Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 536: After this battle, I can go back home...

As the sun rose, the events that took place in the various neighborhoods of Chang'an City became known to the surrounding neighbors.

Shocked, terrified, relieved, or even secretly happy, every household and every person has all kinds of thoughts.

The city of Chang'an was still lifeless, all businesses were depressed, taverns were closed, and the air was filled with the lingering smell of blood.

Were a thousand or ten thousand people killed last night?
No one knew, and even in those courtyards that had suffered the tragedy, no one dared to go in to collect the bodies, for fear that the Western Army would label them as "accomplices" and deal with them.

But no matter what, the general mood of the people in Chang'an was quite fearful. They were full of worries about the border troops coming from Hexi and Longyou, and they did not trust them very much.

An army that uses violence as soon as it arrives always gives people the illusion that it is unruly, difficult to control, and will suddenly kill people at any time.

Ordinary people in Chang'an kept their distance from the Western Army; while the powerful people in Guanzhong regarded them as enemies and planned to take revenge.

However, the Western Inner Courtyard where the Xuanwu Gate is located is a completely different scene.

To be precise, this place has become a sea of ​​joy.

The 60,000 Western Army soldiers seemed to have won a great victory. Almost everyone was cheering and the atmosphere was festive!

Well, maybe a "feast for sharing" would be more appropriate.

Piles of gold, silver, treasures, silk, and copper coins were placed in various places in the Western Inner Court. Officials from the Imperial Palace led a large group of attendants to count the treasures on site and register them. When these soldiers left Chang'an, they would be distributed.

It is clearly arranged what each person receives and how much they receive.

In fact, even if the things were distributed now, these wives, children and the elderly who were in Longyou and Hexi, or even the soldiers in Anxi Beiting, would not be able to use them.

In the end, he spent all his money on eating, drinking, whoring and gambling, and then became penniless again.

Obviously, although the soldiers are greedy for money, they are also concerned about their families, and this is not what they want.

In order to boost morale, only some copper coins that were inconvenient to carry were distributed at this moment, so that these people could relax in the glamorous world of Chang'an. Other valuables and silks would be distributed after the army arrived at the garrison.

"I'm rich! I'm rich! From childhood to adulthood, I've never seen so much money!"

A soldier from Anxi rolled over on a pile of copper coins, laughing like a seven-year-old kid. The soldiers watching him laughed out loud, and even felt a little bit of empathy.

Compared to fighting in wars and getting rewards such as military merit, it is faster and safer to just rob, and you don't have to risk your life.

That night, the soldiers of the Western Army all took an unforgettable social practice lesson in Chang'an.

But Zhang Boyi didn't laugh, and neither did his personal soldiers who didn't participate in the robbery. And Brother Ji, who was preparing to "comfort the soldiers" at the Xuanwu Gate, leaned against the parapet with a sullen face, quietly watching the ugly appearance of the soldiers of the Western Army in the Western Garden.

He tried desperately to suppress the anger in his chest, well, it was more like impotent rage with nowhere to vent.

Last night, a troop, seemingly all soldiers from Hexi, went to Baisunyuan and robbed it.

Actually, he didn't do many bad things, and didn't kill many people. He just killed a few of the emperor's grandchildren, raped a few of the emperor's granddaughters, and their attendants, and destroyed the bodies.

Afterwards, they looted Baisunyuan and returned with a full load.

Zhang Boyi was obviously one of the more restrained ones, and only attacked those with "problems". But many of the smart people were obviously proficient in the art of looting, and knew that robbery was a technical job, and that one had to "win by surprise" to rob more.

In particular, the soldiers who came from the Hexi Corridor were particularly good at robbery and were bold and wild.

They feel that it is not satisfying to grab the fish on the list. Who knows whether these people are rich or not? If they are poor, wouldn’t it be a waste?
In fact, these soldiers' doubts are justified. Famous people are not necessarily rich.

For example, He Zhizhang was well-known and was definitely an important figure. But if you say He Zhizhang was rich, then you can only say that he was so rich that he almost sold his house to buy wine.

However, there is a group of people who are definitely rich, and that is the Li clan. The princes and princesses, the emperor's uncles and brothers, etc., I have never heard of anyone being extremely poor.

It is definitely not possible to rob the prince, but robbing the emperor's grandson is not so conspicuous and taboo, so just rob him first!
This group of Hexi soldiers dared to do what they said, and they succeeded!

Brother Ji originally came to Xuanwu Gate to demand an end to his crimes, but when he arrived at Xuanwu Gate, he saw the soldiers partying with treasures, and he felt a sense of fear he had never felt before.

That's right, he was afraid.

Brother Ji was afraid that these soldiers would mutiny regardless of their status! He didn't even dare to say a word of rebuke. This was unimaginable a few years ago!
Killing one person is killing, killing ten people is also killing; killing the emperor’s grandson is killing, killing the emperor is also killing!

