Great Tang Idyll - Volume 4 Chapter 220

Guo Tu knew how the Logistics Camp appeared, and he understood what the Logistics Camp represented. It was nothing more than Zhang Zhong—transferred from Shuzhou—temporarily helping Jian’nan Circuit gather grain, relying on his family’s wealth.

Because he believed that, he had given Zhang Zhong a cold face when he first arrived in Yizhou. A mere wealthy civil official—how could he compare to a military general like himself?

Later, while marching on the road, he changed his opinion of Zhang Zhong. He realized that Zhang Zhong was capable: in a short time he had everything organized, allowing his army to travel unimpeded. It was then that he understood the advantage of money.

But that feeling was limited strictly to Zhang Zhong’s ability in logistics. When it came to fighting a war, Zhang Zhong’s people had no place in command, nor did they have the capability.

And now—hearing scouts say that the Yizhou Logistics Camp had arrived ahead of them to deliver supplies, and especially seeing the two scouts’ firm expressions—he could not help wanting to see if it was true.

Thinking this, Guo Tu adjusted his armor—which was extremely uncomfortable to wear—and ordered the two men, “Lead the way.”

The two scouts, still thinking of what they had just witnessed, felt as though they were in a dream. They did not know how much grain the Logistics Camp could bring, but even eating a mouthful of fried flour would be better than eating wild vegetables.

“General, could it really be the Logistics Camp? On the road, the Logistics Camp had plenty of mules. If each person had two mules, it’s possible.” The adjutant spoke with hope. He feared it might be a dream—that when they reached the front, they would find only two starving scouts who had lied.

Dragging his stiff, halting legs forward, Guo Tu’s face shifted at the adjutant’s words, and he cursed, “Damn it. You believe the Logistics Camp could come this far? If the Logistics Camp could reach here, what does that make us? Go, let’s see what’s going on.” Guo Tu led his officers slowly toward the front. 

After walking some distance, he saw figures moving ahead and suddenly stopped, frowning as he studied the woods before them.

The adjutant also stopped, alert, pulling out a telescope to examine closely.

“General, there may be an ambush ahead. But I can’t see exactly where the men are hiding. Could the scouts have been captured and the enemy is using two imposters to lure us forward?”

The adjutant felt as though every plant was an enemy soldier. He spoke with concern.

Just then, Wang Gang came running from ahead, still chewing on something. He stood before Guo Tu, forced the food down, and finally said, “Reporting, General—the Logistics Camp is here. They brought us plenty of food. Uh!”

“Drink some water.” Seeing Wang Gang choke on his food, Guo Tu finally relaxed. 

He recognized Wang Gang—a reliable scout. After giving the order, he strode forward. Now that he was certain the people ahead were the Logistics Camp, he could not act overly cautious, lest he be looked down upon.

After a few dozen breaths, Guo Tu and his officers reached Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Only about twenty people were here, chatting with the scouts—mainly questioning them while the scouts answered through mouths full of food.

At that moment Guo Tu felt the sensation of being surrounded grow even stronger. It felt as if someone could take his life at any moment. He looked around but saw no one. 

Something was wrong.

Zhang Xiaobao stepped forward, opened the imperial decree in his hand, and showed it to Guo Tu while saying, “General Guo, have your men come at once to collect the food. The Tibetan pursuers may appear at any time.”

Guo Tu did not read the decree first. Instead, he carefully examined Zhang Xiaobao. 

Whose child was this? He looked much stronger than children of the same age—thirteen? Fourteen? His tight-fitting clothing and leather armor made him look valiant.

His own children were nearly this age. Compared to this child, they had strength but lacked refinement. A good child. Why did he look familiar?

As he wondered, his gaze shifted to the decree. 

Reading it from beginning to end, he finally understood who the child resembled—Zhang Zhong. The emperor had ordered the Logistics Camp to come close to support the front. That made this Zhang Zhong’s matter. The child must be from Zhang Zhong’s household.

Unexpected. For someone like Zhang Zhong—a civil official—to produce such a son… perhaps being born into a wealthy family made the child healthier.

“You’re the boy of Prefect Zhang? Where is your father?” Though a great general, he needed to address matters with whoever was responsible. After reading the decree, he asked Zhang Xiaobao as gently as he could.

