Chapter 821: The Oppressive Chengdu

In early winter, Chengdu could hardly be called cold. For the Han army soldiers from the north, they finally got to experience the comfort of the Brocade Official City. Though not yet to the point of forgetting home, most hoped to stay a while longer and delay the return march.

Since Chengdu fell and Meng Chang surrendered, the prefectures and counties under his jurisdiction had, one after another, submitted surrender documents and administrative registers to Chengdu, expressing their submission. As the court's edicts for post-war settlement were disseminated, Xiang Xun made no delay either, swiftly dispatching military riders to notify the various prefecture and county offices, ordering them to post proclamations widely among the people of Chuanshu, to manifest the benevolence and virtue of the Han Son of Heaven.

The Shu sovereign Meng Chang and his family, in early September, departed Chengdu with the first fleet of ships heading north, bound for the Eastern Capital. With the Meng Shu destroyed, it was indeed time to divide the spoils.

The wealth of the Shu palace—gold, jade, rare treasures, calligraphy, paintings, and collected books—along with the public treasury's money, silk, satin, weapons, registers, and documents, were all loaded onto ships by the Han army and shipped out of Chengdu by waterway in one fell swoop. It was said that the Crystal Palace that Meng Chang had spent a fortune building, along with the other palaces' remarkable decorations, was directly dismantled by the Han army, and even after more than twenty days, the Shu palace and Chengdu's official storehouses had still not been emptied.

By the onset of winter, several hundred large and small vessels had been shipped out of Chengdu, and on the river routes, boats passed in an unending stream—truly a splendid sight. Even so, the ships transporting war spoils to the Eastern Capital had still not stopped.

To ensure the waterways remained clear, Xiang Xun also dispatched Formation Commander Guo Jin to lead troops south, stationing at Jiazhou to suppress and control the prefectures and counties south of Chengdu, and incidentally dealt a blow to the Liao people who had been causing trouble in Ling and Rong prefectures. The status that Meng Chang had conceded to the Liao people of those two prefectures was not recognized by the Han army—they ought to be exterminated.

Those Liao people, having gained confidence from their battles with the Shu army, actually dared to gather in force to resist Guo Jin's Han troops. The result, naturally, was a single crushing defeat. Guo Jin was ruthless, disciplined his troops strictly, and delighted in killing. He showed no mercy to the Liao people either, executing all several thousand captives and leaving their bodies exposed in the wilderness. The Liao people were terrified and dared not rebel again, and the Shu people also came to fear him greatly.

Within this month or so, after replenishing with surrendered Shu soldiers, the armies that had pacified Shu underwent a redistribution. Besides Guo Jin stationed at Jiazhou, Zhang Yongde was stationed at Yuzhou, Liu Guangyi at Guozhou, Cui Yanjin at Suizhou, He Chongjian at Mianzhou, and Li Yan at Zizhou.

This served both to suppress local resistance and maintain order, and to provision the troops locally. At the same time, the captured Shu soldiers were assigned to garrisons according to their places of origin. Of course, the key areas remained Chengdu and the prefectures and counties of the surrounding plains.

Because of the war, the Meng Shu court had excessively squeezed the people's labor and resources, and with the arrival of the Han army, it was now the Great Han's turn to foot the bill. Many in Shu were starving. Xiang Xun issued military orders according to regulations, opening the storehouses to distribute grain, and even setting aside a portion of military provisions. Upon hearing the news, tens of thousands gathered in Chengdu to beg for food. The army that had pacified Shu, with what the court had allocated plus what had been seized along the way, actually had enough grain on hand.

However, the fact that military grain had to be tapped at all showed the problem was somewhat serious. Constrained by the reality of "grain shortage," Xiang Xun had to consider matters of grain procurement. This task was handed to Fiscal Commissioner Zhang Mei.

And with Chengdu's grain and salt prices remaining stubbornly high, his first blade fell upon the merchants. As the largest and most prosperous city in the southwest, commerce flourished, and the wealth held by the merchants was truly a slab of meat dripping with fat.

