Sweep Yuan

Chapter 67 The Strategy of Asking for Grain: Inviting the Enemy into the Trap

Charging donations is nothing new; Shi Shan had also colluded with Xue Xian to coerce donations from the gentry of Lingbi County.

To be honest, this strategy is not very clever and has many hidden dangers. You should know that taking someone's money is like killing their parents.

But Shi Shan remained unmoved in the face of Fang Zhongwen's feigned mystery.

"Hmm, I've heard of that. Could it be that Registrar Fang wants me to also contribute a donation?"

"Alas! The general's advance is swift. Before the siege, only 40% of the pledged money and grain had arrived, and the rest had not yet been transported into the city. This official has the account books of the county's gentry who pledged donations, which can be of use."

Fang Zhongwen's idea was that if these wealthy households made up for the money and grain they had previously pledged to Lin Chihudu, they would not be held guilty of helping the Tartars fight against the rebel army.

That's one way, but if we let them escape so easily, the rebels' swords would be too ineffective.

Shi Shan suppressed his disdain and asked:
"How much money and grain is still owed?"

"There are about four thousand shi of grain and more than nine thousand guan of cash."

After the war, there were many places where money and food were needed for things such as recruiting and training soldiers, building city walls, and providing disaster relief. Shishan silently calculated in his mind that even if all the donated money and food were in place, it would only meet the needs for a short time.

Is it still possible to obtain grain in the county?

Fang Zhongwen gritted his teeth, as if he had made a very difficult decision.

"Yes! According to the imperial system, each village and community should have a granary. In years of plenty, grain is collected based on the number of people in the granary, and in times of famine or drought, it is distributed according to the needs of the people. Although the harvest has been poor in recent years, there should still be some miscellaneous grains in each granary. If we can take them, it will certainly be enough for the needs of the army."

That old fox is so dishonest!

Having fought his way from Xuzhou to Hong County, how could Shi Shan not know what the village community's Ever-Normal Granary was all about?

Regardless of whether these granaries, which exist only on paper, actually contain grain, even if I believed your nonsense and sent troops to plunder the public grain of each village, wouldn't I become the culprit who caused "the common people to have no food or clothing"?

By then, how will the "Red Heart Camp" maintain its foothold in Hong County?

Thinking of this, Shishan said solemnly:

"The Red Turban Army is a righteous army that quells the rebellion against the barbarians. I, Shi, have been entrusted by Marshal Li to lead a battalion to recapture Hong County. How could I possibly commit such acts of plundering the people?"

Fang Zhongwen was somewhat disdainful. The Yuan army looted wherever they went, and you, a traitor, are pretending to be a saint!
He had already witnessed Ishiyama's cunning, so he didn't believe the other party would be so naive. However, he opened his mouth and pretended not to understand, waiting for Ishiyama to continue.

Suddenly, the tone shifted, and Shi Shan said:
"I want them to deliver it voluntarily!"

"How can this be!"

Fang Zhongwen blurted out, feigning disbelief on his face, but his fingers, hidden in his sleeve, were already digging into his palms—the cunning chieftain was no fool; he had probably already devised a vicious plan to drag him down with him.

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Shishan looking at him with a smile.

“Registrar Fang, you have been an official for nearly twenty years and have long been accustomed to the corruption and abuses of officialdom. As you are in charge of the county government’s documents and records, you should know the details of the local officials and gentry.”

Shi Shan lightly tapped the pile of books and documents on his desk with his fingertips, and said meaningfully:

"Those account books that deceived the court, and those secret dealings between officials and gentry, I suppose Clerk Fang has a clear account of them all, doesn't he?"

What you fear most is what happens!
After being captured by the enemy, feign compliance. As long as you can escape, there are ways to explain yourself. If you can use a trick to trap the enemy in a dangerous place, or even take the opportunity to persuade them to turn against you, even if you can't get promoted, it won't be difficult to save your life.

But no matter who you expose the hornet's nest of collusion between officials and gentry, you won't get any credit. Corruption was rampant in the Yuan Dynasty's officialdom, and the problem of collusion between officials and gentry was extremely deep-rooted, but that didn't mean these things could be brought to the forefront. While colluding with traitors was certainly a capital offense, tax evasion could also lead to the destruction of families and even death.

