Today was rest day, and Xu Erlang had originally come to see his fiancee.
However, since the two of them were still not married, private meetings could not last more than half an hour. Any longer, and they would have to talk in the main hall.
Even when they were alone, there would still have to be a maid present.
After all, the greatest fear when a young man and woman was alone was that they would be unable to restrain themselves, and then get overzealous in easing each other’s hunger and itch.
After marriage, the husband’s family would usually check for a new daughter-in-law’s maidenhood. If she did not have it, then the family’s honour would be utterly lost.
Although the Wang family trusted Xu Erlang’s character, the proper rules still had to be followed, without the slightest concession.
So, after the half an hour were up, Wang Simu reluctantly said goodbye to her fiance and watched him head to her father’s study for a discussion.
“Prime Minister, you’re making things difficult for me!”
Xu Xinnian smiled wryly, yet did not leave. Had it been any other elder saying this, he would certainly have stood up and taken his leave, but since Prime Minister Wang was his future father-in-law, Xu Erlang could be far more relaxed in his manner.
In truth, the solution to banditry was simple: for refugees and bandits who claimed mountains as kings, the court had always espoused extermination coupled with recruitment, using carrots and sticks.
At present, however, the bandit situation was catastrophic, making suppression too difficult. The court also lacked the finances and resources to continue disaster relief.
So it was, in fact, an unsolvable problem.
“Seeking fortune amidst danger is not quite appropriate here, but the principle is the same. Only by accomplishing what others cannot can you gain the position others cannot occupy.”
Prime Minister Wang did not force him to leave, simply pushing over a memorial, saying, “Have a look. Since His Majesty called for donations, the situation has improved greatly. Otherwise, things would have been far worse.”
After a pause, he added in a casual tone:
“I hear you have been getting close to the eldest princess lately?”
Xu Erlang picked up the memorial to read it, answering in passing:
“I occasionally discuss scholarship with Her Highness the eldest princess.”
Prime Minister Wang nodded and without much expression, said, “The eldest princess is outstandingly talented and bright, surpassing most men. Were she born a man, she would surely think of a solution to such a dilemma.”
He’s hinting for me to consult the eldest princess… Xu Xinnian smiled and said:
“Her Highness’s talent is indeed admirable.”
Now that the conversation had opened, Prime Minister Wang poured himself another cup of tea, blowing on the steaming water:
“Have you heard about what happened with the Wulin Alliance in Jianzhou?”
“I’ve heard some news,” Xu Erlang nodded.
“Details should be coming back soon. Whether this is made public will depend on the gravity of the incident. If it’s strong medicine, put it aside for now.”
What Prime Minister Wang meant was that, if the results were outstanding, they would not be made public immediately. They were to wait for the right moment, when a strong medicine was needed.
“Xu Ningyan shines like the midday sun, it’s good, but it’s just too good.” Prime Minister Wang glanced at his future son-in-law and sighed:
“Your brother’s brilliance outshines you, making you seem dim in comparison. No one will allow you to stand out.”
Xu Erlang, proud as he was, had just wanted to say that his elder brother was his elder brother, and that his own achievements and abilities had never needed comparison, nor had he ever felt inferior because of them.
But Xu Erlang was also clever, he immediately realised Prime Minister Wang was not sowing discord, but implying something.
“What you mean, Prime Minister, is that my big brother cannot return to the court?” Xu Erlang mused.
“Giving him a nominal position as the leader of the Nightwatchers is the utmost His Majesty and the officials will accept. If he wanted to return to the court, then you had better be prepared to spend the rest of your days on the sidelines.”
Prime Minister Wang sipped his tea and added gently: “You two brothers need to coordinate well.”
The art of an emperor always lay in the word balance.
If Xu Qi’an truly took charge of the Nightwatchers, then Xu Xinnian could never take over the Wang Clique, neither the emperor nor the officials would allow it.
Xu Xinnian made a sound of agreement, but gave no further opinion.
Relying on the memory of a Confucianist at the Awakened stage, he quickly finished reading the memorial, gaining a detailed understanding of the heavily afflicted regions.
“This student has finished reading, I’ll take my leave.”
Xu Erlang rose and cupped his hands. When he reached the door, he suddenly turned back and said,
“In fact, they do not conflict. My elder brother is the present, I… am the future!”
With that, he pushed the door open and left.
…
“Erlang, why are you so absent-minded?”
At the dining table, Auntie ladled her son a bowl of chicken soup, complaining:
“You should at least have some. This soup mum had the kitchen make for you has all ended up in Lingyin and Lina’s bellies. All the good stuff’s been eaten by those food bins, don’t you care?”
