sovbooks Chapter 9 Remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion
Chapter 9 Remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion
The Zhou family's gate was tightly shut, and dozens of guards with sticks and broadswords blocked the entrance, each one trembling with fear.
Li Zhao reined in his horse and stopped in front of the Zhou residence. In the firelight, his face was ashen.
"Zhou Tong colluded with remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, intending to plunder the military farms and harm the people; his crimes are unforgivable!"
Li Zhao's voice was icy cold, echoing throughout the entire street.
"All irrelevant personnel, leave immediately! Those who resist will be punished the same as the thieves and killed without exception!"
Upon hearing this, the servants inside the gate immediately stirred. They were just trying to make a living; who would be willing to risk their lives for the Zhou family?
"Zilong," Li Zhao called out softly.
"exist."
"Break down the door."
Zhao Yun responded and spurred his horse to the gate. He took a deep breath, and his silver spear transformed into a streak of light, fiercely stabbing towards the heavy vermilion gate.
"boom!"
With a deafening roar, wood chips flew everywhere. The gate, which usually symbolized the Zhou family's prestige, was blasted open with a large hole by this single shot.
The servants behind the door were shaken and staggered.
Zhao Yun sheathed his spear, reined in his horse, and circled around, gathering his strength once more.
"boom!"
The second shot.
The gate collapsed with a crash, revealing the panicked Zhou family members inside.
"kill!"
At Zhao Yun's command, the three hundred elite soldiers stationed behind him charged in like wolves and tigers.
These men had suffered enough oppression from the powerful and tyrannical in their daily lives. Now that they had a chance to take revenge, why would they hold back?
The Zhou family's guards were no match for these seasoned soldiers who had seen bloodshed; after a brief resistance, they scattered and fled.
Zhao Yun rode swiftly, heading straight for the front hall. He immediately spotted Zhou Tong trying to slip away through the back door.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Zhao Yun shouted sharply, his spear thrusting out like a snake spitting its tongue, instantly knocking off the square scarf on Zhou Tong's head.
The spear tip came to a steady stop in front of Zhou Tong's throat.
"Spare me! General Zhao, spare me!"
Zhou Tong knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly, his former imposing manner completely gone.
Li Zhao also rode his horse into the courtyard at this moment, followed by Scarface, who was bound hand and foot.
"Zhou Tong, do you recognize this person?" Li Zhao pointed to the scarred man.
Zhou Tong looked up and his face turned ashen.
With witnesses and physical evidence, he could no longer deny it.
"Ming court, spare my life! This was all... this was all instigated by that old scoundrel Zhang Mao!"
Faced with imminent death, Zhou Tong didn't hesitate to implicate Zhang Mao, hoping to save his own life.
Li Zhao sneered, "I'll settle accounts with Zhang Mao myself. Now, let's settle yours first."
He turned to Sun Fu and ordered, "Seal off all of the Zhou family's warehouses, and confiscate all money, grain, cloth, timber, and ironware!"
"Here you go!"
Sun Fu responded excitedly.
That night, the Zhou family mansion was brightly lit.
Boxes of copper coins, bolts of cloth, and bundles of timber were brought out and piled up in the yard like small mountains.
The tenants and servants who originally belonged to the Zhou family stared blankly at the scene. They never imagined that the Zhou family, which was usually so high and mighty, would collapse overnight.
Standing on the steps, Li Zhao looked at the mountain of supplies piled up in the courtyard and felt reassured.
With these things, the construction of settlements can be greatly accelerated, and the resettlement of displaced people can be greatly alleviated.
He glanced at the system panel.
[Li Zhao, Magistrate of Pingyuan]
[Registered population within the jurisdiction (including migrants): 18230]
Daily rice production: 18230 liters
Current grain reserves: 71500 shi (a unit of dry measure).
……
The Zhang family in the east of the city.
Zhang Mao didn't sleep all night.
He could hear and see the shouts of battle and the flames in the north of the city.
Manager Zhang He knelt on the floor of the study, trembling like a leaf.
