Volume Two: Grandfather and Grandson Lords Chapter 44: Entering Jinzhou

Grandfather nodded and said, "I was only theorizing on paper, neglecting the fact that Wang Jian commands great power and is skilled in warfare."

"Wang Jian's most terrifying strength lies in his shameless methods; for profit, he will stop at nothing. When Great-Uncle faced such a rogue, it was as if a scholar was vying for food with a mountain bandit—one rigidly followed the rules, expecting the bandit to do the same, while the bandit simply devoured everything, leaving the scholar dumbfounded," Wei Fufeng offered a blunt analogy.

Great-Uncle responded with a bitter smile and nodded. "In chaotic times, virtue is lost, and brute force becomes the only law."

Wei Fufeng nodded and murmured, "In my view, though Great-Uncle's actions in Western Sichuan may not have been successful, at least he was able to withdraw unscathed. Had he contended with Wang Jian from the outset, he might very well have perished far from home."

Grandfather nodded. "That is true. If he posed no threat to Wang Jian, Wang Jian would not wish for a prime minister to die in Western Sichuan."

Wei Fufeng nodded. "Ultimately, it was the emperor's miscalculation. He could have simply ignored Wang Jian's memorial."

"The present emperor is impatient for quick results—such haste brings misfortune to the state," Grandfather replied.

As they spoke, the carriage rolled out of the city.

Grandfather then shifted the topic, informing Wei Fufeng that nearly a hundred affiliated warriors would be at his disposal for this journey, briefly describing their prowess and instructing him to organize and employ them.

Three miles from the city, they encountered over a hundred men, among them Wei Fufeng's own guards, facing another hundred across the road as if officials and laborers stood opposed.

The carriage halted. Wei Fufeng stepped down to help his grandfather descend.

Grandfather's gaze swept over the guards, surprise flickering in his expression.

Ten of the guards wore bright armor, armed with swords and shields, while the rest, though clad only in simple belts and linen trousers, each bore a military crossbow and a long saber at their waist.

"Fufeng, your subordinates' equipment is impressive," Grandfather murmured.

"These are the elite—there are only a few thousand such men in southern Sichuan. For this grain escort, there are a hundred blade-and-shield guards, three hundred archers, and six hundred spearmen, trained as local militia," Wei Fufeng answered softly.

Grandfather nodded, then suddenly smiled. "Did you volunteer for the Hedong campaign?"

"I did. Using tribute rice as leverage, I requested the emperor to grant me the title of Marquis of Fufeng and to bestow the name Fufeng Army, all under the pretext of joining the campaign," Wei Fufeng replied frankly.

Grandfather nodded. At that moment, ten sturdy warriors approached to pay their respects in unison. "Sir."

"Yes, this is my grandson. On the journey to Jinzhou, you are to obey his orders," Grandfather commanded with authority.

"Understood," the ten warriors replied, then saluted Wei Fufeng, addressing him as "Young Master."

...

As the grandfather and grandson made their arrangements, Wei Xuan was tearfully bidding farewell to his wife and concubines.

After a while, Grandfather urged them to set off, and over a hundred men escorted a single carriage southwestward.

Grandfather stood watching in the distance, expectation in his eyes. Wei Xuan's wife and concubines also watched the procession, their worry much lessened, mainly because they saw so many accompanying guards.

...

Once on the road, Wei Fufeng walked beside the carriage. Wei Xuan invited him inside, but he politely declined, choosing to walk with the warriors and guards.

The journey from Shangluo County to Xicheng County was about three hundred li—a normal pace would see them there in four or five days.

They tried to rest in the forests along the way. Wei Xuan often left the carriage to walk with his son, asking where the guards came from, to which Wei Fufeng evasively replied that Grandfather had arranged it.

Traveling on, they entered Shanyang County under Shangzhou's jurisdiction, resting in a village at dusk.

After dinner, Wei Fufeng summoned ten of the warrior leaders to give instructions.

The leaders treated Wei Fufeng with marked respect, showing no trace of casualness.

Wei Fufeng understood well that this was the deterrent effect of the guards. These warriors affiliated with his grandfather were loosely attached—most were idlers or even rogues and bandits.

The next morning, eighty warriors departed by separate routes, with twenty remaining as escorts.

None of these warriors knew their real purpose in Jinzhou; they had merely benefited from the Chief Secretary's generosity and felt obliged to heed his call.

Wei Fufeng intended to use them well; they were best suited for infiltration—seizing city gates, or raiding the prefect's mansion in Xicheng.

He wanted to avoid employing the Sichuan troops in bandit-like acts, as that would undermine military discipline and morale. Rewards would also be problematic—too much would breed resentment over unfairness, too little would cause discontent.

By dusk, they rested in a village in Xunyang County, Jinzhou.

Wei Fufeng led ten guards away from the village for a secret meeting with the Fufeng Army soldiers who had arrived ahead.

These soldiers were encamped in the woods. Wei Fufeng made a thorough inspection, ensuring they had passed through the Kugu Trail without encountering checks or Jinzhou's troops, and then returned to the village reassured.

The next morning, Wei Fufeng ordered thirty guards to rejoin the army, and he and his father set out with only twenty warriors, crossing the Han River within Xunyang County and following its southern bank into the Ankang Basin.

The twenty warriors Wei Fufeng retained were led by two men personally trusted by his grandfather.

After arduous travel, the party reached Xicheng, the administrative center of Jinzhou.

