Chapter 488: A Thousand Miles of Chained Ships Sever the Dragon's Spine

"You seem to be emboldened by something?"

That very night after Zang Ai left, Xu Shu, who was sharing a bed with Guo Jia but found no desire for sleep, finally could not help but voice the doubt in his heart. "In the end, Zang Xuangao is the true master of this place, is he not? You annexed his subordinate, coerced his son, and even insulted him to his face with veiled barbs — aren't you afraid of truly enraging him? With forty thousand troops on the opposite bank, if they really came over, wouldn't this single camp of soldiers be nothing but a joke?"

"You are right, I truly am emboldened by something." Guo Jia, lying on the other side of the couch, came back to his senses from the sound of cicadas outside the tent and could not help but laugh.

"What is it that emboldens you?"

"Zang Xuangao himself!" Guo Jia replied frankly.

"..." Xu Shu was silent for a long time, and finally spoke with difficulty. "I... I don't understand."

"It's normal that you don't understand. Unlike me, who spent so long in Qingzhou, I am simply too familiar with Zang Xuangao as a person." Guo Jia had no intention of showing off, but gave a simple and direct explanation. "In truth, I won't hide it from you — before I came, I already felt Zang Xuangao would not rebel, and after arriving and seeing the man himself, I was even more certain. This man will not rebel!"

"Why?"

"What benefit would there be for him in rebelling?" Guo Jia was unhurried. "You've also seen the man — he has ability, but his vision is limited to just this... He certainly desires fame, profit, power, and position, but never to excess; he has the selfish temperament cultivated over many years as a warlord and bandit, but he absolutely will not cross the line. Such a man has no reason, nor would he dare, to betray Hebei at this critical moment. And what's more fatal is, if he truly did rebel, whether the matter could succeed or not aside, it would destroy the very foundation upon which Zang Xuangao has stood for so many years in Qingzhou and Xuzhou — namely, trustworthiness and personal honor. Tell me, on what grounds would he rebel? However, given his temperament, nine times out of ten he would cover for those colluding with Zhou Yu, and when facing a romantic figure like Zhou Gongjin, he would certainly have some self-satisfied tacit understanding. That is all."

Xu Shu fell silent again for a while before continuing to ask: "So, in that case, the one colluding with Zhou Yu is indeed Zang Ai?"

"I reckon he is among them!" Guo Jia answered frankly. "This man spent many years as a hostage under Tao Qian, practically growing up in Tancheng and Xiapi. To say he has no contact with the south would instead seem like wishful thinking... But it doesn't matter anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just like how, regardless of whether Chang Xi colluded with the southern army, we had to kill him to establish our authority. Whether Zang Ai colluded with the southern army or not, we have no need, nor can we, kill him." Guo Jia answered slowly. "In truth, who the mole is has no meaning. Under the great momentum, even if Chang Xi was not a mole, he was still the greatest threat, so he had to be killed. And even if Zang Ai is indeed a mole, as long as his father will not rebel, what meaning is there in whoever he colludes with? On the contrary, to forcibly pursue the matter and convict and kill him would be what might truly force Zang Ba to rebel and ruin the overall situation."

Xu Shu paused again: "So, you never intended to investigate the mole from the very beginning?"

Guo Jia responded with a yawn.

"Before we even saw Zang Ai, you said that besides Chang Xi, you already had two suspects in mind... What did you mean by that?" Xu Yuanzhi grew increasingly wary. "Your scheme this time goes beyond just this, doesn't it?"

Guo Fengxiao's snoring gradually rose.

That night need not be elaborated upon. Early the next morning, Guo Jia dispersed his five hundred subordinates throughout the main camp, and after controlling most of the critical points, he and Xu Shu calmly brought along the senior officers originally from Chang Xi's unit — the so-called prominent figures of the Dongguan area — and casually crossed the pontoon bridge, entering Kaiyang City. There they met Zang Ba and the other several commanders who had long been waiting, though Zang Ai alone was conspicuously absent.

