Chapter 107: Out of Control

After Dengzhou fell, the rain began to fall intermittently again.

There was no helping it; this season in the Jiang-Han region was naturally this kind of weather. Trying to force a crossing of the Han River in such weather, then face Xiangyang City alone with an isolated army, was proving rather difficult.

Fortunately, although His Majesty had frequently worn a dark expression during this campaign, keeping Wang De and all the other Imperial Guard central army commanders on tenterhooks the entire time, he ultimately did not issue reckless orders demanding the various units force a battle.

Of course, even so, as the main force of the imperial court's official army swiftly seized Dengzhou City, and then the towering dragon banner appeared on the north bank of the Han River, Xiangyang City on the south bank also fell into a state of high-strung panic... because, when all was said and done, that was His Majesty.

Now, the term "His Majesty" was used by everyone, from the Grand Councilor and Empress Dowager down to the common folk in the markets. The widespread use of this term itself seemed to represent a certain relaxed political environment in the Song Dynasty, and also illustrated the vitality of market culture amidst a population explosion.

However, this was ultimately the year 1128 AD, ultimately the second year of the Jianyan era of the Great Song, nearly eight hundred years before the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the New Culture Movement... Without a doubt, this was still an era of "all under heaven as one family," and the so-called "His Majesty" of this era was still the solitary Son of Heaven, inheriting from Han and Tang, comparable to Ming and Qing.

Confucian officials still regarded this individual as their lord and father, and the common people still regarded this individual as the legal owner of the entire Great Song.

Therefore, these two words and that dragon banner were enough to shake people's hearts.

Especially at this moment, when the Jin had just withdrawn, and the His Majesty across the way had, through a series of victories in defense against the Jin and proactive internal purges, demonstrated a certain capability, telling the world that he was at least a His Majesty capable of sitting firmly on half the realm, not some useless waste... at the very least, he seemed a bit stronger than the previous two.

And the earlier notion that the Great Song was about to perish now seemed merely an illusion.

Of course, after the Jingkang Incident, there were those who harbored wild ambitions to replace the throne, and some who began to doubt the legitimacy of the Zhao Song His Majesty, but at the very least, these were not the people within Xiangyang City, nor were they those from Dengzhou City earlier.

This was also why, despite the rebel forces in Xiangzhou being so numerous, they became dejected and trapped with a single decree from His Majesty Zhao, from the Nanyang side to the passersby, and even they themselves felt they had no way out on their own.

After Dengzhou, Zhao Jiu even felt a somewhat absurd notion of grieving their misfortune and being angry at their lack of ambition... it was indeed absurd. After all, those people were Hanjian who had surrendered to the Jin; at most, their leaders could be said to have some backbone. If he were to respect them for that, where would that leave people like Yan Xiaozhong and Liu Ji, who had risen up to resist?

However, just thinking that at this time, family and nation were inseparable, and for the vast majority of people, the nation and ethnicity were represented by the two characters "Zhao," he truly couldn't muster much anger.

And this precisely indicated that some people had a long road ahead and were destined to be lonely.

"Academician Lin, when does His Majesty plan to wait until?" Inside a rear courtyard of a residence in Xiangyang City, separated by the river, under the gloomy weather, Wang Jun, the Commander of the Right Army under Fan Qiong, paced restlessly, growing increasingly uneasy. "Could His Majesty still be suspicious of us? Even if he suspects me, he wouldn't suspect Academician Lin, would he?"

"Suspect you and me of what?"

The young Academician Lin, who had come out to sunbathe but failed, sat on a wooden armchair in the courtyard, looking up at the gloomy clouds overhead, seeming somewhat irritable as well, but upon hearing this, he dismissed it with contempt. "His Majesty was able to cross the river alone at Huaishang to see Grand Defender Zhang at Xiacai, and could leave Ruyang City to see Commander Zhai. Now, sending just one army across the river to attack... why would he need to be suspicious? Even if you, me, and Fan Qiong were all tied together, would we be worth his suspicion?"

"Then..."

"His Majesty must have other arrangements." The young Academician Lin took a few deep breaths, then opened the book at his side, which he had almost memorized. "And those arrangements are not on this side of the Han River."

"That's what I was thinking too."

