Chapter 35: Matters Settled

In the blink of an eye, only three days remained of the one-month deadline Sun Chuanting had set. During this period, Liu Fuguo and Sun Zuowang had secretly met several more times, making even more meticulous arrangements.

Zhang Runda's family, meanwhile, announced to the outside world that Guard Commander Zhang had suddenly fallen gravely ill, could no longer speak, and refused all visitors. Liu and Sun naturally knew exactly what was going on, and though they gnashed their teeth in hatred, there was nothing they could do about him.

The two men gathered all the officers who were to participate in the planned operation at Liu Fuguo's residence. Everyone present was a direct victim of Sun Chuanting's policy of reorganizing the guard stations, and harbored a bone-deep hatred for him. They all heartily approved of the scheme the two Guard Commanders had plotted, each vowing to rid the court of the traitor Sun Chuanting, who had disrupted the guard stations and shaken the foundations of the state. Liu and Sun were greatly pleased with everyone's morale — so long as all remained united, the great deed could be accomplished.

Liu Fuguo specifically admonished at the meeting that no word of this was to leak to anyone, not even to one's own wife and children.

On the day they were to assemble at the Left Guard, each man would naturally bring his trusted followers. When the time came, they would tell everyone that Sun Chuanting, under the pretext of reorganizing the guard stations, actually intended to seize the lands they had surrendered for his own.

The three Guard Commanders had already reported the matter to the court, and important ministers were deeply dissatisfied with Sun Chuanting — they had already sent people to Shaanxi to investigate thoroughly. We were merely acting one step ahead of the court. So long as they had the banner of the court, everyone's courage would swell. They would believe they were acting for the court, upholding justice — and even if trouble arose, there was that ancient saying: the law cannot punish the multitude.

Once the atmosphere at the scene was stirred up, no one could predict what would happen. Moreover, Liu Fuguo's true killing stroke was the near hundred elite household retainers he and Sun Zuowang held within the official compound — the crowd outside was merely a fuse.

After much deliberation, Liu Fuguo and the others felt everything was foolproof — they only needed to wait a few days before making their move. And so the group dispersed to their separate tasks.

In the study at the rear courtyard of the Governor's yamen, Sun Chuanting was conferring with Zhuang Yuanzhou, Cui Wensheng, Xie Renxing, Cheng Qianli who had arrived the day before, and Li Guoliang of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Xi'an Chiliarchy, discussing how to respond to the impending rebellion in a few days.

Zhuang Yuanzhou spoke up: "Since Yang Mingsheng's righteous act of sending word has let us know in advance how Liu and his men will act, I believe Your Excellency could act ahead of time and crush them one by one. Otherwise, when you arrive at the Left Guard, with chaos on the scene, should any accident befall you, all would be lost. I beg Your Excellency to think thrice!"

The others, hearing this, all felt Zhuang Yuanzhou's words made sense and voiced their agreement.

Li Guoliang, as a local resident, naturally did not wish any harm to befall Sun Chuanting. He knew Sun Chuanting was one held dear in the Emperor's heart — His Majesty thought very highly of him. If such an important figure met with some incident in Xi'an, he, as the Xi'an Embroidered Uniform Guard Chiliarch, would inevitably incur the wrath of his superiors. Though he knew the guard station soldiers were weak in combat, a hidden arrow was harder to guard against than an open spear.

So he spoke: "As the saying goes, a man of wealth does not sit beneath a hanging eave. Your Excellency is a grand official of the frontier — there is no need to risk your person. Since the evidence of guilt is conclusive, Your Excellency need only order their arrest on charges of conspiracy. With the elite troops His Majesty has sent from this Guard, with Your Excellency's own standard camp, and with no small number of capable men under my command, a few worthless local tyrants of the guard stations would be caught as easily as reaching into a bag!"

