Chapter 268: Grand Chancellor Wang

In mid-June, just as Diwu Lun was sharpening his blade, poised to strike at Hexi, Tian Kuang — the Xin Dynasty's Commandant-Grand Governor who held Hexi — was also tossing and turning, casting anxious glances eastward day and night.

Tian Kuang had long been on good terms with the Master of Fates of the Five Majesties, Chen Chong. The month before, when a certain person colluded with an inside agent and used a cunning scheme to falsely accuse Chen Chong of plotting rebellion, Tian Kuang was implicated as well. As soon as Wang Mang's Embroidered Uniform Envoys arrived, Tian Kuang obediently set out for the capital; he believed the Emperor saw his loyalty clearly.

To his subordinates' urgings to reconsider, Tian Kuang simply replied, "Previously, His Majesty recalled me from Qingzhou and entrusted me with a vital post in the capital region, even granting me the imperial surname Wang and enrolling me among the imperial kinsmen. When the Son of Heaven issues an edict, one must set out at once — how can I hesitate?"

Yet he had only reached Yueyang when the shocking news arrived that Diwu Lun had raised troops in rebellion at Hongmen. What followed next was Wang Mang's edict ordering him to immediately muster his forces and come to the Emperor's aid!

"You have always been loyal and valiant — I hereby enfeoff you as Duke Who Upholds the Xin!"

Tian Kuang could only rush back to his commandery. Unfortunately, they were unprepared against a prepared foe, and the Grand Minister of Works had already taken the greater part of the commandery troops with him. He could only conscript soldiers on the spot and plead with powerful local families to join the relief effort. But the powerful houses in the commandery hesitated. After enormous effort, he managed to scrape together a force of several thousand — and then the calamitous news came: Chang'an had fallen, and the Emperor, Wang Mang, had fled, his whereabouts unknown!

"Your Majesty!" Tian Kuang beat his chest and stamped his feet. When Diwu Lun sent an envoy to persuade him to surrender, Tian Kuang simply had the man beheaded, then issued a proclamation bitterly denouncing Diwu Lun, comparing him to Shen Bo of Zhou, Qing Feng of Qi, and Ma Heluo of Han — a man who cloaked treachery and grand deceit beneath a guise of filial piety and fraternal duty, committing this act of disloyalty that all under Heaven should unite to punish! He even had someone compose a "Proclamation Against the Fifth."

Had Wang Mang known that the Xin Dynasty still possessed such a "loyal minister," he would surely have felt deeply gratified in his old age.

With Wang Mang fled, the only reason the hastily assembled relief army had not yet scattered was entirely due to Tian Kuang, who reasoned with them day and night: "Behind us still stands the Grand Minister of Works with a million-strong relief army! Before long, he will sweep the Greenwood rebels aside, wheel his forces westward, and annihilate the traitor Diwu!"

Under such circumstances, that Tian Kuang could still send men to feign strength and deceive Wan Xiu, use elite troops to seize control of the Boat Commandant's post on the canals, and then strike Peng Chong's forced-march column at Mount Hua — annihilating two thousand of the enemy at a cost of only eight hundred of his own, a brilliant victory — was truly no mean feat.

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The Grand Governor of Yiwei Commandery, lost and helpless, regarded Tian Kuang as his only savior and handed over all military authority to him.

Though Tian Kuang was inept in dealing with people, he was, true to his reputation as the man who once defeated the Red Eyebrows, genuinely skilled in warfare. Knowing his forces numbered barely over ten thousand, far inferior to Diwu Lun's, he shortened his battle lines. He abandoned everything west of the Luo River and concentrated his main strength at three points: the old Hangu Pass in Hu County, the Capital Granary at Huayin, and his commandery headquarters at Lijin City. These three positions were close enough that boats could shuttle smoothly between them.

"The Son of Heaven's edict summoning relief has already reached Kunyang. Once the Grand Minister of Works returns, the traitor Diwu's defeat is sealed."

