Chapter 767: Chaos in Guanzhong, Rebellion in Shu

In the successive battles between Han and Shu, the Meng Shu had lost over a hundred thousand troops in total, and of these Shu soldiers, nearly half had been taken prisoner by the Great Han. Among them, apart from a portion of seasoned veterans who were incorporated into the Huaide Army, the remaining thirty-odd thousand were dispersed and settled in Fengxiang, Jingzhao, Huatong, Shaanluo, and other places.

The Shu prisoners in Guanzhong numbered over twenty thousand. These able-bodied young men of suitable age were all valuable human resources, used for building roads, constructing walls, mining, digging canals, and farming—essentially treated as coolies. These prisoners contributed considerably to the recovery of the Guanzhong Plain.

However, precisely because of their status as "prisoners," the prefectural and county authorities below inevitably overworked them. Poor food and clothing, heavy labor, backbreaking projects—many died from overwork. But for the local officials of Guanzhong, they had tasted the sweetness of it; their political achievements were all intimately tied to what the prisoners did, so the exploitation of prisoners only intensified.

Over the years, under fairly tight control, things had remained peaceful. Although the prisoners grumbled endlessly under severe labor and burdens, constrained by the might of the Han army, the surveillance of the authorities, and their location deep in Guanzhong, they silently endured.

But all endurance has its limits, and all silence awaits an eruption. Until the fifth day of the fifth month, the Shu prisoners who could no longer bear the oppression of the Great Han's authorities began to resist.

The initial eruption was at Yunyang County in Yaozhou. About three hundred prisoners quarrying stone and digging earth killed the overseers, then rallied others and launched a surprise attack on the county seat. Yunyang was only a small county, with low walls, few people, and scant troops—fewer than a hundred yamen runners and county soldiers within the city. The revolt came suddenly and without warning, sweeping through like a storm. All the county officials, clerks, and soldiers were killed, and the county magistrate was hanged in the yamen.

The Yunyang revolt was a revolt of passion—purely laborers suffering under harsh servitude, venting the resentment and hatred pent up in their hearts. They took cruel and bloody revenge on the Yunyang authorities, seizing weapons, armor, clothing, and grain, and plundering the property of the townspeople and gentry.

But after the passion passed and they calmed down, what remained was panic and fear. Having committed crimes for which death was the only atonement, they could well imagine what kind of retaliation the Han army would exact. So the rebels began to organize, spreading the chaos to surrounding counties and towns in order to survive. The Yunyang rebels elevated a man named Wang Shun as their leader—originally a low-ranking officer in the Shu army. Under his command, the rebels marched south to Jingyang, freed several hundred local prisoners, then breached the city. Following the Yunyang example, they did not linger after taking Jingyang but continued south, advancing toward Xianyang.

Xianyang was a major county within Jingzhao Prefecture, and it had no small number of Shu prisoners under labor. They joined Wang Shun's rebel force, which quickly swelled to over two thousand men, more than a thousand of whom were former Shu soldiers with military experience. Thereafter, Wang Shun decisively chose to attack the county seat of Xianyang.

Fortunately, Xianyang was prepared. Facing the rebels' fierce momentum, they had concentrated officials, soldiers, and runners in advance and conscripted able-bodied men to defend the walls. The rebels lacked heavy siege equipment, and when their surprise attack failed, they decisively withdrew and turned to plundering the countryside and conscripting the populace.

By this time, the memorial Liu Chengyou received was vague in detail, but the general situation was clear enough: surrendered Shu soldiers had revolted, numbering over two thousand, and had already spread from Yunyang to the two counties of Jingyang and Xianyang. The disaster spanned three counties, and the rebellion was raging.

This memorial had been reported from Jingzhao Prefecture to the Eastern Capital, then forwarded from the Eastern Capital to the field headquarters. The mere transmission of the message had taken six or seven days, and after so long, how far the chaos in Guanzhong had developed was anyone's guess.

As for the rebels at Yunyang, Chief Commander Zhao Hongyi, stationed at Chang'an, had strengthened his defenses the moment he heard the news and actively mobilized the troops of the regional command, preparing to suppress the rebellion.

The Great Han maintained heavy troops in Guan You, but they were mostly concentrated in the northwest and southwest. In the hinterland areas like Jingzhao, garrisons were thin. The Guanzhong regional command had over ten thousand troops under its authority, but apart from two battalions at Chang'an, they were scattered across the various prefectures and counties.

Considering this situation, Liu Chengyou could not help but feel a measure of irritation and anxiety. He had no leisure to appreciate the town of Yongji or the scenery of the ferry crossing.

"This truly catches me off guard! Hmm? How long has it been since the Great Han's territory saw a disturbance of this scale?" Boarding the carriage and hurrying back to the city, Liu Chengyou's expression remained fairly calm, but his tone could not hide his anger: "Yunyang, Jingyang, Xianyang—the heart of Jingzhao. The Shu army's several northern offensives never broke through, yet now a band of prisoner rebels runs rampant through counties and towns, killing officials and harming the people!"

