Volume Two: Grandfather and Grandson Lords, Chapter Eighty-Six: After the Battle, Part One

When his Fifth Uncle led the army back to the county city of West County, the east gate had already been reopened for traffic, and soldiers stood in disciplined ranks atop the gate tower.

Inside the city, all was a scene of feverish labor. Countless laborers were digging canals.

It turned out that after the flooding disaster within the city, the reconstruction plan had been revised once more. It was decided to cut a river through the city: first, to aid in flood drainage; second, to facilitate trade; third, to carry off waste.

In addition, a fortified outer city would be built, with one side facing the Han River dock.

A grand undertaking indeed. His Fifth Uncle could not help sighing inwardly. In truth, he did not approve of lavishly expanding the city, believing it consumed too much manpower and material resources, and that a city too large was also harder to defend.

“Fifth Uncle.”

As Wei Liang was walking through the city, he suddenly heard a familiar call. He turned sharply and saw Wei Fufeng standing smiling beside a ditch under construction.

“You rascal.” Wei Liang was genuinely delighted, and strode over.

“Greetings to Fifth Uncle. You have worked hard, Uncle.” Wei Fufeng stepped forward to pay his respects.

Wei Liang reached out and affectionately patted his shoulder, saying with feeling, “You, too, have worked hard.”

Wei Fufeng smiled. “Fifth Uncle should hurry to the prefectural office. Grandfather has sent men to inquire many times.”

“Very well.” Wei Liang nodded and turned away at once.

Wei Fufeng watched Fifth Uncle and the many soldiers of the Golden City Army depart, then left for the county office to rest.

In truth, Wei Fufeng had deliberately come to the east gate to wait for Fifth Uncle. Affection must be built up through repeated closeness, and since he had not gone outside the city to welcome him, naturally he did not wish to appear contrived.

...

Wei Liang, of course, did not know that Wei Fufeng had been using a bit of kindly scheming. Thinking that Wei Fufeng had merely been overseeing the works, he arrived at the prefectural office in good spirits and went in to pay his respects to his father.

In the inner hall, he found his father there, along with his second brother Wei An, and five trusted officers from Shang Prefecture, all seated and talking.

As soon as Wei Liang entered, the five officers from Shang Prefecture rose together in perfect unison.

“Your son pays respects to Father. Greetings to Second Brother. Please, everyone, be seated.” Wei Liang hastily returned their greetings one by one.

“Good. It is well that you are back, Fifth Son. I have been waiting for you. Sit.” His grandfather spoke with evident pleasure.

Wei Liang nodded and took the guest seat opposite his second brother.

His grandfather looked at him and said gently, “You have traveled and fought hard outside, taking Jun Prefecture and Fang Prefecture. You have worked hard.”

“It was only right that your son should labor,” Wei Liang replied respectfully.

“What arrangements have you made in Fang Prefecture?” his grandfather asked.

“In Fang Prefecture, we occupied only Fangling County. I was anxious to return with the army to Jin Prefecture, so I left three thousand soldiers from Jun Prefecture to garrison it. I also sent men to Shang Prefecture to bring Eighth Brother over, so that Eighth Brother could take over as prefect of Fang Prefecture,” Wei Liang answered.

His grandfather gave a soft acknowledgment, and Wei An across from him suddenly said, “The appointment of the prefect of Fang Prefecture should have been discussed with Father.”

Wei Liang turned and said, “Military matters were urgent. I did not know that Yang Shouliang would retreat so soon, and Fang Prefecture needed someone trustworthy with experience in office to take charge and pacify the region. I could only think of Eighth Brother.”

Wei An frowned. His grandfather said, “Old Eight is cautious by nature and steady in temperament. He is suitable to serve as prefect of Fang Prefecture. Let it be him.”

The matter was settled with a single stroke; there was no need to say more. After a brief pause, his grandfather looked at Wei Liang again and said, “I plan to recommend you as military governor of Jin Prefecture, Jun Prefecture, and Fang Prefecture, and petition the court to establish the post.”

“What?” The whole hall was struck speechless.

Wei Liang froze, then quickly said, “How could I be placed above Father? It should be Father who serves as military governor.”

His grandfather shook his head. “Your father is trapped in this city of sorrow, and has accomplished nothing. If I petitioned for the military governor’s post, the court would surely reject it. In this age of chaos, the greatest military merit lies in suppressing rebellion. For me, it is justified to petition on your behalf.”

