Chapter 159: Literati Ruin The Nation, All Gentry Deserve Death!
Hami City.
The setting sun was like blood, its afterglow dyeing the entire city a tragic orange-red.
Alkus, clad in heavy armor, stood on the city wall, his brows tightly furrowed as he gazed westward toward Gaochang City.
In this deathly silent atmosphere, urgent hoofbeats suddenly sounded from afar. Alkus trembled all over, staring intently in the direction of the noise.
Amid the flying dust, a fast horse galloped swiftly toward them.
Alkus immediately ordered: “Quickly, open a gap in the city gate and let the scout in!”
He hurried down from the city wall and met the panting scout.
“General, this is bad! Gaochang City has been breached by the Northern Barbarians!”
Hearing this, Alkus’s body shuddered violently, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
“What? Breached?”
His voice rose involuntarily, trembling slightly, as a chill surged from his feet straight to his heart.
“Too fast, too fast.”
“It’s only been a few days.” Alkus murmured in shock.
Amid this extreme shock and fear, a strange sense of relief inexplicably washed over him.
“Good thing we didn’t go to Gaochang.”
“Otherwise, these five thousand men would probably end up like Gaochang City’s garrison, all buried at the hands of those wolf-like, tiger-like Northern Barbarians.”
Alkus muttered to himself with lingering fear, his voice low and tinged with relief.
No sooner had he spoken than he seemed to remember something, anxiously turning to the scout and asking: “What about His Majesty? How is His Majesty?”
The scout shook his head slightly. “The royal capital is in chaos now, the situation out of control, His Majesty missing.”
“But refugees on the road say His Majesty committed suicide.”
“Others say His Majesty was hanged by the Northern Barbarians on the city wall, and some say he tried to surrender and was killed by the Minor Supervisor.”
Rumors swirled everywhere, but not a single reliable message.
Alkus frowned deeply upon hearing this, his brows knitting into a deep “river” shape.
Returning to the General’s Mansion, his confidant advisor hurried forward: “Congratulations, General! Joyous news, General!”
Alkus frowned in confusion, looking at the advisor and asking: “What joy is there? Gaochang City has fallen, the situation is dire, and you still have the mind for jokes?”
The advisor stepped forward, lowering his voice: “General, this is a god-given opportunity.”
“With His Majesty missing and the kingdom leaderless, General, you hold heavy troops and can rally hundreds at your call.”
“Prince Qibidu is in Hami City. We can install him as the new king, and you, General, can appoint yourself Minister, thereby controlling the nation’s military and political power.”
“At that time, General, you will be the true ruler of the kingdom. Isn’t that the greatest joy?”
At this point, the advisor paused slightly, observing Alkus’s expression. Seeing him deep in thought, he pressed on.
“This is just like the Han Chinese’s Cao Cao, who used the emperor to command the vassal lords. General, you too can achieve hegemony.”
Hearing this, Alkus felt a stir in his heart. A flicker of barely perceptible desire flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his calm.
He paced back and forth in the hall, thinking for a long time before slowly saying: “That’s true, but with the king’s fate uncertain, acting rashly would be unwise.”
The advisor nodded hurriedly, a confident expression on his face as he suggested: “General speaks wisely.”
“In my view, we should send envoys to the Jin Prefecture Army. First, to inquire about His Majesty; second, to express our sincerity to the Jin Prefecture Army.”
Previously, when Yue’er Si ordered Alkus to send troops, the two had already discussed it.
They believed that Gaochang’s strength against the Northern Frontier was like an egg striking a stone.
With slim chances of victory, they planned to wait and see, but they never imagined the Jin Prefecture Army’s power would far exceed expectations.
In just a few days, Gaochang City was breached?
Between Gaochang City and Hami City stretched vast plains and oases, offering no natural defenses.
In this situation, it was better to surrender to the Jin Prefecture Army as soon as possible.
