The heat was unbearable, so Yuxi escorted her guests only as far as the courtyard gate before turning back.
Gazing up at the blinding sun, Yuxi murmured to herself, "It will be better in a few days." At best, this late autumn tiger would pass soon, bringing cooler weather.
Yuxi had just stepped inside the house when Yun Qing returned. Seeing her, Yun Qing said, "The people of Nancheng have rebelled, and the local bandits have joined them. The movement is quite large."
Yuxi looked at Yun Qing's expressionless face and asked, "You always hoped that no one would rebel, didn't you?" Although Yun Qing hadn't said it, Yuxi knew very well that in his heart, he was still reluctant to take this path.
Indeed, Yun Qing didn't want to embark on the path of rebellion because it was a road of no return. But since he had already made up his mind, he would not regret it, nor would he back down. "Whether I hope for it or not is unimportant. What is important is that Nancheng has already risen." It was like waging war. No matter how fierce the battle was or how many casualties, the Imperial Court and those high-ranking officials only cared about the outcome. It was the same now. No matter what he thought, Nancheng had already rebelled, an unchangeable fact.
Yuxi paused and said, "It's not too late for you to regret it now." She hoped that Yun Qing would do this willingly; otherwise, he would blame her in the future.
Yun Qing stroked Yuxi's head and said softly, "Don't worry, I won't regret it." Both Yuxi and Uncle Huo had only made suggestions, but he had made the decision himself. Whatever the consequences, he would have no complaints. "After taking this step, you won't have a peaceful life anymore either." Not only Yuxi but everyone around them would lose their peaceful days.
Yuxi shook her head. "Since I was born, only in the last two years in the Northwest have I lived the most peaceful life." In the Han family, she had truly enjoyed the life of brocade clothes and jade meals1, but she had lived with constant fear every day, afraid that she would be pushed into a pit of fire by the Old Lady and Han Jingyan at any moment. Although the situation in the northwest was dangerous, she lived every day feeling very secure and happy.
A rare tenderness flashed across Yun Qing's face, but it vanished instantly as he asked, "Yuxi, when do you think we should send out our troops?"
Yuxi shook her head. "Ji Xuan will definitely send troops to suppress the rebellion. We cannot send troops before then." Only when it was proven that the local troops in the northwest could not quell this rebellion would it be legitimate for the Northwest Army to send troops.
Yun Qing replied, "Then we'll probably have to wait until the end of the tenth month." The tenth month was a good time for both the Northwest Army and the northern barbarians to send troops.
Yuxi said, "As long as there are no internal traitors, an army of 40,000 will be enough to defend Yu City." The most frightening thing was the appearance of internal traitors. Other than that, Yuxi was not worried.
Yun Qing assured her, "Don't worry about this." Except for General Zhao, all the other high-ranking officers had been replaced by his confidants. And General Zhao would never betray his country.
Yuxi thought momentarily before saying, "Nancheng is only a little over nine hundred li2 from Lanzhou. We left over two hundred thousand dan3 of grain in Lanzhou. If those rioters find out, they'll definitely try to steal it." Once those people set their sights on the grain, the Northwest Army would have a legitimate reason to send troops.
Yun Qing hummed in agreement, "That's a good idea."
Yuxi said, "When you lead the troops to quell the rebellion, please spare the ordinary civilians if you can!" These people were also forced into this situation.
Yun Qing gently promised, "Don't worry, I won't kill innocent people indiscriminately." Yuxi's constant nagging was still quite effective.
After discussing important matters, Yuxi brought up a more trivial topic: "I heard from Er Nainai4 Zhao today that Fu Qingluo has become the wife of a bandit leader. I wonder who would spread such a rumour?"
Yun Qing was silent for a while and then replied, "Tianlei knew about this a long time ago." If Fu Tianlei had known about it, how could Yun Qing not have known? This matter was shameful and embarrassing, and spreading it would be terrible for Fu Tianlei, so Yun Qing suppressed it.
Yuxi asked reflexively, "Is that true?" When Yun Qing nodded, Yuxi was stunned. The Fus were a family of soldiers, but now Qingluo had turned to a life of crime, leaving Yuxi speechless.
After a long while, Yuxi calmed down and asked, "When did you find out?" Her face darkened when she heard that Yun Qing had known about it for two months. She asked, "Why did you keep this news from me for so long?"
Yun Qing's reason for not telling her was simple: "This is the Fu family's business; it has nothing to do with us. Whether I tell you or not makes no difference." This was the Fu family's affair and had nothing to do with their Yun family.
Yuxi was very angry. She let out, "Do you know, when Er Nainai4 Zhao told me about this today, I was so surprised! If the Zhao family finds out about this, they'll think we're not on the same page and have our own personal agendas. Otherwise, why wouldn't you tell me about such an important matter?"
Yun Qing felt that Yuxi was thinking too much.
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Yuxi said unhappily, "It's not that I'm overthinking it; it's that you're so simple-minded that you think everyone else is the same as you." Seeing Yun Qing remain silent, Yuxi sternly asked, "Do you think I'm a gossip, someone who broadcasts everything I hear?" This was a serious lack of trust in her!