But after waiting and waiting, what came instead was the news that Wang Yi had been routed at Kunyang, his three-hundred-thousand-strong army scattered in a single day. Aside from demoralized stragglers who would surrender their weapons to anyone they met, Wang Yi had only managed to rally thirty thousand men and flee to Luoyang. In the short term, he was unlikely to return.

Tian Kuang felt as though he had been struck by lightning. But he had already killed Diwu Lun's envoy; now he was riding a tiger and could not dismount. He still had to maintain his composure: "Three hundred thousand men on the march are slow and congested — worse than a hundred thousand. Do not forget, behind us we still have the Grand Chancellor Wang!"

The Xin Dynasty's Grand Chancellor, Wang Xun, was also of the imperial clan. His father was Wang Mang's uncle, Wang Fengshi, the Marquis of Gaoping — the youngest of the "Five Marquises."

But as the eldest son of the family, Wang Xun was rather advanced in age, nearly the same as Wang Mang, already grey-bearded. On this campaign, he had been ordered to lead a detached force of one hundred thousand through the Luyang Pass. But just as Wang Xun was laying siege, an edict arrived ordering him to enter the pass at once and come to the Emperor's aid!

His troops had only just reached the tower when his home base was stolen. Wang Xun had no choice but to hastily withdraw. It was fortunate that the Greenwood commander defending Luyang lacked Liu Xiu's boldness and dared not pursue — otherwise, it would have been another great victory for them.

But during the half-month it took to march back from Luyang to Hongnong (modern-day Lingbao, Henan), at least thirty thousand of his hundred-thousand-strong army seized the chance to desert. Then he heard that Chang'an had already fallen, the Emperor had fled into the wilds and his whereabouts were unknown, any relief effort was already too late, Guanzhong had been seized by Diwu Lun, and from the rear came word of the catastrophic defeat at Kunyang. The Grand Chancellor Wang found himself utterly trapped between a rock and a hard place.

As he drew near Hongnong and the old Hangu Pass loomed ahead, the Grand Chancellor Wang grew increasingly anxious.

It was at this moment that Song Gang, the Grand Governor of the Xin Dynasty's Right Corps, came to report that General Kong Ren, the Master of Fates, had taken the Garrison Cavalry Camp, talked the Wuguan Pass commander into defecting, and surrendered Yao Pass and Wuguan Pass to the Gengshi Han Emperor!

This Right Corps was a patchwork commandery to begin with; its administrative seat was separated from the Wuguan and Shangyu region by countless great mountains, making communication difficult. The Grand Governor of the Right Corps was helpless to do anything about it.

"The situation is far too chaotic now. This humble officer does not know what to do."

Song Gang bowed his head to the Grand Chancellor Wang, but when he raised it, he offered a suggestion: "Lord Zhangxin, since the Son of Heaven has fled, the Xin is likely beyond saving. With the Greenwood rebels victorious at Kunyang, the restoration of the Han is now a foregone conclusion, and the commanderies east of the pass will likely submit upon receiving a single proclamation. Would it not be better for us to follow Kong Ren's example, surrender Hongnong and our tens of thousands of troops to the Gengshi Emperor, borrow the Greenwood forces, and strike down Diwu Lun to avenge His Majesty..."

"Silence!"

Before he could finish, the Grand Chancellor Wang rebuked him harshly: "I am the Son of Heaven's cousin! I have received profound grace from His Majesty, been promoted to one of the Eleven Senior Dukes, and held that rank without change for over ten years. I have been entrusted with heavy responsibility — it is my duty to aid the sovereign and restore the dynasty. How could I turn and surrender to the Han traitors?"

Wang Xun dismissed Song Gang with a scolding. Though his face was righteous and stern, his heart was hollow. After being hammered by Diwu Lun in the west and the Greenwood rebels in the east, the Xin's collapse was indeed irreversible. But as a member of the Xin imperial clan, if the Grand Chancellor Wang surrendered to the Greenwood rebels, would they really spare him? Han and Xin could not coexist! As far as he knew, Wang Mang's dragon-rising place, Xindu, had been burned to ashes!

