Chapter 648: Wang Yan Governs Luoyang

In Xixian County, Hanzhong, Xiang Xun prepared with single-minded focus, determined to pour all his strength into a brutal offensive-defensive battle. The entire southwestern army—whether at the front or in the rear, including the newly recovered prefectures and counties—was harnessed to the war chariot, each playing its part.

Within Xiang Xun's plan, the Xixian siege was the last great battle after winter set in, so he simply threw all his resources into it, seeking a decisive blow. As commander of the Shu campaign, he naturally understood that the Emperor and the court's objective was only Hanzhong itself, and it was on this basis that Xiang Xun settled on his tactics.

Although Nanzheng lay beyond Xixian, in Xiang Xun's view, if Xixian fell, Nanzheng would be no trouble at all—especially after synthesizing the intelligence on Shu's responses and troop deployments.

The Western Capital, Luoyang.

After more than three years of governance under Jing Fan, it had already regained its prosperity and continued to develop. In recent years, the Great Han had suffered one natural disaster after another, yet none of these calamities had ever visited this city—it could be described as enjoying favorable weather. As a result, Luoyang had achieved its first great order in decades.

After all, it was the Western Capital, an ancient capital of a thousand years. Its political status was here; a great many of the dynasty's meritorious nobles chose to settle here, ministers and officials mostly maintained secondary residences here, and retired meritorious officials were also settled here. With such people taking the lead, and with a stable social environment, a prosperous Luoyang naturally emerged.

Now, within the city of Luoyang alone, there were over three hundred thousand residents—second only to Kaifeng, making it the second-greatest city in the Great Han.

Since winter began, the biggest event in Luoyang was the change of the Western Capital's Defender. Jing Fan, who had come to the capital to report on his duties, was retained and promoted to Governor of Kaifeng, while for the new Defender, after deliberation, Emperor Liu Chengyou selected the Marquis of Teng, Wang Yan.

This matter stirred many hearts, especially those of the nobles settled here. Wherever the powerful gather, privilege tends to run rampant. During Jing Fan's administration, the people he feared least were precisely this sort, and what he suppressed was illegal conduct, keeping them firmly in check.

In fact, Jing Fan's attitude toward the nobles was not much different from Shi Hongzhao's—only he would not use personal grudges for revenge or fabricate charges, and he was reasonable. Whether noble, landowner, or merchant, as long as one developed industry or acquired land according to the rules, he raised no objection.

But if one broke the law and fell into his hands, there was absolutely no favoritism or leniency. Thus, during Jing Fan's years governing Luoyang, he had also offended many people, and the nobles whose privileges he had curtailed were largely dissatisfied with him.

Now that Jing Fan, that stubborn man who would not listen to reason, had finally been transferred away, many people unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, and their minds began to stir with new ideas. At the same time, the common folk of Luoyang also felt reluctant to see him go—Jing Fan had a good reputation as an official, and he was upright; under his governance, at least he cared for the common people and did his best to maintain relative fairness.

And the new Defender, Wang Yan, was himself born of military merit, a newly risen noble of the Great Han.

Since Wang Yan assumed office, the Defender's residence had regained its bustle—at least it was no longer as cold and deserted as in Jing Fan's day. Recently, it had become positively crowded at the gate, with countless visitors seeking an audience, yet very few were actually received.

Two ornately decorated carriages came slowly along the street until they stopped before the Defender's office. At the gate, having just persuaded away several meritorious officials whom Wang Yan had refused to see, the gate clerk's eyes unconsciously showed a trace of contempt as he looked at the two carriages.

From the carriages descended two old men in brocade robes. One was tall and stout, his face and body covered in fat, appearing somewhat bloated. The other was thinner. Both, however, seemed confident and composed.

The two exchanged greetings, then stepped forward together and presented their visiting cards. But before they could speak, the gate clerk waved his hand impatiently: "The Defender has instructed that he is busy with official business and will see no outside visitors. Please, both of you, return!"

The fat old man noticed the contempt in his eyes, and a flicker of displeasure passed through his aged gaze, but he suppressed it, unwilling to wrangle with this little whelp. He smiled: "I am an old friend of your Defender. Others he may not see, but this old man—he will certainly see me!"

"You there, don't make excuses—go announce me at once!" Saying this, he produced a silver ingot along with two visiting cards and handed them over together.

A trace of doubt flickered in the gate clerk's eyes. Seeing how confident the man was, he muttered inwardly, hesitated briefly, then took them with practiced ease: "Wait here. I'll go announce you. Whether he sees you or not—that depends on your luck!"

