Chapter 745: Fights Among Minor Figures

Qiongzhou Prefecture governed three prefectures and thirteen counties, all of which had fortified cities. Except for Ding’an County, the rest were located near the sea, truly coastal areas. In the early Ming dynasty, all officials in these prefectures and counties were Han people rather than local chieftains, which led many Li ethnic group leaders to refuse to submit or even rebel repeatedly. As a result, there were as many as twenty to thirty thousand troops stationed in Hainan. At the beginning of the Yongle era, the system of recruiting local chiefs was adopted, and the region gradually stabilized. Today, the areas under Li tribal control have more than doubled in size compared to before.

Chengmai County was located west of Qiongzhou Prefecture, just over a hundred miles away. It was one of the three famous towns in Hainan during the Western Han dynasty—alongside Dai Mao and Zi Bei. In the third year of the Sui Dynasty’s Daye era, it was named after the Chengjiang River to the west and Maishan Mountain to the east, and the name has been used ever since for over eight hundred years. As it bordered the Qiongzhou Strait to the north, it, like Qiongshan County, had a sizable port for trade. Local specialties such as handmade cloth, crops, and other goods were shipped to places like Guangzhou in exchange for daily necessities like ironware, pottery, and salt.

Thus, although not the administrative center of the prefecture, Chengmai was still a large county in Qiongzhou, with the largest population of settled Li people. Across the entire prefecture, there were 28 tribes, 75 groups, and 155 villages of settled Li people under tribal administration, while just Chengmai County alone had 6 tribes, 60 groups, and 137 villages. Li people accounted for nearly half of the county’s population, making it the county with the highest proportion of Li people after Yazhou, which had the most unsettled Li people.

For this reason, on the main street in the heart of Chengmai County, one could see Li men and women with black cloth wrapped around their heads, wearing collarless, open-fronted short-sleeved shirts with split fronts and dark brown skin. Cao Jixiang, who was there for the first time, wiped his shiny forehead with a handkerchief and glanced at a beautiful Li girl wearing an embroidered straight-collared shirt passing by, but quickly turned away.

“It’s already October, and it’s still so hot here!”

On this trip to Qiongzhou, Zhang Qian assigned him four bodyguards, and the Jinyiwei also sent two capable soldiers. Including himself, there were only seven people in total. When the large ship arrived at the port, the tall, thin Jinyiwei nicknamed “Rattlesnake” stepped forward first. As soon as everyone stepped off the dock, he brought along a guide. With this guide, the group spent half a day riding around the entire county. Instead of heading to the county government office, they stayed at an inn in the city, as instructed by Zhang Yue earlier.

It wasn’t the peak season for business trips, so more than half of the inns were empty, meaning there was no risk of interruption during their conversation. Cao Jixiang handed over the letter that Zhang Yue had asked him to bring, then listened as the other party explained the situation in the county. A serious expression appeared on his face: “You mean those guys have arranged to meet the chiefs of the six Li tribes outside the city at Chanshi Temple?”
Zhang Bu had been there for almost half a month. Since Zhang Yue had ostensibly assigned him the task of delivering some items on behalf of the Duke of Ying, he took the opportunity to gather many pieces of information through the Qiu family and recounted them all in detail. Seeing that Cao Jixiang still seemed skeptical, he added, “Those over ten people checked into the county yamen under the guise of the military command. I sent people to investigate, and the information is definitely accurate.”
After hearing Zhang Bu confirm once again that the information was reliable, Cao Jixiang couldn’t help but lick his dry lips. Although he hadn’t been in the palace for long and was still young, he had been around powerful figures, naturally developing a habit of seeking revenge at every opportunity. He had suffered humiliation at Gu Xingzu’s hands earlier and had been seething with anger, but the time hadn’t been right to retaliate. He had volunteered for this task out of a gambling-like urge to try his luck big time. If successful, he would have a solid achievement to build on for a bright future; if not, he would just lose his life—only to become a hero again in eighteen years.
Before leaving, Zhang Qian had hinted at several possible reasons why Gu Xingzu might have sent people to Qiongzhou Prefecture. In his usual tendency to assume the worst, he saw one possibility as especially likely—by sending people to incite a rebellion among the Li tribe, not only would Gu Xingzu’s previous claims and precautions be proven true, but the person who sent troops to suppress the rebellion would also earn great military merit.
“Brother Zhang, as you know, I didn’t bring many people this time,” Cao Jixiang thought for a moment before showing his most sincere smile. “I know Lord Zhang is always extremely clever. Sending you to visit the Qiu family on behalf of the Duke of Ying must just be an excuse. In this world, the Marquis of Zhenyuan has the greatest schemes. Although the Qiu family is now in decline, they have been in Chengmai for over a decade and still have a network of connections. Could you possibly borrow some people from them? After all, as a military family, they should have some useful soldiers and servants!”

