Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 155

Chapter 43, Rumors and Gossip

Prior to this, on a day early in winter, two thousand miles away in Weibo Town, in the 13th Battalion of the Left Wing of the "Weizhou Garrison Commander Jian" west of Yuancheng City, Lieutenant Yang Shigu was reprimanding his cousin Yang Shiyan—

“Previously, I advised my sixth uncle to give me a small portion of his land—even if it was just temporarily registered under his name—but he firmly refused. As a result, he ended up paying nearly a thousand bushels of ‘autumn storage tax’ and dozens of strings of ‘military funds’ in the fall. I said that if you gave me some money and silk, I could try to plead with Magistrate Yan for a reduction, but he not only refused to listen, but also instigated the tenants to beat up the grain collection official, which resulted in both of my sons being imprisoned. Now, why do you still come to beg me?”

Li Ji had just left Weizhou when Yan Zhenqing ordered his subordinates to go to the countryside to measure the fields. He also spread the word that in the autumn, "autumn grain" and "military money" would be levied based on the actual number of acres of land. You big households, either return some of the land you have seized from others, or wait for the tax collectors to come knocking on your door!

Yang Shigu and Yang Shiyan were both from Pingyi Township, Changle County, south of Yuancheng. According to the social class classification of later generations, they belonged to the middle peasants. However, the Yang family was also a large clan in the area, with more than sixty households. Among them, there were one or two landlords, such as the "Sixth Uncle" mentioned by Yang Shigu, who seized more than a hundred hectares of land from villagers and even his own clan over several decades!

Yang Shigu was quite shrewd and kept a close eye on the various policies of Jiezhen. When he heard that Yan Zhenqing intended to increase taxes by the mu (unit of land area), he went to discuss it with his sixth uncle, saying that he should allocate one-tenth of the land to his nephew, so that he could pay much less tax.

Yang Shigu's official rank was roughly equivalent to that of a Chief Clerk or Deputy General of the Upper Prefecture, and he was entitled to 300 mu of official land. In addition, he was granted the honorary title of Light Cavalry Commandant, which entitled him to 7 qing of meritorious land, totaling 10 qing. He knew that although official land and meritorious land had not been granted for a long time, many officials in the prefecture were planning to jointly petition Yan Sima to reduce or exempt their personal land from taxes by classifying it as official land or meritorious land.

Normally, prefectural and county officials were appointed by the imperial court from other regions, while their subordinates were mostly local natives. However, during the An Lushan Rebellion, the puppet state of Yan even loosened its restrictions on prefectural and county officials, allowing local people to take up their posts—partly because its own talent pool was limited, and partly because utilizing local gentry could help stabilize the situation in the prefectures and counties more quickly. Therefore, more than half of the officials in Weizhou were locals, or, although they had been appointed from other regions, they had taken advantage of the turmoil to purchase considerable amounts of land within the prefecture. These people jointly petitioned, and it was estimated that Yan Sima would not be able to resist.

However, Weizhou has a vast area of ​​arable land. Even if all the land owned by officials is reduced or exempted according to their official land and merit land, it would only account for one or two tenths. The bulk of it would still be there, at the mercy of the government. It's unlikely that Yan Sima would have any reason to resist. Moreover, if he truly angered the public, aside from anything else, if the officials refused to seriously verify the land area, his tax policy might fall through.

Yang Shigu asked his sixth uncle to register one-tenth of his farmland under his name, seemingly just a formality to avoid taxes. But in reality—if he actually registered it under his name, would he still expect to reclaim the annual harvest? No way! Yang Shigu had privately told his cousin Yang Shiyan, with whom he had always been on good terms, "Now that I am highly regarded by Commander Li and have been given command of a battalion of soldiers, if I only receive a salary and do not own a thousand acres of fertile land, how can I be considered a proper general of a town?"

It's unclear whether Sixth Uncle saw through Yang Shigu's scheme to take advantage of the situation or was simply a miser by nature, but he refused to change the name of even a single acre of land. After the land was measured and verified, tax officials came and, in the name of the governor, levied additional "autumn storage tax" and "military funds."

