Chapter 50: Dead End (Thanks to Patron Qiuliang Jinyan)

Xianyu Yue took a small sip of wine and casually dropped a bombshell:

"The imperial court's reinforcements have already passed Nanzheng, and they will reach Chengdu by the first lunar month at the latest."

Zhao Huaian frowned. Shouldn't this be good news? Why did Xianyu Yue's tone sound so melancholic?

Suddenly, he recalled what Wang Duo had told him a few days ago about the impending downfall of Military Governor Niu Cong, and he hurriedly asked:

"Is the Military Governor going to be replaced?"

Xianyu Yue sighed, slammed his wine cup onto the low table, and said desolately:

"After the battle of Baishu River, Military Governor Niu Cong has no hope left. Being removed from his post is only a matter of time. But the trouble is that the general leading the expedition is none of other than His Excellency Gao Pian."

Zhao Huaian did not know any Gao Pian, so he simply listened to Xianyu Yue's introduction and extracted three main points according to his own understanding.

First, this man was the descendant of a famous general, being the grandson of Gao Chongwen, the Prince of Nanping.

Speaking of Gao Chongwen, Xianyu Yue, a local magnate, held him in high esteem. After all, it was this man who had pacified the rebellion of Liu Pi back in the day and had not committed a single transgression against the people of Chengdu upon entering the city. Calling him a renowned general was no exaggeration.

Second, this man's family had served as generals of the Divine Strategy Army for generations, and he had deep connections with the eunuch commanders of the inner court. In other words, Gao Pian had powerful backers in the central government and possessed formidable backing that reached the heavens.

Third, this man had rendered distinguished military service. Ten years ago, when Nanzhao invaded Annam, it was he who led the southern expedition to recover Annam. Following that success, he was appointed as chancellor this year, granted the title of *Tong Pingzhang Shi*, and leapt overnight into the ranks of the imperial chief ministers.

One could say that with such an influential heavyweight of the imperial court coming to reinforce Chengdu, Xianyu Yue was both delighted and apprehensive.

Although Old Yue did not explain why, Zhao Huaian, well-versed in human affairs and political maneuvering, immediately understood the reason.

Local aristocratic scions like Xianyu Yue were equally afraid of a Military Governor who was a good-for-nothing fool and one who was shrewd and formidable.

Once an imperial chief minister like Gao Pian arrived in Chengdu, there would basically be no faction left that could keep him in check; he possessed the direct capability to upend the entire game.

To put it bluntly, once Gao Pian came to Chengdu, it would mark the end of the era of the three major factions.

Zhao Huaian poured Xianyu Yue another cup of wine and offered words of comfort:

"Old Yue, there is no need to worry too much. How long can a figure like His Excellency Gao possibly stay in Chengdu? He will have to return to Chang'an eventually."

Xianyu Yue drank the wine in one gulp and sighed:

"Second Brother, you don't understand the intricacies. Our current Military Governor is a man of Tian Lingzi, the Grand Eunuch and Commander of the Divine Strategy Army, whereas His Excellency Gao Pian has a long-standing grudge with Tian Lingzi. Once he becomes the Military Governor, he will inevitably purge the old subordinates of Governor Niu."

When mentioning "old subordinates," Xianyu Yue looked directly at Zhao Huaian.

Zhao Huaian pointed at himself and chuckled bitterly:

"Old Yue, what kind of old subordinate of the Military Governor am I? I'm just a low-ranking, coarse fellow. I wouldn't even recognize what Governor Niu looks up close, and I can't even step into a county magistrate's secretariat nowadays. Am I even worthy of His Excellency Gao's retaliation? Big Brother, please don't scare me."

Xianyu Yue's face flushed, whether from the rising alcohol or not, and he shook his head:

"Second Brother, you underestimate yourself too much. Ever since the battle of Baishu River, who in the army doesn't know of the righteous bandit 'Song Jiang'? At today's military conference, Tian Chongyin, the general from Yanhai, even requested honors for you, citing three major merits: breaching the enemy's formation, beheading enemy generals, and seizing their banners. All of the troops under your command achieved victory on the battlefield."

Hearing this, Zhao Huaian straightened his back and stroked his mustache:

"That Old Tian is truly righteous. It was well worth it for me to save his Yanhai army."

Xianyu Yue smiled, but shook his head again:

"It's just a pity that the other generals did not agree, so in the end, General Yang had no choice but to drop the matter."

