Chapter 278: A Thousand Years of Hardship—Only Death? A Thousand Years of Hardship—Only Survival?
Early in the morning, many people waiting to enter the city gathered outside the south gate of Qingzhou. Most of them carried loads of firewood or fresh vegetables, or were farmers coming to buy goods. Since the tax collectors and gatekeepers had just started their shifts, traffic moved extremely slowly, forcing the crowd to wait patiently in line. Although it was still early, the rising sun was already strong enough to make everyone sweat. Several bareheaded loggers wiped their sweat with cloth towels, while old men selling melons sat on carts, fanning themselves and chatting idly.
“Sigh, I’ve lived most of my life and seen many killings, but what happened yesterday was the scariest of them all.”
“Uncle, don’t even mention it. My legs still tremble when I think back to it! Rebellions—really, they only bring disaster!”
“I heard some people were exiled to guard the border in Liao. Even after they die, their families suffer—what a curse!”
“Ah, that Lord Zhang seemed kind before, but who would have thought he was such a bloodthirsty man? I saw it with my own eyes yesterday—over four hundred heads fell, and he didn’t even blink!”
The farmers were chatting noisily when they heard the sound of horse hooves behind them. Turning around, they saw dozens of riders speeding toward them through the dust. Though their faces were indistinct, the swords at their waists and their clothing could be faintly made out. Suddenly, someone sharp-eyed exclaimed, “It seems to be those soldiers from the imperial army!”
At those words, chaos erupted at the city gate. People dropped their loads and pushed aside their carts, clearing a large space in the crowded gate. The tax collectors and gatekeepers didn’t yet understand what was happening. Only when they saw the rapid arrival of those riders did they hurriedly move the barriers aside. The leader stepped forward bravely to greet them. After all, it was his duty to inspect them—even if it meant being whipped for it.
As they got closer, the gatekeeper leader saw the attire of the leader and immediately lost all his courage, retreating to the side without daring to speak. He wasn’t afraid of being whipped by a noble, but he feared losing his head!
Zhang Yue, who had been riding fast, slowed down when he saw the city gate empty. A few tax collectors and guards stood there motionless like clay or wood sculptures, and not a single local dared to meet his gaze. How could he not know he now had a notorious reputation? Too lazy to think further, he ordered his attendant Peng Shisan to check the documents, then entered the city with his guards. Everywhere he went, people stepped back in fear; even those who dared to glance at him showed either terror or panic.
When the group arrived at the government office, dozens of soldiers from the capital camp immediately dismounted. The leading centurion even stepped forward quickly to hold Zhang Yue’s horse and stirrup. Being from the capital, they naturally knew that Liu Sheng, the Marquis of Anyuan who commanded the capital camp, and the Zhang family were about to become relatives, and the officers all hoped to gain the favor of their superiors through this. At first, Zhang Yue was unaccustomed to this, but over time he let them show their enthusiasm. After dismounting, he saw the officials waiting kneeling in a row in front of the door, which made him both annoyed and amused.
Had he really become an omen of disaster now?
Soon, the prefect Ling Hua and other officials also came out to greet him. The situation had changed drastically from when they were colleagues, and everyone was a bit unaccustomed to it. Yet this discomfort paled in comparison to the shock caused by the over 400 heads that had been cut the previous day. Many suffered from stomach pains and vomiting after returning, and almost none had gotten a full night’s sleep—either staying awake until dawn or only closing their eyes briefly at daybreak. Although they had applied cold towels repeatedly, Zhang Yue could see numerous dark circles and bloodshot eyes—just like his own.
Although the government office also had judges in charge of criminal cases, since each county had its own courthouse, there weren’t many cases that required intervention from the prefecture. Most of the daily tasks involved handling documents from various counties and official assignments from the administrative department. Having been there for over half a year, Zhang Yue was well aware of this. After chatting with the officials for a while, he smiled and told them to go about their work, then headed straight to the garden hall to meet someone. Yet now, wherever he went, those thirty strong soldiers followed him, creating quite a stir. Many clerks and officials along the way stopped to watch, alerting the people inside even before he arrived.
Government offices have traditionally faced south, with the saying “Those without reason or money should not enter.” Though things in the world aren’t always that absolute, in the past, if Xu Er and his group had insisted on meeting at the government office gate, they would have been beaten or even imprisoned. Considering it was a critical time and Ling Hua didn’t know exactly what rules Zhang Yue had in place, he ordered them to be taken to the garden hall.
Since the day they destroyed Xieshipengzhai, Zhang Yue had never seen these people again. The one he remembered most was Xu Er, the nephew of Old Yang. Yet even so, seeing them now still made him frown. The eight of them were neatly dressed, but their faces were haggard and yellowish, looking much thinner. Several of them even had swollen noses and faces and were limping.
“What’s going on with you guys…?”
Xu Er was the least damaged. He glanced back at his companions, then suddenly knelt down, bowing three times before standing up. “Sir, it was our ignorance and failure to recognize kindness. It wasn’t until someone went into the city yesterday and saw what happened that we truly became afraid. After yesterday’s massacre, life in the countryside was already hard for us, and now we can’t stay any longer… In fact, we’ve suffered a lot of harsh words before—those people’s families often came to cause trouble, and even our neighbors thought we were weak. Though we were fortunate enough to escape thanks to your kindness, now it seems better to die!”
