MSW Chapter40

74

The news of the chaos in Liangdu had yet to reach Fuzhou City. At the moment, the entire city was suffering from a plague. Rebel forces outside the city were shouting provocations, stirring unrest among the people within and dragging morale to a low point.

 

The plague was already a dreadful disease that struck fear into the hearts of common folk, and this time it had come with a vengeance. Many had already perished from it. Even though Mu Peizhi did everything he could to suppress the panic, the shelters had become overcrowded. Whether sick or not, everyone was gripped with fear. One night, some of the people in the shelters even tried to escape in secret.

 

The instinct to survive is deeply rooted in human nature.

 

Sun Qing and Lan Duo repeatedly led troops to provoke battles outside the city and attempted to breach the walls. Mu Peizhi had to handle both the plague within the city and the rebels outside. In just a few days, he had visibly lost weight. The rebel assaults were merely feints rather than a full-scale invasion, they seemed to have known about the city’s dire situation all along, coming only to pour oil on the fire.

 

Sun Qing had his men shout provocations outside the city every day, claiming that Daliang was unrighteous and that the plague within the city was a punishment from the heavens. His words were highly inflammatory, and once they spread among the common people, the entire city sank deeper into gloom and oppression.

 

That day, Mu Peizhi stood atop the city tower, gazing at the rebel troops outside the gates. His long fingers, resting on the wall, gradually curled into a fist. Below, Sun Qing sat tall on horseback, looking up at him with a leisurely air.

 

Their eyes met.

 

Mu Peizhi let out a cold laugh. With a wave of his hand, Chen Ping stepped forward and presented a large bow. Gripping it tightly, Mu Peizhi drew the string and loosed an arrow in one swift motion, fast as lightning, it tore through the air and struck down a shouting rebel soldier on the spot.

 

The arrow pierced through the man’s throat. Clutching his neck, eyes wide in shock, he collapsed without a sound.

 

Sun Qing raised an eyebrow, but his expression remained unchanged. He spurred his horse forward, riding out from the crowd, and called out, “Lord Marquis Mu, open the city gates and surrender.”

 

“Fuzhou is ravaged by plague, and the people are suffering. Our King Yi is merciful and holds the people close to heart, he cannot bear to see them in pain,” Sun Qing declared. “Why not open the city gates, Lord Marquis? Our Yi Army will not harm a single soul, and we will even bring in physicians to treat the sick with utmost care as well.”

 

Mu Peizhi replied coolly, “Are rebels like you even worthy of calling yourselves kings?”

 

Sun Qing chuckled. “Daliang is without virtue. King Yi has risen in response to heaven’s will, to bring peace to the people. Why shouldn’t he be called king?”

 

He said, “Lord Marquis Mu, Marquis Annan Mansion has guarded the southern border for over a century, our King Yi holds deep admiration for that. But the Daliang of today is no longer the Daliang of a hundred years ago. No dynasty in history has ever lasted forever. Daliang’s mandate has run its course. Why make futile sacrifices for the Xiao family? Why not join our Yi Army and build a new era of peace together?”

 

Zhou Ting responded coldly, “What King Yi? What utter nonsense. He’s nothing but a street thug, a lowborn scoundrel. You incite the people, murder officials, and rebel against the state, your crimes are beyond forgiveness!”

 

Sun Qing let out a laugh and raised his voice: “General Zhou, the court imposes harsh taxes and crushing labor, caring nothing for whether the people live or die. We only want to survive. If Daliang gives us no path to life, are we supposed to just sit and wait for death?”

 

“Or does General Zhou believe that you nobles of Daliang court deserve to live in luxury, while we common folk are nothing but weeds beneath your feet, meant to die?”

 

His words struck straight at the heart. The rebel army was made up largely of ordinary people, and in that instant, their eyes turned red with fury. One after another, they raised their spears and shouted: “Daliang is unjust!”

 

“Revolt!”

 

“Revolt!”

 

Mu Peizhi’s heart sank.

 

Sun Qing gave a cool, detached smile and raised his hand. The voices of the rebel soldiers abruptly ceased, yet their gazes remained fierce, like those of wolves and tigers.

 

Sun Qing said, “Lord Marquis Mu, for every day you delay, the people within your city suffer another day. And our soldiers on both sides will only die in vain—”

 

Mu Peizhi cut him off and said, “Sun Qing, no matter how you try to dress it up, a rebel is still a rebel. You call yourselves righteous, but what wrong had the people of Wenzhou done? You all not only slaughtered the entire family of the county magistrate, but also plundered the city at will, butchered civilians, raped women, and you still dare to call yourselves an army of justice?”

 

Sun Qing’s expression darkened slightly.

 

Liu Ziyi had gathered a large number of followers, but with greater numbers came chaos. There are inevitably good and bad people, including many bandits who come to surrender.

 

One such group was led by a man named Chai Meng. After capturing Wenzhou, he took offense at the magistrate’s efforts to rally the townsfolk in resistance and massacred the entire magistrate’s household. He had also committed numerous atrocities within the city.

 

He hadn’t expected Mu Peizhi to know.

 

The two sides were in a stalemate in Fuzhou City. Zhou Ting had gone out of the city and fought with Sun Qing’s people several times. Zhou Ting was a fierce general in the north. Sun Qing had Lan Duo and several deputy generals with great skills. Both sides suffered casualties.

 

Xu Ying had volunteered to fight. After Li Yue’s death, Xu Ying was depressed for several days, with a gloomy and violent look between his eyes. Until he heard that Sun Qing led his troops to attack again, he immediately broke into the main tent and said that he was going to take Sun Qing’s head.

 

But Mu Peizhi did not agree.

 

First, Xu Ying still had injuries that had not fully healed. Second, Xu Ying harbored a deep hatred for Sun Qing and the masked man. If they were to fight, he would likely lose control of his emotions.

 

Mu Peizhi had already lost a key figure like Li Yue. Both professionally and personally, he couldn’t allow Xu Ying to take such a risk.

 

The same was true for Zhou Ting.

 

The longer the war dragged on, the more the plague became a deadly force. Zhao Qianhou temperament grew increasingly irritable. He had a beautiful concubine named Zhu Ling’er, a gift from a wealthy merchant.

 

Zhu Ling’er was gentle and soft-spoken, a true comfort to Zhao Qianhou. He was quite fond of Zhu Ling’er. One day, Zhao Qianhou was in a foul mood at his residence. He wanted to leave Fuzhou, but Mu Peizhi refused to let him go, no matter what. It drove him to the brink of fury.

 

Zhu Ling’er gently caressed his chest, soothing him with soft words, saying a few kind things. Zhao Qianhou’s anger eased just a little, but suddenly, he heard a few startled cries. One of the servants cleaning in the garden had fainted.

 

Zhao Qianhou cursed angrily, “What are you screaming for? Do you want to die?!”

 

He grumbled and walked over, only to see the servant lying on the ground with one arm exposed, covered in red rashes. Zhao Qianhou’s eyes widened in shock. He staggered back several steps. When someone tried to assist him, he quickly dodged and shouted sharply, “Don’t touch me!”

 

“…The plague!” Zhao Qianhou fumed. “Why would someone in the mansion have the plague?!”

 

The steward, who had hurried over, was also visibly shaken. “My Lord… this humble one will takes care of it right away.”

 

He instructed the servants to drag the unconscious person away. The servants hesitated but, reluctantly, covered their noses and mouths, wrapping their hands in their outer garments as they dragged the fainted person out.

 

Zhao Qianhou surveyed the area and coldly commanded, “And these people, they were just here too. Drag them all out.”

 

At his words, the few servants were terrified, hastily kneeling and pleading for mercy, claiming they hadn’t touched the fainted servant. Zhao Qianhou wouldn’t listen to any of it. His mind was consumed by the image of the unconscious servant. Suddenly, in a fit of hysteria, he screamed, “Drag them out now!”

 

With that, he turned and stormed out, furious. He couldn’t stay in Fuzhou for another moment.

 

Once he arrived at the prefectural government, Zhao Qianhou stormed straight into the main courtyard where Mu Peizhi was.

 

Mu Peizhi had been feeling a dull pain in his temples and, for no apparent reason, was having trouble breathing. Just as he was about to rest, he heard the shouting outside and reluctantly got up, donning his clothes before stepping out of the room.

 

“Eunuch Zhao, what brings you here?” Mu Peizhi asked, suppressing his impatience.

 

Zhao Qianhou looked at Mu Peizhi, flung his sleeve dramatically, and wailed, “Lord Marquis Mu, our paths have never crossed in enmity, neither in the past nor of late, why must you insist on sending me to my death?!”

 

Mu Peizhi’s brow twitched. “What are you talking about, Eunuch Zhao?”

 

Zhao Qianhou burst into sobs. “Just now, just moments ago! A servant in my mansion collapsed right in front of me, he has the plague!” His voice trembled, laced with terror. “This whole city of Fuzhou is riddled with disease. Sooner or later, we’re all going to die, every last one of us is going to die—”

 

He hadn’t finished when Mu Peizhi’s voice rang out, sharp and stern: “Eunuch Zhao!”

