Chapter 91: Aftermath

Zhu Guoxiang also cupped his hands in salute and said, "Your Excellency the Governor has only recently arrived; it would be best to gain a fuller understanding of the situation before making judgments. Both of the Chen gentlemen here, like ourselves, are court-appointed officials. I earnestly hope Your Excellency will think thrice!"

Zhu Guoxiang's words carried but a single meaning: Are you on our side, or on the side of the common people?

Li Shuchun, kneeling at the foot of the steps, heard these shameless words and the anger in his heart blazed up anew. He straightened his back and cried out loudly, "Your Honor! I know full well that death is inescapable for me today! But let me say just one thing — on the official salary issued by the court alone, where did Chen Hongzu get his thousands of acres of fields, where did he get his grand mansions and beautiful maidservants! If Your Honor truly cares for us hereditary military households, send someone to investigate and the truth will be known!"

Chen Hongzu heard Li Shuchun's words, and his heart was filled with both fury and fear. But since Chen Qiyu had not spoken, he and Chen Qizhong could only remain kneeling in place. He secretly turned his head back, glaring at Li Shuchun with eyes that seemed about to spit fire, wishing he could cut him into a thousand pieces.

Li Shuchun stood tall and unafraid, meeting Chen Hongzu's gaze with eyes equally full of hatred.

Before Chen Qiyu could speak, Yang Ze flew into a rage and shrieked shrilly, "This is no place for a base hereditary military household like you to speak! Come! Beat him! Beat this lowborn wretch to death!"

Several of Yang Ze's trusted men moved forward at his words, but among the soldiers in the field below, some began to shout in agitation, and in an instant over a thousand voices cried out in unison. Since Yang Ze and his party had emerged, the soldiers had been watching them with hateful eyes, and now that Li Shuchun was about to be beaten for standing his ground, the anger that Chen Qiyu had suppressed showed signs of erupting once more.

Chen Qiyu was deeply displeased with Yang Ze's overstepping of authority. He himself was the chief official of Fengyang; a dead eunuch like you should simply tend to your imperial tombs — how dare you presume to issue orders over my head! He bellowed, "I'd like to see who dares! Stand down at once!"

Yang Ze's trusted men could neither advance nor retreat. They were, after all, only low-ranking figures — fine for bullying ordinary folk, but they were terrified at heart of a regional magnate like Chen Qiyu.

Yang Ze fumed, "What's this? Lord Chen! You mean to stand up for a base commoner! I was sent here by His Majesty himself, representing His Majesty's honor. Are you saying you would disregard His Majesty's words as well?"

Chen Qiyu sneered coldly, "What a grand accusation! It's true you were sent from the palace, but I too received the imperial mandate to come govern Fengyang as Governor! You are nothing but a tomb-keeping eunuch — who gave you the authority to meddle in local affairs? I will most certainly submit a memorial impeaching you for borrowing the imperial name to wreak havoc upon the region!"

A laugh like a hen laying an egg clucked from Yang Ze's throat: "Hehe! I say, Lord Chen, impeach away as you please. I serve His Majesty with single-minded devotion — no matter how long your outer court's hands may be, they cannot reach into the inner palace! Hehehe!"

Chen Qiyu gave a dry laugh and was about to retort when the sound of hoofbeats came drifting over. He looked out and saw a dozen or so galloping war horses appear on the broad street a few hundred paces away. The riders' dress did not look like that of official troops. A moment later the riders drew closer, and he peered carefully — at last he knew who had come.

That attire was all too familiar — it was the mounted riders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

It was in just such dress that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had arrested him and taken him to the capital all those years ago!

Though he knew this time they had not come for him, Chen Qiyu could not help but feel his heart leap with terror. The two years he had spent in the Imperial Prison were the most unbearable days of his life; he had sworn never again to fall into the hands of jailers, for that place was simply the darkest, filthiest, most squalid pit under heaven.

The dozen riders arrived in the blink of an eye, slowing their horses only as they reached the crowd. The soldiers gathered there, curious who these newcomers were, had not cleared a path. The riders in front urged their horses forward in silence, lashing out with their whips at any soldier who blocked their way. Cowed by their authority, the soldiers quickly opened a path.

