Taiheiki

Chapter 178 Taking advantage of people
Although the place seemed peaceful, the scout discovered a dead body. He pointed it out to Wang Ge: "Right there, in the reeds on the bank!" The man's body had dark skin, was swollen all over, and his soaked cloak hung on a rock. The wound on his neck was a pale, ashen white.

"Thank goodness I didn't drink the water here!" Wang Ge shook his head. "Otherwise, I would definitely have gotten sick!"

"It must have floated down from upstream!" Yu Wen dismounted, walked to the corpse, and examined it carefully: "It's a barbarian from Linyi. Look at the copper ring on his ear!"

“Hmm!” Wang Ge nodded. During his time in Rinan County, he had learned quite a bit about the Lin Yi Kingdom. The barbarians of this kingdom looked very different from the local natives; their skin was darker, their noses were high, their eyes were deep-set, and their lips were thick. It was said that their ancestors had crossed the sea from a distant island, and they had their own writing system and gods, calling themselves the Zhan people. All the men in the tribe wore earrings; the king wore gold, the nobles wore silver, ordinary people wore bronze, and slaves wore iron. Therefore, one could roughly determine a person's social status simply by looking at the material of their earrings.

Yu Wen examined the body and found a bronze dagger and a pouch containing some copper coins and cheap women's jewelry, which proved the deceased's identity. He turned to Wang Ge and said, "I'll go upstream and see what's going on! The Zhan people rarely appear in this area!"

"Very well!" Wang Ge turned around and said to the soldiers behind him, "You, you, and you, the four of you will go with Young Master Yu. Make sure he returns safely!"

Two cavalrymen and two mounted crossbowmen silently followed Yu Wen, while the rest camped by a stream. This small group consisted of about thirty men, including both infantry and cavalry. Even the infantrymen rode mules, though not warhorses, and their armor and weapons were extremely sophisticated. It turned out that after Wei Cong and Yu Xin reached an agreement, Wei Cong sent a small force of fifty men to Rinan Commandery to serve as Wang Ge's guards and gather intelligence. Yu Xin turned a blind eye to Wang Ge's actions, and Yu Wen frequently accompanied him.

Those who went out didn't return until noon. Yu Wen said he found a wooden bridge about two miles away, but it had been burned down. "There's a fort nearby with a stone wall. It belongs to the powerful Li family, and although it only has two towers, it's still a safe haven. If we head north along the river, we should get there before dark. They must know about these Zhan people's activities!" Yu Wen said, drawing a diagram on the ground with a twig. "This family is an old friend of my brother's. If we're lucky, you should be able to sleep in a bed and have a good meal tonight!"

A soft laugh rippled through the crowd. This wasn't their first time traveling with Yu Wen, and they all got along well with this approachable yet brave younger brother of the prefect. Someone chuckled, "What we eat and sleep in doesn't matter. We've all been out riding horses and fighting for a while now, so we're used to these things. It would be best if a woman came along to warm our feet!"

"Yes, if you can't warm my feet, a glass of wine will do!"

“Sure!” Yu Wen didn’t seem to mind. “I’ll talk to Master Li. Do you want a fifty-year-old woman or a forty-year-old widow?”

"Sure!" the old soldier laughed, "As long as it's female..."

Wang Ge couldn't stand it anymore. He spat and said, "Still marching? Be careful not to lose your heads! Everyone, perk up and move out!"

The riverside path couldn't compare to the official road, but it was passable; at least the mules and horses could move about normally. An hour before sunset, they saw the first dwelling. It was a comfortable bamboo hut surrounded by vegetable gardens and rice paddies. The guide approached and called out, but there was no response.

“They’re probably dead, or they’ve hidden themselves. You, and you, come with me.” Yu Wen led two people into the house to search. “The pots are gone, they took everything they could!” Yu Wen muttered as they returned. “There are no livestock either, they’ve probably run away. It seems this time they’re serious about taking people.”

After walking a short distance, they first glimpsed a hunter's hut surrounded by old trees, with neatly stacked firewood waiting to be chopped outside. Then they saw stilted houses on the river, the dwellings of fishermen, both of which were empty. The fields on both sides of the road were full of ripe fruit, but no one was harvesting them. It was unbelievable, and everyone felt a chill in their hearts. Without Wang Ge urging them on, everyone quickened their pace.

"who?"

