Chapter 497: The Center

In the second month of the second year of Wude, in Jiyin Commandery, at Dingtao City, a man from Chenliu Commandery named Dong Xuan walked atop the city wall dressed in a black official's robe and cap, his face deeply troubled.

Ma Yuan loved to command his subordinates through personal charisma, so the camp was inevitably a bit lax; Army Judge Dong Xuan happened to be the perfect complement — this "Crouching Tiger Dong" never let personal feelings bend the law. He played the villain, Ma Yuan played the hero, and they complemented each other well.

But a colleague of such extreme principle, utterly inflexible and unwilling to touch even a sliver of illicit income, was always ostracized and despised in the murky world of the army. Fortunately, Ma Yuan thought exceptionally highly of Dong Xuan, and through a string of recommendations, elevated him to the position of "Acting Governor of Jiyin Commandery."

"His Majesty will soon battle the Red Eyebrows at the junction of the Yellow and Ji Rivers. I am taking the main force to reinforce him, striking the Red Eyebrows from the rear. But when the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole lurks behind — there are also tens of thousands of Red Eyebrows at Suiyang who will surely raid Dingtao to pin us down. I am leaving three brigades to defend the city. Shaoping, as Acting Governor, you will oversee this place for me."

This was the task Ma Yuan had entrusted to Dong Xuan when he took the army away, making Dong Xuan, who had never imagined he could ever reach the threshold of a two-thousand-bushel rank, feel the immense weight of his responsibility.

Diwu Lun had long ago ordered the production of seals and ribbons for the Governors and Commandants of every commandery in Yu Province and Yan Province, dispatching agents from the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Chancellor's Direct Staff — his espionage apparatus — to deliver them to the local powers, making as many friends as possible; burning bridges was a matter for later. Now that Dong Xuan had just received his grand seal, his first task was to survey his own jurisdiction.

Since the Spring and Autumn period, the Dingtao and Cao regions had been known as "the Center of the World." The transportation links were simply too convenient. Ever since the late Spring and Autumn period, when King Fuchai of Wu dug the He River near Dingtao to contend for hegemony in the north, this place had become the nexus connecting the four great river systems of the Yangtze, Huai, Yellow, and Ji. Dingtao commanded the strategic points of the Yellow and Ji Rivers and sat astride the spine of Huai, Xu, Song, Wei, Yan, and Zhao.

Moreover, the land and water nurtured the people, and the population flourished. Where there are people, there is trade. After Fan Li retired from office, he came here immediately to trade and amassed a fortune of a thousand gold pieces three times over. By the Warring States period, Qin, Qi, Song, and Wei all racked their brains to fight over Dingtao, this moneybag. Even Liu Bang, after defeating Xiang Yu, had to ascend the throne and proclaim himself Emperor in this "first-tier metropolis" of Dingtao.

Dong Xuan's hometown was not far from here. In his youth — back when it was still the Han dynasty — he had traveled here to seek out a renowned teacher to study the "Greater Du Code." After many years, closing his eyes, he could still recall the novelty a young scholar in a blue headscarf and white robes felt upon first entering a great city.

"Gazing out at the riverbanks, one saw villages nestled close together. Almost every patch of flat land had been cleared for farmland. Nearby, hundreds upon thousands of farmers and convict laborers were scattered across the fields, sowing millet seeds. Jiyin Commandery, with a mere nine counties, had 290,025 registered households and a population of 1,380,000 — surpassing even Henei!"

Because the population had truly exploded, in order to grow more grain on limited land, a minor agricultural official named Fan Shengzhi was driven to devise a set of intensive farming techniques — this became the "Book of Fan Shengzhi."

Even before entering the city, one would encounter an endless stream of merchants traveling east and west, garrison soldiers serving their corvée duty, convicts with disheveled hair and grimy faces, and minor officials hurrying along with quick steps.

Once inside the outer city, it was even more astonishing — the crowds were simply immense. The descriptions of Linzi — carriage hubs striking together, pedestrians rubbing shoulders, joined sleeves forming a curtain, raised sleeves making a canopy, and sweat falling like rain — applied to Dingtao without the slightest exaggeration.