“Mum, what are ‘food bins’?”
Xu Lingyin gulped her chicken soup and asked.
“You’re the food bin!” Auntie turned to scold.
“Eh? But I’m Xu Lingyin, aren’t I?” The Little Pea was aghast.
“Spring Sacrifice will be here soon, and you haven’t made any progress at all in a whole year. Were all those books you read wasted? You’ve only grown fatter, not smarter!”
Auntie shook her head in disbelief, her distress palpable.
But that depends on whether the words even made it in her… Xu Ershu and the others grumbled inwardly, but used to it, they just kept eating.
After scolding her daughter, Auntie turned to Uncle Xu and said:
“Yesterday, Princess Lin’an delivered a fair amount of jewellery and cloth. Husband dear, do you think her looking after our family might mean she’ll marry Ningyan in the future?”
Auntie used to think the princesses’ favour towards the Xu family was down to her own son’s dashing good looks.
It was only after her husband explained that she realised it was actually because of her nephew’s exceptional martial skill.
Second Uncle Xu said with satisfaction,
“With Ningyan’s current status, marrying a princess is easy as pie. When she enters our Xu household, she’ll have to serve you tea. You’ll be able to instruct her to your heart’s content.”
Xu Erlang glanced at his father’s wine flask, he hadn’t drank much…
Auntie fretted,
“It’s not that I’m afraid of household strife, but the other party is a princess, pampered. How could she be so casually instructed?”
When it came to managing domestic affairs in the Xu household, no one dared claim first place ahead of Auntie, she was always unbeatable.
Xu Lingyue said quietly,
“Mum, big brother has a carefree nature and is not suitable to marry a princess. It’s better not to be a consort. I have met both princesses, and neither matches him well.”
Lina looked up, mouth full of rice, and mumbled,
“I think Xu Ningyan matches quite well with the princesses.”
Xu Lingyue was silent for a moment, then looked at the Little Pea and said softly,
“Mum, Lingyin is just fine as she is, practising every day with Lina. They’re master and disciple, happy and carefree.”
Lina grinned proudly, only to notice that the mistress of the Xu house now looked at her with a wariness and hostility.
Aha, so it’s this silly girl who’s been a bad influence on my Lingyin… Auntie ground her teeth.
Lina: ”???”
Xu Xinnian set down his chopsticks, lifted his bowl of chicken soup, drank a mouthful, and said:
“Recently, martial artists have been gathering the refugees and turning to banditry. Banditry now plagues the land, with some mountain bandits starting to threaten the county towns.
“Prime Minister Wang asked if I had a good solution. I am still troubled by this matter.”
Auntie declared with utmost confidence, “Just have Ningyan suppress them!”
“The Central Plains is so vast, do you want Ningyan worked to death?” Uncle Xu retorted sharply, “Besides, he—he’s still watching from the side.”
“He” referred to his elder brother, Xu Pingfeng.
“Could we not recruit them?” Xu Lingyue, who was always cultured and reasonable, asked.
“Recruitment only works in ordinary times. Most of these bandits are formed from refugees, you can recruit some, but never all. In the end, it still comes down to a lack of money and grain. If supplies were sufficient, the disaster would have been managed long ago.”
Xu Erlang shook his head.
All the issues left by the late Emperor Yuanjing had now exploded during this cold calamity.
Second Uncle was a soldier, well aware of the realities. Looking at Auntie, he said,
“Fine, then stop forcing Lingyin to read and study. Let her join the army. Perhaps in three or five years, she’ll return as a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households and bring glory to the family, making you a titled lady.”
Auntie was so infuriated she nearly lost her temper with her husband, convinced that she was the only one in this family with a normal outlook on raising children.
She was the only one who would never abandon Lingyin.
Seeing his wife unconvinced, Second Uncle asked the Little Pea,
“Lingyin, what would you do if someone tried to bully you?”
“Hit them back!” the Little Pea replied confidently.
“And if you can’t win?” Second Uncle continued.
Xu Lingyin thought for a moment: “Then I’ll make friends with them, and they won’t bully me any more.”
This child’s outlook isn’t right, if she loses, she’d probably turn traitor… Second Uncle thought to himself.
After the meal, Xu Erlang returned to his study, his mind heavy with worry.
Lighting a candle, he leaned against his chair and began to ponder.
As a scholar, whenever he encountered a difficult problem, his first instinct was to refer to historical records.