Although Zhang Yue’s letter said that the situation was urgent and he should follow Cao Jixiang’s plan, Zhang Bu was still cautious at heart and hesitated: “This… isn’t it a bit inappropriate? After all, the Qiu family has already been demoted. If this matter gets out, the imperial court will surely hold them accountable…”

“What’s inappropriate about it? Brother Zhang, Lord Zhang is your benefactor. Do you really want to let him be framed and leave Guangdong in disgrace, or even have his rank reduced or even be executed? Things have come to this point—what’s more important, the Qiu family or Lord Zhang? Even if the Qiu family faces difficulties for a while, they can recover later as long as Lord Zhang remains in Guangdong!”

After thinking carefully, Zhang Bu gradually agreed that Cao Jixiang made sense. Before leaving, Zhang Yue had mentioned the relationship between Zhang Fu, the Duke of Yingguo, and Qiu Fu, the Duke of Qiguo, so he intended to offer support beyond just visiting the Qiu family. Upon arriving in Chengmai County, he went to the county government office in Zhang Yue’s name and made contacts with local military units as well. Since the Zhang family was now very powerful, every official agreed readily. With both old and new favors owed to the Qiu family, it was worth taking some risks!

“Alright, I’ll go borrow some men right away!”

“Brother Zhang, take your time.”

“Wait!” As Zhang Bu turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something and called him back. “Only the people from the Qiu family need to go up the mountain. As for those ruffians, have them watch over the county government office. It’s better to be prepared—don’t let those people pull any tricks! Tell them that once the task is completed, they’ll be allowed to get a job in the county government office!”

Hainan has many Li people. Although Buddhism was introduced there early on, frequent rebellions by the Li people over the centuries led to the deployment of large numbers of troops in Qiongzhou Prefecture at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. It wasn’t until the Yongle era that many Li people gradually submitted, and Buddhism began to flourish. Chanshan Temple is located at the western foot of Maishan. Though not large, it is very famous in Chengmai County. Many devout Li men and women come there to worship regularly. The reason is simple: the abbot and several monks know some medical skills and are kind-hearted, earning them a good reputation among the locals.

Since the county government office sent someone to inform them, the monks at Chanshan Temple didn’t understand why the authorities wanted to use their land, but since it was a matter important to both the government and the six Li tribes, they agreed readily. Coincidentally, the previous day was their regular day each month to go to various villages to provide medical services, so they left only a few young monks to do miscellaneous tasks, while the rest went as usual.

Starting from the si hour that morning, chiefs from various Li tribes began arriving here one after another. Although they were already Li people who had submitted and paid taxes, the Han people were wary of foreigners, and these outsiders also remained cautious toward the authorities. If not for the meeting being held at the Chanshi Temple on this mountain, most of those invited would likely not have come. Even so, out of over a hundred tribes, only a little more than forty chiefs arrived, along with their attendants. More than a hundred armed Li people gathered at the Chanshi Temple, naturally scaring away all those who came to offer prayers.

Compared to Han officials, the chiefs of the Li tribes seemed to possess greater authority, and their wealth was the greatest in their tribes. Looking around at that time, one could see people in embroidered jackets sitting on rattan chairs in the square in front of the temple. Some, to show off their wealth, even placed gold- or gem-encrusted swords and knives on the tables in front of them. Chiefs who knew each other sat together, talking and laughing loudly. It was not until someone reminded them that the main person had arrived that they gradually quieted down.

These were Li people who had submitted for many years and naturally knew the rules of the central court. They also held various local official titles granted by the court, ranging from hundred-household leaders to thousand-household leaders, as well as county magistrates and deputies. These people were the closest to the authorities. They had long forgotten their ancestors’ rebellions against the court; what they remembered now were the sharp swords of the Ming army and the silk and brocades bestowed by the court. Everything else didn’t matter to them. So, hearing that the people who had summoned them this time were far more powerful than the governor of Qiongzhou and that those who came would be able to hold higher positions and receive more rewards, they naturally competed fiercely to attend.

