Chapter 53 Conflicting Stances

Within the Tiger Elite camp, Hu Ban packed his belongings.

Pei Xiu came to see him off, suggesting that Hu Ban first return to the county seat, where he might also catch wind of any impending changes.

The county seat of Wenxi originally lay on the eastern bank of the Su River.

Later, upon the annexation of Zuo Yi to the southwest, the seat of the county administration was moved to Zuo Yi, which was situated right between the imperial highway and the Su River.

It could be called a vital hub of both water and land transportation; if any disturbances arose, they could not be kept hidden from the county seat.

In fact, the original Wenxi County had been carved out of Zuo Yi in the past, and swallowing Zuo Yi back up now was merely a return to normal administrative divisions.

Years ago, during an imperial inspection tour by Emperor Wu, as he passed through Tongxiang in Zuo Yi, he received the triumphant news of a crushing victory over Nanhui, and hearing it with great joy, he split Zuo Yi apart, using the very ground beneath his feet as the county seat of Wenxi.

Another place with a similarly inspired name was Ximen, which they had passed during the retreat following the Siege of Biedeng; "Xin" signified the joy of the entire army upon successfully breaking free from pursuit.

Now heading south, Hu Ban was highly likely to be intercepted by Han Xian or summoned for questioning.

Han Xian was garrisoned in the southern township of Wenxi, which was the settlement closest to the county seat.

With a solemn expression, Pei Xiu watched Hu Ban, who instead offered words of comfort: "I will slow my pace and return to the county seat before the curfew. Tomorrow morning, I shall tender my resignation on the grounds of my mother's illness. Even if Han Xian gets word of it, it will be too late to summon me for questioning."

"That's just a hollow excuse."

Pei Xiu raised a hand and patted Hu Ban on the shoulder. "Better wait. Let's wait until A-ji returns before deciding. I understand Wei Zhongjian's concerns; he strives above all for absolute caution, but this move will inevitably startle Han Xian."

It was not that Hu Ban had volunteered for this mission; it was merely Wei Gu's proposal.

Rushing troops directly southward carried a certain risk for Wei Gu, whereas sending scouts first would be far more prudent.

If Han Xian was unprepared, they would strike according to the tactics for an undefended enemy.

If Han Xian was prepared, there would still be time to negotiate.

The terrain of Wenxi dictated that there was essentially one main north-south route, and given the military competence of Han Xian's forces, any unusual movements would naturally reveal themselves once detected.

Hu Ban hesitated in deep thought; he did not dare to offend Wei Gu.

Pei Xiu glanced back toward the door, where Han Dong stood keeping watch, and continued: "When Wei Zhongjian made the proposal, I did not refuse because I wished to avoid antagonizing him. Yet how we actually carry it out should naturally be handled with flexibility. Just think of your parents and wife at home. It is not that I look down upon Wei Zhongjian, but this matter is best discussed with A-ji first."

Once they advanced upon Anyi, they would need Wei Gu to step forward and lobby influential families such as the Weis and the Fans.

Then again, if they truly managed to run Han Xian through with a spear and launch a surprise assault that caught Yang Feng and Hu Cai completely off guard... what use would they still have for the prominent clans and powerful gentry of Anyi?

For now, they merely needed to placate Wei Gu and prevent him from ruining things.

No matter how powerful the Wei and Fan families were, they were only slightly stronger than the Hou clan.

If they were truly formidable, how could they have allowed men like Yang Feng to hold the Son of Heaven hostage for so long?

Everyone harbored ambitions, but one had to act according to one's capabilities.

The silence of the Wei and Fan families regarding the current situation was in itself proof of their insufficient strength.

After executing Li Le, Zhao彦 had helped them swallow the three hundred county soldiers belonging to Commandery Commandant Fan Zheng, which in itself reflected the attitude of the imperial court's high ministers.

Finding it difficult to spell out his conjectures too bluntly, Pei Xiu patted Hu Ban's arm instead: "Buy a little more time. A-ji and I will not harm you."

"Very well."

Hu Ban consented, immediately untying his pack and drawing forth a bamboo official document: "There is an error in this dispatch. Allow me to copy it out anew."

Just as Pei Xiu had said, Hu Ban did not place absolute trust in Wei Gu's competence.

If things went awry, he might genuinely rush blindly into danger and end up alerting Han Xian instead.

If they lobbied Han Xian and succeeded, having Han Xian as a guarantor would offer some certainty of a smooth resolution regarding Yang Feng.

However, Li Le had been on much closer terms with Yang Feng; since Li Le had already been executed, Han Xian's oaths would likely carry little weight with Yang Feng.

Besides, those fellows were all provincial governors and generals of high rank, having reached a point where no further titles could possibly be bestowed upon them.

Even Yang Feng's personal cook held the rank of Gentleman of the Household or Palace Attendant, while every single one of his bodyguards bore the title of Colonel.

Seeing that Hu Ban had found an excuse to stall, Pei Xiu stepped outside.

In the training ground, three more wounded horses were being slaughtered.

Seeing Pei Xiu approach, Wei Gu turned around as well, and upon drawing near, said to him: "A white horse has already been found. Once A-ji returns, we shall set out for Jiangyi and make a covenant over the slain white horse with the others."

"The officers and men are exhausted. Why not pledge our covenant right here within the Tiger Elite camp?"

