[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-512":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Overthrowing Han",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1223271,1620,"Chapter 512: Only to See Grieving Birds Cry Out Among Ancient Trees","overthrowing-han-chapter-512",512,"\u003Cp>In the seventh year of Jian’an, from the moment the new year passed, the atmosphere in Shu had been one of constant dread. In particular, the Mianzhu–Chengdu region, which formed the core of governance, had already seen several successive political storms erupt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason went without saying: during the decisive battles on the Central Plains, the Shu side, perhaps out of a mentality of remote safety and wishful thinking, had consistently turned a blind eye to the possibility of war reaching them, so that when real calamity finally struck, they were thrown into utter disarray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That said, the political situation in Shu at this moment was, in truth, slightly different from elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of fundamentals, the local powerful families need no elaboration — possessing both manpower and resources, they were everywhere the main theme and the blade’s edge of unrest; likewise, the so-called Dongzhou Shi from Jingzhou, Sanfu, and the Luoyang region who had followed Liu Yan into Shu need no elaboration either — as the foundation of an outside political leader, their desire to seize political power and wealth was something that existed naturally and innately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the contradiction between these two groups had always been the main theme of Shu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond these, the Yizhou region also simultaneously contained large numbers of heterodox sects and minority forces — local Daoist sects, Bandun Man, Di people, Southern Man, and others — virtually every one of them bearing swords and spears, every one of them not to be underestimated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, one very interesting matter within all this was that the indigenous clans and prominent families of the Ba-Shu region — that is, the so-called hereditary official families who had served as officials for generations — were unexpectedly absent, or rather voiceless, in the current Shu political arena… This was highly abnormal!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, when one looked into the reasons, they were actually quite simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, throughout the Later Han dynasty, culture and education in the Ba-Shu region had never been well developed, so the hereditary families of Yizhou were naturally weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, under Liu Yan’s rule in Yizhou, the local hereditary families had consistently lacked a leader. The Chengdu Zhao clan (the family of Zhao Dian and Zhao Qian), who held the highest prestige, happened to have been entirely cut off in the Sanfu region just before the chaos of Dong Zhuo and had yet to return; meanwhile, local gentry leaders like Jia Long and Ren Qi, who had earlier reached a peaceful accord with Liu Yan, were reduced to cannon fodder in the long-distance political duel between Liu Yizhou and Minister over the Masses Zhao, and were then discarded by Liu Junlang once their purpose was served — he had them killed one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, the current political situation in Yizhou was in fact Liu Yan leading the outside Dongzhou Shi in unilaterally oppressing the local forces, while the local forces, though possessing real strength, lacked gentry leaders at the top echelon and thus often found it difficult to voice their own political will. It had even reached the point where Liu Yan and his sons seemed to have long ago lost the trust of the local gentry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a bizarre political situation might perhaps be sustained in the absence of external pressure, but once a major event occurred, it was bound to lead to severe consequences due to the loss of buffers and channels for dialogue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning to the present, on this day, because Yang Hong, the Han’an garrison commander and Major of a Separate Division, had openly raised troops in revolt and answered the call of the Yan army, the Governor of Yizhou, Liu Yan — who was growing older by the day and had already transferred most of his authority to his eldest son — was, amid deep anxiety, making a rare trip out of Mianzhu City to offer sacrifices and pray in the countryside, seeking to get through this difficult time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The site of the prayer was in a stretch of mountain wilderness over twenty li north of the city. It was said that at this time last year, the Governor of Yizhou’s eldest son, the current Administrator of Guanghan, Liu Fan, had seen a pixiu there. After the pixiu ate meat from Liu Fan’s hand, it spoke in human tongue, saying that Liu Yan possessed virtue in the land of Shu and that his sons would also rise to the rank of ministers, free from illness and disaster, and would pass away at the age of eighty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thereupon, this place became the site of the Liu father and sons’ regular sacrifices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chariots rumbled, horses neighed. In the early summer season, Liu Yan, in full ceremonial regalia, made a rare journey northward, mobilizing several hundred exceptionally magnificent chariots in one go, drawing the people and gentry of Mianzhu to watch from along the streets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Liu Junlang, laden with anxiety, showed not the slightest trace of spirited vigor. Moreover, as his age advanced