Chasing Jade (Zhu Yu)

In the dense woods on the outskirts of Qingping County, several scouts trampled over the withered grass still dusted with remnants of snow as they hurried toward the army concealed among the pine trees.

"General! A troop of imperial soldiers is heading toward Qingping County!"

The young officer from Chongzhou, who had been left behind on standby, brightened at the news. "Are they flying the Wei banner?"

The scout replied, "No Wei banner in sight. It's the Jizhou flag."

The officer's expression became momentarily inscrutable. He asked again, "Who leads them?"

"An old general and a young officer."

The officer muttered, "Could it be Wei Xuan and He Jingyuan coming together?"

His subordinate asked, "General, should we still ambush the rebels surrounding Qingping County?"

The officer shook his head. "With Jizhou's troops arriving, let our men continue inciting the rebels. It'd be best if they storm the county town. That way, no matter who Jizhou has sent, their army will have no choice but to engage the rebels."

Once the rebellious villagers entered the town, the higher the civilian casualties, the more charges could be pinned on the Wei Faction.

Their prince's original plan was to seize the military provisions collected by Qingping County. Given Wei Xuan's temperament, he would surely fly into a rage and personally lead troops to requisition the grain. Meeting the enraged rebels at their peak would be like igniting two firecrackers—conflict was inevitable.

The news of the imperial court forcibly requisitioning grain and driving a county to rebellion, followed by the army slaughtering unarmed villagers, would undoubtedly cause an uproar.

The situation at the city gates was far from optimistic.

Qingping County was a small town where defense had never been prioritized. Even the rammed-earth walls were absurdly low, with nothing but a bare gate tower—no barbicans, watchtowers, or bastion walls to speak of.

Head Constable Wang, having received advance notice, had led his yamen runners to shut the gates and hastily set up a few bows at the lookout ports above the gates. But the defenses still looked pitifully sparse, with not even enough men to line the walls properly.

It was absurd enough to have constables guarding the city gates.

But Qingping County had no garrison troops, and apart from bandits, it had never experienced war in decades.

Below the gate tower, the gathered farmers formed a dark, seething mass, each wielding hoes and rakes. Their once-honest faces were now twisted with fury, as if they longed to tear the constables on the walls apart with their bare teeth.

Even the seasoned Head Constable Wang felt a chill in his heart at the sight. If these thousands of farmers truly stormed the town, what could this flimsy gate tower possibly hold back?

For now, Head Constable Wang could only hope that Jizhou had caught wind of the unrest and would send troops swiftly.

Remembering Fan Changyu's words, he leaned out from the lookout port and pleaded with the crowd below: "Fellow villagers, what are you doing? Don't act rashly and commit a crime that could wipe out nine generations of your family!"

Most of the farmers who had come this far still feared the bows on the walls and dared not press forward. Though they outnumbered the defenders, no one wanted to be the first to die.

Everyone knew the severity of rebellion. Understanding it in their hearts was one thing, but hearing such warnings from others was another.

Most of them had spent their lives tied to the land, never even leaving Qingping County. To them, the highest authority was the emperor, and the highest official in their world was the county magistrate.Offending the county magistrate would earn you a beating and imprisonment; offending the emperor would send all your relatives within the nine degrees of kinship to the execution block.

Even on ordinary days, the sight of these constables filled people with fear. Now, hearing Head Constable Wang's words, they couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

Seeing this, the leader of the group glared fiercely and shouted at Head Constable Wang on the city wall: "When you officials strut around with your power, we farmers are just lowly peasants you order about. Now that we're driven to desperation, suddenly we're 'fellow villagers'? Pah! I won't accept being called 'fellow villager' by a county magistrate's lackey like you! Execution of nine generations? We've already lost our seed grain—we don't need the emperor to execute us, we'll starve to death first! Since we're doomed either way, we might as well storm the city, take what we need, and join the Rebel King in Chongzhou—at least that way we have a chance to live!"

The hesitant farmers grew resolute upon hearing his words, shouting: "The government won't give us a way out! We'll make our own way!"

The leader raised his farming tool high: "Bring out the damned magistrate to die!"

