Chapter 24: Taking Up the Post

Chongzhen returned to his desk, gestured for Sun Chuanting to sit, and the two continued their conversation at ease.

Chongzhen spoke: "I know the situation in Shaanxi is complex now, and no one short of a great talent can pacify it. Originally the Shaanxi-Gansu region had border troops stationed there, deterring threats within and without, and the Governor spent most of his energy on civil affairs and local governance, so comparatively the burden was lighter. Now years of continuous drought have left the fields without a single grain of harvest. To stay alive, the people sell their sons and daughters, and some even go so far as to trade children for food — this is truly a human tragedy. What angers me is the inaction of the court and the local officials. When such a calamity struck, they did not actively relieve the disaster, properly handle the situation, or keep it from spreading — instead they held their posts without doing their duty, stood helpless with folded hands, and treated the people's lives like weeds. Some officials even uttered the outrageous words that 'even if you starve to death, you should not rebel.' All these natural and man-made disasters have caused uprisings to spring up on every side, growing ever more intense, until now they have reached a state where their power is great and hard to govern. Troubled times call for severe measures! After you go, your first task is to reorganize the local guard stations — the original military farmland system has already ceased to exist in name and in fact. As I understand it, most of the guard station lands have been seized by men of real power such as Guard Commanders, while the hereditary military households are destitute and miserable beyond words. You must arrest several guard station officers whose influence in the locality is pernicious and who have stirred the greatest outrage among the military households — execute one to warn a hundred, confiscate their property, then use a portion to aid the most destitute military households, and the rest for repairing waterworks, relieving the people, and supplementing military funds. Second, you must build an army loyal to the court, one that dares to fight and fights well — its size you will decide according to expenditure. The local folk are fierce by nature, and the Qin soldiers have always been valiant — they are an excellent source of recruits. I will issue an edict exempting Shaanxi from taxation for three years, and you must put those funds and provisions to good use — guard the Qin lands with Qin soldiers, and sustain Qin soldiers with Qin lands. Once you have a firm foothold, advance steadily and surely. I will have Hong Chengchou lead troops into Qin, and you must cooperate with each other. I set no time limit, but I hope you will act according to circumstances and pacify Shaanxi as soon as possible. Third, order the officials of the prefectures and counties under your command to mobilize the gentry, relieve the refugees, dig wells against the drought, and do their utmost to keep people in place to develop production, so that they are not lured astray by the roving bandits. Then there is the matter of reorganizing the border troops. The Shaanxi-Gansu border troops are all local men with countless ties to the roving bandits — some supply them with armor and weapons, some feed them intelligence on the official army, some deliberately let the enemy escape when suppressing bandits, and some have even directly rebelled against the court. Once you have sufficient armed force in hand, you must vigorously rectify the border troops — the rotten apples among them must be resolutely weeded out, but leniency should still be the main approach. The border troops' military pay and provisions must be issued in good time to set their minds at ease. With this dual approach, I believe the situation in Shaanxi will greatly improve. I will not set you a deadline — what we have discussed today is only a plan, and in execution you must act according to actual circumstances. I will have the local guard stations of the Embroidered Uniform Guard cooperate with you. I hope that pacifying Shaanxi is merely the cornerstone and starting point of your official career. The realm of the Great Ming is so vast — I still need you, my minister, to fully display your talents and help me forge a brand-new Great Ming!"

Sun Chuanting accepted the charge with fervent resolve. By then it was already past noon, and Zhu Zhenqing kept him for a simple midday meal before Sun Chuanting took his leave and departed the palace.

A few days later, Sun Chuanting — Governor of Shaanxi with the concurrent title of Left Vice Censor-in-Chief — rode out of the capital through the Xihua Gate in his great red official robe, accompanied by two attendants on horseback. Five hundred elite cavalry of the Yongwei Camp and the Ministry of Revenue's wagon convoy carrying military grain were already waiting there.

Commanding the Yongwei Camp troops was a Chiliarch in his twenties, handsome and extraordinarily imposing, named Luo Shifang. He came from a military family — his ancestor had followed Li Rusong, Regional Commander of Liaodong, on the expedition against the Japanese, and his father had also risen through merit to the post of Assistant Regional Commander.

