Chapter 113: The Story

Over half a year ago, at the Boar-Rush Braves main camp at Hongmen in Xinfeng, Dou Rong's troops were stationed next to Liangqiu Ci. Under strict orders from Grand Minister of Works Wang Yi to make a good showing, Dou Rong was upstaged by a flash of yellow headscarf under Diwu Lun's command and lost his chance to be presented to the Emperor.

Dou Rong had always kept a low profile, his mind set on fleeing to Hexi to avoid disaster, so he never took the matter to heart. Only now, by chance, had he run into those two again.

Diwu Lun appeared to be wounded and, unable to clasp his hands in salute, merely bowed to Dou Rong. Liangqiu Ci, who held the same rank as Dou Rong, gave a casual wave of his hand; it was plain to see he was still very much on guard against him.

Dou Rong paid it little mind, turning his gaze instead to the burned-out village wards, the scenes of ruin all along the road, and the fields of trampled bean and wheat. Apart from the soldiers who had come out to greet them, the place was deserted; scarcely a commoner was to be seen.

"They're all on the east bank."

When Dou Rong voiced his misgivings, Liangqiu Ci grew even warier and said with a laugh, "Foolish folk, men and women alike — the moment they saw beacon smoke in the distance, they panicked and scrambled across the river. Now that Colonel Dou has marched his troops south, they've grown even more frightened and are still lingering on the east bank, refusing to come back."

This explanation was much the same as what Ma Yuan had predicted, except the second half was true. The common people of Xin Qinzhong feared that Dou Rong's men would prove to be "soldier-bandits" too, combing through them a second time after the barbarian raiders, for the foul reputation of Dou Rong's direct superior, Lian Dan — notorious for murdering civilians to pass off as military merit — was known across the realm.

"Colonel Liangqiu may set his mind at ease. Colonel Dou's troops are under strict discipline and would never wantonly slaughter the innocent. This march south is also by order, to bring relief."

The speaker was Feng Yan, courtesy name Jingtong, a Retainer Clerk serving on the staff of the General of Renewal. He had met Diwu Lun once before in Xinfeng, but whether he had forgotten Diwu Lun or was simply all business, he did not even greet him. He began by recounting how Han Wei, General Who Swallows the Hu, had rashly advanced in contempt of the enemy, ignored orders and plunged deep alone, and as a result his entire army had been wiped out.

"Rumor has it that Han Wei himself, clinging cravenly to life, has already surrendered to the Hu."

After delivering this weighty news, Feng Yan asked Liangqiu Ci and Diwu Lun to explain just what had happened here in Xin Qinzhong.

Dou Rong said, "After all, on our entire march south, we only encountered Hu outrider patrols."

Liangqiu Ci gave a light cough and then began to tell his story.

Much as Diwu Lun and Ma Yuan had anticipated, Liangqiu Ci, desperate to preserve his office and rank, was frantically covering up his own incompetence in resisting the enemy — the fact that he had allowed the Xiongnu to drive hundreds of li deep, charging all the way to the banks of the Yellow River.

Liangqiu Ci claimed that the main Hu force had been blocked west of Lian County, and only a small number of outrider patrols had slipped through the net, blundering dizzily to the Yellow River, where Diwu Lun had annihilated them.

————

As for the burning, killing, looting, and the ravaging of the village wards, he said that was the work of remnant bandit gangs, all of whom had been wiped out, their heads hung above the city gates as a warning.

Once Liangqiu Ci had finished his story, Dou Rong and Feng Yan exchanged a glance, half believing and half doubting.

"The bandit chieftains' heads, hung on the city wall, we have already seen. But where are the Hu heads taken by Colonel Liangqiu's troops?"

Liangqiu Ci sent men searching everywhere and indeed managed to scrape together a dozen or so Xiongnu heads. After having them displayed, he explained, "The Hu, seeing they could not break in, withdrew their troops. Those killed or wounded by crossbow bolts from the beacon towers and city walls were mostly carried away."

Feng Yan then turned his gaze to Diwu Lun, who had remained silent all the while.

"And what of Boyu, holding the riverbank against the Hu?"

Liangqiu Ci was strung to the breaking point. For his story to hold true, Diwu Lun had to handle this with effortless ease. Even though Diwu Lun had expressed on the road that he would obey Liangqiu Ci's every command, it still left one uneasy — yet there was nothing he could do about him.

To his surprise, Diwu Lun compliantly said, "Everything is exactly as Colonel Liangqiu has stated."

A great weight lifted from Liangqiu Ci's heart. It seemed Diwu Lun had not deceived him after all. Now all that remained was to win over Feng Yan. As the saying went, "what is below is transmitted upward," and Feng Yan was the conduit standing between them and the General of Renewal.

But Liangqiu Ci had forgotten the second rule of Xin Dynasty officialdom: "Words spoken openly count for nothing; the deals struck behind the scenes are what truly matter!"

