Chapter 194: Awe-Inspiring, As If He Were Still Here

A few days earlier, at the start of the tenth month of the third year of Dihuang, on the eve of the Start of Winter.

The carriage raced southward. Liu Xiu drove it himself, lashing the old horse furiously with his whip, forcing it to gallop for its life down the main road. His companion Zhu You clung to the carriage rail in terror. "Wenshu, there are no pursuers behind us — slow down a little!"

Liu Xiu did not slow in the slightest; his eyes were fixed dead ahead.

"My luck really is terrible." Liu Xiu sighed inwardly. He lacked his elder brother's decisiveness, and the uprising in Wancheng — he had botched it.

To be precise, the leak had not come from Liu Xiu's end. The Li clan of Wancheng had been careless in their own dealings. They had planned to conspire with the city's Military Section Head to jointly seize Grand Governor Zhen Fu of the commandery. But just then, news arrived of the great "Victory at Wuyan" in the east. The Military Section Head concluded that the Great Xin imperial forces still had fighting spirit, immediately reneged, and secretly denounced Li Tong and his brothers to the authorities.

Zhen Fu kept his nerve. He made no public move at first, immediately sending word back to Chang'an while instructing the Military Section Head to invite the Li brothers into the city to discuss their uprising.

Liu Xiu was at the Li residence at the time. Sensing something was wrong, he warned the Li brothers to be cautious. Li Tong therefore sent a body double into the city in his place. Sure enough, the moment the substitute entered the city, he was seized.

Government troops then seized the opportunity to besiege the Li clan's fortified manor. The various forces Li Tong had arranged had no choice but to rise up ahead of schedule. Because the outbreak was so hasty, and they were surrounded by government soldiers, each group could only fight on its own. Li Tong was trapped defending the manor. Li Zhi took Liu Xiu and Zhu You toward an ironworks controlled by his family, hoping to mobilize two thousand iron-bonded convict laborers to revolt, but they were attacked and scattered along the way.

Liu Xiu could only flee with Zhu You. It was clear the Li clan could no longer be relied upon, so they simply fled south. The most urgent task was to inform his elder brother Bosheng: the Li clan could not coordinate from within, so everything would have to depend on the Chongling Liu clan itself.

They were pursued by the authorities the whole way. Fortunately, Liu Bosheng's friends were spread all across Nanyang. In nearly every county and township, as long as Liu Xiu invoked his elder brother's name, someone would shelter him and help him escape.

But there were mishaps too. Passing through Yuyang County, the two were caught up by a commandery officer sent to arrest him, and they were separated in the city.

"Liu Wenshu, let's see where you can run now."

The officer relentlessly pursuing Liu Xiu was a tall man, wielding a pair of short halberds and carrying a heavy crossbow on his back. Liu Xiu had personally watched this man fell several local gallants who were shielding him, one halberd-stroke apiece. Now cornered in a dead-end alley, escape seemed impossible.

Liu Xiu's own saber had been knocked away in the fighting; all he had left was the small dagger in his bosom, which he called "Fan Kuai."

At this moment of life and death, Liu Xiu released his grip on the dagger hilt and actually bowed to his opponent with clasped hands. "Such a brave warrior — that I, Liu Xiu, have never met you before shames me as a man of Nanyang. May I ask how I should address you?"

The officer, seeing that Liu Xiu was unflustered even facing death, was in no hurry to seize him and replied, "Chen Jun, courtesy name Zizhao."

"Judging by Zizhao's accent, you are from Xi'e County," Liu Xiu said. "My elder brother Bosheng knows several gallant heroes in Xi'e County — I wonder if Zizhao is acquainted with them?"

Liu Xiu listed those men's names one by one. They were indeed prominent figures in Xi'e, and Chen Jun had dealt with one or two of them. His killing intent ebbed slightly, and he cursed, "Liu Xiu, what is your meaning? Can't wait to name your fellow conspirators in treason?"

Liu Xiu shook his head. "If I said they truly were co-conspirators, would Zizhao report it to the commandery office? If they rose up in Xi'e in response, could Zizhao's own clan be kept safe?"

Seeing hesitation flicker across Chen Jun's face, Liu Xiu seized the moment. "The Greenwood men are marching north, right on our doorstep, and the government troops cannot stop them. Nanyang is on the verge of great chaos — that is why my family conspired with the Li clan to rebel against Xin. The uprising is imminent. Although the Li clan has been exposed and trapped, Chongling is far to the south. Can the commandery really send divine troops descending from heaven to stop it?"