As he turned away, only the two visiting cards remained in the clerk's hands.

Watching the gate clerk unhurriedly step through the office gate, the thin old man said coldly: "If this were the early years of Qianyou, for being slighted by such a petty clerk, I could have him seized, bagged, and drowned in the river! What swine and dog of a fellow!"

Seeing his furious, ferocious glare, the fat one gave a bitter laugh or two and said with a sigh: "Brother Xue, this temper of yours needs changing. Times are different now, after all. Look—once we lost our power, even this petty gate clerk can lord it over us! If he refuses to announce us, can we force our way into the Defender's office?"

Of these two old men, the fat one was Hou Zhang, former Military Governor of Huazhou, and the thin one was Xue Huairang, former Military Governor of Tongzhou. Whatever else, both had once been governors of a prefecture, wielding power over a whole region—hence this lament.

"Hmph!" Xue Huairang turned his head away and muttered: "Who knows whether Wang Yan still remembers your old friendship—don't let us be turned away at the door too!"

"Here, someone—bring this old man's horse over!" Hou Zhang, by contrast, smiled faintly and gave the order to his household servant.

Behind the carriages stood a sturdy, handsome steed, groomed immaculately, pure white all over with not a single strand of off-color hair.

"Brother Hou!" Xue Huairang could not help asking: "Where did this horse come from?"

"An envoy from Liangzhou—I bought it from the merchants traveling with him. It cost me a pretty penny!" Hou Zhang laughed: "Wang Yan used to love fine swords and fine horses. I just wonder whether wealth and rank have changed his tastes!"

Hou Zhang and Xue Huairang were both genuine military men, risen in the final years of the Jin, who had thrown in their lot with the Great Han. To win hearts, they were appointed Military Governors. But these two had the habits of most soldiers risen from obscurity—once they achieved prominence, they became smug and arrogant, insatiably greedy, endlessly acquisitive, governing badly, and the people suffered under them.

Xue Huairang especially—back in Hebei, Liu Chengyou had nearly had him executed for his unchecked plundering and oppressive governance that harmed the people. Later, the two were assigned by Gaozu Liu Zhiyuan to posts in Guanzhong, yet they still did not restrain themselves, naturally earning the displeasure of Liu Chengyou and the court, until suspicion and resentment grew between them.

Of course, what the two should never have done was to become entangled with Li Shouzhen of Hezhong. Although during Li Shouzhen's rebellion the two caused no substantial trouble for the court, and after the court dispatched its pacification army they both behaved themselves obediently—

Still, once Hezhong was pacified, how could these two governors with ties to the rebels escape? Considering the domestic situation at the time, having already made an example by executing one big chicken, to appease the other governors, Liu Chengyou chose to handle Hou and Xue lightly—letting them buy their safety with their family wealth, retire with honorary titles, and move to Luoyang.

Though they had lost their positions of power and were unwilling to accept it, at least they kept their lives. After arriving in Luoyang, drawing on their early accumulations, they quickly acquired a batch of land and properties.

Hou Zhang managed an estate, owned several ships, and traded in porcelain, silk, and medicinal herbs—he had a hand in many businesses. Xue Huairang, meanwhile, ran several teahouses, wine shops, and brothels in the city, and also organized a merchant caravan that specialized in running routes to the northwest.

Over the years, their family fortunes grew considerably, and both actively integrated into Luoyang's noble circles, building good relations with many powerful families' sons and relatives, accumulating some renown.

Now that Wang Yan was governing Luoyang, they naturally had to come pay a visit—not necessarily expecting anything, but the relationship had to be maintained. Especially Hou Zhang—he, Zhao Hui, and Wang Yan had been the "Three Governors of the First Uprising."

In the Defender's residence, in the second hall, Wang Yan was handling official business concerning a shipment of military grain for the southwest.

"How much grain remains in the treasury?" Wang Yan set down the document in his hand and inquired.

The subordinate replied: "One hundred thousand dan of rice, one hundred fifty thousand of millet, over two hundred thousand of wheat..."

"That much!" Wang Yan was somewhat surprised, but quickly composed himself and ordered: "Then send it to Guanzhong according to the amounts!"

"Yes!"

In recent years, Luoyang had enjoyed favorable weather and bountiful harvests, and with Jing Fan's governance, the treasury had indeed accumulated a great deal—even if most was requisitioned by the Eastern Capital, what remained could still be described as ample.

"Sigh..." Wang Yan stroked his beard and sighed. They said a new official always lights three fires on taking office—but taking charge of such a city, where should he even begin?