Chapter 326: Wei, Shu, Wu

"The land of the Shu capital was called Liangzhou in ancient times. Yu tamed its rivers; brimming marshes stretched as far as the eye could see, lush and verdant, a thousand li of fertile wilderness. Above, tracing the celestial measures, the Well and Cord constellations stored their essence; below, charting the earth's veins, the river-palaces set their seats."

This was Yang Xiong's rhapsody on the Shu capital. As a great scion of Shu, Li Xiong knew his fellow townsman's work by heart.

He now stood atop the walls of Chengdu, hands clasped behind his back, gazing back across the city's twice-nine gates, its markets and wards flanked by two rivers, its nine bridges arching over the flowing waves.

In the inner and outer cities, great and small, the streets were broad and clean, houses clustered row upon row, and passersby came and went in throngs. Shu brocade had already resumed production; under the women workers' hands, the looms hummed and clicked. In times of peace, these brocades were the most coveted treasures of the Central Plains and even the Western Regions.

Beyond the walls, across more than four hundred hamlets, cooking smoke curled lazily. Some busied themselves tending taro, others trod the pestles to hull rice. Beneath a palm tree, an old man leaning on a dove-headed staff sat upon the ground. Someone approached him unhurriedly, bearing food in both hands. A yellow dog sprawled in the sun. A quiet peace in the passing seasons — nothing surpassed this.

As Chancellor of State, Li Xiong took great satisfaction in this: "That Chengdu has preserved two centuries of prosperity since the Han amid this chaos — that is the King of Shu's achievement."

wωw▪тт kan▪￠ Ο

This was also why Li Xiong devoted himself wholeheartedly to Gongsun Shu's service. He dared say that, surveying all under Heaven, after the fall of the Xin dynasty's Wang Mang, though none could count how many had declared themselves emperor or king, the regimes that could maintain order and production within their domains could be counted on one's fingers!

Li Xiong did not believe at all in the notion that "men's hearts long for the Han." He had once declared: "Heaven's mandate is not constant; the common people ally with the capable, and the capable shall bear it!"

And Gongsun Shu was just such a "capable one." The capital with which he claimed kingship, aside from the Imperial Seal of State that he still kept hidden and dared not reveal, lay in Shu's fertile abundance and his elite, well-armed troops.

"Now east of the mountains, famine rages, and men eat one another's flesh. Where war's slaughter has passed, cities and towns have become mounds of rubble."

"Only our land of Shu holds a thousand li of fertile wilderness, its soil rich and fat. The fruits that grow here can fill a belly even without tilling or sowing. The work of our women's crafts clothes all under Heaven. Our famed timbers and bamboo shafts, our abundance of tools and devices — inexhaustible in the taking, unending in the use. And we have the profits of fish, salt, copper, and silver, the ease of waterborne transport and canal shipping. This is the stuff of kingly dominion!"

By spreading half-true tales of "Greenwood Han troops plundering and slaughtering," they had indeed terrified the people of Yizhou. Gongsun Shu, who could keep one region at peace, drew them to his side like a bright lamp. In chaotic times, people flee toward tranquil lands, like water flowing downward; scholars and commoners from distant places came in droves to attach themselves.

"Now to the southeast, Qianwei Commandery has submitted, and we have already sent men to recruit the Qiong and Zuo chieftains of Yuexi Commandery."

As for the Yizhou Commandery further south and Zangke Commandery, those were the rotten mess Wang Mang had stirred up — few registered households and many barbarian tribes. The Gouding Kingdom in Zangke, having thrice repelled Xin dynasty punitive expeditions, had made a great name for itself and become the overlord of a commandery. In Yizhou Commandery, the descendants of the Dian King sought to restore their state, while the Kunming barbarians were fierce and unruly. So long as they did not sally forth to stir up trouble, they could be ignored for the time being.

"If the State of Shu is to be secure, it must push north and march east!"