Wei Liang shook his head. “Your son feels this is inappropriate.”

His grandfather said, “You have taken Jun Prefecture and Fang Prefecture, and driven off Yang Shouliang’s offensive. Your military merit is outstanding. Even Cheng Rui, the military governor of Jingnan, was but a petty thief, and the court still recognized him as a military governor. You have risen by virtue of suppressing rebellion; if the court refuses to approve, then the court would be in the wrong.”

Wei Liang thought for a moment, then said, “For the sake of the greater situation, I can hold the office, but Father should be appointed deputy military governor and oversee everything.”

His grandfather smiled. “The great seal of Jin and Shang regional defense commissioner granted to your father by the court cannot be lightly discarded. With two official offices, we can place more positions. These soldiers who have gone through life and death with us must be repaid. We must give them a career as military officers recognized by the court.”

Wei Liang suddenly understood and nodded. As commander of the Golden City Army, he knew the advantages clearly: conferring office was tantamount to reward, and in a disguised way saved a great deal of money and resources.

The soldiers, too, would be overjoyed to receive legitimate military rank. It was, in truth, a win on both sides.

His grandfather added, “Besides, I do not wish to lose the official posts in Shang Prefecture. Sooner or later, we must retake Shang Prefecture and bring it under our rule.”

Wei Liang nodded, then said, “Father, Jun Prefecture and Fang Prefecture must not be lost. Your son should immediately return with the troops to garrison them.”

His grandfather nodded. “Yes, go. If there is anything major, I will communicate with you in good time.”

Wei Liang glanced again at the five officers, then turned back and said, “Father, as for the civil and military officials in Jun Prefecture and Fang Prefecture, I should not promote them from among the Golden City Army. I fear it might stir dissatisfaction in the troops. Please recommend a few of your trusted men to take up the posts.”

His grandfather paused slightly, then looked at the five officers. “All of you go with Wei Liang. Remember this: do not slack in defense, do not commit evil and arouse local hatred. You must think of the long-term rule of our army. For your lasting prosperity, observe the law and do your work properly. If you do well, our army will not begrudge rich rewards. If you do poorly, our army will kill.”

The five officers had already risen. After hearing the instruction, they all saluted respectfully in unison. “Yes!”

Wei Liang left with the five officers from Shang Prefecture. In fact, he knew all of them; they had once been scoundrels and wandering ruffians who ran together, and had even trafficked in smuggled salt together.

The Golden City Army set out once more for Fang Prefecture. Along the way, Wei Liang called one officer aside and said, “Wang Lin, there is a small matter I need you to handle.”

“Please command me, my lord,” the officer Wang Lin answered respectfully. They had once laughed and joked together, but now the gap in status was too vast; their old companion was about to become a noble military governor.

“Once we reach Fang Prefecture, tell Old Eight, without leaving any trace, that his second brother once said before Father that it was improper for him to take office as prefect of Fang Prefecture,” Wei Liang instructed coolly.

Wang Lin hesitated, then said in a low voice, “My lord, when the matter is past, it is best for brothers to remain on good terms.”

“I’ve risked my life hauling goods out there, and the family at home didn’t even have enough to eat, while his second brother’s family wore new clothes and ate meat, fat and sated. You tell me I shouldn’t resent that?” Wei Liang said darkly.

Wang Lin gave a bitter smile and nodded. He did not want to get involved in the friction among the lord’s brothers, but now that Wei Fifth was commanding the army, he could only follow Wei Liang’s orders.

As far as he knew, Wei Eighth, who served as a minor clerk in Luonan County, still had a fairly cordial relationship with Wei Second. That was mainly because Wei Eighth, in one way or another, was an independent little official who supported himself.

“Tell me, after the city was besieged, what did Old Second do? Did he go up to the gate tower to direct the defense?” Wei Liang asked again.

Wang Lin shook his head. “No. After the army surrounded the city, Second Lord Wei fell ill and did nothing at all. It was actually Lord Ten’s son, Young Master Fufeng, who was truly formidable. He kept command on the gate tower all along. The soldiers there obeyed his every order, and morale was surging. It surprised this servant greatly.”

Wei Liang nodded and sneered. “At the critical moment he was as timid as a mouse, doing nothing yet still wanting the benefits. He’s only lucky.”

