Chapter 1740: The Rebel Chieftain Loses His Head, Preparations Begin for Withdrawal

When Liu Fang returned to Xiazhou, he couldn't help but rein in his horse and pause, glancing at the refugee camp outside the city. His expression was indifferent, though the wistfulness in his eyes betrayed some genuine emotion. Pointing at the refugee camp, Liu Fang asked the gate officer on duty: "The refugees outside the city seem to have thinned out considerably?"

The gate officer, upon hearing the question, replied with a mix of excitement and nervousness: "To answer Your Highness, in the past two days, Governor Zhang has already arranged for those refugees to resume farming and herding around the prefectural city, so naturally the refugees outside the city have decreased!"

Hearing this, Liu Fang nodded and sighed: "This Governor Zhang is indeed a capable man!"

On the city wall, rows of wooden cages were still hung, containing the heads of rebel leaders. However, after all this time, everyone had grown accustomed to the sight and no longer paid it any mind.

"Take down those rebel heads and burn them!" Liu Fang ordered further: "The stench carries far and ruins one's appetite. Hanging heads as a deterrent was meant to intimidate the rebels—now that the rebels are all wiped out, who is there left to intimidate? Take them all down!"

"Yes!"

With that said, he spurred his horse and rode straight into the city. At this time, both inside and outside the city, troops were still massed in great numbers. The major battles had long since ended, and the armies were stationed in their camps, but Liu Fang governed his troops strictly, with no relaxation in discipline whatsoever. Training proceeded on schedule, and apart from some military competitions, there were almost no other recreational activities. As he entered the city, he could still hear the resounding sounds of drilling coming from the main camp.

The population within Xiazhou city was actually considerable. As a circuit seat and a political, military, and economic center, it naturally had no shortage of people. When the rebellion broke out, many local gentry had also flooded in seeking refuge. Thus, aside from officials and soldiers, the city's inhabitants were mostly people of social standing and prestige, along with the servants and retainers attached to them.

Compared to the refugees outside the city, the urban residents were clearly better off—at least their safety within the city was absolutely guaranteed—but their circumstances were only marginally better. Not every wealthy merchant or rich old man had stockpiled large quantities of grain at home, and once their reserves were consumed, their stomachs would suffer hunger just the same.

Still, the authorities showed considerable concern, opening up ration distribution within the city as well. But unlike the relief for refugees, this required payment in coin, at high prices with quantity limits. Those who didn't wish to buy could simply head out to the refugee camp if they wanted relief grain. Comparing the two options, naturally one would choose to part with some wealth to avoid disaster.

As a result, the Xiazhou authorities did manage to extract a windfall of wealth from the populace, but over the past half year, some households had reached the end of their resources. On the streets, shops were shuttered, stalls had ceased business, and there were few pedestrians—and even those who appeared wore gaunt, malnourished faces.

In fact, those who harbored hopes that the rebellion would end and the authorities would lift restrictions were precisely these former gentry and worthies. If things dragged on any longer, no matter how substantial their family fortunes, they would no longer be able to hold out.

Liu Fang went straight to the field headquarters, which had originally been Wang Shen's residence and was now used as the field headquarters. Upon learning that the Prince of Zhao had returned, Meng Xuanzhe and Zhe Yuqing, who were presiding over military affairs in the residence, hurried forward to greet him, smiles on their faces.

In this Yulin Rebellion, Meng Xuanzhe had thoroughly distinguished himself. The Battle of Fengzhou was a tremendous achievement, and although he had to share credit with generals like Li Jilong, the fact remained that he was the commanding general. As the Crown Prince of the Later Shu, being able to accomplish such a feat was truly no small matter.

Meng Xuanzhe was past forty, with a rather portly appearance, but his spirits were good, his bearing elegant, and he seemed relatively reserved—qualities that readily inspired goodwill in others.

Liu Fang looked at the two men and smiled: "I hear that the heads of the Li Jiqian brothers have been delivered!"

"Indeed!" Zhe Yuqing reported: "This officer has already had people verify them—no mistake, they are indeed the heads of the Li Jiqian brothers!"

"Come, let's go inside and talk!" Liu Fang revealed a smile and gestured with his hand.

In the hall, two heads that had been cleaned and now appeared deathly pale were presented before Liu Fang. Liu Fang examined them briefly and smiled faintly: "Nothing more than ordinary men—aside from being somewhat young, there's nothing particularly special about them!"

Zhe Yuqing explained: "After the Battle of Fengzhou, the rebel army was utterly defeated and fled in disarray. Li Jiqian led his forces in escape, fleeing northwest, shaking off the pursuit of the imperial army, intending to vanish into the great desert. However, the climate was harsh, the route was devoid of human habitation, and there was no supply whatsoever. Forced by circumstances, Li Jiqian led his men southward again and slipped into Lingzhou!"

"He actually made it to Lingzhou!" Liu Fang raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised: "Who killed them?"

Zhe Yuqing said: "It was Li Jiqian's military advisor Zhang Pu. This man is a native of Yinzhou, originally a minor clerk there. According to his account, when Li Jiqian first raised the rebellion two years ago, he was swept up in it and, to preserve his life, had no choice but to follow the rebels.

When Li Jiqian went south to Lingzhou, he originally planned to live off the local grain, unite with the local Tangut tribes, and raise another rebellion, while also joining forces with the Yuan rebel from Yanzhou. But unexpectedly, the Yuan rebel had already been defeated by the imperial army a step ahead of him.

Later, when the imperial army was mopping up remnant bandits in Lingzhou, chaos reigned everywhere. Li Jiqian mixed his remnant forces among the confusion, intending to rise again amid the disorder, but he came under attack from the imperial army, the barbarian troops, and the Tangut alike. After holding out for two months, not only did he fail to expand and grow stronger, but his stubborn followers dwindled further amid the chaotic situation, until finally his forces collapsed and scattered.

