Chapter 222

Chapter 222

The path Xiao Mu pointed out to Xie Jian was that since he had already pledged himself to a wise and benevolent ruler who cared for the people, he should wholeheartedly become a loyal and righteous general.

"The Emperor needs military funds and supplies for the campaign against Liang. As long as you hand over those ill-gotten riches before Qi Heng arrives in Jingzhou, I will report truthfully to the Emperor, and the Emperor will continue to employ you as the defender of Jingzhou."

"Wengu, you were a general in the same court as the Emperor. You know better than I whether the path I offer is a bright one or a trap. Go back and ponder it carefully."

On his way back to the Southeast Grand Camp, Xie Jian kept mulling over the old man's words.

As a general who led soldiers, he lived in turbulent times. Usually hiding in the camp to train his troops, his salary and rewards were enough to provide a life of luxury for him and his clan. He didn’t need hundreds of thousands of acres of land or the wealth extorted by lower-level officials from the people.

Imperial Uncle Dou was a traitor, and betraying him did no harm to Xie Jian's reputation. However, Han Zongping was a great hero who defended the country. If he were to betray Han, what would that make him?

The old man was right. With Qin Sizhu dead, Xie Jian was the only remaining famous naval general. If he were to sincerely surrender, Han Zongping had no reason not to accept him!

When he saw his deputies again, Xie Jian’s heart had already become as still as water.

Upon entering the main tent, Xie Jian ordered a jar of wine to be brought and personally poured it full for his deputies.

The deputies looked at him in confusion.

Setting down the wine jar, Xie Jian stood in the center and surveyed everyone. "Brothers, you have fought alongside me through life and death for many years, closer than blood brothers. Today, guided by Xiao Mu, I have decided to devote myself to the Emperor. The Emperor demands that corrupt officials hand over the wealth they’ve extorted from the people, and within five days, the Xie clan will surrender ours."

"If you trust me, let’s be generals who can look the Emperor and the people in the eye. If you can’t part with those material things, I won’t force you. However, from now on, we will only be colleagues, not brothers or close friends. Of course, if you wish to surrender to the Ling Kingdom, I will arrange boats to send you across the river, and then we’ll cut all ties."

The deputies grew anxious and asked for the reason.

Xie Jian explained briefly, "I have learned since childhood to be loyal to the Emperor and serve the country. Unfortunately, the world didn’t allow me to be loyal and righteous at the same time. Now that I have met a wise ruler, I don’t wish to remain muddled. I don’t want to bear the lifelong stain of being a traitor for the sake of those material things."

"If I surrender the money, I fear my clan will hate me. If I don’t surrender, I fear the court will send troops to attack. If I surrender to the Ling Kingdom, I fear they cannot withstand the Great Yu. If I don’t, I fear being caught between both sides. Brothers, I’ve lived in fear for too long and am sick of it. From now on, I will only be a general of the Great Yu, sworn to defend Jingzhou to the death. If the Emperor trusts me, I will be grateful. If not, at least I will be clear of guilt!"

"No more talk. If you’re with me, drink. If not, drink and then smash your bowl."

With that, Xie Jian raised his wine bowl, and drank it dry in one gulp.

Some deputies immediately drank their wine, while others looked at each other and finally sighed, drinking their bowls dry as well.

When the wine was gone, no one smashed their bowl.

The next day, the people in various parts of Jingzhou began to watch the spectacle of the Xie clan. In summary, Xie Jian demanded his clan hand over their ill-gotten wealth, but they were unwilling. Xie Jian sent out troops, and some clan members complied, while others ran to the fields and threw tantrums with boxes of gold and silver.

Unfortunately for them, these desperate measures were useless in front of Xie Jian, who held military power.

Not only the Xie clan members and household servants but also the corrupt officials and local clans in the Jingzhou area, Xie Jian and his deputies personally visited them for tea. After five days, Xie Jian handed over to Xiao Mu nearly two million acres of land, silver and gold worth about 1.8 million taels, and several crates of financial records.