…

Liangqiu Ci was the very model of a man who slaps his own face to look fat. Unwilling to agree to Dou Rong's garrisoning Lian County against the Hu, he instead asked them to station themselves in Lingwu County to the north, which had not suffered the Xiongnu incursion. Yet, terrified the Xiongnu might return, he could only plead and cajole Diwu Lun into moving the Fifth Battalion to the west bank.

Feng Yan did not immediately head north to report back to Lian Dan. Instead, using his position, he traveled through the counties of Xin Qinzhong, taking in the tracts of ruins and the refugees gradually returning home. Reflecting on the past decades — three generations without an alarm — he could only sigh with deep emotion.

But the men Liangqiu Ci had sent to shadow him did their utmost to prevent him from speaking with the common people, allowing only the County Magistrate and County Commandant of Shanghe to keep him company. Eager to absolve themselves of the crime of failing to defend the territory, they had long since fallen in line with Liangqiu Ci, and their words were full of praise for him.

Furthermore, Liangqiu Ci spared no effort, desperately trying to press bribes on Feng Yan. He even offered up beautiful maidservants and went so far as to invoke his great-grandfather, Liangqiu He, who had served alongside Feng Yan's own great-grandfather, Feng Fengshi, during the Xuandi and Yuandi reigns, in a bid to claim an old family connection.

"The Liangqiu clan are descendants of the Eleven Meritorious Ministers of the Qilin Pavilion; my family could never aspire to such a connection," Feng Yan said with a smile, refusing everything. He then proposed going to see the Fifth Battalion, which had shifted its forces to Lian County.

Feng Yan had already counted the Hu heads Diwu Lun had taken several days earlier. Unsure what he was up to, Liangqiu Ci offered to personally accompany Feng Yan there.

Feng Yan did not refuse. After the party arrived in Lian County, he remained under tight watch, but he did see that many of the common folk who had lingered on the east bank had now returned and were repairing the walls of the village wards.

Even more striking was a group of young men, wielding wooden spears, practicing thrusting under the instruction of officers and squad leaders sent by the Fifth Battalion. Their shouts shook the fields as they stabbed fiercely at straw dummies wearing felt caps, their eyes full of hatred. A cavalry unit had even been organized, with Meng Ze as its squad leader, patrolling day and night along the southern foothills of the Helan Mountains, coordinating with the beacon towers to monitor Hu movements beyond the frontier.

When Feng Yan asked about this, Diwu Lun simply said, "Resisting the Hu requires manpower. Soldiers alone are far from enough; the entire populace must prepare against the Hu together."

"The northern region of Xin Qinzhong lies close to the Rong and Di barbarians. In the time of Emperor Wu of the Former Han, they practiced military preparedness, esteemed physical strength, and prioritized archery and hunting. Many were selected as Feathered Forest Guard cadets, which is why a host of famous generals like Fu Jiezi and Gan Yanshou emerged from here. It is only that after a long peace, they grew lax."

At this, Diwu Lun glanced at Liangqiu Ci, whose face was taut with anxiety, and smiled. "Now that the Hu have approached the frontier, and even small bands of roving horsemen have penetrated deep into the hinterland, the common people have been badly frightened. It is actually a good time to revive military preparedness."

So the militia that needed drilling must be drilled. This move left a deep impression on Feng Yan. The next day, upon returning to Lingwu County, he told Dou Rong about it, and Dou Rong — the "Duke of Zhou" — clapped his hands in admiration.

"That Xin Qinzhong has not been lost is entirely thanks to the strength of Diwu Boyu. In contrast, look at Liangqiu Ci — evasive, covering up, his words largely untrustworthy."

"Naturally," Feng Yan said, and with that, he produced a letter written on silk. Nominally, Liangqiu Ci was still the Colonel in charge of Xin Qinzhong. The two of them had come south to assist in defense, not to take over, so they could not issue him orders. They had not even had a chance to speak privately with Diwu Lun.

But seizing a gap to exchange letters had been very simple.

"Dingli Baron and Major Diwu Lun, kowtows and kowtows again!"

Diwu Lun stated plainly that as a subordinate of Liangqiu Ci, he ought to obey in all matters, but he dared not conceal anything from Feng Yan and the General of Renewal, Lian Dan.

In the letter, Diwu Lun told a story vastly different from Liangqiu Ci's.

In this story, Liangqiu Ci was foolish and incompetent. He had made no advance preparations and only panicked when the wolf-smoke rose high. His first reaction was to bar the gates and defend, allowing the Hu horsemen to drive straight in, killing all the way to the Yellow River. The Xiongnu had even planned to cross the river to link up with the remnants of Lu Fang's forces. Had that happened, Xin Qinzhong would surely have been utterly ruined.