Yan Zhenqing originally hoped to thoroughly verify the amount of land and the owners of the land in Weizhou before the autumn harvest, but that was a huge project, and not everyone was as hardworking and tireless as the old man himself. In the end, he did not get his wish; however, the six counties in central Weizhou, including Changle, were basically completed.

Taking advantage of the situation, Yang Shigu went to persuade his sixth uncle again, saying that this year's tax increase in the town meant the amount he had to pay would be considerable. He suggested that he give him some money and goods, and he would help him smooth things over so that perhaps some reduction could be achieved. Unexpectedly, his sixth uncle refused and even clashed with the tax officials, instigating his tenants to fight and injuring two of them. Yan Zhenqing, upon hearing the news, was furious. Without even sending a messenger to Changle County, he directly dispatched a garrison to arrest Yang's sixth uncle's two sons and imprison them—because the old man was too old, and fearing someone might die, he used his sons as scapegoats.

Uncle Liu panicked and asked Yang Shiyan to come to the Yuancheng military camp to beg Yang Shigu: "I am willing to pay the additional tax as required. Please help me find a way to get your two cousins ​​out of prison!"

Yang Shigu thought to himself, "Why didn't you do this sooner? You stingy bastard, you won't even take care of your own relatives..." Now he regrets it, but it's too late!

He also rebuked Yang Shiyan, saying that although they shared the same grandfather, and that old man had to be addressed as "Sixth Uncle," they were actually quite distant by blood. How could you be so biased towards outsiders? If I benefited, would I skimp on you? What good did you get from him that you came here today to beg me for Sixth Uncle's sake?

Yang Shiyan hurriedly lowered his voice and said, "Brother, you've misunderstood me... Sixth Uncle is a miser, he never spends a penny. He asked me to come to you to plead for him, but he wouldn't even pay for my transportation. He only treated me to a meal, and there was only one meat dish..."

"If that's the case, you should have just kicked down his door. Why are you still coming to me?"

"In my humble opinion, Uncle Liu only has two sons, and his grandchildren are still young. If... I mean, if my two cousins ​​were to unfortunately die in prison, to whom could his vast fortune be passed on? Brother, do you not have any intention of doing so?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Shigu stroked his beard and pondered for a long time before finally saying, "After all, no one was killed, so he may not necessarily be sentenced to death..."

Yang Shiyan shook his head and said, "I have heard that Commander Yan intends to severely punish my two elder cousins ​​and use my Yang family as an example to deter those who resist taxes... It's one thing for others, but Commander Yan was once the Prefect of Pingyuan, and he is used to exploiting the rich but never targeting the poor..."

Yang Shigu curled his lip: "Of course, how much profit can a poor family squeeze out?" Then he frowned: "Yan Sima became the Prefect of Pingyuan? That must have been seven or eight years ago, right? Does anyone still remember? Did Sixth Uncle tell you?"

Yang Shiyan directly avoided the question and continued along his own train of thought: "Therefore, I have heard that wealthy households in the prefecture are secretly colluding to force Prefect Yan to abolish his 'evil policies'..."

Yang Shigu sneered, "What ability do they have to force Yan Sima?"

Local gentry typically employ three methods to oppose the government: first, inciting and coercing ordinary people to obstruct government administration; second, leveraging the intricate networks of connections among scholars to exert pressure from higher levels; and third, resorting to blatant dissent and inciting unrest. However, at present, the gentry of Weizhou are unable to utilize any of these methods.

Firstly, while Yan Zhenqing increased the "autumn storage tax" and "military expenses," he also reduced or exempted the traditional per capita rent and tax. Furthermore, since those who absconded did not extend to their villages, the burden on able-bodied men with less than fifty mu of land, or able-bodied women with less than fifteen mu, was reduced by nearly 40% compared to previous years. As a result, the people were all grateful for Yan Zhenqing's virtue; wealthy families could at most incite their own tenants, but nothing serious happened—only a few tax officials were injured.