The smile froze on Zhao Huaian's face, and he immediately cursed aloud:

"Isn't this persecuting a loyal officer? Huh? If merits are not rewarded, who will risk their lives in the future?"

Xianyu Yue sighed, stopping mid-sentence as if he had more to say.

Seeing Old Yue's expression, Zhao Huaian's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that this wasn't even the worst news?

He forced a smile and asked:

"Old Yue, is there anything else? Spill it all at once. Don't be so hesitant."

Xianyu Yue wiped his face with his hand and sighed:

"Second Brother, didn't I just say you are considered an old subordinate of Governor Niu, and you have built a reputation in the army? Once Gao Pian marches south, he will surely want to harm you, so you must prepare early."

Zhao Huaian remained silent. He was also a shrewd person; how could he fail to understand the implication behind those words?

Xianyu Yue continued:

"And this preparation requires establishing military merits—military merits that will draw even Gao Pian's attention. Gao Pian is arrogant, but he admires men of valor. Once you catch his eye, your identity as a former subordinate of Niu Cong won't matter at all."

Zhao Huaian took up the thread, but his tone was stiff:

"Old Yue, what counts as eye-catching military merit? And how can one catch His Excellency Gao's favorable eye?"

Xianyu Yue paid no mind to Zhao Huaian's temper. Instead, using the wine as ink, he drew the terrain near Shuangliu on the table.

He pointed to a long river he drew separately to the southwest of Shuangliu and said:

"Second Brother, this river is none of other than the Jinma River, which serves as the defense line to the northwest of Shuangliu. One of the most important matters discussed in this military conference is to dispatch troops from the city to establish a fortified camp along the Jinma River."

To prevent Zhao Huaian from failing to understand, Xianyu Yue explained an important principle of city defense: defending the city requires defending the outposts first, thereby transforming passive defense into active defense.

Yet the problem was that when the routed troops fled to Shuangliu, none of them ever intended to make a last stand here. It was General Yang Qingfu who led troops to intercept the various armies and insisted on holding Shuangliu to the death.

Now, Yang Qingfu wanted to set up a camp outside on the Jinma River, but there was no camp yet; they had to build it themselves.

Yet, however slow the Nanzhao army might be, they should arrive at Shuangliu within these few days. By then, if the fortified camp had not been built and the main army was exposed in the wilderness against a victorious enemy force, wouldn't that be seeking death?

Consequently, after the military conference concluded, all the generals listened, but not a single one was willing to take on this task.

Yang Qingfu had no other choice either. His core direct-line forces were the Chengdu elite shock troops, and he would never plunge them into such dangerous territory. Furthermore, as a general of the Western Sichuan garrison without the authority to command regional warlords outside his jurisdiction, he genuinely had no one else to send for the time being.

When Xianyu Yue came over this time, aside from visiting Zhao Huaian, he also wanted to bring up this situation.

He looked at Zhao Huaian with utmost seriousness:

"Second Brother, the other generals only see the danger, but fail to see the opportunity. Now His Excellency Gao's reinforcements have reached Xinzheng and will enter Chengdu in no time. Therefore, what seems dangerous is actually an opportunity. As long as you can hold the main camp for a dozen days, reinforcements will definitely arrive. By then, when the other generals act cowardly and only Second Brother remains loyal and brave, won't you naturally catch His Excellency Gao's eye?"

Zhao Huaian silently cursed. This sworn elder brother of his only talked about the benefits while completely ignoring the risks.

After pondering for a moment, he suddenly asked:

"By the way, I haven't seen Governor Song since entering the city. I wonder how Governor Song is doing right now? I happen to have some homemade liquor here and would like to offer some to Governor Song for a taste."

Xianyu Yue looked at Zhao Huaian, pressed his lips together for a long moment, and finally admitted:

"This is indeed Governor Song's intention as well. He wants you to lead troops out of the city to defend the outpost."

Zhao Huaian shook his head vigorously like a rattle-drum and laughed out of anger:

"Old Yue, I have fewer than two hundred combat troops in total, and Governor Song wants me to lead them out of the city to hold an outpost? Isn't that asking me to die? I, Zhao Huaian, crawled out of a pile of corpses, not to go back and throw my life away."

Yet, contrary to Zhao Huaian's expectation, Xianyu Yue did not try to persuade him further. Instead, he let out a long sigh:

"Second Brother, Second Brother, do you really think you can shirk this? General Yang Qingfu of the shock troops was my former superior, and I know him well. Since he wants to establish a camp on the Jinma River, it must be done. Since none of the garrison troops inside the city are willing, who else is left to take on this assignment besides the unorganized routed soldiers and you local militias?"

