Dingzhou City, the Prefect’s Mansion.
As Yu Wen entered the inner quarters, he caught a whiff of a strong medicinal odor.
Dark clouds hung low on the horizon, cold winds howled, and faint cries from the side made him instinctively tighten his collar.
“It’s true then, the rumors that the Prefect suddenly vomited three sheng of blood!”
He mused silently while displaying a sorrowful expression on his face.
With the situation in Dingzhou becoming critical, Inspector Gao Shun had completely abandoned his duties, leaving all responsibilities on Xu Chun. The man had been forcing himself to work despite his illness, rising early and sleeping late, inevitably leading to his collapse from overwork.
Yu Wen sighed, feeling as though fate had already decided everything at this moment.
“Minister Yu!”
A servant went in to announce him, and shortly after, a steward came out to greet him: “We were not informed of your visit. What brings you here?”
“Just a small matter… With winter upon us, water freezes instantly, and the soldiers on the walls urgently need three thousand sets of winter clothing, along with charcoal, medicine, and other supplies…”
As Yu Wen spoke, he noticed the steward’s face showing signs of difficulty.
The siege by the army not only disrupted the autumn harvest but also left no hope of grain and money from various districts and counties. Indeed, Dingzhou was now reduced to this single isolated city.
War was all about military supplies, and amidst the myriad of difficulties, even the Prefect would find it hard to procure these necessities.
“Especially the aristocratic families, who are mere fence-sitters! Seeing that Dingzhou is reduced to just one city and that the imperial court has only issued reprimands without sending any troops, they surely understand the stakes. Coupled with the spies from the Xie and Lin families continuously spreading rumors, they began to refuse help over a month ago. When forced, they offered just a few shi of stale grain, as if dismissing beggars…”
With taxes uncollectible and the aristocratic families unwilling to contribute, Yu Wen knew the city was in dire straits.
Unless Zhang Wenzhen dared to kill all the prominent families within the city and seize their grain and wealth, there was no way to survive until next spring.
However, doing so, especially under the threat of a large enemy force, would merely be hastening their own demise.
The aristocrats only cared about preserving their land and access to official positions; they did not really care who sat on the throne.
Moreover, the city’s civil and military officials were intricately connected with these families, or were even members themselves. Even if Zhang Wenzhen wanted to act, he would inevitably face backlash.
“Ah… beset by internal and external troubles, it’s understandable that the Prefect’s illness worsened due to anxiety…”
Yu Wen’s eyes flickered as he finally revealed his purpose: “Additionally… my general heard of the Prefect’s worsening condition and specially sent me to inquire after his health. May I ask, how is the Prefect now…”
“Wu wu…”
At that moment, the weeping from inside the inner quarters suddenly intensified.
On his sickbed, Prefect Xu Chun was emaciated, his face pale as paper, with only a faint flush on his cheeks, clearly in his final moments.
He stretched out his claw-like hand, as if trying to grasp something, his chest heaving with labored breaths.
“My lord… is there something you wish to say?”
His wife, Lady Zhang, asked, quickly scolding the several concubines and maids around her: “Be quiet! Do you want your master to pass away uneasily?”
She came from a prominent family and was very capable of maintaining order, especially now that Xu Chun was about to die. She would soon take over the authority of life and death, and dismissing a few concubines was merely a matter of a fleeting thought.
The concubines who had sons or daughters to rely on fared better, while those without were immediately frightened. Seeing their master in such a state, they completely abandoned any thoughts of resistance and dared not move at all.
“State… state…”
Xu Chun moved his lips weakly, finally uttering a few words: “State affairs are difficult, entrust everything to Zhang Wenzhen, winter… winter…”
He could not continue, his hand fell, and he immediately stopped breathing.
“My lord!!”
Lady Zhang checked his hand, finding that Xu Chun’s breath had ceased, and she began to weep over his body.
At once, the inner quarters were filled with wailing.
As Yu Wen and the steward exchanged glances, a servant ran out, holding prepared mourning clothes and black ribbons, sobbing uncontrollably: “Steward Qian, my lord… my lord has passed…”
As soon as these words were spoken, the steward’s lips turned blue, as if he had instantly lost his anchor.
Even Yu Wen, watching the collapse of this city’s pillar, was momentarily overwhelmed with dizziness.
In a daze, he did not know how many words he spoke or how many people he met before he finally bade farewell and stepped out, gazing at the gloomy sky, a chill rising in his heart.
“Minister Yu!”
As he turned a street corner, two servants who seemed to have been waiting for a long time immediately came forward respectfully: “Our master invites you!”
“Who are you…”
Yu Wen’s eyes flickered, but he said nothing and followed them.
Beyond the street corner, a carriage stood with all its sides covered, the windows shrouded in black cloth, clearly well-prepared. Yu Wen, confident in his courage, directly climbed in, and the carriage immediately set off.
After an unknown duration, the carriage finally stopped behind a large mansion. Yu Wen shook out his collar, entered the house, and was immediately led by a steward into a secret chamber.
“Minister Yu has arrived as well!”
Inside the dimly lit room, seven or eight people were already seated, their faces shifting between light and shadow under the flickering lamplight.
“Ah, it’s you all!”