and his strength waned, his weariness grew ever more apparent. Only to boost morale did he don brocade robes and a tall cap, forcing himself to hold up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if that were not enough, just as the procession reached the city gate, another wretched incident occurred… One of the chariots broke an axle midway, leaving Liu Yan and his entourage thoroughly blocked on the main street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was, in fact, quite reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be understood that this batch of chariots was built by Liu Yan back when he had killed Jia Long and Ren Qi, momentarily seized control of Yizhou, and harbored ambitions of proclaiming himself emperor — they were made to prop up his façade and were contraband items. But what happened? No sooner had they been built than Gongsun Xun defeated Dong Zhuo and stormed Chang’an, and Liu Biao also exposed the matter to the entire realm. This then brought Liu Yan’s cousin Huang Wan here specifically to interrogate him as to why he was so treasonously presumptuous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, this batch of over a thousand high-grade chariots, ever since they were built, had been stored in a special military camp within Mianzhu City, meticulously maintained the entire time, yet never once used… Only occasionally, when Liu Junlang could not suppress his ambitions, would he sneak over, sit inside the military camp and admire them, which also made it easier to dream of being the Son of Heaven at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, with Lord Yan, Gongsun Xun, having torn away all pretense and being hell-bent on forcibly swallowing Yizhou, he, Liu Yan, had decided to throw caution to the wind, bring the chariots out, and enjoy the treatment of the Son of Heaven on the streets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for several hundred chariots that had not been used in so many years to take to the road without a few breaking down — that would truly be a strange thing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan probably understood this reasoning in his heart, but being habitually superstitious, as he watched the soldiers clearing the broken chariot, a gloomy expression inevitably spread across his face… After all, at this moment, he felt like turning back, yet feared showing weakness before the people and gentry of Mianzhu; he intended to continue north to the sacrifice, yet feared that today might indeed hold an ill omen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the matter was not yet over. Just as Liu Yan, clad in radiant Shu brocade, sat on the main street unable to advance or retreat, suddenly, taking advantage of the halted procession, someone paid a visit from the roadside, holding up a letter and requesting an audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan saw it was a somewhat familiar high-capped scholar, and only upon asking did he learn it was Qiao Qian, Qiao Rongshi, a local notable of Yizhou. With no alternative, he had someone present the document in public, but upon opening it, he flew into a towering rage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As it turned out, this Qiao Qian was actually urging Liu Yan not to resist the tide of unification, but instead to open Bishui Pass and Jiameng City and surrender all of Yizhou to the north. Only in this way, he argued, could Yizhou be spared the calamity of war and the Liu father and sons seize that slim chance of survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Every last dog of Yizhou is useless!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan’s rage set his cap askew. He stood up directly from the chariot and then, right there on the street, let out this vulgar remark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment the words left his mouth, he himself realized his slip of the tongue, for the surrounding soldiers turned their heads one after another, and even the chariot driver looked back at him in shock — it must be known, even the driver was a man of Yizhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, once such words were spoken, not only the people of Yizhou who were cursed, but even the several staff members of Dongzhou Shi origin in the entourage were all momentarily embarrassed… The dignified Governor of Yizhou, no matter what, should not have lost his composure to this extent… Were these words that could be spoken aloud? And on the main street, no less.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan knew full well he had misspoken, and grew ever more ashamed and indignant. He could only awkwardly cover his face with his sleeve and urgently order a return to his residence. Unfortunately, the procession was too long, and it took a great deal more time before he was able to extricate himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And after the man returned to his residence, perhaps driven to the extreme of shame and fury, he personally gave the order to arrest Qiao Qian, throw him in prison, and torture him, seeking to extract the names of rebellious accomplices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Zhao clan cut off and Ren Qi and Jia Long dead one after another, Qiao Qian, as one of the rare locally based classical scholars of renown, was imprisoned for urging surrender. This, coupled with Liu Yan’s public loss of composure and his remark that “every last dog of Yizhou is useless,” naturally drew a rare unified effort from all levels of Yizhou to rescue him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It went without saying: a new political storm was once again churning up, and more fiercely than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a time, even the Dongzhou Shi came forward one after another to remonstrate, urging Liu Yan not to wantonly kill and damage his virtue over