Sun Chuanting listened to all, then smiled and said: "Though I am a man of letters, I have always taken as my model those Tang dynasty ministers who led armies in the field and governed at court! In this dynasty there is even the righteous minister Lu Jiandou, who as a civil official donned armor and took up arms, charging into the fray. If I fear even these paltry guard station soldiers, how could I ever face the powerful roving bandits and Jianzhou barbarians in the future? The ancients stressed that an army must have a just cause. I cannot execute these men merely for having rebellious thoughts — that would surely provoke an uproar of public opinion, and I, newly arrived in Shaanxi, would bear the world's condemnation. Even with His Majesty's protection, I do not fear rumors, but in the future it would be difficult to accomplish greater things. This time His Majesty personally dispatched his own bodyguards and elite Embroidered Uniform Guard to aid me — both because he knew I would risk my person and worried for my safety, and also to strengthen my resolve. I am deeply grateful for His Majesty's concern. My mind is made up — I appreciate your good intentions!"

Seeing that Sun Chuanting had made up his mind, the others ceased their persuasion and turned to discussing countermeasures.

After half a day of deliberation, they finally decided that Cheng Qianli would lead the skilled men from the capital, disguised as hereditary military household soldiers, to lie in ambush behind the Left Guard official compound. When the signal was given from the front, they would immediately scale the walls into the compound and capture or kill the guard station soldiers lying in wait.

The Governor's standard camp would select thirty elite guards to wear heavy armor and protect him personally. Sun Chuanting would wear a suit of soft armor beneath his official robes, in case the enemy had archers. The remaining standard camp guards would be deployed around the perimeter — the moment chaos erupted in the field, they would charge in and fight, with Governor Sun's safety as the paramount concern.

Li Guoliang was tasked with reconnoitering the terrain of the Left Guard compound so that Cheng Qianli and his men could familiarize themselves with it. With the plans settled, the group dispersed to make their own preparations.

A few days later, the square before the Xi'an Left Guard station's official compound was packed with people — noisy, clamorous, and exceptionally lively.

Standing on the steps before the compound were Liu Fuguo, Sun Zuowang, and other high-ranking guard station officers, while those of lower rank stood in the field with their trusted followers. Outside the crowd were hereditary military households watching the excitement. Though they had long known that the new Governor intended to reclaim the public fields seized by officials and redistribute household allotment lands, most of these military households had long since become disillusioned with the court, even numb to it — so they merely watched the unfolding events as bystanders.

Only a very few impoverished military households still held hope for the newly arrived Governor Sun, praying for a day when they might eat their fill. Seeing the senior officers gathering to make trouble today, and hearing rumors that the court was sending men to arrest Governor Sun, the hearts of all the military households turned to ice. But the national love of watching a spectacle remained unchanged — military households from all around who heard the commotion gathered at the edges of the square.

Liu Fuguo and the others looked at the chaotic crowd before them — after their incitement, passions were running high. Everything was prepared; they only awaited Sun Chuanting's arrival.

Sun Zuowang spoke: "Brother Liu, by rights that blockhead Sun should have long received the urgent report we sent. Why hasn't he arrived at this hour? Could it be he's too cowardly to come?"

Before Liu Fuguo could answer, a sudden rumbling like thunder came from the horizon.

Some in the field looked up at the sky — blue sky, white clouds, blazing sun overhead. Where could thunder come from? The sound gradually grew louder. Dust rose in great clouds from afar, and a troop of horsemen clad in red armor suddenly appeared in everyone's sight. As they neared the square, the riders slowed their pace. Upon reaching the square, the front ranks fanned out to the sides. Sun Chuanting, in a great red official robe, sat upright on his horse with a dignified bearing, sweeping his gaze across the crowd.

The three Xi'an guards lay in the heart of Shaanxi, where peace had long prevailed — how could the guard station men have ever seen such a large body of cavalry approaching with killing intent? A thick murderous aura washed over them, and the clamorous, chaotic crowd fell instantly silent. Those who had been brimming with confidence, eager to beat the traitorous minister, were all stunned — some trembled uncontrollably, others darted their eyes about, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.