Otherwise, once the Jin Prefecture Army arrived at the city gates, it would be too late to surrender.
“General, the Jin Prefecture Army are outsiders after all. Those living on this land in greatest numbers are still us Uyghur People.”
“If the Jin Prefecture Army want a stable and obedient Kingdom of Qocho, they must find a Uyghur Person who can control the situation to help them.”
“Besides you, General, I can’t think of anyone better suited.” The advisor said softly.
In essence, this positioned Alkus as the Jin Prefecture Army’s agent.
The Jin Prefecture Army needed such a person to maintain rule over Gaochang on the surface.
“And with the Jin Prefecture Army’s support, General, as long as you firmly control the new king, you will undoubtedly be Gaochang’s king without a crown.”
Alkus listened quietly, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. After a long time, he stopped pacing, a gleam of determination in his eyes.
“This matter is of great importance and cannot be rushed.”
“First, select a few reliable men to send as envoys to the Northern Frontier.”
“Additionally, secretly strengthen protection and surveillance of Prince Qibidu. Not a whisper of this must leak.” Alkus said gravely.
The advisor acknowledged the order and left.
Alkus stood alone in the courtyard, gazing at the night sky, his heart a tumult of emotions.
He knew that after this step, many would see him as a traitor.
But he had no regrets.
Thinking he might one day replace him and become the true king of Gaochang, Alkus felt a burning heat in his heart.
No one could resist the temptation of power.
“I’m not surrendering.”
“This is all for the continuation of the Kingdom of Qocho.” Alkus said firmly.
He was saving the country in a roundabout way.
Gaochang City.
Once the most prosperous major city in the Southern Xinjiang and the royal capital of the Kingdom of Qocho, it was now deserted, like a ghostly realm.
Dead silent, without a sound.
All the common people in the city had been driven to the prisoner of war camp outside the city.
The young and strong women were grouped together, bodies curled up, trembling as they huddled close, filled with fear, sobbing softly, or glaring with hatred at the surrounding Jin Prefecture Army soldiers.
They had thought of resisting, but the Jin Prefecture Army showed no mercy to these women either; the dozen women’s corpses on the ground were proof.
The camp buzzed with noise; aside from the sentries, most soldiers had returned.
Bonfires blazed, crackling loudly!
All the Jin Prefecture Army soldiers rode on horseback, faces beaming with victory’s smile, joking and laughing with their comrades!
At that moment, Li Xiao and the other generals appeared in the camp.
After so many wars, Li Xiao’s figure had grown even more burly, completely free of youthful tenderness.
Like a fierce general reborn as a hegemon, with majestic aura, he rode slowly on horseback, exuding a sense of oppression.
Gradually, the soldiers’ voices quieted; no one spoke, all eyes turning to Li Xiao and the others.
Behind Li Xiao, a squad of White Armored Army soldiers pulled over a hundred wooden chests in horse carriages, advancing slowly.
These had all been carried out from the royal palace.
Just a small portion, which Li Xiao used to reward the three armies.
The moment the lids were lifted, masses of gold, silver, and copper treasures appeared before everyone.
Everyone’s breathing grew heavy.
Li Xiao rode on his war horse, his gaze sweeping over all the soldiers as he shouted loudly: “Officers and soldiers, this Governor promised you.”
“For breaching Gaochang City, there will be rewards for all.”
“These are spoils from the Gaochang royal palace, and now they are yours.”
Hearing Li Xiao’s words, the soldiers instantly grew excited, shouting loudly.
“Great Governor is mighty.”
“Great Governor is mighty.”
“Great Governor is mighty!”
……
The soldiers’ cheers surged like waves, one after another, echoing across the vast grassland, lingering endlessly.
At this moment, Li Xiao’s prestige among the soldiers reached its peak.
Whether the three thousand Han Chinese Kuli Army or the newly surrendered Great Desert Army, all soldiers shouted excitedly.
They didn’t care who they served or fought for, as long as there was food to eat.
