Chapter 36: The Official Appointment

When Zhao Huai'an woke up, Xianyu Yue had already left.

Zhao breathed a sigh of relief at this. In truth, he knew a great deal; back at Tongshan Pass, he had already realized that Xianyu Yue was not being entirely forthcoming with him.

When Xianyu Yue had interrogated the Tibetan nobleman previously, Sun Tai had been in the tent. Sun Tai understood the Tibetan language, and he knew the nobleman had told Xianyu Yue that there was a traitor within Chengdu who held a very high position. Yet, Xianyu Yue had never mentioned this to Zhao Huai'an.

It was the same this time. Although Xianyu Yue had spoken at length, he still hadn't explained why he had joined Song Jian’s army. They had rescued Song Jian together, but Xianyu Yue had managed to get close to him far too quickly. According to Old Six, Xianyu Yue had already become a commander of the assault troops, managing over five hundred elite soldiers—a mid-to-high-ranking position within the military hierarchy. Yet, Zhao had only learned this from Old Six, who had heard it while drinking with Ren Tong.

Furthermore, there was something Zhao Huai'an could never quite figure out: why did Song Jian have his eye on him? Don't talk to him about "saving a life"—to men like them, such things were the most superficial of reasons. There had to be a specific task that only he, Zhao Da, could perform, and it had to be done in his capacity as a local militia leader.

His insomnia the previous night was precisely due to this. He had really wanted to ask Xianyu Yue: "Old Yue, what worth or ability do I, Zhao Da, possess to be valued by Commissioner Song, to be privy to the secrets of the military governors, the imperial supervisors, and the great generals of Eastern Sichuan? What does all this have to do with me?"

But Zhao held his tongue, fearing that if he asked, he might lose his brother in the end. Although Xianyu Yue kept much from him, Zhao knew one thing clearly: his sworn brother had never once harmed him, and instead, had gone to great lengths for his sake. Just consider this: Xianyu Yue was now a commander of five hundred men—how busy must he be? Zhao himself found managing a camp of a little over a hundred men exhausting enough, let alone the load on Old Yue. Yet, despite being so busy, whenever Zhao called him for a drink—not even going to fetch him personally—Old Yue would come, and they would sleep on the same couch. He truly treated him like a brother.

Having lived through so much in his later life, Zhao Huai'an had learned one rule for dealing with others: "Be confused about the small things, and clear-headed about the big ones." Xianyu Yue’s partial concealment was a small thing, so Zhao chose to be confused.

*Sigh*, being Zhao Da in the Great Tang is truly like walking on thin ice. I wonder when I will ever reach the other side.

Just as Zhao Huai'an was lost in thought, Zhao Six’s voice suddenly rang out from outside: "Zhao Da, come out quickly! The rewards from the main camp have arrived. Haha, we’ve struck it rich!"

Only then did Zhao remember that Old Yue had mentioned the rewards would arrive today; he hadn't expected them so soon. With Old Six’s shout, the camp became boisterous. Zhao Huai'an hurriedly put on his clothes, washed his face with a towel, and lifted the tent flap to step out.

...

As Zhao stepped out, he saw Zhao Six directing the "Five-Inch Nails" and the Tongshan men to unload supplies from a baggage wagon. Behind it, a dozen more large carts were lined up all the way outside the camp. Seeing Zhao, Old Six gestured toward him, then spoke to two men in yellow robes standing nearby.

The two men walked straight toward Zhao. One of them wore a black headcloth and had a small iron seal hanging at his waist, bobbing as he walked. Upon reaching Zhao, he cupped his hands and smiled: "Greetings, Master Zhao. I am Wang Duo, an official from the Granary Department. I have come to deliver twenty carts of baggage and weaponry. Here is the inventory; please take a look, Master Zhao, and if everything is in order, please sign for it."

After Wang Duo finished speaking, the other man, who wore a military cap and a round-collared robe, also cupped his hands and said: "Master Zhao—no, Commander Zhao, this is your official appointment."

When Wang Duo introduced himself, Zhao couldn't help but take a second look; he felt a sense of rapport with the man. But his focus soon shifted to the four-foot-long, coin-thick hemp paper the military officer held out.

So this was an official appointment from the imperial court?

Unable to suppress his joy, Zhao Huai'an took the roll of hemp paper and unfolded it. It was densely packed with characters:

*"In the first year of Qianfu, the year of Jiawu, the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month. The Emperor declares: Alas! To honor the virtuous and recognize the good is the glorious tradition of a magnificent dynasty; to reward merit and encourage achievement is the lofty rule of a wise sovereign. We hereby address you, Zhao Huai'an, whose family has long passed down loyalty and righteousness, and whose house has accumulated a legacy of benevolence. Your nature is firm and upright, and your talent combines courage and resolve. In these troubled times, with the Nanzhao in chaos, you have risen to the occasion, gathered a righteous force, protected the borders, and secured the people, repeatedly establishing extraordinary merit. Every time you faced the battlefield, you fought with bravery and did not retreat; your ambition is commendable, and your actions are praiseworthy. We hereby appoint you as a Militia Commandant, bestowing upon you the title 'Baoyi Unit'. We hope you will be diligent and govern with strategy, leading your subordinates as easily as moving your own arm, and repelling the harassment of bandits to keep the borders peaceful. Fully display your talents to live up to our expectations. This appointment as Militia Commandant shall be carried out by the relevant authorities."*

Below this were the names of the various officials from the Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Ministry of Personnel. In the middle, Zhao clearly saw the names of Niu Cong, the Military Governor of Western Sichuan, and Song Jian, the Vanguard Commissioner.

