Chapter 111: Only Schemes Win Hearts

The fifty-thousand-strong army set out from Xuanzhou.

Two days later.

"Duke, it is difficult to launch a campaign in this season!"
"Indeed! The cold is unbearable. If the supply lines are cut..."

Inside the grand tent, the officers chattered incessantly.

Seated at the head was Duke Xu, Zhang Chumao, dressed in jade-white robes, his black hair groomed with meticulous precision. His robust frame sat there like a small mountain. He lifted his gaze slightly and let out a soft hum.

Instantly, all sound vanished.

Zhang Chumao placed the military report gently on the table and said coldly, "His Majesty ordered us out of Xuanzhou to strike down the arrogance of Northern Liao! To fear the cold, to be afraid of the frost—you are worse than women! You are dogs!"

The officers stood with their hands bound, silent. The tent was so quiet that the drop of a needle could be heard.

Zhang Chumao said faintly, "Go and patrol the camp. If any mishaps occur, I shall speak through military law."

"Understood!"

The sound of armor clashing and rubbing gradually faded, and the tent fell silent again.

He Zun, a strategist who had been sitting beside him, stroked his beard and smiled. "Only the dignity of a Duke like yourself can suppress such proud and unruly soldiers."

Zhang Chumao remained silent for a long time. "The local garrison troops mobilized from various regions are uneven in quality, far inferior to the border armies. What is Chang'an thinking? Why not inspect the garrison troops of the empire and eliminate the weak?"

He Zun sighed softly. "Duke, the foundation of the garrison system is the granting of land. Where in the world is there still spare land? Without land, there are no garrison troops. Even if an inspection revealed countless issues... who could solve them? Would you divide the land in others' hands and give it to them? Duke, the greed of those powerful families is too unsightly. Remember, the wealth of a single family does not last long; the prosperity of the entire realm is the true path."

He looked at Zhang Chumao with a glimmer of expectation in his eyes.

Zhang Chumao changed the subject. "The Empress's situation in the palace is not good lately. That harlot is bewitching His Majesty; she deserves to die!"

The disappointment in He Zun's eyes flashed and vanished. "You are the son-in-law of the Yingchuan Yang clan; it is a matter of mutual destruction or mutual glory. His Majesty favors the Noble Consort, but he cannot touch the Empress. I believe it is best to ignore it. As for the Noble Consort, she is merely a plaything."

Zhang Chumao nodded. "The priority of this campaign is the supply line. I am not worried about other areas, but Chenzhou must be handled with care. Marauders, foreigners—should anyone strike, the supply line would be severed in an instant. Go to Chenzhou and oversee the protection of the supply routes."

He Zun knew this was punishment for his previous remarks. He stood up and said, "Yes."

...

"Release the arrows!"

At the foot of the mountain, dozens of soldiers released their grip.

"One bow broke!" a soldier raised his hand, holding a crudely fashioned longbow that had warped.

Nan He’s face darkened. "Replace it."

Beside him lay a pile of over a dozen discarded, makeshift longbows. Later, Nan He went to find Yang Xuan.

"Where is the master?"

Wang Lao'er squatted at the entrance of the back courtyard, laughing, "The master is practicing etiquette."

Nan He coughed dryly and walked in.

Wang Lao'er said from behind, "The master is going mad, and Yi Niang is ready to kill. Don't go in."

His voice was very low.

Yang Xuan was currently practicing his sitting posture.

"Master, your body must lean back slightly to appear majestic," Yi Niang said, standing by to instruct him.

Poor Yang Xuan had been a wild child in the countryside since he was small; where would he have learned such etiquette? He felt completely uncomfortable leaning back.

"Yi Niang, I really can't do this."

If it were anyone else, Yang Xuan could have thrown them out, but this was Yi Niang! The woman who had carried him out in a basket on that bloody, long night.

Veins popped on Yi Niang's forehead as she clenched her fists, wringing the rag in her hands until water dripped out.

"Master, you must persist, otherwise it will be too late to learn later." If it were anyone else, Yi Niang swore she would have struck him until he vomited blood, forcing him to practice etiquette from then on.

"Master!"

"Get out!"

As soon as Nan He spoke, a dark shadow flashed before his eyes. He instinctively reached out to catch it.

*Thwack!*

The object shattered.

Nan He, his face covered in dirty water, looked at the rag in his hand and said blankly, "I have something to report to the master."

"Perfect." Yang Xuan stood up instantly. "Yi Niang, wait until I return from discussing business."

Yi Niang stood motionless. After the two men left, she suddenly burst into a giggle.

"In the past, so many people paid to have me teach them etiquette, yet the master acts as if he's fleeing for his life! Hahahaha!" She laughed until she clutched her stomach.

Zhang Siniang, standing nearby, found it amusing too, and pursed her lips.

Once Yi Niang had laughed her fill, she pulled her inside. "Come, I will teach you etiquette. Stand straight. Do not wiggle your upper body while walking."

"Yi Niang."

"Hmm?"

"They taught me that I should wiggle, the more the better. They even said it’s best to shake."

"Those are fools, vulgar—forget it."

"Oh!"

"Wait! For that kind of wiggling, do it when you are walking toward the master in private."

"Oh!"

Yang Xuan and Nan He arrived at the front courtyard.

"Master, the longbows we are crafting are no good!" Nan He said with a bitter smile. "We lack fish glue, good bowstrings, and quality materials. Not only do the longbows we make not shoot far, but they lack accuracy."

Yang Xuan was also at a loss.

"The marauders are one thing, but those tribes are even fiercer, skilled in archery and horsemanship. If we don't have bows and arrows, we are in big trouble," Nan He said solemnly, pointing out the biggest problem for the Dare-to-Die Battalion.