The two million acres of land were still growing crops, and the summer harvest hadn’t been collected yet. Since the land had been confiscated, aside from the three or four parts promised to the tenants, the six or seven parts of the summer grain would go to the court.

As Tong Sui tallied the accounts, she was both shocked and angered that the corrupt officials and clans had surrendered land that accounted for nearly 40% of Jingzhou’s total cultivated land. She was also pleased for the court because this portion of the grain collected would be enough to sustain an army of 200,000 for more than half a year.

Xiao Mu: "After the summer harvest is collected, these two million acres of land will be distributed to poor farmers. At the autumn harvest, a tax of one part in twenty will be collected, and the court will receive about 100,000 stone of autumn grain. But how many regions like Jingzhou are there in the north? If corrupt officials and clans across the country were willing to release so much land to the people, the court could collect millions of tons of grain taxes from this land each year. Would we ever have to worry about the people’s prosperity or the nation’s strength again?"

Tong Sui: "Jinzhou and Ji Prefecture have been mostly dealt with, but Liangzhou, Liaozhou, and Qingzhou might only be halfway there. In the southern regions, with Jingzhou and Hezhou leading the way, it should deter corrupt officials in other areas."

Xiao Mu: "The key still lies in the Emperor’s campaign against Liang. If it succeeds, those corrupt officials will certainly fall in line."

Xiao Mu reported the situation in Jingzhou to the Xingping Emperor. The emperor's reply arrived in Jingzhou almost simultaneously with Qi Heng's 70,000 troops.

The Xingping Emperor began by lavishing praise on the old man, appointing him as the Grand General of the Western Campaign, commanding 100,000 troops to conquer Liang. He also enfeoffed Xie Jian as the hereditary Marquis of Linjiang, a title to be passed down through generations, with the task of continuing to garrison Jingzhou. As for Qi Heng and his son, the emperor ordered Qi Ling to lead 20,000 troops to follow Xiao Mu in the campaign against Liang, while Qi Heng would return to Luoyang with the remaining 50,000 troops to defend the capital alongside Lu Gong.

The Xingping Emperor had complete trust in his appointments; since he dared to entrust Jingzhou to Xie Jian, there was no need for Qi Heng to remain there with his troops to keep watch.

Tears of gratitude rolled down Xie Jian's cheeks as he knelt to receive the imperial decree. The deputy generals beside him were also sincerely convinced by this decision of the emperor.

Qi Heng, the most frustrated, muttered, "When I set out from Luoyang with my troops, I planned to deal with Qin Sizhu, only to find that he was already dead. Then, as I came from Hezhou, I thought my troops would finally be of use, but it turned out I was too late again. General Xie has already been enfeoffed as a marquis by the emperor!"

Xiao Mu smiled and replied, "The emperor's wisdom has won the hearts of the people. This is a good thing; you should be happy."

Qi Heng said, "After all this back-and-forth, including my return to the capital, I've essentially traveled over 1,500 miles for nothing. I can't be happy about it. Maybe I should request the emperor to let me join you in the campaign against Liang."

Xiao Mu said, "No, we currently have only 40,000 troops in the capital garrison. The threat from Qingzhou is too great. Since I left the capital, my heart has been hanging in the balance. We need your 50,000 elite troops back to ensure we have no worries behind us while the emperor and I campaign against Liang."

Qi Ling added, "What Xiao Mu says makes sense. Father, you should rest for two days and then head back."

Qi Heng sighed, "Alright, alright. I'll just consider myself here to inspect the Jingzhou fleet."

Xie Jian smiled and said, "If there are any shortcomings in the fleet, please feel free to point them out, Marquis Qi."

---

As Qi Heng prepared to return to the capital, Xiao Mu's army was also about to set off. They were well-supplied with medicine, food, and grain, and had hired five merchants familiar with the Sichuan-Shu region as guides.

Before departure, Tong Sui handed four letters to the courier soldiers; two were her letters to Luoyang, and the other two were letters she and the old man had written to Xiao Zhen.