"In the north, hold Hanzhong and Wudu, blocking the strategic passes of Bao, Ye, and Mount Qi. In the east, grip Ba Commandery and hold the gateway of the Han Pass. Only then can we be considered safe. When there is no advantage, defend stoutly and devote strength to agriculture; when advantage appears, send forth troops to seize territory. Eastward, follow the river's flow to take Jing and Yang, gaining all the southern lands. Only thus can we advance from kingly dominion to establish imperial dominion!"

But at this stage, the obstacles their regime faced were equally clear. The one now controlling Wudu was the Western Han; the one controlling Hanzhong was the Greenwood Han. As for Nan Commandery and Jiangxia, there was also Tian Rong's force, which had accepted Liu Xuan's seal and letter of appointment as "Governor of Nan Commandery," blocking the way at the Three Gorges.

That was why Li Xiong had urgently proposed that they should ally with King Diwu Lun of Wei to jointly resist the various Han factions.

The problem was that while the State of Shu could block the strategic routes like the Stone Ox Road and the Rice Granary Road, so could the Gengshi Emperor and Liu Jia, King of Hanzhong. The two sides were already hostile, and sending envoys north was extremely difficult. Taking a detour through the Three Gorges, on the other hand, would be very time-consuming.

But to the great and pleasant surprise of Gongsun Shu and Li Xiong, the King of Wei's side seemed to have also taken note of his power, which had never honored the Han, and had actually sent an envoy who had slipped through Hanzhong to meet them. The envoy had made contact with the Shu garrison at Jiameng Pass and would arrive in Chengdu today!

Li Xiong had also pressed the messenger for details: "Who is this envoy?"

"The Director of Guests of Wei, Feng Yan, courtesy name Jingtong. He is also a trusted and vital minister of King Diwu Lun of Wei."

Li Xiong nodded: "Indeed. None but a trusted, indispensable minister could shoulder this path-breaking mission."

In Diwu Lun's mind, however, sending Feng Yan into Shu was merely an idle chess move. If it succeeded, there was no great use for it; if it failed, there was no loss. Even if Feng Yan were to unfortunately perish, Diwu Lun would certainly weep — but whether he would shed more than a few tears was another matter.

Li Xiong, however, had remembered this name. As Chancellor of State, he had personally come to the city wall to wait. Spotting a convoy of carriages approaching Chengdu's northern "Xianyang Gate" in the distance, he descended from the wall to receive them outside the outer gate.

He saw that the man on the carriage was gaunt and lean. His once fair and tender skin had been darkened considerably by the sun on the Ziwu Road and the Stone Ox Road, and he looked somewhat weary. Yet in his hand he tightly gripped a staff of authority: an eight-chi pole, its tip adorned with yak tails dyed yellow as its fringe — three layers in all...

Feng Yan had actually divided the eight-chi bamboo pole into five sections, hiding them on different people to evade Han troop searches. He had also untied the yak tails and separately bound them into his hair. Only after making contact with the men of Shu did he retrieve them and assemble the whole — truly no easy feat.

Now the staff fringe fluttered gently in the dry northwest wind. Holding it, under the gaze of the Shu men, Feng Yan slowly approached Li Xiong and offered an elegant cupped-hand salute: "I, the outer minister Feng Yan, Director of Guests of Wei, bearing the decree of the King of Wei, have come on his behalf to sweep and sprinkle Master Ziyun's tomb, and to pay my respects to the King of Shu!"

Both were military advisors, but from Feng Yan's verbal acknowledgment of "the King of Shu," Li Xiong caught his implied meaning: "The King of Wei also wishes to assume kingship. Diwu and Gongsun — Wei and Shu together shall overthrow the Han!"

Unlike Fang Wang, the Wei clan's military advisor, who had felt an instinctive antipathy and bitter jealousy upon meeting Feng Yan, Li Xiong, seeing Feng Yan's bearing, instantly felt a kinship of kindred spirits. His impression was excellent!

