Chapter 323: Chapter 313 Tyrant
At sunset, Fengyu’s entourage set up camp by the small river to rest.
On the way from West Continent to Tongzhou, there were many large and small important towns. Some had relocated into West State City, while others, attached to their homeland, could not bear to leave and continued to live in the towns. Without bandit disturbances, the villages and towns outside the city depended on the mountains and rivers for sustenance, and life, though modest, was tolerable.
Nuanyang and a few soldiers caught several plump river fish. Fengyu enjoyed a bowl of fresh fish soup at dinner. After settling in the soldiers, Nuanyang came over to discuss matters regarding Tongzhou with Fengyu.
Xie Xun had yet to send any message; it was Nuanyang who sent people ahead to gather information.
Nuanyang was a lifelong servant of the Marquis Mansion, having grown up there. Clever and sociable, he often ran errands for Xie Xun and the Marchioness. He was even more familiar with the household’s interpersonal relationships than Xie Xun himself.
"Lord Lin Zhi and the Eldest Young Master of the Lin Family were close friends in private. The Lin Family truly excels in producing scholars. Even their collateral branches are the same. Lord Lin Zhi, the Eldest Young Master, and our own Eldest Young Master are all highly accomplished in their studies. He was also set on taking the imperial examinations. Though the Lin Family’s Eldest Young Master appeared mature in youth, in fact, he was conceited and overly proud of his talents. Confident in his scholarly abilities, he took the imperial examinations early and achieved the highest honors in all three rounds. Lord Lin Zhi, on the other hand, was very cautious, perhaps intentionally avoiding the Eldest Young Master due to various reasons. He delayed taking the examinations by three years, and after finally ranking third, he chose not to enter the Hanlin Academy but instead went to the Ministry of Criminal Justice. In a corruption case, though he wasn’t the chief examiner, his upright nature offended the clans, leading to false accusations of corruption with conclusive evidence. The Chief Minister found it difficult to intervene, so it was our Eldest Young Master who stepped in to defend Lord Lin Zhi, resulting in his reassignment to Jiaozhou. Lord Lin Zhi personally visited the Marchioness to express his gratitude. The master received him and later commented that Lord Lin Zhi was an honest man, simply born at an unfortunate time. Going to Jiaozhou might provide him a chance to shine. Therefore, when the master received his reply, he did not suspect anything, firmly believing Lord Lin Zhi to be loyal and not ungrateful."
Fengyu drank the warm tea just handed over by Chunlu and spoke lightly, "In a lifetime, whether one is an emperor or a commoner, everyone has weaknesses—be it fame and fortune, loved ones, or old friends—there’s always something that can be exploited. Just as I am. Because of sparse familial ties, I cherish them even more. Perhaps Lord Lin Zhi had his struggles, or perhaps he was simply loyal to the Yuwen Royal Family. The dead bring with them extinguished lamps; discussing further is futile. The Prince’s troops were met with resistance in Jiaozhou, and all of Yanyang watched. Lin Zhi’s death will usher in a series of complex problems—Ningzhou Iron Cavalry will be scorned by the masses, and those in the twelve provinces unwilling to submit to the Prince already know what they must do unless military force is truly employed for suppression."
"That’s unacceptable!" Nuanyang, who had served under Xie Xun for several years, understood the complexities involved. "The master’s self-proclamation as king to revolt and usurp the throne has already stripped him of legitimacy and invited criticism. If he were to mobilize troops within the borders, he’d lose popular support. That’s why we retreated to Tongzhou. Otherwise, he would have long issued the order to attack the city."
Fengyu also understood Xie Xun’s difficulties and anger.
Lin Zhi’s betrayal on the battlefield and suicide left him dishonored. With his temperament, he likely wanted to raze the entire Jiaozhou City, but now, he had to awkwardly withdraw to Tongzhou.
Xie Xun, before his leg injury, always led and commanded the vanguard forces on the right wing, always acting as the army’s spearhead. When had he ever endured such humiliation?
"He must be furious!"
Nuanyang chuckled, "When the master sees you, Miss, all his anger will dissipate."
"Let’s hope so!"
Tongzhou, within the State Mansion.
Tongzhou’s Prefectural Magistrate was surnamed Zhang, single-named Feng. He was the direct descendant of the Zhang Family, a prominent clan of Jinzhou. He did not obstruct Xie Xun’s army from crossing the border. The two had once crossed paths during the suppression of bandits. Zhang Feng prepared an extravagant feast to welcome Xie Xun and his soldiers. Xie Xun maintained a calm demeanor, dealing with the officials of Tongzhou while Xu Zhou’s men were already stationed at every key passage and city gate in Tongzhou.
During a previous campaign to suppress bandits, Zhang Feng had crossed some lines. This time, he dared not repeat those mistakes and instead treated Xie Xun kindly with excellent food and drink. However, within Tongzhou’s State Mansion, sentiments varied greatly. Xie Xun brought tens of thousands of troops into Tongzhou, prompting others to cautiously inquire about his intentions. After all, the twelve provinces no longer required bandit suppression.
Xie Xun explained truthfully, "After Jiaozhou began accumulating reinforcements, I received a letter from Magistrate Lin Zhi, agreeing to let Ningzhou Iron Cavalry garrison the city. Who would have expected Lin Zhi to betray us and commit suicide at the city gates? Jiaozhou’s gates were shut, forcing me to withdraw to Tongzhou. I intend to wait for Jiaozhou to evacuate its civilians and then attack again in ten days."
The bustling banquet instantly fell silent; no one spoke further. As Zhang Feng raised his wine cup to toast Xie Xun, his hand almost trembled out of control, "Lin Zhi... Lord Lin is dead?"
