Chapter 319: The Butcher Dismembering the Ox

Zhu Di and Zhang Yu were both wandering orphans Diwu Lun had taken in while opening a coal mine in his humble days. Unlike Zhang Yu, who followed Diwu Lun everywhere, Zhu Di mostly studied at the Diwu Village free school. He was an honest boy, quite diligent, and had once earned the merit of escorting Diwu Ba safely out of Chang'an. Now he served as a secretary-lang at Diwu Lun's side.

Tonight, when he saw that the basket of Liu Bosheng's military documents he had originally handled had, after one trip in and out of the Xiliu Camp, suddenly become stuffed full — a large bundle of silk letters and bamboo slips appearing out of thin air — he was somewhat at a loss, assuming he had simply missed them during his inspection.

But when he opened one bamboo slip — hah, the ink wasn't even dry yet!

Every strip was a letter from Liu Bosheng to the powerful families of the Five Tombs, expressing great satisfaction after receiving their previous pledges of allegiance, and arranging to coordinate on a certain month and day north of the Wei River to strike Diwu Lun together... After studying them carefully for a long time, between every line of the text, two words were written: "planted evidence"!

"Commandant, this..."

Zhu Di understood at once and stared in shock at Zhang Yu and at Peng Chong, the Commandant who had been ordered to sort through these name lists.

Peng Chong had been singled out by Diwu Lun to "investigate" this matter, and he naturally understood the reason. Since he lacked ability on the battlefield, he had to contribute in other areas and could only steel himself to take on this dirty work, while thinking to himself: "No wonder the King of Wei made me Commandant!"

Seeing Zhu Di's unease, Peng Chong said to him: "Attendant Gentleman Zhu, have you heard of the crime of belly-slander?"

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"In the time of Emperor Wu of Han, Yan Yi and a guest were discussing points of law and ordinance that were inconvenient. Yi did not respond, but his lip curled slightly. He was then reported by Zhang Tang for belly-slander, thrown into prison, and died!"

This was an invention of Zhang Tang, the cruel official under Emperor Wu of Han. At the time, the Grand Minister of Agriculture Yan Yi was standing outside the Chancellor's residence speaking with a retainer. The retainer expressed dissatisfaction with Emperor Wu's reforms. Yan Yi listened without saying a word, only curling the corner of his mouth slightly. When Zhang Tang learned of this, he immediately reported to Emperor Wu, saying that this fellow Yan Yi, holding high office, upon hearing someone criticize the current dynasty's laws, not only failed to refute them but secretly slandered them in his heart — this was absolutely a capital crime. From that day on, the legal code of the Great Han gained a new offense: the crime of belly-slander.

Peng Chong said: "The powerful families of the Five Tombs are likewise harboring treacherous intentions. They envy the powerful families south of the Wei who were granted shares of the Shanglin Park, and they grumble that the noble titles bestowed by the King of Wei are too petty."

"When Liu Bosheng advanced with his army, these people neither offered manpower and grain to support the King of Wei, nor sent their sons and younger brothers to assist him. They intended to sit on the fence and aid the victor. What's more, not a few of them simultaneously accepted seals and ribbons from the Western Han, styling themselves as Marquises."

Though they had not yet grown bold enough to correspond directly with Liu Bosheng and coordinate from within, what about next time? When Diwu Lun contended with the Western Han — which also enjoyed considerable support from powerful families — would they stab him in the back?

Therefore, Peng Chong believed, the powerful families of the Five Tombs were just like Yan Yi...

Zhang Yu spoke the shameless words for him: "Exactly. Though they have not put it into practice, in their hearts, they have already rebelled!"

So this was... the crime of belly-rebellion?

This twisted logic shocked even Zhu Di into a slight lip-curl. Of course, "belly-rebellion" could not be openly declared as a charge, hence this name list and this thick stack of letters. They wanted evidence? Here was their evidence!

Since these were purpose-made, there was no such thing as a "wrong kill" among them. All were based on the little black notebook Diwu Lun had kept for years, ticking off one by one those powerful families who had been marked for being rich but unkind, and who had not actively supported him afterward.

A single rough glance at this name list was enough to see whom Diwu Lun was targeting for a major crackdown. They all shared one common name: Adherents of the Former Han, the Yuankang Marquises.

In the fourth year of Yuankang under Emperor Xuan of Han (62 BC), a wide-reaching policy of "imperial rescript to restore families" was implemented. The edict ordered that the descendants of a number of founding meritorious officials who had lost their "Marquis" status for various reasons during the reigns of Empress Dowager Lü, Emperors Wen and Jing, and Emperor Wu be restored to noble rank.

How many were there in this group? A total of one hundred and twenty-four families! This was certainly a generous policy by Emperor Xuan of Han to consolidate the legitimacy of his succession after eliminating the Huo clan, but it also saddled the court with over a hundred burdens that Emperor Wu had already removed.

