Chapter 1277: Pass On a Message

An official army of over twenty thousand was an imposing sight. When their formations appeared on the horizon, the mood atop the city walls grew spirited. But the northeastern force was swiftly routed, and everyone's spirits immediately sank. What truly shook them was the battle on the southern front.

From the city wall, the clearest thing to see was the dust kicked up by men and horses. They watched the Zhao Family Army cavalry raise trail after trail of dust as they closed in to slaughter the southern official army, like countless gray dragons pouncing on a fat pig or a fat ox, tearing, biting, and stabbing, ripping off and slicing away chunks of flesh. Everyone watched with pounding hearts and trembling courage. When the dust settled and they could clearly see the scene below the wall, the official army was already routed.

"So ferocious... actually so ferocious..." The various observers were all murmuring in lament. Everyone's hands and feet were ice-cold, their faces pale. The enemy's mere three thousand-plus cavalry was this formidable. According to Wang Zaijin, nearly twenty thousand more bandit troops were poised to strike, and the bandit infantry was no less fierce than their cavalry.

Before their very eyes, these troops were already fighting one against five, one against ten. Once the main bandit force arrived, where could the capital possibly scrape together two hundred thousand troops to oppose them? Not to mention that, out of that supposed two hundred thousand, it would be fortunate if twenty thousand could actually fight.

After watching, many people hurried down from the city wall. As they descended, their expressions were no longer so despairing and grief-stricken. A new emperor brings a new court of officials. If the situation was truly hopeless, there was no need to hang oneself on a single tree. Everyone could still maneuver. However, as they rode horses or sat in sedan chairs through the city and saw the fully armed Imperial Guard and the eunuch palace drill troops, these thoughts diminished considerably. It seemed the palace had made some preparations long ago.

Some reported the news to their masters, some to the imperial family. The news and details of the two official armies' defeat quickly spread throughout the capital. This devastatingly swift victory extinguished the last shred of wishful thinking in the capital. Everyone could finally judge one thing clearly: if the Xuzhou troops attacked the city, it would mean a change of dynasty. If they negotiated peace and withdrew, the Donglin faction represented by Zhao Nanxing would completely collapse.

But thinking carefully, the Donglin Party retiring to the countryside might not be a bad thing. Xuzhou was not far from Jiangnan. These bandits, now raising their banner, were in need of talented people to recruit. Perhaps these Donglin figures could hit it off with Xuzhou immediately and stage a comeback. When the time came, with the atmosphere of a new dynasty, their wealth and status might even surpass what they had today. Yet some who truly understood the situation analyzed that the Xuzhou bandits valued martial prowess, administrative officials, and commerce, but not literati. They might not think much of these Donglin scholars.

After the news of defeat came back, the palace pressed Zhao Nanxing to go negotiate peace. But how would Zhao Nanxing dare leave the city? The interval between his righteous and awe-inspiring arguments at the court assembly and being urged to go out and negotiate peace was only a few hours. Minister of Personnel Zhao Nanxing suddenly fell gravely ill, paralyzed in bed, unable to speak or move, truly unable to leave the city. Once this news spread, no one didn't laugh. Everyone said Minister Zhao's illness was truly considerate, always flaring up at the most critical moment.

The dignified Minister of Personnel was rolling on the ground, and others had little recourse. Besides, they couldn't even find a channel for peace talks now. It wouldn't do to simply send someone out of the city directly to the Xuzhou cavalry to say they wanted peace. That would yield no result whatsoever and would only be treated as a joke. Moreover, from the Eunuch Faction to the upright officials, everyone was terrified. After so many years of peace, and with the capital so far from the battlefield for so long, they had not seen such ferocious assault and killing, such clean and efficient encirclement and annihilation, in a very long time. Thinking of the scene they had witnessed from the city wall, everyone's heart trembled with fear. No one was willing to leave the city.

The grandees and powerful eunuchs of the inner court and outer court were busy passing the buck and stalling. They were unwilling to leave the city. With the fierce Xuzhou bandits closing in outside, all the city gates were tightly shut to protect the capital's safety. Even if they wanted to leave, they couldn't. But aside from those figures closely watched by the Son of Heaven and the Depot and Guard, no one else wanted to stay here and wait for death. Right now, there were only three thousand enemy cavalry outside. If they wanted to flee, they still could. Once they truly waited until the great army besieged the city, they wouldn't be able to leave even if they wanted to.

The powerful eunuchs and grandees couldn't leave, but their sons and nephews could. Wealthy families couldn't move their entire household possessions, but their eldest sons and grandsons could leave. There were also those who considered themselves too important to stay here and wait for death, and they wanted to leave as well.

The common people knew the city gates were tightly shut and there was no way to leave, but these wealthy and noble figures knew how to get out. It was simply a matter of finding the key personnel in charge of city defense, and then spending enough silver. The city gate could always provide a convenience. The capital was so large, and three thousand enemy cavalry would need considerable time to ride from one end to the other. Taking advantage of this gap, they could leave the city and get far away. Besides, the bandit troops outside didn't seem to have any intention of plundering; they were just waiting there quietly.

The eunuch Hu Wang, who had delivered the message to the court, was currently musing that fortune and misfortune depended on each other. Logically, the bandit army winning a battle was a grave crime for a eunuch like him serving in the capital garrison. He had expected to be reprimanded or even convicted, but unexpectedly, instead of verbal messages or official documents, gold and silver came first.

The palace needed to control the city defenses. Official documents were issued. The Imperial Guard, the eunuch palace drill troops, and trusted capital garrison commanders took control of the key points at each city gate. This Hu Wang also received orders, commanding over three thousand men to guard the western city gate, which happened to be farthest from the Xuzhou troops' position. Thus, the most people sought him out.