The riders reached the foot of the office steps, and those in front split to either side. A young officer of twenty-some years, wearing a blue outer robe and a small brown-wrapped cap, dismounted. He swung his arms in circles behind his back, twisted his neck a few times, and laughed, "After covering this thousand-plus li at a gallop, my body's been jolted half to pieces! Everyone dismount and rest a while — once the business is done, we'll have Lord Chen treat us to a proper meal! Hahaha!"

At his words the riders all dismounted. Having ridden from the capital, spending nearly every daylight hour in the saddle, they were indeed exhausted.

The young officer climbed the steps as he spoke, coming before Chen Qiyu in his scarlet official robe. Cupping his hands, he laughed, "Surely Lord Chen didn't know in advance that we'd arrive today and lay on such a grand reception for us?"

Chen Qiyu returned the salute with a slight cupping of his hands: "May I ask this honored envoy's name? And for what purpose have you come?"

The young officer blinked in surprise, then laughed heartily and cupped his hands: "Haha, forgive me, Lord Chen. I am Wang Shiqin, Vice Chiliarch of the Western District Chiliarchy of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I have come today bearing an imperial decree — please examine my token!" So saying, he reached into his robes and produced a small, exquisitely crafted round silver plaque, engraved with the words "Wang Shiqin, Vice Chiliarch, Western District Chiliarchy, Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Chen Qiyu took it, glanced at it, confirmed it, and returned it to Wang Shiqin. Yang Ze, standing to one side, spoke up in a mocking, sinister tone: "Oh my, I've been away from the capital for years — who'd have thought that the toothless old tiger of yesteryear would now strut about so proudly! You see me here and don't even come forward to pay your respects — whoever gave the Embroidered Uniform Guard such nerve?!"

Wang Shiqin tucked the token into his bosom, glanced at Yang Ze, and muttered to himself, "Strange world we live in — a dead man can still talk."

Yang Ze's face turned green with rage, and he was about to explode when Wang Shiqin suddenly cried out in a loud voice, "An imperial edict! All kneel to hear the edict!"

Chen Qiyu straightened his robes, descended the steps, turned, and knelt. Yang Ze and Zhu Guoxiang followed him down and knelt prostrate. The soldiers in the front ranks below, hearing the cry, hastily dropped to their knees. Those behind, though they did not understand what was happening, saw the great lords kneeling and knelt as well. The only ones still standing were the dozen-odd men of the Embroidered Uniform Guard from the capital.

Wang Shiqin reached into his robes and drew out a scroll of bright yellow brocade. Unrolling it, he began to read aloud in a loud voice: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I, of meager virtue, have succeeded to the great inheritance, desiring to renew all under heaven and restore the old ways of our ancestors. In the first month of the eighth year of Chongzhen, the roving bandits alarmed the imperial tombs, and to this day they have not been repaired. Our ancestors grieve and the people harbor resentment — my heart is ill at ease. This edict orders the tomb-keeping eunuch Yang to swiftly restore the damaged tombs, to comfort the spirits of our ancestors, and funds have been allocated from the privy purse, with no intention of levying additional taxes upon the people. But suddenly I hear that Yang, borrowing the imperial name, has practiced extortion, causing the hearts of the soldiers and people of Fengyang to be stirred and public opinion to rage. Though this was not my intent, it is also my failure of oversight. By this edict: let mounted riders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard proceed to Fengyang, arrest Yang, and bring him to the capital for execution; his family property shall be confiscated. His accomplices — Chen, Guard Commander of the Fengyang Central Guard, and Chen, Guard Commander of the Imperial Tomb Guard — for cruelly oppressing soldiers and embezzling military pay, shall be beheaded immediately, their property confiscated, and their families exiled to Lingnan. Zhu Guoxiang, Chief Administrator of Fengyang, being incompetent and muddle-headed, and considering that his misdeeds are not deep, is hereby dismissed and sent home, never to be employed again. Chen, Governor of Fengyang, has handled affairs with true devotion and is hereby specially commended, with the added title of Right Vice Censor-in-Chief. May this official continue to be diligent in his duties, honest in his service, and bring peace to the hearts of soldiers and people alike. The land of Fengyang is poor, floods come frequently, causing the common folk to be displaced and the people to suffer. Now, by special grace, Fengyang's levies are remitted for three years, to ease the burden upon the common people. The hereditary military households of Fengyang's guard stations have long been in distress, and my heart cannot bear it. Now let Chen, Governor of Fengyang, investigate officials' encroachment upon farmland, redistribute the fields according to the statutes of the court, with the levy set at one-thirteenth. Soldiers and people are encouraged to reclaim wasteland; newly reclaimed fields shall be exempt from levy for three years, after which they shall be taxed at one-thirteenth. The repair of the imperial tombs shall be supervised by officials dispatched from among the local officials of Fengyang, and hired laborers shall be paid proper wages; the eunuchs of the imperial tomb shall not interfere. The various guard stations of Fengyang shall be merged into a single Fengyang Guard, with an authorized strength of two thousand men; let Governor Chen select and train elite soldiers from among them to resist external aggression. Military pay and provisions shall be issued in full; any who embezzle shall be beheaded. Thus decreed."

