Chapter 349: Jiangdong's Sons Are Men of Many Talents

"Wenshu, must you truly leave me?"

In the twelfth month, Liu Xiu — who had taken the title Governor of Xu Province — once again politely declined the reluctant entreaties of Liu Hong, King of Guangling. Fine as Guangling was, he dared not linger long in its gentle comforts.

It must be told: in early winter, having just borrowed authority to seize military command from Hou Ba, Governor of Linhuai, Liu Xiu dared not pause for a moment. He immediately answered the last King of Guangling's plea for aid, leading Linhuai troops to strike river bandits, relieve Guangling city, help the King of Guangling recover four counties, and appoint his subordinate Feng Yi as Commandant of Guangling to garrison the region.

With the two wealthy territories of Linhuai and Guangling, the population under Liu Xiu's control had, in theory, reached a million — but he was far from satisfied.

Guangling was too small, a mere springboard. His true objective was still the target Deng Yu had fixed upon when they planned their strategy together: Kuaiji Commandery!

"The powerful families of Linhuai have yet to fully pledge their loyalty. To the north, Pengcheng and Donghai are still embroiled in chaos, with Red Eyebrow splinter forces, the King of Liang, and Dong Xian locked in tangled warfare. With our present strength, we cannot contend with them. To the west, Li Xian, who styles himself 'King of Huainan,' also commands many troops and ships — though fortunately, he is too occupied fending off attacks by Gengshi's generals to turn eastward. We must seize this fine opportunity to first take Wu and Kuaiji."

Affairs pressed urgently. After a month or so, seeing that the situation in Guangling had largely stabilized, Liu Xiu left the capable Wang Ba, both scholar and warrior, along with Yao Qi and Ji Zun, to hold Linhuai. He himself, with Zhu You, Deng Yu, and his core retinue, crossed the Great River south from Jiangdu in Guangling Commandery, heading for Kuaiji.

"Until you see the Great River, you cannot believe its vastness."

Liu Xiu had traveled widely and seen much, priding himself on having visited several of the famous great waterways — the Huai, the Ji, the Han, the He. Only now did he understand.

"All the other waterways combined cannot match the breadth of the Great River!"

Good heavens — and this was still winter, when the waters ran low. Even so, one could not see the opposite shore. It took the boat half a shichen to reach Dantu County on the southern bank. Liu Xiu was utterly awestruck.

Only a natural barrier like this, he thought, could keep the bandits and would-be invaders of the north at bay.

Yet conditions in Kuaiji were hardly better than the chaotic north. In Wang Mang's time, a great bandit named Gua Tianyi had risen here even earlier than the Greenwood and Red Eyebrow rebellions, throwing Yang Province into turmoil. After the bandit chief Gua died, his followers scattered — some surrendered to Li Xian, Grand Governor of Lujiang; others shifted west to Danyang Commandery. Only scattered bands of marauders remained in Kuaiji proper.

Liu Xiu had come south with only three thousand troops, limited by the number of boats, but that was enough to deal with petty bandits. Without much effort, they fought their way from Dantu County at Kuaiji's northernmost tip to Wuxi — a city Wang Mang had once renamed "Youxi."

Unlike the reed-choked marshes along the Great River, haunted by the cries of cranes and steeped in wild desolation, Wuxi and the surrounding lands were already quite prosperous. Everywhere stretched empty, flooded paddies; the plains were fertile, the hamlets clustered thick — a true land of fish and rice.

Nor did he see any tattooed, short-haired Shanyue people. After centuries of development under Chu and Han, Kuaiji had become a great commandery of over a million souls. Local hairstyles and dress were now indistinguishable from the Central Plains, and Confucian learning had spread well, having produced great ministers in Emperor Wu of Han's time, such as Zhuang Zhu and Zhu Maichen.

As for differences... well, the local speech was somewhat twisted and hard to follow. The region was crisscrossed by waterways, and the Wu people used boats as horses — even stepping out the door meant poling a bamboo raft.

Ahead, the vast expanse of Zhenze — Lake Tai — spread before his eyes, misty and boundless. Liu Xiu stared, transfixed, and thought of an old friend.

"Zhuang Ziling once said that after leaving the Imperial Academy, he would follow the example of the old fisherman and come here to live as a recluse."

Could one of those figures draped in sheepskin, fishing in the vast lake, be his old dormitory mate?

But Liu Xiu could not afford to dwell on such thoughts. He pressed on until he reached the capital of Kuaiji: beneath the walls of Wu County.

Looking up, Liu Xiu was startled to realize that this city was built on a scale rivaling Wancheng.