Secondly, because of the long period of banditry, there were few gentry families in Weizhou who could establish connections with high-ranking officials in the court. Moreover, the court basically left the various towns in Hebei to their own devices, only seeking local peace and not expecting taxes to be transported westward. Therefore, there was no possibility of any pressure from the upper echelons falling on Yan Zhenqing's shoulders.

Furthermore, given Yan Zhenqing's resume, reputation, and character, he would dare to defy even chaotic orders from the government!

As for the rebellion, putting aside the fact that the chaos had just subsided and people were yearning for stability, the thirty battalions of the Wei Bo garrison were no pushovers.

However, Yang Shiyan reminded his elder brother that those gentry and wealthy families had their own methods and should not be underestimated—"Previously, the 40,000 to 50,000 troops of Weizhou were dispersed to the countryside. Brother was able to meet the military governor and secure a good future. Those who came later and were not accepted will inevitably harbor resentment..."

Yang Shigu curled his lip and said, "Perfect! I've been training my troops for months without any merit. Who dares to cause trouble? I don't need to worry about any past comrades. It's just the right time to take their blood and stain my red robe!"

"What I fear is that those former comrades will spread rumors and incite the defense forces and auxiliary troops to rebel..."

Yang Shigu frowned: "What rumors?"

Yang Shiyan explained in detail: "Firstly, since Commander Yun Li has been ordered to return to the capital, he should remain to defend against the barbarians. The court will appoint Yan Sima as the military governor of Weibo..."

Li Ji spent several months in Weizhou inspecting the troops, employing both kindness and severity. While he couldn't be said to have completely won over the soldiers, he managed to straighten out the relationships between superiors and subordinates and bring the garrison under his control. Yan Zhenqing, on the other hand, although serving as the military governor's chief, was constantly busy clearing land and collecting taxes, leaving him no time to engage with military forces, and many of his soldiers were unwilling to serve him.

"Secondly, Yun Yan, the magistrate, exploited the gentry and increased land taxes in order to supply the court and defend against the Western Barbarians. It is said that when Yan first arrived, he told Commander Li that the Weibo garrison had too many soldiers and could not be adequately supplied..."

Yang Shigu interrupted his cousin, retorting, "The majority of the money and grain collected by the military governor is naturally used to support the army, and it's called 'military funds.' Does that mean it's for the Western Army and not for our own army? That's absurd!"

Yang Shiyan smiled and said, "That's why I said it was just a rumor."

"What fool would believe that?"

"The army is full of rough men; how many are as wise as you, brother? Rumor has it that if Commander Li doesn't return by the New Year, he probably won't be coming back at all. Since he's received the 'military pay,' he should distribute rewards on New Year's Day. If he doesn't, is he going to stay and do business for profit? He'll probably just smuggle it all out to Guanzhong..."

Upon hearing this, Yang Shigu remained silent in contemplation.

To be honest, both of these rumors struck at his weak points. Professional soldiers like them longed for a capable commander to reduce the dangers on the battlefield, along with generous government rewards—ideally, all the annual revenue would go towards supporting the army. If Yan Zhenqing were to replace Li Ji, and the bulk of the tax revenue were to be paid to the imperial court, it would indeed easily incite discontent among the generals and soldiers.

The chaos had just subsided, the autumn harvest was still pending, and the treasury was empty. Li Ji was then forced to recruit thirty battalions of garrison troops and fifteen battalions of auxiliary troops all at once, so it was impossible to feed everyone. Fortunately, Li Ji brought some gold and money from Chang'an and ordered Bao Zitian to purchase several thousand bushels of high-priced grain from Huainan, which barely managed to keep the troops from running amok.

When Yan Zhenqing increased taxes based on land area, the military governor finally had enough money and grain to supply the army. But people are never satisfied. The soldiers were thinking: Could they make up for the debts owed the day before? Would they receive more rewards for the next day's campaign? Although they were still under the rule of the puppet Yan state, when they could barely get three meals a day in ten days, they could still plunder in the chaos; now that it was a peaceful time and there was no war, there was nowhere to plunder, so if they wanted to live a more comfortable life, they would have to rely entirely on the military governor's rewards.

