Using Han to govern Han
He sighed and said, “In the past, when the Northern Qiang conquered various cities, they would occasionally use local Han people to govern them and allow Han merchants to come and go to do business, because they themselves had no experience in managing Han lands, nor did they know how to collect taxes, manage affairs, or maintain the operation of a city. I think that now that they have conquered the capital Luoyang, they must have the ambition to become emperors and kings, and they will try their best to preserve the original Han people’s governing institutions, at least to complete the transition of governance experience. In that case, our Gongye family will have great potential with our ability to trade between the northern and southern barbarians and Han peoples.”
Yuan Si Niang then realized why the head of the Gongye family had risked staying behind when Luoyang fell.
He was unlike those officials in the court who fantasized that the barbarian cavalry wouldn't be able to invade and who sought only to prosper. He stayed not because he thought Luoyang wouldn't fall, but because he was waiting for an opportunity.
It is an opportunity for a new Central Plains dynasty to be established in Luoyang.
If the Gongye family were to invest at this time, they would undoubtedly become the economic backbone of the new dynasty and provide an opportunity for the Gongye family's "Wanxiang Kingdom" to rise again in the Central Plains.
This opportunity could only be seized by the current head of the Gongye family; it could not be conveyed by a servant.
Yuan Si Niang's eyes revealed a complex and indescribable expression: both admiration and regret.
The head of the Gongye family glanced at her and immediately understood her meaning. He smiled wryly and said, "Back in the Flower Moon Pavilion, what attracted me to you, Fourth Miss, was your exquisite and insightful nature. Indeed, I misjudged, and the entire plan has failed. Fortunately, we finally managed to obtain this white banner, which can escort us out of the city."
Gongye Fusu, who had been silent all along, suddenly looked up and said, "Is it because they have other Han Chinese agents they prefer, and they don't need our Gongye family?"
He seemed to be talking to himself as he said, "If so, it must be the Xiao family. The Xiao family in the court has always been pro-surrender. I absolutely do not believe that they have no connection with the Northern Qiang."
Yuan Si Niang was surprised that this young boy was so familiar with the affairs of the court, and she couldn't help but feel ashamed.
But this only fueled her ambition: if she had the chance in the future, she would definitely be like them, able to discern political trends and be familiar with court information, so as to rely on them for doing business.
The head of the Gongye family was surprised. He carefully observed his son's expression and said after a long while, "Although you have lost your sight these days, it seems that your senses are better than those in the court. Indeed, the Xiao family has received a reward from the Khan of the Northern Qiang. If nothing unexpected happens, their wealth and honor will only be greater than in the old dynasty. However, I do not intend to stay, not because the Khan has rejected the Gongye family. On the contrary, it is quite the opposite."
As soon as these words were spoken, both Yuan Si Niang and Gongye Fusu showed expressions of surprise.
The Great Khan did not refuse the Gongye family head's proposal to act as his representative for all matters concerning the Han people. Then why did the Gongye family head rush out of the city so late at night, unable to wait until dawn?
The head of the Gongye family smiled bitterly and said, “To judge a person, you can’t just listen to what he says; you have to see what he does. Did you see the fire in the city last night, and did you hear the crying and screaming in the nearby streets and alleys?”
Yuan Si Niang nodded in agreement. Judging from Gongye Fusu's expression, he was clearly beginning to understand.
The boy clenched his fist and slammed it onto the table.
Gongye Jia said, "Through the introduction of Marquis Xiao, I met the Great Khan and presented him with the strategy of 'using Han to govern Han.' I also proposed that the Gongye family could help stabilize commerce in Luoyang, so that grain and cloth from the south could be transported into Luoyang normally, and horses from the northern lands could also be transported to the south via the Gongye family's merchant ships. If commerce prospers and people's livelihoods flourish, Luoyang can maintain its status as the capital of the world. The Great Khan can then consider inheriting the Han dynasty and becoming emperor, winning people's hearts and gradually making the world submit. At that time, the military will only need to make a slight show of force, and the Southern Dynasty, knowing that the situation is hopeless, will surrender without a fight."