“Yes. I am the eldest son of the Prefect of Yizhou, Zhang Zhong. My name is Zhang Xiaobao. My father is governing Yizhou and sent me and Juan’juan to reinforce you.”

Zhang Xiaobao spoke solemnly. But his physical age was too obvious. The more serious he acted, the cuter he looked. 

Wang Juan also straightened her chest proudly—she was a general now and must not lose momentum.

Standing together, they made everyone’s eyes brighten. Truly a golden boy and jade girl. Zhang Zhong was fortunate. This Juan’juan—on the way here, the supply officers had mentioned she was the future daughter-in-law of the Zhang family.

Unexpected that Zhang Zhong had sent the two children here. He must have wanted them to witness the blood and cruelty of the battlefield. Unfortunately, they had come at the wrong time; they might not even survive to return.

Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan tried hard to act mature so others would not look down on them. But no matter how they acted, their adorable faces made it impossible for anyone to link them to the leaders of this support unit.

After days of fleeing, Guo Tu had been in foul temper. Now, seeing the two children standing seriously before him, he finally softened. 

He reached out and rubbed Zhang Xiaobao’s head, saying: “Good, good child. Call your supervisor here. I have questions. Tell Uncle—how old are you?”

Zhang Xiaobao froze, looking up at him in helpless frustration. Did he not see the decree in his hands? Who other than the responsible officer would dare hold a decree?

He glanced sideways at the equally frustrated Wang Juan, then gave up trying to be seen as an adult. He smiled and said, “Ten years old.”

In truth, he was nine—ten only in the coming new year by nominal age.

“And where is the supervisor?” Guo Tu nodded. 

Children larger than their age were not unusual. One of his guards had a twelve-year-old son who looked eighteen or nineteen.

“It’s just me and Juan’juan supervising. We were waiting in Pengzhou for the army to return in triumph, but then a decree arrived, so we came ahead with our men. I’ve already sent someone to inform my father. He should be sending people now.”

Zhang Xiaobao had understood. Since the other party insisted on viewing him as a child, he would simply act like one. As for reinforcements—dream on. These people were all they had. Whether they lived depended entirely on Wang Juan’s ability.

Hearing this, Guo Tu was shaken. Was Zhang Zhong insane—sending his son and future daughter-in-law here? Did he think this was a hunting trip?

He looked again at the Logistics Camp personnel. Their expressions showed complete acceptance. It was indeed the two children who were in charge. 

Impossible.

Just as he was about to ask further, the adjutant reminded him, “General, shall we let the brothers eat first? We can ask while they eat?”

That woke him up. Indeed, there was no rush. Since the Logistics Camp had arrived, they must have brought food. Better to eat first; if worse came to worst, they would fight the Tibetans with full stomachs.

Thinking this, Guo Tu said, “Xiaobao, this…”

“General Guo, please address me as Captain Zhang—acting captain.” Zhang Xiaobao needed to establish the structure. If they kept calling him “Xiaobao,” they would strip him of his command authority. Without command, how would Wang Juan direct the troops? Did they expect the dim-witted Guo Tu to lead them to their deaths?

Guo Tu froze, then considered the situation and the unfriendly eyes of the men nearby. At last he forced himself to say, awkwardly, “Captain Zhang… how many men did your Logistics Camp bring? And how much grain?”

“General, only grain, no fodder. I assume you also have no pack animals left. We brought two hundred fifty-eight people, carrying salt and compressed biscuits.”

Zhang Xiaobao did not bother acting solemn now. Whatever he did, no one would treat him as an adult. It was entirely different from commanding the inner court at home.

Hearing there were over 250 people, Guo Tu looked from the small group before him to the surroundings. Where were the rest hiding?

“All units, remove your concealment.” Wang Juan’s crisp child’s voice rang out. 

As soon as she finished, over two hundred people emerged suddenly around them—every one of them holding a bow or crossbow—startling Guo Tu and his officers.

To think they were this close and no one had noticed them. If these had been enemies, a single volley of arrows would have killed them all.

Once the figures were fully visible, everyone understood why they had not been noticed earlier. The two hundred men wore clothing dyed in patches of green, black, and yellow. Their heads were wrapped with rings of grass. Even the exposed skin of hands and faces was smeared in mottled colors.

