Chapter 215: Protesting Along the Road

Xu Minzhi and Tao Gui, the two powerful lords, were so shocked that their chopsticks fell to the ground with a thud! They knelt on the ground, trembling like sieve flour. A few bodyguards rushed over, threw them to the ground, stepped on their faces, and held their swords aloft, searching for the best spot to strike.
“Pity us!”
Tao Gui screamed like a pig being slaughtered, while Xu Minzhi remained silent. The bodyguards thought he was tough and prepared to strike harder, only to find that he had already fainted from fear. A pot of wine was poured over his face, and Xu Minzhi slowly regained consciousness, weakly begging, “Pity my life!”
The hall was dead silent; everyone’s face was pale, and they stood motionless. The heads on the table seemed to wear sinister smiles, staring at them intently. Governor Wu Qing’s legs turned weak; he tried several times to speak but lacked the courage.
“You two, listen!”
Li Qing’an finally spoke. Holding a cup of tea, he said coldly, “Within two hours, aside from the two thousand men I’ve recruited, all the other laborers must go home. If you’re even fifteen minutes late, I’ll charge you with rebellion, and your entire families will be executed. Do you hear me?”
Xu Minzhi and Tao Gui continued to kowtow. With a wave of his hand, Li Qing’an ordered the bodyguards to drag them away. The bodies on the table were covered as well, bringing a slight glimmer of hope to the hall.
“Officials of Bianzhou and local dignitaries, I’ve been sent by the emperor to Henan Province to address the drought crisis and investigate corruption and dereliction of duty. I arrived in Xuzhou five days ago. Everywhere I’ve gone, aside from some officials in Xuchang County who are actively fighting the drought, there’s hardly any action elsewhere. I don’t understand—since you’re in charge of your regions and bear the responsibility for the well-being of your people, and the drought has lasted for four months with rice costing nearly a thousand coins per dou, why do you ignore it and not take action? Do you really wait until people starve and start eating each other before you get worried?”
Li Qing’an’s tone softened slightly, but his words remained severe. He glanced sternly at everyone. Seeing all the officials bow their heads, he continued, “Of course, I haven’t visited most of the counties in Henan Province. Maybe I’ve gone too far, but at least Bianzhou shows no action. I want to know why you’re inactive—is someone holding you back, or is there something you’re hiding?”
“The situation isn’t as simple as the governor thinks.”

Wu Qing could no longer sit still. He stood up, bowed, and said, “We understand the efforts of the observer envoy, but combating drought and disaster isn’t something that can be resolved simply by speaking. Money, food, and labor are all needed, and these must be provided by the imperial court. As early as March, I joined several governors in submitting a petition to the court, asking for funds and grain, but so far, there has been no response. We’re extremely anxious, but even the most skillful cook can’t cook without rice—without the court’s support, we local officials are helpless. Envoy Li has just arrived in Henan Province and still doesn’t understand the situation!”

Li Qingan smiled narrowed-eyed and said, “Governor Wu, if I come up with a solution, would you be willing to implement it?”

“That depends on whether the solution is reasonable,” Wu Qing retorted.

“What does ‘reasonable’ mean? What does ‘unreasonable’ mean? Drought relief is a matter of life and death. Even if it’s unreasonable, it must become reasonable.”

Li Qingan pointed at the local scholars and dignitaries present and said, “Let them provide the missing funds. You surely know better than I do how much each household should contribute. Post it publicly so everyone can supervise each other. Use the government’s grain to make porridge for relief. Starting now, every county should set up porridge stations—just open the granaries. If there’s not enough grain, I’ll ask the court for more. Additionally, the government should encourage merchants to purchase grain from Jianghuai to stabilize prices; the merchants can handle that without the government having to rush around. What the government needs to do is combat the drought. I originally wanted all officials in the provinces and counties to go to Xuchang County to see how the county magistrate is dealing with the drought, but there’s no time left. I’ve already ordered County Magistrate Han to draft a detailed set of drought-relief measures, which will be sent to every province and county soon. All officials must follow these measures. Those who neglect their duties will face military punishment!”

