Chapter 690
Shouchun Opens the City
During the period when the Han army and the Qi army were negotiating peace, Wang Yan's faction in the city experienced great ups and downs.
When the Han army had just retreated south, Wang Yan and his men thought the Qi army had won, and they were overjoyed. Although Wang Yan had long known that the Qi people did not have good intentions towards him, the fact that the Han army could not take Shouchun was enough to prove the importance of the place. Wang Yan also had deep roots in the area, which gave him room to waver and bargain. As long as he used his hometown ties and said the right things, it would not be difficult to get a good official position from the Qi army.
At that time, Wang Dun was in Shu Han, and he led a portion of the Wang clan in Qi Han. The saying "a cunning rabbit has three burrows" perfectly describes this situation. Regardless of who ultimately prevails, the Langya Wang clan will prosper.
But soon, Wang Yan realized his dream had come true. After the Han army withdrew south, the Qi army did not come, and ships were still patrolling the city. Wang Yan could easily see that the Shu Han army that arrived at Shouchun City again from the direction of Bagong Mountain was still carrying the Han flag with black background and red border. It was the troops of Liu Lang and Du Zeng who had finally returned from Zishan Garrison.
Meanwhile, the Qi army north of the Huai River also began to withdraw in stages. In the thin winter rain and mist, the banners of the Qi army could be seen several miles away from Shouchun City, their colors a hazy bluish-gray, like the withered leaves of cypress trees in autumn. But now that place was empty, with only desolate reed beds swaying in the wind like a veil.
The Han army's renewed siege sealed the fate of Shouchun; everything was about to end.
The people on the city walls are now discussing what choice Grand Commandant Wang will make.
Knowing that defeat was inevitable, the outcome was already predetermined, and Wang Yan simply had a few choices left.
One option is to grit his teeth and continue fighting outside the city, then die on the battlefield. That way, he can die with integrity and live up to his reputation.
The second option was to commit suicide within the city. Although this was not as honorable as dying in battle, it was still respectable enough. One could leave with a complete body and declare to the outside world that one had died for one's country without dishonor.
Thirdly, surrendering voluntarily would be the scenario everyone hoped for. Although the Han army had declared that it would definitely purge Wang Yan's faction, the conditions for the others were still quite lenient. If Wang Yan surrendered sooner, fewer people would die in the war, and no one wanted to be buried with the Jin court.
Regardless, the choice ultimately rests with Wang Yan. After all, the soldiers still stationed here with him are mostly retainers cultivated by the Langya Wang clan over many years, sharing both prosperity and ruin with them. Therefore, Wang Yan can still maintain control over the city's order and keep a watchful eye on all sides.
But for Wang Yan, the person involved, he didn't think that much. Right now, he only felt utterly hopeless and didn't want to think about anything. He just sadly looked at the waves below the city.
Last spring, this was a city nestled amidst lush greenery, the wind blowing in from Mount Bagong carrying a touch of warmth. From early morning, small groups of people would enter the city, and wispy clouds lingered in the sky, reflecting the azure dome of the Huai River – a truly breathtaking sight. But now, this will be a city ravaged by the White Demon, soon to fall.
Wang Yan gazed at the endless military might beyond the water's edge, the surrounding Han banners forming a dark cloud. He couldn't help but recall the battles of recent years. In truth, for all these years, Wang Yan had been trying to avoid such a situation. Whether it was the siege of Luoyang by the King of Chengdu, the siege of Ye by Zhang Fang, or the siege of Xuchang by the Qi army, he had always wisely chosen to remain on the sidelines, thus avoiding these calamities. He had always thought himself clever, but he never imagined that in the end, he couldn't escape the fate of being surrounded by the enemy.
Although Wang Yan held absolute power and served as regent, he had been secretly mocking him for a long time, saying that he had no integrity, only knew how to be opportunistic, and stood on the side of whoever was strong. He exploited his master to the bone, and in the end, he turned the tables and did nothing. It was as if the decline of the Jin Dynasty was all his fault.
But Wang Yan remained unconvinced. In this chaotic world, who could possess integrity? Or rather, what was worth dying for? Sima Xuanwang's coup at the age of seventy taught the world that existence is everything. Even a seventy-year-old, half-buried in the ground, can achieve anything as long as there is still a breath left. This was also the principle followed by everyone in the Jin court: apart from the tangible power, everything else was illusory.
From this perspective, Wang Yifu was an extremely vulgar man, even though his words were exquisite when discussing metaphysics, often captivating his listeners and transporting them to a state of blissful reverie. But when the King of Donghai detailed his scheme to Wang Yan, intending to seize supreme power, Wang Yan was still tempted. He wasn't like Zhuangzi, the phoenix that wouldn't bear fruit without the phoenix tree; instead, he became like an owl greedily eyeing a rotten rat. And in the end, he couldn't even hold onto that last bit.
