Taiheiki

Chapter 203 Triumph
"Excellent, truly excellent!" Wei Cong's satisfied gaze swept over the silk paintings, and he smiled, "Your Highness, did you come up with this idea?"

"You jest, sir!" Wang Shou laughed. "How could I possibly have such ability? Do you remember that Qin Ke? He was the one who came up with all these ideas!"

"Is it the one who came up with the idea of ​​buying land and building houses on installment plans?" Wei Cong asked after thinking for a moment.

"That's right, it's that kid!" Wang Shou laughed. "I thought he was quite diligent, so I entrusted him with the task of repairing the road in the city this time. I didn't expect him to come up with this idea!"

"Hmm!" Wei Cong nodded and continued to look at the silk painting with great interest. From a modern perspective, these paintings have many problems. For example, like most painters at the time, they did not have a concept of the proportion of figures and the distance between them. Wei Cong was painted as two or three times the size of the soldiers next to him, only slightly smaller than the sitting elephant.

However, it's clear the artist's skills are quite refined, and the costumes and scenes are drawn very well. Perhaps I should teach him the perspective techniques I learned in art class (that is, using geometric principles to represent the distance between objects—distant objects appear smaller, closer objects larger, closer objects clearer, distant objects more blurred, etc.) and see if I can train a group of artists. After all, during the Western Renaissance, the roles of painters, architects, sculptors, building engineers, and mechanics often overlapped. The reason is simple: modern Western art was built upon natural sciences such as anatomy and optics. My future shipbuilding, infrastructure, and navigation will also rely heavily on draftsmen. If this artist is a promising talent, then I can save myself a lot of trouble.

“After the city entry ceremony, bring Qin Ke to see me, and also bring the painter!” Wei Cong said.

"Here!"

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The drums of the newly built Drum Tower resounded, summoning the entire city to witness the conqueror's glory. Crowds thronged the roads leading from the city gates to the governor's mansion, their chatter turning Panyu into a giant, buzzing beehive. But when the procession emerged from the city gates, silence fell. Everyone held their breath, countless eyes fixed on the first warrior to pass through, his scarlet cloak billowing in the wind, the plume on his helmet as crimson as blood, his armor as black as night.

Then came the second and third rows, two hundred spearmen in rows of four, entering the city gate with synchronized steps to the beat of drums. Next came the crossbowmen and archers, and finally the cavalry. These carefully selected warriors were like parts of a giant machine; under their heavy yet orderly steps, it seemed as if the entire earth was sinking. The onlookers had never seen anything like it before; their mouths were agape, their eyes glazed, and they even forgot to cheer.

Following the procession into the city were twelve oxcarts, each with a large silk painting hanging on its side. These paintings, rendered with meticulous yet exaggerated brushstrokes, depicted various scenes of Wei Cong's southward march from Yuzhang, his crossing of the Five Ridges, his defeat of Linyi, his awe of Funan Kingdom, and his alliance with the local barbarians. Compared to the procession, these silk paintings undoubtedly won the hearts of the onlookers lining the road. They pointed at the paintings, laughing and talking loudly, asking each other questions, and uttering exclamations of amazement and admiration.

Behind these twelve silk paintings is a huge wooden board with a rather crude map depicting Wei Cong's long march from Panyu to Funan. On the other side of the board, the spoils of this expedition are described in words: the army marched more than 3,000 li, beheaded more than 13,000 people, captured more than 20 cities, captured more than 75,000 people, countless livestock, 62 war elephants, and countless weapons and armor.

Following the oxcarts came war elephants, these enormous tamed beasts passing through the city gates and marching along the road under the control of their mahouts. People on both sides of the road screamed in terror, instinctively retreating; some collapsed to the ground, others were trampled and knocked down. Even the able-bodied men maintaining order retreated in fear.

"That's terrifying, this elephant is bigger than a cow?"

"Yes, look at that long thing growing on its head, what is that?"

"I heard it's the nose! It can use that thing to roll people up and throw them a long way!"

"And look at the white spikes around its mouth, it's terrifying!"

"Look at its legs, they're so thick! If someone were stepped on, they'd be dead a hundred times over!"

