Chapter 297

"My lord has shown Wang Chang great kindness, raising me from a wandering commoner to a feudal lord, granting me a fief in my hometown of Wuyang, so I could return home in silken robes. I thought you, Great King, were likewise a hero, so I risked crossing the river to meet you, hoping to lay out the stakes and bring an early end to the realm's wars."

"I never imagined you would use crafty words to deliberately sow discord between lord and vassal. Word has it that when the Western Han and Northern Han usurped their titles, you, Great King, lent a hand in both — perhaps your aim is to have many Hans standing at once, the realm thrown into confusion, so you, Great King, can play the fisherman reaping the profit? It seems Wang Chang misjudged you. As for what I just said, consider it unsaid! Now you, Great King, rely on brute strength and indulge your whims — though you hold the land of several commanderies, you will surely lose it again."

Diwu Lun's goading stoked Wang Chang into a towering rage; his eyes bulged wide, and had his sword not been left outside, it would likely have been drawn and leveled at Diwu Lun in accusation.

Yet Diwu Lun did not make things difficult for him — he still had him released and allowed him to cross the river and return south.

After Wang Chang had left, he merely praised him: "Wang Yanqing's heart is like metal and stone."

"The other Greenwood chieftains are stubborn and shallow, but Wang Chang alone has real insight. I hear that when he garrisoned Hongnong and the new Hangu Pass, he was respectful and frugal by nature, abided by the law, and maintained the best military discipline. Among the Greenwood men, there are indeed many fine generals and capable officials — no wonder they have the strongest momentum now."

Huang Chang obliquely hinted: "If that's so, Great King, why let him go back? Why not..."

The little man drew a slashing gesture across his neck, but Diwu Lun shook his head. "When I let Cai Mao go south on his 'diplomatic mission,' it was to use the Greenwood rebels' blades to eliminate him. If I detained or even killed Wang Chang today, the Greenwood Han emperor Liu Xuan would likely be overjoyed!"

Wang Chang was quite capable, but after all, he came from the wilds, and his grasp of stratagem was indeed lacking. Though he righteously and sternly rejected Diwu Lun's attempt to sow discord, still...

"Who would know? And who would believe it?"

People only see what they think they see. The Greenwood chieftains to the south, men like Wang Kuang, only saw that Wang Chang crossed the river on his own without receiving an imperial decree, meeting with Diwu Lun as a subject of another lord. Add to that his past ties with Liu Bosheng and Liu Xiu — and the Greenwood is not short of petty men — and with just a little maneuvering from Diwu Lun, a great story could be spun.

"Wang Chang is unwilling to betray Gengshi — but will Gengshi stab Wang Chang and Liu Bosheng in the back?"

Diwu Lun was rather looking forward to the scene of Liu Bosheng and Wang Chang receiving the twelve gold recall tokens. With this kind of sowing of discord, if it doesn't work from one end, you push from the other.

It happened that Feng Yan, his Superintendent of Guests in charge of "foreign affairs," had also arrived in Henei from Guanzhong to manage the tangled relations with the eastern powers. Diwu Lun could not avoid a thorough all-night discussion with old Feng, selling him on his overall line of thinking.

"Jingtong, our previous thinking was wrong. This Greenwood Han cannot be treated as a single entity."

Just as the Nationalist Party split into Chiang, Feng, Yan, and Li factions, this Greenwood Han is also riven with serious factionalism. Within the Greenwood alone, it is divided into the Xiajiang troops, the the Xin troops, and the Pinglin troops. The Chongling Liu clan is split between those who support Liu Xuan and those who support Liu Bosheng, and I hear Liu Xiu has also taken a force eastward.

A major reason Liu Xuan was forced to violate the "White Horse Covenant" that the Liu family never forgot — granting every chieftain great and small a royal title — is that they are essentially semi-independent warlords. If Liu Xuan refused to make them kings, the Greenwood heroes, in a fit of rage, might well have crowned themselves kings.

Similarly, this so-called Northern Han is also divided into the King of Zhao, the King of Zhending, the King of Guangyang, and even factions like Bao Yong of Shangdang and Pi Tong of Hecheng. In conducting diplomacy, you cannot grab at everything indiscriminately — you must carefully tease apart the threads and deal with each one separately.

"Great King, you are truly brilliant, farsighted, and of surpassing wisdom!"

While Feng Yan's mouth poured forth unending flattery, in his heart he only thought: "That's it? With my talent and intellect, even if the Great King hadn't said it, I already knew."

Feng Jingtong had noticed that Diwu Lun largely gave free rein to Geng Chun in governing the commandery, to Ma Yuan in training the army, to Ren Guang in managing provisions, and even to Song Hong in overseeing works. So why, when it came to diplomacy, could he not resist the urge to personally instruct him on how to do his job?

"Could it be that the Great King thinks my abilities are insufficient for the task?" Feng Yan swallowed a breath of frustration. On this trip to the east, he was determined to fully flex his skills!