Since these bloodthirsty soldiers have already killed several of the emperor's grandchildren, would they kill the emperor themselves as well?

Brother Ji didn't dare to think about it any further. The more he thought about it, the more scared he became.

So he temporarily changed his mind and stopped mentioning the killing of the emperor's grandson. Instead, he ordered the Western Army soldiers to be awarded medals and official titles.

Ordinary soldiers were awarded medals, and officers were awarded miscellaneous titles. Of course, it sounds like the title is a bit impressive, but in fact, these things are nothing.

It can’t be eaten, worn, or exchanged for money.

At the beginning, the honorary officer system of the Tang Dynasty not only rewarded military merit, but also gave generous treatment to honorary officers, including official positions, salaries, rewards, housing, medical care (assigned medical officers), and retirement placement.

The soldiers at that time were fighting for the title of honor. The enthusiasm for joining the army was very high, and the quality of the soldiers was also very high. Some even brought their own food and fodder to join the army just for the title of honor!
However, since the end of the Zhenguan period, the honorary official system has become a joke. Many of the promised benefits could not be fulfilled, and the fulfillment became more and more perfunctory, and in the end the actual benefits were even completely cancelled.

As a result, many soldiers discarded their medals and no longer considered them an honor. There was even a strange phenomenon where people who had been awarded medals were discriminated against in society.

Sadly, all Brother Ji can give now are honorary titles and casual official positions.

His inner treasury had been misappropriated for military expenses, and it was difficult to even maintain daily expenses in the palace, so naturally he had no money to give out rewards.

Such a miserable state was unimaginable just a few years ago.

"Which general did not participate in the confiscation of property yesterday?"

Brother Ji asked Li Guangbi who was beside him.

The soldiers below the city wall were so excited that they lost themselves in excitement. Li Guangbi did not dare to intervene. The reason was simply: "It is difficult to offend public anger."

If you offend the low-level soldiers on a normal day, they will not say anything on the surface, but they will deliberately attack you on the battlefield, and it will only take a few minutes to kill the main general.

Li Guangbi had led troops for many years, so he naturally understood this principle.

He clasped his fists and saluted Ji Ge, saying, "Your Majesty, Guo Ziyi was on night patrol and did not participate."

Brother Ji nodded slightly and didn't ask any more questions. He also understood that Guo Ziyi had his own ideas, but the ideas of General Guo did not represent the ideas of his subordinates.

Looting Chang'an has become a consensus among all the Western Army members, and it is impossible to stop them.

"General Li, I want to ask you, why are the soldiers in Hexi so greedy for money? You used to be the governor of Hexi, don't you have anything to say?"

Ji Ge stared at Li Guangbi with his cloudy eyes and asked a question seemingly casually, with a hint of blame in his eyes.

Li Guangbi was a sincere man, so he answered truthfully:
“Sir, maybe you are afraid of being poor.

In Liangzhou, a piece of fine silk from Chang'an could buy a ten-year-old Hu girl.

If it were replaced with the common local Da Lian (a thick non-silk cloth from Hexi), it would only take more than ten pieces. It is not surprising that soldiers love money when human life is so cheap. "

Li Guangbi spoke very truthfully and he witnessed the incident with his own eyes. Fang Chongyong was even more shameless as he left a plaque with the words "Human Resources Center" at the entrance of the local human traffickers' market.

But Brother Ji obviously didn't like hearing that. Soldiers were paid to do things, and that was not what he wanted to hear.

Brother Ji frowned slightly and asked in a stern face, "Fighting for the country is a soldier's duty. It is absurd to value money so much!"

Brother Ji seemed to be complaining about these lawless soldiers who dared to rob Baisunyuan. But he didn't dare to say it directly, so he could only lose his temper in a roundabout way.

Li Guangbi remained silent, not knowing how to answer this question. Or rather, is there any need to answer such a bullshit question? Soldiers are just soldiers and eat food, so what kind of sentimentality is there in this matter?

This was not the first time that Brother Ji had said something inexplicable in front of Li Guangbi. This made the tongue-tied Li Guangbi often feel that the emperor was difficult to serve and wanted to stay away.

"Saint, I plan to attack Qizhou in three days, and I have come here today to report this matter."

Li Guangbi suppressed his inner annoyance and spoke carefully. Brother Ji changed his attitude faster than turning the pages of a book, which made him experience the hardship of "living with the emperor is like living with a tiger".

"Can't we go tomorrow?"

Brother Ji seemed to be unable to hold back any longer at this moment.

"Saint, General Li needs time to reorganize his army. Please be patient for a few days. We can defeat the enemy in two days."

Gao Lishi hurried to help Li Guangbi smooth things over.

Even a fool can see the current situation: the soldiers below the city wall are rolling in the pile of money.