Yet staying in Hongnong was no solution either. Though called a commandery, it was in reality just a narrow strip of basin between the Xiao-Han mountains and the Yellow River — cramped land where feeding tens of thousands of men was a problem in itself...

It was a letter from Tian Kuang that offered the Grand Chancellor Wang another, bolder choice.

"When the Xin was established, the myriad clans gave their hearts to it, and all quarters looked up to its virtue. It was not taken by force or power, but was truly the Mandate of Heaven. Yet now traitors rebel within, and our great general has been defeated without. The Son of Heaven's fate is unknown, the imperial heirs are all scattered, and the only elders remaining among the imperial clan are the Grand Chancellor, the Grand Minister of Works Wang Yi, and the Grand Preceptor Wang Kuang — three men."

"The Grand Chancellor is revered and commands a hundred thousand troops, enough to sweep across all under Heaven. I only hope that you, my lord, will enter the pass at once, answer Heaven and accord with the people, follow the precedent of the Son of Heaven, and become Acting Emperor, so that the Xin's enterprise of thirty-six thousand years may continue!"

Urging Wang Xun to proclaim himself "Acting Emperor" was a desperate move by Tian Kuang. Diwu Lun was already advancing eastward with overwhelming momentum. He desperately needed the Grand Chancellor Wang's support, and the remnants of the Xin Dynasty truly needed a pillar to rally around, so they would not be lost and helpless — some defecting to the Han, others surrendering to Diwu. Thus he waited and hoped day and night.

"My lord, the Grand Chancellor Wang has left Hongnong!"

"Excellent!" Tian Kuang was overjoyed. He had feared Wang Xun would linger in Hongnong and watch from the sidelines, so he had specifically tempted him with the throne. As long as Wang Xun came, blocked Diwu Lun's offensive, and perhaps even counterattacked along the Wei River's southern bank back into Guanzhong, retaking Chang'an would not be a dream.

"The Grand Chancellor Wang has passed through the old Hangu Pass. I request that the General send more boats so he may enter the Wei by water."

Tian Kuang gladly adopted this suggestion. Another day passed, and a mounted scout reported: "The Grand Chancellor Wang has reached Hu County."

Only two days' march away — Hexi was saved, the Great Xin was saved! To welcome the Grand Chancellor Wang, Tian Kuang personally went to the Capital Granary at Huayin to wait, ordering cauldrons set up and meals prepared to greet the friendly army.

Yet the next report nearly made Tian Kuang, who had been gazing eastward with such longing, collapse.

"The Grand Chancellor Wang has reached Fengling Ford. He is using boats to construct a pontoon bridge — the main army is crossing north to Hedong (southern Shanxi)!"

"The Grand Chancellor Wang says: 'The Fifth traitor is fierce, the Greenwood rebels are rampant, Guanzhong can no longer be recovered, and I dare not usurp the regency. It is better to hold the Three He region and await the Son of Heaven's return from his hunting tour. Rest assured, General — I am willing to serve in Hedong as the rear guard for Hexi!'"

The reinforcements Tian Kuang had yearned for day and night, when they were just one day's march away, turned tail and fled to Hedong, preparing to watch the outcome from across the river. And Diwu Lun's side was faring no better — the "Shanggu Commandery cavalry" he and Jing Dan had counted on had also run into problems.

"Grand General, Lord Ma says the situation in the north has recently changed. He fears the Shanggu Commandery cavalry cannot come south."

"Why?"

Diwu Lun had already reached Chongquan City on the banks of the Luo River and was preparing for the offensive. Although the Shanggu force was only a diversion, it still held strategic significance. More importantly, he did not entirely trust Ma Yuan. The man had answered his call now more out of having no other choice; sending troops was what would clearly demonstrate his stance.

