Chapter 1057: We Have Two Paths
The Prince of Fu trembled amidst his personal guards, occasionally stealing glances outside the city walls. He couldn't quite make out what Gao Jie was saying to Zhang Miaoshou.
A good while later, he suddenly saw Gao Jie turning back and returning to the city, and to his surprise, Zhang Miaoshou was trailing behind him.
The Prince of Fu shrieked, "Oh no, Gao Jie is leading the bandit chief to assault the city! Everyone, protect your prince!"
His guards exchanged exasperated glances. "Your Highness," one said, "the bandit chief didn't even bring a single follower. He's just returned with Gao Jie. It means he's surrendered."
"What?" The Prince of Fu's face lit up. "The bandit surrendered? Hahaha! We're safe, safe!"
With a sudden burst of energy, he sprang out from between his guards, puffed up with pride. "This prince personally took charge in Luoyang, and my mere presence so terrified the rebels that they fell prostrate in awe, hahahaha!"
Everyone was speechless.
His personal guards were at a loss, caught between amusement and frustration. This prince was truly a handful.
The captain of his personal guard swiftly gestured towards Gao Yiye, murmuring, "Your Highness, when you're exaggerating, remember who's standing nearby. Don't upstage the Saintess."
The collective eye-roll from his entourage was profound. "Good heavens," they thought, "we've never encountered a prince so utterly devoid of dignity."
Meanwhile, Gao Jie had already ascended the city wall with Zhang Miaoshou.
Zhang Miaoshou's eyes swept over the assembled officials, finally resting on Fan Shangzheng. He bowed deeply, almost prostrating himself. "This humble commoner, Zhang Miaoshou, whose true name is Zhang Wenyao, was once blinded by ignorance and committed heinous acts of rebellion. Now, I have come to my senses and seek the Governor's forgiveness."
Reporting his true name immediately upon arrival was indeed a sign of his sincerity.
It was a pledge that put his entire clan, nine generations deep, on the line.
Fan Shangzheng let out a soft sigh. "It is never too late to turn from a misguided path. Since you have come forward willingly to surrender, this official will be lenient. However, while you may be spared the death penalty, you cannot escape justice entirely. Both you and your followers must undergo Labor Reform. Can you accept these terms?"
Zhang Miaoshou blinked, "Labor Reform?"
Gao Jie leaned in, quietly explaining the intricacies of Labor Reform. A peculiar expression crossed Zhang Miaoshou's face. "Gao Jie," he asked, "when you surrendered, were you also subjected to Labor Reform?"
Gao Jie lowered his voice further. "Not exactly, no, but I was stripped of my command. Now, I'm dragged to ideological classes every single day, and my brain feels half-swollen from it. Honestly, compared to those lectures, I'd jump at the chance to do some real work. After all, we were all laborers before we rebelled."
Zhang Miaoshou pondered this, and realized it was utterly true. Before the rebellion, he'd toiled for decades; he wasn't afraid of work in the slightest. Forcing him to sit through lectures? He'd rather be chopped into pieces and fed to the dogs.
Zhang Miaoshou was quick to agree. "Labor Reform is good, Labor Reform is wonderful, Labor Reform is absolutely fantastic! I'll gladly lead my people to participate. As long as everyone gets enough to eat, they'll have no complaints."
And just like that, the matter was settled.
Zhang Miaoshou's followers had been truly starving of late. Henan was utterly devastated, and without plundering major cities, they simply couldn't secure enough grain. Yet, such lucrative targets were only assailable by grand rebel armies; a minor leader like him stood no chance.
At this point, he had no leverage for negotiation, no pride left to cling to. Ensuring his tens of thousands of followers could simply eat their fill was the last, most benevolent act he could offer as their chieftain.
Fan Shangzheng stepped forward, ready to organize the Labor Reform camps for this new contingent.
Just then, Gao Yiye stepped out from the periphery, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Zhang Miaoshou," she began, "what is the meaning of your nickname? Does it imply you possess medical skills?"
Zhang Miaoshou quickly shook his head. "No, no. My 'Wondrous Hand' doesn't refer to healing. It means I'm skilled with my hands... I was a craftsman before."
