Chapter 2262: Giving Gifts
A row of wooden boxes stood in the courtyard before the main hall—thirty-one in total. Several retained county officials and local commoners examined them one by one. Occasionally a dispute arose, but they always reached quick agreement, and the clerk behind them marked a tick in the ledger.
The air carried a mingled odor of lime and decay. Yet no one present seemed to notice.
After about half an hour, the retained clerk hurried up to the main hall and presented the ledger. "Magistrate! The inspection is complete!"
Seated in the hall was the Director of Yangshan County, Bi Da. Several county cadres joined her in observing the boxes below.
Bi Da picked up the ledger and scanned the unchecked marks. Thirty-one heads. After identification by relevant local personnel, every single one matched—names and faces aligned perfectly.
She let out a slight breath. "So Feng Haijiao is finished."
"Indeed." Peng Shou'an beamed and rose to bow. "Congratulations, Magistrate—"
Though the surrounding cadres found his fawning distasteful, his words were welcome. Since arriving in Yangshan, the bandit problem had consumed their every thought. They had heard of the "Three Tyrants of Yangshan" until their ears grew calluses. Now that all three groups had been eliminated, everyone felt as though a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders.
"At last, Yangshan sees the sun after the rain!" Luo Yiming's brow relaxed.
Naturally, the Yao problem remained, but since Sun Dabiao's suppression, the Yonghua Yao people had largely calmed. Senator Huang's military operations in Lianzhou and other areas had also contained the spread of the Eight Rows Yao rebellion. Though sporadic Yao disturbances still occurred, like small bands of bandits causing trouble, they no longer posed a significant threat to social order.
With Feng Haijiao now beheaded, the last great scourge of Yangshan had been removed. The Lian River's Yangshan section was fully operational again—significant not only for the county but for restoring the trade route leading outside the province.
Once public security was restored, merchants could pass freely through Guangdong. For a poverty-stricken place like Yangshan, the economic stimulus from merchant transit was crucial. Chief Huang had specifically instructed them to focus on the purchase, processing, and export of local products and forestry goods. Most of these still required merchant transportation and sales beyond the cooperative system.
They had long agonized over how to thoroughly eliminate this final scourge. When Feng Haijiao suddenly abandoned Qinglian Market, the county lost track of him entirely. Only days later did word arrive that he had retreated to Thunder Struck Slope.
Anyone familiar with the county knew what Thunder Struck Slope meant. Once Feng Haijiao was entrenched there, dislodging him would require heavy troops and artillery.
Now that Xin Laonan had disposed of Feng Haijiao through internal conflict—not only killing him but presenting the heads of his chief lieutenants—it was both a great achievement for Yangshan and a timely relief for the Senate's overstretched administration.
"This will smooth our governance considerably," You Ciren said. "The pressure on public security has dropped dramatically."
Currently, the National Army and militia supported by the county numbered over a thousand. Though this had restored order, the financial burden of maintaining such a large force was substantial. Much of the current deficit was covered by "Reasonable Burden" levies on local wealthy households. Prolonged reliance on this would strain even their cooperation.
Bi Da remained silent during their discussion. After pondering a moment, she ordered: "Display all the heads at the city gate." She then picked up the letter and gift list that had accompanied the heads and handed them to Peng Shou'an.
"Mr. Peng, I don't know many characters. This letter is full of literary phrases I can't understand. Please explain it to me."
Peng Shou'an took the documents. The letter was actually quite plain, written entirely in colloquial vernacular. It came in Xin Laonan's name. The first half confessed to being "momentarily confused, presumptuously resisting the Heavenly Army, and harboring bandits." The second half declared his "repentance" and willingness to submit to the Great Song. He had seized the opportunity of Feng Haijiao seeking refuge to annihilate him, presenting the heads as proof of sincerity. The wording was humble, radiating a desperate desire to survive.
The letter was accompanied not only by thirty-one heads but also substantial gifts: one hundred shi of grain, one thousand taels of silver, two boxes of assorted jewelry and curios, twenty bolts of silk, one hundred bolts of cotton cloth. A considerable offering.
Peng Shou'an read and explained, taking some time to finish. He laughed. "This Xin Laonan is certainly tactful. He's sent us a generous gift."
"He sent heads and gifts. What does he want?"
"He doesn't say explicitly—only claims it's to demonstrate sincerity." Peng Shou'an reviewed the letter again.
"He doesn't mention amnesty?"
"No." Peng Shou'an shook his head. "Director, Xin Laonan isn't a bandit—just a local wealthy household. A law-abiding subject, technically. What amnesty would he need?"