Zhao Huaian's face darkened, momentarily finding himself unable to refute.

Still, he squeezed out a sentence:

"Damn it all! Is this forcing me, Old Zhao, to my death? Forcing our local militias to their deaths?"

Xianyu Yue had sighed far too many times today, simply because he found that no amount of ambition or strategizing meant anything in the face of absolute power.

Naturally, he didn't want Zhao Huaian to march to his death—what good would that do Xianyu Yue? Yet under these circumstances, apart from the local militias bearing this burden, what other choice was there?

Xianyu Yue's life creed was that since one had no choice, one might as well accept it proactively; doing so would instead open up other opportunities.

With extreme sincerity, as if instructing him, he said:

"Second Brother, this world is simply like this. If you have no backing, no matter how fierce and brave you are, would those easy honors ever fall to your turn? Only missions like this—ones where it means certain death and no one else is willing to claim them—are the ones assigned to you."

"True, Governor Song does think highly of you, but he cannot defy the public will. Now that all the armies refuse to leave the city, who else could it be besides your local militias? Rather than being forced into it, you might as well take the initiative to request the assignment. That way, you can leverage it to demand more troops from General Yang."

"After all, General Yang isn't sending you to die; he expects you to play a vital role at the Jinma Camp."

One had to admit that Xianyu Yue was a skilled persuader, or perhaps he truly had Zhao Huaian's best interests at heart.

In any case, as Zhao Huaian listened, he actually began to internalize the words, starting to ponder where the opportunity in this matter might lie.

As he thought it through, he abruptly realized that he essentially had no choice.

Regardless of whether he was willing or not, others were the knife and cutting board while he and his men were the fish and meat. Once the military order came down, being trapped inside the city, how could he dare to disobey?

Moreover, Zhao Huaian was considering another issue: even if he didn't leave the city to guard the outpost, would he be safe inside the city?

Based on his current understanding of the situation, definitely not.

Ever since the battle of Baishu River, he had harbored no illusions about the integrity of the Tang imperial army. These people simply did not care about the lives and deaths of folks like them. Once full-scale fighting broke out, his unit and the participating local militias would inevitably be thrown into the most perilous spots.

In a tens-of-thousands-strong siege battle, once it devolved into a bloody meat grinder, his meager force would be swallowed up without even leaving a ripple.

Conversely, if he followed Xianyu Yue's advice and took the initiative to shoulder this task, he could use the opportunity to demand more troops and armor.

Zhao Huaian knew the situation inside the city well. There were at least several thousand routed soldiers and refugees living in makeshift shanties near the southern part of the city. If he could rally them, he could undoubtedly expand the strength of his main force.

Beyond that, there was another distinct advantage: gaining prestige.

While all the other armies retreated, only he, Old Zhao, would swim against the current and march out of the city to defend the outpost. By then, everyone in the army would know that Old Zhao was a man capable of bearing heavy responsibilities and getting things done.

And if he miraculously managed to hold the defense, he would immediately reap immense renown.

During his time in the Great Tang, Zhao Huaian had deeply realized that only by commanding high prestige would others value you, and only then would men of valor take the initiative to seek you out under your banner.

Weren't Gao Renhou and the others the very reason why they gladly accepted Wang Duo's invitation simply because they heard his moniker as the righteous bandit "Song Jiang"?

Otherwise, how could a Baoiyi company commander with fewer than two hundred soldiers ever attract such brave warriors?

At this moment, opportunity and danger flickered on either side of Zhao Huaian's mind. He suddenly recalled the saying:

"The fiercer the wind and waves, the more precious the fish!"

Damn it! Rather than being sold out by friendly forces on top of the city walls, he might as well lead his troops out of the city to guard the outpost, seeking life out of certain death. That way, he would at least keep his fate firmly in his own hands.

With this thought, Zhao Huaian drained the remaining wine from the pot, slammed his hand onto the table, and shouted:

"Bloody hell! Big Brother, I'll take this military order! Isn't it just a matter of putting oneself in a death trap to find a way to live? I, Old Zhao, crawled out of a pile of corpses; I am not afraid to die once more!"

Xianyu Yue shouted in excitement:

"Splendid, splendid, splendid! Truly, only when the turbulent waters churn do true heroes reveal their true colors."

Yet no sooner had the words left his mouth than Zhao Huaian raised a hand in a stopping gesture and scoffed:

"But I have one condition."