"I, Liu Xiu, am merely an ordinary son of the Chongling Liu clan. With me or without me, it makes little difference. Zizhao capturing and killing me will not affect the greater situation, nor will it even earn you much reward. But once Chongling rises, the situation in Nanyang will inevitably change drastically. If my elder brother succeeds, won't Zizhao have made an enemy of the Liu clan?"

"Conversely, if Zizhao can let me go, the Liu clan will engrave this debt of kindness and honor in our hearts."

"I hope Zizhao will weigh these stakes carefully."

Chen Jun hesitated only a moment. He had been ordered to follow his superior officer in pursuing Liu Xiu, and along the way he had seen powerful families and renowned scholars in every county shelter him. Even total strangers, as long as the name Liu Bosheng was spoken, were willing to risk being implicated to death, yet still stepped forward to aid Liu Xiu. It was truly chilling.

Reflecting on Liu Xiu's words, he found them reasonable. And thinking further — hah, this Great Xin dynasty had not paid their monthly salaries for several months now, yet petty officers like him were still driven like beasts. Why incur such a great enmity for the government's sake?

So Chen Jun stepped aside and cleared a path. "Go."

"I only hope to meet Zizhao again one day!"

Liu Xiu bowed to Chen Jun once more and hurriedly left that dead-end alley. When he touched his back, it was soaked with cold sweat.

Zhu You could not be found for the time being. Liu Xiu could only travel south alone. Stumbling and struggling, he finally reached the Deng clan of Xinye, where he was met by his second brother-in-law Deng Chen and his close friend Deng Yu. Only then was he safe.

Both Deng Chen and Deng Yu were involved in the Chongling Liu clan's rebellion plot. Now hearing that a major disaster had occurred and that the Li clan of Wancheng could barely save themselves, let alone coordinate from within, they were both greatly alarmed.

Deng Chen especially — since his elder brother's death, he had taken control of the family's authority. As the head of the vast Deng clan, he had to consider the lives of several hundred family members, and even over a thousand private retainers and dependents.

"Wenshu, can this great undertaking still proceed?" Deng Chen asked Liu Xiu solemnly.

The Li family was already unreliable; the Deng clan absolutely could not falter now. Liu Xiu hurriedly said, "Although the Li clan miscalculated, we never counted on them in our original plan. My elder brother's plan is..."

"I do not want to know what Bosheng thinks." Deng Chen pointed at Liu Xiu. "I want to know what you think!"

Deng Chen said, "Wenshu, the reason I am willing to stake my entire clan's lives and join the Chongling Liu clan in this uprising is because of you!"

"Me?" This was something Liu Xiu had never expected, and he was deeply moved.

Deng Chen continued, "Bosheng acts impulsively. If not for you, Wenshu, holding him back, he would have raised troops the year before last. In terms of renown and valor, you are not Bosheng's equal. But in judging the situation, you surpass him. 'The inchworm bends to stretch; dragons and serpents hibernate to preserve themselves.' When you act, Wenshu, you usually only make a decision when you are certain it will succeed. That is why others think you timid and dull — I alone know that you can accomplish great things."

"This concerns the survival, honor, and disgrace of the Deng clan. I beg you, Wenshu, tell me: can this rebellion against Xin succeed?"

Liu Xiu drew a deep breath and said, "Years of rampant warfare, unending calamities, ever-harsher laws, ever-heavier taxes — so that every common man and woman harbors bitter resentment, while across the realm the Red Eyebrows and Greenwood surge like wind and waves..."

Before he could finish this analysis of the situation, Deng Chen cut him off. "I trust you, Wenshu. I only need you to say: it can, or it cannot."

"It can!" Liu Xiu nodded firmly. "As long as Liu and Deng unite heart and mind, the great undertaking will surely succeed!"

As he left Xinye, Liu Xiu calculated silently: "Once the Deng clan rises up with its whole lineage, with four to five hundred qing of land, all the sons of its various branches combined, and mobilizing all their retainers and private followers, they can field two to three thousand men."

The Deng clan's strength lay in its flourishing family and vast branches. The other great clan of Xinye, the Yin clan, relied on snowballing expansion and annexation; they now held seven to eight hundred qing of land, with over two thousand guests and dependents.

The Yin clan head was probably unwilling to be drawn into the uprising, but that did not matter. The Yin family's legitimate son, Yin Shi, was a longtime admirer and junior follower of Liu Bosheng. He had already returned from the Imperial Academy in Chang'an. Liu Xiu met Yin Shi by night, and he was willing to answer the Liu clan's call.

Looking back at the Yin clan's towering gates and grand residence — once the uprising succeeded, Liu Xiu would no longer be just the youngest son of an ordinary landowning family, without office or title. They would raise the Han banner anew, become Generals, become Bearers of the Gilded Mace. And the name "Liu Xiu" could be borne openly and honorably, no longer needing to be hidden and concealed in Chang'an. Everything Wang Mang had stolen could be taken back.

