Chapter 47: The Dishi Awakens (Between protecting the Emperor and sacrificing himself…)
There were about a dozen villages around Luoxian. The bandit trouble affected not only Luoxian but also several other counties, each governing numerous villages.
The task for Zhu Zhao, Magistrate Gao, and the others was to persuade the remaining farmers to go out and engage in farm work as soon as possible.
The spring rain was still falling. The environment in these villages was poor, the village roads muddy. The experience of wading through the swamp threatened to repeat itself, but Ying Xi insisted on following.
Magistrate Gao had some petty cleverness. Judging from Zhu Zhao’s attitude toward Ying Xi, he increasingly determined that this attendant was not to be underestimated, so he prepared thoughtful rain gear.
The carriage arrived at Changzhuang Village first. The group consisted of a total of six or seven bailiffs; they couldn’t bring more manpower. Even if soldiers stayed outside the village, they would be discovered by the commoners acting as sentries. The local villagers were already panicked by every rustle of the wind.
Entering the village, they first communicated with the Village Head.
The Village Head had graying hair, a large face with a hint of good fortune, and welcomed them into the village leaning on a bamboo cane.
The Village Headās residence consisted of a front courtyard and a rear house. The courtyard was a dilapidated small yard; no flowers were planted, only a few water-slicked vegetables. Vines climbed the trellis, though it was unclear what was growing.
Inside the house, the Village Headās granddaughter served tea. It was just a few bowls of brewed tea dust, tasting worse than plain water. Ying Xi didn’t touch it.
“Distinguished… Distinguished Lords, Lord Magistrate.” Unlike ordinary villagers, the Village Head held a degree of awe for the Court.
Especially upon hearing that Zhu Zhao and the others were the very Amnesty Envoys who had pacified bandits all the way along the Xiaoshan South Road, the old Village Head clutched his polished bamboo cane, tears streaming down instantly.
“To tell… to tell the Envoys the truth,” the old man said. “My grandson has already been taken up the mountain to become a bandit. My eldest son had news a while ago, but now there is no person to be seen alive, no corpse to be seen dead. The family has survived until now entirely on my old frame of bones.”
The old man coughed after speaking, and his granddaughter hurriedly patted his back.
Once the old man calmed down slightly, Zhu Zhao asked, “Are there those who actively go up the mountain to join the bandits, and also those who are snatched to be bandits?”
The old man nodded, then sighed. “This is the strategy of the Luoshan Bandit Chief. The more people on the mountain, the harder it is to suppress the stronghold. If they don’t know how to rob, they go farm or feed horses. If they want to leave the stronghold, they either pay enough money or get killed directly.”
Ironically, the few fields within Luoxian being planted on time were actually being farmed by mountain bandits.
Before the old manās voice fell, an old man in gray coarse cloth clothes entered from outside. He had no rain gear and was soaked. Before entering the Village Head’s main room, he scraped the mud off his soles on the threshold.
Following this old man came an old woman, then a young man, a middle-aged man, a woman holding a child…
In an instant, the Village Headās main room became lively. The crying of children and the whispers of villagers intertwined with the sound of rain outside, converging into a scene Ying Xi had never witnessed before.
He was very good at guessing. He thought: This must be the Village Head sending out news, and each family sending their head to a meeting.
Ying Xi cast his gaze over the representatives and analyzed that Changzhuang Village had suffered a severe loss of able-bodied men.
The main room was gradually becoming too crowded:
“Is this to discuss fighting the bandits?”
“The Amnesty Mission wants the bandits to work for us? The government suffered a loss last time; will this work?”
“The government also fights bandits. Didn’t some strongholds get flattened in just a few hours, burned until not even a wisp of a soul remained, bandit blood covering the insteps of shoes…”
Hearing this, the woman holding the child immediately collapsed to the floor sitting. In the crowded room, with a thump, the child’s crying became sharper.
“Government Lords, oh! Shuangzhu isn’t a thief! He was forced up the mountain by the bandits! He refused, so the bandits beat my father, saying ‘One of the father or son must be taken.’ My father is old, so Shuangzhu went up. Our child is only two years oldā”
The woman’s crying and shouting were heart-wrenching, yet she feared that if she was too quiet, the government would order the flattening of Luoshan Stronghold.