A shout came from the bushes by the roadside. The sharp-eared veterans had already heard the faint sound of bowstrings tightening. They nimbly raised their shields. Yu Wen raised his arm, picked up his waist token, and shouted, "I am the garrison commander of the county. Do not fire arrows!"

A moment later, a young man carrying a bow emerged from the bushes. He looked warily at Yu Wen and the soldiers behind him: "A county magistrate? How is that possible? It's at least sixty or seventy li from here to the county seat. When did a magistrate become so bold as to send such a small group of people to such a far place!"

“My name is Yu Wen, and I am the prefect’s younger brother. I am an old acquaintance of your manor lord. If you don’t believe me, you can take me to see him!”

"The prefect's brother?" The young man looked at Yu Wen, seemingly still somewhat disbelieving. Wang Ge, standing to the side, said, "We saw the body of a Zhan soldier by the river, and that's why we came here. We didn't see anyone along the way. What happened?"

"What happened?" The young man sneered, "What else could it be? You've all seen the Zhan people's corpses, and you're still asking this kind of question. Isn't it because the Zhan people attacked, and you didn't run away but stayed in the house to wait to die?"

"The Zhan people have attacked?" Yu Wen was taken aback. "Then why didn't you run away? And why didn't you send someone to the county town to report this?"

"Now I believe you're that damned governor's brother. Only a rich young master like you would ask such a stupid question. Our ancestral tombs, fields, and houses are all here. Where would we run off to? What would we eat and drink if we ran away? Where would the old folks and children sleep?" The young man rolled his eyes. He whistled, and seventeen or eighteen young men carrying spears and bows rose from the bushes behind him. "As for why you didn't send someone to report to the authorities, what good would it do? Would the authorities send troops?"

Yu Wen was rendered speechless by the young man's retort. Indeed, as the young man said, at least in the half-year since Yu Wen returned to Rinan County, his brother's strategy for dealing with those bandits and barbarians was to protect only the villages around the county seat, leaving the villages further away to fend for themselves. Just as the young man said, since the government wouldn't care even if I reported to them, why should I waste my energy reporting the movements of the Zhan people?
"Who says the government won't send troops?" Wang Ge retorted. "Aren't we the troops sent by the government?"

"You guys?" The young man glanced at the men behind Wang Ge, a disdainful expression on his face. "How many people are there?"

"We're just patrolling, of course that's all there are?" Wang Ge replied. "The reason there are so few people is ultimately because you didn't send anyone to report to the authorities." This time, the young man was speechless. Yu Wen coughed and said, "Now is not the time to argue about these things. Take us into the manor to see your master!"

"Hmm!" The young man nodded, then turned around and randomly pointed to two people: "You, and you, lead the way for Young Master Yu. The rest of you, continue to stay here with me and guard this place!"

After passing through a mulberry grove, Yu Wen and his party arrived at Wu Fort. The Li family lord, having received the news, was already waiting at the gate. Wang Gao carefully observed the fort. Outside the outer wall was a moat about ten feet wide, topped by a wooden wall. The gate was studded with iron nails, and inside were two iron bolts as thick as small trees. There were holes in the ground for inserting the bolts, and metal brackets on the gate. After the bolts passed through the brackets, they formed a slanted cross shape. The walls were built of rough, unplastered stone, about ten feet high, with wooden walkways inside the crenellations. Archers could stand on them to fire. On either side of the gate were fifteen-foot-high shooting towers, protruding about two feet from the wall, eliminating blind spots at the base of the wall.

"My lord, this Wubao is the real deal. It looks like we can finally get a good night's sleep tonight!" an old soldier whispered in Wang Ge's ear.

Wang Ge nodded without speaking. Although he hadn't led troops independently in recent years, he had seen it all and was quite knowledgeable about military affairs. This fortress was clearly the result of considerable effort, far superior to the simple earthen ramparts used against ordinary bandits. Unless the attackers possessed specialized siege equipment like battering rams, catapults, ladders, and shield towers, taking it solely by numbers would likely result in at least three or four times more casualties than the defenders. It seemed the Li family's survival in this place was no accident.

"I am Li Biao, and I respectfully welcome Young Master Yu!" The owner of Wubao was a robust man in his early forties, of medium build, with broad shoulders, dressed in coarse linen. From his demeanor, he looked like an ordinary old farmer. On the surface, his manners towards Yu Wen were impeccable: "My son was rude outside just now, please forgive him!"