the words of a pedantic scholar. Even Liu Yan’s trusted and key minister, the former Grand Granary Prefect of the Great Han, Zhao Wei, sent a letter from the road while on campaign against Han’an, forcefully urging Liu Yan to prioritize the greater situation and, at this juncture, not to disturb the hearts of the people of Yizhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By all logic, Liu Yan was no fool. Under such a perilous situation and facing such surging public sentiment, once his anger subsided, he should have released the man. Or if his pride would not allow it, he could have seized the opportunity to back down gracefully and let his son Liu Fan come forward to release him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, beyond all expectations, after the matter blew up, Liu Yan not only did not release the man, but instead claimed illness and refused all remonstrations and requests for audience. There were even rumors that when Liu Fan personally went to plead, it was of no use, and instead, Liu Yan, clutching his eldest son Liu Fan with one hand and his second son Liu Dan with the other, uttered in a low voice a single, utterly preposterous sentence:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone in Shu wishes to kill us, father and sons! Aside from our own flesh and blood, all are mortal enemies!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this news spread, even those close to him felt that Liu Yan had truly grown senile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gentlemen, now the land of Shu is beset with troubles both within and without. As a son, I ought to share my father’s burdens. As ministers and as friends, I beseech you all to think of a strategy on my behalf.” In the early summer of the fourth month, with the front-line campaign against Yang Hong faring poorly and the Yan army gradually massing its forces in Hanzhong, inside the increasingly chaotic Mianzhu City, the Governor of Yizhou’s eldest son and Administrator of Guanghan, Liu Fan, Liu Bodao, convened his staff and retainers and spoke with earnest sincerity, requesting their aid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In my view, the priority must still be the release of Master Qiao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No fewer than a hundred people were seated in the hall, and after exchanging glances, the General of the Household Pang Xi naturally took the lead without hesitation. Moreover, as the elder brother of Liu Fan’s wife, his position before Liu Fan faintly resembled that of Zhao Wei before Liu Yan, so he had always spoken bluntly. “Bodao, what time is this? The Yan traitors in the north are bringing the momentum of the entire realm to bear on Shu, like Mount Tai pressing down on an egg. Although the natural barriers of mountains and rivers are sufficient to resist the enemy, the hearts of the people within must not be divided. No matter what, the man must be released as soon as possible to show good faith, and even less should there be any talk of wanton killing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Pang Xi had spoken, the other ministers and retainers also opened their mouths one after another, mostly echoing this view, as if a conclusion had long been reached. However, it was rather interesting that, situated as it was in the core commandery of Yizhou, the entire hall of the Guanghan Administrator’s office was filled with the accents of Jingzhou and the Central Plains, while the few local Shu officials present simply dared not speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that the popular will was utterly irreversible, Liu Fan, already past thirty and with a neatly trimmed beard, let out a sigh and directly gave his assurance: “Since that is the case, after a couple of days, I will go and plead with my father once more. If he still refuses, I will simply release the man in secret, so as to prevent this matter from causing further turmoil.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did the hall settle down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just at that moment, someone in the seats suddenly spoke up — and it was in a Shu accent, immediately drawing the attention of everyone in the hall: “Your servant has heard that Jiang Gan, Jiang Ziyi, the Commandant of the Southern Section of Longxi and an old friend of the Governor, recently sent a letter to the Governor. May I ask what it said?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Fan fixed his eyes and saw that it was one of the rare local gentry staff under his command, a man called Zhang Song. He hailed from the Chengdu Zhang clan, and was precisely one of the local gentry representatives whom the Liu father and sons had been forced to promote after the deaths of men like Jia Long… Of course, the representative figure of the Zhang clan was not Zhang Song, but rather Zhang Su, who was currently serving as the Administrator of Qianwei. Zhang Song was Zhang Su’s younger brother, and because he was short in stature and ugly in appearance, he could only rely on his elder brother’s standing to serve as a retainer in the commandery office under Liu Fan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the moment he saw it was this man, Liu Fan could not help but furrow his brows slightly, yet he still held his patience and made a brief reply: “Ziyi is magnanimous and of lofty character; he merely spoke of past matters and friendship, with no words urging surrender…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Ziyi may indeed be magnanimous and of lofty character, but why does the Governor not take this opportunity to communicate with the north through him, using Jiang Ziyi’s mouth to conduct some preliminary discussions, so as to seek an early surrender? Would it not be splendid if Shu could thereby be somewhat spared the calamity of war?” Zhang Song stroked his beard and spoke with