Her plea was not unique to her family.
As she expressed it, the old woman also cried, “Da Bao, Er Bao, San Jinzi… the bandits stabbed two of my grandsons to death and took the last one. My daughter-in-law lost her soul thinking of the child; we have to tie her up daily, fearing she’ll take her own life. I beg the Lords, my family cannot be completely uprooted!”
Everyone spoke at once, each telling their own story in the main room.
Anyone listening would feel their head swell. Compared to the Qingniu Stronghold, the Luoshan bandits possessed more cunning and treachery.
“Silence! Silence!”
The old Village Head pounded the ground with his bamboo cane. After a few dull thuds, the room quieted for a moment, everyone looking at the Amnesty Envoys.
If they exterminated all the bandits, it would be the quickest effect, but they would inevitably lose the hearts of the people.
Perhaps losing some popular support wouldn’t shake the overall situation of Great Qin, but Zhu Zhao was soft-hearted after all. He secretly looked toward the Emperor. Ying Xi gave the answer without difficulty. He nodded.
Nodding meant agreement.
Zhu Zhao, relieved, comforted the people, speaking gently, “Folks, when planting crops, you know to adapt to local conditions and times. The Court’s governance is even less likely to generalize.”
“Sweeping away the Qingniu Stronghold was because those local bandits were heinously wicked. Luoshan’s situation is complex; we will naturally find a way to resolve it,” Zhu Zhao said.
“What way???” the villagers asked suddenly with excitement, their eyes lighting up.
Zhu Zhao was silent for a moment.
As it stood, the simplest solution was actually to wipe out the bandits entirely. How could he come up with a solution so quickly?
Zhu Zhao withdrew his gaze, and the villagers’ eyes dimmed. A flash of sorrow passed through Zhu Zhao’s heart.
Ying Xi spoke from the side, “Please rest assured, everyone. The Mister will surely be able to suppress the bandits and also reunite you with your families.”
Amidst the sound of rain, only Ying Xiās voice was firm. Being able to promise the commoners on behalf of Zhu Zhao was naturally equivalent to the Emperor himself having figured out some plan to suppress the bandits.
With hope hanging in their hearts, and someone willing to give them reassurance, everyone naturally hurried to cheer, as if sharing a dream they wanted to last longer.
Led by the Changzhuang Village Head, representatives from each household saw the Court Envoys off to the village entrance and onto the carriage, watching the envoys depart in the whistling spring rain until their figures gradually faded into the mist.
The carriage drove toward another village. The next stop was a close neighbor of Changzhuang Village.
Inside the carriage, the sound of wheels was particularly distinct. The bailiff driving couldn’t hear inside.
Ying Xi said in a low voice, “Teacher, they have kindled hope in the Court.”
“…” Zhu Zhao was slightly dazed. As Ying Xi approached, he noticed the scent of the unique palace incense floating near his ears. Cold, like snow wrapping winter plums.
Who else had kindled hope in the Court besides the people of Changzhuang Village?
Living and rising with Ying Xi recently, Ying Xi was showing him different facets of a gem.
The child who used to crowd around him begging for stories, who used to share little secrets with him, had long since grown up.
He was a superior with the courage to take responsibility and make decisions, and even more so, the Monarch of Great Qin who stood alone and turned the tide.
Zhu Zhaoās throat felt tight and dry. He forced himself to ask calmly, “Can Your Majesty break this deadlock?”
Ying Xi replied, “It is only a prototype.” The Emperor was also still thinking.
Zhu Zhao shook his head slightly. Under a bandit leader with thousands of troops and countless hostages, safely rescuing the hostages seemed impossible no matter how one thought about it.
Even if the Longwu Army went up the mountain, if the bandits dragged out two rows of good citizens and threatened to chop them if the army dared to attack, the Longwu Army would hesitate to shoot for fear of hitting the innocent!
Thoughts were a mess. Zhu Zhao sighed, changed the subject, and asked softly, “I didn’t hear you coughing last night. Are the licorice tablets working?”