Nurtured by his family from childhood, Luo Shifang was exceptionally accomplished in both letters and arms. When the Yongwei Camp was established, Sun Yingyuan took a liking to him and transferred him from the Capital Camps to the Yongwei Camp. Because he was strict with his subordinates and fair in dispensing rewards and punishments, his men all held him in high regard.

Being chosen this time to accompany Sun Chuanting to take up his post in Shaanxi filled Luo Shifang with tremendous excitement. The time to prove himself had come. In such troubled times, a true man ought to campaign across the four corners of the realm and pacify the bandits — this trip to Shaanxi should offer great opportunities for achievement.

The new-style military rations carried with the army received a warm welcome from the officers and men of the Yongwei Camp. The old dry rice they had eaten before — leaving aside its taste — lacked nutrition and simply did not stave off hunger; an hour after eating, they would feel hungry again. The current military rations had oil, salt, and sugar added — not only did they taste good, they also staved off hunger longer. At mealtime, water was added and the ration kneaded into a cake shape; eating one would keep hunger at bay for several hours.

At this time, the main force of the roving bandits, such as Gao Yingxiang's band, was locked in fierce battle with Lu Xiangsheng in Henan, while the bandit general Li Zicheng and his ilk were entrenched around Yan'an in northern Shaanxi. Thus the journey from the capital to Shaanxi was made with relative ease. Even if small bands of bandits were encountered along the way, they would flee swiftly at the distant sight of the large column of elite cavalry.

Sun Chuanting did not enter any of the prefectures or counties along the route — he merely received the local officials briefly before continuing on. Because of the unbroken drought, the roads were not muddy, and after more than a month of arduous travel, Sun Chuanting's party finally arrived at Xi'an.

Reining in his horse beneath the towering, majestic city walls, Sun Chuanting felt a slight surge of emotion within — his political career could be said to have truly begun now.

At the city gate, a large crowd of officials who had long since received word came forward to greet Sun Chuanting. At their head was Zhu Yongyou, the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shaanxi. He had been promoted to Shaanxi from the post of Vice Bureau Director in the Ministry of Revenue, was a native of the capital, and had been in office for a little over a year.

Sun Chuanting dismounted, and Zhu Yongyou and the others approached, clasped their hands in salute, and announced their official posts.

Sun Chuanting smiled and clasped his hands in return toward the crowd, then said: "I have received the commission to govern Shaanxi as Governor. From now on we are all colleagues. I hope you will all unite and help one another, working together with one heart to govern the Qin lands well, so as to comfort His Majesty's heart!" The assembled officials murmured their assent, and a chorus of praise and flattery followed.

Zhu Yongyou then invited Sun Chuanting to enter the city by official sedan chair. Sun Chuanting smiled and agreed, then entered the city seated in an official sedan carried by six men. The remaining officials each followed in their own sedan chairs, while Luo Shifang's personal battalion and the convoy escorting the military pay and provisions were received into the city by the Shaanxi Regional Military Commission.

Xi'an city preserved the architectural style handed down from the Tang dynasty. The streets were broad and level, and the shops on either side were doing reasonably brisk business. Under the escort of the ceremonial guard clearing the way, the party arrived a quarter of an hour later before the Governor's yamen in the center of the city. Sun Chuanting and the others descended from their sedan chairs to see a broad square before the yamen, and in the center of the square stood a great banner embroidered with seven large characters reading "By Imperial Commission, Governor of Shaanxi, Sun," fluttering in the wind — naturally made in advance by Zhu Yongyou once he had received word. A crowd of miscellaneous yamen clerks and runners lined up on both sides in welcome. Sun Chuanting nodded with satisfaction and strode through the yamen gate at the head of the party.

Arriving at the spacious second hall, Sun Chuanting took the seat of honor, while Zhu Yongyou and the others seated themselves in the two rows of chairs below according to official rank. Once all were settled, Zhu Yongyou smiled and said: "Your Excellency has had a hard journey. Following custom, this subordinate has already arranged a banquet at Deshengju in the city. After Your Excellency has bathed and rested, we shall host a feast to wash away the dust of your travels!"

This was only to be expected — when a new official took up his post, everyone gathered to enjoy themselves, and in the process one could also learn a little about the new Governor's ways and preferences.