In the Hezhong Prefecture yamen, Li Shaoyou could not help but offer words of comfort: "Your Majesty need not be overly worried. These rebels are nothing but stragglers and a motley mob. Their sudden uprising and harassment are merely due to the local authorities being caught unprepared. The rebels number only two thousand or so. As long as we respond promptly, take decisive measures, and dispatch troops to suppress them, they will surely be wiped out entirely!"

"Do not underestimate these two thousand men. The Shu prisoners in all of Guanzhong number at least twenty thousand, if not thirty thousand. Though dispersed, they are spread everywhere. Once word spreads and the chaos expands, it will become a disaster affecting all of Guan You. And the prefectures and counties in the Guanzhong hinterland have mostly empty defenses. If they are exploited, need I say more about the consequences?" Liu Chengyou took a deep breath and said: "The key issue is that after all this time, I still don't know how the rebellion has developed, whether it has expanded, or how Zhao Hongyi's suppression is going!"

Saying this, Liu Chengyou finally hurled the memorial in his hand violently onto the desk, venting a small outburst.

"This..." Li Shaoyou was briefly at a loss for words, then after thinking it over, said: "I beg Your Majesty to temporarily restrain your thunderous wrath. Once the details of the Guanzhong rebellion arrive, I am confident that the generals and officials of the various prefectures will unite their efforts to quell the violence!"

The Governor of Hezhong Prefecture and the Commander of the prefectural troops hurried into the hall. Before they could speak, Liu Chengyou asked directly: "How many Shu prisoners under labor are there within Hezhong Prefecture?"

Presumably startled by the Emperor's cold and hard attitude, the Governor was taken aback and, not daring to be negligent, answered nervously: "In reply to Your Majesty, there are over three thousand, dispersed among the salt ponds and mines!"

"You—go immediately and issue orders to arrange for strengthened surveillance over them, and do not allow any disturbance to arise!" Liu Chengyou instructed the two: "I permit you to mobilize troops and strengthen control. If there is any sign of trouble, kill!"

"Yes!" The Governor of Hezhong was startled and hurriedly acknowledged, but still had the presence of mind to ask the reason: "May I presume to ask Your Majesty, what has happened?"

Giving him an extra look, Liu Chengyou briefly recounted the situation of the chaos in Guan You. Upon hearing this, the two men became even more cautious and hurried off to make arrangements. To them, the chaos in Guanzhong was none of their concern, but with the imperial carriage in Hezhong, they dared not make any mistake right under the Emperor's nose.

Fortunately, the prisoners under labor in Hezhong were relatively concentrated, making them easier to watch and manage.

After a moment's deliberation, Liu Chengyou summoned Guo Tong, Hu Zai, and others, and instructed them sternly: "First, send word that the recent situation in Guanzhong is to be reported with utmost speed. From now on, reports on the rebellion are to be submitted directly to me.

Second, issue an edict to all prefectures, counties, and towns in Guanzhong, strictly controlling public order and strengthening surveillance to prevent unrest. Especially those prefectures and counties employing prisoners—they must strengthen their vigilance.

Third, order the Guanzhong regional command to suppress the rebel army with all speed and not allow the rebellion to expand. Appoint Zhao Hongyin as Commander-in-Chief for suppressing the rebels, and conscript the regional command's troops for battle.

Fourth, transmit orders to the garrisons at Fengxiang and Qinlong to dispatch one army eastward to assist in suppressing the bandits and quelling the rebellion!"

"Yes!" Guo Tong and Hu Zai, sensing the gravity of the situation and the Emperor's resolve, immediately acknowledged and received the edict.

Pausing briefly, Liu Chengyou then looked toward Li Shaoyou and instructed: "You are to set out immediately for Chang'an. Your primary task is to supervise the officials of the various prefectures and counties, govern and pacify the people, and stabilize the situation for me!"

"As commanded!"

"Transmit the order to Shi Shouxin—the imperial carriage departs, heading south to Tong Pass. Also send someone to tell Zhao Hongyin that I will be waiting at Tong Pass, waiting for him to quell the rebellion!" Liu Chengyou said coldly.

"Yes!"

Judging from Liu Chengyou's arrangements, they might seem like an overreaction—after all, it was merely a motley mob, long-suffering laborers lacking weapons and armor, killing officials and plundering the people, more like bandits.

But from the successive memorials that followed, it was clear that Liu Chengyou's response was not excessive in the least. After failing to take Xianyang, the rebel leader Wang Shun led his men to turn northwest and attack Liquan. Under the rebels' desperate assault, the city fell, and the county magistrate fled with his men.

After a brief resupply, Wang Shun led his army west to plunder Xingping and Wugong. Though he failed to breach their walls, he threw Jingzhao into complete turmoil. At the same time, Wang Shun sent people to spread agitation throughout Guanzhong. Hearing of his uprising, the Shu prisoners scattered across the region, empathizing with his cause, responded in many places. Though it was not a universal uprising, unrest among the prefectures and counties had become inevitable.

The local authorities and armies of Guanzhong were slow to react at first, but after adjusting, most took decisive measures to prepare for the unexpected. Even so, several places still fell—most notably the three counties of Pucheng, Yueyang, and Weinan—echoing Wang Shun's army in the west from afar.