The county town lay on the southern bank of the Han River, its walls in ruins, its people in rags—some nearly naked, modesty preserved only by tattered scraps.

Wei Fufeng's first impression was that the place was desperately poor.

Despite the city’s dilapidation, the garrison was strict and ferocious. At the East Gate, the sound of cries and shouts was incessant.

When the garrison saw a group of sturdy men escorting a carriage, they did not dare to be aggressive and asked their purpose courteously.

Wei Fufeng replied that he was the newly appointed county deputy.

The gate officer, upon being informed, descended from the gate tower with a cold expression to inspect their papers. He gave Wei Fufeng a long, appraising look before tossing back the documents and turning away with a wave.

Facing the officer’s arrogance, Wei Fufeng, instead of taking offense, hurried forward, handed him a silver ingot, and said politely, "Please, good sir, thank you for your trouble."

The gate officer glanced back, took the silver with satisfaction, and went on his way.

Passing through the East Gate, they made their way along the uneven main street toward the prefecture office, needing an audience with the governor before proceeding to the county office.

On the way, Wei Xuan said through the carriage window, "Fufeng, since we were allowed through, there was no need to tip them with silver."

Wei Fufeng was silent, knowing his father was simply frugal and thought it unnecessary to curry favor with petty officials.

What he did not realize was that Wei Fufeng was paving the way at a critical juncture; a little kindness now meant access later.

"Father, those who guard the city gates are surely confidants of the local power brokers. If we offend them and they speak ill of us to their superiors, the losses we suffer later will be far greater," Wei Fufeng deliberately spoke a little louder so the warriors around them could hear.

What his father could not understand, most of the men would also see as wasteful, which could undermine Wei Fufeng’s authority. If they began to look down on him, disaster could follow.

Wei Xuan found his reasoning sound and said no more.

As they went along, Wei Fufeng ordered ten warriors to stay behind and wait, taking only ten with him to the prefecture office.

The prefecture office occupied an entire ward in the western city, heavily guarded—ten armored soldiers at the main gate, with the rest being militia spearmen.

Wei Fufeng negotiated with the gate guards and was told the governor was in the Western Garden, so he and his party headed there.

The Western Garden was a famous park within Xicheng, separated from the prefecture by a ward.

Jinzhou’s Western Garden was once renowned—a place where poets and scholars gathered for tea and verse. Jinzhou tea itself was famous, though the chaos of war had laid the industry low.

Wei Fufeng, carrying a gift box on his back, accompanied his father to the entrance, where a green wall divided two worlds.

Beyond the wall, lush groves of bamboo and trees rose on gentle hills, with pavilions and terraces creating a serene, otherworldly retreat.

The garden gate was an elegant structure with upturned eaves, guarded by ten armored soldiers and spearmen stationed every ten paces along the wall—security was tight.

Wei Fufeng estimated that of Jinzhou’s two thousand militia, half were likely stationed at the prefecture and Western Garden.

According to his sources, these two thousand were not recent recruits but remnants from the previous administration.

Since Governor Yang Shoubo took over Jinzhou, he had only replaced the deputy defense commander; the other officers remained. The governor himself also held the post of defense commander.

After an introduction, a message came from within allowing them entry. As soon as the father and son entered, four armored soldiers surrounded them as if they were prisoners.

Wei Fufeng remained calm, but his father’s steps faltered, and he reached up to wipe his brow from time to time.

Walking along a stone path, Wei Fufeng soon glimpsed a sparkling pond, filled with lotus plants and dotted with boats large and small.

Around the pond were willows, ornamental rocks, bamboo pavilions, and—marring the scene—numerous guards.

Father and son were led to a bamboo pavilion, half open to reveal neat bamboo couches. Outside, a dozen attendants stood with bowed heads in evident deference.

Wei Fufeng saw a scene that made his heart race and his face grow warm.

At a bamboo table sat a young man in white, kneeling. On either side, half-naked beauties leaned intimately against him.

They stopped five meters from the pavilion, where a maid took their documents and handed them to the young man inside.

The youth’s features were fine and almost feminine, making him the very image of an elegant young nobleman.

"Wei Xuan? Ah, once the registrar of Fufeng County," the youth spoke softly.

"Yes, sir. I pay my respects to you, my lord," Wei Xuan replied, bowing deeply in a posture of utmost reverence, with Wei Fufeng following suit.

"The Wei clan is a great family—why serve as an official in such a hardship post?" Governor Yang Shoubo asked indifferently.

"My lord, my father is a junior branch of the Wei clan, serving as Chief Secretary in Shangzhou. Shangzhou now belongs to the Huashang Military Governor, and my father obtained for me this post as county deputy in Jinzhou," Wei Xuan answered nervously.

"Jinzhou is no easy office," Yang Shoubo said quietly.

"My lord, I only seek a place to live and will not cause you trouble," Wei Xuan replied anxiously.

"What are you saying? Is Jinzhou a place for retirees?" Yang Shoubo’s tone turned cold.

"No, my lord. If you require it, I am willing to serve you faithfully," Wei Xuan said, wiping sweat from his brow.

Wei Fufeng, annoyed at Yang Shoubo’s sharp questioning, quickly removed the gift box from his back, handed it to a guard, and said respectfully, "This is a small token of my father’s regard."

The guard opened it, revealing ten gleaming gold ingots.

His eyes lit up, and he carried the box to the pavilion for Yang Shoubo to see, then stepped aside with the gift.