Chapter 626: Rumors in Shu

Chengdu, another season of hibiscus blossoms, the weather turning cool, exceptionally refreshing. Although the fighting in Qinfeng was intense, it did nothing to hinder the young lords and ladies of Chengdu from strolling through gardens, admiring the scenery, and composing poetry.

Among the pavilions and terraces, flowers bloomed in profusion, and visitors gathered like thickets. Of course, among the common folk, not all were entirely numb—their poems carried the glint of blades, and among the common people there were discussions and rumors.

Inside a small tea house, the fragrance of tea could not mask the thick stench of copper in the air. A group of porters struggling at the edge of poverty gathered together, drinking tea and resting.

Naturally, they chatted and boasted, and inevitably the war in the north came up.

One man sighed: "Two states have massed over two hundred thousand troops, fought for so long, and still no victor. Who knows when there will finally be a resolution!"

"No resolution would be a good thing! I hear the Han army is ferocious, cruel as tigers and wolves, crossing mountains and rivers as if on flat ground. Otherwise, how could that Han general named Wang Renshan have so easily broken through our eight stockades..." A short, stocky man across the table shook his head, his tone tinged with pessimism.

Someone beside him chimed in: "In recent years, the court sent troops north twice and both times returned in defeat, losing men and generals. This time, the Han army has invaded our country in force—who knows how much longer we can hold out!"

"If we can hold the enemy for three months, we can hold them for half a year, a year. The Han army can't break through, and once winter comes, the mountain roads and plank paths become even harder to traverse, so they'll naturally retreat!" The men's words caught the attention of a peddler, who said loudly: "You porters, instead of focusing on selling your labor, dare to discuss matters of state and military? Aren't you afraid the authorities will investigate and punish you?"

The peddler had traveled far and wide and was clearly more experienced. His words were also somewhat showy: "I just returned from Xingyuan Prefecture. I heard that at Fengzhou, the Han army launched no fewer than twenty attacks on our border forts, losing over ten thousand men, and can no longer fight. As long as we drag this out until winter, when heavy snow seals the mountains, the Han army will retreat on its own. Otherwise, their hundred-thousand-strong army will all be annihilated in the mountains!"

The peddler's words lifted everyone's spirits, and they hurriedly pressed for details. Unable to refuse their pleas, a glint flashing in his eyes, a slight smile curling at the corners of his mouth, the peddler stroked his beard and said: "Right now, the two armies are locked in battle before Weiwu Fortress. Weiwu Fortress is the most formidable pass north of Fengzhou. Though the Han army is fierce, does our Shu army lack men? With the fortress to rely on, naturally the Han army cannot advance an inch."

"That's not right—I heard someone say the day before yesterday that the Han army's weapons are excellent and sharp, their soldiers fearless of death, our army has suffered heavy casualties, and Weiwu Fortress is tottering, about to fall!" Someone raised an objection.

Facing the challenge, the peddler's face seemed a bit embarrassed. His expression stiffened, and he scolded: "That must be a rumor, nothing but hearsay!"

"I have a fellow townsman who transports grain to Weiwu Fortress. He saw the siege with his own eyes—beneath the fortress walls, the Han army left a field of corpses..."

"The last man also said his friend was a garrison officer who returned wounded..." The man who had raised the objection immediately retorted: "Gentlemen, I think this man's words are greatly exaggerated and unreliable—his words cannot be trusted!"

"I reckon you only heard some rumors up north, and now you come before us to show off and brag, is that so?"

Stared at and interrogated, the peddler felt the embarrassment of having his trick exposed. A flash of shame and anger crossed his face, and he insisted: "Everything I said is true. Do you people actually hope our fortresses are in peril and will be broken by the Han army?"

The peddler's counter-question caught everyone off guard. It seemed that from the very beginning, they had assumed the Han army was strong, the Shu army weak, the Han army easy to win, the Shu army easy to lose. Seeing this, the peddler continued: "Our Shu has generals like Li, Gao, and Han commanding a hundred thousand troops to guard the passes—why should we fear the Han army?"

"But—" the peddler paused deliberately.

"But what?" Someone naturally pressed.

"The Han army has suffered too many losses. I fear the Emperor of the Great Han in the Central Plains, in a fit of rage, will send reinforcements to attack!" The peddler sighed: "I hear the Han emperor has a strong character, unmatched in civil governance and military achievement, having campaigned east and west for years without defeat. With setbacks at the front, how could he be content? The Northern Han has several hundred thousand elite troops. If they truly attack with full force, even with our strong cities and perilous passes, we will find it hard to cope..."

"Indeed!" The peddler's words did draw some agreement.