Hearing this, the others also knelt down. Some said they were called cowards, some said they were chased by children with mud balls, and others said they were beaten and betrayed… By the end, Zhang Yue understood clearly—the people of Lu were simple and straightforward. Although fear of death was human nature, they harbored deep hatred for betrayal. But he wondered if they would hate him with the same intensity if it were the betrayers who did such things.
“Get up and talk.”
Yet despite Zhang Yue’s words, none of the eight men would stand up. Though they were afraid of death and feared bringing trouble to their families, their sense of honor remained. No one wanted to live in shame in the countryside.
Xu Er, who had been leading them today, simply stood up, bowed deeply, and said through gritted teeth, “Sir, you saved us once before, and we will always be grateful. But with all these cold looks and insults everywhere, we really can’t bear it anymore. Since we’re listed in the tax registers, we’ve come to ask if you could find a way to transfer us elsewhere… If that’s not possible, we’d rather join the army. Even if we have to become soldiers instead of civilians, it’s better than being mocked here for life.”
At first, it was out of a momentary act of kindness to save everyone’s lives, but now, hearing all this, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but frown. The Ming dynasty welcomed military households to defend the borders, but once one entered the military ranks, it was nearly impossible to leave, and ordinary civilians saw joining the army as a daunting path. What would become of these people if they acted on impulse now? Besides, the tax registers couldn’t be changed casually.
After much thought, Zhang Yue remained conflicted. Though he could ignore his duties and emotions, he simply couldn’t abandon them after showing leniency before. Then, suddenly, an idea struck him.
“I understand what you mean. Whether it’s a bad name or a good one, it’s still just a name. Some things people remember at first, but over time, they may forget. Master Liu from the government office is about to return to eastern Fujian to manage a business and needs reliable people. He’s willing to pay six taels of silver per year for food and lodging to hire a few people to go with him. If you’re willing to leave Shandong and go to eastern Fujian to work for a few years, it might be worth trying. Returning home rich after a few years is better than staying away from home for life, right?”
“If there really is such an opportunity, even without pay, as long as there’s food and lodging, I’d be the first to agree!”
“I want to go too. It’s better to try my luck elsewhere than to stay here and be laughed at!”
“Six taels of silver a year? I’d rather not… We can still be heroes when we return!”
In no time, the group made up their minds, with Xu Er being the first to agree. He had brought a few people from nearby villages, all aware of Uncle Liu the lame man’s reputation. Since it was Zhang Yue who suggested it, there was no way it could be a scam. After agreeing in chorus, seeing Zhang Yue offer a gesture of support, many of them kowtowed again before standing up. Their worried expressions turned into smiles. Xu Er, who had taken the lead, felt a bit embarrassed.
He had boasted when he met those people at his uncle’s house, but it was Zhang Yue who showed him mercy and saved his life. Now, he shamelessly came here for help and found another way out… The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt. So he stepped forward and said, “We’ll never be able to repay the kindness the lord has shown us in this lifetime. In fact, we can’t stay in the countryside either because we’re afraid of those stubborn people causing us trouble. After yesterday’s execution, we know it wasn’t the lord’s true intention, but others don’t know that. Now many people in the area are cursing him—he’s truly being wronged!”
Hearing Xu Er’s words, the others immediately nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Zhang Yue understood what was going on, so he reassured everyone and instructed them to meet Liu Da at the inn in the west of the city the next day. After sending Xu Er and the others away, it happened that the morning court session at the government office had just ended. Ling Hua arrived with a few officials, smiling and saying that they had been busy with official matters in recent days and now planned to hold a private banquet at the waterside pavilion east of the government office. Thinking there was no problem, Zhang Yue readily agreed. Upon arriving at the waterside pavilion, he found that the seating arrangements and tables had already been prepared. He glanced at Ling Hua and said, “If I hadn’t agreed to come just now, did Lord Ling plan to gather all the officials here for a drink?” Since the Nanyang River flowed through Qingzhou City, a pond had been built when the government office was constructed. However, it was Ling Hua, who came from a water town in the south, who came up with the idea of using this pavilion to entertain guests. Now that Zhang Yue took his seat, everyone else also sat down. Each person had a chair and a table, with a self-serving pot and a plum blossom box on each table. Ling Hua, the last to sit down, laughed at Zhang Yue’s question and said, “To be honest, after returning yesterday, everyone was extremely worried and none of us could sleep well. Yet even so, we were still happy. Because ever since those bandits were put in prison, there have been frequent disturbances in the surrounding areas, and violence was the only way to keep order. Qingzhou isn’t plagued by pirates like Jiaozhi, nor does it have to worry about native uprisings—our greatest fear is civil unrest. Now that this huge disaster has vanished in an instant, everyone is relieved. Even if you hadn’t agreed to stay today, we still planned to have a drink here to celebrate. Of course, there are also important matters we need to discuss with you, Lord Zhang.”