Taking history as a mirror, to learn from the experiences of predecessors.
“Throughout history, the approach of various dynasties in times of turbulent decline has always been either suppression or recruitment. More often than not, the approach was suppression, because at the end of each dynasty, the conflict between the court and the people reached the point where it could only be resolved through war.
The premise for recruitment is having sufficient financial resources and grain, and being willing to concede some benefits. The court may use recruitment to deal with some of the banditry, but it’s impossible to rely solely on recruitment to resolve all of it.
If that were possible, things would not be in such a mess now.
Xu Erlang, relying on his powerful memory, analysed and recalled the contents of the historical records. The first conclusion he drew was:
At present, the Great Feng had not yet reached the point of utter desperation, unlike the complete decay seen at the end of most dynasties.
It was not rotten enough.
That was a good thing.
If the treasonous clique in Yunzhou were to rebel now, it would be the final straw that broke the camel’s back. How to solve the banditry?
The more Xu Xinnian pondered, the more impossible the problem seemed. The more he thought, the worse his headache became.
He finally understood why the health of Prime Minister Wang was failing, and why medicine had proved useless.
At root, it was the exhaustion of heart and mind, and a disease borne of years of overwork.
At that moment, the words Xu Lingyin had spoken suddenly flashed through his mind.
It was as if a ray of light had split his thoughts open.
Become friends, become friends…
Xu Xinnian opened his eyes, bloodshot but full of excitement. He unfurled a sheet of rice paper, ground his ink, and began to write:
“The present calamity is severe, roaming bandits run rampant, inflicting harm upon the land. The court may employ three strategies. First, recruitment: for the larger mountain bandit groups, adopt the strategy of recruitment, and set those who have surrendered to suppress the other bandits…
“Second, send troops to eradicate them: for the smaller, disorganised groups, resolute suppression must be used, leaving no hidden trouble…
“Third, imitate the methods of jianghu folk: send experts deep among the common people to rally the refugees and claim the mountains as king.”
This point had been inspired by Lingyin’s words.
To have the court and the refugees become “friends”. Of course, it would not be possible to gather all the refugees together, but at least it could ease the court’s current burden and greatly lessen the suffering banditry inflicted on the people.
Xu Erlang continued to write:
“In such appointments, it is essential to select officers who are loyal and just. Those with poor reputation should not be employed. Their families must be closely monitored and held as hostages.”
When he finished, Xu Erlang began to ponder again, feeling that something was still lacking, but with the burst of inspiration spent, his mind now felt tired and weak.
He turned to look at the water clock, only to discover it was already half past eleven. He had spent a full four hours at his desk.
…
Morning.
Xu Qi’an got up early to wash, then spread out the map on his desk. The destination of this merchant ship was Yuuzhou.
Once they reached Yuuzhou, they would have to switch to another means of transport.
“After arriving in Yuuzhou, we’ll ride the Stupa Tower. As an airborne fortress, its defences are fine, just its endurance is a bit lacking.”
A magical treasure drew its energy from its owner or stored reserves.
A magical treasure without an owner driving it usually had poor endurance.
Just like the Taiping Sabre, which accumulated its own sabre energy day by day, but could only be used briefly before needing to recharge.
It was just like a martial artist whose qi was fully depleted and could not fight any longer.
So Xu Qi’an wouldn’t normally bring out the Stupa Tower for travel. He would only use it as a refuge or for escape when in danger.
Suddenly, he felt a familiar lurch in his heart.
He instinctively drew out the Earth Book fragment to check for a message.
【ONE: I have something to ask everyone, it concerns the banditry problems across the land.】
【TWO: Bandit suppression? I’m good at that. Raise an army, defeat them one by one, wipe them out to the root. As simple as that.】
Li Miaozhen swiftly sent a reply.
It seems the court have noticed this hidden danger after all. At the end of every dynasty, internal and external troubles abound, and sometimes internal strife is far more terrifying than external threats… For Xu Qi’an, just now struggling with how to deal with the bandit problem, he replied to the Holy Maiden of the Heaven Sect:
【THREE: Miaozhen, it’s clearly not that simple. Although force can solve anything, even force needs enough silver to back it up. If the court had the resources to wipe out all the bandits, vagrancy would not have become such a disaster.】
【TWO: Then what would you do? Tell us.】
The Holy Maiden’s slightly emotional message appeared on the Heaven and Earth Society’s Earth Book pages.
【ONE: Everyone, I have three strategies, please allow me to finish.】
After a while, Huaiqing’s message arrived piece by piece, three strategies in all, around two hundred characters.
