Taiheiki

Chapter 53 Bad News

"About fifty people? Even fewer than the guards and craftsmen I have now! Can we maintain law and order in the entire county with just these few people?" Wei Cong thought to himself. He glanced at the crowd and asked the oldest official, "Mr. Liu, does the bandit Cao only have so few people?"

The old official understood Wei Cong's intention and quickly replied, "Sir, this is the thief Cao under the command of the prefect. Each county has its own thief Cao, and they handle the affairs of each county!"

"In other words, we only need to deal with the thieves in the prefect's office, right?" Wei Cong asked.

"That's right, sir!" the old official replied. "Of course, if there are thieves roaming between counties, you can rally several counties to jointly apprehend them. Furthermore, if there are a large number of thieves, after reporting to the prefect, you can mobilize the county troops and the patrols from each township to apprehend them!"

"Hmm!" Wei Cong nodded. He was now fully aware of the duties and powers of the prefecture and county bandit officers. "Well, some of my men have made some contributions in the killing of Zhang Bolu. Could they be listed in the bandit officer's office? That would make it easier for me to handle my duties in the future?"

"That's easy!" the old official said with a smile, "There are still some vacancies on our roster. You can just list your name and it'll be done. If there are more, you can be assigned to menial jobs, but you won't get any salary!"

"I see!" Wei Cong asked a few more questions. The old official answered fluently, clearly quite familiar with official business. Wei Cong nodded secretly and asked, "Your name is Liu An, right? May I ask your age?"

"I dare not ask you, my lord!" Liu An said with a smile, "I was born in the sixth year of the Yuanchu era (119 AD), and I am already forty-seven this year!"

"Old man, you are in good health. You wouldn't know you are already this old!" Wei Cong smiled and complimented him. He walked up the steps, bowed to everyone present, and said, "Everyone, from now on, you and I are all colleagues. I am an outsider and not familiar with the local customs and practices of Nanjun. I will rely on you a lot in the future! If you all have nothing to do later, please stay and have a couple of drinks together to catch up on friendship!"

"Yes, sir!" Everyone responded in unison. Wei Cong took out two thousand coins and asked someone to go to the nearby wine shop to buy wine, cut meat, kill chickens and cut fish. He also bought a lot of fruits and vegetables, and brought them to Cao's kitchen to prepare them. He spread a few reed mats on the ground, and he and everyone sat around them. They poured wine together and drank it. The dishes prepared in the kitchen were brought up and placed on the reed mats for everyone to use. Everyone was a little restrained at first, but after a few glasses of wine, they saw that Wei Cong was not the kind of boss who was particular about etiquette, and the atmosphere gradually became warmer. A military official in his early twenties mustered up the courage, raised the wine bowl, and said to Wei Cong: "Before you came, sir, I had heard of your reputation. Seeing you today, it is true that hearing about you is worse than seeing you. Please drink this bowl to show my admiration!"

"Oh?" Wei Cong smiled and picked up the wine bowl, but didn't drink. "Your name is Huang Cheng, right? You can toast me, but first you have to tell me what the rumors say about me."

"Haha!" Huang Cheng looked around and answered with courage, "I had only heard that our bandit department had a new assistant, but I had never met him. I thought it was a young man from a wealthy family in the county who came to put his name on the list. But two days later, I heard that the new assistant was no ordinary person. Before taking office, he killed Zhang Bolu, the "crimson-robed general" who had been rampant in Jiangbei for more than ten years, on the river. At first, I thought it was just a rumor. After all, many people have killed Zhang Bolu over the years, at least five or six, but in the end, Zhang Bolu's brocade boats still appear on the river——"

"So you think this is just a rumor, right?" Wei Cong said with a smile.

"Hehe!" Huang Cheng laughed dryly. "Yeah! But I'm not the only one who thinks so. After all, I've heard of Zhang Bolu's reputation since I was a kid. I never thought he would die at the hands of others!"

"Yes!"

"Don't tell me, I also thought it was just a rumor at first!"

"Yes! It was only later, when I saw the salvaged brocade boat parked by the river, the bodies of many crimson-robed thieves, and the captives, that I gradually began to believe it!"

"To be honest, even now, many people still believe that Zhang Bolu is not dead, but simply fled to a foreign land. After all, no one has seen his body!"

Listening to the voices of the people around him, Wei Cong picked up the wine glass and drank the liquid in it. At this time, he had gradually understood these people's complex feelings towards "General Jiangyi" Zhang Bolu. People were angry at the tyranny of this thief, but also admired his amazing courage and bravery in daring to go against the government. They even had some love and respect for his heroic and dashing behavior.

