Chapter 25: Tang Hand
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Li Shitai of the Loyal Martial Army cast a sidelong glance at Zhao Huaian.
He could not understand what Song Jiedu had seen in this man. The latter had wielded the heavy saber reasonably well in yesterday’s battle, but that was all.
The Loyal Martial Army was descended from the old Huai-Xi garrison forces. It had always been the strongest army in the Central Plains, and its ranks were crowded with warriors and heroes. What had Li Shitai not seen?
Yesterday, the vanguard officer Xianyu Yue had praised Zhao Huaian as possessing “the strength to withstand ten thousand men.” Li Shitai had nearly died laughing. These people from western Sichuan were truly narrow-minded. Even this could be called the valor of one who could stand against ten thousand?
Still, Li Shitai had spent four years in western Sichuan and knew that the region’s military preparations were feeble and its supply of able warriors meager. He could understand it.
What he could not understand was how Song Jiedu, who had once served in the Loyal Martial Army, could also claim that this man was invincible against ten thousand.
The thought made Li Shitai increasingly resentful. Pursing his lips, he shouted at the thirty Tang soldiers behind him:
“You dogs who have lost your master ought to be executed on the spot. But Song Jiedu is benevolent and righteous, and has granted you a chance to live. From now on, this man is your lord. Now get out of here.”
Hearing this, the soldiers obediently knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Zhao Huaian.
Li Shitai’s words were harsh, but they were true. These men had lost their commander and been defeated and captured. Under Tang military law, if a commander died in battle, his men were required to recover his body. Otherwise, they would all be executed.
So even if they were released, returning to Qiongzhou would only mean death.
Now Song Jiedu had agreed to remove their names from the military registers. Though they would have to serve Zhao Huaian as household troops, it was still a way to stay alive.
Besides, the lord standing before them had, in a sense, saved them. They therefore kowtowed willingly.
Zhao Huaian shot Li Shitai a glance. He could tell that the man was hostile toward him, but since the other party had not openly acted on it, Zhao Huaian pretended not to notice.
He looked over the captured Tang soldiers and felt quite pleased.
Their appearance was actually rather miserable. Each wore only a hemp garment, and some did not even have straw sandals. They knelt barefoot upon the ground.
Moreover, having been captured, their spirits were low, as though the battle had beaten the souls out of them.
But on closer inspection, their joints were thick, their eyes held a fierce glint, and their palms were covered in heavy calluses. They were undoubtedly seasoned troops.
And besides, what was there to dislike about receiving thirty retainers for nothing?
He had just traded with Old Sun for twenty-three men, and now Old Song had given him another thirty. That made fifty-three recruits all at once. Old Zhao’s force had grown stronger overnight.
He had been worried that once Uncle He’s mountain settlers departed, his own ranks would become too thin and others would start eyeing him. Now he had gained fifty-three men to fill the gap. This was truly a timely rain.
The thought made Zhao Huaian all the happier. He went around lifting the men one by one, repeatedly exclaiming, “Good, good, good.”
But in Li Shitai’s eyes, this behavior only made him more contemptuous. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he turned to several of the guards behind him and sneered:
“This bunch of wretches abandoned their army and were captured. In my opinion, they should have been killed long ago. Yet someone here treats them like precious treasures.”
Then he pointed ahead, toward Zhao Huaian’s force, and continued mockingly:
“Though I suppose it makes sense. Those men up front are either Qiang tribesmen, southern barbarians, Liao tribesmen, runaway households, or mountain settlers. Like attracts like, and birds of a feather flock together. They are all a pack of wretches. Who knows what Song Jiedu sees in this fellow?”
The men behind Li Shitai were all proud and unruly soldiers of the Loyal Martial Army. Normally, they would make trouble even when they had no reason to do so. Now that their insults were not entirely unfounded, they laughed even louder.
By then, Zhao Huaian’s face had darkened. Sun Chuanxiu, standing beside him, could not bear it any longer and was about to speak, but Zhao Huaian stopped him.
