Chapter 324: This Thing Does Not Belong to You

The brutal slaughter went on from the hour of Mao until the end of the hour of Chen. The Weizhou garrison camp was strewn with the dead and wounded, and of the two hundred or so yabing guards left in the camp, nearly all had been cut down.

These men's will to resist was extraordinarily strong, because by the rules of this age, once fighting reached this point, it was certain to be a fight to the death.

When other soldiers surrendered, there was usually still a way to live, but these yabing guards, who had hoarded great quantities of goods and wealth in the city, were certainly doomed.

For as a rule, in order to seize their wealth, one would choose to slaughter them to the last man. If they were not all killed, how could the men seizing the wealth ever rest easy?

The shouts of battle in the camp had not yet died down when the prefectural office was already broken through. Garrison Commander Wang, leading over a hundred soldiers, swiftly retreated into the fortified manor built behind the prefectural office.

This was the family stronghold of Garrison Commander Wang's clan. Through several upheavals of the Zhangyi Army, Garrison Commander Wang had survived by relying on this fortified manor, outlasting all his restless comrades one by one, until he became a fixture of the Zhangyi Army — its greatest fixture at lying low.

But this time, Garrison Commander Wang knew he very likely could not escape. Yet he did not dare open the gates of the stronghold to surrender, for by the conduct of mutinous troops in this age, opening the gates meant the extermination of his clan.

As the sky grew brighter, large numbers of men, women, old and young began gathering outside the Wang family stronghold. They were ordinary people living in Weizhou city. In times of chaos, people fare worse than dogs in times of peace — it was exactly so.

Although the mutinous Zhangyi Army yabing guards had not sacked Weizhou city, since they wanted a stable rear base, once these yabing guards were defeated, how could Weizhou city escape the settling of accounts?

In the court's eyes, they had surely colluded with the rebel yabing guards, making them rebel subjects who deserved death a thousand times over.

Thus in their eyes, the Guiyi Army entering the city undoubtedly represented the court's side, and would surely slaughter all of them as people who had "sided with the rebels."

The crowd grew larger and larger, and the cries and pleas grew louder and louder. Although Garrison Commander Wang was somewhat greedy for money and by no means a great benefactor in ordinary times, he was after all a native of Weizhou, and could not bring himself to act too harshly before the elders and folk of his hometown.

So compared to the ferocious yabing guards under He Chuan, to the people of Weizhou, Garrison Commander Wang was still considered reliable.

Now that disaster had struck suddenly, most people had fled with their entire families to the outside of the Wang family stronghold, hoping to receive shelter.

But Garrison Commander Wang did not dare open the gates. Yet people are prone to herd mentality. Even though Garrison Commander Wang would not open the gates and could not shelter them, people still kept running to the Wang family stronghold, until gradually the word spread directly that one could save one's life at the Wang family stronghold.

After Shan Zhu'er and Lu Sanlang took the prefectural office and found no trace of Garrison Commander Wang, they immediately went to the Wang family stronghold. But seeing the situation, they too were at a loss.

The two of them knew Zhang Zhao's temperament. This Grand Minister King always insisted on reason in all things. Though he was by no means a great benefactor, he certainly would not slaughter the innocent indiscriminately.

They could only keep watch on the Wang family stronghold while sending men straight to the military camp to find Zhang Zhao.

Zhang Zhao's side was even more chaotic. After the camp fell into chaos, large numbers of routed soldiers fled out through the east gate of the city, and together with them, large numbers of common people also fled the city.

The fire in the camp had also spread to nearby civilian houses, and the flames began to burn in earnest after daybreak.

Fortunately, the main force of the Guiyi Army had also entered the city. But there was a problem: Zhang Zhao did not yet dare to use those several thousand Tangut men from Yuanzhou.

These Tangut people had often been raided by the Weizhou army at Sanguankou, and the enmity between the two sides was considerable. If they entered the city without strict restraints, who knew what they might do?

"My lord! The Wu family boy has come again, and he has brought people with him. He insists on seeing you!"

While Zhang Zhao was arranging the firefighting and the pursuit of the fleeing soldiers, Murong Xinzhang walked in, wiping blood from his body with a piece of silk cloth.

Wu Guo'er dropped to his knees with a thud before Zhang Zhao, and pointing at the people kneeling on the ground behind him, said:

"Wu Guo'er pays respects to the Grand Minister. This is my elder brother, Wu Ying'er. We two brothers both wish to serve the Grand Minister."