"Is there a law-abiding subject like him?" You Ciren scoffed. "Xin Laonan may have 'washed his hands' years ago, but he was once a notorious bandit on the Sui River who robbed and killed countless times. Now he's absorbed Feng Haijiao's men and wealth and sits entrenched in that fortress. He'll inevitably become a threat."
Bi Da felt deeply conflicted. Her instinct was to eliminate local powers like Xin Laonan who acted as petty tyrants. Yet he had actively submitted and personally delivered the heads of Feng Haijiao and his lieutenants, removing a major obstacle for Yangshan. Setting aside the legendary difficulty of assaulting Thunder Struck Slope, acting against him now would earn her a reputation for ingratitude among local wealthy households. Compared to the Three Tyrants, Xin Laonan's crimes remained hidden—he had mostly victimized passing merchants, generating little local outrage.
Though they had won successive victories in Yangshan, she knew the improved security owed much to the cooperation of local wealthy households. Following Chief Huang's directive to stabilize Yangshan as quickly as possible, she had no choice but to continue working with them, however distasteful.
It was a pity Feng Haijiao hadn't been eliminated by her own hand. Otherwise, she could have carried out the same ruthless purge as at Dalang Market, striking fear into both wealthy households and Yao people.
Having made up her mind, she asked: "Who delivered these things?"
"Ouyang Xi sent a steward." Peng Shou'an replied. "The messenger delivering the letter didn't dare come see you personally..."
"Oh? Why not?" Bi Da asked curiously. "Doesn't the saying go: 'Warring nations don't kill envoys'? I'm not some man-eating monster. Why wouldn't he dare see me?"
The cadres laughed. Luo Yiming chuckled. "Ever since we took Dalang Market and executed Sun Dabiao's gang, people in the county have practically described you as a monster with blue face and fangs."
"Some outside the city describe you as a female goblin captured by the Chiefs from the Li mountains of Hainan Island—one who needs human blood to survive."
"Magistrate Bi can stop children from crying at night just by invoking her name."
The county cadres, infected by the relaxed atmosphere, competed to share legends about Bi Da. The mood in the hall grew lively. Only Peng Shou'an smiled without speaking—he still wasn't accustomed to this lack of hierarchy, even with a Li barbarian woman as superior.
"So this is what I've become," Bi Da said, smiling yet seeming to sigh. "Perhaps it's fitting. I was originally called a Jinmu—do you know what that is? It's a monster from my homeland."
You Ciren, aware of some of Bi Da's history and knowing that the false accusation of being a Jinmu was a sore point, quickly offered comfort. "That's just local ignorance—people who've never seen a woman in office talking nonsense. Since ancient times, harsh laws are needed in chaotic times. Criticism is inevitable. Don't take it to heart."
"Not at all. I'm actually pleased. The common people of Yangshan fear me, and the wealthy households and bandits fear me even more—that's exactly as it should be. They must fear first before we can do our work effectively." She turned to Peng Shou'an. "Please visit the Ouyang family and invite that messenger for a conversation this evening."
After Peng Shou'an departed, You Ciren asked: "Magistrate, what's your thinking on this matter?"
"Here's my assessment." Bi Da laid out her reasoning. "Xin Laonan is undeniably a threat. But we lack the strength to deal with him now. Requesting the Fubo Army's assistance for suppression isn't feasible in the short term, and taking Thunder Struck Slope by ourselves is impossible. So my view is to temporarily accept his submission. His sincerity may be questionable, but at least it buys Yangshan a period of calm. First, we lull him into complacency; second, we build our strength. Time is on our side. The longer this drags on, the fewer options he has."
"But that location is extremely defensible, and he's absorbed Feng Haijiao's men, money, and grain. He can attack or defend at will. Leaving them unaddressed is always a threat to the county." Someone raised an objection.
"True, they're a threat. But I know Thunder Struck Slope." You Ciren wasn't local, but he had studied military geography extensively and familiarized himself with Yangshan's terrain since arriving. "It's remote, surrounded by mountains, with no key trade routes. It's insignificant to the overall administration. Furthermore, while the terrain makes it hard for us to attack, it's equally difficult for them to descend. A single squad of National Army at Hu Bay can effectively monitor their movements. Thunder Struck Slope has paddy fields and could be self-sufficient, but after absorbing Feng's forces, the population has multiplied. Their own crops won't sustain them—they'll need external supplies. We can use that leverage to strangle them. My suggestion: accept Xin Laonan's submission, but keep a firm grip on his throat. Hu Bay is the perfect chokepoint."
Next Update: Volume 7 - Guangzhou Governance Part 466 (End of Chapter)