Cut One, and Two Grow Back - 2
Fortunately, there was no fifth bandit ambush. Of course, by the time we'd already run into four, the word "fortunate" felt like a distant memory—but you have to learn to appreciate the little strokes of luck in everyday life if you want to get by comfortably. Better to give thanks for the fifth disaster that never came than dwell on the four that did.
"These are the bandits we captured nearby. Send them to Shanhaiguan or Wolnam—handle them however you like."
"Yes, sir!"
And these bandits shouldn't lament their misfortune at being caught by me; they ought to be grateful for the chance to be reborn as soldiers of Daesong. If they don't want to die, they'd better be thankful. Complaining in the penal colonies would just get their heads chopped off anyway.
"You there."
"Yes! What is it, sir?"
While the soldiers of Onju-bu Commandery took custody of the bandits we'd captured alive, I pointed out the one who seemed to be their leader.
"Bandits are a perennial headache even in peaceful times, but we ran into them four times just on the road here to Onju-bu."
"O-our deepest apologies...!"
"Of course, I don't think Onju-bu is deliberately letting them run wild. Your armor tells me you're out there keeping the peace on a regular basis."
I patted the shoulder of the soldier, whose face had gone pale as a ghost, offering some reassurance. The scratches and dust on his armor and scabbard made it clear he was the type who rolled up his sleeves and got his hands dirty. Sure, neglected gear gets filthy anyway—but there's a difference between lazy grime and the honest filth of hard work.
That only made the mystery deeper. Onju-bu wasn't slacking off, so why were bandits swarming like this? What the hell was going on?
"I've heard bandits are flooding in from Fujian—is that true?"
"I'm just a lowly foot soldier, so I don't know the details, but yes, most of the recent bandit activity has been coming from the south!"
I let out a quiet sigh at that. Even rank-and-file soldiers following orders knew something was off down south. That was how crazy things had gotten.
"Got it. Carry on."
"Yes, sir! Thank you!"
I sent the soldier on his way before his tremors got any worse. I'd have to get the details from Onju-bu's Branch Manager.
The moment I saw the Branch Manager's face, I realized the entire bureaucracy here was suffering from overwork.
"It's an honor to have you visit our humble Onju-bu, Left Vice Inspector General."
His face was haggard, but he was forcing a smile anyway. It was heartbreaking. Breathing alone must have been exhausting, and now he had to entertain an inspector from the capital? From his perspective, he'd probably want to bite his tongue. Especially if there were other nobles like me around.
"An honor? If anything, I'm delighted to meet you, Branch Manager—working tirelessly day and night for the well-being of Onju-bu."
"Aigoo, sir! Please, speak comfortably!"
The Branch Manager waved his hands in panic at my formal address. It seemed excessive for two officials of equal rank, but then I remembered: we were equals back when I was regular fourth rank. Now I was junior third rank, outranking him. Sometimes I forgot I'd been promoted, since my actual post hadn't changed much. I'd have to get used to it.
"You're in charge of an entire commandery. Sure, I outrank you, but that doesn't mean I can't show respect."
Switching mid-conversation from polite to "Hey, I'm higher up anyway—let's drop the formalities" would just come off as tacky. The difference was only one grade anyway, so polite it was. Besides, even as a prince's grandson, a young punk like me barking casual speech at his elders would stir up gossip for sure. With great authority comes the need for impeccable conduct.
"Well... I'm at a loss for words, sir."
He looked sheepish but pleased, so my choice seemed right.
"That said, Branch Manager, you look awfully busy these days. Your complexion isn't great."
"Oh dear, even you can tell? It must be showing."
He gave a wry smile and touched his face. If he checked a mirror, he'd know—but anyone could see how worn out he was. The kind of exhaustion that made you wonder if he'd lost a fortune overnight.
"It's shameful. As one charged with spreading His Majesty's grace to the provinces, I'm failing in my duty."
"Nonsense. Talented officials like you are rare."
