Volume One Southern Sichuan Commandery Chapter 7 Southern Sichuan Commandery

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed. Wei Fufeng, tormented with worry at the inn, could neither give up nor retreat; he no longer dared to "flee" from Xingyuan Prefecture. Having wagered everything on this gamble, he could only resign himself to fate.

The lady in green remained by his side, speaking little as always.

The crisis Wei Fufeng had brought upon himself was his alone to bear; he could neither seek nor dare to confide in the lady in green.

One day, the innkeeper came running to him in a panic, saying that a military officer wished to see him.

Wei Fufeng, seeing that he was not being arrested, felt much of his fear dissipate and, regaining his composure, followed the innkeeper outside.

Upon leaving the inn, he saw an armored soldier with his left hand resting on the hilt of his sword—it was the captain of the guards at the military governor’s residence.

The captain, upon seeing Wei Fufeng, said directly, “Come with me.”

Following the armored officer in silence, Wei Fufeng did not attempt to strike up conversation. The officer might not be privy to the governor’s secrets; to question him would seem both anxious and insincere.

They passed through three neighborhoods and arrived at an official building, which Wei Fufeng entered alongside the officer. Recognizing the architecture, he realized at once it was a relay station—rows of grand pavilions like a high-class inn, and he had stayed in such places before.

A man in blue greeted him with a beaming smile. “Are you Lord Wei?”

“Yes, take him in,” said the armored officer. He then turned to Wei Fufeng, saluted formally, and left in silence.

“This way, my lord.” The man in blue led him on with deference.

Wei Fufeng nodded calmly, following through a series of halls and courtyards until they reached a secluded compound, which housed a main residence and two side wings.

Pausing in the courtyard, Wei Fufeng silently speculated as to why he had been brought here and not summoned by Yang Shouliang himself.

Suddenly, the main door opened and out stepped a formidable military officer clad in gleaming armor.

“You may go,” the officer said. The man in blue bowed respectfully and hurried away.

The officer regarded Wei Fufeng and saluted. “Lord Wei, please come in.”

Though inwardly apprehensive, Wei Fufeng nodded calmly and entered the main residence—a hall within.

Inside, many people were present. At the central seat on the dais sat a plump, fair-skinned official in a red robe and gauze cap, with fine brows and small eyes. The others were armored soldiers standing staunchly on either side as guards.

Suppressing his misgivings, Wei Fufeng steadied himself and took four steps forward, then bowed in salute. “Greetings, my lord.”

“Ah, is this Lord Wei Zheng?” asked the plump official, his voice markedly sharp.

“I am Wei Zheng,” replied Wei Fufeng, neither humble nor arrogant.

“Very well. Wei Zheng, receive the imperial decree. Kneel,” commanded the official in a piercing tone.

Wei Fufeng’s heart trembled. He hastily knelt without a word.

He heard the sharp voice recite: “By order of the Emperor: In view of the unrest in Western Sichuan and the threat posed by Nanzhao on the frontier, a new Military Governorship for Southern Sichuan shall be established, comprising Yu Prefecture, Chang Prefecture, Luzhou, and Rongzhou, with its seat in Luzhou.

Wei Zheng is hereby appointed Military Governor of Southern Sichuan, holding the third rank of Silver-Blue Grand Master of Glorious Happiness. Wan Long, loyal and valiant general of the fourth rank, is appointed Acting Army Marshal; Liang Fang, valiant general of the fifth rank, is appointed Central Army Commander.”

Wei Fufeng looked up in astonishment and saw the plump official put away the imperial yellow edict, then smile at him. “I am Yang Hui, Imperial Commissioner. You may rise, Lord Wei.”

Wei Fufeng nodded and stood, utterly surprised by this turn of events; things had diverged greatly from what he had expected. Yang Shouliang had accepted his deception, yet the outcome was not favorable—his actions seemed only to benefit others.

“Imperial Commissioner, I believe I am to serve as acting Military Governor,” Wei Fufeng replied cautiously, realizing that there was no turning back.

“Lord Wei, that is not quite correct. An acting governor is an official awaiting imperial appointment, not one conferred by the court,” Yang Hui replied with a smile.

Wei Fufeng murmured assent. At that moment, a military officer nearby interjected, “Lord Wei, you are young; if you wish to command respect, you may continue to use the title of acting governor.”

Slightly taken aback, Wei Fufeng glanced over and heard Yang Hui say, “Lord Wan’s words are reasonable.”

Wei Fufeng saluted politely. “Greetings, Lord Wan.”

“Lord Wei, you are too courteous,” replied Marshal Wan Long with a bow.

Wei Fufeng nodded, then turned to the military officer on his left, who saluted with arms crossed. “Subordinate Liang Fang pays respects to the acting governor.”

Wei Fufeng nodded, and saw Yang Hui raise his hand, at which the remaining four officers all saluted in unison. “Subordinates pay respects to the acting governor.”

“Very well, all of you may rise,” said Wei Fufeng, a little flustered, raising his hand.

“Lord Wei, these are all valiant officers of the Divine Strategy Army. In future, they shall serve as your military commanders,” Yang Hui said with a smile.

“Military commanders? But we have no troops at our disposal yet,” Wei Fufeng ventured.