Before the young Academician Lin could open his book, Wang Jun hurried over to him, his face full of panic. "Academician Lin, have you considered this? Ever since His Majesty's dragon banner appeared on the riverbank, that scoundrel Fan Qiong has been losing his composure, just killing people and drinking every day... The mood in the city has long been unsettled. Surely we're not the only clever ones with connections?"

"I haven't heard of any other high officials coming to Xiangzhou." The young Academician Lin frowned slightly. "But Xiangzhou is too close to Nanyang; it's normal for some to see the opportunity quickly... But so what?"

"It's not about 'so what,' I'm just afraid someone might beat us to it." Wang Jun could hardly conceal his worry, revealing his gap-toothed grin.

"What if someone does beat us to it?" The young Academician Lin continued to press, frowning. "Do you think I can't keep my promise to save your life?"

"Of course I trust Academician Lin on that." Wang Jun pursed his lips over his buckteeth and forced himself to speak. "But as they say in the martial world, 'If a man doesn't look out for himself, heaven and earth will destroy him.' Since I hold a third of the troops in the city, how could I be content with just saving my own skin? I want to earn some merit in front of His Majesty too!"

Lin Jingmo found this man increasingly vile and increasingly wanted nothing to do with him. He simply shot him a cold glare and directly opened his book.

Seeing this, Wang Jun was utterly dejected.

However, just as the young Academician Lin picked up his book, a faint clap of thunder sounded overhead, and he let out another sigh.

Now, Lin Jingmo had truly gained many insights during this outing.

Looking back on his official career, setting aside the era of lavish prosperity, even during the Jingkang Incident he had been far away in a safe haven like Shouzhou, avoiding those mountains of corpses and seas of blood. And as soon as Shouzhou stirred, he had, by a twist of fate, become the highest-ranking attendant and close minister by His Majesty's side, a Hanlin Academician, one of those so-called favored literary officials.

And this position, even when drifting along with the temporary imperial residence, had always been very easy, because he truly bore no responsibility or pressure.

Earlier, even when he had resolved, based on some ideas, to come out and do something, he had only thought that by following the elegant demeanor of famous ministers in ancient texts, plucking up his courage, thinking things through carefully, and then saying a few words under His Majesty's banner, he could establish himself and build a career in this chaotic world.

However, the two previous failures and this one success gradually made this Hanlin Academician realize his own naivety. Especially this success, which instead made him fully understand the difficulty of the word "responsibility."

You see, ever since His Majesty's dragon banner appeared on the north bank of the Han River, Xiangyang City had become unstable, with undercurrents gradually stirring. And Fan Qiong, after risking a trip out of the city two days ago to personally see the dragon banner and confirm that His Majesty was leading the campaign in person, had essentially lost his spirit and initiative, hiding in his residence all day, which further fueled the chaos in the city.

Otherwise, the young Academician Lin wouldn't have been qualified to come out and "sunbathe."

So now, faced with such a chaotic situation, as a key minister and close official sent by His Majesty to Xiangzhou, could he just stand by and do nothing? If chaos erupted, leading to a city-wide firefight, causing countless casualties and implicating innocent people nearby, how could he, Lin Jingmo, bear it in his heart?

Moreover, with such a despicable "ally" by his side, didn't he need to restrain him? But could restraint even hold him back?

If he couldn't restrain him, and let this military commander run amok, then he, Lin Jingmo, would have to bear the responsibility, not just suffer a guilty conscience.

If just one city was this difficult, how difficult must it be for His Majesty, facing the entire realm which had effectively fallen into chaos?

"Come here."

Thinking this far, the young Academician Lin suppressed his admiration and respect for His Majesty and resolved to take on the responsibility. "If I were to let you do it, how would you go about it?"

Wang Jun had been about to stamp his foot and leave, but upon hearing this, he was overjoyed. He turned around and laid out a plan.

After listening, the young Academician Lin was momentarily puzzled, but he did not hide it. Instead, he simply imitated His Majesty's tone and said a few words: "I don't understand military affairs, nor do I intend to interfere, but there are two things you must promise me before you can proceed!"

"I am willing to hear Academician Lin's instructions!" Wang Jun, overjoyed, knelt directly in the courtyard, heedless of the damp ground, and kowtowed.

"First, only success is permitted, failure is not. The plan must be truly sound before you act." The young Academician Lin's expression was stern. "Otherwise, you will only harm the overall situation!"

"Naturally."

