New Policies in Sichuan

Chapter 17 The School Ground Incident

The entrance to the drill ground was completely blocked by a group of soldiers armed with knives and clubs.

The sun hadn't even reached its zenith yet, but the air already smelled of gunpowder.

These men arrived in a hurry, their clothing in a chaotic yet orderly fashion—some wore worn-out leather armor, others simply wore uniforms, their scabbards clanging, and their clubs still covered in fresh mud. They resembled soldiers, and also a group of desperate outlaws ready for a fierce fight.

Gao Chengli stood behind, his calves tightening.

The biggest spectacle he had ever witnessed in the palace was nothing more than concubines vying for favor, eunuchs tearing each other apart, or at worst, a prince drinking too much and uttering a few words of disrespect in public. But this scene was a real, armed group of soldiers blocking the gate to the drill ground.

If this were in a storybook, the next page would probably read, "The Crown Prince is in danger."

Sun Kuo had already led the guards to block the gate, their swords half-drawn, and when he raised his voice, the dust around the drill ground jumped.

Sun Kuo did not just guard the main gate. He divided his men into three groups: two crossbowmen guarded the side gate, four swordsmen and shieldmen guarded the weapon racks, and two others went around to the back wall of the training ground to keep an eye on those who tried to take advantage of the chaos to climb over the wall and open the bolt.

This isn't about killing someone on the spot, but about showing everyone: the Crown Prince is willing to obey, and he has the ability to prevent the blade from flying indiscriminately. Without this layer of military force as a safety net, any eloquent words that follow are just empty promises.

"Back off! Any further ramming of the door will be considered a military riot!"

The leader outside the door didn't back down. Instead, he stepped forward, puffed out his chest, raised his chin, and roared, "What utter chaos! Our brothers are starving, and as soon as the Crown Prince arrives, he starts taking attendance, deregistering, and checking heads. In the end, won't he just use us, the living, as his targets?"

As soon as he said this, the group of people outside the door immediately started shouting.

"that is!"

"Yesterday they checked the warehouses, today they're mustering troops—are they going to starve tomorrow?!"

"Those things in the accounts were decided by the higher-ups, so why are the brothers the ones who suffer!"

"No one is getting this name mentioned until we give them an explanation!"

Inside the drill ground, the soldiers who were already standing in formation began to visibly waver.

Some people looked towards the door with hesitation in their eyes; some tightened their grip on the gun barrel; and some had a clear "what they're saying doesn't seem wrong" written on their faces, as if one foot was already between "joining the commotion" and "waiting and seeing."

He Biao stood at the front of the line, his face ashen, the sweat on his forehead looking as if he had just been pulled from the water. He moved his lips twice, wanting to shout to stop them, but not daring to shout too loudly, as if afraid that if he did, the group outside would overturn him and the others first.

obviously.

This group of people didn't just decide to block the door on a whim.

Some instigated, some colluded, and some used their resentment to push forward, which led to the current situation.

Meng Xuanzhe, however, did not move.

He stood in front of the reviewing stand, his expression barely changing, his gaze slowly sweeping across the faces of the people outside the door.

After looking around, he made up his mind: This is not a rebellion.

A person who truly intends to rebel would not shout so wildly, nor would they be so furious.

They're not here to fight to the death.

They came to force a halt.

To put it more bluntly—they were pushed out to prevent him from continuing his investigation.

Seeing that his prince remained silent, Gao Chengli's heart was in his throat. He couldn't help but whisper, "Your Highness, why don't we retreat back to the yamen? These people are currently in a heated argument; what if—"

Meng Xuanzhe didn't even look at him, only uttering two words indifferently: "No rush."

Gao Chengli: "..."

How can you not be anxious at a time like this? Your Highness, are you naturally brave, or did you just pick it up casually in the fire at the grain store last night?

But Meng Xuanzhe was really not in a hurry.

