The Most Powerful Young Master of the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 44: That Damn Little Brat

Yang Wenguang said in astonishment, “So, you—that ‘super big head’—came here to give the people who defeated us a thorough dressing-down for our own good? Is Wang Anshi looking out for us?” “Big Head” wasn’t an insult; it simply meant “big-headed.” “That’s exactly right. If you don’t buy it, I’ll have you hung up—in three days, you’ll understand exactly what’s going on,” Zhang Fangping chuckled. So Old General Yang settled down again. At the very end, Zhang Fangping stood up and said, “Come on, take Di Qing into house arrest to await this Chancellor’s investigation.” Yang Wenguang jumped to his feet in fright and exclaimed, “Why such severe measures?” Di Qing, however, kept his head down and didn’t say a word. So he was politely escorted out. Once things had quieted down, Yang Wenguang said, on the verge of tears, “Surely there must be some charge?” “Is there no charge?” Zhang Fangping asked, narrowing his eyes. “I ask you: where is Nong Zhigao’s money?” Yang Wenguang couldn’t help but blush; he realized Old Zhang was far too hard to fool. Zhang Fangping continued, “Don’t try to tell me he was a man who loved his people like his own children. If I’m not mistaken, the wealth of the people in the Yongzhou region was in his hands, and he likely slaughtered all the landlords, grain merchants—especially the owners of the gold mines. With everyone dead, the money naturally belongs to Nong Zhigao. He was routed like a stray dog; I don’t believe he could have evaded Di Qing’s cavalry pursuit while carrying that wealth. So there’s only one explanation: that wealth is in Yongzhou. “You take this old man for a fool. At a glance, the reports submitted to the Three Departments show no more than thirty percent of the wealth. That is one of the reasons I rushed here. On this point, Ouyang Xiu was right: you bastards are all petty, despicable scoundrels.” Yang Wenguang looked utterly ashamed as he clasped his fists and pleaded earnestly, “Your Honor’s insight is spot-on. Commanding troops comes with its own set of difficulties; this system is deeply ingrained in our Great Song Dynasty. “The men risk life and limb not for any title, but for tangible benefits. The wealth in the hands of the Nong Zhigao elite isn’t nearly as much as you might imagine. To say we’ve only turned over thirty percent is to wrong us—we’ve actually paid fifty percent.” “I don’t need you to explain to me what the Song army is like; I know full well how to lead Song troops.” After a moment’s hesitation, Zhang Fangping said, “Hand over another 20 percent to the Three Departments. If a single coin is missing, I’ll have you sacrificed to the war god.” Damn it, he’d already been captured, so Yang Wenguang had no choice but to nod in agreement. As Zhang Fangping left the command tent, he pointed his finger at Yang Wenguang and said, “The families of those eight thousand fallen soldiers will receive compensation from your Xuanfu Bureau, so you’d better take it easy on them. If any of those widows and orphans don’t get their money and come crying to my court, I’ll lock your entire Yang family in a pigpen to wait for death.” Yang Wenguang retorted defiantly, “Commander Di is a man of honor; of course he won’t treat them shabbily. In fact, the silver that’s already been distributed has been heavily weighted in their favor. We’re using the fruits of our victory to help Chen Shu clean up his mess.” “Fine. I’ll take those words as an impeachment against Di Qing. The charge is that he privately distributed war spoils belonging to the imperial court without the approval of the Three Departments,” Zhang Fangping said. Yang Wenguang hurriedly raised his hand to cover his mouth. Zhang Fangping sneered, “What’s there to be afraid of? Since we won the war, this charge won’t reach the heavens, so Di Qing will be fine. But if he weren’t burdened with this charge, and the Emperor, on a whim, appointed him Chief of the Imperial Secretariat, it would be a disaster for the Great Song. At that point, Di Qing would surely die! The Emperor’s child prodigy, Wang Bang, said that this is called ‘building immunity through military training’—someone who hasn’t been sick for too long will be unable to recover once they do fall ill. So, actually, a little illness makes for better health.” With that, Old Zhang flung his sleeve and left the commander’s tent. Leaving Yang Wenguang alone