At that moment, seeing the magnificent blue silk robe with its dazzling embroidery in front of the Mahavira Hall under the sunlight, everyone couldn’t help but stare, with many showing undisguised envy on their faces.

“Gentlemen, I am an officer sent by the court, tasked with coming here to pacify the various Li tribes. Since your villages and tribes have consistently paid taxes and fulfilled their duties, showing loyalty and submission, the emperor is very pleased. I have been sent here to award you official positions and gifts.”

After speaking all this in one breath, Gu Ping’an had a local who understood the Li language sent to translate it. After a series of murmurs, he saw the people below all showing undisguised smiles and even beginning to cheer. He couldn’t help but sneer inwardly, but his face was filled with a sincere smile. He then spoke more praise before gently waving his hand. In front of everyone, he opened a box nearby and personally unrolled a piece of colorful silk, ensuring that the tribal chiefs were completely immersed in the joy of these rewards. Only then did he smile broadly and order drinks to be served.

If the senior monks from the Charity Temple were still there, seeing their sacred place turn into a place of drinking and feasting, they would surely object. But since they had only left a few minor monks as servants, they were no match for Gu Ping’an, who was cunning yet seemingly innocent. By now, those minor monks had already been tied up and thrown in a back room. Since the wine was the best strong liquor purchased at a high price from the county town, once the seals were broken, a strong aroma of wine spread instantly. The already overjoyed tribal chiefs, each having received beautiful and smooth silk, had no doubts when Gu Ping’an invited them to drink, and they all drank heartily.

As the drinking progressed, the people below became either red-faced and incoherent or slumped to the side, with some even collapsing on the spot and falling asleep. Gu Ping’an waved for a few soldiers to bring more wine. Seeing everyone drink recklessly again without any caution, he couldn’t help but smile easily. The first drinks were pure fine wine, but later, additives were added. After all, when people are half-drunk, their vigilance drops to its lowest. It wasn’t until people lay scattered in front of the main hall, with no one other than their group of dozen or so still able to stand, that he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At this point, the task assigned by the Marquis should have been completely accomplished!

“Eighth Lord, is it time to act?”

Taking the sword handed to him by a bodyguard, Gu Ping’an drew it without hesitation, strode forward, and said without looking back, “Enough talk. After planning for so long, when else if not now? Remember, don’t stab their chests—cut their throats! Hearts may be on the left, but once the throat is cut, death is inevitable!”

“As you command, Eighth Lord!”

After giving an agreement, the dozen or so men did not act immediately. Everyone knew that Gu Pingan was Gu Xingzu’s most trusted confidant—uninterested in women or wealth, but obsessed with the thrill of killing. Many of the over a thousand people killed this time, including Qin Gongwang, were his handiwork. Moreover, not everyone in the world enjoyed killing, so they all waited for Gu Pingan to savor his moment before taking action.

Just as Gu Pingan approached a tribal chief with his gleaming sword, sneering as he raised it to strike, suddenly, in a flash, everyone heard a sharp sound as if something were cutting through the air, followed by a cry of pain and the clatter of a sword hitting the ground.

Seeing Gu Pingan clutching his wrist, his fingers soaked in blood, they were shocked and quickly surrounded him. It was then they noticed several burly men armed with knives, guns, bows, and arrows jumping down from the walls on all sides. With no time to think about killing, they quickly formed a defensive formation.

“Who are you? How dare you attack the imperial troops? Do you intend to rebel?”

“It’s you who’s rebelling, not us! You gathered the tribal chiefs from the six Li tribes here under the guise of generous rewards, only to get them drunk and try to kill them—this is all right before our eyes! Those who make sense will surrender now—shoot them all!”

Hearing this, Gu Pingan realized right away that things would not end well today. As he listened, he signaled his personal guards, planning to launch a surprise attack when the enemy tried to force them to surrender. Yet he never expected the speaker to suddenly shout such a word so quickly, leaving him a moment too late to act. In an instant, numerous arrows were shot at him. He swiftly swung his sword up and down, but heard the dull thuds of arrows piercing flesh and the cries of his guards.