Seeing that nothing more could be done, Li Jiqian decided to flee Yulin and head beyond the frontier passes, hoping to borrow the strength of the Khitan in Mobei and plan a resurgence. But just as he was preparing to secretly cross the Yellow River, his remaining subordinates, incited by Zhang Pu, killed the Li Jiqian brothers and brought their heads to surrender to the court.

Chief Commander Tian obtained their heads in Lingzhou and swiftly sent them to Xiazhou!"

After hearing Zhe Yuqing's report, Liu Fang stared at Li Jiqian's head for another moment and smiled faintly: "This man stirred up chaos in Yulin, causing countless deaths among the people—he should have been destroyed long ago. His Majesty had intended to have him sliced to pieces by a thousand cuts and his bones ground to ash. Dying like this is letting him off easy! Take these brothers' heads, dress them up properly, and send them by fast horse to the Eastern Capital to report to the court!"

"Yes!"

"Your Highness, how should Zhang Pu be dealt with?" Zhe Yuqing further requested instructions.

Upon hearing this, Liu Fang thought for a moment and asked: "Is what he said trustworthy?"

Zhe Yuqing shook his head: "This officer has investigated. This man was originally a minor clerk in the Yinzhou yamen. Because he offended his superiors, he went a full decade without promotion. His joining the rebels was probably not out of necessity—there was also resentment toward the court.

Compared to those ignorant common folk, these literate clerks pose a far greater danger. As for his claims of being swept up by Li Jiqian, those are even more suspect. Therefore, this officer believes he should be severely punished!"

After hearing Zhe Yuqing's words, Liu Fang nodded and said softly: "However, he did present the heads of the Li Jiqian brothers. Regardless of anything else, that is a genuine merit. Just like those who surrendered before, treating this as a case of turning over a new leaf by beheading rebels doesn't seem so hard to accept, does it? As for literati, when it comes to pursuing advantage and avoiding harm, they are likewise more flexible than those common folk—they know how to make smarter choices that benefit them more!"

"Then according to Your Highness's meaning, we should let this man go?" Zhe Yuqing frowned and asked.

"Send him to the Eastern Capital along with that captured military advisor of the Yuan rebel, and let the court handle it! Let the court's ministers see how these civil clerks who came from within the system truly serve their sovereign and love their country. That man also seems to be surnamed Zhang, doesn't he?" Liu Fang considered for a moment and said.

"Yes! The Yuan rebel's military advisor is surnamed Zhang, given name Hong!" Zhe Yuqing said.

"These two Zhang rebels of the northwest, with similar backgrounds, will probably leave their names in history through this!" Liu Fang's tone carried a hint of mockery: "Even if it is as rebels!"

"That settles this matter!" With that said, Liu Fang waved his hand and turned to look at Meng Xuanzhe: "Chief Commander Meng, how is the withdrawal plan coming along?"

Upon hearing the question, Meng Xuanzhe, who had remained silent throughout, immediately took a report from the table in the hall and presented it to Liu Fang: "This officer and General Zhe have completed the draft. Please review it, Your Highness!"

Liu Fang took it casually and read it carefully, and soon his brows relaxed and a smile appeared: "Very good, it's quite thorough. However, the intensity isn't enough. For the first batch, half the forces should be withdrawn first, and those barbarian troops should also be fully disbanded and sent back!"

Meng Xuanzhe showed a hint of hesitation, but after thinking it over, he still replied: "Yes!"

Liu Fang then remarked with emotion: "The Yulin Rebellion has by now been essentially pacified. It's time to withdraw the troops, lift the restrictions, and return governance to the local authorities! The court has long had criticisms about the army's extended presence, with deep resentment building. If we don't reduce and recall the forces soon, I fear even the Crown Prince won't be able to hold things down!"

As he spoke, Liu Fang waved the report in his hand and smiled at Meng Xuanzhe: "Chief Commander Meng governs troops with skill, equally adept at letters and arms. Had someone like you been in charge of military and political affairs back then, the court might not have found it so easy to pacify Bashu!"

The moment these words fell, Meng Xuanzhe, who had maintained a composed demeanor, suddenly underwent a dramatic change in bearing. A look of astonishment surfaced on his face, and he clasped his fists with force, speaking in a low voice: "Your Highness's words are mistaken. The court's unification of the realm is an overwhelming tide that no one can resist—how could a mere Meng Xuanzhe possibly stand in its way!"

Liu Fang was momentarily taken aback. Seeing Meng Xuanzhe's grave expression, he too put away his smile and returned the salute with cupped hands: "What Chief Commander Meng says is quite right. My words were inappropriate—please forgive me!"

Being a surrendered minister is difficult, especially for one who was once the Crown Prince of the Later Shu. Liu Fang had heard of an incident: before the Battle of Zhen'an Fort last year, Meng Xuanzhe had advised caution, warning of possible treachery. In response, Wang Shen had used Meng Xuanzhe's identity to pressure him, forcing him to go into battle, giving him five hundred men to eliminate Li Jiqian. The result was that he fell into an ambush, was defeated by Li Jiqian, and nearly lost his life.

What Liu Fang had just said, though unintentional, struck a sensitive nerve when heard by Meng Xuanzhe. Moreover, when such words came from Liu Fang's mouth, the implications were far more serious.

Liu Fang had always been quick to correct his mistakes, considerate of others' feelings, and willing to lower himself to apologize. And hearing the Prince of Zhao say this, Meng Xuanzhe was finally somewhat reassured.