The Fifth Battalion crossed the river to fight, saving the people from fire and water with fearless valor. They also sent men back into the fallen village wards under cover of night to kill Xiongnu, employing countless clever stratagems. But no matter how they struggled, it was ultimately a drop in the bucket, powerless to change the larger situation.

Just at that moment, fortunately, the brilliant General of Renewal had anticipated the enemy in advance and dispatched Dou Rong south. Five thousand tiger warriors, banners filling the roads, routed the Xiongnu roving horsemen, striking such fear into the Hu king that he could only retreat in haste. Through the combined efforts of the Fifth Battalion and Dou Rong's detachment, Xin Qinzhong was at last recovered!

The letter concluded: For the officers and men who died, for the common folk who perished unjustly, and so that such a tragedy may never again occur along these ten-thousand-li frontier defenses — Diwu Lun can only speak the "truth"!

Feng Yan showed the letter to Dou Rong. "The Duke of Zhou believes that what Liangqiu Ci says is nine parts false and one part true. Is Diwu Boyu's story, then, to be trusted?"

Dou Rong said, "Nine parts true, one part false."

He added with a smile, "The false part concerns my own troops. Since marching south, when have we ever exchanged blows with the Hu? Diwu Lun has placed the greatest credit squarely on my detachment's shoulders. What an injustice."

Dou Rong earning merit was not the point; the point was that Lian Dan, who had dispatched him south, knew how to pick the right man and had foreseen events with godlike wisdom!

"Boyu is a man who understands."

Feng Yan could only sigh with such emotion.

Liangqiu Ci, perhaps too panic-stricken, while guarding against Dou Rong stealing his credit, had focused solely on bribing Feng Yan, but had forgotten one thing.

The most crucial point in this whole affair was not who had truly earned the merit, repelled the Xiongnu, how many commoners had died, or how many soldiers had fallen in battle. The factual truth was not important to those in power.

It was whose story best served the interests of the General of Renewal, Lian Dan. He was the only one with the authority to interpret this war.

Han Wei had suffered a crushing defeat. When word reached Chang'an, the Emperor, on top of his disappointment, would inevitably fly into a rage and would absolutely demand accountability. Although Lian Dan, in league with Grand Preceptor Wang Kuang, could shift the blame onto a dead man — even making the already fallen Han Wei "surrender to the Hu," turning him into a Great Xin traitor who had led the Hu raiders in — they still needed an explanation for why they themselves had not marched beyond the frontier. This battle in Xin Qinzhong had to showcase the General of Renewal's skillful command.

You, Liangqiu Ci, in order to protect yourself, have taken all the credit for repelling the Hu and preserving the counties onto your own head, making the General of Renewal's dispatch of troops south seem superfluous.

"The people of New Qinzhong had the misfortune to be swept into this unprovoked disaster. The generals each harbored their own schemes, scrambling for power and profit, and turned a proper expedition beyond the frontier to strike the Hu into a disgrace for the army and a humiliation for the realm — with the Xiongnu invading."

"But New Qinzhong was fortunate to have a military officer like Boyu among them. He could not only turn the tide on the battlefield to protect them, but also safeguard their interests in the underhanded power struggles."

Only by doing this could Lian Dan be fully satisfied, and the "small merit" of the Fifth Battalion, as witnesses, would be appended to the memorial — only then would the clamoring mouths not be completely silenced.

Feng Yan carefully tucked the letter away. He had already heard the story he wanted — the story Lian Dan liked, the story that could give the court an explanation.

"I shall report this campaign 'truthfully' to the General of Renewal!"

As he was leaving, Feng Yan teased Dou Rong, who had won by doing nothing: "The Duke of Zhou will likely be promoted as well — he might even get to be Deputy General, all thanks to Diwu Lun. In the days ahead, the Duke of Zhou must treat Boyu well!"

Dou Rong, who had been saddled with an enormous favor for no reason at all, could only laugh wryly. Was this Diwu Lun's way of returning the merit he had snatched away at the start of the year?

Having navigated the bureaucracy for over a decade and already attained a barony, Dou Rong had seen through it all — merit, honors, and noble ranks were all utterly useless.

"I only want to go to the four commanderies of Hexi, and preserve my clan in this degenerate age," Dou Rong cried out in his heart. Yet this tiny wish was repeatedly thwarted.

But on second thought, Dou Rong mused to himself: "This New Qinzhong is the throat of Helong. Though it is pressed close by the Qiang and the Hu, precarious and uncertain from day to day, thinking in reverse, it is the place closest to the four commanderies of Hexi. Once the realm falls into chaos, a light cavalry riding west could reach Zhangye (Wuwei) in ten days. My cousin Dou You serves there as Grand Governor; when the time comes, the two of us can support each other like horns, able to advance or retreat."

Dou Rong's thoughts suddenly opened up: "Should I go with the current, and ask the Grand Minister of Works at court to help maneuver things so that I can stay here permanently?"

……

PS: Chapter 2 at 13:00.