Zhang Zhao looked at the middle-aged man behind Wu Guo'er. He wore a blue round-collared robe, had long arms and large feet, and the webs of both hands bore calluses. He looked like a man who had practiced with spear and staff year-round.

"Your servant believes the Grand Minister's first priority is to go now to the outside of the Wang family stronghold. If the Grand Minister does not wish to carry out a great slaughter, this is the best opportunity to win the hearts of the people of Weizhou. Our Wu family is willing to contribute our strength to pacifying Weizhou for the Grand Minister."

"The Wang family stronghold? What is the situation? Tell me."

Shan Zhu'er's messenger had not yet arrived, and Zhang Zhao did not yet know about the matter of the Wang family stronghold, so he asked with some puzzlement.

Wu Ying'er quickly explained the matter of the Wang family stronghold. "We people of Weizhou are mainly of the Wang, Li, Sun, and Wu surnames, with about six thousand households and thirty-seven thousand people. Roughly thirty or forty percent live within the city.

Garrison Commander Wang has been in Weizhou for over twenty years. He has handled matters fairly enough and has done little to harm the people, so the people still trust and obey him.

If the Grand Minister wishes only to plunder and then leave, setting a fire would do. But if he wishes to win the hearts of Weizhou and defeat the rebels like He Chuan, then he must win over Garrison Commander Wang."

When Zhang Zhao heard this, he could only find it absurd and surreal. How low were people's expectations in this age!

From the intelligence he had obtained, this Garrison Commander Wang had been in Weizhou for over twenty years, plucking feathers from every passing goose and amassing great wealth. Apart from taking by cunning rather than by force and rarely killing anyone, he had no virtues whatsoever.

The fertile fields outside Weizhou city that were convenient to irrigate were basically all owned by Garrison Commander Wang's family. Yet such a man actually enjoyed popular esteem.

Wu Ying'er of course could not imagine that this was what Zhang Zhao was thinking. He assumed Zhang Zhao was no different from other military governors, all of whom would let their troops plunder for a while as a substitute for rewards, to maintain army morale and fighting spirit.

"Grand Minister, I have already had my clansmen keep close watch over the rebels' goods and wealth, awaiting the Grand Minister's inspection. Our Wu family is also willing to contribute three thousand strings of cash for the Grand Minister to reward his troops. I believe great clans like the Wang family will also be willing to contribute silver and money."

Zhang Zhao waved his hand, gesturing for the Wu brothers on the ground to rise. He smiled noncommittally. At just that moment, the man sent by Shan Zhu'er also arrived.

Zhang Zhao had Murong Xinzhang take men to inventory the goods and wealth the rebels had brought back, while he said to the Wu brothers: "Then I must trouble you brothers to lead the way. I will go take a look at the Wang family stronghold."

Outside the Wang family stronghold, at least three or four thousand people had gathered — nearly half the population of the entire city.

Zhang Zhao looked out from horseback. Almost all of them wore hemp clothes, their hair wrapped with a few strips of cloth. They were commoners.

Several thousand people gathered together, yet almost no sound came from them. Even ignorant little children huddled tightly in their parents' arms, terror showing in their eyes.

These commoners crowded at the main gate of the Wang family stronghold, blocking the gate so it could not be opened. The able-bodied men stood outside, the women and children inside. All manner of broken household goods lay scattered on the ground. In the atmosphere of despair, there was a suffocating tension.

When Lu Sanlang saw Zhang Zhao approaching, he hurried forward. His mind was far more agile than Shan Zhu'er's, and he was more sensitive to political matters.

"Grand Minister, since these people arrived, no one from the Wang family has come out. But just now, using a hanging basket, they hauled up over a hundred of the sturdy men who looked like soldiers."

"Inside the Wang family stronghold there are five great granaries and several wells, enough to sustain a thousand men holding out for months. Why not let your servant go and persuade them? As long as the Grand Minister does not hold the Wang family's fault against them, Garrison Commander Wang will surely be willing to open the gates and submit." Wu Ying'er said beside Zhang Zhao.

A brilliant smile appeared on Zhang Zhao's face. "I led troops east from Hexi truly to serve the state. Those who rose in rebellion are the villains He Chuan, Troop Commander of the Zhangyi Army Governor's headquarters, and his ilk. They have nothing to do with the residents of this city.