If one went into the market wards seeking excitement, one could witness cinnabar, lacquer, yak tails, and feathers from Qin and Shu; hides, bones, and ivory from the Yangtze and Han; nanmu, catalpa, bamboo, and arrows from Wu and Yue; fish, salt, felt, and furs from Yan and Zhao; and lacquer, silk, and fine hemp from Wei and Han — all converging and traded here in a cacophony of noise.

Young people who loved excitement lingered there, but Dong Xuan frowned and retreated, returning to his lodgings to read in silence. Yet that did not prevent him, in moments of weariness, from looking out at the swaying willows and the flower-laden embankments beyond his window and breaking into a smile.

Dingtao flourished between order and chaos; it was the finest place in the world — at least, it had been.

But now, when it was handed over to Dong Xuan, what had it become?

Dingtao had suffered many calamities at the end of the Xin dynasty. The Yellow River floodwaters mainly struck the north of the commandery, sparing the south, but the Red Eyebrows passed through like a comb, and the imperial armies passed through like a fine-toothed comb. Back and forth they went, tormenting the once-prosperous Jiyin beyond endurance. The father of the Left Chancellor of Wei, Geng Chun, had garrisoned this place, but Dong Xian — the man whose name sounds somewhat like Dong Xuan's — captured it and allowed three days of looting before sheathing his blade.

Afterward, Dingtao belonged to Liang-Han. Liu Yong made a special trip here to ascend the throne, and Dingtao had barely begun to recover some vitality, but the good times did not last long — the Red Eyebrows, Fan Chong's Red Eyebrows, came killing their way back.

This round of warfare utterly destroyed the prosperity of Jiyin and Dingtao. It was the second month, and looking beyond the city, the land that had once been worth its weight in gold now lay abandoned in vast, sprawling tracts. The roads were sparsely traveled.

The people of Jiyin, tormented back and forth by the chaos of war, had also abandoned their prosperous homes and scattered in all directions. Now, some had joined the Red Eyebrows, while others had moved west into Yu Province, becoming part of Ma Yuan's army and forming a "Yan Province Division," which might later be expanded into a full army.

As for those who remained, their plight was truly harrowing. When Dong Xuan entered Dingtao, homeless refugees were forced to subsist on grass roots and tree bark, even stuffing themselves with poisonous wild greens and earth to stave off hunger; chaff and coarse grains had become delicacies. He even saw corpses fallen by the roadside with flesh carved away by sharp blades.

All these horrors made Dong Xuan's gaze turn icy cold as he stood atop the city wall and looked toward the "chief culprits" directly responsible for it all.

They were the ragged Red Eyebrow Army. Ma Yuan had made a forced march of three hundred li from Chenliu to break Dingtao and drive Yang Yin away, capturing a large number of Red Eyebrows in the process — at least ten thousand of them.

Now, their weapons confiscated, they were crammed into a small walled enclosure within Dingtao, trapped by walls several zhang high. The gates on both sides were sealed shut, and food was lowered down once a day. Over ten thousand people ate, drank, shat, and pissed entirely inside. The meager rations were barely enough to keep them alive. After more than ten days, they were all reduced to skin and bones, huddling listlessly in the shade beneath the walls.

Ma Yuan seemed decisive and ruthless, but Dong Xuan had discovered that his harshness was reserved for strong enemies. When facing the "weak," the general often showed restraint.

For example, regarding these Red Eyebrow captives, Ma Yuan had said: "His Majesty has issued an edict to recruit the Red Eyebrow Army to tame the great river's floods. Keep these ten thousand or so for now. After the great battle, with a little relief, they will be fine laborers again."

But now, the situation had changed. Ma Yuan had observed the movements of the main Red Eyebrow force, and coupled with the battle plan Diwu Lun had sent via his last messenger, he anticipated that the decisive battle would occur at the northwestern junction of the Yellow and Ji Rivers. He had therefore taken most of the troops, leaving Dingtao with a mere eight thousand men.

And these eight thousand men not only had to guard over ten thousand captives but also had to assist in defending the Ji River line and prevent tens of thousands of enemies from Suiyang from striking Ma Yuan's rear. The Emperor's envoy had been gone for two days with no word of his fate. Judging by the situation, Xu Xuan had no intention of surrendering, and a bitter battle near Dingtao was unavoidable.