Tilting his head, Zhao Huaian pressed a finger against Li Shitai’s chest and said fiercely:
“Hm? From the sound of it, you’re dissatisfied with Song Jiedu, are you? Are you? Hm? Are you?”
As he spoke, Zhao Huaian repeatedly poked Li Shitai’s broad, muscular chest. His tone was even more overbearing than Li Shitai’s.
Li Shitai’s face flushed scarlet. He did not dare complain about Song Jian, because Song Jian’s uncle, Song Wei, had once been their superior in the Loyal Martial Army and still commanded great respect among them.
But Zhao Huaian’s prodding had driven him into a fury. He could endure no longer and cursed:
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“Bullshit! I’ll beat you to death!”
As he spoke, Li Shitai raised his hand to slap Zhao Huaian.
But Zhao Huaian had deliberately provoked him for precisely this moment. Before the slap could land, he lowered his body and swung a powerful right hook.
The punch struck Li Shitai squarely on the left side of the jaw. His eyes rolled back as though someone had flipped a switch, and his entire body crashed stiffly to the ground.
The several Loyal Martial guards behind him drew a sharp breath and collectively took one step backward.
They stared at Li Shitai, a ferocious commander in the army, now lying on the ground asleep like a baby. Not one of them dared even glance at Zhao Huaian.
How was this man so savage? Why did he punch people the instant they disagreed with him?
…
Zhao Huaian walked over, picked up Li Shitai’s saber, and hung it from his own waist. Then he turned on the Loyal Martial soldiers, who were cowering like quails, and cursed:
“You sons of bitches! From now on, remember that I am Big Zhao. We are all brothers-in-arms, so show people some manners. Why are your eyes so fierce? Are you planning to eat someone? Let me tell you, I’m the one who eats people!”
“If I ever catch you insulting someone, I’ll beat you to death! If I see you hitting someone, I’ll beat you to death! If I see you pass me without greeting me, I’ll beat you to death!”
The Loyal Martial soldiers felt deeply aggrieved. They forced smiles onto their faces and hurriedly backed down.
“Big Zhao, we submit to you. We won’t dare provoke you again.”
Unexpectedly, Zhao Huaian replied:
“That won’t do. I prefer you when you’re arrogant and defiant. If you become too meek around me, I’ll beat you to death anyway.”
At that moment, the Loyal Martial guards could only feel that Big Zhao was genuinely deranged. They decided that, from then on, they would stay as far away from him as possible.
After teaching them their lesson, Zhao Huaian waved for them to carry Li Shitai away and told them that if Li Shitai refused to submit, they could come directly to him.
The guards nodded frantically. Supporting Li Shitai, they hurried away without looking back.
Watching their miserable retreat, Zhao Huaian clapped his hands and snorted coldly.
“Damn it! Zhao Huaian came to the Great Tang, not to be bullied!”
After dealing with the small-time tyrant within the Tang army, Zhao Huaian smiled and looked toward Sun Chuanxiu. Seeing the old man standing there with his mouth agape, he felt displeased and thought:
“Old Sun looks like a fine hero, and he is honest and upright, but he’s a little too timid. He’s not even as bold as those five-inch runt soldiers under his command. At least they dare to fight.”
Wanting to remind him, Zhao Huaian walked over and patted Sun Chuanxiu on the shoulder.
“Old Sun, the army is divided into ranks and grades, and people are divided into high and low positions. But those distinctions belong to other people. Don’t truly believe in your heart that you are inferior to anyone. The army respects only the fist. Don’t overthink it. If you refuse to submit, fight!”
Sun Chuanxiu was a mature man in his prime. How could a few words from Zhao Huaian change him? He could only smile bitterly.
“Lord Zhao, today I finally understand why Song Jiedu values you so highly. You are a true hero, no ordinary man. How could common fellows like us dare behave that way?”
Seeing that Sun Chuanxiu remained unchanged, Zhao Huaian stopped trying to persuade him. He understood that an old man like Sun, with a family to support and an entire military settlement behind him, could not be compared with someone like himself, who had nothing to lose.