Yu Wen naturally recognized them; these were middle-ranking civil and military officials within the city, people not widely known but holding crucial positions.
Of course, he himself was similar—though merely a scribe for the Inspector, he had access to the Prefect’s mansion and was close to Zhang Wenzhen.
Such a force had been secretly connected, and just thinking about it made his hands tremble, yet his eyes also burned with excitement.
“Excellent! Minister Yu, upon seeing us, neither turned to flee nor immediately denounced us. It’s clear we share the same ideals!”
A young voice came forth, and a young man resembling a noble scion approached the main seat: “I am Xie Wusi, honored to meet all of you!”
“A member of the Xie family?”
Yu Wen nodded: “No wonder you could gather so many people. What do you intend to do?”
“This should be my question for you, Minister!”
Xie Wusi smiled: “You have just come from the Prefect’s mansion. Has Xu Chun already died?”
Yu Wen felt a chill at the speed of the Xie family’s information, but he still nodded. Upon hearing this, the expressions of those in the hall varied, but all showed a sense of relief.
“The Prefect was usually kind and has done us favors, but small kindnesses cannot compare to the greater duty of the city’s survival!”
A middle-aged officer spoke indifferently.
“Indeed… With the city on the verge of falling, we should discuss our future plans and also consider the Prefect’s posthumous affairs!”
A civil official chimed in from the side: “At the very least… with General Wu Zhen’s assurance, the imperial army will not harm the citizens upon entering the city, and even the Prefect’s family will be pardoned. This way, we won’t have wasted our years of camaraderie…”
“Exactly!”
Several officers, upon hearing this, brightened and loudly agreed.
Yu Wen felt a chill run down his back, making a mental note of the civil official who spoke, musing: “In terms of audacity and ruthlessness, this man is truly exceptional. I must be sure not to offend him in the future…”
“Excellent!”
Xie Wusi was delighted: “All of you, who support the royal army, are great contributors!”
The others hurriedly declined the praise. Yu Wen, who had been seeking a way out himself, joined in with a few words of agreement, half-heartedly conceding. He then showed a hesitant expression on his face: “However, most of the military power within the city is in Zhang Wenzhen’s hands. He is the Prefect’s trusted aide and a loyal servant of the court, so he won’t be easy to deal with…”
“Not to mention… there are those envoys as well!”
“What is there to fear from Zhang Wenzhen, who was merely a deputy general before?”
Several officers from the side spoke up: “In terms of seniority within the army, I rank higher than him. Without the Prefect’s command, who would willingly follow his orders?”
“With your help, at least the west gate will not be a problem! As for Zhang Wenzhen?”
Xie Wusi’s lips curled into a cold smile: “Since he insists on resisting the imperial forces, we can only send him to his death. Not only he must die, but his entire family must also be eliminated!”
This cold-bloodedness immediately sent a shiver down Yu Wen’s spine.
…
“Although I had long known the principle of the mutual destruction of fate, I did not expect the city’s fortune to decline so drastically after Xu Chun’s death!”
The old Taoist returned to the inn, summoned the scholar and the general: “We should prepare to leave!”
“Is it because the city has become unstable immediately after Xu Chun’s death?”
The scholar stroked his beard, sighing.
“As soon as we detect any signs, we must immediately contact Zhang Wenzhen to strike first. We might still have a chance!”
The general snorted coldly.
“This is the will of heaven, beyond human power to change!”
The old Taoist smiled bitterly. With the entire city’s aristocratic families preparing their own plans for the future, what could these outsiders like himself do?
If they were to use magical arts to forcefully suppress the situation, did they think the hidden master on the other side was just a harmless figure?
Moreover, to oppose such a shift in fortune, even he himself would suffer a loss of merit and invite calamity.
“Let us go! Let us go!”
Thus, he could only sigh and leave.
“Ah… you…”
The general stamped his foot. If the old Taoist was determined not to help, he could at most notify Zhang Wenzhen to heighten his vigilance, but beyond that, there was nothing he could do.
“Never would I have imagined… since the chaos at the end of the Shang dynasty three hundred years ago, the world has entered another era of upheaval…”
A trace of sorrow appeared on the old scholar’s face, but he said no more.
It was clear that the situation was beyond salvation, and they had no obligation to die alongside a loyal minister.
…
Time flew by in an instant.
Six peaceful years passed, and soon it was the seventh year of the peaceful reign.
The empire remained in chaos, and the siege of Dingzhou City had finally reached its final stage.
Xu Chun’s death brought a sense of sorrow to the New Year, not only erasing the last traces of festive joy but also seemingly marking the final end of the old dynasty’s rule in Dingzhou.
“Catapults, fire!”
Qi Lin and Chen Jingzong took turns attacking the city daily, steadily increasing the intensity.
With the unification of Dingzhou, the surrounding areas remained stable, giving them ample time to gradually wear down the strong city.
The aristocratic families within the city could no longer endure, sending out letters of surrender and secretly conspiring, their power growing steadily.
“Advance again!”
Qi Lin, clad in armor, shouted loudly, watching wave after wave of soldiers, arrows, and catapults, his gaze occasionally drifting toward the direction of the Luo River, lost in thought.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage