Chapter 327: In the End, He Could Not Become Zhang Mazi

While the verdicts were being handed down in a blaze of excitement here, over on the other side, Commander Wang, Wu Ying'er, and the others were still discussing how to deal with Zhang Zhao.

Because Commander Wang could never shake the feeling that this Minister of Works Zhang had let them off far too easily, and it left him uneasy.

It had to be said, his premonition was correct. Before the few of them had even reached a conclusion, the thing that would make them uneasy came.

Several members of the Wang clan rushed back to the Wang family fortress and delivered this bolt from the blue to Commander Wang: Zhang Zhao was putting him on "trial in absentia."

Moreover, according to what the clansmen had found out, the compensation the Wang family was required to pay had already exceeded two thousand strings of cash, and it was still climbing.

Commander Wang was completely stunned. He did not understand what Zhang Zhao was trying to accomplish with this.

Even if he wanted the Wang family's wealth, shouldn't he send a large force to storm the Wang fortress, kill them all, and then calmly seize the family estate?

What was this Minister of Works Zhang trying to do by distributing his family's wealth to those commoners in the form of compensation?

Wu Ying'er's face suddenly turned deathly pale. The Wu family, besides practicing martial arts, also studied some letters. In terms of insight, the Wu family was actually the most formidable among the great clans of Weizhou.

Therefore Wu Ying'er dimly realized that Zhang Zhao did not want the Wang family's wealth — or at least, that was not his main goal. What he wanted was to turn Weizhou into the Guiyi Army's great rear base for its eastward campaign to quell the rebellion.

He thought it over in his mind for a moment, then decisively resolved not to tell Commander Wang about this. So Wu Ying'er's expression shifted, and he slammed his fist down on the footrest table, his face full of righteous indignation.

He cupped his hands and said to Commander Wang, "When this Minister of Works Zhang first promised not to pursue any faults of our families, and now he acts in this manner, it is clearly aimed at us. He is utterly without honor. Commander, please sit for a moment; I shall go and ask Minister of Works Zhang about this!"

With that, Wu Ying'er stood up, shot a meaningful glance at his younger brother Wu Guo'er, and the two of them, along with several family retainers, turned and left at once.

Commander Wang, his mind reeling from the news that Zhang Zhao was moving against him, did not for a moment notice anything unreasonable in Wu Ying'er's behavior.

By the time he vaguely sensed something was off and stood up, reaching out a hand to call Wu Ying'er back, Wu Ying'er was already moving at great speed. Before Commander Wang could even open his mouth, he had already walked out the gate of the rear courtyard where they had been meeting.

Commander Wang could only slump back down dejectedly, send clansmen out to make another round of inquiries, and summon his cousin Wang Sanlang and the others, ordering them to prepare to hold the fortress once again.

By the time Wu Ying'er made his way from the Wang family fortress to Zhang Zhao's location, Guo Tiance and the others had already written until their hands were nearly broken.

And the cases committed by Commander Wang's family — from murder and kidnapping, to forcibly seizing others' property, to beating and even cursing at others — covered everything, a full seven or eight hundred cases in all.

Basically every person who had come to watch the excitement had "found" some grievance in which the Wang family had bullied them.

And the compensation amounts were also quite interesting. The highest was seventy or eighty strings of cash, while the lowest was only five or six hundred coins.

Zhang Zhao's purpose in doing this was to spread the benefits around, so that everyone could gain something from bringing down the Wang family. Because his reason for bringing down the Wang family was not to swallow up their estate.

From Weizhou to Lanzhou was a full eight hundred li, let alone to Liangzhou. Given the transportation conditions of this era, even if Zhang Zhao swallowed the Wang family's estate, he could not possibly control those fixed properties.

Moreover, what Zhang Zhao needed most right now was to build Weizhou into his logistical base for suppressing the rebellion, and to leave in the hearts of the people of Weizhou a fine image of himself, Minister of Works Zhang, and the Guiyi Army — as those who rid the people of evil, who did not kill indiscriminately, and who did not plunder.

Giving away most of the Wang family's tens of thousands of strings of wealth had one most direct purpose: to use the Wang family's wealth to buy the mouths of the people of Weizhou. It was, in effect, an advertisement.

When Wu Ying'er arrived at the prefectural office, he was clever enough not to go straight in to see Zhang Zhao. Instead, he had his retainers mingle with the crowd and gather information.