Sun Chuanting smiled and nodded in agreement. Runners served tea to everyone, and after a round of utterly vacuous pleasantries, Zhu Yongyou led the assembled officials away. Sun Chuanting went to the inner courtyard to bathe and rest.

The inner courtyard was divided into three compounds. The main compound had a main hall, a reception room, and side rooms totaling seven rooms in all. Flanking it were two side compounds — one for the residence of staff advisors, and one housing a garden of modest size.

Sun Chuanting entered the main hall, where bathwater had already been prepared. Two young unranked runners stood to one side, waiting to attend him.

After leaving the capital, Sun Chuanting had already sent Sun Zhian galloping back at top speed to his hometown of Daizhou. The juren Zhuang Yuanzhou and the government students Cui Shisheng and Xie Renxing, whom he had come to know while in Daizhou, had all been notified in advance and were willing to accompany Sun Chuanting as staff advisors. Calculating the time, they should be arriving soon. For now, only Sun Fugui was at his side. Sun Fugui knew that the young master did not care for being waited on by strangers, so he dismissed the two runners, closed the door, and waited outside. Sun Chuanting enjoyed a refreshing bath and immediately felt considerably lighter in body.

Around the hour of you, Zhu Yongyou came personally to the yamen to invite the Governor to the banquet. Sun Chuanting stepped out of the yamen and saw Luo Shifang in full dress uniform waiting outside with twenty of his personal troops. From him, Sun Chuanting learned that the officers and men under his command had all been properly settled, and only then did he take his sedan chair to the restaurant, with Luo Shifang and the others escorting on horseback and Sun Fugui following on horseback as well.

By now the sky was gradually darkening. The entire Deshengju restaurant was ablaze with lights, and the square before it was packed with sedan chairs and carriages.

Sun Chuanting descended from his official sedan. Zhu Yongyou came over to exchange a few pleasantries, then respectfully gestured for the Governor to proceed first. Sun Chuanting strode into the restaurant, where the ground-floor hall was already filled with the attendants and guards the various officials had brought. Sun Chuanting swept his gaze across the room, and the boisterous clamor of the attendants fell instantly silent. Zhu Yongyou said with a smile: "Your Excellency the Governor, please ascend to the second floor!" Sun Chuanting smiled and nodded, then went straight up the stairs to the second floor.

The second floor was ordinarily divided by screens into private seating alcoves, but today all the screens had been removed. The Governor, the Provincial Administration Commissioner, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, all the officials of sufficient rank from the Regional Military Commission yamen, the Prefects of the various prefectures, and the prominent gentry of Xi'an filled the entire second-floor hall, packed together in one assembly.

When they saw the Governor ascend, all the officials rose to their feet and clasped their hands in greeting. The hall immediately filled with greetings in every variety of accent. Sun Chuanting smiled and clasped his hands in return toward the crowd, and Zhu Yongyou hurriedly ushered him to take his seat at the head table.

Only after Sun Chuanting was settled in the seat of honor did the other officials take their own seats.

Zhu Yongyou ordered the dishes served, and the various delicacies that had long been prepared soon covered the table. Sun Chuanting's brows furrowed slightly, then smoothed out again.

Zhu Yongyou raised his wine cup and stood, clearing his throat. The eyes of all the officials turned to him in unison. He said: "Today the new Governor, His Excellency Sun, assumes his post. We have long admired His Excellency Sun's fine reputation. His Excellency Sun governs Shaanxi on behalf of Heaven — truly a blessing for Shaanxi, and a blessing for us subordinates as well! Come, let us all raise our cups together to welcome the Governor's arrival — bottoms up!"

The officials rose once more and raised their cups, the bustle and clamor extraordinary.

Sun Chuanting stood up with a smile and raised his cup, saying: "I have only just arrived in Shaanxi and know very little of the province's condition. In the future I hope you will all assist me in every way. Let us pool our wisdom and efforts, annihilate the roving bandits, and comfort the people, so as to set His Majesty's mind at ease!"

With that he drained the wine in his cup in one draught, and all the officials emptied their cups as well.

Zhu Yongyou announced that each table was free to do as they pleased, and the hall gradually grew lively. Though they all served as officials in the same province, their duties differed, and many rarely saw one another in ordinary times. Now that they had the chance to sit together, they introduced themselves and exchanged pleasantries.

