Chapter Ninety-One: Killing the Monkey to Frighten the Chickens

After confirming that the rebel troops had completely retreated, Yang Xi finally ordered the highest state of alert on the ramparts to be lifted, and instructed the soldiers to rest in shifts.

The intelligence that followed revealed that the rebels had withdrawn across the entire front. They had not held onto the city of Hantong Pass, but instead retreated directly toward Shan Prefecture.

This left Yang Xi feeling greatly relieved, and a deep sense of accomplishment welled up within him. Tong Pass had finally been saved from peril—an achievement under his command. With barely ten thousand battered and demoralized soldiers under his banner, he had managed to prevent the rebels from breaching the city, a feat that was nothing short of remarkable. He felt a surge of pride; by virtue of his own wisdom and the efforts of his troops, the crisis had been resolved. After inflicting heavy losses on the rebels, he had forced them to withdraw from the gates of Tong Pass.

He had turned the tide and rescued the nation from disaster—what a moment of triumph!

Yang Xi swiftly dispatched a report on the battle, carried by express riders over six hundred miles to Chang'an. In his report, he recounted the course of the conflict and requested commendations for all his soldiers.

He also wrote a letter to his father, Yang Guozhong, detailing the situation at Tong Pass and recounting Chen Xuanli's response upon arrival.

By the time he had settled all affairs, evening had fallen. After supper, he summoned all officers at the rank of lieutenant commander and above for an emergency military meeting.

Though Geshu Han had been stripped of all official positions by the court and now served as a civilian in the army, Yang Xi still placed him in the seat of honor, out of respect.

After briefing the assembled officers on the battles of the day and recent days, Yang Xi announced the plans for the coming days.

His decision was clear: with the rebels in retreat, the entire army would focus on rest and recovery. He would not pursue the enemy beyond the pass.

Once the soldiers had regained their strength, large-scale training would commence. The troops within Tong Pass were of uneven military quality, poorly organized and lacking discipline, which greatly displeased him. He was resolved to enforce rigorous training, striving to turn the sixty to seventy thousand men at Tong Pass into an elite force, exceptional in both combat prowess and discipline.

“Order in advance and retreat, strict obedience, cavalry of the finest quality!” This was Yang Xi's goal.

He also publicly announced the new organizational arrangement for the troops at Tong Pass: all reinforcements that had arrived would be regrouped and assigned anew to various commanders.

There was still a force of ten thousand infantry marching on foot yet to arrive at Tong Pass. According to Yang Guozhong’s confidential report, the court had assembled an additional thirty thousand troops, now en route to Tong Pass. When they arrived, they too would be restructured and placed under the command of respective officers.

He announced the new appointments for the command of Tong Pass, hastily transmitted from the imperial court: Gao Shi as Chief Marshal of the Army, Wang Sili as Commander of the Cavalry, Pang Zhong as Commander of the Infantry, Tian Liangqiu as Right Wing Cavalry Commander, Lü Chongben as Left Wing Cavalry Commander, Li Fude as Left Wing Infantry Commander, Li Chengguang as Right Wing Infantry Commander, Liu Guangting as Vanguard Commander under the Marshal’s banner. Other officers were appointed as deputy commanders and similar posts.

These appointments had been suggested by Yang Xi and, upon being reported to the court, were approved by Emperor Li Longji.

With his father Yang Guozhong behind him, Yang Xi found many things easy to accomplish.

Yang Xi had another goal, not announced publicly: he planned to train an elite special operations squad under his own command, personally selecting and training its members for urgent and exceptional missions.

He was an “expert” in this field. Given time, he believed he could forge a team whose individual fighting ability was outstanding and whose collective prowess would strike fear into the enemy.

Yang Xi’s strategy for the immediate future was to focus on rest and training, refusing to seek out the rebels beyond the pass. This approach received support from most commanders, though many were anxious for swift victory and wished to take the offensive.