Once he had a clear understanding of what Zhang Zhao was doing, his face turned as pale as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

Wu Ying'er understood all too well how formidable Zhang Zhao's move was. Using power to press down and profit to entice, in just a few days he had thoroughly ruined the reputation of Commander Wang, who had long enjoyed the esteem of the people of Weizhou, and then led the populace in dividing up his family's movable wealth.

Normally, this kind of thing — outsiders bullying locals — was very hard for the locals to accept. But by doing it this way, Zhang Zhao made everyone a beneficiary. Not only did they not oppose it, they would even speak well of him.

And this move could be used against Commander Wang, so naturally it could also be used against the Wu family and the other great clans. It all depended on whether Zhang Zhao wanted to.

And so, Wu Ying'er, understanding his own predicament, cast aside all his pride. Inside the prefectural office, just like Fire Chief Li and Zhang Rongbao outside, he knelt and kowtowed without stopping.

Wu Ying'er had even prepared himself to offer up his family's entire fortune, just to secure the Wu family's standing in Weizhou.

But Zhang Zhao would not touch the Wu family, because in this era, he could not do what Zhang Mazi did — thoroughly smash an entire class.

He himself was a member of that class. Or rather, Zhang Zhao would ultimately become the bellwether who controlled, constrained, and coexisted with this class. Therefore, Zhang Zhao was prepared to let the Wu family and the other great clans of Weizhou off.

The most valuable property of Commander Wang's family was not, in fact, the twenty or thirty thousand strings' worth of gold, silver, and valuables in his household, but rather the tens of thousands of mu of the finest farmland outside Weizhou city.

"I have heard that Escort Officer Wu's family is also a great clan of Weizhou. I wonder how many mu of land you have acquired outside the city?"

Zhang Zhao pulled the terrified Wu Ying'er to his feet and asked with a chuckle.

Wu Ying'er, however, was taken aback. Had he guessed wrong? Was Zhang Zhao really here for the Wang family's wealth?

That shouldn't be. No matter how much land the Wang family had, Minister of Works Zhang was far away in Liangzhou and could not possibly exercise actual control over these fields. What would he want them for?

Questions aside, Wu Ying'er still answered honestly: "In reply to the Minister of Works, my Wu family was indeed a great and powerful clan of Weizhou in earlier years, but our fortunes have long since declined.

So our days are now rather hard. The whole clan numbers over a thousand people, and we have about seven or eight thousand mu of land."

Zhang Zhao nodded noncommittally, then sighed and said, "Then compared with Commander Wang's family, the gap for your Wu family is far too great! I have heard that Commander Wang's family has over a hundred thousand mu of fine farmland outside the city."

Wu Ying'er slowly shook his head and said, "A hundred thousand mu or more is probably not right. It may be around sixty or seventy thousand mu."

"So that's how it is!" Zhang Zhao nodded. "Sixty or seventy thousand mu is not a small amount either. I wonder if your Wu family has any interest in these tens of thousands of mu of land?"

Cold sweat poured down Wu Ying'er's face in an instant, and he dropped to his knees before Zhang Zhao with a thud.

"Why would the Minister of Works say such a thing? Commander Wang indulged his family and servants, oppressed the common people, and forcibly seized others' property. His crimes are beyond counting.

The Minister of Works has judged the cases impartially, and this punishment is nothing but what they brought upon themselves. The Wang family's fields should naturally be distributed and arranged at the Minister of Works' discretion. I, your servant, and the Wu family have absolutely no intention of meddling in the Wang family's estate!"

Still a rather cautious fellow. Zhang Zhao waved his hand, not intending to beat around the bush with Wu Ying'er any longer.

"Does Escort Officer Wu think I am testing you? That is not the case. My Guiyi Army has come from Hexi, originally under imperial decree, to suppress the rebels here.

This mutiny of the Weizhou yabing — if no local officers and soldiers were involved in it, that would be impossible. So Commander Wang is Weizhou's answer to the court.

At this moment, the rebel troops are bearing straight down on the capital prefecture of Chang'an with great momentum. If we are to succeed in suppressing the rebellion, my Guiyi Army will surely have to march out in full force. But right now, we are sorely lacking in provisions, horses and mules, weapons, and civilian laborers.

What I mean is this: if someone can provide the army with these military supplies and relieve my urgent need, then Commander Wang's fields and residences — I am prepared to sell them to that person."

Wu Ying'er nodded as if suddenly enlightened. He understood what Zhang Zhao meant.

Sure enough, this Minister of Works Zhang was a clever man. He could not take the Wang family's fields and estate with him, so he wanted to exchange them for the military supplies the army needed.

