Chapter 59: Aftermath

In Jiangzhou City, the administrative seat of Baju Commandery, a gathering of civil and military officials who had participated in suppressing the recent rebellion in the commandery assembled within the prefectural office.

Liu Zhang sat high upon the principal seat, bestowing rewards and commendations upon those who had rendered meritorious service in quelling the uprising.

"Lord Gao," he called upon Gao Pei.

"Present," Gao Pei stepped forward, cupping his hands in response.

Liu Zhang recounted Gao Pei's achievements: "Had it not been for Your Lordship holding fast to Jiangzhou, the rebels of Baju would not have found themselves in such desperate straits, thrown into utter confusion, and driven in panic to Liangping, allowing me to strike and conquer them in a single campaign."

"In recognition of your merit, you shall be appointed General Who Pacifies the East."

"I thank Your Illustrious Lordship." A look of joy crossed Gao Pei's face as he immediately accepted the post. When Zhang Su had previously promulgated the imperial edict, Zhao Wei had received the title of General Who Harmonizes Virtue, a moniker prefixed before his title that had filled Gao Pei with boundless envy. Now, having obtained the title of General Who Pacifies the East, he felt he was by no means inferior.

"Gongheng," Liu Zhang continued, assessing the contributions of Huang Quan. "As Principal 主簿, you participated in vital decisions, commanded overall military affairs, regulated the transport of baggage and grain supplies, and furthermore rendered meritorious service through your strategic counsel."

"It is fitting that you also hold the concurrent post of Central Commandant, commanding the personal guards and overseeing palace security."

He resurrected the office of Central Commandant—first established by Cao Cao during the Jian'an era—intending to entrust the imperial guard duties to his brother-in-law so that he might sleep in peace.

"I thank Your Illustrious Lordship." Huang Quan bowed with cupped hands, feeling no surprise that Liu Zhang had conferred the post of Central Commandant upon him.

Next, Liu Zhang called upon Zhang Ren and Gan Ning.

"Gongyi captured the enemy commander Liu He alive, and single-handedly routed the enemy cavalry with the force of a thousand. The rank of Colonel is insufficient to express your merit; it is fitting to append the characters 'Fierce Cavalry' to make you Colonel of the Fierce Cavalry, commanding a thousand horsemen."

"Xingba shattered the vanguard and blunted the enemy's edge, personally slaying Pu Chang in battle and draining the rebel army of its courage. Now, the characters 'Assistant to the Han' shall be prefixed to your title of Colonel."

For Zhang Ren, whose horsemanship was matchless and whose spear was peerless, he parted with half of his cavalry reserves, placing them under Zhang Ren's command.

As for Gan Ning, who possessed grand strategies and unmatched prowess as a fighting general, Liu Zhang bestowed upon him the deeply significant title of Assistant to the Han, expressing his profound hope that Gan Ning would help restore and support the Han Dynasty.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ren and Gan Ning were filled with irrepressible joy, instantly bowing to receive their orders.

Additionally, Wu Yi, Xu Meng, Shen Mi, Lou Fa, Ling Bao, and Deng Xian were variously honored with titles and rewards, while all other meritorious figures, great and small, were rewarded according to their deeds.

With those who had exerted themselves greatly in following Liu Zhang to suppress the Baju rebels now duly rewarded, it was time to honor those who had remained unswervingly loyal and stood firmly by his side during the upheaval.

"Lord Cheng," he looked toward Cheng Ji, the Chief of Hanchang, whom he had summoned to Jiangzhou.

Cheng Ji responded and stepped forward to listen to Liu Zhang's decree.

"Lord Cheng has faithfully upheld his official duties on this occasion, refusing to be coerced by rebellious traitors and preserving his region intact—a truly remarkable feat."

"I now appoint you as the Administrator of Baju. I trust Your Lordship will not decline."

Hearing that Liu Zhang was promoting him from the humble post of Hanchang Chief directly to a Commandery Administrator—a massive leap upward—Cheng Ji's first reaction was not joy, but a measure of perplexity.