If one were to reveal to the bandit leader the collusion between officials and gentry within the court, it would be tantamount to cutting oneself off from the imperial court and the gentry, leaving one with no choice but to follow the bandits down a dark path.

Fang Zhongwen's face turned deathly pale, cold sweat instantly soaking through his undergarments. He forced himself to remain calm, hesitated for a few moments, then steeled his resolve and said in a resolute tone:

"This official truly did not know—"

Having come this far, are you still trying to struggle?

Do you think that death will solve everything, and that by dying today you can become a loyal and virtuous official?

Before Fang Zhongwen could finish speaking, Shishan interrupted him, saying quietly:
"Lin Chihu has already been captured alive by Shi. Do you know why we didn't bring him back to the yamen?"

Fang Zhongwen closed his eyes and sighed, the face of the Darughachi appeared in his mind—that was a good-for-nothing who could even boast about his concubine's infidelity as "the heroism of the grasslands." What could he not get under the Sanmu?
At that time, the bandit chief only needs to slightly alter some of his testimony and pass it off as what I said. Even if I were to die right here in the courtroom, I would still be burdened with an unjust accusation and would not find peace even in death.

Thinking of this, Fang Zhongwen couldn't help but shiver. When he opened his eyes again, his gaze toward the stone mountain was filled with fear and entanglement.

Shi Shan has always been self-aware. Given his current status, it's virtually impossible for him to win Fang Zhongwen's sincere allegiance. The only reason he keeps this seasoned official around is because he has no other capable administrative personnel.

Whether this person truly surrendered is unimportant, and it doesn't matter if he doesn't tell the truth. As long as he doesn't want to die, there are ways to control him.

Talented individuals obtained through coercion cannot be trusted and used with confidence. When it comes to one's life and fortune, no matter how much you coerce them, Fang Zhongwen will never reveal all the secrets of officialdom he knows.

However, Shishan was not an imperial envoy who needed to clean up the bureaucracy. He was just a minor rebel leader who only wanted to stabilize Hong County as soon as possible. He only needed to find some illegal big households to force them to "voluntarily donate grain".

Even if these people harbor resentment because of this, they will be more cautious about causing trouble for you in the future.

Fang Zhongwen was a smart man after all. He quickly regained his composure and his expression returned to calm, as if Shi Shan's resolute desire to die was just an illusion.

Since things have come to this point, the only option left is to cooperate with the thieves to a limited extent.

At least, as long as you do the work, you have power and people under you, making it easier to extricate yourself later.

"May I have a moment to consider this matter, draft a report, and then present it to the General?"

"Alright! I'll give you the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn."

After Shi Shan finished speaking, he didn't stand on ceremony and immediately ordered his men to take Fang Zhongwen to the guardhouse in the backyard. He separated him from the three minor officials who had surrendered at the same time and ordered the four of them to confess the crimes of collusion between officials and gentry that they knew.

He himself remained in the lobby and continued to peruse the documents.

During this period, battle reports from each battalion were successively transmitted back:
After the Sixth Battalion captured the South Gate, Commander Wu Liujin, disregarding his injuries, personally led a portion of his soldiers straight to the East Gate. Due to the rapid advance, no battle to seize the gate broke out, and only a few routed soldiers escaped.

The provisional battalion has taken control of and sealed the government treasury. Gong Wu requests the commander to send someone to take inventory as soon as possible.

Zhang Dan was patrolling the city with Tian Jiang's head to demonstrate military discipline when he was surrounded and robbed by more than 30 soldiers from the Second Battalion. A conflict broke out between the two sides. Just then, Zeng Xing arrived in pursuit of the remaining enemy and helped Zhang Dan quell the situation.

Chang Tietou arrived shortly afterward, stopped the soldiers of his own camp who had been taken into custody, and punished each of them with twenty lashes.

Zhang Dan and Zeng Xing were both of lower rank than Chang Tietou. As more and more soldiers from the Second Battalion gathered at the scene, the two dared not pursue the matter further and lest it escalate. Having received Chang Tietou's promise, they dispersed.

(End of this chapter)