Half a Spoiler Chapter 33

The two of them looked at each other, both showing some surprise in their eyes.

People with a certain level of artistic cultivation are always particularly inclined to judge others by their own standards.

Since Song Nanlou himself could form certain assessments of others from their qin-playing or chess moves, he naturally believed that the Sovereign must have reached his conclusions in the same way.

Shi Zhuhe said, “Since I’ve been appointed deputy commander, I should go home and pack a little so I can accompany you on the campaign.”

Song Nanlou glanced at his friend. “Weren’t you unwilling to take office?”

His wording was tactful. If Song Nanlou’s reluctance to serve came somewhat from wanting to protect his family line, then a large part of Shi Zhuhe’s reluctance stemmed from looking down on the Wen clan.

Shi Zhuhe smiled. “I truly am unwilling, but a man lives in this world and must still earn his keep. Whether by farming or by living on an official salary, both are ways to support one’s family.” He smoothed his sleeves and continued solemnly, “And although I do not understand military matters well, I have long received your care. I am willing to aid you in pacifying the region.”

Song Nanlou looked at his friend. The way the other man modestly claimed not to understand military affairs reminded him of the Son of Heaven saying he was not good at chess. After a moment of silence, he finally said sincerely, “Zhuhe, you needn’t speak so humbly. From what I can see, you will surely get along perfectly with Her Majesty as ruler and minister.”

Wen Yanran had no idea what a stir her appointments had caused in the hearts of the two young talents in Jianping. And contrary to what Song Nanlou imagined, she had actually assigned Shi Zhuhe – who the commentaries all summed up as someone who “can’t fight battles” – under the more reliable Song Nanlou because she was worried about his lack of military ability.

After confirming whom to send to Gaoyi and Xiangqing, the central administration had to begin preparing supplies such as grain and fodder as quickly as possible.

Because this time those being dispatched to the local regions from Jianping were all Imperial Guards, and the young men selected for the Imperial Guard were naturally all from decent families – many of them from quite good backgrounds. This was both an advantage and a drawback.

Wen Yanran had the palace attendant deliver a message to Song Nanlou: “Do not delay. Prepare six and a half days’ worth of provisions and depart immediately.”

Song Nanlou quickly grasped the Sovereign’s meaning – the reason the Marquis of Quanling chose to stir up trouble in Gaoyi and Xiangqing was, of course, because both places were not far from Jianping. With a light march, it would take about five days to reach Gaoyi and six to reach Xiangqing. The Emperor’s order to prepare six days of provisions meant five days of travel with one day of rest.

In addition, since the one leading these Imperial Guards was from the Song clan, he would never resort to plundering common households. Yet these men had no authority to draw supplies from the state or county granaries. If they were to obtain additional provisions, they could only take them from the powerful local clans and wealthy households.

Song Nanlou had privately said to Shi Zhuhe, “Her Majesty worries that the Imperial Guards have too many kinship ties and are unwilling to tear their faces with those great clans. That is why he arranged things this way.”

Shi Zhuhe agreed wholeheartedly.

Just as the two from the Song and Shi families, along with Wen Xun and several young men from the Zheng and Lu clans, were preparing to lead the cavalry straight toward the two commandaries, Wen Yanran summoned Attendant Song and Lu Yuanguang to the palace to discuss the follow-up arrangements.

Wen Yanran said, “There are pavilions and relay shelters throughout the realm, but none of them have horses. If an urgent message needs to be sent, delays are inevitable. I intend to station good horses at the relay posts between Gaoyi and Xiangqing and Jianping, so that couriers can exchange mounts along the way.”

Lu Yuanguang immediately voiced her agreement. Attendant Song, thinking about his nephew’s safety, likewise declared he would do everything he could to accomplish this for the Emperor.

Wen Yanran nodded slightly.

In Great Zhou, the delivery of letters still largely depended on the couriers themselves. Because there were no spare horses along the route, the speed was heavily limited by the endurance of a single mount. She planned to use this opportunity to pilot a relay-horse system and lay the groundwork for implementing it nationwide in the future.

Lu Yuanguang and Attendant Song accepted the order and withdrew to discuss the practical details. Wen Yanran then went to Tianfu Palace and, in the study that nominally belonged to the State Preceptor, wrote a letter. There she also summoned the lady appointed as the Imperial Guards’ records officer – First Young Lady Hou of the Hou family, the daughter of the Director for the Imperial Household, Hou Suo – and asked her to take the letter with her.

Wen Jingmei, though silent, had to admit that the Emperor’s arrangement made sense. Taiqi Palace was, after all, the main palace of Great Zhou. Summoning a member of the Song clan was one thing, but summoning the family member of an inner-court eunuch would easily attract criticism. In contrast, Tianfu Palace carried far fewer taboos.

The Imperial Guards were about to depart. After the records officer took the letter and left in haste, Wen Yanran – having finished all her arrangements – was in no hurry to leave. Instead, she began to fiddle with the divination tools kept in Tianfu Palace.