"Second, I know you want to earn merit before His Majesty. But if that's the case, I must warn you here and now: His Majesty has always emphasized military discipline. He is right now on the north bank. Once you succeed, the Imperial Guard main army will naturally descend upon the city suddenly. You must strictly enforce discipline, control the city defenses, and ensure no chaos arises in the city after the deed is done... Otherwise, you will face punishment, not reward!"

"I understand the stakes! Even when I was a bandit, I knew not to rob the government. Xiangyang City is this close to Nanyang; how would I dare let my boys run wild? If Academician Lin doesn't trust me, I'll swear an oath right now..." Wang Jun was about to swear an oath, but seeing that the young Academician Lin had finished speaking and simply picked up his book and left, he was left with no choice.

Regardless, having received permission, the impatient Wang Jun immediately set to work without further delay. That very evening, with everything prepared, he went to the Xiangyang City prefectural office, a place many were eager to avoid, and requested an audience with his patron, Fan Qiong.

As a general holding military power in the city and a trusted subordinate he himself had promoted, Fan Qiong had no reason not to see him, no matter how confused he was.

Thus, in a short while, this Commander Wang, dressed in silk clothes, arrived empty-handed at the rear hall.

Unexpectedly, when Wang Jun entered the rear hall, he neither saw a disheveled drunkard nor a floor littered with debris. And whether it was an illusion or not, Commander Wang even felt that the smell on this "Grand Defender Fan" had lessened considerably... This startled him so much that he immediately knelt and kowtowed upon entering.

Of course, after kneeling and kowtowing in the hall, rising and taking his seat, and meeting Fan Qiong's nearly bloodshot eyes, Wang Jun felt somewhat more at ease.

"Gaptooth, instead of guarding the city in peace, why have you come to me?" Fan Qiong, in bright armor and with a composed posture, spoke, his voice only slightly hoarse.

"Reporting to the Grand Defender, I came precisely about the city defenses." Wang Jun, seasoned in major situations, knew that the strategy required a direct approach, not seeking absolute perfection, so he simply followed his original plan and spoke bluntly. "Grand Defender, to be honest with you, the city is about to become unstable. If this continues, I don't know what's happening with Old Han over there, but the West City I command definitely won't hold!"

Fan Qiong was silent for a moment, then slowly replied: "It's rare that you still know to come and tell me."

"All my wealth and honor were given by the Grand Defender. Even if others don't come, I must." Wang Jun, wrapped in his silk robe, said seriously. "But I didn't come just about the city affairs. The Grand Defender must already know about the city. I heard that even the elite personal troops you sent to the ferry crossing are becoming somewhat unstable... Grand Defender, I'm not here to play the informer. Logically, the personal troops should be absolutely reliable, but they have three weaknesses at the ferry. One, they can't enter the city, so their minds naturally wander. Two, there's no senior general leading them; several junior generals are acting independently. If one unit collapses, the entire river defense falls apart. Three, they have to see His Majesty's dragon banner all day long over there. After a few days of this, they've basically lost their will to fight! If you ask me, in a couple of days, when the water level drops and His Majesty crosses the river, those bastards will surrender directly."

"What you say makes perfect sense, and I believe it."

Fan Qiong sighed after listening, then propped his elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand, seeming lost in thought, while his other hand secretly gripped the hilt of his sword under the table. "But if that's the case, what do you think we should do to deal with this hopeless situation?"

"His Majesty is unwilling to pardon the Grand Commandant, so surrender is out of the question." Wang Jun sat behind the side table, hands folded on its surface, answering with ease, seemingly oblivious to the other's movements. "But does the Grand Commandant think he can leave? Abandon Xiangyang and most of the troops, and let us trusted men escort the Grand Commandant and his family to Jinghu to throw in with Zhong Xiang? That man has ambition—on one hand he preaches equalizing wealth, on the other he wants to call himself the King of Chu."

"Can't go." Fan Qiong set down the knife handle and sighed even more deeply. "I've thought about this too. Not to mention that without the city and the troops we'd be nothing, and not to mention that Ma Shen blocks the road all along the way—even if we actually made it to Jinghu, there'd be no way out!"

"How so?"