As long as they and their family members could live well, they would truly support him.
Clearly, Li Xiao had achieved this.
Cheers erupted across the entire grassland, soldiers’ morale reaching unprecedented heights. Their loyalty to Li Xiao grew ever firmer.
“Everyone gets a base of ten strings of copper coins; those with military merit will receive additional rewards per regulations.”
“Tomorrow morning, your squad leaders will distribute the rewards to you.”
“If anyone’s reward silver is incorrect, come find me anytime.”
“If anyone dares to deduct reward silver.”
“I, Li Xiao, will certainly chop off his head.”
These words were a warning to the officers: dare to exploit soldiers’ pay, and don’t blame Li Xiao for being ruthless.
The army is the foundation of all stability.
Whoever dares shake the army’s foundation, Li Xiao will chop off his dog head.
Hearing Li Xiao’s shout, the grassland once again rang with the soldiers’ roars.
“Good~”
“Great Governor is mighty.”
Cheers shook the heavens, the entire grassland seeming to tremble, soldiers’ morale at its zenith.
Moreover, simple reward silver was not the end.
Li Xiao drew his cavalry saber again, his rich voice booming in the wind as he shouted loudly.
“You rascals, the battle is over, Gaochang City is ours. Now is the time to enjoy your spoils of war.”
“All squad leaders, come out and pick women.”
As Li Xiao’s voice spread to every corner of the camp, excitement grew evident on the soldiers’ faces.
“Yes, sir!”
Squad leaders spurred their horses forward, charging swiftly into the female captives.
First come, first served; the slow ones get some too, just not the best, and will surely be grumbled at by their brothers.
In this battle, the Jin Prefecture Army captured a large number of prisoners of war.
Excluding those killed and women too old or too young, there were still over thirty thousand suitable for distribution.
More than enough.
These women’s ages ranged from teens to over forty.
Too young girls would be held separately; the Governor’s Mansion would raise them. The too old would be dispatched with a single stroke, to avoid wasting precious grain.
In feudal times, especially among nomadic people, women had no human rights but were a form of wealth.
Like sabers, axes, pots, bowls, ladles, basins and other tools, women were vital breeding tools.
Even in the cruelest battles, few killed fertile women unless they attacked first.
Thus, these women would be treated as important wealth, taken back by the Jin Prefecture Army, rewarded to meritorious officers and soldiers for breeding offspring and increasing Jin Prefecture’s population.
With the female captives varying widely in age and figure, distribution couldn’t be perfectly fair.
It all came down to each squad leader’s speed.
The first got the young and beautiful; the late got the leftovers.
Fortunately, there were plenty of female captives, enough for all.
Wang Ping, a Han Chinese from Kuyun-Ordu, after being brought to Jin Prefecture, was quickly appointed squad leader in the Kuli Army due to his strong build and sociable nature.
Originally, these Kuli Army followed Li Xiao on campaigns mainly to escape slave status and hard labor.
But unexpectedly, amid the Jin Prefecture Army’s victories, the Great Governor hadn’t forgotten them slaves when sharing spoils.
Treated exactly like the veteran Jin Prefecture Army.
Not just money, but women too—this moved Wang Ping deeply.
Back in Kuyun-Ordu, promotions and wealth were for nobles; common soldiers like them couldn’t even get broth.
As for women, they had no share at all.
But now it was different; though not absolute equality in the Jin Prefecture Army, the Great Governor hadn’t forgotten these lowly foot soldiers.
He thought of them for all the good things, filling Wang Ping with gratitude.
He had decided: stay in Jin Prefecture for good.
Whoever the Great Governor told him to fight, he would fight.
The Great Governor’s kindness could never be repaid in a lifetime.
Filled with longing for a better future, Wang Ping was even more energized and swift.
Charging into the women’s group, his eyes darted, seeking young and pretty ones.
First glance disappointed him; too few young beauties—not Han Chinese women, so standards couldn’t be too high.