an air of haughty confidence, only his Shu accent, paired with that ugly face, grated ever more harshly on Liu Fan’s ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can we surrender?” Before Liu Fan could retort, Pang Xi’s face darkened. “The Yan traitor is notorious for killing those who surrender. If we surrender, you and I might still manage to scrape by, but what of the Liu Governor and his sons? Are you, as a subordinate officer of Governor Liu, utterly devoid of any sense of ministerial loyalty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no, Lord Pang, why deceive yourself?” Zhang Song, stroking his beard, sneered all the more. “Lu Bu was a fickle and treacherous petty man, his death was well deserved. If Governor Liu surrenders of his own accord, he would have merit without fault — what is there to fear from others? Moreover, Colonel Liu is also one of Governor Liu’s sons. When he was sent as an envoy to Ye, was he not also treated with considerable courtesy? Why then, upon returning to Mianzhu, was he slandered by petty men, accused of secretly colluding with the north, and confined to his residence as a result? Lord Pang, I will not name who these petty men are. I will only say that the Governor Liu and his sons, with a mere single province, insufficient as it is, resist the weight of Lord Yan’s realm, yet remain oblivious — exactly like a blind man riding a blind horse, approaching a deep pool at midnight. And you, as a minister, see it clearly from the side, yet not only do you not stop them, you instead cheer them on. Such a posture — could it be that you fear that once Governor Liu and his sons surrender, you will lose your own opportunity to act as a powerful minister, wielding authority and enjoying privilege in Shu? In my opinion…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You whelp of Yizhou!” At the later mention of the words “powerful minister,” Pang Xi, who had been gradually losing his restraint, completely lost control. His rage set his cap askew; he kicked over the low table, then rose directly from his seat and drew his blade, pointing it from a distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Zhang Song remained unafraid, instead laughing uproariously: “Just moments ago, my lord was urging Governor Liu to prioritize the greater situation and rescue Qiao Rongshi. And now, for mere words, you would kill me, a son of Yizhou? Would you punish me for my speech in the midst of an open council? Could it be that in your heart, you too believe that ‘every last dog of Yizhou is useless’?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the end of his words, Zhang Song also kicked over the low table before him, raised his head and bared his neck, his face contorted, his provocative stance unmistakably clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Pang Xi, despite his high rank, great authority, and the sharp blade in his hand, could actually advance no further. Instead, under Liu Fan’s glaring stare, he could only retreat helplessly and indignantly, sword in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Scribe Zhang.” Liu Fan, with no choice, watched his wife’s elder brother depart, but still had to turn and explain to Zhang Song. “It is not that I am unwilling to surrender, nor is it about the matter of Lu Bu. It is that my father, back when he was north of the Yellow River, had some personal grudges with Lord Yan… If we surrender, my brothers and I might yet live, but for my father, it is truly hard to say what the outcome would be. At a time like this, as a son, what can I do but help him resist the foreign enemy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Song let out a mirthless laugh. Without another word, he merely bowed his head in a perfunctory salute, then flicked his sleeves and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, murderous intent also rose in Liu Fan, yet he was helpless to act on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, what was originally intended to be a serious, large-scale council to discuss military strategy and other countermeasures ended up doing nothing more than reaffirming the political correctness of rescuing Qiao Rongshi before breaking up in discord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Fan withdrew awkwardly to console Pang Xi, while the remaining subordinates and retainers each harbored their own thoughts and departed separately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only two among them, one handsome and one ugly — the handsome one just capped, the ugly one around eighteen or nineteen, not even wearing an Advancing Virtue cap — had been sitting together on the same mat in a corner. Only after everyone else had left did they exchange a few low words, then rise and turn back to the side courtyard of the Grand Administrator's residence. There, in a guest room, they began packing their luggage... It turned out these two were paternal cousins, and the elder of the brothers, the handsome one, was currently a retainer of Liu Fan. Perhaps because he had always been overlooked, and having witnessed such absurdity today, he had decided to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the two brothers had packed their traveling gear, they went to take leave of Liu Fan, but heard that he was drinking with Pang Xi in the rear courtyard. Too indolent to say more, they instead walked out the gate and left the city on foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, though Liu Fan did not value these two, someone else did. Liu Fan's own maternal cousin Fei Shang, Fei Boren (Fei Yi's uncle), was the one who had recommended the elder brother. After the council, after a moment's thought, he took the initiative to seek the man out. Hearing that the other had directly packed and left, he did not even have time to report to Liu Fan before personally taking a carriage to chase after them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Fei Boren had clearly chased in the wrong direction. He first assumed they would be returning to their home in Jingzhou, so he took the great southeastern road. After chasing twenty or thirty li without a trace of them, he suddenly realized his mistake, turned north, and finally caught up with the pair at dusk at a post station north of the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shanmin, why leave without saying farewell?