Chapter 22: He Is the Last Backbone of the Wu Dynasty
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“My mother truly has an eye for people. I can say with certainty that it is indeed him—there can be no mistake!” Zhongli Wanxue murmured, glancing once more at the banknotes in her hand. A puzzled look crossed her face. “But what do these banknotes have to do with anything?”
“This is the dowry money I have saved for you.”
Madam Qin gazed at her astonished daughter and sighed. Her mind was made up.
“Your father is intimidated by the Sima clan’s power and does not dare support Liang Xiao. But that does not mean our family is helpless. You could cooperate with him in secret, for instance. These ten thousand taels will give you the means to support him. And your mother hopes that her daughter will marry a man who fulfills her heart’s desires.”
“Still, you must not let outsiders easily discover your dealings with him, lest you place your father in a difficult position. You understand, of course. Even if he kills Yuan Bailong and succeeds in seizing power, it will only be a temporary victory. The enemies he will face in the future will not be confined to Pei County. Whether he will shine like a fleeting flower remains unknown.”
Zhongli Wanxue looked gratefully at her aging mother, tears glimmering in her eyes.
There were bound to be Yuan Bailong’s followers within Pei County. Beyond Pei County were bandits, Western Qin soldiers, Xiongnu troops, the forces of Xuzhou, and even the great aristocratic clans whose power was at its zenith… Liang Xiao had merely won himself a brief respite.
“Mother, so what if his brilliance lasts only a moment? At least he once faced death without fear, slew the Left Worthy Prince in fury, and turned the tide of fate. As the final backbone of the Wu Dynasty, he has done right by his country and its people. That alone is enough! Even if he suffers total defeat in the future, at worst he can disappear under an assumed name. I will support him for the rest of his life.”
Seeing in her beloved daughter the same bold spirit she had possessed in her youth, Madam Qin could only sigh. Yet she remained uneasy and continued to admonish her.
“I understand what you are thinking, but he has only just begun to reveal his talents. You do not yet fully understand his character. When you associate with him, you must take care to protect yourself. Do not be too forward or too obvious…”
Zhongli Wanxue knew that her mother feared she might entrust herself to the wrong man one day. She nodded obediently. “Indeed. After being betrayed so thoroughly by Situ Luoyue, he probably would not care for a girl who practices martial arts…”
“That is no matter. My Xue’er is still the foremost literary talent in all Xuzhou.” Madam Qin’s face shone with pride.
Zhongli Wanxue nodded shyly, pressing her lips together in a smile, her gaze dreamy.
“Mother, I could never have mistaken him. He will surely become a great hero, a man who stands tall between heaven and earth—someone worthy of entrusting my life to!”
Madam Qin regarded her beloved daughter with an amused smile. Unable to resist, she lifted the girl’s flawless, delicate face and teased her as she examined it.
“Come, let Mother take a look. Oh my… your eyes have already taken the shape of Liang Xiao.”
“Mother~~~”
The young girl’s face flushed crimson. Both embarrassed and indignant, she nestled into her mother’s arms and coquettishly clung to her.
Liang Xiao returned with Cao Chen and the others to rejoin Zhuo Zifang.
After ordering everyone to rest for the time being, Liang Xiao took Zhuo Zifang outside and privately informed him of the stolen wealth Yuan Bailong had accumulated.
An excited smile appeared on Zhuo Zifang’s face.
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“With a population of one hundred and forty thousand, yet only seventy thousand reported, it is perfectly reasonable that his ill-gotten wealth should exceed our estimate by more than double. Most of that gold and those banknotes probably had not yet been delivered as tribute to the Sima clan, allowing you to intercept them in time.”
“According to your original plan, once Yuan Bailong was dealt with, we would swiftly take control of the army in Pei County. After that, we would recruit soldiers from among the people and train them ourselves. That should be enough to deal with the bandits and Yuan Bailong’s remaining followers. Since both the stolen wealth and the population are twice what we expected, tomorrow’s recruitment should also be doubled.”
“That was precisely my intention.” Liang Xiao nodded, then asked, “What of these clerks and officials?”
Zhuo Zifang replied, “The registrar, merit official, and commandant of Pei County were originally examined and appointed by the imperial court. Their abilities are passable. As for the other clerks recommended and appointed by Yuan Bailong, so long as they pose no threat of rebellion, we can make do with them for now. Once you have suitable candidates, replace them one by one and cultivate your own staff.”