With such morale and condition, how can we fight a tough battle?
Brother Ji is a person who is in a difficult position and hopes to catch Li Heng as soon as possible and destroy his bones and ashes. However, he does not see that the current situation in Chang'an is not as peaceful and smooth as it seems on the surface.

At the very least, Fang Youde's Crane Control Army has disappeared, which is a huge hidden danger.

Brother Ji should be very familiar with this boss's level of command of troops, so how could he have overlooked it!
Gao Lishi was secretly anxious.

"Three days! I only give you three days!

Three days later, I want to see the army set out!
You go with Gao Xianzhi, and leave 10,000 soldiers to Guo Ziyi, and let him guard Chang'an.

Are 50,000 people enough for the two of you?"

Ji Ge's voice was almost a roar, and his expression became gloomy.

Li Guangbi knew that this was the other party's final concession, so he bowed and clasped his fists and said, "That's enough. I will set out within three days. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

"Go back to the palace!"

Ji Ge uttered two words, turned around and left. With the help of Gao Lishi, he left the city wall.

His back looked a little hunched and staggering, which made Li Guangbi a little worried.

I am worried about Brother Ji's health, and even more worried about the future of the Tang Empire.

"Three days is enough."

Li Guangbi shook his head and sighed helplessly. He had discovered that the amount of wealth accumulated in different places in the Western Garden seemed to vary greatly, some had more and some had less.

This means that some troops have taken more and some have taken less. The group that has taken more may stop and behave themselves.

But will those who got less go for another wave of grabs?

All we can say is that this is inevitable.

If we give the order now, will it be able to stop those soldiers who are anxious and only regret that they got too little?
It has to be said that this order cannot be issued, or it can only scare the other party, and in the end we still have to turn a blind eye.

The trouble is huge.

"Fang Quanzhong..."

Li Guangbi murmured to himself, he remembered what Wang Zhongsi once said to him: Your military tactics are a bit similar to Fang Quanzhong, but your timing and strategy are far inferior to his.

Wang Zhongsi never used any provocation to tease people. He always spoke in a very ordinary and straightforward manner, saying what he thought.

"It's bad enough that we're in such a dangerous situation, but Chang'an has also been lost. How are you going to win against 50,000 Western troops? What are you going to win with?"

Li Guangbi thought about it, but couldn't find any chance of Fang Youde winning.

……

In the lobby of the government office of Weiyuan County, Longzhou Prefecture, there were already people kneeling on the ground.

Emperor Li Heng sat on the main seat, looking at these people with a troubled expression. They all looked dusty and their brocade robes were tattered, just like those who had fled from famine.

Perhaps it is not an exaggeration to regard them as fleeing famine.

These people were the ones who escaped the "great purge" of the Western Army in Chang'an that night, as well as their relatives in the farms outside the city. These people arrived in Weiyuan one after another and asked Li Ying for help, hoping that Li Ying could send troops to Chang'an to defeat Li Guangbi and his men and avenge their relatives.

However, Li Heng was now in a desperate situation. Facing the powerful people crying out for help, he was helpless.

What can 60,000 elite border troops use to fight? Their heads?
"Everyone, please stay in Weiyuan County. I will take a long-term view on the matter of suppressing the bandit army."

Li Heng said insincerely.

Li Jiaqing, a general beside Fang Youde, stepped forward, drew his sword and stood on the ground, staring at everyone and shouting, "The emperor asked you to go back first, but you are lingering here. Do you want to harm the emperor?"

This hat is too big and no one can hold it.

These spineless dignitaries fled in all directions, leaving only Li Heng sitting in the governor's seat, staring blankly, not knowing what he was thinking about.

"Marshal Fang, you also heard those people wailing, what should I do?"

Li Ying glanced at Fang Youde, shook his head with some disappointment and asked.

"I, your humble servant, will defeat them for Your Majesty, and the day we defeat the enemy should be within the next few days."

Fang Youde said calmly.

Just your Crane Control Army of less than 8,000 people?

Li Heng almost cursed. Although he didn't care who sat on the throne, he was determined to deal with Brother Ji. Before that, he would not give up his power!
"Marshal Fang, can you really defeat the enemy?"

Li Ying asked again.

"Yes, and it can be decided in one battle."

Fang Youde continued to answer in an extremely calm tone, as if he was talking about killing a chicken today.

Faced with such a person, Li Heng didn't know what to say.

He walked up to Fang Youde and asked in a low voice, "How is Marshal Fang going to defeat the enemy?"

"If things are not kept secret, they will fail. Even if it is the emperor, I cannot tell him."

Fang Youde still had the same expression, but he refused very straightforwardly.

"Then I wish the Marshal a successful start."

Li Ying sighed and slowly walked out of the government office.

Weiyuan is a small county, and Longzhou is poor.

Even if you recruit farmers, you won’t be able to defeat your opponents in terms of numbers!

Li Heng secretly complained in his heart, no longer holding out any hope of winning.

(End of this chapter)