Chapter 54: Two Thick Thighs

Zhao Ji led the transport convoy slowly into the camp, but at the camp gates, Pei Xiu and Wei Gu had no inclination to enter.

After the dozen or so Huben cavalrymen guarding the rear entered the camp, Zhao Ji asked, "Seventh Brother, has something happened in Jiangyi again?"

"It is not Jiangyi. It is Jia Liangdao."

Wei Gu answered first, handing a bamboo slip of accounts to Zhao Ji. "Ah Ji, what do you make of this?"

Zhao Ji unrolled the slip and scanned it rapidly, asking in confusion, "Eldest Brother, is something amiss?"

"Extremely amiss!"

Wei Gu gnashed his teeth. "I know not whether Jia Liangdao did this through sheer carelessness, or if he intends to wipe out my entire clan!"

Seeing that Zhao Ji was completely baffled, Pei Xiu explained, "Ah Ji, Jia Liangdao intends to present five hundred catties of gold and two thousand bolts of silk to the court?"

"Indeed. The court is in dire straits, and since our spoils are bountiful, we should naturally fulfill our duty as subjects."

Zhao Ji also came to his senses and looked at Wei Gu. "What troubles Eldest Brother is it that previously, coerced by the White Wave generals, the various clans dared not serve the Son of Heaven?"

It was not that the various families intentionally wished to watch the Emperor and the court make fools of themselves; rather, the White Wave bandits were simply too detestable.

Wei Gu also felt that Zhao Ji's analysis made sense, but he remained furious. "This Jia Liangdao harbors malicious intent; he is utterly hateful!"

Seeing that he was in no frame of mind to discuss the matter sensibly, Pei Xiu said, "Ah Ji, the tribute should not be overly lavish. With military campaigns imminent, it is also unwise to carry such vast quantities of gold and silk. It would be better to first exterminate the White Wave generals, seize their family wealth, and only then present offerings to the court."

The White Wave generals were quite poor themselves; their main forces had been nearly wiped out, leaving them with little plunder, while their original followers had scattered and fled.

Zhao Ji, however, fully grasped the subtext of Pei Xiu's words: this was a plan to launder the gold and silk seized from the Hou family using the 'spoils' taken from the White Wave bandits.

By altering the stated origin of the gold and silk, accumulated wealth belonging to the great clans of Hedong would be disguised as 'stolen goods' plundered from the scholars and commoners by the White Wave generals.

In this way, prominent local lineages such as the Wei and Fan clans would cleanse themselves of suspicion, naturally maintaining the public image of merely 'striving to keep themselves clothed and fed.'

Wei Gu chimed in, "We shall present only twenty catties of gold and a hundred bolts of fabric. If we acquire further spoils later, we can present them then without delay."

Zhao Ji nodded slowly. "We shall follow the counsel of Seventh Brother and Eldest Brother."

Wei Gu let out a long breath of turbid air and patted Zhao Ji on the shoulder. "Since Ah Ji agrees, I shall immediately send men to find Jia Liangdao and explain the rationale to him."

Zhao Ji naturally raised no objection, and Wei Gu immediately spurred his horse into the camp.

Watching Wei Gu's retreating figure, Pei Xiu turned to Zhao Ji and asked, "Ah Ji, what are your thoughts?"

"Eldest Brother of the Wei clan is far too hasty. Panic always clouds one's judgment."

Zhao Ji leaped down from his horse, and Pei Xiu dismounted as well. Leading their horses by the reins, Zhao Ji said helplessly, "If the Son of Heaven had relocated here only recently, we might still sell this narrative. But now, after five whole months, how is it possible that they remain unclear about the foundation of the Wei clan?"

Seeing that Pei Xiu remained silent, Zhao Ji asked, "What does Seventh Brother think?"

"I am pondering the stance of the court ministers after we suppress the White Wave generals."

Pei Xiu raised his eyebrows to gaze at the firmament. "Put yourself in their shoes: if you and I were the heads and elders of our respective clans, how could we dare to rashly rescue the Son of Heaven?"

The 'Imperial Army' had been practically annihilated, the high officials severely battered, and the palace attendants scattered to the winds.

To describe the Emperor and the court officials as stray dogs would be no exaggeration, and they were still trailed by the White Wave generals. At such a time, who would dare to finance or invest in the court?

If you invested money and grain in the court back then, a court devoid of an imperial army could not protect those resources, which would only serve to strengthen the White Wave generals.

And once the White Wave generals grew stronger—knowing full well that the prominent clans of Hedong held the Emperor in high regard and possessed considerable wealth—tragedy would ensue.

'Supporting the Emperor to punish the rebellious subjects'—this rationale was simple enough, and the White Wave generals could entirely use it to pillage quite legally.

Faced with White Wave bandits holding an imperial decree for punitive expeditions, even if the great Hedong clans wished to resist, their subordinate retainers and private soldiers would hardly dare to fight, while minor gentry and local factions would simply sit on the fence and watch.

Objectively speaking, they had no choice but to stand by with folded arms.

After all, no matter how fiercely one fought, there were the Xiongnu to the north and Li Jue and Guo Si to the west... With the outlook so bleak, the great clans of Hedong had simply abandoned the idea of investment, wishing only to escort the Emperor and the court politely beyond their borders.

The root cause of all this lay in the destruction of the 'Imperial Army.' If the Emperor's migration convoy had arrived intact in Hedong, the local great clans would naturally have invested actively.

Even if the imperial army had suffered some losses, as long as the retinue of officials and palace attendants remained intact, it still would have been acceptable.

