Chapter 261: Western Han

This "republic" is not that republic, and Diwu Lun was not truly sincere about becoming comrades with Liu Xin and Wei Ao, so the name did not matter.

The crucial question lay in…

"Who will be King Xuan of Zhou?" Diwu Lun fixed his eyes on Liu Gong. According to current intelligence, Liu Ying had very likely already reached Longyou.

But Liu Gong was not so foolish as to lay all his side's cards on the table. He only pondered a moment, then asked Diwu Lun in return, "What does the General think of the Gengshi Emperor in Nanyang?"

"Liu Xuan?"

Diwu Lun now knew the honored name of the Han emperor whom the southern Greenwood faction had set up. If you added the character "De" after it, making it Liu Xuande, it would thunder through the ears.

But since it was a name he did not recognize, that man had surely never succeeded — a mere passerby of the age.

Diwu Lun smiled and shook his head. "I have heard a story. After the Witchcraft Calamity, Emperor Wu of Han made Che Qianqiu his Chancellor. The Xiongnu Chanyu, having never heard this man's name, said, 'He does not employ the worthy — just some random fellow, that is all!'"

"My assessment of Liu Xuan is the same. The Greenwood men casually picked a clansman of the Liu imperial house to serve as their puppet! This is not the true Han — it is a false Han! Before he was enthroned, the world knew only of Liu Bosheng. After he declared himself emperor, on Wang Mang's wanted posters, Liu Bosheng's head was worth a hundred thousand in gold, while Liu Xuan, as 'Han Emperor,' was worth only fifty thousand — not even matching his own subject. Is that not laughable?"

"Setting aside Liu Xuan's ability for the moment, although Nanyang has reestablished the House of Han and now seems to wear the robes and sashes of legitimacy, if I may be blunt, bandits are still bandits…"

Diwu Lun had been about to launch a regional attack, saying that the men of Chu were monkeys wearing caps, but he suddenly recalled that Liu Xin and Liu Gong were descendants of Prince Yuan of Chu, and the child Liu Ying was a descendant of Prince Xiao of Chu — it would not do to curse them now.

So he changed tack and said, "The Greenwood men also came from the lakes and marshes, and their roving-bandit habits remain unchanged. I have heard that many of their chieftains have the vile practice of massacring cities, killing Xin Dynasty officials on sight — even those who surrender are not spared — seizing their wives and daughters, plundering their wealth and silk, and calling for the death of old Han-era ministers who once supported Wang Mang."

Demonizing the Greenwood faction was an old tactic of Diwu Lun's, and it was also precisely why Liu Xin hesitated over the Greenwood Gengshi regime and threw his weight behind Liu Ying. The old man and Liu Gong were both high officials of the Xin Dynasty, their pasts hard to whitewash; they feared being purged afterward by a Greenwood regime. Better to set up one they could trust themselves — that way the Han would be restored, and their families preserved. Would that not be splendid?

Diwu Lun made his stance plain. "If we let these southern barbarians enter the Pass, the very men who drove out Wang Mang will be shoved to the margins. How could the interests of the mighty houses of Guanzhong and Longyou be safeguarded? In my view, this King Xuan of Zhou must be a man born and bred in Guanzhong!"

Seeing Diwu Lun's clear contempt for Liu Xuan and the Greenwood faction, Liu Gong understood. He merely proposed going into the city to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager Xiaoping.

Diwu Lun gladly agreed. "To avoid alarm or suspicion, I have only had men guard the Ding'an Residence and have not dared enter to pay my own respects — a considerable discourtesy. Now that you have come, Master Liu, let us go together!"

…

"My lord, do you truly mean to merge with Liu Xin and Longyou?"

When Liu Gong had gone down to bathe and prepare himself with due solemnity, Feng Yan immediately came to Diwu Lun's side, bowed low, and spoke thus.

The human mind is a curious thing. In a mere ten-odd days, Feng Yan had gone from eagerly urging the restoration of Han to doing his utmost to stop Diwu Lun from making a foolish move.

Feng Yan said, "Of the perils of waging war, the greatest is hesitation; the calamity of the three armies is born of doubt. Since the grand strategy of a Tang-Wu revolution, of remaking heaven and earth anew, is already settled, how can it be altered on a whim? Every line written in that proclamation is engraved upon your servant's heart."

