Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 517 Men Don’t Care About Loyalty

During the rainy season this year, Taiyuan had a lot of rain, which kept falling. Many crops in the fields were drowned. Both the big landlords and the farmers worked day and night to prevent flooding, but it was still better than nothing, and the losses were heavy.

In the summer, it didn't rain for dozens of days. Large tracts of land were cracked by the sun, and many small irrigation canals dried up.

Some fertile fields were close to the irrigated river, and water could be carried on shoulders or hands for irrigation. But those places far from the river were in a terrible situation, and many of the lands could not be saved.

It is not uncommon for villages upstream and downstream of a river to fight over water.

After heavy rain comes severe drought. It is foreseeable that this year will be a year of severe disaster in Hedong, and a poor harvest is on the way.

Such a "capricious" climate seemed to have affected the morale of the Hedong defenders.

If the weather is bad, there will be no good harvest in autumn;

If the harvest is bad, there will be problems in raising military rations;
There are problems with the collection of military rations, and the soldiers are all hungry. How can morale be boosted?

Now the prince has ascended the throne secretly and it is not legitimate. The saint is not in Chang'an but is staying in Jinzhou, and there is also a shortage of food and grass.

These troubles piled up, causing a lot of discussion in the army and making people feel uneasy.

Although Wang Zhongsi, who was stationed in Taiyuan, tried many ways to stabilize the morale of the army, they all had little effect.

The source of the problem is not with him, so forcing him to do so will not be effective.

While the Hedong defenders were in trouble internally, something unexpected happened externally.

The war situation in Hedong seemed to be gradually deteriorating due to the disunity within the government army.

Shi Siming has not been idle in the past few months. He has led the Hebei rebels to frequently march south from Yanmen, harassing Gang County, which is closest to Yanmen, attacking the food supply routes, isolating merchants, and annihilating lone government troops.

The Hebei rebels accumulated small victories into a big one, seemingly strangling the logistics of the Ling County defenders, making the government troops unable to eat or sleep well and afraid to leave the city.

Cutting meat with this blunt knife made it very uncomfortable for the government troops.

Cheng Qianli, the garrison commander of Gang County, had led his troops here specifically to deal with Shi Siming.

Seeing that the Hebei rebels were no longer retreating to Yanmen and were frequently attacking the grain routes, he reported the recent military situation to Wang Zhongsi and proposed a battle plan that could lure the enemy deep into their territory and lure Shi Siming out.

Cheng Qianli's plan was: the government troops would retreat step by step, suffer small defeats each time, and gradually withdraw from the strongholds of Tanglin, Dingxiang, and Gangxian to the north of Xiurong, so that Shi Siming and his bandit troops would become increasingly arrogant, and lure him to lead his troops to attack Xiurong.

The government troops launched another thunderous attack, cut off their retreat, and annihilated them.

When the letter arrived in Taiyuan City, Wang Zhongsi felt that although this plan was risky, it was worth a try.

But he still had some trouble with this.

Because Wang Zhongsi's trusted followers had been transferred away by Ji Ge, they followed him to Jinzhou, preparing to enter Guanzhong and seize power.

Including Li Guangbi, Guo Ziyi, Gao Xianzhi and others, none of them were in Taiyuan.

Most of the remaining defenders were Hexi troops with the Chishui Army as the main body.

Wang Zhongsi does not have a deep foundation here now.

Some of the connections from that time followed Fang Chongyong, and some were transferred elsewhere. Things and people have changed a lot now.

The Chishui Army is now basically ruled by the Hexi native faction, and Wang Zhongsi cannot command them at will.

He had to humble himself and discuss important matters with An Zhongzhang.

However, An Zhongzhang directly rejected Cheng Qianli's suggestion.

An Zhongzhang's reasons were very sufficient: Shi Siming was extremely cunning, and once the government troops left Taiyuan and engaged in a decisive battle with him in Xinzhou, it would be very likely that he would take advantage of the situation.

If they were defeated, Taiyuan would be in great danger, and even the entire Hedong defense system would collapse.

Since Ji Ge has already led tens of thousands of elite troops westward to Chang'an, this is not a good opportunity for a decisive battle with Shi Siming.

As long as we can survive, it will be fine. Even in extreme cases, it doesn't matter if we give Xiurong City to Shi Siming. Preserving our military strength is the most important thing!

Wang Zhongsi was unable to convince An Zhongzhang, and the other party's opinion was indeed reasonable, so he rejected Cheng Qianli's proposal.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Cheng Qianli had no choice but to lead his troops back to Xinzhou, handing over a large number of defense areas in the north to Shi Siming, and was determined to defend Xiurong City to the death. He took advantage of the shorter food route to delay the Hebei rebels to death.

On the surface, the government army did not seem to have suffered any major losses, but it was clearly in decline. This situation was not only seen by the generals within the government army, but also by Shi Siming. The balance of the war was quietly turning.

