Chapter 228: The Crisis at Yi Dao

Since they happened to meet, Heifu, together with Lu Dang, led Ba Zhong to the Yi Ling county temple to see the Commandery Governor.

The county temple was at the highest point of the county seat; from the dock up, it was an uphill stone stairway all the way. It had rained only the day before, and the moss-covered steps were somewhat wet and slippery.

Heifu was careful not to slip, while behind him he listened to the obscure, difficult tongue of Ba Zhong and the Ba people, and thought of the story of "Widow Qing of Ba" he had heard since arriving in this era.

He had heard that although Qin suppressed merchants and favored agriculture, and merchants had very low status, there were two great merchants who were exceptions.

One was Wushi Luo of Beidi Commandery, who was said to own over a hundred thousand cattle, sheep, and horses! The second was Widow Qing of Zhi County in Ba Commandery, who made her fortune from the cinnabar mines passed down through her husband's family for generations, and also dabbled in mining gold, silver, copper, and iron in Ba and Shu, as well as well salt — a true mining magnate.

The world ranks these two alongside Fan Li, Zigong, Bai Gui, Yi Dun, and Guo Zong from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, placing the seven great magnates together on the Warring States Forbes wealth list.

Apart from their astonishing wealth, they also held outstanding status.

The King of Qin granted Wushi Luo a status equal to that of a titled lord, allowing him to attend court and discuss affairs. The courtesy Widow Qing of Ba received was slightly less than Wushi Luo's; her son was enfeoffed as a Grand Master, but the King of Qin personally issued an edict commending her for preserving her chastity, conferring upon her the title of Chaste Woman, and exempting her from having to bow to local officials of Ba Commandery.

The reason for treating Widow Qing with such courtesy, besides her family's monopoly of the cinnabar mines which exclusively supplied the Qin government, was that Widow Qing's husband's family were powerful magnates in Ba, and their lineage was said to trace back to the Ba people's ancestor, Lord Lin.

After Lord Lin, they divided into five clans: the Ba, Fan, Tan, Xiang, and Zheng, who formed the ruling class of the Ba state, called the "Inner Five Clans," located in the core region. Among them, the Ba clan was the most noble, second only to the royal Ji clan. In addition, the Cong, Pu, Ju, Gong, Lu, Rang, Yi, and Dan were the "Outer Eight Tribes," located in the peripheral regions of the Ba state.

Although the Ba state has now perished, the Five Clans and Eight Tribes have persisted. So Widow Qing's husband's family can be said to be both wealthy and noble among the Ba people. She is also skilled in management; her mining estates are everywhere, her family wealth is countless, and she owns over a thousand servants and over ten thousand mining slaves! Her influence even extends beyond Ba Commandery; the footprints of her fleets and horse caravans cover the former Ba state territory, and they have close dealings with the Ba tribal groups in the four counties of Nan Commandery: Yi Ling, Yi Dao, Zigui, and Wu.

Unlike the repeatedly rebellious Shu people, the powerful Five Clans of the Ba people submitted to Qin rule. Qin reciprocated, allowing them to keep their properties, tribes, and private armed forces, relying on them to govern the Ba people, whose language and customs differed greatly from those of the Central Plains.

Without the assistance of these powerful Ba magnates, the Ba region would surely be in chaos, and Sima Cuo would not have been able to gather so many Ba warriors to fight for Qin during his campaign against Chu.

Heifu thought to himself, "The people from the Nan Commandery Works Section mentioned to me that the copper mines in the Jiangbei area of Nan Commandery, after centuries of excavation by the Chu people, have little left, and salt is also scarce. So every year, they still rely on Widow Qing's family to transport copper, tin, and well salt from the Ba region via waterways into Jiangling."

Precisely for this reason, when Widow Qing's son came to pay respects to Governor Teng, Ye Teng could not afford to slight him and actually had his Chief Clerk receive him.

Before long, they arrived at the county temple. Governor Teng was in the middle of discussions with the Yi Ling County Magistrate. Seeing Ba Zhong brought in, Ye Teng dismissed the Yi Ling County Magistrate and his staff. Heifu was about to take his leave, but Ye Teng called him to stay.

