Chapter Ninety-Two: The Plan Ahead

He listened to the skin-crawling sound of the military rod lashing flesh outside, and then to Fan Zhicheng finally unable to bear it and crying out in pain. Only then did Yang Xi speak in a cool, even voice: "Now that the realm is in peril and the rebel army is strong, Tong Pass and Chang'an are both in mortal danger. If anyone dares deliberately delay, shrink from battle, or flee at the moment of engagement, he shall be dealt with severely and without mercy!"

Yang Xi's words sent a chill through some of the generals. Wang Sili, Pang Zhong, and the others were likewise shaken; this young marshal was full of killing intent.

No one any longer took Yang Xi for a mere boy of seventeen or eighteen. The "maturity" on his face, together with his calm and formidable bearing, made everyone overlook both his age and his rank.

After Fan Zhicheng had taken thirty strokes of the military rod, he was already breathing on his last breath. His buttocks were a bloody ruin; even if he survived, he would at least need a very long time before he could rise from bed.

After Chen Xuanli departed, Fan Zhicheng held the highest post among the thirty thousand reinforcements that followed. When Yang Xi discussed military affairs, he suddenly proposed that Fan Zhicheng be heavily punished on the grounds that he had incited Chen Xuanli to deliberately delay the relief effort. Everyone knew what Yang Xi intended by doing this. It was a display of authority, a thunderous warning to the generals who had newly arrived. If anyone in the future dared to do the same, challenging his power, the punishment would be even harsher.

If they obediently complied from now on, that was surely the meaning behind Yang Xi's ruthless treatment of Fan Zhicheng.

With Fan Zhicheng punished, the other generals no longer dared voice any objection. They all led their troops away, until at last only Ge Shuhan and Yang Xi remained in the room.

"Marshal Yang," Ge Shuhan said with a hearty laugh, "this old man no longer worries in the slightest that you cannot control the situation at Tong Pass!" Then, with deep emotion, he went on, "The generals under my command have all been won over by you. You can command them well now, and the generals brought by Chen Xuanli would not dare oppose your wishes either. As for this useless old man, there is no need for me to remain at Tong Pass and shame myself any further. Today, I would like to ask Marshal Yang to permit me to return to Chang'an. I know the court could not possibly pardon all my guilt for the defeat at Lingbao; it merely withheld punishment for fear of unsettling the morale at Tong Pass. Since Tong Pass is now secure, I should return to court and confess my罪!"

After a couple of self-mocking laughs, Ge Shuhan, before Yang Xi could answer, even made a joke on purpose: "I hope Marshal Yang will grant me this favor, and I also hope you will not accuse this old man of cowardice in battle, nor report to the court that I fled at the moment of combat!"

The words that Yang Xi had meant to use to keep him were caught in his throat and would not come out. He stared for a while at the white-haired veteran before him, then finally nodded. "What General Ge says is reasonable. You are wounded and ill, so you ought to rest and recover first, and only then consider further matters. Though Lingbao ended in a disastrous defeat, Tong Pass was still held thanks to General Ge's efforts. This subordinate has already petitioned for merit awards on behalf of all the generals at Tong Pass, and in the memorial to the emperor I have also asked that the罪 of defeat be forgiven, so that all may redeem themselves through later service. I only do not know whether His Majesty will agree to my request!"

Yang Xi also changed the way he addressed Ge Shuhan. To continue calling him "marshal" was no longer quite appropriate.

"So Marshal Yang is agreeing to my request to return to Chang'an and confess my罪?" Ge Shuhan asked, with both surprise and disappointment.

"How could I disagree with General Ge's request?" Yang Xi said with a smile. "General, rest for a couple of days. Once your body feels better, set out for Chang'an. As long as the rebels are no longer confronting us beneath Tong Pass, I will certainly go back to Chang'an in a few days as well, to report the course of the battle here to His Majesty in person, and to explain in detail the arrangements that will follow, so that His Majesty and the other ministers may understand and support the policy of the Tong Pass garrison: hold fast, but do not sally forth to attack. To be honest, General, I also intend to keep leading the troops in battle until this rebellion is completely suppressed. I understand well that once the crisis at Tong Pass is eased, there will surely be people in court proposing that another general be appointed to defend it, and my father will also have the emperor summon me back to the capital. I must therefore ask His Majesty and my father in person to allow me to continue commanding the army until the rebellion is brought to an end!"

"Of course, I will also personally request merit awards for all the generals before the emperor, and beg His Majesty to forgive them!"