Not only he, but the prominent gentry and clan leaders of Baju who had been invited to attend, all wore expressions of confusion, exchanging glances as if seeking answers from one another.

Cheng Ji raised his hands in a deferential refusal: "My Lord, the state has its institutions. According to the Law of Mutual Exclusion, as I am a native of Langzhong in Baju, I ought not hold the office of Baju Administrator."

With a gentle smile, Liu Zhang shook his head. "I am well aware of that, but Your Lordship is no longer a man of Baju; you are now a man of Baxi."

'A man of Baxi.' Hearing this, Cheng Ji's confusion deepened. After a brief moment of deep thought, a realization dawned upon him, and he tentatively asked, "My Lord, do you intend to divide Baju Commandery?"

"Indeed," Liu Zhang replied upon seeing that Cheng Ji had guessed his intent.

Instantly, the doubts of the Baju gentry present were dispelled, and a bright light kindled in the eyes of more than a few.

Once Baju was divided, the number of commandery administrators would increase by two or three—not an excessive amount—but the official positions for commandery vice-administrators, administrative clerks, and other subordinate officials would multiply manifold.

Moreover, they could utilize this arrangement to circumvent the Law of Mutual Exclusion and secure high office within a commandery or county.

For the Baju gentry, this was an unmitigated blessing.

Seated at the head, Liu Zhang observed the barely restrained smiles of delight upon the faces of the Baju gentry and proceeded to outline his disposition for the commandery.

"I intend to designate the region north of Dianjiang as Baxi Commandery, the area from Jiangzhou to Linjiang as Baju Commandery, and the territory from Quxin down to Baidi and Kuimen as Badong Commandery."

Dividing Baju into three was a measure the historical Liu Zhang had once enacted.

The reason was simply that Baju was far too vast: bordering Jingzhou's Nan Commandery to the east, abutting the Hanzhong Plain to the north, connecting with Jianwei and the Nanzhong region to the south, and neighboring Guanghan to the west. According to the evaluation of a Baju Administrator during the Eastern Han: 'Four thousand li north to south, five thousand li east to west, with a perimeter of over ten thousand li.'

Entrusting a commandery of such immense proportions to a single man made Liu Zhang somewhat uneasy. Dividing Baju would be advantageous to him, and the local gentry welcomed it just as readily.

Furthermore, given Baju's vast territory, administration was exceedingly difficult. Establishing multiple sets of governing apparatuses would alleviate the burden on officials.

At the same time, the eastern part of Baju featured perilous mountains and rivers, while the western part was relatively flat, with distinct customs in the two regions. Dividing Baju into three would also better accommodate the local folkways and sentiments of both its eastern and western halves.

This was an outcome everyone was happy to see.

"Do any of you harbor differing views?" Liu Zhang invoked the virtue of Emperor Taizong of Tang in readily accepting good advice, turning to inquire of those assembled.

"We follow only Your Illustrious Lordship's command," Meng Biao, a prominent scholar of Baju, stepped forward first to declare his stance, expressing absolute support for Liu Zhang's decision.

Following him, the other Baju gentry stepped forth in unison and proclaimed: "We all follow only Your Illustrious Lordship's command."

Liu Zhang smiled and nodded. "Since that is so, Lord Cheng must no longer decline."

"I thank Your Illustrious Lordship," Cheng Ji bowed and accepted the mandate, assuming the post of Baju Administrator.

"Master Meng, Master Li," having arranged Cheng Ji's position, Liu Zhang turned to the Baju luminaries Meng Biao and Li Jing.

"Master Meng cautioned the great clans of Jiangzhou, while Master Li warned the great clans of Dianjiang, causing each to keep to their proper bounds and preventing them from fostering rebellion."

"Master Meng shall be appointed Administrator of Baxi, and Master Li Administrator of Badong."

"I thank Your Illustrious Lordship," Meng Biao and Li Jing accepted. Following the tripartite division of Baju, their native districts of Dianjiang and Jiangzhou both fell within the territory, making their acceptance of the Baxi and Badong administratorships entirely fitting.