"I worry that the commandery soldiers and local gentry are fickle and untrustworthy. Yesterday, your refusal and mine to attend the banquet already alienated them. Today we are dividing up the Hou clan's assets; although it has not yet reached an irreconcilable state, we cannot afford to lower our guard."

Judging others by his own standards, Wei Gu spoke with an air of absolute certainty, then asked: "How fares the Commandery Scribe Hu?"

"I inspected his official dispatches and found certain discrepancies, so I am having him copy them over."

Switching topics, Pei Xiu said: "Brother Zhongjian, you may not know this, but Magistrate Zhang of Wenxi has always been timid. If he gets wind of even a fraction of this, I fear he will ruin everything."

"You are as sharp as ever, A-ji—ah, A-xi."

Wei Gu looked up at the vast expanse of the firmament: "There has been no rain for nearly ten days now. What worries me is a sudden downpour."

At these words, Pei Xiu also raised his brows to glance at the sky: "Things have already reached this point; it is like an arrow drawn on a string—how can we stop now?"

Wei Gu remained silent, once again plunged into a turbulent collision of thoughts.

He felt more than a twinge of regret; had he not involved himself in this, he could have lived out the rest of his days as a wealthy country gentleman.

Pei Xiu turned away to watch the slaughter of the injured horses, which were being butchered to feed the wounded soldiers.

Given some time to recuperate, those three horses might well have recovered.

Yet taking good care of the wounded soldiers was the most effective way to inspire the combat morale of the Tiger Elite.

This surging morale must on no account be allowed to dissipate; it was the foundation upon which they would shatter the confidence of the White Wave generals once and for all.

One could not pin one's hopes on Xu Huang, Majiazhi, or the various local gentry; the Tiger Elite were their true reliance.

"Palace Attendant Wei, Legal Officer Pei! Commander Zhao has arrived ten li away!"

A Tiger Elite cavalryman rode forward, leapt down from his saddle, and reported to the two men.

Wei Gu immediately instructed those around him: "Go invite Colonel of Cavalry Wang and Colonel of Infantry Xue."

Meanwhile, the messenger knight untied a bundle of bamboo slips and handed them over with both hands: "Legal Officer, this is the roster of merit awards drafted by Bureau Chief Jia."

There were two rolls of bamboo slips in total: one was the statistical record of seized supplies, and the other was the distribution roster.

Pei Xiu picked up the distribution roster and read through it, seeing that there were eight distinct tiers in all, with dense columns of names listed beneath each rank.

Zhao Ji's name did not appear in any column, presumably because his rewards had already been settled.

Based on Pei Xiu's understanding of Zhao Ji and Jia Kui, Zhao Ji would not mind taking a slight loss, nor would Jia Kui mind letting Zhao Ji take a larger share.

If Jia Kui wished to expel the Xiongnu, he had to prioritize winning over Zhao Ji.

Could one possibly rely on Wei Gu instead?

Wei Gu, meanwhile, was leafing through the ledger of confiscated goods, and upon seeing that they were expected to present the imperial court with five hundred kin of gold and two thousand bolts of silk at a single stroke, he instantly went numb.

It was not that he begrudged the expense, but rather that he felt this boded very ill.

The Son of Heaven and the high ministers of court had long been accustomed to poverty; the prominent clans and gentry of Hedong were all crying poverty, terrified lest the emperor and ministers set their sights on their wealth, and equally afraid of Yang Feng.

During the most perilous phase of the Son of Heaven's eastward migration, the Tiger Elite and Feathered Forest guards had fallen into utter melee. Empress Fu had been led by her own brother, Fu De, to dodge the rampaging soldiers, while Fu De clutched a dozen bolts of silk under his other arm.

When crossing the river, Dong Chong dispatched soldiers to snatch a few bolts of silk from Empress Fu's arms, and when a close personal attendant tried to stop them, she was cut down on the spot, her blood spattering onto Empress Fu's robes.

It was precisely by relying on those very bolts of silk that a robust soldier had strapped the Son of Heaven to his back and scaled the walls on both banks to transport the Son of Heaven safely to the northern shore.

After crossing the river, there were only dozens of people left around the Son of Heaven, and by the time they scaled the Zhongtiao Mountains and reached the vicinity of Anyi, their garments were completely in tatters.

Even so, the prominent clans and gentry of Hedong still had to put on a show of poverty whenever the occasion demanded.

Wei Gu dared not imagine what would happen if the inventory of spoils in his hands were delivered directly before the Son of Heaven, or laid eyes upon by Zhao彦.

He gave a dry laugh and handed the ledger to Pei Xiu: "A-xi, the wealth within the Hou clan's estate is meager. It seems to me that Jia Liangdao has exaggerated the gold and silk, belittling the rewards due to the Tiger Elite simply to elevate himself and curry favor with the court!"

Pei Xiu took the ledger, opened it, and his eyes narrowed slightly as well: "Indeed, that is quite possible. Having toiled through the night, perhaps he copied it down incorrectly. Based on my knowledge of the Hou clan, fifty kin of gold and two hundred bolts of silk would be the absolute limit."

"A-xi, you did not see it for yourself—the Hou brothers have always been dissolute and extravagant beyond measure, yet their treasuries were hollow."

The muscles in Wei Gu's cheeks twitched: "From what I saw, there was no more than twenty-some kin of gold, and coarse or plain fabrics amounted to barely a hundred bolts."

"I shall dispatch a letter to Liangdao right away. His loyalty to the Son of Heaven is well-intentioned, but he must not deceive the imperial court."