Because he could tell that the strongest aura of these people outside the door wasn't murderous intent, but resentment.

Resentment is the most wonderful and the most foolish thing—if you let it find the person it really deserves to smash, it may not come after you.

He raised his hand.

"Sun Kuo".

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Don't draw your sword yet."

Sun Kuo was taken aback.

"Your Highness?"

"If they really want to charge, it's not too late for you to step in then," Meng Xuanzhe said calmly. "Let them finish their lines first. We can't let them come all this way just to put on a show, and then not even let them say their lines."

Kao Cheng-li almost choked on his words, "put on a show."

At the entrance to the training ground, knives were practically drawn, yet Your Highness still managed to describe it as a theatrical performance.

Those outside the door clearly did not expect that when the Crown Prince saw this scene, he not only did not order the arrest of the people, but instead let them "finish their business".

This momentarily interrupted the momentum that had been building up.

The man at the head of the group was also taken aback.

He was around thirty years old, with a face full of scars and extremely broad shoulders, but his hand holding the knife was steady. Judging by appearance alone, he looked like a fierce soldier; but a true connoisseur would know at a glance that he was more like the kind of person who spent years in the camp drinking and intimidating people, but who probably hadn't actually been on the battlefield many times.

Meng Xuanzhe looked at him: "What's your name?"

The man answered instinctively, "Niu Dahu."

Only after answering did I realize what I was doing. I was blocking the door, so why was the Crown Prince asking me questions like I was registering a household registration?

He immediately hardened his expression again: "What I call myself is unimportant. What matters is who you're trying to save by calling out this name today!"

That's a pretty sharp question.

Everyone inside and outside the training ground looked at Meng Xuanzhe.

Meng Xuanzhe smiled.

"That's a good question."

"I was just about to ask a question too—"

He slowly took two steps forward, standing between Sun Kuo and the drill ground gate. His voice was not loud, but it commanded the entire audience.

"Are you blocking my door today because you think I've identified the wrong person, or because you think I've identified the right person?"

As soon as he said that, the commotion outside the door paused for a moment.

Niu Dahu frowned: "Stop beating around the bush! You called out so many dead, sick, and deserters today. Are you going to remove them from the register? Are you going to stop their food supplies? Are you going to hold the surviving brothers accountable for this?"

"Oh." Meng Xuanzhe nodded. "So that's what you're afraid of."

Niu Dahu retorted, "What am I afraid of? I'm asking on behalf of the brothers!"

"Then you're even better off asking," Meng Xuanzhe said, looking at him. "I'd also like to hear—have you surviving brothers had enough food these past few years?"

These words struck like a hammer blow, directly into the crowd both inside and outside the door.

Niu Dahu's expression froze instantly.

Several of the people following him and shouting also visibly changed their expressions.

Because this question is too real.

It's impossible to just shout at them with sheer force like before.

Meng Xuanzhe then asked, "Are the armor pieces all in place?"

No one answered.

"Can we use knives and guns?"

Still no one answered.

"Have the military households in your family received their due pensions and rations?"

This time, someone outside finally muttered under their breath, "Get my ass..."

The moment that curse was uttered, it was like a tear had been opened.

Immediately afterwards, someone else muttered, "They only gave out half a portion last winter."

"My wife took the child to the county to pick them up, but they said our name wasn't on the register..."

"Old Zhao has been dead for two years, but his name is still being used to receive grain rations, while his living son is not receiving any."

"Those few sets of armor in the camp? Completely worthless! They shattered the last time I swung my sword during drills!"

As the noise increased, the initial momentum of "blocking the door to demand an explanation" suddenly dissipated.

As everyone followed the Crown Prince's questions, they began to remember what they had lost.

Meng Xuanzhe looked at them, his gaze gradually darkening.

well.

This is what he wanted.

When people are so focused on getting angry, they easily forget who they are angry for. But if you force them to think about the daily life in relation to their anger, they will gradually realize that the person checking the accounts and taking attendance may not actually be the one who caused their downfall.