“They work.” Ying Xi nodded.
No coughing, because it rained last night and the County Office was full of soldiers. Even if the Teacher went out, there was no chance for solitude.
How could Zhu Zhao know his good student harbored mischievous intentions?
Seeing Ying Xi nod, a few strands of soft brown hair slipped from behind his ear.
Zhu Zhaoās mind wavered, but he dared not reach out to touch Ying Xiās head like in childhood. That was now the most noble Dragon Head.
Zhu Zhao sighed increasingly, “Your Majesty can forgive people for making mistakes; even bandits can be granted amnesty. Your Majestyās heart is vast as a valley, rare in this world.”
Too many people had praised the amnesty policy recently.
But Ying Xiās starting point was merely to get more people to serve the Court, regardless of origin. He answered carelessly, “For the long-term plan of the world.”
He spoke so naturally. That the Emperor kept the realm constantly in his heart… as his proud disciple, how could Zhu Zhao not be filled with agitation?
Zhu Zhao felt intense pride, yet fell silent for a long time before speaking with difficulty, his voice hoarse beyond recognition.
“If…”
Ying Xi cast his gaze on Zhu Zhao. “What is it, Teacher?”
Zhu Zhao opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “If… the Teacher also once had faults, can Your Majesty forgive the Teacher?”
Ying Xi inhaled sharply in secret, feeling stunned.
Perhaps the Teacher was laying the groundwork, hinting, assuming he didn’t know. But Ying Xi was truly a knower.
He knew Zhu Zhao had betrayed Great Qin. Zhu Zhao was well-versed in the law and naturally knew that even if he voluntarily confessed to treason and defecting to the enemy, the punishment would be extremely severe. Waist-chopping, tearing by chariots, death by a thousand cutsāZhu Zhao could not escape death.
Had Zhu Zhao gone mad!?
Once, Ying Xi surmised that the ending of Zhu Zhaoās betrayal would eventually lead to Zhu Zhao being forced by him into panic, leaving Great Qin to go south, his misdeeds announced to the world by Ying Xi, bearing eternal infamy.
But in reality, Ying Xi didn’t know that the identity of a traitor was a block pressing on Zhu Zhaoās heart. He was tortured by morality, tormented repeatedly!
The student’s ability cleared away the teacher’s confusion about the fate of the nation.
Zhu Zhao no longer wanted to be that traitor lurking in the shadows.
He knew clearly that once these words were spoken, he would inevitably be suspected by the ice-clever Ying Xi. But upon deciding to confess privately, Zhu Zhaoās soul felt as if it had found relief at this moment.
He had already betrayed Ying Xi; he could not mistake again upon mistake, could not sink step by step!
Even if sanctioned by Great Qinās laws, that was his own doing. Completing the Courtās amnesty mission was Zhu Zhaoās final atonement.
Zhu Zhao said astringently, “Your Majesty, this guilty subject once consorted with the Jiangnan Army rebel leader…”
“Whoaā”
On the village road, the carriage stopped abruptly. Ying Xi and Zhu Zhao were thrown toward the outside of the carriage by inertia. Zhu Zhao spread his arms, hurriedly steadying Ying Xi.
Bean-sized raindrops smashed onto the carriage boards with a crackling sound.
Footsteps, hoofbeats, shoutingāin an instant, chaotic noises boiled over!
A bailiff threw open the carriage door with a crash. “Amnesty Envoys! Ban-Bandits! It’s the Luoshan Ban… dits…”
The word “bandits” was still in his mouth when an arrowhead pierced his throat. A fountain of blood sprayed instantly.
The bandits approached from far to near, each wearing bamboo hats and rain capes.
The young man in the lead had a baby face, a smiling expression, and one eye patch. He wasn’t tall, but his strength was immense. Through the rain cape, a silver neck ring could be seen hanging around his neck, tassels jingling.
Dong Gu dismounted, kicked over two bailiffs, gripped his horsewhip, and knocked on the carriage door. “Magistrate Gao, why aren’t you playing the grandson in your little county town? You actually left your pavilion?”
Rainwater flowed along the carriage roof.