Wu Qing was about to speak when Li Qingan interrupted him, glancing at him coldly and saying, “As for the lack of labor, I don’t think that’s a problem either. If Governor Wu could gather twenty thousand canal workers, surely he can also gather them to combat the drought?”

Wu Qing’s face turned as red as a pig’s liver. Fuming, he said, “Envoy Li claims I gathered twenty thousand canal workers. What evidence does he have?”

Li Qingan snorted disdainfully and said, “Is evidence hard to get? I’ll have Xu and Tao write a complaint letter, saying you gathered the canal workers to rebel. They’ll write it honestly. Does Governor Wu believe it or not?”

Wu Qing was stunned, unable to say a word. Li Qingan smiled and continued, “I advise Governor Wu not to dwell on this matter. I no longer care about the gathering of the canal workers or the assassination attempt in Bianzhou. As long as Governor Wu devotes himself wholeheartedly to combating the drought, I’ll report your merits to the emperor. Governor Wu, you’re smart—no need for me to say more, right?”

Wu Qing’s mind was in chaos. Li Qingan had been assassinated in Bianzhou—what was going on? His mind went blank; he didn’t know how to respond to Li Qingan’s words. At that moment, Sun Changyun, the chief secretary of Bianzhou, stood up and bowed, saying, “Please rest assured, Lord Li. We will do our utmost to combat the drought and prevent it from spreading.”

Local notables also pledged their full support for the drought relief efforts. Seeing that the situation was under control, Li Qingan waved his hand. His bodyguards carried away the human-headed dishes, and the restaurant staff began serving the meals officially. He raised a cup of wine and smiled at everyone, saying, “I, Li Qingan, am not someone who ignores human feelings. As long as everyone does their part to ease the disaster, those who deserve promotions will get them. Even if someone commits minor mistakes, I will punish them leniently. Now, let’s begin the banquet!”

……

In less than two hours, nearly 20,000 port workers gathered at Bianzhou’s shipping dock. With the guarantees of the two major shipowners, Xu and Tao, they gradually set off on their way home. Meanwhile, news of Li Qingan’s “Hongmen Banquet” spread like wildfire through the counties of Henan Circuit. Under Li Qingan’s authority, these regions began emergency drought relief efforts—providing porridge, raising funds, digging wells, planting beans, collecting water, and building canals. With the government’s active intervention, panic in the grain markets subsided, and grain prices started to drop. Li Qingan also ordered 500 militia units to form grain protection teams to escort merchants to Jianghuai to purchase grain.

Three days later, Li Qingan led 1,500 militia members to Songzhou to investigate the serious rebellion among its people.

……

At the Bianzhou government office, a clerk rushed into the inner hall but was stopped by two other clerks at the door. “The lord is receiving guests; no one is allowed in.”

“Brother Li, I have important news about Li Qingan. The lord ordered me to report it immediately.”

“Alright, wait here while I go inform him.” The clerk hurried inside.

Inside, Wu Qing was receiving an important guest—Shao Ziping, an advisor to Prince Di, Li Yan. Strictly speaking, Shao Ziping was just one of the prince’s advisors. He had arrived in Bianzhou that morning and missed Li Qingan’s “Hongmen Banquet” the previous night. But as soon as he entered the city, he heard many people talking about the sensational event—using 48 human heads as dishes. Shao Ziping couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“Governor Wu, I wonder how well the tasks assigned by Prince Di have been carried out?”

“Mr. Shao, please be assured. I have destroyed all documents related to Prince Di. No matter how hard Li Qingan tries to investigate, he won’t find any evidence. I am returning those lands to the farmers one by one.”

“Is there enough time for that?”