Ge Shuhan regarded Yang Xi with a complicated expression, and in the end still nodded. "What Marshal Yang says is reasonable. Some matters are best submitted in person. I also believe you have the ability to train the troops well and to lead the army well, and to win military distinction in the campaign to put down the rebels. Ah, may our Great Tang have no more cause for worry!"

Of course Ge Shuhan hoped the rebellion would be quelled quickly, restoring peace to the Great Tang. He also believed that Yang Xi would now play a major role in suppressing the uprising; this young man was extraordinary indeed. Yet for that very reason, he also worried that Yang Guozhong's power would swell as Yang Xi's achievements grew ever more dazzling, ultimately planting another hidden danger for the Great Tang. But this worry he could not voice.

Yang Xi had seen through Ge Shuhan's concern, but he merely smiled and said nothing further.

Three days later, Ge Shuhan set out for Chang'an.

Yang Xi sent a detachment of five hundred soldiers to escort him.

Ge Shuhan was in poor health, and the weather was still oppressively hot; it was impossible to travel swiftly even by relay-post horses, and he could not ride for long even on horseback. Most of the time, he had to travel by carriage.

From Tong Pass to Chang'an, at that pace, it would likely take at least six or seven days.

The day before Ge Shuhan departed, the ten thousand infantry of the following reinforcements also arrived at Tong Pass.

These ten thousand men had no horses to assist them and had marched almost entirely on foot. By the time they reached Tong Pass, they were all exhausted beyond recognition. Fortunately, there was no longer any fighting at Tong Pass, so they could rest and recover in peace.

After An Qingxu and Cui Qianyou had withdrawn all their forces from the region around Tong Pass, Yang Xi did not lead troops in pursuit. The ambushes An Qingxu had laid along the way proved of little use; their only effect was to help gather back most of the routed troops. After retreating to Shan Commandery, An Qingxu counted his forces and discovered that he had fewer than one hundred and twenty thousand men left. Nearly forty thousand soldiers had been shattered beneath the walls of Tong Pass, destroyed, captured, or surrendered to the Tang army.

Among those fewer than one hundred and twenty thousand were several tens of thousands who were wounded.

Upon receiving An Qingxu's report of the setback at Tong Pass, An Lushan had already halted his advance and was preparing to lead his army back to Luoyang.

The defenders of Tong Pass had suffered a loss of roughly three thousand men, essentially confirming Ge Shuhan's pre-battle estimate of a ten-to-one exchange.

After confirming that An Qingxu had indeed withdrawn to Shan Commandery and that An Lushan's one hundred and eighty thousand troops had fallen back to Luoyang, Yang Xi was at last at ease. While dispatching scouts to range far and wide to gather intelligence on the enemy, he also began intensive training. He was determined to forge a truly elite force.

He oversaw the training personally, with Wang Sili, Pang Zhong, Lu Chongben, Tian Liangqiu, Li Fude, and Liu Guangting responsible for the practical drills, while Gao Shi, acting as military secretary, handled the details of the training on his behalf.

Yang Xi also watched carefully for the loyalty of the generals under his command.

Still, he believed that at least for the present, Tong Pass would not descend into disorder. No one had the ability, nor the nerve, to do so. In arranging his affairs, he made sure the generals restrained one another, allowing no single man to grow too powerful. Among the generals at Tong Pass, some already had serious conflicts with each other, such as Li Chengguang and Wang Sili, or Pang Zhong and Lu Chongben. Yang Xi could make excellent use of these rivalries, having them supervise one another and check one another's power.

He also placed special trust in Gao Shi and made good use of him, believing that this famous figure of history would repay kindness with kindness.

He knew as well that a journey back to Chang'an could not be delayed. He had to hurry back as soon as possible, to report on Tong Pass and to ask Li Longji and his father Yang Guozhong to allow him to continue leading the army there.

If he was late, and Li Longji and Yang Guozhong made some other decision, it would be hard to change.

In addition, he had promised to plead for Ge Shuhan, Wang Sili, Pang Zhong, Li Chengguang, and the others before the emperor, and he needed to do that as soon as possible. It was an excellent chance to win hearts.

Several days later, the remaining thirty thousand temporarily conscripted troops also arrived at Tong Pass. Yang Xi personally assigned them to the various generals and had them join the training.

After settling the affairs of Tong Pass in good order, and confirming further that the rebel army was only holding its ground and not attacking, encamped in Shan Commandery and refusing to come out, Yang Xi decided to ride hard back to Chang'an with his personal guards and retainers, to report the situation to the emperor and submit his further requests.