As Yuan Si Niang recounted the words of the Gongye family head, A Qiu, who was eavesdropping nearby, could only sigh with emotion.
Although Gongye Jiazhu's statement made him a major enemy of the Southern Dynasty, it was undoubtedly a way to survive for the people of Luoyang, which had already fallen.
If the Northern Qiang Khan had truly adopted this suggestion, the Han people of the Central Plains could have lived in peace and prosperity. In that case, there wouldn't have been so many scholars fleeing south, and the conflict between the North and South would have become increasingly acute, ultimately leading to a situation of endless fighting.
But the final result was clearly not like that.
As Yuan Si Niang listened, she felt her heart pounding with fear. She said, "The Master's words are for the sake of the world, and can be described as the best and most beautiful. If I were the Great Khan, I would surely support the Master as the King of Might, and the great cause of the dynasty would begin from here. I think the Great Khan would not be able to object."
The head of the Gongye family smiled bitterly and said, "He not only did not object, but nodded in agreement all the way, praising me to the extreme. He even bestowed upon me a royal insignia and a white banner, allowing the Gongye family to move freely and trade freely within the territory of the Northern Qiang. Seeing his tolerance and wisdom, and his kingly demeanor, I thought there was great hope for peaceful coexistence and co-governance between the Hu and Han people, and that it could save the lives and people of this place. However, as soon as I left the royal tent, I immediately saw the truth."
Yuan Si Niang knew without asking that when the bloody and cruel massacres and looting in the city were laid bare before the eyes of the Gongye family head, he had already understood the reality.
The Northern Qiang people have always lived by the ways of nomadic bandits. Regardless of whether the Great Khan truly intended to implement benevolent rule, he could not restrain his subordinates' mindset of plundering wealth and killing the weak. The idea of recuperating and rebuilding for the long term was something nomadic peoples had ever done.
Even if Hulüjin had this thought, the tribal chiefs who had followed him all the way in wouldn't think the same way. If they had worked so hard to conquer a capital city, but couldn't plunder its gold and silver, couldn't burn and kill for amusement or to show off their military might, and couldn't enslave its people, then what was the point of conquering this city?
Yuan Si Niang made one last effort, though she knew it was just to comfort him, saying, "At least the Khan acknowledged the head of the family's words to his face, which means he already has a preliminary idea for governing the country."
The head of the Gongye family said solemnly, “He must have a master guiding him, otherwise he wouldn’t have gained the trust of Marquis Xiao. But in any case, my judgment is that even if he has the idea of governing the country with Han people and coexisting with them, it is still just a vague idea. As for the current situation, if we don’t leave quickly, even if we are not killed by them, the policy of enslaving the Han people will soon fall on our heads, because turning the conquered into slaves and managing them with whips and shackles is the longest-used and only way of managing conquered lands that they know how to do.”
Gongye Fusu suddenly whispered, "We've arrived at the city gate."
It turned out that although he was blind, his hearing was even more acute than before. Yuan Si Niang and the head of the Gongye family were talking, but they could not hear the subtle sounds from near and far like he could.
As soon as Yuan Si Niang was reminded, she heard the clanging of weapons and the thumping footsteps of a line of soldiers approaching.
Someone shouted in broken Chinese, "The Great Khan has ordered a city-wide lockdown. Who is this person and where are they going?"
With this shout, a "whoosh" seemed to appear as all the soldiers drew their swords and surrounded the caravan of Han Chinese merchants.
The head of the Gongye family remained silent, his expression extremely solemn.
The fate of the entire Gongye family caravan rested on this single moment. Although the caravan bore the white banner and royal insignia bestowed by the Great Khan, at this time of year, if the soldiers were greedy for money and women, and acted without remorse, killing them all in the chaos, no one would seek justice for them.