Sun Chuanting's table had few people. Besides Provincial Administration Commissioner Zhu Yongyou, there were also Regional Inspector Censor Qian Shouqian, Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Yao Huailong, Regional Military Commissioner Li Dazhong, and several representatives of the local gentry who had retired from office.

Sun Chuanting drank and chatted merrily with the assembled company, the atmosphere extraordinarily harmonious.

After three rounds of wine, officials from the various tables came forward one after another to toast him. Sun Chuanting had a prodigious capacity for liquor and refused no one — every cup was drained to the bottom. Everyone praised the Excellency's magnanimity aloud, while inwardly they sneered — here was clearly another scion of a wealthy family, so fond of the cup; a man like this serving as the chief official of a province would surely be easy to fool. Before long, Sun Chuanting collapsed drunk and could not rise. Zhu Yongyou hastily ordered the Governor sent back to the yamen to rest, and with that the banquet came to an end.

Back in the room in the inner courtyard of the yamen, Sun Fugui helped Sun Chuanting onto the bed to lie down, then lit a candle, turned, and went out to order the servants to boil hot water so the young master could bathe and sober up. Sun Chuanting suddenly opened his eyes — his gaze was clear and bright, with not the slightest trace of drunkenness about him.

He rose and stripped off his wine-soaked official robe. When the crowd had been toasting him earlier, he had used the cover of his wide sleeves to pour most of the wine into the inner lining of his sleeves.

Dressed in his underclothes, he paced about the room, thinking as he walked about the first impressions the assembled company had made on him at the banquet. Regional Inspector Censor Qian Shouqian was composed and grave — when he had offered his toast, he had only spoken a few ritual pleasantries. Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Yao Huailong was bold and generous, unconstrained by petty formalities. Regional Military Commissioner Li Dazhong was cautious and careful, saying little. The several gentry representatives were obsequious and fawning, their mouths full of flattery. Provincial Administration Commissioner Zhu Yongyou, having come from a capital official background, was naturally at ease and unrestrained, and had conversed with Sun Chuanting most pleasantly. As for the other officials, they displayed the standard deference of subordinates before a superior — at least on the surface, they were utterly respectful.

What displeased him, however, was this: traveling all the way from the capital, he had seen devastation on every side — the soil in the fields baked hard into clods, the crops yielding almost nothing. On the official roads, group after group of refugees went about in rags, every one of them sallow and gaunt. Yet the officials seemed utterly unaware that the people under their governance faced the threat of death every single day. Tonight's lavish banquet had cost enough to feed several thousand people for a day. Truly, "the rich's gates reek of wine and meat, while frozen corpses lie by the road." At the thought, Sun Chuanting's heart suddenly felt extraordinarily heavy, as if the burden on his shoulders weighed a thousand catties.

Sun Fugui had people carry the bathwater into the room. Seeing the young master standing there lost in thought, he made a gesture, and the two servants quietly set down the wooden tub and slowly withdrew from the room. Sun Fugui closed the door and said: "Young master, take your bath while it's hot and loosen up a bit."

Sun Chuanting snapped out of his reverie and nodded. As he undressed, he asked: "Any word from Sun Zhian? Counting the days, he should have arrived by now. Nothing's happened to him on the road, has it?"

Sun Fugui replied: "Rest easy, young master. Anzi is extremely capable — even a few dozen ordinary bandits couldn't get the better of him, and besides, the household arranged for the trading firm's guards to escort him. The several gentlemen all have their own servants as well. Perhaps the roads are hard to travel — they'll likely be here within the next few days."

After his bath, Sun Chuanting slept soundly through the night. Rising in the early morning, he ate a simple breakfast, dressed in his official robe, and was about to go to the front office to attend to business when a burst of hurried footsteps sounded, and Sun Fugui came running into the courtyard in high spirits, shouting happily: "Young master, Sun Zhian and the several gentlemen have arrived! They're on their way to the inner courtyard now!"

Hearing this, Sun Chuanting was overjoyed as well. Even a hero needs three helpers — what he urgently needed now was assistance.