Even at a distance of a hundred paces, one would not see them—not even if they crouched by the roadside.

The adjutant pointed at one of the men and asked curiously, “This attire is…?”

“Camouflage. In the mountains, you must look like part of the mountains—or you’ll be spotted immediately. Disperse. Guard the perimeter. Let the brothers rest.” Zhang Xiaobao explained briefly and issued orders.

The two hundred men slipped back into the forest and disappeared instantly. Within a hundred paces, not a trace could be found.

At this moment, Guo Tu felt extremely conflicted—more accurately, jealous. He did not care about the two children; he barely even registered their presence. But these two hundred men—he could not get them out of his mind. Even his personal guards could not compare.

These people were actually part of the Logistics Camp. And judging by how they followed orders, the two children’s authority over them was absolute. 

Where had these men come from? Were they Zhang Zhong’s private soldiers?

If the Logistics Camp was filled with such elites, then compared to them, his own men were nothing.

With these tangled feelings, Guo Tu ordered his soldiers to collect the food. Eating was the most important matter now; everything else could be learned slowly.

This time, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had not brought jerky or fried flour. Each member of their force carried a large backpack, and the horses also bore loads.

Inside were compressed biscuits—some with meat fat, some with vegetable fat—along with dried vegetables, flour, minced meat, bean flour, and egg yolk. They could be eaten directly or cooked when possible. Their caloric content was extremely high. A single piece plus water could sustain a soldier for half a day.

Each of the more than two hundred men had carried three hundred pieces. If rationed—one piece per person per day—they could feed seventy thousand people for one day. With the number of troops Guo Tu had left, five days of supply posed no issue at all.

Guo Tu had never seen compressed biscuits and had no idea what they were for. 

Looking at the two hundred men having brought “so little,” he sighed and said: “Did you abandon most of your supplies on the way while you hid?”

“No, we did not. We killed and killed along the way, eating whatever food we found in the homes of the local people we slaughtered. This good stuff is reserved for the General.” Zhang Xiaobao took out a biscuit and placed it on his palm. Before anyone could ask, he continued, “This biscuit is called a compressed biscuit. Its caloric—no, its density is extremely high. If you do not move much, eating one piece can sustain you for an entire day with no problem. Eat one piece, then drink water. Remember—do not eat too many. Otherwise your heartbeat will accelerate, and your whole body will feel unbearably hot. If you eat more than five pieces at one meal and then drink more water, your stomach will swell. Send people over to collect them, and bring the wounded as well. The Logistics Camp also prepared medicinal treatments, though not much.”

As Guo Tu listened, his expression shifted again. He had spared the local people on his march—yet the Logistics Camp had killed its way through, which explained how they managed to safely reach the front and wait here. 

What was this? Who was logistics, and who was the main force?

But he knew he could not blame them for doing their job too well. If anyone was at fault, it was himself. Still—if they truly killed along the way, who issued that order? Judging from how the two hundred men treated the two children with absolute respect, every matter was handled according to the children’s instructions. 

Did they give the order?

No matter what, he could not imagine the two doll-like children before him being responsible for slaughtering ordinary Tibetan civilians. If they really were… then the word “cute” no longer applied.

While watching Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan and trying to read something cruel or inhuman from their eyes, Guo Tu took the two compressed biscuits and bit into one.

A strange flavor instantly filled his mouth. The first sensation was grease—then sweetness—so filling that one felt sated without swallowing. The second sensation was fragrance—the aroma of scallions whetting the appetite, the hint of ginger easing nausea. The third sensation was chewiness—after being held in the mouth for a moment, the once-hard biscuit softened into flakes.

There was also the taste of meat and egg yolk. Delicious. If not for the fact that it was rations for soldiers, it would be easy to treat it as a snack.

A good thing indeed. No wonder they warned against eating too many. It was honest, solid food. 

How did the Zhang family come up with this? If every soldier earlier had been carrying a large pack of these biscuits, who would worry about grain? Just prepare a little emergency fodder for the horses. Even here, one could find enough grass for the horses to eat.

After eating half a biscuit, Guo Tu even wondered whether he should impeach the Logistics Camp. If they had such good things, why did they not bring them out earlier? The grain stores would not have been burned.