Liu Fuguo and the others standing on the steps wore expressions of extreme displeasure. Many were already having second thoughts — even Liu Fuguo himself felt his resolve waver. But on reflection, matters had come this far; they could only steel themselves and press on. With that thought, Liu Fuguo called out loudly: "You don't want to return the fields — that's not for me to decide. Since Governor Sun has arrived, let us ask him to explain matters to you all!"

Sun Chuanting looked at the scene before him, sneering inwardly again and again. A pack of jumping clowns dared to ply their shabby tricks before him! The matter of reorganizing the guard stations must be settled today.

He dismounted and walked toward the compound gate. Several guards hurried forward to clear the way, but to their surprise, the crowd parted of its own accord to make a path. Sun Chuanting did not so much as glance at either side. In moments he passed through the corridor and arrived before the compound, where thirty heavily armored guards flanked him on both sides, separating him from the crowd.

Liu Fuguo and the others descended the steps to receive him. After the assembled men had paid their respects, Sun Chuanting clasped his hands behind his back and mounted the steps, then turned to face the crowd, his gaze burning as he looked at them. Two guards raised shields at his sides.

Sun Chuanting spoke: "Reorganizing the guard stations and returning the seized public fields is in accordance with the laws laid down by the Founding Ancestor. Mindful that your families have served the court for generations, I have deliberately increased the allotment fields of officers several-fold, far exceeding those of ordinary soldiers. Whether you farm them yourselves or rent them out, your families will never want for food or clothing. Yet you remain unsatisfied, and today you gather here in clamorous protest — could it be you intend to rebel?" His tone grew stern with the final words.

The crowd remained stunned by the cavalry's arrival, and no one dared speak in defiance.

Sun Chuanting continued: "Today is the final deadline for returning the fields. According to the reports of the three Guard Commanders, they are willing to carry out my orders, but their subordinates refuse to obey and show signs of mutiny — they urgently requested that I come to suppress it. Just now you all saw that my standard camp has arrived. Think carefully — do you have the capital to oppose the court and myself? Anyone who has not dispersed within ten breaths will be executed on charges of rebellion!"

A buzzing murmur began in the crowd; many were already wavering. The overwhelming deterrent of the standard camp had shattered their hopes of getting away with it. After all, daggers and short blades were no match for a fully armed cavalry troop — life was what mattered most.

Lose the fields now, and they could find ways to claw them back later. Lose their lives, and nothing remained. If that blockhead Sun ordered them killed on charges of rebellion, their family property would all be confiscated, their wives and children exiled to the frontier — then truly nothing would be left.

At this thought, many were already shifting their feet, preparing to disperse. Seeing his carefully laid plan about to collapse, Liu Fuguo immediately shot a glance at someone in the crowd ahead. A voice immediately shouted from within the crowd: "Don't listen to that dog official's farts! We are all court-appointed officers — he wouldn't dare kill us casually! If we return the fields, what will our wives and children eat and drink?! Are we to eat chaff and swallow wild vegetables like those poor military households?! Kill the dog official, and we'll go back to eating well and drinking well as before! Charge, everyone!"

A bowstring twanged, and an arrow flew from the crowd toward Sun Chuanting. He had no time to dodge, but a guard at his side swiftly raised his shield to cover him. With a thunk, the arrow struck the iron shield and slid to the ground.

Immediately, men in the front ranks drew short blades from their garments and charged at Sun Chuanting with shouts. Seeing someone shoot at the Governor and others rushing toward the gate, the crowd erupted into chaos. Some tried to surge forward, others tried to flee to the sides — shouts and screams filled the air.

Among the standard camp cavalry positioned around the perimeter, someone fired a whistling arrow into the sky. Luo Shifang immediately spurred his mount and led his men charging into the fray. Liu Fuguo's heart leaped with joy, though his face wore a look of panic as he shouted: "Protect the Governor!" Having shouted this, he stepped forward as if to grab Sun Chuanting's arm and drag him into the compound.