"Don't forget, besides Zhong Xiang over there, there's also Li Xiaoyi, who bears a blood grudge against us for killing his brother. And Zhong Xiang, as you yourself said, Gap-tooth, is an ambitious man who wants to call himself sovereign... Let me ask you—Li Xiaoyi still has five or six thousand men. We'd have a few hundred or even just a few dozen men fleeing over. If you were Zhong Xiang, would you keep us around to fight Li Xiaoyi to the death, or would you sell us out to Li Xiaoyi to curry favor and see if you could absorb Li Xiaoyi's troops?"

"The Grand Commandant is right, that's the logic of it." Wang Jun sighed along with him. "But if that's the case, we can only hold out one day at a time... Grand Commandant, if the personal troops are stationed outside the city without a senior general leading them, they'll naturally be unstable, and the city itself will be unstable too. If I may say so, wouldn't it be better to call them back? If you keep them close at hand, you can both control them and stabilize the city defenses!"

"The logic is sound, but what about the Han River?" Fan Qiong still shook his head. "Letting that Zhao sovereign cross the river unopposed—that would be even more unstable, I fear."

"I have received great kindness from the Grand Commandant, and I am willing to go out and guard the Han River for you, to give my life if need be to stop that Zhao sovereign!" Wang Jun seized the moment to kneel, his true intentions finally laid bare.

Fan Qiong was slightly startled, and again his hand found the knife handle beneath the table.

"Under these circumstances, if the Grand Commandant cannot trust me, I have nothing more to say. But my heart is absolutely sincere." Wang Jun prostrated himself on the ground, yet raised his head and continued speaking fluently without hesitation. "At worst, I'll send my own family into the prefectural city... As long as I can protect the Grand Commandant, it's all worth it!"

Fan Qiong gave a faint smile, then raised his hand in response: "It's not that I don't trust you, Gap-tooth, but at this point, I don't even know if any of this will be useful... Go back for now. Let me think it over."

Wang Jun said no more. He kowtowed three times on the hard stone floor of the hall, then went straight out.

Once out the door, this man hurried back to his residence without stopping. He did not go to the rear courtyard to see Academician Lin, but instead put on his armor in the front courtyard, then sat directly in the drizzling rain that had begun again, waiting for his opportunity.

In the afternoon, a man turned into Wang Jun's residence. It was the personal officer who had done the skinning that day. When he saw Wang Jun, he bowed his head and knelt.

"How did it go?" Wang Jun turned his head and asked, his gap-toothed mouth quite conspicuous.

"The Grand Commandant has passed down an order for Controller-General Han to lead the troops out of the city to replace the personal troops!" The man kowtowed as he replied.

"So he still suspects me." Wang Jun sighed softly. "I've worn myself out serving him these past few years, and he still doesn't trust me."

The soldiers around him had nothing to say.

"By the way, let me ask you one more thing." Wang Jun's curiosity returned. "Yesterday you were all saying the Grand Commandant was already a wreck in his residence, so why was he so sharp today? Don't tell me he was deliberately fooling you, to lure us all out?"

The personal officer shook his head repeatedly: "The Controller-General is overthinking things... It was Young Miss Xiu who finally managed to persuade the Grand Commandant today and tidied him up."

Wang Jun was slightly taken aback, then his heart stirred greatly, but he nodded repeatedly: "No matter what, since that bastard has taken the bait, the credit for Xiangyang is in our hands. You don't need to panic about having nothing to show after the city falls... Eat your fill, and follow me and old Han out of the city. No need to wait for dark!"

Hearing this, both the personal officer and Wang Jun's subordinates around them all relaxed, as if a great weight had been lifted from their hearts.

The rain grew heavier, the sky darker. In the afternoon, Controller-General of the Left Army Han Li led three thousand troops out of the city, heading to the riverbank to relieve the soldiers guarding the river.

However, no sooner had they left the city than they heard an uproar within, and the drawbridge was hastily raised.

The Left Army soldiers around them were panicked and at a loss, naturally turning to look at Controller-General Han Li.

Han Li, sitting on his horse in the rain, also let out a sigh. Then he looked around at his trusted officers: "I knew today was that Gap-tooth Wang's doing. I have received great kindness from the Grand Commandant, and I should have stayed in the city to handle things carefully... But with the situation at this point, the Grand Commandant shouldn't drag the whole city's men to their deaths with him. Listen to my order—you men still head to the riverbank to relieve the personal troops, then cross the river directly and surrender! Your ranks are low; even if His Majesty holds a grudge, it won't fall on you."

