Chapter 1053: Turning a Hand to Clouds

The long procession moved slowly along the official road; Wang Yan lay lazily inside the carriage, while Hua Lan and Shu Lan pressed against his thighs on either side, chatting idly with no particular thread.

Flanking the two central carriages, front and rear, were several dozen soldiers clad in brand-new armor, shouldering long spears that gleamed with cold light, their waists adorned with quivers and heavy crossbows; with every step, their armor plates rustled and clattered.

Armor, powerful crossbows, and the like were naturally contraband; even long spears required time to manufacture—the spearhead was simple enough, but the shaft, though not as complex as high-grade weapons, still needed multiple processing steps to ensure its toughness and so forth; small quantities were manageable, but large batches were difficult to procure.

Originally, the auxiliary troops' allocation of armor and weaponry was incomplete, consisting entirely of discarded, defective items; since Wang Yan was organizing and training these auxiliary troops into elite fighting soldiers, he could not possibly cut corners.

The equipment these soldiers now carried was naturally all new; obtaining it had involved quite a tedious process of back-and-forth official correspondence among the Three Offices, the Bureau of Military Affairs, the State Council, and even Zhao Zhen himself; after extensive coordination, the Hangzhou prefectural office finally purchased this military gear at a high price.

The procession, perfectly arrayed, advanced slowly along the official road.

At this moment, the squad leader, fully equipped, ran over; not daring to glance inside the carriage, he merely reached the vehicle's side, bowed with clasped hands, and walked alongside the moving carriage, reporting, "Reporting to the Prefectural Judge, there may be a situation."

"Speak."

"The scouts sent ahead have not returned; something must have happened."

Wang Yan emerged from the carriage, stood atop it, stretched his arms to loosen his muscles, and scanned his surroundings; he gave a calm order: "Go on alert."

"Yes!"

The squad leader shouted loudly in response, then bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Full army on alert! Raise shields!"

In the next instant, everyone sprang into action with a great clatter; the young maids walking on the ground scrambled onto the carriage, while guards and soldiers angled their large shields upward; even the cooks and attendants responsible for cooking and purchasing in the rear grabbed whatever objects they could find to shield their heads—Wang Yan even saw his own stout cook holding a large iron wok upside down over his head.

As for the horses, soldiers stood beside them holding shields, fearing the animals might be injured...

War always erupts suddenly; just as they halted their advance and raised their shields to meet the enemy, the next moment brought the whistling sound of arrows slicing through the air.

Wang Yan glanced upward and saw a swarm of feathered arrows descending from the sky ahead and to the right of the procession; he smiled faintly, then ducked back into the carriage.

Immediately afterward came a cacophony of clanging and clattering as arrows rained down from above, striking the carriage roof and smashing against the shields.

Wang Yan wrapped an arm around each of the trembling Hua Lan and Shu Lan, pulling them close.

"No need to fear; they are merely rats. Once this ordeal passes, the matter in Hangzhou will be resolved. You two stay safely inside the carriage; within moments, I shall ensure none of them return alive."

Hua Lan and Shu Lan clung tightly to Wang Yan, urging him not to be reckless and to hide with them inside the carriage while waiting for reinforcements, and so on.

Wang Yan, of course, would not listen; he gently comforted them both until the arrow storm ceased and the sounds of battle cries arose, whereupon he stepped out and stood atop the carriage.

"Prefectural Judge, please take cover; we have already fired the signal arrow, and reinforcements will arrive momentarily," the squad leader ran over, expressing concern for Wang Yan.

"You are merely a squad leader," Wang Yan said coolly, glancing down at him.

That single glance made the squad leader, who had hoped to distinguish himself, feel as though struck by lightning; he hastily scrambled away, shouting orders to his soldiers to organize their defense.

Wang Yan stood with hands clasped behind his back atop the carriage, surveying the scene before him.

The arrows had come from the front and right, but now those charging toward them surged from all directions, forming an encirclement that intended to leave not a single survivor; estimating the scale, there were no fewer than six hundred men.

Moreover, those leading the charge were all armored, with some firing crossbows; additionally, several dozen cavalrymen rode fine warhorses, also clad in armor, their arms clutching long cavalry lances, their faces covered by visors; they charged with formidable momentum, truly imposing.

