Chapter 10: Chapter Ten: The Guard Commander

When Yang Chengzu emerged from the room, he saw that the upper floor had already descended into utter chaos. After a fierce struggle among themselves, the three shifts of bailiffs had finally managed to charge up the stairs in full force. Aside from two who were physically weaker and had been pushed down the stairs, injuring their legs, the others were mostly fine. Meanwhile, the clerks and runners of the Six Bureaus appeared on the floor like divine soldiers descending from the heavens, surrounding their respective superiors to offer greetings. The Jinyiwei and the remnants of the military, conversely, had been pushed outside, unable even to enter the circle.

Seeing him come out, Song Liansheng hurried over and asked, "Nephew, how are you? That killing just now was perilous; you weren't injured, were you?"

Yang Chengzu's mind had been entirely occupied by the slaughter just now, so he truly hadn't had time to notice if he was injured. Only now did he check his body, discovering he had been struck by several blades. Fortunately, they had all hit his armor and hadn't wounded him. He smiled and said, "I'm fine. Their blades are too poor; they can't cut through this armor. At most, it just hurts a bit, but it won't harm me. How are our men? Are the casualties heavy?"

His greatest concern was heavy casualties; if the deaths and injuries were too great, this battle would be a loss no matter what. He was footing the bill with his own money, and casualties meant paying for pensions, medicinal decoctions, and burial silver. Even when people were killed, bonuses had to be given per head. If too many men were killed or wounded, he wouldn't be able to make ends meet. Furthermore, if the families of the military remnants came to his door to curse him, his reputation would suffer.

Song Liansheng said, "Don't worry, our men didn't suffer much. These boys were all raised fighting in street brawls; they are all slippery characters. Between the lime bags and the dirty tricks, they know when to advance and when to retreat, so they sustained no damage. It's the official's man, Headman Tie Zhongying, who I think is beyond saving."

Tie Zhongying came from a lay disciple background of Shaolin, having trained at Mount Shaoshi and studied martial arts under Shaolin masters. He was known as the finest spear and staff fighter in Hua County, his skill surpassing many heroes. He possessed true ability; in several brawls with the Jinyiwei, even the Jinyiwei had to admit that no one could match him in a one-on-one fight. Yang Chengzu hadn't expected him to capsize in such a setting. Song Liansheng said, "Whose fault is that? This was a fight for lives, not a martial arts competition. It's true he is a hero, but unfortunately, he hasn't been through a real battlefield. Risking one's life like it's a mere competition—isn't that just seeking death?"

In the martial arts of the Ming Dynasty at this time, the spear and the staff were essentially of the same school. In daily brawls, everyone tried to use staves rather than spears; only when fighting for their lives would they attach a spearhead. The techniques were not vastly different, primarily to avoid casualties as much as possible.

To settle grievances with passion and kill with a smile were stories from storybooks; the Ming Dynasty was a place governed by the law. In the later Wanli period, the great Southern martial arts master Cheng Zongyou killed someone during a duel and still had to flee beyond the frontier for over a decade, not daring to return home; even the great Xingyi Quan master Dai Bomin had to honestly sell grain. Therefore, when people competed in martial arts, they would try their best to avoid lethal force, absolutely preferring a staff over a spear if possible. Tie Zhongying was a bailiff of the yamen and had practiced the staff for a long time, but unfortunately, he had never experienced a life-and-death struggle. In a setting like today, he had actually forgotten to switch to a spear.

These bandits were not comparable to the ruffians of street brawls; every one of them was fierce and truly dared to kill. A water-and-fire staff strike to the body might not be fatal, but a heavy iron blade to the body would certainly take a life. Tie Zhongying was not Yang Chengzu; he had no armor for protection. Consequently, when they clashed, relying on his superior staff skills, he charged too far forward. He managed to knock one man down with a strike, but unexpectedly, the opponent risked a blow to deliver a single slash, disemboweling him.

If the rescue had been timely, there might have been a slim chance of survival, but at that moment, everyone was rushing to save the Great Lord. Who could spare a thought for Headman Tie? By the time they remembered him, they could only find some reed mats to wrap his corpse and send him home. Zhang Jiayin had already squeezed out from the crowd by then. He walked a few steps to Yang Chengzu and patted him lightly on the shoulder. "Yang the Hundred-Exterminator, you have worked hard. In this capture of the rebels, the Hundred-Exterminator deserves the primary merit. This official will return to the yamen immediately to submit a report requesting rewards and to record your achievements. Additionally, for the Jinyi boys who came to suppress the bandits today, the county yamen will provide separate rewards!"