Its northern wall alone stretched six or seven li; the entire city perimeter was nearly forty li. Moreover, a smaller walled enclosure, over ten li in circumference, was nested against its northern side.

"I had thought Guangling, as the capital of Jing and Wu, was the largest city in the south. I never imagined Wu County would be twice its size." Fu Jun and the others, who had once looked down on Jiangdong and Wu-Yue as barbarous backwaters, were astonished by Wu County's grandeur.

As military advisor, Deng Yu wore a look of smug satisfaction that said, "Didn't I tell you so?" and spoke:

"In the Spring and Autumn period, King Helü of Wu, having defeated Chu and established hegemony over the Jiang-Huai region, entrusted the task to Wu Zixu. Zixu examined the soil, tasted the waters, modeled the layout on Heaven and patterned it on Earth, and built a small walled city ten li around. Later, King Fuchai of Wu added a great outer city, forty li in circumference."

"A decade later, King Goujian of Yue destroyed Wu and also made Gusu his capital, the southern seat of Yue. By the time of Lord Chunshen of Chu, the place was managed and developed for over ten more years. Today's Wu County may only be the seat of a commandery, but it is a true southeastern metropolis, with no fewer than eight city gates."

A full tenth of Kuaiji Commandery's population was concentrated in this city. They did not approach the southern gate, where Wu Zixu's eyes were said to have been hung, but encamped before the northern "Gate Gazing Toward Qi," flying the Han banner. Liu Xiu had his men shout aloud:

"I am Liu Xiu, Governor of Yang Province under His Majesty the Gengshi Emperor of the Great Han, come by imperial decree to pacify Jiangdong..."

What a character — north of the River he was Governor of Xu Province; once in Jiangdong, he became Governor of Yang Province!

Wu Commandery had long ago torn down the Xin Dynasty's banners and knew of Wang Mang's defeat, but because of the obstructions of Li Xian, the Red Eyebrows, and the river bandits, Gengshi had yet to send anyone to deliver the official summons. Seeing this scene now, the people looked at one another in bewilderment. The white-haired old Governor above only sent word back...

"Since autumn began, this commandery has already received three Governors of Yang Province and five Administrators of Kuaiji... all of them bandit chieftains in disguise. Once inside the city, they raped and plundered, until the various Wu clans drove them out. How do you prove you are genuine?"

Liu Xiu was taken aback. He exchanged glances with Deng Yu and the others, then burst out laughing. So there were swindlers who had beaten them to it!

His own letter of appointment and official seals had been forged back in Guangling. He had the King of Guangling's younger brother help call out, telling the people of Kuaiji how Liu Xiu had helped them defeat the river bandits and secured Guangling's peace. But the city still would not believe them. They only lowered a basket, telling Liu Xiu to send someone in for detailed talks.

Two men stepped forward at once: "My lord, let me go!"

It was Deng Yu and Zhu You. After speaking, they glanced at each other. Deng Yu clapped his hands and laughed: "Excellent! If Zhongxian goes with me, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort!"

"You are both scholars..." Fu Jun grew anxious. What if this Governor of Kuaiji harbored ill intent and tried to harm them? They needed someone who could fight their way out.

Liu Xiu, however, asked Deng Yu to explain his reasoning.

"Before coming, your servants made thorough inquiries about this Governor of Kuaiji."

Deng Yu spoke of Governor Lu Bo's life and deeds as if reciting his own family history.

"He is a man of Langya, a transmitter of the Shi clan's scholarship on the Book of Changes, and a fellow disciple under the same master as Zhang Yu, who served as Chancellor under Emperor Ai."

Zhu You, who had once been a senior disciple-lecturer at the Imperial Academy and nearly entered the inner circles of classical scholarship, stroked his beard and said: "Lu Bo is now past seventy. His heart is entirely set on spreading Confucian learning here in the Wu and Kuaiji region."

He looked at Deng Yu and smiled: "Though I am untalented, I too was once a senior disciple at the Imperial Academy — half a master of the Five Classics, you might say. And Zhonghua, young as he is, is a prodigy of the highest order, thoroughly versed in the Five Classics and quite accomplished in the Changes as well."

Deng Yu nodded: "When we enter the city, we need carry not a single weapon. If we simply appeal to his interests, discuss the Five Classics, and explain the stakes, I guarantee this Governor Lu will throw open the gates to welcome us!"

Attacking cities and seizing territory sometimes required soldiers and direct assault — as when dealing with the river bandits at Dantu. Sometimes it required Liu Xiu to sell his charm and leverage personal connections to deceive, as in Linhuai. Occasionally, he even had to brandish his identity as a scion of the Han imperial house, as in Guangling.