Although they lacked proper formation and coordination, these men could still be considered elite; they merely lacked collective, systematic training, and thus did not constitute a true army.

Wang Yan was quite pleased by this scene, for the matter had now grown larger, involving military weaponry, which would implicate an even greater number of people and broaden the scope of the crackdown.

Casually catching an incoming arrow, Wang Yan turned back and smiled at the two women cautiously peering through the curtain to watch the scene outside: "Beware of stray arrows; move to the rear."

As he spoke, Wang Yan manipulated something beside the carriage, drawing out a metal plate from each side and fitting them into pre-cut slots at the carriage entrance; these were iron plates, providing sufficient defense.

After completing this, Wang Yan called out, "Dong Liang, bring me the bow and arrows."

"Already prepared, Young Master," Dong Liang chuckled, handing over a bow, then slamming a large basket brimming with arrows onto the carriage with a loud clang.

Wang Yan effortlessly drew the bow, nocked an arrow, and released without even aiming; the arrow flew forth, piercing straight through the throat of a distant sniper; thereafter, he loosed arrows in rapid succession like a string of pearls, striking enemies with pinpoint accuracy—some killed outright, others merely disabled to be taken alive.

The auxiliary fighting soldiers formed ranks to block the enemy, preventing them from breaking through to harm Wang Yan; they were risking their lives for this, a testament to Wang Yan's sterling reputation—they believed that as long as Wang Yan survived, even if they died, their families would receive favorable treatment rather than dying in vain while their kin suffered bullying.

Although constantly drawing bows and shooting, Wang Yan also monitored the battlefield; overall, the auxiliary troops' combat effectiveness was superior, their only deficiency being the lack of collective, organized combat training; the enemy lacked coordinated attacks, possessing only limited mutual understanding, with small groups maintaining some connection but lacking strong cohesion or method, fighting entirely as amateurs.

This was understandable, given that they were a hastily assembled mob; furthermore, their weapons were not all standard-issue, with long spears and short blades varying greatly in quality.

Thus, when actual killing began, the disparity became evident; although they outnumbered the defenders, they could not all rush in simultaneously, so each faced roughly the same number of opponents; the auxiliary soldiers fought exactly as they had during their grueling daily drills, planting their feet, leveling their spears, and thrusting repeatedly, coordinating seamlessly with crisscrossing thrusts—some blocking, others following up with spear strikes.

Naturally, panic was inevitable; this was their first formal battle since training began; previously, they had only raided households, encountering only minor resistance, nothing like the constant life-or-death stakes of the present moment.

However, after the initial panic subsided, influenced by the power of collective bonding, their long-trained muscle memory naturally kicked in; their minds went blank, knowing only when to thrust and where to strike—this was the essential purpose of training soldiers.

Coupled with Wang Yan's precise support, disabling one enemy per arrow, he basically shot all the troublesome cavalrymen off their horses; overall, there were some issues, but nothing major...

Yet for these men, who had accepted payment, feasted on large bowls of meat and gulped down wine, sworn a blood oath, and vowed not to return until Wang Yan was dead, the problems were enormous.

They had seen Wang Yan from afar before; they all knew the man standing atop the carriage, smiling as he drew his bow and shot with divine accuracy, was Wang Yan; yet they simply could not break through; any sniping arrows they fired were easily caught by Wang Yan, who without pause would instantly and accurately shoot the sniper dead.

They could only watch helplessly as Wang Yan, seemingly tireless, mechanically repeated the motion of drawing and releasing his bow; with every shot, the bravest men, those shouting the loudest, those barking commands—in short, anyone sticking their neck out—would inevitably fall beneath Wang Yan's arrows.

The force of those arrows was like thunder, weighing as much as a thousand catties; some pierced through one body to kill the person behind, while others buried themselves halfway into the ground; some struck armored men with a tremendous crash, knocking them backward or even penetrating their helmets; the sight made onlookers' Adam's apples bob in terror, their hearts trembling with fear...

The battle remained deadlocked, neither side gaining ground; though not a river of blood, over a hundred men had already died; human energy and stamina are limited, and fighting demands intense mental focus, with each strike expending most of one's strength; after the initial clash, what remained was a contest of willpower; the battle cries grew quieter, the speed of slashing and stabbing slowed.

