Xu Meng did not receive the answer he had hoped for. Instead, the words spoken by the young nobleman opposite him felt like a bucket of ice water poured over the flames in his heart. Though it was already summer, he felt as if he had stepped into the depths of winter, caught between scorching heat and freezing cold.
"How many Lius are there in the world?"
With just those few words, Liu Zhang extinguished any lingering hope in Xu Meng's heart.
Jiangxia, Jingling—his ancestral home matches. His surname matches. Liu Zhang, Liu Jiyu—his given name and courtesy name match.
A bitter expression crossed Xu Meng's face. If only I hadn't left the house this morning after hearing that crow caw—such an ill omen! To think he had actually crossed swords with his new superior, Liu Zhang. In these times, a provincial governor wielded power akin to the feudal lords of the Spring and Autumn period, holding absolute authority within their domain. Offending one was unthinkable.
Beside Liu Zhang, Gan Ning's eyes widened in surprise. He had not expected the nobleman whose bold spirit had resonated with his own to be none other than Liu Jiyu—Governor Liu.
Suddenly, a thought struck Gan Ning, and his expression grew uneasy. Liu Zhang knows my surname… Could he also know about my past deeds in Ba Commandery?
In his youth, Gan Ning had been a wandering knight-errant, involved in many reckless exploits. It was only later, after his elderly mother admonished him, that he turned to studying the classics and the philosophies of the Hundred Schools of Thought, aspiring to make something of himself. He entered officialdom as a minor clerk and gradually rose to become a commandery assistant in Shu.
At this moment, he grew restless. I can only hope Governor Liu doesn't know about my youthful indiscretions—or my old nickname: the Bandit of the Brocade Sails.
Just then, a middle-aged man arrived with a squad of armored soldiers, parting the gathered crowd.
Liu Zhang recognized him—Pang Jing, the chief steward of the governor's residence. His face was lean, his eyes sharp, and his beard neatly trimmed.
Seeing Liu Zhang unharmed, Pang Jing exhaled in relief. Though Liu Zhang had traveled incognito, aside from his four personal guards, Pang Jing had also dispatched several capable men to follow discreetly, just in case.
A quarter-hour earlier, reports had come in of Dongzhou soldiers causing trouble, prompting him to rush over immediately.
After cupping his hands in salute to Liu Zhang, Pang Jing turned to Xu Meng. As the governor's chief steward, having served in Yi Province since the fifth year of Zhongping, he naturally recognized Xu Meng.
His deep, authoritative voice carried an edge of pressure.
"Xu Ziyu, you have some nerve—daring to harass the governor!"
Pang Jing's appearance confirmed Liu Zhang's identity beyond doubt. Xu Meng knew this man—the chief steward of the governor's residence.
It really is him—Liu Zhang, Liu Jiyu, the newly appointed Governor of Yi Province.
Xu Meng's heart sank. The Dongzhou faction's survival in Yi Province depended entirely on the governor's favor. Though the sky held many clouds, for the Dongzhou people, there was only one that mattered—Governor Liu.
As a Dongzhou man, publicly offending his superior meant disaster. All he could hope for now was to spare his family.
Resigned to his fate, Xu Meng straightened his attire and knelt with his four subordinates, bowing in apology.
"Commandant Xu Meng, styled Ziyu, pays his respects to Governor Liu. I had no intention of offending you today. My crimes are grave—worthy of death!"
Liu Zhang was slightly taken aback. Ziyu? Such an elegant courtesy name for this burly, bearded man.
The ancients said, "A gentleman is gentle as jade." Yet this man's temperament was anything but gentle.
After a moment's thought, Liu Zhang spoke.
"When Emperor Gaozu entered Guanzhong, he established three laws with the people: those who kill shall die; those who injure or steal shall be punished accordingly."
"Thus, Commandant Xu, though you have committed offenses, they are not capital crimes. Had you acted thus during military operations, I would have you executed under martial law. But in peacetime, punishment suffices."
Liu Zhang had no desire to kill needlessly. Execution solved nothing, and Xu Meng's crimes did not warrant death.
Moreover, Liu Zhang still needed the Dongzhou faction—but unlike his father, Liu Yan, he would not win their loyalty by letting them oppress the locals. Instead, he would control them through rewards and penalties, ensuring their allegiance.