"Luckily, we have Governor Wei, otherwise I really wouldn't know how to deal with these big guys!"

"Yes, it's all thanks to Governor Wei, it's all thanks to him!"

"Tell me, with so many of these big guys all at once, who can possibly stand against Jiaozhou?"

Suddenly, one of the male elephants in the herd raised its trunk and let out a loud bellow. The resounding bellow immediately drew in the other elephants, and the calls of the herd drowned out the drumbeats and the chatter of the crowd, echoing throughout the city. People looked at the giant beasts before them in awe, letting out sighs of awe.

Following the captured elephants were the captives! Leading the procession was the King of Lin-yi, followed by his queen, princes, nobles, and ministers. To signify his status, he still wore a Lin-yi royal robe and a crown—though this crown, instead of gold, silver, and jewels, was made of woven branches. The nobles behind him wore similar crowns, their necks bound with ropes to symbolize their tragic fate. These unfortunate people, heads bowed, trudged through the street. The spectators on the roadside rekindled their joy and excitement, waving their arms and hurling jeers at the captives; some even threw scraps of vegetable, clods of dirt, and excrement at them.

Behind the prisoners were the freed Han Chinese slaves, almost all of whom had been plundered by the Linyi people. They waved their arms, cheering and expressing their gratitude to Wei Cong. Accompanying them were several carriages piled high with various spoils of war, including weapons, money, and cloth. The soldiers on the carriages continuously distributed copper coins to the people along the roadside, which further fueled the excitement of the passersby.

The climax and final part of the parade was Wei Cong's entrance, riding a magnificent white elephant flanked by sixteen armored knights, his banner fluttering overhead. The crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers, thanking Wei Cong for his bravery and fearlessness in eliminating a formidable enemy that had plagued Jiaozhou for generations, spreading the fame of the Han Dynasty far and wide, and bringing glory, security, and prosperity to Panyu. Wei Cong sat upright on the elephant, his back straight and his expression majestic, like a deity. He occasionally waved his arms to the people lining the road, responding to their cheers, which often elicited even more enthusiastic shouts, like waves crashing into the sky.

"This is more like a king or marquis than a governor!" Yuan Shao's voice was somewhat resentful.

"Hehe!" Kong Gui chuckled, "Why do you say such things, Yuan Shao? This is Jiaozhou, not Henan; and the emperors in Luoyang Palace are no longer Emperor Guangwu, Emperor Ming, or Emperor Zhang! How can we be bound by the past? Besides, Governor Wei has returned in triumph; the court will certainly bestow a title upon him. This is merely a small overstepping of authority!" Yuan Shao glanced at Kong Gui and said coldly, "Lord Kong is a descendant of a sage; I never expected him to utter such words!"

“Benchu, you are mistaken!” Kong Gui sighed. “Don’t forget, even a sage was once a minister of the Duke of Lu, not a servant of the Zhou emperor. How much more so for me? Now the world is already showing signs of chaos. Mengde is intelligent, benevolent, and possesses extraordinary talent. If we can assist him, Jiaozhou will be fortunate, and the world will be fortunate! What does my little bit of fame matter?”

Yuan Shao glanced at Kong Gui with some surprise, and a few minutes later said, "Lord Kong is right! I misspoke!"

"Hehe!" Kong Gui laughed, "Now that this matter is settled, when do you plan to return to Luoyang, Benchu?"

"This—" Yuan Shao hadn't expected the other party to suddenly steer the conversation so far, but he knew, of course, that what an old fox like Kong Gui said was definitely meaningful and needed to be treated with caution. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "I haven't made any plans for that yet!"

"So you mean you want to stay?"

"More or less!" Yuan Shao nodded. "After all, when I came south to Jiaozhou, the General-in-Chief had me supervise the Governor of Wei's campaign against the Mohe rebels. Although we have now pacified the barbarians south of Jiaozhou, there is still no progress on the army's northward march, so I plan to stay for a while!"

"Is that so?" Kong Gui smiled. "Then Yuan Shao's intention is to lead troops north together with Governor Wei?"

"Not bad?" Yuan Shao glanced at Kong Gui. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing much?" Kong Gui smiled. "However, if that's the case, I'm afraid you'll clash with the governor, which would be detrimental to the country!"