Diwu Lun smiled and said: "In the past, Chen Ping sowed discord in the Chu army, spreading word throughout the realm that generals like Zhongli Mei had achieved much merit under Xiang Yu but were never granted land or made kings, and that they planned to join with the King of Han to destroy Xiang Yu, carve up Chu's territory, and each become a king. Xiang Yu indeed grew suspicious, no longer trusted Zhongli Mei and the others, and even fell out with his 'Second Father.'"

"Today, the suspicion between lord and vassals in the Greenwood Han is likely far worse than in Western Chu. Chen Ping mostly used gold to sow discord — Liu Bang gave him forty thousand jin of gold to use freely, never questioning its expenditure. I shall likewise grant you, sir, fifty thousand jin!"

Diwu Lun was short on many things, but gold was in abundant supply! Thanks to Wang Mang pinching every coin year after year, it was all left to Diwu Lun in the end. After paying the troops, several hundred thousand jin remained — now it could be spent where it counted most.

Having received such an enormous diplomatic fund, Feng Yan set aside the faint misgivings in his heart and was quite delighted. From now on, he could, like Li Si and Chen Ping, send men bearing gold and jade to persuade the feudal lords.

It was not outright bribery, not at first. Initially, the spies who made contact with you had no demands whatsoever.

"Just making a friend, nothing more."

But gradually, it would become a scheme to divide lord from vassal. With a mediocre ruler like Liu Xuan on the throne, were there really no men around him like Guo Kai, Chancellor of Zhao, or Hou Sheng, Chancellor of Qi? He had lavishly granted royal titles, but this fruit was not easy to divide — could everyone truly be fully satisfied?

Diwu Lun's current objective was "defensive sowing of discord" — he hoped to intensify the internal strife of the Greenwood Han, leaving them no leisure to covet Henei, and buying himself precious time to develop and train his troops.

Before departing, Diwu Lun also appointed Huang Chang as Deputy Superintendent of Guests, intending for the little man to help him keep an eye on his dog-headed strategist. Though he had entrusted him with heavy responsibility, Diwu Lun always feared Feng Yan would pull another wild stroke and cook up some major news for him.

Huang Chang's mind, however, was more vicious than that of Feng Yan, who fancied himself a master of vertical and horizontal alliances. He proposed: "In Qin times, when famous men among the feudal lords could be bought with wealth, they were lavishly gifted and bound; those who refused were stabbed with sharp swords. Great King, should we..."

To this, Diwu Lun flatly refused: "A gentleman does some things and refrains from others. That assassin's trade — I will not stoop to it!"

Diwu Lun, hurrying back west after settling eastern affairs, did not know that Gongsun Shu, ensconced in Shu, had adopted a different strategy. After taking control of Ba-Shu, Gongsun Shu had already recruited death-sworn men and was training assassins on a grand scale within the Brocade Official City!

Meanwhile, Wang Chang, having crossed the river back to Luoyang, grew angrier the more he thought about this trip. He had originally intended to turn swords into jade and silk — who would have expected to suffer such humiliation instead.

More trouble still lay ahead. When he met with Wang Kuang and the others, Zhang Ang, the "King of Huaiyang," who had once strongly backed Liu Xuan and stood opposed to Wang Chang, remarked with barbed sarcasm: "The King of Wuyang met with Diwu Lun — how did the talks go?"

Cheng Dan, the "King of Xiangyi," chimed in: "My men say that when the King of Wuyang returned, his boat sat much deeper in the water. Could it be he received gold and jade from Diwu Lun? I hope you will share with your brother!"

Wang Chang's heart jolted in alarm. He knew this matter had been far too rash — if Zhang Ang and the others spread wild rumors and made Gengshi suspicious of him, what then? So he followed the anger in his heart and deliberately slammed a fist onto the table: "I won't hide it from you gentlemen — Diwu Lun did indeed try to bribe me, and I pointed at his nose and gave him a thorough tongue-lashing!"

Follow the public account: Book Friends Base Camp — follow and receive cash and coins!

Zhang Ang remained unconvinced: "After a fierce scolding of Diwu Lun, the King of Wuyang could still return safely?"

Wang Chang knew he was now in a position that was hard to explain clearly, and could only sigh: "I had originally intended to persuade Diwu Lun to surrender on behalf of the Son of Heaven. I never expected this fellow to be so ambitious, exchanging flirtatious glances with the envoys of the Northern Han and the Western Pretender Emperor, making the three of us share a single courtyard so he could enjoy the spectacle of the various Hans fighting one another. He wants to remain neutral among all sides and establish his own state."

"There is no more room for talk — let us fight!" Wang Chang's attitude suddenly underwent a massive shift, and he began to support Zhang Ang's proposal to launch a campaign against Henei.

For one thing, the three commanderies they controlled — Henan, Hongnong, and Chenliu — had received far less grain than expected. After all, they had been battlefields for the better part of a year: forty thousand Xin troops had just passed through, and then the Greenwood men arrived. Rampaging soldiers had wreaked havoc, disrupting everything from spring plowing to summer planting, and ultimately the autumn harvest was dismal. Even with levies of over half the yield, they were struggling to sustain themselves.