Li Shuai is knowledgeable about military affairs. Although he is not well-off, he seems generous. Yan Sima is not close to the generals and is frugal by nature. He even arbitrarily drives around minor officials and some of the garrison troops for the land survey, and does not reward them afterwards. So if Yan Sima replaces Li Shuai, everyone's future does not seem very bright.

Yang Shigu pondered for a long time before slowly saying, "The court has only appointed Commander Li to govern Weibo for a few months; it's not time to replace him already... This autumn, the Western Barbarians invaded, and we don't know how the war is going. If it's as usual, they usually retreat in two or three months, so it's reasonable that Commander Li won't return before the end of spring. As for those 'military funds,' given Yan Sima's personality, he prefers a steady flow, rather than spending it all at once—what if there's a poor harvest next year? Then not issuing rewards on New Year's Day doesn't necessarily mean sending them west to Guanzhong..."

Yang Shiyan laughed and said, "What you say makes sense, brother, but those rough men just can't understand it. So if Commander Li doesn't return for the New Year and Commander Yan doesn't distribute rewards on New Year's Day, some camp leaders might be instigated by those gentry and rise up in rebellion—I'm telling you this because this is your opportunity!"

Yang Shigu asked, "Do you want me to report this to the town of Jie?"

Yang Shiyan shook his head and said, "No. They haven't rebelled yet, and you have no evidence, brother. If you report them, you'll only offend your colleagues for nothing, and it might not even count as a merit." He leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "It would be better to secretly incite them, to make them do evil. When you lead troops to quell the rebellion, you'll surely be valued by Commander Yan. This will implicate the gentry in the prefecture. First, we can convict Uncle An of a serious crime. Because of his advanced age, we can execute his two sons. Then his property will fall into our hands sooner or later—what do you think, brother?"

Yang Shigu stroked his beard, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth: "Your quick wit is beyond my expectations..." After a moment's thought, he continued: "The other day, General Lei told us that after New Year's Day, he would force those auxiliary troops to work, clearing wasteland for farming, or repairing ditches and roads, and they would definitely have to leave Yuancheng... Those fifteen battalion commanders will certainly refuse to obey..."

They originally gathered to coerce the new commander because they wanted to join the army and get paid, but even though they were given military status, they were still forced to farm. Who would be happy about that?

"However, most of them lack courage and strategy; even if they were to cause trouble, they wouldn't amount to much, and General Lei could easily suppress them. Therefore, if we want to incite the garrison inside and outside Yuancheng to besiege Commander Yan, we must find one or two clueless but daring individuals within the defense forces..."

"Brother, have you already found a suitable candidate?"

Yang Shigu smiled sinisterly: "That 'Red Flag Fifth Brother' Li Ziyi has a fiery temper, yet he's also as stupid as an ox. Perhaps he can be used by me..."

Chapter 44, Eloquent Words and Flattering Demeanor

Of the thirty battalions of the Weizhou garrison, more than half were stationed in Guixiang, Yuancheng, and near Wang Mang's city. Under the instigation of certain individuals, the soldiers secretly colluded, and this was not a one-day affair. Inevitably, word of this reached the governor's office. Therefore, as New Year's Day approached, Du Huangshang advised Yan Zhenqing: "The morale of the army seems unstable. I earnestly request that you, Sima, distribute rewards during the festival."

However, Yan Zhenqing flatly refused: "This autumn, we have only harvested a little over 400,000 shi of grain and 500,000 strings of cash and silk. Even if all of it were used to support the army, it would barely be enough for a year's needs. Where would we find spare money for rewards? In addition, rewards are always given after a war based on merit. How can we give rewards without reason during festivals?"

On January 16th, Lei Wanchun, following the plan set by Li Ji before his departure, left Yuancheng with Gao Ying to mobilize the auxiliary troops to reclaim wasteland for farming and repair water conservancy facilities. Li Ji knew that whether it was civilian or military settlements, they were the most convenient strategies to restore agricultural production and replenish the treasury in the short term—but long-term implementation would inevitably lead to numerous drawbacks—therefore he had long ago ordered Du Huangshang, Gao Ying, and others to plan the wasteland and official fields within the prefecture, and to conscript laborers at the beginning of spring.

