Rebel criminals Ma Yin, Ma Xun, and others were escorted to Jinling for trial on the tenth day of the seventh month. However, on the third day after the rebel criminals were escorted to Jinling, Emperor Tianyou’s edict of punishment was promulgated. The principal rebels Ma Yin and his son Ma Xun—all female relatives within five degrees of mourning, regardless of age, were all demoted into entertainment camps as prostitutes, and all male kinsmen within five degrees, regardless of age, did not need to wait until after autumn but were all immediately beheaded at the West Market for public display.
This was the punishment of exterminating five degrees of kinship.
Besides Ma Yin and his son Ma Xun, other rebel criminals and their family dependents escorted to Jinling for trial also all had their entire households exterminated.
For a time, over five thousand heads rolled to the ground in Jinling City.
When Han Qian received the intelligence report in Tanzhou, it said that after the concentrated executions, Jinling had an urgent rain shower, causing the streams, rivers, ditches, and canals flowing through the western city to all be stained red by the fresh blood that flowed in.
The intelligence report also said that before his kinsmen were executed, Ma Yin had been brought to Chongwen Hall. No one knew what Ma Yin had said in Chongwen Hall, but Emperor Tianyou temporarily changed the edict, ordering that Ma Yin’s sons and grandsons, including Crown Prince Ma Xun—thirty-seven people in total—be changed from beheading to quartering by chariots.
The intelligence report contained detailed descriptions of the execution process. With so many people being executed together, each person had two horses separately harnessed under their armpits and hips, then the horses were whipped to pull in opposite directions, slowly stretching their bodies to the limit. After torturing them for a day, their bodies were then completely torn apart.
Ma Yuanheng had surrendered after leaving the city only after Yueyang City fell and the Ma father and son were captured. He also received no clemency. Ma Yuanheng together with his four legitimate and secondary sons and seventeen grandsons, regardless of age, were all beheaded at the West Market.
After receiving the intelligence report, Han Qian had nightmares for three consecutive days, all dreaming of himself being quartered in the marketplace, intestines and stomach ruptured, feces and urine all spilling out. This caused him to be drowsy and dazed during several days of meetings, as if infected with disease.
On the thirtieth day of the seventh month, after Han Qian discussed matters in the afternoon, he returned to his quarters for an hour’s rest, then learned that Shen He, Junior Supervisor of the Palace Attendants Bureau who had come to Tanzhou to deliver the imperial edict, was approaching Mount Yuelu by boat. The Third Prince sent someone to have him, along with Zhang Ping and Chai Jian as representatives, rush to Mount Yuelu to receive Shen He.
Han Qian hurriedly washed up and left the city together with Zhang Ping, rushing to Mount Yuelu.
It was the end of the seventh month, precisely the tail end of Tanzhou’s summer season. The weather was already not so sweltering.
Shen He abandoned ship and came ashore at the foot of Mount Yuelu, changing to carriage and horses.
At the foot of the mountain, a gentle breeze blew over. However, for Shen He with his sickly complexion, it wasn’t very effective. Seeing Han Qian and Zhang Ping, who had lost one arm, standing at the shore to greet him, though his official robes were soaked through with sweat, he was in very high spirits as he trotted over, cupping his hands and saying: “This time I must congratulate Lord Han, Lord Zhang, and Lord Chai…”
Before Shen He came carrying the imperial edict, Emperor Tianyou’s rewards for the Third Prince and the various generals of the Dragon Sparrow Army had already been transmitted into Tanzhou one step ahead by fast messenger.
Emperor Tianyou decided to imitate the Administrative Court system implemented in the early years of the previous dynasty, establishing the Hunan Administrative Court to govern the eight provinces of Yue, Lang, Tan, Shao, Heng, Chen, Xu, and Yong, having Yang Yuanpu serve as Administrative Court Minister and Military Governor of all Hunan provinces. The Administrative Court headquarters would be established in Tanzhou, and Yang Yuanpu would simultaneously also concurrently serve as Tanzhou Regional Inspector.
