“We’re not far from Fengzhou either. Once we get through this busy stretch, we’ll be able to go take a look,” Wei Tai said, clearly looking forward to it.
As they spoke, over a hundred bandits lay hidden in the distant mountains.
They watched Chu Qing and the others approaching slowly, suspicion and uncertainty written across their faces.
“I told you so. I said they were a Han army. What in the world is going on?”
“They really are Han soldiers. How strange.”
“I said a few days ago that there were small groups of Han soldiers around, and that the Ji army was mobilizing on a large scale. It looked like quite a few troops had withdrawn, but none of you believed me.”
“I’ve always felt that something was happening in Punan Commandery. I just don’t know exactly what.”
“Who cares what’s going on? Once they pass, we’ll raid the nearby villages for grain. I checked yesterday—they’re almost done with the harvest. If we don’t take it now, there’ll be nothing left.”
Because of the recent changes in Punan Commandery, the bandits—who had originally planned to raid the Ji people’s grain—had hesitated and refrained from taking action.
“Wait. Why does the person leading them look so familiar?” As Chu Qing and the others drew closer, someone noticed that something was amiss.
“Come to think of it, he does look familiar. Boss, take a look. Could he be Young General Chu?”
The dark-skinned man they called Boss was equally astonished. He had seen Chu Qing before.
As a young general, Chu Qing had patrolled and fought in many places throughout Chongzhou, and many of Chongzhou’s common people had seen him.
The man sucked in a sharp breath. “He is. He’s the Young General. Quickly, let’s go down and ask what’s happening.”
He sprang to his feet and started running down the mountain.
The people beside him hurriedly grabbed him. “Boss, what if it’s a trap?”
The dark-skinned man slapped their hand away. “What trap? That’s the Young General! What could possibly be a trap?”
He turned and looked at everyone. Seeing the anticipation and nervousness in their eyes, he knew they found it impossible to believe.
Chongzhou had been oppressed for far, far too long.
They no longer believed that any Han people would come to rescue them from their suffering.
The dark-skinned man felt his nose grow slightly sore. “Stay here. I’ll go down and take a look. If anything happens, leave without me. Don’t worry about me.”
With that, he ran down the mountain without hesitation.
After hesitating for a moment, more than a dozen men rose and followed him.
Chu Qing watched the shadows of the trees wavering in the distance and raised a hand. The procession came to a halt.
Before long, more than a dozen men charged down from the mountains. They were all Han.
The dark-skinned man slowed to a jog and stopped a few yards from Chu Qing. His expression was filled with excitement.
“Are you Young General Chu?”
Chu Qing nodded. “I am. Are you bandits from around here?”
After receiving a definite answer, the man’s nose stung with emotion. “Young General, you’re all right? Did you come to save us?”
Chu Qing swung down from his horse. “Yes. But the one saving you isn’t me. It’s my liege, Princess Jinyang.”
“Punan Commandery and Shangjing Commandery have now returned to the Han people. They are under my lord’s administration. You don’t need to be bandits anymore.”
The dark-skinned man was overcome with excitement. “Then… then can we go down the mountain? Can we return to our native villages?”
Chu Qing nodded. “You can, but it would be best to wait a few days. The Ji army is still withdrawing. Wait until they have completely left Punan Commandery before you return.”
“Once you’re home, stay there. We’ll send people to register your household status and arrange work for you.”
The dark-skinned man hurriedly asked, “Arrange work? Do you mean forced labor? Will we at least get a meal?”
In the past, working for the authorities had simply meant performing forced labor. They were usually given a meal of coarse grain and thin porridge. It was never enough to fill their stomachs, but it kept them alive.
If they could be guaranteed even one meal a day now, he felt he could work until the end of his life.
Chu Qing shook his head. “No. It’s simply work, and you’ll be paid for it. Our general stores and grain shops will soon open. When they do, you’ll be able to buy grain in the county seat.”
“Our grain won’t be expensive. A dan should cost only a little over two hundred copper coins. As long as you work hard, you’ll have enough to eat.”
The dark-skinned man was stunned. “Only a little over two hundred for a dan of grain?”
Chu Qing nodded. “You can ask the people registering your household for the exact details later.”
Then, remembering something, he added, “Pass the word along to any bandits you know in the area. Tell them to come down from the mountains.”
“There can be no bandits in my lord’s territory. If anyone refuses to listen and insists on continuing as a bandit, don’t blame us for wiping them out.”
The dark-skinned man hurriedly waved his hands. “Who would choose to be a bandit if they could live a proper life? I’ll notify everyone nearby as soon as I return. You can rest assured, Young General.”
Chu Qing nodded. “Anything else?”
The dark-skinned man shook his head and stepped aside. “No, General. Please go about your business.”
Jiu’an, Sizhou.
Listening to the rain drumming against the roof tiles, Mo Qi sat with his eyes closed, resting.
Before long, Mo Yi strode in. “Father, you sent for me?”
Mo Qi gave a soft hum. After a moment, he opened his eyes and pushed the letter on the desk toward him. “Take a look.”
Mo Yi did not understand, but he obediently took it. The instant he recognized the handwriting, his heart gave a violent jolt.
He quickly read on. His expression grew increasingly solemn, while the heavy stone in his heart quietly lifted. Before he realized it, his throat had tightened with emotion.
He read the letter twice from beginning to end before looking up at his father. Mo Qi had already closed his eyes again and was pretending to sleep.
After hesitating, Mo Yi asked, “Father, you received this letter so long ago. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Mo Qi snorted. “And what would telling you accomplish? Don’t tell me you really want to go to Fengzhou.”
Mo Yi fell silent. Only after a moment did he say, “I’ll do as you say, Father.”
Mo Qi furrowed his brows slightly. There was nothing wrong with this son of his, except that he was far too filial.
Filial piety was not a bad thing, but Mo Yi took it too far. He had no opinions or ideas of his own at all.
Just like now—he clearly wanted to ask more about his daughter, yet a single word from his father had made him swallow all his questions. That, in turn, left Mo Qi unable to say what he had originally intended.
Mo Qi opened his eyes and stared at his son for several breaths. Slowly, he said, “What do you think of the current situation in Sizhou?”
Mo Yi was startled. He did not understand why his father had suddenly asked him such a question, but he had always been frank with him.
“It’s dire. I hear that Tao Commandery and Shankang Commandery have been devastated by floods, with the people losing their homes. Yet His Majesty has done nothing to provide disaster relief. If this continues, I’m afraid those people will perish almost to the last.”
Mo Qi asked again, “What do you think of Fengzhou?”
Mo Yi shook his head. “I don’t know. But judging from this letter from Susu, as well as the information coming from various sources, it seems to be doing well. At the very least, the government there is clean and effective for now.”
Mo Qi gave a quiet hum. “Do you know that all the land in Fengzhou is under Princess Jinyang’s control, and the common people are not allowed to buy or sell it? What do you think of that?”
Mo Yi pondered. “I’ve heard that Princess Jinyang possesses high-yield grain seeds. She keeps the land under her own control to ensure that the people of Fengzhou have enough food to the greatest extent possible.”
He lowered his head and looked at the letter in his hands. “Susu says that the princess has been undertaking extensive water-control projects in Fengzhou. She also invented a remarkable device called a waterwheel, allowing Fengzhou to enjoy abundant harvests even in years of severe drought.”
Mo Qi stroked his beard. “Because of the land policy, Fengzhou has completely put the great families off from going there. At present, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. But in the long run, the benefits will outweigh the drawbacks. Princess Jinyang certainly has extraordinary resolve.”
