"Grand Governor..." Outside the Donghai Commandery city, within the Yan army's camp, Li Qing spoke to Zhou Fugui.
"Yongshou, there is no one else here. There's no need to call me Grand Governor. You know I dislike it. Use our old appellation," Zhou Fugui said to Li Qing.
As Zhou Fugui's official position grew higher and higher, his brothers' respect for him intensified, to the point of fear. Consequently, Zhou Fugui felt his brothers were growing distant, which he disliked.
"Mmm, Fugui, are you referring to the matter of Guangling Commandery?" Li Qing nodded upon hearing this.
For so many years, Li Qing and Zhou Fugui had been like brothers, and Li Qing knew that Zhou Fugui did not care about such trivial matters. More importantly, Li Qing knew that Zhou Fugui truly disdained the official posts of the Great Yan. He did not take pride in them but rather shame.
As the saying goes, all of this was out of necessity.
"Precisely!" Zhou Fugui stood up, looked out of the tent, and sighed, "Back then, we were forced into the army and followed the Yan army on their southern campaigns. Xu Prefecture, Xiapi, Guangling, Niuzhu – how many brothers died? Countless. But even if our brothers died, they bore the infamy of 'Han bandits.' Whenever I recall it, my heart is like a knife twisting."
"Mmm..." Li Qing nodded. "Since childhood, I have read extensively of the classics and detest the term 'Han bandits.' I never expected that I would be a Han bandit for so long."
"Alas, am I not the same?" Zhou Fugui lamented, "Sometimes, I even wish for death."
Forced into the army, killing in southern campaigns, serving as ministers and generals for the Xianbei Yan, his elder brother murdered, exiled to the border, fighting, killing, then promotion, only to find the one he loved deeply was another's wife, and his family could not be together.
Zhou Fugui was somewhat disheartened, bordering on despair.
"Fugui, Fugui..." Li Qing hurriedly pleaded, "The world may not know, but how could I not? All these years, what have you done that resembles a Han bandit? You have been far better than those who claim to be gentlemen! All we have done is for survival. Please don't... don't think of anything rash! Your brothers look up to you and depend on you."
"Rest assured, I may be disheartened, I may be dispirited, but I will never commit suicide," Zhou Fugui said, looking at Li Qing. "Stone can be broken, but its hardness cannot be taken away; cinnabar can be ground, but its red cannot be taken away! It's easy to say, but difficult to do! How many people in this world can achieve it? But this time, I, Zhou..."
"Bang!" With a sound, Zhou Fugui slammed his fist on the wooden table and said in a low voice, "I have decided to be like that broken stone and ground cinnabar! Yongshou, one can bear infamy for a time, but not for a lifetime!"
"Hush, hush, be careful of eavesdroppers!" Li Qing hurriedly embraced Zhou Fugui's arm and whispered, "I have already understood your intentions... but there is one thing you need to know."
How could he speak of rebellion constantly? Li Qing grumbled inwardly.
"What matter?" Zhou Fugui asked.
"The infamy of being a Han bandit, you may never be able to wash away in your lifetime," Li Qing sighed.
"I... this... damn it..." Zhou Fugui cursed vehemently and then slumped back into his chair, sighing, "Do what you can, and leave the rest to fate."
Li Qing nodded with distress.
If Zhou Fugui felt this way, what about Li Qing and the others? Once a bandit, always a bandit. No matter what you do in the future, this infamy will follow you for life. Even if Zhou Fugui raised the banner of righteousness and rebelled against the tyrannical Yan, there would always be people who would bring this up from time to time.
...
"Grand Governor..." In public and private, Li Qing still called Zhou Fugui Grand Governor. This day, Li Qing brought two people. Upon seeing Zhou Fugui deep in thought in the tent, he said, "These two are from the Huang and Xu families of Donghai."
"The Huang family? The Xu family? Who are they?" Zhou Fugui asked, startled from his thoughts.
"Prominent families of Donghai," Li Qing replied.
Zhou Fugui glanced at Li Qing. Li Qing, understanding, nodded slightly.
Zhou Fugui and Li Qing's guess was not wrong. Perhaps in the past, the people of Donghai Commandery, especially the powerful families, had succumbed to Murong Hong's tyranny, fearing to act rashly, and even allied with him. But now that Murong Hong was like a stray dog, a turtle in a jar, these people, to protect themselves, would surely cast Murong Hong aside like worn-out shoes, and even add insult to injury.
Zhou Fugui had already issued an order that any who refused would face mutual destruction with the city once it fell. Since that was the case, why should the people of Donghai Commandery be buried with Murong Hong, a Xianbei?
"We, Huang Liu and Xu Wu, pay our respects to the Grand Governor!" Huang Liu, a house slave of the Wang family, and Xu Wu, a house slave of the Xu family, knelt and bowed to Zhou Fugui with extreme subservience.
"Huang Liu, Xu Wu? Rise," Zhou Fugui said, smiling and gesturing them to stand.
"We heard that the Grand Governor is a Han, and it is true!" Huang Liu said, still bending over and flattering.
"Not just a Han! The Grand Governor is so young, a young hero!" Xu Wu also bowed and praised.
