Chapter 59: Not Knowing Death

Leading the army from Gaoping back to Shangdang, it was already the second day of the third month. Thinking back, from the moment they set out from Jinyang to now, barely half a month had passed—yet to Liu Chengyou, it felt as long as half a year. Under the pressure of commanding troops in battle, time seemed to slow and stretch endlessly...

(For the author, it seems the same. Looking back—damn, it took 21 days to write the story of 15 days' events. No wonder it felt so slow. Shameful!)

In the prefectural Military Governor's residence, Liu Chengyou lay sideways behind the low table in a rather inelegant posture, propping his head on his hand, eyes slightly closed, appearing quite at ease. Yet from the coldness seeping through his indifferent expression, one could tell—his mood at this moment was absolutely foul.

Returning victorious should have been a cause for jubilation, but no sooner had they halted than the people of Shangdang gave Liu Chengyou a "surprise."

In the hall, Zhang Yanwei, Guo Rong, and a few other close generals and ministers were all present, their faces none too pleasant either.

"Cannot return it—not a single copper coin!" Xiang Xun said to Liu Chengyou with firm resolve.

"The prefectures and counties across the realm where the Khitan extorted money are too numerous to count. If we set this precedent here in Shangdang today, the harm will be endless!"

"Your Highness, those troublemakers are gathering to stir up trouble. Let me take men to seize them all and punish them—I'll make them regret it beyond measure!" Zhang Yanwei spoke up immediately after, his words fierce, his face full of murderous intent.

Zhang Yanwei was still the same as ever—whenever trouble arose, he preferred this kind of simple, crude solution.

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou replied in a cold tone: "That would only inflame the conflict. Is the scene not chaotic enough already?"

Rebuffed by Liu Chengyou's lukewarm retort, Zhang Yanwei took no offense, merely giving an awkward smile. His expression returned to calm, and he lowered his head, saying no more—the shift in his demeanor was remarkably natural.

The matter was not complicated. After Liu Chengyou returned to Shangdang, several dozen city residents gathered at the gate of the Military Governor's residence to "petition." The reason traced back to Zhao Xingqian and the Khitan's money-extorting envoys—they had plundered the people's wealth and stored it in the treasury. The petitioners' demand was simple: since the imperial army had restored Luzhou, they hoped the prince would show compassion for the common folk and return the seized property to the people of Luzhou...

In this age, such an occurrence sounded almost novel, and those commoners seemed to have no idea what death meant. Yet they seemed to have calculated that Liu Chengyou would not take any "extreme" measures—they came to the government office without shouting or making a scene, without smashing or looting, putting on a display of "peaceful petitioning." Moreover, when others in the city heard of it, quite a few plucked up their courage to come watch the commotion.

In Liu Chengyou's experience, the last time he faced a crowd gathering to petition was in Jinyang—but that had been staged according to a script. This time, the nature of the matter was completely different. In fact, when he first heard of it, Liu Chengyou genuinely considered sending troops to suppress these troublemakers who dared make unreasonable demands—but he forcibly restrained himself.

"The petition of Shangdang's people certainly cannot be granted! However, what they seek cannot be called entirely unreasonable either." Guo Rong also spoke up, offering his opinion, his stern face full of composure: "The pressing matter now is how to quell this disturbance!"

"How to quell it? Are we truly to reason with them? In all my life, this is the first time I've seen such clueless rabble!" Zhang Yanwei interjected disdainfully: "Your Highness, for people like this, only the harshest suppression will do. Otherwise, where is the authority of the government, where is Your Highness's dignity? If everyone acts like this in the future, can this realm ever be pacified?"

"Your Highness, you need not have any scruples. These troublemakers refuse to submit to imperial instruction. Leave them to me—I will handle it properly. I'd like to know where they got the nerve to defy the government. I'd like to see whether their necks are harder than steel blades and iron swords..."

Opening his eyes, Liu Chengyou glanced at Zhang Yanwei, his gaze turning somewhat colder, but he did not take up that thread.

"Reporting to Your Highness, Administrative Assistant Gao has arrived." Li Chongju, now promoted to captain of the guard, walked to the front of the hall and reported cautiously.

"Let him in."

Soon, Gao Fang stepped into the hall, his expression somewhat grave and somewhat worried, his hurried footsteps revealing his unsettled state of mind.

"Administrative Assistant Gao must already know the situation before the government office." Liu Chengyou had already sat up straight, looking at Gao Fang as he spoke unhurriedly.

"Yes! Your Highness, the common folk are ignorant and covetous, lacking understanding of the greater picture. Considering their lowliness, I beg Your Highness to temporarily restrain your thunderous wrath." Gao Fang advised cautiously.

"I know well their hardships. Why would I hold it against them?" Liu Chengyou replied in a flat tone.

Pausing briefly, he instructed: "Gathering before the government office is ultimately no solution—it only invites blind followers. Administrative Assistant Gao is of noble character, with a clean reputation, and has long enjoyed prestige in Luzhou. Please go out and temporarily pacify those people, and have them disperse for now."

"Yes! This official will do his utmost!" Without a moment's hesitation, Gao Fang immediately accepted the task.

"Your Highness, the common folk are ignorant—under normal circumstances, they could not possibly gather like this and stir up such trouble!" After Gao Fang withdrew, Guo Rong stood up and continued his analysis: "There is likely someone behind this, agitating and inciting. If we can find the mastermind and swiftly deal with those leading the trouble, this matter can be resolved with minimal impact!"

"Who is so bold as to truly not know death?" Zhang Yanwei's spirits rose upon hearing this, and he asked.

Xiang Xun gave a cold smile, pointing a finger toward the outside, and said with implication: "Among the crowd before the office, there seem to be a few government clerks..."

Liu Chengyou showed little reaction to this, as if he had already guessed as much. He lowered his head in thought for a moment, then raised it to look at Guo Rong and Xiang Xun, and gave a heavy instruction: "In that case, investigate. Drag out those who stir up waves in the shadows!"

Upon receiving the order, the two cupped their hands in unison and acknowledged: "Yes!"

Having given the order, Liu Chengyou took a few deep breaths and truly calmed down. As for his mood at this moment—it wasn't that it was terrible, exactly. He was simply very displeased.

Before the government office, over a hundred people—"officials and commoners" would be a more apt description—gathered together. Armored soldiers stood all around, watching them coldly, and the entire street had been sealed off. The scene was very quiet; at this point, no one dared shout anymore. Before the murderous army, many felt fear creeping in. At the periphery, there were no more onlookers.

Then the office gate opened, the dull sound abruptly breaking the somewhat oppressive atmosphere. Gao Fang stepped out. Whatever his inner feelings, a smile hung on his face, carrying goodwill, as he began: "Everyone..."

Whether it was that Gao Fang truly commanded great prestige and the petitioning officials and commoners were doing him a favor, or that those people had simply lost their nerve—under Gao Fang's persuasion, the crowd dispersed quickly, as if seizing the excuse to back down.

Though the crowd had dispersed, the impact of the affair was not so easily erased.

From a high tower in the residence, Liu Chengyou watched the crowd retreating in the distance, his face expressionless, his hands gripping the railing with force, his knuckles almost white.

"Since they do not know death, then I can only grant their wish..." After a long while, Liu Chengyou murmured softly, a trace of cold smile blooming at the corners of his mouth.

This was the first time he had worn a "smiling" expression.