Chapter 176: Adding a Performance

For centuries, Handan had been synonymous with fashion and wealth — crowded, its markets and wards thriving, it was indisputably the greatest city in Hebei.

The royal palace stood apart from the city proper, located to the southwest and walled into a small compound of its own. Within were the high terraces of King Wuling and King Huiwen of Zhao, as well as the lavish halls built by the Zhao kings of the Han dynasty — covered walkways arched like rainbows, a magnificent sight.

"What a beautiful chamber!"

Liu Lin sat before the latticed window, gazing at the familiar scene. He knew that before his family took possession, this palace had already passed through countless hands.

The earliest Zhao king under Han was surnamed Zhang — Zhang Er, the elder brother whom Liu Bang had followed in his knight-errant days, and his son Zhang Ao. But Zhang Ao was implicated by several reckless ministers who attempted to assassinate Liu Bang, and lost his royal title.

Then it was the turn of the Liu-surnamed Zhao kings. First came Gaozu's precious son Liu Ruyi. That boy's fate can be summed up in one word: tragic. His mother was turned into a human swine by Empress Lü, and he himself was forced to drink poison and died!

Next came Liu Bang's two other ill-fated sons, one after the other.

Zhao King Liu You: murdered because he detested the Lü-clan queen Empress Lü forced on him.

Zhao King Liu Hui: committed suicide because he detested the Lü-clan queen Empress Lü forced on him.

Then it became a non-Liu kingdom: Zhao King Lü Lu was beheaded when the meritorious officials and marquises exterminated the Lü clan.

Then back to a Liu-surnamed king: Zhao King Liu Sui. He finally enjoyed several decades of peace, but during the reign of Emperor Jing of Han he was drawn into the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms. Seeing the cause was lost, he took his own life.

Counting down the line, in just a few short decades the title changed hands among five families — it was like calabash brothers trying to save grandpa, each one perishing in turn. The Zhao kingship was simply cursed. Some even said… it was the death-curse of Liu Ruyi and Lady Qi, ensuring that every Zhao king would meet a violent end!

Not until the arrival of Liu Lin's ancestor, Zhao Jing-Su King Liu Pengzu, was the curse finally broken.

As Emperor Wu of Han's elder brother, Liu Pengzu had an extraordinarily hard life — hard to what degree? That great villain Zhufu Yan, who concocted the Decree of Extended Grace and took pleasure in tormenting the feudal lords, was deliberately schemed against and destroyed by Liu Pengzu! And Liu Pengzu himself suffered not the slightest consequence, enjoying himself into old age. Only a man as ruthless as he could suppress the sinister aura within the Zhao palace. The line passed down for six generations, enduring alongside the Han itself.

Over a decade ago, just as Liu Lin was about to become the seventh-generation Zhao king of this line, a bolt from the blue arrived: "Our Great Han… has fallen!"

The unlucky Liu Lin was promptly demoted to "Marquis of Handan," merely allowed to keep the Zhao palace.

Though stripped of his royal title, over a century of accumulated prestige and wealth remained. The knights-errant and powerful families of Handan revered the Zhao prince and willingly served as his retainers. The twenty-odd marquisates spun off from Zhao by the Decree of Extended Grace also all regarded Liu Lin as their clan head — after all, in these chaotic times, even local strongmen could only survive by banding together.

Liu Lin had heard that his founding ancestor Liu Pengzu, whenever a new Two-Thousand-Bushel official arrived in Zhao, would dress in coarse black cloth disguised as a servant, personally go out to greet him, and sweep out his lodgings, lulling the rotating official into relaxing his guard. Then he would lay many temptations and entanglements to lead the man astray, host wine feasts, and record every slip of the tongue, using these as leverage to threaten him. In over fifty years in power, he squeezed out more than thirty Two-Thousand-Bushel officials — none lasted a full two years — and the Zhao king thereby monopolized all authority.