"Oh?" Yuan Shao was as clever as he was, and he immediately understood Kong Gui's implied meaning: "Does Lord Kong mean that Governor Wei does not want to lead troops north to quell the E'zhai?"

"That's not it!" Kong Gui laughed. "The country is facing a great calamity. As subjects, we should naturally do our best to serve the country. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to hold his position as governor of Jiaozhou. How could Governor Wei not understand this? But no one is perfect. Everyone has selfish desires to some extent, and our Governor Wei is no exception. He not only has selfish desires, but they are also quite large."

"Does Master Kong mean that Governor Wei has ulterior motives?"

"We can't say he has ulterior motives. This time, his campaign against Linyi reached as far as Funan, and he convened an alliance with the barbarians, venturing into territory no one had ever set foot in before. In terms of martial prowess, he is no less than Ma Fubo! He has made contributions and should be rewarded, otherwise how can he mobilize the masses?"

"Does Master Kong mean that he will only send troops after the court rewards Governor Wei?" Yuan Shao asked.

"It's not just him!" Kong Gui laughed. "You've been with them from beginning to end. After such a long march, the soldiers must be exhausted. How can we fight without resting for a while?"

Yuan Shao nodded. Kong Gui's second reason was irrefutable. He had followed Wei Cong on this expedition from beginning to end, departing in October of the previous year and returning to Panyu in April of the following year—a full six months. Even without firing a single arrow and only marching without fighting, the soldiers would be exhausted. Indeed, Wei Cong had around six thousand men when he set out from Panyu, but returned with less than three thousand. Of these, fewer than a thousand had died or been wounded in battle; the rest were recovering from illnesses and non-combat injuries sustained during the march, recuperating along the way. If they were to immediately embark on another expedition, even if Wei Cong were willing, his soldiers would likely not be able to endure it.

"So, Benchu, you should return to Luoyang first and report the situation here to the General and your uncle, so as to avoid any misunderstandings!" Kong Gui said with a smile.

"I understand!" Yuan Shao nodded. "I will report the situation in Jiaozhou to the court, but I also hope that Governor Wei will not delay for too long, otherwise things may get complicated!"

“Of course!” Kong Gui said with a smile.

While the two were talking, Wei Cong and his entourage arrived at the prefect's residence. He dismounted his war elephants and read the imperial edict to the surrounding soldiers and onlookers: "The soldiers who followed me on this campaign traversed thousands of miles, braving arrows and stones, and facing blades; they have shed blood and sweat. Therefore, all those who participated in the campaign are granted a three-year reprieve. Now that the south is pacified, they are ordered to return to their homes and have their former titles, lands, and houses restored. Those who are innocent and whose titles are below the rank of Grand Master (the fifth rank in the twenty ranks of nobility) are all granted the title of Grand Master; those whose original titles were higher than Bu Geng are all granted two ranks. County officials must not look down on those with titles, and the lands and houses that should be restored must be given to them as soon as possible, without delay!"

The square in front of the prefect's mansion was silent for a moment, but then erupted in cheers. The warriors who had followed Wei Cong on his campaigns waved their weapons, leaping and embracing like children, tears streaming down their scarred faces. These men, who had followed Wei Cong for so long, knew that with their general, titles were no longer empty honors. Each rank of nobility brought corresponding benefits: land and houses (of course, only titles obtained under Wei Cong were counted; titles from the Eastern Han court did not count). The fifth rank, Daifu, granted five qing of land and five "zhai" (each zhai being approximately thirty paces square, or 45 meters on each side). This was enough to elevate them from self-cultivating farmers to wealthy peasants and even landlords, ensuring their descendants would enjoy the fruits of their labor.

The emotions of the spectators around the square were far more complex. If they had previously watched the spectacle with an attitude of "it's none of my business," then Wei Cong's reading of the imperial edict now made it impossible for them to remain completely uninvolved. Although by the standards of the time, the people of Panyu were living quite well, they were still the ruled class, while these soldiers had already entered the ruling class, and their descendants could maintain that status. How could such a difference not evoke envy?

"He's bestowing five acres of land and five mansions!" Yuan Shao sneered. "He's really generous!"

(End of this chapter)