But Wu County was so formidable that a direct assault was out of the question, and the people inside, once bitten twice shy, no longer trusted any seals or credentials. It could only be won through eloquence and the Five Classics.

Liu Xiu nodded and sent the two men into the city. He did not idle about either. He ordered his commanders to make their lax, undisciplined Linhuai troops put on a show: seated in neat rows before Wu County's Gate Gazing Toward Qi, they struck up a chorus of the "Song of the Great Wind"!

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By the time "A great wind rises, the clouds fly and scatter" had been sung for the tenth round and everyone was so drowsy they were nodding off, Zhu You and Deng Yu finally emerged.

This time, they did not descend in a basket like bundles of mallow or turnips. They strode out, heads high, through the wide-open city gates. The white-haired Governor of Kuaiji, Lu Bo, beaming with delight, held Deng Yu by one hand and Zhu You by the other. He came hand in hand with them before Liu Xiu and bowed.

Though Lu Bo was an old Confucian, at his waist hung a windlass-pommel sword inlaid with gold on the hilt, its grip cord braided and wound from silk thread: "I have heard that Governor Liu led troops to rescue Guangling and drove out the bandits of Dantu and Qu'e. This is like Duke Huan of Qi preserving Xing and defending Wei — 'You cast a wild plum to me, I requite you with a fine jade.' Yet this old man has been so discourteous. A grave offense indeed!"

Liu Xiu immediately replied: "A mere Marquis, how dare I presume to the stature of Duke Huan of Qi? For Xiu, to be a Guan Yiwu would be enough. And there is no need to speak of requital — I only hope that Kuaiji and the Son of Heaven in Nanyang may forever remain in amity!"

His response was proper, measured, and apt. When Lu Bo learned that Liu Xiu was also a talented scion who had studied at the Imperial Academy, his delight grew even greater, and he took Liu Xiu by the hand to enter the city.

Indeed, the common run of river-and-lake bandits and Red Eyebrow or Greenwood rabble could never, as Liu Xiu could, assemble four or five Imperial Academy students. Faking that would be hard indeed.

Deng Yu's inquiries had not been in vain. To a great Confucian like Lu Bo, whose heart lay not in governing his commandery but in spreading moral cultivation, the reasoning was simple: "In these chaotic times, what ill intent could a scholar who still reveres the Sages' learning and is thoroughly versed in the Five Classics possibly harbor?"

Far from the struggles for supremacy among the various Han claimants and the King of Wei, the southeastern scholars and powerful families, beset by bandit sieges, felt a natural affinity for a man like Liu Xiu. Not to mention that he flew the banner of the Great Han's Gengshi Emperor — a sign that, in the south, could still intimidate people for the time being...

And when, in the course of conversation, they further learned that this affable, modest young man was none other than the God of War of Kunyang, their astonishment gave way to admiration — and a faint prickle of fear.

Never mind, never mind. If we can talk classics, let us talk classics. If it truly came to blades, we would likely be no match for him. Hou Ba of Linhuai, the King of Guangling, and Lu Bo of Kuaiji all thought the same.

After Lu Bo and the powerful Wu families talked it over, the conclusion was clear: Kuaiji's prominent clans were too scattered. The local magnates in the south, in places like Yuhang and Shanyin, had built fortified manors, shut their gates, and lived their own lives, caring nothing for the commandery seat's fate. Relying on Wu alone, their combined strength could not even defeat the bandits of Danyang.

After much thought, he decided he would be better off relying on Liu Xiu to ensure his safety, and so he meekly handed over what little military authority he had.

And so, in just three short months, Liu Xiu, through a mix of coaxing and deception, had brought three commanderies under his banner, accepting their submission to the rule of "Liu Xiu, Governor of Xu Province / Governor of Yang Province."

Although this paled in comparison to his feat in the original history — riding alone into Hebei and seizing two provinces in three months — Liu Xiu did not know that, and still felt quite heartened, for he finally had a foothold of his own and no longer had to live under another's roof.

Yet Liu Xiu also understood clearly that he was merely a "territorial commander" propped up by the powerful families, great clans, commandery governors, and local lords of three commanderies out of shared necessity and circumstance. His foundation was shallow, as rootless and unreliable as duckweed drifting on the water.

"The moment Gengshi actually sends provincial governors and commandery administrators here, there will surely be defections. And if the King of Liang or Li Xian find a free hand to march east and south, the three commanderies, won so easily today, will be lost just as easily!"

Where could he find the true foundation for building a state? His military advisor, Deng Yu, had been plotting step by step, slowly closing in on the answer.