Only Wang Yan continued drawing his bow and nocking arrows, though his pace grew slower and slower; sometimes he merely held the drawn bow without releasing; wherever his arrowhead pointed, the enemies' movements visibly faltered, and only when he shifted his aim did they collectively exhale, summoning their strength to continue breaking through the auxiliary troops' and guards' defense; yet during these hesitations, several of them were cut down by the auxiliary soldiers.

Ridiculous, yet bloody.

"Young Master, the arrows are exhausted."

"How many did you prepare?"

"One hundred and fifty," Little Dong Liang said, gazing at his master with admiration.

Wang Yan nodded, then leaped lightly, landing deftly atop the higher carriage roof; he raised his hand high and shouted, "Cease fighting!"

Wang Yan naturally still possessed authority, being the focal point of everyone's attention; moreover, after fighting for so long, everyone was tired and eager to seize this opportunity to catch their breath.

Thus, as soon as Wang Yan's voice fell, both factions, locked in life-and-death struggle, delivered a few final fierce blows before retreating separately, halting their mutual slaughter.

Wang Yan continued, "At the start of this engagement, you should have heard the signal arrow; the auxiliary troops dispatched to suppress bandits are nearby and should now be encircling you from all sides, arriving momentarily; you are merely selling your lives for money; perhaps a few of you truly have family destroyed by this official, but most of you have no substantial grievance with me.

You all possess great strength and are bold, reckless individuals, likely figures who domineered your local villages, perhaps even bearing nicknames in the martial world; this official despises rats like you most, who spend their days calling each other 'elder brother' while bullying the weak and fearing the strong; it is only because, since my appointment, I have troubled the powerful families and great households that men like you have not already vanished from Hangzhou.

Killing an official today is tantamount to rebellion; once reinforcements arrive, you will undoubtedly die..."

As he spoke, Wang Yan casually caught two incoming arrows, then drew his bow and shot them back.

"Ants attempting to shake a tree—overestimating one's own strength," Wang Yan shook his head with a smile and continued, "This official offers you a chance to survive; if you surrender now and cooperate with the prefectural investigation, you may enlist in the border armies and earn a chance to live; if you refuse, I guarantee that dying will prove difficult for you; as for the wealthy families who hired you, rest assured, their fate will be far more miserable than yours."

"Brothers, do not listen to this dog official... ah..."

It was Wang Yan who had plucked an arrow from the carriage roof and shot it straight into that man's shoulder blade. Then, without pausing, Wang Yan leaped down from the carriage canopy, pushed aside the guarding box-army soldiers, and strode directly to the face of the speaker.

Without a second word, he kicked the man in the stomach, sending him flying to the side, and stood proudly amidst the encirclement: "This official is here; come on, who dares kill this official?"

He turned in a circle, advancing against the spears and swords with pressing questions, while those surrounding him to kill retreated in panic, so that by the time Wang Yan completed one rotation, just like scenes often seen in movies, a large empty space had formed.

Wang Yan clasped his hands behind his back, shook his head with a smile, and said: "Enough, stop here; put down your weapons. As long as you cooperate with the investigation and speak all you know, you can live to reach the border and fight for a chance at survival. This official always keeps his word. Do you still refuse to submit? Do you still want to kill this official?"

Walking up to a trembling young man, Wang Yan smiled gently and declared loudly: "Do you truly believe those powerful noble families can remain rich and mighty? Do you think that killing this official will keep your families safe and sound? If this official dies, the court will pursue the matter. If this official does not die, this official will pursue the matter. The powerful noble families have ruined my household and exterminated my clan; do you think this official is inferior to those people? I will count to ten; anyone still standing with a weapon in hand will have their family confiscated and their clan exterminated. One..."

Before he could even finish counting to ten, these people collapsed to the ground in scattered heaps, gasping for breath. With life and death hanging in the balance, they were already half-dead from exhaustion, bearing immense pressure; now collapsed on the ground, even if they rose again, their combat effectiveness would be greatly diminished, unable to pose any real threat.

It was also at this moment that the sound of dense footsteps began to approach, and before long, the area was surrounded.

It was precisely at this moment that, for Wang Yan, the struggle in Hangzhou came to an end.

Just as he had previously thought, with these people in hand, the great families of Hangzhou were now meat on the chopping block; he could target whomever he wished. The charge of killing an official and rebelling alone was sufficient, not to mention the matter of military arms within the army; these two charges were each greater than the last, each more sensitive than the previous.