【THREE: Are these Your Highness’s strategies? Marvellous.】
Xu Qi’an wasted no time in flattering her.
【ONE: These are Xu Erlang’s three strategies. This morning he came to the palace to consult me, and to see if there were weaknesses or omissions.】
Erlang’s strategies? Xu Qi’an was momentarily stunned.
When had Erlang got so close to Huaiqing, he thought sourly.
【TWO: These three plans are excellent. While they may not resolve the banditry entirely, they can greatly ease the scourge of rampant vagrancy.】
Li Miaozhen could not offer solutions, but her judgment was sharp as ever.
【FOUR: The third plan will not work!】
This time Chu Yuanzhen spoke up.
【ONE: Brother Chu, please elaborate.】
The others also fell silent. No one interrupted, Chu Yuanzhen had been the top scoring zhuangyuan, talented and experienced, and was one of the intellectual pillars of the Heaven and Earth Society.
【FOUR: Gathering refugees relies on two things: force, and money and grain. Neither can be missing, without force, it’s impossible to create a following; without money and grain, no one will want to join.
【So where do money and grain come from? It comes down to the phrase ‘robbing households’. If the court sends experts to rally the refugees, they surely cannot be given money and grain. If the court had that much wealth, it would be better to focus directly on disaster relief.
【A clever woman cannot cook without rice, in the end, they’ll have no choice but to rob and loot, which will only worsen the calamity, making things even more dire.】
【ONE: Brother Chu, what solution do you propose?】
That was why Xu Erlang had come to consult her.
She hadn’t been able to offer an answer, and so she sought out the Heaven and Earth Society. Apart from Lina, all were clever.
Chu Yuanzhen did not disappoint her, at once seeing through the flaw in the third strategy.
Yet the third strategy was essential to any solution for the banditry.
【FOUR: Your Highness, you have stumped me.】
For the moment, even Chu Yuanzhen could not think of a solution.
【TWO: What about sustaining war through war?】
Li Miaozhen, drawing on her own experience, offered a countermeasure.
【SEVEN: Foolish Li Miaozhen, for refugees, plundering the common people’s money and grain is far easier than marching a long distance to fight another armed group of refugees.
【No one is an idiot, seeking benefit and avoiding harm is human nature. If you force the refugees under you to do this, after no more than two attempts, you will find yourself isolated and deserted.】
Li Lingsu jumped in.
Although in the real world he had already died, “online” he could still pack a punch.
Li Miaozhen flew into a rage: 【TWO: Then you tell us, what’s your solution?】
The Holy Son dived underwater, having nothing to say himself.
【ONE: Actually, Li Miaozhen’s idea has its merits. The court’s men could use stealing money and resources as a pretext to wipe out another bandit group. But this can’t be done often, it isn’t a solution to live by.
【How did the factions supported by the court get their start? How do they sustain themselves? Still by plundering the common folk. But then, as Brother Chu said, the situation only gets worse. Xu Ningyan, do you have any ideas?】
Xu Qi’an did not reply for a long time, forcing Huaiqing to actively “@” him.
What ideas could I possibly have? I’ve already donated the income from the chicken essence business for disaster relief. I’m good at fighting and solving cases, don’t come to me for matters of state… Xu Qi’an, while mocking in his heart, racked his brains with effort.
His greatest advantage was the knowledge of his previous life.
For example, the idea of “work for relief”, but such a policy was not suitable for the current Great Feng.
It could be used on a small scale, unless the Great Feng court planned to build roads all the way to the countryside…
Wait, maybe there actually is a way… Xu Qi’an’s mind stirred and a bold idea took shape.
But he kept silent, his expression a mixture of hesitation and inner conflict.
【ONE: Xu Ningyan?】
Huaiqing urged him again.
【THREE: Robbery is the only way out, but the targets shouldn’t be ordinary people. Instead, they should be the landlords, the gentry, the heartless merchants and the scholar-official class.】
Within the Heaven and Earth Society, there was sudden silence.
Is he mad?! This thought crept through everyone’s mind.
Even Li Miaozhen, who had always believed in robbing the rich to aid the poor, felt that Xu Qi’an was just throwing caution to the wind and coming up with a rotten idea.
【FOUR: Without the gentry maintaining order, this situation will only get worse.】
In this era, imperial authority did not extend to the countryside; the local elites and clans played a vital role in maintaining grassroots stability.