As he spoke, the peddler's tone naturally shifted, lowering his voice as he continued: "Let me reveal the truth. The Han army's campaign against us this time is to avenge the two northern expeditions and retake the four prefectures of Qinfeng, Jie, and Cheng!"

"Right! The four prefectures of Qinfeng originally belonged to the Northern Han, so it's no wonder the Northern Han emperor would go to war and send troops to attack!"

"However!" The peddler changed tack: "The war in the north has nothing to do with you all, and it won't affect Chengdu. Not to mention the Han army can hardly break through the defenses and will retreat soon—even if Weiwu Fortress falls, there's still Qingni Ridge. From Xingyuan Prefecture to Chengdu, there are thousands of mountains and passes, layer upon layer of obstacles. The Han army can't fight their way in..."

"How can it have no effect? Lately grain prices have risen, letters from home say autumn taxes have increased, and the authorities are conscripting labor and recruiting soldiers to prepare for war..." One man couldn't help complaining: "I just hope this war ends soon. This winter will likely be harder than usual to get through!"

"Well said—I'm already thinking of going back to the countryside to farm..."

The crowd of lowly commoners was largely moved by these sentiments. Seeing this, the peddler hurriedly said: "Gentlemen, what I said today was just off the cuff—you must not spread it around, or the authorities will charge me with spreading rumors and deceiving the people, and I can't bear that."

"Gentlemen, rest easy—I'll take my leave!" With that, he drained a large bowl of tea, dregs and all, tossed down two iron coins minted by the Shu state, hoisted his carrying pole, and left the tea house, quickly melting into the crowd and disappearing into the marketplace.

But the discussion in the tea house did not cool down with the peddler's departure. These common folk didn't truly care about affairs of state—it was merely fodder for idle conversation. On the other hand, it did genuinely affect their livelihoods.

Shu's prosperity lay first in the state treasury and granaries, second in the bureaucrats, landlords, and merchants. For the common people inside and outside, they still struggled at the bottom, unable to guarantee food and clothing. And once the war turned unfavorable, draining the treasury beyond its means, it was these common folk of Shu who would bear the brunt of taxes and corvée labor.

It was almost predictable that once the war in the north reached a conclusion, if the Shu army lost and the Han army did not stop, a great many commoners within Shu would be ruined.

And in the city of Chengdu, discussions like those in the tea house were not uncommon—in wine houses, bookshops, chess rooms, and even brothels, various versions circulated, all plausible yet distorted.

In fact, with the Qinfeng war still unresolved, rumors were already spreading throughout Shu, discussions buzzing everywhere. From north to south, from Xingyuan Prefecture to Chengdu Prefecture, the further the news traveled, the more absurd and distorted it became—yet the more people believed it.

Of course, behind this wave of heated discussion, someone was naturally fanning the flames and stirring the tide.

In Chengdu city, a private residence, in a quiet alley with few passersby. The apricot trees in the courtyard had already turned golden, and with the autumn wind, leaves occasionally drifted down.

A short man in hemp clothing knocked and entered, guided by the resident into the interior. In the crude room, over a dozen men of varying dress were already waiting, the peddler among them.

The short man entered, swept his gaze around, and gave a look to only one person.

"For over ten days, we have moved through the inner and outer city, spreading word according to each occasion, confusing the public. In Chengdu's streets, rumors are now rampant!" That man stood and answered, his voice carrying a Sichuan accent.

The short man nodded, his lean face almost expressionless, and said directly: "Good! However, such a commotion will inevitably alert the Chengdu authorities. From now on, cease operations and go into hiding. Those who have shown their faces should leave the city first and mind their tracks. The rest of you, continue to lie low in the city and spy on Chengdu's defensive arrangements!"

"Yes!"

After giving these crisp orders, the short man left, and the remaining spies dispersed in an orderly fashion.

These men belonged to the Military Intelligence Bureau under the Bureau of Military Affairs of the Great Han, specializing in spying on internal and external affairs, as well as the politics and military intelligence of various states. In function, they partially overlapped with the Wude Office. The bureau was established even earlier than the Wude Office, but in reputation and status, it was clearly inferior. After all, the Wude Office reported directly to the Emperor.

Even so, with the support of the Bureau of Military Affairs, the Military Intelligence Bureau continued to grow and expand. In the city of Chengdu alone, several dozen spies were in hiding.

And this time, after the great battle at Qinfeng began, a stream of intelligence about the movements within the Later Shu—troop deployments, grain transport, fortress defenses, and the like—flowed northward without cease. Spreading rumors was merely a side job.

Of course, the Wude Office also played no small role in all this.