Throughout history, seizing land during years of disaster had always been the best means for the powerful to expand their holdings. This year, a drought struck Henan Province, presenting an excellent opportunity. The Prince of Di took advantage of the situation to acquire thousands of acres of land in various areas of Bianzhou. Unexpectedly, the crown prince was suddenly deposed, and the Prince of Di set his sights on the throne. To restore his reputation, he changed his mind—not only deciding to return all the land he had seized but also ordering Shao Ziping to go to the disaster area to provide relief. Shao Ziping had already sent his men to Jianghuai to purchase grain, while he himself would handle the matter of returning the land. Although the official documents had been destroyed, what about the land purchase contracts in the hands of the farmers? If investigated thoroughly, it would still be possible to trace it back to the Prince of Di. Worried, he asked, “I’m afraid he might obtain the land sale contracts from the farmers, which could lead to the discovery of His Highness the Prince of Di.”

Wu Qing gave a bitter smile and said, still shaken, “To prevent him from investigating this matter, I used the incident involving the grain transport workers to distract him, hoping to buy a few days to sort out the return of the land. But he turned out to be extremely powerful; he resolved that issue with a single ‘Hongmen Banquet.’ Fortunately, I heard he’s heading to Songzhou today, so he won’t be able to investigate His Highness the Prince of Di’s affairs anymore.”

Shao Ziping let out a sigh of relief. Remembering something, he asked casually, “I heard he displayed forty-eight heads at the Hongmen Banquet. Are you sure it wasn’t fifty?”

“It wasn’t fifty; it was definitely forty-eight. Five heads per table, with two plates empty.”

At that moment, Wu Qing suddenly sensed something and glanced warily at Shao Ziping, asking tentatively, “According to Li Qingan, he was assassinated in Bianzhou. Has Mr. Shao heard about this?”

“No! I just arrived in Bianzhou—how could I know such things?”

Shao Ziping denied it firmly. Just then, a messenger came in and reported, “Governor, Sun Hai says he has news about Li Qingan.”

“Have him come and report immediately.”

A moment later, a messenger came to the door and bowed, reporting, “Governor, Li Qingan has left Bianzhou and entered Songzhou territory.”

Wu Qing and Shao Ziping exchanged a look and both let out long sighs of relief. Shao Ziping stood up, bowed, and said with a smile, “I’ve already sent people to Jianghuai to purchase grain. We’re about to distribute free porridge in Bianzhou on behalf of His Highness. I hope Governor Wu will give us your full support.”

“Of course! The Prince of Di cares deeply for the people in the disaster area—he’s kind and virtuous. I wish His Highness the Prince of Di will rise even higher in the future.”

Understanding each other perfectly, the two burst into laughter.

Li Qing’an continued south along the Bian River. Dust still swirled in the air, the land was cracked, and the scorching sun shone down on the vast plains. They were now in Xiangyi County, Songzhou. After traveling dozens of miles along the official road, not a single passerby was in sight. Although the drought in Songzhou was worse than that in Bianzhou, Li Qing’an noticed that the trees along the road hadn’t been stripped of their bark, meaning the famine here hadn’t reached the point where people had to dig for roots or strip tree bark. There was still a shallow layer of water in the Bian River, and in the distance, large forests could be seen from time to time. This puzzled Li Qing’an. Normally, the Chinese people would never resort to rebellion unless they were on the verge of starvation, and they could also choose to flee to Jianghuai. So why did thousands of people flee into the mountains to rebel? What secrets lay behind this?

He asked Judge Liu Sisong, but Liu Sisong couldn’t explain it either. However, he suggested it might be related to land seizure. Rumors said that some people were buying land from disaster victims at low prices on a large scale. Li Qing’an had also heard these rumors, but local officials remained evasive, avoiding the topic altogether. Asking too many questions might alert the culprits, so Li Qing’an decided to investigate thoroughly in Songzhou. One of the instructions given to him by Li Longji was to uncover the reasons behind the rebellion in Gushu County.

After traveling another dozen miles, farmers began replanting beans on the land alongside the official road. Villages appeared in the distance, and more passersby appeared on the road—mostly peddlers carrying goods from village to village. When they saw the large group approaching, they stopped and stood by the roadside. Just as Li Qing’an was about to ask someone for information, a disturbance suddenly arose ahead. Dozens of people were kneeling by the road, with a white cloth tied to a bamboo pole. On the cloth was a huge character written in blood: “Injustice!” It was extremely shocking.