Zhao recognized most of the characters on the yellow hemp paper; even those he didn't were similar to the simplified characters of his later life, and he could understand them with a little effort. Seeing that the document actually began with "The Emperor declares," he couldn't help but ask the military officer in excitement: "Ha, was this specifically bestowed by the Emperor?"

Both the military officer and Wang Duo burst into laughter. However, both of them came from humble backgrounds and had been just as awestruck when they received their own appointments for the first time, so they didn't mock him. They told Zhao that such official appointments followed a standard format, which merely indicated that the appointment was sanctioned by the court. The rest was of little importance; the most crucial part was the signature and seal of the Military Governor, Niu Cong. Without that, the appointment would be useless.

Hearing this, Zhao understood: it was just a standard template with his name swapped in.

Seeing that the officer in the round-collared robe was robust, Zhao cupped his hands: "May I ask how to address you, brother?"

The officer smiled and introduced himself: "I am Ren Conghai, a judge of the military discipline officers for the Western Sichuan Frontier Army."

Zhao was no longer an outsider; he had learned about the various ranks in the military during this time. He knew that a discipline officer (Yuhou) was responsible for military law and discipline—much like a military judge—and held a high and powerful position. Although a judge under the discipline officer was a subordinate role, it was not to be underestimated. Zhao cupped his hands and praised him: "Officer Ren, you are truly accomplished."

Ren Conghai laughed: "Don't call me Officer; just call me 'Old Ren'. If you want to talk about being accomplished, it's you, Zhao Da! You were specially recommended to the Military Governor by Commissioner Song. Many people are green with envy over this appointment."

Zhao felt a stir in his heart, but he kept up the flattery: "Officer Ren, you are a man of ability; becoming a primary discipline officer is only a matter of time, right? How about this: Ren, Wang, since we hit it off so well, why don't we have a drink and get to know each other better?"

Everyone likes a bit of flattery. Ren Conghai was pleased and wanted to build a relationship with someone favored by Commissioner Song, so he readily agreed. However, Wang Duo shook his head, saying they should finish checking the ordnance and baggage first. Ren Conghai pouted but said nothing more, and Zhao had no objections. Watching Wang Duo count the supplies, he thought to himself, "This Master Wang is a man who takes his work seriously."

...

While Wang Duo and Zhao Six were counting the supplies, Ren Conghai spoke to Zhao. He explained that these supplies were enough for about a hundred men. Although Zhao’s unit had a nominal establishment of five hundred, he would have to find a way to manage the rest himself.

Zhao had just seen the unit title "Baoyi Unit" on the appointment paper, and confused, he asked: "Old Ren, isn't there already a Baoyi Army? Why give me a title like this?"

That was just how Zhao was; he called him "Ren" the first time and "Old Ren" the second.

Ren Conghai wanted to befriend Zhao. He knew that since Zhao had established this unit, he was now a minor warlord in the army. Ren, although close to the center of power, didn't have many men under his own command. So, instead of being offended by being called "Old Ren," he explained with a friendly tone: "I know the Baoyi Army you're talking about, but those are just rough country folk. You're different. Although your unit isn't in the official military register, it is directly under the Military Governor’s headquarters. Your funds and grain will be provided on the scale of a hundred men. How can those others compare to that?"

He then muttered under his breath: "Not to mention, after this battle, it’s unclear if that Baoyi Army will even still exist."

Zhao didn't catch the last part clearly and didn't want to press further, so he asked Ren what he meant by "funds and grain."

After Ren’s explanation, Zhao understood: his militia was truly different from others. The Baoyi and Muyi armies were no different from local mountain gangs, possessing only a title passed down from ancestors. The militia units like those of "Fatty Dou" were more like the armed forces of local gentry, which had only risen in the later, more difficult years.

But regardless of the type, they were essentially local volunteers who brought their own food and were not part of the imperial establishment. Zhao’s unit, however, was different. It was more like a product of the founding era, a local force directly under the jurisdiction of the prefect or governor. Although not in the regular military register, their supplies were issued according to regular army standards.

Realizing this, Zhao found the situation increasingly strange. In essence, he was a contract worker without an official registration! *I’m a contract worker in the Great Tang?*

As Zhao was pondering this, Ren added: "By the way, your unit is local, so you only get one share of pay. I’m telling you this in advance so there won't be any trouble later."

Zhao froze. What did this mean? Were there people who received double pay? Ren, seeing Zhao’s lack of experience, told him that not only double, but soldiers like those in the Zhongwu Army received triple pay. He explained that when troops from outside provinces came to Western Sichuan for seasonal defense, they received "out-of-province" grain, then, when they were dismissed and sent back, they received a "dismissal" stipend, and during this time, they continued to receive their regular pay from their home provinces.

Adding these three together, they received triple pay.

Zhao was genuinely shocked. He hadn't expected the Great Tang to be so humane—a business trip meant triple the salary!

He exclaimed in front of Ren, "What truly benevolent governance!"

Ren Conghai couldn't help but roll his eyes and cursed silently, "This Zhao Da is such a bumpkin. How did Commissioner Song ever take a liking to this crude brute?"

At this moment, Zhao had no idea he had made a fool of himself again.