Moreover, these female captives had already been screened once before.
The youngest and prettiest had been taken by the chiliarchs and centurions.
The rest were barely passable.
But soon, Wang Ping’s eyes lit up; he spotted two to his liking.
A pair of sisters he had personally captured in the city earlier.
The younger sister seventeen or eighteen, fresh and appealing; the older in her twenties, still alluring.
These two hadn’t been picked to serve chiliarchs or centurions?
Wang Ping was overjoyed.
At that moment, they huddled together in fear; the next second, Wang Ping charged up on horseback, leaned down, grabbed one in each hand, and hoisted both onto his horse.
Amid their terrified screams, Wang Ping laughed heartily, turned, and rode back to his temporary tent.
“Hahaha, I’m in luck today.”
After securing the two women, he hurried back to pick for his subordinates.
That night, Li Xiao took all the fine wine and delicacies from the city to reward the three armies’ officers and soldiers.
It had to be said, Gaochang under Yue’er Si’s rule resembled the Southern Song Dynasty.
Lax military readiness, crippled combat power, but wealth amassed in abundance.
In Gaochang City’s treasury, money piled like mountains, numbering in the tens of millions.
The granaries overflowed with provisions, measured in millions of shi.
What was used to reward the officers and soldiers was just a portion.
Yet it already had them cheering, grateful to Li Xiao, morale soaring higher.
While rewarding the three armies, Li Xiao also held a grand banquet in the large tent, hosting his generals. After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere was exceedingly lively.
But one person sat ill at ease.
This was Fan Zhongxin, the merchant from Datong Prefecture in the Central Plains.
Seeing the hall full of generals drinking, playing finger games, each with two beauties attending them, Fan Zhongxin felt utterly out of place.
Completely an outsider.
He truly couldn’t understand what qualification he had to sit in this large tent.
He was just a merchant.
“Lord, time to drink.”
A woman’s soft, tense voice interrupted Fan Zhongxin’s covert gaze at the beauties dancing in the tent.
Coming back to himself, he hurriedly took the wine cup from her hands with both of his.
“Thank you, trouble you~”
Clearly a honored guest, yet he still couldn’t adapt to such extravagance, completely unable to relax.
Until the pretty female captive beside him pleaded: if he didn’t accept her service, the Jin Prefecture Army would think her service inadequate and might even kill her.
This stunned Fan Zhongxin; he dared not keep distance from the female captive anymore and sat obediently.
Watching the beauties’ dance in the tent.
“I hear these dancing women are the Gaochang king’s favorite concubines~”
“Never thought I, Fan Zhongxin, would get to live the Gaochang king’s life.”
While Fan Zhongxin was lost in reverie, he heard someone call his name.
Turning, he saw Li Xiao at the head seat beckoning him.
Daring not delay, Fan Zhongxin hurried over and knelt before Li Xiao.
“Greetings, Great Governor.”
Li Xiao, one arm around each beauty, withdrew a hand that had been wandering in their clothes, and lightly raised it: “Rise.”
“In our Western Regions, we don’t kneel to people.”
“You should change that habit too.”
Hearing Li Xiao, Fan Zhongxin understood: “Yes, yes, I understand.”
He slowly stood, still slightly bowing toward Li Xiao.
“No need to be so stiff; this Governor isn’t a man-eating beast.” Li Xiao chuckled.
But in Fan Zhongxin’s heart, Li Xiao was far more terrifying than any beast.
After some jesting, Li Xiao stated the purpose of summoning him to the large tent.
“This Governor has always been curious about the Central Plains; can you tell me about it?”
Fan Zhongxin nodded eagerly: “I will answer all I know.”
“But may I ask, Great Governor, which aspects interest you?”
“Tell me about the emperor first!” Li Xiao said calmly.
“Who is the Jin Dynasty’s emperor?”
“The emperor is named Wanyan Jing; he has reigned for ten years and is about thirty now.”