His handling of the cases was to win over the common people. Now, having him, Wu Ying'er, handle the Wang family's fields and residences was to win over the local great clans.

Only when both the local great clans and the common people spoke well of him, were bound to his war chariot by the Wang family's estate, and were thoroughly cut off from any possibility of colluding with the rebels — only then could the Guiyi Army set out eastward with peace of mind to campaign against He Chuan and the other bandits.

Thinking of this, Wu Ying'er felt at ease. If it were simply the Wang family's misfortune, he certainly would not have cared.

Moreover, the Wang family's residences and fields were, to someone like Zhang Zhao, like meat with nothing to eat on it, yet a shame to throw away.

But to locals like them, they were treasures that a thousand pieces of gold could not easily buy. At the very least, while Commander Wang was around, they could not even dream of those fine fields.

So Wu Ying'er stood up, cupped his hands toward Zhang Zhao, and said with some excitement.

"I must ask the Minister of Works to wait a moment. I will go at once to consult with the local great clans, and we will surely bring out all the grain, fodder, weapons, and laborers from our households to aid the great army in putting down this rebellion."

Watching Wu Ying'er hurry out the door, Zhang Zhao immediately felt at ease. As long as he had bound the great clans and commoners of Weizhou onto his war chariot, he would instantly be in a position where he could advance to attack or retreat to defend.

So Zhang Zhao waved his hand and had Dunzhu beside him summon the personal guards of the Hanshan Unit, then led the clamoring crowd of over a thousand Weizhou people outside the gate, and together they all headed for the Wang family's fortified manor.

Zhang Zhao, full of high spirits, rode a white horse and galloped at the very front. Behind him were the excited, howling people of Weizhou. It had quite the flavor of, "Rifle in hand, follow me — kill Silang and seize the watchtower."

And after Wu Ying'er went and never returned, Garrison Commander Wang suddenly sensed that things were going badly. More and more clansmen came frantically running back to the Wang family's fortified manor to report, and Garrison Commander Wang had no choice but to order the manor gates shut once more and strengthen the defenses.

The Wang family's fortified manor had just closed its gates when Zhang Zhao arrived. He personally took up a large megaphone rolled from sheet iron and shouted toward the manor.

"Garrison Commander Wang, the court has its laws. You are a court official, yet after many years in Weizhou you have never thought to benefit the countryside. Instead you have seized property by trickery and force, fleeced and skimmed, and preyed upon the people. If you open the gate and come out now, I might still put in a word for you before the elders and fellow villagers."

At this point, the situation was already clear, and Garrison Commander Wang had also thrown caution to the wind. He stood atop the manor tower and cursed Zhang Zhao furiously.

"Faithless dog-thief from Hexi! I was truly blind to have trusted a man-eating jackal like you! And you people outside, listen well — if this thief wipes out my Wang family, do you think he'll spare you?"

Zhang Zhao gave a derisive smile, then waved his hand. Two tall Bactrian camels carrying whirlwind catapults came up before the manor, and at just that moment, Wu Ying'er also arrived with the able-bodied men of the city's great clans.

Before the eyes of several thousand people of Weizhou, the seemingly sturdy Wang family fortified manor was smashed open by stones hurled from the whirlwind catapults after just a few shots. Then the Hanshan Unit warriors in heavy armor, led by Man Xiong, poured in.

In barely the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Wang family's able-bodied men to the left and right of the gate had been swept clean.

Wu Ying'er then led the great clans and commoners of Weizhou, howling, as they charged inside. And in less than half an hour, in the Wang family fortified manor where more than three hundred able-bodied men had gathered, there was no longer a single Wang man left standing.

Zhang Zhao had originally wanted to capture Garrison Commander Wang alive and hold a public trial, so as to show that he handled matters strictly according to law and was completely different from other military governors and rough soldiers. But he had not expected the old fellow to have such a fierce temperament.

Seeing that he could not hold back Zhang Zhao's armored soldiers, Garrison Commander Wang actually leaped straight down from the top of the manor tower and landed headfirst.

Fine! Since that was the case, Zhang Zhao no longer had any desire to keep up the performance. He summoned Guo Tiance and the two cousins from the Song family and gave them detailed instructions.

Garrison Commander Wang had killed himself, but not every member of the Wang family was necessarily guilty. Zhang Zhao told them not to implicate too broadly, and also to watch that the people of Weizhou did not kill the innocent indiscriminately or commit rape. Those guilty were to be judged for their crimes, and those innocent were to be released.

All chapters have been cached for you. Download the APP to view them.