“Village Head Zhang has been arrested by the Xianyang County Magistrate?”
Wei Shubin and Chai Yingge were both shocked. Hadn’t that stubborn old man been highly respected in the area? Previously, they had received much assistance from him in gathering information and mobilizing people. The authorities had always been courteous to such respected village elders – how could they suddenly turn against him and make an arrest?
Princess Pei slowly explained the situation. After Wei Shubin and the others had left Xianyang, the local authorities had begun a new round of military conscription, saying they needed to send reinforcement troops to the northwestern battlefield. Some said they were continuing the campaign against the Tuyuhun, while others claimed they were going to attack the Gaochang Kingdom – the information was chaotic and mixed.
The critical issue was that the region already suffered from a severe shortage of able-bodied men, and now it was the busy spring plowing season when labor was desperately needed everywhere. Village Head Zhang, who was responsible for overseeing and managing vast tracts of farmland and promoting agricultural development, had been constantly complaining about the labor shortage, saying that even fertile fields would have to be left fallow. When he heard about the new conscription order, he immediately flew into a rage. As it happened, the clerk who came to deliver the order also had a volatile temper, and after a few heated exchanges, they came to blows.
Though the old man Zhang was advanced in years, he possessed considerable strength, and his people surrounded him. In the ensuing brawl, the county clerk was injured and returned to the yamen, reporting that “unruly commoners were resisting imperial edicts and plotting rebellion.” At this point, even Zhang’s acquaintances in the county and village administration couldn’t contain the situation or smooth things over. They had no choice but to arrest Village Head Zhang and send him to jail while they slowly worked on resolving the matter.
“My elder brother said that when Village Head Zhang was being dragged away in wooden cangue and iron chains, he was still shouting reminders not to forget to watch over the irrigation channels, saying the crops would die if they missed the watering schedule,” Princess Pei sighed. Both Chai and Wei expressed their sympathy for the old man.
Master Pei had been extremely busy lately, preparing for his sister’s wedding and dowry while also working his connections inside and outside the Xianyang County office, trying his best to rescue Village Head Zhang. Although he held the noble title of Duke of Hedong, he didn’t hold any official position and thus had no real authority. Besides throwing money around in bribes, he had few options, and the situation was causing his hair to turn even whiter with worry.
Princess Pei’s visit to the Purple Void Temple served two purposes: first, to personally thank both Chai and Wei for their help in arranging her marriage, and second, to seek help for her brother’s predicament. Her family’s influence in and around the capital had long since dissipated. Although her new husband-to-be, Prince Zhao, was the eldest among the Retired Emperor’s younger sons, he held no real power. She could only carefully ask Chai Yingge if Imperial Son-in-law Chai of the Qiao State had any connections with the Xianyang County Magistrate and whether he might be willing to put in a good word.
While Chai Yingge was still pondering this request, Wei Shubin, remembering how Li Yuanji and others had received much help from the Pei siblings, and how Village Head Zhang had greatly assisted in her search for her sister, spoke up first:
“How could Old Zhang have any thoughts of rebellion? He’s simply devoted to managing the imperial fields, worried that delays in farming would lead to famine. The court has long decreed that agriculture is the foundation of all industries. With all the able-bodied men taken away, how can we harvest crops in autumn and pay taxes? Would everyone just starve to death? Throughout history, it’s always been cruel officials who force people into rebellion. If Sister Ying’s household could lend a helping hand to rescue him, it would be an act of boundless merit.”
Princess Pei smiled gratefully at her, while Chai Yingge laughed, “You’re quite generous with favors that cost you nothing… Honestly, my father has lived in the capital his whole life and has plenty of connections – he could certainly get a word through to the Xianyang Prefecture. Old Zhang himself isn’t a big deal, but he’s violated the northwestern military conscription orders, and that… well, my father would need to make careful inquiries first.”
The Tang Dynasty’s campaigns against the Tuyuhun, Gaochang, and other northwestern states had been a hot topic of debate among court officials in recent years. Wei Shubin’s father was a main force among those firmly opposed to war, while the Emperor himself led the pro-war faction… Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but shudder.