The two sides exchanged greetings outside the government office, then entered the hall and took their seats. Zang Ba naturally sat in the host's seat, while Wu Dun, Yin Li, Xiao Jian, Sun Guan, Sun Kang, and other commanders sat down in a row on the right in Grand Commandant chairs behind tall-legged side tables. The row on the left, however, was empty, so Guo Jia, Xu Shu, and several Dongguan commanders sat down directly there.

Once seated, armored soldiers suddenly appeared and shut the main doors of the government office. At this point, the topic between the two sides inevitably began with the previous night's surprise attack and execution.

"I am fully aware of yesterday's events. Other matters aside, I have only one question that I must ask Deputy Envoy Guo to clarify... What crime did Commandant Chang commit?" Zang Ba, seated in the host's position in the main hall, asked in a deep voice.

"Is Lord Zang asking in an official capacity or a private one?" Guo Jia sat upright and proper, facing him with awe-inspiring dignity.

"In an official capacity, of course!" Zang Xuangao replied with a frown.

"If it is an official inquiry, then there is no need to ask." Guo Jia answered in a raised voice. "The Jing'antai conducts its affairs with documents of authorization from the Qingzhou Governor's office here. If Lord Zang and my various colleagues have doubts, according to the law and regulations, you may send a letter to Lord Guan of Zhendong or Governor Shen of Qingzhou to inquire, or simply submit a memorial to the Imperial Secretariat. If you feel that my conduct was improper, you may also submit a memorial to the Censorate to report it, or simply send a petition to Duke Yan seeking justice... But regardless, if Lord Zang asks me here today, I must beg your pardon that, due to my official duties, I cannot answer, nor am I willing to answer."

Zang Ba drew a long breath, glanced at the few 'brothers and colleagues' on his right who were nearly unable to restrain themselves, and could only continue with a solemn expression: "Then may I ask Deputy Envoy Guo, what if it were a private inquiry?"

"If it is a private inquiry, then all you brothers may simply call me Fengxiao." As Guo Jia spoke, his brows lifted and his eyes smiled. He casually reached up and removed the headband of his Jinxian Cap — which represented his status and identity as a scholar — and tossed it onto the side table before him. Then he even took off his leather shoes, planted his bare feet directly on the Grand Commandant chair, and slumped sideways into his seat. "You should have said it was a private inquiry earlier! If it's a private inquiry, then I shall answer privately. Given the fellowship we've shared over many years in Qingzhou and Xuzhou, what do I have to hide from you brothers?"

Xu Yuanzhi could not help but cast a look of disdain.

"We wish to hear the details."

"This matter is simple..." Guo Fengxiao leaned sideways against the back of his chair, one hand propping his cheek, the other pointing to the heavens, his toes scratching randomly on the chair — gesticulating wildly, a truly fitting description. "In truth, my killing of Chang Xi yesterday is just like when you gentlemen drove out Yu Du back in the day — all internal family matters! To put it plainly, I, Guo Jia, can also be considered a well-known hero in the Qingzhou-Xuzhou region. It just so happened that I felt Chang Xi was a waste, harbored ill intent, and absorbed his forces, wanting to seize his territory! And thanks to the care of you brothers from Dongguan, naturally I shall now be the master of Dongguan! Consider it an internal change within Dongguan, none of your concern... Wouldn't you say that is the case?"

By the end, Guo Jia simply turned his head and asked the several accompanying Dongguan officers on his side. The officers, naturally, stiffly chimed in one after another, babbling nonsense without pause, which made Xu Shu's expression twitch uncontrollably.

Zang Ba and the several Langya military leaders were stunned for a long while before coming back to their senses, and then they were utterly dumbfounded.

"Deputy Envoy Guo wants to join the gang?" Yin Li could not help but speak up.

"Am I not qualified?" Guo Jia slapped the table in response. "Since the fall of Yuan Shao, I have roamed freely across the Qingzhou-Xuzhou-Taishan region, and can be considered a well-known and formidable figure in Qingzhou and Xuzhou. A mere Dongguan — Chang Xi could occupy it, but I cannot? Is my ability inferior to his, or is my reputation inferior to his? Or do I lack fellowship and dealings with you? Back when Yu Du was driven here by me, a homeless cur, didn't you still give him a foothold? I killed Chang Xi myself and replaced him, without even needing you to divide territory — how am I not qualified?!"

