Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 4693 Right Jinwu Guard
At daybreak, Zhang Liang, dressed in a new helmet and armor, walked out of the city gate accompanied by dozens of personal soldiers, walked out of the city through the Jingyao Gate along the long street, crossed the Yong'an Canal, and headed eastward to the Xuanwu Gate.

The dew was heavy in the early morning, and the grass and trees on the roadside were covered with dew and looked crystal clear. There were still a few wisps of mist between the mountains and forests, and the birds were chirping and the mountain springs were gurgling.

Zhang Liang rode his horse at a rapid speed, his bright red cape fluttering behind him, looking full of high spirits.

He was born in a poor family and his family had been farmers for generations. If it were a peaceful and prosperous time, his ancestors would have been reduced to such a state of depravity. However, the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty gave him the opportunity to break free from the shackles and rise to prominence.

He first joined Li Mi and was soon appointed as "General of Cavalry" under Li Ji. In the first year of Wude, he followed Li Ji to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. After several ups and downs, he was recommended by Fang Xuanling and was summoned to the "Tian Ce Palace" by the King of Qin, and served as "General of Chariots and Cavalry". He was gradually appreciated by the King of Qin and regarded as his confidant.

In the ninth year of Wude, King Li Yuanji of Qi reported him to Emperor Gaozu for his evil intentions. Emperor Gaozu ordered the officials to arrest and interrogate him, but he refused to reveal a single word, so he was released. As a result, the King of Qin held him in higher esteem.

When the King of Qin established his rule over the world, he was conferred a title for his merits.

But since Fang Jun's rise, Zhang Liang has suffered repeated setbacks as if he were his natural nemesis. How could he not feel depressed as a great minister of the Zhenguan period fell to the level of Fang Jun's lackey?

In theory, Fang Xuanling had been a benefactor to him, and he had always been respectful and reverent to Fang Xuanling. They had a deep relationship, so they could be considered as partners on the same path. But Fang Jun was ruthless and allowed Li Chengqian to suppress him at will, which was extremely excessive. Especially after Li Chengqian ascended the throne, he was appointed as the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, which seemed to be one of the six ministries, but in fact he was responsible for doing things that offended people...

If he had not taken the initiative to surrender to Liu Li, how could he have the good job of being the "General of the Right Jinwu Guard" today?

The Left and Right Jinwu Guards were all Fang Jun's former team members. His appointment as the General of the Right Jinwu Guard was like snatching a bone from Fang Jun's mouth, which must have disgusted him. But even so, Zhang Liang was still not satisfied. While galloping on his horse, he was thinking about how to completely take the Left Jinwu Guard into his pocket and cut off Fang Jun's arm.

The Yong'an Canal enters Chang'an City from the Anhua Gate in the south, flows north out of the Jingyao Gate, passes through the Forbidden Garden, and flows north into the Wei River.

The military camps of the former Left and Right Tunwei, now the Left and Right Jinwuwei, started from Yong'an Canal and stretched eastward through the Xuanwu Gate. As the most important military force to protect the capital, the two armies had a total of more than 80,000 soldiers of various types, and their barracks were connected to each other, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Although it was not yet fully light, the two military camps were already bustling with activity. Teams of soldiers marched out of the camps and headed straight for the parade grounds, running in small steps, shouting in unison, with high morale. Plumes of smoke rose from the kitchen, and people shouted and horses neighed in full swing.

Zhang Liang was filled with excitement and pride at the thought of recruiting such an elite troop that had made numerous military achievements and was the most powerful in the Tang Dynasty's army into his own hands.

If Fang Jun can dominate the world and achieve unprecedented feats with this army, I can do it too!
A group of cavalrymen came galloping fiercely, attracting the attention of the military camp. When they arrived at the camp gate, guards came forward with swords in hand to stop them: "This is a restricted area of ​​the military camp. Stop and tell me your name!"

Zhang Liang reined in his horse, but a soldier beside him rode a few steps forward, approached the guards, and swung the whip at them, shouting, "How dare you! This is the new general of the Right Jinwu Guard. Are you blind and bold enough to stop him?"

The guard was caught off guard and was hit in the face by the whip. His skin was torn and he screamed in pain. He took two steps back and was supported by his companions on both sides. More than ten guards glared at Zhang Liang and his group.

Someone angrily said: "The military camp is an important place, and there are rules. No matter who you are, you must show your identity and take out your seal before you can enter. We are following military orders, why did you hurt someone?"

The personal soldier said proudly while riding on his horse: "Nonsense, my commander is the general of the Right Jinwu Guard, your immediate superior, the master of the army. Why should he reveal his identity to a mere gatekeeper like you? Get out of the way quickly and don't delay the commander-in-chief from taking up his post!"

A dozen guards stood still. Although they knew that the new commander was Zhang Liang, they did not dare to neglect their duties due to military rules and discipline. They still insisted: "Please show your identity and take out the seal!"

"Damn it! You bastard, you're not afraid of death, right? I'm going to grant your wish today!"

The guard simply threw away his whip and drew his sword from his waist...

"Changde, stop messing around! Hand the documents and seals to the brothers, and then enter the camp after they have verified that they are correct."

Zhang Liang waited until the sharp knife was almost on the guard's head before he spoke, not only to his own soldiers.

"Here."

Chang De put away his sword, drove his horse back two steps, turned over and jumped off the horse, took out the appointment document issued by the Ministry of War and the commander-in-chief's seal from his arms, and handed them to the guards for inspection.