He even quoted the Odes, saying, "'The woman kept no fault; the man's conduct strayed.' My lord's course now truly is fickle and inconstant in virtue!"

The solemn vows still rang in his ears — who could have guessed you would be the first to break them? Feng Yan was truly grieved to the core, feeling he had followed the wrong man.

Ren Guang, standing nearby, also had his doubts, but he said nothing, only letting Feng Yan charge ahead.

"Jingtong, you misunderstand. This is a stratagem to break out of a trap." Diwu Lun had summoned them precisely to reveal the plan in his mind.

"My great desire has not changed in the slightest, nor is this a change of course."

Diwu Lun spread his hands. "But what you desire for yourself, do not impose on others."

"If I do not restore the Han, can I stop others from restoring it?"

Feng Yan started, then understood at once. "Could this be the stratagem of sitting on the mountain and watching the tigers fight?"

Ren Guang also grasped it. "The Greenwood faction has already set up the Gengshi Emperor. If Longyou sets up another Han emperor, then we will have a Western Han and an Eastern Han standing side by side!"

Feng Yan chimed in, "Two tigers are just beginning to devour an ox; when the food is sweet, they will surely fight. When they fight, the larger will be wounded and the smaller will die. Stab them after they are wounded, and in one stroke you gain the fame of killing both tigers! Brilliant!"

Diwu Lun smiled and nodded. In truth, there was even more to it than that.

Over the past half year and more, Diwu Lun had thought it through carefully. "The people's hearts long for Han" and "the Liu clan shall revive" were indeed the obvious currents sweeping the realm. After all, Wang Mang, that loyal servant of Han, had done his job far too well — overcorrecting to the point that whatever Wang Mang rejected was bound to be fervently championed.

Wang Mang had also wanted to destroy the legitimacy of the House of Han and had made considerable efforts, but he was like Gun trying to control the floodwaters — his method was damming. The result was that the more he suppressed it, the fiercer this current became, until at last it turned into Wang Mang's nightmare.

Now it was Diwu Lun's turn to face this surging current, and his countermeasure was the same as Yu the Great's…

"Damming is not as good as channeling!"

When there is only one Han under Heaven, there is no question about what is the legitimate line.

But what if one, two, three, four, five, six, seven — Western Han, Eastern Han, Barbarian Han, Zhao Han, Greenwood Han, Red Han — spring up one after another? Which one is the legitimate line? The world's eyes would surely be dazzled and confused.

When all the "Sons of Heaven of the House of Han" gather together, enough for two tables of mahjong, one can predict it will be very lively indeed.

Diwu Lun did not even need to take the initiative in this matter. Within the Han-restoration camp, there were far too many factions — more than one could count. Once Wang Mang fell and the common enemy was gone, everyone would be a local power-holder, none willing to submit to the others, and ambition was bound to breed.

Diwu Lun only needed to go with the flow. Look — as the greatest hero in bringing down Wang Mang, he would neither declare himself emperor nor set up a Han, but simply remain neutral. You all fight it out; I will develop my own strength. The various sides would probably have to strive mightily to win him over!

Guanzhong right now was indeed a dead game, but Diwu Lun would advance where he should advance and retreat where he should retreat, and he was determined to take this dead piece and bring the whole board to life in a single move!

"But it still lacks the right heat."

The current situation was extremely delicate. After taking Chang'an, Diwu Lun had been anxiously awaiting news from the east, but it had been long in coming. If, as in history, Xiu'er displayed his might and the Greenwood faction won a great victory, the various ambitious men would once again be frightened into obeying their banner and would lie low, waiting.

So Diwu Lun had to help Longyou make up its mind as quickly as possible — to stoke their fire, to trick Liu Xin and Wei Ao into hastily creating a "Western Han"!

Thereupon Diwu Lun told Feng Yan and Ren Guang his method — such and such — and bade them go down and carry it out.

"Your servant understands!" Feng Yan was suddenly enlightened. He clapped his hands in praise and immediately went to carry out the order.

Ren Guang, however, paused and bowed to Diwu Lun. "Since my lord also intends to go to the Ding'an Residence, your servant has a matter — I do not know whether it is fitting to speak of it."

"Boqing, speak freely."

Ren Guang then said, "Within the Ding'an Residence is the maiden Yin, betrothed wife of Liu Xiu, Liu Wenshu. She was captured and brought to the capital after the defeat at Little Chang'an, and now, by a twist of fate, she has become a maidservant to the Princess of Huanghuang."