As the land of the ancient Chu state, the people of Jingzhou were known for their toughness and their worship of courage and strength was almost pathological. Even if you were a rampant bandit, as long as you were strong, brave, and legendary enough, the people would spread your name, and desperate young men would risk their lives to follow you. Some would even deify you and make statues of you to worship at home. After all, only a few people were truly harmed by Zhang Bolu; most people were not.

"Luckily, I took the initiative and caught Zhang Bolu off guard. Otherwise, if this dragged on, who would have won or lost is who knows!" Wei Cong thought to himself. He looked at his subordinates who were chatting animatedly and was about to say something when a man came in from outside. It was the chief clerk. Seeing Wei Cong, he hurriedly said, "Oh! Master Wei, come with me quickly. The prefect has an urgent matter to summon you!"

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Wei Cong, hungry and full of suspicion, walked through the gate of the prefectural mansion and followed the chief clerk through the corridor to the back hall. He secretly regretted why he hadn't eaten more and drunk less. "What's so important that it can't wait? I just picked up my chopsticks and haven't eaten much. My stomach is still empty!"

"Hey, everyone is here, waiting for you! We can't let the prefect and others wait for you alone, right?" The chief clerk sneered.

"Master, wait for me?" Wei Cong lowered his head in frustration. From ancient times to the present, only subordinates have accommodated their superiors, and no superiors have accommodated their subordinates. "Master, please wait a moment. Let me tidy my clothes. Otherwise, it would be rude!"

The chief clerk stopped and looked Wei Cong up and down. He saw that his sleeves were rolled up, his clothes were open, and his belt was not tied properly. He nodded and said, "Then hurry up. We can't keep the prefect and the other gentlemen waiting for too long!"

"Gentlemen?" Wei Cong's heart moved, and he did not continue to ask. He tidied his clothes as quickly as possible, shook off the reed fragments that were on them, and then said to the chief clerk: "Okay!" So, Wei Cong strode into the back hall in his clothes stained with wine, and found Han Chun sitting in the main seat, with seven or eight men with tall hats and high robes and dignified expressions sitting on both sides. On his left sat a middle-aged man in linen clothes with a tired expression, and on his right sat a young man in black clothes, who was none other than Cao Cao.

"Master Cao, why is it you?" Wei Cong was surprised. He then realized that he had not yet saluted his immediate superior. He quickly bowed and said, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you. I was so surprised just now. Please forgive me!"

"Forget it! Meng De, you should get up first!" Han Chun was obviously in no mood to stick to formalities at the moment. He pointed to a seat at the very end of the left wing and said, "Hurry up and sit down. We're about to begin!"

Wei Cong responded and sat down where Han Chun pointed. Only then did he notice that Huang Wan was also among them. Although the other men had different appearances, the majesty and arrogance on their faces seemed as if they were printed from the same mold.

"Could it be that these people, like Huang Wan, are from high-ranking families in the county?" Wei Cong thought to himself, "Why are they here? Could it be that the order I sent to clean up the county's bandits has gone viral? Are they here to argue with the governor? But if that's the case, why is Cao Cao among them? He shouldn't have any connections to Nanjun, right?"

As soon as Wei Cong sat down, Han Chun said to the tired-looking middle-aged man in sackcloth clothes on his left, "Grandmaster Lu, you may begin!"

The middle-aged man in sackcloth nodded and began to narrate in a low voice. It turned out that this person was Lu Ju, the prefect of Wuling County. Wei Cong, who already had a basic understanding of Jingzhou's geography, was wondering if Wuling County was in turmoil among the Wuling Barbarians. Why did this prefect abandon his own county and run off to Nanjun?
"Wuling County has fallen, Governor Liu has long been lost in the chaos, and the bandits are wreaking havoc—"

"Wait a minute!" Huang Wan was the first to interrupt Lu Ju's story. "Lu Taishou, you have a duty to defend your territory. Since Wuling County has fallen, you are doomed. Why are you running to Nan County?"

"Indeed! Hanshou, Linyuan, and Suo are all important towns in southern Jing, well-fortified. How could they all fall into the hands of thieves so suddenly? As a prefect, you must live and die with your administration. How could you retreat in the face of adversity and become a laughingstock for the world?"

"Yes! A real man is willing to die, but how can he lose even this little bit of dignity?"

"You've lost your territory. Even if you escape, you'll be dead! The Feng cavalry will arrive in just two days. Why not die in the city instead of returning and suffering this humiliation?"