Li Xiong could only sigh in silent admiration: "The Han had Zhang Qian; Wei has Feng Yan."

"This man is truly a scholar of the realm!"

The role of military advisor under Liu Xiu was essentially being filled in by the youngest of his followers, Deng Yu, who was just over twenty.

"Last night, our illustrious lord again shared a couch and talked through the night with Hou Ba. I wonder how the talks went."

Feng Yi and Deng Yu showed no unusual expressions as they discussed this matter. They both knew this was an old habit of Liu Xiu's — he liked to show intimacy. Back when Feng Yi had first surrendered to Liu Xiu, around the time of the Battle of Kunyang, Liu Xiu had often kept him to share his bed and discuss military plans. It was precisely because of this that Feng Yi had discovered the tear stains on his pillow and mat...

And after Deng Yu had carried provisions to follow him, the person who regularly lodged in Liu Xiu's room had switched to him. After all, with no territory and no battles to fight now, Feng Yi's strength had no outlet, while the broadly learned Deng Yu could analyze the great trends of the realm.

And now Feng Yi had learned that he was not even the first to share a bed with Liu Xiu. Someone had come before both him and Deng Yu...

"When our illustrious lord was at the Imperial Academy, he often shared a bed with his fellow student Zhuang Ziling." Deng Yu shared this news with Feng Yi, but Feng Yi only smiled and let it pass.

Liu Xiu had come to Linhuai Commandery to seek refuge with Hou Ba precisely through Zhuang Ziling's connection. Zhuang Ziling was a friend to both Liu Xiu and Hou Ba, and given Liu Xiu's temperament, he had quickly grown close with Hou Ba as well, stopping just short of calling him brother.

Before long, Liu and Hou emerged side by side. They summoned the various officials of Linhuai and Liu Xiu's followers together for a meeting, and then actually began deferring to one another.

"Junfang is the host of Linhuai. How dare Xiu overstep?"

"Wenshu is the envoy of the Gengshi Son of Heaven, with illustrious achievements to his name, and is also the Governor of Xuzhou — he is Hou Ba's superior. If you do not take the seat of honor, who shall?"

After a round of modest demurrals, Liu Xiu ultimately took the seat of honor. This scene greatly heartened Deng Yu and Feng Yi, who exchanged glances. It seemed that, thanks to Liu Xiu's skill at winning people over and his humble, righteous nature, the question of "who truly rules Linhuai Commandery" had, after nearly a month since their arrival, finally been settled!

Hou Ba's old colleagues, however, looked at one another, all somewhat unwilling. Many among them felt that Liu Xiu and his men had come like turtledoves seizing a magpie's nest!

Hou Ba, however, knew his own abilities very well. He was a man of Henan Commandery. In the early years of Wang Mang's reign, he had been recommended by Chen Chong, the Master of Fates of the Five Majesties, and made a County Magistrate. Having come up through the Master of Fates' office, Hou Ba was naturally well-versed in statutes and institutions and displayed the style of a model official: he investigated and executed powerful criminals, separately apprehended mountain bandits, and brought peace to his county. With achievements to his name, he rose step by step, ultimately arriving in this southeastern land as a provincial governor.

He handled affairs with considerable courage and decisiveness. For ten years, he had managed governance smoothly and properly. When Wang Mang fell, he was able to rally troops and commoners, defend his commandery, and maintain peace in the Huaiyin region.

But Hou Ba knew very well that in this age of great contention, he had more than enough to preserve himself, but if he wished to do more, his heart was willing but his strength was lacking.

"Though Linhuai has a population of a million, how dare it defy the Han Emperor? Whether it be the river bandits from the great river sweeping north, or the hundreds of thousands of Red Eyebrows charging south in a single surge, we would all become dead ghosts."