One bite, and the Han army naturally ate with grease dripping from their mouths. In Chengdu city, dozens of wealthy merchants and grand traders were seized on charges of "hoarding goods and plotting treachery," their shops sealed and their goods confiscated. Then came the second bite: following the list, investigating their misdeeds, confiscating their family wealth, seizing their lands, and imprisoning their family members in Chengdu...

Which merchant didn't have some connections behind them? Using those connections as a thread to follow, Zhang Mei began to swing his second blade—at the Shu aristocrats and officials who had provided protection and convenience to the corrupt merchants.

Striking at corruption and punishing wrongdoing was politically correct. Raising this banner high and enforcing the law justly was, in reality, a campaign of liquidation and confiscation. With power firmly in hand, a few casually assigned charges were enough to bring down quite a number of people.

In this process, the first batch of merit rewards for the Han army that had pacified Shu was secured and distributed to the officers and soldiers, greatly lifting military morale. Some rumors were also quelled—after all, having watched treasures being shipped to the Son of Heaven and the court, how could these soldiers who had labored so hard and rendered such merit enter a land of treasure without having thoughts of their own...

These unusual actions of the Han army clearly caused a stir, unsettling Chengdu's aristocrats and officials. Some clever people took the initiative to present valuables to Han army officers, bribing them for protection. In response, all officers who accepted such bribes were arrested on Xiang Xun's orders and executed.

Xiang Xun had a clear understanding in his mind: the confiscation of wealth was something the entire army did collectively, distributed from top to bottom as rewards—he could not allow lower-ranking officers to act on their own. Though faced with temptations everywhere, it was hard to completely eradicate such behavior, but on Xiang Xun's side, that door could not be opened. Find one, kill one. If left uncontrolled, once it developed, the army would suffer for it, and in the future it would be hard to answer to the Emperor and the court...

At the same time, those who sought to corrupt the Han soldiers with "sugar-coated bullets" had essentially handed over their own leverage. They were directly seized, triggering a new round of purges.

As a result, the old elites of Chengdu truly felt the danger. Many chose to abandon their family wealth and flee back to their hometowns. Some lucky ones succeeded, but more were caught and thrown into prison for investigation. The justification was also solid: a straight foot does not fear a crooked shoe—if one's conscience were clear and no crime committed, why flee? Of course, though called investigation, in reality they were simply waiting for charges to be arranged and punishments to be handed down...

The result was that Chengdu's Shu court nobles, officials, and wealthy merchants were gripped by fear and anxiety. Flee—they couldn't escape. Wait—perhaps they would only wait for the Han army to arrest and confiscate. The great city of Chengdu seemed to have become a massive prison, and those who had been its original masters had become its chief criminals, constantly awaiting investigation.

For most of Chengdu's common people, however, grain prices had fallen, salt prices had leveled out, those who bullied and dominated the markets had vanished from the streets, and control over entry and exit from the city had become stricter. The markets remained prosperous—the Han soldiers were the largest group of consumers, and having received substantial reward money, how could they not enjoy themselves in this land of abundance? Yet beneath this strange prosperity, even the air seemed oppressive...

North of Chengdu city, a new military camp had been built, with extremely tight security. Compared to a military camp, "prison" might be a more apt description. It held nearly ten thousand people—all the upper-class figures of Shu captured during this period, along with their families and clans.

No one would allow themselves to be slaughtered while facing the seizure of their family wealth, lands, and properties—especially since most of these people wielded a certain degree of power. To avoid leaving future troubles, Xiang Xun simply ordered them all locked up and brought to Chengdu for custody. At the same time, the "criminals" within Chengdu city were also transferred out of the city, strictly guarded and controlled. Chengdu's prison was thus emptied.

The Han army's actions were never limited to Chengdu alone. When one household was taken in the city, it was accompanied by the plundering of their property in their home villages, carried out by local officers and soldiers responding to and coordinating with the actions in Chengdu.

