Chapter 100: Seizing the Army (Part One)

“Wooo…” The solemn and deep sound of the ox horn trumpet echoed as the commander of the Right Guard led the soldiers, pulling the sacrificial beast to the battle standard. Li Jiancheng raised his sword and struck down, completing the flag-offering ritual.

Li Jiancheng handed over the official seal and the fish tally to Chen Ying. Then, with earnest gravity, he said, “This journey will be arduous. Preservation of life is paramount; defeating the enemy is secondary…”

Chen Ying understood Li Jiancheng’s meaning clearly: the support mission to Lingzhou was merely to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Avoiding battle was preferable, for the nascent Tang dynasty lacked the strength to face the Turks head-on.

“I shall act with discernment and will not bring shame upon His Highness the Crown Prince!” Chen Ying declared solemnly.

Li Jiancheng produced a letter from his bosom and handed it to Chen Ying. “Take this letter to Yang Ze, the Chief Historian of Lingzhou. Yang Ze is descended from the Hongnong Yang clan and shares a longstanding bond with me. He will give you substantial support out of respect for me. Should he require your assistance in any matter, you must do your utmost to aid him.”

“Certainly!” Chen Ying replied.

Li Jiancheng patted Chen Ying’s shoulder. “Conduct yourself well. I await your victorious return, so we may celebrate.”

Chen Ying returned to the camp and ordered the troops to prepare for departure. The matter of the down-filled garments was ultimately left unresolved. The plan to eliminate Su Hu with Li Jiancheng’s blade fell through, much to Chen Ying’s regret.

However, this outcome did not surprise him. Su Hu’s wife, Madame Dou, was related to Li Yuan. For such minor infractions, Li Yuan would surely turn a blind eye.

Li Jiancheng summoned Li Gang to impeach the major noble families for monopolizing the down feathers for profit. The clean officials in the court responded swiftly, and within a day, over a hundred impeachment memorials were submitted. Under public pressure, the Guanzhong and Shandong aristocratic groups conceded to Li Yuan.

Each family surrendered their monopolized down feathers—ranging from several tens to hundreds in quantity—amounting to roughly seven thousand jin in total. For the Right Guard headquarters, this was but a drop in the bucket. Chen Ying also contributed the feathers previously purchased by the Chen household, barely managing to assemble one thousand down sleeping bags.

Still, within his authority, Li Jiancheng granted Chen Ying significant support. He allocated five thousand six hundred sheepskins, allowing each soldier at least one. Although one sheepskin was insufficient against the harsh cold and a substantial shortfall remained, it was the best possible outcome.

The ruler’s concern weighed heavily in the imperial court, and Chen Ying understood Li Jiancheng well. Though the Crown Prince, Li Jiancheng did not act recklessly. He also ordered Chen Ying to carry over ten thousand jin of medicinal herbs, mostly for external application.

Chen Ying led the Right Guard elite guard as the vanguard, departing the city. Exiting through the West Huamen Gate, the vanguard reached the West Thirty-Li Post before the Second Yi Division barely left Chang’an. The supplies Chen Ying brought were immense—over a thousand large carts in total.

The snow on the official roads around Chang’an had been cleared by laborers dispatched by the Jingzhao Prefecture. At least within fifty li west of the capital, snow sleds were of little use.

Fortunately, Chen Ying had prepared contingency measures. All the snow vessels were fitted with wheels, allowing them to serve as carts. Where snow remained, the wheels could be removed, transforming them into sleds. For this expedition to Lingzhou, the forces comprised sixteen regiments from the four divisions, accompanied by over five thousand laborers led by more than fifty neighborhood chiefs.

These laborers formed a diverse group: farmers, shop apprentices, workshop workers, and local hunters. With neighborhood chiefs commanding them, Chen Ying was spared much trouble.

The army marched westward from Chang’an. By the time they reached Zouzhi County, the formation had become disordered. Upon counting, over one-third of the soldiers had fallen behind. The troops complained bitterly. Only Chen Ying’s old unit, the First Xun Division, maintained full strength and formation.