The farmers behind him echoed: "Bring out the damned magistrate to die!"

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Head Constable Wang hurriedly said, "Fellow villagers, calm down. The seed grain... will be returned to you. Everyone should go home, and the government won't pursue this rebellion."

The leader sneered: "See, everyone? When we didn't rebel, these officials treated our lives as worthless, beating people to death to seize our grain. Now that we've rebelled, they're suddenly willing to return it! All the suffering we've endured over the years—it's only because we were easy to bully!"

His words stoked the farmers' fury even further.

Seizing the moment, the leader pressed on: "We can't back down! If we retreat, these officials will just strut around again! The rich in the city—aren't they all arrogant snobs? Whenever we came to the market, they looked at us like we were filth! Storm the city! Kill the damned officials, take their gold and silver, and pay them back for all the humiliation we've suffered!"

He exchanged glances with a few men behind him, who took the cue and began shouting:

"That's right! We're not born lowly—we just didn't have the luck to be born in the city!"

"Don't be fooled by this magistrate's lackey! If he tricks us into going home, we'll end up like the Ma Village massacre!"

"We've come this far—why retreat now? I'd rather die a happy man! I hear the women in the city are so tender you could squeeze water from their skin, white as dough! Any unmarried brothers here—don't you want to be a 'one-night groom' to those rich young ladies?"

With the Ma Village massacre fresh in their minds, no one dared retreat. The temptations of the city only inflamed their passions further. The farmers panted heavily in the mud, their eyes burning with rage as they roared: "Storm the city!"

Head Constable Wang had only learned the reason for the farmers' rebellion upon arriving at the city gates. First, the county officials sent to collect grain had acted with brutal tyranny, treating the farmers as less than human. Second, the people of Ma Village, who had tried to take their grievances to Jizhou Prefecture, had been massacred along the way.He no longer even held the position of Constable, and his earlier promise to return the grain seeds to these people had lacked conviction. Now, seeing the rebellious farmers with their savage, beast-like expressions, he could only plead earnestly, "Fellow villagers, don’t be foolish, don’t be foolish! How big is Qingping County? If you rebel here, do you really think you can escape to Chongzhou alive? Even if you manage to flee, what about your wives, children, and elderly mothers?"

The loudest agitators were all those from the countryside who had neither elders above nor children below.

Head Constable Wang’s words struck the rioting farmers, and their expressions shifted in various ways.

Some, who had only joined the riot out of sheer desperation, shouted, "Does your promise to return the grain seeds still stand?"

Head Constable Wang wasn’t actually sure whether the authorities would return the seeds. After a moment’s hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said, "Of course it does!"

Those with relatives in Majia Village snarled, "Hand over the corrupt officials and soldiers who slaughtered the entire village, or this isn’t over!"

Head Constable Wang quickly replied, "The massacre in Majia Village will be thoroughly investigated, and justice will be served for our fellow villagers."

The ringleaders, seeing their rebellion being divided by Head Constable Wang’s words, exchanged glances among themselves.

The previously loudest agitators continued to stir the crowd: "Thoroughly investigated? It’s still up to you corrupt officials to decide how! What if you turn around and blame it on bandits? What could we do then?"

This was indeed a possibility, and the crowd, which had begun to settle, grew restless again.

"That’s right! Hand over those damned soldiers now!"

The mob surged toward the city gates.

Head Constable Wang shouted, "Stop right there! Anyone who takes another step will be shot!"

The constables beside him drew their bows to full tension, but their hands trembled slightly as they nocked the arrows.

The crowd below cursed even louder: "This Wang is the County Government Office’s Constable—the ones who killed the villagers of Majia Village might well be his own men! How could he possibly hand them over?"

The rebellious farmers, further inflamed by these provocations, glared at Head Constable Wang with even greater hatred.

Just as Head Constable Wang was at his wits’ end, a commotion arose behind him. The newly appointed Yamen Runners, their faces dark with malice, pushed past them and sneered, "A bunch of dismissed good-for-nothings still dare to wear these uniforms?"

Head Constable Wang and the constables below flushed with humiliation.