Dong Xuan had his own view: "The State of Wei is powerful; if its forces are deployed properly, it can certainly use superior numbers against inferior ones. But the reason our troop strength is insufficient for this great battle at the river junction — aside from the main Guanzhong force being stuck in Longyou and the You Province rebellion — is largely because, after the great battle at Aocang, tens of thousands of Red Eyebrow captives are imprisoned near Luoyang, requiring troops to be diverted to guard them."

Although there was the precedent of incorporating the Tongma into the Ji Province troops, there was no time to reorganize these captives before the Red Eyebrows were completely dealt with. Moreover, feeding them was rapidly depleting Dingtao's already meager grain supply. Dong Xuan even suspected that if Xu Xuan came from Suiyang and directly besieged the city, with supplies cut off, could they even hold out for a few days?

Looking again at the Red Eyebrows trapped in the small enclosure, although Dong Xuan had already pulled out their Elders and Attendants for trial and execution, the Red Eyebrow bandits had astonishingly maintained a certain structure and organization. Someone had stepped forward to lead the distribution of food and prevent internal strife; someone was caring for the sick and wounded — this was exactly how they had survived the past seven years in this cruel world.

As the Suiyang Red Eyebrow bandits drew closer to Dingtao day by day, the anxiety in Dong Xuan's heart grew ever more intense.

Since Ma Yuan had placed the lives of these captives in his hands, he had to make a decision!

"War is a matter of life and death; it cannot be treated as a game. I can no longer indulge in the soft-heartedness of a woman!"

When Dong Xuan discussed this matter with Assistant General Zhao Pang, Zhao Pang was so shocked he slammed the table and shot to his feet.

"Dong Shaoping, do you know what you are saying? Killing captives!"

The Wei army had no tradition of killing captives. Surrendered men were generally put to full use. Even the most heinous criminals were not slaughtered en masse; the mines near Zhao were always welcoming new workers. Anyone who killed captives without authorization would even be tried by the army judge after the war.

"Shaoping has served as an army judge — how could you not know this?" With ten thousand lives at stake, Zhao Pang dared not make this decision.

"These ten thousand Red Eyebrows raided Jiyin and plundered the people's grain like a swarm of locusts. The number of people directly or indirectly killed by them is far more than ten thousand."

Dong Xuan spoke of this matter very calmly, doing his best not to recall the scene of the Red Eyebrows breaking into his home and shoving his elderly father to his death. He would not decide life and death out of personal vengeance, but the current situation was urgent and brooked no hesitation.

What was more, as a man well-versed in laws and ordinances, Dong Xuan could even find justification.

"The Wei Code inherits from the Qin, Han, and Xin, with minor modifications. It includes the 'Statute on Theft' and the 'Statute on Banditry,' with particular emphasis on the crime of group banditry! Five or more people causing disorder constitutes group banditry, punished more severely than acting alone."

By the same logic, robbery and murder by a group of bandits also warranted a harsher sentence. After all, the Legalists of the Warring States period had said: in the governance of a true king, nothing takes precedence over dealing with bandits and thieves!

By this standard, even though these ten thousand men had been captured, they were merely apprehended "group bandits." They should be sentenced as they would be sentenced. If ten thousand men committed murder and robbery, even if the goods taken were the same amount as five group bandits, they should receive the same punishment. It must not be waived simply because the law cannot punish the multitude!

"And within the legal code, the 'Shenming Law' from the time of Emperor Wu of Han has also not been repealed."

Dong Xuan, like an artist, meticulously wove one logical noose after another to strangle the Red Eyebrow captives. The "Shenming Law" had been enacted in the late years of Emperor Wu of Han, when bandits ran rampant across the empire: if local officials failed to report the harm caused by group bandits within their jurisdiction, or failed to do their utmost to hunt them down, all officials of the two-thousand-bushel rank and below were to be executed on the spot.

"Once the Suiyang Red Eyebrow bandits close in on Dingtao, if these ten thousand captives inside the city rise up, causing Dingtao to fall and jeopardizing the decisive battle at the river junction, General Zhao, even ten thousand deaths could not atone for our crime!"

