Great Tang Idyll - Volume 4 Chapter 228:

After Tubo’s information was stolen by Tang intelligence personnel, it spread across all of Jiannan Circuit in a very short time. The people of Pengzhou learned about it first; every one of them worried about the army at the front while also hoping the army could kill more Tubo soldiers.

The Yizhou Logistics Battalion became famous overnight. The details of Zhang Zhong’s household were quickly dug up—from the Zhang family estate in Sanshui County at the very beginning, to later becoming a third-rank Prefect of Shuzhou, then being entrusted with urgent duties and enduring demotion. Everything was spread by people who cared to publicize it.

Even though the Zhang and Wang families rarely admitted publicly that Between Water and Clouds Pavilion and the various businesses were theirs, people still labeled them as such. 

Zhang Zhong’s reputation became unmatched in the region between Pengzhou and Yizhou, though people farther away still did not know.

Some people enjoyed fame and became smug; some feared excessive fame would cause trouble. The Zhang and Wang families remained calm. 

This time, Zhang Zhong did not even need to ask his son and daughter-in-law to know that he had to properly use the fame they had earned—being too low-key would be unworthy of the lives Xiaobao and Juanjuan risked at the front.

He immediately used the Zhang and Wang families’ reputation—being able to make money and also being able to fight—to attract investment. He spread the advantages of Yizhou’s natural environment and the prospects for profit to surrounding prefectures, urging merchants to come participate.

Of course, what was spread was only an intention. There was no specific plan yet—that kind of plan was not something ordinary people could produce. Even if he gathered the Zhang and Wang families’ remaining inner-household personnel into a team, they might produce a plan no one else in Tang could match. But it would still fall far short of his son—who either did not act, or once he acted, everything was interconnected and flawless.

Many merchants were tempted once they heard the news. There was no need to doubt how well the Zhang and Wang families earned money. Merchants who had cooperated with them before had all made a great deal—certainly more than if they worked alone.

Moreover, Zhang Zhong reached out with goodwill to invite people to Yizhou to help. Helping him this time meant that, given the Zhang family’s strength in commerce and warfare, they would surely gain advantages in the future.

Thus Zhang Zhong used the reputation they gained to develop the local economy. He was even willing to share a few profitable methods with others—methods he had originally prepared for his own family but never had the opportunity to use before.

This noble gesture was quickly analyzed by clever people and spread into the ears of the common folk. Because Zhang Zhong always did things under the banner of the imperial court, the commoners’ first thought was that the emperor knew how to employ talent well and had sent such a capable man to Jiannan Circuit. Only second did they praise Zhang Zhong. In an age ruled by imperial authority, this was normal.

After their excitement passed, Old Man Bi and the others also tied the message to carrier pigeons and sent it toward the capital, telling them not to worry anymore. The two children were formidable—they seemed to have inherited the essence of the master’s skills. Leading a group of defeated remnants, they had wandered around the mountains and somehow destroyed thirteen thousand Tubo soldiers.

As for when they would return, no one knew. They would wait for more reports from Tubo. It was impossible to send reinforcements—not knowing their exact location, their tracks seemingly vanished.

“I really don’t get it. Do the Zhang family’s two masters understand everything? How powerful are they? Judging from what the two children they taught can do, I must be right—Zhang family’s master didn’t go with them but stayed in Yizhou to guide Zhang Zhong. The Logistics Battalion must be commanded by Xiaobao and Juanjuan—just not sure which one.”  Old Zhang did not know much about scholarly matters, but he liked military affairs. 

Thinking about more than ten thousand men fighting as they ran, disorienting the Tubo soldiers, made him excited. He spoke to Old Man Bi and Old Yao.

Old Man Bi was still worried. He feared the two children had not mastered enough skills—winning twice by luck, getting carried away, believing they were unmatched under heaven, leading the troops to assault Jinchuan City directly and getting surrounded by Tubo cavalry. Unless they sprouted wings, they would never return.

“I want them to come back immediately. They’ve already achieved great merit. Bringing the men home safely will not disgrace the Tang army’s reputation. The emperor will be completely reassured. The emperor’s plan is good—the Zhang family’s master cannot be forced, so they must wait for Xiaobao and Juanjuan to learn enough skills, grow older, and then serve the country. Maybe even the emperor didn’t expect that he wouldn’t need to wait—they’ve already begun earning military merit. It’ll be hard to assign them later. Xiaobao is certainly top scholar material. If the battles were commanded by him, would he be a military top scholar or a civil top scholar? If the battles were commanded by Juanjuan, with one civil and one military—should they be placed together or separated? And Xiaobao’s martial skills and Juanjuan’s literary skills are both excellent.”

“The best place for the two of them is the frontier. One handles local livelihood and economic development; the other trains soldiers to resist foreign enemies—especially since the Zhang family can get along with any mountain tribes anywhere. Hm… think about it later. It’s still early. They may not have learned all of the master’s skills yet. They need to grow—at least until fifteen or sixteen.” 