Thus, almost all the civil and military authority over the prefectures and counties along Dongting Lake, Xiang River, and Yuan River shores originally under the Hunan Observer’s Residence were concentrated in the Third Prince alone.
The Hunan Administrative Court would henceforth serve as the highest military and political institution in the locality representing the Privy Council and Secretariat, with full authority to handle post-war settlement of Tan and E provinces as well as subsequent military operations against the rebel forces of Zhao Sheng and Luo Jia.
Yang Yuanpu was simultaneously enfeoffed as Prince of Tan, a Prince of First Rank title.
Shen Yang would serve as Prince’s Tutor concurrently leading Administrative Court Left Vice Minister, and Li Pu would concurrently lead Administrative Court Right Vice Minister.
After the Dragon Sparrow Army’s expansion, Left and Right Dragon Sparrow Armies would be established, with Zheng Hui and Li Zhigao serving as Commanders and Chief Commanders of the Left and Right Dragon Sparrow Armies, simultaneously concurrently serving as Tanzhou Vice Regional Commander and Shaozhou Regional Inspector. Meanwhile, Gao Chengyuan, Guo Liang, Zhou Dan, and Zhou Shu—four people with distinguished military service and meritorious protection—would serve as Deputy Commanders and Chief Commanders.
Surrendered generals like Zhang Han, Gao Long, and Miao Yong, due to merit in killing generals and offering up cities or capturing cities and seizing territory, were also permitted to be incorporated into the Dragon Sparrow Army and granted middle to high-level general positions such as Military Supervisor or Deputy Military Supervisor.
Han Qian and his father’s voluntary memorial requesting disbandment of the Wuling Army and Wuling Army Defense Commissioner’s Residence was also graciously approved. Han Daoxun was granted an additional honorary rank of Third Rank and continued to serve as Xuzhou Regional Inspector. Tian Cheng replaced Han Qian to serve as Xuzhou Vice Regional Commander and Provincial Battalion Commander.
Han Qian replaced Zheng Hui to formally serve as the Fifth Rank Prince of Tan’s Residence Military Advisor, while Zhang Ping replaced Guo Rong, who had been kicked aside long ago, to serve as Prince of Tan’s Residence Administrator.
With the Wuling Army Defense Commissioner’s Residence disbanded, the Wuling Army was reduced to a provincial battalion, to be supported by provisions procured by Xuzhou itself.
Xi Ying, due to merit and continuing the tradition of native gentry households in Chenzhou, could hereditarily serve as Vice Regional Commander and Commander. However, the Regional Inspector position would be appointed by another official from Jinling, more or less maintaining Chenzhou’s pre-war political ecology.
Besides Xi Chang, Yang Qin, Feng Zhang, and a group of others continuing to serve in Xuzhou, Han Qian also recommended people like Xi Xunqiao, Feng Xuan, Lin Haizheng, and Gao Shao to serve in the Prince of Tan’s Residence. Xi Ying’s son Xi Shepeng, also due to his exceptional martial valor, could serve as a personal guard at the Third Prince’s side.
Meanwhile, a large group of civil and military officials like Chai Jian, Zhou Yuan, Li Chong, Zhang Qian, Wang Lin, Han Chengmeng, Han Jianji, and Qiao Weiyan all received promotions and appointments.
Besides honors and noble ranks, rewards were naturally also indispensable.
However, this required dividing the spoils based on fields, houses, and goods the Dragon Sparrow Army had confiscated in places like Tanzhou. They would still need to wait several more days for the Third Prince’s side to request permission before promulgating the reward decree.
The over five hundred thousand strings of cash additionally procured in the early period were mainly used to reward middle and low-level officers and soldiers with military merit, in order to stabilize military morale.
And besides the rebel criminals already sent to Jinling for trial who were ultimately all executed, Tanzhou City still held a large group of middle and low-level rebel officials, surrendered generals, and their families and dependents.
They were fortunate not to be sent to Jinling for trial and escaped death. But the treatment they could enjoy was still decidedly different from those like Zhang Han, Gao Long, and Miao Yong who voluntarily surrendered and then established military merit. Their young female relatives were all sent to prostitution camps, while their sons were all demoted to slave registry and made to serve as hard laborers. Depending on the Dragon Sparrow Army’s actual needs, they would be distributed to various places to serve as convict soldiers.