Chen Ying did not order the troops to enter the city. Zouzhi County was a small district, with a population under a thousand and a city wall barely eight hundred paces in circumference. Accommodating the entire army within the city was impossible.

Sixteen li beyond Zouzhi was Shaliangzi, a wind-sheltered hollow valley. Chen Ying ordered the troops to encamp there. The cold had its advantages: no need to drive stakes into the ground. Stakes laid on the frozen earth, doused with boiling water, would harden into steel within fifteen minutes.

The army began setting camp from the fourth quarter of Shen hour (around 9 a.m.), and by the third quarter of You hour (around 6 p.m.), the stragglers had still not all arrived. Chen Ying assembled four specially made command sleds into a massive command vehicle. A brazier burned atop it, keeping the interior warm as spring.

When the Right Guard’s central command staff, deputy commanders, four regimental commanders, and eight deputy captains arrived, Chen Ying pressed his hand on his sword’s hilt and fixed a sharp gaze upon them.

His expression was as dark and still as water, causing unease among all present. Chen Ying’s anger was understandable: the First Xun Division, First Yi Division, and Second Yi Division performed abysmally—worse even than the laborers, who were urged forward by their neighborhood chiefs with whips and yet arrived on time.

“I will not dwell on your past conduct,” Chen Ying’s voice suddenly rose by eight tones, booming with authority, “but your performance has truly disappointed me! Four divisions, sixteen regiments—less than five thousand soldiers—marching eighty li, yet you lost over a thousand men along the way…”

The generals dared not breathe heavily. Without the First Xun Division for comparison, they might have offered excuses—harsh weather, difficult roads—but the First Xun Division departed simultaneously, marched the same route, and arrived before any other division.

More importantly, not one soldier from the First Xun Division fell behind.

“Where is the Chief Clerk?” Chen Ying demanded.

Ji Tong stepped forward with a bow, clasping his fists. “Present, sir!”

“Do I need to explain what punishment is due for the tardiness of divisions and regiments?” Chen Ying’s tone left no room for evasion.

Though called a clerk, Ji Tong was not a mere administrative officer. Like a censor, he held the authority to scrutinize and impeach. He served as the Right Guard’s military inspector.

At these words, the generals of the First Xun, First Yi, and Second Yi Divisions were struck with terror. If such detailed records were grounds for impeachment, they would be shredded.

Gao Yunquan opened his mouth but closed it again. Pleading now would only backfire.

“General, have mercy!” He Yuejing, the Right Deputy Commander, knelt with a thud, begging.

He Yuejing’s desperation was understandable. Formerly a regiment commander in the Second Yi Division, he had risen to Right Deputy Commander. His troops suffered the most severe losses—over three hundred still missing. The four trusted captains of the division faced bleak futures.

Chen Ying remained calm and unreadable.

Sima Lu Dezao also knelt on one knee, cupping his hands. “We beg for your mercy, General!”

All the generals knelt in unison, pleading, “Please, General, have mercy!”

Only Prince Consort Duan Lun remained composed and unhurried.

Chen Ying said, “I may show mercy, but will the Turks? On the very first day of marching, such lapses occur. What will happen on the battlefield? Look at the First Xun Division—they have the same troops, the same equipment. How can the disparity be so great?”

The Right Guard was never a battle-hardened force. Though the soldiers were tall and robust, they lacked rigorous training and battlefield experience. Simply not fleeing during combat would be a success.

“I have orders to support Lingzhou urgently. The situation is perilous beyond measure. If this continues, not only will I be held accountable, you will not escape blame either. The best outcome will be all of us dismissed and stripped of rank, reduced to commoners!”

At this, the generals fell silent. Some matters could not be glossed over. If they struggled so without combat, the Turks would show no mercy in battle.

Gao Yunquan murmured, “What is to be done?”