The tenth day of the ninth month, nearing noon.
Jishi County, Jiyin Commandery.
Because the Taiping Prefecture had stationed troops there, the once-desolate city had taken on a measure of vitality.
Rows upon rows of armored soldiers, weapons in hand and eyes sharp with vigilance, patrolled back and forth atop the city walls.
On the city gate tower…
“Old Dian.”
Gazing toward the south, Zhang Jing spoke softly to Dian Wei.
“I heard you’re getting married soon.”
“Is there anything you want?”
“As long as I have it, I’ll grant it to you as a reward.”
“Well… there actually is.”
Dian Wei blushed awkwardly and stole a glance at Zhang Jing.
“Go ahead and say it.”
Zhang Jing hadn’t expected Dian Wei to actually ask for something.
Still, a gentleman’s word was his bond.
Other than Cai Yan, whom he obviously couldn’t give away, there wasn’t much he wasn’t willing to reward.
“Wine.”
Dian Wei swallowed hard before looking at Zhang Jing.
“My lord, I want to drink some wine.”
Pitifully enough, despite being the Commander of the Central Army, he still hadn’t achieved the freedom to drink wine whenever he pleased.
The reason was simple.
Throughout the Taiping Prefecture’s four commanderies, no one brewed alcohol.
Nor would Zhang Jing ever use grain to make wine.
Even if there happened to be a surplus of grain, he still wouldn’t do it.
Not until several years later— when grain stores truly overflowed and his territory had expanded considerably— would he even consider brewing wine.
To use grain for alcohol at a time like this was, in Zhang Jing’s eyes, little different from killing people and drinking their blood.
“Very well. Granted.”
With a wave of his hand, Zhang Jing said, “Once we return, I’ll have the Taiping Merchant Guild purchase a thousand jars of fine wine.”
“When your wedding comes, I’ll have fifty jars delivered to your residence.”
He might refuse to brew wine himself but he had no intention of stopping others from doing so.
He wasn’t so sanctimonious as to interfere in everything.
So long as he upheld his own principles and kept a clear conscience, that was enough.
Seeing how much Dian Wei longed for wine, he decided that after the shipment arrived, every official and military officer of Regular Seventh Rank or above would receive one jar as a reward.
That meant everyone from county magistrates and military marquises upward.
In the present Taiping Prefecture, there were roughly six hundred such officials.
The standard wine jar of this era held one dou, about twelve jin, equivalent to roughly six jin by modern weight.
For an average drinker, one jar was more than enough.
A thousand jars of wine would require approximately two hundred shi of grain.
“This subordinate thanks you, my lord!”
The moment Dian Wei heard he would receive fifty jars, he was overjoyed and immediately clasped his fists in gratitude.
“Old Dian.”
Smiling, Zhang Jing patted him on the arm.
“Remember, the wine may be excellent, but don’t overindulge.”
“Rest assured, my lord!”
Dian Wei thumped his chest.
“I definitely won’t let it interfere with my duties!”
At the same time, he secretly decided that once those fifty jars arrived, he would drink only one jin every night before bed.
Nearby, Pan Zhang unconsciously licked his lips.
His eyes were filled with envy.
Yet he didn’t ask for any himself.
After all, Old Dian was receiving the wine because he was getting married.
At worst, he could always trick Old Dian into sharing a few drinks later.
With that thought, Pan Zhang looked at Dian Wei with noticeably greater enthusiasm.
“My lord.”
Just then, Xun You approached and bowed.
“A messenger from Yuan Shu has arrived.”
“He reports that yesterday Yuan Shu captured Chen County.”
“Both Liu Chong and Luo Jun are dead.”
“Yuan Shu certainly didn’t waste any time.”
Zhang Jing glanced toward the sky before asking, “Did he send any other news?”
“No.”
Xun You shook his head.
“Then I imagine, his campaign has been proceeding exceptionally smoothly.”
Zhang Jing smiled.
“This was quite a profitable deal.”
“Two million shi of grain is no small amount.”
Indeed, the Taiping Prefecture’s role in this campaign was simply to make an appearance.
Their appearance fee was two million shi of grain.
Yuan Shu had already planned everything.
He himself, together with Qiao Rui and Liang Gang, would form the main assault force and attack Chen County.
Once successful Ji Ling, stationed at Fugou in Chenliu Commandery, would advance into Fule in the Kingdom of Chen.
Qin Xu, stationed at Yan County, would march on Zhe County.