In her hands was a piece of tortoise shell, its edges inscribed with two small lines of text: “Nine parts human effort, one part Heaven’s mandate.”

It was an artifact passed down from former State Preceptors, meant to remind later generations to maintain reverence toward the unknown. Wen Yanran took a brief look at it, then couldn’t help but laugh. “If one is going to divine, of course one seeks that one part of Heaven’s mandate. Yet people often lack far more in the nine parts of human effort, while bitterly chasing after that vague, ethereal one part of fate.” Having said that, she tossed the tortoise shell onto the table.

Wen Jingmei happened to walk over at that moment. Seeing this, he asked, “Is Your Majesty preparing to divine?”

Instead of answering, Wen Yanran asked in return, “Brother, do you think the Commandery Administrators of the two commanderies are alive or dead?”

Wen Jingmei was silent for a moment, then gently shook his head.

He did not say it outright, but if Jianping had not sent people over, those two Commandery Administrators might still have had a sliver of life. Once people were sent, their deaths were certain.

Given the Marquis of Quanling’s temperament, so long as she could continue controlling the administration of those regions, she would never hand over her territory. Since she had chosen to let go now, she would naturally try to extract whatever benefit she could first.

Those two Commandery Administrators were either incompetent – so much so that the commanderies had slipped entirely beyond control, in which case they would die whether they fell into the hands of the Marquis of Quanling or the Emperor – or, more likely, they were greatly beloved by the people. Considering their humble origins and lack of family backing, yet their ability to keep their jurisdictions stable, incompetence was unlikely. Therefore, they were most likely highly trusted by the common folk and, after the current emperor’s accession, unwilling to continue following the Marquis of Quanling’s orders. The Cui clan thus had no choice but to kill them.

But although he did not say it aloud, it did not mean the Emperor did not understand.

Wen Yanran nodded, smiling softly. “I am thinking the same as you.”

Just as Wen Jingmei had words left unsaid, Wen Yanran also had things she did not voice – although she had not been emperor for long, she already understood a little about how her peers, and those aspiring to become her peers, tended to conduct themselves.

To the Marquis of Quanling, the situation in those two commanderies was unfavorable, so not only would she have to eliminate the two Commandery Administrators as a warning to their successors, she would also ensure their deaths served her own interests as much as possible.

A group made up of members of great clans and imperial kin, escorted by the Imperial Guards, mounted swift horses and rushed toward the two commanderies with all their strength.

Since both Gaoyi and Xiangqing lay to the south of Jianping, the troops only needed to split up one day in advance. Estimating that they were already close to the two commandery seats, Song Nanlou ordered everyone to make camp at a relay station, allowing both men and horses a full day of rest.

The newly appointed records officer from the Hou family – who felt as if the jostling on horseback had nearly shaken the bile out of her – finally found an opportunity to report to her superior. She stepped forward, gave a half-bow, and said, “Your Majesty sent a letter for the Commandant.”

Song Nanlou frowned. “If there was a letter, why are you only mentioning it today?”

The records officer replied honestly, “Her Majesty instructed that the letter is to be handed to the Commandant only before entering the city.”

The other party – who looked every bit the scion of a great clan – now that he had become a cavalry commandant, carried himself in a way that made others instinctively wary.

Song Nanlou inspected the letter said to be from the Sovereign – the seal was correct, and the wax was intact. Considering that forging a noble’s document was a grave crime in Great Zhou, and that the records officer’s family all lived in Jianzhou, forgery was essentially impossible.

He opened the letter on the spot. After reading its contents, he first froze for a moment, then suddenly understood. He dismissed the records officer, then pulled Shi Zhuhe over. “Look.”

Shi Zhuhe swept through the letter’s contents at a glance and nodded slightly. “It seems Her Majesty understands the Marquis of Quanling very well.” Then he looked at his friend. “And just as well, understands you very well too.”

When the time came the next day to divide the forces and advance, Song Nanlou ordered Shi Zhuhe to lead one contingent toward Xiangqing while he himself went to Gaoyi. At the same time, he sent word to the entire force: the people of both commanderies were unsettled, and regardless of the underlying reasons, the fault lay with the Commandery Administrators. Once the Imperial Guards entered the cities, they were to charge straight into the government offices, drag the Commandery Administrators out, and execute them publicly according to the law, after which the Chief Clerics would temporarily take over their duties.

Most of the clerks and soldiers accompanying them did not know the internal situation of the two commanderies, so upon hearing Song Nanlou’s orders, naturally obeyed without question.

In the Central Plains, the official roads were broad and well maintained. Song Nanlou and his men rode swiftly to Yicheng, the prefectural seat of Gaoyi, presented their documents, and demanded that the gates be opened.

The gate guards took the papers, saying they needed to show them to their superiors. But once the documents were delivered, the guards who had taken them suddenly disappeared – an obvious attempt to keep the Imperial Guards outside the walls.

The soldiers erupted in a clamor, and after a moment, a man dressed as a scholar appeared on the city gate tower, clasped his hands, and said, “Since you are here to escort the Chief Cleric, a dozen or so of you may enter the city. But if all of you soldiers march in with such imposing force, would it not disturb the residents?”

