After Shen He finished reading the imperial edict announcing the ennoblement of Third Prince Yang Yuanpu and the others, the entire ceremony of receiving the decree was concluded.
Shen He’s body was also extremely weak. If he had to read through the two to three thousand character imperial edict word by word with pauses between each phrase, his body might not have been able to withstand it.
As for how the Hunan Administrative Commission would operate going forward, how the Left and Right Dragon Sparrow Armies and the provincial garrison troops would be reorganized, and the rewards of land and mansions for meritorious generals and soldiers beyond their official titles—these detailed matters would require further discussion among everyone before being promulgated as edicts in the name of the Hunan Administrative Commission’s Department of State Affairs.
That night, everyone indulged in an extravagant and exciting celebratory banquet, with red lanterns and flowing wine, jade-like beautiful faces blooming like flowers—utterly intoxicating.
Shen He, feeling unwell, had been arranged to rest early, but this didn’t affect the high spirits of the others in the slightest.
The night banquet continued until late into the night before the guests finally departed, satiated with enjoyment. Han Qian also left with a tipsy drunkenness, supported by Xi Ren as he returned to his residence.
Though Shen He hadn’t brought the decree with him earlier, after news arrived from Jinling that the Third Prince had been ennobled as Governor of Tanzhou and Minister of the Hunan Administrative Commission, the Tanzhou side had already begun preparations for establishing the Administrative Commission’s Department of State Affairs and reorganizing the Left and Right Dragon Sparrow Armies.
Today, the Governor-General’s Office had officially replaced its plaque with that of the Hunan Administrative Commission’s Department of State Affairs. Han Qian, Shen Yang, and the others had already moved out of the Governor-General’s Office several days earlier, each selecting mansions within the city for their residence.
Han Qian’s Advisory Military Office was located right next to Prince Tan’s palace.
This place had originally been the residence where Ma Yuanheng lived in Tanzhou when he served as Magistrate of Changsha County. Occupying about thirteen to fourteen acres, though it couldn’t compare with Prince Tan’s palace, it still had layer upon layer of courtyards with seventy to eighty rooms and a garden of about two acres—quite elegant and luxurious.
Zhao Ting’er and the others had also rushed over from Wuling and Hanshou to join Han Qian, all moving into this newly acquired mansion.
“You weren’t feeling well the past few days, so why did you come back drunk tonight?” Zhao Ting’er, who had stayed up until late at night, came out with a coquettish reproach to help Xi Ren support Han Qian into the bedroom, instructing the maidservants to bring warm water to attend to his washing.
“When they all take turns toasting you cup after cup, how can you not get drunk? He brewed the Swaying Geese Spring wine, but he didn’t forget to ensnare himself in it too,” Xi Ren said.
At that moment, the deep, melancholy sound of a xun being played came from the western courtyard.
In this mansion, only Feng Liao enjoyed playing the xun.
“Feng Liao still hasn’t gone to sleep?” Han Qian asked.
“Who knows what’s gotten into him. He dragged several people over to drink, made a commotion for half the night, and now he’s blowing that broken xun—carrying on for half the night. If he doesn’t settle down soon, I’ll have Wuji go over and seize that broken xun and smash it. Is anyone else in the mansion supposed to sleep or not?” Zhao Ting’er said domineeringly.
Han Qian laughed heartily. After washing his face and becoming somewhat more alert, he didn’t rush to sleep but instead followed the sound of the xun to the western courtyard where Feng Liao resided. He saw that the remnants of the feast laid out in the courtyard still hadn’t been cleared away. Zhou Chu, Zhao Jicheng, Zhao Qi, Du Yijun, Du Yiming, Du Qiniang, Du Jiuniang, Kong Xirong, and other “traitorous officials and rebellious descendants” were listening to Feng Liao play the xun, utterly entranced.
One of the concubines Feng Liao had brought to Tanzhou to attend to his daily needs stood holding a wine pot, also listening with rapt attention.
“Your xun playing wounds the heart—resentment overflowing everywhere!” Han Qian stood beneath a crabapple tree, looking at Feng Liao as he spoke.
Han Qian had also learned to play the xun, but he couldn’t play with such bone-deep melancholy that captivated listeners as Feng Liao did.
“My lord!” Only then did everyone snap out of their trance, clustering around Han Qian in confusion to pay their respects.
