Chapter 275: There Are Not Two Suns in the Sky

"We have indeed fallen for their scheme! Word has come from Wudu Commandery in the south — at Kunyang in Yingchuan, Wang Yi's entire army was wiped out. The Greenwood forces won a great victory, and the Gengshi Emperor still lives! They have already dispatched troops to attack Hanzhong and will soon enter Wu Pass!"

"I knew all along that Feng Yan's words could not be trusted!"

Fang Wang could only curse that they had all been deceived by Feng Yan's honeyed words, and that the accursed Lu Fang had been propped up as emperor by the Xiongnu, forcing them to take this course whether they wanted to or not — playing right into Diwu Lun's hands.

However, his earlier demand that Wei Ao "behead Feng Jingtong" had only been a deliberate bluff, hoping to intimidate Feng Yan into revealing Diwu Lun's true objective.

But Feng Yan knew that Longyou was now riding a tiger and could not dismount; at this point they would have to rush to mend relations with Diwu Lun — how would they dare kill him? So he insisted through clenched teeth that they too had been taken in by false rumors: "It must have been the remnant Xin partisans like Wang Yi and Wang Xun putting on a show of strength, deliberately spreading lies."

Fake news!

This kind of false information to manipulate public opinion was something Wang Mang had often done in the past. For example, when Lian Dan and Wang Kuang suffered a crushing defeat at Chengchang, word came back and Wang Mang spun it as a great victory. He also had several men paraded eastward in cage carts, proclaiming that "Fan Chong and the others have all been executed" to calm the hearts of the Guanzhong people. But after doing this three or four times — with the imperial army failing to suppress a hundred thousand bandits and retreating to Luoyang — even the common folk saw through the deceit.

Diwu Lun's objective had already been achieved. Feng Yan now needed to do nothing at all; he could simply keep his hands tucked in his sleeves, laughing inwardly as he watched the other side rack their brains. He was thoroughly pleased with himself.

"My lord's brilliant stratagem, and my own maneuvering — it is no longer a covert scheme, but an overt one!"

……

"Since this matter has not yet spread, why not simply have Liu Ying abdicate? I have old ties with the Chongling Liu clan of Nanyang and can go explain matters to the Gengshi Emperor."

Wei Ao was already utterly overwhelmed, and his subordinates had split into two factions. One faction was led by General Liu Long, styled Anzhong — he was a man of Nanyang with old friendships with Liu Bosheng and Liu Wenshu, so he favored jointly honoring the Gengshi Emperor, and he held not a shred of respect for the fool of an emperor propped up by Longyou.

"Explain? We have enthroned the legitimate line — what need is there to explain ourselves to a usurper!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than old Liu Xin gave him a thorough scolding: "Liu Yuanbo! You yourself are a scion of the House of Han. Your grandfather raised troops against Wang Mang for the Yuantong Emperor and was exterminated for it. Yet you dare to utter the Emperor's name directly — this is gross disrespect!"

He continued: "It is that so-called Gengshi Emperor who ought to renounce his imperial title. The Marquis of Chongling is merely a distant branch of the King of Changsha, a minor lineage, his blood ties remote — how dare he usurp the throne!"

【Reader benefit】 Earn cash or coins just by reading, plus a chance to win an iPhone 12 or Switch! Follow the vx official account 【Reader Base Camp】 to claim!

Liu Xin had already come to regard Liu Ying as his last hope to atone for the errors of his later years, and he threw his full support behind him: "When the Yuantong Emperor ascended the throne, he stood facing south bearing the Son of Heaven's sword, fixed the era name, summoned the sixteen great clans of Longyou to assembly, and made the announcement at the ancestral temple. Heaven, earth, and the people all know of this. If he is abruptly deposed, then Longyou's righteous uprising to restore the Han becomes a laughingstock!"

Indeed — it was not just their so-called "cause of restoring the Han." From Liu Xin to the Wei clan, they would all be mocked by the people of Guanlong, and this faction's political future would be destroyed in a single day.

Wei Cui was a rough fellow, a knight-errant by nature, and what he feared most was being called a coward. He slammed the table and said, "Lord Liu speaks well! They are both emperors — if the Greenwood men can set one up, why can't we in Longyou? We clearly have the chance to be founding meritorious ministers — why rush to lick the stinking feet of those Jingchu men?"