The accusations from both sides were like a barrage of bullets, leaving the fleeing Lu Taishou speechless. He no longer had the prestige of a two thousand stone official. He lowered his head, his face pale, his whole body trembling, in agony, unable to speak.

"Forget it! Stop talking and take a break! Let Master Cao speak next!" Han Chun gave Prefect Lu a sympathetic look. He had only recently taken office as Prefect of Nanjun and had only met this colleague once, so they couldn't really be considered close friends. But seeing his utterly dejected state, he still felt a pang of grief. After all, if he were in Lu's shoes, would he have been willing to commit suicide instead of fleeing after the city fell? Han Chun didn't want to know the answer.

Compared to Governor Lu, Cao Cao, though still young, possessed a calm demeanor and articulate speech, drawing silent nods from the local clan leaders and Han Chun. Though born into a family of eunuchs, Cao Cao possessed a remarkable maturity, a true sign of maturity. Cao Cao began by explaining that upon learning of the barbarian attack on Hanshou County, he had used his own wealth to purchase food and cloth, prepared boats, and planned to travel by water to relieve the garrison. He recounted the desolate scenes he had witnessed along the way, leaving everyone in the room feeling melancholy, as if everything Cao Cao described had occurred not in Jingnan but in his own hometown.

"When my boat was still half a day's journey from Hanshou County, I heard someone crying for help from the reeds by the river. Although I knew the situation was critical, for the sake of human life, I risked my life and rescued Prefect Lu and his men. Prefect Lu told me that the Wuling barbarians were different this time. Their leader, Jingfu, was feigning benevolence. Not only did the Changsha and Guilin barbarians accept him as their leader, but he also recruited defeated soldiers and Shanyue people. He didn't burn or kill the Han villages under his jurisdiction, but instead demanded some food and cloth and the handover of ironware. As a result, many people in the city were willing to support him from within. Renshou and Linyuan were both captured by this insider influence!"

"Well, you came back directly after you learned about this?" Han Chun asked.

"That's right!" Cao Cao said, "I felt the situation was critical at the time. The most important thing was to return as quickly as possible and report this news to Envoy Han."

"Well, not bad!" Han Chun nodded with satisfaction. "Sir, you must be a little tired after a long journey. Please go down and rest first!"

"Thank you, my lord!" Cao Cao stood up, bowed to everyone, and turned to leave. When he passed by Wei Cong, he paused for a moment, winked at Wei Cong, and then walked out.

"Lu Taishou, you should go down as well!" Han Chun said, "We also have some matters to discuss regarding Nanjun!"

Faced with the obvious insult, Lu Ju's cheeks flushed red, but under the contemptuous gazes of the crowd, the color quickly disappeared. He walked out with his head lowered and his back hunched. When he reached the door, he heard a sigh behind him.

"The only hardship in the history of the world is death. How can Lady Xi be the only one who is heartbroken? (Lady Xi: Xi Gui, the wife of a prince of the State of Xi during the Spring and Autumn Period. After the State of Chu conquered the State of Xi, she was taken as a concubine by King Wen of Chu and gave birth to two sons. However, she never spoke to the King of Chu. When asked why, she said, "A woman has married two husbands, and only death is one of them. What else is there to say?")"

"Death is the only hardship in the history of the world, and how could Madam Xi be the only one to feel grief?" Huang Wan recited the lines Wei Cong had just read, feeling a deep aftertaste. At that time, poetry was still primarily in the five-character classical form. Although a similar form existed during the Han Dynasty, the seven-character couplet Wei Cong recited was both poignant and profound. Furthermore, the Chu Ci often uses fragrant herbs and beautiful women to symbolize loyal and virtuous people, making it a truly fitting line for Lu Ju's situation. It was truly a rare and beautiful line.

"Good, good!" Huang Wan was still pondering the words as the man beside him clapped his hands and laughed, "What a tale! Death is the only hardship in the universe. Madam Xi isn't the only one who's heartbroken. I'm Kuai Sheng. May I ask if what you just said was something you heard or did you write yourself?"

"Reporting to Mr. Kuai, I just blurted it out when I was inspired!" Wei Cong said in a deep voice, thinking to himself that the author would not be born for more than a thousand years, and he was not afraid that he would travel through time and space to expose him.

　I'm sorry, I was on a business trip these two days, so I filled in the chapters on my mobile phone and sent them out on schedule. However, when I copied and pasted on my phone, I didn't align them correctly, so I sent them out repeatedly. I apologize!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)