One of the ringleaders below, spotting the newly arrived Yamen Runners, flashed a triumphant look and bellowed, "When have these corrupt officials ever treated our lives as human lives? So what if they shoot? If they kill me, don’t forget to avenge me, brothers!"

With that, he charged forward. The "Yamen Runners" on the city wall, who had seized the bows, loosed a volley of arrows at the crowd below.

The loudest agitators remained unscathed, while an ordinary farmer who had been incited to step forward was struck dead by an arrow.

With the first death, the uproar below the wall grew even louder.

Someone who recognized the fallen man wailed, "Erdan!"

The instigators pressed on: "See? These government lackeys never intended to leave us a way out! Charge in and fight them to the death!"

The man cradling the dead farmer—likely his brother—howled in grief and rage, "I’ll fight you corrupt bastards to the death!"Consumed by rage and devoid of reason, the farmers were about to recklessly storm the city gate tower when suddenly—a loud "thud" echoed, and blood sprayed beneath the tower.

The farmers stared at the Yamen Runner who had fallen to his death below the tower, exchanging bewildered glances. They halted their advance and looked up again.

A man wearing a Blue Devil mask stood atop the tower, his voice icy as he declared, "Whoever fired the arrows—take your grievances to them."

The mask, commonly seen during the New Year's Lantern Festival, now exuded an indescribable eeriness on his face.

The leader of the rioters felt an inexplicable unease and shouted, "Who are you?"

Xie Zheng replied, "The one who kills corrupt officials."

The real and fake Yamen Runners on the tower finally snapped out of their daze. Head Constable Wang and his men were utterly confused by the situation, while the impostors drew their swords and charged at Xie Zheng.

Without even lifting a hand, Xie Zheng stood atop the tower, his wide sleeves billowing in the cold wind. As he sidestepped the slashing blades, he grabbed the collars of the impostors and hurled them off the tower—another body crashed to the ground.

While Head Constable Wang stood dumbfounded, Xie Zheng seized the moment to toss another fake Yamen Runner over the edge and turned to him, saying, "The magistrate has been detained. These are all impostors. Order your men to act freely."

Head Constable Wang quickly regained his composure. Though he didn’t recognize the man in the Blue Devil mask, recalling the recent oddities at the County Government Office, he grasped the situation. He immediately commanded his team, "Arrest these impostors!"

The bewildered constables, seeing their leader charge ahead, wasted no time and drew their blades to confront the fake Yamen Runners.

The farmers below craned their necks, watching the spectacle in confusion. One muttered, "Why are the officials fighting among themselves?"

Another answered, "Looks like Head Constable Wang’s men are attacking the constables who fired the arrows."

"The magistrate’s lot may be no good, but Head Constable Wang’s decent. When my ox wandered into the next village and that scoundrel Chen tried to keep it, it was Head Constable Wang who got it back for me."

The instigator, seeing the situation spiral out of control, fanned the flames: "Since when does Head Constable Wang outrank the magistrate? These lackeys would kill their own to save their skins—our lives mean nothing to them! If we want justice, we must break through the gates and kill the magistrate!"

Many farmers hesitated, unsure whether to press forward or wait for an official resolution.

Soon, all the fake Yamen Runners on the tower had been thrown off by Xie Zheng and his men. The farmers, who had never killed before, stared at the corpses strewn before the city gates, their courage wavering.

Xie Zheng stood with his hands behind his back atop the tower and announced, "Those willing to take their grain and leave—today’s matter ends here. The authorities will not pursue it further. For the stubborn: Jizhou’s army is already on its way to Qingping County. If you breach these gates today and shed even a single drop of blood, there will be no turning back. Choose now—spend the rest of your lives farming with your families, or drag them all to their doom."

At the mention of Jizhou’s army, the farmers, lifelong tillers of the soil, trembled with fear.The combination of kindness and severity proved effective. After all, compared to the stability of returning to normal life, the choice to loot the city and then have one's entire family executed by the soldiers was something even a fool wouldn't make.

The troublemakers spoke up with a challenge: "Empty words mean nothing. Where's the grain?"

Head Constable Wang was about to chime in when suddenly a voice came from inside the city tower: "The grain is here!"