By the time Xiao Zhen received the letters, it was early June. He was entertaining Liao Prefecture General Chen Wang at the time.

Chen Wang, who had led 70,000 cavalry alongside Feng Ji and Xiao Zhen to campaign against the Wu, soon fell ill. Feng Ji could not command him, so he had to mobilize Xiao Zhen's 50,000 cavalry instead. Xiao Zhen, having accepted bribes from Chen Wang, would inform him just before a victory, allowing Chen Wang to pretend to recover and join the battle to share in the spoils.

Because of this, Chen Wang viewed Xiao Zhen very favorably and had even sent him half of the spoils he had seized.

Xiao Zhen said, "General, you've already given me plenty. There's really no need for such courtesy."

Chen Wang replied, "How is this mere courtesy? You help me once, and I help you once. It's only fair, and it ensures we continue to assist each other."

Xiao Zhen smiled, acknowledging their mutually beneficial relationship.

After taking a sip of wine, Chen Wang suddenly sighed and put down his bowl to say to Xiao Zhen, "Since I heard about Qin Sizhu’s death, I haven't slept a single good night. When one ally falls, the others are left vulnerable."

Xiao Zhen, though close to Chen Wang, did not simply flatter him. "General, you are mistaken. Qin Sizhu met his demise because of his treason and collusion with the enemy. You, General, have the merit of supporting the emperor in establishing the nation and are currently contributing to the campaign against the Wu. The emperor will only reward you, so why compare yourself to Qin Sizhu?"

Chen Wang waved his hand and said, "Do you really not know how much merit I have? With the way I've been playing it safe, Feng Ji will certainly report to the emperor. Plus, with my refusal to surrender my private assets, the emperor will eventually come for my military power."

Xiao Zhen reassured him, "The emperor has assigned me to supervise the army. I only see your repeated military achievements and your loyalty to the emperor. If Feng Ji falsely accuses you of playing it safe, he would be falsely accusing me of colluding with you. To protect my own reputation, I’ll speak up for you to the emperor, rather than let Feng Ji speak recklessly."

With his narrow, phoenix-like eyes and a calm demeanor, Xiao Zhen appeared as a cunning statesman, even reminding Chen Wang of Imperial Uncle Dou.

Being like Imperial Uncle Dou had its advantages. He took the silver and got things done, very fair!

"Nephew, your temperament really resonates with me. Come, let's drink another bowl!"

Xiao Zhen smiled and raised his wine bowl.

After Chen Wang left, Xiao Zhen finally had time to read the two family letters.

He first opened the one from the old man. In it, the old man mentioned three things: the changing situation in Jingzhou, his upcoming campaign against Liang, and advising his grandson to act cautiously and not let anxiety over them cloud his judgment.

Xiao Zhen closed his eyes, and in his mind were the various battles recorded in history books that took place in the Sichuan region. There were hegemons who rose to power in Sichuan, and countless famous generals who met their defeat and were buried in the area's treacherous terrain.

He balled up the two letters in his fist.

Before the letters could tear, Xiao Zhen opened his eyes and unfolded the one from Tong Sui.

The old man’s letter was as calm as ever, while Tong Sui’s emotions came alive on the page.

Xiao Zhen could picture her excitement and concentration as she explored the warships, her intense focus as she listened to Grandfather persuade Xie Jian, her contentment and joy as she tallied the summer harvest from the fields, and her tranquility and earnestness as she wrote the letter in the lamplight.

"By the time you receive this letter, we should have entered Sichuan."

"Although Sichuan is dangerous, I trust in Grandfather. With him there, we can win even the hardest battles."

"I will take good care of Grandfather, and I will take care of myself. You focus on your military campaign against Wu, don’t worry about things here."

"Be careful not to get pricked. I’ll see you in Luoyang."

Xiao Zhen raised his eyebrows slightly and picked up the envelope from the table, opening it to discover a wheat ear hidden inside.

No pricking, huh?

Xiao Zhen deliberately pressed the bristly awns against his palm, feeling no pain, just an itch.