Chapter 237: Revolution

"Eunuch, you said the people of Chang'an held a great feast to celebrate the Emperor's wedding, eating meat stew and fine grain rice, and held it up to show the Emperor — which hand did you say they used?"

Wang Ye could still be warmed up a bit and interrogated for intelligence on conditions inside Chang'an. He was handed over to Di Qibiao. Brother Biao, gripping a ring-headed saber, grinned savagely as he gestured at Wang Ye's hands.

"Was it the left hand?"

"Or the right hand?"

Then Di Qibiao's face lit up with sudden realization: "To hold something and present it to an exalted one, it ought to be both hands!"

With that, he raised the blade high and hacked down fiercely, making Wang Ye scream — only to find that Di Qibiao had merely slashed empty air, his hands completely unharmed.

But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, Di Qibiao grinned and sliced off Wang Ye's thumb, then stuffed it, dripping blood, into his mouth.

"Chew. Swallow it. How does this 'fine meat' taste?"

The wicked have their own wicked tormentors. A man has ten fingers, and in no time at all, Wang Ye had confessed every detail of the city's strengths and weaknesses.

As expected, those two unreliable men, Wang She and Dong Zhong, had already been captured without a fight. Liu Xin had escaped disaster by going to Zhongnan Mountain to "inspect his tomb site," but that old pedant could not help in the slightest. This battle, it seemed, would still have to be fought by Diwu Lun himself.

It was now deep into the night, the water-clock not yet drained. Diwu Lun immediately summoned all his subordinate colonels for a council — eight men in all: Deputy General Wan Xiu, Deputy General Geng Yan, Colonel Di Qibiao, Colonel Peng Chong, Registrar Feng Yan, Provisions Officer Ren Guang, Pacification Clerk Diba Jiao, and Captain of the Guard Zang Nu.

The only one absent was the surprise Wang Mang had arranged for Diwu Lun — Assistant General Liangqiu Ci, who was theoretically his second-in-command.

Diwu Lun first asked everyone how their preparations were going.

They were either old subordinates he had brought from Wei or members of his own clan. Although no one knew the full details of what Diwu Lun had come west to do, it was clear he was not here to loyally serve Wang Mang. Some, like Geng Yan and Di Qibiao, thought he meant to take his family and flee back to Wei. Feng Yan, however, had guessed more accurately: "Lord Diwu ignored my advice and entered the Pass, I fear, to win a name for opposing Wang Mang."

Wan Xiu and Geng Yan each commanded over ten thousand men for Diwu Lun — a heavy responsibility — with Di Qibiao and Peng Chong as their deputies. All four reported that after over twenty days of training, though these forty thousand men still fell far short of the Wei troops and were unfamiliar with the gongs, drums, banners, and flags, at least they were no longer a disorderly mob. They could now follow the officers and sergeants placed among them and form ranks.

"If all they have to do is stand still, they do rather look like soldiers," Geng Yan said, his tone faintly mocking. He still looked down on refugee troops.

Ren Guang and Diba Jiao reported that the soldiers had eaten their fill for over half a month and had at least regained their strength. They were also quite grateful to Diwu Lun. But whether that gratitude ran deep enough for them to lay down their lives for him was highly doubtful.

Feng Yan had more to say. He had not been idle these past days, secretly working on Diwu Lun's behalf among the Six Lieutenancies, building ties with local powerful families — at the very least, making introductions and getting familiar faces.

"The great houses — Shen Dang of Yueyang, Wang Da of Xiagui, Yan Chun of Tai County, Wang Meng of Lantian, Yan Ben of Yangling, Tumen Shao of Duling — have all sent visiting cards these past few days."

But though these great houses professed long-standing admiration for Lord Diwu's renown, would they actually pick a side the moment something happened? Diwu Lun thought not. What powerful clans excelled at was sitting on the fence and backing whoever won.

Diwu Lun then explained to everyone how Wang She and Dong Zhong had been seized by the Emperor, how the plot had been exposed, and how the Palace Attendant Wang Ye had intended to deliver an edict to trick him into entering Chang'an. As he spoke, he observed their expressions.

Wan Xiu and Geng Yan were as steady as ever — they were the most deeply involved in this affair. Zang Nu stood behind Diwu Lun, blade in hand, his gaze sweeping over the group. Diba Jiao was also perfectly composed; the journey to the Western Sea had left him despairing of, even resentful toward, this court. Feng Yan seemed almost pleased. Ren Guang, who had come aboard midway, and Peng Chong exchanged bewildered glances.

"The situation now is this: the sovereign forces his minister to rebel — the minister has no choice but to rebel!" Di Qibiao sprang to his feet, impatient to declare his stance.

"The Emperor heeds the words of treacherous sycophants and plots against the loyal and upright. At this point, there is no other way!" Ren Guang and Peng Chong immediately echoed him.