Qi Ji, stationed at Xinyang, would advance toward Ningping.
The four armies would advance simultaneously, forming an encirclement of the Kingdom of Chen.
Aside from a handful of die-hard loyalists, Yuan Shu was confident he could pacify the entire kingdom within half a month.
At least, that was what he had told Zhang Jing in his letter.
Whether it would actually succeed Zhang Jing believed there was a fair chance.
The crucial prerequisite was that Liu Chong and Luo Jun had to be dead.
Combined with Yuan Shu’s prestigious reputation as a scion of the Four-Generations-Three-Excellencies Yuan clan, few people—other than the most fanatically loyal—would be willing to fight him to the death.
It had to be said because of Zhang Jing’s influence, the current Yuan Shu had become frighteningly powerful.
“My lord speaks wisely.”
Xun You wore a strange expression as he said, “My lord, if our army does absolutely nothing, I’m afraid it will expose the relationship between us and Yuan Shu.”
Zhang Jing replied, “It doesn’t matter even if it’s exposed.”
“At worst, Yuan Shu will bear the blame.”
“With the prestige of his Four-Generations-Three-Excellencies clan, he can weather that much.”
“Besides, Gongda, You’re mistaken.”
At this point, Zhang Jing turned toward the puzzled Xun You and continued, “Our army has no relationship with Yuan Shu.”
“We merely intended to invade Yu Province.”
“Yuan Shu offered the Taiping Prefecture two million shi of grain to buy peace.”
“That’s all.”
“Haha, my lord is absolutely right!”
Xun You nodded with a laugh.
People of insight could never truly be deceived by matters like this.
It was all a matter of the art of wording.
Whichever version best served one’s own interests was the version one presented.
Just like the Han court in years past.
The court referred to the goods it gave the frontier tribes as ‘rewards.’
The tribes, however, described the exact same payments as protection money paid by the Han.
At first glance neither description seemed entirely wrong.
……………..
Meanwhile, in You Province
On that day, Liu Yu personally went outside the city to welcome the imperial envoy sent from Chang’an.
He then hosted a banquet for the envoy at the Governor’s Residence.
“Lord Bo’an.”
After taking a sip of wine, Duan Xun, Gentleman Attendant of the Yellow Gate, looked toward Liu Yu, who sat in the seat of honor.
“How is it that I don’t see General Fenwu?”
“Is the General occupied with military affairs?”
Duan Xun’s question was actually a test.
His mission to You Province was to reconcile the two men.
After all, their memorials to the imperial court had piled up into mountains.
Nearly every one of them consisted of accusations against the other.
It was obvious that their relationship had long since reached rock bottom.
“To be frank, Attendant Duan.”
Liu Yu’s face darkened slightly.
“The so-called General Fenwu you speak of…”
“What military affairs could he possibly have?”
“He has no regard whatsoever for law or discipline.”
“He privately built a new city outside the walls.”
“I imagine he hasn’t even sobered up yet.”
“What?”
Duan Xun frowned deeply in surprise.
“How could such a thing possibly be allowed?”
He hadn’t expected the relationship between the two men to be even worse than he had imagined.
Nor had he expected Gongsun Zan to be so brazen as to build a fortified city without authorization.
“Do you think I would fabricate such accusations?”
Liu Yu’s expression grew even grimmer.
“Gongsun Zan is guilty of far more than that.”
“What pains me most is that despite being a general of the imperial court, he allows his soldiers to behave like bandits.”
“I don’t even know how many people in You Province have suffered because of him.”
“Were it not for this, cConsidering all his service to the court, do you think I would lack the tolerance to accommodate him?”
“Now that Attendant Duan has arrived, I ask you to judge between us.”
“Tell us, who is truly at fault—Gongsun Zan or myself?”
As Liu Yu finished speaking, everyone in the hall turned their eyes toward Duan Xun.
“Th-that’s…”
“I’m afraid that wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Caught completely off guard, Duan Xun forced an awkward smile.
“How could someone of my insignificant ability possibly presume to judge between the two of you?”
“I respectfully ask Lord Bo’an to withdraw this request.”
He knew it…
Imperial missions never ended well.
The previous two envoys, one had been driven away by Yuan Shu, while the other had somehow disappeared altogether.
And now it was his turn.
Compared to what the previous two had encountered, his situation seemed even more troublesome.
Even though he was an imperial envoy, cold sweat was already pouring down his back.
— The end of the Chapter–
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