"Report!"
Outside the prefectural yamen, messenger after messenger arrived in succession, each shouting news of favorable battles.
This was also court custom. Whenever a Military Contest campaign affected ordinary people or certain cities, if the fighting went poorly, the news naturally would not be broadcast with great fanfare. Instead, it had to be concealed from the common people. This was to prevent the populace, under the pressure of adversity, from harboring all manner of changing thoughts—one misstep, and it could become a popular uprising.
But if the fighting went well, even a minor victory—killing two or three men—had to be publicized. Ideally, everyone along the way would hear of it. Yet considering the stamina of the messengers and other factors, they generally waited until entering a city, then galloped through on horseback, shouting at the top of their lungs to let the people know, thereby steadying everyone's hearts.
At present, this was precisely the situation. Messengers came and went endlessly within the prefectural yamen, while on the streets outside, riders on swift horses would occasionally race past, shouting all manner of news.
"Great victory! Academician Qiu's Northern Army has breached Yuezhou Camp, slain three thousand enemies, and captured twenty thousand!"
"Great victory! Academician Qiu's Southern Army has broken through the Southern Ridges and captured the White Lotus bandit leader alive!" "Great victory! Academician Qiu's Northern Army has routed the coastal pirates!"
"Academician Qiu's Southern Army defeated the natives' counterattack in Jiaozhi and secured the camp!"
"Academician Qiu~ Chang~feng~ ...net, Academician..."
Most of these cries began with "Great victory," stating the point straight away. Even ordinary folk with no experience of battle would feel their hearts settle upon hearing those two words. Then, when they heard the three words "Academician Qiu," they were even more reassured, knowing that all was well.