"So that's your son!" Yu Wen dismounted and bowed respectfully: "Master Li, I heard from your son that there have been thieves and robbers operating in your estate recently—"

Li Biao nodded, his face full of worry: "Young Master Yu, let's go inside the manor to talk!"

"Alright!"

Wang Ge dismounted and entered the village. He found the granaries to be astonishingly large, and most of the buildings were constructed of stone, even the ordinary villagers' dwellings, except for their thatched roofs. This not only prevented the spread of fire but could also be used as ammunition for lever-operated catapults if necessary. If this was intentional, then this Master Li of the village was not to be underestimated.

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Li Biao raised his wine cup and said in a deep voice, "Young Master Yu, your presence at my humble abode is an honor. I have only prepared a meager amount to offer you, and I apologize in advance!" With that, he drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Yu Wen quickly raised his cup in response. After drinking, he laughed and said, "I dare not accept this. We came without prior notice, and the Master has already treated us with such kindness! However, I have a question for you!" With that, he took out the bronze dagger he had found on the Zhan man's corpse from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and recounted everything he had seen by the river that day. Finally, he asked, "Master, have you already fought a battle with the Zhan people?"

Li Biao pondered for a moment before replying, "That's right, it happened two days ago. A group of thieves robbed a neighboring village. When I learned of this, I led my clansmen to their rescue. We intercepted the thieves at the riverbank, and after a fierce battle, we defeated them and recovered their valuables, livestock, and women and children. The corpse you saw, sir, must be from someone who fell into the water!"

"This is great news!" Yu Wen said with a smile. "Li Zhuangzhu is exceptionally brave. I will definitely report this to my brother when I get back and give him a great reward!"

"That's enough!" Li Biao's face showed no joy. He waved his hand and said, "When we were checking the battlefield afterwards, we found a Zhan bandit who had been shot to death. He was wearing gold earrings. When we asked him, we found out that this guy was actually the nephew of the King of Linyi!"

"The nephew of the King of Linyi?" Yu Wen was taken aback upon hearing this: "Really?"

"Hmm!" Li Biao nodded. "We've already questioned the prisoners, and it's confirmed! Originally, there were many princes and nephews in Linyi, so injuring one or two wouldn't have been a big deal, but things are different now—" He sighed. "Young Master Yu, you should know why I didn't report to the prefect, right?"

Yu Wen felt a pang of sadness and nodded silently. The Kingdom of Lin-yi was different from the Han Dynasty; its royal power was much weaker. Furthermore, the current King of Lin-yi had many sons and nephews. Normally, killing one or two would at most be a matter of paying compensation. But times had changed. Currently, the two commanderies of Jiuzhen and Rinan in the Han Dynasty were in great turmoil. The E'zhai Rebellion and the Wei Cong affair had further weakened the power of Jiaozhi Commandery. The Cham people, who already harbored ambitions to invade the south, had become even more rampant. The killing of the King of Lin-yi's nephew had become a perfect pretext. If Li Biao reported this, Prefect Yu might just hand him over to the King of Lin-yi as a punching bag. It was better to say nothing; at worst, it would be a fight to the death.

"So, Master Li is preparing to resist the Zhan people's retaliation?" Wang Ge asked.

"And who is this—?" Li Biao glanced at Wang Ge. He had assumed Wang Ge was Yu Wen's attendant since Wang Ge hadn't spoken, but judging from his tone, it didn't seem like it.

"This is Wang Ge, my good friend!" Yu Wen said. "These are his guards who came with us this time!"

"So it's Young Master Wang! I was disrespectful, please forgive me! Men, quickly set up another table for Young Master Wang," Li Biao hurriedly forced a smile. He knew Yu Wen's identity; he was from the Yu clan of Kuaiji, a prominent family that had produced officials with salaries of two thousand shi for generations. This Young Master Wang looked unremarkable, but the armor and warhorses of his accompanying guards were not just for show. He had initially thought they were sent by Prefect Yu to his younger brother, but it turned out they were Young Master Wang's personal guards. He had treated him as Young Master Yu's attendants, which probably offended him.

“No need for that, I’ll just sit with Young Master Yu!” Wang Ge quickly stopped Li Biao’s actions: “Master Li, just answer my question from earlier, have you already received news of the Zhanren Society’s retaliation?”

(End of this chapter)