……

Just as night fell that day, An Zhongzhang, the general of the Chishui Army, took a tour outside the Jin Temple camp and returned to the military tent exhausted.

After sending away his personal guards, he quietly took out a letter from his bosom and read it over and over again under the oil lamp.

In fact, this letter had been received for several days, but An Zhongzhang still couldn't make up his mind.

His younger brother An Baozhen said in the letter: Brother Ji is already a dead body in the tomb. The An family has been operating in Liangzhou for a hundred years and in the imperial court for decades. If we cannot follow the emperor, all the efforts of our ancestors will be wasted.

Now is a matter of life and death. On the one hand, we must protect the Chishui Army as little as possible and avoid any casualties. On the other hand, we must pay close attention to the movements of the court and not become rebels without knowing it.

Brother Ji is old and seriously ill. Even if he dies tomorrow, it would not be surprising. Brother, you must think twice before acting.

An Zhongzhang knew his brother's abilities and character very well, and knew that he was always resourceful and would not speak without thinking.

The letter did not make the words too clear, but the words suggested that An Zhongzhang use the Chishui Army as a base to launch a mutiny in Hedong! Then pledge allegiance to the emperor Li Heng who is now on the throne in Chang'an!

The current emperor Li Heng does not have many reliable and powerful troops. If the An family can get strong support from the Chishui Army, they can maintain their wealth and honor for decades.

I have to say that An Bao really has good vision.

But An Zhongzhang still had concerns. Once he took this step, there would be no turning back and he would inevitably offend many people.

If the speculation fails, the consequences will be disastrous and the family’s century-old foundation will be destroyed!
Moreover, this is contrary to the consistent political line of the An family in Liangzhou.

How can a mutiny just happen?

An Zhongzhang felt that this move was too radical.

If we only look at wisdom, An Zhongzhang is far inferior to his brother An Baozhen, but his greatest advantage is that he is steady and reliable, rather than giving advice or taking risks.

An Zhongzhang read the letter again and again and felt that the letter paper in his hand was as heavy as a thousand pounds. Finally, he put it on the lampstand and let it burn.

“Times are tough.”

He couldn't help but let out a long sigh, still not making up his mind.

After all, it was Brother Ji who promoted him in public and kept him in Taiyuan to monitor Wang Zhongsi.

If there is a mutiny, wouldn't that be like robbing a company?
How would outsiders view him as a man who always talks about "loyalty"?
Just as An Zhongzhang was sighing alone and weighing the pros and cons, a personal soldier walked in from outside the military tent and whispered in his ear, "General An, an old friend of yours is here to visit you. Please wait outside the military tent."

"Old friend, which one?"

An Zhongzhang was stunned and asked casually.

The guard was also stunned, and he quickly explained: "That man claimed to be an old friend of General An, and I don't know him."

Those who claim to be old friends are most likely not old friends, but uninvited guests!
An Zhongzhang's expression suddenly became serious. He gave a few instructions to his personal soldier and then ordered him to bring the person in.

After the guy who claimed to be an "old friend" came in, An Zhongzhang looked at him again and again and found that he really didn't know him. Countless guesses suddenly came to his mind.

"Who are you?"

An Zhongzhang asked in a deep voice.

The man in front of him was wearing a gray linen robe with patches on it, and he seemed to be from a very ordinary family. His hair was dishevelled, and it was obvious that he had traveled a long way and had just arrived in Taiyuan.

He looked to be no more than 20 or 30 years old, but he was calm, resolute and serious, and did not seem to be a frivolous person.

"I am Li E, an aide to Prime Minister Yan, with no official title or position."

Li E saluted An Zhongzhang and said, "Well, what do you want to teach me, Mr. Yan?"

An Zhongzhang said casually, thinking in his mind how to deal with this person.

"Here is the handwritten letter from Minister Yan, the imperial edict issued by the emperor, and various seals. Please have a look, General An."

Li E handed an object wrapped in silk to An Zhongzhang, who opened it and saw several letters, seals, fish symbols and other items inside.

He opened the letters one by one and read them slowly, word by word. The military tent was so quiet that one could hear the heartbeat clearly.

Li E didn't urge him, but just looked at An Zhongzhang quietly without saying a word.

After a long time, An Zhongzhang finally packed up everything and asked with a straight face, "What does Mr. Yan mean by this?"

"That's what General An thinks it means."

Li E said calmly that he believed Yan Zhenqing and others should have made it very clear in the letter.

The Hexi An clan was given the surname Li.

The Chishui Army entered Guanzhong and became the imperial guards.

He lavishly rewarded the An family members with high positions and generous salaries.

It has to be said that the price offered by Li Heng, or the Guanzhong court, was high enough.

But what needs to be done is not easy.

The army mutinied, took control of Hedong, and attacked Ji Ge's troops from behind as a token of their surrender.

The price to pay is not low.

Thinking of the letter from An Baozhen, no, now it should be Li Baozhen, perhaps the court had already made an offer to the An family of Liangzhou, and the family should also tend to stand on Li Heng's side.