"Danyang! (present-day Nanjing and southern Anhui)"

Deng Yu said this, pointing to the commandery west of Kuaiji.

"The northern part of Danyang Commandery is occupied by the river bandit Wang the Duke of Zhou, who claims to have over a hundred thousand men. In truth, it is merely dozens or even hundreds of separate bandit gangs occupying county seats and villages, rallying behind a single chief — nothing but a motley rabble."

A motley rabble they might be, but they were also the greatest threat to Liu Xiu's territory, frequently crossing the river by boat to raid Linhuai and Guangling, and even invading Kuaiji Commandery.

"The southern part of Danyang Commandery is held by local powerful families and Shanyue chieftains."

Several subordinates unfamiliar with the south found this puzzling. In terms of population, Danyang could not match Linhuai; in terms of farmland and grain abundance, it fell short of Kuaiji. Why had Deng Yu set his sights precisely on this place?

"My lord, have you heard the tale of Li Ling, who with five thousand infantry routed eighty thousand Xiongnu cavalry?"

Although Li Ling's campaign ultimately ended in failure just short of success, his surrender and all that followed were his personal failings alone, and could not erase the magnificent feat of that infantry force rampaging a thousand li through Xiongnu territory and crushing the barbarian foe!

"Those five thousand soldiers were all Danyang Chu troops!"

"Danyang's mountains are treacherous, and Han and Yue live intermingled. The people are mostly resolute and fierce, fond of martial pursuits and practiced in war, prizing strength and vigor above all. It is a land that produces elite soldiers."

Deng Yu said, "My lord, if you can pool the resources of the powerful families from the three commanderies of Linhuai, Guangling, and Kuaiji, borrowing troops to suppress the bandits, you can obtain over ten thousand soldiers. Train them for a few months, and after the spring planting, march west from Kuaiji to strike Danyang. Defeat the subordinates of the great bandit Wang the Duke of Zhou one by one, absorb them into your camp, and you can gain tens of thousands — either as infantry conscripts or sent off to farm military colonies. After that, recruit Danyang's elite swordsmen and champion soldiers into the army. With just eight thousand of them, you will have the strength to march north and seize all of Xu Province, or to strike at Li Xian in Huainan from the rear!"

Hearing this, Liu Xiu slapped his thigh and praised him endlessly.

Indeed — this, this was the true foundation with which to contend fiercely for Xu and Yang!

"The one who devises stratagems with me in the command tent to decide victory a thousand li away — that is Deng Zhonghua!"

However, before Liu Xiu could savor the clear future for long, Zhai Zun, who had been left behind in Linhuai under orders to watch over the territory together with Wang Ba, arrived. His expression was hesitant, and upon seeing Liu Xiu, he prostrated himself and did not rise.

"Disun, what has happened?"

Zhai Zun's courtesy name was Disun — a name even more disadvantageous than Feng Yi's "Gongsun." Liu Xiu had found him to be self-disciplined and devoted to public duty, enforcing laws without shying from power or influence. When they were fighting river bandits in Guangling, some household slaves from Liu Xiu's residence in Chongling had run amok, and Zhai Zun had them executed without a second word. Far from being angered, Liu Xiu was delighted, and appointed Zhai Zun as Colonel of Censure, specifically in charge of military law.

Zhai Zun gritted his teeth and delivered two pieces of bad news to Liu Xiu, bringing his three-month streak of good fortune to an end.

"The envoy dispatched by the Gengshi Emperor has arrived. Hou Ba already knows that you, my lord, are not the Governor of Xu Province. He has not directly expelled us, but has detained the envoy north of the Huai, feasting him with wine day after day, and sent me to urgently ask you, my lord, what is really going on!"

How to answer Hou Ba, and how to face the Gengshi officials — this was a major problem.

"There is one more matter…"

Zhai Zun raised his head, a trace of red in his eyes — the look of one sharing his lord's grief.

"News came ten days ago. Your elder brother, my lord, Liu Bosheng, King of Feng Yi, led his army into the Pass. At the end of the ninth month, he fought a decisive battle against Diwu Lun, King of Wei, on the Wei River, and… tragically fell in battle!"

A buzzing roar exploded in Liu Xiu's ears, more violently than when he had learned of Yin Lihua's abduction. He found himself standing without realizing it, his first reaction a refusal to believe this fact that had occurred three months ago.

"Impossible. My elder brother Bosheng is invincible under heaven!"

…

PS: Alliance Leader bonus chapter 7/22.

Lu Bo's tomb has already been discovered in Zhejiang — most likely because the realm fell into chaos, and he was buried locally after his death.