Liu Lin emulated his ancestor's methods, using his family wealth and deploying every artifice to control the "Huanting Grand Governor" appointed by Wang Mang: if he wanted to collect taxes, conscript troops, or keep his official seal, he had to cooperate with the Zhao-Liu clan — otherwise, he could expect to be driven out.

The lesser branches of the clan followed suit, hollowing out their respective county magistrates. This meant that Liu Lin, nominally a Zhao prince, was in reality the governor of two commanderies.

There was a certain irony in this: under the Han, the court had been deeply wary of the feudal lords, tightly controlling them and stripping them of all military and administrative power, raising them like pigs on their estates.

Yet after losing their crowns and becoming ordinary powerful families — seemingly a demotion — the Liu descendants suddenly discovered that their shackles had also been removed. Getting things done became far more convenient than before. Now, over a decade later, watching the Xin Dynasty totter toward its end, these feudal descendants who had reasserted control over local power were beginning to stir restlessly.

To convince the Inspector of Ji Province to report to the court that the Zhao king's descendants harbored no disloyalty, Liu Lin even made a show of yielding half the palace to the commandery governor as office space — in reality, to keep him close at hand as a puppet.

Today, in the palace's Wenming Hall, Liu Lin was staging a scene of "governing from behind the screen." In the front hall, the Huanting Grand Governor was receiving the envoy sent by Diwu Lun, while Liu Lin sat behind a lacquered screen, pressing his ear to it and listening intently to every word Feng Yan spoke.

"I venture to inform the Grand Governor: this entire matter arose because the Li clan of Wu'an repeatedly took advantage of the commandery governor's recent appointment, colluding with bandits to plunder iron tools and grain, cutting off communication between the three northwestern counties and Yecheng. Only then, with no alternative, did we petition the court. The General of Renewal subsequently dispatched several thousand troops from Shangdang to strike them, and has now taken Wushi and Shexian, bottling up the Li rebels in Wu'an."

"This was originally an internal affair of Weicheng, but considering that our two commanderies share a border, I was sent to inform you, Grand Governor."

Under his original orders, Feng Yan needed only to say this much. Telling the Huanting Grand Governor was equivalent to passing the message to the Zhao-Liu clan: Don't try anything rash — the imperial army has my back!

But Feng Yan felt this was insufficient. If the deterrence failed and instead provoked the Zhao-Liu clan into rebellion, leading to armed conflict between Weicheng and Zhao-Liu, his grand plan would be ruined. So after conveying Diwu Lun's stance, he added a little performance of his own.

He raised his head and looked directly at the wooden screen behind the Huanting Grand Governor: "What I have to say next, I wish to speak directly to the master of the Zhao lands!"

At these words, a stir of shuffling footsteps rose from both sides of the hall, along with the faint rasp of armored skirts. Had there been candlelight, it would surely have cast the shadows of blades and axes upon the screen.

But the axemen did not ultimately rush out to take Feng Yan's life. Instead, from behind the screen, Liu Lin laughed: "This persuader has some nerve. Bring him in!"

…

"How did you know I was in the rear hall, sir?"

Liu Lin wore ordinary robes, but on his head was the Liu-clan crown. He regarded Feng Yan with keen interest.

Feng Yan was indeed bold. He replied confidently: "The Huanting Grand Governor kept glancing back as he spoke. There are only two explanations."

"One: he was holding in an urgent need to relieve himself."

"Two: he is merely a puppet, and someone else stands behind him."

Liu Lin clapped his hands and laughed: "Brilliant. So, sir, what is it you wish to say to me?"

Feng Yan thought to himself: "A general in the field may disregard his sovereign's orders, and the same holds for an envoy. My great-grandfather, the Left General Feng Fengshi, forged an imperial decree to pacify Shache and won great merit — I too must adapt to circumstances."

So he spoke with audacious confidence: "It is not what I wish to say, but rather, on behalf of the Weicheng Grand Governor Diwu Boyu, I wish to convey to Your Majesty the true feelings he cannot openly express!"

"Am I not a mere Marquis of Handan? How have I become 'Your Majesty'?"