Compared to ordinary convict soldiers, these people’s circumstances were even more miserable.
Han Qian requested and obtained Wuling County Magistrate Zhou Chu, Chief Clerk Zhao Jicheng, and the two men’s families to keep at his side for service.
Besides the Left and Right Dragon Sparrow Armies being able to enlist over twenty-five thousand elite troops, the Prince of Tan’s Residence, under the jurisdiction of the Hunan Administrative Court’s eight provinces, could additionally organize approximately thirty thousand in local provincial battalions. Command authority was also concentrated in the Third Prince’s hands with his authority as Military Governor of All Provinces.
Currently, main generals like Li Zhigao, Zheng Hui, Gao Chengyuan, Zhou Shu, and Guo Liang also concurrently held local positions such as provincial Regional Inspector, Provincial Vice Regional Commander, and Military Affairs Advisor. These provincial battalions would naturally be organized and assembled by them.
Meanwhile, the original provincial battalion troops of Huangzhou and Jiangzhou were transferred north to Jingzhou, placed under the command of Jingzhou Regional Inspector Zhang Xiang, to guard against Liang forces that could move south at any time to attack the Nanyang Fangcheng defense line. Zhang Xiang’s son Zhang Feng was also promoted for merit to serve as Jingzhou Vice Regional Commander, leading his forces back north to Jingzhou to guard against warfare on the northern front.
Prince of Yuzhang Yang Zhitang would also lead his forces back to Yuanzhou and Hongzhou, thus completely entrusting matters of pursuing the remnant rebel forces of Zhao Sheng and Luo Jia to Third Prince Yang Yuanpu.
At this point, military and political authority over the Hunan Administrative Court’s eight provinces was more or less concentrated in the Third Prince alone.
With Zhang Ping having lost one arm and it being inconvenient to ride, he accompanied Shen He in the carriage.
Han Qian rode his horse following the carriage. Along the way, they chatted about Tanzhou’s local customs and culture, and also about current events in Jinling. He saw that Shen He sitting in the carriage, compared to two years ago, was as if he had shed several shells—grayish white and emaciated, with a waxen yellow complexion. This increasingly confirmed his previous speculation.
Low-level eunuchs around Emperor Tianyou might undergo uninterrupted rotation, but Shen He as Junior Supervisor of the Palace Attendants Bureau had to constantly attend Emperor Tianyou. If there were problems with the incense candles, Shen He would inevitably also be harmed.
Han Qian asked with concern: “Lord Shen rushed all the way here and seems somewhat unaccustomed to the climate and conditions?”
Shen He didn’t pay it much mind, saying: “This body of mine was fine in the capital. After several days on the boat, the rocking was truly severe, and this body couldn’t quite withstand it. If I hadn’t shown symptoms just after leaving the capital, I would suspect I’d contracted a miasma epidemic—when returning to Jinling, you couldn’t kill me to make me take a boat again. No matter how tiring, I’ll ride a horse back.”
Shen He didn’t look at all like he was seasick. There should be other means by which Anning Palace was concealing the poison Shen He had been affected by, but it had quickly manifested after leaving Jinling. Han Qian said: “Whether it’s contracted miasma epidemic or not, this subject has two subordinates skilled in medicine. If Lord Shen has leisure tomorrow, perhaps they could examine and treat you.”
“That’s good!” Shen He knew Han Qian’s capabilities. This body was truly severely weak. Even if Han Qian hadn’t brought it up, after arriving in Tanzhou he would have to find a physician to prescribe several doses of medicine to strengthen his body.
“By the way, has His Majesty’s health been well lately?” Han Qian asked again.
No one would think Han Qian asked this with ulterior motives. But Shen He was still slightly stunned. After a while, he said: “Before I left Jinling, His Majesty these past days had also occasionally contracted a minor ailment, but it wasn’t very serious.”
After all, His Majesty was at such an advanced age. As one of the top one or two strategists at the Third Prince’s side, for Han Qian to constantly pay attention to His Majesty’s physical condition was truly a most natural matter.