Within Weizhou, many people lacked land, but most were employed as tenants by wealthy households, leaving little for land distribution or civilian settlement. However, there were tens of thousands of professional soldiers, enough for military settlements. But during his visits to various camps, he discovered that most soldiers were unwilling to farm; as for manual labor, they were willing to do short-term tasks like repairing houses or transporting supplies for their superiors, but they were unwilling to undertake long-term, physically demanding agricultural and irrigation projects.

Therefore, Li Ji temporarily withheld the 30 battalions of garrison troops and only sent Lei Wanchun to command the 15 battalions of auxiliary troops. After all, those guys were not physically fit enough and could not go to the battlefield no matter how much training they received. How could he let them eat his salary for nothing? Moreover, since they were not skilled in combat and lacked weapons, he estimated that Lei Wanchun could control them and prevent them from causing any major trouble.

Not long after Lei Wanchun left Yuancheng, more than a thousand soldiers from various garrisons, incited by generals such as Li Ziyi, stormed into Yuancheng, surrounded the Jiedushi's office, and "earnestly requested" the return of Commander Li and demanded a reward.

The clerk hurriedly reported this, startling everyone. Yan Zhenqing was about to go outside to investigate when Yin Shen stopped him, saying, "Sir, wait! When the commander left, he gave me a brocade pouch, saying to open it if there was any chaos in the army..."

Yan Zhenqing glanced at Yin Shen, his beard trembling slightly, it was hard to tell whether he was smiling or grimacing: "Does Commander Li have some kind of fortune-telling ability? Alright, let's see."

Yin Shen took out a brocade pouch, pulled out a slip of paper from it, and unfolded it in front of everyone. It read: "If the auxiliary troops rebel, you can have General Lei lead the defense troops to quell the rebellion; if the defense troops rebel, first distribute rewards to reassure the troops, and wait for my return."

Du Huangshang clapped his hands and said, "General Li is indeed resourceful and can foresee the future—in that case, let's reward him first."

To everyone's surprise, Yan Zhenqing still refused. He said angrily, "Commander Li gave rewards to those who claimed to be fighting a mutiny, which shows he doesn't trust us. If they hadn't asked for rewards, we could have let them go to temporarily calm the troops. But since they have asked for rewards, we absolutely cannot give them to them! If the soldiers are stirring up trouble and making any demands, and the governor grants them, then once this precedent is set, the chaos will never end!"

Du Huangshang thought to himself that when Li Ji first entered the town, he had already set a precedent by recruiting most of the old troops at their request. Moreover, such bad precedents were not limited to Weibo Town; which town wasn't doing the same thing now? This was a long-standing problem that had been brewing for years and had to be gradually eradicated. If they were to be too forceful, it might even lead to a major rebellion like that in Jiangzhou and Yicheng...

However, since Yan Zhenqing was of high rank and great prestige, Du Huangshang could not confront him directly—if Gao Ying were here, he would probably have jumped up on the spot—so he could only say, "Sima, you should not act rashly. It would be better to let this humble servant go out and inform the soldiers."

Yan Zhenqing retorted, "I wasn't afraid of even An Lushan's tens of thousands of troops in the past, let alone the hundreds or thousands of chaotic soldiers here?" He waved his hand to shoo the crowd away and strode out. Du Huangshang, Yin Shen, and the others had no choice but to gather dozens of soldiers to chase after him and protect him.

Yan Zhenqing ordered the yamen gates to be opened and strode out fearlessly. The crowd followed, and upon closer inspection, they all gasped in shock… Du Huangshang and the others, who had never experienced military battles, were understandable. Even Yin Shen, who had followed Li Ji and witnessed tens of thousands of troops on the battlefield during the An Lushan Rebellion in Dongping, had been far removed from the chaos of war. Unlike today, when they were so close. The streets and alleys in front of the yamen were filled with the surging, jostling, and pushing crowds, as if a torrent was about to engulf them.