"But you, sir, are the Deputy Envoy of the Jing'antai..." Xiao Jian sneered in response.

"You, sir, were once the Grand Administrator of Langya!" Guo Jia retorted playfully. "Didn't you also join the gang?"

Xiao Jian was instantly speechless.

It must be said, Xiao Jian was different from the others. Back when Tao Qian held Xuzhou and forced the original Langya Grand Administrator Yin De to resign in gloom and return home, the Langya Grand Administrator later legitimately appointed by Dong Zhuo from Luoyang was none other than Xiao Jian. But when this gentleman arrived at his post, he found Langya already completely divided up by Zang Ba and the others, without even a foothold... Instead, it was Zang Ba, who always disliked doing things to the absolute extreme, who took pity on him and gave him the county of Haiqu (Rizhao). After this man settled in Haiqu, he found the realm engulfed in flames of war, his hometown hard to protect, and the central authority equally hard to protect. It was actually more peaceful here with Zang Ba, so he simply brought his family over from Donghai and settled down in Haiqu to feast on seafood — and he did so for six or seven years, gradually becoming one of the most deeply rooted heroes of Langya.

This was exactly the same as Xue Li, the Chancellor of Pengcheng, who was driven away by Tao Qian back then and drifted to the crossroads of Guangling, Wu Commandery, and Jiujiang to scrape by. And Xue Li, as it happened, had recently surrendered after being defeated by Liu Bei and become a commandant guarding a river mouth... As they say, the old society turned officials into bandits, and the new society turns bandits into officials. These years of topsy-turvy changes were by no means anything new.

At this point, Guo Jia suddenly recalled something, and slapped the table again, addressing Zang Ba: "Lord Zang, I remember now — my foothold in Langya has a justification! The Nanyang Yin clan of the former Langya Grand Administrator Lord Yin De is the patron house of our Yingchuan Guo clan! Back then, Lord Yin De's clansman brother Lord Yin Xiu once served as Grand Administrator of Yingchuan. My clan brother Guo Tu was promoted by him, and I also studied at the public academy run by Lord Yin Xiu, making me a disciple of the Yin clan... In terms of origins, Langya ought to have a share of its patrimony belonging to me!"

Under ordinary circumstances, Zang Ba would have long been angered into laughter by the other party's unreasonable pestering. But the words Zang Ai had brought back yesterday still rang in his ears, and he simply could not laugh.

"Brothers, there is no need to take this to heart, and Deputy Envoy Guo need not pester unreasonably." At that moment, Sun Guan, of the Sun brothers who had always held prestige in Langya second only to Zang Ba, suddenly spoke up. "With the doors closed among ourselves, what is there that cannot be said? In truth, Deputy Envoy Guo's meaning is already very simple... In terms of nominal justification, the matter of Chang Xi is not for us to interfere in; in terms of reality, he has already killed Chang Xi and taken control of the seven thousand Dongguan troops, and we can do nothing about it."

Guo Jia could not help but laugh. He put down his bare feet and began to straighten his headdress.

"However, our meaning is also very simple." Sun Guan continued speaking slowly. "We also ask Deputy Envoy Guo not to play dumb any further. You suddenly came to Langya, asked Brother Zang to assemble troops here, and then launched a surprise attack to kill Old Chang... It is nothing more than Hebei being suspicious of us. In truth, during this great war, it is not wrong for Hebei to be suspicious of people like us. But you act so recklessly and without restraint, killing even someone like Old Chang at the drop of a hat, making everyone feel endangered — what kind of reasoning is that? Do you truly take us for lambs to the slaughter?"

"Then what does General Sun think I should do?" Guo Jia finished tying his hair into a topknot, put on his Jinxian Cap, and once again sat upright and proper.