Since the Yuancheng era, external campaigns had largely ceased, and the sons of the six commanderies had found it harder and harder to get ahead in the capital. They had long been nursing their resentment — how could they let the men east of the passes ride roughshod over them again?

But Wei Ao was deeply worried: "There are not two suns in the sky, nor two supreme sovereigns. The Gengshi Emperor is a Han emperor, and our Yuantong Emperor is also a Han emperor. Now it is Han versus Han, irreconcilable — the two Han must inevitably go to war!"

Fang Wang, however, had thought it through. He shook his head and said: "General-in-Chief, at this moment there are more than two suns in the sky. The Han set up by the Greenwood men — let us call it the Greenwood Han — plus Lu Fang's Barbarian Han, and our own Western Han: three suns now stand side by side."

And the Barbarian Han is near while the Greenwood Han is far. The Gengshi Emperor's reprimands and military strikes are at least a matter for next year, but the competition with Lu Fang is imminent!

"And this — this is Diwu Lun's objective!"

Fang Wang believed he had now seen through Diwu Lun's scheme: "Diwu Lun, styling himself the foremost meritorious minister in the expulsion of Wang Mang, is unwilling to submit to the Gengshi Emperor and be reduced to a marginal figure, left to the mercy of others."

Waving his palm-leaf fan, he continued: "But Diwu Lun also feared that Longyou would obey the Gengshi Emperor, leaving him beset on both sides. So he sent Feng Yan to practice deceit and spread rumors, forcing Longyou to hastily enthrone the Yuantong Emperor. This way, any possibility of us joining hands with Nanyang is gone, and Diwu Lun can reap the fisherman's profit in the middle."

"But Diwu Lun has forgotten that he is sandwiched right between two emperors. And Chang'an is the imperial capital — everyone desires it. If the Gengshi Emperor sends a general into the passes, the one who will take the beating is still Diwu Lun!"

Stroking his beard, Fang Wang said: "We might as well turn his own scheme to our advantage. In the name of the Yuantong Emperor, we shall summon Hexi and Bingzhou to honor the sovereign and repel the barbarians, jointly resisting the Xiongnu and the Barbarian Han. We will stockpile troops, grain, and fodder, and turn south to plot the seizure of Yizhou. As for the east — let us grant Diwu Lun the title of one of the Three Excellencies and leave him to serve as a shield in Guanzhong!"

At this point, this was the best course of action. Wei Ao accordingly summoned Feng Yan and questioned him again about Diwu Lun's stance.

Feng Yan knew the matter was settled. Overjoyed, he pointed to the heavens and swore an oath: "There are not two suns in the sky. In General Diwu's heart, there is only one emperor — the Yuantong Emperor!"

……

The era name Liu Xin had chosen for Liu Ying was Yuantong, to make clear his legitimate status. And in just a few short days, the framework of this "Western Han" petty court was swiftly erected.

"The new institutions have been abolished; we must revert to the Han institutions."

On the question of institutions, the Four Assistants, Three Excellencies, and Four Generals that the Xin Dynasty had set up according to ancient rites were of course to be overthrown, trampled, and stomped on by ten thousand feet — absolutely not to be adopted. Liu Xin had helped Wang Mang twist the official system beyond all recognition, but now it all had to be changed back.

The problem, however, was that the Han emperors had also liked to tinker with the official system — to which version should they now revert?

A great Confucian scholar from Guanzhong who had come to pledge allegiance to Wei Ao proposed that they should go back to the time of Emperor Ai of Han. Overcorrection was necessary — since Wang Mang was bad, then whatever Wang Mang opposed must be good!

Was this not a blatant slap in Liu Xin's face? He himself had been one of those dismissed and banished in Emperor Ai's reign. So he said: "The governance of Emperor Ai was also quite benighted. The fall of the Former Han truly began with the reigns of Cheng and Ai!"

He then praised: "The golden age of Han governance was none other than that of the Middle Ancestor. Governance was enlightened, laws and ordinances were carried out, the borders were secure, the four barbarians were pacified, the Chanyu came to the frontier passes, the realm was rich and prosperous, and the common people enjoyed peace and happiness. His rule surpassed even that of Wen and Jing!"