Dong Gu narrowed his eyes.
Magistrate Gao shut the carriage door tight. “Chief… Chief Dong, please don’t… don’t! I’ll go back to playing grandson right now, don’t kill me!”
Luoshan Bandit Chief Dong Gu!
Who could have guessed that visiting villages to encourage agriculture would coincide exactly with Dong Gu coming down the mountain to plunder?
And who could have guessed that Dong Gu was just twenty years old, his appearance even possessing a boyish delicacy? He was the bandit chief who plagued several counties and gave no peace to the area for a hundred li!
Dong Gu stepped one foot onto the carriage board, laughing playfully. “Hehe, I thought no one would go out on a rainy day, so I could definitely pull off a few big jobs. Magistrate Gao, last time you sent me official uniforms. What are you leaving this time?”
“Sending… sending anything is fine! Whatever the Chief wants is fine!”
“I’ll have someone send it to you! I’ll have it sent to your noble stronghold immediately!”
Magistrate Gao’s voice shook uncontrollably.
Dong Guās smile suddenly carried some gratitude as he said heartily, “Good, very good. Ever since I became a bandit, I’ve been like a rat crossing the street, having to go down the mountain just to rob food and drink. Before, under the Righteous Army, I had a thousand brothers, someone issuing rations, and a cooking camp. When was I ever this destitute?”
This was a small leader of the original Qingniu Army, Ying Xi thought.
Magistrate Gao was flexible; seeing that bribery was useful, his emotions calmed slightly. He opened the carriage door and poked his head out, intending to haggle with Dong Gu.
“Chief, see how much fits this tiā”
Blood rolled down the corner of his mouth!
From the carriage came the scream of Gao Mingyang tearing through the rain curtain.
He was warmly embraced by Dong Gu and run through with a blade. Dong Guās single eye curved into a crescent moon; as he twisted the hilt and pulled at the corner of his mouth, Magistrate Gaoās screams became unbearable to hear.
Dong Gu squeezed words through his teeth, his tone vicious:
“The Court sent people. You hosted them. I know. You couldn’t outplay me, so you found helpers. You’re no good bird.”
Magistrate Gaoās mouth overflowed with large mouthfuls of blood. He was stabbed dozens of times by Dong Gu, the tip of the blade piercing flesh with chilling squelching sounds.
Having killed Gao Mingyang, Dong Gu then looked toward the other carriage, smiling, articulating word by word: “Am-nes-ty En-voys?”
ā”The Court won’t let me off, and I don’t want to surrender to the government. How can a desperado like me be granted amnesty?”
Capricious, cruel, and bloodthirsty.
Dong Gu could be called the most difficult bandit to deal with along the amnesty route!
Sweat seeped from Zhu Zhaoās brow. At the juncture of life and death, forcibly suppressing his fear and disgust of blood, his Adam’s apple bobbed.
Ying Xi grabbed Zhu Zhao from behind. His palm was sweating, his fingertips touching the skin of Zhu Zhaoās wrist. He wanted to take the Dishi back to the base.
Zhu Zhaoās arm trembled slightly, but his hand gripped Ying Xi tightly. Unexpectedly, even after he had nearly revealed the whole truth, Ying Xi could still trust him!
Zhu Zhaoās heart boiled with a rush of hot blood, about to burst through his chest, just like ten years ago when he took Ying Xiās hand, meeting this child for the first time in the Fanglan Hall.
The first lesson he taught was:
“Act without shame before your shadow, sleep without shame before your bedding, stand without shame before heaven and earth.”
Deeply feeling that he was holding Great Qinās last hope, between protecting the Emperor and sacrificing himself, Zhu Zhao ultimately chose the latter without hesitation.
If it was heaven’s will for the Teacher to atone with death…
Zhu Zhao straightened up, meeting Dong Guās gaze clearly. “Bandits who do not submit to the King’s influence shall be treated as treason. You can naturally kill this official now, but let my attendant return with my token to report. General Xie will inevitably flatten Luoshan. It just depends on whether you dare.”
Dong Gu grabbed Zhu Zhao by the collar. “I dare!”
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