Chapter 950: The Governor Takes Up His Post

Qingpi Road was a narrow ancient road east of Yunzhong, much like the the Yin Mountains Road within the territory—both were routes for sending out troops. In the second month, when Murong Yanzhao's army marched west and Liu Chengyou came to Yunzhong in person, both had taken this road.

Along the sloping road, all was silent—nothing but the occasional cry of a bird or the rustle of spring wind brushing through grass and trees. It was not until a dense clatter of hoofbeats sounded that the stillness was broken.

At the end of the mountain road, a party of a dozen or so riders came galloping swiftly, startling the animals resting among the grass and roadside hollows into scattering in all directions to flee these uninvited guests. These riders were not military horsemen, but their guards were equally brawny and agile, and judging by their attire, they were officials of the court.

"Governor, we've been riding hard for nearly two hours now. We're almost out of Qingpi Road, and Yunzhong isn't far off—let's rest a moment!" Reaching the top of a slope, a burly man among the escort reined in his horse, pointed toward the northwest, and said to a middle-aged scholar held in their midst.

"Then let's rest a while!" The scholar's physique was naturally no match for the sturdy men, and knowing the guards were looking after him, he nodded and gave the order.

The escort guards obeyed, quickly dismounting to drink water and eat, replenishing their strength and giving the horses a rest as well. The whole party was travel-worn and weary-faced, clearly having covered no short distance.

This scholar was the newly appointed Administration Commissioner of Shanyang Circuit, Song Qi, personally commissioned by the Emperor. Upon receiving the decree from the field headquarters, he had quickly handed over his current affairs—not even sparing time for his family—and set out for his post with only two household servants. These ten guards had been specially assigned by Prince Yan, Zhao Kuangzan, to ensure his safety. Along the way, he traveled by day and rested by night, not daring to be negligent.

Even so, the winding, circuitous journey—scaling mountains and fording rivers over nearly six hundred li—had worn Song Qi out considerably. Standing on the high ridge, letting the wind blow over him and brushing the dust from his clothes, Song Qi felt a surge of emotion.

"My lord, you're heading to Yunzhong to take up a post as a high official of a region—you should be full of high spirits. Why do you sigh?" the household servant close at his side asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

Song Qi's feelings were, of course, somewhat complicated. If it were up to him, he would not have wanted to come to Yunzhong. For him, the best option would have been a post in Youzhou, or else a position in the central government as a capital official.

But with the Emperor's commission, he dared not voice any complaint. Song Qi already had no shortage of local governance experience and seniority. The newly established Shanyang Circuit, with a hundred things awaiting reconstruction, was certainly a place to accomplish deeds and build merit—but it was remote in the northern frontier, with complex circumstances, not so easy to manage. If any oversight occurred, with his status as a former official of Prince Yan, who knew how many more years of bitter toil it would take to advance further.

Of course, such thoughts were merely the concerns of a "surrendered official" and not fit to be spoken aloud. Instead, he said: "The Son of Heaven places great trust in me, showing such favor—pressing heavy responsibility upon my shoulders, I feel as if I bear a weight of a thousand jun. How could I see only the glory and not consider the weight of my duties?"

Song Qi spun out such literary phrases, leaving the servant blinking in bewilderment. Wasn't becoming a big official a good thing? An Administration Commissioner of a newly established circuit like Shanyang wielded considerable power. Still, he more or less understood what Song Qi meant, and asked: "Could it be that being the chief official of a circuit is very difficult?"

At the question, Song Qi said: "Let me ask you—on this whole journey, aside from the army returning east, have you seen any other villages or markets? Since passing Huai'an, how many households have we seen, how many villages? As for today, how long a stretch of road have we traveled without seeing any sign of human habitation?"

"County towns lie in ruins, villages stand empty—we must have gone over a hundred li without seeing a single soul!"

"A hundred li without human habitation!" Song Qi sighed. "Over in Yunzhou, the devastation of war was even worse. I hear the entire city of Yunzhong was burned to rubble. When I, this Administration Commissioner, go there, I likely won't even find a proper official residence. Do you think, under such circumstances, it will be easy to rebuild the city walls and settle the people? And if I cannot accomplish it, how am I to answer to the court—would I not fail the Son of Heaven's expectations?"