Several guards swiftly moved forward to separate him, shielding Sun Chuanting in their midst. The remaining guards drew their blades and engaged in fierce combat with the guard station officers' retainers who swarmed forward.

The guards around Sun Chuanting were all picked elites — tall and stalwart, wielding long sabers, clad in heavy armor. The guard station retainers never drilled in peacetime, and none had ever seen battle — they pressed forward on nothing but hot blood and reckless courage.

One standard camp guard's long saber fell like a bolt of lightning, cleaving a retainer charging in front diagonally from the shoulder into two pieces. Blood sprayed everywhere.

Another guard swept his long saber, and a retainer's head flew high into the air, blood spurting from the neck like a fountain.

A guard wielding a broad short axe swung horizontally, cutting a retainer in two at the waist. His guts, a mess of colors, spilled from the abdominal cavity, and a stench that made one want to vomit spread through the air.

The remaining guards hacked with sabers and chopped with axes — in the blink of an eye, the space before them cleared, and all the retainers who had charged in front lay slain.

Sun Chuanting watched the scene before him without changing expression — the sight of flesh and blood flying did not move him. But Liu Fuguo and the others, seeing such a gruesome slaughter, were overcome by the drifting stench of blood — each bowed their heads and began to vomit. Some were so terrified their legs gave way, collapsing to sit on the ground, losing control of their bladders.

Luo Shifang charged straight toward where Sun Chuanting stood, his long spear sweeping horizontally. Wherever his warhorse passed, men were either trampled underhoof or sent flying by the spear. The rest scattered in all directions, screams and wails echoing across the field. In moments he had fought his way to the compound gate.

Seeing Sun Chuanting safe and sound, protected in the midst of his guards, he breathed a sigh of relief. By now the cavalry had all cut through the crowd and gathered around. This time, the standard camp plus the heavily armored guards protecting Sun Chuanting numbered two hundred men in total; the rest remained in Xi'an to prevent anyone from seizing the opportunity to cause trouble.

Originally, in Luo Shifang's view, a hundred men would have been sufficient — he utterly despised these guard station soldiers, who were worse than bandits. But in the end, for safety's sake, they had brought an extra hundred riders. Luo Shifang ordered the gathered cavalry to drive back the fleeing guard station men. The military households who had been watching from the sidelines had long since vanished, and those who remained were herded together like sheep by the cavalry and forced to kneel.

Seeing that the situation was fully under control, Sun Chuanting smiled and looked at Liu Fuguo, saying: "Guard Commander Liu, I hear you have prepared a generous gift for me inside the compound. Shall we go in and have a look?"

Liu Fuguo and the others had vomited until they were utterly spent, their faces drained of all color. Hearing Sun Chuanting's words, Liu Fuguo understood — everything he had done had fallen into the other man's calculations. His mind went blank, his eyes hollow, and in an instant he seemed to age many years.

A man walked out from within the compound gate — it was Cheng Qianli. His body was splattered with blood, and blood still dripped from the soft sword in his hand. Seeing Sun Chuanting, Cheng Qianli reversed his grip on the sword and saluted with clasped hands: "Reporting to Your Excellency — the rebels within have all been captured or killed. As for what comes next, I await Your Excellency's orders!"

Cheng Qianli was, after all, a man from the Emperor's side, and could not be shown disrespect. Sun Chuanting returned a half-salute with a slight clasp of his hands and said: "I am indebted to Centurion Cheng for his efforts. How are the casualties among the brothers from the capital?"

Cheng Qianli smiled: "Thank you for asking, Your Excellency. Only a few of the brothers suffered light wounds. We brought our own medicines — a few days of application and they will be as good as new."

