The Sorceress' Revolt Author: Toriumi Jinzō Translator: Ainikki the Archivist Ko Biji's Story Part Two: Salt Smugglers Chapter Two It was a quiet night after the party. The salt and iron inspectors went to their beds with some of the servant girls and fell into a deep sleep. The purported purpose of their inspection was to collect local taxes for the imperial court, but they were really using the funds they collected to live high on the hog with the governor. In the early Song dynasty, the structure of the government changed. Before that, there was a supervisory committee populated by the Prime Minister and court eunuchs to report on matters of local government. Now there was no oversight for politicians like the governor and court appointees like the inspectors, and they abused their freedoms to revel in corruption. This should not come as a surprise; unsupervised politicians have always caused trouble throughout history. At this time, most of the Chinese people were farmers. When finances were in short supply, the Imperial Court was known to break its own laws and decrees so that new taxes could be levied. This placed an even greater burden on already impoverished farmers, fomenting great unrest. From time to time, rebellions broke out in the countryside.*** Everyone at the governor's estate was asleep aside from his hired guards. The more the governor engaged in evil deeds, the more protection he hired, as if he believed that more guards would save him from divine justice. There was a bonfire in front of the estate gates, still burning even though the party was over. Several shadows crept along the outer wall of the estate, avoiding the light. One carried a spear. This figure leapt suddenly into the light of the bonfire and knocked a hired guard into the dirt. The other guards reacted immediately. "Outlaws! Rouse the house!" The other shadowed figures rushed the guards, moving to defend their comrade. "They're attacking in the night!" one guard called out. The guards on the outer wall had no warning and were swiftly dispatched. The shadowy figures made their way through the gates onto the estate grounds. These figures were variously armed and armored; some were obviously farmers and some had scrounged up soldiers' armor and weapons. The weapons they bore included swords, spears, bows, axes, and whips. Their ages were as variable as their equipage: some were hardly older than boys while others were bowed with age. The attackers were salt smugglers. As if on cue, a group of cavalrymen galloped in from the left and right and rushed through the gate. The leader of the cavalrymen, a bearded man of about thirty, raised his body from his horse and yelled, "Cut down all those who resist!" There was pandemonium inside the estate. Hired guards and soldiers engaged the attackers with their swords, but they were no match for mounted forces. The salt smugglers rode over and past them like they weren't even there. The peaceful courtyard transformed into a battlefield. The mounted salt smugglers used their horses to scatter the house guards and hired soldiers, stabbing and slashing at them as they ran. The salt smugglers' initial charge was lucky: they encountered sleepy guards and stuffed-full private soldiers without much battlefield experience. Those men were defeated near-instantly. Behind them, though, were the guards that had the benefit of warning. They poured out of the palatial mansion like an army of swarming ants. These men were the governor's bodyguards: his elite force. All of them were battle-hardened veterans. Shouts and screams as the bodyguards engaged the salt smugglers. Swords clashed; sparks flew. "What's going on?" an inspector said, running out into the hallway. The governor approached the inspector. "It's salt smugglers. We're under attack." The inspector went into a blind panic. "Salt smugglers! Please protect us!" The governor nodded. "I'll dispatch your escort force as well. We'll repel this attack." All inspectors from the capital traveled with their own bodyguards. The governor sent a messenger by horse to the military barracks. Servant girls ousted from guest rooms by mustered guards and soldiers ran through the hallways, some of them naked. Amid all this commotion, Tanshi woke up. He poked his head into the hall to ask about what was happening. By good luck, the governor was passing by Tanshi's guest room just as he awakened. "What's wrong?" Tanshi asked. "Did something happen?" "Salt smugglers attacked us before dawn," the governor said. "Salt smugglers?" "You should show off your skills," the governor said. "Let's find out how much I'll have to pay you, shall we?" But Tanshi had no desire to kill anyone, salt smuggler or otherwise. "I am a monk. Killing people violates religious precepts." "You've already killed someone," the governor said. "And that is why I should not sin further," Tanshi said. The governor glared. "You owe me for the meal and a night's lodging," he said. Then he was called away by a messenger and left. Tanshi watched the governor walk away. The man was already treating him like a bodyguard. Tanshi had heard rumors about salt smugglers before. Apparently, they sold black salt cheaply to everyone, but they also attacked people in their homes and murdered them. Sometimes common thieves disguised themselves as salt smugglers to benefit from the intimidation factor. If the salt smugglers get in here, my life might be in danger, Tanshi thought grimly. That being the case, he couldn't just lay down and die. "No running away now," Tanshi muttered to himself. Tanshi picked up his pewter staff and went outside. Note 闇塩 Black salt: Black salt (kala namak) is a Himalayan rock salt that has a high sulfur content, which gives it a distinct flavor and smell.
Oct 9, 2023 • Subscribe
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