Several guards gathered together to take a closer look, and after confirming that it was correct, they quickly returned it with both hands, then knelt on one knee and said in unison: "Military regulations are strict, we dare not violate them. If we have offended the Marshal, please forgive us!"

The show of force has been used, and the effect is quite good. Next he has to step forward, first demonstrate, then show favor, and use both soft and hard tactics to win over the people's hearts as soon as possible.

Of course, these guards were so tough, it might be a show of force to him, the new general... This made Zhang Liang alert. Before, he only wanted to snatch this powerful army from Fang Jun, and then he would have a strong army in his hands and make great achievements. However, he ignored the fact that these were Fang Jun's team. How could he just be obedient and submit to others?

Perhaps from the moment he arrived at the gate of the military camp, a battle for control of the army had already begun.

Zhang Liang sat on his horse, looking down at the guards with deep eyes, and said kindly: "You are also following military regulations, what's wrong with that? If any of you have been wronged, I will have someone send you a reward of one string of silver coins later. Go find a doctor to treat you well, then go home and rest for half a month, and then go back to the camp to serve after your injury is healed."

"Hey! Thank you, Marshal!"

The injured guards endured the pain and expressed gratitude.

The guards stood up and opened the camp gate, waiting for Zhang Liang to enter the camp.

Zhang Liang was not in a hurry. He played with his whip and said calmly, "Go inside first and inform all the generals above the rank of lieutenant to come here. I will recognize the people first."

The guards were stunned, thinking that whether you want to recognize someone or take up your post, shouldn't you go to the central military camp?
However, they did not dare to ask more questions and responded quickly. Two of them ran into the camp to report, while the rest stood on both sides of the camp gate.

A small disturbance at the camp gate has attracted the attention of many people nearby. They can't help but whisper and look over here frequently...

Zhang Liang sat upright on the horse, his expression becoming increasingly ugly.

The guard who came to report to the camp had been gone for a cup of tea, but the officers in the army still hadn't come to greet him, the new commander...

Was it because we were unable to gather everyone at once?

Or did he do this on purpose to embarrass him as the head coach?
He could still bear it, but his personal soldiers could not. Chang De came up to him and whispered, "These bastards are probably trying to embarrass the Marshal on purpose. Why don't we just break in and I will help you vent your anger!"

Zhang Liang shook his head: "Just be patient."

This was his servant, who had been with him for many years and was the closest to him, so he was not shy in his words...

But Zhang Liang knew that he could not do that, otherwise he would fall into the enemy's trap and would inevitably cause opposition and resistance from the entire army. Once the situation became a big deal, he, Zhang Liang, might become the laughing stock of the entire Chang'an.

Chang De had no choice but to step aside.

Fortunately, after half an hour, someone finally came out of the camp.

Zhang Liang narrowed his eyes slightly, anger rising in his chest, because apart from the guard who reported the incident, there was only one person who came to greet him...

The man was very young, about twenty years old, handsome and heroic. He was wearing armor and the armor plates clanged as he walked. He came to Zhang Liang's horse, knelt on one knee and saluted: "I am Wang Xuance, the Chief of the Right Jinwu Guard. I am honored to meet you, General!"

Zhang Liang pursed his lips and said nothing.

Not only was there only one person to greet him, but he also addressed him as "General" instead of the commonly accepted title of "Marshal" for the commander-in-chief...

More importantly, this Wang Xuance was the general manager of the "Eastern Tang Trading Company" and Fang Jun's henchman. He had no prior knowledge of Wang Xuance's appointment as the Chief of the Right Jinwu Guard. This showed that Fang Jun, who controlled the Ministry of War, indeed had absolute power in the army and could even arbitrarily place his trusted confidants in before he took office as the commander-in-chief.

Chang De glanced at Zhang Liang and immediately shouted, "How dare you! The commander-in-chief took office, but the officers and soldiers did not come to greet him. You have no respect for the rules. Are you soldiers or bandits?"

Wang Xuance was extremely terrified and said, "General, please forgive me. It's not that we neglected you. I just didn't know that you would take office today. The whole army has been training these days, and all the officers have been deployed to their respective armies. I am the only one in the central army tent. So if you want everyone to come to greet me, I'm afraid you'll have to wait a while..."

The reason was reasonable, but Zhang Liang knew that the day he came to take office, the military exercise would be carried out on that day, and this exercise was prepared for him...

He was also a hero who had fought his way out of the troubled times. He was able to keep his composure and said calmly, "I'm not in a hurry. I'll just wait a while."

Wang Xuance looked hesitant. After a pause, he said carefully, "Let the commander know. According to military regulations, this exercise will not be stopped unless a major incident occurs in Chang'an City. According to the procedure, the exercise will be completed at the earliest in the evening and at the latest at midnight..."

"Ah!"

Even though Zhang Liang was able to keep his composure, he was still amused by these remarks. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Who made this rule?"

Isn't this clearly aimed at him as the new head coach?
He was thinking of giving others a warning, but he was hit hard by them instead, making a loud slapping sound on the face...

Wang Xuance seemed to know what Zhang Liang was thinking, and hurriedly explained: "When the Left and Right Jinwu Guards were reorganized into an army, many regulations were set, one of which was this one. Please don't misunderstand, General. This is not directed at you. After all, this involves two armies with nearly 100,000 soldiers, and no one can override the military regulations."

His attitude was humble and respectful, but his words were telling Zhang Liang: Don't think of yourself as a big shot...

Zhang Liang is about to explode.

(End of this chapter)