Volume Two: Grandfather and Grandson, Lords of the Domain Chapter 49: Aftermath

Ah! The entire convoy cried out in alarm.

Suddenly, a cold voice rang out: “By order of the Governor, if you surrender, your lives will be spared.”

Lu Tao’s figure emerged from the city gate archway, supporting himself with his blade. Dozens of spearmen appeared around him, and more than ten archers could be seen on the city wall above.

“Villain!” a burly man bellowed furiously, charging forward with his broadsword, but was abruptly pulled back by a companion.

“Brother Tong, we cannot go against the Governor,” the man who pulled him back said urgently, throwing his spear to the ground as he spoke.

“How can you be such a coward?” the burly man said angrily.

With a bitter look, the man replied, “Brother Tong, the Lord of the Prefecture is gone. We’re just men paid to serve.”

The burly man snorted, tossing his broadsword to the ground. The other armored soldiers silently laid down their weapons as well. Only frightened sobs and cries of men and women came from within the wagons.

Lu Tao ordered the prisoners to be bound and instructed a squad of soldiers to escort the wagons to the Prefectural Office.

Yet, along the way, all nine men and women inside the wagons were killed. The order to do so came from Lu Tao, but he was merely executing Wei Fufeng’s directive: should they encounter relatives of the Lord’s household, they were to be secretly eliminated whenever possible.

...

The Lord’s residence grew quiet. The Fufeng troops gathered some spoils of war, took their wounded and fallen comrades, and withdrew quietly. The sword-and-shield soldiers escorted them back to the Prefectural Office, while the rest of the Fufeng army exited through the east gate.

The conscripts from Shangzhou blocked the prisoners from escaping. One of their leaders, Gao Yan, tried to persuade them: “Listen, if you try to leave, you’ll never make it out of the city. But I can offer you a way out.”

“What way out?” a prisoner asked.

“I can make you all part of the militia. If you pledge loyalty to the Governor, your crimes will be pardoned, and you’ll be entitled to your spoils,” Gao Yan said.

“So you’re using us, and now you want to trick us again. If we stay, aren’t we just waiting to die?” one prisoner growled.

“Using you? If we hadn’t released you from prison, you’d be dead already. I’m offering you a path, but you don’t have to take it. You’re free to leave,” Gao Yan replied coldly.

The prisoner glared and immediately turned to the others: “Brothers, don’t trust a dog official’s words. If we want to live, we must leave Xicheng County. Let’s go and open the east gate.”

“Very well, go ahead,” Gao Yan sneered.

The prisoners looked at each other, but no one followed. Most were indecisive.

“You fools! Killing the Lord’s household is a grave crime. If you stay, you’ll just be scapegoats,” the prisoner shouted.

“You’re the fool. If we wanted scapegoats, would you still be alive? And you think you can storm the gates? Do you think those troops just now were for show?” Gao Yan mocked.

The prisoner fell silent, but soon forced a smile and said, “I was wrong. I’m willing to become a militia soldier.”

“You want in? Too late,” Gao Yan said darkly. With a wave, seven strongmen surged forward and struck the prisoner down.

“Why did I kill him? Because I despise turncoats. If you want to stay, do so. If not, leave now. Once you’re gone, your fate is no concern of mine,” Gao Yan said sternly.

A commotion spread among the prisoners, and in the end, several dozen fled into the night.

Gao Yan incorporated over two hundred prisoners, then led them to hide in civilian homes in the northern district. Wei Fufeng dared not let Gao Yan leave the county—once outside, he’d be difficult to control.

...

At the county hall, not long after the 'rebels' and prisoners had left, the surviving yamen runners and jail guards searched the compound by torchlight, discovering the magistrate and registrar had been killed. They also saw the strongmen guarding the official quarters and challenged them.

“The Deputy Magistrate is here. What are your intentions?” one of the strongmen replied, as Wei Fufeng had instructed.

“The Deputy Magistrate?” The yamen runners and jail guards exchanged glances. The leader said, “Deputy Magistrate? We saw the magistrate and registrar killed by bandits.”

“Come inside and speak,” responded Wei Fufeng’s voice.

Recognizing the voice, the yamen runners hesitated, then five entered the official quarters together. There, they found the deputy magistrate beneath the desk, a young man in military attire crawling out from under it.

Later histories recorded that bandits stormed the county hall, the Xicheng magistrate and registrar were drinking in the rear quarters and were killed. The deputy magistrate, Wei Xuan, was on duty in the main hall, and upon realizing the danger, hid under the desk and survived.

...

At dawn the next day, a murderous tension hung over Xicheng. Squads of militia, acting on orders from the prefecture, conducted a thorough search for the rebels.

By noon, one hundred fifty-three severed heads hung from the east city gate.

It was said that the previous night, the east gate was breached by collusion inside and out, the rebels raided the county hall and Lord’s residence, and the magistrate and registrar were killed while drinking. The deputy magistrate, on duty in the main hall, heard the commotion and hid under the desk, escaping death.

The prefecture office, while conducting a massive manhunt for the rebels, ordered Deputy Magistrate Wei Xuan to serve as acting magistrate, to maintain order and handle the aftermath at the Lord’s residence.

The prefecture also sent orders to all subordinate counties to strengthen defenses and to provide two hundred militiamen each to be placed under prefecture command for rebel suppression and public security.

Wei Fufeng naturally could not allow his father to handle the aftermath at the Lord’s residence; that task was given to another of his grandfather’s trusted men, Xu Ran.