At the same time, joy welled up within their hearts. Just as Prefectural Assistant Wang Shang had written in his letter, Liu Zhang embraced the scholars of Bashu without prejudice against those of Baju. Now, the gentry of Baju could truly be said to have their day in the sun.

Liu Zhang considered the matter: having rewarded most of those with meritorious service, there remained one rather special individual to deal with—Sheng Dao, the magistrate of Liangping County, who had first entangled himself in the rebellion and subsequently defected back.

"Bring Sheng Dao in for an audience," he ordered.

Before long, Sheng Dao walked into the hall. Though he was technically a prisoner, he bore no look of anxiety. Standing firmly, he bowed and said, "I have seen Your Illustrious Lordship."

"Lord Sheng, though you raised a rebellion, you recognized your error and turned back to the law, holding fast to Liangping and cutting off the enemy's line of retreat. You may also be counted as one who has rendered meritorious service," Liu Zhang pointed out Sheng Dao's contribution.

Sheng Dao wore an expression of deep shame. Cupping his hands in refusal, he replied, "I was deluded by Liu He and committed a monstrous crime. Holding Liangping was merely my duty—how dare I speak of merit?"

"I was disloyal as a subject and attached myself to rebels. As a county magistrate, my jurisdiction of Liangping suffered devastation when the rebel army passed through. All of this is my sin."

He felt endless remorse for having listened to Liu He's instigation and raised troops. Liu He's single-minded pursuit of power and position, entirely heedless of the common people, was something he—as a magistrate of Liangping and an official close to the populace—truly despised from the bottom of his heart.

Moreover, the heroic steadfastness of Cheng Ji, who remained unmoved when Pu Chang threatened him with his son Cheng Yu to force open the city gates, filled him with profound shame.

Consequently, he had slain Fu Ji, the rebel chieftain who remained behind with him in Liangping, and closed the city gates, ensuring that when Liu He retreated, he had no stronghold to fall back upon—an action meant to make some small amends for the wrongs he had committed.

Now that Liu Zhang credited him with the merit of holding Liangping, he dared not accept it under any circumstances.

"My Lord, had it not been for Lord Sheng's rescue, my son Cheng Yu would almost certainly have perished at the hands of the rebels. I am willing to use my own merit to redeem Lord Sheng's crime," Cheng Ji stepped forward and bowed, extending a helping hand to Sheng Dao, who had prevented Pu Chang from harming Cheng Yu and released the youth to return home.

A smile touched Liu Zhang's lips as he nodded in agreement, teasing playfully, "Lord Sheng, today it is not only Jiran who pleads on your behalf, but another person as well, who has explicitly stated a willingness to substitute their own body for yours and remain in prison to expiate your faults."

Hearing this, Sheng Dao looked puzzled, wondering who could possibly be offering to redeem his sins.

Liu Zhang waved his hand, and a woman was led in from outside the doors.

"My wife," Sheng Dao recognized the newcomer instantly, never imagining that his wife would appeal to Liu Zhang to redeem his punishment.

The shame on his face grew heavier still as he bowed to Liu Zhang and said, "My Lord, the state has fixed penalties; how can one substitute another in redemption? I am willing to bear whatever punishment is meted out to me, and I have nothing more to say."

Sheng Dao's wife, Yuan Jiang, also bowed. "My Lord, this humble wife is willing to remain in prison in place of my husband to atone for his crime."

'Truly a couple bound by deep affection. Is this what love is?' Liu Zhang sighed inwardly before pronouncing the final verdict for Sheng Dao.

"The state has its laws; one cannot redeem punishments on behalf of another."

Hearing this, Yuan Jiang's expression turned to one of disappointment, and she opened her mouth as if to speak further.

Yet she heard Liu Zhang, seated above, continue: "Lord Sheng has committed offenses, yet he has also rendered service. Now, his merits and demerits cancel each other out. He shall remain in his post as Magistrate of Liangping County to make amends for his past transgressions."

The words were spoken, and the entire assembly was struck dumb with astonishment.