Now that the Third Prince’s side had already gained momentum, for Shen He to reveal some information could be considered selling a favor.
Hearing these words, Zhang Ping also slightly frowned.
After all, coming from Shen He’s mouth, Emperor Tianyou’s illness would be somewhat more serious than “occasionally contracted a minor ailment.” It was just that they couldn’t conveniently ask about the specific degree to which Emperor Tianyou’s body had contracted illness. Even if they asked, Shen He presumably wouldn’t say. Unfortunately, there was still no news from Imperial Concubine Shi and the Palace Mistress’s side.
To prepare for the feudatory reduction campaign, they had also drawn off personnel too severely.
Han Qian seemed to ask casually and immediately forgot about the matter. Changing the topic, he asked Shen He: “Shu Lord Wang Jian’s youngest daughter Princess Qingyang is accompanying Marquis Changxiang Wang Yong in Tanzhou, but her identity hasn’t yet been made public. Has Lord Shen heard any rumors in Jinling?”
Marquis Changxiang Wang Yong hadn’t yet gone to Jinling, but if the Shu Kingdom truly intended a marriage alliance, they should first release the news to test this side’s reaction.
Of course, the Shu Kingdom would only use this news through old acquaintances to test the palace. Jinyun Tower’s agents remaining in Jinling might not necessarily be able to investigate this. So seeing Shen He, Han Qian asked this question.
Shen He poked his head out to glance at Chai Jian riding behind on horseback, gave a perfunctory laugh, and said to Han Qian: “A while ago, Imperial Concubine Shi summoned Marquis Xinchang’s wife into the palace, saying that His Highness in the past was young, and marrying Marquis Xinchang’s daughter as companion was sufficient. But now that he has grown to adulthood, it should be time to take a secondary consort. However, whether Imperial Concubine Shi truly favors a Shu woman, this Shen doesn’t know.”
Han Qian glanced at Chai Jian, thinking so Marquis Xinchang and his people had already heard the rumors. He secretly felt that although Imperial Concubine Shi was also most likely a person of the Shenling Bureau, on the matter of the Third Prince taking a secondary consort, her attitude might not necessarily align with Li Pu and the others.
The carriage and horses quickly entered the Military Governor’s Residence. Third Prince Yang Yuanpu had already led Shen Yang, Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, and other generals and officials remaining in Tanzhou City, setting up an incense table in the front administrative hall waiting to receive the edict.
Over three hundred armored personal guards from the Personal Guard Bureau stood before the corridor and below the steps wearing bright armor, holding war halberds that emanated sharp cold light.
Over ten beautiful serving maids wearing chest-wrapped layered skirts stood before the great hall, their jade arms and snowy bosoms adding several parts of florid luxury to the edict-receiving ceremony.
Yang Yuanpu, wearing a gold-trimmed python-dragon robe, led the generals and officials out. At this moment, all childishness had left his face. His slightly thin cheeks seemed carved by knife and axe, possessing steadiness and composure rare for his age.
Shen He publicly proclaimed the edict, conferring upon the Third Prince the titles Prince of Tan and Hunan Administrative Court Minister, and specially invited Marquis Changxiang Wang Yong to come observe the ceremony.
At this point, Princess Qingyang still appeared before everyone disguised as a man. But as long as one’s eyes weren’t blind and knew she resided in separate quarters from Marquis Changxiang, one could guess her identity.
During this period, Princess Qingyang had frequently entered and exited the rear quarters of the Military Governor’s Residence, spending mornings and evenings with the Third Prince. Their relationship had also rapidly warmed. Han Qian even suspected that if Marquis Changxiang hadn’t been rather tactlessly keeping watch, the Third Prince would probably have already committed improper acts with Princess Qingyang.
For this ceremony observation, Princess Qingyang was specially arranged beside Marquis Changxiang Wang Yong. Standing behind Zhang Ping receiving the edict, Han Qian could only see her slender snow-white nape. He secretly felt that after the Third Prince was enfeoffed as Prince of Tan this time, Marquis Changxiang should be able to formally raise the matter of marriage alliance, right?