Thinking of the ordinary working men of later generations, Zhao Huaian could understand Sun Chuanxiu as well.
While Zhao Huaian was trying to persuade Sun Chuanxiu, Sun Chuanxiu also wanted to offer advice from his own experience.
“Lord Zhao, the Loyal Martial Army has always been overbearing. Be careful that Li Shitai does not seek revenge!”
But would Zhao Huaian take such a warning seriously? He pointed at himself and said to Sun Chuanxiu:
“Old Sun, do you believe me when I say that after I beat Li Shitai, he’ll still come back and apologize to us?”
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Sun Chuanxiu naturally did not believe him. But then he suddenly thought of the great man in Chengdu—Song Jiedu—and fell silent.
People truly were divided into ranks and grades. Lord Zhao had someone powerful backing him. He was not someone ordinary men could compare with.
Zhao Huaian patted Sun Chuanxiu and said:
“On the road ahead, I’ll be teaching my disciples some skills. If any fine young men from your Bao Yi Army want to learn, send them to me. I’ll teach them all!”
Sun Chuanxiu’s eyes immediately lit up.
“The fist you just used to beat that man?”
Zhao Huaian nodded. He was about to say that it was boxing, but then realized he would need a grander name if he wanted to make a reputation for it in the future. So he told Sun Chuanxiu:
“This is the Zhao Family Tang Hand! Learn this fist, and you’ll be able to take on ten men!”
When Zhao Huaian mentioned Tang Hand, Sun Chuanxiu immediately understood. It was simply the Great Tang’s form of bare-handed combat.
But remembering that the Bao Yi Army was not wealthy, he asked hesitantly:
“How much is the tuition?”
Zhao Huaian was displeased. He slapped his chest.
“What do you take me for? Am I short of that little bit of money? Anyone who wants to learn can come. I’ll teach you for free. Consider it the beginning of a friendship.”
But Sun Chuanxiu had experienced too many human relationships to feel happy at those words. Instead, he replied cautiously:
“I’ll go back and ask them first. The young men all love martial arts, but they have long lacked an instructor. They will certainly be delighted to hear that Lord Zhao is willing to teach them. However, Lord Zhao, the rules regarding tuition cannot be broken. You must still charge something.”
With that, Sun Chuanxiu did not dare linger. He instructed Han Da and the others to work diligently, then hurried away with the remaining men and their loads.
Watching Sun Chuanxiu’s cautious manner, Zhao Huaian felt somewhat dispirited. He rubbed his nose and sighed:
“Indeed. Even Old Sun understands that when you eat someone’s food, your mouth becomes soft, and when you take someone’s gifts, your hands become short. How could I, Zhao Huaian, fail to understand?”
Although he had saved Song Jian, it had not been his achievement alone. Li Shitai had also contributed, yet he had clearly received no reward. Otherwise, he would not have picked a quarrel with Zhao Huaian.
Now Song Jian had given him a cart and sent him thirty men, all without asking him to do anything. What could he possibly want?
It was obvious that he intended to take Big Zhao in as a dog.
Damn this Great Tang. Why did all its great men love taking people in as dogs?
Though Zhao Huaian understood Song Jian’s purpose perfectly, he had no intention of returning the gifts. They were the capital he needed to build his own enterprise.
Besides, from another perspective, he could regard Song Jian as his angel investor. Sometimes one had to be flexible about morality.
Having completed his exercise in spiritual victory, Zhao Huaian smiled confidently and turned toward Han Da and the others.
“Han Da, do you want to learn?”
Han Da and the others were already Zhao Huaian’s household troops—established underlings, in other words. They had no reason to worry about owing anyone favors, and each of them eagerly prostrated himself.
“We wish to learn. We wish to learn.”
Like the captured Tang soldiers, Han Da and the others were barely dressed. Now they were kneeling on the ground with everything hanging loose, which made Zhao Huaian rather uncomfortable.
He smacked his lips and made a momentous decision.
“When we have money, I’ll get everyone a pair of underpants!”
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