Leaving the city at this moment is inherently risky. But this is the last chance to escape.
The Gongye family's caravan included a Hu man who could speak the Northern Qiang language. This man was an elderly Jie man who immediately stepped forward and explained with a smile.
He then added, “When the Gongye family was in the north, they often traded with the Qiang people. The fumigation materials used in your army to prevent the plague were transported from the south by the Gongye family, who traveled over mountains and rivers to do so.”
Upon hearing this, the soldier softened his tone and said, "We need to check who's in the car before we can let them pass."
This was to prevent the smuggling of important officials or members of the royal family.
The old Jie man smiled obsequiously and said, "They are all just servants and helpers. The people sitting in this carriage are our master, his wife, and his son."
Despite saying this, he had no choice but to lift the carriage curtain and let the soldiers see what was inside.
Yuan Si Niang was well-prepared for this. The Gongye family had a tradition of disguise, and she had already disguised her appearance to make it look ordinary. At first glance, she was just an old, thin, sallow-faced woman dressed in slightly fancy clothes.
The head of the Gongye family had a long beard that covered his face, and he had the appearance of an ordinary middle-aged man.
Gongye Fusu was just a boy, and he covered most of his face with strips of cloth wrapped around his eyes, so he did not attract much attention at first glance.
The soldiers inspected the situation inside the vehicle and raised their hands to signal that it could proceed.
Just as the curtain was lowered, Yuan Si Niang suddenly saw something.
It was a long line of mule carts heading this way, heading out of the city. At first glance, they were all covered with straw mats, rolled up and spread out haphazardly.
But upon closer inspection, one can still discern human figures inside.
What startled Lingyuan Si Niang was a woman's bare foot, painted with nail polish, peeking out from under the straw mat.
That foot, which should have been a beautiful shape, was now covered in bruises and bloodstains.
At her ankle, a dark red rope was tied, with a small wooden gourd hanging from it.
Yuan Si Niang only had time to glance at it before the curtain was already drawn. Outside the carriage, soldiers shouted gruffly, urging the Gongye family's caravan to leave the city quickly and avoid congestion at the city gate.
Yuan Si Niang listened blankly to the sound of her own wheels rolling over the ground, and for a moment felt a sense of disorientation, as if she didn't know where she was.
The image of that bare foot, along with the red rope and gourd tied to it, was so shocking that it kept flashing before her eyes.
A moment later, she was suddenly jolted, as if controlled by an inexplicable and enormous force. She involuntarily got up, wanting to get off the cart and turn back to take another look at the skeleton on the mule cart, so that she could confirm it with her own eyes.
As soon as she moved, her shoulder was firmly pressed down by a strong young man's hand.
It was Gongye Fusu beside her. Although the young man couldn't see, he could guess what she was about to do, and thus stopped her in time.
He said softly, "Whatever you saw just now, please remember what you advised me last night."
Yuan Si Niang recalled the flickering firelight on the Duan family's wall and the words she had spoken to Gongye Fusu: "These are extraordinary times. It's better to avoid trouble. The Gongye family's wealth is coveted by the Northern Qiang people. We must not give them any reason to cause trouble at this juncture."
She looked up and met the extremely solemn gaze of the Gongye family head, a gaze that told her to stay calm and not to act rashly.
He must have seen what happened when the curtain was lifted just now.
His lips moved, uttering silent words.
"Right now, you need to protect yourself."
Hearing Yin Shang's hesitant voice, A Qiu asked, "Madam... when you got out of the carriage and wanted to turn back to look for someone, was it one of your sisters at Huayue Tower?"
Yuan Si Niang gazed out the window into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. After a long while, she said, "Actually, I'm not quite sure if that's Pinlan."
In this vast world, perhaps there are other women in Luoyang who, like Pinlan, wear a small red string pendant on their ankles. She wasn't even sure if, in the past, she had occasionally glimpsed Pinlan wearing a gourd or a bell.
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