nucmednet Chapter 619: Settlement of Accounts after Autumn
Chapter 619: Settlement of Accounts after Autumn
Xu Zhong knew about the Qionghai Army's aggressive storming of the Military Commissioner's office yesterday, and he had also heard that Pan Da openly and secretly opposed Liu Ye. The Qionghai Army was incredibly powerful, capable of routing the Tartars, and they didn't respect civil officials; how could Xu Zhong dare offend them? Fortunately, he had been respectful to Liu Ye from beginning to end, so he shouldn't have offended him in any way. He made up his mind that no matter what Liu Ye said later, and regardless of whether he could actually do it, he would agree immediately.
Liu Ye feigned a troubled expression, "We brought back several thousand warhorse carcasses from the battlefield, and eating horse meat could sustain us for a few days, but it's not a long-term solution. Now, all the grain supplies in Tianjin have been burned to ashes. Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. What should we do? Please, General Xu, teach me."
Xu Zhong was so anxious that he sweated even more. The granary was burned down, and without a source of food, his own provisions wouldn't last long. How could he help Liu Ye?
Seeing that Xu Zhong didn't understand, Liu Ye coughed and prompted, "Although our troops are guest troops, we drove away the Tartars and saved Tianjin from Tartar ravages. Our merits are immeasurable. Shouldn't the gentry of Tianjin donate some grain and provisions and pay for the horses?"
Xu Zhong then realized that donating grain and provisions, and covering horse feed were common tactics used by powerful military leaders—using these as pretexts to plunder and make a fortune. He just didn't understand why, if the Qionghai Army was so powerful, they could have simply rolled up their sleeves and done it themselves; why were they asking him for "consultation"?
He asked cautiously, "The Earl of Pingnan is right, but I wonder how I can be of any help?"
Seeing that he didn't get it, Liu Ye stopped beating around the bush and said directly, "I need to go to the capital to meet the emperor. I'm in a hurry and don't have time to dawdle. You're a local bigwig in Tianjin. You know best which wealthy families have grain. If you can point me in the right direction, it will save me a lot of time and prevent me from searching house by house..."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhong was greatly alarmed. This was putting him in a very difficult position! The Qionghai Army was a visiting force; they could rob and leave at will. He, on the other hand, was a local military household, his family having lived here for generations. If he offended all the local gentry, what good would come of it? Although Tianjin was not like Jiangnan, where the gentry were all well-connected, there were still a few formidable figures. While they couldn't do anything to the ruthless Qionghai Army, they could certainly handle him with ease.
With a mournful face, he pleaded, "Lord Pingnan, I am the hereditary commander of Tianjin Garrison, and I have nowhere to go. If I offend everyone in the city, how will I live? Please, Lord Pingnan, have mercy and show leniency..."
"Look at what you're saying! During my time in Tianjin, you've taken good care of me and even provided me with a military camp. How could I possibly betray you?" Liu Ye said. "Don't worry, I'm different from others. I don't want gold or silver, and I won't rape women. I only want grain. There haven't been any natural disasters in Tianjin in recent years, so wealthy families should have some grain stored up. If each household contributes a few hundred shi (a unit of dry measure), that should be enough."
Upon hearing that only grain was required, not silver, and that the women would not be harmed, Xu Zhong breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Liu Ye kept his promise and "donated grain" according to this standard, the resistance from the gentry should be much less. The corpses of the Tartars outside the city were right there; he believed no one would be so foolish as to risk their lives for a hundred or two hundred bushels of grain.
Xu Zhong, the commander of the garrison, had long since lost his fighting skills, but he was still very efficient in his work. He gathered his men and, in less than half an hour, compiled a list of all the wealthy gentry in Tianjin Garrison. He then sent people to guide the Qionghai Army, and, following the map, went door-to-door to persuade them to "donate grain."
As he expected, the Qionghai Army had made a name for itself in the battle, and now that they were asking for some grain, no gentry dared to make a fuss. They all cooperated obediently, donating between fifty and two hundred shi of grain according to the amount of land they owned. In half a day, they had gathered enough grain for the Qionghai Army to travel to and from the capital.
After procuring enough food, the Qionghai Army reorganized its troops and set off from the city in battalions, embarking on their journey to the capital.
Panda stood in a prison cart "borrowed" from the local government by the Qionghai Army, gazing sadly in the direction of the Military Commissioner's office. He had worked there for several years, accumulating a considerable fortune, hoping to one day return to the capital in glory. But all that had vanished overnight, and he would return to the capital in humiliation, his reputation ruined. He was powerless to rebuke the Qionghai Army for abusing their power, for taking a high-ranking military commissioner, appointed by the imperial court, away from his office as a prisoner without any official procedure. Words were futile; ultimately, they were no match for a knife.
After leaving Tianjin and traveling west for several miles, the army arrived at the city walls of Jinghai County. Before entering Beijing, Liu Ye planned to settle scores with those who had opposed him.
Liu Ye personally stepped forward and called out, "General Wang, this is Liu Ye. It feels like three autumns have passed since we last met. I've missed you terribly since we parted the other day, and I've come to see you again!"
The soldiers guarding the city quickly went down to report. A short while later, Wang Hong's slightly fierce face appeared on the wall, and he said with an embarrassed smile, "General Liu, what are you saying? You are now a great hero who killed the Tartars. Hurry up and take your head to the capital to receive your reward. Don't waste time here. Our place is too small to accommodate such a great figure as you, and we don't have much to offer in terms of hospitality. We're afraid of neglecting our distinguished guest..." He was acting under orders from his superiors, having hindered Liu Ye, and felt very guilty, not daring to open the door. In his view, Liu Ye's sudden appearance was definitely a case of a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—he had no good intentions.
Liu Ye "scolded" him, saying, "General Wang, this isn't very hospitable! I came here with the utmost sincerity to visit you, and you just give me the cold shoulder like this? Besides, I didn't come alone; I have other people with me visiting relatives and friends!"
Wang Hong was stunned. What was this all about?
Liu Ye stepped aside, revealing three prison carts. He introduced them: "You definitely recognize this man, Pan Da, the Tianjin Garrison Commander. He's your provider; your army's provisions are all controlled by him. You also recognize these two in their uniforms; they're from the Imperial Guards in Beijing. They said two of their companions came to you and want to make contact so they can return to Beijing together..."
Wang Hong was shocked. The military commissioner Pan Da and two Imperial Guards had been put into prison carts, indicating that the plot had been exposed. Moreover, Liu Ye was not afraid of the consequences of his actions. So, once the city gates were opened, he would be the fourth person to be put into prison. He quickly ordered his men to seal the gates with sandbags and mud, while preparing to defend the city, and questioned Liu Ye.
"You surnamed Liu, aren't you afraid of the Emperor's wrath for doing this?"