【THREE: No, Brother Chu, you’re wrong. The interests of the group trump those of the individual; the interests of the majority outweigh those of the few. As long as you can satisfy the interests of the vast majority, you will have their support and never fail.
【The Great Feng’s current predicament is caused by the refugees. As long as you can fill the bellies of the common people, chaos will ease, not intensify. Besides, for the landlords and gentry, the survival or demise of the court matters little to them. In times of great disaster, they only exploit the poor even more. Holding all the land, they are enemies of both the court and the people.
【The key is, all of this would be blamed on refugee bandits, what does it have to do with the court? It won’t aggravate tensions between the court and the gentry. It might even force those with great resources to join in the campaign against the bandits.
【They might donate, or organise militia to resist. Either way, as long as they’re willing to part with silver and grain, that will help alleviate the current food shortage. Some people will benefit and get silver or grain as a result.】
Mobilise the proletariat!
The Heaven and Earth Society fell silent. For a long moment, no one spoke.
After a good while, Chu Yuanzhen sent a message:
【But don’t forget, most people in the court are from the very scholar-official class you speak of. The retired officials are in fact the gentry.】
【THREE: That’s why this must be a secret, even the great lords of the court mustn’t know. The experts sent out must be of common birth and absolutely loyal to the royal family.
【Or, they could be chivalrous people like Li Miaozhen. These people must be of upright character. They must not kill innocents, and ideally should rob without killing.】
As much as possible… he added silently to himself.
Xu Qi’an knew that even if his plan were adopted and carried out with maximum care, some innocent people would inevitably be caught in the crossfire.
That was what made him hesitate just now.
But the experience from his previous life told him that once you raised your perspective to the level of nation or society as a whole, you couldn’t judge such issues solely by good or evil.
At this moment, the disaster was raging, refugees were on the move, and people died every day.
More would die in days to come.
Those in power needed to restore social order as quickly as possible, rather than cower in fear of possible sacrifices among the innocent.
Mercy does not command an army. By the same logic, the merciful should not rule.
Once again, the conversation in the Earth Book group chat fell silent. Despite the distance of a thousand mountains, Xu Qi’an could almost hear their harsh breathing.
Or maybe even trembling hands.
【FOUR: Xu Ningyan, you really are mad!】
As a traditional scholar, Chu Yuanzhen found it hard to accept.
The rest said nothing. After a while, Chu Yuanzhen messaged again: 【But I must admit, it is a workable plan, despite its tremendous risks.】
Li Miaozhen suddenly messaged: 【If we have to do this, then I want to be the one to rob the gentry.】
Only then could she try her utmost not to kill indiscriminately.
【FOUR: I’ll try to gather a group of refugees, but it won’t be easy to rob the gentry, they usually live in town.】
【ONE: You have earth book fragments, you can fly on your swords. That’s not a problem.】
Huaiqing was even more ruthless than them all. She had already agreed with and accepted Xu Qi’an’s proposal.
【SIX: Amitabha, this humble monk does not know what to choose.】
【SEVEN: Count me in.】
Li Lingsu spoke up.
【TWO: You? Li Lingsu, that’s not like you. Aren’t you supposed to think that in all the world, nothing’s more important than sleeping with women?】
Li Lingsu fired back in annoyance: 【Do you really think so little of me, Li Miaozhen? We are fellow disciples, could you wish me well for once?】
【TWO: Nope, sorry!】
“…”
Li Lingsu drew a long breath and wrote:
【This is truly supreme detachment from emotion, not troubled nor swayed by it. If it benefits the greater good and the people, we should not be ruled by momentary pity or sympathy, but master our feelings perfectly. Isn’t this the realm our masters wanted us to attain?】
This time, Li Miaozhen didn’t argue.
No one else spoke.
…
That very day, Emperor Yongxing received a secret memorial submitted in person to the palace by Hanlin Bachelor Xu Xinnian of the Hanlin Academy.
A secret memorial meant it needed no approval from the cabinet and went directly to the emperor.
Yongxing Emperor sat behind his grand desk, gazing at the memorial spread before him, and remained silent for a long time.
Comments for this chapter. You will need a GitHub account. Please follow all terms and conditions of GitHub issues and maintain etiquette in the comments. Cookies are required for this functionality.
If you want to talk with other readers about Nightwatchers (or other cultivation type books) you can join our cultivation groupreading discord server!
I also have a Kofi, which for legal reasons is definitely for supporting my digital art only (promise!): ko-fi.com/yanxin ... plus I guess server space isn't free, and I don't want to put ads/trackers... ever, so thank you if you do!