"Oh? What kind of craft?" Gao Yiye asked, intrigued.
"Pottery," Zhang Miaoshou replied, a touch of pride in his voice. "The ceramics I made were quite renowned in northern Shaanxi. And my most steadfast followers? They're all pottery masters, too. We used to fire kilns together, but when we simply couldn't make a living anymore, that's when we turned to rebellion."
A faint, knowing smile touched Gao Yiye's lips. "Well, that is excellent news indeed. Your group's Labor Reform will be surprisingly easy to arrange."
Zhang Miaoshou blinked in confusion.
Gao Yiye took a small ceramic bottle from a nearby attendant and offered it to Zhang Miaoshou. "You can make something like this, can't you?"
"Yes, it's incredibly simple," Zhang Miaoshou declared. "At least a hundred of my brothers are skilled in making these."
"Excellent. Then follow me."
Gao Yiye stepped into her dedicated automobile.
The oddly shaped iron vehicle left Zhang Miaoshou utterly bewildered for a fleeting moment. "What... what kind of strange contraption is that?"
Gao Yiye offered no reply. The vehicle slowly rumbled to life.
Her hundred personal guards quickly boarded troop transport trucks, taking positions to escort her.
Zhang Miaoshou swiftly gathered his subordinates, and the large crowd followed in Gao Yiye's wake, setting off for Gutao Village in Xin'an County.
Gao Jie considered for a moment, then promptly led his own forces and a contingent of the local militia to join the procession, keeping a watchful eye on these newly appeased rebels to prevent any unforeseen trouble.
The journey, spanning dozens of miles, consumed the entire day.
Zhang Miaoshou's followers were hardly a disciplined military unit. On any other march, their behavior would have been unruly, but Gao Yiye's unusual, massive vehicle and the hundred heavily armed guards on the escorting trucks served as a powerful deterrent.
Coupled with Gao Jie's watchful presence, they dared not stir up any trouble.
Thus, the convoy finally reached Gutao Village in Xin'an County.
The sight of the ancient kilns scattered across the landscape made Zhang Miaoshou's eyes gleam, and the most vital kiln-firing artisans among his followers shared his shining excitement.
Gao Yiye announced, "We will soon establish an ancient pottery factory here, exclusively to supply ceramic bottles to Xi'an. You will be responsible for firing them. As for those without specialized skills, you will first oversee the construction of the entire factory, and once it's complete, you'll assist with various tasks while learning the trade."
Zhang Miaoshou couldn't help but be genuinely pleased with this arrangement. It was a far better outcome than anything he had dared to imagine.
However...
Even as Zhang Miaoshou surrendered to Gao Family Village, Zhang Xianzhong seized Xuzhou, flaunting his might.
Meanwhile, the new Chuǎng Wang was convening a meeting with his various rebel chieftains.
Du Hu reported, "Brother Chuǎng Wang, Zhang Miaoshou has fled to Luoyang and surrendered to the authorities. Meanwhile, the Eight Great Kings, commanding a hundred thousand men, have successfully breached Xuzhou."
Chuǎng Wang frowned, his gaze fixed on the map spread across the table.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, "Where will the Eight Great Kings strike next?"
Du Hu replied, "The Eight Great Kings intend to move east once more, pushing towards Anqing. Should we join forces with them?"
Chuǎng Wang shook his head. "Anqing is now under the command of Shi Kefa, and he, too, possesses a peculiar unit equipped with those strange firearms. If the Eight Great Kings push eastward, they will almost certainly suffer a severe setback from Shi Kefa."
He finished, then tapped his finger on Luoyang on the map. After a moment's hesitation, he continued, "Gao Jie is currently in Luoyang, and they also have many of those peculiar firearms soldiers."
He then pointed to the north bank of the Yellow River. "And Wu Shen, over in Shanxi, also commands numerous peculiar firearms troops."
At this, Chuǎng Wang's voice dropped. "Now, we have only two viable paths. One leads south, towards Liangguang. The other, west, into Sichuan."
Comments