Xu Ran, accompanied by nine yamen runners—who were in fact nine Shangzhou strongmen—went to the Lord’s residence and, under the guise of official business, incorporated the remaining household troops into the jail guard. The authority of the government was compelling: after the ordeal, the surviving house soldiers docilely submitted to the county office, transforming from household slaves into official guards.

With their master gone, the house soldiers’ loyalty faded away.

Wei Fufeng remained at the county hall with his father, helping him take charge and ensuring everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

After the Fufeng army withdrew through the east gate, the accompanying Shangzhou conscripts rode swiftly back to Shangluo County with news.

Upon receiving the prefecture’s order, Wei Xuan, accompanied by Wei Fufeng, began assuming authority.

To Wei Fufeng’s surprise, his father, who had always seemed dull and awkward, now showed remarkable composure and calm, handling matters before the dozen or so yamen runners and guards with ease, methodically issuing orders to settle the county’s affairs.

Wei Fufeng played the role of attendant, accompanying his father through the rear quarters and watching as he gently comforted the surviving family members of the magistrate.

When the relatives of the registrar and yamen runners arrived, Wei Xuan greeted them with authority, promising compensation.

Later, seated in the main hall, Wei Xuan wrote four proclamations to reassure the people, had Wei Fufeng affix the deputy magistrate’s seal, and ordered the yamen runners to post them at the city gates.

One yamen runner carelessly accepted a proclamation with one hand, but was startled by a cold grunt.

Alarmed, he glanced at Wei Fufeng. Meeting Wei Fufeng’s sharp gaze, he suddenly felt the chill of death, broke into a cold sweat, quickly bowed with both hands to receive the proclamation, then backed away before leaving.

Afterward, Wei Xuan asked kindly, “Fufeng, what do you think I should do next?”

“You are the father and mother of Xicheng’s people; I have little experience in governance,” Wei Fufeng replied with a smile. He had no desire to overshadow his father, and his advice would be of little use.

Wei Xuan smiled, “You are right. As an official, one should benefit the people. If I could stay in office long, my greatest wish would be to control the floods of the Han River and make both banks a land of abundance.”

Wei Fufeng nodded. “The floods must indeed be controlled, but I cannot guarantee we will hold Jin Prefecture for long.”

Wei Xuan nodded, and Wei Fufeng added, “If you wish to act, then don’t worry about whether your tenure will be long. Do what you can while you’re in office; if it fails, that’s fate, but at least you won’t waste your days.”

Wei Xuan pondered this and nodded. “You’re right.”

Wei Fufeng smiled. “That’s how I live as well. I wanted to seek fortune in Sichuan, so I cast aside my fears and left home.”

“Oh, Fufeng, these soldiers you lead—are they your great-uncle’s men?” Wei Xuan asked.

Wei Fufeng offered a wry smile and replied, “They are my own men, not my great-uncle’s.”

“Your own men?” Wei Liangxuan asked in surprise.

“I had some fortune in Sichuan and was appointed by the court as commander of the Fufeng Army. I now command a thousand troops stationed in Lantian County. The main force that attacked the Lord’s residence last night was my Fufeng Army,” Wei Fufeng explained quietly.

Wei Xuan looked at him in astonishment. Wei Fufeng continued in a low voice, “The title ‘Fufeng Army’ was bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor. My force is part of the campaign against Li Keyong of Hedong. I will soon march out to war.”

“What? You’re going to war against Hedong?” Wei Xuan asked, his tone betraying concern.

“If I do not, I could not legally bear the Fufeng Army banner. Don’t worry, Father. I dare not claim certain victory, but I am confident I can protect myself,” Wei Fufeng answered softly.

Wei Xuan nodded solemnly, then asked, “Is it because of your Fufeng Army that your grandfather set his sights on Jin Prefecture?”

“Yes. But Shangzhou cannot be held for long. Han Jian’s territory is surrounded by enemies. To keep it, he’ll have to levy heavy taxes and expand his army. In that case, you and my uncles would be conscripted, or at the very least forced into harsh labor,” Wei Fufeng affirmed his grandfather’s judgment.

Wei Xuan shook his head. “If Han Jian takes Shangzhou, he may soon come for Jin Prefecture as well. Even if we possess Jin Prefecture, it will be hard to keep.”

“Why not consider another approach, Father? Once we have Jin Prefecture, we could use it as a bargaining chip and surrender to Han Jian. Would that not yield the same result as surrendering him our entire family?” Wei Fufeng spoke quietly.

Wei Liangxuan started, then nodded in sudden understanding.

At that moment, Xu Ran returned with more than a hundred ‘jail guards.’ Father and son turned to the business of integrating and settling these men, focusing on distributing pay and supplies and appointing new leaders.

...

That same day, in the northern district, more than two hundred prisoners and nearly a hundred Shangzhou strongmen, now clad in militia uniforms and armed with spears provided by the prefecture, gathered tightly in a large courtyard.

Gao Yan stood atop a table, resplendent in chainmail, and addressed them thunderously: “Brothers, you are the lucky ones! As for the hundred or so so-called wise men who left you, their heads now hang from the east gate!”

An uproar swept through the courtyard.

Gao Yan raised his hand for silence and continued, “Now you are all militia soldiers! Forget your days in prison. If anyone here still claims to be a criminal, I can arrange for a return to jail.”

The crowd fell silent.

Gao Yan went on, “Good! Now we hold a martial contest. The able shall be made squad leaders; the strongest, captains and deputies. Even if I am not the strongest, I am your officer. Is that clear?”

A resounding reply echoed through the courtyard, and the trials began. The most capable among them were made leaders, both large and small.

With the strong in charge, the weak dared not flee, and once the strong became officials, they had no wish to return to banditry.