Only now did Wang Yan feel a profound sense of absurdity. He often discussed Buddhist principles with others, saying that life and death are essentially the same, ultimately all ending in emptiness, but he himself did not believe it. Those in positions of power understand that the difference between having power and not having it is like heaven and earth, let alone life and death. But now that he realized the power he had spent so many years scheming to seize had vanished like smoke, he felt an even greater sense of loss and panic. He seemed to have truly gained some understanding of what the Buddhist concept of emptiness meant.
"Seeking immortals in the Five Sacred Mountains is but an illusion; a lifetime of wandering in Sichuan has yielded no true sight."
Everything was nearing its end. Wang Yan stood atop the city wall for a full three hours, from noon until dusk. At this twilight, the Han army was cooking, the rising smoke creating a beautiful, albeit gloomy, effect against the setting sun. Meanwhile, the people atop Shouchun city walls could barely manage to cook porridge in large cauldrons. Most of the populace were weak and exhausted, lacking both food and salt, and could only afford two bowls of thin porridge a day. Some tried to catch fish and turtles from the lake surrounding the city, but few succeeded.
Of course, this food shortage did not affect Wang Yan and other high-ranking officials for the time being. As it was time for a meal, a woman came to persuade Wang Yan, saying, "My lord, it's time to eat. Everyone is waiting for you."
The visitor was Wang Huifeng, Wang Yan's second daughter. As the former Crown Princess, Wang Huifeng held a very high position in the Jin court. However, because Wang Yan had betrayed Sima Yu, Wang Huifeng had been estranged from her father for a considerable period, often remaining silent even when they were in the same room. Unexpectedly, at Wang Yan's most dejected moment, Wang Huifeng came to comfort him, saying:
"No matter what, sir, you still have to eat."
But his daughter's voice did not comfort Wang Yan. He turned and looked at her for a long time before sighing. He couldn't help but think of his other daughter. To ensure the Wang family's unshakeable power, he had married his eldest daughter, Wang Jingfeng, to Jia Mi, and his youngest daughter, Wang Huifeng, to Sima Yu. This way, the Wang family could play both sides between the Crown Prince's faction and the Empress Dowager's faction, and no matter who won or lost, he would be on the side of the victor. Wang Yan did indeed become the winner as he wished, laughing last, but counting the time on his fingers, it was only nine years. When he entered the city tower and dined with his clansmen, looking at the wheat porridge in his bowl, the astringent taste made Wang Yan feel even more bitter. His gaze swept around; there were only three candlesticks in the room, the dim light carrying a strong sense of gloom, creating an eerie feeling. The shadows of his clansmen and guards swayed weakly on the ground beside him.
In the dim light, everyone tried their best to remain silent to avoid displeasing Wang Yan. But the oppressive atmosphere was too terrifying, and Wang Yan himself could no longer contain himself. He looked at everyone's expressions and asked, "In your opinion, what should I do to gain a chance of survival?"
Everyone looked at each other, unsure how to respond. Wang Yan was still unwilling to accept it. In his view, he had only done what everyone else was doing, and his current predicament was simply a consequence of the times. What wrong had he done? If going with the flow was considered a sin, then there were probably no more than a thousand innocent people in the world.
Seeing the near-suffocating expressions on his people's faces, Wang Yan finally gave up his last shred of hope. Since Liu Xian had already declared that he had to die, there was no room for maneuver; it was all predetermined.
Seemingly having made a decision, Wang Yan stood up abruptly and let General Guo Xiu, the champion, enter the hall.
Guo Xiu was born into a poor family and was a trusted confidant promoted by Wang Yan, but he had little prestige in the court. Wang Yan's decision to summon him was quite puzzling to the Wang family, leading to much discussion.
After Guo Xiu entered the hall, he was clad in heavy armor, his sword hilt hanging to the ground, and he prostrated himself on the ground, awaiting the Grand Commandant's orders. Wang Yan said, "Do you know how many prisoners we still hold?"
Guo Xiu was unaware of this, and Wang Yan continued, "In the past few years, there have been quite a few people who have secretly communicated with Liu Xian, were entangled with them, or even plotted rebellion. There are probably close to a thousand people who have been arrested."
Upon hearing this, Wang Yan's eldest son, Wang Xuan, immediately brightened up and hurriedly replied, "Sir, are you planning to release these people as a favor? What a good idea! If you spare their lives, you can have them help you plead with Liu Xian on their behalf. Perhaps they can find a way to survive!"
"No! These people hate me to the bone. If I release them, why would they plead for me? They'll only be asking for trouble." Wang Yan drew his sword and approached Guo Xiu, urgently ordering him, "Quickly take your men to the prison and kill all these prisoners. Don't let a single one escape!"