\" Fei Boren was so exhausted he could barely catch his breath, but the moment he entered the courtyard and saw the brothers sitting on mats spread beneath a tree in the post station yard, he could not hide his delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Boren, why go to such lengths?\" The one called Shanmin, seeing the other had chased after him regardless of hardship, was also moved. He rose from beneath the courtyard tree to greet him, cupping his hands. \"Ji is young and should naturally travel to study, observe affairs, and devote himself to reading. It was only seeing the realm's situation gradually settling that I felt a slight urge to seize the moment and make a name for myself — that is all, which is why I came to tour Shu. But now that Liu Yizhou and his son employ only kin and appoint officials by locality, I have no intention of quibbling. At worst, before war breaks out, I will swiftly take my younger brother and leave this place of trouble, going together to Yexia to study and take the imperial examinations. What else is there to discuss?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fei Shang was utterly embarrassed. He stepped forward, took the other by the arm, and had him sit back down on the mat beneath the courtyard tree. He then called for the post chief to bring warm water. Only after somewhat quenching his thirst did he helplessly speak: \"It is your foolish elder brother who overthought things. But as a member of the Liu clan's wife's family, I cannot help but harbor the thought of doing my part for the Lius... I have always known that though you are young, you are a descendant of Pang Degong, with deep family learning, and must be a talent destined to shape an era. That is why I wished to detain you for a moment, to rescue Shu from its plight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The handsome one — Pang Ji, Pang Shanmin, son of Pang Degong — found this momentarily amusing. He pointed to the ugly youth at his side and said: \"Never mind Shu's plight — I did not expect even Boren to be one who judges people by appearance... My younger brother Pang Tong, though young, is the one who has truly inherited our Pang family tradition. On this journey west, I have followed his words entirely. Today too it was he who urged me to go north, which is why I directly abandoned Shu and prepared to head north... Boren, in seeking worthies, why did you come looking only for me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fei Shang was momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that ugly youth — Pang Tong of Xiangyang — hearing this, also broke into a laugh: \"What? If Han Xin had possessed a face like mine, would Xiao He not have chased after him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fei Shang grew even more embarrassed. He rose from his mat and bowed solemnly to Pang Tong on the ground: \"It is I who judged by appearance. I beg your forgiveness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the other so courteous, Pang Tong did not take offense. He merely straightened his expression slightly and replied: \"Since you are so earnest, I, Tong, have nothing with which to repay you, only a single word to offer as a parting gift in return.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please, instruct me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone in Shu wishes to kill the Liu father and son. You would do well to extricate yourself early,\" Pang Tong said with sincere gravity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fei Shang was stunned for a moment, yet as a close relative of the Lius, he happened to know of Liu Yan's mad words that day, and so could not help but ask with a serious expression: \"I am dull-witted. Please, try to resolve my confusion.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This matter is simple.\" Seeing the other's attitude so sincere, Pang Tong answered calmly beneath the tree. \"Do you know why I urged my elder brother to bring me on a tour of Shu?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I do not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In truth, while in Jingzhou, I merely felt that though Jingzhou, high and low, all wished not to surrender, yet if Yizhou fell and Jiaozhou surrendered, then Jingzhou would be surrounded on three sides and could only fold its hands and submit to Duke Yan's blade. That is why I thought to come see Yizhou... At that time, I thought Yizhou was much like Jingzhou — high and low all unwilling to surrender, yet with natural barriers of mountain and river, it might perhaps withstand the northern blades. But after arriving here, I discovered that while the Shu roads' natural peril is real, the hearts of Yizhou's people have long since crumbled. High and low, only the Liu father and son are unwilling to submit — no wonder Duke Yan wants to take this place first...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fei Boren suddenly interjected: \"Why do you think my uncle and cousin are unwilling to surrender? Is it because of the Lu Bu affair?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lu Bu is merely a pretext. That man's death was because of Cao Cao — everyone in the Central Plains knows this. Liu Jingzhou might perhaps harbor such a worry, but for Liu Yizhou, it is truly nothing more than an excuse born of old age and fear of death.