to curse, “Damn that good-for-nothing brat—what a load of nonsense!” Long before winter set in, the Wang family had stockpiled enough fodder. Now Wang Bang lay in the donkey stable, a clover leaf clenched between his teeth, staring blankly into space as he lay on the soft hay. “Ooh-moo.” The donkey Xiaobao was braying nearby, but he couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to what it was saying anymore. “Moo-oo, moo-oo.” “You’re such a chatterbox, donkey. I know you’re Xiaobao the donkey. Don’t bother me—I’m thinking,” Wang Bang said. Then, Wang Bang began to suffer from a persecution complex, thinking that those two guys, Di Qing and Yang Wenguang, might be cursing him. However, as a true knight-errant, Da Bang knew that the great affliction plaguing the southern regions of the empire had been eradicated; everything else was of little consequence. From then on, the minority settlements in Guangnan would enjoy a period of peace and recuperation, lasting until several decades later—when that bastard Cai Jing, who brought disaster upon the nation and its people, came to power—before trouble would arise again in Guangnan. Nong Zhigao’s presence had long been a festering abscess. Now that he had risen in rebellion against the Song Dynasty—though he suffered heavy losses and many of his men were killed—it was, at the very least, as if the abscess had burst and the pus had been expelled. Otherwise, prior to this, Nong Zhigao would have remained a constant internal threat. Even before this, Nong Zhigao had wanted to align himself with the Song Dynasty and submit to its authority. But because everyone considered him a traitor and a two-faced schemer, the Song court never trusted him and refused to engage in trade with him. Border trade—that is, import and export trade—was essential, as those backward, remote regions would have struggled immensely without the Song Dynasty’s handicrafts. For this reason, Nong Zhigao offered bribes on several occasions, pleading and crying to be allowed to submit to the Song, but his requests were consistently rejected. Finally, Nong Zhigao’s anger reached a boiling point, and he rebelled against the Song. To some extent, it’s hard to say whether Nong Zhigao was driven to take up arms by the Song Dynasty. However, those cowardly officials of the Song Dynasty were not mistaken in their judgment: there was a reason—or perhaps it was a test—why the Song had repeatedly refused his offer to hand over territory and subjects. In any case, while the Song Dynasty’s actions may have seemed heartless, it certainly owed Nong Zhigao nothing. The fact that he flew into a rage and sought to raise an army and kill people after being rejected shows that the Song was right not to accept his surrender; otherwise, bringing such a man into the fold would have made him a ticking time bomb. Thus, the Song Dynasty ultimately forced Nong Zhigao’s true character to surface—his true colors were laid bare—and then Di Qing sent in troops. After completely driving the Nong clan out, the destabilizing factor on the Southwest frontier was eliminated, and at the same time, the Song Dynasty acquired the territory it rightfully deserved in a thoroughly just manner. Of course, the sovereignty of a territory is most firmly secured when it is won through the bloodshed of one’s own troops. Territory acquired through surrender always carries hidden risks. Thus, the “litigious faction” did indeed succeed in setting a trap for Nong Zhigao on this occasion. With the home front stabilized, we will have greater strategic initiative in the Northwest. With a few more years to rest and recuperate, stockpile provisions, and hone our weapons and armor, sooner or later we would have to settle the historical issues with the Western Xia on the Northwest grasslands. Regrettably, Di Qing—who had achieved unparalleled military feats—was this time removed from office by Wang Bang, who instigated Zhang Fangping to do the deed. This was not Di Qing’s fault, but such is the nature of politics. In this matter, Di Qing found himself at odds with the “group that shares the empire with the emperor.” Since the emperor sided with Di Qing—and the emperor can never be wrong—Di Qing was left standing alone against the entire group. Naturally, it had to be Di Qing who was in the wrong. No one would be so outlandish as to step forward and claim that Ouyang Xiu and his entire faction were in the wrong. So, for the time being, that’s just how it has to be.