In fact, the affairs of Hangzhou were no longer confined to Hangzhou alone. What Wang Yan had done in Hangzhou was quite excessive in the eyes of the Emperor, the officials, and the great families of the world; everyone's eyes were fixed on the situation in Hangzhou.

The conservative faction believed Wang Yan was too radical, spending twenty-five out of thirty days impeaching Wang Yan. The reformist faction actually also considered Wang Yan radical; they had never imagined Wang Yan would be so fierce. He had utilized the power of a local official to the maximum possible extent, carrying out everything a prefect-level official could do to the extreme, and even exceeding it by quite a bit.

To a certain extent, Wang Yan had now become the leading figure of the reformist faction. What determines the strength of a faction is the Emperor's attitude; whoever can satisfy the Emperor will, correspondingly, wield greater influence. Wang Yan's actions in Hangzhou had, to a certain degree, influenced Zhao Zhen's attitude toward reform, thereby increasing the reformist faction's voice.

Of course, there remains a significant gap between a leading figure and a commander; the former clears the path ahead, while the latter strives upward. The current commanding figure was, without doubt, Fan Zhongyan...

After the troops assembled, cleaning the battlefield and providing emergency aid to the wounded, Wang Yan took command, methodically arranging various tasks. The most important of these was drafting an official document and sending a messenger on a fast horse to Qiantang to summon Supervisor Zhou, while also explaining the situation to Fan Zhongyan. At the same time, he ordered letters sent to Lin'an to empty the prisons and prepare the grounds.

After comforting Hua Lan and Shu Lan, he proceeded directly to Lin'an.

Five days later, Hangzhou began a vigorous and massive purge; land surveys were halted, household registrations were suspended, and the focus shifted entirely to targeting the powerful noble families of Hangzhou. Simultaneously, leveraging the charges of killing an official to rebel and privately hoarding military arms to expand the struggle, he thrust the matter straight up to Bianjing.

Officials previously connected to the great families and those who had spoken up for them need not be mentioned; all were implicated to varying degrees. The light punishments were demotion, the heavy ones dismissal from office. The matter of weapons and armor was even more severe; this was something one could do but not speak of. Wang Yan stubbornly played the fool, holding the banner of righteousness, leaving everyone powerless; he dragged down quite a few people, even implicating the border armies. However, that had little to do with Wang Yan; even if he incurred hatred, what did it matter...

What Wang Yan cared about more was still the local affairs of Hangzhou. The entire work of confiscating the great families' assets was presided over by him.

The envoys from the capital were still on their way. Wang Yan had ample room to maneuver; he did not act based on who was guilty or who possessed evidence of crimes, but rather followed a list: whichever family was large in scale and poor in reputation, that family would be destroyed this time.

It might be that someone was said to have participated in killing an official and rebelling, or perhaps, during an investigation, military arms were discovered within their home.

Surely many people, seeing the situation turn unfavorable, had fled in advance. After all, as long as they escaped Hangzhou, they would be safe. Even if the Great Song was no longer safe, they could go to Liao, Xia, or Dali; they were considered talents, literate and educated, welcome wherever they went.

Wang Yan did not care about such fish that slipped through the net; they could not pose a threat. What he wanted was the wealth accumulated by the great families and the land they had annexed. As for the suffering of those captured, that was merely additional interest.

The unfinished business from the previous ambush attempt was now fully completed.

Commercial taxes had been increased, land measurements clarified, and household registrations audited; more importantly, the powerful noble families of Hangzhou had been severely struck, breaking Hangzhou's old balance and reshaping the entire pattern of Hangzhou.

As for clear and impartial law enforcement by the yamen and major construction projects in Hangzhou, these were merely processes. The main goal lay in promoting economic development and flourishing all industries, but more importantly, in stabilizing the common people.

In summary, Hangzhou had been basically regulated and settled. What remained was beyond the reach of Wang Yan's power as a prefect; those were matters for higher levels to handle.

As long as any successor adhered to the plans he had set and continued development, stability could be guaranteed for at least fifty years. But clearly, this was impossible; the world was a single chessboard, and Hangzhou could not remain safe in isolation.

The struggle in Hangzhou had ended, yet a greater struggle was just beginning...