"Besides, what true feelings could Diwu Lun possibly have?" Liu Lin sneered. "When beating a dog, one must consider its master. The Li clan of Wu'an are our in-laws. He sends men to besiege Wu'an, yet also sends a man to soothe me?"

Feng Yan shook his head: "The Weicheng Grand Governor could not tolerate Li Neng, because the Li clan humiliated the Two-Thousand-Bushel official far too egregiously. If he did not prune them away, Grand Governor Diwu could not establish his footing. But that does not mean he wishes to make an enemy of the Zhao-Liu clan."

Liu Lin said: "He has brought a large force and encamped in Liangqi County — within a day he could be at our city walls. And you say he bears no hostility?"

Because of Weicheng commandery's military movements, Liu Lin had also warily mobilized the several hundred chariots and cavalry under his control to guard against a surprise attack on Handan by Diwu Lun. But he still hesitated. If he ignored this matter, the Li clan would perish, and a piece of his outer sphere of influence would be knocked away. Moreover, Wu'an and Wushi sat on high ground, within arm's reach of Handan.

Li Neng had already sent three successive waves of men to plead for help, each time painting the situation as more dire: he claimed Diwu Lun was a diehard loyalist of the Xin Dynasty who had long wanted to destroy the Zhao-Liu clan. Wu'an and Handan shared lips and teeth — if the Li clan fell today, Handan's turn would come tomorrow!

But the matter was not so simple. If he openly raised the banner of rebellion to support the Li clan, he might draw an imperial punitive expedition and end up taking the blade meant for the Red Eyebrows — which did not align with Liu Lin's plan to sit back, watch the outcome between the imperial army and the Red Eyebrows, and then make his move. Though they were secretly making contacts, they were not yet prepared.

It was precisely this hesitation that gave Feng Yan, with his frantic improvisations, room to maneuver.

Feng Yan bowed with clasped hands: "Your Majesty has misunderstood. If he bore hostility toward the Zhao-Liu clan, why would Lord Diwu have bothered to send me on this superfluous errand? He could simply have written in his memorial to the court that the Zhao-Liu clan was plotting rebellion. Then the General of Renewal's army would not even need to fight the Red Eyebrows — it would likely make a tour of Hebei first."

Liu Lin said: "I heard that imperial troops came from Shangdang to strike Shexian. Is that not exactly what has happened?"

Feng Yan laughed loudly: "Does Your Majesty know where that imperial force came from?"

Reports were chaotic, and Liu Lin had not yet clarified this point. Feng Yan, reckoning that it could not be kept secret for long anyway, took it upon himself to reveal Diwu Lun's hand directly — only inflating the numbers severalfold: "They come from New Qinzhong. They are Diwu Lun's three thousand veteran troops!"

"Truly?" Liu Lin had not the slightest trust in either Feng Yan or Diwu Lun.

Feng Yan said: "From this, you can see that Diwu Lun, like Your Majesty, is also unwilling to alarm the court, dreading an imperial tour of the north!"

"The realm is in turmoil. As we watch the rivers and lakes, the shores of Haidai, the winds surge and the waves swell — common men and serving maids alike all harbor resentment and rage. The people's hearts long for Han. Grand Governor Diwu often sighs with me over this, not knowing where to turn in the days ahead."

Feng Yan began to inflate his own worth: "So I spoke to him of restoring the house of Han, and Diwu Lun was moved. That is why he sent me to see Your Majesty."

The truth was that Feng Yan had promised Bao Yong he would draw Diwu Lun into their faction, but had never dared to lay his cards on the table, feeling the moment had not yet come. That did not stop him from presenting the matter as already settled.

Feng Yan repeated the arguments he had used to persuade Bao Yong in Shangdang. The gist was: Diwu Lun's loyalty to Wang Mang was not absolute, which meant he was absolutely disloyal — a man the Zhao-Liu clan could win over, provided his family was willing to show sincerity.