“His Highness has been ennobled as Prince Tan, and you, my lord, have been formally appointed as Advisory Military Counselor. We were happy, so we set up a private banquet in the garden to celebrate. We didn’t realize you had already returned to the mansion…” Feng Liao put away his clay xun and explained.
“Enough of that. I’m just grateful you didn’t run outside the mansion to play these melancholy tunes,” Han Qian waved his hand dismissively and sat down at the table, gesturing for Feng Liao’s concubine to clear away the messy cups and dishes on the table, then indicating for everyone to sit down and talk.
Yang Qin, as a bandit chieftain, could escape his lowly status and be granted official titles and build his own mansion simply by achieving merit alongside Lin Haizheng, Zhao Wuji, Fan Xicheng, Ji Fu, Ji Xiyao, and others.
Even Xi Chang, Xi Fa’er, and other members of the Xi clan who had been sold into slavery in earlier years had long since escaped their slave status. Though they still served at Han Qian’s side, they all held formal military officer positions.
However, Kong Xirong, Du Yijun, Du Yiming, and even Zhao Qi—the people Feng Liao had invited to this private banquet—were all traitorous officials of Great Chu or descendants of traitorous officials. After being demoted to slave status, no matter how great their achievements, they found it difficult to rise again.
For instance, in the attacks on Nanpo Stockade, Jimming Stockade, Chenyang City, Yuanling City, and even Wuling City, Kong Xirong had participated as a vanguard armored soldier in the bloodiest and most brutal siege warfare, accumulating over seventy beheadings. But his “Hundred Beheadings” military merit could only be distributed to other soldiers—it couldn’t be credited to his own account.
Feng Liao had merits in planning and mainly assisted Han Qian in managing all matters of the logistics battalion. Zhao Qi had been selected by Han Qian as commander of the Wuling Army’s whirlwind cannon battalion. Du Yijun worked with Chen Jitang to specifically oversee the operation of the iron smelting site and weapons workshop. The other three Du siblings worked with Zhao Ting’er to maintain the medical care battalion. They could all be said to have established distinguished merits in the campaign to reduce the feudal lords, but when it actually came time to record military achievements, there was no place for them.
The Wuling Army had been disbanded first. Apart from sending some severely and incurably injured to Xuzhou for treatment, Han Qian had also dissolved the logistics battalion, whirlwind cannon battalion, and medical care battalion—as if these units had never existed.
Ultimately, Emperor Tianyou was not a magnanimous person.
Over the years of Emperor Tianyou’s campaigns north and south, he had eliminated countless opponents. After battles, his treatment of the surviving forces of enemies involved either recruitment or bloody purges and suppression, following one harsh standard.
Enemy generals like Zhang Han, Gao Long, and Miao Yong, who had actively surrendered and pledged allegiance before the decisive battles and could actively achieve merit, were mostly treated favorably. But those enemy generals who were captured after cities fell or who had no choice but to surrender after the situation was lost, as well as treacherous officials convicted of rebellion, mostly didn’t meet good ends.
Even if these people weren’t subjected to immediate bloody purges, they would be kept in a separate register for life.
For Zhou Chu and Zhao Jicheng, as traitorous officials who surrendered after being captured when Wuling City fell, escaping death this time was already quite fortunate.
Ma Yuanheng hadn’t been able to escape death. Though Ji Zhongqi had imprisoned Ma Yin and his son Ma Xun and presented Yueyang City, and though he hadn’t been killed—even being ennobled as a marquis upon entering Jinling—he was detained and kept under house arrest in Jinling. Whether he could ultimately live to die of old age still depended on Emperor Tianyou’s mood.
In today’s Great Chu, Emperor Tianyou was the supreme rule. Why would Han Qian dare to request merit for Feng Liao, Kong Xirong, and the others for no good reason?
To avoid suspicion, Han Qian even tried as much as possible to prevent them from appearing at occasions where the Third Prince was present.
Today’s citywide celebration had absolutely nothing to do with Feng Liao and the others. On the contrary, it made them feel extraordinarily depressed and anguished.
All of this was fully revealed in the xun music Feng Liao played.
Han Qian had no words of comfort for them. Avoiding this topic, he informed everyone of the news that Shen He had further confirmed after arriving in Tanzhou, saying: “After the Administrative Commission is established, the first consideration must still be the suppression of the remnants of the Yongzhou rebel army. Rather than having leisure time to drink and play the xun, you should quickly produce a specific suppression proposal.”