The Dongzhou people would be of great use to him in the future.
Besides, when he had earlier declared that the people of Yi Province were the Dongzhou faction's benefactors—how can children bully their parents?—he had noticed a flicker of shame on Xu Meng's face. The man was not beyond redemption.
Liu Zhang pronounced his judgment.
"Return to camp. Each of you shall receive thirty strokes of the cane."
Then he warned Xu Meng sternly:
"Do not stir up trouble again."
Overjoyed at escaping death, Xu Meng immediately kowtowed in gratitude. Thirty strokes were nothing to him.
"Xu Meng accepts punishment! I will never repeat this offense!"
Having disciplined the Dongzhou men, Liu Zhang decided to offer a carrot to go with the stick—a more reliable approach.
"A true man should serve his country, not bully the weak. Train hard, Xu Ziyu. Surely you don't wish to remain in Shu forever?"
"When the time comes, I will lead you all back to Guanzhong."
He dangled a tantalizing promise—the dream of returning home. No one could resist such an allure.
Xu Meng was stunned. Then his eyes reddened.
Shu had fine wine and exquisite brocades, but in his heart, nothing compared to Guanzhong—to the taste of hometown ale and the feel of rough hemp cloth.
A man displaced by war was like a stray dog—nothing satisfied. Even the moon over Shu seemed less round than the one in Guanzhong.
His voice choked with emotion, Xu Meng bowed sincerely and swore an oath.
"If so, from this day forth, Xu Meng pledges unwavering loyalty to the governor. Heaven and earth bear witness!"
Liu Zhang nodded and helped Xu Meng to his feet, accepting the first sincere oath of allegiance since his arrival in this turbulent era.
Beside them, Gan Ning listened, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully.
——
At that moment, Tian Zheng, the magistrate of Chengdu's market, finally arrived. His voice rang out before he even reached Liu Zhang.
"Is the governor unharmed? Is all well?"
Tian Zheng's tone was frantic. As the magistrate, he was responsible for maintaining order in the market. Yet when news of the Dongzhou soldiers' disturbance had reached him, he had hesitated—a lowly official like him had no authority over those privileged men. Under Liu Yan's protection, the Dongzhou soldiers acted with impunity. Intervening might earn him a beating.
So Tian Zheng had stayed in his office, enjoying his wine, avoiding trouble. Let the people of Yi Province suffer—better them than me.
But when he learned that the new governor himself was involved, he had rushed over in a panic. In these chaotic times, the governor was Yi Province's absolute ruler—a man who held the power of life and death.
Now, standing before Liu Zhang, Tian Zheng bowed and waited for judgment, sweat dripping from his round, flushed face as he dabbed at it with a silk handkerchief.
Liu Zhang studied the magistrate, whose rotund figure resembled a ball. Even from a distance, the stench of alcohol was unmistakable. Tian Zheng had grown fat off the profits of his lucrative position.
Liu Zhang sighed inwardly. No man is perfect. Greed is tolerable, but neglecting one's duties is not.
Still, he knew this was partly his father's fault for indulging the Dongzhou faction. A son, however, could not openly criticize his father's mistakes.
He pronounced Tian Zheng's punishment.
"As market magistrate, you neglected your duties and indulged in drink. You are fined three months' wages."
Tian Zheng accepted meekly. Three months' pay meant little to him.
With Xu Meng's group dismissed and Tian Zheng punished, the matter was resolved.
"The Wise Governor!"
The happiest were the Yi Province commoners who had gathered to watch. Their new governor seemed just and fair—unwilling to let the Dongzhou faction trample them. Grateful, they cheered, adding "Wise" before "Governor" as a mark of respect, then knelt en masse.
Liu Zhang surveyed the crowd and raised his voice.
"Good people, rise."
The people obeyed. Then Liu Zhang made them a promise.
"Though unworthy, I have been appointed Governor of Yi Province. I shall govern with fairness and impartiality. You have my word."
"The Wise Governor!"
Once more, the crowd erupted in cheers before kneeling again.
*****
T/N: So, "Dongzhou" that being mention is an area or a district in Yi Province.