Han Ji

Chapter 159 Sparks in Mianzhu (Part 2)

One pass ten, ten pass a hundred.

More and more people gathered in the streets, initially to collect grain, but later to follow along and shout. Some picked up hoes, others grabbed carrying poles, and the line grew larger and larger like a snowball.

Ma Xiang stood on the stone lion at the entrance of the county government office, watching this scene unfold.

The torchlight illuminated his face, and the scar writhed as if it had come to life.

He succeeded.

No, it's not over yet.

He jumped down and said to a trusted salt worker beside him, "Pass on a message: let the brothers take a break, tomorrow morning..."

Go and attack Luo County.

The confidant was taken aback: "Master Ma, we only have three hundred men..."

"Really?" Ma Xiang looked at the surging crowd on the street. "Look, how many people are there?"

It was a dark, endless expanse.

There were salt workers, refugees, people who had just received their grain rations, and local ruffians who had taken advantage of the chaos to sneak in.

One thousand? Two thousand? Countless.

Ma Xiang felt a burning sensation in his chest.

A fire ignited in his chest.

Five miles south of the city, on a side road.

Jian Yong sat in the carriage, lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked towards the direction of Mianzhu City.

Flames soared into the sky from the city, and the sounds of shouting and crying could be faintly heard. The wind carried the smell of smoke and a hint of blood.

Chen Da whispered, "Sir, are we... not leaving?"

"Wait a little longer." Jian Yong lowered the carriage curtain. "Wait until Prime Minister Ma has complete control of the county."

Zhao Er was somewhat uneasy: "What if they catch up with us..."

"No," Jian Yong shook his head. "Prime Minister Ma only cares about Mianzhu, food, and weapons right now. In his eyes, we are one of his own."

As he spoke, he took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket, poured out a few pills, swallowed one himself, and handed one to Chen Da and one to Zhao Er.

"Detoxification pills, there's a lot of miasma in Yizhou, taking these will help you travel faster."

The two took it and put it in their mouths as instructed.

The pills were sweet with a slightly bitter taste.

The carriage was parked in the shade by the roadside. The horses were quiet, and Zhang Wu, wrapped in a thick coat, was dozing.

Time passed little by little.

The noise in the city gradually subsided, and the firelight gradually focused, indicating that the situation was under control and the spoils of war were being tallied. Chen Da and Zhao Er also collapsed by the roadside, unable to stand up any longer.

"Let's go," Jian Yong said.

"I don't even need to lift a finger," Zhang Wu said with a wry smile.

"Just protect me, that's enough. Let's go," Jian Yong urged.

Zhang Wu turned the carriage around and drove it back the way it came.

The wheels rolled over the mud with a muffled sound. Jian Yong leaned against the carriage wall and closed his eyes.

He recalled Ma Xiang's face, contorted with excitement, before he left the dilapidated temple.

I recall that yellow flag—crude, yet glaring.

One life, then another.

In this chaotic world, human life is as worthless as grass.

He opened his eyes, took out the lock of hair tied with a red string from his pocket, and held it in his hand.

Mother, please bless your son to return home safely.

The carriage drove into the night, getting further and further away from Mianzhu.

Behind them, the small town was shrouded in blood and fire.

Ma Xiang stood in the main hall of the county government office, stepping on Li Sheng's still-dry bloodstains, watching his men carry in boxes of copper coins and bags of grain.

Wu Si sidled up, his face beaming: "Master Ma! The warehouse inventory is done! There are 8,000 shi of grain and over 3 million coins! We're rich!"

Ma Xiang nodded without saying a word.

He walked to the front of the hall and looked out the door.

There were still sporadic cries and shouts in the street; it was salt workers banging on doors as they looted in the chaos. He ignored them, but it wasn't time to set rules yet.

"Wu Si".

"exist!"

"Tomorrow, raise the banner of the Heavenly General." Ma Xiang turned, the scar on his face flickering in the candlelight. "Then send men to each county to spread the word: those who are willing to follow us will receive grain and money. Those who are not..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Wu Si understood.

"clear!"

Ma Xiang waved his hand, telling him to get on with his work.

He walked to the main seat in the hall and sat down.