Large amounts of wealth, goods, and land deeds were offered, just asking for the convenience of opening the gate and letting people out. Originally, Hu Wang didn't dare agree, but the money and benefits were simply too much. News from all over the city walls said the Xuzhou troops hadn't moved, so everyone's minds turned to making a fortune. Hu Wang discussed it with the various military officers leading troops and the personnel of the Five Wards Military Command. Naturally, they also had to call together the relevant figures from the Depot and Guard and the eunuch palace drill troops. After agreeing on the distribution of benefits, they immediately opened the gate and let people out.

Once they were in cahoots, everyone's courage grew. After all, this tangled web implicated who knew how many. The silver each family took might even have to be offered up as tribute to the grandees. No one would be convicted for this; they should just make their fortune. That Hu Wang even established a set of rules: those wanting to leave the city first had to go to his station quarters to hand over the silver, and then soldiers would escort them to the city gate to be let out. Four people were released at a time, and the intervals between them had to be spaced out to avoid exposure.

As the sky gradually darkened, all sorts of true and false rumors circulated within the city, making the wealthy and noble classes panicked and uneasy, unwilling to stay in the city and wait for death. Their information was quite good, and knowing they could leave the city from here, they were all willing to pay even more silver.

Wealth stirs the heart. Even if there were no bandit troops outside, the city gates would normally be closed at nightfall. But the city defenders, their hands gone soft from scooping up money and their hearts blinded by greed, even let people out after dark. With the city gate closed, they rigged up thick ropes and large baskets to lower people down. Everyone got what they wanted, and all were delighted. Some were already calculating: after doing this for a few more days, they themselves would leave too, or perhaps open the city gates and let the bandit army in. With so much silver in hand, why seek death?

The eunuch Hu Wang's room was brightly lit. Gold, silver, and treasures were laid out everywhere, glittering dazzlingly under the candlelight—truly a scene of resplendent riches. Hu Wang's face was full of smiles. He looked here and there, calculating how much he had gained today and how much more he could take in tomorrow. He was even hoping this tense siege situation would last a few more days.

"Eunuch Hu, the next one is here," a guard outside announced. When collecting money, meetings were held privately. Eunuch Hu wanted to see the person to set the price. After all, they were thoroughly familiar with the backgrounds of all sorts of people in the capital and wouldn't do business at a loss.

Hearing footsteps, Hu Wang lowered his head, continuing to keep accounts, and said without looking up: "For one person leaving the city, one thousand taels of ready silver. Pure gold is exchanged at one to five. If you have banknotes from the Cloud Mountain Firm, the face value of the notes is discounted by ten percent. I also have an appraiser here. Any land deeds, jewelry, and such can be valued, absolutely no shortchanging or ambiguity."

"Eunuch Hu, Xuzhou has a letter for His Majesty and Eunuch Wei," the person who entered said in a lowered voice.

Hu Wang didn't react for a moment, but the next instant, he looked up in shock. He saw a sturdy man in his forties standing before him, wearing a square cap, with a sparse beard on his chin. He wore a half-worn robe of satin fabric, with jade ornaments and precious rings—the standard wealthy attire. However, Hu Wang had served in both the Eastern Depot and the capital garrison and had seen many formidable figures. This sturdy man before him looked ordinary, but inside there was a ferocious edge. Although his hands were well-maintained, they were actually very powerful.

A Xuzhou bandit had actually come right before him, and at this critical juncture. Realizing this, Hu Wang felt a chill run through his entire body. Instinctively, he wanted to call for help, but then immediately realized that at this distance, calling for help would be useless. He forcibly suppressed the urge.

Seeing his reaction, the sturdy man smiled and nodded, saying in a muffled voice: "Eunuch Hu truly knows how to act with discretion. I didn't plan on leaving here alive when I came, so Eunuch Hu shouldn't bother thinking of any tricks. In this matter, neither of us needs to bear any karmic burden. I came to deliver a message; you go pass it on. It's that simple."

Eunuch Hu Wang's throat went dry, but at this moment, he could only nod woodenly. He watched the man pull a letter from his bosom and place it before him. The envelope was sealed with wax. After placing it on the table, the man then took out a gold ingot and pressed it onto the envelope, smiling as he said: "This letter must be delivered tonight. Don't try any petty tricks. If there's no result, failing to make a fortune is a small matter; life and death is the big matter. Understand?"

This Xuzhou bandit was so mysteriously capable, so brazen. The capital was still under the court's control, yet they dared to send someone to deliver a letter, and even threaten so arrogantly. Hu Wang muttered to himself, but his face squeezed out a smile as he nodded repeatedly.

The smile on the man's face became gentle and polite again, but he raised his voice and said: "How can the price be so high? If I agree, what will I have left? Even if I wait in the city, it's better than leaving the city to die poor. Farewell!"

After saying this, the man turned and left. Hu Wang stared fixedly at the unsigned, unaddressed envelope before him, while the sound of jeering laughter rose from outside. Everyone thought that man had just been stingy, unable to see the current market rate.

Outside, they were laughing, but Hu Wang couldn't laugh. Should he deliver this letter or not? If he delivered it to Eunuch Wei, his own business of fleecing people and pulling tricks at the city gate would inevitably be discovered, and it might very well be a grave crime. If he didn't deliver it, with Eunuch Wei's omnipresent eyes and ears, it would be very hard to keep it hidden.

Thanks to the old friends "Kuding Piaoxiang, User yq, Qi Sanwen, Yuan Heng Lizhen, Huang Qi__Wang Meng, Haqian Feifei, Blessing of the Light Angel, Feng Zhong Long Wang" for their tips. Thank you all for your subscriptions and monthly tickets. Thank you, everyone.