 

Zhao Qianhou froze.

 

Mu Peizhi’s tone was icy. “You are an imperial envoy, appointed by His Majesty himself. I advise you to watch your words.”

 

A flicker of dread flashed through Zhao Qianhou’s heart, but it was swiftly overtaken by a surge of panic and fury. “Then what would you have me do? I am the Military Supervisor! But I was not sent here to die!”

 

“You cannot quell the rebellion, you cannot stop the plague, yet you keep me trapped in this city!” Zhao Qianhou shouted hoarsely. “Mu Peizhi, I demand to know, what exactly are your intentions?”

 

Zhao Qianhou’s eyes were bloodshot, like a trapped beast. He snarled, “Mu Peizhi, admit it, you’re trying to settle a personal score! You’ve held a grudge ever since Dugong tampered with the disaster relief funds. You can’t touch him, so you target me instead. Despicable!”

 

Mu Peizhi fixed his gaze on Zhao Qianhou, and suddenly said in a voice like cold steel, “So it’s true, during the floods in Ruizhou, the relief silver was embezzled. You lot were the ones who betrayed your post and stole from the coffers.”

 

Zhao Qianhou looked as though a hand had clamped down on his throat. He instinctively glanced around, only relaxing slightly once he saw that everyone had been dismissed from the courtyard. “…What nonsense are you spouting? Didn’t the relief silver get sent out?”

 

Mu Peizhi stepped closer, his voice cold as ice. “Don’t tell me you don’t know how those two hundred thousand taels of relief silver made their way back.”

 

Zhao Qianhou shrilled, “I won’t argue old matters with you! Mu Peizhi, I demand to leave Fuzhou City. If you dare stop me, I swear your Marquis Annan Mansion will pay the price!”

 

Mu Peizhi’s lips curled faintly. “If it weren’t for your greed over those two hundred thousand taels of silver, would I have—” He paused, then continued, “You think this is something you can brush aside just by saying you won’t speak of it?”

 

Zhao Qianhou said, “Stop going on about embezzlement, wasn’t that silver already seized back by your people?”

 

Mu Peizhi merely sneered, saying nothing.

 

Zhao Qianhou’s tone softened, turning to pleading. “Lord Marquis, just let me off this once. I swear, I’ll plead with Dugong not to make things difficult for Marquis Annan Mansion. I’ll keep the situation in Fuzhou entirely under wraps, Liangdu won’t hear a thing. And the military funds—”

 

“I’ll help smooth things over with the stipends too,” Zhao Qianhou added, “As long as Lord Marquis let me leave Fuzhou.”

 

Mu Peizhi was so enraged he laughed instead. Staring at Zhao Qianhou, he said, “Eunuch Zhao, you’d best pray the physicians find a cure for the plague soon, and that we suppress the rebellion quickly; otherwise, if Fuzhou falls, don’t dream of ever returning to Liangdu.”

 

Zhao Qianhou’s voice shot up. “Mu Peizhi!”

 

“Watch your tongue!” A shout came from outside. Zhou Ting strode in, face full of fury. “Zhao Qianhou, do you know your place? How dare you call Lord Marquis by his name!”

 

Zhao Qianhou was seething with rage. Pointing at the two men, he shouted, “Good! Very good!” Then his eyes caught sight of the sword hanging at a soldier’s waist. He lunged forward, drew it with shaking hands, and staggered toward Mu Peizhi, shouting, “If I can’t live, then you won’t either!”

 

Before he could get close, Zhou Ting lifted his leg and kicked him hard. Clang! — the sword clattered to the ground, followed by Zhao Qianhou’s anguished scream. He clambered up, eyes full of venom, and hissed, “I’ll make sure neither of you die a peaceful death!”

 

“Marquis Annan Mansion, Zhou Ting,” Zhao Qianhou glared at them with venom. “Once I return to Liangdu, I will surely ask Dugong to uphold justice for me! Even if I die, I won’t let you guys off, not even as a ghost!”

 

Zhao Qianhou was dragged out by Zhou Ting’s men, and the courtyard fell silent once more. Zhou Ting turned back to look at Mu Peizhi and said softly, “Lord Marquis has been startled.”

 

Mu Peizhi forced a faint smile and said, “Commander Zhou, your arrival is timely—” Before he could finish his sentence, his body suddenly collapsed. Zhou Ting’s heart skipped a beat and he hurried to catch him. The moment his hand touched Mu Peizhi’s arm, he realized that the man’s skin was burning hot.

 

Mu Peizhi had developed a fever.