"Heh, why have you two come? To surrender the city, I presume?" Zhou Fugui asked with a smile.
"Precisely. The Grand Governor guessed it immediately, you are indeed amazing!" Huang Liu praised again.
"As if Wolong and Fengchu were alive!" Xu Wu also praised.
Although Huang Liu and Xu Wu were house slaves, they had also read many books and were knowledgeable. They were adept at flattery and subservience, otherwise, the two influential families would not have sent them to the Yan army camp to negotiate with Zhou Fugui.
Zhou Fugui exchanged a knowing smile with Li Qing.
If I couldn't even guess this, wouldn't I be an idiot? Zhou Fugui thought to himself.
"If one humbles themselves to another, they must have a request. Speak, what do you desire?" Zhou Fugui then asked.
"The Grand Governor is indeed a sensible person," Huang Liu and Xu Wu praised in unison.
"My master said..." Huang Liu began to speak.
"What did he say? There's no need to say more..." Zhou Fugui interrupted coldly before Huang Liu could finish. "The lives of the Huang and Xu families, and their property, are your conditions. Do you have anything else to say? I am not attacking the city because I cannot conquer it, but because I have compassion for all beings and do not wish to harm your lives."
Just moments ago, he had been as warm as a spring breeze, but now he suddenly turned fierce, startling Huang Liu and Xu Wu, who trembled uncontrollably and dared not speak of conditions anymore.
The barbarians were fierce, and the Han bandits, the running dogs of the barbarians, were even fiercer. This was something Wu Liu and Xu Wu had long heard of, even witnessed firsthand.
"No more conditions?" Zhou Fugui asked when the two fell silent.
Huang Liu and Xu Wu shook their heads in unison.
"You have none, but I do!" Zhou Fugui said.
"Gra-Grand Governor... please speak..." Xu Wu asked haltingly.
"After I enter the city, the Wang and Xu families must each provide one person to serve me at all times, ready for questioning," Zhou Fugui replied.
"Gra-Grand Governor... what do you want to ask?" Huang Liu also asked haltingly.
"What do I want to ask is not for you to inquire!" Zhou Fugui glared at Huang Liu and said, "These two must be young, and their appearance... not too ugly. They must be scholars, at least having attended private school, knowledgeable, eloquent, and well-versed in astronomy and geography."
"I will go and report to my master immediately." Zhou Fugui's conditions left Huang Liu and Xu Wu exchanging bewildered glances. They were utterly clueless as to Zhou Fugui's intentions, but his conditions did not seem malicious, so they both agreed.
This Han bandit won't eat the two young masters, will he? Huang Liu and Xu Wu thought in unison.
"Mmm, go then," Zhou Fugui said, holding up a finger. "You have but one day. Before midnight tomorrow, if there is no news, I will order the army to attack the city. After the city falls, it will be mutual destruction. Do not say I did not warn you!"
Huang Liu and Xu Wu acknowledged and turned to leave the tent.
"Fugui, what do you mean by this? To have two scholars attend you, do you wish to humiliate them?" Li Qing asked, as perplexed as Huang Liu and Xu Wu.
"Why would I humiliate them?" Zhou Fugui gave Li Qing a look. "To know the culture and geography of Donghai Commandery, who would know better than the established aristocratic families who have resided here for generations?"
"So that's it!" Li Qing exclaimed in realization.
To govern a place, one must first understand it. This was the most basic principle.
...
"Puff!" With a sound, a torch was thrown from the city gate tower. After spinning in the air for a few turns, it fell into the moat and extinguished.
Moments later, the drawbridge was lowered, and the heavy city gate slowly opened. From within the city and atop the walls, sounds of fighting could still be heard.
"Enter the city!" Zhou Fugui exclaimed in delight upon seeing this, brandishing his Heaven-Shaking Dragon Halberd and giving the order.
Having said that, Zhou Fugui urged his warhorse forward, intending to charge into the city.
The torch was the agreed-upon signal between Zhou Fugui and the Wang and Xu families.
"Grand Governor, be careful, it might be a trap!" Xu Mancang shouted, holding up his broadsword.
"Slap!" Zhou Fugui lightly struck Xu Mancang's armor with the shaft of his halberd and laughingly cursed, "Trap your ass! It's genuine, no trap. Hurry and enter the city."
The soldiers have not moved, but scouts have gone ahead. Zhou Fugui had already dispatched countless scouts to infiltrate Donghai Commandery. If there were a trap, Zhou Fugui would have received news in advance. Moreover, if the Wang and Xu families dared to set a trap, the price would be the annihilation of their entire families, young and old, and the loss of countless farmlands, fine residences, shops, and other property.
"Understood!" Xu Mancang slapped his horse, brandishing his sword, and prepared to charge into the city.
"Hold!" Zhou Fugui grabbed Xu Mancang and whispered in his ear, "Do you know what to do after entering the city?"
"What to do?" Xu Mancang asked.
"First, seize the Wang family's granaries. Be careful it doesn't fall into the hands of those hairy people," Zhou Fugui whispered, instructing him.
"Hairy people? Haha, Grand Governor, rest assured. Once it's in Old Xu's mouth, it won't be so easy to get it back," Xu Mancang laughed heartily.