The officials numbered over a thousand, and at the very least, their backgrounds were among the minor gentry, meaning they all possessed personal networks.

The court officials could naturally have exerted their influence to draw material and human support from the various provinces of Guandong.

Yet less than one in ten survived. Those who arrived alive were only the high-ranking ministers, while the backbone of the administration had essentially perished among the chaotic soldiers.

With such a miserable precedent set before them, how could the great Hedong clans dare to rashly enter official service?

Then there was the corps of palace attendants—whether newly castrated eunuchs or palace maids—those selected were at least from respectable families.

These people also possessed extensive networks and influence, yet fewer than ten palace attendants arrived in Hedong alive.

Under such circumstances, how could the respectable families of Hedong dare to send their sons and daughters thither?

It was precisely because the defeat had been so thorough that the entire region of Hedong chose to wait and see.

Establishing the Huben force was merely a bargaining chip and a necessary cost to propel the Emperor and the court further along their migration; it could also be considered a form of investment.

Yet unexpectedly, this Huben force had inflicted heavy casualties on a small invading Xiongnu force at a disproportionate ratio, and had subsequently devoured the powerful Hou family.

Moreover, they had shot and killed Li Le, and Zhao彦, a man experienced in warfare, had already rolled up his sleeves to fight the White Wave generals to the death.

The situation had fundamentally changed. The current court once more possessed an imperial army, and the enlisted Huben youths had established merits, allowing them to rapidly replenish the various organs of the court.

Except for the corps of palace attendants, which would be difficult to assemble overnight, two of the three legs the court had previously lacked had now been restored.

Wei Gu might not have clearly recognized these changes, but his instincts sensed the mortal danger.

If the gold and silk prepared by Jia Liangdao were truly delivered to the court, even if the ministers in the court wished to shield the Wei family, they would find it difficult to intercede before the Emperor.

Then, the fate awaiting the Wei family would be none other than that of the Hou family.

Unlike Pei Xiu, who pondered the grand strategic picture, Zhao Ji was simply contemplating the Son of Heaven.

The experiences of this Emperor were little better than those of Liu Bingyi; he had deeply tasted the suffering of the common people, endured turbulence and disasters, and was truly an Emperor who understood the conditions of the populace and the world.

Yet Emperors Huan and Ling had also been imperial clansmen brought in from the outside, and they too had known the realities of life beyond the imperial city.

Zhao Ji merely thought of it briefly. To start an enterprise alone was exceedingly difficult; even Yuan Shao had to rely on various scholars, and Cao Cao was no exception.

Even Sun Ce, who was beginning his expedition to cross the river and conquer Jiangdong that year, relied heavily on force, yet he still required the assistance of scholars from Xu and Huai in administrative matters.

A state does not belong to a single man, nor is a great enterprise the work of one person.

To accomplish things required a multitude of hands, and the court was an exceptionally fine 'gathering array'—he could simply select the people he needed from within it.

The more talent gathered at the court, the less remained for Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Liu Biao, Liu Bei, and Sun Ce.

He would rely upon the court and then select suitable men to enrich his own small faction.

As the situation shifted in the future, by assessing the times and reading the circumstances, he might well secure control over his own destiny.

Whether one became a king, a marquis, a general, a warlord, a great manor lord, or even jokingly, a famous Xiongnu king... these were merely attempts to master one's fate as far as possible, avoiding coercion and drive by others, so as to live a safe, wealthy, and secure life.

Before long, Pei Xiu and Zhao Ji, each deep in their own thoughts, arrived at the parade ground.

The various Huben troops had already gathered there, and those recovering from wounds who could walk had all come as well.

As long as one had sustained injuries, one was guaranteed at least the second-to-last tier of rewards.

Guan Shang turned his head to look at the carts of fabric, stopping as Zhao Ji led his horse past. "Ah Shang, how is your recuperation?"

"The wound is not festering. The physician says that with another month of rest, it will heal completely."

Guan Shang chuckled as he sized up Zhao Ji. "Ah Ji, Lord Zhao sent men this morning bearing a gilded suit of armor. You should change into it soon; it must look most majestic. It is only a pity that due to my wounds, I cannot accompany Ah Ji this time."

"There will be opportunities yet. There are over twenty large and small Xiongnu tribes to the north—enough for us to hack away until the snow falls."

Zhao Ji glanced left and right, then asked, "Where is Military Sima Hu?"

"I know not. Ask Seventh Brother."

Guan Shang glanced sideways at Pei Xiu, who smiled and said, "I was just about to discuss that with Ah Ji."

Guan Shang understood and said to Zhao Ji, "Ah Ji, attend to your business first. Once my wounds are healed, I shall invite you and Seventh Brother for wine."

"Drinking wine is a minor matter; your recovery is paramount."

Zhao Ji knew Guan Shang wanted to express his gratitude, especially since Zhao Ji had ceded two enemy heads to him, allowing Guan Shang to receive a horse, six bolts of fabric, and a mounted servant.

Zhao Ji glanced into the distance, where Tang Xian and several county officials were already calling out names and distributing the rewards.

He also caught sight of the retreating figure of Yang Ji leaning on a crutch. That fellow's luck had been too poor, forcing him to temporarily return to camp to recuperate.

Pei Xiu gazed at the bustling parade ground, and thinking of Wei Gu's utterly wretched idea, felt that he had lowered himself in Ah Ji's estimation by another three points.

The situation had changed entirely; with the Hedong Wei family being such a prominent signpost, striking down Wei Gu's branch would hardly affect the broader picture.