"We are considerate of Deputy Envoy Guo, and we are not unaware of Old Chang's temperament that brought disaster upon himself." Sun Guan continued. "We understand even more clearly that with the strength of a mere single commandery, we are not qualified to waver between two armies... Otherwise, we would not have invited you here to discuss matters. But we also ask you, sir, to give us a clear answer today: what exactly must we do for Hebei to trust us? Hand over hostages? Let Hebei dispatch army supervisors to oversee logistics? There must be a clear line drawn, must there not?"

Guo Jia narrowed his eyes and looked at Sun Guan, then slowly shook his head: "None of these are necessary... I merely wish to ask you gentlemen one thing in return. Have you gentlemen thought about what comes after? After the great war, how will you find your place?"

Sun Guan and the others looked at each other with furrowed brows, and even Zang Ba's breathing grew heavier.

"Do you mean, sir, that we should immediately hand over our troops and go to Hebei to live in idle retirement?" After exchanging glances for a while, Wu Dun could not help but speak up.

"That is not my meaning." Guo Jia shook his head again. "I have known and been acquainted with you gentlemen for many years, and I am perfectly clear about your thoughts. Although in your hearts you understand that the realm will eventually be unified, and that whether Hebei or the Central Plains prevails, you cannot survive forever as you are — still, the pleasure of carving up territory and acting with reckless abandon is not something anyone is willing to give up easily until the last possible moment."

The Langya commanders in the hall could not help but let out long breaths of relief one after another.

"But if a man takes no thought for the distant future, he will have sorrow near at hand." Guo Fengxiao continued speaking calmly. "You sit here today seeking only momentary ease and pleasure. When the overall situation is settled in the future, on what grounds will you establish yourselves in Hebei? And when that day truly comes, on what grounds could we not kill you as easily as we killed Chang Xi?"

The atmosphere in the hall conversely grew tense.

However, Sun Guan alone conversely perked up: "I understand your meaning, sir! You mean for us to take the initiative and march our troops into Donghai, to accomplish deeds and establish merit. This way, not only can we set Hebei's mind at ease, but with such achievements in the future, we can also rely on military merit to establish ourselves in Hebei, whether in wealth or in honor?!"

"Indeed!" Guo Jia spread his hands in response. "General Sun has hit the mark precisely! You gentlemen are already at Kaiyang — why not continue south along the Yi River to Tancheng? Moreover, once you reach the front lines and engage the southern army, Hebei's suspicions will naturally dissolve, and the military merit upon which you will establish yourselves in the future need not be elaborated upon... You must understand, in a great war such as this, the merit of a single battle surpasses eight years of previous stalemate!"

The crowd came to a realization one after another, and then together with Guo Jia, they all looked toward Zang Ba, Zang Xuangao, who had not spoken for a long time... In the end, no matter how chaotic the Langya warlords were, Zang Ba's prestige as the common leader and his personal military ability were undeniable. Moreover, with Chang Xi — who had always refused to submit to Zang Ba — now dead, Zang Ba's position had instead become unshakable.

But Zang Xuangao hesitated for a moment.

Xiao Jian and the others, the more they thought about it, the more right it seemed, and they urged him repeatedly. Sun Guan even rose to his feet, hand on his sword: "Elder Brother Xuangao! You must understand, in today's situation, from the grand perspective, you must choose either Hebei or the Central Plains — there is no other path. Even looking at the situation here in Kaiyang, Deputy Envoy Guo will not give us time to hesitate. Last night he could kill Chang Xi and absorb the seven thousand Dongguan troops with just five hundred men; tomorrow he could kill any one of us... At this point, there is no room for hesitation!"

Zang Ba's heart wavered, and he could not help but look toward Guo Jia again.

Seeing this, Guo Jia did not stand on ceremony, but directly rose to his feet, hand on his sword: "Lord Zang, I have always wanted to say a personal word to you."

"Please speak."

"You are a man who honors brotherhood and keeps your word — that is how you became the overlord of Langya, and how you have survived in this chaotic world until now. But brotherhood is something that shifts constantly with the greater currents of the realm." Guo Fengxiao spoke with earnest sincerity. "The brotherhood of today, applied to the past, may be useless; the brotherhood of the past, brought into today, may instead prove to be a calamity."