Song Nanlou asked, “Who are you?”

The scholar clasped his hands again and replied, “I am Yu Ping, Registrar of Gaoyi.”

Song Nanlou directly drew the imperial guard’s blade from his waist, pointing it upward, and sternly rebuked, “We are here by the Emperor’s command – not only to escort the Chief Cleric but also to carry out the public execution of the Commandery Administrator of Gaoyi in accordance with the law! If you insist on blocking us today, you are not obstructing us, but defying the laws of the court!”

With the blade in his hand, he now appeared awe-inspiring and formidable, not a trace of the refined elegance expected of a man from a noble family remaining.

Record Officer Hou couldn’t help but shrink her neck – no wonder the Emperor had appointed him as the Cavalry Commandant. The Sovereign truly lived up to her title, managing to single out this exceptional case from a crowd of refined and consistent noble-born youths – someone whose actions starkly contrasted with their elegant appearance.

Seeing Song Nanlou’s stern expression and hearing his harsh tone, Yu Ping instinctively took a small step backward. When he spoke again, his words carried a tone of pleading: “In that case, please allow me to seek instructions first.”

Noting the other party’s willingness to yield, Song Nanlou grew even more aggressive. “Her Majesty has already granted us full authority to act as we see fit. Who exactly do you intend to seek instructions from, Registrar Yu?” After a brief pause, he added a heavily suggestive remark: “The Mandate of Heaven is settled – how can you hesitate between two choices? Those who do not follow the Emperor today are siding with the rebels!”

Yu Ping had not expected Song Nanlou to be so unyielding. He recoiled in alarm, murmuring acquiescence, “I shall open the gates at once!”

With that, he hurriedly turned and descended the tower, calling for the gate guards while simultaneously dispatching a messenger to the prefect’s office.

Originally, Yu Ping had served as an official under the Cui clan. Under normal circumstances, he would have remained by the Commandery Administrator of Gaoyi to assist in suppressing local powerful families. However, after the Emperor ascended the throne, his duty shifted to confining the Commandery Administrator and awaiting an opportunity to eliminate him.

For the Commandery Administrators of the two commanderies, loyalty to the Emperor meant they could not remain loyal to the Marquis of Quanling. Their conscience prevented them from secretly harming the Marquis under Jianping’s orders, yet they also refrained from offering any extra assistance to help her seize the throne.

But while Wen Yanran could afford to wait, Wen Jinming could not. The Cui clan, which supported the Fourth Princess, intended to use the deaths of the two Commandery Administrators to intimidate those who were still hesitant. However, they had no intention of openly taking the blame for the killings to avoid public outrage.

In their plan, when the imperial guards entered the city, they would stall for time while seizing the opportunity to assassinate the prefects. If these two events coincided, they could muddy the waters and publicly claim that Jianping was responsible for the deaths. But now that Song Nanlou had openly declared his intent to execute the Commandery Administrators, and as a scion of a noble family, he would not risk his reputation with falsehoods, there was no need for fabricated accusations – the blame would naturally fall on Jianping. Thus, Yu Ping and his associates had no reason to stick to the original plan.

The messenger hurried to the official compound. The clerks tasked with guarding the Commandery Administrator abandoned their half-starved superior, changed their clothes, and attempted to flee. But just as they reached the gate, the clashing of weapons echoed from outside.

Song Nanlou, who had forced his way into the city, had already dispatched troops to surround the entire compound, allowing no one to enter or leave. He led Hou Xiaoshu and others inside, intending to drag the Commandery Administrator out.

When they saw the Commandery Administrator’s weakened and dejected state, Hou Xiaoshu needed no instruction from her superior. She first fed the Commandery Administrator some warm honeyed water, then helped him to the front of the compound and publicly removed his official hat.

In the Great Zhou dynasty, removing one’s hat was a classic gesture of admitting guilt.

Song Nanlou planted one foot on the stone post in front of the official compound, looking more like a military officer from the Imperial Guard than even Yan Xiaolou. He passionately recounted the disasters that had struck the commandery to the gathered locals, condemning the various disrespectful actions of the Chief Cleric after his arrival in Jianping. Finally, he delivered his conclusion, “Given the dire situation in this commandery, regardless of any underlying circumstances, the responsibility lies with the Commandery Administrator.” Without further discussion, he grabbed the Commandery Administrator of Gaoyi by his hair, severed it with a swift stroke of his blade, and held the severed locks aloft for all to see. In a clear, resonant voice, he declared, “However, the Sovereign is magnanimous. Moreover, since you have taken office, you have implemented many measures to bring stability to the people. For now, you are permitted to offer your hair in place of your head. Let this serve as a warning – your future conduct will be closely observed!”

The commandery officials stared in stunned silence. At last, Yu Ping seemed to grasp the implication of what had just happened. He tried to send a messenger to Xiangqing with urgent news, but as soon as he made a move, he was forced to halt abruptly before the armored Imperial Guards, their sharp blades gleaming in their hands.