Zhao Pang could not out-argue Dong Xuan, but he still hesitated. Killing captives had been considered inauspicious since ancient times and would be condemned both emotionally and rationally. Moreover, he had a secret he was reluctant to voice.

"Governor Dong, to be frank, my family lives in Yecheng. My ancestors were from the State of Zhao. It is said that an ancestor was buried alive by the Qin general Bai Qi at the Battle of Changping. I am a descendant of slaughtered prisoners of war. To ask me to kill captives — I truly cannot bring myself to do it."

"There is no need for General Zhao to do it himself. I only ask that you do not oppose it."

Dong Xuan, however, made a prompt decision. He stood up and said: "This matter is Xuan's own obstinate course. Whatever responsibility follows, I shall bear it alone!"

Zhao Pang had been waiting for exactly those words. That was the kind of man Dong Xuan was. Ignoring Zhao Pang's admiration, Dong Xuan began issuing one cold order after another: the small walled enclosure where the Red Eyebrow captives were held was actually the site of Dingtao's water gate. Once the water gate was opened, the He River outside the city would surge in and flood the enclosure! Combined with bows, arrows, and long spears, it would be enough to kill everyone inside!

Dong Xuan stood atop the city wall, looking down at the bewildered Red Eyebrow captives within. The oldest among them had graying hair; the youngest were only about ten years old. Those under fifteen were kept in a separate juvenile captives' camp, numbering a few hundred in total. When the sun rose tomorrow, they would likely be the only survivors.

At this moment, Dong Xuan felt he somewhat understood what Bai Qi had thought and felt when he brought down his butcher's blade.

He was not unaware that killing captives harmed one's hidden virtue, nor did he expect his actions to earn any reward — escaping punishment would be fortunate enough.

"But this way, His Majesty need not play the role of King Zhao."

"General Ma need not play the role of Bai Qi."

"All that is needed is someone to play the role of Yi Zong, skilled in slaughter!"

Dong Xuan used his left hand to strike his right hand hard — the one trembling with fear — then raised it and swung it down sharply, giving the order: "Flood the enclosure!"

……

The sluice gate was opened, and the murky waters of the He River surged in, soon covering the ankles of the Red Eyebrows captives.

Some were puzzled, some were furious, thinking this was just the Wei army tormenting them — but they quickly sensed something was wrong.

The water kept pouring in, already reaching their calves and knees. The captives began to panic, pleading desperately toward the city wall.

But the Wei soldiers on the wall showed not a shred of pity. When the water rose past their thighs, the pleas turned to curses, and the Red Eyebrows captives finally felt the iron killing intent of Governor Dong Xuan!

Yet the water did not stop for a moment, continuing to flood the city. The Red Eyebrows captives began trying to save themselves — some rushed to the other sluice gate, hoping to pry open the door that was firmly blocked from outside by sheer human strength. Others clawed at the cracks in the rammed-earth wall, trying to climb out, but the wall was too high; they left behind only torn fingertips and streaks of blood on the wall, soon submerged by the water as well.

In the low-lying areas, the Red Eyebrows had only their necks above water now. In some places, brutal fights had broken out over rooftops and mounds of earth, just to climb up and live a little longer.

The merciless water would eventually swallow everything. Even those who tried to climb higher using their buoyancy were jabbed by spears and fell back into the water, leaving a bloom of blood.

In the end, over a thousand Red Eyebrows gathered in the city's northeast corner, where the ground was slightly higher. With no foothold left, they clung to one another.

A mournful song rose within the small city.

"Out the eastern gate, no thought of return."

"Entering the gate, despair and sorrow."

The water rose past their necks. They could only tilt their heads back and wail with all their might. Born into a chaotic age, this life as a human — truly worse than a dog's in a time of peace.

"No peck of grain stored in the jar, look back at the rack — no clothes hanging!"

"Others may wish for wealth and rank, but this humble wife would gladly share gruel with you."

"I go now, too late! White hairs fall — hard to linger long."

Fathers held up their sons, sons propped up their old fathers, each only seeking to prolong the other's life a little. But it was all in vain. Apart from those who could swim, thrashing to cling to the wall's edge and live a few moments more, the water rose past every throat, mouth, and nose, drowning their final cries along with them:

"Alas! Go!"

……

PS: Failed to hit the cliffhanger. Crying.