Fan Zhongxin was just a merchant, a bankrupt low-level one at that.
He had no access to true secrets, knowing only basic matters.
Li Xiao didn’t bother asking about the Jin Dynasty army’s numbers, equipment, training, etc.
Pointless to ask.
But Fan Zhongxin could be sent back to gather such intelligence gradually.
On Central Plains’ people’s livelihood, however, Fan Zhongxin had some insight.
“Common people’s lives?”
“Alas~” Fan Zhongxin sighed heavily: “Just like that.”
“Half-dead, not full but not starving.”
His own Datong Prefecture was better off, being the Jin Dynasty’s western capital, but beyond it westward, Fan Zhongxin had seen countless tragedies.
The common people’s lives were unspeakably miserable.
“I heard from a merchant before that the Jurchens’ taxation is quite low; how come people still go hungry?” Li Dashan asked.
The others crowded around, very interested in Central Plains matters.
Fan Zhongxin smiled bitterly, shaking his head: “The court’s taxation is indeed not high, even much lower than the previous dynasty.”
“But the petty officials are hard to deal with.”
As a merchant, he had broader knowledge than ordinary common people, understanding Central Plains taxation.
“The court stipulates summer tax of three sheng per mu, autumn tax of five dou per mu, totaling five dou three sheng per year~”
“That’s not much.” Da Hu said in surprise.
Ordinary farmland yielded a hundred dou per mu; good land two or three hundred.
Five dou three sheng?
Da Hu wondered why the Jurchens were so good to the common people.
Fan Zhongxin shook his head: “That’s just official rates. In practice, they add all sorts of miscellaneous fees, totaling at least half the grain in taxes!”
Er Hu’s eyes widened: “That much difference?”
Too ruthless!
“All skimmed off by officials in private?” Da Hu asked.
Fan Zhongxin nodded lightly; such words were fine here in the Western Regions—in the Central Plains, he’d never dare say them.
“Not just taxes, but also land rent; many common people farm others’ fields and must pay at least twenty percent rent.”
“Ah? That harsh? What’s left after?”
“Indeed, nothing left!”
“Year-round toil, not even grain for themselves.”
“Many starved to death; even selling sons and daughters keeps the kids alive at least!”
“Compared to Central Plains folk, our lives are much better.”
Li Dashan and others exclaimed; first time learning how miserable Central Plains common people lived.
Even Li Xiao hadn’t known these things!
But he wasn’t surprised inwardly.
He knew too well the virtue of those Central Plains officials and gentry.
Fawning before Jurchens, striking hard at their own people.
Masters at “outer sage, inner tyrant.”
Jurchens and Mongols, as foreign ethnic groups in a minority ruling majority.
To maintain rule, they compromised to some extent with the gentry and vassal lord classes.
Taxation being key.
Under Jurchen and Mongol rule of the Central Plains, they implemented tax farming!
Meaning the court set a quota; as long as each prefecture and county paid up, the rest was ignored.
Li Xiao had once read that the Jurchen court had the lowest statutory tax rates in Chinese history.
They took the least tax from the people, yet why did commoners starve and rebel everywhere?
The key was the gentry layer in between, exploiting at every level.
Gentry and officials became the actual rulers over Central Plains common people, with the Jurchen court as their agents.
Taxes and rents levied by gentry officials exceeded even pre-Jurchen levels, more ruthless.
The court’s lenient policies never reached the people, instead becoming shackles strangling them.
Ultimately, the court had no money, many people starved, while the middle gentry officials grew fat.
Like the Ming Chongzhen Emperor’s dying cry: “Literati ruin the country; all gentry clans may be killed!”
So one day, when Li Xiao unified the Central Plains, he would surely press the butcher knife to landlords and gentry’s necks.
Like the Manchu Qing, kill a batch regardless, and the rest would obey.
Otherwise, no matter how much land Li Xiao conquered, the landlords and gentry would eventually hollow it out.