The person who truly exposes his flaws may have always been standing behind him, patting him on the shoulder with a friendly expression and saying, "Bear with it, it's always the same."

Niu Dahu clearly realized things were going badly. His face hardened, and he immediately raised his voice: "So what? These matters didn't just arise today! If you want to remove names and muster troops, the brothers will be the first to go hungry!"

That's not entirely wrong.

It is precisely because it is not entirely wrong that it is most capable of stirring people up.

Meng Xuanzhe looked at him and suddenly nodded.

"good."

"The matters in the accounts didn't just arise today because I've come here."

His admission surprised many people outside the door.

Niu Dahu was also stunned for a moment, as if the second harsh words he had prepared suddenly had nowhere to come out.

Meng Xuanzhe didn't give him a chance to be stunned, and continued smoothly: "It's precisely because these debts didn't just start today that you've been unable to eat your fill every year, unable to receive your full allowance every month, with the dead weighing on the living, and heads pressing down on your livelihood."

"You guys really know how to pick yourselves to block my door today."

"Because the people who actually eat your rations are never on the drill ground."

"He won't train with you, he won't guard for you, and he won't carry a single grain of rice for the widows and children in your families."

"But he's looking forward to it more than any of you—"

Meng Xuanzhe raised his hand and pointed at the military register behind He Biao.

"Never erase these dead people, never clear these empty slots, and keep these living people in a daze, thinking that the Crown Prince has cut off their path to survival."

These words were like a knife, piercing right through the thin veil of paper.

The training ground and its surroundings immediately fell silent again.

Because many people have already guessed it in their hearts.

No one has ever said it so openly and publicly.

Gao Chengli, who was listening from the side, felt his heart tremble.

His Highness's words practically slapped the question "Who is eating the soldiers' rations?" right on the soldiers' heads, leaving them to figure it out for themselves.

And once you truly understand—

Today, they might not be able to block this gate.

At this moment, Cao Lie suddenly took a step forward, his voice not loud, but extremely firm.

"Niu Dahu, you're shouting pretty loudly."

Niu Dahu was taken aback, turned to look at him, and his face immediately darkened: "Cao Lie? You lame old bastard, you dare to utter a sound here?"

"My lameness is better than your crippled heart," Cao Lie sneered. "You just shouted that the Crown Prince was cutting off our brothers' livelihoods, so let me ask you—Zhou Sanwang has been dead for three years, and last night his family's soldier's badge was still begging for porridge at the city gate. Who cut off their livelihoods?"

Niu Dahu's lips twitched, but he remained silent.

Cao Lie stepped forward, and the old, wounded ruthlessness slowly surfaced in his eyes.

"Old Wang is so old, yet he's still carrying an archer's robe. Who did that?"

"Li Dacheng has already fled, and Li Xiaoyi is being used in his place. Who gave him that permission?"

"Those suits of armor in the camp, they're supposed to be repaired every year, but have they actually been repaired?"

"And you, Niu Dahu—" Cao Lie stared at him, "You received your rations twice last December. Do you dare to say in public whether that extra portion was yours or from the heads of the dead?"

Cao Lie didn't let him gloss over the matter, pointing to a row of pale-faced veterans in the drill ground: "That's not grain that fell from the sky, nor is it grain that the dead get up and eat. The camp reports its quota to the maximum every month, but when it's allocated from above, the brothers end up with a dou or half a sheng short. The extra portion you received was taken from their bowls."

An old soldier missing two fingers suddenly said in a hoarse voice, "Last winter, my family only received 70% of the payment."

Another young soldier lowered his head: "My mother went to ask for more, and said the list was already full. But our family's sacks are never full."

The third man's voice was even softer, yet more cutting: "The bull leader says this is the old custom. The old custom is that we eat less, and he gets more?"

This caused an uproar both inside and outside the door.