Guo Xiu, kneeling on the ground, trembled upon hearing these words. Wang Yan, however, suddenly turned around, muttering to himself as he walked out of the city tower. Guo Xiu and the other princes could not hear what he was saying. He said, "Since I cannot live, then we will all die together. We must all die! We must all be destroyed!"
Upon hearing this, Guo Xiu could only leave the building dejectedly. Facing the astonished gazes of the crowd, he summoned a dozen or so soldiers and they rushed to the prison. After the flood, the prisoners were housed in a hidden compartment inside the northern city wall, where they were kept in darkness. People could only discern the situation outside the city from the panicked voices of the jailers. A narrow passageway stretched out, revealing dark, cold cells, the stench of mold emanating from the end of the darkness.
Guo Xiu felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the densely packed crowd in the prison cell. Most of those imprisoned here were former notables. For example, after He Sui's escape, the entire He clan of Yangxia were imprisoned; there was also the Chen clan of Donghai, who were highly regarded by the Qi people; the Yang clan of Taishan, remnants of the Changsha King's faction; people from Shu; and followers of the Celestial Masters sect, among others. But because they had offended Wang Yan, they were all now imprisoned here, facing a death sentence.
How can we kill all these people? The quickest way is to set fire to the house and burn or suffocate them all, but we don't have enough firewood, and we can't even gather many decapitation blades. Someone suggested, "We can use thick iron rods to kill them, just hit them on the head, and they won't break even if they're all dead."
This was the most appropriate method, so Guo Xiu and the others each took an iron bar and had the jailer open the cell. The prisoners inside hadn't eaten their fill in a long time, and most of them lay weakly on the ground, their hands shackled. Even with the strength of a thousand men, they could only watch the newcomers in despair, like lambs to the slaughter, painfully awaiting their death.
Guo Xiu hardened his heart and began killing with an iron rod. Each strike, cracking a skull, sounded like a drumbeat; the dead screamed, and the executioner felt as if he too had been struck by a mallet. Guo Xiu continued his relentless blows, prisoners collapsing one after another. Those awaiting death closed their eyes, too afraid to look, while Guo Xiu had to precisely target the back of the head; otherwise, if one blow wasn't enough, he would have to deliver a second. After killing dozens, the brutal execution had terrified many into losing control of their bladders, and Guo Xiu and his men were panting heavily, their bodies covered in splattered blood and brain matter.
Such a scene inevitably made people feel nauseous and even vomit, and the victims were naturally vomiting as well. But there were also many cries of people, and the stench of blood permeated the airless city walls, like the smell emanating from hell, forcing the executioners to stop.
Just then, a commotion seemed to come from outside. Guo Xiu, fearing it was the Han army attacking the city, went out alone from his prison to get some fresh air on the city wall. He saw flames rising from the inner city to the northeast. He was horrified, thinking, "The palace is on fire? Could it be that the Han army has breached the city? What am I still doing here? If I commit more murder, I'll surely suffer retribution in my next life!" So he ran away without looking back. As soon as he left, the other soldiers didn't want to stay any longer and followed him in a flash, leaving behind countless prisoners trapped in the jail, crying and wailing.
It turned out that while Guo Xiu and others were being ordered to kill, Grand Commandant Wang Yan had already led his troops to meet the emperor and gathered all the remaining treasures in the palace, including the Imperial Seal, the Six Seals of the Emperor, the Buddha's relics, and precious books such as the Bamboo Annals and the Analects of Confucius, as well as his own past essays. He piled them all up into a small mountain, intending to burn them, along with the emperor and the entire pavilion, to ashes.
This action shocked everyone. His son, Wang Xuan, also disagreed and quickly pulled Wang Yan back to stop him from setting fire, otherwise it would implicate more members of the clan. But Wang Yan wouldn't listen. A group of people had no choice but to chase after him and try to take the torch from his hands. In the struggle, they accidentally set the curtains on fire, and thick smoke billowed out of control.
The people inside the pavilion could only try to salvage the treasures while dragging the emperor and his entourage out, and at the same time, they summoned other soldiers to extinguish the fire. Wang Yan, however, continued to laugh bitterly, shouting to the heavens, "Let go! Let go of me! I will die for my country and go down to meet the ancestors of the Great Jin! I am a loyal subject of the Great Jin! You traitors, don't you even have the integrity to die for your country? Let go of me!"
Now that things had come to this, who would be willing to perish with him? Originally, everyone wanted the Grand Commandant to find a dignified end for himself, but unexpectedly, Wang Yan wanted to drag everyone down with him. Even the most loyal retainers were unwilling to meet such an end. They quickly stuffed him into the pavilion in the east of the city, essentially placing him under house arrest. Then, someone raised a white banner in the south of the city and openly pried open the city gate.
With a deafening roar, a massive wave crashed through the gates, surging and crashing within the city walls. The remaining civilians watched in bewilderment as smoke billowed from the pavilion, mingling with the flames in the dark sky above Shouchun City. (End of Chapter)