When that time came, Liu Xiu could walk openly into the Yin household and propose marriage to the one in his heart, Yin Lihua.

At this thought, Liu Xiu quickened his pace and headed straight for Chongling.

By the time Liu Xiu returned to his hometown, it was already the winter solstice. Approaching Baishui Township, he encountered on the roadside several households of Chongling clansmen fleeing outward with ox-carts and donkey-carts, an endless stream of them.

Upon asking, it turned out that those clan members who had previously been utterly unaware that Liu Bosheng intended to rebel were suddenly told by their own sons, who had secretly joined the plot, that a great uprising would be launched at the winter solstice, and that the Greenwood men from the south would be brought in. They were thrown into a panic.

Some of the more timid ones promptly fled with their valuables, planning to escape and hide far from disaster. Encountering Liu Xiu, they assumed this usually "timid and dull" third son of the Liu family was also in the dark, and they poured out their grievances to him: "Bosheng is going to destroy the entire Chongling Liu clan!"

Liu Xiu remained silent. He simply changed his clothes on the road, donning a crimson robe and a tall cap. He even put on the armor Deng Chen had given him, unfurled the "Han" banner the Deng family had stitched overnight, borrowed a bamboo pole from a villager, and rode forward holding the Han banner aloft.

There were still many Chongling Liu clansmen fleeing disaster along the road. When they saw Liu Xiu dressed in full Han regalia, holding the Han banner high as he rode against the tide of refugees, they were all stunned. They stared blankly at Liu Xiu and muttered, "Even someone as cautious and honest as Wenshu is going to rebel with Bosheng?"

Liu Xiu looked around at the crowd and recalled his brother-in-law Deng Chen's high expectations of him. Yes — his elder brother was the family's spear, cleaving through brambles and thorns, while he was the family's shield, bringing reassurance. This uprising could not do without him.

"Yes."

Liu Xiu revealed an honest, kindly smile and said to the crowd, "In times like these, even a simple, honest man like me is forced to rebel!"

Outside the township of Baishui, the Chongling Liu clan had gathered countless sons, brothers, and retainers. Today was the winter solstice, the day Liu Yan and his brother had agreed upon to launch their great undertaking.

But even within the Liu clan itself, opinions were not unified.

The nominal head of the Chongling Liu clan was Liu Liang. He had been recommended as Filial and Incorrupt during the reign of Emperor Ping of Han and had once served as County Magistrate of Xiao. Later, when the Xin Dynasty was established and former Han imperial clansmen were barred from holding office, he had returned crestfallen to his hometown.

But Liu Liang at most grumbled a few complaints about the court; the thought of rebellion had never crossed his mind. He even felt that Wang Mang had treated leftover subjects of the former dynasty like them rather well — at least he didn't execute them on a whim, but dealt with them generously.

What Liu Liang never imagined was that the Liu Yan brothers, whom he had raised with his own hands, had hidden such a monumental undertaking from him! They had been secretly plotting for years, and Liu Liang, having long since handed over authority to live in retirement, knew nothing of it — until this very winter solstice day, when Liu Bosheng came to "notify" him.

"Uncle, I will no longer be a subject of the Xin Dynasty."

"I will restore the Han."

Liu Liang thought Bosheng was joking, but when he stepped outside to look — good heavens — every young man of the entire clan had been mobilized and gathered beyond the township. Add to that the retainers Liu Bosheng had kept and recruited, and the local villagers who had joined out of admiration for his name, and together they numbered a full several thousand!

Half the township knew of the revolt, yet I, the head of the family and his uncle, am the last to learn? The rebel — was right beside me all along?

Liu Liang was both shocked and furious, his beard quivering with rage. He could only point at Liu Bosheng, speechless. No wonder — no wonder he had always neglected the family livelihood, bankrupting himself to befriend the bold and outstanding across the realm. So it was all for this day!

But those in the clan unwilling to rebel were not few. They gathered together, their faces full of terror, hoping to persuade Bosheng once more not to drag the whole clan into the fire.

Liu Yan utterly despised the temporizing, scrape-by ways of his uncle and the clan elders: "Uncle once served as a Filial and Incorrupt official and a functionary of the Han, and all of you elders lived decades under the Former Han. Bearing the surname Liu, can you truly be content as people of a fallen state?"

Liu Liang was so rebuked he could find no words, and only made an excuse: "Our family line is remote; even if the Han were to be restored, it would not fall to us... Why not wait for the descendants of Emperor Xuan of Han to rise up first?" After all, there were so many Lius under heaven — at least several hundred thousand. Let others do the bleeding; just sit back, watch the outcome, and reap the rewards — wouldn't that do?