Otherwise, An Baozhen would not have made such explicit hints in the letter.

The water has arrived. Whether it will succeed or not depends on whether your operation is successful.

An Zhongzhang's expression changed several times, and finally turned into a long sigh.

When you are in the world, you have no choice. Many times, a person's position depends not only on what he thinks, but also on the position of the family behind him.

"General An, if Mr. Yan is only after fame and fortune, then I, Li, would not bother to go through this journey.

It was for the sake of the people of the world that Li came to Hedong.

Even if General An kills me now, I will have no regrets."

Seeing that An Zhongzhang seemed undecided, Li E on the side said with a serious expression and clasped his fists.

"how do I say this?"

An Zhongzhang immediately became interested.

"The saint of the past did evil things, which led to the chaos in the world today. He is no longer worthy of being the emperor.

Now that saint is going to lead his troops back to Guanzhong, does General An know what this means?"

Li E asked back with a solemn expression.

An Zhongzhang was speechless. How could he not know all this?
Seeing that the other party seemed to have taken his words in, Li E continued:
"If the troops from the northwest march into Chang'an, it will definitely shake the country, and it may even be worse than Dong Zhuo in the Eastern Han Dynasty! The saint may feel comfortable, but the people of the world still have to live!

No matter who wins or loses, the government troops will suffer heavy casualties and will be unable to fight again, and the Hebei bandit troops will be the beneficiaries. By then... the situation will be out of control!

If the rebels from Hebei enter Chang'an and Luoyang, won't the country be ruined?"

Although Li E's expression was relatively calm, his tone was full of regret.

"Why is Mr. Li talking to someone about this?"

An Zhongzhang lamented.

“As long as General An launches a mutiny in Hedong and takes control of Taiyuan City.

Without the food and fodder supply from Taiyuan, the Jinzhou government troops would fall into chaos without a fight.

Even if the saint wanted to do something naughty again, no one would accompany him to do it.

Once the Hedong incident is resolved, there will only be one emperor in Chang'an in the world, and the internal strife will stop.

By concentrating the troops to defend the king and slowly cleaning up the mess, it may be possible to conquer the world within ten years.

General An, the current situation of the world is in the hands of you alone!

If you don’t stand up, who else can stand up?”

Li E said with some excitement, his expression finally not as solemn as before.

mutiny!

This key word kept echoing in An Zhongzhang's mind, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

The Chishui Army is an old meritorious force that has existed since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. Just because you say they will mutiny?
"It's easier said than done to launch a mutiny in Taiyuan."

An Zhongzhang sighed, not knowing what to say.

Seeing that he wanted to eat fish but was afraid of the fishy smell, Li E narrowed his eyes and said, "The Hedong mutiny seems difficult, but it is actually easy. The one who suppressed the three armies of Hedong was Wang Zhongsi. If Wang Zhongsi is eliminated, General An will be able to command the support of hundreds of people. Aren't there all kinds of rumors in Taiyuan City now? Wang Zhongsi listened to that saint, but the Hedong armies may not listen."

Hearing this, An Zhongzhang was stunned for a moment, and then he was speechless. Li E had said everything she needed to say, and he had nothing to say.

An Zhongzhang knew that in order to obtain the huge benefits of high positions, generous salaries, and being appointed as a marquis or prime minister, he must do something "big", and the kind that he could never turn back from.

Now it seems that it is indeed the case.

"Your Excellency is very eloquent. I really admire you."

An Zhongzhang couldn't help but shook his head and sighed.

He neither agreed nor refused. But many times, on such a major issue, not refusing is actually an attitude in itself.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Li E bowed to An Zhongzhang, then walked out of the tent, and quickly left the camp, disappearing into the night.

After Li E left, An Zhongzhang took out a gold coin from West Asia from his sleeve. He had long forgotten which country it came from and played with it in his palm.

This gold coin is a bit thick, with a horse painted on the front and unfamiliar characters written on the back.

An Zhongzhang rubbed the coin repeatedly and prayed silently in his heart: If it is "word" two times out of three tosses, then he will do it.

Then he threw it three times, twice it was a "painting" and once it was a "word".

He was somewhat unwilling to give up, and continued to pray silently in his heart: If three out of five throws were "words", then he would do it.

Then he threw it twice more, and the word "character" and the picture "painting" appeared once each.

Adding the previous results together, there are still three “paintings” and two “words”.

It was not the result of his inner prayer.

He was so angry that his eyes were wide open, and he tossed the dice repeatedly like a gambler who had lost all his money. He tossed the dice five or six times before he got the result he wanted.

At this time, An Zhongzhang was so angry at himself, or at the illusory "luck", that his whole body was shaking and gasping for breath, and his square face became ferocious.

He glanced at the silk-wrapped package under the oil lamp, a cold light suddenly flashed in his eyes, and he had silently made a decision in his heart.

(End of this chapter)