Chapter 401: The Situation in Shanxi
Xing Honglang disembarked with her forty-two subordinates, heading off to attend to the wounded on the dock. However, the hundred sailors aboard the ship remained steadfastly in place. Before their departure, Li Daoxuan, through Bai Yuan, had issued strict orders: this was merely a trial voyage, not a venture meant for stirring up trouble. For their safety, they were not to leave the ship unless it was absolutely unavoidable.
The sailors, of course, adhered rigorously to the Heavenly Lord's divine decree, dutifully staying put on the ship. To prevent anyone from suddenly rushing aboard from the shore, they deliberately maneuvered the vessel more than ten feet away from the bank, observing the grim scene on the dock from across the gap.
The dock was a gruesome sight, littered with corpses. There were militiamen and local defenders who had fallen fighting the bandits, as well as fierce rebel brigands cut down while storming the dock. One man lay draped over a fence, a spear impaling his side, while another floated half-submerged in the river, his back bristling with several arrows.
The sailors, mostly recruited from Bai Family Fortress, had spent years guarding Horseshoe Lake and had lived largely peaceful lives, rarely encountering the world beyond. Now, witnessing the dock's horrific state, they were startled to realize how brutal and savage the outside world still was.
They couldn't help but reflect: *Thank the Heavens for the Heavenly Lord's protection in our village. This good life didn't come easily; we must fight even harder to defend it.*
Such straightforward reasoning, profound in its simplicity.
Xing Honglang handed a bottle of the Heavenly Lord's divinely gifted trauma medicine to Tie Niaofei. He gazed at the small bottle in his hand. "What is this?"
"Yunnan Baiyao," she explained. "It works wonders for injuries."
"A miraculous medicine?" Tie Niaofei's eyes widened. "What's the price per bottle? Name your figure."
Tie Niaofei managed an awkward smile. "Just... business acumen. Ahem, purely business acumen."
"I'm not charging you," Xing Honglang declared. "Now get to it, heal your men."
"Oh, but how can I possibly accept such a generous gift without knowing the cost?" Tie Niaofei protested. "Even between sworn brothers, accounts must be settled. I won't feel right using it unless you name a price."
Xing Honglang snatched the bottle back, then shoved him aside with a forceful hand. She began to personally apply the medicine to Tie Niaofei's injured men, while her forty-two subordinates fanned out across the dock, tending to the wounded.
Many recognized Xing Honglang, and several called out to her, "Many thanks, Boss Xing!"
"It's been a long time, Boss Xing, but you're as generous as ever!"
"Where have you been these past few years? We haven't seen you in Puzhou buying salt."
Xing Honglang's people offered no explanations. As veteran salt smugglers, they understood the importance of keeping a tight lip; there was no way they'd reveal their current base of operations. They remained silent about Gao Family Village, diligently applying medicine and treating the injured.
Gradually, a grim silence settled over the dock. The uninjured survivors began the somber task of clearing the bodies, following the familiar ritual: strip them first, then bury them.
Xing Honglang beckoned Tie Niaofei closer, drawing him aside. "What exactly is happening here in Shanxi?" she whispered, her brow furrowed. "I return to find this chaos. Are the rebels truly so rampant?"
Tie Niaofei nodded gravely. "Rampant, indeed!"
"Elaborate," Xing Honglang urged.
"For such vital intelligence, how about a price?" Tie Niaofei immediately replied, a glint in his eye.
Xing Honglang slowly raised a fist the size of a begging bowl.
Tie Niaofei hastily interjected, "This information is so widely known, anyone could find it out just by asking, so it's practically worthless. Ahem... The situation here in Shanxi, well, it all started with Wang Jiayin, you see..."
Hearing Wang Jiayin's name once more, Xing Honglang inwardly fumed. *That man certainly knows how to stir up chaos.*
"After Wang Jiayin breached Hequ County and established himself in Shanxi, his forces swelled dramatically," Tie Niaofei explained. "His immediate followers alone surpassed thirty thousand, and he was joined by more than a hundred other rebel leaders crossing from Shaanxi into Shanxi. If all of them were to heed his command, he could, in theory, muster an army of three hundred fifty thousand."