"Grand Governor Diwu wishes to control the entire Weicheng commandery in order to pursue great affairs in the future. Therefore, the Li clan of Wu'an, as a stumbling block, must be kicked aside."

"If Your Majesty is willing to sacrifice the Li clan and conclude an alliance, then once the Red Eyebrows and the Xin army have decided the outcome, Weicheng commandery will be willing to support Your Majesty's accession!"

Seeing Liu Lin appear somewhat hesitant and swayed, Feng Yan upped the stakes of the negotiation: "Not just Wei Cheng — Shangdang will join as well!"

"Shangdang?"

Feng Yan said smugly, "Indeed. I am not merely Diwu Lun's envoy; I have another identity — I am the bosom friend of Bao Yong, the Merit Evaluation Clerk who truly runs Shangdang. He too cherishes the Former Han in his heart, and secretly urged me to watch for a member of the Hebei imperial clan capable of great undertakings."

"In my view, the man worthy of our support stands right before us!"

Feng Yan made it plain to Liu Lin: "Great King, will you ruin a grand cause for the sake of a mere Li clan? Or endure for a time, join in a great rising, gain Diwu Lun and all of Wei Cheng as friends, and cause the whole realm to destroy the Xin and restore the sagely Han! Which is weightier, which is lighter — I only hope you will ponder it deeply!"

……

"Sir, please return and tell the Wei Cheng Grand Governor this: I will send men to persuade the Li clan of Wu'an to abandon Wu'an, letting Diwu Lun control all of Wei Cheng."

"But Diwu Lun must keep his word as well — he must not pursue them relentlessly and slaughter them to the last!"

This was Liu Lin's final decision, and it greatly delighted Feng Yan, who pledged: "Agreed! We shall surely turn the swords of Zhao and Wei into jade and silk, and one day soon undertake a great cause together!"

When Liu Lin saw Feng Yan out of the royal palace, he noticed Feng Yan's carriage and horses, shook his head and said they were far too plain, and ordered his own carriage brought out as a gift. After Feng Yan firmly declined, Liu Lin had men stuff his cart with gold and silks.

At the very end, he asked Feng Yan with concern, "I see you are a man of high talent, sir — may I ask what post you hold in Wei Cheng?"

"Chief Clerk."

"Only a mere Chief Clerk?" Liu Lin feigned astonishment and exclaimed what a pity. "Diwu Lun does not know how to judge men. In my view, with your eloquence and stratagems, sir, you are no less than Chen Ping or Zhang Liang; you carry deep statecraft in your breast — truly a talent worthy of the Three Heroes Who Restore the Han."

The Three Heroes Who Restore the Han? The title nearly sent Feng Yan floating up to the heavens.

"For now I am only a mere Marquis of Handan, with nothing worthy to offer — I can only gift you gold and silk, sir."

Liu Lin drew close to Feng Yan: "But if one day we can raise a great cause — the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers, enfeoffment as a marquis, what are those even worth mentioning!"

These words left Feng Yan walking on air. He had truly, with nothing but his own three-inch nimble tongue, turned the Zhao Liu and Diwu Lun from foes into friends.

On the road back to Liangqi, Feng Yan was brimming with delight: "Liu Lin called me the Zhang Liang or Chen Ping of the age — he has seen me truly!"

"I shall don plain robes and a white cap, travel among the three commanderies, carrying not an inch of blade nor a pint of grain, and make the three commanderies as close as brothers."

He now held three identities: Diwu Lun's military-advisor Chief Clerk in Wei Cheng.

Bao Yong of Shangdang's dearest friend, to whom one could entrust wife and children.

And the master strategist for restoring the Han to Liu Lin, master of the Zhao lands.

No matter which commandery he was in, he could raise the other two identities to increase his own weight, dancing with ease atop three eggs, and finally stepping on them to leap straight into the position of one of the "Three Heroes Who Restore the Han."

With this, Feng Yan grew even more self-assured: "Hahaha, even the ancient Vertical-and-Horizontal strategists Zhang Yi and Su Qin were no more than this!"