“My father still holds the honorary title of General of the Sixteen Guards,” Chai Yingge sighed. “If he were to help someone who resisted conscription and caused trouble at the Defense Command, malicious people might twist it into ‘secretly conspiring against state policy,’ bringing unwanted trouble.”
As daughters of official families, they understood this principle: civil officials could openly oppose war, but military officials opposing war carried implications of cowardice and dereliction of duty…
“I’ve got it!” Wei Shubin slapped her leg. “I’ll go home and talk to my father about this. He’s been repeatedly advising His Majesty against the northwestern campaigns, just quoting ancient wisdom and grand principles until his lips are dry, but it hasn’t worked. Old Zhang’s case is a perfect example of the common people’s suffering. Once Father knows about this, he certainly won’t stand idly by, and it will give him more substance for his court memorials!”
Chai Yingge immediately understood and smiled, “So you want your father to use Village Head Zhang as a weapon to challenge His Majesty’s face… Well, as long as the luck holds…”
“Luck?” Princess Pei worried, “With Village Head Zhang caught between the Emperor and his minister in their divine battle, wouldn’t it be… His Majesty respects Minister Wei, but he might not show the same leniency to a common farmer. If the dragon’s face shows anger and orders immediate execution, then…”
Having lived at the Weibei estate for so long, she had developed a genuine concern for Village Head Zhang. Chai Yingge shrugged and smiled, “There’s no helping it, we can only gamble on our enlightened ruler’s benevolence and sage virtue.”
…I don’t have any confidence at all, Wei Shubin thought silently. His own younger brother was still locked up in the city tower, and he wouldn’t release him.
“Moreover, if Minister Wei presses too hard when presenting this matter at court, it might lead to another consequence,” the Purple Void Temple Master glanced at Minister Wei’s eldest daughter with a smile. “The sharp decrease in household registration and population after the great chaos, leading to weakness in both farming and military power, is a fact that His Majesty cannot deny. If even the capital suburbs, with their concentration of good fields and dense population, are having such troubles with conscription, other places must be worse. Without enough troops to commit to the northwestern campaign, His Majesty will have to put more effort into other areas, such as diplomacy, such as marriage alliances…”
“He’ll be more urgent about deciding on the Gaochang marriage alliance candidate!” Wei Shubin blurted out. Chai Yingge nodded in agreement.
To their knowledge, Li Yuanji was currently the only ready candidate the Emperor was considering to send as an envoy to Gaochang. Given more time for careful selection and consideration of various factors, someone else might be favored, but if pressed for an urgent decision within three to five days, Li Yuanji’s chances of being sent to the Western Regions would greatly increase. As this involved imperial family marriages, the Emperor typically consulted the Empress first, and Chai Yingge had already put in a word with Empress Zhangsun…
“I’m going home right now!” Wei Shubin sprang to her feet. “Sister Ying, please have someone prepare a horse for me!”
Amidst Chai Yingge’s hearty laughter and Princess Pei’s covered smiles, she didn’t even care about feeling embarrassed or shy. Without any delay, she headed straight back to the city under the escort of Purple Void Temple servants.
Today her father wasn’t on duty at the Chancellery. After returning home from court in the afternoon, he had gone straight to his study, burying himself in writing some historical book about who knows which previous dynasty. Wei Shubin gathered her courage and burst in, paying her respects before relating Village Head Zhang’s case. Her father showed considerable interest, asking for details and writing an order to retrieve the case files. It seemed their prediction was correct – Wei Zheng intended to use this case as a practical example to strengthen his opposition to the Northwestern campaign in court.
But as soon as the important matter was discussed, without even a moment’s pause, Minister Wei dropped a bombshell:
“Shubin, you are no longer allowed to leave the house. Work with your mother on needlework and prepare your dowry. General Cheng will come for the wedding next month.”
“Next month’s wedding… why so sudden?”
Wei Shubin choked on her words, but her father was already tired of reasoning with her. He called for servants to come in, ordering them to take her back to her own bedroom in the rear courtyard, and to keep her under strict supervision, never allowing her to leave the house again.