The chair was the one Li Sheng often sat in; it was made of fine wood, carved with cloud patterns, and the cushion was soft. He leaned back, feeling very comfortable.

So this is what it feels like to be an official.

Mr. Liu... No, Liu Yong, thank you.

He grinned, a silent laugh.

Outside the window, the torchlight still flickered, casting indistinct shadows.

The first night in Mianzhu was very long.

By the end of January, the news had spread like wildfire throughout Yizhou.

"Mianzhu has rebelled!"

"Salt worker Ma Xiang, calling himself General Tiangong, gathered thousands of people and killed County Magistrate Li Sheng!"

"Open the granaries and distribute grain; kill any officials you see!"

The local officials were in a panic. Troops were mobilized, city gates were placed under martial law, powerful families closed their manors, and ordinary people hid in their homes, peeking out through the cracks in their doors. Messengers on horseback galloped through the streets from time to time, their hooves kicking up mud and water that splashed high into the air.

Luo County was the seat of Yizhou Prefecture.

Inside the governor's mansion, Yu Jian could no longer sit still.

He was fifty-eight years old, wearing a dark purple official robe, his belt bulging out his belly like an inverted pot. At this moment, he paced back and forth in the hall, his boots clattering on the blue bricks, causing dust to fall from the beams.

Standing below were Prefect Chen Bo, Commandant Zhang Ren, and several trusted subordinates, all with their heads bowed, not daring to utter a sound.

"Useless!" Xi Jian suddenly stopped, pointing at Chen Bo's nose and cursing, "Mianzhu is only two hundred li from Luoxian, and it took you three days to realize that the horses had gone the wrong way?! What is the county government doing?!"

Chen Bo, in his early fifties, was thin and gaunt, his face pale from the scolding: "My lord, please calm down... Li Sheng sent a letter the other day saying everything was peaceful. Who knew that scoundrel Ma Xiang..."

"Peace my foot!" Xi Jian grabbed a scroll of bamboo slips from the table and threw it. The scrolls scattered and fell to the ground with a clatter. "Ma Xiang already has several thousand men! And he's still expanding! Yesterday he broke through Guanghan, today he's besieging Shifang, will he be at the gates of my Luoxian tomorrow?!"

Chen Bo didn't dare to dodge and took the hit head-on, leaving a bruise on his forehead.

Zhang Ren clasped his hands in a fist and said, "My lord, this humble general is willing to lead a thousand soldiers from the prefecture to quell the rebellion."

"A thousand?" Xi Jian glared at him. "How many men does Ma Xiang have now? Five thousand? Eight thousand? Your thousand men, are they even enough to fill a gap in his teeth?!"

Zhang Ren gritted his teeth: "Although the rebels are numerous, they are all a rabble. I only need a thousand elite troops to launch a surprise attack on their main camp, kill Ma Xiang, and the rest will collapse on their own."

"Easy for you to say." Xi Jian sat back in the main seat, panting heavily. "If Prime Minister Ma were so easy to kill, would Li Sheng have died?"

'

The hall fell silent again.

The only sounds were Xi Jian's heavy breathing and the crackling of the flames in the charcoal brazier.

An official cautiously spoke up: "Your Excellency, should we... seek assistance from the imperial court?"

"Seek help?" Xi Jian sneered. "The imperial court? Those people in Luoyang are just waiting to see me make a fool of myself! That old bastard Liu Yan keeps submitting memorials saying I'm incompetent in managing the state. Now that Yizhou is truly in chaos, he'll probably be the first to clap his hands in delight!"

No one dared to respond.

Xi Jian was telling the truth. Liu Yan had been eyeing the position of Governor of Yi Province for half a year, openly and secretly sabotaging him. This time, Ma was the opposite; who knew how Liu Yan would slander him in front of Emperor Ling.

"Zhang Ren," Xi Jian suddenly said.

"Your subordinate is here."

"Take two thousand, no, three thousand of the county's soldiers to defend Fu County. Fu County is eighty li north of Luo County; it's the gateway. If Prime Minister Ma wants to attack Luo County, he must pass through Fu County. You must defend it for me. If you fail..." Xi Jian stared at him, "Bring me your head."

Zhang Ren clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys!"

He turned and left the hall, his armor clattering.