Sun Chuanting nodded to show he understood, then turned to look at Liu Fuguo and the others, who had been bound. He shook his head and sighed: "Those who make their own bed must lie in it! It truly bears out the old saying — men die for wealth, birds die for food! I have done my utmost in good faith toward you all. That you have come to this end today is entirely of your own doing! Men, take them all away under guard, and await the court's judgment!"

Upon counting, those killed by the standard camp and Cheng Qianli's men numbered over two hundred, with more than three hundred wounded. The remaining five hundred or so were put to work clearing the scene under the standard camp's watch. The corpses were loaded onto oxcarts, hauled to the wilderness, and buried in pits. Those mortally wounded were given the mercy stroke and buried along with the dead; those with lighter injuries, after the cleanup, were escorted back to Xi'an together with the five hundred. Sun Chuanting had already returned to the yamen ahead of them, leaving fifty standard camp soldiers to maintain order at the guard station.

Upon returning to the yamen, Sun Chuanting immediately submitted a memorial to Chongzhen and the court explaining the full circumstances of the matter, and summoned the Provincial Administration Commissioner and other heads of the various offices to brief them on the cause and outcome of the affair.

Zhu Yongyou and the others had long known of Sun Chuanting's plan to reorganize the guard stations, but none of them had thought well of it. They felt that having been in office for such a short time, before his footing was even secure, he was already taking a knife to a well-known chronic ailment — a touch of the upstart's arrogance, overly rash and self-important.

But since most of Shaanxi's high officials had no connection to the guard stations, they merely watched coldly from the sidelines, waiting to see Sun Chuanting make a fool of himself.

None of them had ever imagined that the guard station men would dare gather and make trouble — that could already be called insurrection. Nor had they imagined Sun Chuanting could be so ruthless, raising the butcher's blade and inflicting such heavy casualties.

Zhu Yongyou and the others were secretly alarmed, and their fear of Sun Chuanting grew sharply. But as for how His Majesty and the court would react to this matter, opinions differed—most felt that Sun Chuanting had been too ruthless in his handling of court officials, and feared that His Majesty and the Grand Secretaries would be displeased.

Sun Chuanting's memorial was delivered to the capital by fast horse, and the imperial decree came down several days later.

Liu Fuguo and Sun Zuowang were beheaded for the crime of plotting rebellion, their family property confiscated, and their entire families exiled to Qiongzhou. The remaining accomplices were all punished for their secondary roles, their property confiscated, and their families sent to Liaodong for service.

Sun Chuanting, steady and responsible, bold in taking on affairs, was promoted with the title of Left Vice Censor-in-Chief. It is hoped that this official will continue to strive forward, further open up the situation, and render new merits for the early pacification of Shaanxi.

The Xi'an Qian Guard and Left Guard were abolished, with all their households and farmland placed under the jurisdiction of neighboring prefectures and counties. The remaining meritorious personnel in this case were to be rewarded at the discretion of the Shaanxi Governor. Thus, the guard station case was settled.

A few days later, Liu Fuguo and Sun Zuowang were publicly executed in the busy market district, beheaded and left exposed in the streets. Their family members were escorted to Qiongzhou by officers sent from the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's office.

Yang Mingsheng and his daughter were brought to the Governor's office, where Sun Chuanting personally received and entertained them, praising highly their righteous act of offering counsel and delivering the letter. The talent Yang Mingsheng displayed also stirred Sun Chuanting's appreciation for able men, and he earnestly urged Yang Mingsheng to remain at the Governor's office to serve the court.

Zhuang Yuanzhou and the others also hoped he would stay, so that in their spare time Sun Chuanting could offer guidance on their studies, and the several of them could also exchange ideas and sharpen one another, striving to pass the next examination. Yang Mingsheng naturally agreed readily, and all were greatly pleased.

The confiscation of property was handled by Li Guoliang's Shaanxi Chiliarchy, for this was after all the Embroidered Uniform Guard's specialty. The Governor's office merely sent a few clerks to assist in registering the items, turning a blind eye to certain small irregularities by the confiscation personnel—this too counted as an unspoken rule.

