Chapter 206: The Inside Story

A little over half an hour later, Wang Ancheng and his party arrived at Xinyang Prefecture city around the hour of Si. They found a stable outside the city walls, lodged their war horses there, then took two rooms to wash up and change into plain clothes. They stowed away their armor, helmets, and embroidered uniform sabers, tucked short blades into their boot shafts, and slipped flintlock pistols into their bosoms. Leaving one colonel behind to guard the horses, Wang Ancheng led two colonels into the city.

On the road from Zhongshan Town toward the prefecture city, the closer they drew to Xinyang, the more refugees fleeing famine they encountered.

They came to the East Gate of Xinyang not far off, where several hundred makeshift shacks of every description had been thrown up along the city walls on either side of the gate. The disaster victims huddled in their shacks in family groups, staring blankly, or leaned against the wall base with eyes shut, soaking up the sun. Among the nearly two thousand refugees, hardly any noise or clamor could be heard.

Many had not eaten for days—what strength remained to talk or shout? Even the children, who were always the most rambunctious in every household, had grown quiet.

Outside the gate stood a squad of sturdy yamen runners armed with swords and spears, several chevaux de frise set before them, and the silhouettes of a few archers could be glimpsed atop the wall—clearly arranged specifically to keep the refugees from flooding into the city. A middle-aged man dressed as a yamen clerk sat on a chair at the gate, holding a teapot and chatting idly with someone in scribe's attire beside him.

Few people sought to enter the city—either traveling merchants or city residents. After each paid an entry fee of twenty copper coins, several merchants were let in without even producing their travel permits, the sturdy runners merely moving aside the chevaux de frise. Several men in commoner dress, however, had to produce the chits issued when they left the city before being allowed through.

When it came to Wang Ancheng and his companions, one sturdy runner bellowed: "Halt! Where do you lot come from? What business have you in the city? Produce your travel permits!"

A colonel named Zhao Sheng who followed Wang Ancheng flew into a rage and stepped forward to knock the runner down. It was always the Embroidered Uniform Guard who interrogated others—who dared speak to them in such a tone? And from such a base, nobody of a fellow like this?

Wang Ancheng, without changing expression, stepped forward and blocked Zhao Sheng's path. Smiling, he cupped his hands and said: "Good sir officer, this humble one is a traveling merchant from Xiangyang Prefecture in Huguang. I sold cotton cloth in Nanjing and was on my way home when I happened to pass through Xinyang. I wished only to rest a day in the city before continuing. I beg you, sir, to do me this kindness!"

After paying sixty copper coins in entry fees, Wang Ancheng and his two companions entered Xinyang without trouble.

Seeing that no one around was paying attention, Zhao Sheng said angrily: "Just now, if the Centurion hadn't stopped me, one punch from me would have laid that dog of a villain flat!"

The other colonel, Zhang Shun, asked in confusion: "Centurion, why don't we just reveal our identities and walk straight in?"

Wang Ancheng said as he walked: "Judging by what we've seen along the way, the Xinyang authorities have clearly paid no heed to orders from above. With so many refugees, not a single official has come out of the city to distribute grain or comfort the people. Let us first investigate what the real story is, then decide once Ma Bao returns!"

Even as he spoke, a clatter of chaotic footsteps suddenly sounded behind them. All three quickened their pace almost simultaneously, darting toward the shops on either side, hands slipping into their bosoms to grip the handles of their pistols.

Wang Ancheng slipped into a silk cloth shop, one hand inside his bosom as he turned to look—it turned out to be six or seven men in commoner dress jogging down the street ahead.

Wang Ancheng withdrew his hand from his bosom, pretending to casually brush dust from his robe, and stepped out of the silk shop, leaving the shop assistant who had been about to approach and ask what he wanted momentarily nonplussed.

"Go find out where those men are headed!" Wang Ancheng quietly instructed Zhang Shun, who had walked over.

Zhang Shun acknowledged and hurried off. Wang Ancheng and Zhao Sheng followed at a leisurely pace, eyes scanning and sizing up their surroundings.

After only a few hundred paces, Zhang Shun came hurrying back. Drawing close, he reported in a low voice: "Reporting to Centurion Wang, not far ahead is a grain shop. Those men just now were all commoners rushing to buy grain. I made inquiries—grain prices in Xinyang have been climbing since last year, and today it's already three taels of silver per shi! The shop clerk said if people don't buy now, it will only go higher!"

Wang Ancheng and Zhao Sheng were startled to hear this.

Though the ongoing drought had driven up grain prices everywhere, in the counties they had passed through earlier, such as Guangshan, the authorities had opened the granaries to release grain and stabilize prices, so rice and flour had topped out at one tael two mace per shi. They never imagined that Xinyang, a mere two hundred li from Guangshan, would have grain prices this high.