"Bloody hell!" Xing Honglang swore under her breath.
"Seeing such a vast force, the man got carried away," Tie Niaofei continued. "He declared himself king in Hequ County, calling himself the 'Horizontal Heaven Single Character King.' He even went so far as to establish a sham court, appointing Zijing Liang (Wang Ziyong) as his Left Prime Minister and Military Advisor, Bai Yuzhu as Right Prime Minister, and Wang Guozhong as his Chief of Imperial Bodyguards. He then unleashed over a hundred rebel factions, supposedly under his command, to wreak havoc throughout Shanxi, with the Yellow River region suffering the brunt of their attacks."
Xing Honglang's brow furrowed. "Declared himself king? Hah! The man's practically begging for death! Had he not usurped a title, the imperial court might have tolerated his antics, but by proclaiming himself king, he's just signed his own death warrant, hasn't he?"
"Exactly!" Tie Niaofei agreed. "My informants within the legitimate circles are all whispering that the imperial court is already preparing to dispatch a massive army to crush him. Yet, the fool remains blissfully unaware, spending his days in Hequ County in endless revelry."
"He's doomed," Xing Honglang dismissed with a wave. "Enough about him. What's the actual state of affairs here in Shanxi?"
"The situation is dire," Tie Niaofei sighed, shaking his head. "Ah, but speaking of which, I have a memorial here, intercepted from an imperial post station. Would you care to read it?"
Xing Honglang reached out her hand, then suddenly paused, recalling Tie Niaofei's notorious character. She scoffed, "You wouldn't have hijacked an imperial memorial for no reason. You're undoubtedly planning to sell this, aren't you? Name your price!"
Tie Niaofei offered a sheepish grin. "Alright, I'll name my price. How about... one bottle of that trauma medicine?"
Xing Honglang blinked, then let out a short laugh. "Alright, you've proven yourself astute."
She took the memorial and opened it. It read: "Indeed, the land of Shanxi, since the early years of the Tianqi reign, has not known a single year without calamity, and the past year was particularly severe. Along the Yellow River, urgent matters abound like sparks flying, making transportation arduous. Though the imperial court accounts for two hundred twenty thousand, the actual expenses borne by the populace far exceed a million. Officials merely concern themselves with their evaluations, pressing for both old and new taxes, forcing people to sell their children and wives, as if carving out their hearts and extracting their marrow. The people's very flesh and bones have been stripped away. Even now, the spring rains have not fallen (meaning the imperial court has provided no relief whatsoever). Dust storms worsen daily, the populace is in an uproar, uncertain if they will see the next dawn. The weak lie dead in ditches, while the strong glare with unspeakable fury. Rebellions erupt everywhere, a fate as inevitable as the rising sun."
"South of Qin (Yang), and stretching east and west of Yi (referring to Yangcheng County), rebels have risen in countless numbers, some factions reaching tens of thousands, others several thousands. Once they take up arms, as many as half to sixty percent of the populace are coerced into joining them. The regions of Shangdang and Fen River have suffered no less."
"To eliminate the bandits of Shanxi, one must first pacify its impoverished populace."
Xing Honglang rapidly scanned the document, her eyes widening in astonishment. "Half or more of Shanxi's people have joined the rebels?"
Tie Niaofei nodded grimly. "Beyond the prominent cities and major towns, nearly half the farmers in the surrounding villages have been swept away by the rebels. They have no choice but to join; when the bandits arrive, it's a blade to the throat. If they refuse, they're forced to fight to the death, just like what happened here at the Gudu Ferry dock..."
Xing Honglang let out a profound sigh. "The person who penned this memorial is remarkably perceptive. They understand that 'To eliminate the bandits of Shanxi, one must first pacify its impoverished populace' – that sentiment is absolutely critical. But by intercepting this memorial, you've ensured it won't reach the emperor, haven't you? How can the imperial court provide disaster relief if they're never informed? You rascal!"
Comments