“Once we reach Southern Sichuan, we shall. Yu Prefecture and Luzhou have militia forces; we can recruit able men to form a standing army,” Yang Hui replied.

“The militia is under the command of the local governor; I fear they may not be easily transferred to us,” Wei Fufeng said with some concern.

“You need not worry, my lord. With the imperial edict and the authority of Governor Yang, the magistrate of Yu Prefecture dare not withhold his troops. Once we seize control of Yu Prefecture’s forces, the other three prefectures will fall in line,” Wan Long said confidently.

Wei Fufeng nodded but remained unconvinced. Yu Prefecture might be easily taken, and Rongzhou (Yibin), due to the civil war in Western Sichuan, might be ignored by the warring factions, who cared little for the remote frontier. However, Luzhou and Chang Prefecture belonged to the Eastern Sichuan Military Governorship and lay along the mighty Yangtze.

Neighboring Rongzhou (Zigong) and Zizhou produced abundant well salt, which had to be shipped out via Luzhou’s waterways. Should Luzhou fall, how could Governor Gu Yanlang of Eastern Sichuan just stand by? Never mind the question of imperial authority—in the eyes of commoners, the Tang court was still the Son of Heaven, but to the warlords, it was merely a convenient banner of legitimacy.

Once a military governor’s interests were threatened, the imperial edict became nothing but waste paper.

“Lord Wei, here are your official seal and robes. Please keep them safe,” Yang Hui said, presenting a large bundle with a smile.

“Thank you, Imperial Commissioner,” Wei Fufeng replied, accepting the package.

“I shall keep the imperial edict,” Yang Hui added.

Wei Fufeng nodded and asked, “When are we to depart?”

“Governor Yang has assigned us two hundred elite soldiers. We take command tomorrow and depart the day after,” Yang Hui replied.

Wei Fufeng nodded. “If there is nothing further, my lords, I shall return to make preparations.”

“Lord Wei, you should refer to yourself as ‘our command.’ Allow us to escort you,” Yang Hui said with a smile.

Wei Fufeng saluted. “Tomorrow morning I shall report to you, Imperial Commissioner.”

“Very well, Lord Wei,” Yang Hui replied with a smile.

Wei Fufeng nodded, took the bundle, and departed.

Yang Hui followed him to the courtyard and gave instructions. “Zhao Hu, follow him and see where he goes.”

A military officer answered and left. Yang Hui and the others returned to the hall to confer.

Wei Fufeng, leaving the relay station, went straight to the military governor’s residence. Upon arrival, the captain of the guards led him directly to the study.

After being announced, Governor Yang Shouliang unexpectedly came out to greet him, standing in the doorway and saluting with a smile. “Lord Wei, please come in.”

Wei Fufeng quickly saluted in return. “My lord, you are far above me; I pay you my respects.”

“Come in,” Yang Shouliang said with a smile, turning to enter. Wei Fufeng followed.

This time, Yang Shouliang took his seat behind the desk as before, and Wei Fufeng sat in a carved chair. Two armored guards stood watch, but they were not the same as before.

“My lord, I have met with the Imperial Commissioner and the Acting Army Marshal. With such an arrangement, it will be difficult for me to reply to my family elder,” Wei Fufeng said bluntly.

“Even so, you have gained much. The posts of deputy governor, judicial officer, inspector, and adjutant are all yours to fill,” Yang Shouliang replied.

“My lord, my great-uncle's purpose was to eliminate Wang Jian. Now that all real military power has been given to officers of the Divine Strategy Army, do you suppose they will help my family eradicate Wang Jian? Wang Jian himself rose from the Divine Strategy Army,” Wei Fufeng pressed.

Yang Shouliang was silent for a while. At last he spoke, “This was decided by the central authorities. I am helpless in the matter.”

“My great-uncle was willing to petition you mainly to deal with Wang Jian. With these Divine Strategy officers in command, they will surely not lead the army against one of their own. I believe what you can do is lend us troops. Please, grant two hundred crack soldiers to serve as my great-uncle’s blade and axe,” Wei Fufeng urged.

Yang Shouliang remained silent. Wei Fufeng added, “The Imperial Commissioner told me you would give two hundred elite soldiers. I believe these can be lent to us for the purpose of striking at Wang Jian in Western Sichuan.”

“You want command of two hundred elite troops,” Yang Shouliang said.

“Yes. My great-uncle needs disciplined troops to act at his command and seize the opportunity to eliminate Wang Jian. If you are willing to lend them, please do not let it be known what purpose they serve, and above all, do not reveal to the Southern Sichuan officers that they are to be used against Wang Jian,” Wei Fufeng said.

He now realized that the so-called Southern Sichuan officers he had met earlier were not directly connected with Yang Shouliang.

After a moment’s thought, Yang Shouliang nodded. “I authorize one hundred soldiers to obey your orders. Once in Yu Prefecture, they will follow you into Western Sichuan.”

Wei Fufeng saluted. “Thank you for your understanding, my lord. I also ask that you equip them with several military crossbows.”

“Military crossbows? Hmm, I do not have many myself; I can spare five,” Yang Shouliang replied after a moment’s hesitation.

Wei Fufeng stood and bowed. “Thank you, my lord.”