Liu Yan flew into a great rage and rebuked him: "So long as the blood of the High Emperor flows in your veins, you cannot shirk responsibility for the rise and fall of the Great Han. How can one evade it by quibbling over closeness or distance of bloodline? When you elders enjoyed exemption from taxes as members of the imperial clan, why did no one quibble over closeness or distance then?"

He beat his own chest: "What's more, the authorities already know our family intends to rebel. Turn back? It's too late."

"You!" Old Liu Liang was on the verge of tears. "The Grand General Who Accepts Words is right to the south — he is a famous commander! And the court can dispatch a great army at any moment. How can we possibly stand against them? Are you trying to destroy our family?!"

Liu Yan laughed heartily: "I have already drawn in the chieftains of the Greenwood Army as support. Uncle still doesn't know? Just yesterday, the Xin and Pinglin captured Sui County — it's right at our doorstep. If our family does not rise in response and join the revolt, they'll be beating down our gates soon enough!"

Liu Liang was left speechless. And just at that moment, Liu Xiu also returned, in crimson robes and a tall cap, dressed in martial garb and bearing the Han banner. Behind him, astonishingly, were the Liu clan members who had earlier fled in haste, seeking refuge. They had thought Liu Bosheng too rash, but when they encountered Liu Xiu and saw that this steady, honest man had joined the revolt too, their hearts settled. They felt that perhaps this undertaking might actually succeed, and so they followed him back.

Liu Liang grew even angrier. He had counted on Liu Xiu to come help persuade them, but instead, this fellow with the thick brows and big eyes had joined the rebellion too. He cursed: "Wenshu, your aspirations and principles have always differed from Bosheng's. Now Bosheng brings calamity and extermination upon the clan, and instead of stopping him, you conspire with him like this — you are driving this old man to death with rage."

So saying, he waved for someone to help him away to rest, but in his heart he secretly thought: "Since Wenshu is involved too, it seems this matter truly cannot be avoided now. So be it, so be it — we'll take it one step at a time."

Liu Xiu raised the banner and mounted the platform. He paid his respects to his elder brother and, in a low voice, told him of how the Li family's plot had been exposed and they were besieged, and of the preparations of the Yin and Deng families. Finally, he called out to the clan youths, whose faces still showed some hesitation: "I learned news in Wancheng."

"The Red Eyebrow Army has already routed the Xin army in the east! The General of Renewal and the Grand Preceptor — their host of a hundred thousand was annihilated, and both of them were killed! The government troops cannot withstand a single blow!"

This news had not yet reached Nanyang; it was something Liu Xiu had fabricated on the spot. But this proclamation settled the crowd's hearts, so that they could listen attentively to Liu Bosheng's address.

"Wang Mang is brutal and oppressive; the common people are scattered and broken. Now drought has persisted for years, war has risen on all sides, and taxes are arbitrary and unceasing — this is the moment Heaven has decreed his destruction. To prevent Chongling from being ravaged back and forth by government troops and bandits, to avoid a fate where our homes become mounds of rubble, our fields overgrown and barren, where fathers and sons are driven into exile and husbands and wives are torn apart — better to strike first in response, and draw in the Greenwood Army's tens of thousands of troops to aid us in overthrowing the Xin!"

Liu Yan raised his arm and shouted: "We shall drive out calamity and chaos, punish the wayless, restore the enterprise of the High Ancestor, and settle the ages to come! To restore the altars of the House of Han and make the flame-essence blaze anew — it is this very day!"

"Restore the House of Han! Let the flame-essence blaze anew!" Liu Xiu stood beside his elder brother, raising the banner high in response. And the sons of the Chongling Liu clan, especially the younger generation, burned with fighting spirit.

Unlike the Greenwood men or the Red Eyebrows, they did not casually adopt just any name. Instead, they brought forth a title long forgotten, a specter that had wandered the Central Plains for over ten years!

"Han Troops!"

One after another, the flame-Han crimson banners, secretly stitched by each household, were raised. It was just at sunset; the heavens above were a blazing red like cinnabar, and below, the crimson light of the flags swayed and rose to meet them.

This crimson light shone upon every face, and flickered in Liu Xiu's eyes. He who was always so calm — at this moment, even his eyes brimmed with hot tears. This scene, this feeling — how could it be described?

Awe-inspiring, as if they still lived among us. Who dares say the Han has perished?!

PS: Silver Alliance bonus chapter 11/11.

There are still 17 Alliance Master bonus chapters to come; I'll start making them up next week.

Tomorrow's updates at 13:00 and 18:00; no separate notice will be given.