"I am eager to hear your full explanation." Zang Ba also grew solemn.

"For example, when the realm was plunged into darkness and chaos, there was no reason or justice to be found in the government offices or in so-called proper society. At that time, you took to the mountains as a bandit, gathered men to protect the people, and allowed those who could not survive to live on — that was the greatest brotherhood under Heaven!" Guo Jia spoke with eloquence and ease. "Then, when Dong Zhuo brought calamity upon the state and warlords rose on every side, for a time there were over forty separatist regimes — there was no place without conflict, no place without occupation. Bandit chieftains and commanders with troops in hand were fickle and inconstant: today they leaned left, tomorrow they belonged to the right; today they rose, tomorrow they perished. At that juncture, from the standpoint of one who commands tens of thousands of troops, to be able to keep faith and honor promises, to betray neither those above nor those below, neither those before nor those behind — that was the most precious thing in a chaotic age, and another foundation upon which you have stood until now!"

Most of those in the hall nodded in agreement.

"But now, the greater trend of the realm has shifted once more." Guo Jia turned and left his seat, resting his hand on his sword as he strode into the center of the hall and continued to raise his voice. "Or rather, the situation under Heaven is already very clear — that is, the momentum of our Lord Yan to swallow the realm whole is already unstoppable, and the various lords of the Central Plains also harbor intentions of consolidation... In a word, in the past, the people of the realm thought of how to seek safety amidst chaos; now, the people of the realm think of how to move from chaos to order. In the past, the great righteousness lay in securing peace for one region; today, the great righteousness lies in uniting all under Heaven. In the past, any law, human sentiment, or principle that could not align with stabilizing one region was a false and rebellious principle. And now it is the same: if someone clings to various human sentiments, principles, or brotherhood, yet cannot align with the cause of restoring order to the realm, then no matter how virtuous or talented that person may be, he is merely a rebel against the times! Prefect Zang, today you may aid Hebei in moving south, or you may aid the Central Plains in moving north — these are merely matters of stance. Whatever you choose, I will not blame you. But if you presume upon your position, holding the strategic pass between north and south, and keep your troops motionless, harboring a wait-and-see attitude, then no matter what the future holds, you are destined to be nothing but a petty rebel who defies the age! After half a lifetime of toil, do you wish to lose both your reputation and integrity in a single morning?"

With these words, Guo Jia turned his back directly on Zang Ba, clasped his hands behind him facing the main doors of the hall, and waited in silence for a reply. The hall had long since fallen utterly silent — even Xu Shu repeatedly opened his mouth, only to find himself speechless again and again.

After an unknown length of time, Zang Ba finally rose slowly from his seat. Performing the ritual of leaving one's mat, he bowed low in a grand salute toward Guo Jia, whose back was turned before him: "Today, having received the enlightenment of Vice Envoy Guo, I am suddenly clear and open! My mind is made up — I shall immediately throw open the storehouses, richly reward the three armies, and then lead the entire force toward Donghai, to aid Lord Yan in restoring order to the realm!"

The commanders to the left and right dared not be remiss; one after another, they solemnly rose and voiced their assent. Only Xu Shu appeared rather awkward, forcing himself to stand, yet not knowing to whom he should speak.

Zang Ba was, after all, one of the foremost renowned commanders of the Qing-Xu region. Once his mind was set, his troops moved with lightning speed. Persuaded by Guo Jia on the twenty-second day of the eighth month, he swore the army to the campaign and sacrificed to the banners on the twenty-third, rewarding the entire force. By the twenty-fifth, the whole army had already crossed the Yi River and was advancing south.

By the twenty-eighth day of the eighth month, the vanguard under Sun Guan reached Jiqiu — the only city between Tancheng and Kaiyang — and, catching the Xuzhou troops completely off guard, took it in a direct assault. It was an auspicious start to the campaign.

By the first day of the ninth month, with Kaiyang as the main logistics base and the Yi River as the supply line, the Langya grand army easily arrived at Tancheng, surrounding Zhou Yu and the ten thousand troops he had hastily gathered within the city.