Only Yan Zhenqing, who once defended Pingyuan County, fought against a rebel army several times his size. Although he never charged into the enemy lines with spears and horses, he often sat calmly on the city wall, not avoiding arrows. These were only a few hundred or a thousand men, and no one dared to actually carry a long spear or a strong bow. It was really a small-scale battle.

He immediately coughed to clear his throat, then shouted loudly, "Silence! I am Yan Zhenqing, the military governor of Weibo. Why are you surrounding the government office and making such a commotion? Is there a leader here? Come forward and answer me!"

So the soldiers pushed Li Ziyi forward. Li Ziyi was about to step forward in a swaggering manner, but Yin Shen shouted, "Stop being rude! Speak below the steps!" He had no choice but to retract his right foot, which he had just extended, and then stood still, clasping his hands in a gesture of respect: "We are not causing trouble, but have something to report."

Tell me about it.

"Firstly, there are rumors that Commander Li has returned to the capital and will not return again, and the court will appoint another military governor for Weibo. We have all received great favors from Commander Li and do not wish to be separated from him, so we have come here to earnestly request that you, Sima, submit a memorial on our behalf..."

Yan Zhenqing's face hardened: "I only heard about the change of commander in the court today. Do you all know more about it than I do? You say it's just a rumor, but how can you believe everything you hear?"

Li Ziyi was interrupted halfway through his sentence, feeling somewhat annoyed, and retorted, "General Li returned to court, and several months have passed in a flash. He didn't return even in the spring. It seems the rumors are not entirely unfounded..."

Yan Zhenqing interrupted him without any politeness, coldly replying, "Hebei is two thousand miles away from Guanzhong. Not only is it uncertain whether Commander Li will be able to return quickly, but even if there were rumors out of thin air, they wouldn't reach Weibo—who exactly spread these rumors? Could it be you?!"

"This humble general did not fabricate this statement, but it has spread throughout the army, and the officers and soldiers cannot help but question it. May I ask Commander Yan, can you guarantee that the court will not easily sway General Li?"

Du Huangshang and the others thought to themselves: "Let's make a guarantee quickly, and perhaps this little disturbance will be quelled."

Unexpectedly, Yan Zhenqing said righteously, "The decision on who should guard Weibo is up to the court. You should just focus on your duties, practice archery and horsemanship diligently to prepare for war. It's not your place to worry about that. I cannot make decisions on behalf of the court!"

"So, according to Sima's words, the court does indeed intend to change commanders?"

Yan Zhenqing sneered, "If I were to say that your life or death is in the hands of Heaven and I cannot guarantee it, would you then believe that Heaven intends to kill you?!"

Li Ziyi was stunned upon hearing this—he didn't understand. The soldiers behind him were either just as bewildered as he was, or understood a little, but they all emboldened each other and began to clamor again. Actually, Li Ziyi didn't intend to make a big fuss; he only hoped to get assurances from the officials and receive rewards. So he changed the subject: "Since the commander won't give a definite answer, the soldiers can't be without doubt, and morale is wavering. Even I, a humble general, cannot suppress it. I implore the commander to provide some rewards, which may reassure the troops and quell the rumors."

"I reside in Weibo, but I am in charge of civil affairs. As for rewards, we will discuss that when Commander Li returns."

"What if Commander Li doesn't return?"

"Regardless of who the court appoints to guard Weibo, if the soldiers are impoverished and request rewards, you, the generals, can petition through the ranks..." At this point, his eyebrows furrowed, and he shouted sternly, "How can there be a crowd gathering and making a commotion in front of the government office to demand rewards?! Retreat immediately, and we may not be able to discuss it further; otherwise, you will be punished for treason!"

Upon hearing that they would be punished for treason, the soldiers were enraged. Someone in the crowd shouted, "If Commander Yan wants to kill us, how can we just stand by and wait to die!" Immediately, soldiers drew their swords and rushed forward, intending to climb the steps to kill Yan Zhenqing. Li Ziyi spread his arms, trying to stop them, but he couldn't stop them at all.