Before long, footsteps bustled, and Zhuang Yuanzhou was the first to step into the courtyard. He was in his thirties, a native of Daizhou, with a fair face and a light beard. His nature was bold and generous, and his family was well-off. He had passed the provincial examination and become a juren in his early twenties, then taken part in several spring metropolitan examinations — yet had never passed again.

After Sun Chuanting resigned his post and returned to his hometown, Zhuang Yuanzhou had come to call on him out of admiration. The two had hit it off splendidly at their first meeting, finding much in common in their views on the state of the times and court politics, and after several exchanges they became bosom friends.

Zhuang Yuanzhou greatly admired Sun Chuanting's insight and ambition, firmly believing that a talent of Sun Chuanting's caliber would not remain buried. The two had agreed that when Sun Chuanting eventually took up office, Zhuang Yuanzhou would surely come to assist him — who would have thought that day had finally arrived.

The other two government students, Cui Shisheng and Xie Renxing, were both natives of Daizhou, in their twenties, with learning beyond the ordinary and every hope of passing the provincial examination. Both came from ordinary commoner households. Beyond their studies, they had read widely, researching history, military affairs, strategy, numerology, and more. The two had long been in close contact with Zhuang Yuanzhou, who delighted in making friends, and through him had come to know Sun Chuanting, whose vision and ability they also admired to the utmost. When Sun Chuanting took up his post in Shaanxi this time, both were willing to follow and lend their aid.

Seeing Sun Chuanting, Zhuang Yuanzhou strode over in a few large steps and clasped his hands with a hearty laugh: "Brother Baigu, my prediction didn't come to naught, did it? Hahaha! Now Brother Baigu has finally become a high official of a region — this younger brother congratulates Brother Baigu!"

Sun Chuanting returned the salute with a smile: "Wise younger brother Zhongfang, your words were golden — I am full of admiration!"

At this point Cui and Xie also hurried over to pay their respects, their joy written plainly on their faces. Sun Chuanting hastily invited the three into the reception room to be seated. Once all were settled, servants served tea, and the company began to converse.

Sun Chuanting said: "I only arrived yesterday, and I was just worrying that a single beam cannot support a house, longing for you worthy younger brothers to arrive soon and lend me a hand. I never expected you to come so quickly."

Zhuang Yuanzhou took a sip of tea, set down the cup, and said with a smile: "Sun Zhian traveled day and night and made it back to Daizhou in five days. Your honored mother informed me and younger brothers Cui and Xie, and we were all overjoyed at the news — your great talent has finally been appreciated by the court, and we were sincerely happy for Brother Baigu. Then we each went home to prepare. Fearing the roads might not be safe, when your household's trading caravan returned to Daizhou, your honored mother selected twenty capable guards from the caravan's escort to protect us on the journey. Knowing the court likely wouldn't give Brother Baigu much in the way of pay, I drew five thousand taels of silver from my own household to bring along — consider it a small token of my regard! Your honored mother also drew ten thousand taels of silver from the caravan and entrusted me to bring it. Those twenty guards will remain at Brother Baigu's yamen from now on as your personal bodyguards. My sister-in-law originally wanted me to bring a few maidservants to attend you, but knowing Brother Baigu does not care for women, I tactfully dissuaded her and brought two household-born servants from your own estate instead — household-born servants are the most loyal and reliable. Younger brothers Cui and Xie both came alone, bringing only their clothes and books. Brother Baigu, from now on you'll have to pay us a monthly salary, hahaha!"

Sun Chuanting was deeply moved. He rose and made a solemn bow to the three, saying: "For me to have come to know you worthy younger brothers is truly the honor of this life. Especially you, younger brother Zhongfang — you have contributed both men and money, which is first a trust in me, Sun Baigu, personally, and second a loyalty to our Great Ming court! And younger brothers Cui and Xie — in this very year of the examinations, you have set aside bright prospects and traveled a thousand li to this perilous place to aid me. I cannot thank you enough! When I, Sun Chuanting, rise to high station, that will be the time for you three worthy younger brothers to spread your wings. I, Sun, swear here again — I will never fail you three worthy younger brothers!"

Zhuang Yuanzhou and the other two also put away their smiles, rose, and solemnly returned the bow. Sun Chuanting walked up to the three, took them by the arms, and the four exchanged glances, their arms clasped tightly together.