Chapter Forty-One: Night Visit to the Mass Grave

Li Gui? King of the Western Regions? My apologies, but I, Li Wenyuan, will accept this title of King of the Western Regions with heartfelt gratitude.

Li Wenyuan had resolved in his heart that, even if there were no real evidence, he would nevertheless pin this filthy accusation on Li Gui and bring him down completely.

If Li Gui had long harbored treasonous intentions, there must certainly be a hidden granary somewhere, stocked with grain and weapons. Li Wenyuan made up his mind that, once he reached Wuwei Commandery, he would find a way to create a major incident.

If there is something to be said, speak at length; if not, keep it brief. In the blink of an eye, the jade rabbit rose in the east and night had fallen.

Li Wenyuan, Zong Luohou, and Zhang Juntao gathered outside the east gate, each holding tools for digging—shovels, pickaxes, and iron rods. Carrying their lanterns, they made their way to the mass grave. Li Wenyuan probed the ground repeatedly with the iron rod; it had rained recently, and though the surface had dried, the rain had compacted the loose earth, making it hard to distinguish anything unusual.

The iron rod was a last-minute idea. Zhang Juntao had mentioned that the county magistrate said the recent rains had delayed the money and grain convoys bound for the capital, so Li Wenyuan grabbed a camping iron rod just in case. Unexpectedly, it proved most useful.

Both Zhang Juntao and Zong Luohou were carefully examining the traces on the ground. At that moment, the sound of the iron rod striking something hard came from Li Wenyuan’s side. The three men paused in surprise. Li Wenyuan withdrew the iron rod and pointed at his feet. “It’s right underneath here.”

They quickly set to work, digging with shovels and pickaxes. Before long, they unearthed the first chest. Zong Luohou volunteered to jump down and, with considerable effort, hoisted the chest up. Together, Li Wenyuan and Zhang Juntao pulled it to the edge of the pit.

Zong Luohou climbed out, and the three prepared to open the chest and see what was inside. Zong Luohou remarked, “General Li, this chest is very heavy. Could it be...”

Li Wenyuan said nothing. At that moment, Zong Luohou handed him a piece of black cloth. “General Li, perhaps you should cover yourself. It’s considered unlucky for the living to come into contact with the dead.”

Li Wenyuan waved him off. “It doesn’t matter. If these are truly the bodies of the innocent villagers, all the more reason for me to let them know I will avenge them.”

With that, Li Wenyuan signaled to Zhang Juntao to smash the brass lock with his shovel. Zhang Juntao nodded and made a few gestures in the air, indicating the others should step back to avoid injury.

When the two had stepped aside, Zhang Juntao swung the shovel down with force. Sparks flew, and the lock fell away with a clang.

Seeing that Zhang Juntao had opened the lock, Li Wenyuan and Zong Luohou leaned in. Zhang Juntao slid the blade of his shovel gently into the gap of the lid and pried it up, flipping the lid off entirely. At that moment, a mass of dark clouds obscured the bright moon.

Li Wenyuan noticed the sudden darkness, glanced up at the sky, and said, “Clouds at a time like this? Heaven truly has no eyes.”

When the clouds showed no sign of dispersing, Li Wenyuan reached for the nearby lantern and brought it closer to the chest. The three men peered inside—and all drew sharp breaths.

A vague human shape could be seen curled up within. Suddenly, the clouds scattered, and moonlight poured down like water, illuminating the ground with clarity.

By the light of the moon, they finally saw the contents of the chest.

Inside were several corpses, each with a slit throat. The dried blood stains within the chest showed that the victims had been locked inside immediately after their throats were cut.

It was a scene of utmost cruelty. Death by throat-slitting is not instantaneous; there are still several minutes of agony and struggle. The scratch marks on the inside of the chest and the torn, bloody fingertips of the corpses were proof enough that these people had been locked in alive after their throats were cut.

Li Wenyuan and Zhang Juntao brought up more chests, over a dozen in all. Every one contained corpses, each dying in much the same way as the first. The three quickly and carefully removed the bodies from the chests and laid them out respectfully to one side.

Zong Luohou, recognizing the faces of several within, angrily tore the black cloth from his face. He took several deep breaths and did his best to steady his voice. “General Li, these are all villagers from the foot of the mountain. I’ve stayed at their homes before. All the able-bodied men in their families died in Liaodong. They were kind and gentle elders. I often sent men to help them with farm work, hoping for a good autumn harvest to provide for these lonely old folks. Who could have imagined they would meet such a fate?”

Zong Luohou’s hands were clenched deep in the soil, veins bulging on his forehead. Li Wenyuan said nothing more, but patted his shoulder. “Since these are the innocent, let’s not stand idle. Let’s tidy up these pits and bury them properly.”

The other two said nothing, but jumped into the pit and began to dig, leveling and preparing the burial ground with their shovels. For a while, no one spoke. The cold night was filled only with the sound of shovels striking earth and the fall of stones and soil.

After burying the wronged villagers, Zong Luohou, his eyes red, said, “General Li, we’ll part ways here tonight. I’m going to slip into the county and kill that bastard official, then take my brothers east to join Xue Ju.”

Li Wenyuan replied, “No, if you want to join Brother Xue, I support you. But you must not touch the county magistrate. I still have use for him alive.”

Zong Luohou, somewhat displeased, said, “General Li, you trusted a bandit chief like me, risked being branded a traitor by the authorities to investigate the villagers’ fate with me, and I am grateful. But why are you protecting that dog of an official?”

Li Wenyuan answered, “Today, when I was in town investigating, I saw Li Mao.”

Zhang Juntao spoke up, “Li Mao? The kinsman of Li Gui from Wuwei Commandery?”

Li Wenyuan nodded. “Yes, that’s the one. Juntao, from your words, it seems you know Li Gui? Tell Chief Zong what you know.”

Zhang Juntao finished setting up the last gravestone, fashioned from a chest’s plank, bowed, and turned to Zong Luohou. “Chief Zong, if you’ll permit me, I’ll explain.”

He then briefly recounted the story of Li Gui and Li Mao to Zong Luohou:

Li Gui was a native of Guzang in Liangzhou, much like Xue Ju—a wealthy and influential borderland magnate with great prestige in Liangzhou, and many powerful followers. He himself possessed some cunning, though mostly in handling minor affairs, lacking the strategic vision needed for grand undertakings. His reputation in the village was decent, and a few years ago, he was appointed as Deputy Commander of the Eagle Battalion.

A “deputy commander” is an official-in-waiting; when the current officeholder leaves, he formally takes over the position.

—End of section—