“Injustice! We’re being wronged!” the dozens of people cried in unison, all of them old, weak, women, and children.

“Stop!” Li Qing’an waved his hand, and the group halted.

His bodyguards brought two elderly men before Li Qing’an. “Please, sir, help us!” The two elders knelt down and kept kowtowing.

“Help them up.”

Li Qing’an calmly reassured them, “Don’t be afraid. I am the new governor of Henan Circuit. If you have any grievances, speak up. I’ll settle them for you.”

“Sir, we are villagers from Wangwu Village ahead. This year, a drought struck, and the wheat seedlings almost died. We promptly switched to growing beans. Unexpectedly, two months ago, officials from higher authorities came and ordered us not to grow beans, claiming they would provide relief grain. They forced us to pull out the beans, yet the relief grain never appeared. When we went to the county official to seek justice, he delayed things, saying he was waiting for orders from the imperial court. As families faced starvation, some people came to buy land at low prices. At first, everyone refused, but then the officials intervened, saying that those who didn’t sell their land would lose their relief grain. Moreover, land abandoned due to famine would be confiscated as unclaimed land. Many families, unable to bear it, gradually sold their land. Our area has fertile land; usually, one mu can be sold for ten guan, but now buyers only offer three guan…”

“Who is buying your land?” Li Qing’an interrupted them.

“We don’t know. A few people came, all with accents from the capital. They were managers and servants; the real buyers never showed up. There are rumors it’s the imperial family in the capital.”

Li Qing’an had also heard of the powerful elites in Chang’an using disasters to buy land from farmers at low prices. For example, Prince Qing Li Cong owned only a hundred hectares of land under his name, yet he controlled over ten thousand hectares of fertile land and dozens of large estates across the country. Where did this land come from? It wasn’t just the direct descendants of Emperor Li Longji—there were also those with imperial connections. Over a hundred years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, thousands of imperial relatives lived across the country, relying on the people’s wealth to sustain themselves. The Tang Dynasty, unlike the Song Dynasty with its developed market economy, was primarily agrarian, with people living off their land. Moreover, the Tang Dynasty’s finance and military system were closely tied to land. Once the land system collapsed, chaos was inevitable—just as seen during the An Lushan Rebellion.

Li Qing’an pondered for a long time. He had already guessed why Wu Qing was so determined to stop him—since the most serious problem was in Songzhou. He would eventually have to go there. As long as he was too busy to deal with matters in Bianzhou, Wu Qing would achieve his goal.

Although he didn’t know what problems Wu Qing had hidden in Bianzhou, Li Qing’an knew it was important to prioritize tasks. The urgent matter wasn’t investigating cases but resolving the conflict between the people and the officials. One issue he had already resolved was the workers’ protest; the next was the rebellion by the people of Songzhou. Only by addressing these pressing issues could he turn his attention to dealing with the officials’ misconduct.

However, with people blocking the road to lodge complaints, Li Qing’an wanted to first understand just how severe land consolidation had become.

Thinking of this, he waved his hand and said, “Wait here; I’ll go take a look.” Dozens of bodyguards followed Li Qing’an to Wangwu Village, not far away. Wangwu Village was a large village with over a hundred farming households. It was located near the Bian River, had convenient transportation, and fertile land. Five li away from the village lay a manor covering 5,000 mu, originally belonging to Princess Taiping. After Princess Taiping was killed, the manor was granted by Li Longji to his elder brother Li Chengqi. Now it belonged to Li Chengqi’s daughter, the Princess of Xiangyi. The Princess of Xiangyi’s husband was Cui Qiao, who had just been promoted to Minister of Rites. The governor of Songzhou was Cui Qiao’s brother, Cui Lian. The relationships here were quite intriguing.

The land claimed by the villagers was located to the west of the village, covering about 1,500 mu. It was permanent farmland belonging to over a hundred households. Like elsewhere, the land was barren—the wheat seedlings had withered, and no other crops had been planted. In many fields, glaring red markers stood, indicating land that had already been sold, covering about a thousand mu and stretching for several li.