\" Pang Tong, unaware that Liu Biao was no longer Liu Jingzhou, smiled as he replied. \"There are always risks in surrendering, but it is merely as Lord Liu himself hinted today: his father has always behaved improperly, his old heart is burdened with guilt, and he is hopelessly superstitious, clinging to life and fearing death — that is why he will not surrender. As for Lord Liu himself, that Secretary Zhang today put it quite thoroughly. Lord Liu is young and impetuous, and having just tasted power, he is simply unwilling to let go from the bottom of his heart. This can be fully understood from that Pixiu affair. Last year, it was he who refuted superstition using the Pixiu matter; later, it was he who used it to falsely claim divine portents. Was it not all to inherit his father's enterprise and hold onto power?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fei Boren found himself unable to refute this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But this is precisely the path by which these two bring disaster upon themselves.\" Pang Tong continued speaking slowly, yet could not help sighing. \"Only today did I realize that Liu Yizhou, though the earliest to carve out his own domain, is actually the least able to settle the hearts of the local people. Elsewhere, there have also been disputes between locals and outsiders, all once irreconcilable, but mostly at the beginning of establishing power. Men like Liu Xuande, Cao Mengde, and Duke Yan, even Liu Jingzhou — at the start, their subordinates all had regional conflicts. Yet they all managed to pacify the region while rewarding and punishing as fairly as possible, so that later, they were gradually no longer burdened by this matter. Only here in Yizhou is it so utterly wretched...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fei Shang grew ever more silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you know? The reason Duke Yan has not taken Jingzhou first is that there, it is not only Liu Jingzhou alone who is unwilling to surrender — the great clans there are also unwilling. Because they worry both that after surrendering they cannot obtain fine posts in the north, and that the lands they previously annexed from local strongmen would have to be handed over. Only thus do they barely unite to face the north... May I ask, how is it in Yizhou?\" Pang Tong finally struck at the heart of the matter. \"The native scholars and commoners, whether poor or rich, weak or strong, have been oppressed by the Dongzhou Shi to this extent — unable to hold office, plundered without restraint. May I ask who would sell their life for Liu Yizhou? Yang Hong's revolt is clear proof! Qiao Qian urging surrender is clear proof! Zhang Song's mockery in court today is even clearer proof!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And the Dongzhou Shi...\" Fei Shang could not help speaking again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even among the Dongzhou Shi, mostly migrants from elsewhere, the beneficiaries are many in number but few in proportion, are they not?\" Pang Tong could not help sneering in reply. \"A trifling Shu, with only four or five million people, and just those official posts — only a very few profit, while the majority can barely scrape by. Now that their homelands have mostly fallen under Duke Yan's rule, it is inevitable that they harbor second thoughts. Even if there are some who truly profit, gathered by gain, how could they be willing to die for Liu Yizhou? The locals see Liu Yizhou and his son as enemies; the Dongzhou Shi resent Liu Yizhou for being unable to satisfy them. Even if father and son are united, what of it? Lord Liu is young and might perhaps achieve something in the future, but has Duke Yan not denied him the time? With the great army pressing the border, Shu will fall into chaos on its own. Even if the passes and strategic points along the way can hold out for a year or two, once the rear falls into chaos, what then?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having spoken thus, Pang Tong said no more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fei Shang, drenched in sweat, opened his mouth as if to speak for a long while, then suddenly rose and bowed, finally speaking: \"Please, wait a moment for me. My younger brother Fei Guan and my nephew Fei Yi are both at Mianzhu. I will bring them out, seek an envoy's post, and we shall go north together... What say you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——————I am the dividing line of sacrificing to the Pixiu——————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yang Hong, styled Jixiu, was a man of Wuyang in Qianwei. Under Liu Yan, he served as Major of a Separate Command... When the Grand Ancestor campaigned against Shu, before the troops were dispatched, Hong, seeing that Yan and his son used the Dongzhou Shi to oppress Shu excessively, plotted with the Grand Administrator of Qianwei, Zhang Su, and his brother to raise troops and call upon the Grand Ancestor. Su was somewhat fearful and wished to wait until the Grand Ancestor's troops reached Baishui; he slightly restrained Hong, setting a three-month deadline. Hong replied: 'Hanzhong is the throat of Yizhou, the hinge of survival. Without Hanzhong, there is no Shu. Now Duke Yan holds Hanzhong; Ba Commandery is like a severed arm, Guanghan like a lost head, and Yan and his son have utterly lost the people's hearts, like losing liver and gall. In three months, the matter may well be over. What doubt is there in raising troops?' He then raised troops on his own at Han'an.\" — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Speech\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",5485,"2026-06-04T19:42:52.587Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","d475c1bb3c3c002680888a37db4cd2123a9486fe5d69ae62eafb17a1096c56c6","overthrowing-han-chapter-513","overthrowing-han-chapter-511",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]