Perhaps because Han Li had long enjoyed the soldiers' loyalty, many officers relaxed but still remembered him. Someone immediately asked: "But what about you, Controller-General? If His Majesty holds a grudge, can you be pardoned?"

"I don't know, so I have some plans of my own." Han Li sighed. "Today, go to the river. After you surrender, plead for mercy for my family still in the city. As for me, I will vanish from here, become a hermit in the mountains and wilds, and never appear again."

With that, he reined his horse westward and galloped off without looking back.

The soldiers and officers looked at each other, then followed the last order of this would-be hermit, ignoring the commotion in the city and heading straight for the Han River.

Setting aside this Controller-General Han, who had seen through the mortal world and become Hermit Han, on the other side, as the disturbance in the city began, Fan Qiong suddenly realized the truth—he had fallen for Wang Jun's obvious ruse of luring the tiger out of the mountains.

But since he had fallen for it, when he called out to the personal officers and troops around the government office and no one answered, he was completely awakened. Knowing he was at the end of his road, he grew even more despairing.

Yet in his despair, knowing he could not escape, he suddenly remembered something. He rose abruptly, grabbed his knife, and ran toward the rear quarters, which were already in chaos.

"Father!"

Fan Xiuniang, just sixteen years old, was drenched in what might have been rain or tears. Seeing her father approach, she rushed to meet him in panic. "Has the city fallen? Lady Zhang just took her jewelry and fled through the back gate with a personal officer..."

Before she could finish, Fan Baochen's face twisted in fury. He gritted his teeth and swung his knife at her, but stumbled and missed.

How could Fan Xiuniang handle such a thing? She fled in terror, yet had no idea where to go without her father. She could only hide behind the well platform in the courtyard, weeping and begging for mercy: "Father, why do you want to kill me? What wrong have I done?"

"Being my daughter is wrong enough!" In the drizzling rain, Fan Qiong lost his composure and roared in rage. "I know exactly what that bastard Wang Jun will do... He'll surely take my wives and concubines for himself. If you don't fall into his hands, he'll offer you to that Zhao sovereign as a stepping stone! A gap-toothed dog like him—even with the slimmest chance, how could I let him have his way?!"

Fan Xiuniang was stunned for a moment, but Fan Qiong had already caught up. First, he slashed her shoulder with his knife, then stabbed her in the belly. The pain was unbearable, and she no longer looked like her usual graceful self. Still, through the agony, she clung to her father, weeping and begging: "Father, it hurts so much. I just want to live!"

Hearing this, Fan Qiong's heart softened for a moment, but the knife had already struck a fatal blow. What could he do? It was too late for regret. So he struck again with a vicious slash, killing his own daughter in the courtyard, sparing her further suffering.

Then he pushed his daughter aside, his hair disheveled, his face twisted like a madman's, and staggered into the rear courtyard, killing everyone he met.

After a bout of random slashing, he didn't know how many he had killed or how many had fled. But in just a moment, he heard the clatter of armor all around—clearly, countless armored soldiers were closing in.

Fan Qiong knew he would soon see Wang Jun in his battle gear, with that leather guard strapped over his mouth. Losing control of himself, he slumped onto the steps, ready to take his own life among the corpses of his rear-courtyard concubines.

Yet this man, who had loudly proclaimed he would not let his wife and daughter be humiliated and had slaughtered freely, found himself too cowardly to die when the moment came... Not only that, but in his daze, he suddenly remembered what those old events were that had been repeating in his dreams lately, always just out of reach.

It was when the Jin had left Dongjing, and Zhang Bangchang had declared himself emperor. Attendant Gentleman Wu Ge, unwilling to kneel to a foreign race, had contacted over a hundred men to rise up. To prevent leaks, they had gone to extremes—killing their own wives and daughters.

And he, Fan Qiong, had pretended to be with them. Just before they were to rise after killing their families, he had captured them all and executed them to the last man. Afterwards, he had mocked these men for not recognizing the Mandate of Heaven, for having thrown away their own lives and their families' lives for nothing.

In a daze, that had been a full year ago.

PS: Historically, Fan Qiong did indeed flay a man alive in front of court officials at the final moment... He was a genuine piece of human garbage. And his daughter was historically seized by mutinous soldiers.