“They buy the land but don’t cultivate it; it just lies abandoned. What will we eat next year?” asked an old farmer sadly to Li Qing’an.

Li Qing’an took a land sale contract and bought 15 mu at seven dou of rice per mu. The reason was that the current price of rice was 700 wen per dou, so seven dou was equivalent to 5 guan. Land that originally cost 10 guan per mu was now worth half that. In a good harvest year, rice cost only 30 wen per dou—meaning he was buying land worth 10 guan for just 200 wen. The buyer’s name was Tian Yi, who had also signed his name.

“Who is this Tian Yi?” Li Qing’an asked, frowning.

The village head quickly bowed and said, “We call him Tian Er. He’s an administrator in the princess’s manor and lives there.”

Li Qing’an followed his finger and saw a small three-story white building surrounded by a wall in the distance. Next to it were several large granaries, standing out sharply against the barren land.

“That’s Tian Yi’s residence, along with dozens of lackeys.”

“Let’s go take a look!” Li Qing’an spurred his horse toward the building. Before they reached it, more than a dozen vicious dogs rushed out from behind the wall. A fierce giant dog barked and charged at him. Li Qing’an dodged to the side, swung his sword, and with a flash of light, split the dog in two.

The other large dogs whined and fled. At that moment, over thirty men rushed out of the courtyard, carrying iron sticks and swords. The leader, a burly man, pointed at Li Qing’an and cursed, “Where did you come from, you scoundrel? How dare you hurt our dogs!”

Li Qing’an’s bodyguards were furious and ready to act, but Li Qing’an waved his hand to stop them. With a bow, he said with a smile, “I’ll compensate you for the dog. But I’d like to discuss something with Manager Tian. Is he here?”
“Who’s looking for me?”
A middle-aged man stepped out of the courtyard. He was tall and stout, fanning himself with a palm leaf fan. He sized up Li Qing’an from head to toe—seeing that Li was dressed in an ordinary robe and seemed unfamiliar—while noting that his men looked fierce. He asked, “Who are you? What do you want from me?”
“I’m an envoy of Prince Qing. On his orders, I want to buy this land in Wangwu Village. I heard you bought it first, so I’ve come to discuss with Manager Tian whether it can be transferred to us.”
“Transferred?” The middle-aged man, surnamed Tian, snorted coldly. “Your Prince Qing is seizing land in Gushu County. Our waters don’t mix—why should we let you steal our business?”
Li Qing’an also snorted and raised his voice. “We’re people of Prince Qing! Do you understand? It’s Prince Qing who wants this land.”
“So what if it’s Prince Qing!” The middle-aged man’s voice rose in pitch as he snapped angrily, “Do you know who my wife is? The princess of Xiangyi County, the emperor’s daughter! And do you know who my master is? Let me tell you—he’s the current prime minister, Minister Cui of the Ministry of Rites! Do you hear that?”
He stopped mid-sentence, staring in terror behind Li Qing’an. Hundreds of strong men in black, carrying knives, were surrounding his residence.
Manager Tian and his men backed away in fear. “W-what do you want?”
They turned to flee, but the hundreds of men rushed forward, pinned them to the ground, tied them up, and threw them into a cellar. Li Qing’an ordered, “Search thoroughly! Every corner, not a single piece of paper left unexamined!”
Hundreds of men rushed into the building and began a thorough search, turning it upside down. Countless land deeds and sale contracts filled a large box. Li Qing’an stood with his hands behind his back, inspecting the warehouses. All three were filled with grain, neatly stacked bag after bag, towering over ten feet high. Each warehouse contained at least hundreds of bushels of grain. Soldiers continued to bring in dozens of boxes of copper coins and some gold and silver, all found in the basement. Li Qing’an smiled—this money and grain would be perfect for paying his recruits.
“Lord, we found this!”
One of the bodyguards rushed over excitedly and handed Li Qing’an a letter. Li Qing’an unfolded it and read it. His eyes gradually narrowed—it was a handwritten letter from Cui Qiao to his brother Cui Lian.