"Left Military Section Clerk, you stay as well."

Ye Teng's expression was stern. Heifu figured something was up, so he acknowledged the order and sat to one side.

"Ba Zhong of Ba Commandery pays respects to Governor Ye."

Ba Zhong bowed. Widow Qing could meet a Commandery Governor without bowing, but he did not have that privilege. His Xia speech, though heavily accented, was fluent.

"Rise." Ye Teng did not waste words and asked directly, "You sent a small boat messenger to inform me that you had an important matter to report. What exactly is it, that warrants you coming personally and taking such a risk?"

Ba Zhong bowed again. "It is a major matter. My family recently learned that the Yi tribe chieftain of Yi Dao in Nan Commandery intends to betray Qin and join Chu!"

"The Yi Dao chieftain intends to betray Qin and join Chu!?"

Hearing this, Chief Clerk Lu Dang was the first to exclaim, only then realizing he had lost his composure.

Ye Teng glared at him and continued, "The Yi tribes are fickle in their allegiance; it is a common occurrence. Which year doesn't see one or two instances of tribesmen resisting corvée? They are always put down by the local officials in the end. Furthermore, the Yi Dao County Magistrate has not even reported this to me. Why is it that your family in Zhi County, Ba Commandery, hundreds of li away, knows of it first?"

Ba Zhong smiled. "Governor, although Qin governs the inner commanderies and counties very strictly, it is different in the barbarian territories. Their tribes live clustered in the streams and forests, with no officials to manage them. When something happens, it is often over a month before it is known. As it happens, my family's salt-transport horse caravan operates in that area. According to what they saw, last month, the Yi tribe chieftain received an envoy from Chu, entertained him with fine wine and meat, and finally swore an oath with him by drinking chicken blood..."

"This matter is absolutely true. My mother considered it out of the ordinary; there was not even time to go report it in Ba Commandery City first. She directly had me take a boat east. I originally intended to go to Jiangling to pay a visit, but happened to hear that the Governor was on an inspection tour and had reached Yi Ling. My mother and I, Ba Zhong, are utterly loyal, and I hope the Governor will not doubt us!"

Qin's rule over barbarian chieftains was relatively loose; they were not required to register households, nor did they pay ordinary taxes, only delivering local specialties and sending people for corvée service. But receiving an envoy from Chu and swearing an oath with him was strictly forbidden. Ye Teng's brow furrowed, and he looked at Heifu.

"Left Military Section Clerk, you are in charge of troops and soldiers, and it is your duty to know the passes, terrain, and barbarian affairs within the commandery. What is your view?"

In the interval of their conversation, Heifu's mind was already racing. As Left Military Section Clerk, he was in charge of military affairs. He had to know the mountains, rivers, roads, and post stations of Nan Commandery by heart, and he was certainly no stranger to the situation in Yi Dao.

Yi Dao (present-day Changyang and Yidu in Hubei) was not far from Yi Ling, just seventy or eighty li downstream, but it was south of the Great River, at the confluence with the Yi River. The natives there were called the "Yi tribe," which was actually one of the "Outer Eight Tribes" of the Ba people.

So he weighed his words and said, "This subordinate believes this matter is of great importance and must be investigated and verified immediately."

"Oh? Continue."

Heifu said, "Last year, Qin was defeated by Chu, losing many troops; even seven Commandants died in battle. This matter cannot be concealed. Yi Dao is located south of the river, close to Chu and far from Qin, which inevitably breeds thoughts of defection. Last year, a certain chieftain in Yi Dao was arrested and executed by waist-chopping for evading garrison duty. The local barbarians must harbor resentment in their hearts. If the Chu people use this matter to persuade them, and further entice them with profit..."

The implication was that what Ba Zhong reported was very likely to happen. While Qin was making war preparations, Chu was not idle either, trying to harass from the edges to prevent Qin from concentrating its forces.

Chief Clerk Lu Dang also said, "Governor, the Xiang-Yuan region of Chu is the territory of the Qu clan. Before the Qu clan moved east with Chu, they lived in Zigui and Yi Ling, and they also had dealings with the various Ba tribes. After Qu Yuan's death, the Qu clan has been at enmity with Qin for generations. Last year, Qin and Chu had originally made peace, but it was the Qu clan's refusal to hand over Qingyang, and even their counterattack on Chanling, Yi Dao, and other places in Nan Commandery, that triggered the conflict. Now, sending someone to persuade the Ba people of Yi Dao is just repeating their old tricks!"