Niu Dahu's expression changed drastically; he clearly hadn't expected Cao Lie to expose him in public.

He could have stood up for his brothers and spoken out, but Cao Lie's words, "You received your rations twice last year," pushed him to the other side.

If someone truly stands up for their brothers, why should they get to eat an extra portion first?

Someone in the crowd immediately muttered under their breath, "No wonder his wife can still afford to cook meat during the holidays..."

People started watching Niu Dahu's expression again.

The look in his eyes was different from before.

It's not about joining in the commotion; it's about starting to settle accounts.

Seeing the situation turning against him, Niu Dahu steeled himself, took another step forward, raised his knife, and snarled, "So what if I take an extra portion! Doesn't everyone in the camp live like this? You think the government will actually deliver the rations to us after you count these quotas? Don't dream! They'll still find ways to skimp on the food, and we'll be the ones who suffer!"

Upon hearing this, some people outside the door showed hesitation.

Yes.

Even if it's discovered, can it really be changed?

That's what they're truly afraid of.

It's not that I don't know it's unfair, but I'm afraid that after all the trouble, the injustice will still be there, and I'll be the one used as a scapegoat.

Looking at Niu Dahu, Meng Xuanzhe suddenly found the man quite interesting.

He was a bit foolish, and a bit greedy, but one thing he said hit the nail on the head—

These soldiers might not truly believe in the Crown Prince's New Policies, nor do they necessarily understand the concepts of registers, vacant positions, and pensions. Right now, they only believe one thing: after the investigation, will they be in an even worse situation than they are now?

Once you understand this, things become simple.

Meng Xuanzhe raised his hand.

"Gu Chengyan, bring me those pages from the military manual."

Gu Chengyan immediately presented it.

Meng Xuanzhe flipped to the pages about "seven additional people" and "supplying grain as usual," and showed them directly to the people outside the door.

"Since none of you can read, I will read it to you."

"Seven additional people will be added to the quota, and their grain rations will continue as before."

"Those killed in action awaiting nuclear testing will continue to receive rations."

"Those who have retired due to illness but whose medical expenses have not been revoked will continue to receive their grain rations as before."

Do you know what these sentences mean?

No one outside the door made a sound.

Meng Xuanzhe gave a cold laugh.

"It means—the dead are still eating, but you living people have to give way."

"The deserters are still eating, while you who are guarding the camp are going hungry."

"Those who are sick and disabled may have a name, but those who are truly capable of wielding a knife still have to stand up for them."

"If you really push me away today, these books will remain the same, these heads will remain the same, and this extra grain will still end up in other people's mouths."

"And you—"

He glanced at the soldiers at the door and said, word by word, "Still poor."

The wind blew across the drill ground.

This time, it was truly quiet.

It was so quiet that you could hear the restless horses outside the door snorting.

Gao Chengli stood to the side, not daring to even breathe loudly.

These few words, not a single one of them elegant, are more ruthless than any of the memorials submitted by the entire court.

What is a new policy?

What is called the Eastern Palace roll call?

What is meant by auditing accounts?

Saying it a thousand times is not as effective as saying "You're still poor."

Because this is the outcome that this group of people understands best and fears most.

Niu Dahu wanted to keep going, but when he opened his mouth, he noticed that the person who had been yelling at him just moments before now had a wandering gaze.

Some people looked down at their shoes, some glanced at He Biao, and some even secretly took a half step back.

Once momentum is lost, it's hard to rebuild it.

He Biao stood to the side, sweat streaming down his face.

He knew, of course, who had ordered Niu Dahu to come, and he also knew why these people outside the door had come. He had originally hoped that with this group blocking the door, the Crown Prince would at least have to back down, or at least put the roll call on hold. Who would have thought that this man wouldn't even yield a sword, relying on Sun Kuo to seal the side door, Cao Lie to explain the embezzlement of rations, and a few low-ranking soldiers to cry out their own deficits, before he could finally break through the group's morale.