“With heads rolling in Jinling, traitors like Zhao Sheng and Luo Jia have completely lost all hope of surrender. This battle will be difficult to fight!” Feng Liao sighed.
Han Qian gave a bitter smile. If Emperor Tianyou had only exterminated the Ma clan, they could still make efforts to send people into Yongzhou to persuade the officers under Zhao Sheng and Luo Jia to surrender and pledge allegiance. But among the traitorous criminals they had escorted to Jinling this time, not one had escaped reckoning. Even the mid and lower-level surrendered officials and captured officers remaining in Tanzhou had all been sentenced to military exile or sent to hard labor camps. Given this, the two rebel armies of Zhao Sheng and Luo Jia who had escaped to Yongzhou—not just the high and middle-ranking officers, but probably even the basic-level military officers—would be unwilling to surrender.
Emperor Tianyou’s rolling heads might effectively deter Xu Mingzhen, Du Chongtao, and even Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan from acting rashly. But at the same time, it had forced the originally extremely demoralized two rebel armies of Zhao Sheng and Luo Jia, now cornered beasts with no escape route, to coalesce together again.
Now, wanting to defeat the two rebel armies of Zhao Sheng and Luo Jia, after the Dragon Sparrow Army entered Yongzhou, they would likely face fierce resistance with every step forward.
Moreover, they still weren’t clear about the attitude of the Jinghai Army in the south and the King of Nanhai, Liu Yin.
“Difficulty has its own difficult way of fighting. Tomorrow, you’ll draft the proposal assuming the worst-case scenario,” Han Qian instructed.
It was already late at night. No matter how much of a slave-driver Han Qian was, he had to let everyone sober up and wait until tomorrow when their heads were clear to deliberate on military affairs.
Han Qian stood up and asked Zhou Chu and Zhao Jicheng: “Are there any inconveniences with you living in this mansion?”
Zhou Chu came from humble origins, but he was brave and strategic. In his early years, he was selected into the local militia and achieved merit in catching bandits, becoming appointed as a minor official. Only at age forty did he accumulate promotions to serve as Magistrate of Wuling County, also serving as one of the deputy generals when Ma Rong defended Wuling City.
Zhao Jicheng was a scholar from Tanzhou, somewhat younger than Zhou Chu.
These two men had assisted Ma Rong in defending Wuling City, creating quite a bit of trouble and obstacles for the Wuling Army and Dragon Sparrow Army’s siege. But during their tenure in Wuling, these two men had excellent official conduct—among the rare officials who could govern diligently, care for the people, and not exploit the locality. They were also extremely talented.
When escorting the traitorous criminals to Jinling for trial, Han Qian had only then pleaded with the Third Prince to remove them from the list of criminals to be escorted. At this time, they and their families had all been demoted to slave status. Han Qian hadn’t sent them to hard labor camps but instead brought them to his mansion to work.
In comparison, the Wuling County Magistrate and Deputy Magistrate hadn’t been so fortunate—they and their relatives and families were escorted to Jinling for trial and all executed.
Zhou Chu and Zhao Jicheng might have been able to accept their own deaths, but thinking of the terrifying scene of their wives, children, and elderly relatives’ heads rolling, they still felt lingering fear. Now being able to live peacefully in Han Qian’s mansion, how could they have any complaints?
Han Qian stood in the courtyard, gesturing for the others to leave first. Just as he was about to depart last, he seemed to casually say to Feng Liao standing behind him in attendance: “Lord Shen He said His Majesty has been afflicted with a minor ailment…”
Feng Liao was slightly startled, just pondering the meaning in Han Qian’s words when Han Qian gave another instruction before striding out of the courtyard: “Lord Shen He took a boat to Tanzhou to deliver the decree and is somewhat unaccustomed to the climate, feeling unwell. I said I would help diagnose and treat him. Tomorrow, you’ll take people to help me invite Lord Shen He over for a visit…”
Hearing Han Qian say this, Feng Liao was even more startled.
If Han Qian really wanted to invite Shen He over, having Xi Fa’er or Lin Zongjing lead people would be more appropriate than him, a traitor’s son. Could it be that Shen He’s physical discomfort was related to Emperor Tianyou’s minor ailment, and Han Qian wanted him to observe Shen He closely?
Feng Liao was also an extremely intelligent person. After a moment, he had already figured out Han Qian’s meaning. After all, Han Qian had told him that the Anning Palace and Prince Xin’s side wouldn’t remain peaceful, and poisoning was undoubtedly a covert and effective means…