They had no ranged weapons.

"Where can we get them?" Yang Xuan asked.

"The prefecture," Nan He replied. "The prefecture has stock, and they have the capacity to craft them."

"I'll go do some begging."

Yang Xuan took his men and set off immediately.

...

"Duke Xu's army has mobilized. We have a supply line running through Chenzhou. Marauders and tribes are a major threat. The superiors have ordered Chenzhou to organize men to patrol and guard the supply lines."

In the prefecture office, Lu Qiang handed over the document.

"The supply lines should be protected by the army; what kind of sense does it make to ask the local authorities?" Liu Qing tossed the document onto the table, dissatisfied.

Lu Qiang gave a bitter smile. "Duke Xu submitted a petition stating his forces were insufficient, so he handed the burden of guarding the supply lines to the local authorities."

"Dammit!" Liu Qing could not help but curse. "This is a war zone, not a private vendetta. Even if there are grievances or dissatisfaction, they must be suppressed and endured."

"Those nobles." Lu Qiang smiled, pulling at the scar on his face, which looked particularly fierce. "If those nobles had even a shred of concern for the big picture, land annexation wouldn't be growing so rampant. The Great Tang is weakening, yet they are growing fat."

"Prefect," a petty official entered. "Magistrate Yang Xuan of Taiping County requests an audience."

"Why has he come?" Liu Qing was surprised. "The messenger should have only just arrived in Taiping County."

Lu Qiang laughed. "The Prefect praised him last time; the young man is likely pushing his luck. He might be here to ask for things."

"Heh!" Liu Qing said faintly, "I govern an entire prefecture; what do I rely on? Fairness, and fairness alone! If the bowl isn't balanced, there will be infighting, and then everything will fall into chaos."

...

"Prefect."

Yang Xuan arrived and, after bowing, said warmly, "The Assistant Prefect looks increasingly dashing, and Prefect... the Prefect looks much younger."

Lu Qiang gave Liu Qing a wink, suppressing a laugh. "Speak quickly if you have business."

Liu Qing coughed and touched his aged face. "I am busy! Speak!"

Yang Xuan sat down, smiling. "Prefect, Chenzhou is struggling! It is destitute, and the court turns a blind eye. Life is truly unbearable..."

Liu Qing glared. "Get to the point!"

The old fellow was sharp!

Yang Xuan coughed twice. "Prefect, my Taiping has only thirty soldiers. The so-called five-hundred-man Dare-to-Die Battalion consists of convicts, and crucially, they lack armor, bows, and warhorses... If an enemy attacks, I will not hesitate to die for my country, but if Taiping falls, Zhangyu County to the left and Huilong County to the right will become isolated, and Taiping will become a wedge for the enemy to strike into Chenzhou..."

Liu Qing knocked on the table with a displeased expression. "I’ll give you twenty sets of armor and fifty longbows. As for warhorses... I heard you managed to scrape together over a hundred riders? And you still have the nerve to come asking for more!?"

"Twenty sets?" Yang Xuan’s eyes widened. "Prefect, how could twenty sets be enough?"

"That’s all you get. By the way, the army is marching against Northern Liao, and we have a supply line through Chenzhou. Your Taiping County is on that route. Go back and prepare your men; once the supplies move, you are to guard the route. I’m telling you, if anything goes wrong, it won't just be the law, but military law. Get out!"

Guard the supply lines?

Yang Xuan calculated in his mind and knew that a unit like the Dare-to-Die Battalion, lacking protection and ranged weapons, was in grave danger.

"Prefect..."

Liu Qing shook his head. "You must understand, if I give to you, what if other places come asking? Fairness—that is my motto for governing Chenzhou. Go back."

Yang Xuan laughed dryly. "I heard that the Prefect often scolds the clerks in the office, mostly because the documents aren't done well, causing you frustration. I happen to have a good method, if the Prefect doesn't mind..."

Liu Qing said faintly, "What good method?"

Yang Xuan held up five fingers. "Five hundred sets of armor, five hundred longbows."

"Dream on," Liu Qing said coldly. "If you can do it, two hundred sets of armor, three hundred longbows."

Yang Xuan nodded. "A gentleman’s word!"

Liu Qing sneered, "Is as good as a team of horses!"

Lu Qiang laughed. "What can you do? Are you going to stay in the office and lead those petty clerks?"

"Prefect, I only need two days."

"Hm?" Liu Qing was stunned, then waved his hand. "Take two people and try. If it doesn't work, go back where you came from."

Heh!

Yang Xuan smiled honestly. "Good."

He immediately took two clerks and began his seclusion.

"Young people are always full of grand ambitions. If no one knocks them down a peg, I shall do it," Liu Qing smiled and cast the matter to the back of his mind.

Lu Qiang chuckled, "The Prefect usually doesn't have this much patience with others."

Liu Qing said faintly, "Most officials who come to Chenzhou are unwilling, feeling like they've been exiled. Yang Xuan is the first to volunteer. Whether he is foolish or not, I hold him in higher regard."

Yang Xuan set up a room and ordered Wang Lao'er and the Old Thief to take shifts guarding outside.

Inside the office, the two clerks sat listlessly, thinking this was a good opportunity to slack off.

Yang Xuan tapped the table. The two looked up.

"Writing has no fixed form, but thought has structure; water has no fixed shape, but vessels do."

Yang Xuan said slowly, "What I am going to teach you today is... the formula!"

Inside his earpiece, Zhuque said, "Since ancient times, sincere affection cannot stay; only formulas win hearts. You have read many official documents of this era, from the court to the local level. They seem to have a thousand threads, but they all return to the same root. Formula one..."

Yang Xuan spoke slowly.

The two clerks were blank at first. Gradually, a brilliant gleam erupted in their eyes.