"Yes!" Xie Xun frowned. "He suddenly committed suicide at the city gates. Even I am baffled."
Within Tongzhou’s State Mansion, the staff exchanged worried looks. Xie Xun set down his wine cup as the group seemed to collectively regain their composure, hastily rising to their feet. Xie Xun raised a hand and said, "Please, remain seated. I am a bit fatigued; I won’t be able to accompany you further."
"Safe travels, Your Highness!"
Given such circumstances, Xie Xun’s mood could hardly be described as pleasant. As soon as he left, the entire Tongzhou officialdom erupted in chaos. "Was Lord Lin Zhi forced to die, or did he truly commit suicide?"
"Jiaozhou has made its stance clear. Magistrate, what should we do?"
"In hindsight, we should have followed Jiaozhou’s example: shut the city gates and use our lives as leverage. Now that the army has settled in, having invited them is easy; sending them away is hard. The court will surely see us as rebels."
"Magistrate, Jiaozhou has chosen the imperial court. We must decide soon whether to align with Ningzhou or the court. Make the decision quickly!"
...
Zhang Feng, overwhelmed by the clamor, gulped down three consecutive cups of wine. Xie Xun had spoken bluntly. It turned out this was a ploy to force Tongzhou into making an early decision!
Xie Xun said ten days, and thus it was ten days. The army remained stationed without advancing, consuming none of Tongzhou’s grain. Instead, tens of thousands of soldiers assisted in Tongzhou’s winter farming and harvesting. Wherever the State Mansion needed manpower, Ningzhou Iron Cavalry provided it. With so many able-bodied young men, the city’s civilians were the happiest, leaving Zhang Feng increasingly distressed. These past few days, the Iron Cavalry had been far better received in Tongzhou than the State Mansion itself.
Meanwhile, the operatives Xie Xun sent to Jiaozhou had returned with intelligence.
"Lady Lin Zhi said that after the Lin Family’s correspondence arrived, Lord Lin Zhi began acting strangely. She asked him about it, but he told her nothing, merely instructing her to take the children back to the Capital City and not to remain in the twelve provinces." The confidant observed Xie Xun’s stormy expression in silence, knowing the relationship between Xie Xun and the Lin Family. This matter was undoubtedly a significant blow to him.
"Whose letter was it? My uncle’s or my cousin’s?" Xie Xun’s voice betrayed no emotion. Ever since defecting from the Capital City, he and Xie Jue had known that one day their relationship with the Lin Family would become irreconcilable.
"Lady Lin does not know either. After reading the letter, Lord Lin Zhi burned it. The messenger left in such haste that she didn’t have time to ask anything."
"Leave me!"
This was a trap even Xie Jue couldn’t unravel—flawless and seamless. Lin Zhi was forced to the city gates by Ningzhou Iron Cavalry and met death, his blood spilling three feet, unwilling to surrender—undaunted loyalty. Scholars across the land hailed Lin Zhi as a paragon of fidelity, a spirit that refused to yield even in death. They embellished his story, painting Xie Xun as the tyrant who had coerced Lin Zhi and intended to slaughter all of Jiaozhou. It was said that Ningzhou Iron Cavalry was ruthless and arrogant, their cruelty driving Lin Zhi to sacrifice himself heroically, protecting tens of thousands of Jiaozhou citizens—his unwavering loyalty destined to be immortalized in history.
The rumors spread rapidly, and with Ningzhou far from the Capital City and Jiangnan, they accelerated throughout Zhongzhou, Jiangnan, and the Capital City. In the eyes of the masses, Xie Xun had already become the villainous tyrant bent on massacring Jiaozhou.
The truth no longer mattered; public opinion was powerful. In marketplaces and streets everywhere, discussions about the twelve provinces painted them as a sea of flames. No one knew who had incited a group of sour scholars to compose countless articles defaming Xie Xun while glorifying Lin Zhi. These writings circulated widely in Jiangnan, the Capital City, and Zhongzhou. By the time Xie Jue and Xie Xun saw the booklets, Xie Xun’s reputation as the butcher of Jiaozhou had taken firm root in the public consciousness.
Students from Jiangnan, Zhongzhou, and the Capital City lambasted Xie Xun relentlessly, as if they had personally witnessed the siege of Jiaozhou and Xie Xun’s coercion of Lin Zhi. Every tavern, teahouse, and restaurant resounded with storytellers recounting the tale of Xie Xun devastating Jiaozhou. Ordinary people wondered aloud how the Princely Heir of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion could commit such heinous acts.
Lin Zhi’s death had unified the anger of the masses across Jiangnan, Zhongzhou, and the Capital City. They no longer remembered the five generations of Marquis Zhenbei who had defended the border and fought bloody battles. Instead, they only recalled Xie Xun forcing the loyal minister to his death and his bloodthirsty desire to annihilate Jiaozhou.
When the booklets reached Tongzhou, Zhang Feng was utterly stunned.
"This... this... these scholars are truly untouchable!" Zhang Feng blurted out, finding the situation hard to comprehend. "Xie Xun massacring Jiaozhou—how did that rumor get out? If he wanted to slaughter, he’d have done it already!"
"Magistrate, you too are a scholar!" A staff member reminded him with a chuckle, "Moreover, everyone on the State Mansion staff is a scholar."
Zhang Feng, properly a jinshi (presented scholar), had ranked highly in the imperial examinations during his year, nearly breaking into the top twenty. Most of the staff members in the State Mansion were also local degree holders.
Zhang Feng waved his hands hurriedly, "Poor phrasing, poor phrasing... Forgive me, everyone."
"Does the Prince know yet?"
"If the State Mansion knows, how could the Prince not know?"
The staff looked up at the thick clouds gathering in the sky and sighed, "The imperial court’s move this time is... both ruthless and precise."