Within the camp walls, wailing was unceasing—men and women, old and young, pitiful in their condition, all wearing expressions of both fear and hatred.

"Prefect Zhao, everyone detained during this period is in this camp!" Standing on the watchtower, surveying the scene within the camp, Murong Chengtai said to Zhao Pu, who had just arrived.

"How many people are here?" Zhao Pu's expression was somewhat cold and hard as he asked.

"Nearly three hundred households, over ten thousand people!" Murong Chengtai gave an approximate figure, then said: "These people are truly wealthy. The silk and money confiscated so far are of enormous value—four hundred thousand dan of grain, and each family's land holdings ranging from several thousand qing at the least to over ten thousand at the most. One can see how these people used extortion and plunder to amass such wealth..."

Zhao Pu asked: "How have the grain and land been disposed of?"

Murong Chengtai shrugged and said: "The grain has been divided into military provisions and official grain. As for the land, that will need to be arranged and disposed of by Prefect Zhao and your office..."

Taking a deep breath and looking at Murong Chengtai's placid expression, Zhao Pu felt a sense of urgency. These military men really did move with speed, ruthlessness, and precision.

"How are conditions among the people in various places? Any unrest?" Zhao Pu asked again.

Murong Chengtai said: "Just some minor disturbances. The court has distributed relief grain to refugees and reduced their taxes and rents, and bandits have been suppressed—most people are grateful for the kindness. But inevitably there are a few rebels who long for the Meng Shu, secretly plotting trouble. They can be pacified with a wave of the hand! However, to bring stability to Chengdu and all of Shu, that responsibility falls to you, Prefect Zhao!"

Perhaps Chengdu agreed with him—Murong Chengtai's complexion had grown several shades paler—but seeing his faint smile, Zhao Pu felt speechless inside. He understood now: he had probably been sent here to clean up after them. What he saw before him was only part of the "achievements." The army's plundering and purges were premeditated, organized, and methodical. The results and consequences were certainly not as simple as Murong Chengtai made them sound.

Zhao Pu had entered Shu this time via the eastern route. The prefectures of eastern Sichuan had no major problems, and southern Sichuan was too poor to be a concern. Only the plains region—what the situation there truly was—would require him to personally investigate...

After considering for a moment, Zhao Pu said: "Tens of thousands of refugees are concentrated around Chengdu. I will distribute land, money, grain, seeds, and farming tools. I will need the army's cooperation to settle them quickly!"

"That is only proper. I believe the Commander-in-Chief will fully cooperate with Your Excellency!" Murong Chengtai nodded in agreement.

"Also, these people cannot be held here for long. They should be relocated out of Chuanshu as soon as possible!" Zhao Pu added.

Murong Chengtai indicated that he would go discuss it with Xiang Xun.

As he left, Zhao Pu's mood was far from good. He felt the pressure. From what he had observed, the situation in Shu was hardly optimistic. For one simple reason: Xiang Xun and his men had gone too far. There was a "North Camp" here in Chengdu—what about Mianzhou? What about Zizhou? What about other places?

The only thing to be grateful for was that the generals still maintained firm control over their troops and had not been cruel to the common people of Shu. Otherwise, they would be waiting for a great upheaval capable of devastating all of Shu...

Even so, Zhao Pu dared not relax in his heart. In Liu Chengyou and Zhao Pu's plans, different groups were to be treated differently, but clearly, the Han army that had pacified Shu had expanded the scope. There was no helping it—they had tasted the sweetness.

Of course, among those purged by the Han army, there were inevitably innocents. But when a flood rages, it does not care whether one is innocent or guilty. Joys and sorrows in the human world, fortune and misfortune are unpredictable—either resist, or each must bear what comes.

And Liu Chengyou, far away in the Eastern Capital, naturally could hardly appreciate the grief of the aristocrats, officials, landowners, and merchants of Shu whose families were broken and wealth scattered. He only sought a result—and if the suffering of a portion could purchase stability for the majority and strengthen the Great Han's rule over Chuanshu, it was worth it!