He had also heard that his patron Chen Chong had been deemed a "foe of the people" by Diwu Lun, who held Guanzhong, and had been cruelly executed. This, too, filled him with fear. As a leftover official of the Xin dynasty, Hou Ba had thought it over and concluded that seeking refuge with the Greenwood Han for protection was the safest course. He only regretted that the Red Eyebrows blocked the way and Li Xian of Huainan had carved out his own territory, cutting off all communication and making travel impossible.

Now that Liu Xiu, the hero of Kunyang, had arrived bearing the Gengshi Emperor's edict and staff of authority, Hou Ba was naturally all deference and respect.

Yet initially he had been quite guarded, and did not lower his vigilance just because they shared a mutual friend. It was only after observing him for over a month, sharing a bed and talking several times, that he discovered that though Liu Xiu appeared plain and simple, he was benevolent, wise, far-sighted, full of stratagems, and delighted in giving to and caring for others. He also saw that his followers, Deng Yu and Feng Yi among them, were either scions of great families or outstanding heroes. Coupled with Liu Xiu's renown from the great battle of Kunyang, perhaps he could make up for the military matters that Hou Ba himself most lacked?

Only then did Hou Ba make up his mind.

"In this chaotic age, I lack the capacity to contend for the tripods, nor do I dare harbor such ambition. Better to let Liu Xiu become the master of Linhuai, while I withdraw to serve as his wing. That is the path to lasting security."

And so he feigned to declare: "I am a minister of the rebel Wang Mang's chaotic regime. Now that the House of Han has been restored, I ought to offer up my official seal and go to prison myself to await the Gengshi Son of Heaven's judgment and punishment. The Governor of Xuzhou is a scion of the imperial house and holds sway over this province. I beg that you appoint another to serve as commandery governor."

Hou Ba had not yet finished his bow when Liu Xiu caught him and held him up: "Why does Lord Hou say such things? Your virtue is broad, your talent lofty; you resisted the bandits from north and south by force. Were it not for Lord Hou, Linhuai would barely have been preserved, and we would have had no place to set foot at all. Now that Xiu has just taken office, his virtue is shallow, and he knows not what to do. Would Lord Hou bear to abandon me and leave? Then all under Heaven would deem Xiu a man without righteousness!"

After a round of deferrals that had the two groups of subordinates rising to their feet several times and nearly coming to drawn swords, the two men finally reached a consensus: Liu Xiu would be Governor of Xuzhou, in charge of military affairs, while Hou Ba would remain Governor of Linhuai Commandery, managing governance and the people's livelihood. Liu Xiu, this counterfeit Governor of Xuzhou, was bold enough to thump his chest and declare that he would certainly write a memorial strenuously setting forth Hou Ba's merits, so that the Gengshi Emperor would grant him amnesty and enfeoff him as a marquis!

After the day's matters were settled, Liu Xiu's "Governor of Xuzhou" headquarters officially opened. When the others had been dismissed and only his trusted confidants remained, Fu Jun could not help but say: "This Hou Ba has finally been willing to hand military authority over to our illustrious lord. Our patience all this time has not been in vain. He knows what's good for him. Otherwise..."

Otherwise, a few of the more hot-tempered among them would have fallen upon Hou Ba and forcibly seized the position for Liu Xiu!

Although civil administration still rested with Hou Ba, and some of Hou Ba's old subordinates in the army refused to submit, Liu Xiu believed that with a little maneuvering, he and his followers could quickly gain control over Linhuai's several thousand commandery troops.

Smiling, he told everyone to rein in their excitement and looked toward Deng Yu. "Zhonghua, Linhuai is now effectively mine. Tell me, what should we do next?"

Deng Yu had been here for over a month and had often used the pretext of "sightseeing" to survey the terrain. A strategy was already formed in his mind, and now he spoke with eloquence: "This commandery has fertile plains that can be opened for cultivation, and the Hangou Canal, the Huai, and the Si rivers offer the advantage of water transport. Blocked by the Huai and backed by the sea, it controls Xu Province. In the Spring and Autumn period, when Fuchai wished to reach the Central Plains, his route passed through the Yangtze and Huai, and he operated from here. Ever since, whenever there was conflict between north and south, this place has been relied upon as a strategic stronghold. The Marquis of Huaiyin, Han Xin, was born on this soil, and Xiang Yu and his uncle also used this as their base."

