Volume One: The Southern Prefecture Chapter 13: The Old Official

Outside Xingyuan Prefecture, the majority of the regional inspectorates were held by other adopted sons of the powerful eunuch Yang Fuzhong, forming a local power bloc with Yang Shouliang at its head.

One reason Yang Shouliang was willing to establish the Southern Sichuan Command was that Yuzhou possessed a strong sense of independence, and he could not easily bring it under his control through forceful means in the short term.

The subordination of Yuzhou was delicate; it had formerly fallen under the jurisdiction of the Dongchuan Command.

Wei Fufeng stood at the prow of the boat. By observing the arrangement of officials on the dock, he was able to ascertain that the situation was safe. The experienced old official would never risk his life as bait.

The boat docked, and a gangplank was set up.

Li Chengang, clad in his bright armor, was the first to disembark, along with four armed subordinates. The armor he wore belonged to Wang Meng, and those who followed him ashore were Wang Dahu, Yang Wencheng, Dong He, and Liu Yi.

Wei Fufeng and Lin Qingxue followed, hand in hand, crossing the gangplank and stepping ashore as if unbothered by the world around them.

Five elite guards, each with a blade in his left hand and a military crossbow slung across his back, followed afterward.

Silence reigned on the shore as all eyes fixed upon the arriving third-rank official. Many quietly harbored misgivings—was the new city defense commander truly just a pampered youth of sixteen or seventeen?

As Wei Fufeng set foot on land, the Prefect of Changzhou stepped forward and greeted him respectfully. “This humble official, Li Song, Prefect of Changzhou, welcomes you to your post, my lord.”

“You are too kind, Prefect Li. My arrival was rather hasty—pray forgive any inconvenience I have caused you and our colleagues,” Wei Fufeng replied with a courteous smile.

“I dare not presume, my lord,” Li Song replied, his respectful demeanor suggesting he accepted the legitimacy of Wei Fufeng’s appointment.

Wei Fufeng smiled and nodded, then turned. “Qingxue.”

“At your service,” Lin Qingxue answered softly, stepping forward to present the official seal and documents with a gentle smile. “Please, Prefect, verify these.”

Li Song rose and accepted the seal for inspection, then suddenly remarked, “This is an imperial seal—could it be that you come from Chang’an, my lord?”

“Yes,” Wei Fufeng replied calmly. “I hail from the Wei clan of Chang’an, grandson of the illustrious Lord Wei Zhaodu. My brother-in-law is Gu Yanhui, Prefect of Hanzhou, who currently serves as Deputy Commander in the Western Sichuan Army, assisting the Chancellor in pacifying the rebels.”

Li Song nodded. Wei Fufeng suddenly drew closer and spoke in a low voice: “By imperial command, I am to oversee the military affairs of Yuzhou, Changzhou, Luzhou, and Rongzhou. However, this matter must remain confidential for now, lest it disrupt the campaign against the rebels in Western Sichuan.”

Li Song’s eyelids twitched in surprise, his body tensing before he hesitated, then whispered, “Forgive my ignorance, my lord, but how does your appointment relate to the situation in Western Sichuan?”

“When the imperial court set about suppressing the rebellion in Western Sichuan, it carved out four prefectures to establish the Yongping Command. Now that victory is near, Wang Jian, the Yongping commander, holds great power in the region. Therefore, the court has decided to divide the four southern Sichuan prefectures under the command of the City Defense Marshal,” Wei Fufeng explained in a low voice.

Li Song nodded. “Your official seal is genuine, my lord.”

“There is also the official document. Please see for yourself,” Wei Fufeng said quietly.

Li Song nodded, returned the seal, glanced over the document, then handed it back respectfully. “Please, my lord, enter the city and rest.”

“I shall depart at dawn tomorrow. Since I am now charged with Changzhou’s military affairs, may I review the troops?” Wei Fufeng asked in a low voice.