Escort Officer Wu may tell Garrison Commander Wang that all I desire is to wipe out the rebels and seize their ill-gotten wealth, so that Guanzhong is not ruined.

After a few days of rest and reorganization, I will certainly march east to do battle with the rebels. At that time, I will still need Garrison Commander Wang and Escort Officer Wu to serve the state together with me."

Wu Ying'er unobtrusively studied Zhang Zhao for a few moments. Seeing not the slightest trace of anger on Zhang Zhao's face, and his words were most earnest, he was immediately more than half reassured.

From Zhang Zhao's words, he judged that Zhang Zhao's main purpose in marching east was probably still to show his prowess before all under heaven.

There was indeed also some intent to render meritorious service for the court, perhaps hoping to obtain the court's recognition and rewards.

Wu Ying'er thought further: the goods and wealth of He Chuan and the others in Weizhou city amounted to fifty or sixty thousand strings of cash, and adding the family properties of Sun Shijiang and the others, there were also several thousand strings. That should be enough to satisfy this Grand Minister Zhang.

"Hexi has not belonged to the state for over a hundred years, and its contact with the Central Plains has not been smooth. In the old days when the Great Tang stood, Liangzhou was a great thoroughfare city where merchants and travelers came and went without cease.

Only after it was captured by the Tibetans did the trade routes become impassable, and the times grew gradually harder. If this time the chaos can be put down, and all under heaven can know that Liangzhou has returned to the state, and if a few parts of its former prosperity can be restored, it will surely be a blessing to the people of Hexi."

As if afraid that Wu Ying'er would not believe him, Zhang Zhao explained in detail. And this was indeed the second effect he wanted to achieve with this campaign.

After the Tibetans captured Liangzhou, not to mention the people of the Central Plains, even the people of Weizhou on the border no longer knew the state of affairs in Liangzhou.

Without understanding, the merchants of the Central Plains — apart from the Sogdians of Hexi — basically never considered coming this way.

The small Silk Road circuit that Zhang Zhao had painstakingly built could hardly keep circulating once it reached Liangzhou — how could that be allowed?

So, by means of this campaign to quell the rebellion, he would bring Liangzhou back into the eyes of the world, transforming it from a foreign land occupied by barbarians in the minds of the Central Plains people into a place belonging to the Han people themselves.

Only then would merchants and others dare to go to Liangzhou, and only then would it benefit Zhang Zhao in recruiting talented scholars from the Central Plains to Liangzhou.

This speech, eight parts true and two parts false, immediately convinced Wu Ying'er.

So what Minister Zhang had in mind was grander than he had imagined — he actually wanted to revive the trade routes on a great scale and return Liangzhou to the nation.

That being the case, the Guiyi Army would surely want to establish a good image before the world, and then they would be safe.

"The Minister is indeed a loyal servant of the state. I shall go in at once and persuade Garrison Commander Wang. If we unite as one, we will surely be able to put down the rebellion for the court in short order!"

Wu Ying'er felt a touch of emotion. In this age, men like Zhang Zhao were truly rare — even men who could merely speak such words were rare.

Zhang Zhao watched Wu Ying'er enter the Wang family fortress, and then his expression immediately darkened. He pulled Guo Tiance aside.

"This Wu Ying'er and Garrison Commander Wang are certainly in collusion. Go and gather all those Weizhou soldiers who were let down from the city walls in those days and are willing to join us — I have great use for them!"

Hmph! Zhang Zhao snorted coldly to himself. This Garrison Commander Wang was quite skilled at buying people's hearts. Before long, the story in Weizhou would probably be that Garrison Commander Wang had earnestly pleaded with Minister Zhang and saved the whole city.

Unfortunately, what Garrison Commander Wang saw as a trivial matter of leveraging public sentiment to protect himself had deeply violated Zhang Zhao's taboo.

Popular support was something invisible and intangible. For ordinary people, in ordinary times, it was of little use.

But for Zhang Zhao, who intended to enter and take the Central Plains, its use was enormous. A petty garrison commander like you, trying to snatch popular support from Minister Zhang — if you don't die, who should?

Moreover, after Zhang Zhao rested and reorganized in Weizhou, he would certainly march out again to quell the rebellion. That would make Weizhou an important rear base once more. With a man like Garrison Commander Wang, who possessed such "popular support," left behind, how could Zhang Zhao feel at ease advancing east?

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