Chapter 345 – Winds of Change in the Capital (Part 2)
In Chongzhou, Shangyu County, Canglan County, this place borders the northern frontier.
The northern frontier produces very little grain, and there are often groups of horse bandits raiding and pillaging for gold, silver, jewels, or livestock. If a relatively attractive young woman were to be captured, she would have little hope of escaping their clutches; Qi Guanrang’s mother suffered such a fate and had no choice but to bear him.
However, at that time, the northern frontier still feared Dongqing’s military strength, tucking in their tails and acting subservient.
When Qi Guanrang’s mother was returned, she was already three months pregnant. Unmarried and disgraced, the neighbors whispered and pointed fingers at her, while her elderly parents flatly denied her. She could only grit her teeth and marry Qi Guanrang’s father, eventually settling in Shangyu County.
This was an old story from over twenty years ago, a common occurrence back then, which meant that individuals like Qi Guanrang were far from rare.
The foreign tribes of the northern frontier refused to acknowledge their existence, while the people of Dongqing viewed them as a disgrace, like mice trapped in a wind tunnel, suffering on all sides.
Since the three cities within Shangyu County had fallen into the hands of the northern frontier, the lives of the border folks became even more difficult. Every household bolted their doors, and women dared not show their faces; horse bandits prowled everywhere, appearing and disappearing like the wind, raiding swiftly and leaving without a trace.
Everyone lived in fear, and the common people suffered greatly.
However, the situation has slightly improved in recent years.
No one dared to become the governor of Chongzhou before, making the local government feel like a pile of scattered sand, with officials turning a deaf ear to the people’s grievances.
A few years ago, Liu Zhi, the governor of Hujun, was promoted to governor of Chongzhou, and at last, the people found a backbone.
After Liu Zhi took office, he devoted considerable effort to clearing out the horse bandits.
Initially, he planned to proceed gradually, but after consulting Jiang Pengji’s opinion, he changed his mind.
“Those who are deemed lowly will be treated as lowly. The northern frontier has no shame; why should we show them any?” Jiang Pengji coldly replied in her letter to Liu Zhi, “I don’t believe these horse bandits are just ordinary bandits. How could common bandits acquire such high-quality steeds? How could they know the terrain so well? Even if there are wild bandits, most are probably domesticated. If they commit crimes and are caught, blaming horse bandits sounds better than admitting it was the northern frontier’s army.”
In other words, killing bandits is much more palatable than killing soldiers of the northern frontier; the three clans of the northern frontier would have no face to plead for these “bandits.”
After much contemplation, Liu Zhi adopted Jiang Pengji’s idea.
Kill!
Capture one, kill one; capture a pair, kill a pair!
Once a horse bandit was caught, regardless of their crime, they would be executed!
All counties and districts posted official notices stating that if common people discovered any traces of horse bandits, they were to report it immediately, and if the report was true, they would receive a generous reward!
As the saying goes, the beginning is the hardest. At first, this directive did not have much effect.
The “horse bandits” paid no mind to these orders, and the border folks dared not trust the government, so the pace of clearing out the bandits stagnated.
Coincidentally, at that time, Qi Guanrang returned to Shangyu County with his new wife to pay tribute to his deceased mother.
Upon hearing of this, he offered his suggestion.
Qi Guanrang said, “Chongzhou has been leaderless for a long time, and the hearts of the people are scattered like loose sand. They harbor deep suspicions towards the government. To unite them again will naturally require effort. Rather than starting from nothing, it’s better to follow an example; perhaps it will yield progress.”
An example?
Liu Zhi’s heart suddenly enlightened, and he arranged for personnel to prepare for this matter.
As long as the common people see someone reporting horse bandits and gaining real benefits from it, this would be the strongest form of promotion.
After some preparation, progress gradually began to show, making life even harder for the “horse bandits.”
Liu Zhi’s method of dealing with “horse bandits” was consistent: kill the perpetrator and spare the horse.
After several waves of captures, Liu Zhi found that aside from a few inferior steeds, the rest were all well-trained fine horses.
Just as Jiang Pengji had said, how could ordinary bandits obtain such fine horses?
Thus, the identities of these “horse bandits” began to surface.
Liu Zhi saw through it but chose not to expose it, proceeding step by step.
Kill when necessary, capture when necessary; display their heads for public viewing, regardless of the hue of the northern frontier officials’ faces. He ignored it all.
After more than a year, the environment in the border counties of the northern frontier had been completely transformed.
While not yet safe and prosperous, it was a significant improvement compared to the fearful days of yore.
With his wife, Qi Guanrang visited his mother’s grave and, while in the area, learned from his mentor that a concubine from the Liu Residence was marrying into the royal family.
“A concubine from the Liu Residence marrying the royal family?”
Upon hearing this news, Qi Guanrang paused with his feather fan and his expression changed slightly.
By now, he had started to grow a beard, and with a slightly gloomy appearance, he looked older than his actual age.
His mentor nodded, saying, “Recently, some common people mentioned this good news, expressing their desire to send some local products to the governor’s office.”
Previously, the common people feared the government like wolves, but now they rejoiced over the marriage of Liu Zhi’s daughter, showcasing how well Liu Zhi had won their hearts.
Of course, it wasn’t that Liu Zhi was doing exceptionally well; he was simply doing better than his predecessors.
“Is this a good time for that?”
Qi Guanrang asked again, his eyebrows slightly raised.
His mentor inquired, “Do you find it inappropriate?”
Qi Guanrang had always regarded this mentor as a father figure and spoke without reservation.
“Very inappropriate; Young Master Liu might be in trouble,” Qi Guanrang replied. “The current capital city is a den of dragons and tigers; it could be a one-way trip.”
In recent days, Qi Guanrang and his mentor had discussed the trends of the world, analyzing the situation in Dongqing the most.
Hearing Qi Guanrang say this, his mentor was taken aback and exclaimed, “What do you mean…”
“Fear that might be the case.” Qi Guanrang nodded.
His mentor furrowed his brow and said, “I remember you mentioned that the Liu Residence treated you with kindness. Is there any way to resolve this issue?”
“Fear not.” Qi Guanrang suddenly smiled, “Though the capital is perilous, it still won’t trap that Young Master Liu. However… your words remind me of something. Time is tight; I must leave soon and can’t be filial at your side any longer.”
“What matter?” His mentor casually asked.
Qi Guanrang replied, “I had made a promise to someone to help them at their time of greatest need, and that moment is approaching.”
“Moment?”
“The day the capital falls will be the time of opportunity.”
As the saying goes, “One flower blooms, another branch flourishes.”
With the protection of five thousand guards, the bridal procession peacefully escorted the bride into the capital city.
“It’s been years, yet this place remains just as bustling and prosperous… So many years have passed, and it’s barely changed…”
She seemed to be sighing, but in reality, she was conversing with the audience in the live stream.
【Stowaway Non-Money】: Suddenly thinking of my hometown; after studying away for four years, I returned home after graduation, and I almost couldn’t recognize the roads. All I can say is that societal development is rapid, and times change swiftly; my hometown seems to change every day…
【Old Driver Alliance】: # hand-on-chin, that’s totally normal. The ancient times were agricultural societies with weak productivity; that’s an undeniable fact.
The ancient era is fundamentally different from the time the live stream audience lives in and even more so from Jiang Pengji’s world, where development and change seemed almost stagnant; let alone two or three years— even after twenty or thirty years, buildings wouldn’t undergo significant transformation.