"When your servant sent men to the Ding'an Residence to distribute grain, she entrusted someone to deliver a letter requesting a meeting, saying she had an important matter to discuss. When your servant was in Lord Yan's army, mindful that my lord had old ties with Liu Wenshu and unable to bear seeing her humiliated, I even bribed the escort soldiers not to mistreat her."

"But now I dare not meet her privately, and so I report it especially for my lord's knowledge!"

Unlike Feng Yan, who acted on whatever notion struck him, Ren Guang was always this steady and proper in his conduct, never presuming to make decisions for his master.

Diwu Lun was taken aback. "The maiden Yin? Could she be the daughter of the Yin family of Xinye, whom the late Duke of Gongxiu, Wang Xing, wished to take as a concubine? What is her personal name?"

For a well-bred young lady, her given name was normally told only to her husband, but since the maiden Yin was a captive, the register of those escorted to the capital had been signed by Ren Guang, so he knew it and informed Diwu Lun.

"Yin Lihua… 'In taking a wife, one should take Yin Lihua'?"

From the depths of his memory, Diwu Lun recalled a line that was in fact very famous — he had seen it, but only now did it come to mind. He murmured it softly, then smacked his forehead.

"Why did you not say so sooner!"

…

Diwu Lun was not interested in Yin Lihua.

He was extremely interested in Liu Xiu!

Nowadays, anything connected to Xiu'er drew Diwu Lun's keenest attention.

But some matters were more urgent than others. Today he still had to go with Liu Gong to pay a formal call on Wang Yan at the Ding'an Residence. As for Yin Lihua, he would simply have Ren Guang reply to her request — first summon her out of the Ding'an Residence and settle her properly in the Xuanming Quarter.

Diwu Lun wore a crimson robe today, with a military cap and grand headdress, but no seal hung at his waist — he would not wear one for now, not until what he could hang there deserved to be called an "imperial seal."

The Ding'an Residence stood right opposite the Xuanming Quarter. Diwu Lun had passed by it several times these past few days and had even paused there, though he never again saw a wooden kite take flight.

The reason he had not gone in was, first, that he was too busy and had no real cause to visit; and second, that his status was awkward — awkward for Wang Yan, and awkward for Diwu Lun too.

If they met, should he treat her as a princess of the Xin Dynasty, or as the Han Empress Dowager?

And Diwu Lun himself belonged neither to Xin nor to Han. What exactly was the relationship between them? What ritual protocol should he follow?

But today things were simpler. All he had to do was play along with Liu Gong's little act.

The great gate of the Ding'an Residence, shut for many days, slowly swung open. That afternoon Ren Guang had already sent men in to inspect the premises and ensure the Grand General's safety — it was during that inspection that Yin Lihua had been summoned out.

Though the soldiers had been repeatedly warned, their eyes still darted about and their voices were loud; the long-tranquil Ding'an Residence was instantly thrown into clucking-and-scrabbling chaos.

Diwu Lun walked in front, Liu Gong behind him, as they entered the palace. The hall was vast — Emperor Wu of Han had built it precisely for seeking immortality, and had filled it with two thousand beauties gathered from Yan and Zhao. Though the Han palace buildings still stood, now only a little over two hundred people lived here, leaving it rather desolate and empty. The sound of Diwu Lun's shoes echoed through the great hall.

And upon the dais, a plainly dressed woman sat upright and solemn in the very center. The serving maids beside her trembled with fear, but she remained utterly unshaken. She was not yet thirty, several years older than Diwu Lun, with a tall, straight figure. Her hair was done up in the style of a married woman. Her features, though adorned with no powder or rouge, were strikingly lovely; only her eyes had been traced with dark lines, making them all the more vivid and spirited.

Diwu Lun recalled that he should have seen Wang Yan once three years ago, when he first entered the palace for his audience with Wang Mang, and again at the funeral procession when her elder brother died. Each time, it seemed, she had been wearing mourning white — and today was no exception. Liu Gong, impeccably courteous, had barely crossed the threshold when he prostrated himself on the floor. "Your servant, the Han Grand Master Liu Gong, pays homage to the Empress Dowager Xiaoping!"

"It has been many years since I last saw the Grand Master." Wang Yan nodded toward Liu Gong, then turned her gaze upon Diwu Lun, who stood there as though none of this concerned him. "General Diwu."

