Chapter 139: 137

Zou Meng'an charged forward with his sword raised, shouting, "Jinqing, turn rebel with us!"

Liu Tongsheng stared blankly around him — the rebel bandits had not even reached the city walls, yet more and more of the gentry were defecting. Even the village braves he himself had recruited were all yelling "Open the gates!", and a few of them had already surrounded him.

"Clan brother (Master), turn rebel!"

Clansmen and household slaves encircled Liu Tongsheng. If he dared utter a single word of refusal, he would likely be bound on the spot.

Most of these clansmen were small landlords and yeoman farmers; only one was a great landlord. These household slaves were also waiting to join the rebels and receive land. They held back from direct action only out of lingering regard for old ties, hoping to coerce Liu Tongsheng into leading them all in defection.

"Enough, enough!"

Liu Tongsheng, who three years hence should have taken the Zhuangyuan degree, was now forced to cast his sword to the ground. For the moment, he could only think of preserving his family.

The Zou, Liu, and Li clans all defected, swiftly seizing an entire section of the city wall. To the north, another Liu clan also defected. So long as they met no attack, they did not press further — everyone here was neighbors and kin; who wanted to fight to the death?

Thus, for all the clamor of battle everywhere, the casualties were truly negligible.

Zou Meng'an's grandfather was Zou Yuanbiao, who in life had been Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and in death was posthumously honored as Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent and Minister of Personnel, with the posthumous name "Zhongjie."

And Liu Tongsheng was Zou Yuanbiao's student, as well as Tang Xianzu's son-in-law.

Though this cluster of gentry had their own conflicts, they also formed an immense web of connections.

Even in joining the rebels, their motives were far from simple — they harbored only three kinds of thought: first, if the rebel Zhao succeeded, these gentry would form factions and become the founding meritocracy of the new dynasty; second, if the rebel Zhao suffered defeat, these gentry would seek an opportunity to turn again, using their court connections to switch sides back; third, to preserve their families' lives for the time being, and not let their clans' futures be cut short.

Even Wang Siren, currently suppressing bandits in Duchang, was a disciple of Liu Tongsheng's late father.

Liu Tongsheng looked around in all directions and saw several gentry taking their own lives. All had personally slaughtered peasants; they hoped to use their own single lives to preserve their entire clans' continuation.

The clan — greater than the self, greater than the land, greater than wealth, greater than the court!

Zhao Han was no Tartar, merely a rebel — they had no need to sacrifice their whole clans. Only when an alien race like the Manchu Qing came would many gentry rise up with their entire clans, donating all their property to raise troops and resist the Qing.

Of course, there were also those who clung to life and feared death, preserving their wealth and rank by submitting to the Qing court.

For instance, in history, Li Musheng's father Li Yuanding, the year after Li Banghua died for his country, submitted to the Manchu Qing — his uncle's (Li Banghua's) bones were not yet cold. The Li clan produced several Ministers under the Qing!

"Welcome, Mr. Zhao!"

The city gates swung wide open. The shameless knelt directly in welcome; those who still cared for face stood bowing with clasped hands.

There were also some whose hands were stained with peasant blood, who had wanted to take their own lives but could not bring themselves to do it. Now they knelt in droves before Zhao Han, hoping by luck to keep their wretched lives.

Zhao Han stood at the city gate, swept his gaze over them, and said, "Juren, step forward — to my left!"

Nine men in all rose one after another and stood to Zhao Han's left.

Liu Tongsheng yearned to spring up and assassinate him, but feared bringing disaster on his family. He could only take his place with a heart full of resentment.

"I hear there are also jinshi here?" Zhao Han said with a smile.

Zhou Ruixu stepped forward, head high, and saluted with clasped hands: "Zhou Ruixu, courtesy name Changdu."

Zhao Han asked, "Before you returned to your hometown, what post did you hold?"

Zhou Ruixu replied, "Director of the Bureau of Appointments."

"That is a lucrative post," Zhao Han remarked.

The Director of the Bureau of Appointments in the Ministry of Personnel could, without the Minister of Personnel's approval, appoint local officials of rank four and below — including appointing Prefects all across the realm!

Zhou Ruixu answered, "I had just assumed the post, had not yet conducted any official business, when I returned home for mourning."

This man's official career was bizarre: before becoming Director of the Bureau of Appointments, he had been merely a minor County Magistrate. He had suddenly caught the Emperor's eye and been personally promoted to Director of the Bureau of Appointments — yet before his seat was even warm, he had gone home to observe mourning.