These restored marquises were mainly resettled around Chang'an. What was restored was not only their marquis titles but also granted fields and granted residences. Now, several generations later, although they had lost their marquisates under Wang Mang, they had all grown into powerful families whose influence spanned multiple villages and districts.

"Changling County is led by the descendants of Xiao He, Marquis Wenzhong of Cuo; Fan Kuai, Marquis Wu of Wuyang; and Fu Kuan, Marquis Jing of Yangling — eleven families in total."

Diwu Lun showed no mercy to his fellow townsmen. All eleven families, without a single omission, were marked for the crackdown.

"Yangling County is led by the descendants of Zhang Liang, Marquis Wen of Liu, and Zhou Zao, Marquis Ke of Longlü — twelve families in total. With the exception of the Zhang family head Zhang Yue, who was not involved, the other eleven families all had dealings with Liu Bosheng."

"Maoling County is led by the descendants of Shen Yiji, Marquis You of Piyang — also eleven families."

"Pingling County has the descendants of Dong Die, Marquis Jing of Cheng, and others — two families."

Four of the Five Tombs were thus accounted for. The pitiful tomb town of Emperor Hui of Han, Anling County, because it was too cramped, had no Yuankang restored marquises settled there. The largest family in that county was the Ban clan, but the Bans did not occupy much land, devoting themselves single-mindedly to book collecting, and their reputation was excellent.

Moreover, they had accepted Diwu Lun's summons to office. It was said that Ban Biao had already gone to Yueyang to assist in managing the archives, so Diwu Lun raised his hand high and let the family off — every word uttered by a minor figure like Ban Biao was "belly-slander" muttered quietly to his books, with no chance of even reaching the King of Wei's ears.

Thus, the name list contained a total of thirty-three powerful families, nearly half of all the powerful families north of the Wei River.

When Peng Chong and Zhang Yu had finished compiling the list and handed it to Diwu Lun, Diwu Lun studied it for a long time, filled with righteous indignation.

"Guard by day, guard by night — but a thief within the house is hardest to guard against."

"Within the walls of my own domain north of the Wei, there are also 'household thieves.' They must be dealt with!"

"These thirty-three powerful families have been wavering for a long time. Do they all think that because Liu Bosheng came with such ferocious momentum, I cannot hold my ground?"

Diwu Lun, quite angered, said: "Commandant!"

Peng Chong immediately stepped forward and prostrated himself: "Your servant is here!"

"What crime should these people be charged with?"

"The great crime of plotting treason!"

Peng Chong responded: "Their names should be checked one by one, and they should be thrown into prison for interrogation!"

Diwu Lun nodded: "The Commandant's proposal is approved!"

Wait — how did this become my proposal? Peng Chong was swallowing bitter words he could not speak, but even Ren Guang had been enfeoffed as a marquis, while he himself was still only a "Bo," the most notable straggler among the original followers. If he did not advance, he would vanish into the crowd. He realized that whether he could become a marquis all depended on this one task.

Peng Chong therefore kowtowed and accepted the order: "Your servant will immediately set about making arrangements!"

Sovereign and minister had performed a double act long since planned. This series of murderous pronouncements instantly jolted Wan Xiu and the others awake — no wonder Diwu Lun had not let them push deep south of the Wei, but kept them defending north of the Wei, garrisoned among the Five Tombs. So it was for this!

Someone also voiced a slight worry: "Great King, this case implicates so many. These families are linked by marriage alliances, and it may well cause upheaval north of the Wei. The powerful families south of the Wei, who more or less all assisted Liu Bosheng, are even less likely to be pardoned. I fear they will hold out in their fortified manors and refuse to surrender, or else defect to the Western Han..."

Diwu Lun, however, was not worried: "The powerful families of the Five Tombs may be flourishing, but can all thirty-three families combined field even ten thousand retainers? Yet I have twenty thousand tiger guards, fresh from destroying Liu Bosheng and routing the Chongling troops. The blood on our blades is not yet dry, our armor not yet doffed. If they wish to rebel, then let them rebel!"

Now Diwu Lun, riding the prestige of a great victory, could truly be called "how majestic is his tiger-like gaze" — only with such momentum did he have the confidence to do this. What was more, he had, as far as possible, refrained from touching those families with better reputations who would provoke public outrage.

"As for the powerful families south of the Wei..." Diwu Lun smiled. "Other emperors and kings are partial to subduing lands by proclamation alone. I alone am not. Now that the strong foe Liu Bosheng is gone and the Greenwood forces have withdrawn south, if the various clans south of the Wei wish to resist, then let the generals take their soldiers and assault each fortified manor one by one. It will be a fine opportunity to drill the troops!"

There were also quite a few Yuankang restored marquises settled in places like Baling and Duling. Those with sense had followed Diwu Lun when he withdrew north of the Wei; those who remained were mostly the wishful thinkers, politically already abandoned by Diwu Lun.