Liang Xiao nodded. “Selecting the worthy and appointing the capable is not something that can be accomplished in a single day. For now, we still need to win the support of at least one of the Wu or Zhongli families, even if that support remains behind the scenes.”
Zhuo Zifang said, “The head of the Zhongli family seems to have his reservations, but his beloved daughter appears to be rather fond of you. That should be a sign. As for the Wu family, once you have stabilized the situation, if they still show no reaction, there will be no harm in dealing with them then.”
Liang Xiao therefore entrusted Zhuo Zifang with sorting out the remaining carts of stolen wealth under Liang Pin’s protection. He himself took a chest of the confiscated banknotes and, with Cao Chen and the others leading the way, headed straight for the military camp.
Under the military system of the Wu Dynasty, the county commandant had the authority to control part of the army and was responsible for public order and conscription.
However, Yuan Bailong, the deputy county magistrate, had the backing of the Sima clan. He had stripped the registrar, commandant, and others of most of their authority, allowing himself to dominate the entire county.
The others dared not offend either the Sima clan or Yuan Bailong. They could only resign themselves to their fate, bow and scrape before him, and occasionally accept a few benefits from his hand.
According to Cao Chen, the active garrison numbered fifteen hundred men. At least half of them were useless wastrels who had remained on the imperial payroll only because they knew how to flatter and curry favor with Yuan Bailong.
With Yuan Bailong dead, those soldiers were naturally left without a leader.
Facing this newly arrived county magistrate, Cao Chen had received Liang Xiao’s favors and promises. Eager to rise in rank and grow wealthy in the future, he naturally revered Liang Xiao in every way and served him with all his heart.
His thoughts were much the same as those of Registrar Wang, Merit Official Huang, and the others.
Rather than wait for the county magistrate to find an excuse to execute them all one day, it was better to submit early, serve him honestly, and demonstrate their worth.
As senior officials of the county, they understood this much at least.
News of Yuan Bailong’s death soon spread throughout Pei County, leaving everyone aghast.
“Yuan Bailong was really killed by him just like that?!”
“Isn’t that the truth? I heard the new county magistrate even confiscated his entire household!”
In every street and alley, people were discussing Yuan Bailong’s death.
The members of Yuan Bailong’s faction and the aristocratic clans hiding in Pei County were all horrified once they learned what had happened.
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“Hurry back to the capital and report to our superiors!”
Within the military camp, all fifteen hundred soldiers of the Pei County garrison had assembled. Unease hung over them.
“Brother Cao Qing, you summoned everyone here. Are you certain the county magistrate has come to reward us?” a squad leader asked, his face grim as he challenged Cao Qing.
Cao Qing immediately held up a silver ingot.
“After we confiscated Yuan Bailong’s household, the county magistrate rewarded me with this!”
At the sight of the silver ingot, an uproar swept through the crowd.
Many of them had been present when Yuan Bailong was killed.
“He killed Master Yuan just like that, and he isn’t afraid that…” A squad leader who had once received silver from Yuan Bailong ground his teeth in anger, but he quickly regained his composure and dared say no more.
Yuan Bailong had been condemned as a rebel and publicly beheaded precisely because he had threatened Liang Xiao’s life.
Cao Qing’s expression changed, and he called out loudly, “The two of us have known you all for years, so take this as a friendly warning: stop calling Yuan Bailong ‘Master.’ That man was a rebel!”
The soldiers sighed repeatedly and dared say no more.
After all, Cao Qing was entirely right.
Cao Qing’s gaze swept over the crowd. His heart trembled, and he secretly prayed that Liang Xiao would bring his men soon.
He had seen their reactions clearly.
At least half of them wore expressions of fury.
There was no doubt that with Yuan Bailong dead, they might lose their chance to remain on the imperial payroll.
The atmosphere grew increasingly ominous, as though a mutiny might erupt at any moment. Cao Qing had been staying in the military camp by sheer force of nerve.
The tension had reached its breaking point. Just as the soldiers were about to erupt, the distant neighing of warhorses finally rang out.
“From this day forth, the Pei County garrison shall be under my sole command. Protect the borders and safeguard the people. Those who disobey shall be executed!”
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