Hearing this, the servant gave an awkward smile and said: "If this post is so hard to handle, then just ask the Son of Heaven for a different one!"

Before Song Qi could scold him, the servant muttered again: "Even if it's hard, it's still a high post of a region—in the whole vast court, there aren't many Administration Commissioners!"

At that, Song Qi laughed and cursed at him: "You little rascal, you've actually spoken a true word!"

"No more talk—rest for a quarter of an hour, then we set off again!" Song Qi waved his hand and gave the order.

"Yes!"

Exiting Qingpi Road, Song Qi pressed on nearly thirty more li before finally arriving beneath the walls of Yunzhong city, by which time it was already dusk. By now, the field headquarters at Yunzhong had thinned out considerably. Gao Huaide and Murong Yanzhao had each led their armies back in triumph, and with the several border armies dispatched to their respective garrisons, only a hundred thousand or so men remained in the great camp at Yunzhong, mostly from the imperial army.

The once vast military camp had also emptied out considerably, yet it remained orderly. Not pausing to observe closely, Song Qi hurried to pay homage to the Emperor. At the imperial tent, the one who received him was Zhang Ji, a close minister at the Emperor's side.

"Governor Song, you've kept His Majesty waiting a long while!" Zhang Ji, one who had achieved success young, put on some airs and spoke with an overbearing tone.

Glancing at Zhang Ji, Song Qi felt a flicker of displeasure, but he kept a smile on his face and asked with cupped hands: "What does Secretary Zhang mean by that?"

"The field headquarters is preparing to strike camp and return to the Eastern Capital. The reason His Majesty has lingered here is precisely to wait for Governor Song to arrive at his post!" Zhang Ji said.

Hearing this, Song Qi immediately put on a look of panic and anxiety, speaking in a tone of apology: "Keeping His Majesty waiting and delaying the withdrawal—that is my fault. Is His Majesty in the imperial tent? I beg you to trouble yourself with an introduction!"

Seeing Song Qi lower his posture so much, Zhang Ji felt greatly pleased, and his expression softened considerably. He replied: "His Majesty is in the city—you may go yourself!"

"Thank you for the guidance!" Song Qi clasped his hands, strode quickly out of the imperial tent, mounted his horse, and rode toward Yunzhong city.

But the moment he turned his face away, his expression changed—somewhat indignant, somewhat contemptuous. He thought to himself: not all those around the Son of Heaven are worthy men; a mere low-ranking official dares to be so arrogant.

Of course, this displeasure could only be set aside in his heart for the time being. He dared not lightly offend such close ministers of the Emperor—this Song Qi understood well. Indeed, he would not even report the matter to the Emperor.

Liu Chengyou, meanwhile, was in Yunzhong making his final inspection before returning south. After this parting, he truly did not know whether he would ever have the chance to set foot here again in this lifetime. Toward Yunzhou, Liu Chengyou harbored some special feelings—special in that, if history continued along its current course, perhaps no one would be able to appreciate what a feat it was for the Han regime to recover this land, what historical significance it held. And these feelings were something Liu Chengyou could not share with anyone else.

"Minister Song has come! You've had a hard journey—sit!" Facing Song Qi, who had hurried in to pay his respects, Liu Chengyou was far more cordial. Amid the ruins, he called him over and sat down with him on the ground.

Faced with the Emperor's attitude, much of the gloom in Song Qi's heart dissolved.

Looking at Song Qi, Liu Chengyou gestured at the crumbling walls and broken tiles around them and said with feeling: "Yunzhong—indeed, the entire Shanyang Circuit—has become ruins, urgently in need of rebuilding. With all manner of affairs and ten thousand difficulties pressing down, the burden placed upon your shoulders is heavy indeed!"

"Having received Your Majesty's trust and been entrusted with such an important post, your servant will surely press forward under the weight, govern Shanyang well, and repay Your Majesty!" Song Qi pledged.

Hearing his words, Liu Chengyou broke into a smile, clearly satisfied with his attitude, and said: "With Minister Song's words, I can return south with peace of mind!"