Chapter 20: Lying on Ice (II)

Li Kuo was right—Sun Xiaozhe indeed had no intention of launching a forceful attack on Tangzhou. Compared to major cities like Chang’an, Luoyang, Taiyuan, and Fanyang, a small town like Tangzhou was hardly worth mentioning. Even if capturing Tangzhou allowed them to cross the Tongbai Mountains and enter Jianghuai, mountainous terrain made large-scale military movements difficult, severely limiting the speed of advance.

The order Sun Xiaozhe received from An Qingxu was to delay the defenders in the Tangzhou area as much as possible, thereby giving the troops in Suiyang a significant advantage. This task didn’t sound particularly honorable, but Sun Xiaozhe didn’t care.

From the moment An Lushan rose in rebellion in Fanyang, he had adopted a policy of avoiding mistakes rather than seeking glory. This was true during the attack on Luoyang, the capture of Shan Commandery, and even when taking Tongguan. Even when it came to leading the army into Chang’an, Sun Xiaozhe stepped aside and let the eager Cui Qianyou take the lead, willing to serve as his deputy.

While this approach seemed accommodating, it actually hid profound strategies. An Lushan was naturally suspicious, even of his most trusted general and sworn brother, Shi Siming, let alone a subordinate commander like himself. If things went well, that was fine, but any mistake could lead to harsh reprimands from An Lushan or even dismissal from office.

It had taken Sun Xiaozhe great effort to reach his current position, and he wasn’t willing to see all his hard work go to waste. So he would never take the lead or become the most prominent figure. In this way, if problems arose, it would be a “valiant general” like Cui Qianyou who would bear the blame.

When An Qingxu ascended the throne, Sun Xiaozhe became even more convinced of his approach. There were many rumors that the new emperor of Da Yan had seized power unjustly, with accusations of regicide and patricide. Although the court repeatedly denied these claims, if An Qingxu truly hadn’t done anything shameful, why would such rumors circulate?

Faced with such a ruthless figure who would kill to seize power, Sun Xiaozhe felt it was even more necessary to stay out of his way. Wasn’t Shi Siming the best example? He was a powerful figure in the Da Yan Empire, but after the new emperor took power, he was immediately sent back to Fanyang. Although An Qingxu granted him the title of prince to appease him, it was well known that An Qingxu distrusted Shi Siming deeply.

Generals like Tian Chengsi also faced suspicion from An Qingxu, with some of their military powers taken away. The current Da Yan court appeared calm on the surface but was actually rife with hidden dangers.

And it was all orchestrated by the strategist Yan Zhuang.
Sun Xiaozhe had met this commoner-turned-chancellor once, and his deepest impression of him was his extreme cunning—he hardly ever showed any emotions on his face.
With such a strategist by his side to offer advice, An Qingxu could firmly control all the military generals. If anyone showed disloyalty, they would inevitably be reported to An Qingxu by the sharp-eyed Yan Zhuang for punishment.
It was better to live happily as they did now than to be the one to take risks and suffer.
“Mr. Fang, how is things progressing?”
Sun Xiaozhe put down the documents in his hands and asked softly.
Standing below was a middle-aged man with dark eyebrows and handsome features, dressed in a deep purple robe. He gave Sun Xiaozhe a slight nod and said calmly, “General, everything is under my control.”
“Oh? Mr. Fang truly lives up to being my Zhang Zifang!”
Sun Xiaozhe was overjoyed. “If that’s the case, Tangzhou City will fall soon. By then, you will have rendered a great service.”
But Mr. Fang replied indifferently, “I dare not claim credit. I am merely pleased to be able to share the general’s burdens.”
Sun Xiaozhe stroked his short beard and said, “People say it’s easy to find thousands of soldiers but hard to find a good general. In my opinion, it should be reversed—easy to find thousands of scholars, but hard to find true talent.”
Mr. Fang took out a document from his sleeve and respectfully handed it to Sun Xiaozhe. “This is the document I wrote to the Tang Emperor. It is said that the emperor was furious after reading it and immediately labeled Li Kuo as a traitor.”
Sun Xiaozhe glanced at the document briefly, frowned, and said with a wry smile, “Mr. Fang’s document is truly ruthless. If I were the Tang Emperor, I would surely be enraged too.”
He slowly put the document down and said, “But didn’t this man receive great favors from Li Kuo? How could he agree to your request and write such a document?”
Mr. Fang smiled faintly. “As you just said, he owes Li Kuo a great debt, so he remains deeply grateful to him.”
After a pause, he continued, “For such a person, as long as you offer him even greater favors, he will without hesitation turn to you and even bite his former master hard to show his loyalty to you.”
Sun Xiaozhe was at a loss for words. “Such a person is a menace wherever he goes; he can’t be kept.”
Mr. Fang paused for a moment. “General, rest assured. Even if Li Kuo wanted to keep this man, I wouldn’t allow it.”

