held down by several Shuofang soldiers.

Someone nearby had already run off to inform Cheng Zongchu.

Cheng Zongchu was discussing military affairs with Qiu Gongyu in his tent when he heard the report and flew into a rage, slamming his fist on the table and saying:

"These damned bastards! Tang Hongfu has fallen, yet they still dare to cause trouble in the camp!"

He immediately ordered his men to seize all the troublemaking soldiers, take them to the drill ground, and in front of the entire army, give each of them forty lashes, leaving them with torn skin and bleeding flesh. Then they were locked in a prison cart to await further punishment.

After Cheng Zongchu finished beating the man, he sent someone to inform Qiu Gongyu.

After discussing the matter, the two stood on the high platform and addressed the three armies in a loud voice:

"Listen up, brothers! Tang Hongfu has been plundering and abusing his soldiers. Taking him down was a decision made after discussions between myself, Commander Qiu, and Commander Li! From this day forward, the Shuofang troops belong to Jingyuan and Qinzhou. Anyone who dares to spread rumors or mislead the army will face the same fate!"

The three armies stood in solemn silence, and no one dared to utter another word.

Those veteran soldiers from Shuofang who stayed in Fengxiang Camp last night, through this incident, actually benefited from the misfortune and were treated differently by Cheng Zongchu and Qiu Gongyu.

A few quick-witted individuals were even promoted to squad leaders or brigade commanders, specifically in charge of disciplining the old troops from Shuofang.

These people were grateful to Li Cenji and the two military commanders, and they also had considerable prestige in the camp. With their help to suppress the remnants of the elite soldiers, it would be extremely difficult for them to cause any more trouble.

As the mist gradually dissipated and the sun rose higher, both the troops inside and outside the camp began to light fires and cook.

Standing on the watchtower, Li Cenji looked at the orderly scene in the camp and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Last night's commotion thankfully didn't escalate into major chaos.

With Tang Hongfu imprisoned, the Shuofang troops disbanded, their wealth scattered, and morale stabilized, the focus shifted to dealing with the 30,000 to 40,000 rebel troops outside the camp.

Footsteps sounded behind him, and Xu Tai came up carrying two bowls of porridge. He handed one bowl to him, and kept the other for himself, slurping down a couple of mouthfuls before wiping his mouth and saying:

"As for the rest of the troops, Commander Cheng has already dealt with the troublemakers. I just went to check, and those forty lashes were really effective; not one of them could even stand up and walk."

Li Cenji took the bowl of porridge, took a sip, and said calmly:

"Well done. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. To be soft-hearted at this moment would be to play with the lives of the entire battalion."

After chatting for a few more minutes and finishing their bowls of porridge, the two turned around and left the observation deck together.

Li Cenji still had to inspect the camp, appease the newly surrendered Shuofang soldiers, and discuss with Cheng and Qiu how to deal with the possible attack launched by the rebels today.

The day is still long.

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

The rebel offensive was even more intense than the previous day.

Just after breakfast, the sound of drums echoed outside the camp.

The drumbeats were deep and rapid, like muffled thunder on a summer afternoon, rolling from east to south, and then from south to north.

Li Cenji climbed onto the observation platform, shading his eyes with his hand as he looked out. He saw that the rebel army was pressing in from the east, south, and north at the same time.

The main force was on the east side, with a dense mass of infantrymen arranged in a square formation. The front row of swordsmen and shieldmen held up shields as tall as a person, while the rear row of spearmen rested their spear shafts on the shoulders of the front row. The spearheads were like a forest, gleaming coldly in the morning light.

There were several thousand troops on the south and north sides, which, although not as imposing as those on the east side, were still well-organized and clearly not a feint.

"They're going to fight tooth and nail."

Cheng Zongchu stood on the other side of the observation platform, squinted for a moment, and said in a deep voice,

"A three-pronged attack, alternating shifts, giving you no chance to breathe. You either escape from the camp to the north and are relentlessly pursued, or you are slowly worn down and killed. Huang Chao is really going all out this time."

Qiu Gongyu's expression was solemn as he slowly nodded:

"If he fails to capture the city in the next few days, he will be attacked from both sides once the reinforcements arrive. Huang Chao cannot afford to delay, so he must fight with all his might today."

Before the words were even finished, horns sounded in unison from the rebel ranks, and they launched a simultaneous attack from three sides.

"They're here!"

Cheng Zongchu shouted sternly,

"All battalions, prepare—fire!"

On the stockade wall, the archers had already nocked their arrows and were ready to fire at the command.

Thousands of arrows whistled out of the stockade, heading towards the rebel vanguard like a dark cloud.

The rebel swordsmen at the forefront raised their shields above their heads, and arrows struck the shields with dull thuds. Many arrows also slipped through the gaps in the shields, and screams rang out from the crowd.

But the rebel vanguard did not stop there.

They stepped over the bodies of their fallen comrades and continued to surge toward the stockade wall, quickly reaching the outside of the stockade.

The ladders were placed on the village wall, and the battering ram was pushed to the front of the village gate. The rebel soldiers, with knives in their mouths, climbed up using their hands and feet.

"Spearman—Stab!"

Inside the stockade wall, Tang soldiers' spearmen thrust their ten-foot-long spear shafts fiercely through the gaps in the fence.

The spear pierced the climber's leather armor and plunged into his flesh. Amidst screams, someone fell from mid-air, twitched twice on the ground, and then lay still.

But the people behind them climbed the ladder one after another, seemingly oblivious to their own mortality.

The east side of the camp is the main direction of the rebels' attack, and therefore faces the greatest pressure.

The stockade wall began to shake under wave after wave of impacts, and several sections of the palisade were loosened by the crashing vehicles and tilted outwards.

The defenders were running out of arrows very quickly; the archers' arms were so sore they could barely lift them, and the arrows they fired were becoming increasingly weak.

Cheng Zongchu personally supervised the battle from the east, wielding his long sword to cut down a rebel soldier who had climbed onto the stockade wall, and shouted sternly:

"Hold on! Everyone hold on for me! The rear guard, come up and plug the gap!"

The Jingyuan soldiers gritted their teeth and pushed upwards, the swordsmen and shieldmen braced themselves against the stockade wall with their shoulders, and the spearmen desperately poked their way out through the gaps.

However, the rebel offensive continued unabated, and the eastern front began to show signs of weakening.

Li Cenji saw all of this from the observation platform and knew he couldn't wait any longer.

He turned and descended from the watchtower, mounted his horse, and took the lance from his personal guard.