 Old Yao’s meaning was that if the two children returned and someone wanted to appoint them to real positions of power, he would block it. They needed to learn everything from the master first. Judging by normal logic, the master must already be old—who knew when he would pass away? They needed to learn quickly.

Old Man Bi had the same thought and agreed: “Correct. No matter how others recommend them, Xiaobao and Juanjuan absolutely cannot take real posts. Honorary ranks and titles are fine. I need to work hard to live a few more years so I can personally witness their achievements.”

“I’ll go take my medicinal meal.”  Old Zhang, hearing Old Man Bi say “live a few more years,” remembered he still had medicine to take. He called someone to fetch it and said: “I don’t care about official posts. I just want to see the two kids wave their hands and watch tens of thousands of enemy heads fall. Kill—kill more Tubo people. Let them raid the borders year after year. Yes—where the blade points, the long knives sweep.”

While others were busy with their own tasks, Li Xun could not sit still. After arriving in Yizhou, he had been restricted heavily—not allowed to climb mountains, not allowed greasy food, not allowed strenuous movement. He could only do light exercise daily and was not allowed to drink much alcohol. He was not allowed to go out when the fog was heavy.

Under all these restrictions—and after eating one Dangshen Pill every day—he truly had not suffered an attack. He understood the Zhang family’s kindness but did not want to continue like this.

When Xiaobao and Juanjuan were still home, he could play with them. Now he was left to accompany a bunch of little kids—playing games, reciting poems. The little ones were clever, but being with them was not as comfortable as being with Xiaobao and Juanjuan.

Since they could go to the battlefield, and since he usually did not have attacks and had only suffered two in total, he felt he could also go to the front and command troops. After all, he was a Prince of Tong’an.

Thinking this way, Li Xun began mustering troops. Aside from the two hundred he had lent out, he still had many left. As a prince, he could lead one to three thousand. He currently had six hundred—not as good as the two hundred he had lent to Xiaobao and Juanjuan, but still decent.

Wanting to bring reinforcements to support Xiaobao and Juanjuan, he summoned a Zhang family servant and commanded: “Go tell my Uncle Zhang that I want to support Xiaobao and Juanjuan. I can’t let them fight alone. I’ll take my men and find them and support each other.”

The servant nearly collapsed from the shock. You? Support? Whether you even find them is questionable. And even if you do, you’ll only be a burden. ‘Support each other’? With what ability? Xiaobao and Juanjuan will have to take care of you—you’ll only make trouble.

He answered respectfully on the surface, then went to Zhang Zhong to report Li Xun’s intentions and suggested keeping him under watch to prevent accidents.

Zhang Zhong certainly could not let Li Xun run around. With his limited ability, once he went out he would be captured. Forget six hundred men—give him six thousand and nothing would change.

He found Li Xun and frightened him thoroughly. His meaning was: if you want to go out, then go back to Tong’an first and come out from there. Not now. Your father and uncle know you followed me here. If anything happens to you, I cannot bear the responsibility. Be obedient and wait for Xiaobao and Juanjuan to return. Otherwise, don’t expect me to ever bring you elsewhere again.

Li Xun was scared stiff and quieted down, going gloomily to play “Rich Man’s Game” with Liu’er and the others, muttering that he was not a child anymore, and should not be told to “wait for Xiaobao and Juanjuan to come play with me.” He insisted he could accomplish big things too.

Zhang family personnel began following him everywhere, afraid he might suddenly run off.

Three days after Tubo scouts first brought back reports, Tubo still had no useful information. More than ten thousand Tang troops inside their territory had simply disappeared—no sign of life or death. A very mysterious situation.

The only report that returned was that Tubo was under great pressure. Since the Tang army could not be found inside their borders, they had to increase their forces. Troops were already being pulled from elsewhere. The grain supply had broken down. Tubo had been tormented to exhaustion.

The capital now received news again. As always, Gao Lishi was the one who accepted it.

Li Longji has been living poorly these days. Had it been talented adults on the front line, he would not be so distressed. But the Zhang family’s master was not ordinarily talented, and the two children were so adorable. Every night he dreamt of Xiaobao and Juanjuan being captured and killed by Tubo soldiers, waking drenched in sweat, feeling the comfortable bed gifted by the Zhang family beneath him, unable to fall asleep again.

The court officials also felt this oppressive atmosphere. All because of two children, everyone’s eyes repeatedly drifted toward Jiannan Circuit. From the time they were ten months old and gradually understood things, they had been quiet, obedient, filial, studious, bright, and beautiful—anyone without a twisted mind would want such children to return safely. Naturally, they also hoped for children like that in their own families.

Just after morning court ended, while Li Longji was discussing affairs with a few close ministers, Gao Lishi hurried out and hurried back again, saying to the gloomy emperor who nevertheless had to handle affairs:

“Your Majesty, Yizhou’s Bi Gou has sent word by carrier pigeon. There is already news of Xiaobao and Juanjuan.”