By the time the lengthy edict was read, Yang Ze had collapsed limp to the ground, Zhu Guoxiang's face alternated between pale and green, and Chen Hongzu and Chen Qizhong stood as dumb as wooden chickens. The soldiers in the front ranks who understood the parts of the edict concerning reform of the hereditary military households were wild with joy, and the good news spread through the entire gathering in an instant. Among the thousand-odd soldiers, some wailed aloud, some wept tears of joy, some shouted and yelled, and some knocked their heads to the ground without cease.

Wang Shiqin rolled up the edict. Chen Qiyu kowtowed in thanks for the imperial grace, then rose and climbed the steps, not sparing a single glance at Yang Ze and the others beside him. From the moment his secret memorial had been sent to the capital, Yang Ze had been a dead man in his eyes.

Wang Shiqin cupped his hands and smiled, "Lord Chen, Yang Ze will be escorted by us. As for the confiscation of property, we won't meddle in that. Heh, Lord Chen is a man of understanding, heh, heh!"

Chen Qiyu returned the salute with solemn gravity: "Well said, well said. I shall at once send someone to escort the honored envoy back to the office to rest. I will first settle the matters at hand. Please, this way!"

What followed was all routine procedure. Chen Hongzu and Chen Qizhong were beheaded on the spot; Yang Ze was escorted back to the capital and beheaded. From the three households, over a hundred thousand taels of silver were confiscated, greatly easing the financial crisis of the Governor's office. Li Shuchun and the others, though they had taken lives, had extenuating circumstances; in accordance with military regulations they were sentenced to fifty strokes of the rod as a warning, then sent to serve at the front. The reform of the guard stations was swiftly implemented with the support of the broad mass of hereditary military households, and though obstacles arose from time to time, Chen Qiyu crushed them all by force.

After several months of drilling, spurred on by ample military pay and provisions, the new Fengyang Guard, at full strength of two thousand elite soldiers, saw its combat capability greatly enhanced.

Recently, upon receiving a warning dispatch from Lu Xiangsheng, Chen Qiyu immediately ordered the few dozen cavalry under Guo Tai's command to split into several groups and scout to the southwest and southeast respectively, so as to learn the roving bandits' precise positions and movements. When the joyous news of Lu Xiangsheng's great victory at Chuzhou arrived, Chen Qiyu finally breathed a sigh of relief. The victory at Chuzhou meant the threat to the southeast had been thoroughly eliminated; now only the menace of the main body of roving bandits to the southwest remained.

One day, while Chen Qiyu and Chen Liangmo were discussing matters concerning the roving bandits, a report suddenly arrived: Huang Degong's forces from Shan County, Shandong, had been ordered to rush to Fengyang's aid and had now reached Huaiyuan County in Fengyang Prefecture, only a few dozen li from Fengyang itself. Huang Degong had specially sent his personal guards to report the news, and hoped to establish contact with Lu Xiangsheng.

Chen Qiyu, who had already learned through reconnaissance that the Dashing King Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong's forces had arrived at Shouzhou, was fretting over his shortage of troops. Upon hearing that Huang Degong had arrived with five thousand men, joy surged in Chen Qiyu's heart: The opportunity to distinguish himself had come!