That's really weird.

Or rather, he doesn't seem like a prince who came from the palace.

At this moment, Meng Xuanzhe suddenly spoke again.

"Niu Dahu".

Niu Dahu subconsciously looked up.

"You just asked me if removing these spots meant cutting off your livelihood."

Meng Xuanzhe looked at him, his voice as flat as if he were talking about something extremely simple.

"I'll tell you now—"

"What needs to be cut off is not the path of the living."

"The road is blocked by dead people."

"It's a path of eating without any substance."

"Someone is using you guys, who are truly tough and resilient, to support his own drinking parties and meat hotpot business."

As he said this, he suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the stack of military roster in the drill ground.

"I have already chosen this person for today."

"If any of you truly believe that you are only keeping your rations by the death of people and empty fame, then continue to block them."

"But if you still want your military households to receive their due share, and if you still want the living to live like living people—"

Meng Xuanzhe paused, his eyes gradually turning cold.

"Then make way for me and go back to your place."

After hearing this, Niu Dahu's expression changed several times, and in the end, he couldn't say a word.

It's not that he lacks courage.

He suddenly realized that if he rushed forward now, he would no longer be "standing up for his brothers," but "protecting those who are taking advantage of others."

Once this label is firmly attached to him, he'll be out of a job in the camp.

The same goes for the group of people outside the door.

Some people started lowering their knives, some quietly moved to the side, and some even muttered under their breath, "Damn it, if we block this door, it's like we're really taking a knife for someone else..."

Just then, Cao Lie suddenly stepped forward and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Zhou Sanwang's family was begging for porridge at the city gate last night!"

That sound was like a stone, crashing heavily into everyone's hearts.

Then he roared, "Old Wang can't even hold a bow steady, yet he's carrying an archer!"

"What you're blocking today isn't the Crown Prince's palace, it's the food your own widows and children are eating!"

This time, someone outside finally couldn't hold on any longer.

A young soldier slammed his stick on the ground, muttered "Damn it" under his breath, and then turned and stepped aside.

The second and third followed suit.

Seeing that people's hearts were scattered, Niu Dahu finally realized that he couldn't stop the door from closing today. His face was ashen, as if someone had put a pot on his head and down his neck in public.

Before he could say anything more, Sun Kuo had already taken a step forward with his men and said coldly, "Get out of the way."

Niu Dahu gritted his teeth, but ultimately didn't dare to stand his ground any longer, and stepped aside.

This gesture made it even harder for those behind to stand.

In just a moment, the previously completely blocked entrance actually made way for a passage.

The soldiers in the drill ground, who had been preoccupied with their own thoughts, all had complicated expressions upon seeing this scene.

They are not unfamiliar with conflict.

I've never seen anything like this before.

There was no clash of swords, no order to knock people to the ground, and not even a drop of blood was seen before the door opened.

It's not about suppression.

That's putting the facts to the chase.

Gao Chengli stood to the side, almost dumbfounded.

He finally understood one thing: His Highness was truly skilled at using words as weapons, and not just the kind that only insulted people, but the kind that could slice away at the confusion in people's hearts, until they themselves were too embarrassed to continue working for those who were just collecting salaries without actually doing anything.

This is even more powerful than a fierce battle.

Although the commotion at the gate subsided, the atmosphere in the training ground did not immediately return to normal.

Because everyone knows this isn't over yet.

Niu Dahu's retreat doesn't mean those who instigated him behind the scenes have retreated; the door being opened today doesn't mean the net behind it has been dismantled.

Meng Xuanzhe was well aware of this as well.

He glanced at Niu Dahu and suddenly said, "Don't go yet."

Niu Dahu froze, his face immediately turning ugly: "What else do you want?"

"I'm nothing special," Meng Xuanzhe said slowly. "I just want to know who told you that I specifically named you to cut off your path to survival."