Yin Shen hurriedly shouted, "Quickly protect Commander Yan and retreat back to the office!" He then stepped forward, grabbed Yan Zhenqing by the waist, and pulled him backward. Yan Zhenqing struggled and shouted, "Let me go! How can I lose the dignity of a court official in the midst of the chaos of war!"

Just as things were at their most critical, a loud shout rang out from the street corner: "Li Ziyi has gathered a crowd to rebel and is coercing his superiors! Kill them all!" Immediately, a volley of arrows rained down. The soldiers were all alarmed and hurriedly retreated in the opposite direction, only to find that soldiers had already lined up at the other end of the street, their spears and shields blocking the way completely.

Upon hearing this, Li Ziyi was enraged and roared, "You bastard surnamed Yang, it's one thing if you don't advance and retreat with me, but why did you lead troops to surround us?! You villain, I swear I will never let you get away with this!"

The one who arrived in time to block the streets on both sides and suppress the rioters was naturally Yang Shigu. He immediately spurred his horse forward, thrusting his spear at the rioters crowding in front of him, and shouted: "Insubordination is a capital offense! I am a loyal subject, how could I possibly associate with you?!"

In an instant, swords and spears were drawn, arrows flew everywhere, and blood flowed all over the ground in front of the yamen... Yan Zhenqing had just been pulled back into the gate by Yin Shen when he hurriedly shouted at the top of his lungs, "Disarm and kneel down, and you will be spared! Spare your lives, but don't kill them all!" He then waved his hands repeatedly and ordered, "Soldiers, go out. Those who surrender will be spared."

Yang Shigu's true intention was to use the blood of his comrades to gain merit and pave the way for his own promotion, so his men were absolutely unwilling to show mercy. In a short while, more than a thousand soldiers who had followed Li Ziyi into the city and made a ruckus were all slaughtered, and the streets in front of the government office were littered with corpses. Fortunately, Yan Zhenqing ordered his soldiers to go out and maintain order in time, and managed to save dozens of people, all of whom were bound and taken back to the government office—however, Li Ziyi was not among them.

Yang Shigu felt a little flustered and hurriedly ordered his soldiers to search the bodies, but Li Ziyi was nowhere to be found—that fellow was slippery; one moment he was in front of the yamen, and the next he was gone. Could he have climbed over the wall and escaped into the yamen?

Just as they were feeling bewildered, they suddenly heard someone in front of the government office shout, "Who is the one who quelled the rebellion? The Sima is summoning you!"

Yang Shigu then ordered his soldiers to carry away the body and sweep the streets. He dismounted, put down his long weapon, straightened his armor, and entered after announcing his arrival. Yan Zhenqing, sitting upright in the hall, saw Yang Shigu enter and asked, "Who are you?"

"This humble general, Yang Shigu, 13th Battalion Commander of the Left Wing of the Defense Army, pays his respects to Commander Yan."

Wearing armor, kneeling was inconvenient for him. He had just bent one knee when he heard a shout from above: "Take him down!" He was startled, but then felt his arms being firmly held down.

Yang Shigu shouted, "This humble general has rendered meritorious service and is innocent!"

Yan Zhenqing sneered, "A thousand troops marched into the city and surrounded the government offices in the blink of an eye. Yet you were able to don your armor, lead your troops, and quell the rebellion—don't try to lie and say you knew nothing about it beforehand! If you knew but didn't report it, and allowed the chaos to continue for personal gain, how can you say you're innocent?!"

Yang Shigu reacted quickly and hurriedly explained, "Li Ziyi instigated the rebellion, and his forces were not limited to his own troops. Many camps outside the city were also misled. Even in my own camp, some foolish soldiers secretly went out to join him. Fortunately, I noticed them and rushed here to quell the rebellion. I dare not say that I was completely unaware beforehand. Rumors were rampant, and the soldiers were suspicious. I had indeed heard some of these rumors, but I thought they were minor matters. I did not know that Li Ziyi would dare to take the opportunity to instigate a rebellion. I had absolutely no intention of inciting the rebellion for personal gain. I hope you, Sima, will understand."

"You led your troops into the city without orders; this is a serious crime!"