Zhao Han asked, "Were you the ringleader this time?"

"Yes."

Zhou Ruixu steeled himself and admitted it, though in truth it was only because his rank was highest that he had been publicly nominated as nominal leader. Even the night raid that killed peasants had been agreed upon by many of the gentry, who then forced Zhou Ruixu to lead the troops out.

Zhao Han demanded, "That night — did your hands get stained with blood?"

"Stained, and yet not stained," Zhou Ruixu replied.

Zhao Han barked, "Speak plainly!"

Zhou Ruixu said, "Innocent common folk — I could not bear to kill them. But the soldiers under my command killed over a dozen commoners, which may also be counted as killed by my own hand."

How the hell was he supposed to reckon that?

Zhao Han had said he would only execute the chief culprits — yet this chief culprit had not personally killed anyone.

Zhao Han turned to the juren and asked, "Whose hands are stained with blood?"

One of the juren stepped forward, glared at Zhao Han, and said, "Kill me or flay me, do as you please — only spare my clansmen!"

"Shing!"

Zhao Han drew his blade from its sheath. A flash of the blade, and the juren crashed to the ground.

The assembled gentry were horrified. This was a juren — killed just like that, with a word. With any other rebel, if a single juren surrendered to them, killing however many commoners would not have mattered.

Zhao Han said coldly, "Don't look at me as if I kill in a fit of rage — I am helping him. Otherwise, dragged straight to a public trial, his whole family would meet no good end! Whoever else has blood on their hands, step forward now. Don't force me to interrogate you one by one. If I have to drag it out of you, your whole family goes back for a public trial before ten thousand people — the common folk will drown you with their spittle alone!"

Two more gentry stepped forward. Others hid among the crowd, trembling uncontrollably.

"I will leave you your whole corpses and pursue your families no further. I, Zhao, am a man of my word," Zhao Han said to these two.

Four soldiers soon came forward, looped ropes around the two men's necks, and strangled them to death before the eyes of countless onlookers.

This time, the gentry were truly terrified — some were so frightened they lost control of their bowels on the spot.

"Wicked villain! You are brutal beyond measure, slaughtering gentry at will — you can forget about winning the realm in this lifetime!" Among the eight remaining juren, one suddenly burst out cursing.

Zhao Han smiled. "What is your name?"

The juren held his head high and thrust out his chest. "I change not my name in travel, nor my surname at rest — Yang Zhong I am!"

Zhao Han asked, "Did you kill people too?"

Yang Zhong replied, "No. That night I did not even leave the city."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Zhao Han suddenly burst into laughter, then actually clasped his hands and bowed to Yang Zhong. "I admire scholars with backbone. Curse me as you please, so long as you do not break the rules." Then, turning to the other gentry, he announced, "Here with me, no one is punished for their words. Speak your minds freely. Only one thing you must remember: do not spread rumors or stir up trouble."

The gentry had not yet recovered their wits — the three consecutive killings just now had been far too shocking.

Zhao Han had no choice but to walk over to Yang Zhong. He took the man's hand and said, "You are a fine fellow. Out of so many scholars, you dared to be the first to stand up and curse me. Such forthright integrity would make you a pillar of the court — it's a pity that Chongzhen Emperor cannot use men of talent. Mr. Yang, would you be willing to serve under my command?"

Yang Zhong was completely dumbfounded. Fired by righteous indignation, he had cursed the rebel, long since prepared to die a martyr for his principles.

Who could have guessed that instead of anger, this rebel would smile, praise him as a pillar of talent, and even try to recruit him on the spot? Even knowing Zhao Han was buying hearts, Yang Zhong still felt deeply gratified — he even felt a sense of being recognized and appreciated, thinking Zhao Han a hero who humbly welcomed worthy men.

"A true man — one word: are you willing to work for me?" Zhao Han asked.

"I... I..." Yang Zhong looked left and right. He wanted to agree on the spot but simply could not swallow his pride. After hesitating a long while, he finally said, "This junior is willing."

Liu Tongsheng sighed — not because Yang Zhong had joined the rebels, but out of dismay at how terrifying this rebel Zhao was.

First, he praised him publicly, giving Yang Zhong full face and dissolving his resistance.

Then he recruited him publicly, putting Yang Zhong on the spot.