Heifu also said, "If Yi Dao is lost, then none of the Ba tribes upstream on the Yi River will belong to Qin. This region has extremely treacherous terrain, with a mix of barbarians; gaining it brings no great profit. But if the local Ba people are incited by the Chu people to help them attack Qin, then Chanling County, isolated south of the river, will certainly be hard to hold. Once the several counties south of the river are all lost, the Ba people will again use wooden boats to exit the Yi River, sail downstream, and help the Chu army cross the river to raid Jiangling. The calamity would be immeasurable..."

After their joint analysis, both agreed that this matter must be verified immediately. If true, it must be nipped in the bud. Otherwise, if Yi Dao rebelled against Qin, the Qu clan of Chu would have the ability to directly threaten Jiangling. Nan Commandery's military forces would be tied down locally, unable to send a single soldier elsewhere.

"If we lose two counties in a row, then the achievements I've made this year running around Nan Commandery will likely be greatly discounted..."

Thinking this, Ye Teng made up his mind.

But before assigning anyone, he first looked at Ba Zhong and asked with a smile, "Ba Zhong, your mother named you 'Zhong' — Loyalty — and it truly fits. Coming a thousand li to report this shows your loyalty to Qin. If only every Ba person could be like you."

Ba Zhong said modestly, "The Ba clan has received Qin's grace for generations, allowing us to preserve our properties. How dare we not be loyal to the Great King, not be loyal to Qin? Furthermore, the Yi River is the place of origin for the Ba people. A thousand years ago, Lord Lin traveled west from the Yi River to make the Ba people flourish. The Wuluo Zhongli Mountain in Yi Dao remains the place where Ba souls return. How could we allow Wuluo Zhongli Mountain to suffer the calamity of war because of the Yi tribe chieftain's momentary folly? This would also be greatly detrimental to my family's salt and cloth trade."

Faced with these pleasantries, Ye Teng only smiled without speaking. Ba Zhong, being young after all, felt somewhat guilty under the old fox's steady gaze and simply stated the other purpose of his trip.

"In addition, my mother has one more matter to request! I have heard that Nan Commandery has recently produced a device that can pound and grind ore day and night without human labor... Might the Governor be able to dispatch skilled craftsmen to the Ba region to teach this technique to my family?"

Hearing this, Heifu thought to himself, "As expected."

For a mining magnate like Widow Qing's family, the water-powered trip-hammer was a divine tool for saving labor and costs. Coming to report this matter was presumably intended as an exchange.

Ye Teng, seeing that he had guessed what Ba Zhong's family was after, couldn't help but laugh heartily. "Ba Zhong, your family has always had prestige among the Ba people. And your salt-transport horse caravan is familiar with the terrain of Yi Dao and knows the strongholds of each tribe. If you can serve as an envoy and assist the government in quelling this matter, I will certainly report your family's merits to the Great King! The technique of the Nan Commandery water-powered trip-hammer can also be given to you!"

This old fox really drives a hard bargain!

Ba Zhong hesitated briefly, but still agreed.

Ye Teng then gave the order: "Left Military Section Clerk!"

Heifu acknowledged, "Yes!"

"This matter concerns the safety of two counties, and could even endanger Jiangling and the entire commandery. It is of grave importance. I will first send men to mobilize the troops of Yi Ling and Zhijiang; they can cross the river south the day after tomorrow. You will first take my tiger tally, board a boat with Ba Zhong, and travel day and night to Yi Dao. Inform the County Magistrate and County Commandant of the situation there, immediately begin a thorough investigation, and at the same time find a way to stabilize the local Ba chieftains."

Heifu accepted the silver-gilt tiger tally and asked, "May I ask the Governor, if it is true and the situation is critical, and we cannot wait for the reinforcements to arrive?"

Ye Teng did not hesitate for a moment and said, murderously, "You may act at your discretion!"

(End of Chapter)