Politically, these people's hearts leaned toward the "Great Han," and they clung obsessively to the power and privileges of their former marquisates. They were still wallowing in the old glory of their ancestors' patronage. With a few exceptions, they were all targets to be swept away by the new regime.

Diwu Lun had only mentioned old political accounts, but the main reason driving him to act was economic — the powerful families north of the Wei, through years of annexation, had occupied far too much land. The lands of these thirty-three families alone, if not ten thousand qing, were at least eight thousand qing.

"In the early Han, Emperor Gao abolished the Qin prohibition on land sales. Though land annexation existed then, the harms of annexation had not yet emerged. Warfare had wiped out a vast number of households; measured by population against land, there was still a surplus compared to ancient times. And with Emperor Gao granting land by military merit, nearly every man could receive a hundred mu."

"But since the time of Emperor Wu of Han, the population has multiplied, and annexation has grown more rampant by the day..."

The Han dynasty's marquises were the vanguard of this. Favored in person and occupying high positions, their households warm and drawing fat stipends, they exploited the resources of wealth and rank to contend with the common people for profit below, expanding their fields, mostly using political power to buy cheap or seize by force. Thus the rich grew richer, and the poor had not even ground to stand an awl.

"This was especially rampant in the Five Tombs. The migrants there, carrying on the fierce spirit of the Warring States, were mostly cunning and lawless types. The annexers among them lorded it over townships and districts; the bold and brawny among them swaggered through the village lanes."

That's right — this described the Diwu clan itself!

Emperor Wu of Han had struck at them once, but after the reigns of Emperors Xuan and Yuan, it spiraled out of control once more. Their sons and younger brothers arbitrarily dominated the rural districts. In many places, the King of Wei's decrees had trouble even reaching the sub-county and village level. It was practically a Diwu clan in every village. If such tumors were not squeezed out, were they to be kept for the New Year?

But this objective could not be openly declared; it could only remain hidden in Diwu Lun's heart as belly-slander. After all, among the original meritorious followers of the State of Wei, there was also a great host of powerful families! Take the Jing clan of Yueyang, the Geng and Ma clans of Maoling — was the land they occupied any less than that of the "Adherents of the Former Han"? If things were already like this now, there was even less need to speak of the future, when they would receive further rewards and enfeoffments.

And Diwu Lun's own various Di clans of Linqu Village, from Diyi to Diba, were practically a royal clan and had now also become great powerful families within the Guanzhong region!

If the purge focused only on political reasons and did not broaden the scope of the strike, his subordinates would clap and cheer. Only by toppling the old nobility could the new nobles carve out a greater share of the spoils.

But if you sit down to reckon the economic accounts and judge by class, they will grieve for the fox when the hare dies — lament their own kind.

To revolutionise oneself requires immense wisdom and courage. To charge in without a word, with enemies on all sides, first hack off your own arms, then stab your own great artery, and finally let your hands and feet flail and tangle together while someone else sweeps in and picks up the spoils — that is suicide, not revolution.

Diwu Lun once heard a story: when Cook Ding first began slaughtering oxen, what he saw in his eyes was a whole ox. Just so, when Diwu Lun first arrived in this era, he too regarded the name "powerful families" as a single whole.

But after several years, like Cook Ding, what he saw in his eyes was no longer a whole ox, but the ox's inner texture — its muscles, sinews and bones.

Especially this "Wei North ox" that he had once, as a minor clerk in the Revenue Section, used the convenience of his office to personally walk through and observe, patiently studying it in detail: the hindbrain, the eye meat, the tenderloin, the ox tongue, the short ribs, the shoulder meat — all lay crystal-clear in Diwu Lun's eyes.

Which parts could be eaten, which could not; which cuts to make first, which to make later; where the bones and sinews were thick and the knife must go in with caution; where a swift blade could slice clean through — he understood it all quite thoroughly.

From New Qinzhong to Wei and back to his homeland, Diwu Lun's steel blade had been honed for a long time and was now exceedingly sharp.

Next, he need only follow the ox's muscular structure, cleave open the great gaps between sinew and bone, and work the blade along the hollows between the joints — cautious and meticulous, his gaze focused, his movements slow. The knife stirred lightly, and with a soft whoosh, flesh and bone had already parted, scattering like a heap of earth upon the ground.

Even the chopping board for the meat Diwu Lun had already prepared — a familiar old place, the place where his ambition had first begun!

"No need to rush and startle the snake in the grass."

Diwu Lun said, "In a few days, in late ninth month, I shall borrow the Changping Lodge of the Qiongcheng Marquis's house, summon the assembled officials and the powerful houses of Wei North, and hold a great victory banquet!"

The cleaver and block are ready. Beef — onto the board!

……

PS: A bit late. Chapter 2 at 18:00.

(Chapter 3 at 23:00.)