The others raised no objections either. Those whom Diwu Lun had brought into the inner circle of this western campaign's decision-making — how could any of them be loyal ministers of the Great Xin?

Rebellion was certain. Having been inside the Pass for a full month, they had all seen with their own eyes how the people's grievances seethed. The question now was: under what name should they rebel? As the saying goes, if the name is not right, the words will not carry; if the words do not carry, the endeavor will not succeed. They had to have a banner.

Peng Chong had not anticipated that Diwu Lun would go this far. Now he felt he had to say more to show where he stood: "Since Wang She, the State Preceptor, and the others intended to rise up in the name of purging evil ministers from the sovereign's side, why not continue with that, General? That way, you could draw in their remaining followers to assist."

This was a relatively conservative view. The captured Wang Ye, along with Chen Chong, Cui Fa, Zhang Han, and the others in the city, were all ready-made targets. In Peng Chong's eyes, as a minister of the Xin, Diwu Lun was in no position to call for the death of his own sovereign. Better to oppose the treacherous sycophants, not Wang Mang himself.

But if that were all, wouldn't Diwu Lun's public image still be that of a Great Xin loyalist?

Feng Yan was the first to step forward and blast him: "I have heard that Peng Botong's father was killed by Wang Mang. I had assumed that Botong, like Bao Yong of Shangdang, thought of revenge day and night. I never imagined you would be so cowardly, still unable to forget being a minister of the Xin."

"My father died unjustly — how could I dare forget it for even half a moment?" Peng Chong grew agitated. He had only floated an idea to test the waters; was there any need to blow it up into a denunciation? He immediately prostrated himself before Diwu Lun and bared his heart: "This humble officer merely dared not let private vengeance overshadow public duty."

"At this point, private vengeance and public duty can become one."

Feng Yan had long since planned this out for Diwu Lun. With rising excitement, he declared: "In the court, the evil is not confined to treacherous sycophants alone. The source of this evil is Wang Mang himself! Wang Mang is brutal and tyrannical, and the hearts of the people within the Pass long for the Han. In my view, we should rise up in the name of restoring the Han!"

Ren Guang sensed Diwu Lun's disapproval and immediately followed up: "Does the Registrar mean we should answer to the 'Gengshi Emperor' in Nanyang?"

Feng Yan shook his head. "The contest between Wang Yi and Gengshi is still undecided. It is too early to answer to them now."

Although he was convinced that restoring the Han was the inevitable tide of the future, Feng Yan did not think highly of the Nanyang faction. He simply said: "We need only raise the banner of restoring the Han. Proclaim Wang Mang's crimes — how he poisoned Emperor Xiaoping and usurped his throne. Condemn his systems of Royal Fields, Private Dependents, and the Five Equalizations and Six Monopolies. Denounce his trust in treacherous sycophants and his execution of the loyal and upright. Finally, let the three armies don mourning for the Han Emperor, then declare that we shall honor the old institutions of Emperor Gaozu and restore the bequeathed virtues of Emperor Xiaowen!"

"In this way, we can win the response of the commanderies and counties."

No one raised any major objection to this. Such was the terrible inertia of thought: in most people's eyes, the opposite of Xin was Han — like two sides of a single coin.

But raising this banner was easy; putting it down later would be troublesome. Diwu Lun, however, wanted to stand that coin on its edge!

"What has the House of Han ever done for me?"

Diwu Lun spoke words Feng Yan had never expected to hear. That axe and sickle, said to represent "Heaven's will and the people's mandate," had in truth already revealed his stance.

"The reason I rebel against Wang Mang,"

"is not because of private grudges or petty hatred."

"Still less to avenge the Han Emperor."

"It is because I wish to…"

Diwu Lun's words rang with finality as he defined the nature of this rebellion of his:

"Comfort the people and punish the crimes!"

…

"Punish their crimes, comfort their people — like a timely rain descending, the people rejoice greatly."

Feng Yan was learned; he knew this was a saying of Mencius. So Diwu Lun was aware of it!

But Feng Yan felt Diwu Lun had it wrong. The context of that passage referred to Qi's punitive expedition against Yan — it was used for one state attacking another, a relationship of equals standing in opposition. Diwu Lun was still a minister of the Xin; how could he misuse it so recklessly?

Diwu Lun had already thought through his objective back when he discussed "not raising the Han banner" with Ma Yuan, and had even consulted a number of ancient texts. Now he smiled and said: "Not so. He who injures benevolence is called a brigand; he who injures righteousness is called a monster. A brigand and a monster is called a mere fellow. When Tang banished Jie and King Wu struck down Zhou, the world says only that they executed a mere fellow — Jie, Zhou. None speak of regicide!"

No matter how Wang Mang prettified his reforms, no matter what his innermost original intent had been, the world recognized only the facts: the government had been wrecked and thrown into chaos. In the short term, at least, Wang Mang's historical standing could only be like that of Jie, Zhou, and the Second Emperor of Qin — an object of the world's hatred. This sentiment was so intense that even the dark final reigns of Cheng and Ai at the end of the Han were cast as pure white lotuses in comparison, objects of nostalgia. How absurd.