Sun Xiaozhe let out a long sigh and said, “But are you sure Li Kuo will turn against Emperor Tang? His family has been nobles for generations. Though they’ve declined a bit in his time, he still considers himself noble and upright. It won’t be easy to win him over to our side.”
Mr. Fang smirked slightly and said, “Just that letter alone certainly won’t make Li Kuo turn against Emperor Tang. After all, the fire has just been lit and isn’t strong enough yet. But what if we pour a basin of tung oil on that flame?”
Sun Xiaozhe was astonished. “So Mr. Fang already has a plan? I just don’t know what this tung oil is.”
Mr. Fang smiled faintly and began to explain slowly, “This tung oil must be extremely potent and purely toxic. Only then can we force someone to bring fire to their own body—first causing them to sweat profusely and emit thick smoke, until their body is completely burned. General Sun, do you know that Li Kuo’s close friend and confidant, Zhang Yanji, has already been summoned back by Emperor Tang from Anxi under the pretext of reporting for duty?”
Hearing this, Sun Xiaozhe seemed to wake up from a dream. He slapped his head and laughed loudly, “I see! I see now! Mr. Fang, you’ve added this tung oil wonderfully—truly brilliantly. With Emperor Tang currently enraged, and with your help to fan the fire and add more oil, it’s almost impossible for him not to do something foolish. With Li Kuo’s temperament, he surely won’t surrender willingly; instead, he’ll likely become completely opposed to Emperor Tang. As long as he doesn’t serve Emperor Tang, even if he tries to establish his own power, that would be a great fortune for us, for Great Yan…”
Those with high-level strategies act accordingly, those with medium-level strategies act in a moderate way, and those with low-level strategies act in a crude manner.
For someone like Fang Jie, the most important thing was to devise a clever plan to eliminate Li Kuo, the greatest threat to his master Sun Xiaozhe. He had proposed three strategies: the first was to ambush and kill Li Kuo during his return journey; the second was to attack Tangzhou City while Li Kuo was still away, aiming to seize his three strongholds and completely eradicate his influence in the Tangzhou-Nanyang region; the third was to sow discord between Emperor Tang and Li Kuo, using them against each other.
Yet Sun Xiaozhe chose the worst of these strategies without hesitation, which was truly disappointing. Although using others to kill is a clever tactic, it still depends on the circumstances. While this approach allows them to sit back and watch the conflict, it might also drive Li Kuo to stand completely on the opposite side of Great Yan, forcing him to establish his own power. Is Li Kuo who willingly serves the Tang dynasty more terrifying, or one who raises an army on his own? There’s no need to answer that question at all!

Sun Xiaozhe was only concerned with strengthening his own forces, unaware that such actions would do more harm than good to the struggle between the Great Yan State and the Tang Dynasty. If this promising young warrior continued to grow stronger, the threat he posed might well rival that of the currently powerful Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi! Sun Xiaozhe was simply too selfish!

Fang Jie sighed deeply, took out a stack of Huzhou rice paper, and began to grind it. Sometimes life is like a blank sheet of paper—you never know what will be written on it. This world isn’t inherently black and white; forcing a clear distinction seems rather pretentious. Pretension isn’t scary; what’s scary is being pretentious without realizing it—such people will eventually meet their end. Fang Jie was a pretentious person, but he had the advantage of self-awareness. Those who understand themselves can always turn danger into safety and survive in chaotic times. Even the best rice paper becomes flawed once ink is applied, losing its original beauty. After his actions, Li Kuo would surely no longer be able to integrate with the Tang emperor. While killing a thousand enemies might cost eight hundred of one’s own, in the end, Sun Xiaozhe would suffer the most. He could no longer stay by his side! After some deliberation, Fang Jie finally made up his mind. He sighed heavily, dipped a wolf-hair brush in ink, and began to write with fluid strokes, creating a magnificent piece in no time. After carefully reviewing his draft and confirming its accuracy, he nodded slightly, folded it, placed it in an envelope, and sealed it with hot wax. “Respectfully submitted by Fang Jie, the hermit. Please open it personally, General Wuwei!” (Note 1) Holding the brush, he wrote a few words in ink before smiling. Note 1: General Wuwei was a title given by An Lushan to his general Tian Chengsi after he rebelled against the Tang Dynasty.