Li Song nodded. “You may, my lord. However, Changzhou has only a thousand militiamen, and banditry in the region is rampant. If you remove them from the area, the consequences could be dire.”

“I will not take all the militia—at most, three hundred,” Wei Fufeng assured him.

Li Song nodded. “The barracks are nearby. Please, my lord.”

Wei Fufeng set off with Li Song, accompanied by guards and officials. After about two hundred meters, a fortified castle came into view.

Li Song raised his hand to indicate the fortress as he described its features to Wei Fufeng.

Once inside, it became clear the fortress was divided into two sections: the drill ground and the soldiers’ quarters. A horn sounded, and a thousand militiamen assembled on the parade ground, while Wei Fufeng and the officials stood atop the command platform.

Surveying the troops, Wei Fufeng noted their disorderly appearance; they were mostly spearmen clad in belted hemp tunics and trousers.

Prefect Li Song announced Wei Fufeng’s official appointment, and the five captains of the militia came forward to pay their respects.

After the troops dispersed, Wei Fufeng politely declined to rest in the county seat and chose to stay within the fortress.

Night fell, and Wei Fufeng sat tensely in his room, surrounded by a thousand soldiers. Even if they were a motley crew, their sheer numbers would be enough to doom him if they turned against him.

“There’s no need to worry; nothing will happen tonight,” Lin Qingxue whispered reassuringly.

Wei Fufeng glanced at her, forcing a wry smile. “Let’s hope so.”

“I told you, there’s no need for concern. Prefect Li has no reason to stir up trouble—he cannot afford to take risks and can only feign ignorance when uncertain. To err would bring dire consequences,” Lin Qingxue whispered.

Wei Fufeng nodded, feeling much relieved. He had sensed Li Song’s suspicion and could not help but grow anxious.

He looked at Lin Qingxue again, his tone gentle. “Sister, thank you for staying with me.”

“Enough talk—rest well. The better your spirits, the easier it will be for others to trust you,” Lin Qingxue said softly.

Wei Fufeng nodded, lay down on the wooden bed, and whispered, “Sister, may I hold your hand? I’m afraid of nightmares.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Lin Qingxue sat at the bedside. Her delicate right hand was immediately grasped by Wei Fufeng.

Wei Fufeng closed his eyes with a faint smile, while Lin Qingxue turned to gaze at the moonlight streaming through the crack beneath the door.

...

In Changyuan County’s finest residence,

In the parlor, a middle-aged captain who had earlier greeted Wei Fufeng sat with two officials, speaking with Prefect Li Song.

“Father, are we really handing over the entire militia?” the captain asked.

“Whether true or not, we cannot oppose the Command. We must genuinely hand them over. Yet should the situation shift, the militia could always be reclaimed,” Li Song replied.

The captain nodded. “I will keep control of the troops and act as the situation demands.”

Li Song nodded. “The lord who arrived today is from the Wei clan of Chang’an. Lord Wei Zhaodu is currently suppressing rebels in Western Sichuan. Perhaps they have formed an alliance with the Dongchuan Command, aiming to counter Wang Jian.”

The captain nodded. “I hear Wang Jian is rising swiftly in Western Sichuan, with tens of thousands under arms.”

Li Song nodded. “For our own interests, it is best if the imperial court remains strong in Bashu. Should Wang Jian triumph, he will surely move against Dongchuan. If we surrender, Wang Jian’s own men will simply replace us.”

The captain said with indignation, “The fate of Luzhou’s prefect is a warning—Gu Yanlang broke his word, leaving many disillusioned.”

Li Song shook his head with a faint smile. “Expecting the strong to remain faithful is foolish. We can only watch coldly. If the situation turns dire, we must be ready to abandon office and withdraw.”

“Abandon office?” the captain echoed in astonishment.

“If a great war for control breaks out in the Twin Rivers, official ranks and wealth will only become a death sentence. It would be wiser to flee to a peaceful land and become a landed gentleman,” Li Song said calmly.

...

