"Is that what Leader Zhai said?"
A desk stood in the clearing inside the wooden stockade at White Horse Ford, with a chair behind it. Xu Shiying, barely past twenty, sat upright in full armor, calmly questioning the messenger.
Behind him, the great river rolled on as it always had.
"Yes."
The messenger wiped the sweat from his forehead, forcibly suppressing a certain nervous excitement as he continued. "We haven't formally risen yet, but we already control the money and grain stores, the government offices, and the prison. Following the original instructions, we've locked them up, posted guards, and left everything untouched. Once things settle down, we'll open the granaries and distribute grain together... but for some reason, Chief Huang is nowhere to be found..."
"I sent Huang Junhan out," Xu Shiying answered slowly. "Don't rush. Let me ask you again... did Leader Zhai make any additional arrangements?"
"Yes." The man paused, but immediately made his report. "The commandery clerks throughout the commandery are all joining the uprising, and we've brought the bailiffs under control too. Once the stores were sealed, we had more men available than expected, so Judicial Officer Zhai sent the spare men out. One group went to speak to Second Master Zhai and warn him about Li Tingwen. Another went to speak to the guards at the eastern gate, to buy time and see whether they could bring them over to our side. Then... then he himself took men to the Commandery Governor's Office."
Xu Shiying smiled, pretending not to hear the messenger's unsolicited explanation for Zhai Qian's meddling and grabbing credit, and simply continued his questions. "Secretary He, correct? Then let me ask you something else. After Commandery Assistant Zhou told you everything, what was done with him?"
There was nothing difficult about this question,