……

But after watching Feng Yan depart, Liu Lin's smile faded.

What he had just agreed to — having the Li clan of Wu'an withdraw into Zhao territory — was no lie, but pulling them out was not so simple. It would be best to let Li Neng fight like a cornered beast, dealing a heavy blow to Diwu Lun's old troops, and only then withdraw at his leisure.

How to support another powerful clan's struggle without openly rebelling — there were many fine tricks to that.

Moreover, though he greatly appreciated Feng Yan's grand plan to "restore the Han," on the details, Liu Lin had long had his own designs.

"He wants to push me forward as the sovereign, to be Emperor? To serve as a banner?"

Liu Lin shook his head. He knew he could not covet that position — at least not for now.

Ji Province in Hebei was the province where the Former Han had established the most feudal kingdoms. Apart from Julu, every commandery had once hosted a kingdom.

So in Hebei, the Zhao Liu were far from the only descendants of feudal lords.

Take the power-holders in the north — Liu Yang, King of Zhending, who had married into local powerful clans. And unlike himself, a mere "Prince of Zhao," that man had actually been a king, only stripped of his crown and robes by Wang Mang. It was said that if Liu Yang grew ruthless, he could pull over a dozen powerful clans and a hundred thousand men from the two commanderies of Changshan and Zhending — on what grounds would they obey you, Liu Lin?

Then there were the Zhongshan Liu, that great brood of descendants of Liu Sheng, Prince Jing of Zhongshan; and the Guangping Liu, the Qinghe Liu, the Hejian Liu, the Xindu Liu… every family a local power-holder, each a potential ally — or a potential enemy.

Their lineage was different from the Zhao Liu; they were merely kinsmen. If Liu Lin took the lead, they would not necessarily submit.

So, if they raised a cause, they would need a man whom all the Hebei Liu could at least pay lip-service to — a banner that could change the face of Hebei overnight! Let him go to the front and be a puppet emperor.

And he, Liu Lin, would do as he did when governing the Zhao lands from behind a screen — become the Acting Emperor!

He pushed open the gate of a side hall in the Zhao royal palace. The place was heavily guarded; no outsider could easily approach.

Liu Lin entered the courtyard and came before a man of about thirty. The man was being instructed by the Zhao palace's attendants and ritual officers, dressed in a set of imperial dragon robes and crown — clearly overstepping his station — magnificent and ceremonial. Indoors, he paced step by step, learning the rites and gait of the court, his advances and retreats, his bearing — and he really could fool people.

He was Wang Lang, son of that diviner who had killed himself in Wei Cheng — the "Liu Ziyu" who had nearly been made emperor by Li Yan.

After witnessing Diwu Lun pacify Wei on the banks of the Zhang River, Wang Lang had carried his father's murder back to Handan and turned to Liu Lin, telling this "master of the Zhao lands" the story he had fabricated.

"I am Liu Ziyu. This year I am twenty-nine… no, thirty."

"I was secretly sent out of the palace to be raised, escaping the murderous hands of that witch Empress Zhao Feiyan. At twelve, I met the diviner Li Manqing, a gentleman of the palace, and followed him to Shu. At seventeen, the house of Han was usurped by the traitor Wang Mang, and I went to Danyang. At twenty, I returned to Chang'an. Because I studied the art of observing qi with my master, I discovered that there was the aura of a Son of Heaven in Hebei, and so I wandered through Zhongshan, traveling back and forth between Yan and Zhao, awaiting the time ordained by Heaven."

Liu Lin listened, putting on an expression of complete belief, and thereafter secretly kept Wang Lang in the palace. By now it had been over half a year.

"King of Zhao!"

When Wang Lang saw Liu Lin arrive, he immediately saluted him. Liu Lin, however, hastily sidestepped and instead bowed to Wang Lang.

"Good."

"Ziyu — the orphaned son of Emperor Xiaocheng."

Liu Lin praised Wang Lang: "You look more and more like a true Emperor!"

……

PS: Chapter 3 at 18:00.