To everyone's surprise, the staff of the Overflowing Fragrance Pavilion were carrying grain up to the city tower.

Under the current circumstances, opening the city gates was absolutely out of the question. Instead, some of the grain was lowered down in baskets from the tower.

Several farmers stepped forward to untie the burlap sacks and inspect the contents. Their faces broke into wide grins, though they couldn’t help wiping their eyes with their sleeves. "It's grain—it really is our grain!"

Upon hearing that the grain had been returned, most of the farmers who had joined the riot felt their hearts settle back into place.

Head Constable Wang approached Xie Zheng and whispered, "Sir, thank you for resolving Qingping County's crisis. But returning the requisitioned military grain to the farmers like this... the military officials in Jizhou... the County Government Office won’t be able to account for this!"

Xie Zheng replied, "That’s for the county magistrate to handle."

The order to abolish the grain requisition had already been sent to Jizhou Prefecture along with his military command for Wei Xuan to return and defend Huizhou. Jizhou would no longer be requisitioning grain, but there was no need to explain all this to a constable who was completely unaware.

Head Constable Wang, who had been at his wit's end, felt a sudden resolve upon hearing Xie Zheng's words.

Indeed, placating these rebellious individuals and preventing them from entering the county town was already the best he could do.

At his age, he could only shoulder so much responsibility. For anything beyond that, the county magistrate would have to take charge.

He said, "Your quick thinking, sir, using the Jizhou army to intimidate these rebels, has spared the townspeople from disaster."

Xie Zheng remained silent. His mention of the Jizhou army wasn’t just to scare the rebellious farmers below the tower. With such a major incident occurring in Qingping County, it was impossible for Jizhou Prefecture not to have heard any rumors.

As long as it wasn’t Wei Xuan leading the troops, the army wouldn’t engage in battle with these manipulated farmers.

The troublemakers, seeing the rebellious farmers being placated and realizing their hopes for wealth and status were slipping away, scowled and pressed on: "What about the dozens of lives lost in Majia Village?"

Head Constable Wang looked to Xie Zheng for help.

The blue devil mask concealed Xie Zheng’s entire face, making it impossible to discern his expression. He simply said, "Buy time."

Head Constable Wang was momentarily stunned but quickly understood. The massacre at Majia Village couldn’t be investigated immediately, nor could they provide an on-the-spot resolution for these people.

They would have to wait until the Jizhou troops arrived to stabilize the situation before addressing it.

Wiping the sweat from his temples, he did his best to placate the troublemakers below the tower.

Meanwhile, Xie Zheng’s gaze subtly settled on the few individuals who kept provoking the crowd.

They weren’t seeking justice—they were trying to incite hatred among the farmers, to escalate the situation as much as possible.

But what benefit would they gain from a larger conflict?

The genuine farmers, who toiled under the sun and knew little beyond their fields, were inarticulate and easily led by these agitators. Stirred by hatred, these simple men were driven to commit atrocities, and once they did, they would have no escape. The fact that these troublemakers acted so boldly suggested their backing was worth pondering.While the troublemakers, seizing on the authorities' inability to immediately account for the massacre in Majia Village, continued to stir up trouble and reignited the hatred between the farmers and the officials, Xie Zheng was about to quietly deal with those instigators. Suddenly, a voice rang out from the city tower: "The Magistrate has arrived—"

The crowd below the tower fell silent, their faces filled with hostility as they glared upward.

Xie Zheng narrowed his eyes, assuming the mastermind behind the scenes had forced the magistrate to make an appearance. But when he glanced over, he saw the magistrate, his wealthy belly protruding, strutting ahead with an air of arrogance, followed by a group of servants restraining bound soldiers.

Fan Changyu, dressed in ill-fitting maid's clothing, was also escorting someone, pressing a boning knife against the captive's throat. Her sleeves were too short, exposing half of her pale wrist.

The person she held had several shallow cuts on his neck, clearly from resisting along the way.

Xie Zheng's gaze fell on the captive's face. At first, he froze—then, beneath his blue devil mask, his expression turned utterly bewildered.