"Has your lordship come to pay a respectful visit — or to startle the imperial presence?"

Diwu Lun smiled. "Naturally, I have come specially to pay my respects before your phoenix carriage."

The inexplicable removal of Yin Lihua, whom she trusted deeply, had kindled some fire in her. Wang Yan had a streak of unbending steel and did not fear Diwu Lun. If he meant to humiliate her, it would end in nothing worse than death. So she spoke, neither servile nor overbearing: "Since you have come to pay respects, why do you not perform the proper rites? If this is no respectful visit, then I ask you, my lord, to see yourself out."

Fine. Tonight, you call the tune. Diwu Lun, with evident reluctance, then performed the obeisance of a subject before her.

What followed was largely Liu Gong weeping and saying that the chaos in the capital had made the Empress Dowager suffer grievous wrongs. His words no longer treated her as the Eldest Princess of the Xin Dynasty. Diwu Lun, for his part, had little to say and merely glanced at Wang Yan from time to time.

Wang Yan was not all unbending steel; she had her own tactics too. She knew that Chang'an was still under Diwu Lun's control, so she addressed only Liu Gong: "It is thanks to General Diwu's sending men to guard the palace and supplying grain, meat, and vegetables daily, no different from ordinary times, that I have been able to wait safely until the Grand Master's arrival. However, my serving maid was taken away by soldiers this morning…"

Diwu Lun said, "The woman is connected to a Greenwood general. She was merely invited away for questioning."

Wang Yan nodded, then raised another matter that weighed heavily on her heart. "There is one more thing. The Grand Herald's office was breached during the chaos, and the Crown Prince's whereabouts are unknown. To this day, I have received no answer."

Liu Ying was, in name, still Wang Yan's son!

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"The Empress Dowager need not worry." Before Liu Gong could answer, Diwu Lun spoke up.

"The Crown Prince has already reached Longyou! With Master Zijun instructing him, there is no cause for concern!"

These words greatly startled Liu Gong. The child Ying was their trump card, and he himself had only learned of this upon meeting Fang Wang on the road. How had Diwu Lun found out? But that moment of stunned shock only confirmed the truth of the matter. Under Wang Yan's pressing questions, and since it could no longer be concealed, Liu Gong could only stiffen his scalp and admit it.

"The Crown Prince is indeed already in Long."

"Since the Crown Prince is safe," Diwu Lun suddenly became quite solicitous, "the Empress Dowager should not remain living here in the Mingguang Palace any longer."

"You ought to return to Changle Palace! The halls have already been ordered swept clean and await only the Empress Dowager's residence."

Mingguang Palace was the residence of the Xin Eldest Princess, but Changle Palace was the residence of the Empress Dowager, standing equal in rank with Weiyang Palace.

This came as a great surprise to Wang Yan. Liu Gong, however, was overjoyed. It seemed his uncle had not misjudged things — Diwu Lun was willing to join them in restoring the Han.

He had heard of the setbacks Diwu Lun had encountered during his time in Chang'an — many great Confucian scholars had refused to attach themselves to him, rolling up their bedrolls and fleeing west. It seemed Diwu Lun had also discovered how difficult it was to make his orders obeyed and had therefore changed his original intent.

And honoring Wang Yan, restoring her as Empress Dowager and installing her in Changle Palace, was, in Liu Gong's view, undoubtedly a move to add legitimacy to the "joint rule" of Liu Xin and Diwu Lun. For the Han, the Empress Dowager was far too important.

Moreover, Wang Yan's status was unique. That she remained safe and unharmed meant that the former ministers of Wang Mang who switched allegiance would not face reprisals either. One Empress Dowager Xiaoping, one Child Emperor — what a superb hand of cards to play. The only thing left to worry about now was that Greenwood emperor…

But just at that moment, the dog-headed strategist Feng Yan came rushing in to report, his face full of alarm, and prostrated himself at the entrance of the hall.

"Grand General!"

"Trouble."

Feng Yan raised his head; it was impossible to tell whether his face was wet with water or sweat. "Word has come in from outside the city. Wang Yi and Wang Xun have routed the Greenwood forces at Kunyang in Yingchuan and killed Liu Bosheng. Though they suffered losses, they still command an army of two hundred thousand and will march west within days — to rally to the throne!"

…

PS: Chapter 3 at 18:00.