Yang Zhong had passed the juren exam, so he was naturally quite clever. He knew that if he refused, he would be spoiling Zhao Han's moment, and retribution would surely follow — he could only steel himself and agree.

As the first to surrender, Yang Zhong now had to follow Zhao Han all the way into darkness. Others might be granted amnesty, but Yang Zhong had absolutely no chance of it — the court would make an example of him and execute him!

What the hell kind of rebel was this? His skill at manipulating hearts was simply terrifying.

With any other rebel, Yang Zhong would probably have been cut down with one stroke, inevitably stirring the scholars' collective hatred. Yet Zhao Han defused it with ease and even recruited Yang Zhong into his ranks. The gentry's hearts were divided by this — it not only blunted the impact of the earlier killing, but some scholars even began to think Zhao Han had the makings of a worthy lord.

Liu Tongsheng thought to himself, no wonder Minister Li joined the rebels. This rebel is truly extraordinary.

Zhao Han held Yang Zhong's hand and said with a smile, "To gain your aid is worth more than a hundred thousand crack troops."

"Zhao... my lord flatters me too much." Yang Zhong's scalp was tingling.

That one line from Zhao Han was murder by words. If it reached the court, Yang Zhong would certainly be placed on the list of core rebels.

Ah, I'm just an ordinary juren, I don't even know if I can pass the jinshi exam — and you say I'm worth more than a hundred thousand crack troops?

Yang Zhong felt so wronged he wanted to cry, regretting that he had stepped forward to curse the man. He would rather Zhao Han had cut him down with one stroke — at least then his family would not be implicated.

And yet, at the same time as this grievance, why did he also feel so damn good?

"To gain your aid is worth more than a hundred thousand crack troops" — these words made Yang Zhong feel a little light-headed.

Zhao Han spoke to Yang Zhong again: "However, I'm afraid I must put you in a difficult position. Those who serve under me must start from minor offices and low posts — all advancement depends on administrative achievements. Those willing to work, those able to work, will certainly rise quickly. Would you be willing to serve as a Clerk in the Regional Commander's headquarters?"

"I shall spare no effort unto death!" Yang Zhong had now gotten into the role. Since he had already joined the rebels, he might as well do it properly.

"Hahahaha!"

Zhao Han laughed heartily and turned to face the crowd.

This fine drama of "lord and subject in perfect accord" actually stirred the hearts of certain scholars, especially those xiucai who could never pass the juren exam.

One xiucai suddenly darted out, cupped his hands and bowed: "Regional Commander Zhao thirsts for talent and humbly welcomes worthy men — truly a lord of enlightened brilliance. This junior is untalented, but I wish to offer myself, to assist the Regional Commander in land redistribution. Let it begin with the lands of my own Guo clan!"

"Excellent! Mr. Guo, please rise, quickly." Zhao Han personally stepped forward to help him up.

The assembled gentry ground their teeth — this fellow Guo was far too cunning. His ancestors had produced only a single jinshi, his neighbors on all sides were great clans, and his family held only a few thousand mu of land in total; instead, they had prospered mightily in trade.

Once this fellow latched onto Zhao Han, he had no fear of land redistribution at all — it would only benefit his business!

"Come, you two, follow me into the city." Zhao Han took one by each hand, as if leading a pair of newly won lovers.

Li Musheng suddenly knelt, and Li Chun'an knelt with him: "The Li clan of Gu Village is willing to serve the Regional Commander as dogs and horses!"

Zou Meng'an also knelt, bringing his clan brothers with him: "The Zou clan of East Gate is willing to serve the Regional Commander as dogs and horses!"

The Li clan went without saying — Li Banghua had long since joined the rebels. Even if the Li brothers did not join, their fathers would likely be implicated anyway.

Zou Meng'an had even less psychological burden. His grandfather Zou Yuanbiao had his legs broken by Zhang Juzheng and was exiled, yet after Zhang Juzheng's death he had worked to restore his name. But since the grandfather died, the Zou family had not produced a single jinshi — perhaps joining the rebels might even bring prosperity.

"We are willing to serve the Regional Commander as dogs and horses!"

At the city gate, a great crowd suddenly knelt. All wanted to worm their way into the rebel ranks and find work, ready to adapt to circumstances as the situation developed.

Liu Tongsheng could only kneel as well. Whether amnesty was possible was hard to say, but he certainly could not sit for the zhuangyuan now.

(Chapter End)

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