In response, Zhou Gongjin kept the gates firmly shut and mounted a strict, desperate defense.

But on the third day of the ninth month, something utterly stupefying occurred. The true elite force under Zhou Gongjin's command — those ten-thousand-odd Xuzhou marines who had always fought at sea and who, in theory, should have been stationed at Quxian (later Lianyungang) to guard against the Qingzhou navy — appeared on the Yi River in an inconceivable manner!

The Xuzhou navy flaunted its might, hundreds of vessels linked bow to stern, sails hoisted to blot out the sky. Paying no heed whatsoever to the Langya encampment on the shore, they took direct advantage of the southeasterly wind heralding the approach of the Little Spring, easily sailing upstream against the current!

The hearts of all the Langya commanders — including Zang Xuangao, the publicly acknowledged renowned general of Qing-Xu — turned to ice.

Of course their hearts turned to ice, for anyone could see what this meant... Their supply line was severed! Their already empty home base of Kaiyang, along with the foundations of all the other commanders along both banks of the Yi River, lay wide open before such a naval force! It was even likely that their rearward line of retreat at Jiqiu was now lost as well!

There was no time to go back and save any of it — how could men possibly catch up to such wind-driven sailing ships?

"Did you foresee this too?" Xu Yuanzhi, standing in the camp with his sword clasped in his arms as he watched this spectacle, could not help but mock Guo Jia beside him. The latter had likewise been shaken to speechlessness by the sight.

Guo Jia, recovering his senses, let out a scoff but could not help shaking his head. "The navy sweeping across the inland rivers — such a magnificent sight, I truly did not expect it!"

"Should you not be admiring his painstaking scheming and his ability to devise strategies from a thousand li away? And this resolve to stake his entire foundation?" Xu Shu's sneer deepened. "Seagoing vessels are long and narrow, but their draft is extremely deep, so they can only enter inland rivers during the autumn flood season. For the navy to appear here now, he must have made the decision back when the flood season first began, secretly transferring the navy in from the Huai River and keeping them hidden behind him all this time — which was also precisely when the rumors in Qingzhou began to spread... He was clearly waiting for you to persuade Zang Ba to march south at this very moment! Oh, and with the Little Spring approaching, the southeasterly wind suddenly rising... After all your toil, thinking you held the entire situation in your grasp, only to be utterly played in the palm of a superior man's hand — the taste must be bitter, is it not?"

"That is not what I meant." Guo Jia turned his head and looked calmly at Xu Shu. "I had long guessed this much. I was merely marveling at the spectacle of a navy operating inland!"

Xu Shu was briefly stunned, then laughed again. "A dead duck's beak is still hard! Rest assured, if the day truly comes when the entire army collapses, though I have only this one sword, I will fight with all my might to see you to safety!"

Guo Jia looked at him again for a long moment, then finally nodded repeatedly and sighed with emotion. "Whatever else may be said, Lord Yan truly has a keen eye for people! Zhou Gongjin in wielding his troops commands the favor of heaven, the advantage of terrain, and the hearts of men. He is as inscrutable as shadow and strikes like thunder... He truly possesses something of the style of the Marquis of Huaiyin!"

—————I am a very spectacular dividing line—————

"Your servant Songzhi observes: Zhou Yu grew up along the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, was well-versed in strategic passes, traveled in and out of Peng and Li, and long traversed the waves. He thoroughly weighed both his enemy and himself, and combined magnanimity and high purpose with grace, brilliance, wisdom, and stratagem. The Grand Ancestor, in distant jest, ranked him among the Three Heroes of Huainan, classing him with the likes of Huaiyin. Liu Bei called him one whose civil and military strategies made him the flower of ten thousand men, and relied on him as a commander of a whole front. How could these be empty words?" — From the Dianlüe, annotated by Pei Songzhi of Yan

PS: Apologies for the routine delays...

Last night I read through Zang Ba's biography again and discovered that, aside from his early separatist rule over Qing-Xu, this fellow's main military achievements and reputation were actually farmed off Lu Fan and Han Dang... Quite interesting.

(End of Chapter)