Seeing that it was nearly noon, Wang Ancheng pondered a moment, then decided to find a tavern for a meal and gather information on all fronts while he was at it.

The three turned a street corner, walked a short distance, and came to the most bustling street in the city. They stepped into a tavern.

Following their usual habit, the three went up to the second floor and found a seat by the window. A shop assistant in his early twenties came up attentively to greet them and ask what wine and dishes they would like.

Wang Ancheng fished a one-tael silver ingot from his bosom and set it on the table. Fixing his eyes on the assistant, he said: "Waiter, bring a few of your house specialties—no wine needed! See this ingot of silver? I have some things I'd like to ask you. Answer truthfully, and this silver is yours!"

The assistant had never seen anything like this. The men before him didn't look like bandits or brigands of any sort—on the contrary, each carried an air of officialdom about him. Besides, this ingot was worth several months of his wages. It was only answering a few questions, wasn't it? In his line of work, he lacked many things, but never information.

The assistant glanced around—no other customers were on the second floor yet. He slowly reached for the table, snatched up the ingot, and tucked it swiftly into his bosom. Then, grinning, he said: "Honored guest, ask whatever you wish. This humble one lives in the city and has worked at this Deyue Tower for five years. Whatever happens in town, this humble one knows nearly all of it. Anything I know, I'll answer truthfully! If I speak a single word of falsehood, may I be reborn as a beast in my next life!"

In ancient times, swearing a solemn oath was highly credible. People of that era believed the gods watched from three feet above their heads and would not swear or curse carelessly; all universally believed in karma and retribution.

Not like people of later ages, who, for sufficient profit, would swear even that their own father and mother were dead, then turn around and sell someone else out.

Wang Ancheng nodded: "Let me ask you—when did the refugees outside the city gather here? Why have the authorities not opened the granaries to distribute relief? And why has no one bothered to ask how these refugees are to survive? Tell me truthfully all that you know!"

At Wang Ancheng's words, the assistant's expression turned hesitant. His face shifting through changes, he finally steeled himself. Scanning once more to be sure no one was watching, he leaned forward and lowered his voice: "This humble one doesn't know what your origins are, honored guest, but in my heart I feel you are not a bad man, so I'll speak the truth! The earliest refugees outside the city came last month, but I've heard tell that that first group is already dead to the last soul! Men and children alike, over a hundred of them! All frozen and starved to death with no one to care for them! The current lot have drifted over from the surrounding areas one after another, but I've heard nothing of the authorities opening the granaries to release grain! Those refugees outside the city are in a terrible state—people die every day, and they're just tossed out in the wilds! A feast for the wolves and wild dogs—not even leaving a whole corpse behind. How can they be reborn as humans in their next life?"

Wang Ancheng's expression did not change, but his fists were already clenched tight. Zhao Sheng and Zhang Shun too were glaring with bared teeth, their fury clearly rising.

"Do you know why the authorities won't open the official granaries? With grain prices this high in the city, how can the common people afford to buy?" Wang Ancheng pressed on.

The assistant sighed: "Honored guest, you've seen it yourself—this calamity has struck the whole realm. Even our tavern's business has grown much thinner. Our old regulars no longer come to drink and make merry; they all say they must keep their silver to buy grain and store it up. Do you know, honored guest, where the grain sold by the city's several grain shops comes from? It's grain from the official granaries! I've heard that the prefect and the other great lords all hold shares in those shops!"

In truth, before the assistant had even finished, Wang Ancheng had already thought of this.

The grain stored in the official granaries was meant for emergencies, yet it had been sold off at high prices by someone.

Wang Ancheng waved his hand: "Go bring the dishes. We'll leave as soon as we've eaten! Rest assured, what you've said just now I will never let another soul know!"

The assistant cupped his hands, bowed deeply, and turned to go downstairs.

Zhao Sheng said indignantly: "Centurion, how dare these dogs of Xinyang Prefecture officials be so brazen? So many people outside the city are waiting for food—are they blind?"

Zhang Shun was equally furious: "Centurion, the assistant just said people die outside the city every day. Those are His Majesty's subjects—how can they be left to the mercy of these dog officials' depredations? What should we do?"

Wang Ancheng said calmly: "Eat first. Afterward we'll leave the city and return to wait for Ma Bao and the others. I had thought to report what we've seen and heard in Xinyang Prefecture by letter to our superiors, then await their orders. But a dispatch takes a full ten-odd days to go and return—and as things stand now, we cannot wait that long! The assistant just made it clear that who knows how many starving people die each day. Every extra day we wait, more innocent lives will be lost to the authorities' inaction! Poor souls like Wang Shuanzhu and his whole family—had they not met us, they would have waited bitterly outside the city and ended up as food for wild dogs! As the Son of Heaven's own personal guard, we should think of His Majesty's interests at all times and in all places! This time, even if I must suffer punishment and lose my post, I am determined to lead you all in doing something! Do you have the courage?!"