Wang Kuang was already preparing to turn hostile and extort the wealthy households of Luoyang through torture, while Zhang Ang and the others, still unsatisfied after looting Henan, were salivating at the grain stockpiles on the opposite bank.

Now that Wang Chang had reversed course and supported military action, better to let Liu Bosheng face Diwu Lun alone? Far better to make it a lively, all-out brawl!

Wang Yanqing's trip north had not been entirely fruitless. He immediately pointed to a crude map riddled with errors and said: "The several commanderies under Diwu Lun's jurisdiction stretch from Fufeng in the west to Shouliang in the east, over a thousand li from end to end — the head and tail cannot support each other. Now that Liu Bosheng has entered Guanzhong and is about to reach Chang'an, Diwu Lun will surely rush back."

"Attending to one loses the other. With our army's momentum, if we cross the river and strike, Henei can be taken. Block the Zhi Road, and Hedong will be cut off, leaving Wei territory isolated. Then issue a proclamation exposing the false identity of that so-called 'Restoring Emperor' Liu Ziyu. If even one of the three Lius of Hebei or a single commandery governor wavers and answers Gengshi's call, the so-called Northern Han will collapse and scatter!"

In any case, it was a loose coalition against a loose coalition — what mattered was who had greater momentum. When it came to war, the Greenwood chieftains were all seasoned hands who had fought the Xin Dynasty for years, and they never lacked nerve.

Wang Chang's reversal made the other three look at each other. Wang Kuang, the King of Biyang and Duke Who Stabilizes the State, coughed and said: "This matter must be reported to the Son of Heaven. Even if we are to fight, we must wait until the kings of the the Xin and Pinglin forces have shifted their troops to Henan — then we can fight!"

Liu Xuan had created twenty kings in one breath! Seven were imperial clan kings, and thirteen were kings of different surnames. Wang Kuang's implication was clear: for a tough fight like this, they couldn't rely solely on their Xiajiang troops — the other factions had to contribute too!

Yet barely two days later, dire news arrived from the south, forcing Wang Chang's bold proposal to be postponed.

"Liu Sheng, the Marquis of Zhongwu, who occupies Runan, was not granted a royal title and is deeply resentful — he has gone so far as to proclaim himself emperor!"

It turned out that this Marquis of Zhongwu, Liu Sheng, was a distant kinsman of the Chongling Liu clan, both descended from the King of Changsha. His fief was in the Hengyang area south of the Yangtze. He lost his marquisate during Wang Mang's Xin Dynasty and roamed as a fugitive in the Huainan and Runan regions. Around the time of the Battle of Kunyang, he also raised a force in Runan. One contingent of Wang Yi's defeated troops from Kunyang, led by a Xin Dynasty Director of Rites, fled southeast and was absorbed by Liu Sheng — he now commands tens of thousands of soldiers.

This man had originally hoped to be made "King of Runan," but Liu Xuan, displeased that he had not taken the initiative to come pay court, refused to grant it, merely restoring his marquisate. Moreover, because Liu Xuan's courtesy name was "Shenggong" and he had become emperor, the taboo on his name had to be observed, and he demanded that Liu Sheng change his name.

These two matters filled Liu Sheng with resentment and fury. Goaded by old officials of the Xin Dynasty, his blood ran hot — Fine! If you will not raise my rank, I shall raise it myself! — and he brazenly proclaimed himself.

"The dynastic name is..."

"Han!"

The men looked at each other: "What number Han is this?"

"The fifth..."

Runan was right next to their main base at Nanyang, so the various kings of the Xin and Pinglin had no choice but to turn their spears around and fight the "Han Emperor" in Runan. Their original plan to march north in the autumn would probably have to be postponed until next year!

"Ah!"

Wang Chang sighed heavily, feeling only that they had missed the best chance to strike hard at Diwu Lun, and his heart ached for the state of the times.

The people under heaven have sung longingly of Han — this is no passing whim. What the people long for, Heaven bestows. To undertake a great cause, follow the people's will below and accord with Heaven's intent above — only then can the deed succeed.

This was exactly what Wang Chang had been thinking when he urged the Greenwood to merge with the Liu clan, but he was not the only "clever man" around! Now a fifth Han had finally appeared, and this fine Han banner would sooner or later be ruined by this lot!

"What kind of world is this."

Wang Chang could not help cursing: "Even chickens and dogs dare call themselves Han Emperor?"

In the last third of the eighth month, crimson banners streamed along the banks of the Ba River.

An army that, unlike the motley crews of the Greenwood chieftains, bore the proper air of "Han vestments and caps," reached Lantian. In the distance they could make out that capital city, which carried too much history, joy, and sorrow for the Liu surname.

"Chang'an, ah, Chang'an."

Liu Bosheng spurred his horse to the front, his spirit soaring.

"I swore back then that I would root out the usurping traitor, restore the House of Han, and return to the old capital."

"And today — I have returned!"

PS: Chapter 2 at 18:00.