This had been specifically instructed by Sun Chuanting, who understood the principle that too clear water breeds no fish. When the court eats meat, those below who do the work should always be allowed a sip of soup.

From the cellar where Liu Fuguo had hidden his silver, the Embroidered Uniform Guard unearthed several silver melons of varying sizes—the largest weighing several hundred catties, the smallest several dozen—along with several dozen chests of silver ingots and several chests of gold bricks, totaling more than two hundred thousand taels of silver.

This was because the continuous drought of recent years had driven grain prices soaring to two taels of silver per shi. The grain produced from Liu Fuguo's hundred-plus thousand mu of farmland had mostly been converted into silver, and the grain stored at his home and at his grain shops in Xi'an was not much—only a few thousand shi remained.

Sun Zuowang's methods of amassing money were basically the same as Liu Fuguo's. The silver confiscated from his household also came to over a hundred thousand taels, with several thousand shi of grain and a number of shops in Xi'an. Upon receiving the inventory list, Sun Chuanting was overjoyed, laughing uproariously to the sky, while Zhuang Yuanzhou, Yang Mingsheng, and the others also showed delight on their faces.

Combined with the property confiscated this time and what Luo Shifang had obtained from annihilating the Neat King previously, the total came to nearly five hundred thousand taels of silver. Added to the hundred thousand His Majesty had given Sun Chuanting, six hundred thousand taels would suffice for several years to come—at last he had the capital to make a great push in Shaanxi.

Next, Sun Chuanting issued orders in the name of the Governor's office. Led by Zhuang Yuanzhou, Yang Mingsheng, Cui Shisheng, Xie Renxing, and others, clerks and petty officials from the various offices were mobilized to go down to the three guards separately, beginning to clear and register the farmland, distribute allotted fields, and launch large-scale recruitment of soldiers.

The destitute hereditary military households received land deeds for ten mu per household issued by the Governor's office. Though none of them could read the characters on the deeds, seeing the great red official seal and the bright red fingerprint their household head had pressed, everyone felt as if in a dream. After coming to their senses, the vast majority wept for joy and knelt to kowtow. Every household carefully hid their land deed in the most secret place in their home.

The good news did not end there. The Governor also established regulations that all hereditary military households renting public fields would pay a rent of four-tenths of the harvest. Compared to the seven-tenths rent under Liu Fuguo and his kind previously, this was another tremendous benevolent policy.

Taking a household of four as an example: ten mu of allotted fields would yield around ten shi of staple and miscellaneous grains per year, which is about fifteen hundred jin by current measure. Because they lacked sufficient oil and fat in their diets, their appetites were large—this grain, though it looked like a lot, was in truth only enough to keep a family fed, nothing more.

But compared to before, when they had no allotted fields and paid rents as high as seven-tenths, when a family could scarcely manage a few full meals in an entire year, this was already a heavenly life.

Now, beyond eating their fill, if they rented additional public fields they could obtain even more grain, which set every household and every person ablaze with excitement. More income meant that a family with sons could save up to marry off a wife; it meant that in the future, with spare money, they could rebuild the leaky roof of their house; it meant that at festivals they could buy a few feet of printed cloth to make new clothes for their daughters who went about in rags; it meant that when going to market, they could spend a few coppers to buy a crude hairpin for the mother of their children who had suffered a lifetime of hardship.

What had once been extravagant hopes were now within reach, and as a result, the public fields of the three guards were all rented out on the very day they were confirmed. Many people spontaneously set up living shrines to Sun Chuanting in their homes, and the name of "Sun the Clear Sky" spread throughout the Xi'an region in an instant.

These benevolent policies directly led to the smooth progress of recruitment. By the time the well-digging team led by the imperial estate steward sent by Chongzhen arrived, Sun Chuanting had already recruited ten thousand soldiers through careful selection. His path of managing Shaanxi had finally taken a solid first step.