Wu Shen nodded.
"Yes. Yang Sichang does not wish to walk the same road his father, Yang He, once walked. Appeasement was never even placed on the table. The moment he assumed office, he began mobilizing troops and pushing straight into the mountains to suppress the rebels."
When people face problems, they almost always draw solutions from their past experiences.
Take a simple example. If, as a child, you were tall and strong, then whenever trouble appeared, your first instinct would be to solve it with force. Over time, your body would grow even stronger, while your mind, rarely exercised, would become increasingly blunt. In the end, you would turn into nothing more than a big, thick-necked brute who only knew how to swing his fists.
On the other hand, if you were small and physically weak, and had to rely on your wits to survive, then your mind would naturally sharpen. Schemes, calculations, and observation would become your tools. But your limbs, seldom used, would grow feeble, until you became a skinny fellow whose strength lay entirely in his head.
Yang Sichang had personally witnessed his father's failure.
From that experience, he drew a single, firm conclusion.
"Bandits cannot be appeased."
As a result, whenever Yang Sichang encountered a problem, his instincts inevitably pushed him toward direct confrontation and suppression.
San Shier reached out and patted Chen Yuanbo on the shoulder.
"Having heard all this," he asked, "what do you think?"
Chen Yuanbo answered seriously, "Every situation must be judged on its own merits. One should devise solutions tailored to the specific circumstances. Past experience cannot be allowed to cloud one's judgment of new realities. Otherwise, you become trapped in old patterns."
San Shier smiled.
"Well said. Daizhou will be in your hands now."
As Chen Yuanbo walked out, he muttered to himself, "I feel like I've understood something, yet at the same time it feels completely useless."
San Shier laughed as he watched his back disappear.
"That," he said, "is called chicken soup for the soul."
A few days later, Chen Yuanbo arrived in Daizhou, accompanied by a special operations team.
Daizhou had yet to recover from the shadow of the Manchu invasion. Outside the prefectural city, the countryside remained scarred and desolate, still bearing the brutal marks of pillage and slaughter.
In many villages, every able-bodied man had been killed, while the women and children were dragged away. Only a handful of people had survived by hiding in the mountains or scrambling into muddy ditches at the moment of disaster.
After the Manchus withdrew, those survivors tried to return and rebuild their lives. Only then did they realize how impossible the task truly was.
Humans are social creatures. They can only survive within a community. If an entire village is wiped out and only one family remains, that family will not last long either.
With no other choice, they abandoned their ruined homes and fled toward Daizhou in search of a living.
When Chen Yuanbo arrived, the sight that greeted him was one of bleak emptiness.
For a long time, no prefect had been appointed here. Local affairs were entirely controlled by the gentry. The most prestigious among them, Sun Chuanting, had already been "abducted" by Gao Family Village and sent off to serve as headmaster of the Yellow Pole Military Academy. The remaining gentry lacked both authority and influence, and maintaining even basic order had been an exhausting struggle.
Fortunately, Tie Niaofei often passed through Daizhou while transporting supplies to the border armies. Each time, he brought large quantities of grain, which he sold cheaply to the common folk. Thanks to this, the refugees managed to cling to life.
Otherwise, Daizhou would have collapsed long ago.
The moment Chen Yuanbo entered the city, the local gentry swarmed around him.
These people were shrewd and well-connected. Through their channels at court, they had already learned exactly what kind of person this new prefect was.
One of them stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Lord Chen, we have long heard of how you governed humble Wenshui County with outstanding results. You proved yourself to be a diligent and benevolent official who truly loves the people. Now that you have come, Daizhou places all its hopes upon you."
Chen Yuanbo did not bother with false modesty. He immediately launched into a familiar string of Gao Family Village policies, explaining them one by one.
These policies had already appeared countless times before. A hundred million words will be omitted here.
After the initial administrative chaos was finally brought under control, another member of the gentry stepped forward. He clasped his hands and said, "Prefect, my name is Xuan Yuan Ke. After Sun Chuanting left, I assumed the role of general instructor for Daizhou's militia."
Chen Yuanbo nodded. "Mr. Xuan Yuan, what can I do for you?"
Xuan Yuan Ke raised his hand and pointed north.
To the north of Daizhou stretched a mountain range running east to west. Its peaks were high, its forests dense, its paths dangerous, and its mineral resources abundant.
This mountain range separated Daizhou from Datong Prefecture. Yanmen Pass, famous throughout the realm, sat astride a vital artery within these mountains, guarding the gateway to the Central Plains.
"Recently," Xuan Yuan Ke continued, "on the far side of that northern mountain range, the Datong garrison has been sending troops into the mountains, aggressively suppressing the so-called rebels."
Chen Yuanbo nodded slowly. "I have heard about this."
"These 'rebels,'" Xuan Yuan Ke explained, "are in fact private mine owners and their workers. They hide in the mountains and dig for minerals. When the border troops attack, they have no choice but to flee south, cross the mountains, and come onto our side. Once here, they simply find another spot on the southern slopes and continue mining."
Chen Yuanbo chuckled inwardly.
Isn't this exactly what would inevitably happen?
Xuan Yuan Ke went on, "From time to time, these people descend from the mountains and clash with our villagers. The militia under my command has already fought several small engagements with them. I seek the Prefect's guidance."
Chen Yuanbo asked calmly, "Since you have fought them several times, you must have spoken with some of the mine owners, correct?"
"Yes," Xuan Yuan Ke replied at once. "I know the locations of their mine shafts."
"Good," Chen Yuanbo said. "Gather your militia and accompany me into the mountains. We will go and talk with these mine owners."
Xuan Yuan Ke froze.
"Prefect, you intend to go personally?"
Chen Yuanbo smiled faintly. "If I do not go myself and instead pass orders through subordinates, misunderstandings are bound to occur. It is better for me to handle this matter in person."
Xuan Yuan Ke bowed deeply. "You lead from the front, Prefect. You are truly a model for us all."
Soon after, Chen Yuanbo, his special operations team, Xuan Yuan Ke, and five hundred militia members formed a large expedition and marched into the mountains.
The terrain was harsh beyond expectation. The slopes were steep, the trails broken, and the forests thick enough to block out the sky.
Fortunately, several hunters among the militia were familiar with the terrain and guided the group along the safest paths. After a long and exhausting journey, they arrived at the edge of a dangerous ravine.
The lead hunter pointed ahead.
"This is Wayaogou. Many of the rebels are entrenched here."
Before his words had even finished echoing, angry shouts rang out from the hillside. Moments later, a large group of people surged out of the ravine.
They were ragged and filthy, their bodies coated in black dust, their faces smeared until only their eyes remained visible. They were unmistakably coal miners.
In their hands were all kinds of tools: hoes, chisels, hammers, shovels, and more. Several hundred of them gathered together, forming an unexpectedly imposing presence.
Behind the miners stood a man who was clearly their foreman. His clothes were somewhat cleaner, and his manner suggested that he was a small merchant type who had studied a little and could read a few characters.
He shouted arrogantly, "You Daizhou fools, was the last beating not enough? Have you come here again looking to die?"
Xuan Yuan Ke roared back, "You Datong idiot, watch your mouth! Open your dog eyes and see who has arrived this time!"
The man across from them stared hard, then noticed Chen Yuanbo's official robes.
His face went pale.
Inwardly, he cursed.
Damn it. The Prefect himself is here. It looks like we will not be able to stay in Daizhou anymore.