Niu Dahu's expression changed, but he stubbornly retorted, "Nobody told me; I figured it out myself!"

"If you were truly intelligent, you wouldn't have blocked the wrong door earlier," Meng Xuanzhe said, looking at him. "Say it again. Who sent you?"

Niu Dahu gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Meng Xuanzhe didn't press him, only saying, "Fine, it's fine if you don't want to say. Sun Kuo, keep an eye on him first. I'll think about it slowly after I've finished counting this troop of soldiers."

Sun Kuo grinned: "This humble general obeys the order."

Niu Dahu immediately became agitated: "Why are you arresting me! I didn't really rebel—"

"You didn't rebel," Meng Xuanzhe nodded. "You were just being used as a pawn, and quite skillfully at it."

"I'm not taking action against you now so you can calm down. Once you've thought things through, you'll know who to talk to."

Niu Dahu: "..."

These words even sounded like they were considering his best interests.

But the more he did this, the more uneasy he felt.

He suddenly realized that if he didn't speak up, he would probably be the first one pushed out to take the blame by the group of people behind him.

The roll call continued nonetheless.

This time, however, everyone on the training ground had a different mindset.

Originally, they were afraid of the Crown Prince's investigation because they feared their livelihood would be cut off; now, after witnessing this upheaval, many people have begun to understand that the one who truly cuts off their livelihood may not be the person standing in front of the command platform today.

Rather, it was those who never went to the training grounds on ordinary days, but were the most adept at using old books to obtain provisions.

Gu Chengyan reopened the military manual, preparing to continue, when Zhou Ling'an braced himself and approached.

The magistrate of Qingcheng County had been slowly simmering over a fire from beginning to end, and now that he had finally found a way to speak, his voice revealed a weakness that had been beaten down by reality.

"Your Highness..."

"I have something to say." Meng Xuanzhe glanced at him.

Zhou Ling'an swallowed hard and said in a low voice, "Just now... I'm sure the local gentry have heard about what happened outside the drill ground."

"and then?"

Zhou Ling'an's expression was complicated, as if he himself knew that this news had come at a very inopportune time.

"They...they just delivered a message."

"They said they wished to hold a banquet in the south of the city tonight to apologize to Your Highness for the issues concerning the grain stored up last night and the camp this morning."

Gao Chengli, who was standing nearby, immediately felt a jolt in his eyelids upon hearing this.

coming.

They arrived as expected.

No sooner had they tried to block the gate at the drill ground than a powerful family arrived with a banquet invitation.

What does this tell us?

This shows that within the network of Qingcheng County, the threads connecting the granaries, grain, and soldiers have been pulled so tightly by His Highness that they can no longer sit still.

The so-called "banquet to apologize" is mostly not about apologizing for one's sins, but rather about the hands of His Highness that are still about to turn over.

After hearing this, Meng Xuanzhe only chuckled softly.

"To apologize?"

He glanced at the still-scattered drill ground, then at the military register in his hand.

"They certainly know how to pick their timing."

"I just found out roughly who is eating the soldiers' rations, and they're already in a hurry to invite me to dinner."

He paused, and the smile in his eyes gradually faded.

"Okay."

"Since they are so polite—"

"Then I'll go and meet them for dinner tonight."

The wind blew across the drill ground, and the corner of the stack of soldiers' registers turned slightly, as if it couldn't wait to see how many unspeakable things were hidden beneath the surface of Qingcheng County.

After the incident at the drill ground, Meng Xuanzhe did not punish Niu Dahu.

He ordered Niu Dahu to carry wounded soldiers, move grain sacks, and register the widows of military households.

Niu Dahu initially felt humiliated, until a blind old woman touched his sleeve and asked, "Sir, has the grain really reached my son's account this time?"

At that moment, Niu Dahu suddenly couldn't speak.

Some people don't change through scolding; they are touched in the heart by a pair of hands and realize that they still have a conscience.