Chapter Seventy-Two: Purging Zhangye

Li Wenyuan had just finished handling affairs in Wuwei Commandery when he received word that Zhang Juntao had defeated the rebels in Zhangye Commandery. He immediately abandoned his plan to inspect the captured artisans and instead, accompanied by Gai Suzhen, selected a group of reserve officials and officers who had participated in the public trial of Wuwei, setting off straight for Zhangye.

In Zhangye, Li Wenyuan met with Zhang Juntao and Wudelu, both of whom were leading troops to suppress local unrest. Seeing the dried bloodstains on their armor, Li Wenyuan nodded in approval and asked, “I heard you routed the rebels beneath the walls of Zhangye. What were the casualties?”

As the commander-in-chief of this westward campaign, Zhang Juntao stepped forward and replied, “Reporting to the Chief Administrator, the enemy’s morale was broken. They offered no real resistance—our side suffered only a little over a hundred men injured from falling off their horses.”

Li Wenyuan nodded. “The army has been stationed here for some time. Is there a sand table model of Zhangye’s terrain? Bring it to me at once.”

Soon after, soldiers brought forth a huge sand table with wooden base and earthen hills, displaying the topography mapped by Zhang Juntao’s scouts around the area. Zhang Juntao glanced at the model and said, “In the past, Ma Fubo’s sand tables for Emperor Guangwu were built from piles of rice, but food is scarce these days, so we’ve had to use sand and earth instead. I hope the general will not mind.”

Li Wenyuan waved his hand dismissively. “I have always valued practicality above all. Whether it’s rice or earth, as long as it clearly displays the terrain, it serves its purpose.”

He then circled to the opposite side of the sand table. In ancient times, sand tables were oriented with south at the top and north at the bottom—the opposite of the north-up maps he was accustomed to in later eras. Thus, he walked around to align the sand table’s orientation with the mental image in his mind. After racking his brains for a long while, he finally located the place he sought on the model.

Pointing to the lower left corner of the sand table, Li Wenyuan said, “Send more scouts to this area and see if there’s a brownstone mountain—composed entirely of brown rock, barren of any vegetation.”

Zhang Juntao seemed to understand and replied, “Is the general searching for an iron mine there?”

Li Wenyuan nodded. “Exactly. The iron we use now is mostly shipped from the Central Plains. The Wuwei region produces plenty of coal, but we need a local iron source to forge our own weapons.”

He paused, then continued, “To ensure the safety of any future iron mine here, and to further restrict Li Gui’s movements, it’s vital that we keep Jiayuguan under our control.”

After issuing these orders, Li Wenyuan had just seen Zhang Juntao and Wudelu off when Gai Suzhen led in a gaunt old man.

“This is the head of Night Owl in Zhangye,” Gai Suzhen introduced.

Li Wenyuan nodded. “And how should I address you?”

“Call me Zhang Yi, Chief Administrator,” the old man replied with a smile.

“Zhang Yi?” Li Wenyuan echoed, puzzled.

“Yes, sir. In our line of work, the greatest fear is bringing disaster upon one’s family. So the Mistress gives us false names when we join. ‘Zhang’ stands for Zhangye Commandery, and ‘Yi’ means I’m the one in charge of affairs here—a small leader, so to speak.”

Li Wenyuan inwardly admired Qiuniang’s cunning. The so-called ‘Mistress’ must be her; she had once told him that the slave contracts of each city’s chief agent must be in her own hands—even he could not claim them. In this way, these agents were akin to the fiercely loyal retainers he himself kept. She also gave them false names, both to protect their families and to streamline management through a consistent naming convention.

Returning to the moment, Li Wenyuan asked the old man, “What news do you bring me today?”

The old man drew a booklet from his robe and handed it to Gai Suzhen, who inspected it before passing it to Li Wenyuan. This procedure was one Qiuniang had insisted on: as she had put it, Li Wenyuan’s work would inevitably earn him enemies and attempts on his life. Since her own welfare was tied to his, she would not allow any risk, and thus such precautions were mandatory.

As Li Wenyuan flipped through the booklet, the old man explained, “This records the names of corrupt officials and the locations where they’ve hidden their illicit gains, as the Mistress instructed us to investigate.”

“I see. I’ll inform your Mistress that your work has been exemplary.” Li Wenyuan nodded in acknowledgment, then had the old man escorted away to receive his reward.

Next, Li Wenyuan summoned Qian Wentong, one of the reserve officials who had accompanied him to Zhangye. “I have a list here of corrupt officials who oppress the people, as well as traitors loyal to Li Gui. Take the officers and investigate each thoroughly. If the charges are confirmed, detain them on the spot. Once the investigation is complete, they will all face a public trial together.”

Qian Wentong took the booklet carefully and withdrew, leading the officers to begin cross-examining the accused. Although he was tempted to make a grand spectacle of the investigation and bring down some of Zhangye’s senior officials for personal gain, he ultimately refrained. The recent experience in Wuwei was still fresh: during the public trial there, some had tried to frame officials with fabricated charges, only to be caught and stripped of their ranks. To serve in office again, they would have to pass the imperial examinations honestly.

Watching Qian Wentong’s departing figure, Li Wenyuan narrowed his eyes in contemplation. Qian was also the son of a local noble family, but unlike most, he had earned his post through genuine ability and success in the examinations, without relying on family connections. Though Li Wenyuan disliked nepotism, he had to admit that in this era, noble sons enjoyed superior education and were better suited for high office. He had brought Qian along precisely to assess his character: if he measured up, Li Wenyuan intended to appoint him as the new governor of Zhangye.