Liu Xin and his father Liu Xiang had most revered the "blend of the hegemonic and the kingly way" under Emperor Xuan of Han. Father and son rated this emperor even higher than Emperor Wen, who was already regarded among the common people as a sage.

Thus the official system of the "Western Han" took the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers of Emperor Xuan's time as its template. Because the Three Excellencies were not enough to go around, they also followed the precedent of the early Han and added the three Upper Excellencies: Grand Mentor, Grand Preceptor, and Grand Guardian.

Wei Ao became Grand Marshal and Grand General; Wei Cui became Imperial Counselor; Liu Xin took the post of Grand Mentor for himself; Yang Guang became Grand Guardian.

As for Diwu Lun, at Fang Wang's suggestion, in recognition of his merit in expelling Wang Mang and preserving Chang'an, he was directly made Chancellor and concurrently Grand Preceptor!

Chancellor Diwu, Grand Preceptor Diwu — surely that would satisfy him?

Next came the granting of noble titles. In Fang Wang's view, he proposed: "Why not go a step further and make Diwu Lun a king of a different surname? The benefits must be given in full, to make Diwu Lun wholly devoted to our cause."

Then, blissfully and foolishly, he would serve as a shield for Longyou in Guanzhong, blocking the Greenwood men and the remnants of the Xin, while also bearing some of the pressure from the Barbarian Han in the north.

But old stickler Liu Xin, his face dark, insisted: "Though the Han has suffered a decline, the White Horse Covenant of Emperor Gaozu remains in effect. He who is a king but not of the Liu clan — all under heaven shall unite to strike him down! This precedent must not be set."

At these words, Wei Cui and Wei Ao looked at each other in dismay. So no matter how hard the Wei clan strove, they could never become kings?

Though both men had their own thoughts on the matter, everything was still in its infancy and beset with crises — this was no time to contend over empty titles. So after discussion, they decided to abolish Wang Mang's five ranks of nobility and continue to implement the system of Marquis and Marquis Within the Passes.

Yang Guang said: "Diwu Lun was already Duke of Weixin under the Xin Dynasty. Now that he is reduced to a marquis, I fear he will be discontented."

"Then grant him more households," Liu Xin had a solution. "To be rich and noble and not return home is to wear brocade and walk in the night. Let us enfeoff him with Changling County! Changling has fifty thousand registered households and a population of one hundred seventy thousand — enfeoff it all to Boyu. It would rival the house of Chancellor Xiao at its zenith!"

One must understand that in Han times, even Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, and later Huo Guang and Wang Mang had not held household numbers reaching this figure.

Fang Wang raised an objection: "At present, Diwu Lun holds the three commanderies of Liewei, Jingwei, and Guangwei. Since we are being generous at another's expense, we might as well be truly magnanimous and directly enfeoff him with the ten counties of Liewei from the Xin period — one hundred fifty thousand households!"

That made sense. But if so, why not enfeoff Jingwei to him as well? That way, though his title would not be king, his power would be equal to one.

Fang Wang chuckled darkly: "How many meritorious ministers rose up together with Diwu Lun to expel Wang Mang? How can we reward only one man?"

"In my view, the ten counties of Jingwei, including Maoling, can be divided among Diwu Lun's subordinates — Wan Xiu, Geng Yan, and the like."

"We shall also send more envoys to restore the noble titles of Marquis Wang Yuan of Qiongcheng, the twenty former Han marquis houses of Changling and Yangling, and their descendants, enfeoffing them with the ten counties of Guangwei south of the Wei River. If that is not enough, the lesser ones can be granted a single township."

The aim was to preempt the Gengshi regime and have them all receive the seals and ribbons of the Yuantong Emperor, while incidentally fracturing Diwu Lun's power — to transform Diwu Lun's vassals into vassals of the Yuantong Emperor.

Fang Wang's considerations were comprehensive in every respect: "Furthermore, Lü Wei, who holds Chencang; Yuan She, who occupies Beidi, along with the local Fu and Gan clans; Zhang Chun in New Qinzhong; and even Ma Yuan in Shang Commandery — all shall be granted official posts, enfeoffed as marquises, given the lands they occupy, their Xin seals recalled and replaced with Han seals."