Politically, any succession to the Xin would inherit only poison, no legacy. This was why schemes like "holding the Son of Heaven to command the feudal lords" were utterly unworkable now. Even if Diwu Lun wanted to help prolong the Xin dynasty's mandate, he could not.

Since it could not be prolonged, then let it be overthrown!

The primary purpose of Diwu Lun's entry into the Pass this time was to sever all ties with the Xin, once and for all!

He declared: "Now Wang Mang brutalizes his people, wishing to make the people within the Pass spill their brains and smear the ground. We march to chastise him — this should not be called an attack, but an execution! The people will see us as coming to save them from water and fire. They will bring baskets of food and jugs of drink to welcome us. Is this banner any less resounding than 'Restore the Han'?"

Diwu Lun had come not to declare himself king or emperor, not to make himself a target for every power under heaven. But once the great banner of "Execute the tyrant, execute the mere fellow" was raised, those who did not understand would not understand, and those who did, would understand completely.

Feng Yan understood. He stood utterly stunned, glimpsing for the first time Diwu Lun's true purpose.

He did not want to emulate Zhao Yang and the Six Ministers who "purged the evil men at the sovereign's side" — he wanted to purge the sovereign along with them!

Nor was he willing to call back the soul of the long-decayed House of Han — he meant to build a new furnace from scratch! His ambitions ran even deeper…

"The revolution of Tang and Wu!"

Ren Guang understood too. He had been holding back, barely speaking, and now seized the gap while Feng Yan stood stunned into silence. He stepped forward and declared his support: "When the Four Seas turn to a man, he is the Son of Heaven; when all under Heaven rebel against him, he is a tyrant, a scourge of the people! Wang Mang has utterly lost the people's hearts — strike him down, and it is just!"

The rest roared their approval as well, Geng Yan most of all.

He had assumed Diwu Lun had come only to snatch up his family and flee at once — that would have fit Diwu Gong's usual style. Who could have guessed that this time he would be so exceptionally bold? It suited Geng Yan's taste perfectly. In over a year, this was the first time Geng Yan felt genuine admiration for Diwu Lun.

He rose abruptly and cupped his hands toward Diwu Lun. "Diwu Gong speaks truly. Yan is willing to be your vanguard."

"Wan Xiu respectfully obeys the General's command." Wan Xiu took Diwu Lun as his sole guide and had long ago received Diwu Lun's confidences in private.

"Biao feels the same." Though Seventh Biao had not really understood much from start to finish, still… the gist of it was just following the clan leader in rebellion, wasn't it! Why all the twists and turns.

"Peng Chong has a blood debt with Wang Mang — his father was murdered. We cannot share the same sky!" Peng Chong, for his part, was grinding his teeth now.

And the taciturn Diba Jiao, who had also read his share of books, added an auspicious flourish for Diwu Lun: "King Wu took three hundred war chariots, three thousand tiger warriors, and forty-five thousand armored soldiers east to punish Zhou. Now the General likewise marches west with over forty thousand men — in accord with Heaven and answering the people's call, you cannot fail to carry all before you!"

The decision-makers' opinion was now united. Diwu Lun accordingly ordered Wan Xiu, Geng Yan, Peng Chong, and Ren Guang to prepare. At cockcrow they would assemble the three armies — Diwu Lun had words to speak to them. Of course, he could not use the refined classical allusions he had just now; they needed plainer language, a more blood-stirring call!

Diba Jiao and Seventh Biao were assigned by Diwu Lun to head north, cross the river into Weibei, and find a way back to Changling. Their clan could still muster two thousand clan soldiers there; if they could win a response from the county's people, even more could be pulled out.

Diwu Lun finally turned to the still-dazed Feng Yan. "Jingtong."

"Your subordinate is here!" Feng Yan gave a start and answered hastily. He would have to reassess Diwu Lun now.

"Write a declaration of war for me." Diwu Lun rested a hand lightly on Feng Yan's shoulder. "Time is short — it must be finished by daybreak. This declaration is destined to be remembered through the ages, recited generation after generation. How well it turns out will depend on Jingtong's skill!"

"Yes… yes!"

But the declaration's core message had to be absolutely clear. Diwu Lun gazed out at the night. Was this the final darkness before dawn, or the eve of utter chaos descending upon the realm? No matter what, he had to throw these dice!

"Remember — this is not 'clearing the sovereign's side,' nor is it 'restoring the House of Han.' This is the deed of Tang and Wu. This is a 'revolution'!"

It is Heaven and Earth transforming, and the four seasons taking their course. It is the axe splitting open a new world, the sickle cutting away the old order!

……

PS: Chapter 2 at 13:00, Chapter 3 at 18:00.