He then commanded behind him, "Someone, come! Deck out Yang the Hundred-Exterminator in red and ribbons, and invite a troupe of musicians to escort him home. Consider it this official's small token of gratitude to Yang the Hundred-Exterminator. Tonight, this official will also host a banquet here to entertain my savior."

In the Ming Dynasty, the civil was valued above the military. Generally speaking, civil officials had no need to actively maintain close ties with military officers. An institution like the Jinyiwei was even more of a thorn in the side of civil officials, whom they wished to eliminate as quickly as possible; civil officials were unwilling to be close to them. How could Zhang Jiayin, a distinguished scholar of both civil and military examinations, normally hold a Jinyi Hundred-man Commander in any regard?

But the situation was different this time. As a civil official, his most important asset was not his performance, but his reputation. Although the current atmosphere was gradually becoming more relaxed—where drinking and carousing were no longer considered crimes but rather elegant pursuits, and even the famous "Three Yangs" were called legendary for flirting with courtesans—being tied up in a brothel by bandits for a night was a story that would not sound good no matter how it was told. Even if it wouldn't lead to actual impeachment and removal by censors, his prestige among the literati would inevitably suffer a great blow.

If the Jinyiwei could coordinate with him in their relevant reports, framing this capture as a secret operation against the White Lotus Sect, things would look much better for him. Even if not everyone necessarily believed the Jinyiwei's version, having that official narrative as backing would give him more room to maneuver.

Since he had this information, he had to appropriately curry favor with Yang Chengzu. Besides, this life-saving debt was real. Zhang Jiayin, having only been in office for a short time, still possessed a conscience, so he could manage to save face. A bailiff ran out like a gust of wind, first seizing a roll of red silk and then knocking down a few musicians. In any case, a slap served as a down payment and a wooden stick served as the final settlement; this display of musicians wouldn't cost the county treasury a single copper, saving the imperial court a large amount of expenditure.

Someone else went to find a horse and helped Yang Chengzu up, sending him toward the Yang residence amidst the music and fanfare. As for the fallen Tie Zhongying and the others who were injured, no one bothered to ask about them.

By the time they reached the gates of the Yang residence, Lady Liu had long been waiting inside with a racing heart, terrified that something might happen to her "cheap" son. Hearing the commotion outside, she hurriedly opened a crack in the door to peer out. Seeing Yang Chengzu sitting atop a horse, cupping his hands toward the neighbors, and seeing many musicians playing their instruments with long faces, while the yamen officers and Jinyiwei soldiers crowded around him like stars surrounding the moon, she finally felt at ease.

Once they entered the courtyard, the musicians were dispersed with a few blows from staves, and the bailiffs each received about a hundred copper coins before dispersing. However, the Jinyi were called back by Yang Chengzu.

"It is rare for you uncles and elders to gather so completely. Today, I happen to have something to discuss with you all. The County Magistrate has already promised rewards, and I expect the silver to arrive within a few days. However, as I said before, regardless of whether he issues rewards, I will issue my own. Old Wang, according to my father, I should call you 'Grandfather.' Please bring out the silver. Don't bother with recording merits for decapitations; let's just divide the money based on the number of people killed. I won't take my own share."

"Furthermore, after my natural kin fulfilled his duty to the country, you uncles and elders came not only out of pity for my filial duties but also out of pity for my widowed mother and orphaned son. You took over all the matters in the guard for me, so I didn't have to lift a finger. This is your care for me out of respect for my father, and your nephew will keep it in his heart. However, if you show me such kindness, I cannot simply accept it and enjoy this easy life; that would be disrespectful to you elders. Therefore, I intend to return to work in a few days to take up my proper duties. When that time comes, I hope you uncles and elders can provide much support. Your nephew thanks you in advance."

He bowed deeply to everyone, gave a polite salutation, and stood up, saying, "In the future, if your nephew does anything wrong, please do not hesitate to speak up. However, if duties are assigned, please, for the sake of my father, do not decline them. Do not make things difficult for your nephew."