I knew Onju-bu was a mess, but now wasn't the time to say so. Telling him "This place is a shitshow" would just demoralize him further.
"It's just..."
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose at my reassurance. He wasn't trying to hide anything; it just seemed the sheer hopelessness of it all choked him up even thinking about voicing it.
"Bandit activity has spiked recently. It's chaos from Fujian all the way to southern Zhejiang."
"That's terrible."
I nodded calmly—I already knew that much. What I wanted was why bandits from Fujian were going berserk enough to spill over everywhere.
"Indeed, a tragedy. Word is even Fujian's Provincial Commander collapsed from overwork."
"My goodness."
That sobered me up for real.
"They launched a major campaign to wipe them out by taking down the large bandit strongholds, but instead the numbers grew..."
'Large strongholds?'
But his next words shattered the gravity. Those big strongholds were clearly the culprits.
Fujian was on the fringes of the Central Plains. It had even been the base for its own kingdom centuries ago, so calling it a society unto itself wasn't far off. And it was full of mountains. Aside from the coast, it was all rugged peaks.
'A closed-off society riddled with mountains? No wonder bandits thrive.'
Remote from the center. Distinct culture and history, strong enough for its own state. Endless mountains for hideouts. Perfect for bandits: vast territory, hard for outsiders to intervene, far enough for less central attention. For scumbags, it must feel like heaven pushing them into banditry.
Of course, in chaotic times maybe, but in peaceful ones, the state wouldn't tolerate it. Fujian's officials had been purging bandits since Daesong's founding. The problem? Fujian mixed rugged mountains with coastline.
"Fujian had to deal with bandits and pirates and wokou raiders. Even with Dong-gu Wang holding the line against the wokou, you can't seal off the entire ocean. Plus, plenty of homegrown sea pirates cropped up locally."
Forces stretched thin, splitting focus between land and sea. The sea threats had two dedicated heavyweights handling them, so that was manageable—but the land bandits multiplied faster than Fujian could cull them. Leading to over a dozen massive strongholds. The infamous Dongnam Green Forest Twelve Strongholds. Enough to make any official foam at the mouth and clutch their neck—"Green Forest" basically screamed "state failure."
"So Fujian threw everything they had at wiping out those large strongholds..."
"And the mid- and small-timers went rogue."
"Exactly."
The state swung the sword, big holds crushed. Great success. But some bigwig bandits escaped, and the smaller holds they'd controlled went feral. Horrific fallout.
'Look at them, with their little hierarchy.'
It pissed me off, honestly. Lawless bandits should kill each other off. But no, they bow to the big dogs.
"Chasing down scattered bandits like that must be hell for Fujian. No surprise they're spilling into Zhejiang."
At least I knew the cause of the bandit overflow now. Time to coordinate a massive purge with the other regions—
"...Actually, there's one more cause."
"...Pardon?"
My mind went blank. The explanation so far was plenty convincing, but there was another reason for the bandit frenzy?
'Is this hell?'
Cold sweat trickled down my spine. I'd heard the late Yuan era had bandits everywhere—a nightmare replaying in Fujian and Zhejiang?
"S-sir, do you recall Marquis of Huangyan?"
"Marquis of Huangyan?"
I racked my brain at the Branch Manager's question. Huangyan Marquis... ah.
I remembered. Not a top duke or prince, so he'd faded into the back of my mind—but famous enough. Fang Jin, better known as Fang Guojin thanks to his nephew's fame. A warlord and pirate who rampaged in the late Yuan. Got crushed by a certain ocean-hating king before surrendering to his uncle and snagging a marquisate. Lived large till he died of illness a few years back.
Why bring him up now?
"Pirates claiming to be his descendants landed in southern Zhejiang and turned bandit."
"Fucking insane."
The curse slipped out. Why were the descendants of a guy who'd surrendered to the state pirating—and now turning inland bandit? My humble brain couldn't parse it.
'Niche market or what?'
Too risky at sea, so land's the new meta? I had no clue...