But then he thought—if he truly impeached them, how would he face the care and support they had given along the way? And how would he face the fact that they came now to support him? The court would punish him first. Who ever said the Logistics Camp was obligated to take out unprecedented food supplies? His own failure was due to exposure. Who told him not to kill people along the way? Why had the Logistics Camp not been exposed?

“General, is this usable?” the adjutant finally asked. 

He was starving too. When they fled, the generals did not dare to secretly eat better food—otherwise morale would collapse. He had eaten wild vegetables for three days, and yesterday at noon received a small piece of some unknown animal’s meat.

Now there was food—who cared whether it was biscuits or compressed biscuits? Filling the stomach came first. And they smelled delicious. The Logistics Camp people were good men indeed.

That snapped Guo Tu out of his thoughts. With over two hundred men with exceptional skills helping guard, his own soldiers could finally rest. He quickly ordered, “Command: five pieces per man. Only one piece per day. After eating, drink water.”

Those waiting nearby happily hurried off to collect the food. One piece was one piece—though small, it was better than nothing. With some wild vegetables, perhaps they could be full.

After issuing the order, Guo Tu looked again at Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. 

He stuffed the remaining half biscuit into his mouth, swallowed with water, exhaled in relief, and said to them: “Xiaobao, Juanjuan—oh, Captain Zhang—will your Logistics Camp be placed under this general’s command?”

Guo Tu had already set his eyes on the two hundred men. Soldiers like these were extremely rare. Their clothing was different, their weapons were all forged of fine steel, and they carried various odds and ends he could not identify.

If this unit came under his command, its value would be immeasurable.

He knew their worth. Did Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan not know? They trained these men, armed them, and knew full well that two hundred of them could fight several times their number. The equipment on each man—no less than three hundred guan in cost. Did he think firearms were easy to make? Did he think disposable rocket tubes were free? Did he think sleeve arrows were simple? Did he think various poisons and stimulants grew on trees? Did he think snap-ignition grenades were produced by a government arsenal and succeeded with every attempt?

The equipment alone cost seventy thousand guan. Training expenditure even higher. No one with a functioning brain would give them away.

This was Zhang Xiaobao’s golden army—prepared for Wang Juan. Elite among elites. Aside from the gunboats at home, these were their final reserves.

While the two children thought of the cost, Guo Tu grew impatient and continued, “With these two hundred men, I can safely bring you back to Yizhou. Prefect Zhang must be worried. You’ll soon be home, eating your family’s cooking and hearing your family tell stories.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaobao immediately classified Guo Tu—shameless, despicable, resorting to deceiving children. Truly impressive.

The problem was—at home, it was he and Juanjuan who cooked and told other people stories.

Wang Juan spoke up, “General Guo, if we don’t let them obey your orders, if the fighting continues, won’t Xiaobao and I be unable to return home? Won’t we be unable to see our parents again?”

“Yes. If you are careless, you’ll be captured by the Tibetans and forced to work like beasts—just like the servants in your homes. You know what kind of life that is, don’t you?” Seeing an opening, Guo Tu continued to frighten them.

“General Guo, the servants of the Zhang and Wang households live quite well. If they wish, they eat meat every day. The Tibetans cannot match that.” Before Zhang Xiaobao or Wang Juan could answer, a member of the Seedling Protection Team spoke up. 

He had already seen through it—Guo Tu wanted to trick them. Unfortunately for him, he had chosen the wrong people. To deceive the Young Master and Young Miss? Harder than conquering Jinchuan.

Guo Tu recalled what he had heard on the road and realized he had chosen the wrong threat. The servants of the Zhang and Wang households lived better than the wealthy. This would not scare the children.

So he immediately switched tactics. “Indeed. If caught by the Tibetans, your lives will be miserable. You’ll be whipped daily, given no food, and you’ll never see your families again.”

Even as he said it, he felt his face burning. If he were not desperate to obtain the two hundred men, he would never utter such shameless words. And even if he got them, how would he explain to Zhang Zhong afterward? Tricking someone’s children—would their family tolerate it?

Wang Juan and Zhang Xiaobao exchanged a perfectly timed look of terror. 

Just as Guo Tu thought he had succeeded, Wang Juan tugged Xiaobao’s sleeve and said: “Xiaobao, it’s too dangerous outside. Before we are discovered, let’s hurry home. Leave the rest for them to transport back to Pengzhou.”