He analyzed further: "Right now, Pengcheng to the north is blocked by the King of Liang and the Red Eyebrows — powerful foes. To the west, Li Xian, the Grand Governor of Lujiang under the Xin Dynasty, has carved out his own territory, seeking to possess Huainan, and he too commands over ten thousand troops. The Linhuai commandery troops have only just pledged allegiance to you, my lord; they cannot yet be used to fight powerful enemies. In my humble opinion, it would be better to first head south, take Guangling — present-day Yangzhou — and train the troops there!"

"Guangling." Liu Xiu nodded. He was a clever man who could draw inferences from a single case and had already grasped Deng Yu's plan. With deep meaning, he said, "That was the capital of Liu Bi, the King of Wu."

"I've heard that the current and last King of Guangling, Liu Hong, is besieged by river bandits and has already sought aid from Linhuai several times, but Hou Ba, out of caution, has not gone to his rescue…"

"Kin of the many Xia states must not be abandoned," Deng Yu said. "If you, my lord, can rescue the King of Guangling and gain this commandery, your fame will surely surge throughout the southeast, no less than when Duke Huan of Qi saved Xing and defended Wei! In the future, using Guangling as a port, you can dispatch generals south across the river to seize Danyang and Kuaiji, and there will be no further obstacles!"

"With Guangling and three commanderies — fifty-three cities — Liu Bi, King of Wu, became a hegemon of the south; with eight thousand Jiangdong sons heading north, Xiang Yu rampaged across the realm."

Deng Yu prostrated himself. "If you, my lord, can take the entire land of Wu, why worry that a royal enterprise will not flourish?"

…

By the end of the tenth month, the lands of Shu and Wu still only carried a slight chill, but the Guanzhong region, where the King of Wei, Diwu Lun, resided, was already bitterly cold.

Diwu Lun had draped himself in a thick bearskin cloak and stood with his commanders before a huge map of Guanzhong, pressing tacks into it one by one.

"Baling — Wang Zun; Duling — the various clans; and Zhouzhi, Wugong…"

Every single tack represented a powerful family south of the Wei River that still stubbornly resisted, still hoping for the Western Han to come to their rescue or for the Green Han to re-enter Guanzhong. But after Diwu Lun had ruthlessly crushed over thirty prominent clans north of the Wei, they no longer held any hope for Wei.

With the internal problems north of the Wei resolved, Diwu Lun's military edge was about to advance southward.

Finally, Diwu Lun pressed the largest tack heavily onto Mount Lantian. "And also Liu Bosheng's remnant force at Yao Pass!"

Hearing this place name, the Marquis of Shangyan, Zheng Tong, no longer hung his head in shame but raised it high, brimming with fighting spirit!

Diwu Lun turned around and, facing Cen Peng, Wan Xiu, and the others, pointed at the dense cluster of tacks. "Gentlemen, within one month, I want not a single tack left on this map…"

"Pluck them all out!"

…

PS: Chapter 2 at 23:00.

Fun fact: Liu Xiu loved to sleep alongside others:

(Deng Yu) often lodged and stayed with him, and (Liu Xiu) would settle plans and discuss matters with him.

Once, while they were lying down together, Guang (Yan Ziling) placed his foot on the emperor's belly. The next day, the Grand Astrologer urgently reported that a guest star had trespassed against the imperial throne. The emperor laughed and said, "It was only my old friend Yan Ziling sharing a bed with me."

【Reader Benefit】 Earn cash or points just by reading, and you could even win an iPhone 12 or a Switch! Follow the vx official account 【Reader Base Camp】 to claim!