At dawn the next day, Li Song left the city to see Wei Fufeng off. Having passed a quiet night, Wei Fufeng was in good spirits as he walked with Li Song out of the fortress, conversing as they went.

“My lord Wei, I have already dispatched a fast rider to Luzhou to inform Prefect An that I have relinquished command of the militia,” Li Song stated directly.

Wei Fufeng was a little surprised. Was this old official so eager to curry favor? Smiling, he replied, “Thank you, Prefect Li, for sending word.”

“My lord Wei, Luzhou’s military situation is unlike Changzhou’s. Not only does it have five thousand militia, but also two thousand regular garrison troops,” Li Song said.

Wei Fufeng was slightly taken aback—this was news to him. He acknowledged it with a brief nod, wary of saying too much.

Li Song continued, “The two thousand garrison troops are stationed at Xuyong and Xingwen counties, mainly to defend the border and suppress the minority tribes.”

Wei Fufeng nodded, and Li Song went on, “Allow me to offer a word of caution, my lord: Luzhou’s population is several times greater than Changzhou’s. There are at least twenty thousand eligible men for the militia, and if you wish, you can recruit more at any time.”

Wei Fufeng was further surprised, but he caught the underlying message—Luzhou was the main recruiting ground, while Changzhou was sparsely populated and plagued by bandits.

“Thank you for your advice, Prefect Li,” Wei Fufeng replied with a courteous bow.

Li Song nodded, adding, “Perhaps you are unaware, my lord, but the true powers in Luzhou are not the prefects, but the three great clans.”

“Wealthy clans?” Wei Fufeng asked, surprised.

Li Song nodded. “The three are the Zhao clan of Naxi County, the Gao clan of Luxian, and the Luo clan of Hejiang. Of these, the Luo are the strongest—Luzhou’s preeminent local gentry, with the Zhao clan second. In fact, Luzhou’s previous prefect was head of the Zhao clan. So, my lord, when you arrive in Luzhou, be wary of these clans.”

“They would dare murder an official?” Wei Fufeng exclaimed.

“If their interests are threatened, they would not hesitate. Luzhou sits at a key river junction, and the three great clans have controlled the salt trade for years. They own most of the land, each commands several thousand household troops, and their dependent serfs number fifty thousand. Should they unite in rebellion, they could dominate Luzhou,” Li Song explained.

Wei Fufeng’s expression grew grave. He was well aware that Bashu was rife with such powerful clans.

These clans were great landowners and merchants, wielding considerable land and manpower, each forming an armed power in its own right.

Any governor seeking to rule the Twin Rivers had to reach an accord with the local gentry—without forming an alliance of interests, it was impossible to gain a foothold in the region.

“They have fifty thousand serfs? How many people live in Luzhou?” Wei Fufeng asked in puzzlement.

“At least two hundred thousand. Half of Luzhou’s population hails from Jingzhou. You must have heard of Qin Zongquan, who ravaged the Central Plains,” Li Song said.

“I have. Qin Zongquan was the notorious rebel who succeeded Huang Chao, known as the Cannibal Demon King. Two years ago, he was defeated by Zhu Quanzhong, the military governor of Xuanwu Command. This coincided with the current emperor’s accession. Zhu Quanzhong sent captives to Chang’an in tribute, and Qin Zongquan was executed,” Wei Fufeng replied.

Li Song nodded. “Qin Zongquan lost all humanity, feeding his troops with human flesh, spreading devastation everywhere. At his height, his armies threatened Jingnan, besieging Jiangling, burning, killing, and looting, turning the prosperous region into a wasteland. The people of Jingnan, fleeing the carnage, either went south or traveled up the river through the Three Gorges to Yuzhou and Luzhou.”

Wei Fufeng nodded, and Li Song continued, “Additionally, the fighting in Western Sichuan has caused many to flee, with many pouring into the prosperous Luzhou. The great clans, with their command of river transport and salt profits, can purchase grain from other regions and have thus absorbed tens of thousands of strong laborers, while Changzhou cannot support a large population.”