With Chen Xuanli’s arrival at Tong Pass, the Right Martial Guard General Fan Zhicheng, who had come as Chen Xuanli’s deputy and was somewhat dissatisfied with Yang Xi, especially since his new appointment was merely deputy commander of the infantry, stepped forward after Yang Xi announced the new arrangements and voiced his opinion to Yang Xi and Geshu Han:

“Marshal Yang, General Geshu, I believe our army should seize the opportunity to pursue the retreating rebels while they are in disarray, and crush them swiftly! Marshal Yang, I think your approach is too timid. The rebels are fleeing in panic, unlike their previous orderly retreats which allowed them to lay ambushes for us. This time, they are running for their lives. We should not abandon the pursuit—if we attack now, we may defeat them in a single battle!”

Yang Xi’s expression did not change upon hearing Fan Zhicheng’s words. He calmly asked, “General Fan, have you sent men to scout and confirm that the rebels have not laid ambushes along the way?”

“Uh…no!” Fan Zhicheng, surprised by Yang Xi’s question, found himself at a loss, but answered truthfully, shaking his head.

“Then are you not afraid of another disaster like Lingbao?” Yang Xi’s demeanor turned cold. “My father once thought as you do—believing the rebels would not fare well at the gates of Tong Pass and would flee in fear, and that the town’s forces should pursue them beyond the pass. The result was a crushing defeat. Are you not afraid of repeating the same mistake? If the sixty to seventy thousand troops at Tong Pass suffer another serious blow, the court has no means to send more reinforcements!”

“Marshal Yang speaks rightly; the same mistake must not be made twice!” Geshu Han, with no courtesy, followed Yang Xi in rebuking Fan Zhicheng. “General Fan, at Lingbao, our army suffered a devastating defeat and was gravely weakened. If not for Marshal Yang leading his men to rescue Tong Pass, the city would surely have fallen to the rebels! I firmly support Marshal Yang’s decision to hold fast and not seek battle!”

Seeing Geshu Han speak thus, Yang Xi did not pursue the issue further, but tonight, a matter requiring resolution arose, prompted by Fan Zhicheng’s silence.

“Gentlemen, I have received reports that when General Chen led his troops to reinforce Tong Pass, some officers, by sowing discord, deliberately slowed the march. Is there any truth to this?” Yang Xi spoke, his gaze fixed on Fan Zhicheng, who still looked somewhat defiant, but was now visibly startled by the accusation. “General Fan, you are Deputy to General Chen. Can you tell me who advised him thus?”

Faced with such direct questioning, Fan Zhicheng was stunned and could not immediately respond.

He had not expected Yang Xi to know of this so soon, nor to hold him publicly accountable.

When Fan Zhicheng stepped forward but failed to answer, anger flared on Yang Xi’s face. He barked, “Fan Zhicheng, I have been informed that you repeatedly urged General Chen not to advance at full speed, hoping to let me suffer defeat and thereby give the Emperor cause to blame my father! I do not wish to judge my father’s actions, but at a time of national crisis, with Tong Pass in peril, deliberately delaying the rescue is a grave offense, tantamount to treason. It cannot go unpunished!”

Yang Xi spoke coldly, sweeping his eyes across the officers with a voice of absolute authority. “I will tolerate no such behavior in the army. Orders must be obeyed without question. I do not wish to spill blood today, nor to see another general killed beneath the sword bestowed by His Majesty. But crimes must be punished! Guards, give Fan Zhicheng thirty strokes with the military rod, as a warning to all!”

Yang Xi knew that in this matter, Chen Xuanli himself was complicit; had he not willed it, Fan Zhicheng’s words would have meant little. But he could not, at this moment, hold Chen Xuanli, now departed from Tong Pass, accountable. Instead, he must teach a lesson to Chen’s confidant left behind, to warn others against defying his orders. This was the proverbial “kill the monkey to scare the chickens.”

“Yes, sir!” With a chorus of responses, several burly soldiers charged into the chamber, dragging the bewildered Fan Zhicheng out.

[End of section]