Wang Lin fell silent, no longer daring to speak. Stirring up discord between brothers was not something Wei Liang would necessarily take kindly to hearing.

...

After Wei Liang left, his grandfather immediately drafted a memorial. While highlighting Wei Liang’s military achievements, he also described the severe weather: the flood peak of the Han River had surged, making it impossible for Yang Shouliang’s forces to remain there for long.

He further stated that agriculture in Jin Prefecture had suffered heavy devastation, and both soldiers and civilians could no longer secure their livelihoods, so they could only rely on the troops and resources from Jun Prefecture and Fang Prefecture to survive. Therefore, a military governor over the three prefectures should be appointed.

If the court could establish such a military governor, then Jin Prefecture would have the ability to continue paying tribute to the court this year.

Once the memorial was finished, he considered it carefully, then sent a fast horse to carry it to the capital.

...

Within the Hall of Extended Brilliance in the Great Bright Palace, the Son of Heaven looked wordlessly at the petition from the governor of Jin Prefecture, and felt helpless regret in his heart, thinking that he should not have remained too biased and watchful; he ought to have sent troops at the proper time. Now that the siege of Jin Prefecture had lifted itself, the court instead seemed to be in the wrong.

“What do you all think of the matter of Jin Prefecture?” the Son of Heaven asked, lifting his head toward the four chancellors.

“I believe that Jun Prefecture and Fang Prefecture are under the governance of the Loyal and Righteous Army, and that army has always honored the court. It is not appropriate to establish another military governor,” said Cui Shaowei first.

The Son of Heaven turned to Du Rangneng and asked, “What do you think, Duke Du?”

Du Rangneng rose and said, “According to what this minister knows, although Jun Prefecture and Fang Prefecture are nominally under the Loyal and Righteous Army, they in fact do not obey its commands. This time, the combined forces of Jun and Fang invaded Jin Prefecture, and the Loyal and Righteous Army did not send troops to stop them, which was a dereliction of duty. As for Jun Prefecture and Fang Prefecture, they were occupied by the Golden City Army after suppressing rebellion. In terms of merit, the court should recognize them.”

“Huainan is in the midst of a chaotic war, and the Xuanwu Army also threatens the Loyal and Righteous Army. Naturally, the Loyal and Righteous Army cannot spare forces to look west,” Cui Shaowei argued.

“Since Minister Cui also knows that the Loyal and Righteous Army cannot look west, then I ask Minister Cui, as the court’s imperial envoy, to personally go to Jun Prefecture and Fang Prefecture and issue the court’s order for the Golden City Army to withdraw from those places,” Du Rangneng said coldly, his tone faintly mocking.

Cui Shaowei was left speechless. Du Rangneng went on, “The Loyal and Righteous Army itself was once made up of rebels, whereas the Golden City Army is a force personally granted by His Majesty. If the court abandons its own and favors the rebels, what will the consequences be?”

Cui Shaowei seemed on the verge of speaking, but in the end blurted out, “There is something suspicious about the matter of Jin Prefecture. When the Golden City Army occupied Jun Prefecture, they requested the appointment of a prefect from the court. That is plainly deceiving the sovereign.”

“In war, it is not merely strength that clashes, but also a contest over rightful authority. The governor of Jin Prefecture requested the removal of the prefect of Jun Prefecture and the appointment of another, turning the enemy into rebels and placing himself on the side of righteousness. If the court’s appointments were useless, why would those bandits who come from rebel stock scramble to ask the court for office?” Du Rangneng said coldly. He was deeply disgusted by Cui Shaowei’s ignorance; in the past, he had also strongly opposed his proposal to send troops.

The Son of Heaven did not want the chancellors to continue their quarrel, and said, “Does Duke Du approve of establishing a military governor?”

“I do not wish to approve it. Once Jun Prefecture and Fang Prefecture come under Jin Prefecture’s rule, the hidden danger of becoming too powerful will certainly arise. Still, compared with the military governors of Huashang and Fengxiang, Jin Prefecture is more worthy of the court’s trust, and perhaps it can restrain the military strength of the eastern and western frontier commands,” Du Rangneng replied.

The Son of Heaven fell silent. In his heart, he felt that the Wei clan’s growing power was more frightening than the military governors who had risen from the ranks of generals, yet this matter was exceedingly difficult to handle.

As Du Rangneng had said, even if the court refused, the Golden City Army would not withdraw from Jun Prefecture and Fang Prefecture.