"My lord, the Zhou family... is finished." Zhang He's voice was hoarse. "That spineless Zhou Tong has probably confessed everything."
The string of walnuts that Zhang Mao cherished in his hand had long since disappeared. He gripped the armrest of the armchair tightly, his knuckles turning white.
He had expected Li Zhao to retaliate, but he hadn't anticipated that Li Zhao's retaliation would be so fierce and swift.
The accusation of colluding with the Yellow Turbans is enough to bring the Zhou family to their doom.
And Zhang Mao is the next one.
"Get the car ready! Get the car ready quickly! I need to go to Jixian!" Zhang Mao suddenly stood up, his voice trembling.
He knew he couldn't stay in Pingyuan County any longer. Li Zhao had troops, provisions, and popular support, and now he had a weakness that could be exploited against him at any moment.
He had to go to Ji County to find his patron in Gongsun Zan's army. The villains first accused Li Zhao of abusing his power and harming the local people.
"My lord, the city gates are sealed now, we can't get out!" Zhang He said with a mournful face.
Zhang Mao swayed and slumped into a chair.
This is like catching a turtle in a jar!
Just then, the gatekeeper stumbled in, carrying a brocade box in his hands.
"My lord, someone from the county government has come, bringing... bringing this."
Zhang Mao tremblingly took the brocade box, opened it, and took a look.
Inside was a blood-stained jade pendant.
He recognized the jade pendant; it was Zhou Tong's personal possession, and it was still hanging on Zhou Tong's waist yesterday.
Underneath the brocade box was a piece of silk with only eight characters on it, written in a vigorous and powerful style:
"If you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place."
"Snapped!"
The brocade box fell to the ground, and the jade pendant shattered into pieces.
Zhang Mao's face turned ashen, and he seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.
He knew perfectly well that they were warning him.
Li Zhao did not immediately attack him, not because he dared not, but because he did not want to.
The evidence is conclusive that the Zhou family colluded with the Yellow Turbans; their extermination is the only option.
But the Zhang family is different. They have deeper roots and connections in both the military and political circles of Youzhou. If they were to be wiped out without solid evidence, it would inevitably arouse Gongsun Zan's suspicion, and might even trigger other powerful families to unite against him out of a sense of shared vulnerability.
Li Zhao still needs time to develop and doesn't want to make too many enemies too early.
Therefore, he chose to make an example of someone.
Use the Zhou family's blood to warn the Zhang family and make them behave.
Zhang Mao was a smart man; he understood what Li Zhao meant.
"Zhang He," Zhang Mao said wearily.
"My Lord."
"Open the granaries and distribute the grain."
Zhang He was taken aback: "My lord, this..."
"Release it all at the price of eighty coins per dou of rice, no, sixty coins!" Zhang Mao said through gritted teeth.
"In addition, go to the storeroom and pick out some good things, as well as the land deed for that wasteland, and send them to the county temple together."
"It is said that... the Zhang family, grateful for the Ming court's efforts in suppressing bandits, specially donated money and grain to support the military."
Zhang He understood that his lord was willing to spend money to avoid disaster. Although he felt bad, he knew that this was the only way to survive at the moment.
"Yes, sir, I'll take care of it right away."
……
The main hall of the county temple.
Li Zhao looked at the land deed and gift list that Zhang He had sent, and a playful smile appeared on his face.
"That old fox knows when to back down."
Zhao stood to the side, wiping the blood off the silver spear.
"Brother Li, why not press on and wipe out the Zhang family as well?"
Li Zhao shook his head: "The Zhou family's collusion with the Yellow Turbans is conclusive, and the people have the right to kill them. But the Zhang family currently only has Zhou Tong's side of the story, and the evidence is insufficient."
"If we forcibly exterminate the entire family, it will inevitably give others grounds for criticism. Besides, the Zhang family has some connections in the military, so it's not advisable to completely sever ties now."
"Now that he has taken the initiative to bow down and offer up money, grain, and land deeds, it can be considered a form of submission. We can take this opportunity to consolidate our foundation and grow stronger."