But Ma Yuan's letter indeed contained unavoidable reasons.

"Earlier, Wang Mang stripped the frontier garrisons north of the border in Bingzhou to join the Han-punitive army, leaving the border forts empty. Coupled with a great famine along the frontier, bandits swarmed everywhere, and the situation grew chaotic. The Xiongnu seized the chance to invade, capturing Wuyuan and killing the commandery officials. The barbarian cavalry has ridden south as far as the border walls north of Shanggu Commandery. From the commandery seat at Fushi County (modern-day Suide County, Shaanxi), the beacon fires are visible!"

The barbarian cavalry was bearing down with ferocious momentum, so not only could Ma Yuan not send cavalry to aid Diwu Lun, he even hoped that after Diwu Lun finished with Hexi, he could send some men to support him...

Indeed, one must not forget: north of a Central Plains about to fracture lay a unified Xiongnu that had been husbanding its strength for decades. As the Xin Dynasty crumbled, the Xiongnu, who had been hostile to the Xin for over ten years, were now making their move.

Jing Dan, who had dealt with the Xiongnu in Shanggu, said to Diwu Lun: "The Xin's Wang Mang broke with the Xiongnu long ago. As early as the third year of Shijianguo, the Xiongnu's Left Gudu Marquis and others led troops into the Yishou Fortress in Yunzhong, slaughtering officials and commoners."

"During the Tianfeng years, when the Xiongnu sought a marriage alliance and were refused, Wang Mang wanted to campaign north against them. The Chanyu responded by sending the Left and Right Division Commandants and various border kings to raid the fortresses — large bands of over ten thousand, medium bands of several thousand, small bands of several hundred — plundering Yanmen and Shuofang. Even Grand Governors and subordinate magistrates were killed. The officials and commoners they plundered and the livestock they drove off were beyond counting. The frontier was drained and exhausted."

He sighed with emotion: "Shanggu is much the same. Since the time of Han Emperor Xuan, the northern frontier saw no beacon-fire alarms for generations. The people flourished, and cattle and horses covered the plains. But now, after over ten years of hostility, the Xiongnu raids south grow ever more frequent, while the Xin's so-called twelve-route grand army has been garrisoned for so long without ever marching out. The officers and men are worn out. In just a few years, the northern frontier has been emptied, and the wilds are littered with exposed bones."

But while the Xin Dynasty's garrison troops were useless, they at least gave the Xiongnu some slight pause, keeping their incursions from going too deep. Now, however, the border forts were empty, allowing the Xiongnu to punch straight through Wuyuan (Baotou), cross the Yellow River, and push their vanguard as far as Shanggu Commandery!

Jing Dan said, "In my view, these barbarian wretches want to repeat what happened at the end of the Qin Dynasty — take advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains, with Chu and Han locked in struggle, to seize back the entire territory south of the Yellow River bend."

And an urgent report that arrived from Shanggu Commandery the next day proved that the Xiongnu had indeed come well-prepared this time. They had not spent two hundred years fighting the Han, nor several decades as its vassals, for nothing. Unlike Modu at the end of the Qin, they had played some new tricks.

"When the frontier barbarians invaded, they all raised white flags and black cloth, proclaiming that the Chanyu was wearing mourning for the Great Han's Emperor Xiaoping and aiding the Han in exterminating the usurper!"

"In Wuyuan Commandery, which they have captured, the Xiongnu have gathered the officials and commoners and enthroned a great-great-grandson of Han Emperor Wu, Liu Wenbo, as Emperor!"

"Liu Wenbo?" Diwu Lun found the name strangely familiar. After thinking for a moment, it hit him — wasn't this the alias of Lu Fang, the man from Sanshui in Anding whom he had fought back in New Qinzhong? The bastard had been beheaded three times, and he was still alive!

Wait — the puppet emperor Lu Fang propped up by the Xiongnu, could his dynastic title be...

"Exactly — it is 'Han'!"

PS: Chapter 2 at 18:00.