"This humble general's actions were indeed somewhat rash, but out of consideration for Commander Li's deep kindness and Sima's virtuous character, and out of fear that the government office might be in danger, I acted without orders. I hope Sima will consider that this humble general meant well but made a mistake, and that it was not too wrong, and forgive him."

Yan Zhenqing wanted to ask more, but Du Huangshang couldn't hold back any longer. He leaned close to his ear and whispered a reminder: "Now that the matter is settled, it's not advisable to create any further complications. Even if they have ulterior motives, it's best to investigate slowly—are their subordinates still outside the government office?"

Yan Zhenqing shoved Du Huangshang aside and still sternly questioned, "You flatterer! You claim I have great virtue, but I have only been in Weibo for a short time and have not yet personally handled military affairs. What virtue have I done for you?!"

Yang Shigu, craning his neck, tried his best to catch a glimpse of Yan Zhenqing's face, and replied sincerely, "Sima, please forgive me. I am originally from the Yang clan of Taishan. My ancestors moved to Weizhou, and four generations have passed since then. When An Lushan rebelled, he swept through Hebei, burning, killing, and looting wherever he went, causing immense suffering to the people. Fortunately, Sima protected Pingyuan and the surrounding counties. Although we were ultimately unable to stop the rebels, the people of Hebei are all grateful for Sima's kindness. Sima may not know me, but I have long admired you!"

Yan Zhenqing snorted coldly: "If you really hate the An Lushan rebels, why did you join their army as a general before?" Although Yan Zhenqing devoted himself to civil administration, or more precisely, to taxation, and had not paid much attention to military affairs, he still had to glance at the files of the generals and officials when he arrived in Weibo. Therefore, he knew that most of the generals and deputy generals of Weizhou, except for a few who were brought by Li Ji, were former generals who had surrendered from An Lushan.

Yang Shigu feigned shame: "I dare not deceive you, Sima. I joined the rebel army only for a full meal. Poverty makes one lose ambition. How can I compare to your loyalty, Sima? But though I am in the rebel camp, my heart is with the Tang. Now that I have returned to the Tang, I must respect the Emperor and follow Commander Li and Sima. I dare not be like Li Ziyi and harbor any rebellious thoughts. I beg your forgiveness, Sima."

Yan Zhenqing glared at him for a long time before his expression softened slightly. He waved his hand and said, "Let him go." Then he said in a deep voice, "You must quickly gather your troops and return to your camp to defend yourselves. You cannot remain in the city for long. I have noted your merit today. I will reward you after I have investigated the facts."

Yang Shigu, covered in cold sweat, bowed and retreated. Only after he was out of sight did Yan Zhenqing look around and say, "I never imagined there would be such a shameless scoundrel in the army!"

Chapter 45, Ruan Sheng paused.

Li Ji was unaware of the commotion that had occurred in front of the military governor's office. In late January of this year, he left Chang'an with his family and followers, and hurriedly headed east. When he passed through Shanzhou and Luoyang, he naturally greeted the local military governors and held a banquet.

But he had no intention of seeing Xue Song again—because Xue Song was in Fuyang, which was a bit of a detour and not on the way—but unexpectedly, Xue Song sent someone to meet him at the border and invited Li Ji to come to Anyang to meet him again, just like last year.

Cui Cuo cautioned, "Commander Xue has summoned you without cause; he may have ill intentions. Young master, please do not go lightly."

Li Ji smiled and comforted him: "Xue Song must have something to discuss with me if he wants to see me. There must be a reason. Besides, if he has ill intentions, there are only a few dozen of us in our group. We can't cross into someone else's territory in three to five days. He can easily kill us all by sending a single sentry. If he is pretending to be a bandit, even the imperial court can't do anything about it. So why would he want to plot against me in Anyang City?"

Of course, most importantly, Li Ji was certain that not to mention Xue Song, even Tian Chengsi, who harbored ambitions, would not raise the banner of rebellion again so quickly. How could Xue Song dare to harm him so easily?

Cui Cuo was still worried and said, "Then let me follow you by your side. If we encounter any danger, I will protect you and fight my way out!"