Since those in the east had been enfeoffed, those in the west naturally could not be left out. Apart from the Wei uncle and nephew, who were respectively made "Marquis of Chengji" and "Marquis of Gaoping," each receiving tens of thousands of households and basically carving up the two commanderies of Tianshui and Anding between them, every one of the sixteen great clans of Longyou who had raised troops in support of the Yuantong Emperor received their share of the spoils, each basically enfeoffed as marquis with their own family's county or township.

"Three commanderies are not enough to divide — but they will be once Jincheng, Wudu, and Hexi submit."

At this rate, this Western Han was practically a fiefdom system!

But only this way could Fang Wang's pet phrase "subjugate by proclamation" become reality. And Wei Ao, that Grand Marshal and Grand General, opened his own command office — the Wei clan now held the Son of Heaven to command the feudal lords!

In the end, even Feng Yan — who had already packed his bags and was daydreaming about how Diwu Lun would praise him when he got back — got himself made a marquis!

Wei Ao summoned Feng Yan and personally handed him a hastily cast marquis seal: "Congratulations, Jingtong. The Du Ling Feng clan has produced another marquis!"

What? Feng Yan jumped in shock, then was informed that the Yuantong Emperor had enfeoffed him as "Marquis of Xiadu."

"Jingtong, you have toiled and traveled — you deserve this honor!"

Wei Ao said with feeling, "Back in the capital, I never knew Jingtong's great talent. Now we meet like old friends. From now on, as fellow ministers of the Yuantong Emperor, you and I must associate more often. With Jingtong's ability, serving as a mere Chief Clerk under Boyu is truly too small a role."

Feng Yan's performance in Long had greatly surprised Wei Ao and stirred a desire to win him over. He lowered his voice and said to Feng Yan, "If you ever find Guanzhong untenable, the Nine Ministers' posts in Longyou stand vacant, waiting for you."

Xiadu — that was the very township where their Feng clan lived. Holding the Marquis Within the Passes seal and hearing this flattery, Feng Yan felt a sinking sensation.

Damn it — it was the feeling of temptation!

But he quickly sobered up again. Right now, the one controlling Xiadu was Diwu Lun, and this Wei Ao could barely make his own words stick in Longyou — he was just a hollow Grand Marshal. The marquisate he was granting was nothing but a painted cake.

What was more, Wei Ao already had Fang Wang at his side — a man of extreme arrogance, immense self-regard, jealous of worth and envious of ability. Exactly the same type as Feng Yan.

If they served in the same court, neither yielding to the other, wouldn't they end up beating each other's brains out?

So Feng Yan gave full verbal assent, then promptly set out with Liu Gong. Liu Gong had been made one of the Western Han court's Nine Ministers — "Minister of the Imperial Clan" — and had to make another trip to deliver three grand seals to Diwu Lun: Chancellor, Grand Preceptor, and Marquis of Wei.

As they left Chengji, Feng Yan simply gazed at the rugged landscape of Longyou, silently comparing the merits of Long and Guanzhong.

In the short term, Longyou held a military advantage — the sons of the six commanderies were indeed fierce and battle-hardened — but its population was sparse. And while this so-called "Western Han" seemed to hold orthodox legitimacy, when there was more than one Han emperor, it was of little real use. You could send proclamations — could others not do the same?

By contrast, the Guanzhong and Weibei territory that Diwu Lun held might not look large, and its position was surrounded on all sides. Yet in wealth and population, one commandery there matched three in Longyou. Maoling and Changling especially — a single county from either could thrash all four Hexi commanderies combined. That was the place to build up strength and contend with the realm like a tiger!

So that evening as they rested, Feng Yan casually untied his seal cord and tossed it to the bottom of his trunk. A marquis, was it? Surely, given his own great merits, he would get one soon enough under Diwu Lun.

He admonished himself: "Heaven has no two suns; a subject has no two lords. In my heart, there is only Diwu Boyu — one enlightened master!"

Just as Feng Yan was hurrying back east, his mission complete, Diwu Lun had already taken all of Hexi. Leaving Jing Dan and Wan Xiu to hold it, he himself rushed back to Chang'an without pause. Wuguan Pass had now surrendered to Gengshi and openly raised the Han banner — no one knew when the Greenwood vanguard would arrive. Diwu Lun needed to finish one thing as quickly as possible.

"Empty the Qilin, Stone Canal, and Heavenly Blessing pavilions in the palace — strip them bare!"

PS: Chapter 2 at 18:00.