Yun Qing shook his head. "No, I just think it's not a good thing to talk about; after all, it's not our family's business." It was a scandal and a scandal of a good brother's family, so Yun Qing subconsciously didn't want to talk about it.
Knowing Yun Qing's temperament, Yuxi warned, "Just this once, don't do it again." Seeing Yun Qing nod, Yuxi didn't insist on the matter but asked, "Fu Qingluo has become a bandit's wife? Who can subdue her and make her willing to be his wife?" This man was definitely not ordinary!
Yun Qing responded, "That person's name is Yang Duoming5…"
When Yuxi heard the name, she exclaimed, "From the name, he doesn't seem like an ordinary person, but more like a scholar!" Peasant families would never give their children such a literary name.
Yun Qing nodded. "Yang Duoming's father was the Provincial Prefect of Mai City, but he was such an upright man that he had offended someone. The Yang clan expelled Yang Duoming's family for fear of being implicated. Provincial Prefect Yang eventually died a miserable death in prison, and all the members of the Yang family except Yang Duoming died." A provincial prefect was a fifth-rank official, which was a big deal to the common people, but to the higher-ups, a provincial prefect was no different from an ant.
Many people like to get close to others in order to benefit from them but avoid them when they cause them harm. Although the Yang clan's actions might dishearten people, they couldn't be blamed. Yuxi asked, "Which powerful figure did Provincial Prefect Yang offend? Could it be Ji Xuan?" Ji Xuan was greedy and insatiable, and truly upright people would naturally dislike him.
Yun Qing nodded. "Provincial Prefect Yang offended Ji Xuan's trusted subordinate." It was no different than offending Ji Xuan.
Yuxi asked, "Where did Yang Duoming become a bandit?" When she heard that it was in Mai City, a gleam flashed in Yuxi's eyes. She said, "He Rui, Mai City is less than eight hundred li away from Nancheng. There will be unexpected results if this Yang Duoming is used well."
Yun Qing clearly knew that Yuxi didn't care about the process; she only cared about the result. To put it bluntly, Yuxi would do anything to achieve her goals. Yun Qing immediately stated his position, "I don't need Yang Duoming; I can still occupy Shanxi and Gansu provinces." Even if Yang Duoming had become a bandit out of desperation, a thief was still a thief, and he would not cooperate with a bandit.
Yuxi reasoned, "If Yang Duoming becomes a force to be reckoned with, and the army cannot suppress him, and he becomes a scourge, then the Imperial Court will have to order you to send troops to quell the rebellion." As for Yang Duoming, he would definitely not become a force to be reckoned with. Without weapons or discipline, they were just a mob. As long as the local suppression forces arrived, these people would surely die. But if they secretly provided help, it might be different.
Yun Qing felt Yuxi was becoming even more daring: "Do you know? This is equivalent to colluding with bandits."
Yuxi saw that Yun Qing disagreed and explained, "Forging orders is too risky. Since there is a better way now, why not just use it? Besides, these are not rebels; they are all forced to do so because they have no way to survive." After a pause, she added, "He Rui, these people are actually the same as us. If there is a way to survive, no one wants to take this road of no return." They, too, had stepped onto this road of no return.
When it came to eloquence, even ten Yun Qings were no match for Yuxi. Yun Qing knew that once he took this step, there would be no difference between taking ninety-nine steps and one hundred steps. However, he couldn't get past the hurdle in his heart. Yun Qing stated, "We can't send troops to help them."
Yuxi felt that Yun Qing was worrying about the wrong things: "How can we send troops to help them? We just need to send someone experienced in warfare to teach them how to fight."
Yun Qing shook his head and said, "This battle can't be won. These people haven't undergone formal training and rely on sheer willpower to fight. Besides, they lack proper weapons. How can they possibly defeat a regular army?" In his view, those bandits' defeat was inevitable.
After listening to his statement, Yuxi smiled. "He Rui, with your thinking, how do you think the soldiers sent to suppress the rebellion will react?" Typically, the soldiers tasked with quelling the rebellion would think precisely like Yun Qing because everything he said was true. In such a situation, the regular army would naturally underestimate these rebels, viewing them as nothing more than a ragtag group. However, as it was said in The Art of War, 'an arrogant army was bound to lose'. Those who underestimated their opponents would inevitably pay a heavy price.
Seeing Yun Qing staring at her, Yuxi didn't back down and explained, "Even ants strive to survive. These rebels who are fighting for their lives can also perform miracles." Back then, in order to survive, she walked for more than half a month on foot from the Jiang family estate to the city walls of the capital. It was something unimaginable under normal circumstances, but at the time, her will to live kept her going. Yuxi understood well that, in desperate situations, people could unleash strength they never knew they had.
Yun Qing nodded. "I was too narrow-minded." No enemy should be underestimated, no matter how small or seemingly weak they might be.
Footnotes Full List
- A Chinese metaphor for a wealthy and comfortable lifestyle
- ancient measure of length, approx. 500 m
- a traditional unit of volume, esp. for grain, equal to 100 sheng (市升), and equivalent to 100 litres or 176 pints
- er=second, nainai=young mistress of a family
- 铎 (duó): large ancient bell, 明 (míng): bright; clear; understanding; wise
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi